Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Information Science”

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 1,549 records · Page 86Linked to original sources

Contaminant monitoring studies using marine mammals and the need for establishment of an International Environmental Specimen Bank.

Many hazardous chemicals have polluted the environment of the earth. Among them, organochlorine compounds and heavy metals have dispersed worldwide. I reviewed the results of cooperative research based on specimens shared with colleagues at Ehime University, Japan: (1) bioaccumulation of organochlorine compounds (DDT, PCB, HHC, etc.) and heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, etc.) from sea water to marine mammals through the food chain, (2) placental transfer of contaminants, (3) transfer of contaminants through lactation, (4) biological impacts of contaminants to marine mammals, and (5) the global movement of contaminants. This work was based on about 1200 specimens of marine mammals obtained from scientific research over 17 years during 1976-1992. Soft tissues were banked at -20 degrees C at Ehime University while related materials and information were deposited in the National Science Museum, Tokyo. These and other materials should be preserved in good condition in an international specimen bank for future global environmental monitoring studies, the examination of hazardous chemicals which are currently unknown, the reexamination of the same samples in future using more advanced equipment by different scientists, and the reaction to unknown environmental questions, etc. The need for the establishment of an International Environmental Specimen Bank for marine mammals and other marine organisms are recommended.

Animals↗

Development and evaluation of digitally processed Z-contrast imaging: a technological advance in medical imaging.

For the first time in the field of medical imaging, harmonious use of Z-contrast imaging and digital image processing was developed as an analytical imaging tool and demonstrated in studying human and rabbit spermatozoa. The biological information generated is unique to the science of medical imaging. The versatility of its applications is wide as this advance in imaging technology can be applied to any area of medicine involving tissue analysis. Tissue analysis plays a vital role in both medical research and diagnostic patient care. Imaging in the Z-contrast mode of the scanning-transmission electron microscope affords biologists the capability to image tissue in its natural state such that heavy metal fixatives and stains are not used. The digitally processed Z-contrast image is not only devoid of artifacts caused by fluctuating mass-density, topography variations, and the addition of heavy metal contrast agents but also offers a biological blueprint of the atomic weight distribution in the tissue. The varying gray level intensities assigned to each pixel in the resulting image are specific to the average atomic weight differences inherent in the tissue. The advent of complementary Z-contrast imaging and digital image processing and their concomitant research possibilities offers areas of medical care and medical research an invaluable imaging tool.

Adult↗

An approach to the development of in vitro toxicological methods.

Over the last few years there has been increased societal pressure on the one hand and self-generated scientific pressure on the other to develop new and better in vitro techniques for the evaluation of the safety of commercial products. In vitro methodology addresses four major areas within toxicology. It provides the basic science of the discipline with new information. In acute toxicity testing, it can provide alternatives to current approaches, e.g. the Draize irritation tests. In the area of chronic toxicity testing, it will allow us to define the mechanisms associated with organ specific insults. In the area of risk assessment, the combined knowledge obtained by superior methods will allow us to assess risk more accurately. The results of studies on alternatives to the Draize irritation tests being carried out at or supported by The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing will be reviewed.

Animal Testing Alternatives↗

Close range photogrammetry--a clinical dental research tool.

Photogrammetry is the art, science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects through processes of recording and interpreting photographic images. This review outlines the principles of the technique and summarizes the various methodologies and applications in clinical dental research.

Dentistry↗

Risk assessment used to evaluate the US position on Listeria monocytogenes in seafood.

