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Background: Early heart failure prevention is central in patients with type 2 diabetes, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) have shown to improve prognosis. We investigated the effect of high-dose MRA, eplerenone, on cardiac function and structure in patients with type 2 diabetes and established or increased risk of cardiovascular disease but without heart failure. Methods: In the current randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 140 patients with high-risk type 2 diabetes were randomized to high-dose eplerenone (100–200 mg daily) or placebo as add-on to standard care for 26 weeks. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, indexed left ventricular mass (LVMi), and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were assessed using echocardiography at baseline and after 26 weeks of treatment. Results: Of the included patients, 138 (99%) had an echocardiography performed at least once. Baseline early diastolic in-flow velocity (E-wave) indexed by mitral annulus velocity (e') was mean (SD) 11.1 (0.5), with 31% of patients reaching above 12. No effect of treatment on diastolic function was observed measured by E/e' (0.0, 95%CI [-1.2 to 1.2], P = 0.992) or E/A (-0.1, 95%CI [-0.2 to 0.0], P = 0.191). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at baseline was 59.0% (8.0). No improvement in systolic function was observed when comparing groups after 26 weeks (LVEF: 0.9, 95%CI [-1.1 to 2.8], P = 0.382; GLS: -0.4%, 95%CI [-1.5 to 0.6], P = 0.422), nor in LVMi (-3.8 g/m2 95%CI [-10.2 to 2.7], P = 0.246). Conclusion: In the present echo sub-study, no change in left ventricular function was observed following high-dose MRA therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes when evaluated by conventional echocardiography. Trial registration: Date of registration 25/08/2015 (EudraCT number: 2015–002,519-14). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from pure breeds, as well as reciprocal crosses of German Angus (GA) and Simmental (SIM) beef cattle, were used to estimate genetic parameters and to evaluate the suitability for crossbreeding in terms of increasing productivity. Traits of interest were calving difficulty, birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), and ADG from birth to weaning. Data were collected over a period of 7 yr from 1997 and 1998 until 2003 and 2004, whereas crossbreeding was carried out in 2002 and 2003, and 2003 and 2004 only. Variance components and differences between breeds, individual heterosis, and maternal breed effects were analyzed based on 1,441 purebred and 329 crossbred records for BWT and 1,319 purebred and 316 crossbred records for WWT and ADG, respectively. Mean calving difficulty scores were greater in SIM than in GA (P < 0.001). For BWT, WWT, and ADG both reciprocal crosses fell between the purebreds, and for all 3 traits SIM showed greater average values compared with GA. The estimated heritabilities were 0.23 for BWT and 0.12 for WWT. Values for the maternal effect and the correlation between additive and maternal effect were 0.18 for BWT, 0.08 for WWT, 0.32 for BWT, and 0.50 for WWT, respectively. Individual heterosis was only significant for BWT (3.7%; P < 0.01). Superior mothering ability of SIM was implicated by greater WWT and ADG of SIM as dam against the reciprocal cross (P <0.001). The results provide information about the ex tent of individual heterosis and maternal breed effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: PAF-R (platelet activating factor-receptor) has been found on human keratinocytes to bind PAF, a proinflammatory phospholipid. We aimed to study PAF-R in a range of dermal cell lines and in samples of normal and psoriatic human skin to learn about its further role in humans. Methods: PAF-R was labeled immunocytochemically, histochemically and additionally studied with western blotting in human keratinocytes, human fibroblasts, embryonal keratinocytes, tumor cell lines and samples of normal and psoriatic human skin. Results: Keratinocytes from adult and embryonal epidermis of the 20th week of pregnancy showed a low level of labeling for PAF-R, but 3 ± 0.05% of plantar keratinocytes from adults were positive as were 4.2 ± 0.05% of embryonal plantar keratinocytes from the 21st week of pregnancy. In fibroblasts from adult and embryonal epidermis the protein was expressed at low levels. Western blotting revealed PAF-R positive bands at 67 k.Da in normal human skin and psoriasis, in psoriasis additionally at 45 k.Da. A 68 k.Da band was found in the colon cancer line HT 29 (control), and HaCaT cells, in embryonal keratinocytes additionally at 116 k.Da. Conclusions: PAF-R seems not to be important for embryonal or adult fibroblasts. In embryonal keratinocytes it is turned on after the 21st pregnancy week in a few cells seen as a band of 67 k.Da and at 116 k.Da, the latter is not found in adult keratinocytes. An additional 45 k.Da band of PAF-R was found in psoriasis that might stand for a truncated receptor. In the epithelial tumor cell line HaCaT and the HT29 colon cancer cell line PAF-R characterizes the anti-apoptotic effect of this receptor propagating tumor proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Discussion of the possibilities and limitations of Language Statistics. Sampling of 'normaI' prose is difficult as the 'universe of written Dutch' is undefined. What predictions can be made about the contents of tomorrow's newspaper? The letter frequencies are very stable. Frequencies ofbigrams and trigrams of letters bring us towards the word level about which something may be predicted. The sentence level can only be dealt with after a mechanical sentence analysis method is available. The highest level is still outside the scientific domain and belongs to the literary critic. Literary Statistics should be founded on a solid knowledge of Language Statistics. It is considered inappropriate to begin this field with difficult historical problems. The mutual distrust between linguist and statistician requires much tact on both sides. Eventually Language Statistics may become one of the bridges between the 'two cultures'. The modern computer is an indispensable tool both for practical reasons (the giant mass of material) and for theoretical ones (the need to give unambiguous definitions of concepts like 'sentence', 'word' and 'syliable'). The use of Language Statistics in Mechanical Translation research is discussed. Review of the activities in the Netherlands. A one million word count is on its way. The speaker pleads for a National Center for Lexicology and Language Statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]