bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Body composition analysis by leg‐to‐leg bioelectrical impedance and dual‐energy X–ray absorptiometry in non‐obese and obese individuals
Authors: Boneva‐Asiova Z. , Boyanov M. A. 
Published: April 2008

Aim:  The aim of this study is to compare total weight, % body fat (% BF), fat mass (FM) and fat‐free mass (FFM) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual‐energy X–ray absorptiometry (DXA).Methods:  This cross‐sectional study included 159 women (mean age: 49.1 ± 10.0 years) and 124 men (mean age: 51.4 ± 8.0 years) subdivided according to sex and body mass index (BMI): BMI < 30 kg/m2 (66 women and 50 men); BMI 30–35 kg/m2 (53 women and 44 men) and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 (40 women and 30 men). Bioelectrical impedance was performed in the fasting state on a Tanita TBF‐215 leg‐to‐leg analyser (Tanita, Tokyo, Japan). Whole‐body DXA scans were performed on a Hologic QDR 4500 A bone densitometer (Hologic, Bedford, MA, USA). Total weight, % BF, FM and FFM were tested for intermethod differences. Linear regression and correlation analysis was performed. Limits of agreement and Bland–Altman plots were built.Results:  DXA‐derived body composition parameters were not significantly different from BIA estimates and were highly correlated (e.g. for FFM, r = 0.82–0.95). In lean individuals, BIA tended to produce lower values for FM and % BF and higher ones for FFM in comparison with DXA. This trend was reversed at BMI > 35 kg/m2. The correlations decreased with increasing BMI. The limits of agreement were much better in men than in women and increased with increasing BMI in both sexes.Conclusions:  Compared with DXA, the leg‐to‐leg Tanita TBF‐215 analyser accurately assessed body composition in a heterogeneous group of both sexes. In the very obese women (BMI > 35 kg/m2), BIA measurements should be viewed with caution.
Effect of caloric restriction with and without exercise training on oxidative stress and endothelial function in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Wycherley T. P. , Brinkworth G. D. , Noakes M. , Buckley J. D. , Clifton P. M. 
Published: April 2008

Aim:  Effects of dietary weight loss on endothelial function, particularly when combined with exercise training, is largely unknown in type 2 diabetes. We sought to determine whether aerobic exercise training provided any additional improvements in endothelial function, oxidative stress or other established markers of cardiovascular risk when combined with an energy‐restricted diet in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:  In a parallel study design, 29 sedentary, overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes (age 52.4 ± 1.4 years and BMI 34.2 ± 0.9 kg/m2) were randomized to a 12‐week moderate energy‐restricted diet (∼5000 kJ/day and ∼30% energy deficit) with or without aerobic exercise training [diet only (D), n = 16 and diet plus exercise (DE), n = 13]. Body weight, cardiovascular risk markers, malondialdehyde (MDA, oxidative stress marker), 24‐h urinary nitrate/nitrite and flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery were measured pre‐ and postintervention.Results:  Both interventions reduced body weight (D 8.9%, DE 8.5%, time effect p < 0.001). Significant reductions in body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin, glucose, insulin resistance, lipids and MDA and increases in urinary nitrite/nitrate were observed in both groups (time effect p ≤ 0.05); however, these changes were not different between treatments. At baseline, FMD was similar in both groups (D 2.5 ± 0.9%, DE 4.2 ± 1.2%; p = 0.25) and did not change after the interventions (p = 0.59).Conclusions:  These results suggest that lifestyle interventions incorporating diet with or without exercise improve glycaemic control, reduce oxidative stress and improve other cardiovascular risk factors but do not improve FMD in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes.
Hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with a combination of metformin and sulphonylurea therapy in France
Authors: Vexiau P. , Mavros P. , Krishnarajah G. , Lyu R. , Yin D. 
