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Biomedical subjects

L Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to L Cooper.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Factors relating to urine spraying and fighting in prepubertally gonadectomized cats.

The fact that male cats are routinely castrated prior to full sexual maturity for behavioral reasons prompted a survey of the prevalence of these behaviors in prepubertally gonadectomized male and female cats. About 10% of the 134 male and 5% of the 152 female cats studied engaged in spraying on a frequent basis later in adult life. Problem spraying and fighting in males was of the same order of magnitude as in males castrated in adulthood after the problem behaviors had appeared. The age of prepubertal castration, ranging from 6 to 10 months, had no influence on spraying or fighting later in life. It was found that male cats are more likely to spray and fight if they are in households with female cats than with other male cats. With regard to female cats, spraying or fighting was less than that of male cats. Age at the time of gonadectomy was not a factor in their tendency to spray or fight. Possible prenatal masculinization of female fetuses by male fetuses, as revealed by littermate composition, was not a factor in the predisposition of female cats to spray or fight.

Aggression↗
PubMed1984

Vitamin A supplementation and plasma retinol levels: a randomized trial among women.

Although dietary intake of vitamin A has little, if any, overall effect on blood retinol in generally well-nourished populations, subgroups may exist that would be responsive to supplementation. The hypothesis that vitamin A supplementation increases blood retinol in apparently well-fed individuals with lower than usual blood levels was tested in female health workers, with relatively low blood retinol values, who were randomly assigned to receive vitamin A (10,000 IU daily) or placebo. After 4 weeks the mean change in plasma retinol was -0.4 micrograms/dl for the group receiving placebo and +4.1 micrograms/dl (an increase of 9% over base-line values) for the group receiving vitamin A (P = .02). The results were similar when the base-line retinol level and several other covariates were considered. Thirteen women who had initially received placebo were then switched to vitamin A for 4 weeks. These women experienced a mean increase of 5.3 micrograms/dl in plasma retinol (P = .04). Responses to vitamin A supplementation tend to be greater among women with lower previous total vitamin A intake, as assessed by questionnaire [Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) = 0.50; P = .01].

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1982

Effects of chest wall compressions in kittens.

Effects of chest compressions on the pattern of breathing were studied in pentobarbital anaesthetized 9- to 11-day-old kittens before and after vagotomy. The chest was compressed by means of a micrometer at three levels (T1-4, T6-8, T9-11). In intact and vagotomized kittens, the group mean values of inspiratory time (tI), expiratory (tE) time, peak amplitude of the integrated phrenic activity (PHR) and its rate of rise (PHR/tI) during compressions were not different from those of the control breaths. On the other hand, in intact kittens during chest compressions variability of all the measured variables significantly increased. In the vagotomized kittens, variability of parameters other than inspiratory time was unaffected. Nevertheless we cannot exclude contribution of extravagal receptors in control of tE. The tE effects could be masked by the increased variability of the control value in vagotomized kittens. The effects of chest compression on the integrated phrenic activity were mostly dependent on the intact vagal feedback.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

The pathomechanics of gait in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Forty-six separate gait studies were analysed for 21 ambulatory patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Three groups were defined on the basis of significant gait variables: early, transitional and late. Disease progression can be predicted with 91 per cent accuracy by three gait variables: cadence, dorsiflexion in swing, and anterior pelvic tilt. The patients in the early group manifested a positive Gower's sign but gait changes were subtle, being principally slightly increased hip flexion in swing, decreased dorsiflexion in swing and reduction in cadence. The force line moved in front of the knee center early in single-limb support. In the transitional stage, anterior pelvic tilt was exaggerated, cadence was further reduced, and foot drop in swing phase was increased. Shoulder sway was noted as a compensation for gluteus medius weakness. The base of support widened. The force line remained behind the hip joint and in front of the knee joint throughout single-limb support. In the late stage, work output increased, cadence continued to drop, shoulder sway increased further, and there was a wider base of support. The force line remained very close to the center of the hip and in front of the knee at all times during single-limb support. The authors' conclusions are: (1) the earliest postural change in gait is increased lumbar lordosis secondary to gluteus maximus weakness, and at this time the quadriceps are relatively competent; (2) quadriceps insufficiency was the key factor in gait deterioration. It appeared in the transitional stage and was characterized by exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt, restricted hip extension in stance phase, equinus posturing, and maintenance of the force line in front of the knee throughout single-limb support. Long-leg bracing is indicated when these signs of quadriceps insufficiency are noted.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1979

Systems issues in psychiatric treatment of adolescents in their community.

The psychiatric treatment of adolescents is analyzed as having, on the one hand, staff and client subsystems interacting continuously and, on the other hand, cross-boundary transactions between the treatment program and two other systems, the neighborhood and the community mental health system of which the program is a part. Through the use of the concepts of boundaries and mirroring, it is possible to explain more clearly how certain dramatic events relate to adolescent psychology and to the treatment tasks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Clinical and administrative synthesis in adolescent treatment: search for a sane integration of thought and action.

In working as administrator and clinician (co-director and head psychologist) of a day and residential treatment facility for disturbed adolescents, I have become acutely aware of some of the difficulties of integrating both roles. To keep rooted in the concrete, I have described the program with which I am involved in particular as to crucial client and staff dynamics. By drawing on concepts from systems theory (as system integrity and cross-boundary interactions) and psychoanalytic theory (unconscious testing), I have tried in this paper to sketch a framework for bringing the two separate roles into a single way of thinking and give some examples of how this kind of synthesized approach can be useful and powerful. The two concrete examples focus (1) on the more administrative issue of program design, and (2) on a more clinical case of child abuse.

Adolescent↗