Effects of gaze and speech rate on receivers' evaluations of persuasive speech.

This study examined how gaze and speech rate affect perceptions of a speaker. Participants viewed a video recording of one of four persuasive messages delivered by a female speaker. Analysis of speech rate, gaze, and listener's sex revealed that when combined with a small amount of gaze, slow speech rate decreased trustworthiness as compared to a fast speech rate. For women, slow speech rate was thought to be indicative of less expertise as compared to a fast speech rate, again when combined with low gaze. There were no significant interactions, but there were main effects of gaze and speech rate on persuasiveness. High levels of gaze and slow speech rate each enhanced perceptions of the speaker's persuasiveness.

Renoprotective effect of the addition of losartan to ongoing treatment with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in type-2 diabetic patients with nephropathy.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are frequently used for the treatment for glomerulonephritis and diabetic nephropathy because of their albuminuria- or proteinuria-reducing effects. To many patients who are nonresponsive to monotherapy with these agents, combination therapy appears to be a good treatment option. In the present study, we examined the effects of the addition of an ARB (losartan) followed by titration upon addition and at 3 and 6 months (n=14) and the addition of an ACE-I followed by titration upon addition and at 3 and 6 months (n=20) to the drug regimen treatment protocol in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy for whom more than 3-month administration of an ACE-I or the combination of an ACE-I plus a conventional antihypertensive was ineffective to achieve a blood pressure (BP) of 130/80 mmHg and to reduce urinary albumin to <30 mg/day. During the 12-month treatment, addition of losartan or addition of an ACE-I to the treatment protocol reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 10% and 12%, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 7% and 4%, and urinary albumin excretion by 38% and 20% of the baseline value, respectively. However, the effects on both BP and urinary albumin were not significantly different between the two therapies. In conclusion, addition of losartan or an ACE-I to an ongoing treatment with an ACE-I, or addition of an ACE-I to ongoing treatment with a conventional antihypertensive were equally effective at reducing the urinary albumin excretion and BP, and provided renal protection in patients with type-2 diabetic nephropathy.

Effects of irbesartan on 24-h blood pressure changes and urinary albumin levels in Japanese outpatients.

In Japan, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) became covered by health insurance in April 2008. In The Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension (JSH2009), the importance of 24-h blood pressure monitoring was also described in an additional section. Therefore, ABPM may be increasingly applied in hypertension treatment. However, in Japan, few studies have presented data on the effects of various anti-hypertensive agents on 24-h blood pressure changes. Irbesartan became commercially available in July 2008 as the sixth angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker in Japan. In the present study, 24-h blood pressure control was examined using ABPM in Japanese patients with essential hypertension who were treated with irbesartan, and its efficacy was evaluated. This study was completed in 30 of the 32 subjects. This agent decreased both the nocturnal and daytime blood pressures and reduced the rate of change in the systolic blood pressure early in the morning, resulting in favorable blood pressure control. It also significantly decreased the urinary albumin level, suggesting that it exhibits renoprotective effects at doses approved in Japan.