Increasing Perceptions of Self-Worth in Preadolescents Diagnosed with ADHD

Purpose: To test the effectiveness of a school-based, nurse-facilitated support group in increasing perceptions of scholastic competence, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, perceived athletic competence, perceived physical appearance, and perceived global self-worth in preadolescents diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Design: A quasi-experimental design with 65 preadolescents diagnosed with ADD or ADHD in an upper-middle class community in the United States.
Methods: Participants randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group completed Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children instrument at the beginning of the study and 4 weeks later. Students in the experimental condition participated in a school-nurse facilitated support group which met twice weekly for 4 weeks.
Findings: Participants in the support group had increased scores on each of the six subscales, with significant increases on four of the subscales, including perceived social acceptance, perceived athletic competence, perceived physical appearance, and perceived global self-worth.
Conclusion: Participation in a school-based, nurse-led support group was positively associated with perception of self-worth in preadolescents diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.     

Modifying integra as a regeneration template in deep tissue planes.

Contour defects resulting in deformity caused by lack of tissue can be improved by conventional surgery using autologous tissue, but there is always a donor site morbidity. Integra has been available since the early 1980's for use in acute burns and more recently in reconstruction. It has been shown histologically to act as a tissue regeneration template. The regenerated dermis is buried under an autologous thin split-skin graft. In this study, the principle of burying Integra (without the silicone layer) has been applied to deep tissue defects in 12 reconstructive cases. Such regenerated tissues survive at least 3 years after burying. Modification to the technique to avoid visible edges are being developed.     

Protection of CGS 10078B against ouabain-induced arrhythmia in the cat

CGS 10078B (CGS; 1-[2,3-dihydro-1,4-(2S)-benzodioxin-2-yl]-5-[2,3-dihydro-1,4-(2R)- benzodioxin-2-yl]-3-(1R,5S)-aza-1,5-pentanediol methane sulfonate) is an agent with alpha- and beta-receptor and calcium channel blocking actions. To study its antiarrhythmic activity, cats were anesthetized with alpha-chloralose, ventilated, and given atropine and gallamine. CGS (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.v.) was infused 15 min prior to ouabain. Bolus injections of ouabain (25 micrograms/kg, i.v.) were given every 15 min until death (D). Some cats were pretreated with reserpine (R; 5 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h prior to the experiment. In other cats 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 20 mg/kg, i.v.) was administered 3 days prior to CGS 20 mg/kg and ouabain. Data were compared with those of Lathers [Eur. J. Pharmacol. 64: 95, 1980], i.e., with 12 cats who received only ouabain and with 11 pretreated with timolol (T; 5 mg/kg, i.v.) prior to ouabain. After CGS (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.v.), but just prior to the first dose of ouabain, the blood pressure (BP) was decreased (p less than 0.05) from control (165 +/- 6 vs. 96 +/- 7, and 136 +/- 5 vs. 90 +/- 10 mm Hg, respectively). Comparable heart rate (HR) values were also decreased (p less than 0.05) from 225 +/- 17 to 166 +/- 14 and from 193 +/- 8 to 152 +/- 6 beats/min. 11 min after T, BP and HR had decreased (p less than 0.05) from 133 +/- 6 to 103 +/- 7 mm Hg and from 134 +/- 4 to 104 +/- 6 beats/min, respectively. Ouabain did not influence these decreases in BP and HR. CGS (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.v.) increased (p less than 0.05) the time to ouabain-induced arrhythmia (AR) and D. The magnitude of the protection appeared to be similar to that afforded by T. R given prior to CGS (20 mg/kg, i.v.) also increased the time to ouabain-induced AR and D while 6-OHDA increased the time to AR. The CGS protection against ouabain-induced AR was still present in animals pretreated with R or 6-OHDA. This indicates that the antiarrhythmic affect is not dependent upon adrenergic neuronal blockade.     

Induction of Leydig cell adenomas by ammonium perfluorooctanoate: a possible endocrine-related mechanism.

Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (C8) produced an increased incidence of Leydig cell adenomas in Crl:CD BR (CD) rats fed 300 ppm for 2 years. A hormonal (nongenotoxic) mechanism was examined since C8 was negative in short-term tests for genotoxicity. Adult male CD rats were gavaged with either 0, 1, 10, 25, or 50 mg/kg C8 for 14 days. In addition, a control group was pair-fed to the 50 mg/kg C8 group. A dose-dependent decrease in body and relative accessory sex organ (ASO) weights was seen, with the relative ASO weights of the 50 mg/kg group significantly less than those of the pair-fed control. Serum estradiol levels were elevated in the 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg C8-treated animals. Estradiol levels in the 50 mg/kg C8 group were 2.7-fold greater than those in the pair-fed control. The increase in serum estradiol levels occurred at the same dose levels as the increase in hepatic beta-oxidation activity. A statistically significant downward trend with dose was seen in serum testosterone levels when compared with the ad libitum control. However, when the 50 mg/kg C8-treated rats were compared with their pair-fed control, no significant differences were seen. Challenge experiments, which can identify the presence and location of a lesion in an endocrine axis, were undertaken to clarify the significance of this downward trend in serum testosterone following C8 exposure. In the challenge experiments, adult CD rats were gavaged with either 0 or 50 mg/kg C8 for 14 days. One hour before termination, rats received either a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), or naloxone challenge. Following hCG challenge, serum testosterone levels in the 50 mg/kg C8 were significantly decreased (50%) from those in the ad libitum controls. Similar decreases, although not significant, were seen in serum testosterone following GnRH and naloxone challenge. The challenge experiments suggest that the decrease in serum testosterone following C8 exposure is due to a lesion at the level of the testis. In addition, progesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and androstenedione were examined in the 50 mg/kg C8-treated males following hCG challenge. A 60% decrease was observed in androstenedione levels in the C8-treated animals from those in the ad libitum controls; no other differences were seen. These data suggest that the decrease in serum testosterone following hCG challenge may be due to a decrease in the conversion of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione. The observed effects described above can be attributed to the elevated serum estradiol levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

A critical review of adult health maintenance: Part 4. Prevention of metabolic, behavioral, and miscellaneous conditions

This is the last article in a four-part series that presents an updated protocol for selective longitudinal health maintenance of asymptomatic adults. Nine metabolic, behavioral, and miscellaneous conditions are reviewed with reference to six generally accepted screening criteria. A recommendation is made for each condition and is compared, when appropriate, with the recommendations of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. The recommendations for all 30 conditions reviewed in this four-part series are combined into a practical health maintenance flow sheet for use by primary care physicians.     

Herpetic croup: two case reports and a review of the literature

Croup is an acute infectious illness usually occurring in children; it is characterized by brassy cough and stridor. The main pathogens include mainly parainfluenza and influenza viruses. Recently there have been reports of prolonged croup caused by the herpes simplex viruses. We report two cases of prolonged croup due to herpes simplex types 1 and 2. We also review and summarize the reported pediatric cases of herpetic croup.     

Identification and typing of herpes simplex viruses with monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies which reacted with type-specific antigens of herpes simplex virus type 2 or with antigens shared by herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 were used in an indirect immunofluorescence assay to type virus isolates and to detect viral antigens in cells obtained from herpetic lesions. Complete concordance was obtained for 42 isolates typed by endonuclease restriction analysis of viral DNA and by indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies. Examination of a limited number of ulcerative lesions revealed that indirect immunofluorescence and virus isolation were comparable in detecting herpes simplex virus. The results indicate that monoclonal antibodies can be used to accurately identify and type isolates of herpes simplex virus.     

Self-report of the frequency and phenomenology of verbal hallucinations

This study was an assessment of several parameters of verbal hallucinations ("voices") based on the self-report of 52 hallucinating psychiatric patients. These subjects were asked to estimate the frequency of their hallucinations and to rate phenomenological aspects (loudness, clarity, location, reality) of their most recent hallucination. Each parameter was assessed with two visual analogue scales which differed in their wording of the dimension. Results showed that the reliability of the subjects' estimates on the parameters differed greatly. Clarity was most reliably reported and reality was least reliably reported. Historical notions that schizophrenics characteristically perceive external "voices" and that such "voices" are perceived as more real were not supported. There was a significant negative correlation between the perceived location and the perceived clarity of hallucinations. No significant differences in mean parameter scores were found between two groups of subjects, schizophrenics and affective psychotics.