bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the effectiveness and safety of ethosuximide in the treatment of abdominal pain related to irritable bowel syndrome – IBSET: protocol of a randomised, parallel, controlled, double-blind and multicentre trial
Authors: Kerckhove Nicolas , Scanzi Julien , Pereira Bruno , Ardid Denis , Dapoigny Michel 
Published: July 2017

IntroductionIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterised by the association of abdominal chronic pain with bowel habit disorders in the absence of identifiable organic disease. This is the first reason for consultation in gastroenterology, with an estimated prevalence of 10%–15% in industrialised countries. Although this is a benign gastrointestinal disease, its chronicity profoundly impacts the patient’s quality of life and causes considerable health spending. Actual medical treatments are poorly efficient on IBS-related abdominal pain, making it a major public health concern. The mechanisms causing IBS symptoms are unknown. Recent studies have shown the involvement of T-type channel in abdominal pain. We aim to evaluate the therapeutic potential of ethosuximide, a T-type channel blocker, on the abdominal pain of patients presenting an IBS.Methods and analysisThe IBSET trial is a randomised, controlled, parallel, double-blind and multicentre study. It is the first clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ethosuximide on abdominal pain related to IBS. Adults with IBS that report significant abdominal pain (≥4/10) at least for 3 months will be included. 290 patients will be randomly assigned to receive either ethosuximide or placebo over 12 weeks after 1 week of run-in period. The primary endpoint is the rate of responders (pain reduction ≥30% and Subject Global Assessment of Relief score ≥4). The intensity of abdominal pain will be assessed by an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale before and after 12 weeks of treatment and the score of the Subject Global Assessment of Relief scale at the end of treatment. The secondary endpoints are the safety of ethosuximide, the intensity and features of IBS and quality of life.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by an independent medical ethics committee (CPP Sud-Est VI, Clermont-Ferrand, France). The results will be published in a peer-review journal and presented at international congresses.Trial registration numberNCT02973542; Pre-results.
Protocol for an online randomised controlled trial to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a peer-supported self-management intervention for relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar disorder: Relatives Education And Coping Toolkit (REACT)
Authors: Lobban Fiona , Robinson Heather , Appelbe Duncan , Barraclough Johanna , Bedson Emma , Collinge Lizzie , Dodd Susanna , Flowers Sue , Honary Mahsa , Johnson Sonia , Mateus Ceu , Mezes Barbara , Minns Valerie , Murray Elizabeth , Walker Andrew , Williamson Paula , Wintermeyer Catherine , Jones Steven 
Published: July 2017

IntroductionDespite clinical guidelines recommendations, many relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar disorder do not currently receive the support they need. Online information and support may offer a solution.Methods and analysisThis single-blind, parallel, online randomised controlled trial will determine clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Relatives Education And Coping Toolkit (REACT) (including an online resource directory (RD)), compared with RD only, for relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar disorder. Both groups continue to receive treatment as usual. Independent, web-based variable, block, individual randomisation will be used across 666 relatives. Primary outcome is distress at 24 weeks (measured by General Health Questionnaire; GHQ-28) compared between groups using analysis of covariance, adjusting for baseline score. Secondary clinical outcomes are carer well-being and support. Cost-effectiveness analysis will determine cost of a significant unit change (three-point reduction) in the GHQ-28. Costs include offering and supporting the intervention in the REACT arm, relevant healthcare care costs including health professional contacts, medications prescribed and time off (or ability to) work for the relative. Cost utility analysis will be calculated as the marginal cost of changes in quality-adjusted life years, based on EuroQol. We will explore relatives’ beliefs, perceived coping and amount of REACT toolkit use as possible outcome mediators. We have embedded two methodological substudies in the protocol to determine the relative effectiveness of a low-value (£10) versus higher value (£20) incentive, and an unconditional versus conditional incentive, on improving follow-up rates.Ethics and disseminationThe trial has ethical approval from Lancaster National Research Ethics Service (NRES)Committee (15/NW/0732) and is overseen by an independent Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee and Trial Steering Committee. Protocol version 1.5 was approved on 9 January 2017. All updates to protocols are uploaded to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Journals Library. A full statistical analysis plan is available athttps://figshare.com/account/home#/projects/19975. Publications will be in peer-reviewed journals (open access wherever possible). Requests for access to the data at the end of the study will be reviewed and granted where appropriate by the Trial Management Group.Trial registration numberISRCTN72019945, pre-results.
A pragmatic, phase III, multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, dose increment randomised trial of regular, low-dose extended-release morphine for chronic breathlessness: Breathlessness, Exertion And Morphine Sulfate (BEAMS) study protocol
Authors: Currow David , Watts Gareth John , Johnson Miriam , McDonald Christine F , Miners John O , Somogyi Andrew A , Denehy Linda , McCaffrey Nicola , Eckert Danny J , McCloud Philip , Louw Sandra , Lam Lawrence , Greene Aine , Fazekas Belinda , Clark Katherine C , Fong Kwun , Agar Meera R , Joshi Rohit , Kilbreath Sharon , Ferreira Diana , Ekström Magnus 
Published: July 2017

