Disease activity, structural damage, and progression all impact the lives of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and can cause psychosocial distress. While inhibition of inflammation and structural changes have improved significantly following advances in pharmacological treatment in recent dates, the observed impact of these disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) on key psychosocial outcomes is limited.3 An important feature within the EULAR recommendations on self-management in people with inflammatory arthritis is that digital healthcare is tagged as being essential in supporting and optimising self-management2. . Thus healthcare professionals need to be aware ...

People living with RMDs can now fill out the survey online, sharing their experiences to help build a comprehensive understanding of their disease's impact. The data collected will be invaluable for researchers, healthcare professionals, and patients themselves, providing insights into the burden of RMDs and identifying areas for improvement in care.   EULAR is committed to inclusivity and accessibility; the survey will soon be available in multiple European languages in addition to English. This ensures that a diverse range of patients can contribute their perspectives, enhancing the richness and applicability of the data.   Participants will answer a baseline survey ...

ENTRI aims to:  Create a network of clinical trial centres, accessible to all investigators and sponsors from both public and private sectors. Build capacity and training in clinical trials and experimental medicine studies. Provide RMD-related clinical trials toolkits underpinned by best practice.   By facilitating the delivery of incisive research trial studies, ENTRI helps generate the evidence required to implement changes in clinical practice that are meaningful and beneficial to patients. ENTRI members will be invited to participate in cutting-edge projects sponsored by both public and private sectors. Facilitating faster translation of results into ...

Sjögren’s disease is rare in children, and presenting symptoms differ from those seen in adults. For example, paediatric patients present less often with sicca complaints, and more frequently with parotid gland swelling and fever.1 This new work aimed to identify potentially dysregulated molecular pathways in children with Sjögren’s disease by comparing the transcriptome of peripheral blood cells between 18 patients and 23 controls – using differential gene expression and pathway analysis. In addition to whole transcriptome analysis of blood samples, expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) was measured in paired ...

Why are RMDs an issue for Europe? RMDs, often dubbed 'the invisible diseases', affect approximately 120 million Europeans, constituting one in five individuals across the continent. Despite their prevalence, there remains a significant lack of awareness among policymakers and the general public, leading to their frequent neglect in political and financial agendas. However, the impact of RMDs is far-reaching, contributing to physical disability, chronic health conditions, and substantial economic burdens, amounting to an estimated 240 billion Euros annually. Furthermore, RMDs not only pose a direct threat to individual health but also contribute to the ...

Community awareness that children and young people get arthritis is low.1 This is associated with delays in diagnosis, worse clinical outcomes, and adverse societal factors such as stigma and isolation. Raising awareness of childhood arthritis is crucial in combatting these issues to improve the lives of those living with JIA. An abstract plenary session at the 2024 EULAR congress shared work from Juvenile Arthritis Research – a patient organisation in the UK that is involved in a variety of projects to raise awareness and support JIA patients and their families. These include a variety ...

cSLE is a rare multisystem disorder with significant associated morbidity, but evidence-based guidelines are sparse, and as such management is often based on clinical expertise.2 The EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria have shown sensitivity in cSLE patients, which could allow earlier recognition of patients with single or major organ involvement,3 but identifying specific predictors in this vulnerable group is vital for preventing long-lasting damage.   The new work, presented at the 2024 EULAR congress, aimed ...

In the 2023 update of their recommendations for osteoarthritis management, EULAR – The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology – recognise osteoarthritis as a severe disease, and one with important implications for both the individual and society.3 However, most people with osteoarthritis do not receive optimal management,4,5 and this represents an important unmet need – especially when considering additional systemic comorbidities. To explore this further, ComOA6 has combined case-control and cohort studies for over 3 million people in primary care in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain. The analyses – shared at ...

“Classical Cepheids” are a type of pulsating star that rhythmically brightens and dims over time. These pulsations help astronomers measure vast distances across space, which makes Cepheids crucial “standard candles” that help us understand the size and scale of our universe. Despite their importance, studying Cepheids is challenging. Their pulsations and potential interactions with companion stars create complex patterns that are difficult to measure accurately. Different instruments and methods used over the years have led to inconsistent data, ...

Magnetic materials have traditionally been classified as either ferromagnetic, like the decorative magnets on iron refrigerator doors that are seemingly always magnetic, or antiferromagnetic, like two bar magnets placed end-to-end with opposite poles facing each other, canceling each other out so that the material has no net magnetism. However, there appears to be a third class of magnetic materials exhibiting what in 2022 was dubbed altermagnetism. Microscopically, magnetism arises from a collection of tiny magnets associated with electrons, ...

Magnesium compounds are a common ingredient of many remedies designed to help people wind down and escape the stresses of modern life. However, a new study has shown it is not only humans that are using forms of the chemical as a way to help them survive challenging conditions. In tests conducted on beaches in Cornwall, and in the laboratory at the University of Plymouth, scientists confirmed the findings of previous studies which showed large sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator) increase the levels of magnesium ions in their bodies as temperatures fall. This slows them down so they are less active than they would be during the warmer months. However, the new study has shown for the first time ...

Report highlights trajectory challenges for women in elite football       A new report commissioned by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPRO), undertaken by Edith Cowan University (ECU), surveyed footballers across 12 countries in six confederations. More than 700 players participated in the survey, with 71.5% classifying themselves as professional, with a further ...

Men are often urged to talk about their mental health with friends, but what does that involve? This week, researchers from the Men’s Health Research Program at UBC introduced In Good Company, a website and podcast series aimed at answering precisely that question. The website provides practical advice for men seeking to make new connections, strengthen existing relationships and provide mutual support. The podcast series interviews men’s health experts and psychologists to explore the nuances and benefits of authentic male connection. Both ...

Excess sodium intake and a lack of potassium are major contributing factors towards high blood pressure in Indonesia, prompting calls for low-sodium potassium-rich salt substitutes (LSSS) to be readily available to improve health and curb health costs. New Griffith University research has looked at the impact of switching out current table salt (100 per cent sodium chloride) with a low-sodium alternative in Indonesia. Lead author Dr Leopold Aminde from the School of Medicine and Dentistry said the World Health Organisation has recommended a population-wide reduction in sodium consumption to tackle the burden of high blood pressure and ...

Background High-temperature fusion plasma experiments conducted in the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), have renewed the world record for an acquired data amount, 0.92 terabytes (TB) per experiment, in February 2022, by using a full range of state-of-the-art plasma diagnostic devices*1. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is currently under construction in France through the international collaboration of seven parties, is expected to generate ...

EMBARGOED for release until 1pm U.S. Central Time (2pm Eastern) on June 13, 2024 HOUSTON – (June 13, 2024) – Solar power is not only the fastest growing energy technology in recent history but also one of the cheapest energy sources and the most impactful in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A Rice University study featured on the cover of today’s issue of Science describes a way to synthesize formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) ⎯ the type of crystal currently used to make the highest-efficiency perovskite solar cells ⎯ into ultrastable, high-quality photovoltaic films. The overall efficiency of the resulting ...

A group of researchers from the University of Tartu and international scientists discovered new mechanisms of how stroke occurs by studying changes in mouse and human cells. The study lays the foundation for new, more precise treatment methods and better diagnostics, which could improve cardiovascular health in the future. One of the authors of the study, a PhD student of Faculty of Medicine of University of Tartu Katyayani Sukhavasi said that affecting people of all ages, every fifth minute, someone suffers a stroke resulting in brain bleeding or ischemia. „Consequently, many people die ...

Long term thinking and stable, consistent policies are key to improving our nation’s financial prosperity and wellbeing, say experts on The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS as they set out their manifesto for a healthier UK. The BMJ Commission brings together leading experts from medicine and healthcare to identify the key challenges and priorities and make recommendations aimed at ensuring that the vision of the NHS is realised. Their key pledges of what they would do if they were in government are: Reaffirming ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- An international team led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has made a significant breakthrough in how to enable and exploit ultra-fast spin behavior in ferromagnets. The research, published in Physical Review Letters and highlighted as an editors’ suggestion, paves the way for ultra-high frequency applications. Today’s smartphones and computers operate at gigahertz frequencies, a measure of how fast they operate, with scientists working to make them even faster. The new research has found a way to achieve terahertz frequencies using conventional ferromagnets, which ...

A new report offers lessons for post-pandemic transit policy and planning. Notably, it calls for planners to downplay the role of offices in transit station areas and increase the opportunity for people to live in them. Researchers Arthur C. Nelson and Robert Hibberd published "Transit Station Area Development and Demographic Outcomes (PDF)," updating their longitudinal analysis of the impacts of development near transit stations. The new report includes a foreword by U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer. An excerpt reads: "In this report, Arthur ...

New York, NY [June 13, 2024]—Deploying and evaluating a machine learning intervention to improve clinical care and patient outcomes is a key step in moving clinical deterioration models from byte to bedside, according to a June 13 editorial in Critical Care Medicine that comments on a Mount Sinai study published in the same issue. The main study found that hospitalized patients were 43 percent more likely to have their care escalated and significantly less likely to die if their care team received AI-generated alerts signaling adverse changes in their health.                ...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Public Health, together with Bowie State University, is expanding its study abroad options for marginalized faculty and students and for students who are Pell Grant recipients, in part due to a grant announced June 13 from the U.S. State Department. The schools were among a select 37 institutions nationwide to receive this 2024 grant. The award will connect underrepresented faculty and students from both universities with opportunities to study global public health in Rwanda, focusing on countering violent extremism, prevention of emerging tropical infectious diseases, ...

Corn is one of the planet’s most important crops. It not only provides sweet kernels to flavor many dishes, but it’s also used in oils, as a sweetener syrup, and as a feed crop for livestock. Corn has been bred to maximize its yield on farms around the world. But what will happen under climate change? Research led by the University of Washington combined climate projections with plant models to determine what combination of traits might be best adapted to future climates. The study used projections of weather and climate across ...

By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University School of Public Health Health practitioners and fitness buffs have long known that regular physical activity offers numerous health benefits, including the prevention of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis. In addition, exercise enhances immune function and pain control, reduces fall risk and extends life expectancy. Mental health benefits include improved mood, reduced anxiety and decreased ...

New Haven, Conn. — The capacity to adjust beliefs about one’s actions and their consequences in a constantly changing environment is a defining characteristic of advanced cognition. Disruptions to this ability, however, can negatively affect cognition and behavior, leading to such states of mind as paranoia, or the belief that others intend to harm us. In a new study, Yale scientists uncover how one specific region of the brain might causally provoke these feelings of paranoia.  Their novel approach — which involved aligning data collected from monkeys with human data — also offers ...