The scope of the antimicrobial resistance challenge.

Each year, an estimated 7·7 million deaths are attributed to bacterial infections, of which 4.95 million are associated with drug-resistant pathogens, and 1·27 million are caused by bacterial pathogens resistant to the antibiotics available. Access to effective antibiotics when indicated prolongs life, reduces disability, reduces health-care expenses, and enables access to other life-saving medical innovations.

Distinct T cell responsiveness to different COVID-19 vaccines and cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 variants with age and CMV status.

Introduction: Accumulating evidence indicates the importance of T cell immunity in vaccination-induced protection against severe COVID-19 disease, especially against SARS-CoV-2 Variants-of-Concern (VOCs) that more readily escape from recognition by neutralizing antibodies. However, there is limited knowledge on the T cell responses across different age groups and the impact of CMV status after primary and booster vaccination with different vaccine combinations. Moreover, it remains unclear whether age has an effect on the ability of T cells to cross-react against VOCs.

Tailoring Type II Diabetes Treatment: Investigating the Effect of 5-HTT Polymorphisms on HbA1c Levels after Metformin Initiation.

Aims: To investigate the effect of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) polymorphisms on change in HbA1c levels six months after metformin initiation in type 2 diabetes patients.

Materials And Methods: Participants of PROVALID (PROspective cohort study in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for VALidation of biomarkers) within the GIANTT (Groningen Initiative to ANalyse Type 2 Diabetes Treatment) cohort who initiated metformin were genotyped for combined 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 (LL, LS, and SS) and 5-HTT VNTR (STin 2.12, 12/-, and 10/-) polymorphisms, respectively.

An adverse outcome pathway for chemical-induced Parkinson's disease: Calcium is key.

Exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). Currently, rodent-based risk assessment studies cannot adequately capture neurodegenerative effects of pesticides due to a lack of human-relevant endpoints targeted at neurodegeneration. Thus, there is a need for improvement of the risk assessment guidelines.

One Health surveillance-A cross-sectoral detection, characterization, and notification of foodborne pathogens.

Introduction: Several Proficiency Test (PT) or External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes are currently available for assessing the ability of laboratories to detect and characterize enteropathogenic bacteria, but they are usually targeting one sector, covering either public health, food safety or animal health. In addition to sector-specific PTs/EQAs for detection, cross-sectoral panels would be useful for assessment of the capacity to detect and characterize foodborne pathogens in a One Health (OH) perspective and further improving food safety and interpretation of cross-sectoral surveillance data. The aims of the study were to assess the cross-sectoral capability of European public health, animal health and food safety laboratories to detect, characterize and notify findings of the foodborne pathogens spp.

Natural language processing in toxicology: Delineating adverse outcome pathways and guiding the application of new approach methodologies.

Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) are conceptual frameworks that tie an initial perturbation (molecular initiating event) to a phenotypic toxicological manifestation (adverse outcome), through a series of steps (key events). They provide therefore a standardized way to map and organize toxicological mechanistic information. As such, AOPs inform on key events underlying toxicity, thus supporting the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which aim to reduce the use of animal testing for toxicology purposes.

Results from the Netherlands' 2018 Report Card and Report Card on physical activity for children and youth with and without chronic medical condition.

Objective: The objective of this study was to summarize the results of the 2018 the Netherlands' Physical Activity Report Card (PARC) for children and youth as well as for children and youth with a chronic medical condition (CMC; PARC).

Study Design: This study is a survey.

Methods: A total of 12 indicators were graded using the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance PARC development process, which includes a synthesis of the best available research, surveillance, policy and practice findings and expert consensus.

The implementation of HTA in medicine pricing and reimbursement policies in Indonesia: Insights from multiple stakeholders.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to improve the use of health technology assessment (HTA) for the selection of medicines listed in the e-Catalogue and the national formulary in Indonesia.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the stakeholders consisting of policymakers, a pharmaceutical industry representative, healthcare providers, and patients.

Genome Detective: an automated system for virus identification from high-throughput sequencing data.

Summary: Genome Detective is an easy to use web-based software application that assembles the genomes of viruses quickly and accurately. The application uses a novel alignment method that constructs genomes by reference-based linking of de novo contigs by combining amino-acids and nucleotide scores. The software was optimized using synthetic datasets to represent the great diversity of virus genomes.

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects: A Summary.

To update the current state of evidence and assess its quality, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of environmental noise exposure on the cardio-metabolic systems as input for the new WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. We identified 600 references relating to studies on effects of noise from road, rail and air traffic, and wind turbines on the cardio-metabolic system, published between January 2000 and August 2015. Only 61 studies, investigating different end points, included information enabling estimation of exposure response relationships.

Road traffic noise and registry based use of sleep medication.

Background: Road traffic noise has been associated with adverse health effects including sleep disturbances. Use of sleep medication as an indicator of sleeping problems has rarely been explored in studies of the effects of traffic noise. Furthermore, using registry data on sleep medications provides an opportunity to study the effects of noise on sleep where attribution of sleep problems to noise is not possible.

Empowerment of patients in online discussions about medicine use.

Background: Patient empowerment is crucial in the successful self-management of people with chronic diseases. In this study, we investigated whether discussions about medicine use taking place on online message boards contribute to patient empowerment and could subsequently result in the more effective use of medicines. We discuss the extent to which patient empowerment processes occur in discussions on online message boards, focusing on patients with three disorders with different characteristics: diabetes, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Smoking and older age associated with mumps in an outbreak in a group of highly-vaccinated individuals attending a youth club party, the Netherlands, 2012.

We describe a mumps outbreak in a highly-vaccinated population attending a party at a youth club. In a retrospective cohort study with 60 of approximately 100 participants responding, vaccination status was verified for 58/59 respondents, of whom 54 were vaccinated twice and four once. The attack rate was 22% (13 cases, all vaccinated), with smoking at the party (risk ratio (RR) 3.

An outbreak of scabies in multiple linked healthcare settings in The Netherlands.

We report a large scabies outbreak occurring in Tilburg, Netherlands, which affected several different healthcare settings that provide care to the elderly and the mentally disabled. The outbreak demonstrated how the complex system of care provision to vulnerable groups facilitated extensive scabies transmission among multiple linked healthcare settings and the community.

Annex II technical documentation assessed.

Annex II of the Medical Device Directive (MDD) is used frequently by manufacturers to obtain CE-marking. This procedure relies on a full quality assurance system and does not require an assessment of the individual medical device by a Notified Body. An investigation into the availability and the quality of technical documentation for Annex II devices revealed severe shortcomings, which are reported here.