IntroductionChronic breathlessness is highly prevalent and distressing to patients and families. No medication is registered for its symptomatic reduction. The strongest evidence is for regular, low-dose, extended- release (ER) oral morphine. A recent large phase III study suggests the subgroup most likely to benefit have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and modified Medical Research Council breathlessness scores of 3 or 4. This protocol is for an adequately powered, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled, multisite, factorial, block-randomised study evaluating regular ER morphine for chronic breathlessness in people with COPD.Methods and analysisThe primary question is what effect regular ER morphine has on worst breathlessness, measured daily on a 0–10 numerical rating scale. Uniquely, the coprimary outcome will use a FitBit to measure habitual physical activity. Secondary questions include safety and, whether upward titration after initial benefit delivers greater net symptom reduction. Substudies include longitudinal driving simulation, sleep, caregiver, health economic and pharmacogenetic studies. Seventeen centres will recruit 171 participants from respiratory and palliative care. The study has five phases including three randomisation phases to increasing doses of ER morphine. All participants will receive placebo or active laxatives as appropriate. Appropriate statistical analysis of primary and secondary outcomes will be used.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, findings presented at relevant conferences and potentially used to inform registration of ER morphine for chronic breathlessness.Trial registration numberNCT02720822; Pre-results.
Клінічна оцінка реставрацій із композитних матеріалів з урахуванням гігієни порожнини рота
Authors: Bezvushko E. V. , Shpotyuk O. O. 
Published: July 2017

The article describes the clinical effectiveness of restorations performed by composite materials for the restoration of hard tissues of teeth. Evaluated the status of restorations in children with different levels of oral hygiene. Influence of hygiene on the state of seals in 3,6,12 months. The aim of the study. Clinically assess the quality of restorations of chewing teeth made of composite materials with regard to oral hygiene. Material and methods of investigation. A total of 92 children aged 12-17 years were examined in whom 128 teeth with Cari I defects in Black were reconstructed with composite materials. To repair the defects, composite materials Charisma, Dipol and Esta-3 light curing were used. Results of the study and their discussion. In children with poor oral hygiene, the quality of the seals is deteriorated for all materials compared to children with good and satisfactory oral hygiene. Especially the number of teeth with violation of marginal adaptation, discrepancy of color, discomfort and marginal pigmentation increases. It should be noted that the disruption of the anatomical form of the restorations (6.9%), the appearance of roughness (8.6%), color disturbance (10.6%) and the appearance of pigmentation (17.7%) were detected more often in caries defects, Dipol. With poor oral hygiene, the violation of the anatomical structure of the restorations from the Charisma composite (2.3%) and the Esta-3 material (5.9%) is more often compared with children with good and satisfactory oral hygiene. Conclusions: Thus, the evaluation of the quality of restorations of the chewing group of teeth with composite materials showed that the level of oral hygiene significantly affects the quality of the fillings.
Physiological Regulation of the Secretion of Histatins and Statherins in Human Parotid Saliva
Authors: Jensen J.L. , Xu T. , Lamkin M.S. , Brodin P. , Aars H. , Berg T. , Oppenheim EG 
Published: July 2017

