PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C C Wright

Publications and source records attributed to C C Wright.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Comparison of clinical and self-reported diagnoses for participants on a community-based arthritis self-management programme.

OBJECTIVE: With the advent of community-based arthritis education programmes, it is important to determine the accuracy of participants' self-reported diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of agreement between general practitioner (GP)-recorded and self-reported diagnoses of participants attending an Arthritis Self-Management Programme (ASMP). METHODS: Participants enrolling on the ASMP were asked to (a) identify their type of arthritis via a self-administered postal questionnaire and (b) obtain a written confirmation of their diagnosis from their GP. The sample (n = 613) comprised mainly women (83%) with a mean age of 58.8 yr (S.D. 12.6) and a mean disease duration of 15.4 yr (S.D. 12.5). RESULTS: Participants' self-reported diagnoses were confirmed by GPs in 534 cases [87.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 84.4 89.8%]. Confirmed diagnoses were reported by 86.9% (95% CI: 83.1-90.7%) of those with osteoarthritis (OA) and 96.1% (95% CI: 93.6 98.6%) of those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The concordance rate for all other types of arthritis combined was lower at 60.5% (95% CI: 49.5-71.5%). There were no significant differences with respect to age, gender, education, physical functioning, duration of disease and number of GP visits between those who correctly identified their type of arthritis and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the majority of RA and OA participants attending an arthritis education programme can correctly identify their specific type of arthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Dimensions of the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale for people with arthritis from the UK.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure and to conduct an item analysis of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) among people with arthritis from the UK. This 20-item self-report scale was designed by Radloff in 1977 to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. Data were drawn from a national study and collected through self-administered questionnaires mailed to participants, each of whom had a confirmed diagnosis of arthritis. Reliability and structure of the scale were examined using standard item analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach alpha), and principal components analysis. A four-dimensional structure was identified: Self-worth, Depressed Affect, Positive Affect, and Somatic Disturbance; three items loaded on two factors and were excluded from consideration. Comparisons with previous studies indicated some differences in the subscales and showed that, in this sample, two subscales might be artifacts of measurement. In samples of people with arthritis from the UK, use of the total score may not reflect accurate depressive symptomatology and the subscale scores should be used with caution.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Chrysotile asbestos is the main cause of pleural mesothelioma.

In contrast to amphibole forms of asbestos, chrysotile asbestos is often claimed to be only a minor cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a highly fatal cancer of the lining of the thoracic cavity. In this article we examine the evidence from animal and human studies that relates to this issue. Reported data do not support widely quoted views regarding the relative inertness of chrysotile fibers in mesothelioma causation. In fact, examination of all pertinent studies makes it clear that chrysotile asbestos is similar in potency to amphibole asbestos. Since asbestos is the major cause of mesothelioma, and chrysotile constitutes 95% of all asbestos use world wide, it can be concluded that chrysotile asbestos is the main cause of pleural mesothelioma in humans.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1996

Intrathoracic cystic hygroma: a report of three cases.

Cystic hygromas are relatively uncommon benign tumors of the lymphatic system. The lesions frequently are apparent at birth, and more than 90% are detected before the end of the second year of life. Most commonly, cystic hygroma presents as a soft tissue mass in the posterior triangle of the neck, and only rarely does it extend into the mediastinum. Isolated intrathoracic hygromas are exceedingly rare and have been reported infrequently among children. Herein the authors review three cases of intrathoracic cystic hygroma, spanning a period of 30 years at their institution.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1996

Consideration of background exposures in the management of hazardous waste sites: a new approach to risk assessment.

The current approach to health risk assessment of toxic waste sites in the U.S. may lead to considerable expenditure of resources without any meaningful reduction in population exposure. Risk assessment methods used generally ignore background exposures and consider only incremental risk estimates for maximally exposed individuals. Such risk estimates do not address true public health risks to which background exposures also contribute. The purpose of this paper is to recommend a new approach to risk assessment and risk management concerning toxic waste sites. Under this new approach, which we have called public health risk assessment, chemical substances would be classified into a level of concern based on the potential health risks associated with typical national and regional background exposures. Site assessment would then be based on the level of concern for the particular pollutants involved and the potential contribution of site contaminants to typical background human exposures. While various problems can be foreseen with this approach, the key advantage is that resources would be allocated to reduce the most important sources of human exposure, and site remediation decisions could be simplified by focussing on exposure assessment rather than questionable risk extrapolations.

Arsenic↗
PubMed1995

Lateral thoracic expansion for Jeune's asphyxiating dystrophy: a new approach.

A new procedure is described for thoracic expansion in Jeune's asphyxiating dystrophy. The chest wall is enlarged by division of ribs and underlying tissue in a staggered fashion so that either rib or periosteum covers the lung. New bone formation has been demonstrated so that a viable enlargement has been obtained. The clinical result is excellent to date.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMed1991

Relationship between adenylate cyclase activity and regional myocardial energetics in experimental left ventricular hypertrophy.

