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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Calliper randomization: an artificial neural network based analysis of E. coli ribosome binding sites.

An artificial neural network based approach has been used in analyzing the translation initiation region of E. coli. The approach is based on using a trained network capable of recognizing a particular region and presenting the network with randomized calliper inputs of the true sequence. The network responds with an error when the regions which have been the main source of knowledge are randomized. Analysis of the E. coli ribosome binding sites using this approach reveal that the initiation codon and the Shine/Dalgarno sequence which are known to be important for translation initiation are also important in imparting knowledge to the network. Further, selectively changing the usually occurring initiation codon AUG, to GUG, UUG and AUU, which occur less frequently, decreases the network performance in accordance with the frequency of their occurrence. This approach can be used as a general method to derive consensus.

Binding Sites↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Menstrual and premenstrual experiences of women in a developing country.

The menstrual and premenstrual experiences of black Zimbabwean women were examined. Twenty-five professional women and twenty-five domestic workers were interviewed using semistructured, open-ended interviews designed to explore their experiences. An analysis of consensual data indicated a number of predominant themes, including secrecy associated with menstruation, the negativity surrounding menarche, the breakdown of the traditional family network that passes on information about menstruation, and the acceptance of menstrual cycle experiences by the women. The main differences between the two groups concerned explanations of the functions and purpose of menstruation and the reporting of physical and affective symptoms. These differences are suggestive of the impact of educational level on experiences of menstruation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of key informant and survey methods for ascertainment of childhood epilepsy in West Bengal, India.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare efficacy and cost of key informants and survey for ascertainment of childhood epilepsy within a treatment context in rural India. METHODS: The study was set in a non-governmental, community programme for the functional and socioeconomic rehabilitation of children with disabilities in rural West Bengal, India. Ascertainment was by two methods: house-to-house survey of 15000 households and also by 430 key informants including village leaders, health workers and 670 schoolchildren. Methods were compared for positive predictive value, and sensitivity by capture-recapture technique. Ninety four children were enrolled into treatment. Predictors of treatment success were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis, giving adjusted odds ratios for remission. The costs of identifying one case and one treatment success were measured by costing personnel, materials and overheads. RESULTS: The survey was four times as sensitive as key informants although the positive predictive values were similar (36%, 40%). The survey had an absolute sensitivity of only 59%. Identification by key informants strongly predicted successful treatment outcome (odds ratio [OR] = 4.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 1.19-18.85). The cost of finding one case was US$11 and US$14, and of finding one successful treatment outcome US$35 and US$67 for informants and survey respectively. Key informants were essential in attaining longer term programme objectives. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of a treatment programme, key informants were the more cost-effective method, but community involvement was traded against low sensitivity in the short term. Overall ascertainment costs were significant in the context of primary health care in India.

Child↗
PubMed1993

The home birth movement in the United States.

The home birth movement in the United States is an alternative health belief system that promotes a model of pregnancy and childbirth contradictory to the conventional biomedical model. The alternative model stresses normalcy and non-intervention and is informed by an ideology that promotes individual authority and responsibility for health and health care. It is founded in an epistemological system that assigns primacy and goodness to the Natural, fuses moral and practical injunctions in the arena of health behavior, and valorizes subjective as well as objective sources of knowledge. (Natural = as found in nature without technical intervention). Differences of opinion with the conventional medical model of childbirth do not spring from misunderstanding of this model, but from disagreement with it. Members of this movement are typically educated, middle class, and white.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1983

What kind of expert should a system be?

Human experts are the source of knowledge required to develop computer systems that perform at an expert level. Human beings are not, however, able to reliably express what they know. As a result, experts often develop non-authentic accounts of their own expertise. These accounts, here termed reconstructed methods of reasoning, lead to computer systems that perform at a high level of proficiency but have the disadvantage that they often do not reflect the heuristics and processing constraints of a system user. Reconstructed methods of reasoning are compared with authentic methods derived from the study of expert human behavior. Tests are proposed to establish the authenticity of reasoning methods and examples from medical diagnosis are used to illustrate how authentic methods of reasoning can be incorporated into an expert computer system.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1998

Beyond 'knock-out' mice: new perspectives for the programmed modification of the mammalian genome.

