Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Conway

Publications and source records attributed to M Conway.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

The impact of mood on information use in judgments of relationship satisfaction.

The hypothesis in Study 1 was that positive mood leads people to rely on both central and peripheral features of relationship quality when making global satisfaction judgments concerning their relationship with a spouse or partner, whereas sadness leads people to focus more exclusively on central features. For German university students, correlational analyses, within mood condition, of feature ratings with satisfaction judgments, both obtained following mood induction, revealed results consistent with the hypothesis. Study 2 again addressed the differential breadth of feature processing, by having a different group of German students categorize features of relationship quality after mood induction. As expected, participants in the positive mood condition used the fewest categories, whereas those in the neutral and sad mood conditions used the most categories.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Status, communality, and agency: implications for stereotypes of gender and other groups.

Four studies addressed the hypothesis, based on correspondence bias, that low- relative to high-status individuals are perceived as more communal and less agentic. Study 1 instantiated status in terms of occupations, and findings were as expected. The findings of Study 2 reconciled those of Study 1 and of A.H. Eagly and V.J. Steffen (1984) in that they demonstrated that high-status occupations are differentially construed in terms of their interpersonal communal demands. The hypothesis received clear support in Studies 3 and 4, in which a general instantiation of status independent of occupations, social roles, and gender was adopted. The findings are discussed in terms of gender stereotypes and social role theory of gender (A.H. Eagly, 1987) as well as in terms of other stereotypes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Abnormalities in exercising skeletal muscle in congestive heart failure can be explained in terms of decreased mitochondrial ATP synthesis, reduced metabolic efficiency, and increased glycogenolysis.

OBJECTIVE: To distinguish between the effects of reduced oxidative capacity and reduced metabolic efficiency on skeletal muscle bioenergetics during exercise in patients with congestive heart failure. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Patients were studied by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy during aerobic exercise and recovery, and results compared with controls. RESULTS: In flexor digitorum superficialis muscle (26 patients) there was a 30% decrease in oxidative capacity compared with control (mean (SE) 36 (2) v 51 (4) mM/min) and also a 40% decrease in "effective muscle mass" (5 (1) v 9 (1) arbitrary units), probably at least partly the result of reduced metabolic efficiency. Both contribute to increased phosphocreatine depletion and intracellular acidosis during exercise. However, an increased concentration of ADP (an important mitochondrial regulator) during exercise permitted near-normal rates of oxidative ATP synthesis. Results were similar in gastrocnemius muscle (20 patients), with a 30% decrease in maximum oxidative capacity (29 (4) v 39 (3) mM/min) and a 65% decrease in effective muscle mass (5 (1) v 13 (2) arbitrary units). Exercise training improved maximum oxidative capacity in both muscles, and in gastrocnemius effective muscle mass also. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal muscle exercise abnormalities in patients with congestive heart failure results more from decreased metabolic efficiency than from the abnormalities in mitochondrial oxidation. Both decreased efficiency and defective mitochondrial oxidation result in an increased activation of glycogen phosphorylase, and may be improved by exercise training.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1995

A corporate needs assessment for the purchase of district nursing: a qualitative approach.

A qualitative research methodology was applied to a corporate assessment of need for district nursing services. Semi-structured interviews were held with district nurses and the transcripts analysed for common themes. The major determinants of district nurses' roles were the priorities and practices of other community-based services, particularly social services and primary care. Purchasing and contract setting in this area needs to focus more on the interface with other services.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1994

Nasal polyps: effects of seasonal allergen exposure.

