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Incidence, risk factors, and mortality of pulmonary embolism in the Netherlands (2015-22): sex differences and shifts during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
Get PDFBackground and AimsEpidemiology of pulmonary embolism (PE) may have shifted since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to describe temporal trends in PE epidemiology in the Netherlands since 2015.MethodsUsing nationwide data from Statistics Netherlands, all Dutch inhabitants (>16 million) without a history of PE were dynamically identified on 1 January of each year to assemble eight cohorts of PE-free Dutch inhabitants in 2015–22. They were individually followed until the end of that respective year to determine 1-year risk of PE (identified by hospital diagnoses/primary cause of death) and establish relevant risk factors. The PE cases were subsequently studied to determine 1-year all-cause mortality following PE. Multivariable logistic regression with cluster-robust standard errors and robust Poisson regression were respectively employed to evaluate relative differences in PE incidence and mortality between years.ResultsPulmonary embolism incidence in the Dutch population decreased from 2015 to 2019 but markedly increased by 23% (95% confidence interval 20%–26%), 52% (48%–56%), and 7% (4%–9%) in 2020–22 (vs. 2019), respectively. Most traditional PE risk factors remained associated with PE in 2020–22 but generally with a weaker association. Pulmonary embolism mortality was stable until 2019 but then increased by 10% (6%–14%) in 2020 and 9% (6%–13%) in 2021, while the increase [2% (−1% to 6%)] was insignificant in 2022. The above-mentioned changes since 2020 were generally greater in males than females.ConclusionsThe seemingly favourable pre-pandemic temporal trends in PE epidemiology in the Netherlands reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic but appear to revert to pre-pandemic levels after 2022.</p
De Staat van de wetgevingskwaliteit: een welkome nieuwkomer in wetgevingsland
Get PDFThe Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Law & Governance in a World of Multilevel Jurisdiction
Lipid metabolism and immune function: chemical tools for insights into T-Cell biology
Get PDFLipids are essential biomolecules playing critical roles in cellular processes, including energy storage, membrane structure, and signaling. This review highlights the chemical tools that have been developed to study the role of lipid metabolism in immune function, focusing on T-cell biology. Fatty acids (FAs), as core lipid components, influence immune responses through structural, signaling, and metabolic roles. Recent studies reveal how specific FAs modulate T-cell activation, proliferation, and function, with implications for regulatory and effector subsets. Emerging tools, such as fluorescence-based lipids and click chemistry, enable precise tracking of lipid uptake and metabolism at the single-cell level, addressing limitations of traditional bulk methods. Advances in metabolomics and proteomics offer further insights into lipid-mediated immune regulation. Understanding these mechanisms provides opportunities to target lipid metabolism in therapeutic strategies for cancer and other immune-related diseases. The integration of lipidomic technologies into immunology uncovers novel perspectives on how lipids shape immune responses at cellular and molecular scales.Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)865175Molecular PhysiologyChemical Biology & Immunolog
Decolonizing a field and its practices
Get PDFMainstream sociolinguistic theories were developed in Western societies based on Western languages and societies. This resulted in unnecessary epistemological restriction, which attempts at decolonization seek to address and overcome. Decolonizing sociolinguistics implies counterbalancing Western scholarly domination of the rest of the world. It aims to produce and legitimize new knowledge, methods, and ways to engage in sociolinguistics. We argue that sociolinguistics as we know it should be expanded. Scholars have today an extensive toolbox and specialist terminology for conducting sociolinguistic analysis, but these tools fit Western languages and societies better than non-Western ones. In this article, we discuss the origins, workings, and omissions of mainstream sociolinguistics and present alternative approaches that have been neglected due to an overtly Western bias of the discipline. We conclude with practical suggestions for decolonizing and advancing the field of study. Decolonizing sociolinguistics is a long-term endeavor that involves researchers, editors, publishers, and students.Descriptive and Comparative Linguistic
Standard versus pre-emptive antibiotic treatment to reduce the rate of infectious outcomes after Whipple resection (SPARROW): a study protocol for a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial.
