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Objectives. Human leucocyte antigens (HLAs) are polymorphic molecules involved in antigen presentation. Associations between HLA type and autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, are well established but the potential association of genetic variation affecting antigen presentation with cardiovascular disease has not been systematically investigated in large cohorts. T
Aims: Skeletal muscle is a major metabolic organ and plays important roles in glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and insulin action. Muscle telomere length reflects the myocyte's exposure to harmful environmental factors. Leukocyte telomere length is considered a marker of muscle telomere length and is used in epidemiologic studies to assess associations with ageing-related diseases where mus
Context: Effect of GH therapy in short non GH deficient children, especially idiopathic short stature (ISS) has not been clearly established owing to lack of controlled trials until final height (FH). Objective: To investigate the effect of two GH doses compared with untreated controls on growth to FH in short children mainly with ISS. Design and Setting: A randomized, controlled, long-term multic
Osteoporosis is a common complex disorder in postmenopausal women leading to changes in the micro-architecture of bone and increased risk of fracture. Members of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) gene family regulates the development and physiology of bone through the Wnt/β-catenin (Wnt) pathway that in turn cross-talks with the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway. In
Aims Baseline adiponectin concentrations predict incident Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Diabetes Prevention Program. We tested the hypothesis that common variants in the genes encoding adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and its receptors (ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2) would associate with circulating adiponectin concentrations and/or with diabetes incidence in the Diabetes Prevention Program population. Methods Seventy-s
The European Spallation Source (ESS) is the European common effort in designing and building a next generation large-scale user facility for studies of the structure and dynamics of materials. The proposed schematic layout of the ESS facility is based on a linear driver (linac) directing the proton beam (5 MW of 2.5 GeV) of 2.8 ms long pulses with a 20 Hz on a tungsten target where neutrons are pr
Aim Observations of long chronosequences in forest ecosystems show that, after some millennia of build-up, biomass declines in relation to the slow depletion of soil phosphorus. Plants that dominate during this period of soil impoverishment have specialized strategies for P acquisition, including ectomycorrhiza or root clusters. We use quantitative, pollen-based reconstructions of regional vegeta
Evacuation model capabilities are rapidly improving, allowing the simulation of ever more complex scenarios in different types of environments. The definition of the best evacuation modelling approach for safety assessment is a key point for optimizing engineering work and ensuring the desired safety conditions. In the present thesis, a wide comparison between modelling approaches has been provide
This dissertation studies the effects that the use of a word-processing program can have on pupils' writing. The study was conducted with a consideration of the context in which the writing was done. It examined not just changes in the quality of the pupils' writing but also the attitudes of pupils, teachers, and parents to computer-aided writing. In addition, it studied the functional reliability
Jobs and economic growth are created where businesses are located and investments made. A number of factors affect where firms choose to locate and where and how much that is invested. Many of these factors are hard to influence in the short run while others are governed by politicians and can be designed in order to stimulate desirable business and investment behaviour. One such factor is taxatio
The aim of this study was to describe some of the factors that might play a role in influencing attitude to xenotransplantation: first, the consideration of receiving cells and tissue from xenotransplants in relation to whole xeno-organs; secondly, the fact that there is greater uncertainty regarding the result and risk of infection associated with xenotransplantation than with allotransplantation
Osteopenia/osteoporosis affect many elderly people and might not be detected until symptoms of fractures occur. Early detection of osteopenia/osteoporosis is important and would allow preventive measures and treatment. Access to screening for osteopenia/osteoporosis is often limited, whereas panoramic radiography is commonly used in dentistry. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of
BACKGROUND: Individuals with low income have poorer health and should, therefore, have higher health expenditure than people with high income particularly in countries with a universal health care system. However, it has been discussed if social inequities in health diminish with age and we, hence, aimed to analyse this question. METHODS: We performed an age stratified cross-sectional analysis usi
