bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of diabetes education on blood glucose self‐monitoring among older adults
Authors: Millar Adam , Cauch‐Dudek Karen , Shah Baiju R. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractObjectives  To determine whether attending diabetes education is associated with blood glucose self‐monitoring among unselected older adults in routine clinical care.Method  A cross‐sectional population‐based study was carried out on 15 190 people with diabetes aged 65–79 years. Subjects were identified using a registry of doctor‐diagnosed diabetes derived from administrative data, and attendance at diabetes education centres (DECs) was determined from a separate registry of DEC utilization for 2006. Outcomes were derived using administrative data. The primary outcome was prescriptions filled for glucose self‐monitoring supplies. The secondary outcomes were prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs, prescriptions for lipid‐lowering drugs and eye examinations.Results  DEC attendance was associated with glucose self‐monitoring, after adjusting for baseline differences between attendees and non‐attendees (adjusted odds ratio 6.45, 95% confidence interval 5.61 to 7.42). All of the secondary outcomes were also independently associated with DEC attendance.Conclusions  This study suggests that diabetes education is associated with self‐management behaviour in real‐world clinical care. These findings support the effectiveness of self‐management education programmes to increase self‐care behaviours.
Preferences for communication in clinic from deaf people: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Middleton Anna , Turner Graham H. , Bitner‐Glindzicz Maria , Lewis Peter , Richards Martin , Clarke Angus , Stephens Dafydd 
Published: June 2010

AbstractAims and objectives  To explore the preferences of deaf people for communication in a hospital consultation.Methods  Design – cross‐sectional survey, using a structured, postal questionnaire. Setting – survey of readers of two journals for deaf and hard of hearing people. Participants – 999 self‐selected individuals with hearing loss in the UK, including those who use sign language and those who use speech. Main outcome measures – preferred mode of communication.Results  A total of 11% of participants preferred to use sign language within everyday life, 70% used speech and 17% used a mixture of sign and speech. Within a clinic setting, 50% of the sign language users preferred to have a consultation via a sign language interpreter and 43% indicated they would prefer to only have a consultation directly with a signing health professional; 7% would accept a consultation in speech as long as there was good deaf awareness from the health professional, indicated by a knowledge of lip‐reading/speech‐reading. Of the deaf speech users, 98% preferred to have a consultation in speech and of this group 71% indicated that they would only accept this if the health professional had good deaf awareness. Among the participants who used a mixture of sign language and speech, only 5% said they could cope with a consultation in speech with no deaf awareness whereas 46% were accepting of a spoken consultation as long as it was provided with good deaf awareness; 30% preferred to use an interpreter and 14% preferred to have a consultation directly with a signing health professional.Conclusions  The hospital communication preferences for most people with deafness could be met by increasing deaf awareness training for health professionals, a greater provision of specialized sign language interpreters and of health professionals who can use fluent sign language directly with clients in areas where contact with deaf people is frequent.
Indicators of anxiety and depression in women with the fragile X premutation: assessment of a clinical sample
Authors: Lachiewicz A. , Dawson D. , Spiridigliozzi G. , Cuccaro M. , Lachiewicz M. , McConkie‐Rosell A. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractBackground  Current research suggests that depression and anxiety may be common problems in women with the fragile X (FMR1) premutation.Methods  To learn more about this in a clinical setting, we asked 33 women with the FMR1 premutation and 20 women without the FMR1 premutation to complete the Brief Carroll Depression Scale (Brief CDS) and the Multidimensional Anxiety Questionnaire (MAQ) and to provide information about mental health medication use. Questionnaire findings were compared between groups and with normative samples. Trinucleotide (CGG) repeat counts were also correlated to checklist findings.Results  Both women with the FMR1 premutation and the comparison group had high current mental health medication use (33% vs. 35%). Approximately 1/3 of the women from both groups had high Brief CDS Total T‐scores (33% vs. 30%). More women with the FMR1 premutation had at least one elevated MAQ Total or sub‐scale T‐score than the comparison group (39% vs. 10%, P = 0.03). Twenty‐one per cent of women with the FMR1 premutation had all three of the indicators of distress targeted in this study vs. none of the women in the comparison samples (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between CGG repeat size and abnormal checklist findings using the Spearman rank correlation, although a higher percentage of women with >100 CGG repeats (57%) had an elevated Brief CDS Total T‐score than women with ≤100 CGG repeats (16%) (P = 0.02). More women with >100 CGG repeats also had all three indicators of anxiety and depression (P = 0.03).Conclusions  Women with the FMR1 premutation appear to have a high incidence of depression and increased symptoms of anxiety. Screening tools like the Brief CDS and the MAQ may be useful to identify these women in the clinic setting. Positive identification could lead to increased mental health care and treatment.