Get PDFBackgroundConsensus and evidence on the impact of pre-emptive antibiotic treatment after pancreatoduodenectomy is lacking, which is reflected by contradictory recommendations in (inter)national guidelines and current clinical practice. Pre-emptive antibiotic treatment may reduce the risk of abdominal surgical site infections in patients with a high risk of contaminated bile undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. This pertains mostly patients with preoperative biliary drainage or an ampullary malignancy. The SPARROW trial will evaluate the effect of pre-emptive antibiotic treatment in patients with preoperative biliary drainage or an ampullary malignancy undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy.MethodsThe SPARROW trial is a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial evaluating the effect of pre-emptive antibiotic treatment in patients with a high risk of contaminated bile undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. A total of 366 evaluable patients will be included in twelve centres in the Netherlands. Patients will be randomly allocated to either the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and pre-emptive antibiotic treatment (intervention) arm and the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (control) arm. In both study arms, the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis consists of cefazolin, metronidazole and a single-dose of gentamicin, which is discontinued after surgery. In the pre-emptive antibiotic treatment arm, an additional antibiotic course of 5 days of cefuroxime and metronidazole is started postoperatively. The primary outcome is a clinically relevant organ/space surgical site infection (OSI) up to 90 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes include other clinically relevant complications (such as isolated OSI, superficial incisional surgical site infections, postoperative pancreatic fistula, ICU admission, readmission, and in-hospital and 90-day mortality), use of therapeutic antibiotics, and concordance between perioperative obtained bile cultures and cultures obtained from infectious complications.DiscussionThe SPARROW trial will provide evidence on the effect of pre-emptive antibiotic treatment in patients with a high risk of contaminated bile undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy to provide recommendations for an improved and standardised antimicrobial policy.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT0578431. Registered on March 23, 2023.Immunogenetics and cellular immunology of bacterial infectious disease
The biofilm matrix protects Bacillu subtilis against hydrogen peroxide
Get PDFBiofilms formed by Bacillus subtilis confer protection against environmental stressors through extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and sporulation. This study investigates the roles of these biofilm components in resistance to hydrogen peroxide, a common reactive oxygen species source and disinfectant. Using wild-type and mutant strains deficient in EPS or sporulation, biofilm colonies were cultivated at various maturation stages and exposed to hydrogen peroxide. EPS-deficient biofilms exhibited reduced resilience, particularly in early stages, highlighting the structural and protective importance of the matrix. Mature biofilms demonstrated additional protective mechanisms, potentially involving TasA protein fibers and/or the biofilm surface layer (BslA). In contrast, sporulation showed limited contribution to hydrogen peroxide resistance, as survival was primarily matrix-dependent. These findings underscore the necessity of targeting EPS and other matrix components in anti-biofilm strategies, suggesting that hydrogen peroxide-based disinfection could be enhanced by combining it with complementary sporicidal treatments. This study advances our understanding of biofilm resilience, contributing to the development of more effective sterilization protocols.Microbial Biotechnolog
Associations between metabolomic scores and clinical outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Get PDFThe disease course and outcome of COVID-19 greatly varies between individuals. To explore which biological systems may contribute to this variation, we examined how individual metabolites and three metabolic scores relate to COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The metabolome of 346 patients was measured using the 1H-NMR Nightingale platform. The association of individual metabolomic features and multi-biomarker scores, i.e. MetaboHealth, MetaboAge, and Infectious Disease Score (IDS) (higher scores reflect poorer health), with in-hospital disease course, long-term recovery, and overall survival were analyzed. Higher values for the metabolites phenylalanine (HR = 1.33, CI = 1.14–1.56), glucose (HR = 1.37, CI = 1.16–1.62) and lactate (HR = 1.38, CI = 1.16–1.63) were associated with mortality. For all three metabolic scores, higher scores were significantly associated with higher odds of a poorer in-hospital disease course (MetaboHealth: OR = 1.61, CI = 1.29–2.02; ΔMetaboAge: OR = 1.42, CI = 1.16–1.74; IDS: OR = 1.55, 1.25–1.93) and with overall survival (MetaboHealth: HR = 1.57, CI = 1.28–1.92; ΔMetaboAge: HR = 1.34, CI = 1.15–1.57; IDS: HR = 1.56, CI = 1.27–1.93). MetaboHealth and ΔMetaboAge showed a stronger association in younger patients (Molecular Epidemiolog
