Age-specific reference intervals for plasma vitamins A, E and beta-carotene and for serum zinc, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin for Sydney children aged 9-62 months

Paediatric reference intervals for blood concentrations of certain nutrients are often based on either adult data or are derived from small samples of young children. Biochemical data were obtained from 467 randomly selected, healthy preschool children aged 9-62 months in Sydney, Australia. Data were obtained for plasma vitamins A, E and beta-carotene and for serum zinc, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin. Reference intervals based on the 2.5 and 97.5 centiles for age groups 9-23, 24-35, 36-47, 48-62 months and for the total group (9-62 months) were calculated. The 2.5-97.5 centiles for the whole group were: vitamin A, 0.7-1.8 mumol/l (20.05-51.56 micrograms/dl); vitamin E, 8-30 mumol/l (0.34-1.29 mg/dl); beta-carotene, 0.1-1.1 mumol/l (5.4-59.0 micrograms/dl); zinc, 9-19 mumol/l (58.8-124.2 micrograms/dl); retinol-binding protein, 14-36 mg/l; prealbumin, 104-264 mg/l. The reference intervals reported are consistent with the findings of a number of smaller studies and are likely to be an accurate reflection of the true intervals for healthy preschool children in western developed countries.     

Oropharyngeal morbidity following transoral approaches to the upper cervical spine

OBJECTIVE: A clinical definition of a hypertensive emergency is excessively high blood pressure in the presence of symptoms indicating end organ damage. Equally high blood pressure without symptoms is called a hypertensive crisis. Patients with hypertensive crisis or emergency need prompt, effective, and specific therapy and a controlled reduction of blood pressure. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind multi-centre study, to compare the safety, efficacy and tolerability of an intravenous (i.v.) infusion of two dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (either nifedipine or felodipine) in 122 patients, of whom 63 were diagnosed as hypertensive emergencies and 59 as hypertensive crisis, who had not reacted adequately (diastolic blood pressure <115 mmHg) to 5 mg of nifedipine PO. RESULTS: Both drugs lowered blood pressure adequately in more than 90% of the patients and were well tolerated. Only one patient had to be withdrawn, because of an excessive decrease in blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Patients with excessively high blood pressure who do not react to oral nifedipine can be treated equally effectively with felodipine and nifedipine IV. Felodipine is easier to handle because of its lack of light sensitivity.     

Influence of Stratification and Shoreline Erosion on Reservoir Sedimentation Patterns

Sedimentation in the main pool of a deep (maximum depth: 50?m), 227?km2 hydropower reservoir was modeled using a three-dimensional numerical model of hydrodynamics and sedimentation for different wind, inflow, and outflow conditions. Short-term velocity measurements made in the reservoir were used to validate some aspects of the hydrodynamic model. The effects of thermal stratification on sedimentation patterns were investigated, since the reservoir is periodically strongly stratified. Stratification alters velocity profiles and thus affects sedimentation in the reservoir. Sedimentation of reservoirs is often modeled considering only the deposition of sediments delivered by tributaries. However, the sediments eroding from the shorelines can contribute significantly to sedimentation if the shorelines of the reservoir erode at sufficiently high rates or if sediment delivery via tributary inflow is small. Thus, shoreline erosion rates for a reservoir were quantified based on measured fetch, parameterized beach profile shape, and measured wind vectors, and the eroded sediments treated as a source within the sedimentation modeling scheme. The methodology for the prediction of shoreline erosion was calibrated and validated using digital aerial photos of the reservoir taken in different years and indicated approximately 1?m/year of shoreline retreat for several locations. This study revealed likely zones of sediment deposition in a thermally stratified reservoir and presented a methodology for integration of shoreline erosion into sedimentation studies that can be used in any reservoir.     

