Showing papers by "University of Alabama published in 1998"

On the Growth of Highly Ordered Pores in Anodized Aluminum Oxide

Abstract: It is now established that hexagonally ordered domain structures can be formed in anodic alumina films by repeated anodization and stripping of the porous oxide. We find that the domain size is a linear function of time and increases with temperature. The pore density is initially high but decreases with anodizing time, as dominant pores deepen. Very small pores exist in native oxide in air or nucleate after electropolishing. Pore growth may start when the electric field increases at the pore bottoms, and acid dissolves the oxide locally.

The Role-Based Performance Scale: Validity Analysis of A Theory-Based Measure

Abstract: This study introduces a theory-based measure of employee performance, the Role-Based Performance Scale (RBPS), that is supported with results from a validation study using ten data sets from six co

A Dose-Dependent Increase in Mortality with Vesnarinone among Patients with Severe Heart Failure

Abstract: Background Vesnarinone, an inotropic drug, was shown in a short-term placebo-controlled trial to improve survival markedly in patients with severe heart failure when given at a dose of 60 mg per day, but there was a trend toward an adverse effect on survival when the dose was 120 mg per day. In a longer-term study, we evaluated the effects of daily doses of 60 mg or 30 mg of vesnarinone, as compared with placebo, on mortality and morbidity. Methods We enrolled 3833 patients who had symptoms of New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 30 percent or less despite optimal treatment. The mean follow-up was 286 days. Results There were significantly fewer deaths in the placebo group (242 deaths, or 18.9 percent) than in the 60-mg vesnarinone group (292 deaths, or 22.9 percent) and longer survival (P=0.02). The increase in mortality with vesnarinone was attributed to an increase in sudden death, presumed to be due to arrhythmia. The quality of life had ...

Low-dose aspirin to prevent preeclampsia in women at high risk

Abstract: Background Whether low-dose aspirin prevents preeclampsia is unclear. It is not recommended as prophylaxis in women at low risk for preeclampsia but may reduce the incidence of the disease in women at high risk. Methods We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in four groups of pregnant women at high risk for preeclampsia, including 471 women with pregestational insulin-treated diabetes mellitus, 774 women with chronic hypertension, 688 women with multifetal gestations, and 606 women who had had preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy. The women were enrolled between gestational weeks 13 and 26 and received either 60 mg of aspirin or placebo daily. Results Outcome data were obtained on all but 36 of the 2539 women who entered the study. The incidence of preeclampsia was similar in the 1254 women in the aspirin group and the 1249 women in the placebo group (aspirin, 18 percent; placebo, 20 percent; P = 0.23). The incidences in the aspirin and placebo groups for each of the four hi...

The preterm prediction study: the value of new vs standard risk factors in predicting early and all spontaneous preterm births. NICHD MFMU Network.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between fetal fibronectin, short cervix, bacterial vaginosis, other traditional risk factors, and spontaneous preterm birth. METHODS: From 1992 through 1994, 2929 women were screened at the gestational age 22 to 24 weeks. RESULTS: The odds ratios for spontaneous preterm birth were highest for fetal fibronectin, followed by a short cervix and history of preterm birth. These factors, as well as bacterial vaginosis, were more strongly associated with early than with late spontaneous preterm birth. Bacterial vaginosis was more common--and a stronger predictor of spontaneous preterm birth--in Black women, while body mass index less than 19.8 was a stronger predictor in non-Black women. This analysis suggests a pathway leading from Black race through bacterial vaginosis and fetal fibronectin to spontaneous preterm birth. Prior preterm birth is associated with spontaneous preterm birth through a short cervix. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal fibronectin and a...

Risk Factors for Preeclampsia, Abruptio Placentae, and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes among Women with Chronic Hypertension

Abstract: Background Women with chronic hypertension who become pregnant have an increased risk of preeclampsia and adverse neonatal outcomes. However, within this group, the risk factors for these adverse events are not known. Methods We analyzed data on outcomes for 763 women with chronic hypertension enrolled in a multicenter trial of low-dose aspirin for the prevention of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia was defined as new-onset proteinuria (urinary protein excretion, ≥300 mg per 24 hours) in the 682 women without proteinuria at base line. It was defined according to strict clinical criteria in the 81 women who had proteinuria at base line. The end points were maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results Among the 763 women, 193 (25 percent) had preeclampsia. The frequency of preeclampsia was not affected by the presence of proteinuria at base line (27 percent among women with proteinuria, vs. 25 percent among those without it), but it was greater in women who had had hypertension for at least four years (31 percent vs. 2...

