OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of sick leave and disability pension in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Individuals aged 19-59 years diagnosed with early RA (≤12 months symptom duration) were identified in the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register (1999-2007; n=3029). We retrieved days of sick leave and disability pension from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and basel

To investigate whether interstitial cells (ICs) are present in the adult mouse bladder, and what transmitters characterize adjacent nerve fibres, as ICs in human and guinea-pig bladder lie close to nerve fibres but transmitters present in these nerves have not yet been reported. Sections of the bladder wall from 12 adult male mice (six each, aged 3-4 or 18-24 months) were incubated in carboxygenat

The present study was designed to demonstrate a hypothesis that some G-protein coupled receptors are up-regulated and a dysfunction of endothelium occurs in hypertension. The arteries from hypertensive patients and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were tested. An in vitro myograph system was used to obtain concentration-contraction curves mediated by endothelin ETA, endothelin ETB, 5-hydroxyt

Objective To assess the application of a quality control scheme for total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as used for participants of the European Randomized Study for Screening of Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) during 1996-2002. Methods From 1996, the first complete year being 1997, an external scheme was organized by the Dutch Quality Assessment Foundation especially for the ERSPC. This scheme consists

Introduction: Identification of suitable candidates for cardioversion currently is not based on individual electrical and mechanical atrial remodeling. Therefore, this study analyzed the meaning of atrial fibrillatory rate obtained from the surface ECG (as a measure of electrical remodeling) and left atrial size (as measure of mechanical remodeling) for prediction of early atrial fibrillation (AF)

The adsorption of starch that had been hydrophobically modified with octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) at the oil/water interface during emulsification was studied. The starch samples were of waxy barley origin and were varied in molar mass and degree of substitution (DS). The particle size of the emulsions was measured and the adsorbed amount of starch was determined through serum depletion. The

Abstract Aim: Compared to neutral globular proteins, neutral polysaccharides, such as dextran, pullulan and Ficoll, appear hyperpermeable across the glomerular filtration barrier. This has been attributed to an increased flexibility and/or asymmetry of polysaccharides. The present study investigates whether polysaccharides are hyperpermeable also across the continuous capillaries in the rat perito

Purpose: To describe, by use of a phenomenological approach, how relatively young trans-femoral amputees experienced their amputation and their coping strategies in the acute phase and over time. Method: Eleven trans-femoral amputees, median age 33.5 years, were interviewed. The amputation was caused by tumour, motorcycle accidents or work-related traumas. Amputation was made in median 7.5 years

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine if a dose-response relationship exists between obstetric adversity and age at first presentation with schizophrenia. Method: The Dublin Psychiatric Case Register was used to identify subjects with schizophrenia. Data on obstetric complications, social class of origin, and family history of psychiatric illness were obtained for those subjects. Re

Vertebrate eyes are of the simple or camera type with a single optical system that creates an image on the retina in the back of the eye. There, the visual information is encoded as nervous signals by photoreceptors, processed by retinal neurons, and then sent to the brain via the optic nerve. Surprisingly at first sight, the retinal neurons are located between the lens and the light-sensitive par

Meristems continually supply new cells for post-embryonic plant development and coordinate the initiation of new organs, such as leaves and flowers. Meristem function is regulated by a large and interconnected dynamic system that includes transcription networks, intercellular protein signalling, polarized transport of hormones and a constantly changing cellular topology. Mathematical modelling, in

Many northerly breeding shorebird species show a separation in timing of adult and juvenile migration. If, in addition to genetic control of migration, learning from experienced conspecifics is advantageous, juveniles should join adult birds during their first fall migration when possible. We here present a method to test if juveniles mix with adults during the period of overlap during southward m

Abstract is not available

Rubrene single crystals have been grown by a vapor-phase process. Two additional compounds that contaminate rubrene have been identified and their structures determined. Single crystals of rubrene show excellent crystallinity and very small rocking curve width. Field effect transistors based on pure rubrene single crystals with colloidal graphite electrodes and Parylene as a dielectric demonstrate

This paper considers the problem of assigning a finite number of indivisible objects, like jobs, houses, positions, etc., to the same number of individuals. There is also a divisible good (money) and the individuals consume money and one object each. The class of fair allocation rules that are strategy-proof in the strong sense that no coalition of individuals can improve the allocation for all of

Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes undergo associative phase separation, resulting in coacervation, gelation, or precipitation. This phenomenon has been exploited in forming DNA gel particles by interfacial diffusion. We report here the formation of DNA gel particles by mixing solutions of double-stranded DNA with aqueous solutions containing two cationic proteins, lysozyme an

We report on the technique and results of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in children with obstructive jaundice. Three patients aged 8 - 15 years were treated, two of them for a benign and one for a malignant stricture. Endoscopic treatment was not possible and all the PTBD procedures were done under general anaesthesia. One of the children was treated with external-internal drai