Three studies investigated the hypothesis that gay men (both in terms of homosexual male behavior and individual targets) elicit moral disgust. In Study 1, participants viewed three film clips ...designed to elicit neutral emotion, disgust and anger, and also viewed a clip of male homosexual behavior. It was found that men (but not women) expressed feelings of moral disgust to male homosexual behavior: a blend of disgust, and anger. Study 2 found that high endorsers of masculine role norms (particularly anti-femininity) report stronger moral disgust to male homosexual behavior. Study 3 found that when men are threatened with the suspicion that they appear to be gay, they express moral disgust; regardless of the sexual orientation of the person directing the threat. Results from studies 2 and 3 indicate that moral judgments to male homosexuality derive from the repudiation of femininity, and that this relationship is mediated by feelings of disgust.
In a previous study, 0.3 and 0.45 mg/kg of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were safe when combined with eptifibatide 75 mcg/kg bolus and a 2-hour infusion (0.75 mcg/kg ...per minute). The Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and rt-PA in Acute Ischemic Stroke-Enhanced Regimen (CLEAR-ER) trial sought to determine the safety of a higher-dose regimen and to establish evidence for a phase III trial.
CLEAR-ER was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized safety study. Ischemic stroke patients were randomized to 0.6 mg/kg rt-PA plus eptifibatide (135 mcg/kg bolus and a 2-hour infusion at 0.75 mcg/kg per minute) versus standard rt-PA (0.9 mg/kg). The primary safety end point was the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 36 hours. The primary efficacy outcome measure was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤1 or return to baseline mRS at 90 days. Analysis of the safety and efficacy outcomes was done with multiple logistic regression.
Of 126 subjects, 101 received combination therapy, and 25 received standard rt-PA. Two (2%) patients in the combination group and 3 (12%) in the standard group had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio, 0.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-1.40; P=0.053). At 90 days, 49.5% of the combination group had mRS ≤1 or return to baseline mRS versus 36.0% in the standard group (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-4.31; P=0.23). After adjusting for age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, time to intravenous rt-PA, and baseline mRS, the odds ratio was 1.38 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-3.76; P=0.52).
The combined regimen of intravenous rt-PA and eptifibatide studied in this trial was safe and provides evidence that a phase III trial is warranted to determine efficacy of the regimen.
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00894803.
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