Published: April 2008

Context:  Hypoglycaemia from antihyperglycaemic drugs may have a significant impact on patients’ health‐related quality of life. Combination use of metformin and a sulphonylurea has become increasingly common; yet, the impact of hypoglycaemia on quality of life in these patients is not well documented.Objective:  To examine patient‐reported experience of hypoglycaemia, worry about hypoglycaemic symptoms and the impact of hypoglycaemia on patients’ quality of life associated with use of sulphonylurea co‐administered with metformin.Design:  This was an observational, cross‐sectional, multi‐centre study.Setting:  A total of 98 primary care centres in France during October to December 2005.Patients:  A total of 400 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were ≥35 years old and who had been treated with metformin and a sulphonylurea for at least 6 months, completed questionnaires during their usual primary care office visit.Main Outcome Measures:  Frequency and severity of hypoglycaemic symptoms in the past 6 months, the Worry subscale of the Hypoglycaemic Fear Survey‐II (HFS‐II) and the EuroQol‐5 Dimensions (EQ‐5D) questionnaire.Results:  A total of 136 (34%) patients reported experiencing hypoglycaemia, of whom 78 (58%) experienced mild, 40 (30%) experienced moderate and 16 (12%) experienced severe or very severe symptoms. Mean score on the HFS‐II Worry scale was higher for patients who reported having hypoglycaemia than for those who did not (19.0 vs. 10.2; p < 0.0001) and increased with severity of hypoglycaemic symptoms. In linear regression analyses, more severe symptoms of hypoglycaemia were significantly associated with higher scores on the HFS‐II Worry scale (p = 0.0162) among patients with hypoglycaemic symptoms. Summary scores on the EQ‐5D were lower for patients who reported hypoglycaemia than for those who did not (p = 0.0001) and, in multivariate analysis, the experience of hypoglycaemia was negatively associated with the EQ‐5D summary score (p < 0.0001).Conclusion:  The occurrence and severity of hypoglycaemic symptoms were associated with increased patient worry about hypoglycaemia and lower health‐related quality of life among type 2 diabetic patients being treated with both metformin and a sulphonylurea.
Gender differences in C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist and adiponectin levels in the metabolic syndrome: a population‐based study
Authors: Saltevo J. , Vanhala M. , Kautiainen H. , Kumpusalo E. , Laakso M. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAims  We explored gender differences in the association of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra) and adiponectin with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.Methods  A population‐based study of 923 middle‐aged subjects in Pieksämäki, East Finland.Results  The prevalence of the MetS according to the IDF and NCEP definitions was 38% and 34% in men (N = 405) and 34% and 27% in women (N = 497), respectively. hs‐CRP and IL‐1Ra levels were higher in subjects with the MetS compared with those without the MetS in both sexes (P < 0.001). The levels of hs‐CRP (P < 0.001) and IL‐1Ra (P = 0.0016 for NCEP criteria, P = 0.0028 for IDF criteria) were significantly higher in women with MetS than in men with MetS. In contrast, in subjects without MetS, no gender differences in the levels of hs‐CRP or IL‐1Ra were found.Conclusion  Women with MetS, defined by the IDF or NCEP criteria, had higher levels of hs‐CRP and IL‐1Ra than did men with MetS. Thus, low‐grade inflammation may contribute to the high risk of cardiovascular disease in women with MetS.
A psychosocial taxonomy of patients with diabetes: validation in a primary care setting
Authors: Guck T. P. , Banfield M. A. , Tran S. M. , Levy J. F. , Goodman M. D. , Barone E. J. , Goeser A. L. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAims  The aims of this study were (i) to extend a psychosocial taxonomy of patients with diabetes to a primary care setting, and (ii) to validate the taxonomy using more sophisticated clustering methods across an array of psychological dimensions independent of demographic and medical variables.Methods  In a cross‐sectional study, 111 adults with Type 2 diabetes seen in a primary care setting completed the Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). They also provided diabetes‐specific self‐report measures along with HbA1c.Results  Four psychosocial patient profiles were identified using model‐based cluster analysis in a US primary care setting. The four profiles represent a replication of two and refinement of a third profile found previously in French‐speaking patients at diabetes education centres. Validation of the profiles using the BSI was replicated for depression and extended to other psychological dimensions. The validity and distinctiveness of the four psychosocial profiles were independent of demographic and diabetes‐specific medical variables.Conclusion  Replication and extended validation of the psychosocial taxonomy into primary care may allow healthcare workers to supplement medical treatments with psychosocial interventions that can improve outcomes for patients with diabetes that are practical, individually tailored, and cost‐effective.
