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AIMS: A discussion of the personal and social contexts for Millennial family caregivers and the value of including complex identity and intersectionality in Millennial family caregiving research with practical application. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: This discussion paper is based on our own experiences and supported by literature and theory. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Millennial family caregivers have distinct generational, historical and developmental experiences that contribute to the care they provide as well as their own well-being. Complex identity, the integration of multiple identities, and intersectionality, systems and structures that disempower and oppress individuals with multiple identities, need to be addressed in nursing research so intervention tailoring and health equity can be better supported in this population. From research conceptualization and design to data analysis, data must be used intentionally to promote equity and reduce bias. The inclusion of diverse Millennial caregivers throughout all stages of the research process and having a diverse nursing research workforce will support these efforts. CONCLUSION: Millennial family caregivers comprise one-quarter of the family caregiving population in the United States, and they are more diverse than previous family caregiving generational cohorts. Their needs will be more fully supported by nursing scientists with the adoption of methods and techniques that address complex identity and intersectionality. IMPACT: Nursing researchers can use the following research approaches to address complex identity and intersectionality in Millennial caregivers: inclusion of qualitative demographic data collection (participants can self-describe); data disaggregation; data visualization techniques to augment or replace frequencies and descriptive statistics for demographic reporting; use of researcher reflexivity throughout the research process; advanced statistical modelling techniques that can handle complex demographic data and test for interactions and differential effects of health outcomes; and qualitative approaches such as phenomenology that centre the stories and experiences of individuals within the population of interest.

The isomeric ratios in neutron capture reactions, induced by thermal, resonant and mixed thermal-resonant neutrons on 108Pd and 110Pd nuclei have been measured by the activation method. The data analysis and necessary corrections as the self-absorption and summing cascade effects were made in gamma rays radioactivity measurements to improve the precision of the isomeric ratio determination. The results were discussed and compared with those in the existing literature. The isomeric ratios in 108Pd(n, γ)109m,gPd and 110Pd(n, γ)111m,gPd reactions, induced by mixed thermal-resonant neutrons as well as in 110Pd(n, γ)111m,gPd reaction, induced by resonant neutron are first measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sanitizer composed of lactic acid and peroxyacetic acid (LA-PAA) was developed as an alternative to chlorinated water (CW) for fresh produce processing. Single strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, nonpathogenic Escherichia coli K-12, and Listeria innocua were used to demonstrate the microbial efficacy of LA-PAA. LA-PAA achieved a >7.8-log reduction of L. innocua and L. plantarum suspended in water at 4°C for 20 s, and LA, PAA, and CW achieved reductions of 0.4, 4.8, and 2.7 log, respectively. LA-PAA, when compared with LA, PAA, and CW, enhanced the reduction of L. innocua attached to romaine leaves by >2.2 log, and improved the removal of E. coli attached to spinach leaves by >2.4 log. The exponential improvement in the microbial efficacy of LA-PAA showed synergism between LA and PAA. LA-PAA microbial efficacy was inversely proportional to pH value and directly correlated with residence time and concentration. Despite an improvement in microbial reduction through the addition of surfactant to LA-PAA, the usage of surfactant in washing fresh produce was impeded by excessive foaming during actual processing. Effects of organic matter on the performance of LA-PAA were minimal. External sensory evaluations showed that LA-PAA had no negative effects on the quality of lettuce and tender leaves. Temperature-abuse studies demonstrated that LA-PAA reduced decay by 50% when compared with CW. Overall, these results support the premise that LA-PAA has significant potential to be an alternative to CW for fresh produce processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Controversy surrounds the potential complication rate of patients with collagen vascular diseases (CVD) after radiation. We assess the acute and late complications (based on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria) by a matched-control retrospective study. PATIRNTS/METHODS: The charts of 12,000 patients treated with radiation therapy at the University of Louisville from 1982 to 2001 were reviewed for CVD. A total of 38 patients with documented CVD were compared with a matched-control group of 38 patients without CVD. Median follow-up for patients with CVD was 35 months. The patients were matched on the basis of site treated, age, dose, date of treatment, sex, treatment goal, follow-up, tumor site and histology, therapeutic technique, and general treatment method. The patients with CVD included 21 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (55%), two with scleroderma (5%), four with Raynaud's phenomena (11%), three with fibromyalgia (8%), three with polymyalgia rheumatica (8%), three with Sjögren's syndrome (8%), and two with polymyositis-dermatomyositis (5%). Twenty-nine patients received curative doses, and nine patients received palliative doses., Results: No difference was observed in the incidence of acute or late complications between the two groups. For CVD and matched-control patients receiving curative doses, the incidence of acute reaction for grade II was 49% versus 58% and for grade III was 7% versus 7%, respectively. The incidence of late reactions for patients with CVD and the matched control patients for grade I was 3% versus 7%, for grade II was 7% versus 3%, and for grade III was 7% versus 7%, respectively. The patients treated with palliation had a similar incidence of acute reaction in the CVD and the matched-control groups. No patients in the CVD or matched-control group had fatal complications. Only patients with scleroderma had a slight increase in acute and late complications., Conclusion: This is the largest matched-control study thus far in the literature. In the comparison between the patients with CVD and the matched-control patients, there was no significant difference in the incidence of acute or late complication. However, there was a higher incidence of radiation complications in patients with scleroderma. Importantly, no fatal complication was noted in any of the patients with CVD.