bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of two methods of assessing total body water at sea level and increasing high altitude
Authors: Boos C. J. , Holdsworth D. A. , Hall D. P. , Mellor A. , O'Hara J. , Woods D. R. 
Published: May 2014

SummaryFluid retention is a recognized feature of acute mountain sickness. However, accurate assessment of hydration, including the quantification of body water, has traditionally relied on expensive and non‐portable equipment limiting its utility in the field setting. We compared the assessment of total body water (TBW) and their relationship to total body weight using two non‐invasive methods using the NICas single‐frequency bioimpedance analysis (SF‐BIA) system and the BodyStat QuadScan 4000 multifrequency BIA system (MF‐BIA). TBW measurements were performed at rest at sea level and at high altitude (HA) at 3833 m postexercise and at rest and thereafter at rest at 4450 m and 5129 m on 47 subjects. The average age was 34·5 ± 9·3 years with an age range of 21–54 years (70·2% male). There were strong correlations between TBW assessment with both methods at sea level (r = 0·90; 95% CI 0·78–0·95: P<0·0001) and at HA (r = 0·92; 0·89–0·94: P<0·0001), however, TBW readings were 0·2 l and 1·91 l lower, respectively, with the NICaS. There was a stronger correlation between TBW and body weight with the QuadScan (r = 0·91; P<0·0001) than with the NICaS (r = 0·83; P<0·0001). The overall agreement between the two TBW methods was good, but the 95% confidence intervals around these agreements were relatively wide. We conclude that there was reasonable agreement between the two methods of BIA for TBW, but this agreement was lower at HA.
A visual grading study for different administered activity levels in bone scintigraphy
Authors: Gustafsson Agnetha , Karlsson Henrik , Nilsson Kerstin A. , Geijer Håkan , Olsson Anna 
Published: May 2014

SummaryIntroductionThe aim of the study is to assess the administered activity levels versus visual‐based image quality using visual grading regression (VGR) including an assessment of the newly stated image criteria for whole‐body bone scintigraphy.Materials and methodsA total of 90 patients was included and grouped in three levels of administered activity: 400, 500 and 600 MBq. Six clinical image criteria regarding image quality was formulated by experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Visual grading was performed in all images, where three physicians rated the fulfilment of the image criteria on a four‐step ordinal scale. The results were analysed using VGR. A count analysis was also made where the total number of counts in both views was registered.ResultsThe administered activity of 600 MBq gives significantly better image quality than 400 MBq in five of six criteria (P<0·05). Comparing the administered activity of 600 MBq to 500 MBq, four criteria of six show significantly better image quality (P<0·05). The administered activity of 500 MBq gives no significantly better image quality than 400 Mbq (P<0·05). The count analysis shows that none of the three levels of administrated activity fulfil the recommendations by the EANM.ConclusionThere was a significant improvement in perceived image quality using an activity level of 600 MBq compared to lower activity levels in whole‐body bone scintigraphy for the gamma camera equipment end set‐up used in this study. This type of visual‐based grading study seems to be a valuable tool and easy to implement in the clinical environment.
