Objective: To compare responsiveness based on item response theory (IRT) with that based on conventional scoring for two patient-reported outcomes measures in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS); the short disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (QuickDASH) measure, and the 6-item CTS symptoms scale (CTS-6). Study Design and Setting: Prospective cohort study of patients with CTS undergoing carpal tun

The stable isotope composition of tree rings is known to contain valuable information of past climatic and environmental changes, which may be used as a complement to tree ring width and maximum latewood density in climate reconstructions. In this study we examine the character and strength of the climate signal captured in the delta O-18 and delta C-13 values of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) t

This article analyzes the intricate dynamics between international mediation and the quest for recognition in protracted conflict. The overarching aim is two-fold: to analyze how the struggle for recognition relates to protracted conflict, and why, when and in what ways recognition poses a barrier to efficient peace diplomacy and mediation. The article explores how preferences and interests are in

Renal function deteriorates with age, but a few studies have addressed this longitudinally in elderly women. Our objective was, using 5 estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR)-equations, to evaluate changes in renal function and association with adverse outcomes for a decade in 75-year-old women.

The gist of many (NP-)hard combinatorial problems is to decide whether a universe of n elements contains a witness consisting of k elements that match some prescribed pattern. For some of these problems there are known advanced algebra-based FPT algorithms which solve the decision problem but do not return the witness. We investigate techniques for turning such a YES/NO-decision oracle into an alg

The R620W variant of PTPN22 is one of the major genetic risk factors for several autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans. In the BioBreeding T1D-prone (BBDP) rat, a single nucleotide polymorphism in Ptpn22 results in an A629T substitution immediately C-terminal to the aliphatic residues central to the Ptpn22-C-terminal Src kinase interaction. This variant exhibits a 50% decr

Abstract in UndeterminedBy comparing three types of hybrid organizations-18th-century scientific academies, 19th-century institutions of higher vocational education, and 20th-century industrial research institutes-it is the purpose here to answer the question of why new hybrid organizations are continuously formed. Traditionally, and often implicitly, it is often assumed that emerging groups of po

The French Safety and Appropriateness of Growth Hormone treatments in Europe (SAGhE) cohort has raised concern of increased mortality risk during follow-up into adulthood in certain patients who had received growth hormone (GH) treatment during childhood. The Hypopituitary Control and Complications Study monitored mortality and morbidity of adult GH-deficient patients including those with childhoo

Recent reports focusing on virulence factors of periodontal pathogens implicated proteinases as major determinants of remarkable pathogenicity of these species, with special emphasis on their capacity to modulate complement activity. In particular, bacteria-mediated cleavage of C5 and subsequent release of C5a seems to be an important phenomenon in the manipulation of the local inflammatory respon

A 3D direct numerical simulation (DNS) study of the evolution of a self-propagating interface in forced constant-density statistically stationary homogeneous isotropic turbulence was performed by solving Navier–Stokes and level-set equations under a wide range of conditions that cover various (from 0.1 to 2.0) ratios of the interface speed SL to the r.m.s. turbulent velocity U′ and various (50, 10

Michael Bratman’s work is established as one of the most important philosophical approaches to group agency so far, and Shared Agency, A Planning Theory of Acting Together confirms that impression. In this paper I attempt to challenge the book’s central claim that considerations of theoretical simplicity will favor Bratman’s theory of collective action over its main rivals. I do that, firstly, by

We study the conformations of a self-avoiding polymer confined to a channel by computing the cross-sectional distributions of the positions of its monomers. By means of Monte Carlo simulations for a self-avoiding, freely jointed chain, we determine how the cross-sectional distribution for a given monomer depends on its location in the polymer and how strongly this distribution is affected by self-

Background: Neurological dysfunction is a key medical concern in professional sportsmen (PSM). We investigated whether saliva S100B concentrations in PSM and healthy controls are modified before and after training. Methods: We conducted a case-control-study in 75 patients (25 PSM vs 50 controls) in which S100B saliva concentrations were expressed as absolute values and percentage of change (%) fro

Factor I (FI) is a serine protease that inhibits all complement pathways by degrading activated complement components C3b and C4b. FI functions only in the presence of several cofactors such as factor H, C4b-binding protein, complement receptor 1 and membrane cofactor protein. FI is composed of two chains linked by a disulphide bridge; the light chain comprises only the serine protease (SP) domain

School psychologists have a new and stronger position in Sweden’s educational system than earlier. For example, as of July 2011, all Swedish students ages 6 through 18 have guaranteed access to school psychology services. The school psychologists’ roles are to be active participants and coworker in the student health service team, working to promote student health in the Learning environment. The

Migraine is a paroxysmal, disabling primary headache that affects 16 % of the adult population. In spite of decades of intense research, the origin and the pathophysiology mechanisms involved are still not fully known. Although triptans and gepants provide effective relief from acute migraine for many patients, their site of action remains unidentified. It has been suggested that during migraine a

The goal of this study was to determine whether age at introduction to gluten was associated with risk for celiac disease (CD) in genetically predisposed children.

Objective. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether genetic variation in genes across the serotoninergic system is associated with chronic widespread pain (CWP) and the number of pain sites reported. Methods. A discovery cohort, with pain data at 3 time points, was used to investigate genetic associations with 2 phenotypes: 1) CWP (at >= 2 time points; n = 164) compared with pain-fr