bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Young adolescents’ perceptions of peer sexual behaviours: the role of television viewing
Authors: Eggermont S.
Published: July 2005

Objective  To investigate whether young adolescents’ perceptions of peers’ sexual activity is related to the amount of television viewing, and whether this relationship may be moderated by young adolescents’ pubertal development.

Methods  This study used a sample of 12‐ and a sample of 15‐year‐olds; 2127 respondents in a targeted sample of nine schools in Flanders (the Dutch‐speaking part of Belgium), completed a questionnaire with questions about their television viewing behaviour, the estimated prevalence of given sexual activities in peers, and self‐reports on pubertal development and sexual experience.

Results  In the sample of 12‐year‐olds, results demonstrated that a quadratic regression equation provides the best description for the relationship between television viewing and perceptions of peer sexual behaviours, indicating that the ‘effect’ of television only starts off after a level of about 45 h of television viewing per week. Further exploration showed that this relationship remains significant when controlling for gender and sexual experience, and is stronger at more advanced levels of pubertal development. In the sample of 15‐year‐olds, linear and unmoderated relationships were found. Irrespective of their pubertal status, gender, or level of sexual experience, television viewing is related to higher expectations of peers’ sexual activities.

Conclusion  Concerns about the impact of television viewing on sexual health should not be limited to older adolescents. This research has identified 12‐year‐olds who display a higher level of pubertal development and generally spend much time with television viewing as a category of viewers‐at‐risk.
The secular trends in height and weight of Turkish school children during 1993–2003
Authors: Simsek F. , Ulukol B. , Baskan Gulnar S.
Published: July 2005

Background  Secular changes in growth and development can be considered as the changing pattern of somatic development of children in a particular population from one generation to another. Developing countries, which have many changes in socio‐economical conditions, reveal various trends in growth. The aims of this study were to analyse growth trends in weight and height of Turkish children from a school in Ankara over the period 1993–2003 with 10‐year time interval, and to determine the relation between secular trends.

Methods  Anthropometric measurements of 1214 children and adolescents (611 boys and 603 girls) aged between 7 and 15 years from Ankara, Turkey, obtained cross sectionally in 2003 were compared with measurements of 867 school children (451 boys and 416 girls) from a previous study which had been obtained in the same primary school in 1993. For 7–15 years of age the increments of weight and height were determined, and analysed statistically.

Results  In 2003 survey boys and girls were taller and heavier than their peers from previous study in all age groups. For all cohorts in boys from 7 to 15 years, weight increments between 2.7 and 6.3 kg/decade and height increments between 1.7 and 5.5 cm/decade were demonstrated. For girls in the same cohorts, weight increments between 2.8 and 6.5 kg/decade and height increments between 1.8 and 5.7 cm/decade were indicated. Both weight and height increments suggest an upward displacement of growth curves in this interval of 10 years.

Conclusion  A significant secular increase in weight and height measurements were found in 7–15‐year‐old boys and girls in Ankara. These secular increases can be explained with improvements in social and health indicators that reflect the overall health status of the population. The secular increases in growth of Turkish school children may reveal updates of growth standards.
Depressive symptoms in mothers of pre‐school children Effects of deprivation, social support, stress and neighbourhood social capital
Authors: Reading Richard
Published: July 2005

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Mulvaney C &
Kendrick D.
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2005
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40
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202
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208
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Background  Depressive symptoms in mothers of young children can have serious consequences for the health of the child. In particular, children whose mothers are experiencing depressive symptoms are at significantly greater risk of poisoning and accidental injury. A mother's risk of developing depressive symptoms has been shown to be related to socio‐economic disadvantage, high levels of stress and a perceived lack of social support. Residents who perceive their neighbourhoods to be of low social capital are more likely to report poor mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms, deprivation, social support, stress and neighbourhood social capital in a group of mothers living in deprived areas of Nottingham, UK.

Design and setting  A postal questionnaire at entry to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed socio‐demographic characteristics and a second questionnaire, 21 months later, assessed depressive symptoms, perceived lack of social support, self‐reported stress and individual‐level assessment of neighbourhood social capital.

Participants  A total of 846 mothers of young children living in deprived areas in Nottingham, UK, enrolled in the control group of an RCT.

Results  One‐third of mothers reported high levels of depressive symptoms. Neighbourhood‐level deprivation and receiving means‐tested benefits were independently associated with maternal depressive symptoms. A lack of social support and high levels of self‐reported stress were also strongly associated with depressive symptoms. Individual‐level assessment of neighbourhood social capital was not associated with depressive symptoms amongst mothers after adjusting for self‐reported stress.

