Minor Annoyances Research Articles

Guest Editorial: How a Healthy Work Environment Drives a Healthy P&L

_ People who are passionate about running businesses often talk about money or people—but not both. Imagine, a chief operating officer at an oil company who doesn’t listen to any ideas that won’t result in more barrels or more money, right now. Many of us in the oil and gas industry know what it feels like to work in that organization. Or the human resources leader that puts together an offsite meeting with personality tests, teambuilding exercises, and some “feel-good” work that has nothing to do with the actual work of the company. Both examples have their place and their value, but they never work well together. It’s one or the other. This is because of a widespread belief that what is right for a business and what is right for the people that work within one are inherently in conflict with each other. At best, people view them as opposing forces to balance. At worst, they’re seen as incompatible ideas and there’s no town big enough for the both of them. I call nonsense. What’s Good for People? Elimination of Frustration Whether it’s the fabled “TPS Reports,” jammed printers, or (multiple) inept bosses, we all have things at work that make our days worse. Some of them are minor annoyances like an extra copy/paste step, but many of them cause damage to our focus, ability to make decisions, and overall efficacy at our jobs. What is one of the worst? Poor communication. Usually, small teams are not too bad at communication. But cross-department collaboration (or the lack thereof) is almost always an area where companies of all sizes can find room for improvement. Give Them a Reason To Care Obviously pay and benefits are a good reason to care about your work. But there is a big difference in your attitude if you are simply “here so I don’t get fired” vs. truly caring about your work, your company, and the people you work with. This is what people mean when they talk about “employee engagement.” What makes someone care about their work beyond a paycheck? It varies, but here are a few high-probability ideas: - Ensuring they understand the impact of their work on the big picture. - Supporting their personal growth goals, i.e., leadership growth, skill development, new challenges. - Fostering a fair work environment. Involve employees in decisions for the company. What’s Good for Business? A Smooth Process A process that is effective, efficient, and integrated and one that is “not too bad” are worlds apart. Everyone knows that process problems cause wasted time and resources. But many people underestimate the real cost—the missed upside. That time spent dealing with bad process is time that should have been spent driving better decisions or improving the business. If you make good people do both by working more than they want to, they will leave. And here’s a hint to the punchline: improving a process looks a lot like eliminating frustrations.

0263 Slow-wave Disruption Improves Irritability in Males with Major Depression: Potential Implications for Understanding the Impact of Sex Differences on Sleep and Neuroplasticity

Abstract Introduction Irritability has been proposed to be a core symptom of male-specific major depressive disorder (MDD), with a greater propensity to experiencing anger attacks and overreacting to minor annoyances compared to females with MDD. Males with MDD have also been shown to exhibit a pattern of reduced slow-wave sleep (SWS) that is not characteristic of females. Because SWS has been implicated in the homeostatic regulation of neuroplasticity, it is possible that this mood dysfunction in males is a result of SWS alterations via impairments in neuroplasticity. Therefore, in this study we aimed to manipulate SWS and examine its impact on mood. Methods 19 individuals (11 F) with MDD were recruited for an ongoing clinical trial. Participants spent two nights in the sleep laboratory one week apart: a baseline (BL) night, and a night of slow-wave sleep disruption (SWD) utilizing auditory stimulation. Irritability was assessed in the morning following each overnight visit using the 5-item Brief Irritability Test (BITe). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the change in irritability following SWD with condition (BL, SWD) as the within-subject factor and sex (M, F) as the between-subjects factor. Results Results revealed a significant Condition x Sex interaction (F(1,17) =10.1, p=.006) for change in irritability scores, with post-hoc t-tests indicating that males with MDD showed a significant decrease in irritability following SWD, t(7)=2.22, p<.05 while women showed a significant increase in irritability, t(10)=-2.34, p<.05. Changes in irritability were not found to be associated with changes in N3. Conclusion These data demonstrate that experimentally reducing SWS decreases irritability, a core symptom of mood dysfunction, in males with MDD. As SWS has been theorized to facilitate synaptic downscaling, these results may indicate that maintaining waking levels of synaptic strength in males improves depressive symptomatology and may point to the importance of sex differences in sleep and psychopathology. Moreover, these results suggest that the modulation of neuroplasticity via sleep manipulation may be a potential therapeutic target. Support (If Any) K23MH118580 (JG)

