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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

The changing face of cancer care in the UK: can nurses help to structure new services?

UNLABELLED: The concept of the lead cancer nurse is relatively new; no models of practice are available. An evaluation of lead cancer nurses was undertaken to identify core elements of success associated with this role. A two-stage multiple case study was used. In stage one, information was collected about post holders, working contexts, strategic aims and evidence of achievements from lead nurses, lead clinicians and senior nurses. Stage two explored the processes that enhanced and inhibited development of the lead nurse role. Site-visits were made to 12 Macmillan lead cancer nurses throughout the UK. Detailed information from interviews, observations and documentary materials were analysed using a framework that emphasized four key areas: assessment of current service, promotion of evidence-based practice, contribution to strategic decision making and consumer perspectives. RESULTS: Enhancing factors important to the lead cancer nurses were the ability to: utilize decision-making power, build alliances and accommodate to a changing environment. Factors found to hinder achievement were: major changes in service and policy, restricted resources and the cancer site-specific structure of health service provisions. Further and greater contributions to cancer care from lead nurses require influential partnerships within local health care organizations and wider networks.

Decision Making, Organizational↗
PubMed2004

Genetic diversity and population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Casablanca, a Moroccan city with high incidence of tuberculosis.

Although lower-resource countries have by far the highest burden of tuberculosis, knowledge of Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and genetic diversity in these regions remains almost nonexistent. In this paper, 150 Moroccan M. tuberculosis isolates circulating in Casablanca were genotyped by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using 10 different primers and by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats typing at 12 loci. The population genetic tests revealed a basically clonal structure for this population, without excluding rare genetic exchanges. Genetic analysis also showed a notable genetic polymorphism for the species M. tuberculosis, a weak cluster individualization, and an unexpected genetic diversity for a population in such a high-incidence community. Phylogenetic analyses of this Moroccan sample also supported that these isolates are genetically heterogeneous.

Genetic Variation↗
PubMed2006

QSCOP--SCOP quantified by structural relationships.

UNLABELLED: The database SCOP (Structural Classification Of Proteins) has become a major resource in bioinformatics and protein science. A particular strength of SCOP is the flexibility of its rules enabling the preservation of the many details spotted by experts in the classification process. Here we endow classic SCOP Families with quantified structural information and comment on the structural diversity found in the SCOP hierarchy. AVAILABILITY: Quantified SCOP (QSCOP) is available as a public WEB service. http://services.came.sbg.ac.at.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2005

Identification and distribution of protein families in 120 completed genomes using Gene3D.

Using a new protocol, PFscape, we undertake a systematic identification of protein families and domain architectures in 120 complete genomes. PFscape clusters sequences into protein families using a Markov clustering algorithm (Enright et al., Nucleic Acids Res 2002;30:1575-1584) followed by complete linkage clustering according to sequence identity. Within each protein family, domains are recognized using a library of hidden Markov models comprising CATH structural and Pfam functional domains. Domain architectures are then determined using DomainFinder (Pearl et al., Protein Sci 2002;11:233-244) and the protein family and domain architecture data are amalgamated in the Gene3D database (Buchan et al., Genome Res 2002;12:503-514). Using Gene3D, we have investigated protein sequence space, the extent of structural annotation, and the distribution of different domain architectures in completed genomes from all kingdoms of life. As with earlier studies by other researchers, the distribution of domain families shows power-law behavior such that the largest 2,000 domain families can be mapped to approximately 70% of nonsingleton genome sequences; the remaining sequences are assigned to much smaller families. While approximately 50% of domain annotations within a genome are assigned to 219 universal domain families, a much smaller proportion (< 10%) of protein sequences are assigned to universal protein families. This supports the mosaic theory of evolution whereby domain duplication followed by domain shuffling gives rise to novel domain architectures that can expand the protein functional repertoire of an organism. Functional data (e.g. COG/KEGG/GO) integrated within Gene3D result in a comprehensive resource that is currently being used in structure genomics initiatives and can be accessed via http://www.biochem.ucl.ac.uk/bsm/cath/Gene3D/.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

The Gene Ontology (GO) database and informatics resource.

The Gene Ontology (GO) project (http://www. geneontology.org/) provides structured, controlled vocabularies and classifications that cover several domains of molecular and cellular biology and are freely available for community use in the annotation of genes, gene products and sequences. Many model organism databases and genome annotation groups use the GO and contribute their annotation sets to the GO resource. The GO database integrates the vocabularies and contributed annotations and provides full access to this information in several formats. Members of the GO Consortium continually work collectively, involving outside experts as needed, to expand and update the GO vocabularies. The GO Web resource also provides access to extensive documentation about the GO project and links to applications that use GO data for functional analyses.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Allocation of family resources for health care in rural Haiti.

