Publications by authors named "van den AKKER"

Children with autism and their parents face daily challenges that may be stressful for both. However, little is known about biological stress (hair cortisol concentrations [HCC]) in these families and its connection to children's health outcomes. This study investigates biological stress in children with autism and their parents and its associations with child mental health, eating behavior and BMI.

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Identification of interacting vulnerabilities is essential to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). High parity (≥ 5 previous births) is an underemphasized biological vulnerability linked to poverty and affecting a sizeable proportion of SSA births. Despite increased risk, high parity women rarely use hospitals for childbirth.

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Background: Optimizing CS performance is a global health priority, given the maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with both underuse and overuse. This study aims to (1) determine the facility-based CS rate in Suriname and explore which women are most likely to undergo a CS and (2) classify all CS by the WHO Robson classification and analyze the perinatal outcomes.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study in Suriname, using nationwide birth registry data that included all hospital births in 2020 and 2021 (≥ 27 weeks of gestation).

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Context: The growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor, encoded by GHSR, is expressed on somatotrophs of the pituitary gland. Stimulation with its ligand ghrelin, as well as its constitutive activity, enhances GH secretion. Studies in knock-out mice suggest that heterozygous loss-of-function of GHSR is associated with decreased GH response to fasting, but patient observations in small case reports have been equivocal.

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Importance: Metformin and glyburide monotherapy are used as alternatives to insulin in managing gestational diabetes. Whether a sequential strategy of these oral agents results in noninferior perinatal outcomes compared with insulin alone is unknown.

Objective: To test whether a treatment strategy of oral glucose-lowering agents is noninferior to insulin for prevention of large-for-gestational-age infants.

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Objective: To examine existing literature regarding health literacy levels and their association with multimorbidity and the potential underlying mechanisms behind the said association.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Science Direct were searched for articles published between 1 January 2000 and 31 October 2023 using a systematic search strategy.

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Background: Physiological-based cord clamping (PBCC) in preterm infants is beneficial for cardiovascular transition at birth and may optimize placental transfusion. Whether PBCC can improve clinical outcomes is unknown. The aim of the Aeration, Breathing, Clamping (ABC3) trial was to test whether PBCC results in improved intact survival in very preterm infants.

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Background: Over half of preterm neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) require surgery, making it essential to understand short-term postoperative outcomes and complication rates. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of 30-day postoperative complications for NEC. Secondary, risk factors for minor and major short-term postoperative complications were identified.

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Global food system governance increasingly relies on multistakeholder initiatives (MSIs) that aim to include those who are affected by and/or affected by an issue. Multistakeholderism's perceived legitimacy is premised on both its outcomes (output legitimacy) and processes (input legitimacy), the latter in turn based on four key rationales: inclusiveness, procedural fairness, consensual orientation and transparency. To date, evidence on the ineffectiveness of MSI's outcomes undermines its claims to output legitimacy.

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Background: Transfusion reactions occur at an estimated incidence of 2 per 1.000 transfused products. Anaphylactic transfusion reactions are rarer, and seen in 1 per 10.

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Purpose: Knee joint distraction is a surgical procedure with cartilage-regenerating properties. The composition of joint distraction-regenerated cartilage in human patients is poorly documented. In this case-study, provided a unique opportunity to biomolecularly characterize the regenerated tissue from a patient who underwent bilateral distraction and later knee replacements.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review examines the differences between proteins in human milk and infant formula and their impacts on growth and development in preterm infants.
  • High protein intake is essential for initial growth, with formulas providing higher protein but posing risks like necrotizing enterocolitis; human milk is generally favored for its protective benefits.
  • Overall, while both options support growth, further research is needed to optimize protein intake for long-term developmental outcomes in preterm infants.
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Background: Previous spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a strong risk indicator for recurrent preterm birth (PTB). Cervical cerclage is an accepted intervention to prevent recurrent PTB in high risk patients. Cervical pessary might be a less invasive alternative.