Residual effect of reductions in red blood cell count and haematocrit and haemoglobin levels after 10‐month withdrawal of pioglitazone in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Lin K.‐D. , Lee M.‐Y. , Feng C.‐C. , Chen B. K. , Yu M.‐L. , Shin S.‐J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAimTo investigate the recovery of thiazolidinedione‐induced body weight gain and haematopoietic changes after stopping pioglitazone treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 214 patients divided into three groups according to pioglitazone treatment status. The first study arm included patients who received pioglitazone for 38 months then interrupted this for 10 months (pioglitazone‐interruption group). The second arm consisted of patients who received pioglitazone throughout the 48 months (pioglitazone‐continuous group); the third arm included patients who had never received pioglitazone therapy (control group).ResultsRed blood cell count and haematocrit and haemoglobin levels decreased significantly, while body weight increased in the two pioglitazone‐treated groups as compared with the control group at 38 months. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the reductions in red blood cell count/haemoglobin levels were associated with pioglitazone use. In the pioglitazone‐interruption group, no recoveries of red blood cells, or haematocrit or haemoglobin levels were observed after stopping pioglitazone for 10 months compared with the pioglitazone‐continuous group, but body weight gain decreased to a level that was significantly lower than that in the pioglitazone‐continuous group and did not differ significantly from the control group.ConclusionIn this study, we observed a reversal of body weight gain but no recoveries in red blood cells or haematocrit or haemoglobin levels after stopping pioglitazone for 10 months in patients treated with pioglitazone for 38 months. This finding should prompt a reconsideration of the sustained effect of thiazolidinediones on the haematopoietic system in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Prediction of gestational diabetes in obese pregnant women from the UK Pregnancies Better Eating and Activity (UPBEAT) pilot trial
Authors: Maitland R. A. , Seed P. T. , Briley A. L. , Homsy M. , Thomas S. , Pasupathy D. , Robson S. C. , Nelson S. M. , Sattar N. , Poston L. ,   the UPBEAT trial consortium
Published: May 2014

AbstractAimTo examine the prediction of gestational diabetes in obese women using routine clinical measures and measurement of biomarkers related to insulin resistance in the early second trimester.MethodsA total of 117 obese pregnant women participating in a pilot trial of a complex intervention of dietary advice and physical activity were studied. Blood samples were obtained at recruitment (15+0–17+6 weeks' gestation) and demographic, clinical history and anthropometric measures recorded. The biomarkers analysed were plasma lipids (HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, ferritin, fructosamine, insulin, adiponectin, tissue plasminogen activator, interleukin‐6, visfatin and leptin. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors and area under the receiver‐operating curve was calculated for the model.ResultsOf the 106 participants included in the analysis, 29 (27.4%) developed gestational diabetes. Participants with gestational diabetes were older (P = 0.002), more often of parity ≥ 2, had higher systolic (P = 0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.02) and were more likely to be black (P = 0.009). Amongst the blood biomarkers measured, plasma adiponectin alone remained independently associated with gestational diabetes in adjusted models (P = 0.002). The area under the receiver‐operating curve for clinical factors alone (0.760) increased significantly (area under the curve 0.834, chi‐square statistic (1) = 4.00, P = 0.046) with the addition of adiponectin.ConclusionsA combination of routinely measured clinical factors and adiponectin measured in the early second trimester in obese women may provide a useful approach to the prediction of gestational diabetes. Validation in a large prospective study is required to determine the usefulness of this algorithm in clinical practice. (Clinical Trial Registry No: ISRCTN89971375)
Challenges contributing to disrupted transition from paediatric to adult diabetes care in young adults with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Pyatak E. A. , Sequeira P. A. , Whittemore R. , Vigen C. P. , Peters A. L. , Weigensberg M. J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAimTo examine challenges contributing to disruptions in care during the transition from paediatric to adult care among young adults with Type 1 diabetes who are primarily in ethnic minority groups and have low socio‐economic status.MethodsParticipants (n = 20) were newly enrolled patients in a transition clinic for young adults with Type 1 diabetes with a history of loss to medical follow‐up. Participants completed qualitative semi‐structured interviews detailing their transition experiences in addition to demographic, HbA1c and psychosocial measures. Descriptive statistics were completed for quantitative data, and narrative thematic analysis of interviews was used to identify common themes. A mixed‐method analysis was used to identify the associations between stressors identified in interviews and clinical and psychosocial variables.ResultsThree categories of challenges contributing to loss to follow‐up were identified: psychosocial challenges, health provider and health system challenges and developmental challenges. Participants experienced a high degree of stressful life circumstances which were associated with higher HbA1c (r = 0.60, P = 0.005), longer duration of loss to follow‐up (r = 0.51, P = 0.02), greater emergency department utilization (r = 0.45, P = 0.05), and lower life satisfaction (r = ‐0.62, P = 0.003).ConclusionsA confluence of challenges, including stressful life circumstances, healthcare system barriers and the developmental trajectory of young adulthood, contributes to a high risk of loss to follow‐up and poor health in this population of young adults with Type 1 diabetes. An integrated approach to transition addressing medical and psychosocial needs may facilitate improved follow‐up and health outcomes in clinical settings.
