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Measuring lupus disease activity accurately remains a challenging and demanding task given the complex multi-system nature of lupus, an illness known for its variability between patients and within the same patient over time. Many have attempted to define what disease activity means and how it should be measured, and several instruments were devised for a standardized assessment of disease activit

European labour markets are often described as rigid with comparatively high levels of job protection that do not allow for the flexible adjustment of employment to economic fluctuations. This interpretation overlooks important sources of flexibility, however. Research has shown that recent labour market policy reforms have allowed for the creation of two-tier labour markets consisting of insiders

-Epigenetic alterations may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. In particular, DNA methylation, a reversible and highly regulated DNA modification, could influence disease onset and progression since it functions as an effector for environmental influences, including diet and lifestyle, both of which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

We develop an approximate field theory for particles interacting with a generalized Yukawa potential. This theory improves and extends a previous splitting field theory, originally developed for counterions around a fixed charge distribution. The resulting theory bridges between the second virial approximation, which is accurate at low particle densities, and the mean-field approximation, accurate

This paper analyzes a genre of hotels that has grown substantially the latest decades: namely one that includes hotels that go under names such as design hotels, boutique hotels, or "contemporary" hotels. It presents elements of the transnational discourse of this genre and shows how these are translated, materialized and localized. Individual hotels are used as illustrative examples of how discur

The association between breast cancer and warfarin is inconclusive as most previous studies examined their association using patients with thromboembolism, whereas thromboembolism itself is a risk factor for cancer. We explored this issue using patients received mechanical heart valves replacement as a proxy for warfarin exposure as these patients need a lifelong warfarin treatment, and compared t

Monolithic macroporous cryogel imprinted with protein G was prepared using a functional co-monomer of N-methacryloyl-l-phenylalanine and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The chemical structure of the cryogel prepared was studied by FTIR-spectroscopy and its porosity was analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The cryogel was used to purify protein G from recombinant Escherichia coli cell lysate a

In relating to the politico-economic concept of creative industries', the paper explores in what way the art field and its actors are discursively repositioned within flexible cultural capitalism'. Through empirical material from the independent Austrian theatre scene, the paper, moreover, illustrates how the culturpreneurial' transformation of the field affects the specific artistic practices, fo

Background/Aims: Psychosocial intervention has shown positive effects on the caregivers' burden and satisfaction. The aims of this study were to describe the cost and cost-effectiveness of such an intervention. Methods: We analyzed resource use and costs of formal care for 308 persons with dementia and their caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: The costs of home help servic

It has long been recognised that dispersal abilities and environmental factors are important in shaping invertebrate communities, but their relative importance for primary soil community assembly has not yet been disentangled. By studying soil communities along chronosequences on four recently emerged nunataks (ice-free land in glacial areas) in Iceland, we replicated environmental conditions spat

Integration of III-V semiconductors on Si substrates allows for the realization of high-performance, low power III-V electronics on the Si-platform. In this work, we demonstrate the implementation of single balanced down-conversion mixer circuits, fabricated using vertically aligned InAs nanowire devices on Si. A thin, highly doped InAs buffer layer has been introduced to reduce the access resista

We describe a unique play-&-learn game for early math, designed to provide adaptive instruction with respect to support and challenge as well as to cater for an inclusive pedagogy where no child, whether far behind or far ahead, is exposed as being "different".

The original aim of prophylactic replacement therapy was to convert the bleeding pattern of severe hemophilia to that of moderate hemophilia through regular infusions of clotting factor concentrates. However, targeting prophylaxis on minimum trough levels does not prevent all bleeding. At the group level, there is a clear association of factor levels with bleeding and outcome. But bleeding phenoty

Background Half the epidemiological studies with information about menopausal hormone therapy and ovarian cancer risk remain unpublished, and some retrospective studies could have been biased by selective participation or recall. We aimed to assess with minimal bias the effects of hormone therapy on ovarian cancer risk. Methods Individual participant datasets from 52 epidemiological studies were a

The impact of communication within the perioperative period is an area of increasing research interest. Suggestions are phrases or actions that can lead to subconscious nonvolitional changes in patient perception, mood, and/or behavior. Statements functioning as suggestions may induce positive or negative perceptual responses and experiences. Children and anxious patients are particularly responsi

We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions coll

Objective: To assess the influence of sex hormones on markers of bone turnover and to explore the association between these markers and bone health in middle-aged and elderly European men. Design: A cross-sectional population-based survey. Methods: Men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in eight European centres. Subjects completed a postal questionnaire which included quest