bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A test of Brown's principle in the intertidal limpet Collisella scabra (Gould, 1846)
Authors: Gilman Sarah 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  Brown's principle predicts that a species will peak in density near its range centre, and decline gradually towards the margins of its geographical distribution. The decline is assumed to reflect a decrease in individual performance near range margins. I test this abundance–performance hypothesis by comparing patterns in density and size across the northern half of the geographical distribution of the marine patellogastropod Collisella scabra (Gould, 1846).Location  Collisella scabra is a high intertidal patellogastropod species distributed along the Pacific coast of North America from Cape Mendocino (CA, USA) to southern Baja California (Mexico). I surveyed 11 research sites spanning c. 36–44° N.Methods  In each of the 11 research sites I surveyed four distinct microhabitats, and compared spatial patterns in density and in the size of solitary limpets.Results  Both density and size were highly variable across the species range. Density peaked near the northern range margin, and showed greater variance at small spatial scales (< 10 km) than at large scales (> 100 km). In contrast, large size occurred uniformly across the survey area, and size was strongly associated with microhabitat.Main conclusion  Collisella scabra does not show spatial patterns of density or performance that are consistent with Brown's principle. The underlying assumptions of Brown's principle may conflict with specific characteristics of C. scabra's life history and/or patterns of environmental variation across its range. Because such conflicts may be common in a large number of marine and terrestrial species, the generality of Brown's principle is questioned.
Zoogeography of the shallow‐water holothuroids of the western Indian Ocean
Authors: Samyn Yves , Tallon Irena 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  To analyse the zoogeography of the shallow‐water holothuroids of the western Indian Ocean (WIO). Based on this analysis we ask to what extent differences in species’ ability to disperse across potential barriers provide an explanation for holothuroid zoogeography.Location  Shallow‐waters (50 m isobaths) of the WIO, extending from Suez to Cape Town and from the coastline of East Africa upward to 65° E.Methods  Data for the analysis were obtained from Samyn's (2003) monograph on the shallow‐water sea cucumbers of the WIO. A species presence/absence matrix with a resolution of 1° latitude/longitude was constructed. These cells were assigned to eight coarser operational geographical units, which were delimited on the basis of published faunistic and geological borders. The analytical zoogeographical methods employed were cluster analysis on several β‐diversity coefficients and parsimony analyses of endemicity. The influence of life‐history strategies on the distribution pattern was analysed through examination of latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, and by plotting cumulative curves for species number against range size.Results  The shallow‐water holothuroid fauna of the WIO can be split into several biogeographical units. To the north, we found evidence that the northern Red Sea holothuroid fauna differs from that of the southern Red Sea. The latter has closest affinity with south‐east Arabia and the Persian Gulf, and thus the biogeographical barrier of Bab‐el‐Mandab nowadays seems to be of minor importance. The cold upwelling at the east coast of Somalia forms an effective barrier for holothuroids and especially those with lecitothrophic (short‐lived) larvae. Even though the circumtropical biogeographical pattern is not well resolved, important taxonomic turnovers suggest that it is composed of several distinct subprovinces. Taxonomic turnover is at least partially dictated by the dispersion capacity of the different orders.Main conclusions  This study concludes that the WIO is best split into at least three biogeographical realms: (1) the Red Sea and associated Arab Basin, (2) the asymmetrical circumtropical region stretching from the horn of Africa to southern Mozambique, and (3) southern Africa. Conspicuous differences in dispersal abilities of the three dominant orders are identified. The biogeography of the WIO is best explained by: (1) species’ dispersion ability, (2) the prevalent current patterns, and (3) to a lesser, geographically limited extent, recent geological history. As a serendipitous discovery, we found that Rapoport's rule does not hold in the WIO.
Metformin improves endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome
Authors: VITALE C. , MERCURO G. , CORNOLDI A. , FINI M. , VOLTERRANI M. , ROSANO G. M. C. 
