Table 1 Characteristics of the bacterial isolates included in the study Isolate ESBL type Phylogenetic group Antibiotic resistance ESBL 2 CTX-M-14, TEM-1 B2 CTX, CAZ, CIP, MEC, TZP, TMP ESBL 3 CTX-M-15, TEM-1 B2 CTX, CAZ, MEC, TZP, TMP ESBL 5 CTX-M-15 B2 CTX, CAZ, CTB, CIP, TZP, TMP ESBL 6 CTX-M-14 D CTX, CAZ, CTB ESBL 7 CTX-M-15 B2 AmC, CTX, CAZ, CTB, CXM, CIP, SXT ESBL 8 CTX-M-15 B2 CTX, CAZ, CTB, CIP, MEC, TZP Susceptible 1 – B2 TMP Susceptible 2 – B2 – Susceptible 3 – B1 TMP Susceptible 4 – B2 – Susceptible 7 – B1 – Susceptible 11 – D – CTX Cefotaxime, CAZ Ceftazidime, CIP Ciprofloxacin, MEC, Mecillinam, TZP Pipeacillin/Tazobactam, TMP Timetoprim, CTB Ceftibuten,

AmC Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid, CXM Cefuroxim, SXT Sulfamethoxazole/Trimetoprim. Entospletinib concentration ROS-production of PMN stimulated with ESBL- and non-ESBL-producing E. coli Production of ROS by PMN is a key characteristic of the early host response to bacterial infections. The ESBL-producing E. coli strains evoked higher ROS-production compared to susceptible E. coli strains (p < 0.001) when analyzing

the sum ROS production for the whole 4 h incubation period. The ROS-production induced by ESBL- producing and susceptible strains followed the same pattern with a low peak after 30 min and a higher peak after 2 h (Figure 1A). The ROS-production of PMN was markedly higher in cells stimulated with the non-pathogenic click here strain MG1655 compared to those stimulated with the UPEC strain CFT073. MG1655 induced a massive ROS-production after 30 min, approximately 5.5 times higher than the positive control PMA (Figure 1B). Figure 1 ROS production induced by ESBL- and non-ESBL-producing E. coli . Total ROS production in PMN stimulated by ESBL-producing strains, susceptible E. coli strains, a positive control (PMA) and a negative control (KRG) (A). The ROS production evoked by MG1655, CFT073, a positive control (PMA, 5 μM) and a negative control (KRG) (B). Data are presented as mean ± SEM

luminescence (RLU) (n = 4-5 www.selleckchem.com/products/Adriamycin.html independent experiments). Growth response of ESBL- and non-ESBL-producing E. coli incubated with PMN We next examined whether the observed differences between ESBL- and susceptible strains in evoked ROS production had any effects on the bacterial growth. The bacterial growth response why was inhibited in the presence of PMN when compared to bacteria grown in the absence of PMN as shown in Figure 2A. In the presence of PMN, the CFT073 strain showed recovered growth after approximately 100 min while the growth of MG1655 was suppressed for approximately 270 min (Figure 2A). The growth of ESBL-producing E. coli was slightly suppressed in the presence of PMN compared to antibiotic susceptible E. coli after 30 min and 120 min (p < 0.05) (Figure 2B). However, after 300 and 360 min the growth of susceptible E. coli was slightly more suppressed compared to ESBL-producing E. coli (p < 0.05).

Furthermore, it was possible to separate the leaf-derived samples in accordance to the presence of thymol (Figure 6a, b). PCA of the samples from the Alphaproteobacteria showed a separation along the first and second axes of the communities found in the leaves and in the stems (Figure 6c). While the leaf-derived samples belonging to the genotypes LSID003, LSID006 and LSID105 were grouped in accordance to the presence of thymol, those from LSID104 were also correlated with the presence of Bafilomycin A1 cell line carvacrol (Figure 6c). Likewise, PCA of the Betaproteobacteria samples showed the tendency to group according

to plant location. Stem-derived samples were separated from leaf-derived samples mainly along the first axis. The Betaproteobacteria community found in the leaves was also associated with the presence of thymol (Figure 6d). With respect to https://www.selleckchem.com/CDK.html the Actinobacteria, PCA ordination of the samples did not show any tendency to group, along either the first or second

