Relating the Chondrocyte Gene Network to Growth Plate Morphology: From Genes to Phenotype

During endochondral ossification, chondrocyte growth and differentiation is controlled by many local signalling pathways. Due to crosstalks and feedback mechanisms, these interwoven pathways display a network like structure. In this study, a large-scale literature based logical model of the growth plate network was developed. The network is able to capture the different states (resting, proliferating and hypertrophic) that chondrocytes go through as they progress within the growth plate. In a first corroboration step, the effect of mutations in various signalling pathways of the growth plate network was investigated

Tobacco smoking in relation to body fat mass and distribution in a general population sample

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of variable amounts of tobacco smoking on body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio among current smokers. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SUBJECTS: A total of 22 059 apparently healthy men and women, who enrolled in the Greek EPIC cohort, aged 25-84 years, who had never smoked (14 751) or were current cigarette smokers (7308). MEASUREMENTS: Body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio (by anthropomentry), amount of tobacco smoking and energy expenditure (by an interviewer-administered, lifestyle questionnaire), energy intake and ethanol intake (by an interviewer- administered, validated, semiquantitative, food frequency questionnaire), at enrollment. RESULTS: In comparison to nonsmokers, smokers of the average number of cigarettes have lower body mass index. Among smokers, however, increased amount of smoking tends to be positively associated with body mass index, particularly among men. Waist-to-hip ratio is positively associated with amount of cigarettes smoked per day, among both men and women. CONCLUSION: Among smokers, tobacco smoking is positively associated with body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. Our data suggest that the lower body mass index of smokers compared to nonsmokers reflects personality characteristics of those who choose to smoke and that the tendency to gain weight after smoking cessation may have behavioral rather than tobacco-related pharmacological roots

FATTY ACID CONTENT AND POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF CONSUMING GILTHEAD SEA BREAM (SPARUS AURATA) AND SEA BASS (DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX)

The fatty acid composition of wild sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus L.) were compared with gas chromatography. These two species are widely cultivated in Europe and represent a significant portion of consumed fish in the region. The aim of the present work was to compare the nutritional value of fatty acids in the flesh of wild sea bass and sea bream. Significant differences were observed in the saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acid content. The presence of lauric, myristic and palmitic acids in the flesh of sea bream in quantities far exceeding those in sea bass make sea bream less suitable for preventing cardiovascular diseases. The poly-unsaturated n-3 fatty acids with both anti-atherogenetic and anti-inflammatory action in sea bass surpass those of sea bream by a total of 30%. Sea bass also contains 60% more C22:6n-3. Compared to sea bream, sea bass appears to be more suitable for the diet of people suffering from cardiac diseases, angiopathy, inflammations and Alzheimer's disease

CHANGES IN CYTOCHROME C OXIDASE (CCO) AND LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE (LDH) ENZYME ACTIVITY OF THE WHITE EPAXIAL MUSCLE TISUE OF SEA BAS (DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX L.) AS SHELF-LIFE PREDICTIVE INDICES DURING ICE-STORAGE

Fish freshness can be evaluated by sensory, physical and biochemical parameters. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the potential utilisation of enzyme activity changes as indicators of shelf life in ice-stored sea bass. Changes in the enzyme content and organoleptic score of ungutted ice-stored sea bass were monitored over a two-week period. Organoleptic score and activity of CCO and LDH decreased gradually with a 50% reduction after 10 days of storage in ice. The results show that monitoring the activity of the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic enzymes of fish muscle can be used as an indicator of fish freshness

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in a general population sample of 26 913 adults in the Greek EPIC study

Background Premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases could be prevented by the effective control of hypertension. Nationwide data for the status of hypertension in the adult Greek population are not available. Methods In the context of the Greek component of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC), 26 913 volunteers, aged 20-86 years, were recruited from several regions of Greece. Blood pressure measurements were taken by trained physicians and standard interviewing procedures were used to record medical history, and socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics. The data were modelled through multiple regression. Results The prevalence of hypertension (based on two arterial blood pressure measurements on a single occasion) is 40.2% for men and 38.9% for women (age-adjusted to the adult Greek population of 2001). In the sample examined, awareness among hypertensives is 54.4%, pharmaceutical treatment among those aware is 83.9%, and effective control among hypertensives is 15.2%. Prevalence of hypertension increases with age and is higher in rural areas and among individuals of lower education. Awareness and control of hypertension is higher among older individuals, among women and among the highly educated. Moreover, awareness of hypertension is higher among rural residents, whereas control of hypertension is more effective among urban residents. Conclusions In a large sample of the general Greek population, the prevalence of hypertension among men is lower than the average among the EU countries, whereas the corresponding prevalence among women is higher. Awareness and control of hypertension is lower in Greece than in other western countries, making them public health priorities

Cultural Capital in the Economic Field : A Study of Relationships in an Art Market

In this study of an economic field and its relationships to a cultural field, we apply Pierre Bourdieu’s central concepts of economic capital, cultural capital, symbolic capital and field, and thus follow in a tradition that at the outset was considered to be post-structuralism, but which by Bourdieu later has been brought into the realm of realism. We have mapped relationships between the actors and thus the field structures that these relationships entail. The fields in which a segment of an art world is operating is represented in multi-dimensional figures which illustrate relationships and bonds between the different categories of organizations. Some of the business actors we have studied are engaging in cultural activities with a great deal of autonomy, others are connected to the cultural field in less active ways. In participating in the cultural field they are in different ways and to different extents accumulating symbolic capital including prestige and honor. The method we have applied is multiple correspondence analysis which was frequently used by Bourdieu