A household survey of 230 episodes of infant and child illness in rural Haiti was analyzed to identify sociocultural and environmental factors that determine allocation of family resources for health care. The analysis tested the hypothesis that expenditures of time and money would vary according to expectations about the prognosis for the disease in question, the age and sex of the child, the household composition and family structure, and seasonal fluctuations in weather and financial resources. The results show that these factors are significant predictors of resource allocation, although they do not always produce the kind of influence that was hypothesized. The findings emphasize the importance of cultural and ecological variables, as well as of purely medical and economic factors, in understanding family response to illness. The importance of nonmonetary resources (such as the free time available to adult family members) in that response is also indicated. The study has methodological and practical implications for Haiti and other areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Values, participatory democracy, and healthcare resource allocation: an application to a campus community.

As healthcare reform is debated, it is important that decision makers consider the values of all citizens, that is, what people find desirable or useful about healthcare services. Several states have used town meetings in an effort to determine their citizens' views on the values in the realm of healthcare. In this article, the authors describe a process in which individuals actively participate in an open discussion about issues surrounding allocation of healthcare resources in a university setting. Three different groups from the university community participated in separate, structured meetings to discuss their values concerning the allocation of scarce healthcare resources. Such meetings give participants opportunities to learn about their values and those of other persons in the community.

Democracy↗
PubMed2004

Animal management to reduce phosphorus losses to the environment.

Water quality in the United States is threatened by contamination with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus. Animal manure can be a valuable resource for farmers, providing nutrients, improving soil structure, and increasing vegetative cover to decrease erosion potential. At the same time, application of manure nutrients in excess of crop requirements can result in environmental contamination. Environmental concerns with P are primarily associated with pollution of surface water (streams, lakes, rivers). This pollution may be caused by runoff of P when application to land is in excess of crop requirements. Increased specialization and concentration of livestock and crop production has led to the net export of nutrients from major crop-producing areas of the country to areas with a high concentration of animal agriculture. Concentrated animal agriculture has been identified as a significant source of P contamination of surface water. Areas facing the dilemma of an economically important livestock industry concentrated in an environmentally sensitive area have few options. If agricultural practices continue as they have in the past, continued damage to water resources and a loss of fishing and recreational activity are inevitable. If agricultural productivity is decreased, however, the maintenance of a stable farm economy, a viable rural economy, and a reliable domestic food supply are seriously threatened. Decreasing the P content of manure through nutrition is a powerful, cost-effective approach to reducing P losses from livestock farms and will help farmers meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This paper reviews opportunities available to reduce the P content of livestock manure, including more accurate interpretation of the published P requirements of animals, improved diet formulation and group-feeding strategies to more precisely meet requirements, and approaches to improve availability of feed P for monogastric and ruminant species.

6-Phytase↗
PubMed1995

[Studies on theory and models of systemic conservation of animal and poultry genetic resources. I. Theory analysis of systemic conservation of animal and poultry genetic resources].

The concept and fundamentals of Systemic Conservation of Animal and Poultry Genetics Resources (SCAPGR) and mathematical models of genetic structure with conservation population were proposed. The SCAPGR regarded all genes of a given species in definite time and space as conservation object and live animal preservation combining with modern biotechnology as basic method. The SCAPGR might systematically conserve genes controlling the characters of a given species as well as regional varieties. In a no overlapping generation population with selection, mutation migration and random drift under consideration, two mathematical models presented in this paper might describe change of frequencies of multiple alleles at a locus and population mean of metrical characters resp.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Use of vector processing to search the Cambridge Structural Database.

The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) is a vast numerical resource of crystallographic data. The January 1989 release contains over 70,000 entries, and the data acquisition rate currently increases about 15% per annum. To be able to provide adequate response times for interactive data retrieval, using the new (1988) CSD file format, a vectorized search procedure has been developed as a modification of the CSD program QUEST. This procedure employs the pipelined vector facilities of the CONVEX C120 system to perform bitscreen logic, resulting in response times for arbitrary queries in the order of seconds, almost independent of the size of the database.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1987

An approach to identifying specialized batteries of bioassays for specific classes of chemicals: class analysis using mutagenicity and carcinogenicity relationships and phylogenetic concordance and discordance patterns. 1. Composition and analysis of the overall data base. A report of phase II of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gene-Tox Program.

