Matches in Ghent University Academic Bibliography for { ?s <http://schema.org/abstract> ?o. }
- 01GS56Y7NK74YQS5YQ1QSNNPSJ abstract "Accessible Summary What is known on the subject Internationally, research and policy agendas recommend that family caregivers of service users in mental health care be involved in care and treatment, to support the service user's recovery process. Family caregivers of service users in mental health care are often highly burdened. There is a lack of research-based knowledge about the experiences of family caregivers of service users in forensic mental health care (FMHC) and their involvement in care and treatment. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study indicates a persistent caregiver presence and/or caregiver advocacy in regard to care and treatment of the service user in FMHC. This study indicates that health care professionals (HCPs) might play a role in eliciting a persistent caregiver presence and/or caregiver advocacy. What are the implications for practice HCPs need to develop their collaborative skills and be more willing to listen to and understand caregivers' persistent presence and/or advocacy. HCPs need to be more skilled to understand caregivers' and families' living with the complexities of mental illness and offence. HCPs are encouraged to adjust the involvement of family caregivers in care and treatment to FMHC. IntroductionThere is a lack of research about experiences of family caregivers of service users in forensic mental health care (FMHC) and their involvement in care and treatment. Research shows that caregivers are burdened. Further knowledge is required, to provide a foundation for improving clinical practice. AimTo review research literature, to investigate existing knowledge about caregiver experiences and, secondly, caregivers' experiences of facilitators and barriers related to their involvement in care and treatment. MethodQualitative evidence synthesis undertaken in a thematic synthesis of thirteen peer-reviewed studies. ResultsThe analysis identified three descriptive themes: violence against family; a great burden of responsibility; and difficult collaboration, together with an additional three analytical themes: bearing witness; persistent presence; and advocacy becomes necessary. DiscussionPersistent caregiver presence and/or caregiver advocacy may be elicited by health care professionals' (HCPs') exclusion of caregivers from care and treatment. Caregivers' feelings of guilt in relation to the service user's offence may play an additional role in persistent presence and advocacy and, therefore, in HCPs' exclusion of them. Implications for PracticeHCPs need to develop their collaboration with caregivers by their willingness to listen to caregivers to understand emotional complexities within families experiencing mental illness and offence.".
- 01GS5706MF4PQWQA5X99SAWJJQ abstract "Sensor-based behavioral detection and classification can improve dog health and welfare. Since continuous monitoring is required, an energy-efficient solution is needed. The number of logging axes, sampling rate, and selected features of accelerometer data not only have a significant impact on classification accuracy in activity recognition but also on the sensor's energy needs. Three models are designed for detecting dog's activities namely, a Random Forest classifier (RF), a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a hybrid CNN, i.e. a CNN fused with statistical features that retain knowledge about the global time series form. The models are validated using an experimental dataset consisting of six different dogs performing in eight different activities i.e. lying, sitting, standing, walking, running, sprinting, eating and drinking. The results indicate that using neck and chest accelerometer data sampled at 10 Hz is sufficient for high overall classification accuracies (96.44%) for the three models. The hybrid CNN is capable of excellent performance, detecting nearly 97.87% of the behaviours at 10 Hz with a class accuracy of 80 % or higher.".
- 01GS59EJ0NVRBNXZNY3G52WERN abstract "3D printing is offering a totally new construction method, but an in depth understanding of the consequences of the different production conditions compared to traditional formwork-based casting operations is required. Bulk material properties (intrinsic strength and durability) will follow the same fundamental material laws. However, in printed structures, the role of the interfaces will become increasingly important as they affect the mechanical performance, transport properties and durability behavior. Additionally, the anisotropic nature of 3D printed structures implies that there are new opportunities to develop new methods of analysis. The aim of this chapter is to focus on the current practices for performance testing and to give an overview of the parameters which affect the hardened properties of a printed cementitious material.".
- 01GS5AZ4VMJA233E8J2QPQWDBF abstract "In this chapter, we present the use of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in experiments designed to study the evolutionary impacts of whole genome duplication. We shortly introduce the algal species and depict why it is an excellent model for experimental evolution. Subsequently, we discuss the most relevant steps and methods in the design of a ploidy-related Chlamydomonas experiment. These steps include strain selection, ploidy determination, different methods of making diplo- and polyploid Chlamydomonas cells, replication, culturing conditions, preservation, and the ways to quantify phenotypic and genotypic change.".
- 01GS5B0ZZA5JX9TYSWK4DPQ700 abstract "Visible light positioning (VLP) systems have experienced substantial revolutionary progress over the past year because they can offer great positioning accuracy without needing any additional infrastructure, as conventional radio-frequency (RF)-based systems. Received signal strength (RSS)-based VLP systems are a promising approach to many indoor positioning estimation problems, but still suffer from difficulty in providing high accuracy and reliability. A potential solution to these challenges is to combine VLP systems, and machine learning (ML) approaches to enhance the position prediction accuracy in two-dimensional (2-D) spaces, or more complex problems. In this paper, we propose a ML approach to accurately predict the 2-D indoor position of a mobile receiver (eg. an automated guided vehicles-AGV), based on the measured RSS values of 4 photodiodes (PDs) forming a star architecture. We examine and evaluate the performance of different ML learners applied to the above-described problem. The proposed ML and Neural Network (NN) methods exhibit great accuracy results in predicting the 2-D coordinates of a PD-based receiver.".
- 01GS5BAEB46G2SM3DVGC2NREZX abstract "Internet of Animal Health Things is an upcoming domain in both professional and domestic fields related to animal welfare monitoring including dairy cows, racehorses and domestic dogs. Wireless Body Area Networks represent a large allotment in the realization of these applications. Characterization of the path loss between on-body nodes in various surroundings is required when deploying such network. In this paper, the path loss between various on-body transmitting sensors and an on-body receiver is investigated at 2.45 GHz. Simulations using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method are performed using a representative, homogeneous canine model on which two half-wavelength dipoles are placed at short distance from the body of the dog. Several combinations of transmitter and receiver locations and orientations are explored and for each transmitter location, the orientation and receiver location resulting in minimal path loss is determined. All path loss results are fitted to a log-normal path loss model with path loss exponent n ranging from 2.7 to 3.5. A link budget is composed with the wireless technologies ZigBee. The battery lifetime for several modules is determined. The ZigBee device XB24CAPIT-001 assures 237 days without recharging when using a battery capacity of 5000 mAh with an awake time period of 25%.".
- 01GS5BC3NDZSX14K21DSXP796P abstract "Multiple surveys have suggested that transgender individuals show lower sexual well-being than cisgender individuals. Most studies, however, are limited in terms of ecological validity and memory bias and cross-sectional in nature. These issues are less prevalent in diary studies monitoring responses over time at home. For three weeks, 47 transgender (M age = 29.00, SD = 11.62) and 52 cisgender individuals (M age = 32.90, SD = 11.44) reported daily on their sexual behavior, sexual esteem and body image. Using multilevel model analyses, we investigated the daily associations between these variables, and addressed differences between transgender and cisgender individuals. We found that in transgender individuals, intimacy predicted sexual esteem; sexual openness predicted sexual esteem and body image; and sexual esteem predicts intimacy, masturbation, and sexual openness on the daily level. While transgender individuals scored lower on daily sexual esteem and body image than cisgender individuals, groups did not differ in daily sexual behavior. They also did not differ in any of the predictive relations described above, but we did find that the association between masturbation and body image was moderated by a cisgender identity, and sexual esteem predicted sexual activity more positively in cisgender compared to transgender individuals. These results complement findings from cross-sectional studies and indicate how transgender individuals struggling with sexuality can increase sexual openness. Implications for clinical practice are that clinicians discussing sexuality with their transgender patients should not define sexual activity too narrowly, and that sexual esteem might be a relevant factor in determining sexual behavior.".
- 01GS5BE0RXYBFDVHGC13Q85CPS abstract "Phytomanagement is a concept fit for a bio-based circular economy that combines phytotechnologies and biomass production for non-food purposes. Here, ten annual and perennial industrial non-food crops (Sorghum Biomass 133, Sorghum Santa Fe red, Linum usitatissimum L., Eucalyptus sp., Salix Inger, Salix Tordis, Beta vulgaris L., Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth., Malva sylvestris L., and Chenopodium album L.) were studied under field conditions for phytomanaging a metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn)-contaminated dredged sediment in the North of France. The crops were selected according to their relevance to pedoclimatic and future climatic conditions, and one or more non-food end-products were proposed for each plant part collected, such as biogas, bioethanol, compost, natural dye, ecocatalyst, and fiber. Based on the soil-plant transfer of metals, eight out of the crops cultivated on field plots exhibited an excluder behavior (bioconcentration factor, BCF < 1), a trait suitable for phytostabilization. However, these crops did not change the metal mobilities in the dredged sediment. The BCF < 1 was not sufficient to characterize the excluder behavior of crops as this factor depended on the total dredged-sediment contaminant. Therefore, a BCF group ranking method was proposed accounting for metal phytotoxicity levels or yield decrease as a complemental way to discuss the crop behavior. The feasibility of the biomass-processing chains was discussed based on these results and according to a survey of available legislation in standard and scientific literature.".
- 01GS5BF5XF60149B5BW6WQ0SW4 abstract "Whole-genome sequence data have revealed that numerous eukaryotic organisms derive from distant polyploid ancestors, even when these same organisms are genetically and karyotypically diploid. Such ancient whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have been important for long-term genome evolution and are often speculatively associated with important evolutionary events such as key innovations, adaptive radiations, or survival after mass extinctions. Clearly, reliable methods for unveiling ancient WGDs are key toward furthering understanding of the long-term evolutionary significance of polyploidy. In this chapter, we describe a set of basic established comparative genomics approaches for the inference of ancient WGDs from genomic data based on empirical age distributions and collinearity analyses, explain the principles on which they are based, and illustrate a basic workflow using the software “wgd,” geared toward a typical exploratory analysis of a newly obtained genome sequence.".
- 01GS5BJ5JAW72EM2S3N9ESVYMY abstract "Polyploidizations, or whole-genome duplications (WGDs), in plants have increased biological complexity, facilitated evolutionary innovation, and likely enabled adaptation under harsh conditions. Besides genomic data, transcriptome data have been widely employed to detect WGDs, due to their efficient accessibility to the gene space of a species. Age distributions based on synonymous substitutions (so-called KS age distributions) for paralogs assembled from transcriptome data have identified numerous WGDs in plants, paving the way for further studies on the importance of WGDs for the evolution of seed and flowering plants. However, it is still unclear how transcriptome-based age distributions compare to those based on genomic data. In this chapter, we implemented three different de novo transcriptome assembly pipelines with two popular assemblers, i.e., Trinity and SOAPdenovo-Trans. We selected six plant species with published genomes and transcriptomes to evaluate how assembled transcripts from different pipelines perform when using KS distributions to detect previously documented WGDs in the six species. Further, using genes predicted in each genome as references, we evaluated the effects of missing genes, gene family clustering, and de novo assembled transcripts on the transcriptome-based KS distributions. Our results show that, although the transcriptome-based KS distributions differ from the genome-based ones with respect to their shapes and scales, they are still reasonably reliable for unveiling WGDs, except in species where most duplicates originated from a recent WGD. We also discuss how to overcome some possible pitfalls when using transcriptome data to identify WGDs.".
- 01GS5C5ZGSPH25ZCHZ5GAVFAZ1 abstract "Future vehicles will be increasingly connected to enable new applications and improve safety, traffic efficiency and comfort, through the use of several wireless access technologies, ranging from vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity to automotive radar sensing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for intra-car wireless sensor networks. These technologies span the radiofrequency (RF) range, from a few hundred MHz as in intra-car network of sensors to hundreds of GHz as in automotive radars used for in-vehicle occupant detection and advanced driver assistance systems. Vehicle occupants and road users in the vicinity of the connected vehicle are thus daily immersed in a multi-source and multi-band electromagnetic field (EMF) generated by such technologies. This paper is the first comprehensive and specific survey about EMF exposure generated by the whole ensemble of connectivity technologies in cars. For each technology we describe the main characteristics, relevant standards, the application domain, and the typical deployment in modern cars. We then extensively describe the EMF exposure scenarios resulting from such technologies by resuming and comparing the outcomes from past studies on the exposure in the car. Results from past studies suggested that in no case EMF exposure was above the safe limits for the general population. Finally, open challenges for a more realistic characterization of the EMF exposure scenario in the connected car are discussed.".
- 01GS5CNW9T53NJMYX86CSB5GHA abstract "The Cambridge Companion to Comics presents comics as a multifaceted prism, generating productive and insightful dialogues with the most salient issues concerning the humanities at large. This volume provides readers with the histories and theories necessary for studying comics. It consists of three sections: Forms maps the most significant comics forms, including material formats and techniques. Readings brings together a selection of tools to equip readers with a critical understanding of comics. Uses examines the roles accorded to comics in museums, galleries, and education. Chapters explore comics through several key aspects, including drawing, serialities, adaptation, transmedia storytelling, issues of stereotyping and representation, and the lives of comics in institutional and social settings. This volume emphasizes the relationship between comics and other media and modes of expression. It offers close readings of vital works, covering more than a century of comics production and extending across visual, literary and cultural disciplines.".
- 01GS5DMJM01K3FEKE2ZRWER316 abstract "Many scholars accept that the principle of neutrality is to a large extent a fictional concept. They often propose different variations that would better realize its prescribed aim of equality. In this contribution, we argue that state agents in general, and judges in particular, cannot be 'neutral' as they are not abstract entities. They do not enter the judiciary with a clean slate but as persons subjected to a myriad of formative experiences, connected to their worldview, gender, nationality, socio-economic background, and so on. Thus, the fiction of neutrality of the State is inevitably linked with a lack of transparency: not showing religious, atheist, or agnostic as well as political convictions is not the same as not having them. An alternative model would be to emphasize transparency, but simultaneously strive for diversity of different convictions represented on the Bench. Such a system would prompt self-conscious reflection on the role of worldviews in the judging process. It would, however, create new dilemmas as it would be impossible to reach an adequate equilibrium and thus undermine the confidence in the judiciary.".
