Publications by authors named "Dijkstra K"

Disruption of the class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules has important implications for immune evasion and tumor evolution. We developed major histocompatibility complex loss of heterozygosity (LOH), allele-specific mutation and measurement of expression and repression (MHC Hammer). We identified extensive variability in HLA allelic expression and pervasive HLA alternative splicing in normal lung and breast tissue.

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The human umbilical cord (hUC) is the lifeline that connects the fetus to the mother. Hypercoiling of the hUC is associated with pre- and perinatal morbidity and mortality. We investigated the origin of hUC hypercoiling using state-of-the-art imaging and omics approaches.

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  • The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the FindMyApps intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers, comparing it to standard digital care.
  • The research involved a randomized controlled trial with participants having mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, measuring outcomes like quality of life and caregiver competence through various assessments and economic data.
  • Results indicated that while the FindMyApps group showed improved caregiver competence, overall costs and most other outcomes did not significantly differ from those receiving standard care.
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TGF-β is considered an important cytokine in the development of interstitial fibrosis in chronic kidney disease. The TGF-β co-receptor endoglin (ENG) tends to be upregulated in kidney fibrosis. ENG has two membrane bound isoforms generated via alternative splicing.

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Unlabelled: Understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in lung cancer is critical to improving patient outcomes. We identified four histology-independent archetype TMEs in treatment-naïve early-stage lung cancer using imaging mass cytometry in the TRACERx study (n = 81 patients/198 samples/2.3 million cells).

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Background: This study explores the repurposing of Auranofin (AF), an anti-rheumatic drug, for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Drug repurposing in oncology offers a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to developing new cancer therapies. Our research focuses on evaluating AF's selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells, identifying RNAseq-based biomarkers to predict AF response, and finding the most effective co-therapeutic agents for combination with AF.

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  • A new recessive genetic disorder called NIT1-small vessel disease has been identified, caused by variants in the NIT1 gene that lead to loss of function.* -
  • Researchers analyzed seven patients using various techniques like exome sequencing and MRI, discovering significant brain abnormalities and movement disorders primarily presenting in mid-adulthood.* -
  • The disease is characterized by a specific set of symptoms including dilated perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia and intracerebral hemorrhages, highlighting its unique features among cerebral small vessel diseases.*
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Metabolic reprogramming is a driver of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) progression and a potential therapeutic intervention route. We showed before that the AMP-associated protein kinase (AMPK) activator salsalate attenuates cystic disease progression. Here, we aim to study the early, direct effects of short salsalate treatment in adult-onset conditional deletion mice.

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Background: Checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) immunotherapies have provided durable clinical responses across a range of solid tumor types for some patients with cancer. Nonetheless, response rates to CPI vary greatly between cancer types. Resolving intratumor transcriptomic changes induced by CPI may improve our understanding of the mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance.

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  • Dietary potassium (K+) plays a role in heart and kidney health, but its effects on those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are uncertain; this study suggests CKD may heighten vulnerability to both low and high potassium diets.
  • In experiments with male rats, those with CKD on a low potassium chloride (KCl) diet experienced significant kidney injury and inflammation, while those on a high KCl diet developed severe hypertension and other metabolic issues not seen in healthy rats.
  • The study found that a high potassium citrate diet reduced hypertension effects but did not completely prevent kidney damage, highlighting that CKD makes kidneys more sensitive to potassium levels and their related complications.
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Background: FindMyApps is a tablet-based eHealth intervention designed to help people learn to use a tablet and find easy-to-use apps. This study evaluated the effectiveness of FindMyApps for supporting social health of people living with dementia, and sense of competence of their informal caregivers.

Methods: A single-centre, two-arm, non-blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted (Netherlands Trial Register NL8157).

