bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nateglinide provides tighter glycaemic control than glyburide in patients with Type 2 diabetes with prevalent postprandial hyperglycaemia
Authors: Bellomo Damato A. , Stefanelli G. , Laviola L. , Giorgino R. , Giorgino F. 
Published: December 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 560–566 (2011)AbstractAims  Postprandial hyperglycaemia in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease. This study compared the effects of mealtime (thrice‐daily) nateglinide with once‐daily glyburide on postprandial glucose levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes and postprandial hyperglycaemia.Methods  Patients with Type 2 diabetes aged ≥ 21 years with 2‐h postprandial glucose levels ≥ 11.1 mmol/l, HbA1c of 6.5–8.5% (48–69 mmol/mol) and BMI of 22–30 kg/m2 were randomized to 6 weeks’ double‐blind treatment with nateglinide 120 mg three times daily prior to meals, or glyburide 5 mg once daily before breakfast. The primary endpoint was the baseline‐adjusted change in plasma glucose from preprandial (fasting plasma glucose) to 2‐h postprandial glucose levels (2‐h postprandial glucose excursion) at 6 weeks.Results  Patients were randomized to nateglinide (n = 122) or glyburide (n = 110). The treatment groups were similar in terms of age, gender, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, 2‐h postprandial glucose and HbA1c. At endpoint, nateglinide recipients had significantly greater reductions than those receiving glyburide in both the 2‐h (−2.4 vs. −1.6 mmol/l; P = 0.02) and 1‐h (−1.7 vs. −0.9 mmol/l; P = 0.016) postprandial glucose excursions. Adverse events, most commonly symptomatic hypoglycaemia, were reported in 26% of recipients of glyburide and 22% of recipients of nateglinide. Episodes of suspected mild hypoglycaemia were reported in 24% of recipients of glyburide and 10% of recipients of nateglinide.Conclusions  Nateglinide leads to greater reductions in postprandial glucose excursions and is associated with a lower risk of hypoglycaemia than glyburide in this selected population of patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Nurse‐led cardiovascular risk factor intervention leads to improvements in cardiovascular risk targets and glycaemic control in people with Type 1 diabetes when compared with routine diabetes clinic attendance
Authors: Wallymahmed M. E. , Morgan C. , Gill G. V. , MacFarlane I. A. 
Published: December 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 373–379 (2011)AbstractAim  To compare the effects of a dedicated cardiovascular risk factor clinic run by a nurse consultant with routine diabetes clinic attendance in achieving glycaemic and cardiovascular risk targets in patients with Type 1 diabetes.Methods  Eighty‐one patients (45 male, mean age 34.6 years, mean duration of diabetes 15 years) with an HbA1c≥ 8% (64 mmol/mol) and at least one other risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease were randomized to receive either routine care or intensive nurse‐led cardiovascular risk factor intervention. HbA1c, non‐fasting lipid profile, blood pressure, weight, BMI and insulin dose were recorded at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months.Results  At baseline there were no differences between the groups. At 12 months, there were significant improvements in the nurse‐led cardiovascular risk factor group: HbA1c [10.1% (87 mmol/mol) vs. 9.3% (78 mmol/mol), P < 0.001], total cholesterol (5.8 vs. 4.3 mmol/l, P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (127 vs. 115 mmHg, P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (71 vs. 65 mmHg, P < 0.05). Improvements were maintained in all variables at 24 months except diastolic blood pressure. In the routine group, only total cholesterol improved significantly (5.8 vs. 5.2 mmol/l, P < 0.01) after 12 months and this was maintained at 24 months.Conclusion  A nurse consultant cardiovascular risk factor clinic has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk targets in Type 1 diabetes, probably attributable to the increased use of lipid‐lowering and anti‐hypertensive agents and this was maintained at 24 months. Glycaemic control also improved.
LOOKING BACKWARDS, LOOKING FORWARD: HOPES FOR BIOETHICS' NEXT TWENTY‐FIVE YEARS
Authors: SHERWIN SUSAN 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACTI reflect on the past, present, and future of the field of bioethics. In so doing, I offer a very situated overview of where bioethics has been, where it now is, where it seems to be going, where I think we could do better, and where I dearly hope the field will be heading. I also propose three ways of re‐orienting our theoretic tools to guide us in a new direction: (1) adopt an ethics of responsibility; (2) explore the responsibilities of various kinds of actors and relationships among them; (3) expand the types of participants engaged in bioethics.