The role of marital quality and spousal support in behaviour problems of children with and without intellectual disability
Authors: Wieland N. , Baker B. L. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractBackground  Children with intellectual disability (ID) have been found to be at an increased risk for developing behavioural problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the marital domain, including marital quality and spousal support, and behaviour problems in children with and without ID.Methods  The relationship between the marital domain and child behaviour problems was examined in 132 families of 6‐year‐olds with and without ID. Using hierarchical regression, these relationships were also studied over time from child ages 6–8 years. Child behaviour problems were assessed with mother‐reported Child Behavior Checklist. The marital domain was measured using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale‐7 and the Spousal Support and Agreement Scale. Mother‐reported parenting stress and observed parenting practices were tested as potential mediators of the relationship between the marital domain and child behaviour problems.Results  Mean levels of the marital domain were not significantly different between typically developing (TD) and ID groups, but there were significantly greater levels of variance in reported marital quality in the ID group at ages 6, 7 and 8. The marital domain score at child age 6 years predicted child behaviour problems at age 8 for the TD group only. This predictive relationship appeared to be a unidirectional effect, as child behaviour problems at age 6 were not found to predict levels of the marital domain at age 8. Parenting stress partially mediated this relationship for the TD group.Conclusions  The marital domain may have a greater impact on behavioural outcomes for TD children. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.
The Influence of Upstream IL‐2 ‐330 (T/G) and TNF‐α ‐308 (A/G) Polymorphisms on Glutamine‐Supplemented Cytokine Release
Authors: Müller T. , Topp T. , Weismüller K. , Kwapisz M. , Engel J. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractVarious studies have shown that dietary glutamine can modify the course of an immune response, through altering the release of cytokines. Nutritional supplementation of glutamine may therefore be of advantage to patients, particularly those with compromised immunity. Given that polymorphisms in cytokine genes can also affect cytokine levels, we have undertaken a study to identify whether there was a differential effect of glutamine supplementation in the context of different IL‐2 ‐330 (T/G) and TNF‐α ‐308 (A/G) genotypes. Overall, there was no significant impact of glutamine supplementation on IL2 release. However, analysing low, medium and high expressors independently, there was an effect of high glutamine levels on cytokine release from the low and medium expressors. Likewise, there was no effect of glutamine supplementation on the TNF‐α release, although a tendency to lower cytokine release at high levels of glutamine. Irrespective of the glutamine concentrations, there was no difference in IL2 release between the IL2 ‐330 genotypes; there was an effect of the TNF‐α genotypes, with the AG and GG genotypes showing greater cytokine release than from the AA genotype.
Simultaneous Administration of Vitamin A and DTP Vaccine Modulates the Immune Response in a Murine Cerebral Malaria Model
Authors: Hein‐Kristensen L. , Jørgensen M. J. , Ravn H. , Wiese L. , Kurtzhals J. , Benn C. S. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThe World Health Organisation recommends vitamin A supplementation (VAS) to children aged 6 months to 5 years in low‐income countries, and for logistic reasons, this has been linked to routine childhood immunizations. Observational studies suggest that VAS given with diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) vaccine may increase mortality from non‐targeted diseases. We investigated the non‐targeted effect of pretreatment with VAS and DTP vaccine in a murine model of experimental cerebral malaria. Our a priori hypothesis was that VAS/DTP would aggravate the infection. We found that the effect of VAS and DTP depended on pathogenesis; VAS/DTP tended to increase parasitaemia and significantly depressed cytokine responses in mice, which developed cerebral malaria, but this was not seen in mice dying of anaemia. The divergent effect according to pathogenesis may help elucidate why VAS has divergent effects on different diseases in humans. Our results support the hypothesis that immunological effects of VAS/DTP may have detrimental implications for disease outcomes.
