Performance as a function of increased minority hiring.

Examined the impact of increasing the percentage of hires (above the T. A. Cleary [1968] fair-hiring level) from minority groups with demonstrated lower average job performance. Increased minority hiring resulted in only a small performance loss, even when minority hiring exceeded the minority applicant representation. However, when minorities were hired at a rate equal to or greater than their applicant representation, the expected performance loss among the hired minorities was much greater than performance loss across all hires. More important, the discrepancy in performance between majority and minority hires increased as minority hiring increased. With minority hiring above the level of minority applicant representation, this discrepancy exceeded the population difference in performance between the 2 groups. These findings suggest additional considerations when raising minority hiring above minority applicant representation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive shifting as a predictor of progress in social understanding in high-functioning adolescents with autism: a prospective study

The pyrolytic behavior of inulin, a (2-->1)-linked fructofuranan, is described. Parallel investigations of the pyrolysis of glucose and of fructose were conducted to supplement the inulin results and to aid comparison with previous results from glucans. Effects of neutral and basic additives are emphasized. As with glucans, the addition of such additives (especially basic) increases the yields of the one-, two-, and three-carbon products (as well as of hexosaccharinolactones), while generally decreasing the yields of anhydro sugar and furan derivatives. The former products include glycolaldehyde, acetol, dihydroxy-acetone, acetic acid, formic acid, and lactic acid. Mechanistic speculations are made regarding the origins of these compounds, as well as of furan derivatives and saccharinic acid lactones. Parallels with alkaline degradation are considered.     

Prospective study of carotid endarterectomy and contralateral carotid occlusion

A total of 700 patients who had carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in the UK and Ireland during a 6-month interval between March and August 1994 were studied prospectively. Some 108 patients (15.4 per cent) had a contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion. Previous reports have shown an associated stroke rate of about 10 per cent in these patients. This study assessed complications and outcome for patients undergoing CEA with contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion compared with those without. The indications for surgery were comparable between the two groups although the patients with occlusion had a slightly higher incidence of arrhythmia and stroke. Intraoperative shunts were used in a significantly higher proportion of those with occlusion (83.3 versus 64.7 per cent, P = 0.0001). The combined death and stroke rate for patients with occlusion was 5.6 per cent compared with 2.4 per cent for the remainder (P not significant). On the basis of the present data, CEA with a contralateral carotid artery occlusion carries only a slight increase in the rate of postoperative stroke and death. This increase was not statistically significant and is lower than that reported previously.     

RBS/channelling study of ion-implanted and proton-exchanged LiNbO3:Nd:MgO planar waveguides

We present a structural study of two Nd³⁺/MgO codoped LiNbO₃ waveguides fabricated by two different methods: ion-implantation and proton-exchange. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in combination with channelling was used to study the influence of the waveguide fabrication method on the possible modification of the LiNbO₃ crystal structure within the waveguiding layer. The results show that the ion-implanted waveguide mainly maintains the same properties as the virgin crystal, apart from a deterioration of a thin surface layer, whilst the proton-exchanged waveguide exhibits a quite different behaviour, although its surface is less damaged.     

Oculomotor paralysis. The perspective of a neuro-ophthalmology consultation

Ocular paresis is a usual diagnosis in neuro-ophthalmologic consultation, and its aetiology is indeed a challenge. The authors studied 3400 records concerning this consultation, between 1982 and the third quarter of 1993. During this period 221 cases with ocular paresis were selected. During this retrospective study we point out the following items: the cranial nerve affected; the neuro-ophthalmologic semiology; the aetiology and clinical evolution, according to the age groups. From 221 cases selected, 111 were paresis from the VIth pair (50.2%), 88 from the IIIrd pair (39.8%), 14 multiple paresis (6.4%) and 8 paresis from the IVth pair (3.6%). The most frequent complaint was diplopia (> 90%). As far as the aetiological diagnosis is concerned, this was easier to establish in patients > 50 years of age. In this age group the most usual aetiology was vascular and traumatic pathologies. In younger patients the most frequent pathologies were traumatic and tumoral. The prognostic was better in the vascular group, the paresis recovery being > 50% in all other pathologies, except the tumoral one.     

Worldwide experience with the Finetech-Brindley sacral anterior root stimulator

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine has been reported in previous studies to be a prognostic indicator for overall mortality, in particular in a hypertensive population. METHODS: The Program on the Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH) was a randomized, controlled clinical trial. All patients had survived a single myocardial infarction, were normotensive, were not obese, were not having heart failure, and were free of diabetes mellitus and renal disease at entry into the study. POSCH had followed its control group patients (N = 417) for a minimum of 7.0 years. In this group, a prospective post hoc analysis of the relationship of baseline serum creatinine with subsequent overall and atherosclerotic coronary heart disease mortality was performed. RESULTS: The baseline serum creatinine values in the control group patients ranged from 0.7 to 1.9 mg/dL (60 to 170 mumol/L), and were found to be independent predictors (P < .01) of both overall mortality and atherosclerotic coronary heart disease mortality. Each 0.1 mg/dL (9 mumol/L) increment in the baseline serum creatinine increased the relative risk for subsequent overall mortality by 36% and the relative risk for subsequent atherosclerotic coronary heart disease mortality by 47%. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that a serum creatinine value, obtained in normotensive, nonobese, normoglycemic survivors of a myocardial infarction without preexistent renal disease or heart failure, provides independent prognostic information regarding subsequent overall and atherosclerotic coronary heart disease mortality.     

An information-processing perspective on childhood anxiety

In the past decade, cognitive theories of adult anxiety disorders have become increasingly complex, reflecting enhanced understanding of anxiety-related information-processing. This growth has fostered the development and enhancement of numerous assessment and treatment methods. Unfortunately, similar growth has been slower to occur in theories of childhood anxiety. This paper attempts to foster such growth by adopting an information-processing perspective. Doing so expands the extant cognitive perspective on childhood anxiety in four major ways. First, the division of cognitive processing into a sequence of steps provides a framework for organizing predictions regarding cognitive factors in childhood anxiety. Second, consideration of the cognitive operations active during each stage in the sequence facilitates elaboration of the types of cognitive deficits and distortions characteristic of anxious children. Third, it promotes development and application of performance-based assessment methodologies. Finally, an information-processing perspective highlights several targets for clinical intervention that may promote widespread change in an anxiety-supporting cognitive system.