Identifying the content area for the 51-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire: results from focus groups with visually impaired persons.

Abstract: Objective To identify the content area for a questionnaire designed to measure vision-targeted health-related quality of life and to determine whether problems with vision-related functioning are qualitatively similar across different common eye diseases. Design Twenty-six condition-specific focus groups were conducted with 246 patients from 5 geographic regions to identify the content area for a questionnaire for use among persons with diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cytomegalovirus retinitis, and cataract. A standard protocol was used to structure each focus group discussion. Sessions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded in preparation for a content analysis. Settings Five university-based ophthalmology practices and 1 nonprofit eye care foundation. Participants Eligible participants had to have 1 of the following eye conditions: age-related cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, primary open angle glaucoma, cytomegalovirus retinitis, or low vision from any cause. All eligible persons were older than 21 years, spoke English, and had sufficient cognitive function to provide informed consent. Results Among the 246 participants, 2623 problems with vision-related functioning were mentioned. The mean number of problems per person ranged from 13.5 for those with diabetic retinopathy to 7.9 for persons with glaucoma. For the sample overall, reading problems were mentioned most frequently, followed by driving, general problems with seeing clearly, and mental health complaints caused by vision. Although the proportion of persons who reported each problem varied by condition, at least some persons with each eye disease reported each problem. The 3 most common descriptors associated with each problem were difficulty or ease of performance (13%), psychological distress associated with performance of the activity (11%), and complete inability to participate in a visual activity (11%). Conclusion An item-generation strategy for a new questionnaire using a standardized focus group method identified content areas and aspects of visual disability that are not included in currently available vision-specific instruments that assess the impact of common eye diseases on visual functioning in everyday life. Although participants mentioned problems that were unique to their disease, across conditions the problems mentioned were similar. These findings provide empirical evidence of content validity for a vision-targeted, health-related quality-of-life survey designed for use across conditions.

Partner influences and gender-related factors associated with noncondom use among young adult African American women.

Abstract: We examined the partner influences and gender-related correlates of noncondom use among African American women. The prevalence of noncondom use was 45.3%. Women whose sexual partners were noncondom users were four times more likely to believe that asking their partner to use a condom implied he was unfaithful, three times as likely to have a partner who resisted using condoms, three times more likely to receive AFDC, twice as likely to be sexually nonassertive, three times more likely to believe that it was not difficult to find an “eligible” African American man, and three times as likely to have had one sexual partner. HIV prevention tailored towards African American women should address these partner influences and gender-related factors.

The ecological correlates of right–wing extremism in Western Europe

Abstract: This study traces the evolution of right-wing extremism, conceptualized as latent electoral support for extreme right-wing parties (i.e., vote intention), in six Western European countries (i.e., Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Denmark, and Italy) between 1984 and 1993. Employing a pooled time-series cross-sectional research design, the author examines the relative strength of three popular explanations of contemporary right-wing extremism: the impact of economic conditions (unemployment and inflation), social developments (immigration), and political trends (public's dissatisfaction with the political regime). Evidence is presented in support of the last two explanations. Rising levels of immigration and public dissatisfaction with the political regime significantly facilitate right-wing extremism. Contrary to the initial hypothesis however, results suggest that a declining national economy (unemployment in particular) diminishes the electoral appeal of extreme right-wing parties.

