bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and its association with impaired glucose metabolism in Japanese adults
Authors: Jimba S. , Nakagami T. , Takahashi M. , Wakamatsu T. , Hirota Y. , Iwamoto Y. , Wasada T. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  To assess the prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its association with impaired glucose metabolism in Japanese subjects.Methods  One thousand, nine hundred and fifty subjects enrolled in a general health examination programme from September 2002 to February 2003 were recruited. NAFLD was diagnosed if a person showed ‘fatty liver’ on ultrasonography, and his/her alcohol consumption, estimated by questionnaire, was < 40 gram/week. A general linear model was used for the comparison of estimated means of metabolic variables adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) between subjects with NAFLD and those without fatty liver. Multivariate regression with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as the dependent variable was performed in 1547 non‐diabetic individuals after adjusting for age, gender, BMI and NAFLD.Results  NAFLD was found in 566 of the 1950 health‐check examinees (29%). Its prevalence increased with increasing FPG levels: 27% in the subgroup with normal fasting glucose, 43% in impaired fasting glucose and 62% in newly diagnosed diabetes. Adjusted means of FPG, HbA1c, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, AST and ALT were all significantly higher, while adjusted means of HDL cholesterol and AST/ALT ratio were significantly lower in subjects with NAFLD than those without fatty liver. Multivariate regression analysis showed that NAFLD was independently associated with increasing FPG in non‐diabetic individuals.Conclusions  The prevalence of NAFLD was 29% in apparently healthy middle‐aged Japanese adults and NAFLD was independently associated with impaired glucose metabolism.
Hyperproinsulinaemia and risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in women
Authors: Schulze M. B. , Solomon C. G. , Rifai N. , Cohen R. M. , Sparrow J. , Hu F. B. , Manson J. E. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  Our objective was to examine prospectively the associations between fasting plasma proinsulin and the proinsulin/insulin ratio and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in women.Subjects and methods  We designed a nested case‐control study within the Nurses’ Health Study, a cohort of 121 700 US women aged 30–55 years at study inception in 1976. Fasting plasma proinsulin, specific insulin and C‐peptide levels were determined in 183 women with a new diagnosis of diabetes made after blood sampling between 1989 and 1990, and 369 control subjects without diabetes.Results  After adjustment for age, body mass index, family history of diabetes and other potential confounders, including HbA1c, the odds ratios for diabetes associated with increasing quartiles of proinsulin were 1.00, 0.85, 2.49 and 5.73 (P for trend: < 0.001). Proinsulin remained significantly associated with diabetes risk after adjusting for C‐peptide and specific insulin (multivariate odds ratios for quartiles: 1.00, 0.78, 1.94, 3.69; P for trend = 0.001). In addition, the proinsulin/insulin ratio was significantly associated with diabetes risk, controlling in multivariate analysis for C‐peptide (odds ratios for extreme quartiles: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.14–5.41; P for trend = 0.005).Conclusions  These data suggest that proinsulin and the proinsulin/insulin ratio are strong independent predictors of diabetes risk, after adjustment for obesity and other potential confounders.
Plasma nitrotyrosine levels, antioxidant vitamins and hyperglycaemia
Authors: Bo S. , Gambino R. , Guidi S. , Silli B. , Gentile L. , Cassader M. , Pagano G. F. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  Studies on plasma nitrotyrosine (NT) levels, a measure of oxidative injury, in diabetes are limited and discordant; the amount of antioxidants might represent a possible explanation for the discordant results. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the association between plasma NT levels and glucose tolerance status, according to antioxidant vitamin intakes.Methods  In three hundred men randomly selected from a population‐based cohort, NT levels were measured and dietary intake assessed by a food‐frequency questionnaire.Results  NT values were similar in patients with diabetes (n = 34), impaired fasting glucose (n = 77) and normoglycaemic subjects (n = 189). However, in subjects with lower than recommended daily intakes of antioxidant vitamins C and A, NT levels were significantly higher in the diabetic patients. In a multiple regression model, after adjustments for age, body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits, NT levels were significantly associated with fasting glucose in patients with lower intakes of vitamin C (β = 11.4; 95% CI 1.3 21.5) and vitamin A (β = 14.9; 95% CI 3.9 25.9), but not in subjects with lower intake of vitamin E.Conclusion  A significant positive correlation between NT levels and fasting glucose is evident only in the presence of a reduced intake of some antioxidant vitamins. These findings might explain, at least in part, the discrepant results of previous studies and, if confirmed by further studies, suggest a simple measure (a balanced diet) to alleviate the increased oxidative stress of diabetes.
