Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D L Harris

Publications and source records attributed to D L Harris.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Clinical competencies of graduating medical students.

In a survey conducted by the authors, the goals of medical school curricula regarding the clinical competencies of graduating students were explored. Inventories listing 83 clinical skills were sent to 123 U.S. medical schools and to 462 volunteer clinical faculty members at the University of Utah School of Medicine. The responding medical schools singled out 43 clinical skills as definite goals of their curricula, and the practicing physicians identified 49 clinical skills in which graduating medical students should be competent. The study provided an easy mechanism to compare the clinical expectations of practicing physicians and of medical schools regarding medical students.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1985

Lifetime parental productivity in twenty-seven crosses of mice. I. Birth traits.

Twenty-seven crosses derived from three random-mating, unselected strains of mice (SWO, J, PGH) with 16 matings/pureline or cross were cohabited continuously and monogamously for 365 d to evaluate long-term reproductive performance of the parents. Data from 3,249 litters born were analyzed to study the effects of parity (number of litters) and type of cross (pureline, two-way, backcross, three-way) on the following traits: 1) continuity of reproduction (COR), 2) litter size at birth (LSB), 3) age at first litter (AFL), 4) fraction alive at birth-the ratio of number born alive to LSB (FAB), 5) birth to birth interval (BBI) and 6) reproductive rate-the ratio of number born alive to birth to birth interval (RRT). Reproductive rate was also studied in a cumulative manner rather than on a per parity basis by regressing cumulative number born alive on cumulative birth to birth interval. Parity effects were important (P less than .01) for all traits measured. Differences among cross-types were highly significant for COR, LSB and RRT. Three-way crosses were more productive than backcrosses, and both were superior to two-way and pureline matings. Uniformity was greater among three-way crosses for all traits except COR. Cross-types differed importantly in the pattern of change in performance over parities for COR, LSB, FAB, RRT and cumulative number of live young (P less than .01). Number of parities were most important for variation in longevity of reproduction (COR) and somewhat for litter size (LSB). Mean and cumulative reproductive rates were influenced more by longevity and litter size than by interval between births.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Lifetime parental productivity in twenty-seven crosses of mice. II. Weaning traits reflecting reproduction and lactation.

Twenty-seven crosses of mice derived from three random-mating, unselected strains (SWO, J. PGH) with 16 matings/pureline or cross were cohabited continuously and monogamously for a 365-d reproduction period to evaluate lifetime reproductive performance of the parents. Data from 3,249 litters born (2,792 surviving to weaning) were analyzed to study the effects of parity (number of litters) and type of cross (pureline, two-way, backcross, three-way) on certain traits measured at weaning (21 d). The traits evaluated were 1) weaning to weaning interval (WWI), 2) litter size at weaning (LSW), 3) fraction alive at weaning (FAW)-the ratio of LSW to number born alive, 4) total litter weight at weaning (LWT), 5) pup weight at weaning (PWT), 6) weaning weight per pup observed alive at birth (WPP), 7) parental feed consumption per day (FPD) and 8) parental costs (PCT). Cost per live weanling animal was estimated as the ratio of cumulative parental costs to cumulative number weaned. Cost per unit of weaning weight was defined as the regression of cumulative parental costs on cumulative litter weight. Parity effects were important (P less than .01) for all traits measured. Type of cross effects were noted for LSW, LWT, PWT, WPP, FPD (P less than .01) and PCT (P less than .05). A parity X cross-type interaction was expressed for WWI, LSW, PWT, WPP, FPD (P less than .01) and FAW (P less than .05). Three-way crosses were more productive than backcrosses, two-way crosses and pureline matings for all traits studied. Three-way crosses displayed the smallest cost per animal weaned and smallest cost per unit of weaning weight. The influence of parity on traits measured at weaning was less than for traits measured at birth. Weight per pup born alive (WPP) was found to be a better indicator of reproduction and lactation ability than LWT because WPP accounts for preweaning mortality.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Splitting the prepuce to provide two independently vascularised flaps: a one-stage repair of hypospadias and congenital short urethra.

The operative details of a one-stage procedure to repair hypospadias and congenital short urethra are presented. The prepuce is split from its distal margin to provide two independently vascularised flaps for the reconstruction of the penile urethra and its overlying skin. The results of the first 50 patients so treated are described. The use of a silicone rubber tile on which to stabilise the penis during operation and a self-adhering foam pad as a post-operative dressing are described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

A small-group instruction experiment in medical education.

The authors challenge the assumption that the passive lecture-based curriculum that dominates most preclinical medical education optimizes learning for all students. For this reason, an experiment was conducted in which medical students were given the option of taking some courses as small groups in a Socratic format rather than in lectures; 67 percent of the students applied for the small-group option. Personality factors, measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, were used to determine whether there was any correlation between learning preferences and personality types. Most of the students preferred having more opportunities for small-group instruction. Most students and faculty members found the experience profitable; a significantly greater proportion of students of the intuitive-feeling personality type reacted positively to the experience than did other personality types. The small-group classes required more faculty time than did lectures, and this often prevented faculty support of the Socratic approach.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1984

Influence of sex-linked feathering phenotypes of parents and progeny upon lymphoid leukosis virus infection status and egg production.

