bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in a geographically well‐defined population in Northern Sweden: implications for anticoagulation prophylaxis
Authors: Andersson P. , Löndahl M. , Abdon N.‐J. , Terent A.
Published: January 2012

Abstract.  Andersson P, Löndahl M, Abdon N‐J, Terent A (Hudiksvall Hospital, Hudiksvall; Lund University, Lund; and Uppsala University, Uppsala; Sweden). The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in a geographically well‐defined population in Northern Sweden: implications for anticoagulation prophylaxis. J Intern Med 2012; 272: 170–176.

Objectives.  The aims of this study were to evaluate the community‐based prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a western society using a geographically well‐defined population in the northern part of Sweden as a reference and to estimate the proportion of patients eligible for oral anticoagulation (OAC) prophylactic therapy according to the stroke risk indices CHADS2 and CHA2DS2‐VASc. Bleeding risk was assessed using the HAS‐BLED score.

Design.  The study population was recruited from AURICULA, a Swedish national quality register for patients receiving anticoagulation treatment. All patients with the diagnosis AF in the catchment area are registered in AURICULA.

Results.  Of the 65 532 inhabitants in the catchment area, 1616 were diagnosed with AF (1200 cases were characterized as chronic AF). Thus, the overall prevalence of AF was 2.5%. The prevalence increased with age from 6.3% in patients over 55 years of age to 13.8% in those over 80 years. The prevalence was higher in men than in women in all age groups. Overall, 56.3% and 85.1% of the population were at high risk of stroke (≥2 points) according to CHADS2 and CHA2DS2‐VASc, respectively. In addition, 26.9% had an increased bleeding risk according to HAS‐BLED.

Conclusion.  Within this large Caucasian population, we identified the highest community‐based prevalence of AF to date. The prevalence was strongly associated with increasing age and male gender. Using CHA2DS2‐VASc instead of CHADS2 widened the indication for OAC prophylactic therapy of AF in this population.
Self‐rated health status as a risk factor for future vascular events and mortality in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease: the SMART study
Authors: Grool A. M. , van der Graaf Y. , Visseren F. L. J. , de Borst G. J. , Algra A. , Geerlings M. I. ,   on behalf of the SMART Study Group
Published: January 2012

Abstract.  Grool AM, van der Graaf Y, Visseren FLJ, de Borst GJ, Algra A, Geerlings MI, on behalf of the SMART Study Group (University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands). Self‐rated health status as a risk factor for future vascular events and mortality in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease: the SMART study. J Intern Med 2012; 272: 277–286.

Objectives.  Lower self‐rated health status has been associated with worse prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We investigated the influence of self‐rated physical and mental health status on the risk of future vascular events and mortality for various locations of symptomatic atherosclerotic disease and asymptomatic disease.

Design.  Patients with CAD (n = 2547), cerebrovascular disease (n = 1061), peripheral arterial disease (PAD; n = 648), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA; n = 272) and asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease (n = 1933) were followed for a median of 4 years for the occurrence of a new vascular event or death. Self‐rated health status was assessed with the Short Form‐36 physical and mental component summary scales. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations between health status and vascular events and death, adjusted for age, sex, vascular risk factors and intima–media thickness.

Results.  In the total population, lower self‐rated physical health status (per 10‐point decrease) increased the risk of vascular events [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24–1.52], and all‐cause (HR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.29–1.63) and vascular mortality (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.20–1.64). A 10‐point decrease in mental health status was associated with a modest increase in the risk of vascular events (HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.08–1.32), and all‐cause (HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.05–1.34) and vascular mortality (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.09–1.49). Risk estimates of physical and mental health status were highest in patients with asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease and lowest in those with PAD.

Conclusions.  Poorer self‐rated physical and mental health status increases the risk of vascular events and mortality in a broad population of patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease.
Neuropeptide Y Stimulates Food Intake in the Zebrafish, Danio rerio
Authors: Yokobori E. , Azuma M. , Nishiguchi R. , Kang K. S. , Kamijo M. , Uchiyama M. , Matsuda K.
Published: January 2012

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent orexigenic neuropeptide implicated in feeding regulation in mammals. However, except for the case of the goldfish, the involvement of NPY in the feeding behaviour of teleost fish has not well been studied. Therefore, we investigated the role of NPY in food intake using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model because the molecular bases of NPY and its receptor have been well studied in this species. We examined the effect of feeding status on NPY‐like immunoreactivity and the expression level of the NPY transcript in the brain. The number of neuronal cells showing NPY‐like immunoreactivity in the hypothalamic regions, including the periventricular nucleus of posterior tuberculum and the posterior tuberal nucleus, was significantly increased in fish fasted for 7 days. NPY mRNA levels in the hypothalamus, but not the telencephalon, obtained from fish fasted for 7 days were higher than those in fish that had been fed normally. We then investigated the effect of i.c.v. administration of NPY on food intake. Cumulative food intake was significantly increased by i.c.v. administration of NPY (at 1 and 10 pmol/g body weight; BW) during a 60‐min observation period. The NPY‐induced orexigenic action (at 10 pmol/g BW) was blocked by treatment with a NPY Y1 receptor antagonist, BIBP‐3226, at 100 pmol/g BW. These results indicate that NPY acts as an orexigenic factor in the zebrafish.
Involvement of Corticotrophin‐Releasing Hormone and Corticosteroid Receptors in the Brain–Pituitary–Gill of Tilapia During the Course of Seawater Acclimation
Authors: Aruna A. , Nagarajan G. , Chang C.‐F.
Published: January 2012

