FRAX(®) Bone Mineral Density Task Force of the 2010 Joint International Society for Clinical Densitometry International Osteoporosis Foundation Position Development Conference.

FRAX(®) is a fracture risk assessment algorithm developed by the World Health Organization in cooperation with other medical organizations and societies. Using easily available clinical information and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), when available, FRAX(®) is used to predict the 10-year probability of hip fracture and major osteoporotic fracture. These values may be included in country specific guidelines to aid clinicians in determining when fracture risk is sufficiently high that the patient is likely to benefit from pharmacological therapy to reduce that risk. Since the introduction of FRAX(®) into clinical practice, many practical clinical questions have arisen regarding its use. To address such questions, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) and International Osteoporosis Foundations (IOF) assigned task forces to review the best available medical evidence and make recommendations for optimal use of FRAX(®) in clinical practice. Questions were identified and divided into three general categories. A task force was assigned to investigating the medical evidence in each category and developing clinically useful recommendations. The BMD Task Force addressed issues that included the potential use of skeletal sites other than the femoral neck, the use of technologies other than DXA, and the deletion or addition of clinical data for FRAX(®) input. The evidence and recommendations were presented to a panel of experts at the ISCD-IOF FRAX(®) Position Development Conference, resulting in the development of ISCD-IOF Official Positions addressing FRAX(®)-related issues.

1980 railroad traffic density, Iowa, 1982

This map shows railroad traffic usage by Iowa Rail Carriers.

Integration of local-scale hydrological and regional-scale geophysical based on a nonlinear Bayesian sequential simulation approach

Significant progress has been made with regard to the quantitative integration of geophysical and hydrological data at the local scale. However, extending the corresponding approaches to the regional scale represents a major, and as-of-yet largely unresolved, challenge. To address this problem, we have developed a downscaling procedure based on a non-linear Bayesian sequential simulation approach. The basic objective of this algorithm is to estimate the value of the sparsely sampled hydraulic conductivity at non-sampled locations based on its relation to the electrical conductivity, which is available throughout the model space. The in situ relationship between the hydraulic and electrical conductivities is described through a non-parametric multivariate kernel density function. This method is then applied to the stochastic integration of low-resolution, re- gional-scale electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data in combination with high-resolution, local-scale downhole measurements of the hydraulic and electrical conductivities. Finally, the overall viability of this downscaling approach is tested and verified by performing and comparing flow and transport simulation through the original and the downscaled hydraulic conductivity fields. Our results indicate that the proposed procedure does indeed allow for obtaining remarkably faithful estimates of the regional-scale hydraulic conductivity structure and correspondingly reliable predictions of the transport characteristics over relatively long distances.

High coffee population density to improve fertility of an oxisol

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) population densities on the chemical and microbiological properties of an Oxisol. The work was carried out on soil samples of 0-20 cm depth originated from an experimental site which had been used for coffee tree spacing studies during 15 years, in Paraná State, Brazil. Eight coffee tree populations were evaluated: 7143, 3571, 2381, 1786, 1429, 1190, 1020, and 893 trees/ha. Increasing plant population increased soil pH, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, extractable P, organic carbon, moisture content and coffee root colonization by vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and decreased exchangeable Al and microbial biomass. Such results were attributed to better erosion control, improved plant residue management and nutrient cycling, and decreased leaching losses. Increasing coffee tree population per unit of area has shown to be an important reclamation recuperation strategy for improving fertility of the acid soils in Paraná, Brazil.

3-year follow-up results of bone mineral content and density after a school-based physical activity randomized intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: As an important modifiable lifestyle factor in osteoporosis prevention, physical activity has been shown to positively influence bone mass accrual during growth. We have previously shown that a nine month general school based physical activity intervention increased bone mineral content (BMC) and density (aBMD) in primary school children. From a public health perspective, a major key issue is whether these effects persist during adolescence. We therefore measured BMC and aBMD three years after cessation of the intervention to investigate whether the beneficial short-term effects persisted. METHODS: All children from 28 randomly selected first and fifth grade classes (intervention group (INT): 16 classes, n=297; control group (CON): 12 classes, n=205) who had participated in KISS (Kinder-und Jugendsportstudie) were contacted three years after cessation of the intervention program. The intervention included daily physical education with daily impact loading activities over nine months. Measurements included anthropometry, vigorous physical activity (VPA) by accelerometers, and BMC/aBMD for total body, femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Sex- and age-adjusted Z-scores of BMC or aBMD at follow-up were regressed on intervention (1 vs. 0), the respective Z-score at baseline, gender, follow-up height and weight, pubertal stage at follow-up, previous and current VPA, adjusting for clustering within schools. RESULTS: 377 of 502 (75%) children participated in baseline DXA measurements and of those, 214 (57%) participated to follow-up. At follow-up INT showed significantly higher Z-scores of BMC at total body (adjusted group difference: 0.157 units (0.031-0.283); p=0.015), femoral neck (0.205 (0.007-0.402); p=0.042) and at total hip (0.195 (0.036 to 0.353); p=0.016) and higher Z-scores of aBMD for total body (0.167 (0.016 to 0.317); p=0.030) compared to CON, representing 6-8% higher values for children in the INT. No differences could be found for the remaining bone parameters. For the subpopulation with baseline VPA (n=163), effect sizes became stronger after baseline VPA adjustment. After adjustment for baseline and current VPA (n=101), intervention effects were no longer significant, while effect sizes remained the same as without adjustment for VPA. CONCLUSION: Beneficial effects on BMC of a nine month general physical activity intervention appeared to persist over three years. Part of the maintained effects may be explained by current physical activity.

