August 13, 1997

Wakame seaweed salad, combination of green seaweed and spicy-sweet seasonings that is staple of Japanese cuisine, is increasingly popular at eateries everywhere in Manhattan, from takeout shops to distinguished restaurants; photo; recipes (M)

Investigation Comr Edward J Kuriansky says he found no evidence to support Feb charges that workers at New Day Shelter for battered women, Bronx, forced women to have sex and ignored reports of child abuse, news conference; Human Resources Comr Lilliam Barrios-Paoli says department acted properly in removing staff to protect residents during probe; security firm accused of allowing abusive boyfriends into shelter is also exonerated; seven workers were suspended and five dismissed for minor offenses and rest are on full pay, but unassigned; city says probe found shelter in crisis, where employees slept on job and doubled and tripled wages with over-time pay (M)

Some airlines are installing in jets new kind of altitude warning system that might have saved Korean Air Lines jet that crashed on Guam; system compares aircraft's location, altitude and course with computerized map of all world's mountains, predicts length of time before impact and begins sounding warning at 60 seconds before impact; Federal Aviation Administration plans to propose making enhanced systems mandatory; diagrams (M)

Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc, Texas buyout firm, agrees to acquire Lin Television Corp for $1.45 billion, plus $260 million in assumed debt; acquisition accelerates consolidation of television industry that was made possible by Congress's removal of many ownership restrictions early last year (L)

Labor Department reports productivity growth rate of American workers rose annual rate of only six-tenths of one percent in second quarter; announcement is greeted with criticism from growing number of economists and business people who insist that official data greatly understate flourishing efficiency in the workplace; graph (L)