The effects of endogenous and exogenous androgens on cardiovascular disease risk factors and progression

Cardiovascular disease incidence rates have long been known to significantly differ between the two sexes. Estrogens alone fail to explain this phenomenon, bringing an increasing amount of attention to the role of androgens. Contrary to what was initially hypothesized, androgens seem to have an overall cardioprotective effect, especially in men. Recent studies and published data continue to support this notion displaying a consistent inverse correlation with atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular disease both in regressive and prospective study models. Clinical studies have also revealed what seems to be a differential androgenic effect on various cardiovascular risk factors between men and women. Further insight indicates that in order to avoid confusion it may be also preferable to separately examine the effects of endogenous androgen levels from exogenous testosterone administration, as well as discern the differential results of low to normal and supraphysiological administration doses. This review summarizes old and recent data according to the above distinctions, in an attempt to further our understanding of the role of androgens in cardiovascular disease

Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: a review of the literature

Internationalization of R&D and innovation by Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) has undergone a gradual and comprehensive change in perspective over the past 50 years. From sporadic works in the late 1950s and in the 1960s, it became a systematically analysed topic in the 1970s, starting with pioneering reports and “foundation texts”. Our review unfolds the theoretical and empirical evolution of the literature from dyadic interpretations of centralization versus decentralization of R&D by MNEs to more comprehensive frameworks, wherein established MNEs from Advanced Economies still play a pivotal role, but new players and places also emerge in the global generation and diffusion of knowledge. Hence views of R&D internationalization increasingly rely on concepts, ideas and methods from IB and other related disciplines such as industrial organization, international economics and economic geography. Two main findings are highlighted. First, scholarly research pays an increasing attention to the network-like characteristics of international R&D activities. Second, different streams of literature have emphasized the role of location- specific factors in R&D internationalization. The increasing emphasis on these aspects has created new research opportunities in some key areas, including inter alia: cross-border knowledge sourcing strategies, changes in the geography of R&D and innovation, and the international fragmentation of production and R&D activities

Prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities in Turkey

Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities in patient records obtained from healthcare centers in Turkey. Method: Demographic characteristics and data on cervical cytological abnormalities were evaluated from patients who underwent flap tests in healthcare centers in 2007. Results: Data were collected from 33 healthcare centers totaling 140 334 patients. Overall, the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities was 1.8%; the prevalence of ASCUS, ASC-H, LSIL, HSIL, and AGC was 1.07%, 0.07%, 0.3%, 0.17%, and 0.08%, respectively. The prevalence of preinvasive cervical neoplasia was 1.7% and the prevalence of cytologically diagnosed invasive neoplasia was 0.06%. Conclusion: The abnormal cervical cytological prevalence rate in Turkey is lower than in Europe and North America. This might be due to sociocultural differences, lack of population-based screening programs, or a lower HPV prevalence rate in Turkey. (C) 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved