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Biomedical subjects

J Dwyer

Publications and source records attributed to J Dwyer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Cell-mediated immunity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, healthy control subjects and patients with major depression.

The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by severe persistent fatigue and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It has been proposed that the abnormalities in cell-mediated immunity which have been documented in patients with CFS may be attributable to a clinical depression, prevalent in patients with this disorder. Cell-mediated immune status was evaluated in patients with carefully defined CFS and compared with that of matched subjects with major depression (non-melancholic, non-psychotic) as well as healthy control subjects. Patients with CFS demonstrated impaired lymphocyte responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation, and reduced or absent delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin responses when compared either with subjects with major depression or with healthy control subjects (P less than 0.05 for each analysis). Although depression is common in patients with CFS, the disturbances of cell-mediated immunity in this disorder differ in prevalence and magnitude from those associated with major depression. These observations strengthen the likelihood of a direct relationship between abnormal cell-mediated immunity and the etiology of CFS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Cooperative relationships between professional societies and the food industry: opportunities or problems?

A variety of cooperative relationships may potentially exist between professional or voluntary organizations and food companies: endorsements of food products, health messages, or educational and informational materials; certification of nutrient components of food products that meet a certain standard of a society; and acceptance of food advertising in society publications and the display of food products at society meetings. We queried the American Heart Association, the Society for Nutrition Education, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association about past and present policies on these various relationships. Specific examples of cooperative relationships are discussed, weighing risks and benefits to the food company, the professional or voluntary organization, and the public. Guidelines are suggested for professional societies in evaluating different cooperative relationships, with the public's health and nutritional well-being as the primary consideration.

Advertising↗
PubMed1992

Mistreatment of the aged in the home environment in northern France: a year survey (1990).

As the percentage of the population which is aged increases in the developed countries, public health problems arise from the limited autonomy and physical or mental infirmity of the elderly. Cohabitation arrangements, often used to permit the elderly to stay at home, can give rise to conflict and the mistreatment of the aged. We analysed questionnaires distributed in 1990 to 25 home nursing units and two hospitals in a part of the northern region of France. Fifty-five observations of mistreatment were collected, 22 from hospital and 33 from home-based inquiries. The types of mistreatment and the characteristics of the victims and perpetrators are detailed and discussed. Penal and legal aspects of mistreatment of the aged in France are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Resting metabolic rate and body composition of Pima Indian and Caucasian children.

Since a low metabolic rate (for a given body size and body composition) is a risk factor for body weight gain and obesity is prevalent among Pima Indians, we have tested whether Pima Indian children have a low resting metabolic rate (RMR) as compared to Caucasian children. Body composition (bioelectrical resistance) and RMR were measured in 43 Pima Indian children (22 male/21 female, mean +/- s.d. 9.9 +/- 1.1 years) and 42 Caucasian children (21 male/21 female, 9.7 +/- 1.2 years). Pima children were taller (143 +/- 9 vs. 137 +/- 8 cm, P less than 0.001), heavier (48.6 +/- 15.8 vs. 32.9 +/- 7.8 kg, P less than 0.001) and fatter (39 +/- 10 vs. 24 +/- 7% fat, P less than 0.001) than Caucasians. Absolute values of RMR were higher in Pimas than in Caucasians (6234 +/- 1201 vs. 5171 +/- 715 kJ/day, P less than 0.001), but similar when adjusted for differences in body size, body composition and sex. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find a decreased RMR in Pima children when compared to Caucasian children. Therefore, the high prevalence of obesity in Pima children at age 10 suggests that excess energy intake and/or low levels of physical activity might be the major aetiological factor. However, this study does not exclude the possibility that a low metabolic rate might be a predisposing factor at an earlier age.

Basal Metabolism↗
PubMed1991

Assessing comprehensive nursing performance: the Objective Structural Clinical Assessment (OSCA). Part 1--Development of the assessment strategy.

Nursing courses in Australia are preparing graduates for comprehensive practice within Universities. The evaluation of safe and effective comprehensive nursing performance requires the consideration of a much broader range of practice competencies than has previously been the case. In particular there is a need to explore integrated assessment approaches that closely resemble the realities of the health care setting. Part 1 of this paper provides an overview of the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA) which it is suggested is an effective way of assessing student comprehensive nursing performance. Some theoretical considerations in OSCA development are discussed and then an outline of the processes involved in designing and implementing an OSCA provided. Part 2 describes an evaluation project supported by the NSW Nurses' Registration Board. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the use of the OSCA as an integrated assessment tool as a measurement of the extent to which a student nurse can plan and deliver safe and effective comprehensive nursing care.

Australia↗
PubMed1991

Assessing comprehensive nursing performance: the objective structured clinical assessment (OSCA). Part 2--Report of the evaluation project.

Part 1 of this paper described the development of an assessment strategy used to measure the clinical performance of student nurses undertaking preparation for practice within the tertiary education sector. The challenge of developing an appropriate technique in assessment to accommodate a comprehensive nursing register was described. Features of the design and implementation were also provided. Part 2 describes an evaluation project developed by the staff and supported by a research grant from the New South Wales (NSW) Nurses Registration Board. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA) technique. The research design incorporated the use of triangulated data: student questionnaires, judgments made by a panel of experts and an analysis of the statistical correlation between the students' results in the OSCA and results in other areas of assessment.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1991

Explanatory style and cell-mediated immunity in elderly men and women.

