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Biomedical subjects

Jennifer Jackson

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer Jackson.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Opiate therapy in chronic cough.

RATIONALE: Cough is the most common complaint for which medical attention is sought, and chronic cough can be both physically and mentally debilitating. There is currently no evidence supporting the use of antitussives in chronic treatment-resistant cough. OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that morphine sulfate in the dose of 5 mg twice daily would bring about a reduction in cough frequency and severity in patients failing to respond to specific measures. METHODS: Patients recruited from the Hull Cough Clinic were enrolled into a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study using 4 weeks of slow-release morphine sulfate and a corresponding period of matched placebo. An open-labeled extension of the core study allowed dose escalation to 10 mg twice daily. Cough was assessed using the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, daily symptom diary, and citric acid cough challenge. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients completed the core study. A significant improvement of 3.2 points over baseline was noted on the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (p < 0.01). A rapid and highly significant reduction by 40% in daily cough scores was noted among patients on slow-release morphine sulfate (p < 0.01). Objective testing of the cough reflex using citric acid cough challenge tests did not show any significant changes. Eighteen patients continued into the extension study. Two-thirds of these patients opted to increase the morphine to 10 mg twice daily. At the end of 3 months, there was a similar improvement in cough between the 5- and 10-mg groups. CONCLUSION: Morphine sulfate is an effective antitussive in intractable chronic cough at the doses of 5 to 10 mg twice daily.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed2006

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and alexithymia in two outpatient samples: examination of women treated in community and institutional clinics.

Relationships between trauma variables, complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD), affect dysregulation, dissociation, somatization, and alexithymia were studied in 70 women with early-onset sexual abuse treated in community-based private (n = 25) or clinic outpatient settings (n = 45). Measures were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Psychological Trauma Assessment Program. Compared with the community sample, the clinic sample (1) met diagnostic criteria for both lifetime and current complex PTSD; (2) showed correlations between current affect dysregulation, dissociation, and somatization with alexithymia; and (3) higher levels of alexithymia. Results suggest the clinic sample continued to experience current forms of suffering, risk, and vulnerability associated with early-onset sexual trauma. The findings may have implications regarding types of treatment available in community versus clinic settings.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Molecular phylogeny of coleoid cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) using a multigene approach; the effect of data partitioning on resolving phylogenies in a Bayesian framework.

The resolution of higher level phylogeny of the coleoid cephalopods (octopuses, squids, and cuttlefishes) has been hindered by homoplasy among morphological characters in conjunction with a very poor fossil record. Initial molecular studies, based primarily on small fragments of single mitochondrial genes, have produced little resolution of the deep relationships amongst coleoid cephalopod families. The present study investigated this issue using 3415 base pairs (bp) from three nuclear genes (octopine dehydrogenase, pax-6, and rhodopsin) and three mitochondrial genes (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, and cytochrome oxidase I) from a total of 35 species (including representatives of each of the higher level taxa). Bayesian analyses were conducted on mitochondrial and nuclear genes separately and also all six genes together. Separate analyses were conducted with the data partitioned by gene, codon/rDNA, gene+codon/rDNA or not partitioned at all. In the majority of analyses partitioning the data by gene+codon was the appropriate model with partitioning by codon the second most selected model. In some instances the topology varied according to the model used. Relatively high posterior probabilities and high levels of congruence were present between the topologies resulting from the analysis of all Octopodiform (octopuses and vampire "squid") taxa for all six genes, and independently for the datasets of mitochondrial and nuclear genes. In contrast, the highest levels of resolution within the Decapodiformes (squids and cuttlefishes) resulted from analysis of nuclear genes alone. Different higher level Decapodiform topologies were obtained through the analysis of only the 1st+2nd codon positions of nuclear genes and of all three codon positions. It is notable that there is strong evidence of saturation among the 3rd codon positions within the Decapodiformes and this may contribute spurious signal. The results suggest that the Decapodiformes may have radiated earlier and/or had faster rates of evolution than the Octopodiformes. The following taxonomic conclusions are drawn from our analyses: (1) the order Octopoda and suborders Cirrata, Incirrata, and Oegopsida are monophyletic groups; (2) the family Spirulidae (Ram's horn squids) are the sister taxon to the family Sepiidae (cuttlefishes); (3) the family Octopodidae, as currently defined, is paraphyletic; (4) the superfamily Argonautoidea are basal within the suborder Incirrata; and (5) the benthic octopus genera Benthoctopus and Enteroctopus are sister taxa.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Magnetic resonance arthrography versus arthroscopy in the evaluation of articular hip pathology.

In this study, we compared magnetic resonance arthrography results with hip arthroscopy findings to assess the diagnostic value of this imaging technique in evaluating acetabular labral tears and concurrent articular hip pathology. One hundred one consecutive patients (102 hips) with a clinical diagnosis of acetabular labral tear were assessed using magnetic resonance arthrography and had hip arthroscopy after failing to improve with nonoperative treatment. Magnetic resonance arthrography detected 71 of 93 (76%) acetabular labral tears (92 patients) with five false positive studies in five patients (4.9%). Articular cartilage findings diagnosed by magnetic resonance arthrography were confirmed by arthroscopy in 64 hips in 64 patients (62.7%). With respect to labral pathology, magnetic resonance arthrography showed a sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 44% positive predictive value of 93%, negative predictive value of 13%, and accuracy of 69%. With respect to articular cartilage pathology, magnetic resonance arthrography had a sensitivity of 47%, specificity of 89%, positive predictive value of 84%, negative predictive value of 59%, and accuracy of 67%. Although magnetic resonance arthrography is an excellent positive predictor in diagnosing acetabular labral tears and articular cartilage abnormalities, it has limited sensitivity. A negative imaging study does not exclude important intra-articular pathology that can be identified and treated arthroscopically.