Left ventricular dysfunction in hypertensive patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Andersen N. H. , Poulsen S. H. , Poulsen P. L. , Knudsen S. T. , Helleberg K. , Hansen K. W. , Berg T. J. , Flyvbjerg A. , Mogensen C. E. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  To characterize left ventricular function in hypertensive patients with Type 2 diabetes and normal ejection fraction, and to relate these findings to pathogenic factors and clinical risk markers.Methods  We examined 70 hypertensive patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus with ejection fraction > 0.55 and fractional shortening > 0.25, all without any cardiac symptoms. Thirty‐five non‐diabetic subjects served as control subjects. Left ventricular longitudinal function was examined by tissue Doppler derived myocardial strain rate and peak systolic velocities.Results  Hypertensive patients with diabetes had a significantly higher systolic strain rate (−1.1 ± 0.3 s−1 vs. −1.6 ± 0.3 s−1, P < 0.001) and lower systolic peak velocities (3.3 ± 1.0 vs. 5.6 ± 1.0 cm/s, P < 0.001) compared with control subjects. Myocardial systolic strain rate correlated significantly to left ventricular mass (r = 0.40, P < 0.01) and to both HbA1c (r = 0.43, P < 0.01), and fructosamine (r = 0.40, P < 0.01), but was not related to serum levels of carboxymethyllysine, albuminuria, blood pressure (dipping/non‐dipping), or oral hypoglycaemic therapy. Patients with diastolic dysfunction had significantly higher levels of urine albumin [21.0 (5–2500) mg/l, vs. 9.5 (1–360), P < 0.01], heart rate (78 ± 13 vs. 67 ± 10 b.p.m., P < 0.005), and seated diastolic blood pressure (85 ± 6 vs. 81 ± 7 mmHg, P < 0.05) and non‐dipping diastolic blood pressure was more frequent.Conclusions  Long axis left ventricular systolic function was significantly decreased in hypertensive patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and is associated with hyperglycaemia and left ventricular hypertrophy. Diastolic dysfunction was closely related to increased diastolic blood pressure, non‐dipping and increased urinary albumin excretion.
Association of physical inactivity with components of metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease—the Chennai Urban Population Study (CUPS no. 15)
Authors: Mohan V. , Gokulakrishnan K. , Deepa R. , Shanthirani C. S. , Datta M. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  The aim of the study was to assess the influence of physical activity on the components of metabolic syndrome (MS) in an urban south Indian population in Chennai.Methods  The Chennai Urban Population Study (CUPS) is an epidemiological study involving two residential areas in Chennai in South India. Of the total of 1399 eligible subjects (age ≥ 20 years), 1262 individuals participated in the study. MS was diagnosed based on modified Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines. Details about the physical activity were collected using questionnaire, which included job‐related and leisure‐time activities, and specific questions on exercise. Study individuals were then graded as light, moderate and heavy using a scoring system. We assessed the relationship between the grades of physical activity and the components of MS and coronary artery disease (CAD). Insulin resistance was calculated using the homeostasis assessment model (HOMA‐IR).Results  Prevalence of most of the components of MS (diabetes P < 0.001, obesity P = 0.003, abdominal obesity P < 0.001 and hypertension P < 0.001) and MS per se (P < 0.001) increased significantly with decrease in physical activity. Among non‐diabetic subjects, HOMA‐IR was significantly higher in subjects who did light‐grade activity compared with heavy‐grade activity (P = 0.041). Logistic regression analysis revealed physical activity to be significantly associated with MS [heavy activity: reference, moderate activity, odds ratio (OR) 1.639, (P = 0.017); light activity: OR 2.289, (P < 0.001)]. Subjects in the light‐grade activity group also had higher odds of CAD (OR 2.42, 95% confidence interval 1.40, 4.24, P = 0.011), compared with the heavy‐grade activity group.Conclusion  Physical inactivity is associated with the components of MS and CAD in this urban south‐Indian population. Lifestyle changes focusing on increasing physical activity could help to prevent the exploding epidemic of MS and CAD in India.