The mRNA expression of genes for corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and the hormone receptors CRH‐receptor/CRH‐R, glucocorticoid receptor 1/2 (GR1/2) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) was studied in the brain, pituitary and gill of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambibus) during salinity and handling stress by real‐time quantitative‐polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results indicated that the transcripts of CRH and CRH‐R were increased in the forebrain, midbrain and gill, whereas elevated hypothalamic CRH mRNA suppressed the CRH‐R mRNA in the pituitary in seawater (SW) fish. The levels of plasma osmolality and cortisol were significantly increased in SW compared to freshwater fish. The up‐regulation of GR1, GR2, MR and α‐NKA (Na+/K+‐ATPase) transcripts in SW fish provided evidence that cortisol responds to stress and involves ion‐base regulation via the GR1, GR2 and MR receptors in the gill. These data suggest that GR1, GR2 and MR have a pivotal role in the brain and gill. GR1, GR2 and MR expression may be dependent on CRH and cortisol expression in the brain and gill. In addition, we performed in situ hybridisation analysis to localise and differentiate the CRH, CRH‐R, GR1, GR2 and MR transcripts in the brain of FW‐ and SW‐acute acclimated tilapia during salinity stress. In almost all transcripts, the hybridisation signal was significantly abundant in the SW‐acute acclimated tilapia brain, especially in the dorsal ventral cephalon, dorsal nucleus preopticus pars magnocellularis and dorsal nucleus preopticus pars parvocellularis. Salinity stress induced differential and specific responses in the gill and brain compared to handling stress.
Genomic consequences of genetic rescue in an insular population of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Authors: MILLER J. M. , POISSANT J. , HOGG J. T. , COLTMAN D. W.
Published: January 2012

Genetic rescue is a management intervention whereby a small population is supplemented with individuals from other populations in an attempt to reverse the effects of inbreeding and increased genetic load. One such rescue was recently documented in the population of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) within the National Bison Range wildlife refuge (Montana, USA). Here, we examine the locus‐specific effects of rescue in this population using a newly developed genome‐wide set of 195 microsatellite loci and first‐generation linkage map. We found that the rate of introgression varied among loci and that 111 loci, 57% of those examined, deviated from patterns of neutral inheritance. The most common deviation was an excess of homozygous genotypes relative to neutral expectations, indicative of directional selection. As in previous study of this rescue, individuals with more introduced alleles had higher reproductive success and longevity. In addition, we found 30 loci, distributed throughout the genome, which seem to have individual effects on these life history traits. Although the potential for outbreeding depression is a major concern when translocating individuals between populations, we found no evidence of such effects in this population.
Gap1 functions as a molecular chaperone to stabilize its interactive partner Gap3 during biogenesis of serine‐rich repeat bacterial adhesin
Authors: Zhou Meixian , Zhu Fan , Li Yirong , Zhang Hua , Wu Hui
Published: January 2012

Serine‐rich repeat glycoproteins (SRRPs) are important bacterial adhesins that are conserved in streptococci and staphylococci. Fimbriae‐associated protein (Fap1) from Streptococcus parasanguinis, was the first SRRP identified; it plays an important role in bacterial biofilm formation. A gene cluster encoding glycosyltransferases and accessory secretion components is required for Fap1 biogenesis. Two glycosylation‐associated proteins, Gap1 and Gap3 within the cluster, interact with each other and function in concert in Fap1 biogenesis. Here we report the new molecular events underlying contribution of the interaction to Fap1 biogenesis. The Gap1‐deficient mutant rendered Gap3 unstable and degraded in vitro and in vivo. Inactivation of a gene encoding protease ClpP reversed the phenotype of the gap1 mutant, suggesting that ClpP is responsible for degradation of Gap3. Molecular chaperone GroEL was co‐purified with Gap3 only when Gap1 was absent and also reacted with Gap1 monoclonal antibody, suggesting that Gap1 functions as a specific chaperone for Gap3. The N‐terminal interacting domains of Gap1 mediated the Gap3 stability and Fap1 biogenesis. Gap1 homologues from Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus also interacted with and stabilized corresponding Gap3 homologues, suggesting that the chaperone activity of the Gap1 homologues is common in biogenesis of SRRPs.
The assessment of quality of life in female Turkish patients with overactive bladder
Authors: Sut Hatice Kahyaoglu , Kaplan Petek Balkanli , Sut Necdet , Tekbas Serap
Published: January 2012

Kahyaoglu Sut H, Balkanli Kaplan P, Sut N, Tekbas S. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 20–27

The assessment of quality of life in female Turkish patients with overactive bladder

