ABSTRACT
This report attempts to delineate the nature of "Nerves" using data collected from 101 Social Security Disability petitioners from Eastern Kentucky. Statistical analysis of Cornell Medical Index items reveals a relatively unique constellation of symptoms for individuals claiming disability primarily due to "Nerves" rather than somatic or mental causes. The report concludes that "Nerves" serves as a useful clinical label for a fairly consistent pattern of somatic and emotional complaints incorporating the distinctive Appalachian world view and life style.
Subject(s)
Conversion Disorder/psychology , Psychophysiologic Disorders/psychology , Adult , Conversion Disorder/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Disability Evaluation , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Kentucky , Male , Mental Disorders/psychology , Psychological Tests , Psychophysiologic Disorders/diagnosisABSTRACT
Administered the Rotter I-E scale to 135 psychiatric disability petitioners in connection with their clinical evaluation for the Social Security Administration. Internal vs. External Locus of Control (I-E), Personal Locus of Control (PLC) subscale, and Sociopolitical Locus of Control (SLC) subscale scores were analyzed with respect to diagnostic groups. While no significant differences were found among the diagnostic groups for I-E or PLC subscale scores, SLC subscale scores were significantly different (p less than .02), with externality inversely related to degree of impairment. The report concludes that the disability petitioners, especially the less impaired, see themselves in adversarial relationships with sociopolitical forces, i.e., the Social Security Administration, with this attitude reflected in the SLC subscale scores.
Subject(s)
Disability Evaluation , Internal-External Control , Mental Disorders/psychology , Humans , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Neurotic Disorders/psychology , Psychotic Disorders/psychology , Set, Psychology , Social Security , Social ValuesSubject(s)
Neurotic Disorders/diagnosis , Adult , Appalachian Region , Culture , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , SyndromeABSTRACT
The use of maltotetraose ss a new substrate for the enzyme-coupled determination of amylase activity in biological fluids was developed by Beckman Microbics. We evaluated a manual and a centrifugal analyzer version of the method in comparison with two commonly used manual starch-dye amylase techniques: Roche Amylochrome and Pharmacia Phadebas. Both maltotetraose amylase procedures proved to be rapid and precise, and results correlated satisfactorily with the starch-dye methods for serum and urine samples.
Subject(s)
Amylases/blood , Amylases/urine , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Autoanalysis , Humans , Kinetics , Maltose/analogs & derivatives , Oligosaccharides , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methodsABSTRACT
The homogeneous enzyme immunoassay (EMIT) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedures for the quantitation of theophylline concentrations in serum were evaluated and compared. Both methods exhibited curves linear over the therapeutic range (range of concentration, 2.0-33.0 microgram/ml). Precision was acceptable for both methods with the coefficient of variation being less than 8.3%. The RIA procedure was found to be slightly more precise. The correlations between the EMIT and RIA procedures was found to be sufficient to allow the procedures to be used interchangeably. This would facilitate the test availability on a 24 hr, 7 day basis.
Subject(s)
Immunoenzyme Techniques , Radioimmunoassay , Theophylline/blood , HumansABSTRACT
The operational characteristics of the Gilford System 3500 were evaluated for six months as to accuracy, precision, carry-over, reliability, and ease of operation. Accuracy was evaluated by comparison to manual methods of established accuracy. The tests evaluated and their respective correlation coefficients are as follows: glucose (0.99), blood urea nitrogen (0.99), calcium (0.97), total bilirubin (0.99), aspartate aminotransferase (0.97), alkaline phosphatase (0.98), albumin (0.96), and total protein (0.96). Within-run precision (CV) for three commercial calibration sera of differing analyte concentrations (low, intermediate, and high) were respectively: 0.69, 1.02, 1.18; 5.4, 1.2, 1.09; 0.83, 0.77, 0.86; 5.9, 1.0, 0.86; 6.4, 5.2, 2.1; 3.7, 1.5, 1.3; 0.0, 1.4, 0.97; and 1.2, 1.3, 0.75. Day-to-day precision, similarly evaluated during 101-164 days, met accepted criteria for clinically acceptable precision. Carry-over for each of the eight tests was less than 1%. Instrument reliability has been excellent, and training time is short. In summary, we have found the Gilford System 3500 to be sufficiently precise and fast, easy to operate, highly accurate, and flexible.
Subject(s)
Autoanalysis , Blood Chemical Analysis , Alkaline Phosphatase/blood , Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood , Bilirubin/blood , Blood Glucose/analysis , Blood Proteins/analysis , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Calcium/blood , Computers , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Quality Control , Serum Albumin/analysisABSTRACT
We describe an enzymatic method, requiring only 10 mul of serum, for determining CO2 as bicarbonate or dissolved gas. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase catalyzes the reaction of HCO3- with phosphoenolypyruvate to give oxalacetate. The resulting NADH, in the presence of malate dehydrogenase, is oxidized to NAD+, and the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm is directly proportional to the amount of CO2 present in the sample. Reaction is complete in 3 to 6 min under assay conditions, and is linearly related to CO2 concentrations between 8 and 65 mmol/liter. Analytical recovery is 95-110% (average, 101%). Two laboratories compared values obtained by continuous-flow analysis. The resulting correlation coefficients were 0.966 and 0.987, values for the t-test were t(paired) equals 0.473 and t(paired) equals 0.334, and average day-to-day precisions (three concentrations) were 3.9% and 4.2%.
