Effects of growth hormone on renal renin gene expression in normal rats and rats with myocardial infarction.

Background: Published data regarding effects of growth hormone (GH) on the renin system are controversial. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate the effects of GH on the renin system in normal rats and rats with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Normal rats received 2, 5, or 10 IU GH/kg/day or vehicle subcutaneously for 4 weeks.

A fractographic investigation of PMMA bone cement focusing on the relationship between porosity reduction and increased fatigue life.

Fracture surfaces of both monotonic and fatigue loaded bone cement samples were examined to investigate the fractographic characteristics of PMMA. Classic cleavage step river patterns were observed on all monotonically loaded samples, running downstream in the direction of crack propagation. All fatigue cracks initiated at internal pores and the direction of crack propagation of many cracks was discernible.

Normalization and calculation of lanthanide element concentrations in environmental samples.

A mathematical model for the prediction of lanthanide element concentrations in soil and plant samples is presented. A comparison between predicted and measured lanthanide values in soil and plant samples show, that the model produces good results for the elements in the soil samples and for most elements in plant material. The accuracy of prediction worsens with decreasing concentration of the heavier lanthanide elements.