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Matches in Ghent University Academic Bibliography for { ?s <http://schema.org/abstract> ?o. }

• 01GRK3XD4ZY75YM2TQ57TH64N6 abstract "Allomelanin is a class of nitrogen-free melanin mostly found in fungi and, like all naturally occurring melanins, is hydrophilic. Herein, we develop a facile method to modify synthetic hydrophilic allomelanin to yield hydrophobic derivatives through post-synthetic modifications. Amine-func-tionalized molecules of various kinds can be conjugated to allomelanin nanoparticles under mild conditions with high loading efficiencies. Hydrophobicity is conferred by introducing amine-terminated alkyl groups with different chain lengths. We demonstrate that the resulting hydrophobic allomelanin nano-particles undergo air/water interfacial self-assembly in a controlled fashion, which enables the generation of large-scale and uniform structural colors. This work provides an efficient and tunable surface chemistry modification strategy to broaden the scope of synthetic melanin structure and function beyond the known diversity found in nature.".
• 01GRK41HRVENB1ERENFP51P5J5 abstract "The production of structural color in nature is still incompletely understood. Multiple scattering exerts critical effects on synthetic disordered systems, but its effects on structural colors in natural materials are not yet well known. Here, electron microscopy, optical modeling, and biomimicry are used to show that variation in the thickness of the feather nanostructures creates periodic color variations in Eurasian jay wing covert feathers, with nanostructures within white feather regions being two times thicker than those in blue portions. This finding reveals that multiple scattering expands the natural color palette of the Eurasian jay by extending reflection to longer wavelengths in thicker spongy layers. Furthermore, it is found that the white color of Eurasian jay feathers is produced even in the presence of melanin due to a sufficiently thick spongy layer reflecting all visible wavelengths. Inspired by the Eurasian jay design solution, a one-step self-assembly method for mimicking periodic color variations in a synthetic context is described. Thus, the colors of natural color-producing materials are modulated by changing only the thickness of the materials, leading to multiple scattering effects.".
• 01GRK44CAHZ6DE6Q8B6KEW855H abstract "The bright, saturated iridescent colours of feathers are commonly produced by single and multi-layers of nanostructured melanin granules (melanosomes), air and keratin matrices, surrounded by an outer keratin cortex of varying thicknesses. The role of the keratin cortex in colour production remains unclear, despite its potential to act as a thin film or absorbing layer. We use electron microscopy, optical simulations and oxygen plasma-mediated experimental cortex removal to show that differences in keratin cortex thickness play a significant role in producing colours. The results indicate that keratin cortex thickness determines the position of the major reflectance peak (hue) from nanostructured melanosomes of common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) feathers. Specifically, the common pheasant has appropriate keratin cortex thickness to produce blue and green structural colours. This finding identifies a general principle of structural colour production and sheds light on the processes that shaped the evolution of brilliant iridescent colours in the common pheasant.".
• 01GRK506R21NW2XNBQP6EHDDAK abstract "The design of robotic manipulators is confronted with a seemingly unavoidable trade-off between the level of flexibility versus strength. Unsurprisingly, nature has already come up with a solution and encapsulated it in a particular group of organisms: the seahorses. A seahorse’s body is completely enclosed in highly articulated body armour, made of similar and modular bony plates. Yet, the combination of regional variation in this skeletal anatomy and the soft tissue interconnecting the skeletal units provides a rigid, yet controllable and flexible tail. A seahorse tail thereby intriguingly integrates these two seemingly mutually exclusive properties. Although the seahorse can serve as a bio-inspired foundation for designing a novel type of robotic manipulator, its actual design is far from intuitive and hard to do manually. This raises the need for automated design methodologies. One domain, named Evolutionary Robotics, applies evolution as an optimisation technique to provide a holistic perspective to automated robot design. Evolutionary Robotics has already shown its potential in conventional rigid robotics and provided the necessary backbone for the optimisation of more recent alternatives such as soft robotics. Our work lies at the intersection of biology and robotics, as we aim to create a generic evolutionary brain-body co-optimisation framework. Using this framework, we pursue the automated design of a seahorse-tail-inspired robotic manipulator. From there on, the framework maintains applicability to other biomimetic experiments, next to providing a testbed for in-silico evolutionary experiments in biology.".
• 01GRK50JWFV3SYC23BZJRWBQSK abstract "We demonstrate an array of C-band high-speed silicon MZI switches with integrated III-V amplifiers on the imec iSiPP50G platform using micro-transfer printing. The integrated amplifiers exhibit 10 dB optical gain which enables lossless switching and facilitates cross-talk suppression of the switches.".
• 01GRK5D1VFMGGWX0QC2C056KEB abstract "Introduction: Extracellular vesicles (EV) in body fluids are extensively studied as potential biomarkers for numerous diseases. Major impediments of EV‐based biomarker discovery include the specificity and reproducibility of EV sample preparation. To tackle this, we present an automated liquid handling workstation for the density‐based separation of EV from human body fluids and compare its performance to manual handling by (in)experienced researchers. Methods: Variability in density‐based EV separation using manual versus automated liquid handling is first evaluated by spiking PBS with trackable recombinant extracellular vesicles (rEV) followed by the quantification of rEV recovery efficiency using fluorescent NTA and ELISA (Geeurickx et al., Nature Comm, 2019). Next, EV are separated from blood plasma and urine through the orthogonal implementation of size‐exclusion chromatography and manual or automated density‐gradient centrifugation as previously described (Dhondt et al., STAR Protoc, 2020; Tulkens et al., Nature Protoc, 2020). Variability, EV yield and purity are assessed by MS‐based proteomics and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Automated versus manual liquid handling significantly reduces variability in rEV recovery after density‐based separation (CVauto 11.6% vs CVman 26.4%), and significantly decreases variability in EV preparations obtained from blood plasma and urine. Indeed, the median CVauto for protein group quantification are between 17.2% (plasma) and 20.0% (urine), CVman,exp between 38.5% (plasma) and 22.6% (urine), and CVman,inexp between 43.2% (plasma) and 27.6% (urine). While retaining an equal EV yield compared to manual liquid handling, automation significantly diminishes the presence of contaminating abundant proteins in EV preparations, including lipoproteins in plasma (2‐fold decrease in ApoB) and uromodulin in urine (2.6‐fold decrease in THP). Summary/Conclusion: Automated liquid handling ensures EV separation from body fluids with high reproducibility and specificity.".
• 01GRKBKYA09A1N2AS3Y0K7015T abstract "Over the last few decades, various methods have been proposed for estimating prediction intervals in regression settings, including Bayesian methods, ensemble methods, direct interval estimation methods and conformal prediction methods. An important issue is the validity and calibration of these methods: the generated prediction intervals should have a predefined coverage level, without being overly conservative. So far, no study has analysed this issue whilst simultaneously considering these four classes of methods. In this independent comparative study, we review the above four classes of methods from a conceptual and experimental point of view in the i.i.d. setting. Results on benchmark data sets from various domains highlight large fluctuations in performance from one data set to another. These observations can be attributed to the violation of certain assumptions that are inherent to some classes of methods. We illustrate how conformal prediction can be used as a general calibration procedure for methods that deliver poor results without a calibration step.".
• 01GRKDX8D6P4840DVGFQD87291 abstract "Data engineering lays the groundwork to make data science possible by facilitating the flow of data through an organization. With this first edition, authors Michel Ballings and Dirk Van den Poel share their course materials beyond their university students for the first time. This book provides a side-by-side comparison of how to accomplish tasks in R, Python and SQL. Topics covered include installing and loading external modules, subsetting, memory monitoring and management, reading and exploring data, handling missing values, using operators, conditional processing, timing code, iterating, creating indicator variables, aggregating and stacking, merging, working with dates and all main data types, creating functions and methods, speeding up code, and more. Throughout the years Michel and Dirk have kept this book on their desks to refresh their memories on how to complete certain data engineering tasks. They hope this book earns a place on your desk too.".
• 01GRKFD573R1V4PASZW2REZ62Y abstract "A key perceived benefit of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling is its ability to predict drug concentrations in tissue. The equations for estimating these local concentrations were mainly developed based on animal tissue concentration data and the validity of tissue predictions in humans is therefore less clear. The primary aim of this work was therefore to compare PBPK model predictions with clinically observed tissue concentrations for a selection of beta-lactam antibiotics (piperacillin cefazoline, cefuroxime, ceftazidime and meropenem) in perfusion limited tissues (adipose, bone and muscle). A literature search was performed to identify studies reporting both plasma and tissue concentrations (total concentrations in tissue homogenate or concentrations in microdialysate) of each of the selected beta-lactam antibiotics in relatively healthy adults. From these studies, PK profiles in plasma and tissue were extracted and compared with PBPK simulations. The PBPK substrate models used were drawn from published reports or developed and validated using healthy volunteer data (piperacillin). PBPK modelling was done using Simcyp® V20. Tissue-to-plasma coefficients were predicted using the Rodgers & Rowland equations for total tissue (homogenate) concentrations. Unbound extracellular (microdialysate) tissue concentrations were simulated by equating the tissue-to-plasma coefficient to the free fraction in plasma. Observed concentrations, time to maximum concentration in tissue and tissue-to-plasma coefficients were quantitatively compared to PBPK-based predictions to assess model performance. Plasma profile predictions were fairly accurate with on average 85% of the concentrations within twofold of the predicted values. Tissue predictions were in general less accurate (average of 61% within twofold), but no overall trend for under- or overprediction could be discerned. As expected, tissue concentrations based on homogenates underestimated the unbound concentration in the extracellular space, since beta-lactam antibiotics hardly distribute intracellularly. Time to maximum tissue concentrations could not be reliably compared due to sparse sampling at the start of dosing interval. Predicted tissue-to-plasma coefficients were within twofold of observed values for 59% of studies. These results show that PBPK models developed and validated for predicting plasma concentrations might fail in accurately predicting concentrations in perfusion limited tissues.".
• 01GRKG222059AZXDTZAE9AKNHW abstract "Background: A core concept of physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) is the modelling of tissues as distinct PK compartments. As most drug targets are located outside the bloodstream and sampling of tissue concentrations is generally not feasible, PBPK models could potentially bridge the gap between plasma and effect-site PK. In perfusion-limited compartments such as adipose, bone and muscle, concentrations are predicted using equations relying on tissue composition, drug physicochemistry and blood binding as input. These equations were mainly developed and validated using animal tissue concentrations. While these models are able to predict the volume of distribution in humans reasonably well, the accuracy of predicted tissue concentration profiles is unclear. Aim: This work aims to assess the accuracy of PBPK-predicted beta-lactam antibiotic concentrations in adipose, bone and muscle tissues. Methods: Observed concentrations from the literature were compared to PBPK predictions for five beta-lactam antibiotics (piperacillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime and meropenem). Observed data stemmed from healthy adults subjects and included plasma concentrations, total tissue concentrations obtained from tissue homogenates and unbound interstitial fluid (uISF) concentrations sampled using microdialysis. PBPK predictions were performed using the Simcyp® simulator (V20). A PBPK model for piperacillin was developed and validated using plasma concentrations in healthy volunteers. For the other four beta-lactam antibiotics, published PBPK models were used. All five models used the Rodgers & Rowland method to predict tissue-to-plasma partition coefficients. Total tissue concentrations were converted to microdialysis (uISF) concentrations by assuming an equilibrium with unbound plasma concentrations at distribution steady-state (free drug hypothesis). Differences between predicted and measured concentrations in plasma and tissues were quantified as average fold errors (AFEs) and absolute AFEs (AAFEs). Model performance was deemed adequate when AFE and AAFE values were within twofold (0.5-2). Results: In total, 26 studies were included, 14 of which reported total tissue concentrations and 12 uISF concentrations. All but one study reported plasma concentrations, which were captured reasonably well by the PBPK simulations: most studies (88%) had AFE and AAFE values within twofold and the overall AFE and AAFE values were 1.14 and 1.50, respectively. Predicted total tissue concentrations were less accurate, with only half of the simulated studies passing the AFE and AAFE criteria. None of the studies had AFE and AAFEs outside threefold (0.33-3.00). Overall AFE and AAFE were 0.68 and 1.89 respectively, indicating that the PBPK models tended to underpredict total tissue concentrations. Similarly, half of the simulated uISF concentration-time profiles did not pass the model performance criteria. Two uISF studies had AFE and AAFE values outside threefold. The overall AFE and AAFE were 1.52 and 2.32, indicating that the models tended to overpredict the uISF concentration profiles. Conclusion: PBPK predicted tissue concentrations were generally within threefold of observed values but were less accurate than predicted plasma concentrations. This calls for caution when using PBPK models validated using plasma data to predict tissue concentrations.".
• 01GRKGK3EM1GHS9NMBM1A1MPR6 abstract "While the academic literature on entrepreneurial finance has expanded exponentially, many gaps in our knowledge remain. This is driven by digitalization impacting the development of new investment types such as crowdfunding and ICO, the emergence of new investors based upon digital technologies, and the functioning of existing investors. Next, the supply of entrepreneurial finance has become more diverse and new types of investors developed, like incubators and accelerators, family funds, impact investors, or sovereign wealth funds. This increases the sources and type of funding new ventures can get access to. Third, investors pay increasingly attention to non-financial goals like providing solutions to environmental or societal challenges. This paper explores these trends and suggests avenues for future research.".
• 01GRKGP5ZQBGZGJCCYW9BGGEVC abstract "Many West-European parties have responded to a changing and challenging environment by adopting multiple party reforms. In this article, we propose a comparative framework to study party reforms based on an adaptation of Harmel and Janda's (1994) Integrated Theory of Party Goals and Party Change and its application to three different features of party action. We argue that the causes leading to reforms are multiple and differ according to the nature of these different features (i.e. programmatic-, personnel- and organization feature). FsQCA analyses show that the three types of reforms implemented by the six mainstream Belgian parties between 1987 and 2014 are all explained by fundamentally different complex causal pathways and that not a single causal condition considered was sufficient in itself to predict party reforms. Hence, we argue that the literature should now extend in two complementary directions. First, we suggest moving away from considering party reforms as only explained by separate conditions, since those are always the result of a combination of causal conditions. Second, we highlighted that it is not possible to commonly explain different types of reforms without stressing that only a diversity of (combinations of) causes allows to do so. Future research should better link the nature of the reforms undertaken to the different causes that may push parties to adopt them.".
• 01GRKJ2Q66165QFNT16K4HNNT7 abstract "In deze thesis werden verschillende aspecten van tannines uit kastanjehout onderzocht als additief in pluimveevoeding om zo het werkingsmechanisme ervan te achterhalen. Een reeks experimenten (I tot V) werd uitgevoerd om de effecten van tannines specifiek te achterhalen i) op de prestaties van vleeskuikens en leghennen; ii) op vlees- en eikwaliteit; iii) op lichaamsgroei; iv) op metabolisme en v) op de farmacokinetiek van gallus- en ellaginezuur. De bevindingen van deze experimenten en de kritische beschouwingen werden gebundeld en komen aan bod in de verschillende hoofdstukken van deze thesis.".
