Abraham Ortelius, Hubertus Golzius en Guido Laurinus en de studie van de Arx Britannica

Between 1566-1568 the well-known Antwerp map-maker Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was involved in the archaeological study of the Arx Britannica, a Roman fortress on the coast of Holland. The ruins were only visible during exceptionally low tide; today the monument has been totally engulfed by the North Sea. The study of the Brittenburg was a group project, probably coordinated by Abraham Ortelius. After Ortelius had drawn a ground plan of the Roman fortress, the painter-numismatist Hubertus Goltzius (1526-1583) sent him an inscription originating from the Brittenburg. The Bruges archaeologist Guido Laurinus (1532-1589) suggested a reconstruction of the inscription, which initiated a reinterpretation of the monument. The participation of Antwerp and Bruges archaeologists in the study of local antiquities in Holland demonstrates that these sixteenth-century humanists did not experience the Northern and Southern Netherlands as separate entities. Possibly Ortelius's interest in the fortress, situated at the Rhine estuary, also had to do with his fascination for antique tribal borders, so characteristic for the outer regions of the former Roman Empire. Eventually the cooperation resulted in the publication of an engraving, in which Ortelius commented on the outcome of the study, presented in a visual form. The engraving was first printed separately, but not really distributed until it was included in the Descrittione di tutti I Paesi Bassi (1581) by L. Guicciardini. The accurate representation of the condition of material sources, such as coins, medals, inscriptions, roof tiles depicted on the engraving is indisputable. Although a new critical attitude towards chronicles is also noticeable, these written sources still had a strong effect. Moreover, the engraving does not show the archaeological discoveries in isolation, but they have been worked into a landscape where ancient Batavians, the so-called lighthouse and sixteenth-century Katwijk exist side by side. Since to Ortelius and his circle object analysis and historicizing sketch were totally compatible, both contributed to a better understanding of the past

Evaluation of a compact multi-contrast and multi-resolution X-ray phase contrast edge illumination system for small animal imaging

PURPOSE: In this work the performance of a compact multi-resolution and multi-contrast X-ray phase system based on edge illumination is investigated. It has been designed for small animal imaging and with a limited footprint for ease of deployment in laboratories. METHODS: The presented edge illumination system is based on a compact microfocus tungsten X-ray source combined with a at panel detector. The source has a maximum output of 10 W when the minimum spot size of about 15 µm is used. The system has an overall length of 70 cm. A new double sample mask design, obtained by arranging both skipped and non-skipped configurations on the same structure, provides dual resolution capability. To test the system, we carried out CT scans of a plastic phantom with different source settings using both single-image and multi-image acquisition schemes at different spatial resolutions. In addition, CT scans of an ex-vivo mouse specimen were acquired at the best identified working conditions to demonstrate the application of the presented system to small animal imaging. RESULTS: We found this system delivers good image quality, allowing for an efficient material separation and improving detail visibility in small animals thanks to the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of phase contrast with respect to conventional attenuation contrast. The system offers high versatility in terms of spatial resolution thanks to the double sample mask design integrated into a single scanner. The availability of both multi and single image acquisition schemes coupled with their dedicated retrieval algorithms, allows different working modes which can be selected based on user preference. Multi-image acquisition provides quantitative separation of the real and imaginary part of the refractive index, however it requires a long scanning time. On the other hand, the single image approach delivers the best material separation and image quality at all the investigated source settings with a shorter scanning time but at the cost of quantitativeness. Finally, we also observed that the single image approach combined with a high-power X-ray source may result in a fast acquisition protocol compatible with in-vivo imaging

No change? A grounded theory analysis of depressed patients' perspectives on non-improvement in psychotherapy

