Objective: Emerging research suggests that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with intestinal dysbiosis. This prospective pilot study evaluates changes in intestinal microbial composition in patients with RA initiating treatment with either methotrexate (MTX) or a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi). Methods: Consecutive patients, fulfilling the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR

We introduce a method for assessing cardiac mechanical efficiency via a porcine ex situ biventricular working heart model, designed to closely replicate physiological conditions and improve the evaluation of donor heart viability for transplantation. The method aims to provide decision support for the safe utilization of hearts that might otherwise be discarded. Quantifying the heart’s pumping wor

Intrapersonal parental factors play a significant role in the development of problematic gaming in children. However, few studies have explored parental perspectives on their relationship with a child engaged in problematic gaming, as well as the need for support parents perceive in relation to the child’s gaming. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 parents (83.3% women) of 11 children

Ex vivo working porcine heart models allow for the study of a heart’s function and physiology outside the living organism. These models are particularly useful due to the anatomical and physiological similarities between porcine and human hearts, providing an experimental platform to investigate cardiac disease or assess donor heart viability for transplantation. This chapter presents an in-depth

An important element of antibody-guided vaccine design is the use of neutralizing or opsonic monoclonal antibodies to define protective epitopes in their native three-dimensional conformation. Here, we demonstrate a multimodal mass spectrometry-based strategy for in-depth characterization of antigen–antibody complexes to enable the identification of protective epitopes using the cytolytic exotoxin

IMPORTANCE: For individuals without a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), colonoscopy screening every 10 years is recommended to reduce CRC incidence and mortality. However, debate exists about whether and for how long this 10-year interval could be safely expanded.OBJECTIVE: To assess how many years after a first colonoscopy with findings negative for CRC a second colonoscopy can be perfor

Abstract:Background:The need for vascular procedures for certain disease-specific causes is a majorissue for health care today. This thesis will focus on endovascular treatmentfor PAD and malfunctioning haemodialysis access. Although many other vasculardiseases and anatomic regions sometimes need to be managed with endovascularprocedures, PAD and haemodialysis access together account for a signifi

INTRODUCTION: The importance of holidays, traditions, and family celebrations to human culture and occupational engagement has been neglected. The aim of this study was to explore how older adults experienced holidays and celebrations with social and physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: A secondary analysis was made on data from the At-Risk Study. Seventeen community-living ad

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers with limited treatment options, illustrating an urgent need to identify new drugable targets in PDACs.OBJECTIVE: Using the similarities between tumor development and normal embryonic development, which is accompanied by rapid cell expansion, we aimed to identify and characterize embryonic signaling pathways that

Background and AimsWater scarcity and poor water quality could lead to suboptimum menstrual hygiene practices, and subsequently urinary tract infection (UTI) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). In this study, we estimate the prevalence of self-reported UTI and BV among indigenous adolescent girls during the water scarcity period in the Bandarban Hill Districts in south-eastern Bangladesh.MethodsUsing a