Data were collected on egg production, livability, lymphoid leukosis virus and antibody incidence, and hemagglutinin response to sheep red blood cells for slow- and fast-feathering female progeny from slow- and fast-feathering dams with known lymphoid leukosis virus infection status. Analyses of these results indicate that when the offspring or the dams are of the slow-feathering type, the offspring experience an increased rate of horizontal infection. This infection seemingly leads to an immunologically tolerant condition with an inability to produce specific lymphoid leukosis virus antibodies, thereby allowing the viremia to persist. This immunologically tolerant condition, which also occurs in the progeny of virus positive dams due to congenital transmission, is associated with depressed egg production performance. However, a hypothesized lack of immunological competence was not found in the hemagglutinin response to sheep red blood cells late in life. Our results suggest that fast-feathering progeny of slow-feathering dams may also be adversely influenced by increased congenital infection from their dams.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effects of age at slaughter and feeding regime on slaughter weight and carcass composition in mice.

Mice from three outbred stocks (PGH, J, and SWO) were fed either pelleted feed from overhead hoppers or ground feed from jars, from weaning at 21 days old to slaughter at 42, 49 or 56 days old. Live weights, weights of carcasses before and after extraction of carcass moisture and fat, and feed consumption were recorded. The PGH stock gained more in dry lean tissue and deposited less fat, and had a greater feed efficiency, compared to either of the other stocks. Males gained more than females, in both dry lean tissue and fat; females had a higher proportion of lean tissue and a greater feed efficiency. Increases in live weight between 49 and 56 days of age were mainly increases in fat content, especially in the offal portion of the body. Jar feeding restricted feed intake and reduced live weight gains. The reduction, however, was principally in fat deposition; feed efficiency was also greater for jar fed mice. It was found that the amount of lean tissue could be accurately predicted from carcass weight and carcass moisture measurements. It may be possible to estimate lean tissue accurately without employing the expensive and time consuming process of either extraction.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of the pulmonary immune response by analysis of bronchoalveolar fluids obtained by serial lung lavage.

Lavage fluids were obtained from Beagle dogs by serial bronchoalveolar lavage from immunized and control lung lobes 3-21 days after local deposition of sheep red blood cells. Results showed that immunized lobes contained more total protein, albumin, IgG and antigen-specific antibody than did unimmunized control lobes or lobes that received autologous red cells in saline. Antigen-specific antibody was present in the lavage fluid from 7 through 21 days after immunization. Mercaptoethanol treatment of lavage fluid had little effect on the antibody titer, suggesting that IgG, and possibly IgA, were the predominant immunoglobulin classes in the antigen-specific antibody pool throughout the course of the serial lavage study. The data suggest that most of the antigen-specific antibody was made locally by cells in the lung.

Albumins↗
PubMed1983

Comparison of the microtitration agglutination test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of herds affected with swine dysentery.

A method was designed to evaluate and compare the microtitration agglutination test (MAT) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies in swine sera to Treponema hyodysenteriae and thereby establish a method for determining the prevalence of swine dysentery (SD) in herds. According to sampling criteria based on the hypergeometric distribution, sera were collected from 3 age groups of swine from farms having a history of SD on the premises (SD+) recently or being free of the disease (SD-). The highest degree of test sensitivity was obtained when sera from market age swine were evaluated with the ELISA. Of 14 SD+ herds from which sera were obtained from market-age swine, 13 were positive with the ELISA (93%); none of the 8 SD- herds was positive. The detection rates of individual swine in the SD+ herds for the 2 tests by age group were as follows: MAT--adult swine 1.4%, market-age swine 6%, and weaned pigs 0.8%; ELISA--adult swine 16%, market swine 31%, and weaned pigs 0.5%.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Effects of clinical preceptorship on career and practice site choices.

To evaluate the effects of primary care preceptorships on the choices of career site and specialization, graduates of the University of Utah School of Medicine, 1972 through 1975, were questioned. Most practicing physicians who elected preceptorship training rated the experiences as valuable, but not important enough to be required. Physicians based their decisions for an urban practice on medical factors; rural areas were chosen more for personal reasons. In addition, data showed that the size of the respondents' hometowns was not associated with their choice in the size of their practice site nor their specialty. Respondents also reported that their medical school training was deficient in preparing them for the economic and psychosocial aspects of medical practice. Many Utah graduates are participating as clinical faculty or as preceptors for medical institutions and indicated that for their particular communities family physicians, obstetricians-gynecologists and pediatricians are still needed.

Career Choice↗
PubMed1982

The symptomatology of abnormal appearance: an anecdotal survey.

From a systematic analysis of 54 anecdotal accounts written by patients with various abnormalities of appearance, a common pattern of experience has been discovered which is divisible into six parts: induction and development of self-consciousness, defence mechanisms, unavoidable distressing activities, downgrading of self-concept, difficulties with interpersonal relationships, and rationalisation. This scheme of symptomatology is presented as a basis for history-taking and as a base-line for future comparative studies of different types of abnormal appearance.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed1982

Impact of participation in a family practice track program on student career decisions.

Two classes of entering freshman medical students at the University of Utah indicated career preferences prior to the start of preclinical classwork. A group of interested students applied to a special family practice curriculum track. From this group, 20 were randomly selected each year to participate in the track program. The number was limited because of the need for a small student/faculty ratio. Students participating in the program were found to select residencies in family practice at a significantly higher rate than their classmates who expressed an interest but were not selected to participate. Students who stated a preference for family practice as freshmen were also found to select residencies in family practice at a significantly higher rate than freshman not preferring it. Nevertheless, most senior students matched with residencies different from their freshman preferences.

Career Choice↗