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Biomedical subjects

J A Carpenter

Publications and source records attributed to J A Carpenter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The identification of alcohol intoxication by police.

BACKGROUND: The identification of alcohol intoxication by police, bartenders, social hosts, and potential passengers is an important issue in the prevention of alcohol-related driving accidents. This study examines the ability of police officers to correctly identify and make ratings of the sobriety of target drinkers presented on video. METHODS: Raters were asked to determine (1) whether the target drinker had been drinking alcohol, (2) whether it was "okay" to serve the target another drink, and (3) whether the target drinker was "okay" to drive. A rater confidence score for each target evaluated, as well as demographic characteristics about the raters, was obtained. RESULTS: Drinkers were accurately targeted to low (0.08-0.09%), medium (0.11-0.13%), and high (0.15-0.16%) blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) by using a method previously described. At lower BACs, most police officers were unable to identify whether or not targets had been drinking. Raters were "pretty sure" that targets in the 0.15-0.16% range had been drinking and "not sure" whether or not they should be served another drink or drive a car. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of raters to reliably identify target drinkers who were too intoxicated to drive safely was not obtained until the BACs were relatively high. These results suggest that prevention measures must focus on improving behavioral observations made of potential drunk drivers. Implications for bartenders and social hosts are discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1998

Determination of acceptability of flavored oat bran frankfurters by older adults.

The US population is aging rapidly and, within the next 25 years, 20-25% will be over age 60. This creates a vast new market for age-specific products and increases the responsibility of food scientists and nutritionists to provide appropriate foods for older adults. Many older individuals are energy deficient and need to be encouraged to consume more food in order to maintain body weight and health, but need to decrease the calories from fat in their diets. Many of these older individuals are not inclined to eat foods that they enjoy for fear that these foods may be detrimental to their health (de Castro, 1993), or they have lost their gustational abilities to the degree that these foods are no longer enjoyable. This research looks at a possible solution to both problems by replacing fat in a favorite food of older adults and adjusting the flavor levels of this product. Frankfurters were made from mechanically deboned poultry meat in which standard commercial formulation was compared to three flavoring treatments using oat bran as a fat replacer (6% oat bran, 30% H2O). Mixed spices (traditional saucisson) were added to two of these treatments in standard and double proportions. Participants were 71 individuals over the age of 65 in varying levels of health from four regional care facilities. Seven gram, three-digit-coded samples were evaluated at 60 degrees C, and scored on a nine-point hedonic scale. A significant (alpha = 0.0004) preference was shown for the double-spiced frank. No differences by sex or race were found. Research concluded that addition of flavoring aids in the increased acceptability of products by older adults.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Use of chuck muscles and their acceptability in restructured beef/surimi steaks.

Ten major muscles along with any unidentifiable lean, were carefully excised from 16 Choice square-cut chucks Yield Grade 2, and placed according to previously determined tenderness rankings, into one of three muscle groups. Group 1 was composed of the most tender muscles, and contained the infraspinatus, longissimus, and triceps brachii. Group 2 contained intermediate tenderness muscles and was composed of the serratus ventralis, deep pectoral, and complexus. Group 3 contained the least tender muscles and was composed of the biceps brachii, supraspinatus, rhomboideus, trapezius, deltoids, and neck muscles. Each group was restructured into beef/surimi steaks and was evaluated. Total muscle yield before trimming accounted for 66.2% of the chuck. Careful fat trimming, desinewing, and internal seam cutting on individual muscles resulted in 34.7% lean available for the restructuring of steaks. The triceps brachii, longissimus, supraspinatus, and infraspinatus required the least trimming and were easiest to excise. These muscles made up 49% of the trimmed meat and 13.7% of the total chuck. Steaks were evaluated by a consumer sensory panel for tenderness, flavor, overall preference, and intent to purchase. There were no differences detected by consumers among the muscle groups for the sensory traits studied. Tenderness and flavor were rated equal to intact steaks for all muscle groups studied. The consumer sensory panel indicated that Groups 1 and 2 would be purchased twice a month and Group 3 once a month.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Central and regional hemodynamic effects of flosequinan for congestive heart failure.

The central and regional hemodynamic effects of flosequinan, a new orally administered vasodilator, were examined in 10 patients with moderate to severe congestive heart failure. A single-blind design was used to compare a standard dose of flosequinan (100 mg) with placebo. Flosequinan produced a statistically significant increase in cardiac output, primarily through its augmentation of stroke volume. This response was accompanied by significant reductions in systemic vascular resistances and right and left ventricular filling pressures. A reduction in pulmonary artery pressure and total pulmonary vascular resistance also was observed. The vasodilatory actions of flosequinan improved overall left ventricular performance; the inotropic indexes measured were not altered. There were no significant changes in upper limb, renal or hepatic-splanchnic blood flow or in the vascular resistances of these regions after flosequinan administration. The upper limb venous capacitance increased significantly. First-dose flosequinan evokes favorable central hemodynamic changes and improves overall left ventricular performance in patients with congestive heart failure. The acute augmentation in cardiac output, however, is not accompanied by a preferential alteration of flow to any of the major vascular regions studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cognitive moderators of alcohol's effects on anxiety.