- 01GS5DNW8C8X93XK4N36T1YCJ6 abstract "Objective: To investigate the association of estimated all-day and evening whole-brain radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) doses with sleep disturbances and objective sleep measures in preadolescents. Methods: We included preadolescents aged 9-12 years from two population-based birth cohorts, the Dutch Generation R Study (n = 974) and the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project (n = 868). All-day and evening overall whole-brain RF-EMF doses (mJ/kg/day) were estimated for several RF-EMF sources including mobile and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) phone calls (named phone calls), other mobile phone uses, tablet use, laptop use (named screen activities), and far-field sources. We also estimated all-day and evening whole-brain RF-EMF doses in these three groups separately (i.e. phone calls, screen activities, and far-field). The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children was completed by mothers to assess sleep disturbances. Wrist accelerometers together with sleep diaries were used to measure sleep characteristics objectively for 7 consecutive days. Results: All-day whole-brain RF-EMF doses were not associated with self-reported sleep disturbances and objective sleep measures. Regarding evening doses, preadolescents with high evening whole-brain RF-EMF dose from phone calls had a shorter total sleep time compared to preadolescents with zero evening whole-brain RF-EMF dose from phone calls [-11.9 min (95%CI -21.2; -2.5)]. Conclusions: Our findings suggest the evening as a potentially relevant window of RF-EMF exposure for sleep. However, we cannot exclude that observed associations are due to the activities or reasons motivating the phone calls rather than the RF-EMF exposure itself or due to chance finding.".
- 01GS5DQ231WCNNQA2WJ0E290T8 abstract "In this chapter, we present the use of Spirodela polyrhiza in experiments designed to study the evolutionary impact of whole-genome duplication (WGD). We shortly introduce this duckweed species and explain why it is a suitable model for experimental evolution. Subsequently, we discuss the most relevant steps and methods in the design of a ploidy-related duckweed experiment. These steps include strain selection, ploidy determination, different methods of making polyploid duckweeds, replication, culturing conditions, preservation, and the ways to quantify phenotypic and transcriptomic change.".
- 01GS5DVGDD2XEHG9M6RJD1CWTH abstract "BackgroundSince non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) do not require coagulation monitoring, concerns of lower adherence and persistence to NOACs than vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been raised. Moreover, little is known on the frequency of permanent cessation and switching between anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Therefore, persistence, reinitiation, switching and adherence to oral anticoagulants (OACs) were investigated. Materials and methodsAF patients with a first OAC prescription claim between 2013 and 2019 were identified in Belgian nationwide data. Persistence, reinitiation and switching were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Adherence was investigated using the proportion of days covered (PDC). Predictors for non-adherence and non-persistence were identified by multivariable logistic regression. ResultsAmong 277,782 AF patients, 69.6% NOAC and 37.2% VKA users were persistent after 1 year, whereas 44.3% and 18.9% after 5 years, respectively. After one year, 67.1% rivaroxaban, 68.1% dabigatran, 69.8% apixaban, and 76.9% edoxaban users were persistent. Among subjects having discontinued NOAC or VKA treatment, 75.4% and 46.1% reinitiated any OAC within 5 years, respectively. VKAs were more frequently switched to NOACs than vice versa (17.6% versus 2.5% after 1 year). After 1 year, a high PDC (>= 90%) was observed in 87.8% apixaban, 88.6% dabigatran, 91.3% rivaroxaban, and 94.7% edoxaban users (90.2% NOAC users). Adherence and persistence were higher in older, female subjects, while lower in subjects with dementia or hyperpolypharmacy. ConclusionAdherence and persistence to NOACs were high. However, 10% of subjects were non-adherent after 1 year and one-fourth did not reinitiate anticoagulation within 5 years after NOAC discontinuation.".
- 01GS5DVGDNX9R7JPXMQVCXSFE8 abstract "Wastewater-based surveillance was conducted by the national public health authority to monitor SARS-CoV-2 circulation in the Belgian population. Over 5 million inhabitants representing 45% of the Belgian population were monitored throughout 42 wastewater treatment plants for 15 months comprising three major virus waves. During the entire period, a high correlation was observed between the daily new COVID-19 cases and the SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater corrected for rain impact and covered population size. Three alerting indicators were included in the weekly epidemiological assessment: High Circulation, Fast Increase, and Increasing Trend. These indicators were computed on normalized concentrations per individual treatment plant to allow for a comparison with a reference period as well as between analyses performed by distinct laboratories. When the indicators were not corrected for rain impact, rainy events caused an underestimation of the indicators. Despite this negative impact, the indicators permitted us to effectively monitor the evolution of the fourth virus wave and were considered complementary and valuable information to conventional epidemiological indicators in the weekly wastewater reports communicated to the National Risk Assessment Group.".
- 01GS5EA7FVS5H6V3JV701W9FT0 abstract "Every year, for ten years now, the IPIN competition has aimed at evaluating real-world indoor localisation systems by testing them in a realistic environment, with realistic movement, using the EvAAL framework. The competition provided a unique overview of the state-of-the-art of systems, technologies, and methods for indoor positioning and navigation purposes. Through fair comparison of the performance achieved by each system, the competition was able to identify the most promising approaches and to pinpoint the most critical working conditions. In 2020, the competition included 5 diverse off-site off-site Tracks, each resembling real use cases and challenges for indoor positioning. The results in terms of participation and accuracy of the proposed systems have been encouraging. The best performing competitors obtained a third quartile of error of 1 m for the Smartphone Track and 0.5 m for the Foot-mounted IMU Track. While not running on physical systems, but only as algorithms, these results represent impressive achievements.".
- 01GS5EN024AM4VKEXH54KNZ4NC abstract "In the last decade, the transition of digital terrestrial television (DTT) systems from multi-frequency networks (MFNs) to single-frequency networks (SFNs) has become a reality. SFN offers multiple advantages concerning MFN, such as more efficient management of the radioelectric spectrum, homogenizing the network parameters, and a potential SFN gain. However, the transition process can be cumbersome for operators due to the multiple measurement campaigns and required finetuning of the final SFN system to ensure the desired quality of service. To avoid time-consuming field measurements and reduce the costs associated with the SFN implementation, this paper aims to predict the performance of an SFN system from the legacy MFN and position data through machine learning (ML) algorithms. It is proposed a ML concatenated structure based on classification and regression to predict SFN electric-field strength, modulation error ratio, and gain. The model's training and test process are performed with a dataset from an SFN/MFN trial in Ghent, Belgium. Multiple algorithms have been tuned and compared to extract the data patterns and select the most accurate algorithms. The best performance to predict the SFN electric-field strength is obtained with a coefficient of determination (R-2) of 0.93, modulation error ratio of 0.98, and SFN gain of 0.89 starting from MFN parameters and position data. The proposed method allows classifying the data points according to positive or negative SFN gain with an accuracy of 0.97.".
- 01GS5F7TZE6M5N631F76MEH5ZZ abstract "The lactating mothers in developing countries like Ethiopia are the first targeted and nutritionally vulnerable groups to under nutrition due to different socio demographic factors which influence the health and well being of mothers and children. During lactation periods, mothers need more nutritious food than the rests of the household members. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status, associated factors and dietary diversity of lactating mothers 15-49 years old in Offa woreda. A cross-sectional community based study was carried out to determine the Chronic Energy deficiency of lactating mothers in the studied woreda. The lactating mothers were randomly selected from four rural and two urban kebeles. A total of 422 households were visited and the required data were collected as scheduled in all selected kebeles. The prevalence of under nutrition among the lactating mothers in the studied area was determined using BMI by Anthropometric measurements and the blood sample test for hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was done using Haemocue methods. The collected data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2 software. Among the participated lactating mothers the values 15.8%, 74.2%, 8.3% and 1.7% were obtained for under weight, normal, over weight and obese in their BMI (kg/m2), respectively. The studied participants of 15.8% were in chronic energy deficiency according to WHO guidelines. The lactating mothers’ percentage value 36.4%, 59.3%, 4.3% were in age group of 15-24, 25-34 and 35-49 years, respectively. The blood test showed that among the lactating mothers 11.4% were found anemic which had got hemoglobin level less than normal level (12g/dl). The daily dietary diversity intake per day of lactating mothers was classified as high (>5 DDS) 1.2%, medium (4-5 DDS) 50.7% and low (<3 DDS) 47.4% among the nine food groups recommended for women dietary diversity score (WDDS). The independent variables: education, family size, marital status and occupation were significantly associated with nutritional status of the lactating mothers at P<0.05. In conclusion the majority of the lactating women in the study area had normal BMI. The researchers would like to recommend that the government and development agencies should focus on the risk factors identified, to ensure better health and nutrition for lactating mothers in this woreda.".
- 01GS5FAJYTXTYVA26P2KHK62V3 abstract "Background: Malnutrition and infection are major barriers to educational access and achievement in low-income countries and also work in conjunction with each other in deteriorating wellness and productivity of school adolescents. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based nutrition education using a peer-led approach, health promotion through school media and health clubs. Data were collected at baseline, midline and end line from sampled participants. To account for the effect of time trend, the difference was measured using a repeated measure analysis. Variables that have p≤0.25 in the bivariate analyses were entered into multivariables to determine the independent effect of interventions. Results: There is a significant difference in food variety between food secure and insecure households (p<0.01). A significant improvement of animal source dietary intake was observed among intervention schools (p<0.001) that was significantly associated with an intervention [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.26, confidence interval (CI): 0.16, 0.42], male gender (AOR=0.48, CI: 0.31, 0.73) and household economic status (AOR=1.69, CI: 1.01, 2.84). The control group had high body mass index (BMI) at baseline, but a significant improvement was observed among the intervention schools, which positively associated with male gender (AOR=4.13, CI: 2.38, 7.15) and having a middle-income family (AOR=2.93, CI: 1.92, 6.15). Conclusion: This study showed that by integrating a dietary intervention into school-based activities, there might be significant improvements in dietary intake of primary school adolescents. Therefore, school-based nutrition education programs should be a part of comprehensive school health programs to reach the students and potentially their families.".
- 01GS5HJFFGWAA64NN96VKBBDBR abstract "This paper frames within the study of the use of photographic reproductions in the twentieth-century illustrated art book and focuses on the publication Rubens, Naam- en Jaartaltechniek by Robert Druwé (Drukkerij-Uitgeverij De Bièvre, 1944). This publication was widely distributed in Belgium and is part of the Rubenianum’s library collection. It presents an intriguing case study to examine how photographic reproductions of Rubens' oeuvre are reconfigured into the idiom of the book and how reproductions and details in particular are actively employed to carry an argument and to guide the reader. In this publication, Druwé seeks to demonstrate how Rubens concealed signatures and dates on his paintings and attempts to display formal similarities between two paintings. For this, the author relies on details from photographic reproductions. Not only does Druwé use extreme close-ups to locate this concealed data, but the author also supplements his argument with notes and markings that he himself has added to these details. Some works are zoomed in to the extent that the detail becomes unrecognizable. Of the black king, seen in Rubens’ De Aanbidding door de Koningen (1624), Druwé selects a detail of the king’s face. A page later, the author adds a detail of the king’s left eye in which Rubens' signature would be discernible. Other details are mirrored, turned upside down, and unconventionally framed to carry Druwé’s argument. The details always appear in pairs, with the left- hand detail containing Druwé's compelling annotation. In this sense, the details also seem to follow the logic of the book and of the double page. This paper pays particular attention to the ways in which the (art) book is invoked as a medium. What role do the materiality and structure of the book play? How do image and language interact? Do the selection, framing, and placement of details on the page of the art book generate a shift in meaning?".
- 01GS5KP77CBZQP6EX55VE5CG68 abstract "Language is usually characterized as the most preserved cognitive function during typical aging. Several neuroimaging studies have shown that healthy aging is characterized by inter-network compensation which correlates with better language performance. On the contrary, language deficits occur early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, this study compares young participants, healthy older participants, and prodromal AD participants, to characterize functional connectivity changes in language due to healthy aging or prodromal AD. We first compared measures of integrated local correlations (ILCs) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency oscillations (fALFFs) in language areas. We showed that both groups of older adults had lower connectivity values within frontal language-related areas. In the healthy older group, higher integrated local correlation (ILC) and fALFF values in frontal areas were positively correlated with fluency and naming tasks. We then performed seed-based analyses for more precise discrimination between healthy aging and prodromal AD. Healthy older adults showed no functional alterations at a seed-based level when the seed area was not or only slightly impaired compared to the young adults [i.e., inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)], while prodromal AD participants also showed decreased connectivity at a seed-based level. On the contrary, when the seed area was similarly impaired in healthy older adults and prodromal AD participants on ILC and fALFF measures, their connectivity maps were also similar during seed-to-voxel analyses [i.e., superior frontal gyrus (SFG)]. Current results show that functional connectivity measures at a voxel level (ILC and fALFF) are already impacted in healthy aging. These findings imply that the functional compensations observed in healthy aging depend on the functional integrity of brain areas at a voxel level.".
- 01GS5KPXC6K7XBW0QM644WQTRF abstract "Background: While the importance of sexual pleasure for physical and mental health becomes increasingly evident, research on sexual pleasure in transgender persons is lacking. Recently, the first version of the Amsterdam Sexual Pleasure Index (ASPI Vol. 0.1) was validated in cisgender persons. This questionnaire aims to assess the tendency to experience sexual pleasure independent of gender, sexual orientation or anatomy. Aim: The aims of this study were threefold. First, to perform exploratory scale validation analyses of the ASPI in transgender persons. Secondly, to compare transgender sexual pleasure scores to reference data in cisgender persons. Finally, to identify factors that are associated with sexual pleasure. Methods: In a follow-up study conducted within the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI), online questionnaires were distributed to persons who had a first clinical contact at gender clinics in Amsterdam, Ghent or Hamburg four to six years earlier. Internal consistency of the ASPI was assessed by calculating McDonald's omega (omega(t)). ASPI scores were compared to scores from the cisgender population using a one sample t-test, and linear regressions were conducted to study associations with clinical characteristics, psychological wellbeing, body satisfaction and self-reported happiness. Results: In total, 325 persons filled out the ASPI. The ASPI showed excellent internal consistency (omega(t), all: 0.97; transfeminine: 0.97, transmasculine: 0.97). Compared to data from cisgender persons, transgender participants had significantly lower total ASPI scores (i.e., lower sexual pleasure; transgender vs. cisgender, mean(SD): 4.13(0.94) vs. 4.71(0.61)). Lower age, current happiness and genital body satisfaction were associated with a higher tendency to experience sexual pleasure. Conclusion & discussion: The ASPI can be used to assess the tendency to experience sexual pleasure and associated factors in transgender persons. Future studies are needed to understand interplaying biopsychosocial factors that promote sexual pleasure and hence transgender sexual health and wellbeing.".
