Energy conservation: a case study for a large manufacturing plant

The methods of formulating, implementing, and evaluating a conservation program in a commercial building or light industrial plant are examined in this paper. The results of one case study are also presented. In commercial and light industrial applications, most energy is consumed to maintain proper environmental conditions; light levels, heat levels, and fresh air levels. Most buildings today expend too much energy on these services. A co-ordinated program to maintain environmental conditions at levels pointed out in this report could save as mu h as 20% each year in energy consumption. This report presents a method that can be used by many commercial and light industrial concerns to establish a conservation program. Guidelines are presented that can be used to examine environmental conditions and determine how they must be changed. A system of program analysis is also presented. Results of this study show that saving 20% is possible, but motivation of the company and workforce will be a problem. The report also concludes that new buildings can be made more energy efficient if energy conservation is kept in mind during building design

Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceptions on Cannabis Among Older Adults Aged 65 and Older: A cross-sectional Survey.

OBJECTIVE: With the rise of medical and recreational cannabis use among older adults, concerns about the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use are increasing. This pilot study aimed to determine the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of older adults toward cannabis as a medicinal product, to establish a foundation for future research on how healthcare providers communicate with this population regarding cannabis. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on adults aged 65 and older living in Philadelphia. The survey included questions related to participants\u27 demographics, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of cannabis. Participants were recruited via flyer distributions, publications in newsletters, and a local newspaper. Surveys were conducted from December 2019 through May 2020. Quantitative data were presented using counts, mean, median, and percentages, and qualitative data were analyzed by categorizing common responses. RESULTS: The study aimed to recruit 50 participants, of whom 47 met the requirements, and had their data analyzed, resulting in an average age of 71 years. The majority of participants were male (53%) and Black (64%). Seventy-six percent of participants considered cannabis a highly important treatment for older adults, and 42% considered themselves highly knowledgeable about cannabis. Over half of the participants reported being asked about tobacco (55%) or alcohol (57%) use by their PCP compared to 23% being asked about cannabis. Participants indicated that they most commonly turned to the internet and social media for information about cannabis, while only a small number mentioned relying on their primary care physician (PCP) for such information. DISCUSSION: The results of this pilot study highlight the need for accurate and reliable information about cannabis for older adults and their healthcare providers. As the use of cannabis as a therapy continues to rise, it is crucial for healthcare providers to address misconceptions and encourage older adults to seek out evidence-based research. Further research is needed to explore healthcare providers\u27 perceptions of cannabis therapy and how they can better educate older adults

Association of Dietary Factors with Presence and Severity of Tinnitus in a Middle-Aged UK Population

Objective The impact of dietary factors on tinnitus has received limited research attention, despite being a considerable concern among people with tinnitus and clinicians. The objective was to examine the link between dietary factors and presence and severity of tinnitus. Design This study used the UK Biobank resource, a large cross-sectional study of adults aged 40–69. 171,722 eligible participants were asked questions specific to tinnitus (defined as noises such as ringing or buzzing in the head or ears). Dietary factors included portions of fruit and vegetables per day, weekly fish consumption (oily and non-oily), bread type, cups of caffeinated coffee per day, and avoidance of dairy, eggs, wheat and sugar. We controlled for lifestyle, noise exposure, hearing, personality and comorbidity factors. Results Persistent tinnitus, defined as present at least a lot of the time, was elevated with increased: (i) fruit/vegetable intake (OR = 1.01 per portion/day), (ii) bread (wholemeal/wholegrain, OR = 1.07; other bread, 1.20) and (iii) dairy avoidance (OR = 1.27). Persistent tinnitus was reduced with: (i) fish consumption (non-oily, OR = 0.91; oily, 0.95), (ii) egg avoidance (OR = 0.87) and (iii) caffeinated coffee consumption (OR = 0.99 per cup/day). Reports of “bothersome” tinnitus (moderate-severe handicap) increased with wholemeal/wholegrain bread intake (OR = 0.86). Reports of less frequent transient tinnitus increased with dairy avoidance (OR = 1.18) and decreased with caffeinated coffee (OR = 0.98 per cup/day) and brown bread (OR = 0.94). Conclusions This is the first population study to report the association between dietary factors and tinnitus. Although individually dietary associations are mostly modest, particular changes in diet, such as switching between foodstuffs, may result in stronger associations. These findings offer insights into possible dietary associations with tinnitus, and this may be useful when discussing management options in combination with other lifestyle changes and therapies

Speech Communication

Contains table of contents for Part IV, table of contents for Section 1 and reports on five research projects.Apple Computer, Inc.C.J. Lebel FellowshipNational Institutes of Health (Grant T32-NS07040)National Institutes of Health (Grant R01-NS04332)National Institutes of Health (Grant R01-NS21183)National Institutes of Health (Grant P01-NS23734)U.S. Navy / Naval Electronic Systems Command (Contract N00039-85-C-0254)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-82-K-0727

Speech Communication

Contains reports on five research projects.C.J. Lebel FellowshipNational Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NSO7040)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS04332)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS21183)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 PO1-NS23734)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS 8418733)U.S. Navy - Naval Electronic Systems Command (Contract N00039-85-C-0254)U.S. Navy - Naval Electronic Systems Command (Contract N00039-85-C-0341)U.S. Navy - Naval Electronic Systems Command (Contract N00039-85-C-0290)National Institutes of Health (Grant RO1-NS21183), subcontract with Boston UniversityNational Institutes of Health (Grant 1 PO1-NS23734), subcontract with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmar

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

The psychological well-being of elderly Jews: A comparative analysis

The purpose of this research was to examine the relation of cultural (including religious and ethnic) background to the way in which older individuals respond to questions contained in scales designed to measure psychological well-being. We expected cultural background to be an important predictor of these responses because cultural background influences expressive style, and we suspected that expressive style is part of what is being measured by these scales. We decided to focus our study on the American-Jewish elderly, who have a very expressive affective style. We selected the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, the Life Satisfaction Index, and the Bradburn Affect Balance Scales to test our hypotheses. For comparison populations, we selected Italian-American Catholics, Irish-American Catholics, and white Presbyterians. These groups were selected because there is a range of expressive styles among these groups. The data used were three previously collected data sets: the National Senior Citizens Survey, the Myth and Reality of Aging Survey, and the Need, Cost and Effects of Home Services for the Aged Survey. Two formal hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis stated that the psychological well-being of Jewish elderly as measured by a standard scale of psychological well-being would be significantly lower than that of members of the non-Jewish groups. The second hypothesis stated that even when holding the major determinants of psychological well-being constant, Jewish status would continue to be a significant predictor of scores on these scales. The hypotheses were tested using a variety of multivariate statistical techniques. Both hypotheses were confirmed. In addition, the scores of the Jewish respondents were most like the scores of the Italian respondents and least like the scores of the white Presbyterian respondents. We conclude that cultural background does have a significant effect on the patterns of responses of older people to questions designed to measure their psychological well-being. We further concluded that groups noted for expressive styles of behavior have lower average scores on standard scales of psychological well-being than the scores of groups noted for more stoic styles of behavior