This report of the Gene-Tox Assessment Panel is a compilation of data that documents the chemical testing efforts in genetic toxicology through mid-1979. It thus provides an historical perspective of the major efforts in this field and the utility of test models. The total number of chemicals tested in assays reflects chemical availability, commercial interest in specific structural types, the ease or difficulty in assay performance, as well as methodological development resulting from testing experience. Other factors that have been important in assay selection and utility are the perceptions of relevance to hazard evaluation of chemicals and the role that genetic factors may have in other disease states as well as in heritable defects. The phylogenetic diversity of test systems attests to the tremendous effort that has been applied to the testing and evaluation of the effect chemicals can have on genetic structure. The data also illustrate the fact that certain chemicals have an intrinsic capability to alter the genetic structure of cells of diverse biological origin in an heritable manner, whereas others do not. Any attempt to summarize and analyze a data base of this magnitude is a formidable task that would be almost impossible without a computer capability. A computerized system of analysis has been developed at the Environmental Mutagen Information Center (EMIC) that makes it possible to examine the performance of any particular assay in any of 30 chemical classes and to make comparisons with all the other assays individually or in designated groupings. Components of this system include: A distribution of the 2622 chemicals into 30 chemical classes with results of testing in each class. A tabulation of assay results showing the total numbers of chemicals tested, with their definitive and nondefinitive results. A subdivision of assays and results of testing into four major groups: gene mutation, chromosomal aberrations, other genotoxic effects, and in vitro cell transformation assays. These major groups are further subdivided into phylogenetic categories and type of assay. A system of analysis of results utilizing mutagenicity and carcinogenicity comparisons and phylogenetic concordance and discordance. The major utility and/or benefit of this compilation will be derived from a chemical class by chemical class comparative analysis of individual assay performance. Obviously, the data base will serve as a resource for safety evaluation of chemicals through structural correlations and biological end point analyses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Bioinformatics approaches and resources for single nucleotide polymorphism functional analysis.

Since the initial sequencing of the human genome, many projects are underway to understand the effects of genetic variation between individuals. Predicting and understanding the downstream effects of genetic variation using computational methods are becoming increasingly important for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) selection in genetics studies and understanding the molecular basis of disease. According to the NIH, there are now more than four million validated SNPs in the human genome. The volume of known genetic variations lends itself well to an informatics approach. Bioinformaticians have become very good at functional inference methods derived from functional and structural genomics. This review will present a broad overview of the tools and resources available to collect and understand functional variation from the perspective of structure, expression, evolution and phenotype. Additionally, public resources available for SNP identification and characterisation are summarised.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Effects of social support and personal coping resources on mortality in older age: the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

This study focuses on the role of social support and personal coping resources in relation to mortality among older persons in the Netherlands. Data are from a sample of 2,829 noninstitutionalized people aged between 55 and 85 years who took part in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 1992-1995. Social support was operationally defined by structural, functional, and perceived aspects, and personal coping resources included measures of mastery, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Mortality data were obtained during a follow-up of 29 months, on average. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed that having fewer feelings of loneliness and greater feelings of mastery are directly associated with a reduced mortality risk when age, sex, chronic diseases, use of alcohol, smoking, self-rated health, and functional limitations are controlled for. In addition, persons who received a moderate level of emotional support (odds ratio (OR) = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33-0.72) and those who received a high level of support (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.47-0.98) had reduced mortality risks when compared with persons who received a low level of emotional support. Receipt of a high level of instrumental support was related to a higher risk of death (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.12-2.69). Interaction between disease status and social support or personal coping resources on mortality could not be demonstrated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Psychological adaptation and birth outcomes: the role of personal resources, stress, and sociocultural context in pregnancy.

Prenatal psychosocial predictors of infant birth weight and length of gestation were investigated in a prospective study of 120 Hispanic and 110 White pregnant women. Hypotheses specifying that personal resources (mastery, self-esteem, optimism), prenatal stress (state and pregnancy anxiety), and sociocultural factors (income, education, ethnicity) would have different effects on birth outcomes were tested using structural equation modeling. Results confirmed that women with stronger resources had higher birth weight babies (beta = .21), whereas those reporting more stress had shorter gestations (beta = -.20). Resources were also associated with lower stress (beta = -.67), being married, being White, having higher income and education, and giving birth for the first time. There was no evidence that resources buffered the effects of stress. The importance of personal resources in pregnancy is highlighted along with implications for understanding the etiology of adverse birth outcomes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Promotion of children's early psychosocial development through primary health care services.

