Validity and Reliability of Four Parent/Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Remote Monitoring.

Objective: The aim of this work was to provide evidence of validity and reliability for 4 parent/child-reported outcome measures included in the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology juvenile idiopathic arthritis core domain set: the evaluation of the child's pain and level of disease activity, the assessment of morning stiffness duration, and an active joint count for proxy/self-assessment.

Methods: Patients were included in the multinational study Epidemiology Treatment and Outcome of Childhood Arthritis. Criterion validity was assessed by examining the correlation of the 4 tested measures with physician measures and the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score in 10 joints (cJADAS10) in the whole sample and after grouping patients by International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) category, geographic area, and education level.

Definition and Validation of the American College of Rheumatology 2021 Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score Cutoffs for Disease Activity States in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective: To develop and validate new Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 10 (JADAS10) and clinical JADAS10 (cJADAS10) cutoffs to separate the states of inactive disease (ID), minimal disease activity (MiDA), moderate disease activity (MoDA), and high disease activity (HDA) in children with oligoarthritis and with rheumatoid factor-negative polyarthritis, based on subjective disease assessment by the treating pediatric rheumatologist.

Methods: The cutoffs definition cohort was composed of 1,936 patients included in the multinational Epidemiology, Treatment and Outcome of Childhood Arthritis (EPOCA) study. Using the subjective physician rating as an external criterion, 4 methods were applied to identify the cutoffs: mapping, Youden index, 90% specificity, and maximum agreement.

A prediction rule for polyarticular extension in oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objectives: To search for predictors of polyarticular extension in children with oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and to develop a prediction model for an extended course.

Methods: The clinical charts of consecutive patients with oligoarticular-onset JIA and ≥2 years of disease duration were reviewed. Predictor variables included demographic data, number and type of affected joints, presence of iridocyclitis, laboratory tests including antinuclear antibodies, and therapeutic interventions in the first 6 months.

Thermal crystallization of amorphous calcium phosphate combined with citrate and fluoride doping: a novel route to produce hydroxyapatite bioceramics.

Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is a material of high interest for dentistry, orthopedics, and other biomedical sectors. Being intrinsically metastable, the process of transformation of ACP into a crystalline phase upon heating is of high relevance for the development of innovative bioceramics. Here we have first studied the thermal behavior of a citrate-stabilized ACP (Cit-ACP) also doped with fluoride ions (Cit-FACP) prepared at three different nominal Cit/Ca ratios (i.

Determinants of Discordance Between Criteria for Inactive Disease and Low Disease Activity in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective: To assess concordance among criteria for inactive disease (ID) and low disease activity (LDA) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and to seek factors driving discordance.

Methods: The frequency of fulfillment of existing criteria was evaluated in information on 10,186 patients extracted from 3 cross-sectional data sets. Patients were divided up according to the functional phenotypes of oligoarthritis and polyarthritis.

Analysis of arthritis flares after achievement of inactive disease with methotrexate monotherapy in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objectives: To investigate the frequency of arthritis flare and factors affecting occurrence of flare in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who achieved inactive disease (ID) with methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy.

Methods: A total of 217 patients were included. The modality of treatment discontinuation, time of MTX withdrawal, and disease course were examined retrospectively.

Comparison Between Clinical and Ultrasound Assessment of the Ankle Region in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective: To compare the frequency of joint and tendon disease on ultrasound (US) and clinical examination, and to investigate agreement between US and clinical evaluation in ankles with clinically active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: US and clinical evaluation were performed independently in the joint and tendon compartments of 105 ankles. Gray-scale (GS) US and power Doppler (PD) US joint abnormalities were scored on a 4-point semiquantitative scale.

Linear and dendrimeric antiviral peptides: design, chemical synthesis and activity against human respiratory syncytial virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viral pathogens. It is especially dangerous for newborns and young children. In some cases it could lead to severe bronchiolitis, pneumonia with hospitalization or even a lethal outcome.

Theory of Magnetic Domain Phases in Ferromagnetic Superconductors.

Recently discovered superconducting P-doped EuFe_{2}As_{2} compounds reveal the situation when the superconducting critical temperature substantially exceeds the ferromagnetic transition temperature. The main mechanism of the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity occurs to be an electromagnetic one, and a short-period magnetic domain structure was observed just below Curie temperature [V. S.

Historical Evolution of Old-Age Mortality and New Approaches to Mortality Forecasting.

Knowledge of future mortality levels and trends is important for actuarial practice but poses a challenge to actuaries and demographers. The Lee-Carter method, currently used for mortality forecasting, is based on the assumption that the historical evolution of mortality at all age groups is driven by one factor only. This approach cannot capture an additive manner of mortality decline observed before the 1960s.

Mortality Trajectories at Exceptionally High Ages: A Study of Supercentenarians.

The growing number of persons surviving to age 100 years and beyond raises questions about the shape of mortality trajectories at exceptionally high ages, and this problem may become significant for actuaries in the near future. However, such studies are scarce because of the difficulties in obtaining reliable age estimates at exceptionally high ages. The current view about mortality beyond age 110 years suggests that death rates do not grow with age and are virtually flat.