Published: August 2005

Abstract.Background.  Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is associated with impaired endothelial function and increased cardiovascular risk. Insulin resistance is a key feature of MS and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of metformin on endothelial function and insulin resistance, assessed by the homeostasis model (HOMA‐IR, homeostasis model assessment‐insulin resistance), in patients with MS.Methods.  Sixty‐five subjects (37 men and 28 women, mean age 54 ± 6 years) with MS were allocated to receive metformin 500 mg twice daily (n = 32) or placebo (n = 33) for 3 months. Before and after treatment we assessed endothelial function, using flow‐mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, and HOMA‐IR.Results.  Patients who received metformin demonstrated statistically significant improvement in endothelium‐dependent vasodilation compared with those treated with placebo (from 7.4 ± 2.1% to 12.4 ± 1.9% vs. 7.3 ± 2.5% to 6.9 ± 2.7%, P = 0.0016, metformin vs. placebo respectively), without significant effect on endothelium‐independent response to sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (P =0.32). Metformin improved insulin resistance compared with placebo group (HOMA‐IR from 3.39 to 2.5 vs. 3.42 to 3.37; 26% reduction in HOMA‐IR, P = 0.01). An association between the improvement in insulin resistance and the improvement in endothelial function (r = −0.58, P = 0.0016) was found.Conclusion.  Metformin improves both endothelial function and insulin resistance in patients with MS. These findings support the central role of insulin resistance in the development of endothelial dysfunction and the role of metformin for the treatment of patients with MS.
Organization of supercoil domains and their reorganization by transcription
Authors: Deng Shuang , Stein Richard A. , Higgins N. Patrick 
Published: August 2005

SummaryDuring a normal cell cycle, chromosomes are exposed to many biochemical reactions that require specific types of DNA movement. Separation forces move replicated chromosomes into separate sister cell compartments during cell division, and the contemporaneous acts of DNA replication, RNA transcription and cotranscriptional translation of membrane proteins cause specific regions of DNA to twist, writhe and expand or contract. Recent experiments indicate that a dynamic and stochastic mechanism creates supercoil DNA domains soon after DNA replication. Domain structure is subsequently reorganized by RNA transcription. Examples of transcription‐dependent chromosome remodelling are also emerging from eukaryotic cell systems.
The influence of maternal age on very preterm birth of twins: differential effects by parity
Authors: Branum Amy M. , Schoendorf Kenneth C. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryFor singleton births, parity can modify the effect of maternal age on birth outcomes such as low birthweight and preterm birth; however, it is unknown whether this relationship exists for twin births. As the rate of twin births increases among older women, it is important to understand how parity may influence the relationship between maternal age and adverse birth outcomes. The NCHS Matched Multiple Birth Data Set, which contains all twin births in the USA from 1995 to 1998, was analysed. Parity was grouped into two levels (primiparous – no prior live births, and multiparous – at least one prior live birth), and maternal age was divided into the following groups: 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, and 40 years or more. Very preterm birth was defined as births occurring before 33 weeks. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) to estimate the risk of very preterm birth, and to determine the relationships between parity, maternal age, and very preterm birth. Among primiparae, women 40 years and older had a reduced risk of very preterm birth compared with women of 25–29 years (OR 0.74 [95% CI = 0.66, 0.84]). Among multiparae, women 40 years and older had the same risk of very preterm birth compared with women of 25–29 years (OR 1.00 [95% CI = 0.90, 1.12]). However, stratification by education revealed that the age gradient was limited to women with > 12 years education among primiparae.The effect of maternal age on very preterm birth of twins differs according to parity. To some extent, that effect is further modified by education. Therefore, future analyses of maternal age and twin birth outcomes should account for measures of obstetric history and other factors, which may influence these results.
The Southmead perineal suture study. A randomized comparison of suture materials and suturing techniques for repair of perineal trauma
Authors: MAHOMED KASSAM , JAMES DAVID , GRANT ADRIAN , ASHURST HAZEL 
Published: August 2005

SummaryCommonly used suture materials and techniques for perineal repair following vaginal delivery were compared in a randomized controlled trial involving 1574 women. Three comparisons were made using a modified factorial design. In the comparison of teflon‐coated polyglycolic acid (Dexon plus) with chromic catgut for repair of the vagina and deep perineal tissues there was no clear difference other than less short‐term analgesia being required in association with polyglycolic acid. Outcome was also similar after skin repair with either polyglycolic acid or chromic catgut or silk, although silk repair required more packets of material and was associated with delay in resuming sexual intercourse; polyglycolic acid was more likely to need removal than chromic catgut but it appeared to reduce the need for resuturing. There was no clear difference between continuous subcuticular and interrupted transcutaneous sutures for repair of perineal skin.