• 01GRKP0CBQMV9DTXT5T16ASAEB abstract "Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a class of compounds formed by nonenzymatic interactions between reducing sugars and proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids. AGEs can alter the protein structure and activate one of their receptors, specifically the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). These phenomena impair the functions of cells, extracellular matrix, and tissues. RAGE is expressed by a variety of cells and has been linked to chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjogren's syndrome. The soluble (s)RAGE cleavage product is a positively charged 48-kDa cleavage product that retains the ligand binding site but loses the transmembrane and signaling domains. By acting as a decoy, this soluble receptor inhibits the pro-inflammatory processes mediated by RAGE and its ligands. In the present review, we will give an overview of the role of AGEs, sRAGE, and RAGE polymorphisms in several rheumatic diseases. AGE overproduction may play a role in the pathogenesis and is linked to accelerated atherosclerosis. Low serum sRAGE concentrations are linked to an increased cardiovascular risk profile and a poor prognosis. Some RAGE polymorphisms may be associated with increased disease susceptibility. Finally, sRAGE levels can be used to track disease progression.".
• 01GRKP2RZ3FZTVW15V79H9JBZ8 abstract "Extracellular vesicles are a diverse group of particles that include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies and are defined by size, composition, site of origin, and density. They incorporate various bioactive molecules from their cell of origin during formation, such as soluble proteins, membrane receptors, nucleic acids (mRNAs and miRNAs), and lipids, which can then be transferred to target cells. Extracellular vesicles/exosomes have been extensively studied as a critical factor in pathophysiological processes of human diseases. Urinary extracellular vesicles could be a promising liquid biopsy for determining the pattern and/or severity of kidney histologic injury. The signature of urinary extracellular vesicles may pave the way for noninvasive methods to supplement existing testing methods for diagnosing kidney diseases. We discuss the potential role of urinary extracellular vesicles in various chronic kidney diseases in this review, highlighting open questions and discussing the potential for future research.".
• 01GRKP4KQDFY3ST2S9AB9RKC7R abstract "Vitamin D is an important immune modulator that is linked to infection susceptibility. It has been suggested that vitamin D deficiency plays a role in sepsis and septic shock because vitamin-D-related pathways are associated with various immunological, endocrine, and endothelial functions. Previous research has yielded inconclusive results regarding the link between mortality and vitamin D deficiency in sepsis patients. In patients with sepsis and severe vitamin D deficiency, an adequate vitamin D concentration may reduce mortality. Randomized controlled trials to assess the influence of vitamin D supplementation on clinical outcomes in sepsis patients with vitamin D deficiency are uncommon. We will provide an overview of the current knowledge about the relationship between vitamin D and sepsis in this review, as well as consider the potential value of vitamin D supplementation in this situation.".
• 01GRM954Q49YH2116PXQST2JM9 abstract "The information bundled in this e-book is that of a 4-day course, formatted as a training school open to researchers, practicing engineers, etc., in fact, for all those who want to obtain profound starting knowledge on the structural application of alkali-activated concrete, also in the wider framework of circular concrete solutions.".
• 01GRN6JZEET8K1ACYYGEE83YG8 abstract "Solid lets people store their data securely in decentralized data stores called Pods. Pods are like secure personal web servers for data. All data in a pod is accessible via the Solid Protocol. When data is stored in someone’s pod, they control who and what can access it. Any kind of data can be stored in a Solid pod, including regular files that you might store in a Google Drive or Dropbox folder, but it is the ability to store Linked Data that makes Solid special.".
• 01GRN7S1A3HKV0T2B97ZZWXQK6 abstract "Jongeren ondervinden vanuit verschillende hoeken druk in onze hedendaagse maatschappij. Die druk kan negatieve gevolgen hebben voor het welzijn van jongeren. Op zijn beurt draagt een laag algemeen welzijn bij tot nog meer psychologische, sociale en gedragsproblemen. Zo ontstaat een negatieve spiraal. Omgekeerd blijkt een hoog welzijn als buffer te dienen om beter om te gaan met stress en problemen. Voor een positieve ontwikkeling van jongeren is het daarom van groot belang dat er voldoende aandacht wordt besteed aan (het verhogen van) hun welzijn. In t’ Is wel geweest komen daarom de diverse soorten druk aan bod, net als hun invloed op jongerenwelzijn en de manieren waarop daar (goed) mee kan worden omgegaan. Dit gebeurt vanuit het perspectief van de jongeren zelf, aan de hand van de bestaande wetenschappelijke literatuur en de analyses van de resultaten van de JOP-monitor 4 en de JOP-schoolmonitor 2. Naast de hoofdstukken gebaseerd op de eigen JOP-data wordt er in verschillende hoofdstukken aandacht besteed aan de diverse manieren om – vanuit de praktijk – mogelijke stressoren te verminderen en het welzijn van jongeren te verhogen.".
• 01GRN94HR8F71XYYQR91W7XZMA abstract "The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a virtual format of Camp Dream. Speak. Live., and to compare outcomes to previously published, in-person iterations of this intensive treatment program. Sixty-one children and teens who stutter participated in programming targeting communication, advocacy, resiliency, and education (C.A.R.E.). All intervention activities were modified for the virtual communicative environment. This session will discuss the efficacy of the adapted program in addition to considerations regarding accessibility, cultural and linguistic inclusivity, and clinical implications for virtual versus in-person implementation.".
• 01GRN9EDZE2WZDT02VF4XC7M8R abstract "This project developed consensus guidelines for assessment procedures for people who stutter across the lifespan. Twelve expert clinicians and researchers provided descriptions of their assessment approaches during diagnostic evaluations with persons who stutter (PWS). Iterative content analysis identified six core areas of a comprehensive evaluation of stuttering and PWS; these were: (1) stuttering-related background information; (2) speech, language, and temperament development (especially for younger clients); (3) speech fluency and stuttering behaviors; (4) reactions to stuttering by the speaker; (5) reactions to stuttering by people in the speaker’s environment, and (6) adverse impact caused by stuttering. These guidelines can help speech-language pathologists to design and perform appropriate stuttering assessments, and to do so with confidence. Example procedures will be discussed.".
• 01GRN9YQ1F8HB4410DCNY94TCE abstract "Previous studies provided evidence in support of attention operating in three-dimensional space, and the iterative and multistage nature of organizational processes in relation to attention and depth. We investigated depth perception and attentional demands in grouping organizations that contain blur as a depth cue. Contrary to previous studies, in our displays, no depth from occlusion could be implied from a shared border between groups or surfaces. To evaluate depth perception, subjective reports were collected where participants indicated which elements, blurry or sharp, they perceived as closer. To examine whether depth perception from blur can alleviate attentional demands, we used an inattention paradigm. We presented displays of grouping organizations by collinearity or color similarity that were previously found to require attention and added blur to the figure or the background elements to generate depth perception. In addition, we presented similar displays containing grouping by blur similarity as a single cue. We hypothesized that adding blur would facilitate the segmentation of element groups due to their perceived depth, which might lead to a diminished demand for attention. Our results confirmed that blur led to depth perception, and that sharp elements were perceived as closer more frequently than blurry elements. Thus, these results provide novel evidence for depth from blur in grouping where no inference of occlusion can be derived from a border. However, although the results suggest that blur information was processed under inattention, little evidence was found for decreased attentional demands for grouping processes in the presence of blur.".
• 01GRNA2ETBD22VC92DM0DDZ4H9 abstract "AimExamination of central compensatory mechanisms following peripheral vocal nerve injury and recovery is essential to build knowledge about plasticity of the neural network underlying phonation. The objective of this prospective multiple-cases longitudinal study is to describe brain activity in response to unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) management and to follow central nervous system adaptation over time in three patients with different nervous and vocal recovery profiles. Materials and methodsParticipants were enrolled within 3 months of the onset of UVFP. Within 1 year of the injury, the first patient did not recover voice or vocal fold mobility despite voice therapy, the second patient recovered voice and mobility in absence of treatment and the third patient recovered voice and vocal fold mobility following an injection augmentation with hyaluronic acid in the paralyzed vocal fold. These different evolutions allowed comparison of individual outcomes according to nervous and vocal recovery. All three patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI task and resting-state) scans at three (patient 1) or four (patients 2 and 3) time points. The fMRI task included three conditions: a condition of phonation and audition of the sustained [a:] vowel for 3 s, an audition condition of this vowel and a resting condition. Acoustic and aerodynamic measures as well as laryngostroboscopic images and laryngeal electromyographic data were collected. Results and conclusionThis study highlighted for the first time two key findings. First, hyperactivation during the fMRI phonation task was observed at the first time point following the onset of UVFP and this hyperactivation was related to an increase in resting-state connectivity between previoulsy described phonatory regions of interest. Second, for the patient who received an augmentation injection in the paralyzed vocal fold, we subsequently observed a bilateral activation of the voice-related nuclei in the brainstem. This new observation, along with the fact that for this patient the resting-state connectivity between the voice motor/sensory brainstem nuclei and other brain regions of interest correlated with an aerodynamic measure of voice, support the idea that there is a need to investigate whether the neural recovery process can be enhanced by promoting the restoration of proprioceptive feedback.".
• 01GRNAE62DJ171AS3PJMHBNP4C abstract "Influenza A virus (IAV) is a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus and a common cause of seasonal flu in humans. Its genome comprises eight RNA segments that facilitate reassortment, resulting in a great variety of IAV strains. To study these processes, the genetic code of each segment should be unraveled. Fortunately, new third-generation sequencing approaches allow for cost-efficient sequencing of IAV segments. Sequencing success depends on various factors, including proper sample storage and processing. Hence, this work focused on the effect of storage of oral fluids and swIAV sequencing. Oral fluids (n = 13) from 2017 were stored at -22 degrees C and later transferred to -80 degrees C. Other samples (n = 21) were immediately stored at -80 degrees C. A reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) pre- and post-storage was conducted to assess IAV viral loads. Next, samples were subjected to two IAV long-read nanopore sequencing methods to evaluate success in this complex matrix. A significant storage-associated loss of swIAV loads was observed. Still, a total of 17 complete and 6 near-complete Polish swIAV genomes were obtained. Genotype T, (H1avN2, seven herds), P (H1N1pdm09, two herds), U (H1avN1, three herds), and A (H1avN1, 1 herd) were circulated on Polish farms. In conclusion, oral fluids can be used for long-read swIAV sequencing when considering appropriate storage and segment amplification protocols, which allows us to monitor swIAV in an animal-friendly and cost-efficient manner.".
• 01GRNFEJQV24SYVSEXQP4KX63Y abstract "Obstetric violence is a pervasive phenomenon in reproductive health across the world. Denial of the choice in birth position is a common form of obstetric violence as horizontal positions are non–evidence based, yet routinely imposed. This contributes to the cultural barriers to access reproductive health care. The present study compares women's experiences in childbirth from the Quichua and Egyptian communities, exploring the intersectional factors that contribute to obstetric violence and the adoption of preferred birth positions to offer recommendations on implementing respectful and rights-based reproductive care. Two independent scoping reviews have been carried out and subsequently compared. The intersectional approach revealed how gender, race, and class have a multiplicative effect on the denial of choice in birth position as a form of obstetric violence. This phenomenon exacerbates the pre-existing health disparities that disproportionately affect women, indigenous and racialized groups, and people living in poverty. Culturally competent, multilevel, and multidisciplinary interventions, strengthening of health systems, and community participation are essential to combat discrimination and guarantee birth rights. Allowing women to choose their birth position is a low-hanging fruit to challenge the complex issue of obstetric violence and ensure a rights-based approach to reproductive health.".
• 01GRNFWAF92R70GATGEVWAT1P4 abstract "Genitale fistels vormen een uitdaging voor de volksgezondheid in gebieden waar vrouwen onvoldoende toegang hebben tot verloskundige spoedeisende zorg van goede kwaliteit. Dit retrospectieve dossieroverzicht kijkt terug op de ervaringen die leidden tot de ontwikkeling van fistels bij meer dan 6.700 vrouwen die tussen 1994 en 2017 operatieve behandeling zochten in Ethiopië, Kenia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalië, Zuid-Soedan, Oeganda en Zambia. Deze grote dataset uit meerdere landen is het resultaat van tientallen jaren toegewijde fistelchirurgie en gegevensverzameling door fistelchirurg Dr. Thomas Raassen en collega's. De analyse werpt licht op hoe de oorzaken van genitale fistels per land verschillen en in de loop van de tijd veranderden. Het project richt zich verder op de subgroep van vrouwen die tijdens de bevalling genitale fistels ontwikkelden om medische trainingsprogramma's, beleid en protocollen met betrekking tot besluitvorming tijdens intrapartumzorg te verbeteren. Ten slotte worden de factoren onderzocht die verband houden met vrouwen die getrouwd blijven met fistel om over beleid en praktijken voor fistelbehandeling en revalidatie te berichten. Bevindingen omvatten: ● Toegang tot spoedeisende verloskundige zorg bleef een duidelijk probleem in Zuid-Soedan, Somalië en Ethiopië. De toegang tot zorg leek hoger in Oeganda, Kenia, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda en Zambia. Dit duidt op potentiële vooruitgang bij de preventie van verloskundige fistels, terwijl tegelijkertijd de nadruk gelegd wordt op de noodzaak om zich te concentreren op chirurgische veiligheid en kwaliteit van zorg. ● Vrouwen die obstetrische fistels ontwikkelden, meldden steeds vaker een keizersnede in plaats van een geassisteerde vaginale bevalling, hoewel de meeste van hun baby's doodgeboren waren. Trainingsprogramma's, beleid en protocollen moeten wetenschappelijk onderbouwde richtlijnen voor de besluitvorming tot keizersnede versterken. ● Ondanks het sterke verband tussen verloskundige fistels en een langdurige, niet vorderende bevalling, had meer dan een kwart van de vrouwen met fistels na een keizersnede eerder een iatrogeen letsel dan een letsel door druknecrose. Maatregelen ter verbetering van de kwaliteit zijn nodig om iatrogene letsels bij verloskundige chirurgie te verminderen. ● Hoewel sommige mannen na de bevalling scheidden van hun vrouw met een fistel, vormden zij niet de meerderheid. Als verlating plaatsvond, gebeurde dit meestal in de eerste twee jaar na het ontstaan van de fistel. Gemeenschappen en instellingen die behandeling voor vrouwen met fistels aanbieden, moeten het belang van vroegtijdige interventie benadrukken. Zorgverleners hebben hoogwaardige training, mentorschap, verantwoordingsplicht en ondersteuning nodig om hoogwaardige zorg te bieden aan kwetsbare vrouwen. Fisteleliminatie vereist een holistische systeembenadering die de verloskundige spoedeisende zorg en chirurgische veiligheid verbetert.".
