--The lubricating properties of commercially available mucins originating from different animal organs, namely bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) and porcine gastric mucin (PGM), have been characterized at polymeric surfaces for biomedical applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and pin-on-disk tribometry have been employed for tribological studies at nanoscale and macroscale contacts, respect...

CONTEXT Parathyroidectomy is the only effective therapy for osteitis fibrosa cystica in hyperparathyroidism. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe the changes of skeletal and nonskeletal manifestations in a patient with hyperparathyroidism and renal failure after oral vitamin D therapy. DESIGN This was a descriptive case report. SETTING The patient was followed up in a ref...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the contribution of polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene to ethnic variations in bone mass in mother and children from different ethnic origins. METHODS VDR genotypes and bone mass in 43 African-American and white women, mean age 38.2 years, and 41 of their children were studied. All children had a whole body bone mass measurement at age 9, and 39 had follo...

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the risk of suffering rising sludge problems under different modes of operation and clarifier designs using the IWA Benchmark Simulation Model no 1 (BSM1). First, as a reference case, waste flow, dissolved oxygen, external recirculation and the settling area were modified and the risk of rising sludge quantified. In a second series of simulations,...

Background: Susceptibility to disease after infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is influenced by environmental and host genetic factors. Vitamin D metabolism leads to activation of macrophages and restricts the intracellular growth of M tuberculosis. This effect may be influenced by polymorphisms at three sites in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. We investigated the interaction between se...

BACKGROUND Previous studies evaluating the association of vitamin D-related genetic variants with breast cancer risk have produced inconsistent results. METHODS We evaluated the association between breast cancer risk and 559 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 12 vitamin D-related genes, including 6 genes associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level identified by recen...

Inter-individual response differences to vitamin D and Ca supplementation may be under genetic control through vitamin D and oestrogen receptor genes, which may influence their absorption and/or metabolism. Metabolomic studies on blood and urine from subjects supplemented with Ca and vitamin D reveal different metabolic profiles that segregate with genotype. Genotyping was performed for oestrog...

Background: Previous studies evaluating the association of vitamin D–related genetic variants with breast cancer risk have produced inconsistent results. Methods: We evaluated the association between breast cancer risk and 559 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 12 vitamin D–related genes, including 6 genes associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level identified by recen...

Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a frequent reproductive problem, with three or more abortions affecting 1 to 2%, two or more abortions affecting up to 5% of women of reproductive age. Some polymorphisms are supposed to be etiology in this group.Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism seems to be a good ones to be searched due to their function on placenta. Materials and M...

Abundant experimental evidence provides a rationale for examining the role of vitamin D in relation to breast cancer risk. Specifically, the main actions of the biologically active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D, are mediated via the vitamin D receptor. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is present in normal breast tissue. 1,25(OH)2D has antiproliferative effects on and promotes the differentiation of...