The effects of antidiabetic agents on heart failure.

In the Netherlands, approximately 250,000 people are living with heart failure. About one-third of them have comorbid diabetes mellitus type 2. Until recently, the effects of antidiabetic agents on heart failure were largely unknown.

Palatoschisis, Schizophrenia and Hypocalcaemia: Phenotypic Expression of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (DiGeorge Syndrome) in an Adult.

Unlabelled: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome typically presents with congenital cardiac anomalies, immunodeficiencies and hypoparathyroidism. However, clinical findings vary greatly.

TREAT Early Arthralgia to Reverse or Limit Impending Exacerbation to Rheumatoid arthritis (TREAT EARLIER): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol.

Background: We present a study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that investigates the hypothesis if intervention in the symptomatic phase preceding clinical arthritis (clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA)) is effective in preventing progression from subclinical inflammation to clinically apparent persistent arthritis. Currently, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be recognized and diagnosed when arthritis (joint swelling) has become detectable at physical examination. Importantly, at this time, the immune processes have already matured, chronicity is established, and patients require long-standing treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Patterns and characteristics of cognitive functioning in older patients approaching end stage kidney disease, the COPE-study.

Background: The prevalence of impaired cognitive functioning in older patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) is high. We aim to describe patterns of memory, executive function or psychomotor speed and to identify nephrologic, geriatric and neuroradiologic characteristics associated with cognitive impairment in older patients approaching ESKD who have not yet started with renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Methods: The COPE-study (Cognitive Decline in Older Patients with ESRD) is a prospective cohort study including 157 participants aged 65 years and older approaching ESKD (eGFR ≤20 ml/min/1.

Soft tissue infection after photoselective vaporization of the prostate: a life-threating complication.

Bladder outlet obstruction is a common aetiology of lower urinary tract symptoms in adult men and several treatment options are available. We report on a case of a 73-year-old man with a complicated soft tissue infection due to an urinoma after laser prostatectomy. He was treated by several surgical interventions and long-term antibiotic therapy.

The Cognitive decline in Older Patients with End stage renal disease (COPE) study - rationale and design.

Background: Older patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for cognitive decline, but detailed studies of the magnitude of cognitive decline on dialysis or comprehensive conservative management (CCM) are lacking and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms have poorly been studied.

Objectives: To describe the rationale and design of the COPE study. Study objectives are as follows.

Improvement of radiocephalic fistula maturation: rationale and design of the Liposomal Prednisolone to Improve Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (LIPMAT) study - a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Non-maturation is a frequent complication of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas (RCAVF). In an animal model, liposomal prednisolone improved maturation of experimental fistulas. The Liposomal Prednisolone to Improve Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (LIPMAT) study investigates if liposomal prednisolone improves RCAVF maturation.

Integrated remotely tunable optical delay line for millimeter-wave beam steering fabricated in an InP generic foundry.

A compact and fabrication-tolerant integrated remotely tunable optical delay line is proposed for millimeter-wave beam steering and is fabricated in an InP generic foundry. The proposed delay line is based on a spectrally cyclic-arrayed waveguide grating feedback loop. Its major features include the tolerant architecture with reduced chip size, and bi-directional operation with simplified remote tuning.

Melioidosis and renal failure in a Dutch man after a trip to Gambia.

Melioidosis is due to Burkholderia pseudomallei and is known to be endemic in South-East Asia, while epidemiology of disease in Sub-Saharan Africa is still unclear. Prompt recognition of infection is crucial for adequate antibiotic treatment. Infection can lead to visceral abcesses and awareness of this complication is important for proper management.

Cyclic additional optical true time delay for microwave beam steering with spectral filtering.

Optical true time delay (OTTD) is an attractive way to realize microwave beam steering (MBS) due to its inherent features of broadband, low-loss, and compactness. In this Letter, we propose a novel OTTD approach named cyclic additional optical true time delay (CAO-TTD). It applies additional integer delays of the microwave carrier frequency to achieve spectral filtering but without disturbing the spatial filtering (beam steering).

What is the most reliable solid culture medium for tuberculosis treatment trials?

We conducted a prospective study to determine which solid medium is the most reliable overall and after two months of therapy to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB). MTB isolation and contamination rates on LJ and Middlebrook 7H10 and 7H11 agar with and without selective antibiotics were examined in a single laboratory and compared against a constructed reference standard and MGIT 960 results. Of 50 smear positive adults with pulmonary TB enrolled, 45 successfully completed standard treatment.