The objective of this study was to examine the quality of life in female Turkish patients with overactive bladder (OAB). The investigation was conducted as a cross‐sectional study between January and April 2010. Two hundred eighty female patients responded to the Overactive Bladder Validated Eight‐Question Screener, the OAB disease‐specific health‐related quality‐of‐life scale (OAB questionnaire (OAB‐q)) and the general quality‐of‐life scale EuroQol Five‐Dimensional Questionnaire (EQ‐5D) for the study. Of the 280 patients, 38.9% was classified as having OAB. The mean age was 47.0 ± 8.7. All of the quality‐of‐life domains (coping, concern, sleep and social) and OAB‐q total scores in women with OAB were significantly worse than in women without OAB (P < 0.001 for all). Similarly, the EQ‐5Dindex and EQ‐5DVAS scores for women with OAB were significantly worse than for women without OAB (P < 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). OAB‐q and EQ‐5Dindex scores in menopausal women were significantly lower than non‐menopausal women (P < 0.05) in patients with OAB. In conclusion, OAB negatively affects quality of life in Turkish women. However, many women's quality of life can be improved if the patients seek medical treatment. Thus, nurses should encourage the patients to seek medical support in order to cope with health‐related quality‐of‐life problems.
Efficacy of frequent blood pressure and heart rate monitoring for early identification of bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Mert Hatice , Seren Intepeler Seyda , Bengu Nergiz , Baturlar Zuhal , Istan Pakize , Ozcelik Ebru
Published: January 2012

Mert H, Intepeler Seren S, Bengu N, Baturlar Z, Istan P, Ozcelik E. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 52–59

Efficacy of frequent blood pressure and heart rate monitoring for early identification of bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention

Monitoring of patients' vital signs is an important component of postpercutaneous coronary intervention (post‐PCI) for bleeding early detection. This study was performed in order to identify the efficacy of frequent blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring for early identification of bleeding following PCI. The descriptive study was conducted at the cardiology unit of a university hospital with a study sample of 1292 patients. Data collection instruments were designed by the authors. In a comparison of the presence of abnormal BP‐HR between the groups with and without bleeding, the difference was not significant on arrival and not at 15, 45 and 60 min posttransfer. There is no association between the frequent vital sign measurement in the first hour and early diagnosis of bleeding. The frequency of follow up after PCI should be based on the patient's condition, the nurse's clinical expertise and the institutional protocols.
Nurses' burnout and unmet nursing care needs of patients' relatives in a Turkish State Hospital
Authors: Tekindal Benian , Tekindal Mustafa Agah , Pinar Gul , Ozturk Filiz , Alan Sumeyra
Published: January 2012

Tekindal B, Tekindal MA, Pinar G, Ozturk F, Alan S. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 68–76

Nurses' burnout and unmet nursing care needs of patients' relatives in a Turkish State Hospital

One of the biggest problems of work life today is burnout. With burnout, satisfaction of clients and service givers reduces. In this study, burnout levels of nurses working in the internal, surgical and intensive care units of a university hospital and the unmet needs of the patients' relatives related to nursing care were investigated. In the study, 225 nurses and 222 relatives of patients constituted the sample group of this study. Three separate forms were used in the study, namely, Nurse and Patient Relative Identification Form, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Nursing Services Satisfaction Inventory. In the study, burnout levels of the nurses were found to be high. Conditions like younger ages, scarcity of experience in the profession, lower levels of education, having chosen the profession and the unit they work in not willingly and working in environments like intensive care increase the burnout and as a result, expectations of the relatives of patients from nursing care are not fully met. Some suggestions have been made to make some regulations to prevent the burnout of nurses and to increase the satisfaction of relatives.
The use of multidose vials and fingerstick blood sampling devices in Korean emergency departments and intensive care units
Authors: Kwak Yee Gyung , Lee Sang‐Oh , Kim Tae Hyong , Choo Eun Ju , Jeon Min‐Hyok , Jun Jae‐Bum , Kim Kyung‐Mi , Jeong Jae Sim , Kim Yang Soo
Published: January 2012

Kwak YG, Lee S‐O, Kim TH, Choo EJ, Jeon M‐H, Jun J‐B, Kim K‐M, Jeong JS, Kim YS. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 77–83

The use of multidose vials and fingerstick blood sampling devices in Korean emergency departments and intensive care units

This study was performed to compare compliance with standard precautions for the use of multidose vials (MDVs) and fingerstick devices in emergency departments (EDs) and intensive care units (ICUs). Between December 2007 and February 2008, 389 nurses from the EDs or ICUs of six university‐affiliated hospitals in Korea were asked to complete the questionnaire. A total of 338 (86.9%) nurses completed the survey, corresponding to 159 of 184 ED and 179 of 205 ICU nurses. A comparison of MDV use in EDs and ICUs indicated a significant difference only in disinfection of the rubber septum of heparin vials; 88.1% of ED nurses and 96.6% of ICU nurses stated that they always disinfected the rubber septum of heparin vials whenever drawing medication (P = 0.003). The use of separate fingerstick devices for each patient (71.7% vs. 54.5%) and disinfection of these devices after each use (36.5% vs. 26.0%) were more common in ED nurses. The rate of good hand hygiene was lower in ED nurses, both before (43.7% vs. 74.3%) and after (64.6% vs. 91.6%) the use of fingerstick devices (P < 0.001 for both). There is a need to improve compliance with standard precautions, especially hand hygiene, in EDs.
The health‐care environment through the eyes of a child—Does it soothe or provoke anxiety?
Authors: Norton‐Westwood Deborah
Published: January 2012

Norton‐Westwood D. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 7–11

The health‐care environment through the eyes of a child—Does it soothe or provoke anxiety?

