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Biomedical subjects

P Phillips

Publications and source records attributed to P Phillips.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

The costs of radon mitigation in domestic properties.

The paper examines the costs of mitigating radon levels in domestic properties using data from the radon-affected county of Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom. Cost-effectiveness of mitigation is measured in terms of the total costs per lung cancers saved per year by mitigation expenditures. The results obtained match those reported in published theoretical estimates for proposed national mitigation programmes. Mitigation in domestic properties is shown to be more effective in reducing lung cancers than a mitigation programme designed for National Health Service workplaces in Northamptonshire, when all householders discovering radon levels above 300 Bequerels per cubic metre (Bq m(-3)) are assumed to implement mitigation strategies. In the United Kingdom, however, as elsewhere, only a small percentage of those finding raised radon levels proceed to mitigation. This reduces the effectiveness of mitigation programmes in domestic properties to levels matching those in the National Health Service workplaces. The paper confirms findings in studies from Europe and the United States that a significant proportion of householders with radon levels between 200 and 300 Bq m(-3) do not implement remedial work. The paper concludes with a range of policy proposals based on the results obtained.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2001

Perpetual landfilling through aeration of the waste mass; lessons from test cells in Georgia (USA).

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills worldwide are experiencing the consequences of conventional landfilling techniques, whereby anaerobic conditions are created within the landfilled waste. Under anaerobic conditions within a landfill site slow stabilization of the waste mass occurs, producing methane, (an explosive 'green house' gas) and leachate (which can pollute groundwater) over long periods of time. As a potential solution, it was demonstrated that the aerobic degradation of MSW within a landfill can significantly increase the rate of waste decomposition and settlement, decrease the methane production and leachate leaving the system, and potentially increase the operational life of the site. Readily integrated into the existing landfill infrastructure, this approach can safely and cost-effectively convert a MSW landfill from anaerobic to aerobic degradation processes, thereby effectively composting much of the organic portions (one of the potentially polluting elements in a conventional landfill site) of the waste. This paper summarizes the successful results of two separate aerobic landfill projects located in Georgia (USA) and discusses the potential economic and environmental impacts to worldwide solid waste management practices.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2001

Straight talking: an investigation of the attitudes and practice of psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in relation to gays and lesbians.

BACKGROUND: Early psychodynamic writing on same-gender sexual preference contributed to its pathologisation and an interest in treatment directed at changing sexual orientation. AIMS: To establish the therapeutic approaches taken by contemporary psychotherapists and psychoanalysts to gay and lesbian clients/patients. METHOD: A random sample of individuals listed as working with adults in the British Confederation of Psychotherapists' register were sent postal questionnaires. RESULTS: Data are available from 274 (69%) of 395 questionnaires. Only one of 218 respondents said that he/she was homosexual. One-third said that gay and lesbian patients did have a right to a gay or lesbian therapist. A total of 179 (82% of 218) respondents described work with gay and lesbian clients/patients, and in the majority of cases sexual orientation was an important aspect of the work. CONCLUSIONS: Gays and lesbians seeking psychoanalysis or psychotherapy in the National Health Service or outside it for personal and/or training purposes will be unlikely to find a gay or lesbian therapist if they want one. The British Confederation of Psychotherapists' practitioners take on gay and lesbian clients/patients, although many do not see these social identities as relevant to the therapeutic process. Evidence from this study indicates that such clients/patients may encounter overt or covert bias, including the pathologisation of homosexuality per se.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2001

Psychotherapists' approaches to gay and lesbian patients/clients: a qualitative study.

We used qualitative research methods to examine the core issues relating to the approaches of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapists to gay and lesbian patients and clients. The paper begins with a review of the psychoanalytic approaches to gay and lesbian sexuality and continues with material of a clinical nature, providing information about the experience of lesbians and gay men in psychotherapy. It also explores the attitudes of therapists towards gay and lesbian sexuality by discussing a range of psychoanalytic theories and their application to clinical work with patients and clients.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2001

Current approaches to diabetes control. How good are they?

BACKGROUND: How well are general practitioners currently managing their patients with diabetes and do systems of care have anything to offer? OBJECTIVE: This article examines the benefits and costs of recommended treatments. It looks at evidence on current standards of care for people with diabetes in Australia. It examines the evidence on systems of care and their effect on quality of care and outcomes. DISCUSSION: There is good evidence to support current recommendations regarding management of glycaemia, blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia and the use of aspirin. Early screening and appropriate management of retinopathy, microalbuminuria and at-risk feet is also supported. Despite this, management of diabetes within the Australian community remains suboptimal. Systems of care improve quality of care. The uptake of these more structured approaches to care requires an appropriate mix of incentives, education and support for GPs.

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMed2000

Chain reaction cloning: a one-step method for directional ligation of multiple DNA fragments.

