Effect of Wetting and Dewetting Dynamics on Atomic Force Microscopy Measurements.

Water bridge dynamics between an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and a flat substrate is studied by using a multibody dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) model. First, the numerical model is validated by comparing the present results of droplet contact angles and liquid bridges with those reported in the literature. Then, the ability of MDPD to capture the meniscus shape and behavior for different operating conditions and geometric parameters is examined for both static and dynamic cases. Hence, several parametric studies and analyses of the AFM tip configuration and its operating conditions are reported. It is found that a critical capillary number of about 0.001 is calculated based on 5% change on the force measurements between the static and dynamic results. It is also demonstrated that the hysteresis behavior in the capillary force exerted on the AFM tip can be successfully predicted by using the MDPD model when the tip approaches or retracts from the substrate. Moreover, there is an excellent agreement in the results of breakup distance for different water bridge volumes between the predictions of the MDPD model and the theory. Also, the hysteresis of capillary force exerted on an AFM tip composed of multibody design is studied. The prediction on the transition of the capillary force vs distance between the AFM tip and the substrate is in good agreement with the experimental results. Therefore, we demonstrate a validated MDPD model which can successfully capture liquid bridge dynamics. This model can be used as a powerful design tool for meniscus manipulation technology, such as dip-pen nanolithography, as well as for studying dynamic, e.g., tapping mode AFM tip, interactions with a liquid bridge.

Cardiac renin-angiotensin system (gene expression) and plasma angiotensin II in chickens with T3-induced pulmonary hypertension.

The relative expression of renin, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) was performed using quantitative real-time PCR on tissue from the heart ventricles to investigate the effect of 3,5,3'-l-triiodothyronine (T3)-induced pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) in broiler chickens at 12 and 42 d of age. Plasma angiotensin II was also measured using enzyme immunoassay at 12, 21, 28, 32 and 42 d. Renin transcript in the right ventricle of the treated group was significantly increased at 12 d and decreased at 42 d of age compared to controls. ACE transcript in the left ventricle of the treated group was significantly increased at 42 d of age compared to controls. In the right ventricle, the expression of this gene was significantly increased at 12 d while decreased at 42 d of age in the treated group compared to control. AT1R transcript in the right ventricle of the treated group was significantly increased at 12 and 42 d of age compared to control. In the left ventricle of the treated group, the transcript of this gene was only higher at 12 d of age than control. Plasma angiotensin II was significantly increased in pulmonary hypertensive chickens at 28 d of age compared to control. It is concluded that gene expression of renin, ACE and AT1R was relatively upregulated in the heart of chickens developing pulmonary hypertension. The right ventricle of hearts from pulmonary hypertensive chickens showed considerable reductions of renin/ACE and elevation of AT1R which may provide evidence of diminished responsiveness of the renin-angiotensin system.

The First Occurrence of Hepatitis-Hydropericardium Syndrome in Iran and Effective Applied Control Measures in the Affected Commercial Broiler Flock.

Fowl adenoviruses cause three economically important diseases in broiler chicken flocks: hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), and adenoviral gizzard erosion. IBH has not been considered a serious threat in northeast Iran since the last decade, because no major effect on flock performance has been noticed along with a low mortality rate. During this period, all the sporadic IBH outbreaks have also been investigated for HHS without finding any confirmed case. In March 2021, a 15-day-old commercial broiler flock in northeast Iran showed a 50% mortality rate, and birds underwent postmortem examination, histopathology, molecular testing, and phylogenetic analysis for possible disease agents. Typical gross lesions of HHS were observed postmortem that included hydropericardium with an unusual accumulation of jelly-like and straw-colored fluid in the pericardial sac (without right ventricular failure); petechial or ecchymotic hemorrhages on the myocardium, myocardial valves, and endocardium; and discolored and mottled liver along with small white foci and petechial or ecchymotic hemorrhages. Histopathologic analysis showed necrosis of hepatocytes and basophilic inclusion bodies in the livers. The molecular tests performed for detection of fowl adenovirus (FAdV), H5 avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus, avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), H9N2, chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV), infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus, Marek's disease virus, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Mycoplasma synoviae turned out positive for FAdV, CIAV, IBD vaccine virus, and IBV serotypes 793B and variant I. The phylogenetic tree based on the hexon gene loop 1 demonstrated a FAdV serotype 4 (FAdV-4) that was identical to Pakistani isolate PARC-1/98. Because it was the first detection of a FAdV-4 in Iran, the stamping out program was applied immediately on the basis of HHS gross lesions and positive PCR reaction on pericardial jelly-like fluid. It seems that this eradication strategy was successful because no outbreaks were noticed for 2 mo after the initial outbreak. It was concluded that the use of gross pathologic baselines, quick diagnosis of disease, and close collaboration between governmental and private sectors were the critical factors that helped locally control the first occurrence of HHS in Iran.