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  • The study aimed to identify factors leading to maternal mortality in 13 public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia through a nested case-control study format.
  • A total of 280 women were studied, with results showing that women who died were significantly more likely to have had a caesarean section, required intensive care, experienced postpartum hemorrhage, and had pre-existing medical conditions compared to survivors.
  • The conclusion emphasized that enhancing maternal survival depends on proper use of caesarean sections, improved surgical conditions, better communication among healthcare facilities, comprehensive care for women with existing health issues, and efficient intensive care resources.
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Background: As routinely collected patient data have become increasingly accessible over the years, more attention has been directed at the ethics of using such data for research. Patient data is often available to researchers through patient registries that typically collect data of patients with a specific condition. While ethical guidelines for using patient data are presented frequently in the literature, it is currently unknown how patient registries implement the recommendations from these guidelines in practice and how they communicate their practices.

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Understanding how mechanical stress affects erythropoiesis is crucial to produce transfusable erythrocytes in fluid-turbulent bioreactors. We investigated the effects of shear-stress on differentiating CD49dCD235a primary human erythroblasts (EBL) at molecular, cellular, and functional level. Shear-stress, at differentiation onset, enhanced EBL maturation and induced upregulation of genes regulating cholesterol/lipids biosynthesis, causing changes in cell lipid composition.

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Across the lifespan, diet and physical activity profiles substantially influence immunometabolic health. DNA methylation, as a tissue-specific marker sensitive to behavioral change, may mediate these effects through modulation of transcription factor binding and subsequent gene expression. Despite this, few human studies have profiled DNA methylation and gene expression simultaneously in multiple tissues or examined how molecular levels react and interact in response to lifestyle changes.

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  • * This study compared two filtration technologies: a smaller pressurized media filtration (PMF) plant and a larger dissolved air flotation filtration (DAFF) system, assessing their efficiency in removing protozoa and viruses using model organisms.
  • * The DAFF process was more effective in reducing bacteriophage levels than PMF, while both systems had comparable effectiveness for yeast; the study also examined trade-offs in energy usage and chemical consumption, providing insights for designing effective recycled water systems.
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  • Cesarean delivery rates in Dar es Salaam have risen from 17% in 2015 to 26% in 2022 without corresponding improvements in perinatal outcomes, indicating potential overuse and highlighting the need to manage prolonged labor effectively.
  • This study aimed to determine what percentage of cesarean deliveries indicated as due to prolonged labor occurred in women with otherwise uncomplicated labor progression.
  • Findings showed that out of 1517 first-time cesarean deliveries, nearly half (47.9%) had prolonged labor as the written indication, but 53.3% of these cases occurred despite the labor progressing normally, raising concerns about unnecessary cesarean deliveries.
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Unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, ultra-processed food and beverage producers are known to influence policy-making to advance their interests, often to the detriment of public health goals. This study mapped the complex system underpinning UCI's influence on public health policy formulation in the UK and identified potential interventions to shift the system towards being able to better attain public health goals. We conducted a participatory systems mapping workshop with ten experts to build a causal loop diagram (CLD) and identify potential interventions to address UCI's influence on public health policy development.

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Background: Early-onset Group B Streptococcus (EOGBS) infection leads to substantial morbidity and mortality in newborn infants. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) prevents EOGBS infection, but IAP strategies vary. The approach to the provision of IAP can be risk-based, universal or a combination of the two strategies.

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As researchers in global health, we reflect on the inequities in our work and our own struggles with these inequities and suggest some points to consider to address them in future global health work.

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Dexamethasone is crucial in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, however, studies regarding the pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone and its metabolites are scarce. Our study conducted a comprehensive pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis of dexamethasone and metabolite, examining their association with dexamethasone-induced toxicity. Peak and trough concentrations were collected during the maintenance phase from pediatric ALL patients who received oral dexamethasone (6mg/m2/day).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to differentiate osteoarthritis (OA) patients by analyzing their serum-induced cellular signaling patterns, using samples from knee OA patients, hand OA patients, and healthy controls.
  • Results showed significant differences in cellular pathway activity based on the type of OA, with hand OA serum triggering higher MAPK-related AP1 activity, while knee OA serum affected other pathways related to ELK1-SRF, STAT1-STAT2, and SOX9.
  • The findings suggest that the underlying mechanisms of OA differ between hand and knee OA, potentially paving the way for more targeted treatments based on specific OA endotypes.
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Objective: Human milk composition is dynamic. While extensive research has focused on its macronutrient concentrations during the first 6 months of lactation, limited research exists for extended lactation periods. This study aims to examine the nutritional composition of human milk during these longer lactation phases.

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