Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J L Peterson

Publications and source records attributed to J L Peterson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Factors affecting treatment decisions and satisfaction of owners of cats with cancer.

Cancer in cats is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. Euthanasia or an active intervention such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery are treatment choices for the owner at diagnosis of the cat's disease. In this study, 2 interviews with cat owners, one soon after diagnosis of cancer in the cat and one 6 months later, were used to identify owner characteristics associated with a decision of euthanasia or intervention, to identify factors associated with an owner's satisfaction with euthanasia or intervention, and to evaluate inappropriate expectations of the owners who selected an intervention. The study included 89 owners from 3 referral hospitals. In logistic regression analysis, significant factors were not found that affected the owner's decision to euthanatize the cat versus intervene. Satisfaction with the decision to euthanatize the cat was associated with the ability of the cat to groom itself, eat, and play at the first interview. Among owners who selected an intervention, 4 combinations of factors were associated with being satisfied. The first combination was clinic of origin (CLIN), having a live cat at the 6-month follow-up interview (LIVE), and understanding the number of return visits required for the intervention. The second was CLIN, LIVE, and type and frequency of adverse effects from the intervention at the 6-month interview. The third was CLIN, LIVE, and feeling guilty at the 6-month interview. The fourth was CLIN, LIVE, and whether the cat had a good or excellent quality of life at the first interview. Thirty percent (21/69) of the owners tended to overestimate their cats' life expectancy. Owners also felt they had reasonably accurate estimations of adverse effects of treatment and number of return visits, but underestimated the costs required for an intervention. For owners who elect an intervention, a reminder from the veterinarian that emotional upheavals may develop even after the decision has been made is important. To provide optimal patient care and client education, veterinarians must find a middle ground between being knowledgeable, practical, and informed, and being compassionate and approachable.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Help-seeking for AIDS high-risk sexual behavior among gay and bisexual African-American men.

Help-seeking for AIDS high-risk sexual behavior and its association with HIV status were examined among 318 gay and bisexual men in the San Francisco Bay Area who participated in the African American Men's Health Project, a longitudinal survey of gay and bisexual African-American men. A third (36%) of the sample reported seeking help regarding their concerns about HIV high-risk sexual behavior. Peers and professionals were the most widely sought sources of help and the sources perceived to be the most helpful. Men (39%) who had received the HIV antibody test and who were HIV seropositive were more likely to seek help than men who were HIV seronegative or did not know their HIV status (25%). Furthermore, gay men who were HIV seropositive or who knew their serostatus were more likely to seek help from professionals and peers. Explanations for the differences in help-seeking by HIV-seropositive men are discussed with implications for the development of social support for HIV risk reduction among gay and bisexual African-American men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Crime laboratory proficiency testing results, 1978-1991, II: Resolving questions of common origin.

A preceding article has examined the origins of crime laboratory proficiency testing and the performance of laboratories in the identification and classification of common types of physical evidence. Part II reviews laboratory proficiency in determining if two or more evidence samples shared a common source. Parts I and II together review the results of 175 separate tests issued to crime laboratories over the period 1978 to 1991. Laboratories perform best in determining the origin of finger and palm prints, metals, firearms (bullets and catridge cases), and footwear. Laboratories have moderate success in determining the source of bloodstains, questioned documents, toolmarks, and hair. A final category is of greater concern and includes those evidence categories where 10% or more of results disagree with manufacturers regarding the source of samples. This latter group includes paint, glass, fibers, and body fluid mixtures. The article concludes with a comparison of current findings with earlier LEAA study results, and a discussion of judicial and policy implications.

Body Fluids↗
PubMed1995

Crime laboratory proficiency testing results, 1978-1991, I: Identification and classification of physical evidence.

