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Biomedical subjects

L Lawton

Publications and source records attributed to L Lawton.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Construction and characterization of a normalized cDNA library.

We have developed a simple procedure based on reassociation kinetics that can reduce effectively the high variation in abundance among the clones of a cDNA library that represent individual mRNA species. For this normalization, we used as a model system a library of human infant brain cDNAs that were cloned directionally into a phagemid vector and, thus, could be easily converted into single-stranded circles. After controlled primer extension to synthesize a short complementary strand on each circular template, melting and reannealing of the partial duplexes at relatively low C0t, and hydroxyapatite column chromatography, unreassociated circles were recovered from the flow through fraction and electroporated into bacteria, to propagate a normalized library without a requirement for subcloning steps. An evaluation of the extent of normalization has indicated that, from an extreme range of abundance of 4 orders of magnitude in the original library, the frequency of occurrence of any clone examined in the normalized library was brought within the narrow range of only 1 order of magnitude.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Clinical benchmarking improves clinical paths: experience with coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Clinical paths and clinical benchmarking are consistent with, and readily adaptable to, any health care organization that espouses the principles of continuous quality improvement. CLINICAL PATHWAY: In its initial clinical path project, Borgess Medical Center analyzed and streamlined the processes of caring for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patient. Team discussions were driven by comparative data, specialty guidelines, peer review organization guidelines, patient financial statements, patient records, and the applicable literature. One year after the CABG clinical paths were implemented, average total charges to the patient dropped from $35,700 to $32,700. Average length of stay also dropped, from 11.1 to 9.7 days. The mortality rate held stable at 2.7%. CLINICAL BENCHMARKING: Recognizing the opportunity to further improve its CABG clinical path, Borgess participated in MediQual's CABG benchmarking project. The team followed MediQual's five phases of clinical benchmarking: focus and opportunity assessment, outcome analysis and comparison, clinical process documentation, benchmark process comparison, and action planning, implementation, and monitoring. Using benchmark data provided by MediQual, the CABG benchmark team focused on the high-risk population and identified further opportunities for streamlining the CABG clinical pathway. Several areas for improvement were identified by comparing Borgess's practices to the benchmark hospitals. CONCLUSION: Developing a clinical path before beginning to benchmark "forced" Borgess Medical Center to develop a clear understanding of its own processes. This allowed the benchmark team to easily identify variances between its CABG processes and those of the benchmark hospitals and to select which variations the hospital should adopt.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed1994

Selection of cDNAs using chromosome-specific genomic clones: application to human chromosome 13.

We have developed a general method for en masse isolation of cDNAs present in a normalized library by hybridization to arrayed chromosome-specific phage lambda clones; we have used this approach to initiate exon-mapping of human chromosome 13. An advantage of the simultaneous isolation of cDNA/lambda pairs is that it allows cytogenetic assignment of a bona fide genomic clone by in situ hybridization, which also verifies that the corresponding cDNA or a homologous expressed sequence resides on chromosome 13. This information is enriched by partial sequencing of a selected cDNA from both ends. The sequence of the 3' noncoding region provides an 'identifier' that is used to develop STSs, while the sequence from the 5' end, often corresponding to a coding region, is used for homology searches in databases that occasionally reveal gene functions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

An investigation of the relationship between microbial and particulate indoor air pollution and the sick building syndrome.

The sick building syndrome has been the subject of research for approximately 10 years. Although it is often suggested that symptoms in office workers are due to circulating micro-organisms or particles, epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between them have been lacking. This cross-sectional study has combined medical and aerobiological assessments of offices in Great Britain and has found that, although airborne particulates and micro-organisms are unlikely to be the sole cause of the sick building syndrome, positive associations between symptom prevalence rates and levels of airborne viable bacteria and fungi within groups of buildings with similar ventilation systems, suggest a possible causal link that should be explored.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1991

Disability, residential mobility, and changes in living arrangements.

The extent of mobility and changes in living arrangements associated with disability were studied using data from the 1984-86 Longitudinal Study of Aging. It was hypothesized that persons with significant limitations in their ability to perform normal daily activities (ADLs and IADLs) in 1984 would be more likely to move, more likely to be living with others in 1986, and more likely to have entered an institution between 1984 and 1986 than those without limitations. When only those variables that were measured in 1984 were used as predictors, this turned out to be true for institutionalization and for living with others in 1986. However, among those remaining in households, residential mobility showed little relationship to disability when other variables were controlled. When the change in disability between 1984 and 1986 was added to the prediction equation, there were strong relationships between changes in disability and both residential mobility and adjustment in living arrangement, suggesting that people respond quickly to significant changes in disability. However, because we cannot be sure that the changes in disability preceded the mobility or changes in living arrangements, we cannot claim to have established a causal link between these events.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment variations.

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Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