Developing Innovative Tools to Incentivise Sustainable Cattle Ranching

Small, seemingly minor annoyances can be the final hurdles standing in the way of a good idea. Dr Rod Greder, a rancher and researcher, experienced this first-hand when studying cattle farms. Some best practices for pasture-based cattle production can be time-intensive, deterring many farmers from making the shift. Moreover, we still lack reliable scientific data that can be presented to farmers to demonstrate the economic advantages of pasture-based practices, such as intensive rotational grazing. To incentivise more farmers to make the transition to this more sustainable form of raising cattle, Dr Greder has created simple, cost-effective tools that make managing and monitoring pastures more profitable and sustainable for the rancher.

From thermal comfort to conflict: The contested control and usage of domestic smart heating in the United Kingdom

The possible benefits of the ongoing digitization and enhancement of energy services with smart technologies has been extensively documented in the literature, but is there also scope for smart systems to lead to household conflicts? In this study, using data from the Energy Systems Catapult's Living Laboratory, we explore a fundamental energy service (heat) utilized in buildings from a novel angle: social conflict. We define social conflict as oppositional goals, aims, and values held by different people. We draw from three sets of primary data—diary studies and blogging via mobile ethnography, telephone interviews, and household interviews—involving 100 homes across Birmingham (West Midlands), Bridgend (Wales), Manchester (Greater Manchester), and Newcastle (Northumberland) in the United Kingdom. We identify five different forms of “thermal conflict”: parents versus children, hosts versus guests, roommates vs. each other, landlords vs. tenants, and couples vs. each other. After documenting the presence of 20 specific examples of conflict, we then discuss how they differ by location (intrinsic vs. extrinsic), type (preference, attitude, and variety) and values (hedonic, egoistic, altruistic, biospheric). We conclude with implications for energy and buildings research and policy more broadly, noting that thermal conflicts in the home differ in their location or cause. Moreover, thermal conflicts differ in their severity, with some occurring as more minor annoyances over preferences, but others relating attitudes, where heating actions or preferences become a proxy for something else, and emit strong feelings about how household members view another person as lazy, careless or wasteful. A variety of values remain attached to heating conflicts, with hedonic (self-comfort, self-pleasure), egoistic (saving money, control) and altruistic (helping others, making others comfortable) values almost evenly reflected across our examples.

Young People's Experiences of Viewing the Fitspiration Social Media Trend: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundSocial media use has become ubiquitous in the lives of many people, especially young adults. A popular recent trend emerging on social media is that of posting and following ‘Fitspirational’ content - material that purports to motivate and showcase healthy lifestyle habits, particularly relating to exercise and diet. There is very limited existing literature on how engaging with this type of content influences people’s psychological and physical heath. Initial studies have focused on concerns over potential negative effects on psychological wellbeing including body image, self-esteem and eating disorders.ObjectiveWe aimed to address a gap in the literature for exploratory research on this topic from the perspective of users. We used a qualitative approach to explore how people experience viewing Fitspiration on social media including why and how they engage with this material and how they perceive that it affects their thoughts, emotions, behaviour and health.MethodsWe recruited 20 young adults (14 females, 6 males, aged 18-25) who self-declared themselves to be Fitspiration followers to participate in either focus groups or individual interviews. We asked detailed, open-ended questions about their motivations for following Fitspiration, experiences of viewing this content and its perceived impact. We used inductive thematic analysis to derive themes that represented common and salient features of the data set.ResultsFour main themes were developed: 1) A tool with the potential to support healthy living, 2) Unrealistic, untrustworthy content, 3) Negative effects on emotional wellbeing, and 4) Vulnerability and protective factors. Following Fitspirational posts on social media can provide young people with knowledge and motivation that may support healthy lifestyle behaviours. However, a range of harms also appeared to arise from Fitspiration viewing ranging from minor annoyances and frustrations to more meaningful negative effects on psychological & physical health. These negative effects seemed to persist despite individuals acknowledging that the material can be unrealistic, and believing that they are personally equipped to minimise harms to themselves.ConclusionsThis study suggests that Fitspiration on social media can be attractive and compelling for young people but appears to bring about negative as well as positive effects. Future research should aim to confirm the scale and intensity of positive and negative effects and investigate ways of harnessing desirable outcomes and minimising undesirable outcomes.

