Analysis of the EMBRACE aperture array antenna by the characteristic Basis Function Method

This paper describes the use of the Characteristic Basis Function Method for the simulation of large phased array antennas for radio astronomy. It will be shown how the antenna effective area and the receiver noise temperature depend on array size. Also the receiving sensitivity Aeff /T sys normalised with respect to the physical area of the array will be shown for different array sizes and scan angles

Aperture array development for future large radio telescopes

We present the design of a phased array system for future radio telescopes. This includes a system overview and recent results of the designed and implemented system, the Electronic Multi-Beam Radio Astronomy Concept (EMBRACE). Furthermore, simulations with a full-EM antenna simulator, combined with measurements on actual hardware, will provide information for the next design step, the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS). With AAVS, we will prove design readiness of this novel array technology

A difficult to treat Leishmania infantum relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Amphotericin B; Leishmania; PancytopeniaAmfotericina B; Leishmania; PancitopèniaAnfotericina B; Leishmania; PancitopeniaHere we describe a complicated case of a relapsed Leishmania infantum infection after an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for primary myelofibrosis. Three years earlier the patient had been diagnosed with a hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to a visceral Leishmania infantum infection, for which he was effectively treated with a cumulative dose of 40 mg/kg liposomal amphotericin B. During the first disease episode he was also diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis for which he received medical follow-up. One year later ruxolitinib was started due to progressive disease. No Leishmania relapse occurred. Nevertheless, the marrow fibrosis progressed, and an allo-SCT was performed. Two months after allo-SCT prolonged fever and a persistent pancytopenia occurred, which was due to a relapse of visceral Leishmaniasis. The infection was refractory to a prolonged treatment with liposomal amphotericin B with a cumulative dose up to 100 mg/kg. Salvage treatment with miltefosine led to reduction of fever within a few days and was followed by a slow recovery of pancytopenia over the following months. The Leishmania parasite load by PCR started to decline and after 3.5 months no Leishmania DNA could be detected anymore and follow-up until ten months afterwards did not show a relapse

Hospital mortality is associated with ICU admission time

Previous studies have shown that patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after "office hours" are more likely to die. However these results have been challenged by numerous other studies. We therefore analysed this possible relationship between ICU admission time and in-hospital mortality in The Netherlands. This article relates time of ICU admission to hospital mortality for all patients who were included in the Dutch national ICU registry (National Intensive Care Evaluation, NICE) from 2002 to 2008. We defined office hours as 08:00-22:00 hours during weekdays and 09:00-18:00 hours during weekend days. The weekend was defined as from Saturday 00:00 hours until Sunday 24:00 hours. We corrected hospital mortality for illness severity at admission using Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, reason for admission, admission type, age and gender. A total of 149,894 patients were included in this analysis. The relative risk (RR) for mortality outside office hours was 1.059 (1.031-1.088). Mortality varied with time but was consistently higher than expected during "off hours" and lower during office hours. There was no significant difference in mortality between different weekdays of Monday to Thursday, but mortality increased slightly on Friday (RR 1.046; 1.001-1.092). During the weekend the RR was 1.103 (1.071-1.136) in comparison with the rest of the week. Hospital mortality in The Netherlands appears to be increased outside office hours and during the weekends, even when corrected for illness severity at admission. However, incomplete adjustment for certain confounders might still play an important role. Further research is needed to fully explain this differenc

The role of Toll-like receptor 10 in modulation of trained immunity

Toll-like receptor 10 (TLR10) is the only member of the human Toll-like receptor family with an inhibitory function on the induction of innate immune responses and inflammation. However, its role in the modulation of trained immunity (innate immune memory) is unknown. In the present study, we assessed whether TLR10 modulates the induction of trained immunity induced by beta-glucan or bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Interleukin 10 receptor antagonist production was increased upon activation of TLR10 ex vivo after BCG vaccination, and TLR10 protein expression on monocytes was increased after BCG vaccination, whereas anti-TLR10 antibodies did not significantly modulate beta-glucan or BCG-induced trained immunity in vitro. A known immunomodulatory TLR10 missense single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs11096957) influenced trained immunity responses by beta-glucan or BCG in vitro. However, the in vivo induction of trained immunity by BCG vaccination was not influenced by TLR10 polymorphisms. In conclusion, TLR10 has a limited, non-essential impact on the induction of trained immunity in humans