Age‐specific direct healthcare costs attributable to diabetes in a Swedish population: a register‐based analysis
Authors: Wiréhn A.‐B. , Andersson A. , Östgren C. J. , Carstensen J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAims  The aim of this population‐based study was to explore the age‐specific additional direct healthcare cost for patients with diabetes compared with the non‐diabetic population.Methods  In 1999–2005, patients with diabetes in the Swedish county of Östergötland (n = 20 876) were identified from an administrative database. Cost data on the healthcare expenditure in primary healthcare, out‐patient hospital care and in‐patient care for the entire county population (n = ~415 000) in 2005 were extracted from a cost per patient (CPP) database, which includes information on all utilized healthcare resources in the county. Data on drug sales were obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register.Results  The cost per person was 1.8 times higher in patients with diabetes than in the non‐diabetic population, 7.7 times higher in children and 1.3 times higher in subjects aged > 75 years. The additional cost per person for diabetes was €1971; €3930 and €1367, respectively, for children and subjects aged > 75 years. The proportion of total additional diabetes costs attributable to in‐patient care increased with age from 25 to 50%; in‐patient care was the most expensive component at all ages except in children, for whom visiting a specialist was most expensive. The diabetes‐related segment of the total healthcare cost was 6.6%, increasing from 2.0% in children to 10.3% in the age group 65–74 years, declining to 6.2% in the oldest age group.Conclusions  The direct medical cost of diabetes varies considerably by age. Knowledge about the influence of age on healthcare costs to society will be important in future planning of diabetes management.
Effects of the Diabetes Manual 1:1 structured education in primary care
Authors: Sturt J. A. , Whitlock S. , Fox C. , Hearnshaw H. , Farmer A. J. , Wakelin M. , Eldridge S. , Griffiths F. , Dale J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAims  To determine the effects of the Diabetes Manual on glycaemic control, diabetes‐related distress and confidence to self‐care of patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods  A cluster randomized, controlled trial of an intervention group vs. a 6‐month delayed‐intervention control group with a nested qualitative study. Participants were 48 urban general practices in the West Midlands, UK, with high population deprivation levels and 245 adults with Type 2 diabetes with a mean age of 62 years recruited pre‐randomization. The Diabetes Manual is 1:1 structured education designed for delivery by practice nurses. Measured outcomes were HbA1c, cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes‐related distress measured by the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale and confidence to self‐care measured by the Diabetes Management Self‐Efficacy Scale. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 26 weeks.Results  There was no significant difference in HbA1c between the intervention group and the control group [difference −0.08%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.28, 0.11]. Diabetes‐related distress scores were lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (difference −4.5, 95% CI −8.1, −1.0). Confidence to self‐care Scores were 11.2 points higher (95% CI 4.4, 18.0) in the intervention group compared with the control group. The patient response rate was 18.5%.Conclusions  In this population, the Diabetes Manual achieved a small improvement in patient diabetes‐related distress and confidence to self‐care over 26 weeks, without a change in glycaemic control. Further study is needed to optimize the intervention and characterize those for whom it is more clinically and psychologically effective to support its use in primary care.
Hierarchical Integration: The Dollar Economy and the Rupee Economy
Authors: Krishna Anirudh , Pieterse Jan Nederveen 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTWhile contemporary globalization makes the world more interconnected, it also reworks and builds on existing cleavages and uneven development. This is an under‐researched dimension of the emerging twenty‐first century international division of labour. The core question is whether new developments (associated with exports, offshoring and outsourcing) spin off to the majority in the countryside and the urban poor. This article examines the relationship between the dollar economy and the rupee economy in India. It documents the ways in which inequality is built into and sustains India's development. The authors discuss other instances of multi‐speed economies and analytics that seek to come to grips with these relations, from combined and uneven development to global value chains. They present three ways of capturing contemporary inequality: asymmetric inclusion, enlargement‐and‐containment and hierarchical integration, each of which captures different dimensions of inequality.