Diabetes service provision: a qualitative study of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients’ experiences and views
Authors: Lawton J. , Parry O. , Peel E. , Douglas M. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  To explore newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients’ views about Scottish diabetes services at a time when these services are undergoing a major reorganization. To provide recommendations to maximize opportunities brought by the devolvement of services from secondary to primary healthcare settings.Methods  Qualitative panel study with 40 patients newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, recruited from hospital clinics and general practices in Lothian, Scotland. Patients were interviewed three times over 1 year. The study was informed by grounded theory, which involves concurrent data collection and analysis.Results  Patients were generally satisfied with diabetes services irrespective of the types of care received. Most wanted their future care/review to be based in general practice for reasons of convenience and accessibility, although they disliked it when appointments were scheduled for different days. Many said they lacked the knowledge/confidence to know how to manage their diabetes in particular situations, and needed access to healthcare professionals who could answer their questions promptly. Patients expressed a need for primary care professionals who had diabetes expertise, but who had more time and were more accessible than general practitioners. Patients who had encountered practice lead nurses for diabetes spoke particularly positively of these professionals.Conclusions  Nurses with diabetes training are particularly well placed to provide information and support to patients in primary care. Ideally, practices should run ‘one‐stop’ diabetes clinics to provide structured care, with easily accessible dietetics, podiatry and retinopathy screening. Newly diagnosed patients may benefit from being made more aware of specific services provided by charitable organizations such as Diabetes UK.
Metformin reduces C–reactive protein but not complement factor C3 in overweight patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Carter A. M. , Bennett C. E. , Bostock J. A. , Grant P. J. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  To determine the influence of metformin treatment on plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP) and complement factor C3.Methods  A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of metformin in patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus and body mass index > 25 kg/m2. CRP and C3 were analysed in stored plasma samples by in‐house ELISAs. Patients attended two baseline visits before randomization and subsequently attended at 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks post randomization. All patients gave informed consent according to a protocol approved by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Committee.Results  Baseline CRP in the patients randomized to placebo [1.33 (0.79, 2.25) mg/l] and metformin [1.24 (0.89, 1.71) mg/l] were similar (P = 0.8). Baseline CRP correlated with baseline C3 (r = 0.366) and HbA1c (r = 0.327). The difference in ratios of CRP levels at each visit to baseline between placebo‐ (n = 16) and metformin‐treated (n = 26) subjects was significantly different at the 12‐week (P = 0.002) and 24‐week (P = 0.03) visits. The difference in CRP ratios between the two treatment groups remained significant after accounting for glycaemic control at both visits (P = 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). Baseline C3 was correlated with CRP. Baseline C3 was lower in the placebo‐treated group [0.97 (0.88, 1.05) mg/ml] compared with the metformin‐treated group [1.09 (1.02, 1.17) mg/ml, P = 0.03]. There was no difference in the mean change in C3 at any visit from baseline between placebo‐ and metformin‐treated groups.Conclusion  Metformin may have a specific interaction with mechanisms involved in CRP synthesis or secretion, not directly related to improved insulin sensitivity and dampening of chronic inflammation.
Can a screening programme for diabetes be applied to another population?
