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ObjectiveThe progression of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is determined by genetic factors. Changes in IL4 and IL4R genes have been associated with RA severity, but this finding has not been replicated. This study was undertaken to investigate the association between IL4- and IL4R-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the progression rate of joint damage in RA in a mu

The biosynthesis of flavonoids and proanthocyanidins was studied in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) by combining biochemical and molecular approaches. Chemical analyses showed that ripe strawberries accumulate high amounts of pelargonidin-derived anthocyanins, and a larger pool of 3',4'-hydroxylated proanthocyanidins. Activities and properties of major recombinant enzymes were demonstr

Background The methyl ester form of fumaric acid named dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an effective mould-growth inhibitor. Its irritating and sensitizing properties were demonstrated in animal models. Recently, DMF has been identified as responsible for furniture contact dermatitis in Europe. Objective To describe the clinical manifestations, patch test results, shoe chemical analysis, and source of e

Many nitrosamines are suspected of being human carcinogens, with the highest concentrations in the environment being measured in the rubber industry. Time trends of personal exposure to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and to N-nitrosomorpholine (NMor) during the past two decades in the German rubber industry were analysed and compared with cross-sectional studies in the same period in the Netherland

Following the heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction S-32+Mg-24 at 95 MeV beam energy the lifetimes of analogue states in the T-z=+/-1/2 A=51 mirror nuclei Fe-51 and Mn-51 have been measured using the Cologne plunger device coupled to the GASP gamma-ray spectrometer. The deduced B(E2;27/2(-)-->23/2(-)) values afford a unique opportunity to probe isoscalar and isovector polarization charges and to d

Objective. To determine the potential role of the CD24 A57V gene polymorphism in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. We studied 3 cohorts of Caucasian patients and controls. The Spanish cohort included 696 SLE patients and 539 controls, the German cohort included 257 SLE patients and 317 controls, and the Swedish cohort included 310 SLE patients and 247 controls. The CD24 A57V polymorphis

Wavelet approaches have been successfully applied to the detection of brain activity in fMRI data. Spatial activation patterns have a compact representation in the wavelet domain. However, classical wavelets designed for regular Euclidean spaces are not optimal for the topologically complicated gray-matter (GM) domain where activation is expected. We hypothesized that wavelet bases that are adapte

Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a closed-circular double-helix molecule which contains two rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The molecule has become a popular tool in phylogenetic analyses owing to its relatively high evolutionary rate, simple genetic structure, small size, and compact gene arrangement. The order Perissodactyla includes the extant families Equidae, Ta

Popular Abstract in English In our current world, the exponential growth in demand for smaller and faster devices leads to the fact that we will eventually face the problem that traditional semiconductor technologies will reach their limitation in terms of size and speed. Humanity's consciousness to tackle the global ecological issues in the next decade, will demand the substitution of all non-reuThe work presented in this thesis addresses the investigation of the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of late transition metal complexes supported on various surfaces. The research is aimed at studying the interaction between the molecules and the support, together with the intermolecular interaction. This knowledge is essential e.g. for the development of organic molecule-based dev

Standardization research is a fairly new and is a still-evolving field of research, with possibly major practical ramifications. This article presents a summary of the authors' subjective views of the most pressing research topics in the field. These include, among others, standards (e.g. incorporation of ethical issues), the potential impact of standards, the corporate management of standardizati

Objective To evaluate current evidence on the efficacy and safety of topical and systemic medications in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SjS) to inform European League Against Rheumatism treatment recommendations. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for case-control/prospective cohort studies, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews. Results

Background In patients with GTP-cyclohydrolase deficient dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) the occurrence of associated non-motor symptoms (NMS) is to be expected. Earlier studies report conflicting results with regard to the nature and severity of NMS. The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, sleep problems, fatigue and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL)

Background: Newborn screening (NBS) for long-chain 3-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency does not discriminate between isolated LCHAD deficiency, isolated long-chain keto acyl-CoA (LCKAT) deficiency and general mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) deficiency. Therefore, screening for LCHAD deficiency inevitably comprises screening for MTP deficiency, which is much less amenable

The response rate to checkpoint inhibitors for women with high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum (HGSC) is modest, and development of predictive biomarkers is needed. The main focus has been on tumor cell PD-L1 expression, but its assessment alone is insufficient for patient selection in most malignancies. We mapped the presence of macrophages (CD68 and CD163) and

Agrobiodiversity—the variation within agricultural plants, animals, and practices—is often suggested as a way to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on crops [S. A. Wood et al., Trends Ecol. Evol. 30, 531–539 (2015)]. Recently, increasing research and attention has focused on exploiting the intraspecific genetic variation within a crop [Hajjar et al., Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 123, 261–

We enrolled 427 human immunodeficiency virus-infected children (median age, 7.3 years), 59.2% severely immunodeficient, with suspected tuberculosis in Southeast Asian and African settings. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were isolated in 46 children (10.8%); 45.7% of isolates were Mycobacterium avium complex. Southeast Asian origin, age 5-9 years, and severe immunodeficiency were independently associa

Background: Benchmarking on an international level might lead to improved outcomes at a national level. The aim of this study was to compare treatment and surgical outcome data from the Swedish National Register for Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer (NREV) and the Dutch Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Audit (DUCA).Methods: All patients with primary oesophageal or gastric cancer who underwent a resectio

We present a reflector antenna system using a circular polarization selective surface (CPSS) to realize a circular polarization (CP) equivalent to the widely used linear polarization (LP) gridded or dual-gridded reflector (DGR). The CPSS is realized by a multilayer stack of non-resonant anisotropic meander line surfaces, achieving a very wide bandwidth. The CPSS reflection and transmission dyadics

With the goal to delevop the fabrication of a new type of Pt-nanoparticle carbon-support electrocatalyst, we investigate the carbon embedding of Pt cluster superlattices grown on the moiré of a monolayer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on Ir(111). Our combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study establishes conformal C embedding of the Pt clusters