OBJECTIVE: It has been proposed that remission should be maintained throughout the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, the evidence supporting this is limited. Physical function measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) is a major outcome in RA, and HAQ is shown to be one of the strongest predictors of longterm outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physic

Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) is highly prevalent among elderly patients. It can be difficult to distinguish ABU from symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) in this population, which leads to unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Urinary heparin-binding protein (U-HBP) and urinary interleukin-6 (U-IL-6) have previously been studied as diagnostic markers for UTI. In this study, biomarkers were meas

OBJECTIVE: According to prevailing consensus, patients with mechanical symptoms are those considered to most likely benefit from arthroscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the value of using patients' pre-operative self-reports of mechanical symptoms as a justification surgery in patients with degenerative meniscus tear/knee disease.DESIGN: Pragmatic prospective cohort of 900 con

Syftet med denna masteruppsats var att få fördjupad förståelse för svåra samtal som läkare upplever och beskriver dem. Djupintervjuer med öppna frågor genomfördes med 10 yrkesverksamma läkare med erfarenhet av svåra samtal med patienter och närstående och som hade anmält sig för att delta i kursen ”De nödvändiga samtalen”. Materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Totalt identifierades nio temaThe aim of this master dissertation was to gain a deeper understanding of the breaking of bad news through narration of the lived experiences of doctors. In-depth interviews using open questions were conducted with ten professionally active medical doctors who had 1) experience of breaking bad news and 2) applied to participate in a communications course. The data was analyzed using thematic analy

This thesis examines how environmental treaties, also referred to as multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), can enhance the protection of the environment during armed conflicts of both international and non-international character. The examination also covers the immediate aftermath of armed conflicts. Most of the previous research has focused on the application of the law of armed conflict

According to current models of hematopoiesis, lymphoid-primed multi-potent progenitors (LMPPs) (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)CD34(+)Flt3(hi)) and common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)CD34(+)CD41(hi)) establish an early branch point for separate lineage-commitment pathways from hematopoietic stem cells, with the notable exception that both pathways are proposed to generate all myeloid

AIM: To prospectively validate two mathematical models for calculating the likelihood of endometrial malignancy in patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMPB), sonographic endometrial thickness (ET) ≥4.5 mm and no fluid in the uterine cavity.METHODS: This is a prospective observational diagnostic validation study performed in a PMPB clinic in a university hospital. Of 860 consecutive patients, 35

OBJECTIVE: The diagnostic accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) must be improved before widespread clinical use. This study aimed to determine whether CSF Aβ42/Aβ40 and Aβ42/Aβ38 ratios are better diagnostic biomarkers of AD during both predementia and dementia stages in comparison to CSF Aβ42 alone.METHODS: The study comprised three different cohorts (n = 1

Lobbyists are working in an ambivalent atmosphere. In Brussels, lobbying is an activity occupying about 20 000 people on a daily basis. They are trying to influence the legislative outcomes from the work of the about 15 000 politicians and employees of the EU institutions (Coen 2007). On one hand the lobbyists are wanted and needed by the politicians and their civil servants. Previous research tel

We report on the study of six similar buildings built in an area of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1971, which are now in urgent need of renovation. However, the owner of the buildings - a municipal housing company did not achieve a financially viable renovation of the pilot project. This meant that renovation on a similar basis for the remaining five buildings would not be possible. For this reason the h

AbstractBoth men and women with end stage renal disease (ESRD) often suffer from infertility. The reason for this is multifactorial and includes sexual dysfunction, psychological factors and hormonal disturbances. The hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis is altered already at moderate reduction in kidney function. Hyperprolactinemia and testosterone deficiency due to Leydig cell impairment have bee

The focus of this paper is to explore better strategies for optimising bone strength and reducing risk of fracture, while at the same time decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease. The majority of Americans do not consume the current recommended dietary allowance for calcium, and the lifetime risk of osteoporosis is about 50%. However, traditional mononutrient calcium supplements may not be ideal

Background The optimal anticoagulant for patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been validated in current practice of radial approach and pretreatment with potent P2Y12 inhibitors. Several studies have indicated increased bleeding rate and, in some instances, even increased mortality by the routine use of heparin and glycoprotein IIb/III

Background: Prostate cancer ranks as the second most lethal malignancy in the Western world. Previous targeting of prostate-specific antigen and human kallikrein-related peptidase 2, two related enzymes abundantly expressed in prostatic malignancies, with radioimmunoconjugates intended for diagnostic purposes, have proven successful in rodent prostate cancer (PCa) models. In this study, we investi

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a serious global public health problem directly correlated to high antibiotic consumption. Romania is one of the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption, non-prescription antibiotics use and resistance of several pathogens to antibiotics. Pharmacists are an important stakeholder in respect to antibiotic management and context specifi