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Biomedical subjects

J L Reeves

Publications and source records attributed to J L Reeves.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Vascular adhesion protein 1 mediates binding of T cells to human hepatic endothelium.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Molecules that regulate T-cell adhesion to hepatic endothelium and thereby recirculation of T cells to the liver are poorly understood. Because the adhesion molecule vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1), which mediates lymphocyte binding to lymph node endothelium, is expressed on hepatic endothelium, it could play a role in regulating T-cell recruitment to the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of VAP-1 expression in human liver and the ability of VAP-1 to support T-cell binding to hepatic endothelium in vitro. METHODS: Hepatic VAP-1 expression was investigated using immunohistochemistry and specific monoclonal antibodies, and VAP-1-mediated adhesion to hepatic endothelium was investigated with a tissue-binding adhesion assay using human liver sections. RESULTS: VAP-1 was expressed on sinusoidal and vascular endothelium in non-inflamed liver and in inflamed liver from patients with either allograft rejection or primary biliary cirrhosis. T cells from healthy donors bound to hepatic endothelium when added to noninflamed liver sections; this binding was inhibited by a specific anti-VAP-1 antibody but not by antibodies to intercellular adhesion molecule 1, lymphocyte function--associated antigen 1, or very late after activation (antigen) 4. VAP-1--mediated adhesion was unaffected by T-cell activation with phorbol ester. CONCLUSIONS: VAP-1 is constitutively expressed on hepatic endothelium and mediates T-cell adhesion to hepatic endothelium in vitro. VAP-1 could play a critical role in regulating T-cell recirculation to the liver in vivo.

Cell Adhesion↗

The heavy metal subculture and suicide.

The impact of the heavy metal music subculture on suicide has been the subject of much public debate but little scholarly research. The present paper assesses this relationship with data on heavy metal magazine subscriptions and youth suicide in the 50 states. We find that, controlling for other predictors of suicide, the greater the strength of the metal subculture, the higher the youth suicide rate. The music perhaps nurtures suicidal tendencies already present in the subculture. The model explains 51% of the variance in youth suicide.

Adolescent↗

Myofascial pain may present clinically as occipital neuralgia.

Three case presentations illustrate that the clinical signs and symptoms of occipital neuralgia may be produced by myofascial pain. Assessment of myofascial trigger points is needed before making a diagnosis of occipital neuralgia. Myofascial trigger points can be effectively treated with minimally invasive procedures, thereby avoiding irreversible surgical interventions.

Adult↗

Anesthesia, amnesia, and the memory/awareness distinction.

Several studies have shown that surgical patients cannot consciously recall or recognize events to which they had been exposed during general anesthesia. Might evidence of memory for intraoperative events be revealed through the performance of a postoperative test that does not require remembering to be deliberate or intentional? Results of the present study, involving the recognition and spelling of semantically biased homophones, suggest a negative answer to this question and imply that intraoperative events cannot be remembered postoperatively, either with or without awareness.

Adult↗

Heart-rate reactivity to cold pressor stress following biofeedback training.

Three previous studies have shown that biofeedback training is useful in modifying heart-rate and pain ratings during ice water stimulation (cold pressor test). Subjects were given an initial cold pressor followed by heart-rate biofeedback training and a final cold pressor test in which they were instructed to control their heart rate in accordance with the prior training. It was assumed that a heart-rate control skill had been learned. In the present study, two groups of subjects (N = 9 each) were given either increase or decrease heart-rate biofeedback training following the same procedures as previously, but subjects were not instructed to control their heart rate during the final cold pressor test. Heart rate, skin conductance, electromyographic activity, and respiration were measured. The biofeedback training effects replicate the previous results. However, no heart-rate or pain rating differences were found between the two groups during the final cold pressor test. Thus, previous findings cannot be accounted for simply by a shift in heart rate and/or pain reactivity following training itself. The findings suggest that a biofeedback strategy may be useful in modifying physiological and subjective responses to painful stimuli but only if it can be used as an active coping skill.

Adolescent↗

EMG-biofeedback reduction of tension headache: a cognitive skills-training approach.

The biofeedback literature affirms the therapeutic efficacy of EMG-biofeedback-assisted relaxation for the treatment of tension headache. However, this form of therapy has failed to focus on the role of cognitive variables in the control and perception of tension headache. The present case study provides a prototype treatment combining cognitive behavior--modification procedures with EMG-biofeedback training to treat a subject with chronic tension headache. Phase I, baseline, involved collecting mean EMG and daily headache activity, emphasizing specification of environmental stressors. Phase II, cognitive skills--training, focused on: (1) identifying negative self-statements (cognitions) related to stressors, and (2) training the subject to replace negative self-statements with coping self-instructions. This treatment resulted in a 33% headache reduction over baseline, with no concomitant changes in frontalis EMG. Phase III, EMG-biofeedback training, resulted in a 38% reduction in mean EMG level and a 66% reduction in mean headache activity when compared to baseline. The results suggest the importance of attending to cognitive factors in the treatment of tension headache.

Adult↗