• 01GRNFWAF92R70GATGEVWAT1P4 abstract "Thesis Summary Genital fistula poses a public health challenge in areas where women have inadequate access to quality emergency obstetric care. This retrospective records review looks back at the experiences that led to fistula development for over 6,700 women who sought fistula repair between 1994 and 2017 in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. This large, multi-country dataset is the fruit of decades of dedicated fistula surgery and data collection by fistula surgeon Dr. Thomas Raassen and colleagues. The analysis casts light on how the causes of genital fistula vary by country and are changing over time. The project further focuses on the subset of women who developed genital fistula during childbirth to improve medical training programs, policies, and protocols related to decision-making during intrapartum care. Lastly it investigates the factors associated with women remaining married with fistula to inform policies and practices for fistula treatment and rehabilitation. Findings include: ● Access to emergency obstetric care remained a clear challenge in South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Access appeared higher in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia, signaling potential progress in obstetric fistula prevention while highlighting a need to focus on surgical safety and quality of care. ● Women who developed obstetric fistula increasingly reported having cesarean births rather than assisted vaginal births, even though most of their babies were 137 stillborn. Training programs, policies, and protocols should reinforce evidencebased guidelines for cesarean decision-making. ● Despite the strong association between obstetric fistula and prolonged, obstructed labor, more than one quarter of women with fistula after cesarean birth had injuries due to surgical accident rather than pressure necrosis. Quality improvement measures are needed to reduce iatrogenic injuries in obstetric surgery. ● While some husbands separated from wives with fistula after childbirth, they were not the majority. If abandonment happened, it typically occurred in a woman's first two years with fistula. Communities and facilities offering fistula repair services should stress the importance of early intervention. Healthcare providers need quality training, mentorship, accountability, and support to provide high quality care to vulnerable women. Fistula elimination will require a holistic systems approach that improves emergency obstetric care and surgical safety.".
• 01GRNGY9G9GH8TJCCH16BRYJYD abstract "Much of the current research on digital and social media practices uses a Bourdieusian framework to explain stratification processes in the digital realm. This approach typically focusses on social media platform users, neglecting the adequate study of non-users. In this paper, we analyse how cultural, economic and cultural capital are related to reasons non-users in Flanders give for not using social media. We find that access remains a significant obstacle for those with low levels of cultural, economic or social capital, while those with more capital tend to avoid social media over concerns about self-presentation. Education level (as a specific indicator of cultural capital) is also related to both technological skills and technophobia (fear of making mistakes), which are more important barriers for the lower educated. The higher educated also list privacy issues and a lack of time as impediments to social media participation. Implications for research on digital in-equalities are discussed in the conclusion section.".
• 01GRNJYESVYK2V5ZN2AQ08CTC6 abstract "In cold areas, freeze-thaw cycles are important in the design of engineering projects since they affect mechanical properties of fine-grained soils. In freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs), soil engineering properties change as water transforms into ice under thermodynamic conditions below 0 & DEG;C. In this research, the effect of FTCs on consolidation parameters of two fine-grained soil types with two different values of plasticity index has been studied. Nine FTCs in a closed system and oedometer test were applied to samples, considering loading and unloading phases. Based on experimental results, the permeability coefficients of both soil types increased significantly when the number of FTCs increased to three cycles. Due to FTCs, the permeability, compressibility, and swelling indexes increased up to 26, 2.6, and 1.5 times of initial values, respectively. After the third cycle, the increase in the permeability coefficient and compressibility index decreased significantly. In addition, the swelling index, consolidation loops area, and swelling potential increased by the sixth cycle, after which, these changes were almost zero. The results of this study also showed that the soil with more plasticity index is more susceptible to FTCs.".
• 01GRNK6SJ21CNPQPPJ2WFQF9VC abstract "Neural desynchronization was shown as a key mechanism of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) action in epilepsy, and EEG synchronization measures are explored as possible response biomarkers. Since brain functional organization in sleep shows different synchrony and network properties compared to wakefulness, we aimed to explore the effects of acute VNS on EEG-derived measures in the two different states of vigilance. EEG epochs were retrospectively analyzed from twenty-four VNS-treated epileptic patients (11 responders, 13 non-responders) in calm wakefulness and stage N2 sleep. Weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI) was computed as connectivity measure of synchronization, for VNS OFF and VNS ON conditions. Global efficiency (GE) was computed as a network measure of integration. Ratios OFF/ON were obtained as desynchronization/de-integration index. Values were compared between responders and non-responders, and between EEG states. ROC curve and area-under-the-curve (AUC) analysis was performed for response classification. In responders, stronger VNS-induced theta desynchronization (p < 0.05) and decreased GE (p < 0.05) were found in sleep, but not in wakefulness. Theta sleep wPLI Ratio OFF/ON yielded an AUC of 0.825, and 79% accuracy as a response biomarker if a cut-off value is set at 1.05. Considering all patients, the VNS-induced GE decrease was significantly more important in sleep compared to awake EEG state (p < 0.01). In conclusion, stronger sleep EEG desynchronization in theta band distinguishes responders to VNS therapy from non-responders. VNS-induced reduction of network integration occurs significantly more in sleep than in wakefulness.".
• 01GRNKBZ9KBMEMW4Q5RN4PB9AP abstract "Epilepsy is regarded as a structural and functional network disorder, affecting around 50 million people worldwide. A correct disease diagnosis can lead to quicker medical action, preventing adverse effects. This paper reports the design of a classifier for epilepsy diagnosis in patients after a first ictal episode, using electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. The dataset consists of resting-state EEG from 629 patients, of which 504 were retained for the study. The patient's cohort exists out of 291 patients with epilepsy and 213 patients with other pathologies. The data were split into two sets: 80% training set and 20% test set. The extracted features from EEG included functional connectivity measures, graph measures, band powers and brain asymmetry ratios. Feature reduction was performed, and the models were trained using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The models' evaluation was performed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). When focusing specifically on focal lesional epileptic patients, better results were obtained. This classification task was optimized using a 5-fold cross-validation, where SVM using PCA for feature reduction achieved an AUC of 0.730 +/- 0.030. In the test set, the same model achieved 0.649 of AUC. The verified decrease is justified by the considerable diversity of pathologies in the cohort. An analysis of the selected features across tested models shows that functional connectivity and its graph measures have the most considerable predictive power, along with full-spectrum frequency-based features. To conclude, the proposed algorithms, with some refinement, can be of added value for doctors diagnosing epilepsy from EEG recordings after a suspected first seizure.".
• 01GRNMP4WS3MRKJDEKYK14XVJK abstract "Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a mix of fresh groundwater discharging from the land and recharging seawater. SGD has the potential of influencing shallow coastal environments, since it constitutes a gateway for nutrients and pollutants in marine ecosystems. In Belgium, the shoreline is delineated by a semi-continuous dune belt, which varies in thickness. Freshwater recharges in the dunes during rainfall, leading to the development of a freshwater lens. Part of it flows towards the North Sea as submarine fresh groundwater discharge (SFGD). Although the existence of SFGD in the western part of the coast is known for decades, it has never been thoroughly characterized and quantified. De Westhoek nature reserve was chosen as a study site given its wide dune belt and low anthropogenic influence. To delineate SGD, a combination of several geophysical methods are used for characterizing the salt / freshwater interface. Electromagnetic (EM) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) methods were chosen for their sensitivity to salinity variations. EM mapping was done on the beach at low tide with the CMD-MiniExplorer and the DUALEM-421s. Both devices have multiple investigation depth ranges up to 4m. Land ERT (Abem Terrameter LS) was performed on the beach and in the dunes. Finally, marine ERT (IRIS Instruments Syscal Pro Deep Marine) profiles were collected at sea during high tide with logistical support from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). The combination of techniques provides a lateral and vertical distribution of salinity from the dune to the sea. 1 km from the French-Belgian border, we identify a large discharge zone located approximately at the low water line. This discharge zone can be followed laterally; it shifts seaward towards the French-Belgian border where it is located below the low water line. Our study is the first successful combination of EM, land and marine ERT to detect freshwater discharge in the intertidal and near-shore zone. Further field campaigns are planned to identify other areas of SFGD along the coast and to characterize SGD further (geochemistry, quantity…).".
• 01GRNP6RZP6GBM9DPKFJJY4Q8N abstract "BACKGROUND: A clear patency benefit of a drug-eluting stent (DES) over bare metal stents (BMSs) for treating peripheral artery disease of the femoropopliteal segment has not been definitively demonstrated. The EMINENT study (Trial Comparing Eluvia Versus Bare Metal Stent in Treatment of Superficial Femoral and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery) was designed to evaluate the patency of the Eluvia DES (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA), a polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stent, compared with BMSs for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions. METHODS: EMINENT is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter European study with blinded participants and outcome assessment. Patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (Rutherford category 2, 3, or 4) of the native superficial femoral artery or proximal popliteal artery with stenosis >= 70%, vessel diameter of 4 to 6 mm, and total lesion length of 30 to 210 mm were randomly assigned 2:1 to treatment with DES or BMS. The primary effectiveness outcome was primary patency at 12 months, defined as independent core laboratory-assessed duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio <= 2.4 in the absence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization or surgical bypass of the target lesion. Primary sustained clinical improvement was a secondary outcome defined as a decrease in Rutherford classification of >= 1 categories compared with baseline without a repeat target lesion revascularization. Health-related quality of life and walking function were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 775 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with DES (n=50 8) or commercially available BMSs (n=267). Baseline clinical, demographic, and lesion characteristics were similar between the study groups. Mean lesion length was 75.6 +/- 50.3 and 72.2 +/- 47.0 mm in the DES and BMS groups, respectively. The 12-month incidence of primary patency for DES treatment (83.2% [337 of 405]) was significantly greater than for BMS (74.3% [165 of 222]; P < 0.01). Incidence of primary sustained clinical improvement was greater among patients treated with the DES than among those who received a BMS (83.0% versus 76.6%; P=0.045). The health-related quality of life dimensions of mobility and pain/ discomfort improved for the majority of patients in both groups (for 66.4% and 53.6% of DES-treated and for 64.2% and 58.1% of BMS-treated patients, respectively) but did not differ significantly. At 12 months, no statistical difference was observed in all-cause mortality between patients treated with the DES or BMS (2.7% [13 of 474] versus 1.1% [3 of 263]; relative risk, 2.4 [95% CI, 0.69-8.3 6]; P=0.15). CONCLUSIONS: By demonstrating superior 1-year primary patency, the results of the EMINENT randomized study support the benefit of using a polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent as a first-line stent-based intervention for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease attributable to femoropopliteal lesions.".
• 01GRNPPXAC1Z3AETV9HARNCG5Q abstract "This theoretical article reflects on a recent development in adult literacy studies: transnational adoptees relearning their heritage languages. Literacy and adoption scholars have studied the replacement of the heritage language with a second language and reported it as a permanent loss. Returning to the country of origin, return adoptees challenge such notion by relearning the heritage language as part of their homecoming. We explore how this heritage language relearning could be seen as a renegotiation of the language hierarchies between the adoptive community and the community of origin of languages in the relationship between the adoptive region and the region of origin. Building on Gayatri Chakrabarty Spivak's "Enabling Violation" concept, we deploy a postcolonial perspective on understanding heritage language relearning in transnational adoptees. We discuss how language relearning can challenge and reproduce the asymmetrical relation between adoptees' position in the Global North and their first families in the Global South. We argue that heritage language relearning can open the door for adoptees to engage with transnational literacy, carving out global learning trajectories and reconnecting their adoptive and first world. The last section of this article discusses adoption organisations' dialectic response to this shift by partaking in the organisation of heritage language classes for adoptees. We argue that adult education centres and literacy educators can play a pivotal role in further institutionalising these heritage language classes for transnational adoptees.".
• 01GRNQ0T55A2DKA32MXAY6VVMS abstract "In de loop van de voorbije decennia hebben allerhande technologische toepassingen een plekje in ons dagelijkse leven veroverd. In het bijzonder de computer in al zijn verschijningsvormen en, recenter, de smartphone, zijn alomtegenwoordig. Aangezien de nieuwste generaties van elektronische toestellen steeds compacter, sneller en complexer worden, zijn programma's voor computergestuurd ontwerp onmisbaar geworden. Zij maken het immers mogelijk om op een efficiënte en nauwkeurige manier het elektromagnetisch gedrag van schakelingen te voorspellen, aan de hand van de fundamentele vergelijkingen van Maxwell. Ook voor hedendaagse numerieke methoden blijven een aantal fenomenen, zoals het stroomverdringingseffect in goede geleiders, echter bijzonder moeilijk om exact te modelleren. Daarom introduceren we in dit proefschrift nieuwe verschijningsvormen van de differentiële oppervlakte-admittantie-operator in een randintegraalvergelijkingsraamwerk, waarmee structuren bestaande uit magnetische en sterk geleidende materialen behandeld kunnen worden. De toepasbaarheid van deze methode wordt aangetoond door een aantal relevante voorbeelden van innovatieve interconnectiestructuren in geïntegreerde schakelingen te karakteriseren.".
• 01GRNQBRZJ0K2BV6VSGYP3WTF0 abstract "Objective: A structured and transparent approach is instrumental in translating research evidence to health recommendations and evidence informed clinical decisions. The aim was to conduct an overview and analysis of principles and methodologies for health guideline development. Methods: A literature review on methodologies, strategies, and fundamental steps in the process of guideline development was performed. The clinical practice guideline development process and methodology adopted by the European Society for Vascular Surgery are also presented. Results: Sophisticated methodologies for health guideline development are being applied increasingly by national and international organisations. Their overarching principle is a systematic, structured, transparent, and iterative process that is aimed at making well informed healthcare choices. Critical steps in guideline development include the assessment of the certainty of the body of evidence; evidence to decision frameworks; and guideline reporting. The goal of strength of evidence assessments is to provide well reasoned judgements about the guideline developers' confidence in study findings, and several evidence hierarchy schemes and evidence rating systems have been described for this purpose. Evidence to decision frameworks help guideline developers and users conceptualise and interpret the construct of the quality of the body of evidence. The most widely used evidence to decision frameworks are those developed by the GRADE Working Group and the WHO-INTEGRATE, and are structured into three distinct components: background; assessment; and conclusions. Health guideline reporting tools are employed to ensure methodological rigour and transparency in guideline development. Such reporting instruments include the AGREE II and RIGHT, with the former being used for guideline development and appraisal, as well as reporting. Conclusion: This guide will help guideline developers/expert panels enhance their methodology, and patients/clinicians/policymakers interpret guideline recommendations and put them in context. This document may be a useful methodological summary for health guideline development by other societies and organisations.".
• 01GRNQKHT2ZP7EJD5ETRC650XW abstract "The energy losses and costs associated with faults in photovoltaic (PV) systems significantly limit the efficiency and reliability of solar power. Since existing methods for automatic fault diagnosis require expensive sensors, they are only cost-effective for large-scale systems. To address these drawbacks, we propose a fault diagnosis model based on graph neural networks (GNNs), which monitors a group of PV systems by comparing their current and voltage production over the last 24 h. This methodology allows for monitoring PV systems without sensors, as hourly measurements of the produced current and voltage are obtained via the PV systems' inverters. Comprehensive experiments are conducted by simulating 6 different PV systems in Colorado using 6 years of real weather measurements. Despite large variations in number of modules, module type, orientation, location, etc., the GNN can accurately detect and identify early occurrences of 6 common faults. Specifically, the GNN reaches 84.6% +/- 2.1% accuracy without weather data and 87.5% +/- 1.6% when satellite weather estimates are provided, significantly outperforming two state-of-the-art PV fault diagnosis models. Moreover, the results suggest that GNN can generalize to PV systems it was not trained on and retains high accuracy when multiple PV systems are simultaneously affected by faults.".
