Matches in Ghent University Academic Bibliography for { ?s <http://schema.org/abstract> ?o. }
- 01GR1DJ3P09ZQ6KWXTVAV0T98H abstract "In 1971, Tutte wrote in an article that it is tempting to conjecture that every 3-connected bipartite cubic graph is hamiltonian. Motivated by this remark, Horton constructed a counterexample on 96 vertices. In a sequence of articles by different authors several smaller counterexamples were presented. The smallest of these graphs is a graph on 50 vertices which was discovered independently by Georges and Kelmans. In this article we show that there is no smaller counterexample. As all non-hamiltonian 3-connected bipartite cubic graphs in the literature have cyclic 4-cuts-even if they have girth 6- it is natural to ask whether this is a necessary prerequisite. In this article we answer this question in the negative and give a construction of an infinite family of non-hamiltonian cyclically 5-connected bipartite cubic graphs. In 1969 Barnette gave a weaker version of the conjecture stating that 3-connected planar bipartite cubic graphs are hamiltonian. We show that Bar-nette's conjecture is true up to at least 90 vertices. We also report that a search of small non-hamiltonian 3-connected bipartite cubic graphs did not find any with genus less than 4.".
- 01GR1E0CVVT21B5QYNNX5MHEET abstract "The chromatic index of a cubic graph is either 3 or 4. Edge-Kempe switching, which can be used to transform edge-colorings, is here considered for 3-edge-colorings of cubic graphs. Computational results for edge-Kempe switching of cubic graphs up to order 30 and bipartite cubic graphs up to order 36 are tabulated. Families of cubic graphs of orders 4n + 2 and 4n + 4 with 2(n) edge-Kempe equivalence classes are presented; it is conjectured that there are no cubic graphs with more edge-Kempe equivalence classes. New families of nonplanar bipartite cubic graphs with exactly one edge-Kempe equivalence class are also obtained. Edge-Kempe switching is further connected to cycle switching of Steiner triple systems, for which an improvement of the established classification algorithm is presented. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.".
- 01GR1E6GDTMFTDTSFRCX3VYKEF abstract "The diamond is the graph obtained by removing an edge from the complete graph on 4 vertices. A graph is (P6, diamond)-free if it contains no induced subgraph isomorphic to a six-vertex path or a diamond. In this paper we show that the chromatic number of a (P6, diamond)-free graph G is no larger than the maximum of 6 and the clique number of G. We do this by reducing the problem to imperfect (P6, diamond)-free graphs via the Strong Perfect Graph Theorem, dividing the imperfect graphs into several cases, and giving a proper colouring for each case. We also show that there is exactly one 6-vertex -critical (P6, diamond, K6)-free graph. Together with the Lovasz theta function, this gives a polynomial time algorithm to compute the chromatic number of (P6, diamond)-free graphs.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.".
- 01GR1E7FYKNB35YWHMQ46J5TXB abstract "While the visual environment contains massive amounts of information, we should not and cannot pay attention to all events. Instead, we need to direct attention to those events that have proven to be important in the past and sup-press those that were distracting and irrelevant. Experiences molded through a learning process enable us to extract and adapt to the statistical regularities in the world. While previous studies have shown that visual statistical learning (VSL) is critical for representing higher order units of perception, here we review the role of VSL in attentional selection. Evidence suggests that through VSL, attentional priority settings are optimally adjusted to regularities in the environ-ment, without intention and without conscious awareness.".
- 01GR1EHW48W52T9HMXBYQYAAW6 abstract "Dysregulation of kinase signaling pathways favors tumor cell survival and therapy resistance in cancer. Here, we reveal a posttranslational regulation of kinase signaling and nuclear receptor activity via deubiquitination in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). We observed that the ubiquitin-specific protease 11 (USP11) is highly expressed and associates with poor prognosis in T-ALL. USP11 ablation inhibits leukemia progression in vivo, sparing normal hematopoiesis. USP11 forms a complex with USP7 to deubiquitinate the oncogenic lymphocyte cell-specific protein-tyrosine kinase (LCK) and enhance its activity. Impairment of LCK activity leads to increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and glucocorticoids sensitivity. Genetic knockout of USP7 improved the antileukemic efficacy of glucocorticoids in vivo. The transcriptional activation of GR target genes is orchestrated by the deubiquitinase activity and mediated via an increase in enhancer-promoter interaction intensity. Our data unveil how dysregulated deubiquitination controls leukemia survival and drug resistance, suggesting previously unidentified therapeutic combinations toward targeting leukemia.".
- 01GR1F935ST0Q3NZ26DC22X7HK abstract "Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as new players in leukemogenic mechanisms. In patients with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), the recent report of a remarkable dysregulation of circRNAs incited further functional investigation. Here we focus on circFBXW7, highly expressed in T-cells, with a notably high abundance of the circular compared to linear transcript of FBXW7. Two T-ALL patient cohorts profiled with RNA-seq were analyzed in comparison with five populations of developing thymocytes as normal counterpart, quantifying circRNA and gene expression. CircFBXW7 expression was very heterogeneous in T-ALL patients allowing their stratification in two groups with low and high expression of this circRNA, not correlated with FBXW7 mutation status and T-ALL molecular subgroups. With a loss-of-function study in T-ALL in vitro, we demonstrate that circFBXW7 depletion increases leukemic cell viability and proliferation. Microarray profiling highlighted the effect of the circFBXW7 silencing on gene expression, with activation of pro-proliferative pathways, supporting a tumor suppressor role of circFBXW7 in T-ALL. Further, MYC and intracellular NOTCH1 protein levels, as well as expression of MYC target and NOTCH signaling genes were elevated after circFBXW7 depletion, suggesting an inhibitory role of circFBXW7 in these oncogenic axes. Plus, low circFBXW7 levels were associated with a particular gene expression profile in T-ALL patients, which was remarkably mirrored by the effects of circFBXW7 loss-of-function in vitro. CircFBXW7 depletion notably emerges as a new factor enhancing a proliferative phenotype and the activation of the MYC signaling pathway, key players in this aggressive malignancy.".
- 01GR1FN3M80E0KJKBADWM73D50 abstract "Background: Nutritional status of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in low- and middle-income countries remains a major determinant of mortality, poor response to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and higher dropout rates. Protein supplementation is a promising strategy for restoring fat-free mass (FFM) and reducing weight loss in PLHIV. Our objective was to assess, among PLHA receiving ART, the effectiveness of supplementation with spirulina-fortified or unfortified millet flour on the change in weight, and in FFM and fat mass (FM). Method. In an interventional randomized controlled trial, 345 adults living with HIV/AIDS, who attended the Hôpital du jour, N’Djamena and just started ART were enrolled. Participants were assigned randomly to receive one of the nutritional treatments for a period of six months: 1) standard care only, ART and nutritional counseling (Control); 2) daily 500 g of unfortified millet flour and standard care (Millet); and 3) daily 500 g of spirulina-fortified millet flour and standard care (Spirulina). At baseline and endline, weight and height were measured. Body composition was assessed using the deuterium dilution method. Analysis of co-variance was used to compare the difference between groups. Differences were considered significant at p<0.05. Results : 345 adults (33.2 ± 7.7 years of age) were enrolled and 295 completed the study. At baseline, 16.5% of participants were underweight (body weight index, BMI <18.5 kg/m2) and 79.4% had low to severely-low CD4. Weight increased in all groups (mean ± SD; 3.41 ± 4.17 kg). Weight gain was significantly higher in spirulina (4.74 ± 0.41 kg) than in millet (3.63 ± 0.44 kg) and control (1.91 ± 0.36 kg) groups (p<0.0001). Change in FFM was significantly greater in spirulina (6.02 ± 0.69 kg) compared to millet (3.06 ± 0.52 kg) and control (1.07 ± 0.84 kg). Proportion of FM (%FM) was lowest in the spirulina group (25.1% vs. 27.6% and 28.0% in control and millet groups respectively, p=0.003). Conclusion: In food insecure settings, spirulina-fortified cereal flour increased weight with a body composition favoring FFM and a lower %FM. Further analyses will assess the effects on the immune response to ART.".
- 01GR1GFZ09QA90MQRCFMV4ZDAB abstract "We propose an automatic technique to implement light processing on a square-mesh programmable photonic circuit. Our method does not require human design knowledge, and can be applied to realize configurations for different light processing functions (e.g., splitting and filtering) at time scales of minutes.".
- 01GR1H1A9G53E61W9BDVAPE293 abstract "In this work, we propose a novel architecture for building a robust integrated photonic neuromorphic accelerator based on a crossbar array design. Our architecture is based on an asymmetric multimode Y-coupler. A Y-coupler has the inherent benefit of high fabrication tolerance and broad optical bandwidth. From simulations, we show that our proposed Y-coupler has high coupling efficiency. Using modal decomposition analysis of our coupler, we numerically estimate the energy efficiency performance of a large-scale photonic network and show a 10% improvement in energy efficiency for large-scale photonic networks with high fabrication tolerance and broadband application and a small footprint.".
- 01GR1H382FTRH8ZVCJGNECZ70M abstract "Classical symmetric pairs consist of a symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebra g, together with its subalgebra of fixed points under an involutive automorphism of the second kind. Quantum group analogs of this construction, known as quantum symmetric pairs, replace the fixed point Lie subalgebras by one-sided coideal subalgebras of the quantized enveloping algebra U_q(g). We provide a complete presentation by generators and relations for these quantum symmetric pair coideal subalgebras. These relations are of inhomogeneous q-Serre type and are valid without restrictions on the generalized Cartan matrix. We draw special attention to the split case, where the quantum symmetric pair coideal subalgebras are generalized q-Onsager algebras.".
- 01GR1HCSBSET21XQD27SDFMX5Y abstract "Neuromorphic computing using photonic hardware is a promising route towards ultrafast processing while maintaining low power consumption. Here we present and numerically evaluate a hardware concept for realizing photonic recurrent neural networks and reservoir computing architectures. Our method, called Recurrent Optical Spectrum Slicing Neural Networks (ROSS-NNs), uses simple optical filters placed in a loop, where each filter processes a specific spectral slice of the incoming optical signal. The synaptic weights in our scheme are equivalent to the filters’ central frequencies and bandwidths. Numerical application to high baud rate optical signal equalization (>100 Gbaud) reveals that ROSS-NN extends optical signal transmission reach to > 60 km, more than four times that of two state-of-the-art digital equalizers. Furthermore, ROSS-NN relaxes complexity, requiring less than 100 multiplications/bit in the digital domain, offering tenfold reduction in power consumption with respect to these digital counterparts. ROSS-NNs hold promise for efficient photonic hardware accelerators tailored for processing high-bandwidth (>100 GHz) optical signals in optical communication and high-speed imaging applications.".
- 01GR1J1XJZT05FM9EVQ7GM78K6 abstract "Lützerath was geen leeg dorp, zoals afgelopen weken vaak verkondigd werd, zegt doctoraatsonderzoeker Anton Vandevoorde (UGent). Het Duitse dorp dat moest wijken voor de uitbreiding van een bruinkoolmijn was de afgelopen jaren een antikapitalistisch laboratorium dat activisten van over de hele wereld én buurtbewoners samenbracht.".
- 01GR1J6C4Z7325CX40M2231KHW abstract "Passive photonic integrated circuits (PICs) can be easily characterized in the frequency-domain, but their accurate time-domain performance evaluation is a hurdle for system-level designers, especially when dealing with resonant circuits having highly dispersive behavior, such as ring resonators. In this paper, a new equivalent circuit modeling and simulation approach is proposed, based on the Complex Vector Fitting algorithm, able to perform accurate and robust time-domain simulations of passive PICs directly in standard SPICE simulators. The proposed modeling technique starts from scattering parameters of passive PICs, and is able to capture linear and high order dispersion, backscattering, and wavelength dependent effects. Considering the different nature of optical and electronic signals, a novel concept of equivalent voltage and current for optical waveguides is proposed to simplify the optical to electronic ports conversion and to make it possible to connect and terminate the equivalent circuit models as needed in SPICE simulators, natively supporting bidirectional signal propagation in a waveguide. This work provides a precise and reliable solution to evaluate time-domain characteristics of passive PICs and to access any internal nodes within a circuit, such as the signals inside a ring resonator. Three examples of time-domain simulations of passive PICs in commercial SPICE simulators are presented to demonstrate the flexibility and advantages of the proposed technique.".
- 01GR1JJ1QQVJGA38R2B4YJ5JH0 abstract "Photonic reservoirs are machine learning based systems that boast energy efficiency and speediness. Thus they can be deployed as optical processors in fiber communication systems to aid or replace digital signal equalization. In this paper, we simulate the use of a passive photonic reservoir to target nonlinearity-induced errors originating from self-phase modulation in the fiber and from the nonlinear response of the modulator. A 64-level quadrature-amplitude modulated signal is directly detected using the recently proposed Kramers-Kronig (KK) receiver. We train the readout weights by backpropagating through the receiver pipeline, thereby providing extra nonlinearity. Statistically computed bit error rates for fiber lengths of up to 100 km fall below 1 x 10(-3) bit error rate, outperforming an optical feed-forward equalizer as a linear benchmark. This can find applications in inter-datacenter communications that benefit from the hardware simplicity of a KK receiver and the low power and low latency processing of a photonic reservoir.".
- 01GR1KSYSBG95BJ3V0WBYCXVKR abstract "On-chip integration of optical comb sources is crucial in enabling their widespread use. Integrated photonic devices that can be mass-manufactured in semiconductor processing facilities offer a solution for the realization of miniaturized, robust, low-cost, and energy-efficient comb sources. Here, we review the state of the art in on-chip comb sources, their applications, and anticipated developments. (C) 2022 Author(s).".
- 01GR1ME8WCGRQRB4DZ77Z9FGNY abstract "Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one's core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people's existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges.".
- 01GR1MJAS9N4XZ0XEC628K5HS8 abstract "As the concept of quality of life (QOL) has evolved from a theoretical concept to both a measurable construct and an action-oriented change agent, there has emerged a corresponding need to develop, implement, and use a systematic approach to the assessment of domain-referenced quality of life outcomes. The aim of this entry is to present the Personal Outcomes Scale (van Loon et al. 2008), which is a “quality of life assessment instrument” in the field of people with intellectual disabilities that is based on an empirically derived QOL conceptual and measurement framework (Claes et al. 2009).".
- 01GR1VZ6AE3CTSACEXJDRQ97QD abstract "When the gradation of animal welfare is scored through ordinal scales and equidistant tags are used, empirical data between tags tend to be non-equidistant. Ordinal rate scales (ORS) and visual analogue scales (VAS) were tested for the assessment of contact dermatitis on breast and abdominal areas (CD), footpad dermatitis (FP), hock burns (HB) and bird soiling (BS) in broiler chickens. Calculations regarding the inter-rater reliability, the correlation between VAS and ORS and amongst the welfare indicators measured with both scales, and the equidistance of ORS categories in relation to values measured using VAS, were made. A total of 1,303 broiler chickens from 10 flocks was assessed on-farm by three raters using both scales. Inter-rater reliabilities of CD and HB were higher when using VAS compared with ORS, but FP was lower. Correlations between scales varied between 0.90-0.97 and 0.77-0.95 (P<0.001), considering mean and individual values. Low-to-moderate correlations were observed between the four indicators using the scales. Tags on VAS that best represented ORS were non-equidistant. Results suggest both scales were reliable assessing the selected broiler chicken welfare indicators.".