Mode of delivery and future fertility
Authors: HALL M. H. , CAMPBELL D. M. , FRASER C. , LEMON J. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryA cohort of 22 948 women from a stable homogeneous population who gave birth for the first time between 1964 and 1983 were followed up prospectively. Analysis by mode of delivery showed that of those delivered by caesarean section 23·2% fewer had another pregnancy than those who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Women delivered by forceps were in an intermediate group. Miscarriage was more common in women who had been delivered by caesarean section. The relative infertility after caesarean section could not be accounted for by early sterilization, was not associated with maternal height or social status, and was only partly attributable to age.
Nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy and pregnancy outcome. An epidemiological study
Authors: WEIGEL M. MARGARET , WEIGEL RONALD M. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe association of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy with the outcome of pregnancy was investigated in a historical cohort of 903 women in Los Angeles, California, USA. Multivariahle statistical methods were employed to control for the potential confounding effects of age, ethnicity, occupation, and anti‐emetic use on pregnancy outcome. The analyses indicated that vomiting was associated with decreased risk of miscarriage (adjusted odds ratio 0·18, 95% CI 0·06 to 0·53); women with nausea but no vomiting had a miscarriage risk equal to that in the sample overall. Among the subsample of women with signs of threatened miscarriage, those who had experienced vomiting had a decreased risk of miscarriage (10·3%vs 31·7% in the subsample). No statistically significant association was observed between nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and other pregnancy outcomes (perinatal mortality, fetal anomalies, neonatal anthropometric measures).
Correlation of ultrasound findings and endometrial histopathology in postmenopausal women
Authors: NASRI M. N. , COAST G. J. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryComparison of ultrasound scan and histology of the endometrium was made in 90 postmenopausal women. Of these, 63 women had postmenopausal bleeding (group A) and 27 had had no bleeding (group B). Sensitivity of ultrasound to diagnose endometrial pathology was 91%, and all endometrial carcinomas, hyperplasias and pyometra were diagnosed by ultrasound. In 10 prcmenopausal women (group C), who had a hysterectomy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, the ultrasound measurements of the endometrial wall thickness were within 1 mm of the actual thickness, as measured in the fresh unfixed specimen with a ruler. This preliminary study has shown that a normal ultrasound appearance of the endometrium in postmenopausal women reliably excludes significant endometrial pathology. Also, changes in the thickness and texture of the endometrium detected by ultrasound correlated with subsequent pathological findings.
Induction of labour after fetal death: a randomized controlled trial of two prostaglandin regimens
Authors: KANHAI HUMPHREY H. H. , KEIRSE MARC J. N. C. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryA total of 85 women with antepartum fetal death between 14 and 42 weeks gestation was randomly assigned to one of two regimens of intravenous infusion of the prostaglandin analogue 16‐phenoxy‐17, 18, 19, 20‐tetranor‐PGE2‐methylsulphonamide (sulprostone) for inducing labour. Women received either 1 μg/min until delivery or the commonly recommended treatment of 1500 μg in 8 h followed by another, identical course of treatment if delivery did not occur within 24 h. The 1 μg/min dose schedule used half the amount of prostaglandin and resulted in statistically significantly fewer gastrointestinal side‐effects compared with the conventional treatment. All women were delivered vaginally and there were no differences in induction‐to‐delivery intervals between the two treatments. Sulprostone infused at a rate of 1 μg/min resulted in a 50% chance of being delivered within 12 h and a 90% chance of being delivered within 24 h, with an overall frequency of side‐effects of 20%.