People of the world as the enforcers of international law: takeaways from the Rojava tribunal
Get PDF The blog post discusses the Rojava Tribunal, a session of the Permanent People’s Tribunal, focusing on alleged international law violations by Turkey in Rojava, Syria. Held in a complex geopolitical context, the tribunal charges included aggression and crimes against humanity, implicating top Turkish officials like President Erdoğan. Sadr stresses the tribunal’s opportunity to develop legal principles concerning aggression, which, coupled with its procedural introspections, could significantly impact international law practices. Exploring the Frontiers of International La
Quantifying sampling method-induced imprecision in user-friendly lateral upper arm blood collection: introducing σ3-methodology (S3) for the verification of alternative sampling methods with TAP® II as a use case
Get PDFBackgroundAlternative means of blood sampling continue to grow due to the scarcity of phlebotomists and the need for person-centered care. It is crucial to consistently support these alternative blood sampling innovations with scientific evidence to guarantee the quality of care, especially when implementing for instance Lateral Upper-arm Blood Collection (LUBC) for use at home. Knowledge gaps remain in how to quantify imprecision introduced by the collection method and its impact on clinical use.MethodsWe developed the Six Sigma analysis for alternative Sampling methods, including sampling method-induced imprecision, accuracy and precision, called σ3-methodology (S3). We performed a two-step verification using σ3-methodology for LUBC TAP® II, which included fourteen routine clinical analytes. We used venipuncture as the gold standard.ResultsThe biggest source of imprecision for all analytes was sampling method-induced imprecision, which, for the first time, was quantified, resulting in a varying effect on the clinical usability. TAP® II showed acceptable analytical performance for ALP, bilirubin, HDL-cholesterol, CRP and sodium. Unacceptable analytical performance was found for ALT, AST, cholesterol, creatinine, GGT, HbA1c, potassium, LDH and triglycerides.ConclusionAlternative blood sampling innovations hold promise for advancing diagnostic care, aiming to deliver accessible decentralised sample collection at home that does not require phlebotomist involvement. However, sampling method-induced imprecision should not be overlooked in the performance assessment to guarantee responsible development that will contribute to the success and desirable societal impact of alternative sampling technologies.Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD)Public Health and primary car
Processing syntactic violations in the non-native language: different behavioural and neural correlates as a function of typological similarity?
Get PDFDespite often featuring in theoretical accounts, the exact impact of typological similarity on non-native language comprehension and its corresponding neural correlates remains unclear. Weexamined the modulatory role of typological similarity in syntactic violation processing in thenon-native language Spanish, for example [el volcán] versus [*la volcán], and in cross-linguisticinfluence. Participants were Italian late learners of Spanish (similar language pair) or Germanlate learners of Spanish (less similar language pair). We measured P600 amplitudes, accuracyand response times. In line with our predictions, we found a larger P600 effect and differentialCLI effects for Italian-Spanish speakers compared to German-Spanish speakers. Behaviourally,Italian-Spanish speakers responded slower compared to German-Spanish speakers. Together,these results indicate typological similarity effects in non-native comprehension as reflected in aprocessing advantage for typologically similar languages, but only at the neural level. Thesefindings have critical implications for the interplay of different languages in the multilingualbrain.Horizon 2020(H2020)Theoretical and Experimental Linguistic