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Biomedical subjects

J Wilkerson

Publications and source records attributed to J Wilkerson.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

National health care reform and the 103rd Congress: the activities and influence of public health advocates.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the activities and influence of public health interest groups and coalitions on the national health care reform debates in the 103rd Congress. METHODS: Congressional staff and representatives of public health interest groups, coalitions, and government health agencies were interviewed. Content analysis of eight leading national health care reform bills was performed. RESULTS: The public health community coalesced around public health in health care reform; nearly all the major interest groups and government health agencies joined two or more public health or prevention coalitions, and half joined three or more. The most effective influence on health care reform legislation was early, sustained personal contact with Congress members and their staffs, accompanied by succinct written materials summarizing key points. Media campaigns and grassroots mobilization were less effective. Seven of the eight leading health care reform bills included one or more of the priorities supported by public health advocates. CONCLUSIONS: The public health community played an important role in increasing awareness and support for public health programs in the health care reform bills of the 103rd Congress.

Health Care Reform↗
PubMed1996

Local television news coverage of President Clinton's introduction of the Health Security Act.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how local television news reported on health system reform during the week President Clinton presented his health system reform bill. DESIGN: Retrospective content analysis of the 1342-page Health Security Act of 1993, the printed text of President Clinton's speech before Congress on September 22, 1993, and a sample of local television news stories on health system reform broadcast during the week of September 19 through 25, 1993. SETTING: The state of California. RESULTS: During the week, 316 television news stories on health system reform were aired during the 166 local news broadcasts sampled. Health system reform was the second most frequently reported topic, second to stories on violent crime. News stories on health system reform averaged 1 minute 38 seconds in length, compared with 57 seconds for violent crime. Fifty-seven percent of the local news stories focused on interest group politics. Compared with the content of the Health Security Act, local news broadcasts devoted a significantly greater portion of their stories to financing, eligibility, and preventive services. Local news stories gave significantly less attention to cost-saving mechanisms, long-term care benefits, and changes in Medicare and Medicaid, and less than 2% of stories mentioned quality assurance mechanisms, malpractice reform, or new public health initiatives. Of the 316 televised news stories, 53 reported on the president's speech, covering many of the same topics emphasized in the speech (financing, organization and administration, and eligibility) and de-emphasizing many of the same topics (Medicare and Medicaid, quality assurance, and malpractice reform). Two percent of the president's speech covered partisan politics; 45% of the local news stories on the speech featured challenges from partisan politicians. CONCLUSIONS: Although health system reform was the focus of a large number of local television news stories during the week, in-depth explanation was scarce. In general, the news stories provided superficial coverage framed largely in terms of the risks and costs of reform to specific stakeholders.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1996

Establishing a team-based coaching process.

As our organization moved toward implementing self-managed work teams and decreased management hierarchy, the need arose to revise our performance development structure. A team-based coaching process has been implemented successfully on all patient care units and is being modified for use in other areas.

Employee Performance Appraisal↗
PubMed1993

Molecular characterization of the DNA of Anatid herpesvirus 1.

A plaque-purified isolate of the Holland strain of Anatid herpesvirus (AHV-ppc3) was purified by differential and buoyant density sedimentation. The virus buoyant density was 1.215 g/cm3 in sucrose. AHV-ppc3 DNA was analyzed by sedimentation velocity studies in neutral or alkaline sucrose gradients. Based upon a comparison with T4 DNA, the DNA of AHV-ppc3 was found to have a sedimentation coefficient of 59.7 S and a molecular mass of 1.19 x 10(8) daltons. Between 15 and 22 bands were observed in agarose gel electrophoresis with AHV DNA cut by BamHI, EcoRI, PstI or BglII. The possibility of isometric forms is indicated by the finding of restriction fragments having molar ratios differing from 1.0. The mean molecular mass calculated from the fragments was 1.18 x 10(8) daltons. Terminal fragments were identified using exonuclease II and BgII. In alkaline sucrose gradients, AHV DNA fragments with the largest of the most abundant species have a sedimentation coefficient of 69 S and a calculated mass of 6.0 x 10(7) daltons. The buoyant density of AHV-ppc3 DNA in cesium chloride was 1.723 g/cm3 corresponding to a % G + C content of 64.3. This finding was supported by thermal melts of the DNA in SSC/10 in which the thermal melting point was 82.7 degrees. The data support a model for AHV in which the viral duplex DNA is linear, without covalently closed termini or significant base modifications, but with single strand nicks or gaps. The % G + C content of AHV DNA is the highest reported for any avian herpesvirus in the alpha-herpesvirinea subgroup.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ego identity, egocentrism, and formal operations.

