Existentialism and the psychiatric nurse.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Raymond.
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Esterase gene amplification at the Ester superlocus provides organophosphate resistance in the mosquito Culex pipiens (L.). In this study we explored the possibility of recombination between two amplified esterase alleles, thus generating a composite amplified allele. To do that, females heterozygous for two distinct amplified alleles (Ester(2) and Ester(4)) were crossed with males homozygous for a third resistance allele (Ester(8)). Among analyzed offspring, one recombinant composite allele (Ester(2-4)) was detected, providing a rate of recombination of approximately 0.2%. This is the first report of a recombination between two distinct amplified esterase alleles. This phenomenon renders the predictability of allele evolution considerably more complex than was previously thought.
Insecticides have been used intensively to control insect populations over the last 50 years and many species of insects have developed resistance to several families of insecticides. These resistances are mainly due to two mechanisms: mutation of the insecticide target protein (leading to a decrease in its affinity for the concerned insecticide family), and increased detoxification. Recent molecular studies suggest that the mutations conferring resistance are rare and sometimes unique events in any given species. The wide geographic distribution of some of these genes can then only be explained by the balance between migration and selection at the population level.
Because survival time varies greatly in dementia, it is difficult for dementia patients to meet a key criterion for the Medicare Hospice Benefit, a six-month survival time. In a previous study, the authors examined guidelines for admitting dementia patients to hospice; the National Hospice Organization (NHO) guidelines were found to work well in identifying appropriate candidates for hospice among dementia patients. This was especially true for those patients whose deficits had progressed in an ordinal fashion consistent with Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) and who had reached stage 7C. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the NHO guidelines in identifying dementia patients who are appropriate for hospice; the limitations of these guidelines regarding non-ordinal patients; and the importance of the actual care plans used--as opposed to our previous study, which only examined initial treatment plans. Forty-five dementia patients enrolled in Hospice of the Great Lakes in Illinois were studied longitudinally over two years; this included a follow-up period of at least six months for all patients. Measures included: survival time; FAST; a medical complications checklist, which consisted of common complications of end-stage dementia; and co-morbid medical conditions and aggressive care, which consisted of feeding tubes, antibiotics, and Foley catheters used during the course of the study. Patients who had reached Stage 7C at intake had a mean survival time of 4.1 months; and the majority (71 percent) died within six months. Non-ordinal patients lived significantly longer at a mean of 10.9 months (p < .01), and and the minority (30 percent) died within six months. Foley catheters decreased survival time; and the use of antibiotics did not make a difference. This study echoed our previous findings regarding the usefulness of NHO guidelines in identifying dementia patients with a survival time of six months or less, specifically those at stage 7C or greater. The findings also suggest that the nature of the palliative care plan influences survival time.
The research described in this article investigated the relationship between selected background variables and the performance of 2546 candidates who took a certification examination in magnetic resonance imaging in 1995. Five variables related to training and experience were investigated: type of training in MR, amount of training in MR, years of experience in MR, hours per week in MR and number of MR scans performed per week. In addition, scores from an entry-level certification exam in general radiography were studied. Results indicated that all six variables were significantly related to MRI exam scores, with prior performance on the radiography exam exhibiting the strongest relationship. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.