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

• 01GKMJFMJE3F87Y45BEZTKWHDK abstract "We use PHANGS-James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data to identify and classify 1271 compact 21 mu m sources in four nearby galaxies using MIRI F2100W data. We identify sources using a dendrogram-based algorithm, and we measure the background-subtracted flux densities for JWST bands from 2 to 21 mu m. Using the spectral energy distribution (SED) in JWST and HST bands plus ALMA and MUSE/VLT observations, we classify the sources by eye. Then we use this classification to define regions in color-color space and so establish a quantitative framework for classifying sources. We identify 1085 sources as belonging to the ISM of the target galaxies with the remainder being dusty stars or background galaxies. These 21 mu m sources are strongly spatially associated with H II regions (>92% of sources), while 74% of the sources are coincident with a stellar association defined in the HST data. Using SED fitting, we find that the stellar masses of the 21 mu m sources span a range of 10(2)-10(4) M circle dot with mass-weighted ages down to 2 Myr. There is a tight correlation between attenuation-corrected H alpha and 21 mu m luminosity for L-nu,L-F2100W > 10(19) W Hz(-1). Young embedded source candidates selected at 21 mu m are found below this threshold and have M-* < 10(3) M circle dot.".
• 01GKNDDXH1AVBSAQH8NTGK1GEE abstract "Broadcast Audio Fingerprinting dataset is an open, available upon request, annotated dataset for the task of music monitoring in broadcast. It contains 2,000 tracks from Epidemic Sound's private catalogue as reference tracks that represent 74 hours. As queries, it contains over 57 hours of TV broadcast audio from 23 countries and 203 channels distributed with 3,425 one-min audio excerpts. It has been annotated by six annotators in total and each query has been cross-annotated by three of them obtaining high inter-annotator agreement percentages, which validates the annotation methodology and ensures the reliability of the annotations. ".
• 01GKNW018RJ2R4E0AB5JSG9PHH abstract "The data set contains information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter data has been collected based on the hashtags #CoronaOutbreak, #CoronaVirus, #CoronaVirusOutbreak, #COVID19, #COVID-19, #COVID2019, and #SARSCoV2, between February 12, 2020 and June 15, 2020. The goal of this data set is to detect whether a tweet is identified as a rumor or not (given by the 'label' column). A tweet that is identified as a rumor is labeled as 1, and 0 otherwise. The tweets were labeled by two independent annotators using the following guidelines. Whether a tweet is a rumor or not depends on 3 important aspects: (1) A rumor is a piece of information that is unverified or not confirmed by official instances. In other words, it does not matter whether the information turns out to be true or false in the future. (2) More specifically, a tweet is a rumor if the information is unverified at the time of posting. (3) For a tweet to be a rumor, it should contain an assertion, meaning the author of tweet commits to the truth of the message. In sum, the annotators indicated that a tweet is a rumor if it consisted of an assertion giving information that is unverifiable at the time of posting. Practically, to check whether the information in a tweet was verified or confirmed by official instances at the moment of tweeting, the annotators used BBC News and Reuters. After all the tweets were labeled, the annotators re-iterated over the tweets they disagreed on to produce the final tweet label. Besides the label indicating whether a tweet is a rumor or not (i.e., ‘label’), the data set contains the tweet itself (i.e., ‘full_text’), and additional metadata (e.g., ‘created_at’, ‘favorite_count’) . In total, the data set contains 4,612 observations of which 485 (11%) are identified as rumors. This data set can be used by researchers to make rumor detection models (i.e., statistical, machine learning and deep learning models) using both unstructured (i.e., textual) and structured data. ".
• 01GKNW8MREM53V9AV42T6S6WGW abstract "The data set contains information about the Amazon rainforest wildfires that took place in 2019. Twitter data has been collected between August 21, 2019 and September 27, 2019 based on the following hashtags: #PrayforAmazonas, #AmazonRainforest, and #AmazonFire. The goal of this data set is to detect whether a tweet is identified as a rumor or not (given by the 'label' column). A tweet that is identified as a rumor is labeled as 1, and 0 otherwise. The tweets were labeled by two independent annotators using the following guidelines. Whether a tweet is a rumor or not depends on 3 important aspects: (1) A rumor is a piece of information that is unverified or not confirmed by official instances. In other words, it does not matter whether the information turns out to be true or false in the future. (2) More specifically, a tweet is a rumor if the information is unverified at the time of posting. (3) For a tweet to be a rumor, it should contain an assertion, meaning the author of tweet commits to the truth of the message. In sum, the annotators indicated that a tweet is a rumor if it consisted of an assertion giving information that is unverifiable at the time of posting. Practically, to check whether the information in a tweet was verified or confirmed by official instances at the moment of tweeting, the annotators used BBC News and Reuters. After all the tweets were labeled, the annotators re-iterated over the tweets they disagreed on to produce the final tweet label. Besides the label indicating whether a tweet is a rumor or not (i.e., ‘label’), the data set contains the tweet itself (i.e., ‘full_text’), and additional metadata (e.g., ‘created_at’, ‘favorite_count’). In total, the data set contains 1,392 observations of which 184 (13%) are identified as rumors. This data set can be used by researchers to make rumor detection models (i.e., statistical, machine learning and deep learning models) using both unstructured (i.e., textual) and structured data.".
• 01GKNY4TS7JTWEXYMKQ87GFTHV abstract "BACKGROUND Cyclooxygenase inhibitors are commonly used in infants with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), but the benefit of these drugs is uncertain. METHODS In this multicenter, noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned infants with echocardiographically confirmed PDA (diameter, >1.5 mm, with left-to-right shunting) who were extremely preterm (<28 weeks’ gestational age) to receive either expectant management or early ibuprofen treatment. The composite primary outcome included necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell’s stage IIa or higher), moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or death at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age. The noninferiority of expectant management as compared with early ibuprofen treatment was defined as an absolute risk difference with an upper boundary of the onesided 95% confidence interval of less than 10 percentage points. RESULTS A total of 273 infants underwent randomization. The median gestational age was 26 weeks, and the median birth weight was 845 g. A primary-outcome event occurred in 63 of 136 infants (46.3%) in the expectant-management group and in 87 of 137 (63.5%) in the early-ibuprofen group (absolute risk difference, −17.2 percentage points; upper boundary of the one-sided 95% confidence interval [CI], −7.4; P<0.001 for noninferiority). Necrotizing enterocolitis occurred in 24 of 136 infants (17.6%) in the expectant-management group and in 21 of 137 (15.3%) in the earlyibuprofen group (absolute risk difference, 2.3 percentage points; two-sided 95% CI, −6.5 to 11.1); bronchopulmonary dysplasia occurred in 39 of 117 infants (33.3%) and in 57 of 112 (50.9%), respectively (absolute risk difference, −17.6 percentage points; two-sided 95% CI, −30.2 to −5.0). Death occurred in 19 of 136 infants (14.0%) and in 25 of 137 (18.2%), respectively (absolute risk difference, −4.3 percentage points; two-sided 95% CI, −13.0 to 4.4). Rates of other adverse outcomes were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Expectant management for PDA in extremely premature infants was noninferior to early ibuprofen treatment with respect to necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or death at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age. (Funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center; BeNeDuctus ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02884219; EudraCT number, 2017-001376-28.)".
• 01GKNYRCYN52K47HWCEG8X0ZJG abstract "Surface-modified nanoporous silica films offer attractive features for analyte-specific gas detection applications. Here we demonstrate the integration of highly porous silica-alumina films on silicon nanophotonic chips and their performance in selective NH3 detection. Prototype sensors with microporous as well as mesoporous silica films were assembled. The incorporation of aluminum in trace amount needed to generate acid sites was achieved during film deposition or using postsynthesis atomic layer deposition. Silicon photonic micro-ring resonators functionalized with both techniques demonstrated a selective response to NH3 relative to CO2. Furthermore, the response was rapid and reversible. The role of preadsorbed water vapor on the reversible nature of the sensor is also investigated. Experimental observations indicate that water vapor preadsorbed on the films leads to fast sensor recovery while maintaining selectivity toward NH3. This could be attributed to the relatively less strong and still selective binding of NH3 on protonated water molecules preadsorbed on the surface acid sites. The potential of modified nanoporous films for portable and low-cost NH3 sensing on optical chips demonstrated here can be exploited in health care as well as industrial applications.".
• 01GKNZR38KBQQYJPAGTQQREJW0 abstract "This book addresses the application of Raman spectroscopic techniques to a range of diverse problems which arise in the study, conservation and restoration of artefacts and sites closely related to our cultural heritage as well as in authentication. These themes are naturally wider than what at first might be considered as artworks and archaeological artefacts and the topics include pigments, paintings, ceramics, glass, sculpture and patination / corrosion, textiles, industrial archaeology, the degradation and preservation of biomaterials, mummies and human skeletal remains. An interesting feature is the inclusion of modern case studies which describe specific problems and approaches to the Raman spectral analysis of items important to our cultural heritage. The text is prefaced with an introduction to the important parameters used in nondestructive Raman measurements and also highlights some future applications based upon novel miniaturised instrumentation for in-field studies and potential screening work which will identify specimens which would repay further studies in the laboratory. An attempt is made to give a snapshot of the state-of-the-art evolution since the beginning of the technique (1970s) and to point out potential further development. The book is co-edited by three international experts with many years' experience in the application of Raman spectroscopy to artworks, archaeological artefacts and in the investigation of materials and sites for cultural heritage preservation and each editor has undertaken to write individual chapters and different topics personally. The adopted approach is designed to convey the sort of information which has become available from the adoption of analytical Raman spectroscopy to different problems in the field of cultural heritage preservation through the spectral interrogation of artefacts and how the interpretation of the spectral data can assist museum curators, archaeologists and cultural heritage historians in the preservation and conservation of ancient materials and sites : a particular advantage in this respect is the ability of Raman spectroscopy to determine –generally in a strictly noninvasive procedure - at the laboratory or on-site with mobile instruments, the presence of both organic and inorganic components in a particular specimen together nondestructively without any chemical and mechanical pretreatment being undertaken, which is an essential requirement for rare and valuable samples . An important aside from this work is the means of spectral identification of ongoing biodeterioration and biological colonisation in specimens in storage and the effects of environmental deterioration such as humidity and temperature upon their integrity.".
• 01GKP0K1P4PJ0ZKDK971D8529X abstract "The spectro-kinetic characterization of complex catalytic materials, i.e. relating the observed reaction kinetics to spectroscopic descriptors of the catalyst state, presents a fundamental challenge with a potentially significant impact on various chemical technologies. We propose to reconcile the kinetic characteristics available from temporal analysis of products (TAP) pulse-response kinetic experiments with the spectroscopic data available from ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS), using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to synthesize multicomponent model surfaces on 2D and 3D supports. The accumulated surface exposure to a key reactant (total number of collisions) is used as a common scale within which the results from the two techniques can be rigorously compared for microscopically-equivalent surfaces. This approach is illustrated by proof-of-principle TAP and AP-XPS experiments with PtIn/MgO/SiO2 catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation at 800 K. Similarly to industrially-relevant Pt-based bimetallic catalysts on high-surface area supports, the initial period of coke accumulation on the surface resulted in gradually decreased conversion and increased selectivity towards propylene. We were able to monitor the process of coke deposition with both AP-XPS and TAP. The evolution of the C 1s photoelectron spectra is aligned on the common exposure scale with the evolution of the coke amounts deposited per Pt site during a multi-pulse TAP experiment. Moreover, TAP provided quantitative kinetic descriptors of propane consumption and product mean residence time within this common exposure scale. The challenges and opportunities presented by this novel tandem methodology are discussed in the context of catalysis research.".
• 01GKP12VXB1VW00B2EEF7F2EH2 abstract "Response inhibition (RI), the ability to suppress inappropriate actions, is critical for adaptive behavior in ever-changing environments. Because of this, in recent years RI has become a popular topic in the animal cognition field. But within the field, differences in task performance are often ascribed to a single control process, without providing proper mechanistic explanations. I will address this issue during my PhD by combining avian empirical work with theoretical work (across species). I propose that certain core cognitive processes play a role in RI across species. First, I will focus on two fundamental processes at a single trial level; stop-signal detection and action implementation. Next, I will examine whether individuals can learn to stop across trials. Lastly, I will use this newly developed cognitive framework to guide my research on the underlying neurochemical mechanisms. By doing so, I will establish the first coherent neuro-cognitive framework of RI in animals.".
• 01GKP14ZKCVT3PYTD8WDFWGTXQ abstract "Taalkundige kaarten schieten per definitie tekort. Ze proberen immers om taal, een fenomeen dat permanent verandert en intern heel divers is, vast te leggen in een visuele momentopname. Bovendien kunnen de keuzes die je moet maken om de veranderlijkheid van taal vast te leggen – en dus te vereenvoudigen – leiden tot onenigheid. Voor deze kaart, die de taaldiversiteit in Belgisch-Congo weergeeft, is dat niet anders. De handtekening in de rechterbovenhoek is van Jan Knappert (1927-2005). Hij was een expert in de Bantoetaal Swahili en promoveerde in 1958 aan de Universiteit van Leiden op een proefschrift over het Swahili epos Heraklios. Maar eigenlijk is Knapperts kaart een zo goed als exacte kopie van een kaart die de Belgische missionaris Gustaaf Hulstaert (1900-1990) al in 1950 had uitgebracht. En ook Hulstaert was niet de enige die in die periode met een taalkaart van Belgisch-Congo naar buiten was gekomen. Twee jaar eerder had een andere missionaris, Gaston Van Bulck (1903-1966) zijn kaart gepubliceerd, maar die zag er toch enigszins anders uit. Dat leidde tot discussie.".
• 01GKP4QSA8D80RMP6XDHA23ZCW abstract "Nanoscale patterning of inorganics is crucial for the fabrication of advanced electronic, photonic, and energy devices. The emerging sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) method fabricates nanofeatures by block-selective vapor-phase growth in block copolymer templates with tunable patterns. Yet, SIS has been demonstrated mainly for Al2O3 and a few other metal oxides, while deriving metal nanostructures from a single SIS process is a challenge. Here, we present SIS of the Ru metal in polystyrene-block-polymethyl methacrylate (PS-b-PMMA) templates without any pretreatment, using alternating infiltration of RuO4 and H-2. RuO4 interacts selectively and strongly with the aromatic C=C and C-H groups in PS, leaving the PMMA domains inert. Density functional theory calculations corroborate that the PS-RuO4 interaction is energetically favorable, with a calculated interaction energy of -1.65 eV, whereas for PMMA-RuO4, the calculated energy of -0.05 eV indicates an unfavorable interaction. Morphological analysis on the di-BCP after the RuO4-H-2 process indicates an increase in contrast as a function of SIS cycles and templated Ru incorporation. The crystalline nature of the Ru deposits is confirmed using grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. Plasma-aided removal of the organic components yields Ru nanolines with lateral dimensions of ca 20 nm. We further highlight the broad potential of RuO4 as a reactant for SIS by generating RuO2 nanopatterns via alternating RuO4 and methanol infiltration.".
