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Biomedical subjects

B Cassidy

Publications and source records attributed to B Cassidy.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Information technology and today's health care management.

With the move to CPR, health information managers will be challenged to reengineer the ways they manage processes within the medical record department. A lot of age-old health information problems (i.e., missing documents, lost test results, and missing records) can be solved and productivity improved with imaging. The digitized records will allow simultaneous access to readily available, legible, and usable information for patient care, research, audits, and correspondence. However, the transition from a manual to computerized record presents many challenges. Health information managers will have to monitor the changeover carefully, anticipating the needs for new information and developing the necessary mechanisms to produce it, as well as implementing new technologies as they emerge. Conditions are right for an advance in health care information systems. Pressures and changes in structure in the health care industry require better management tools. Acceptance of HIS as a management tool is growing rapidly among the health care provider community. The technology to realize the CPR and advanced decision support systems is available. All the pieces are there--they just need to come together. As the health care organization's view of and need for information systems change, medical record professionals must draw on their knowledge and experience and make the transition from managers of record systems to managers of health care information systems.

Decision Support Systems, Management↗
PubMed1991

Implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) in hospitals: lessons learned from the International Quality Study.

Continuous Quality Improvement is in the process of being implemented in hospitals around the world. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the "best management practices" the International Quality Study is being conducted in four countries--Canada, Germany, Japan and the United States--and across four industries--Health Care, Banking, Automotive and Computers. Information collected through a survey process will be analysed through causal modeling to determine correlations between management practices and achievement of quality objectives. Given both the complexity of the models and the number of key concepts involved, 400 hospitals have been invited to participate. The preliminary results show direct correlations between cultural influences and the concept of quality. The perceived definition of quality by the various countries varies and therefore the application of "quality concepts" differs. Once complete, this database of "best management practices" will serve as a worldwide benchmark for quality progress.

Canada↗
PubMed1990

Streptococcus bovis meningitis: report of 2 cases.

We describe 2 cases of Streptococcus bovis meningitis and review the 9 cases previously reported. This microorganism is a rare cause of meningitis in which there are no distinctive clinical or laboratory features. The Gram stain of the CSF is usually negative. Ten of the 11 cases had some underlying disease or comorbid condition that predisposed to S bovis infection: gastrointestinal disorder, endocarditis, CSF leak, polymyalgia rheumatica, and mandibular block. Treatment with high-dose penicillin is usually adequate.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Maintenance chemotherapy in limited small cell lung cancer: a randomised controlled clinical trial.

In a prospective randomised study 68 patients with limited small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were assigned to induction treatment with combined alternating non-cross-resistant chemotherapy plus split course radiotherapy without (NM) or with (M) subsequent maintenance therapy. Induction chemotherapy consisted of cisplatinum and VP16213q. 3 weeks followed by cyclophosphamide, vincristine and methotrexate (CVM)q. 4 weeks. Three courses of this 7-week chemotherapy programme were given. Radiotherapy to the primary lesion of 25 Gy in 13 fractions was given after each of the first and second courses of chemotherapy. Those in complete remission following the induction phase received prophylactic cranial irradiation. Those assigned to maintenance received a further six cycles of CVM after induction. The overall survival of patients randomised to maintenance therapy was significantly inferior to that of those randomised to no maintenance therapy (median survival NM 19.2 vs M 14.1 months, P = 0.05 log rank). Among patients achieving a complete remission of disease on induction therapy those receiving maintenance also showed a trend towards inferior survival (median survival NM 26.8 vs 18.0 months, P = 0.06 log rank). Deaths in each group of patients were predominantly due to tumour progression. The results do not support the use of maintenance chemotherapy after the use of intensive combined therapy induction programmes in the management of limited small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Regions upstream from the core promoter of the rat ribosomal gene are required for the formation of a stable transcription initiation complex by RNA polymerase I in vitro.

