Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and associated complications. This study evaluated the performance of international (EASL-EASD-EASO) and national (DGVS) guidelines for NAFLD risk stratification. Patients with T2D prospectively underwent ultrasound, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and serum-based fibrosis markers. Guideline-based risk classification and referral rates for different screening approaches were compared and the diagnostic properties of simplified algorithms, genetic markers and a new NASH surrogate (FAST score) were evaluated. NAFLD risk was present in 184 of 204 screened patients (age 64.2 ± 10.7 years; BMI 32.6 ± 7.6 kg/m2). EASL-EASD-EASO recommended specialist referral for 60–77% depending on the fibrosis score used, only 6% were classified as low risk. The DGVS algorithm required LSM for 76%; 25% were referred for specialised care. The sensitivities of the diagnostic pathways were 47–96%. A simplified referral strategy revealed a sensitivity/specificity of 46/88% for fibrosis risk. Application of the FAST score reduced the referral rate to 35%. This study (a) underlines the high prevalence of fibrosis risk in T2D, (b) demonstrates very high referral rates for in-depth hepatological work-up, and (c) indicates that simpler referral algorithms may produce comparably good results and could facilitate NAFLD screening.

Introdução: O Diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DM1) cursa com produção ausente ou irrisória de insulina e é a forma responsável pelos casos mais graves de distúrbios glicêmicos. O DM1 exerce forte influência sobre o crescimento fetal. Enquanto a hiperglicemia estimula o crescimento fetal devido à hiperinsulinemia, nas pacientes com vasculopatias a placentação inadequada pode levar o feto à restrição. Objetivos: identificar alterações de crescimento fetal e avaliá-las quanto a sua associação com o controle glicêmico materno e de marcadores laboratoriais de função renal. Métodos: foram avaliadas, de forma prospectiva em coorte observacional, 60 gestantes com DM1 que iniciaram o pré-natal no primeiro trimestre. A associação entre a classificação de peso ao nascimento com as seguintes variáveis foi analisada: média glicêmica, frequência de hipo e hiperglicemia, frequência de hipo e hiperglicemia grave, hemoglobina glicada, frutosamina, ácido úrico, creatinina e proteinúria de 24 horas. A predição do crescimento fetal também foi estudada. Resultados: Desvios do crescimento fetal em pacientes com DM1 ocorreram em 41% dos casos (n=25). Observou-se que 10% das gestações resultaram em PIG (n=6) e 31%, em GIG (n=19). Níveis aumentados de média glicêmica (p =0,006), baixa frequência de hipoglicemias (p = 0,027) e alta frequência de hiperglicemias (p = 0,014) se associaram a GIG no terceiro trimestre. Em todos os trimestres, valores séricos mais elevados de ácido úrico, creatinina e proteinúria de 24hs, se associaram de maneira significativa, ao grupo PIG. Foi construído um modelo, com taxa de acerto de 80.3%, para a predição de crescimento fetal com os valores de terceiro trimestre da média glicêmica e da creatinina. Conclusões: Foram identificadas variáveis relacionadas ao controle glicêmico materno e à marcadores laboratoriais de função renal que se associaram a alterações no crescimento fetal. Usando algumas dessas variáveis foi possível construir um modelo para predição do crescimento fetal com boa acurácia / Introduction. Diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) is described as absent or negligible production of insulin and it is responsible for the most severe cases of glycemic disorders. DM1 has a strong influence on fetal growth. In pregnant women the hyperglycemia stimulates fetal growth, and the vasculopathy influences the placentation process, which may lead to growth restriction. Objective. To identify fetal growth disorders and their association with maternal glycemic control and laboratory markers of renal function. Methods. Sixty pregnant women with DM1 were prospectively followed from the first trimester in an observational cohort. The association between birthweight classification with the following parameter were investigated: glycemic mean, frequency of hypo and hyperglycemia, frequency of severe hyper and hypoglycemia, glycated hemoglobin, fructosamine, uric acid, creatinine and proteinuria of 24 hours. The prediction of fetal growth was also investigated. Results. Abnormal fetal growth was observed in 41% (n= 25). Large for gestational age (LGA) was observed in 31.7% (n=19) and small for gestational age (SGA) in 10% (n= 6). High values of glycemic mean (p = 0.006), low frequency of