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Biomedical subjects

L Ford

Publications and source records attributed to L Ford.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of thematic evaluation in program assessment: the case of the Community Clinical Oncology Program.

The evaluation of programs with multiple, and potentially conflicting, goals requires the integration of measures of goal achievement that often are not easily combined. One approach is the development of analytical themes which span the various goals of a particular program. The themes provide a mechanism by which the policy concerns of individuals with varying perspectives can be integrated into the evaluation framework. As well, the themes allow for flexibility in the development of new analysis as the program matures and environments change. This paper describes the application of the thematic approach to the evaluation of a complex, community-oriented cancer research program.

Clinical Trials as Topic

Cloning of spiramycin biosynthetic genes and their use in constructing Streptomyces ambofaciens mutants defective in spiramycin biosynthesis.

Several cosmid clones from Streptomyces ambofaciens containing the spiramycin resistance gene srmB were introduced into S. fradiae PM73, a mutant defective in tylosin synthesis, resulting in tylosin synthesis. The DNA responsible for this complementation was localized to a 10.5-kilobase EcoRI fragment. A 32-kilobase DNA segment which included the srmB spiramycin resistance gene and DNA which complemented the defect in strain PM73 were mutagenized in vivo with Tn10 carrying the gene for Nmr (which is expressed in Streptomyces spp.) or in vitro by insertional mutagenesis with a drug resistance gene (Nmr) cassette. When these mutagenized DNA segments were crossed into the S. ambofaciens chromosome, three mutant classes blocked in spiramycin synthesis were obtained. One mutant accumulated two precursors of spiramycin, platenolide I and platenolide II. Two mutants, when cofermented with the platenolide-accumulating mutant, produced spiramycin. Tylactone supplementation of these two mutants resulted in the synthesis of a group of compounds exhibiting antibiotic activity. Two other mutants failed to coferment with any of the other mutants or to respond to tylactone supplementation.

Chromosomes, Bacterial

Association of MS Pi phenotype with airway hyperresponsiveness.

Asthmatic families (AFs) and normal families (NFs) were studied to determine the relationship between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and alpha 1-antitrypsin protease inhibitor phenotype. We studied IgE levels, skin test scores, and methacholine sensitivity. In both the AF and NF groups, the subjects with the MS phenotype had significantly greater methacholine-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness sensitivity than the MM and MZ subjects. These findings suggest that the S allele may be associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Adolescent

9. PSRO review of long-term care utilization and quality.

PSROs will require a broad range of information with which to develop and sustain the review process for long-term care institutions. The general approach to PSRO review of long-term care described here has been approved by the National Professional Standards Review Council. In implementing this approach, the Bureau of Quality Assurance recognizes that long-term care review is in an evolutionary state, and will initiate a series of demonstrations designed to test and refine various acceptable approaches, rather than require a single uniform methodology for PSRO use. The test period will provide the Bureau with an opportunity to fully assess the feasibility, costs, and impact on the quality of care of various approaches. The basic elements of long-term care review remain unchanged. A general outline of the currently proposed PSRO long-term care review system is described in the middle section of the paper.

Government Agencies

Interactions of mothers and nurses with premature infants.

The initial attachment of three mothers to three premature infants weighing less than 1500 g was assessed by observation of the mother's behaviour during visits to her child in the hospital nursery. Interactions of mothers and infants were compared with those of nurses and infants. Premature infants, during a stay in hospital of approximately 7 weeks, have to adapt to up to 70 different nurses and receive generally little contact stimulation from them. Mothers change in their interactional behaviour over time but show persistent individual differences in amount of touching, smiling and talking to their infants. Follow-up investigation will determine if the maternal behaviour as demonstrated in the nursery is predictive of later parenting disorders.

Female