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Biomedical subjects

M J Barrett

Publications and source records attributed to M J Barrett.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Optimizing nursing information systems.

Financial, billing, and admission/discharge/transfer software applications have been available for years. Many administrators are purchasing systems to obtain automation to support nursing needs. However, administrators cannot rely on internal experience or software vendors to design their systems because not many have been operational long enough to have been sufficiently tested. In this article, the author provides a background of current functionality available, how clinical applications can interface for efficient documentation, and a strategy for developing the design of a new system.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1992

Is your organization ready for total quality management?

The evolution to a Total Quality Management (TQM) or Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) philosophy is particularly attractive in the health care industry in its search for better ways of doing business to ensure financial survival in the current competitive environment. This article, however, suggests that some organizations may not benefit from attempting to implement methodology to achieve the widely accepted financial and operational benefits, not because of any weakness in the conceptual framework, but because of the culture and/or lack of dedicated resources required to ensure the acceptance and success of the approach. As a result, many providers are discovering that after a few years of implementation, benefits to the organization are not being recognized to the extent possible. Specific issues that have been identified as essential requirements to a successful implementation process or evolution to a continuous improvement culture are described in this article.

Health Personnel↗
PubMed1992

Molecular analysis of mutations in a patient with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) deficiency is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder resulting in severe combined immunodeficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular defects responsible for PNP deficiency in one such patient. The patient's PNP cDNA was amplified by PCR and sequenced. Point mutations leading to amino acid substitutions were found in both alleles. One point mutation led to a Ser-to-Gly substitution at amino acid 51 and was common to both alleles. In addition, an Asp-to-Gly substitution at amino acid 128 and an Arg-to-Pro substitution at amino acid 234 were found in the maternal and paternal alleles, respectively. In order to prove that these mutations were responsible for the disease state, each of the three mutations was constructed separately by site-directed mutagenesis of the normal PNP cDNA, and each was transiently expressed in COS cells. Lysates from cells transfected with the allele carrying the substitution at amino acid 51 retained both function and immunoreactivity. Lysates from cells transfected with PNP alleles carrying a substitution at either amino acid 128 or amino acid 234 contained immunoreactive material but had no detectable human PNP activity. In summary, molecular analysis of this patient identified point mutations within the PNP gene which are responsible for the enzyme deficiency.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

The supply of mammography resources in West Virginia.

The distribution of mammography machines and related resources in West Virginia, along with the distribution of breast cancer screen-eligible women, are examined using county-specific data. This data placed on a state map shows that it is not necessary to cross more than one county line anywhere within West Virginia in order to visit a mammography facility. The overall density of these machines is 20 per 100,000 women over 45, almost double the capacity needed for screening mammography. After taking into account the projected demand for mammography, the current average cost per exam is around $65-$100. If mammography machines were placed in all the counties without machines, the cost in those countries would be around $140 per exam. It would be cheaper to provide a travel allowance to women in rural counties than to install machines in these areas. Machines that are accredited by the American College of Radiologists, the most available indicator of quality mammography, are located only in densely populated areas of the state.

Accreditation↗
PubMed1991

Effect of substrate on Ca2(+)-concentration required for activity of the Ca2(+)-dependent proteinases, mu- and m-calpain.

The Ca2+ concentrations required for half-maximal activity of mu- and m-calpain purified from bovine skeletal muscle were tested using four different protein substrates and three different synthetic peptide substrates. Hammersten casein, the commonly used substrate for measuring mu- and m-calpain activity, required 2.5 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of mu-calpain and 290 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of m-calpain. When Hammersten casein was dialyzed against 8 M urea and 10 mM EDTA to remove all endogenous Ca2+, it required 1.9 and 290 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of mu- and m-calpain, respectively. Rabbit skeletal muscle myofibrils and rabbit skeletal muscle troponin required 65 microM and 24 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of mu-calpain and 380 microM and 580 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of m-calpain, respectively. The three synthetic substrates tested, Suc-Leu-Tyr-MCA, Boc-Leu-Thr-Arg-MCA, and Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA, required 1.6 microM to 3.7 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of mu-calpain and 200 to 560 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal activity of m-calpain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Accelerated development of immunity following transplantation of maternal marrow stem cells into infants with severe combined immunodeficiency and transplacentally acquired lymphoid chimerism.

Transplacentally acquired lymphoid chimerism was detected in two infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) by two-colour cytofluorographic studies. These cells had no demonstrable function in studies in vitro. Following T cell-depleted maternal bone marrow stem cell transplantation, evidence of T cell function was detected 20 and 50 days later, and transient B cell function was detected 50 days later. These immune functions appeared much sooner than the 90-120 days usually required for T cell function and the 2-2.5 years for B cell function to develop after haplo-identical stem cell transplants into SCID infants without transplacental engraftment. The presence of maternal lymphoid chimerism did not interfere with haplo-identical marrow cell engraftment, even though no pre-transplant immunosuppression was given. This observation suggests that the transplanted maternal marrow stem cell in some way conferred reactivity on the engrafted but apparently non-functional mature T cells that had entered the fetal circulation transplacentally.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lip and tongue pressures related to dental arch and oral cavity size in Australian aborigines.

Although the oral cavity and dental arches of the Australian aborigine are large, studies of lingual and labial pressures indicate that the tongue is neither unusually large nor strong. The Australian aborigine's pharyngeal cavity is smaller in height and depth than that of the American; just the opposite is true for the oral cavity. To the extent that environmental factors are important at all, the resting pressure of the lips, not tongue pressure during swallowing, is probably the significant determinant of dental arch dimensions.

Adolescent↗