OBJECTIVES: To investigate the validity over time of the fingertip-to-floor test (FTF) and the straight leg raising test (SLR) using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and correlation coefficient (r), and to assess the predictive value of factors related to the change in RMDQ over 12 months using multivariate regression analysis. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SETTING: Outpatient

Objective. To assess and compare the sensitivity to change of the European League Against Rheumatism Sjogren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) with that of other primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) disease activity indexes. Methods. We abstracted 96 patient profiles, including data on 3 successive visits (visits 1-3), from the medical charts of patients with primary SS. Patient profiles were

A new ternary orthorhombic compound with the formula Cu(5+δ)In(2+x)Sb(2-x), crystallizing in the space group Cmc2(1) with 36 atoms per unit cell [a = 10.1813(4) Å, b = 8.4562(4) Å, c = 7.3774(2) Å, Z = 4], has been synthesized by conventional high-temperature methods. The structure is based on the B8 archetype (NiAs/Ni(2)In) and features In/Sb ordering as well as ordering of interstitial copper. D

The recently identified trans-membrane G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER, GPR30) has been implicated in rapid non-genomic effects of estrogens. This focusses on expression and localization of GPER mRNA and protein in normal cyclic endometrium and early pregnancy decidua. Real-time PCR, Western blotting, in situ hybridization, and immuno-histochemistry were used. Endometrial expression of

Streptococcus pyogenes of the M1 serotype can cause STSS, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of NFAT signaling in M1 protein-induced lung injury. NFAT-luc mice were treated with the NFAT inhibitor A-285222 before administration of the M1 protein. Neutrophil infiltration, edema, and CXC chemokines were quantified in

The California Floristic Province exhibits one of the richest floras on the planet, with more than 5500 native plant species, approximately 40% of which are endemic. Despite its impressive diversity and the attention it has garnered from ecologists and evolutionary biologists, historical causes of species richness and endemism in California remain poorly understood. Using a phylogenetic analysis o

Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total phenolic compounds (TPH), total flavonoids (TF) and the amounts of individual phenolic compounds were assessed in Bolivian potato cultivars (various Solanum species) before, during and after the traditional freezing and sun-drying of potatoes known as chunos. The TAC of chunos ranged from 0.4 to 2.7 mu mol Trolox equivalents/g dry matter using 2,2'-azino-bis

The response of terrestrial ecosystems to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration (Ca), particularly under nutrient-limited conditions, is a major uncertainty in Earth System models. The Eucalyptus Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (EucFACE) experiment, recently established in a nutrient- and water-limited woodland presents a unique opportunity to address this uncertainty, but can best do so if key model uncer

We investigated whether: (1) liver X receptor (LXR)-driven induction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and other LXR-mediated effects on cholesterol metabolism depend on intestinal cholesterol absorption; and (2) combined treatment with the LXR agonist GW3965 and the cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe results in synergistic effects on cholesterol metabolism that could be bene

This study investigates strategic voting for small parties in proportional representation systems, in previous work sometimes referred to as threshold insurance voting (Cox, 1997). Starting from theories of rational voting (Downs, 1957), three conditions for threshold insurance voting are developed: the voter considers potential government outcomes, votes for a party at risk of falling below an el

Three new species of Achrysocharoides are described, one from northern Europe, A. platanoidae sp. nov., one from central Europe and the U. S. A., A. robiniae sp. nov., and one from the U. S. A., A. robinicolus sp. nov. The descriptions are based on material reared from microlepidopterans of the genus Phyllonorycter Hubner (Gracillariidae): A. platanoidae from P. platanoidella (Joannis) on Acer pla

A search for new phenomena in LHC proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV was performed with the ATLAS detector using an integrated luminosity of 17.3 fb(-1). The angular distributions are studied in events with at least two jets; the highest dijet mass observed is 5.5 TeV. All angular distributions are consistent with the predictions of the standard model. In a bench

CandidatusNeoehrlichia mikurensis is the tick-borne agent of neoehrlichiosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects immunocompromised patients. So far, the genetic variability of Neoehrlichia has been studied only by comparing 16S rRNA gene and groEL operon sequences. We describe the development and use of a multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) protocol to characterize the genetic diversity

Objective: Synovitis is thought to be a secondary phenomenon in the osteoarthritis (OA) process and the menisci might be triggers of localized synovitis. The aim was to assess the cross-sectional associations of posterior horn meniscal damage with perimeniscal synovitis, and with synovitis posterior to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) using contrast enhanced (CE) MRI. Design: The Multicenter

We demonstrate that a Ni-Mn oxide partially inverted spinel (Ni1-pMnv)[NivMn2-v]O-4 having inversion degree v approximate to 0.8 and produced by a modified polymeric precursor method exhibits behaviour previously reported only in monophased samples. The structure of the specimen was determined using Rietveld analysis of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data, showing that at room temperature th

Background: Depressive personality is commonly seen in clinical practice, and today only one exclusive self-report instrument-the Depressive Personality Disorder Inventory (DPDI)-is available for its assessment based on the DSM-IV description of the construct. Aims: The purpose of this research was to evaluate a Swedish version of this measure (DPDI-Swe) in terms of its reliability, internal struc

The adsorption from mixed polyelectrolyte-surfactant solutions at hydrophobized silica surfaces was investigated by in situ null-ellipsometry, and compared to similar measurements for hydrophilic silica surfaces. Three synthetic cationic copolymers of varying hydrophobicity and one cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose were compared in mixtures with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in

In the wake of the Cold War, democracy has gained the status of a mantra. Yet there is no consensus about how to conceptualize and measure regimes such that meaningful comparisons can be made through time and across countries. In this prescriptive article, we argue for a new approach to conceptualization and measurement. We first review some of the weaknesses among traditional approaches. We then

Pseudopotentials, tight-binding models, and k p theory have stood for many years as the standard techniques for computing electronic states in crystalline solids. Here, we present the first new method in decades, which we call atomistic k . p theory. In its usual formulation, k . p theory has the advantage of depending on parameters that are directly related to experimentally measured quantities,