Filetype
Background Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of painful vertebral fractures, which is intended to reduce pain and improve quality of life. We assessed the efficacy and safety of the procedure. Methods Adults with one to three acute vertebral fractures were eligible for enrolment in this randomised controlled trial at 21 sites in eight countries. We randomly as
Air samples were collected on glass fibre filters in 22 animal houses and 3 hay storage barns and examined for the presence of bacterial endotoxin with the Limulus (LAL) test and the gas chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MSMS) technique, based on detection of 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH-FAs) as chemical markers of the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. The median concentrations of airborne
Objective. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continues to be an important cause of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs in the western world. Although smoking is an important trigger of COPD, other factors such as chronic inflammation and malnutrition are known to influence its development. Because coeliac disease (CD) is characterized both by dysregulated inflammation and malnutri
BACKGROUND: Butterflies of the subtribe Mycalesina have radiated successfully in almost all habitat types in Africa, Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, Indo-China and Australasia. Studies aimed at understanding the reasons behind the evolutionary success of this spectacular Old World butterfly radiation have been hampered by the lack of a stable phylogeny for the group. Here, we have reconstruct
Background: Although recent population-based studies suggest a U-shaped relationship between serum IGF-I concentration and all-cause mortality, the distribution of death causes underlying this association remains unclear. We hypothesized that high IGF-I levels associate with increased cancer mortality, whereas low IGF-I levels associate with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Metho
Background Carrying the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) germline mutations is associated with a high risk for melanoma. Penetrance of CDKN2A mutations is modified by pigmentation characteristics, nevus phenotypes, and some variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R), which is known to have a role in the pigmentation process. However, investigation of the associations of both
Aim. To measure levels of anxiety among people accompanying consumers to the emergency department and to explore how anxiety influences satisfaction with care. Background. When people seek treatment in an emergency department they are often accompanied by a next-of-kin, family member or friend. While the accompanying person plays a vital role in providing psycho-social support to consumers, little
OBJECTIVES: To determine the ability to correctly identify Cesarean section scars, to estimate the prevalence of defective scars, and to determine the size and location of scar defects by transvaginal ultrasound imaging. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-seven women underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination 6-9 months after delivery: 108 had undergone one Cesarean section, 43 had had two Cesarea
Abstract BACKGROUND: Most individuals with Helicobacter pylori infection in Western countries have no evidence of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). We therefore assessed the PiZ deficiency variant of the major plasma protease inhibitor alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1AT) as a risk factor for PUD in H. pylori-infected individuals. METHODS: The cohort comprised 100 patients with endoscopically or surgically pr
Objective To compare long-term work loss in methotrexate-refractory early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) randomized to addition of infliximab or conventional combination treatment. Methods Multicentre, two-arm, parallel, randomized, active-controlled, open-label trial. RA patients with <1y symptom duration were recruited from 15 rheumatology clinics in Sweden between 2002-2005. Patients who did not ach
Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have increased survival dramatically for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but continuous administration of these drugs may elicit long-term toxicity. Objective: To investigate the incidence of vascular events in patients with CML treated with first-and second-generation TKIs. Design: Retrospective cohort study using nationwide population-b
In-situ, quasi-continuous measurements of atmospheric hydrogen (H-2) have been performed since October 2007 at the Cabauw tall tower station in the Netherlands. Mole fractions of H-2, CO and several greenhouse gases are determined simultaneously in air sampled successively at four heights, between 20 and 200 m above ground level. Rn-222 measurements are performed in air sampled at 20 and 200 m. Th
GOALS: To assess the incidence, type, and severity of infections in patients with IBD before and after starting thiopurine therapy.BACKGROUND: Thiopurines have been used for decades in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet real-world data regarding the extent and types of infections associated with their use are scarce.STUDY: We included all thiopurine-naive adults with IBD who in
The consumption and production of livestock have a negative impact on the environment and climate. In many Western countries, the consumption is particularly high and it is expected to increase globally. This increase will lead to further pressure on already stressed planetary boundaries. Recently edible insects have been proposed to be an alternative to conventional meat, because they have a lowe
Background: Data for multiple common susceptibility alleles for breast cancer may be combined to identify women at different levels of breast cancer risk. Such stratification could guide preventive and screening strategies. However, empirical evidence for genetic risk stratification is lacking. Methods: We investigated the value of using 77 breast cancer-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms
Background: The metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and beta-amyloid (A beta) is widely studied in Alzheimer's disease, where A beta deposition and plaque development are essential components of the pathogenesis. However, the physiological role of amyloid in the adult nervous system remains largely unknown. We have previously found altered cerebral amyloid metabolism in other neuroinflam