Phytochemical analysis of botanical extract from spices (Clove, Cinnamon, Thyme) and weeds (Parthenium and Calotropis) and effect on plantpathogenic fungi

Plant diseases are of paramount significance to human beings because they damage plants and plant products on which humanpopulation depend for food and otherwise. Their influences on human welfare range from major catastrophes to minor annoyances. In short term, plant diseases cause economic losses to growers, increase prices of produce to consumers, have direct and severe pathological effects on human and animals. Plant diseases can be divided conveniently into those caused by parasitic microorganisms or pathogens, and non parasitic diseases or disorders. Five botanical extracts viz. bud of Clove, bark of Cinnamon, seed of Thyme, leaves of Parthenium and Calotropis in different concentrations i.e. 5%, 10%, 15%, 25% and 25% were analyzed for the presence of secondary metabolites viz. phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and steroids. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of bioactive components in varying amount in different extracts. All the plant extracts were effective in checking mycelia growth of all plant pathogenic fungi but maximum (100%) inhibition in colony growth of pathogens was observed with ethanolic extract of clove followed by cinnamon, thyme, Parthenium and Calotropis. Therefore in view of eco-friendly management, both spices and weeds can be used as potential antifungal agents who are capable of preventing losses to crops and fruits due to fungal pathogens and will save environment thus formulating integrated disease management. Herbal fungicides are attracting the farmers because of their cost effective and ecofriendly attributes and the weeds have been taken up as the best option.

Adversity Quotient Profile: A Robust Assessment Tool to Measure Human Resilience

Every individual encounter adversities in their daily lives, which has now began to escalate at an alarming rate due to the complexities that prevail in our system where we live in, one needs to counter minor annoyances to major life altering events. Dr. Paul G Stoltz, the founder of Adversity Quotient® (AQ) states that as our world becomes more demanding, AQ lies at the epicenter of human capacity and our ability to thrive. AQ is used for enhancing Human and organizational performance as AQ is a scientifically grounded technology used by the individuals and organizations to measure and strengthen their response to adversity. Dr. Stoltz, strongly affirms that the present challenge of new economy is to expand human capacity, everyone is stretched with demands from organization and many suffer under the burden or their capacity fall short of what is demanded when it matters the most. Generally, people find short of their existing capacity as their accessed capacity does not meet the required capacity as what the work place demands. This deficiency leads to two alarming trends, firstly the capacity gap fulfillment and secondly the silent toll turmoil caused by dealing with the capacity gap which impacts our performance, attitude, productivity, morale, tenacity and health overall. Hence, the main core objective of this paper is to create awareness on AQ, state its importance and applications on Paul G stoltz AQ Tools and Techniques which basically help to identify and improve individuals AQ by building resilience thereby enhancing human capacity and capability, which is a deeply grounded, practical science of human capacity.

