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R Robins

Publications and source records attributed to R Robins.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Validity of the time trade-off and standard gamble methods of utility assessment in retinal patients.

AIM: To assess the validity of the time trade-off (TTO) and standard reference gamble (SRG) techniques of utility assessment in patients with retinal disease. A cross section of eligible patients was studied and validity was determined through their relation with two logical constructs, visual acuity and scores from the Visual Function 14 (VF-14) index. METHODS: The study consisted of eligible patients presenting to a tertiary retinal facility who completed an interview. All patients had best corrected vision of 20/40 or worse in at least one eye. TTO and SRG utilities, as well as a VF-14 questionnaire, were administered through a standardised interview. Demographic and clinical (including Snellen visual acuity) information was also collected. RESULTS: 323 patients met these study criteria. Significant predictors of TTO utilities in the multivariate analysis were vision in the better seeing eye (p<0.01) and VF-14 scores (p<0.01). Significant predictors of standard gamble utilities were also vision in the better seeing eye (p<0.01) and VF-14 scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both the standard gamble and TTO methods demonstrate strong validity when evaluated against visual acuity in the better seeing eye and the VF-14 score.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Natural deuterium distribution in long-chain fatty acids is nonstatistical: a site-specific study by quantitative (2)H NMR spectroscopy.

Quantitative (2)H NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the site-specific natural occurrence of (2)H in common unsaturated fatty acids. A marked nonstatistical isotopic distribution of (2)H is observed in both methyl oleate and methyl linoleate. By chemical modification, the internal isotopic (2)H signatures of these products have been partially accessed. Notably, it can be seen that (1) the sites of desaturation show a strong impoverishment at only one ethylenic position of each desaturation; (2) the level of impoverishment reflects the source of the hydrogen atoms present; and (3) a gradient of (2)H content occurs along the chain. These effects can in part be related to the mechanisms proposed for the enzymes responsible for the various steps of biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in plants.

Deuterium↗
PubMed2001

Determination of substrate and product concentrations in lactic acid bacterial fermentations by proton NMR using the ERETIC method.

A 1H NMR method is described for the determination of the concentration of a chemically diverse group of metabolites over a wide concentration range in fermentation medium. The method employs the use of the ERETIC signal, which produces a pseudo-FID acquired with the FID derived from the sample components. It is shown that this signal, once calibrated against an external standard solution, can be used to determine accurately the concentration of all components present in the medium. The method is rapid, reliable, and applicable to a wide range of biological fluids. Problems such as the invisibility of certain components in the spectrum are overcome by a simple regulation of the pH.

Fermentation↗
PubMed1997

The conformation of an inhibitor bound to the gastric proton pump.

Substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines are pharmaceutically important small molecule inhibitors of the gastric H+/K+-ATPase, the membrane-bound therapeutic target for peptic ulcer disease. A non-perturbing analytical technique, rotational resonance NMR spectroscopy, was used to measure a precise (to +/-0.2 A) distance between atomic sites in a substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine, TMPIP, bound to H+/K+-ATPase at its high-affinity site in the intact, native membrane. The structural analysis of the enzyme-inhibitor complex revealed that the flexible moiety of TMPIP adopts a 'syn-type' conformation at its site of action. Hence, the conformation of an inhibitor has been resolved directly under near-physiological conditions, providing a sound experimental basis for rational design of many active compounds of pharmaceutical interest. Chemically restraining the flexible moiety of compounds like TMPIP in the syn-type binding conformation was found to increase activity by over 2 orders of magnitude. Such information is normally only available after extensive synthesis of related compounds and multiple screening approaches.

H(+)-K(+)-Exchanging ATPase↗
PubMed1988

Surgical audit.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Hand↗
PubMed1984

An old Cornish hand.

A wooden upper limb prosthesis, made c.1601, is illustrated with its documentation. It has remained in the possession of the descendants of its original wearer.

Artificial Limbs↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Awareness about the persons with disability act among leprosy patients and other disabled persons.

To assess the level of awareness about the different provisions of the Persons with Disability Act (PWD Act) among leprosy patients and other disabled, 233 disabled persons from the self-help groups formed by Vadathorasalur Leprosy Control Unit have been interviewed using a structured interview checklist. The results show that 74.7% of the respondents were aware that identity cards are available for the disabled, 56.2% were aware of the free education benefit to the disabled, as low as 35.6% were aware of the scholarships, 33% knew about the employment reservations, 24.9% heard about the housing scheme of the government for the disabled, but 24.5% only knew about law against discrimination, 31.8% came in contact with institutions for the severely disabled and only 16% were aware of the unemployment allowance to the disabled. The level of awareness is low among women with regard to all components of the Act. It was found that students studying up to secondary level were not aware of the availability of scholarships and free education, which needs to be seriously looked into, especially by educational institutions. The level of formal education played a significant role in increasing awareness about the Act among literates. The knowledge is low among persons of all occupations. The study showed that there is a great need for an educational intervention programme to publicize the provisions of the Act among the disabled and their families.

Adolescent↗