Experimental testing of a prototype cantilevered liquid-nitrogen-cooled silicon mirror.

This report presents testing of a prototype cantilevered liquid-nitrogen-cooled silicon mirror. This mirror was designed to be the first mirror for the new soft X-ray beamlines to be built as part of the Advanced Light Source Upgrade. Test activities focused on fracture, heat transfer, modal response and distortion, and indicated that the mirror functions as intended.

The effects of a novel anti-inflammatory compound (AHI-805) on cyclooxygenase enzymes and the recovery of ischaemia injured equine jejunum ex vivo.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Flunixin meglumine is used for treatment of equine colic despite evidence of inhibited recovery of mucosal barrier function following small intestinal ischaemic injury. This study aimed to characterise an alternative treatment (AHI-805) for abdominal pain in the horse. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of AHI-805, an aza-thia-benzoazulene derivative, on the cyclooxygenase enzymes and the recovery of mucosal barrier function following ischaemic injury. METHODS: Effect of AHI-805 on in vitro COX-1 and COX-2 activity was determined by measuring coagulation-induced thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated prostaglandin E(2) concentrations in equine whole blood. Horses (n = 6) were anaesthetised and jejunum subjected to ischaemia for 2 h. Control and ischaemia injured mucosa was placed in Ussing chambers and treated with Ringer's solution containing control treatment (DMSO), flunixin meglumine (27 µmol/l), or AHI-805 (27 µmol/l). Transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), mucosal-to-serosal flux of (3) H-mannitol, and bathing solution TXB(2) and prostaglandin E metabolites (PGEM) were measured over a 4 h recovery period. RESULTS: Treatment with AHI-805 had no significant effect on TXB(2) production but significantly inhibited production of PGE(2) at a concentration of 1 µmol/l or greater. TER of flunixin or AHI-805 treated ischaemia-injured jejunum was significantly lower than control treated injured tissue over the recovery period. Mannitol flux and grade of histological damage were significantly increased by ischaemic injury only. There was a significant increase in PGEM and TXB(2) in control tissues over the 240 min recovery period, but not in flunixin or AHI-805 treated tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Flunixin meglumine and AHI-805 inhibit recovery of barrier function in ischaemic-injured equine jejunum in vitro through inhibition of the COX enzymes. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The novel compound AHI-805 may not be suitable for the treatment of equine colic associated with ischaemic injury.

Stage of change, decisional balance, and temptations for smoking: measurement and validation in a large, school-based population of adolescents.

Developing interventions for reducing adolescent smoking rates based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) requires the development of quality measures of the key constructs of the model. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the psychometric properties of measures of Stage of Change, Decisional Balance and Situational Temptation for both smokers and nonsmokers and to test if the predicted relationships between these constructs were confirmed in a large (N=2808) sample of adolescents. A correlated three factor model (Social Pros, Coping Pros and Cons) provided an excellent fit to the 12-item Decisional Balance inventory for both smokers (CFI=0.957) and nonsmokers (CFI=0.963). A hierarchical four factor model (negative affect, positive social, habit strength and weight control) provided an excellent fit to the eight-item Situational Temptations inventory for smokers (CFI=0.969). A hierarchical five-factor model (same four as smokers plus Curiosity) provided an excellent fit to the 10-item Situational Temptations inventory for nonsmokers (CFI=0.943). The relationships between both the Decisional Balance and temptation scales and the Stages of Change were verified for both smokers and nonsmokers. The measures for adolescents are similar to but not the same as the measures of these constructs for adults.

A model for prediction of fume formation rate in gas metal arc welding (GMAW), globular and spray modes, DC electrode positive.

Prediction of fume formation rate during metal arc welding and the composition of the fume are of interest to occupational hygienists concerned with risk assessment and to manufacturers of welding consumables. A model for GMAW (DC electrode positive) is described based on the welder determined process parameters (current, wire feed rate and wire composition), on the surface area of molten metal in the arc and on the partial vapour pressures of the component metals of the alloy wire. The model is applicable to globular and spray welding transfer modes but not to dip mode. Metal evaporation from a droplet is evaluated for short time increments and total evaporation obtained by summation over the life of the droplet. The contribution of fume derived from the weld pool and spatter (particles of metal ejected from the arc) is discussed, as are limitations of the model. Calculated droplet temperatures are similar to values determined by other workers. A degree of relationship between predicted and measured fume formation rates is demonstrated but the model does not at this stage provide a reliable predictive tool.

