Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Wright

Publications and source records attributed to A Wright.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

An investigation of the interrelationship between manipulative therapy-induced hypoalgesia and sympathoexcitation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a proposed model in which manipulative therapy produces a treatment-specific initial hypoalgesic and sympathoexcitatory effect by activating a descending pain inhibitory system. The a priori hypothesis tested was that manipulative therapy produces mechanical hypoalgesia and sympathoexcitation beyond that produced by placebo or control. Furthermore, these effects would be correlated, thus supporting the proposed model. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study of the initial effect of treatment. SETTING: Clinical neurophysiology laboratory. SUBJECTS: Twenty-four subjects (13 women and 11 men; mean age, 49 yr) with chronic lateral epicondylalgia (average duration, 6.2 months). INTERVENTION: Cervical spine lateral glide oscillatory manipulation, placebo and control. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pressure pain threshold, thermal pain threshold, pain-free grip strength test, upper limb tension test 2b, skin conductance, pileous and glabrous skin temperature and blood flux. RESULTS: Treatment produced hypoalgesic and sympathoexcitatory changes significantly greater than those of placebo and control (p < .03). Confirmatory factor-analysis modeling, which was performed on the pain-related measures and the indicators of sympathetic nervous system function, demonstrated a significant correlation (r = .82) between the latencies of manipulation-induced hypoalgesia and sympathoexcitation. The Lagrange Multiplier test and Wald test indicated that the two latent factors parsimoniously and appropriately represented their observed variables. CONCLUSION: Manual therapy produces a treatment-specific initial hypoalgesic and sympathoexcitatory effect beyond that of placebo or control. The strong correlation between hypoalgesic and sympathoexcitatory effects suggests that a central control mechanism might be activated by manipulative therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Chromosome and low copy plasmid segregation in E. coli: visual evidence for distinct mechanisms.

We have investigated DNA segregation in E. coli by inserting multiple lac operator sequences into the chromosome near the origin of replication (oriC), in the hisC gene, a terminus marker, and into plasmids P1 and F. Expression of a GFP-LacI fusion protein allowed visualization of lac operator localization. oriC was shown to be specifically localized at or near the cell poles, and when duplicated, one copy moved to the site of new pole formation near the site of cell division. In contrast, P1 and F localized to the cell center and on duplication appeared to move rapidly to the quarter positions in the cell. Our analysis suggests that different active processes are involved in movement and localization of the chromosome and of the two plasmids during segregation.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1997

The effect of compensation involvement on the reporting of pain and disability by patients referred for rehabilitation of chronic low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective, observational, cohort study of 192 individuals with chronic low back pain, the group of individuals was divided based on compensation involvement, and their presentation pain and disability, treatment recommendations, and compliance were compared. For 85 of these individuals who completed a spine rehabilitation program, their pain and disability at 3 and 12 months were compared. OBJECTIVES: To test the theory that individuals with compensation involvement presented with greater pain and disability and would report less change of pain and disability after rehabilitation efforts. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have produced conflicting results concerning this issue. METHODS: Individuals were recruited as consecutive patients referred for consultation at a spine rehabilitation center. Pain, depression, and disability were assessed using self-report questionnaires at evaluation and at 3 and 12 months. Rehabilitation services consisted of aggressive, quota-based exercises aimed at correcting impairments in flexibility, strength, endurance, and lifting capacity, identified through quantification of back function. Multifactoral analysis of variance models were used to control for baseline differences between compensation and noncompensation patients during analysis of target variables. RESULTS: The compensation group included 96 patients; these patients reported more pain, depression, and disability than the 96 patients without compensation involvement. These differences persisted when baseline differences were controlled for with multifactoral analysis of variance models. Treatment recommendations and compliance were not affected by compensation. For patients completing the spine rehabilitation program, length of treatment, flexibility, strength, lifting ability, and lower extremity work performance before and after treatment and patient satisfaction ratings were similar for the compensation and noncompensation groups. At 3 and 12 months, improvements in depression and disability were noted for both groups, but were statistically and clinically less substantial for the compensation group. At the 12 month follow-up visit, pain scores improved for the noncompensation group, but not for the compensation group. CONCLUSIONS: In chronic low back pain, compensation involvement may have an adverse effect on self-reported pain, depression, and disability before and after rehabilitation interventions.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Bipolar localization of the replication origin regions of chromosomes in vegetative and sporulating cells of B. subtilis.