Aim: Understanding the effects of psychotherapy is a crucial concern for both research and clinical practice, especially when outcome tends to be negative. Yet, while outcome is predominantly evaluated by means of quantitative pre-post outcome questionnaires, it remains unclear what this actually means for patients in their daily lives. To explore this meaning, it is imperative to combine treatment evaluation with quantitative and qualitative outcome measures. This study investigates the phenomenon of non-improvement in psychotherapy, by complementing quantitative pre-post outcome scores that indicate no reliable change in depression symptoms with a qualitative inquiry of patients' perspectives.Methods: The study took place in the context of a Randomised Controlled Trial evaluating time-limited psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy for major depression. A mixed methods study was conducted including patients' pre-post outcome scores on the BDI-II-NL and post treatment Client Change Interviews. Nineteen patients whose data showed no reliable change in depression symptoms were selected. A grounded theory analysis was conducted on the transcripts of patients' interviews.Findings: From the patients' perspective, non-improvement can be understood as being stuck between knowing versus doing, resulting in a stalemate. Positive changes (mental stability, personal strength, and insight) were stimulated by therapy offering moments of self-reflection and guidance, the benevolent therapist approach and the context as important motivations. Remaining issues (ambition to change but inability to do so) were attributed to the therapy hitting its limits, patients' resistance and impossibility and the context as a source of distress. “No change” in outcome scores therefore seems to involve a “partial change” when considering the patients' perspectives.Conclusion: The study shows the value of integrating qualitative first-person analyses into standard quantitative outcome evaluation and particularly for understanding the phenomenon of non-improvement. It argues for more multi-method and multi-perspective research to gain a better understanding of (negative) outcome and treatment effects. Implications for both research and practice are discussed

The Current and Future State of Vaccines, Antivirals and Gene Therapies Against Emerging Coronaviruses

Emerging coronaviruses (CoV) are constant global public health threats to society. Multiple ongoing clinical trials for vaccines and antivirals against CoVs showcase the availability of medical interventions to both prevent and treat the future emergence of highly pathogenic CoVs in human. However, given the diverse nature of CoVs and our close interactions with wild, domestic and companion animals, the next epidemic zoonotic CoV could resist the existing vaccines and antivirals developed, which are primarily focused on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS CoV). In late 2019, the novel CoV (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, causing global public health concern. In this review, we will summarize the key advancements of current vaccines and antivirals against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV as well as discuss the challenge and opportunity in the current SARS-CoV-2 crisis. At the end, we advocate the development of a “plug-and-play” platform technologies that could allow quick manufacturing and administration of broad-spectrum countermeasures in an outbreak setting. We will discuss the potential of AAV-based gene therapy technology for in vivo therapeutic antibody delivery to combat SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and the future emergence of severe CoVs

Advances in prevention and therapy of neonatal dairy calf diarrhoea : a systematical review with emphasis on colostrum management and fluid therapy

Neonatal calf diarrhoea remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in preweaned dairy calves worldwide. This complex disease can be triggered by both infectious and non-infectious causes. The four most important enteropathogens leading to neonatal dairy calf diarrhoea are Escherichia coli, rota-and coronavirus, and Cryptosporidium parvum. Besides treating diarrhoeic neonatal dairy calves, the veterinarian is the most obvious person to advise the dairy farmer on prevention and treatment of this disease. This review deals with prevention and treatment of neonatal dairy calf diarrhoea focusing on the importance of a good colostrum management and a correct fluid therapy

Programmable antivirals targeting critical conserved viral RNA secondary structures from influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2

Influenza A virus’s (IAV’s) frequent genetic changes challenge vaccine strategies and engender resistance to current drugs. We sought to identify conserved and essential RNA secondary structures within IAV’s genome that are predicted to have greater constraints on mutation in response to therapeutic targeting. We identified and genetically validated an RNA structure (packaging stem–loop 2 (PSL2)) that mediates in vitro packaging and in vivo disease and is conserved across all known IAV isolates. A PSL2-targeting locked nucleic acid (LNA), administered 3 d after, or 14 d before, a lethal IAV inoculum provided 100% survival in mice, led to the development of strong immunity to rechallenge with a tenfold lethal inoculum, evaded attempts to select for resistance and retained full potency against neuraminidase inhibitor-resistant virus. Use of an analogous approach to target SARS-CoV-2, prophylactic administration of LNAs specific for highly conserved RNA structures in the viral genome, protected hamsters from efficient transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 USA_WA1/2020 variant. These findings highlight the potential applicability of this approach to any virus of interest via a process we term ‘programmable antivirals’, with implications for antiviral prophylaxis and post-exposure therapy

An urban Blitz with a twist: rapid biodiversity assessment using aquatic environmental DNA