Health‐care environments can be intimidating and scary places especially in the eyes of a child. When attempting to create spaces that are engaging to children, how do we know what works and are the needs the same across the age groups? In a 2011 comprehensive systematic review, a total of 20 studies were reviewed to answer the question: Can the health‐care environment have an impact on children's anxiety? The results of the review showed that the built environment can support and enhance the coping strategies utilized by children, however further research is needed. The aim of this article is to summarize the findings of the review highlighting simple design strategies of minimal cost to large construction projects warranting extensive resources.

Careful evaluation of space incorporating end‐user input can result in age appropriate environments that support safe, quality care and enhance a positive health‐care experience for all.
Psychometric evaluation of the Norwegian version of the Person‐centred Care Assessment Tool
Authors: Rokstad Anne Marie Mork , Engedal Knut , Edvardsson David , Selbæk Geir
Published: January 2012

Rokstad AMM, Engedal K, Edvardsson D, Selbæk G. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 99–105

Psychometric evaluation of the Norwegian version of the Person‐centred Care Assessment Tool

The Person‐centred Care Assessment Tool (P‐CAT) was developed as a self‐reporting assessment scale for staff ratings of the person‐centredness of their nursing practice.

This study investigates the psychometric properties of P‐CAT in a sample of staff working in residential units for older people.

Descriptive characteristics were calculated for each item and an independent‐sample t‐test was used to compare ratings from different groups. Internal consistency and reliability were examined using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity. Test–retest reliability was examined by means of intra‐class correlation and the Pearson correlation coefficient.

The mean score of P‐CAT was 45.3 (standard deviation 7.8). Cronbach's alpha was 0.83. The factor analysis resulted in a two‐component solution organizing the items into two subscales. There were significant differences between ordinary care units and special‐care units and between various occupational groups, indicating a discriminating ability of the tool.
Nature and intensity of the pain following thoracotomy
Authors: Kol Emine , Erdogan Abdullah , Karslı Bilge
Published: January 2012

Kol E, Erdogan A, Karslı B. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 84–90

Nature and intensity of the pain following thoracotomy

The aim of this study is to clearly define and describe the pain characteristics that disturb the patients having thoracotomy in postoperative period. It can be possible to manage to get pains under control according to pain characteristics. The study included 70 patients who underwent thoracotomy (lobectomy or segmentectomy and mean duration of surgery was 90 min) and were hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Thoracic Surgery Department of Akdeniz University Hospital between November 2007 and November 2008. In this study, 68.6% of the patients were male and mean age was 49.90. The study was achieved. Consider that the patients have pain in the first 24 h postoperatively and the effect of sedation, the Behavioural Pain Scale, which is filled out by a researcher, and the Verbal Category Scale, which allows the patient to define his/her pain with short responses, were used for pain assessment. Pain was assessed at the postoperative 4th, 8th, 16th, 24th and 48th hours, following extubation. The patients mostly reported throbbing (65.7%), stabbing (65.7%) and stinging (62.9%) pain in the incision site, while 40% of them (n = 28) reported a ‘sharp’, ‘exhausting’ and ‘splitting’ pain. The investigation of the factors increasing pain during the postoperative period revealed that most of the patients (85.7%) reported that their pain increased due to movement in bed and/or walking, while 74.3%, 68.6%, 54.3% and 37.1% of them stated that their pain increased due to breathing, coughing, chest tube movement and noisy environment, respectively. Each pain characteristics, throbbing, stabbing and stinging, can be specifically relief using one or more methods such as touching on the incision site, little press on the thoracotomy region, talking to the patient about pain, etc. We determined that the patients experienced a sharp, stabbing and unbearable pain in the first 48 postoperative hours. Therefore, our study suggests that some interventions such as pressure exertion and touching to the painful area were stated to provide pain relief to the patients.
Is the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration four‐level race equation better than the cystatin C equation?
Authors: DU XIN , LIU LIN , HU BO , WANG FENG , WAN XIN , JIANG LINGLIN , ZHANG RUISHENG , CAO CHANGCHUN
Published: January 2012

Aim:  To evaluate the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) four‐level race equation in the assessment of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in Chinese people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which was published in 2011, compared with the cystatin C‐based GFR estimation equation (CysC GFR) and the combination of CysC and serum creatinine equation (CysC‐Scr GFR).

Methods:  The CKD‐EPI four‐level race equation estimated GFR (CKD‐EPI GFR) was compared with the CysC GFR and CysC‐Scr GFR. Three equations were compared with body surface area (BSA) standardized GFR (sGFR), which was measured by 99mTc‐DTPA renal dynamic imaging method in 111 CKD cases.

