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Biomedical subjects

S Jones

Publications and source records attributed to S Jones.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

Contribution of cutaneous and muscle afferent fibres to cortical SEPs following median and radial nerve stimulation in man.

Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded after stimulation of motor and cutaneous nerves in the upper limb. Stimulation of the thenar motor branch of the median nerve and the deep motor branch of the radial nerve produced only broad, ill-defined and small-amplitude scalp-recorded responses. In contrast, stimulation of purely cutaneous nerves (digital and the superficial radial) gave responses of large amplitude. The cortical responses following combined deep and superficial radial nerve stimulation were of smaller amplitude than the two individual responses combined. These findings suggest that, contrary to an earlier report (Gandevia et al. 1984), muscle afferents do not make a major positive contribution to the scalp-recorded cortical responses produced by electrical stimulation of mixed nerves in the upper limb.

Adult↗

Report of a European collaborative exercise comparing DNA typing results using a single locus VNTR probe.

A collaborative exercise was carried out in 1989 among 12 European forensic laboratories using the single locus VNTR probe pYNH24, the restriction enzyme HinfI, the same set of human genomic DNA samples, and a standardized DNA size marker. The objectives of the exercise were: (1) to study the degree of variation within and between laboratories, (2) to obtain information on requirements for technical standardization allowing the exchange of typing results and (3) to compare different approaches for the identification of allelic DNA fragments of unknown size. Each laboratory carried out up to 10 independent typing experiments using the same DNA samples. The results were analysed independently by two laboratories using three different methods. The results of the exercise demonstrate the correlation of typing that can be achieved within and between laboratories under conditions of minimal standardization.

Alleles↗

Assessment of a video system for scanning DNA autoradiographs.

A video based scanning system had been developed for processing DNA autoradiographs (T. Catterick and J.R. Russell, Lab. Microcomput. (1991), in press). Before the scanner was used in casework it was necessary to assess its performance. Test DNA samples containing fragments (alleles) of known kilobase size were run against the primary (Amersham, U.K.) calibration ladder. The resulting autoradiographs were processed with the new video scanner and also using manual, ruler based measurements. Comparisons were then made between these experimental results and also with the known kilobase values quoted by the supplier of the test samples.

Autoradiography↗

Distance learning: an innovative approach to nursing education.

This article presents four views encompassing one nursing department's experience using distance learning technology. The challenge of presenting a nursing class through distance technology is discussed from the perspective of the telecommunication faculty providing the technological support, the nursing faculty teaching the on-campus course, the off-campus nursing faculty coordinating the course at the outreach site, and the head of the Department of Nursing. Review of course grades demonstrated that off-campus students achieved higher grades than on-campus students. All students evaluated the teacher as being effective; however, off-campus students were not as strong in their opinion.

Attitude↗

The quick look airway classification. A useful tool in predicting the difficult out-of-hospital intubation: experience in an air medical transport program.

The unpredictable nature of the out-of-hospital care environment poses unique challenges for active airway management techniques. This descriptive study was conducted in the helicopter air medical transport (AMT) environment for a period of 32 months to determine whether initial direct airway visualization classification may provide a useful tool to predict the difficulty of intubation. Data extracted from documented oral intubation attempts included initial airway visualization grade, number of attempts, final airway management method, and procedural complications. Oral intubation was attempted on 429 patients. Initial airway visualization grades were found with the following frequency for grades I through IV: 65.6%, 21.5%, 8.6%, and 5.4%, respectively. Similarly, the average number of attempts was 1.34, 1.65, 1.97, and 2.39, respectively. The serious complication rate was 24%, 46%, 62%, and 65%, respectively. A statistically significant correlation (Spearman's rho) was found between increasing grade and both the number of intubation attempts (0.52) and the number of complications (0.45). Initial visualization classification may serve as a useful indicator in the out-of-hospital environment to help anticipate the difficulty of intubation and the need for early alternative airway management strategies. In this program, such classification is used to monitor airway management skills.

Air Ambulances↗

The nature of forensic science opinion--a possible framework to guide thinking and practice in investigations and in court proceedings.