- 01GR1VZ6AS4ENWRBTQK6AE9S29 abstract "In free-range and organic production systems, hens can make choices according to their needs and desires, which is in accordance with welfare definitions. Nonetheless, health and behavioral problems are also encountered in these systems. The aim of this article was to identify welfare challenges observed in these production systems in the EU and the most promising solutions to overcome these challenges. It is based on a review of published literature and research projects complemented by interviews with experts. We selected EU specific information for welfare problems, however, the selected literature regarding solutions is global. Free range use may increase the risk of infection by some bacteria, viruses and parasites. Preventive methods include avoiding contamination thanks to biosecurity measures and strengthening animals' natural defenses against these diseases which can be based on nutritional means with new diet components such as insect-derived products, probiotics and prebiotics. Phytotherapy and aromatherapy can be used as preventive and curative medicine and vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics and pesticides. Bone quality in pullets and hens prevents keel deviations and is favored by exercise in the outdoor range. Free range use also lead to higher exposure to variable weather conditions and predators, therefore shadow, fences and guard animals can be used to prevent heat stress and predation respectively. Granting a free range provides opportunities for the expression of many behaviors and yet many hens usually stay close to the house. Providing the birds with trees, shelters or attractive plants can increase range use. Small flock sizes, early experiences of enrichment and personality traits have also been found to enhance range use. Severe feather pecking can occur in free range production systems, although flocks using the outdoor area have better plumage than indoors. While many prevention strategies are facilitated in free range systems, the influence of genetics, prenatal and nutritional factors in free range hens still need to be investigated. This review provides information about practices that have been tested or still need to be explored and this information can be used by stakeholders and researchers to help them evaluate the applicability of these solutions for welfare improvement.".
- 01GR1VZ6AYAABPS0ZDECD17XK4 abstract "Research and development of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is booming, partly due to hopes and claims regarding the benefits of PLF for animal welfare. These claims remain largely unproven, however, as only few PLF technologies focusing on animal welfare have been commercialized and adopted in practice. The prevailing enthusiasm and optimism about PLF innovations may be clouding the perception of possible threats that PLF may pose to farm animal welfare. Without claiming to be exhaustive, this paper lists 12 potential threats grouped into four categories: direct harm, indirect harm via the end-user, via changes to housing and management, and via ethical stagnation or degradation. PLF can directly harm the animals because of (1) technical failures, (2) harmful effects of exposure, adaptation or wearing of hardware components, (3) inaccurate predictions and decisions due to poor external validation, and (4) lack of uptake of the most meaningful indicators for animal welfare. PLF may create indirect effects on animal welfare if the farmer or stockperson (5) becomes under- or over-reliant on PLF technology, (6) spends less (quality) time with the animals, and (7) loses animal-oriented husbandry skills. PLF may also compromise the interests of the animals by creating transformations in animal farming so that the housing and management are (8) adapted to optimize PLF performance or (9) become more industrialized. Finally, PLF may affect the moral status of farm animals in society by leading to (10) increased speciesism, (11) further animal instrumentalization, and (12) increased animal consumption and harm. For the direct threats, possibilities for prevention and remedies are suggested. As the direction and magnitude of the more indirect threats are harder to predict or prevent, they are more difficult to address. In order to maximize the potential of PLF for improving animal welfare, the potential threats as well as the opportunities should be acknowledged, monitored and addressed.".
- 01GR24NS5JEZ9E13W6X1G6E26N abstract "Defects in the active layer of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes play a crucial role in the passage of virus particles and microbial surrogates through the membrane systems. Prior research indicates that not only defects in the active layer but also a mechanical failure in the membrane module can compromise the performance of full-scale RO spiral wound systems. However, there have been no studies on the microbial passage in coupon-scale testing systems for highly selective RO membrane characterization on a laboratory scale. The capability of test cells to introduce defects on the membrane surface via contact zones is recognized for the first time in this study. This work focuses on membrane defects introduced by the sealing mechanism of the coupon-scale test. We show how defects arise at points of contact between the membrane, the O-rings, and the test cell body, occurring in both commercially available test cells as well as in-house developed test cells. These defects cause a marked decrease in membrane selectivity, compared to spiral-wound elements housing the same membranes. Membrane integrity was assessed by measuring the passage of viruses and fluorescent markers. We demonstrate that in almost all cases, detectable virus concentrations were found in the permeate due to non-selective transport through defects in the membrane. Failure to account for this non-selective transport leads to an overestimation of achievable selectivity by a factor of two or more, as seen in previously published studies. Lastly, we propose modifications to test cell design that reduce contact zones thus potentially safeguarding the membrane's selectivity.".
- 01GR2VR33YT14XBNDYC1FWGKVV abstract "Realizing the neurological information processing by analyzing the complex data transferring behavior of populations and individual neurons is one of the fast-growing fields of neuroscience and bioelectronic technologies. This field is anticipated to cover a wide range of advanced applications, including neural dynamic monitoring, understanding the neurological disorders, human brain-machine communications and even ambitious mind-controlled prosthetic implant systems. To fulfill the requirements of high spatial and temporal resolution recording of neural activities, electrical, optical and biosensing technologies are combined to develop multifunctional bioelectronic and neuro-signal probes. Advanced two-dimensional (2D) layered materials such as graphene, graphene oxide, transition metal dichalcogenides and MXenes with their atomic-layer thickness and multifunctional capabilities show bio-stimulation and multiple sensing properties. These characteristics are beneficial factors for development of ultrathin-film electrodes for flexible neural interfacing with minimum invasive chronic interfaces to the brain cells and cortex. The combination of incredible properties of 2D nanostructure places them in a unique position, as the main materials of choice, for multifunctional reception of neural activities. The current review highlights the recent achievements in 2D-based bioelectronic systems for monitoring of biophysiological indicators and biosignals at neural interfaces.".
- 01GR3DWB8BK8N3X0HZS5MQDT66 abstract "The first version of the modulation-excitation (ME) phase-sensitive detection (PSD) toolbox (LCT, Ghent University, Belgium) for MATLAB.".
- 01GR3E6SP66YA01SZ33A8CWKR1 abstract "Visuo-spatial attention prioritizes the processing of relevant inputs via different types of signals, including current goals and stimulus salience. Complex mixtures of these signals engage in everyday life situations, but little is known about how these signals jointly modulate distributed patterns of activity across the occipital regions that represent visual space. Here, we measured spatio-topic, quadrant-specific occipital activity during the processing of visual displays containing both task-relevant targets and salient color-singletons. We computed spatial bias vectors indexing the effect of attention in 2D space, as coded by distributed activity in the occipital cortex. We found that goal-directed spatial attention biased activity towards the target and that salience further modulated this endogenous effect: salient distractors decreased the spatial bias, while salient targets increased it. Analyses of effective connectivity revealed that the processing of salient distractors relied on the modulation of the bidirectional connectivity between the occipital and the posterior parietal cortex, as well as the modulation of the lateral interactions within the occipital cortex. These findings demonstrate that goal-directed attention and salience jointly contribute to shaping processing priorities in the occipital cortex and highlight that multiple functional paths determine how spatial information about these signals is distributed across occipital regions.".
- 01GR3E6SQ54SGVT8GG5HFDD15W abstract "We examined the effect of combined top-down and bottom-up attentional control sources, using known attention-related EEG components that are thought to reflect target selection (N2pc) and distractor suppression (P-D). We used endogenous cues (valid vs. neutral) for top-down attentional control, and salience in the form of color singletons (either the target or a distractor) for bottom-up attentional control in visual search. Crucially, in two experiments, the task was of increasing difficulty, reporting the orientation of a tilted target (Experiment 1), or the position of a small gap within the target among tilted non-targets (Experiment 2). Our results showed strong cueing effects on RT and accuracy in both experiments, demonstrating a general facilitation of responses to validly cued targets. Whereas the processing of salient targets was not improved compared with non-salient targets, the presence of a salient distractor consistently worsened performance. The N2pc and P-D were only observed in trials where targets were preceded by neutral cues in Experiment 1, and for validly cued targets and salient neutrally cued targets in Experiment 2. A cueing effect was found on the P-D in Experiment 1, showing an amplitude reduction in trials where the target was validly cued. These results support the idea that bottom-up attentional allocation occurs only when top-down allocation of attention is absent or inefficient. Therefore, these results indicate that attentional selection and suppression during visual search are both influenced by top-down cueing and give support to theories that focus on the interaction between the two types of attention.".
- 01GR3FBGPTTEAN9PGTVZ3Y430B abstract "Preparing of calibration curves are critical steps for accurate quantitative LC-MS bioanalysis. Traditional multi -sample external calibration curve (MSCC) is labor-intensive and prone to error. In this study, a novel strategy of one sample multi-point calibration curve (OSCC) using multiple isotopologue reaction monitoring (MIRM) was proposed and validated using LC-MS for the quantitation of six aflatoxins in milk and oat-based milk samples. The developed MIRM-OSCC methodology is comprehensively validated and the results indicated that the established method exhibits good performance in selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision. Furthermore, the OSCC could realize sample dilution by monitoring the MIRM channel with less intensity for samples beyond the upper limit of quantification, without the need of sample dilution, which improves the assay throughput. Considering the advantages of excluding the MSCC preparation and sample dilution in OSCC, this strategy can be widely applied in various fields such as drugs, food safety and environmental analysis.".
- 01GR3G2G7ZPSJ2R4ZM2FHGJ98B abstract "Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are two toxic mycotoxins widely found in food contaminants, and known for their hepatotoxicity in human. However, their combined toxicity still needs to be deeply investigated especially for their harmful effect. Therefore, the current work aimed at investigating the (combined) effect of AFB1 and FB1 on mitochondrial and glycolytic activity of HepG2 cell line, a well-recognized in vitro model system to study liver cell function. In our previous work, we studied the impact of a short term exposure to different doses of AFB1, FB1, and their binary mixture (MIX) on the bioenergetic status of HepG2 cells. Seahorse respirometry analysis revealed that the co-exposure, especially at high doses (8 µg/mL for AFB1 and 160 µg/mL for FB1), is more toxic as a result of more inhibition of all parameters of mitochondrial respiration. RNA transcriptome sequencing showed that the p53 signaling pathway, which is a major orchestrator of mitochondrial apoptosis, was differentially expressed. Moreover, the co-exposure has significantly downregulated Cx I, Cx II, Cx III, and Cx IV genes, which represent the onset of the suppressed mitochondrial respiration in HepG2 cells. It was found that FB1 is contributed more to the MIX effects than AFB1.".
- 01GR3J02CPGQRD4G0JA7X4VM44 abstract "In this interview, Lars Bernaerts discusses narratology as a tool to analyze the form, functioning, and circulation of narrative, introduces his current research project on the novelistic cycle, and explains what we can learn from “narratological science fiction.”".
- 01GR3JZGKY1HNT6V4JK4SHJGWX abstract "This article proposes a reinterpretation of the Seljuk and Mongol invasions of the Caucasus in the 11th and 13th centuries. Both invasions were marked by the co-operation of Caucasian aristocrats with the invading armies, an action frequently seen in historiography as destructive to proto-national unity. Using the examples of King Aghsartan I of the kingdom of Kakheti (r.1058-1084) and of the princes Aersilan and Hanghusi in the North Caucasian region of Alania, this article argues that co-operation with outside invaders was a common political strategy used by Caucasian elites. Moreover, this strategy is presented as a fairly normal one by Caucasian primary sources which support the dynasts who used it. Rather than seeing sovereignty as a persistent attribute linked to territory and ethnicity and exercised primarily by royal dynasts and their administrations, this article argues that sovereignty was ephemeral and primarily demonstrated through actions, notably successful military campaigns and the collection of taxes. As such, sovereignty over a given region or community could be held by several dynasts or aristocrats at the same time. In this context, co-operation with a foreign invader was not only compatible with a Caucasian dynast’s own sovereignty, but could create opportunities to extend their sovereignty over other aristocrats and peasant communities. However, the ambiguity over sovereignty created by foreign invasions could lead to multiple different political actors launching violent attempts to claim disputed territory, a process which could be highly destructive to local communities living in that region.".
- 01GR3NE75E3D3X7SX5P4THQK9G abstract "In precision oncology, therapy stratification is done based on the patients’ tumor molecular profile. Modeling and prediction of the drug response for a given tumor molecular type will further improve therapeutic decision-making for cancer patients. Indeed, deep learning methods hold great potential for drug sensitivity prediction, but a major problem is that these models are black box algorithms and do not clarify the mechanisms of action. This puts a limitation on their clinical implementation. To address this concern, many recent studies attempt to overcome these issues by developing interpretable deep learning methods that facilitate the understanding of the logic behind the drug response prediction. In this review, we discuss strengths and limitations of recent approaches, and suggest future directions that could guide further improvement of interpretable deep learning in drug sensitivity prediction in cancer research.".
- 01GR3Q6C8N5H94A4YYSCXPCN3G abstract "In recent years, the penitentiary crisis, in different countries, has occupied a central place in political, legal and academic discussions. At the center of these debates is the issue of overcrowding and its role as the essential indicator of prison performance. However, despite its prominence, its definition, as well as its use in models of judicial intervention, is not a widely debated issue. In this text, we propose an analysis of overcrowding from two perspectives: on the one hand, a legal dimension that answers the question of how to measure overcrowding and, on the other, a practical one that seeks to show its implementation in the processes of judicialization of life in prison.".
- 01GR3W41GHKRJ4XXECK05HSTVC abstract "Zoonotic foodborne parasites often represent complex, multi host life cycles with parasite stages in the hosts, but also in the environment. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of important zoonotic foodborne parasites, with a focus on the different food chains in which parasite stages may occur. We have chosen some examples of meat-borne parasites occurring in livestock (Taenia spp., Trichinella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii), as well as Fasciola spp., an example of a zoonotic parasite of livestock, but transmitted to humans via contaminated vegetables or water, covering the 'farm to fork' food chain; and meat-borne parasites occurring in wildlife (Trichinella spp., Toxoplasma gondii), covering the 'forest to fork' food chain. Moreover, fish-borne parasites (Clonorchis spp., Opisthorchis spp. and Anisakidae) covering the 'pond/ocean/freshwater to fork' food chain are reviewed. The increased popularity of consumption of raw and ready-to-eat meat, fish and vegetables may pose a risk for consumers, since most post-harvest processing measures do not always guarantee the complete removal of parasite stages or their effective inactivation. We also highlight the impact of increasing contact between wildlife, livestock and humans on food safety. Risk based approaches, and diagnostics and control/prevention tackled from an integrated, multipathogen and multidisciplinary point of view should be considered as well.".
