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Biomedical subjects

C Gerhardt

Publications and source records attributed to C Gerhardt.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) would have more social and emotional problems than case-control classmates. METHODS: Using a case-control design, children with JRA (n = 74), ages 8-14, were compared with case-control classmates (n = 74). Peer relationships, emotional well-being, and behavior, based on peer-, teacher-, parent-, and self-report scores on common measures, were compared using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Relative to case-control classmates, children with JRA were similar on all measures of social functioning and behavior. Mothers reported more internalizing symptoms in the child with JRA, but child self reports and father reports showed no differences. Scores on all standardized measures were in the normal range for both the JRA and the case-control groups. CONCLUSION: Children with JRA were remarkably similar to case-control children on measures of social functioning, emotional well-being, and behavior. These findings are not supportive of disability/stress models of chronic illness in childhood and suggest considerable psychological hardiness among children with JRA.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Psychological adjustment in breast cancer: processes of emotional distress.

The process of psychological adjustment to breast cancer was examined at diagnosis and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups in a sample of 80 women with Stage I-Stage IV breast cancer. At diagnosis, symptoms of anxiety/depression were predicted by low dispositional optimism, and this path was partially mediated by use of emotion-focused disengagement coping. Younger age also was predictive of anxiety/depression symptoms at time of diagnosis, and this relationship was fully mediated by magnitude of intrusive thoughts. At 3 months, changes in anxiety/depression symptoms were predicted only by intrusive thoughts. At 6 months, low dispositional optimism reemerged as a significant predictor of changes in anxiety/depression and again was partially mediated by the use of emotion-focused disengagement coping. Independent effects for problem-focused engagement and disengagement and emotion-focused engagement coping were also found at 6 months. Implications of these data for psychosocial interventions with breast cancer patients are highlighted.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

[Not Available].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Astrology↗
PubMed1994

Facial cleft deformities: maternal perceptions regarding causes and interventions.

Maternal perceptions regarding the causes of a facial cleft deformity as well as the quality of support during medical interventions were surveyed with an open ended questionnaire. The sample consisted of 138 mothers of children up to 10 years of age attending a facial cleft deformity clinic. The responses were content analysed and thematically grouped. It was found that the subjects' views regarding the causes of facial cleft deformities changed markedly after attending counselling sessions. Ignorance about scientifically verified causal variables such as infections, medication, situational and hereditary factors decreased appreciably. The counselling sessions appeared to play an essential role in the subjects' understanding and coming to terms with their children's deformity. Their comments concerning the children's treatment in general hospitals as well as the facial cleft unit included both frustration and praise. Suggestions on enhancing support emphasised the need for accessible information, greater reassurance from medical staff at the general hospitals where delivery took place, the formation of support groups, speedy diagnosis and referral to a multiprofessional unit as well as being allowed to be with their children in hospital before and after surgical interventions. The results were discussed and tied to the available literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Influence of sympathetic nervous system on dexamethasone-stimulated renal tubular transport of p-aminohippurate in young rats.

After simultaneous administration of dexamethasone together with 6-hydroxydopamine or adrenergic neuronal blocking agents (alpha-methyldopa, reserpine, guanethidine) the dexamethasone-stimulated increase in renal excretion of p-aminohippurate (PAH) is distinctly diminished. The same is true for dopamine. This depressive effect could be proved by measurement of transport rates of PAH in renal cortical slices in vitro. The increase in kidney weight and in the protein content of kidney tissue in dexamethasone-treated rats is lower in rats simultaneously treated with adrenergic neuronal blocking agents of 6-hydroxydopamine. Adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists (pholedrine, orciprenaline, phentolamine, propranolol) are without influence on the dexamethasone-stimulated increase in PAH transport.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Abandoning weight-loss programmes.

