Search results for "Philosophy of Science"

Steroid Patterns of Benign Breast Disease

1990

We briefly review some biochemical aspects of benign breast disease (BBD), mainly focusing on free and conjugate estrogen content of breast cyst fluid (BCF), also in relation to cyst type. Evidence is reported that high K(+)-type I-cysts clearly associate with low Cl- levels and accumulate significantly higher quantities of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) and estrone-3-sulfate (E1S). In spite of the limited number of cases, both increasing DHAS and E1S levels correlate with the increment of K+ to Na+ ratio. A positive correlation was also found between DHAS and E1S. Using electrochemical detection (ECD) on-line to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the reverse phase mode…

Intimate partner violence against women and the Nordic paradox

2016

Nordic countries are the most gender equal countries in the world, but at the same time they have disproportionally high prevalence rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. High prevalence of IPV against women, and high levels of gender equality would appear contradictory, but these apparently opposite statements appear to be true in Nordic countries, producing what could be called the 'Nordic paradox'. Despite this paradox being one of the most puzzling issues in the field, this is a research question rarely asked, and one that remains unanswered. This paper explores a number of theoretical and methodological issues that may help to understand this paradox. Efforts to unders…

Effects of Middle-Term Treatment with Nifedipine on Hemodynamic Parameters and on Left Ventricular Function in Hypertensive Patients

1988

Diet-disease relationships : recent advances in nutritional epidemiology

2020

Nutritional epidemiology currently studies the diet-disease relationships. In order to evaluate these associations, an accurate estimation of nutritional exposure is essential. Traditional dietary questionnaires are being complemented with the measurement of nutritional biomarkers. New methodologies, including the use of new dietary assessments, metabolomics for increasing the quantity and quality of biomarkers, and statistical approaches to combine both techniques, are required to move forward this field. In this review, we have selected five of the more relevant accomplishments in this field as examples of the importance of dietary factors in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. T…

Dismantling the rhetoric of alternative medicine: Smokescreens, errors, conspiracies, and follies

2017

Alternative medicine is popular, and one of the reasons for this phenomenon is that it is relentlessly being promoted with the use of a wide range of fallacies, arguments which appear to be logic and true but which turn out on closer inspection to be illogical and false. In this article, I use my experience in alternative medicine research to discuss some of the most commonly employed fallacies. I conclude that they are used by proponents of alternative medicine to mislead the public such that even the most extravagant absurdities appear plausible. Collectively these fallacies constitute attacks upon rationality and progress in healthcare.

Do we understand the pathophysiology of GERD after sleeve gastrectomy?

2020

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a prevalent problem among obese individuals, is strongly associated with obesity and weight loss. Hence, bariatric surgery effectively improves GERD for many patients. Depending on the type of bariatric procedure, however, surgery can also worsen or even cause a new onset of GERD. As a consequence, GERD remains a relevant problem for many bariatric patients, and especially those who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Affected patients report not only a decrease in physical functioning but also suffer from mental and emotional problems, resulting in poorer social functioning. The pathomechanism of GERD after SG is most likely multifactorial and tr…

Chronic Administration of Slow-Release Nifedipine Improves Arterial Compliance in Elderly Hypertensives with Systolic Hypertension

1988

Why Do Subjective Vertigo and Dizziness Persist over One Year after a Vestibular Vertigo Syndrome?

2009

The overlap and interlinkage of dizzy symptoms in patients with psychiatric and vestibular vertigo/dizziness disorders is the subject of an ongoing debate. In a one-year follow up in 68 patients with vestibular vertigo syndromes, the persistency of vertigo and dizziness symptoms was examined and correlated with vestibular parameters and results from a psychiatric evaluation. Patients with vestibular migraine showed poorest improvement of vertigo and dizziness symptoms over time. In addition, patients who developed anxiety or depressive disorder after the onset of the vestibular disorder showed poor improvement and high persistency of symptoms.

Regulation of Apoptosis in Endocrine Autoimmunity

2002

Dysregulation of apoptosis is associated with the pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmune diseases, through altered target organ susceptibility. Apoptosis signaling pathways can be initiated through activation of death receptors such as Fas. A comparative analysis of the expression of Fas and FasL, the antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2, and apoptosis in both thyrocytes and thyroid-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from patients with either Graves' disease (GD) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) was performed. GD thyrocytes expressed less Fas than HT thyrocytes, whereas GD TILs had higher levels of Fas and FasL than HT TILs. GD thyrocytes expressed higher levels of Bcl-2 compared with HT thyrocytes.…

Ovarian and Adrenal Hyperandrogenism

2007

Because in normal women androgens are secreted in almost equal quantities by both adrenals and ovaries, for many years many studies have tried to distinguish the source of androgen excess. However, in the last 10-15 years, the diagnoses of ovarian or adrenal hyperandrogenism have almost disappeared. This is due to the lack of specificity of dynamic tests as well as to the emphasis given on clinical information and ovarian sonography for the diagnosis of hyperandrogenic syndromes. However, determination of the source of increased androgens may still be useful for improving the classification and the understanding of androgen excess disorders. The aim of this review is to examine the source o…