Institutional Repository Universiteit Antwerpen
Not a member yet
161620 research outputs found
Sort by
A tale of two processes : the dynamic interplay between emotion and cognition when learning from text
No full textAbstract: Learning from texts is a crucial skill in our society because a wide range of information is often conveyed through texts. For instance, citizens refer to an abundance of health information to navigate the challenges of a pandemic. This information is often conveyed via narratives or expository texts. While narrative persuasion has been documented in health communication, less research explores the impact of text genres on debunking health misinformation. Moreover, mixed-genre texts combining narrative and expository elements appear ecologically valid but remain underexplored. Additionally, most studies focus on cognitive aspects, overlooking how emotions influence the processing of information across genres. To address these gaps, the current dissertation has two main research objectives: first, to investigate the influence of text genres in conveying health information and debunking health-related misinformation; and second, to explore the interplay between emotional and cognitive processes when reading various text genres through a multi-method approach. This dissertation comprises four empirical studies. Study 1 investigates how different text genres affect emotions, risk perception, and knowledge of unknown health risks using both online (electrodermal activity) and offline (self-reports) measures. The findings suggest that narrative texts excel in raising awareness, whereas mixed-genre texts seem more effective in enhancing learning. Study 2 examines the interplay between emotion and cognitive processes when reading texts of various genres by tracking readers' eye movements. Results reveal that expository texts require more effortful processing, evidenced by increased fixation counts, revisits and longer reading time compared to narratives. Additionally, it is found that negative epistemic emotions are correlated to local processing, while positive emotions (such as enjoyment) are associated with global processing, especially in mixed-genre texts. Study 3 evaluates the effectiveness of corrective texts featuring different genres and harm messages in the context of vaccination and reproductive health. Our findings show that corrective texts generally succeed in reducing misconceptions. Moreover, corrective texts are observed to have varying impacts on (soon-to-be) mothers with different levels of vaccine skepticism. In Study 4, we successfully replicate the findings of the study by Trevors & Kendeou (2020), showing that refutation (vs. non-refutation) texts facilitate greater knowledge revision. More importantly, we develop a novel instrument called the DynamicEmo measure to assess the emotions experienced while reading each individual sentence. Results demonstrate that paragraphs presenting inconsistent information evoke activating emotions (such as curiosity) or suppress deactivating epistemic emotions (such as boredom). To sum up, the dissertation highlights the complex interplay between text genre, contextual factors, emotions, and cognitive processes in the processing of health-related (mis)information. By integrating diverse methodologies and considering the context and characteristics of target audiences, researchers and practitioners can develop more effective strategies for communicating health information and addressing public health challenges. In the end, implications into two key prongs\u2014education and communication\u2014illustrating this dissertation contributes to both fields are presented
Legal status and protection of unborn human life : a quest for operationalizing human dignity and ubuntu principles
No full textAbstract: The legal status of unborn human life is difficult to ascertain. Consequently, its protection becomes challenging. This thesis has in that regard examined the challenges of consistently protecting unborn human life where criminal, human rights, medical and family laws have been analysed. Comparatively analysing the legal regimes of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the thesis has revealed the existing legal pluralism, imported colonial laws, the legal lacuna and other challenges facing African jurisdictions and concluded that the legal climate in place does not protect unborn human life consistently. The thesis tracing the historical genesis of international human rights instruments and how they are currently being interpreted, has revealed the existing nuances and concluded that human rights law does not consistently protect unborn human life. The practical experiences of operationalising human rights law in a comparative study of German and the United States\u2019 jurisprudences have been studied to support the above conclusion. From the overall findings, this thesis\u2019 hypothesis for alternatively operationalizing human dignity and ubuntu principles to protect unborn human life has been proved positively. The thesis has first uncovered the existing symbiotic relationship between human dignity and human rights law on one hand, and ubuntu and human and peoples\u2019 rights law on the other. It has then established that although the two principles are realised differently, they still share the functional equivalence. Both principles share a similar purpose as they evolved to protect the humanness of all members of the human family following the motivating historical injustices suffered in both cases. The thesis has, therefore, concluded that the two principles can be