Instrument development: cardiac diet and exercise self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy has been documented as a strong predictor of health behaviors. Unfortunately, availability of reliable and valid measures of self-efficacy for a range of health behaviors is still limited. This study validated two measures of cardiac risk factor self-efficacy: the Cardiac Diet Self-Efficacy Instrument (CDSEI) and the Cardiac Exercise Self-Efficacy Instrument (CESEI). A sample of 370 cardiac rehabilitation participants provided data for principal factor analyses showing the unidimensionality of each instrument. Known groups construct validity was supported by a comparison of CDSEI and CESEI scores for cardiac rehabilitation participants and marathon runners. The value of CDSEI and CESEI scores in predicting subsequent exercise and diet performance was demonstrated with a third group of cardiac rehabilitation participants. Stability and internal consistency estimates in the .80s and .90s, respectively, support the scales' reliabilities.     

DNA patterns of Helicobacter pylori isolated from gastric antrum, body, and duodenum.

Biopsy specimens for culture of Helicobacter pylori were obtained from two different sites in the antrum, gastric body, and duodenal cap in 20 patients during endoscopic investigation of dyspepsia. H. pylori was identified in 64 isolates obtained from 15 of the 20 patients. Analysis of chromosomal DNA from these isolates of H. pylori showed that 13 of 15 patients harbored a single strain of H. pylori throughout their stomach and duodenum. Two differing H. pylori types were found in two patients. Unique DNA patterns were shown in each of the 15 patients. The genetic heterogeneity of H. pylori is unexplained but it could be of considerable value for epidemiological studies.     

Discovery of potent and selective inhibitors of procollagen C-proteinase for the treatment of fibrotic disorders

Introduction   Fibrosis is a component of many tissue pathologies leading to loss of normal tissue function, primarily due to excessive collagen deposition. Collagen is deposited following cleavage of the C- and N- terminal peptides from the pro-collagen molecule. The cleavage of the globular C-peptide by PCP reduces solubility of the fibrillar collagen molecule, resulting in deposition of insoluble collagen. Increased insoluble collagen deposition is a feature of all organ fibroses, with inhibition of this process, a key potential anti-fibrotic mechanism. The aim of this work was to discover potent and selective PCP inhibitors as experimental, topically applied, anti-fibrotic drugs for clinical evaluation.
Materials and methods   PCP was cloned from human osteosarcoma cells and enzymatic activity demonstrated using a PCP-specific peptide cleavage assay. Activities were confirmed by measuring cleavage of [³H]C-peptide from type-I pro-collagen. A cell-based fibroplasias model was employed to demonstrate compound efficacy using collagen deposition, liberated C-peptide and histological endpoints. The activities of PCP inhibitors in fibroblast and epithelial in vitro cell proliferation and migration assays, and selectivity vs. a panel of MMPs were also determined.
Discussion   In summary, we have identified and characterized potent and selective inhibitors of PCP for progression to clinical studies for investigation as a treatment paradigm for fibrotic disease.  

  Results     

36.

Soundings: Saving lives on the Silk Road     

James Owen Drife 《British medical journal》2004,329(7460):299

     

37.

Saccadic trajectory in Huntington's disease.     

Joanne Fielding  Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis  Lynette Millist  Michael Fahey  Owen White 《Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society》2006,12(4):455-464

Trajectories of saccadic eye movements can be modulated by the presence of a competing visual distractor. It is proposed that the superior colliculus (SC) controls the initial deviation through competitive lateral interactions. Given the ramifications of connections between basal ganglia (BG) thalamo-cortical circuitry and the SC, it was anticipated that this modulation would be differentially effected in those with Huntington's disease, which in its early stages is primarily a disorder of the BG. Horizontal deviation was determined for exogenously driven and endogenously driven vertical saccades in the presence of peripheral distractors. For neurologically healthy participants, the initial trajectories of both saccade types curved away from distractor locations, as predicted. However, for HD participants exogenous saccades consistently deviated leftwards, irrespective of distractor location. Endogenous saccades also revealed anomalous horizontal deviation, with significant leftward deviation evident for saccades directed upward and significant rightward deviation for saccades directed downward. Further, both groups generated a comparable proportion of erroneous responses to distractor stimuli, but only neurologically healthy participants demonstrated a response time advantage for compatible target/distractor presentation. These results suggest anomalous regulation of distractor-related activity in HD.     

