bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Learning unit prices in a new currency
Authors: Juliusson Asgeir , Gamble Amelie , Gärling Tommy 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIn the European Union, some citizens adapt to the Euro transition by converting the new currency to the old familiar one (‘re‐scaling’), whereas some adapt by learning the product prices in the Euro (‘re‐learning’). Employing a total of 65 undergraduates in two laboratory experiments, factors that may make such price learning difficult were identified. In Experiment 1, learning of unit prices for cellular phone calls from sequences of duration–price examples was more difficult when a fixed connection fee is added to the price of each call. Witnessing the adverse impact of price variation, Experiment 2 showed that simultaneous learning of several unit prices was less accurate than learning of single unit price.
Examination of the health‐belief model to predict the dietary quality and body mass of adults
Authors: Sapp Stephen G. , Weng Chih‐Yuan 
Published: February 2006

AbstractWe examined the ability of the health‐belief model to predict individuals’ dietary quality and body mass among a nationwide sample of 1319 adults in the United States. Simultaneous estimation of the structural equation model found acceptable goodness‐of‐fit to the data. Explained variance in dietary quality and body mass, however, were moderate to weak. The model included three types of nutrition knowledge: basic facts, diet–health awareness and ability to accurately self‐assess nutrient intake. None of these variables had a strong effect on dietary quality or body mass. We speculate that lifestyle characteristics, cultural habits, community infrastructure, and the politics of food production and retailing – variables found in other studies to affect dietary quality and body mass yet not available in our data – might outweigh the effects of nutrition knowledge and sociodemographic factors on estimating dietary quality and body mass. We suggest that future research and intervention programmes focus more on social, cultural and political context than on nutrition knowledge. Current collaborations among life and social scientists to design foods to improve human nutrition might also prove effective in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity.
Telomere length in small‐for‐gestational‐age babies
Authors: Akkad A , Hastings R , Konje JC , Bell SC , Thurston H , Williams B 
Published: February 2006

Objective  Short telomeres are associated with adult cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to determine whether small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) newborns have shortened telomeres compared with appropriately grown controls.Design  Prospective cohort study.Setting  Large tertiary referral unit in Trent, UK.Population  Seventy‐two women who delivered at 35–42 weeks of gestation were recruited; 34 delivered SGA babies (less than or equal to the third birthweight centile) and 38 had appropriately grown babies (greater than the tenth centile).Methods  Maternal and cord blood samples were collected at delivery. A Southern blot of DNA from these samples was hybridised with a 32P‐labelled telomeric probe and telomere length was measured.Main  outcome measures Mean maternal and newborn telomere length.Results  Maternal and newborn telomere lengths were significantly correlated in both the SGA and the control groups (r2= 0.25, P < 0.0001). Telomere lengths were similar in both maternal (control 8.41 ± 0.9 kb versus SGA 8.29 ± 1.0 kb, P= 0.57) and newborn (control 10.36 ± 1.5 kb versus SGA 10.33 ± 1.3 kb, P= 0.93) cohorts in the two groups.Conclusions  Intrauterine events associated with impaired fetal growth do not appear to be associated with increased telomere shortening.
Does the way that women experience the onset of labour influence the duration of labour?
Authors: Gross Mechthild M , Hecker Hartmut , Matterne Andrea , Guenter Hans Heinrich , Keirse Marc JNC 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To assess whether the way in which women experience the onset of their labour influences the duration of their labour.Design  Longitudinal study on a convenient sample of women in spontaneous labour with a singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation at term.Setting  University hospital in Germany.Population/Sample  Six hundred and fifty‐one women (347 primiparae and 304 parae).Methods  Women recorded how and when labour had started. Responses were subjected to structured content analysis. Two investigators independently subdivided women's reported signs and symptoms into eight predefined categories. These data were related to maternal characteristics and to the course and outcome of labour as documented in the perinatal record.Main outcome measures  Women's perception of how labour had started, interval between onset of labour and rupture of the membranes and duration of first stage labour and overall duration of labour.Results  Only 60% of women reported contractions as a sign of the onset of their labour. These women had a longer interval between the onset of labour and rupture of the membranes but a similar duration of labour when compared with women who did not report contractions as a sign of the onset of labour. Self‐reported loss of amniotic fluid was the only sign that showed a consistent relationship with the duration of labour. Other patterns of labour onset had no effect on the duration of labour.Conclusion  Irrespective of whether they have given birth before, women experience their onset of labour in a variety of ways. A large proportion of these experiences bear no resemblance to the classical diagnosis of labour and most are unrelated to the duration of labour.
