Tutoring outcomes of academically underprepared adolescent minority students as a function of student and tutor characteristics.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
J D House
Publications and source records attributed to J D House.
Dry chemistry: an assessment of the BCL Reflotron system.
The Reflotron dry chemistry analyser was assessed over a period of 9 months for the 11 available analytes: cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, urate, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma GT), haemoglobin, aspartate amino transferase (AST), urea, alanine amino transferase (ALT), bilirubin and amylase. In comparison with established laboratory methods, results showed good agreement with end-point methods, but for enzymes there were significant but explainable differences, reflected in the normal ranges quoted for both the Reflotron and laboratory methods. Imprecision observed was between 2% and 6.5% CV (between-day) for enzyme analyses and 1% and 6% CV for end-point methods. Analytical ranges for each method were similar to those expected, with the exception of ALT, where the range was lower, although adequate. Delay between sample application and measurement should not exceed 60 s. Variations in packed cell volume of whole blood samples does not appear to affect results adversely. In the hands of semi-trained staff the instrument produced adequate results.
Blood Chemical Analysis↗
Lymphocyte mitogenesis, immunoglobulin and complement levels in depressed patients and normal controls.
The central nervous system and the immune system are closely related. Psychiatric illness is often associated with a dysregulation of the immune response. In an attempt to expand on previously reported immune abnormalities in patients with depressive illness, we compared several immune measures in a group of hospitalized depressed patients and healthy normal controls. Depressed patients had significantly higher percentages of circulating neutrophils, significantly lower percentages of circulating lymphocytes and significantly lower in vitro lymphocyte responses to mitogenic stimulation than normal controls. Basal plasma cortisol and circulating levels of the complement components C3 and C4 were also higher in the depressed group. We also found a significant association between cortisol values and the traffic of leukocytes on the one hand, and complement levels and the lymphocyte mitogenic activities on the other. These findings expand previously reported evidence of immune abnormalities in depressive illness and provide a partial explanation for some of these findings.
Adult↗
Mortality among outpatients with anxiety disorders.
An earlier follow-up of inpatients with panic disorder attributed excess mortality among men to death from unnatural causes and from cardiovascular disease. The present study sought to determine the stability of this finding with a 12-year follow-up of 155 outpatients with anxiety neurosis. As in the first study, men were twice as likely to die as expected, and this excess in deaths was attributable to cardiovascular disease and suicide. Given the small numbers in both studies, however, the link between panic disorder and excess cardiovascular mortality remains tentative.
Ambulatory Care↗
Depression, urinary free cortisol excretion and lymphocyte function.
An impairment in lymphocyte response to mitogen stimulation, a correlate of cell-mediated immunity, has been reported in patients with depressive illness. To investigate whether such impairment in lymphocyte function is related to excessive secretion of cortisol, an immunosuppressive hormone, we compared mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in three groups of subjects: depressed patients with elevated 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) excretion; depressed patients with normal UFC excretion; and normal controls. Depressed patients in both groups showed significant reductions in lymphocyte mitogenic activity, in comparison with the normal controls, but the two depressive groups did not significantly differ from each other in their lymphocytic responses to any of the mitogens used. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found, within depressed patients, between UFC excretion and lymphocyte mitogenic responses. Depression is therefore associated with an impairment in lymphocyte function that cannot be explained solely on the basis of increased cortisol secretion.
Depressive Disorder↗
A study of the use of adult learning theory in medical instruction.
This study examined relationships between the attitudes of medical faculty toward specific aspects of adult learning theory as well as the degree to which behaviors were actually used to build upon those beliefs. A questionnaire was developed to assess attitudes toward adult learning theory and returned by 269 of the medical faculty at the University of Iowa College of Medicine (58.5%). Several significant relationships were noted between faculty beliefs and the teaching methods they reported using. First, the six components of adult learning theory studied were independent of one another, suggesting a lack of consistent attitudes toward these components. Second, faculty who had taken teaching courses or workshops on teaching showed attitudes different than their peers, and used different types of teaching activities. This finding suggests that educational experiences can in fact affect the attitudes and teaching practices used by medical faculty, at least with respect to principles of adult learning theory.
Adult↗
Stressful life events and depressive symptomatology in obstetric patients: a pilot study in a family practice setting.
Several studies have found the presence of stressful life events to be associated with the appearance of postpartum depression. However, many of these previous studies have been conducted in obstetric clinics; relatively little research in this area has been done in a family practice setting. The first objective of this study was to note the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in a family practice clinic's pregnant patients. The second purpose was to evaluate the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Each subject (n = 27) was given a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at three times: second trimester, third trimester, and three weeks postpartum. Each subject also completed a life events scale for obstetric patients after delivery; both weighted and unweighted life events scores were calculated. The correlation between the weighted and unweighted life events scores was 0.85. Postpartum BDI scores were significantly related to life events scores: 0.47 (n = 27, p = .0133) for unweighted scores and 0.58 (n = 27, p = .0015) for weighted scores. Weighted life events scores were more highly correlated with BDI scores at each of the three administration. Finally, 19% of these subjects showed BDI scores consistent with mild depression after delivery. Each of these results is consistent with findings from studies done in other settings.