The Ever After of Ashwin Rao by Padma Viswanathan

is ellipsis, a subtracting technique that even time-honored writers could use more often. He is adept at plunging straight into the heart of a conversation and blurring our bearings before things snap into focus. His use of off-page action makes you sit straight in your seat. All in all, it’s a delightful read that keeps you gripped by Teir’s narrative and intellectual wherewithal. The novel contains thought-provoking ideas on modern art, sociology, sexuality, marriage in the twentyfirst century, aging, the Finnish inferiority complex, and the hamster as metaphor. The sheer book-traveling pleasure of encountering Finnish names like the poetically umlauted waters of Töölö Bay is in itself enough to keep you turning the pages. Erik Martiny Paris Sciences et Lettres Padma Viswanathan. The Ever After of Ashwin Rao. Toronto / Berkeley, California. Random House Canada / Soft Skull Press. 2014. isbn 9780307356345 / 9781593766139 In her second novel, Padma Viswanathan takes on a difficult subject—the 1985 bombing of an Air India plane on its way from Montreal to Delhi—and approaches it from the vantage point of 2004, during the trial of the two main suspects. The narrator , Ashwin Rao, is a psychologist who has lost his sister and her children in the crash. His aim when the novel opens is to write a book, “a study of comparative grief,” setting the record straight about how those who lost loved ones are faring twenty years after the event. It quickly becomes apparent that Rao is a difficult man—unmarried, prickly, and prone to second-guessing everyone and everything. Educated in Canada, he went back to India and has returned to Canada for the trial and to interview those touched by the bombing. He is scornful of other books about the tragedy, citing and quoting from Clark Blaise and Bharati Mukherjee ’s 1987 work The Sorrow and the Terror. But he is not completely without humor— as he says, “I am not a misanthrope even if I don’t like most people.” The one person he truly values, aside from his lost and maybe-to-be-recovered love Rosslyn, is Professor Sethuratnam (known as Seth), the closest friend of Dr. Venkataraman (known as Venkat), who lost his son and wife in the bombing. At times Seth shares the narrative, but in a third-person limited-perspective voice. The relationship between these three men, one very lonely, another surrounded by family but still seeking spiritual solace, and one completely unhinged, is beautifully rendered and is, in fact, the essence of the novel, which is more characterfocused than plot-driven. The domestic scenes of Seth’s interactions with his wife and daughters are filled with such excellent dialogue and description that the reader comes to long for even more of these characters. But Viswanathan has more on her mind than domestic matters. Interwoven in the narrative are large issues such as racism in Canada, the justice system, terrorism and its causes, and the joys and pitfalls of guru-driven spirituality. She often observes these large ideas through small and specific interactions and, for the most part, handles these matters well. But in those instances where she strives to make large statements, the novel can become preachy, and we lose the narrative ease that often works so well. These moments, along with Rao’s frequent allusions to literary quotes that seem pasted on to his character rather than intrinsic to it, can be seen as signs of insecurity, of a writer’s overreaching to make an intellectual literary splash. There is no doubt that Viswanathan can write, and write well; the flaws are minor annoyances in a rich and absorbing novel. Urmila Pawar Motherwit Veena Deo, tr. Zubaan Through short stories infiltrating quotidian life, Pawar employs dexterous language to investigate social injustices, familial relationships, and the realm of morality. By interweaving feminist, Buddhist, and Dalit perspectives, Pawar invites the reader to dive into tales that center on women who are courageous in the face of adversity. Race, gender, and religion are explored through lighthearted yet substantial scenarios and language. Florence Noiville Attachment Teresa Lavender Fagan, tr. Seagull Books / University of Chicago Press Attachment examines the dynamic relationship between writing...

