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Biomedical subjects

P Solomon

Publications and source records attributed to P Solomon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

The essential signature of a massive starburst in a distant quasar.

Observations of carbon monoxide emission in high-redshift (zeta > 2) galaxies indicate the presence of large amounts of molecular gas. Many of these galaxies contain an active galactic nucleus powered by accretion of gas onto a supermassive black hole, and a key question is whether their extremely high infrared luminosities result from the active galactic nucleus, from bursts of massive star formation (associated with the molecular gas), or both. In the Milky Way, high-mass stars form in the dense cores of interstellar molecular clouds, where gas densities are n(H2) > 10(5) cm(-3) (refs 1, 2). Recent surveys show that virtually all galactic sites of high-mass star formation have similarly high densities. The bulk of the cloud material traced by CO observations, however, is at a much lower density. For galaxies in the local Universe, the HCN molecule is an effective tracer of high-density molecular gas. Here we report observations of HCN emission from the infrared-luminous 'Cloverleaf' quasar (at a redshift zeta = 2.5579). The HCN line luminosity indicates the presence of 10 billion solar masses of very dense gas, an essential feature of an immense starburst, which contributes, together with the active galactic nucleus it harbours, to its high infrared luminosity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Short-term temporal variation in PM2.5 mass and chemical composition during the Atlanta Supersite Experiment, 1999.

Measurements in urban Atlanta of transient aerosol events in which PM2.5 mass concentrations rapidly rise and fall over a period of 3-6 hr are reported. The data are based on new measurement techniques demonstrated at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Atlanta Supersite Experiment in August 1999. These independent instruments for aerosol chemical speciation of NO3-, SO4(2-), NH4+, and organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), reconstructed the observed hourly dry PM2.5 mass to within 20% or better. Data from the experiment indicated that transient PM2.5 events were ubiquitous in Atlanta and were typically characterized by a sudden increase of EC (soot) and OC in the early morning or SO4(2-) in the late afternoon. The frequent temporal decoupling of these events provides insights into their origins, suggesting mobile sources in metro Atlanta as the main contributor to early morning PM2.5 and more regionally located point SO2 sources for afternoon PM2.5 events. The transient events may also have health implications. New data suggest that short-term PM2.5 exposures may lead to adverse health effects. Standard integrated filter-based techniques used in PM2.5 compliance monitoring networks and in most past PM2.5 epidemiologic studies collect samples over 24-hr periods and thus are unable to capture these transient events. Moreover, health-effects studies that focus on daily PM2.5 mass alone cannot evaluate the health implications of the unique and variable chemical properties of these episodes.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2001

Implementing best practice models by using a consensus-building process.

The Family Education Project is an example of how the consensus-building model can be used to gain acceptance of evidence-based practice, and adapt and implement it on the local level. The authors describe the consensus-building process and the lessons learned from implementing family education in one community in order to show how this process may be used to adapt best practice models to meet unique needs within local communities.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Threats of incarceration in a psychiatric probation and parole service.

This study of the extent to which probation officers use threats of incarceration when working with clients who have mental illness found that collaboration between probation and parole officers and mental health workers significantly enhances the coercive interactions between officers and their clients. Guidelines for collaboration between criminal justice and mental health systems are called for.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The state of knowledge of the effectiveness of consumer provided services.

There is a mixed record of research on consumer delivered services. There has been a great deal of descriptive work that supports the feasibility of consumer provided services. Only a limited number of studies have been reported that focus on outcomes for people who receive services from consumers. This new literature is at a critical juncture. This paper examines the state of research on three types of consumer provided services-consumer operated services, consumer partnership services, and consumers as employees. All these service types include consumers as paid providers who deliver mental health services to others, not primarily for their own benefit. This excludes self-help programs. Research resources need to be focused less on consumer provided services as adjunctive to professional services and more on determining the effectiveness of stand-alone consumer provided services in order to develop evidence to influence policy decisions.

Consumer Advocacy↗
PubMed2001

Congruence between health professionals' and patients' pain ratings: a review of the literature.