Results:  A statistically significant correlation was found between sGFR and CKD‐EPI GFR, CysC GFR and CysC‐Scr GFR. Three estimated GFR (eGFR) equations of 30% accuracy were 58.6%, 56.8% and 63.5%, respectively. Average deviations of eGFR from sGFR were 2.34, 1.19, and 1.32 (mL/min per 1.73 m2) (P > 0.05), respectively. There was no significant deviation in the CKD from stages 1 to 5 in CKD‐EPI GFR and CysC‐Scr GFR. However, when estimated by CysC GFR, the deviation was increased, with the value of 12.41 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (P= 0.002) in CKD stage 5.

Conclusion:  Our results showed that in a Chinese population with CKD, CKD‐EPI GFR, CysC GFR and CysC‐Scr GFR of bias and overall accuracy of 30% were very similar. There was little advantage in adding Asian coefficient to modifying the CKD‐EPI equation. CysC GFR overestimated GFR in patients with CKD stages 4 and 5.
Negative impact of migraine on quality of life after 4 weeks of treatment in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Hung Ching‐I , Liu Chia‐Yih , Yang Ching‐Hui , Wang Shuu‐Jiun
Published: January 2012

Aim:  The impact of migraine on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) after acute antidepressant treatment has not been addressed. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether or not the negative impact of migraine on HRQoL among outpatients with MDD continued to have an effect after 4 weeks of venlafaxine treatment.

Methods:  A total of 135 outpatients with MDD were enrolled, who were then treated with venlafaxine 75 mg per day for 4 weeks in the present open‐label study. Migraine was diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (2nd edn). Changes in Short‐Form 36 (SF‐36) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores were the outcome measures. Multiple linear regression was used to assess whether migraine was an independent factor predicting SF‐36 score after treatment.

Results:  Seventy‐two participants (18M/54F) completed the 4‐week treatment. Subjects with migraine had a poorer HRQoL in terms of bodily pain and mental health at baseline. Subjects with and without migraine showed significant improvement in all SF‐36 subscales and depression after treatment, but subjects with migraine still had a poorer HRQoL regarding bodily pain and physical functioning after treatment as compared with those without migraine. Migraine could predict a negative outcome after treatment in the subscales of physical functioning, role limitations–physical, and role limitations–emotional.

Conclusions:  Migraine may have a negative impact on the improvement of partial SF‐36 subscales, especially on functional recovery, after acute treatment among outpatients with MDD. Whether additional intervention besides antidepressant treatment for migraine is indicated may need further study.
Acute and transient psychotic disorders versus persistent delusional disorders: A comparative longitudinal study
Authors: Pillmann Frank , Wustmann Tobias , Marneros Andreas
Published: January 2012

Aim:  The aim of this work is to investigate differences between two non‐schizophrenic, non‐organic psychotic disorders, namely persistent delusional disorders (PDD) and acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) according to ICD‐10.

Method:  In a prospective and longitudinal study, we compared all 43 inpatients with PDD who were treated at Halle‐Wittenberg University Hospital during a 14‐year period to a previously investigated cohort of 41 patients with ATPD in regard to demography, long‐term symptomatic outcome, and social consequences. Sociobiographical data were collected using a semi‐structured interview. Follow‐up investigations were performed at a mean of 10–12 years after the onset of the disorder using standardized instruments.

Results:  With the exception of the duration of the psychotic symptoms, the PDD patients were significantly different from the ATPD patients on various levels, such as sex ratio (female predominance only in ATPD), age at onset (older in PDD), the number of preceding stressful life‐events in the index hospitalization (more frequent in ATPD), richness and variety of symptoms (higher in ATPD), and persistence of positive psychotic symptoms (in PDD). Patients with PDD had significantly less re‐hospitalizations during the course of their illness. Long‐term outcome was marked by chronicity of delusional symptoms and lower global functioning in PDD than in ATPD, while negative symptoms and loss of independence were infrequent in both conditions.

Conclusions:  PDD differs from ATPD not only in the duration of the psychotic symptoms, but also in a variety of significant variables. They appear to be two separate entities within a psychotic spectrum.
Hyperprolactinemia induced by low‐dosage amisulpride in Korean psychiatric patients
Authors: Lee Bun‐Hee , Kang Seung‐Gul , Kim Tae‐Woo , Lee Heon‐Jeong , Yoon Ho‐Kyoung , Park Young‐Min
Published: January 2012

Aim:  Amisulpride at low dosages enhances dopaminergic neurotransmission by preferentially blocking presynaptic D2/D3 receptors. Thus, low dosages of amisulpride are expected not to increase prolactin levels. The aim of this study was to examine whether low dosages of amisulpride can increase serum levels of prolactin or not clinically in Korean patients.

Method:  Serum prolactin levels were measured in 20 Korean patients (12 men and eight women) with various diagnoses who were treated with less than 300 mg of amisulpride per day.

Results:  The mean dosage of amisulpride was 195.0 ± 51.0 mg/day, and serum level of prolactin was 76.1 ± 43.4 ng/mL. The prolactin level was significantly higher in women (110.7 ± 49.3 ng/mL) than in men (53.1 ± 15.9 ng/mL) after administering amisulpride (P = 0.021), while the dosage of amisulpride did not differ significantly between men (200.0 ± 42.6 mg/day) and women (187.5 ± 64.1 mg/day) (P = 0.576).