• 01GKPAV7G6JYNZF3KEF1QRF12B abstract "This modern incarnation of the MOUSEION—the home of scholarly works in classical times, dedicated to the nine Muses—is the setting for a dialogue between traditional forms of art and architecture and me. As daughters of Mnemosyne, goddess of memory, the Muses preserved ancient knowledge and inspired new ideas, forms and worldviews. Just like the original, this MOUSEION presents a unique assemblage of art and science. And just as the Temple of the Muses in Alexandria, with its famous library, sought to understand the contemporary world, the collection of artworks in my virtual MOUSEION call into question specific aspects of our own recent past. Nick Ervinck in dialogue with Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Francis Bacon, Hans Arp, Lyn Chadwick, Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle, Michelangelo Buonarroti. Historical pieces from, among others, The Louvre – Paris, The Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York, The British Museum – London, Middelheim – Antwerp, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – Washington D.C., Museo Nazionale Romano – Roma, Statens Museum for Kunst – Copenhagen, Das Naturhistorisches Museum – Vienna. Complemented by African masks, rocks, shelves, bones, corals, fruit, toys and tree trunks.".
• 01GKPB80YDE8NS7KC4TMY9GQ7Z abstract "The inefficient operation of state institutions – including municipal administration – lay at the heart of Belgium's crisis of legitimacy in the 1930s. In 1940, the German military occupation government opted to keep many of the existing administrative institutions and personnel in place. The collaborating political parties, Rex and the Vlaams Nationaal Verbond (VNV), possessed little legitimacy with either the Germans or the Belgian population. However, this article argues that both parties turned this to their advantage, infiltrating the Flemish municipal apparatus (especially mayors). Yet, as their political programme and legitimation was completely derived from the Germans, their legal position as administrators (especially mayors) was very weak. Both collaborating parties compensated for this with the theory of ‘good government’. Their takeover of power was an administrative operation which, the article argues, would bring them legitimacy through everyday ‘good government’. The entire ‘Neuordnung’ in Belgium in 1940–2 was strongly legitimised on administrative, not political grounds. The failure of this tactic lay in the open politicisation of collaborationist local government. As the article shows, the post-liberation authority also faced a problem of legitimacy. Generally speaking, the trauma of occupation had seemed to strengthen Belgians' wishes for the restoration of stability rather than reforms.".
• 01GKPBMQ3G4JDPRYXFWFXP68GC abstract "Women played a crucial role in 1488-9 during the war of the Flemish cities against Maximilian of Austria, the regent of count Philip the Fair. They were key figures in communication networks, carrying letters between different cities and their militias. Moreover, as spies they also provided intelligence on the position of enemy armies. This article shows how various women from Ghent, Ypres, and Bruges travelled almost invisibly, alone or in pairs, between towns, and also inside and outside enemy camps. These towns developed a sophisticated communication network that relied heavily on women as messengers or spies. As a result women played a more important role in such military conflicts than is generally assumed.".
• 01GKPBRP7PBEK157VFRJ2F8T3D abstract "Simple Summary Tortoises and turtles (chelonians) are routinely presented in veterinary practice because of their reproductive disorders. Although egg binding in chelonians can often be resolved with conventional therapy, the diagnosis and treatment of complicated cases of egg binding and various other disorders of the reproductive tract in chelonians often require a more advanced therapeutic approach. If surgical intervention is required, endoscope-assisted techniques comprise the least invasive and thus preferred surgical approach. In cases where the use of endoscope-assisted procedures is not feasible, the reproductive tract needs to be accessed through the plastron (transplastron coeliotomy). The present report describes the diagnostic and surgical approach applied in seven cases of female chelonians with reproductive disorders. The therapeutic efficacy largely relies on the choice of minimally invasive endoscope-assisted surgery versus transplastron coeliotomy. Throughout the last decades, the increased popularity of the keeping of reptiles has led to a better understanding of the captive needs of a wide variety of species. Although this is reflected by the successful captive reproduction in many of those species, reproductive disorders such as preovulatory follicular stasis, postovulatory dystocia, secondary yolk coelomitis, and prolapse of the oviduct and male copulatory organ are commonly encountered in veterinary practice. In comparison to squamates, chelonians with postovulatory dystocia seem to be more responsive to oxytocin treatment, even in cases of chronic dystocia. There are various conditions, however, that necessitate the use of surgical procedures for the treatment of dystocia and other reproductive disorders in chelonians. Although restrictions may be encountered, the endoscope-assisted prefemoral approach is the least invasive and thus preferred technique instead of the ventral transplastron coeliotomy. The present report describes the diagnostic and surgical approach applied in seven cases of female chelonians with reproductive disorders. The therapeutic efficacy largely relied on the choice of minimally invasive endoscope-assisted surgery versus transplastron coeliotomy that was primarily dictated by the involved species, etiology, and associated pathology.".
• 01GKPCWRF2M316ASRRB3M7HFK8 abstract "This entry discusses the concept of actionality (otherwise known as Aktionsart or lexical aspect), outlining some of the major theoretical approaches, and the way in which these have been applied to Ancient Greek. Particular attention is paid to the way in which actionality as a category is dependent from and interacts with other linguistic categories.".
• 01GKPD7JQP5NTF5RF6KFAZ820R abstract "This entry outlines causal clauses, focusing in particular on Ancient Greek. After a brief introduction to the notion of ‘causality’, it surveys the different types of causal expressions that are attested, and discusses the factors that may motivate the choice for one rather than the other expression. The last part of the entry gives an overview of some diachronic tendencies that can be found, and discusses the (lack of) continuity between Ancient and Modern Greek.".
• 01GKPDEMN5YQVPKXV7P9FFP4F0 abstract "This entry briefly discusses how the concept of ‘frame’ - and related notions such as ‘framing’ and ‘footing’ - has been developed in modern communication-theory. It then turns to the application of frame theory to historical texts, discussing by way of example the openings and closings (so-called ‘framing borders’) of decrees and private letters.".
• 01GKPKEDR3JN794EYWRQGC4TSB abstract "This volume contains the proceedings of an international conference on the relation between asceticism and aspirations about reaching for perfection held at the University of Leuven 21-23 October 2019 and organised in the framework of Kosmoi, an association of Leuven colleagues from various disciplines working in the field of religious studies. Contributors were asked to integrate in their essay (aspects of) one of the following four basic topics: (1) the goal and purpose of living an ascetic life; (2) the means, both material and immaterial, available for reaching this goal; (3) the place of asceticism within the whole of religious practices in a particular religious tradition; and (4) the challenges and dangers of adopting such a lifestyle. These topics are addressed in various religious traditions, with a focus on Christian tradition - Western and Eastern, and through various approaches - historical, anthropological, and more philosophical.".
• 01GKPPE31JC6JXAQJVT2SD2TZP abstract "This chapter briefly explores how two periods of political mobilization, the alter-globalization movement in the first decade of the 20th century and the Occupy movement in the early 2010s, enacted different temporal forms of prefigurative politics. In order to understand the different temporal forms that prefiguration can take, it is necessary to examine how movements integrate ‘process-time’ and ‘event-time’. While the alter-globalization movement integrated process-time with event-time through the punctuated time of the anti-summit mobilization, the occupation and assembly-based movements integrated process-time with event-time through the act of occupation. The dominance of a process-orientated approach within the alter-globalization movement allowed the movement to organize from one event to the next, across time and space, without losing a conception of a singular political process that expands infinitely into the future. In the occupation and assembly-based movements, however, the conflation of the process and the event made it difficult (but not impossible) to continue the process of political organizing after the event of occupation came to an end. Consequently, these different ways of integrating time impacted the ways the movements conceptualized their own success or failure.".
• 01GKPTXPJXSG3NM8803J73RA56 abstract "Product bundling has been a common marketing strategy used by companies to steer consumers to buy more products. Research has studied the effect of bundling on consumers' demand for the products in the bundle. Yet, research has largely overlooked the effect that bundling has on the sales of other products. The aim of this study is to assess whether consumers’ grocery shopping baskets are bigger when they select a product bundle (vs. not select a bundle) because a bundle is perceived as a single, inseparable unit (i.e., gestalt) instead of multiple products.".
• 01GKPVX5FJ4FKMRSQADBG0A79Q abstract "Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are an environmentally friendly technology supporting a more timely and cost-effective farm management and production. Despite the great potentials of WSNs for improving agricultural productivity and the various other benefits expected from this technology, WSNs are not widely adopted in the Global South, especially not by small-scale farmers. This dissertation explores several aspects related to the potential uptake and use of WSNs in small-scale farming. The study focuses on the technology (WSNs), the context of expanding the technology (small-scale farming), the potential users of the technology (small-scale farmers), and the gatekeepers who control access to and use of the technology (agricultural professionals). The study finds that the application of WSNs is mostly limited to academic studies, and practical WSN experiences in the field are very limited. Farmers are still unfamiliar with WSNs, and they experience several barriers to adopting this technology. The identified barriers were attributed to the technology itself, the farmers’ own perspectives and lack of support by the government. The study categorizes farmers based on four types of perceptions regarding the application of WSNs, namely: support-seekers, resistance-adherents, optimists and adoptive-adherents. The study further shows that, in order to promote WSN diffusion, it is necessary to increase the knowledge of agricultural professionals about the WSNs’ usefulness. An increased sense of easiness regarding the use of WSNs is also required. In conclusion, to realize the potential of WSNs for small-scale farmers, 1) the claimed benefits and opportunities of WSNs will need small-scale farm-level validation, 2) environmental and socio-economical conditions of farmers should be taken into account while selecting the technology, and 3) the main actors, including farmers and agricultural professionals, should be involved in the design and management of the technology.".
• 01GKQJRZAV6CD2RVG6YPRVFDSN abstract "Large specific surface area and oxygen defects of metal oxides are the dominant factors to affect performances related to surface adsorption processes, and have been fully considered in the synthesis of materials. Understanding completely the effect of oxygen vacancies on the structure and the interaction with reactants is still under process. Here, for the first time, oxygen deficient two-dimensional (2D) oligo-layer molybdenum trioxide (MoO3-x) nanosheets with large aspect ratio of -670, were fabricated via a convenient microwave-assisted exfoliation method. The effect of oxygen vacancies on the surface adsorption of molecules was comprehensively investigated with experiments and DFT calculations. From the analysis of molecular dynamics and molecular electrostatic potential results, the enlarged interlayer spacings and oxygen vacancies working as the capture centers for negatively charged groups made 2D oligo-layer MoO3-x nanosheets promising for the adsorption for various organic molecules. Especially, a high value of -1290 mg/g rarely reported before was achieved for the adsorption of methylene blue. Benefited from the enlarged adsorption energies to gas molecules and the preferential adsorption of oxygen molecules in ambient atmosphere, p-type gas sensors based on 2D oligo-layer MoO3-x nanosheets were fabricated, which exhibited superior gas sensing performance to ethanol, acetone and hydrogen sulfide at room temperature. This work proposed an effective approach for synthesis of 2D nanomaterials, and underscored the importance of oxygen vacancies into 2D structures for different applications.".
• 01GKQJZREA94946SSGY9WNFK1X abstract "Ultra-low-level incorporation of trace impurities and dopants into two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors is a challenging step towards the development of functional electronic devices based on 2D materials. Herein, the incorporation of sulfur atoms into 2D Ga2O3 surface oxide film of eutectic gallium-indium alloy (EGaIn) is achieved through plasma-enhanced metal-catalyst dissociation of H2S gas on EGaIn substrate. This process led to the growth of GaS crystalline nanodomains inside of amorphous 2D Ga2O3 sublayer films. Consequently, 2D lateral heterophases were developed between amorphous Ga2O3 and crystalline GaS nanodomains. The materials characterization revealed the alteration of Photoluminescence (PL) characteristics and change of valence band maximum (VBM) of functionalized 2D films. The comprehensive studies by conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) showed considerable enhancement of conductivity of 2D Ga2O3/GaS materials (300 times improvement) compared with that of 2D Ga2O3 film. This technique has a great potential for fabrication of 2D metal oxide devices with tunable electronic characteristics similar to nanojunction memristors and transistors.".
• 01GKR0FX1A2RRKVMM6VJ6VR6KJ abstract "The effect of temperature-programmed H2 reduction on modification of surface oxygen vacancies in commercial ZnO (C-ZnO) is investigated. The photocatalytic degradation of the fungicide thiabendazole was optimized by treating C-ZnO with 10% H2/Ar gas at 500 degrees C over 5 h. The formation of oxygen vacancies and their catalytic activity were compared before and after the reduction treatment based on their characterization analysis (e.g., TPR, FE-SEM, EDS, XPS, Tauc plot, XRD, and BET). Our most recent kinetic modeling was carried out on the experiments using C-ZnO and T500 at different pH values. The highest adsorption removal and photocatalytic degradation rate (and quantum yield) was occurred at pH 3 and 11, respectively. Good reusability of the optimal reduced catalyst was confirmed when tested over five cycles. A strong compatibility between the kinetic modeling results and all characterization analyses supports the potent role of reduction treatment for the modification of oxygen vacancies on photocatalysis.".
• 01GKR31ZJH40BYCA9JWFZPF9CA abstract "Structural damage identification has been researched for a long time and continues to be an active research topic. This paper proposes the use of the natural frequencies of a novel composite structures made of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP). The proposed methodology consists of an improved Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using optimization algorithms to detect the exact crack length. In the first step, the characterization of fabricated material is provided to determine Young's modulus using an experimental static bending test, tensile test and modal analysis test. Next, numerical validation is performed using commercial software ABAQUS to extract more data for different crack locations in the structure. The comparison between experimental and numerical results shows a good agreement. ANN has been improved using recent optimization techniques such as Jaya, enhanced Jaya (E-Jaya), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) to calibrate the influential parameters during training. After considering several scenarios, the results show that the accuracy of E-Jaya is better than other optimization techniques. This study on crack identification using improved ANN can be used to investigate the safety and soundness of composite structures.".