hypoglycemia (p = 0.027) and high frequency of hyperglycemia (p = 0.014) were significantly associated with LGA fetal growth in the third trimester. In all trimesters, the SGA fetal growth was significantly associated with higher serum values of uric acid, creatinine and proteinuria of 24 hours. The prediction model for fetal growth, using values of glycemic mean and creatinine, was significant in the third trimester with an accuracy of 80.3%. Conclusions. The maternal glycemic control and the laboratory markers of renal function associated with the fetal growth disorders in pregnancies with DM1 were identified. Using these parameters it was possible to predict with a good accuracy the fetal growth in DM1

Conclusion. The equations developed in this study provide a more accurate estimate of GFR, ranging from normal to renal impairment, in both Chinese diabetic and non-diabetic patients, compared to currently available GFR formulae. / Hypothesis/objectives. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major health burden associated with increased morbidity and mortality as well as socio-economic impact. A rapid increase in disease prevalence has been reported and predicted in China and other Asian countries. Patients with low and declining GFR and microalbuminuria are at high CVD risk. A simple and precise predictive equation of GFR for Chinese diabetic patients is essential in the light of the growing epidemic of diabetes and CKD in Chinese population both for monitoring and treatment purposes. In this pilot study, a set of accurate, simple and clinically practical equations to predict GFR in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients was established. Their performance was validated using separate samples of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and compared with other widely used GFR formulae. / Methods. 202 type 2 diabetic patient and 46 non-diabetic patients were enrolled in the study. Of these 135 were randomly selected as the training sample; the remaining 67 diabetic patients and 46 non-diabetic patients constituted 2 validation groups. The prediction equation was developed by stepwise regression applied to the training sample. The equation was then tested and compared with other prediction equation including MDRD and CG equations in the validation samples. / Results. Independent factors associated with GFR included age, serum creatinine concentration, serum urea nitrogen level and serum albumin levels (P < 0.005 for all factors). Two predictive formulae, sRFCD and RFCD, were established. Simplified Renal formula in Chinese Diabetes (sRFCD) Study (ml/min/1.73 m2) is: GFR (for men) = 90400 x (Age)-0.495 (yr) x [ SCr]-1.097 (mumol/l) GFR (for women) = 58983 x (Age)-0.542 (yr) x [SCr]-1.012 (mumol/l) and Renal formula in Chinese Diabetes (RFCD) Study (ml/min/1.73 m2) is: GFR (for men) = 11825 x (Age)-0.494 x [SCr]-1.059 (mumol/l) x [Alb]+0.485 (g/l) GFR (for women) = 34166 x ( Age)-0.489 x [SCr] -0.877 (mumol/l) x [SUN] -0.150 (mmol/l) The multiple regression model explained 89.9% and 89.4% respectively of the variance in the logarithm of GFR. Compared to other GFR formulae, the sRFCD and RFCD formulae showed less bias and were more precise and accurate in estimating GFR in diabetic patients whereas the sRFCD and MDRD formulae showed better performance in non-diabetic patients. / Leung Tak Kei. / "July 2006." / Adviser: Juliana C. N. Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: B, page: 5117. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-180). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Introdução: O Diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DM1) cursa com produção ausente ou irrisória de insulina e é a forma responsável pelos casos mais graves de distúrbios glicêmicos. O DM1 exerce forte influência sobre o crescimento fetal. Enquanto a hiperglicemia estimula o crescimento fetal devido à hiperinsulinemia, nas pacientes com vasculopatias a placentação inadequada pode levar o feto à restrição. Objetivos: identificar alterações de crescimento fetal e avaliá-las quanto a sua associação com o controle glicêmico materno e de marcadores laboratoriais de função renal. Métodos: foram avaliadas, de forma prospectiva em coorte observacional, 60 gestantes com DM1 que iniciaram o pré-natal no primeiro trimestre. A associação entre a classificação de peso ao nascimento com as seguintes variáveis foi analisada: média glicêmica, frequência de hipo e hiperglicemia, frequência de hipo e hiperglicemia grave, hemoglobina glicada, frutosamina, ácido úrico, creatinina e proteinúria de 24 horas. A predição do crescimento fetal também foi