Antibiofilm activity of species from the cystic fibrosis lung microbiota against .

It is increasingly recognized that interspecies interactions may modulate the pathogenicity of during chronic lung infections. Nevertheless, while the interaction between and pathogenic microorganisms co-infecting the lungs has been widely investigated, little is known about the influence of other members of the lung microbiota on the infection process. In this study, we focused on investigating the impact of species isolated from the sputum of people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) on biofilm formation and virulence factor production by .

Pooling isolates to address the diversity in antimicrobial susceptibility of in cystic fibrosis.

People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) often suffer from chronic lung infections with . While antibiotics are still commonly used to treat infections, there is a high discordance between and antibiotic efficacy, which contributes to suboptimal antibiotic therapy. In the present study, we found that isolates from the same sputum sample had highly diverse antibiotic resistance profiles [based on the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)], which may explain the reported discrepancy between and antibiotic efficacy.

The development and characterization of in vivo-like three-dimensional models of bronchial epithelial cell lines.

In vitro models of differentiated respiratory epithelium that allow high-throughput screening are an important tool to explore new therapeutics for chronic respiratory diseases. In the present study, we developed in vivo-like three-dimensional (3-D) models of bronchial epithelial cell lines that are commonly used to study chronic lung disease (16HBE14o, CFBE41o and CFBE41o 6.2 WT-CFTR).

Commensal bacteria of the lung microbiota synergistically inhibit inflammation in a three-dimensional epithelial cell model.

Patients with chronic lung disease suffer from persistent inflammation and are typically colonized by pro-inflammatory pathogenic bacteria. Besides these pathogens, a wide variety of commensal species is present in the lower airways but their role in inflammation is unclear. Here, we show that the lung microbiota contains several species able to inhibit activation of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway and production of interleukin 8 (IL-8), triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or HO, in a physiologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) lung epithelial cell model.

High throughput determination of the biofilm prevention concentration for biofilms using a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium.

The presence of biofilms in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffering from chronic lung infections contributes to the failure of antimicrobial therapy. Conventionally, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is determined to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of a pathogen, however this parameter fails to predict success in treating biofilm-associated infections. In the present study we developed a high throughput method to determine the antimicrobial concentration required to prevent biofilm formation, using a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium (SCFM2).

Distinct features in adult polyglucosan body disease: a case series.

Adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) is caused by bi-allelic pathogenic variants in GBE1 and typically shows middle age onset urinary symptoms followed by progressive gait disturbances and possibly cognitive decline. Here we present a Belgian cohort of four patients from three families showing both classical and atypical signs of APBD. By clinical phenotyping, detailed neuroimaging of both central nervous system and skeletal muscle, genetic and biochemical testing, we confront our findings with the classical presentation of adult polyglucosan body disease and emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach when diagnosing these patients.

A non-invasive, automated diagnosis of Menière's disease using radiomics and machine learning on conventional magnetic resonance imaging: A multicentric, case-controlled feasibility study.

Purpose: This study investigated the feasibility of a new image analysis technique (radiomics) on conventional MRI for the computer-aided diagnosis of Menière's disease.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective, multicentric diagnostic case-control study was performed. This study included 120 patients with unilateral or bilateral Menière's disease and 140 controls from four centers in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Alexander Disease.

The main differential diagnosis of leukodystrophy associated with macrocephaly consists of Alexander disease, Canavan disease, and megalencephalic leukodystrophy with subcortical cysts. Distinguishing imaging characteristics of Alexander disease are an apicoposterior gradient of white matter involvement and a periventricular T2-hypointense rim.

rsHRF: A toolbox for resting-state HRF estimation and deconvolution.

The hemodynamic response function (HRF) greatly influences the intra- and inter-subject variability of brain activation and connectivity, and might confound the estimation of temporal precedence in connectivity analyses, making its estimation necessary for a correct interpretation of neuroimaging studies. Additionally, the HRF shape itself is a useful local measure. However, most algorithms for HRF estimation are specific for task-related fMRI data, and only a few can be directly applied to resting-state protocols.

The cystic fibrosis lung microenvironment alters antibiotic activity: causes and effects.

Chronic airway colonisation by , a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and despite aggressive antibiotic treatment, is able to persist in CF airways. antibiotic susceptibility assays are poor predictors of antibiotic efficacy to treat respiratory tract infections in the CF patient population and the selection of the antibiotic(s) is often made on an empirical base. In the current review, we discuss the factors that are responsible for the discrepancies between antibiotic activity and clinical efficacy We describe how the CF lung microenvironment, shaped by host factors (such as iron, mucus, immune mediators and oxygen availability) and the microbiota, influences antibiotic activity and varies widely between patients.

Centering inclusivity in the design of online conferences-An OHBM-Open Science perspective.

As the global health crisis unfolded, many academic conferences moved online in 2020. This move has been hailed as a positive step towards inclusivity in its attenuation of economic, physical, and legal barriers and effectively enabled many individuals from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented to join and participate. A number of studies have outlined how moving online made it possible to gather a more global community and has increased opportunities for individuals with various constraints, e.

