135 research outputs found
Measuring psychological constructs in computer-tailored interventions:Novel possibilities to reduce participant burden and increase engagement
Measuring psychological constructs in computer-tailored interventions:Novel possibilities to reduce participant burden and increase engagement
Uit Leidse dozen : brochures als medium in de discussies tussen protestantse modernen en katholieken, 1840-1870
A widespread debate in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century was that on
the new Protestant theology which arose around 1840, called 'modern',
'modernist' or 'liberal'. In this discussion, involving many different
parties, brochures (pamphlets) formed an important polemic tool.The focus in the dissertation is on two of those parties: the modern
Protestants and the Roman Catholics, and on the external aspects of the
discussions between them. What images did modern Protestants have of the
Roman Catholics? And vice versa? What specific arguments were used? Can
qualitative brochure research throw new light on traditional assumptions? These questions are investigated on the basis of a selection of some 540
contemporary titles from the brochure collection of the Leiden University
Library that reflect this 'paper war'. This selection has the form of a
reasoned catalogue, the Leidse Lijst, available online as part of the
dissertation but also as a separate booklet.The main conclusion is that the brochures can be held largely responsible for
the rapid spread of Protestant modernism between 1840 and 1870.
Religious Studie
Field-dependent Mossbauer relaxation study of domain walls in the quasi 1-d antiferromagnet RbFeCl3.2H2O
Quantum Matter and Optic
Aquatic effect and risk assessment for plant protection products : evaluation of the Dutch 2011 proposal
In this report the proposals for the prospective (underlying Regulation 1107/2009/EC) and the retrospective (underlying the Water Framework Directive) aquatic effect assessment for plant protection products (pesticides) as described in Alterra Report 2235 are evaluated by applying the proposed procedures to a number of realistic cases (neonicotinoid insecticide, pyrethroid insecticide, triazinone herbicide, mitosis inhibiting herbicide, pyridinamine fungicide and cyano-acetamide fungicide). The examples presented in this report can be used as an illustration how the effect assessment schemes as described in Alterra Report 2235 need to be applied in decision making. Furthermore, the Regulatory Acceptable Concentrations (RACs) derived for these example cases on the basis of the new effect decision trees are compared with their Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PECs) provided by the Exposure Working Group and calculated on the basis of the new Dutch ditch exposure scenario
Increasing the etanercept dose in a treat-to-target approach in juvenile idiopathic arthritis:does it help to reach the target? A post-hoc analysis of the BeSt for Kids randomised clinical trial
Background: Etanercept has been studied in doses up to 0.8 mg/kg/week (max 50 mg/week) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. In clinical practice higher doses are used off-label, but evidence regarding the relation with outcomes is lacking. We describe the clinical course of JIA-patients receiving high-dose etanercept (1.6 mg/kg/week; max 50 mg/week) in the BeSt for Kids trial. Methods: 92 patients with oligoarticular JIA, RF-negative polyarticular JIA or juvenile psoriatic arthritis were randomised across three treat-to-target arms: (1) sequential DMARD-monotherapy (sulfasalazine or methotrexate (MTX)), (2) combination-therapy MTX + 6 weeks prednisolone and (3) combination therapy MTX + etanercept. In any treatment-arm, patients could eventually escalate to high-dose etanercept alongside MTX 10mg/m2/week. Results: 32 patients received high-dose etanercept (69% female, median age 6 years (IQR 4–10), median 10 months (7–16) from baseline). Median follow-up was 24.6 months. Most clinical parameters improved within 3 months after dose-increase: median JADAS10 from 7.2 to 2.8 (p = 0.008), VAS-physician from 12 to 4 (p = 0.022), VAS-patient/parent from 38.5 to 13 (p = 0.003), number of active joints from 2 to 0.5 (p = 0.12) and VAS-pain from 35.5 to 15 (p = 0.030). Functional impairments (CHAQ-score) improved more gradually and ESR remained stable. A comparable pattern was observed in 11 patients (73% girls, median age 8 (IQR 6–9)) who did not receive high-dose etanercept despite eligibility (comparison group). In both groups, 56% reached inactive disease at 6 months. No severe adverse events (SAEs) occurred after etanercept dose-increase. In the comparison group, 2 SAEs consisting of hospital admission occurred. Rates of non-severe AEs per subsequent patient year follow-up were 2.27 in the high-dose and 1.43 in the comparison group. Conclusions: Escalation to high-dose etanercept in JIA-patients who were treated to target was generally followed by meaningful clinical improvement. However, similar improvements were observed in a smaller comparison group who did not escalate to high-dose etanercept. No SAEs were seen after escalation to high-dose etanercept. The division into the high-dose and comparison groups was not randomised, which is a potential source of bias. We advocate larger, randomised studies of high versus regular dose etanercept to provide high level evidence on efficacy and safety. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register; NTR1574; 3 December 2008; https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/26585.</p