- 01GS5KY9J16831RPPZW4R2WCN5 abstract "Disfluencies may reflect various mechanisms: word-finding difficulties, planning strategies, inter-individual cognitive variability, etc. In the current paper, we examined disfluency production in patients with a behavioural variant of Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (bvFTLD), compared to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy older adults. We showed that bvFTLD participants have lower speech rate and produce more incomplete utterances. However, those measures were not correlated with naming and fluency tasks. On the contrary, AD participants did not differ from healthy controls on disfluency production, but discourse measures were correlated with the participants' lexical-semantic impairment. This provides evidence for different causes of disfluency in AD and FTLD, and a distinct role of each disfluency phenomenon.".
- 01GS5P3Q2EGGFRP11QFMM47BFV abstract "Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary metabolites of varied chemical nature that are emitted by living beings and participate in their interactions. In addition, some VOCs called bioactive VOCs cause changes in the metabolism of other living species that share the same environment. In recent years, knowledge on VOCs emitted by Aspergillus flavus, the main species producing aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a highly harmful mycotoxin, has increased. This review presents an overview of all VOCs identified as a result of A. flavus toxigenic (AFB1-producing) and non-toxigenic (non AFB1-producing) strains growth on different substrates, and the factors influencing their emissions. We also included all bioactive VOCs, mixes of VOCs or volatolomes of microbial species that impact A. flavus growth and/or related AFB1 production. The modes of action of VOCs impacting the fungus development are presented. Finally, the potential applications of VOCs as biocontrol agents in the context of mycotoxin control are discussed.".
- 01GS5P46DZGM5YD2W8FACKQ03B abstract "A framework is proposed for long-term vehicular channel simulation based on the vector time-frequency autoregressive (VTFAR) model for a sparse parametric description of nonstationary multivariate random processes. Based on vehicle-to-infrastructure tunnel measurements, we estimate the VTFAR model parameters and validate the model by comparing the parametric and non-parametric spectra of the measured channel in terms of the delay spread and stationarity time. In addition, the VTFAR model stability is investigated and an approximation for the correlated scattering channel is proposed. The experimental validation shows a good agreement with RMSE of only 0.01 for the delay spread and 0.4 for the stationarity time. This approach provides an efficient alternative for non-stationary channel simulation that is measurement-based and computationally inexpensive.".
- 01GS5PDN7P3HH196Q5PFYN7KFD abstract "This volume provides protocols on evidence for polyploidy and how it can be unveiled. Chapters guide readers through evolutionary experiments, measure effects of polyploidy, evidence for (remnants of) ancient WGDs, models of chromosome number evolution, population genomics approaches to study polyploidy, analysing genetic data from polyploid populations, Phylogenetic and phylogenomic methods, gene expression, gene regulation, unicellular alga (Chlamydomonas), and a fast-growing duckweed (Spirodela). Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Polyploidy: Method and Protocols aims to be of interest to experimental and computational (evolutionary) biologists, molecular biologists, and biotechnologists.".
- 01GS5STV7C2G3EQAX5EBAMPPAZ abstract "The sexual lives of trans and gender diverse people (TGD) have historically been over-medicalized and (psycho-)pathologized. Moreover, heteronormative principles often guided transition-related care. People and/or institutions often have the unfounded assumption that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual, and that this combination is superior. This chapter on sexuality aims at informing the (medical) professional of the sexual life of TGD people, in all its diversity and complexity.".
- 01GS5SZ04J93XD6GB1N3SQRTV8 abstract "A new Pentaplacodinium species with six precingular plates is described from Bahia Concepci ' on and Bahia de la Paz, Gulf of California. The non-fossil motile stage is described as Pentaplacodinium lapazense, whilst the fossil stage is described as Operculodinium lapazense. The cyst morphology is compared to topotype material of Oper-culodinium israelianum, which is larger, has longer processes and has a different wall structure. The motile cells display a plate formula of Po, Pt, X, 2'+*2', 6'', 6c, 7s, 5''', 1p, 1''''. A typical gonyaulacalean fission line and plate overlap are observed. SSU-ITS-LSU ribosomal DNA sequences demonstrate that Pentaplacodinium saltonense is its closest relative. The species is homothallic. This species occurs in relatively shallow and restricted coastal areas, and has a preference for higher sea-surface temperatures and salinities. Micro-FTIR spectra of the cysts are compared to spectra of cysts of other gonyaulacaleans and suggest very similar compositions. No yessotoxins were detected in any of the analyzed strains, hence, this species is unlikely to be responsible for the elevated yessotoxin concentration observed in shellfish on the southern and central coastal region of the Gulf of California.".
- 01GS5TWT701P9CNC0VAP86808X abstract "Climate, landscape composition, management practice, and wild bee pollination are all variables thought to play significant roles in commercial apple production. However, how these variables affect production efficiency under field-realistic conditions has not been investigated at large geographical scales. We combined intensive standardized field surveys (using netting and pan traps) with structural equation models to explore the relative impact of biotic and abiotic variables on bee diversity, apple yield and fruit quality, and their ability to represent reliable proxies of apple production. Here we show that apple yields are mainly driven by management practice, without evidence for a significantly superior contribution by managed honey bees. Total wild bee diversity, while negatively correlated with honey bee dominance, promoted apple quality by enhancing seed set number. Our study demonstrates that even across a broad geographical range there is potential to harness wild bee diversity as nature-based solution and as a substitute to an exclusive reliance on honey bees in the context of commercial apple production.".
- 01GS5W3QPCY93N0A4PJ4TCM96H abstract "Background and Objective: Production of gamma-aminobutyric acid has recently much interested because of its benefits for health. The objective of this study was to optimize y-aminobutyric acid production by a novel identified Lactiplantibacillus pentosus isolated from a fermented shrimp paste of ruoc. Material and Methods: A species of lactic acid bacterial was isolated from 'ruoc', a highsalt fermented shrimp paste and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionizationtime of flight mass spectrometry. The gamma-aminobutyric acid production was optimized using various culture conditions (initial cell density from 5 x 10(5) to 5 x 10(7) CFU ml(-1), monosodium glutamate concentration of 0.5-2% (w v(-1)), initial pH of 4-9, incubation temperature of 30-50 degrees C and incubation time of 24-120 h) with one-factor-at-a-time approach. Results and Conclusion: Of 20 lactic acid bacteria isolated from 'ruoc', four isolates of R1, R3, R12 and R13 produced significant quantities of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Isolate R13 produced the highest gamma-aminobutyric acid quantity, identified as Lactiplantibacillus pentosus using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. A culture media optimization study was carried out for Lactiplantibacillus pentosus R13 to improve its gamma-aminobutyric acid yield. Results showed that at optimal conditions of 1.5% monosodium glutamate (w v(-1)), initial pH of 7, initial cell density of 5 x 10(6) CFU ml(-1), cultivation temperature of 45 degrees C and fermentation time of 96 h, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus R13 produced 23.34 mM +/- 0.11 of gamma-aminobutyric acid. In conclusion, gamma-aminobutyric acid production by this isolate was verified to be heavily dependent on monosodium glutamate concentration, initial cell density, initial pH, incubation temperature and fermentation time.".
- 01GS5W3QPNMR34F7CPHE3ST2D2 abstract "Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a four-carbon non-protein amino acid, is widely known to have multiple physiological functions. The present study aimed to investigate the cultivation parameters for GABA production by a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strain isolated from a tuna gut sample. Among 60 tuna gut LAB, only 7 Limosilactobacillus fermentum isolates, i.e. NG01, NG12, NG13, NG14, NG16, NG23, and NG27, were capable of GABA fermentation, with NG16 being the most potent GABA producer. The GABA production by isolate NG16 was therefore thoroughly characterised. The optimal batch culture conditions for GABA production were an initial cell density of 53106 CFU mL(-1), a monosodium glutamate concentration of 2%, an initial pH of 7, a fermentation temperature of 35 degrees C, and an incubation time of 96 h. Under this cultivation conditions, NG16 produced a maximum GABA yield of 25.52 +/- 0.41 mM.".
- 01GS5W3QPT54SWQNSSYRV1Q3BX abstract "Safeguarding crop pollination services requires the identification of the pollinator species involved and the provision of their ecological requirements at multiple spatial scales. However, the potential for agroecological intensification of pollinator-dependent crops by harnessing pollinator diversity is limited by our capacity to characterise the community of pollinator species for each crop, and to determine how it is influenced by the different survey methods used, as well as by climatic variables at larger geographic scales. Here, we surveyed wild bees using a standardised protocol at an unprecedented scale including 62 commercial apple orchards in Western and Central Europe (i) to validate recent findings on pollinator community divergence as measured by common survey methods (netting and pan trapping) using conventional and alternative biodiversity metrics (phylogenetic and functional diversity), and (ii) to investigate the impact of climatic variation on the patterns observed. Our results confirm the significant divergence in pollinator communities measured using the two common methods at the larger, sub-continental scale, and we provide evidence for a significant influence of climate on the magnitude of pollinator community divergence (beta diversity and its turnover component) be-tween survey methods, particularly when comparing colder to warmer sites and regions. We also found that warmer sites are more dissimilar than colder sites in terms of species composition, functional traits, or phylo-genetic affinities. This result probably stems from the comparatively larger species pool in Southern Europe and because apple flowers are accessible to a wide spectrum of pollinator species; hence, two distant survey localities in Southern Europe are more likely to differ significantly in their pollinator community. Collectively, our results demonstrate the spatially-varying patterns of pollinator communities associated with common survey methods along a climate gradient and at the sub-continental scale in Europe.".
- 01GS5W3QPZP099VWX0MWCQDZ4Y abstract "The rise of metagenomics offers a leap forward for understanding the genetic diversity of microorganisms in many different complex environments by providing a platform that can identify potentially unlimited numbers of known and novel microorganisms. As such, it is impossible to imagine new major initiatives without metagenomics. Nevertheless, it represents a relatively new discipline with various levels of complexity and demands on bioinformatics. The underlying principles and methods used in metagenomics are often seen as common knowledge and often not detailed or fragmented. Therefore, we reviewed these to guide microbiologists in taking the first steps into metagenomics. We specifically focus on a workflow aimed at reconstructing individual genomes, that is, metagenome-assembled genomes, integrating DNA sequencing, assembly, binning, identification and annotation.".
- 01GS748YEF5HC5AV639V0NNGRT abstract "Bock et al. (1992) found that the binding of animacy features onto grammatical roles is susceptible to priming in sentence production. Moreover, this effect did not interact with structural priming. This finding supports an account according to which syntactic representations are insensitive to the consistency of animacy-to-structure mapping. This account has contributed greatly to the development of syntactic processing theories in language production. However, this study has never been directly replicated and the few related studies showed mixed results. A meta-analysis of these studies failed to replicate the findings of Bock et al. (1992). Therefore, we conducted a well-powered replication (n = 496) that followed the original study as closely as possible. We found an effect of structural priming and an animacy priming effect, replicating Bock et al.'s findings. In addition, we replicated Bock et al.'s (1992) observed null interaction between structural priming and animacy binding, which suggests that syntactic representations are indeed independent of semantic information about animacy.".
- 01GS74FXRY60SGW7CR75JE2YMG abstract "Sensory feedback plays an important role in speech motor control. One of the main sources of evidence for this is studies in which online auditory feedback is perturbed during ongoing speech. In motor control, it is therefore crucial to distinguish between sensory feedback and externally generated sensory events. This is called source monitoring. Previous altered feedback studies have taken non-conscious source monitoring for granted, as automatic responses to altered sensory feedback imply that the feedback changes are processed as self-caused. However, the role of conscious source monitoring is unclear. The current study investigated whether conscious source monitoring modulates responses to unexpected pitch changes in auditory feedback. During the first block, some participants spontaneously attributed the pitch shifts to themselves (self-blamers) while others attributed them to an external source (other-blamers). Before Block 2, all participants were informed that the pitch shifts were experimentally induced. The self-blamers then showed a reduction in response magnitude in Block 2 compared with Block 1, while the other-blamers did not. This suggests that conscious source monitoring modulates responses to altered auditory feedback, such that consciously ascribing feedback to oneself leads to larger compensation responses. These results can be accounted for within the dominant comparator framework, where conscious source monitoring could modulate the gain on sensory feedback. Alternatively, the results can be naturally explained from an inferential framework, where conscious knowledge may bias the priors in a Bayesian process to determine the most likely source of a sensory event.".
- 01GS74TTVPJYAXHMZM3GNFHVDE abstract "Various studies have claimed that the sense of agency is based on a comparison between an internal estimate of an action's outcome and sensory feedback. With respect to speech, this presumes that speakers have a stable prearticulatory representation of their own speech. However, recent research suggests that the sense of agency is flexible and thus in some contexts we may feel like we produced speech that was not actually produced by us. The current study tested whether the estimated pitch of one's articulation (termed pitch awareness) is affected by manipulated auditory feedback. In four experiments, 56 participants produced isolated vowels while being exposed to pitch-shifted auditory feedback. After every vocalization, participants indicated whether they thought the feedback was higher or lower than their actual production. After exposure to a block of high-pitched auditory feedback (+500 cents pitch shift), participants were more likely to label subsequent auditory feedback as "lower than my actual production," suggesting that prolonged exposure to high-pitched auditory feedback led to a drift in participants' pitch awareness. The opposite pattern was found after exposure to a constant -500 cents pitch shift. This suggests that pitch awareness is not solely based on a prearticulatory representation of intended speech or on a sensory prediction, but also on sensory feedback. We propose that this drift in pitch awareness could be indicative of a sense of agency over the pitch-shifted auditory feedback in the exposure block. If so, this suggests that the sense of agency over vocal output is flexible.".
