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Biomedical subjects

A Burgess

Publications and source records attributed to A Burgess.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

The precision of numerosity discrimination in arrays of random dots.

The precision of making discriminations between the numbers of dots in a pair of irregular arrays was measured. The results fit the assumption that the observer adds intrinsic variance to whatever variance is present in the numbers displayed, the errors depending upon the sum of the two. We found no evidence for incomplete use of the sample of information presented, other than this observer variance. Its value increases as about the 0.75 power of the mean number of dots in a display, except for numbers up to about 20 where it changes much more rapidly. Decreased irregularity in the arrangement of the dots decreases observer variance, but it is little affected by large variations in average density of dots per unit area, and is also little changed by making the dots vary irregularly in brightness.

Discrimination, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Evaluation of nutrition interventions. An annotated bibliography and review of methodologies and results. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

1. This is the second edition of an annotated bibliography covering evaluation methodology and evaluations of nutrition interventions. It contains more than 110 items on methodology and around 300 reports describing the results from evaluation studies. Included are most of the 250 items listed in the first edition, which was compiled in 1980, by G.P. Sevenhuysen and Ann Burgess. Almost all the items are available in the FAO libraries in Rome. 2. The most useful of the items are starred and also indexed in Tables 1, 2 or 3. Evaluation methodology 3. There was general agreement in the guidelines on evaluation methodology on the following points: Evaluation should be an integral routine programme activity wherever possible; Field staff must be involved at all stages of the evaluation including interpretation; Results should be rapidly 'fed-back' to allow adaptations to be made to the programme if necessary. 4. Many of the guidelines did not adequately cover the following points: How to conduct both 'operational' and 'impact' evaluation; The importance of taking into account, when designing the evaluation, the needs of the people who will use the results; How to select a representative sample; How to overcome the problem of 'drop-outs'; How to measure 'leakage' of programme inputs; How to control for non-programme variables; How to distinguish among the effects of multiple inputs; How to measure costs and cost-effectiveness; How to ensure data reliability. A review of reports of evaluation studies confirmed that better guidelines are needed in these areas. Evaluation reports 5. In only about one third of the studies examined were sufficient details available for a good assessment to be made of the reliability of the results. 6. Among the problems that made it difficult to assess the value of some of the results were: A lack of specific programme objectives and of baseline data; Inadequate statistical testing of the results; Conclusions based mainly on subjective opinion rather than objective information; A weak data base, due to an unrepresentative sample, a high 'drop-out' rate among the selected sample, or insufficient data collected; A lack of information on the 'dosage' of the input actually reaching the recipients; A lack of information on possible differences in age distribution, and other variables, in the test and control groups; No control of non-programme variables; An evaluation design that did not allow the different contributions of multiple programme inputs to be assessed; No data on costs; Lack of information on which to judge data reliability.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1981

Protected environment - prophylactic antibiotic program for malignant sarcomas: randomized trial during remission induction chemotherapy.

Fifty-one valuable patients with malignant sarcomas were randomly allocated to receive three courses of remission induction chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin, and dimethyl triazeno imidazole carboxamide (CYVADIC) on the protected environment-prophylactic antibiotic for the control group (P = 0.22). The response rates (complete plus partial) were 71% and 67%, respectively. The durations of response were similar for both groups of patients, but the PEPA patients survived substantially longer (median, 84 weeks vs. 58 weeks). The frequency of infection was significantly lower among the PEPA patients, and the doses of CYVADIC could be escalated more often among these patients. Dosage escalation was associated with a higher complete remission rate and lower fatality rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Surface antigens on normal and leukaemic human cells detected by monoclonal antibodies.

Surface antigens were analyzed on normal human marrow and chronic myeloid leukaemic cells using 4 monoclonal mouse anti-human antibodies. The fluorescence-activated cell sorter was used to quantify the binding of each antibody to different subpopulations of cells, and sorted fractions were cultured in agar-medium to assay for granulocyte-macrophage and eosinophil precursors. All cells in the granulocyte series including colony-forming cells bound a similar quantity of an antibody to the human leucocyte common antigen. This antibody did not bind to cells in the erythroid series. A monoclonal antibody to antigen present on brain, lymphocytes and granulocytes (and almost certainly homologous to the W3/13 antigen of the rat) bound to the cells in the order: blast greater than promyelocytes and myelocytes greater than granulocytes. The third monoclonal antibody was directed against a determinant of the leucocyte common antigen present predominantly on B lymphocytes and absent from the myeloid series. The fourth antibody, directed against the human homologue of Thy-1, reacted with less than 1% of marrow cells, none of which appeared to be granulocyte or eosinophil progenitors. The leucocoyte common antigen and the brain-lymphocyte-granulocyte-antigen were also present on colony- and cluster-forming cells from a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia. Using the low angle and wide angle light scatter properties of CML blood cells, 7-fold enrichment was obtained for progenitor cells from chronic myeloid leukaemia. With the monoclonal antibodies up to 4-fold enrichment was obtained.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Elevation of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol by rowachol, a proprietary mixture of six pure monoterpenes.