The proficiency testing of crime laboratories began in the mid-1970s and presently assumes an important role in quality assurance programs within most forensic laboratories. This article reviews the origins and early results of this testing program and also examines the progress of proficiency testing in allied scientific fields. Beginning in 1978, a fee-based crime laboratory proficiency testing program was launched and has grown to its present level involving almost 400 laboratories worldwide. This is the first of two articles that review the objectives, limitations and results of this testing from 1978 through 1991. Part I reviews the success of laboratories in the identification and classification of common evidence types: controlled substances, flammables, explosives, fibers, bloodstains, and hairs. Laboratories enjoy a high degree of success in identifying drugs and classifying (typing) bloodstains. They are moderately successful in identifying flammables, explosives, and fibers. Animal hair identification and human hair body location results are troublesome. The second paper will review the proficiency of crime laboratories in determining if two or more evidentiary samples shared a common origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The Clinician-Administered Rating Scale for Mania (CARS-M): development, reliability, and validity.

There are currently seven rating scales available to assess manic symptomatology. All, however, have some limitations that could restrict their clinical and research utility. To resolve these deficiencies the Clinician-Administered Rating Scale for Mania (CARS-M) was developed and normed on 96 patients with mixed diagnoses during baseline and following treatment. Interrater reliability was established across multiple raters viewing 14 videotaped interviews and comparing agreement among individual items and total scores. Test-retest reliability was assessed on 36 patients twice during baseline. The mean intraclass correlation coefficient among five raters across items for each of the 14 patients was 0.81, and for total scores 0.93. Principal components analysis of items revealed two factors: mania, and psychosis. Test-retest reliability was significant for both factors (range = 0.78 to 0.95). Internal validity, comparing each item with its respective total factor score, revealed significant correlations for all items. Correlation of CARS-M total scores with mania rating scale (MRS) total scores was 0.94. Results indicate the CARS-M is both a reliable and valid measure of the severity of manic symptomatology, which incorporates a number of methodological improvements leading to greater precision and clinical utility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in survivors of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death without inducible arrhythmias.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in survivors of sudden cardiac death in whom no ventricular arrhythmias can be induced with programmed electrical stimulation. BACKGROUND: Survivors of sudden cardiac death in whom ventricular arrhythmias cannot be induced with programmed electrical stimulation remain at risk for recurrence of serious arrhythmias. Optimal protection to prevent sudden death in these patients is uncertain. This study compares survival in the subset of survivors of sudden cardiac death with that of patients treated with or without an ICD. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 194 consecutive survivors of primary sudden death who had < or = 6 beats of ventricular tachycardia induced with programmed electrical stimulation with at least three extrastimuli. Ninety-nine patients received an ICD and 95 did not. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in presenting rhythm, number of prior myocardial infarctions or use of antiarrhythmic agents. Patients treated with an ICD were younger (55 +/- 16 vs. 59 +/- 11 years, p = 0.03) and had a lesser incidence of coronary artery disease (48% vs. 63%, p = 0.04) and a lower ejection fraction (0.43 +/- 0.16 vs. 0.48 +/- 0.18, p = 0.04). There were no significant differences between the groups in the use of revascularization procedures or antiarrhythmic agents after the sudden cardiac death. Patients treated with an ICD had an improvement in sudden cardiac death-free survival (p = 0.04) but the overall survival rate did not differ from that of the patients not so treated (p = 0.91). A multivariate regression analysis that adjusted for the observed differences between the groups did not alter these results. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of sudden cardiac death in whom no arrhythmias could be induced with programmed electrical stimulation remained at risk for arrhythmia recurrence. Although the proportion of deaths attributed to arrhythmias was lower in the patients treated with an ICD, this therapy did not significantly improve overall survival.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1992

Acute sterile hemorrhagic cystitis after a single intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide in three dogs.

Three dogs receiving cyclophosphamide IV as part of a combination chemotherapeutic regimen developed macrohematuria, stranguria, and pollakiuria within 24 hours of administration of the first dose of this drug. An 11-year-old spayed mixed-breed dog with an oral squamous cell carcinoma was administered 250 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2 of body surface, whereas a 4-year-old castrated male Gordon Setter was treated with 100 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2 and a 6-year-old male German Shepherd Dog with a cutaneous hemangiosarcoma was administered 140 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2. Aerobic bacterial culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and urinalysis were performed on urine obtained by cystocentesis from all 3 dogs after hematuria was observed. Sterile hemorrhagic cystitis was diagnosed on the basis of large numbers of RBC in the urine, lack of pathogens on bacterial culturing of urine, and clinical signs. Although cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in dogs has been reported in the literature numerous times, acute episodes developing within 24 hours of administration of the first dose have not been reported in this species with the use of therapeutic doses. Therefore, appropriate precautionary steps should be taken, even when the drug is being administered intermittently.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related protein, PTH, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in dogs with cancer-associated hypercalcemia.

