Measurement of psychological distress in asthma and asthma management programmes

The Asthma Bother Profile assesses one of the components of asthma experience: asthma distress. An initial questionnaire was constructed from the content of earlier asthma quality of life research and modified by comments of 32 asthmatics in focus groups. Psychometric analysis of responses of 131 asthmatics to the final questionnaire showed that the 15 ¿bother items' constitute a unidimensional measure of asthma distress with high internal consistency, and the seven ¿management items' assess the patient's confidence of asthma knowledge, perception of the quality of care and confidence in managing asthma attacks. Patients who had attended a self-management clinic reported more knowledge of asthma, more bother from treatment but not significantly less bother in other contexts. Knowledge about when to call the doctor but not knowledge about medicine or asthma was correlated with total bother. Self-management programmes that encourage problem-focused coping strategies may not reduce asthma distress unless distress reduction counselling is included within the education programme.

Electrophysiological and cable parameters of perfused beetle malpighian tubules

Isolated perfused Malpighian tubules of the desert beetle Onymacris plana (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) have been subjected to cable analysis under the following conditions: control, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), corpora cardiaca homogenate (CCH), and high ambient K (130 mM). In addition, we investigated possible effects of perfusate composition on proximal transtubular potential (Vo) by reducing K, Na, or Cl or by adding ouabain, furosemide, or dinitrophenol. The effects of cAMP, CCH, and high K on Vo and cable parameters were consistent with increased fluid secretion, i.e., diminished input and core resistances and increased virtual short-circuit current, length constant, and luminal diameter. They differed in that CCH had variable effects on Vo and high K did not reduce transepithelial resistance. In terms of their effects on the parameters of a simple equivalent electrical circuit, the responses to cAMP, CCH, and a high ambient K concentration appear to be mediated by different mechanisms. Alterations in perfusate composition were almost without effect.