Species’ life-history traits explain interspecific variation in reservoir competence: a possible mechanism underlying the dilution effect

Hosts species for multi-host pathogens show considerable variation in the species' reservoir competence, which is usually used to measure species' potential to maintain and transmit these pathogens. Although accumulating research has proposed a trade-off between life-history strategies and immune defences, only a few studies extended this to host species' reservoir competence. Using a phylogenetic comparative approach, we studied the relationships between some species' life-history traits and reservoir competence in three emerging infectious vector-borne disease systems, namely Lyme disease, West Nile Encephalitis (WNE) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The results showed that interspecific variation in reservoir competence could be partly explained by the species' life histories. Species with larger body mass (for hosts of Lyme disease and WNE) or smaller clutch size (for hosts of EEE) had a higher reservoir competence. Given that both larger body mass and smaller clutch size were linked to higher extinction risk of local populations, our study suggests that with decreasing biodiversity, species with a higher reservoir competence are more likely to remain in the community, and thereby increase the risk of transmitting these pathogens, which might be a possible mechanism underlying the dilution effect

First-principles quantum transport modeling of thermoelectricity in single-molecule nanojunctions with graphene nanoribbon electrodes

We overview nonequilibrium Green function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT) modeling of independent electron and phonon transport in nanojunctions with applications focused on a new class of thermoelectric devices where a single molecule is attached to two metallic zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) via highly transparent contacts. Such contacts make possible injection of evanescent wavefunctions from ZGNRs, so that their overlap within the molecular region generates a peak in the electronic transmission. Additionally, the spatial symmetry properties of the transverse propagating states in the ZGNR electrodes suppress hole-like contributions to the thermopower. Thus optimized thermopower, together with diminished phonon conductance through a ZGNR/molecule/ZGNR inhomogeneous structure, yields the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT~0.5 at room temperature and 0.5<ZT<2.5 below liquid nitrogen temperature. The reliance on evanescent mode transport and symmetry of propagating states in the electrodes makes the electronic-transport-determined power factor in this class of devices largely insensitive to the type of sufficiently short conjugated organic molecule, which we demonstrate by showing that both 18-annulene and C10 molecule sandwiched by the two ZGNR electrodes yield similar thermopower. Thus, one can search for molecules that will further reduce the phonon thermal conductance (in the denominator of ZT) while keeping the electronic power factor (in the nominator of ZT) optimized. We also show how often employed Brenner empirical interatomic potential for hydrocarbon systems fails to describe phonon transport in our single-molecule nanojunctions when contrasted with first-principles results obtained via NEGF-DFT methodology.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures; mini-review article prepared for the special issue of the Journal of Computational Electronics on "Simulation of Thermal, Thermoelectric, and Electrothermal Phenomena in Nanostructures", edited by I. Knezevic and Z. Aksamij

Detection and localization of early- and late-stage cancers using platelet RNA

Cancer patients benefit from early tumor detection since treatment outcomes are more favorable for less advanced cancers. Platelets are involved in cancer progression and are considered a promising biosource for cancer detection, as they alter their RNA content upon local and systemic cues. We show that tumor-educated platelet (TEP) RNA-based blood tests enable the detection of 18 cancer types. With 99% specificity in asymptomatic controls, thromboSeq correctly detected the presence of cancer in two-thirds of 1,096 blood samples from stage I–IV cancer patients and in half of 352 stage I–III tumors. Symptomatic controls, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, and benign tumors had increased false-positive test results with an average specificity of 78%. Moreover, thromboSeq determined the tumor site of origin in five different tumor types correctly in over 80% of the cancer patients. These results highlight the potential properties of TEP-derived RNA panels to supplement current approaches for blood-based cancer screening

A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Two Strategies to Improve Antibiotic Use for Patients with a Complicated Urinary Tract Infection

Contains fulltext : 152505.PDF (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Up to 50% of hospital antibiotic use is inappropriate and therefore improvement strategies are urgently needed. We compared the effectiveness of two strategies to improve the quality of antibiotic use in patients with a complicated urinary tract infection (UTI). METHODS: In a multicentre, cluster-randomized trial 19 Dutch hospitals (departments Internal Medicine and Urology) were allocated to either a multi-faceted strategy including feedback, educational sessions, reminders and additional/optional improvement actions, or a competitive feedback strategy, i.e. providing professionals with non-anonymous comparative feedback on the department's appropriateness of antibiotic use. Retrospective baseline- and post-intervention measurements were performed in 2009 and 2012 in 50 patients per department, resulting in 1,964 and 2,027 patients respectively. Principal outcome measures were nine validated guideline-based quality indicators (QIs) that define appropriate antibiotic use in patients with a complicated UTI, and a QI sumscore that summarizes for each patient the appropriateness of antibiotic use. RESULTS: Performance scores on several individual QIs showed improvement from baseline to post-intervention measurements, but no significant differences were found between both strategies. The mean patient's QI sum score improved significantly in both strategy groups (multi-faceted: 61.7% to 65.0%, P = 0.04 and competitive feedback: 62.8% to 66.7%, P = 0.01). Compliance with the strategies was suboptimal, but better compliance was associated with more improvement. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of both strategies was comparable and better compliance with the strategies was associated with more improvement. To increase effectiveness, improvement activities should be rigorously applied, preferably by a locally initiated multidisciplinary team. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register 1742

The effect of treatment on quality of life in psoriasis patients.

Contains fulltext : 48370.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease with substantial impact on patients' social and relational ways of living and subsequently on their quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with short contact dithranol treatment, UVB phototherapy or inpatient dithranol treatment. HRQoL was evaluated in an open randomized multicentre study by appliance of the Dutch short form of the Sickness Impact Profile and the Psoriasis Disability Index; 250 patients were included. Successful short contact dithranol treatment and UVB phototherapy both led to a comparable improvement in HRQoL immediately after treatment until the end of the follow-up (maximum 1 year). Inpatients experienced a more impaired HRQoL and showed no significant improvement in HRQoL directly following treatment. At the end of the study HRQoL became comparable for all treatment groups.All three treatments led to substantial improvement in HRQoL; however, patients treated by short contact treatment or UVB showed a better HRQoL than inpatients

Rapid prototyping: een veelbelovende methode

Rapid prototyping is een methode die het mogelijk maakt een driedimensionaal model te vervaardigen op basis van tweedimensionale beeldvorming. Voor modellering bestaan verschillende methoden, zoals stereolithografie, selectief lasersinteren, laser-metaalsinteren, twee-fotonpolymerisatie, gelamineerde objectmodellering, driedimensionaal printen, driedimensionaal plotten, polyjet inkjettechnologie, gefuseerde depositiemodellering, vacuümgieten en frezen. De diverse methoden die in de biomedische sector worden toegepast, verschillen onderling in productieproces, materiaal en eigenschappen van het geproduceerde driedimensionale model. Rapid prototyping wordt vooral gebruikt voor preoperatieve planning, simulatie, educatie en onderzoek naar en ontwikkeling van de biotechnologische mogelijkheden

Cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome - Reply

Contains fulltext : 19668.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access