| 1. |
- Ruperto, N., et al.
(författare)
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A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab plus methotrexate for the treatment of polyarticular-course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Arthritis Rheum. - : Wiley. - 0004-3591. ; 56:9, s. 3096-3106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS: This was an international, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. One hundred twenty-two children with persistent polyarticular JRA despite prior methotrexate (MTX) therapy were randomized to receive infliximab or placebo for 14 weeks, after which all children received infliximab through week 44. Patients received MTX plus infliximab 3 mg/kg through week 44, or MTX plus placebo for 14 weeks followed by MTX plus infliximab 6 mg/kg through week 44. RESULTS: Although a higher proportion of patients in the 3 mg/kg infliximab group than in the placebo group had achieved responses according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Pediatric 30 (Pedi 30) criteria for improvement at week 14 (63.8% and 49.2%, respectively), the between-group difference in this primary efficacy end point was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). By week 16, after the crossover from placebo to infliximab 6 mg/kg when all patients were receiving infliximab, an ACR Pedi 30 response was achieved in 73.2% of all patients. By week 52, ACR Pedi 50 and ACR Pedi 70 responses had been reached in 69.6% and 51.8%, respectively, of patients. Infliximab was generally well tolerated, but the safety profile of infliximab 3 mg/kg appeared less favorable than that of infliximab 6 mg/kg, with more frequent occurrences of serious adverse events, infusion reactions, antibodies to infliximab, and newly induced antinuclear antibodies and antibodies to double-stranded DNA observed with the 3 mg/kg dose. CONCLUSION: While infliximab at 3 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg showed durable efficacy at 1 year, achievement of the primary efficacy end point at 3 months did not differ significantly between infliximab-treated and placebo-treated patients. Safety data indicated that the 6-mg/kg dose may provide a more favorable risk/benefit profile. These results warrant further investigation in children with JRA.
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| 2. |
- Akalin, S., et al.
(författare)
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Intensive glucose therapy and clinical implications of recent data: a consensus statement from the Global Task Force on Glycaemic Control
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Clinical Practice. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1742-1241 .- 1368-5031. ; 63:10, s. 1421-1425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is compelling evidence showing that achieving good glycaemic control reduces the risk of microvascular complications in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Likewise, there is clear evidence to show that achieving good glycaemic control reduces the risk of macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes. The UKPDS 10-year follow up suggests that good glycaemic control also reduces the risk of macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes. Despite this, recent results from ACCORD, ADVANCE and VADT present conflicting results and data from the ACCORD trial appear to suggest that very low HbA(1c) targets (< 6.0%) may, in fact, be dangerous in certain patient populations. Aim: To review recent results from ACCORD, ADVANCE and VADT and provide clear guidance on the clinical significance of the new data and their implications for the practising physician treating patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A Pubmed search was used to identify major randomised clinical trials examining the association between glycaemic control and diabetes-associated complications. The data was reviewed and discussed by the GTF through a consensus meeting. The recommendations for clinical practice in this statement are the conclusions of these analyses and discussions. Results: Evidence from ACCORD, ADVANCE, VADT and UKPDS suggests that certain patient populations, such as those with moderate diabetes duration and/or no pre-existing CVD, may benefit from intensive blood glucose control. These trials highlight the benefit of a multifactorial treatment approach to diabetes. However, ACCORD results indicate that aggressive HbA(1c) targets (< 6.0%) may not be beneficial in patients with existing CVD and a longer duration of diabetes. Conclusions: Glycaemic control remains a very important component of treatment for type 2 diabetes and contrasting results from the ACCORD, ADVANCE and VADT should not discourage physicians from controlling blood glucose levels.
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| 3. |
- Aspholm, Marina, et al.
(författare)
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Helicobacter pylori adhesion to carbohydrates
- 2006
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Ingår i: Methods in Enzymology. - 0076-6879 .- 1557-7988. ; 417, s. 293-339
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adherence of bacterial pathogens to host tissues contributes to colonization and virulence and typically involves specific interactions between bacterial proteins called adhesins and cognate oligosaccharide (glycan) or protein motifs in the host that are used as receptors. A given pathogen may have multiple adhesins, each specific for a different set of receptors and, potentially, with different roles in infection and disease. This chapter provides strategies for identifying and analyzing host glycan receptors and the bacterial adhesins that exploit them as receptors, with particular reference to adherence of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori.
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| 4. |
- Broeke, Ronald G., et al.