Circulating N-terminal PTH-related protein (PTHrP), N-terminal PTH, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D] concentrations were measured in normal dogs and dogs with cancer-associated hypercalcemia (CAH), parathyroid adenomas, and miscellaneous tumors. PTHrP was undetectable (less than 1.8 pM) in normal dogs and increased in dogs with CAH due to adenocarcinomas derived from apocrine glands of the anal sac (44.9 +/- 27 pM), lymphoma (8.3 +/- 4.4 pM), and miscellaneous carcinomas (13.3 +/- 11.4 pM). The PTHrP concentration decreased in dogs with lymphoma and anal sac adenocarcinomas after successful treatment of CAH. The PTHrP concentration had a significant linear correlation with total serum calcium in dogs with anal sac adenocarcinomas and hypercalcemia, but not in dogs with lymphoma and hypercalcemia. Serum N-terminal PTH concentrations were usually in the normal range (12-34 pg/ml) for all groups of dogs except dogs with parathyroid adenomas (83 +/- 38 pg/ml). The serum PTH concentration increased after successful treatment of CAH. Serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentrations were decreased, normal, or increased in dogs with CAH, and 1,25-(OH)2D levels decreased after treatment of CAH. In summary, circulating concentrations of PTHrP are consistently increased in dogs with CAH, and PTHrP appears to play an important role in the induction of hypercalcemia.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1992

High-risk sexual behavior and condom use among gay and bisexual African-American men.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) high-risk sexual practices of gay and bisexual African-American men. These data are needed so that better interventions can be developed and implemented in this population. METHODS: The frequency and correlates of unprotected anal intercourse were examined among 250 gay and bisexual African-American men in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cohort was recruited in 1990 from bars, bathhouses, and erotic bookstores, and through African-American gay organizations, street outreach, advertisements in gay mainstream and African-American newspapers, health clinics, and personal referral from other participants. RESULTS: More than 50% of the men in our sample reported having unprotected anal intercourse in the past 6 months, a considerably higher percentage than that among gay White men in San Francisco through 1988 and 1989. Men who practiced unprotected anal intercourse were more likely to be poor, to have been paid for sex, or to have used injection drugs; to have a higher perceived risk of HIV infection; and to report less social support for concerns about risky sexual behavior. Condom norms, condom efficacy, and negative expectations about using condoms predicted these men's failure to use them. CONCLUSION: In the second decade of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic, risk reduction programs are still needed for gay and bisexual African-American men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Multi-institutional privileging: a pilot demonstration project of the United States Navy and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The U.S. Navy and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have undertaken a 3-year multi-institutional privileging project. The concept involves granting privileges in one Navy facility that are recognized throughout the system during the staff appointment period. It entails: (1) use of specialty-specific standardized privilege lists, (2) designation of one authority at a time to grant the appointment with privileges, (3) use of a single credentials file during the practitioner's career, and (4) medical staff bylaws applicable to the entire system. The concept is potentially useful in other armed services, the Veterans Administration, and some civilian systems.

Hospitals, Military↗
PubMed1992

Correlates of HIV risk behaviors in black and white San Francisco heterosexuals: the population-based AIDS in multiethnic neighborhoods (AMEN) study.

