Assessment of Physiological Signals from Photoplethysmography Sensors Compared to an Electrocardiogram Sensor: A Validation Study in Daily Life.

Wearables with photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors are being increasingly used in clinical research as a non-invasive, inexpensive method for remote monitoring of physiological health. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of PPG-derived measurements is critical, as inaccuracies can impact research findings and clinical decisions. This paper systematically compares heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measures from PPG against an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor in free-living settings.

Identification, semi-quantification and risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in Flemish indoor dust through high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Indoor dust can contribute substantially to human exposure to known and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Novel compounds with high structural variability and different homologues are frequently discovered through screening of the indoor environment, implying that constant monitoring is required. The present study aimed at the identification and semi-quantification of CECs in 46 indoor dust samples collected in Belgium by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Safety, Tolerability, and Parasite Clearance Kinetics in Controlled Human Malaria Infection after Direct Venous Inoculation of Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoites: A Model for Evaluating New Blood-Stage Antimalarial Drugs.

Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) direct venous inoculation (DVI) using cryopreserved, infectious PfSPZ (PfSPZ Challenge [Sanaria, Rockville, Maryland]) is an established controlled human malaria infection model. However, to evaluate new chemical entities with potential blood-stage activity, more detailed data are needed on safety, tolerability, and parasite clearance kinetics for DVI of PfSPZ Challenge with established schizonticidal antimalarial drugs. This open-label, phase Ib study enrolled 16 malaria-naïve healthy adults in two cohorts (eight per cohort).

Safety and immunogenicity of a measles-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, V591 / TMV-083, in healthy adults: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I study.

Background: V591 (TMV-083) is a live recombinant measles vector-based vaccine candidate expressing a pre-fusion stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Methods: We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I trial with an unblinded dose escalation and a double-blind treatment phase at 2 sites in France and Belgium to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of V591. Ninety healthy SARS-CoV-2 sero-negative adults (18-55 years of age) were randomized into 3 cohorts, each comprising 24 vaccinees and 6 placebo recipients.

Chemoprotective Antimalarial Activity of P218 against Plasmodium falciparum: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Volunteer Infection Study.

P218 is a highly selective dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor with potent in vitro activity against pyrimethamine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase Ib study evaluated P218 safety, pharmacokinetics, and chemoprotective efficacy in a P. falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) volunteer infection study (VIS).

Interim Results of a Phase 1-2a Trial of Ad26.COV2.S Covid-19 Vaccine.

Background: Efficacious vaccines are urgently needed to contain the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A candidate vaccine, Ad26.COV2.

Safety, pharmacokinetics and antiviral activity of AT-527, a novel purine nucleotide prodrug, in HCV-infected subjects with and without cirrhosis.

AT-527 is a novel modified guanosine nucleotide prodrug inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B polymerase, with increased antiviral activity as compared to sofosbuvir and a highly differentiated favorable preclinical profile compared to other anti-HCV nucleoside/nucleotide analogs. This was a multiple part clinical study where multiple ascending doses of AT-527 up to 600 mg (expressed as AT-527 salt form; equivalent to 553 mg free base) once daily for seven days were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic, genotype 1b, HCV-infected subjects. The highest dose of AT-527 for the same duration was then evaluated in two open label cohorts of a) non-cirrhotic, genotype 3, HCV-infected subjects and b) HCV-infected subjects of any genotype with compensated (Child-Pugh A) cirrhosis.

Dynamics of ultrafine particles inside a roadway tunnel.

Size-segregated ultrafine particles from motor vehicles were investigated in the Craeybeckx tunnel (E19 motorway, Antwerp, Belgium) at two measurement sites, at 100 and 300 m inside the tunnel, respectively, during March 2008. It was observed that out of the three size modes, nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation, Aitken mode was the most dominant size fraction inside the tunnel. The diurnal variation in ultrafine particle (UFP) levels closely follows the vehicular traffic inside the tunnel, which was maximum during office rush hours, both in the morning and evening and minimum during night-time around 3 am.

Do ICP-MS based methods fulfill the EU monitoring requirements for the determination of elements in our environment?

Undoubtedly, the most important advance in the environmental regulatory monitoring of elements of the last decade is the widespread introduction of ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) due to standards developed by the European Committee for Standardization. The versatility of ICP-MS units as a tool for the determination of major, minor and trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Ti, V and Zn) in surface water, groundwater, river sediment, topsoil, subsoil, fine particulates and atmospheric deposition is illustrated in this paper. Ranges of background concentrations for major, minor and trace elements obtained from a regional case study (Flanders, Belgium) are summarized for all of these environmental compartments and discussed in the context of a harmonized implementation of European regulatory monitoring requirements.

