Biomedical subjects

Elizabeth Davies

Publications and source records attributed to Elizabeth Davies.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Simplified extraction of ergovaline and peramine for analysis of tissue distribution in endophyte-infected grass tillers.

An improved extraction and cleanup procedure for quantitative analysis of ergovaline in Neotyphodium-infected grass tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography was developed, utilizing aqueous 2-propanol-lactic acid as extraction solvent. Losses of sample material and time requirements were significantly reduced, handling procedures simplified, and ergovaline and internal standard ergotamine recovered with similar efficiency from extracts. Analyses can be carried out on very small amounts (2-5 mg of dry weight) of samples and another endophyte-alkaloid, peramine, determined in the same extracts. Calibration curves with 2-propanol-lactic acid were linear over the range 0.004-0.938 microM ergovaline (= 2-500 ng/mL) in extracts, corresponding to 0.04-10 microg/g in samples. The distribution of ergovaline in the plant was extremely heterogeneous, indicating low in-planta mobility and strong regulation of accumulation by the internal plant environment. In contrast, peramine was much more uniformly distributed. These results clearly demonstrate very large differences in the tissue specificities of ergovaline and peramine.

2-Propanol↗

PubMed2002

Communication, information and support for adults with malignant cerebral glioma : a systematic literature review.

The goal of this work was a systematic review of communication, information and support for adults with malignant cerebral glioma. Medical, nursing and social science computerised databases up to spring 2000 were searched. Key organisations were contacted, and specialist journals were searched. Inclusion criteria were publication in English, inclusion of patients with malignant cerebral glioma, measurement of patients' and relatives' awareness of the prognosis, distress, satisfaction with information or care received, uptake of service or professional communication skills. Studies of patients with other cancers were excluded. Qualitative and quantitative studies were assessed, graded for methodological quality and combined. Twelve observational studies were found, although many were limited by sample selection, description and setting. Patient awareness of the prognosis varied, and relatives appeared more aware. There was no direct evidence about what patients and relatives wanted to know, but qualitative studies suggested that an individual approach to disclosure and maintaining hope were important. Most patients and relatives valued specialist nurse support highly. No specific studies of interventions to break bad news, giving information or training staff were found for these patients. Evidence from observational studies suggests that these patients need individually tailored communication and information, and specialist support. Existing intervention studies of patients with other cancers may suggest effective strategies.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Validating a scope of nursing practice decision-making framework.

This paper describes processes used to validate the Scope of Nursing Practice Decision-Making Framework developed and implemented by the nurse regulatory authority in Queensland, Australia. Various components of the Framework are also outlined. The validity and usefulness of the Framework were tested through survey research and validation in practice. The majority of participants in both validation processes found all components of the Framework completely or mostly understandable, useful and applicable in practice. Results confirmed that education and experience are used by nurses to explain the advancement in their practice and that the context of nursing practice influences roles and relationships with other health professionals.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Views of Directors of Public Health about NICE Appraisal Guidance: results of a postal survey. National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the views of Directors of Public Health about the Health Technology Appraisal Programme of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) before the move to strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in April 2002. METHOD: In December 2001 we sent a questionnaire asking about the work programme, products, decision-making, general approach, resource allocation and success of NICE to all Directors of Public Health in England and Wales. Ninety-two of 100 responded. RESULTS: Three-quarters or more agreed that NICE has covered a number of priority and controversial areas, produced good-quality health technology appraisals, well-presented reports and readable guidance in a consistent format, that it has raised the profile of clinical effectiveness, provided a focus for debate about health technology, and succeeded in making the National Health Service (NHS) set aside resources for approved technologies. A similar proportion, however, also agreed that guidance was not timely, did not address 'whole systems' and made some disappointing recommendations, and that decision-making was not influenced enough by the needs of the NHS. They considered that NICE did not address implementation, decide between competing technologies or help the service prioritization debate, and that guidance sent unrealistic signals about affordability to patients and politicians and caused difficulty for the implementation of other technologies locally. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of Directors are positive about NICE's role of providing high-quality appraisal and central guidance but negative about its influence on local priority setting. Major concerns remain about the affordability of competing demands, whether this is NICE's responsibility or not.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMed2002

Age differences in alcohol and cocaine expectancies and attitudes.

Positive and negative expectancies regarding the behavioral effects of alcohol and cocaine were assessed and used to predict attitudes toward their use across four age groups (5-7, 8-10, 11-14, and 18-25, N = 121). Regardless of gender and minority status, children and early adolescents appeared to overgeneralize their beliefs about alcohol to a less familiar drug, cocaine, perceiving the effects of the two drugs similarly. Only college students differentiated between drugs, perceiving cocaine as less likely than alcohol to produce drunkenness and more likely to have stimulant and elation/empowerment effects. With age and other expectancies controlled, expectancy of drunkenness was the best predictor of disapproval of alcohol use; attitudes toward cocaine use were unrelated to expectancies but became more negative with age. Drug prevention programs should rest on data regarding children's preexisting beliefs about the consequences of drug use and should help them understand that different drugs (for example, stimulants and depressants) pose different dangers.

Adolescent↗