- 01GR3WNMBVFGD7W7RX9VVFGX59 abstract "Scope and approach : The prevailing food integrity culture of four Belgian food companies was assessed through a validated method triangulation. The relation between the perceived food integrity climate, the performed food integrity and the companies' food fraud vulnerability was analyzed in view of employees' demographic characteristics (i.e. age, seniority, job function, contract type) and organizational characteristics (i.e. product type, service type, company size and certifications status). Results and conclusions : Results from this semi-quantitative study revealed that all the participating companies recorded a positive food integrity culture, as their food integrity climate and performance were medium-high and their fraud vulnerability was medium-low. Minor differences among companies were identified depending on their specific organizational characteristics and employees' demographic characteristics. People integrity was the lowest-perceived food integrity dimension and specific food fraud control measures were lacking in the majority of the participating companies. Managers perceived their company's food integrity climate higher than the operators in contact with food, implying that employees in different job functions may hold differing perceptions of their company's climate. For the other demographic characteristics analyzed (age, seniority and contract type), a statistical correlation with the perceived food integrity climate was not revealed. Results suggest that product type, company size and certifications status may also promote (or hinder) the achievement of a positive food integrity culture. The applied food integrity culture method triangulation has demonstrated to assist food companies in acknowledging potential weaknesses in their food integrity climate, food integrity performance and food fraud control measures, allowing them to improve key human, operational, technical and managerial aspects to achieve an overall consolidated food integrity culture.".
- 01GR3WRB5Q096GYT86N3TFVFCQ abstract "Background Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is common among people with epilepsy in low-resource settings. Prevalence of NCC and radiological characteristics of patients with NCC vary considerably even within small areas but differences have been poorly characterized so far. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study between August 2018 and April 2020 in three district hospitals in southern Tanzania (Ifisi, Tukuyu and Vwawa). Patients with and without epileptic seizures were included in this study. All patients were tested with a novel antibody-detecting point-of-care test for the diagnosis of Taenia solium cysticercosis. All test positives and a subset of test negatives had a further clinical work-up including medical examination and computed tomography of the brain. NCC was defined according to the Del Brutto criteria. We assessed epidemiological, clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with NCC by presence of epileptic seizures and by serology status. Results In all three district hospitals, more than 30% of all people with epileptic seizures (PWE) had NCC lesions in their brain (38% in Vwawa, 32% in Tukuyu and 31% in Ifisi). Most PWE with NCC had multiple lesions and mostly parenchymal lesions (at least 85%). If patients were serologically positive, they had in the median more lesions than serologically negative patients (15 [interquartile range 8-29] versus 5 [1.8-11]), and only serologically positive patients had active stage lesions. Furthermore, serologically positive PWE had more lesions than serologically positive people without epileptic seizures (10.5 [7-23]), and more often had active lesions. PWE diagnosed with NCC (n = 53) were older, and more commonly had focal onset seizures (68% versus 44%, p = 0.03) and headache episodes (34% versus 14%, p = 0.06), which were also stronger than in PWE without NCC (p = 0.04). Conclusion NCC is common among PWE. A combination of clinical and serological factors could help to establish an algorithm to identify patients potentially suffering from active NCC, who benefit from further clinical investigation including neuroimaging.".
- 01GR3WSEH7F2N9B7SANFG5830P abstract "STUDY QUESTION Is it possible to develop a comprehensive pipeline for all-in-one preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), also suitable for parents-only haplotyping and, for the first time, third-party reproduction? SUMMARY ANSWER Optimized reduced representation sequencing (RRS) by GENType, along with a novel analysis platform (Hopla), enables cheap, accurate and comprehensive PGT of blastocysts, even without the inclusion of additional family members or both biological parents for genome-wide embryo haplotyping. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Several haplotyping strategies have proven to be effective for comprehensive PGT. However, these methods often rely on microarray technology, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or a combination of strategies, hindering sample throughput and cost-efficiency. Moreover, existing tools (including other RRS-based strategies) require both prospective biological parents for embryo haplotyping, impeding application in a third-party reproduction setting. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study included a total of 257 samples. Preliminary technical validation was performed on 81 samples handpicked from commercially available cell lines. Subsequently, a clinical validation was performed on a total of 72 trophectoderm biopsies from 24 blastocysts, tested for a monogenic disorder (PGT-M) (n = 15) and/or (sub)chromosomal aneuploidy (PGT-SR/PGT-A) (n = 9). Once validated, our pipeline was implemented in a diagnostic setting on 104 blastocysts for comprehensive PGT. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Samples were whole-genome amplified (WGA) and processed by GENType. Quality metrics, genome-wide haplotypes, b-allele frequencies (BAFs) and copy number profiles were generated by Hopla. PGT-M results were deduced from relative haplotypes, while PGT-SR/PGT-A results were inferred from read-count analysis and BAF profiles. Parents-only haplotyping was assessed by excluding additional family members from analysis and using an independently diagnosed embryo as phasing reference. Suitability for third-party reproduction through single-parent haplotyping was evaluated by excluding one biological parent from analysis. Results were validated against reference PGT methods. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Genome-wide haplotypes of single cells were highly accurate (mean > 99%) compared to bulk DNA. Unbalanced chromosomal abnormalities (>5 Mb) were detected by GENType. For both PGT-M as well as PGT-SR/PGT-A, our technology demonstrated 100% concordance with reference PGT methods for diverse WGA methods. Equally, for parents-only haplotyping and single-parent haplotyping (of autosomal dominant disorders and X-linked disorders), PGT-M results were fully concordant. Furthermore, the origin of trisomies in PGT-M embryos was correctly deciphered by Hopla. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Intrinsic to linkage-analysis strategies, de novo single-nucleotide variants remain elusive. Moreover, parents-only haplotyping is not a stand-alone approach and requires prior diagnosis of at least one reference embryo by an independent technology (i.e. direct mutation analysis) for haplotype phasing. Using a haplotyping approach, the presence of a homologous recombination site across the chromosome is biologically required to distinguish meiotic II errors from mitotic errors during trisomy origin investigation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS We offer a generic, fully automatable and accurate pipeline for PGT-M, PGT-A and PGT-SR as well as trisomy origin investigation without the need for personalized assays, microarray technology or WGS. The unique ability to perform single-parent assisted haplotyping of embryos paves the way for cost-effective PGT in a third-party reproduction setting. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) L.D.W. is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO; 1S74619N). L.R. and B.M. are funded by Ghent University and M.B., S.S., K.T., F.V.M. and A.D. are supported by Ghent University Hospital. Research in the N.C. lab was funded by Ghent University, VIB and Kom op Tegen Kanker. A.D.K and N.C. are co-inventors of patent WO2017162754A1. The other authors have no conflicts of interest.".
- 01GR3WZKDCFBJC0XBH7PBXT9MJ abstract "The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, is the cause of a preventable zoonotic disease, cysticercosis, affecting both pigs and humans. Continued endemic transmission of T. solium is a major contributor of epilepsy and other neurologic morbidity, and the source of important economic losses, in many rural areas of developing countries. Simulation modelling can play an important role in aiding the design and evaluation of strategies to control or even eliminate transmission of the parasite. In this paper, we present a new agent based model of local-scale T. solium transmission and a new, non-local, approach to the model calibration to fit model outputs to observed human taeniasis and pig cysticercosis prevalence simultaneously for several endemic villages. The model fully describes all relevant aspects of T. solium transmission, including the processes of pig and human infection, the spatial distribution of human and pig populations, the production of pork for human consumption, and the movement of humans and pigs in and out in several endemic villages of the northwest of Peru. Despite the high level of uncertainty associated with the empirical measurements of epidemiological data associated with T. solium, the non-local calibrated model parametrization reproduces the observed prevalences with an acceptable precision. It does so not only for the villages used to calibrate the model, but also for villages not included in the calibration process. This important finding demonstrates that the model, including its calibrated parametrization, can be successfully transferred within an endemic region. This will enable future studies to inform the design and optimization of T. solium control interventions in villages where the calibration may be prevented by the limited amount of empirical data, expanding the possible applications to a wider range of settings compared to previous models.".
- 01GR3X41J7YJF75FMSVDB46SMS abstract "The pork tapeworm Taenia solium is a zoonotic food-borne parasite endemic in many developing countries causing human cysticercosis and taeniosis as well as porcine cysticercosis. It mainly affects the health of rural smallholder pig farmers and their communities, resulting in lower health status, reduced pork quality, and economic loss due to condemnation of pigs or low pricing of pork. This qualitative study aimed to identify key food related practices linked to consumption of pork at village level, of importance for transmission of taeniosis. We used an interpretivist-constructivist paradigm in a multiple case study of exploratory qualitative research design. Data was acquired through guided and probing interviews with 64 pork cooks, and 14 direct observations in four villages in a T. solium endemic area of Mbeya Region in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The study showed that the informants were members of communities of practice through their pork cooking practices, one community of practice for the restaurant cooks and one for the home cooks, learning, sharing, and distributing their cooking skills. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the pork cooks generally had some awareness of there being something undesirable in raw pork, but they had very diverse understandings of what it was, or of its potential harm. Major potential transmission points were identified in restaurants and in home kitchens. It appears that the pork cooks act according to socio-cultural and economic factors guiding them in their actions, including pressure from customers in restaurants, the family values of tradition in the home kitchens, and the culturally guided risk perception and appraisal. These practices might generate potential transmission points. Future research on interventions aimed at preventing the spread of T. solium taeniosis should recognise the importance of tradition and culture in risky food practices.".
- 01GR3XG2GH32TFQX9CE1GFGKSH abstract "Objectives Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia solium. NCC mainly occurs in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia and can cause a variety of clinical signs/symptoms. Although it is a rare disease in Europe, it should nonetheless be considered as a differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and management of patients with NCC diagnosed and treated in Europe. Methods We conducted a systematic search of published and unpublished data on patients diagnosed with NCC in Europe (2000-2019) and extracted demographic, clinical and radiological information on each case, if available. Results Out of 293 identified NCC cases, 59% of patients presented initially with epileptic seizures (21% focal onset); 52% presented with headache and 54% had other neurological signs/symptoms. The majority of patients had a travel or migration history (76%), mostly from/to Latin America (38%), Africa (32%) or Asia (30%). Treatment varied largely depending on cyst location and number. The outcome was favorable in 90% of the cases. Conclusions Management of NCC in Europe varied considerably but often had a good outcome. Travel and migration to and from areas endemic for T. solium will likely result in continued low prevalence of NCC in Europe. Therefore, training and guidance of clinicians is recommended for optimal patient management.".
- 01GR3XM890J9F193A7T2HTW244 abstract "An improved understanding of the environmental transmission of Taenia spp. is key to control of the parasite. Methods to detect and quantify Taenia eggs in different environmental matrices, including sludge and water, currently lack performance validation with regard to the recovery efficiency and process ease of use. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the recovery efficiency and process duration of commonly used methods for the detection of Taenia eggs in sludge and water samples. Ten detection methods for Taenia spp. eggs were selected from a systematic re-view. Sludge and water samples were spiked with a high dose of Taenia saginata eggs, i.e., around 200 eggs/g sludge and 50 eggs/ml water, and were tested using five methods each. The two methods with the highest egg recovery efficiencies were selected per matrix for assessment with a lower spiking dose, i.e., 4 eggs/g sludge and 1 egg/ml water. Each time five replicates were used. Recovery efficiency was defined as the proportion of the number of eggs recovered to the total number of eggs spiked. Using the high spiking dose, all samples tested positive for all the methods. The mean egg recovery efficiency varied from 4% to 69% for sludge samples and from 3% to 68% for water samples. Using the lower spiking dose, one of the methods performed on sludge samples was able to detect all replicates, whereas only one replicate was positive using the other method. For water, all low dose samples tested positive using both methods. In conclusion, most methods performed inadequately in recovering Taenia eggs from sludge and water, with half of the methods performed on the high dose samples having a mean egg recovery efficiency of approximately 10% or less. The assessed recovery methods were generally time-consuming and labourious. A more thorough validation of existing recovery methods and improvement of method protocols to increase recovery efficiency is thus urgently needed.".
- 01GR3XVE0YKY4JKBSR9KDMZVPV abstract "Background: Considering the high correlation between the functional decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the propagation of aggregated tau protein, many research efforts are focused on determining the underlying molecular mechanisms of tau spreading. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) were reported to mediate cellular uptake of tau aggregates. Specifically, the heparan sulfates (HS) sulfation plays a critical role in the interaction of HSPGs with aggregated tau. HS can be N-/2-O/6-O- or 3-O-sulfated, some of which have been reported to take part in the interaction with tau aggregates. However, the role of the 3-O sulfation remains enigmatic. Results: Here, we studied the contribution of HS 3-O sulfation in the binding and cellular uptake of tau aggregates. We observed reduced tau aggregates uptake in absence of 3-O sulfation or when outcompeting available cellular 3-O sulfated HS (3S-HS) with antithrombin III. The lack of HS3ST1-generated HS products in the HS3ST1(-/-) cells was further corroborated with an LC-MS/MS using C-13-labeled HS calibrants. Here, we showed that these functional changes can be explained by a higher affinity of aggregated tau to 3S-HS. When targeting tau aggregates with 3-O sulfation-containing HS, we observed an increase in inhibition of tau aggregates uptake. Conclusions: These data indicate that HS 3-O sulfation plays a role in the binding of tau aggregates and, thus, contributes to their cellular uptake, highlighting a potential target value to modulate tau pathogenesis.".
- 01GR3Y1YWCP7P4HGZPYZZTXQS8 abstract "The cestode family Taeniidae consists of the genera Echinococcus and Taenia, both of which include zoonotic tapeworms of serious public health importance. Various environmental matrices have been identified from which parasite transmission to animals and humans can occur, and many techniques for detecting taeniid eggs in different environments have been developed. However, the majority lack appropriate validation, and standardized egg isolation procedures are absent. This hampers interstudy comparisons and poses a challenge for future researchers when deciding which technique to implement for assessing taeniid egg contamination in a particular matrix. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to present an overview of the detection methods for taeniid eggs in the environment, to discuss and compare them, and to provide recommendations for future studies. In total, 1814 publications were retrieved from scientific databases, and, ultimately, data were systematically reviewed from 90 papers. The results provide an overview of numerous diagnostic tests for taeniid egg detection in (or on) water, food, soil, insects, objects, and air. These tools could be categorized as either conventional (light microscopy), molecular, or immunodetection tools. The relatively cheap microscopy techniques often lack sensitivity and are unable to identify a taeniid egg at the genus level. Nevertheless, several records ascribed a genus, or even species, to taeniid eggs that had been detected by light microscopy. Molecular and immunodetection tools offer better specificity, but still rely on the preceding egg recovery steps that also affect overall sensitivity. Finally, the majority of the methods lacked any attempt at performance evaluation and standardization, especially at the earlier stages of the analysis (e.g., sampling strategy, storage conditions, egg recovery), and viability was rarely addressed. As such, our review highlights the need for standardized, validated detection tools, that not only assess the extent of environmental contamination, but also the egg genus or species, and address viability.".