Nasal polyps are characterized by chronic eosinophilic inflammation and often coexist with rhinitis and asthma. Many patients with polyps have no detectable allergy, and it is considered that allergy, at least in many cases, is not relevant to polyp to pathogenesis. To explore the association of nasal polyps with allergy, 16 patients with polyps and ragweed allergy (PRW +) and 16 patients with polyps who were not allergic to ragweed (PRW-) were compared with patients without polyps, 16 who were allergic to ragweed (NPRW +) and 16 who were not allergic to ragweed (NPRW-), before and during the ragweed season. The level of ragweed allergy was comparable in the PRW+ and NPRW+ populations as determined by ragweed skin test wheal diameter, ragweed IgE RAST percent binding, and total serum IgE. Symptom scores before the ragweed season recorded on visual analog scales for the symptoms of blockage, sneezing, decreased smell, itch, postnatal drip, and runny nose were high in patients in the PRW+ and PRW- groups and did not change during ragweed season. Mean symptom scores were low in the NPRW+ group before ragweed season and increased during the season to levels similar to those of patients in the PRW+ and PRW- groups. Preseason nasal lavage albumin concentration was higher in subjects with polyps than those without polyps (58.5, 98) versus (13.6, 15 micrograms/ml) (p = 0.02) and did not change significantly in any group with seasonal exposure. Data are presented as mean, 1 SD; comparisons are made with unpaired t tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Hemodynamic effects of captopril and isosorbide mononitrate started early in acute myocardial infarction: a randomized placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to study the hemodynamic effects of orally administered captopril and isosorbide mononitrate in suspected acute myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND: Early treatment with converting enzyme inhibitors and nitrates in acute myocardial infarction may limit infarct expansion and prevent left ventricular dilation. METHODS: In a double-blind study, 81 patients were randomized within 36 h of the onset of symptoms of suspected acute myocardial infarction to 1 month of oral captopril (6.25 mg initial dose, followed 2 h later by 12.5 mg and continuing with 12.5 mg three times daily), isosorbide mononitrate (initial dose 20 mg followed by 20 mg three times daily) or matching placebo. The effects of treatment on changes from baseline in mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance were assessed noninvasively using Doppler echocardiography 1 h after the first dose, 1 week after infarction and at 6 weeks (that is, 2 weeks after the scheduled end of trial treatment). RESULTS: One hour after the start of treatment, blood pressure was reduced by approximately 10% with both captopril and isosorbide mononitrate, but this difference did not persist at 1 week. Captopril was associated with a significant increase in cardiac output compared with placebo of 13 +/- 3% at 1 h (p < 0.01), 23 +/- 5% at 1 week (p < 0.001) and 22 +/- 6% (p < 0.05) at 6 weeks (2 weeks after the end of trial treatment). This increase in cardiac output with captopril was mainly due to a substantial and sustained increase in stroke volume, although there was also a small increase in heart rate at 1 week. Both captopril and isosorbide mononitrate reduced systemic vascular resistance within 1 h of the start of treatment, but only the effect of captopril was sustained (perhaps because the three-times daily nitrate regimen induced tolerance). Study treatment was well tolerated, and the incidence of withdrawal of study treatment for hypotension was not significantly different from that with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the hemodynamic effects of both captopril and isosorbide mononitrate are well tolerated in the acute phase of myocardial infarction and that captopril favorably influences cardiac function.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Dysphoria and decision making: limited information use for evaluations of multiattribute targets.

The hypothesis was that dysphoric relative to nondysphoric individuals use less available, relevant information in decision making because of reduced attentional resources. Dysphoric and nondysphoric Ss evaluated 70 jobs, each of which was described in terms of 5 dimensions (e.g., friendliness of co-workers); there were 5 possible values for each dimension. In both studies, dysphoric relative to nondysphoric Ss used a smaller subset of information, yet did not simplify what information was used and did not combine the information in a more simple manner. The limited information use was not due to dysphoric Ss' systematically ignoring certain dimensions and was evident in both initial and final portions of the task. Dysphoric Ss spent as much time and reported using as much information and investing as much effort as nondysphoric Ss. Reported effort alone was related to actual information use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Clearance of microsphere-entrapped 5-fluorouracil and cytosine arabinoside from the vitreous of primates.

