bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TQM self‐assessment evolves and promotes strategic learning at Ericsson España S.A.
Authors: Benavent Francisco Balbastre 
Published: February 2003

AbstractSelf‐assessment is a comprehensive, systematic, and regular review of an organization's
activities and results in reference to a business excellence model. This process allows the organization to
clearly discern its strengths and deficiencies, launch improvement plans, and monitor their progress. When
organizations repeatedly carry out this cycle of evaluation and action taking, they can achieve genuine and
sustained improvement.Many firms have found self‐assessment to be an important tool for fostering continuous improvement,
one of the fundamental principles of total quality management (TQM). Indeed, self‐assessment
has been employed by the winners of the most important quality awards—the Deming Prize in Japan, the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the United States, and the European Quality Award (EQA) in
Europe. Ericsson España S.A. (EESA), 1994 EQA winner, is among them. And the evolution of their
learnings from this effort has led them to a highly strategic focus. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals,
Inc.
Modulators of membrane drug transporters potentiate the activity of the DMI fungicide oxpoconazole against Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Hayashi Keisuke , Schoonbeek Henk‐jan , De Waard Maarten A 
Published: February 2003

AbstractModulators known to reduce multidrug resistance in tumour cells were tested for their potency to synergize the fungitoxic activity of the fungicide oxpoconazole, a sterol demethylation inhibitor (DMI), against Botrytis cinerea Pers. Chlorpromazine, a phenothiazine compound known as a calmodulin antagonist, appeared the most potent compound. Tacrolimus, a macrolide compound with immunosuppressive activity, was also active. The synergism of chlorpromazine negatively correlated with the sensitivity of the parent strain and mutants of B cinerea. The synergism was highest in a mutant that overexpressed the ATP‐binding cassette transporter BcatrD, known to transport DMI fungicides such as oxpoconazole. The synergism of chlorpromazine positively correlated with its potency to enhance the accumulation of oxpoconazole in BcatrD mutants. These results indicate that chlorpromazine is a modulator of BcatrD activity in B cinerea and suggest that mixtures of DMI fungicides with modulators may represent a perspective for the development of new resistance management strategies.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluation of Erysiphe graminis f sp tritici field isolates for resistance to strobilurin fungicides with different SNP detection systems
Authors: Bäumler Stefan , Sierotzki Helge , Gisi Ulrich , Mohler Volker , Felsenstein Friedrich G , Schwarz Gerhard 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) in the cytochrome b gene confers resistance to strobilurin fungicides in Erysiphe graminis DC f sp tritici Marchal. On the basis of this point mutation three different types of molecular markers have been developed. Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences and allele‐specific PCR were used to score resistant and sensitive isolates from specifically selected regional populations across Europe. The results of molecular tests were in total agreement with the resistance phenotypes revealed by in vivo tests. Serial dilutions of mixed samples (resistant/sensitive) delimited the detection for strobilurin‐resistant alleles to a range of 10–50% for both marker classes. Due to these detection limits no mixture of mitochondria within individual isolates was found. Denaturing high performance chromatography was used to increase the detection sensitivity for the mutant allele. Although the detection limit was lowered to 5–10%, there was no evidence for the existence of mixed mitochondrial genotypes.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
A mechanism for the formation of bis‐glutathione conjugates of propargyl alcohol
Authors: Banijamali Ali R , DeMatteo Vincent , Sumner Susan J 
Published: February 2003

AbstractOur earlier research clearly revealed glutathione (GSH) conjugation as a major pathway for the metabolism of propargyl alcohol (2‐propyn‐1‐ol) in rats and in mice. The identification of the metabolite 3,3‐bis[(2‐acetylamino‐2‐carboxyethyl)thio]‐1‐propanol (I) and its congeners represented the first example of multi‐glutathione addition to a triple bond, and invoked further research to determine the mechanism for bis‐conjugation. To determine whether GSH conjugated directly with propargyl alcohol or after oxidation of the latter to 2‐propynal, urinary metabolites from rats administered deuterium‐labeled propargyl alcohol were characterized. Following TLC separation and HPLC purification, mass spectrometry was used to show a single mass unit increase for metabolite I over that of the chemically synthesized standard. This result indicates that conjugation of propargyl alcohol with GSH to form the bis‐conjugates occurred after initial oxidation to 2‐propynal, a reaction that is analogous to a Michael addition.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Development and preventative effect against pine wilt disease of a novel liquid formulation of emamectin benzoate
Authors: Takai Kazuya , Suzuki Toshio , Kawazu Kazuyoshi 
Published: February 2003