Reporte de caso- Primera presentación del síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio (HHS) en Irán y medidas efectivas de control aplicadas en la parvada comercial de pollos de engorde afectada. Los adenovirus del pollo causan tres enfermedades económicamente importantes en las parvadas de pollos de engorde: síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio (HHS), hepatitis con cuerpos de inclusión (IBH) y erosión de la molleja por adenovirus. La hepatitis con cuerpos de inclusión no se ha considerado una amenaza grave en el noreste de Irán desde la última década, porque no se ha observado un efecto importante en el rendimiento de la parvada junto con una baja tasa de mortalidad. Durante este período, todos los brotes esporádicos de hepatitis con cuerpos de inclusión también han sido analizados para el síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio sin encontrar ningún caso confirmado. En marzo del 2021, una parvada comercial de pollos de engorde de 15 días de edad en el noreste de Irán mostró una tasa de mortalidad del 50 % y las aves se sometieron a un examen post mortem, histopatología, pruebas moleculares y análisis filogenético para detectar posibles agentes patógenos. Se observaron lesiones macroscópicas post mortem típicas del síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio que incluían hidropericardio con una acumulación inusual de líquido gelatinoso y de color pajizo en el saco pericárdico (sin insuficiencia ventricular derecha); hemorragias petequiales o equimóticas en el miocardio, válvulas miocárdicas y endocardio; e hígado decolorado y moteado junto con pequeños focos blancos y hemorragias petequiales o equimóticas. El análisis histopatológico mostró necrosis de hepatocitos y cuerpos de inclusión basófilos en los hígados. Se realizaron pruebas moleculares para la detección de adenovirus del pollo (FAdV), virus de la influenza aviar H5, virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle, virus de la bronquitis infecciosa aviar, virus de influenza tipo H9N2, virus de la anemia infecciosa de los pollos, virus de la enfermedad infecciosa de la bolsa, virus de la enfermedad de Marek, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, Mycoplasma gallisepticum y Mycoplasma synoviae con resultados positivos para adenovirus del pollo, virus de la anemia infecciosa, virus vacunal de Gumboro y virus de la bronquitis infecciosa serotipos 793B y variante I. El árbol filogenético basado en la asa 1 del gene del hexon demostró la presencia del serotipo 4 del adenovirus del pollo (FAdV-4) que era idéntico al aislamiento pakistaní PARC-1/98. Debido a que fue la primera detección de un adenovirus de pollo serotipo 4 en Irán, el programa de despoblación sanitario se aplicó de inmediato sobre la base de lesiones macroscópicas del síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio y por reacción de PCR positiva en el líquido pericárdico gelatinoso. Parece que esta estrategia de erradicación tuvo éxito porque no se notaron brotes durante dos meses después del brote inicial. Se concluyó que el uso de líneas base de patología macroscópica, el diagnóstico rápido de la enfermedad y la estrecha colaboración entre los sectores gubernamental y privado fueron los factores críticos que ayudaron a controlar localmente la primera presentación del síndrome de hepatitis-hidropericardio en Irán.Key words: hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome, FAdV-4, control measures, Iran.

