bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Ramadan-type fasting on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and brush border membrane in small intestine and liver of rat used as a model
Authors: Farooq Neelam , Priyamvada Shubha , Arivarasu N. A. , Salim Samina , Khan Farah , Yusufi Ahad Noor Khan 
Published: March 2007

During Ramadan, Muslims the world over abstain from food and water from dawn to sunset for a month. We hypothesised that this unique model of prolonged intermittent fasting would result in specific intestinal and liver metabolic adaptations and hence alter metabolic activities. The effect of Ramadan-type fasting was studied on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and the brush border membrane of intestine and liver from rat used as a model. Rats were fasted (12 h) and then refed (12 h) daily for 30 d, as practised by Muslims during Ramadan. Ramadan-type fasting caused a significant decline in serum glucose, cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase activity, whereas inorganic phosphate increased but blood urea N was not changed. Fasting resulted in increased activities of intestinal lactate (+34 %), isocitrate (+63 %), succinate (+83 %) and malate (+106 %) dehydrogenases, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (+17 %) and glucose-6-phosphatase (+22 %). Liver lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase activities were also enhanced. However, the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme fell significantly in the intestine but increased in liver. Although the activities of alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and sucrase decreased in mucosal homogenates and brush border membrane, those of liver alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase significantly increased. These changes were due to a respective decrease and increase of the maximal velocities of the enzyme reactions. Ramadan-type fasting caused similar effects whether the rats fasted with a daytime or night-time feeding schedule. The present results show a tremendous adaptation capacity of both liver and intestinal metabolic activities with Ramadan-type fasting in rats used as a model for Ramadan fasting in people.
Hypolipidaemic effect of chemically different mucilages in rats: a comparative study
Authors: Boban Puthenpura T. , Nambisan Bala , Sudhakaran Perumana R. 
Published: March 2007

Different classes of fibres differ in their potential to lower lipid levels. In order to examine how chemically diverse fibres differ in their hypolipidaemic activity, mucilages of varying chemical composition isolated from three different sources were administered to experimental animals and the metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins was studied. The mucilages used were a galactomannan isolated from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, a glucomannan fromDioscorea esculentatubers and an arabinogalactan fromColocasia esculentatubers. Rats were fed these mucilages at a dose of 4 mg/100 g body weight per d for 8 weeks and the changes in the levels of total cholesterol and triacylglycerols in serum, liver and aorta were analysed. All these mucilages decreased lipid levels both in serum and tissues. Among these mucilages, glucomannan showed the most hypolipidaemic effect followed by galactomannan and arabinogalactan. Further, hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of mucilage-fed rats and the synthesis and secretion of lipoproteins were studied using metabolic labelling. There was a decrease in the synthesis and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins, mainly VLDL, by hepatocytes isolated from mucilage-fed rats when compared to control (P < 0·05). This was further confirmed by pulse chase analysis. Among the different mucilages, mannose-rich glucomannan showed the most effect followed by galactomannan, and mannose-free arabinogalactan showed minimal effect. Comparison of relative viscosity and water-holding capacity showed that mannan-rich mucilages like galactomannan and glucomannan, which showed greater hypolipidaemic effect, had greater relative viscosity and water-holding capacity. The present results suggested that the hypolipidaemic effect of dietary fibre involves a decrease in hepatic production of VLDL and further that it varies with the nature of the fibre.
Impact of dietary counselling on nutrient intake during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Piirainen T. , Isolauri E. , Lagström H. , Laitinen K. 
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dietary counselling combined with the provision of food products on food and nutrient intake in pregnant women. We carried out a prospective cohort study of healthy and atopic pregnant women (n 209), who were randomized into dietary intervention and control groups. The intervention group received dietary counselling and food products to modify the fat composition of their diet to meet current recommendations. Three-day food records were collected during each trimester of pregnancy. Women in the intervention group consumed more vegetables, fruits, soft margarines and vegetable oils and less butter than those in the control group during the course of pregnancy (P < 0·05). The main distinction between the groups in nutrient intake over the pregnancy was attributable to a higher energy intake (% energy) of PUFA by 0·5 %energy (95 % CI 0·1, 0·8) and to a lower intake of SFA by 0·8 % energy (95 % CI − 1·4, − 0·4) in the intervention group. Dietary intake of vitamin E was 1·4 mg (95 % CI 0·6, 2·2), folate 20·9 μg (95 % CI 0·8, 41·0) and ascorbic acid 19·8 mg (95 % CI 3·5, 36·0) higher in the intervention group compared to the controls, while no differences in other nutrients were detected. Dietary counselling combined with the provision of food products during pregnancy is of importance in modifying food and nutrient intake, with potential health benefits.
Validation of foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the assessment of body composition in young children: the EarlyBird cohort
Authors: Hosking Joanne , Metcalf Brad S. , Jeffery Alison N. , Voss Linda D. , Wilkin Terence J. 
Published: March 2007

Foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is simple and non-invasive, making it particularly suitable for use in children. There is insufficient evidence of the validity of foot-to-foot BIA compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the criterion method in healthy young children. Our objective was to assess the validity of foot-to-foot BIA against DEXA in a large cohort of healthy young children. Body composition was measured by foot-to-foot BIA and DEXA in 203 children (mean age 8·9 (sd0·3) years). Bland–Altman and simple linear regression analyses were used to determine agreement between methods. BIA overestimated fat-free mass by a mean of 2·4 % in boys and 5·7 % in girls, while fat mass was underestimated by 6·5 % in boys and 10·3 % in girls. The percentage fat recorded by BIA was, accordingly, also lower than by DEXA (boys 4·8 %; girls 12·8 %). In boys, however, there were correlations between the size of the difference between methods and the size of the measure under consideration such that in smaller boys fat-free mass was underestimated (r − 0·57;P < 0·001) while fat mass and percentage fat were overestimated (r0·74 for fat mass;r0·69 for percentage fat; bothP < 0·001) with the reverse in bigger boys. Mean differences between techniques were greater in the girls than in the boys but in boys only, the direction of the differences was dependent upon the size of the child. Therefore, BIA may be useful for large-scale studies but is not interchangeable with DEXA and should be interpreted with caution in individuals.
Comparative dietary intake and sources of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) among British adults in 1986–7 and 2000–1
Authors: Thane Christopher W. , Bolton-Smith Caroline , Coward W. Andy 
Published: March 2007

Using data from 7 d weighed dietary records, dietary intake and sources of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) were examined by socio-demographic and lifestyle factors in 1916 participants aged 16–64 years from the 1986–7 Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults, and 1423 participants aged 19–64 years from the 2000–1 National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Using UK-specific food content data, geometric mean phylloquinone intakes were estimated as 72 (95 % CI 70, 74) and 67 (95 % CI 65, 69) μg/d in 1986–7 and 2000–1 respectively (P < 0·001). In 1986–7, 47 % of participants had phylloquinone intakes below the UK guideline for adequacy ( ≥ 1 μg/kg body weight per d), compared with 59 % in 2000–1 (P < 0·001). In both surveys, daily phylloquinone intake was higher among men than women and increased significantly with age. Participants of manual occupational social class, or who were smokers, had lower phylloquinone intake than their counterparts. Participants living in Scotland and northern England had lower phylloquinone intake than those living elsewhere in mainland Britain, particularly in 1986–7 when the contribution from vegetables was also lower than elsewhere. However, by 2000–1 this regional difference was no longer significant. Overall, vegetables contributed 63 % of phylloquinone intake in 1986–7 and 60 % in 2000–1, with cooked leafy green vegetables (LGV) providing 23 and 19 % respectively. In both surveys, the contribution of vegetables (cooked LGV in particular) was directly associated with age. These data show a decrease in phylloquinone intake from 1986–7 to 2000–1, mainly owing to lower consumption of cooked LGV.
Skeletal site-dependent response of bone mineral density and quantitative ultrasound parameters following a 12-month dietary intervention using dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D: the Postmenopausal Health Study
Authors: Moschonis George , Manios Yannis 
Published: March 2007