Evolutionary Development and Expression Pattern of the Myeloid Lectin‐Like Receptor Gene Family Encoded Within the NK Gene Complex
Authors: Sattler S. , Ghadially H. , Reiche D. , Karas I. , Hofer E. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThe myeloid cluster within the natural killer (NK) gene complex comprises several C‐type lectin‐like receptor genes of diverse and highly important functions in the immune system such as LOX‐1 and DECTIN‐1. Based on sequences that have become available by whole genome sequencing, we conducted a comparison of the human, chimpanzee, mouse and rat NK gene complex to better characterize this gene family and additional genes of this region in regard of their phylogenetic relationship and evolution within the complex. We found that the arrangement of genes within the primate cluster differs from the order and orientation of the corresponding genes in the rodent complex which can be explained by evolutionary duplication and inversion events. Analysis of individual genes revealed a high sequence conservation supporting the prime importance of the encoded proteins. Expression analyses of the more recently described CLEC12B and CLEC9A genes displayed not only mRNA expression in monocytic and dendritic cells, but in contrast to other members of the family also in lymphocytes. Further, two additional genes were identified, which do not encode proteins with lectin‐like domain structure and seem to be widely expressed.
Menopausal asthma: a new biological phenotype?
Authors: Foschino Barbaro M. P. , Costa V. R. , Resta O. , Prato R. , Spanevello A. , Palladino G. P. , Martinelli D. , Carpagnano G. E. 
Published: June 2010

To cite this article: Foschino Barbaro MP, Costa VR, Resta O, Prato R, Spanevello A, Palladino GP, Martinelli D, Carpagnano GE. Menopausal asthma: a new biological phenotype? Allergy 2010; 65: 1306–1312.AbstractBackground:  Female hormones play an important role in women’s lung health, especially in asthma pathophysiology. Although a growing interest has recently been aroused in asthma related to short‐term reproductive states, menopausal asthma has been little studied in the past. The aim of the present study was to explore airway inflammation in menopausal asthmatic women in a noninvasive manner.Methods:  Forty consecutive women with menopausal asthma, 35 consecutive women with premenopausal asthma and 30 age‐matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Urinary LTE‐4, induced sputum inflammatory cells, and exhaled LTE‐4, IL‐6, pH, and NO levels were measured in all the subjects enrolled.Results:  Women with menopausal asthma showed decreased estradiol concentrations, high sputum neutrophils, and exhaled IL‐6. Women with premenopausal asthma presented instead an essentially eosinophilic inflammatory pattern. Higher urine and breath condensate LTE‐4 concentrations were found in premenopausal and menopausal asthma compared to controls.Conclusion:  Our results substantiate the existence of a new biological phenotype of menopausal asthma that is mainly characterized by neutrophilic airways inflammation and shares several characteristics of the severe asthma phenotype.
Geographical variations in the prevalence of atopic sensitization in six study sites across Canada
Authors: Chan‐Yeung M. , Anthonisen N. R. , Becklake M. R. , Bowie D. , Sonia Buist A. , Dimich‐Ward H. , Ernst P. , Sears M. R. , Siersted H. C. , Sweet L. , Van Til L. , Manfreda J. 