The small salivary phosphoproteins, histatins and statherins, have important functions in the oral cavity in terms of antimicrobial actions and regulation of calcium phosphate homeostasis. Neither the effects of various physiological stimuli on their secretion nor the nature of the efferent receptor involved in the stimulus-secretion coupling has been determined previously. These aspects are important for improved understanding of the secretory control of salivary proteins and may have implications regarding the effects of specific medications on salivary constituents and oral health. The effects of graded mechanical (chewing on short and long silicone tubings) and gustatory stimulation (0.5, 1.5, and 5.0% citric acid) on the secretion of histatins and statherins were studied in the presence and absence of adrenolytic agents (n = 10). In this model, secretory rates of both proteins increased with increases in flow rate, with 5.0% citric acid representing a particularly potent stimulus. Histatin and statherin secretory rates were significantly reduced by the β 1-adrenolytic agent (histatins to 58 to 72% and statherins to 11 to 29% of that in corresponding control experiments), but not by the α 1-adrenolytic agent. Since the β1-adrenergic receptors played an important role in the stimulus-secretion coupling of these proteins, protective salivary functions in the oral cavity may be compromised during β 1-adrenolytic treatment.
An Overview of the Oral Health Component of the 1988–1991 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III-Phase 1)
Authors: Drury T.F. , Winn D.M. , Snowden C.B. , Kingman A. , Kleinman D.V. , Lewis B. 
Published: July 2017

As part of a Federal consortium, the National Institute of Dental Research's (NIDR) Division of Epidemiology and Oral Disease Prevention (DEODP) staff and consultants collaborated with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to conduct a national oral health examination as a component of the 1988–94 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The NHANES III was designed to be fielded in two phases. Phase 1 took place between October 18, 1988, and October 24, 1991, at 44 survey locations; Phase 2, between September 20, 1991, and October 15, 1994, at 45 sites. This article provides general background information on the NHANES III and its oral health examination component which pertains to all six years of the full survey. It also focuses on particular aspects of the first three years of the survey (NHANES III-Phase 1)—the database for the articles in this peer-reviewed Special Issue—and provides the essential context for the substantively oriented analyses of the Phase 1 database which are presented in the articles which follow this overview.
Pitfalls with Weight for Height Measurements
Authors: Soeters Robert 
Published: July 2017

A combined survey of weight for height measurement (W/H) was done by two emergency aid organizations. The same 131 children were measured independently by two survey teams. One team measured 24.4% and the other team 47.7% of the 131 children as under 80% W/H. The serious logistical consequences of these differences for the emergency aid programme are discussed. The main cause of the difference was observer error. A reason for systematic bias could be that an observer using the Nabarro chart tends to classify children who are slightly above 80% as under 80%. This bias is understandable because “one doesn't want to miss out malnourished children”. This sytematic bias does not occur when weight and height are measured separately and the percentage read from a card. The importance of following a strict protocol when measuring is stressed. Another (much less important) cause for the different results was that the teams used two weight for height standards. The Nabarro chart (multicoloured chart), based on an adaptation of the NCHS standard, overestimates the prevalence of wasting as compared to the NCHS/CDS/WHO standard (the plastified card). A plea is made for the use of uniform standards. In fact there is not yet a reliable, simple tool for assessment of wasting.
Schizophrenia, an Illness and a metaphor: Analysis of the use of the term ‘schizophrenia’ in the UK national newspapers
Authors: Chopra Arun K , Doody Gillian A 
Published: July 2017