The aim of the current study was to examine whether calcium supplementation could prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women or more favourable outcomes could be obtained via the consumption of dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D3. For this purpose changes in bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites, assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, as well as in quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters of the calcaneus over 12 months were estimated. A population of 101 postmenopausal women (55–65 years old) was randomized into a dairy group (DG: n 39), receiving approximately 1200 mg calcium/d and 7·5 μg vitamin D3/d through fortified dairy products; a calcium-supplemented group (CaG: n 26) provided with a calcium supplement of 600 mg/d; and a control group (CG: n 36). Over the intervention period the DG was found to have more favourable changes in pelvis (P = 0·040), total spine (P < 0·001) and total body BMD (P < 0·001) than the other groups. A significant increase was also observed for DG in lumbar spine BMD (2·0 %; 95 % CI 0·5, 3·5) although it did not differentiate significantly compared to the other groups. No significant differences were observed with respect to the changes in QUS parameters. The current study revealed that recommended intakes of vitamin D3 and calcium via fortified dairy products for 12 months can induce favourable changes in pelvis, total spine and total body BMD in postmenopausal women but not in QUS parameters. No such favourable changes were observed via supplementation of calcium alone.
Genetic and environmental contributions to serum ascorbic acid concentrations: the Stanislas Family Study
Authors: Herbeth Bernard , Guilland Jean-Claude , Rochette Luc , Siest Gérard , Visvikis-Siest Sophie 
Published: March 2007

Although numerous environmental factors are documented to influence serum ascorbic concentrations, little is known about the genetic versus environmental contributions to variation of this trait. The aim of this study was to estimate family correlation and, additive genetic heritability and household effects in a variance component analysis for serum ascorbic acid concentrations. In a sample of ninety French families, information was obtained regarding serum ascorbic acid concentrations, usual dietary intake, lifestyle, and other related covariates. Spouse, parent–offspring and offspring–offspring significant correlation coefficients for serum ascorbic acid concentrations, adjusted for age, cigarette consumption and oral contraceptive use, were 0·432, 0·298 and 0·485, respectively, and for adjusted values for additional diet covariates (vitamin C intake and fruit and vegetable consumption), were 0·362, 0·154 and 0·348, respectively. Variance component analysis for serum ascorbic concentrations showed no significant genetic contribution to variability of this trait. Conversely, household common environment accounted for 27·7 and 42·6 % in parents and offspring, respectively, after adjustment for age, cigarette consumption and oral contraceptive use. After adjustment for the two additional diet covariates (vitamin C intake and fruit and vegetable consumption) household common variance decreased to 13·6 and 30·5 % in parents and offspring, respectively. These results show that serum ascorbic acid concentrations aggregate within healthy families partly due to diet intake but without a significant genetic component.
WHAT HAS FAITH GOT TO DO WITH IT? RELIGION AND CHILD SURVIVAL IN GHANA
Authors: OBENG GYIMAH STEPHEN 
Published: March 2007

SummaryUsing pooled children data from the 1998 and 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, this study examines religious differences in child survival in Ghana. Guided by the particularized theology and selectivity theses, a piecewise constant hazard model with gamma-shared frailty is used to explore if there are denominational differences in child mortality, and whether these could be explained through other characteristics. At the bivariate level, children whose mothers identified as Muslim and Traditional were found to have a significantly higher risk of death compared with their counterparts whose mothers identified as Christians. In the multivariate models, however, the religious differences disappeared after the mediating and confounding influence of socioeconomic factors were controlled. The findings provide support for the selectivity hypothesis, which is based on the notion that religious variations mainly reflect differential access to social and human capital rather than religious theology per se.
ACCESS TO HEALTH: WOMEN’S STATUS AND UTILIZATION OF MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES IN NEPAL
Authors: SHARMA SHARAD KUMAR , SAWANGDEE YOTHIN , SIRIRASSAMEE BUPPHA 
Published: March 2007