Transnational Advocacy Networks and Affirmative Action for Dalits in India
Authors: Lerche Jens 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTIn India, movements and parties representing the lowest ranking dalit caste groups have followed different strategies in their struggle against social, economic and cultural discrimination. In this article, a new dalit movement making use of a ‘transnational advocacy network strategy’ will be compared to a more ‘classical’dalit political party. The main policy target for the new movement is an extension of existing affirmative action policies, while the dalit BSP party focuses more on emancipatory issues. Based on an analysis of the impacts of the BSP and of the new movement at the grassroots level, it is argued that the achievements of the new movement are tempered by the fact that in order to make use of international discourses and political pressure, the movement has had to develop a strategy and policy proposals compatible with existing mainstream neoliberal discourses. This depoliticizes the policies, and hence makes them of less importance strategically. It is argued that this is likely to be a difficulty for transnational advocacy networks in general.
Communal Tenure and Rural Poverty: Land Transactions in Svosve Communal Area, Zimbabwe
Authors: Chimhowu Admos , Woodhouse Philip 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTThe idea of communal tenure has formed a key plank in the rural governance of Zimbabwe since independence, but its retention following the Fast Track land reforms of 2000–2002 perpetuates a distinction between ‘commercial’ land governed by a land market and ‘communal’ land on which market transactions are illegal. This article draws on recent research in Svosve Communal Area to examine the dynamics of land access and their implications for rural poverty in Zimbabwe. The authors argue that, as in many other parts of Africa, access to land governed by customary authority in Svosve is increasingly commoditized via informal, or ‘vernacular’, sales or rental markets. In failing to acknowledge and address this commoditization of land, the ‘communitarian’ discourse of customary land rights that dominates the politics of land in Zimbabwe — as elsewhere in much of Africa — undermines, rather than protects, the livelihoods of the rural poor.
Genetic conservation of the GIL blood group determining aquaporin 3 gene in African and Caucasian populations
Authors: Bahamontes‐Rosa Noemí , Tena‐Tomás Cristina , Wolkow Jana , Kremsner Peter G. , Kun Jürgen F. 
Published: April 2008

BACKGROUND: The human GIL blood group is encoded by the aquaporin 3 (AQP3), a water‐glycerol channel present in human red cell (RBC) membranes. So far no molecular investigation of this gene has been performed in an African population.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: To analyze the genetic variability of the AQP3 gene in African and European persons, all exons including the boundaries to introns and the promoter region were sequenced. AQP3 mRNA levels in children affected by uncomplicated and by severe malarial anemia were determined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).RESULTS: Two mutations in the promoter region and three synonymous mutations in the exons 1, 2, and 4 were found. The promoter polymorphisms, however, were not associated with the expression level of AQP3 measured in whole blood. Significant differences in AQP3 expression were found between malaria diseases severity groups (p = 0.017).CONCLUSION: AQP3 is a highly conserved gene. Although reticulocytes are highly abundant in malarial anemia, low AQP3 expression was observed. This may be a result of an impaired erythropoiesis.
CRIB, CRIB‐II, birth weight or gestational age to assess mortality risk in very low birth weight infants?
Authors: Bührer Christoph , Metze Boris , Obladen Michael 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAim: The mortality risk of very low birth weight (VLBW) (<1500 g) infants has been estimated by the Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB). Superior discriminatory power has been claimed for the revised CRIB‐II score based on birth weight, gestational age, sex, temperature and base excess (BE) at admission. This analysis compared the power of CRIB, CRIB‐II, birth weight and gestational age to predict death prior to discharge.Methods: Of 1485 consecutive VLBW infants admitted between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 2006, who survived for ≥12 h, CRIB and CRIB‐II calculations were possible in 1358 infants (92%). Predictive power of variables was assessed by comparing areas under receiver operator characteristics curves (AUC).Results: CRIB (AUC [95% confidence intervals] 0.82 [0.78–0.86]) performed significantly better than birth weight (0.74 [0.69–0.79]) or gestational age (0.71 [0.66–0.76]), while CRIB‐II (0.69 [0.64–0.74]) was rather inferior to CRIB and did not differ significantly from birth weight or gestational age. No substantial changes were seen when substituting worst BE during the first 12 h of life for BE at admission when calculating CRIB‐II.Conclusions: CRIB‐II does not result in improved estimation of mortality risk in VLBW infants as compared to CRIB, birth weight or gestational age.
