103 results match your criteria: "VU Medical Center Amsterdam[Affiliation]"

Synaptotagmin-1 and Doc2b Exhibit Distinct Membrane-Remodeling Mechanisms.

Biophys J

February 2020

Department of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLab, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • - Synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) is a calcium sensor vital for neurotransmission, and this study explores its ability to remodel membranes using synthetic SNARE-free membranes and optical trapping methods.
  • - The research compares Syt1's function to that of Doc2b, revealing that Syt1’s effectiveness in promoting membrane interactions is highly dependent on calcium and protein presence, with single-membrane loading yielding better results compared to Doc2b.
  • - Both Syt1 and Doc2b can induce hemifusion in membranes, but Syt1 requires much higher concentrations to do so; both proteins also lower the energy needed for membranes to deform, potentially aiding in calcium-triggered fusion processes.
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Background In the presence of arterial stenosis, collateral artery growth (arteriogenesis) can alleviate ischemia and preserve tissue function. In patients with poorly developed collateral arteries, Gal-2 (galectin 2) expression is increased. In vivo administration of Gal-2 inhibits arteriogenesis.

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Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the WhiteTeeth mobile app, a theory-based mobile health (mHealth) program for promoting oral hygiene in adolescent orthodontic patients.

Methods: In this parallel randomized controlled trial, the data of 132 adolescents were collected during three orthodontic check-ups: at baseline (T0), at 6-week follow-up (T1) and at 12-week follow-up (T2). The intervention group was given access to the WhiteTeeth app in addition to usual care (n = 67).

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Purpose: Weight loss before bariatric surgery with a low-calorie diet (LCD) has several advantages, including reduction of liver volume and an improved access to the lesser sac. Disadvantages include performing surgery in a state of undernutrition, side effects, costs and patient compliance. Omega-3 fatty acids may serve as an alternative to reduce liver steatosis.

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Psychosis is characterized by problems in social functioning and trust, the assumed glue to positive social relations. But what helps building trust? A prime candidate could be social mindfulness: the ability and willingness to see and consider another person's needs and wishes during social decision making. We investigated whether first-episode psychosis patients (FEP) and patients at clinical high-risk (CHR) show reduced social mindfulness, and examined the underlying neural mechanisms.

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A Potential Role for the STXBP5-AS1 Gene in Adult ADHD Symptoms.

Behav Genet

May 2019

Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

We aimed to detect Attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) risk-conferring genes in adults. In children, ADHD is characterized by age-inappropriate levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity and may persists into adulthood. Childhood and adulthood ADHD are heritable, and are thought to represent the clinical extreme of a continuous distribution of ADHD symptoms in the general population.

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Treatment and survival of osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma of the skull: a SEER database analysis.

Acta Neurochir (Wien)

February 2019

Computational Neurosciences Outcomes Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Background: Common primary bone tumors include osteosarcomas (OSC) and Ewing sarcomas (EWS). The skull is a rare site, and literature about their treatment and survival is scarce. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, this study aims to assess the treatment and survival of skull OSC and skull EWS, as well as predictors for survival.

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Background: The Active2Gether intervention is an app-based intervention designed to help and encourage young adults to become and remain physically active by means of personalized, real-time activity tracking and context-specific feedback.

Objective: The objective of our study was to describe the development and content of the Active2Gether intervention for physical activity promotion.

Methods: A systematic and stepwise approach was used to develop the Active2Gether intervention.

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cRGD peptides target integrins associated with angiogenesis (e.g., αβ) and cancer, and have been used as binding ligands for both positron emission tomography (PET) and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) optical imaging.

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 In cases of life-threatening maternal conditions in the periviable period, professionals may consider immediate delivery with fetal demise as a consequence of the treatment. We sought the opinion of involved medical professionals on management, reporting, and auditing in these cases.  We performed an online survey amongst all registered maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists and neonatologists in the Netherlands.

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Objective: We aimed to investigate mutation-specific white matter (WM) integrity changes in presymptomatic and symptomatic mutation carriers of the ,, and mutations by use of diffusion-weighted imaging within the Genetic Frontotemporal dementia Initiative (GENFI) study.

Methods: One hundred and forty mutation carriers (54 , 30 , 56 ), 104 presymptomatic and 36 symptomatic, and 115 noncarriers underwent 3T diffusion tensor imaging. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the association between diffusion parameters and years from estimated symptom onset in ,, and mutation carriers versus noncarriers.

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Importance: Preeclampsia with an onset before 28 weeks' gestation poses dilemmas for the obstetrician with regard to the mode of delivery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the success rate of attempted vaginal delivery and the maternal and neonatal outcome according to the mode of delivery in women with preeclampsia and an indicated delivery before 28 weeks' gestation.

Evidence Acquisition: A comprehensive search was performed in the bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase.

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Purpose: Urethral reconstruction is performed in patients with urethral strictures or for correction of congenital disorders. In the case of shortage of tissue, engineered tissue may enhance urethral reconstruction. As the corpus spongiosum (CS) is important in supporting the function of the urethra, tissue engineering of the urethra should be combined with reconstruction of a CS.