- 01GS750BVHDZAR6HF9CCM5SZ3C abstract "We examined perceived self-other differences (self-uniqueness) in appraisals of one's risk of an infectious disease (COVID-19), one's adherence to behavioural precautionary measures against the disease, and the impact of these measures on one's life. We also examined the relationship of self-uniqueness with information seeking and trust in sources of information about the disease. We administered an online survey to a community sample (N = 8696) of Dutch-speaking individuals, mainly in Belgium and The Netherlands, during the first lockdown (late April-Mid June 2020). As a group, participants reported that they were less likely to get infected or infect others or to suffer severe outcomes than average (unrealistic optimism) and that they adhered better than average to behavioural precautionary measures (illusory superiority). Except for participants below 25, who reported that they were affected more than average by these measures (egocentric impact bias), participants also generally reported that they were less affected than average (allocentric impact bias). Individual differences in self-uniqueness were associated with differences in the number of information sources being used and trust on these sources. Higher comparative optimism for infection, self superiority, and allocentric impact perception were associated with information being sought from fewer sources; higher self-superiority and egocentric impact perception were associated with lower trust. We discuss implications for health communication.".
- 01GS754CT3B77SQTYTM5RKACQ7 abstract "Despite disagreement about how anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) supports decision making, a recent hypothesis suggests that activity in this region is best understood in the context of a task or series of tasks. One important task-level variable is average reward because it is both a known driver of effortful behaviour and an important determiner of the tasks in which we choose to engage. Here we asked how average task value affects reward -related ACC activity. To answer this question, we measured a reward-related signal said to be generated in ACC called the reward positivity (RewP) while participants gambled in three tasks of differing average value. The RewP was reduced in the high-value task, an effect that was not explainable by either reward magnitude or outcome expectancy. This result suggests that ACC does not evaluate outcomes and cues in isolation, but in the context of the value of the current task.".
- 01GS75N2Z02NK4ND2R95YDD4KD abstract "Implicit sequence learning represents an established paradigm to investigate incidental skill acquisition in a laboratory environment. During a covert task, participants respond to the location of a target appearing over a series of locations according to a complex sequence, which gets violated in a reduced set of control trials. Even though participants are not fully aware of the sequence, they respond faster and more accurately to trials following it, thus expressing sequence knowledge. Recent evidence has challenged the view that such knowledge is applied rigidly and affects performance independently from control influences. Jimenez et al. (2009) highlighted that its expression gets reduced immediately after trials not conforming with the learned sequence-an effect that resembles the congruency sequence effect (CSE) commonly observed in interference tasks. However, such effects can also be alternatively explained in associative terms. In this experimental series we took advantage of the well-known attentional properties of oddball sounds and introduced them as an orthogonal variable with respect to the learning process. We found that oddball sounds also hindered the automatic expression of sequence learning, highlighting an oddball-dependent sequence effect similar to the CSE, but most clearly triggered by cognitive control. Moreover, as illustrated through a simulation with a simple recurrent network (SRN), we showed that the CSE reported in this article under noisier conditions is harder to expect from associative processes.".
- 01GS7BTZJHHDY1PX099SJSQA05 abstract "Polypharmacy in older adults is associated with multiple negative consequences that may affect muscular function, independently from the presence of medical conditions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the association of sarcopenia with polypharmacy and higher number of medications. A systematic literature search of observational studies using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases was conducted from inception until June 2022. To determine if sarcopenia is associated with a higher risk of polypharmacy and increased number of medications, a meta-analysis using a random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled effects (CRD42022337539). Twenty-nine studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Sarcopenia was associated with a higher prevalence of polypharmacy (odds ratio [OR]: 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.23, 2.20], I2 = 84%, P < 0.01) and higher number of medications (mean difference: 1.39, 95% CI [0.59, 2.19], I2 = 95%, P < 0.01) compared with individuals without sarcopenia. Using meta-regression, a high variance was observed due to different populations (i.e., communitydwelling, nursing home residents, inpatients, outpatients) for both outcomes of polypharmacy (r = -0.338, SE = 0.1669, 95% CI [-0.67, -0.01], z = -2.03, P = 0.04) and number of medications (r = 0.589, SE = 0.2615, 95% CI [0.08, 1.10], z = 2.25, P = 0.02). This systematic review and meta-analysis reported a significantly increased risk of polypharmacy and higher number of medications in people with sarcopenia compared with individuals without this condition. Future research should clarify whether the specificity and number of medications is a direct contributor in accelerating the progression of muscle wasting and dysfunction contributing to sarcopenia in older adults.".
- 01GS7BVM67M9B6K5VR96NJS6PV abstract "We prove neighbourhood canonicity and strong completeness for the logics EK and ECK, obtained by adding axiom (K), resp. adding both (K) and (C), to the minimal modal logic E. In contrast to an earlier proof in [10], ours is constructive. More precisely, we construct minimal characteristic models for both logics and do not rely on compactness of first order logic. The proof involves a specific circumscription technique and quite some set-theoretic maneuvers to establish that the models satisfy the appropriate frame conditions. After giving both proofs, we briefly spell out how they generalize to four stronger logics and to the extensions of the resulting six logics with a global modality. ".
- 01GS7CWW5B02S40CG133VDRCWB abstract "The reinforcement learning (RL) theory of the reward positivity (RewP) proposes that RewP indexes a reward prediction error (RPE) signal processed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). According to this theory, RewP is an event-related potential (ERP) that is more positive-going for feedback stimuli that predict better-than-expected outcomes (positive feedback) than for feedback stimuli that predict worse-than-expected outcomes (negative feedback). Despite strong evidence for this hypothesis, findings have been equivocal for tasks involving painful outcomes. We hypothesized that the RewP is modulated by high-level task goals such that outcomes that are congruent with the goals elicit positive RPEs even if their immediate consequences are negative. Accordingly, changes in high-level task goals should modulate RewP amplitude for tasks that involve seeking pain compared to tasks that involve avoiding pain. We recorded the electroencephalogram from participants who were instructed to navigate a virtual T-Maze to find reward-predictive feedback in a reward condition and pain-predictive feedback in a pain condition. We expected more positive-going ERPs to reward feedback in the reward condition and more positive-going ERPs to pain feedback in the pain condition. Despite behavioral results indicating that participants complied with task instructions, contrary to our predictions, we did not find a RewP to pain feedback. We suggest that pain feedback interfered with the effect of high-level task goals on RewP amplitude, which is indicative of conflict at different levels of task hierarchy.".
- 01GS7D1D0Q8ZM00CVDW0A3X47Y abstract "In recent years the study of dynamic, between-brain coupling mechanisms has taken social neuroscience by storm. In particular, interbrain synchrony (IBS) is a putative neural mechanism said to promote social interactions by enabling the functional integration of multiple brains. In this article, I argue that this research is beset with three pervasive and interrelated problems. First, the field lacks a widely accepted definition of IBS. Second, IBS wants for theories that can guide the design and interpretation of experiments. Third, a potpourri of tasks and empirical methods permits undue flexibility when testing the hypothesis. These factors synergistically undermine IBS as a theoretical construct. I finish by recommending measures that can address these issues.".
- 01GS7DKKZBGDSHASTZJ4YJZS9V abstract "Adhesive properties of cementitious materials in the fresh state were investigated by a tack test in this study. Several aspects were considered including the pulling velocity, the plate surface roughness, the water to cement ratio, and the addition of polymer additives. Normal force versus displacement curves were used to characterize the adhesive properties of fresh cementitious materials".
- 01GS7E1TFCTA39QAK56V42NHWG abstract "To achieve the stiffening control of 3D printable concrete, a twin-pipe pumping system is designed where a cement-based mixture (without accelerator) and a limestone-based mixture (with a high dosage of accelerator) are pumped separately and blended by using a helical static mixer before extrusion. As these two streams move through the helical static mixer, the accelerator contained in the limestone-based mixture would soon take effect with the cement contained in the cement-based mixture, leading to a fast stiffening process. In this study, the influence of the number of mixing baffles (6, 12, 18, 24, and 30) used in the helical static mixer on the mechanical behavior of printed elements is investigated. The flexural, compressive, and tensile strength was measured by using prismatic, cubic, and cylindrical specimens extracted from printed wall elements. According to the experimental results, anisotropy was observed for the printed specimens. In addition, with the increase of the number of mixing baffles from 6 to 30, the mechanical strength was improved gradually due to the better mixing homogeneity.".
- 01GS7E7BFF4HC61FJJWG6T951P abstract "The digestion stability of allergen pairs, tropomyosin, TM (fish and seafood allergen), and myosin light chain, MLC (chicken meat allergen) is compared among vertebrates and invertebrates in raw and cooked food matrix under standardized simulated in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion. SDS-PAGE followed by multiple TM and MLC-specific antibodies in semidry WB revealed pepsin resistance of invertebrate TMs (abalone, oyster, shrimp) under diet-relevant conditions (raw, cooked). Vertebrate TMs (chicken, pork, beef) were less stable to digestion except that the raw chicken TM was observed pepsin resistant (not diet-relevant). Vertebrate (chicken) MLC was thermally stable. A new 28 kDa protein bound to anti-MLC antibody in cooked chicken and pork; could be the aggregates of MLC. Raw shrimp MLC showed pepsin resistance among invertebrates. A good correlation was observed between combined resistance of TM and MLC to GI digestion following the diet-relevant thermal treatment and reported protein allergenicity among vertebrates and invertebrates.".
- 01GS7EN1E3B687TR7TERH8WVE5 abstract "The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected vulnerable populations’ access to health care. By proactively reaching out to them, general practices attempted to prevent the underutilization of their services. This paper examined the association between practice and country characteristics and the organization of outreach work in general practices during COVID-19. Linear mixed model analyses with practices nested in countries were performed on the data of 4982 practices from 38 countries. A 4-item scale on outreach work was constructed as the outcome variable with a reliability of 0.77 and 0.97 at the practice and country level. The results showed that many practices set up outreach work, including extracting at least one list of patients with chronic conditions from their electronic medical record (30.1%); and performing telephone outreach to patients with chronic conditions (62.8%), a psychological vulnerability (35.6%), or possible situation of domestic violence or a child-rearing situation (17.2%). Outreach work was positively related to the availability of an administrative assistant or practice manager (p < 0.05) or paramedical support staff (p < 0.01). Other practice and country characteristics were not significantly associated with undertaking outreach work. Policy and financial interventions supporting general practices to organize outreach work should focus on the range of personnel available to support such practice activities.".
- 01GS7EPCD5E4KX1V4EFJXJVK7V abstract "Strain C17-3T was isolated from blueberry fruits collected from a farmland located in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences allocated strain C17-3T to the genus Acetobacter, where it occupied a rather isolated line of descent with Acetobacter ghanensis 430AT and Acetobacter lambici LMG 27439T as the nearest neighbours (98.9 % sequence similarity to both species). The highest average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values were 76.3 % and 21.7 % with Acetobacter garciniae TBRC 12339T; both values were well below the cutoff values for species delineation. Cells are strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative rods, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. The DNA G+C content calculated from the genome sequence was 59.2 %. Major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω6c and/or C18 : 1ω7c) and C19 : 0cyclo ω8c. The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone 9. On the basis of the results of phylogenetic analyses, phenotypic features and genomic comparisons, it is proposed that strain C17-3T represents a novel species of the genus Acetobacter and the name Acetobacter vaccinii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C17-3T (= KACC 21233T = LMG 31758T).".
- 01GS7EYCDWJDHVVP334NNZQ8M4 abstract "In vitro cell culture experiments are widely used to study cellular behavior in most biological research fields. Except for suspension cells, most human cell types are cultured as adherent monolayers on a plastic surface. While technically convenient, monolayer cultures can suffer from limitations in terms of physiological relevance, as their resemblance to complex in vivo tissue structures is limited. To address these limitations, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems have gained increased interest as they mimic key structural and functional properties of their in vivo tissue counterparts. Nevertheless, protocols established on monolayer cell cultures may require adjustments if they are to be applied to 3D cell cultures. As gene expression quantification is an essential part of many in vitro experiments, we evaluated and optimized a direct cell lysis, reverse transcription and qPCR protocol applicable for 3D cell cultures. The newly developed protocol wherein gene expression is determined directly from crude cell lysates showed improved cell lysis compared to the standard protocol, accurate gene expression quantification, hereby avoiding time-consuming cell harvesting and RNA extraction.".
- 01GS7F1B50RFV18FG141NPTMFM abstract "The symbioses between plants of the Rubiaceae and Primulaceae families with Burkholderia bacteria represent unique and intimate plant-bacterial relationships. Many of these interactions have been identified through PCR-dependent typing methods, but there is little information available about their functional and ecological roles. We assembled 17 new endophyte genomes representing endophytes from 13 plant species, including those of two previously unknown associations. Genomes of leaf endophytes belonging to Burkholderia s.l. show extensive signs of genome reduction, albeit to varying degrees. Except for one endophyte, none of the bacterial symbionts could be isolated on standard microbiological media. Despite their taxonomic diversity, all endophyte genomes contained gene clusters linked to the production of specialized metabolites, including genes linked to cyclitol sugar analog metabolism and in one instance non-ribosomal peptide synthesis. These genes and gene clusters are unique within Burkholderia s.l. and are likely horizontally acquired. We propose that the acquisition of secondary metabolite gene clusters through horizontal gene transfer is a prerequisite for the evolution of a stable association between these endophytes and their hosts.".
- 01GS7F4PXWZWV363MTSXJABVZ7 abstract "Extrusion-based concrete 3D printing is getting broader attention in academia and industry. However, the larger interconnected pores at the interlayer region reduce the mechanical integrity and durability performance of 3D printed concrete elements. The present study investigates the influence of layer improvement techniques on the transport properties of 3D printed elements. Printed concrete wall elements were prepared with and without fresh cement paste applied in between the layers. The transport of chloride and moisture was investigated by measuring the non-steady-state migration coefficient and the conductivity. It was observed that the application of fresh cement paste at the interlayer decreased the migration coefficient as compared to the printed samples without cement paste in between the layers. The study gives further insights into the transport of ions through the interconnected interlayer region and the influence of the interlayer bond improvement technique on the transport properties.".
- 01GS7FVHQ2GRRVAS388NXAKTP9 abstract "Concrete with self-healing systems, such as vascular networks, results in promoted sustainability and reduced maintenance costs for a structure compared to traditional concrete. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, allows for complex network topologies to be fabricated, however, the challenge lies in a lack of standards in both self-healing and additive manufacturing. The influence of printed networks on the durability of cementitious materials is still unknown, and an improved understanding of their effects is necessary to further optimize a vascular network topology. Linear vascular configurations were 3D printed using polylactic acid (PLA) filament and embedded in small-scale mortar specimens. A series of uncracked and cracked specimens were subjected to an in-situ neutron imaging water absorption test to visualize the water uptake. Results showed that an embedded network promotes transport through the interfacial zone it generates and increases the water absorption rate throughout the duration of the test compared to samples without an embedded network. This highlights the need for network designs or materials that prevent an additional ingress of harmful substances, thereby reducing the impact on the durability of the cementitious material.".
