Marangoni Flow in Freely Suspended Liquid Films.

We demonstrate controlled material transport driven by temperature differences in thin freely suspended smectic films. Films with submicrometer thicknesses and lateral extensions of several millimeters were studied in microgravity during suborbital rocket flights. In-plane temperature differences cause two specific Marangoni effects, directed flow and convection patterns.

Multiscale modeling of the neuromuscular system: Coupling neurophysiology and skeletal muscle mechanics.

Mathematical models and computer simulations have the great potential to substantially increase our understanding of the biophysical behavior of the neuromuscular system. This, however, requires detailed multiscale, and multiphysics models. Once validated, such models allow systematic in silico investigations that are not necessarily feasible within experiments and, therefore, have the ability to provide valuable insights into the complex interrelations within the healthy system and for pathological conditions.

Effect of physical exercise on cognitive function and brain measures after chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer (PAM study): protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: After treatment with chemotherapy, many patients with breast cancer experience cognitive problems. While limited interventions are available to improve cognitive functioning, physical exercise showed positive effects in healthy older adults and people with mild cognitive impairment. The Physical Activity and Memory study aims to investigate the effect of physical exercise on cognitive functioning and brain measures in chemotherapy-exposed patients with breast cancer with cognitive problems.

Because space matters: conceptual framework to help distinguish slum from non-slum urban areas.

Despite an estimated one billion people around the world living in slums, most surveys of health and well-being do not distinguish between slum and non-slum urban residents. Identifying people who live in slums is important for research purposes and also to enable policymakers, programme managers, donors and non-governmental organisations to better target investments and services to areas of greatest deprivation. However, there is no consensus on what a slum is let alone how slums can be distinguished from non-slum urban precincts.

On frail minds: addressing and assessing age-related neural decline and disease.

The terminology surrounding frailty is used in clinical settings, and in research and development for identifying processes of, and patients in, age-related physical decline. However, a framework suitable for age-related neurodegenerative diseases needs to (1) adequately account for the effects that the processes of aging have on neural decline and disease, and (2) be helpful in identifying relevant groups of users and patients. This is becoming increasingly necessary due to emerging possibilities to detect, prevent, and treat age-related neural decline and disease.

A review on recent advances in soft surgical robots for endoscopic applications.

Background: Soft materials, with their compliant properties, enable conformity and safe interaction with human body. With the advance in actuation and sensing of soft materials, new paradigm in robotics called "soft robotics" emerges. Soft robotics has become a new approach in designing medical devices such as wearable robotic gloves and exoskeleton.

Verifying alternative measures of healthcare service quality.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the best measure among several alternatives (SERVQUAL, weighted SERVQUAL, SERVPERF, weighted SERVPERF) and develop a scale which healthcare providers can use for measurement of healthcare service quality.

Design/methodology/approach: The study involved two phases. The first phase was through a series of in-depth interviews with experts and patients followed by a pilot study.

Shorter cryoballoon applications times do effect efficacy but result in less phrenic nerve injury: Results of the randomized 123 study.

Background: The second-generation cryoballoon significantly improves outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) but may cause more complications than the first generation. Currently, no consensus regarding optimal cryoballoon application time exists. The 123-study aimed to assess the minimal cryoballoon application duration necessary to achieve PVI (primary endpoint) and the effect of application duration on prevention of phrenic nerve injury (PNI).

[Ten years of alcohol intoxication among young people in The Netherlands].

Objective: To provide insight into the number of adolescents admitted to hospital with alcohol intoxication in the period 2007-2016.

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Methods: We used data from the hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication among minors that had been reported to the Dutch Paediatric Surveillance System (NSCK).

Estimating Optimal Weights for Compound Scores: A Multidimensional IRT Approach.

A method is proposed for constructing indices as linear functions of variables such that the reliability of the compound score is maximized. Reliability is defined in the framework of latent variable modeling [i.e.

Symbolic dynamics to enhance diagnostic ability of portable oximetry from the phone oximeter in the detection of paediatric sleep apnoea.

Objective: This study is aimed at assessing symbolic dynamics as a reliable technique to characterise complex fluctuations of portable oximetry in the context of automated detection of childhood obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS).

Approach: Nocturnal oximetry signals from 142 children with suspected OSAHS were acquired using the Phone Oximeter: a portable device that integrates a pulse oximeter with a smartphone. An apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥5 events/h from simultaneous in-lab polysomnography was used to confirm moderate-to-severe childhood OSAHS.

Flat and microstructured polymeric membranes in organs-on-chips.