A histological study of pulp reaction to various water/powder ratios of white mineral trioxide aggregate as pulp-capping material in human teeth: a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To compare the histological pulp reaction to various water/powder ratios of white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as a pulp-capping material in healthy human teeth. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-nine disease-free maxillary and mandibular third molar teeth, scheduled for extraction, were exposed mechanically and then capped with 0.28, 0.33 and 0.40 water/powder ratios of white MTA (ProRoot; Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and restored with glass ionomer. After 30 days, the teeth were extracted, resected apically and immersed in 10% formalin. For histological processing, the teeth were sectioned buccolingually in 5-µm-thick slices, stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin and evaluated by a light microscope. Samples were evaluated for intensity and type of inflammation, presence of necrosis, as well as continuity, morphology and thickness of calcified bridges. The data were analysed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the diameter, morphology and continuity of the calcified bridges, intensity and type of inflammation or presence of necrosis (P > 0.05) in the pulps covered by MTA with various water/powder ratios. Two teeth failed to display a calcified bridge, and one had a pulp necrosis. CONCLUSION: Water-to-powder ratios of MTA had no significant influence on the histological outcome of direct pulp capping on healthy pulps.

Clinical measures of obesity and cumulative cardiometabolic risk in adolescents.

Obesity tracks from childhood to adulthood most strongly of all cardiometabolic risk factors. To determine relationship of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with cardiometabolic risk (dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and elevated blood pressure) in a large U.S. population ages 12-19 and demographic subgroups. Pooled 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data were analyzed (N = 23 438). In addition to standard cutoffs of BMI and WC, risk levels were identified for each laboratory variable: HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol (category = lipids); fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin (category = glucose); systolic/diastolic pressures (category =blood pressure). Within each category, being high-risk on any of the variables was high-risk; being borderline-risk on any, without being high-risk on any, was borderline-risk. Obesity severity was strongly associated with increased cardiometabolic risk, with prevalence of borderline-risk greater than high-risk. Anthropometric indicators in males and Hispanics, versus females and Whites/Blacks, respectively, had stronger associations with cardiometabolic risks. BMI and WC performed well for identifying adolescents with at least one borderline-risk or high-risk level measure for lipids, glucose and blood pressure; relationship strength varying by gender and race/ethnicity. Thus, to prevent or better manage clinical diseases of adolescents with elevated BMI and/or WC, all recommended laboratory tests are warranted.

Muscle synergy analysis in transtibial amputee during ramp ascending activity.

In developed countries, the highest number of amputees are elderly with transtibial amputation. Walking on inclined surfaces is difficult for amputees due to loss of muscle volume and strength thereby transtibial amputees (TA) rely on the intact limb to maintain stability. The aim of this study was to use the concatenated non-negative matrix factorization (CNMF) technique to calculate muscle synergy components and compare the difference in muscle synergies and their associated activation profiles in the healthy and amputee groups during ramp ascending (RA) activity. Healthy subjects' dominant leg and amputee's intact leg (IL) were considered for recording surface electromyography (sEMG). The muscle synergies comparison showed a reasonable correlation between the healthy and amputee groups. This suggests the central nervous system (CNS) activates the same group of muscles synergistically. However, the activation coefficient profile (C) results indicated statistically significant difference (p <; 0.05) in some parts of the gait cycle (GC) in healthy and amputee groups. The difference exhibited in activation profiles of amputee's IL could be due to the instability of the prosthetic leg during the GC which resulted in alteration of the IL muscles activations. This information will be useful in rehabilitation and in the future development of prosthetic devices by using the IL muscles information to control the prostheses.

Alternate forms of HIV prevention attitude scales for teenagers.

The purpose of this study was to develop valid, alternate-form scales to measure teenagers' attitudes toward prevention of the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Using a three-component attitude model, a two-way table of specifications was constructed as a theoretical framework for generating attitudinal items relevant to HIV and HIV prevention. Thus, a large pool of Likert-type items was generated, reviewed for clarity and content validity, and prepared for the preliminary scale with 50 items. The scale was administered to 210 high school students. As a result of extensive analyses, two alternate forms with 15 items each were developed. The two forms were simultaneously administered to a sample of 600 high school students. The collected data were subjected to item analyses, factor analysis, and reliability estimation. The results of the analyses provided strong evidence of internal consistency, content validity, and comparability of both forms. The alternate reliability across the form was .82. The alpha reliability coefficients for forms A and B was .78 and .77 and the split-half .76 and .69, respectively. It is concluded that these alternate forms produce valid, reliable, and comparable results for measuring teenagers' attitudes toward HIV prevention. These forms are ideal for pretest/posttest designs used for evaluating educational approaches to HIV control.