- 01GS7G9TVBXX3KFXMTM8R109CB abstract "For cement-based materials, chloride ingress is known as a detrimental factor that affects the durability of structures. Corrosion of the steel reinforcement is an example of the harmful effect of chloride ion ingress into a concrete structure. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of ionic solids characterized by a layered structure and known as anionic clays. LDHs have the potential to decrease the concentration of anions in a solution. In this study, Mg-Al-NO3 type of LDHs were added to repair mortars in different proportions (4% and 10% by mass of the binder) to bind the chloride ions in the system. Flexural and compressive strength experiments were performed to study the influence of the LDHs on the mechanical properties. Moreover, a chloride diffusion experiment was performed to assess the chloride uptake of the LDHs. According to the chloride diffusion results, addition of LDH by 10% bound the highest amount of chloride ions compared to other samples. The morphology of samples with and without LDH was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). LDHs could be observed in the samples and the growth of hydration products on the LDH grains was also observe".
- 01GS7GNKA5Z6EVCVR9ES5NZH4G abstract "This is the first comprehensive study of the impact of biodegradation on the structure, surface potential, mechanical and piezoelectric properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) scaffolds supplemented with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as well as cell behavior under static and dynamic mechanical conditions. There is no effect of the rGO addition up to 1.0 wt% on the rate of enzymatic biodegradation of PHB scaffolds for 30 d. The biodegradation of scaffolds leads to the depolymerization of the amorphous phase, resulting in an increase in the degree of crystallinity. Because of more regular dipole order in the crystalline phase, surface potential of all fibers increases after the biodegradation, with a maximum (361 +/- 5 mV) after the addition of 1 wt% rGO into PHB as compared to pristine PHB fibers. By contrast, PHB-0.7rGO fibers manifest the strongest effective vertical (0.59 +/- 0.03 pm V-1) and lateral (1.06 +/- 0.02 pm V-1) piezoresponse owing to a greater presence of electroactive beta-phase. In vitro assays involving primary human fibroblasts reveal equal biocompatibility and faster cell proliferation on PHB-0.7rGO scaffolds compared to pure PHB and nonpiezoelectric polycaprolactone scaffolds. Thus, the developed biodegradable PHB-rGO scaffolds with enhanced piezoresponse are promising for tissue-engineering applications.".
- 01GS7GR93Q5CS8KJK10BYPM4V8 abstract "Population balance models (PBMs) have been widely studied for the simulation of continuous twin-screw wet granulation. Due to the limited data availability and computational efforts, one-dimensional PBM is the most popular application to the pharmaceutical industry. While multi-dimensional PBMs can predict multiple granule quality attributes, model development and calibration has been the big challenges. This paper presents a two-dimensional compartmental PBM which compute granule size and porosity. Granulation experiments were performed for two formulations and two process settings, followed by granule characterizations. In PBM development, consolidation was newly introduced, whereas the aggregation and breakage kernels were based on the previous model. Calibration results proved that the model can simulate granule size and porosity simultaneously for different formulations and process settings. Some cases show porosity increase that needs to be considered in the future. Further experiments and model development can increase the applicability of the two-dimensional PBM for the pharmaceutical industry.".
- 01GS7H1KNEJG4SSNZCR0JDXXNJ abstract "Introduction To report a case of radiation necrosis after reirradiation for breast cancer and the difficulties encountered when treating these complex cases. Patients and methods We present an 86-year-old woman with a history of right-sided intraductal breast cancer treated with a right mastectomy followed by local adjuvant radiotherapy (50 Gray). Twelve years later, she was diagnosed with a local recurrence in the mastectomy scar which was treated with local resection (including resection of rib four) and adjuvant radiotherapy up to 32 Gray. In July 2020 she presents at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery with a chronic ulcer on the right-sided hemithorax. Results A multi-staged, multidisciplinary approach was necessary to secure lasting coverage of the extensive defect. Conclusion Thoracic radiation necrosis should be subject to a multidisciplinary approach (plastic and thoracic surgeons) pre-, per-, and post-operatively. Each case may require a different surgical approach depending on the size and depth of the defect, patients' age, comorbidities, and previous medical treatment.".
- 01GS7HQTT6FA6D7QYFVV2SCN2K abstract "Purpose: We report the case of a venous iliocaval recanalization to preserve a transplant kidney. Case Report: A young patient with a nephrotic syndrome caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) underwent a robot-assisted living-donor kidney transplant. The postoperative course was uneventful; serum creatinine at discharge was 1.51 mg/dL (normal range = 0.72-1.17 mg/dL). In the course of the following months, the patient was readmitted repeatedly due to acute kidney failure not related to rejection, recurrent FSGS, or anastomotic stenosis. All episodes started after prolonged standing and renal function improved after bed rest. Several hospital admissions and investigations later, phlebography revealed an occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and both common iliac veins with large collateral vessels through the azygos system. An endovenous recanalization of the iliocaval tract was performed, with subsequent normalization of transplant kidney function. Conclusion: Vascular complications after renal transplantation are an important cause of graft loss. We present an endovenous treatment option for a chronic occlusion of the IVC and common iliac vein with intermittent venous congestion as a cause of transplant failure.".
- 01GS7J0KB635CXHRRMVCHFA0AP abstract "The use of blood-based extracellular RNA (exRNA) as clinical biomarker requires the implementation of a validated procedure for sample collection, processing and profiling. So far, no study has systematically addressed the pre-analytical variables affecting transcriptome analysis of exRNAs. In the exRNAQC study, we evaluated 10 blood collection tubes, 3 time points between blood draw and downstream processing, and 8 RNA purification methods using the supplier-specified minimum and maximum biofluid input volumes. The impact of these pre-analytics is assessed by deep transcriptome profiling of both small and messenger RNA from healthy donors’ plasma or serum. Experiments are conducted in triplicate (for a total of 276 transcriptomes) using 189 synthetic spike-in RNAs as processing controls. When comparing blood tubes, so-called blood preservation tubes do not stabilize RNA very well, as is reflected by increasing RNA concentration and number of detected genes over time, and by compromised reproducibility. We also document large differences in RNA purification kit performance in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, and observed transcriptome complexity. Our results are summarized in 11 performance metrics that enable an informed selection of the most optimal sample processing workflow for your own experiments. In conclusion, we put forward robust quality control metrics for exRNA quantification methods with validated standard operating procedures (SOPs) for processing, representing paramount groundwork for future exRNA-based precision medicine applications.".
- 01GS7J8Q11032Y294K37KNB3M2 abstract "Consensus on the optimal management of asymptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is lacking, and comparison between studies remains difficult due to a large variety in outcome measures. We aimed to define a core outcome set (COS) for pediatric patients with an asymptomatic CPAM. An online, three-round Delphi survey was conducted in two stakeholder groups of specialized caregivers (surgeons and non-surgeons) in various European centers. Proposed outcome parameters were scored according to level of importance, and the final COS was established through consensus. A total of 55 participants (33 surgeons, 22 non-surgeons) from 28 centers in 13 European countries completed the three rounds and rated 43 outcome parameters. The final COS comprises seven outcome parameters: respiratory insufficiency, surgical complications, mass effect/mediastinal shift (at three time-points) and multifocal disease (at two time-points). The seven outcome parameters included in the final COS reflect the diversity in priorities among this large group of European participants. However, we recommend the incorporation of these outcome parameters in the design of future studies, as they describe measurable and validated outcomes as well as the accepted age at measurement.".
- 01GS7JCFZE5DTNASZFJRNGC8TQ abstract "Objective To determine whether proficiency-based progression (PBP) training leads to better robotic surgical performance compared to traditional training (TT), given that the value of PBP training for learning robotic surgical skills is unclear. Materials and Methods The PROVESA trial is a multicentric, prospective, randomized and blinded clinical study comparing PBP training with TT for robotic suturing and knot-tying anastomosis skills. A total of 36 robotic surgery-naive junior residents were recruited from 16 training sites and 12 residency training programmes. Participants were randomly allocated to metric-based PBP training or the current standard of care TT, and compared at the end of training. The primary outcome was percentage of participants reaching the predefined proficiency benchmark. Secondary outcomes were the numbers of procedure steps and errors made. Results Of the group that received TT, 3/18 reached the proficiency benchmark versus 12/18 of the PBP group (i.e. the PBP group were similar to 10 times as likely to demonstrate proficiency [P = 0.006]). The PBP group demonstrated a 51% reduction in number of performance errors from baseline to the final assessment (18.3 vs 8.9). The TT group demonstrated a marginal improvement (15.94 vs 15.44) in errors made. Conclusions The PROVESA trial is the first prospective randomized controlled trial on basic skills training in robotic surgery. Implementation of a PBP training methodology resulted in superior surgical performance for robotic suturing and knot-tying anastomosis performance. Compared to TT, better surgical quality could be obtained by implementing PBP training for basic skills in robotic surgery.".
- 01GS7JHWVF3J7KSYY1R8YZJD4V abstract "Background: General pathophysiological mechanisms regarding associations between fluid administration and intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) are evident, but specific effects of type, amount, and timing of fluids are less clear. Objectives: This review aims to summarize current knowledge on associations between fluid administration and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and fluid management in patients at risk of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Methods: We performed a structured literature search from 1950 until May 2021 to identify evidence of associations between fluid management and intra-abdominal pressure not limited to any specific study or patient population. Findings were summarized based on the following information: general concepts of fluid management, physiology of fluid movement in patients with intra-abdominal hypertension, and data on associations between fluid administration and IAH. Results: We identified three randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 38 prospective observational studies, 29 retrospective studies, 18 case reports in adults, two observational studies and 10 case reports in children, and three animal studies that addressed associations between fluid administration and IAH. Associations between fluid resuscitation and IAH were confirmed in most studies. Fluid resuscitation contributes to the development of IAH. However, patients with IAH receive more fluids to manage the effect of IAH on other organ systems, thereby causing a vicious cycle. Timing and approach to de-resuscitation are of utmost importance, but clear indicators to guide this decision-making process are lacking. In selected cases, only surgical decompression of the abdomen can stop deterioration and prevent further morbidity and mortality. Conclusions: Current evidence confirms an association between fluid resuscitation and secondary IAH, but optimal fluid management strategies for patients with IAH remain controversial.".
- 01GS7JNR1AMZESN4A2CSXRM6Q1 abstract "Background: Kidney autotransplantation is a useful technique to be reserved for cases in which kidney function is compromised by a complex anatomical configuration, such as long ureteral strictures and renal vascular anomalies not suitable for in situ reconstruction. Robot-assisted kidney autotransplantation (RAKAT) presents a novel, minimally invasive, and highly accurate approach. Objective: The aim of this study is to present the largest cohort of patients who underwent either extracorporeal (eRAKAT) or intracorporeal (iRAKAT) RAKAT, to confirm safety and feasibility and to compare the two approaches. Design, setting, and participants: We retrospectively analyzed prospectively followed patients undergoing eRAKAT and totally intracorporeal RAKAT in a total of three institutions. Surgical procedure: Extracorporeal RAKAT and iRAKAT. Measurements: Surgical and functional outcomes of patients subjected to eRAKAT and iRAKAT were measured. Results and limitations: Between January 2017 and February 2021, 29 patients underwent RAKAT: 15 eRAKAT and 14 iRAKAT. No statistical difference in the preoperative data was recorded. The analysis of intraoperative variables showed a statistically significant difference between eRAKAT and iRAKAT in cold ischemia time (median [interquartile range {IQR}]: 151 [125-199] vs 27.5 [20-55]; p < 0.001) and total ischemia time (median [IQR]: 196.2 [182-241] vs 81.5 [73-88]; p < 0.001). However, faster renal function recovery in favor of eRAKAT was observed during the first 90 d, with comparable renal function at 1 yr. The 90-d Clavien-Dindo >2 complications were 13.8%. It is important to stress that RAKAT, and above all iRAKAT, should be performed by surgeons with experience in robotic renal, vascular, and transplant surgery. Conclusions: Both eRAKAT and iRAKAT represent promising minimally invasive techniques in selected cases with acceptable ischemia time and comparable longterm operative outcomes. Patient summary: In selected patients, both extra-and intracorporeal robot-assisted kidney autotransplantation represent valid alternatives in case of long ureteral strictures and renal vascular anomalies not suitable for in situ reconstruction. (c) 2021 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.".
- 01GS7K7GDED9MFM7BXXR111XW2 abstract "Background A right-sided aortic arch (RAArch) is present in approximately 0.1% of the population. A Kommerell's diverticulum (KD), a remnant of the dorsal aortic arch usually refers to an aneurysmal aortic enlargement at the origin of an aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA) and is associated with an increased risk of aortic dissection. Case summary A 59-year-old female smoker with a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia presented with a 24-hour history of sudden-onset and severe stabbing chest pain radiating to the interscapular region. Physical examination was normal except for bilateral basal crepitations. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed a type B aortic dissection in a RAArch with an ALSA arising from KD with a peri-aortic haematoma and haemothorax without any active contrast extravasation. After medical stabilization, a semi-urgent hybrid repair was performed with a right carotid-subclavian bypass, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), a plug in the left subclavian artery, and left carotid-subclavian bypass due to severe ischaemia of the left arm. The postoperative CTA showed patent bypasses, aortic remodelling, and a minimal type IIa endoleak at the level of the ALSA. Discussion In patients with a type B dissection and KD, hybrid repair including TEVAR is feasible after careful pre-operative assessment of the patient's unique anatomy and may reduce post-surgical morbidity and mortality compared to open surgery. Prophylactic repair may be considered in patients with an asymptomatic RAArch and KD.".
