Biomedical subjects

K M Ehlers

Publications and source records attributed to K M Ehlers.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Validity of structured clinical evaluations in adolescents with conduct and substance problems.

OBJECTIVE: To determine discriminative and convergent validity for certain structured diagnostic assessments among adolescents with conduct and substance problems. METHOD: Patients were 87 adolescents (both genders) in treatment for conduct and substance problems. Most controls (n = 85; both genders) came from patients' neighborhoods. Assessments included Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Composite International Diagnostic Instrument-Substance Abuse Module, Child Behavior Checklist, and others. Patients' data guided clinical care. RESULTS: Youths' self-reports significantly discriminated patients from controls in DSM-IVconduct and substance use disorders (CD, SUD) and in numerous associated measures. CD and SUD symptoms correlated strongly. However, some patients apparently minimized symptoms. Youths' self-reports did not discriminate patients from controls in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or major depression (MDD). Parent information raised prevalence rates of ADHD and MDD, which then discriminated patients from controls. However, patients and parents usually disagreed on MDD and ADHD diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some dissimulation, patients' self-reports of CD and SUD correlated highly and had superb discriminative validity, making them useful for treatment and research. Self-reports of ADHD and MDD, apparently lacking discriminative validity, are less useful. Parent reports improve these discriminations but present additional problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

One-year outcome of adolescent females referred for conduct disorder and substance abuse/dependence.

We investigated whether substance abuse/dependence, conduct disorder, and other psychiatric disorders improved in adolescent females who were referred to outpatient treatment and which variables were related to 1-year outcome. Forty-six out of 60 conduct-disordered (CD) adolescent females with substance abuse or dependence were re-evaluated approximately 1 year after discharge. Treatment length averaged 16 weeks. Significant improvements were seen in three areas: (1) criminality and CD; (2) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and (3) educational and vocational status. However, neither substance involvement nor depression improved, regardless of length of stay in treatment, and these females demonstrated significant risky sexual behaviors. In contrast to our previous work with adolescent males (Crowley, T.J., Mikulich, S.K., Macdonald, M., Young, S.E., Zerbe, G.O., 1998. Substance-dependent, conduct-disordered adolescent males: severity of diagnosis predicts 2-year outcome. Drug Alcohol Depend. 49, 225-237), we were not able to identify pre-intake variables, other than performance IQ, that were related to substance use and conduct outcomes. Only two post-treatment factors (peer problems and number of ADHD symptoms at follow-up) were found to be related to CD and substance use disorders outcomes. The overall lack of pre- and post-treatment predictors presents interesting challenges for future research on adolescent females with these disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Do cyanobacteria swim using traveling surface waves?

Bacteria that swim without the benefit of flagella might do so by generating longitudinal or transverse surface waves. For example, swimming speeds of order 25 microns/s are expected for a spherical cell propagating longitudinal waves of 0.2 micron length, 0.02 micron amplitude, and 160 microns/s speed. This problem was solved earlier by mathematicians who were interested in the locomotion of ciliates and who considered the undulations of the envelope swept out by ciliary tips. A new solution is given for spheres propagating sinusoidal waveforms rather than Legendre polynomials. The earlier work is reviewed and possible experimental tests are suggested.

Cyanobacteria↗

PubMed1982

Food cooperative shoppers: nutrition, knowledge, attitudes, and concerns.

A study of the nutrition knowledge and attitudes of shoppers in a new kind of cooperative food store indicated shoppers were primarily interested in cooperatives because of the food: its believed superiority in terms of growing conditions, freedom from processing, or nutritional value. Shoppers were skeptical of processed foods and believed organic foods, vitamin supplements, and other special nutrition measures are needed to ensure health. Working members and vegetarians were significantly less orthodox in their nutrition attitudes than nonworking members and nonvegetarians. Seventy-five percent of the sample thought nutrition information and the education function of the cooperative were important. Topics of greatest interest to these food cooperative shoppers were organic gardening, food preservation and preparation, and vegetarianism.

Attitude↗