- 01GR3Y3B3FBFJXW8YTZXG63QVD abstract "Influenza viruses exhibit considerable diversity between hosts. Additionally, different quasispecies can be found within the same host. High-throughput sequencing technologies can be used to sequence a patient-derived virus population at sufficient depths to identify low-frequency variants (LFV) present in a quasispecies, but many challenges remain for reliable LFV detec-tion because of experimental errors introduced during sample preparation and sequencing. High genomic copy numbers and extensive sequencing depths are required to differentiate false positive from real LFV, especially at low allelic frequencies (AFs). This study proposes a general approach for identifying LFV in patient-derived samples obtained during routine surveil-lance. Firstly, validated thresholds were determined for LFV detection, whilst balancing both the cost and feasibility of reliable LFV detection in clinical samples. Using a genetically well-defined population of influenza A viruses, thresholds of at least 104 genomes per microlitre and AF of >= 5 % were established as detection limits. Secondly, a subset of 59 retained influenza A (H3N2) samples from the 2016-2017 Belgian influenza season was composed. Thirdly, as a proof of concept for the added value of LFV for routine influenza monitoring, potential associations between patient data and whole genome sequencing data were investigated. A significant association was found between a high prevalence of LFV and disease severity. This study provides a general methodology for influenza LFV detection, which can also be adopted by other national influenza reference centres and for other viruses such as SARS-CoV- 2. Additionally, this study suggests that the current relevance of LFV for routine influenza surveillance programmes might be undervalued.".
- 01GR3Y6Y48GS4FCP2S9YRN1WY1 abstract "Taenia saginata taeniosis and bovine cysticercosis are prevalent in Ethiopia, however, data on the knowledge/attitude, and practice (KAP) of the community and meat industry workers in this regard is scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the KAP of the community and meat industry workers about T. saginata taeniosis/cysticercosis in Jimma and Ambo towns of Ethiopia. A cross-sectional KAP survey was performed on 293 community members selected using multistage random sampling and 97 meat industry workers from the two study towns. A questionnaire was constructed to collect sociodemographic variables, knowledge/attitudes about taeniosis/cysticercosis, raw meat consumption, latrine usage, and taeniosis treatment practices. Mixed effect (generalized) linear models were used to assess the association of self-reported taeniosis as well as the KAP scores with the demographic variables. The predicted proportion of self-reported taeniosis was 54% and 75% for Jimma and 44% and 70% for Ambo community and meat industry workers, respectively. The odds of self-reported taeniosis was higher for men (ORadj, 1.68, 95%CI, 0.97-2.93), and elementary/illiterate (ORadj, 1.46, 95%CI, 0.75-2.86) and high school education level (ORadj, 2.65, 95%CI, 1.45-4.93) compared to their counterparts. Most of the community members and the vast majority of the meat industry workers were knowledgeable about taeniosis but less conscious about cysticercosis. The knowledge/attitude score of the community was positively associated with the Jimma community (beta(adj)= 1.20, 95%CI 0.60-1.80), age (beta(adj)=0.03 points higher per year, 95%CI 0.00- 0.04), and men (beta(adj) = 1.20, 95%CI 0.64-1.76), while it was lower in elementary education/illiterate (beta(adj) =-1.60, 95%CI-2.31 to-0.95) and secondary/high school (beta(adj) =-0.83, 95%CI-1.46 to-0.23). The good practice scores of the community within both towns were negatively associated with increasing age (beta(adj)=-0.01 per year, 95%CI,-0.02 to 0.00), elementary/illiterate (beta(adj) =-0.60, 95%CI-1.01 to-0.19) and secondary/high school education (beta(adj) =-0.09, 95%CI-0.45 to-0.28), and urban community (beta(adj) =-0.47 95%CI,-0.82 to-0.12), while protestant/other (beta(adj) = 0.76, 95%CI 0.36 1.16) religion had higher scores compared to Orthodox religion. In conclusion, the predicted self-reported taeniosis proportion was moderately high, and the knowledge/attitude was substantial whereas, the practice was inferior. The association between the knowledge/attitude score and practice score was very weak. Therefore, public education to improve hygienic practices, risky culinary habits, taeniosis treatment, and backyard slaughtering were suggested.".
- 01GR40Y8MKTEB2S01X6Y9M6CXH abstract "The impact of glycosidic linkage of seven rare and new-to-nature disaccharides on gut bacteria was assessed in vitro. The community shift of the inocula from four donors in response to 1 % (w/v) disaccharide supplemen-tation was captured by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. A significant loss of bacterial alpha diversity, short lag time, low pH, and high total short-chain fatty acid displayed a faster fermentation of trehalose(Glc-alpha 1,1 alpha-Glc) and fibrulose(fructan, DP2-10). Bacteroides reduced in relative abundance under disaccharide supplementation suggesting a loss in complex carbohydrates metabolizing capacity. Fibrulose and L-arabinose glucoside(Glc-alpha 1,3-L-Ara) significantly stimulated bifidobacteria but was suppressed with trehalose, ribose glucoside(Glc-alpha 1,2-Rib), and 4 '-epitrehalose(Glc-alpha 1,1 alpha-Gal) supplementation. Albeit insignificant, bifidobacteria increased with 4 '-epi-kojibiose(Glc-alpha 1,2-Gal), nigerose(Glc-alpha 1,3-Glc), and kojibiose(Glc-alpha 1,2-Glc). Prior conditioning of inoculum in kojibiose medium profoundly induced bifidobacteria by 44 % and 55 % upon reinoculation into kojibiose and fibrulose-supplemented media respectively. This study has demonstrated the importance of the disaccharide structure-function relationship in driving the gut bacterial community.".
- 01GR41HEQ9ZF6HTZEJB9PZ81HN abstract "In-situ fatigue damage quantification in non-transparent thermoplastic composites is cumbersome, however, it provides vital information for developing reliable fatigue damage models. This study investigates the tension -tension fatigue behaviour of Glass/Polypropylene laminates. The mechanical response and damage progres-sion in [02/902]s , [902/02]s and [0/90]2s lay-ups are characterized over 500 000 cycles. Microscopic analyses and through-the-width sectioning are considered to compare detected edge cracks to the internal damage state. Effects of ply thickness and location as well as fabrication-induced morphology on fatigue response are inves-tigated. Normalized stiffness reduction and Poisson's ratio evolution in function of measured crack density are compared with numerical results showing good agreements.".
- 01GR43CEJRKWREM3YV2GKTD94V abstract "Objective: This study examined sex and sexual orientation differences in the context of the effects of coping strategies on relationship satisfaction. Background: The sex and sexual orientation differences on the association between coping strategies and relationship satisfaction are not yet fully understood.Method: The participants were 3,805 Belgian individuals who self-identified as heterosexual (n = 2,024), bisexual (n = 790), or gay/lesbian (n = 991). Results: Results showed that (a) task-oriented and emotion oriented coping was positively and negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, respectively; (b) social diversion-oriented coping was positively associated with relationship satisfaction only among those who identified as heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; and (c) distraction-oriented coping was positively associated with relationship satisfaction only among those identifying as bisexual. Multiple group tests based on sex within each sexual orientation category confirm that (a) a stronger association was observed between task-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction for bisexual men compared to bisexual women; (b) the negative association between emotion-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction is only significant for heterosexual women, and not for bisexual women; and (c) the negative association between distraction-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction is significant for bisexual women, but not for heterosexual women.Conclusion: This study enhances our comprehension of the variations in the utilization of coping strategies and their effect on relationship satisfaction among individuals based on their sex and sexual orientation.".
- 01GR44F28E3ERPTX6QS5G7D4J2 abstract "RNA therapeutics have the tremendous potential to modulate the expression of virtually any human gene, which offers a broad spectrum of biomedical applications. Unfortunately, the promising therapeutic potential of RNA is restricted by multiple extra- and intracellular barriers, hampering the delivery of the RNA cargo in the cytosol of target cells. Certain small molecules, i.e. cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs), have been reported to enhance intracellular RNA delivery. In this dissertation, the major goal was to evaluate a co-delivery strategy of clinically available CADs, combined with RNA therapeutics in a single lipid-based nanoparticle system. We first developed cationic vesicles, termed CADosomes, using simple conventional mixing methods to enable mRNA complexation and functional delivery in the corneal epithelial cells of rabbit eyes. Next, state-of-the-art microfluidic mixing technology was implemented to integrate selected CAD molecules in a clinically approved lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation for RNA delivery towards the lungs. Finally, a bottom-up approach was implemented to explore the design space of such CAD-LNP combinations and to evaluate the role of each component in more detail for in vitro RNA transfection. Altogether, the data in this work expand our knowledge on LNP-mediated RNA delivery in cells and provide opportunities for the rational development of drug combination therapies.".
- 01GR45VC0TQFGE5K407BEDSRXA abstract "Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between different levels of frailty and dental attendance among home-dwelling older adults, in Belgium. Background: While many determinants of dental attendance among older adults have been identified, no study has focused on the role of frailty. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study on a random sample of home-dwelling adults aged 60 and over from two Belgian cities. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire through a participatory peer-research method. Time since the last dental attendance was the dependent variable. The independent variable was frailty, assessed with the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument, including physical, psychological, social, and environmental subdomains. Covariates were age, gender, having a partner, educational level, and household income, as well as self-perceived oral health. Data analysis included descriptive, bivariate (Chi-Square, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis), and binomial logistic regression analyses. Results: The sample consisted of 1329 older adults with a mean age of 72.5 years (SD 8.9, range 60-103). In the low frailty group, 73% attended the dentist in the previous 12 months, while it was 62% and 54% in the medium and high frailty groups, respectively. In the fully adjusted model, the initial gradient in the relationship between overall frailty and dental attendance remained; those in the medium and the high frailty groups were respectively 1.46 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.95) and 1.67 (95% CI: 1.15, 2.43) times more likely to report no dental attendance in the previous year than the low frailty group. Similar associations could be seen in the physical and environmental frailty subdomains. Conclusion: Frailty is consistently associated with less favourable dental attendance, independent from age, gender, socioeconomic factors, family composition, and self-perceived oral health. Once frailty has been detected, good interprofessional communication and care are needed to avoid the drop-out of older adults from the oral healthcare system.".
- 01GR486VMS58R1CGGQ1Q4VTWGG abstract "Background: Cycling for transportation and recreation is gaining in popularity, especially in older age groups. The rise in electric assisted cycles (EAC) may also have a role to play in this. With an increase in the number of cyclists comes an increase in the prevalence of cycle crashes. However, there is a lack of knowledge on EAC crashes and crash studies including cycle use data. An important question is also whether the high number of serious road injuries among older cyclists, is due to increased risk or more serious consequences in the event of a crash.Study aim: To compare the odds of reporting a cycle crash on a conventional (CC) against electrically assisted cycle (EAC), while controlling for age, gender, BMI, impairments while cycling, cycling frequency and region of residence.Methods: A 12-month retrospective cross-sectional survey-based study, including male and female cyclists aged 40+ years, was conducted in Belgium and the Netherlands. Socio-demographics, physical and mental impair-ments while cycling (such as lower reaction time), crash details and cycling frequency data were collected. Cyclists were grouped into CC, EAC or both (CC + EAC) based on the type of cycle they used during the study period. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds of reporting a cycle crash. Main and inter-action effects were studied.Results: 1,919 cyclists were included in the data analysis (63.2 +/- 11.1 years; 50% women). 319 (17% of the total sample) cyclists reported a crash in the previous 12 months, of which 36% were EAC crashes. Those reporting a crash were significantly younger compared to those not reporting a crash. The following significant main effects were observed: those cycling on an EAC had a higher odds of reporting a cycle crash compared to those cycling on a CC (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.01-1.97); cyclists in the category average and high on mental impairments while cycling had a higher odds of reporting a cycle crash compared to those in the category low (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.23-2.40 and OR = 3.49, 95% CI = 2.51-4.90, respectively); higher cycling frequency is related to higher odds of reporting a cycle crash (OR = 3.25, 95% CI = 2.25-4.90). A significant interaction effect was observed between age category and gender (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.15-3.26). Post-hoc tests revealed that men in the younger age category (40-64 years) had the highest probability (18.95%) of reporting a cycle crash, whereas men in the oldest age category (65+ years) had the lowest probability (9.99%) of reporting a cycle crash. No significant difference between age categories in women was observed.Conclusion: This study indicates that within a cohort of middle aged and older adults living in regions with high to low cycling modal shares, cycle type, mental impairments while cycling, cycling frequency and region of residence play a significant role in the odds of reporting a (minor) cycle crash. Men in the age category 40-64 years have a significantly higher probability of reporting a cycle crash compared to men of 65+ years. Safety campaigns and instructions should pay particular attention to men in the age category 40-64 years and those with a mental impairment while cycling.".
- 01GR48VQR13NT0FD43NK6E8GG9 abstract "“If Serge Gainsbourg was considered the Leonard Cohen of French pop music, then Jacques Dutronc was most definitelyle dandy cool, the Gallic Bob Dylan.” In the IASPM keynote presentation Staging the Spectacle: The Dandyist Theatrics of Jacques Dutronc, musicologist Stan Hawkins discusses only the latter of the two legendary French mid-century popular music artists. What his bold statement emphasizes most importantly is the identity performance of music artists in the social and cultural context of mid century France. Serge Gainsbourg’s legacy as an influential composer, arranger, film maker and even literary innovator is globally recognized. The particular provocative way in which he developed a form of self-presentation that subverted highly stylized elements of his everyday identity has never been scrutinized though and remains relatively unexplored terrain for musicology, performance and media studies scholars alike. This article recasts the case of Gainsbourg in the light of contemporary persona performance and departs from the observation that one of the icons of 20th century French chanson rarely performed live for most of his career. The growing importance of the (musical) persona concept that is being negotiated in the interdisciplinary zone between popular music, performance and media studies encourages an investigation into how Gainsbourg embraced television as his performance platform of choice. I analyze three televised fragments - the televised portrait Tel Quel (1965), a rendition of the unreleased song Telle est la Télé (1974) and a broadcasted staging from 1985 centered around the track No Comment to demonstrate how his identity performance as a music artist is bound up with the medium of television. His temporary absence from the conventional concert halls, compensated by a media omnipresence, is integral to understanding how his artistic practice entails an identity performance that transcends the creation of a fictional character and thereby heralds aspects of the contemporary configuration of persona.".
