Parental height in relation to offspring coronary heart disease: examining transgenerational influences on health using the west of Scotland Midspan Family Study

<b>Background </b>Adult height is known to be inversely related to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. We sought to investigate transgenerational influence of parental height on offspring’s CHD risk. <p></p> <b>Methods </b>Parents took part in a cardiorespiratory disease survey in two Scottish towns during the 1970s, in which their physical stature was measured. In 1996, their offspring were invited to participate in a similar survey, which included an electrocardiogram recording and risk factor assessment.<p></p> <b>Results </b>A total of 2306 natural offspring aged 30–59 years from 1456 couples were subsequently flagged for notification of mortality and followed for CHD-related hospitalizations. Taller paternal and/or maternal height was associated with socio-economic advantage, heavier birthweight and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in offspring. Increased height in fathers, but more strongly in mothers (risk ratio for 1 SD change in maternal height = 0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.76 to 0.95), was associated with a lower risk of offspring CHD, adjusting for age, sex, other parental height and CHD risk factors. <p></p> <b>Conclusion </b>There is evidence of an association between taller parental, particularly maternal, height and lower offspring CHD risk. This may reflect an influence of early maternal growth on the intrauterine environment provided for her offspring

Studies towards automated ovulation prediction in the pig industry: an electrochemical immunosensor for oestradiol in saliva [poster presentation]

Accurate ovulation prediction in pigs could lead to considerable reduction in losses incurred through failed artificial insemination, poorly controlled litter sizes and unnecessary culling of inaccurately diagnosed "barren" sows. The aim of this work is to predict the onset of oestrus in pigs by monitoring oestradiol levels in saliva. An automated method is proposed, for use outside the laboratory, based on single-use screen-printed electrochemical immunosensors. This approach follows on from previous work by the same authors towards an automated electrochemical progesterone monitor. This paper will describe the preparation of oestradiol sensors by immobilisation of monoclonal antibody onto the carbon electrode surface. Use of the sensors will be described in a competitive immunoassay format, where oestradiol (in buffer or saliva) competes against alkaline-phosphatase-labelled antigen for surface binding. Introduction of the enzyme substrate 1-naphthyl phosphate results in hydrolisis to produce the electrochemically active product, 1-naphthol. Electrochemical oxidation of 1-naphthol, measured amperometrically at an applied potential of +300 mv vs Ag/AgCl, produces a current response which can be used to quantify the oestradiol by use of a calibration plot. The approach used to obtain saliva samples and to achieve an automated system capable of measuring down to picogram/ml levels of oestradiol will be discussed

Abelian monopoles in lattice gluodynamics as physical objects

By numerical calculations we show that the abelian monopole currents are locally correlated with the density of SU(2) lattice action. This fact is established for the maximal abelian projection. Thus, in the maximal abelian projection the monopoles are physical objects, they carry SU(2) action. Calculations on the asymmetric lattice show that the correlation between monopole currents and the density of SU(2) lattice action also exists in the deconfinement phase of gluodynamics.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX using espcrc2.sty and epsfig.sty; Talk given by M.I. Polikarpov at the International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, 22-26 July 1997, Edinburgh, Scotlan

Electric and magnetic currents in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

The correlations of the topological charge (Q), the electric (Je) and the magnetic (Jm) currents in the SU(2) lattice gauge theory in the Maximal Abelian projection are investigated. A nonzero value of the correlator is obtained for a wide range of values of the bare charge, as well as under the cooling.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX using espcrc2.sty and epsfig.sty; Talk given by F.V. Gubarev at the International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, 22-26 July 1997, Edinburgh, Scotlan

Energy-entropy study of projected space-like monopoles in finite-T quenched SU(2) QCD

Properties of space-like monopoles projected on the 3D space in finite temperature quenched SU(2) QCD are studied. The monopole energy is derived from the effective action of the monopoles which is determined by an inverse Monte-Carlo method. Then the entropy is fixed with the help of the monopole-loop distribution.Comment: 3 pages, 6 figures, uses espcrc2.sty; Lattice2003(topology

The monopole mass in the three-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model