The sites required for the formation of a stable transcription initiation complex and for the initiation of transcription of rat rDNA in vitro were examined. A series of 5' deletion mutants of the rat transcription initiation region (-167 through +638) were constructed. These mutants were examined for their ability to support the faithful initiation of transcription in vitro. Mutants which contain less than 31 nucleotides upstream of the initiation site (+1) were unable to support detectable initiation of transcription. In this transcription system a series of deletion mutants from -167 to -31 were transcribed with equal efficiency when assayed individually. On the other hand, when the wild-type and mutant templates were compared in order-of-addition assays, they were found to be unequal. The incubation of an extract with a wild-type template, prior to the addition of nucleotides, precluded transcription of any second template added after the preincubation step. However, the preincubation of extract with mutants of the region upstream of the core promoter, from -122 to -31, did not preclude transcription of a wild-type template added after the preincubation step. Formation of the stable preinitiation complex was found to require the region between and -167.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Characterization of rat ribosomal DNA II. identification of the highly repetitive DNA in the 3' non-transcribed spacer.

The nucleotide sequence of one of the non-transcribed spacer subclones, p1.7, from the region 3' to rat 45 S pre-rRNA has been determined. Within 1612 base-pairs, the fragment contains two distinct regions of highly repetitive DNA, one of which can serve as a site for initiation in vitro by RNA polymerase III. The first is the alternating purine-pyrimidine sequence (A-C)21. The second of these regions has 95% homology to the identifier sequence and served as the template for RNA polymerase III transcription in vitro. The in vitro polymerase III template is aligned in opposite polarity to the direction of transcription of 45 S rRNA. Located near the identifier sequence is a region that is 59% homologous to the type-II Alu sequences. It would seem, therefore, that members of more than one highly repetitive sequence family have accumulated in the non-transcribed spacers. These data also suggest that within the non-transcribed spacers these families have evolved (sequence variation) at different rates, until one of them, the Alu type-II-like element, may represent a new Alu type-II subfamily.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of rat ribosomal DNA. The highly repetitive sequences that flank the ribosomal RNA transcription unit are homologous and contain RNA polymerase III transcription initiation sites.

The non-transcribed spacers (NTS) of the ribosomal genes of a number of organisms have been studied and were found to contain repetitive sequences. In these studies with plasmid subclones of NTS, designated p3.4, p2.6 and p1.7, which come from both 5' and 3' flanking regions of the rat ribosomal genes, respectively, it has been determined that these sequences are found elsewhere within the genome. Southern hybridization analysis has demonstrated that the 5' and 3' NTS subclones cross-hybridize, and that the cross-hybridizing regions are synonymous with the highly repetitive regions. Sequences homologous to the rat NTS were specifically localized to both 5' and 3' flanking regions as well as to a number of the introns of cloned genes including rat serum albumin, rat alpha-fetoprotein, rat casein and human serum albumin. No hybridization was detected of the 5' NTS subclone to the human Alu sequence clone, Blur 8, or to the rodent equivalent, a clone containing Chinese hamster ovary type I and II Alu sequences. However, as reported for type II Alu sequences, the subcloned rat NTS sequences contain RNA polymerase III initiation sites and also hybridize to a number of small RNAs, but not 4.5 S or 7 S RNA. Sequence analysis of two distinct repetitive regions in p1.7 has revealed a region of alternating purine-pyrimidine nucleotides, potentially of Z DNA, and stretches of repetitive sequences. The possible roles for these repetitive sequences in recombination and in maintaining a hierarchical structure for the ribosomal genes are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

The nucleotide sequence of 8 S RNA bound to preribosomal RNA of Novikoff hepatoma. The 5'-end of 8 S RNA is 5.8 S RNA.

