bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy in women with Type 2 diabetes: who takes metformin and what is the outcome?
Authors: Hughes R. C. E. , Rowan J. A. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAims  To review pregnancy outcomes in women with Type 2 diabetes (Type 2 DM), comparing women treated with those not treated with metformin.Methods  Data were collected by case‐note review for all pregnancies in women with Type 2 DM over a 6‐year period (1998–2003) at the National Women's Hospital. Two hundred and fourteen pregnancies were included, metformin was taken in 93 pregnancies and continued until delivery in 32; the remaining 121 pregnancies comprised the control group. The principal outcome measures were preeclampsia, perinatal loss and neonatal morbidity.Results  Baseline characteristics differed between groups: women in the metformin group had greater mean (sd) body mass index [35.5(7.6) vs. 33.5(6.6) kg/m2, P < 0.05], more chronic hypertension (19% vs. 7%, P < 0.05) and higher mean (sd) first trimester glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels [8.3(1.9)% vs. 7.5(1.7)%, P < 0.005]. There was no difference between metformin and control groups, respectively, in the rate of preeclampsia (13% vs. 14%, P = 0.84), perinatal loss (3% vs. 2%, P = 0.65) or neonatal morbidity, including rate of prematurity (23% vs. 22%, P = 0.7), admission to the neonatal unit (40% vs. 48%, P = 0.27), respiratory distress (9% vs. 18%, P = 0.07) and treatment with intravenous dextrose (20% vs. 31%, P = 0.08).Conclusions  Pregnant women with Type 2 DM who were treated with metformin had more risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes, but no differences in outcomes were seen compared with women not taking metformin. We need randomized trials to address potential benefits of metformin treatment in this population that may be masked by current practice.
Pioglitazone increases circulating adiponectin levels and subsequently reduces TNF‐α levels in Type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized study
Authors: Shimizu H. , Oh‐I S. , Tsuchiya T. , Ohtani K.‐I. , Okada S. , Mori M. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractBackground   Adipocytokines are involved in the development of insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients. However, the relationship between these factors remains unclear. We observed a chronological change in circulating adipocytokines and blood pressure levels with administration of oral hypoglycaemic agents in Type 2 diabetic (T2DM) subjects.Methods   Thirty poorly controlled T2DM subjects (aged 60.1 ± 1.5 years, 11 males and 19 females) were randomized into two groups: voglibose (initial dose 0.6 mg/day, increased to 0.9 mg/day) and pioglitazone (initial dose 15 mg/day, increased to 30 mg/day).Results   Both treatment groups showed a similar improvement in glycaemic control. In pioglitazone‐treated patients, circulating adiponectin levels were significantly increased from 4 weeks after the start of treatment, and until the end of the study at 12 weeks. Plasma tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) levels were significantly decreased only at 12 weeks. In contrast, no significant changes in plasma adiponectin or TNF‐α levels were observed in voglibose‐treated patients. Plasma PAI‐1 and leptin levels were not significantly changed at 12 weeks in either treatment group. Pioglitazone significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels at 12 weeks, but voglibose had no effect.Conclusion   In summary, pioglitazone caused an immediate increase in circulating adiponectin levels, followed by a reduction of TNF‐α. The observed increase in circulating adiponectin could be related to decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Effect of the oral hypoglycaemic sulphonylurea glibenclamide, a blocker of ATP‐sensitive potassium channels, on walking distance in patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Mortensen U. M. , Nielsen‐Kudsk J. E. , Sondergaard H. M. , Jakobsen P. , Jensen B. S. , Schmitz O. , Nielsen T. T. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAims  The oral hypoglycaemic sulphonylurea glibenclamide stimulates endogenous insulin secretion through blockade of ATP‐sensitive potassium (KATP) channels on pancreatic β cells, but also blocks cardiovascular KATP channels, leading to increased peripheral vascular resistance and reduced peripheral blood flow in non‐diabetic subjects. Therefore, this study examined whether a single oral dose of glibenclamide adversely affected the pain‐free or maximal walking distance in patients with intermittent claudication.Methods  In a double‐blind, randomized crossover study, 12 non‐diabetic patients with intermittent claudication were given a single oral dose of glibenclamide (5.25 mg) or placebo separated by a washout period of 1 week. A treadmill test was carried out 180 min after glibenclamide/placebo intake for determination of pain‐free and maximal walking distance. Plasma glucose concentrations were kept constant by an euglycemic clamp. Changes in ankle/brachial blood pressure index (ABI), serum insulin, and serum glibenclamide were also assessed.Results  The pain‐free walking distance was 62.8 ± 9.8 metres (mean ± sem) after glibenclamide and 52.6 ± 5.9 metres after placebo (P = 0.52). The maximal walking distance was 142.7 ± 18.7 metres after glibenclamide and 132.6 ± 16.6 metres after placebo (P = 0.23). The ABI was not significantly changed by glibenclamide compared with placebo. Serum glibenclamide was 0.51 ± 0.08 µm 180 min after administration of the drug. Glibenclamide produced an 8‐fold increase in circulating insulin compared with placebo (P < 0.001).Conclusions  Glibenclamide given as a single oral dose commonly used in glucose‐lowering drug therapy does not reduce pain‐free or maximal walking distance in non‐diabetic patients with intermittent claudication.
Familial factors in diabetic nephropathy: an offspring study
Authors: Agius E. , Attard G. , Shakespeare L. , Clark P. , Vidya M.‐A. , Hattersley A. T. , Fava S. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAims  Familial clustering of diabetic nephropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes suggests that inherited factors predispose to diabetic nephropathy, but the nature of these factors is uncertain. The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of known risk factors for nephropathy in non‐diabetic offspring of Type 2 diabetic patients with and without nephropathy and in control subjects.Methods  Three groups of patients were recruited with 40 or 41 subjects in each group. These were subjects having one Type 2 diabetic parent with nephropathy (DN); subjects having one parent with Type 2 diabetes without nephropathy (DnoN), and non‐diabetic unrelated control subjects with no personal or parental history of diabetes (Control subjects).Results  The median (interquartile range) albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) was 1.40 (0.96–2.90) mg/mmol in DN; 0.94 (0.50–1.46) mg/mmol in DnoN and 1.22 (0.66–1.83) mg/mmol in Controls (anova: P = 0.03). ACR was higher in group DN than in DnoN (P < 0.006) and in Control subjects (P < 0.03), but there was no difference between DnoN and Control subjects. Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed mean daytime systolic blood pressure to be significantly higher in group DN than in DnoN (P < 0.02) or Control subjects (P < 0.01) (anova: P = 0.004). Fasting insulin, HOMA‐IR, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were similar in the three groups.Conclusion  Our data provide further evidence that genetic factors are important in determining urinary albumin excretion and renal disease associated with Type 2 diabetes and suggest that genes that affect systemic arterial blood pressure but not those relating to insulin resistance or inflammation are likely to be implicated.
Metformin use and diabetic pregnancy—has its time come?
Authors: Hawthorne G. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in women of childbearing age continues to grow as the incidence of Type 2 diabetes increases. Recent evidence shows that treatment of gestational diabetes ensures the best possible outcome for pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes. Metformin is a logical treatment in these circumstances but there has always been concern about its safety for the fetus, particularly as it crosses the placenta and it may increase the risk of teratogenesis. Although evidence is accumulating that metformin is useful and has a role in polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition of insulin resistance, it is not yet accepted as treatment for Type 2 diabetes in pregnancy and gestational diabetes. Observational data supports the use of metformin in Type 2 diabetes in pregnancy and its role in gestational diabetes is currently under investigation. Metformin may become an important treatment for women with either gestational or Type 2 diabetes in pregnancy and indeed may have additional important benefits for women, including reducing insulin resistance, body weight and long‐term risk of diabetes. There is a need for a randomized controlled trial in women with Type 2 diabetes in pregnancy with long‐term follow‐up of both mothers and children. Until then the best advice remains that optimized glycaemic control prior to conception and during pregnancy is the most important intervention for best possible pregnancy outcome.