Conclusions:  The low dosages of amisulpride elevate serum prolactin level in the majority of patients. This finding indicates that the dose‐reduction of amisulpride has little effect to relieve amisulpride‐induced hyperprolactinemia at therapeutic dosages. Clinicians should monitor serum prolactin level even when low dosages of amisulpride are administered.
Evaluation of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test for measurement of health‐related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease
Authors: NAGATA KAZUMA , TOMII KEISUKE , OTSUKA KOJIRO , TACHIKAWA RYO , OTSUKA KYOKO , TAKESHITA JUNPEI , TANAKA KOSUKE , MATSUMOTO TAKESHI , MONDEN KAZUYA
Published: January 2012

Background and objective:  A well‐validated instrument that is simple to use is needed to assess health‐related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a recently introduced, short and simple questionnaire for COPD patients, which shows good and valid measurement properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the CAT in patients with ILD.

Methods:  Patients with ILD (n = 55) completed the CAT and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). These patients also completed the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and the hospital anxiety and depression scale; performed 6‐min walk tests and pulmonary function tests; and provided samples for arterial blood gas analysis.

Results:  There was a very strong correlation between the CAT score and the SGRQ total score (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001). The CAT score was also significantly correlated with the SGRQ symptoms score (r = 0.74, P < 0.0001), the SGRQ activity score (r = 0.87, P < 0.0001) and the SGRQ impact score (r = 0.89, P < 0.0001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the MRC and LCQ scores contributed most to both the CAT score and the SGRQ total score.

Conclusions:  The CAT is a short and simple questionnaire that shows good and valid measurement properties for assessing the health status of patients with ILD.
The six‐minute walk test using forehead oximetry is reliable in the assessment of scleroderma lung disease
Authors: WILSHER MARGARET , GOOD NICOLA , HOPKINS RAEWYN , YOUNG PAMELA , MILNE DAVID , GIBSON ANDREW , SUPPIAH RAVI , LY JASON , DOUGHTY ROBERT , DALBETH NICOLA
Published: January 2012

Background and objective:  The six‐minute walk test (6MWT) is a validated field test in the assessment of interstitial lung disease but may not be so useful in scleroderma (SSc) lung disease. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of the 6MWT in patients with SSc and correlate results with morphological and functional measures of disease severity.

Methods:  Thirty patients (24 female, mean age 47, mean diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide 65%, vital capacity 77% predicted) with American College of Rheumatology classification of SSc performed two 6MWT using various oximetry sites, 1 week apart, and underwent SSc‐specific disease severity and quality‐of‐life measurements, lung function, high‐resolution computed tomography and echocardiography.

Results:  There was good reliability between the two 6MWT (distance; intraclass correlation coefficient 0.95, r = 0.89, Borg; intraclass correlation coefficient 0.85, r = 0.91, both P < 0.00 for r), and Bland Altman plots demonstrate good agreement between measures 1 week apart. Forehead and finger oximetry were more reliable than earlobe (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.64, 0.60, 0.24; r = 0.46, 0.47, 0.14; n = 22, 17, 7, respectively). Forehead desaturation correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = 0.55, P = 0.01) and forced vital capacity (r = 0.59, P = 0.01). Distance correlated with all physiological measures: forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = 0.55, P = 0.01), forced vital capacity (r = 0.61, P = 0.01) and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (r = 0.42, P = 0.05). Computed tomography extent and patterns of disease correlated poorly with 6MWT measures, and global measures of SSc correlated only with post‐test Borg score.

Conclusions:  The 6MWT is feasible and reliable in SSc lung disease, but forehead oximetry should be used. The test measurements correlate reasonably but variably with functional and morphological measures of disease severity.
New clinical evidence of silodosin, an α1A selective adrenoceptor antagonist, in the treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Yoshida Masaki , Kudoh Junzo , Homma Yukio , Kawabe Kazuki
Published: January 2012

Lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia are highly prevalent in older men. Pharmacological treatment is the first‐line treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The first choice in the pharmacological treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia is the α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists. Many α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists are available in the world. Silodosin is an α1‐adrenoceptor antagonist developed by Kissei Pharmaceutical, and has a specific selectivity for the α1A‐adrenoceptor subtype. By antagonizing α1A‐adrenoceptor in the prostate and urethra, silodosin causes smooth muscle relaxation in the lower urinary tract. As a result of the high affinity for the α1A‐adrenoceptor than for the α1B‐adrenoceptor, silodosin minimizes the propensity for blood pressure‐related adverse effects caused by blockade of α1B‐adrenoceptor. The efficacy and safety of silodosin for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia was first reported by Japanese investigators in 2006. At present, silodosin is used in many countries. In the present review, we summarize the new clinical evidence for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and introduce the data supporting the new clinical indications of silodosin.
Extended endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery: from the sella to the anterior and posterior cranial fossa
Authors: Oostra Amanda , van Furth Wouter , Georgalas Christos
Published: January 2012

