Gent University Research Articles

Report of the ECCL Symposium on 31.05.2024 – CSDD, SUSTAINABILITY AND CORPORATE LAW at the Gent University

Report of the ECCL Symposium on 31.05.2024 – CSDD, SUSTAINABILITY AND CORPORATE LAW at the Gent University

AVRUPA VE TÜRKİYE’DE YABANCI DİL OLARAK TÜRKÇE ÖĞRETİMİNİN KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI

Knowing and getting to know a language has usually maintained its importance as a primarynecessity during history. It is considered thatlearning Turkish as a foreign language appears as a result of an obligationora necessity. Teaching TFL, which commenced in Venice with the purpose of educating translators who can speak Turkish, in the course ofthe developing process is accomplished in a more systematic and academic structure. Besides the teachings executed outside of Turkey, the number of academic institutions related to teaching Turkish as a foreign language has additionally improved in Turkey. To expose how these teaching processes are carried out, it becomes evaluated how the teaching process of Turkish as a foreign language was accomplished in Europe and Turkey, based on the sample of the Turkish Departmentat Ghent University and Gazi University Tömer. The datas obtained by the document review method were subjected to content analysis. Relating to the teaching-learning content the textbook which is used in the Turkish department at Gent University is more focused on the audio-linguistic method andGazi University Tömer’s textbook is more focused on the communicative method. As a result of the evaluations, it isnoticed that text selection and use these resources are based on special requirements and needs. Key Words: Ghent University, Gazi University, Teaching Turkish as a foreign language.

Methotrexate treatment in hand osteoarthritis refractory to usual treatments: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of methotrexate (MTX) on pain and structural progression in symptomatic erosive hand osteoarthritis (HOA). MethodsThis 1-year prospective, single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (www.ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT01068405) followed up patients with symptomatic erosive HOA. Patients were randomised into two groups based on the drug that was administered: 10 mg methotrexate (MTX) per week or a placebo. The primary endpoint was the change in pain (determined using a visual analogue scale [VAS]) from baseline to 3 months. The secondary endpoints were pain VAS score at 12 months, clinical features (pain VAS score and function), radiographic features (the anatomical radiographic Verbruggen–Veys [VV] score and Gent University Score System), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 12 months. ResultsSixty-four patients with HOA were randomised into either the placebo or MTX group. At 3 months, there was no significant difference in the mean decrease in the pain VAS score (mm) (MTX: 21.1 [standard deviation, 27.4], placebo: 11.7 [24.3]; p = 0.2). At 12 months, according to the VV score, erosive joints progressed significantly more to a remodelling phase in the MTX group than in the placebo group (27% vs 15%; p = 0.03). Joints with space loss appeared to be eroding less in the MTX group compared to the placebo group (8% vs 29%; p = 0.2). Synovitis on MRI at baseline could be associated with the erosive structural evolution of non-erosive joints (p = 0.02). ConclusionsWeekly doses of 10-mg MTX showed no superiority over the placebo in terms of pain relief at 3 or 12 months.Clinical Trial Registration Number: This study was registered at www.ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT01068405).

Methotrexate in Patients with Hand Erosive Osteoarthritis Refractory to Usual Treatments: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objectives: No studies have assessed the effect of methotrexate (MTX) in osteoarthritis of the hand (HOA). The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of MTX on pain and structural progression in symptomatic erosive HOA (EHOA). Methods: This 1-year prospective, monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study followed patients with symptomatic EHOA. Patients were randomized into two groups: 10 mg MTX per week or placebo. The primary endpoint was pain assessment at 3 months, and the secondary endpoints were clinical features (visual analogue scale pain), radiographic features (anatomical radiographic score and Gent University Score System), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 12 months. This study was reported on www.ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT1968405). Results: Sixty-four patients with HOA were randomized to either the placebo or MTX group. At 3 months, there was no significant difference in the mean decrease in VAS pain score (mm) (MTX: 17.5 (28.4) vs placebo: 8.4 (25.2); p=0.2). Erosive joints progressed significantly more to a remodeling phase in MTX group than in placebo group (27% vs 15%; p=0.03). Joints with joint space loss appeared to be less eroding in MTX group than in placebo group (8% vs 29%; p=0.2). The level of IL6 (p<0.0001) and presence of synovitis on MRI (p=0.02) at baseline were found to be predictive factors for erosive structural evolution of non-erosive joints. Conclusion: MTX did not effectively relieve pain after 3 months in EHOA. However, MTX significantly impact the progression of joint damage compared to placebo. The presence of systemic and local inflammation at baseline as a predictor of erosive progression found in our study may explain the structural results. Trial Registration: This study was reported on www.ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT 01068405). Funding Statement: The authors stated: There was no external funding. Declaration of Interests: The authors stated: None declared. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Nice University Hospital Center. All patients provided written informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration.