Employee Financial Participation and Productivity: An Empirical Reappraisal
Authors: Robinson Andrew M. , Wilson Nicholas 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAvner Ben‐Ner and Derek Jones cast doubt on the notion of a simple causal link between financial participation (FP) and productivity, and consequently on the validity of much of the empirical literature that has sought to quantify this relationship. This paper is an attempt to investigate this proposition. Our empirical reappraisal revealed that the route through which employee share ownership and profit‐sharing schemes achieve these gains is quite separate and more involved than either the theory or prior empirical research suggests. This is particularly evident by extending the complementarities thesis beyond purely participatory bundles to embrace firm‐specific and organizational variables. Our analysis also addressed recent calls to aid the interpretation of the observed effects of FP by creating a link between the use and operation of FP and its impact on productivity.
Taxonomic selectivity in amphibians: ignorance, geography or biology?
Authors: Bielby J. , Cunningham A. A. , Purvis A. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractMany taxa, including amphibians, have been shown to have a taxonomically non‐random distribution of threatened species. There are three possible non‐exclusive reasons for this selectivity: non‐random knowledge of species conservation status, clades endemic to different regions experiencing different intensities of threatening process and the effects of clade‐specific biological attributes on the susceptibility of species to these processes. This paper tests the sufficiency of the first two explanations using extinction risk evaluations from the 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment. Our results indicate that they cannot alone account for the degree of non‐randomness in extinction risk among amphibian families. The overall distribution of threatened amphibians remained taxonomically non‐random when species of unknown conservation status were omitted, and significant selectivity was detected not only at a global geographic scale but also in country‐ and site‐specific data sets. Furthermore, the same families tend to be over‐ or underthreatened within different countries. Together, these results suggest that biological differences among amphibian families play an important role in determining species' susceptibility to anthropogenic threatening processes.
The fashion‐conscious behaviours of mature female consumers
Authors: Nam Jinhee , Hamlin Reagan , Gam Hae Jin , Kang Ji Hye , Kim Jiyoung , Kumphai Pimpawan , Starr Cathy , Richards Lynne 
Published: February 2006

AbstractUnder‐appreciation of mature consumers as a numerous and comparatively wealthy market segment has resulted in not only lost revenues for business, but also lost consumption and service opportunities for the elderly. In response to expressed needs for more research into actual and desired consumption by older consumers, this study examined the apparel and shopping preferences of mature women in America. Independent living residents were surveyed concerning fashion consciousness, fashion information sources and shopping behaviours. Young and mature consumers’ reactions to female apparel ensembles were compared. Mature subjects purchased apparel for pleasure or need, but less for conformity. Decisions were influenced more by fit and comfort than by fashion, despite suggestions that dressing stylishly was important. New fashions were encountered via catalogue illustrations, social gatherings and window displays. Subjects high in fashion consciousness had greater financial and social involvement with fashion, greater chronological‐to‐cognitive age differences and larger clothing budgets. Young and mature consumers’ responses to apparel illustrations differed significantly. As the mature market expands, attention to age‐divergent definitions of fashion (such as those based upon admiration of comfort) will determine the success of apparel businesses. Assessment of cognitive age will facilitate identification of those mature consumers most predisposed toward fashion consumption.