This study, the first random household probability sample of unmarried adults in an HIV epicenter, examined the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk behaviors among sexually active unmarried heterosexual white and black adults (n = 848) in San Francisco, California. Racial or gender differences were found in the HIV risk factors among the men and women in our sample. More whites (17% men, 15% women) than blacks (12% men, 5% women) reported they had ever used injection drugs. White women were more likely to report that they had a sexual partner who used injection drugs (17%) than white men (11%), black women (5%), or black men (4%). Also, men were more likely than women to have had two or more sexual partners in the past year without using condoms: 43% of white men compared to 34% of white women and 40% of black men compared to 24% of black women. Among all ethnic and gender groups, more than half of those at sexual risk for HIV infection reported never using condoms. Of those at risk, more black women (75%) than white women (53%) reported they never used condoms with their sexual partners within the past year. However, only slightly more black men (62%) than white men (60%) at sexual risk for HIV reported they never used condoms with their sexual partners during the past year. High levels of HIV risk behaviors were associated with low income, not having a primary sexual partner, less enjoyment of condoms, and greater barriers to using condoms. The results support the need for major intervention programs and social marketing campaigns to promote the use of condoms by enhancing enjoyment of and reducing barriers to condom use, especially among sexual partners of black women.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Toxoplasmosis in two cats with inflammatory intestinal disease.

Lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis, a chronic inflammatory intestinal disease, was diagnosed in 2 cats. In 1 cat, recurrence of clinical signs after initiating treatment was attributed to relapse of the inflammatory intestinal disease, but was found to be attributable to relapsing toxoplasmosis secondary to immunosuppressive drug therapy. Treatment with clindamycin resolved the recurrent toxoplasmosis. In the second cat, clinical signs of toxoplasmosis did not develop, but serologic testing yielded evidence of active toxoplasmosis. Treatment with clindamycin caused the titers to decrease. Relapsing toxoplasmosis may be responsible for apparent resistance to treatment in cats for inflammatory intestinal disease being treated with immunosuppressive drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Television viewing and early initiation of sexual intercourse: is there a link?

Using data from the National Survey of Children, this paper examines the hypothesis that the amount of time children spend viewing television and the extent to which the content viewed is sexual in nature is related to the initiation of sexual activity. Several theories that would lead to this hypothesis are reviewed. The data do not provide any strong or consistent evidence for such links. However, some aspects of the context in which television is viewed are related to sexual activity. The authors suggest ways in which the design and measures could be strengthened to provide a more rigorous test of the hypothesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Positive justice reasoning in deaf and hearing children before and after exposure to cognitive conflict.

The development of positive justice reasoning in profoundly deaf, signing Australian 7- to 12-year-olds and hearing children was compared. Reactions to cognitive conflict were also assessed. The performance of those deaf children whose signed English skills were adequate to give detailed justifications for reward allocation was examined separately. The deaf children were delayed relative to hearing children in number and liquid conservation, but equally mature in justice reasoning. Spontaneous conflicts with signing peers over sharing possessions conceivably could be responsible for the fluently signing deaf children's development of positive justice reasoning on pace with their normally-hearing counterparts. Experimentally-induced conflict resulted in progress for the hearing but not the deaf children. Results are discussed in relation to factors that promote deaf children's tolerance for ambiguity (Brice, 1985) and impede their resolution of cognitive conflict (Liben, 1978).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Older men's and women's relationships with adult kin: how equitable are they?

Recent research has shown that satisfying casual relationships and short-term intimacies among young adults tend to be characterized by mutual perceptions of global equity or a proportional subjective balance between each partner's overall inputs and gains. The present study extended the measurement of global equity perceptions to sixty-two elderly men's and women's relationships with their frequently-contacted spouses, adult children, and aged parents. A comparison group of forty younger adults likewise rated the equity of their marriages and relationships with elderly parents and grandparents. Results showed that the majority of both generations' involvements with all categories of immediate adult kin were seen as globally equitable. In addition, most departures from strict equity involved respondents feeling subjectively overbenefited rather than underbenefited. Theories of kinship exchange in longstanding and elderly relationships were considered. The possibilities either of subjective biases in longstanding intimates' perceptions and/or of a link between social disengagement and underbenefit during old age enabled reconciliation of the present findings with theoretical predictions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Age, sex, and contact with elderly adults as predictors of knowledge about psychological aging.

Using an instrument developed in the United States to assess students' knowledge of mental health in old age, the present study tested 179 Australian undergraduates who varied in age, sex, and the frequency of their contact with aged people at home, at work, and in the neighborhood. As predicted, women scored higher than men and scores rose with age and with contact when age was partialed out. Unexpectedly, Australian students averaged two more items correct than the American students for whom the test was developed. Implications for teaching are considered.

Adult↗