Authors: Glümer C. , Borch‐Johnsen K. , Colagiuri S. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAims  To compare the performance of a Danish diabetes screening protocol in populations from Denmark and Australia.Methods  The populations used were the Inter99 population from Denmark and the AusDiab population from Australia. The Inter99 study included 6270 individuals aged 30–60 years, randomly selected from Copenhagen County. The AusDiab study included 7079 individuals also aged 30–60 years, randomly selected from throughout Australia. In both studies, all individuals without known diabetes underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Screening using a Danish risk score as an initial step was followed by measurement of fasting plasma glucose (FPG).Results  The characteristics of the study populations showed some differences in risk profile, with more individuals in the AusDiab study being obese, whilst in the Danish cohort, mean blood pressure was higher, less people took anti‐hypertensive medication and there was a higher prevalence of screen‐detected diabetes. Comparing the Australian and Danish populations, overall performance of the screening protocol was similar—area under area receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve 0.75 vs. 0.77, sensitivity 71 vs. 76% and positive predictive value (PPV) 6 vs. 9%. Small but statistically significant differences were observed in specificity (70 vs. 66%; P < 0.001) and percentage of the population requiring further testing (31 vs. 36%; P < 0.001). Combining the risk score with FPG ≥ 6.1 mmol/l showed a similar pattern. Again, specificity was slightly but significantly higher in the Australian population (95 vs. 93%; P < 0.001) and percentage of the population requiring further testing was lower (5 vs. 8%; P < 0.001).Conclusions  The Danish risk score performed well when applied to a geographically different Caucasian population and is a suitable tool for detecting people at high risk of undiagnosed diabetes.
Heel ulcers don't heal in diabetes. Or do they?
Authors: Chipchase S. Y. , Treece K. A. , Pound N. , Game F. L. , Jeffcoate W. J. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  To obtain information on outcome of heel ulcers in diabetes.Methods  Data were recorded prospectively on all patients with heel ulcers who were referred to a specialist multidisciplinary clinic between 1 January 2000 and 30 November 2003. Outcomes were assessed on 31 March 2004.Results  There were 157 heel ulcers in the patients referred in the period. Three ulcers were excluded from analysis because of associated osteomyelitis. Of 154 remaining ulcers (121 limbs; 97 patients, 55 male; mean age 68.5 ± 12.8 sd years), 101 (65.6%) healed after a median (range) 200 (24–1225) days. Of 53 non‐healed ulcers, 11 (7.1% of 154) were resolved by major amputation, 30 (19.5% of 154) were unhealed at time of patient's death, and 12 (7.8% of 154) remained unhealed. Ulcers healed in 59 of 97 affected patients (60.8%). Twenty‐six patients (26.8% of 97) died during the period, of whom 20 died with ulcers unhealed. Worse outcomes were observed in larger ulcers (P = 0.001, Mann–Whitney U‐test = 1883.5) and limbs with clinical evidence of peripheral arterial disease (P = 0.001, Mann–Whitney U‐test = 1163.00). Backward step‐wise logistic regression analysis showed 70.1% of healing could be predicted from these two baseline characteristics.Conclusions  The common perception that ‘heel ulcers don't heal’ is not reflected in clinical practice. Outcome is generally favourable even in a population often affected by serious comorbidity and with limited life expectancy. These data can be used to help define management plans, as well as a basis for counselling of the individual patient.
Relating to knowledge: challenges in generating and using theory for practice in family therapy*
Authors: Flaskas Carmel 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper explores knowledge and how family therapy relates to its own knowledge. It begins with the identification of particular puzzles that have emerged through the author's involvement in family therapy, and ends with a reflection on these same puzzles following the main theoretical exploration. The exploration first considers the issue of the generation of knowledge in the context of practice disciplines, and then discusses disciplinarity and the dynamics of competitiveness and oppositionality that go alongside this social structuring of knowledge. This discussion paves the way for an exploration of these dynamics in family therapy, including the competitiveness in relation to different models within family therapy, and the tendency for theory development to be represented in terms of discontinuity rather than continuity. The relationship between theory and practice is recast through this investigation, and an argument is made for using a layered epistemology to inform our relationship to knowledge.