In recent years, organs-on-chips (OOCs) have been developed to meet the desire for more realistic cell culture models. These systems introduce microfluidics, mechanical stretch and other physiological stimuli to models, thereby significantly enhancing their descriptive power. In most OOCs, porous polymeric membranes are used as substrates for cell culture.

[Eleventh Safe Sleeping Survey in the Netherlands: parents' habits concerning infant sleep position and location].

Objective: To investigate to what extent parents of infants are following national safe sleep advice given for the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and to study the reasons for not adhering to recommendations on sleep position (always on the back) and location (parents and infant not sleeping in the same bed).

Design: Quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study.

Method: Online survey among parents of 0-11 month old children via well-baby clinics and online media.

Experiments and characterization of low-frequency oscillations in a granular column.

The behavior of a vertically vibrated granular bed is reminiscent of a liquid in that it exhibits many phenomena such as convection and Faraday-like surface waves. However, when the lateral dimensions of the bed are confined such that a quasi-one-dimensional geometry is formed, the only phenomena that remain are bouncing bed and the granular Leidenfrost effect. This permits the observation of the granular Leidenfrost state for a wide range of energy injection parameters and more specifically allows for a thorough characterization of the low-frequency oscillation (LFO) that is present in this state.

Association between body mass index and obesity-related cancer risk in men and women with type 2 diabetes in primary care in the Netherlands: a cohort study (ZODIAC-56).

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related cancers in men and women with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: Primary care.

[How can gentlemen of standing grow old healthily? Plemp and his De togatorum valetudine tuenda commentatio (1670)].

In 1670, the Professor of Medicine V.F. Plemp from the Belgian University of Leuven published a book explaining in an entertaining fashion how elderly gentlemen in positions of authority could live for a long time in good health but still have enjoyable lives.

Impacts of climate change on rice production in Africa and causes of simulated yield changes.

This study is the first of its kind to quantify possible effects of climate change on rice production in Africa. We simulated impacts on rice in irrigated systems (dry season and wet season) and rainfed systems (upland and lowland). We simulated the use of rice varieties with a higher temperature sum as adaptation option.

Mechanical excitation of rodlike particles by a vibrating plate.

The experimental realization and investigation of granular gases usually require an initial or permanent excitation of ensembles of particles, either mechanically or electromagnetically. One typical method is the energy supply by a vibrating plate or container wall. We study the efficiency of such an excitation of cylindrical particles by a sinusoidally oscillating wall and characterize the distribution of kinetic energies of excited particles over their degrees of freedom.

The influence of N-terminal acetylation on micelle-induced conformational changes and aggregation of α-Synuclein.

The biological function of α-Synuclein has been related to binding to lipids and membranes but these interactions can also mediate α-Synuclein aggregation, which is associated to Parkinson's disease and other neuropathologies. In brain tissue α-Synuclein is constitutively N-acetylated, a modification that plays an important role in its conformational propensity, lipid and membrane binding, and aggregation propensity. We studied the interactions of the lipid-mimetic SDS with N-acetylated and non-acetylated α-Synuclein, as well as their early-onset Parkinson's disease variants A30P, E46K and A53T.

[The Well-Being Measure - dementia: A validation study].

The Well-Being Measure - dementia is a digital observation instrument that assesses the well-being of persons with dementia on four domains of quality of life: Mental well-being, Physical well-being, Participation, and Living arrangements. Its goal is to assess the well-being of persons with dementia in an easy and positive way. Besides illness-related symptoms and problems, the instrument also assesses positive aspects of functioning.

Surgical Care Required for Populations Affected by Climate-related Natural Disasters: A Global Estimation.

Background: Climate extremes will increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters worldwide.  Climate-related natural disasters were anticipated to affect 375 million people in 2015, more than 50% greater than the yearly average in the previous decade. To inform surgical assistance preparedness, we estimated the number of surgical procedures needed.

Characterization of insulin-degrading enzyme-mediated cleavage of Aβ in distinct aggregation states.

To enhance our understanding of the potential therapeutic utility of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we studied in vitro IDE-mediated degradation of different amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide aggregation states. Our findings show that IDE activity is driven by the dynamic equilibrium between Aβ monomers and higher ordered aggregates. We identify Met(35)-Val(36) as a novel IDE cleavage site in the Aβ sequence and show that Aβ fragments resulting from IDE cleavage form non-toxic amorphous aggregates.

Development of Preliminary Remission Criteria for Gout Using Delphi and 1000Minds Consensus Exercises.

Objective: To establish consensus for potential remission criteria to use in clinical trials of gout.

Methods: Experts (n = 88) in gout from multiple countries were invited to participate in a web-based questionnaire study. Three rounds of Delphi consensus exercises were conducted using SurveyMonkey, followed by a discrete-choice experiment using 1000Minds software.