Prevalence, incidence and longevity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among primary healthcare providers in Belgium: a prospective cohort study with 12 months of follow-up.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence, incidence and longevity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among primary healthcare providers (PHCPs).

Design: Prospective cohort study with 12 months of follow-up.

Setting: Primary care in Belgium.

Survival in the understorey: Testing direct and indirect effects of microclimatological changes on Ixodes ricinus.

The distribution of ticks in the Ixodes ricinus species complex is partly driven by climate, with temperature and relative humidity affecting survival. These variables are driven by macroclimate, but vary locally due to microclimate buffering. This buffering has been suggested to be one of the driving forces behind variation in tick survival and density in time and space.

A community approach for pathogens and their arthropod vectors (ticks and fleas) in cats of sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Arthropod-borne pathogens and their vectors are present throughout Africa. They have been well studied in livestock of sub-Saharan Africa, but poorly studied in companion animals. Given their socioeconomic importance, the African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN), as part of the WSAVA Foundation, initiated a standardized multi-country surveillance study.

Viral clade is associated with severity of symptomatic genotype 3 hepatitis E virus infections in Belgium, 2010-2018.

Background & Aims: HEV genotype (gt) 3 infections are prevalent in high-income countries and display a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. Host - but not viral - factors are reported to be associated with worse clinical outcomes.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data laboratory-confirmed HEV infections (by PCR and/or a combination of IgM and IgG serology) at the Belgian National Reference Centre between January 2010 and June 2018 were collected using standardised case report forms.

Male mating preference in an ixodid tick.

Background: Mate choice is a fundamental element of sexual selection and has the potential to shape the evolution of traits. Mate choice based on body size has been shown to be a common trait in several arthropod species. In hard ticks, a taxon of medical and veterinary importance, engorgement weight is positively correlated with reproductive output but it is unknown whether adult males show mate choice.

The Roles of Unrecognized Mpox Cases, Contact Isolation and Vaccination in Determining Epidemic Size in Belgium: A Modeling Study.

We used a network model to simulate a mpox epidemic among men who have sex with men. Our findings suggest that unrecognized infections have an important impact on the epidemic, and that vaccination of individuals at highest risk of infection reduces epidemic size more than post-exposure vaccination of sexual partners.

Autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular risk: a population-based study on 19 autoimmune diseases and 12 cardiovascular diseases in 22 million individuals in the UK.

Background: Some autoimmune diseases are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine whether or not this is true, and to what extent, for a broad range of autoimmune conditions.

Methods: In this population-based study, we used linked primary and secondary care records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), GOLD and Aurum datasets, to assemble a cohort of individuals across the UK who were newly diagnosed with any of 19 autoimmune diseases between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2017, younger than 80 years at diagnosis, and free of cardiovascular diseases up to 12 months after diagnosis.

Early-onset preeclampsia is characterised by an increased vascular tone in internal jugular veins.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate Doppler characteristics of maternal internal jugular veins in uncomplicated pregnancies vs. those affected by hypertensive disorders.

Materials And Methods: Venous pulse transit time and venous impedance index were measured at three different locations (right proximal, right distal, left proximal) of internal jugular veins according to a standardised combined Doppler-Electrocardiogram protocol in five different groups of pregnant women: uncomplicated pregnancy, early-onset preeclampsia, late-onset preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and normotensive pregnancies with a small for gestational age foetus.

Radiologic Features in Cochlear Implant Candidates: A Prospective Study Comparing Candidates Carrying the p.Pro51Ser Mutation in Coagulation Factor C Homology With Noncarriers.

Background: DFNA9 is a form of autosomal progressive sensorineural hearing loss, caused by more than 30 variants in the COCH gene. p.Pro51Ser (p.

Evolution of root length throughout orthodontic treatment in maxillary incisors with previous history of dental trauma: a longitudinal controlled trial.

Objectives: To compare changes in root length of maxillary incisors with and without dental trauma throughout orthodontic treatment.

Materials And Method: Patients younger than 18 years, with trauma on at least one maxillary incisor, undergoing orthodontic treatment between 2017 and 2021 were included, using the contralateral side as control without trauma when available. Periapical radiographs were taken pre-treatment and at 6 months intervals, and root/crown ratio was calculated.

Economic Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza Infection in European Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus infections result in a considerable mortality and morbidity among the aging population globally. Influenza vaccination for older adults before the seasonal influenza epidemic has been evaluated to be cost-effective in many countries. Interventions against RSV in older adults are in the pipeline, and evaluating their cost-effectiveness is crucial for decision making.

Correction: Dusabimana et al. Surveillance for Onchocerciasis-Associated Epilepsy and Ov16 IgG4 Testing of Children 6-10 Years Old Should Be Used to Identify Areas Where Onchocerciasis Elimination Programs Need Strengthening. 2022, , 281.

There was an error in the original publication [...