Conclusions  Neighbourhood‐ and individual‐level variables of deprivation and psychological distress are more important than mothers’ assessment of the social capital of the neighbourhood in which she lives in determining the risk of depressive symptoms. Interventions aimed at supporting mothers of young children may be more effective at reducing the risks of depressive symptoms and consequent risks to the child's health than interventions aimed at improving a neighbourhoods’ social capital.
End of life care: a discursive analysis of specialist palliative care nursing
Authors: Skilbeck Julie K. , Payne Sheila
Published: July 2005

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to consider alternative approaches to service delivery for patients with chronic life‐limiting illnesses other than cancer. It will also discuss the issues that arise when considering specialist palliative care services within a broader public health context in the United Kingdom.

Background.  Contemporary specialist palliative care in the United Kingdom can be said to have two main client groups: the majority are people with a diagnosis of cancer, and a minority are those with a number of other chronic illnesses. From the evidence to date, patients dying from chronic, non‐malignant disease experience a considerable number of unmet needs in terms of symptom control and psychosocial support. Although debates in the literature over the last decade have challenged the focus of specialist palliative care services on patients with a cancer diagnosis, only a minority of those with other chronic illnesses receive specialist palliative care services.

Discussion.  Current models of specialist palliative care may not be the most appropriate for addressing the complex problems experienced by the many patients with a non‐cancer diagnosis. We suggest that care should be structured around patient problems, viewing specialist palliative care as a service for those with complex end of life symptoms or problems. A role for innovative nurse‐led care is proposed.

Conclusion.  Reframing the approach to specialist palliative care in the United Kingdom will require great effort on the part of all health and social care professionals, not least nurses. Critical and creative thinking are prerequisites to the development of new models of working. We suggest that a more coherent approach to research and education is required, in particular strategies that explore how patients and nurses can work together in exploring experiences of illness in order to develop more proactive approaches to care.
Chinese nurses’ use of non‐pharmacological methods in children's postoperative pain relief
Authors: He Hong‐Gu , Pölkki Tarja , Vehviläinen‐Julkunen Katri , Pietilä Anna‐Maija
Published: July 2005

Aim.  This paper reports a study describing Chinese nurses’ use of non‐pharmacological methods for relieving 6‐ to 12‐year‐old children's postoperative pain and factors related to this.

Background.  Non‐pharmacological methods are stated to be effective in relieving children's postoperative pain when used independently or in conjunction with medication. However, little is known about the use of these methods by Chinese nurses.

Methods.  A questionnaire survey was carried out in 2002 with a convenience sample of 187 nurses working at 12 surgical wards in five hospitals of Fujian Province, China. A Likert‐type instrument was used, and the average response rate was 98%. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the data.

Results.  The most commonly used non‐pharmacological methods were giving preparatory information, comforting/reassurance, creating a comfortable environment, distraction, and positioning. Positive reinforcement and helping with daily activities were used less often, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation was not used at all. Many nurse background factors were statistically significantly related to their use of pain alleviation methods. Furthermore, many factors limited their use of non‐pharmacological methods, the most common being that there were too few nurses for the work that had to be done, followed by nurses’ lack of knowledge about pain management.

Conclusions.  While Chinese nurses used versatile non‐pharmacological methods in school‐aged children's postoperative pain relief, there remains a need for more education about pain management and for more frequent use of these methods in clinical care.
Decision‐making tree for women considering hysterectomy
Authors: Wu Shu‐Mei , Chao Yu Yu‐Mei , Yang Cheng‐Fang , Che Hui‐Lian
Published: July 2005

Aims.  This paper reports on a study carried out to establish a decision tree model to describe how women in Taiwan make the decision whether or not to have a hysterectomy. In addition, we examined the predictability of the decision‐tree model.

Background.  Hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure performed worldwide. Medical professionals believe that the operation can relieve pain and prevent cervical cancer, thus improving a woman's quality of life. While most physicians advise hysterectomy even for benign uterine conditions, feminists decry the belief that the uterus has no purpose, believing that it is an important symbol of womanhood.

Methods.  The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I, the model development phase, was carried out to generalize data from a qualitative study of 14 women and to establish a tree model outlining their decision to proceed with hysterectomy. The second phase was the model prediction phase that applied inductive and deductive methods to data analysis and development of the decision‐tree model. The model tree was then tested with 18 women who were deciding whether or not to undergo hysterectomy. Using the decision‐making tree, we studied the women's thought processes and analysed their primary concerns. The study was carried out in 1999–2001.

Results.  The study determined 13 criteria that Taiwanese women use when deciding about having a hysterectomy. Developed in accordance with Gladwin's methodology, the model tree successfully predicted 90% of decisions whether or not to have a hysterectomy.