To investigate chromosome segregation in B. subtilis, we introduced tandem copies of the lactose operon operator into the chromosome near the replication origin or terminus. We then visualized the position of the operator cassettes with green fluorescent protein fused to the Lac1 repressor. In sporulating bacteria, which undergo asymmetric cell division, origins localized near each pole of the cell whereas termini were restricted to the middle. In growing cells, which undergo binary fission, origins were observed at various positions but preferentially toward the poles early in the cell cycle. In contrast, termini showed little preference for the poles. These results indicate the existence of a mitotic-like apparatus that is responsible for moving the origin regions of newly formed chromosomes toward opposite ends of the cell.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1997

Chronic neuropathic pain and its control by drugs.

The medical treatment and some currently known aspects of the aetiology of five neurogenic pain states are discussed. Neurogenic pain can be described as pain resulting from noninflammatory dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system without nociceptor stimulation or trauma. The enormity of the field has limited this review to post-herpetic neuralgia, complex regional pain syndromes, phantom pain, trigeminal neuralgia and diabetic neuralgia. Evidence suggests that many neurogenic pain states are not effectively controlled. This may be due in part to a lack of understanding of the aetiology of these conditions and to the lack of high quality studies evaluating existing treatments. A compact review of the literature is presented with some treatment options and possible future directions. Where appropriate surgical management and physical therapy have been discussed; however, a thorough appraisal of nondrug treatments was not the main priority of this review.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effect of glycosylation on antibody function: implications for genetic engineering.

Antibodies are able to both bind antigens and trigger the responses that eliminate them from circulation. All antibodies are glycosylated at conserved positions in their constant regions, and the presence of carbohydrate can be critical for antigen clearance functions such as complement activation. The structure of the attached carbohydrate can also affect antibody activity. Antibody glycosylation can be influenced by the cell in which it is produced, the conformation of the antibody and cell culture conditions. These variables should be considered in the design and production of antibodies with selected specificity and function.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1997

A role for microtubules in Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion.

Colchicine, a drug which poisons the polymerization of microtubules, was assayed for effects on the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites into red cells in order to investigate if merozoite microtubules have a function in invasion. Culture conditions and concentrations of colchicine were established where the maturation and rupture of schizonts was unaffected by the drug. This was judged first by light microscopy, including morphology and counts of nuclear particle numbers, then by ultrastructural studies which excluded deranged organellogenesis as a cause of merozoite failure, and finally by diachronic cultures in which both recruitment and loss of schizonts could be counted. Specific invasion inhibition was seen when 10 microM-1 mM colchicine was present. Red cells pre-incubated in colchicine and then washed showed no reduction in their extent of invasion, and neither red cell lysis, sphering nor blebbing were apparent. We conclude that intact microtubules are necessary for successful merozoite function.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Are two interventions worse than none? Joint primary and secondary prevention of eating disorders in college females.

Prevention programs for eating disorders attempt to simultaneously prevent new cases from arising (primary prevention) and encourage students who already have symptoms to seek early treatment (secondary prevention), even though ideal strategies for these 2 types of prevention may be incompatible with each other. In the present study, an eating disorder prevention program was evaluated in a simple of female college freshmen. In the intervention, classmates who had recovered from eating disorders described their experiences and provided information about eating disorders. At follow-up, intervention participants had slightly more symptoms of eating disorders than did controls. The program may have been ineffective in preventing eating disorders because by reducing the stigma of these disorders (to encourage students with problems to seek help), the program may have inadvertently normalized them.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Reversible blockade of retrograde axonal transport in the rat sciatic nerve by vincristine.