- 01GR495BP6BTSYWKYYNYAS67PE abstract "Aims: To assess the impact of an oral healthcare program in nursing homes in Flanders on the initial treatment backlog and the residents’ oral health stability (no incident restorative or prosthetic treatment need). Materials and methods: The study is a longitudinal cohort study in nursing home residents in Flanders, Belgium, to evaluate the oral healthcare programme Gerodent. The program consists of: (1) establishing an oral healthcare team in the nursing homes, (2) oral health education and training for the management and nursing staff, (3) the implementation of oral health guidelines and protocols, and (4) regular visits of a mobile dental team to support the nursing staff and deliver preventive and curative oral healthcare to residents who cannot access regular care. Data were extracted from the oral health records of 381 residents from 21 nursing homes who received treatments from the mobile dental team between October 2010 and March 2014 and had a follow-up of at least 11 months (mean follow-up period of 22.5 months). Oral health and treatment need between baseline and follow-up were compared. Logistic regression analyses assessed the associations of explanatory variables (Age, Gender, Care dependency, Increased reimbursement for health costs, Number of medications, Number of natural teeth, Prosthetic treatment need at baseline and Duration of the follow-up period) with treatment backlog at the end and oral health stability during the follow-up period. Results: The mean age at baseline was 82.4 years and there were an average of 3.61 consultations per resident during the follow-up period. The proportion of residents with oral treatment need was reduced from 65.9% to 31.3%. Among residents with natural teeth, there was significantly lower prevalence of caries (from 70.5% at baseline to 36.5% at follow-up; p<0.001), residual roots (from 54.2% to 25.1%; p<0.001), and need for fillings (from 31.9% to 17.1%; p<0.001) or extractions (from 64.3% to 31.6%; p<0.001). In the group with partial or full dentures (n = 223), 38.1% needed a repair, rebasing or renewal of their existing dentures at baseline and the respective figure at follow-up was 9.0% (p<0.001). Overall, 53% of the residents had no incident restorative and prosthetic treatment need throughout the follow-up period (oral health stability). A higher number of natural teeth was associated with higher chances of having a treatment need at the end of the study period (p<0.001) and for not maintaining oral health stability (p<0.001). A longer follow-up period was also associated with lower odds of maintaining oral health stability (p<0.002; Table 2). Gender, age and care dependency were not associated with the outcomes despite being significant predictors for baseline oral health status. Conclusion: The oral healthcare program Gerodent significantly reduced the treatment backlog and contributed to a considerable proportion of residents being stable in terms of oral health without any incident treatment needs.".
- 01GR4CBQCJ71EZ807Z3GEV5RBM abstract "Resource recovery from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has gained considerable popularity due to a worldwide shortage of carbon and energy resources. Short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are sustainable bioproducts with a wide range of applications, including a preferred substrate for bacteria involved in biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment systems. This study applies acid-phase anaerobic digestion to produce VFAs from the primary sludge of the largest Italian WWTP at Castiglione Torinese. Acidogenic fermentation of primary sludge was performed in the pilot semi-continuous anaerobic reactor fed with the hydraulic retention time of 2 days at 45 °C. The digestate produced in the fermentative process was further characterized by the combination of physicochemical laboratory tests as well as the series of bioassay (respirometry) tests. The process simulation model, which was developed and calibrated based on extensive sampling and measuring campaigns, was used to investigate the impact of the resource recovery strategy on the plant's operation. Several operational scenarios were simulated by considering combinations of solid retention times and digestate flow rates. It was found that the optimum denitrification rate in anoxic units can be achieved under SRT >18 days when the digestate flow rate ranges between 100 and 160 m3/d.".
- 01GR4CDA86A9VEZM61GRNF02XP abstract "Recirculation of the reject water (RW) from sludge treatment units can cause significant load fluctuations in the biological nutrient removal activated sludge (BNRAS) systems at wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Because the characteristics of these influent sources are highly variable, optimizing the operation of a WWTP under high-load conditions is a challenging task. This study describes an application of model-based scenario analysis to investigate the impact of various operating conditions on the performance of a BNRAS at the largest Italian WWTP. The process model was developed and calibrated based on the sampling and measuring campaigns. Before real-scale implementation of the side-stream DEMON® Anammox treatment technology, a feasibility analysis was carried out by developing fictional scenarios. Results show that the reduction of nitrogen load by the side-stream implementation of the DEMON® process could provide an opportunity to optimize the performance of BNRAS based on Solid Retention Time (SRT). By integrating the side-stream treatment of RW with SRT optimization in the BNRAS units, energy consumption can be reduced by up to 20%, and the effluent quality can be improved.".
- 01GR4CEH9E78SSZNAJXGEHS60X abstract "Reliable performance evaluation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) demands accurate wastewater characterization. Wet weather events alter influent wastewater flow and loadings, lowering the treatment efficiency and increasing operating cost as well as the risk of effluent violation. Although it is generally accepted that wastewater characteristics vary in wet weather events, variations of COD fractions during rain and storm conditions have been insufficiently considered. In this study, sampling and measuring campaigns were performed during various wet weather events at the largest Italian WWTP. The samples were analyzed by two fractionation methods based on physicochemical and respirometric techniques. The impact of low load conditions due to the dilution of the samples on respirometric assays was investigated. A comparative analysis of the COD fractions confirmed that significant divergence might exist between two fractionation methods. Eventually, a proper technique is proposed to characterize biodegradable organic matter of influent municipal wastewater during rain and storm events.".
- 01GR4P7GRMSFJ83B8AP6TN4NFP abstract "This paper discusses the challenging problem of jointly optimizing safety stock placement and supplier selection in a multi-layered distribution network, under the guaranteed service model (GSM) approach and single-supplier strategy for the customers. The original GSM-based model is extended to include optimal echelon (R, Q) policies. We propose an approximation model, which determines the optimal configuration flow of orders, order quantities, reorder points, safety stock amounts, inbound and outbound service times at each node. A two-stage heuristic is developed for this complex model that optimizes the flow configuration and then determines the other variables. Current experimental results on a few test networks indicate a promising computational time performance. Copyright (C) 2022 The Authors.".
- 01GR5HY11CTJXGQY2CE01B5C02 abstract "IntroductionThe knowledge of women about obstetric complications can helps them to seek health care earlier before obstetric complications arise. Most maternal deaths occur due to the poor health care seeking behavior after childbirth, but little is done on maternal knowledge of postpartum complications. Therefore this study aimed to assess knowledge of postpartum complications and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last 12 months in Arba Minch Town, Sothern Ethiopia. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 418 women from December 01 to 15, 2019. A multi-stage sampling method was applied to reach study units. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data using face-to-face interviews. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was applied to examine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Statistical significance was declared at a P-value <= 0.05 with the corresponding 95% confidence level. ResultsKnowledge of women on postpartum complications was 23.9%. Secondary and above educational level (AOR = 3.82, 95% CI: [1.70, 8.65]), Grand multiparity (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: [1.13, 4.71]), having four and above ANC visit (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: [1.10, 3.81]) and self-decision making power to seek care (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: [2.21, 6.11]) were statistically significant factors. Conclusion and recommendationMothers' knowledge of postpartum complications was low in this study area. Improving women's educational level, decision-making power to seek health care, and counseling during ANC follow-up may be useful approaches to increase their knowledge of postpartum complications.".
- 01GR5YHWJEKV9YJT6F4PYB1KMW abstract "Many functions of the human brain are organized asymmetrically and are subject to strong population biases. Some tasks, like speaking and making complex hand movements, exhibit left hemispheric dominance, whereas others, such as spatial processing and recognizing faces, favor the right hemisphere. While pattern of preference implies the existence of a stereotypical way of distributing functions between the hemispheres, an ever-increasing body of evidence indicates that not everyone follows this pattern of hemispheric functional segregation. On the contrary, the review conducted in this article shows that departures from the standard hemispheric division of labor are routinely observed and assume many distinct forms, each having a different prevalence rate. One of the key challenges in human neuroscience is to model this variability. By integrating well-established and recently emerged ideas about the mechanisms that underlie functional lateralization, the current article proposes a general mechanistic model that explains the observed distribution of segregation phenotypes and generates new testable hypotheses.".
- 01GR5YPRTXD5SN8822GJHC2E1E abstract "A disruption of white matter connectivity is negatively associated with language (recovery) in patients with aphasia after stroke, and behavioral gains have been shown to coincide with white matter neuroplasticity. However, most brain-behavior studies have been carried out in the chronic phase after stroke, with limited generalizability to earlier phases. Furthermore, few studies have investigated neuroplasticity patterns during spontaneous recovery (i.e., not related to a specific treatment) in the first months after stroke, hindering the investigation of potential early compensatory mechanisms. Finally, the majority of previous research has focused on damaged left hemisphere pathways, while neglecting the potential protective value of their right hemisphere counterparts for language recovery. To address these outstanding issues, we present a longitudinal study of thirty-two patients with aphasia (21 males and 11 females, M = 69.47 years, SD = 10.60 years) who were followed up for a period of 1 year with test moments in the acute (1-2 weeks), subacute (3-6 months) and chronic phase (9-12 months) after stroke. Constrained Spherical Deconvolution-based tractography was per-formed in the acute and subacute phase to measure Fiber Bundle Capacity (FBC), a quantitative connectivity measure that is valid in crossing fiber regions, in the bilateral dorsal arcuate fasciculus (AF) and the bilateral ventral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). First, concurrent analyses revealed positive associations be-tween the left AF and phonology, and between the bilateral IFOF and semantics in the acute - but not subacute -phase, supporting the dual-stream language model. Second, neuroplasticity analyses revealed a decrease in connection density of the bilateral AF - but not the IFOF - from the acute to the subacute phase, possibly reflecting post stroke white matter degeneration in areas adjacent to the lesion. Third, predictive analyses revealed no contribution of acute FBC measures to the prediction of later language outcomes over and above the initial language scores, suggesting no added value of the diffusion measures for language prediction. Our study provides new insights on (changes in) connectivity of damaged and undamaged language pathways in patients with aphasia in the first months after stroke, as well as if/how such measures are related to language outcomes at different stages of recovery. Individual results are discussed in the light of current frameworks of language processing and aphasia recovery.".
- 01GR5Z41673GCFTWWWMT7R2HJ1 abstract "Inspired by the theory of continuous dynamical systems, Lyapunov exponents have been previously defined in the framework of cellular automata (CAs) in order to quantify a CA's sensitive dependence on initial conditions, i.e. a CA's sensitivity to a perturbation of an initial configuration. However, the application of these Lyapunov exponents is currently limited to two-state CAs, which limits their usefulness in the framework of CA-based models since these typically involve more than two states. This paper proposes an extension of the existing methodological framework to three-state CAs. Our method is illustrated for some interesting totalistic three-state rules, although it is generally applicable. Our proposed extension to the existing framework reveals some interesting features regarding CAs classified as class IV according to Wolfram's classification.".
- 01GR60T85R55XH72PV5EMJJHZV abstract "We apply Dynamic Causal Models to electrocorticogram recordings from two macaque monkeys performing a problem-solving task that engages working memory, and induces time-on-task effects. We thus provide a computational account of changes in effective connectivity within two regions of the fronto-parietal network, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the pre-supplementary motor area. We find that forward connections between the two regions increased in strength when task demands increased, and as the experimental session progressed. Similarities in the effects of task demands and time on task allow us to interpret changes in frontal connectivity in terms of increased attentional effort allocation that compensates cognitive fatigue.".
- 01GR62Q5CS8EWVEFFKT0MTCN13 abstract "Actual concrete mixtures and casting processes do not enable on-demand real-time adjustment of the rheology of the fresh concrete, forcing operators to passively rely on the intrinsic evolution of the material properties during processing. Newly-developed functional polymers responsive to external electromagnetic trigger signals can be used as chemical admixtures in fresh cementitious materials to enable active rheology control (ARC) and active stiffening control (ASC) on demand. Polycarboxylate ether (PCE) based superplasticizers can be given extra functionalities by incorporating specific chemical groups. A TEMPO-based extension of PCE enables redox-controlled adsorption on cement particles, adjusting rheological properties. A DOPA-based extension of PCE in combination with magnetic nanoparticles enables magneto-rheological control. This paper presents the labora-tory proof of concept results and opens a ground-breaking route for on-demand adjustment of rheology of fresh concrete in the post-mixing stage.".
- 01GR636YH8E9XYZ78HXJ64M2X7 abstract "To move closer to the phospholipid bilayer resembling the chemical and physical structure, we present for the first time a lysolipid-inspired amphiphilic polymer, based on 2-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl dimethylammonium]ethyl n-octyl phosphate (MOP), which can undergo inducing vesicle formation to form various nanostructures resembling lipid constructs. Smallangle X-ray scattering and transmission electron cryomicroscopy revealed that the wall thickness of the onionlike nanostructure was nearly equal to that of the phospholipid bilayers. With its ability to encapsulate and control the release of water-insoluble anticancer drugs, poly-MOP (pMOP) is a promising functional biomimetic lipid-associated system for medical applications.".
- 01GR64YR9240W5FF2FGHXRHKDG abstract "To obtain uniform and bead-free nanofibers by means of electrospinning is sometimes very challenging, especially for polymers with low solubility, such as for example the intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs). Recently, atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treatment to pre-electrospinning polymer solutions has been found to effectively enhance the electrospinnability of a single polymer type. Here, such an APPJ treatment has been applied for the first time to a blended polymeric solution consisting of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyaniline emeraldine base (PAni EB) as well as its emeraldine salt (ES) form doped by camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). The plasma-induced physical changes of the solutions including pH, conductivity, viscosity and surface tension have been investigated and correlated with the ensuing physicochemical properties of the electrospun nanofibers. To do so, next to the liquid-based characterizations, the nanofibers have been examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle (WCA) goniometry and uniaxial tensile testing. Results revealed that the pre-electrospinning plasma modification step resulted in a remarkably enhanced nanofiber morphology, deposition yield and mechanical performance of the electrospun nanofibers. Moreover, concomitant doping of PAni EB to PAni ES, as an unexpected side behaviour generated during the plasma treatment without the addition of any protonic acid, was found and further carefully investigated using ultraviolet/visible (UV–Vis) spectrometry. The findings obtained in this work thus enlarge the application range of pre-electrospinning APPJ treatment from single to blended polymeric solutions. Moreover, the recent pioneering discovery revealing the pre-electrospinning APPJ treatment role in enhancing electrospinning has surpassed the sole connotation of improved fiber morphology as new interesting effects are discerned in this study: boosted nanofiber deposition yield and doping capabilities.".
- 01GR65M7277VM14HFNKPFKQE4J abstract "Composite biopolymer/conducting polymer scaffolds, such as polylactic acid (PLA)/ polyaniline (PAni) nanofibers, have emerged as popular alternative scaffolds in the electrical-sensitive nerve tissue engineering (TE). Although mimicking the extracellular matrix geometry, such scaffolds are highly hydrophobic and usually present an inhomogeneous morphology with massive beads that impede nerve cell-material interactions. Therefore, the present study launches an exclusive combinatorial strategy merging successive pre- and post-electrospinning plasma treatments to cope with these issues. Firstly, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treatment was applied on PLA and PLA/PAni solutions prior to electrospinning, enhancing their viscosity and conductivity. These liquid property changes largely eliminated the beaded structures on the nanofibers, leading to uniform and nicely elongated fibers having average diameters between 170 and 230 nm. After electrospinning, the conceived scaffolds were subjected to a N2 dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment, which significantly increased their surface wettability as illustrated by large decreases in water contact angles for values above 125° to values below 25°. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that 3.3% of nitrogen was implanted on the nanofibers surface in the form of C–N and N–C=O functionalities upon DBD treatment. Finally, after seeding pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells on the scaffolds, a greatly enhanced cell adhesion and a more dispersive cell distribution were detected on the DBD-treated samples. Interestingly, when the APPJ treatment was additionally performed, the extension of a high number of long neurites was spotted leading to the formation of a neuronal network between PC-12 cell clusters. In addition, the presence of conducting PAni in the scaffolds further promoted the behavior of PC-12 cells as illustrated by more than a 40% increase in the neurite density without any external electrical stimulation. As such, this work presents a new strategy combining different plasma-assisted biofabrication techniques of conducting nanofibers to create promising scaffolds for electrical-sensitive TE applications.".