Conclusions.  Nurses working in gynaecological services should understand how women decide to undergo hysterectomy so that the proper counselling and follow‐up can be provided. With further testing, our decision tree may help in this process.
Adaptation or exaptation? An experimental test of hypotheses on the origin of salinity tolerance inBufo calamita
Authors: GOMEZ‐MESTRE I. , TEJEDO M.
Published: July 2005

The natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) shows variation in embryonic and larval salinity tolerance across populations in southern Spain. However, its aquatic/terrestrial biphasic life cycle, together with remarkable differences in salinity tolerance between Spanish and UK freshwater populations suggest an alternative hypothesis to local adaptation. Drought resistance during the terrestrial phase and salinity tolerance during the aquatic phase are both related to osmotic stress tolerance, and if there were an association between them, one could have evolved as an exaptation from the other. To test such an association, we rearedB. calamitajuveniles from three populations known to differ genetically in their salinity tolerance, under either dry or humid conditions. Drought decreased growth rate, enhanced burying behaviour, and decreased foraging activity and efficiency. No significant population × treatment interaction was found for any variable, i.e. populations were equally affected by drought. These results do not support the hypothesis of a genetic association between salinity and drought tolerance.
Intra‐ and Intersexual Selection for Multiple Traits in the Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
Authors: Loyau Adeline , Jalme Michel Saint , Sorci Gabriele
Published: July 2005

Animal communication involves a multitude of signals ranging from morphological to behavioural traits. In spite of the diversity of traits used in animal signalling, most studies of sexual selection have focused on single male traits. Moreover, the two forces of sexual selection (male–male competition and female preference) may target different traits and favour the diversification of male signalling. Still, little is known on the combined effects of intra‐ and intersexual selection on the evolution of multiple signals. The peacock is often cited as one of the best examples of the strength of sexual selection in producing exaggerated traits. Here, we investigated traits under intra‐ and intersexual selection in a population of free‐ranging common peafowl. Peacocks with longer trains and tarsi were more likely to establish a display territory in a central position within the lek and had a higher number of intrusions and agonistic interactions. These traits appeared therefore to be under intrasexual selection. Female selection was assessed as the number of copulations. Mating success was positively correlated with behavioural traits (display activity) and with train ornamentation (number and density of ocelli) suggesting that females use multiple cues during mate selection. Therefore, intra‐ and intersexual selection seem to operate on different sets of traits. Overall, our results stress the role of multiple receivers on the evolution of multiple signals.
Consistency in Context‐specific Measures of Shyness and Boldness in Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
Authors: Wilson Alexander D. M. , Stevens E. D.
Published: July 2005

Shyness and boldness has been considered a fundamental axis of human behavioural variation. At the extreme ends of this behavioural continuum subjects vary from being bold and assertive to shy and timid. Analogous patterns of individual variation have been noted in a number of species including fish. There has been debate on the nature of this continuum as to whether it depends on context. That is, whether it is domain‐general (as in humans), or context‐specific. The purpose of our study was to test if shyness and boldness depends on context in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss and to this end we estimated boldness in five different situations. Our data provide evidence of a shy–bold behavioural syndrome in rainbow trout. Bold trout tended to be bold in four situations when the context was similar (when the context concerned foraging). However, in a different context, exploring a swim flume, the ranking was entirely different. We suggest that shyness and boldness depends on context in rainbow trout.
Males Respond to the Risk of Sperm Competition in the Sexually Cannibalistic Praying Mantis,Mantis religiosa
Authors: Prokop Pavol , Václav Radovan
Published: July 2005

Although studies on sperm competition examined a wide range of taxa, little is known about the selection pressures on male traits in systems with simultaneous risk of sperm competition and sexual cannibalism. Here, we experimentally studied how the risk of sperm competition affects male copulatory behavior in the sexually cannibalistic praying mantisMantis religiosa. We recorded the onset and duration of copulations following the introduction of virgin, adult praying mantises into mating arenas with three different sex ratio treatments: polyandrous, monogamous, and polygynous. We did not detect any female phenotypic trait predicting cannibalism. The chance of male survival was related to his condition, with males in better condition being cannibalized significantly less often. In contrast, we did not identify any male trait that would favor some males to obtain copulations. Our results on copulation duration support sperm competition theory in that the copulations in the male‐biased treatment, where the perceived risk of sperm competition was greatest, were significantly longer than those in single‐male treatments. Importantly, males in better condition copulated significantly longer regardless of sex ratio. Overall, our study suggests that males can adjust their copulation behavior in response to the risk of sperm competition even in a system with frequent sexual cannibalism.
Cytoskeletal dynamics during mammalian gametegenesis and fertilization: Implications for human reproduction
Authors: TERADA YUKIHIRO , MORITO YUKI , TACHIBANA MASAHITO , MORITA JUNKO , NAKAMURA SO‐ICHI , MURAKAMI TAKASHI , YAEGASHI NOBUO , OKAMURA KUNIHIRO
Published: July 2005

