Membrane-Electrolyte System Approach to Understanding Ionic Conductivity and Crossover in Alkaline Flow Cells.

Membrane transport properties are crucial for electrochemical devices, and these properties are influenced by the composition and concentration of the electrolyte in contact with the membrane. We apply this general membrane-electrolyte system approach to alkaline flow batteries, studying the conductivity and ferricyanide crossover of Nafion and E-620. We report undetectable crossover for as-received Nafion and E-620 after both sodium and potassium exchange but high ferricyanide permeability of 10 to 10 cm s for Nafion subjected to pretreatment prevalent in the flow battery literature.

Influenza versus other respiratory viruses - assessing severity among hospitalised children, Belgium, 2011 to 2020.

BackgroundKnowledge on the burden attributed to influenza viruses vs other respiratory viruses in children hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in Belgium is limited.AimThis observational study aimed at describing the epidemiology and assessing risk factors for severe disease.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed data from routine national sentinel SARI surveillance in Belgium.

Targeting lysyl-oxidase (LOX) may facilitate intramural periarterial drainage for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the commonest form of dementia. It is likely that a lack of clearance of amyloid beta (Aβ) results in its accumulation in the parenchyma as Aβ oligomers and insoluble plaques, and within the walls of blood vessels as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The drainage of Aβ along the basement membranes of blood vessels as intramural periarterial drainage (IPAD), could be improved if the driving force behind IPAD could be augmented, therefore reducing Aβ accumulation.

Non-response bias in the analysis of the association between mental health and the urban environment: a cross-sectional study in Brussels, Belgium.

Background: This paper aims at analysing the impact of partial non-response in the association between urban environment and mental health in Brussels. The potential threats of the partial non-response are biases in survey estimates and statistics. The effect of non-response on statistical associations is often overlooked and evidence in the research literature is lacking.

Effect of neuraminidase inhibitor (oseltamivir) treatment on outcome of hospitalised influenza patients, surveillance data from 11 EU countries, 2010 to 2020.

BackgroundTimely treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI) can reduce severe outcomes in influenza patients.AimWe assessed the impact of antiviral treatment on in-hospital deaths of laboratory-confirmed influenza patients in 11 European Union countries from 2010/11 to 2019/20.MethodsCase-based surveillance data from hospitalised patients with known age, sex, outcome, ward, vaccination status, timing of antiviral treatment, and hospitalisation were obtained.

A general approach to identify low-frequency variants within influenza samples collected during routine surveillance.

Influenza viruses exhibit considerable diversity between hosts. Additionally, different quasispecies can be found within the same host. High-throughput sequencing technologies can be used to sequence a patient-derived virus population at sufficient depths to identify low-frequency variants (LFV) present in a quasispecies, but many challenges remain for reliable LFV detection because of experimental errors introduced during sample preparation and sequencing.

Efficacy and safety of camostat mesylate in early COVID-19 disease in an ambulatory setting: a randomized placebo-controlled phase II trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of 300 mg camostat mesylate three times daily in a fasted state to treat early phase COVID-19 in an ambulatory setting.

Methods: We conducted a phase II randomized controlled trial in symptomatic (maximum 5 days) and asymptomatic patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either camostat mesylate or a placebo.

Validity of self-reported air pollution annoyance to assess long-term exposure to air pollutants in Belgium.

In epidemiological studies, assessment of long term exposure to air pollution is often estimated using air pollution measurements at fixed monitoring stations, and interpolated to the residence of survey participants through Geographical Information Systems (GIS). However, obtaining georeferenced address data from national registries requires a long and cumbersome administrative procedure, since this kind of personal data is protected by privacy regulations. This paper aims to assess whether information collected in health interview surveys, including air pollution annoyance, could be used to build prediction models for assessing individual long term exposure to air pollution, removing the need for data on personal residence address.

Poor Antibody Response to BioNTech/Pfizer Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-Naive Residents of Nursing Homes.

Background: Residents of nursing homes (NHs) are at high risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related disease and death and may respond poorly to vaccination because of old age and frequent comorbid conditions.

Methods: Seventy-eight residents and 106 staff members, naive to infection or previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), were recruited in NHs in Belgium before immunization with 2 doses of 30 µg BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine at days 0 and 21. Binding antibodies (Abs) to SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), spike domains S1 and S2, RBD Ab avidity, and neutralizing Abs against SARS-CoV-2 wild type and B.

The prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 study (PICOV) in nursing home residents and staff - study protocol description and presentation of preliminary findings on symptoms.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has presented itself as one of the most important health concerns of the 2020's, and hit the geriatric population the hardest. The presence of co-morbidities and immune ageing in the elderly lead to an increased susceptibility to COVID-19, as is the case for other influenza-like illnesses (ILI) or acute respiratory tract infections (ARI). However, little is known, about the impact of a previous or current infection on the other in terms of susceptibility, immune response, and clinical course.

Spotlight influenza: Extending influenza surveillance to detect non-influenza respiratory viruses of public health relevance: analysis of surveillance data, Belgium, 2015 to 2019.

BackgroundSeasonal influenza-like illness (ILI) affects millions of people yearly. Severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), mainly influenza, are a leading cause of hospitalisation and mortality. Increasing evidence indicates that non-influenza respiratory viruses (NIRV) also contribute to the burden of SARI.

Evaluation of the added value of viral genomic information for predicting severity of influenza infection.

Background: The severity of an influenza infection is influenced by both host and viral characteristics. This study aims to assess the relevance of viral genomic data for the prediction of severe influenza A(H3N2) infections among patients hospitalized for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), in view of risk assessment and patient management.

Methods: 160 A(H3N2) influenza positive samples from the 2016-2017 season originating from the Belgian SARI surveillance were selected for whole genome sequencing.

Prevalence and incidence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers in Belgian hospitals before vaccination: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To describe prevalence and incidence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Belgian hospital healthcare workers (HCW) in April-December 2020.

Design: Prospective cohort study. Follow-up was originally planned until September and later extended.

Efficacy comparison of three rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 and how viral load impact their performance.

More and more rapid antigen tests for the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) appear in the market with varying performance. The sensitivity of these tests heavily depends on the viral load, extrapolated by the threshold cycle (Ct). It is therefore essential to verify their performance before their inclusion in routine.

Monitoring of human coronaviruses in Belgian primary care and hospitals, 2015-20: a surveillance study.

Background: Seasonal human coronaviruses (hCoVs) broadly circulate in humans. Their epidemiology and effect on the spread of emerging coronaviruses has been neglected thus far. We aimed to elucidate the epidemiology and burden of disease of seasonal hCoVs OC43, NL63, and 229E in patients in primary care and hospitals in Belgium between 2015 and 2020.

Deepening of In Silico Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Detection RT-qPCR Assays in the Context of New Variants.

For 1 year now, the world is undergoing a coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The most widely used method for COVID-19 diagnosis is the detection of viral RNA by RT-qPCR with a specific set of primers and probe. It is important to frequently evaluate the performance of these tests and this can be done first by an in silico approach.

Association between urban environment and mental health in Brussels, Belgium.

Background: Mental health disorders appear as a growing problem in urban areas. While common mental health disorders are generally linked to demographic and socioeconomic factors, little is known about the interaction with the urban environment. With growing urbanization, more and more people are exposed to environmental stressors potentially contributing to increased stress and impairing mental health.

Diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A and B with cobas® Liat® from nasopharyngeal aspirations in pediatrics.

The cobas® Liat® Influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus assay was tested on nasopharyngeal aspirates. The resolution of invalid samples was performed using a preanalytical step. cobas® Liat® can be used on nasopharyngeal aspirates with a preanalytical processing step, with a slightly diminished performances in detecting respiratory syncytial virus but not for influenza.

Residing in urban areas with higher green space is associated with lower mortality risk: A census-based cohort study with ten years of follow-up.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that residing close to green space reduce mortality rates. We investigated the relationship between long-term exposure to residential green space and non-accidental and cardio-respiratory mortality.

Methods: We linked the Belgian 2001 census to population and mortality register follow-up data (2001-2011) among adults aged 30 years and older residing in the five largest urban areas in Belgium (n = 2,185,170 and mean follow-up time 9.

Capturing respiratory syncytial virus season in Belgium using the influenza severe acute respiratory infection surveillance network, season 2018/19.

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of severe respiratory illness in young children (< 5 years old) and older adults (≥ 65 years old) leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend the implementation of a dedicated surveillance in countries.AimWe tested the capacity of the severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) hospital network to contribute to RSV surveillance in Belgium.MethodsDuring the 2018/19 influenza season, we started the SARI surveillance for influenza in Belgium in week 40, earlier than in the past, to follow RSV activity, which usually precedes influenza virus circulation.

Use of Whole Genome Sequencing Data for a First in Silico Specificity Evaluation of the RT-qPCR Assays Used for SARS-CoV-2 Detection.

The current COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started in December 2019. COVID-19 cases are confirmed by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in biological samples by RT-qPCR. However, limited numbers of SARS-CoV-2 genomes were available when the first RT-qPCR methods were developed in January 2020 for initial in silico specificity evaluation and to verify whether the targeted loci are highly conserved.