OBJECTIVES:Chronic asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia (CAPH) has been described since 1996 as a benign disease. Recent studies described pathological findings at magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography with secretin stimulation (s-MRCP) in more than half of the CAPH subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinical relevance of s-MRCP ...

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for both liver cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis. However, less than 15% of heavy drinkers develop these complications. Coexistence of cirrhosis and pancreatitis in the same patient is considered uncommon. We compared drinking patterns and related patient factors in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the volume of normal pancreas in adults using the CT volumetry (summation of the areas technique), analyze the correlation between the volume and the diameters of pancreas, which are measurable by the cross-sectional imaging, and assess the relationship with the gender, ...

A nationwide survey was conducted to clarify the epidemiological features of patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) in Japan. Two sequential surveys were conducted. In the first survey, both the prevalence and incidence of CP in Japan in 2007 were estimated by a questionnaire, which was mailed to 3027 randomly chosen ...

Arterial stiffening is a progressive, ubiquitous and irreversible aging process that is interwoven with and accelerated by various diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension. In large arteries, aging is characterized by decreased turnover of collagen and elastin and increased advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and cross-links. Elastic fibers undergo lysis ...

Mole-rat of the genus Fukomys are mammals whose life span is strongly influenced by reproductive status with breeders far outliving nonbreeders. This raises the important question of whether increased longevity of the breeders is reflected in atypical expression of biochemical markers of aging. Here, we measured markers of glycation and ...

BACKGROUND: Skin aging is thought to be a complex biological process that is traditionally classified as intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Several clinical score and instrumental devices have been applied to obtain a precise assessment of skin aging. Among them, confocal microscopy has emerged as a new technique capable of assessing ...

PURPOSE: The nature and the distribution of fibrocartilage at the human glenoid labrum are unclear, and a better understanding may help to restore its function in open and arthroscopic Bankart repair. Aim of this study was to describe the fibrocartilage extent within the labrum at clinically relevant sites of the ...

Cutaneous ageing manifests itself as a progressive reduction in function and reserve capacity of skin tissue. Collagen atrophy is a major factor in skin ageing. There is a strong correlation between skin collagen loss and oestrogen deficiency due to the menopause. Skin ageing is associated with a progressive increase in ...

Full-thickness epidermal biopsy samples were collected from free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA. Season (summer or winter) of collection, mercury (Hg) concentration, and selenium (Se) concentration were compared to histologic parameters. Epidermal Hg concentration was positively related to age (P<0.001) and negatively related to height ...

The objective was to study the morphology of the articular disc and analyse the immunohistochemical expression of types I and III collagen markers in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc of human foetuses of different gestational ages. Twenty TMJ from human foetuses supplied by Universidade Federal de Uberaba with gestational ages ...

The organization and composition of the collagen matrix of cortical bone changes as the bone matures due to growth and mechanical loading. We aimed to investigate the composition and organization of the collagen matrix in rabbit cortical bone during maturation using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and polarized light microscopy ...

The negatively charged proteoglycans (PG) provide compressive resistance to articular cartilage by means of their fixed charge density (FCD) and high osmotic pressure (π(PG)), and the collagen network (CN) provides the restraining forces to counterbalance π(PG). Our objectives in this work were to: 1), account for collagen intrafibrillar water when ...

OBJECTIVE: Fetal cartilage anlage provides a framework for endochondral ossification and organization into articular cartilage. We previously reported differences between mechanical properties of talar cartilage anlagen and adult articular cartilage. However, the underlying development-associated changes remain to be established. Delineation of the normal evolvement of mechanical properties and its associated ...

The difference in collagen fiber content, morphological properties and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) distribution was investigated in the liver of both sexes in chicken. Collagen fiber specimens were obtained by maceration treatment with NaOH solution. HSCs were detected using desmin-specific immunohistochemistry. The ratio of liver weight to body weight was ...

Age-related loss of tissue elasticity is a common cause of human morbidity and arteriosclerosis (vascular stiffening) is associated with the development of both fatal strokes and heart failure. However, in the absence of appropriate micro-mechanical testing methodologies, multiple structural remodelling events have been proposed as the cause of arteriosclerosis. Therefore, ...

Dermal connective tissue collagen is the major structural protein in skin. Fibroblasts within the dermis are largely responsible for collagen production and turnover. We have previously reported that dermal fibroblasts, in aged human skin in vivo, express elevated levels of CCN1, and that CCN1 negatively regulates collagen homeostasis by suppressing ...

