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Biomedical subjects

R Garrett

Publications and source records attributed to R Garrett.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Quality assurance for nursing and midwifery education: an analysis of the approach in England.

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss conceptual and policy developments for external quality assurance for nurse and midwifery education in England. The current framework was implemented in the academic year 1998/99, and is the subject of a three year evaluation commissioned by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery & Health Visiting (ENB). The methods which are being used to evaluate the quality assurance arrangements will be discussed within the context of nursing and midwifery education and practice. The ultimate aim of professionally accredited nursing and midwifery education is to ensure the development of practitioners who are fit for purpose, practice and award. It follows that the quality assurance processes should have the capacity to demonstrate the extent to which professional education meets this aim. This paper will discuss this issue, with particular emphasis on the collaborative review process which is being undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency and the statutory body for nursing, midwifery and health visiting education. The paper concludes with a discussion of the changes proposed by the government for nursing and midwifery education, and considers the potential impact for quality assurance of health care education.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2000

pING family of conjugative plasmids from the extremely thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus: insights into recombination and conjugation in Crenarchaeota.

A novel family of conjugative plasmids from Sulfolobus comprising the active variants pING1, -4, and -6 and the functionally defective variants pING2 and -3, which require the help of an active variant for spreading, has been extensively characterized both functionally and molecularly. In view of the sparse similarity between bacterial and archaeal conjugation and the lack of a practical genetic system for Sulfolobus, we compared the functions and sequences of these variants and the previously described archaeal conjugative plasmid pNOB8 in order to identify open reading frames (ORFs) and DNA sequences that are involved in conjugative transfer and maintenance of these plasmids in Sulfolobus. The variants pING4 and -6 are reproducibly derived from pING1 in vivo by successive transpositions of an element from the Sulfolobus genome. The small defective but mobile variants pING2 and -3, which both lack a cluster of highly conserved ORFs probably involved in plasmid transfer, were shown to be formed in vivo by recombinative deletion of the larger part of the genomes of pING4 and pING6, respectively. The efficient occurrence of these recombination processes is further evidence for the striking plasticity of the Sulfolobus genome.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Stimulation of bone formation in vitro and in rodents by statins.

Osteoporosis and other diseases of bone loss are a major public health problem. Here it is shown that the statins, drugs widely used for lowering serum cholesterol, also enhance new bone formation in vitro and in rodents. This effect was associated with increased expression of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) gene in bone cells. Lovastatin and simvastatin increased bone formation when injected subcutaneously over the calvaria of mice and increased cancellous bone volume when orally administered to rats. Thus, in appropriate doses, statins may have therapeutic applications for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The genetic element pSSVx of the extremely thermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus is a hybrid between a plasmid and a virus.

A new Sulfolobus islandicus strain, REY15/4, harboured both a novel fusellovirus, SSV2, and a small plasmid, pSSVx. The plasmid spread in S. solfataricus P1 together with the virus after infection with either the supernatant of a culture of REY15/4 or purified virus. Spreading of the plasmid required co-transfection with either SSV2 or the related SSV1 as helpers. Virus purified from REY15/4 constituted a mixture of two sizes of particles, one with the dimensions of a normal fusellovirus and the other smaller. Cloned SSV2 produced only the larger particles and only SSV2 DNA, indicating that the smaller particles contained pSSVx packaged into capsids made up of SSV2 components. The 5.7 kb genome of pSSVx revealed regions of high sequence similarity to the cryptic Sulfolobales plasmids pRN1, pRN2 and pDL10. Thus, pSSVx belongs to the family of pRN plasmids that share a highly conserved region, which probably constitutes the minimal replicon. They also contain a variable region showing no sequence similarity. In pSSVx, this region contains three open reading frames (ORFs), two of which are juxtapositioned and show high sequence similarity to a tandem of ORFs in fusellovirus genomes. Neither pRN1 nor pRN2, which lack this tandem, spread in the presence of the fuselloviruses, which implies that the sequences of these ORFs enable pSSVx to use the packaging system of the viral helpers for spreading.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Genetic elements in the extremely thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus.

This minireview summarizes what is known about genetic elements in the archaeal crenarchaeotal genus Sulfolobus, including recent work on viruses, cryptic plasmids, a novel type of virus satellite plasmids or satellite viruses, and conjugative plasmids (CPs), mostly from our laboratory. It does not discuss IS elements and transposons.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1998

Investigation of diurnal variation in sustained exercise performance.