Skull base surgery has gone through significant changes with the development of extended endoscopic endonasal approaches over the last decade. Initially used for the transphenoidal removal of hypophyseal adenomas, the endoscopic transnasal approach gradually evolved into a way of accessing the whole ventral skull base. Improved visualization, avoidance of brain retraction, the ability to access directly tumours with minimal damage to critical neurosurgical structures as well lack of external scars are among its obvious benefits. However, it presents the surgeons with a number of challenges, including the need to deal endoscopically with potential arterial bleeding, complicated reconstruction requirements as well as the need for a true team approach. In this review drawing from our experience as well as published series, we present an overview of current indications, challenges and limitations of the expanded endonasal approaches to the skull base.
Production of novel fusarielins by ectopic activation of the polyketide synthase 9 cluster in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Sørensen Jens Laurids , Hansen Frederik Teilfeldt , Sondergaard Teis Esben , Staerk Dan , Lee T. Verne , Wimmer Reinhard , Klitgaard Louise Graabæk , Purup Stig , Giese Henriette , Frandsen Rasmus John Normand
Published: January 2012

Like many other filamentous fungi, Fusarium graminearum has the genetic potential to produce a vast array of unknown secondary metabolites. A promising approach to determine the nature of these is to activate silent secondary metabolite gene clusters through constitutive expression of cluster specific transcription factors. We have developed a system in which an expression cassette containing the transcription factor from the targeted PKS cluster disrupts the production of the red mycelium pigment aurofusarin. This aids with identification of mutants as they appear as white colonies and metabolite analyses where aurofusarin and its intermediates are normally among the most abundant compounds. The system was used for constitutive expression of the local transcription factor from the PKS9 cluster (renamed FSL) leading to production of three novel fusarielins, F, G and H. This group of compounds has not previously been reported from F. graminearum or linked to a biosynthetic gene in any fungal species. The toxicity of the three novel fusarielins was examined against colorectal cancer cell lines where fusarielin H was more potent than fusarielin F and G.
Who’s to blame? Accounts of genetic responsibility and blame among Ashkenazi Jewish women at risk of BRCA breast cancer
Authors: Mozersky Jessica
Published: January 2012

Genetic knowledge of disease risk may induce a sense of genetic responsibility whereby those who are at risk feel an obligation to take certain actions not only in relation to their own personal health but also to their family, their children and many other aspects of their life. This article examines genetic responsibility among Ashkenazi Jewish women at increased risk of BRCA genetic breast cancer. It demonstrates the ways in which accounts of blame help to mitigate or allocate genetic responsibility and in particular focuses on the temporal nature of women’s accounts. Women locate responsibility or blame for genetic disease in the collective reproductive history of Ashkenazi Jews, currently among specific groups of Ashkenazi Jews, and this knowledge can have potential future reproductive consequences. A contradiction may arise between a pre‐existing sense of responsibility to produce future generations of Jews with that of producing future breast cancer free children. The research is based on in‐depth qualitative interviews with 14 high‐risk Ashkenazi Jewish women in London, England.
Does Finance Play a Role in Exporting for Service Firms? Evidence from India
Authors: Lancheros Sandra , Demirel Pelin
Published: January 2012

The importance of finance for exporting goods is well understood in the literature. Yet, despite the growing magnitude and importance of service exports, the question whether service firms rely on external finance for exporting remains unanswered by the existing literature. We address this overlooked area by studying whether long‐ and short‐term borrowing matters for the exporting decisions and the levels exported by Indian service firms. To this end, we use an unbalanced panel of service firms for the years 1999–2007 from the Prowess data set compiled by the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy. In contrast to some findings for the manufacturing industry, we found that finance is not a significant determinant of Indian service firms' exporting activity. Possibly, the different nature of costs associated with the exports of services restrains the impact of finance on exporting. Interestingly, in line with previous research on goods exports, we found that some nonfinancial variables such as firm size, total factor productivity and technology investments are significant factors motivating the exporting decision and the level of exports of Indian service firms.
MIGRANT DOMESTIC CAREWORKERS: Between the Public and the Private in Catholic Social Teaching
Authors: Osborne Catherine R.
Published: January 2012

This essay argues that Catholic (magisterial) social teaching's division of ethics into public and private creates a structural lacuna which makes it almost impossible to envision a truly just situation for migrant domestic careworkers (MDCs) within the current horizon of Catholic social thought. Drawing on a variety of sociological studies, I conclude that it is easy for MDCs to “disappear” between two countries, two families, and, finally, two sets of ethical norms. If the magisterium genuinely wishes Catholic ethicists to address the plight of these migrant women, normative Catholic social teaching must pay more attention to household sociological realities and more fully absorb the feminist critique of the sharp line between the public and the private, between care and paid work.
TORTURE AND JUST WAR
Authors: Cole Darrell
Published: January 2012

I offer an argument for why torture, as an act of state‐sponsored force to gain information crucial to the well‐being of the common good, should be considered as a tactic of war, and therefore scrutinized in terms of just war theory. I argue that, for those committed to the justifiability of the use of force, most of the popular arguments against all acts of torture are unpersuasive because the logic behind them would forbid equally any act of mutilating or killing in battle. I will also argue that looking at torture through the perspective of the just war tradition forces us to place strictures on the practice that make it hard to justify, helps us to see why torture should never be legalized, helps us to clarify when circumstances might justify torture, and suggests what sort of character is required to recognize when those circumstances have occurred.
ONENESS AND SELF‐CENTEREDNESS IN THE MORAL PSYCHOLOGY OF WANG YANGMING
Authors: Tien David W.
Published: January 2012