- 01GS7KA38S91YPMVV91XY9M9XJ abstract "Background: Large multicenter studies reporting on the association between the duration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial administration and the detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in the intensive care unit (ICU) are scarce. We evaluated the impact of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy for more than 72 h on the detection of MDR bacteria using the data from Japanese patients enrolled in the DIANA study. Methods: We analyzed the data of ICU patients in the DIANA study (a multicenter international observational cohort study from Japan). Patients who received empirical antimicrobials were divided into a broad-spectrum antimicrobial group and a narrow-spectrum antimicrobial group, based on whether they received broad-spectrum antimicrobials for more or less than 72 h, respectively. Differences in patient characteristics, background of infectious diseases and empirical antimicrobial administration, and outcomes between the two groups were compared using the chi-square tests (Monte Carlo method) for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables. We also conducted a logistic regression analysis to investigate the factors associated with the detection of new MDR bacteria. Results: A total of 254 patients from 31 Japanese ICUs were included in the analysis, of whom 159 (62.6%) were included in the broad-spectrum antimicrobial group and 95 (37.4%) were included in the narrow-spectrum antimicrobial group. The detection of new MDR bacteria was significantly higher in the broad-spectrum antimicrobial group (11.9% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.042). Logistic regression showed that broad-spectrum antimicrobial continuation for more than 72 h (OR [odds ratio] 3.09, p = 0.047) and cerebrovascular comorbidity on ICU admission (OR 2.91, p = 0.041) were associated with the detection of new MDR bacteria. Conclusions: Among Japanese ICU patients treated with empirical antimicrobials, broad-spectrum antimicrobial usage for more than 72 h was associated with the increased detection of new MDR bacteria. Antimicrobial stewardship programs in ICUs should discourage the prolonged use of empirical broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy.".
- 01GS7KH23T17ERRDWD9S9B8063 abstract "Safe delivery of patient care in the operating theatre is complex and co-dependent of many individual, organisational, and environmental factors, including patient, task and technology, individual, and human factors. The Six Sigma approach aims to implement a data-driven strategy to reduce variability and consequently improve safety. Analytical data platforms such as a Black Box ought to be embraced to support process optimisation and ultimately create a higher level of Six Sigma safety performance of the operating theatre team.".
- 01GS7KK4QMYHH8HQ3Y324R4F3K abstract "Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have created a global climate crisis which requires immediate interventions to mitigate the negative effects on all aspects of life on this planet. As current agriculture and land use contributes up to 25% of total GHG emissions, plant scientists take center stage in finding possible solutions for a transition to sustainable agriculture and land use. In this article, the PlantACT! (Plants for climate ACTion!) initiative of plant scientists lays out a road map of how and in which areas plant scientists can contribute to finding immediate, mid-term, and long-term solutions, and what changes are necessary to implement these solutions at the personal, institutional, and funding levels.".
- 01GS7KNJPP3ZS0FYWSQTZTCXGY abstract "Visualization of the dynamic behavior of pharmaceutical dosage forms during the dissolution process offers a better understanding of the drug release mechanism, enabling the design of customized dosage forms. In this study, an X-ray tomography-based approach is proposed to monitor and analyze the dynamics of the structure at the pore scale level during the dissolution process. A flow-through cell dissolution apparatus was developed, capable of mimicking the standard in vitro dissolution process, which can be easily positioned in an X-ray tomography setup. The method was utilized to study the dissolution of a Capa® (polycaprolactone)-based sustained-release 3D printed tablet. The impact of the flow rate on the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) release rate was studied and 16 mL/min was selected as a suitable flow rate. Furthermore, cesium chloride (CsCl) was used as a contrast agent to increase the contrast between the sample and the dissolution medium. Data obtained with this novel technique were in a good agreement with the released drug rate acquired by the standard in vitro dissolution test (the similarity factor f(2) = 77%). Finally, the proposed approach allowed visualizing the internal structure of the sample, as well as real-time tracking of solution ingress into the product.".
- 01GS7MJ3R62JR73EHWDZJEFMEM abstract "Purpose of review Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) has been acknowledged as an important contributor to organ dysfunction in critically ill patients, both in surgical and medical conditions. As our understanding of the pathophysiology evolves, risk factors are better recognized, preventive measures can now be implemented and therapeutic interventions tailored to the physiology of the patient. In the current review, we want to highlight developing insights in the epidemiology and treatment of patients with IAH and ACS. Recent findings The impact of IAH and ACS on kidney function and other outcomes continues to draw attention in recent studies. New methods for IAP measurement are under development, and the search for biomarkers to detect IAH or ACS continues. In conditions wherein IAH and ACS are common, recent studies allow better prevention and treatment of these conditions, based on the contemporary ICU management consisting of IAP measurement, judicious fluid resuscitation and decompressive laparotomy where necessary. Surgical treatment options including open abdomen therapy continue to be improved with demonstrable impact on outcomes. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of recent insights and developments in the epidemiology, monitoring and treatment of patients with IAH and/or ACS.".
- 01GS7NGHFRCM06BAZZPNHB2BT6 abstract "The start-up, build-up and demise of cold-water coral mounds are governed by environmental changes at global, regional and local scales. Whilst the formation of cold-water coral mounds across the globe is widely documented to follow interglacial-glacial cycles, less is known about their response to local environmental fluctuations during short time intervals. This study investigates the local variations in coral mound build-up along Brittlestar Ridge I (East Melilla Coral Province, Southeast Alboran Sea) by comparing three on-mound gravity cores collected ∼1 km apart, together with five previously described on-mound records, along a longitudinal transect on the ridge crest. Radiocarbon foraminiferal dating associated to U-series coral dating allowed to correlate the different records and to estimate mound aggradation rates, whilst grain-size analysis provided information on bottom current velocities. Prior to a rapid period of coral mound build-up initiated at ∼14.75 ka BP, the three cores present an occurrence of cm-thick bryozoan-dominated intervals nearly entirely consisting of the erect cheleistome Buskea dichotoma. Offsets between benthic foraminiferal and coral ages suggest that older dead allochtonous benthic foraminifera are possibly eroded from neighbouring settings, transported and deposited within the coral framework. In contrast, younger benthic foraminifera would develop on dead coral framework during periods of reef stagnation. The comparison of all cores indicates that mound build-up along the ridge did not follow the same timing during the last ∼16 kyr and that mound aggradation was marked by a staggered dynamic. Both local differences in bottom current velocities and patchiness of other key environmental actors (e.g. substrate availability) are suspected to drive the observed staggered mound build-up. Cold-water coral mound build-up shows important differences during Greenland Interstadial 1 (i.e. the Bølling-Allerød) and the Holocene, hence examplifying how local environmental variability may overprint global and regional climate variability over short time periods.".
- 01GS7NPMBXD6MD7FN3Y1PTMY68 abstract "Staal en lichte olefinen zijn onontbeerlijke grondstoffen maar hun productie zorgt voor 8% van de wereldwijde CO₂-uitstoot. De Europese Unie wil van Europa tegen 2050 het eerste klimaatneutrale continent maken, en daarom moet de Europese industrie haar uitstoot van broeikasgassen beperken. Koolstofarme strategieën zijn voornamelijk gericht op het verhogen van de efficiëntie van de processen en het gebruik van circulaire grondstoffen; het herontwerpen van de processen voor het directe gebruik van elektriciteit of andere energiedragers, zoals H₂; en/of het installeren van CO₂-afvangstinstallaties, waarbij de CO₂ vervolgens kan worden omgezet in producten met toegevoegde waarde of kan worden opgeslagen. Al deze strategieën zijn afhankelijk van de beschikbaarheid van hernieuwbare energie. In dit proefschrift worden de mogelijkheden en uitdagingen van opkomende technologieën voor de vermindering van CO₂-emissies in de staal- en lichte olefinenindustrie geëvalueerd en vergeleken. Het gebruik van elektriciteit voor verwarming is een relatief eenvoudige strategie om de CO₂-emissies te verminderen, maar is beperkt om verbrandingsgerelateerde CO₂-emissies te vermijden. CO₂-opslag maakt een snelle vermindering van CO₂-emissies mogelijk, maar de opslaglogistiek en -kosten worden nog geëvalueerd. Het gebruik van H₂ in de processen maakt een drastische vermindering van de CO₂-emissies mogelijk, maar vereist een grote hoeveelheid hernieuwbare energie.".
- 01GS7P749E7XYFTS7HAQMFYX05 abstract "Ingestion of a (button) battery is an increasing phenomenon in paediatrics and can have detrimental effects. We present a 15-month-old girl who ingested a button battery, which was removed 8 hours after ingestion. A week after removal, the girl was readmitted and a tracheoesophageal fistula was discovered. She was treated surgically. Accidental button battery ingestion requires prompt recognition and removal, because of the risk of severe complications, which can already occur after 2 hours of oesophageal impaction. There is no consensus on treating tracheoesophageal fistulas. To reduce morbidity and mortality, a multidisciplinary team approach and follow-up are crucial.".
- 01GS7QPM2486CTYP5Q0ET3DYNY abstract "In Europe, tax-based healthcare systems (THS) and social health insurance systems (SHI) coexist. We examined differences in 30-day mortality among critically ill patients aged >= 70 years treated in intensive care units in a THS or SHI. Retrospective cohort study. 2406 (THS n = 886; SHI n = 1520) critically ill >= 70 years patients in 129 ICUs. Generalized estimation equations with robust standard errors were chosen to create population average adjusted odds ratios (aOR). Data were adjusted for patient-specific variables, organ support and health economic data. The primary outcome was 30-day-mortality. Numerical differences between SHI and THS in SOFA scores (6 +/- 3 vs. 5 +/- 3; p = 0.002) were observed, but clinical frailty scores were similar (> 4; 17% vs. 14%; p = 0.09). Higher rates of renal replacement therapy (18% vs. 11%; p < 0.001) were found in SHI (aOR 0.61 95%CI 0.40-0.92; p = 0.02). No differences regarding intubation rates (68% vs. 70%; p = 0.33), vasopressor use (67% vs. 67%; p = 0.90) and 30-day-mortality rates (47% vs. 50%; p = 0.16) were found. Mortality remained similar between both systems after multivariable adjustment and sensitivity analyses. The retrospective character of this study. Baseline risk and mortality rates were similar between SHI and THS. The type of health care system does not appear to have played a role in the intensive care treatment of critically ill patients >= 70 years with COVID-19 in Europe.".
- 01GS7XQ8D8RZ3J6ZFRSMXVDVT1 abstract "Plant roots possess remarkable regenerative potential owing to their ability to replenish damaged or lost stem cells. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 115 (ERF115), one of the key molecular elements linked to this potential, plays a predominant role in the activation of regenerative cell divisions. However, the downstream operating molecular machinery driving wound-activated cell division is largely unknown. Here, we biochemically and genetically identified the GRAS-domain transcription factor SCARECROW-LIKE 5 (SCL5) as an interaction partner of ERF115 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Although non-essential under control growth conditions, SCL5 acts redundantly with the related PHYTOCHROME A SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION 1 (PAT1) and SCL21 transcription factors to activate the expression of the DNA-BINDING ONE FINGER 3.4 (DOF3.4) transcription factor gene. DOF3.4 expression is wound-inducible in an ERF115-dependent manner, and in turn activates D3-type cyclin expression. Accordingly, ectopic DOF3.4 expression drives periclinal cell division, while its downstream D3-type cyclins are essential for the regeneration of a damaged root. Our data highlight the importance and redundant roles of the SCL5, SCL21 and PAT1 transcription factors in wound-activated regeneration processes and pinpoint DOF3.4 as a key downstream element driving regenerative cell division.".
- 01GS7YB3G9DKTBM45CKHZPHDQA abstract "In plants, proteolysis is emerging as an important field of study due to a growing understanding of the critical involvement of proteases in plant cell death, disease and development. Because proteases irreversibly modify the structure and function of their target substrates, proteolytic activities are stringently regulated at multiple levels. Most proteases are produced as dormant isoforms and only activated in specific conditions such as altered ion fluxes or by post-translational modifications. Some of the regulatory mechanisms initiating and modulating proteolytic activities are restricted in time and space, thereby ensuring precision activity, and minimizing unwanted side effects. Currently, the activation mechanisms and the substrates of only a few plant proteases have been studied in detail. Most studies focus on the role of proteases in pathogen perception and subsequent modulation of the plant reactions, including the hypersensitive response (HR). Proteases are also required for the maturation of coexpressed peptide hormones that lead essential processes within the immune response and development. Here, we review the known mechanisms for the activation of plant proteases, including post-translational modifications, together with the effects of proteinaceous inhibitors.".
- 01GS7YHAYG46X2ADXFGJ4S3YXK abstract "In recent years, the European Union has been paying more attention to social categories other than gender in its external policies. The authors' aim is twofold. First, we trace how the concept of intersectionality has evolved in EU external gender policy since 2010. Second, we analyze to what extent the framing of intersectionality is able to harness intersectionality's transformative potential. Using a tailored critical frame analysis of EU Gender Action Plans I-III, the study finds a growing and more profound engagement with the concept since 2020, due to the amenability of the policy field and a changed opportunity structure resulting from the 2019 appointment of a new Commission which put (gender) equality back on the agenda. While not yet transformative in the strict sense, the policy shift is an important leverage for equality advocates as it sets out a progressive course for the European Union as a global gender actor.".
- 01GS7Z9G3GD9G03AG6FC6ZZ6SQ abstract "Throughout exploration of the soil, roots interact with their environment and adapt to different conditions. Directional root growth is guided by asymmetric molecular patterns but how these become established or are dynamically regulated is poorly understood. Asymmetric gradients of the phytohormone auxin are established during root gravitropism, mainly through directional transport mediated by polarized auxin transporters. Upon gravistimulation, PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) is differentially distributed and accumulates at the lower root side to facilitate asymmetric auxin transport up to the elongation zone where it inhibits cell elongation. GOLVEN (GLV) peptides function in gravitropism by affecting PIN2 abundance in epidermal cells. In addition, GLV signaling through ROOT GROWTH FACTOR 1 INSENSITIVE (RGI) receptors regulates root apical meristem maintenance. Here, we show that GLV-RGI signaling in these two processes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) can be mapped to different cells in the root tip and that, in the case of gravitropism, it operates mainly in the lateral root cap (LRC) to maintain PIN2 levels at the plasma membrane. Furthermore, we found that GLV signaling upregulates the phosphorylation level of PIN2 in an RGI-dependent manner. In addition, we demonstrated that the RGI5 receptor is asymmetrically distributed in the LRC and accumulates in the lower side of the LRC after gravistimulation. Asymmetric GLV-RGI signaling in the root cap likely accounts for differential PIN2 abundance at the plasma membrane to temporarily support auxin transport up to the elongation zone thereby representing an additional level of control on the asymmetrical auxin flux to mediate differential growth of the root.".