Relationship between high consumption of marine fatty acids in early pregnancy and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy
Authors: Olafsdottir AS , Skuladottir GV , Thorsdottir I , Hauksson A , Thorgeirsdottir H , Steingrimsdottir L 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To investigate whether there is a relationship between maternal intake of cod‐liver oil in early and late pregnancy and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.Design  An observational prospective study.Setting  Free‐living conditions in a community with traditional fish and cod‐liver oil consumption.Population  Four hundred and eighty‐eight low‐risk pregnant Icelandic women.Methods  Maternal use of cod‐liver oil, foods and other supplements was estimated with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire covering food intake together with lifestyle factors for the previous 3 months. Questionnaires were filled out twice, between 11 and 15 weeks of gestation and between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation. Supplements related to hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, i.e. gestational hypertension and pre‐eclampsia, were presented, with logistic regression controlling for potential confounding.Main outcome measures  Gestational hypertension, pre‐eclampsia, cod‐liver oil and multivitamins.Results  The odds ratio for developing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy for women consuming liquid cod‐liver oil was 4.7 (95% CI 1.8–12.6, P= 0.002), after adjusting for confounding factors. By dividing the amount of n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 LCPUFA) into centiles, the odds ratio for hypertensive disorders across groups for n‐3 LCPUFA suggested a u‐shaped curve (P= 0.008). Similar results were found for gestational hypertension alone. Further, the use of multivitamin supplements without vitamins A and D in late pregnancy doubled the odds of hypertensive disorders (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0–5.4, P= 0.044).Conclusions  Consumption of high doses of n‐3 LCPUFA in early pregnancy, or other nutrients found in liquid cod‐liver oil, may increase the risk of developing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Caesarean section and subsequent fertility in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Collin SM , Marshall T , Filippi V 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To determine the impact of caesarean section on fertility among women in sub‐Saharan Africa.Design  Analysis of standardised cross‐sectional surveys (Demographic and Health Surveys).Setting  Twenty‐two countries in sub‐Saharan Africa, 1993–2003.Sample  A total of 35 398 women of childbearing age (15–49 years).Methods  Time to subsequent pregnancy was compared by mode of delivery using Cox proportional hazards regression models.Main outcome measures  Natural fertility rates subsequent to delivery by caesarean section compared with natural fertility rates subsequent to vaginal delivery.Results  The natural fertility rate subsequent to delivery by caesarean section was 17% lower than the natural fertility rate subsequent to vaginal delivery (hazard ratio = 0.83, 95% CI 0.73–0.96, P < 0.01; controlling for age, parity, level of education, urban/rural residence and young age at first intercourse). Caesarean section was also associated with prior fertility and desire for further children: among multiparous women, an interval ≥3 versus <3 years between the index birth and the previous birth was associated with higher odds of caesarean section at the index birth (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.7, P= 0.005); among all women, the odds of desiring further children were lower among women who had previously delivered by caesarean section (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54–0.84, P < 0.001). Caesarean section did not appear to increase the risk of a subsequent pregnancy ending in miscarriage, abortion or stillbirth.Conclusions  Among women in sub‐Saharan Africa, caesarean section is associated with lower subsequent natural fertility. Although this reflects findings from developed countries, the roles of pathological and psychological factors may be quite different because a much higher proportion of caesarean sections in sub‐Saharan Africa are emergency procedures for maternal indication.
