bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long‐term follow‐up study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia with or without concomitant hypertension
Authors: Chung Byung Ha , Hong Sung Joon 
Published: November 2005

OBJECTIVETo assess the long‐term efficacy and safety of extended‐release doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) under routine clinical care conditions over 12 months in Korean men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with and without coexisting hypertension.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn this open‐label, multicentre, uncontrolled, flexible‐dose study, 475 men (≥40 years old) with clinical evidence of BPH were enrolled from 40 centres. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 2, 6 and 12 months of treatment. The primary efficacy variable was the Clinicians Global Assessment of Change (CGAC; improved, no change, or worse). Secondary efficacy variables were International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume. Adverse events (AEs) and blood pressure (BP) were also recorded.RESULTSIn all, 186 patients completed the study; based on the CGAC, most patients (155, 83.8%) improved and 31 (16.2%) had no change in symptoms. The mean (sd) change in the IPSS and QoL from baseline were −9.0 (6.8) and −1.6 (1.4), respectively (both P < 0.05). The Qmax and PVR urine volume were significantly better than at baseline, with means of 10.5 (4.3) vs 13.7 (6.3), and 39.1 (37.0) vs 23.2 (33.7); P < 0.05). The decrease in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) from baseline in 52 hypertensive patients was significantly greater than in 134 normotensive patients, at (SBP/DBP) −9.5 (18.4)/−13.4 (10.9) vs −3.3 (12.5)/−1.4 (9.5); P < 0.05). A total of 47 AEs were reported in 41 of 475 patients (8.6%); the most common were dizziness (2.7%), erectile dysfunction (1.1%), dry mouth (1.1%), prostatic disorder (0.6%), and postural hypotension (0.4%).CONCLUSIONSAfter 12 months, treatment with doxazosin GITS resulted in an improvement in > 83% of patients based on the CGAC, with significant improvements in IPSS, QoL, Qmax, and PVR urine volume. Doxazosin GITS was effective and well tolerated as long‐term therapy for Korean patients with BPH.
A very promising new glucolipidic surfactant: LipowheatTM
Authors: Djedour A. , Lafforgue C. , Marty J.‐P. , Grossiord J.‐L. 
Published: November 2005

SynopsisLipowheatTM is an entirely biodegradable 100% natural active ingredient, extracted from non‐transgenic wheat. Thanks to its very interesting properties, it can integrate the composition of most cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. The aim of this work was first to realize a large range of stable simple or multiple emulsions, in order to determine and evaluate the ability of a new glucolipidic surfactant LipowheatTM to form and stabilize emulsions. The rheological properties of these emulsions were tested during a 30‐day storage period at three different storage conditions (cold, room temperature and at 40°C). In addition to dynamic and static rheological tests, droplet size distribution of the cream was also determined. Furthermore, a stable simple emulsion was selected to realize percutaneous absorption and evaluate the properties of LipowheatTM.
Influence of cosmetics on emotional, autonomous, endocrinological, and immune reactions
Authors: Pössel P. , Ahrens S. , Hautzinger M. 
Published: November 2005

