Institutional Repository Universiteit Antwerpen
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Kwaliteitscontrole doorheen de wetgevingscyclus
No full textAbstract: We leven in een snel veranderende maatschappij. De wetgever moet dit hoog tempo volgen en voorzien in wetgeving die aan de noden van de huidige maatschappij kan voldoen. Daarbij moet aandacht uitgaan naar de kwaliteit van de wetgeving. De wetgever schiet namelijk tekort wanneer wetgeving wordt vernietigd door het Grondwettelijk Hof of om andere redenen het vooropgestelde doel niet bereikt. Om de kwaliteit van wetgeving te garanderen, werden er specifieke instrumenten en procedures in het leven geroepen. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de reguleringsimpactanalyse (hierna: RIA). Dit instrument controleert of wetgeving nodig is en schat in of ze effectief zal zijn. De concrete implementatie van deze instrumenten verschilt van land tot land. Zelfs binnen bepaalde rechtssystemen kan het toepassingsgebied van deze instrumenten vari\uebren. Zo zijn de procedures in Vlaanderen om de kwaliteit van de wetgeving te bewaken niet dezelfde als de procedures op federaal niveau. De empirische component in dit onderzoek maakt een selectie noodzakelijk. Omdat het Vlaamse wetgevingsbeleid een voorloper is in Belgi\ueb, maar de Vlaamse instrumenten - en de manier waarop de Vlaamse Regering hier mee omgaat - nog nooit uitgebreid werden onderzocht, focust dit doctoraatsproefschrift uitsluitend op de Vlaamse wetgevingscyclus. Niet alleen de empirische studie van de werking van de verschillende instrumenten in de praktijk maakt dit een uniek onderzoek. Ook de link tussen het Grondwettelijk Hof en de procedures zorgt voor een nieuwe invalshoek. Zo wordt nagegaan in welke mate het Hof effectief de verschillende instrumenten in rekening brengt bij de beoordeling van de proportionaliteit. De instrumenten die de kwaliteit van de Vlaamse wetgevingscyclus bewaken, zijn de reguleringsimpactanalyse, de adviezen van de Raad van State en de adviezen van de strategische adviesraden. Wat betreft de impact van de RIA, bleek uit enqu\ueates en interviews dat de implementatie van de RIA zeer beperkt is, terwijl er wel een sterk geloof is in het potentieel ervan. Ook de impact van de adviezen van de strategische adviesraden was eerder beperkt in de praktijk. De decreetgever antwoordde op de helft van de gemaakte opmerkingen niet, ondanks de decretale verplichting hiertoe. Wat betreft het gebruik van de instrumenten voor en door het Grondwettelijk Hof, viel vooral de invloed van de adviezen van de Raad van State op te merken. Het gewicht van de adviezen van de strategische adviesraden en de reguleringsimpactanalyse op het uiteindelijke oordeel van het Grondwettelijk Hof was eerder beperkt
Die eliminering van kernwapens in die konteks van die verbod op oorlog
No full textAbstract: Outlawing nuclear weapons (as done by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons) and thereafter eliminating nuclear weapons should be placed in the context of outlawing war (as done by the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928). The International Humanitarian Law justifi cation for banning nuclear weapons run up against the idea that nuclear weapons are essential to deter wars in general and keep nuclear peace in particular. In this article discursively the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will be contextualized in a broader set of arguments that reject the idea that nuclear weapons keep the peace.Banning nuclear weapons is not simply an issue of not using or threatening to use a massively destructive and indiscriminate weapon in war, but an important step in rejecting conventional wars of aggression behind a nuclear shield as national policy. The scholarship revising the Kellogg-Briand Pact\u2019s impact provides another way to think about nuclear weapons and ius ad bellum. It starts by taking the outlawry of war and the new legal order that it brought about as the explicit political context that the TPNW is born into and asks what such a contextualization might mean for the political work that needs to be done around the TPNW 1060Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, Jaargang 65 No. 4: Desember 2025doi.10.17159/2224-7912/2025/v65n4a6to reach its endgame, namely a world without nuclear weapons. Five ways in which such a contextualization can help the TPNW are discussed in the article. The system set up by the United Nations to achieve peace through instruments, such as collective security, mediation, and peacekeeping, is undermined by the reliance on nuclear deterrence. When nuclear weapons are off the table, these instruments are back in play and have a greater chance of success. The TPNW fi ts in history as an outfl ow of the outlawry of war, as another positive peace measure to consolidate an order where wars of aggression have been outlawed. Contrary to nuclear deterrence, the TPNW is rooted in the same normative discourse that underpinned the Kellogg-Briand Pac
Reduced titanium dioxide nanotubes for photoelectrochemical sensing and energy storage