Long‐term follow up of children exposed in utero to nifedipine or ritodrine for the management of preterm labour
Authors: Houtzager BA , Hogendoorn SM , Papatsonis DNM , Samsom JF , Van Geijn HP , Bleker OP , Van Wassenaer AG 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To compare the long‐term psychosocial and motor effects on children exposed in utero to nifedipine or ritodrine for the management of preterm labour.Design  Randomised controlled trial.Setting  Multicentre study in two university and one primary hospital in the Netherlands.Population  In the original trial, 185 women were randomised to either nifedipine (n= 95) or ritodrine (n= 90). Of the 185 liveborn children, 171 survived (92%), and of these 102 (61%) were followed up at age 9–12 years.Methods  Age‐specific questionnaires were administered to the parent and teacher. Additional data were obtained from medical records.Main outcome measures  Questionnaires were used to assess the child's behavioural–emotional problems, quality of life (QoL), motor functioning, parenting distress and the child's education.Results  Of the 171 eligible families, 102 (61%) agreed to participate and completed the questionnaires. Response was equal in the ritodrine group (n= 54 of 83 surviving children, 65%) compared with the nifedipine group (n= 48 of 88 surviving children, 55%). After controlling for differing perinatal characteristics at birth, no significant differences between the groups were detected with respect to long‐term behaviour–emotional outcome, QoL, education, motor functioning or parenting distress. Psychosocial outcome was slightly better in the nifedipine group.Conclusions  The results do not support any differential postnatal effect of the tocolytic agents ritodrine or nifedipine on the child's long‐term psychosocial and motor functioning. The slightly better outcome of children randomised in the nifedipine group is most likely due to more favourable perinatal outcomes in this group. These results merit further investigation in a larger group of survivors.
The Scottish Perinatal Neuropathology Study—clinicopathological correlation in stillbirths
Authors: Becher J‐C , Bell JE , Keeling JW , Liston WA , McIntosh N , Wyatt B 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To examine the neuropathology of fetuses dying before birth, to determine the timing of any brain damage seen and to ascertain clinical associations of pre‐existing brain damage.Design  Population‐based observational study.Setting  All 22 delivery units within Scotland, 1995–1998.Sample  All stillborn fetuses ≥24 weeks of gestation excluding those with chromosomal abnormality or central nervous system/cardiothoracic malformation.Methods  Clinical detail was collected on all stillborn fetuses. Requests for postmortem included separate request for detailed neuropathological examination. Stillborn fetuses were classified as full term antepartum (normal growth/growth restricted), preterm antepartum (normal growth/growth restricted), intrapartum (full term/preterm), multiple births and stillborn fetuses following abruptions. Clinicopathological correlation attempted to define the timing of brain insult. Placentas were examined for each case where available.Main outcome measures  Presence of established and/or recent brain damage.Results  Clinical details were available for 471 stillborn fetuses, and detailed neuropathology was possible in 191 cases. Of these 191, 13 were multiple births, 9 died following abruption, 12 were intrapartum deaths and 157 were antepartum stillborn fetuses (99 preterm and 58 full term). Recent or established brain damage was seen in 66% of the entire cohort. Thirty‐five percent of all cases showed well‐established hypoxic damage predating the last evidence of fetal life, and this was more common in preterm fetuses (P= 0.015), those fetuses with evidence of recent damage (P < 0.001), in pregnancies complicated by pregnancy‐induced hypertension (P= 0.044) and those in whom the placenta was <10th centile (P= 0.002).Conclusions  Brain damage is commonly seen in stillborn infants, and in around one‐third of cases, damage predates the period immediately before death. Factors suggesting suboptimal placental function are associated with such damage. Early identification of placental impairment may lead to improved pregnancy outcome.
Prenatal diagnosis and outcome of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in twin pregnancies
Authors: Yinon Y , Yagel S , Tepperberg‐Dikawa M , Feldman B , Schiff E , Lipitz S 
Published: February 2006

Objective  To study the outcome of 20 twin pregnancies with evidence of primary or recurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy.Design  Observational study.Setting  Two tertiary perinatal departments in Israel.Population  Twenty women with twin pregnancies who were referred because of serologic investigation indicating CMV infection. Seventeen women had evidence of primary CMV infection, and three women appeared to have recurrent CMV infection.Methods  Prenatal diagnosis was made by amniocentesis of both sacs after 21 weeks of gestation. CMV isolation was performed by culture on fibroblasts, shell vial technique and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of CMV DNA. After birth, the neonatal urine and saliva were cultured for CMV.Main outcome measures  Intrauterine CMV infection defined as positive PCR at amniotic fluid analysis and congenital CMV infection defined as positive CMV cultures after birth.Results  Except for one, all women underwent amniocentesis of both gestational sacs. In 14 (70%) women, no evidence of vertical transmission to any of the 28 fetuses was found and none of the newborns had evidence of congenital CMV infection. Intrauterine infection was detected by amniocentesis in five women and by ultrasound findings with positive maternal serology in one. In three women, CMV was detected in only one amniotic sac. In five of our six total cases, both twins were found to have congenital CMV infection at birth, all of whom had dichorionic–diamniotic placentation, three fused and two separate.Conclusions  In twin gestations, as in singletons, intrauterine and congenital CMV infection occurs in about 30% of women with primary or recurrent infection. The placenta type did not predict if one or both twins would be infected. Our data do not exclude the possibility that intrauterine transmission of the virus from one fetus to the other can occur.
