Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Portrait”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Enriching the portrait: methodological triangulation of life-closing theory.

Some researchers promote a triangulated or multiple-methods approach in studies that examine complex human phenomenon. Nonetheless, problems abound in combining 2 dissimilar data sets from 2 different methodologies. One way that numerical and textual data can be merged is through a research method called statistical triangulation. The purpose of this article was to describe the statistical triangulation of a simultaneous, between-methods causal model and grounded theory investigation that explained psychological adaptation in dying persons. The statistical triangulation involved the analysis of selected patterns of dying from the grounded theory study with the variables used in the causal model investigation. A 1-way analysis of variance confirmed that the variables of social support, physical function, and religious preference impacted end-of-life patterns. Post hoc comparisons validated the conceptualization of 3 patterns of dying (becoming, anguishing/agonizing, avoiding) that emerged from the qualitative data. Although there are limitations to this analysis, statistical triangulation shows promise as a research method for enriching qualitative description.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

DNA array-based gene profiling: from surgical specimen to the molecular portrait of cancer.

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease in most respects, including its cellularity, different genetic alterations, and diverse clinical behaviors. Traditional molecular analyses are reductionist, assessing only 1 or a few genes at a time, thus working with a biologic model too specific and limited to confront a process whose clinical outcome is likely to be governed by the combined influence of many genes. The potential of functional genomics is enormous, because for each experiment, thousands of relevant observations can be made simultaneously. Accordingly, DNA array, like other high-throughput technologies, might catalyze and ultimately accelerate the development of knowledge in tumor cell biology. Although in its infancy, the implementation of DNA array technology in cancer research has already provided investigators with novel data and intriguing new hypotheses on the molecular cascade leading to carcinogenesis, tumor aggressiveness, and sensitivity to antiblastic agents. Given the revolutionary implications that the use of this technology might have in the clinical management of patients with cancer, principles of DNA array-based tumor gene profiling need to be clearly understood for the data to be correctly interpreted and appreciated. In the present work, we discuss the technical features characterizing this powerful laboratory tool and review the applications so far described in the field of oncology.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2001

Genealogical portraits of speciation in montane grasshoppers (genus Melanoplus) from the sky islands of the Rocky Mountains.

Grasshoppers in the genus Melanoplus have undergone a radiation in the 'sky islands' of western North America, with many species originating during the Pleistocene. Despite their recent origins, phylogenetic analyses indicate that all the species exhibit monophyletic or paraphyletic gene trees. The objectives of this study were to determine whether the monophyletic genealogies are the result of a bottleneck at speciation and to investigate the extent to which the different phylogenetic states of eight species (i.e. monophyletic versus paraphyletic gene trees) can be ascribed to the effects of speciation. A coalescent simulation was used to test for a bottleneck at speciation in each species. The effective population sizes and demographic histories of species were compared across taxa to evaluate the possibility that the paraphyly versus monophyly of the species reflects differential rates of lineage loss rather than speciation mode. While coalescent analyses indicate that the monophyly of Melanoplus species might not be indicative of bottlenecks at speciation, the results suggest that the paraphyletic gene trees may reflect the demography of speciation, involving localized divergences in the ancestral species. With respect to different models of Pleistocene divergence, the data do not support a model of founder-effect speciation but are compatible with divergence in allopatric refugia.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The evolving portrait of cancer metastasis.

The phenomenon of cancer metastasis remains poorly understood. We discuss here various conceptual frameworks that attempt to rationalize the mechanisms by which tumors acquire metastatic ability. Portrayal of cancer as a somatic Darwinian process occurring within a tissue fails to fully explain the phenomenon of metastatic competence. The biology of pre-neoplastic cells also complicates this picture, since the phenotypes of normal cellular precursors are clearly relevant to metastatic behavior following transformation. Recent experimental results help to shed light on these and other considerations regarding the molecular mechanisms of malignant progression.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Cancer Care Ontario and integrated cancer programs: portrait of a performance management system and lessons learned.