Regulation by aldosterone of Na+,K+-ATPase mRNAs, protein synthesis, and sodium transport in cultured kidney cells.

Transepithelial Na+ reabsorption across tight epithelia is regulated by aldosterone. Mineralocorticoids modulate the expression of a number of proteins. Na+,K+-ATPase has been identified as an aldosterone-induced protein (Geering, K., M. Girardet, C. Bron, J. P. Kraehenbuhl, and B. C. Rossier, 1982, J. Biol. Chem., 257:10338-10343). Using A6 cells (kidney of Xenopus laevis) grown on filters we demonstrated by Northern blot analysis that the induction of Na+,K+-ATPase was mainly mediated by a two- to fourfold accumulation of both alpha- and beta-subunit mRNAs. The specific competitor spironolactone decreased basal Na+ transport, Na+,K+-ATPase mRNA, and the relative rate of protein biosynthesis, and it blocked the response to aldosterone. Cycloheximide inhibited the aldosterone-dependent sodium transport but did not significantly affect the cytoplasmic accumulation of Na+,K+-ATPase mRNA induced by aldosterone.

Astrocyte-neuron lactate transport is required for long-term memory formation.

We report that, in the rat hippocampus, learning leads to a significant increase in extracellular lactate levels that derive from glycogen, an energy reserve selectively localized in astrocytes. Astrocytic glycogen breakdown and lactate release are essential for long-term but not short-term memory formation, and for the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic strength elicited in vivo. Disrupting the expression of the astrocytic lactate transporters monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) or MCT1 causes amnesia, which, like LTP impairment, is rescued by L-lactate but not equicaloric glucose. Disrupting the expression of the neuronal lactate transporter MCT2 also leads to amnesia that is unaffected by either L-lactate or glucose, suggesting that lactate import into neurons is necessary for long-term memory. Glycogenolysis and astrocytic lactate transporters are also critical for the induction of molecular changes required for memory formation, including the induction of phospho-CREB, Arc, and phospho-cofilin. We conclude that astrocyte-neuron lactate transport is required for long-term memory formation.

Different colors of light lead to different adaptation and activation as determined by high-density EEG.

Light adaptation is crucial for coping with the varying levels of ambient light. Using high-density electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated how adaptation to light of different colors affects brain responsiveness. In a within-subject design, sixteen young participants were adapted first to dim white light and then to blue, green, red, or white bright light (one color per session in a randomized order). Immediately after both dim and bright light adaptation, we presented brief light pulses and recorded event-related potentials (ERPs). We analyzed ERP response strengths and brain topographies and determined the underlying sources using electrical source imaging. Between 150 and 261ms after stimulus onset, the global field power (GFP) was higher after dim than bright light adaptation. This effect was most pronounced with red light and localized in the frontal lobe, the fusiform gyrus, the occipital lobe and the cerebellum. After bright light adaptation, within the first 100ms after light onset, stronger responses were found than after dim light adaptation for all colors except for red light. Differences between conditions were localized in the frontal lobe, the cingulate gyrus, and the cerebellum. These results indicate that very short-term EEG brain responses are influenced by prior light adaptation and the spectral quality of the light stimulus. We show that the early EEG responses are differently affected by adaptation to different colors of light which may contribute to known differences in performance and reaction times in cognitive tests.

Densité urbaine et psychose - est-ce que vivre en ville rend schizophrène [Urban density and psychosis - does living in a city cause schizophrenia?].

While it has often been stated that prevalence of schizophrenia is the same around the world, many publications have shown this illness is twice more frequent in urban areas. Although many hypotheses have been proposed, the mechanisms explaining this phenomenon are still unknown. Besides potential biological explanations, a certain number of hypotheses emerging from social sciences have recently enriched the debate. This article reviews the literature related to this issue and describes the development of a research projects conducted in collaboration between the Institut of Geography at the University of Neuchâtel, the Department of Psychiatry at the Lausanne University and the Swiss branch of ISPS, a society promoting the psychological treatment of schizophrenia and other psychoses.

Potato crop growth as affected by nitrogen and plant density

Growth and development variables and dry matter characteristics were studied for cultivar Snowden of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to evaluate nitrogen and plant density influence. Disregarding ending of season plant stress, the average number of actives haulms per plant was five and it was not affected by plant spacing. However, seasonal and final number of active haulms per plant were increased at 200 kg/ha of nitrogen. Maximum stem elongation was reached quickly with double density and had the tendency to keep constant at the highest and lowest nitrogen levels after 70 days after planting. Specific stem mass defined as mass per unit stem length was established as an indirect measure of stem thickness and load capacity. Specific leaf mass position in plant was higher at upper stem leaves, increased as plant density increased and did not vary markedly over time throughout the season. The rate of leaf appearance increased drastically due to more branching caused by high nitrogen level, and increased above ground dry matter per plant. Canopy growth and development influenced main tuber yield components. The number of active tubers per haulm decreased after 60 days after planting showing that tuberization is reversible. Tuber growth functions were established allowing the estimate of dry biomass partitioning coefficients for each plant organ.