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The role of c-its in reducing emergency service travel time through intelligent traffic light systems in microsimulation models using PTV vissim
No full textDevelopment of a Measuring System for a Textile-Based Organic Electrochemical Transistor
No full textDe moderne gezondheidszorg vraagt steeds meer om niet-invasieve, comfortabele en nauwkeurige
monitoringoplossingen. Textielgebaseerde organische elektrochemische transistoren (OECT's) zijn
veelbelovende kandidaten vanwege hun biocompatibiliteit, lage werkspanning en hoge gevoeligheid.
Hun effectieve ontwikkeling en integratie in draagbare apparaten vereisen echter een nauwkeurige
elektrische karakterisering en betrouwbare meetsystemen. Deze masterscriptie presenteert het
ontwerp en de implementatie van een compact, gebruiksvriendelijk meetplatform dat gate- en
drainspanningen nauwkeurig kan regelen en lage drain- en gatestromen in het microampèrebereik kan
detecteren. Het systeem beschikt over een digitaal-naar-analoogconverter voor spanningsregeling, een transimpedantieversterker voor stroom-naar-spanningsconversie en een analoog-naardigitaalconverter met hoge resolutie voor data-acquisitie. Alle componenten zijn ontworpen,
gesimuleerd en geïntegreerd op een microcontrollergebaseerd platform met draadloze
datatransmissie en een speciaal ontwikkelde gebruikersinterface. Experimentele resultaten tonen een
betrouwbare spanningsregeling in het millivoltbereik en nauwkeurige stroommeting aan, waardoor
het systeem geschikt is voor realtime OECT-monitoring en voor het ondersteunen van
materiaalwetenschappers bij het optimaliseren van de elektrische eigenschappen van
OECT's. Dit platform zet een belangrijke stap in de richting van
efficiënte OECT-karakterisering en implementatie in toekomstige toepassingen in de gezondheidszorg
In situ-tuning lamellar bismuth-samarium catalysts for efficient CO2-to-formate electrosynthesis
No full textCO2 electroreduction enables the sustainable conversion of greenhouse gases into value-added chemicals, thereby reducing global warming. In this study, a bismuth-samarium (Bi-Sm) bimetallic catalyst (Bi4Sm1) was prepared, exhibiting excellent performance for the CO2-to-formate electrosynthesis facilitated by situ-generated nanosheets. The incorporation of Sm into Bi catalyst enriched the active sites on the catalyst surface, achieving excellent stability (>150 h) and high formate selectivity (Faradaic efficiency, FEformate = 93.74 %) with a current density of 13.5 mA cm(-2) at -1.0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (V-RHE) in a H-cell reactor containing 0.5 M KHCO3 electrolyte. Moreover, in a flow cell containing 1 M KOH electrolyte, the catalyst achieved a current density exceeding 162 mA cm(-2) at -0.7 V-RHE, with a slight decrease in FEformate (92.55 %). This catalyst outperformed most reported catalysts, highlighting its large-scale potential applications.The Project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22072087, 22572026) and “Scientific and Technical Innovation Action Plan” Basic Research Field of Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (19JC1410500)
Innovative statistical analyses methods to quantify the performance of novel solar cooker appliances produced in resource-limited settings: A comparative approach
No full textExercise Intensity Matters in the Rehabilitation of Stroke in the Acute Stage: A Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textBackground: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a potentially effective exercise promoting functional recovery post-stroke. Objective: This study examined the efficacy of adding HIIT cycling vs. combining unloaded cycling (SHAM) to conventional physiotherapy on exercise capacity, functional ability, disability level, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) early post-stroke. Methods: Forty-four acute stroke survivors were randomly assigned to the HIIT cycling or SHAM group for 6 weeks of exercise training, 3 days/week. The primary outcome was exercise capacity (peak work load [WRpeak]) measured by a maximal exercise test. Secondary outcomes included balance: Berg Balance Scale, walking ability: 6-minute and 10-meter walk tests (6MWT and 10mWT), lower-extremity muscle strength: 5-Repetition Sit-To-Stand test, disability level: modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and HRQoL by EuroQOL 5-dimension questionnaire. Results: The 2-way factorial analysis of variance showed a significant interaction of time × group on WRpeak (P < .001), 6MWT (P < .001), 10mWT (P < .001), and mRS (P = .012). The significant interaction indicates that the change in WRpeak (mean +17.7 W [95% CI, 10.2-25.1]), 6MWT (mean +126.8 m [77.9-175.7]), 10mWT (mean +0.5 m/s [0.3-0.7]), and mRS (mean −0.7 point [−1.2 to −0.2]) after 6-week of training was significantly greater for HIIT cycling versus SHAM. These changes
are also significantly greater in the HIIT group vs the SHAM group up to 6 months (P < .001) post-training. Conclusions: In individuals with acute stroke, individuals, combining HIIT cycling with conventional physiotherapy significantly maximizes recovery of exercise capacity and walking ability, and reduces the level of disability early post-stroke, compared to SHAM.Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by the Special Research Fund (BOF20BL15) from Hasselt University.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all participants and families who participated in this study. The authors thank the staff of the Neurology Unit and the Physiotherapy and Orthopaedic Fitting Department of the University Hospital of Parakou for their contributions
Balancing risks and opportunities in ex situ conservation: host–parasite dynamics of the European weatherfish
No full textThe European weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis), once widespread across Eurasia, is now critically endangered in Flanders (Belgium), prompting the establishment of a captive breeding programme as part of conservation efforts. During rearing, juvenile weatherfish suffered heavy infections from the ectoparasitic flatworm Gyrodactylus fossilis, leading to mortality events. Although G. fossilis is a natural parasite of M. fossilis, high host densities in hatchery conditions facilitated pathological infection intensities, while adult fish maintained at lower densities showed no visible pathology. This suggests that husbandry practices strongly modulate dynamics of this host–parasite system in captivity. To place these observations in a historical context, we screened both captive-bred fish and archival material (1881–1973, i.e. prior to the anthropogenic introduction of Asian congeners in Misgurnus) for ectoparasites. Morphological and molecular characterisation revealed infections of three monopisthocotylan flatworms: G. fossilis, Gyrodactylus misgurni (Gyrodactylidae), and Actinocleidus cruciatus (Dactylogyridae). All represent new records for Belgium, with G. misgurni and A. cruciatus considered native due to their occurrence in historical material. Notably, these parasites’ abundance has declined compared to historical collections, raising concerns about their own conservation status. Since parasites contribute substantially to species-richness, ecosystem functioning, and even the health of their host individuals and populations (e.g., their immunological development and resilience) their co-decline alongside endangered hosts represents a hidden and meaningful dimension of biodiversity loss. Our findings highlight both risks and opportunities associated with parasite conservation in ex situ programmes focused on fishes or other vertebrate hosts. High juvenile stocking densities increased parasite burdens and mortality, while improved husbandry practices allowed stable co-existence of host and parasite populations. This indicates that carefully managed captive breeding facilities may act as refugia not only for M. fossilis but also for its specialist parasites, maintaining ecological interactions and genetic diversity that would otherwise be lost. While parasites are often overlooked or actively eliminated in wildlife management, they play essential roles in ecosystems and represent species of conservation concern in their own right. These results emphasise the possibility of including parasites in conservation planning. For the weatherfish and its parasites, ex situ conservation thus provides an experimental framework for developing integrated strategies that safeguard both host and parasite persistence. Future reintroduction initiatives should therefore consider whether to also re-establish native parasite populations, a decision that requires informed discussion among conservation stakeholders. By demonstrating the feasibility of host–parasite co-conservation, this study advances the idea that conservation programmes can optimise resource allocation while preserving the evolutionary and ecological relationships of multiple species simultaneously
Academicus én ondernemer? Een studie naar identiteitsconflict en -incorporatie bij academische ondernemers
No full textEstimating health utility associated with mental well-being: mapping GHQ-12 responses onto EQ-5D-5L
No full textcitation ID: ckaf161.006 Cost effectiveness of improving HPV vaccine uptake in This contributes to preventable disease burdens and widening health inequities. Within the framework of the RIVER-EU project, interventions were designed to address health system barriers to vaccine access. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of one of these interventions aimed at improving HPV vaccine uptake among the underserved populations in the Netherlands focusing on the Turkish and Moroccan communities. Methods: A gender-neutral static cohort model considering six HPV-related cancers was developed to simulate the lifetime health and economic impacts of the intervention. Input parameters were sourced from national databases and published literature. Primary outcome measures were cancer cases and deaths averted and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs were adjusted to 2024 euros using the Dutch consumer price index (CPI), with discount rates of 3% and 1.5% applied on costs and effects respectively. Probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses assessed model and parameter uncertainty. Results: Preliminary results estimated discounted incremental costs and QALYs of e1.04million and 627 QALYs respectively, resulting in an ICER of e1665 per QALY. These early results reflect reductions in HPV-related cancer cases and deaths from increased vaccination. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the model was most influenced by and intervention costs and vaccination coverage. Final results incorporating updated parameters will be presented during the conference. Conclusions: Implementing targeted interventions to improve HPV vaccine uptake in underserved populations has the potential to be cost-effective while advancing health equity. These findings support scaling such strategies to close vaccination gaps and reduce HPV-related disease burdens. Key messages: • Targeted interventions in marginalized communities can be cost-effective. • Improving HPV vaccine uptake in underserved populations promotes health equity. Abstract citation ID: ckaf161.007 Background: Mental well-being measures are common in population surveys but cannot be directly used for utility-based economic evaluations. Existing mapping studies, mostly pre-Covid-19, relied on linear regression, and may not reflect individuals' evolving preferences on quality of life. This study explores methods to estimate health utility associated with mental well-being, by linking EQ-5D-5L and GHQ-12 responses collected in a large population sample. Methods: We used data from 12701 respondents participating in the 46th Wave of the Belgian "Great Corona Study", in March 2022. We compared direct methods (linear and inflated beta regression) that map source responses directly to utility values, with indirect methods that estimate responses for each EQ-5D-5L dimension using non-parametric or ordered logistic regression before generating utilities. Regression models used either individual GHQ-12 items or the total score as the dependent variable, controlling for sociodemo-graphic factors. Model performance was assessed using root mean squared error (RMSE). Results: Greater GHQ-12 distress, at both item and total score levels was linked with greater problems across EQ-5D dimensions and lower utility values. RMSE ranged from 0.142 (linear model with GHQ-12 items) to 0.157 (beta inflated model with GHQ-12 scores), with linear and ordered logistic models performing best, although linear models performed worse than beta when estimating values at the lower end. Despite violated normality assumptions, linear regression yielded the lowest RMSE. Indirect mapping is conceptually more robust, as it aligns closely with the dimensional structure of EQ-5D-5L and minimises variations associated with the use of different value sets. Conclusions: This study provides up-to-date algorithms for mapping mental well-being data to health utility values. The mapping can enable the integration of mental health data for use in QALY-based economic evaluations, where utility data are not available. Key messages: • This study provides updated algorithms for estimating health utility values from mental well-being data, enabling the integration of mental health measures into QALY-based economic evaluations. • Choosing the best mapping method involves balancing predictive performance with conceptual appropriateness and simplicity
Interplay between Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis Vaccination in Pregnancy and Infant Pneumococcal Vaccination in Shaping Infant Pneumococcal Vaccine Serotype Carriage
No full textBackground Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination during pregnancy blunts the infant humoral immune response following primary immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). While this effect typically resolves after the booster dose for most vaccine serotypes, its impact on nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococcal vaccine serotypes remains unclear.Methods A total of 3298 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from infants aged 6-30 months attending daycare centers in Belgium between 2018 and 2022, along with data on maternal Tdap vaccination status (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02888457). Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and serotyping were assessed using culture-based methods (Quellung reaction) and molecular detection (LytA qPCR and serotype-specific qPCR). The association between Tdap vaccination during pregnancy and pneumococcal vaccine-related serotype carriage in infants was evaluated using logistic generalized estimating equation models.Results The PCV13-related serotype carriage was significantly higher in offspring of Tdap-vaccinated mothers during pregnancy compared to those born to Tdap-unvaccinated mothers. In addition, children who received a PCV10 or mixed PCV10/PCV13 schedule had significantly higher PCV13-related serotype carriage compared to those immunized exclusively with PCV13. No significant differences were observed in individual PCV13-related serotype carriage, except for a significantly higher carriage of the PCV13-related serotype 6C in children of Tdap-vaccinated mothers. No significant difference was found for non-vaccine serotype carriage.Conclusions The Tdap vaccination during pregnancy was associated with increased pneumococcal vaccine-related serotype carriage in infants, though the clinical significance remains uncertain. Future studies integrating vaccine serotype carriage data with protective pneumococcal antibody levels are needed to inform future maternal and infant vaccination strategies. The PCV13-serotype carriage is higher in offspring of Tdap-vaccinated mothers during pregnancy compared to those born to Tdap-unvaccinated mothers. Significant differences in individual PCV13-serotype carriage were only observed for the vaccine-related serotype 6C.Pfize