Large animal models in fusionless scoliosis correction research: a literature review

\u3cp\u3eBackground context: Numerous prenatal, systemic, or local procedures have been described that have created an experimental scoliosis within different animal species. Compression-based fusionless scoliosis correction devices have been used to induce scoliosis (inverse approach) as an indication for their potential corrective efficacy in large animals. Deformities that most closely approximate the three-dimensional nature of an idiopathic-like scoliosis have been created in large animals using a posterior spinal tether. Fusionless scoliosis correction devices have subsequently been tested in these models. Purpose: To provide an overview of large animal models used for preclinical testing of fusionless scoliosis correction devices and to describe recent advances in the creation of an idiopathic-like scoliosis large animal model. Study design: Literature review of large animal models in fusionless scoliosis correction research. Methods: MEDLINE electronic database was searched for studies in which large animal models for spinal or vertebral growth modulation or the creation of an experimental scoliosis were described. The literature search was limited to articles written in the English language. Results: The pig appears to be the most suitable animal species for preclinical testing of fusionless scoliosis correction devices because of its large growth potential and the possibility for early weaning. With the inverse approach, it is difficult to gain insight into the possible corrective efficacy of the tested device, and therefore, a two-step approach is preferred. Using a posterior spinal tether, persistent spinal deformities are attained when the deformity has approximately doubled in comparison to the postoperative measure in a time span of approximately 12 weeks. Sufficient tether midline offset is required to render rib procedures unnecessary. Conclusions: An idiopathic-like scoliosis animal model can be created using a posterior spinal tether in a fully reversible procedure. Experimental results will need to be reproduced to establish a standard idiopathic-like scoliosis large animal model.\u3c/p\u3

Je zit in de bijstand en moet ‘meedoen’

Voor grote groepen mensen in de bijstand ligt betaald werk niet voor de hand. Ze missen kwalificaties, voelen zich ongezond of het ontbreekt simpelweg aan werk. Onbetaalde activiteiten als vrijwilligerswerk of taalcursussen zijn een optie. Maar hoe beweeg je iemand daarnaartoe? Of is het beter om iemand die lang niet heeft gewerkt eerst te ondersteunen naar een gezonder en schuldenvrij leven? Het zijn vragen waarop gemeenten maar moeizaam antwoorden vinden, en waarover niet veel kennis lijkt te zijn. Wat leert de wetenschap? Een ronde tafelgesprek met o.a. Hogeschool Rotterdam docent-onderzoeker Rob Arnoldus

Aperture array development for future large radio telescopes

We present the design of a phased array system for future radio telescopes. This includes a system overview and recent results of the designed and implemented system, the Electronic Multi-Beam Radio Astronomy Concept (EMBRACE). Furthermore, simulations with a full-EM antenna simulator, combined with measurements on actual hardware, will provide information for the next design step, the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS). With AAVS, we will prove design readiness of this novel array technology

The Potential Role of Trained Immunity in Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders

During induction of trained immunity, monocytes and macrophages undergo a functional and transcriptional reprogramming toward increased activation. Important rewiring of cellular metabolism of the myeloid cells takes place during induction of trained immunity, including a shift toward glycolysis induced through the mTOR pathway, as well as glutaminolysis and cholesterol synthesis. Subsequently, this leads to modulation of the function of epigenetic enzymes, resulting in important changes in chromatin architecture that enables increased gene transcription. However, in addition to the beneficial effects of trained immunity as a host defense mechanism, we hypothesize that trained immunity also plays a deleterious role in the induction and/or maintenance of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases if inappropriately activated