Effect of urbanization on bone mineral density: A Thai epidemiological study

BACKGROUND: The incidence of fractures in rural populations is lower than in urban populations, although the reason for this difference is unclear. This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the difference in bone mineral density (BMD), a primary predictor of fracture risk, between urban and rural Thai populations. METHODS: Femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE Lunar, Madison, WI) in 411 urban and 436 rural subjects (340 men and 507 women), aged between 20 and 84 years. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from weight and height. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and body weight in an analysis of covariance model, femoral neck BMD in rural men and women was significantly higher than those in urban men and women (P < 0.001), but the difference was not observed at the lumbar spine. After stratifying by sex, age group, and BMI category, the urban-rural difference in femoral neck BMD became more pronounced in men and women aged <50 years and with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that femoral neck BMD in rural men and women was higher than their counterparts in urban areas. This difference could potentially explain part of the urban-rural difference in fracture incidence

Peak bone mineral density in Vietnamese women

While the prevalence of osteoporosis and risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD) has been well documented in Caucasian populations, there is a lack of data from Asia. This work was designed to clarify to what extent osteoporosis could be regarded as a major public health problem in Vietnam. Furthermore, to elucidate the prevalence of certain risk factors, such as vitamin D deficiency and other determinants of bone mass as a basis to indentify high-risk individuals among the Vietnamese women and men. The clinical studies were designed as cross-sectional investigations using a multistage sampling scheme. Within the setting of northern Vietnam (latitude 21°N), districts were selected to represent urban and rural areas. In total 612 healthy women and 222 men aged 13-83 years were investigated. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip in all qualified subjects with dual energy X-ray absortiometry. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone, estrogen and testosterone were quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data on clinical history and lifestyle were collected by individual face-to-face interviews. Reference values for peak BMD were defined. These data allowed the calculation of T-scores and thus for the first time, an accurate identification of osteoporosis in a Vietnamese population. As determined at the femoral neck, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 17-23% in women and 9% in men. The results clearly suggest that osteoporosis is an important public health problem. Postmenopausal women living in urban areas experienced osteoporosis more than rural residents. Serum levels of 25(OH)D and estrogen were significantly associated with bone mass in both women and men. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was very high, 30% in women and 16% in men. An experimental study on the isoflavone content of different soymilk preparations was performed by HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography). Values of isoflavones were very low, around 60-80 mg/L, and there were only 10-20% of bioactive aglycones. This is far below the reported threshold levels to exert significant effects on bone. In the future these data will be useful as a valuable reference base to diagnose osteoporosis and for the clinical management of its consequences. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency should raise the awareness of potentially important health issues such as osteoporosis but also about other serious diseases within the Vietnamese society

Risk management i läkemedelsföretag

Bakgrund och problem: I takt med att omvärlden förändras skapas nya risker, vilket ställer krav på företagens risk management. Det är viktigt att företagen kontrollerar sina risker och hanterar dessa effektivt för att kunna skapa beredskap att möta omvärldens förändringar och på detta sätt säkra sin överlevnad. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva risk management i läkemedelsföretag. Vår ambition är dessutom att undersöka hur hanteringen av risker är integrerad med den övriga verksamheten. Avgränsningar: Undersökningen är begränsad till att innefatta marknadsbolag i Sverige. Ett större perspektiv är av tillgänglighetsskäl inte möjligt. Vi ämnar inte göra en närmare undersökning av företagens verksamhetsstyrning i sig och vidare ämnar vi inte undersöka hur specifika risker hanteras. Dessutom avgränsar vi undersökningen till att inte omfatta matematiska kvantifieringar av risker. Metod: En kvalitativ metod har använts för insamling av både sekundär- och primärdata. Urvalet har bestått av sex personer från högre nivåer i olika läkemedelsföretag. Resultat och slutsatser: Resultatet visar att läkemedelsföretagens hantering av risker integreras längs med produktutvecklingslinjen alternativt produktlivscykeln. En slutsats är att detta tillvägagångssätt tillsammans med scenario planning utgör läkemedelsföretagens risk management process. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Vi föreslår en utveckling av en risk management modell som är specifik och väl anpassad för läkemedelsbranschen. Ett annat förslag är en utvärdering av nyttan med att koppla ihop hantering av risker i ett datorstyrt omvärldsanalysprogram. Risk management skulle på detta troligen mycket effektiva sätt kunna bemöta de nya risker som den ständigt förändrande omvärlden skapar

How Does a Convolutional Neural Network Trained to Differentiate between Invasive Melanoma and Melanoma In situ Generalize when Assessing Dysplastic Naevi?

Abstract is missing (Short communication

Differences in fracture pattern between an urban and a rural population: a comparative population-based study in southern Sweden

Differences in the incidence of hip fractures have been reported between urban and rural areas. In this population-based study the characteristics of fracture patterns between the city of Malmo and the nearby rural district of Sjobo were compared. A total of 782 individuals in Malmo and 486 in Sjobo were invited to participate. Fracture history for all invited was registered. The odds ratio for fracture was higher in Malmo, particularly for women over 70. More than half of the urban women aged 70 had a history of a fracture. A fourfold increase in fracture prevalence between the ages of 60 and 70 was observed in women in Malmo, whereas the prevalence doubled in Sjobo. The differences in fracture patterns between these two urban and rural communities may be explained by different lifestyles