AbstractInjection of the poorly water‐soluble emamectin benzoate (EB) into pine trunks required the development of an efficient liquid formulation. For injection into big trees in forests a good rate of injection and a high active content were required. Tests on the viscosity and EB‐solubilizing ability of 14 various solubilizers in diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (DGMBE) led to the selection of Sorpol SM‐100PM as the solubilizer of the formulation. Relationships between the solubilizing ability and amounts of Sorpol SM‐100PM and DGMBE relative to that of EB, and between the concentration of the latter and the viscosity or the injection rate of the formulation led to a novel 40 g litre−1 emamectin benzoate formulation (Shot Wan Liquid Formulation), which was composed of EB (40), Sorpol SM‐100PM (120), DGMBE (160) and distilled water (50 g litre−1) in methanol. Injection of this formulation at a dose of 10 g EB per unit volume of pine tree prevented over 90% of the trees from wilting caused by pine wood nematode, and this preventative effect continued for 3 years. Neither discolouration of the leaves nor injury around the injection hole on the trees was observed after injection of the formulation.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Adjusting treatment comparisons to account for non‐randomized interventions: an example from an angina trial
Authors: White Ian R. , Carpenter James , Pocock Stuart J. , Henderson Robert A. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractIn a clinical trial where some subjects receive one or more non‐randomized interventions during follow‐up, primary interest is in the effect of the overall treatment strategies as implemented, but it may also be of interest to adjust treatment comparisons for non‐randomized interventions. We consider non‐randomized interventions, especially surgical procedures, which only occur when the outcome would otherwise have been poor. Focusing on an outcome measured repeatedly over time, we describe the variety of questions that may be addressed by an adjusted analysis. The adjusted analyses involve new outcome variables defined in terms of the observed outcomes and the history of non‐randomized intervention. We also show how to check the assumption that the outcome would otherwise have been poor, and how to do a sensitivity analysis. We apply these methods to a clinical trial comparing initial angioplasty with medical management in patients with angina. We find that the initial benefit of a single angioplasty in reducing angina tends to disappear with time, but a policy of additional interventions as required yields a benefit that is maintained over 4 years. Such methods may be of interest to many pragmatic randomized trials in which the effects of the initial randomized treatments and the effects of the overall treatment strategies as implemented are both of interest. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Group sequential design for comparative diagnostic accuracy studies
Authors: Mazumdar Madhu , Liu Aiyi 
Published: February 2003

AbstractIn the field of diagnostic medicine, comparative clinical trials are necessary for assessing the utility of one diagnostic test over another. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, commonly referred to as AUC, is a general measure of a test's inherent ability to distinguish between patients with and without a condition. Standardized AUC difference is the most frequently used statistic for comparing two diagnostic tests. In therapeutic comparative clinical trials with sequential patient entry, fixed sample design (FSD) is unjustified on ethical and economical grounds and group sequential design (GSD) is frequently used. In this paper, we argue that the same reasoning exists for the comparative clinical trials in diagnostic medicine and hence GSD should be utilized in this field for designing trials. Since computation of the stopping boundaries of GSD and data analysis after a group sequential test rely heavily on Brownian motion approximation, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the standardized AUC difference statistic and point out its resemblance to the Brownian motion. Boundary determination and sample size calculation are then illustrated through an example from a cancer clinical trial. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlling type I error rate for fast track drug development programmes
Authors: Shih Weichung J. , Ouyang Peter , Quan Hui , Lin Yong , Michiels Bart , Bijnens Luc 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997 has a Section (No. 112) entitled ‘Expediting Study and Approval of Fast Track Drugs’ (the Act). In 1998, the FDA issued a ‘Guidance for Industry: the Fast Track Drug Development Programs’ (the FTDD programmes) to meet the requirement of the Act. The purpose of FTDD programmes is to ‘facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs that are intended to treat serious or life‐threatening conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs’. Since then many health products have reached patients who suffered from AIDS, cancer, osteoporosis, and many other diseases, sooner by utilizing the Fast Track Act and the FTDD programmes. In the meantime several scientific issues have also surfaced when following the FTDD programmes. In this paper we will discuss the concept of two kinds of type I errors, namely, the ‘conditional approval’ and the ‘final approval’ type I errors, and propose statistical methods for controlling them in a new drug submission process. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pattern mixture models for longitudinal quality of life studies in advanced stage disease
Authors: Pauler Donna K. , McCoy Sheryl , Moinpour Carol 
Published: February 2003

