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Biomedical subjects

D E Young

Publications and source records attributed to D E Young.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

An experimental test of psychic diagnosis of disease.

The authors, one a medical anthropologist and the other a medical doctor, investigated the claims of three acquaintances who include psychic diagnosis in the services they provide to clients. An experiment was designed that allowed each of the three psychics to diagnose five volunteers, patients of S. K. H. Aung, one at a time while hidden behind a screen. The results of the psychic diagnoses were then compared with the medical records of the patients. Results indicate some correspondence between the psychic diagnoses and the medical records, but the correspondence was not sufficiently impressive to warrant considering psychic diagnosis as a useful alternative method for diagnosing disease. It would appear that patients relying solely on psychic diagnosis as the basis for therapy are at risk of serious medical problems going undetected. Future research, with a larger sample of patients and psychic diagnosticians, is required to substantiate this conclusion.

Complementary Therapies

Control of asymmetrical bimanual movements.

When movements are performed together in the upper-limbs, a strong tendency emerges to synchronize the patterns of motor output. This is most apparent when trying to do different things at the same time. The present experiment explored the simultaneous organization and control of spatiotemporally different movements. There were two practice conditions: symmetrical and asymmetrical. In the symmetrical condition, subjects performed a series of unidirectional elbow flexion movements, followed by a series of elbow flexion-extension-flexion (reversal) movements in both limbs simultaneously. In the asymmetrical practice condition, subjects performed the unidirectional movement in the left limb together with the reversal movement in the right limb. Findings revealed a tendency for each limb movement to assimilate the features of its counterpart under the latter condition. This effect was "asymmetrical" in that the unidirectional movement was more attracted to the reversal movement than vice versa. Nevertheless, subjects were able to partly suppress this synchronization tendency as was evident from the moderate cross correlations between the angular acceleration patterns of both limb movements and from an increasingly successful differentiation of the activity levels in the right and left limb muscles. All together, these findings provide evidence for some degree of parallel control of spatiotemporally different actions. The data are discussed in view of the possible suppression of a bilaterally distributed motor control system, that is mainly held responsible for activiting proximal limb musculature.

Arm

Cree Indian healing practices and western health care: a comparative analysis.

In this article, Cree Indian methods of treating disease are compared with the treatment process and procedures used in the Western health Care system. Ethnographic data permitted the identification of the five components of Cree healing: the ritual, contract, treatment, didactic, and closure components. These components are compared with equivalent phases in the physician-patient and nurse-patient relationship. In particular, the process of comparison permits the identification of incongruities that the Cree may encounter when using the Western system. These include the inability to identify one's own state of health and abnormalities; a passive, rather than a participatory role in healing; the incomprehensible notion of "silent" diseases and preventative treatment; the specialization of the caring, curing, and counselling roles of practitioners and the limited perspective of "holism" in health care.

Attitude to Health

Treatment of recurrent aborters by immunization with paternal cells--controlled trial.

A paired sequential trial was undertaken to establish whether paternal mononuclear cells improved the prognosis in couples with recurrent abortions. For this purpose, 10(7)-10(8) cells obtained from the blood of partners were injected intravenously, subcutaneously, and intra-dermally into women who had had three or more consecutive miscarriages with the same partner. Control women were given normal saline, injected in the same manner. The result of the sequential analysis showed that there was no significant beneficial effect of the cells compared to control. The overall success rate was 70% (32/46 couples). The success rate in patients given cells was 62% (13/21), while in those given saline it was 76% (19/25). While the overall success rate in this study compares with a number of other studies, we find an equally high success rate with non-immunized patients. We conclude that the value of immunization for the prevention of recurrent miscarriage has not been established.

Abortion, Habitual

Platinum-based combination chemotherapy for malignant mixed mesodermal tumors of the ovary.

Although considerable clinical data are available to guide treatment decisions for patients with ovarian epithelial malignancies, therapy for the rare malignant mixed mesodermal (mullerian) tumor (MMMT) of the ovary is poorly studied. Ten untreated patients diagnosed with primary ovarian MMMT were managed with cis-platinum-based combination chemotherapy from 1980 to 1985. Six of the 10 patients were stage III suboptimal with evaluable residual disease; 4 of these 6 had CRs with a median duration of response of 13 months. The remaining 2 patients had PRs, of 2 and 11 months duration. Four patients had stage III optimal disease; 1 progressed at 7 months, 1 progressed at 16 months and the other 2 patients have no clinical evidence of disease at 12+ and 22+ months. Despite impressive initial response rates, survival overall was poor, with a median survival for all 10 patients of 16+ months.