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Insufficient immune tolerance during pregnancy is associated with pathological conditions such as preeclampsia (PE). Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFLT1), which exerts a role in the late stage of PE, has shown its beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in inflammation-associated diseases. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was reported to upregulate sFLT1 production in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

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Introduction: FindMyApps is a tablet-based eHealth intervention, designed to improve social health in people with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: FindMyApps has been subject to a randomized controlled trial (RCT), Netherlands Trial Register NL8157. Following UK Medical Research Council guidance, a mixed methods process evaluation was conducted.

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Introduction: Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a rare histopathological lesion in the placenta characterized by an infiltrate of CD68 cells in the intervillous space. CHI is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, and (late) intrauterine fetal death. The adverse pregnancy outcomes and a variable recurrence rate of 25-100% underline its clinical relevance.

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Parvovirus B19 (B19V) DNAemia appears to be a relatively common finding after kidney transplantation. However, not all DNAemia signifies active infection with replicating virus. This study screened 134 patients posttransplantation for B19V DNAemia and identified 2 cases in which viral DNA was present after transplantation, with the donor kidney as probable source of the DNA.

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While positive blood cultures are the gold standard for late-onset sepsis (LOS) diagnosis in premature and very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns, these results can take days, and early markers of possible treatment efficacy are lacking. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the response to vancomycin could be quantified using bacterial DNA loads (BDLs) determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). VLBW and premature neonates with suspected LOS were included in a prospective observational study.

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Organoids have become a prominent model system in pulmonary research. The ability to establish organoid cultures directly from patient tissue has expanded the repertoire of physiologically relevant preclinical model systems. In addition to their derivation from adult lung stem/progenitor cells, lung organoids can be derived from fetal tissue or induced pluripotent stem cells to fill a critical gap in modelling pulmonary development .

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Objective: Trust and accessibility are vital to adoption of health and wellness apps. This research scoped three elements of cognitive accessibility of health app privacy policies: availability, ease of navigation, and readability.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, quantitative data collected in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom included: whether privacy information was in a country's official language (availability); number of distracting visual elements (ease of navigation); word count and Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) reading level (readability).

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a slow-developing, progressive deterioration of renal function. The final common pathway in the pathophysiology of CKD involves glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) stimulates the differentiation of fibroblasts towards myofibroblasts and the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and thereby interstitial fibrosis.

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Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is so sensitive to motion that it can measure the movement of red blood cells. However, this extreme sensitivity to motion is also its pitfall as the clinical translation of LSCI is slowed down due to the inability to deal with motion artefacts. In this paper we study the effectiveness of a real-time, multi-spectral motion artefact correction and compensation by subduing an in vitro flow phantom and ex vivo porcine kidney to computer-controlled motion artefacts.

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Introduction: Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a rare histopathological lesion in the placenta that is associated with poor reproductive outcomes. The intervillous infiltrate consists mostly of maternal mononuclear cells and fibrin depositions, which are both indicators for the severity of the intervillous infiltrate. The severity of the intervillous infiltrate as well as the clinical outcomes of pregnancy differ between cases.

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The current study aims to explore the factors that could affect people's description of a motion event endpoint. The study conducted by Liao, Dijkstra, and Zwaan (2021, Language and Cognition, 13[2], 161-190) found that two non-linguistic factors (i.e.

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  • The study investigates if mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can transfer mitochondria to chondrocytes, which may help in treating articular cartilage defects.
  • Researchers used various techniques to visualize and measure mitochondrial transfer between these cell types, finding that this transfer happens within the first 16 hours through different methods.
  • After 28 days, chondrocytes receiving MSC mitochondria showed increased DNA and proteoglycan levels, indicating a positive effect on cartilage repair, but the transferred mitochondria could not be detected after a year.
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In this advanced review, the development of the three most commonly used functions of autobiographical memory-directing behavior, social bonding, and self-continuity-and the support they have received in the literature are discussed. Support for this tripartite model often comes from correlational studies that use self-report measures, but participants in these studies may not be aware that they retrieved autobiographical memories to fulfill certain goals. Not only is more experimental research needed to confirm the findings from correlational studies, this kind of research needs to be more rigorous.

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