This study examined the relationship between ego identity and formal operations and egocentrism in an adolescent population. Results indicated significant positive correlations between ego identity and formal operations and between ego identity and grade in school. Multiple regression analysis revealed that grade in school explained 21 percent of the variance while formal operational thinking, egocentrism, and sex accounted for only an additional 2 percent of the variance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Temporary pacemaking by general internists.

The medical records of 126 patients requiring 129 temporary pacemakers were viewed retrospectively. The pacemakers were inserted by general internists using venous access from subclavian and internal jugular veins under ECG guidances. Fluoroscopy was not used. There was 14% incidence of pacemaker electrode malfunction and a 4% risk of complication with no pacemaker-related mortality. These results compare favorably with reports from university cardiology services. Temporary pacemakers can be safely inserted by general internists without fluoroscopy.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Anxiety reduction through group instruction in rational therapy.

This study investigated the effects of group Rational Therapy in promoting rational thinking and self-enhancing emotions among 24 college students. Each subject was administered the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire as a pre- and post-test measurement. Results reveal that some aspects of personality are affected by Rational Therapy group programs while others are not.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Alienation and ego identity in adolescents.

This study discusses alienation among youth in present day society and investigates the relationship between ego identity and alienation in adolescents. The subjects were 147 students from five high schools in southwestern Virginia. Each subject was administered the Adolescent Alienation Scale (Mackey, 1974) and Ego Identity Scale (Rasmussen, 1961). The data supported the hypothesis that as scores on the Ego Identity Scale increase, there tends to be a moderate decrease in alienation. The results imply that young people who have successfully resolved the Eriksonian crises and conflicts will feel a sense of mastery over their environments and control of their destiny. Seeming, all "significant others" share a responsibility in forming the social personality which determines the commitment youth will eventually make to society.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

A particulate form of alkaline phosphatase in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A new form of alkaline phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1) has been identified in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Utilizing either synthetic or natural substrates, the enzyme exhibited a broad pH activity curve with maximum activity between 8.5 and 9.0. The enzyme was nonspecific with respect to substrate, attacking a variety of compounds containing phosphomonoester linkages, but has no detectable activity against polyphosphate, pyrophosphate or phosphodiester linkages. The enzyme exhibited an apparent Km of 0.25 mM with respect to p-nitrophenyl phosphate, 0.38 mM with respect to alpha-naphthyl phosphate, and 1.0 mM with respect to 5'AMP. The enzyme is regulated in a constitutive manner and its activity does not increase during phosphate starvation or sporulation, as does the repressible alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme is tightly bound to a particulate fraction of the cell, tentatively identified as the tonoplast membrane. It is not solubilized by treatment with high concentrations of NaCl, KH2PO4 or chaotropic agents. Triton X-100 (0.1%) solubilizes 12% of the particulate activity. This enzyme is differentiated from the other alkaline phosphatases found in yeast by its chromatographic elution DEAE-cellulose, kinetic parameters, heat stability and pH stability, as well as its particulate nature. This particulate alkaline phosphatase was found in every strain examined. It has a significantly lower specific activity in the phoH mutant and a higher activity in the acid phosphatase constitutive mutant A137.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