Published: June 2010

To cite this article: Chan‐Yeung M, Anthonisen NR, Becklake MR, Bowie D, Sonia Buist A, Dimich‐Ward H, Ernst P, Sears MR, Siersted HC, Sweet L, Van Til L, Manfreda J. Geographical variations in the prevalence of atopic sensitization in six study sites across Canada. Allergy 2010; 65: 1404–1413.AbstractBackground:  Geographical variations in atopic sensitization in Canada have not been described previously. This study used the standardized protocol of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey‐1 (ECRHS‐1) to investigate the distribution and predictors of atopic sensitization in six sites across Canada and to compare the results with some ECRHS‐1 centers.Methods:  Adults aged 20–44 years in six study sites across Canada underwent allergy skin testing using 14 allergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae) cat, cockroach, grasses (Timothy grass, Kentucky grass), molds (Cladosporium herbarium, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium), trees (tree mix, birch, Olea europea), and common ragweed.Results:  The overall prevalence of atopy (skin test over 0 mm to any allergen) was 62.7%. There was significant geographical variation in the prevalence of atopy in the six study sites (lowest 55.6% [95% C.I.51.3–59.9] in Prince Edward Island, highest 66.0 [61.7–70.3] in Montreal) and of sensitization to each of the allergens tested even after adjustment for confounders. When the first eight of the nine allergens in the ECRHS were used to estimate the prevalence of atopic sensitization, the prevalence of atopy in Canada was 57% compared with 35.2% overall for centers in the ECRHS. The prevalence of atopy in Vancouver (57% [52.3–61.8]) was close to that of Portland, Oregon (52.1% [46.2–58.0]).Conclusion:  There was a significant variation in atopic sensitization among different study sites across Canada. The prevalence of atopic sensitization is relatively high in Canada compared with sites in the ECRHS and this may, in part, account for the high prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms in Canada.
Male Post‐Ejaculatory Mounting in the Ring‐Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta): A Behavior Solicited by Females?
Authors: Parga Joyce A. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractMale mate guarding can take many forms but often involves aggression toward male conspecifics and continued proximity with a female. This study describes a previously undocumented behavior in a promiscuous primate, the ring‐tailed lemur: post‐ejaculatory (PE) mounting. PE mounting was documented across eight mating seasons in a ring‐tailed lemur colony on St. Catherines Island (SCI), USA. During PE mounting, a male remounts a female following ejaculation and clasps her midsection as if to mate again, but copulation does not occur; males showing this behavior typically lack erections, and their mounts show an absence of penile intromission and rhythmic thrusting. Male PE mounting was more common among males mating earlier in the queue, and when PE mounting occurred, it accompanied mate guarding. Four non‐mutually exclusive hypotheses to explain PE mounting were evaluated as follows: (1) gaining additional copulations, (2) prevention of re‐mating, (3) lengthening sperm residence time, and (4) re‐mounting as a function of female proceptivity. Male PE mounting did not aid males in gaining additional copulations nor did PE mounting prevent females from mating with new males. Equivocal support was found for Hypothesis 3: although there was much overlap in copulatory plug residence times for males who did and did not show PE mounting, one‐third of males who practiced PE mounting had plug residence times of 2 h or more, much longer than that of males who did not show PE mounting. PE mounting may therefore be related to increased plug residence time, which may provide an advantage to males in sperm competition. Strong evidence was found in support of Hypothesis 4: males overwhelmingly performed PE mounts in response to continued female sexual presentations, suggesting that females can solicit this male behavior. Females consequently exercise an even greater degree of control over males than was previously realized in this ‘female dominant’ primate.
Photochemical Efficiency and SPAD Value as Indirect Selection Criteria for Combined Selection of Spot Blotch and Terminal Heat Stress in Wheat
Authors: Rosyara Umesh R. , Subedi Sushil , Duveiller Etienne , Sharma Ram C. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractTerminal heat and spot blotch caused by Cochliobolus sativus are important stresses causing significant wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield losses in the south Asian plains. Recent studies have shown that chlorophyll‐related traits are correlated with heat stress and spot blotch resistance in wheat. This study was conducted to evaluate leaf photochemical efficiency and leaf greenness (measured as SPAD value) for combined selection of spot blotch and terminal heat stress. The efficiency of photosystem II was measured as ratio of variable to maximal chlorophyll fluorescence, Fv/Fm, using chlorophyll fluorometer build on pulse modulation principle. The study was conducted in three spring wheat populations derived by crossing spot blotch–resistant wheat genotypes ‘Milan/Shanghai#7’, ‘Chirya.3’ and ‘NL971’ with a susceptible cultivar ‘BL 1473’. The F3 and F4 generations were grown under natural epiphytotics of spot blotch either in optimal or in terminal heat stress conditions at Rampur, Nepal. The heritability (h2) of Fv/Fm, SPAD measurements and their genetic correlation with 1000‐kernel weight (TKW) and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) were estimated. The h2 estimates for Fv/Fm and SPAD measurements were moderate to high. In addition, AUDPC and TKW showed low to high genetic correlation with these traits. These findings suggest that Fv/Fm and SPAD measurements could be used as complementary traits in selecting for spot blotch resistance and heat tolerance in wheat.
