Stimulus for organ donation: a survey of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons membership

Federal legislation has been proposed to modify the National Organ Transplant Act in a way that would permit government-regulated strategies, including financial incentives, to be implemented and evaluated. The Council and Ethics Committee of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons conducted a brief web-based survey of its members' (n = 449, 41.6% response rate) views on acceptable or unacceptable strategies to increase organ donation. The majority of the membership supports reimbursement for funeral expenses, an income tax credit on the final return of a deceased donor and an income tax credit for registering as an organ donor as strategies for increasing deceased donation. Payment for lost wages, guaranteed health insurance and an income tax credit are strategies most strongly supported by the membership to increase living donation. For both deceased and living donation, the membership is mostly opposed to cash payments to donors, their estates or to next-of-kin. There is strong support for a government-regulated trial to evaluate the potential benefits and harms of financial incentives for both deceased and living donation. Overall, there is strong support within the ASTS membership for changes to NOTA that would permit the implementation and careful evaluation of indirect, government-regulated strategies to increase organ donation.

Analysis of trace elements and ions in ambient fine particulate matter at three elementary schools in Ohio

The results from a chemical characterization study of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) measured at three elementary schools in Central and Southeast Ohio is presented here. PM2.5 aerosol samples were collected from outdoor monitors and indoor samplers at each monitoring location during the period of February 1, 1999, through August 31, 2000. The locations included a rural elementary school in Athens, OH, and two urban schools within Columbus, OH. The trace metal and ionic concentrations in the collected samples were analyzed using an X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometer and ion chromatography unit, respectively. Sulfate ion was found to be the largest component present in the samples at all three of the sites. Other abundant components included nitrate, chloride, ammonium, and sodium ions, as well as calcium, silicon, and iron. The average PM2.5 concentrations showed similar temporal variations among the three sites within the study region. PM2.5 and its major component, sulfate ion, showed strong seasonal variations with maximum concentrations observed during the summer at all three of the sites. The indoor environment was found to be more contaminated during the spring months (March through May) at New Albany (a suburb of Columbus, OH) and East Athens (rural Ohio area). Potential source contribution function analysis showed that particulate matter levels at the monitoring sites were affected by transport from adjoining urban areas and industrial complexes located along the Ohio River Valley. A preliminary outdoor source apportionment using the principal component analysis (PCA) technique was performed. The results from the PCA suggest that the study region was primarily impacted by industrial, fossil fuel combustion, and geological sources. The 2002 emissions inventory data for PM2.5 compiled by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency also showed impacts of similar source types, and this was used to validate the PCA analysis.

Placement of prompts, length of task, and level of retardation in learning complex assembly tasks

Vocational rehabilitation clients were divided into two retardation groups (mildly and moderately mentally retarded). Each subject was taught four different assembly tasks (lawn mower engine, bicycle brake, carburetor, and drill), each utilizing one of four different teaching methods (short task--preresponse prompting, long task--preresponse prompting, short task--error-correction prompting, and long task--error-correction prompting). Modeling of correct selection and placement of parts was used either before the subject's response or after an error had been made. Preresponse prompts yielded fewer errors than did error-correction prompts in training trials. Training by error-correction, however, was better than preresponse prompting for producing fewer errors on test (probe) trials for the moderately retarded subjects. Mildly retarded subjects performed equally well in both prompting conditions on test trials. Prompting conditions and level of retardation did not interact with length of the tasks. Results were discussed in terms of modification of the three-term contingency and covert-stimulus comparison.

Degrees of specificity in task analysis

The effects of training identical tasks using three different degrees of task-analysis specificity (long, 28 steps; medium, 14 steps; and short, 7 steps) were assessed. Mildly, moderately, and severely mentally retarded vocational rehabilitation clients were taught to assemble three apparatuses (lawn mower engine, electric drill, carburetor) in a counterbalanced design. The short task analysis resulted in most errors in training, but training time did not differ. A Level of Retardation X Treatment interaction indicated that although all subjects made more errors during training with the short task analysis, severely retarded subjects made the most errors in that condition.

Operations training in vocational skills

Whether operations training reduces time and errors in the acquisition of specific vocational tasks was investigated. An operation is a particular response class that occurs in the presence of a consistent stimulus. Subjects were mentally retarded vocational-rehabilitation clients in a sheltered workshop. Each subject was trained in either mechanical operations (ABC) or wood operations (DEF) and subsequently trained in two tasks involving ABC and two tasks involving DEF operations. Significant time and error savings occurred in task training when subjects had previously been trained on the generic operations involved in those tasks. Results suggest that component operations to facilitate lateral and vertical transfer to a variety of more specific job skills should be taught in vocational-training programs.

Theoretical model of ruminant adipose tissue metabolism in relation to the whole animal

Based on theoretical considerations and experimental data, estimates of contributions of adipose tissue to energy expenditures in a lactating cow and a growing steer were developed. The estimates indicate that adipose energy expenditures range between 5 and 10% of total animal heat production dependent on productive function and diet. These energy expenditures can be partitioned among maintenance (3%), lipogenesis (1-5%) and lipolysis and triglyceride resynthesis (less thatn 1.0%). Specific sites at which acute and chronic effectors can act to produce changes in adipose function, and changes in adipose function produced by diet and during pregnancy, lactation and aging were discussed with emphasis being placed on the need for additional, definitive studies of specific interactions among pregnancy, diet, age, lactation and growth in producing ruminants.