The relationship of perceived racism, neuroticism, negative affectivity, and coping strategies to blood pressure, stress symptoms, and health variables among Latino college students

textThis study explored the relationship between perceived racism and stress symptoms in a sample of Latina/o women and men. One hundred and fifty-one female and male Latina/o college students participated in this study. Resting blood pressure, weight, and height measurements were taken after which participants completed 6 questionnaires measuring experience of perceived racism, coping strategies, neuroticism, negative affectivity, symptoms of distress, and perceived stress. Questionnaires employed included the Perceived Racism Scale for Latinos (PRSL), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), the Neuroticism subscale of the NEO PI-R, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-21 (HSCL-21), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). It was hypothesized that neuroticism, negative affectivity, and emotion-focused coping would be positively correlated with self-reports of perceived racism while avoidance coping would be negatively correlated with perceived racism. Perceived racism was hypothesized to predict increased blood pressure, symptoms of distress, and perceived stress. Other predictors included in these regression models included, task-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant coping strategies, neuroticism, negative affectivity, Body Mass Index, age, and gender. Emotion-focused coping, task-focused coping, and BMI were positively correlated with increased self-reports of perceived racism. Hypotheses that perceived racism would significantly predict increased blood pressure, symptoms of distress, and perceived stress were not supported. Notably, perceived racism significantly predicted frequency of visits to a physician over the past two months after controlling for variance associated with neuroticism, negative affectivity, coping strategies, BMI, age, and gender. Avoidant coping negatively predicted both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while neuroticism negatively predicted diastolic blood pressure. Argument is presented to suggest that items measuring social support rather than maladaptive avoidant coping are responsible for the significant prediction of blood pressure from avoidance coping. BMI also predicted higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Male gender was predictive of higher systolic blood pressure while age predicted higher diastolic blood pressure. Neuroticism and negative affectivity were predictive of symptoms of distress. Perceived stress was predicted by emotion-focused coping, neuroticism, negative affectivity, and BMI. Potential explanations for these results are offered as well as implications and suggestions for future research.Educational Psycholog

Carbon/graphite fiber risk analysis and assessment study: An assessment of the risk to Douglas commercial transport aircraft

The potential hazard to electrical and electronic devices should there be a release of free carbon fibers due to an aircraft crash and fire was assessed. Exposure and equipment sensitivity data were compiled for a risk analysis. Results are presented in the following areas: DC-9/DC-10 electrical/electronic component characterization; DC-9 and DC-10 fiber transfer functions; potential for transport aircraft equipment exposure to carbon fibers; and equipment vulnerability assessment. Results reflect only a negligible increase in risk for the DC-9 and DC-10 fleets either now or projected to 1993

Ground deformation detection of the greater area of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece) using radar interferometry techniques

In the present study SAR interferometric techniques (stacking of conventional interferograms and Permanent Scatterers), using images from satellites ERS-1 and 2, have been applied to the region of Thessaloniki (northern Greece). The period covered by the images is 1992–2000. Both techniques gave good quantitative and qualitative results. The interferometric products were used to study ground surface deformation phenomena that could be related to the local tectonic context, the exploitation of underground water and sediments compaction. <br><br> The city of Thessaloniki shows relatively stable ground conditions. Subsidence in four locations, mainly in the area surrounding the city of Thessaloniki, has been detected and assessed. Two of the sites (Sindos-Kalochori and Langadhas) were already known from previous studies as subsiding areas, using ground base measurements. On the contrary the other two sites in the northern suburbs of Thessaloniki (Oreokastro) and in the south-east (airport area) were unknown as areas of subsidence. A further investigation based on fieldwork is needed in these two areas. Finally, an attempt to interpret the observed deformation, according to the geological regime of the area and its anthropogenic activities, has been carried out

The study of personality preschool children in modern foreign research

The article deals with the problem of studying and describing the personality of the child in the preschool age. Provides the review of modern foreign studies on this issue. Grounded the importance of age characteristics for describing the structure of the child's personality.В статье рассматривается проблема изучения и описания личности ребенка в дошкольном возрасте. Представлен обзор современных зарубежных исследований, посвященных данному вопросу. Обосновывается важность возрастных характеристик для описания структуры личности ребенка

