Publications by authors named "Brouwer E"

Fixation of CO into the organic compound formate by formate dehydrogenases (FDHs) is regarded as the oldest autotrophic process on Earth. It has been proposed that an FDH-dependent CO fixation module could support CO assimilation even in photoautotrophic organisms. In the present study, we characterized FDH from (FDH) due to its ability to reduce CO under aerobic conditions.

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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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Introduction: The Reporting Recommendation Intended for Pharmaceutical Risk Minimisation Evaluation Studies (RIMES) checklist is endorsed by the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP) and is tailored for studies assessing Risk Minimisation Measures and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (RMM/REMS) effectiveness; however, its awareness and usage remain unknown. We evaluated the implementation of the RIMES checklist in RMM/REMS effectiveness studies registered in the EUPAS register during 01 December 2017- 01 January 2024. Furthermore, the awareness and utilization of the RIMES checklist among researchers conducting RMM/REMS effectiveness studies was assessed.

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Giant cell arteritis is a rare disease that can lead to blindness in people older than 50 years. Early recognition and timely treatment can prevent irreversible damage. Early recognition can be challenging due to the variable presentation of giant cell arteritis.

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Control of aroma formation during production of barley malt is critical to provide consistent and high-quality products for the brewing industry. Malt quality can be affected by the inherent variability of raw material and processing conditions, leading to inconsistent and/or undesirable profiles. Dried green malts were cured isothermally at 65, 78 and 90 °C for 8.

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  • Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are inflammatory diseases, and researchers are looking for biomarkers to identify active cases and those who may need alternative treatments to glucocorticoids.
  • A study evaluated the presence of interferon type I (IFN-I) markers in GCA and PMR patients, including those not previously treated, but did not find significant differences in IFN-I scores between these groups and healthy controls.
  • The results indicated that the IFN-I signature and serum markers CXCL10 and Galactin-9 were not elevated in patients with GCA or PMR, suggesting that these IFN-I markers may not be useful for diagnosing or guiding treatment
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  • - The study examined country-specific regulatory guidance on assessing risk minimization measures (RMM) across five continents, comparing it to the RIMES checklist used for evaluating the effectiveness of pharmaceutical risk assessments.
  • - The findings indicated that European Medical Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines partially aligned with the RIMES checklist, particularly in terms of measures and results, but overall guidance varied greatly by country.
  • - A notable lack of harmonization in RMM guidance was found, with some countries recommending EMA or FDA guidelines, while others, like Brazil and China, had no specific recommendations at all.
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This article explores the essential elements for achieving excellence in international collaborations within health professions education (HPE), drawing on the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) ASPIRE Award criteria for International Collaboration. The International Collaboration award transcends recognition of excellence through the award; it aims to foster excellence in international HPE collaborations more broadly, by establishing a framework for evaluation and development that functions cross-culturally. This framework is based on five key elements that contribute to successful collaborations: mutually agreed goals; shared responsibilities and leadership structures; processes that support collaboration; demonstrated long-term impact and sustainability, and evaluation and practice sharing.

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Purpose: International Medical Programmes (IMPs) form a distinctive modality in medical education, with diverse student populations, English as a language of instruction and 'globalized' curricula. A lack of common understanding of IMPs' purposes and role in the medical education landscape triggers critiques. This study aims to document the effects of different discourses used to justify the purpose of IMPs.

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  • The objective of the study was to summarize current insights on the immune pathology of bursitis related to rheumatic diseases, degenerative conditions, and mechanical stress, while also identifying gaps in knowledge on this topic.
  • A systematic review was conducted, analyzing 32 articles focused on the immunological changes in bursal tissue, revealing immune response alterations such as macrophage infiltration and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α.
  • The study concluded that existing insights on bursitis are outdated, particularly regarding rheumatic inflammatory diseases, and that more in-depth research is necessary for effective disease-specific treatments.
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Multiple myeloma management requires a balance between maximizing survival, minimizing adverse events to therapy, and monitoring disease progression. While previous work has proposed data-driven models for individual tasks, these approaches fail to provide a holistic view of a patient's disease state, limiting their utility to assist physician decision-making. To address this limitation, we developed a transformer-based machine learning model that jointly (1) predicts progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AE), (2) forecasts key disease biomarkers, and (3) assesses the effect of different treatment strategies, e.

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Purpose: In routine care, clinicians may employ 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography (CT) to validate their initial clinical diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Nevertheless, the diagnostic utility of combining FDG-PET/CT findings with clinical presentation has not been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the diagnostic accuracy for PMR could be enhanced by combining FDG-PET/CT findings with the clinical baseline diagnosis or the 2012 ACR/EULAR clinical classification criteria for PMR.