SummaryWith the objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, the Safe Motherhood Program was implemented in Nepal in 1997. It was launched as a priority programme during the ninth five-year plan period, 1997–2002, with the aim of increasing women’s access to health care and raising their status. This paper examines the association of access to health services and women’s status with utilization of prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care during the plan period. The 1996 Nepal Family Health Survey and the 2001 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data were pooled and the likelihood of women’s using maternal health care was examined in 2001 in comparison with 1996. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicates that the utilization of maternal health services increased over the period. Programme interventions such as outreach worker’s visits, radio programmes on maternal health, maternal health information disseminated through various mass media sources and raising women’s status through education were able to explain the observed change in utilization. Health worker visits and educational status of women showed a large association, but radio programmes and other mass media information were only partially successful in increasing use of maternal health services. Socioeconomic and demographic variables such as household economic status, number of living children and place of residence showed stronger association with use of maternal health services then did intervention programmes.
Simultaneous typical carcinoid tumour of larynx and occult papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Lin Z-M , Chang Y-L , Lee C-Y , Wang C-P , Hsiao T-Y 
Published: March 2007

AbstractTypical carcinoid tumour of the larynx is extremely rare. We report the case of a 43-year-old man initially diagnosed with typical carcinoid tumour of the larynx, presenting with a foreign body sensation in his throat. Coincidentally, an occult papillary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed, following detection of a suspicious lymph node on pre-operative imaging studies, and confirmation by neck dissection and subsequent total thyroidectomy. Following surgery and radioiodine therapy for these cancers, the patient was alive, well and free of disease two years later. Typical carcinoid tumour of the larynx with a synchronous occult papillary thyroid carcinoma has not previously been reported. The optimal treatment strategy for this case is also discussed.
Three-dimensional flow near a reconnection site at the dayside magnetopause: analytical solutions coupled with MHD simulations
Authors: WESTERBERG LARS G. , VEDIN J. , EKENBÄCK A. , ÅKERSTEDT H. O. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractWe present a coupling between an analytical three-dimensional model covering the plasma flow behaviour through the magnetopause transition layer near a reconnection site, with results from a global MHD simulation describing the plasma flow in the magnetosheath. The structure of the plasma flow near a reconnection site at the dayside terrestrial magnetopause is investigated, together with the development of the magnetopause transition region.
Low-frequency temperature-dependent plasma discharge instabilities in the presence of external constant electric and magnetic fields
Authors: NIKNAM A. R. , SHOKRI B. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBy calculating the dielectric permittivity of a magnetoactive plasma discharge in the presence of an external electric field, low-frequency instabilities resulting from the dependency of the electron-neutral collision frequency, electron-ion recombination coefficient and ionization frequency on the electron temperature are investigated. Furthermore, it is shown that some of these instabilities depend on the sign change of the derivative of the kinetic coefficients with respect to the electron temperature. Finally, it is shown how frequency spectra and the development of instabilities are changed by increasing the strength of the external magnetic field.
Numerical analysis of the neutral beam attenuation rate on the HT-7 and EAST tokamaks
Authors: ZHANG GUOPING , HU LIQUN , ZHANG XIANMEI , HUANG JUAN , LIU JIN ,   THE DNB TEAM
Published: March 2007