SynopsisRecent findings indicate that cosmetics increase positive valence of emotions and thereby influence the autonomous nerve system. Other studies showed the effects of emotions on the endocrinological and the immune system. Based on this preliminary conclusion, the aim of the present study was to prove whether cosmetics are able to decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol and strengthen the immune system. Four slides of made up or unvarnished women each, integrated in another 16 slides each of equivalent valence and arousal, were presented to 60 women. During stimulus presentation, subjective (valence), autonomous (heart rate), endocrinological (salivary cortisol) as well as immunological reactions [secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA)] were recorded. As expected subjective ratings concerning the slides of made up women reported more positive valence than those concerning unvarnished women. Furthermore, heart rate decreased under presentation of made up women, which indicates the positive influence of these slides on the autonomous nerve system. Furthermore, in half of the volunteers a decrease of cortisol and an increase of sIgA level while presenting the made up women was measurable in contrast to the presentation of unvarnished women. Maybe this is due to a short presentation time and the endocrinological as well as the immune system can be hardly influenced that quick. Another explanation could be that the volunteers were in part so called psychophysiological non‐responders who show no reaction to emotional stimuli in the endocrinological and the immune system. It has to be considered that only the influence of visual stimuli and not the influence of social care (e.g. positive statements of other, etc.), which is normally connected with the use of cosmetics, was assessed, so that these delineated positive results show the lower limit of cosmetic effects.
Synthesis of enzymatically active human α‐l‐iduronidase in Arabidopsis cgl (complex glycan‐deficient) seeds
Authors: Downing Willa L. , Galpin Jason D. , Clemens Sabine , Lauzon Shauna M. , Samuels A. Lacey , Pidkowich Mark S. , Clarke Lorne A. , Kermode Allison R. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryAs an initial step to develop plants as systems to produce enzymes for the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders, Arabidopsis thaliana wild‐type (Col‐0) plants were transformed with a construct to express human α‐l‐iduronidase (IDUA; EC 3.2.1.76) in seeds using the promoter and other regulatory sequences of the Phaseolus vulgaris arcelin 5‐I gene. IDUA protein was easily detected on Western blots of extracts from the T2 seeds, and extracts contained IDUA activity as high as 2.9 nmol 4‐methylumbelliferone (4 MU)/min/mg total soluble protein (TSP), corresponding to approximately 0.06 µg IDUA/mg TSP. The purified protein reacted with an antibody specific for xylose‐containing plant complex glycans, indicating its transit through the Golgi complex. In an attempt to avoid maturation of the N‐linked glycans of IDUA, the same IDUA transgene was introduced into the Arabidopsis cgl background, which is deficient in the activity of N‐acetylglucosaminyl transferase I (EC 2.4.1.101), the first enzyme in the pathway of complex glycan biosynthesis. IDUA activity and protein levels were significantly higher in transgenic cgl vs. wild‐type seeds (e.g. maximum levels were 820 nmol 4 MU/min/mg TSP, or 18 µg IDUA/mg TSP). Affinity‐purified IDUA derived from cgl mutant seeds showed a markedly reduced reaction with the antibody specific for plant complex glycans, despite transit of the protein to the apoplast. Furthermore, gel mobility changes indicated that a greater proportion of its N‐linked glycans were susceptible to digestion by Streptomyces endoglycosidase H, as compared to IDUA derived from seeds of wild‐type Arabidopsis plants. The combined results indicate that IDUA produced in cgl mutant seeds contains glycans primarily in the high‐mannose form. This work clearly supports the viability of using plants for the production of human therapeutics with high‐mannose glycans.
Measurement of Outcome: A Proposed Scheme
Authors: STARFIELD BARBARA 
Published: November 2005

The need to demonstrate that health care has an influence on health status is increasingly pressing. Such demonstrations require tools of measurement which are unfortunately not available. Development of instruments has been hampered by a lack of consensus on appropriate frames of reference, and there appears to be little agreement on what should be measured and what relative importance should be ascribed to different dimensions of health status. An approach that does not require the assignment of numerical values or weights to various aspects of health status and is applicable to all age groups within the population and to the whole spectrum of health problems rather than to specific medical diagnoses would seem desirable. A scheme that is based upon the development of a “profile” rather than a single “index” for describing health status is proposed in this paper. The model is a conceptual framework whose usefulness will depend upon efforts of a large number of researchers from many disciplines to develop instruments which can be incorporated in it.Although the problems in development of the scheme are complex, I hope that it will focus attention on the relevant dimensions and facilitate improved coordination of efforts to produce ways to demonstrate what health care contributes to health.
Annotation: What do we know about sensory dysfunction in autism? A critical review of the empirical evidence
Authors: Rogers Sally J. , Ozonoff Sally 
Published: November 2005

Background:  Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are seen in many children with autism. Their presence was highlighted both in early accounts of autism and in more recent first‐person descriptions. There is a widespread belief that sensory symptoms characterize autism and differentiate it from other disorders. This paper examines the empirical evidence for this assumption.Method:  All controlled experimental laboratory investigations published since 1960 were identified through systematic searches using Medline/PubMed and PsycInfo search engines. A total of 48 empirical papers and 27 theoretical or conceptual papers were reviewed.Results:  Sensory symptoms are more frequent and prominent in children with autism than in typically developing children, but there is not good evidence that these symptoms differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. Certain groups, including children with fragile X syndrome and those who are deaf‐blind, appear to demonstrate higher rates of sensory symptoms than children with autism. In reviewing the evidence relevant to two theories of sensory dysfunction in autism, over‐ and under‐arousal theory, we find that there is very little support for hyper‐arousal and failure of habituation in autism. There is more evidence that children with autism, as a group, are hypo‐responsive to sensory stimuli, but there are also multiple failures to replicate findings and studies that demonstrate lack of group differences.Conclusions:  The use of different methods, the study of different sensory modalities, and the changing scientific standards across decades complicate interpretation of this body of work. We close with suggestions for future research in this area.
Appraisal and coping processes among chronic low back pain patients
Authors: Busch Hillevi 
Published: November 2005