The aim of this study was to examine the responsiveness of the hypertrophied left ventricle to beta-adrenergic stimulation in a pressure overload model produced by valvular aortic stenosis and characterized by reduced beta-adrenoceptor number. The study was designed to correlate changes in global and regional cardiac work and energetics in response to isoproterenol with adenylate cyclase activity. Eleven anesthetized dogs with left ventricular hypertrophy and 11 controls were studied at rest and during 0.5 and 1.0 micrograms/kg/min isoproterenol infusion. We measured regional work from segment length and force changes with ultrasonic dimension crystals and miniature force gauges in addition to arterial and left ventricular blood pressure and cardiac output. Regional myocardial oxygen consumption was calculated from O2 extraction using microspectrophotometry and blood flow using radioactively labeled microspheres. Adenylate cyclase activity was assayed at baseline and after stimulation with forskolin. Isoproterenol significantly increased heart rate, dP/dtmax, cardiac output, and external work to similar levels in control and hypertrophied animals. Similarly, regional work increased from 463 +/- 115 to 995 +/- 584 g x mm/min for controls and from 392 +/- 156 to 1175 +/- 577 for hypertrophied dogs with high dose isoproterenol. Regional O2 consumption also increased to similar levels (20.3 +/- 14.7 vs 16.2 +/- 6.3 ml O2/min/100 g) in both groups. Adenylate cyclase activity was lower in hypertrophy at baseline (23.9 +/- 7.3 vs 62.9 +/- 14.2 pM/min/mg protein for controls), but was the same as for controls with forskolin stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1989

Methods for assessing drivers' perception of specific hazards on the road.

The purpose of this research was to test a number of techniques for assessing drivers' perception of hazards. The techniques included three types of interview methods, the Q-sort method, and several variants of the repertory grid method. The techniques were judged largely on their ability to differentiate between old and young drivers, two groups with known differences in accident frequency. None of the interview techniques produced useful information regarding drivers' perception of hazards, and neither these techniques nor the Q-sort discriminated between old and young drivers. All the variants of the repertory grid differentiated between old and young drivers, in the sense that old drivers used extremes of the rating scale more often than young drivers. This phenomenon was most apparent with the fixed repertory grid. Further work on this technique revealed further differences between the age groups in terms of the correlational structure of the responses, which point to a number of hypotheses about risk perception in old and young drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1988

Estimating the regression-to-mean effect associated with road accident black spot treatment: towards a more realistic approach.

Until recently, the evaluation of engineering remedial measures at road accident Black Spots was seen as a routine exercise. However, the regression-to mean effect has been found to distort comparisons between before-and-after accident data to a significant extent, and for this and other reasons the problem can no longer be considered as straightforward. Various methods for applying corrections for regression-to-mean have been proposed. They rely on various assumptions about the data which have not been properly investigated or justified. These assumptions relate to the nature of the distribution of mean accident rates between sites, the nature of the population from which the sites are drawn, and the validity of using total accident frequencies as evaluation criteria. The aim of this paper is to investigate the validity of the assumptions, to assess the robustness of the results which are based on them, and to put forward some suggestions for improving the quality of the results.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1982

The effect of a 14-week employee fitness program on selected physiological and psychological parameters.

A 14-week study was undertaken to determine the effects of a structured employee exercise program on blood lipid profiles and selected physiological and psychological parameters. Specific analyses dealt with the effects of exercise on total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoproteins, total triglycerides, trait anxiety, self-concept, oxygen uptake, weight, body fat percentage and resting heart rate and blood pressure. Subjects were 73 male and female employees of the Xerox Corporation joining a newly developed health fitness program. For the duration of the study they exercises as often as they chose using activities such as running and cycling to raise heart rates to a target level for 20-minute sessions. At the conclusion of the study, subjects were grouped by frequency of exercise to determine overall effects of the program and possible intergroup variations. Significant improvements overall were found in self-concept (physical, personal and social), trait anxiety, resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure, total triglycerides and total cholesterol. Significant improvements overall and differences among the attendance groups were found in absolute and relative predicted maximum oxygen uptake. These improvements related directly to frequency of exercise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Cost containment through health promotion programs.

The multiple health promotion programs provided in the United States for the employees of a major office equipment manufacturer and the effect they are believed to have not only on cost containment but also on employee self-image, job satisfaction, company loyalty, morale and productivity are described. Specific attention is given to worksite and leisure-time physical fitness programs, their origin and evolution. Also described in some detail are several health education projects, life style and behavior modification efforts and the employee assistance program, as well as health appraisal and health maintenance medical examinations. The relationship of these health promotion programs to more traditional employee benefits programs is explored.

Cost Control↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluating the health significance of hazardous air pollutants using monitoring data.

OBJECTIVE: Though many contaminants are released into the atmosphere, in the US only six air pollutants-ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead-are closely monitored and carefully assessed for health significance. Other pollutants, even if highly toxic, are neither widely monitored nor routinely assessed at the national level. The goal of this study was to analyze the availability of information needed to characterize the health significance of hazardous air pollutants, focusing on urban areas in California. METHODS: The authors compared different approaches to identifying which contaminants should be considered hazardous air pollutants of potential health concern; reviewed the availability of toxicity values for these pollutants; and analyzed the usefulness of air monitoring data from California agencies for determining populations risks, by comparing method detection limits with health benchmarks. RESULTS: Approaches to identifying air contaminants of possible health concern differ. Toxicity values are not available for many hazardous air pollutants, including those identified in the Clean Air Act. In California, monitoring data are available for many, though not all, pollutants of concern. Monitoring methods for several pollutants do not have adequate sensitivity to detect all relevant concentrations. CONCLUSION: The information necessary to fully assess the health significance of hazardous air pollutants is not currently available.

Air Pollutants↗