Phase modulation parallel optical delay detector for microwave angle-of-arrival measurement with accuracy monitored.

A novel phase modulation parallel optical delay detector is proposed for microwave angle-of-arrival measurement with accuracy monitored by using only one dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator. A theoretical model is built up to analyze the proposed system including measurement accuracy monitoring. The spatial delay measurement is translated into the phase shift between two replicas of a microwave signal.

Interleaved and partial transmission interleaved optical coherent orthogonal frequency division multiplexing.

A novel group of interleaved orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (IL-OFDM) and partial transmission IL-OFDM (PT-IL-OFDM) schemes are proposed for optical coherent detection. In the interleaved operation, the odd (or even) subcarriers of an OFDM symbol are reserved (closed). Such an interleaved arrangement can gain the tolerance toward phase noise induced interchannel interference (PN-ICI).

Synchronized signaling delivery for broadband 60 GHz in-building optical wireless network based on digital frequency division multiplexing and digital Nyquist shaping.

A simple and low-cost synchronized signaling delivery scheme has been proposed for a 60 GHz in-building optical wireless network with 12.7Gbps throughput based on digital frequency division multiplexing and digital Nyquist shaping.

Unnecessary surgery for acute abdomen secondary to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use.

Acute abdominal pain is the reason for 5% to 10% of all emergency department visits. In 1 in every 9 patients, operated on for an acute abdomen, laparotomy is negative. In a minority of patients, the acute abdomen is caused by side effects of medication.

Cost optimization of optical in-building networks.

Optical fiber-based in-building network solutions can outperform in the near future copper- and radio-based solutions both regarding performance and costs. POF solutions are maturing, and can already today be cheaper than Cat-5e solutions when ducts are shared with electricity power cabling. We compare the CapEx and OpEx of in-building networks for fiber and Cat-5E solutions.

The testis-specific Cα2 subunit of PKA is kinetically indistinguishable from the common Cα1 subunit of PKA.

Background: The two variants of the α-form of the catalytic (C) subunit of protein kinase A (PKA), designated Cα1 and Cα2, are encoded by the PRKACA gene. Whereas Cα1 is ubiquitous, Cα2 expression is restricted to the sperm cell. Cα1 and Cα2 are encoded with different N-terminal domains.

Rhomboid homologs in mycobacteria: insights from phylogeny and genomic analysis.

Background: Rhomboids are ubiquitous proteins with diverse functions in all life kingdoms, and are emerging as important factors in the biology of some pathogenic apicomplexa and Providencia stuartii. Although prokaryotic genomes contain one rhomboid, actinobacteria can have two or more copies whose sequences have not been analyzed for the presence putative rhomboid catalytic signatures. We report detailed phylogenetic and genomic analyses devoted to prokaryotic rhomboids of an important genus, Mycobacterium.

Record high-speed short-range transmission over 1 mm core diameter POF employing DMT modulation.

We report multigigabit/second transmission capacity in 1 mm core diameter graded index plastic optical fiber (POF) exploiting off-the-shelf low-cost components and discrete multitone (DMT) modulation. Transmission capacities of 10.1 Gbits/s x 15 m and 12.

Sustained changes in lipid profile and macrophage migration inhibitory factor levels after anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has recently emerged as an important cytokine possibly linking rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and atherogenesis. Because atherogenesis is accelerated in RA this study was conducted to investigate whether anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy could lead to sustained downregulation of systemic MIF levels and improvement in lipid profiles.

Methods: Fifty RA patients with active disease (disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) >or=3.

Adaptation of lateral pterygoid and anterior digastric muscles after surgical mandibular advancement procedures in different vertical craniofacial types: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

Objective: Surgical mandibular advancement procedures induce major adaptations of jaw-closing muscles. In this study, adaptation of antagonist muscles, the lateral pterygoid (LPM) and anterior digastric (DigA) muscles, was evaluated.

Study Design: Eighteen adult patients with mandibular retrognathia and individually varying vertical craniofacial dimensions were treated with bilateral sagittal split osteotomies (BSSO), in some cases combined with a Le Fort I osteotomy (LF Bimax).