operationalised to protect the humanness of unborn human life not only because of its belongingness to the human family but also for the fact of its potentiality to become a human person and for the complex creative investment it comprises. The thesis has thus established that the protection is accrued not necessarily because the unborn is the bearer of human rights but because humanity has a duty to protect it. This duty is, nevertheless, not absolute. Depending on the country\u2019s legal philosophy, each jurisdiction needs to legislate on the contextual circumstances upon which such duty can be abrogated. The thesis has established that whereas the general protection of unborn human life is compelling, the protection approach is replete with variations, where each protection modality needs to reflect the respective country\u2019s legal philosophy
Visualisatie, analyse en optimalisatie van individuele longmechanica
No full textAbstract: Mechanical ventilation, a universal therapy during general anaesthesia and in the critically il patient, has recently redemonstrated its significance and adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive pressure ventilation itself, however, may inflict damage to the lungs. The objective of this dissertation is to enhance lung protective respiratory mechanics in contemporary clinical settings. In the first section, we investigated lung mechanics during laparoscopy in steep Trendelenburg position, which serves as a clinical model of a restrictive chest wall during passive ventilation. We have validated a method that allows for the reproducible measurement of end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure during surgical procedures. Our findings from a prospective clinical physiological crossover trial suggest that elevating PEEP beyond the guideline-recommended level enhances lung mechanics and oxygenation without inducing detrimental hyperinflation. In the second section, we explored mechanics during assisted positive pressure ventilation with spontaneous breathing efforts. The quantification of inspiratory effort during mechanical ventilation is of high relevance as it augments lung stress and often remains undetected. In a prospective clinical crossover trial, we compared the diaphragm thickening fraction with the gold standard oesophageal manometry as a measure for a range of inspiratory efforts in paediatric patients. Ultrasound was able to detect breathing efforts, but it was inadequate in quantifying the magnitude of these efforts, especially during rigorous breathing. Furthermore, we initiated a multicentre international prospective clinical trial in both adult and paediatric populations to determine the safe cutoffs at which lung- and diaphragm-protective ventilation during assistive positive pressure ventilation are balanced. In the third section, we examined the effects of controlled expiratory flow during flow-controlled ventilation on oxygenation and ventilation. In a pragmatic prospective crossover clinical trial on COVID-19 ARDS patients, we compared conventional volume-controlled ventilation with flow-controlled ventilation. Contrary to expectations, our findings suggest that oxygenation does not differ, but ventilation is enhanced during flow-controlled ventilation. Subsequently, we validated volumetric capnography as a method to measure dead space ventilation during controlled expiratory flow in a bench test. Lastly, we designed a prospective clinical trial to study dead space ventilation in homogenous lungs during mandatory flow-controlled ventilation, hypothesizing that the improvement in ventilation is attributable to a reduction in dead space. Further refinement of mechanical ventilation as an indispensable lifesaving therapy should focus on the clinical quantification of the balance between lung-and diaphragm protective ventilation and the reduction of dead space ventilation
Product liability in Vietnam : a comparative study from EU and US perspective
No full textAbstract: The thesis aims to strengthen the legal mechanism to protect consumers effectively in the product liability regime. Indeed, the absence of key concepts in product liability laws is a major shortcoming in Vietnam, compounded by the fact that the varying functions of these laws make their application to product liability cases challenging. The primary research question explores how consumer protection against defective products should be addressed in Vietnam. It further investigates the gaps in the existing legal framework and proposes reforms to enhance its effectiveness. In terms of methodology, the first part of this research will be a descriptive part by necessity. It offers an overview of an essential part of Vietnamese law on product liability. Another chapter in this thesis primarily examines the comparative study of all these issues based on US and EU legislation, which will serve as a basis for recommendations to improve Vietnamese law on product liability. Next, one of the principals aims of the thesis will be to provide clear definitions of the relevant concepts of a comprehensive product liability regime to overcome the difficulties that Vietnamese legal scholars now encounter in the domain of product liability with divergent notions that are difficult to apply in practice. To do so, an in-depth analysis of the laws of the EU and the US will provide valuable lessons for Vietnam to improve concepts that remain unclear and lack consistency. From such analyses mentioned above, the thesis proposes that new updates in the current rules governing product liability should be clarified