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  • * Machine learning models were applied to predict confirmed disability progression after two years, achieving a ROC-AUC score of 0.71, indicating moderate accuracy, while historical disability was found to be a stronger predictor than treatment or relapse history.
  • * The research followed strict guidelines and made its coding accessible for others to facilitate future benchmarking in predicting disability progression in MS patients.
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Background: The integrity and reliability of clinical research outcomes rely heavily on access to vast amounts of data. However, the fragmented distribution of these data across multiple institutions, along with ethical and regulatory barriers, presents significant challenges to accessing relevant data. While federated learning offers a promising solution to leverage insights from fragmented data sets, its adoption faces hurdles due to implementation complexities, scalability issues, and inclusivity challenges.

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Objective: To identify differences in levels of serum biomarkers associated with atherosclerosis between anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) positive groups.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were used from the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study combined with data derived from RA risk and early RA studies conducted at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Serum biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial cell activation, tissue remodeling and adipokine, which were previously associated with atherosclerosis, were measured with Luminex in four ACPA positive groups with different characteristics: without joint complaints, with joint complaints, RA risk and early RA groups.

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Large-vessel vasculitides (LVV) comprise a group of chronic inflammatory diseases of the aorta and its major branches. The most common forms of LVV are giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Both GCA and TAK are characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the vessel wall accompanied by a maladaptive immune and vascular response that promotes vascular damage and remodeling.

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Background: Giant cell arteritis is an age-related vasculitis that mainly affects the aorta and its branches in individuals aged 50 years and older. Current options for diagnosis and treatment are scarce, highlighting the need to better understand its underlying pathogenesis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have emerged as a powerful tool for unravelling the pathogenic mechanisms involved in complex diseases.

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  • The study focuses on giant cell arteritis (GCA), a condition causing inflammation in large arteries, and investigates the role of fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP), which is linked to inflammation and tissue changes.* -
  • Plasma levels of FAP were found to be lower in GCA patients compared to those with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and healthy controls, with levels decreasing further during remission and eventually rising near healthy levels during treatment-free remission.* -
  • The research indicates that FAP is highly expressed in inflamed tissues of GCA patients and may play a key role in the disease's inflammatory and remodeling processes, suggesting it could be a potential target for future imaging and therapy.*
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  • The study explores the role of specific immune pathways (IL-12-IFNγ-Th1 and IL-6-IL-23-Th17) in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) and how phosphorylated STAT proteins (pSTAT) in immune cells could help tailor treatments for patients.
  • Researchers analyzed immune cells from GCA patients, infection controls, and healthy individuals, noting a decrease in pSTAT3+CD4+T-cells in GCA patients, especially those with high serum IL-6 levels.
  • The findings suggest that measuring pSTAT3 levels can predict the duration of glucocorticoid treatment needed for GCA patients, helping to personalize their treatment plans in the future.
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Objectives: This study directly compares diagnostic performance of Colour Duplex Ultrasound (CDUS), Fluor-18-deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients suspected of giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: Patients with suspected GCA were included in a nested-case control pilot study. CDUS, whole body FDG-PET/CT and cranial MRI were performed within 5 working days after initial clinical evaluation.

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Giant cell arteritis is the principal form of systemic vasculitis affecting people over 50. Large-vessel involvement, termed large vessel giant cell arteritis, mainly affects the aorta and its branches, often occurring alongside cranial giant cell arteritis, but large vessel giant cell arteritis without cranial giant cell arteritis can also occur. Patients mostly present with constitutional symptoms, with localising large vessel giant cell arteritis symptoms present in a minority of patients only.

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Background: Giant cell arteritis is a critically ischaemic disease with protean manifestations that require urgent diagnosis and treatment. European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) recommendations advocate ultrasonography as the first investigation for suspected giant cell arteritis. We developed a prediction tool that sequentially combines clinical assessment, as determined by the Southend Giant Cell Arteritis Probability Score (SGCAPS), with results of quantitative ultrasonography.

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Systemic vasculitides are autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation of blood vessels. They are categorized based on the size of the preferentially affected blood vessels: large-, medium-, and small-vessel vasculitides. The main forms of large-vessel vasculitis include giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TAK).

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  • The ABC3 trial investigates the potential benefits of physiological-based cord clamping (PBCC) compared to standard time-based cord clamping (TBCC) for very preterm infants, aiming to reduce complications like cerebral injury and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
  • It is a multicenter, randomized clinical trial involving infants born before 30 weeks of gestation, assessing outcomes such as intact survival and short-term co-morbidities during NICU admission.
  • The results of this study will inform future clinical guidelines regarding optimal cord clamping practices at birth to enhance infant health outcomes.
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