A hybrid adsorbent/visible light photocatalyst for the abatement of microcystin-LR in water.

A hybrid adsorbent/photocatalyst was obtained and used for the removal of microcystin-LR, a potent toxin, from water via adsorption and photocatalyzed oxidation with singlet oxygen. The combined adsorption/photooxidation processes yielded a 500-fold decrease of the overall MC-LR concentration. The adsorbent/photocatalyst can be easily removed from the reaction system by sedimentation or centrifugation.

The impact of mild head injury on neuropsychological capacity in chronic alcoholics.

A series of neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to the effects of chronic alcoholism was administered to 25 detoxified alcoholic patients with histories of mild head injury and 25 detoxified alcoholics matched for age, race, socioeconomic status, education and drinking history parameters, but without histories of head injury. None of the tests was performed at significantly different levels by the two groups. It was concluded that mild head injury did not compound the effects of chronic alcoholism among these patients, although it was noted that both groups demonstrated the anticipated impairments on the tests. It was also suggested that researchers need not exclude alcoholic subjects with mild head injury histories from studies involving the use of standard neuropsychological tests.

Differentiation of alcoholics high and low in childhood hyperactivity.

Fifty alcoholics who reported a greater number of childhood hyperactivity/minimum brain damage (MBD) symptoms (HA+ alcoholics) were compared to 49 alcoholics low in childhood hyperactivity/MBD (HA- alcoholics) with respect to patterns and severity of alcoholism, psychosocial functioning and physical status, personality and psychopathology, and familial alcoholism. HA+ alcoholics were found to report considerably more psychopathology on the MMPI and the Psychopathic State Inventory (PSI), findings which were suggestive of an underlying personality disorder. HA+ alcoholics were also found to differ significantly from the HA- alcoholics in several areas of psychosocial functioning and with respect to their pattern of alcoholism. That is, HA+ alcoholics had more interpersonal difficulties and had experienced more psychological/emotional problems; they were more likely to use alcohol to alter their moods and to use non-alcoholic illicit drugs; and they had less ability to internalize control of their impulses to consume alcohol. These findings, taken together, suggest that alcoholics reporting more symptoms of childhood hyperactivity/MBD may represent a subgroup within the larger alcoholic population. High and low hyperactivity alcoholics did not differ in severity of alcoholism or in alcohol-related physical effects or medical problems. Additionally, no evidence was obtained for a significant relationship between childhood hyperactivity and familial alcoholism.