Arnout Hauben & Johanna Spaey, To War. A Journey Along the Front of World War I

Infotainment is supposed to disseminate historical knowledge to a broader audience, and I am fully aware that this unavoidably implies the loss of some nuance in favour of the genre’s entertaining aspect. The problem with Arnout Hauben and Johanna Spaey’s Ten Oorlog. Een reis langs het front van WO I is that its informative aspect is not subject to nuance but rather flawed by inaccuracies. A few preliminary remarks. Reading the title raises some suspicions: the subtitle, A Journey Along the F..

Venous thrombotic events in psoriasis patients : a systematic review with meta-analysis

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with numerous comorbidities. Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and atherosclerotic arterial disease. Inflammatory conditions are known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality. However, the relationship between psoriasis and VTE has received little attention and existing studies have shown conflicting results. Objectives: This systematic review aims to perform a meta-analysis on VTE in psoriasis patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic electronic search of the incidence of VTE (pulmonary embolism [PE], deep venous thrombosis [DVT] and/or retinal vein occlusion [RVO]) in psoriasis patients on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane (specifics: see ). Only English literature and full manuscripts were included; abstracts were excluded. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated using Review Manager. Results: Seven articles were included. Each study separately indicated a correlation between psoriasis and VTE after adjustment for several clinical parameters. The confounders included in the adjustment differed between studies, but all included adjustment for age, gender and comorbidities. A meta-analysis of the unadjusted data of the five studies that reported raw data on number of VTE events and patient follow-up (person-years) showed a pooled risk ratio for VTE and psoriasis of 1.29 (95% CI: 0.92-1.81). The statistical heterogeneity was high with I (2) of 97%. Conclusions: Published data adjusted for key confounders demonstrate in general a significantly increased prevalence of VTE in psoriasis patients. Both psoriasis severity and number of confounders assessed seem to have an impact on this correlation. In this review, we pooled unadjusted data of the studies and we found a non-significant increased risk for VTE in psoriasis patients compared to healthy controls. This discrepancy suggests that psoriasis severity, age, gender or comorbidities may influence the risk of VTE in subgroups of the psoriasis population. Future research to identify subgroups at risk for VTE is warranted. Key messages The included studies reported an increased risk of VTE, DVT, PE and RVO in psoriasis patients. A meta-analysis was performed on five studies that reported raw data and showed that the pooled risk ratio for VTE in psoriasis patients overall was increased, however not significantly, compared to healthy controls. Further research to pinpoint psoriasis subgroups at risk (e.g. severe psoriasis patients, younger age, associated comorbidities) of developing VTE is warranted

Layout and Performance of the Power Electronic Converter Platform for the VSYNC Project

This paper presents the power electronic platform used for the VSYNC project. In this project, inverters are controlled in such a way as to exhibit a virtual rotational inertia towards the grid, in order to limit grid frequency variations in grids containing a high share of inverter-connected DER. First the layout and operation of the platform are described in detail, showing its versatility for research purposes. Next the performance of the platform is illustrated using experimental results obtaining using a grid-connected inverter in a laboratory setup. © 2009 IEEE.status: publishe

Commensal microbiota influence systemic autoimmune responses

Antinuclear antibodies are a hallmark feature of generalized autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. However, the processes underlying the loss of tolerance against nuclear self-constituents remain largely unresolved. Using mice deficient in lymphotoxin and Hox11, we report that approximately 25% of mice lacking secondary lymphoid organs spontaneously develop specific antinuclear antibodies. Interestingly, we find this phenotype is not caused by a defect in central tolerance. Rather, cell-specific deletion and in vivo lymphotoxin blockade link these systemic autoimmune responses to the formation of gut-associated lymphoid tissue in the neonatal period of life. We further demonstrate antinuclear antibody production is influenced by the presence of commensal gut flora, in particular increased colonization with segmented filamentous bacteria, and IL-17 receptor signaling. Together, these data indicate that neonatal colonization of gut microbiota influences generalized autoimmunity in adult life.status: publishe