Brainhack: Developing a culture of open, inclusive, community-driven neuroscience.

Brainhack is an innovative meeting format that promotes scientific collaboration and education in an open, inclusive environment. This NeuroView describes the myriad benefits for participants and the research community and how Brainhacks complement conventional formats to augment scientific progress.

Bacterial Interference With Lactate Dehydrogenase Assay Leads to an Underestimation of Cytotoxicity.

Models to study host-pathogen interactions are an important tool for investigating the infectious disease process and evaluating the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds. In these models, the viability of mammalian cells is often determined using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay. In the present study we evaluated whether bacteria could interfere with the LDH assay.

Improving on legacy conferences by moving online.

Scientific conferences and meetings have an important role in research, but they also suffer from a number of disadvantages: in particular, they can have a massive carbon footprint, they are time-consuming, and the high costs involved in attending can exclude many potential participants. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of many conferences, forcing the scientific community to explore online alternatives. Here, we report on our experiences of organizing an online neuroscience conference, neuromatch, that attracted some 3000 participants and featured two days of talks, debates, panel discussions, and one-on-one meetings facilitated by a matching algorithm.

RhlR-Regulated Acyl-Homoserine Lactone Quorum Sensing in a Cystic Fibrosis Isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The opportunistic pathogen is a leading cause of airway infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. employs several hierarchically arranged and interconnected quorum sensing (QS) regulatory circuits to produce a battery of virulence factors such as elastase, phenazines, and rhamnolipids. The QS transcription factor LasR sits atop this hierarchy and activates the transcription of dozens of genes, including that encoding the QS regulator RhlR.

Camera-Based System for Drafting Detection While Cycling.

Drafting involves cycling so close behind another person that wind resistance is significantly reduced, which is illegal during most long distance and several short distance triathlon and duathlon events. In this paper, a proof of concept for a drafting detection system based on computer vision is proposed. After detecting and tracking a bicycle through the various scenes, the distance to this object is estimated through computational geometry.

The Antimicrobial Peptide lin-SB056-1 and Its Dendrimeric Derivative Prevent Biofilm Formation in Physiologically Relevant Models of Chronic Infections.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising templates for the development of novel antibiofilm drugs. Despite the large number of studies on screening and optimization of AMPs, only a few of these evaluated the antibiofilm activity in physiologically relevant model systems. Potent activity of AMPs often does not translate into effectiveness due to the interference of the host microenvironment with peptide stability/availability.

Mimicry and automatic imitation are not correlated.

It is widely known that individuals have a tendency to imitate each other. However, different psychological disciplines assess imitation in different manners. While social psychologists assess mimicry by means of action observation, cognitive psychologists assess automatic imitation with reaction time based measures on a trial-by-trial basis.

Bidirectional relations between work-related stress, sleep quality and perseverative cognition.

Objective: In this longitudinal two-wave study, bidirectional relations between work-related stress and sleep quality were examined. Moreover, it was investigated whether perseverative cognition is a potential underlying mechanism in this association, related to both work-related stress and sleep quality.

Methods: A randomly selected sample of Dutch employees received an online survey in 2012 and 2013.

Worktime control access, need and use in relation to work-home interference, fatigue, and job motivation.

Objective: Worktime control (WTC) has been suggested as a tool to reduce employees' work-home interference and fatigue and improve job motivation. The purpose of this study was twofold: (i) to examine the prevalence of employees' need for, access to, and use of WTC, as well as the incongruence between need for and access to WTC (ie, mismatch); and (ii) to examine the associations of this mismatch and the use of WTC with employees' work-home interference (WHI), fatigue and job motivation.

Methods: Questionnaire data were collected among a large (N=2420) quasi-representative sample of Dutch employees.

Disentangling longitudinal relations between physical activity, work-related fatigue, and task demands.

Purpose: This longitudinal study examined 'normal', 'reversed', and 'reciprocal' relationships between (1) physical activity and work-related fatigue; and (2) physical activity and task demands. Furthermore, the effects of across-time change in meaningful physical activity groups on levels of employees' work-related fatigue and task demands were studied. These groups were based on employees' compliance with the international physical activity norm.

Burden of Sickness Absence Due to Chronic Disease in the Dutch Workforce from 2007 to 2011.

Introduction: Chronic diseases are associated with productivity loss costs due to sickness absence. It is not always clear, however, which chronic diseases in particular are involved with how many sickness days and associated costs.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, additional days of sickness absence, and associated costs of chronic diseases among the Dutch working population from 2007 to 2011.

Who gets fired, who gets re-hired: the role of workers' contract, age, health, work ability, performance, work satisfaction and employee investments.

Purpose: Many workers have been dismissed in the past few years, either becoming unemployed or finding re-employment. The current study examined whether dismissal and its follow-up for the employee (re-employment versus unemployment) could be predicted from workers' employment contract and age, and their health status, work ability, work performance, work satisfaction and employee investments at baseline.

Methods: Our sample comprised a selection of participants from the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey 2010 who participated in a follow-up questionnaire in 2012 (N = 2,644).