No full textAbstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO\u2082) is a widely studied semiconductor known for its chemical stability, and versatile photocatalytic and electronic properties. Among its various morphologies, TiO\u2082 nanotubes (NTs) are particularly promising due to their high surface area, one-dimensional charge transport pathways, and well-ordered tubular architecture. Despite these advantages, pristine TiO\u2082 NTs face limitations, including a wide band gap restricting visible light absorption and low electrical conductivity, both of which limit their efficiency in light-driven and charge-transfer-dependent applications. To overcome these limitations, controlled electrochemical reduction has emerged as an effective strategy to introduce oxygen vacancies and Ti\ub3\u207a states into the TiO\u2082 lattice (i.e. defect engineering).The work conducted in the PhD thesis aims to establish a reproducible fabrication method for the oxygen vacancy induced reduced TiO\u2082 NTs (R-TiO\u2082 NTs), while providing insight into the material properties such as its electrical conductivity, capacitance, charge carrier generation and separation efficiency, and optical absorption. This was achieved by coupling chemical, morphological, and in situ structural characterization methods with PEC analyses. Their ability to combine enhanced light absorption, efficient charge transport, and high surface area renders them highly promising for a variety of applications. As a result, this knowledge enabled the fabrication of R-TiO\u2082 NTs suitable for applications in (i) phenolic compound sensing and (ii) energy storage. A PEC sensing platform for the detection of toxic, endocrine-disrupting hydroquinone (HQ)/benzoquinone (BQ) redox couple was successfully developed only using reduced TiO\u2082 NTs. The advanced charge transfer and photoactivity of the R-TiO\u2082 NTs, combined with well-established sensing parameters, provided high sensitivities to detect both HQ and BQ compounds below the reported toxicity levels that cause ecotoxicity in microbial communities in water resources. In the energy storage domain, a supercapacitor electrode was fabricated using R-TiO\u2082 NTs. Improved electrical properties of the R-TiO\u2082 NTs, including enhanced conductivity and capacitance, allowed the design of a pseudocapacitive supercapacitor electrode based on Ni(OH)2 nanosphere (NSs) decoration, exhibiting high capacitance values with good cyclic stability. Finally development of a R-TiO\u2082 NTs-based supercapacitor device was conducted. A symmetric thin-film supercapacitor was fabricated using two R-TiO\u2082 NTs/Ni(OH)2 NSs electrodes. Additionally, an asymmetric thin-film supercapacitor was developed by fabricating and optimizing a graphene-based counter electrode. The fabricated asymmetric supercapacitor delivered high energy density values. The fabricated device stands out among thin-film supercapacitors, while being the first of its example as an R-TiO\u2082 NTs-based supercapacitor
Anticipating nightmare issues : explaining the timing of negative agenda-setting by interest groups
No full textAbstract: This paper investigates the timing of interest groups\u2019 negative agenda-setting efforts. Some organizations lobby proactively to prevent their \u2018nightmare\u2019 issues from reaching the formal policy agenda, whereas others mobilize only once such issues have already been advanced by rival stakeholders. Drawing on the anticipatory governance literature, I argue that a group\u2019s propensity for proactive lobbying depends on its ability to detect and evaluate potential policy threats in advance. I expect that economic resources, professionalization, and the outsourcing of policy work enhance an organization\u2019s anticipatory capacity and thus increase the likelihood of proactive engagement. Using novel survey data from 485 EU-level interest groups and their most feared nightmare issues, I find that affluent and professionalized organizations that frequently outsource policy work are more likely to lobby proactively. By contrast, the findings suggest that less advantaged groups struggle to recognize threats early and therefore tend to engage reactively. The results reveal a timing gap in political mobilization: organizational inequalities shape which groups can intervene early to protect their constituents\u2019 interests. This gap carries important implications for democratic governance, as the unequal distribution of anticipatory capacity may distort political representation at the earliest and potentially most consequential stage of the policymaking process
Actual words were not included : orality, literacy, and entextualization in historical criminal records (1700-1900)
