Pre-B-cell leukemias in Btk/Slp65-deficient mice arise independently of ongoing V(D)J recombination activity.

The adapter protein Slp65 and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) are key components of the precursor-B (pre-B) cell receptor (pre-BCR) signaling pathway. Slp65-deficient mice spontaneously develop pre-B-cell leukemia, expressing high levels of the pre-BCR on their cell surface. As leukemic Slp65-deficient pre-B cells express the recombination activating genes (Rag)1 and Rag2, and manifest ongoing immunoglobulin (Ig) light-chain rearrangement, it has been hypothesized that deregulated recombinase activity contributes to malignant transformation.

The role of membrane fusion activity of a whole inactivated influenza virus vaccine in (re)activation of influenza-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity against conserved influenza antigens, e.g. nucleoprotein (NP) could be a step towards cross-protective influenza vaccine.

[Clients using the youth mental health services in The Hague are not an ethnic reflection of the youth of that city; bias not by social economic status but by ethnic origin].

Background: Young people who are born outside the Netherlands (or have at least one parent born outside the Netherlands) make less use of the mental health services than one might expect.

Aim: To find out whether the under-use of these services is related to the average income or to the ethnic composition of the districts concerned.

Method: The relationship between average income, ethnic composition and the percentage of youth treated per district was analysed on the basis of postal codes.

The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study: protocol and implementation.

Long-term bed-rest is used to simulate the effect of spaceflight on the human body and test different kinds of countermeasures. The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) tested the efficacy of whole-body vibration in addition to high-load resisitance exercise in preventing bone loss during bed-rest. Here we present the protocol of the study and discuss its implementation.

The muscle fiber type-fiber size paradox: hypertrophy or oxidative metabolism?

An inverse relationship exists between striated muscle fiber size and its oxidative capacity. This relationship implies that muscle fibers, which are triggered to simultaneously increase their mass/strength (hypertrophy) and fatigue resistance (oxidative capacity), increase these properties (strength or fatigue resistance) to a lesser extent compared to fibers increasing either of these alone. Muscle fiber size and oxidative capacity are determined by the balance between myofibrillar protein synthesis, mitochondrial biosynthesis and degradation.

Lipopeptide-adjuvanted respiratory syncytial virus virosomes: A safe and immunogenic non-replicating vaccine formulation.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe respiratory disease in children and the elderly. There is no registered RSV vaccine. Early experimental non-replicating vaccines have been found to exacerbate RSV symptoms upon infection causing enhanced respiratory disease.

Muscle characteristics and altered myofascial force transmission in tenascin-X-deficient mice, a mouse model of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders caused by defects in collagens or tenascin-X (TNX). Muscle involvement can be expected based on interactions between muscle and extracellular matrix molecules; however, muscle function has not yet been investigated quantitatively. This study aims to investigate effects of TNX deficiency on muscular characteristics in TNX knockout (KO) mice, a mouse model of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Practice patterns of doctors of chiropractic with a pediatric diplomate: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing in popularity, especially within the pediatric population. Research on CAM practitioners and their specialties, such as pediatrics, is lacking. Within the chiropractic profession, pediatrics is one of the most recently established post-graduate specialty programs.

The mediational role of parenting on the longitudinal relation between child personality and externalizing behavior.

Building on prior cross-sectional work, this longitudinal study evaluated the proposition that maternal and paternal overreactive and authoritative parenting mediates the effect of child personality characteristics on externalizing behavior. Data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Problem Behavior were used in a moderated mediation analysis (N=434). Teachers rated children's Big Five characteristics, fathers and mothers rated their parenting, and 3 years later, children rated their externalizing behavior.

Dose selection of corifollitropin alfa by modeling and simulation in controlled ovarian stimulation.

In controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), a single subcutaneous dose of corifollitropin alfa is used to initiate and sustain multifollicular growth for 7 days. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal dose of corifollitropin alfa. A pharmacokinetic model was developed to describe the time profile of corifollitropin alfa concentrations.

Integrated optimization of a waste water treatment plant using statistical analysis.

In this research, a waste water treatment plant is systematically optimized. The waste water treatment plant is used to remove aluminium from waste water using precipitation, flocculation and flotation. In total 40 variables influence the combined unit.

Partial hexokinase II knockout results in acute ischemia-reperfusion damage in skeletal muscle of male, but not female, mice.

Cellular studies have demonstrated a protective role of mitochondrial hexokinase against oxidative insults. It is unknown whether HK protective effects translate to the in vivo condition. In the present study, we hypothesize that HK affects acute ischemia-reperfusion injury in skeletal muscle of the intact animal.

LPYFDa neutralizes amyloid-beta-induced memory impairment and toxicity.