From gamete to neonate, human fertilization is a series of cell motilities (motion and morphological changes). Cytoskeletons play a role in cell motility as they work as a field worker in the cell. The present study is a review of dynamic motility of cytoskeletons (microfilaments and microtubules) during mammalian gamategenesis and fertilization. Dynamic and proper organization of cytoskeletons is crucial for the completion of oocyte maturation and spermatogenesis. By intracytoplasmic sperm injection, some difficulties in fertilization by sperm entry into the egg cytoplasm are overcome. However, the goal of fertilization is the union of the male and female genome, and sperm incorporation into an oocyte is nothing but the beginning of fertilization. Sperm centrosomal function, which introduces microtubule organization and promotes pronuclear apposition and first mitotic spindle formation, plays the leading role in the ‘motility’ of post‐intracytoplasmic sperm injection events in fertilization. The present review introduces novel challenges in functional assessment of the human sperm centrosome. Furthermore, microtubule organization during development without the sperm centrosome (e.g. parthenogenesis) is mentioned. (Reprod Med Biol 2005; 4: 179–187)
Sperm flagella protein components: Human meichroacidin constructed by the membrane occupation and recognition nexus motif
Authors: MATSUOKA YASUHIRO , NISHIMURA HIROMI , NUMAZAWA KAHORI , TSUCHIDA JUNJI , MIYAGAWA YASUSHI , TSUJIMURA AKIRA , MATSUMIYA KIYOMI , OKUYAMA AKIHIKO , NISHIMUNE YOSHITAKE , TANAKA HIROMITSU
Published: July 2005

Background and Aims:   In a previous study, the authors of the present study cloned mouse meichroacidin (MCA), which is expressed in stages of spermatogenesis from pachytene spermatocytes through round spermatid germ cells. MCA protein contains the membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) motif and localizes to a male meiotic metaphase chromosome. Recently, a MCA homolog of carp (Cyprinus carpio), MORN motif‐containing sperm‐specific axonemal protein (MSAP), was reportedly identified and localized in sperm flagella. Present knowledge of human spermiogenesis requires the identification of proteins in human sperm. The present study identified the human orthologue of MCA.

Methods:   Colony hybridization using a human testis plasmid cDNA library was carried out to clone human MCA (h‐MCA) cDNA. Northern blot, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses were carried out.

Results:   h‐MCA was found to be specifically expressed in the testes. The h‐MCA amino acid sequence shared 79.8% identity with mouse MCA and contained MORN motifs. h‐MCA localized in the sperm flagellum and basal body, as does MSAP in carp.

Conclusion:   Expression and localization analyses showed that h‐MCA is a component of the sperm flagellum and basal body and might play an important role in the development of the sperm flagellum in humans. (Reprod Med Biol 2005; 4: 213–219)
NADPH oxidase inhibitor, apocynin, restores the impaired endothelial‐dependent and ‐independent responses and scavenges superoxide anion in rats with type 2 diabetes complicated by NO dysfunction
Authors: Hayashi T. , Juliet P. A. R. , Kano‐Hayashi H. , Tsunekawa T. , Dingqunfang D. , Sumi D. , Matsui‐Hirai H. , Fukatsu A. , Iguchi A.
Published: July 2005

Objective:  We investigated the effect of apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, in the impairment of vascular responses in Otsuka Long‐Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats (type 2 diabetic rat model) with or without (w/wo) N‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester treatment.

Methods:  Male OLETF and littermate Long‐Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) (28 weeks old) rats were separated as follows: LETO w/wo apocynin (Gp C, Gp C‐apo), OLETF w/wo apocynin (Gp DM, Gp DM‐apo) and OLETF plus l‐nitro arginine acetate ester w/wo apocynin (Gp DMLN, Gp DMLN‐apo). Five days after, peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with thioglycolate. Two days after, they were evaluated.

Results:  Plasma glucose and lipid levels remained unchanged. Acetylcholine‐induced nitric oxide‐dependent (NO‐dependent) relaxation and nitroglycerin‐induced NO‐independent relaxation were improved in the Gp DMLN‐apo, compared with that in Gp DMLN. Tone‐related basal NO release and plasma NO2− and NO3− tended to be lower in Gp DM and Gp DMLN groups. The increased amount of superoxide anion released from macrophages in Gp DM and Gp DMLN was restored by apocynin. Intimal thickening was observed in aortae of Gp DM and Gp DMLN animals; however, there was little in aortae of Gp DM‐apo and Gp DMLN– apo rats. Increased tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in the Gp DM and Gp DMLN was also restored by apocynin treatment.

Conclusion:  Apocynin restores the impairment of endothelial and non‐endothelial function in diabetic angiopathy in OLETF without changing plasma glucose and lipid levels. NO and O2− may play a role in this process by decreasing TNF‐α levels.
Genetic and clinical characteristics of maturity‐onset diabetes of the young
Authors: Giuffrida Fernando M. A. , Reis André F.
Published: July 2005