38.

GlaxoSmithKline to set up comprehensive online clinical trials register     

Owen Dyer 《British medical journal》2004,329(7466):590

     

39.

Reliability of radiographic measurement of fracture angulation in children with femoral shaft fractures          下载免费PDF全文

Janice L. Owen  Derek Stephens    James G. Wright 《Canadian journal of surgery》2007,50(2):115-118

INTRODUCTION: Clinical decisions are based on x-ray measures of radiographs. However, the reliability of assessing the angular measurement of fractured femurs in children is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and interrater reliability of an x-ray assessment of femoral shaft fracture angulation in children. METHODS: On 2 occasions, 3 raters evaluated 30 radiographs of children aged 4 to 10 years, 3 to 24 months after a femoral fracture. The radiographs were evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon, an orthopedic fellow and a research assistant, using a standardized methodology. Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), an index of concordance that ranges from 01, where > 0.75 indicates excellent concordance. RESULTS: The ICC for the intrarater ranged from 0.75 to 0.97. The interrater reliability ICC for anterior or posterior angulation was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.840.95) and for varus or valgus angulation was 0.90 (95% CI 0.790.95). A change in measurement of more than 5 degrees exceeds the variation in measurement and, therefore, can be attributed to a true shift in fracture position. CONCLUSIONS: With specific standardized protocols, radiographic assessment of femoral fractures is reliable, irrespective of the examiner's level of experience.     

40.

Self‐report versus interview assessment of purging in a community sample of women     

J. M. Mond  P. J. Hay  B. Rodgers  C. Owen 《European eating disorders review》2007,15(6):403-409

     

[首页] « 上一页 [1] [2] [3] 4 [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] 下一页 » 末  页»

Saccadic trajectory in Huntington's disease.

Trajectories of saccadic eye movements can be modulated by the presence of a competing visual distractor. It is proposed that the superior colliculus (SC) controls the initial deviation through competitive lateral interactions. Given the ramifications of connections between basal ganglia (BG) thalamo-cortical circuitry and the SC, it was anticipated that this modulation would be differentially effected in those with Huntington's disease, which in its early stages is primarily a disorder of the BG. Horizontal deviation was determined for exogenously driven and endogenously driven vertical saccades in the presence of peripheral distractors. For neurologically healthy participants, the initial trajectories of both saccade types curved away from distractor locations, as predicted. However, for HD participants exogenous saccades consistently deviated leftwards, irrespective of distractor location. Endogenous saccades also revealed anomalous horizontal deviation, with significant leftward deviation evident for saccades directed upward and significant rightward deviation for saccades directed downward. Further, both groups generated a comparable proportion of erroneous responses to distractor stimuli, but only neurologically healthy participants demonstrated a response time advantage for compatible target/distractor presentation. These results suggest anomalous regulation of distractor-related activity in HD.     

Reliability of radiographic measurement of fracture angulation in children with femoral shaft fractures

INTRODUCTION: Clinical decisions are based on x-ray measures of radiographs. However, the reliability of assessing the angular measurement of fractured femurs in children is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and interrater reliability of an x-ray assessment of femoral shaft fracture angulation in children. METHODS: On 2 occasions, 3 raters evaluated 30 radiographs of children aged 4 to 10 years, 3 to 24 months after a femoral fracture. The radiographs were evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon, an orthopedic fellow and a research assistant, using a standardized methodology. Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), an index of concordance that ranges from 01, where > 0.75 indicates excellent concordance. RESULTS: The ICC for the intrarater ranged from 0.75 to 0.97. The interrater reliability ICC for anterior or posterior angulation was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.840.95) and for varus or valgus angulation was 0.90 (95% CI 0.790.95). A change in measurement of more than 5 degrees exceeds the variation in measurement and, therefore, can be attributed to a true shift in fracture position. CONCLUSIONS: With specific standardized protocols, radiographic assessment of femoral fractures is reliable, irrespective of the examiner's level of experience.