No full textAbstract: The transcription of spoken language into written records is a common practice in institutional record-keeping. In criminal cases, spoken statements delivered by witnesses and suspects are committed to paper by law enforcement officers and courtroom officials, and are subsequently used as part of bureaucratic routines. However, a growing body of scholarly examinations highlights that this transcription process substantialy alters the original oral narratives, raising questions about the accuracy of written institutional records in reflecting prior spoken communication. This dissertation examines the relationship between speech and writing in 18th- and 19th-century criminal records from Bruges, Belgium. These sources are particularly promising to historical, socially oriented linguistic research, as they could potentially offer novel insights into linguistic behavior of a wide cross-section of the Early Modern and Late Modern Flemish society. Employing an integrative methodological paradigm grounded in historical sociolinguistics and historical pragmatics, the study combines large-scale quantitative corpus analysis with more fine-grained, discourse-analytic approaches. Four focus areas, corresponding to four empirical case studies, address key challenges in the transcription of speech into writing within the formalized context of criminal procedures. The first case study uses the linguistic markers of orality and literacy to determine how (conceptually) spoken or written the texts in the corpus are, and if linguistic features associated with spoken language are entirely filtered out by the transcription process. In the second case study, the processes of entextualization are examined, by comparing multiple depositions delivered by the same speaker at different stages of the case\u2019s proceedings. The findings shed more light on the transformations occurring in deponents\u2019 narratives as they travel across the legal procedure. The third case study focuses on the different strategies of speech reporting, exploring the role of the scribe in committing spoken narratives to paper. Finally, the fourth case study delves into the discursive construction of a criminal case in writing, focusing specifically on the role of legal and socio-cultural paradigms in translating what happened in the court into a piece of institutional documentation. Findings indicate that historical criminal records are fundamentally shaped by the institutional context in which they were produced, reflecting contemporaneous bureaucratic practices more than actual speech events. Nevertheless, they offer critical insights into past institutional communication and the processes that shaped administrative record-keeping. This research underscores the utility of such documents for historical sociolinguistic and pragmatic studies, despite their inherent limitations in capturing spoken interactions
Integrated management of patients with atrial fibrillation : full care pathway and insights in several of its components
No full textAbstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and creates a significant burden on patients, physicians and healthcare systems. To reduce the AF burden by delivering optimized AF care, AF guidelines propose a patient-centered, multidisciplinary and structured integrated care approach. This integrated AF care concept consists of different components, but it remains unknown which elements are beneficial or may be redundant. In addition, several elements of the integrated AF care concept itself contain specific knowledge gaps. Firstly, the ongoing AF-EduCare study is introduced, which is a large multicenter randomized clinical trial based on the integrated AF care model consisting of (i) targeted AF education, (ii) improving patients\u2019 lifestyle, (iii) optimizing adherence to oral anticoagulants (OAC) and (iv) continuity of care for AF patients in case of AF related problems. The main aim of this trial is to improve several (clinical) outcomes for AF patients. The characteristics of the assessed AF population for this study (n=1232) and its eventual participants are also discussed, providing insights in the current AF management in Flanders. In contrast to prior integrated AF trials, the AF-EduCare study incorporates all types of AF patients. In the second part, specific building blocks of the integrated AF care model were further investigated. Appropriateness of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) dosing in ambulatory care was assessed. This study found a relatively high proportion of AF patients receiving an inappropriate NOAC dose according to different NOAC dosing algorithms. Furthermore, an electronic medication event monitoring system (MEMS) for optimizing OAC adherence is investigated in the AF-EduCare study. A first analysis showed a high mean adherence >90% for all OAC therapy. Future results and additional analysis will provide more insights into the use of the MEMS and its influence on improving adherence to OAC therapy. Tools for the detection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a highly underrecognized AF risk factor, were evaluated as screening options in AF patients. The use of OSA screening questionnaires/scoring systems for the detection of clinically relevant OSA was highly questionable, but polygraphy devices combined with an automated algorithm can be used as reliable OSA detection tools in selected AF patients. Lastly, motivation for weight reduction in overweight AF patients and associated factors were investigated. One-third of the participants did not realize that being overweight is an AF risk factor. Tailored (home-based) weight reduction programs should be developed and validated to address this prevalent AF risk factor. In conclusion, the results of these investigated components contribute to the optimization of integrated AF management. In addition, based on the future outcome results of our large AF-EduCare trial, we can hopefully obtain an effective blueprint for a structured AF care approach and add extra evidence to the integrated AF concept