Changes in sensory traits of longissimus muscle (LM) from 20-30-month-old cattle were investigated using somatic cell clones of Japanese black steers slaughtered at 20-, 25- and 30-months-old (n=3, 4 and 4 respectively). The fat content of LM samples at 20, 25 and 30months were 23.7, 38.7 and 41.1%, respectively. Soluble ...

Meniscus lesions following trauma or associated with osteoarthritis (OA) have been described, yet meniscus aging has not been systematically analyzed. The objectives of this study were to (1) establish standardized protocols for representative macroscopic and microscopic analysis, (2) improve existing scoring systems, and (3) apply these techniques to a large ...

Considering the seriousness of pancreatic diseases and the utmost importance of its correct diagnosis and treatment, a morphometric study of pancreas among Nepalese population has emerged as a demand of present time. This study was carried out to establish a normal dimension of pancreas which could be a guideline for ...

BACKGROUND: A recent study showed that the level of soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (VCAM-1) emerged as a strong and independent predictor of the risk of hip and knee joint replacement due to severe osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, we hypothesized that soluble VCAM-1 level can be associated with prevalence and ...

PURPOSE: We evaluated extracellular matrix remodeling in human fetal and cryptorchidic gubernacula. METHODS: Gubernacula were obtained from 40 normal human fetuses aged 15-29 weeks postconception (WPC) and from 39 children aged 1.3-10 years who had been submitted to orchiopexy. Total collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) concentrations were assessed as μg hydroxyproline and μg ...

Purpose:  To assess the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on optic disc size and cup/disc ratio in healthy eyes. Methods:  A sample of 55 monozygotic and 50 dizygotic healthy twin pairs aged 20-46, all having the same sex within pairs (47 pairs were male) had optic discs measured ...

To assess the collagen content and types in the rectus abdominis muscle of cadavers of different ages. Forty fresh adult male cadavers, at room temperature, were obtained from the Institute of Legal Medicine of Franca and dissected within 24 hours of death. The cadavers were divided into two groups: Group ...

Skin, the largest organ of the body, is the organ in which changes associated with aging are most visible. Intrinsic (chronologic) skin aging is characterized by atrophy of the skin with loss of elasticity and slowed metabolic activity. With superposition of environmental damage, particularly exposure to ultraviolet radiation (photodamage) on ...

Previous research has shown important developmental shifts ingenetic and environmental influences for disordered eating. However, little research has examined age differences for weight/shape concerns, two key components of eating disorders. The goal of this study was to investigate these age differences in preadolescent, adolescent, young adult, and mid-adult twins. Participants ...

In the presence of Ag(I) ions, the C-T and m(5)iC (5-methylisocytosine)-T base pairs showed comparable stability to the C-Ag(I)-C base pair, and the m(5)iC-C base pair was highly stabilized by the synergetic effect of Ag(I) coordination and possible hydrogen bonding.

Studies of laboratory organisms have suggested that parental age affects the genetic variance of offspring traits. This effect can engender age-specific variance in genetic contributions to evolutionary change in heritable traits under directional selection, particularly in age-structured populations. Using long-term population data of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii), we tested ...

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2011; 21: 175-184 Background.  The study of enamel hypoplasia (EH) and opacity in twins provides insights into the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the expression of enamel defects. Aim.  This study examined prevalence and site concordance of EH and opacity in the primary ...

Depressive symptoms and alcohol use are frequently positively associated during adolescence. This study aimed to assess the heritability of each phenotype across adolescence; to assess potential shared liabilities; to examine changes in the nature of shared liabilities across adolescence; and to investigate potential causal relationships between depressive symptoms and alcohol ...

A total of 71 522 records (from 3154 horses) with the times per kilometre (TPK), recorded in Spanish Trotter horses (individual races) from racing performances held from 1991 to 2007, were available for this study. The TPK values for the different age groups (young and adult horses) and different distances (1600-2700 m) ...

Adaptation to human-modified ecosystems has been implicated in changing the life history of a number of wild animal populations, potentially contributing to their collapse. Fishing may be an important evolutionary force that can change the distribution of fitness-related traits; however, the magnitude and direction of the evolutionary response may be ...

Many investigations in recent years have targeted understanding the genetic and biochemical basis of aging. Collectively, genetic factors and biological mechanisms appear to influence longevity in general and specifically; reduction of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling cascade has extended life span in diverse species. Genetic alteration of mammals for life extension indicates ...

