Acupuncture as a complex intervention for depression: a consensus method to develop a standardised treatment protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To standardise a complex intervention by defining the characteristic (specific) components of treatment for a randomised controlled trial of acupuncture as an intervention for individuals who have been diagnosed with depression using a consensus method.

Methods: A nominal group technique was used. Potential components of the acupuncture intervention were generated from the literature, experts and participants.

Researching complementary and alternative treatments--the gatekeepers are not at home.

Background: To explore the strengths and weaknesses of conventional biomedical research strategies and methods as applied to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and to suggest a new research framework for assessing these treatment modalities.

Discussion: There appears to be a gap between published studies showing little or no efficacy of CAM, and reports of substantial clinical benefit from patients and CAM practitioners. This "gap" might be partially due to the current focus on placebo-controlled randomized trials, which are appropriately designed to answer questions about the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical agents.

Non-cardiac chest pain: a retrospective cohort study of patients who attended a Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic.

Background: Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics have recently been introduced to assist in the management of primary care patients experiencing suspected cardiac chest pain.

Objective: To study the longer term outcome for patients referred to a Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic and then given a non-cardiac diagnosis.

Methods: The study collected retrospective data from a cohort of all patients attending the Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic based in the cardiorespiratory Department at the York District Hospital, England.

Following damage, the majority of bone marrow-derived airway cells express an epithelial marker.

Background: Adult-derived bone marrow stem cells are capable of reconstituting the haematopoietic system. However there is ongoing debate in the literature as to whether bone marrow derived cells have the ability to populate other tissues and express tissue specific markers. The airway has been an organ of major interest and was one of the first where this was demonstrated.

Acupuncture for chronic neck pain: a pilot for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Acupuncture is increasingly being used for many conditions including chronic neck pain. However the evidence remains inconclusive, indicating the need for further well-designed research. The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot randomised controlled parallel arm trial, to establish key features required for the design and implementation of a large-scale trial on acupuncture for chronic neck pain.

Beyond needling--therapeutic processes in acupuncture care: a qualitative study nested within a low-back pain trial.

Background: In the medical and scientific literature, there is a dearth of reports about how acupuncturists work and deliver care in practice. An informed characterization of the treatment process is needed to support the appropriate design of evaluative studies in acupuncture.

Methods: The design was that of a nested qualitative study within a pragmatic clinical trial.

Vaccine-associated systemic Rhodococcus erythropolis infection in farmed atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

In 7 instances between 2000 and 2003, clinical investigation of populations of fresh- and seawater-reared, vaccinated, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar suffering total losses of between 0.1 and 35 % revealed infection with a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium. The isolations were geographically widespread, occurring in both Norway and Scotland.

Randomised controlled trial of a short course of traditional acupuncture compared with usual care for persistent non-specific low back pain.

Objective: To determine whether a short course of traditional acupuncture improves longer term outcomes for patients with persistent non-specific low back pain in primary care.

Design: Pragmatic, open, randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Three private acupuncture clinics and 18 general practices in York, England.

A randomised controlled trial of acupuncture care for persistent low back pain: cost effectiveness analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of persistent non-specific low back pain.

Design: Cost effectiveness analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Three private acupuncture clinics and 18 general practices in York, England.

Acupuncture needle sensations associated with De Qi: a classification based on experts' ratings.

Background: Many English language words have been used to describe the acupuncture needle sensation known as de qi, words such as dull, aching, and spreading. However, there is little agreement on which actual words are acceptable as descriptors. In experimental trials of acupuncture in which the needle sensation is an important variable, a quantitative measure is needed to monitor and control for variability in de qi.

Acupuncture for tinnitus: a series of six n = 1 controlled trials.

Objective: To explore patient perceived benefits of acupuncture for tinnitus.

Design: Controlled n=1 trials, with two phases A and B.

Subjects: Six patients with tinnitus.

Patients seeking care from acupuncture practitioners in the UK: a national survey.

Objective: The primary aim was to describe the characteristics of acupuncture patients and in particular the main problem or symptom for which they were seeking treatment. Our secondary aim was to compare the profiles of acupuncture patients with those of a patient survey undertaken in 1988.

Methods: We used the data from a recent prospective adverse event survey of a representative sample of 9408 acupuncture patients who were consulting members of the British Acupuncture Council.

Practitioner empathy, patient enablement and health outcomes: a prospective study of acupuncture patients.

Objective: To measure acupuncture patients' perceptions of practitioner empathy at the initial consultation and its relationship with patient enablement, and prospectively reported changes in symptoms.

Methods: Fifteen acupuncturists asked consecutive new patients to complete a questionnaire within 2 days of the first consultation. The questionnaire included the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure (a consultation process measure), the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI, a consultation outcome measure) and the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP), a patient-centred symptom, well-being and activity outcome measure.

Short term reactions to acupuncture--a cross-sectional survey of patient reports.