• 01GKRA3YB2CMVPV42WHRFW1YKJ abstract "Background/Objectives: Compassionate Cities are social ecology approaches that apply a set of actions, targeting a broad range of stakeholders, with the intention of renormalising caring, dying, loss and grieving in everyday life. While several initiatives have been described in the literature, a rigorous evaluation of their processes and outcomes is lacking. This article describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study to evaluate the development process and the outcomes of two Compassionate Cities in Flanders, Belgium. Methods and Analysis: We will use a convergent multiphase mixed-methods design, in which a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be triangulated in the data analysis stage to capture both development processes and outcomes. Our design includes a quasi-experimental component of a quantitative outcome evaluation in both Compassionate Cities and two comparable control cities with no formal Compassionate City programme. Both Compassionate Cities will be co-created in collaboration with local stakeholders. A critical realism lens will be applied to understand how and why certain processes manifest themselves. Discussion: The creation of Compassionate Cities implies high levels of complexity, adaptivity, unpredictability and uncertainty. This requires various data collection methods that can be applied flexibly. A researcher taking on the role of active participant in the project’s development has several advantages, such as access to scholarly information. Reflexivity in this role is paramount to questioning where the ownership of the project lies. By applying a critical realism lens, we remain cautious about our interpretations, and we test the homogeneity of our findings through other forms of data collection. Conclusion: This is the first published study protocol to describe both a process and outcome evaluation of a Compassionate City project. By transparently describing our aims and data collection methods, we try to maximise information exchange among research".
• 01GKRA40A4DHCFPYTGJKZTNSD1 abstract "Fretting fatigue problem involves a multiaxial stress state due to the contact problem. This complicated mechanical situation decreases the total fatigue life seriously. To obtain an accurate estimation of fretting fatigue lifetime, continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach in conjunction with finite element method (FEM) is applied in this paper. Usually, the material is assumed by researchers as homogeneous material, but some micro-voids, inclusions and micro-cracks exist in the material in reality. These defects influence the estimation of fretting fatigue lifetime dramatically, and it is necessary to take these defects into account. In this paper, the authors investigate the characteristics of micro-voids and inclusions on fretting fatigue lifetime with a two-scale analysis approach.".
• 01GKRA7CSSRYTWWG365SSDTP4N abstract "The typical fatigue life of a component is mainly divided into two phases: crack initiation and crack propagation. This study is concerned with the crack initiation life as some designers regard the crack initiation as the end of the design life of the component. Crack initiation is caused by the formation of persistent slip bands that interact with the matrix leading to embryonic crack formation. There are several studies defining the point of crack initiation, and this article addresses some of these definitions. The main aim of this study is to review the different modeling methodologies for crack initiation under low cycle fatigue. These models are divided into three main types: microscopic models, damage parameters, and probabilistic models. There is no preferred methodology among the ones discussed. The choice of which model to use depends on the type of loading, the material in use, and the required level of detail. This study is intended as a reference for using one of these models or introducing modifications to enhance them.".
• 01GKRAEYH5XJ1G84FYX9QAA8BW abstract "During their lifecycle, bridge structures have to withstand various uncertainties loads such as wind, typhoon, and accident loads which may pose serious threats to the integrity as well as the safety of the structure, especially when they induced significant damages to the structure. For many years, researchers have been trying to develop heath monitoring tools, which can identify accurately not only the location, but also the level of structural damage. In this paper, two novel avian-based optimization algorithms-Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm (AHA) and African Vulture Optimization Algorithm (AVOA) are reviewed for their feasibility in detecting structural damages in truss bridge. The accuracy of the proposed algorithms is compared against two other famous algorithms: particle swarm optimization (PSO) and cuckoo search (CS). The results of the feasibility review for damage detection capability are discussed.".
• 01GKRAH33S9FT6XBTH0QJQMTS3 abstract "This study investigates the impact of the soil rigidity on the mechanical behaviour for linear and nonlinear pipelines. The work is based on the results of a series of mechanical finite element analyses based on the VanMarcke and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The numerical model is validated based on the literature. Different simulations have been generated to obtain data response of the pipe based on displacement. The predicted results using ANN are compared with VanMarcke to prove the effectiveness and the importance of the ANN. The analysis proves that the variation of the coefficient of subgrade reaction can induce a significant displacement of the pipe. The results prove that ANN provides a major role in the evolution of the real displacement of the pipeline and allows us to obtain more precise and interesting results based on both linear and nonlinear cases.".
• 01GKRAK3FHGQ1DCBHBJJN0KCAM abstract "Bolted connections are widely used in various mechanical structures due to their structural and strength advantages. However, the bolted connection will fracture and lead to failure under the action of excessive load, which affects the service reliability of the structure. In this work, the mechanical performance of single-lap bolted connection under impact load was elaborated by finite element analysis. In order to obtain a more reliable connection, different parameters were considered, i.e. tightening torque, load amplitude, friction coefficients for the contact surfaces, etc. In order to investigate the effect of various friction coefficients on the structural slip under impact load, orthogonal tests were designed and carried out. The results showed that the influence ranking of each friction coefficient on the structural slip was as follows: contact friction coefficient, thread friction coefficient, head friction coefficient, and bearing surface friction coefficient. The performance under impact load was positively related to the magnitude of the tightening torque. Within a certain impact load amplitude threshold, the structural performance was relatively stable. The reference basis for the reliability design of bolted connections based on the service and structural performance can be obtained from the finite element analysis results.".
• 01GKRAN385AGCA7QGHBRRGCYKG abstract "Delamination is one of the most common damages in laminated composite structures. This damage is usually created during manufacturing. Therefore, delamination detection is essential to prevent structural failure in operational conditions. This study proposes a new delamination detection technique by combining the one-dimensional and two-dimensional discrete wavelet transforms. Since delamination is boundary damage, differentiation of its boundaries is significant, but challenging, and the conventional two-dimensional wavelet transformations have weaknesses in overcoming this challenge in some cases. The main idea of the proposed technique is to combine the ability of one-dimensional discrete wavelet transform with two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform to increase the accuracy of delamination detection. Findings show that the proposed technique can significantly improve delamination detection accuracy.".
• 01GKRB2QG1R04GCA4GV6M89JXW abstract "Introduction Enzootic pneumonia still causes major economic losses to the intensive pig production. Vaccination against its primary pathogen, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, is carried out worldwide to control the disease and minimize clinical signs and performance losses. Nonetheless, the effects of both infection with, and vaccination against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae on the innate and adaptive immune responses remain largely unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study in which piglets were injected once with a commercial bacterin V1 or V2, or the adjuvant of V1 (A) to investigate their effect on local, innate and adaptive immune responses. MethodsThree weeks after vaccination, piglets were challenge infected with M. hyopneumoniae and euthanized four weeks later to assess vaccine efficacy via macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of lung lesions. Blood and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BAL) samples were collected to measure antibody responses, cellular immunity, BAL cytokine levels and BAL M. hyopneumoniae DNA load as well as cytokine secretion by monocytes. ResultsAfter vaccination, proliferation of antigen-specific CD3(+) T cells and a higher percentage of TNF-alpha(+) CD8(+), and TNF-alpha(+) and TNF-alpha+IFN-gamma(+) CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells was seen in V1, while proliferation of or a significant increase in cytokine production by different T cell subsets could not be observed for animals from V2. Interestingly, LPS-stimulated blood monocytes from V1 and A secreted less IL-10 on D7. After challenge, higher levels of IgA, more IL-10 and less IL-1 beta was detected in BAL from V1, which was not observed in V2. Animals from A had significantly more IL-17A in BAL. The macroscopic lung lesion score and the M. hyopneumoniae DNA load at euthanasia was lower in V1, but the microscopic lung lesion score was lower in both vaccinated groups. DiscussionIn conclusion, these results indicate that the two commercial bacterins induced different local and adaptive immune responses, that the adjuvant alone can reduce anti-inflammatory innate immune responses, and that both vaccines had a different efficacy to reduce Mycoplasma-like lung lesions and M. hyopneumoniae DNA load in the lung.".
• 01GKRBNTV9ENNCA0W3Y8Y1NPP6 abstract "Unlawful assisted dying practices have been reported in Australia for decades. Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is now lawful in Victoria and Western Australia in limited circumstances and will soon be lawful in a further four Australian States. This article examines nine cases involving unlawful assisted dying practices in Victoria in the 12 months prior to the commencement of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic) in 2019. It explores whether, if that Act had been in operation at the relevant time, these patients would have been eligible to request VAD, having regard to their decision-making capacity and their disease, illness or medical condition. Many of these patients would not have been eligible to request VAD had the legislation been operational, primarily because they lacked decision-making capacity. As VAD is lawful only in a narrow set of circumstances, unlawful assisted deaths may continue to occur in those States where voluntary assisted dying is legal.".
• 01GKRBQ38HPWS441N78RJT487P abstract "The aim of the article is to shed light on the relationship between the pharmacist and the pharmaceutical industry in Belgium in the 1960s. It focuses on the question how the pharmacist managed to adapt his professional tasks to the gradual industrialisation of pharmaceutical research and production. The research was based on publications of Het Apothekersblad, the professional journal of the Algemene Pharmaceutische Bond (APB). The first part discusses how the pharmacist was no longer hostile to pharmaceutical companies in the 1960s, a struggle which he probably abandoned for pragmatic reasons. He recognised - albeit after a difficult process - that research and development could best take place on an industrial scale. This leads to the question of how the pharmacist managed to redefine his tasks. Commercialisation was out of the question. Conformity control, i.e. control before delivery, came to be one of the main responsibilities. In addition, the pharmacist increasingly took on the role of adviser and informed customers on correct use, abuse and potential risks of pharmaceuticals/medicines. Health education, a largely unexplored field, also aligned with his field of work. The pharmacist compensated for the decline of traditional craftwork by revaluing the social aspects of the profession.".
• 01GKRBYJ14Q9NR7GGXCXYC75Y4 abstract "Innovation is fundamental for development and provides a competitive advantage for societies. It is the process of creating more complex technologies, ideas, or protocols from existing ones. While innovation may be created by single agents (i.e. individuals or organisations), it is often a result of social interactions between agents exchanging and combining complementary expertise and perspectives. The structure of social networks impacts this knowledge exchange process. To study the role of social network structures on the creation of new technologies, we design an evolutionary mechanistic model combining self-creation and social learning. We find that social heterogeneity allows agents to leverage the benefits of diversity and to develop technologies of higher complexity. Social heterogeneity, however, reduces the group ability to innovate. Not only the social structure but also the openness of agents to collaborate affect innovation. We find that interdisciplinary interactions lead to more complex technologies benefiting the entire group but also increase the inequality in the innovation output. Lower openness to interdisciplinary collaborations may be compensated by a higher ability to collaborate with multiple peers, but low openness also neutralises the intrinsic benefits of network heterogeneity. Our findings indicate that social network heterogeneity has contrasting effects on microscopic (local) and macroscopic (group) levels, suggesting that the emergence of innovation leaders may suppress the overall group performance.".
• 01GKRDESP9C3WA8TX223GK6CGZ abstract "Objectives Family caregivers play a vital role in care for people with serious illness. Reliable population-level information on family caregiving is scarce. We describe the socio-demographic and family caregiving characteristics and experiences of family caregivers of people with serious illness in the adult population. Method We performed a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional population-based 19th Social-Cultural Changes survey. A random sample of 2,581 Dutch-speaking people aged 18-95, living in Flanders or Brussels, were contacted for participation in the survey between March and July 2014 using a stratified two-step sample. Differences between groups are described using Pearson chi-square tests and analysis of variance. Results Response rate was 58.7% (1,515/2,581). Over a 12-month period, 7.6% of respondents provided family care for someone with a serious illness (n = 114). They were most often aged 55-74 (36.0%), women (57.9%), worked full-time (42.3%); 31.8% provided at least 10 h of family care each week. Family caregivers of people with serious illness, compared with family caregivers of people with other conditions, provided more medical and nursing care (33.3% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.027), and experienced a higher burden of family caregiving (p = 0.038) but a similarly high meaningfulness of family caregiving. Significance of results A considerable part of the adult working population provides family care for someone with serious illness. While family caregiving for someone with serious illness shows similarities with family caregiving for people with other conditions in terms of caregiver characteristics and the impact of caregiving on work-life balance and the meaning derived from it, it is also associated with increased burden.".
• 01GKRDJPHR30XMDY246TWT6KCS abstract "BackgroundBelgium is one of very few countries that legally allow euthanasia for suffering caused by psychiatric illness. In the first criminal trial in Belgium of physicians involved in euthanasia, three physicians recently faced the accusation of "murder by poisoning," for allegedly having failed to comply with several requirements of the Belgian Euthanasia Law in granting the euthanasia request a woman suffering from psychiatric illness. Although all three physicians were acquitted, the case generated much debate among policy makers, medical professionals, and the general public. MethodWe use this trial as the starting point for a critical analysis of the adequacy of the three-level control system established in the Euthanasia Law, as it is applied in the evaluation of euthanasia requests from persons who suffer unbearably from a psychiatric illness. This analysis is based on information presented during the criminal trial as well as information on the euthanasia that was published in the press. ResultsOur analysis highlights substantial problems in the assessment and granting of the euthanasia request. The patient was euthanized without it having been substantiated that her psychiatric illness had no prospect of improvement and that her suffering could not be alleviated. The three-step control system enshrined in the Law and promoted by the Federal Control and Evaluation Commission for Euthanasia appears to have failed at each level. ConclusionTo evaluate requests for euthanasia for mental suffering caused by psychiatric illness, the requirements of the Belgian Euthanasia Law should be complemented by mandating the advice of two psychiatrists, and face-to-face discussions between all physicians involved. In parallel with the process of evaluating the euthanasia request, a treatment track should be guaranteed where reasonable evidence-based treatments and recovery-oriented options are tried.".
• 01GKRDT4PZZ0P05YXCY985TN9J abstract "Even though many older people will live longer in good health, many will also be confronted with frailty, multi-morbidity, cognitive decline, disability and serious illnesses in the last years of their life. The end-of-life trajectories of frail older people have a major impact on the care that needs to be provided. Older people develop different physical, psychological, and/or social needs in varying intensity during the last years of life. Moreover, determining a clear terminal phase of life is difficult in this population. In this commentary, we aim to highlight the importance of an integrated palliative, geriatric and rehabilitative care approach for older people, emphasizing the importance of setting-specific and cross-setting interventions. We stress the importance of person-centred care planning with the older patient and the role of their families, communities and society as a whole. We identify and formulate some of the research gaps that can be addressed in the near future.".
