A Field Test of the Sweat Patch

The sweat patch is a new, noninvasive method designed to estimate the ethanol consumption of drinking subjects. It consists of salt-impregnated absorbent pads protected by a plastic chamber with attached water-tight adhesive. The patch reportedly collects transepidermal fluid at a steady rate for up to 10 days. Recent laboratory research has indicated a linear relationship between the concentration of ethanol in transepidermal fluid and mean concentration of ethanol in blood. Levels of ethanol in the sweat patch allowed identification of persons drinking at least 0.5 g of ethanol/kg/day with 100% sensitivity and specificity. The study reported here was conducted to test the field effectiveness of this sweat patch in normal, active research subjects. First, several pretests were conducted to determine the optimal location of the patch on the body and its fluid uptake at various sites. A laboratory experiment using nonalcoholic subjects was conducted to replicate previous work, and methods of measuring ethanol concentration in the patch were refined. A field test of the patch was then carried out. Healthy active volunteers drank a single "moderate" dose of ethanol (0.5 g of ETOH/kg of body weight) and then remained abstinent for the next 3 days. A week later, a "heavy" dose (1.0/kg of body weight) was consumed. Only a trace of ethanol was detected in any of the patches worn in either experiment. The patch did not measure ethanol in the transepidermal fluid under field conditions. Thus, further design modifications and pilot testing are required before the full benefits of this unobtrusive measure of drinking can be realized.     

Reading, Demographic, Social and Psychological Factors Related to Pre-adolescent Smoking and Non-smoking Behaviors and Attitudes

The purpose of this study was to examine reading, demographic, social and psychological factors related to pre-adolescent smoking and non-smoking behaviors and attitudes. The school-home humanistic education program was implemented in a large, urban public school system. It stressed responsible decision-making, increased self-esteem and the inter-relationships among the acquisition of knowledge of the consequences of smoking, personal feelings, family relationships and behavior. The results showed that family involvement was necessary to affect smoking attitudes and behaviors. Of all the variables studied, reading had a most pervasive relationship. Peer influence and self-esteem also were related to smoking knowledge, smoking attitude, future smoking intentions and the "purchase" of cigarettes. Two of several conclusions drawn from the results are: 1. Family involvement is necessary to affect attitudes and behaviors. 2. Health education research that does not investigate the relationship between program outcomes and reading achievement may be misleading.     

Altered radioprotective properties of interleukin I alpha (IL-1) in non-hematologic tumor-bearing animals

The radioprotective properties of IL-1 were investigated in the respective murine hosts for the Lewis lung (LLca) and EMT-6 tumors. For these studies, doses of total body irradiation were selected for the C57B1/6 (9.5 Gy) and Balb/c (7.5 Gy) mice that resulted in a 60% mortality over a 30-day interval. When a "priming" dose of 2.5 x 10(5) U IL-1 was administered 24 hr prior to the radiation exposure, animal mortality was markedly reduced (60% vs 5-10%). Under identical experimental conditions, however, the presence of either the LLca or the EMT-6 tumors in their respective host strains was found to compromise the level of radioprotection conferred by this priming dose of IL-1. In Balb/c mice bearing the EMT-6 tumor, a priming dose of IL-1 resulted in only a modest level of radioprotection when compared to non-tumor-bearing control animals (median animal survival increased by 11.5 days). In C57B1/6 mice bearing the LLca tumor, IL-1 failed to demonstrate any evidence of radioprotection. Following a sublethal dose of total body irradiation, the appearance of an accelerated repopulation of the stem cell (8d CFUs and CFU-GEMM) and the myeloid progenitor (CFU-M) compartment in the marrow of the IL-1 primed EMT-6, but not the LLca, tumor-bearing animals was consistent with the hypothesis that the mechanism leading to radioprotection in IL-1 primed rodents involves an accelerated recovery of hematopoietic activity. It was also noted that the presence of the EMT-6 tumor was associated with an increase in the "radiosensitivity" of the Balb/c mouse. Collectively, these data suggest that the use of biological modifiers should be examined under altered physiological conditions prior to attempting to translate them into the clinic.     

