There is a need for new systemic sclerosis subset criteria. A content analytic approach.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is heterogenous. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the purpose, strengths and limitations of existing SSc subset criteria, and identify ideas among experts about subsets.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with randomly sampled international SSc experts.

Influenza surveillance in Europe: comparing intensity levels calculated using the moving epidemic method.

Objectives: Although influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) surveillance are well established in Europe, the comparability of intensity among countries and seasons remains an unresolved challenge. The objective is to compare the intensity of ILI and ARI in some European countries.

Design And Setting: Weekly ILI and ARI incidence rates and proportion of primary care consultations were modeled in 28 countries for the 1996/1997-2013/2014 seasons using the moving epidemic method (MEM).

Phenylalanine requirements of enterally fed term and preterm neonates.

Background: Phenylalanine, which is an essential aromatic amino acid, is either used for protein synthesis or irreversibly hydroxylated to tyrosine. The provision of optimal amounts of dietary phenylalanine is not only important for growth and development but might also influence catecholamine synthesis and release rates. The current recommended aromatic amino acid requirement for infants aged 0-6 mo is based on the amino acid content of human milk.

Determinants associated with work participation in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis taking tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.

Objective: Reduced work participation (WP) is a common problem for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and generates high costs for society. Therefore, it is important to explore determinants of WP at the start of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment, and for changes in WP after 2 years of TNFi treatment.

Methods: Within the Dutch Rheumatoid Arthritis Monitoring (DREAM) biologic register, WP data were available from 508 patients with RA younger than 65 years and without an (early) retirement pension.

A novel approach to contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging for screening: high-resolution ultrafast dynamic imaging.

Objectives: The use of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as screening tool has been stalled by high examination costs. Scan protocols have lengthened to optimize specificity. Modern view-sharing sequences now enable ultrafast dynamic whole-breast MRI, allowing much shorter and more cost-effective procedures.

Inverse correlation between cardiac injury and cardiac anxiety: a potential role for communication.

Objective: General anxiety in cardiac patients is associated with worsened cardiac course. An acute coronary syndrome (ACS) might evoke specific cardiac anxiety. We explored the characteristics associated with cardiac anxiety in ACS patients.

Incidence of cardiac arrests and unexpected deaths in surgical patients before and after implementation of a rapid response system.

Background: Rapid response systems (RRSs) are considered an important tool for improving patient safety. We studied the effect of an RRS on the incidence of cardiac arrests and unexpected deaths.

Methods: Retrospective before- after study in a university medical centre.

Strategies to improve regeneration of the soft palate muscles after cleft palate repair.

Children with a cleft in the soft palate have difficulties with speech, swallowing, and sucking. These patients are unable to separate the nasal from the oral cavity leading to air loss during speech. Although surgical repair ameliorates soft palate function by joining the clefted muscles of the soft palate, optimal function is often not achieved.

Gut bacteria in health and disease: a survey on the interface between intestinal microbiology and colorectal cancer.

A healthy human body contains at least tenfold more bacterial cells than human cells and the most abundant and diverse microbial community resides in the intestinal tract. Intestinal health is not only maintained by the human intestine itself and by dietary factors, but is also largely supported by this resident microbial community. Conversely, however, a large body of evidence supports a relationship between bacteria, bacterial activities and human colorectal cancer.

Surface-affinity profiling to identify host-pathogen interactions.

Proteolytic treatment of intact bacterial cells has proven to be a convenient approach for the identification of surface-exposed proteins. This class of proteins directly interacts with the outside world, for instance, during adherence to human epithelial cells. Here, we aimed to identify host receptor proteins by introducing a preincubation step in which bacterial cells were first allowed to capture human proteins from epithelial cell lysates.

Factors influencing the use of frozen section analysis in adnexal masses.

Objective: To determine the factors that influence the use of frozen section analysis in adnexal masses and the factors that predict malignancy.

Methods: The study participants were women scheduled for adnexal mass surgery in 11 hospitals between 2005 and 2009. Factors that potentially influenced the use of frozen section analysis and potentially predicted malignancy were studied, such as menopausal status, CA 125 level, ultrasound characteristics, presence of adhesions, and tumor size.