axes (Figure 6e). In this case, the presence of thymol does not seem to be related to the actinobacterial communities found in the leaves of L. sidoides (Figure 6e). Finally, PCA ordination of the fungal communities showed selleck products a loose grouping in the function of the plant location along the second axis (Figure 6f). Again, the essential oil component, thymol, may have a positive effect on the selection of the leaf-derived fungal communities. Discussion The interaction between plants and microorganisms has already been studied in different essential oil-producing plants, such as vetiver [13, 14, 33] and basil [34]. In

a few cases, the microbial community associated with the plant interferes with the composition of the essential oil [13, 14]. Thus far, there is no evidence that the essential oil produced in the leaves of Lippia sidoides (pepper-rosmarin), which is composed mainly of the two strongly antimicrobial monoterpenes thymol and carvacrol, is biotransformed inside the plant. Additionally, Montelukast Sodium no data were available in the literature showing whether the essential oil interferes with the diversity of the microbial communities found inside of the plant and in strict contact with the volatile components of the essential oil. Therefore, we used cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods to analyze microorganisms to increase our understanding of the behavior of the different microbial communities present in the stems and leaves (where the essential oil is found) of L. sidoides. The CFUs were determined following the disinfection of the stems and leaves of four genotypes of L. sidoides. Bacterial colonization of the interior of L. sidoides was expected as it was previously observed in other plants [35, 36]. However, no bacterial cells were recovered from the leaves of three genotypes (LSID003, LSID006 and LSID104), and the number of colonies from the leaves of the remaining genotype was much lower than the CFUs found in the stems.

However, when efficacy was normalized with respect learn more to tumor which is the site of action, there was little difference in normalized efficacy between the two formulations (Figure 7). Figure 7 Normalized efficacy based on plasma and tumor concentrations following delivery

of paclitaxel to xenograft mice. Body weight changes were also monitored in the xenograft mouse efficacy study in order to give a crude assessment of formulation tolerability (Figure 8). There appeared to be no substantial differences in body weight changes when comparing the three treatment groups of mice. Figure 8 Mean percent body weight change in xenograft mice given intravenous paclitaxel. Discussion Poorly soluble compounds are an Emricasan mouse increasing problem in the pharmaceutical

industry. The oral and intravenous delivery of an increasing number of poorly soluble compounds for in vivo evaluation is a growing challenge for formulation scientists. For the oral delivery, particle size reduction of solid AP26113 drug substance offers a means to increase the dissolution rate and improve oral bioavailability of poorly soluble compounds. As a result, the use of nanoparticles has been adapted as a formulation approach to improve the oral delivery of poorly soluble compounds [24, 27]. Similarly, delivery by the intravenous route can also benefit from the use of nanoparticles since nanoparticle formulations offer the advantage Rebamipide of reducing

the organic solvent content often required for poorly soluble compounds. The small particle size afforded by the use of nanoparticles should enable a rapid, almost instantaneous dissolution of solid particles following intravenous administration due to a high dissolution rate with blood acting as the dissolution media. However, there are particle size requirements for intravenous dosing since the completion of the dissolution process must be instantaneous due to potential risks such as phlebitis and undesired organ accumulation that may occur upon injection [34]. Paclitaxel is an extensively used chemotherapeutic agent that suffers from very poor solubility. As such, the commercial intravenous formulation of paclitaxel requires the inclusion of Cremophor EL in order to keep it solubilized. The use of Cremophor EL in the intravenous paclitaxel formulation has introduced a number of unique undesirable features including non-linear pharmacokinetics [37] and more importantly hypersensitivity reactions which require anti-allergic pre-medication with corticosteroids and antihistamines [4]. Due to these undesirable properties, there is a need to explore alternate formulations. We had previously evaluated the use of nanosuspension to enable intravenous delivery of ten poorly soluble compounds in a cassette dosing format [34].