Land use regression models as a tool for short, medium and long term exposure to traffic related air pollution.

Background And Aims: In the HEAPS (Health Effects of Air Pollution in Antwerp Schools) study the importance of traffic-related air pollution on the school and home location on children's health was assessed. 130 children (aged 6 to 12) from two schools participated in a biomonitoring study measuring oxidative stress, inflammation and cardiovascular markers.

Methods: Personal exposure of schoolchildren to black carbon (BC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was assessed using both measured and modeled concentrations.

Wintertime spatio-temporal variation of ultrafine particles in a Belgian city.

Simultaneous measurements of ultrafine particles (UFPs) were carried out at four sampling locations situated within a 1 km(2) grid area in a Belgian city, Borgerhout (Antwerp). All sampling sites had different orientation and height of buildings and dissimilar levels of anthropogenic activities (mainly traffic volume). The aims were to investigate: (i) the spatio-temporal variation of UFP within the area, (ii) the effect of wind direction with respect to the volume of traffic on UFP levels, and (iii) the spatial representativeness of the official monitoring station situated in the study area.

Dispersion modelling of traffic induced ultrafine particles in a street canyon in Antwerp, Belgium and comparison with observations.

The aim of this study is to investigate the dispersion of ultrafine particles and its spatial distribution in a street canyon and its neighbourhood with the 3D CFD model ENVI-met®. The performance of the model at street scale is evaluated and the importance of the boundary conditions like wind field and traffic emissions on the UFP concentration is demonstrated. To support and validate the modelled results, a short-term measurement campaign was conducted in a street canyon in Antwerp, Belgium.

Size resolved ultrafine particles emission model--a continues size distribution approach.

A new parameterization for size resolved ultrafine particles (UFP) traffic emissions is proposed based on the results of PARTICULATES project (Samaras et al., 2005). It includes the emission factors from the Emission Inventory Guidebook (2006) (total number of particles, #/km/veh), the shape of the corresponding particle size distribution given in PARTICULATES and data for the traffic activity.

Appraisal of measurement methods, chemical composition and sources of fine atmospheric particles over six different areas of Northern Belgium.

Daily and seasonal variation in the total elemental, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) content and mass of PM(2.5) were studied at industrial, urban, suburban and agricultural/rural areas. Continuous (optical Dustscan, standard tapered element oscillating micro-balance (TEOM), TEOM with filter dynamics measurement system), semi-continuous (Partisol filter-sampling) and non-continuous (Dekati-impactor sampling and gravimetry) methods of PM(2.

Mass and ionic composition of atmospheric fine particles over Belgium and their relation with gaseous air pollutants.

Mass, major ionic components (MICs) of PM2.5, and related gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO(x), NH3, HNO2, and HNO3) were monitored over six locations of different anthropogenic influence (industrial, urban, suburban, and rural) in Belgium. SO4(2-), NO3-, NH4+, and Na+ were the primary ions of PM2.

Exposure assessment of a cyclist to PM10 and ultrafine particles.

Estimating personal exposure to air pollution is a crucial component in identifying high-risk populations and situations. It will enable policy makers to determine efficient control strategies. Cycling is again becoming a favorite mode of transport both in developing and in developed countries due to increasing traffic congestion and environmental concerns.

Fluxes of oxidised and reduced nitrogen above a mixed coniferous forest exposed to various nitrogen emission sources.

Concentrations of nitrogen gases (NH(3), NO(2), NO, HONO and HNO(3)) and particles (pNH(4) and pNO(3)) were measured over a mixed coniferous forest impacted by high nitrogen loads. Nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) represented the main nitrogen form, followed by nitric oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH(3)). A combination of gradient method (NH(3) and NO(x)) and resistance modelling techniques (HNO(3), HONO, pNH(4) and pNO(3)) was used to calculate dry deposition of nitrogen compounds.

Characterisation and treatment of roads covered with zinc ashes, muffle furnace fragments and lead slags from former non-ferrous metal industries in Belgium.

Zinc ashes, muffle furnace fragments and lead slags from non-ferrous industries were applied to pave roads in the North of Belgium. From an inventory it appeared that there are at least 490 km of such roads. In our survey the materials on these roads were characterised.