A model to coordinate understanding of active autonomous learning
Authors: Stratton Peter 
Published: August 2005

AbstractFamily therapy has enthusiastically taken up certain concepts for adult education but has not benefited from the full range of ideas that are now both available and compatible with current epistemologies. Good practice in formulating learning objectives is discussed and the objectives of this article are specified. Areas of psychology that are relevant to adult learning are reviewed, and concepts of adult education that are important in the training of family therapists are considered. A model of a spiral process of learning that has been developed within the Leeds Family Therapy and Research Centre is proposed. The model coordinates the principles of adult learning described in the article and may be used as a framework for considering whether training will achieve its learning objectives as well as allowing people engaged in learning to gain further insight into how they learn. Readers are encouraged to use the principles of active reflective learning during their processing of the article.
Comparing qualitative research methodologies for systemic research: the use of grounded theory, discourse analysis and narrative analysis
Authors: Burck Charlotte 
Published: August 2005

AbstractMany of the qualitative research methods developed in the social sciences are well suited to explore research questions pertinent for the systemic field, and make a good fit with systemic thinking. In this paper I briefly outline the value of qualitative research for systemic psychotherapies. I explore some parallel developments in the field of qualitative research and systemic therapy which can inform each other. Three qualitative methodologies, a grounded theory approach, discourse analysis and narrative analysis, particularly useful for the research of subjective experience and meaning, are briefly outlined. To compare and contrast these methodologies, I discuss their application to a pilot study concerning the experiences of living life in more than one language. I demonstrate how each research methodology can highlight different aspects of qualitative research material and address different research questions. The challenge of how these methodologies may be further developed for systemic research is posed.
Biodegradation of atrazine in transgenic plants expressing a modified bacterial atrazine chlorohydrolase (atzA) gene
Authors: Wang Lin , Samac Deborah A. , Shapir Nir , Wackett Lawrence P. , Vance Carroll P. , Olszewski Neil E. , Sadowsky Michael J. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryAtrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the USA. Atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA), the first enzyme in a six‐step pathway leading to the mineralization of atrazine in Gram‐negative soil bacteria, catalyses the hydrolytic dechlorination and detoxification of atrazine to hydroxyatrazine. In this study, we investigated the potential use of transgenic plants expressing atzA to take up, dechlorinate and detoxify atrazine. Alfalfa, Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco were transformed with a modified bacterial atzA gene, p‐atzA, under the control of the cassava vein mosaic virus promoter. All transgenic plant species actively expressed p‐atzA and grew over a wide range of atrazine concentrations. Thin layer chromatography analyses indicated that in planta expression of p‐atzA resulted in the production of hydroxyatrazine. Hydroponically grown transgenic tobacco and alfalfa dechlorinated atrazine to hydroxyatrazine in leaves, stems and roots. Moreover, p‐atzA was found to be useful as a conditional‐positive selection system to isolate alfalfa and Arabidopsis transformants following Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation. Our work suggests that the in planta expression of p‐atzA may be useful for the development of plants for the phytoremediation of atrazine‐contaminated soils and soil water, and as a marker gene to select for the integration of exogenous DNA into the plant genome.
A functional antibody lacking N‐linked glycans is efficiently folded, assembled and secreted by tobacco mesophyll protoplasts
Authors: Nuttall James , Ma Julian K.‐C. , Frigerio Lorenzo 
Published: August 2005

SummaryA potential drawback in the use of plants as an expression platform for pharmaceutical proteins such as antibodies is that plant‐specific N‐glycosylation can result in proteins with altered function and potential antigenicity. In many cases, the N‐glycans are essential for the correct folding, assembly and transport of the recombinant proteins. We tested whether progressive removal of glycosylation sites had a detrimental effect on the synthesis, assembly and secretion of a plant‐made immunoglobulin G, Guy's 13. Our results indicate that the plant secretory pathway can cope well with aglycosylated antibody chains. The immunoglobulin without N‐linked glycans is correctly assembled and secreted by tobacco protoplasts. Capture enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay also shows that antigen‐binding properties are unaffected. Our results therefore suggest one possible alternative to the engineering of a humanized glycosylation machinery in plants.