Vigilant Citizens: Statecraft and Exclusion in Dubbo City

Vigilant Citizens: Statecraft and Exclusion in Dubbo City

Book Review: Space Weather, Environment and Societies

Book Review: Space Weather, Environment and Societies

Validation of a Simplified Definition of Anger Attacks

Background: Anger attacks, sudden spells of anger with vegetative hyperarousal, are highly prevalent symptoms in depression. Assessment normally requires the use of specific instruments. The aim of this study was the validation of a simplified definition for anger attacks. Methods: Anger attacks were assessed in 203 patients suffering from major depression with the Anger Attacks Questionnaire. The first three items of the questionnaire (irritability, overreaction to minor annoyances, episodes with inappropriate anger or rage) were compared separately with the diagnosis, and their value as single screening questions to establish the diagnosis was assessed. Results: Irritability was only weakly associated with the diagnosis of anger attacks (Cohen’s kappa ĸ = 0.214 ± 0.058) and yielded a rather low specificity (0.302), while overreaction to minor annoyances (ĸ = 0.869 ± 0.037) and the question about episodes with inappropriate anger or rage (ĸ = 0.901 ± 0.032) had a high degree of agreement with the diagnosis of the questionnaire (specificity 0.918 and 0.935, respectively). The combination of the two later items resulted in an almost perfect reclassification of cases (ĸ = 0.955 ± 0.022; specificity = 0.971). Conclusions: As anger attacks are probably underdiagnosed in clinical practice, simplification of the diagnostic process is imperative. Our results demonstrate that asking one or two simple screening questions suffices to recognize the majority of patients with anger attacks.

The teaching and treatment of upper airway sleep disorders in North American dental schools

Statement of Problem. Many dental patients suffer from upper airway sleep disorders (UASD) that affect the quantity and quality of their sleep. These disorders vary from minor annoyances to life-threatening conditions. Even though dentists can play a role in the successful treatment of these patients with oral devices, few do. This lack of participation, in part, may be due to lack of education. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine which North American dental schools include the treatment of UASD in their curriculum. This information may prove helpful to other schools in determining whether, and to what degree, they should teach about UASD and its treatment options. Material and Methods. A survey instrument (questionnaire) was mailed to all of the North American dental schools (n = 64) affiliated with the American Association of Dental Schools. The questionnaire consisted of 9 multipart questions. Major categories of questions included the following: (1) Is the subject of UASD a part of the school curriculum? If so, in what department is it taught? (2) Are oral devices fabricated for patients or is the experience only at the didactic level? (3) What diagnostic procedures are required? (4) What types of oral devices are fabricated and what is the success rate/recall frequency? (5) What is the patient source? (6) If this subject area is not covered either didactically or clinically, why not? The data were analyzed by use of descriptive statistics. Results. Forty-three of the 64 schools that received the survey responded. Forty-two percent of the schools that responded are teaching the treatment of UASD with oral devices. There is no apparent consensus with regard to whether to teach the subject, at what level, or to what degree. Conclusion. Even though many dental patients suffer from potentially life-threatening sleep disorders, many of which could be treated with oral devices, fewer than half of the reporting dental schools currently include this area as part of their curriculum. This lack of inclusion is caused primarily by a lack of familiarity with the information available and a lack of available curriculum time. (J Prosthet Dent 2003;89:292-6.)

Reflections on a death.

On Being a Patient6 February 2001Reflections on a DeathTheodore Tsomides, MD, PhDTheodore Tsomides, MD, PhDDr. Tsomides: Maine Medical Center; Portland, ME 04102Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-134-3-200102060-00017 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail As a resident in internal medicine at a 600-bed teaching hospital, I have cared for many dying patients and their families. These will be my most powerful and enduring memories, lasting long after the stressful call nights, the zebra cases, and any minor annoyances have faded. But nothing could have prepared me for the experience of taking care of my dying father or taught me more about the art of medicine.My father, the son of an immigrant tailor, went to college and medical school on the GI Bill after serving 3 years in World War II. After a year ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Dr. Tsomides: Maine Medical Center; Portland, ME 04102Corresponding Author: Theodore Tsomides, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall Street, Portland, ME 04102. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByDeath and Mental IllnessLife on the Receiving End: A Qualitative Analysis of Health Providers??? Illness NarrativesEnd of life is a public health issue“The nature is all there”—Cultural Influences on Care of the Dying 6 February 2001Volume 134, Issue 3Page: 246-248KeywordsAnxietyChemotherapyDeliriumFearFoodHospital medicineNursesRadiologistsSurgeryWeight loss ePublished: 6 February 2001 Issue Published: 6 February 2001 CopyrightCopyright © 2001 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...