Metal uptake in maize, willows and poplars on impoldered and freshwater tidal marshes in the Scheldt estuary
Authors: Vandecasteele B. , Buysse C. A. , Tack F. M. G. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractFoliar Cd and Zn concentrations in Salix, Populus and Zea mays grown on freshwater tidal marshes were assessed. Soil metal concentrations were elevated, averaging 9.7 mg Cd kg−1 dry soil, 1100 mg Zn kg−1 dry soil and 152 mg Cr kg−1 dry soil. Cd (1.1–13.7 mg kg−1) and Zn (192–1140 mg kg−1) concentrations in willows and poplars were markedly higher than in maize on impoldered tidal marshes (0.8–4.8 mg Cd kg−1 and 155–255 mg Zn kg−1). Foliar samples of maize were collected on 90 plots on alluvial and sediment‐derived soils with variable degree of soil pollution. For soil Cd concentrations exceeding 7 mg Cd kg−1 dry soil, there was a 50% probability that maize leaf concentrations exceeded public health standards for animal fodder. It was shown that analysis of foliar samples of maize taken in August can be used to predict foliar metal concentrations at harvest. These findings can therefore contribute to anticipating potential hazards arising from maize cultivation on soils with elevated metal contents.
Alcohol‐Attributable Injuries in Admissions to a Swiss Emergency Room—An Analysis of the Link Between Volume of Drinking, Drinking Patterns, and Preattendance Drinking
Authors: Gmel Gerhard , Bissery Alvine , Gammeter Roland , Givel Jean‐Claude , Calmes Jean‐Marie , Yersin Bertrand , Daeppen Jean‐Bernard 
Published: February 2006

Background: An association between alcohol consumption and injury is clearly established from volume of drinking, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and consumption before injury. Little is known, however, about how their interaction raises risk of injury and what combination of factors carries the highest risk. This study explores which of 11 specified groups of drinkers (a) are at high risk and (b) contribute most to alcohol‐attributable injuries.Methods: In all, 8,736 patients, of whom 5,077 were injured, admitted to the surgical ward of the emergency department of Lausanne University Hospital between January 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, were screened for alcohol use. Eleven groups were constructed on the basis of usual patterns of intake and preattendance drinking. Odds ratios (ORs) comparing injured and noninjured were derived, and alcohol‐attributable fractions of injuries were calculated from ORs and prevalence of exposure groups.Results: Risk of injury increased with volume of drinking, HED, and preattendance drinking. For both sexes, the highest risk was associated with low intake, HED, and 4 (women), 5 (men), or more drinks before injury. At the same level of preattendance drinking, high‐volume drinkers were at lower risk than low‐volume drinkers. In women, the group of low‐risk non‐HED drinkers taking fewer than 4 drinks suffered 47.5% of the alcohol‐attributable injuries in contrast to only 20.4% for men. Low‐volume male drinkers with HED had more alcohol‐attributable injuries than that of low‐volume female drinkers with HED (46.9% vs 23.2%).Conclusions: Although all groups of drinkers are at increased risk of alcohol‐related injury, those who usually drink little but on occasion heavily are at particular risk. The lower risk of chronic heavy drinkers may be due to higher tolerance of alcohol. Prevention should thus target heavy‐drinking occasions. Low‐volume drinking women without HED and with only little preattendance drinking experienced a high proportion of injuries; such women would be well advised to drink very little or to take other special precautions in risky circumstances.