- 01GS7ZVJBXN423W01E59MR8NVS abstract "Interactions between humans and smart products (i.e. digital components integrated in physical Internet of Things devices) are becoming more complex and less visible. Yet designers lack tools to capture these interactions and incorporate them into their design. In this paper we present the Human-Computer-Context Interaction (HCCI) tool that helps the designer to consider the different interactions of the user early in the conceptualisation phase, in order to eventually improve the user experience for smart products. This tool introduces 5 relevant interaction levels to be considered, when defining the context-of-use. In this paper we assess the use of the tool by means of a design challenge with a total of 34 industrial design students, given the task to design a smart kitchen concept. The tool was evaluated by a mixed method approach. Results show that the tool was evaluated as useful and usable during the early concept phase of the design of smart products. Unsupported concepts typically envisioned a single user interacting with one object through explicit interactions. Hence, tool-supported designs were more holistic and better captured interactions with other objects, users, content and services. From this we conclude that the tool can help to detect possible pitfalls of design selections. The tool is aimed to be used in a new product development process by HCI researchers, designers, and developers and is technology independent. Based on observations and participant feedback, we reflect on the strengths and limitations of this tool.".
- 01GS8187JQTDYGVPJCED25SYZS abstract "De volkstelling van 31 december 1876 was in tegenstelling tot andere nationale tellingen slechts een eenvoudige opsomming van de bevolking in afwachting van een drievoudige census in 1880. De cijfers werden nooit afzonderlijk gepubliceerd of geanalyseerd. Zelfs de toenmalige overheid gebruikte de officiële bevolkingsaantallen van 1876 louter waar ze wettelijk voor bedoeld waren: voor het aanpassen van het aantal te verkiezen leden van kamer en senaat. Hoewel de bevolkingscijfers van 1876 onderbenut zijn, zijn ze toch relevant voor historisch en heemkundig onderzoek. Studie op het niveau van het gezin wordt mogelijk gemaakt door gezinsbulletins die hier en daar in (naar het Rijksarchief overgedragen) gemeentearchieven worden bewaard. Belangrijker zijn de cijfers die beschikbaar zijn voor alle Belgische gemeenten. Gemeenten zijn immers de kleinste administratief-geografische omschrijvingen die toelaten om historische vergelijkingen te maken in ruimte (met de gemeenten onderling), in tijd (met vroegere of latere volkstellingen) en in context (met andere tellingen op micro-niveau).".
- 01GS82EZN7AC5YT06KB6WBM2TM abstract "There is an ongoing explosion of scientific datasets being generated, brought on by recent technological advances in many areas of the natural sciences. As a result, the life sciences have become increasingly computational in nature, and bioinformatics has taken on a central role in research studies. However, basic computational skills, data analysis, and stewardship are still rarely taught in life science educational programs, resulting in a skills gap in many of the researchers tasked with analysing these big datasets. In order to address this skills gap and empower researchers to perform their own data analyses, the Galaxy Training Network (GTN) has previously developed the Galaxy Training Platform (https://training.galaxyproject.org), an open access, community-driven framework for the collection of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) training materials for data analysis utilizing the user-friendly Galaxy framework as its primary data analysis platform. Since its inception, this training platform has thrived, with the number of tutorials and contributors growing rapidly, and the range of topics extending beyond life sciences to include topics such as climatology, cheminformatics, and machine learning. While initially aimed at supporting researchers directly, the GTN framework has proven to be an invaluable resource for educators as well. We have focused our efforts in recent years on adding increased support for this growing community of instructors. New features have been added to facilitate the use of the materials in a classroom setting, simplifying the contribution flow for new materials, and have added a set of train-the-trainer lessons. Here, we present the latest developments in the GTN project, aimed at facilitating the use of the Galaxy Training materials by educators, and its usage in different learning environments.".
- 01GS833HVB2KHH5X62CKKBY6ED abstract "Energy poverty vulnerability constitutes a significant concern in Portugal, with 17.5% of the population being unable to keep their home adequately warm. Furthermore, there is evidence that a substantial number of children live in unhealthy homes. This study aims to comprehensively characterise a sample of 101 Portuguese families with children and their homes in order to identify opportunities for actions for promoting long-lasting energy efficiency and environment health-promoting behavioural changes. To accomplish this aim, two tools—a building survey checklist and a questionnaire to participants—were developed and implemented to collect harmonised data on building-specific characteristics and on participants' socioeconomic status and behaviour. The home visits for recruitment and data collection were conducted from July 2021 to April 2022. The results suggest that, for the population under study, the main opportunities for improvement include: (i) replacing low energy-efficient technologies, with high emission rates, namely those used for heating purposes, with cleaner and more efficient alternatives; (ii) providing citizens with detailed information about their home's energy use and indoor air quality and (iii) educating the population on the best-practices for reducing indoor air stuffiness, mitigating the risk of hazardous exposures, improving thermal comfort and saving energy.".
- 01GS8493VYZMGGTWV7MA3ZMFYT abstract "Objectives. - Nocturia is frequent among older patients and has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the time relationship between the onset of nocturia and coronary heart disease (CHD). Specifically, this study investigated whether nocturia can be identified as a red flag de novo symptom in patients with CHD. Methods. - This cross-sectional study consisted of patients with CHD-related cardiac complaints who were prospectively recruited from November 2019 till March 2020 at the cardiac catheterization laboratory of the Ghent University Hospital. An analysis was performed to determine the time relationship between nocturia and CHD and to describe the nocturia characteristics. Results. - Forty-five patients with nocturia and established CHD were included. Of these patients, 74% (31/42) developed nocturia before their cardiac symptoms occurred, with a median time gap of 57 months (IQR 19-101). Furthermore, 64% (29/45) of them had clinically significant nocturia (>= 2 nocturnal voids) and there was a significant correlation between age at which nocturia and cardiac symptoms occurred (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). Conclusion. - This is the first study that analysed the time relationship between onset of nocturia and onset of cardiac complaints in patients with CHD. In most of the patients, nocturia had started before they were diagnosed with CHD, meaning that nocturia might precede the development of cardiac symptoms, such as angina and shortness of breath. Keeping this in mind, de novo nocturia may or even should be considered as a red flag for CHD.".
- 01GS84HNH38Z9QATC5EM27M5V8 abstract "During analysis of a prospective multinational observation study of critically ill patients >= 80 years of age, the VIP2 study, we also studied the effects of differences in country consent for study inclusion. This is a post hoc analysis where the ICUs were analyzed according to requirement for study consent. Group A: ICUs in countries with no requirement for consent at admission but with deferred consent in survivors. Group B: ICUs where some form of active consent at admission was necessary either from the patient or surrogates. Patients' characteristics, the severity of disease and outcome variables were compared. Totally 3098 patients were included from 21 countries. The median age was 84 years (IQR 81-87). England was not included because of changing criteria for consent during the study period. Group A (7 countries, 1200 patients), and group B (15 countries, 1898 patients) were comparable with age and gender distribution. Cognition was better preserved prior to admission in group B. Group A suffered from more organ dysfunction at admission compared to group B with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score median 8 and 6 respectively. ICU survival was lower in group A, 66.2% compared to 78.4% in group B (p<0.001). We hence found profound effects on outcomes according to differences in obtaining consent for this study. It seems that the most severely ill elderly patients were less often recruited to the study in group B. Hence the outcome measured as survival was higher in this group. We therefore conclude that consent likely is an important confounding factor for outcome evaluation in international studies focusing on old patients.".
- 01GS84TER9K8PM11W0YMT15MQJ abstract "The control of the A/B comonomer distribution over individual chains targeting block and/or gradient monomer distributions is essential to control the macroscopic properties of the resulting copolymers. Matrix-based kinetic Monte Carlo simulations allow to compare each chain of a representative copolymer sample with the desired (mathematical) composition, as defined by monomer inclusion probabilities (PA/B) taking the B-functionalization degree (B-Func) as maximally 50%. A so-called average deviation (SD* value) results per chain, with a close to 0 average (normalized) structural deviation 〈SD〉 corresponding to an almost perfect structure and a 〈SD〉 close to 1 representing the worst case scenario of a B-homopolymer. The previously assigned 〈SD〉 transitions from excellent to good and from good to poor are, however, somewhat arbitrary, e.g. for both symmetric gradient and block copolymers a threshold 〈SDGood/Poor〉 of 0.3 is currently utilized and only for specific asymmetric cases (30% B-Func block, block-gradient, and gradient) 〈SDExc/Good〉 and 〈SDGood/Poor〉 values have been reported. The present work puts forward an equation driven method to obtain 〈SD〉 threshold values, minimizing the arbitrary nature of the quality classification for a given copolymer type and more importantly aligning the quality assessment for any copolymer type containing block and/or gradient elements. Emphasis is on the complete SD distribution (instead of only its average) for (a)symmetric AB gradient, block A-gradient AB, block A-gradient AB-block B, and AB block copolymers by introducing the overall gradient and block fractions (fGr/Bl) as a novel parameter alongside the targeted degree of polymerization (target DP) and B-Func. Ideal theoretical structures with equal chain length and a perfect implementation of the desired PA/B profiles are dealt with, as they represent the best case an actual synthesis recipe could deliver in the limit. It is shown that the log-normal distribution can be reliably used to approximate the SD distribution, as coefficients of determination (R2) very close to one follow for (a)symmetric copolymers . It is further showcased that threshold values for gradient dominant structures must be higher than those for block-like structures and that well-defined symmetric structures are more difficult to achieve than asymmetric ones. It is also recommended to report 〈SD〉 together with its standard deviation σSD.".
- 01GS8580Z8EW5PJ8024ZDFDRYE abstract "Coagulation disorders increase mortality rate during septic shock, but the impact of concomitant hematological malignancies remains unknown. The study assessed coagulation disorders in onco-hematological patients with thrombocytopenia (<100 G/L) admitted to ICU for septic shock. Among 146 included patients, 50 patients had lymphoma and 49 patients had acute leukemia. ICU mortality rate was 43.8% (n = 64). Median increase in prothrombin time (PT) at day(d) 1 was 4.7 s (IQR 3.2-7.9) in ICU survivors vs. 6.4 s (IQR 4.5-13.7; p < 0.01) in non-survivors. Fibrinogen kinetics (increase in fibrinogen levels between d1 and d2) was +0.55 (-0.22-1.55) vs. +0.10 g/L (-0.40-0.50; p = 0.03) in surviving and non-surviving patients, respectively. PT increase >= 6 s at d1 (OR 5.5; 95% CI 1.1-6.0; p = 0.03) and mechanical ventilation (OR 7.4; 95% CI 3.3-17.7; p < 0.001) were independently associated with ICU mortality. This study provides information and new ways to identify hematological patients with high-risk mortality.".
- 01GS85B3WT4N7JJEPZY18VCRJ2 abstract "The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a well-studied pathogenicity determinant of many bacteria through which effectors (T3Es) are translocated into the host cell, where they exercise a wide range of functions to deceive the host cell’s immunity and to establish a niche. Here we look at the different approaches that are used to functionally characterize a T3E. Such approaches include host localization studies, virulence screenings, biochemical activity assays, and large-scale omics, such as transcriptomics, interactomics, and metabolomics, among others. By means of the phytopathogenic <jats:italic>Ralstonia solanacearum</jats:italic> species complex (RSSC) as a case study, the current advances of these methods will be explored, alongside the progress made in understanding effector biology. Data obtained by such complementary methods provide crucial information to comprehend the entire function of the effectome and will eventually lead to a better understanding of the phytopathogen, opening opportunities to tackle it.".
- 01GS8666PDAP0M31EJNWT322H1 abstract "This paper aims to assess whether the emerging research paradigm of the new speaker may be useful in the study of language history. This question is tackled by exploring the dynamics which arose between Florentines and non-Florentine learners in sixteenth-century Italy. At the time, notwithstanding the peninsula's linguistic fragmentation, the written language came to be progressively standardised around an archaic variety of Florentine (the fourteenth-century vernacular used by Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio). Florentines, initially, had no active role in this process and literary Florentine was living an autonomous life, becoming, at the written level, a "learner" variety progressively influenced by its new users. If at first Florentines themselves saw the emerging exogenous written standard in negative terms, they were not immune to its influence - an influence which grew stronger as the century progressed. The dynamics which arose between Florentines and learners concerning linguistic ownership appear similar to the ones which exist between "traditional" linguistic minorities and new speakers in some present-day revitalisation contexts. It is argued that the "new speaker" lens, mainly employed in the field of endangered languages, is valuable for capturing the dynamics which emerge between different groups during historical processes of language standardisation.".
- 01GS866C7N6T9P7F4FM46G7CSY abstract "Background The pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of a drug is influenced by several factors, which can lead to a suboptimal dosing regimen in specific patient populations. As obesity becomes increasingly prevalent, it is important that optimized dosing schemes are available for these patients. To set up such dosing schemes, PK studies should be performed in this population. Regarding paracetamol (acetaminophen [APAP]), obese patients would benefit from a tailored dosing scheme, as both the volume of distribution and metabolism are increased compared with non-obese patients. This includes metabolism by cytochrome P450 2E1, which is involved in APAP-associated hepatotoxicity. To decrease the burden for patients in these PK studies, finger-prick sampling could be used. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the quantitative determination of APAP and four metabolites in different blood-based matrices and to determine if capillary dried blood samples, collected directly following finger-prick, could serve as a tool to investigate APAP PK in obese and non-obese patients. Methods In this study, we performed a clinical validation of methods for the determination of APAP and four of its metabolites (APAP-glucuronide, APAP-sulfate, APAP-mercapturate, and APAP-cysteine) in blood, plasma, and dried blood. The latter was obtained by volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS), either starting from the venous blood or collected directly following a finger-prick. Results were compared between the different matrices and, in addition, blood:plasma (B:P) ratios were determined for the different analytes. Results Liquid and dried venous blood results were in good agreement. Furthermore, differences between capillary (finger-prick) and venous VAMS blood samples remained limited for most analytes. However, for APAP-cysteine, caution should be paid to the interpretation of concentrations in (dried) blood. With the exception of APAP, concentrations were higher in plasma compared with blood, with B:P ratios ranging between 0.52 and 0.65. A time-dependent change in median B:P ratio was observed for APAP and APAP-cysteine. Additionally, a time-dependent trend was seen for APAP, as well as for APAP-glucuronide and APAP-mercapturate, for the distribution between capillary and venous blood. Conclusions We demonstrated that finger-prick sampling is a viable alternative to conventional venous blood sampling to investigate the PK of APAP and its metabolites in obese and non-obese patients.".