• 01GRNQQ8727BAMB9EQJ4DX87XF abstract "BACKGROUND: Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has become the most popular technique to treat infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. In aneurysms with unsuitable anatomy open surgical repair remains the golden standard but fenestrated EVAR (FEVAR) or branched EVAR (BEVAR) may be an alternative to treat juxtarenal or thoracoabdominal aneurysms. The aim of this study was to report our results and to evaluate its safety and feasibility. METHODS: This is a single center cohort study analyzing all consecutive patients undergoing FEVAR or BEVAR. RESULTS: One hundred patients underwent a procedure between June 2012 and December 2019. Forty-seven percent had a history of coronary artery disease and 31% of previous aortic repair. Sixty percent were treated for a juxtarenal and 40% for a TAAA. Primary technical success was 87%. Overall, thirty-day mortality was 6%, with 50% of the deaths resulting from a myocardial infarction. Four percent had a bowel resection for ischemia, 3% developed a stroke and 3% spinal cord ischemia. Mean follow-up was 33.6 +/- 22.4 months, freedom from all cause mortality was 89.3 +/- 3.2% at one year and 66.4 +/- 7.6% at five years. Six intraoperative target vessel events were noted (1.7%), six early postoperative (1.7%) and three late (0.8%). A total of ten (10%) late procedure related secondary interventions were performed, among which six for endoleak. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that fenestrated and branched endovascular repair is a safe and feasible treatment for juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms with acceptable complication rates. The perioperative cardiac mortality highlights the importance of preoperative risk assessment and patient selection. (Cite this article as: Uijtterhaegen G, Van Langenhove K, Moreels N, Van Herzeele I, Vermassen F. Fenestrated and branched endovascular repair for juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneu-rysms: analysis of the first 100 cases. J Cardiovasc Surg 2022;63:317-27. DOI: 10.23736/S00219509.22.11964-6)".
• 01GRNWKS0VWQ19FEY0R4E2ZZNK abstract "BACKGROUND: The Living Spine Model (LSM) is a three-dimensionally printed, surgical training platform developed by neurosurgical residents. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the face and content validity of this model as a training tool for open posterior lumbar surgery. METHODS: Six surgeons with varying experience were asked to complete L3-5 pedicle screw fixation and 13-4 laminectomy on an LSM. Face validity was measured using a questionnaire, and content validity was measured using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA TLX) tests. Student's t-test was used to compare NASA TLX responses between junior and senior residents and to compare responses for live surgery vs simulated surgery on the LSM. RESULTS: Junior residents took the longest time to complete the procedure, followed by senior residents and the attending surgeon (136.5, 98.3, and 84 min, respectively). The junior residents placed fewer successful pedicle screws (7/12) than senior residents and attending surgeon (18/18). All tested components of the model had excellent face validity, with scores ranging from 60% to 97%. Content validity testing demonstrated that the LSMs created overall workloads and specific types of work like live operating conditions. CONCLUSION: The overall validity testing of the LSM demonstrates the high-potential utility of this model as a surgical education and testing platform for open posterior lumbar procedures. The LSM has great potential as an adjunct to surgical education, and it may become an increasingly important component of surgical resident curricula in the future.".
• 01GRP8VPFG0990BQB50PN4N453 abstract "The growth ring boundary substantially affects the mechanical performance of wood. Glue impregnation has been widely applied to wood protection. Shear strength of the growth ring boundary with and without glue impregnation under normal pressure (NP) and vacuum pressure (VP) conditions was measured using the lap-shear test, meanwhile strain distribution was recorded with digital image correlation. Glue distribution and microstructure in the specimens were visualized using scanning electron microscopy. Glue impregnation can switch specimens' failure location from growth ring boundary to earlywood or notches. Compared to the control specimens, shear strength and breaking elongation in VP specimens are significantly higher. Looking at the ruptured cross section, there are less ruptures in the control specimens and they are sharper and cleaner than in NP and VP specimens. In NP and VP specimens, the relationship between strength and elongation consists of four sections. In control specimens, the relationship between strength and elongation includes two sections. More sections could be due to residual stress from impregnation processes and breakage of glue. Such mechanical performance relates to the fact that tension strain is much larger than shear strain in NP and VP specimens, which protects the specimens from failing in the growth ring boundary.".
• 01GRPK8ERHVS0SDXY8F9FZDEXS abstract "This workshop will introduce the Solid project, the protocols and one of its implementations: the IMEC/Inrupt Community Solid Server CSS. The Solid project promises a solution to get control of your own data and provides a choice who and which applications can have access to this data. The project was started as a response to the mass centralization of personal data by Internet platforms and the effects security breaches of these platforms had on manufacturing of public opinion. Although, the incentive of the project was based on a dissatisfaction with the centralization of personal information, the provided solution doesn’t require a reboot of the Web. In the tradition of open standards, decentralized services and permissionless innovation, Solid build protocols to improve the current Web and not replace it. The core Solid protocols follow Semantic Web principles and apply it to management of (personal) data and documents. In this workshop we will discuss the principles behind Solid, the protocols and provides hands-on experience on the current state of the implementations.".
• 01GRPTB1B7TXFKMJNGQ0EYCE5T abstract "The S protein forming the homotrimeric spikes of pathogenic beta-coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, is a highly glycosylated protein containing mainly N-glycans of the complex and high-mannose type, as well as O-glycans. Similarly, the host cell receptors DPP4 for MERS-CoV and ACE2 for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, also represent N- and O-glycosylated proteins. All these glycoproteins share common glycosylation patterns, suggesting that plant lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities could be used as carbohydrate-binding agents for the spikes and their receptors, to combat COVID19 pandemics. The binding of plant lectins to the spikes and their receptors could mask the non-glycosylated receptor binding domain of the virus and the corresponding region of the receptor, thus preventing a proper interaction of the spike proteins with their receptors. In this review, we analyze (1) the ability of plant lectins to interact with the N- and O-glycans present on the spike proteins and their receptors, (2) the in vitro and in vivo anti-COVID19 activity already reported for plant lectins and, (3) the possible ways for delivery of lectins to block the spikes and/or their receptors.".
• 01GRPVPJHGPQ6NF2X6H726KDRD abstract "Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins and are involved in a multitude of biological functions. Lectins at the surface of plant cells often occur as lectin receptor-like kinases (LecRLK) anchored to the plasma membrane. These LecRLKs are part of the plant’s pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) system enabling the plant to perceive threats and respond adequately. Furthermore, plant lectins also occur as secreted proteins, which are associated with stress signalling and defence. The aim of this short review is to provide a general perspective on plant lectins and their role at the cell surface.".
• 01GRQ4PY6C7V19MCPHJN6ZZN5J abstract " Recurrent spillovers of & alpha;- and (3-coronaviruses (CoV) such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and possibly human CoV have caused serious morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, six receptor-binding domains (RBDs) derived from & alpha;- and (3-CoV that are con-sidered to have originated from animals and cross-infected humans were linked to a heterotrimeric scaffold, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) subunits, PCNA1, PCNA2, and PCNA3. They assemble to create a stable mosaic multivalent nanoparticle, 6RBD-np, displaying a ring-shaped disk with six protruding antigens, like jewels in a crown. Prime-boost immunizations with 6RBD-np in mice induced significantly high Ab titers against RBD antigens derived from & alpha;- and (3-CoV and increased interferon (IFN-& gamma;) production, with full protection against the SARS-CoV-2 wild type and Delta challenges. The mosaic 6RBD-np has the potential to induce intergenus cross-reactivity and to be developed as a pan-CoV vaccine against future CoV spillovers.".
• 01GRR1T4AEYTVZH7BR3VHVQZ6Y abstract "Textile products are composed of various blends of synthetic or natural polymers. Elastane increases the functionality during use phase, but impedes high quality recycling. This study investigates the selective chemical dissolution of elastane from blended textile. Hansen solubility parameters and COSMO-RS were applied for solvent screening. The most recommended biobased solvents were experimentally validated with polyester, polyamide, cotton, wool and elastane for which solubility limits were determined and hence, their selectivity towards elastane dissolution. A TGA-corrected gravimetric method was developed as quantification tool and showed that tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and ɣ-valerolactone have comparable elastane dissolution capabilities to classical solvents (5 mg elastane/g solvent). Polyester/elastane and polyamide/elastane blends were subjected to this process as case studies. The LCA study showed that this selective solvent-based dissolution process saves 60% CO2-eq./kg textile waste compared to incineration. This interdisciplinary work can set the benchmark for further developing and upscaling physical/dissolution recycling processes for blended textiles.".
• 01GRR39Q8GEGNY3EFWBRKTNAVB abstract "While field experiments are valuable in their ability to objectively analyse patterns of discrimination, research that focuses on reducing discrimination is systematically lacking. The present study addresses this gap. Building on both cognitive and behavioural processes that steer discriminatory decision-making and insights from diversity literature, we develop and test the effectiveness of a training intervention which is tailored to the specific context of the housing market, with 113 students in real estate. We develop our training around three theoretical mechanisms of discrimination that are measured through a specified vignette experiment in pre- and post-tests. Our results show a reduction in statistical and customer taste-based discrimination after the training, but no change in agent taste-based discrimination. The driver for this reduction in discrimination is being more selective on majority candidates rather than increasing the chances of ethnic minority candidates. Additionally, we found that training has no effect on taste and that most of these effects remain present on the long term.".
• 01GRR3M9C1SHCSCAB890G231RC abstract "Recognized for its nutritional and therapeutic use, extra-virgin Argan Oil (EVAO) is frequently adulterated. Selected-Ion Flow-Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) spectra were applied to quantify adulterants (i.e., Argan oil of lower quality (LQAO), olive oil (OO), and sunflower oil (SO)) in EVAO. Four data sets, i.e., using H3O+, NO+, O-2(+center dot) reagent ions, and the combined data were considered. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were assessed to distinguish adulterated-from pure EVAO. The effectiveness of SIFT-MS associated with PLS and support vector machine (SVM) regression to quantify trace adulterants in EVAO was evaluated. Variable Importance in Projection (VIP), and interval-PLS (iPLS) were also investigated to extract useful features. Different models were built to predict the EVAO authenticity and the degree of adulteration. High accuracy was achieved. SIFT-MS spectra handled with the appropriate chemometric tools were found suitable for the quality evaluation of EVAO.".
• 01GRR42G807R5W1PQVG6B1WCDC abstract "Online monitoring of odour and taste components that occur at parts-per-trillion (ppt) levels in industrial process waters requires specialized analytical hardware that is generally not compatible with the harsh environmental conditions in these typical industrial settings. An alternative instrumental method is proposed that uses dynamic extraction in combination with gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a simple flame ionization detector (FID) to achieve these extremely low detection limits. The extraction process was fully automated by means of online solid-phase extraction (SPE). The combination of online SPE and GC–FID was used to monitor the quality of process water contaminated with 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin, which are two notorious odour and taste components, in volumes up to 1 L.".
• 01GRR4KMW9B7BC23V1WABP3QVN abstract "Conflicten op het werk worden vaak gevreesd en daarom ook vaak vermeden. Toch is af en toe constructief in conflict gaan met je leidinggevende of collega’s een van de vele tips die je in dit boek vindt. De rode draad? Inzichten vanuit wetenschappelijk onderzoek die je helpen om je carrière in eigen handen te nemen. We werken langer dan ooit. Zelfs als we de lotto winnen, blijven we werken, zo blijkt uit onderzoek. Tijdens onze loopbaan worden we met heel wat vragen geconfronteerd: • Is minder werken goed voor mijn welzijn? • Hoe houd ik netto meer over? • Hoe voorkom ik een burn-out? • En hoe pak ik telewerk het beste aan? Met stapels onderzoeken onder de arm geven achttien UGent-wetenschappers antwoord op deze en nog veel meer vragen, die ze ontvingen na een bevraging van bijna 3.000 Vlamingen. Via onderbouwd advies, zelftests en eigen best practices bieden ze inspiratie rond alle aspecten van werk. In In conflict gaan met je baas ontdek je hoe je de loopbaan van je dromen vormgeeft. Van aanwerving tot pensioen.".
• 01GRR5FY70HAJ9ZQV4CQ0V7B84 abstract "This study investigated the experiences of transgender women after following sessions for speech feminization using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Transgender women who completed a clinical trial were invited for an interview and 12 accepted the invitation. Interviews were conducted using an interview guide and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 12 was used for qualitative data analysis, applying an inductive thematic approach. Four main themes were identified: communication, therapy experiences, impact on mental health, and external factors associated with the outcomes. For most participants, fear of speaking in public decreased after the training and all participants mentioned improved vocal characteristics. Though, reactions ranged from needing more speech therapy to being satisfied with the results. Coping strategies during misgendering occasions differed a lot between participants. More emotive counseling during speech feminization sessions is necessary to help clients in managing possible negative emotions.".
• 01GRR5XYK39PF8MEHXNXDE9W7W abstract "Background Innovative vector control tools are needed to counteract insecticide resistance and residual malaria transmission. One of such innovative methods is an ivermectin (IVM) treatment to reduce vector survival. In this study, a laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of ivermectin on survivorship, fertility and egg hatchability rate of Anopheles arabiensis in Ethiopia.".
• 01GRR66RDV1GDA0CVV1FH4TA2H abstract "Background: Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) is a promising biomarker to detect early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. Few healthy cats show increased uL-FABP for unknown reasons. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate uL-FABP in a large healthy elderly cat population comparing cats with and without International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage 1 CKD and with and without borderline proteinuria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. One hundred ninety-six clinically healthy client-owned cats of >= 7 years old were subdivided based on two criteria: (1) having either IRIS stage 1 CKD or no evidence of CKD and (2) having borderline proteinuria or no proteinuria. Urinary L-FABP was measured using a validated commercially available feline L-FABP ELISA. Results: Overall, uL-FABP was detectable in 6/196 (3%) healthy elderly cats. For the first subdivision, nine (5%) cats had IRIS stage 1 CKD, 184 cats had no evidence CKD and three cats were excluded. All cats with IRIS stage 1 CKD had uL-FABP concentrations below the detection limit, whereas 6/184 (3%) cats without IRIS stage 1 CKD had detectable uL-FABP concentrations (median 1.79 ng/ml, range 0.79-3.66 ng/ml). For the second subdivision, 47 (24%) cats had borderline proteinuria, 147 cats had no proteinuria and two cats were excluded. One of the borderline proteinuric cats had a detectable uL-FABP concentration, whereas the other five cats with detectable uL-FABP concentrations were non-proteinuric. Conclusion: With the current assay, the screening potential of uL-FABP as an early biomarker for feline CKD is limited as uL-FABP was rarely detected in clinically healthy elderly cats independently of the presence of either IRIS stage 1 CKD or borderline proteinuria.".
• 01GRR6G6949EQBF7ZR1DTKAH4Q abstract "Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is characterized with enormous costs originating from e.g. work absenteeism (1). This study examined the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary intervention, with or without additional workplace intervention (WPI), in improving pain, functionality and return to work in employed (sub)acute LBP sufferers. Methods A comprehensive search in six electronic databases was performed. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2-tool and the ROBIS-tool. A level of evidence (LoE) and conclusion was determined according to the Dutch EBRO checklist. Results Twelve studies were included (one A1, seven A2, four B LoE studies). A multidisciplinary intervention has beneficial effects on pain intensity and functionality compared to usual care. Contradictory results exist when compared with another intervention or an additional WPI. Regarding work-related outcomes conflicting results were found when a multidisciplinary intervention was compared to usual care, and no superior effects were found in comparison to other types of interventions. Adding a WPI to usual care might result in earlier work resumption. Discussion A multidisciplinary intervention has favorable effects compared with usual care on pain and functionality. An additional WPI on top of usual care might be beneficial for RTW.".