A novel DNA assembly method, chain reaction cloning (CRC), is described. CRC enables the ordered assembly of multiple DNA fragments in a single step. The power of the technique was demonstrated by the directed in vitro assembly of a plasmid comprised of six DNA fragments from a pool of 12 available fragments. The odds of obtaining the correct plasmid clone in a single step, using conventional techniques, is less than 1 in 191000000. Using CRC, the desired plasmid was recovered at a frequency of one in two. Ligation is no longer the rate limiting step in cloning, and limitless possibilities exist for the reconstruction of complex genomes.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed2000

Finite-temperature density instability at high landau level occupancy

We study here the onset of charge density wave instabilities in quantum Hall systems at finite temperature for Landau level filling nu>4. Specific emphasis is placed on the role of disorder as well as on an in-plane magnetic field. Beyond some critical value, disorder is observed to suppress the charge density wave melting temperature to zero. In addition, we find that a transition from perpendicular to parallel stripes (relative to the in-plane magnetic field) exists when the electron gas thickness exceeds approximately 60 A. The perpendicular alignment of the stripes is in agreement with the experimental finding that the easy conduction direction is perpendicular to the in-plane field.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Fluctuation conductivity in insulator-superconductor transitions with dissipation.

We analyze here the fluctuation conductivity in the vicinity of the critical point in a 2D Josephson junction array shunted by an Ohmic resistor. We find that, at the Gaussian level, the conductivity acquires a logarithmic dependence on T/m ( m is the inverse correlation length) when the dissipation is sufficiently small. In the renormalized classical regime, this logarithmic dependence gives rise to a leveling off of the resistivity at low to intermediate temperatures when fluctuations are included. We show, however, that this trend does not persist to T=0 at which point the resistivity vanishes. The possible relationship of the leveling of the resistivity to the low temperature transport in granular superconductors is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Radon hazards, geology, and exposure of cave users: a case study and some theoretical perspectives.

The concerns over the risks to human health from radon in underground caves are poorly documented, unlike in workplace or domestic environments where exposures are relatively well known. In U.K. caves, radon has been identified as occurring at elevated levels; but with the exception of major show caves, its impact and risk to the many groups who use the caves have thus far received inadequate attention. This paper presents a survey performed in a relatively "low-risk" geographical area of the United Kingdom and quantifies the risk of exposure in this cave environment. Radon levels up to 12,552 Bq m(-3) were measured: Such concentrations are very high but are likely to underestimate the levels in many other parts of the cave system, for reasons associated with cave architecture and meteorology. This study confirms previous workers' conclusions that long-term users of deep caves, as opposed to rock shelters, are at risk. Annual doses to certain groups of cave users have been calculated to be as high as 120 mSv, a very high value. The study also demonstrates that there is variation both within and between caves as a result of subtleties of the bedrock geology, fault patterns, and weathering. This paper sets out a theoretical model.

Geological Phenomena↗
PubMed2000

Dual diagnosis - does harm reduction have a role?

A pragmatic approach to those with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and problem drug use accepts that drug and alcohol use is firmly established in this population, and aims to minimise and reduce any harms associated with using. However, it is evident that we know little about drug using practices and knowledge among this group in order to effect such an approach. This paper aims to investigate the potential of utilising a harm reduction based approach as an alternative to current service responses for those with a dual diagnosis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Tissue viability--information for the 21st century.

This paper is a primer on Internet technology, discusses how it is currently being used in the field of medicine, and finally explores its future potential uses. A glossary at the end lists the more esoteric terms used throughout.

Databases, Factual↗
PubMed2000

Replication-restricted vaccinia as a cytokine gene therapy vector in cancer: persistent transgene expression despite antibody generation.

BACKGROUND: As antitumoral immunity requires the generation of local immunity directed against tissue proteins, we attempted to recreate within tumors the same environment found within tissues affected by autoimmune diseases (i.e., prolonged cytokine expression). Vaccinia virus (VV) has not been widely used as a cytokine gene therapy vector because of presumed high immunogenicity that would likely make repeated injections impossible; therefore, we modified it by inserting the cytokine gene into the thymidine kinase region, rendering it replication-restricted. The cytokine chosen was human interleukin-2 (IL-2); a molecule with powerful antitumoral effects. METHODS: Six patients with the treatment-resistant tumor malignant mesothelioma received intratumoral (i.t.) VV-IL-2 therapy for 12 weeks by injection of 10(7) plaque-forming units of VV-IL-2 per dose. Serial tumor biopsies, sputum, urine, and blood samples were tested for VV-IL-2 mRNA expression; VV culture and T-cell infiltrates were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Patients and contacts of patients were monitored for changes in VV immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and clinical evidence of VV infection. RESULTS: VV-IL-2 was not excreted and was only cultured in one patient from tumor biopsies. A T-cell infiltrate was detected in 50% of tumor biopsies. VV-IL-2 mRNA expression was highest on days 1-3 postinjection and was detected for up to 3 weeks after each injection even though VV IgG levels rose in all patients. No significant toxicities, infection of patient contacts, or tumor regressions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: I.t. VV-IL-2 administration is safe, is associated with minimal toxicity, and results in i.t. expression of VV-IL-2 for up to 3 weeks postinjection regardless of the level of anti-VV IgG titers generated. This suggests that VV may be a good vector for repeated cytokine gene therapy of solid human cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Substance misuse, offending and mental illness: a review.

The literature concerning the associations between violence, mental disorder, comorbidity and substance misuse are discussed in this review, which focuses on the findings of several international studies that demonstrate significantly higher rates of violence in substance misuse and dual diagnosis (when compared with 'single' diagnosis groups). The need for the development of an effective psychiatric nursing response in terms of assessment, liaison and joint clinical management approaches to those with a dual diagnosis is discussed in the context of United Kingdom Government legislation and policy in both forensic mental health services, and in statutory substance misuse services.

Cooperative Behavior↗