Altered axoplasmic transport has been implicated as a contributing factor in neuropathic pain states. Treatments which produce transient axoplasmic transport blockade have shown initial promise as therapeutic procedures in the management of chronic neuropathic pain. The present study evaluated the capacity of the vinca alkaloid, vincristine to produce reversible blockade of retrograde axoplasmic transport. Results indicated that intraneural administration of 10(-5)M vincristine resulted in blockade of retrograde axoplasmic transport of [3H]leucine 24 h following administration. Importantly, the effect reversed over the next four days and axoplasmic transport was re-instated fully at day five. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to the potential use of axoplasmic transport blocking agents in the management of chronic neuropathic pain.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

BglG, the response regulator of the Escherichia coli bgl operon, is phosphorylated on a histidine residue.

We have shown previously that the activity of BglG, the response regulator of the bgl system, as a transcriptional antiterminator is modulated by the sensor BglF, which reversibly phosphorylates BglG. We show here that the phosphoryl group on BglG is present as a phosphoramidate, based on the sensitivity of phosphorylated BglG to heat, hydroxylamine, and acidic but not basic conditions. By analyzing the products of base-hydrolyzed phosphorylated BglG by thin-layer chromatography, we show that the phosphorylation occurs on a histidine residue. This result supports the notion that the bgl system is a member of a new family of bacterial sensory systems.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1997

Direct admission to the coronary care unit by the ambulance service for patients with suspected myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Direct access to the coronary care unit (CCU) for general practitioner (GP) referred cases of suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (fast track admission) substantially reduces the time to thrombolysis. Until now, this policy has been confined to GP referrals. OBJECTIVES: To determine the time taken to admission to CCU under the fast track policy (ambulance referrals and GP referrals) and the time taken to start administration of thrombolytics (ambulance referrals, GP referrals, and accident and emergency referrals). METHODS: Fast track admission policy was extended to include referrals from ambulance personnel who respond to emergency service calls. Ambulance personnel referred cases were also examined to see if they were referred appropriately to the CCU. RESULTS: 100 ambulance personnel referrals and 260 GP referrals to CCU with chest pain were studied. Forty accident and emergency referrals who had AMI requiring thrombolysis were also studied. In the ambulance referred group the time to admission from phone call was a median of 10 minutes (range 2 to 45), a saving of 30 minutes compared with GP referrals (median 40 minutes, range 2 to 217). The median diagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG) to thrombolysis time was longer in the accident and emergency referrals with AMI than either ambulance referrals or GP referrals admitted under the fast track policy. Diagnostic ECG to thrombolysis time: accident and emergency 50 minutes (range 15 to 385); ambulance referrals median 33 minutes (range 6 to 69); GP referrals median 29.5 minutes (range 5 to 110 minutes); (p = 0.056 accident and emergency compared with ambulance referrals, p < 0.002 accident and emergency compared with GP referrals). Of 100 ambulance referrals 52 patients exhibited symptoms suggestive of ischaemic heart disease (confirmed AMI, unstable angina, and angina) and a further 18 patients were required to stay in CCU for other cardiac problems. Thus a total of 70 (70%) were considered appropriate compared with 155 of 260 (55.8%) GP referred cases. CONCLUSIONS: Extending the fast track admission policy to ambulance personnel reduces delay to admission for patients with suspected MI without adversely affecting the appropriateness of admissions.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The Defeat Depression Campaign: psychiatry in the public arena.

OBJECTIVE: The adequate recognition and treatment of depression are inhibited by negative public attitudes and gaps in professional expertise. This paper describes the activities and efforts of the Defeat Depression Campaign, a joint activity of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of General Practitioners, in the United Kingdom. METHOD: A 5-year campaign was undertaken from 1992 to 1996, aimed at enhancing public awareness and attitudes and providing professional education. RESULTS: An informational media campaign directed toward the general public was successfully undertaken. Leaflets, books, and audiotapes were also prepared and distributed to the public. Multiprofessional conferences on specific aspects of depression were organized. An extensive program of general practice education included consensus conferences and statements, recognition and management guidelines, training videotapes, and other publications. Public attitudes were found to be relatively favorable, except attitudes toward antidepressants, which were viewed as addictive. A general consequence of the campaign was the development of much additional public material and professional education not directly originating from the campaign. Aspects of the campaign are being evaluated, including public attitude change, impact of educational materials on general practitioners, and prescription of antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: A campaign of this kind serves a useful function in enhancing public education and awareness and improving professional recognition and management of depression.

Antidepressive Agents↗