• 01GRR6G9H06RX35NF59H4RPGGV abstract "A bolus of 50 mg kg -1 MgSO4 (treatment Mg) or the same volume of saline (treatment S) was infused over 15 minutes in 5 adult healthy horses. T0 was the end of the infusion. Physiological parameters were recorded throughout the study period. Measurements of electrical, thermal, and mechanical nociceptive thresholds were performed at the pelvic limbs at baseline (before T0), and at specific timepoints. Blood samples were taken at fixed timepoints before, during and until 12 hours after the infusion. For statis-tical analysis, the 95% confidence intervals (CI's) for the differences in nociceptive thresholds between treatments were calculated. Physiological parameters were compared using a linear mixed model (global alpha = 0.05, with Bonferroni correction alpha = 0.0125). The concentrations of ions were also compared with the baseline values at specific timepoints, using a linear mixed model. The Pearson's correlation coef-ficient was derived between the ion concentrations. The 95% CI's of thermal, mechanical and electrical thresholds were [-1; + 2] degrees C, [0; + 3] N and [-1; + 1] mA (positive differences indicate higher thresholds for treatment Mg), respectively. Heart rate was significantly higher ( P < .0 0 01) and non-invasive sys-tolic arterial pressure ( P < .0 0 01) and respiratory rate ( P = .0 0 02) significantly lower after treatment Mg compared to treatment S. Additionally, non-invasive systolic arterial pressure was significantly different at T45 ( P < .001). Although mild changes in cardiovascular parameters and plasma concentrations were seen with intravenous administration of MgSO4, no changes in nociceptive thresholds were detected in standing non-sedated horses.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.".
• 01GRR6TP7BKNQZ9PSAMQT854KT abstract "Narrowing of the equine cervicothoracic intervertebral foramina (IF) has the potential to cause forelimb lameness and/or neck pain although limited information is available on CT of the IF. The aims of this retrospective, analytical study were to describe a protocol for quantifying CT cervicothoracic IF size; evaluate the repeatability of IF size measures; test associations between IF size and adjacent articular process (AP) size, ventral extent, and anatomic location; and determine the proportion of IF with narrowing. Computed tomographic images were acquired in 20 Warmblood horses that presented with forelimb lameness and/or neck pain. All IF between C5 and T2 (n = 160) were evaluated. IF cross-sectional area (CSA), APCSA, and AP ventral extent were measured. The repeatability of IFCSA measurement was calculated. Possible associations between IFCSA and: APCSA, ventral extent, side, or location were assessed. IF narrowing was defined as more than 50% of reduction in IF height when compared with its widest part(s). The repeatability of IFCSA measurement was excellent. There was a significant association between IFCSA and: APCSA (P R-2 = 0.859; slope = -0.106), ventral extent (P = 0.022; R-2 = 0.161; slope = -0.0617), and location (P < 0.001; higher values between C7 and T2). The association between IFCSA and ventral extent was small. Narrowing was identified in 61 (38.1%) IF. Maximum degree of narrowing was most common at the cranial (26.3%) and middle (68.8%) third of the IF. Narrowing was not identified at T1-T2. In conclusion, CT cervicothoracic IF size can be measured with excellent repeatability, and associations were found between IF size and: AP size, ventral extent, and location.".
• 01GRR6WYMDAH0S87R35GHZ89M7 abstract "Background and aims Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common causes of disability worldwide and is accompanied by enormous costs for society originating from e.g. healthcare use and work absenteeism. In the (sub)acute phase, early multidisciplinary treatment programs are recommended. Thereby integrating health and workplace management seems essential to reduce sick leave. Nevertheless, there are some uncertainties regarding recommendations for (sub)acute LBP and this may be due to the absence of multiple direct comparisons of the available multidisciplinary interventions (MDI). The Cochrane review on this topic was published by Marin et al. in 2017 [1] in which multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation interventions were compared with usual care or other interventions in adults with subacute LBP. Given the increase in the use of multidisciplinary programs in recent years and the lack of the inclusion of a workplace intervention (WPI) in previous reviews, an extension of the literature on this topic is required to further evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions. Therefore the objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a MDI, with or without additional WPI, for (sub)acute LBP among adults on pain, functional status, return to work (RTW), and sick leave. Methods A comprehensive search of the existing literature up to June 2021 was performed in six electronic databases. The studied population were working adults (18 – 65 years) with acute or subacute low back pain. Study selection was performed independently as a two-step method based upon predefined eligibility criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2-tool for RCT studies and the ROBIS-tool for systematic reviews was used for the systematic review of Marin et al. [1] which was also included. The risk of bias was evaluated at study level, by one researcher and checked by the other. Relevant information concerning the studied population, MDI, outcome measures (i.e. pain, functional status, RTW, sick leave) and results was extracted from each included article and presented in an evidence table by one of the two researchers and checked by the other. The results were synthesized in 4 clusters: (1) MDI versus ‘usual care’; (2) MDI versus ‘other interventions’; (3) ‘additional WPI’ versus usual care; (4) subgrouping patients in favor of an earlier RTW. Usual care was defined as the current clinical practice. In the second cluster, the category ‘other interventions’ entailed another type of multidisciplinary therapy, whereas the category ‘MDI’ contained a more extensive MDI compared to the other intervention. A level of conclusion was determined for each cluster. Results A total of 12 studies were included of which 11 RCT studies and one systematic review. The results of the latter review were included in the current review and extended with results from more recent literature. High quality of evidence was found supporting greater beneficial effects of MDI compared to usual care on pain intensity scores and functional outcomes. Conflicting evidence was found when a more extensive MDI was compared with another MDI. Adding a WPI to usual care did not result in additional beneficial effects on pain and functional status. In regard to work related outcomes, there were conflicting results when a MDI was compared to usual care. High quality of evidence was found for the comparable effects between a more extensive MDI and another MDI, while moderate quality of evidence showed that adding WPI to usual care results in earlier RTW. Subgrouping patients regarding their risk at protracted work disability, work satisfaction, influence on work planning, and risk of losing their job at baseline seems useful to promote earlier RTW. Conclusions A MDI has favorable effects compared to usual care on pain intensity and functional status. Furthermore, there is moderate evidence that adding a WPI to usual care, as well as subdividing patients based on work-related characteristics, can be beneficial for RTW. The evidential value of the conclusions made in this systematic review was often not strong enough due to conflicting results in the included studies and the limited studies available in the topic. Future studies should focus more on investigating the effects of a MDI in combination with interventions at work in patients with (sub)acute LBP as too few studies examining a MDI with an additional WPI were found.".
• 01GRR7106D2DS28GSVEM9S2S47 abstract "Ocriplasmin is used to treat vitreomacular traction (VMT), with or without full-thickness macular hole (MH). We systematically reviewed the evidence on ocriplasmin's effect on vitreomacular adhesion resolution (VMAR), MH closure, vitrectomy, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and investigated the effect of baseline covariates on outcome. We applied individual participant data meta-analyses to the entire population and to subgroups defined by MH or epiretinal membrane (ERM) presence. Safety data were pooled and tabulated. Five randomized controlled trials (1,067 participants) were included. Six months after treatment, ocriplasmin achieved higher rates of VMAR and MH closure versus control, lowered vitrectomy odds, and increased the likelihood of a >= 10-letter BCVA increase. VMAR rates were lower when ERM, broad VMA (> 1500 mu m), diabetic retinopathy, or pseudophakia were present and higher in younger participants, women, and eyes with MHs. Ocriplasmintreated participants experienced more short-term visual impairment that was not predictive of final BCVA, as well as vitreous floaters, photopsia, photophobia, eye pain, blurred vision, and dyschromatopsia. The most common serious adverse events for ocriplasmin and control, respectively, were MH progression (22.5%, 17.3%), new MH (1.5%, 3.4%) and retinal detachment (0.8%, 1.2%). Ocriplasmin promotes VMAR and MH closure. Transient visual phenomena are not uncommon. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.".
• 01GRR7CNTAM1TCNQDR36244D28 abstract "This study about the productivity and the near-synonymy of the inchoative construction in Peninsular Spanish reveals that at least 25 verbs can enter the auxiliary slot. These auxiliaries are recruited from six semantic domains: (1) superlexical inherent inchoative verbs, (2) put verbs, (3) throw verbs, (4) movement verbs, (5) hold verbs and (6) verbs of destruction. This study confirms that a hierarchical cluster analysis is suited to investigate the near-synonymy of semantically related verbs as it unfolds interesting clusters for the inchoative auxiliaries. Concretely, the hierarchical cluster analysis divides the auxiliaries into three clusters. A first one with the superlexical auxiliaries (comenzar, empezar and iniciar), a second cluster with the put verbs (meter and poner) and a third cluster with the less grammaticalized and more lexicalized auxiliaries echarse and romper.".
• 01GRR7D6ZX8VHCSZS1WTS7RREA abstract "Background. Multiple investigations have compared the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the scapular muscles between stable and unstable support surfaces during the execution of closed kinetic chain exercises. However, these comparative analyses have grouped different unstable surfaces (wobble board, BOSU, therapeutic ball, and suspension equipment) into a single data pool, without considering the possible differences in neuromuscular demand induced by each unstable support surface. This study aimed to analyze the individual effect of different unstable support surfaces compared to a stable support surface on scapular muscles EMG activity during the execution of closed kinetic chain exercises. Methodology. A literature search was conducted of the Pubmed Central, ScienceDirect and SPORTDiscus databases. Studies which investigated scapular muscles EMG during push-ups and compared at least two support surfaces were included. The risk of bias of included articles was assessed using a standardized quality assessment form for descriptive, observational and EMG studies, and the certainty of the evidence was measured with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A random-effects model was used to calculate effect sizes (ES, Hedge's g). Results. Thirty studies were selected in the systematic review. Of these, twenty-three low-to-high quality studies (498 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. The main analyzes revealed, in decreasing order, greater UT EMG activity during push-ups performed on suspension equipment (ES = 2.92; p = 0.004), therapeutic ball (ES = 1.03; p < 0.001) and wobble board (ES = 0.33; p = 0.003); without effect on the BOSU ball. In addition, no effect was observed for SA on any unstable device. The certainty of the evidence ranged from low to very low due to the inclusion of descriptive studies, as well as high imprecision, inconsistency, and risk of publication bias. Conclusion. These findings could be applied in scapular muscles strengthening in healthy individuals. The use of suspension equipment achieves higher UT activation levels. Conversely, the use of any type of unstable devices to increase the activation levels of the SA in shoulder musculoskeletal dysfunctions is not recommended. These conclusions should be interpreted with caution as the available evidence showed a low to very low certainty of evidence, downgraded mostly by inconsistency and imprecision.".
• 01GRR7H0WQ9G01ZG226KQ9A43Z abstract "Background: Differences in shoulder-disability among common shoulder-disorders in orthopaedic specialist care is unknown. Furthermore, rating of shoulder disability using patient-reported outcomes is time-consuming, and a faster approach is needed. Objectives: First, compare shoulder-disability among common shoulder-disorders. Secondly, rate shoulder-disability according to the new and quick Copenhagen Shoulder Abduction Rating (C-SAR) and investigate criterion validity of C-SAR. Methods: Cross-sectional study including 325 consecutive patients with shoulder-disorders in orthopaedic specialist care. We assessed shoulder abduction range-of motion and pain during testing (NRS:0-10), and shoulder-disability using Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) subscales. Patients were sub-grouped using CSAR, which is based on shoulder abduction range-of-motion and pain during testing: Severe (range-of-motion < 90), Medium (range-of-motion > 90, NRS:> 5), Mild (range-of-motion > 90, NRS:< 5). Shoulder-disability was compared among diagnostic categories and C-SAR subgroups using ANCOVA-models. Results: Most patients were diagnosed with either subacromial impingement (n = 211) or full-thickness/complete rotator-cuff tear (n = 18), but adhesive capsulitis (n = 22) was the diagnostic category related to worst SPADI scores. Data for C-SAR subgrouping were available from 187/229 (82%) patients with rotator-cuff related disorders (subacromial impingement or rotator-cuff tears). C-SAR subgrouping was not feasible for patient with adhesive capsulitis or glenohumeral injury. Differences in shoulder-disability between Mild (n = 67) and Medium (n = 56) C-SAR subgroups were large for both SPADI-subscales (ES: 1.0, p < .0001). Only SPADIfunction differed significantly between Severe (n = 64) and Medium C-SAR subgroups (ES: 0.4, p = .017). Conclusion: In orthopaedic specialist care, adhesive capsulitis relates to highest level of shoulder-disability, while C-SAR is a promising test to rate shoulder-disability for most patients, namely those with rotator-cuff related disorders.".
• 01GRR81WQ8QC9VCNEDNMWR54CK abstract "De laatste tijd verschijnen er steeds meer transdiagnostische protocollen. Er wordt van uitgegaan dat deze protocollen inwerken op de veronderstelde onderliggende psychologische mechanismen van psychopathologie en dat ze hierdoor breed inzetbaar zijn. We zien talrijke voordelen van transdiagnostisch werken, ook bij kinderen en adolescenten, maar we mogen de vraag niet uit de weg gaan of het nu beter is stoornisspecifiek dan wel transdiagnostisch te werken. In deze bijdrage gaan we nader in op één onderbelicht mechanisme: de emotionele processen. Deze zijn al vaak in verband gebracht met de ontwikkeling en instandhouding van symptomen van psychopathologie, ook bij kinderen en adolescenten. Vooral emotieregulatie is de laatste decennia intensief onderzocht, waardoor er recentelijk ook een toename is ontstaan in de mogelijkheden om deze vaardigheid te trainen bij kinderen en adolescenten...".
• 01GRRE4J2ZVX69CXEMGX9S4D38 abstract "Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder resulting from pathogenic variants in FBN1 gene. FBN1 encodes for fibrillin-1, an important extracellular matrix protein. Impaired fibrillin-1 affects multiple organ systems, including the cardiovascular system. We generated an iPSC line carrying a heterozygous variant c.7754 T > C (p.Ile2585Thr, missense) in FBN1 from a patient with Marfan syndrome. Also, an isogenic control is generated, where the pathogenic variant is repaired using CRISPR-Cas9. This isogenic pair provides a valuable resource for in vitro disease modelling.".
• 01GRRESV04S2E9853XX27Q1H3E abstract "E. coli O157:H7 is a known Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), causing foodborne disease globally. Cattle are the main reservoir and consumption of beef and beef products contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 is an important source of STEC infections in humans. To emphasize the cattle-to-human transmission through the consumption of contaminated beef in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on E. coli O157 strains isolated from three sources (cattle, beef, and humans). Forty-four E. coli O157:H7 isolates originating from 23 cattle rectal contents, three cattle hides, five beef carcasses, seven beef cuts at retail shops, and six human stools in Bishoftu between June 2017 and May 2019 were included. This study identified six clusters of closely related E. coli O157:H7 isolates based on core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) by targeting 2513 loci. A genetic linkage was observed among the isolate genomes from the cattle rectal contents, cattle hides, beef carcasses at slaughterhouses, beef at retail shops, and human stool within a time frame of 20 months. All the strains carried practically the same repertoire of virulence genes except for the stx2 gene, which was present in all but eight of the closely related isolates. All the strains carried the mdfA gene, encoding for the MdfA multi-drug efflux pump. CgMLST analysis revealed genetically linked E. coli O157:H7 isolates circulating in the area, with a potential transmission from cattle to humans through the consumption of contaminated beef and beef products.".
