Biomedical subjects

Justin Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Justin Thomas.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Response styles to depressed mood in bipolar affective disorder.

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesised that dysfunctional strategies for avoiding depression play an important role in the pathway to mania. Support for this hypothesis comes from studies demonstrating that remitted and manic bipolar patients show similar cognitive biases to currently depressed patients. METHOD: Manic patients, depressed bipolar patients, remitted bipolar patients and healthy controls were compared on an expanded version of Nolen-Hoeksema's [Nolen-Hoeksema, S., 1991. Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressed mood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 569-582.] Response Styles Questionnaire, measuring strategies for coping with depression. RESULTS: Manic patients reported greater use of active-coping and risk-taking compared to the depressed, remitted and healthy controls. Bipolar remitted patients reported greater rumination. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that mania is associated with dysfunctional strategies for regulating negative emotion.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Computational fluid dynamic modeling of two passive samplers.

To effectively use a passive sampler for monitoring trace contaminants in the gas-phase, its sampling characteristics as a function of ambient wind conditions must be known. In this study two commonly used passive samplers were evaluated using computational fluid dynamics. Contaminant uptake by the polyurethane foam (PUF) was modeled using a species transport model. The external-internal flow interactions in the sampler were characterized, and the uptake rates of contaminant species were quantified. The simulations show that flow fields in the samplers have strong velocity gradients, and single-point velocity measurements do not capture flow interactions accurately. Sampling rates calculated for a PUF in freestream are in good agreement with sampling rates for PUFs in the passive samplers studied for the same average velocity over the PUF. The calculated sampling rates are in general agreement with those obtained experimentally by other researchers.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2003

Glutamine and barrier function in cultured Caco-2 epithelial cell monolayers.

Dietary glutamine (Gln) has been shown to be important for maintenance of the intestinal barrier. To investigate the role of the epithelium in this Gln dependence, Caco-2 cells were raised on semipermeable membranes under conditions that model different regions of the crypt and villus. Gln availability was controlled by addition to the medium and treatment with methionine sulfoximine to inhibit Gln synthetase (GS). Barrier function was assayed by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance and fluxes of [(14)C]mannitol and fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran. The barrier function of these monolayers was found to require the Gln provided either in the medium at the apical or basal surface or via GS. However, the barrier was no more sensitive to Gln deprivation than it was to accumulation or maintenance of total protein. These results suggest that the in vivo dependence of the gut mucosal barrier on Gln likely involves roles separate from maintenance of the epithelial barrier per se.

Caco-2 Cells↗

PubMed2003

Satisfaction with dento-facial appearance in the eating disorders.

This study aimed to determine if satisfaction with dento-facial appearance is related to body image distortion and estimation in subjects with an eating disorder. Body Image Distortion, both perceived and desired, was measured with the Anamorphic Micro body image assessment software. The Body Satisfaction Scale and the Eastman Esthetic Index were used to determine satisfaction or otherwise with appearance. A convenience sample of fifteen subjects participated of whom nine were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, two with binge eating disorder and four with eating disorder not otherwise specified. The group overestimated their body image by a mean of 28% and desired to be a mean 25% thinner. Of the 16 anatomical areas assessed on the Body Satisfaction Scale, the face was the only area associated with the over-estimate of body image (Spearman's rho = +0.52, p < 0.05). The teeth were not associated with body image.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Hypomanic traits and response styles to depression.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that the manic defence involves specific response styles to depression, namely distraction and indulging in dangerous activities. DESIGN: A correlational study was conducted with undergraduate participants assessed for hypomanic traits using Eckblad and Chapman's Hypomanic Personality Scale. METHOD: Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, and an expanded version of Nolen-Hoeksema's Response Styles Questionnaire. RESULTS: Depression was strongly associated with a ruminative response style. Hypomanic traits were associated with rumination, a distraction response style and with indulging in dangerous activities. However, as only 17% of the variance in hypomania scores was accounted for, other factors must play an important role in determining this trait. CONCLUSIONS: Hypomania (and possibly mania) may be products of ineffective styles of coping with negative emotions.

Adult↗