Objective. To evaluate the performance of biochemical and traditional markers in predicting radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. One hundred thirty-two patients with early RA were treated with nonbiologic therapies for 2 years and studied longitudinally. Genomic DNA was analyzed for presence of the shared epitope. Levels of matrix metalloproteinases (matrix metalloprotei

As the commercial Fe-Mo-oxide catalyst for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde suffers from deactivation by Mo volatilization, alternative catalysts are of interest. Therefore, TiO2-, alpha-Al2O3- and SiO2-supported (Fe)-V-O catalysts were prepared with loading up to 30 μmol of each metal per msq. surface area of the support. The samples were activity tested using a high inlet concentration of meth

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Maturity onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3) is a monogenic form of diabetes mellitus caused by mutations in the gene encoding for hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha, HNF1 alpha. In this study we have examined the in vivo and in vitro effects of a mutation (L107I) outside the DNA binding and dimerization domains in the N terminal part of the HNF1 alpha gene. METHODS: Beta-ce

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae causes porcine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious disease for which there is no effective vaccine. This review considers how adhesins, iron-acquisition factors, capsule and lipopolysaccharide, RTX cytotoxins and other potential future vaccine components contribute to colonisation, to avoidance of host clearance mechanisms and to damage of host tissues.

Germline mutations in the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 are responsible for the majority of cases involving hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Whereas all truncating mutations are considered as functionally deleterious, most of the missense variants identified to date cannot be readily distinguished as either disease-associated mutations or benign polymorphisms. The C-term

We have performed a detailed calculation of the inter-Wannier-Stark-ladder Zener tunneling probability P(F) in a wide-miniband GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As superlattice under a strong electric field F, the terahertz emission spectrum I(F) of which was measured experimentally. By comparing P(F) and I(F), we confirm that the oscillating behavior of I(F) is due to the Zener tunneling between Wannier-Stark level

Three-Terminal ballistic junctions (TBJs) and planar quantum-wire transistors (QWTs) are emerging nanoelectronic devices with various novel electrical properties. In this work, we realize novel nanoelectronic analogue and digital circuits with TBJs and planar QWTs made on In0.75Ga0.25As/InP two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) material. First we show that a single TBJ can work as a frequency mixer

A general thermodynamic model of the concentration polarization phenomena of colloidal particles at a membrane surface is presented. The model is based on the balance between a thermodynamic force, due to the osmotic pressure gradient, and a frictional force, due to the fluid flow around each particle. A cell model description is used to model the concentration dependence of the thermodynamic forc

Aim: Metformin is the 'drug-of-first-choice' in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to its antihyperglycaemic and cardiovascular protective potentials. In non-obese patients with T2DM, insulin secretagogues are empirically used as first choice. In this investigator-initiated trial, we evaluated the effect of metformin vs. an insulin secretagogue, repaglinide on glycaemic regula

This paper analyzes the recently undertaken restructuring of the Ministry of Health in Uganda, which was carried out because the previous structure did not comply well with the decentralization framework or policy. The Ministry was put under pressure by higher political levels, supported by the donor community, to restructure. The paper describes the principles that were guiding this operation, an

OBJECTIVE: To develop an algorithm to detect the edges between lung tissue, perivascular interstitium, and microvessel using digital processing of in vivo microscopic images of lung surface. METHODS: A numerical technique was developed to identify three different regions (namely, pulmonary microvessel, perivascular interstitium, and lung tissue) based on their corresponding gray level distribution

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of comprehensive palliative care on patients' quality of life. The intervention was based on cooperation between a palliative medicine unit and the community service and was compared with conventional care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cluster randomized trial was carried out, with community health care districts defined as the clusters. Patients from these districts who h

Extreme programming (XP) and the capability maturity model (CMM) are two recently emerging models addressing the difficulty of developing and delivering high-quality software products. The CMM gives guidelines for what to do at an organizational level, while XP says how to develop software at a project level. Together these models form a comprehensive framework for structuring the software develop

AIM:To study the interactions between human gastric carcinoma cell (HGCC) and human vascular endothelial cell (HVEC), and the role of KDR in these interactions. METHODS:Antisense oligodexynucleotide(ASODN) specific to KDR gene was devised and added to the culture medium of HGCC and HVEC. After the action of ASODN, the proliferation of two cells was measured by MTT method. The role of KDR in regula

Stroke is a severe cerebrovascular disease in which the neuronal tissue and vasculature of the brain undergo ischemia-evoked alterations. We have demonstrated an increased expression of cerebrovascular contractile receptors in the brain. This is hypothesized to mitigate cerebral blood flow and exacerbate tissue damage after stroke. An increased contractile property of these receptors has been demo

A role for genetic factors in the etiology of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM) is implicated based on prior findings from multiply affected families and small case-control and cohort studies. We identified 2144 LPL/WM patients (1539 WM [72%] and 605 LPL [28%]) diagnosed in Sweden, 8279 population-based matched controls, and linkable first-degree relatives of patien

Accumulating data indicate that a diet characterized by low glycaemic-index (GI) foods not only improves certain metabolic ramifications of insulin resistance, but also reduces insulin resistance per se. Epidemiological data also suggest a protective role against development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. A major disadvantage in this connection is the shorta