The paper presents the study design of the development and organisation of an EU/WHO multicentre study on the promotion of children's early psychosocial development through primary health care services. The aim of the programme is to develop training for primary health care workers (PHCWs) that improves their ability to assess factors relevant to psychosocial development and gives them preventive approaches to foster that development, building on families' strengths. The focus is on the period from conception to the end of the second year of the child's' life. Two main components are the training of the PHCWs and the semi-structured interviews that guide the workers in practice. The training has content and structure that is feasible within primary health care resources working in collaboration with mental health services. The programme is evaluated in terms of (a) the impact of training on both the PHCWs' knowledge and attitudes with regard to infant behaviour and development, and on practice as assessed by the delivery of the semi-structured interview; and (b) the effect of the intervention on maternal well-being, infant language development and behavior, home environment and mother-infant interaction. The programme is taking place in Cyprus, Greece, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Portugal, Slovenia and Turkey.

Child Development↗
PubMed2005

Development and application of Model of Resource Utilization, Costs, and Outcomes for Stroke (MORUCOS): an Australian economic model for stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To outline the development, structure, data assumptions, and application of an Australian economic model for stroke (Model of Resource Utilization, Costs, and Outcomes for Stroke [MORUCOS]). METHODS: The model has a linked spreadsheet format with four modules to describe the disease burden and treatment pathways, estimate prevalence-based and incidence-based costs, and derive life expectancy and quality of life consequences. The model uses patient-level, community-based, stroke cohort data and macro-level simulations. An interventions module allows options for change to be consistently evaluated by modifying aspects of the other modules. To date, model validation has included sensitivity testing, face validity, and peer review. Further validation of technical and predictive accuracy is needed. The generic pathway model was assessed by comparison with a stroke subtypes (ischemic, hemorrhagic, or undetermined) approach and used to determine the relative cost-effectiveness of four interventions. RESULTS: The generic pathway model produced lower costs compared with a subtypes version (total average first-year costs/case AUD$ 15,117 versus AUD$ 17,786, respectively). Optimal evidence-based uptake of anticoagulation therapy for primary and secondary stroke prevention and intravenous thrombolytic therapy within 3 hours of stroke were more cost-effective than current practice (base year, 1997). CONCLUSIONS: MORUCOS is transparent and flexible in describing Australian stroke care and can effectively be used to systematically evaluate a range of different interventions. Adjusting results to account for stroke subtypes, as they influence cost estimates, could enhance the generic model.

Health Resources↗
PubMed2003

Competition asymmetry with taxon divergence.

Most organisms experience competition for resources, probably most of the time. As the structure and requirements of closely related species are generally liable to be more similar than in distantly linked species, Darwin suggested that the potential for competition was greater in the former. Since that time, studies have concentrated on interactions of either conspecifics or congeneric species. Shared critical resources, which organisms compete for, are generally mates, food and space (for access to the former). Whilst mates are valued only within species, in that the definition of a species requires it so, both food and space have the potential to be shared by very different organisms. It is now clear that vertebrates may compete with remotely related species: e.g. with squid for krill and with insects for nectar or seeds. Diamond suggested that (i) mutual aggression, (ii) displacement and (iii) evolutionary change in morphology would be increasingly asymmetric with competitor dissimilarity. Thus, with increasing taxonomic distance between two competitors (A and B), increasing aggression is exhibited between them and, increasingly, one consistently displaces the other. Here, Darwin's suggestion and Diamond's first two theories are tested across a taxonomic spectrum for the first time to the best of the author's knowledge. The proportion of spatial competitors in two different marine invertebrate groups demonstrating mutual aggression and displacement increases with taxon divergence (Nei's genetic identity). Congenerics were twice as likely to fight as conspecifics, and confamilial competitors were three times as likely to fight as conspecifics. This relationship seems robust to taxonomic and environmental variability. Competitors do not need to be as distant as birds and bees for complete asymmetry, a different family seems sufficient.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Chemical structure indexing of toxicity data on the internet: moving toward a flat world.

Standardized chemical structure annotation of public toxicity databases and information resources is playing an increasingly important role in the 'flattening' and integration of diverse sets of biological activity data on the Internet. This review discusses public initiatives that are accelerating the pace of this transformation, with particular reference to toxicology-related chemical information. Chemical content annotators, structure locator services, large structure/data aggregator web sites, structure browsers, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) International Chemical Identifier (InChI) codes, toxicity data models and public chemical/biological activity profiling initiatives are all playing a role in overcoming barriers to the integration of toxicity data, and are bringing researchers closer to the reality of a mineable chemical Semantic Web. An example of this integration of data is provided by the collaboration among researchers involved with the Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) project, the Carcinogenic Potency Project, projects at the National Cancer Institute and the PubChem database.

Abstracting and Indexing↗