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Biomedical subjects

G R Moss

Publications and source records attributed to G R Moss.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Personal monitoring of 218Po and 214Po radionuclide deposition onto individuals under normal environmental exposure conditions.

Personal dosemeters have been utilized to monitor the deposition of the radon decay products 218Po and 214Po onto individuals under normal environmental exposure conditions. Each detector consists of TASTRAK alpha-sensitive plastic incorporated into an ordinary working wristwatch. Subsequent analysis provides energy discrimination of the detected alpha-particle decays, and allows events from the individual radon decay products 218Po and 214Po, attached to the detector surface, to be uniquely identified. Assuming similar deposition onto skin and detector surfaces, the activity per unit area of deposited radionuclides can be determined for exposed skin. Forty-one personal dosemeters were issued to volunteers selected through the hospital medical physics departments at Reading, Northampton, Exeter and Plymouth. Each volunteer was also issued with a personal radon dosemeter to determine their individual radon exposure. The volunteers wore the two dosemeters simultaneously and continuously for a period of around one month. Correlations were observed between the radon exposure of the individual and the activity per unit area of 218Po and 214Po on the detector surface. From these correlations it can be estimated that at the UK average radon exposure of 20 Bq m(-3), the number of decays/cm2/year on continuously exposed skin surface is between 3500 and 28,000 for 218Po, and between 7000 and 21,000 for 214Po. These results can be combined with theoretical modelling of the dose distribution in the skin to yield the alpha-particle radiation dose to any identified target cells.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed1995

Computational studies of crystalline H3PO4.

A polarized split-valence wavefunction was computed for the H3PO4 molecule at its neutron crystallographic valence geometry, and the wavefunction was used to map the molecular electron-density distribution and to simulate X-ray crystal structure factors for both static, at-rest and dynamic thermally averaged structures. The thermal vibrational averaging was approximated using anisotropic mean-square atomic displacements from approximately 300 K neutron diffraction data. The simulated X-ray data were used to test pseudoatom multipole modeling of the valence electron-density distribution, in particular, radial modeling of the M valence shell of the P atom, and deconvolution of the nonspherical density features from anisotropic vibrational smearing.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗
PubMed1993

A commentary on the status of the behavioral approach in the healthcare marketplace.

Clinically applied behavioral technology (e.g., integrated, systems-based hospital programs) and specific behavior therapies (e.g., systematic desensitization) have a long record of documented and powerful efficacy yet have failed to penetrate successfully the healthcare marketplace and to receive adequate public recognition. Many behavioral techniques are utilized widely without acknowledgement of their true origins. The current position of the behavioral approach in the healthcare marketplace is examined, and factors making for resistance to its acceptance are identified. Recommendations are offered for the more effective promotion of behavioral methods and services.

Advertising↗
PubMed1991

A biobehavioral model for hospital psychiatry in an era of increasing regulation and cost containment.

Psychiatric hospitalization is increasingly a target of cost reduction by employers and third-party payers. The authors describe an evaluation of a biobehavioral model for the treatment of a mixed population of public- and private-sector patients in the psychiatric unit of a general hospital under conditions of severe regulation and cost containment. The program combined behavioral-education technology based on principles of social reinforcement with the traditional medical model in which the psychiatrist specified the patient's individual treatment within the general programmatic framework. Patient progress was monitored using standardized clinic rating scales, which showed that between 85 and 96 percent of the patients had improved significantly at discharge after an average stay of 12 days. Based on that and other findings, the authors believe that the new programmatic technology of biobehavioral psychiatry has the flexibility to ameliorate the adverse effects of increasing regulation and cost containment, even under demanding clinical conditions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Pilot study of a behavioral medicine program in a community hospital setting.

The authors designed and implemented a comprehensive behavioral medicine unit for a diagnostically mixed patient population in a community hospital setting. The unit emphasized behavioral adaptation rather than symptom relief. Behavioral adaptation for each patient was assessed by a 10 parameter Functional Analysis Questionnaire upon admission, at time of discharge and 6 months after discharge. Results of this pilot study indicated success for all treatment groups with greatest gains for patients suffering chronic pain. The study suggests that comprehensive application of behavioral medicine procedures and programs can be successful with a diagnostically mixed patient population and could provide an operational foundation for mixed medical-psychiatric units.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

Overview: applications of operant technology to behavioral disorders of adolescents.

Through a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature, the authors document the minimal impact of operant technology on adolescent psychiatry. Turning largely to the literature from other, nonmedical disciplines, they describe the development of effective behavioral interventions with inpatient populations, applications to the outpatient setting, and ethical and legal issues. The authors conclude that operant technology applied to behavioral disorders of adolescents can offer powerful and reliable therapeutic effects. They comment on the limited impact of operant technology on adolescent psychiatry and suggest future directions that may lead to greater interest and acceptance by psychiatrists.

Adolescent↗