Biomedical subjects

Charlotte L Clarke

Publications and source records attributed to Charlotte L Clarke.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Catalytic superoxide scavenging by metal complexes of the calcium chelator EGTA and contrast agent EHPG.

Metal ion chelators widely used in experimental protocols and clinical diagnosis are generally assumed to be inert. We previously reported that the ubiquitous chelator EDTA has high levels of superoxide suppressing activity. Here, we report that the common chelators calcium chelator EGTA and contrast agent EHPG have significant activities in suppressing superoxide levels depending on the nature of metal ion chelated. The most active species is Mn(II)-EGTA which exhibited an IC50 value of 0.19 microM for superoxide destruction. In addition, IC50 values for Mn(II)-EHPG and 2Cu(II)-EGTA were 0.69 and 0.60 microM, respectively. In conclusion, Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes of the common chelators EGTA and EHPG exhibit considerable superoxide scavenging activities. Caution should be employed in their use in biological systems where superoxide has a key role and they may be useful for the development of catalytic anti-oxidants.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

The discipline of improvement: something old, something new?

In response to calls to improve the efficacy of health care services, there is an increasing focus on the processes of achieving a continuous improvement of services and practices. One specific response is that of the NHS Modernization Agency and National Health Service University in relation to the Discipline of Improvement in Health and Social Care. This paper draws on a study that explored the underpinning knowledge base of the Discipline of Improvement and focuses on describing the framework that was developed. The two-dimensional framework is composed of five primary categories, which cross-link to 11 competencies. The study concludes that the Discipline of Improvement draws together a group of ideas that together cohere to form a distinctive model to aid the improvement of health care. While some of these ideas are well-established, the way in which the Discipline of Improvement makes connections between them offers something new to our understanding of change in the complex world of health care provision, and to nursing management.

Benchmarking↗

PubMed2002

Seeing need and developing care: exploring knowledge for and from practice.

The use and creation of knowledge by practitioners is complex. There is a contemporary emphasis on the implementation of knowledge, or evidence, derived from outside the immediate practice environment. However, there is also an appreciation of the context-specific nature of practitioner knowledge that they use to inform patient care, and that is derived from their intimate contact with patients. This paper described one study that sought to analyse the impact of developments in practice on the wider professional and organisational community. Three case study sites were identified through a multidimensional sampling matrix, and interviews conducted with 41 practitioners of various organisational positions and professions. The primacy of context-specific, or proximal knowledge was highlighted, together with a manipulation of evidence and policy to fit understandings of local patient need.

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