AbstractAnalyses of longitudinal quality of life (QOL) for patients with advanced stage disease are frequently plagued by problems of non‐random drop‐out attributable to deteriorating health and/or death. As an example, Moinpour et al. cite specific challenges which limited their report and assessment of QOL for patients treated for advanced stage colorectal cancer in a clinical trial of several chemotherapeutic regimes performed by the Southwest Oncology Group. A particular source of confusion that arises in studies of advanced stage disease is whether or not to differentiate loss of follow‐up due to death from drop‐out where the patient is still alive but has dropped from the study. In this paper we examine exploratory data techniques for longitudinal QOL data with non‐random missingness due to drop‐out and censorship by death. We propose a pattern mixture model for longitudinal QOL, time of drop‐out and survival, which allows for straightforward implementation of sensitivity analyses and explicit comparisons to the raw data. Our method is illustrated in the context of analysing the data and addressing the challenges posed by Moinpour et al. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hierarchical Bayesian approaches to phase II trials in diseases with multiple subtypes
Authors: Thall Peter F. , Wathen J. Kyle , Bekele B. Nebiyou , Champlin Richard E. , Baker Laurence H. , Benjamin Robert S. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractWe propose a methodology for conducting phase II clinical trials in settings where the disease is categorized into multiple subtypes. A hierarchical Bayesian model is assumed for treatment effects within the subtypes. The hierarchical model, which is tailored to each particular application, allows treatment effects to differ across subtypes while assuminga priorithat the effects are exchangeable and correlated. Two applications are described. The first is a trial of imatinib for sarcoma in which treatment activity is characterized by a binary indicator of tumour response. The second is a phase II trial of a new preparative regimen for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in patients with haematologic malignancies, with treatment effect characterized by the mean time from transplant to disease progression or death. The applications illustrate how the hierarchical Bayesian model borrows strength across subtypes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do life events have their effect on psychosis by influencing the emotional reactivity to daily life stress?
Authors: MYIN-GERMEYS I. , KRABBENDAM L. , DELESPAUL P. A. E. G. , VAN OS J. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Life events (LE) have consistently been found to influence course and outcome of psychotic disorders. However, the mechanism through which they operate is not known. The present study investigated whether LE have their effect by impacting on the emotional sensitivity for daily hassles.Method. Patients with clinically remitted psychotic illness (N=42) were studied with the Experience Sampling Method (a structured diary technique assessing current context and mood in daily life) to assess: (1) appraised subjective stress related to daily events and activities; and (2) emotional reactivity conceptualized as changes in both negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA). LE were assessed with the Brown & Harris Life Event and Difficulties Schedule.Results. Multilevel regression analyses showed that previous exposure to LE influenced the appraised stressfulness of neither daily events nor the activities in which the subjects were involved. However, a history of LE did modify the emotional reaction to daily life stress, both in models predicting NA and in models predicting PA.Conclusions. By their cumulative effect on emotional reactivity to daily activities and events, LE may render individuals more vulnerable to the onset or persistence of psychotic experiences.
The clinical effectiveness of counselling in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: BOWER P. , ROWLAND N. , HARDY R. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Counselling is frequently used in the management of common mental disorders (such as anxiety and depression) in primary care. However, there are concerns over the clinical effectiveness of counselling, both in comparison with usual general practitioner care, and with other treatments such as alternative psychological therapies and antidepressant treatment. This study used systematic review methodology to assess the current evidence-base.Method. A systematic literature review located seven trials of relevance, comparing counselling with usual general practitioner care, cognitive-behaviour therapy and antidepressant medication. Data on internal and external validity were examined using a standardized quality rating scheme. Data concerning the impact of counselling on symptoms of anxiety and depression were pooled using meta-analytical procedures.Results. The main analyses showed significantly greater clinical effectiveness of counselling compared with usual general practitioner care in the short-term (standardized mean difference −0·28, 95% CI −0·43 to −0·13, N=741, six trials) but not the long-term (standardized mean difference −0·07, 95% CI −0·26 to 0·12, N=447, four trials). Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to test the robustness of the results.Conclusion. Counselling is associated with modest improvement in short-term outcome compared with usual general practitioner care, and thus may be a useful addition to mental health services in primary care.
Patient–practitioner agreement: does it matter?