We study the three-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model to demonstrate how magnetic monopoles can be studied fully non-perturbatively in lattice Monte Carlo simulations, without any assumptions about the smoothness of the field configurations. We examine the apparent contradiction between the conjectured analytic connection of the `broken' and `symmetric' phases, and the interpretation of the mass (i.e., the free energy) of the fully quantised 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole as an order parameter to distinguish the phases. We use Monte Carlo simulations to measure the monopole free energy and its first derivative with respect to the scalar mass. On small volumes we compare this to semi-classical predictions for the monopole. On large volumes we show that the free energy is screened to zero, signalling the formation of a confining monopole condensate. This screening does not allow the monopole mass to be interpreted as an order parameter, resolving the paradox.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, uses revtex. Minor changes made to the text to match with the published version at http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRD/v65/e12500

Intergenerational 20 year trends in the prevalence of asthma and hay fever in adults: the Midspan family study surveys of parents and offspring

<b>Objective</b>: To estimate trends between 1972-6 and 1996 in the prevalences of asthma and hay fever in adults. Design: Two epidemiological surveys 20 years apart. Identical questions were asked about asthma, hay fever, and respiratory symptoms at each survey. Setting: Renfrew and Paisley, two towns in the west of Scotland. <b>Subjects</b>: 1477 married couples aged 45-64 participated in a general population survey in 1972-6; and 2338 offspring aged 30-59 participated in a 1996 survey. Prevalences were compared in 1708 parents and 1124 offspring aged 45-54. <b>Main outcome measures</b>: Prevalences of asthma, hay fever, and respiratory symptoms. Results: In never smokers, age and sex standardised prevalences of asthma and hay fever were 3.0% and 5.8% respectively in 1972-6, and 8.2% and 19.9% in 1996. In ever smokers, the corresponding values were 1.6% and 5.4% in 1972-6 and 5.3% and 15.5% in 1996. In both generations, the prevalence of asthma was higher in those who reported hay fever (atopic asthma). In never smokers, reports of wheeze not labelled as asthma were about 10 times more common in 1972-6 than in 1996. With a broader definition of asthma (asthma and/or wheeze), to minimise diagnostic bias, the overall prevalence of asthma changed little. However, diagnostic bias mainly affected non-atopic asthma. Atopic asthma increased more than twofold (prevalence ratio 2.52 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 6.28)) whereas the prevalence of non-atopic asthma did not change (1.00 (0.53 to 1.90)). <b>Conclusion</b>: The prevalence of asthma in adults has increased more than twofold in 20 years, largely in association with trends in atopy, as measured indirectly by the prevalence of hay fever. No evidence was found for an increase in diagnostic awareness being responsible for the trend in atopic asthma, but increased awareness may account for trends in non-atopic asthma

Entropy of monopoles from percolating cluster in quenched SU(2) QCD

The length distribution and the monopole action of the infrared monopole clusters are studied numerically in quenched SU(2) QCD. We determine the effective entropy of the monopole currents which turns out to be a descending function of the blocking scale, indicating that the effective degrees of freedom of the extended monopoles are getting smaller as the blocking scale increases.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, uses espcrc2.sty; Lattice2003(topology

Anatomy of the lattice magnetic monopoles

We study the Abelian and non-Abelian action densitynear the monopole in the maximal Abelian gauge of SU(2) lattice gauge theory. We find that the non-Abelian action density near the monopoles belonging to the percolating cluster decreases when we approach the monopole center. Our estimate of the monopole radius is R_mon ~ 0.04 fm.Comment: 9 pp., Latex2e, 2 figure (epsfig), published versio

Towards understanding structure of the monopole clusters

We consider geometrical characteristics of monopole clusters of the lattice SU(2) gluodynamics. We argue that the polymer approach to the field theory is an adequate means to describe the monopole clusters. Both finite-size and the infinite, or percolating clusters are considered. We find out that the percolation theory allows to reproduce the observed distribution of the finite-size clusters in their length and radius. Geometrical characteristics of the percolating cluster reflect, in turn, the basic properties of the ground state of a system with a gap.Comment: 20 pages, RevTeX