i.) -4.3 to 15.7) per cent; P = 0.258). Treatment with honey was probably more expensive and associated with more adverse events (relative risk 1.3 (95 per cent c.i. 1.1 to 1.6); P = 0.013). There were no significant differences between the groups for other outcomes.\n\nConclusion: Honey-impregnated dressings did not significantly improve venous ulcer healing at 12 weeks compared with usual care.”
“Objective To determine the ability of Coronary Artery Calcification Score (CACS) and carotid ultrasonography in detecting subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).\n\nMethods A set of 104 consecutive RA patients without history of cardiovascular (CV)

events were studied to determine CACS, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) CX-6258 and plaques. Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) modified according to the EULAR recommendations (mSCORE) was also assessed.\n\nResults The mean disease duration was 10.8years, 72.1% had rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP positivity and 16.4% extra-articular manifestations. Nine were excluded because they had type 2 diabetes mellitus or

chronic kidney disease. CV risk was categorised in the remaining 95 RA patients according to the mSCORE as follows: low (n=21), moderate (n=60) and high/very high risk (n=14). Most patients with low mSCORE (16/21; 76.2%) had normal CACS (zero), and none of them CACS>100. However, a high number of patients with carotid plaques was disclosed in the groups CBL0137 nmr with CACS 0 (23/40; 57.5%) or CACS 1-100 (29/38; 76.3%). 72 (75.8%) of the 95 patients fulfilled definitions for high/very

high CV as they had an mSCORE 5% or mSCORE <5% plus one of the following findings: severe carotid ultrasonography findings (cIMT>0.9mm see more and/or plaques) or CACS>100. A CACS>100 showed sensitivity similar to mSCORE (23.6% vs 19.4%). In contrast, the presence of severe carotid ultrasonography findings allowed identifying most patients who met definitions for high/very high CV risk (70/72; sensitivity 97.2% (95% CI 90.3 to 99.7)).\n\nConclusions Carotid ultrasonography is more sensitive than CACS for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in RA.”
“Synaptic plasticity, specifically long-term potentiation and long-term depression, is thought to be the underlying cellular Mechanism for learning and memory processes in the brain. About two decades ago a new concept was introduced, namely metaplasticity, which comprises changes that modify the properties of synaptic plasticity due to a priming or preconditioning event. While metaplasticity was initially defined and studied predominantly on a synaptic and cellular level, it soon became apparent that the term could also be very useful to describe plasticity changes on a more global level, including environmental stressors as priming events and altered behavior as outcome measures.