Genetic parameter estimates for postweaning traits of beef cattle in a stressful environment.

Postweaning growth data, collected from a Hereford herd located in the Southwest, were used to estimate genetic parameters for weights and gains. The herd was maintained on unsupplemented range forage, and average weight losses from weaning to yearling age were 9% for bulls and 12% for heifers. Data were grouped into years with poor and good environments based on contemporary group means for gain from 8 to 12 mo. Postweaning growth data (12- and 20-mo weights, 8- to 12-mo gain and 12- to 20-mo gain) were analyzed by least squares methods with a model that included year of birth, sire within year of birth, age of dam and a covariate of age for 12- and 20-mo weights. Heritability estimates of 12- and 20-mo weights for bulls were .58 +/- .15 and .55 +/- .22 in good environments vs .32 +/- .11 and 1.09 +/- .15 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .19 +/- .08 and .35 +/- .12 in good environments vs .38 +/- .07 and .47 +/- .09 in poor environments. Heritability estimates of 8- to 12-mo and 12- to 20-mo gain for bulls were .32 +/- .14 and .51 +/- .24 in good environments vs .16 +/- .11 and .09 +/- .14 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .21 +/- .08 and .14 +/- .10 in good environments vs .10 +/- .06 and .44 +/- .10 in poor environments. Genetic correlations among the preweaning traits of birth and weaning weight and postweaning weight traits were positive and of a moderate to large magnitude, with the exception of birth and 12-mo weight in a poor environment (-.06 +/- .49). Genetic correlations between 8- to 12-mo gain and birth weight in poor environment and weaning weight in all environments were negative (range from -.06 +/- .33 to -.53 +/- .41). Genetic correlations among 12- and 20-mo weights were large and positive in all environments. Relationships among gains were more variable.

Genetic parameter estimates for preweaning traits of beef cattle in a stressful environment.

Data collected from 1957 through 1985 from a Hereford herd located in the Southwest were analyzed separately for each sex to evaluate the heritabilities of and genetic correlations among preweaning growth traits within groups of environmentally similar years. Data were grouped into years with poor, moderate and good environments based on contemporary group means for male calves' weaning weight. A total of 7,690 records were analyzed for birth weight, weaning weight and preweaning daily gain with a model that included year of birth, sire within year of birth, age of dam and a covariate of day of birth for birth weight or age at weaning for the weaning traits. Year of birth was a significant source of variation in all environments for all traits, accounting for more of the variation in the good and poor years than in moderate years. Heritability estimates for all traits were greater in good and moderate years than in poor years for bull calves. For heifers, however, estimates for weaning weight and preweaning daily gain were greater in the poor environment. Genetic correlations among birth weight and preweaning gain increased from the good environment to the poor environment (-.49 +/- .26 to .82 +/- .56 for male calves and -.09 +/- 2.6 to .46 +/- .25 for female calves) but phenotypic correlations were near zero in all environments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Relationships among udder shape, udder capacity, cow longevity and calf weights.

Udder capacity and udder shape were scored on 3- to 10-yr-old cows from a large Hereford herd. Udder capacity was scored from 1 (small) and 5 (large) and udder shape was scored from 1 (balanced, udder level with ground) to 5 (unbalanced, funnel-shaped udder). Data were analyzed within age of cow for udder capacity scores from 1 to 4 and for udder shape scores from 1 to 3 because of the limited number of observations in other categories. Year of birth of cow was a significant source of variation in both udder capacity and udder shape. Days in lactation (ranging from 81 +/- 23 d in 3-yr-old cows to 71 +/- 25 d in 4-yr-old cows) was an important source of variation for udder capacity; as lactation progressed udder capacity score declined. Body condition of the cow was an important source of variation for udder capacity in 3- and 4-yr-old cows; cows with more external body condition had larger udder capacity scores. The heritability estimates of udder capacity and udder shape for 3-yr-old cows were .12 +/- .14 and .15 +/- .16, respectively; the repeatability estimates of scores over years were .14 +/- .02 and .16 +/- .03, respectively. Residual correlations between udder capacity and udder shape were low, ranging from -.10 in 3-yr-old cows to .10 in 6-yr-old cows. Neither udder characteristic affected the number of years a cow remained in the herd, but cows with unbalanced udders had more udder defects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Health attitude scale construction: importance of psychometric evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To identify 18 steps to 3-component attitude scale construction. METHODS: Examples are provided to illustrate each step. RESULTS: The presentation primarily focused on specific steps in constructing meaningful health attitude scales. Further, the importance and concept of various forms of realibilty and validity are provided. Special attention is given to factors affectiving psychometric evidence. CONCLUSIONS: In order to meaningfully measure health related attitudes, researchers and evaluators should consider following the steps outline in the presentation.