Modification of Gastric Banding,Using a Fundal Suture

Many forms of gastric banding have been described and high reoperation rates reported. These can be mainly attributed to excess vomiting associated both with and without stenosis. Reflux oesophagitis and the ‘sump’ effect may be other causes. This paper examines the problems associated with banding leading to revisional surgery and introduces a new technique, ‘fundal supporting suture’, to correct these problems. Preliminary results on 126 bandings without the modification and 22 with the modification are presented.     

Effect of an opiate antagonist (naloxone) on the gastric acid secretory response to sham feeding,pentagastrin, and histamine in man

We studied the effect of the opiate antagonist naloxone on the human gastric acid secretory response to three secretory stimulants: sham feeding, pentagastrin, and histamine. Intravenous naloxone (40 g/kg/hr) significantly inhibited the acid secretory response to sham feeding without affecting the serum gastrin response to sham feeding. Naloxone also significantly reduced pentagastrin- and histamine-stimulated acid secretion. These studies indicate that naloxone reduces acid secretion in response to all stimulants of acid secretion yet tested in humans.This study was supported by grants AM-16816 and AM-17328, from the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases.Presented in part at the Plenary Session of the American Gastroenterological Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 19, 1980.     

Hemispheric lateralisation in a manual-verbal task combination: the role of modality and gender

Differences in hemispheric lateralisation between males and females were tested using a manual-verbal task combination. The manual task was finger tapping and the verbal task required reciting words. Words were presented either visually or aurally in order to examine a possible role of modality of presentation on hemispheric lateralisation. The influence of the verbal task on motor task performance was evaluated by changes in the number of taps from single to dual-task condition. The influence of the motor task performance on the verbal task was examined by changes in the number of words recalled. Cognitive performance differences between males and females were also examined in a mental rotation task. The results showed a greater right finger (RH) tapping than left finger (LH) tapping interference, but only when the verbal task was presented in the visual mode. There was no difference in this pattern between males and females, both showing a greater RH tapping than LH tapping interference. The interference in finger tapping for both RH and LH was greater when the verbal task was presented aurally than when presented visually. Furthermore, females compared to males showed a greater interference in finger tapping when the verbal task was presented aurally than when presented visually. Later recall of verbal information was impaired equally by concurrent RH or LH tapping; however, later recall was better when the verbal task was presented visually than when presented aurally. No gender differences were found in delayed recall. Performance in the mental rotation task was better in males than in females. The data are discussed on the basis of theories of dual task interference and/or of brain asymmetry.     

Are universities preparing nurses to meet the challenges posed by the Australian mental health care system?

The preparedness of comprehensive nurses to work with the mentally ill is of concern to many mental health professionals. Discussion as to whether current undergraduate nursing programs in Australia prepare a graduate to work as a beginning practitioner in the mental health area has been the centre of debate for most of the 1990s. This, along with the apparent lack of interest and motivation of these nurses to work in the mental health area following graduation, remains a major problem for mental health care providers. With one in five Australians now experiencing the burden of a major mental illness, the preparation of a nurse who is competent to work with the mentally ill would appear to be a priority. The purpose of the present study was to determine third year undergraduate nursing students' perceived level of preparedness to work with mentally ill clients. The results suggested significant differences in students' perceived level of confidence, knowledge and skills prior to and following theoretical and clinical exposure to the mental health area. Pre-testing of students before entering their third year indicated that the philosophy of comprehensive nursing: integration, although aspired to in principle, does not appear to occur in reality.     

The somatizing patient

The authors discuss the significance of identifying primary care patients with dramatic and persistent unexplained physical (medical) symptoms, especially given the concerns about containing health care costs. Such patients are a cause of frustration to the clinician, because the clinician may experience a sense of failure after using the state of the art and still being eluded by a diagnosis. We focus on the methods for understanding somatic worry or preoccupation, which is the essential process in a variety of somatoform disorders. The second half of the article focuses on evaluation and treatment considerations and includes a discussion of both psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatment strategies for the somatizing patient.     

Proteus syndrome

Abstract: This female Asian (Malay) baby had clinical features of Proteus syndrome. She had a large right facial lipolymphangioma with hyperpigmentation of the overlying skin. There was a smaller lymphangioma over the left side of her neck with excess nuchal folds, macrodactyly and bilateral talipes equinovarus. Despite the extensive hemifacial swelling, there was no evidence of upper respiratory tract obstruction. Generalized seizures developed on the sixth day of life which were controlled with phenobarbital. The lymphangiomas were excised without recurrence.