Lightweighting in the automotive industry as a measure for energy efficiency: Review of the main materials and methods.

The increasing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx) have led to environmental concerns. Hybrid and electric powertrains are being introduced as means to reduce pollutant emissions, especially at the local level. Additionally, the finite availability of fossil fuel sources, which are used to produce gasoline and diesel, highlights the need for alternative technical solutions.

Impact of reduced mass of light commercial vehicles on fuel consumption, CO emissions, air quality, and socio-economic costs.

This study presents a modelling system to evaluate the impact of weight reduction in light commercial vehicles with diesel engines on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The PROPS model assesses the emissions of one vehicle in the aforementioned category and its corresponding reduced-weight version. The results serve as an input to the RIAT+ tool, an air quality integrated assessment modelling system.

Simvastatin inhibits cytokine production and nuclear factor-kB activation in interleukin 1beta-stimulated synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objectives: Recent studies demonstrated in vivo the effectiveness of statins in reducing the inflammatory response in rheumatic diseases, and still more recently, simvastatin has been reported to inhibit in vitro IL-6 and IL-8 production by unstimulated fibroblast-like-synoviocytes (FLS) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, no data are available on the effect of statins on the production of these cytokines induced by IL-1, which plays a crucial role in joint inflammation in the course of active RA in vivo.

Methods: In 12 RA patients, synovial tissue specimens were taken to obtain cultures of FLS.

Isolated knee monoarthritis heralding resectable non-small-cell lung cancer. A paraneoplastic syndrome not previously described.

Objective: To describe isolated knee monoarthritis as a paraneoplastic syndrome heralding non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to discuss its clinical characteristics.

Methods: Clinical records of all consecutive, new outpatients with isolated knee monoarthritis observed from January 2000 to December 2005 were reviewed. A systematic review of Medline and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify English-language articles related to rheumatological paraneoplastic syndromes associated with NSCLC.

Long-term efficacy of infliximab in refractory posterior uveitis of Behcet's disease: a 24-month follow-up study.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and refractory bilateral posterior uveitis, and to assess the proportion of relapse-free subjects through months 12 and 24.

Methods: Open-label, multicentre, 24-month, prospective, follow up study on 12 consecutive patients with BD and refractory posterior uveitis who had failed at least one immunosuppressive drug. At baseline patients received prednisolone 1 mg/Kg/day with rapid tapering and nine infliximab infusions (5 mg/kg) over a 12-month period.