Experiments were conducted with biodegradable microspheres containing antimetabolites to assess the release of the drugs from the microspheres into the vitreous cavity of primates. Microspheres containing a mixture of radiolabeled and cold cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were prepared using a solvent evaporation process. The copolymers of poly (lactic) and poly (glycolic) acid (85:15) and drug was dissolved in a mixture of chloroform and acetone. The solutions were then emulsified in an aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol and stirred for 24 hours to evaporate the organic solvent. A 0.1 mL aliquot of a suspension of the microspheres was then injected into one eye of eight African Green monkeys. Half received 250 +/- 10 micrograms of Ara-C and the others 375 +/- 15 micrograms of 5-FU. The concentration in the vitreous was then measured by removing a 0.1 mL sample of vitreous at 1, 2, 4 and 11 days after injection. Both drugs released from microspheres were still detectable in the eye 11 days after injection and the clearance kinetics were similar for both drugs. The results indicate that the microspheres appear promising as a slow drug-delivery system for future investigations in conjunction with these and other antimetabolites suitable for the treatment of PVR.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Transferable deaths during 1990 for residents of Camberwell Health Authority.

Almost one quarter of all deaths among residents of Camberwell District Health Authority during 1990 occurred without the district ('transferable deaths'). These deaths differed from total deaths in that the main cause of study deaths was cancer, and many of these cases died in a hospice with which the district has no direct contact. However, the commonest location of deaths was in hospitals (57% of study death locations) and the majority of these cases died in London teaching hospitals with whom there are major contracts. As the three inner London South East Thames districts, including Camberwell, propose to merge into a single purchasing authority in 1993, all London hospitals where Camberwell residents died in this survey would be covered by the current range of contracts set by the three districts. The study identified a small but important group of deaths from HIV/AIDS, where it seems that people travelled, particularly, to West London for terminal care. A high proportion of deaths from injury and poisoning were either suicides or open verdicts. There were less transferable deaths among the major ethnic minorities in the district than expected, particularly among those of African and Caribbean descent. This may be due to the age and disease patterns in these populations, but may also require study into the need for terminal care among these groups. Transferable deaths are a useful source of epidemiological information and can highlight local health service strengths and deficits.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C in dialysis patients and transplant recipients with possible routes of transmission.

The prevalence of hepatitis C infection and possible predisposing factors was assessed in a renal unit. Of 343 patients at our renal dialysis centre, 37 (10.8%) were anti-HCV positive by a 1st-generation assay (ELISA, Ortho/Chiron) and confirmed positive in 35 (10.2%) with a 2nd-generation test (UBI, New York). Anti-HCV positivity was significantly associated with: duration of renal replacement therapy (P < 0.0001); quantity of blood transfused (P < 0.002); duration of hospital haemodialysis (P = 0.0001); duration with a functional renal transplant (P = 0.039); and aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression determined the following variables to be independent risk factors: duration of renal replacement therapy with a relative risk of 34.3 for 5-9 years and 87.4 when the duration was in excess of 10 years; renal transplant for less than 1 year (relative risk of 5.0); transfusion in excess of 50 units of blood (relative risk of 11.6). Clinical assessment of anti-HCV-positive patients revealed peripheral signs of chronic liver disease in 40%, hepatomegaly in 34%, and splenomegaly in 9%. This prevalence of hepatitis C infection is similar to other European and North American centres, but contrasts with low prevalence rates reported from dialysis populations in the UK. It adds further support for routine screening of blood and possibly organ donors and implementation of further infection control measures in dialysis centres.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Protective immunization against Epstein-Barr virus-induced disease in cottontop tamarins using the virus envelope glycoprotein gp340 produced from a bovine papillomavirus expression vector.