Human performance generally varies in phase with the circadian curve in body temperature. This relationship between performance and core body temperature may be disrupted when exercise causes a pronounced rise in body temperature. In this study the authors compared responses to exercise in the morning and in the evening when pre-exercise body temperature differed significantly. Rectal temperature was measured pre-exercise and throughout a cycle ergometer test at 70% VO2 max in seven males (aged 19-24 years). The test was performed at 08:30 and 17:30 h, balanced for order with 3 days minimum between tests. Onset of sweating, weight loss and time to exhaustion were recorded. Metabolic measures (VO2, VE and RER) and heart rate were recorded pre-exercise and during exercise. Rectal temperature and skin temperature at three sites were also measured. Rectal temperature and heart rate were lower in the morning than in the evening by 0.6 degree C and 7 beats min-1 (p < 0.01), respectively. The lower body temperature in the morning persisted throughout exercise, the final rectal temperature being 38.6 (SD = 0.2) degrees C in the morning and 39.2 (SD = 0.5) degrees C in the evening. No effects of time of day were observed for VO2, VE, and RER but heart rate values during exercise were lower in the morning for 30 min (p < 0.05). Sweat onset occurred sooner at 08:30 h (7.57, SD = 0.90 min) compared to 17:30 h (8.71, SD = 2.20 min) (p < 0.05). Time to exhaustion ranged from 48 to 72 min, but did not vary with time of day (p > 0.05). It is concluded that continuous submaximal exercise is not necessarily disadvantaged by a morning timing.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1995

Application of the associated particle technique for the whole-body measurement of protein, fat and water by 14 MeV neutron activation analysis--a feasibility study.

A small and compact sealed tube neutron generator with an integral alpha particle detector has been used for applying the associated particle technique for prompt-gamma 14 MeV neutron activation analysis of total body carbon (TBC), total body nitrogen (TBN) and total body oxygen (TBO). Ground sheep meat samples in the weight range 20-40 kg and of varying composition have been scanned using two 12.5 cm diameter x 10 cm Nal(Tl) crystals for gamma-ray detection. The content of protein, fat and water was calculated from their fractional content of C, N and O using a four-compartment model of body composition, which included minerals. The precision for measuring TBC, TBN and TBO has been obtained from the mean count rates of ten repeat irradiations of the same sample. The accuracy has been confirmed by comparison against chemical analysis. The reproducibilities for measuring TBN have been found to be comparable to those obtained when the same samples were analysed using prompt-gamma thermal-neutron activation analysis in an existing body composition facility. Based on the results obtained, we conclude that an instrument comprising the neutron generator and four 15 cm x 15 cm x 45 cm NaI(Tl) gamma ray detectors can be assembled to determine, in vivo, protein, fat and water in an approximately 41 kg sample with precisions of 4.4%, 5.0% and 2.1% (CV) respectively within a 15 min scan. The radiation dose equivalent delivered due to neutrons would be approximately 0.03 mSv.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effects of time of day on self-paced performances of prolonged exercise.

Pre-exercise body temperature varies throughout the day due to its circadian rhythm. This study aimed to compared responses to sustained exercise in the morning and in evening. Rectal temperature was measured pre-exercise and throughout a 60 min test on a cycle ergometer against a fixed frictional resistance in seven males (aged 19-24 years). The subjects were instructed to work as hard as possible over the entire exercise period but could vary the pedal frequency at any time. Power output was calculated by computer, utilising an optical detection device to monitor flywheel revolutions. Tests were performed at 08:30 and 17:30 h, balanced for order with at least 72 hours between tests. Rectal temperature was lower pre-exercise in the morning (37.2 degrees C) than at evening (37.8 degrees C). This differences was reduced to 0.3 degrees C by the end of exercise. Mean power output was similar for the two times of day for the whole exercise period. A higher power output in the evening over the first half of the test was compensated for by a greater performance in the morning over the second 30 min (p < 0.05). It seems that the pacing of endurance performance is affected in the morning, but without any overall effect at least for the duration examined and at the ambient environmental temperature of 17-19 degrees C.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Training inspiratory resistance in Duchenne dystrophy using adapted computer games.

Computer games were modified to encourage respiratory effort by two groups of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. One group trained during the first six months of the study, the other during the second six months. Inspiratory effort was increased by their having to breathe through a mask to both start and continue the games. Pulmonary function tests were done at the beginning of the trial and six, 12 and 18 months later, when forced vital capacity, respiratory muscle endurance and strength were measured. Although there were some individual improvements, over-all the results were not statistically significant.

Adolescent↗