• 01GRRH9W8AW5CHXGJ4B4GD55ZZ abstract "Background: Weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) is a useful tool for the assessment of hindfoot alignment (HA). Foot ankle offset (FAO) is a recently introduced parameter, determined from WBCT images using semiautomatic software. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical relevance and reproducibility of FAO for the evaluation of HA. Methods: A prospective comparative study was performed on consecutive patients requiring bilateral WBCT between September 2017 and April 2018. Based on the clinical assessment of HA, patients were divided into 3 groups: (1) normal alignment group (G1), (2) valgus (G2), and (3) varus (G3). FAO and long axial view (HACT) were measured on WBCT images, and the groups were compared. The reproducibility of FAO and HACT was determined through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Regression analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between the 2 methods. Overall, 249 feet (126 patients) were included (G1 = 115, G2 = 78, and G3 = 56 feet). Results: The mean values for FAO and HACT were 1.2% +/- 2.8% and 3.9 +/- 3.1, respectively, in G1; 8.1% +/- 3.7% and 9.7 +/- 4.9 in G2; and -6.6% +/- 4.8% and -8.2 +/- 6.6 in G3. Intra- and interobserver reliability was 0.987 and 0.988 for FAO and 0.949 and 0.949 for HACT, respectively. There was a good linear correlation between HACT and FAO (R-2 = 0.744), with a regression slope of 1.064. Conclusions: WBCT was a useful method for the characterization of HA. FAO was reproducible and correlated well with physical examination.".
• 01GRRQPDZZCX34Z7J5V927W3W6 abstract "In recent years the world’s two largest inflation-targeting central banks – the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) – have revised their monetary policy frameworks in a more progressive direction. Whereas the Fed decided to abandon its strategy of pre-emptive tightening whenever unemployment ran too low (implicitly acknowledging the potential benefits of ‘tight labour markets’ and a ‘hot pressure economy’ for low-income workers), the ECB became committed to better integrating climate change considerations into its monetary policy operations. In an ironic twist of fate, however, both revisions quickly became antiquated when inflation started to rise again in the wake of the pandemic. The change in macroeconomic context (from stubbornly low inflation to persistent higher inflation) led both central banks to advocate ‘policy normalisation' by raising the short-term interest rates and reducing the size of the central banks’ balance sheet. In this working paper we discuss the revisions of the Fed's and ECB's monetary policy frameworks and explain why a return to a pre-2008 normal central banking in response to the current inflationary crisis should not be the preferred way forward.".
• 01GRRVZ2PRNTYE8C7JPCMWFVDY abstract "The present study investigates the impact of meaningful input on L2 learners' vocabulary use and their fluency in oral performance (immediate and repeat tasks), as well as whether the effects are mediated by learners' prior vocabulary knowledge and working memory. Ninety university students learning English as a foreign language were randomly assigned to one of three groups: input (N = 29), input repetition (N = 32), and no-input (i.e., baseline group) (N = 29). The input group watched L2 videos prior to performing an immediate oral task, whereas the input repetition group watched the same videos not only before but also after the immediate oral task. The no-input group only performed the oral tasks without watching the videos. The three groups repeated the same oral task after two days. Results did not show a significant effect of task repetition, input, and input repe-tition on learners' lexical use and fluency. However, the fluency and lexical com-plexity in learners' L2 speech can be predicted by their receptive vocabulary knowledge and working memory capacity to some extent.".
• 01GRRW6SJPEDYSPK0Y4W6N72QS abstract "Channel-shoal patterns are often observed in the back-barrier basins of inlet systems and are important from both an economical and ecological point of view. Focussing on double-inlet systems, the initial formation of these patterns is investigated using an idealized model. The model is governed by the depth-averaged shallow water equations, a depth-integrated concentration equation and a tidally-averaged bottom evolution equation. Focussing on rectangular basins and neglecting the effects of earth rotation, it is found that laterally uniform morphodynamic equilibria can become linearly unstable, resulting in initial patterns that resemble channels and shoals. When the water motion is only forced by an M-2 tidal constituent, the existence of (laterally uniform) morphodynamic equilibria for which both inlets are connected strongly depends on the relative phase and amplitudes of the tidal forcing. If such equilibria exist, they can be either stable against small perturbations or linearly unstable. If these equilibria are linearly unstable, two instability mechanisms can be identified, the first related to the convergences and divergences of diffusive transports, the second mechanism related to a combination of advective and diffusive transports. In the former case, all eigenvalues are real and the bedforms grow exponentially in time. In the latter case, the eigenvalues are complex, resulting in bedforms that both migrate and grow in time. In case external overtides and a time-independent discharge are included, no diffusive instabilities are found anymore for the parameters considered in this paper. This implies that all instabilities are migrating in time. In all cases considered, the bed perturbations have only an appreciable amplitude at locations where the underlying laterally uniform equilibrium has a local minimum in water depth. This is consistent with observations from numerical models and laboratory experiments.".
• 01GRRYSMSZDX60V53V1F8A2K7D abstract "This thesis focuses on pro-environmental behavior (PEB), intended as any action that an individual undertakes or refrains from to minimize his/her negative impact on the environment and the climate. This thesis is articulated in three independent chapters. The red thread which connects these three papers is the focus on the relationship between environmental policy, individual decisions and time. The notions of time explored in this thesis span from considering i) time as a socio-cultural attitude –with certain nations being more future-focused than others–; ii) time as an individual preference that classify individuals as either impatient or forward-looking; and iii) time as the embedded, yet hidden contextual feature of environmental decision-making and policies. These chapters contribute to demonstrate that temporal preferences and the embedded temporal context of environmental choice contexts are relevant in determining individual behavior and the public approval of environmental policies. Individuals have a tendency to forego immediate costs, especially if those costs are justified by an intangible and temporally distant goal. But by gaining awareness of how time affect individual choices, we can craft decision environments that neutralize the effect of impatience without constraining the choices that are available to the individual.".
• 01GRT731DFKXF03MTVXWB0AMWA abstract "Worldwide, the cumulative annual disabilities and deaths due to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are in the millions, with most cases found in the low-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed a road map to eliminate NTDs by the year 2030. Core interventions being implemented to achieve this target are vaccinations, chemotherapeutic treatments, vector control, and practicing hygiene. Whereas multiple successes have been registered so far, inadequacies or the complete absence of diagnostics for some of the diseases being targeted, are however hampering ongoing eradication campaigns. Current diagnostics for NTDs are costly, require sophisticated gadgets, depend on electricity, are time consuming and labor intensive, have low detection/discriminatory power, or require trained personnel for operation. For these reasons, the use of such diagnostics is limited to only well-equipped laboratories, often inaccessible to the poor who are the most affected by the NTDs. To increase accessibility to diagnostics by those who need it the most, Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are being developed by translating existing diagnostic technologies, or by invention of new technologies. Here, we reviewed conventional diagnostics for NTDs as well as their RDT translated formats, and explored nanobodies (Nbs) as alternative reagents for the development of the RDTs.".
• 01GRTJHKMC7VRTP3HT6QP8G7BK abstract "Firms usually need to attract debt to form and grow, but increasing financial leverage also entails increased risks and costs for stakeholders, such as customers and employees. Accordingly, past research suggests that for common commercial firms (CCFs), which prioritize profits, higher leverage leads to lower sales growth and higher employment costs. However, Certified B Corporations (CBCs) distinguish themselves by having a credible prosocial mission and, therefore, might be better insulated against the adverse effects of higher leverage. Using a European multi-country matched sample of 136 CBCs and 136 CCFs, we find that the negative relationship between leverage and sales growth and the positive relationship between leverage and employment costs are weaker for CBCs than CCFs. Taken together, due to their certified prosocial mission, CBCs enjoy an advantage in debt financing compared to CCFs.".
• 01GRTJV1T1SV8C613AWEZ6QZCG abstract "BackgroundInpatient pediatric obesity treatments are highly effective, although dropouts and weight regain threaten long-term results. Preliminary data indicate that leptin, adiponectin, and cardiometabolic comorbidities might predict treatment outcomes. Previous studies have mainly focused on the individual role of adipokines and comorbidities, which is counterintuitive, as these risk factors tend to cluster. This study aimed to predict the dropouts and treatment outcomes by pre-treatment patient characteristics extended with cardiometabolic comorbidities (individually and in total), leptin, and adiponectin. MethodsChildren aged 8-18 years were assessed before, immediately after and 6 months after a 12-month inpatient obesity treatment. Anthropometric data were collected at each visit. Pre-treatment lipid profiles; glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels; and blood pressure were measured. The treatment outcome was evaluated by the change in body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) corrected for age and sex. ResultsWe recruited 144 children with a mean age of 14.3 +/- 2.2 years and a mean BMI of 36.7 +/- 6.2 kg/m(2) corresponding to 2.7 +/- 0.4 BMI SDS. The 57 patients who dropped out during treatment and the 44 patients who dropped out during aftercare had a higher pre-treatment BMI compared to the patients who completed the treatment (mean BMI, 38.3 +/- 6.8 kg/m(2) vs 35.7 +/- 5.5 kg/m(2)) and those who completed aftercare (mean BMI, 34.6 +/- 5.3 kg/m(2) vs 37.7 +/- 6.3 kg/m(2)) (all p<0.05). Additionally, aftercare attenders were younger than non-attenders (mean age, 13.4 +/- 2.3 years vs 14.9 +/- 2.0, p<0.05).Patients lost on average 1.0 +/- 0.4 SDS during treatment and regained 0.4 +/- 0.3 SDS post-treatment corresponding to regain of 43 +/- 27% (calculated as the increase in BMI SDS post-treatment over the BMI SDS lost during treatment). A higher BMI and more comorbidities inversely predicted BMI SDS reduction in linear regression (all p<0.05).The absolute BMI SDS increase after returning home was predicted by pre-treatment leptin and systolic blood pressure, whereas the post-treatment BMI SDS regain was predicted by pre-treatment age, leptin, and adiponectin levels (all p<0.05) in multivariate linear regressions. ConclusionPatients who need treatment the most are at increased risk for dropouts and weight regain, emphasizing the urgent need for interventions to reduce dropout and support inpatients after discharge. Furthermore, this study is the first to report that pre-treatment leptin and adiponectin levels predict post-treatment BMI SDS regain, requiring further research.".
• 01GRTKCBHXJPTQTP4KAM16GVW2 abstract "It has been suggested that the wireless network evolution to smaller carrier wavelengths (from 2G to 5G) increases radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) absorption in western honey bees (Apis mellifera). It is unknown whether the radiation performance of antennas is stable when an insect appears in their vicinity. In this research, the absorbed power in a worker honey bee and the influence of the bee's presence on antennas' radiation performance are investigated for the newly used frequencies in 5G networks from 6 to 240 GHz. To these aims, numerical simulations using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method were performed, in which a bee model, obtained by micro-CT scanning, was employed. These simulations showed that, in the near field, the absorbed power can increase by a factor of 53 from 6 to 240 GHz. This is a factor of 7 higher than the increase reported in the far-field in previous studies. Furthermore, the simulations revealed that antennas' radiation efficiency can decrease by up to -40% when a bee appears in the near field. Likewise, it was found that the gain pattern depends on the separation distance between the bee and the antenna with a stronger dependency for higher frequencies.".
• 01GRTKVEW2QYC6Y6JMS8QAR5DS abstract "Ondernemingen die toepassing maken van de BV-vrijstelling voor onderzoek en ontwikkeling, moeten hun O&O-projecten of -programma’s aanmelden bij Belspo. Op haar website heeft Belspo nu richtlijnen voor 2023 gepubliceerd omtrent de aanmeldingsverplichting en bindende adviezen. Aangezien dit veelvoorkomende discussiepunten zijn in fiscale controles, is het belangrijk om rekening te houden met de Belspo-richtlijnen. Al biedt het volgen van deze richtlijnen niet steeds garanties, daar de fiscus (autonoom) bevoegd blijft om te oordelen over de toepassing van de vrijstelling.".
• 01GRTM5SAV1Y7RBM4F11SZ0MX8 abstract "Les entreprises qui bénéficient de la dispense de versement du Pr P pour recherche et développement doivent notifier leurs projets ou programmes de R&D à Belspo (le SPF Politique scientifique). Or ce dernier vient de publier, sur son site internet, ses directives 2023 concernant cette obligation de notification et ses avis contraignants. Étant donné qu’il s’agit de points de discussion fréquent lors des contrôles fiscaux, il est important de tenir compte de ces directives. Même si leur respect n’offre pas toujours de garanties, car c’est le fisc qui est compétent pour statuer (de manière autonome) sur l’application de cette dispense.".
• 01GRTN2941VBJYE34SV0DY1AM5 abstract "A twin-pipe pumping system has been developed to overcome the conflicting requirements in 3D concrete printing between pumping and deposition. In the twin-pipe pumping system, a helical static mixer, consisting of a series of mixing elements, is used to blend a cement-based mixture and a limestone-based mixture right before extrusion. As these two mixtures go through the static mixer, non-moving mixing elements continuously blend the materials in a flow-division pattern. However, the blending performance of the helical static mixer used for twin-pipe 3D concrete printing has not yet been reported. This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the relation between the mechanical behavior and the blending efficiency of the helical static mixer. Based on the binary images of the polished specimens printed with a different number of mixing elements, the blending performance was characterized by the coefficient of variation of the row-wise intensity distribution. A reasonable linear relationship was established between the mechanical strength (flexural strength and tensile strength) and the mixing homogeneity of the two mixtures. In addition, a higher number of mixing elements was observed to lead to a more dense pore structure, most probably due to the better compaction of the material by the higher pumping pressure.".
• 01GRTNA6MTRG4SP2W6DQJVHNRD abstract "Background and Objective: Computer simulations of joint contact mechanics have great merit to improve our current understanding of articular ankle pathology. Owed to its computational simplicity, discrete el-ement analysis (DEA) is an encouraging alternative to finite element analysis (FEA). However, previous DEA models lack subject-specific anatomy and may oversimplify the biomechanics of the ankle. The ob-jective of this study was to develop and validate a personalized DEA framework that permits movement of the fibula and incorporates personalized cartilage thickness as well as ligamentous constraints.Methods: A linear and non-linear DEA framework, representing cartilage as compressive springs, was established, verified, and validated. Three-dimensional (3D) bony ankle models were constructed from cadaveric lower limb CT scans imaged during application of weight (85 kg) and/or torque (10 Nm). These 3D models were used to generate cartilage thickness and ligament insertion sites based on a previously validated statistical shape model. Ligaments were modelled as non-linear tension-only springs. Valida-tion of contact stress prediction was performed using a simple, axially constrained tibiotalar DEA model against an equivalent FEA model. Validation of ligamentous constraints compared the final position of the ankle mortise to that of the cadaver after application of torque and sequential ligament sectioning. Fi-nally, a combined ligamentous-constraining DEA model was validated for predicted contact stress against an equivalent ligament-constraining FEA model.Results: The linear and non-linear DEA model reproduced a mean articular contact stress within 0.36 MPa and 0.39 MPa of the FEA calculated stress, respectively. With respect to the ligamentous validation, the DEA ligament-balancing algorithm could reproduce the position of the distal fibula within the ankle mortise to within 0.97 mm of the experimental observed distal fibula. When combining the ligament -constraining and contact stress algorithm, DEA was able to reproduce a mean articular contact stress to within 0.50 MPa of the FEA calculated contact stress.Conclusion: The DEA framework presented herein offers a computationally efficient alternative to FEA for the prediction of contact stress in the ankle joint, manifesting its potential to enhance the mechanical understanding of articular ankle pathologies on both a patient-specific and population-wide level. The novelty of this model lies in its personalized nature, inclusion of the distal tibiofibular joint and the use of non-linear ligament balancing to maintain the physiological ankle joint articulation.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.".