Human listeriosis has been associated with consumption of food including seafood. Surveillance information on the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in seafood products is presented as a background for steps that are being taken to inform risk managers of risks associated with particular food products. United States policy for L. monocytogenes in food has been shaped by our increasing knowledge of the epidemiology of outbreaks and sporadic cases of human listeriosis, the potentially severe public health consequences, and the characteristics of the organism. A quantitative risk assessment of the scientific knowledge we have about the organism and the epidemiology of listeriosis should be the basis for changes in this policy. Risk assessment uses quantitative scientific and epidemiological information in a structured format to determine the risks associated with particular hazards. A quantitative risk assessment is being performed using currently available data by the US Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the US Food Safety and Inspection Service, to determine the risk of listeriosis from various foods, including seafood, for specific intervention methods, and for general and at-risk population groups. The questions being considered include those on level of consumption, epidemiology, dose response, and the virulence, biology, and ecology of the organism. Risk managers can use the resulting information to form a defendable science-based policy on L. monocytogenes in food.

Animals↗

A high-resolution probe of protein folding.

Protein folding is a central problem in the biological sciences. To generate residue-specific information on the equilibrium folding of cytochrome c, we have semisynthesized the protein with specifically deuterated residues. The C-D bonds may be easily visualized in an otherwise transparent region of the IR spectra, even at high protein and denaturant concentrations. Plotted as a function of added guanidine hydrochloride denaturant, the absorption intensities reveal that the protein undergoes a conformational change at the protein-based ligand, Met80, which is then followed by a more global unfolding at 2.3 M denaturant. Deuteration and characterization of other residues in cytochrome c, or other protein of interest, should provide complete views of folding with residue specific detail that is capable of resolving even the most rapidly interconverting intermediates.

Animals↗

Theoretical study of the interaction between selected adhesives and oxide surfaces.

We investigate the competition of the various organic components of two representative adhesive systems for reactive defect sites at model surfaces of both SiO2 and Al2O3. The reaction energies of resin monomers, curing agents, and in some cases also of additional adhesion promoters with the defects are calculated. We applied a density-functional based tight-binding method including a self-consistent correction of the Mulliken charges, which has already proven to be a useful tool for computational materials science, delivering reliable structural and energetic information.

Journal Article↗

Providing support for problem-based learning in dentistry: the Manchester experience.

The introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) into any programme demands a period of adjustment on the part of faculty. Similarly, students new to PBL take time to adapt to what is, for the majority of them, an unfamiliar mode of learning. At Manchester, closed loop PBL is used throughout the first and second years of the dental programme; the method is interdisciplinary; there are no subject boundaries. Dental students work in groups of between 10 and 15, facilitated by a tutor from the Department of Biological Sciences, to research topics and share information in a mutually supportive environment. Each week a different problem forms the focus for learning. In this paper, we seek to describe the measures introduced in response to student feedback collected via routine meetings with the senior tutor, after meetings with their academic or personal tutors and through discussion at the staff students' committee, which we at Manchester have taken to facilitate the process of adaptation to PBL. Changes have been made in the areas of recruitment, pre-admission interviewing, induction (development of an induction booklet and communication skills module) and tutorial support (overhaul of personal tutor system and introduction of peer-assisted study (PAS) and personal and academic development programmes (PADPs)). Feedback on these changes, gathered via the routes described above, has been positive and continues to be central to our processes of development in these areas. Although the various ways in which PBL has been implemented worldwide may place limits on the transferability of our methods, this paper serves to illustrate some of the means available to support students in the transition to self-directed learning. The latter is not only an essential component of PBL but also something we should be seeking to foster in all students, no matter what philosophy and method of course delivery are utilized.

Curriculum↗

Cancer nursing into the millennium: the Robert Tiffany Annual Lecture, Royal Marsden Hospital.

The nursing profession has shown tremendous adaptability throughout the ages. Cancer nurses have encountered many challenges and changes during this past century that have marked our increasingly rapid progress on the long road of development of cancer nursing. The movement from an illness-focused, hospital-based, physician-dominated health care model to preventive, community-defined and collaborative health care is providing exciting new opportunities for nurses. Advances in science and technology and a more informed consumer present unique challenges as well. Based on the trends and the tremendous breakthroughs occurring during this decade, this article explores visions and dreams of the preferred future of cancer nursing as we march into the next millennium.

Delivery of Health Care↗