Foreign city users and in-store versus online retail channel choice : urban logistics and planning implications
No full textAbstract: This study examines the in-store and online purchasing behaviour of foreign city users (FCUs) in Bratislava, using a mixed-method quantitative approach that combines binary logit models with machine-learning classifiers, including support vector machines (SVM), random forests, and artificial neural networks. FCUs, defined as non-native residents such as international students, migrant workers, and refugees, display distinctive shopping patterns compared to locals, influenced by factors such as age, mobility resources, and product type. The analysis shows that FCUs are significantly less likely to shop online, particularly for essential goods, while younger FCUs are more inclined to purchase discretionary items online. The increased reliance of FCUs on physical retail for essentials tends to concentrate passenger trips in accessible districts (often walkable and transit-served, but in some contexts also around car-oriented shopping centres) whereas local higher uptake of online shopping generates more dispersed last-mile delivery flows. Beyond freight implications, this pattern helps policymakers calibrate the local retail mix and ensure its multi-modal accessibility (not only passenger trips). Policy recommendations include maintaining accessible retail in FCU-dense areas, improving multilingual e-commerce access, and strategically locating parcel collection infrastructure. The study underscores the need for demographic-sensitive retail and freight planning to support inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities
Shipping connectivity and bilateral trade in low and middle income regions : evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean
No full textAbstract: While the literature has documented the effects of shipping connectivity on international trade flows, evidence for low and middle income regions remains limited. This paper examines the relationship between container shipping connectivity and bilateral trade between Latin America and the Caribbean and other regions (Europe, North America, East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Oceania) from 2006 to 2022. Using a higher-order fixed effects gravity model of trade, the study disentangles the impact of shipping connectivity on export trade value. The findings indicate an average trade elasticity of 0.34%, twice the global average, with significant variation across the South American, Central American, and Caribbean subregions. Furthermore, when disaggregating the general effect, the strongest impact is observed in trade flows with Asian countries, particularly on the textile and agricultural sectors. Based on these insights, the paper proposes a set of policy recommendations aimed at enhancing port connectivity in low and middle income regions
Leveraging Language Models for Document Type Classification in Low-Resource Afrikaans Archives
No full textAbstract: Document type classification is essential for e!ective infor- mation retrieval and management within archival systems, particularly in low-resource languages like Afrikaans. This study examines the feasibil- ity of utilising multilingual transformer-based language models for docu- ment classification within a South African archival context. We followed a basic linguistic approach to prepare Afrikaans text documents for classi- fication into six categories: academic papers, media reports, books, inter- views, book reviews, and theses or dissertations. We compare fine-tuned transformer models, hybrid models combining traditional classifiers with contextual embeddings, and a baseline SVM (TF-IDF) classifier, using stratified 5-fold cross-validation and a hard voting ensemble for robust evaluation. Our findings reveal that the SERENGETI transformer-based model outperformed other multilingual models, achieving a weighted F1 score of 0.964, while hybrid approaches performed competitively. How- ever, the baseline SVM (TF-IDF) model outperformed all transformer and hybrid models, with a weighted F1 score of 0.978. This research demonstrates the potential and current limitations of neural language models and hybrid strategies for enhancing document classification in Afrikaans archival systems. If implemented, the classifier can improve indexing e!orts and reduce pressure on archival personnel who handle over 5,000 new items annually
De vzw en de rechtspersonenbelasting in het professionele clubvoetbal : is er nog ruimte voor de vzw en haar fiscale voordeel in het profvoetbal ?
No full textAbstract: Deze bijdrage bespreekt het nut van een vzw structuur binnen het (Belgische) profvoetbal. Door de classificatie van een voetbalclub als vzw is de club in principe niet aan de vennootschapsbelasting, maar aan de rechtspersonenbelasting onderworpen. De fiscus meende echter dat de activiteiten van clubs wel een commercieel karakter vertonen waardoor zij wel aan de vennootschapsbelasting onderworpen zijn. Deze onderwerping aan een strenger belastingregime doet de vraag ontstaan of de vzw-structuur in het professionele voetbal nog voordelen heeft