Social skills, expectancies, and drinking in adolescents.

Research in the field of teenage drinking behavior has shown relationships between both social skills and drinking and alcohol expectancies and drinking. The present research investigated the comparative power of both of these sets of variables in predicting teenage drinking behavior, as well as looking at the contribution of more global cognitive structures. It was hypothesised that adolescents with high alcohol involvement would be discriminated from those with low involvement on the basis of social skills, cognitive structures, and alcohol expectancies. Seven hundred thirty-two adolescents participated in the study. Results indicated that adolescent alcohol involvement was associated with social skills deficits, positive alcohol expectancies, and negative cognitive structures concerning parents and teachers. The results revealed that, although the bulk of the variance in drinking behavior was explained by the independent effects of social skills and expectancies, the interaction of the two constructs explained an additional and significant proportion of the variance. Implications for preventive and treatment programs are discussed.

An investigation of environmental levels of cadmium and lead in airborne matter and surface soils within the locality of a municipal waste incinerator.

The results of an investigation into the environmental impact of heavy metals in the airborne emissions from the Baldovie municipal waste incinerator, Scotland, are presented. A sampling network of 1-km grid squares covering a 7 x 9 km area was established over the incinerator plant and its surroundings. Surface soil core samples were collected from within each 1 km2 and analysed for cadmium and lead content. The spatial distribution of lead levels in soils showed a marked variation downwind from the Baldovie incinerator in comparison with the background level for the area but remained well within the typical range of lead in rural, unpolluted, British soils. A comparison of the observed levels of lead in local soils, with the predicted downwind long-term ground level lead distribution in air indicates that atmospheric emissions of lead originating from the Baldovie incinerator directly determine concentrations of lead in soils within a radius of 5 km of the incinerator. An empirical relationship between the levels of lead in soils and the long-term levels in air was established. In the case of cadmium, the spatial distribution of the heavy metal showed neither a marked nor extensive contamination of the sampled area around the incinerator and remained within the typical range of cadmium levels in rural, unpolluted, British soils. The work concludes that atmospheric emissions of lead from the Baldovie incinerator significantly determines the local distribution of lead in soils within the immediate vicinity of the incinerator.

A retrospective evaluation of 301 TMJ Proplast-Teflon implants.

A retrospective review of 301 meniscectomies with Proplast-Teflon implants was performed. Factors such as interincisal opening, occlusion, joint sounds, joint degeneration, and patient satisfaction were examined. The overall surgical success rate was 88.7%, with an average follow-up period of 33 months. Although many patients demonstrated significant condylar degeneration at 1-year follow-up, such change did not necessarily result in symptomatology or joint dysfunction. Only 10% of implants resulted in removal. Surgical and postoperative procedures are contrasted with those of other clinicians experiencing lower success rates.

The surgical management of the anophthalmic syndrome with the concomitant malunion of the zygomatico-maxillary complex: review of the literature and report of a case.

A case of anophthalmic syndrome complicated by a depressed malunited fracture of the zygomatico-maxillary complex is presented. The components of the syndrome and the approaches to treatment are also discussed. A Teflon sled, Proplast malar implant and ptosis correction acheived the desired results.