estudada. Resultados: Desvios do crescimento fetal em pacientes com DM1 ocorreram em 41% dos casos (n=25). Observou-se que 10% das gestações resultaram em PIG (n=6) e 31%, em GIG (n=19). Níveis aumentados de média glicêmica (p =0,006), baixa frequência de hipoglicemias (p = 0,027) e alta frequência de hiperglicemias (p = 0,014) se associaram a GIG no terceiro trimestre. Em todos os trimestres, valores séricos mais elevados de ácido úrico, creatinina e proteinúria de 24hs, se associaram de maneira significativa, ao grupo PIG. Foi construído um modelo, com taxa de acerto de 80.3%, para a predição de crescimento fetal com os valores de terceiro trimestre da média glicêmica e da creatinina. Conclusões: Foram identificadas variáveis relacionadas ao controle glicêmico materno e à marcadores laboratoriais de função renal que se associaram a alterações no crescimento fetal. Usando algumas dessas variáveis foi possível construir um modelo para predição do crescimento fetal com boa acurácia / Introduction. Diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) is described as absent or negligible production of insulin and it is responsible for the most severe cases of glycemic disorders. DM1 has a strong influence on fetal growth. In pregnant women the hyperglycemia stimulates fetal growth, and the vasculopathy influences the placentation process, which may lead to growth restriction. Objective. To identify fetal growth disorders and their association with maternal glycemic control and laboratory markers of renal function. Methods. Sixty pregnant women with DM1 were prospectively followed from the first trimester in an observational cohort. The association between birthweight classification with the following parameter were investigated: glycemic mean, frequency of hypo and hyperglycemia, frequency of severe hyper and hypoglycemia, glycated hemoglobin, fructosamine, uric acid, creatinine and proteinuria of 24 hours. The prediction of fetal growth was also investigated. Results. Abnormal fetal growth was observed in 41% (n= 25). Large for gestational age (LGA) was observed in 31.7% (n=19) and small for gestational age (SGA) in 10% (n= 6). High values of glycemic mean (p = 0.006), low frequency of hypoglycemia (p = 0.027) and high frequency of hyperglycemia (p = 0.014) were significantly associated with LGA fetal growth in the third trimester. In all trimesters, the SGA fetal growth was significantly associated with higher serum values of uric acid, creatinine and proteinuria of 24 hours. The prediction model for fetal growth, using values of glycemic mean and creatinine, was significant in the third trimester with an accuracy of 80.3%. Conclusions. The maternal glycemic control and the laboratory markers of renal function associated with the fetal growth disorders in pregnancies with DM1 were identified. Using these parameters it was possible to predict with a good accuracy the fetal growth in DM1

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects millions of people in the United States. The purpose of this project was to develop a guideline to help clinical staff provide clear and concise diabetes self-management instructions to patients in a community setting. Orem's self-care deficit theory (SCD) and health belief model (HBM) provided a platform to assess how patients' self-care deficit contributes to illness and the effect of patients' perception of illness. SCD theory and the HBM provided the framework for the development of the guideline to decrease diabetes acute complications through self-management education. The practice-focused question was whether the diabetes treatment guideline would decrease diabetes complication, improve the quality of care received by the diabetic patients, and if the facility would adopt the developed guideline. AGREE II Tool was used to assess the quality of the guideline and the staffs' desire for the adoption of the guideline. Data were collected from questionnaires given to staff members at the practice site in 2 rounds. Six medical staff were asked to critique the initial guideline, and 5 medical professionals were asked to assess the final guideline. Most of the participants' scores indicated strong agreement that full consideration was met. The score in all 6 AGREE II domains was above 90%, and 100% of the participants recommended the guideline to be adopted in the facility. Data analysis indicated the diabetes practice guideline is valid, will enhance the treatment of diabetes, and the practice site employees were eager to adopt the treatment guideline. Findings may be used to increase population health and reduce acute complications from diabetes mellitus.