An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers: a short form.

Lack of valid measurement remains a major obstacle in research and evaluation of health education programs. An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers developed by the author was found to be a valid tool for researchers. However, because of the length of the scale, it was not a feasible device for practitioners in health education. In this study, a shorter form of the scale was developed. An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers, composed of 54 Likert-type items, was reduced to produce a short form. Stepwise discriminant function analysis of the data identified 19 items that were the greatest discriminators between heavy drinking and nondrinking teen-agers. For the purpose of cross-validation, the short form of 19 items was administered to a representative sample of more than 1,250 teen-agers in several midwest school districts. The collected data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods for providing evidence of validity and reliability of the short form. Results demonstrated highly significant levels of internal consistency and discriminating power of items and the total scale. The short form of the attitude scale for teen-agers was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for use as an alternative to the longer alcohol attitude scale from which it was derived.

Factors affecting reliability coefficients of health attitude scales.

This study determined the minimum number of health attitude items and minimum sample size required to achieve maximum scale reliability coefficients, using different methods of estimating reliability. A 54-item alcohol attitude scale was administered to 700 participants. The scale produced .96 and .91 reliability coefficients, using the Cronbach Alpha (CA) and the Split-half (S-B) methods, respectively. A computer program randomly selected groups of participants and items from the pool of participants and items using different increments. A matrix of coefficients of reliability for both methods was calculated for different groups of items and sample size. To replicate the study, a 30-item cancer attitude scale was administered to more than 1,000 representative participants and produced reliability coefficients of .94 (using CA) and .82 (using S-B). The same computer and statistical procedures were repeated for the second data set. Results from both analyses consistently demonstrated that sample size has an insignificant effect on the coefficient values of reliability. Reliability increased as the number of items reached 18. Adding more items only negligibly increased the coefficients. Overall, the CA method consistently produced higher coefficient values of reliability compared to the S-B method.

An alcohol attitude scale for teen-agers.

A scale was designed to measure the affective, cognitive, and conative components of teen-agers' attitudes toward the use of alcohol. Data collected from a representative sample of about 700 Indiana high school students were subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to evaluate scale performance and validity. Findings demonstrated that internal and external criteria were met at highly significant levels. Factor analysis identified four factors that describe the dimensionality of teen-agers' alcohol attitudes. Findings of discriminant function analysis of the data supported the results of univariate analyses and revealed one significant function that differentiated between drinker and nondrinker groups in terms of attitudes. The scale was a valid instrument for obtaining measures having dependable inferential value and was useful in analyzing teen-agers' attitudes toward alcohol use.

HIV/AIDS education in Indiana public schools, grades 7-12.

Indiana secondary school principals were surveyed regarding HIV/AIDS education status in their schools. A questionnaire from the Centers for Disease Control was evaluated then modified for the survey. More than 520 school principals responded to the questionnaire mailed to all 680 school principals, grades 7-12, in Indiana. Most schools offer some form of HIV/AIDS education in grades 7-12. HIV education was taught by teachers with different educational backgrounds and school roles. Almost 60% of school principals believe students are at risk for HIV infection. Tests of statistical significance were conducted with regard to principals' opinions and actual practice of HIV/AIDS education in schools. Most schools have responded to the need for HIV/AIDS education, but with a variety of formats, teaching personnel, and teacher training.

Cross-cultural validation of a three component alcohol attitude scale.