Published scientific reports on obesity have repeatedly confirmed subjects' difficulties in maintaining weight loss. A study of unsuccessful dieters focused on a group of 50 obese subjects who had previously joined a slimming organisation, but who had dropped out. They were interviewed with emphasis on factors relating to reasons why the weight loss programmes had been abandoned. The subjects were reached through active members, who brought along unsuccessful slimmers to the group interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. The results highlighted the following problem areas: motivational issues, perception of self, interpersonal/social and situational constraints, behaviour patterns, physiological concerns, and previous experience of weight loss programmes. Sample characteristics were examined with regard to relevant demographic and educational variables. Implications of the results are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Prostacyclin and thromboxane synthesis in liver tissue in chronic liver diseases].

This paper reports on investigations of the formation of PGI2 and TXA2 using their stabile products 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 (RIA) in liver biopsy specimens of 46 patients suffering from fatty liver (n = 19), chronic hepatitis B (n = 11), liver cirrhosis (n = 13), and miscellaneous diseases (n = 3). The measured formation rates in chronic liver disease were evaluated in comparison to a reference group (n = 19) consisting of minimal liver lesions. The 6-keto-PGF1 alpha formation correlating to the degree of the portal inflammation in the liver (morphometric evaluation). The same trend existed in relation to the intralobular inflammation. The results presented suggest in respect of analogous data in animal experiments that PGI2 is predominantly generated in mesenchymal cells of the liver and, presumably influences the course of liver diseases.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1989

Do bile acids exert a negative feedback control of cholecystokinin release?

The influence of intraduodenal bile deficiency due to chronic bile duct obstruction and acute exogenous administration of bile acids on plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) was investigated. Fourteen patients with tumor-induced bile duct stenosis and five healthy volunteers were given a liquid test meal. Four of the patients had a simultaneous pancreatic duct stenosis. On another day 4 g chenodeoxycholic acid were administered concomitantly with the liquid test meal in six of the patients and all controls. Basal and meal-stimulated plasma CCK did not differ between patients and controls. A pancreatic duct stenosis, which was associated with diminished plasma PP concentrations, had no influence on plasma CCK release. Exogenous bile acids significantly reduced the postprandial CCK response in both groups. Bile-induced inhibition was significantly greater in patients than in controls (75 +/- 7% and 44 +/- 11%, respectively; p less than 0.05). It is concluded that intraduodenal bile is an important modulator of the postprandial secretory activity of the CCK cell. Although chronic intraduodenal bile acid reduction in tumor-induced biliary duct stenosis did not influence plasma CCK levels, a negative feedback control of plasma CCK by acute bile acid administration could be demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[C-reactive protein in the maternal serum and risk of maternal infection in premature rupture of the fetal membranes and threatened premature labor].

For diagnosis of ascending intra-uterine infections, regular controls of the serum CRP levels were carried out in 129 patients with premature rupture of membranes and impending premature labour. The height of the maternal CRP level and the simultaneously determined leucocyte counts and band counts were compared with the peripartal fever morbidity (intrapartal fever, puerperal fever). It was established that patients who had a prepartal CRP level of 10 mg/l or more suffered febrile complications more frequently (fever morbidity 18.2%) than females in whom such high CRP values did not occur (fever morbidity 3.4%). Similar correlations existed between the other parameters tested and the fever morbidity, and subclinical intrauterine infections were recognized with higher reliability if CRP, leucocyte count and band count had been determined in combination.

C-Reactive Protein↗
PubMed1989

[C-reactive protein in the maternal serum and risk of fetal infection in premature rupture of the fetal membranes and threatened premature labor].

In order to find out whether, in the framework of our obstetrical management, determinations of the C-creative protein (CRP) in maternal serum enables recognition of incipient intra-uterine infections, regular controls of the CRP level were performed in 129 patients with premature rupture of membranes and impending premature labour. The maternal CRP levels and the simultaneously determined total leukocyte counts and band counts were compared with the frequency of neonatal infectious diseases up to the 3rd day of life. None of the infants were affected whose mothers never had values above 10.0 mg/l. If he maternal CRP values exceeded the 10.0 mg/l limit, then 6.3%-57.1% of the newborns were affected depending on their birth weight. Therefore, the prepartal CRP diagnosis can, especially in infants with low birth weight, help to determine the risk of infection.

C-Reactive Protein↗