Publications by authors named "Brian A Young"
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to evaluate how patients perceive changes in their neck disability after physical therapy, focusing on whether these changes are significant over a follow-up period of 7 to 10 days.
- The research analyzed data from 42 participants, assessing their neck disability index scores alongside their self-reported importance of improvement after treatments like thoracic manipulation and dry needling.
- Findings indicated that most patients saw their improvement as important, with a reported patient-important change of 3.5 NDI points, which is more sensitive to patient experience compared to traditional measures.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the inflation behavior of polyurethane tubes, which do not behave strictly as hyperelastic materials, unlike conventional models.
- During inflation, these tubes can exhibit various shapes and pressure behaviors, contrasting with the typical bulging seen in hyperelastic tubes.
- Key findings include a pressure maximum occurring without bulging, a gradual pressure drop over long timescales, and permanent deformation post-deflation, suggesting the need for a new theoretical approach to explain these dynamics.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how well US physical therapists know about and use their rights to refer for imaging, and how this awareness affects the frequency of direct patient access to their services.
- A survey of physical therapists revealed that only 42% were aware of their imaging referral privileges, with awareness significantly higher in states with specific legislation compared to those reliant on state boards.
- The findings suggest that better awareness of imaging privileges could lead to increased referral practices and that enhancing this knowledge may require action from the American Physical Therapy Association.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the immediate benefits of combining dry needling (DN) with thoracic spine manipulation and neck-specific exercises for individuals experiencing neck pain.
- Forty-two participants were divided into two groups: one receiving actual DN treatment and the other receiving a sham treatment, with outcomes monitored over several follow-up visits.
- The results indicated no significant differences in neck disability or pain ratings between the groups, but the DN group experienced a notable improvement in cervical rotation compared to the sham group.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to analyze if physical therapists are using the necessary skills to refer patients for musculoskeletal imaging, which involves X-rays, MRI scans, etc.! -
- A survey of nearly 4,800 physical therapists revealed that most perform the required skills, with higher competency among those with advanced degrees, certifications, or memberships in professional organizations! -
- The findings suggest that physical therapists are generally well-prepared to refer patients for imaging, demonstrating a routine application of necessary imaging skills in their practice!*
Article Synopsis
- The study conducted a prospective cohort analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the cervical rotation lateral flexion (CRLF) test for predicting improvements in neck pain after manipulative treatment on the first and second ribs.
- A total of 50 participants underwent the CRLF test and subsequent manipulation, with clinical improvements measured via the Neck Disability Index one week post-treatment.
- Results indicated that the CRLF test was not predictive of improvement, but factors like being male, older age, and specific restricted end-feel showed a correlation with better outcomes.
Neck pain (NP) is common among high performance aircrew, yet evidence remains insufficient to guide examination, treatment, and prevention. The purpose of this randomized pilot study was to collect baseline data for neck function for F-15E aircrew and determine efficacy and feasibility of two separate exercise protocols in measuring short-term outcomes of subjective and objective neck function in order to inform future study design. Randomized to either progressive (PRO) or general (GEN) exercise groups were 41 F-15E aircrew.
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- Dry needling treatment aims to improve muscle function in patients with musculoskeletal pain, but research on its efficacy is limited.
- A study involving 60 participants with low back pain compared the effects of actual dry needling to a sham treatment on lumbar muscle stiffness using shear wave elastography.
- Results showed that those who received dry needling had significantly lower resting stiffness in the erector spinae muscles after one week, suggesting its potential benefits for patients with lumbar muscle stiffness.
The deep posterior cervical muscles (DPCM), specifically the semispinalis cervicis and cervical multifidus, are often impaired in patients with neck disorders and have been assessed by several imaging techniques. Prior ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) imaging and reliability assessments of the DPCM were performed utilizing similar positioning as assessments for the more superficial cervical extensors. Our objectives were to describe an SWE imaging technique for the DPCM, establish intra-rater reliability of DPCM SWE, and compare DPCM shear modulus during rest and submaximal contraction in both prone and seated positions in individuals without spinal pain.
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- * Out of 226 programs, 55 responded, revealing that while many faculty felt students were well-prepared for MSDD, opinions varied based on specialty certification and clinical experience.
- * The top recommendation for improvement was increasing clinical exposure to enhance both student and faculty understanding of MSDD skills, highlighting the need for further research on this topic.
Estimating number of contributors in massively parallel sequencing data of STR loci.
Forensic Sci Int Genet
January 2019
In recent years a number of computer-based algorithms have been developed for the deconvolution of complex DNA mixtures in forensic science. These procedures utilize likelihood ratios that quantify the evidence for a hypothesis for the presence of a person of interest in a DNA profile compared to an alternative hypothesis. Proper operation of these software systems requires an assumption regarding the total number of contributors present in the mixture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 35-year-old male recreational runner with a 9-month history of left lateral foot pain self-referred to physical therapy while awaiting orthopaedic consultation. Before presenting to physical therapy, his primary care physician ordered radiographs and referred him to orthopaedics with a provisional diagnosis of multipartite os peroneum. Following examination, the initial treatment hypothesis was cuboid syndrome, as he met the majority of items in a proposed diagnostic cluster.