Increasing the etanercept dose in a treat-to-target approach in juvenile idiopathic arthritis:does it help to reach the target? A post-hoc analysis of the BeSt for Kids randomised clinical trial
Background: Etanercept has been studied in doses up to 0.8 mg/kg/week (max 50 mg/week) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. In clinical practice higher doses are used off-label, but evidence regarding the relation with outcomes is lacking. We describe the clinical course of JIA-patients receiving high-dose etanercept (1.6 mg/kg/week; max 50 mg/week) in the BeSt for Kids trial. Methods: 92 patients with oligoarticular JIA, RF-negative polyarticular JIA or juvenile psoriatic arthritis were randomised across three treat-to-target arms: (1) sequential DMARD-monotherapy (sulfasalazine or methotrexate (MTX)), (2) combination-therapy MTX + 6 weeks prednisolone and (3) combination therapy MTX + etanercept. In any treatment-arm, patients could eventually escalate to high-dose etanercept alongside MTX 10mg/m2/week. Results: 32 patients received high-dose etanercept (69% female, median age 6 years (IQR 4–10), median 10 months (7–16) from baseline). Median follow-up was 24.6 months. Most clinical parameters improved within 3 months after dose-increase: median JADAS10 from 7.2 to 2.8 (p = 0.008), VAS-physician from 12 to 4 (p = 0.022), VAS-patient/parent from 38.5 to 13 (p = 0.003), number of active joints from 2 to 0.5 (p = 0.12) and VAS-pain from 35.5 to 15 (p = 0.030). Functional impairments (CHAQ-score) improved more gradually and ESR remained stable. A comparable pattern was observed in 11 patients (73% girls, median age 8 (IQR 6–9)) who did not receive high-dose etanercept despite eligibility (comparison group). In both groups, 56% reached inactive disease at 6 months. No severe adverse events (SAEs) occurred after etanercept dose-increase. In the comparison group, 2 SAEs consisting of hospital admission occurred. Rates of non-severe AEs per subsequent patient year follow-up were 2.27 in the high-dose and 1.43 in the comparison group. Conclusions: Escalation to high-dose etanercept in JIA-patients who were treated to target was generally followed by meaningful clinical improvement. However, similar improvements were observed in a smaller comparison group who did not escalate to high-dose etanercept. No SAEs were seen after escalation to high-dose etanercept. The division into the high-dose and comparison groups was not randomised, which is a potential source of bias. We advocate larger, randomised studies of high versus regular dose etanercept to provide high level evidence on efficacy and safety. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register; NTR1574; 3 December 2008; https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/26585.</p
Clusters of co-abundant proteins in the brain cortex associated with fronto-temporal lobar degeneration
Background:
\nFrontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is characterized pathologically by neuronal and glial inclusions of hyperphosphorylated tau or by neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions of TDP43. This study aimed at deciphering the molecular mechanisms leading to these distinct pathological subtypes.
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\nMethods:
\nTo this end, we performed an unbiased mass spectrometry-based proteomic and systems-level analysis of the middle frontal gyrus cortices of FTLD-tau (n = 6), FTLD-TDP (n = 15), and control patients (n = 5). We validated these results in an independent patient cohort (total n = 24).
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\nResults:
\nThe middle frontal gyrus cortex proteome was most significantly altered in FTLD-tau compared to controls (294 differentially expressed proteins at FDR = 0.05). The proteomic modifications in FTLD-TDP were more heterogeneous (49 differentially expressed proteins at FDR = 0.1). Weighted co-expression network analysis revealed 17 modules of co-regulated proteins, 13 of which were dysregulated in FTLD-tau. These modules included proteins associated with oxidative phosphorylation, scavenger mechanisms, chromatin regulation, and clathrin-mediated transport in both the frontal and temporal cortex of FTLD-tau. The most strongly dysregulated subnetworks identified cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) as key players in the disease process. Dysregulation of 9 of these modules was confirmed in independent validation data sets of FLTD-tau and control temporal and frontal cortex (total n = 24). Dysregulated modules were primarily associated with changes in astrocyte and endothelial cell protein abundance levels, indicating pathological changes in FTD are not limited to neurons.
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\nConclusions:
\nUsing this innovative workflow and zooming in on the most strongly dysregulated proteins of the identified modules, we were able to identify disease-associated mechanisms in FTLD-tau with high potential as biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets
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