Rowachol, a proprietary choleretic containing 6 pure monoterpenes markedly elevates serum HDL cholesterol (SHDL-C) concentrations in man. The concentration of SHDL-C showed a progressive increase in 16 patients treated with 6-9 capsules of Rowachol daily for periods of 2-28 weeks. There was no accompanying significant change in the concentrations of serum total cholesterol or triglyceride. In view of the significant inverse relationship between SHDL-C concentration and the risk of developing ischaemic heart disease, it is suggested that Rowachol and possibly other terpenes merit further investigation as possible therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of atheroma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

A mammography quality assurance test program.

The design and implementation of a program to investigate remote quality assurance testing for film mammography is described. The measurements included tube output, x-ray machine and processor stability, and film quality. Mammography phantoms and film sensitometric strips were distributed monthly to 24 regional hospitals. Most of the hospital processors and x-ray machines performed in a stable manner during the 12-month test period. It was found that x-ray machine useful beams could be reliably measured using nonscreen films. The main utility of the phantom was to identify cases of poor image quality. The measurements performed on the phantom image could not be used to diagnose specific causes of poor images.

Mammography↗
PubMed1975

A field worker's guide to a nutritional status survey.

This guide has been prepared specifically for the medical worker in a developing country who has little experience for survey methodology and few outside sources on which to draw. All, or only portions of the guide, may be used as local needs dictate. It provides an outline of necessary preparations, sampling, field organization, measuring techniques and recording form. To aid the statistical treatment and presentation of the data, a sample recording form is given together with coding instructions and output table layout.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sphincter-sparing treatment for distal rectal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that the anal sphincter can be preserved in some patients with distal rectal adenocarcinoma (DRA), but this has not been validated in any prospective multi-institutional trial. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that the anal sphincter can be preserved in some patients with DRA, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B and collaborators reviewed 177 patients who had T1/T2 adenocarcinomas < or = 4 cm in diameter, which encompassed < or = 40% of bowel wall circumference, and were < or = 10 cm from the dentate line. Of the 177 patients, 59 patients who were eligible for the study had T1 adenocarcinomas and received no further treatment; 51 eligible T2 patients received external beam irradiation (5400 cGY/30 fractions 5 days/week) and 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2 IV d1-3, d29-31) after local excision. RESULTS: At 48 months median follow-up, 6-year survival and failure-free survival rates of the eligible patients are 85% and 78% respectively. Three patients died of unrelated disease. Two patients were treated for second primary colorectal tumors; both remain disease free (NED). Another eight patients died of disease, four with distant recurrence only. One T1 patient is alive with distant disease. Two T1 and seven T2 patients experienced isolated local recurrences; all underwent salvage abdominoperineal resection (APR). After APR, one T1 and four of seven T2 patients were NED at the time of last visit (2-7 years). One T1 patient died of local and distant disease. Three of seven T2 patients died with distant disease. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that sphincter preservation can be achieved with excellent cancer control without initial sacrifice of anal function in most patients. After local recurrence, salvage resection appears effective, but longer follow-up time of local and distant disease-free survival is advised before extrapolation to patients with T3 primaries.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

How should an AIDS diagnosis be given? The views of patients.

The report aimed at obtaining information about patients' experience of how the diagnosis of AIDS was given to them by their doctors, and about patients' satisfaction with the consultation. Thirty people with AIDS completed a self-report questionnaire enquiring about their views and satisfaction with the process of communication of the diagnosis. Results showed that about two-thirds of patients were satisfied, while almost a quarter were definitely not satisfied with the consultation. Satisfaction was associated with the general attitude of the person giving the diagnosis and with the quality of the information given. The relevance of the findings for the training of doctors is discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