Objective. To evaluate if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to conventional radiography for detection of erosions in the fifth metatarsophalangeal (MTP5) joint. Methods. Within one year from the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (baseline), one and three years thereafter MRI and conventional radiographs of the MTP5 joint were performed in 23 patients. Results. MRI revealed erosions in

We use a linear autoregressive model to describe the movement of a soil-living insect, Protaphorura armata (Collembola). Models of this kind can be viewed as extensions of a random walk, but unlike a correlated random walk, in which the speed and turning angles are independent, our model identifies and expresses the correlations between the turning angles and a variable speed. Our model uses data

The role played by histamine from enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells and mast cells in gastric acid secretion and in the development of ethanol-induced gastric lesions was studied in the rat. This was done by examining the effects of inhibition of the histamine-producing enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH) and the effects of degranulation of the mucosal

Two piston cores, DS97-2P from the Reykjanes Ridge in the central North Atlantic Ocean (1685 m water depth) and ENAM33 from southwest of the Faeroe Islands in the NE Atlantic (1217 m water depth), have been investigated for their planktic and benthic foraminiferal content. DS97-2P is situated near the Subarctic Front and productivity measured by accumulation rates of benthic and planktic foraminif

Tobacco smoking has been classified as a cause of cervical cancer, but the effect of different patterns of smoking on risk is unclear. The International Collaboration of Epidemiological Studies of Cervical Cancer has brought together and combined individual data on 13,541 women with and 23,017 women without cervical carcinoma, from 23 epidemiological studies. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidenc

Clofarabine, a next-generation deoxyadenosine analogue, was developed on the basis of experience with cladribine and fludarabine in order to achieve higher efficacy and avoid extramedullary toxicity. During the past decade this is the only drug granted approval for treatment of pediatric acute leukemia. Recent clinical studies have established the efficacy of clofarabine in treating malignancies w

Aims: Utilization of cheap and readily available agricultural residues as cheap carbon sources for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production by Halomonas boliviensis. Methods and results: Wheat bran was hydrolysed by a crude enzyme preparation from Aspergillus oryzae NM1 to provide a mixture of reducing sugars composed mainly of glucose, mannose, xylose and arabinose. Growth of H. boliviensis using

Structure and transport properties of an oil-in-water microemulsion of weakly charged spherical micelles were studied experimentally using viscosity, NMR self-diffusion, and static and dynamic light scattering as well as theoretically by Brownian dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations and the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The micelles contain decane covered by the nonionic surfactant pentaethylene gly

A detailed experiment on 2p photoionization and subsequent Auger decay of atomic silicon is presented. Fine-structure-resolved photoelectron and Auger electron spectra are interpreted with the aid of large-scale multiconfiguration calculations. Energy separation and the relative cross sections of the 2p ionized fine-structure states of Si+ are given. The complete 2p Auger electron spectrum of Si i

We report the use of individual gold nanorods as plasmonic transducers to detect the binding of streptavidin to individual biotin-conjugated nanorods in real time on a surface. Label-free detection at the single-nanorod level was performed by tracking the wavelength shift of the nanorod-localized surface plasmon resonant scattering spectrum using a dark-field microspectroscopy system. The lowest s

Web sites are exposed to high rates of incoming requests. The servers may become overloaded during temporary traffic peaks when more requests arrive than the server is designed for. An admission control mechanism rejects some requests whenever the arriving traffic is too high and thereby maintains an acceptable load in the system. This paper presents how admission control mechanisms can be designe

The parameters affecting the lipase activity and operational lifetime during chemo-enzymatic epoxidation of fatty acids were investigated. Immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym (R) 435) was incubated in the presence of various reaction components (i.e. toluene, water, H2O2, oleic acid, perpalmitic acid, and epoxystearic acid, respectively) at temperatures between 20 and 60 degrees C fol

Competitive interactions between coinfecting genotypes of the same pathogen can impose selection on virulence, but the direction of this selection depends on the mechanisms behind the interactions. Here, we investigate how host immune responses contribute to competition between clones in mixed infections of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi. We studied single and mixed infections of

Background: Data regarding the association between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)) level and incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events are conflicting. This prospective urban population-based study explored the relationship between baseline Lp-PLA(2) activity and mass, respectively, levels and incidence of first coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke, respectively. Meth

Hepatocellular carcinoma and obliterated hepatic bile duct were found at postmortem examination in a 4-year-old girl with arteriohepatic dysplasia (Alagille's syndrome). AFP level was extremely high. Liver cirrhosis was present on percutaneous needle biopsy 9 months before she succumbed in progressive liver failure. Episodes of repeated gastrointestinal, life-threatening hemorrhages occurred durin

This paper examines current perceptions within international aid agencies regarding the existing and potential roles of housing and urban development planning as a tool for reducing urban disaster risk in developing countries. It is mainly based on interviews with more than 50 professionals from international agencies and a review of documents on planning and risk reduction. The paper analyses t