Authors: GABBAY M. , SHIELS C. , BOWER P. , SIBBALD B. , KING M. , WARD E. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Good communication is a crucial clinical skill. Previous research demonstrated better clinical outcomes when practitioners and patients agree about the nature of patients' core presenting complaints. We investigated the nature of this agreement and its impact on outcome among depressed primary care patients.Method. We compared presenting problem formulations completed by patients, GPs and therapists in a primary care randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioural therapy and non-directive counselling for depression. Participants compiled formulations from a list of 13 potential problems of self-completed questionnaires. Subjects scored at least 14 on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline. Outcome measure for this study included BDI at 4 and 12 months, failure to attend for therapy when referred, dropout from therapy and patient satisfaction.Results. Among 464 trial patients, 395 received therapy. Patient baseline problem formulations included significantly more items than GPs, who identified significantly more items than therapists. Agreement levels varied according to a range of patient and professional variables. While patients in complete agreement with their therapists about their main problem after assessment had lower average BDI scores at 12 months (9·7 v. 12·8, P=0·03); we found no other significant associations between the extent of agreement and clinical outcome. There were significant (but relatively weak) associations between agreement and aspects of patient satisfaction.Conclusion. Our results suggest that detailed mutual understanding of the presenting complaints may be less important than agreement that the core problem is psychological, and that referral for psychological therapy is appropriate.
Learning disability and epilepsy in an epidemiological sample of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex
Authors: JOINSON C. , O'CALLAGHAN F. J. , OSBORNE J. P. , MARTYN C. , HARRIS T. , BOLTON P. F. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Intellectual impairments are a recognized feature of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), but the frequency and degree of intellectual impairments has not been systematically studied in large epidemiological samples using standardized measures. As such, the form of the IQ distribution (uni- or bi-modal) has not been established and the relationship between IQ and other features (e.g. epilepsy history) is poorly delineated. To address these shortcomings, we assessed the intellectual abilities of a large epidemiological sample of individuals with TSC, drawn from the ‘Wessex’ area of SW England and compared them with the abilities of their unaffected siblings.Method. Standardized tests were used to estimate the abilities of 108 (56 males, 52 females, median age=25, range=4–75) individuals with TSC and 29 unaffected siblings (14 males, 15 females, median age=18, range=6–55). Seizure history was obtained from informants and medical records.Results. Estimated IQ was bi-modally distributed: 55·5% had an IQ in the normal range; 14% had mild to severe impairments; and 30·5% had profound disability (IQ<21). Forty-four per cent of the individuals with TSC had an IQ<70. In the subset of normally intelligent individuals with TSC, IQ was normally distributed with a mean of 93·6. This mean was significantly lower than the mean IQ of unaffected siblings (IQ=105·6). All individuals with learning disability had a history of seizures that usually commenced before 12 months of age and that often presented as infantile spasms. Multivariate analyses indicated that a history of seizures as well as a history of infantile spasms was predictive of the degree of intellectual impairment.Conclusions. Intellectual abilities were bi-modally distributed in a representative sample of individuals with TSC. The likelihood of impairment was associated with a history of seizures, particularly infantile spasms. The genetic and brain basis of these findings requires further investigation.
Computerized, interactive, multimedia cognitive-behavioural program for anxiety and depression in general practice
Authors: PROUDFOOT J. , GOLDBERG D. , MANN A. , EVERITT B. , MARKS I. , GRAY J. A. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) brings about significant clinical improvement in anxiety and depression, but therapists are in short supply. We report the first phase of a randomized controlled trial of an interactive multimedia program of cognitive-behavioural techniques, Beating the Blues™ (BtB), in the treatment of patients in general practice with anxiety, depression or mixed anxiety/depression.Method. One hundred and sixty-seven adults suffering from anxiety and/or depression and not receiving any form of psychological treatment or counselling were randomly allocated to receive, with or without medication, BtB or treatment as usual (TAU). Measures were taken on five occasions: prior to treatment, 2 months later, and at 1, 3 and 6 months follow-up using the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Work and Social Adjustment Scale.Results. Patients who received BtB showed significantly greater improvement in depression and anxiety compared to TAU by the end of treatment (2 months) and to 6 months follow-up. Symptom reduction was paralleled by improvement in work and social adjustment. There were no interactions of BtB with concomitant pharmacotherapy or duration of illness, but evidence, on the Beck Anxiety Inventory only, of interaction with primary care practice. Importantly, there was no interaction between the effects of BtB and baseline severity of depression, from which we conclude that the effects of the computer program are independent of starting level of depression.Conclusions. These results demonstrate that computerized interactive multimedia cognitive-behavioural techniques under minimal clinical supervision can bring about improvements in depression and anxiety, as well as in work and social adjustment, with and without pharmacotherapy and in patients with pre-treatment illness of durations greater or less than 6 months. Thus, our results indicate that wider dissemination of cognitive-behavioural techniques is possible for patients suffering from anxiety and/or depression.