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Biomedical subjects

J Bond

Publications and source records attributed to J Bond.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Pragmatic and explanatory trials in the evaluation of the experimental National Health Service nursing homes.

This paper reviews the issues which arose in the design of a randomized controlled trial of three experimental National Health Service nursing homes. Problems associated with the implementation of the trial included ethical issues, choice of sample size and recruitment of subjects to the trial, choice and validity of measures of outcome, evaluation of outcomes and replicability of findings. The distinction between explanatory and pragmatic trials is shown to overcome some of these problems.

Aged↗

The implementation of a multicentred randomized controlled trial in the evaluation of the experimental National Health Service nursing homes.

This paper reviews the implementation of a pragmatic multicentred randomized controlled trial in the evaluation of three experimental nursing homes. The organization of services for the care of elderly people varied between the three centres, and each used different criteria for selecting subjects for the trial and different methods of seeking informed consent. Data presented show that in each centre two truly randomized samples have been selected. However, differences between centres, in the characteristics of selected subjects, reflect the implementation of the trials in each of the centres. These findings emphasize the importance of good collaboration between health professionals providing the service, an independent research team, and the establishment of rigorous criteria for inclusion and exclusion of subjects at the outset.

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Measurement of outcomes within a multicentred randomized controlled trial in the evaluation of the experimental NHS nursing homes.

This paper reports outcome data from a multicentred randomized controlled trial (RCT) undertaken as part of the evaluation of the experimental NHS nursing homes. A small sample size within centres and differential non-response due to death and physical or mental frailty limits the statistical power of this trial and biases subject-reported outcomes toward the views of elderly people who were less frail. There were no significant differences in survival or personal well-being, or changes in behavioural ability, mental state or perceived health status between propositi and controls. There were significant differences in the views of responding propositi and controls suggesting that the experimental NHS nursing homes were preferred by residents. The results of this pragmatic trial suggest that there is no evidence to conclude that NHS nursing homes should not be provided as NHS continuing-care accommodation. Policy decisions should also take account of the other studies undertaken as part of the evaluation. Further research is needed to develop more appropriate outcome measures for this client group.

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Should QALYs be programme-specific?

One reason for the development of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) is to facilitate comparison across health care programmes in terms of productivity per unit of expenditure. However, some approaches to QALY measurement have also been developed using 'programme-specific' dimensions of quality of life. Using data, from a longitudinal trial of long-term care for elderly people, it is shown in this paper that an 'across-programme' method of quality of life measurement is less sensitive to changes in elderly people's health states than programme-specific methods more commonly used in the field of evaluating long-term care. It is argued that the same problem is likely to arise in evaluating care for other common chronic conditions like mental handicap, chronic conditions of childhood and terminal cancer. It is concluded that more work should be carried out comparing across-programme and programme-specific measures of quality of life, otherwise it will be difficult to determine whether certain groups in society are being discriminated against in health service resource allocation due to an insensitive across-programme measure of outcome.

Activities of Daily Living↗

QALYS and long-term care for elderly people in the UK: scales for assessment of quality of life.

QALYs have developed in the UK as a tool for comparing the outcome of health care procedures in a single index over time. This tool can then be used, along with information on costs of procedures, in decision-making about health service resource allocation. It is shown that the attributes of disability and distress, on which QALYs are presently based in the UK, are insensitive to changes in the health status of elderly people in long-term care when compared to other measures of quality of life which are frequently used in studies of older people. Thus, if the use of QALYs increases, they should be based on attributes appropriate to the groups studied, otherwise certain groups may be discriminated against in health service resource allocation owing to the use of an insensitive measure of outcome.

Aged↗

Interprofessional collaboration in primary health care.

A study of interprofessional collaboration involving 148 general practitioner and district nurse pairs and 161 general practitioner and health visitor pairs was undertaken in 20 health districts throughout England in 1982-83. Data were collected using personal interviews and a prospective record of referrals and consultations. The ratings of collaboration recorded showed that only 27% of general practitioner-district nurse pairs and 11% of general practitioner-health visitor pairs were working in partial or full collaboration. Structural arrangements such as attachment, the number of general practitioners that community nurses work with, and working from the same building were found to be strongly associated with collaboration.

Communication↗

An analysis of the decrease in the assayed level of charged bovine estrogen receptor observed at physiological ionic strength.

Lower assayed levels of heifer uterine estrogen receptor (ER) occur at physiologic ionic strength when ER is separated from [3H]estradiol by Dextran-coated charcoal treatments, or by gel filtration on Sephadex or polyacrylamide resins. The assayed level of charged ER in buffers containing 150-200 mM ionic strength is approximately one-half that of ER levels assayed in buffers either at 0-50 or 400-450 mM ionic strength. Treatment of ER with trypsin or molybdate eliminates this observed reduction. Evidence is presented that the decrease results from a preferential adsorption of ER to the assay resins at 150-200 mM ionic strength. This adsorption is likely to be mediated by a hydrophobic region of the ER, which is removed by trypsin cleavage.

Acrylic Resins↗

Association of blood cholesterol with occurrence of fat necrosis in cows and tall fescue summer toxicosis in steers.