The effects of hospitalization for rest on fetal growth, neonatal morbidity and length of gestation in twin pregnancy
Authors: CROWTHER C. A. , VERKUYL D. A. A. , NEILSON J. P. , BANNERMAN C. , ASHURST H. M. 
Published: August 2005

Abstract Objective–To test whether a policy of hospitalization for bed rest, from 28–30 weeks gestation until delivery, lengthens the duration of gestation, improves fetal growth and decreases neonatal morbidity in twin pregnancy. Design–A randomized controlled trial. Setting–Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe. Subjects–118 women with an uncomplicated twin pregnancy between 28 and 30 weeks gestation. Intervention–Hospitalization for bed rest. Encouraged to rest in bed as much as possible, although voluntary ambulation was allowed. Main outcome measures–Gestational age at delivery and number of infants delivered preterm (<37 weeks); birthweight and number of small‐for‐gestational age (SG A) infants; neonatal morbidity was assessed by number of infants requiring admission to the neonatal unit and the length of stay. Results–There was no effect on duration of gestation or the occurrence of preterm delivery. Mean birthweight was greater in the hospitalized group (t = ‐2‐28, df 234, P = 0.02) and there were fewer SGA infants (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.33–0.96). No differences were found in neonatal morbidity. Conclusions–Hospitalization for bed rest does not prolong pregnancy but can improve fetal growth, although this was not reflected in improved neonatal morbidity. Whether twin fetal growth can be enhanced similarly in other populations should be investigated.
A multi‐centre collaborative study into the treatment of menorrhagia by Nd‐YAG laser ablation of the endometrium
Authors: GARRY RAY , ERIAN JOHN , GROCHMAL STEPHEN A. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To determine the safety and clinical effectiveness of Nd‐YAG laser ablation of the endometrium in the treatment of menorrhagia.Design— A prospective 3‐year observational multi‐centre study.Setting— Gynaecological units in the UK and USA with special interest in endoscopic laser surgery.Subject— 859 women with menorrhagia resistant to medical therapy.Main outcome measure— Duration of laser ablation, intra‐ and post‐operative complications, amenorrhoea rate, oligomenorrhoea rate, and woman's subjective assessment of treatment.Results— No major complications occurred in 859 treatments. Four (0–4%) cases of transient fluid overload, 4 (0–4%) of infection, and 3 (0–3%) of uterine perforation occurred. Each of the perforations occurred during insertion of the rigid instruments and none was produced by the laser. There were no major haemorrhages, no blood transfusions were needed, and no woman required a laparotomy. The mean duration of the laser ablation was 24 min, and the average stay in hospital was <24 h. Of the 479 women followed up for at least 6 months after treatment 288 (60%) developed complete amenorrhoea and 152 (32%) reported continuing but satisfactorily reduced menstruation; 39 (8%) failed to improve with the first treatment, but 26 of them responded to a second laser ablation. Overall 466 (97%) had a satisfactory response to laser ablation and only 13 (3%) required subsequent hysterectomy.Conclusion— Endometrial laser ablation would appear to be a popular, safe, effective and economical alternative to hysterectomy for the treatment of menorrhagia.
Symptoms analysis for the diagnosis of genuine stress incontinence
Authors: VERSI EBOO , CARDOZO LINDA , ANAND DINA , COOPER DEREK 
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To determine the accuracy of an analysis of symptoms alone for the diagnosis of genuine stress incontinence.Design— A comparison of results of symptoms analysis with urodynamic findings.Setting— A gynaecological video‐urodynamic unit.Subjects— 252 consecutive patients referred for urodynamic investigations.Interventions— A questionnaire of 20 symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction, midstream specimen of urine, pad testing, uroflowmetry, and video‐cystourethrography.Main Outcome Measures— Using the urodynamic diagnosis as the ‘gold standard’, the accuracy of discriminant function analysis of symptoms was determined.Results— Symptoms analysis achieved a correct classification of 81% with a false positive rate of 16%. Use of an accumulative probability curve defines patients who fall into the equivocal range.Conclusions— All women presenting with incontinence should undergo pre‐operative urodynamic studies.
