3,313 research outputs found
Meta-analyses identify 13 loci associated with age at menopause and highlight DNA repair and immune pathways
Full text linkTo newly identify loci for age at natural menopause, we carried out a meta-analysis of 22 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in 38,968 women of European descent, with replication in up to 14,435 women. In addition to four known loci, we identified 13 loci newly associated with age at natural menopause (at P < 5 × 10(-8)). Candidate genes located at these newly associated loci include genes implicated in DNA repair (EXO1, HELQ, UIMC1, FAM175A, FANCI, TLK1, POLG and PRIM1) and immune function (IL11, NLRP11 and PRRC2A (also known as BAT2)). Gene-set enrichment pathway analyses using the full GWAS data set identified exoDNase, NF-κB signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction as biological processes related to timing of menopause
Control, elimination, and eradication of river blindness: scenarios, timelines, and ivermectin treatment needs in Africa
Full text linkRiver blindness (onchocerciasis) causes severe itching, skin lesions, and vision impairment including blindness. More than 99% of all current cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, vector control and community-directed treatment with ivermectin have significantly reduced morbidity. Studies in Mali and Senegal proved the feasibility of elimination with ivermectin administration. The treatment goal is shifting from control to elimination in endemic African regions. Given limited resources, national and global policymakers need a rigorous analysis comparing investment options. For this, we developed scenarios for alternative treatment goals and compared treatment timelines and drug needs between the scenarios. Control, elimination, and eradication scenarios were developed with reference to current standard practices, large-scale studies, and historical data. For each scenario, the timeline when treatment is expected to stop at country level was predicted using a dynamical transmission model, and ivermectin treatment needs were predicted based on population in endemic areas, treatment coverage data, and the frequency of community-directed treatment. The control scenario requires community-directed treatment with ivermectin beyond 2045 with around 2.63 billion treatments over 2013-2045; the elimination scenario, until 2028 in areas where feasible, but beyond 2045 in countries with operational challenges, around 1.15 billion treatments; and the eradication scenario, lasting until 2040, around 1.30 billion treatments. The eradication scenario is the most favorable in terms of the timeline of the intervention phase and treatment needs. For its realization, strong health systems and political will are required to overcome epidemiological and political challenges
Interperson variability but intraperson stability of baseline plasma cortisol concentrations, and its relation to feedback sensitivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis to a low dose of dexamethasone in elderly individuals
No full textIn the present study, we investigated whether the negative feedback action of glucocorticoids (GCs) on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis changes with age. We performed a 1-mg dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test in 216 healthy elderly individuals. To investigate individual variability of feedback sensitivity in more detail, 2.5 yr later a 0.25-mg DEX suppression test was carried out in 164 of the same individuals. We investigated whether there was an effect of age or gender on both basal and post-DEX cortisol levels, as well as on the concentration of DEX. Furthermore, we examined whether the reactions to the two doses of DEX differed, and whether indications for an intraperson stability of baseline cortisol levels could be found. Neither the pre- nor the post-1-mg DEX plasma cortisol concentrations showed a correlation with age, and there were no differences between men and women. The same was true for the pre- and post- 0.25-mg DEX cortisol concentrations. In reaction to 1 mg DEX, over 90% of the subjects investigated showed a cortisol suppression to levels below 50 nmol/L. After the administration of 0.25 mg DEX, there was a much wider range in post-DEX cortisol concentrations. After the administration of 1 mg DEX, there was a significant correlation between liver function parameters and plasma DEX concentrations in males, and there was a correlation between body mass index and plasma DEX concentration in females. Plasma DEX concentrations after the administration of 1 mg and 0.25 mg DEX were closely correlated within subjects (P < 0.001). There was an intraindividual stability of serum cortisol levels determined at an interval of 2.5 yr. Furthermore, the individuals with the highest baseline cortisol concentrations also had the highest post-0.25-mg DEX cortisol concentrations, indicating a close relationship between basal cortisol levels and the feedback sensitivity of the HPA axis to a low dose of DEX. These observations suggest a genetic influence on the set point of the HPA axis. Aging does not seem to lead to a change in HPA activity as measured by early morning total cortisol levels. Also, no changes in the sensitivity of the feedback system to DEX were observed with age. DEX metabolism is influenced by liver function (in males) and by body mass index (in females)
The author as the second translator
Full text linkParafrazując tytuł tekstu Anny Legeżyńskiej „Tłumacz jako drugi autor” (1999: 20–30), w niniejszym artykule zwracam uwagę na rolę kontaktu z autorem w procesie tworzenia przekładu. Konsultowanie z twórcą oryginału niektórych rozwiązań translatorskich redukuje wątpliwości interpretacyjne widziane z pozycji tłumacza, autorowi zaś daje możliwość zobaczenia swojego tekstu z perspektywy drugiego języka.Paraphrasing the title of Anna Legeżyńska’s text “The translator as the second author” (1999: 20–30), this paper focuses on the role of contact with the author in the translation process. Discussions with the author on certain translation solutions reduce interpretative doubts as seen from the perspective of the translator, while the author is given an opportunity to see his or her text from the perspective of another language. In this text I am referring and quoting selected examples that were included in the letters exchanged with Konstantin Arbienin, the author of “Sleepless Stories” (Сказки на засыпку) whose translation has become the basis for making an audiobook. The project was launched within the activity framework of ‚Perevodka’, a translation section of the Research Association of the Department of Russian Studies at the NCU in cooperation with our friends musicians and graphic artists
The migration of sulphur containing compounds in polymer leds and their role in pled degradation
No full textThe bioelectrical impedance vector migration in healthy infants
Full text linkBackground & aims: Detecting young children with high amount of body fat is important to intervene in the development of obesity. The aim of this study is to gain inside in the bioelectrical impedance vector analysis in healthy infants. Methods: Repeated measurements of whole body reactance and resistance were assessed, using a 50 kHz frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, in 51 boys and 62 girls during infancy. Bivariate vector analysis, which can be used to determine tissue hydration and soft tissue mass, was conducted. The 95% confidence intervals of the mean vectors for different age groups and the 95%, 75% and 50% tolerance intervals were plotted, using resistance and reactance components standardized by the participant's height. Results: During infancy impedance vectors changed significantly: A vector migration of the Xc/H of 8.50 ohm/m and the R/H of 95.68 ohm/m between the age of two months and eight to twelve months (p = 0.0001) was observed. Bivariate, reference tolerance intervals of the impedance vectors for healthy infants at the age of two months are presented. Conclusion: Our results show a significant impedance vector migration during the first year of life. New reference tolerance intervals for the second month of life were constructed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved
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