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Investigating DUX4 re-expression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes: cellular insights from tissue-derived and synovial fluid-derived cells
No full textTaxation without Tax Law? Exploring Taxation in Classical Athens Through the Lens of Aristotle
No full textDe invloed van motiverende en demotiverende interactiestijlen van de ergotherapeut op de motivatie van de patiënt
No full textBinnen de hulpverlening wordt regelmatig vastgesteld dat patiënten niet altijd even gemotiveerd zijn om actief deel te nemen aan hun behandeling, wat het herstelproces negatief kan beïnvloeden. Het hanteren van motiverende interactiestijlen kan hierbij een fundamentele rol spelen, door patiënten te stimuleren en te ondersteunen tijdens hun
herstel. De Zelfdeterminatie Theorie (ZDT) stelt dat autonomie, competentie en verbondenheid onmisbare factoren zijn voor het bevorderen van motivatie. Deze masterproef onderzoekt daarom in welke mate motiverende en demotiverende
interactiestijlen van ergotherapeuten de motivatie van patiënten beïnvloeden. De bevindingen van deze masterproef benadrukken het belang van een autonomie-ondersteunende en gestructureerde aanpak om de intrinsieke motivatie van patiënten te bevorderen. Daarentegen blijken een controlerende en chaotische interactiestijl eerder een demotiverend
effect te hebben
Orthogonal-state-based measurement device independent quantum communication: a noise-resilient approach
No full textWe attempt to propose the first orthogonal-state-based protocols of measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication and quantum dialogue employing single basis, i.e., Bell basis as decoy qubits for eavesdropping detection. Orthogonal-state-based protocols are inherently distinct from conventional conjugate-coding protocols, offering unconditional security derived from the duality and monogamy of entanglement. Noise imposes a major challenge to the efficient implementation of these measurement-device-independent based secure direct quantum communication protocols. Notably, these orthogonal-state-based protocols demonstrate improved performance over conjugate-coding-based protocols under certain noisy environments, highlighting the significance of selecting the best basis choice of decoy qubits for secure quantum communication under collective noise. Further, we rigorously analyze the security of the proposed protocols against various eavesdropping strategies, including intercept-and-resend attack, entangle-and-measure attack, information leakage attack, flip attack, and disturbance or modification attack. Our findings also show that, with appropriate modifications, the proposed orthogonal-state-based measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication protocol can be transformed into orthogonal-state-based measurement-device-independent versions of quantum key distribution and quantum key negotiation protocols, expanding their applicability. Our protocols leverage fundamentally distinct resources to close the security loopholes linked to measurement devices, while also effectively doubling the distance for secure direct message transmission compared to traditional quantum secure direct communication protocols. Additionally, we calculate the efficiency of our proposed protocols and compare them with standard versions of measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication protocols. Ultimately, we discuss system and operational complexity of our proposed protocols in light of experimental elements and the processes.Funding
C.S. and S.C. gratefully acknowledge support in part by the project Lux4QCI under Grant GA 101091508 funded by the Digital Europe Program and in part by the project LUQCIA funded by the Government of Luxembourg/SMC. A.S. and M.N. acknowledge the support from project BeQCI (cofounded by EU and Belspo) and SBO BeQuNet project (funded by the FWO).
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Kishore Thapliyal for his valuable feedback. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Radhakrishna Srikanth for his early encouragement, which inspired C.S. to undertake and continue this
research. CS also acknowledges QuISTechAI for the support provided during her employment with QuISTechAI from Feb.-April 2025
Old Buildings, New Ideas: A Selective Architectural History of Additions, Adaptations, Reuse and Design Invention by Françoise Astorg Bollack (review)
No full textbook review about : ISBN 9781517920227
Future Anterior 21. 1-2 by Jorge Otero-Pailos (2025, Trade Paperback
Within-host mathematical models to study antibody kinetics after the prophylactic Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
No full textEbola virus disease remains a threat in different Sub-Saharan African countries more particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where persistent outbreaks are driven by human populations living in close proximity to animal reservoirs. While vaccines like Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo are safe and immunogenic, the dynamics of antibody responses after the two-dose regimen and booster vaccination are not fully understood. Within-host mathematical models offer valuable insights into disease dynamics and waning immunity, but datadriven mechanistic models of antibody kinetics remain scarce. The present study seeks to elucidate the processes involved in antibody kinetics after the two-dose vaccine regimen with Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccines, followed by a booster dose vaccination with Ad26. ZEBOV, addressing challenges in inference for and implementation of within-host approaches. By integrating established theoretical frameworks with recent empirical findings on antibody kinetics following Ebola vaccination, we illustrate how mechanistic modeling can enhance and refine our understanding of antibody dynamics. Specifically, we emphasize the distinction in the half-life of antibody responses at different vaccination time points and explore the role of vaccine antigens in eliciting an immunological response through the formation and activation of germinal center mediated response. Careful consideration was given to the development of a model that is both interpretable and practically feasible. The half-life of the antibody response was found to be longer after booster vaccination compared to after the second vaccine dose, indicating a steadier decay process. This may be due to the improved quality of antibodies generated, the formation of memory B cells sustaining antibody production, and antigen-antibody binding. This study highlights critical considerations for implementing within-host mechanistic models and the need for robust data to accurately estimate model parameters. Further research is essential to elucidate the decay dynamics of memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells, as these processes play a pivotal role in sustaining antibody-mediated immunity.IGF, MS and NH acknowledge support from the EBOVAC3 project which has received funding from the IMI2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 800176 (IMI-EU). We extend our gratitude to the EBL2007 study group for support and efforts in this trial. In particular, we thank Pierre Van Damme for his contributions and insights to this manuscript. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the local nurses, medical doctors, and laboratory technicians, who collaborated closely with medical doctors, and data managers from the University of Kinshasa. Additionally, we thank we thank all the health care providers and frontliners who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in this trial
In welke mate houden adviseurs rekening met socioemotional wealth (SEW) bij successieplanning binnen familiebedrijven in Vlaanderen?
No full textDe rol van socioemotionele rijkdom (socioemotional wealth; SEW) is een veelbesproken thema binnen de literatuur over familiebedrijven, maar wordt zelden expliciet verbonden aan de rol van externe adviseurs. Dit kwalitatieve onderzoek beoogt diepgaand inzicht te verkrijgen in de wijze waarop adviseurs omgaan met SEW tijdens successieplanning binnen familiebedrijven. Op basis van diepte-interviews met professionals actief in de adviespraktijk blijkt dat hun rol verder reikt dan het geven van louter zakelijke adviezen; zij fungeren ook als vertrouwenspersonen. Cruciaal is het vermogen van de adviseur om emoties te herkennen, bespreekbaar te maken en hierbij een objectieve houding te bewaren. Hoewel het oplossen van familiale conflicten niet tot hun primaire taken behoort, begeleiden zij wel het proces, onder meer via individuele en groepsgesprekken. Adviseurs dienen bovendien rekening te houden met generatieverschillen in emotionele beleving en perceptie van eigendomsoverdracht. Een vaak geuite bezorgdheid tijdens successie betreft het mogelijke verlies van levensstandaard, vooral bij de overdrager. Financiële motieven kunnen daarbij doorslaggevend zijn in de keuze tussen familiale of externe opvolging. De respondenten geven aan dat er in de praktijk nog te weinig expliciete aandacht is voor de emotionele component binnen successieplanning. Dit onderzoek draagt bij aan een beter begrip van de complexe dynamiek waarmee adviseurs geconfronteerd worden en onderstreept de noodzaak tot meer integratie van SEW in hun begeleidende ro
Recent personal and vicarious experience with COVID-19 affects personal, but not comparative optimism: a large longitudinal study
No full textWe examined whether personal and vicarious experience with COVID-19 entails change in personal and comparative optimism (the belief that one is less at risk for hazards than others, also known as unrealistic optimism, optimistic bias, or illusion of unique invulnerability) in a large (N approximate to 5000) 5-Wave longitudinal study conducted in Belgium in December 2020-May 2021. Participants reported their experience with COVID-19 as well as their expectations concerning the likelihood that they and the average peer would get infected and, after an infection, would suffer severe disease or rather register a good outcome. Neither personal nor vicarious experience entailed change in comparative optimism, but both entailed reduced personal optimism about the likelihood of an infection and enhanced personal optimism concerning a good outcome. Personal and vicarious experience entailed reduced perceived control over the likelihood of infection and the likelihood of severe disease, and vicarious experience also reduced perceived control over a good outcome. However, changes in optimism were not mediated by effects on perceived control. We discuss methodological implications for research on determinants of risk perception as well as the implications of our findings for public health communication appealing to people's personal and vicarious experiences.The research was supported by the Fund for Scientific Research, Belgium (Grant G0G6620N, awarded to the last four authors and Eliane Deschrijver)
Comparative Analysis of the Female Microbiome Diversity and External Influences: Evidence from FLORA and Isala Projects
No full textSelf-Organized Social and Physical Livelihood Assets in State-Driven Urban Developments: A Case of Shekilango Commercial Street, Sinza - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
No full textIn Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, local actors through self-organized practices that contribute to livelihoods generate the lived space amidst top-down processes in commercial streets. We employed a design anthropological approach in studying how inhabitants create, use and thrive in these spaces. We analyze and discuss the social and physical assets of commercial streets in the context of planned neighborhoods that are governed by regulations. We reveal how self-organized participatory design processes employed by various actors in diverse socio-economic networks hold both potential and challenges for the streets' livelihoods. The study also reveals how informal urban developments, particularly, resulting amenities such as verandas, outdoor public spaces, and parking spaces - can be a resource for practitioners, policy makers, authorities and other actors to learn from in creating urban commercial street spaces that respond to the realities of everyday life. In the bigger picture, the study intends to address the designer-user dichotomy that threatens low-key livelihood initiatives.This work was supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Tanzania, Hasselt University - Belgium and Ardhi University - Tanzani