The influence of sex steroids on calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters was assessed in a population sample of middle-aged and elderly European men. Higher free and total E-2 though not testosterone, were independently associated with higher QUS parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between QUS parameters and sex steroids in middle-aged and elderly Europe

BACKGROUND: The two-gene expression ratio HOXB13:IL17BR has been proposed to predict the outcome of tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients. We intended to examine whether this ratio can predict the benefit of 5 years vs. 2 years of tamoxifen treatment of postmenopausal patients. A further objective was to investigate any prognostic effects of the ratio in systematically untreated premenopausal p

In the face of pressures to expand the rule of law, in 2004, Japan introduced a new law school system in order to produce more and better qualified lawyers. This article explains why the new law school system solution was selected from among other alternatives such as reforming the national bar exam, abolishing mandatory legal training, reforming existing legal education, or redefining the jurisdi

OBJECTIVE: Describe the clinical course and predictors of change in self-reported outcomes and objectively assessed physical function over time in middle-aged subjects at high risk of, or with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: We examined 259 subjects (mean age 52.6 [SD 10.4]) at mean 18 and 25 years after previous meniscectomy and 50 population-based age- and sex-matched reference subjects with

The effects of planktivorous fish on phytoplankton through nutrient recycling and zooplankton herbivory were experimentally separated and their relative importance quantified in a eutrophic humic lake. Natural phytoplankton assemblages were incubated in nutrient-permeable chambers placed inside enclosures with or without fish. Outside these chambers, phytoplankton were exposed to zooplankton herbi

The high temperature CaO/SO2 reaction was studied using four Swedish limestones and one dolomite as sorbents. The measurements were carried out in a vacuum thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) apparatus in order to investigate the intrinsic reaction mechanism. The reaction was found to be fast at the beginning due to the surface reaction, while the subsequent stage was controlled by the product layer

BACKGROUND: Patients who survive after suicidal hanging attempts suffer from transient brain ischaemia. Morbidity and mortality is high, and no specific therapy is available. Hypothermia attenuates ischaemic brain damage and has become standard care in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest; therapeutic hypothermia may thus be useful for near-hanging victims as well.OBJECTIVES: To perform a literatu

A transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease (R6/1 and R6/2 lines) expressing exon 1 of the HD gene with 115-150 CAG repeats resisted striatal damage following injection of quinolinic acid and other neurotoxins. We examined whether excitotoxin resistance characterizes mice with mutant huntingtin transgenes. In a new transgenic mouse with 3 kb of mutant human huntingtin cDNA with 18, 46, or 100

This article outlines a general theory of meaning, The Semiotic Hierarchy, which distinguishes between four major levels in the organization of meaning: life, consciousness, sign function and language, where each of these, in this order, both rests on the previous level, and makes possible the attainment of the next. This is shown to be one possible instantiation of the Cognitive Semiotics program

A single antenna based virtual antenna array at the receiver can be used to find direction of different incoming radio signals impinging at the receiver. In this paper, we investigate the performance of random 3D virtual antenna arrays for DoA estimation. We have computed a Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for DoA estimation if the true antenna positions are not known, but these are estimated with an

The use of performance enhancing drugs, especially anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has emerged as a social problem outside competitive sports, linked to substance abuse and crime. The purpose of this article is to analyze the use of doping and attitudes to doping outside the competitive sports context in relation to age, gender, ethnicity, so¬cio-economic status, and branch of sport. The articl

Protein glycosylation has significant effects on the structure and function of proteins. The efficient separation and enrichment of glycoproteins from complex biological samples is one key aspect and represents a major bottleneck of glycoproteome research. In this paper, we have explored pH multimodal hydrophobic interaction chromatography to separate glycosylated from non-glycosylated forms of pr

We propose and demonstrate a new approach for the simulation of woody ecosystem stand dynamics, demography, and disturbance-mediated heterogeneity suitable for continental to global applications and designed for coupling to the terrestrial ecosystem component of any earth system model. The approach is encoded in a model called Populations-Order-Physiology (POP). We demonstrate the behavior and per

Glucocorticoids play a role in the origin of the features of the metabolic diseases. Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is defined as glutamine homologue and derivative, conditionally an essential amino acid. In the liver, glutamine serves as a precursor for ureagenesis, gluconeogenesis and acute phase protein synthesis The aim of the study was to determine the effect of AKG administered to piglets prenata

OBJECTIVE-Metformin produced weight loss and delayed or prevented diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). We examined its long-term safety and tolerability along with weight loss, and change in waist circumference during the DPP and its long-term follow-up. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-The randomized double-blind clinical trial of metformin or placebo followed by a 7-8-year open-label ex

Cerebral edema is a common complication following moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a significant risk factor for development of neuronal death and deterioration of neurological outcome. To this date, medical approaches that effectively alleviate cerebral edema and neuronal death after TBI are not available. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has anti-inflammatory properties on ce

The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele is the strongest risk factor of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, the fluid concentrations of ApoE and its different isoforms (ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4) in AD patients and among APOE genotypes (APOE epsilon 2, epsilon 3, epsilon 4) remain controversial. Using a novel mass spectrometry-based method, we quantified total ApoE and specific ApoE isof

Background: There is limited information about any association between the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the presence of valvular disease. Methods: We retrospectively examined 940 patients in sinus rhythm, examined by echocardiography in 1996. During 11 years of follow-up, we assessed the incidence of AF and outcome defined as valvular surgery or death, in relation to baseline valvular fun

A physical inactive lifestyle is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. The proportion of pregnant women with overweight or obesity is increasing rapidly across the world and this excess weight, mainly obesity, is associated with increased risk of health problems during pregnancy and in connection with chil