The questions that are asked of forensic scientists during the course of a criminal investigation, and during subsequent court proceedings, are of varied form. This paper attempts to place these questions into broad generic types and explores the difference in the inferential process that a scientist may employ when forming opinions that help answer these questions. From this model, a working definition of different roles and attributes for forensic scientists is described which may offer greater clarity for both practitioners and users of forensic science.

Expert Testimony↗

Rolling circle amplification for scoring single nucleotide polymorphisms.

The analysis of the genetic basis of phenotypic traits is moving towards the complex diseases prevalent in wealthy populations. There is an increasing requirement for the detection of different types of sequence variation, particularly single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs occur about once every 100 to 300 bases. High-density SNP maps will help to identify the multiple genes associated with complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, vascular disease, and some forms of mental illness.

DNA↗

Degree of burn, location of burn, and length of hospital stay as predictors of psychosocial status and physical functioning.

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of psychologic and physical functioning of the victim with burn injuries from initial hospitalization to discharge. Thirty-one patients admitted to a burn center participated in the study and completed the Burn-Specific Health Scale. Most patients were men between 17 and 45 years of age. Length of stay in the hospital was bimodal, i.e., although about half stayed in the hospital for less than 15 days, about one fifth were hospitalized for more than 28 days. The study hypothesized that degree of burn, location of burn, and length of hospital stay would be associated with psychologic and physical functioning at the first-alert stage (stage of first orientation after burn injury) and the predischarge stage (immediately before discharge from the hospital). At the predischarge stage, the degree of the burn strongly predicted the patient's functioning. Patients with first-degree burns reported lower physical and psychologic functioning on every area of the Burn-Specific Health Scale. Conversely, at the first-alert stage, patients with third-degree burns reported higher psychologic functioning in certain areas (mental and social domains). Having a second-degree burn was not associated with reported psychologic or physical functioning. If the burn involved either the patient's hand or head, the location of the burn predicted certain areas of physical functioning at the first-alert and predischarge stage. Length of hospital stay predicted physical functioning; patients who stayed longer in the hospital reported lower mobility and hand function.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Determinants of genital human papillomavirus infection in low-income women in Washington, D.C.

OBJECTIVES: To confirm the risk factors for genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. GOAL OF THIS STUDY: To investigate risk factors for HPV detection independent of the correlated risk factors for cervical neoplasia, in a high-risk population. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated 404 cytologically normal women attending medical assistance clinics in the Washington, D.C. area. Risk factor information was obtained and a cervicovaginal lavage was collected and used for HPV detection and typing by a PCR-based technique. RESULTS: The point prevalence of HPV was 33.7%. This contrasts with the 17.7% and 44.3% observed in the companion reports published in this issue of the journal. HPV prevalence decreased with age and increased with greater numbers of sexual partners. Moreover, more recent sexual behavior was a better predictor of current HPV detection than lifetime number of sexual partners. Numbers of pregnancies and current pregnancy were positively associated with HPV prevalence and there was an indication that current oral contraceptive users had a higher prevalence of HPV compared to never users. Smoking was not associated with increased HPV prevalence. CONCLUSION: Findings support the sexual route of transmission of HPV and confirm the association of HPV detection with age, suggesting the host's ability to clear infection or the virus' ability to become latent.

Adolescent↗

The caregiver's careshop. A renewal experience for nursing staff.

What are some creative methodologies that staff development educators can use to nurture nursing staff while promoting caring and compassionate behaviors? The authors describe an innovative process used during a 1-day workshop designed to convey caring to nursing staff through a variety of experiences. The overall goal of the session is to provide caregivers with a variety of new "tools" to care for themselves as they deal with multiple stressors in their personal and professional lives.

Burnout, Professional↗

Regulation, emotionality, and preschoolers' socially competent peer interactions.

