Probiotic bacteria harbor effector molecules that confer health benefits, but also adaptation factors that enable them to persist in the gastrointestinal tract of the consumer. To study these adaptation factors, an antibiotic-resistant derivative of the probiotic model organism Lactobacillus plantarum …

BACKGROUND On the psychiatric department of the Zaans Medisch Centrum, respiration and relaxation is offered as PMT- activity. However, patients who suffer from psychotic symptoms are not allowed to participate, despite the fact that multiple researches have proven these exercises can be beneficial for …

The Internet offers many opportunities to provide parenting support. An overview of empirical studies in this domain is lacking, and little is known about the design of web based parenting resources and their evaluations, raising questions about its position in the context of parenting intervention programs. …

Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a Self-Management Program for workers with a chronic disease. This program is based on the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program of Stanford University, modified for workers with a chronic somatic disease. Methods: In a randomized …

BACKGROUND: Depression in later life is a common mental disorder with a prevalence rate of between 3% and 35% for minor depression and approximately 2% for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The most common treatment modalities for MDD are antidepressant medication and psychological interventions. Recently, …

BACKGROUND: T lymphocytes are orchestrators of adaptive immunity. Naïve T cells may differentiate into Th1, Th2, Th17 or iTreg phenotypes, depending on environmental co-stimulatory signals. To identify genes and pathways involved in differentiation of Jurkat T cells towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes we performed …

QUESTION: In adults who experience nocturnal leg cramps, does stretching of the calf and hamstring muscles each day just before sleep reduce the frequency and severity of the cramps? DESIGN: A randomised trial with concealed allocation and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty adults aged …

Laboratory research was done on flat glass substrates to study the effect that brine salinity has on adhesion mechanisms between oil and clay particles. This is done by evaporating a small clay suspension droplet (6 ul) on a glass slide that leaves a thin layer of clay upon which oil can be attached. …

Fuel cell hybrid power trains comprise an energy storage to supply peaks in the power demand and to facilitate regenerative braking. In terms of control systems, the presence of storage provides additional freedom to minimize the vehicle’s fuel consumption. In a previous paper [1] an analytical solution …

Mirror neurons in the cerebral cortex have been shown to fire not only during performance but also during visual and auditory observation of activity. This phenomenon is commonly called cerebral resonance behavior. This would mean that cortical motor regions would not only be activated while singing, …