Acetabulum↗
PubMed2003

Intracranially administered anti-Abeta antibodies reduce beta-amyloid deposition by mechanisms both independent of and associated with microglial activation.

Active immunization against the beta-amyloid peptide (Alphabeta) with vaccines or passive immunization with systemic monoclonal anti-Abeta antibodies reduces amyloid deposition and improves cognition in APP transgenic mice. In this report, intracranial administration of anti-Alphabeta antibodies into frontal cortex and hippocampus of Tg2576 transgenic APP mice is described. The antibody injection resulted initially in a broad distribution of staining for the antibody, which diminished over 7 d. Although no loss of immunostaining for deposited Abeta was apparent at 4 hr, a dramatic reduction in the Alphabeta load was discernible at 24 hr and was maintained at 3 and 7 d. A reduction in the thioflavine-S-positive compact plaque load was delayed until 3 d, at which time microglial activation also became apparent. At 1 week after the injection, microglial activation returned to control levels, whereas Alphabeta and thioflavine-S staining remained reduced. The results from this study suggest a two-phase mechanism of anti-Alphabeta antibody action. The first phase occurs between 4 and 24 hr, clears primarily diffuse Alphabeta deposits, and is not associated with observable microglial activation. The second phase occurs between 1 and 3 d, is responsible for clearance of compact amyloid deposits, and is associated with microglial activation. The results are discussed in the context of other studies identifying coincident microglial activation and amyloid removal in APP transgenic animals.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Increased fibrillar beta-amyloid in response to human clq injections into hippocampus and cortex of APP+PS1 transgenic mice.

Human C1q when injected directly into hippocampus and cortex of doubly transgenic APP+PS1 mice results in the increase of Congo red-positive fibrillar deposits. Although there was no significant change in overall area stained for Abeta total, qualitatively it appeared that there was less diffuse Abeta in C1q-treated mice versus vehicle. There was no apparent change in astroglial or microglial activation caused by injection of C1q with respect to vehicle injections. These effects of C1q were only found in 50% BUB/BnJ mice, a strain with higher serum complement activity than other mouse lines. These in vivo data were consistent with the effects of C1q to increase fibrillogenesis of Abeta in vitro. In conclusion, complement protein C1q, believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease in humans, can cause increased fibrillogenesis in the APP+PS1 mouse model of amyloid deposition.

Amyloid beta-Peptides↗
PubMed2002

A Gondwanan origin of passerine birds supported by DNA sequences of the endemic New Zealand wrens.

Zoogeographic, palaeontological and biochemical data support a Southern Hemisphere origin for passerine birds, while accumulating molecular data suggest that most extant avian orders originated in the mid-Late Cretaceous. We obtained DNA sequence data from the nuclear c-myc and RAG-1 genes of the major passerine groups and here we demonstrate that the endemic New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae) are the sister taxon to all other extant passerines, supporting a Gondwanan origin and early radiation of passerines. We propose that (i) the acanthisittids were isolated when New Zealand separated from Gondwana (ca. 82-85 Myr ago), (ii) suboscines, in turn, were derived from an ancestral lineage that inhabited western Gondwana, and (iii) the ancestors of the oscines (songbirds) were subsequently isolated by the separation of Australia from Antarctica. The later spread of passerines into the Northern Hemisphere reflects the northward migration of these former Gondwanan elements.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

mtDNA from fossils reveals a radiation of Hawaiian geese recently derived from the Canada goose (Brantacanadensis).

Phylogenetic analysis of 1.35 kb of mtDNA sequence from fossils revealed a previously unknown radiation of Hawaiian geese, of which only one representative remains alive (the endangered Hawaiian goose or nene, Branta sandvicensis). This radiation is nested phylogenetically within a living species, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and is related most closely to the large-bodied lineage within that species. The barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) is also nested within the Canada goose species and is related most closely to the small-bodied lineage of Canada geese. The peripheral isolation of the barnacle goose in the Palearctic apparently allowed the evolution of its distinctive plumage pattern, whereas the two Nearctic lineages of Canada geese share a primitive plumage pattern. The Hawaiian lineage of Canada geese diverged more dramatically, splitting into at least three species that differ in body size, body proportions, and flight ability. One fossil species, limited to the island of Hawaii, was related closely to the nene but was over four times larger, flightless, heavy-bodied and had a much more robust cranium. Application of a rate calibration to levels of DNA divergence suggests that this species evolved on the island of Hawaii in less than 500,000 years. This date is consistent with the potassium/argon-based age of the island of Hawaii of 430,000-500,000 years. The giant Hawaii goose resembles the moa-nalos, a group of massive, extinct, flightless ducks that lived on older Hawaiian Islands and thus is an example of convergent evolution of similar morphologies in island ecosystems.

Animals↗