Seasonal variation of macrobenthic infauna in the Johor Strait, Singapore

10.1007/s10452-004-7111-2Aquatic Ecology391-2107-111AQEC

Effect of Testosterone treatment on bone microarchitecture and bone mineral density in men: a two-year RCT

CONTEXT: Testosterone treatment increases bone mineral density (BMD) in hypogonadal men. Effects on bone microarchitecture, a determinant of fracture risk, are unknown. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of testosterone treatment on bone microarchitecture using high resolution-peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Men>50 years were recruited from six Australian centres. INTERVENTIONS: Injectable testosterone undecanoate or placebo over 2 years on the background of a community-based lifestyle program. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary endpoint was cortical volumetric BMD (vBMD) at the distal tibia, measured using HR-pQCT in 177 men (one centre). Secondary endpoints included other HR-pQCT parameters and bone remodelling markers. Areal BMD (aBMD) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 601 men (five centres). Using a linear mixed model for repeated measures, the mean adjusted differences (MAD) [95% CI] at 12 and 24 months between groups are reported as treatment effect. RESULTS: Over 24 months, testosterone treatment, compared to placebo, increased tibial cortical vBMD), 9.33mgHA/cm 3[3.96;14.71],p50 years, testosterone treatment for 2 years increased volumetric bone density, predominantly via effects on cortical bone. Implications for fracture risk reduction require further study.Mark Ng Tang Fui, Rudolf Hoermann, Karen Bracken, David J Handelsman, Warrick J Inder, Bronwyn G A Stuckey ... et al

The effect of iron content on the iron-containing intermetallic phases in a cast 6060 aluminum alloy

The effect of iron content, ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 wt pct, on the formation of Fe-containing intermetallic phases in a cast 6060 aluminum alloy was investigated. Various characterization techniques, including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the identity, morphology, and prevalence of the Fe-Al and Fe-Al-Si intermetallic phases. The predominant phase is found to be β-AlFeSi at lower Fe levels, but this is replaced by α-AlFeSi (bcc structure) with increasing Fe content. The Fe containing intermetallic phases observed are compared to those predicted using the Scheil module of THERMO-CALC software, and the similarities and discrepancies are discussed