Recovery of Humic-Reducing Bacteria from a Diversity of Environments

Abstract: To evaluate which microorganisms might be responsible for microbial reduction of humic substances in sedimentary environments, humic-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of sediment types. These included lake sediments, pristine and contaminated wetland sediments, and marine sediments. In each of the sediment types, all of the humic reducers recovered with acetate as the electron donor and the humic substance analog, 2,6-anthraquinone disulfonate (AQDS), as the electron acceptor were members of the family Geobacteraceae. This was true whether the AQDS-reducing bacteria were enriched prior to isolation on solid media or were recovered from the highest positive dilutions of sediments in liquid media. All of the isolates tested not only conserved energy to support growth from acetate oxidation coupled to AQDS reduction but also could oxidize acetate with highly purified soil humic acids as the sole electron acceptor. All of the isolates tested were also able to grow with Fe(III) serving as the sole electron acceptor. This is consistent with previous studies that have suggested that the capacity for Fe(III) reduction is a common feature of all members of the Geobacteraceae. These studies demonstrate that the potential for microbial humic substance reduction can be found in a wide variety of sediment types and suggest that Geobacteraceae species might be important humic-reducing organisms in sediments.

FDG-PET predictors of response to behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy in obsessive compulsive disorder

Abstract: In subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), lower pre-treatment metabolism in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus (AC) has been associated with a better response to clomipramine. We sought to determine pre-treatment metabolic predictors of response to behavioral therapy (BT) vs. pharmacotherapy in subjects with OCD. To do this, [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scans of the brain were obtained in subjects with OCD before treatment with either BT or fluoxetine. A Step-Wise Variable Selection was applied to normalized pre-treatment glucose metabolic rates in the OFC, AC, and caudate by treatment response (change in Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale) in the larger BT group. Left OFC metabolism (normalized to the ipsilateral hemisphere) alone was selected as predicting treatment response in the BT-treated group ( F =6.07, d.f.=1,17, P =0.025). Correlations between normalized left OFC metabolism and treatment response revealed that higher normalized metabolism in this region was associated with greater improvement in the BT-treated group (τ=0.35, P =0.04), but worse outcome (τ=−0.57, P =0.03) in the fluoxetine-treated group. These results suggest that subjects with differing patterns of metabolism preferentially respond to BT vs. medication.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in three ethnic groups: I. The effects of HLA class II, C4, and CR1 alleles, socioeconomic factors, and ethnicity at disease onset

Abstract: Objective To study the relative impact of immunogenetic versus socioeconomic factors on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at disease onset/presentation. Methods Medical records regarding SLE onset/presentation were abstracted on 229 SLE patients who were enrolled in a prospective lupus outcome study. Patients were grouped in equivalent proportions of Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics. HLA-DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 oligotyping, as well as C4 and CR1 allotyping, were carried out by standard methods. In addition to these genetic factors, data on ethnicity, age at SLE onset, monthly income, level of education, and home ownership were entered into stepwise logistic or stepwise multiple linear regression models as independent variables, and each specific clinical feature (neurologic, renal, and cardiovascular disease due to SLE), as well as the total Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM) score and physician's global assessment of disease activity at disease onset, were entered as dependent variables. Results HLA-DRB1*0301 (DR3), DRB1*1503 (DR2), and DRB1*08 (DR8) alleles were more frequently found in Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics, respectively. Hispanics were more likely to have cardiac and renal disease, as well as a higher physician's global assessment of disease activity. African Americans were more likely to have neurologic disease, renal disease, and a higher SLAM score. Those with less education had a higher SLAM score. Patients with HLA-DRB1*01 had less renal disease and a lower SLAM score. Those with C4A*3 alleles had a higher SLAM score and a higher physician's global assessment of disease activity. Conclusion Both genetic and socioeconomic determinants, as well as other factors associated with Hispanic and African-American ethnicity, affect the presentation of SLE.

Validity of DSM-IV subtypes of conduct disorder based on age of onset

Abstract: Objective To present data from the DSM-IV field trials that led to the distinction between subtypes of conduct disorder (CD) that emerge in childhood or adolescence. In addition, data from a household sample were used to attempt to cross-validate these findings. Method Differences between youths who met criteria for the two subtypes of CD were examined in the field trials sample of 440 youths aged 4 through 17 years and in a household sample of 1,285 youths aged 9 through 17 years. Results In both samples, there was a steep decline in aggression occurring around an age of onset of 10 years, but the number of nonaggressive behaviors was unrelated to the age of onset of CD. In the field trials sample, youths who met criteria for the adolescent-onset type were more likely to be girls, less likely to meet criteria for oppositional defiant disorder, and less likely to have a family history of antisocial behavior than the childhood-onset type, but these latter findings were not confirmed in the household sample. Conclusions The DSM-IV approach to subtyping CD distinguishes subgroups that differ markedly in level of physical aggression. The advantages of a developmental approach to subtyping are discussed. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1998, 37(4):435–442.