Validation of decisional balance and situational temptations measures for dietary fat reduction in a large school-based population of adolescents.

Brief, validated, and reliable theory-based measures specifically designed for use in large survey research with adolescent populations are needed to assess attitudes and behaviors about dietary fat consumption. This study validated two transtheoretical model (TTM)-based instruments in 2639 ninth graders from 12 Rhode Island high schools. The Decisional Balance Questionnaire for Adolescent Dietary Fat Reduction (DBQA) measures the importance adolescents assign to the pros and cons of reducing dietary fat consumption, while the Situational Temptations Questionnaire for Adolescents (STQA) measures temptations to eat high-fat foods as both a global construct and across three categories of challenging situations. Four competing models were compared for each instrument. An eight-item, correlated two-factor Pros and Cons model was validated for the decisional balance measure and a nine-item, three-factor hierarchical model was validated for situational temptations. The theoretically predicted relationships between stage of change and the pros and cons, as well as stage and situational temptations were supported. These results demonstrate that both measures have sound psychometric properties and are externally valid.

Assessing family members' motivational readiness and decision making for consenting to cadaveric organ donation.

This study assessed the applicability of two important components of the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) to family consent for cadaveric organ donation. Men and women (N = 169), who consented or refused to donate the organs of a family member, completed a telephone survey reflecting the stage of change and decisional balance constructs. Psychometric analyses resulted in a two-factor decisional balance scale: a seven-item scale representing negative perceptions of consent (cons), and a seven-item scale representing positive perceptions of consent (pros). The pros and cons were significantly associated with stage of readiness for donation consent and with the family consent decision. Research utilizing this measure has the potential to enhance intervention programs to increase donation consent rates.

Stages of change for adherence with medication regimens for chronic disease: development and validation of a measure.

BACKGROUND: The stages-of-change (SOC) model has been used to explain and predict how behavior change occurs, but it is new as an approach to understanding why patients fail to take their medications as prescribed. OBJECTIVE: This study validated a 2-item measure of SOC for adherence with medication regimens in 2 groups of patients prescribed pharmacologic therapy for chronic conditions. METHODS: Two cross-sectional studies of attitudes toward medication adherence included the same measure of SOC for medication adherence. One was a sample of 161 HIV-positive patients in the United States, and the other was an international sample of 731 patients with hypertension. The validity of the measure of SOC for medication adherence was examined in both convenience samples using previously validated self-reported measures of adherence (the Medication Adherence Scale and a measure of adherence from the Medical Outcomes Study), and in the HIV sample using electronic monitoring of adherence behavior in 85 patients. RESULTS: Construct validity was demonstrated in both samples by associations between SOC and the previously validated measures of adherence (P < 0.001), and predictive validity was supported by significant associations between SOC for medication adherence and electronically monitored medication-taking behavior during the next 30 days (P < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Behavior-change theory suggests that stage-tailored communication strategies are more effective than uniform health-promotion messages. Our results provide a foundation for the development of interventions for medication adherence that are tailored to patients' readiness for change. Our validated 2-item measure of SOC for medication adherence can be used to match communication strategies to individual motivation and readiness for adherence with chronic disease medication regimens.

Acceptability of a stage-matched expert system intervention to increase condom use among women at high risk of HIV infection in New York City.

There is an urgent need to develop and implement effective methods for sexual behavior change to curb the spread of HIV. Condoms remain one of the most effective strategies for achieving this, yet consistent condom use is generally low, especially among those at highest risk. This article describes the acceptability of an interactive computer-based expert system designed to increase condom use in women at high risk of HIV infection. The expert system is based on the transtheoretical stages of change model. Using a computer, participants respond to questions about their attitudes and behavior toward using condoms and receive immediate feedback which is matched to their readiness to use condoms. The women were found to be at all stages of change for condom use, although a large proportion of the women (42%) were at early stages of behavior change because they were considering but not using condoms every time during sex with men. The expert system was found to be acceptable to this high-risk group of women. They almost unanimously agreed that they found the feedback useful, would return to use the system again, and would recommend it to a friend. These findings indicate that traditional intervention strategies which assume individuals are ready to use condoms consistently would be appropriate for only about one third of these women, underscoring the importance and potential utility of stage-matched interventions.