Rather than “selfishness,” a more accurate and revealing interpretation of Wang's use of siyuis “self‐centeredness.” One of the main goals in Wang's model of moral cultivation was to attain a state devoid of self‐centered desires. Wang relied a great deal on the exercise and cultivation of an emotional identification and feeling of oneness with others. In this paper, I first provide a brief summary of the role of Wang's concept of siyu in his moral psychology. I then examine key passages in Wang's writings that reveal his nuanced understanding of siyu and, along the way, I draw on empirical research in psychology to help illuminate the significance of Wang's view of siyu to his overall model of moral cultivation.
“HEROISM ON AN EMPTY STOMACH”: Weil and Hillesum on Love and Happiness Amid the Holocaust1
Authors: Jackson Timothy P.
Published: January 2012

I do four things in this essay: (1) briefly rehearse the biographies of Simone Weil and Etty Hillesum, (2) outline and compare some of the key themes in their lives and works, noting interesting (and also troubling) similarities between them, as well as salient differences, (3) use their examples as lenses through which to look at contemporary attitudes toward altruism vs. self‐interest, freedom vs. necessity, eating vs. fasting, and acting vs. writing, and (4) highlight both their strengths and their weaknesses as religious witnesses to the truth. An overarching issue throughout the essay is the relation between the soul and the body, but I am especially concerned with the relation between self‐sacrifice and self‐love—also known as agape and temporal happiness—when confronted by radical evil. When allowed to correct one another, Weil and Hillesum show us, I believe, how Christian agapism can refuse both hatred and false security, even in an era of terrorism and torture.
WHAT IS IMMANENT IN JUDAISM? Transcending A Secular Age
Authors: Kavka Martin
Published: January 2012

This essay takes on the implicit claim in Taylor's A Secular Age, forecast in some of his earlier writings, that the desire for a meaningful life can never be satisfied in this life. As a result, A Secular Age is suffused with a tragic view of existence; its love of narratives of religious longing makes no sense otherwise. Yet there are other models of religion that lend meaning to existence, and in the majority of this essay, I take up one model that Taylor ignores in A Secular Age, namely that of a God who is immanent in social life throughout religious law. Turning to Maimonides's account of divine law in the Guide of the Perplexed, I argue that a vision of the divine law that is divine because of its effects in society, namely the promotion of human welfare, can mend the relations between varying kinds of believers and unbelievers in a way that Taylor thinks is impossible. A God who commands laws is a God who inaugurates an “anthropocentric shift” long before current understandings of secularization see it beginning.
NATURALIZING CHRISTIAN ETHICS: A Critique of Charles Taylor's A Secular Age
Authors: Hart William David
Published: January 2012

This essay critically engages the concept of transcendence in Charles Taylor's A Secular Age. I explore his definition of transcendence, its role in holding a modernity‐inspired nihilism at bay, and how it is crucial to the Christian antihumanist argument that he makes. In the process, I show how the critical power of this analysis depends heavily and paradoxically on the Nietzschean antihumanism that he otherwise rejects. Through an account of what I describe as naturalistic Christianity, I argue that transcendence need not be construed as supernatural, that all of the resources necessary for a meaningful life are immanent in the natural process, which includes the semiotic capacities of Homo sapiens. Finally, I triangulate Taylor's supernatural account of transcendence, naturalistic Christianity, and Dreyfus and Kelly's physis‐based account of “going beyond” our normal normality in All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics for Meaning in a Secular Age.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION, CREDIT RATIONING AND HOUSEHOLDS' DEBT
Authors: Charpe Matthieu , Flaschel Peter , Proaño Christian R.
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we present a model of an economy with household debt, and discuss the conditions under which financial fragility arises. Financial instability is driven by distributive effects. In addition to the income transfers associated with interest payments, the accumulation of debt feeds back with the distribution of income between labour and capital. The model also gives a central role to banks and credit rationing. Contrary to the existing literature, credit supply does not depend on the characteristics of borrowers, but on those of banks. There is a feedback channel between the health of the financial system and the quantity of credit in the economy. We show that there is a diversity of channels through which financial fragility may arise. We identify three channels: a debt–deflation effect à la Fisher, a credit‐financed consumption boom and an exhilarating debt effect.
Can Justice Dethrone Democracy in the European Union? A Reply to Jürgen Neyer
Authors: NICOL DANNY
Published: January 2012

Jürgen Neyer has recently proposed replacing the European Union's ‘democracy discourse’ with a ‘justice discourse’. This article challenges his arguments. It points out the difficulties associated with Neyer's assertion that EU democracy is not theoretically possible. It then goes on to argue against his proposition that it would be unfair to judge the EU against democracy criteria. Finally it questions Neyer's assumption that EU policy contains an incontestable justice, arguing that democracy remains essential as the means by which a political community differentiates between justice and injustice.