Deconstructing therapy outcome measurement with Rasch analysis of a measure of general clinical distress: the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised

Rasch analysis was used to illustrate the usefulness of item-level analyses for evaluating a common therapy outcome measure of general clinical distress, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994). Using complementary therapy research samples, the instrument's 5-point rating scale was found to exceed clients' ability to make reliable discriminations and could be improved by collapsing it into a 3-point version (combining scale points 1 with 2 and 3 with 4). This revision, in addition to removing 3 misfitting items, increased person separation from 4.90 to 5.07 and item separation from 7.76 to 8.52 (resulting in alphas of .96 and .99, respectively). Some SCL-90-R subscales had low internal consistency reliabilities; SCL-90-R items can be used to define one factor of general clinical distress that is generally stable across both samples, with two small residual factors

Allyl Derivatives of Sympathomimetic Amines

The allyl group was substituted on the side chains of benzedrine and ephedrine in the belief that these derivatives would antagonize the parent compounds. Their antagonistic effect was clearly demonstrated; the action was believed to be due to reaction at the receptors in the muscles

Using Microanalytical Simulation Methods in Educational Evaluation: An Exploratory Study

Scientifically based research used to inform evidence based school reform efforts has been required by the federal government in order to receive grant funding since the reenactment of No Child Left Behind (2002). Educational evaluators are thus faced with the challenge to use rigorous research designs to establish causal relationships. However, access to student-level longitudinal or comparison group data is often scarce, which significantly restricts researchers’ choice of research design. Although most state departments of education have school- and district-level data available to the public, the individual student-level data that are often needed to perform appropriate statistical analyses are unavailable. This exploratory study demonstrates the process of and provides evidence that microanalytical simulation methods, conducted using Microsoft Excel, may be a useful research tool in the field of education if adequate school-level modeling information is available. These simulation methods may assist in providing greater opportunities to execute more rigorous methodological designs

Pulmonary artery pressure and activities in chronic heart failure

AbstractLong-term continuous pulmonary artery pressure monitoring was used to investigate pressure changes during different types of exercise and normal daily activities in patients with chronic heart failure. Nine men (mean age 55 years) with treated chronic heart failure underwent continuous pulmonary artery pressure measurement with use of a micromanometer-tipped catheter with in vivo calibration and frequency-modulated recording.The mean (± SD) maximal systolic pulmonary artery pressure (in mm Hg) was 59.4 ± 26.1 on treadmill exercise, 54.9 ± 30.6 on bicycle exercise, 52.5 ± 26.1 walking up and down state and 43.5 ± 23.9 walking on a flat surface. The mean maximal diastolic pressure (in mm Hg) was 27.8 ± 14.6 on treadmill exercise, 25.5 ± 14.9 on bicycle exercise, 24.9 ± 14.8 walking up and down stairs and 20.4 ± 12.5 walking on a flat surface. The increase in pulmonary artery pressure did not correlate with the severity of the limiting symptoms except during walking on a flat surface.All patients had marked postural changes in pressure, with the systolic pressure difference from lying to standing ranging from 8 to 25 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure difference ranging from 3 to 13 mm Hg. Eating meals caused an increase in pressure in three patients, but less than that when lying flat. There was an increase in pressure during urination in four patients equal to that when walking on a flat surface. None of these activities was associated with symptoms.Neither symptoms nor pulmonary artery pressure during maximal exercise is the same as during daily activities. This may restrict the value of maximal exercise tests in assessing patients with chronic heart failure

Development and Validation of the Mental Health Professionals\u27 Attitude Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS Scale (MHP-PLHIV-AS)

This study focused on the creation and validation of an instrument to measure mental health professionals\u27 attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. Rasch analyses (Rash, 1960, 1980) provided evidence to support a two-dimensional (societal and personal dimensions) measurement of this attitude construct

Methodology for reliable and reproducible cryopreservation of human cervical tissue

BACKGROUND: In order to conduct laboratory studies on donated cervical tissue at suitable times an effective and reliable cryopreservation protocol for cervical tissue is required. METHODS: An active freezing approach was devised utilising 10% dimethyl sulfoxide in foetal bovine serum as a cryoprotective agent with a cooling rate of 1 °C/min to -50 °C then 10 °C/min to -120 °C; a related thawing protocol was also optimised which would allow for the bio-banking of cervical tissue. Viability of freshly harvested cervical tissue was compared to frozen-thawed samples utilising colorimetric MTT assay. In parallel, fresh and freeze-thawed samples were cultured and tested on days 1, 7 and 14 to determine whether bio-banking had detrimental effects on tissue viability over time. RESULTS: Repeat testing revealed that tissue viability between fresh and freeze-thawed wasand freeze-thawed samples was comparable at all four time points (days 0, 1, 7 and 14) with no apparent reductions of viability, thus demonstrating this method of cryopreserving cervical tissue is reliable and reproducible, without detrimental effects on live tissue culture. We believe this methodology creates the opportunity for bio-banking donated cervical tissues, which aids improved experimental design and reduces time pressures and wastage

Enhancing Forensic Science Context-based Laboratory Activities for Undergraduate Chemistry Students

This paper discusses the development of student centred context-based practical activities for use in third level Forensic Science/ Chemical Analysis courses

The future of human nature: a symposium on the promises and challenges of the revolutions in genomics and computer science, April 10, 11, and 12, 2003

This repository item contains a single issue of the Pardee Conference Series, a publication series that began publishing in 2006 by the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. This was the Center's Symposium on the Promises and Challenges of the Revolutions in Genomics and Computer Science took place during April 10, 11, and 12, 2003. Co-organized by Charles DeLisi and Kenneth Lewes; sponsored by Boston University, the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.This conference focused on scientific and technological advances in genetics, computer science, and their convergence during the next 35 to 250 years. In particular, it focused on directed evolution, the futures it allows, the shape of society in those futures, and the robustness of human nature against technological change at the level of individuals, groups, and societies. It is taken as a premise that biotechnology and computer science will mature and will reinforce one another. During the period of interest, human cloning, germ-line genetic engineering, and an array of reproductive technologies will become feasible and safe. Early in this period, we can reasonably expect the processing power of a laptop computer to exceed the collective processing power of every human brain on the planet; later in the period human/machine interfaces will begin to emerge. Whether such technologies will take hold is not known. But if they do, human evolution is likely to proceed at a greatly accelerated rate; human nature as we know it may change markedly, if it does not disappear altogether, and new intelligent species may well be created