A Bitter Pill: The Primordial Lithium Problem Worsens

The lithium problem arises from the significant discrepancy between the primordial 7Li abundance as predicted by BBN theory and the WMAP baryon density, and the pre-Galactic lithium abundance inferred from observations of metal-poor (Population II) stars. This problem has loomed for the past decade, with a persistent discrepancy of a factor of 2--3 in 7Li/H. Recent developments have sharpened all aspects of the Li problem. Namely: (1) BBN theory predictions have sharpened due to new nuclear data, particularly the uncertainty on 3He(alpha,gamma)7Be, has reduced to 7.4%, and with a central value shift of ~ +0.04 keV barn. (2) The WMAP 5-year data now yields a cosmic baryon density with an uncertainty reduced to 2.7%. (3) Observations of metal-poor stars have tested for systematic effects, and have reaped new lithium isotopic data. With these, we now find that the BBN+WMAP predicts 7Li/H = (5.24+0.71-0.67) 10^{-10}. The Li problem remains and indeed is exacerbated; the discrepancy is now a factor 2.4--4.3 or 4.2sigma (from globular cluster stars) to 5.3sigma (from halo field stars). Possible resolutions to the lithium problem are briefly reviewed, and key nuclear, particle, and astronomical measurements highlighted.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. Comments welcom

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Particle Dark Matter

We review how our current understanding of the light element synthesis during the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis era may help shed light on the identity of particle dark matter.Comment: a mini-review for the NJP special issue on dark matte

Exaggerated Texture and Grain Growth in a Supperplastic SiAlON

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65254/1/j.1151-2916.1992.tb05497.x.pd

Analysis of Ductile Bursting in Pressure Vessels of Texture-Hardening and Filament-Wrapped Materials

Analyses are presented for predicting the strength governed by the plastic tensile instability (PTI) phenomenon in thin-walled cylindrical and spherical pressure vessels constructed of texture- hardening alloys and with or without over-wrapped filaments. These analyses are important in predicting ductile bursting of pressure vessels used in such high-performance applications as high-pressure storage bottles, liquid-propellant tankage, and solid rocket casings. The analyses cover cylindrical pressure vessels subject to any ratio of biaxial stresses. Also means of estimating the effect of finite length is presented. Spherical vessels of texture- hardening material and cylindrical vessels with filaments over wrapped on a texture-hardening metallic substrate are treated as special cases. The analytical results are compared with available experimental results with good success.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Enhanced tonic GABAA inhibition in typical absence epilepsy

The cellular mechanisms underlying typical absence seizures, which characterize various idiopathic generalized epilepsies, are not fully understood, but impaired GABAergic inhibition remains an attractive hypothesis. In contrast, we show here that extrasynaptic GABAA receptor–dependent ‘tonic’ inhibition is increased in thalamocortical neurons from diverse genetic and pharmacological models of absence seizures. Increased tonic inhibition is due to compromised GABA uptake by the GABA transporter GAT–1 in the genetic models tested, and GAT–1 is critical in governing seizure genesis. Extrasynaptic GABAA receptors are a requirement for seizures in two of the best characterized models of absence epilepsy, and the selective activation of thalamic extrasynaptic GABAA receptors is sufficient to elicit both electrographic and behavioural correlates of seizures in normal animals. These results identify an apparently common cellular pathology in typical absence seizures that may have epileptogenic significance, and highlight novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of absence epilepsy.peer-reviewe

Prospective randomized trial of iliohypogastric-ilioinguinal nerve block on post-operative morphine use after inpatient surgery of the female reproductive tract

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To determine the impact of pre-operative and intra-operative ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block on post-operative analgesic utilization and length of stay (LOS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a prospective randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial to assess effectiveness of ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block (IINB) on post-operative morphine consumption in female study patients (<it>n </it>= 60). Patients undergoing laparotomy via Pfannenstiel incision received injection of either 0.5% bupivacaine + 5 mcg/ml epinephrine for IINB (Group I, <it>n </it>= 28) or saline of equivalent volume given to the same site (Group II, <it>n </it>= 32). All injections were placed before the skin incision and after closure of rectus fascia via direct infiltration. Measured outcomes were post-operative morphine consumption (and associated side-effects), visual analogue pain scores, and hospital length of stay (LOS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No difference in morphine use was observed between the two groups (47.3 mg in Group I vs. 45.9 mg in Group II; <it>p </it>= 0.85). There was a trend toward lower pain scores after surgery in Group I, but this was not statistically significant. The mean time to initiate oral narcotics was also similar, 23.3 h in Group I and 22.8 h in Group II (<it>p </it>= 0.7). LOS was somewhat shorter in Group I compared to Group II, but this difference was not statistically significant (<it>p </it>= 0.8). Side-effects occurred with similar frequency in both study groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this population of patients undergoing inpatient surgery of the female reproductive tract, utilization of post-operative narcotics was not significantly influenced by IINB. Pain scores and LOS were also apparently unaffected by IINB, indicating a need for additional properly controlled prospective studies to identify alternative methods to optimize post-surgical pain management and reduce LOS.</p