Features of an effective operative dentistry learning environment: students' perceptions and relationship with performance
Authors: Suksudaj N. , Lekkas D. , Kaidonis J. , Townsend G. C. , Winning T. A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectiveStudents' perceptions of their learning environment influence the quality of outcomes they achieve. Learning dental operative techniques in a simulated clinic environment is characterised by reciprocal interactions between skills training, staff‐ and student‐related factors. However, few studies have examined how students perceive their operative learning environments and whether there is a relationship between their perceptions and subsequent performance. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify which learning activities and interactions students perceived as supporting their operative skills learning and to examine relationships with their outcomes.MethodsLongitudinal data about examples of operative laboratory sessions that were perceived as effective or ineffective for learning were collected twice a semester, using written critical incidents and interviews. Emergent themes from these data were identified using thematic analysis. Associations between perceptions of learning effectiveness and performance were analysed using chi‐square tests.ResultsStudents indicated that an effective learning environment involved interactions with tutors and peers. This included tutors arranging group discussions to clarify processes and outcomes, providing demonstrations and constructive feedback. Feedback focused on mistakes, and not improvement, was reported as being ineffective for learning. However, there was no significant association between students' perceptions of the effectiveness of their learning experiences and subsequent performance.ConclusionsIt was clear that learning in an operative technique setting involved various factors related not only to social interactions and observational aspects of learning but also to cognitive, motivational and affective processes. Consistent with studies that have demonstrated complex interactions between students, their learning environment and outcomes, other factors need investigation.
High headache‐related disability in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Tjensvoll A. B. , Gøransson L. G. , Harboe E. , Kvaløy J. T. , Omdal R. 
Published: April 2014

Background and purposeIt is often argued that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have more headaches than healthy subjects, but this association remains controversial. Thus the magnitude and severity of headaches in SLE were evaluated in comparison with another autoimmune disease, namely primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).MethodsSixty‐seven patients with SLE, 71 pSS patients and 108 healthy subjects were included. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, Headache Impact Test‐6 (HIT‐6), and the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire were used to classify and assess headache‐related disability.ResultsPrimary headaches were more prevalent in SLE patients than in healthy subjects (82% vs. 69%, P = 0.01). Amongst the headache sufferers, SLE patients (N = 55) and pSS patients (N = 51) had higher HIT‐6 scores (median 51, range 36–67, and median 54, range 36–72, respectively) than healthy subjects (N = 69) (median 46, range 36–72; P = 0.02 and P = 0.0009, respectively). Also, MIDAS scores were higher in SLE (median 0, range 0–110) and pSS patients (median 1, range 0–40) than in healthy subjects (median 0, range 0–10; P = 0.04 and P = 0.003, respectively).ConclusionPatients with SLE and pSS have a higher burden from headaches and more severe headaches than headache sufferers without these diseases. However, evidence of a specific bothersome SLE headache was not possible to identify as the headaches had the same characteristics and similar impact and severity in pSS patients. Depressive mood significantly influenced headache severity.
Dentate nuclei T2 relaxometry is a reliable neuroimaging marker in Friedreich's ataxia
Authors: Bonilha da Silva C. , Bergo F. P. G. , D'Abreu A. , Cendes F. , Lopes‐Cendes I. , França M. C. 
