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N J Baker

Publications and source records attributed to N J Baker.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The Mezzich MMPI regression formula revisited.

In a sample of depressed psychiatric inpatients, the Mezzich regression formula, based on five MMPI scales, correlated moderately with clinicians' judgments and yielded few false negative diagnoses in identifying patients with unipolar Major Depressive Disorder, but was less effective in eliminating false positives.

Adult↗

Lamellar bodies in activated platelets as revealed by the use of tannic acid and a comparison with the concentric laminar organelles of type II pneumocytes.

Transmission electron micrographs of unactivated platelets, adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregates and thrombin-induced platelet clots, prepared using a tannic acid fixative/stain, reveal characteristic lamellar bodies. These lamellar bodies are seen more frequently in the clots. The lower limit of the dark band periodicity in the lamellar bodies is between 4 . 4 and 5 . 0 nm, and the layers are thought to be composed of phospholipid, probably phosphatidyl choline. Analogies are drawn between the lamellar bodies of platelets and the concentric laminar organelles present in Type II pneumocytes (dust cells) which show similar ultrastructural characteristics when treated with the tannic acid fixative/stain.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Effect of perfusate glucose concentration on rat lung glycolysis.

We investigated the relationship between perfusate concentration of glucose and its utilization and lactate production derived from exogenous glucose and from metabolism of endogenous substrates. Isolated rat lungs were ventilated with 5% CO2 in air and perfused for 100 min with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 3% bovine serum albumin, 10(-2) U/ml insulin, [U-14C]glucose and [5-3H]glucose. Glucose utilization, total lactate production, [14C]lactate production, and 3H2O production were measured. The apparent Km and Vmax for glucose utilization were 3.4 mM and 72.5 mumol/g dry wt per h, respectively. Lactate production from endogenous substrates, calculated as the difference between total and [14C]lactate, was 37.6 +/- 2.2 mumol/g dry wt (n = 36); it was unaffected by perfusate glucose concentration and by omission of insulin, but increased threefold with anoxia. Lactate production from 1.5 mM glucose was significantly less (P less than 0.02) with insulin omitted. Glycogen content was unchanged during perfusion without glucose. These results suggest that: 1) protein catabolism contributes to lung lactate production; 2) glucose utilization by lung is not maximal at resting physiological glucose concentrations; and 3) insulin is required at low glucose concentrations for maximal glycolytic rates.

Animals↗

Effect of Ca++ on the stability of influenza virus neuraminidase.

The neuraminidases of different strains of influenza virus varied in their stability at 37 degrees C. The enzymes of the strains with N1 neuraminidases were found to be unstable during incubation at 37 degrees C whereas the enzymes of the strains with the N2 neuraminidases were stable. Among the strains with N2 neuraminidases, the enzymes of some strains were inactivated during dialysis at 37 degrees C whereas the enzymes of others were stable. This observed loss of enzyme activity during dialysis at 37 degrees C was not restricted to a single substrate as the same loss of enzyme activity was observed irrespective of the size of the substrate used in the assay. The enzymically inactive neuraminidase was found to be non-antigenic and non-immunogenic. The inactivation of the enzyme could be prevented by the addition of Ca++ but not Mg++. Out results suggest that Ca++ is essential for the stability of the enzyme at 37 degrees C. The results would also suggest that the enzymic, antigenic and immunogenic sites are either the same or very closely situated on the surface of the neuraminidase molecule.

Animals↗

Implementing community-oriented primary care projects in an urban family practice residency program.

BACKGROUND: Clinics interested in pursuing community-oriented primary care (COPC) have struggled with the implementation of its theory. Although we are still early in the COPC transformation process, the HealthPartners Family Practice Residency Program has had several successful COPC projects during our 10 years of experience. This article describes these projects and the 8 lessons learned, including some that differ from traditional COPC teaching and practice. In our experience, clinics should select a topic or problem that creates a passion within their clinic. Projects can start small within the clinic and expand outward into larger portions of the urban community. Partnerships begin the process of extending into the community and increasing the project's impact. The evaluation of projects should begin with clinic-based data. A physician champion and a nonphysician staff person increase the success of the project. Resident involvement is enhanced with concrete tasks and community connections. Ultimately, the project needs to be institutionalized within the clinic to survive. The whole COPC endeavor is a long, slow process that requires time, energy, and committed individuals. In our experience, COPC is a journey, not an end, and there are many rich rewards to be found along the way.

Adolescent↗

A curriculum for multicultural education in family medicine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To deliver effective medical care to patients from all cultural backgrounds, family physicians need to be culturally sensitive and culturally competent. Our department implemented and evaluated a 3-year curriculum to increase residents' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in multicultural medicine. Our three curricular goals were to increase self-awareness about cultural influences on physicians, increase awareness about cultural influences on patients, and improve multicultural communication in clinical settings. Curricular objectives were arranged into five levels of cultural competence. Content was presented in didactic sessions, clinical settings, and community medicine projects. METHODS AND RESULTS: Residents did self-assessments at the beginning of the second year and at the end of the third year of the curriculum about their achievement and their level of cultural competence. Faculty's evaluations of residents' levels of cultural competence correlated significantly with the residents' final self-evaluations. Residents and faculty rated the overall curriculum as 4.26 on a 5-point scale (with 5 as the highest rating). CONCLUSIONS: Family practice residents' cultural knowledge, cross-cultural communication skills, and level of cultural competence increased significantly after participating in a multicultural curriculum.

Curriculum↗