• 01GRTQAXGA977HMS0KTG5ARN7B abstract "The structural applicability of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites requires testing for their resilience against fracture. The paper presents a virtual tool to configure the microscale geometrical model constituting the representative volume element embedded in the homogeneous macroscale region, providing an alternative to the tedious experimental procedures. The conformal meshing strategies in the microregion are also elucidated in the paper. The microscale model is enriched with the constitutive material models exhibiting complex phenomena of individual constituents of the composite and cohesive damage properties. The elastoplastic and elastic-viscoplastic material models coupled with the energy-based and rate-dependent damage initiation criteria, respectively, are applied to the matrix. At the same time, the fibre-matrix interface is treated with the weak traction-separation law. Through the virtual tool, the microscale region allows to make an insightful study of the toughness mechanism and visualise the damage initiation and propagation in the FRP structure at different fracture modes.".
• 01GRTQDX81HH2PDBQ10X6V7HX0 abstract "Herein, a numerical solution of Fick's second law in one dimension with experimentally determined diffusion coefficients at different constant loads is combined with slow strain rate tensile tests and subsequent fractography on dual-phase steel. From the latter, the depth of the hydrogen embrittled region is determined and correlated to concentration profiles determined by the numerical model. The concentration profiles indicate that incorporating stress dependency of the diffusion coefficient results in different concentration profiles compared to using a constant diffusivity. Additionally, these allow to more accurately determine a critical local hydrogen concentration based on the total diffusible hydrogen concentration at saturation.".
• 01GRTRJ919X53NJHCM0H77YZQY abstract "The rapid workability loss of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) has been a major obstacle limiting their on-site application. In this study, two conventional high-range water-reducing admix-tures (HRWRAs) (made of polynaphthalene sulfonate [PNS] and lignosulfonate [LS] salts), which have been reported to be effective in some specific AAM mixtures, were separately applied in alkali-activated slag (AAS) concretes. A comprehensive testing program was performed to study their effect on reaction kinetics, rheology evolution, and strength development. Results showed that sodium silicate-activated AAS mixtures exhibited lower yield stress than those activated by sodium hydroxide. In hydroxide media, PNS and LS remained effective in reducing yield stress and increasing slump value, while they both failed to improve the rheological behavior of AAS activated by silicate. Moreover, the inclusion of 2% admix-tures did not result in much strength reduction in either activator, although LS showed a retardation effect and subsequent increase in the setting time in the fresh state.".
• 01GRTRJTC5CF26SM033XBM72QQ abstract "Background: The possibility of predicting pathologic features before surgery can support clinicians in selecting the best treatment strategy for their patients. We sought to develop and externally validate pretreatment nomograms for the prediction of pathological features from a prospective multicentre series of robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) procedures. Design, setting, and participants: Between 2009 and 2016, data from 6823 patients undergoing RALP in 25 academic and community hospitals were prospectively collected by the Belgian Cancer Registry. Logistic regression models were applied to predict extraprostatic extension (EPE; pT3a,b-4), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI; pT3b), and high-grade locally advanced disease (HGLA; pT3b-4 and Gleason score [GS] 8-10) using the following preoperative covariates: prostate-specific antigen, clinical T stage, biopsy GS, and percentage of positive biopsy cores. Internal and external validation was performed. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The stability of the model was assessed via tenfold cross-validation using 80% of the cohort. The nomograms were independently externally validated using the test cohort. The discriminative accuracy of the nomograms was quantified as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and graphically represented using calibration plots. Result and limitation: The nomograms predicting EPE, SVI, HGLA showed discriminative accuracy of 77%, 82%, and 88%, respectively. Following external validation, the accuracy remained stable. The prediction models showed excellent calibration properties. Conclusion:We developed and externally validated multi-institutional nomograms to predict pathologic features after RALP. These nomograms can be implemented in the clinical setting or patient selection in clinical trials. Patient summary: We developed novel nomograms using nationwide data to predict postoperative pathologic features and lethal prostate cancer. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association of Urology.".
• 01GRTS35SY8AYF0ZW2N71YB0G3 abstract "Remote sensing has been a fundamental tool in reconstructing the urban landscape of the abandoned Late Antique city of Classe, near Ravenna (Italy). However, much of Classe urban plan is not yet known, while the vast area north of Ravenna has been generally ignored for the presence of thick alluvial deposits. The number of freely available aerial and satellite images has increased exponentially in the past decade, yet no study has exploited these sources. The features mapped by analysing these sources allowed us to identify new structures in Classe and shed new light on water management and land-use practices around Ravenna.".
• 01GRTSDFXBJE8YBK28SQZQPZMN abstract "Textbooks are a vital source of input in the L2 classroom. Studies have determined the lexical complexity of a variety of input types (e.g., novels, audio-visual media) by calculating lexical profiles (e.g., Nation, 2006; Webb, 2010), i.e., estimates of the distribution of words across frequency levels – the assumption being that higher word frequencies equal lower demands. However, lexical profiling research into L2 textbooks is limited. Moreover, the few existing studies tend to focus exclusively on English, ignoring languages to which learners may have considerably lower out-of-school exposure (e.g., French; cf. Peters et al., 2019). To address these gaps, this cross-linguistic corpus-driven study investigates both English and French L2 textbooks and aims to determine (RQ1) what the lexical profiles are of the reading materials found within these textbooks, (RQ2) how these demands evolve across secondary education and (RQ3) how the approach differs based on L2 (English-French). A corpus of approximately 200,000 tokens per L2 was compiled by selecting the reading texts from 36 Flemish secondary school L2 textbooks. To determine the vocabulary demands (cf. RQ1), a custom Python script was developed that creates a lexical profile for each text by categorising the words into existing word frequency lists. A crucial decision in the lexical profiling process is the choice of lexical unit. Typically, lexical profiles are reported in terms of word families (i.e., lexical units encompassing all inflections and derivations of a headword, e.g., 'depend', 'depends' and 'dependable' are part of the same family), but recent research has shown that these may overestimate the vocabulary knowledge of learners who struggle with morphology (e.g., Brown et al., 2020). Moreover, we argue that word families are especially unsuitable for French, considering its additional morphological challenges when compared to English. For instance, a learner may know the meaning of the infinitive 'résoudre', but not of the rather different inflected form 'résolvons'. To give a cross-linguistic insight that is as complete as possible, two other lexical units are explored: the word type (i.e., each token counted separately, e.g., 'depend' and 'depends' are distinct units) and the lemma (i.e., a headword and all its inflections, e.g. 'depend' and 'depends' fall under the same lemma '(to) depend'). Our lexical profiles are based on the subtitle-based frequency lists Subtlex-UK (van Heuven et al., 2014) for English and Lexique (New et al., 2004) for French. The profiles are supplemented with measures of lexical density (i.e., the ratio of content words to the total number of words) and lexical diversity (determined using the Measure of Textual Lexical Diversity). To determine the evolution of these different features across grade levels as well as the ways in which they differ across English and French (cf. RQ2 and RQ3), multilevel regression modelling and pairwise comparisons between grades and L2s will be performed. This study is ongoing and entering the analysis phase. In my presentation, preliminary results will be discussed, with a special focus on the methodological decisions that needed to be made. Pedagogical implications for text selection in L2 teaching will be addressed.".
• 01GRTSWHYHDEPKVZJDTFMAYANC abstract "Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement can be used as a replacement for Portland cement to reduce CO2 emissions. However, the performance of CSA cement remains unknown with regard to its hydration mechanism, mechanical and long-term performance. Therefore, it would be beneficial to consolidate the literature on CSA cement to facilitate its use in the construction industry. To this end, recent progress and technical challenges of using CSA cement are discussed in this paper. We begin with the introduction of the different types of CSA cement and the manufacturing process. This is followed by a detailed discussion on the hydration mechanisms and phase assemblage, mechanical performance, and long-term durability of CSA cement. Finally, the applications of CSA cement are discussed.".
• 01GRTSY7XKZ22ZXKQBYVBSB262 abstract "Imaging plays a key role in the preoperative diagnosis, surgical planning, and postsurgical assessment of the foot, ankle, and knee pathologies. Interpreting diagnostic imaging accurately is crucial for the clinical practice of orthopedic surgeons. Although among the most used imaging modalities, radiographic assessments are amenable to errors for various technical reasons and superposition of bones. Computed tomography (CT) is a conventional imaging procedure that provides high-resolution images, but fails in considering a truly weight-bearing (WB) condition. In an attempt to overcome this limitation, WB cone beam CT technology has being successfully employed in the clinical practice for the past decade. Besides economically viable and safe, the WB cone beam CT considers WB conditions and provides high-quality scans, thus allowing an equitable and correct interpretation. This review aims to address extensive description and discussion on WBCT, including imaging quality; costs; time consumption; and its applicability in common foot, ankle, and knee, conditions. With this technology increasing popularity, and considering the extensive literature on medical research, radiologists and orthopedic surgeons need to understand its potential applications and use it optimally.".
• 01GRTTVYR27WK9CWBAT3CH7VRT abstract "Aim:To use normalization process theory (NPT) to build a strategy for the implementation of goal-oriented care (GOC) in primary care in Flanders, Belgium. Background:GOC is a possible approach to more coordinated and integrated care and tailors care to patients' personal life goals. The concept has gained interest among policy makers and researchers, but the main drivers for successful implementation are the primary healthcare professionals (PHCPs) who need to see added value of GOC in order to embed it into their daily practice. NPT, developed to understand the processes of implementing new ways of organizing care, offers a useful lens to understand adoption of GOC in primary care practice. Method:PHCPs (n = 131) who participated in a 2-hour community meeting on GOC were asked to complete the Normalization MeAsure Development survey. This 23-item survey is based on NPT and describes participants' views about how an intervention would impact their work, their expectations about it, and whether it could become a routine part of their work. Findings:The NPT constructs coherence (sense-making work) and cognitive participation (relational work) showed positive tendency toward implementation of GOC. The participants had an initial understanding on GOC and there was much interest in supporting and start working with this approach. The other constructs collective action (operational work) and reflexive monitoring (appraisal work) will need further efforts to trigger implementation. A common ground is needed to integrate GOC as a common practice which can be achieved by intensive interprofessional collaboration.".
• 01GRTV0K2FDCMPXDV3CG26AK5F abstract "Objective The goal of managing axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is to improve and maintain patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mainly through targeting towards low disease activity. Here, we aim to gain insight into the joint evolution of HRQoL and disease activity by identifying and characterising latent subgroups of patients with longstanding disease displaying similar trajectories throughout 8 years of follow-up. Methods Data from Outcome in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) International Study (n=161) and Groningen Leeuwarden AS cohort (n=264) were used. Biennially, HRQoL was assessed by AS Quality of Life (ASQoL) and disease activity by AS Disease Activity Score-C reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP). Bivariate trajectories of these outcomes were estimated by group-based trajectory modelling. Next, trajectories were profiled by comparing the latent groups with respect to baseline factors using analysis of variance and chi(2) test. Results Five bivariate trajectories were distinguished, in which ASQoL and ASDAS-CRP were tightly linked: (t1) low impact of disease; (t2) moderate impact; (t3) high impact with major improvement; (t4) high impact with some improvement; (t5) very high impact. Profiling revealed, for example, that (t1) was characterised by male gender and Human Leucocyte Antigen B27 positivity; (t3) by younger age, shorter symptom duration and biological intake and (t5) by the highest proportion of females. Conclusions We identified five bivariate trajectories of HRQoL and disease activity demonstrating a clear mutual relationship. The profiles revealed that both individual-related and disease-related features define the type of disease course in respect to HRQoL and disease activity in axSpA. This may provide clinicians insight into the differences among patients and help in the management of the disease.".
• 01GRTW452MX8E579Q6XCSY52E0 abstract "Objective To investigate the occurrence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)-related sick leave (SL) over 6 12 years and explore factors predicting first and recurrent SL. Methods Data from employed patients from the Outcome in Ankylosing Spondylitis International Study were used. At each visit, patients indicated the occurrence of SL (yes/no) in the previous inter-assessment period. Cox regressions predicted a first episode of SL. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) explored the association between SL and (time-lagged) predictors. To investigate whether SL predicts new SL, SL in the first year was included as covariate in a separate analysis. Results 139 patients (76% males, mean (SD) age 38.7 (10.0) years) were at risk for SL for an average period of 7.9 years, of whom 88 (63%) reported any SL. In both the Cox baseline predictors model (HR (95% CI)) and the time-varying GEE models (OR (95% CI)), AS Disease Activity Score (1.67, 1.23 to 2.28 (HR); 1.48, 1.07 to 2.03 (OR)); Bath AS Disease Activity Index (1.33, 1.18 to 1.51 (HR); 1.31, 1.15 to 1.49 (OR)), Bath AS Functional Index (1.17, 1.02 to 1.34 (HR); 1.31, 1.16 to 1.47 (OR)) and comorbidity at baseline (GEE only, 1.52, 1.00 to 2.29 (OR)) were associated with SL in separate models, but only in patients with low educational attainment. SL in the first year was an independent predictor of SL over time (OR: 2.62 to 8.37 in different models, all p<0.05). Conclusion Disease activity and physical function predicted first and recurrent SL, but only in patients with low educational attainment. Prior SL results in future SL, and SL should therefore be a signal for support to prevent future adverse work outcome.".
• 01GRTW5Q02G2TNGXGY6J1RFFBE abstract "A large experimental campaign and its analysis are presented with the main goal to experimentally investigate possibly significant influence factors on concrete edge breakout, tested on bonded anchors that are loaded in shear towards a free edge. The main investigated influence factors are (i) the used coarse aggregate type, and (ii) the concrete age. Three normal strength concretes with different coarse aggregate type (quartz, limestone, and basalt) were cast and tested at two different ages-28 and 70 days. The experimental investigation comprised material characterization tests performed on aggregates and concretes, and structural tests, that is, quasi-static shear tests on installed anchors for three edge distances. The concrete failure surfaces were measured by means of photogrammetry in order to detect variations in cone size and shape dependent on coarse aggregate type and concrete age. The analysis based on the available data, normalizing with compressive strength obtained at the age of the anchor tests, reveals only a minor aggregate effect for the two larger investigated edge distances. Additionally, present differences between concretes are found to be smaller than those between different ages of the same concrete.".