• 01GKREJ2TSDN279XXXS2DCR8HA abstract "The chemical, physical and electrical properties and the robustness of post metallization annealed Al2O3 atomic layers deposited on n-type GaN are investigated in this work. Planar metal insulator capacitors are used to demonstrate a gate-first with following ohmic contacts formation at elevated temperature up to 600 °C process flow. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that no new bonds in the Al2O3 layer are formed due to exposure to the elevated annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction measurements show no crystallization of the oxide layer. Atomic force microscopy shows signs of degradation of the sample annealed at 600 °C. Electrical measurements indicate that the elevated annealing temperature results in an increase of the oxide depletion and the deep depletion capacitances simultaneously, that results in a reduction of the flat band voltage to zero, which is explained by fixed oxide charges curing. A forward bias step stress capacitance measurement shows that the total number of induced trapped charges are not strongly affected by the elevated annealing temperatures. Interface trap density of states analysis shows the lowest trapping concentration for the capacitor annealed at 500 °C. Above this temperature, the interface trap density of states increases. When all results are taken into consideration, we have found that the process thermal budget allows for an overlap between the gate oxide post metallization annealing and the ohmic contact formation at 500 °C.".
• 01GKRGN29GJY22PAQF80X7Q8HD abstract "Background: New public health approaches to palliative care such as compassionate communities aim to increase capacity in serious illness, death, and loss by involving civic society. Civic engagement has been described in many domains of health; a description of the characteristics, processes, and impact of the initiatives in palliative care is lacking. Aim: To systematically describe and compare civic engagement initiatives in palliative care in terms of context, development, impact, and evaluation methods. Design: Systematic, mixed-methods review using a convergent integrated synthesis approach. Registered in Prospero: CRD42020180688. Data sources: Six databases (PubMed, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, WOS, Embase, PsycINFO) were searched up to November 2021 for publications in English describing civic engagement in serious illness, death, and loss. Additional grey literature was obtained by contacting the first authors. We performed a quality appraisal of the included studies. Results: We included 23 peer-reviewed and 11 grey literature publications, reporting on nineteen unique civic engagement initiatives, mostly in countries with English as one of the official languages. Initiatives involved the community in their development, often through a community-academic partnership. Activities aimed to connect people with palliative care needs to individuals or resources in the community. There was a variety of evaluation aims, methods, outcomes, and strength of evidence. Information on whether or how to sustain the initiatives was generally lacking. Conclusions: This is the first review to systematically describe and compare reported civic engagement initiatives in the domain of palliative care. Future studies would benefit from improved evaluation of impact and sustainability.".
• 01GKRGT4X7BS9H6ETHG2BT2EWB abstract "We consider uplink multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication. The transmit (Tx) side of the envisaged system consists of several single-antenna users or/and several multiple-antenna users. At the receive side, a multiple-antenna access point employs compressive sensing techniques to estimate the channel impulse response from the preamble portion of the observed packets. The traditional approach is that of orthogonal pilot allocation: during a short training period, each OFDM subcarrier is assigned exclusively to a single Tx antenna. In this case, the channel state information can conveniently be acquired on a per Tx antenna basis. To the best of our knowledge, all related research imposes that all Tx antennas are allocated the same amount of pilots (which must then be tailored for the most extreme channel conditions). However, in the considered system, Tx antennas may experience totally different channel conditions. Under these circumstances, the use of a fixed number of pilots per Tx antenna results in a lot of unnecessary overhead. To tackle this problem, our work addresses the design of efficient algorithms for adaptive orthogonal pilot allocation. The following design principles are applied: orthogonal pilot allocation, constant-modulus modulation, minimum measurement matrix mutual coherence optimization, and the condition that the number of pilot subcarriers allocated to each Tx antenna is adjusted to the channel conditions experienced by that Tx antenna. The paper tackles the problem of determining the optimal number of pilot subcarriers as well as the optimal positions of the pilots. To facilitate adaptive operation, we propose a reduced-complexity method to determine the optimal pilot positions. The performance of our algorithms is demonstrated by means of computer simulations, using both theoretical channel models and results from our own channel measurement campaign.".
• 01GKRGT4XZ4ZVB7X6JKF87JM6X abstract "Recent studies have explored the synergy of illumination and positioning using indoor lighting infrastructure. While these studies mainly focused on the analysis of the performance of visible light positioning, these works did not consider the illumination aspects of such combined systems. In this paper, we analyse the illumination aspects based on the main illumination characteristics defined in the European Standard EN 12464-1, i.e., the horizontal illuminance and the uniformity of illuminance. As in the standard, we distinguish between a task area, where visual activities are performed that demand higher illuminance and uniformity, and a surrounding area that borders the former. In our analysis, we derive simple rules of thumb to determine the number and placement of LEDs to satisfy the constraints on the horizontal illuminance and uniformity for a given area.".
• 01GKRGT4Y47ZTGZEPWTCZ3QJWH abstract "Visible light communication (VLC) is seen as a potential access option for fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication (Wang et al., 2014) and (Ayyash et al., 2016) and beyond 5G (Strinati et al., 2019). A reliable VLC system benefits from an accurate estimate of the receiver's position and orientation. In many cases, the orientation of the receiver is estimated with an external orientation estimation device. However, these devices generally suffer from drift and misalignment, causing an uncertainty in the orientation presented to the receiver. Hence, the external device can only provide a probability distribution of the orientation to the position estimator, which can be used as prior information for the position estimation. Since the orientation of a receiver greatly affects the performance of a visible light system, the orientation uncertainty will degrade the performance of standard positioning algorithms, implying it should be taken into account when designing a robust positioning algorithm. In this paper, we design an received signal strength (RSS)-based hybrid position and orientation estimation algorithm using the hybrid maximum likelihood (ML)/maximum a posteriori (MAP) (HyMM) principle for a multiple LEDs - multiple photodiodes (PDs) (MLMP) system to take into account the presence of prior information on the orientation. The proposed HyMM estimator is compared with three existing estimators, i.e., the simultaneous position and orientation (SPO) estimator, the misspecified maximum likelihood (MML) estimator and the first-order-approximation-based positioning algorithm, subject to the orientation uncertainty. Further, in order to analytically assess the performance of the proposed estimator, the theoretical lower bound on the mean squared error (MSE), i.e. the hybrid Cramer-Rao bound (HCRB) for HyMM is derived. Computer simulations show an asymptotic tightness between the performance of the estimator and its associated theoretical lower bound.".
• 01GKRHMERBRPENP3VEZPH6VZFE abstract "The central metabolic regulator SnRK1 controls plant growth and survival upon activation by energy depletion, but detailed molecular insight into its regulation and downstream targets is limited. Here we used phosphoproteomics to infer the sucrose-dependent processes targeted upon starvation by kinases as SnRK1, corroborating the relation of SnRK1 with metabolic enzymes and transcriptional regulators, while also pointing to SnRK1 control of intracellular trafficking. Next, we integrated affinity purification, proximity labelling and crosslinking mass spectrometry to map the protein interaction landscape, composition and structure of the SnRK1 heterotrimer, providing insight in its plant-specific regulation. At the intersection of this multi-dimensional interactome, we discovered a strong association of SnRK1 with class II T6P synthase (TPS)-like proteins. Biochemical and cellular assays show that TPS-like proteins function as negative regulators of SnRK1. Next to stable interactions with the TPS-like proteins, similar intricate connections were found with known regulators, suggesting that plants utilize an extended kinase complex to fine-tune SnRK1 activity for optimal responses to metabolic stress.".
• 01GKRJE20J2DX3SSSEDY3Z20AR abstract "We developed a procedure for extracting maximal amounts of high-quality RNA from low-biomass producing (autotrophic) bacteria for experiments where sample volume is limited. Large amounts of high-quality RNA for downstream analyses cannot be obtained using larger quantities of culture volume. The performance of standard commercial silica-column based kit protocols and these procedures amended by ultrasonication or enzymatic lysis were assessed. The ammonium-oxidizing Nitrosomonas europaea and nitrite-oxidizing Nitrobacter winogradskyi were used as model organisms for optimization of the RNA isolation protocol. Enzymatic lysis through lysozyme digestion generated high-quality, high-yield RNA samples. Subsequent RNA-seq analysis resulted in qualitative data for both strains. The RNA extraction procedure is suitable for experiments with volume and/or biomass limitations, e.g., as encountered during space flight experiments. Furthermore, it will also result in higher RNA yields for whole transcriptome experiments where sample volume and/or biomass was increased to compensate the low-biomass characteristic of autotrophs.".
• 01GKRKHKD8JW73E3DJVV7V0DS2 abstract "Due to war conditions, the local farmers had to largely rely on their own crop production, mainly by subsistence farming, in Tigray, North Ethiopia. We assessed the crop stands in 2021 and evaluated the level of resilience of the indigenous farming system. Quantitative data were collected from 161 farm parcels in various ecoregions of this tropical mountain region, in order to detect the share of sown land, crop types, and their status. This participatory monitoring was accompanied by semi-structured interviews. Farmers cultivated their farms late, left it uncultivated or marginally sowed oil crops as improved fallow (28%), due to lack of farming tools, oxen, fertilizer, seeds, or manpower. As compared to peace years, only few lands were sown with sorghum as there was active warfare in the sorghum planting period. The relatively good stands of wheat and barley (47%) are in line with the farmers' priority given to cereals. Teff got a large land share because it could be sown up to the middle of the main rainy season and because farmers had consumed the seeds of their major cereal crops (wheat and barley) when hiding for warfare. Seeds left from consumption were only sown by late June, when troops had retreated, and the communities could revive. With almost no external support, the local farming system has proven to be remarkably resilient, relying on indigenous knowledge and local practices, block rotation, manure, improved fallow, changes in relative importance of crops, seed exchange, and support for one another. This is the first analysis of the socio-agronomic roots of the 2021-2022 Tigray hunger crisis, with a cereal harvest that could not at all sustain the local population as the planting season had been largely missed. The ability of the indigenous farming system to partially rebounce in times of autarky is another novel finding.".
• 01GKRM798GMRRHE5N5H2EHKXQ3 abstract "There is an increasing interest in long-term electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring in veterinary clinical practice. ECG is the most essential physiological signal in diagnosing and managing heart diseases both in humans and animals. Electrodes are the main components that affect the quality of the acquired signal. This study focuses on the development of silver-coated textile electrodes for veterinary ECG testing (particularly for dogs). Silver printed polyester, embroidered, and silver-plated conductive hook textile electrodes were used for ECG measurement in dogs. This is an important validation for the use of textile ECG sensors in combination with hairy skin. ECG signals were collected while the animal was in a static position and walking on a smooth surface. The ECG signals collected from the dog using the silver printed polyester and embroidered textile electrodes with slight skin preparation have identifiable P, QRS, and T waveforms and were comparable with signals from standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes. Results revealed that these textile electrodes can be used for ECG monitoring in a dog to avoid associated problems with commercially used crocodile clamps and standard Ag/AgCl electrodes. The hook electrodes show promising results when placed on the hairy regions of a dog without any skin preparation.".
• 01GKRN2K2NKNZ7D7BBKDFW88GQ abstract "Knowledge of hydrologic connectivity is important to grasp the hydrological response at a basin scale, particularly as changes in connectivity can have a negative effect on the environment. In the context of a changing climate, being able to predict how changes in connectivity will affect runoff and sediment transport is particularly relevant for land-use planning. Many studies on hydrology, geomorphology and climatology have been conducted in the Lake Tana Basin in Ethiopia, which is undergoing rapid development and significant environmental changes. This systematic literature review aims at assessing to what extent the hydrologic connectivity has been taken into account in such research, and to identify research gaps relevant to land and water management. On the Web of Science and Scopus databases, 135 scientific articles covering those topics were identified. Aspects of hydrologic connectivity were mostly implicitly taken into account based on process-based, statistical and descriptive models. Amongst the drivers of changing connectivity, the climate was covered by a large majority of publications (64%). Components of structural hydrologic connectivity were accounted for by considering geomorphology (54%) and soils (47%), and to a lesser extent, hydrography (16%) and geology (12%). Components of functional connectivity were covered by looking at surface water fluxes (61%), sediment fluxes (18%) and subsurface water fluxes (13%). While numerous studies of the Lake Tana Basin accounted for the hydrologic connectivity implicitly, these related predominantly to functional components. The structural components are given less attention, while in the context of a changing climate, better insights into their influence on the hydrologic seem most relevant. Better knowledge of the static aspect of connectivity is particularly important for targeting appropriate soil and water conservation strategies. Being able to explicitly assess the 'structural connectivity' is therefore of direct relevance for land management and land-use policy.".
• 01GKRNDSX0F15Y52CSHFCT40X6 abstract "Background and objectives: Children are more likely to suffer a hypoxic-ischaemic cause for cardiac arrest. Early ventilation may provide an advantage in outcome during paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR]. European Resuscitation Council guidelines recommend five initial rescue breaths [IRB] in infants, stemming from the hypothesis that rescuers might need 5 attempts in order to deliver 2 effective ventilations. This study aimed to verify this hypothesis. Methods: Participants (n = 112, convenience sample) were medical students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Ghent University, Belgium. Students were divided into duos and received a 15 min just-in-time training regarding the full CPR-cycle using BMV. Participants then performed five cycles of 2-person CPR. The IRB were given by 1-person BMV, as opposed to a 2-persons technique during the further CPR-cycle. Correct ventilations for the infant were defined as tidal volumes measured (Laerdal® Q-CPR) between 20 and 60 ml, with n = 94 participants included in the analysis. The primary outcome consisted of the difference in the % of medical student duos providing at least 2 effective IRB between 2 and 5 attempts. Results: Off all duos, 55,3% provided correct volumes during their first 2 initial ventilations. An increase up to 72,4% was noticed when allowing 5 ventilations. The proportional difference between 2 and 5 IRB allowed was thus significant [17,0%, 95% confidence interval (5.4; 28.0)]. Conclusion: In this manikin study, 5 IRB attempts during infant CPR with BMV increased the success rate in delivering 2 effective ventilations. Besides, students received training emphasizing the need for 5 initial rescue breaths. This study provides evidence supporting European Resuscitation Council guidelines.".
• 01GKRNNAWW7Q6PBQC1VN6KJE6N abstract "We report a first-principles study of lattice vibrations and thermal transport in Cs2SnI6, the vacancy-ordered double perovskite. Twofold rattlers of Cs atoms and SnI6 clusters in Cs2SnI6, being different from CsSnI3 with only Cs atom rattlers, largely scatter heat-carrying acoustic phonons strongly coupled with low-lying optical phonons and lower phonon group velocity. Using renormalized phonon dispersions at finite temperatures, we reveal that anharmonicity and twofold rattling modes induce an ultralow thermal conductivity at room temperature.".