Objective To determine whether schizophrenia is a commonly used ‘illness as metaphor‘, to compare the use of schizophrenia and cancer as illnesses as metaphor, and to determine if there is a difference in such usage between the UK and USA. Design An examination of articles published in the British press. Setting 600 articles from six British newspapers: the Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Mirror, the Sun and the Daily Mail. Main outcome measures Use of schizophrenia and cancer as metaphors. Results Schizophrenia was more likely to be metaphorized than cancer (P<50.001) in the UK press, but was less likely to be used as metaphor in the UK press than in the US press (P<50.001). 11% of articles containing the term schizophrenia used the word as a metaphor. Conclusions Clinicians need to be aware that patients, carers and the public might have a different understanding of the word we use as a diagnosis.
Pneumococcal meningitis post‐cochlear implantation: Preventative measures
Authors: Wei Benjamin P.C. , Shepherd Robert K. , Robins‐Browne Roy M. , Clark Graeme M. , O'Leary Stephen J. 
Published: July 2017

ObjectiveBoth clinical data and laboratory studies demonstrated the risk of pneumococcal meningitis post‐cochlear implantation. This review examines strategies to prevent post‐implant meningitis.Data SourcesMedline/PubMed database; English articles after 1980. Search terms: cochlear implants, pneumococcus meningitis, streptococcus pneumonia, immunization, prevention.Review MethodsNarrative review. All articles relating to post‐implant meningitis without any restriction in study designs were assessed and information extracted.ResultsThe presence of inner ear trauma as a result of surgical technique or cochlear implant electrode array design was associated with a higher risk of post‐implant meningitis. Laboratory data demonstrated the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in preventing meningitis induced via the hematogenous route of infection. Fibrous sealing around the electrode array at the cochleostomy site, and the use of antibiotic‐coated electrode array reduced the risk of meningitis induced via an otogenic route.ConclusionThe recent scientific data support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendation of pneumococcal vaccination for the prevention of meningitis in implant recipients. Nontraumatic cochlear implant design, surgical technique, and an adequate fibrous seal around the cochleostomy site further reduce the risk of meningitis.
Dynamic Posturography and Caloric Test Results Patients with and without Vertigo
Authors: Goebel Joel A. , Paige Gary D. 
Published: July 2017

Patients with Dizziness Were Evaluated with Caloric Stimulation and with Dynamic Platform Posturography (Neurocom Equltest). The Ability of These Tests To Detect Abnormalities in Patients with and Without Vertigo Was Assessed. In 159 Patients, roughly a third had abnormal calorics while half experienced one or more “falls” during posturography. Calorics revealed proportionately more abnormalities in patients with vertigo, whereas posturography alone did not distinguish between patients with or without vertigo. Posturography did, however, Identify abnormalities in a third of patients with normal calorics, regardless of their history of vertigo. Overall, more patients with vertigo had at least one abnormal test result (70%) compared with patients without vertigo (47%). We conclude that caloric abnormalities correlate with a history of vertigo, whereas posturographic deficits can be Identified regardless of the presence of vertigo.
Excitation Thresholds for Nerve Pedicles: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Broniatowski Michael , Grundfest‐Broniatowski Sharon , Davies Charles R. , Kasick Jerald C. , Jacobs Gordon B. , Nose Yukohiko , Tucker Harvey 
Published: July 2017

