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Peri-operative hypothermia is associated with significant morbidity, yet limitations exist regarding non-invasive temperature assessment in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU). In this prospective study of 100 patients, we aimed to determine the reliability of two commonly used temperature measurement devices, forehead temporal artery temperature and tympanic measurement, in addition to an indwelling urinary catheter with temperature probe, in comparison with the final nasopharyngeal core temperature at the end of surgery. Agreement of forehead measurement with nasopharyngeal temperature showed a mean bias (±95% limits of agreement) of 0.15 °C (±1.4 °C), with a steep slope of the relationship on the Bland-Altman plot of -0.8, indicating a tendency to normalise patient temperature readings to 36.4 °C. Only 54% of hypothermic cases were correctly detected by the forehead measurement device. Agreement of tympanic measurement with nasopharyngeal core temperature measurement was marginally improved with a mean bias of 0.13 °C (95% limits of agreement ±1.15 °C). In contrast, agreement of bladder temperature with nasopharyngeal temperature showed a mean (SD) bias of 0.19 (0.28) °C (95% limits of agreement ±0.54 °C), with a relatively flat line of best fit. We demonstrated that two commonly used temperature measurement devices, forehead temporal artery temperature and tympanic measurement, compared with nasopharyngeal core temperature, were imprecise and unreliable following major surgery. However, the indwelling catheter with temperature sensor was precise and acceptable for continuous core temperature measurement in the PACU.

Objectives This study examined the impact of everyday discrimination (both racial and non-racial) on the mental health of older African Americans. Methods This analysis is based on the older African American subsample of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) (n = 773). We examined the associations between everyday discrimination and both general distress and psychiatric disorders as measured by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Six dependent variables were examined: lifetime mood disorders, lifetime anxiety disorders, any lifetime disorder, number of lifetime disorders, depressive symptoms as measured by the 12-item Center for Epidemiological Scale of Depression (CES-D), and serious psychological distress as measured by the Kessler 6 (K6). Results Overall, racial and non-racial everyday discrimination were consistently associated with worse mental health for older African Americans. Older African Americans who experienced higher levels of overall everyday discrimination had higher odds of any psychiatric disorder, any lifetime mood disorder, any lifetime anxiety disorder, and more lifetime DSM-IV disorders, in addition to elevated levels of depressive symptoms and serious psychological distress. These findings were similar for both racial discrimination and non-racial discrimination. Conclusions This study documents the harmful association of not only racial discrimination, but also non-racial (and overall) discrimination with the mental health of older African Americans. Specifically, discrimination is negatively associated with mood and anxiety disorders as well as depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • The intradermal capsaicin model of neuropathic pain has been previously developed and used in healthy volunteers. • Few previous studies have used this model in pain patients. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • We have compared the response to intradermal capsaicin in the painful and nonpainful legs of patients with unilateral sciatica and compared these with healthy, pain-free control subjects. Pain and hyperalgesia responses were enhanced in both legs of patients with unilateral sciatica compared with healthy controls. The time course of hyperalgesia was different in sciatica patients, demonstrating a slower and larger evolution. • Qualitative and quantitative differences between pain patients and healthy controls suggest that the use of a neuropathic pain model such as intradermal capsaicin to screen for novel antineuropathic agents might be superior in patients with pre-existing neuropathic pain syndromes. AIM This study compared the responses between patients with unilateral sciatica and pain-free volunteers following administration of intradermal capsaicin. METHODS Fourteen patients with unilateral sciatica and 12 pain-free volunteers received one injection per hour over 4 h of 1 µg and 10 µg capsaicin, into each calf. For each dose, spontaneous pain (10 cm VAS), area of flare (cm2) and the sum of allodynia and hyperalgesia radii across eight axes (cm) were recorded pre-injection and at 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min post injection. RESULTS Sciatica subjects experienced higher spontaneous pain and hyperalgesia responses in both legs compared with pain-free volunteers. The largest mean difference in spontaneous pain was 2.8 cm (95% CI 1.6, 3.9) at 5 min in the unaffected leg following 10 µg. The largest mean difference in hyperalgesia was 19.7 cm (95% CI 12.4, 27.0) at 60 min in the unaffected leg following 10 µg. Allodynia was greater in patients than in controls with the largest mean difference of 2.9 cm (95% CI 1, 4.8) at 5 min following 10 µg in the affected leg. Allodynia was also higher in the affected leg compared with the unaffected leg in sciatica patients with the highest mean difference of 3.0 cm (95% CI 1.2, 4.7) at 5 min following 10 µg. CONCLUSIONS The responses to intradermal capsaicin are quantitatively and qualitatively different in unilateral sciatica patients compared with pain-free controls.

