Background. Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is the most common peripheral vascular disorder in the elderly. A clear picture of the disease’s course, especially in patients with non-critical limb ischaemia (Fontaine stages I and II), is essential for the general practitioner, who plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of PAOD. Aim. To evaluate the population-based evidence...

BACKGROUND For women living with HIV, contraception using condoms is recommended because it prevents not only unintended pregnancy but also acquisition of other sexually transmitted infections and onward transmission of HIV. Dual-method dual-protection contraception (condoms with other contraceptive methods) is preferable over single-method dual-protection contraception (condoms alone) because ...

BACKGROUND Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in adults with Pompe disease, a progressive neuromuscular disorder, is of promising but variable efficacy. We investigated whether it alters the course of disease, and also identified potential prognostic factors. METHODS Patients in this open-label single-center study were treated biweekly with 20 mg/kg alglucosidase alfa. Muscle strength, muscle f...

A new method for determining the temperature calibration function for a high-temperature X-ray diffraction stage is described. This method utilizes the relative thermal expansion of two diffraction peaks, either for peaks from a mixture of phases, or from a single phase that has anisotropic thermal expansion. A calibration function is derived from data at many temperatures and collected over a ...