University of Antwerp

About: University of Antwerp is a education organization based out in Antwerp, Belgium. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 16682 authors who have published 48837 publications receiving 1689748 citations. The organization is also known as: Universiteit Antwerpen & UAntwerp.

Body surface area in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adults. A comparison study

Abstract: Values for body surface area (BSA) are commonly used in medicine, particularly to calculate doses of chemotherapeutic agents and index cardiac output. Various BSA formulas have been developed over the years. The DuBois and DuBois (Arch Intern Med 1916;17:863-71) BSA equation is the most widely used, although derived from only 9 subjects. More recently, Mosteller (N Engl J Med 1987;317:1098) produced a simple formula, [weight (kg) � height (cm)/3600] 1/2 , which could be easily remembered and evaluated on a pocket calculator, but validation data in adults are rare. The purpose of the present study was to examine the BSA based on Mosteller’s formula in normal-weight (body mass index [BMI], 20-24.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (BMI, 25-29.9 kg/m 2 ), and obese (BMI, z30 kg/m 2 ) adults (N18 years old) in comparison with other empirically derived formulas (DuBois and DuBois, Boyd [The growth of the surface area of the human body. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press; 1935], Gehan and George [Cancer Chemother Rep 1970;54:225-35], US Environmental Protection Agency [Development of statistical distributions or ranges of standard factors used in exposure assessments Washington, EPA/600/8-85-010. Office of Health and Environmental Assessment; 1985), Haycock et al [J Pediatr 1978;93:62-6], Mattar [Crit Care Med 1989;17:846-7], Livingston and Scott [Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001;281:E586-91]) and with the new 3-dimensional–derived formula of Yu et al (Appl Ergon. 2003;34:273-8). One thousand eight hundred sixty-eight patients were evaluated (397 normal weight [BMI, 23 F 1 kg/m 2 ; age, 50 F 14 years; M/F, 289/108], 714 overweight [BMI, 27 F 1 kg/m 2 ; age, 52 F 11 years; M/F, 594/120], and 757 obese [BMI, 36 F 6 kg/m 2 ; age, 53 F 11 years; M/F, 543/215]). The overall BSA was 2.04 F 0.24 m 2 : 1.81 F 0.19 m 2 in normal-weight, 1.99 F 0.16 m 2 in overweight, and 2.21 F 0.22 m 2 in obese subjects. These values were significantly higher in overweight and obese patients compared with the values using the DuBois-DuBois formula (overall, 2.00 F 0.22 m 2 , P b .01; normal weight, 1.81 F 0.19 m 2 , P = .93; overweight, 1.97 F 0.16 m 2 , P b .01; obese, 2.14 F 0.21 m 2 , P b .001). We could show an excellent correlation between the results obtained from each formula, with all correlations of 0.97 or higher (between 0.971 and 0.999). Body surface area prediction with the commonly used DuBois formula underestimated BSA in obese patients by as much as 3% (male) to 5% (female). Based on the formula of Yu et al, however, BSA is overestimated when these traditional formulas are used. Although Mosteller’s formula is recommended based on its simplicity and suitability for laboratory and clinical work in adults, accuracy studies in whites with 3-dimensional one-pass whole-body scanning are needed.

Elevated Levels of Oxidative DNA Damage and DNA Repair Enzymes in Human Atherosclerotic Plaques

Abstract: Background— The formation of reactive oxygen species is a critical event in atherosclerosis because it promotes cell proliferation, hypertrophy, growth arrest, and/or apoptosis and oxidation of LDL. In the present study, we investigated whether reactive oxygen species-induced oxidative damage to DNA occurs in human atherosclerotic plaques and whether this is accompanied by the upregulation of DNA repair mechanisms. Methods and Results— We observed increased immunoreactivity against the oxidative DNA damage marker 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in plaques of the carotid artery compared with the adjacent inner media and nonatherosclerotic mammary arteries. Strong 8-oxo-dG immunoreactivity was found in all cell types of the plaque including macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. As shown by competitive ELISA, carotid plaques contained 160±29 8-oxo-dG residues/105 dG versus 3±1 8-oxo-dG residues/105 dG in mammary arteries. Single-cell gel electrophoresis showed elevated level...

Estimation of the mutation frequencies in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies: a European collaborative study

Abstract: A European collaboration on Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1 (CMT1) disease and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) was established to estimate the duplication and deletion frequency, respectively, on chromosome 17p11.2 and to make an inventory of mutations in the myelin genes, peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22), myelin protein zero (MPZ) and connexin 32 (Cx32) located on chromosomes 17p11.2, 1q21-q23 and Xq13.1, respectively. In 70.7% of 819 unrelated CMT1 patients, the 17p11.2 duplication was present. In 84.0% of 156 unrelated HNPP patients, the 17p11.2 deletion was present. In the nonduplicated CMT1 patients, several different mutations were identified in the myelin genes PMP22, MPZ and Cx32.

Horizontal cooperation in logistics : Opportunities and impediments

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a large-scale survey on the potential benefits of and impediments for horizontal cooperation in Flanders. The main findings are that in general Logistics Service Providers strongly believe in the potential benefits of horizontal cooperation to increase their profitability or to improve the quality of their services. The impediments for cooperation that are perceived or expected by the non-cooperating Logistics Service Providers prove to be experienced by the cooperating Logistics Service Providers. Finding a reliable party to lead the cooperation and constructing a fair allocation mechanism for the benefits are the impediments that respondents agree with most.