In Memoriam—Paul De Bièvre

AbstractPaul De Bièvre was born in Blankenberge (Belgium) on 7 July 1933. He obtained his PhD from Gent University in 1959 where he continued to work as a lecturer until 1961. In 1961 he joined the Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements of the European Commission (renamed Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements in 1994) where he was Head of the Isotope Measurement Unit until 1998 and Advisor to the Director until 2002.

AQUA-TNET thematic network: an 18-year chronicle of development and achievement in European aquaculture education

The long-running higher education network AQUA-TNET, a tightly-knit collaboration of university departments, research institutes and other stakeholders from the aquaculture industry, was established in 1996 by AQUATT, a coordinating partner in the SOCRATES-ERASMUS Thematic Network DEMETER led by ICA (Association for European Life Sciences Universities). Later, AQUA-TNET activities continued under an umbrella organisation, the AFANET Thematic Network. Previous work on accreditation in European aquaculture courses carried out by AQUA-TNET’s first coordinator, the UETP (University Enterprise Training Partnership) AQUATT enabled the fledging network of 15 partners to publish details of aquaculture courses in all its 15 member countries and to focus on issues soon to be raised as part of the emergent Bologna Process (1999). AQUA-TNET’s ground-breaking work in educational reforms led to its steady expansion, with the result that in 2005 it was established as a stand-alone ERASMUS Thematic Network. Its achievements from 2005 to 2011 under the coordination of Gent University (Belgium) and from 2011 to 2014 of the University of Stirling (UK), demonstrate the incremental impact of AQUA-TNET’s long-term activities. AQUA-TNET played a leading co-operative role between higher education institutions, further education providers, research institutions and industry, defining and developing a high-quality European dimension within its academic disciplines. Activities included contributions to Bologna priorities such as student and staff mobility (M.Sc. and Ph.D. online portals detailing all members’ courses); development of innovative M.Sc., Ph.D., HE/VET and Lifelong Learning (LLL) programmes; organisation of hands-on workshops on new technologies (e-learning, ICT); identification of flexible pathways for lifelong learners (EQF and ECVET); developing diversified language learning for HE; excellent online forum ( www.aquatnet.com ) disseminating comprehensive information to all stakeholders, including industry.

Extraction techniques of plant-parasitic nematodes: a practical comparison

The efficiency of various nematode extraction methods differs with the time period, equipments used, soil type, moisture content of the soil, different nematode genera with different life stages, and basically upon the performance of the individual (s) who is carrying out the extraction. The present study was conducted in the Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Gent University, Belgium to study the efficiency of different nematode extraction methods and to extract nematodes from soil, root and soil with root samples. From the present study, it was observed that the Seinhorst method is better for extracting both lighter and heavier cysts nematodes even though it needs more expensive equipments and much expert to run as compared to stirring method. Automotive Zonal Centrifugation (AZC) method was found more efficient and rapid technique than Cobb's method in extracting mobile and non mobile nematodes from soil. Baermann funnel is suitable for the extraction of the mobile nematodes and found not to be suitable to explore for quantitative research.

Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP)

The Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) was begun to correct widespread variation in 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] lab results that confounds international efforts to develop evidence‐based clinical &amp; public health guidelines. Its objectives are to: (1) standardize measurement of total 25(OH)D in national health surveys world‐wide by linking them to the NIST reference measurement procedure (RMP); (2) study differences in 25(OH)D among those surveys; &amp; (3) expand standardization services to include assay manufacturers &amp; clinical &amp; research labs. Measurands addressed in the VDSP are total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3 &amp; 3‐epi‐25(OH)D3. A formal laboratory standardization program will be implemented using procedures similar to those used in CDC Hormone Standardization (HoSt) Program. ODS provides overall coordination. A VDSP Coordinating Center has been established at CDC. NIST and Gent University (Dr. Thienpont), Belgium are the reference labs for the VDSP. Currently, VDSP is conducting an inter‐laboratory comparison study that includes labs from eight national surveys (Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, South Korea, UK &amp; US) as well as research labs &amp; assay manufacturers to assess measurement variability in currently used assays. Data from this study will be used to create master equations to facilitate the conversion of already existing data from national health surveys to the NIST RMP.

Exploring complexity

Exploring complexity

Comparative efficiency testing for a newly designed cyclone type sediment trap for wind erosion measurements

The measurement of eolian sediment transport still remains one of the biggest challenges in eolian research. This paper presents the experimental results on the trap efficiency of a newly designed cyclone-type trap (BEST) and Wilson and Cook trap (WAC) under various wind speeds in the Eremology Wind Tunnel Facility at Gent University, Belgium. The performance of the two traps were tested for four different sediment sizes (<100, 100–200, 200–300 and 300–500μm) and under four free-flow wind speeds (12, 13, 14, and 15ms−1). The test results showed that the efficiency of the BEST was higher than that of the WAC, and the efficiencies of BEST and WAC varied between 75 and 100% and 12 and 52%, respectively. In addition, the coefficient of variation (CV) indicated that the variability in the efficiency of the BEST was lower with wind speed and particle size. These higher and more consistent efficiencies of the BEST were chiefly attributed to its cyclone design, which provided: i) separation of particles from air (particle settling) by means of the accelerated gravitational force achieved by a rapid air rotation, ii) the reduced stagnation pressure at the catcher inlet by gradually increasing the outlet velocity, and iii) the reduced turbulence within its body by a regular circulating path.

Low level laser therapy in oral mucositis: a pilot study

The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the capacity of pain relief and wound healing of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) in a paediatric oncology population group. 16 children (mean age 9.4 years) from the Gent University Hospital - Department Paediatric Oncology/haematology, suffering from chemotherapy-induced OM were selected. During clinical investigations, the OM grade was assessed using the WHO classification. All children were treated using a GaAlAs diode laser with 830 nm wavelength and a potency of 150 mW. The energy released was adapted according to the severity of the OM lesions. The same protocol was repeated every 48 hrs until healing of each lesion occurred. Subjective pain was monitored before and immediately after treatment by an appropriate pain scale and functional impairment was recorded. At each visit, related blood cell counts were recorded. After 12 mths, records were evaluated and information about treatment sequence, treatment sessions and frequencies related to the pain sensation and comfort were registered. Immediately after beaming the OM, pain relief was noticed. Depending on the severity of OM, on average, 2.5 treatments per lesion in a period of 1 week were sufficient to heal a mucositis lesion. LLLT, one of the most recent and promising treatment therapies, has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of mucositis and to relieve pain significantly. In the present study similar effects were obtained with the GaAlAs 830nm diode laser. It became clear that using the latter diode device, new guidelines could be developed as a function of the WHO-OM grades i.e. the lower the grade, the less energy needed. Immediate pain relief and improved wound healing resolved functional impairment that was obtained in all cases.

Decrypting the labyrinth of inflammatory cell signaling pathways

Decrypting the labyrinth of inflammatory cell signaling pathways

Epidemiological Trends in Attempted Suicide in Adolescents and Young Adults Between 1996 and 2004

