Nebulised interferon beta-1a (SNG001) in the treatment of viral exacerbations of COPD.

Background: Respiratory viral infections are major drivers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. Interferon-β is naturally produced in response to viral infection, limiting replication. This exploratory study aimed to demonstrate proof-of-mechanism, and evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled recombinant interferon-β1a (SNG001) in COPD.

The relative effectiveness of extinction and counter-conditioning in diminishing children's fear.

Two behavioural strategies for reducing learned fear are extinction and counter-conditioning, and in this study we compared the relative effectiveness of the two procedures at diminishing fear in children. Seventy-three children aged 7-12 years old (M = 9.30, SD = 1.

Short message service prompts for skills practice in Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic pain - are they feasible and effective?

Background: Patients face numerous challenges adopting skills taught within pain self-management programmes. The present study reports the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of supplementing an Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) course for chronic pain, the Pain Course, with brief automated short message service (SMS) prompts that encourage skills practice.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Waitlist Control Group of a large randomized controlled trial and provided access to the Pain Course over 8 weeks, with the addition of SMS prompts.

Teens that fear screams: A comparison of fear conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement in adolescents and adults.

This study investigated differences between adolescents and adults on fear conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement (i.e., the recovery of conditioned fear following re-exposure to the unconditioned stimulus [US] post-extinction).

Longitudinal investigation of the role of temperament and stressful life events in childhood anxiety.

The current study investigated the longitudinal relationships among behavioral inhibition (BI), life events, and anxiety in a sample of 102 BI children and 100 behaviorally uninhibited (BUI) children aged 3 to 4 years. Children's parents completed questionnaires on BI, stressful life events, and anxiety symptoms, and were administered a diagnostic interview three times in a 5-year period. In line with our hypotheses, negative life events, particularly negative behavior-dependent life events (i.

Maternal expectancy versus objective measures of child skill: evidence for absence of positive bias in mothers' expectations of children with internalizing disorders.

Parents of anxious children are thought to be more attuned to threat, which might translate into less positive bias in parental report of child coping and ability, unlike parents of non-anxious children. Maternal expectancy bias was examined in a sample of 43 clinically anxious (51 % female), 30 clinically anxious/depressed (50 % female), and 44 non-clinical control children (46 % female), 8-14 years of age. When compared to an objective observer's ratings of the children, mothers of non-clinical children demonstrated a positive bias (i.

The role of perfectionism in cognitive behaviour therapy outcomes for clinically anxious children.

The main aim of this study was to determine whether pre-treatment levels of child perfectionism impacted on anxiety treatment outcomes for school-aged children. In addition, it was investigated whether child perfectionism decreased following treatment for anxiety. Participants were sixty-seven clinically anxious children aged 6-13 years (female = 34; majority Caucasian) who were enrolled in a group-based cognitive behaviour therapy program, and their parents.

The impact of brief parental anxiety management on child anxiety treatment outcomes: a controlled trial.

Parental anxiety is a risk to optimal treatment outcomes for childhood anxiety disorders. The current trial examined whether the addition of a brief parental anxiety management (BPAM) program to family cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was more efficacious than family CBT-only in treating childhood anxiety disorders. Two hundred nine children (aged 6-13 years, 104 female, 90% Caucasian) with a principal anxiety disorder were randomly allocated to family CBT with a five-session program of BPAM (n = 109) or family CBT-only (n = 100).

An experimental manipulation of maternal perfectionistic anxious rearing behaviors with anxious and non-anxious children.

The anxious rearing model of perfectionism development proposes that children develop perfectionism in response to parental worry about their children being imperfect and parental behaviors such as overprotection from mistakes and focus on the negative consequences of mistakes. In the current study, perfectionistic rearing behaviors were experimentally manipulated during a copy task in clinically anxious children (n = 42) and non-anxious children (n = 35). Children were randomized to receive high or non-perfectionistic rearing behaviors from their parents during the copy task designed to elicit child perfectionistic behaviors.

Is it necessary to use a noseclip in the performance of spirometry using a wedge bellows device?

There is no current consensus among published guidelines on whether noseclips are required during spirometry testing. This study investigated the effect of noseclips on spirometric measurements in patients with a range of disease. Fifty-two patients (30 male; mean age 58.

Exercise training and inspiratory muscle training in patients with bronchiectasis.

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic suppurative lung disease often characterised by airflow obstruction and hyperinflation, and leading to decreased exercise tolerance and reduced health status. The role of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has not been investigated in this group of patients.

Methods: Thirty two patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis were randomly allocated to one of three groups: PR plus sham IMT (PR-SHAM), PR plus targeted IMT (PR-IMT), or control.

Impairment of lung function, health status and functional capacity in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Objective: To determine the effects of lung involvement on respiratory function in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and the relation to impaired health status.

Methods: Thirty patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis in remission (15 with lung involvement at diagnosis as determined by an abnormal chest X-ray) were examined. We measured lung function, skeletal muscle strength [quadriceps force (QF), respiratory muscle strength (Pi(max))], exercise capacity (VO(2) peak) using treadmill exercise tests, and health status using the Short Form 36 and St George's respiratory questionnaires.

Incremental shuttle walk test in the assessment of patients for heart transplantation.

Objective: To compare the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) with treadmill exercise testing (TT) derived measurement of peak oxygen consumption (peak VO(2)) in patients undergoing assessment for cardiac transplantation.

Design: Prospective comparison. All investigations occurred during a single period of admission for transplant assessment.

Exercise capacity predicts health status in alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency.

Resting lung function is only weakly related to health status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, reflecting the multifactorial causes of impairment and the heterogeneous nature of the condition. The current study examined whether density mask analysis of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) or exercise capacity were better surrogates for health status in a well-defined, homogeneous group of patients with alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ). Twenty-nine patients with predominantly lower zone emphysema on HRCT were studied.

Structure-activity relationships in 1,2,3-triazol-1-yl derivatives of clavulanic acid.

The synthesis of a series of analogues of clavulanic acid, possessing a substituted 1,2,3-triazole ring in place of the exocyclic hydroxyl group, is described. Quantitative structure-activity relationships in this series are discussed.

Epidemiology of malignant mesothelioma in Western Australia.

Crocidolite was mined and milled at Wittenoom Gorge in Western Australia from 1943 to 1966. Between 1960-1964 and 1980-1982, the estimated incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Western Australia rose from 0.6/100 000 in men and less than 0.

Steroidal anaesthetics: synthesis of 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione-(21-14C) and 3alpha,21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione-(21-14C) 21-acetate.

3alpha-Hydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione-[21-14C] and 3alpha,21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione-[21-14C] 21-acetate were prepared from a common radio-labelled intermediate, 21-diazo-3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione-[21-14C] 3-nitrate, obtained by the reaction of 17beta-chlorocarbonyl-3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-androstan-11-one 3-nitrate with diazomethane-[14C].