(författare)
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Optical-CDMA in InP
- 2007
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Ingår i: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1077-260X .- 1558-4542. ; 13:5, s. 1497-1507
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes the InP platforms for photonic integration and the development on these platforms of an optical code division multiple access (O-CDMA) system for local area networks. We demonstrate three building blocks of this system: an optical pulse source, an encoder/decoder pair, and a threshold detector. The optical pulse source consists of an integrated colliding pulse-mode laser with nearly transform-limited 10 Gb/s pulses and optical injection locking to an external clock for synchronization. The encoder/decoder pair is based on arrayed waveguide gratings. Bit-error-rate measurements involving six users at 10 Gb/s showed error-free transmission, while O-CDMA codes were calibrated using frequency resolved optical gating. For threshold detection after the decoder, we compared two Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI)-based optical thresholding schemes and present results on a new type of electroabsorber-based MZI.
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| 5. |
- Cho, Sung-Woo, 1974-
(författare)
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Protein-based Packaging Films, Sheets and Composites: Process Development and Functional Properties
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The depletion of the petroleum resources and a number of environmental concerns led to considerable research efforts in the field of biodegradable materials over the last few decades. Of the diverse range of biopolymers, wheat gluten (WG) stands out as an alternative to synthetic plastics in packaging applications due to its attractive combination of flexibility and strength, high gas barrier properties under low humidity conditions and renewability. The availability of raw materials has also been largely increased with an increase in the production of WG as a low-cost surplus material due to increasing demand for ethanol as fuel. In this study, WG was processed into films, sheets and composites using some of the most widely used techniques including solution casting, compression molding, extrusion and injection molding, accompanying process optimizations and characterization of their functional properties. This thesis consists mainly of six parts based on the purpose of the study. The first part addresses the aging and optical properties of the cast film in order to understand the mechanisms and reasons for the time-dependant physical and chemical changes. The films plasticized with glycerol were cast from acidic (pH 4) and basic (pH11) solutions. The film prepared from the pH 11 solution was mechanically more stable upon aging than the pH 4 film, which was initially very ductile but became brittle with time. It was revealed that the protein structure of the pH 4 film was initially less polymerized/aggregated and the polymerization increased during storage but it did not reach the degree of aggregation of the pH 11 film. During aging, the pH 4 film lost more mass than the pH 11 film mainly due to migration of glycerol but also due to some loss of volatile mass. In addition the greater plasticizer loss of the pH 4 film was presumably due to its initial lower degree of protein aggregation/polymerization. Glycerol content did not significantly change the opacity and pH 4 films showed good contact clarity because of less Maillard reaction. In the second part, the heat-sealability of WG films was investigated, using an impulse-heat sealer, as the sealability is one of the most important properties in the use of flexible packaging materials. It was observed that the WG films were readily sealable while preserving their mechanical integrity. The sealing temperature had a negligible effect on the lap-shear strength, but the peel strength increased with sealing temperature. The lap-shear strength increased with increasing mold temperature and the failure mode changed. The third part describes the possibility of using industrial hemp fibers to reinforce wheat gluten sheets based on evaluation of the fiber contents, fiber distribution and bonding between the fibers and matrix. It was found that the hemp fibers enhanced the mechanical properties, in which the fiber contents played a significant role in the strength. The fiber bonding was improved by addition of diamine as a cross-linker, while the fiber distribution needed to be improved. The fourth part presents a novel approach to improve the barrier and mechanical properties of extruded WG sheets with a single screw extruder at alkaline conditions using 3-5wt.% NaOH with or without 1 wt.% salicylic acid. The oxygen barrier, at dry conditions, was improved significantly with the addition of NaOH, while the addition of salicylic acid yielded poorer barrier properties. It was also observed that the WG sheets with 3 wt.% NaOH had the most suitable combination of low oxygen permeability and relatively small time-dependant changes in mechanical properties, probably due to low plasticizer migration and an optimal protein aggregation/polymerization. In the fifth part WG/PLA laminates were characterized for the purpose of improving the water barrier properties. The lamination was performed at 110°C and scanning electron microscopy showed that the laminated films were uniform in thickness. The laminates significantly suppressed the mass loss and showed promising water vapor barrier properties in humid conditions indicating possible applications in packaging. The final part addresses the development of injection molding processes for WG. Injection-molded nanocomposites of WG/MMT were also characterized. WG sheets were successively processed using injection molding and the process temperatures were found to preferably be in a range of 170-200°C, which was varied depending on the sample compositions. The clay was found to enhance the processability, being well dispersed in the matrix. The natural clay increased the tensile stiffness, whereas the modified clay increased the surface hydrophobicity. Both clays decreased the Tg and increased the thermal stability of the nanocomposites. The overall conclusion was that injection molding is a promising method for producing WG items of simple shapes. Further studies will reveal if gluten can also be used for making more complex shapes.
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| 6. |
- Mihai, A, et al.
(författare)
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Inverse vs. forward breast IMRT planning
- 2005
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Ingår i: Medical Dosimetry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-4022 .- 0958-3947. ; 30:3, s. 149-154
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Breast intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) improves dose distribution homogeneity within the whole breast. Previous publications report the use of inverse or forward dose optimization algorithms. Because the inverse technique is not widely available in commercial treatment planning systems, it is important to compare the 2 algorithms. The goal of this work is to compare them on a prospective cohort of 30 patients. Dose distributions were evaluated on differential dose-volume histograms using the volumes receiving more than 105% (V-105) and 110% (V-110) of the prescribed dose, and on the maximum dose (D-max) or hot spot and the sagittal dose gradient (SDG) being the gradient between the dose on inframammary crease and the dose prescribed. The data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test. The inverse planning significantly improves the V-105 (mean value 9.7% vs. 14.5%, p = 0.002), and the V-110 (mean value 1.4% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.006). However, the SDG is not statistically significantly different for either algorithm. Looking at the potential impact on skin acute reaction, although there is a significant reduction of V-110 using an inverse algorithm, it is unlikely this 1.6% volume reduction will present a significant clinical advantage over a forward algorithm. Both algorithms are equivalent in removing the hot spots on the inframammary fold, where acute skin reactions occur more frequently using a conventional wedge technique. Based on these results, we recommend that both forward and inverse algorithms should be considered for breast IMRT planning.
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| 7. |
- Ruperto, N., et al.
(författare)
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PRINTO/PRES international website for families of children with rheumatic diseases: www.pediatric-rheumatology.printo.it
- 2005
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Ingår i: Ann Rheum Dis. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967. ; 64:7, s. 1101-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To prepare a website for families and health professionals containing up to date information about paediatric rheumatic diseases (PRD). METHODS: Firstly, paediatric rheumatology centres and family self help associations were surveyed to characterise current clinical practice of physicians providing care for children with PRD, research activities, and training facilities of each centre. Secondly, international consensus was reached on the content of the website. Finally, the website was developed and the texts translated. RESULTS: The web page contains three main sections: (a) description for families of the characteristics of 15 PRD; (b) list of paediatric rheumatology centres; (c) contact information for family self help associations. A version for 45 countries in 52 languages (with another three in progress) is now available on the web. 291 surveys from 171 centres and 102 family associations were received from 42 countries. The median proportion of time spent in paediatric practice in the centres examined was 100%, with 70% of this time dedicated to paediatric rheumatology. 90% of the centres were willing to perform clinical trials in the future. CONCLUSIONS: The PRINTO/PRES website provides a well defined and competent set of information about PRD, with appropriate multiple translated versions and easy web navigational direction.
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| 8. |
- Yang, Zongxian, et al.
(författare)
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Adsorption of NO on unreduced and reduced CeO2 surfaces : A plane-wave DFT study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Surface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0039-6028 .- 1879-2758. ; 600:22, s. 4953-4960
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The adsorption of NO on the (111) and (110) surfaces of ceria (CeC2) was studied using projector-augmented wave (PAW) method based density-functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Several adsorption sites for NO on the stoichiometric surfaces are found, all with weak molecule-surface interaction. The adsorption on the reduced surfaces is much stronger. The O-ends of the adsorbed NO molecules fill the oxygen vacancies and the N-O bonds are elongated. If two such adsorbed NO molecules, residing at neighbouring sites, meet, their N-ends will form a strong N-N bond with little or no barrier. This is an intermediate step towards dissociation of free N-2 which is calculated to be strongly thermodynamically driven.
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| 9. |
- Yang, Zongxian, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Zr doping on stoichiometric and reduced ceria : A first-principles study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 124:22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Zr doping in CeO2 may change the reduction properties and therefore the redox properties of CeO2. Using first-principles density functional theory with the inclusion of on-site Coulomb interaction for a 96-atom supercell, these effects are studied by comparing the differences in atomic structures, electronic structures, and reduction energies of the doped CeO2 and those of the nondoped CeO2. It is found that (1) Zr doping of the ceria structure results in important modifications involving nonequivalent O atoms; (2) the oxygen anions (still four-coordinated) next to the doping center show considerably lower reduction energies (by 0.6 eV) and larger displacements ('' higher mobilities ''); (3) an O vacancy is most easily created close to the Zr centers, therefore the Zr-doping centers might serve as nucleation centers for vacancy clustering; and (4) the electrons left by the released oxygen localize on two Ce cations neighboring the vacancy, which results in the reduction of two Ce4+ ions.
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