The literature suggests that health professionals have a tendency to underestimate pain when performing clinical assessments. In addition, it appears that the more clinical experience one has, the greater will be the underestimation of pain. Pain assessment is difficult because of the complex interaction between environment, patient and practitioner variables. Although there is a need for further research in this area, there are clinical implications worthy of consideration. Health professionals need to use a variety of valid and reliable measures, use measures of pain behaviour and disability to complement self-report measures and examine how their own biases and values may influence pain judgements.

Canada↗
PubMed2001

Perceptions of important retention and recruitment factors by therapists in northwestern Ontario.

Recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural and remote communities are well-known challenges. Although the literature states that lifestyle factors and being from a rural background influence recruitment and retention, much of the research is dated and of limited relevance to rehabilitation professionals. This study reports on a survey of physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) in northwestern Ontario. Seventy-four percent of the OTs and PTs from this geographically isolated region of Canada responded to a mail survey examining factors that influenced their job recruitment and retention decisions. Availability of leisure and recreation activities, proximity of family of origin, need for OTs and PTs and influence of spouse or partner frequently contributed to recruitment decisions and were also important in retention decisions. Although professional autonomy was an important source of job satisfaction for the respondents, almost one-third reported a feeling of professional isolation. Professional development initiatives appeared to influence job satisfaction but were unlikely to influence working life decisions. The findings suggest that recruitment and retention strategies should be multifaceted to reflect the complexity of therapists' decision-making.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Does experience influence judgments of pain behaviour? Evidence from relatives of pain patients and therapists.

OBJECTIVE: Judgments about an individual's pain can be profoundly important to sufferers. Relatively few studies have examined variables that may affect observers' judgments of the pain of others. The present article reports two studies investigating the relationship between different kinds of exposure to pain problems and observers' ratings of the pain intensity of patients. DESIGN: In the first study, 82 observers were classified into groups with positive and negative family histories of chronic pain. They viewed a videotape showing the facial expressions of shoulder pain patients undergoing physiotherapy assessments and rated the pain experienced by the subjects. In the second study, the data from observers having no experience with pain problems were compared with data collected from therapists having considerable experience with pain problems. RESULTS: Observers with a positive family history of chronic pain attributed greater pain to the patients than those with a negative family history of chronic pain. Professionals' pain judgments were lower than those of control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Together, the findings imply that one's experiences with the different problems of pain patients may affect pain judgments. Alternative interpretations of the findings are considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evidence-based practices for services to families of people with psychiatric disabilities.

Family psychoeducation is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to reduce relapse rates and facilitate recovery of persons who have mental illness. A core set of characteristics of effective family psychoeducation programs has been developed, including the provision of emotional support, education, resources during periods of crisis, and problem-solving skills. Unfortunately, the use of family psychoeducation in routine practice has been limited. Barriers at the level of the consumer and his or her family members, the clinician and the administrator, and the mental health authority reflect the existence of attitudinal, knowledge-based, practical, and systemic obstacles to implementation. Family psychoeducation dissemination efforts that have been successful to date have built consensus at all levels, including among consumers and their family members; have provided ample training, technical assistance, and supervision to clinical staff; and have maintained a long-term perspective.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗
PubMed2000

Guidance for the performance evaluation of three-dimensional air quality modeling systems for particulate matter and visibility.

Guidance for the performance evaluation of three-dimensional air quality modeling systems for particulate matter and visibility is presented. Four levels are considered: operational, diagnostic, mechanistic, and probabilistic evaluations. First, a comprehensive model evaluation should be conducted in at least two distinct geographical locations and for several meteorological episodes. Next, streamlined evaluations can be conducted for other similar applications if the comprehensive evaluation is deemed satisfactory. In all cases, the operational evaluation alone is insufficient, and some diagnostic evaluation must always be carried out. Recommendations are provided for designing field measurement programs that can provide the data needed for such model performance evaluations.

Air Pollution↗