Safety Evaluation for Campus Parking Garage Performance Using Fuzzy Logic

Crime has been plaguing parking garages in the United States. At The Ohio State University, (OSU) crime on campus, in general, has decreased in recent years; however, crime in OSU parking garages has remained stable in spite of campus-wide efforts to reduce crime. When assessing and evaluating parking garages, occupants employ experience-based judgment that is subjective and imprecise, yet extremely useful. When designers employ the principles of crime prevention through environmental design, they also use subjective variables. An approach that captures the imprecise information in noncrisp expressions reflecting subjective and experience-based variables is the fuzzy logic concept. This concept allows the use of mathematical operations to manipulate and operate on imprecise information or knowledge. Variables such as garage illumination and wall height were collected, fuzzified, and treated as the knowledge base of a model presented in this paper. In addition, numerous experience-based implication rules were developed and employed to evaluate subjective variables. A computer program was developed to illustrate implementation of the model.     

Editor’s statement.

The editor provides a statement describing the articles located in issues of the Journal of Experimental Psychology. In this issue, two classic articles are being reprinted from earlier issues, as part of the centennial celebration of the American Psychological Association. During 1992, each issue of this journal will carry two classic articles, together with commentaries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The physical properties of extruded food foams

The extrusion cooking process has led to the production of many novel foamed foods. Their formation is critically dependent on the processing history and the local conditions at the die. The pore size generally decreases with a decrease in foam bulk density, whilst foamed plastics show the opposite trend. Narrow pore size distributions tend to be associated with foams where the pore size is small compared with the extrudate dimensions. A pendulum impact device has been used to assess the deformation of the different foams as a function of impact energy. The compressive strain increases to a maximum corresponding to the densification of these brittle foams. This contrasts with data for plastic foams.     

Characterization of α-carrageenan solution behavior by field-flow fractionation and multiangle light scattering

The salt mediated molecular conformation change of alpha (α)-carrageenan was studied in 0.1 M solutions of NaCl, NaI, and KCl. Asymmetric Field-Flow Fractionation with multiangle laser light scattering (AFFF/MALLS) detection was used to determine the average molecular weight, radius of gyration, and hydrodynamic radius which were in turn used to calculate the molecular density. In the presence of 0.1 M NaCl, an inert salt that does not promote gelation, α-carrageenan has a denser structure compared to κ-carrageenan of a similar molecular weight. A distinct and dramatic increase in the molecular weight (factor of 2) was observed for α-carrageenan in 0.1 M NaI compared to 0.1 M NaCl. This combined with only a slight change in the radius of gyration, suggests intermolecular interaction to a more compact structure (e.g., coaxial helices). A similar increase in molecular weight is observed in 0.1 M KCl, accompanied with an approximate 50% increase in the radius of gyration as well as an increase in polydispersity. This may also be attributed to intermolecular interaction with helix formation (coaxial or lateral) or may be due to K⁺ cations interacting with naturally occurring residual ι-carrageenan in the sample. As previously reported for other carrageenans the random coil to helix transition of α-carrageenan appears to be stabilized by K⁺ cation or I⁻ anion in an aqueous environment.     

Swan song.

Presents remarks from the outgoing editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. The author thanks the readers, writers, reviewers, and unsung administrators and technicians without whom publication of the Journal would be impossible. The author also discusses some of the challenges involved in journal publication, and proposes an alternative scheme for this endeavor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological predictors of attendance at annual breast screening examinations

This retrospective analysis of psychological predictors of attendance studied the women from the annual screening arm of the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research (UKCCCR) trial of annual screening mammography for the early detection of breast cancer. Some women attended screening at the first invitation in year 1 (attenders), others did not attend for screening at any time (non-attenders), whereas a third group delayed attending until year 2 (ambivalent attenders). A total of 147 women were recruited to the study: 80 attenders, 28 non-attenders and 39 ambivalent attenders. It proved extremely difficult to contact non-attenders to take part in the study. Non-attenders were significantly more depressed on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; had experienced more miscarriages, stillbirths or terminations of pregnancy; were less knowledgeable about mammography; and were displeased to have received an invitation to screening. Whereas non-attenders are unlikely ever to attend breast screening because of their long-standing attitudes and preferred coping styles, ambivalent attenders may become more amenable to screening with the passage of time. In this study such women were persuaded to attend in year 2 with a simple, cost-effective intervention: an additional invitation letter after a year.