[Formulae and special characters can only be approximated here. Please see the pdf version of the Abtract for an accurate reproduction.] Type 2 diabetes at least doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease. This can partly be explained by the increased prevalence of risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity. However, the underlying abnormality of insulin resistance and the presence of more recently identified risk factors including endothelial dysfunction, increased inflammation, and increased oxidative stress might also contribute towards the heightened cardiovascular risk. Fish oil, which contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3), has wide-ranging beneficial effects on these and other abnormalities, and has reduced cardiovascular mortality in secondary prevention studies. Animal and human studies have recently established that in addition to EPA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) also has beneficial effects, and furthermore, may have less detrimental effects than EPA on glycaemic control which has worsened in some fish and fish oil studies involving Type 2 diabetic subjects. Study 1 : This intervention study aimed to determine the independent effects of EPA and DHA on cardiovascular risk factors and glycaemic control in individuals with Type 2 diabetes receiving treatment for hypertension. In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of parallel design, 59 subjects in good to moderate glycaemic control (HbA1c < 9%) were recruited from media advertising and randomised to 4 g/day of EPA, DHA or olive oil (placebo) for 6 weeks. Thirty-nine men and 12 post-menopausal women aged 61.2±1.2 yrs completed the study. Relative to placebo, and with Bonferroni adjustments for multiple comparisons, serum triglycerides fell by 19% (p=0.022) and 15% (p=0.022) in the EPA and DHA groups respectively. There were no changes in serum total cholesterol, or LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, although HDL2-cholesterol increased 16% with EPA (p=0.026) and 12% with DHA (p=0.05). HDL3-cholesterol fell by 11% (p=0.026) with EPA supplementation and LDL particle size increased by 0.26±0.10 nm (p=0.02) with DHA. Urinary F2-isoprostanes, an in-vivo marker of oxidative stress was reduced by 19% following EPA (p=0.034) and by 20% following DHA. DHA but not EPA supplementation reduced collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation (16.9%, p=0.05) and thromboxane release (18.8%, p=0.03), but there were no significant changes in PAF-stimulated platelet aggregation. Fasting glucose rose by 1.40±0.29 mmol/l (p=0.002) following EPA and 0.98±0.29 mmol/l (p=0.002) following DHA. Neither EPA nor DHA had any significant effect on HbA1c, fasting serum insulin or C-peptide, insulin sensitivity, stimulated insulin secretion, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate, markers of inflammation, and fibrinolytic or vascular function. Study 2 : This study aimed to examine the influence and causes of increased inflammation on vascular function in subjects recruited for Study 1. Compared with healthy controls (n=17), the diabetic subjects (n=29) had impaired flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) (3.9±3.0% vs 5.5±2.4%, p=0.07) and glyceryl-trinitrate mediated dilatation (GTNMD) (11.4±4.8% vs 15.4±7.1%, p=0.04) of the brachial artery. They also had higher levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (2.7±2.6 mg/l vs 1.4±1.1 mg/l, p=0.03), fibrinogen (3.4±0.7 g/l vs 2.7±0.3 g/l, p<0.001) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (20.9±13.4 pg/l vs 2.5±1.7 pg/l, p<0.001). In diabetic subjects, after adjustment for age and gender, leukocyte count was an independent predictor of FMD (p=0.02), accounting for 17% of total variance. Similarly, leukocyte count accounted for 23% (p<0.001) and IL-6 for 12% (p=0.03) of variance in GTNMD. Von Willebrand factor, a marker of endothelial cell activation was correlated with leukocyte count (r=0.38, p=0.04), FMD (r=-0.35, p=0.06) and GTNMD (r=-0.47, p=0.009), whilst P-selectin, a marker of platelet activation was correlated with fibrinogen (r=0.58, p=0.001). Conclusion : EPA and DHA have similar beneficial effects on triglycerides, HDL2 cholesterol and oxidative stress in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. However, DHA also increases LDL particle size and reduces collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation and thromboxane release, thus offering more potential than EPA as an anti-thrombotic agent. The beneficial effects of both oils were potentially offset by deterioration in glycaemic control. Neither oil affected blood pressure or vascular function. Longer-term studies with major morbidity and mortality as the primary outcome measures are required to assess the overall benefits and risks of EPA and DHA. The cross-sectional observations from Study 2 are consistent with the hypothesis that impaired vascular function in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension is at least in part secondary to increased inflammation, with associated endothelial and platelet activation.

M.Cur. / The former Transkei is a predominantly rural region of the Eastern Cape Province. The poor infrastructure in this area results in inaccessibility of the available health services. The majority is ill equipped to deliver optimum diabetes care. There is an increase of lower limb amputations and lack of knowledge among patients with diabetes in the former Transkei. These complications can be prevented by patient education on self-management and appropriate footcare procedures. This qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences and footcare practices of diabetic patients who live in the rural areas of Transkei. A sample of 15 participants was drawn from Umtata Hospital Diabetic Clinic register through predetermined selection criteria. The sample consisted of five men aged 49 - 74 years, and ten women aged 30 - 64 years. Five patients (two men and three women) had foot ulcers or an amputation, while ten patients had no obvious foot problems. In-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted with all 15 patients. Interviews were tape recorded in Xhosa, transcribed, and translated into English for analysis. Direct observation of footcare was done with eight patients from the sample. Content analysis of the phenomenological interviews was facilitated by a protocol; and a checklist guided direct observation of footcare. A debate took place among the three coders to come to a consensus about the themes that emerged from their individual analyses. Guba's model of trustworthiness was utilised to ensure that the findings of this study reflect the truth. Ethical considerations were based on the guidelines cited by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (1998: 2.3.1-2.3.4) and the South African Medical Research Council (1993: 32-44). Findings revealed predominantly negative experiences in the internal and external environments of the persons with diabetes; as well as poor footcare knowledge and practices. The recommendations relate to improving diabetes as well as footcare knowledge and skills through education; promoting adherence to diabetes treatment regimens; providing emotional support; improving the selfimage of persons with diabetes; changing health beliefs; improving the quality of diabetes care in public health facilities; and increasing diabetes awareness among employers of diabetic persons.