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- Sequencing short tandem repeat (STR) loci provides detailed information on repeat variations that can't be detected through size-based PCR methods, making it valuable for forensic analysis.* -
- While Sanger sequencing has been useful in research, it's too complex for routine forensic applications; however, advancements in next generation sequencing (NGS) methods are changing this.* -
- An analysis of 183 DNA samples from diverse populations revealed that certain STR loci (like D12S391 and D2S1338) have significantly more alleles when sequenced, leading to improved discrimination in forensic applications.*
Article Synopsis
- Human saliva can reveal important information about both oral and overall health; this study analyzed saliva samples from healthy individuals and compared them to datasets in the Human Microbiome Project.
- Using the GENIUS system, researchers successfully identified over 175 bacterial species in saliva samples, achieving high accuracy and speed in their results.
- While both GENIUS and BLASTn analyses found major bacterial groups, GENIUS proved to be more precise in species identification and strain-level details, significantly outperforming other methods.
Short-read, high-throughput sequencing technology for STR genotyping.
Biotech Rapid Dispatches
April 2012
Article Synopsis
- DNA identification mainly uses short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping but traditional methods have low throughput and lack sequence information.
- High-throughput sequencing technology holds potential for better accuracy in human identification but is not yet validated for forensic use.
- This study outlines a method using high-throughput sequencing to analyze CODIS STR loci, showing it can accurately genotype individuals and mixtures, requiring only 18,500 reads for reliable results while also identifying SNPs and quantifying mixed samples.
Article Synopsis
- The study is a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial aimed at comparing treatment outcomes for patients with mechanical neck pain receiving cervical thrust manipulations versus those receiving only nonthrust manipulations within a multimodal physical therapy program.
- Both treatment groups showed improvements in pain and disability scores over time, but the low statistical power limited the ability to detect significant differences between the two approaches.
- No serious adverse reactions were reported, indicating that the treatments were safe for the patients involved in the study.
Article Synopsis
- Shoulder pain is common and can have various causes; many treatments exist, but the specific effects of thoracic spine and rib manipulation are not well documented.
- A study with 21 shoulder pain patients found that high-velocity thrust manipulation led to significant pain reduction of 51% and increased shoulder range of motion by 30-38 degrees after just one session.
- These results indicate that manipulative therapy for the thoracic spine and ribs may effectively improve both pain and mobility in shoulder pain patients, highlighting a connection between these body areas.
Isolation and partial purification of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytokinetic apparatus.
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken)
January 2010
Article Synopsis
- Cytokinesis is the process of a cell dividing into two at the end of the cell cycle, involving key proteins like actin and myosin in animal and fungal cells.
- * The research focuses on isolating and purifying the cytokinetic apparatus from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which includes essential components for the actomyosin ring and other proteins.
- * Preliminary results suggest that the isolated apparatus exhibits contractile properties in vitro and provides valuable imaging, paving the way for better understanding of cytokinesis.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the reliability, validity, and clinically important changes in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) among patients with neck pain who were undergoing physical therapy.
- A total of 91 patients completed the NDI at both the beginning and a 3-week follow-up, and their data helped determine key metrics like the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC).
- The findings indicated that the NDI had moderate reliability and suggested that a 10-point change should be considered significant for clinical improvements based on the observed results.
Article Synopsis
- * Initial physical therapy showed limited bilateral rotation of the neck due to pain, but a test indicated that her headaches improved during assessment, prompting further evaluation for possible instability in the cervical spine.
- * After undergoing physical therapy, the patient reported significant improvement, with no neck pain and only mild, manageable headaches at discharge.
Article Synopsis
- A randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a manual physical therapy and exercise (MTE) treatment for mechanical neck pain and upper extremity symptoms compared to a minimal intervention (MIN) approach.
- * The study involved 94 patients, measuring various outcomes like neck disability, pain levels, and patient satisfaction over multiple time points.
- * Results showed that the MTE group experienced significantly greater improvements in pain and disability scores as well as higher rates of perceived treatment success after one year compared to the MIN group.
Thoracic costotransverse joint pain patterns: a study in normal volunteers.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord
October 2008
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore pain referral patterns from asymptomatic costotransverse joints using intra-articular injections in healthy male volunteers.
- A total of 21 injections were performed, with 16 deemed successful, producing varying degrees of pain, primarily characterized as a deep, dull ache.
- Results showed localized pain patterns without referrals to the chest wall or arms, indicating the need for more research to understand differences from symptomatic cases.
Article Synopsis
- * Symptoms like dyspnea, chest pain, or tachypnea following trauma or surgery increase the risk of PE, prompting the need for risk assessment tools in clinical settings.
- * A case study highlights the necessity of screening for PE in patients, showcasing a situation where a physical therapy patient was diagnosed with PE just days after surgery.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers identified the smallest part of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme that can initiate transcription by melting DNA, which is essential for accessing the template strand.
- They discovered that just the N terminus of the beta' subunit (first 314 amino acids) and specific amino acids (94-507) of the sigma subunit—making up less than 20% of the full enzyme—are sufficient for this process.
- The study suggests that the melting happens as the enzyme captures non-template bases that are pushed out from the DNA helix.
Initiation of transcription is the first step in gene expression and a major point of regulation. Recent structural studies reveal the nature of the initiating complex and suggest new ways of accomplishing the processes required for initiation.
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