Maternal serum unconjugated oestriol and human chorionic gonadotrophin levels in twin pregnancies: implications for screening for Down's syndrome
Authors: WALD NICHOLAS , CUCKLE HOWARD , WU TIESHENG , GEORGE LYNNE 
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To investigate maternal serum unconjugated oestriol (uE3) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels in twin pregnancies and to consider the implications of the results for antenatal screening for Down's syndrome.Design— Measurement of maternal serum uE3 and hCG levels from 15–22 weeks of gestation in twin and singleton pregnancies. Previously available maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels were also presented.Setting— Stored serum samples collected from women receiving routine antenatal care in Oxford were used.Subjects— 200 women with a twin pregnancy and, for each, three singleton control pregnancies matched for gestational age (same completed week of pregnancy) and duration of storage of the serum sample (same calendar quarter).Results— The median uE3, hCG and AFP levels in the twin pregnancies were respectively, 1.67 (95% CI1.56–1.79), 1.84 (95% CI1.64–2.07) and 2.13 (95% CI 1.97–2.31) multiples of the median (MoM) for singleton pregnancies at the same gestational age. The variance of values for the three serum markers (expressed in logarithms), and the correlation coefficients between any two, were similar in the twin and singleton pregnancies.Conclusion— In maternal serum screening programmes for Down's syndrome dividing uE3, hCG and AFP MoM values in twin pregnancies by the corresponding medians for twin pregnancies will, in expectation, yield a similar false‐positive rate in twin pregnancies as in singleton pregnancies.
A review of 80 endometrial resections for menorrhagia
Authors: PYPER R. J. D. , HAERI A. D. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To assess the efficacy of endometrial resection in treating menorrhagia.Design— A clinical audit of 80 consecutive patients.Setting— The department of gynaecology, Ealing Hospital, London.Subjects— Eighty women referred by their general practitioner with the primary complaint of menorrhagia.Interventions— Endometrial resection by hysteroscopic electro‐diathermy.Main outcome measures— Subjective assessment of the change in menstrual blood loss by the 75 patients, who were followed up for at least one year.Results— Of 75 women assessed after 1 year 45 (60%) had a successful outcome and nine (12%) had ‘some improvement’. There were 21 failures; 14 reported ‘no improvement’ initially and seven were late failures after a good result at 6 months. Fifteen underwent a second procedure with 83% success at 6 months. Complications included uterine perforation in three women, excessive glycine absorption in two, and two women had problems with haemorrhage. Four women came to hysterectomy.Conclusions— Endometrial resection is an effective treatment for menorrhagia. Improvements in operative technique and equipment gave better results and fewer complications in the second half of the series.
A multicentre study of coagulation and haemostatic variables during oral contraception: variations with four formulations
Authors:   Task Force on Oral Contraceptives
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To explore the extent to which progestogen type and oestrogen and progestogen dose may modify the effects of combined oral contraceptives (OC) on coagulation and haemostasis.Design— Randomized double‐blind clinical trial.Setting— Gynaecological clinics in Salvador (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), Singapore, and Dublin (Ireland).Subjects— 622 women aged 18–35 years who had opted for oral contraception. A contrast group of 155 women who were not to receive OC was also studied. Both groups included approximately equal numbers from each of the four centres.Interventions— Treatment of approximately equal numbers of women at each centre with one of the following OC preparations for at least 12 months: Noreth isterone acetate (NEA) 1 mg + ethinyl oestradiol (EE) 50μg; levonorgestrel (LNG) 250 + EE 50 μg + EE 30 μg; LNG 150 μg + EE 30 μg.Main outcome measures— Changes over 12 months in 12 coagulation and haemostatic variables.Results— At 12‐month follow‐up, the women on each OC preparation showed acceleration of prothrombin time and increase in factor X and fibrinogen. With the OC containing NEA there was also a persistent rise in factor VIIC, and reduction of antithrombin 111 and arantiplasrnin. The formulation which contained low doses of both LNG and EE showed the least adverse coagulation changes. Large increases in fibrinolysis were found in all OC groups.Conclusions— The adverse effects of combined OC on clotting are affected by the type and dose of progestogen as well as the dose of oestrogen.