AbstractA diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) is applied to measure the plasma ion temperature and rotation speed in the HT-7 tokamak. Also, a heating neutral beam (HNB) is suggested as an effective method of heating a plasma for the EAST tokamak. As a necessary step to evaluate the required beam power in both applications, the attenuation of the injected neutral beam has been numerically calculated and analyzed considering the effect of various plasma parameters, such as electron temperature, electron density, impurity concentration, and so on. Three basic atomic processes are considered here. It is shown that at the same electron density neutral beam particles can penetrate deeper at higher injection energies and a DNB with the same full energy can attenuate faster at higher electron densities. The impurity effect on the attenuation of a DNB is discussed, and the attenuation of a HNB on the EAST tokamak is also considered.
Environmental factors and incidence of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever in an urban area, Southern Thailand
Authors: THAMMAPALO S. , CHONGSUVIVATWONG V. , GEATER A. , DUERAVEE M. 
Published: March 2007

SUMMARYUsing the enumeration district (ED) block level this study looked at the incidence of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) within the Songkhla municipality in Thailand. Each of the 146 blocks in this area were considered as study units and surveyed for their environmental characteristics. A total of 287 cases of DH/DHF occurring in the year 1998 were selected for this study and the location of their homes mapped. Clustering analysis showed point clustering of the homes (P<0·0001) which was probably due to high density habitation, without any actual prevalence of case clustering. There was no evidence of clustering of the ED blocks with an incidence of DF/DHF (P=0·32). DF/DHF incidence for each block was strongly associated with the percentages of shop-houses, brick-made houses and houses with poor garbage disposal (all P<0·01). DF/DHF control should be emphasized for the areas which have a predominance of these housing types.
Invasive pneumococcal disease in Victoria: a better measurement of the true incidence
Authors: CLOTHIER H. J. , VU T. , SUNDARARAJAN V. , ANDREWS R. M. , COUNAHAN M. , TALLIS G. F. , LAMBERT S. B. 
Published: March 2007

SUMMARYInvasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) notifications are used to monitor IPD vaccination programmes. We conducted sequential deterministic data-linkage between IPD notifications and hospitalization data in Victoria, Australia, in order to determine whether all diagnosed cases were being reported. The proportion of each relevant hospital admission ICD-10-AM code that could be linked to notified cases was calculated. Total and age-specific annual rates were calculated and compared for notified and non-notified cases. Total incidence was estimated using data-linkage results and application of a two-source capture–recapture method. The first 2 years of IPD surveillance in Victoria missed at least one-sixth of laboratory-confirmed IPD cases. Estimated annual IPD rate increased from 9·0 to 10·7/100 000 and rose even higher, to 11·5/100 000, with age-specific rates possibly reaching 90·0/100 000 children aged <2 years, when using capture–recapture. Strategies to improve notification and coding of hospitalized cases of IPD are required.
Monadic augment and generalised short cut fusion
Authors: GHANI NEIL , JOHANN PATRICIA 
Published: March 2007

AbstractMonads are commonplace programming devices that are used to uniformly structure computations; in particular, they are often used to mimic the effects of impure features such as state, error handling, and I/O. This paper further develops the monadic programming paradigm by investigating the extent to which monadic computations can be optimised by using generalisations of short cut fusion to eliminate monadic structures whose sole purpose is to “glue together” monadic program components. Ghani, Uustalu, and Vene have recently shown that every inductive type has an associated build combinator and an associated short cut fusion law. They have also used the notion of a parameterised monad to describe those monads that give rise to inductive types, and have shown that the standard augment combinators and cata/augment fusion rules for algebraic data types can be generalised to fixed points of all parameterised monads. We revisit these augment combinators and generalised short cut fusion rules for such types but consider them from a functional programming perspective, rather than a categorical one. In addition to making the category-theoretic ideas of Ghani, Uustalu, and Vene more easily accessible to a wider audience of functional programmers, we demonstrate their practical applicability by developing nontrivial application programs and performing modest benchmarking on them. We also show how the cata/augment rules can serve as the basis for deriving additional generic fusion laws, thus opening the way for an algebra of fusion. Finally, we offer deep theoretical insights, arguing that the augment combinators are monadic in nature, and thus that the cata/build and cata/augment rules are arguably the best generally applicable fusion rules obtainable.