Ongoing Interest in the rehabilitation of paralyzed musculature in the head and neck has focused on the electronic stimulation of nerve‐muscle pedicles that have been relmplanted Into the Incapacitated effector(s). Despite visual and histochemical evidence of reinnervation, It Is still not known whether the excitability of a nerve‐muscle pedicle (or for that matter a direct nerve Implant) Is equivalent to or better than that of reinnervated or normal muscle. Such Information Is necessary for the eventual construction of an Implantable stimulator. Eighteen rabbits were anesthetized with Intramuscular xylazine and ketamine and the ansa hypoglossi nerve was cut on one side. A crossover nerve‐muscle pedicle was brought in from the opposite sternothyroid muscle to the sternohyoid in nine animals; the other nine received a direct nerve Implant. After a minimum neurotization period of 3 months and reexploration, an electrical stimulator capable of delivering square wave pulses of variable amplitude and width was used to determine the thresholds of contraction of the nerve pedicles, an Intact motor nerve of similar size, a normal muscle, and the relnnervated strap In 16 evaluable rabbits. Strength duration curves were established. The data Indicate that thresholds for nerve pedicles are equivalent to those of normal nerves and are significantly lower than those of muscle.
Foreign Direct Investment in the UK: Flows, Attitudes, and Implications+
Authors: Capie Forrest , Wood Geoffrey , Sensenbrenner Frank 
Published: July 2017

Foreign Investment, both direct and portfolio, is a much discussed subject throughout the world. There are substantial measurement problems, but the attention does not generally focus on these. Rather the attention is on its effects. In the context of developing countries, there is much discussion of whether the investment is destabilising, producing financial instability and maybe even financial crises. This is not a focus of concern in developing countries. But there is often concern there also. Fears are expressed over the dangers such investment creates for jobs, innovation, research and perhaps growth. The theme of this paper is that while such fears seem to be felt in many EU countries, they are generally absent in the UK. We document this and set out the scale of investment flows into UK, before turning to explanation of the UK attitude. Our conclusion is that the attitude is in good part a result of the UK system of corporate governance. This separates ownership and control to a much greater degree than is the case in the countries of Continental Europe, and, by separating them, makes many of the usual fears over foreign investment unnecessary, and indeed irrelevant. This, we suggest, has implications for the future pattern of investment flows in the EU.
Overcoming Positivism in Economics: Amartya Sen’s Project of Infusing Ethics into Economics
Authors: Alvey James E. 
Published: July 2017

Logical Positivism, which arose in philosophy early in the twentieth century, proclaimed the sharp distinction between facts and values. Despite objections at the time, positivism was imported into economics in the 1930s. Over time, objections lessened; economics was transformed and ethical considerations were driven out of its core. In the 1950s, debates about positivism arose within the discipline which had exported it. According to the American philosopher Hilary Putnam, the fact/value distinction is now discredited in philosophy. If that is so, the methodological foundations of contemporary economics are also discredited. This paper examines Amartya Sen’s moral science of economics. First, it presents his historical account of the connections between economics and ethics. Sen claims that there was a close connection between the two until positivism was imported. Second, it sketches some of Sen’s ethical objections to modern economics, which is still suffering from positivism. Finally, it lays out some of his ideas on how economics can be returned to an ethical path. Once the ground has been cleared of positivism, ethics can re-emerge in economics in various ways. One path has been marked out by Sen.
Inverting Economic Imperialism: The Philosophical Roots of Ethical Controversies in Economics
Authors: Duhs Alan 
Published: July 2017

Whereas economics is sometimes presented as the social science and indeed as imperialistic social science, the argument here is quite opposite. It is in fact economics itself which has been colonised by one or another political philosophy. Different schools of economic thought rest their foundations in different political and social philosophies, and this causes their proponents to orient their policy recommendations around differing definitions of ‘freedom’, ‘rationality’, ‘equality of opportunity’ and teleology. It is the a prioris of their implicit philosophies which gives distinctive character to their respective economic theories, and which define their approaches to ethical controversies in economics. Three broad schools of thought are identified in what follows. Chicago School economic imperialists base their response to questions of values and ethics in economics on the underlying philosophy of libertarianism. That philosophy is unacceptable to institutionalist economists, however, since for them people are not meaningfully free to do as they please, unless they are already free from various external constraints. A third set of economists, dubbed radicals, reject the conception of the nature of mankind which is implicit in orthodox economics, and consequently adopt a different view towards values and ethics in economics via their commitment to a different understanding of teleology, rationality and the conception of scientific method.