The present study was designed to test the prediction from the attention-allocation model that intoxication in the absence of a pleasant distractor will fail to produce anxiolytic effects. A second prediction, that the sequence of intoxication and exposure to the anxiety-producing situation would influence alcohol's effects, was also tested. Subjects were male social drinkers who received an 0.85 g/kg dose of alcohol or a placebo. Conventional statistical analysis of the results indicated an anxiolytic effect of alcohol on heart rate but a problem with this analysis is identified. An alternative interpretation provides no support for an anxiolytic effect. Exposure to the anxiety-producing stimulus prior to intoxication led to greater heart rate reactivity than if it followed intoxication.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Airborne aflatoxin in corn processing facilities in Georgia.

Problems affecting the health of agricultural workers in processing facilities where grains are contaminated with aflatoxin have been noted previously. Airborne particulates produced during processing are reported to produce various carcinomas when inhaled by factory workers. Two corn processing plants within Georgia were surveyed during the fall of 1984 and 1985 with utilization of an Andersen 6-stage air sampler, a high-volume air sampler and a slit sampler. No airborne aflatoxin was found; however, 10% of settled dust samples were contaminated with aflatoxin. The average particles were found to be globular in shape with an effective diameter between 2 to 3 microns. Only 30% of the bulk corn samples contained aflatoxin, which was present at low levels (0.15 to 8 ppb).

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1986

Risk of noncardiac operation in patients with defined coronary disease: The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry experience.

It has been suggested that coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is efficacious in patients with severe coronary artery disease before they undergo a major noncardiac operation. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry population was reviewed to identify variables affecting operative mortality and cardiovascular morbidity for noncardiac procedures, and to assess the influence of prior CABG on these surgical risks. Major noncardiac operations were performed on 1,600 registry patients between June 30, 1978, and June 30, 1981. Operative mortality for individuals without significant coronary artery disease (Group 1) was 0.5% (2/399) and for patients with such disease having CABG prior to a noncardiac procedure (Group 2), it was 0.9% (7/743) (Group 1 versus Group 2, p = 0.42). Patients with significant coronary artery disease undergoing noncardiac operation without prior CABG (Group 3) had an increased operative mortality, 2.4% (11/458) (p = 0.009). Group 2 patients had more severe angina symptoms (p less than 0.001) and more extensive coronary artery disease (p less than 0.001) on entering CASS than Group 3 patients. Postoperative chest pain occurred in 8.7% (40/458) of the Group 3 patients versus 4.5% (18/399) in Group 1 and 5.1% (38/743) in Group 2 (p = 0.004). No group differences were noted for the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction or arrhythmias.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of particulate air samplers for airborne aflatoxin B1.

Five air samplers (Millipore, all-glass impinger, centrifugal, Andersen, and absorbent cotton) were evaluated for their ability to collect airborne grain particles contaminated with aflatoxin B1. Corn dust containing 100 micrograms aflatoxin B1/g was aerosolized within a containment system. Each device sampled 100 I air, thus exchanging the air in the chamber two times. Aflatoxin B1 was extracted from all sampling matrices and was detected and quantitated with thin-layer chromatography and scanning fluorodensitometry. The highest efficiency was obtained with the Millipore sampler, while the efficiencies of the centrifugal and the cotton samplers were almost identical. Efficiency of an Andersen was less, with no toxin recovered from an all-glass impinger. Measurement of particle size was accomplished with the Andersen sampler.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1986

Assessment of the development of tolerance to ethanol using multiple measures.

Development of tolerance to ethanol was examined using a motor coordination test, startle response, and rectal temperature in rats chronically treated with ethanol (8-11 g/kg/day), equicaloric dextrin maltose (DM) or water. A 2.0 g/kg test dose resulted in 92, 48, and 2.7% depression from baseline of motor coordination test performance, startle response, and rectal temperature, respectively, on the first test day. There was complete tolerance to the hypothermic effect of this dose of ethanol on the 9th day of treatment while 17 days of treatment were required to achieve total tolerance on dowel test but still did not produce full tolerance on the startle response. Measurement of blood ethanol concentration indicated no significant changes in the rate of ethanol disappearance. Therefore the observed decrease in sensitivity to ethanol represents functional tolerance. These results indicate tolerance to ethanol develops at different rates depending on the measures employed to evaluate it.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1985

Selective and differential medium for detecting Clostridium botulinum.

A selective and differential growth medium was developed for detection of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, and F. The medium consisted of peptone-glucose-yeast extract agar supplemented with cycloserine, 250 micrograms/ml; sulfamethoxazole, 76 micrograms/ml; and trimethoprim, 4 micrograms/ml as selective inhibitors and various types and levels of botulinal antibodies for type differentiation in the immunodiffusion reaction. Growth of proteolytic types of C. botulinum were not affected by the incorporation of the selective agents, but some nonproteolytic types were suppressed. Cross-reactions between types A and B were visually distinguishable, whereas cross-reactions between type F and Clostridium sporogenes did not occur at the optimum antibody titer. Optimum antibody titer varied with toxin type. The proposed selective differential medium should be valuable in isolating and typing of proteolytic C. botulinum types A, B, and F from samples containing mixed microbial populations.

Antitoxins↗
PubMed1984

Update: prevalence of Salmonella in pork sausage.

One hundred seventy-five samples of fresh pork sausage representing thirty-five different commercial brands from six different retail stores were examined for the presence of salmonellae by standard enrichment, plating, biochemical and serological techniques. Contamination levels varied from 0 to 50% among stores and from 0 to 28% among brands. Prior research implied reduced prevalence of salmonellae in fresh pork sausage; however, these results indicate no variation in prevalence since 1969.

Animals↗