ObjectiveUS can detect subclinical joint-inflammation in patients with clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA), which is valuable as predictor for RA development. In most research protocols both hands... Show moreObjectiveUS can detect subclinical joint-inflammation in patients with clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA), which is valuable as predictor for RA development. In most research protocols both hands and forefeet are scanned, but it is unclear if US of the forefeet has additional value for predicting RA, especially since synovial hypertrophy in MTP-joints of healthy individuals is also common. To explore the possibility to omit scanning of the forefeet we determined if US of the forefeet is of additional predictive value for RA-development in CSA patients.MethodsCSA patients of two independent cohorts underwent US of the hands and forefeet. We analysed the association between RA-development and US-positivity for the full US-protocol, the full US-protocol with correction for gray scale (GS)-findings in the forefeet of healthy and the protocol without forefeet.ResultsIn total, 298 CSA patients were studied. In patients with a positive US, subclinical joint-inflammation was mostly present in the hands (90–86%). Only 10–14% of patients had subclinical joint-inflammation solely in the forefeet. US-positivity was associated with inflammatory arthritis development in both cohorts, with HRs 2.6 (95% CI 0.9–7.5) and 3.1 (95% CI 1.5–6.4) for the full protocol, 3.1 (95% CI 1.3–7.7) and 2.7 (95% CI 1.3–5.4) for the full US-protocol with correction, and 3.1 (95% CI 1.4–6.9) and 2.8 (95% CI 1.4–5.6) without the forefeet. AUROCs were equal across both cohorts.ConclusionThe forefeet can be omitted when US is used for the prediction of RA-development in CSA patients. This is due to the finding that subclinical joint-inflammation in the forefeet without concomitant inflammation in the hands is infrequent. Show less
Drawing on new data, Lin Zhang, Zhe Cao, Gunnar Sivertsen, and Dmitry Kochetkov explore how the conflict in Ukraine has changed Russian science and how international sanctions have played a minor... Show moreDrawing on new data, Lin Zhang, Zhe Cao, Gunnar Sivertsen, and Dmitry Kochetkov explore how the conflict in Ukraine has changed Russian science and how international sanctions have played a minor role compared to domestic politics in isolating Russian scientists. Show less
This article analyses how Dutch slave owners and shareholders used petitions to influence how slavery was abolished in Suriname, Curaçao and the Antilles. They have been characterised as defenders... Show moreThis article analyses how Dutch slave owners and shareholders used petitions to influence how slavery was abolished in Suriname, Curaçao and the Antilles. They have been characterised as defenders of slavery. Throughout this article it will become clear that slave owners and shareholders did not aim for the continuation of slavery in the Dutch Atlantic after the 1840s. Instead, they successfully lobbied to postpone abolition until the most favourable conditions for them – rather than the enslaved people – had been agreed in Parliament. British legislation and colonial practices inspired their advocacy for financial compensation and labour immigration, showing the transnational nature of this approach. Referring to legislation adopted by the States General also proved an effective tactic to legitimise their claims. The resulting Emancipation Act became part of the Dutch State’s transformation into an anti-slavery empire, because the Act expanded the state’s power over the formerly enslaved people in Suriname and the use of coerced labour under the guise of abolition. Show less
Twee nieuwe historische onderzoeken benaderen de opkomst van nieuwe en machtige handelaren en bestuurders binnen de Trans-Atlantische mensen- en goederenhandel met oog op prestigieuze voorwerpen en... Show moreTwee nieuwe historische onderzoeken benaderen de opkomst van nieuwe en machtige handelaren en bestuurders binnen de Trans-Atlantische mensen- en goederenhandel met oog op prestigieuze voorwerpen en geschenken. Historicus Karwan Fatah-Black las de publicaties van Ana Lucia Araujo en Nicholas Radburn en wendt zich tot de Nederlandse geschiedenis. Show less