Leptin protects cardiomyocytes from serum‐deprivation‐induced apoptosis by increasing anti‐oxidant defence
Authors: Zheng Juan , Fang Ji , Yin Yuan‐Jun , Wang Xiao‐Chen , Ren An‐Jing , Bai Jie , Sun Xue‐Jun , Yuan Wen‐Jun , Lin Li 
Published: June 2010

Summary1. Leptin, an important adipose‐derived hormone, can be associated with cardiac pathophysiology; however, the role of leptin in cardiomyocyte apoptosis is poorly understood. The present study examines serum‐deprivation‐induced apoptosis in primary cultured cardiomyocytes treated with leptin.2. Cardiomyocytes were subjected to serum deprivation in the presence or absence of leptin (5 or 50 nmol/L) for 48 h. Apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33258 and Annexin V‐FITC/propidium iodide dual staining. Cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, caspase 3 activation, and the expression and enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. Small interference RNA (siRNA) targeting SOD1 and SOD2 were used to knockdown their expression and measure apoptosis.3. Serum deprivation caused nearly 30% of apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, and an approximately 60% decrease in cell viability. The mRNA levels and the activated form of caspase 3 were greatly increased. In the presence of leptin, the apoptotic rate was reduced to approximately 15%, cell viability was increased and the activation of caspase 3 was partially inhibited. Additionally, the augmented lipid peroxidation (MDA formation) was abolished, and the impaired activities of SOD1 and SOD2 were restored by leptin. The mRNA expression of SOD2, but not SOD1, was stimulated by leptin. Transfection with siRNA that cause deficiency of either SOD1 or SOD2 attenuated the anti‐apoptotic effects of leptin.4. The results suggest that leptin inhibits serum‐deprivation‐induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes by activating SOD. The present study outlines the direct actions of leptin in cardiac disorders that are related to elevated leptin levels.
N‐methyl d‐aspartate receptors are involved in the induction, but not expression stage of amphetamine sensitization in schedule‐induced polydipsia in rats
Authors: Liu Yia‐Ping , Tung Che‐Se , Lin Pai‐Jone , Wan Fang‐Jung 
Published: June 2010

Summary1. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of dopaminergic and glutamatergic receptors on different stages of the amphetamine (AMPH) sensitized effect in schedule‐induced polydipsia (SIP) in rats.2. Three experiments were designed to evaluate the roles of DAD2 receptor antagonist haloperidol (HAL) and glutamatergic N‐methyl d‐aspartate receptor antagonist MK‐801 on both the induction and the expression stage of AMPH sensitization in SIP rats. First, the induction of AMPH sensitization in the SIP model was tested again to confirm previous findings. Second, HAL or MK‐801 was co‐administered with AMPH on five consecutive days and their effect on induction was examined 14 days after withdrawal. Finally, HAL or MK‐801 was co‐administered with AMPH on the final day of testing in SIP rats in which AMPH sensitization had been established previously.3. The present results shoed that HAL and MK‐801 affected the effect of AMPH differently during the process of sensitization. Whereas HAL influenced the sensitization during both the induction and the expression phases, MK‐801 affected only the induction phase; thus, once the sensitization had been established, MK‐801 had no further influence.4. These results suggest that the SIP model could be considered useful for the study of sensitization. In addition, the induction and expression of AMPH sensitization is influenced differently by the dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems.