Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: New PSUMMIT 2* data first presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, further demonstrate the efficacy of ustekinumab in Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). Anti-TNF naïve and anti-TNF-experienced patients randomised to one of two ustekinumab doses (45mg or 90mg) demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in the signs and symptoms of PsA, with favourable safety profiles. PsA is a chronic inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis which significantly impacts health-related quality of life ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, shows that one in eight patients at risk of developing a serious adverse drug event (ADE) is taking over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), often to treat a musculoskeletal complaint. Of these high risk OTC NSAID users, over one-third had taken the medication for more than 7 days, and 3% had exceeded the maximum recommended daily dosage. Patients were considered at high risk of a serious ADE from OTC ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, shows that treatment with brodalumab demonstrates significant clinical response and an acceptable safety profile in subjects with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). PsA is a chronic inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis which significantly impacts health-related quality of life in patients, and increases risk of co-morbid cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.2 Psoriasis occurs in 2-3% of the population, with PsA occurring in ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, shows that rapid evaluation for Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) by Color Doppler Ultrasound (CDUS) followed by immediate initiation of treatment (if required) significantly reduces permanent vision loss. Of the patients evaluated by the ''fast track'' principle from March 2010 to December 2012, 11.1% had transient visual manifestations, and none went on to suffer from permanent visual loss. GCA is a condition in which medium and large-size arteries, ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism shows that tocilizumab is efficacious and leads to a sustained clinically meaningful improvement in children with polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (pcJIA). Tocilizumab is a humanized recombinant antibody, which blocks the receptors where interleukin-6 (IL-6) attaches to the surface of cells. When IL-6 is unable to attach to these cells, they are prevented from driving inflammation. Elevated serum and joint fluid IL-6 levels ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: Data from AMPLE presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrate comparable efficacy and similar safety profiles between subcutaneous abatacept (ABA) and adalimumab (ADA). AMPLE, the first two-year head-to-head biologics trial, was comprised of 646 biologic-naïve patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) equally randomised to either ABA or ADA, with a stable dose of methotrexate (MTX). 79.2% (252 of 318) ABA patients and 74.7% (245 of 328) ADA patients completed the trial. RA is a ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: New data presented today at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism show that apremilast administered to patients with psoriatic arthritis continues to demonstrate meaningful clinical responses beyond 24 weeks. For patients who completed 52 weeks of the study, up to 65% achieved ACR20* response rates. Also, apremilast continued to be well tolerated with an acceptable longer-term safety profile. Apremilast is a novel, oral small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). It works as an anti-inflammatory ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates the efficacy of the ARASHI method at evaluating radiographic (X-ray) joint damage in RA. The study validated the use of ARASHI to assess joint damage in RA, and clarified the pattern of progression of damage during two-year TNF-blocking therapies. In addition to concluding the success of the scoring method, the data also showed that hip and knee joints with pre-existing damage were predisposed to continue destruction, even during ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: Results of the first study involving RA patients in the development of an internet-based physical activity intervention were presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism. These data show that seven categories are crucial for the adoption and maintenance of PA: personal incentives, personal mastering, information adapted to the Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) condition, peer support, professional coaching, physical environment and resources, and societal support/financial assistance. RA is a chronic autoimmune ...

Madrid, Spain, 12 June 2013: A new study presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates that progressive muscle strengthening using a Swiss ball is effective in improving muscle strength and walking performance in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Patients randomised to the exercise programme showed statistically significant improvements in muscle strength with no worsening of disease activity; in addition these patients reported greater satisfaction with their treatment than those in the control group. AS ...

Two new studies by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have shed light on joint replacement outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One study overturns the common belief that RA patients have worse outcomes after a total knee replacement (TKR) than patients who undergo the operation for osteoarthritis. The other study demonstrates that RA patients who undergo a total hip replacement were as likely to have significant improvements in function and pain as patients with osteoarthritis (OA), even though they did not do as well. The news will be reported ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — Pixie dust may be the stuff of fanciful fiction, but for scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Materials, a commonly used sugar-based additive has been found to have properties that are near magical. By adding minute amounts of it during the fabrication of organic semiconductors, they have been able to dramatically increase yield and control crystallization, which could, in the near future, make the technology not only cheaper and more accessible, but also enhance its performance. Results of their study are published in the recent issue ...

Vitamin C may substantially reduce bronchoconstriction caused by exercise, says Dr. Harri Hemila from the University of Helsinki, Finland. Hemila's meta-analysis "Vitamin C may alleviate exercise-induced bronchoconstriction" was published in BMJ Open (7 June, 2013) Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction means the transient narrowing of the airways that occurs during or after exercise. It can cause symptoms such as cough, wheezing and the shortness of breath. Formerly, this condition was called exercise-induced asthma. Usually, the diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction ...