The emergence of gene inactivation by homologous recombination methodology in embryonic stem cells has revolutionized the field of mouse genetics. Indeed, the availability of a rapidly growing number of mouse null mutants has represented an invaluable source of knowledge on mammalian development, cellular biology and physiology and has provided many models for human inherited diseases. In recent years, improvements of the original 'knock-out' strategy, as well as the exploitation of exogenous enzymatic systems that are active in the recombination process, have considerably extended the range of genetic manipulations that can be produced. For example, it is now possible to create a mouse bearing a targeted point mutation as the unique change in its entire genome therefore allowing very fine dissection of gene function in vivo. Chromosome alterations such as large deletions, inversions or translocations can also be designed and will facilitate the global functional analysis of the mouse genome. This will extend the possibilities of creating models of human pathologies that frequently originate from various chromosomal disorders. Finally, the advent of methods allowing conditional gene targeting will open the way for the analysis of the consequence of a particular mutation in a defined organ and at a specific time during the life of a mouse.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Problem-based learning as a training modality in the occupational medicine curriculum.

Problem-based learning has been used as a curricular modality in the academic year of the Occupational Medicine Residency Program. The method was applied to the resolution of problems presented by patients referred to a university clinic specifically for the determination of possible work-relatedness of the syndrome or symptoms presented. Following the usual development of the occupational and medical histories, physical examination, and determination of certain clinical laboratory values, the resident would then have to seek assistance through consultation with related specialists, a perusal of the pertinent toxicology, epidemiology, or other discipline literature, and ultimately prepare a university-level report, following case conferences with fellow residents and faculty members. No formal direction was given the student, the problems of diagnosis, occupational etiology and medicolegal acceptance of the resulting report having to be resolved through self-perusal of informational sources. The knowledge gained from the exercise would be longer-lasting than that attained strictly from lecture attendance.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1988

Substance use by fourth-year students at 13 U.S. medical schools.

Fourth-year medical students at 13 medical schools in different regions of the United States received an anonymous questionnaire designed to examine their current and prior use of 11 substances and their attitudes toward substance use among physicians. Of 1,427 questionnaires distributed, 41 percent were returned. The questionnaire and distribution method were derived from an ongoing survey on drug use in order to permit comparison of the medical students with a national sample of age- and sex-matched cohorts. The rates of substance use during the 30 days preceding receipt of the questionnaire were: alcohol, 87.8 percent; marijuana, 17.3 percent; cigarettes, 9.0 percent; cocaine, 5.6 percent; heroin, 0.0 percent; other opiates, 0.9 percent; LSD, 0.2 percent; other psychedelics, 0.5 percent; barbiturates, 0.5 percent; tranquilizers, 2.2 percent; and amphetamines, 1.2 percent. Compared with their age and sex cohorts nationally, the medical students reported less use of marijuana, cocaine, cigarettes, LSD, barbiturates, and amphetamines. However, their use of other opiates was approximately the same and their use of tranquilizers and alcohol was slightly higher than that of the other cohorts. Data on their sources of knowledge about drug abuse indicate the need for greater attention to this issue in the medical curriculum.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of a targeted AIDS prevention intervention to increase condom use among prostitutes in Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short- and long-term impact of a 6-month pilot intervention program on condom use among prostitutes in Accra, Ghana. DESIGN: The 4-year prospective study follows-up cohorts enrolled in the intervention in 1987 and 1988, comparing condom use in 1991 with that among a comparison group not enrolled in the intervention. SETTING: The community-based intervention was initiated in Accra, Ghana in 1987. PARTICIPANTS: Self-identified female prostitutes who volunteered participation. INTERVENTION: The educational intervention used local health workers to train and support selected prostitutes to be health educators and condom distributors to their peers. OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported condom use with clients. RESULTS: Reported condom use increased dramatically between 1987 and 1988 during the first 6 months of the intervention. In 1991, after 3 years of program relapse, 107 (43%) of the 248 women who had enrolled in 1987 or 1988 were still in prostitution and located for interview. Their level of condom use in 1991 was higher than pre-enrollment but similar to use among prostitutes never enrolled. Sixty-four per cent of those followed-up reported always using condoms with clients in 1991. These 'always users' were more likely to have maintained informal contact with project staff, know that HIV can be transmitted by healthy clients, and report that clients frequently initiate condom use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the development of long-range educational strategies that recognize the career longevity of prostitutes, available channels for informal program diffusion, individual changes in condom use over time, and the role of clients in condom negotiation.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Pregnancy risk among the younger sisters of pregnant and childbearing adolescents.