Causes and Reduction of Math Anxiety in Preservice Elementary Teachers

Abstract: This study analyzed the math anxiety levels of 53 elementary preservice teachers before and after a mathematics methods course. Additional information was gathered about factors that played a part in creating their math anxiety. Interviews were conducted with those showing the greatest math anxiety differences between pretest and posttest scores. The study showed that there was a significant reduction in the level of math anxiety at the end of the methods course. Factors causing the original anxiety centered around an emphasis on right answers, word problems, fear of making mistakes, timed tests, and confidence levels. Math anxiety levels were discussed with the preservice teachers at the end of the study. It is recommended that preservice teachers be made aware of their individual levels of math anxiety and learn ways of preventing their own negative dispositions toward mathematics from being transmitted to their future elementary students.

Functional results of primary closure vs flaps in oropharyngeal reconstruction: a prospective study of speech and swallowing.

Abstract: Background The preservation of speech and swallowing function is the primary goal when reconstructing soft tissue defects in the oral cavity or oropharynx. The type of reconstructive procedure used should be based on outcome data examining speech and swallowing function; yet, there is a paucity of such information. Objectives To present the results of a multi-institutional prospective study of speech and swallowing function before and after soft tissue reconstruction of the oral cavity and oropharynx, and to compare 3 methods of reconstruction with respect to speech and swallowing function: primary closure, distal myocutaneous flap, and microvascular free flap. Design Prospective case-comparison study. Setting Four leading head and neck cancer institutions. Patients The patients were selected from a database of 284 patients treated at the different institutions. The patients were matched for the location of the oral cavity or oropharyngeal defect and the percentage of oral tongue and tongue base resection. Those patients who had previous speech and swallowing deficits and patients in whom postoperative fistulas or wound infections developed were excluded from the study. Methods The patients underwent speech and swallowing evaluation preoperatively and 3 months after healing. This evaluation included videofluoroscopic studies of swallowing and tests of speech intelligibility and sentence articulation. Videofluoroscopy provided measures of swallowing efficiency and bolus movement. Liquid and paste consistencies were used in evaluating swallowing function. Main Outcome Measure The functional results of the reconstruction. Results Patients who had primary closure were more efficient at swallowing liquids, had less pharyngeal residue, a longer oral transit time with paste, and higher conversational intelligibility than patients who underwent reconstruction with a distal flap. Compared with patients who underwent reconstruction with a free flap, those who had primary closure had more efficient swallowing of liquids, less pharyngeal residue, and shorter pharyngeal delay times with paste. No difference in the speech and swallowing function existed between patients treated with distal myocutaneous flaps and those treated with microvascular free flaps. Conclusion Contrary to the current theory of oral and oropharyngeal reconstruction, we found that the use of primary closure resulted in equal or better function than the use of flap reconstruction in patients with a comparable locus of resection and percentage of oral tongue and tongue base resection.

Development and validation of the Impulse Buying Tendency Scale.

Abstract: Previous research suggests that individuals vary in their proclivity to purchase products on impulse. This paper presents the results of four studies (Study 1, n = 212; Study 2, n = 152; Study 3, n = 124; and Study 4, n = 550) designed to develop and validate the Impulse Buying Tendency Scale. Data from the first three studies indicate that the scale is unidimensional and internally consistent. The third study provides evidence supporting convergent validity and discriminant validity and the fourth of predictive validity.

Gene rearrangement attenuates expression and lethality of a nonsegmented negative strand RNA virus

Abstract: The nonsegmented negative strand RNA viruses comprise hundreds of human, animal, insect, and plant pathogens. Gene expression of these viruses is controlled by the highly conserved order of genes relative to the single transcriptional promoter. We utilized this regulatory mechanism to alter gene expression levels of vesicular stomatitis virus by rearranging the gene order. This report documents that gene expression levels and the viral phenotype can be manipulated in a predictable manner. Translocation of the promoter–proximal nucleocapsid protein gene N, whose product is required stoichiometrically for genome replication, to successive positions down the genome reduced N mRNA and protein expression in a stepwise manner. The reduction in N gene expression resulted in a stepwise decrease in genomic RNA replication. Translocation of the N gene also attenuated the viruses to increasing extents for replication in cultured cells and for lethality in mice, without compromising their ability to elicit protective immunity. Because monopartite negative strand RNA viruses have not been reported to undergo homologous recombination, gene rearrangement should be irreversible and may provide a rational strategy for developing stably attenuated live vaccines against this type of virus.