Consumer reaction to product recalls: factors influencing product judgement and behavioural intentions
Authors: De Matos Celso Augusto , Rossi Carlos Alberto Vargas 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIn order to evaluate the factors influencing consumers’ responses to product recalls, two surveys were conducted among Brazilian automobile owners and two regression models tested. Results indicated that (i) product judgement was significantly affected by corporate social responsibility (CSR), blame attributed to the company and whether or not consumers had a car made by the brand considered; and (ii) behavioural intentions were significantly affected by CSR, consumers’ involvement with the message, perceived danger, product judgement and whether or not consumers had a car made by the brand considered. Findings revealed, however, that CSR is a better predictor of the product judgement than of the behavioural intentions, in accordance with recent studies indicating that CSR affects consumer judgements and behaviour differently. Finally, these two models are discussed and compared with previous research.
Determinants and adequacy of food consumption of children in La Trinidad, the Philippines
Authors: Blijham Nienke , De Kan Lieke , Niehof Anke 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIn the Philippines, vitamin A and vitamin C deficiencies, particularly among children, is a pressing health problem. This article reports the results of a research project that aimed at gaining insight into the factors in the household context that influence food intake of children and the role these factors play in vitamin A and vitamin C deficiencies. The research was carried out in La Trinidad, an urban area in the Philippines, where sufficient nutritious foods proved to be available. The results show that household income has only a minor impact on nutritional status. The nutritional status of children seems to be primarily influenced by their food preferences and the level of parental control on their food intake.
Website evaluation criteria among US college student consumers with different shopping orientations and Internet channel usage
Authors: Seock Yoo‐Kyoung , Chen‐Yu Jessie H. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to compare the website evaluation criteria among college student consumers in the US with different shopping orientations and Internet channel usage (i.e. online information searchers, online purchasers). The sample for this research was 414 college students, non‐married and aged 18–22 who have experience in visiting websites selling apparel products. Five apparel website evaluation criteria were identified by factor analysis (i.e. product information, customer service, privacy/security, navigation, auditory experience/comparison shopping). Based on shopping orientation factors, cluster analysis revealed three shopping orientation clusters (i.e. Hesitant In‐home Shoppers, Practical Clothing Shoppers, Involved Clothing Shoppers). Factorial manova showed that website evaluation criteria were significantly different among college student consumers with different shopping orientations and between online information searchers and online purchasers. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Career choices for obstetrics and gynaecology: national surveys of graduates of 1974–2002 from UK medical schools
Authors: Turner G , Lambert TW , Goldacre MJ , Barlow D 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To report the trends in career choices for obstetrics and gynaecology among UK medical graduates.Design  Postal questionnaire surveys of qualifiers from all UK medical schools in nine qualification years since 1974.Setting  United Kingdom.Population  All graduates from UK medical schools in 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002.Methods  Postal questionnaire surveys.Main outcome measures  Career choices for obstetrics and gynaecology and factors influencing career choices for obstetrics and gynaecology.Results  Seventy‐four percent (24 623/33 417) and 73% (20 709/28 468) of doctors responded at 1 and 3 years after qualification. Choices for obstetrics and gynaecology fell sharply during the 1990s from 4.2% of 1996 qualifiers to 2.2% of 1999 qualifiers, and rose slightly to 2.8% of 2002 qualifiers. Only 0.8% of male graduates of 2002 chose obstetrics and gynaecology compared with 4.1% of women. Forty‐six percent of those who chose obstetrics and gynaecology 1 year after qualification were working in it 10 years after qualifying. Experience of the subject as a student, and the influence of a particular teacher or department, affected long‐term career choices more for obstetrics and gynaecology than for other careers.Conclusions  The unwillingness of young doctors to enter obstetrics and gynaecology may be attributable to concerns about workforce planning and career progression problems, rather than any lack of enthusiasm for the specialty. The number of men choosing obstetrics and gynaecology is now very small; the reasons and the future role of men in the specialty need to be debated.
The use of ultrasound‐based ‘soft markers’ for the prediction of pelvic pathology in women with chronic pelvic pain—can we reduce the need for laparoscopy?