We investigated measurement non-invariance of DSM-IV narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) criteria across age and sex in a population-based cohort sample of 2794 Norwegian twins. Age had a statistically significant effect on the factor mean for NPD. Sex had a statistically significant effect on the factor mean and variance. Controlling for ...

Sibling and twin study designs provide control for confounding factors that are typically unmeasured in traditional cohort studies. Using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health collected at 3 visits during 1994-2002, the authors evaluated the longitudinal association between birth weight and later obesity in a ...

Optimism has a positive influence on mental and somatic health throughout lifetime and into old age. This association is mainly due to shared genetic influences, with some indication of sex differences in the heritability of these and related traits (e.g., depression and subjective wellbeing). Here we extend our initial study ...

The objective of this analysis was to estimate the genetic contributions to olfactory impairment. Population based. Olfactory impairment was measured using the San Diego Odor Identification Test at the 5-year follow-up examination for the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss study. Subjects were classified as impaired if they correctly identified fewer ...

We assessed the heritability of head circumference, an approximation of brain size, in twin-sib families of different ages. Data from the youngest participants were collected a few weeks after birth and from the oldest participants around age 50 years. In nearly all age groups the largest part of the variation ...

Fellman and Eriksson (2010) cited my suggestion that the sex ratio (proportion male) of monozygotic (MZ) twins is lower than that of dizygotic (DZ) twins (James 1975). Here I offer elaborations on and potential explanations for this.

BACKGROUND: Although the genetics of asthma susceptibility have been frequently explored, little is known about genetic factors that influence the age at onset of asthma. OBJECTIVE: To study the variation in the age at onset of asthma attributable to genetic and environmental factors. METHODS: Data on the age at onset ...

Using a sample of 20,445 Dutch twins, this study examined the relationship between speech fluency and attentional regulation in children. A secondary objective was to identify etiological overlap between nonfluency and poor attention using fluency-discordant twin pairs. Three fluency groups were created at age 5 using a parent questionnaire: (a) ...

Numerous studies have examined genetic influences on developmental problems such as speech sound disorders (SSD), language impairment (LI), and reading disability. Disorders such as SSD are often analyzed using their component endophenotypes. Most studies, however, have involved comparisons of twin pairs or siblings of similar age, or have adjusted for ...

We analyzed the genetic architecture of prepubertal development of relative weight to height in 216 monozygotic and 159 dizygotic complete Japanese twin pairs (52% girls). Ponderal index at birth (kg/m(3)) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) from 1 to 11 years of age were used. Additive genetic factors explained the major ...

Frontostriatal networks mediating important cognitive and motor functions have been shown to be abnormal structurally and functionally in schizophrenia. However, the influence of genetic risk for schizophrenia on structural abnormalities in these areas is not well established. This study therefore aimed to investigate prefrontal and striatal volume alterations in schizophrenia ...

Cognitive deficits in alcohol dependence (AD) have been observed, poorer verbal ability being among the most consistent findings. Genetic factors influence both cognitive ability and AD, but whether these influences overlap is not known.MethodA subset of 602 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from FinnTwin16, a population-based study of Finnish ...

We have developed a new genetic algorithm approach to search for the global lowest-energy structures of ligand-protected metal clusters. In combination with density functional theory, our genetic algorithm simulations show that the ground state of [Ag(7)(DMSA)(4)](-) has eight instead of four Ag-S bonds and has a much lower energy than ...

The population of the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan was chronically exposed to radioactive fallout from above-ground nuclear tests conducted during 1949-1956 by the Soviet Union. We investigated the effect of radiation exposure and other factors on risks of twinning overall and of same- and different-sex twinning and hence estimated dizygotic ...

Studies of singletons suggest that right-handed individuals may have higher levels of testosterone than do left-handed individuals. Prenatal testosterone levels are hypothesised to be especially related to handedness formation. In humans, female members from opposite-sex twin pairs may experience elevated level of prenatal exposure to testosterone in their intrauterine environment ...

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a complex disease characterized by symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. OBJECTIVE: To study the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the liability to asthma in a large sample of twins. METHODS: Data on asthma in 21,135 twin pairs, 3-71 years ...

Twin studies generally show great consistency for the heritability of brain structures. Ironically, the lateral ventricles-perhaps the most reliably measured brain regions of interest-are the most inconsistent when it comes to estimating genetic influences on their volume. Heritability estimates in twin studies have ranged from zero to almost 0.80. Here ...