Asset Price Misalignments and the Role of Money and Credit*
Authors: Gerdesmeier Dieter , Reimers Hans‐Eggert , Roffia Barbara 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThis paper contributes to the analysis on the properties of money and credit indicators for detecting asset price misalignments. After a literature review, the paper discusses several approaches useful for detecting asset price busts. Considering a sample of 17 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development industrialized countries and the euro area over the period 1969 Q1–2008 Q3, an asset price composite indicator incorporating developments in both stock and house price markets is constructed and a criterion to identify the periods characterized by asset price busts is proposed. The empirical analysis is based on a pooled probit‐type approach with several monetary, financial and real variables. According to statistical tests, credit aggregates (either in terms of annual changes or growth gap), changes in nominal long‐term interest rates and investment‐to‐GDP ratios jointly with either house or stock price dynamics turn out to be the best indicators helping to forecast asset price busts up to eight quarters in advance. Some robustness checks indicate that both the method used to identify asset price busts and the choice of the binary variable are reliable.
Modulation of Interleukin‐8 and staphylococcal flora by Avène hydrotherapy in patients suffering from chronic inflammatory dermatoses
Authors: Casas C , Ribet V , Alvarez‐Georges S , Sibaud V , Guerrero D , Schmitt A‐M , Redoulès D 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground  A number of studies argue in favour of an important role of microbial colonization, in particular of Staphylococcus aureus, in triggering atopic dermatitis (AD) flare‐up and psoriasis, in particular through the superantigenic properties of toxins generated by S. aureus.Objectives  The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 3‐week Avène hydrotherapy on the skin surface of patients suffering from psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.Methods  Skin samples were taken from healthy subjects or atopic (n = 18) or psoriatic patients (n = 39) undergoing hydrotherapy at Avène at the beginning (D0) and the end of treatment (D18). The severity of the dermatosis was evaluated according to SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) or Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores at D0 and D18. Marker of inflammation interleukin 8 (IL‐8), S. aureus colonization (protein A) and enterotoxins were assessed in skin samples using RT‐PCR.Results  At D0, significant differences were observed between healthy subjects and atopic or psoriatic patients in all the parameters evaluated (IL‐8, protein A). At the end of the hydrotherapy, a significant decrease in SCORAD was associated with a significant reduction of IL‐8, S. aureus colonization and enterotoxin D in patients with atopic dermatitis. Similarly, a significant decrease in PASI was associated with a significant reduction of IL‐8, S. aureus colonization and enterotoxin N in patients with psoriasis.Conclusions  This study demonstrates the positive effects of Avène hydrotherapy on the skin of patients suffering from chronic dermatosis, with decreased inflammation and reduced colonization by S. aureus.
Clinical efficacy of Avène hydrotherapy measured in a large cohort of more than 10,000 atopic or psoriatic patients
Authors: Merial‐Kieny C , Mengual X , Guerrero D , Sibaud V 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground  Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis are chronic skin conditions. Local or systemic treatments are effective, but their effects are transient. Hydrotherapy, used alone or in combination with other treatments, could be considered as one form of care in providing effective management of these dermatoses. The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the benefit of a 3‐week treatment at Avène Hydrotherapy Centre in a very large cohort of patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and psoriasis and to assess the treatment benefits on patients undergoing hydrotherapy for two consecutive years.Methods  This 8‐year observational study analysed 14 328 records of patients having a dermatological disease and who came to Avène Hydrotherapy Centre for a 3‐week treatment between 2001 and 2009. Among them, patients were suffering from atopic dermatitis (n = 5916) and psoriasis (n = 4887). On admission on D0 (day 0) and at the end of cure on D18 (day 18), the severity of AD and psoriasis were evaluated by SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), respectively. In order to assess the cumulative effect of the hydrotherapy treatment, the evolution of SCORAD or PASI of patients who came 2 years in a row was also calculated.Results  A significant improvement in SCORAD was observed between D0 and D18 (−41.6%) (P < 0.0001) and similarly, a significant reduction in PASI was noted between D0 and D18 (−54.4%) (P < 0.0001) after 3‐weeks of hydrotherapy. PASI 50 and PASI 75 were 64.3% and 19.5%, respectively. For atopic patients (n = 1102) or patients suffering from psoriasis (n = 833) who came for two consecutive years, a significant SCORAD and PASI improvement was observed on D0 of the second year when compared with D0 of the previous year (P < 0.0001).Conclusions  This study is the first observational study in such a large cohort demonstrating the benefit of a 3‐week treatment at the Avène Hydrotherapy Centre for atopic and psoriatic patients.