As global biodiversity declines, there is an increasing need to create an educated and engaged society. Having people of all ages participate in measuring biodiversity where they live helps to create awareness. Recently, the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for biodiversity surveys has gained momentum. Here, we explore whether sampling eDNA and sequencing it can be used as a means of rapidly surveying urban biodiversity for educational purposes. We sampled 2 × 1 L of water from each of 15 locations in the city of Trondheim, Norway, including a variety of freshwater, marine, and brackish habitats. DNA was extracted, amplified in triplicate targeting the barcoding fragment of COI gene, and sequenced. The obtained data were analyzed on the novel mBRAVE platform, an online open‐access software and computing resource. The water samples were collected in 2 days by two people, and the laboratory analysis was completed in 5 days by one person. Overall, we detected the presence of 506 BINs identified as belonging to 435 taxa, representing at least 265 putative species. On average, only 5.4% of the taxa were shared among six replicates per site. Based on the observed diversity, three distinct clusters were detected and related to the geographic distribution of sites. There were some taxa shared between the habitats, with a substantial presence of terrestrial biota. Here we propose a new form of BioBlitz, where with noninvasive sampling effort combined with swift processing and straightforward online analyses, hundreds of species can be detected. Thus, using eDNA analysis of water is useful for rapid biodiversity surveys and valuable for educational purposes. We show that rapid eDNA surveys, combined with openly available services and software, can be used as an educational tool to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity.© 2020 The Authors. Environmental DNA published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The attached file is the published pdf

A live dengue virus vaccine carrying a chimeric envelope glycoprotein elicits dual DENV2-DENV4 serotype-specific immunity

The four dengue virus serotypes co-circulate globally and cause significant human disease. Dengue vaccine development is challenging because some virus-specific antibodies are protective, while others are implicated in enhanced viral replication and more severe disease. Current dengue tetravalent vaccines contain four live attenuated serotypes formulated to theoretically induce balanced protective immunity. Among the number of vaccine candidates in clinical trials, only Dengvaxia is licensed for use in DENV seropositive individuals. To simplify live-virus vaccine design, we identify co-evolutionary constraints inherent in flavivirus virion assembly and design chimeric viruses to replace domain II (EDII) of the DENV2 envelope (E) glycoprotein with EDII from DENV4. The chimeric DENV2/4EDII virus replicates efficiently in vitro and in vivo. In male macaques, a single inoculation of DENV2/4EDII induces type-specific neutralizing antibodies to both DENV2 and DENV4, thereby providing a strategy to simplify DENV vaccine design by utilizing a single bivalent E glycoprotein immunogen for two DENV serotypes

Genomewide CRISPR knockout screen identified PLAC8 as an essential factor for SADS-CoVs infection

Zoonotic transmission of coronaviruses poses an ongoing threat to human populations. Endemic outbreaks of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) have caused severe economic losses in the pig industry and have the potential to cause human outbreaks. Currently, there are no vaccines or specific antivirals against SADS-CoV, and our limited understanding of SADS-CoV host entry factors could hinder prompt responses to a potential human outbreak. Using a genomewide CRISPR knockout screen, we identified placenta-associated 8 protein (PLAC8) as an essential host factor for SADS-CoV infection. Knockout of PLAC8 abolished SADS-CoV infection, which was restored by complementing PLAC8 from multiple species, including human, rhesus macaques, mouse, pig, pangolin, and bat, suggesting a conserved infection pathway and susceptibility of SADS-CoV among mammals. Mechanistically, PLAC8 knockout does not affect viral entry; rather, knockout cells displayed a delay and reduction in viral subgenomic RNA expression. In a swine primary intestinal epithelial culture (IEC) infection model, differentiated cultures have high levels of PLAC8 expression and support SADS-CoV replication. In contrast, expanding IECs have low levels of PLAC8 expression and are resistant to SADS-CoV infection. PLAC8 expression patterns translate in vivo; the immunohistochemistry of swine ileal tissue revealed high levels of PLAC8 protein in neonatal compared to adult tissue, mirroring the known SADS-CoV pathogenesis in neonatal piglets. Overall, PLAC8 is an essential factor for SADS-CoV infection and may serve as a promising target for antiviral development for potential pandemic SADS-CoV