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Biomedical subjects

J Pitts

Publications and source records attributed to J Pitts.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Health promotion.

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Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1994

The use of genetic marking to assess the interaction of sensitive and multidrug-resistant cells in mixed culture.

The interaction of normal (CHO-K1) and multidrug-resistant (Adrr) Chinese hamster ovary cells was examined in mixed monolayer and spheroid culture. In order to assess the individual response of the two cell types in mixed culture, CHO-K1 was genetically marked by transfection with a bacterial beta-galactosidase gene. The enzyme product can be detected histochemically and allows identification of the marked cell line, designated CHO-K1-BG. Following administration of doxorubicin or mitozantrone, there was a large difference in the clonogenic survival of CHO-K1-BG and Adrr, whereas the overall survival of a 50:50 mixture of the two cell lines had intermediate values. When the survival of marked and unmarked colonies from mixed culture was assessed separately, there was no detectable alteration in chemosensitivity. We have found no evidence for interaction of sensitive and multidrug-resistant cells in this system.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Lacrimal surgery in patients with congenital cranial or facial anomalies.

A series of 26 patients with lacrimal dysfunction due to congenital cranial or facial anomalies are reviewed. The underlying anatomical abnormalities responsible for symptoms and their influence on surgical management and outcome are discussed and illustrated with representative cases. It is shown that by adaptation of standard surgical techniques a high success rate can be achieved.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1994

General practitioners' reasons for not attending a higher professional education course.

BACKGROUND: A proposal to run a higher professional education course attracted strong initial interest. However, only 12% of those 74 general practitioners expressing an interest subsequently enrolled on the course. AIM: A study was undertaken to examine the factors that demotivated the remaining 88% from attending. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to the non-attenders, asking them to rank the impact of each of six factors on their decision not to attend. RESULTS: Major factors included time commitment, general practice workload and family pressures. Cost, attitudes of practice partners and structure of the course were much less important. CONCLUSION: It seems that the conditions imposed by the current demands of working as a general practitioner, rather than the attitudes of the general practitioners themselves, inhibit this form of continuing professional development.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1993

Counselling patients to make lifestyle changes: the role of physician self-efficacy, training and beliefs about causes.

Three factors that might help explain the extent to which physicians counsel patients to quit smoking and lose weight were examined: counselling self-efficacy, training in behaviour change and beliefs about causes of smoking and being overweight. More aggressive counselling was defined as counselling more patients per month and following up on counselling recommendations. Questionnaires were returned by 85 health maintenance organization physicians. As predicted, physicians with a stronger sense of counselling self-efficacy, and those who had received education in health behaviour change techniques were more aggressive counsellors. Motivational strategies were also explored. Physicians' beliefs about the causes of smoking and being overweight were related to the use of some types of strategies. Implications for increasing physician counselling patients to make behaviour changes are discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1990

Out of hours workload of a suburban general practice: deprivation or expectation.

The out of hours workload of a training practice in a suburban and semirural area on the south coast of England was studied for one year. An overall rate of contact of 273/1000 patients was found, which indicated a workload greater than that reported in most other studies. The duty doctor received over 35 telephone calls from patients during some Saturdays (1200 Saturday to 0800 Sunday) and Sundays (0800 to 0800 Monday), up to five being between 2300 and 0700. Of the patients who contacted a general practitioner, 44% were given advice by telephone and 4.9% were admitted to hospital. The admission rate was lower than that given in other studies. A considerable proportion of the workload arose from doctors covering the casualty department of a cottage hospital. Patients having a high expectation of 24 hour care by general practitioners in an area of comparative affluence (Jarman indices -13.8 to 1.7) may account for this aspect of the workload.

England↗
PubMed1990

Protein engineering of chymosin; modification of the optimum pH of enzyme catalysis.

The aspartic proteinase chymosin exhibits a local network of hydrogen bonds involving the active site aspartates and surrounding residues which may have an influence on the rate and optimal pH of substrate cleavage. We have introduced into chymosin B the following substitutions: Asp304 to Ala (D304A), Thr218 to Ala (T218A) and Gly244 to Asp (G244D, chymosin A), using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis of these active mutants shows shifts in their pH optima to 4.4 D304A, 4.2 T218A and 4.0 G244D compared with 3.8 for chymosin B using a synthetic octapeptide substrate. The upward shift of the D304A and T218A may be due to the loss of hydrogen bond interactions indirectly affecting the catalytic aspartates 32 and 215. The G244D mutation which is in a flexible loop on the surface of the enzyme may alter the conformation of the specificity pockets on the prime side of the scissile bond.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Depression and locus of control in police officers.

The earlier observation that students who had attempted suicide had lower scores on external locus of control than nonsuicidal ones was confirmed for 63 police officers. However, depression was associated with higher external scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Action thresholds.

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Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1989

What influences doctors' prescribing? Sore throats revisited.

An audit of two practices in 1987 revealed a wide range of antibiotic prescribing for acute sore throat among the general practitioners. The data were presented at a postgraduate meeting and recommendations were made for a practice policy on antibiotic prescribing. The results of studies that looked at the objectives of treatment were included at that meeting. This paper presents a re-evaluation of the same doctors' antibiotic prescribing one-year later. Changes had occurred in the range and costs of drugs chosen, but individual doctors' prescribing rates remained broadly similar, in other words it was easier to influence what, but not whether, a doctor prescribes for this clinical condition. The existence of a prescribing 'threshold' within the individual doctor is supported.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