Solifenacin in multiple sclerosis patients with overactive bladder: a prospective study.

Objective. To assess the efficacy and the effect on Qol of solifenacin for the treatment of OAB in MS patients. Patients and Methods.

Assessing factors influencing return back to work after cholecystectomy: a qualitative research.

Background: Cholecystectomy causes considerable financial burden on society with a major part caused by sick-leave. There are wide variations in duration of sick-leave. The aim of our study was to identify all aspects that influence the moment of return to work by using focus groups and to compare responses from patients and physicians.

Dysphagia in spinal muscular atrophy type II: more than a bulbar problem?

Objective: In patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type II, feeding problems and dysphagia are common, but the underlying mechanisms of these problems are not well defined. This case control study was designed to determine the underlying mechanisms of dysphagia in SMA type II.

Methods: Six children with SMA type II and 6 healthy matched controls between 6.

Surface-exposed histone-like protein a modulates adherence of Streptococcus gallolyticus to colon adenocarcinoma cells.

Streptococcus gallolyticus (formerly known as Streptococcus bovis biotype I) is a low-grade opportunistic pathogen which is considered to be associated with colon cancer. It is thought that colon polyps or tumors are the main portal of entry for this bacterium and that heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) at the colon tumor cell surface are involved in bacterial adherence during the first stages of infection. In this study, we have shown that the histone-like protein A (HlpA) of S.

Mild increases in serum hepcidin and interleukin-6 concentrations impair iron incorporation in haemoglobin during an experimental human malaria infection.

The correct selection of individuals who will benefit from iron supplements in malaria-endemic regions requires improved insight in the effects of malaria on host iron homeostasis and innovative biomarkers. We assessed sequential changes in serum hepcidin and in traditional biochemical iron status indicators during an experimental Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection with five adult volunteers. The haemoglobin content of reticulocytes (Ret-H(e)) and of mature red blood cells (RBC-H(e)) represented iron incorporation into haemoglobin.

Applications of neurostimulation for urinary storage and voiding dysfunction in neurological patients.

The application of various forms of electrical stimulation is considered a therapeutic option to manage different types of lower urinary tract dysfunction. However, even though lower urinary tract dysfunction is common in patients with neurological disease, apart from patients with spinal cord injury, electrostimulation is still not widely applied in a neurological patient population. Urologists frequently encounter patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in their daily practice.

Rheumatoid arthritis: a view of the current genetic landscape.

The field of genetics and autoimmune diseases is undergoing a rapid and unprecedented expansion with new genetic findings being reported at an astounding pace. It is now clear that multiple genes contribute to each of the major autoimmune disorders, with significant genetic overlaps among them. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is no exception to this, and emerging data are beginning to reveal the outlines of new diagnostic subgroups, complex overlapping relationships with other autoimmune disorders and potential new targets for therapy.

Systemic sclerosis and its pulmonary complications in The Netherlands: an epidemiological study.

Unlabelled: The prevalence and incidence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in The Netherlands is unknown. The same holds true for its leading causes of death: pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), for which effective treatment options have recently become available.

Objective: To establish the prevalence and incidence of SSc and its pulmonary complications.

Memento of the post-mortem.

When the Department of Pathology of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands moved from its old to its new premises, the demolition of the marble post-mortem tables was impending, taking with it the Department's (physical) memory. To keep the importance of this memory and of the post-mortem itself on everyone's minds in the new building, the artist Piet Hein Eek was invited to incorporate these post-mortem tables into a work of art. This became a triptych: the three post-mortem tables were stood upright against the wall behind a mounted double sheet of glass, containing screen prints of enlarged microscopic images.

Similar effects of rofecoxib and indomethacin on the incidence of heterotopic ossification after hip arthroplasty.

Background: Although indomethacin is effective in preventing heterotopic ossification (HO) after primary total hip arthroplasty, side effects are frequently observed. In the last decade a new class of drugs--the COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs--has been developed. To investigate the effect of these COX-2 selective NSAIDs on heterotopic ossification (HO) after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), we conducted a randomized controlled trial using either indomethacin or rofecoxib for 7 days.