Lancet
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Every-other-day interferon beta-1b versus once-weekly interferon beta-1a for multiple sclerosis: results of a 2-year prospective randomised multicentre study (INCOMIN).
The three interferon beta preparations approved for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) differ in dose and frequency of administration. Interferon beta-1a 30 microg is administered once a week, interferon beta-1a 22 microg or 44 microg is given three times a week, and interferon beta-1b 250 microg is administered on alternate days. No clinical study directly comparing the different regimens has been published. The INCOMIN study was designed to compare the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) benefits of on-alternate-day interferon beta-1b 250 microg with once-weekly interferon beta-1a 30 microg. ⋯ High-dose interferon beta-1b administered every other day is more effective than interferon beta-1a given once a week.
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Review
Dilemmas and opportunities for an appropriate health-service response to violence against women.
This article is an overview of the role of health services in secondary and tertiary prevention of intimate partner violence. In it, I review the evidence, which comes mostly from developed countries, on the effectiveness and limitations of in-service training programmes to identify and care for women who have experienced intimate partner violence. I also discuss recent initiatives in developing countries to integrate concerns on gender-based violence into health-care services at different levels, some of the dilemmas and challenges posed by the current approaches to intimate partner violence, and recommendations for future interventions.