Pacifier use: What makes mothers change their mind?
Authors: Pansy Jasmin , Zotter Heinz , Sauseng Werner , Schneuber Susanne , Lang Uwe , Kerbl Reinhold 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAim: To find out the reasons for mothers to either use or not use a pacifier and to find out the mother's reasons for changing their mind.Method: We analysed the data of 174 mother–infant pairs by means of a semistructured questionnaire performed shortly after birth, and at the age of 7 weeks and 5 months, respectively.Results: The main reason for mothers primarily refusing a pacifier was their concern about malformation of the teeth or jaw. Until the end of the fifth month, 31% of the mothers changed their mind about pacifier use. Mothers primarily refusing a pacifier introduced a pacifier due to the need of soothing the infant. Mothers, who initially intended to use a pacifier, changed their mind due to rejection by the infant. The prevalence of pacifier use at the age of 5 months was 78%. The majority of mothers (69%) introduced the pacifier during the first week of life.Conclusion: About one third of mothers had changed their mind about pacifier use, either because of rejection by the infant or the need of settling. Breastfeeding mothers require more and better information concerning the appropriate time of pacifier onset.
Simulation of Fluid, Heat Transport to Estimate Desert Stream Infiltration
Authors: Kulongoski Justin T. , Izbicki John A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn semiarid regions, the contribution of infiltration from intermittent streamflow to ground water recharge may be quantified by comparing simulations of fluid and heat transport beneath stream channels to observed ground temperatures. In addition to quantifying natural recharge, streamflow infiltration estimates provide a means to characterize the physical properties of stream channel sediments and to identify suitable locations for artificial recharge sites. Rates of winter streamflow infiltration along stream channels are estimated based on the cooling effect of infiltrated water on streambed sediments, combined with the simulation of two‐dimensional fluid and heat transport using the computer program VS2DH. The cooling effect of ground water is determined by measuring ground temperatures at regular intervals beneath stream channels and nearby channel banks in order to calculate temperature‐depth profiles. Additional data inputs included the physical, hydraulic, and thermal properties of unsaturated alluvium, and monthly ground temperatures measurements over an annual cycle. Observed temperatures and simulation results can provide estimates of the minimum threshold for deep infiltration, the variability of infiltration along stream channels, and also the frequency of infiltration events.
Influence of Photosensitizer Solvent on the Mechanisms of Photoactivated Killing of Enterococcus faecalis
Authors: George Saji , Kishen Anil 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis study evaluated the mechanisms involved and the influence of photosensitizer solvent in the killing of Enterococcus faecalis using photodynamic therapy (PDT). Enterococcus faecalis cells incubated with 100 μm methylene blue dissolved in water and in MIX (a mixture of glycerol:ethanol:water) were irradiated with 664 nm diode laser (63.69 J cm−2). The effect of PDT on the viability of bacteria, and the functional integrity of cell wall, chromosomal DNA and membrane proteins were analyzed. The bactericidal action of PDT was significantly higher when a MIX‐based photosensitizer solvent was used (P < 0.001). Fluorimetric and fluorescence microscopy‐based analysis showed the functional impairment of E. faecalis cell wall which was significantly higher when a MIX‐based photosensitizer solvent was used (P < 0.001). PDT with MIX‐based photosensitizer solvent showed extensive damage to chromosomal DNA. However, both PDT conditions showed similar trend in the degradation of membrane proteins, although cross‐linked proteins were evident only in PDT conducted with MIX‐based photosensitizer solvent. The findings from our study showed that PDT destroyed the functional integrity of cell wall, DNA and membrane proteins of E. faecalis. The degrees of damage on these targets were influenced by the photosensitizer solvent used during PDT.