Nutrient timing Nutrient timing is generally regarded as a nutritional strategy in which precise amounts of particular nutrients are delivered at precise time points, relative to exercise, in order to enhance performance or training effects. This somewhat

general definition has been operationally limited by many to diets that utilize high glycemic carbohydrates prior to, during, and/or following exercise. These carbohydrates are considered vital as they provide an energy source as well as inducing increased insulin levels. As insulin directly influences the production of nitric oxide, vascular musculature is relaxed and circulation into the this website capillary beds of exercising muscles is increased. Carbohydrates, in particular higher glycemic carbohydrates, supply these critical benefits. Low carbohydrate nutrient timing The basic model of low carbohydrate nutrient timing applies specific proven micronutrients for enhanced exercise performance rather than relying on the ingestion of sugar and the subsequent insulin responses. First, reduced carbohydrate intake produces reduced insulin responses which shifts the metabolism to fatty acid utilization. Secondly, various nutritional components can provide additional energy sources and/or produce increased nitric oxide production with subsequent GS-9973 vasodilation. Items

such as creatine and beta alanine can influence energy levels by affecting energy replenishment and acting as an anaerobic buffer. Branched chain Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) amino acids provide a third energy source GSK2118436 in vivo without which muscle tissue may be consumed with intense exercise. Various micronutrients can increase muscle blood flow to some degree. In particular, glycine proprionyl l-carnitine (GPLC) has been shown to dramatically increase nitric oxide synthesis in response to exercise stresses and to significantly increase exercise

performance with reduced production of lactate. Conclusions The limited research in the area suggests that some athletes can train and compete in certain settings successfully with relatively low intake of dietary carbohydrates. It has been shown that pre-workout supplements containing common ingredients such as creatine, beta alanine, branched chain amino acids can substantially enhance exercise performance without ingestion of additional carbohydrates. Controlled clinical trials are needed to examine the effectiveness of nutrient timing with a low carbohydrate diet in various sports settings.”
“Background Resveratrolis a natural polyphenol found in peanuts and grapes. Resveratrolpossesses antioxidative properties which have shown to reduce the oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Resveratrol also has the ability to attenuate inflammation via inhibiting TNF-a, IL-1β, IL-6, and blocking NF-kB activation.

The sizes in kilodaltons of protein marker were listed as follows: porcine heart myosin (200,000 Da), E. coli β-galactosidase (116,000 Da), rabbit muscle phosphorylase B (97,200 Da), bovine serum albumin (66,409 Da), ovalbumin

(44,287 Da), carbonic anhydrase (29,000 Da). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/VX-680(MK-0457).html Effect of pH and temperature on enzymatic activity and stability The optimal pH of recombinant Gal308 was investigated by measuring the enzymatic activity towards lactose at various pH values (pH 2.0-10.0) and 78°C. Gal308 displayed the highest activity at pH 6.8. Even at Smad2 phosphorylation pH 4.0 and pH 10.0, recombinant enzyme still exhibited 31.6% and 18.9% of the maximum activity, respectively (Figure 3A). Moreover, the enzyme was found to be stable in the pH range of 5.0 – 8.0, and more than 70% of the maximum activity was remained (Figure 3A). Thus, the pH properties of Gal308 are suitable in lactose hydrolysis of natural milk (pH 6.7-6.8). The optimal temperature for the enzyme was 78°C (Figure 3B). The thermostability of Gal308 was drastically decreased when the temperature was more than 80°C, and the enzyme was almost completely inactivated at 90°C (Figure 3B). However, the enzyme was fairly stable for a temperature range of 40°C – 70°C, and its activity almost kept unchangeable after incubation for 60 min. Therefore, Gal308 is especially

suitable for hydrolysis of lactose during milk pasteurization (62.8°C – 65.6°C for 30 min) when compared with a commercially Erismodegib manufacturer available β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis (the optimal temperature is approximately 50°C). Figure 3 Effect of pH (A) and temperature (B) on activity ( square ) and stability( circle ) of Gal308 using lactose as substrate. Data points are the average of triplicate measurements; error bars represent ±1 SD. The effect of metal ions on enzymatic activity Following the addition of Na+, K+, Mn2+ and Zn2+, no pronounced effect on the enzymatic activity was observed.

However, the presence of 1 mM Cu2+, Fe3+, and Al3+ caused a strong inhibition to the enzymatic activity. In addition, the existence of 1 mM Mg2+ and Ca2+ slightly stimulated the enzymatic activity. Substrate specificity and kinetic parameters The substrate specificity of Gal308 ADP ribosylation factor towards several chromogenic nitrophenyl analogues and its natural substrate lactose was shown in Table 2. The enzyme displayed high hydrolysis ability for ONPG (100%) and moderate activity for its natural substrate lactose (25.7%). However, the hydrolysis ability of the enzyme towards all other chromogenic nitrophenyl analogues was very weak, indicating that Gal308 is a β-galactosidase with narrow substrate specificity. To investigate the kinetic parameters of recombinant enzyme, the Michaelis-Menten constants (K m), turnover numbers (k cat), and catalytic efficiencies (k cat/K m) of Gal308 for ONPG and lactose were determined. The k cat and K m values were 464.7 ± 7.8 s-1 and 2.7 ± 0.