There is increasing evidence that younger sisters of childbearing teenagers are at increased risk for adolescent childbearing. We critically review this research and discuss three plausible theoretical explanations (social modeling, shared parenting influences, and shared societal risk) why the younger sisters of childbearing adolescents would themselves be at risk for teenage pregnancy. Considerations for preventive interventions aimed at the younger sisters of pregnant teenagers and directions for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Adolescent identity--a qualitative approach: self-concept, existential questions and adult contacts.

In-depth interviews were performed with 12 adolescents (Swedish students, 16-19 years). Three questions were probed; what do adolescents say on the subjects of (a) themselves, (b) their existential questions, and (c) their adult contacts. The first two questions were aimed at elucidating the process of identity development, the last one at factors that may be influencing this process. The results showed that (a) balancing and controlling one's own needs and wishes in relation to others' was a central issue, (b) existential questions mainly concerned the personal future, (c) adult contacts outside the family were scarce and (d) all respondents expressed a need for adult contacts as sources of knowledge and experience. The conclusions are that identity formation during late adolescence consists of integrative issues where adults play a specific and important role.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Community influences on breast feeding.

The incidence of breast feeding in Camden and Paddington is reported for two periods, 1974-75 and 1976-77. In 1976 a programme was begun to encourage breast feeding by increasing contact and support by the health visitor and child health visitor and child health clinic antenatally and postnatally. Fifty-eight per cent of mothers in Camden and 56% of mothers in Paddington breast fed at 3 weeks in 1976-77 compared with 24% (Camden) and 20% (Paddington) in 1974-75. The incidence of breast feeding in the experimental areas was compared with that in a similar control area in which no intervention occurred to investigate whether this increase reflected a widespread increase in the popularity of breast feeding or resulted from intervention. In 1976-77 more mothers in the experimental, than in the control area who breast fed on discharge continued to do so during the first 5 months. Of the mothers who were discharged breast feeding 88% in Camden and 73% in Paddington compared with 57% in the control area were still doing so at 6 weeks. The pattern of home visiting by the health visitors and attendance at the child health clinic was also investigated. More antenatal and postnatal home visits, more clinic visits and earlier home visits took place in the experimental areas compared with the control area. We conclude that the health visitor and child health clinic have an important role to play in the management of lactation.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pregnancy and antenatal care: the attitudes and experiences of Asian women.

Asian women living in the East End of London were interviewed in English or in their own language to assess their attitudes to and experiences of pregnancy and antenatal care and to consider some factors which may influence their experiences, especially their fluency in English. In some respects Asian women's experiences were similar to those of non-Asian women reported in other studies, e.g. similar levels of nausea and lack of tie-up between nausea and negative reactions to pregnancy. However there were also some differences, e.g. Asian women expressed greater concern about the sex of the child and about eating 'cool' foods to counterbalance the hot state of pregnancy. Asian women were good patients: they attended antenatal clinics, read the leaflets provided and about half attended antenatal classes, although some were keener than others to seek information about pregnancy and childbirth and only a quarter bought books or watched videos. Less than half of the women were living in extended families and receiving support from in-laws in the traditional way. Those living in nuclear families received support from friends, neighbours and especially husbands. There were considerable individual differences in women's reactions and experiences. Women who spoke little or no English were less knowledgeable and had lived for a shorter time in the UK than women who were fluent in English. Leaflets in languages women can read and link workers at clinics helped some women.

Acculturation↗