Publications by authors named "I Willemsen"
Cross-border differences in the prevalence and risk factors for carriage of antimicrobial resistance in children attending daycare centers: a point prevalence study in the Netherlands and Belgium.
BMC Infect Dis
January 2024
Article Synopsis
- - The study explored the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria in children at daycare centers (DCCs) in The Netherlands and Belgium, finding notable differences in the rates of antimicrobial resistant bacteria like ESBL-E and CipR-E between the two countries.
- - Data was collected from 28 Dutch and 18 Belgian DCCs through stool samples and parental questionnaires, assessing various hygiene practices and identifying factors that may influence the presence of these resistant bacteria.
- - Results indicated that the prevalence of ESBL-E was higher in Belgium (16%) compared to the Netherlands (6%), and children travelling to Asia or using antimicrobials were at greater risk, while proper cleaning practices could reduce risks of CipR-E.
The sporadic nature of DUX4 expression in FSHD muscle challenges comparative transcriptome analyses between FSHD and control samples. A variety of DUX4 and FSHD-associated transcriptional changes have been identified, but bulk RNA-seq strategies prohibit comprehensive analysis of their spatiotemporal relation, interdependence and role in the disease process. In this study, we used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of nuclei isolated from patient- and control-derived multinucleated primary myotubes to investigate the cellular heterogeneity in FSHD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFacioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by the epigenetic derepression of the 4q-linked D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat resulting in inappropriate expression of the D4Z4 repeat-encoded DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle. In 5% of FSHD cases, D4Z4 chromatin relaxation is due to germline mutations in one of the chromatin modifiers SMCHD1, DNMT3B or LRIF1. The mechanism of SMCHD1- and LRIF1-mediated D4Z4 repression is not clear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Inpatient quality indicators (IQIs) were previously developed to assess responsible antibiotic use.
Aim: Practice testing of these QIs in the hospital setting.
Method: This study was performed within a Dutch-Belgian border network of hospitals implementing the Infection Risk Scan (IRIS) point prevalence survey (PPS) as part of the i-4-1-Health project.
Article Synopsis
- A new tool called the Infection Risk Scan (IRIS) has been developed to evaluate infection control and antimicrobial use across various hospitals.
- The implementation of IRIS involved standardized measurements, such as patient comorbidities and hand hygiene performance, and was executed by trained local infection control practitioners in nine hospitals along the Dutch/Belgian border.
- Results showed significant differences in infection control metrics between hospitals in Belgium and the Netherlands, highlighting areas for potential improvement in quality of care.