Following TikTok : emerging user practices in Turkey
No full textAbstract: This dissertation explores contemporary TikTok user experiences in Turkey by putting the cultural, social, and political context of the country that shapes TikTok user practices in dialogue with the global controversies the platform has sparked. Since its launch, TikTok has sparked local and global controversies while simultaneously continuing to expand its popularity worldwide. Marking an uptick in its user-base across the globe, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, TikTok has also faced controversy and criticism internationally for enacting unauthorized digital surveillance and providing users with addictive algorithms. While concerns about digital surveillance echoed in Turkey, TikTok spurred an earlier controversy around its allegedly \u2018low-quality\u2019 and \u2018problematic\u2019 content deemed culturally insignificant when it first became available in the country. Tracking the social contempt that TikTok initially generated in Turkey and its broad appeal during the COVID- 19 pandemic, this dissertation contends with top-down debates surrounding TikTok, which obscure the distinctive ways TikTok users engage with the platform. The dissertation builds on theoretical frameworks focused on critical algorithm studies, digital surveillance, and digital distraction. It adopts an in-depth qualitative and local approach to explore emerging user experiences in relation to Turkey's authoritarian digital surveillance regime, the social polarization of the country, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. These contexts have given rise to emerging user practices on the platform, ranging from establishing connections with algorithms for fostering intimacy to scrolling for cultivating self-care in hopes of coping with pandemic-induced stress and saving posts in drafts to escape digital surveillance. The dissertation examines emerging TikTok practices and their cultural significance in Turkey by exploring the inner workings of algorithms, digital intimacies, digital surveillance, and the compulsion to scroll from the point of view of users at a local level
Plasma-catalytic CO2 conversion for the production of molecules for green chemistry
No full textAbstract: Controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and converting CO2 into valuable chemicals remains a significant challenge due to its high stability and the high temperatures required for thermal activation. Plasma technology, with its potent activation capabilities, offers a promising alternative, yet its energy efficiency and mechanistic understanding still require improvement. This thesis combines experimental work and multi-scale simulations to advance plasma-catalytic CO2 conversion: (1) Perovskite catalysts with various B-site elements were synthesized and evaluated for plasma-catalytic reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reactions. Among these, an Fe-based perovskite catalyst exhibited 22.7% CO2 conversion and 94.3% CO selectivity. Partial B-site substitution further improved performance, with the optimal catalyst, La0.5Sr0.5Fe0.9Cu0.1O3, achieving 25.9% conversion and 94.3% selectivity. Enhanced plasma discharge facilitated CO2 excitation and C=O bond activation. Kinetics simulations and catalyst characterisations revealed that Cu substitution increased surface area, redox capability, and oxygen vacancies, thereby boosting CO2 and H2 adsorption and decomposition. (2) A comparative investigation on catalyst supports was conducted to target value-added chemicals from plasma-catalytic CO2 conversion. The Si/Al ratio in ZSM-5 significantly affected the properties of Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts. A Si/Al ratio of 38 yielded the highest percentage of strong basic sites, enhancing the electron-donating ability and promoting CO2 adsorption on active Cu sites. Combined characterisation and in situ diagnostics elucidated the underlying mechanism. (3) The meta-generalized gradient approximation (mGGA) density functional rMS-RPBEl-rVV10 was evaluated to predict reaction networks for plasma-catalytic CO2 hydrogenation on Cu. This functional accurately described metal properties, thermodynamics, adsorption processes, and dissociation barriers on Cu(111) and Cu(211) surfaces. On Cu(111), formate and CO2 dissociation pathways were equally favorable, whereas on Cu(211), the CO2 dissociation pathway prevailed with lower barriers. The Eley\u2013Rideal mechanism, enhanced by plasma species, significantly reduced energy barriers and provided key intermediates, leading to high CH3OH selectivity at low temperatures and atmospheric pressures. (4) A hybrid machine learning model combining artificial neural networks, support vector regression, and regression trees, with genetic algorithm optimization, was developed to predict plasma-catalytic dry reforming of methane. Trained on 100 data points across four reaction parameters and performance indicators, the model achieved high predictive accuracy and identified significant interactions between discharge power and total flow rate, pinpointing optimal conditions for maximum energy yield and fuel production efficiency. This study provides valuable insights into plasma-catalytic CO2 conversion mechanisms and optimization strategies for efficient chemical utilisation
Turning the tide or deepening the divide? A multidimensional and longitudinal perspective on needs prior to imprisonment, reentry concerns, and professional support in prison