Genetic factors play an important role in various forms of diabetes mellitus (DM), but inheritance is complex and interacts with environmental factors. Although in most cases type 2 DM (T2DM) and T1DM are polygenic disorders, several monogenic forms have been identified. Among them, maturity‐onset diabetes of the young (MODY) has been the most intensively investigated. MODY is a group of six different forms of monogenic diabetes, characterized by insulin secretion defects in pancreatic β‐cells, supposed to be responsible for 2–5% of all cases of diabetes. The most common are MODY2 and MODY3, caused by mutations in the genes encoding glucokinase and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1‐alpha respectively. MODY2 is characterized by glucose sensing defects, leading to an increase in insulin secretion threshold. This causes lifelong sustained and mild hyperglycaemia from birth, most often in non‐diabetic levels. Diagnosis is incidental in most cases. These patients are asymptomatic, seldom need treatment and rarely present chronic complications. MODY3 is characterized by a severe insulin secretion defect in response to glucose. Diagnosis is made usually in adolescence and early adulthood, often by osmotic symptoms. Hyperglycaemia is progressive, and patients frequently need treatment with oral drugs or insulin some time in their follow up. This group seems to have a marked sensitivity to sulphonylureas compared to other types of diabetes. The recognition of MODY as a monogenic disorder and a thorough understanding of its pathophysiology are important for correct diagnosis and treatment, with great impact on prognosis. Besides, the study of these forms of diabetes brings important contributions to the understanding of glucose homeostasis as a whole.
Electrical muscle stimulation acutely mimics exercise in neurologically intact individuals but has limited clinical benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Poole R. B. , Harrold C. P. , Burridge J. H. , Byrne C. D. , Holt R. I. G.
Published: July 2005

Background:  Electrical muscle stimulation mimics exercise in individuals with neurological injury or disease and improves measures of fitness and glucose metabolism. Physical activity improves features of the metabolic syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes but many patients find it difficult to exercise.

Aims:  To determine whether use of an electrical muscle stimulator mimics exercise in neurologically intact individuals and has metabolic benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:  Acute changes in pulse, blood pressure and energy expenditure were measured in 33 healthy volunteers using the muscle stimulator. Acute changes in glucose uptake were measured in five subjects with type 2 diabetes. Body composition, features of the metabolic syndrome and measures of insulin sensitivity were measured before and after 12 weeks daily use of the stimulator in four subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Results:  The muscle stimulator acutely increased pulse, blood pressure, energy expenditure and glucose uptake. Daily use over 12 weeks improved insulin stimulated nonesterified fatty acid suppression but did not result in changes in body composition or clinical parameters.

Conclusion:  Although the muscle stimulator acutely mimics exercise, limitations in the size of the stimulating current mean that the magnitude of these changes is too small to produce clinical benefit.
Abdominal diameter index: a more powerful anthropometric measure for prevalent coronary heart disease risk in adult males
Authors: Smith D. A. , Ness E. M. , Herbert R. , Schechter C. B. , Phillips R. A. , Diamond J. A. , Landrigan P. J.
Published: July 2005

Aim:  The authors wished to compare the strength of association of several anthropometric measures of body size and fat distribution among themselves and in comparison with other known risk factors for prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods:  Prevalent CHD was assessed in 466 middle‐aged, male, multiracial Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority officers in New York City by verified history, electrocardiogram or exercise stress test. Anthropometric measures included body mass index, waist, hip and thigh circumferences, waist‐hip ratio, waist‐thigh ratio, sagittal abdominal diameter and abdominal diameter index (sagittal abdominal diameter/thigh circumference). Results were compared with other CHD risk factors measured simultaneously (history of diabetes, smoking, blood pressure, lipid profile, apolipoproteins A and B, lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, fibrinogen, urinary microalbumin, serum vitamin E and ferritin) and a calculated 10‐year CHD risk using a Framingham algorithm (10‐year Framingham CHD risk).

Results:  CHD was found in 29 individuals. Of the six anthropometric measures, abdominal diameter index gave the largest and most significant standardized odds ratio (OR) for CHD [1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.71], equivalent to 10‐year Framingham CHD risk. Men in the highest compared with the lowest tertile of abdominal diameter index had a univariate OR of 5.47 (95% CI 1.55, 19.28) which was the only anthropometric measure that remained significant after adjusting for 10‐year Framingham CHD risk.

Conclusions:  For middle‐aged American men, abdominal diameter index may be the most powerful anthropometric measure of risk for prevalent CHD.
Coronary arterial calcification is associated with albuminuria in type 2 diabetic patient
Authors: Yamagami K. , Hosoi M. , Yamamoto T. , Fukumoto M. , Yamakita T. , Miyamoto M. , Yoshioka K. , Ishii T. , Sato T. , Tanaka S. , Fujii S.
Published: July 2005

Aim:  Although microalbuminuria has been suggested as an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease, the relationship between diabetic nephropathy and macroangiopathy remains unclear. Previously, we reported that coronary artery calcification detected by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) could indicate the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients. In this study, we examine the association between coronary arterial calcification and microalbuminuria and aortic calcification and microalbuminuria.

Methods:  Two hundred and fifty‐six patients, including 177 type 2 diabetic patients (106 patients with normoalbuminuria, 71 with microalbuminuria) and 79 non‐diabetic patients were evaluated by assessing the urinary albumin excretion rate and using EBCT to determine a coronary calcification score (CCS) and an aortic calcification score (ACS).

