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PURPOSE: To review the available information on prevalence, complications, and mortality of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and primary and secondary prevention activities in black persons, Hispanic persons, Native Americans, and Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. DATA SOURCE: MEDLINE search from 1976 to 1994 through the PlusNet search system. STUDY SELECTION: Use of the key words non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the names of each specific minority group, socioeconomic status, acculturation, genetics, diet, complications, mortality, treatment, and intervention (lifestyle or medication) produced 290 unduplicated articles. Additional articles cited in the original articles were also included. DATA EXTRACTION: Risk factors, incidence, prevalence, complications, and mortality of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. DATA SYNTHESIS: All minorities, except natives of Alaska, have a prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus that is two to six times greater than that of white persons. Most studies show an increased prevalence of nephropathy that can be as much as six times higher than that of white persons. Retinopathy has variably higher rates in black persons, Hispanic persons, and Native Americans. Amputations are done more frequently among black persons than among white persons (9.0 per 1000 compared with 6.3 per 1000), and Pima Indians have 3.7 times more amputations than do white persons. Diabetes-related mortality is higher for minorities than for white persons, and the rate is increasing. The relative importance of genetic heritage, diet, exercise, socioeconomic status, culture, language, and access to health care in the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of diabetes is not clear. Studies of interventions in minority populations are in progress. CONCLUSION: Diabetes should be treated as a public health problem for minority populations.

PURPOSE: This paper describes the factors that American Indian teachers in the Native American Diabetes Project (NADP) reported affected participation in the NADP lifestyle education sessions. METHODS: A postsession exit interview was conducted with each of the 7 mentors (teachers) of the NADP sessions. Interview questions addressed general perceptions of the sessions, factors that kept participants from coming to the sessions, and attitudes toward diabetes and persons with diabetes. Interviews were transcribed and responses reflecting factors related to participation were marked and organized into topic areas. RESULTS: Mentors reported a range of factors that affected participation in the sessions, such as conflicts with community activities and beliefs/attitudes about diabetes. The latter factor includes program knowledge, recruitment methods, attitudes toward the program, and beliefs about diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Asking community members what factors they believe affect participation is an important component of increasing participation in community-based programs. Community members can provide a valuable personal perspective of actual and potential conflicts in the community.

Heat transfer measurements were made on a complex scaled wind tunnel model containing 400 miniature discrete sensors in Hypersonic Wind Tunnels B and C at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC). This test program was significant for a number of reasons which, when combined, have led to the development of a new test capability at the AEDC. First and foremost is the large number of simultaneous thermal measurements made on the wind tunnel test model. The large number of simultaneous measurements on a single test model was primarily driven by the customer's desire to conduct the test program in the most cost effective manner. This request was translated into a system to obtain high quality test data points in the least amount of air on time and to make heat transfer measurements on all surfaces of a very complex model. The measurements were made on relatively flat surfaces, wing leading edges, and thin tip fin leading edges; multiple measurements were made on a wide variety of unconventional control surfaces and appendages. Simultaneous measurements on the wide variety of surfaces required the selection of a sensor which was highly sensitive, small, and could be contoured to small local surface radii. The sensor chosen for these measurements was the Schmidt Boelter gage. The capability to calibrate Schmidt Boelter gages and compare a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable and certified standard is one reason this sensor was used for all of the measurements. Since each gage needs the measurement of two thermal parameters to obtain the required measurement parameter, the simultaneous measurement of 800 thermal parameters was required. The previous data acquisition system in these hypersonic wind tunnels at the AEDC was capable of measuring outputs for only 112 Schmidt Boelter gages simultaneously.