• 01GRTWBYC0K6WYC0KJYA13R6P1 abstract "In cold climates, concrete structures suffer from freezing and thawing (FT) effects with de-icing salts used to melt the ice on the roads. Optimization of the mix design could help to minimize its impact, but it cannot be that helpful after crack formation. Cracks are pathways for aggressive substances and allow water expansion during the freezing period, creating microcracks throughout the concrete. Self-healing concrete might contribute to mitigating the damage in these extreme conditions. However, the healing agent must resist the freeze-thaw cycles and prevent chloride ingress. Three healing agents were manually injected into cracks: polyurethane (PU), water repellent agent (WRA) and sodium silicate solution (SS). A capillary water absorption test was performed to quantify their sealing efficiency. The weight of the scaled material and the chloride ingress were used to assess the damage caused by 56 days of FT cycles. The WRA reduced the water uptake by 66%, the SS by 33% and the PU by 27%. The samples treated with WRA showed less scaling and samples treated with SS and PU showed similar performance. In contrast, the reference concrete had released the most scaled material. After FT, PU showed the best performance to prevent chloride ingress into the crack.".
• 01GRTWCBAZ6NC2BVCDVKK8EG3V abstract "Most people who have nonspecific chronic spinal pain (nCSP) report comorbid insomnia. However, in current treatment strategies for nCSP, insomnia is usually not addressed. Considering the bidirectional interaction between pain and sleep and its underlying psychophysiological mechanisms, insomnia may increase the risk of developing adverse physical and psychological health outcomes and should thus no longer be left untreated. As suggested by previous pilot studies, adding cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia to the contemporary evidence-based biopsychosocial physical therapy approach may also improve pain outcomes in nCSP. This manuscript aims to provide practical guidelines on hybrid physical therapy, including the combination of the following components: (1) pain neuroscience education (eg, to reconceptualize pain) and cognition-targeted exercise therapy (eg, graded exposure to functional daily life movements), and (2) cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (sleep psychoeducation, behavioral and cognitive therapy, correction of sleep hygiene, and relaxation therapy) can be deployed for the management of patients who have chronic spinal pain. Impact. Due to the major impact sleep disturbances have on pain and disability, insomnia as a comorbidity should no longer be ignored when treating patients with chronic spinal pain.".
• 01GRTWD51JDPHTMKZ524BKE44P abstract "Background: Although correction of ankle and hindfoot deformity after supramalleolar osteotomy has been investigated extensively, the specific effect on the subtalar joint alignment remains elusive. This can be attributed to the limitations of 2-dimensional measurements, which impede an exact quantification of the 3-dimensional subtalar joint alignment. Therefore, we determined both the ankle, hindfoot, and subtalar joint alignment before and after supramalleolar osteotomy using autogenerated 3-dimensional measurements based on weightbearing CT imaging. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with a mean age of 50.4 +/- 10.6 years were retrospectively analyzed in a pre-post study design using weightbearing CT. Inclusion criteria were correction of ankle varus deformity by an opening wedge (n = 22) or dome osteotomy (n = 7). Exclusion criteria consisted of an additional inframalleolar arthrodesis or osteotomy. Corresponding 3-dimensional bone models were reconstructed to compute following autogenerated measurements of the ankle- and hindfoot alignment: tibial anterior surface (TAS), tibiotalar surface (TTS), talar tilt (TT) angle, hindfoot angle (HA). In addition, the talocalcaneal angle (TCA) in the axial (TCA(ax)), sagittal (TCA(sag)), and coronal (TCA(cor)) plane were measured to assess the subtalar joint alignment. Results: The preoperative radiographic parameters of the ankle joint alignment (TAS=88 +/- 4 degrees, TTS=82 +/- 7 degrees, TT=5.8 +/- 4.9 degrees) improved significantly relative to their postoperative equivalents (TAS = 93 +/- 5 degrees, TTS = 88 +/- 7 degrees, TT=4.2 +/- 4.5 degrees; P < .05). The following radiographic parameters of the hindfoot and subtalar joint alignment improved significantly from preoperatively (8.7 +/- 8.9 degrees, TCA(ax) = 41 +/- 10 degrees, TCA(sag) = 48 +/- 10 degrees) to postoperatively (HA=4.5 +/- 8.6 degrees, TCA(ax) = 38 +/- 9 degrees, TCA(sag) = 44 +/- 11 degrees; P < .05). No significant differences could be detected in the coronal plane alignment of the subtalar joint (TCA(cor)) pre- compared to postoperatively (P > .05). Conclusion: This study quantified the 3-dimensional ankle, hindfoot, and subtalar joint alignment after a solitary supramalleolar osteotomy. We found alterations in the subtalar joint alignment, which occurred by 2 to 3 degrees in each anatomic plane. However, before recommendations can be given related to inframalleolar procedures in conjunction to supramalleolar osteotomies, further studies on the variation of subtalar joint alignment change are needed.".
• 01GRTWH8AGACK1Z7J3ZM5RSBJ5 abstract "Thermosetting polymers are used in building materials, for example adhesives in fastening systems. They harden in environmental conditions with a daily temperature depending on the season and location. This curing process takes hours or even days effected by the relatively low ambient temperature necessary for a fast and complete curing. As material properties depend on the degree of cure, its accurate estimation is of paramount interest and the main objective in this work. Thus, we develop an approach for modeling the curing process for epoxy based thermosetting polymers. Specifically, we perform experiments and demonstrate an inverse analysis for determining parameters in the curing model. By using calorimetry measurements and implementing an inverse analysis algorithm by using open-source packages, we obtain 10 material parameters describing the curing process. We present the methodology for two commercial, epoxy based products, where a statistical analysis provides independence of material parameters leading to the conclusion that the material equation is adequately describing the material response.".
• 01GRTWKBNYH2ZTZFD74NAQZRT3 abstract "Flatfoot deformity is a prevalent hind- and midfoot disorder. Given its complexity, single-plane radiological measurements omit case-specific joint interaction and bone shape variations. Three-dimensional medical imaging assessment using statistical shape models provides a complete approach in characterizing bone shape variations unique to flatfoot condition. This study used statistical shape models to define specific bone shape variations of the subtalar, talonavicular, and calcaneocuboid joints that characterize flatfoot deformity, that differentiate them from healthy controls. Bones of the aforementioned joints were segmented from computed tomography scans of 40 feet. The three-dimensional hindfoot alignment angle categorized the population into 18 flatfoot subjects (>= 7 degrees valgus) and 22 controls. Statistical shape models for each joint were defined using the entire study cohort. For each joint, an average weighted shape parameter was calculated for each mode of variation, and then compared between flatfoot and controls. Significance was set at p < 0.05, with values between 0.05 <= p < 0.1 considered trending towards significance. The flatfoot population showed a more adducted talar head, inferiorly inclined talar neck, and posteriorly orientated medial subtalar articulation compare to controls, coupled with more navicular eversion, shallower navicular cup, and more prominent navicular tuberosity. The calcaneocuboid joint presented trends of a more adducted calcaneus, more abducted cuboid, narrower calcaneal roof, and less prominent cuboid beak compared to controls. Statistical shape model analysis identified unique shape variations which may enhance understanding and computer-aided models of the intricacies of flatfoot, leading to better diagnosis and, ultimately, surgical treatment.".
• 01GRTWP1C0Z9W97K3ZEP4PH95M abstract "Objective Inflammatory back pain (IBP), the key symptom of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), including ankylosing spondylitis, has been proposed as a screening test for patients presenting with chronic back pain in primary care. The diagnostic accuracy of IBP in the rheumatology setting is unknown. Methods Six rheumatology centres, representing secondary and tertiary rheumatology care, included routinely referred patients with consecutive chronic back pain with suspicion of axSpA. IBP (diagnostic test) was assessed in each centre by an independent (blinded) rheumatologist; a second (unblinded) rheumatologist made the diagnosis (axSpA or no-axSpA), which served as reference standard. Results Of 461 routinely referred patients, 403 received a final diagnosis. IBP was present in 67.3%, and 44.6% (180/403) were diagnosed as axSpA. The sensitivity of IBP according to various definitions (global judgement, Calin, Berlin, Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society criteria for IBP) was 74.4%-81.1% and comparable to published figures, whereas the specificity was unexpectedly low (25.1%-43.9%). The resulting positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were 1.1-1.4 and without major differences between sets of IBP criteria. The presence of IBP according to various definitions increased the probability of axSpA by 2.5%-8.4% only (from 44.6% to 47.1%-53.0%). Conclusions The diagnostic utility of IBP in the rheumatology setting was smaller than expected. However, this was counterbalanced by a high prevalence of IBP among referred patients, demonstrating the effective usage of IBP in primary care as selection parameter for referral to rheumatology. Notably, this study illustrates potential shifts in specificity and LR+ of diagnostic tests if these tests are used to select patients for referral.".
• 01GRTWP63R1EE40N6V3VPP6R68 abstract "The stability of slender columns is a topic that has been dealt with in research and practice for many years. The importance of this topic also increases with the possibility of using non-linear modeling approaches to determine the stability and with the increasingly complex safety formats. In order to show the complexity and the variability associated with the non-linear models, two previous contributions discussed and compared (a) the results of the Round Robin Non-Linear Modeling, and (b) the existing international associated standard specifications and safety concepts with respect to experimental results. The aim herein is to determine the reliability level (safety index) on the basis of these investigations and findings and to examine the existing safety formats of classical and extended probabilistic analyses and to derive any necessary adjustments. In addition, the method of the safety format Estimation of Coefficient of Variance of resistance (ECOV) is used for the determination of the global safety resistance factors based on the non-linear analyses' findings of the Round Robin modeling partners.".
• 01GRTWQMP54XB5MC86ZAA2J3WE abstract "Background: Pressure injuries are a major problem in critically ill patients, but both students' and intensive care nurses' knowledge about these injuries leaves room for improvement. As no knowledge test is currently available that focuses on pressure injuries in adult intensive care patients, we aimed to develop such tool, establish the content validity, and perform item analysis using Classical test theory.Methods: Test development followed established multiple-choice question-writing guidelines. Content validation used a Delphi procedure including eight international experts. Item analysis (question difficulty and discrimi-nation power, and quality of the distractors) was based on the test results of a convenience sample who completed the test online, based on ready knowledge.Results: Four Delphi validation rounds resulted in a 24-item multiple-choice test within seven categories: Epidemiology, Aetiology, Prevention, Classification, Risk factors and risk assessment, Wound care, and Skin care. The content validity index was 0.96. The median score of 12 students and 38 qualified nurses was 12.5/24 (interquartile range 11-14.25; range 4-17; 52%). Least correct answers were in the categories Classification and Wound care. Item analysis revealed several knowledge gaps and misconceptions. Conclusions: The test has excellent content validity. The sample's overall score was low. Item analysis identified various training needs. Future users are recommended to further validate the test and establish its reliability, and to tailor it to their individual context and evaluation requirements.".
• 01GRTWT6NP9Q0H9QE203NDGHDM abstract "Evolution of creep and shrinkage models for concrete structures in Austria and Germany - Evaluation of the current models regarding the sensitivity of the input parameter Concrete is one of the most important materials in civil engineering structures and finds its application in the building of bridges, ground engineering and building construction. As widely known, concrete is a material which changes its behavior with time in dependency of the environmental conditions. Especially the long-term deformations caused by creep and shrinkage processes are of great interest regarding the durability and sustainability of infrastructures. Early versions of design codes gave some guidelines on how to treat deformations caused by these sources. In the beginning, these deformations were taken into account by an additional temperature drop. The first sophisticated approaches on how to deal with these long-term processes were published in the standards for prestressed concrete structures. These early models were updated and improved to today's prevailing documents such as the Eurocode 2 and the fib Model Code. The first part of this paper gives an overview of the historical development of creep and shrinkage models in Austria and Germany until today's guidelines. The second part presents a sensitivity study of the current models regarding the input parameters for some given scenarios. Lastly, the differences between the models are highlighted based on an application example taken from literature.".
• 01GRTWWN4B4BF727K0YY7TXZ9H abstract "Background: Current evidence supports the use of pain neuroscience education (PNE) in several chronic pain populations. However, the effects of PNE at group level are rather small and little is known about the influence of personal factors (e.g. level of education [LoE]). Objective: To examine whether the effectiveness of PNE differs in chronic spinal pain (CSP) patients with high LOE (at least a Bachelor's degree) versus lower educated patients. Method: A total of 120 Belgian CSP patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (PNE) or control group (biomedical-focused neck/back school). Participants within each group were further subcategorized based on highest achieved LoE. ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc analyses were used to evaluate differences in effectiveness of the interventions between higher and lower educated participants. Results: No differences between higher and lower educated participants were identified for pain-related disability. Significant interactions (P < .05) were found for kinesiophobia and several illness perceptions components. Bonferroni post-hoc analysis revealed a significant improvement in kinesiophobia (P < .001 and P < .002, medium effect sizes) and perceived negative consequences (P < .001 and P < .008, small effect sizes) in the PNE groups. Only the higher education PNE group showed a significant improvement in perceived illness cyclicity (P = .003, small effect size). Post-treatment kinesiophobia was significant lower in the higher educated PNE group compared to the higher educated control group (p < .001). Conclusion: Overall, the exploratory findings suggest no clinical meaningful differences in effectiveness of PNE between higher and lower educated people. PNE is effective in improving kinesiophobia and several aspects of illness perceptions regardless of LoE.".
• 01GRTWWZ9601V84EMPR5FCEA66 abstract "The safe design of fastening systems, especially considering the multi-decade performance, relies on a thorough understanding of mechanisms and processes that lead to excessive deformations or even failure in course of time. According to current design guidelines and standards, adhesive anchor system are designed based on the uniform bond model. The uniform bond model is a generally good approximation of the real stress distribution during short-term testing and for loads close to the pull-out capacity of the system. However, both concrete and adhesive mortar are characterized by pronounced time-dependent deformation, especially at elevated temperatures. Thus, noteworthy shear stress redistributions are expected due to creep in course of a structure's life-time. Depending on the level of stress redistributions potentially critical stress levels may be reached locally, triggering progressive failure. Therefore, it is quintessential to understand bond stress redistribution phenomena in adhesive anchor systems under sustained load. Unfortunately, it is experimentally impossible to decouple the intertwined effects of concrete and adhesive creep. Thus, in this study a numerical approach is adopted. The response of concrete is modeled by a discrete meso-scale damage model in combination with the micro-prestress solidification theory coupled to a hygro-thermal chemical analysis while the adhesive layer is represented by a visco-elastic shear stress-slip law. After separate calibration of concrete creep and creep of the visco-elastic interface the obtained model is validated on independent experimental data on anchor systems. Finally, the established computational framework is utilized to virtually isolate concrete creep, adhesive creep and study their mutual interaction. Results show strong antagonistic redistribution mechanisms driven by concrete and adhesive creep with varying dominance depending on the investigated time-scale.".
• 01GRTX2XCD447JJTC322YAXR51 abstract "In earlier research it was found that the fracture energy can be obtained from incomplete load-opening curves utilizing Sequentially Linear Analysis (SLA) (Czernuschka et al., 2018; Vorel et al., 2019). This method has the advantage that the traction-separation diagram (TS) becomes accessible without prior assumptions concerning its shape, which is an important feature for the evaluation of the fracture behavior. This contribution employs the introduced SLA to study the evolution of fracture properties with age based on notched three-point bending tests. The results confirm that the TS-diagrams can be approximated by a bilinear or trilinear softening law. Furthermore, the tensile characteristic length, as defined by Hillerborg et al. (1976), is chosen for the description of aging fracture properties.".

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