Background Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of painful vertebral fractures, which is intended to reduce pain and improve quality of life. We assessed the efficacy and safety of the procedure. Methods Adults with one to three acute vertebral fractures were eligible for enrolment in this randomised controlled trial at 21 sites in eight countries. We randomly as

Amylin is a member of the calcitonin family of hormones cosecreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells. Cell culture assays suggest that amylin could affect bone formation and bone resorption, this latter function after its binding to the calcitonin receptor (CALCR). Here we show that Amylin inactivation leads to a low bone mass due to an increase in bone resorption, whereas bone formation is un

The technique equilibrium sampling through membrane (ESTM) was extended to measuring the free drug concentration in solutions of drug and protein. Bjerrum and Scatchard plots were employed for characterizing individual drug binding to pure human blood proteins. Four drugs were investigated as a model system: fluvoxamine and ropivacaine which dominantly bind to alpha-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and R,

PURPOSE: The nature of the relationship between inflammation and elevated serum lipid levels is incompletely understood. This longitudinal study explores whether elevated levels of inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs) are a risk factor for developing increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels. METHODS: Five ISPs (fibrinogen, orosomucoid, alpha(1)-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, and cerulopla

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a mild form of autistic disorder characterised by impairment in social interaction as well as a restricted pattern of behaviour, interests, and activities. Two patients with AS and balanced translocations t(13;17) and t(17;19), respectively, were identified. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis with chromosome 17 specific clones to metaphase chromosomes from

INTRODUCTION AND MATERIALS AND METHODS: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) play an important role in platelet aggregation. To identify new platelet GPCRs, a platelet gene expression profile was generated and validated using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: In total, mRNA of 28 GPCR genes was detected in human platelets. The 12 most abundant platelet GPCR transcripts were: thrombin receptor PA

Appetite regulation is part of a feedback system that controls the energy balance, involving a complex interplay of hunger and satiety signals, produced in the hypothalamus as well as in peripheral organs. Hunger signals may be generated in peripheral organs (e.g. ghrelin) but most of them are expressed in the hypothalamus (neuropeptide Y, orexins, agouti-related peptide, melanin concentrating hor

The concept of social capital has gained wide interest in public health research in recent years. However, we suggest a concept that was introduced and developed by Fukuyama, named "miniaturization of community".. as an alternative to that of social capital. The concept of miniaturization of community emphasizes that a high level of social participation can be accompanied by a low level of trust,

This study examines reproducibility of water and ethanol drop volumes from plastic squeeze dropper bottles, examines the difference in drop volumes between commonly used liquid patch test solutions, and evaluates the volumes of water and ethanol needed to saturate Finn and IQ Chamber filter papers. 2 plastic squeeze dropper bottles recommended for use in patch testing have poor reproducibility com

Protonation and subsequent intramolecular hydrogen bonding as methods to control chain structure and tune luminescence in heteroatomic conjugated polymers were reported experimentally [A. P. Monkman , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, 6049 (2002)]. In this paper, the structure and photophysical properties of the model teraryl compound of phenylene-pyridylene copolymer before and after protonation are theoret

BACKGROUND: Screening for inflammatory small bowel disease has hereto relied on barium examination, usually performed after duodenal intubation. A noninvasive technique for imaging of the small bowel in such patients would be preferable. METHODS: A total of 59 patients were included in the study. A small bowel barium examination (SBE) was performed after duodenal intubation using a barium and air

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated that patients with schizophrenia have thinner brain cortices compared with healthy control subjects. Neurodevelopment is vulnerable to obstetric complications (OCs) such as hypoxia and birth trauma, factors that are also related to increased risk of developing schizophrenia. With the hypothesis that OCs might explain the thin

Abstract in UndeterminedMarine operations depend on the ability to forecast suddenly appearing storms, and failures often cause great damage. As part of a sea-state alarm study, meteorological forecasts overlaid with satellite observations sent to ships have been found to be a useful too]. In this paper we present a real-time assimilation algorithm that extends this tool using statistical methods.

BACKGROUND: Eotaxin is a chemokine that attracts and activates eosinophils. The present study examines the occurrence of eotaxin in nasal mucosal surface liquids in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis without allergen exposure and during repeat allergen challenge with and without topical glucocorticosteroid treatment. The number of subepithelial eosinophils and mucosal outputs of bulk plasma

Background There is an absence of population-based long-term studies on the risk of neurological sequelae in children born after in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Our aim was to compare the frequency of such problems between IVF-born children and controls. Methods We did a population-based retrospective cohort study in which we compared development of neurological problems in 5680 children born after

We use action spectra published by the International Commission on Illumination to examine diurnal, seasonal and latitudinal variations in erythemally weighted (sunburning) UV-a health risk, and vitamin D-weighted UV-a health benefit. Vitamin D-weighted UV is more strongly dependent on ozone and solar zenith angle. Consequently, its diurnal, seasonal and geographic variability is more pronounced t