Azerbaijan’s Foreign Policy Strategies and the European Union: Successful resistance and pursued influence

In recent years, Azerbaijan has positioned itself on the international scene as an increasingly important and assertive actor. This essay focuses on Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union (EU). It will identify the policy strategies used by Azerbaijan to engage with the EU in two areas where their interests and objectives do not align, namely democracy and human rights promotion policies, and agenda-setting of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The essay highlights, first, the relevance of national independence, ‘balancing’ and regime legitimacy in explaining Azerbaijan’s foreign policy strategies, and second, the mixed track record of Azerbaijan’s assertiveness, with different outcomes depending on whether the policy strategies are reactive or proactive

Acute effects of a single session of aerobic exercise with or without weight-lifting on bone turnover in healthy young women

PubMed: 17039311This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of exercise on bone turnover and to determine whether brisk walking with or without weight-lifting makes a difference on bone metabolism. Nine healthy women performed two exercise bouts: brisk walking on a treadmill for 30min (E), and similar exercise carrying 5kg of weight in a backpack (WE). Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), calcitonin (CT), procollagen type 1 carboxy terminal propeptide (PICP), procollagen type 1 amino terminal propeptide (PINP), type 1 collagen carboxy terminal telopeptide (ICTP), total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and urine deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) levels were studied. Resting values served as control. Significant variances were observed only in serum ALP and PTH values. Variances in ALP values within subjects after exercise were statistically significant (analysis of variance in repeated measurements [AVRM], P = 0.000). E caused a significant decrease, while WE caused a significant increase in ALP values at the 24th h (Bonferroni pairwise comparisons tests [BPC t-test]: P = 0.028, P = 0.000, respectively). Variances in PTH values within subjects after exercise were statistically significant (AVRM, P = 0.029), while diurnal variation was not significant (P = 0.981). E caused significant alterations in PTH levels (an increase at the 30th min, turned towards baseline at the 45th min) (BPC t-test, P = 0.007). WE also caused alterations in PTH levels, though insignificant (BPC t-test, P = 1.00). Brisk walking for 30 min has stimulating effects on bone turnover by various mechanisms without any additive effect of weight bearing. © Japan College of Rheumatology 2006

Effects of light-emitting diode photobiomodulation therapy and BioOss as single and combined treatment in an experimental model of bone defect healing in rats

The present study assesses histopathologically and histomorphometrically the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) photobiomodulation therapy (LPT) on bone healing in BioOss-filled femoral defects of rats. It has been reported that LPT modulates cellular metabolic processes, leading to an enhanced regenerative potential for biological tissues. Thirty-six male Wistar rats with femoral bone defects were divided into 4 groups: defect group (empty bone defect, without application of LPT), graft group (bone defect filled with BioOss, without application of LPT), (defect+LPT) group (empty bone defect, with application of LPT), and (graft+LPT) group (bone defect filled with BioOss, with application of LPT). An OsseoPulse LED device (wavelength: 618 nm; output power: 20 mW/cm(2)) was initiated 24 hours postsurgery and performed every 24 hours for 7, 14, and 21 days. The LPT-applied and BioOss-filled defects presented a higher amount of new bone formation with trabeculae formation. These defects showed statistically significant lower values of inflammation severity, and fewer remnants of biomaterial were present. Within the limitations of this study, LPT has positive effects on bone healing histopathologically and histomorphometrically for the defects filled with BioOss 3 weeks after the rats' femora injury