Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a rheumatic disorder that causes chronic joint inflammation beginning before the age of 16 years. Pharmacological treatment necessary to prevent joint destruction and functional impairment includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), intra-articular corticosteroids, conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DM

An economical and optimal construction of rainwater storage cistern in the Loess Plateau of Gansu is introduced. The collection alternatives of rainwater showed a dramatic difference on cistern water quality. Roof-yard catchment systems can harvest drinking water that generally meets the international guidelines. Among the tested disinfectants - chlorine dioxide, potassium permanganate, chloramine

Qanats are renewable water supply systems that have sustained human settlement on the Iranian plateau for millennia. By their very nature, Qanats have encouraged sustainable water use. Recent intense socio-economic changes in Iran have introduced other water harvesting methods like dams and deep wells. The short run advantages of new methods caused Qanats to be laid aside even though the applicati

Alarming water shortage and increased water scarcity worldwide has led to increased interests in alternative water sources. Rainwater harvesting is one of them which is getting more and more attention. There is a huge potential for generalization and extension of rainwater harvesting system as an alternative water supply. This is especially important for arid and semi-arid regions where the water

Generative AI tools (GenAI) are increasingly used for academic tasks, including qualitative data analysis for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). In our practice as academic developers, we are frequently asked for advice on whether this use for GenAI is reliable, valid, and ethical. Since this is a new field, we have not been able to answer this confidently based on published literatu

The survival rate of patients with glioma has not significantly increased in recent years despite aggressive treatment and advances in immunotherapy. The limited response to treatments is partially attributed to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, in which regulatory T cells (Treg) play a pivotal role in immunologic tolerance. In this study, we investigated the impact of complement facto

To reach the non-mobile majority, universities in many contexts, especially in the Global North, are investing in the internationalization of the curriculum at home (IoCaH); however, experience shows that top-down strategies are implemented differently across disciplines. It has been suggested that the role of academic disciplines, an under-investigated dimension, can explain this variation. Throu

This article uses new quantitative data to systematically test established arguments concerning the origins of party strength in 11 West European countries between 1870 and 1939. Through time-series cross-sectional analyses and using a wide range of sources, I investigate the role of the development of parliamentarism, suffrage extension, civil society, and the adoption of proportional representat

The purpose of the study was to compare fat intake and metabolism between two infant populations from Sweden and Italy given breast milk or similar infant formulas, but different weaning foods. Nutrient intake and fat metabolism were studied prospectively from 3-12 mo in 68 Swedish and 46 Italian healthy infants, breastfed or given similar infant formulas in combination with Swedish or Mediterrane

The aim of the study was to compare protein intake and metabolism between infants from two countries given similar infant formulae but different weaning foods. Healthy Swedish and Italian infants were studied between 3 and 12 mo. Infants in both populations were assigned to 1 of 3 infant formulae, containing 13, 15 or 18/20 g l-1 of protein, given in addition to Swedish or Italian weaning foods. P

Purpose of reviewThere has been growing interest in the role of biofluid biomarkers to aid the diagnosis of dementia in older people. However, less attention has been given to younger people who have dementia (young-onset dementia), who frequently experience misdiagnoses of primary psychiatric disorders diagnostic delay and challenges accessing appropriate care.Recent findingsWe describe 12 studie

This work describes the intricacies of the determination of the trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) in human urine via high-performance liquid chromatography–hydride generation–atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). By definition, this technique requires that the separated TMSe can be online converted into a volatile compound. Literature data for the determination of TMSe via the hydride gener

Arsenic methylating enzyme (AS3MT) genetic variations and their role in variability of As metabolism were evaluated in population of pregnant/non-pregnant women exposed to low levels of As. We have tested the associations between genotypes/haplotype of seven AS3MT SNPs and As metabolites in urine (methylation efficiency). Significant associations of individual SNPs and protective haplotype with ar

As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participan