Published: April 2014

Background and purposeIn Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), frataxin deficiency results in iron redistribution in the dentate nuclei (DNC). Clusters of iron cause inhomogeneities in a magnetic field and result in a reduction in T2 relaxation time (T2).MethodsT2 was prospectively evaluated in DNC, putamen, substantia nigra (SN), cerebellar white matter (CWM) and caudate and the correlation with clinical parameters was investigated. Thirty‐five patients (range 9–51 years) and 44 controls (12–49 years) underwent T2 multi‐echo sequence in a 3T scanner. Twenty‐three patients (12–50 years) and 19 controls (14–49 years) were reassessed after 1 year. T2 was evaluated using specialized software (Aftervoxel) and severity of disease was quantified with the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).ResultsT2 of both DNC was significantly shorter in the FRDA group at baseline (right, 58.6 ± 8.3 ms vs. 63.7 ± 8.1 ms, P = 0.013; left, 56.7 ± 7.7 ms vs. 62.6 ± 6.8 ms, P = 0.001). No significant difference was found between groups regarding the SN, putamen, CWM and caudate T2. DNC T2 values correlated with age, FARS total score and FARS III subscore on both sides. Prospectively, there was a significant reduction of T2 in FRDA patients in right and left DNC (P = 0.001 and 0.009) but not in other structures. Amongst controls, none of the regions significantly changed after 1 year. DNC T2 change over time correlated with GAA expansions and clinical deterioration (expressed by a change in FARS scores).ConclusionsDNC T2 values are abnormal in FRDA, progress over time and correlate with ataxia severity. These results strongly suggest that DNC relaxometry can be a useful neuroimaging marker in FRDA.
Debates on the Innovative Diversification of European Farms: A Review
Authors: Mc Fadden Terence 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAlthough geographers have profound interests in European Union (EU) agricultural policy, significant gaps remain in the literature on identifying innovative diversification and farmers' capacity for it. This literature review paper engages the contemporary debates in the geographical and social science literatures on this issue comparatively based on on‐farm empirical field research findings. Remaining cognisant of farmers' diversity, it implies that while not every farmer is or can be ‘innovative’, affective assumptions about farmers' limitations as innovators and diversifiers and the relationship between both need to be dispelled and meaningful policy issues treated more effectively.
Phylogeography and cryptic introduction of the ragworm Hediste diversicolor (Annelida, Nereididae) in the Northwest Atlantic
Authors: Einfeldt Anthony L. , Doucet Jeremy R. , Addison Jason A. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractMany benthic marine invertebrates show striking range disjunctions across broad spatial scales. Without direct evidence for endemism or introduction, these species remain cryptogenic. The common ragworm Hediste diversicolor plays a pivotal role in sedimentary littoral ecosystems of the North Atlantic as an abundant prey item and ecosystem engineer, but exhibits a restricted dispersal capacity that may limit connectivity at both evolutionary and ecological time scales. In Europe, H. diversicolor is subdivided into cryptic taxa and genetic lineages whose distributions have been modified by recent invasions. Its origin in the northwest Atlantic has not been adequately addressed. To trace the age and origin of North American ragworm populations, we analyzed mtDNA sequence data (COI) from the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy (n=73 individuals) and compared our findings with published data from the northeast Atlantic. Our results together with previous data indicate that two species of the H. diversicolor complex have independently colonized the northwest Atlantic at least three different times, resulting in two distinct conspecific assemblages in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine (respectively) that are different from the species found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. North American populations had significantly lower genetic diversity compared with populations in the northeast Atlantic, and based on patterns of shared identity, populations in the Bay of Fundy originated from the Baltic Sea and North Sea. Populations from the Gulf of Maine were phylogenetically distinct and most likely originated from unsampled European populations. Analyses of the North American populations revealed patterns of post‐colonization gene flow among populations within the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy. However, we failed to detect shared haplotypes between the two regions, and this pattern of complete isolation corroborates a strong phylogeographic break observed in other species.
