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Biomedical subjects

R J Walker

Publications and source records attributed to R J Walker.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

The value of preplacement medical examinations for nonhazardous light duty work.

A prospective study on 6,125 job applicants for light duty telephone company work is presented, which indicates that a preplacement medical evaluation is not predictive of risks relating to work attendance or job performance in nonhazardous assignments. Results show that between groups of employees, who were medically classified at the time of hire into categories with or without employment risk factors, there was no significant difference relative to sickness, accident or other absence, or to work performance during the first twelve months after hire. A work force loss of 25% is seen during the first year after hire without significant difference between groups for either numbers of employees lost or reason for loss. A cost-benefit analysis based on this study is presented, which demonstrates that the preplacement medical evaluation for light duty assignments is not cost effective. In addition, further unnecessary costs are incurred when job applicants are medically evaluated but not hired, which is shown to occur here for 27.5% of healthy applicants.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1976

Studies on the pharmacology of neurones in the nucleus accumbens of the rat.

A study was made of the effects of iontophoretically applied drugs on single neurones in the nucleus accumgens and caudate nucleus of rats anaesthetized with urethane. Neurones in the caudate nucleus were inhibited by dopamine, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, ADTN and ergometrine. Acetylcholine and homocysteic acid caused excitation of striatal neurones. In the nucleus accumbens neurones were inhibited by dopamine, ADTN, ergometrine, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. The responses of glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid were antagonised by strychnine and picrotoxin, respectively. Acetylcholine and homocysteic acid caused excitation of neurones in the nucleus acumbens; the effects of acetylcholine were blocked by atropine. The results are consistent with the suggestion that dopamine is an inhibitory transmitter in the nucleus accumbens and in the caudate nucleus and support the hypothesis that the effects of dopamine are mediated by cyclic AMP. The locomotor stimulants ADTN and ergometrine mimicked the inhibitory actions of dopamine in both the striatum and in the nucleus accumbens. These results support the suggestion that dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens are involved in the actions of locomotor stimulant drugs.

Acetylcholine↗