• 01GKRPK4R4J08QW3DH5PDC9QKW abstract "Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and an important nosocomial infection with different severity degrees. Disruption of the gut microbiota by broad-spectrum antibiotics creates a proper environment for C. difficile colonization, proliferation, and clinical disease onset. Restoration of the gut microbial ecosystem through prebiotic interventions can constitute an effective complementary treatment of CDI. Using an adapted simulator of the human gut microbial ecosystem, the PathoGut (TM) SHIME, the effect of different long-term and repeated dose lactulose treatments was tested on C. difficile germination and growth in antibiotic-induced dysbiotic gut microbiota environments. The results showed that lactulose reduced the growth of viable C. difficile cells following clindamycin treatment, shifted the antibiotic-induced dysbiotic microbial community, and stimulated the production of health-promoting metabolites (especially butyrate). Recovery of the gut microenvironment by long-term lactulose administration following CDI was also linked to lactate production, decrease in pH and modulation of bile salt metabolism. At a structural level, lactulose showed a significant bifidogenic potential and restored key commensal members of the gut ecosystem such as Lactobacillaceae, Veillonellaceae and Lachnospiraceae. These results support further human intervention studies aiming to validate the in vitro beneficial effects of lactulose on gut microbiome recovery during antibiotic exposure and CDI.".
• 01GKRQVRDD4YM09XRF0GT0ZH9S abstract "Accurately assessing landform evolution and quantifying rapid environmental changes are gaining importance in the context of monitoring techniques in alpine environments. In the European Alps, glaciers and rock glaciers are among the most characteristic cryospheric components bearing long and systematic monitoring periods. The acceleration in rock glacier velocities and the onset of destabilization processes, mainly since 1990, have raised several concerns due to the potential effects on the high alpine natural and anthropic environments. This study presents a combination of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys for monitoring the current changes on the quickly accelerating, destabilised Tsarmine rock glacier in the Arolla Valley, Western Swiss Alps, delivering a considerable volume of debris to a steep torrential gully. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthomosaics are derived from UAV image series combined with structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques. Multitemporal orthomosaics are employed for measuring spatially continuous rock glacier kinematics using image matching algorithms. Superficial displacements are evaluated with simultaneous in-situ differential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. Elevation and volume changes are computed from TLS and UAV-derived DEMs at similar periods. Between June 2017 and September 2019, both datasets showed a similar elevation change pattern and surface thinning rates of 0.15 +/- 0.04 and 0.16 +/- 0.03 m yr(-1), respectively. Downward of a rupture zone developing about 150 m above the front, the rock glacier doubled its overall velocity during the study period, from around 5 m yr(-1) between October 2016 and June 2017 to more than 10 m yr(-1) between June and September 2019. The kinematic information reveals striking differences in the velocity between the lower and upper rock glacier sections. The monitoring approach based on close-sensing techniques provides accurate surface velocity and volume change information, allowing an enhanced description of the current rock glacier dynamics and its surface expression.".
• 01GKRZZ6XTST5SF3YVJFWHCPSX abstract "The COVID-19 pandemic elicited a lot of concerns among citizens, thereby potentially compromising their well-being. This study sought to examine the role of individuals' emotion regulation styles (i.e., emotional dysregulation, emotional suppression, and emotional integration) in handling these concerns and their experiences of well-being (i.e., satisfaction with life and sleep quality) and ill-being (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms). The study had a unique 10-wave longitudinal design (N = 986; M-age = 41.28; 76% female) and was conducted during the outbreak of the pandemic in March-May 2020. Multilevel analyses showed, first, that weekly variation in COVID-19 related concerns related negatively to weekly variation in well-being and positively to weekly variation in ill-being. Second, at the between-person level, emotional dysregulation and suppression related positively to between-person vulnerability in ill-being and lower well-being (across all waves). Third, between-person differences in emotional dysregulation amplified the strength of the within-person association between concerns and depressive complaints and lowered life satisfaction. Unexpectedly, integrative emotion regulation amplified the strength of the within-person association between concerns and anxiety. The discussion focuses on the critical role of emotion regulation in handling the uncertainty elicited by the pandemic and provides directions for further research.".
• 01GKS02QG4CR15EEJABS3PPT4M abstract "Child mental health assessments are complex and involve the analysis of data from multiple sources to inform treatment decisions. Question sequences are central to mental health assessments; however, little research has examined the functions of questions in child mental health interactions, particularly questions that aim to elicit information from children that might be used to inform diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we utilize a large corpus of video-recorded child mental health assessments to examine the use and function of a particular kind of wh-question-circular questions-that is, questions that seek clients' views on other family members' feelings, actions, and thoughts. Using conversation analysis, we identified three "broad" functions of circular questions in child mental health assessment. Our findings provide clinicians with clinically relevant examples for using circular questions to more fully involve children in the assessment process and acquire valuable information for diagnosis.".
• 01GKS0WXKY48JHBJ9E2KCD3MKT abstract "This vignette-based study examined in a sample of unvaccinated Belgian citizens (N = 1918; M-age = 45.99) how health care workers could foster reflection about and intentions to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by experimentally varying their communication style (i.e., autonomy-supportive vs. controlling) and the reference to external motivators (i.e., use of a monetary voucher or corona pass vs. the lack thereof). Each participant was randomly assigned to one of six conditions and rated a vignette in terms of anticipated autonomy satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, reflection, and vaccination intention. An autonomy-supportive, relative to a controlling, communication style predicted greater autonomy need satisfaction, which in turn related positively to perceived effectiveness, reflection, and vaccination intention. External motivators failed to generate positive effects compared to the control condition. The findings highlight the critical role of autonomy support in promoting a self-endorsed decision to get vaccinated.".
• 01GKS0ZP637JX41F29M2XG5YZ1 abstract "Students' adaptive motivation to study tends to decrease over time. However, the reasons for this decline are not fully understood. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we investigated whether changes in teachers' motivating style and students' associated need-based experiences could explain the motivational decline documented in the literature. A total of 472 Israeli seventh and eighth graders (in their first and second years of middle school) completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of the school year. Students reported their perceptions of their teachers' (de)motivating styles (i.e., autonomy support, structure, control, and chaos), the extent to which their psychological needs were satisfied or frustrated, and their motivation to study. There was a significant decrease from the beginning to the end of the school year in 7(th)- and 8th-grade students' perceptions of autonomy support and structure provided by their teachers, students' autonomous motivation, and their experienced need satisfaction. There was a significant increase from the beginning to the end of the school year in 7th and 8th graders' perception of their teacher as chaotic and the students' experience of need frustration, controlled motivation, and amotivation. A growth curve multilevel model (GCMLM) indicated that the perceived changes in teachers' motivating and demotivating styles, together with the changes in the students' reported need-based experiences from the beginning to the end of the year, could account for these changes in students' motivation. Teachers should develop and maintain a need-nurturing environment to prevent a drop in student motivation.".
• 01GKS10VE5DMQAGG4K43MGMABV abstract "Background This vignette study explores which factors contribute to higher COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Methods Between the 4(th)-11 January 2021, we recruited 15,901 Belgian citizens (M-age = 50.11 years, range 18-100) through convenience sampling to participate in a vignette study. In each vignette, we manipulated contextual determinants consisting of different factors. Each participant rated six vignettes in terms of the outcomes 'vaccination intention' and 'recommendation to others.' Finally, we explored the benefits of tailored communication by examining whether these ratings depended upon citizens' initial motives for vaccination. Results Participants are most likely to accept a vaccine when they expect no or only small side effects, when the vaccine offers a 95% protection, and when people can no longer infect others (p < 0.001). The possibility to receive the vaccine at home or at the GP's office, highlighting that most citizens are willing to get vaccinated, and emphasizing the protective benefits for others yielded additional positive effects (p < 0.001). Results showed that tailored communication has a small but significant effect, especially for individuals high on distrust-based amotivation (p < 0.01). Conclusion In addition to vaccine characteristics, there is room for policymakers to respond to those determinants that fall under their control and can thus be highlighted within communication campaigns.".
• 01GKS11GRJXDY06XXJ4RVB4GF5 abstract "This study used a longitudinal person-oriented approach to examine whether two distinct developmental pathways of maladaptive motivation could be distinguished among high-ability students (intelligence quotient [IQ] >= 120, N = 403, M-age = 12.2 years, 60.5% males), as proposed by the Pathways to Underachievement Model. Latent class growth analysis provided evidence for a three-class solution, including an adaptive class and two maladaptive classes, largely corresponding with the predictions of the Pathways to Underachievement Model. Furthermore, the classes related to the outcome variables in the expected ways, with the maladaptive classes showing higher disengagement and underachievement. These findings substantiate the Pathways to Underachievement Model and provide developmental insight into the multiple motivational pathways underlying disengagement and underachievement among high-ability students.".
• 01GKS1H854S89W63SCAJYBWZDB abstract "Rationale: Vaccination willingness is a critical step in the effort to reach herd immunity and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, many people remain reluctant to be vaccinated. Objective: Integrating the literature on Self-Determination Theory, trust in authorities, and conspiracy theories, this research examines (a) the direct and indirect effect of government trust and conspiracism via underlying forms of motivations for (not) getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and (b) whether these associations differ across the two largely politically independent Belgian linguistic groups. Methods: Using Structural Equation Modeling, we tested our models in two independent samples, in February 2021 (T1) and April 2021 (T2) (Total N = 8264). Results: At T1 and T2, Government trust and conspiracism both predict COVID-19 vaccination intention, respectively positively and negatively. These relations are fully mediated by motivational factors, with identified motivations having a larger positive contribution. Looking at linguistic context, differences emerge at T2, with French-speaking Belgians showing lower levels of government trust and higher levels of conspiracism than Dutch speakers. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of integrating distal (trust in government, conspiracism) and proximal (motivational) variables to understand vaccination intentions.".
• 01GKS1HRN4GS7G4NM6F7GHV16X abstract "Background: In November 2020, many European governments imposed severe limitations on social contacts and festive gatherings to avoid a further outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: At the moment when it was still unclear whether Christmas gatherings would be allowed, the present vignette study was conducted to evaluate four hypothetical scenarios varying in restrictiveness (i.e., 1, 2, 4, or an unlimited number of visitors). Method: In total, 5,756 Belgian participants (65.7% female; M-age = 45.6, range: 18-89) evaluated each scenario in terms of the perceived strictness, probability of adherence, and expected psychological advantages (i.e., autonomy, relatedness, pleasure) and disadvantages (i.e., concerns). Results: Evidence for a curvilinear pattern was found, such that the expected psychological benefits increased with an increasing number of allowed visitors till 4, with this effect being reversed in case of an unlimited gathering. Yet, these main effects were qualified: Older adults, those living together, and those scoring high on risk perception and autonomous motivation to adhere to the corona measures expected the more restrictive scenarios to be equally beneficial compared to the more relaxed scenarios. Limitations: Limitations are self-selection of the sample, no counterbalancing of the scenario's and the vignette-based methodology. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that people's risk perception and autonomous motivation are key to secure and stimulate the acceptance of life-restricting measures.".
• 01GKS1ZARS67KAZ4XV81W0HXMK abstract "Welding has a severe impact on the efficiency of electrical machines. The heat added during the welding process affects the microstructure of the material and causes residual stress. This results in local degradation of the magnetic permeability and facilitates additional iron losses in the machine core. With the purpose of modeling and simulating welding effects in electric machines, this paper proposes a stress-dependent magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model for welded non-grain-oriented electrical steel laminations. A modified iron loss model is proposed to accommodate these welding effects. Furthermore, the proposed MEC model is applied to a M270-35A stator core as a case study. It was demonstrated that the core losses increase by 25% when four welding joints are applied. With a limited number of magnetic measurements on a welded and unwelded core, the model can be fully parametrized. Finally, the model was successfully validated on a core with eight welding seams at 100 Hz. The proposed model can be integrated into the design of electric machines to consider the welding effects.".
• 01GKS2B32MGZE7S38YWEWWAZZR abstract "Understanding the adsorption of polymers onto particles is crucial for many technological and biomedical applications. Even though polymer adsorption on particles is a dynamic process, most experimental techniques can only study the adsorption indirectly, in equilibrium and on the ensemble level. New analysis methods are required to overcome these limitations. We investigated the use of single-particle electrophoresis to study the adsorption kinetics of cationic polymers onto anionic particles and compared the resulting data to a theoretical model. In this approach, the electrophoretic mobility of single polystyrene (PS) particles, exposed to different concentrations of poly(2-guanidinoethyl methacrylate), was measured as a function of time. The polymer adsorption leads to an electrophoretic mobility change of the PS particle over time, from the initial negative value to a positive value at equilibrium. By fitting the kinetics data to the Langmuir model, the adsorption rate, desorption rate and equilibrium constant were determined. Finally, the adsorption kinetics of several other polymers was investigated. This showed that the presented technique enables direct analysis and comparison of the kinetics of polymer adsorption on the single-particle level.".
• 01GKS2WAMYAYBKFXJGM2A5453G abstract "Objective: Across nationwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccination, people in Belgium differed widely in their vaccination intention. In the present study, we examined (a) how people's vaccination intentions changed during the vaccination rollout and (b) whether changes in motivation (i.e., autonomous, controlled, and distrust-based (a)motivation) predicted changes in vaccination intention, thereby taking into account people's vaccination intention at baseline. Method: Using 4 subsamples of participants who were vaccinated at different time points (n(total) = 10,799) between December 2020 and June 2021; we used latent change modeling and latent growth curve modeling to examine the associations among initial levels and changes in vaccination motivation and vaccination intention. Results: Across subsamples, changes in vaccination intention were found to be qualified by changes in motivation. An increase in autonomous motivation was related to a positive shift in vaccination intention, while an increase in both controlled motivation and distrust-based amotivation was related to a negative shift in vaccination intention. Moreover, autonomous motivation predicted especially an increase in vaccination intention among those initially low in vaccination intention, whereas an increase in either controlled motivation or distrust-based amotivation especially predicted a decrease in vaccination intention among those initially high in vaccination intention. Conclusions: Findings suggest that a growing sense of ownership and a reduction in distrust is critical for individuals to develop a stronger intention to get vaccinated, particularly when people had initially low vaccination intentions. We discuss conceptual, methodological, and practical implications.".
• 01GKS3CM1YQ2RRF6QXTHMFD1PE abstract "The palladium (Pd)-catalysed reaction has attracted much attention, making Pd the most valuable of the four major precious metals. Several different forms of Pd can be used as a catalyst; nanoparticles (NPs) have the advantage of a high surface area:volume ratio. Since the chemical production of Pd NPs is not environmentally friendly, biological synthesis interest has grown. However, the production mechanism remained unknown in several cases and was recently described for the electroactive bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The application of these green synthesised NPs was established in different fields. This review discusses the production pathway and the novel biological-inspired methods to produce tailored biogenic palladium nanoparticles (bio-Pd NPs), with their broad application fields as biogenic nanocatalysts. Two significant applications - reductive bioremediation of persistent organic contaminants and energy-producing microbial fuel cells - are discussed in detail. The current challenges in optimising bio-Pd NPs production and the potential research directions for the complete utilisation of its novel catalytic properties are highlighted.".