PURPOSE: A performance management system has been implemented by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). This system allows for the monitoring and management of 11 integrated cancer programs (ICPs) across the Province of Ontario. The system comprises of four elements: reporting frequency, reporting requirements, review meetings and accountability and continuous improvement activities. CCO and the ICPs have recently completed quarterly performance review exercises for the last two quarters of the fiscal year 2004-2005. The purpose of this paper is to address some of the key lessons learned. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The paper provides an outline of the CCO performance management system. FINDINGS: These lessons included: data must be valid and reliable; performance management requires commitments from both parties in the performance review exercises; streamlining performance reporting is beneficial; technology infrastructure which allows for cohesive management of data is vital for a sustainable performance management system; performance indicators need to stand up to scrutiny by both parties; and providing comparative data across the province is valuable. Critical success factors which would help to ensure a successful performance management system include: corporate engagement from various parts of an organization in the review exercises; desire to focus on performance improvement and avoidance of blaming; and strong data management systems. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The performance management system is a practical and sustainable system that allows for performance improvement of cancer care services. It can be a vital tool to enhance accountability within the health care system. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper demonstrates that the performance management system supports accountability in the cancer care system for Ontario, and reflects the principles of the provincial governments commitment to continuous improvement of healthcare.

Delivery of Health Care, Integrated↗
PubMed2002

The evolution of development: two portraits of skull ossification in pipoid frogs.

Development creates morphology, and the study of developmental processes has repeatedly shed light on patterns of morphological evolution. However, development itself evolves as well, often concomitantly with changes in life history or in morphology. In this paper, two approaches are used to examine the evolution of skull development in pipoid frogs. Pipoids have highly unusual morphologies and life histories compared to other frogs, and their development also proves to be remarkable. First, a phylogenetic examination of skull bone ossification sequences reveals that jaw ossification occurs significantly earlier in pipoids than in other frogs; this represents a reversal to the primitive vertebrate condition. Early jaw ossification in pipoids is hypothesized to result from the absence of certain larval specializations possessed by other frogs, combined with unusual larval feeding behaviors. Second, thin-plate spline morphometric studies of ontogenetic shape change reveal important differences between pipoid skull development and that of other frogs. In the course of frog evolution, there has been a shift away from salamander-like patterns of ontogenetic shape change. The pipoids represent the culmination of this trend, and their morphologies are highly derived in numerous respects. This study represents the first detailed examination of the evolution of skull development in a diverse vertebrate clade within a phylogenetic framework. It is also the first study to examine ossification sequences across vertebrates, and the first to use thin-plate spline morphometrics to quantitatively describe ontogenetic trajectories.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Autoimmunity gene expression portrait: specific signature that intersects or differentiates between multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Autoimmune diseases are either tissue-specific like multiple sclerosis (MS) or multisystemic like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although clinically both exhibit common features. To gain insight into the properties of the genes involved in each disease we have investigated the gene expression signature of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in MS and SLE in comparison to healthy subjects. Total RNA was purified, hybridized to Genechip array and analysed in 36 subjects (13 relapsing-remitting MS patients, five SLE patients and 18 age-matched healthy subjects that served as controls). Additional blood samples from 15 relapsing-remitting MS patients, 8 SLE patients and 10 healthy subjects were used for confirmation of microarray gene expression findings by ELISA and RT-PCR. MS and SLE patients demonstrated a common gene expression autoimmune signature of 541 genes which differentiated them from healthy subjects. The autoimmune signature included genes that encode proteins involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, inflammation and regulation of matrix metalloproteinase pathways. Specifically, decreased TIMP1 gene expression in the autoimmunity signature suggests increased MMP activity in target tissues as a result of the lack of feedback mechanism. An additional different disease specific signature identified the gene expression pattern for MS (1031 genes), mainly associated with over-expression of adhesion molecules and down-expression of heat shock proteins; the SLE specific signature (1146 genes) mainly involved DNA damage/repair pathways that result in production of nuclear autoantibodies. These results provide insights into the genetic pathways underlying autoimmune diseases, and identify specific disease-associated signatures that may enable targetted disease-related specific therapies to be developed.

Adult↗