Objective: To explore the type and frequency of short term reactions associated with a single acupuncture treatment.

Methods: As part of recruitment to a large-scale prospective survey of the safety of acupuncture, 9408 consecutive patients each completed one survey form soon after receiving treatment with acupuncture, and returned it directly to the research centre. On this form, patients were asked to report on a range of possible short term reactions relating to their most recent acupuncture treatment using a checklist of options.

The safety of Chinese herbal medicine: a pilot study for a national survey.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility of conducting a national safety survey involving patients of herbalists monitoring and reporting adverse events associated with the routine practice of Chinese herbal medicine.

Methods: In June 2004, 549 herbalists who were members of the UK Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine were invited to ask 10 consecutive patients to participate in the survey. Consenting patients returned their baseline survey forms direct to the research center.

Longer term clinical and economic benefits of offering acupuncture care to patients with chronic low back pain.

Objectives: To test whether patients with persistent non-specific low back pain, when offered access to traditional acupuncture care alongside conventional primary care, gained more long-term relief from pain than those offered conventional care only, for equal or less cost. Safety and acceptability of acupuncture care to patients, and the heterogeneity of outcomes were also tested.

Design: A pragmatic, two parallel group, randomised controlled trial.

Vibrio splendidus biotype 1 as a cause of mortalities in hatchery-reared larval turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.).

Aims: To characterize bacteria associated with turbot larvae feeding on Artemia and identify pathogens causing mortalities in larvae.

Methods And Results: To identify bacteria associated with mortalities in larval turbot rearing, bacteria were isolated from homogenates of Artemia or from several batches of well-performing or poorly performing turbot larvae. Samples were plated onto marine agar and were characterized using biochemical tests and BIOLOG GN plates.

Bone marrow-derived SP cells can contribute to the respiratory tract of mice in vivo.

Recent work has indicated that adult bone marrow-derived cells have the ability to contribute to both the haematopoietic system and other organs. Haematopoietic reconstitution by whole bone marrow and selected but not fully characterised cell populations have resulted in reports indicating high-level repopulation of lung epithelia. The well-characterised cells from the side population have a robust ability for haematopoietic reconstitution.

Acupuncture for depression: first steps toward a clinical evaluation.

Aim Of Study: To explore issues that need to be addressed in the design of a clinical trial of acupuncture for people with depression.

Methods: In this study we conducted a focus group with 6 volunteer participants with experiences of depression, and a prospective case series of 10 patients who received acupuncture treatment for their depression. In the case series study, 10 patients were referred by their general practitioner, and received up to 10 individualized acupuncture treatments from one of two acupuncturists.

Pragmatic clinical trials.

Both pragmatic and explanatory randomised controlled trials have a useful role to play in the evaluation of health care interventions. In this descriptive article, the key steps in conducting a pragmatic trial are described. The strengths and limitations of pragmatic trials are also discussed.

Patient reports of adverse events associated with acupuncture treatment: a prospective national survey.

Objective: The primary aim was to establish from acupuncture patients the type and frequency of adverse events they experienced and attributed to their treatment. Secondary aims included the measurement of patient reported adverse consequences arising from advice received about conventional/prescribed medication or from delayed conventional diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Postal survey of prospectively identified acupuncture patients.

Acupuncture for low back pain: traditional diagnosis and treatment of 148 patients in a clinical trial.

Aims: To assess patterns of diagnosis, including concordance, and treatment within a clinical trial of traditional acupuncture for low back pain.

Setting: In a pragmatic randomised controlled clinical trial, 148 patients with low back pain, of between 4 weeks and 12 months duration, were randomised to the offer of individualised acupuncture and received up to 10 treatments.

Methods: Standardised diagnosis and treatment records were completed by practitioners for 148 patients.

Empathy, enablement, and outcome: an exploratory study on acupuncture patients' perceptions.

Objectives: To conduct an exploratory, retrospective study of acupuncture patients' perceptions of practitioner empathy, patient enablement, and health outcome, and to investigate the associations between them.

Methods: In a retrospective, observational study, questionnaires were distributed to 192 patients randomly selected from a population of 6348 who, several months previously, had participated in a survey of acupuncture safety, and had agreed to be contacted again. The main measures included patients' perceptions of their practitioners' empathy using the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, the Patient Enablement Instrument, and the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital Outcome Scale (measuring change in main complaint and well-being).

Determination of dermal absorption QSAR/QSPRs by brute force regression: multiparameter model development with Molsuite 2000.

Accurate dermal quantitative structure-activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) models are needed to predict percutaneous absorption of environmental contaminants. The Molsuite 2000 chemistry modeling software (ChemSW, Fairfield, CA) was used to model the Flynn component of the Kirchner in vitro human skin permeability coefficient (K(p)) data. This Kirchner- derived Flynn (K/F) database was updated to include recent literature data quality recommendations.