The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the development of a system for assessing and improving healthcare organisations. The system components comprise (1) a framework or model for assessing, measuring, diagnosing and improving healthcare organisations, (2) a simple methodology for data collection, data analysis and prioritising improvement areas and (3) an index named ILL (innovati

The impact of cytogenetic findings in AML was analyzed in the large population-based Swedish AML registry. Karyotypic patterns differed by age: t(8;21), inv(16) and t(11q23) were more common in younger patients, whereas loss of 5q, 7q and 17p, monosomal karyotype (MK) and complex karyotype (CK) were more common in older patients. Patients with ≥5 chromosome abnormalities had worse overall survival

Oncogenetic events and unique phenomena of the tumor microenvironment together induce adaptive metabolic responses that may offer new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets of cancer. Hypoxia, or low oxygen tension, represents a well-established and universal feature of the tumor microenvironment and has been linked to increased tumor aggressiveness as well as resistance to conventional oncologi

Context: The key role of serum estradiol (E2) for bone health in men is well established. The effect of serum sex steroids on bone microstructure, measured by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, remains unknown in elderly men. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the associations between serum sex steroids and bone microstructural parameters in older men. M

The aim was to investigate whole-body and red marrow absorbed doses in treatments of neuroblastoma (NB) and adult neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) with (131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine and to propose a simple method for determining the activity to administer when dosimetric data for the individual patient are not available.

Objectives To compare the Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) with the Combined Damage Assessment Index (CDA) as measures of damage from vasculitis. Methods A total of 283 patients with vasculitis from 11 European centres were evaluated in a cross-sectional study using the VDI and CDA. Results Wegener's granulomatosis (58.4%) and microscopic polyangiitis (11.0%) were the most common diagnoses. Agreement

The ALICE experiment will start recording data in 2008. The capabilities of the ALICE experiment for measuring anisotropic flow have been investigated using simulations. The results are discussed both for elliptic flow in a wide rapidity region using different detector sub-systems and for directed flow using the zero degree calorimeter. Feasibility of measuring any anisotropic emission of J/ψ is a

Noncoding variants at human chromosome 9p21 near CDKN2A and CDKN2B are associated with type 2 diabetes(1-4), myocardial infarction(5-7), aneurysm(8), vertical cup disc ratio(9) and at least five cancers(10-16). Here we compare approaches to more comprehensively assess genetic variation in the region. We carried out targeted sequencing at high coverage in 47 individuals and compared the results to

All commercially available upper limb prosthesis controllers only allow the hand to be commanded in an open and close fashion without any sensory feedback to the user. Here the evaluation of a multi-degree of freedom hand controlled using a real-time EMG pattern recognition algorithm and incorporating a sensory feedback system is reported. The hand prosthesis, called SmartHand, was controlled in r

In this study, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of substrate concentrations on methane potential and degradation kinetics of substrate. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests in Experiment I were performed at a constant inoculum to substrate ratio (ISR), whereas, different ISRs were applied in Experiment II. Results obtained from Experiment I revealed that methane poten

In a previous study, we found urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) to be persistently decreased in 25% of patients during the first year after diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. We thus wanted to study another marker for distal tubular function, pi glutathione S-transferase (pi-GST) and compare this and THP with proximal tubular function evaluated with alpha-GST and alpha-1-microglobulin

Background: Novel peritoneal dialysis solutions are characterized by a minimal content of glucose degradation products and a neutral pH. Many studies have shown the biocompatibility of neutral lactate-buffered solutions; however, until now, the effect of purely bicarbonate-buffered solutions has not been intensively studied in vivo. Methods: This study was an open label, prospective, crossover mul

Contributing to a growing literature on democracy beyond the nation-state, this article draws on aspects of national democratization theory in order to analyse empirical processes of democracy. By combining insights from transition theory and the theory of political opportunity structures, the article examines the case of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). While the ADB for a long time has been des

Large scientific projects present new technological challenges, such as the distributed control over a communication network. In particular, the middleware Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) is the most extended communication standard in particle accelerators. The integration of modern control architectures in these EPICS networks is becoming common, as for example for the

Supported by a virtual plethora of impact evaluations, conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have been widely promoted for their ability to simultaneously pursue short-term poverty alleviation through income support and long-term poverty reduction through human capital investments. In particular, their claim to fame lies in their perceived capacity to enable a break in intergenerational transmission o

Abstract in Undetermined The editorial introduces the special issue on film workshops, situating the workshops as minor cinemas, and discussing the revised historiography of film.