Instead

we found the suite of extrachromosomal type IV secretion system (T4SS) vir genes specific to the Campylobacter STA-9090 fetus subspecies venerealis biovar venerealis AZUL-94 were able to consistently discriminate the C. fetus subspecies fetus in our PCR assays. Complete genomic and plasmid data will ultimately assist to develop definitive tools for comprehensive Campylobacter fetus subspecies differentiation. Methods Bacterial Strains, culture conditions and DNA preparation Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis AZUL-94, an Argentinean field strain isolated from a bovine aborted fetus in 1994 was grown routinely on Tryptic Soy Agar plates or in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) and cultivated under microaerobic conditions in anaerobic jars with CampyGen envelopes (OXOID) at 37°C. Total DNA from Campylobacter fetus venerealis was isolated by the classical SDS/proteinase K/Phenol/Chloroform extraction method [43]. The Pfizer stains were originally isolated by CSIRO Australia [44]. Library construction, DNA sequencing and assembly Genomic DNA was randomly sheared by nebulization, treated with Bal31 nuclease and blunt ended with T4 DNA polymerase. Fragments were size fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis and ligated to dephosphorylated HincII-digested pBS Epigenetics inhibitor plasmid. Three libraries with insert size of approximately 2 Kbp (Cf1), 4 Kbp (Cf2), and 6 Kbp (Cf3)

were generated. Template preparation and DNA sequencing were performed as described [45] from randomly selected clones. Single-pass sequencing was performed on each template using T7 or T3

primer. Sequencing reads, obtained from the three genomic libraries (Cf1, Cf2, Cf3) were masked against plasmid vector and basecalled with phred (-trim_qual). Those sequences with at least 50 good quality bases after trimming were retained for assembly. After Epigenetics Compound Library reaching ~4.5× shotgun coverage, assembly was done using the phredPhrap script provided with phrap. The autofinish functionality of consed was used to select candidate clones for re-sequencing to increase sequence coverage, decrease the number of contigs and increase the consensus quality in a number of cases. Additional information on Campylobacter fetus venerealis sequencing can be found in additional file 6. Nucleotide sequence accession numbers Sequence data have been deposited in the WGS division of GenBank Resminostat under the following accession numbers: ACLG01000001… ACLG0101187 Genomic Data A subset of 273 Cfv contig sequences (lengths greater than 2 Kb) from 1,187 the assembled contigs (Genbank ref nos) was generously supplied by the UNSAM, Argentina for this analysis. The assembled contigs have been submitted to GenBank as a part of the WGS division (GenBank: ACLG00000000 and RefSeq: NZ_ACLG00000000). All manuscript referenced contig ORFs are listed in the Additional files 1 and 2. Completed Campylobacter genomic sequences were obtained from NCBI RefSeq Genome http://​www.​ncbi.​nlm.​nih.​gov.

2008b). The study revealed that regardless of whether the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) part of the ZFS was estimated with the Pederson–Khanna or the quasi-restricted

selleck chemicals llc orbitals approach, accounting for the spin–spin (SS) interaction always improves the results. The physical necessity of accounting for the SS interaction is shown from its 30% contribution to the axial D parameters. In general, the calculations were found to overestimate systematically the experimental D values by 60%. The authors call attention to the fact that the signs of calculated axial ZFS parameters are unreliable once E/D > 0.2. Calculated D and E/D values were found to be highly sensitive to small structural changes; disconcertingly, the use of optimized selleck chemical geometries was found to lead to a significant deterioration of theoretical predictions relative to experimental XRD geometries. A subsequent study (Zein and Neese 2008) showed that using the coupled-perturbed spin–orbit coupling (CP-SOC) approach (Neese 2007) together with hybrid DFT functionals

