Assertiveness and anxiety: A correlational study

Based on Wolpe's contention that assertive responses are incompatible with anxiety and are effective in overcoming neurotic fear, the present study predicted an inverse relationship between assertiveness and anxiety. Two-hundred-and-fifty male and 200 female college undergraduates completed the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS), a questionnaire measure of assertiveness. Males proved significantly (P < 0·001) more assertive than females. Based on the distribution of RAS scores, three discrete, noncontiguous groups (high, average and low assertive), comprising 86 subjects, were selected for further testing, which included the Maudsley Personality Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Fear Survey Schedule II. Analyses of variance confirmed that assertiveness relates inversely and highly significantly (P < 0·0005) with measures of neuroticism, trait anxiety and interpersonal anxiety for both males and females.     

Method for assessing stress-induced regional malperfusion during coronary arteriography. Experimental validation and clinical application

Resting myocardial regional perfusion may be normal in spite of severe coronary stenosis. Accordingly, regional perfusion was evaluated during coronary hyperemia in order to quantify maldistribution occurring at high flow rates but not at rest. In eight open chest dogs quantitative regional distribution of left coronary flow was determined by electromagnetic flowmeters on the anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries and simultaneously by double radionuclide studies. Coronary flow was varied from basal to maximum by intracoronary injection of Hypaque-M, 75 percent, previously shown to be a potent, repeatable stimulus for maximal hyperemia. Malperfusion due to coronary stenoses quantified with the gamma camera correlated closely with results obtained by electromagnetic flowmeters (r = 0.96). In the presence of balanced lesions on the circumflex and anterior descending arteries, hyperemic responses were equally reduced in these branches, and regional perfusion by gamma camera and electromagnetic flowmeters was normal. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach in man, patients were studied by intracoronary injection of ^113mindium-macro-aggregated albumin in the resting state and ^99mtechnetium-macro-aggregated albumin during the hyperemia following intracoronary injection of contrast medium. Scintiphotographs from patients whose angiograms revealed moderate coronary lesions demonstrated normal regional distribution at rest but maldistribution during hyperemia. The results in patients also demonstrated that collateral vessels failed to maintain normal distribution during hyperemia despite normal regional perfusion at rest.     

Effect of pH and ammonium ions on mutagenic activity in cooked beef

Controversy surrounding the extraction procedure commonly used for isolating and concentrating mutagens from foods has resulted in a need for the re-examination of the reported mutagenicity in fried hamburgers. Using a procedure in which Na₂SO₄ and NaOH are substituted for (NH₄)₂SO₄ and NH₄OH respectively, mutagenic activity in extracts of hamburgers fried for 5 min appeared to be unchanged. However, when organic extractions are performed at pH conditions more moderated than those generally employed to isolated mutagens from foods, a 30–50% decrease in mutagenicity is observed.     

Social skill acquisition and psychosocial development of alcoholics: A review

Studies with data on male prealcoholics and alcoholics are reviewed. The review concentrates on studies which relate to social skill acquisition and the development of interpersonal competence. The role of modeling and family structure; peer relationships in high school, college and adult life; and the effects of alcohol on social responses are considered. The evidence suggests that a social skill acquisition model is a promising one for research on the development and maintenance of problem drinking behaviors.     

Second laparotomy for proximal colon cancer. Sites of recurrence and implications for adjuvant therapy

Sixty-four patients with primary adenocarcinomas of the colon proximal to the peritoneal reflection underwent exploratory laparotomy at the time of first recurrence of their cancers. Local recurrence, retroperitoneal lymph node metastases, parenchymal liver metastases, and diffuse peritoneal seeding were identified as frequent components of the overall pattern of recurrence. The significance of these findings has been discussed herein, relative to refinements of operative technique and selection of appropriate adjuvant therapy.     

Evaluation of student performance in a multi-site clinical clerkship

A method for examining the equivalency of student performance in multi-site clinical clerkships is presented. Six student performance variables within the clerkship are explored: pretest, posttest, oral examination, presentation of a subject review, general clinical performance, and patient write-ups. Student achievement on two external examinations (a University of Washington School of Medicine third-year comprehensive examination and the Part II examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners) is reviewed and compared. This method applied to an obstetrics and gynecology clerkship at the University of Washington reveals no significant differences in student performance among sites on the pretest, oral examination, and both external examinations, but there were differences on four internal measures (posttest, presentations, write-ups, and clinical ratings). The use of this information for clerkship improvement and faculty development is described.