Correlated pessimistic explanatory style--the belief that negative events are caused by internal, stable, and global factors--with lowered immunocompetence in a sample of 26 older adults. Two measures of cell-mediated immunity--T-helper cell/T-suppressor cell ratio and T-lymphocyte response to mitogen challenge--were lower in individuals with a pessimistic style, controlling for the influence of current health, depression, medication, recent weight change, sleep, and alcohol use. A relative increase in the percentage of T-suppressor cells seemed to underlie this immunosuppression. Although the mechanism by which explanatory style might influence immune function remains unknown, we speculate that a pessimistic style might be an important psychological risk factor--at least among older people--in the early course of certain immune-mediated diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

PURPOSE: The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by profound fatigue, neuropsychiatric dysfunction, and frequent abnormalities in cell-mediated immunity. No effective therapy is known. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients (40 with abnormal cell-mediated immunity) participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of high-dose intravenously administered immunoglobulin G. The patients received three intravenous infusions of a placebo solution or immunoglobulin at a dose of 2 g/kg/month. Assessment of the severity of symptoms and associated disability, both before and after treatment, was completed at detailed interviews by a physician and psychiatrist, who were unaware of the treatment status. In addition, any change in physical symptoms and functional capacity was recorded using visual analogue scales, while changes in psychologic morbidity were assessed using patient-rated indices of depression. Cell-mediated immunity was evaluated by T-cell subset analysis, delayed-type hypersensitivity skin testing, and lymphocyte transformation with phytohemagglutinin. RESULTS: At the interview conducted by the physician 3 months after the final infusion, 10 of 23 (43%) immunoglobulin recipients and three of the 26 (12%) placebo recipients were assessed as having responded with a substantial reduction in their symptoms and recommencement of work, leisure, and social activities. The patients designated as having responded had improvement in physical, psychologic, and immunologic measures (p less than 0.01 for each). CONCLUSION: Immunomodulatory treatment with immunoglobulin is effective in a significant number of patients with CFS, a finding that supports the concept that an immunologic disturbance may be important in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Facilitating a match between teaching and learning styles.

As a result of educator/student interactions within a particular course, both parties anticipate that some learning will occur, some change in behaviour will have taken place and some personal growth will be evident. In order to facilitate such change every educator ought to reflect on personal practice and ask 'Is what I am doing helping the student to learn?' The answer to this question firstly should come from the student and secondly should further prompt the educator to ask 'Do I need to change my style of teaching to match the learning needs of these students?' In searching for an answer to these questions it is suggested that the teacher would need to reflect on just what constitutes teaching and learning styles. Then one might need to investigate the possibility of matching teaching style with the students' learning styles. This paper looks at the perceived need to identify different approaches to learning and the potential for matching teaching and learning styles. It is suggested that a facilitative approach to teaching, such as that used at Macarthur Institute of Higher Education in Australia, will accomodate students' learning needs.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1990

Emmert's law in the Ames room.

The Ames distorted room illusion, in which the perceived sizes of objects placed within the room differ from their objective sizes, has been used to support arguments for indirect perception. A study is reported in which Emmert's law of the apparent size of after-images was examined in relation to the Ames room's illusory alteration of apparent and actual distances. Size judgments of afterimages projected into the Ames room were compared with control conditions in which both actual and apparent afterimage projection distances were reproduced. Results indicate that Emmert's law may not provide a simple geometrical relationship between proximal image size and actual viewing distance, and that the processes involved in making afterimage size judgments are similar to those processes involved in making size judgments of 'real world' objects.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Expert opinions on nutrition issues in clinical dentistry.

Diet assessment and counseling are essential components of comprehensive preventive dental care programs. However, the lack of consensus on what constitutes appropriate nutrition services has resulted in diversity in the level and quality of such services to dental patients. Seventy nine nationally recognized experts in dental nutrition were surveyed using the Delphi method to seek consensus on the appropriate scope of nutrition in clinical dentistry.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1979

Vegetarianism.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Influence of diet and age on fecal bacterial enzymes.

The bacterial enzymes beta-glucuronidase, azoreductase, and nitroreductase, all implicated in the etiology of colon cancer, were measured in the fecal microflora of rats and humans. The effect of a high-beef diet and advanced age on the activities of these microbial enzymes were determined in the rat. Rats shifted from a grain to a meat diet showed a 1.5- to 2.5-fold increase in activity of all three fecal enzymes. Animals over 20 months of age, consuming a meat diet, showed a further increase in fecal beta-glucuronidase activity, while the levels of all three microbial enzymes increased in old rats fed a grain diet. Fecal microbial enzyme activities were also measured in humans eating a diet supplemented with bran or wheat germ. Humans receiving fiber supplements consisting of 30 g of bran or wheat germ added to their customary diets did not show significant changes in fecal enzyme activity.

Aging↗