Genome-wide meta-analysis of 158,000 individuals of European ancestry identifies three loci associated with chronic back pain

Back pain is the #1 cause of years lived with disability worldwide, yet surprisingly little is known regarding the biology underlying this symptom. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of ch

Extraction of Crack-free Isosurfaces from Adaptive Mesh Refinement Data

Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is a numerical simulation technique used in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It permits the efficient simulation of phenomena characterized by substantially varying scales in complexity of local behavior of certain variables. By using a set of nested grids at different resolutions, AMR combines the simplicity of structured rectilinear grids with the possibility to adapt to local changes in complexity and spatial resolution. Hierarchical representations of scientific data pose challenges when isosurfaces are extracted. Cracks can arise at the boundaries between regions represented at different resolutions. We present a method for the extraction of isosurfaces from AMR data that avoids cracks at the boundaries between levels of different resolution

Expression of BMP-2 and TGF-?1 mRNA during healing of the rabbit mandible

To identify the cell types which produce BMP and TGF-β during fracture healing and to elucidate the interactions between BMP and TGF-β in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation at various stages, an experimental model of fracture healing in the rabbit mandible was established and the expression of BMP-2 and TGF-β1 mRNA was studied at different healing stages by in situ hybridization. The results showed that undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, differentiating osteoblasts and chondroblasts, had higher levels of BMP-2 mRNA at the stage of intramembranous bone formation and early chondrogenesis, while the level of TGF-β1 mRNA was higher in chondrocytes and active differentiated osteoblasts during chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification, respectively. We conclude that BMP-2 expression was correlated with the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts and chondrocytes. TGF-β1 mRNA expression was closely associated with the active synthetic stage of osteoblasts and chondrocytes. These observations suggest that both BMP and TGF-β are involved in the regulation of fracture healing. BMP may play an important rôle in bone induction and early chondrogenesis, while TGF-β regulates the proliferation and active synthetic ability of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. © Munksgaard, 1997.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings

The aim of this study was to examine hind limb scaling of the musculoskeletal system in the Macropodoidea, the superfamily containing wallabies and kangaroos, to re-examine the effect of size on the locomotor mechanics and physiology of marsupial hopping. Morphometric musculoskeletal analyses were conducted of 15 species and skeletal specimens of 21 species spanning a size range from 0.8 to 80 kg that included representatives of 12 of the 16 extant genera of macropodoids. We found that unlike other groups, macropodoids are able to match force demands associated with increasing body size primarily through a combination of positive allometry in muscle area and muscle moment arms. Isometric scaling of primary hind limb bones suggests, however, that larger species experience relatively greater bone stresses. Muscle to tendon area ratios of the ankle extensors scale with strong positive allometry, indicating that peak tendon stresses also increase with increasing body size but to a lesser degree than previously reported. Consistent with previous morphological and experimental studies, large macropodoids are therefore better suited for elastic strain energy recovery but operate at lower safety factors, which likely poses an upper limit to body size. Scaling patterns for extant macropodoids suggest that extinct giant kangaroos (∼250 kg) were likely limited in locomotor capacity