PIP: Condoms remain one of the most effective strategies for achieving sexual behavior change to curb the spread of HIV; yet consistent condom use is generally low, especially among those at highest risk. This article describes the acceptability of an interactive computer-based expert system designed to increase condom use in women at high risk of HIV infection in New York City. The expert system is based on the transtheoretical stages of change model. Using a computer, participants respond to questions about their attitudes and behavior concerning using condoms and receive immediate feedback, which is matched to their readiness to use condoms. The women were found to be at all stages of change for condom use, although a large proportion of the women (42%) were at early stages of behavior change because they were considering but not using condoms every time they have sex with men. The expert system was found to be acceptable to this high-risk group of women. They almost unanimously agreed that they found the feedback useful, would return to use the system again, and would recommend it to a friend. The findings indicate that traditional intervention strategies, which assume individuals are ready to use condoms consistently, would be appropriate for only about one-third of these women, underscoring the importance and potential utility of stage-matched interventions.

Sun protection behaviors and stages of change for the primary prevention of skin cancers among beachgoers in southeastern New England.

Sun exposure is the most important avoidable cause of skin cancers. We report characteristics of a representative sample (N = 2,324) of beachgoers in Southeastern New England during the summer of 1995. This sample was not employing adequate sun protection behaviors (83% did not often avoid the sun during midday and only 45% often used sunscreen). Important demographic and skin cancer risk factor differences in sun protective behaviors and stages of change for sun protection were found, especially differences based on age, gender, and degree of sun sensitivity. Consistent with previous research, increased age, female gender, and greater sun sensitivity were each independently associated with more sun protective behaviors. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting high-risk populations, such as those receiving high-intensity sun exposures at the beach.

Longitudinal changes in stages of change for condom use in women.

PURPOSE: This study identifies how women naturally progress through the Transtheoretical Model stages of condom use over a 1 year period, using the longitudinal dynamic methodology of latent transition analysis (LTA). DESIGN: As part of a larger study of human immunodeficiency virus risk in women, participants were assessed for their stage of condom use two times, 1 year apart. SUBJECTS: A total of 491 women who completed both assessments of the study were included in this analysis. MEASURES: Stage of condom use was assessed using two questions, which placed women into one of five stages of change for condom use (alpha = .90). RESULTS: Latent transition analysis identified the best-fitting model of naturalistic stage progression, which included both forward and backward movement. Precontemplation and maintenance were found to be the most stable stages (more than 50% of the participants remaining in that stage 1 year later), and the action stage was the least stable (15% remaining in this stage). Transition probabilities for all stages showed a high rate of relapse in the sample. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of women will remain within their stage of condom use over a 1-year period if no intervention is introduced. Interventions that are aimed at increasing condom use in women need to incorporate relapse prevention. In addition, the transition probabilities for the stages will help establish reasonable rates of change for intervention programs.

The effects of welding parameters on ultra-violet light emissions, ozone and CrVI formation in MIG welding.

This paper describes the relationships between ultra-violet emission, ozone generation and CrVI production in MIG welding which were measured as a function of shield gas flow rate, welding voltage, electrode stick-out and shield gas composition using an automatic welding rig that permitted MIG welding under reproducible conditions. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the physico-chemical processes occurring in the micro- and macro-environments of the arc as part of research into process modification to reduce occupational exposure to ozone and CrVI production rates in MIG welding. We believe the techniques described here, and in particular the use of what we have termed u.v.-ozone measurements, will prove useful in further study of ozone generation and CrVI formation and may be applied in the investigation of engineering control of occupational exposure in MIG and other welding process such as Manual Metal Arc (MMA) and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG).

Preventing skin cancer through behavior change. Implications for interventions.

Sun exposure is the only major causative factor for skin cancer for which prevention is feasible. Both individual and community-based interventions have been effective in changing sun exposure knowledge and attitudes but generally have not been effective in changing behaviors. An integrative model of behavior change is described that has been successful in changing behavior across a wide range of health conditions. This model holds promise for developing a rational public health approach to skin cancer prevention based on sound behavioral science.

The transtheoretical model of change and HIV prevention: a review.

The transtheoretical model of health behavior change is described and supporting empirical work is presented that reviews the central constructs of the model: the stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance, confidence, and temptation. Model-based applications to a broad range of problem behaviors are summarized. Applications to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention behavior changes are highlighted for each variable. Finally, several questions about the area of sexual behavior change to reduce risk of HIV exposure are explored and future research ideas are described within the context of this model.

Stages of change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviors.

This integrative study investigated the generalization of the transtheoretical model across 12 problem behaviors. The cross-sectional comparisons involved relationships between two key constructs of the model, the stages of change and decisional balance. The behaviors studied were smoking cessation, quitting cocaine, weight control, high-fat diets, adolescent delinquent behaviors, safer sex, condom use, sunscreen use, radon gas exposure, exercise acquisition, mammography screening, and physicians' preventive practices with smokers. Clear commonalities were observed across the 12 areas, including both the internal structure of the measures and the pattern of changes in decisional balance across stages.

A time series investigation of three nicotine regulation models.

Time series data were collected twice daily for 62 days from 10 individuals on three variables related to smoking habit strength: number of cigarettes smoked, salivary cotinine, and carbon monoxide. The two purposes of this study were: (a) to evaluate which time series model(s) best fits each of the measures; and (b) to determine which model of nicotine regulation is consistent with the data. Three models of nicotine regulation were considered: (a) nicotine fixed effect; (b) nicotine regulation; and (c) multiple regulation. These models provide different predictions about the size and direction of the lag-one autocorrelation. Each measure was described in terms of one of a family of time series models represented mathematically as ARIMA (p, d, q). Models varied by individual, but a single model described the majority of subjects for all three variables. The clearest model identification was for the number of cigarettes smoked where an ARIMA (1, 0, 0) model with a moderate to strong negative dependency fit the majority of the subjects. This provided strong support for the multiple regulation model. An appendix provides a brief review of time series methodology.

Body dysmorphic disorder: implications for its validity as a DSM-III-R clinical syndrome.

A sample of 258 college students responded to three items in Likert-format designed by the authors to elicit information relating directly to the three criteria for body-dysmorphic disorder described in DSM-III-R (1987). 70% of the participants endorsed some agreement with an item regarding dissatisfaction with some aspect(s) of their bodies. 46% indicated some preoccupation with this aspect of their appearance, and 48% indicated some exaggeration of their perceived body image. Sex differences were significant on all three items. 28% of the sample endorsed all three of the items taken together. These results raise questions about the utility of a diagnosis which, as it is currently defined, could conceivably apply to a large percentage of the population and which disproportionately targets women.

Manifest anxiety: a cluster analytic study.

Subjects in graduate classes voluntarily completed the Manifest Anxiety Scale. A cluster analysis assessed the internal structure of the scale. Three clusters presented as the most parsimonious and meaningful solution given the data: Cluster I, a generalized anxiety cluster including 60% of the items; Cluster II, physiological concomitants of anxiety; and Cluster III, a worry-tension component. The solution is discussed in relation to prior work on both the scale and anxiety, in general.

A factor analytic study of manifest anxiety: a transsituational, transtemporal investigation.

In this study, we investigated the factorial structure of the Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS) among American, counseling graduate students (N = 227). The MAS was administered across transsituational and transtemporal conditions. The following four factors were yielded following orthogonal rotation: General Worries, Physiological Correlates of Anxiety, Distractibility, and Embarrassment. These four factors, however, explained less than one quarter of the common variance extracted. Following a comparison with previous factor analytic studies of the MAS, we discuss factors possibly contributing to the discrepant findings, with particular attention to the MAS's item content and psychometric properties and the nature of the population used.

Modulation of the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase by calmodulin, S-100 protein, parvalbumin and troponin.

The activity of the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (A-PK), utilizing type II-S, III-S histone or protamine (free base) as a substrate, was augmented in the presence of regulatory protein including calmodulin, S-100 protein, parvalbumin, or troponin. However, inhibition by calmodulin or S-100 but stimulation by parvalbumin or troponin on this A-PK subunit was observed when II-S histone was replaced by V-S, VI-S, VII-S, or VIII-S histone. In addition, the stimulatory effect of calmodulin or S-100 on this A-PK subunit utilizing III-S histone was greatly diminished when half the dose of III-S was replaced by other histones in a bi-mixed form.