Results:  No differences were observed regarding age, smoking index or BMI. Diabetic patients exhibited a greater CCS than non‐diabetic subjects (non‐diabetes 33 ± 75 vs. diabetes 203 ± 467, p < 0.05). Diabetic patients with microalbuminuria exhibited the most advanced CCS (253 ± 491, p < 0.05). In contrast, no difference was observed in ACS among three groups. Multiple regression analysis showed that CCS is significantly associated with urinary albumin excretion rate as well as age, duration of diabetes and serum creatinine (R2 = 0.31), while ACS is strongly associated with age, smoking, serum creatinine, systolic blood pressure and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level (R2 = 0.29).

Conclusion: Increased urinary albumin excretion is associated with coronary arterial calcification in diabetic patients.
Inverse association between plasma homocysteine, sulphonylurea exposure and physical activity: a community‐based sample of type 2 diabetes patients in the Skaraborg hypertension and diabetes project
Authors: Hellgren M. , Melander A. , Östgren C.‐J , Råstam L. , Lindblad U.
Published: July 2005

Aim:  This study aimed to investigate levels of Homocysteine (tHcy) and folate in a population‐based sample of patients with type 2 diabetes. In particular, the study explored modifiable determinants such as treatment for diabetes, life style, glucose control and kidney function.

Patients and methods:  In a community‐based surveillance of patients with type 2 diabetes, 196 men and 191 women were consecutively identified in primary care and characterized by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors focusing on components in the metabolic syndrome. For categorical associations plasma tHcy was dichotomized using the upper 10 percentiles of the distribution.

Results:  Treatment with sulphonylurea was associated with lower serum levels of tHcy compared to those on diet alone. The association was confined to women [odds ratio 0.14; confidence interval 0.03–0.8] and remained significant when differences in factors related to the metabolic syndrome, life style and previous CVD were accounted for, but was lost when adjusted for HbA1c. There was an inverse dose‐related association between physical activity and plasma levels of tHcy (men p = 0.006, women p = 0.034), and a positive association with serum levels of creatinine (men p = 0.004, women p < 0.001).

Conclusions:  The association with physical activity might be one contributing explanation for its well‐known protective effect on cardiovascular disease. The over risk for vascular complications in diabetic patients with kidney disease may be partially explained by high levels of tHcy and should be further explored. Prospective studies are particularly needed on various treatment for type 2 diabetes and tHcy to explore possible implications for clinical procedures and for public health.
Comparison of rosuvastatin with atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin in achieving cholesterol goals and improving plasma lipids in hypercholesterolaemic patients with or without the metabolic syndrome in the MERCURY I trial
Authors: Stender S. , Schuster H. , Barter P. , Watkins C. , Kallend D. ,   on behalf of the MERCURY I Study Group
Published: July 2005

Aim:  The metabolic syndrome (MS) increases the risk of coronary heart disease, yet few data are available on the effects of statin treatment in improving lipid measures in patients with the syndrome. This analysis compares the effects of statin therapy on plasma low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) goal achievement and lipid levels in hypercholesterolaemic patients with or without the MS.

Methods:  The Measuring Effective Reductions in Cholesterol Using Rosuvastatin TherapY I (MERCURY I) trial compared rosuvastatin 10 mg with atorvastatin 10 mg and 20 mg, simvastatin 20 mg and pravastatin 40 mg over 8 weeks in patients with coronary or other atherosclerotic diseases or diabetes who had fasting levels of LDL‐C of ≥2.99 mmol/l and triglycerides of <4.52 mmol/l. Modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria for the MS were met by 1342 (43%) of 3140 patients.

Results:  LDL‐C goal achievement rates and reductions in LDL‐C, total cholesterol and non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) were similar in patients with and without the MS within statin treatment groups; triglycerides were reduced more and HDL‐C tended to be increased more in patients with the MS, as expected. Treatment with rosuvastatin 10 mg was more effective in allowing patients with and without the MS to reach European and ATP III LDL‐C goals, compared to atorvastatin 10 mg, simvastatin 20 mg and pravastatin 40 mg (p < 0.0001 for all comparisons); consistently produced greater reductions in LDL‐C, total cholesterol and non‐HDL‐C, compared to these treatments; and produced similar or greater reductions in triglycerides and increases in HDL‐C, compared to the other treatments.