Loss of passion, intimacy, and commitment: A conceptual framework for relationship researchers

Abstract The authors suggest that the concept of loss may serve as an organizing principle to clarify many of the dynamics of close relationships. Prior to the ultimate loss of the relationship, there may be intermediate losses that undermine relationship stability. Research on social allergies, or extreme responses to minor annoyances, suggests that relatively mild antigens, if frequently repeated, can gradually cause a loss of feelings of idealization of the partner, comfort with the partner, or feelings of being cared about or respected by the partner. Larger problems may cause loss of major elements of love. The loss of physical attractiveness may, depending on the partner's attributions, be associated with the loss of passion. The loss of desired levels of social support may lead to the loss of intimacy, whereas the loss of customary levels of interdependent behavior may lead to a loss of commitment. The loss of honesty in the relationship may lead to a cascade of other losses. Finally, the partner's...

Theory-Based Stress Measurement

Although arguments about how to measure psychological stress are typically based on implicit epistemological and theoretical assumptions, stress measurement has almost never been truly theory driven. The objective of this article is to address several measurement and research issues that derive from my particular metatheoretical concepts of systems thinking, transaction, and process and from my substantive theoretical concepts, which center on appraisal and coping. These issues are illustrated with research on the Hassles Scale. I address four controversial issues with reasoned arguments, and, as might be anticipated, I take the view (a) that stress is mainly a subjective rather than objective phenomenon, (b) that it is best measured as seemingly minor annoyances rather than major cataclysms, (c) that confounding-although a problem-does not accountfor the relationship between stress and adaptational outcomes, and (d) that any stress measure should assess the contents or sources of stress rather than merely its degree. In addition, I argue for increased emphasis on psychological content in stress scales andfor greater attention to the individual's larger adaptational context, to a systems theory perspective, and to the time periods during which stress is sampled. Finally, I argue that we should abandon the measurement of stress, which tends to be too unidimensional, in favor of measuring the degree and quality of the emotions of daily living. Information derived from such measures could greatly expand our understanding of how individuals handle both positive and negative experiences.

Therapy for Ocular Infections

There are many infectious processes that may affect the eye and its surrounding structures. While some are minor annoyances and may be safely ignored, others may appear minor but may be vision-threatening or even life-threatening. Only by following a systematic approach to diagnosis and therapy can misdiagnosis and subsequent mistreatment be avoided. This article provides a survey of current thought concerning anti-infective therapy in ocular infections, including conjunctivitis, corneal infections, fungal infections, and endophthalmitis.

Glutaraldehyde in Treating Herpes Simplex and Herpes Zoster

To the Editor.— According to Koranda et al, 1 for patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, the incidence of herpes simplex is 35% and the incidence of herpes zoster is 13%. It is further noted that skin complications in transplant patients range from minor annoyances to life-threatening conditions. It has been my good fortune to become acquainted with glutaraldehyde, a cold sterilant, which is better than 11 others used for that purpose. 2 In reading the literature on this chemical, I was struck by the ability of 2% buffered glutaraldehyde to completely inhibit herpes simplex within ten minutes, in addition to its bactericidal, tuberculocidal, and pseudomonacidal effects. 3 I have reported a series of 12 patients with herpes simplex and four cases of herpes zoster very effectively treated, after informed consent, with 2% alkaline-buffered glutaraldehyde. 4 Prior and subsequent experiences with this chemical have been favorable. As an analogue of formaldehyde,

