Thirty-five 35 participants from 13 countries gathered at Villa Lanna July 16-19, 2014 to hear and discuss presentations on the life and work of one of the foremost European philosophers of the 19th century, Bernard Bolzano. Most of the 30 talks given were on philosophy but mathematics and theology. More than a quarter of the participants were research students. Several news stories have drawn attention to recent developments in Bolzano studies. In May the complete English translation of Bolzano’s major work Wissenschaftslehre (Theory of Science) was published. This year nearly three-quarters of the129 volumes of the Bernard Bolzano Gesamtausgabe will appear in print. The program and other details of the meeting can be found at bolzano2014.wordpress.com. The meeting enjoyed generous sponsorship. Details on the dissemination of the papers will appear in due course. This meeting was co-organised by the Institute of Philosophy of ASCR and the International Bernard Bolzano Society, Salzburg. The Society met in Prague in April 2010 on the 200th anniversary of a book of his published in 1810. Dr. Balzano (1781-1848) was a Bohemian mathematician, logician, philosopher and theologian of Italian extraction and taught at the University of Prague (Charles). and Arianna Betti, Steve Russ.
The peak bone mass and the rate of bone loss are in part genetically determined. It has been suggested that bone mineral density (BMD) may be related to allelic variation in the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene locus. ApoE is important in the receptor-mediated clearance of chylomicron particles from the plasma, Apo E4 having the highest and Apo E2 the lowest receptor affinity. Chylomicrons are the main carrier of vitamin K in the plasma; vitamin K plays an important role in the carboxylation of osteocalcin. We have tested the hypothesis that persons with E4 variant would have lower BMD and increased bone turnover than those with E2 variant. A total of 18 ApoE 2/2 and ApoE 4/4 homozygotes were selected from 873 patients who were examined for the ApoE genotype. BMD in lumbar vertebral, femoral neck and distal forearm was measured and plasma concentrations of osteocalcin and C-terminal fragments of collagen (CTx) were determined. BMD values (expressed as T-score) at the three specified sites were -0.12± 1.72, -0.52± 1.32 and -0.52± 0.81 in ApoE 2/2 group and -0.24± 1.22, 0.00± 0.84 and -0.17± 1.07 in the ApoE 4/4 group. Plasma osteocalcin and CTx were within normal limits in both groups. In conclusion, we did not observe any association of ApoE genotype with BMD and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in ApoE 2/2 and ApoE 4/4 homozygotes., T. Štulc, R. Češka, A. Hořínek, J. Štěpán., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Bone remodeling is a tightly coupled process consisting of repetitive cycles of bone resorption and formation. Both processes are governed by mechanical signals, which operate in conjunction with local and systemic factors in a discrete anatomic structure designated a basic multicellular unit (BMU). The microenvironment around total joint arthroplasty is a dynamic and complex milieu influenced by the chemical and physical stimuli associated with servicing the prosthesis. A key factor limiting the longevity of the prosthesis is polyethylene wear, which induces particle disease, and this may lead to increased and prolonged activity of BMUs resulting in periprosthetic osteolysis. Several pathways regulating BMU function have been reported in the past, including RANKL/RANK/OPG/TRAF6, TNF-α/TNFR/TRAF1, and IL-6/CD126/JAK/STAT. Moreover, the expression and functional activity of all these molecules can be affected by variations in their genes. These may explain the differences in severity of bone defects or prosthetic failure between patients with similar wear rates and the same prosthesis. Simultaneously, this data strongly support the theory of individual susceptibility to prosthetic failure., J. Gallo, M. Raška, F. Mrázek, M. Petřek., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Bone is a target tissue for hormones, such as the sex steroids, parathormon, vitamin D, calcitonin, glucocorticoids, and thyroid hormones. In the last decade, other “non-classic” hormones that modulate the bone tissue have been identified. While incretins (GIP and GLP-1) inhibit bone remodeling, angiotensin acts to promote remodeling. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) has also been found to have anabolic effects on the skeleton by activating bone formation during embryonic development, as well as in the postnatal period of life. Bone has also been identified as an endocrine tissue that produces a number of hormones, that bind to and modulate extra-skeletal receptors. Osteocalcin occupies a central position in this context. It can increase insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and regulate metabolism of fatty acids. Moreover, osteocalcin also influences phosphate metabolism via osteocyte-derived FGF23 (which targets the kidneys and parathyroid glands to control phosphate reabsorption and metabolism of vitamin D). Finally, osteocalcin stimulates testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells and thus may play some role in male fertility. Further studies are necessary to confirm clinically important roles for skeletal tissue in systemic regulations., I. Zofkova., and Obsahuje bibliografii