Conclusions:  Statin therapy is effective in allowing LDL‐C goal achievement and improving the lipid profile in hypercholesterolaemic high‐risk patients with the MS. Rosuvastatin 10 mg presents significant advantages in goal achievement and lipid lowering over other statins at commonly used doses in patients both with and without the MS.
Pterocarpus marsupium extract (Vijayasar) prevented the alteration in metabolic patterns induced in the normal rat by feeding an adequate diet containing fructose as sole carbohydrate
Authors: Grover J. K. , Vats V. , Yadav S. S.
Published: July 2005

Insulin resistance (hyperinsulinaemia) is now recognized as a major contributor to the development of glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia and hypertension in non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. Sedentary lifestyle, consumption of energy‐rich diet, obesity, longer lifespan, etc., are important reasons for this rise (J. R. Turtle, Int J Clin Prac 2000; 113: 23). Aqueous extracts of Pterocarpus marsupium Linn bark (PM), Ocimum sanctum Linn leaves (OS) and Trigonella foenumgraecum Linn seeds (FG) have been shown to exert hypoglycaemic/antihyperglycaemic effect in experimental as well as clinical setting. As no work has been carried out so far to assess the effect of PM, OS and FG on fructose‐induced hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia, we undertook this study to assess whether these extracts attenuate the metabolic alteration induced by fructose‐rich diet in rats. Five groups of rats (eight each) were fed chow diet, 66% fructose diet, 66% fructose diet + PM leaves extract (1 g/kg/day), 66% fructose diet + OS leaves extract (200 mg/kg/day) and 66% fructose diet + FG seeds extract (2 g/kg/day) for 30 days. Fructose feeding to normal rats for 30 days significantly increased serum glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels in comparison with control. Treatment with all the three plants extract for 30 days significantly lowered the serum glucose levels in comparison with control group. However, only PM extract substantially prevented hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperinsulinaemia, while OS and FG had no significant effect on these parameters. Results of this study, in addition to previous clinical benefits of PM seen in NIDDM subjects, are suggestive of usefulness of PM bark (Vijayasar) in insulin resistance, the associated disorder of type 2 diabetes; however, OS and FG may not be useful. Though several antidiabetic principles (‐epicatechin, pterosupin, marsupin and pterostilbene) have been identified in the PM, yet future studies are required to certify their efficacy and safety before clinical scenario.
Common Metaphors and Their Impact on Distance Education: What They Tell Us and What They Hide
Authors: Meyer Katrina A.
Published: July 2005

This article explores some of the common metaphors used to illuminate the Web and its application to distance education. Using the work of Lakoff and Johnson (1980) as a foundation for understanding and categorizing metaphors, the advantages and disadvantages for our future of such metaphors as the “Web,” “Information Highway,” “virtual,” “surfing,” “information as education,” and “distance education” are evaluated.
Virtual Schooling Service: Productive Pedagogies or Pedagogical Possibilities?
Authors: Kapitzke Cushla , Pendergast Donna
Published: July 2005

This article reports on an evaluation of a virtual schooling innovation in an Australian context. The Virtual Schooling Service Pilot uses online technologies to deliver senior school subjects in both synchronous and asynchronous modes of delivery. The purpose of the study was to analyze the organizational, pedagogical, and technological efficacy of the innovation for the purpose of exploring the feasibility of main-streaming virtual delivery for secondary schooling. Although the Virtual Schooling Service was important in maintaining curricular provision, application of the Productive Pedagogies framework showed that the innovation held pedagogical potential that remained unrealized.
The Potential of Jigsaw Role Playing to Promote the Social Construction of Knowledge in an Online Graduate Education Course
Authors: Lebaron John , Miller Diane
Published: July 2005

Many online courses fail to promote the active construction of student knowledge or camaraderie among student peers. Accordingly, online course designers and instructors are challenged to promote purposeful peer student dialogue and establish a sense of belonging where all learners perceive themselves as stakeholders in the course community. Online role playing is not a common activity, and electronically networked jigsaw role plays appear to be rarer still. In this article, we describe the transition of a face-to-face jigsaw role-play exercise to a primarily asynchronous graduate-level online course in education. Data collected from various sources suggest that students enjoyed online role play and valued it as a learning experience. We conclude with reflections, lessons learned, and future plans as we continue to explore the challenges and benefits of online role-play in graduate level online courses that serve adult professionals.
The Decentered Teacher and the Construction of Social Space in the Virtual Classroom
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Dorothea , Basmadjian Kevin G. , Mccrory Raven S.
Published: July 2005

The relative newness of online education to most teachers and students means that the virtual classroom is largely uncharted social space; teachers and students must deliberately consider how and when they will enter into the virtual classroom and where and how they will locate themselves and each other within it. This study uses the concepts of “time-space separation” and “disembedding,” drawn from Giddens's work on globalization, to identify how teachers and students in one virtual classroom constructed social relations in synchronous and asynchronous Web-based forums. Using discourse-analytic methods, the study illuminates the discursive processes through which the teacher and students rearticulated conventional classroom discourse to create hybrid, student-controlled/teacher-centered spaces. The authors identify the challenges and potentials of such classrooms for teachers and raise several questions for further investigation into, and theorizing about, teaching and teachers’ work in the virtual classroom.
Online Education as Institutional Myth: Rituals and Realities at Community Colleges
Authors: Cox Rebecca D.
Published: July 2005