Notwithstanding the epidemiological studies indicating an increased risk of attempted suicide among adolescents and young adults, there is a scarcity of international studies that examine long-term epidemiological trends in rates and characteristics of this vulnerable group. This article describes the results of a 9-year monitoring study of suicide attempts in adolescents and young adults referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Gent University Hospital (Belgium). Between January 1996 and December 2004, trends, sociodemographic, and methodrelated characteristics of suicide attempts were assessed by a psychiatrist on data sheets. Attempted suicide rates declined from 1996 to 2001 and then rose until 2004, but did not exceed previous rates. During the 9 years of monitoring, there was a preponderance of female suicide attempters, except for 1997. Rates of attempts and of fatal suicide were negatively correlated. Significantly more males than females deliberately injured themselves. Younger attempters, especially females, significantly more often poisoned themselves with analgesics. In nearly one in five attempts, alcohol was used in combination with other methods, and alcohol intake was more commonly observed in older suicide attempters. Nearly half of the adolescents were identified as repeaters. The results of this study warrant further monitoring of trends and characteristics of young suicide attempters.

Automatic detection of lameness in dairy cattle—Vision-based trackway analysis in cow's locomotion

The occurrence of lameness in dairy cattle is of increasing importance in herd health management and herd productivity. Current practice, involves visual observation by human experts to score cow's locomotion in order to estimate the lameness in the herd. The trackway defined as “hind hoof compared to fore hoof position” is one of the main components to score the locomotion. However, because of the time-consuming observation method, lame cows are undiagnosed until the problem has become severe. Up till now there is no automatic (visual) method for detecting lameness in dairy cattle. The objective of our study was to make an automatic system for continuous on-farm detection and prediction of lameness in the farm by using vision techniques. The current focus was on demonstrating the possibility of capturing cow's hoof locations by vision and strong correlation between automatically calculated hoof trackway and visual locomotion scores. Fifteen selected lactating cows were scored visually by four trained observers at the Gent University Research Farm. Scoring varied from 1 (normal walking) to 5 (extremely lame). Side-view images with resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels were recorded when cows passed an experimental set-up freely. Recorded videos were split into sequences of bitmap images. After background subtraction, binary image operations, calibration and hoof separation, the trackway information containing hoof location in the real world and its related time in the video was calculated. The accuracy of automatically captured results was checked by comparing with the output from manually labeled hoof locations. The mean correlation coefficient of all measurements was 94.8%. Hence, the results suggest that the automatic method by vision analysis is feasible to present the cows’ real locomotion situations. The first result showed a positive linear relationship between cows’ trackways overlap and locomotion scores by human visualization. This research proved that vision techniques have great potential to be used for continuous quantification of lameness in cows.

Academic contributions of Professor Guochun Wen*

Guochun Wen was born in Hangzhou, China on September 29, 1930. He entered the Peking University to study mathematics in 1951 and completed his graduation through the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics in 1959. He has been a professor of mathematics at Peking University since 1985. Prof. Wen has been engaged in teaching and researching the function theoretic methods for partial differential equations and their applications. He has supervised 20 students with MS or PhD degrees and published 220 papers and 21 books. His research work has led to the establishment of a systematical theory of nonlinear elliptic, parabolic, hyperbolic, and mixed (elliptic–hyperbolic) type complex equations and the corresponding theory in higher-dimensional domains, and solutions to some classical free boundary problems in nonlinear mechanics. Prof. Wen has extensive collaboration with researchers worldwide and has been invited to visit various institutions, including the Free University Berlin, Germany, the University of Delaware, USA, the Steklov Institute of Mathematics, Moscow, the Nihon University, Tokyo, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Center of Theoretical Physics Research, Trieste, Italy, the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, the Gent University, Belgium, and the Technical University of Graz, Austria. Besides his teaching and research activities, Prof. Wen devoted much of his time to the service activities of mathematics, both nationally and internationally. He is a part-time professor of five universities in China and has been leading research in mathematics at ten universities. From 1985 to 1990, he joined the Yantai University, China and served as the chairman of the Mathematics Department, and later on as the director of the Institute of Applied Mathematics of the university. Since 1982, he is a member of the editorial board of the international journal “Complex Variables, Theory and Applications”, and a reviewer of Mathematical Reviews of the American Mathematical Society. He was a main organizer of the first national conference on “Integral Equations and Boundary Value Problems” in China and of the international conferences on the same subject in Beijing in 1990 and 1999. Prof. Wen was the recipient of the Second-class and Third-class Science Progress Awards of the Ministry of Education of China in 1987 and 1992, respectively, and the recipient of the First-class Science Progress Award of Beijing City in 2001. Dedicated to Professor Guochun Wen on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Prof. Wen's broad research interests include complex analysis, singular integral equations, linear and nonlinear elliptic equations and systems, quasi-conformal mappings, linear and nonlinear parabolic equations and systems, Clifford analysis, free and moving boundary problems in continuum mechanics, numerical analysis for elliptic complex equations, linear and quasi-linear complex equations of hyperbolic and mixed type with and without parabolic degeneracy. His research results may be divided into eight categories.