- 01GR67H49XWJBCBH31APGWYMDT abstract "delta-mannitol is a metastable polymorph of mannitol, known for its superior tableting properties. However, there is no easy, reproducible and scalable production method for delta-mannitol. It was evaluated whether delta-mannitol could be formed via co-spray drying with an API exhibiting tabletability issues, to improve the API tabletability in a one-step process prior to compaction. Aqueous suspensions with paracetamol and beta-mannitol were co-spray dried. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify the mannitol polymorphs. In these formulations, paracetamol was the key factor to allow the formation of delta-mannitol since no traces of the delta-polymorph could be detected after spray drying a pure mannitol feed. The presence of delta-mannitol after co-spray drying was confirmed even for low paracetamol/mannitol ratios (1:99). The delta-mannitol content varied depending on the process drying parameters, predominantly by the airflow. A lower airflow promoted the formation of delta-mannitol, while more alpha-mannitol was formed when applying a higher airflow. The starting material, beta-mannitol, was often no longer detectable by Raman spectroscopy. The tabletability of the spray dried powders clearly improved in association with the delta-mannitol concentration. The co-processed powders showed superior tabletability in comparison with physical mixtures of the starting materials. Harder tablets with a maximal tensile strength of 2.9 MPa at a main compression pressure of 247 MPa were achieved.".
- 01GR67XSQ50XBHSCDWNE1V0YZ0 abstract "Urban restaurants are increasingly putting local food on the menu. How do farm-to-restaurant relations fit into the local food movement, and how can these collaborations be supported by food policies and programmes of urban governments? Through a qualitative case study in the city-region of Groningen (The Netherlands), this article explores the values urban restaurants, local food suppliers and urban governments attribute to local food, the trust and barriers these actors experience in their collaborations, and their views on the municipality's preliminary plans for a local food hub. In line with the concepts of reflexive localism and values-based territorial food networks, and taking into account the perspectives, benefits, pitfalls and conditions uncovered in this study, a farm-to-restaurant-oriented food hub would need to (1) embrace the complex and relational nature of place, (2) foster reciprocal and practical partnerships, (3) negotiate reflexive and values-based goals and (4) broker between and unburden the involved parties.".
- 01GR68BPGZKHK37WCV9K8JKYK4 abstract "Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive MRI technique that allows for quantitative measurement of cerebral perfusion. Incomplete or inaccurate reporting of acquisition parameters complicates quantification, analysis, and sharing of ASL data, particularly for studies across multiple sites, platforms, and ASL methods. There is a strong need for standardization of ASL data storage, including acquisition metadata. Recently, ASL-BIDS, the BIDS extension for ASL, was developed and released in BIDS 1.5.0. This manuscript provides an overview of the development and design choices of this first ASL-BIDS extension, which is mainly aimed at clinical ASL applications. Discussed are the structure of the ASL data, focussing on storage order of the ASL time series and implementation of calibration approaches, unit scaling, ASL-related BIDS fields, and storage of the labeling plane information. Additionally, an overview of ASL-BIDS compatible conversion and ASL analysis software and ASL example datasets in BIDS format is provided. We anticipate that large-scale adoption of ASL-BIDS will improve the reproducibility of ASL research.".
- 01GR68WSNXBV5ETJFECJMT4W6E abstract "A commercially available fuel, E85, a blend of ~85% ethanol and ~15% gasoline, can be a viable substitute for fossil fuels in internal combustion engines in order to achieve a reduction of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ethanol is traditionally made of biomass, which makes it a part of the food-feed-fuel competition. New processes that reuse waste products from other industries have recently been developed, making ethanol a renewable and sustainable second-generation fuel. So far, work on E85 has focused on spark ignition (SI) concepts due to high octane rating of this fuel. There is very little research on its application in CI engines. Alcohols are known for low soot particle emissions, which gives them an advantage in the NOx-soot trade-off of the compression ignition (CI) concept. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to experimentally characterise the impact of E85 on performance and emissions of a heavy-duty (HD) direct ignition compression ignition (DICI) engine at mid-to-low load, and to identify possible challenges. To do so, a surface response method of the Box-Behnken type is implemented on a measurement campaign on a HD single cylinder CI engine. The effects of common rail pressure (Prail), λ and combustion timing (CA50) as control parameters on experimentally measured values of soot, regulated gaseous emissions (NOx, CO and THC) and gross indicated efficiency (GIE) of the engine are studied. Linear regression (LR) analysis indicates that the outputs of the NOx and soot models are affected by all three control parameters, whereas GIE, THC and CO models in this case exclude λ effects. E85 fuel shows potential to be a good candidate for highly efficient low temperature combustion (LTC) in DICI engines, with reduced NOx and soot levels compared to fossil diesel combustion.".
- 01GR69D3K89BSY5G58ENN94BJE abstract "In the challenge to reduce CO2, NOx and PM emissions, the application of natural gas or biogas in engines is a viable approach. In heavy duty and marine, either a conventional dual fuel (CDF), or a reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) approach is feasible on existing diesel engines. In both technologies a pilot diesel injection is used to ignite the premixed natural gas. However, the influence of injection-timing and -pressure on the start of combustion timing (SOC) is opposite between both modes. For a single operating point these relations can be explained by a detailed CFD simulation, but an intuitive overall explanation is lacking. This makes it difficult to incorporate both modes into one engine application, using a single controller. In an experimental campaign by the authors, on a medium speed engine, the lowest emissions were found to be very close to the SOC corresponding to the transition from RCCI to CDF. This highlights the relevance of having one overall control-scheme for the start of combustion. Principally the start of combustion boils down to having the required equivalence ratio (ϕ) and temperature (T). By using a 1D spray simulation the distribution of ϕ was investigated. Combined with a kinetic scheme and a thermodynamic engine analysis the earliest occurrence of an ignitable ϕ - T combination could be depicted. Graphically shown as an ignitability island during the engine cycle, this gives an intuitive prediction of SOC and its relationship with the start of injection (SOI), rail pressure, and air- and fuel-amount. It also shows the distinction between CDF and RCCI. For CDF the combustion starts when the ignitability island is approached from the rich side. For RCCI it is approached from the lean side. The described relationships could make it possible to incorporate both RCCI and CDF modes into one engine controller.".
- 01GR6ASDC4SSR7FYDS4T5WNE5J abstract "It has been known for a long time that there are two non-trivial possibilities for the relative commutation relations between a set of m parafermions and a set of n parabosons. These two choices are known as “relative parafermion type” and “relative paraboson type”, and correspond to quite different underlying algebraic structures. In this short note we show how the two possibilities are related by a so-called Klein transformation.".
- 01GR6BXD7VGAWG2W32W5348RDB abstract "As cities grow larger, they increasingly face problems caused by transport and traffic. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) offers a promising opportunity to mitigate road (surface) congestion by taking urban mobility to the third dimension – the airspace. However, making it safe, secure, green, quiet and accepted is still challenging. The EU-funded project AURORA (sAfe Urban aiR mObility for euRopeAn citizens) is developing safety-critical technologies to support autonomous flight UAM in urban environments, focusing its demonstrations primarily on emergency-related applications. Urban Air Mobility is a fairly new concept for European cities and regions. Integration of UAM services and operations into existing mobility plans, in particular SUMPs (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans), is hindered by various technological, regulatory, economic, environmental, social and operational barriers. To address these challenges, AURORA brings together a multidisciplinary team with expertise in aeronautics, smart mobility, intelligent transport systems, urban planning and citizen engagement. To foster adoption of UAM, the project involved relevant stakeholders in its journey from the start. This paper will address the results of this stakeholder involvement, tackling the challenges and opportunities that citizens, policy-makers and mobility experts see in these new related to UAM. We will look into the integration needs, the environmental concerns, the aviation safety and security requirements and understand the societal challenges around this new level of mobility.".
- 01GR6FBB86FV9NWXCKW6HKYYCJ abstract "In this paper I elaborate upon the elitist character of the mainstream theories on conceptual art. I show that the elitism is founded on wrong presumptions concerning the relation between artists and spectators. Working from the philosophy of Jacques Rancière, I reject the hierarchical structure present in the mainstream theories on conceptual art. Instead, I propose to take a ‘democratic turn’, as understood by Rancière. In such an outlook, the contribution of the spectator is revalued as equally active and creative as the contribution of the artist. The democratic turn has serious consequences for the theoretical foundation of conceptual art. We can no longer maintain that the conceptual work of art is solely the artist's idea, nor that the material appearance is negligible. Furthermore, the democratic alternative opens up conceptual art for a broader audience, while the very core of its practice remains intact, namely that the idea behind it is essential. But it adds an important caveat: what the idea represents is more than what the artist initially had in mind.".
- 01GR6G9Y8966AHCJWXA7H1XMK4 abstract "The current European Commission has shown ambition with regard to gender equality – perhaps more than it will be able to keep over the next years as it is operating in an increasingly challenging context full of ‘major structural constraints’ (Abels and Mushaben 2020). Over the past years, several European Member States have gone through ‘unprecedented processes of de-democratisation’ with negative consequences for (gender) equality and social justice (Lombardo et al. 2021). Conservative governments, often supported by religious groups, have been systematically attempting to remove the word ‘gender’ and ‘gender equality’ from key European Union (EU) policy documents, thereby undermining progress in the gender equality agenda. Yet despite these challenges, over the past two years the Commission has invested significant effort to move forward in implementing its Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, unblocking crucial legislation for gender equality and stepping up its fight against gender-based violence with the support of gender advocates within and outside the institutions. All in all, the Commission, now itself headed by a woman, has provided strong leadership under crisis conditions – including resurgent refugee waves, the corona pandemic and the Ukraine crisis – and is strategically advancing the gender equality agenda. While gender mainstreaming in all EU policy areas in all phases of the policy cycle remains far-off, despite it being a constitutional EU obligation for over two decades, there are reasons for optimism, especially as the determined Commission President has the backing of a Commission where 40 per cent of top positions are held by women, and of a host of allies from the EU institutions and from civil society.".
- 01GR6GJJPJ1AQ2QS8DYCKQQ6TG abstract "In mammals, complex dental microwear textures (DMT) representing differently sized and shaped enamel lesions overlaying each other have traditionally been associated with the seeds and kernels in frugivorous diets, as well as with sclerotized insect cuticles. Recently, this notion has been challenged by field observations as well as in vitro experimental data. It remains unclear to what extent each food item contributes to the complexity level and is reflected by the surface texture of the respective tooth position along the molar tooth row. To clarify the potential of seeds and other abrasive dietary items to cause complex microwear textures, we conducted a controlled feeding experiment with rats. Six individual rats each received either a vegetable mix, a fruit mix, a seed mix, whole crickets, whole black soldier fly larvae, or whole day-old-chicks. These diets were subjected to material testing to obtain mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus, yield strength, and food hardness (as indicated by texture profile analysis [TPA] tests). Seeds and crickets caused the highest surface complexity. The fruit mix, seed mix, and crickets caused the deepest wear features. Moreover, several diets resulted in an increasing wear gradient from the first to the second molar, suggesting that increasing bite force along the tooth row affects dental wear in rats on these diets. Mechanical properties of the diets showed different correlations with DMT obtained for the first and second molars. The first molar wear was mostly correlated with maximum TPA hardness, while the second molar wear was strongly correlated with maximum yield stress, mean TPA hardness, and maximum TPA hardness. This indicates a complex relationship between chewing mechanics, food mechanical properties, and observed DMT. Our results show that, in rats, seeds are the main cause of complex microwear textures but that hard insect body parts can also cause high complexity. However, the similarity in parameter values of surface textures resulting from seed and cricket consumption did not allow differentiation between these two diets in our experimental approach.".
- 01GR6GM1VYQ02T7CCB9GFMZERJ abstract "Late blight caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is considered the biggest threat to potato farming worldwide. For susceptible cultivars, the disease is often managed by frequent applications of fungicides to reduce yield loss. The use of bio-based compounds that interfere with biologically active systems is an innovative strategy for improving disease management. In the present work, the control of P. infestans infection on potatoes by potassium phosphite (KPhi) combined with recommended and reduced doses of active ingredients (Ais) from different fungicides was evaluated. The protective effects of different combinations were initially assessed in vivo and subsequently compared with a greenhouse screening. The active ingredients cyazofamid (CFD) and mancozeb (MCB), used at recommended and reduced doses, were less effective at reducing P. infestans infections than when combined with KPhi. In greenhouse trials, CFD, mandipropamid (MPD) and MCB at recommended doses were the most effective treatments when combined with KPhi; meanwhile, the combination of KPhi with azoxystrobin (AZ), benthiavalicarb-isopropyl/mancozeb (ISO/MCB), and CFD at reduced doses exhibited strong protective activity compared to other similar combinations. This decreased the severity of infection by P. infestans up to ~89%. Greenhouse experiments also demonstrated that a combination of KPhi and CFD at both doses caused the highest reduction in disease severity (up to ~90%) within 35 days of infection. In microplot experiments, KPhi delayed the progression of late blight in susceptible potato varieties; therefore, in the combined treatments AUDPC values were significantly lower than those obtained after applications with CFD doses, providing sufficient protection against late blight. Our data suggest that optimizing the formulation with addition of KPhi could result in a lower recommended dose. This would result in a reduction of the active compounds of the fungicides in potato farming. Furthermore, the impact of KPhi on late blight development makes it a potential component for incorporation into an integrated pest management system.".
- 01GR6H5XWY1HK61AKTHPVXADWZ abstract "Cereal forages, such as triticale forage, progressively gain interest as alternative crop for maize. The main study objective was to investigate the variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among maturity stage, growing season and genotype, using total plant and stem fractions. Therefore, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated as fast screening tool. The prediction ability was good (ratio of prediction to deviation, RPD >= 3.0) for total plant residual moisture, starch, sugars and for stem crude ash (CAsh) and neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom); suitable for screening (2.0 < RPD <3.0) for total plant CAsh, acid detergent fibre (ADFom), in vitro di-gestibility of organic matter (IVOMD), in vitro digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) and for stem total lignin (TL) and IVNDFD; poor (1.5 < RPD <2.0) for total plant crude protein, crude fat, aNDFom, lignin (sa) and for stem Klason lignin (KL); unreliable (RPD <1.5) for stem residual moisture and acid soluble lignin (ASL). The evolution in potential feeding value of 36 genotypes harvested at the medium and late milk to the early, soft and hard dough stage was followed. The most important changes occurred between the late milk and early dough stage, with little variation in quality after the soft dough stage. During 2 growing seasons, variation in feeding value of 120 genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage was demonstrated. Interestingly, variation in stem IVNDFD is almost twice as high as for the total plant (CV 12.4% versus 6.6%). Furthermore, Spearman correlations show no link between dry matter yield and digestibility of genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage. Based on linear regression models ADFom appears as main predictor of both plant IVOMD and plant IVNDFD. Stem IVNDFD is particularly determined by KL.".