4-Hydroxytamoxifen concentration leads to a slope of the correlation line between experimental and calculated D values that is essentially unity, provided that the direct SS interaction is properly included in the treatment. For the case of the hyperfine coupling to the metal, DFT performance is not entirely satisfactory (Munzarova and Kaupp 1999; Munzarova et al. 2000). Since this property

involves three contributions (Fermi contact, spin–dipolar, and spin–orbit coupling) Thiamine-diphosphate kinase which feature different physical mechanisms, it is difficult to calculate all of them simultaneously with quantitative accuracy. Ligand HFCs are easier to compute but, again, results are less accurate than for organic radicals, and errors of 30% must be tolerated (Neese 2001b). Kossmann et al. (2007) investigated the performance of modern DFT functionals for the prediction of molecular hyperfine couplings in extended test calculations for a series of small radicals and transition metal complexes. It was shown that for the prediction of metal and ligand HFCs, TPSS is better than BP86, but more importantly, that the hybrid variant TPSSh is significantly superior to TPSS and probably even better than the “de facto standard” B3LYP functional. The double-hybrid B2PLYP functional also affords accurate predictions, particularly for HFCs of metal nuclei, but the existence of outliers suggests that this method may lack stability. The reliable performance of the TPSSh functional has since received additional confirmation in our recent study (Pantazis et al. 2009) aimed at the analysis of hyperfine coupling parameters in tetramanganese models of the OEC.

The vast majority of published research has centered on carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance [49] or on how a vegetarian diet can affect performance [50, 51], but the effect of fiber and other minerals specifically on exercise is still unknown.

The current study is the first report that reveals the effects of these nutrients after playing a soccer match. In keeping with the proposals of other authors [52], we hypothesize that Nutlin3 increased ingestion of fiber-rich foods, such as wholegrain, fruit and vegetables (which are rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals), may be a predictor of antioxidant status, and may enhance the protection of tissue cells. This may explain the higher percentage of lymphocytes found post-match in players whose fiber intake was adequate. We also found that adequate vitamin E intake was associated with a less pronounced increase in LDH concentrations after exercise. Vitamin E, as well as vitamin C, is widely known as an important endogenous antioxidant against free radicals [53]. Under

Seliciclib supplier conditions of oxidative stress, perhaps these vitamins protect cell membranes and lead to reduced cell breakdown. Similarly, the finding that higher vitamin C intake is related to a higher percentage of lymphocytes immediately post-match corroborates the hypothesis of the protective function of vitamins. Apparently, vitamin C can also stimulate the activity not of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes [54] and has been suggested

to be implicated in immunoregulation [55]. The antioxidant effect of these vitamins on exercise, however, is controversial. Vitamin E supplementation during exercise does not appear to decrease exercise-induced lipid peroxidation in humans [56]. More recently, another study has demonstrated that vitamin C and E supplementation in soccer players may reduce lipid peroxidation and muscle damage during high intensity efforts [57], but it was not shown to enhance performance [58]. So, our results reinforce the hypothesis of the MK5108 price implication of these vitamins in the stimulation of immune system and the protection of cell breakdown induced by a soccer match. Little research has been conducted to examine whether exercise increases the need for the B-complex vitamins [59, 60]. Some of those vitamins are involved in energy production during exercise and others, such as folic acid and vitamin B12, are required for the production of red blood cells, protein synthesis and tissue repair. In our study, we have also found that adequate folate intake is associated with an improved immune system response after exercise. Folate is frequently low in the diet of female athletes, especially those who have disordered eating patterns [61]. Our results reveal that players who complied with folate intake recommendations exhibited a higher percentage of lymphocytes and a lower percentage of neutrophils just after playing a soccer match.

Transfer of plasmid-DNA into Roseobacter strains by electroporation Electro-competent cells were prepared as described previously by Miller and Belas [2006] with slight modifications. Therefore, cells were grown in MB medium at 30°C and 200 rpm to an OD578 of 0.5. Ten ml culture was centrifuged for 15 min at 3,200