Objectives:  Appraisals and coping play important roles in musculoskeletal disorders, but how these aspects develop over time remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to examine the development of pain‐related appraisals, coping and well behaviours among chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients.Methods:  Twenty‐two outpatients (15 women, 7 men) of working age were interviewed about past and present experiences of CLBP. The interviews were analysed using Grounded theory.Results:  The majority of the participants used disregarding processes in response to CLBP. The disregarding process developed from a psychological defence into a conscious coping strategy, the transition mediated by a crisis. This defence seemed to protect the participants’ self‐concept and reduce emotional discomfort, although it did not promote rehabilitation. The disregarding strategy was usually employed in later phases of the disorder and was consistent with active attempts at changing pain‐related behaviours.Study limitation:  Most of the participants had experienced CLBP for several years, thus the risk of memory bias cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, the sample was composed of relatively healthy subjects, thus the findings may not apply to chronic low back patients in general.Conclusion:  Acceptance of CLBP favoured rehabilitation and helped participants change pain‐related behaviours.
Comparison of lifestyle and health among Danish nurses and the Danish female population: is it possible to generalize findings from nurses to the general female population?
Authors: Friis Karina , Ekholm Ola , Hundrup Yrsa A. 
Published: November 2005

Aims:  To generalize findings from a nursing population to the general female population, the aim of this study was to compare lifestyle and health among Danish female nurses with that among Danish women. Furthermore, the aim was to compare lifestyle and health among Danish female nurses with women belonging to the same socio‐economic group as nurses.Methods:  Danish females above the age of 44 in 1999 (n = 22 715) were compared with a group of women from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey conducted in 2000 (n = 4445). Age standardized risk ratios (SRR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare the two groups.Results:  Nurses smoke less (SRR 0.74, CI: 0.70–0.78) and are more physically active (SRR 2.53, CI: 2.31–2.77) when compared with the general female population. A higher percentage of nurses consume five drinks or more on a weekday compared with the general female population (SRR 2.68, CI: 2.25–3.19). When comparing nurses with women belonging to the same socio‐economic group, these differences are also found to be statistically significant, but no differences are found according to overweight/obesity, self‐reported health and limitations in daily activities when nurses are compared with women belonging to the same socio‐economic group.Conclusions:  In general, Danish nurses have a healthier lifestyle than other Danish women. In future studies, differences and similarities in lifestyle and health between nurses and other women should be considered when generalizing findings from Danish nurses to the Danish female population.
Predictors of quality of life among spouses of stroke patients during the first year after the stroke event
Authors: Larson Jenny , Franzén‐Dahlin Åsa , Billing Ewa , von Arbin Magnus , Murray Veronica , Wredling Regina 
Published: November 2005

Background:  Stroke, a disease with severe consequences for patients and their families, often lead to psychosocial stress, and a decline in the quality of life (QoL) among carers. Predicting the QoL is essential in the development of effective nursing support interventions.Aim:  The aim of the present study was to identify predicting factors for the general QoL among spouses of stroke patients, and to determine whether these predictors change during the first year after the patient's stroke event.Design:  One hundred spouses were followed three times during 1 year regarding QoL, own illness, economic situation, well being, life situation, sense of coherence, social network and the patients' ability in activities of daily living (ADL). Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were conducted for the baseline, 6‐ and 12‐month assessments respectively, with the present QoL as the dependent variable.Results:  Over time during the first year after the patients’ stroke event, there were significant differences in the spouses perceived general QoL. Life situation and economic situation were the only predictors of the spouses’ QoL, which emerged during the entire year after the patient's stroke event, while well being, education, own illness, social network and ADL ability (patient) emerged at one or two occasions.Conclusion:  The psychosocial factors – life situation, well being, social network, education and economy – are important in predicting QoL among spouses of stroke patients, and these predicting factors change over time. Determining the predictors at an early stage, and continuously over time, will help to focus clinical nursing interventions on the spouses’ changing needs.
Long‐term complications of sulphur mustard poisoning in severely intoxicated Iranian veterans
Authors: Balali‐Mood Mahdi , Hefazi Mehrdad , Mahmoudi Mahmoud , Jalali Eshagh , Attaran Davoud , Maleki Masoud , Razavi Mohammad Etezad , Zare Gholamali , Tabatabaee Abbas , Jaafari Mahmoud‐Reza 
Published: November 2005