Anticoagulation with low‐molecular‐weight heparin (dalteparin) in plasmapheresis therapy: initial experience
Authors: Schinzel Helmut , Berghoff Karin , Beuermann Ingrid , Sauer Oliver , Von Mach Marc‐Alexander , Weilemann Ludwig Sacha 
Published: February 2006

BACKGROUND:  In contrast to other extracorporeal treatments no established regime exists for anticoagulation with low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) in plasmapheresis therapy. A study was conducted to investigate whether LMWH (dalteparin‐Na) is suitable as an effective anticoagulant in plasmapheresis therapy.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Eleven patients with autoimmune neurological diseases and the necessity for a plasmapheresis therapy were enrolled. A capillary membrane filter was used. A total of 2000 mL of human plasma was isovolumetrically exchanged per plasmapheresis cycle. The anticoagulation was accomplished with a single bolus of LMWH (dalteparin) of 80 to 90 IU per kg of body weight. The system was visually monitored. Anti‐factor (F)Xa activity, thrombin–antithrombin III complex (TAT), and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F 1+2) were determined at regular intervals. Samples were taken from the collected plasma pool to determine the loss of LMWH during the plasmapheresis procedure.RESULTS:  All plasmapheresis cycles with LMWH were successful without complications. Approximately 40 percent of the initially administered LMWH bolus was lost by the large porous filter during the plasmapheresis. The anti‐FXa values were determined to be 0.5 IU per mL during the entire plasmapheresis. TAT values were elevated (TAT median, 14.3 µg/L). F 1+2 values measured before the filter cartridge remained within the normal range for the entire plasmapheresis cycle (<1.2 nmol/L) and were increasingly elevated after the filter.CONCLUSION:  Our initial experiences with LMWH for anticoagulation in plasmapheresis indicate that a body weight adjusted dose of LMWH (dalteparin) is suitable for anticoagulation in plasmapheresis therapy. No complications were observed. The data are encouraging. Further investigations will show if and how the present anticoagulation regime could be further optimized.
RHD(T201R, F223V) cluster analysis in five different ethnic groups and serologic characterization of a new Ethiopian variantDARE,theDIII type 6,and theRHD(F223V)
Authors: Grootkerk‐Tax Martine G.H.M. , Van Wintershoven Joyce D. , Ligthart Peter C. , Van Rhenen Dick J. , Van Der Schoot C. Ellen , Maaskant‐van Wijk Petra A. 
Published: February 2006

BACKGROUND: TheRHDphylogeny in humans shows four main clusters of which three are predominantly observed in (African) black persons. Each of the African clusters is characterized by specific amino acid substitutions relative to the EurasianRHDallele.RHphylogeny defines the framework for identification of clinically relevant aberrant alleles. This study focuses on the weak D type 4 cluster (characterized byRHD(T201R, F223V) (602C>G 667T>G)) in five ethnic groups.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1702 samples were screened for the presence of 602C>G and 667T>G by sequence‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR‐SSP). Eighty samples were assigned to the weak D type 4 cluster and were molecularly characterized by PCR‐SSP andRHDsequencing. Antigens of aberrant alleles were characterized with monoclonal anti‐D according to the 37‐epitope model when possible.RESULTS: Five new aberrant alleles,DIII type 6,DIII type 7,DARE,RHD(T201R, F223V) (without 819G>A), andRHD(F223V), were identified and DIII type 6, DARE, and RHD(F223V) were serologically characterized with monoclonal anti‐D. Both the DARE and RHD(F223V) showed epitope loss. It is postulated that the 1136C>T nucleotide substitution (characteristic for the DAU allele cluster) is present on theDVa(KOU)allele.CONCLUSION: Identification of the new variant alleles refines the phylogeny ofRHDin humans. The proposedDVa(KOU)allele with 1136C>T (DVa(KOU)T379M) is probably caused by conversion of theDAU0allele and theDVa(KOU)allele, forming a phylogenetic link between theDVallele and theDAUcluster. By describing theRHD(F223V) (602C>G) andRHD(T201R, F223V) (602C>G and 667T>G) alleles formal proof is given for the origin of the non‐Eurasian cluster.