- 01GS866C7WM0P11FHS022GW0NH abstract "Dried blood spot(s) (DBS) microsampling has increasingly attracted interest as a patient-centric alternative to conventional blood withdrawal. Despite the many advantages associated with DBS sampling, its widespread use in clinical practice is still hampered, which is mainly caused by the hematocrit (Hct) effect. One approach to cope with this issue is the Hct prediction of DBS using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Recently, a UV-Vis-based Hct prediction module has been incorporated into the automated CAMAG (R) DBS-MS 500 HCT system. However, although a proof-of-principle yielded promising results, there is no formal in-depth evaluation of the performance of this module. Hence, it remained to be established to what extent automated Hct prediction of DBS via this module can universally be applied and generates acceptable results. Using authentic patient samples, we set up and validated a calibration model and evaluated whether this could serve as a 'generic' calibration model for different, independent Hct prediction modules. A quadratic calibration curve with 1/x(2) weighting was established. The bias, intra-day and total precision were below 0.025 L L-1, 2.2% and 2.7%, respectively. Additionally, the influence of storage and the robustness of the method was evaluated. Moreover, a lab-lab comparison of the performance of the Hct module of two independently operated instruments demonstrated that the validated model can be used as a generic calibration model. Finally, application of the method to venous DBS (n = 48) prepared from patient samples in the context of therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus revealed a good concordance between the actual (i.e. Sysmex-based) and UV-Vis-based predicted Hct.".
- 01GS866C80CYSP9GFNM6ZTQC1Q abstract "The serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is the mediator of the psychedelic effects of serotonergic psychedelics, which have shown promising results in clinical studies for several neuropsychiatric indications. The 5-HT2AR is able to signal through the G alpha(q) and ss-arrestin effector proteins, but it is currently not known how the different signaling pathways contribute to the therapeutic effects mediated by serotonergic psychedelics. In the present work, we have evaluated the subtype-selective 5-HT2AR agonist 25CN-NBOH and a series of close analogues for biased signaling at this receptor. These ligands were designed to evaluate the role of interactions with Ser159(3x36). The lack of interaction between this hydroxyl moiety and Ser159(3x36) resulted in detrimental effects on potency and efficacy in both ss arr2 and miniGaq recruitment assays. Remarkably, G alpha(q)-mediated signaling was considerably more affected. This led to the development of the first efficacious ss arr2-biased 5-HT2AR agonists 4a-b and 6e-f, ss arr2 preferring, relative to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).".
- 01GS866C8400SWHT7JSQ2DZTXQ abstract "The use of alcohol, despite it being a psychoactive substance, is widely accepted. This acceptance and the ease of access may lead to alcohol abuse and dependence. Misuse of alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable illness, injury or death, has social consequences, and can be linked to various types of criminal activities. Upon monitoring alcohol consumption, the question is not necessarily solely whether or not someone is or was abstinent, but may also imply what kind of drinking behavior or patterns are displayed. To reveal the answer, a portfolio of different biomarkers for alcohol (ab)use has been established. A distinction is made between indirect and direct markers. Indirect biomarkers are proteins, enzymes, or cells of which the level or activity undergoes typical changes as a result of (excessive) alcohol intake [e.g., carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)], while direct biomarkers are ethanol itself and molecules which are directly related to the metabolism of alcohol [e.g., ethyl glucuronide (EtG), ethyl sulphate (EtS), fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), and phosphatidylethanol (PEth)]. These direct biomarkers have the potential to differentiate between drinking behaviors because they allow a higher sensitivity and specificity, in particular for the detection of abstinence or any drinking, and because they can be measured in different matrices, with different detection windows. These assets open the possibilities for testing strategies based on a combination of different markers that can be used both in retrospective and prospective assessments of alcohol intake.".
- 01GS866C88EV5YXW16NC89NYG4 abstract "Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) pose a danger to public health. This study focused on individuals experiencing recreational drug toxicity who had used 5F-MDMB-PICA. Patient records were evaluated regarding vital signs, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and clinical features. Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) confirmed and quantified the presence of 5F-MDMB-PICA (and/or metabolites) as the only SCRA present in the serum of 71 patients. Cannabinoid activity was evaluated by a cannabinoid receptor (CB1) bioassay, to assess the relationship between serum concentrations and ex vivo human CB1 activation potential. Furthermore, a link with the clinical presentation was appraised. 5F-MDMB-PICA and five metabolites were pharmacologically profiled in vitro, revealing theoretically possible contributions of two active in vivo metabolites to overall cannabinoid activity. Serum concentrations of 5F-MDMB-PICA were correlated to the ex vivo cannabinoid activity, revealing a sigmoidal relationship. The latter could also be predicted based on pharmacological characterization of 5F-MDMB-PICA and its metabolites and an in-depth investigation of the bioassay outcome. Clinically, the GCS showed a significant trend (decrease) with increasing ex vivo cannabinoid activity. This is the first study to evaluate possible toxic effects of 5F-MDMB-PICA in a unique large patient cohort. It allows a better understanding of 5F-MDMB-PICA and metabolites in humans, suggesting a negligible contribution by 5F-MDMB-PICA metabolites to the overall cannabinoid activity in serum. Additionally, this work shows that in vitro pharmacological characterization allows close prediction of an individual's ex vivo CB1 activity, the latter showing a relationship with the level of consciousness.".
- 01GS866C8FME1NZEXBG15WE1AF abstract "Objectives Fast and reliable ethanol assays analysis are used in a clinical context for patients suspected of ethanol intoxication. Mostly, automated systems using an enzymatic reaction based on ethanol dehydrogenase are used. The manuscript focusses on the evaluation of the performance of these assays. Methods Data included 30 serum samples used in the Belgian EQA scheme from 2019 to 2021 and concentrations ranged from 0.13 to 3.70 g/L. A regression line between target concentrations and reported values was calculated to evaluate outliers, bias, variability and measurement uncertainty. Results A total of 1,611 results were taken into account. Bias was the highest for Alinity c over the whole concentration range and the lowest for Vitros for low concentrations and Cobas 8000 using the c702 module for high concentrations. The Architect and Cobas c501/c502 systems showed the lowest variability over the whole concentration range. Highest variability was observed for Cobas 8000 using the 702 module, Thermo Scientific and Alinity c. Cobas 8000 using the c702 module showed the highest measurement uncertainty for lower concentrations. For higher concentrations, Alinity c, Thermo Scientific and Vitros were the methods with the highest measurement uncertainty. Conclusions The bias of the enzymatic techniques is nearly negligible for all methods except Alinity c. Variability differs strongly between measurement procedures. This study shows that the Alinity c has a worse measurement uncertainty than other systems for concentrations above 0.5 g/L. Overall, we found the differences in measurement uncertainty to be mainly influenced by the differences in variability.".
- 01GS866C8K3XMPFD3JCHR4YWC3 abstract "Classical psychedelics are a group of hallucinogens which trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness through activation of the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) in the brain. However, the exact mechanism of how 5-HT2AR agonism alters perception remains elusive. When studying receptor signaling, tools which work at the same spatiotemporal resolution as the receptor are exceptionally useful. To create such a tool, we designed a set of photoswitchable ligands based on the classical psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). By incorporation of the DMT-indole ring into the photoswitchable system, we obtained red-shifted ligands which can be operated by visible light. Among these azo-DMTs, compound 2 h ("Photo-DMT") stands out as its cis isomer exhibits DMT like activity while the trans isomer acts as weak partial agonist. Such a cis-on "efficacy switch" substantially expands the pharmacological toolbox to investigate the complex mechanisms of 5-HT2AR signaling.".
- 01GS866C8Q94ZVNMPTG3CQCK3J abstract "Novel synthetic opioids continue to emerge on recreational drug markets worldwide. In response to legislative bans on fentanyl analogues, non-fentanyl structural templates, such as 2-benzylbenzimidazoles ('nitazenes' ), are being exploited to create new mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists. Here, we pharmacologically characterize an emerging cyclic analogue of etonitazene, called N-pyrrolidino etonitazene (etonitazepyne), using in vitro and in vivo methods. A series of analytically confirmed fatalities is described to complement preclinical findings. Radioligand binding assays in rat brain tissue revealed that N-pyrrolidino etonitazene has high affinity for MOR (Ki = 4.09 nM) over delta-opioid (Ki = 959 nM) and kappa-opioid (Ki = 980 nM) receptors. In a MOR-beta-arrestin2 activation assay, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene displayed high potency (EC50 = 0.348 nM), similar to etonitazene (EC50 = 0.360 nM), and largely exceeding the potencies of fentanyl (EC50 = 14.9 nM) and morphine (EC50 = 290 nM). When administered s.c. to male Sprague Dawley rats, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene induced opioid-like antino-ciceptive, cataleptic, and thermic effects. Its potency in the hot plate test (ED50 = 0.0017 mg/kg) was tenfold and 2,000-fold greater than fentanyl (ED50 = 0.0209 mg/kg) and morphine (ED50 =3.940 mg/kg), respectively. Twenty-one overdose fatalities associated with N-pyrrolidino etonitazene were found to contain low blood concentrations of the drug (median = 2.2 ng/mL), commonly in the context of polysubstance use. N-Pyrrolidino etonitazene was reported as a cause of death in at least two cases, demonstrating toxicity in humans. We demonstrate that N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is an extremely potent MOR agonist that is likely to present high risk to users. Continued vigilance is required to identify and characterize emergent 2-benzylbenzimidazoles, and other non-fentanyl opioids, as they appear in the marketplace.".
- 01GS866C8TANNKR8CA387BJTRM abstract "New psychoactive substances (NPS), formerly also referred to as "designer drugs", are often synthetic derivatives of existing psychoactive drugs, their diverse structures aiming at circumventing legislation and detection while their effects mimic those of traditional drugs of abuse. Of these, the group of new synthetic opioids (NSOs) has been one of the fastest growing NPS subclasses in the last couple of years, with over 70 new compounds detected in Europe since 2009. Apart from effects such as euphoria and analgesia, opioid use is associated with severe side effects such as constipation and respiratory depression. The mu-opioid receptor (MOR), a class A G protein-coupled receptor, is responsible for most of the therapeutic and adverse opioid effects. Insight into the pharmacology of opioids can aid the implementation of proactive harm reduction strategies, as well as the development of safer opioid analgesics. This review aims at assembling the available information on in vitro MOR agonism of the emerging class of new synthetic opioids, with a special focus on functional assays monitoring G protein and beta-arrestin pathways. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.".
- 01GS866C8YWH8DSQ9RXSG0R57D abstract "Following our study of 4'-truncated (N)-methanocarba-adenosine derivatives that displayed unusually high mouse (m) A(3)AR affinity, we incorporated dopamine-related N-6 substituents in the full agonist 5'-methylamide series. N-6-(2-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)ethyl) derivative MRS7618 11 displayed K-i (nM) 0.563 at hA(3)AR (similar to 20,000-fold selective) and 1.54 at mA(3)AR. 2-Alkyl ethers maintained A(3) affinity, but with less selectivity than 2-alkynes. Parallel functional assays of G protein-dependent and beta-arrestin 2 (beta arr2)-dependent pathways indicate these are full agonists but not biased. Through use of computational modeling, we hypothesized that phenyl OH/OMe groups interact with polar residues, particularly Gln261, on the mA(3)AR extracellular loops as the basis for the affinity enhancement. Although the pharmacokinetics indicated facile clearance of parent O-methyl catechol nucleosides 21 and 31, prolonged mA(3)AR activation in vivo was observed in a hypothermia model, suggested potential formation of active metabolites through demethylation. Selected analogues induced mouse hypothermia following i.p. injection, indicative of peripheral A(3)AR agonism in vivo. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.".
- 01GS86KM654RDW38CNPVC4YDPK abstract "Sixteenth-century Italy saw the codification of a literary variety based on archaic Florentine. This process was at first guided by non-Tuscans, and the codified variety did not entirely coincide with the variety spoken at the time in Florence, going back instead to the language of fourteenth-century Florentine authors. This archaising variety was at first rejected by Tuscan writers as inauthentic, but in the course of the century attitudes changed, and this variety was eventually promoted by the Accademia della Crusca. Whereas most attention has focused on the literary sphere, the reception of this archaising norm in Tuscany at the level of informal writings warrants further investigation. This paper examines the Buonarroti letter corpus, tracking the spread of the archaising form of the masculine determiner, a highly salient feature that distinguished archaic and contemporary Tuscan. The analysis shows a dramatic increase in the use of this form throughout the sixteenth century, with the change being led by high-ranking individuals and progressively adopted by the ranks below. Italian historiography has been criticised for the centrality usually attributed to change from above. The results presented here, however, suggest that, for a highly salient feature, change from above is detectable in the informal written language of sixteenth-century Tuscans.".
- 01GS86PJGCJN9H594X0DB16BZP abstract "As agricultural production is reaching its limits regarding outputs and land use, the need to further improve crop yield is greater than ever. The limited translatability from in vitro lab results into more natural growth conditions in soil remains problematic. Although considerable progress has been made in developing soil-growth assays to tackle this bottleneck, the majority of these assays use pots or whole trays, making them not only space- and resource-intensive, but also hampering the individual treatment of plants. Therefore, we developed a flexible and compact screening system named PhenoWell® in which individual seedlings are grown in wells filled with soil allowing single-plant treatments. The system makes use of an automated image-analysis pipeline that extracts multiple growth parameters from individual seedlings over time, including projected rosette area, relative growth rate, compactness, and stockiness. Macronutrient, hormone, salt, osmotic, and drought stress treatments were tested in the PhenoWell® system. The system is also optimized for maize with results that are consistent with Arabidopsis while different in amplitude. We conclude that the PhenoWell® system enables a high-throughput, precise, and uniform application of a small amount of solution to individually soil-grown plants, which increases the replicability and reduces variability and compound usage.".