AbstractSulphur mustard (SM) is an alkylating chemical warfare agent that was widely used during the World War I and in the Iran–Iraq conflict. Delayed complications of SM in different organs and their severity correlations have not previously been reported. Dermatological, ophthalmological, neurological and respiratory examinations, as well as spirometry, gasometry, high resolution computed tomography scanning of the chest, electromyography, nerve conduction velocity, cell blood counts, flow‐cytometric analyses, and measurement of serum immunoglobulins and complement factors were performed on all severely SM poisoned veterans in the province of Khorasan, Iran. Haematological and immunological studies were also performed on a control group consisting of 35 healthy male subjects. The severity of dermal, ocular and respiratory complications were classified into four grades and their correlations with each other as well as with the haematological and immunological parameters were determined, using Spearman's rank correlation test. Forty male patients (aged 43.8 ± 9.8 years) with confirmed SM poisoning 16–20 years after the exposure were studied. The most common complications were found in the lungs (95%), peripheral nerves (77.5%), skin (75%), and eyes (65%). WBC, RBC, haematocrit (HCT), IgM, C3, and the percentages of monocytes and CD3+ lymphocytes were significantly (P < 0.042) higher and the percentage of CD16 + 56 positive cells was significantly (P = 0.006) lower in the patients than in the control group. The severity of respiratory complications revealed a significant correlation with the severity of ocular complications (r = 0.322, P = 0.043), as well as with the haemoglobin (r = 0.369, P = 0.024) and HCT (r = 0.470, P =0.003). Although late complications of SM poisoning in the skin, eyes, and respiratory system are mainly due to its direct toxic effects, the neuromuscular, haematological and immunological complications are probably the result of systemic toxicity.
Comparative trial of tramadol/paracetamol and codeine/paracetamol combination tablets on the vigilance of healthy volunteers
Authors: Pickering Gisèle , Estrade Marielle , Dubray Claude 
Published: November 2005

AbstractCombination of tramadol 37.5 mg/paracetamol 325 mg (a), or codeine 30 mg/paracetamol 500 mg (b) or 300 mg have similar pain efficacy but a difference has been suggested concerning their adverse events on vigilance. In clinical practice, combinations are usually given at the above‐mentioned dosage three to four times a day. The aim of this study was to compare a single dose of these two combinations (a) and (b) in 24 healthy young volunteers on visual choice reaction time (CRT, ms). Results show a longer CRT (P < 0.05) (up to 4% of the control value 3 h post‐dosing) and a higher report of somnolence in the codeine/paracetamol group compared with tramadol/paracetamol group (50% vs. 4% of the subjects). This observation is important and proves that even a single dosage of these largely used drugs may have a significant effect. This finding should be further investigated in elderly subjects who consume largely these drugs for chronic pain alleviation and who are more prone to this kind of adverse event.
Some issues with composite endpoints in clinical trials
Authors: Chi George Y.H. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractThis article discusses some important issues that may arise in the current usage of composite endpoints as primary endpoints for demonstrating the efficacy of new drugs in clinical trials. The discussion focuses on time‐to‐event composite endpoints. Issues discussed include validity of a composite endpoint, the often lack of follow‐up of patients beyond first event, the analysis of a composite endpoint, its sub‐composite and individual component endpoints and their interpretation. Actual published examples in the literature are used to illustrate some of these problems. It is recommended that a clinical trial using a composite endpoint as the primary endpoint should be designed to include patient follow‐up beyond the first event if possible. For data collected from such trials, basic formats for tabular presentation of trial data and for results of analysis of the composite endpoint, its sub‐composite and individual component endpoints are proposed for transparency and ease of interpretation.
Pharmacological interventions that directly stimulate or modulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β‐cell: implications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Farret Anne , Lugo‐Garcia Laura , Galtier Florence , Gross René , Petit Pierre 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBlood glucose concentration is controlled by a number of hormone and neurotransmitter signals, either increasing or reducing glucose levels in the case of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, respectively. The pancreatic β‐cell responds to an increase in circulating glucose levels by a cascade of metabolic and electrophysiological events leading to the secretion of insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia; the progressive pancreatic β‐cell dysfunction, with altered insulin production and secretion, is a major pathophysiological determinant of the disease together with the resistance of insulin‐sensitive tissues to the action of the hormone. Hence, drugs which stimulate or enhance insulin secretion will reduce plasma glucose concentrations; this lowering of hyperglycemia will, in turn, reduce the occurrence of long‐term complications. KATP channels play a critical role in insulin secretion and can be considered as transducers of glucose‐induced metabolic changes into biophysical events leading to the exocytosis of insulin granules. All currently marketed insulin secretagogues, sulfonylureas and glinides, target the β‐cell KATP channels and reduce their opening probability. They induce insulin release regardless of the plasma glucose concentration, thus favoring the occurrence of hypoglycemia in the fasting state. Despite the intensive use of current drugs, many patients suffering from type 2 diabetes still exhibit poor glycemic control, others fail to respond to the treatment, and some develop serious complications. Therefore, there is a real need for innovative compounds, either enhancing insulin secretion from the pancreas or improving insulin action on the hormone‐sensitive tissues. Here, we overview the existing and novel approaches targeting the β‐cell to enhance the release of insulin, with special emphasis on new ways of amplifying insulin secretion in a glucose‐dependent manner.