Prognostic value of galectin‐3 in primary cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Buljan M. , Šitum M. , Tomas D. , Milošević M. , Krušlin B. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground  Galectin‐3, one of the β‐galactoside‐binding lectins, has been suggested as a marker of disease progression in melanoma patients because of its overexpression observed in recent studies. However, prognostic value of galectin‐3 in primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) has not been clearly defined.Objectives  The aim of the study was to analyse whether the intensity of galectin‐3 expression can predict survival in patients with PMC.Methods  Galectin‐3 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in 104 PCM samples, including 71 (68.2%) superficial spreading (SSM) and 33 (31.8%) nodular melanomas (NM).Results  Significant difference of galectin‐3 expression between SSM and NM was determined (P < 0.001). Increased galectin‐3 expression was positively correlated with tumour thickness (P < 0.001), Clark (P < 0.001) and Breslow (P < 0.001) stage, mitotic rate (P < 0.001), presence of tumour ulceration (P < 0.001), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.018), positive sentinel lymph node (P < 0.022) and distant metastases (P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed an association between increased galectin‐3 expression and reduced recurrence‐free survival (RFS) (P = 0.001) and reduced disease‐specific survival (DSS) (P = 0.015). In Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, significant predictors of reduced RFS were positive sentinel lymph node (P = 0.025) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.021), whereas predictors of DSS were tumour thickness (P = 0.012), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.047), Clark stage (P = 0.029) and location of tumour on upper extremities (P = 0.024).Conclusions  Our results support the potential role of galectin‐3 in PCM development, progression and metastasis. Moreover, galectin‐3 could serve as an additional prognostic marker that might help in further stratifying the risk of disease progression and metastasis in patients with PMC.
Physical urticaria: prevalence, type and natural course in a tropical country
Authors: Silpa‐archa N. , Kulthanan K. , Pinkaew S. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground  Physical urticarias (PU) are an urticarial response to different specific physical stimuli. PU can occur concurrently with chronic spontaneous urticaria or another type of PU.Objective  We aimed to study the prevalence, type, clinical data and natural course of each type of PU and other inducible urticarias and also the prognostic factors for remission of patients visiting a tertiary referral hospital.Method  We performed a retrospective study of 1200 chronic urticaria patients who visited our Urticaria Clinic during a period of 5 years.Results  Of the 1200 chronic urticaria patients, 86 (7.2%) were diagnosed as PU and other inducible urticarias. The most common type of PU was symptomatic dermographism (n = 35, 40.7%) followed by cold urticaria (n = 20, 23.3%) and delayed pressure urticaria (n = 11, 12.8%), respectively. Twelve patients (13.9%) had associated chronic spontaneous urticaria. None of the cases had multiple types of PU. Erythrocyte sedimentary rate elevation was the most common abnormal laboratory result. Nevertheless, only 4.6% declared a related infection. For each type, the median time after onset before 50% remission showed that cholinergic urticaria took the shortest course (34 months) and delayed pressure urticaria took the longest period (110 months). After 1 year and 5 years from the onset of symptoms, 13% and 50% of PU patients were free of symptoms, respectively.Conclusion  This study emphasized the variety of PU, other inducible urticarias and natural courses based on tertiary hospital care. PU and other inducible urticarias have tendency to have a longer course than chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Right Action and the Non‐Virtuous Agent
Authors: VAN ZYL LIEZL 
Published: December 2010

abstractAccording to qualified‐agent virtue ethics, an action is right if and only if it is what a virtuous agent would characteristically do in the circumstances. I discuss two closely related objections to this view, both of which concern the actions of the non‐virtuous. The first is that this criterion sometimes gives the wrong result, for in some cases a non‐virtuous agent should not do what a virtuous person would characteristically do. A second objection is it altogether fails to apply whenever the agent, through previous wrongdoing, finds herself in circumstances that a virtuous person cannot be in. I focus on Rosalind Hursthouse's account of right action, and argue that it can provide a satisfactory response to both these objections. I do so by drawing attention to the distinction between action guidance and action assessment, and arguing that while the above criterion is adequate as a means of action assessment, we should turn to the virtue‐ and vice‐rules (v‐rules) for action guidance.
Failing where others have succeeded: Medial Frontal Negativity tracks failure in a social context
Authors: Boksem Maarten A. S. , Kostermans Evelien , De Cremer David 
Published: December 2010

AbstractMost of us can appreciate that it feels worse to fail when people around you are successful than when others are also failing. Indeed, comparison with other individuals is of central importance within social groups. Despite the importance of relative success or failure for human decision making and even well‐being, the underlying neurobiological substrate of this social comparison process is not well understood. In the present study, ERPs were recorded while two participants received feedback on both their own, and the other participant's performance on each trial. The results showed that medial frontal negativity, an ERP component associated with deviations from the desired outcome, is particularly enhanced when an individual's own outcomes are worse than those of others. These results indicate that the way the brain evaluates the success of our actions is crucially dependent on the success or failure of others.