No full textAbstract: The majority of incarcerated individuals will eventually return to society, yet reintegration remains a complex and multidimensional process. It spans various life domains such as housing, mental health, and social support that are interdependent and cumulative. Despite this complexity, research often isolates single domains. Reintegration is frequently framed as a post-release phenomenon, overlooking its earlier roots. This dissertation adopts an integrated, multidimensional, and longitudinal perspective on reintegration, grounded in a human rights-based approach. It aims to move beyond an individual lens to expose structural mechanisms of exclusion, drawing on the voices of incarcerated people themselves. Three objectives guide the research: (1) to examine life circumstances prior to imprisonment, (2) to explore reentry concerns during incarceration and their determinants, and (3) to analyze experiences of professional support in prison, with attention to unmet needs and influencing factors. These objectives are addressed through life story interviews and a large-scale prison survey in Flanders and Brussels. Findings reveal that many incarcerated individuals face severe social disadvantage before imprisonment, such as low education, homelessness, poverty, social isolation, and mental health problems, which are imported into prison and remain influential over time. These needs tend to persist during incarceration and shape how individuals perceive life after release. Individuals in prison anticipate these challenges, leading to concerns about life after release and needs for professional support. Despite policy efforts, prisons fail to disrupt these cycles; instead, they often sustain or intensify disadvantage. Professional support in prison shows potential but is hindered by barriers to access and high levels of unmet needs across all domains. These insights underscore the need for a fundamental rethinking of reintegration in research, policy, and practice. Reintegration should be conceptualized as a societal responsibility, not merely an individual challenge. Prevention must begin before imprisonment through poverty reduction and outreach to vulnerable groups. Policy should adopt a multidimensional approach beyond recidivism, while prison support must become more accessible, responsive, and integrated. Finally, reducing stigma through public discourse is essential to foster inclusion. Only through collective commitment can reintegration offer individuals with a history of imprisonment a genuine chance to belong
Health technology assessment of a decision support system to tackle antimicrobial resistance
No full textAbstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health challenges today. Although resistance is a natural evolutionary process, its emergence and spread have been greatly accelerated by inappropriate prescribing and excessive antibiotic use. AMR already accounts for an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide each year, a figure projected to rise sharply if no effective action is taken. Beyond its health impact, AMR also imposes a substantial economic burden, with global losses estimated to reach up to 100 trillion USD by 2050. Primary care, and paediatric primary care in particular, lies at the centre of this challenge. While most childhood infections are mild and self-limiting, antibiotic prescribing remains common. Approximately one in four children receives at least one antibiotic prescription annually, and between one-third and one-half of these prescriptions are considered inappropriate. Such prescribing persists due to a combination of diagnostic uncertainty, parental concern, and time pressure during routine consultations. To address these challenges, the ARON trial was conducted: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial including 6,750 acutely ill children in Belgian primary care. The trial evaluated a multifaceted antibiotic stewardship intervention combining a validated clinical decision tree, point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) testing, and structured safety-netting advice for parents delivered through an information booklet. The intervention demonstrated that antibiotic prescribing could be safely reduced without adverse effects on clinical outcomes, by strengthening clinical assessment and reducing diagnostic uncertainty. However, evidence of clinical effectiveness alone is insufficient to inform healthcare decision-making. Policymakers also require insight into the economic, social, and behavioural implications of stewardship interventions to justify investments and guide implementation. This broader perspective is particularly important in settings of constrained healthcare resources, where competing priorities necessitate careful allocation decisions. This thesis therefore adopts a comprehensive Health Technology Assessment (HTA) framework to evaluate the broader value of antibiotic stewardship interventions in primary care. By integrating clinical, economic, and socio-behavioural perspectives, it aims to generate a multidimensional evidence base to support informed policy decisions, contributing both to high-quality patient care and to the long-term preservation of antibiotic effectiveness. The thesis is structured in two parts. The first part focuses on economic evaluation, including a systematic review of economic evaluations of point-of-care interventions addressing AMR in primary care; an assessment of challenges in measuring health-related quality of life in young children with acute infection; a trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis of the ARON intervention; a long-term agent-based simulation model estimating its impact on AMR levels; and a budget impact analysis of implementing CRP point-of-care testing in Belgian primary care. The second part addresses social and behavioural dimensions through qualitative research examining how stewardship interventions are perceived, used, and integrated into everyday clinical practice
