Intervertebral Disc Biomechanics: Long-term Axial Loading Studies

Royen, B.J. van [Promotor]Smit, T.H. [Promotor]Kingma, I. [Copromotor

The ins and outs of open-angle Glaucoma:drugs, diet, and defecation

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and second leading cause of blindness. The primary aim of this thesis is to provide insight into the role of systemic effectsin the pathophysiology of OAG.<br/

The ins and outs of open-angle Glaucoma:drugs, diet, and defecation

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and second leading cause of blindness. The primary aim of this thesis is to provide insight into the role of systemic effectsin the pathophysiology of OAG.<br/

Putting the pieces together: B-cell receptor sequencing of autoreactive B cells in rheumatoid arthritis

Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) are highly specific biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ACPA are predominantly of the immunoglobulin (Ig)G isotype and 90% of ACPA-IgG contains N-glycans in the variable domain. With the research in this thesis, we showed that this remarkably high frequency of N-glycans on secreted ACPA-IgG corresponds to a high frequency of N-glycosylation sites in full-length variable region B-cell receptor (BCR) transcripts of ACPA-expressing B cells. We looked at clonotypes and mutational analysis of the BCR sequences and studied the frequency, position and introduction of N-glycosylation sites that distinguish ACPA-expressing B cells in RA from other (antigen-specific) B-cells.LUMC / Geneeskund

Environmental exposures to cadmium and lead as potential causes of eye diseases

Humans are exposed to cadmium and lead in various regions of the world daily due to industrial development and climate change. Increasing numbers of preclinical and clinical studies indicate that heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, play a role in the pathogenesis of eye diseases. Excessive exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can increase the risk of impaired vision. Therefore, it is essential to better characterize the role of these non-essential metals in disease etiology and progression. This article discusses the potential role of cadmium and lead in the development of age-related eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Furthermore, we discuss how cadmium and lead affect ocular cells and provide an overview of putative pathological mechanisms associated with their propensity to damage the eye.</p

Environmental exposures to cadmium and lead as potential causes of eye diseases

Humans are exposed to cadmium and lead in various regions of the world daily due to industrial development and climate change. Increasing numbers of preclinical and clinical studies indicate that heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, play a role in the pathogenesis of eye diseases. Excessive exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can increase the risk of impaired vision. Therefore, it is essential to better characterize the role of these non-essential metals in disease etiology and progression. This article discusses the potential role of cadmium and lead in the development of age-related eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Furthermore, we discuss how cadmium and lead affect ocular cells and provide an overview of putative pathological mechanisms associated with their propensity to damage the eye.</p

Bepaling van freatische lekweerstanden in het NHI fase 1+

Dit artikel beschrijft een methode om op basis van GIS-bestanden de drainage relaties tussen het grondwater en de aanwezige oppervlaktewaterstelsels te berekenen voor vierkante elementen (bijvoorbeeld MODFLOW cellen). In de hier beschreven methode worden lijnvormige drainage stelsels omgezet naar representatieve parameters per vierkant

Nonoperative Treatment of Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Fractures:A Prospective Randomized Study of Different Treatment Options

Objectives: To evaluate and compare nonoperative treatment methods for traumatic thoracic and lumbar compression fractures and burst fractures.Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial with long-term follow-up.Setting: Two general hospitals in the Netherlands.Patients/Participants: Patients with a traumatic thoracic or lumbar spine fracture, without neurologic damage, with less than 50% loss of height of the anterior column and less than 30% reduction of the spinal canal were included.Intervention: Patients in the compression group were randomized to physical therapy and postural instructions, a brace for 6 weeks, or a Plaster of Paris cast for 6 or 12 weeks. Patients in the burst group received a brace or a Plaster of Paris cast, both for 12 weeks.Main Outcome Measurements: Follow-up examinations included radiographs, Visual Analogue Scores for toleration of treatment and persistent pain, and an Oswestry Disability Index at long-term follow-up.Results: There were 133 patients: 108 in the compression group and 25 in the burst group. For compression fractures, physical therapy and brace were considered the most tolerable. Brace therapy scored significantly better on the Visual Analogue Scores for residual pain and on the Oswestry Disability Index. None of the treatments had any significant effect on the residual deformity measurements. For burst fractures, no significant differences were found.Conclusions: Brace treatment with supplementary physical therapy is the treatment of choice for patients with compression fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine. Furthermore, more than 20% of all patients had moderate or severe back pain at long-term follow-up.</p