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Objective: Predicting treatment response and disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains an elusive endeavour. Identifying subgroups of patients with similar progression is essential for understanding what hinders improvement. However, this cannot be achieved with response criteria based on current versus previous Disease Activity Scores, as they lack the time component. We propose a
The transition to a resource efficient economy that makes effective use of raw materials and energy is a multi-level dynamic process requiring a wide systems perspective. To operationalize this transition in a holistic manner, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has been championed by major economies around the world. The idea with CE is to strive towards maximizing the utilization of products, c
We analyse the performance of risk reduction strategies for terrorist attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for large governmental building structures in terms of cost-efficiency, significance and effectiveness accounting for life safety in conjunction with societal preferences and capabilities. The approach builds upon an extended Bayesian pre-posterior decision analysis and the princi
This article introduces an approach and framework for the quantification of the value of structural health monitoring (SHM) in the context of the structural risk and integrity management for systems. The quantification of the value of SHM builds upon the Bayesian decision and utility theory, which facilitates the assessment of the value of information associated with SHM. The principal approach fo
The provision and administration of high quality urban public green spaces intertwines issues of planning, design, management and maintenance with governance. The benefits of such spaces are often tied to social justice, public health and recreation, biodiversity and helping cities to deal with climate change. International policies and changes in public administration have encouraged user partici
Photonic materials for high-temperature applications need to withstand temperatures usually higher than 1000 °C, whilst keeping their function. When exposed to high temperatures, such nanostructured materials are prone to detrimental morphological changes, however the structure evolution pathway of photonic materials and its correlation with the loss of material's function is not yet fully underst
Total scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis has created new insights that traditional powder diffraction methods have been unable to achieve in understanding the local structures of materials exhibiting disorder or complex nanostructures. Care must be taken in such analyses as subtle and discrete features in the PDF can easily be artefacts generated in the measurement process, w
The present study examined the agreement between single and multiple sample plasma clearance of iohexol, a non-ionic contrast agent, in renal failure. Sixty-five patients with varying degree of renal insufficiency received 10 ml iohexol (300 mg I/ml) i.v. and plasma samples were collected four times during the following 3-24 h. Plasma-iodine concentrations were determined by X-ray fluorescence. Pr
BACKGROUND: A new generation of positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) was recently introduced using silicon (Si) photomultiplier (PM)-based technology. Our aim was to compare the image quality and diagnostic performance of a SiPM-based PET-CT (Discovery MI; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with a time-of-flight PET-CT scanner with a conventional PM detector (Gemini TF; P
The therapeutic management of Sjögren syndrome (SjS) has not changed substantially in recent decades: treatment decisions remain challenging in clinical practice, without a specific therapeutic target beyond the relief of symptoms as the most important goal. In view of this scenario, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) promoted and supported an international collaborative study (EULAR S
Background: The Movement Disorder Society criteria for progressive supranuclear palsy introduced the category “probable 4-repeat (4R)-tauopathy” for joint clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. Objectives: To validate the accuracy of these clinical criteria for “probable 4R-tauopathy” to predict underlying 4R-tauopathy pathology. Methods: Diagnostic acc
As a result of an increasing number of bacteria developing resistance against antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attracting significant interest, particularly in relation to identification of peptides displaying potent but selective effects. Much less focus has been placed on delivery systems for AMPs, despite AMPs suffering from delivery challenges related to their size, cationicity,
Acquired angioedema due to C1-inhibitor (C1INH) deficiency (AAE) is caused by secondary C1INH deficiency leading to bradykinin-mediated angioedema episodes. AAE typically presents in adulthood and is associated with B cell lymphoproliferation. Anti-C1INH autoantibodies (antiC1INHAbs) are detectable in a subset of AAE cases and considered a hallmark of the disease. When free antiC1INHAbs and malign
A Kalman filter can be used to determine material parameters using uncertain experimental data. However, starting with inappropriate initial values for material parameters might cause false local attractors or even divergence. Also, inappropriate choices of covariance errors of the state and the measurements might affect the stability of the prediction. The present method suggests a simple way to
Accurate assessment of in viva or in vitro platelet activation requires optimal preanalytical conditions to prevent artefactual in vitro activation of the platelets. The choice of anticoagulant is one of the critical preanalytical conditions as anticoagulants exert different effects on the activation of platelets ex vivo. We tested the effectiveness of Diatube-H (also known as CTAD; sodium citrate
Having kin and living together with kin influence the individual life course, including a person’s marriage, reproductive career, and survival. A wide range of mechanisms are involved in connecting these life course transitions to support and competition between kin, as well as to characteristics of the family environment. How kin affect the life course is perceived differently in evolutionary ant
This thematic report addresses frameworks for innovation related public procurement. It focuses on four specific kinds of procurement, namely (1) direct innovation procurement, (2) catalytic innovation procurement, (3) functional regular procurement, and (4) Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP). (1) – (3) are also called Innovation-Enhancing Procurement (IEP). The four different kinds of innovation re
Local research units, this article argues, play a very important role for the scientific field they belong to, for example by mobilizing financial support, offering job opportunities, attracting talented recruits, and providing adequate training. Little is known, however, about such units, at least in the fields under study here, i.e., studies of innovation, entrepreneurship and related phenomena.