De status en bescherming van ongeboren menselijk leven in het Belgische recht
No full textAbstract: Legal, societal, and medical developments have increased the prominence of unborn human life in both law and public debate. It has been the subject of parliamentary discussions, is visible on banners and election posters, and is referenced to in coalition agreements. Despite this heightened attention, the legal status of unborn life remains unclear and its protection highly fragmented. This fragmentation is illustrated by four cases examined in this dissertation: (1) termination of pregnancy; (2) creation and use of in vitro embryos (in the context of ART and embryo research); (3) preventive and repressive interventions in case of prenatal harm (e.g, through the extension of child protection to unborn life); and (4) stillbirth. The strict dichotomy between persons and objects upheld in Belgian law does not provide an adequate framework for a consistent and coherent approach to the status and protection of unborn human life. This dissertation therefore describes and evaluates four approaches that seek to address the problematic, or at least uncomfortable, classification of unborn life as an object under current law: (1) progressive protection; (2) relative protection; (3) protection as (if a) person; and (4) protection based on human dignity. However, none of these approaches satisfies the requirements of consistency and coherence. When considered separately, each contributes to a conflict model in which the one-sided perspective of the approach results in an unjustified emphasis either on the protection of unborn life or on the protection of the \u2018parents\u2019, in particular the pregnant person. This dissertation proposes an alternative approach that transcends this conflict model: the humanization of unborn human life. This approach comprises three elements: (1) objective protection of unborn life as a stage of human development, grounded in the objective, collective dimension of human dignity; (2) the (growing) symbolic value of unborn life as a near-human person, in light of its increasing association with born human beings; and (3) the protection of unborn life as part of human relationships, recognizing its unique connection to the body of the pregnant person and its potential role within a (family) relationship worthy of legal protection. The humanization of unborn life results in a fluid legal status that is not uniform but relational and context-oriented. This fluidity does not undermine the consistency or coherence of the approach. On the contrary, it provides clear guidelines that enable consistent and coherent protection of unborn human life across each of the four cases examined
Blauwdruk van een effectieve urgentierespons: Een onderzoek naar een rechtstheoretisch onderbouwde methode die de Vlaamse ruimtelijke ordening beter uitrust voor klimaatadaptatiedoeleinden
No full textAbstract: Ruimtegebruik is een urgent probleem op wereldschaal. AR6, het zesde en laatste syntheserapport van het IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change van de Verenigde Naties (VN), leidt een wereldwijde alarmfase in. Het panel adviseert dringende actie met maatregelen die zowel mitigatie als adaptatie beogen. Klimaatadaptatie beoogt aanpassing van de fysieke en sociale leefomgeving aan de onvermijdelijke en onvoorspelbare impact van klimaatverandering. Dat vraagt dringende en drastische reorganisatie van ruimtegebruik. Die sense of urgency dringt in Vlaanderen echter onvoldoende door. \u2018Klimaatadaptatieplannen\u2019 en de beoogde \u2018bouwshift\u2019 volstaan duidelijk niet om dit onverwijld en over de hele lijn te waarborgen. Ruimtelijk beleid voeren is in Vlaanderen dan ook een behoorlijke uitdaging. De Vlaamse ruimtelijke ordening is namelijk niet onbesproken en wordt gekwalificeerd als een \u2018gefaald systeem in crisis\u2019. Sinds Wereldoorlog II staat eigendom van een eigen woning model voor welvaart en heeft de overheid kwistig en ondoordacht bouwrechten toegekend. Het blijkt politiek ingewikkeld om dit overaanbod terug te schroeven want het vormt inmiddels de basis van een belangrijk economisch verdienmodel. Om dit probleem op te lossen heeft het Vlaams Gewest een juridische strategie nodig waarmee klimaatadaptatie onverwijld en over de hele lijn wordt gewaarborgd, \u2018een effectieve urgentierespons\u2019. Er bestaat echter geen referentiestrategie of \u2018blauwdruk\u2019 om met een bestendige en onzekere noodsituatie zoals klimaatverandering om te gaan, waarop het Vlaams Gewest zich kan ori\uebnteren. Enkel het gebruik van noodwetgeving wordt in deze context uitgesloten. In dit proefschrift werd daarom op basis van rechtstheoretische concepten een \u2018blauwdruk van een effectieve urgentierespons\u2019 ontwikkeld. Dat is een maatstaf van effectieve rechtstechniek voor klimaatadaptatie, maar ook een denkkader voor kritische reflectie over hoe elementaire juridische principes in de ruimtelijke ordening evolueren in een tijdgeest van bestendige onzekerheid. Vanuit die invalshoek is het ook verantwoord om de finaliteit van het kader te veralgemenen naar andere urgente problemen in de ruimtelijke ordening, zoals grote strategische projecten die kampen met uitvoeringsrisico\u2019s of politieke en financi\ueble onzekerheid