Misfolding, oligomerization, and aggregation of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide is widely recognized as a central event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies have identified soluble Abeta oligomers as the main pathogenic agents and provided evidence that such oligomeric Abeta aggregates are neurotoxic, disrupt synaptic plasticity, and inhibit long-term potentiation. A promising therapeutic strategy in the battle against AD is the application of short synthetic peptides which are designed to bind to specific Abeta-regions thereby neutralizing or interfering with the devastating properties of oligomeric Abeta species.

Intrinsic properties of the knee extensor muscles after subacute stroke.

Unlabelled: Horstman AM, Gerrits KH, Beltman MJ, Koppe PA, Janssen, TW, de Haan A. Intrinsic properties of the knee extensor muscles after subacute stroke.

Objective: To characterize muscle properties of paretic lower-limb (PL) and nonparetic lower-limb (NL) knee extensors in patients with subacute stroke.

How and why children change in aggression and delinquency from childhood to adolescence: moderation of overreactive parenting by child personality.

Background: This study examines how and why children change in aggression and delinquency from age 6 to 15 years. Besides assessing the shape of the developmental trajectories of aggression and delinquency, we investigated whether child personality characteristics, parenting, and interactions between these two predict the development of aggression/delinquency.

Methods: Employing a cohort-sequential design, data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Development were used.

Sense of smell disorder and health-related quality of life.

Objectives: To compare health-related quality of life and depression between individuals with an inability to smell (anosmia) and a comparison group of individuals with a normal sense of smell.

Methods: Ninety individuals from an anosmia organization (anosmia based on self-report) were compared to 89 individuals with a normal sense of smell. The SF-36 and Beck Depression Inventory-II-NL (BDI-II-NL) were administered, along with the Questionnaire for Olfactory Dysfunction (QOD) to assess the degree of problems in daily life related to the smell impairment.

Mothers' and fathers' personality and parenting: the mediating role of sense of competence.

This prospective longitudinal study addressed 3 key questions regarding the processes of parenting in a large community sample of mothers (n = 589) and fathers (n = 518). First, the collective impact of parental Big Five personality dimensions on overreactive and warm parenting, assessed 6 years later by adolescents, was examined. Second, mediation of these associations by sense of competence in the parenting role was addressed.

Influence of vibration resistance training on knee extensor and plantar flexor size, strength, and contractile speed characteristics after 60 days of bed rest.

Spaceflight and bed rest (BR) result in loss of muscle mass and strength. This study evaluated the effectiveness of resistance training and vibration-augmented resistance training to preserve thigh (quadriceps femoris) and calf (triceps surae) muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), isometric contractile speed, and neural activation (electromyogram) during 60 days of BR. Male subjects participating in the second Berlin Bed Rest Study underwent BR only [control (CTR), n = 9], BR with resistance training (RE; n = 7), or BR with vibration-augmented resistance training (RVE; n = 7).

Leg dominancy in relation to fast isometric torque production and squat jump height.

We hypothesized that maximal unilateral isometric knee extensor torque, the rate of torque development during maximally fast isometric contractions and unilateral squat jump performance would be better with the dominant than non-dominant leg. Limb dominancy was established using the step up, balance recovery, and ball kick test. On two days, eight men (21.

Rat pancreatic beta cells and cytomegalovirus infection.

Objectives: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been suggested to accelerate beta-cell destruction and thereby to contribute to new-onset diabetes and failure of islet allografts in both humans and rodents. Surprisingly, direct CMV infection of beta cells has received only minor attention. Therefore, we investigated the susceptibility of rat beta cells for rat CMV (RCMV) infection and the direct effects on the regulation of immune cell-activating ligands.

Prevention of bone loss during 56 days of strict bed rest by side-alternating resistive vibration exercise.

Bed rest is a recognized model for muscle atrophy and bone loss in space flight and in clinical medicine. We hypothesized that whole body vibration in combination with resistive exercise (RVE) would be an effective countermeasure. Twenty healthy male volunteers underwent horizontal bed rest for 56 days and were randomly assigned either to a group that performed RVE 11 times per week or to a group that underwent bed rest only (Ctrl).

Effect of a second, booster, influenza vaccination on antibody responses in quiescent systemic lupus erythematosus: an open, prospective, controlled study.

Objective: In SLE, a decreased antibody response on influenza vaccination has been reported. In this study, we assessed whether a booster vaccination could improve antibody responses, as determined by seroprotection rates, in SLE patients.

Methods: SLE patients (n = 52) with quiescent disease (SLEDAI < or =4) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 28) received subunit influenza vaccine in October-December 2007.

Studies of cell-mediated immune responses to influenza vaccination in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Both antibody and cell-mediated responses are involved in the defense against influenza. In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a decreased antibody response to subunit influenza vaccine has been demonstrated, but cell-mediated responses have not yet been assessed. This study was therefore undertaken to assess cell-mediated responses to influenza vaccination in patients with SLE.