In this study, the relations of regulatory control to the qualities of children's everyday peer interactions were examined. Effortful control (EC) and observations of peer interactions were obtained from 135 preschoolers (77 boys and 58 girls, mean ages = 50.88 and 50.52, respectively). The results generally confirmed the prediction that children who are high in EC were relatively unlikely to experience high levels of negative emotional arousal in response to peer interactions, but this relation held only for moderate to high intense interactions. Socially competent responding was less likely to be observed when the interaction was intense or when negative emotions were elicited. Moreover, when the interactions were of high intensity, highly regulated children were likely to evidence socially competent responses. The relation of EC and intensity to social competence was partially mediated by negative emotional arousal. The results support the conclusion that individual differences in regulation interact with situational factors in influencing young children's socially competent responding.

Arousal↗

Prediction of elementary school children's externalizing problem behaviors from attentional and behavioral regulation and negative emotionality.

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of individual differences in negative emotionality in the relations of behavioral and attentional (emotional) regulation to externalizing problem behaviors. Teachers' and one parent's reports of children's regulation (attentional and behavioral), emotionality, and problem behavior were obtained when children were in kindergarten to grade 3 and two years later (N = 169; 146 in major analyses); children's behavioral regulation also was assessed with a measure of persistence. According to the best fitting structural equation model, at two ages behavioral dysregulation predicted externalizing behavior problems for children both high and low in negative emotionality, whereas prediction of problem behavior from attentional control was significant only for children prone to negative emotionality. There were unique, additive effects of behavioral and attentional regulation for predicting problem behavior as well as moderating effects of negative emotionality for attentional regulation.

Age Factors↗

Observer variation in the assessment of adequacy and neoplasia in cervical cytology.

OBJECTIVE: To measure variation in reporting within and between cytotechnologists in a routine cytology laboratory and to assess if attending training courses and discussing many cases alter agreement levels. STUDY DESIGN: The study involved nine cytotechnologists each screening 100 cervical smears and recording the results. The same 100 smears were given a different identity number and the process repeated about six months later. Between the two occasions, two participants attended a training course, and two others discussed many other cases with the aim of reaching agreement on diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: The number of smears judged by the participants on either occasion as adequate varied between 87 and 100, and as adequate and negative, between 36 and 65. Percentage intraobserver agreement on the first round diagnosis of a negative smear varied between 88.5 and 100, and of an abnormal smear, between 58.5 and 91.2. CONCLUSION: Attending the same training course and in-depth discussion of other cervical smears appear to have had the effect of increasing some aspects of interobserver agreement between the two pairs of individuals involved.

Female↗

Hospital utilization and readmission rates for geriatric and young adult patients with major depression: results from a historical cohort study.

Late-life depression may have different clinical features, hospital utilization patterns, and natural history, depending on whether the illness begins in midlife or late life. This historical cohort study examined three patient groups, late-onset geriatric depressed patients, early-onset geriatric depressed patients, and young adult depressed patients, to determine hospital utilization patterns, readmission rates, and whether specific clinical symptoms on admission predisposed patients to readmission. The two geriatric patient groups had similar demographic, medical comorbidity, and hospital utilization profiles, except that the early-onset geriatric depressed group had longer hospital lengths of stay. Hospital utilization patterns for the young adult patients were different from the geriatric patients, but in the expected direction, ie, less medical comorbidity and shorter lengths of stay. Patients with late-onset geriatric depression had the highest 24-month readmission rate (47.4%), followed by early-onset geriatric depression patients (23.1%) and young adult patients (16.7%). Delusional symptoms and agitation were similar across the three patient groups and, as expected, somatic complaints were more frequent in the geriatric patient groups. The relative risk for readmission was greatest for geriatric patients who were somatic. Readmission risk was increased for agitated late-onset geriatric depressed patients and young adult patients, but not for early-onset geriatric depressed patients. Delusional symptoms did not predict readmission for any patient group.

Adult↗

The development of the paediatric nurse specialist.

Paediatric nurse specialists have, in the past, pioneered new roles in response to clients' needs. As a result, clinical practice and the service provided to families have been innovatory. Future paediatric nurse specialists will continue to lead and develop clinical practice through audit and research.

Job Description↗

Nebulised therapy and nursing knowledge.

Authoritative training from a multidisciplinary resource provides nurses with an excellent breadth and depth of knowledge. This study examines the impact of such training on nurses' knowledge of nebulised therapy and shows an encouraging improvement. Follow-up measures are also described.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