Polyacrylamide/Potassium-Chloride Mud for Drilling Water-Sensitive Shales

A potassium-based polymer mud has been used successfully for controlling troublesome shales in many wells around the world. Shale stability results by combining potassium chloride with a high-molecular-weight, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. Field application of the polyacrylamide/ potassium-chloride mud has been successful in stabilizing hard, sloughing potassium-chloride mud has been successful in stabilizing hard, sloughing shales in Canada and in reducing shale-related hole problems in several offshore areas. Introduction Drilling water-sensitive shales with conventional waterbase muds frequently results in increased costs arising from shale-related hole problems. These problems can range from minor annoyances, in which case they are generally ignored, to situations where further drilling is impossible and the well is sidetracked or abandoned. Darley and Chenevert were instrumental in determining basic mechanisms that cause shales to become unstable when exposed to water-base fluids. Various solutions have been suggested for dealing with troublesome shales encountered when drilling. Guidelines for choosing muds for drilling various types of shales have been presented by Kelly and by Allred and McCaleb . Oil-base fluids have been used successfully to drill water-sensitive formations; however, the use of oil-base muds is expensive and presents environmental problems, particularly for presents environmental problems, particularly for offshore use. A recent advance in drilling-fluid technology is the introduction of water-base muds containing potassium salts. The ability of potassium ions to reduce the swelling tendencies of shales has been studied by O'Brien and Chenevert, who also found that the use of certain polymers in combination with potassium ions showed promise as the basis of potassium ions showed promise as the basis of shale-protective drilling fluids. Mondshine presented data on the development of a potassium-chloride/ potassium-lignite system for stabilizing potassium-lignite system for stabilizing water-sensitive shales. This paper discusses the development of a potassium-based polymer mud that has been successful potassium-based polymer mud that has been successful in controlling troublesome shales in many wells around the world. Shale stability is achieved by combining potassium chloride with a high-molecular-weight, potassium chloride with a high-molecular-weight, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide.* Results of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide.* Results of a laboratory evaluation of the shale-stabilizing ability of a number of polymers in combination with potassium chloride are presented. Information concerning formulation, handling, and treatment of the system is given, along with results of field application of the polyacrylamide/potassium-chloride mud in a variety of polyacrylamide/potassium-chloride mud in a variety of shales and geographical locations. Laboratory Evaluation of Shale-Stabilizing Fluids Test Equipment and Procedures The laboratory equipment used for evaluating the shale-protective ability of water-base fluids is the mud triaxial tester described by Darley. A schematic drawing of the tester is shown in Fig. 1. The mud triaxial tester allows mud to flow through a simulated borehole (1/4 in. in diameter) in the shale test specimen (1 in. thick × 2 in. in diameter) while the shale is under stress. Axial and radial stresses can be varied independently, although standard procedure is to set them equal. JPT P. 719

Cutaneous Complications in Immunosuppressed Renal Homograft Recipients

Skin complications were studied in a consecutive series of 200 renal transplant patients treated with immunosuppressive agents. Cushing syndrome changes were the most common reaction, more than half of the patients having altered fat distribution, steroid-induced acne, atrophic and friable skin, striae, dry skin, and keratosis pilaris. Cytotoxic alopecia was encountered in 54%, but hair regrew in all cases. Skin infections were common, especially verrucae (43%), herpes simplex (35%), herpes zoster (13%), and tinea versicolor (18%). De novo skin cancers occurred in 3.5%. Other disorders included acanthosis nigricans, cold intolerance of the front teeth, metastatic calcification, red lunulae of the nails, and hyperpigmentation of exposed skin. Skin complications in transplant patients ranged from minor annoyances to life-threatening conditions. The frequency of dermatologic problems and the possible sequelae stress the need for periodic examinations by a dermatologist and for education of the patients in the care of their skin. (<i>JAMA</i>229:419-424, 1974)

Allergic responses to biting and stinging insects.

Biting and stinging insects are classified under the major division of arthropods. The arthropods consist of eighty-five per cent of the animal kingdom. Since we share so much of this earth's surface with these small creatures, it is evident that they must often affect our lives. Man may be helped by some activities or hindered by others. On the positive side, arthropods help in the pollination of plants, destroying the dead animals and plants, and help to return the organic materials to the soil. The value of bee products such as honey and wax is estimated to be as high as fifty million dollars each year in the United States. On the negative side, arthropods can cause disease and varied allergic reactions. This article will deal chiefly with the allergic responses. Most of the allergic reactions are minor annoyances, but some are serious and can result in death.