Attitudes and their measurement constitute important aspects of the study of human behavior regarding the use and abuse of alcoholic beverages. A Three Component Alcohol Attitude Scale was developed to measure three attitude components separately and in total. This study validated the scale utilizing a cross-cultural approach. Hypotheses were formulated on the assumption that, if the scale was valid, all 54 items in each of the instrument's three components, as well as the total scale, would discriminate significantly between a sample of US university students and their Egyptian counterparts in terms of their attitudes toward alcohol use and abuse. The scale was translated into Arabic, the English and Arabic scales then were administered to a sample of 400 university students at two comparable major universities in the US and Egypt. The data were subjected to Pearson's correlation, t-test, stepwise discriminate analysis, split-half, and Cronbach (alpha) reliability. Forty-nine of 54 items, each of the three components, and the total instrument discriminated significantly between US students and their Egyptian counterparts, confirming the previous validation of the scale.

A three component alcohol attitude scale.

A summated rating scale of the Likert-type was constructed to measure college students' attitudes toward alcohol use and abuse. Using a three-component approach, a table of specifications for the instrument was developed to include three subscales to measure feeling, belief and intention to act. Comparable emphasis in each subscale was given to drinking behavior, results of drinking and social perspectives. After extensive item development, two experimental forms were administered to a sample of undergraduate college students to gather evidence of item function and validity. Statistical analysis produced a pool of items meeting criteria for internal consistency and discrimination power. According to the table of specifications, 54 items were selected to provide 18 conceptually comparable items for each subscale in the final instrument. The scale was then administered to a sample of 880 undergraduate students at three large, midwestern universities. The data were analyzed statistically to test nine hypotheses concerning validity and performance of the scale. Results demonstrated highly significant levels of internal consistency and discriminating power of items, the subscales and the total scale. The three-component approach was found to be an appropriate, effective technique for measuring attitudes toward health-related behavior.

Cigarette smoking as a predictor of alcohol and other drug use by children and adolescents: evidence of the "gateway drug effect".

Data from a statewide survey, conducted by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, of 20,629 Indiana students in grades 5-12 were analyzed to determine the extent to which cigarette smoking predicted use of alcohol and other drugs and acted as a so-called "gateway drug." A three-stage purposive/quota cluster sampling strategy yielded a representative sample of Indiana students, stratified by grade. Cross-tabulated data revealed a strong, dose-dependent relationship between smoking behavior and binge drinking, as well as use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Daily pack-a-day smokers were three times more likely to drink alcohol, seven times more likely to use smokeless tobacco, and 10-30 times more likely to use illicit drugs than nonsmokers. A stepwise multiple regression analyzed the role that the student's perceptions of the risk of using drugs and of peer approval/disapproval of the student's drug use, gender, grade in school, and ethnic background played in predicting alcohol and other drug use.

The 1993 ASHA membership survey: members speak up.

Professional organizations, to better serve their members, must strive to communicate regularly with the membership at large and to learn about members' needs, interests, and personal and professional status. The membership survey of the American School Health Association was sent to a stratified random sample of 500 members. A 68% response rate was achieved after a presurvey announcement and two follow-up mailings. Collected data was subjected to descriptive analysis and the chi-square test of significance. Survey findings indicated most ASHA members are satisfied with the overall operation and services of the Association. Data revealed satisfaction with overall quality, format, content, and appearance of the Journal of School Health. The ASHA national school health conference, The PULSE, and other ASHA publications also received strong approval. One-half the respondents reported they are required to earn continuing education credit. More than two-thirds of respondents had never attended a national conference. Overall ratings of various ASHA functions were statistically related to age, gender, income level, educational background, and primary discipline.

Evaluation of American Cancer Society elementary school public education programs.

A comprehensive evaluation of two American Cancer Society (ACS) curriculum programs, An Early Start to Good Health (grades K-3) and Health Network (grades four-six), was conducted to assess the impact of the materials on student health knowledge, attitude, and behavior and to determine procedures and practices employed by teachers in utilizing the materials. The materials were tested with 26 classroom teachers and 660 children in grades K-6, and the material utilization practices of an additional 356 teachers in 27 schools were examined. Findings from the evaluation suggest that the two programs are effective in promoting child health education, but questions were raised concerning the ACS requirements for teacher training and the Usage Report Card system of documentation.