- 01GR6M7KCT3ZADNZ8MF5GNA17Q abstract "Short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensors based on colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are characterized by low cost, small pixel pitch, and spectral tunability. Adoption of QD-SWIR imagers is, however, hampered by a reliance on restricted elements such as Pb and Hg. Here, QD photodiodes, the central element of a QD image sensor, made from non-restricted In(As,P) QDs that operate at wavelengths up to 1400 nm are demonstrated. Three different In(As,P) QD batches that are made using a scalable, one-size-one-batch reaction and feature a band-edge absorption at 1140, 1270, and 1400 nm are implemented. These QDs are post-processed to obtain In(As,P) nanocolloids stabilized by short-chain ligands, from which semiconducting films of n-In(As,P) are formed through spincoating. For all three sizes, sandwiching such films between p-NiO as the hole transport layer and Nb:TiO2 as the electron transport layer yields In(As,P) QD photodiodes that exhibit best internal quantum efficiencies at the QD band gap of 46 +/- 5% and are sensitive for SWIR light up to 1400 nm.".
- 01GR6NFX0S6SP4X388FNJEDA8F abstract "In this chapter, we take a business-related contextual perspective into the technology transfer literature, and focus specifically on understanding what we know and what is still to be explored in terms of technology transfer in the construction industry. We take the construction industry as a representing an interesting setting for a review with a contextual dimension for several reasons, like, at least in Europe, the construction industry has often been considered a mature, traditional industry, often conservative and attached to familiar technology, but heavily challenged by an increased global competition, urging the firms in this industry to engage in innovation. Furthermore, next to synthesizing current knowledge, and contrasting it to the tech transfer literature in general, this chapter also presents a research agenda for future research into this intriguing field.".
- 01GR6PK4M59209W96EH741S9SB abstract "Over the last two decades, Afghanistan has been a leading country of origin for asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Australia. It is widely recognized that humanitarian migrants experience poorer sexual and reproductive health than the broader population. In turn, a body of research has emerged exploring the sexual and reproductive health of the local Afghan community. However, this has predominantly focused on youth or perinatal experiences, and less attention has been given to the broader relational and social dimensions of sexuality. Accordingly, this research aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of married Afghan women and men as they navigate and negotiate sex, sexuality, and intimate relationships following settlement in Melbourne, Australia. A total of 57 Afghan women and men participated in six focus group discussions and 20 semi-structured interviews. Male participants described the ways that having increased access to sex and sexually explicit materials in Australia is creating opportunities for them to establish more fulfilling sex lives. Many women also described a growing awareness of sexuality, although often expressed difficulty prioritizing and claiming more pleasurable sexual encounters for themselves. However, concerns about sexual freedom are also creating new challenges for the Afghan community living in Australia in relation to sex and relationships. For example, men expressed fears about women exercising sexual liberties outside of the home, and this appeared to place women's everyday behavior under increased scrutiny. Women also voiced concerns about how easily men can access sex outside of marriage within Australia, and described how this amplified their sense of obligation to be sexually compliant and meet their husband's desires. This study provides new insights into the ways that Afghan community members are moving between societies, and how their understandings of sexual participation, pleasure, desire, health, consent, and capacity for self-determination are being challenged, reshaped, and reconstructed throughout this process.".
- 01GR6PT8NF1FGHJW43M56K1Z06 abstract "Background: In 2016, we conducted a systematic review to assess the feasibility of treatment monitoring for people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), in line with the 90-90-90 treatment target. By 2020, global estimates suggest the 90-90-90 target, particularly the last 90, remains unattainable in many LMICs. This study aims to review the progress and identify needs for public health interventions to improve viral load monitoring and viral suppression for PLHIV in LMICs. Methods: A literature search was conducted using an update of the initial search strategy developed for the 2016 review. Electronic databases (Medline and PubMed) were searched to identify relevant literature published in English between Dec 2015 and August 2021. The primary outcome was initial viral load (VL) monitoring (the proportion of PLHIV on ART and eligible for VL monitoring who received a VL test). Secondary outcomes included follow-up VL monitoring (the proportion of PLHIV who received a follow-up VL after an initial elevated VL test), confirmation of treatment failure (the proportion of PLHIV who had two consecutive elevated VL results) and switching treatment regimen rates (the proportion of PLHIV who switched treatment regimen after confirmation of treatment failure). Results: The search strategy identified 1984 non-duplicate records, of which 34 studies were included in the review. Marked variations in initial VL monitoring coverage were reported across study settings/countries (range: 12-93% median: 74% IQR: 46-82%) and study populations (adults (range: 25-96%, median: 67% IQR: 50-84%), children, adolescents/young people (range: 2-94%, median: 72% IQR: 47-85%), and pregnant women (range: 32-82%, median: 57% IQR: 43-71%)). Community-based models reported higher VL monitoring (median: 85%, IQR: 82-88%) compared to decentralised care at primary health facility (median: 64%, IRQ: 48-82%). Suboptimal uptake of follow-up VL monitoring and low regimen switching rates were observed. Conclusions: Substantial gaps in VL coverage across study settings and study populations were evident, with limited data availability outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Further research is needed to fill the data gaps. Development and implementation of innovative, community-based interventions are required to improve VL monitoring and address the "failure cascade" in PLHIV on ART who fail to achieve viral suppression.".
- 01GR6Q132Q33E4VDXA0A67PM6J abstract "Background: Evidence indicates that high temperatures are a risk factor for preterm birth. Increasing heat exposures due to climate change are therefore a concern for pregnant women. However, the large heterogeneity of study designs and statistical methods across previous studies complicate interpretation and comparisons. We investigated associations of short-term exposure to high ambient temperature with preterm birth in Sweden, applying three complementary analytical approaches. Methods: We included 560,615 singleton live births between 2014 and 2019, identified in the Swedish Pregnancy Register. We estimated weekly mean temperatures at 1-km2 spatial resolution using a spatiotemporal machine learning methodology, and assigned them at the residential addresses of the study participants. The main outcomes of the study were gestational age in weeks and subcategories of preterm birth (<37 weeks): extremely preterm birth (<28 weeks), very preterm birth (from week 28 to <32), and moderately preterm birth (from week 32 to<37). Case-crossover, quantile regression and time-to-event analyses were applied to estimate the effects of short-term exposure to increased ambient temperature during the week before birth on preterm births. Furthermore, distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNM) were applied to identify susceptibility windows of exposures throughout pregnancy in relation to preterm birth. Results: A total of 1924 births were extremely preterm (0.4%), 2636 very preterm (0.5%), and 23,664 moderately preterm (4.2%). Consistent across all three analytical approaches (case-crossover, quantile regression and time-to-event analyses), higher ambient temperature (95th vs 50th percentile) demonstrated increased risk of extremely preterm birth, but associations did not reach statistical significance. In DLNM models, we observed no evidence to suggest an increased effect of high temperature on preterm birth risk. Even so, a suggested trend was observed in both the quantile regression and time-to-event analyses of a higher risk of extremely preterm birth with higher temperature during the last week before birth. Conclusions: In Sweden, with high quality data on exposure and outcome, a temperate climate and good quality ante-natal health care, we did not find an association between high ambient temperatures and preterm births. Results were consistent across three complementary analytical approaches.".
- 01GR6Q9GREKTDT3NPAJ4TWE1VZ abstract "Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. We evaluate the effects of ambient temperature on risk of maternal hypertensive disorders throughout pregnancy. We used birth register data for all singleton births (22-43 weeks' gestation) recorded at a tertiary-level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, between July 2017-June 2018. Time-to-event analysis was combined with distributed lag non-linear models to examine the effects of mean weekly temperature, from conception to birth, on risk of (i) high blood pressure, hypertension, or gestational hypertension, and (ii) pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets). Low and high temperatures were defined as the 5th and 95th percentiles of daily mean temperature, respectively. Of 7986 women included, 844 (10.6%) had a hypertensive disorder of which 432 (51.2%) had high blood pressure/hypertension/gestational hypertension and 412 (48.8%) had pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. High temperature in early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. High temperature (23 °C vs 18 °C) in the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy posed the greatest risk, with hazard ratios of 1.76 (95% CI 1.12-2.78) and 1.79 (95% CI 1.19-2.71), respectively. Whereas, high temperatures in mid-late pregnancy tended to protect against pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. Low temperature (11°) during the third trimester (from 29 weeks' gestation) was associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure/hypertension/gestational hypertension, however the strength and statistical significance of low temperature effects were reduced with model adjustments. Our findings support the hypothesis that high temperatures in early pregnancy increase risk of severe hypertensive disorders, likely through an effect on placental development. This highlights the need for greater awareness around the impacts of moderately high temperatures in early pregnancy through targeted advice, and for increased monitoring of pregnant women who conceive during periods of hot weather.".
- 01GR6QJ3EZ2SG0JHPP50AK17N3 abstract "Many populations experience high seasonal temperatures. Pregnant women are considered vulnerable to extreme heat because ambient heat exposure has been linked to pregnancy complications including preterm birth and low birthweight. The physiological mechanisms that underpin these associations are poorly understood. We reviewed the existing research evidence to clarify the mechanisms that lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes in order to inform public health actions. A multi-disciplinary expert group met to review the existing evidence base and formulate a consensus regarding the physiological mechanisms that mediate the effect of high ambient temperature on pregnancy. A literature search was conducted in advance of the meeting to identify existing hypotheses and develop a series of questions and themes for discussion. Numerous hypotheses have been generated based on animal models and limited observational studies. There is growing evidence that pregnant women are able to appropriately thermoregulate; however, when exposed to extreme heat, there are a number of processes that may occur which could harm the mother or fetus including a reduction in placental blood flow, dehydration, and an inflammatory response that may trigger preterm birth. There is a lack of substantial evidence regarding the processes that cause heat exposure to harm pregnant women. Research is urgently needed to identify what causes the adverse outcomes in pregnancy related to high ambient temperatures so that the impact of climate change on pregnant women can be mitigated.".
- 01GR6QWY00Q3GWQ5H00HHCE9NA abstract "Risk-taking in sex work is related to financial gains from condom-protected and condomless-acts alongside vulnerabilities, including socio-economic factors, which influence the safety of sex workers. Large international sporting events have been shown to significantly impact the economies of host countries, but there is a dearth of studies that examine how major sporting events may affect the economics of sex work and the risks taken by sex workers and clients. This study examines the determinants of the price of commercial sex alongside the price premium for and correlates of, condomless sex before, during and after the 2010 world cup in South Africa. We analysed data from three phases of repeated cross-sectional surveys with sex workers. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to examine the predictors of condomless sex. We also fitted fixed-effect regression models to examine the determinants of the price of commercial sex across each survey phase. Findings suggest that the price of sex was higher during the world cup compared to before and after, whilst the price premium for condomless-sex increased from 36% before the world cup to 40% (p-value<0.001) and 57% (p-value<0.001) during and after the world cup, respectively. Across the survey phases, anal, oral or masturbation sex were more likely to be supplied without a condom compared to vaginal sex. The type of sex was the primary determinant of the price of sex across all phases. We show indicative evidence that the 2010 world cup was associated with an increase in the price of sex and supply of condomless-sex. Although these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships, we recommend that countries with substantial sex-worker populations that host major events shouldexplicitly consider the context and structures of sex work, and promote client-focused safe-sex-interventions that explicitly consider the economic pressures faced by sexworkers to provide riskier acts, to minimise health impacts.".
- 01GR6R70J3NS6W77HBT7AZ25DA abstract "Background: Refugees are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection in part due to their living conditions, which make it harder to adopt and adhere to widely accepted preventive measures. Little empirical evidence exists about what refugees know about COVID-19 and what they do to prevent infection. This study explored what refugee women and their health care workers understand about COVID-19 prevention, the extent of their compliance to public health recommendations, and what influences the adoption of these measures. Methods: In October 2020, we conducted 25 in-depth interviews with facility and community health care staff (n = 10) and refugee women attending antenatal and postnatal care services (n = 15) in Eastleigh, Nairobi. Findings: While researchers found a high level of awareness about COVID-19 and related prevention and control measures among refugee women, various barriers affected compliance with such measures, due in part to poverty and in part to rampant misconceptions informed by religious beliefs and political narratives about the virus. Conclusions: These findings indicated that Kenya's Ministry of Health needs to institute a concerted and continuous education program to bring refugee communities up to speed about COVID-19 and its prevention. In addition to disseminating information about the need to wear masks and repeatedly wash hands, supplies-masks, soap and access to water-need to be made available to poor refugee communities. Future research could explore which measures for disseminating factual information work best in refugee populations with different cultural norms and how best to target interventions to these groups.".
- 01GR79VQ81Y5NAWPJRAJVM3BZ6 abstract "Regularization methods improve the stability of ill-posed inverse problems by introducing some a priori characteristics for the solution such as smoothness or sharpness. In this contribution, we propose a multidimensional scale-dependent wavelet-based l(1)-regularization term to cure the ill-posedness of the airborne (time-domain) electromagnetic induction inverse problem. The regularization term is flexible, as it can recover blocky, smooth and tunable in-between inversion models, based on a suitable wavelet basis function. For each orientation, a different wavelet basis function can be used, introducing an additional relative regularization parameter. We propose a calibration method to determine (an educated initial guess for) this relative regularization parameter, which reduces the need to optimize for this parameter and, consequently, the overall computation time is under control. We apply our novel scheme to a time-domain airborne electromagnetic data set in Belgian saltwater intrusion context, but the scheme could equally apply to any other 2D or 3D geophysical inverse problem.".
- 01GR8GSP4RFD1MYWWW30CM64V3 abstract "Introduction Research on stress-related disorders and brain imaging suggests that (acute) stress might impact the capacity to mentally simulate specific episodic future events (EFT) through the effects of cortisol on brain regions supporting this cognitive function, such as the prefrontal cortices. This study aims to examine the mechanisms underlying this link, using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Methods 60 healthy participants were subjected to the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), followed by either active or sham tDCS. After stimulation, the EFT task was administered. Salivary cortisol was measured throughout the protocol.Results Higher cortisol AUCi values were linked to less specific episodic future thoughts. Moreover, active tDCS enhanced EFT specificity irrespective of cortisol, especially in high trait ruminators. We did not observe an effect from active tDCS on cortisol AUCi, and equally there was no interaction effect between cortisol AUCi and stimulation condition predictive for EFT specificity.Conclusion Although we did not find evidence for the effects of tDCS on the HPA-system, our data reveal a crucial link between two critical predictors of mental health for the first time, and provide a solution to help rehabilitate EFT deficits.".