Factors affecting inter-individual variability in endoxifen concentrations in patients with breast cancer: results from the prospective TOTAM trial.

Introduction: Endoxifen-the principal metabolite of tamoxifen-is subject to a high inter-individual variability in serum concentration. Numerous attempts have been made to explain this, but thus far only with limited success. By applying predictive modeling, we aimed to identify factors that determine the inter-individual variability.

Past, present, and future trends of overweight and obesity in Belgium using Bayesian age-period-cohort models.

Background: Overweight and obesity are one of the most significant risk factors of the twenty-first century related to an increased risk in the occurrence of non-communicable diseases and associated increased healthcare costs. To estimate the future impact of overweight, the current study aimed to project the prevalence of overweight and obesity to the year 2030 in Belgium using a Bayesian age-period-cohort (APC) model, supporting policy planning.

Methods: Height and weight of 58,369 adults aged 18+ years, collected in six consecutive cross-sectional health interview surveys between 1997 and 2018, were evaluated.

Nationwide implementation of online communication skills training to reduce overprescribing of antibiotics: a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in general practice.

Objectives: Primary care is responsible for a large proportion of unnecessary antibiotic use, which is one of the main drivers of antibiotic resistance. Randomized trials have found that online communication skills training for GPs reduces antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections. This study assesses the real-world effect of implementing online communication skills training in general practice.

Longitudinal Alterations in Gait Features in Growing Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Prolonging ambulation is an important treatment goal in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) could provide sensitive parameters to study the efficacy of clinical trials aiming to preserve ambulation. However, quantitative descriptions of the natural history of gait features in DMD are first required.

Quantifying the potential of morphological parameters for human dental identification: part 3-selecting the strongest skeletal identifiers in the mandible.

The current study aimed to select the best mandibular morphological identifiers. One-hundred eighty-five panoramic radiographs were retrospectively collected, in which four landmarks were located on the mandible: the most superior point of the condyle right/left (CONR/L), of the coronoid right/left (CORR/L), of the mandibular lingula right/left (LINR/L), and the most mesial point of the mental foramen right/left (MMFR/L). Five linear measurements, 6 angles, and 10 ratios were measured bilaterally.

Laplacian-P-splines for Bayesian inference in the mixture cure model.

The mixture cure model for analyzing survival data is characterized by the assumption that the population under study is divided into a group of subjects who will experience the event of interest over some finite time horizon and another group of cured subjects who will never experience the event irrespective of the duration of follow-up. When using the Bayesian paradigm for inference in survival models with a cure fraction, it is common practice to rely on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to sample from posterior distributions. Although computationally feasible, the iterative nature of MCMC often implies long sampling times to explore the target space with chains that may suffer from slow convergence and poor mixing.

HIV risk factors among adolescent and young adults: A geospatial-temporal analysis of Mozambique AIDS indicator survey data.

In a developing country, it is very crucial to know where the HIV/AIDS epidemic is much more prevalent and where direct interventions are needed, especially when managing limited and scarce resources. We therefore examine the spatial distribution of HIV in Mozambique, and also assess how the epidemic evolved over a six-year period (2009-2015), with respect to potential risk factors among adolescents and young adults. We used data from the 2009 and 2015 Mozambique AIDS indicator surveys.

Evolution of human papilloma virus prevalence in a highly vaccinated region in Belgium: a retrospective cohort study in Flemish women (2010-2019).

Objective: In order to lower the incidence of cervical cancer, vaccines against high-risk types of the human papilloma virus (hrHPV) were approved and brought on the market in 2007, with a partial reimbursement for Belgian citizens younger than 18 years old. Since 2010, a school-based vaccination program ensures a high vaccination coverage in young women. In this study, the impact of the Belgian vaccination program on the prevalence of HPV 16/18 is studied, together with the evolution of the prevalence of other hrHPV types and precancerous lesions.

Elevated CA 15.3 in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between baseline elevated CA 15.3 (>30 kU/L) and the prevalence of primary or secondary metastatic disease in breast cancer.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center cohort study on patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and baseline CA 15.

Plasticity in the timing of detachment of an Eurasian-African songbird tick, Ixodes frontalis.

In non-permanent parasites, host detachment should take place in an environment that ensures the continuation of their life cycle. Timing of detachment - in combination with the host's space use - affects dispersal and transmission success of the parasites and of the pathogens they vector. Before reaching the adult reproductive stage, ticks need to go through multiple immature developmental stages (larva and nymph), each feeding on host blood.

Identifying immunity gaps for measles using Belgian serial serology data.

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, have been re-emerging in countries with moderate to high vaccine uptake. It is increasingly important to identify and close immunity gaps and increase coverage of routine childhood vaccinations, including two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). Here, we present a simple cohort model relying on a Bayesian approach to evaluate the evolution of measles seroprevalence in Belgium using the three most recent cross-sectional serological survey data collections (2002, 2006 and 2013) and information regarding vaccine properties.