Inoculation with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces malignant lymphomas in the cottontop tamarin (Saguinus oedipus oedipus). This provides an experimental animal model for assessing the efficacy of candidate EBV vaccines which are intended to reduce the incidence of human tumours associated with EBV infection. Previous work has shown that experimental vaccines based on the major virus envelope glycoprotein gp340 prepared from the membranes of EBV-infected cells are effective in protecting cottontop tamarins against EBV-induced disease. However, not all purified gp340 preparations induce protective immunity against EBV lymphoma in the tamarin. In this work, cottontop tamarins were immunized with recombinant gp340, produced using a bovine papillomavirus (BPV) expression vector, and a threonyl muramyl dipeptide adjuvant formulation. Although the recombinant-derived gp340 lacked the membrane anchor sequence of authentic gp340 and was expressed in mouse cells, it was immunogenic and induced virus-neutralizing antibodies. Healthy vaccinated tamarins were protected against EBV-induced disease. The demonstration that a recombinant gp340 product is able to elicit protective immunity in the cottontop tamarin is a significant step in the development of an EBV vaccine because previously it had not been clear whether a recombinant product would have the exact tertiary structure, including the necessary carbohydrate components, to induce protective immunity. A recombinant gp340 vaccine offers various advantages over production of the authentic molecule by laborious biochemical separation, including lower cost and the absence of potentially oncogenic EBV DNA. Therefore, recombinant gp340 produced using the BPV expression vector is suitable for development as a candidate EBV vaccine for a human Phase I trial and beyond.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗
PubMed1991

Variability of high-pass resolution perimetry in normals and patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

High-pass resolution perimetry, or the "ring test," is a recently developed type of acuity perimetry. To determine its test-retest variability, we studied 10 normals and 10 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) by testing both eyes four separate times. There was no increase in variability from the center out to 21 degrees of visual field eccentricity. However, there was a significant increase from 22 degrees to 29 degrees in both normals and IIH patients. Unlike light sensitivity threshold automated perimetry, with an increase in threshold level there was no significant increase in variability in either normals or patients. This may be because of the test's method, which thresholds by target size rather than intensity. As expected, there was a large intersubject variability in the patients, with the visual fields being significantly disturbed by analysis of total field, quadrants, concentric rings, and anatomic nerve fiber bundle regions. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in the total within subject variability of normals and patients. Because with the ring test there is no increase in variability with an increase in threshold, this method of perimetry may have great utility for following patients with disturbed visual fields. The ring test appears to have advantages that promote low test-retest variability.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Skeletal muscle metabolism in heart failure: a 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of leg muscle.

1. The gastrocnemius muscle of seven patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure and of five healthy control subjects was studied using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Spectra were collected at rest and during an incremental, symptom-limited, exercise protocol. Blood flow was measured in the same study during brief interruptions to exercise. 2. The phosphocreatine/(phosphocreatine plus inorganic phosphate) ratio was lower in patients with heart failure than in control subjects at an exercise rate of 1.5 W, although intracellular pH and blood flow were similar. 3. The cytosolic free adenosine 5'-diphosphate concentration was markedly increased in patients with heart failure exercising at 1.5 W compared with control subjects exercising at the same workload. 4. Although the maximum workload achieved by patients with heart failure was less than half of that reached by control subjects, the pH and the phosphocreatine/(phosphocreatine plus inorganic phosphate) ratio were lower in patients with heart failure at maximal load. Blood flow was less at maximal exercise in patients with heart failure than in control subjects in keeping with the reduced work load. 5. The phosphocreatine depletion induced in the gastrocnemius muscle by exercise was more severe than previously described in the forearm of patients with heart failure. 6. Metabolic abnormalities in skeletal muscle may contribute to exercise intolerance in heart failure, particularly during submaximal exercise.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1990

Perceived intimacy of expressed emotion.

Research on norms for emotional expression and self-disclosure provided the basis for two hypotheses concerning the perceived intimacy of emotional self-disclosure. The first hypothesis was that the perceived intimacy of negative emotional disclosure would be greater than that of positive emotional disclosure; the second was that disclosures of more intense emotional states would be perceived as more intimate than disclosures of less intense emotional states for both negative and positive disclosures. Both hypotheses received support when male students in Canada rated the perceived intimacy of self-disclosures that were equated for topic and that covered a comprehensive sample of emotions and a range of emotional intensities. The effects were observed across all the topics of disclosure examined.

Adolescent↗