8 S RNA of Novikoff hepatoma was characterized by fingerprinting, sequencing gels, and by hybridization to rat ribosomal DNA clones. The data obtained show that 8 S RNA is 273 or 274 nucleotides long; ribosomal 5.8 S RNA is its 5'-terminal 156 nucleotides. All the post-transcriptional modifications found in 5.8 S rRNA were also found in 8 S RNA; no other modifications were found. The 3'-terminal 118 nucleotides were consistent with the adjoining internal transcribed spacer sequence in rDNA (Subrahmanyam, C. S., Cassidy, B., Busch, H., and Rothblum, L. (1982) Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 3667-3680). Based on its nucleolar localization, the finding that all the 8 S RNA is hydrogen-bonded to preribosomal RNA and its consistency in sequence to the cloned rat ribosomal DNA sequence, it appears that 8 S RNA is a relatively stable intermediate in the formation of 5.8 S rRNA from 45 S pre-rRNA. This stable intermediate RNA may be a useful substrate for studies on rRNA processing and for studies on eukaryotic rRNA-processing enzyme(s).

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Transcription initiation site of rat ribosomal DNA.

The sequence of 1,100 nucleotides surrounding the transcription initiation site of a cloned rat ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) has been determined. The location of the 5' terminus of 45S pre-rRNA was determined by S1 nuclease mapping, reverse transcriptase elongation and confirmed by in vitro capping of 45S rRNA and in vitro transcription. Two different plasmid subclones, from two separate genomic clones of rat rDNA, contained the identical sequence surrounding the transcription initiation site: -10GGAGATATAT 1GCTGACACGC TGTCCTTTTG+20. Relatively long, greater than 15 base pairs, regions of sequence homology were found when the sequences of the initiation regions of rat and mouse rDNA (Urano, Y., Kominami, R., Mishima, Y., and Muramatsu, M., Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 6043-6058, 1980) were compared. When both the rat and mouse sequences were compared to that of human rDNA (G. Wilson, personal communication) a sequence of 15 nucleotides immediately following the initiation sites were found to be preserved.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Nucleotide sequence of the region between the 18S rRNA sequence and the 28S rRNA sequence of rat ribosomal DNA.

The DNA sequence of the intragenic region of the rat 45S ribosomal RNA precursor was determined. This sequence contains 2282 nucleotides and extends from the conserved EcoR I site near the 3' terminus of 18S rRNA to 69 nucleotides downstream of the 5' terminus of 28S rRNA. The sequences corresponding to 18S and 5.8S rRNA were identified by comparison with previously published data. The 5' terminus of rat 28S rRNA was identified by S1 nuclease protection and reverse transcriptase elongation assays. The internal transcribed spacers were found to be 1066 and 765 nucleotides long and had little homology with those of Xenopus and yeast. Regions of sequence homology between rat and Xenopus were found at the junctions of the internal transcribed spacers with 18S, 5.8S and 28S rRNA. These homologies suggest that these sequences may function as recognition sites for the processing of the ribosomal precursor RNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Isolation and characterization of rat ribosomal DNA clones.

Four EcoRI fragments, which contain the transcribed portion of the rat rDNA repeat, have been isolated from a rat genome library cloned in lambda Charon 4A vector. Three of the fragments, 9.6, 6.7, and 4.5 kb, from clones lambda ChR-B4, lambda Nr-42, and lambda ChR-C4B9, contained part of the 5'-NTS, the 5'-ETS, 18S rDNA, ITS-1, 5.8S rDNA, 28S rDNA and approximately 3.5 kb of the 3'-NTS. Two EcoRI fragments, from clones lambda ChR-B4 and lambda ChR-B7E12, which coded for the 5'-NTS, the ETS, and most of the 18S rDNA, differed by 1 kb near the EcoRI site upstream of the 5' terminus of 18S rRNA. Restriction maps of the cloned DNA fragments were constructed by cleavage of the fragments with various restriction endonucleases and Southern hybridization with 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rRNA. These maps were confirmed and extended by subcloning several regions of the repeat in pBR322.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Feasibility studies of evoked response audiometry in the mentally subnormal.

Evoked response audiometry was attempted on a group of seventy-seven unsedated severly subnormal patients up to the age of twenty-two years. Data of some clinical value were obtained in fifty-seven cases. It is suggested that sedation need only be used if the initial attempt at E.R.A. is unsuccessful. Over twenty per cent of the subjects appeared to have significant hearing loss.

Acoustic Stimulation↗