OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of prospectively monitoring treatment efficacy and tolerability of infliximab, etanercept, and leflunomide over a two year period in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical practice using a structured protocol. METHODS: All patients with RA at seven centres in southern Sweden, for whom at least two disease modifying antirheumatic drugs,

The first paper in this study is "Cassel and Revealed Preference Theory." The background to the paper is the general agreement that P. Samuelson originated the revealed preference theory of consumer behaviuor in 1938, but that there has not been such unanimous consent regarding possible precursors of the theory. Among those pointed to as predecessors is Cassel. This claim is, however, not so easy

This study of stress-related antinuclear antibody (ANA) reactivity was undertaken with the objective of improving clinical ANA testing. ANA was determined by parallel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of crude nuclear protein antigen extracted from HEp-2 cells either grown under optimal conditions (providing nonstress ANA antigen) or exposed to stress (providing stress ANA antigen). The stress st

OBJECTIVE: To compare the ability of transvaginal color and spectral Doppler and that of gray-scale ultrasound examination to discriminate between benign and malignant extrauterine pelvic tumors. METHODS: One hundred forty-nine consecutive women scheduled for laparotomy because of an extrauterine pelvic mass underwent ultrasound examination, including color and spectral Doppler techniques, within

Relativistic projectile fragmentation of Pb-208 has been used to produce isomers in neutron-rich, A approximate to 190 nuclides. A forward-focusing spectrometer provided ion-by-ion mass and charge identification. The detection of gamma-rays emitted by stopped ions has led to the assignment of isomers in Ta-188, W-190, Re-192, Re-193, Os-195, Ir-197, Ir-198, Pt-200, Pt-201, Pt-202 and Au-203, with

The vegetation databank established by our working group covers the classes Festuco-Brometea, Koelerio-Corynephoretea, and Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei in the Nordic and Baltic region, i.e. NE Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, N Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and NW Russia. We aim to use these data to develop a consistent supra-national phytosociological classification of these xero

This commentary on the Letter to the Hebrews is written for a broad public, but it still reflects the author's scholarly learning and insights into the rhetorical structure and the theological meaning of this letter. The commentary is divided into three parts: 1) Translation; 2) Notes; 3) Comments (theological implications). Koester has succeeded in combining sociological and rhetorical insights w

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The transmission routes for GB virus-C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) in blood donors unexposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) are unknown. We performed a case-control study of risk factors for GBV-C/HGV exposure in blood donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After testing stored sera from 458 HCV-negative blood donors for GBV-C/HGV RNA and GBV-C/HGV E2 antibodies, 66 donors with

BACKGROUND: It was recently shown that some strains of mice are capable of rejecting transplants independently of B7 and CD40L signaling and that this rejection is mediated by CD8(+) T cells. LFA-1 is known to be important for CD8(+) T cell activation and cytotoxicity. Therefore, blockade of LFA-1 could be important in overcoming costimulation blockade, CD8(+) T-cell-mediated, resistant rejection.

Reflectometric interference spectroscopic measurements were performed on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) films with the herbicide atrazine as the template molecule. A conventional imprinting protocol was used relying on non-covalent interactions between the functional monomers and the template. The MIPs were deposited on glass transducers by two different methods: spin-coating followed by in s

Understanding the complex role played by satellite cells in the adaptive response to exercise in human skeletal muscle has just begun. The development of reliable markers for the identification of satellite cell status (quiescence/activation/proliferation) is an important step towards the understanding of satellite cell behaviour in exercised human muscles. It is hypothesised currently that exerci

Genetically engineered mice have successfully been used to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with cell dysfunction following brain trauma. Such animals may also offer a possibility to investigate mechanisms involved in posttraumatic hemodynamic alterations. The objective of the study was to establish a mouse model in which important hemodynamic alterations following trauma c