Authors: Okaro E , Condous G , Khalid A , Timmerman D , Ameye L , Huffel SV , Bourne T 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To assess the accuracy of new transvaginal ultrasound‐scan‐based markers and to compare them to conventional ultrasound methods used in the detection of common pelvic pathology in women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP).Design  A prospective observational study.Setting  Teaching hospital.Population  A total of 120 consecutive women with CPP undergoing transvaginal ultrasonography before either diagnostic or operative laparoscopy.Methods  Anatomical abnormalities, e.g. endometrioma or hydrosalpinx (hard markers), were documented. The woman was then assessed for the presence or absence of ‘soft markers’ (reduced ovarian mobility and site‐specific pelvic tenderness).Main outcome measure  Presence or absence of pelvic pathology noted during laparoscopy.Results  Seventy women had pelvic pathology, of whom 51 had endometriosis alone, 7 both endometriosis and pelvic adhesions, 6 pelvic adhesions, 1 hydrosalpinx with endometriosis and 5 hydrosalpinx and pelvic adhesions. The likelihood ratio for the hard markers was infinity (specificity was 100%), for the soft makers 1.9 (95% CI 1.2–3.1) and for a ‘normal’ ultrasound 0.18 (0.09–0.34). The pre‐test probability of pelvic disease in our population of women with CPP was 58%, and this probability of disease was raised to 100% with the presence of hard markers and to 73% with the presence of soft markers. The pre‐test probability of 58% fell to 20% when ultrasound finding was found to be normal.Conclusion  This new approach improves the detection and exclusion of significant pathology in women with CPP and may lead to a reduction in the number of unnecessary laparoscopies carried out on women with CPP.
Absence of conception after caesarean section: voluntary or involuntary?
Authors: Bhattacharya S , Porter M , Harrild K , Naji A , Mollison J , Van Teijlingen E , Campbell DM , Hall MH , Templeton A 
Published: February 2006

Background  Women who deliver by caesarean section have been shown to be less likely to have a subsequent pregnancy. It is not clear whether this is due to a direct effect of the procedure on future fertility or due to deliberate avoidance of a future pregnancy.Objective  To investigate whether absence of conception following caesarean section is voluntary or involuntary.Design  Follow up of a population‐based retrospective cohort.Setting  Grampian region, Scotland.Population  Women who had no further viable pregnancies within 5 years of an initial delivery.Methods  Cases included women who delivered their first child by caesarean section between 1980 and 1995 but had no further viable pregnancies by December 2000. Controls included women who delivered their first child during the same period, by means of either spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) or instrumental vaginal delivery (IVD), and who had no further viable pregnancies by December 2000. Eligible women were identified from the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank (AMND) and sent postal questionnaires to determine the extent to which not conceiving after first delivery was voluntary and the reasons for avoiding further pregnancies. Characteristics of the different mode of delivery groups were compared using univariate techniques.Main outcome measures  Extent to which absence of conception following an initial delivery by caesarean section is voluntary.Results  Questionnaires were returned by 3204 (60%) of 5300 women identified from the AMND. Of these, 1675 women had not conceived at all during the follow‐up period (median duration = 13 years). Absence of conception was voluntary in 488 (69%; 95% CI 66–73%) women following caesarean section, 340 (71%; 95% CI 67–76%) following SVD and 354 (72%; 95% CI 68–76%) following IVD. Few women considered seeking fertility treatment (caesarean section = 72 [10%], SVD = 50 [11%], IVD = 39 [8%]). Of the women who decided to delay or avoid a further pregnancy, fewer women who delivered by SVD reported that the birth experience influenced their decision (caesarean section = 163 [32%], SVD = 67 [18%], IVD = 136 [35%]; P < 0.001).Conclusions  Irrespective of mode of delivery, not conceiving following the birth of the first child is mainly voluntary. The experience of the previous birth is one of several factors affecting women's decisions to avoid a subsequent pregnancy.