- 01GR8H8J4F2WY0G997VA349YKZ abstract "Multiplex amplicon sequencing is a versatile method to identify genetic variation in natural or mutagenized populations through eco-tilling or multiplex CRISPR screens. Such genotyping screens require reliable and specific primer designs, combined with simultaneous gRNA design for CRISPR screens. Unfortunately, current tools are unable to combine multiplex gRNA and primer design in a high-throughput and easy-to-use manner with high design flexibility. Here, we report the development of a bioinformatics tool called SMAP design to overcome these limitations. We tested SMAP design on several plant and non-plant genomes and obtained designs for more than 80-90% of the target genes, depending on the genome and gene family. We validated the designs with Illumina multiplex amplicon sequencing and Sanger sequencing in Arabidopsis, soybean, and maize. We also used SMAP design to perform eco-tilling by tilling PCR amplicons across nine candidate genes putatively associated with haploid induction in Cichorium intybus. We screened 60 accessions of chicory and witloof and identified thirteen knockout haplotypes and their carriers. SMAP design is an easy-to-use command-line tool that generates highly specific gRNA and/or primer designs for any number of loci for CRISPR or natural variation screens and is compatible with other SMAP modules for seamless downstream analysis.".
- 01GR8JYT0EX63VYYD5XVK97KJS abstract "Latent thermal energy storage (LTES) heat exchangers can provide energy storage in a broad range of energy systems. Implementing LTES heat exchangers requires an assessment of their performance in a given system. The performance of a LTES heat exchanger is described by its performance indicators which are classified as tech-nical, economical, and life-cycle indicators. The current paper focusses on the technical performance indicator and specifically on predictive methods which aid the assessment of the performance of a LTES heat exchanger in a system. To structure the analysis, a thermodynamic framework is provided which allows to clearly define LTES heat exchangers and classify the technical performance indicators. In a second step, the literature is reviewed for reported technical performance indicators with a specific focus on predictive methods for these indicators. The averaged effectiveness-number of transfer units (epsilon-NTU) and phase change time method are identified as important predictive models, analyzed, and compared based on their theoretical derivation. The relation be-tween the averaged effectiveness and phase change time is investigated both theoretically and based on data available in literature which results in recommendations for standardizing the characterization of LTES heat exchangers. By standardizing characterization of LTES heat exchangers, researcher can assess their performance in different energy systems without additional experiments or CFD calculations.".
- 01GR8MD5X9SBZATX2RZNNX5J31 abstract "Despite the high geoheritage value of caves and karsts, northern Ethiopia’s largest cave at Zeyi (13.5586°N, 39.1454°E) in the Dogu’a Tembien district has received little attention so far. We have studied its geological, geomorphic, socio-cultural and historical dimensions in a holistic way. The basal member of the Antalo Limestone, in which the Zeyi cave is located, consists of grainstone and wackestone with subordinate marly interlayers. Over a length of 364 m, the oval-shaped gallery displays stalagmites, stalactites, five columns, dissolution holes (“bell-holes”) following joints, stalagmitic floors and other concretions or speleothems. In the absence of any dating of the cave, we contrasted its elevation above the current local base level with known average incision rates of the northern Ethiopian highlands to reconstruct its age, which was calculated as at least 2 to 4 million years. The palaeo-environmental information that is archived in the Zeyi cave sediment would hence cover the Pleistocene. The graves in the sediment at the bottom of the Zeyi cave further indicate that the place could be an ancient burial site, which gives scope for archaeological research. Zeyi boosts a unique combination of abiotic, biotic and cultural components: the nineteenth c. church under the overhanging cliff; the unique cave; the speleothems, cliffs and gorges; and the cave’s bat colony which has been genetically confirmed to be composed of three syntopically roosting species. Accounting for a good balance between cave research, community-based geotourism, geoconservation and biodiversity conservation, the Zeyi cave has strong credentials to become a top geotouristic site in northern Ethiopia. However, major work needs to be done, including granting access for women and organising community-based geotourism.".
- 01GR8MV1E5789QJ7HGGW0A52MW abstract "In recent years, a renewed interest in large-scale hydraulic interventions has developed, frequently justified by the premise of making the agricultural and energy sectors climate-resilient. Despite this important climate effort, hydraulic interventions are controversial and have far-reaching impacts on river-dependent communities and the environment. Drawing on gis analyses of remote sensing images and qualitative and quantitative empirical evidence from the field, this PhD dissertation focused on the impact of two large dams and one inter-basin water transfer (ibwt) on downstream socio-hydrologic systems (coupled human-water systems) in Ethiopia. The results indicated that (i) downstream hydrogeomorphic systems drastically altered after the implementation of the hydraulic interventions, (ii) small-scale farmer-led irrigation systems more efficiently increased crop productivities than several largescale irrigation projects, (iii) the newly induced hydrologic regimes strongly altered downstream social interactions due to impeded river crossing and (iv) ill-prepared land redistributions and resettlements left thousands of households with a high risk of impoverishment.".
- 01GR8NZG0PA8DVSSW1WNEQR8WY abstract "When students start learning English as a foreign language (EFL), they often already know many words because they have had many opportunities to engage with the English language outside the classroom. Therefore, we have developed a spoken receptive meaning-recognition vocabulary test so that teachers can gain insight into the learners' degree of spoken receptive vocabulary knowledge. The test was developed in three stages. First, we tested the quality of over 300 items in a pilot test, which we then adapted to a second and a third, final version of the test. Item selection was done on second language (L2) prevalence lists, but other word-related variables (word frequency, age of acquisition, and cognateness) were also considered and their role in the difficulty of the test items was examined. The main predictors of item difficulty were L2 prevalence, age of acquisition, and cognateness, but not word frequency in English corpora.".
- 01GR8PJGVF5KF0812T1D3N2M81 abstract "By shifting the study of European Union (EU)-Central Asian relations from its fixed category of black-boxing both the EU and Central Asia, this article advances the case for the approach of examining multi-level and multi-actor interactions that identify the dynamic processes of reciprocal action and meaning-making that characterize the mutual cooperation. It distinguishes perceptions, interests and practices, pointing to the rationales and modes of behaviour of multiple EU and Central Asian actors. The article also advances five reasons why EU studies should take more interest in Central Asia, given that the EU's larger external relations and security agenda extends to this region. Similarly, it shows that Central Asian studies can benefit from the analysis of the region's interactions with external actors, including the EU, given that external actors contribute to reshaping national policy agendas and influence everyday life.".
- 01GR8R33JBSWYJT6AN8TCKA7QN abstract "Background: Previous studies suggest poor pulmonary function is associated with increased burden of cerebral white matter hyperintensities and brain atrophy among elderly individuals, but the results are inconsistent. Objective: To study the cross-sectional associations of pulmonary function with structural brain variables. Methods: Data from six large community-based samples (N = 11,091) were analyzed. Spirometric measurements were standardized with respect to age, sex, height, and ethnicity using reference equations of the Global Lung Function Initiative. Associations of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and their ratio FEV1/FVC with brain volume, gray matter volume, hippocampal volume, and volume of white matter hyperintensities were investigated using multivariable linear regressions for each study separately and then combined using random-effect meta-analyses. Results: FEV1 and FVC were positively associated with brain volume, gray matter volume, and hippocampal volume, and negatively associated with white matter hyperintensities volume after multiple testing correction, with little heterogeneity present between the studies. For instance, an increase of FVC by one unit was associated with 3.5 ml higher brain volume (95% CI: [2.2, 4.9]). In contrast, results for FEV1/FVC were more heterogeneous across studies, with significant positive associations with brain volume, gray matter volume, and hippocampal volume, but not white matter hyperintensities volume. Associations of brain variables with both FEV1 and FVC were consistently stronger than with FEV1/FVC, specifically with brain volume and white matter hyperintensities volume. Conclusion: In cross-sectional analyses, worse pulmonary function is associated with smaller brain volumes and higher white matter hyperintensities burden.".
- 01GR8SJ8ZN2QFTSTSW0ENR9VSG abstract "We present deep link prediction (DLP), a method for the interpretation of loss-of-function screens. Our approach uses representation-based link prediction to reprioritize phenotypic readouts by integrating screening experiments with gene-gene interaction networks. We validate on 2 different loss-of-function technologies, RNAi and CRISPR, using datasets obtained from DepMap. Extensive benchmarking shows that DLP-DeepWalk outperforms other methods in recovering cell-specific dependencies, achieving an average precision well above 90% across 7 different cancer types and on both RNAi and CRISPR data. We show that the genes ranked highest by DLP-DeepWalk are appreciably more enriched in drug targets compared to the ranking based on original screening scores. Interestingly, this enrichment is more pronounced on RNAi data compared to CRISPR data, consistent with the greater inherent noise of RNAi screens. Finally, we demonstrate how DLP-DeepWalk can infer the molecular mechanism through which putative targets trigger cell line mortality.".
- 01GR8T9E67RW3XSRME6M6ZXWE4 abstract "Activity recognition models based on wearable devices are becoming increasingly popular. However, models that are trained and tested on the same players show a large bias and are not generalizable to previously unseen players. In this paper, we tackle the badminton stroke recognition problem from this perspective, comparing the performance of individual and generalized models based on an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and identifying which components of the solution can maximize the performance of generalized models. First, we describe a simple convolutional neural network trained to classify 7 types of stroke. Second, the model is extended in a hybrid way to identify two additional classes (movement and rest). Third, data augmentation is applied on the training set. Fourth, transfer learning is applied to use data from the test player to fine-tune the generalized model and attempt to reach the performance of an individual model. These models are evaluated on a dataset collected from amateur players, both in a controlled environment and in a match simulation. The results showed a large difference between the performance of individual and generalized models; however, the latter could be improved by increasing the number of players in the training set, by data augmentation, and by transfer learning, highlighting the necessity of larger datasets in this field.".
- 01GR8YYCD78R5MHE807RSKHE73 abstract "Oxygen (O2) plays a vital role in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) survival, microbial growth, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) formation during transport and storage. This study measures the impact of different atmo-spheres (% CO2/O2/N2): 30/40/30; 40/60/0; and 0/60/40 on blue mussels' spoilage. Quality parameters were monitored at 4 degrees C for up to 16 days of storage, including headspace composition (% CO2/O2), pH, mortality, microbial analysis, and VOCs concentrations. Selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) was used for real-time VOCs measurements. At the end of storage, odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated to assess VOCs that contributed to the overall odor profiles (OAV & GE;1). Different atmospheres result in a different shelf life in which B60 condition (% CO2/O2/N2: 40/60/0) prolonged the life span of blue mussels for nine days of storage. A total of 23 compounds were identified in packed blue mussels. The evolution of ethanol; 3-methyl-1-butanol; 2,3-butanediol; acetone; 2,3-butanedione; dimethylamine (DMA); dimethyl sulfide; dimethyl disulfide; and methyl mercaptan were associated with mortality and total plate count (TPC >7 log CFU g-1). This study identifies dimethyl sulfide and methyl mercaptan as the primary contributors to malodor of blue mussels at the end of storage (OAVs = 182-66716).".
- 01GR90BD6WPQ2H9H0SDF9SH4Z2 abstract "Kan opvoedingsondersteuning armoede voorkomen? Kennen jongeren van 16 al genoeg van politiek om te mogen stemmen? Verkopen boeken vol opvoedingsadvies als zoete broodjes omdat ouders het noorden kwijt zijn of is opvoeden ingewikkelder geworden? Hoe we actuele pedagogische discussies bestuderen en trachten op te lossen hangt samen met hoe we als samenleving naar kinderen en jongeren kijken. Welke kindertijd we wel en niet wenselijk vinden. Welke rol we ouders en opvoeders toebedelen en wat we denken dat de functie van leerkrachten en pedagogen is of hoort te zijn. Een fundamenteel pedagogisch debat over waarom en waartoe we opvoeden kunnen we daarom nooit los zien van de sociale, historische, economische en zelfs politieke context. Pedagogiek gaat om het doorgeven, verderzetten en vernieuwen van de wereld. Een beeld van een kind belicht zes verschillende visies op het kindzijn en de opvoeding: het kind als kapitaal, het voorspelbare kind, het kind als risico, het witte kind, het kind als burger en het kind als held. Aan de hand daarvan leggen de auteurs belangrijke pedagogische discussies op tafel te leggen om je kennis te laten maken met het pedagogisch onderzoek, met belangrijke pedagogische denkers en met verschillende theorieën en basisbegrippen uit de pedagogiek als wetenschap. Al deze kindbeelden tonen hoe (historisch) dominante ideeën over kinderen en jongeren het denken, de praktijk en het beleid ook vandaag nog bepalen.".
- 01GR956WRTV76TFS7W2Z54A1B1 abstract "Integrated photonics is an emerging technology for many existing and future telecommunication and data communication applications. One platform of particular interest is silicon nitride (SiN), thanks to—among others—its very low-loss waveguides. However, it lacks active devices, such as lasers, amplifiers, and photodiodes. For this, hybrid or heterogeneous integration is needed. Here, we bring high-speed uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes to a low-loss SiN-platform by means of micro-transfer-printing. This versatile technology for heterogeneous integration not only allows very dense and material-efficient III–V integration but also eases the fabrication, yielding high-performance detectors. The waveguide-coupled photodiodes feature a responsivity of 0.3 A/W at 1550 nm, a dark current of 10 nA, and a bandwidth of 155 GHz at a low bias. At zero bias, a record bandwidth of 135 GHz is achieved. We further demonstrate that this integrated detector can be used for direct photomixing at terahertz frequencies. A back-to-back communication link with a carrier frequency of around 300 GHz is set up, and data rates up to 160 Gbit/s with a low error vector magnitude are shown, showcasing a near-identical performance at zero bias.".
- 01GR9645EVF1G61DYVRE6WEHP3 abstract "Populations with a migration background have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than their native counterparts. They are also more likely to have unmet medical needs and are less frequently referred to mental health services. One potential explanation for this is that physicians, such as general practitioners (GPs), may unintentionally discriminate against migrant patients, particularly when they lack humanization. To date, no experimental study has investigated this hypothesis. This paper assesses the influence of humanization on GPs' discriminatory decisions regarding migrant patients with depression. A balanced 2 x 2 factorial experiment was carried out with Belgian GPs (N = 797) who received video-vignettes depicting either a native patient or a migrant patient with depression. Half of the respondents were exposed to a text that humanized the patient by providing more details about the patient's life story. Decisions related to diagnosis, treatment and referral were collected, as well as the time spent on each video and text, and were analysed using ANOVA. Migrant patients' symptoms were judged to be less severe than those of native patients (F = 7.71, p < 0.05). For almost all treatments, the decision was less favourable for the migrant patient. Humanization had little effect on medical decisions. We observed that GPs spent significantly more time on the vignette with the humanization intervention, especially for the migrant patients. The results indicate that ethnic differences in the management of depression persist in primary care. Humanization, however, does not mitigate those differences in medical decisions.".