Relying on data from an in-depth study of 15 community colleges, this article explores online education through the lens of institutional theory. This theoretical perspective highlights the colleges’ environmental contexts and offers a critical examination of the ways that the institutional contexts have structured the colleges’ approaches to online education. At the core of this analysis is the contention that community colleges are interpreting and responding to a set of taken-for-granted ideas about online education. These ideas have taken on the status of myth and have played a powerful role in guiding and legitimating colleges’ online activity. This analysis provides a research-based foundation for understanding online activity at the community college level and for carefully addressing the challenges associated with its adoption.
Psychological Type and Asynchronous Written Dialogue in Adult Learning
Authors: Lin Lin , Cranton Patricia , Bridglall Beatrice
Published: July 2005

This study explores how adults learn from asynchronous written dialogue through the lens of psychological type preferences. We asked participants to discover their dominant and auxiliary psychological preferences using the Personal Empowerment through Type inventory. Participants then completed an open-ended survey in which they described their experiences with learning through asynchronous written dialogue. The study shows that participants differed in their responses to online learning as reflected in their sense of enjoyment and their participation in the environment and in the quality of their learning experience. We observed that these differences were associated with psychological type preferences, along with the perceived interactions with the instructors and peers in the learning community. The connections between psychological type and asynchronous written dialogue are discussed.
The Development of Effective Evaluation Methods for E-Learning: A Concept Paper and Action Plan
Authors: Mandinach Ellen B.
Published: July 2005

E-learning is an emerging field as a promising instructional medium as well as a ripe arena in which to conduct research on its impact on teaching and learning activities. The fundamental nature of e-learning as an instructional medium differs substantially from face-to-face delivery, thereby requiring new and hybrid methods for evaluating its impact. This article examines the characteristics of e-learning that make it unique and traces some of the emerging trends in the field. The article then discusses evaluation methodologies that might be potentially informative in the examination of how e-learning is beginning to affect teaching and learning processes.
Modest Changes, Revolutionary Possibilities: Distance Learning and the Future of Education
Authors: Natriello Gary
Published: July 2005

In this essay, I take stock of the developments shaping distance learning and consider the implications for educational researchers and for the future of education. I proceed in four stages. First, I consider the constellation of forces leading to the development of distance education and the emerging shape of this part of the education sector. Second, I review the development of distance learning to date, a path of development based largely on the extension of and borrowing from existing educational arrangements and patterns in face-to-face education. Third, I explore developments at the leading edge of contemporary distance learning that depart in some more substantial way from patterns characteristic of face-to-face education. Fourth, I consider the implications for educational researchers as well as those for policy makers and educators.
A historical perspective on cerebral palsy as a concept and a diagnosis
Authors: Kavčič A. , Vodušek D. B.
Published: July 2005

Sigmund Freud was the first to write about cerebral palsy as a nosographic category, uniting various infantile motor deficits of brain origin. He did not ascribe more than a temporary value to the term (infantile) cerebral palsy, but it has become – and still is – an indispensable part of the nosographic system. Nevertheless, it is still easier to explain what cerebral palsy is not than to define it precisely.
MPO–ANCA‐associated pseudovasculitis in cardiac myxoma
Authors: Nishio Y. , Ito Y. , Iguchi Y. , Sato H.
Published: July 2005

We describe a case of cardiac myxoma whose clinical presentation mimicked that of polyarteritis nodosa. The serum levels of MPO‐ANCA and IL‐6 were elevated on laboratory investigation and normalized after the removal of the tumor. We suggest that a ‘true’ vasculitic mechanism contributes to the pathogenesis of pseudovasculitis in cardiac myxoma.
Time to diagnosis of intraspinal tumors
Authors: Jellema K. , van Overbeeke J. J. , Teepen H. L. J. M. , Visser L. H.
Published: July 2005

The aim of this study was to assess the time to diagnosis in patients with intraspinal tumors and to assess factors contributing to a long delay in some patients. Patients who were admitted at our hospital over a 15‐year period (1986–2000) with an intraspinal (either intradural or extradural) tumor were included. Records of patients were studied for variables such as sex, age, diagnosis, date of diagnosis, initial symptoms, symptoms at diagnosis, level of tumor, original diagnosis and diagnostic technique [CT‐myelography, CT‐caudography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)]. The median time to diagnosis of 108 patients with an intraspinal tumor was 12.3 months (range: 4 days–14.4 years). Most common initial symptoms were back and/or neck pain, pain radiating to one extremity and walking disturbances. There was no distinctive clinical pattern between intramedullary and extramedullary tumors regarding initial symptoms. At the time of diagnosis, patients presented with moderate to severe neurological deficits: weakness in one extremity in 26%, sphincter disturbance (20%) and paraparesis (12%). Improved imaging of the spinal cord by MRI did not result in earlier detection of the intraspinal tumor. The time to diagnosis is explained by non‐specific and slowly progressing signs and symptoms. A high rate of clinical suspicion should be present to diagnose an intraspinal tumor at an early stage.