× g. Sedimented cells were washed 5 times with 10 ml cold 10% (v/v) glycerol in ultra-pure water. Then, the cell pellet was resuspended in 400 μl 10% (v/v) glycerol and 50 μl aliquots were frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C. For electroporation, 25 – 50 ng plasmid-DNA were added to 50 μl competent cells Selleckchem Momelotinib in an ice cold 2 mm pulser cuvette (Bio-Rad, Munich, Germany). The mixture was treated in a Bio Rad gene pulser II with field strength of 1.5 – 3.0 kV, resistance of 200 Ω and capacitance of 25 μF. After electroporation the cells were transferred to 1 ml cold MB media and incubated overnight at room temperature with shaking at 300 rpm to allow the expression of antibiotic resistance genes. To investigate electroporation efficiency, cells were serially diluted in 1.7% (w/v) sea salt solution and plated on hMB agar plates with

the appropriate antibiotic concentration and incubated for 2 days (Phaeobacter strains and O. indolifex) or 4 days (Roseobacter strains and D. shibae) at 30°C. Subsequently, colony forming units (cfu) were determined. Conjugal transfer of plasmid-DNA from E. coli into Roseobacter strains The conjugation procedure was modificated click here for Roseobacter strains from the protocol of Thoma and Schobert

[2009]. The recipient Roseobacter strains were cultivated for 18 h in MB-Medium. The donor E. coli strain ST18 was grown in LB-medium supplemented with 50 μg/ml ALA (Sigma-Aldrich, Munich, Germany) up to the GPX6 logarithmic phase (OD578 = 0.5 – 0.6). Both cultures were mixed in a donor:recipient ratio of 1:1; 2:1; 5:1 or 10:1 according to the optical density (OD578) of the cultures. Cells were sedimented by centrifugation for 2 min at 8,000 × g at 20°C, resuspended in the residual liquid and used to inoculate hMB agar, LB+hs agar and hLB+hs agar respectively, all supplemented with 50 mg/ml ALA, in form of a spot. The plates were incubated at 30°C for 24 h and 48 h. Subsequently, cells were scraped from the plate and resuspended in 1 ml MB by vigorous shaking. Disruption of cell aggregates was confirmed via microscopic inspection of the resulting single cells. A Selleck Vorinostat dilution series in 1.7% (w/v) sea salt solution was prepared and plated on hMB with the appropriate antibiotic concentration to determine the number of transconjugants per ml. Since the plates did not contain ALA the auxotrophic donor E. coli strain was not able to grow. In parallel, transconjugants were also plated on hMB without antibiotics to determine the number of viable cells per ml.

He was the first chairman of the committee preparing the report, but stepped aside and published a minority standpoint at the end of the report (Health Council of the Netherlands 1988). One of his concerns was that the decentralised organisation of prenatal care in the Netherlands, mostly in the hands of midwives in primary care, left little time for retesting and follow-up after the first screening test in the sixteenth week

of pregnancy. He also considered the bad test characteristics as problematic as false positive outcomes could cause unnecessary GDC-0994 anxiety in pregnant women. Another issue that was brought up by him on various occasions was the fact that the risk assessment of genetic screening tests did not meet the standards of prenatal diagnosis. He was concerned that the public trust in genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis—something that he had carefully helped to establish in the previous years—would learn more be undermined (van El et al. 2010a,b). In 1989, the Dutch government decided not to implement maternal serum screening for neural tube

PU-H71 manufacturer defects (Parliamentary documentation 1989–1990a). The decision was based on the WHO criteria written by Wilson and Jungner (1968). The test characteristics were found to be inadequate; there were too many false positives and false negatives. Since there was no treatment available, the criterion that only treatable disorders should be screened was not met. The test was considered to be unacceptable for the Dutch population. In a case of a positive test result, further invasive testing might cause an iatrogenic abortion. This was an ethical limit the government did not want to cross. Furthermore, psychological strain and medicalisation were mentioned as casting shadows over acetylcholine the ‘joyful period of pregnancy’. The government explicitly mentioned its concern that pressure from health care workers or public opinion might constrain the option of not taking a test. The government’s involvement might exert an ‘important influence’ in that respect (Parliamentary Documentation 1989–1990a). In Parliament, all parties from the left to right wing, including parties representing Christian denominations

supported the government’s decision not to implement screening (Parliamentary Documentation 1989–1990b). Dutch obstetric health care professionals were divided concerning the screening test. In the north of the Netherlands, screening had been offered on a small scale on a research basis. Obstetricians in that area had expected to continue or expand that practice. In 1990, at an obstetric conference to which foreign experts had been invited, pleas were made regarding serum screening (Mantingh et al. 1991). In the Dutch Journal for Midwives, the subject was heavily debated. The professional organisation, the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, decided not to support serum screening. Patient organisations were also divided.