BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of spine and sacroiliac joints; it is characterized by new bone formation, and the disease processes can be accompanied by osteoporosis. In the present study, we investigated changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and in the levels of various bone turnover-related biomarkers and cytokines in a cohort of AS patients, with re...

Epithelial tubular morphogenesis leading to alteration of organ shape has important physiological consequences. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms that govern epithelial tube morphogenesis. Here, we show that inactivation of Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 leads to reduction in fore-stomach length in mouse embryos, which is enhanced in the presence of the Sfrp5 mutation. In the mono-cell layer o...

This paper presents the simulation of the tensile modulus and the tensile strength of shor t glass fibre reinforced Polypropylene. Various formulae of the shear-lag theory were implemented in an analytical calculation program to evaluate the tensile strength values. Based on the homogenization approach the modulus values and the strength values, applying an existing failure criterion, were calc...

Wnt signalling is a key regulator of vertebrate heart development, yet it is unclear which specific Wnt signalling components are required to regulate which aspect of cardiogenesis. Previously, we identified Wnt6 as an endogenous Wnt ligand required for controlling heart muscle differentiation via canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Here we show for the first time a requirement for an endogenou...

Maintenance of proper serum phosphate concentrations is required for healthy life, and critical for normal skeletal development and integrity. Several hormones and regulatory factors such as vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and the phosphatonins (FGF-23, sFRP-4, MEPE) among others, may play a role only in the long-term regulation of phosphorus homeostasis.FGF23 is part of a previously unre...