• 01GKS3SPRS467HWB6EN9JMX39E abstract "Acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) can open the door to new applications, such as partial nitri-tation at low pH. However, they can also be problematic because chemical nitrite oxidation occurs at low pH, leading to the release of harmful nitrogen oxide gases. In this publication, the role of acid-tolerant AOB in urine treatment was explored. On the one hand, the technical feasibility of ammonia oxidation under acidic conditions for source-separated urine with total nitrogen concentrations up to 3.5 g-N L-1 was investigated. On the other hand, the abundance and growth of acid-tolerant AOB at more neutral pH was explored. Under acidic conditions (pH of 5), ammonia oxidation rates of 500 mg-N L-1 d-1 and 10 g-N g-VSS-1 d-1 were observed, despite high concentrations of 15 mg-N L-1 of the AOB-inhibiting compound nitrous acid and low concentration of 0.04 mg-N L-1 of the substrate ammonia. However, ammonia oxidation under acidic conditions was very sensitive to process disturbances. Even short periods of less than 12 h without oxygen or without influent resulted in a complete cessation of ammonia oxidation with a recovery time of up to two months, which is a problem for low maintenance applications such as decentralized treatment. Furthermore, undesirable nitrogen losses of about 10% were observed. Under acidic conditions, a novel AOB strain was enriched with a relative abundance of up to 80%, for which the name "Candidatus (Ca.) Nitrosacidococcus urinae" is proposed. While Nitrosacidococcus members were present only to a small extent (0.004%) in urine nitrification reactors operated at pH values between 5.8 and 7, acid-tolerant AOB were always enriched during long periods without influent, resulting in an uncontrolled drop in pH to as low as 2.5. Long-term experiments at different pH values showed that the activity of "Ca. Nitrosacidococcus urinae" decreased strongly at a pH of 7, where they were also outcompeted by the acid-sensitive AOB Nitrosomonas halophila. The experiment results showed that the decreased activity of "Ca. Nitro-sacidococcus urinae" correlated with the limited availability of dissolved iron at neutral pH.".
• 01GKS3YM16Q6HDC3QWY77EF8FK abstract "Despite many years of establishment of exclosures in the semi-arid environments of north Ethiopia for rehabilitation of degraded areas, its effectiveness is constrained by water deficit. There is lack of empirical data on the response of vegetation to additional water (spate irrigation) application. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of spate irrigation using storm runoff on the growth of trees in exclosures. Two exclosures (May Ba'ati and Adi Kolakol), in Dogu'a Temben district, Tigray, north Ethiopia, were used for this study. Each exclosure was divided in two blocks (irrigated and non-irrigated) to allow comparison of change of vegetation using several diversity indices as well as contrasts in tree ring widths. The amount of spate irrigation water diverted onto the exclosures (762 mm) was in the same order of magnitude as the direct rainfall on the sites (645 mm). The results show that the irrigated exclosures have larger species richness, Shannon-Weaver diversity index, tree density, abundance, evenness and basal area than the non-irrigated areas. Following low rainfall (353 mm) in 2015, these indices decreased in the non-irrigated area, whereas most indices remained much higher in the irrigated area. The findings indicate that diverting runoff to exclosures results in an average 15% increase in ring width as compared to non-irrigated trees. In addition, there is strong abstraction of storm runoff in gullies in the study area. Besides the promotion of forestry in washout semi-arid areas of existing spate irrigation systems, we suggest to apply spate irrigation to exclosures in order to improve their productivity.".
• 01GKS46TN0JJEYQSKVEFREE9EC abstract "Microbial life strategy, reflected by rRNA operon (rrn) copy number, determines microbial ecological roles. However, the relationship between microbial life strategy and the energy and nutrient flux in anaerobic digestion (AD) remains elusive. This study investigated microbial rrn copy number and expression ratio using amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and 16S rRNA, and monitored CH4 daily production to approximate the status of energy and nutrient flux in semi-continuous AD. A significantly positive correlation between the mean rrn copy number of microbial communities in digestate and CH4 daily production was detected in the control treatment fed swine manure. The reduced feedstock complexity, by replacing parts of swine manure with fructose or apple waste, weakened the correlation. When feedstock complexity was increased again, the correlation was strengthened again. Similar results were detected in mean rrn expression ratio of microbial communities. The responses of mean rrn copy number and expression ratio of communities to feedstock addition differed between the reduced feedstock complexity and the control treatment, as well as between in digestate and in straw. Our findings reveal a novel relationship between microbial community life strategy and the energy and nutrient flux, and the roles of feedstock characteristics therein in AD.".
• 01GKS4H37J0GJPDF1WQZ5EGASV abstract "The current Anthropocene epoch is characterized by major changes in the environment and biogeochemical systems at the global scale. Within this changing landscape, pollinators, including bees and wasps, are threatened by a variety of stressors, such as changes in land use, introduction of pathogens and alien species, use of pesticides, and climate change. While most species are negatively affected by the effects of the Anthropocene, some species seem to thrive well in the changing environmental conditions by expanding their geographical range. A better understanding of the effects of climate change on pollinators and their adaptability was the objective of the interuniversity ‘Climate change and effect on Pollination Services’ (CliPS) project. In order to fully understand the effect of climate change and the adaptability of pollinators, it is necessary to also study the gut microbiota. Therefore, different gut microbiota studies were performed during the present PhD, as part of the CliPS project, and aimed to characterize and identify the microbial communities associated with native solitary bees and invasive aculeate species. Solitary bees account for the majority of approximately 20,000 known bee species. However, their gut microbial communities have been rarely studied compared to those of social bees. In a first study, we described the bacterial and fungal gut microbiota of the crop, midgut, hindgut, and ovaries of four solitary bee species commonly occurring in Belgium, i.e. Andrena vaga, Anthophora plumipes, Colletes cunicularius and Osmia cornuta, using a combination of amplicon sequencing and culturomics. The microbial communities were dominated by endosymbionts of the genera Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, and environmental bacteria and yeasts with high metabolic versatility. The bacterial communities varied between gut fractions and appeared to be species-specific. Additionally, we obtained a total of 1,510 isolates from the different fractions of each bee species during a large-scale isolation campaign. The obtained reference cultures were identified at the species-level and can be used for functional analyses in future studies. In a second study, we characterized the gut microbiota of eight solitary bee species sampled in apple orchards along a latitudinal axis in Europe, thus representing a climate gradient. The aim of this study was to determine the factors involved in shaping the solitary bee bacterial and fungal communities. Host species and location were the main factors that influenced the microbiota composition of these bees, and infections with parasites led to changes in the microbial community. The bacterial community was more host specific and most strongly impacted by bee community and landscape variables, compared to the fungal community which was more strongly influenced by the local environment and climate variables. Parasite infection appeared to be host specific and resulted in a state of dysbiosis, which was characterized by increased richness and diversity and which changed the microbial community composition. The two invasive aculeate species currently occurring in Europe, the solitary bee Megachile sculpturalis and the Asian hornet Vespa velutina, belong to the few species that are thriving during the current environmental changes. They were the subjects of two additional studies of the present PhD. Both species were accidentally introduced to Europe from Asia as a result of globalization and trading of goods. They have successfully expanded their range in Europe since their arrival. Yet, the mechanisms underlying the invasion success of these species are not fully understood. We wanted to evaluate to what extent the microbial communities may contribute to the adaptability and fitness of these invasive species in the novel environments, as the gut microbiota can exhibit important functionalities and given its superior plasticity to changing conditions. We characterized the bacterial, fungal and parasite communities of M. sculpturalis sampled from native (Japan) and invaded regions (New York, USA and Marseille, France). Native, co-foraging bee species from Marseille (France) were additionally analyzed to assess the transmission of microbiota and pathogens between native and invasive bees. The gut microbiota of M. sculpturalis bees from the two invaded regions was highly similar and differed strongly from those obtained from the native region. In Marseille (France), one of the invaded regions, the microbiota of M. sculpturalis was significantly different from that of native co-foraging bees, yet native and invasive bees shared core amplicon sequence variants suggesting a potential for horizontal transmission of microbes and common environmental sources. M. sculpturalis bees examined in the present study did not harbor known bee pathogens. We proposed two hypotheses that might explain the similarity of the microbial community in bees from the two invaded regions and the absence of parasites: a common shift in gut microbiota in the invaded regions as a response to changed environmental conditions, or a founder effect in gut microbial composition caused by the introduction events. In a final study, we provided a comprehensive characterization of the bacterial communities of the gut fractions and ovaries of V. velutina through a combination of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and culturomics. The bacterial community was dominated by highly specialized core lactic acid bacteria (Convivina and Fructobacillus), generalist core lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus and Lactiplantibacillus), and Sphingomonas and Spiroplasma. The four sample types revealed distinct bacterial communities with similar richness and Shannon diversity. We isolated a total of 861 isolates including two species of the core symbiont Convivina: C. intestini, which was previously isolated from a bumble bee, and the novel species C. praedatoris. We analyzed both species through comparative functional genomics and biochemical assays to describe their metabolic capabilities within the hornet gut. Our results revealed that C. intestini was adapted towards amino acid metabolism and the novel species C. praedatoris was adapted towards carbohydrate metabolism.".
• 01GKS4PJA2JJ06GXN0FQHFMB4D abstract "Historic shipwrecks form an anthropogenic landmark in marine environment, yet their influence on the local geochemistry and microbiology remains largely unexplored. In this study, sediment and steel hull samples were taken around the V-1302 John Mahn, a World War II shipwreck, at increasing distance from the wreck, in different directions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), explosives, and heavy metal levels were determined and related to the microbial composition. Benz(a)anthracene and fluoranthene remain present at the mg kg(-1) level, probably originating from the coal bunker. These PAH's indicate that the wreck is still influencing the surrounding sediments however the effects are very dependent on which side of the wreck is being studied. Known PAH degrading taxa like Rhodobacteraceae and Chromatiaceae were more abundant in samples with high aromatic pollutant content. Moreover, sulphate reducing bacteria (such as Desulfobulbia), proven to be involved in steel corrosion, were found present in the biofilm. This study shows that even after 80 years, a historic shipwreck can still significantly steer the surrounding sediment chemistry and microbial ecology.".
• 01GKS7DWDKYDS81N129J9D4KG1 abstract ""Empty" V-type starch is a potential carrier for versatile applications in novel ways. This study provided a facile and efficient preparation method of excellent "empty" V-type starch, in which the ordered structure of the carrier was regulated by the complexation temperature without additional annealing treatment. Thymol was used as a model guest material to examine the relationship between the crystalline structure and loading capacity of V-type starch. Increasing the complexation temperature from 30 to 90 degrees C led to more perfect crystallites in the V-type starch, a significant increase in crystallinity from 25.2 % to 40.2 %, and an increase in enthalpy changes from 6.11 to 14.57 J/g. As the ordered structure contributed to improving the loading capacity of V-type starch, the V-type starch prepared at 90 degrees C (90-V) showed the highest encapsulation capacity (33.97 mg/g) for thymol. Our findings provide a new paradigm for preparing V-type starch facilely and efficiently.".
• 01GKS7DWDRK319QJ1N924AS71R abstract "ll-lactoglobulin(ll-Lg)-polysaccharide soluble complexes formed in a specific pH range through electrostatic attraction have attracted a growing interest in the design of food-grade encapsulation systems for hydrophobic compounds, which is mainly ascribed to the ligand-binding properties of ll-Lg. However, it remains unclear whether pH-induced conformational changes in ll-Lg and its electrostatic complexation with anionic pectin affect their ability to bind hydrophobic compounds. Here, a fluorescent probe method was employed to provide useful insights into the field. Three solvatochromic fluorescent probes (i.e. Nile red, retinol and curcumin) were selected as representative models of hydrophobic compounds that were bound to the inner cavity or/and the outer surface of ll-Lg. Binding with ll-Lg or ll-Lg/pectin complexes largely enhanced the fluorescence of the hydrophobic probes. Especially, the polarity difference of different binding sites on ll-Lg was revealed by the fluorescence spectra of ll-Lg-Nile red as a function of pH. Both Nile red and retinol were bound more favorably to ll-Lg at neutral pH than at acidic pH, possibly due to the accessibility of the inner cavity in the former case. Upon acidification, the gradual reduction in fluorescence intensity of the pre-formed protein-ligands complexes (i.e. at pH 7.0) was ascribed to the dissociation between Nile red (or retinol) and the inner cavity of ll-Lg. ll-Lg-curcumin interactions were less affected by pH variations, suggesting curcumin mainly binding to the outer surface of ll-Lg. For the three tested hydrophobic compounds, the formation of soluble complexes between ll-Lg with pectin had no adverse effects on their interactions with the protein. These results may provide useful insights into the binding of hydrophobic compounds to ll-Lg or ll-Lg/pectin complexes. The methodology may also be extended to study the encapsulation performance of other biopolymers or particles.".
• 01GKS7E1AK18A734M6B85CC13Y abstract "The associative phase separation of oppositely charged biopolymers produces liquid-like coacervates or solid-like precipitates, whereas the effect of the physical state difference on applications is often overlooked. This study investigated the application of complexes coacervates and precipitates fabricated from beta-conglycinin (beta-CG) and lysozyme (LYS) for the encapsulation of curcumin. The beta-CG-LYS complexes encapsulating curcumin at charge stoichiometric ratios appeared as coacervates at pH 6 and precipitates at pH 7 and 8. The curcumin encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of these complexes reached 95% and 410-486 mu g/mg. Coacervates and precipitates both significantly improved the curcumin stability when exposed to light and heat treatment. During storage, the curcumin in coacervates had an extremely long half-life value (t1/2), whereas curcumin in the precipitates had a short t1/2. When the coacervates encapsulating curcumin adhered to the bottom of the cuvette, 35.2% of the curcumin was still retained after rinsing with ethanol 30 times. The beta-CG-LYS coacervates were promising carriers to encapsulate functional molecules, which may be used as functional dressings and coatings.".
• 01GKS7E1ARSCCPXG1100Y1HJE9 abstract "Insoluble soybean fiber with few proteins, which is extracted from defatted okara by homogeneous combined with alkali treatment, was used to prepare concentrated emulsions. Firstly, insoluble soybean fiber extracted under pH12 was used to fabricate concentrated emulsions containing various particle concentrations and oil volume fractions and the optimized condition was obtained. Subsequently, insoluble soybean fiber extracted under pH12 followed by different homogeneous strengths were utilized. Concentrated emulsions stabilized by insoluble soybean fiber that was subjected to stronger homogenization presented lower absolute values of the zeta-potential about -47.7 mV and average droplet sizes of 37.0 mu m approximately. Moreover, these emulsions exhibited a higher viscosity and elastic modulus, thereby providing better stability and less pronounced environmental sensitivities towards either pH 5 or 100 mM NaCl. Overall, results revealed that insoluble soybean fiber with few protein, especially subjected to homogenization during fiber extraction, was well suited to fabricate concentrated emulsions.".
