Nutritional implications of feeding free-living birds in public urban areas.

Supplementary feeding can affect populations of birds. It reduces energy spent on foraging and reduces the risk of starvation, but it also increases the risk of disease transmission and predation. Supplementary feeding may reduce species richness if some species are better able to exploit supplementary food resources than others.

Prevalence of spp. and Seoul hantavirus in brown rats () in four regions in the Netherlands, 2011-2015.

Background:   Brown rats () may carry pathogens that can be a risk for public health. Brown rats in the Netherlands were tested for the zoonotic pathogens spp. and Seoul hantavirus (SEOV), in order to obtain insight in their prevalence.

Winter Activity and Aboveground Hybridization Between the Two Biotypes of the West Nile Virus Vector Culex pipiens.

Culex (Cx.) pipiens mosquitoes are important vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). In Europe, the species Cx.

Predicting tick presence by environmental risk mapping.

Public health statistics recorded an increasing trend in the incidence of tick bites and erythema migrans (EM) in the Netherlands. We investigated whether the disease incidence could be predicted by a spatially explicit categorization model, based on environmental factors and a training set of tick absence-presence data. Presence and absence of Ixodes ricinus were determined by the blanket-dragging method at numerous sites spread over the Netherlands.

The bilirubin albumin ratio in the management of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants to improve neurodevelopmental outcome: a randomized controlled trial--BARTrial.

Background And Objective: High bilirubin/albumin (B/A) ratios increase the risk of bilirubin neurotoxicity. The B/A ratio may be a valuable measure, in addition to the total serum bilirubin (TSB), in the management of hyperbilirubinemia. We aimed to assess whether the additional use of B/A ratios in the management of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants improved neurodevelopmental outcome.

Neurodevelopmental outcome in full-term newborns with refractory neonatal seizures.

Aim: This retrospective study describes the prognosis of full-term newborns with refractory neonatal seizures, comparing the need for treatment with two versus three or more antiepileptic drugs.

Methods: We reviewed our database (January 2002-December 2007) to include newborns with refractory neonatal seizures and abnormal electroencephalogram. Group A consisted of 17 newborns with two antiepileptic drugs.

Diffusion tensor imaging of the cortical plate and subplate in very-low-birth-weight infants.

Background: Many intervention studies in preterm infants aim to improve neurodevelopmental outcome, but short-term proxy outcome measurements are lacking. Cortical plate and subplate development could be such a marker.

Objective: Our aim was to provide normal DTI reference values for the cortical plate and subplate of preterm infants.

Cerebral MRI abnormalities in a premature infant with later confirmed congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.

We present a premature infant with an inability to ventilate spontaneously during sleep periods. In addition, the patient showed general hypotonia. The child had a delayed passage of stool and increased anal muscle tone, indicating Hirschsprung's disease.

Frequent occurrence of human-associated microsporidia in fecal droppings of urban pigeons in amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Human-associated microsporidia were frequently observed in fecal samples of 331 feral pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, obtained during high- and low-breeding periods. Thirty-six of 331 samples (11%) contained the human pathogens Enterocytozoon bieneusi (n = 18), Encephalitozoon hellem (n = 11), Encephalitozoon cuniculi (n = 6), and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (n = 1); 5 samples contained other microsporidia. Pigeon feces can be an important source of human microsporidian infection.

Fractional anisotropy in white matter tracts of very-low-birth-weight infants.

Background: Advances in neonatal intensive care have not yet reduced the high incidence of neurodevelopmental disability among very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. As neurological deficits are related to white-matter injury, early detection is important. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could be an excellent tool for assessment of white-matter injury.

Infants with perinatal hypoxic ischemia: feasibility of fiber tracking at birth and 3 months.

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the feasibility of fiber tracking at birth and 3 months in infants with hypoxic ischemia to detect disturbances in white matter development. This retrospective study did not require institutional review board approval. All parents gave informed consent.

Selecting the best index for following the temporal evolution of apparent diffusion coefficient and diffusion anisotropy after hypoxic-ischemic white matter injury in neonates.

Background And Purpose: Diffusion-weighted (DW) MR imaging is a useful technique for detecting ischemia. In adults and neonates, however, temporal changes on DW images after ischemia complicate interpretation. Our purpose was to investigate the temporal evolution of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), diffusion-tensor (DT) imaging components, and anisotropy in neonatal brain after hypoxic-ischemic white matter injury and to determine which anisotropy index is preferable.

A comparison study of multishot vs. single-shot DWI-EPI in the neonatal brain: reduced effects of ghosting compared to adults.

In the neonatal brain, it is important to use a fast imaging technique to acquire all diffusion weighted images (DWI) for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) calculation. Taking into account the occurrence of typical echo planar imaging (EPI) artifacts, we have investigated whether single-shot (SSh) or multishot (MSh) DWI-EPI should be preferred. In 14 neonates, 17 adult patients and 5 adult volunteers, DWIs are obtained both with SSh and MSh EPI.