Objectives: To date little is known of the interaction between diabetes and sex hormones in the vasculature. A number of studies suggest that premenopausal diabetic women loose their gender based cardiovascular protection. However, there is insufficient evidence to explain the mechanism underlying the loss of this gender based cardioprotection in premenopausal diabetic women. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether there is a gender difference in the aortic endothelial function in · streptozotocin (STZ, 58 mg/kg, iv)-induced diabetic rats, and the potential role of superoxide and cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolites in diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rapidly increasing among the aging United States population. This poses a challenge to dental providers since DM and multiple oral conditions have been identified as comorbidities. Hypertension (HTN) is associated with more poorly controlled DM and has been identified as contributing to RCT tooth loss in prior studies. Links have also been established between DM and the survival rate of root canal treated teeth, however, previous research has focused on institutional settings despite the majority of RCT being performed in private dental practices. This study will use data from private dental practices to evaluate the survival rate of RCT teeth in patients with DM and HTN. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the survival rate of endodontic treated teeth among patients with DM and HTN using National Dental PBRN Practice data. Electronic dental records from 42 private dental practices in the United States over a period of 15 years with a minimum 2-year follow-up comprising 11,532 root canal treated teeth were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to demonstrate the effects of HTN and DM on RCT tooth survival and Cox proportional hazards survival analysis was used to evaluate the DM and HTN effects after accounting for age, gender, insurance, year of treatment, tooth type, and crown and filling placement as covariates. Results: Patients with HTN only had significantly lower risk of failure than patients with both HTN and DM (p=0.003). Patients with neither HTN nor DM had significantly lower risk of failure than patients with both HTN and DM (p=0.020). Patients with DM only did not have significantly different risk of failure than patients with both HTN and DM (p=0.223). Patients with DM only did not have significantly different risk of failure than patients with HTN only (p=0.361). Patients with neither HTN nor DM did not have significantly different risk of failure than patients with HTN only (p=0.121) or patients with DM only (p=0.800). Conclusions: Patients with both DM and HTN have an increased chance of root canal treated tooth failure while patients with only DM or only HTN do not. Evaluation of severity of DM may be more important in determining RCT failure and studies utilizing laboratory values should be considered for future research.

Wong Cheuk Ying. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-124). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iv / Acknowledgement --- p.vi / List of Abbreviations --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1. --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Methods --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- Measurement of cAMP and cGMP in VSMCs --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Cell culture --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Enzyme-immunoassay colorimetric measurement for cAMP and cGMP --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Statistical analysis --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Measurement of apoptosis in VSMCs and bone marrow-derived stem cells --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Cell culture --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Hoechst33258 --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Cell Death ELISA plus --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Protein extraction and Western blot analysis of PKG expression --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- Measurement of cell proliferation in VSMCs and bone marrow-derived stem cells --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Cell culture --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Cell count --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- MTT assay --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- BrdU-(5`Bromo-2-deoxyuridine) ELISA colorimetric assay --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Effects of hyperglycemia on CGRP-induced cAMP response in VSMCs / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2 --- Results --- p.18 / Chapter 3.3 --- Discussion --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Role of cGMP and protein kinase G in regulation of apoptosis in VSMCs / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2 --- Results --- p.30 / Chapter 4.3 --- Discussion --- p.44 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Role of protein kinase G in regulation of proliferation in VSMCs / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.55 / Chapter 5.2 --- Results --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3 --- Discussion --- p.67 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- Effects of aging and eNOS- and iNOS-gene deletion (using eNOS- and iNOS-knockout mice) on apoptosis of VSMCs / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.73 / Chapter 6.2 --- Results --- p.76 / Chapter 6.3 --- Discussion --- p.79 / Chapter Chapter 7. --- Role of protein kinase G in regulation of apoptosis and proliferation of bone marrow stromal stem cells / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.81 / Chapter 7.2 --- Results --- p.84 / Chapter 7.3 --- Discussion --- p.92 / Chapter Chapter 8. --- Overall discussion --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 9. --- References --- p.101