• 01GKS7E1AXDA9SNR7VETWCE33Z abstract "Fat crystallisation in emulsions is a complex process. One of the important parameters is the solid fat content (SFC). Up to now, there is no standardised method to measure the SFC in emulsions, let alone to determine the SFC of the fat inside droplets, thus avoiding the signal of the aqueous phase. This work evaluates the capabilities of deconvolution of the free induction decay (FID)-Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) signal of emulsions. Three models were evaluated. The first model was a combination of a Gaussian function and a bi-exponential function (GBE model). The second model combined a Gaussian function with multiple exponential functions (GME model). The last model contained multiple Gaussian functions and multiple exponential functions (MGME model). The latter two models used a simplified CONTIN analysis. Based on the analysis of the determination coefficient R-2, the calculated water content and the estimated SFC of nonemulsified two-phase systems, the GBE model was selected to analyse the FID-CPMG signal of emulsified systems. However, the results obtained with the other models did not differ substantially, and hence, they could be used to obtain a full relaxation time distribution. When the GBE model was applied on different emulsion systems, no significant differences in estimated SFC of the fat phase were found, thus indicating that the emulsion formulation (i.e. water-in-oil [W/O], oil-in-water [O/W] or water-in-oil-in-water [W/O/W]) only had a minor effect on the SFC in the systems considered here.".
• 01GKS7E67DZV50BP4Y2J4HWQQ9 abstract "The permeation of amino acids and di-peptides with different hydrophobicities across the oil phase in W/O/W double emulsions was investigated at different concentrations, considering the pH of the aqueous phase. Moreover, the particle size, yield of entrapped water and release kinetics of the double emulsions was evaluated as a function of time. Regarding the release of the entrapped amino acids and di-peptides, their hydrophobicity and the pH had a significant effect, whereas the concentration of the dissolved compound did not lead to different release kinetics. The release of the amino acids and di-peptides was faster at neutral pH as compared to acidic pH values due to the increased solute solubility in the oil phase for more hydrophobic molecules at neutral pH. Regarding the effect of the type of oil, much faster amino acid transport was observed through MCT oil as compared to LCT oil, which might be due to its higher solubility and/or higher diffusivity. As di-peptides released faster than amino acids, it follows that the increased solubility overruled the effect from the decreased diffusion coefficient of the dissolved compound in the oil phase.".
• 01GKS7E67JAGVHY82HGK92P2FT abstract "Much attention has been drawn to the utilization of plant proteins as food ingredients because of an increasing demand for protein-rich foods with improved nutritional and functional properties. One method to meet these exigencies is co-precipitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate solubility, foaming and emulsification properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and pea protein (PPI) blends and understand the impact of co-precipitation. Co-precipitates and protein blends in parallel ratios were compared and functional properties were studied at pH 3, 7 and 11.5. The functional properties increased at higher pH. Overall, PPI hampered the functional properties. Co-precipitation improved the functional properties of PPI, where samples with WPI > PPI showed promising results. Improvements could also be obtained by simply blending of PPI and WPI. In fact, protein blends were superior in solubility and foaming capacity, while no significant difference could be obtained for foam stability and emulsifying properties. Thus, the results demonstrate that co-precipitation is not a necessity to partly replace animal proteins in food formulations with plant protein.".
• 01GKS7EB471XVEDM6AAAB3082G abstract "Probiotics and curcumin can exhibit synergistic biological activities on the basis of a gut-brain axis, but are sensitive to environmental conditions, making it a challenge for their co-utilization. To meet the demand for high efficiency and convenience, both probiotics and curcumin were encapsulated within a propylene glycol alginatebased hydrogel delivery system, which was assembled using an ethanol-induced approach. The composite hydrogel was effective at sustaining the release of curcumin and protecting LGG cells in simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. Moreover, it could also largely reduce the chemical degradation of curcumin and increase the survival of LGG during light exposure and long-term storage: up to 91.3 % of curcumin and 9.72 log CFU cm(-3) remained present throughout 4 weeks of storage. Results in this work demonstrate a low-energy and green approach to assemble a composite hydrogel with remarkable biocompatibility, which is considered as a desired delivery vehicle for co-delivery of probiotics and curcumin.".
• 01GKS7EG14N6NVNR408DGZP6ES abstract "Synergistic biological activities of probiotics and curcumin can be achieved based on the gut-brain axis. However, it is still a challenge for utilizing both of them in actual food products due to their high sensitivity to environmental conditions. In the present study, high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) were fabricated to co-encapsulate the probiotics and curcumin in response to the customer demand for convenience. beta-Lactoglobulin-propylene glycol alginate composite hydrogel particles (beta-lgPPs) with proper size and intermediate wettability were prepared at beta-lg to PGA mass ratio of 2 : 1 and employed as particulate emulsifiers. Stable HIPEs with a fixed oil fraction (phi = 0.8) could be formed within a wide range of beta-lgPPs concentrations, ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 wt%. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images indicated that the interfacial structure of the oil droplets was composed of both beta-lg nanoparticles and a PGA network, which jointly contributed to the gel-like structures in HIPEs. An increase in elasticity and gel strength, as well as centrifugal stability, could be achieved by elevating the particle concentration as determined by diffusing wave spectroscopy and Lumisizer analysis. HIPEs with high particle concentrations showed a high resistance against pasteurization since no obvious flocculation or coalescence could be observed in these emulsions. HIPEs also provoked a significant reduction in the death of LGG as well as the chemical degradation of curcumin: up to 7.91 log CFU cm(-3) of LGG and 93.0% of curcumin were retained after pasteurization treatment. Moreover, the HIPEs could also retard the release of curcumin and protect the LGG in simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. The results from this work provide useful information for developing a promising delivery system for the co-encapsulation of curcumin and probiotics.".
• 01GKS7EG1AJS3TMSHWN21JWKM0 abstract "Hypothesis: In contrast to when polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is used as lipophilic emulsifier, the used oil phase and phospholipid composition have a strong influence on the characteristics of water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions prepared using lecithin. These parameters are also expected to influence the characteristics of the corresponding water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) emulsions. Moreover, a hydrophilic emulsifier is typically added to the external water phase of w/o/w emulsions and is also expected to influence the characteristics of the w/o/w emulsions.".
• 01GKSBF50RDPBD75DV7ZDWNYQN abstract "Light quality is an important determinant in the plant's response to biotic stress. A low red: far-red ratio perception enhances plant susceptibility to pathogens. Increasing red wavelengths in the light spectrum may thus enhance the tolerance to pathogens. In this study, strawberry plants were exposed to increasing periods of red light replacing the full-spectrum white light in a 16 h photoperiod for, respectively, 5, 10 and 15 days. After the light pre-treatment, leaf resistance to three Botrytis isolates was evaluated. A diurnal rhythm of 6 h red light followed by 10 h white light during 15 days improved leaf resistance to all Botrytis isolates. Further finetuning of the light treatments showed that ten days of this light treatment followed by 5 days of 16 h white light could be the optimized light recipe to enhance leaf resistance to different Botrytis isolates in strawberry.".
• 01GKSBHY86PM1F7RAA95XBWGF8 abstract "Soil mesofauna play an essential role in soil functioning. However, in studies on the impact of agricultural management on soil quality, the overall abundance of soil mesofauna and specific groups thereof has not been widely used as an indicator in developing countries. Here, we used soil mesofauna as a soil quality indicator compared to more traditional soil chemical, physical, and microbial indicators, in a comparison of the impact of three diverse agricultural management systems in Central Cuba: state (CSt), conventional private (CPr), and organic private (OPr) farms. We sampled the top 20 cm of soil of 30 fields from 12 farms and 1 natural reference site (NR) and analysed a number of soil chemical, physical, and microbial soil parameters as well as mesofauna (Acari and Collembola, further subdivided into Mesostigmata–Prostigmata–Oribatida–Astigmata and Isotomidae–Entomobryidae, respectively). Differences in soil properties between agricultural fields and natural soil were observed (especially in the multivariate analysis), but no significant differences were observed between agricultural systems, probably due to a lack of differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The mesofauna differed strongly between the NR and the two conventional management practices (CSt and CPr), both in total numbers and in group numbers for most groups and in both rainy and dry seasons, whereas there were almost no significant differences between NR and OPr. Principal component analysis based on mesofauna clearly distinguished NR from all farming systems and OPr from CSt and CPr. Differences in soil mesofauna were mainly attributed to the use of synthetic pesticides. We conclude that in this context, without clear differences in SOC content between agricultural fields, mesofauna is a superior soil quality indicator. Our results indicate that simple counts of total abundance are as useful as counts of specific mesofauna groups irrespective of the sampling period (dry or wet season).".
• 01GKT5NKN73569M104FT5RT7S5 abstract "Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that infect mammals and birds. Coronaviruses cause infections of the respiratory system in humans, which can be minor or fatal. A comparative transcriptomic analysis has been performed to establish essential profiles of the gene expression of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) linked to cystic fibrosis (CF). Transcriptomic studies have been carried out in relation to SARS-CoV-2 since a number of people have been diagnosed with CF. The recognition of differentially expressed genes demonstrated 8 concordant genes shared between the SARS-CoV-2 and CF. Extensive gene ontology analysis and the discovery of pathway enrichment demonstrated SARS-CoV-2 response to CF. The gene ontological terms and pathway enrichment mechanisms derived from this research may affect the production of successful drugs, especially for the people with the following disorder. Identification of TF-miRNA association network reveals the interconnection between TF genes and miRNAs, which may be effective to reveal the other influenced disease that occurs for SARS-CoV-2 to CF. The enrichment of pathways reveals SARS-CoV-2-associated CF mostly engaged with the type of innate immune system, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease, intestinal immune network for IgA production, mineral absorption, autoimmune thyroid disease, legionellosis, viral myocarditis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), etc. The drug compound identification demonstrates that the drug targets of IMIQUIMOD and raloxifene are the most significant with the significant hub DEGs.".
• 01GKT6BNCT97WXCCJJH6EG6C38 abstract "Globally, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most occurred metabolic diseases, involving an increased level of blood glucose in the body. In general, DM patients grow many comorbidities including coronary heart disease, overweight gain, and stroke. Myocardial ischemia (MI) is a type of coronary heart disease, it occurs when heart muscles lost the ability to pump blood accurately. Though DM and MI are not associated but many biological functions of both disease match with each other. Our objectives were to uncover the association between the DM and MI using a bioinformatics approach with bio-molecular signature. We compare both datasets with the Venn diagram, the outcomes showed that 144 genes were overlapped in both disease. The GO analysis revealed that the majority amount of genes were connected with the cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, cytokine activity, and membrane raft. Pathway analysis explored the common 144 genes that were enriched with the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, malaria, and pathways in cancer. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the Cytoscape. From where we identified 10 significant genes (INS, ALB, IL6, TNF, VEGFA, IL10, CCL2, IL1B, CXCL8, and ICAM1) according to their connectivity range using cytoHubba tool. Drug target analysis reveals that the dexamethasone CTD 00005779 target is the most associated with all the hub genes. Our analysis showed the genetic and biological functional associations between DM and MI. The outcomes of the study will help in future medications development of DM and MI.".
• 01GKT6YD7HP6BES613RS97T5E2 abstract "Oral cancer (OC) is a serious health concern that has a high fatality rate. The oral cavity has seven kinds of OC, including the lip, tongue, and floor of the mouth, as well as the buccal, hard palate, alveolar, retromolar trigone, and soft palate. The goal of this study is to look into new biomarkers and important pathways that might be used as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic candidates in OC. The publicly available repository the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was to the source for the collection of OC-related datasets. GSE74530, GSE23558, and GSE3524 microarray datasets were collected for analysis. Minimum cut-off criteria of |log fold-change (FC)| > 1 and adjusted p < 0.05 were applied to calculate the upregulated and downregulated differential expression genes (DEGs) from the three datasets. After that only common DEGs in all three datasets were collected to apply further analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis were implemented to explore the functional behaviors of DEGs. Then protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were built to identify the most active genes, and a clustering algorithm was also implemented to identify complex parts of PPI. TF-miRNA networks were also constructed to study OC-associated DEGs in-depth. Finally, top gene performers from PPI networks were used to apply drug signature analysis. After applying filtration and cut-off criteria, 2508, 3377, and 670 DEGs were found for GSE74530, GSE23558, and GSE3524 respectively, and 166 common DEGs were found in every dataset. The GO annotation remarks that most of the DEGs were associated with the terms of type I interferon signaling pathway. The pathways of KEGG reported that the common DEGs are related to the cell cycle and influenza A. The PPI network holds 88 nodes and 492 edges, and CDC6 had the highest number of connections. Four clusters were identified from the PPI. Drug signatures doxorubicin and resveratrol showed high significance according to the hub genes. We anticipate that our bioinformatics research will aid in the definition of OC pathophysiology and the development of new therapies for OC.".
• 01GKT7HGEEKH704KWRES0T57YG abstract "Pancreatic Cancer (PC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and one of the deadliest malignant neoplasms. It is difficult to diagnose at an early stage. Lung Cancer (LC) is the second most common cancer and a malignant tumor which spreads into nearby tissues through metastasis. One of the major common risk factors between PC and LC is smoking. Since both PC and LC are malignant they may be associated with one another. The main purpose of this research was to find genetic linkage and association between PC and LC through a bioinformatics approach. We analyzed both gene expression datasets and compared the significant genetic markers to find shared genes between the two cancers. We identified 1686 common significant genes between PC and LC, which is 33.2% of both gene datasets. The enrichment analysis disclosed the biological roles of the selected common genes and revealed the pathways that were mostly associated with the common biomarkers. Using the common genes of both cancers we constructed a PPI network and identified 10 significant hub genes (TP53, AKT1, EGFR, TNF, IL6, ALB, EGF, MYC, VEGFA, and GAPDH) based on their connectivity and degree values. In drug target analysis, a drug compound ‘Capsaicin CTD 00005570’ was identified to be associated with all significant hub genes. This drug compound could be useful for treatment of the patient who suffers simultaneously from both cancers. Thus this study identified genetic linkage and elemental functional association between PC and LC, and may help in the development of future medications for patients with both PC and LC.".