Researchers often assume that the extent, quality, and effectiveness of personal relationships explain why African Americans have relatively good mental health despite experiencing high levels of stress. This study tests this assumption using data from the 1990–1992 National Comorbidity Survey. Few racial differences emerge in patterns of social relationships, and the nature and quality of social relationships do not explain African Americans’ resiliency on mental health. Several aspects of social relationships benefit African Americans’ mental health more than Whites’, but these moderating effects are insubstantial. Hence, the data do not support the assumption. If social relationships help explain the lack of racial differences in mental health, their nature and effects must be more adequately conceptualized.

Background: The flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina revealed the disproportionate vulnerability of ethnic minority communities for emergency preparedness, disaster relief and health. Nurses need to analyse Katrina's health consequences for the most vulnerable segments of our society. Aim: To examine factors contributing to differential health outcomes among the New Orleans Vietnamese community in response to Katrina. Methods: A sample of 113 adult Vietnamese Katrina survivors from New Orleans was recruited. A mixed-method approach, including survey and focus groups, was used to collect data. Survey questions were modified from standardized instruments to evaluate survivors' health status and factors contributing to health outcomes. Multivariate and content analysis were used to investigate effects of prior trauma, financial strain, social support and acculturation level in predicting survivors' health outcomes. Results: Findings suggested financial strain was the strongest risk factor for Vietnamese survivors' post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and physical and mental health post-disaster; while social support was a strong protective factor for health. Survivors who perceived higher impact from previous traumatic experiences had poorer physical health, but not PTSD symptoms or poor mental health after controlling for financial strain and social support, suggesting complex relationships among these measures in predicting PTSD symptoms and health. Less-acculturated individuals also reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and poorer physical health. Conclusions: Catastrophic events like Katrina can result in disproportionate risk of negative health outcomes among vulnerable populations. Nurses should take into account prior trauma, financial strain, social support network and acculturation level, to adequately address survivors' needs.

This research compared two methods of instruction, lecture-discussion and independ ent study, for a college level course in the social and psychological aspects of clothing. A secondary aspect of the study was to compare the effectiveness of independent study for both on-campus and off-campus students. The methods were compared in terms of cognitive gain, retention of course material, student course evaluation, and affective behavior. Results indicated no significant difference between treatment groups.

Two questions formed the structure for examining the formal communication among researchers using the Journal of Consumer Studies and Home Economics (JCSHE) The first question pertained to the interrelationship between the literature published and cited in JCSHE. The second asked what impact the literature published in JCSHE had on authors publishing in other journals. By performing Bradford analysis using the 1,160 journal references cited by authors of 210 articles in the first seven volumes of JCSHE, 26 core journals were identified. JCSHE was ranked second because it was cited 54 times in 37 articles by 29 authors. Through citation analysis 17 citing articles published in 12 journals other than JCSHE were found. Seven of these 17 citing articles were published in other home economics journals.

A C4 haplotype containing C4*A6 without C4*B1 is described. It occurred in the MHC haplotype HLA-A1, Cw5, Bw44, C2*1, BF*S, C4*A6BQO, DR3, GLO 2. This haplotype was observed in five of eight siblings, including the propositus who was in renal failure. The C4A6 was not haemolytically active and this new haplotype is therefore of particular interest since it is functionally equivalent to the rare C4-deficient haplotype C4*AQOBQO.

Two basic questions formed the structure for examining the effectiveness of communication among researchers using the Home Economics Research Journal (HERJ). The first question pertained to the interrelationship between the literature published and cited in HERJ. The second question asked what impact the re search published in HERJ had on authors publishing in other journals. By per forming Bradford analyses using the 2,440 journal references cited by authors of 316 articles in the first 10 volumes of HERJ, core journals were identified. The core journals varied among the subject matter subsets and between individual subsets and the total set of journal references. HERJ ranked high in six of seven cores. Through citation analysis 133 articles citing 88 HERJ articles were found in 62 journals other than HERJ. Seven of the top 10 citing journals were also included in at least one of the cores identified by the Bradford analyses. To the extent that citations are an indication of the use made of research, implications are drawn regarding the effectiveness of HERJ within the written communication network.

Complement dependent cytotoxicity to malignant melanoma tumor cells was demonstrated in incubations that included rheumatoid factor (RF) positive plasma and normal plasma. Cytotoxicity was not demonstrated to cells from a number of normal tissues. The phenomenon involved coating of tumor cells with immunoglobulins and complement fixation. The activity in RF positive plasma was present in high titer an may not be RF. The activity in normal plasma was present in low titer, was found in plasma from eight out of 11 healthy subjects and may be a naturally occurring antibody. This previously undescribed humoral cytotoxicity system may participate in tumor host interactions, especially after therapy, when the majority of patients become RF seropositive.

The forty children who served as subjects in this investigation ranged in age from twenty to sixty months. One-half of the children lived in a rural section in Wisconsin; the other half were members of the Iowa State College Nursery School and lived in the city of Ames. On the basis of carefully compiled record forms, the two groups were fairly comparable with respect to health, sleep, amount of play equipment and play activities. The parents of the rural group were eighth grade graduates, with the exception of three, who were college graduates. All were fairly prosperous farmers who owned their own farms. The