Adult↗
Effect of a rapid diagnostic method on prescribing patterns and ordering of throat cultures for streptococcal pharyngitis.
The sensitivity and specificity of a rapid identification test for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus and its impact on prescribing antibiotics and ordering throat cultures were evaluated in a primary care office setting. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 82 percent, 92 percent, 76 percent, and 94 percent, respectively. Throat cultures were ordered for 98 percent of patients with acute pharyngitis regardless of the method of testing available. After use of the rapid identification test within the office, a reduction was observed in physician prescribing of antibiotics before the throat culture results were known. Physicians were more likely to initiate antibiotics immediately when rapid test results for streptococcal infection were positive and provide patient education regarding symptomatic treatment when the results were negative. The rapid identification test is an acceptable alternative to the standard culture technique in the family practice office. The rapid test was apparently responsible for the observed reduction in antibiotic prescribing and should reduce unnecessary cost and antibiotic exposure in the ambulatory setting.
Adolescent↗
Sibling grief in reaction to sudden infant death syndrome.
Much of the literature that exists regarding psychologic outcomes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has focused on parental grief or family response; at least two studies suggest that a SIDS death also affected siblings. It is believed that children who experience the death of a sibling due to SIDS do grieve. Factors related to bereavement are the child's age at the time of the sibling's death, special circumstances of the SIDS death, and explanations and grieving response of the parents. However, no information currently exists that characterizes the course of the grief response of these children. Studies have indicated that about 1 year is a normal grieving period for adults. This study was conducted to evaluate the time frame of children's grief response to the death of a sibling from SIDS. A questionnaire was designed that incorporated child grieving behaviors from several sources; 151 questionnaires were distributed to families in which a SIDS death had occurred in the past 16 years in Iowa and Illinois. Information was obtained from 43 families for 50 children who were older than 2 years of age at the time of the sibling's death. With respect to the length of children's grief response, 54% were reported to have grieved longer than 1 year and only 40% were reported to have grieved less than 6 months. Thus, it appears that the length of the grieving response for these children is similar to that described for adults.
Adolescent↗
Elevated blood neutrophil concentration in mania.
Total, differential, and absolute blood cell counts were compared in 66 untreated manics and 178 untreated schizophrenics. Mania was associated with significantly higher total leukocyte counts (p less than .001), accounted for by a significant increase (p less than .0001) in the number of neutrophils. There were no significant differences between the two groups in any other blood cell elements. Using normative values, manic patients had significantly higher frequencies of both leukocytosis (25.8% vs. 12.4%) and neutrophilia (34.8% vs. 12.4%) than the schizophrenic group. These data suggest a significant association between leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and mania.
Adult↗
Depression, cortisol metabolism and lymphocytopenia.
Depression is often associated with hypercortisolemia. Because high levels of cortisol influence the distribution of different types of leukocytes in the blood stream, we examined the percentages and absolute numbers of circulating neutrophils and lymphocytes in 29 depressed patients who were nonsuppressors on the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST), 28 depressed patients who were suppressors on the DST, and 52 schizophrenic controls. We found no significant differences in either RBC or WBC counts in the 3 groups. There were, however, significant differences in the percentages of both neutrophils and lymphocytes as well as the absolute number of lymphocytes among the groups. These differences were mostly due to significantly lower lymphocyte percentages and absolute counts in the depression-nonsuppressor group. We also found a significant negative association between post-dexamethasone plasma cortisol concentrations and blood lymphocyte counts. These data suggest a close interaction between cortisol metabolism and lymphocyte regulation in major depression.
Depressive Disorder↗
Depression, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity, and lymphocyte function.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Depressive Disorder↗
The effect of taking a sexual history on the notation of sexually related diagnoses.
Many patients have questions or concerns about sex, but few talk directly about the subject with their physician. Including a sexual history during the physician-patient encounter is one way to indicate to the patient that discussing sexual concerns is appropriate. We observed that physicians at the University of Iowa Family Practice Center were divided into two groups: those who routinely include a sexual history with a new patient and those who do not. Those physicians who claimed to routinely take a sexual history reported 33.3% of their patients had some type of sexual question, concern, or problem; those who claimed they do not include such a history reported only 9.5% had a sexual concern (P less than 0.05). Female physicians were less apt to take a sexual history than male physicians (11.8% v. 60%; P less than 0.001). We conclude that education in sexual history taking is an important part of the family practice curriculum for resident training.
Family Practice↗
Relationships between attitudes and use of adult-learning teaching activities by medical faculty.
This study examined teaching behaviors of medical faculty and their attitudes toward adult learners. A number of studies have examined characteristics of adult learners and found that certain teaching activities produce more effective learning in adults. Adult learners tend to be more self-directed and bring a variety of experiences to the educational setting; they also profit more from collaborative curriculum planning, learning activities, and evaluation of progress.
Attitude↗