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The effect of intravenous iron therapy on long-term survival in anaemic colorectal cancer patients: Results from a matched cohort study.

Surg Oncol

June 2018

Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Sanquin Research, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Intravenous iron therapy has been shown to be advantageous in treating anaemia and reducing the need for blood transfusions. Iron treatment, however, may also be hazardous by supporting cancer growth. Present clinical study explores, for the first time, the effect of preoperative intravenous iron therapy on tumour prognosis in anaemic colorectal cancer patients.

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Serum neurofilament light chain in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Parkinsonism Relat Disord

November 2018

Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, VU Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a promising biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases. Elevated NfL levels in CSF and blood have been observed in a growing number of neurodegenerative disorders, including frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. We studied serum NfL levels in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in relation to disease severity and survival.

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Sports participation and psychosocial health: a longitudinal observational study in children.

BMC Public Health

June 2018

Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute (VUmc), Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081, BT, The Netherlands.

Background: It is well known that sports participation is positively associated with psychosocial health in children, but details about this association over time are lacking. This study aimed to explore longitudinal associations between several characteristics of sports participation and three aspects of psychosocial health (internalizing problems, externalizing problems and prosocial behaviour) in Dutch children aged 10-12 years.

Methods: Data from 695 fourth-grade primary school children were included at baseline; 10-13 months later, 487 children (response rate 70.

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Background: Esophageal anastomotic leakage (EAL) is a severe complication following gastric and esophageal surgery for cancer. Several non-modifiable, patient or surgery related risk factors for EAL have been identified, however, the contribution of modifiable intraoperative parameters remains undetermined. This review provides an overview of current literature on potentially modifiable intraoperative risk factors for EAL.

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Reduced Self-Control after 3 Months of Imprisonment; A Pilot Study.

Front Psychol

February 2018

Section Clinical Neuropsychology, Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Prison can be characterized as an impoverished environment encouraging a sedentary lifestyle with limited autonomy and social interaction, which may negatively affect self-control and executive function. Here, we aim to study the effects of imprisonment on self-control and executive functions, and we report the change in neuropsychological outcome after 3 months of imprisonment. Participants were 37 male inmates in a remand prison in Amsterdam, Netherlands, who completed six tests of a computerized neuropsychological test battery (the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery) in the first week of arrival.

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Background: A 2010 meta-analysis of internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) RCTs argued 'computer therapy for the anxiety and depressive disorders was effective, acceptable and practical health care' without data on effectiveness or practicality in routine practice.

Methods: Databases, reviews and meta-analyses were searched for randomised controlled trials of cCBT or iCBT versus a control group (care as usual, waitlist, information control, psychological placebo, pill placebo, etc.) in people who met diagnostic criteria for major depression, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder or generalised anxiety disorder.

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Introduction: Transitions are traditionally viewed as challenging for clinicians. Throughout medical career pathways, clinicians need to successfully navigate successive transitions as they become progressively more independent practitioners. In these guidelines, we aim to synthesize the evidence from the literature to provide guidance for supporting clinicians in their development of independence, and highlight areas for further research.

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Iron therapy as treatment of anemia: A potentially detrimental and hazardous strategy in colorectal cancer patients.

Med Hypotheses

January 2018

Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Sanquin Research, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, The Netherlands.

In colorectal cancer patients, iron therapy, and especially intravenous iron therapy, is increasingly used to treat anemia and reduce the use of blood transfusions. However, iron has also been shown to be an essential nutrient for rapidly proliferating tissues and cells. In this respect, anemia of inflammation, characterized by limited duodenal iron uptake and sequestration of iron into the reticuloendothelial system, might be regarded as a potentially effective defense strategy of the human body against tumor growth.

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Purpose: Economic evaluation of services and interventions in care services tends to focus on quality of life(QoL) based on health-related measures such as EQ5D, with a major focus on health and functioning. The Capability Approach (CA) provides an alternative framework for measuring QoL and challenges some of the conventional issues in the current practice of measurement of QoL. The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) aims to measure social care-related QoL in a broad sense.

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Giving others the option of choice: An fMRI study on low-cost cooperation.

Neuropsychologia

January 2018

Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Successful social relationships require a consideration of a partner's thoughts and intentions. This aspect of social life is captured in the social mindfulness paradigm (SoMi task), in which participants make decisions that either limit or preserve options for their interaction partner's subsequent choice. Here we investigated the neural correlates of spontaneous socially mindful and unmindful behaviours.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the patient problems that nurses encounter in different clinical settings and the extent to which they report being able to influence those patient problems.

Design: Exploratory online survey research.

Method: Data were collected through an online questionnaire.

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Background: In preoperative blood management of colorectal cancer patients, intravenous iron therapy is increasingly used to treat anaemia and prevent red blood cell transfusions. However, while iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia, little is known about the prevalence and namely type of iron deficiency in this population, whereas both types of iron deficiency (i.e.

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