A theoretical study of surfactant and liquid delivery into the lung

Abstract: A computational study is presented for the transport of liquids and insoluble surfactant through the lung airways, delivered from a source at the distal end of the trachea. Four distinct transport ...

The effect of therapeutic touch on pain and anxiety in burn patients

Abstract: The purpose of this single-blinded randomized clinical trial was to determine whether therapeutic touch (TT) versus sham TT could produce greater pain relief as an adjunct to narcotic analgesia, a greater reduction in anxiety, and alterations in plasma T-lymphocyte concentrations among burn patients. Therapeutic touch is an intervention in which human energies are therapeutically manipulated, a practice conceptually supported by Rogers' (1970) theory of unitary human beings. Data were collected at a university burn centre in the south-eastern United States. The subjects were 99 men and women between the ages of 15 and 68 hospitalized for severe burns, and they received either TT or sham TT once a day for 5 days. Baseline data were collected on day 1, data were collected before and after treatment on day 3, and post-intervention data were collected on day 6. Instruments included the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scales for Pain, Anxiety and Satisfaction with Therapy, and an Effectiveness of Therapy Form. Blood was drawn on days 1 and 6 for lymphocyte subset analysis. Medication usage for pain in mean morphine equivalents, and mean doses per day of sleep, anxiety and antidepressant medications were recorded. Subjects who received TT reported significantly greater reduction in pain on the McGill Pain Questionnaire Pain Rating Index and Number of Words Chosen and greater reduction in anxiety on the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety than did those who received sham TT. Lymphocyte subset analyses on blood from 11 subjects showed a decreasing total CD8 + lymphocyte concentration for the TT group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups on medication usage.

The Product of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus M2 Gene ORF1 Enhances Readthrough of Intergenic Junctions during Viral Transcription

Abstract: The mRNA encoding the M2 protein of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus contains two open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes the 22-kDa structural protein, M2, and ORF2 has the potential to encode a 10-kDa protein (90 amino acids). Using a vaccinia virus T7 expression system, we examined the RNA synthetic activities of mono- and dicistronic subgenomic replicons of RS virus by direct metabolic labeling of RNA in the presence and absence of the products of ORF1 and ORF2. In the absence of ORF1 and ORF2, the negative- and positive-sense products of genomic RNA replication and positive-sense polyadenylated mRNA(s) were synthesized. Expression of the whole M2 transcription unit (containing ORF1 and ORF2) or ORF1 alone caused an increase in the synthesis of polyadenylated mRNA, the majority of which was due to a substantial increase in the quantity of polycistronic mRNAs generated by the polymerase failing to terminate at gene end signals. In agreement with previous reports, the ORF2 product was found to inhibit viral RNA replication and mRNA transcription. These data show that the M2 protein functions as a transcriptional antiterminator that enhances the ability of the viral RNA polymerase to read through intergenic junctions. The role of such a function during the viral life cycle is discussed.

Mental representations of large and small spatial layouts are orientation dependent

Abstract: Previous research on spatial memory indicated that memories of small layouts were orientation dependent (orientation specific) but that memories of large layouts were orientation independent (orientation free). Two experiments investigated the relation between layout size and orientation dependency. Participants learned a small or a large 4-point path (Experiment 1) or a large display of objects (Experiment 2) and then made judgments of relative direction from imagined headings that were either the same as or different from the single studied orientation. Judgments were faster and more accurate when the imagined heading was the same as the studied orientation (i.e., aligned) than when the imagined heading differed from the studied orientation (i.e., misaligned). This alignment effect was present for both small and large layouts. These results indicate that location is encoded in an orientation-dependent manner regardless of layout size.