Adult

Summary knowledge of results for skill acquisition: support for the guidance hypothesis.

Summary knowledge of results (KR) involves the presentation KR for each of a set of trials (e.g., 10) only after the last trial in the set has been completed. Earlier, Lavery (1962) showed that, relative to providing KR after each trial, a 20-trial summary KR was detrimental to performance in a practice phase with KR present but was beneficial for a no-KR retention test. Using a relatively simple ballistic-timing task, we examined summary lengths of 1 (essentially KR after every trial), 5, 10, and 15 trials, searching for an inverted-U relationship between summary length and retention performance as predicated by a guidance hypothesis for KR. During acquisition when KR was present and being manipulated, all groups showed improvements in performance across practice, while increased summary lengths generally depressed performance. However, in a delayed no-KR retention test, there was an inverse relation between the summary length in acquisition and absolute constant error on the retention test. A guidance hypothesis is favored to explain how, relative to immediate KR, long KR summaries can provide detrimental effects in acquisition while enhancing retention performance.

Adult

Nocturnal enuresis: a review of treatment approaches.

Nocturnal enuresis, a common childhood problem, has several plausible etiologies: adverse environmental circumstances, psychologic disturbances and physiologic mechanisms. A wait-and-see approach is commonly adopted, since spontaneous resolution occurs in many children. Moderate success has been reported with the use of tricyclic antidepressants. Two behavioral conditioning approaches are reported to be highly successful in ameliorating enuretic episodes.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic

Rhinosporidiosis. A report of two cases from Arkansas.

Two human native cases of ocular-conjunctival rhinosporidiosis from Arkansas are believed to be the first documented reports in this part of the country. The common mode of infection was accidental injury to the eye by possible contaminated soil-dust. The appearance of the polypoid growth was relatively fast, 6-16 days, and unresponsive to topical antibiotic and steroid treatment. Surgical excision, with one recurrence in one case, was the elective treatment. Both patients are asymptomatic 10-12 months after treatment, respectively, with no evidence of other recurrence, dissemination, or major complications. From 1939 to September, 1983, only nine cases of conjunctival rhinosporidiosis were reported in the United States.

Adult

Evaluation of the V-osteotomy as a procedure to alleviate the intractable plantar keratoma.

This paper will discuss the distal V-osteotomy procedure of the lesser metatarsals as performed at the Hugar Surgery Center. Sixty-six patients in this study had V-osteotomies performed upon one or more of the middle metatarsals within a 2-year period. Evaluation was based upon patient satisfaction and clinical improvement as measured by the alleviation of the original lesion and the presence of any transfer lesions under the adjacent metatarsal heads. Perioperative steroid injection, early ambulation, and postoperative orthoses contributed to the excellent surgical results.

Follow-Up Studies

Cost savings as an indicator of successful nursing intervention.

The purpose of this study was to provide cost-related data from an intervention study in the care of patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). In a previously reported study, the study group patients increased exercise more than control patients, but there were no differences on any other health promoting behaviors or clinical outcomes. However, analysis of the differences between the study (N = 44) and the control patients (N = 42) on costs for health care during the course of the study demonstrated substantial differences. A fixed per diem rate was used to determine inpatient and outpatient costs. Study patients required significantly fewer PVD-related hospitalization and health care costs than control patients but not on vascular-related and nonvascular-related illnesses. Since there were no differences between the study and control on non-PVD illnesses, it appears that the intervention targeted to influence PVD problems did so. Limitations to the study are identified and additional research in this area is warranted.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases

Effectiveness of health promotion interventions.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether patients who participated in an intervention program would improve exercise and foot-care habits, reduce smoking, and would, in turn, have fewer PVD-related illnesses than patients not exposed to the intervention. Eighty-six patients with ankle/brachial pressure indices of less than 1.0 on one or both legs were randomly assigned to a study (N = 42) or control (N = 44) group. All patients were assessed on a variety of health-related and activity behaviors prior to and again 26 weeks after enrollment in the study. Study patients who participated in the intervention worked with professionals on selecting programs designed to modify and improve their smoking, exercise, and/or foot-care habits. At the end of 26 weeks, chi-square analysis showed no significant differences between study and control groups on change in smoking and foot care, although the results were in the anticipated direction. Study patients who chose to increase their exercise showed greater increase than control patients in frequency (p = .001), distance (p = .007), and length (p = .002) of walks. Although behaviors were modified, especially in the area of exercise, it was felt that longer interventions on a larger sample size are needed.

Adult