Factors associated with fat necrosis in cows and tall-fescue summer toxicosis in steers were studied. In the cow study, fescue pastures were fertilized, using 3 rates of N: high N (703 to 483 kg and 0 kg of N/ha/year from broiler litter in 1972 to 1974 and 1975, respectively), moderate N, and low N (224 and 74 kg of N/ha/yr from NH4NO3, 1972 to 1975, respectively). Bermuda grass pastures were fertilized at 2 rates of N: moderate N and low N (280 and 20 kg of N/ha/year from NH4NO3, 1972 to 1975, respectively). Fat necrosis developed only in cows grazing tall fescue, with an occurrence of 60%, 8%, and 3% for high-N, moderate-N, and low-N pastures, respectively. Cows grazing the high-N fescue, and to some extent those grazing the moderate-N fescue, had clinical signs of summer fescue toxicosis. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were lowest in cattle grazing the high-N fescue, averaging 114 mg/dl, followed by 134 and 127 mg/dl in cattle grazing the moderate-N and low-N fescue, respectively. In the steer grazing study, 24 paddocks of 0.49 ha each were seeded with tall-fescue lines G1-307 or G1-306 or with tall-fescue cultivars, KY-31 or Kenhy. All paddocks were fertilized with 170 kg of N/ha/year. Serum cholesterol concentrations were lower in steers grazing on G1-307 than in steers grazing on G1-306 or cultivars. Serum total lipids followed a similar trend, with a positive correlation (r = 0.49) between cholesterol and total lipids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗

UV-induced reversion of his4 frameshift mutations in rad6, rev1, and rev3 mutants of yeast.

The UV-induced reversion of two his4 frameshift alleles was much reduced in rad6 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an observation that is consistent with the hypothesis that RAD6 function is required for the induction of all types of genetic alteration in misrepair mutagenesis. The reversion of these his4 alleles, together with two others of the same type, was also reduced in rev1 and rev3 mutant strains; in these, however, the extent of the reduction varied considerably with test allele used, in a manner analogous to the results in these strains for base repair substitution test alleles. The general features of UV-induced frameshift and substitution mutagenesis therefore appear quite similar, indicating that they may depend on related processes. If this conclusion is correct, greater attention must be given to integrating models which account for the production of nucleotide additions and deletions into those concerning misrepair mutagenesis.

Base Composition↗

Factors influencing the feeding of first-born infants.

Influences on the choice and use of an infant feeding method by primigravidae were studied from late pregnancy until six months after delivery. Data were collected by home interviews and postal questionnaires, and from hospital case-notes. Three-quarters of the women had chosen a method before their first hospital visit and most adhered to their choice. Mothers named midwives and health visitors more often than other health professionals as appropriate for discussions about feeding. However, there was little evidence of the influence of health professionals apart from an association between hospital feeding practices and duration of breast feeding. The major influences on mothers were socio-cultural. Findings suggest that breast feeding can be encouraged by a wide dissemination of information, by enabling mothers to discuss feeding with their preferred professional, by respecting an early choice of method, and by encouraging demand feeding which should begin soon after delivery.

Attitude↗

Influence of fasting and refeeding high forage and all-concentrate diets on beef heifers.

An 88% forage diet (F) and a corn-based all-concentrate diet (C) were fed to compare the influence of prior diet and rumen microbial inoculation on dietary intake and ruminal fermentation of heifers allowed to consume their diet ad libitum after a 4-d fast. Twelve ruminal-fistulated Angus heifers averaging 265 kg body weight were fed F ad libitum for 28 d, fasted for 4 d and refed F ad libitum for 21 d (period 1). After 21 d of refeeding, the heifers were fasted for 4 d and then fed C ad libitum for 60 d (period 2). After 60 d, the heifers were fasted for 4 d and refed C ad libitum for 35 d (period 3). The rumens of six heifers were inoculated (1) at the end of each fast with 2 l of ruminal fluid from two ruminal fistulated donor steers fed the corresponding postfast diet ad libitum. Six heifers were uninoculated (UI). The most severe digestive disturbance associated with any of the treatments was reduced feed intake. During the first week of refeeding the I heifers consumed more feed than UI heifers. Regardless of treatment 2 wk or more were required for heifers to return to before fast intake levels. If ruminal glucose accumulated to 10 mg/100 ml in the rumen for more than 7 h, then ruminal lactate accumulated to higher concentrations and for longer periods of time. Ruminal lactic acid accumulation is considered to be one of the main causes for reduced feed intake. When heifers were switched from F to C, they did not overeat to the point of causing complete feed refusals on subsequent days. However, even at low intakes, a reduction in feed intake occurred.

Ammonia↗

Relationship of lactose to nitrogen metabolism of artificially reared beef calves.

The purpose was to study the relationship of lactose to nitrogen metabolism of artificially-reared beef calves. Calves from 35 market heifers were fed whole milk at 12% of body weight daily to 14 days and then at 8% of body weight to 28 days. An 18.3% crude protein dry diet was fed for ad libitum consumption on days 1 to 28. For days 29 to 84, nine calves were assigned to each of three treatments: A) 60:40 grain:hay dry diet, B) 60:40 grain diet with liquid lactose fed separately, and C) 60:40 dry diet containing dried lactose. During days 1 to 28, body weights were not reduced. Calves compensated for reduction of whole milk intake by increasing their intakes of dry diet. gamma-Glutamyl transferase and urea nitrogen in blood serum were reduced when milk intake was decreased. Beef calves can be adapted to early weaning and artificial rearing if started soon after birth. Lactose treatments decreased dry matter intakes and vitamin E in blood, but body weights were not different. Feed conversion was improved; nitrogen balance and urinary nitrogen excretion were decreased by liquid lactose. Urea nitrogen in blood was related to nitrogen balance. Liquid lactose increased serum alkaline phosphatase and serum glucose. The role of liquid lactose was to supply adequate energy for improved utilization of retained nitrogen.

Analysis of Variance↗