Non-pharmacological management of osteoporosis: a consensus of the Belgian Bone Club

This consensus article reviews the various aspects of the non-pharmacological management of osteoporosis, including the effects of nutriments, physical exercise, lifestyle, fall prevention, and hip protectors. Vertebroplasty is also briefly reviewed. Non-pharmacological management of osteoporosis is a broad concept. It must be viewed as an essential part of the prevention of fractures from childhood through adulthood and the old age. The topic also includes surgical procedures for the treatment of peripheral and vertebral fractures and the post-fracture rehabilitation. The present document is the result of a consensus, based on a systematic review and a critical appraisal of the literature. Diets deficient in calcium, proteins or vitamin D impair skeletal integrity. The effect of other nutriments is less clear, although an excessive consumption of sodium, caffeine, or fibres exerts negative effects on calcium balance. The deleterious effects of tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption and a low BMI are well accepted. Physical activity is of primary importance to reach optimal peak bone mass but, if numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of various types of exercise on bone mass, fracture data as an endpoint are scanty. Fall prevention strategies are especially efficient in the community setting, but less evidence is available about their effectiveness in preventing fall-related injuries and fractures. The efficacy of hip protectors remains controversial. This is also true for vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Several randomized controlled studies had reported a short-term advantage of vertebroplasty over medical treatment for pain relief, but these findings have been questioned by recent sham-controlled randomized clinical studies

Guilds in the transition to modernity: the cases of Germany, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands

One important aspect of the transition to modernity is the survival of elements of the Old Regime beyond the French Revolution. It has been claimed that this can explain why in the late 19th and early 20th centuries some Western countries adopted national corporatist structures while others transformed into liberal market economies. One of those elements is the persistence or absence of guild traditions. This is usually analyzed in a national context. This paper aims to contribute to the debate by investigating the development of separate trades in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands throughout the 19th century. We distinguish six scenarios of what might have happened to crafts and investigate how the prevalence of each of these scenarios in the three countries impacted on the emerging national political economies. By focusing on trades, rather than on the national political economy, our analysis demonstrates that in each country the formation of national political economies and citizenship rights was not the result of a national pattern of guild survival. Rather, the pattern that emerged by the end of the 19th century was determined by the balance between old and new industries, and between national and regional or local government

The Alexander Von Humboldt foundation: Outcomes of support for Australian science and scholarship

Some of the funding opportunities through the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvHF), which are available to international researchers within any field of scholarship to enable them to pursue their research at any one of many German universities and other research institutes, are reviewed. Recent statistical data for research funding by the AvHF, with a particular focus on funding for Australian researchers, are outlined. These data clearly demonstrate the considerable success that has been afforded to Australian science and scholarship as a result of AvHF funding, by comparison with that from other research funding schemes. Some specific personal examples are discussed in order to illustrate the significant influence that funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has had on Australian science and scholarship and the careers of many Australian researchers

Structural Instabilities in Crystalline Solids

© 2014 Dr. Trevor Roy FinlaysonStructural instabilities can be envisaged on various microstructural scales ranging from the “nano” (or atomic) to the “macro” (as one imagines for multi-phase materials). Thus the physical properties measured and techniques employed to research materials of interest for specific projects have been wide ranging. In the research summary section for each chapter, these properties and techniques have been briefly summarized. Separate thesis chapters deal with: various superconducting materials; materials exhibiting martensitic transformations; residual stresses in polycrystalline materials as studied by x-ray and neutron diffraction techniques; various dielectric materials, particularly ferro and piezoelectric materials; magnetic microstructures; and alloys developed for hollow cathodes for atomic absorption spectrometry

The Early History of Monash University's Men's Cricket Club The First Decade (Season 1962/63 - Season 1971/72)

"The book documents the development of cricket at Monash University and the University Cricket Club, from the opening of the university (Clayton Campus)