Letters

Hacettepe University Medical School, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey (Özçakar, Kaymak) Gent University Medical School, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gent, Belgium (Vanderstraeten)

Transmembrane Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation by Selectively Activating TNF Receptor 1

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a potent cytokine with multiple biological activities and exists in two forms as follows: a 17-kDa soluble form that is a cleaved product of the 26-kDa transmembrane form (mTNFalpha). It has been suggested that the transmembrane form of TNFalpha is mainly responsible for localized responses via cell-cell contact. Here, we have examined the activities of transmembrane TNFalpha in cultured adipocytes. A non-cleavable transmembrane form of TNFalpha (mTNFDelta1-9K11E) was expressed in several preadipocyte cell lines using retroviral gene transfer. In wild type preadipocytes carrying both TNF receptors, expression of mTNFDelta1-9K11E resulted in inhibition of the differentiation program. The extent of this varied depending on the nature and strength of the adipogenic stimuli. The TNF receptor responsible for this function was determined by expressing mTNFDelta1-9K11E in preadipocyte cell lines lacking either TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), 2 (TNFR2), or both. In order to confirm the results in the same cellular background, TNF receptors were also reconstituted in the cell lines lacking corresponding receptors. These experiments demonstrated that TNFR1 was necessary and sufficient for mediating mTNFDelta1-9K11E-induced inhibition of adipogenesis and that this action was similar to that of soluble TNFalpha. In conclusion, our results indicate that mTNFDelta1-9K11E is biologically active in cultured adipocytes and can alter the adipogenic program of these cells by selectively activating TNFR1. This may have physiological implications where local TNFalpha actions are thought to be generated at sites such as adipose tissue.

Impact of Rigid Polyurethane Post Consumer Waste on the Texaco Gasification Process

Gasification is a leading feedstock recycling process for managing large volumes of post-consumer plastics waste. ICI Polyurethanes, Texaco and Gent University have conducted an experimental evaluation of adding polyurethanes from Dutch refrigerator waste to a mixed plastics gasifier feed. Results show that polyurethanes are an acceptable feedstock for gasification. Nitrogen in the polyurethanes is shown to be beneficial to the process, reducing the impact of chlorine content and giving a “gate fee” equivalent to mixed plastics waste. Details of the experimental work, process economics and commercial possibilities are given. Gasification is shown to be applicable to a wide range of polyurethanes waste streams.

Impact of Rigid Polyurethane Post Consumer Waste on the Texaco Gasification Process*

Gasification is a leading feedstock recycling process for managing large volumes of post-consumer plastics waste. ICI Polyurethanes, Texaco and Gent University have conducted an experimental evaluation of adding polyurethanes from Dutch refrigerator waste to a mixed plastics gasifier feed. Results show that polyurethanes are an acceptable feedstock for gasification. Nitrogen in the polyurethanes is shown to be beneficial to the process, reducing the impact of chlorine content and giving a “gate fee” equivalent to mixed plastics waste. Details of the experimental work, process economics and commercial possibilities are given. Gasification is shown to be applicable to a wide range of polyurethanes waste streams.

The seventh and eighth Belgian archaeological expeditions to ed‐Dur (Umm al‐Qaiwain, UAE)

The results of the 1993 and 1994 seasons by a Belgian team from Gent University at ed‐Dur in the Emirate of Umm al‐Qaiwain are presented. The excavations concentrated on area BS, where a total of 2650 m2 were excavated. This large exposure provided a vast amount of material of the late 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Only some rare objects (from different areas) are presented.