• 01GKTT3MAVBXAFVF07193ZBVZH abstract "Reactive electrophilic species are ubiquitous in plant cells, where they contribute to specific redox-regulated signaling events. Redox signaling is known to modulate gene expression during diverse biological processes, including plant growth, development, and environmental stress responses. Emerging data demonstrates that transcription factors (TFs) are a main target of cysteine thiol-based oxidative post-translational modifications (OxiPTMs), which can alter their transcriptional activity and thereby convey redox information to the nucleus. Here, we review the significant progress that has been made in characterizing cysteine thiol-based OxiPTMs, their biochemical properties, and their functional effects on plant TFs. We discuss the underlying mechanism of redox regulation and its contribution to various physiological processes as well as still outstanding challenges in redox regulation of plant gene expression.".
• 01GKTTZYEZ3MY4JCKQ71TJHT94 abstract "Endocytosis controls the perception of stimuli by modulating protein abundance at the plasma membrane. In plants, clathrin-mediated endocytosis is the most prominent internalization pathway and relies on two multimeric adaptor complexes, the AP-2 and the TPLATE complex (TPC). Ubiquitination is a well-established modification triggering endocytosis of cargo proteins, but how this modification is recognized to initiate the endocytic event remains elusive. Here we show that TASH3, one of the large subunits of TPC, recognizes ubiquitinated cargo at the plasma membrane via its SH3 domain-containing appendage. TASH3 lacking this evolutionary specific appendage modification allows TPC formation but the plants show severely reduced endocytic densities, which correlates with reduced endocytic flux. Moreover, comparative plasma membrane proteomics identified differential accumulation of multiple ubiquitinated cargo proteins for which we confirm altered trafficking. Our findings position TPC as a key player for ubiquitinated cargo internalization, allowing future identification of target proteins under specific stress conditions.".
• 01GKTVM9TS4W6Q4ACBY7QR48M4 abstract "Rhizogenic Agrobacterium strains comprise biotrophic pathogens that cause hairy root disease (HRD) on hydroponically grown Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae crops, besides being widely explored agents for the creation of hairy root cultures for the sustainable production of plant-specialized metabolites. Hairy root formation is mediated through the expression of genes encoded on the T-DNA of the root-inducing (Ri) plasmid, of which several, including root oncogenic locus B (rolB), play a major role in hairy root development. Despite decades of research, the exact molecular function of the proteins encoded by the rol genes remains enigmatic. Here, by means of TurboID-mediated proximity labeling in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) hairy roots, we identified the repressor proteins TOPLESS (TPL) and Novel Interactor of JAZ (NINJA) as direct interactors of RolB. Although these interactions allow RolB to act as a transcriptional repressor, our data hint at another in planta function of the RolB oncoprotein. Hence, by a series of plant bioassays, transcriptomic and DNA-binding site enrichment analyses, we conclude that RolB can mitigate the TPL functioning so that it leads to a specific and partial reprogramming of phytohormone signaling, immunity, growth, and developmental processes. Our data support a model in which RolB manipulates host transcription, at least in part, through interaction with TPL, to facilitate hairy root development. Thereby, we provide important mechanistic insights into this renowned oncoprotein in HRD.".
• 01GKTX42Y89456NK9H3B9E3AYB abstract "The implementation of care robotics in care settings is identified by some authors as a disruptive innovation, in the sense that it will upend the praxis of care. It is an open ethical question whether this alleged disruption will also have a transformative impact on established ethical concepts and principles. One prevalent worry is that the implementation of care robots will turn deception into a routine component of elderly care, at least to the extent that these robots will function as simulacra for something that they are not (i.e. human caregivers). At face value, this may indeed seem to indicate a concern for how this technology may upend existing practices and relationships within a care setting. Yet, on closer inspection, this reaction may rather point to a rediscovery and a revaluation of a particularly well-entrenched value or virtue, i.e. veracity. The virtue of veracity is one of the values that is mobilized to argue against a substitution of human caregivers (while a combination of care robots and human caregivers is much more accepted). The subject of this paper is to explore how the moral panic surrounding care robots should not so much be interpreted as an anticipated and probable disruptor in a care setting, but rather as a sensitizing - in a way conservationist - argument that identifies veracity as an established value that is supposed to be protected and advanced in present day and future care settings.".
• 01GKV0106VQ8WRS1YWK30JAK51 abstract "The plant kingdom represents the biggest source of feedstock, food, and added-value compounds. Engineering plant metabolic pathways to increase the phytochemical production or improve the nutraceutical value of crops is challenging because of the intricate interaction networks that link multiple genes, enzymatic steps, and metabolites, even when pathways are fully elucidated. The development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats - CRISPR-associated (CRISPR-Cas) technologies has helped to overcome limitations in metabolic engineering, providing efficient and versatile tools for multigene editing. CRISPR approaches in plants were shown to have a remarkable efficiency in genome editing of different species to improve agronomic and metabolic traits. Here, we give an overview of the different achievements and perspectives of CRISPR technology in plant metabolic engineering.".
• 01GKV019BSCEY0BRTT77Q3DX1N abstract "Research into journalistic sourcing practices has a long tradition in the field of communication and journalism studies and has repeatedly demonstrated that elite sources enjoy privileged access to the news, although there are differences depending on factors such as the news outlet (e.g. mainstream versus alternative), the news beat (e.g. politics versus science versus culture) and the story angle (e.g. factual versus human interest). Additionally, several studies have demonstrated increased reliance on elite sources during times of breaking news and crisis, when information is uncertain and circumstances are changing rapidly. In these instances journalists have tended to turn to elite sources as governments and experts to find answers (Mellado et al., 2021). Our study focuses on a critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global health crisis with unprecedented impact in recent times, and which was characterized by markedly different responses, debates and perception of key stakeholders in different countries. This paper therefore investigates the types of sources as well as the journalistic role performance in COVID-related news articles in mainstream news outlets (newspapers, radio, TV, and online news) of 4 WesternEuropean countries (Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium and Austria). A quantitative content analysis of 4353 news items published during two constructed weeks in 2020 shows that state and political sources are dominant in each country (they appear in 49% of all news items). Yet, we also found that there are significant differences between the countries. The most remarkable pattern is the fact that the UK (and to a lesser extent also Irish) news outlets have a tendency to consult all types of sources more often. Additionally, we found that they more often include multiple source types and multiple viewpoints. In the next step of the analysis, we will explore the link between sourcing practices and journalistic role performance. As Hellmueller and Mellado (2016) suggest, the choice for certain types of sources may be driven by the role orientation of journalists and news organizations. More specifically, we will analyze whether the fact that Belgian and Austrian news media show more unilateral coverage dictated mainly by state/political sources correlates with a higher presence of the loyal/facilitator role. Additionally, we will explore whether the higher presence of citizen sources in certain countries correlates with a higher score on the civic role, as suggested by Kurpius (2002). References Claudia Mellado, Daniel Hallin, Luis Cárcamo, Rodrigo Alfaro, Daniel Jackson, María Luisa Humanes, Mireya Márquez-Ramírez, Jacques Mick, Cornelia Mothes, Christi I-Hsuan LIN, Misook Lee, Amaranta Alfaro, Jose Isbej & Andrés Ramos (2021). Sourcing Pandemic News: A Cross-National Computational Analysis of Mainstream Media Coverage of COVID-19 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Digital Journalism, 9:9, 1261–1285, DOI: 10.1080/21670811.2021.1942114 Helmueller, L & Mellado, C (2016). Watchdogs in Chile and the United States: Comparing the Networks of Sources and Journalistic Role Performances. International Journal of Communication 10(2016), 3261–3280. Kurpius, D. D. (2002). Sources and civic journalism: Changing patterns of reporting? Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 79(4), 853–866. doi:10.1177/107769900207900406".
• 01GKV0J2D9ABW6CE9G7B3B25SE abstract "Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a spectroscopic technique based on the inelastic interaction of incident electromagnetic radiation (from a laser beam) with a polarizable molecule, which, when scattered, carries information from molecular vibrational energy (the Raman effect). RS detects biochemical changes in biological samples at the molecular level, making it an effective analytical technique for disease diagnosis and prognosis. It outperforms conventional sample preservation techniques by requiring no chemical reagents, reducing analysis time even at low concentrations, and working in the presence of interfering agents or solvents. Because routinely utilized biomarkers for kidney disease have limitations, there is considerable interest in the potential use of RS. RS may identify and quantify urinary and blood biochemical components, with results comparable to reference methods in nephrology.".
• 01GKV10HBMC7GFZ6N6F9T8E92N abstract "Growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is severely hampered by low temperatures, even when cultivated under greenhouse conditions. Root-associated bacteria might promote plant growth under stressful conditions. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of low temperatures on the lettuce root-associated microbiome to evaluate whether microbiome-based selection aids in the identification of bacteria that stimulate plant growth in the cold. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to examine the compositional differences in the lettuce root-associated microbiome when grown under low and control temperature conditions. Chilling temperatures significantly altered the lettuce root endosphere composition, whereas its effects were less severe in the rhizosphere and absent in the bulk soil. Several cold-enriched families were found, of which nine, the Oxalobacteraceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Microscillaceae, Spingobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae, Devosiaceae, Methylophilaceae and env.OPS_17, in both the rhizosphere and the root endosphere. Concurrently, a collection of lettuce root-colonizing bacteria was established and based on correlation with these families, representative isolates were screened. None of the lettuce root isolates showed growth-promoting effects, but three growth-promoting Flavobacterium strains from an available collection of grass root-colonizing bacteria were identified. Amplicon sequence variant (ASV) annotation of the lettuce and grass strains revealed that strains matching cold-enriched or highly abundant ASVs in at least one soil promoted growth in the cold. Overall our data demonstrate that microbiome analyses, combined with high-throughput bacterial isolations, might be a helpful tool to isolate effective cold growth-promoting strains.".
• 01GKV15G8W5ZV8TQBG3HGP90RC abstract "Background: This report discusses the current ((i)SMILE) lesions of the cervix with focus on the pathology and its related clinical diversity in several cases. Currently, the knowledge on (i)SMILE is limited to single case reports and series. As a consequence, consensus guidelines regarding the management are lacking. Although there is overlap with both high grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion (HSIL) and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) on immunohistochemical analyses, it is recommended to treat SMILE like AIS and further excision is needed when surgical margins are positive for SMILE on conization. (i)SMILE, should be considered as a rare subtype of adenocarcinoma of the cervix, and should be treated as such. Case Report: We describe a case with a SMILE lesion undergoing a subsequent robotic hysterectomy after conization and two cases with iSMILE: one case with an early FIGO-stage 1B1 iSMILE tumor, undergoing a robotic radical hysterectomy with sentinel procedure, and one case undergoing a roboticassisted pelvic/para-aortic lymph node staging dissection, confirming a metastatic FIGO-stage 3C2 (for primary chemo-radiotherapy treatment). Conclusion: Here, we report for the first time a few cases of (i)SMILE with different clinical presentations, their management and follow-up. Immunohistochemical characteristics are given for both primary lesions as well as the metastases.".
• 01GKV1A3Q2JETPBN2594Z706K4 abstract "Truth is a central concept in the struggle for justice for Syrians. Many justice actors have turned to the tools and rhetoric of transitional justice to further the quest for justice and truth. Yet, while doing so has allowed them to generate some international attention for victims, the transitional justice paradigm has several pitfalls. For one, the dominant understanding of truth and truth-seeking embraced in formal mechanisms tends to be narrowly defined as forensic truth. We argue on the basis of interviews with Syrian justice actors and artists that informal, including artistic, practices can entail a thicker understanding of truth. They have the potential to disrupt several shortcomings of forensic understanding of truth and formal practices. They can 'presence' experiences of harm, accommodate multivocal truths, and enable epistemic resistance. Therefore, we consider how transitional justice as a field of scholarship and practice could better engage with truth-seeking in inconclusive contexts where formal truth mechanisms may be unavailable.".
• 01GKV1VZZBF0SDKQFHGA7S5ZSB abstract "Immunosenescence is a natural ageing phenomenon with alterations in innate and especially adaptive immunity and contributes to reduced antimicrobial defence and chronic low-grade inflammation. This is mostly reflected by an increase in organ-directed and/or circulating reactive and cytolytic terminally differentiated T cells that have lost their expression of the costimulatory receptor CD28. Apart from being induced by a genetic predisposition, ageing or viral infections (particularly cytomegalovirus infection), immunosenescence is accelerated in many inflammatory diseases and uraemia. This translates into an enhancement of vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease varying from endothelial dysfunction to plaque rupture. Emerging data point to a mechanistic role of CD28(null) T cells in glomerulonephritis, where they initiate and propagate local inflammation in concordance with dendritic cells and macrophages. They are suitably equipped to escape immunological dampening by the absence of homing to lymph nodes, anti-apoptotic properties and resistance to suppression by regulatory T cells. Early accumulation of senescent CD28(null) T cells precedes glomerular or vascular injury, and targeting these cells could open avenues for early treatment interventions that aim at abrogating a detrimental vicious cycle.".
• 01GKV34A5D49XVGRGR9K44X0WG abstract "In deze bijdrage bestuderen we de discretionaire ruimte van Belgische politieambtenaren in het licht van de COVID-19-pandemie. Op basis van systematische sociale observaties onderzoeken we welke invloed de pandemie heeft op de invulling van de politierol en de beslissingsmarge die daarmee gepaard gaat. Hieruit blijkt dat de politie meer diende te focussen op haar sociale handhavingsfunctie en het bestrijden van criminaliteit meer naar de achtergrond verschoof. Dit uit zich dan ook in de politiestijlen die werden gehanteerd tijdens de pandemie. Waar crime fighting als taak naar de achtergrond werd gedrongen, traden politiestijlen zoals de problem solvers en de professionals meer op de voorgrond. Ook een ontwijkende politiestijl (‘avoiders’) werd geobserveerd, met name wanneer politiemensen onzeker waren over de te handhaven veiligheidsmaatregelen of zich niet konden vinden in bepaalde coronaregels. Dergelijke onzekerheden zorgden voor een bepaalde mate van discretionaire ruimte die politiemensen konden hanteren om de pandemieregels te handhaven. Anderzijds werd de beslissingsruimte van politiemensen net ingeperkt door de nieuwe invulling die hun rol kreeg en de vele maatregelen die gehandhaafd dienden te worden.".
• 01GKV38NWHWMF1F1E0FMSWVMTS abstract "This review article offers insights into the current issues in influencer marketing. We first provide a historical overview of extant research that mainly focuses on its bright side, and then highlight the dark side of influencer marketing, from the perspectives of both followers and influencers. Such as, influencers may harm followers' physical health and psychological well-being by flaunting idealized images, glamorous lifestyles, and unhealthy food choices. However, despite their fancy lifestyles, influencers may suffer from a continuous search for likes and followers, as well as giving up much of their privacy in return for commercial success. Some of these dark sides (influencer perspective) are currently underexposed in the literature. This article paves the path for more nuanced future research that focuses on the bright and dark sides of influencer marketing.".

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