This news release is available in German. Will emails be quantum encrypted in the future? Will we be able to teleport quantum states over large distances via ordinary glass fiber cables? Laser-cooled atoms which are coupled to ultra-thin glass fibers are ideally suited for applications in quantum communication. Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology have now demonstrated experimentally that such glass fibers are capable of storing quantum information long enough so that they could be used for entangling atoms hundreds of kilometers apart. This constitutes ...

Passiflora is a genus of beautiful plants commonly known as the passion flowers or passion vines. The most famous representative of this group is the passion fruit, favorite to many. Passiflora contains around 530 species with native ranges throughout the southern United States and Mexico as well as Central and South America. In addition, there are 24 species of Passiflora endemic to the Old World. In China, the native Passiflora exhibit high levels of endemism, seldomly display overlapping distributions, and are in general extremely rare. A new study published in the ...

"Pharmaceutical residues are becoming increasingly a problem for the environment. Sewage plants do not decompose these substances completely. The problem will worsen if one considers, for example, the rising proportion of elderly people in our society who actually account for the increased consumption of medicine," notes Dr. Katrin Pollmann, Team Leader Biotechnology at the HZDR. "Our color sensor method is generally suitable for detecting all kinds of substances," continues Dr. Pollmann. It could also be very profitable when used for recycling strategic metals, an ...

This news release is available in German. The song of songbirds is usually transmitted from one generation to the next by imitation learning and is thought to be similar to the acquisition of human speech. Although song is often learnt from an adult model, there is some evidence of active vocal learning among siblings. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen now showed that juvenile zebra finches that have been raised without their fathers are able to learn their song via a brother that for a short period had been exposed to the father's' ...

The harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a whale species that is doing quite well in coastal and busy waters. They are found in large numbers throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Mauritania to Alaska, and now researchers from the University of Southern Denmark explain why these small toothed whales are doing so well: The harbor porpoise can thank their worst enemy, the killer whale, for their success. Coastal areas are more challenging and potentially dangerous for a small whale. There is a risk of beaching and being caught in a fisherman's net, but there are also ...

New research shows that exposing polymer molecular sieve membranes to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in the presence of oxygen produces highly permeable and selective membranes for more efficient molecular-level separation, an essential process in everything from water purification to controlling gas emissions. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study finds that short-wavelength UV exposure of the sponge-like polymer membranes in the presence of oxygen allows the formation of ozone within the polymer matrix. The ozone induces oxidation of the polymer and ...

A new material has the potential to improve the sensitivity of photographic image sensors by a factor of five. In 2011, an EPFL team led by Andras Kis discovered the amazing semi-conducting properties of molybdenite (MoS2), and they have been exploring its potential in various technological applications ever since. This promising candidate for replacing silicon has now been integrated in a prototype of an image sensor. This sensor, described in an article appearing in Nature Nanotechnology, has five times the light sensitivity of current technology. All digital cameras ...

A few cups of hot cocoa may not only fight off the chill of a winter's day, but they could also help obese people better control inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes, according to Penn State researchers. Mice that were fed cocoa with a high-fat diet experienced less obesity-related inflammation than mice fed the same high-fat diet without the supplement, said Joshua Lambert, associate professor of food science. The mice ate the human equivalent of 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder -- about four or five cups of hot cocoa -- during a 10-week period. "What surprised ...

PITTSBURGH—Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a method for tracking the locations of multiple individuals in complex, indoor settings using a network of video cameras, creating something similar to the fictional Marauder's Map used by Harry Potter to track comings and goings at the Hogwarts School. The method was able to automatically follow the movements of 13 people within a nursing home, even though individuals sometimes slipped out of view of the cameras. None of Potter's magic was needed to track them for prolonged periods; rather, the researchers ...

This news release is available in French. Understanding the size and frequency of large earthquakes along the Pacific coast of North America is of great importance, not just to scientists, but also to government planners and the general public. The only way to predict the frequency and intensity of the ground motion expected from large and giant "megathrust " earthquakes along Canada's west coast is to analyze the geologic record. A new study published today in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences presents an exceptionally well-dated first record of earthquake history ...

PHILADELPHIA— Sperm doesn't appear to forget anything. Stress felt by dad—whether as a preadolescent or adult—leaves a lasting impression on his sperm that gives sons and daughters a blunted reaction to stress, a response linked to several mental disorders. The findings, published in a new preclinical study in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, point to a never-before-seen epigenetic link to stress-related diseases such as anxiety and depression passed from father to child. While environmental challenges, like diet, drug abuse, ...

A team of Spanish researchers, coordinated by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has started to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina Expedition. This collection of marine microbial genomic, the first in the world on a global scale, will provide new clues about a reservoir of biodiversity yet to explore, considering that it could imply the discovery of tens of millions of new genes in the coming years. The works of sequencing ...