Commensal microbiota influence systemic autoimmune responses

Contains fulltext : 154818.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Antinuclear antibodies are a hallmark feature of generalized autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. However, the processes underlying the loss of tolerance against nuclear self-constituents remain largely unresolved. Using mice deficient in lymphotoxin and Hox11, we report that approximately 25% of mice lacking secondary lymphoid organs spontaneously develop specific antinuclear antibodies. Interestingly, we find this phenotype is not caused by a defect in central tolerance. Rather, cell-specific deletion and in vivo lymphotoxin blockade link these systemic autoimmune responses to the formation of gut-associated lymphoid tissue in the neonatal period of life. We further demonstrate antinuclear antibody production is influenced by the presence of commensal gut flora, in particular increased colonization with segmented filamentous bacteria, and IL-17 receptor signaling. Together, these data indicate that neonatal colonization of gut microbiota influences generalized autoimmunity in adult life

Novel biomarkers to detect occult cancer in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: Rationale and design of the PLATO-VTE study

Occult cancer is detected in about 5% of patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the 12 months following VTE diagnosis. Current guidance suggests conducting a ‘limited’ cancer screening in these patients, consisting of medical history taking, physical examination, routine blood tests, chest X-ray, and age- and gender-specific testing, over full-body imaging. However, almost half of underlying cancers remain undetected with this approach. Blood-based liquid biopsies may provide an attractive addition or alternative to current cancer screening strategies, with a potentially higher detection rate while avoiding radiation or invasive testing. The PLATO-VTE study is an ongoing, investigator-initiated, multinational, prospective, observational cohort study comparing the sensitivity of novel biomarkers for detecting cancer with that of limited cancer screening in the setting of unprovoked VTE. Patients older than 40 years with a first episode of unprovoked VTE are eligible, while those with major and minor transient provoking risk factors for VTE are excluded. Patients undergo standard-of-care ‘limited’ cancer screening and are followed for 12 months for the occurrence of cancer. A blood sample for biomarker analysis is drawn within 10 days; a second sample is taken at 3 months to assess test result consistency over time. Three biomarkers are assessed: platelet mRNA, circulating tumor DNA, and plasma proteomics analysis. The sensitivity and predictive value of the biomarkers at baseline will be compared with those of limited screening. The results from the PLATO-VTE study may lead to reconsider current approaches for cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE

Au nom des victimes. Dictature et terreur d'État en Argentine, Chili et Uruguay

Après les dictatures qui règnent sur l’Argentine, le Chili et l’Uruguay des années 1970 jusqu’en 1990, le processus de résolution démocratique de ces histoires de terreur semble nécessairement en passer par la construction de récits et, ce faisant, de mémoires qui reconfigurent le passé. Au coeur de ces processus propres à chacun des pays, s’impose la figure de la victime que viennent questionner les textes rassemblés par Claudia Feld, Luciana Messina et Nadia Tahir. Tussen 1970 en 1990 kennen Argentinië, Chili en Uruguay een bijzonder gewelddadige periode van dictatuur en staatsterreur. Het proces van democratisch herstel in de jaren daarna gaat onvermijdelijk gepaard met de constructie van verhalen en herinneringen die het verleden vormgeven. De figuur van het slachtoffer staat centraal in dit proces, en wordt kritisch geanalyseerd in de teksten die Claudia Feld, Luciana Messina en Nadia Tahir hebben verzameld. During the 1970s and 1980s, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay were in the grip of military dictatorships. The process of democratic transition that followed the long period of state terror involved the construction of particular narratives and memories, leading to a reconfiguration of the past. Despite local differences, this process is very much centered at the figure of the victim – a figure the articles in this dossier, collected by Claudia Feld, Luciana Messina and Nadia Tahir, set out to explore