NPY promotes chemokinesis and neurogenesis in the rat subventricular zone
Authors: Thiriet Nathalie , Agasse Fabienne , Nicoleau Camille , Guégan Christelle , Vallette François , Cadet Jean‐Lud , Jaber Mohamed , Malva João O. , Coronas Valérie 
Published: December 2010

J. Neurochem. (2011) 116, 1018–1027.AbstractThe subventricular zone (SVZ) is a major reservoir for stem cells in the adult mammalian brain. Neural stem cells supply the olfactory bulb with new interneurons and provide cells that migrate towards lesioned brain areas. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the brain, was previously shown to induce neuroproliferation on mice SVZ cells. In the present study, performed in rats, we demonstrate the endogenous synthesis of NPY by cells in the SVZ that suggests that NPY could act as an autocrine/paracrine factor within the SVZ area. We observed that NPY promotes SVZ cell proliferation as previously reported in mice, but does not affect self‐renewal of SVZ stem cells. Additionally, this study provides the first direct evidence of a chemokinetic activity of NPY on SVZ cells. Using pharmacological approaches, we demonstrate that both the mitogenic and chemokinetic properties of NPY involve Y1 receptor‐mediated activation of the ERK1/2 MAP kinase pathway. Altogether, our data establish that NPY through Y1 receptors activation controls chemokinetic activity and, as for mice, is a major neuroproliferative regulator of rat SVZ cells.
Women’s experience of a myocardial infarction: 5 years later
Authors: Sjöström‐Strand Annica , Ivarsson Bodil , Sjöberg Trygve 
Published: December 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 459–466

Women’s experience of a myocardial infarction: 5 years later Background:  Myocardial infarction (MI) has long been seen as a male disease despite the fact that it is also a health problem for women. Factors that may influence their recovery, such as co‐morbidity and requirements for support, have received less scientific attention.Aim:  To explore and describe how women conceived their health and daily life 5 years after an MI.Method:  An explorative and descriptive approach inspired by phenomenography was chosen as the design. The present study includes 12 women who have been described in earlier short‐term studies.Findings:  The women described how the MI caused limitations in their lives even 5 years after the MI. They experienced physical restrictions, fatigue and also other health complaints. Furthermore, the older women suffered from various co‐morbidities such as diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Some women did not perceive their heart disease to interfere in daily life. Many of the women had thoughts about having a new MI. Furthermore, some women were grateful and described it as having a second opportunity.Conclusion:  The present study indicates how women in the recovery process 5 years after an MI still need support to continue with lifestyle changes. The women continue to struggle with different kinds of issues, such as financial stress, co‐morbidity and side effects of medication. Support from the health care only in the first year after the MI is not enough. The women should benefit from the possibility to visit or consult professionals in primary care with knowledge of CHD.
Hot topics in aging research: protein translation and TOR signaling, 2010
Authors: Kaeberlein Matt , Kennedy Brian K. 
Published: December 2010

SummaryIn this, the fourth installment of our annual Hot Topics review on mRNA translation and aging, we have decided to expand our scope to include recent findings related to the role of TOR signaling in aging. As new data emerge, it is clear that TOR signaling acts upstream of mRNA translation, as well as a variety of other cellular processes, to modulate longevity and healthspan in evolutionarily diverse species. This Hot Topics review will cover important new findings in this area that have occurred over the past year. These include the demonstration that the TOR substrate ribosomal S6 kinase modulates longevity in mammals, the potential for TOR inhibitors as therapeutic treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and further studies emphasizing the importance of differential translation of specific mRNAs for healthy aging and enhanced longevity.
Public Policy towards Food Consumption*
Authors: Griffith Rachel , O'Connell Martin 
Published: December 2010

AbstractGovernments around the world are increasingly concerned about the rise in diet‐related chronic disease and there has been increased interest in policy interventions targeted at changing eating habits. In this paper, we discuss the ways in which food markets might fail to deliver the optimal outcome and how this may justify government intervention. We consider how well different types of policies – information campaigns, taxes and regulations – are able to counteract these market failures and we consider some of the implementation issues associated with targeting different consumers and anticipating firms' strategic responses.
The UK National Minimum Wage in Retrospect*
Authors: Dolton Peter , Bondibene Chiara Rosazza , Wadsworth Jonathan 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThis paper provides a retrospective summary of the effects of the UK national minimum wage (NMW) on labour market performance since its introduction in 1999. We use an ‘incremental differences‐in‐differences’ (IDiD) estimator to look at the effects of the NMW in each year through its differential impact across local labour markets. We find that the NMW is associated with a significant fall in wage inequality in the bottom half of the distribution. This suggests that geographical areas where the NMW ‘bites’ more have experienced larger declines in wage inequality than elsewhere. While the overall effect of the NMW on employment rates averaged over its existence is neutral, we do find small positive employment effects from 2003 onwards. Likewise, the association of the NMW with unemployment has been negative in recent years. NMW effects on hours have been mixed, but overall there is no compelling evidence to indicate that the NMW upratings have had an adverse effect on full‐time total hours of work. Notwithstanding the clarity of these results, any causal interpretation of them might be compromised by the presence of concomitant policies that might have been correlated with the ‘bite’ of the NMW.