Timing the diversification of the Amazonian biota: butterfly divergences are consistent with Pleistocene refugia
Authors: Garzón‐Orduña Ivonne J. , Benetti‐Longhini Jennifer E. , Brower Andrew V. Z. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractRejection of the Pleistocene refugium hypothesis (PRH) as an explanation for the high biodiversity of Neotropical forest is based in part on the assertion that biotic elements of these forests evolved during the Neogene. That argument is justified, in turn, by the ages of crown groups (the age of the most recent common ancestor of extant species of a clade). We consider the use of crown ages as a metric to reject the PRH to be an unfair test, because the circumscription of crown groups of interest is arbitrary, and their ages represent overestimates of the time of species formation. We present divergence times between pairs of sister species (131 pairs), and among pairs of sister species and their closest relative (56 triplets), from 35 genera of Neotropical butterflies. Our aim is to refocus the discussion about the timing of diversification of the Neotropical biota on the time of the formation of extant species, a metric that is consistent and comparable across taxa. Our results show that 72% of speciation events leading to the formation of butterfly sister species occurred within the last 2.6 Myr, a result consistent with the temporal predictions of the PRH, suggesting that the PRH cannot be completely discarded as a driver of Neotropical diversification.
The effect of periodontal therapy on glycaemic control in a Hispanic population with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gay Isabel C. , Tran Duong T. , Cavender Adriana C. , Weltman Robin , Chang Jennifer , Luckenbach Estelle , Tribble Gena D. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractObjectiveIn the Mexican–American population, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is as high as 50% of the population. This randomized controlled clinical trial was designed to elucidate how treatment of periodontal disease affects HbA1c values in this population.Materials and MethodsOne hundred and fifty‐four T2DM patients with periodontal disease were enrolled in the study. The test group was treated with scaling and root planing (SRP); the control group received oral hygiene instructions. At baseline and 4–6 weeks after therapy, a complete periodontal examination was performed. Blood was collected at baseline and 4 months later for HbA1c levels.ResultsOne hundred and twenty‐six individuals completed the study. Baseline mean ± SD HbA1c for the test and control groups were 9.0 ± 2.3% and 8.4 ± 2.0% respectively. Non‐significant difference in HbA1c reductions (0.6 ± 2.1% and 0.3 ± 1.7%) was found between test and control groups at 4 months. Comparisons of the periodontal clinical parameters between the test and control groups found significant differences with improved results in the test subjects.ConclusionsNo statistically significant differences were found in the changes of HbA1c levels between test and control groups. Non‐surgical periodontal therapy improved the magnitude of change in periodontal parameters as compared to the control subjects.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01128374
A New Device for Dosing Additives in the Food Industry Using Quality Function Deployment
Authors: Alba‐Elías Fernando , Guerra‐Sánchez‐de‐la‐Nieta Álvaro , Las‐Heras‐Casas Jesús , González‐Marcos Ana , Alfonso‐Cendón Javier , Castejón‐Limas Manuel 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis work presents an application of the quality function deployment method to the development of a new automatic device for supplying food additives for preserved foods, specifically in the form of tablets. The system operates at high speed with no increase in the proportion of improperly dosed containers. In short, this innovative system permits the dosing of additives in solid form with greater productivity than is possible with manual dosing and without the problems of incorporating additives in liquid form. This automatic dry‐dosing method provides safer and better quality end‐products than present dosing methods.Practical ApplicationsThe development of this new device allows a significant increase in efficiency and productivity in the automatic dosing of food additives. It gives a competitive advantage in an industry where trade margins are becoming narrower. Moreover, it also leads to potential strategies for the application of the quality function deployment method in the food processing industry.
Linear Approaches to Characterization of Delayed Emissions of Methane
Authors: Sevenster Maartje 
Published: May 2014

SummaryIt is becoming more common to include the effects of delayed greenhouse gas emissions as an additional aspect in carbon footprinting. Although full dynamic assessment is the only accurate option to calculate those effects, the linear approach as outlined in, for example, the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook, which is a popular reference. This approach overestimates the benefits of delayed emissions in all cases, but, for methane, the deviation is orders of magnitude. An alternative linear approach is proposed that does not start at t = 0. When using a time horizon of 100 years, an initial no‐accounting period of 75 years is found to be appropriate for delayed emissions of methane, in most cases. The difference between the two approaches, when applying the concept of temporary carbon storage or delayed emissions to landfill, is considerable.