KU Leuven

Towards a deep-learning genomic tool for risk stratification and diagnostic support in sporadic ALS

Abstract Background A variety of common and rare genetic factors have been implicated in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the evidence is that a genetic component is present in most affected individuals. However, our current understanding of ALS genetic...

Towards an Asian registry of wrongful convictions

Wrongful convictions represent a persistent yet unevenly documented problem across Asian criminal justice systems. While international research has identified common factors contributing to known wrongful convictions, systematic information about wrongful conviction cases in Asia...

Selective removal of zinc, lead, and arsenic from zinc production sludge via roasting and room-temperature leaching

Hydrometallurgical zinc production generates large quantities of iron-rich sludges that pose a hazardous waste challenge due to their heavy metal content. This study presents a method for the selective removal of heavy metals from jarosite-type sludge through optimized roasting f...

Declines in European bumblebee habitat suitability attributable to climate change

Climate change is increasingly implicated in the decline of insect pollinator populations, which provide critical ecosystem services. Isolating its contribution from other co-occurring environmental stresses remains challenging yet crucial for informing conservation strategies an...

FusionX: Automated, Standardized quantification of cell-to-cell fusion across diverse systems

Cell-to-cell fusion, the process by which cells merge their plasma membranes to form multinucleated syncytia, is fundamental to development, physiology, and disease. Quantifying fusion in vitro typically relies on calculating the percentage of nuclei within multinucleated cells o...

Safety and Performance of the Colovac Anastomosis Protection Device. A Pooled Analysis of Prospective Studies Compared With Diverting Loop Ileostomy (SAFE-2025)

Objective: To compare the safety and effectiveness of the Colovac Anastomosis Protection Device with standard diverting ostomy (DO) following low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer. Summary Background Data: DO is standard of care (SOC) following LAR for rectal cancer but...

Activation of transposable elements is linked to a region- and cell type–specific interferon response in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving a neuroinflammatory response, the cause of which remains unclear. Transposable elements (TE) have been linked to inflammation, but their potential role in PD remains unexplored. Using bulk- and single-nuc...

The Global Airways Unit: A Multidisciplinary Strategy for Early Diagnosis and Comorbidity Detection

ABSTRACT Background Chronic respiratory diseases impose a large global burden of morbidity, mortality, and cost. The concept of a global airway has become increasingly supported by epidemiologic, mechanistic, and clinical evidence. However, clinical care often remains fragmented...

Application Usability, Engagement, and Postpartum Weight Retention: Secondary Analysis of the INTER-ACT Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To examine whether perceived usability of the INTER-ACT application influences postpartum weight loss and whether this effect is mediated by application use, motivational power, and implementation of lifestyle recommendations. Patients and Methods: Dutch-speaking women...

The Authority of Jesus as (the) Son of Man in John 5:27

John 5:27 distinctively attributes to Jesus the authority to execute judgement due to his identity as (the) Son of Man. While scholarly discussions have predominantly focused on the origin and background of the Son of Man expression, there has been limited focus on the narrative...

The Authority of Jesus as (the) Son of Man in John 5:27

John 5:27 distinctively attributes to Jesus the authority to execute judgement due to his identity as (the) Son of Man. While scholarly discussions have predominantly focused on the origin and background of the Son of Man expression, there has been limited focus on the narrative...

Demand, Competition, and Public Policy in the Automobile Industry

We review the flourishing literature on the automobile industry since the seminal work of Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995), or briefly BLP. Their work provides a structural equilibrium framework that forms a basis for conducting policy counterfactuals in several key areas of in...

Research Opportunities and Challenges of the EU’s Digital Services Act

Proposing practical measures to ensure the Digital Services Act fulfills its transparency and accountability goals.

Effects of Evolocumab on Mortality Outcomes in Patients Without Previous Myocardial Infarction or Stroke: A Prespecified Analysis of the VESALIUS-CV Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Evolocumab, a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin type 9) inhibitor, significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in patients without previous myocardial infarction or stroke in the VESALIUS-CV trial (Effect of Evolocumab in Patients at High Cardi...

Mechanosensitive phosphorylation of NFATC4 at S213/S217 drives fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and fibrosis

Mechanosensitive feedback between tissue stiffness and cellular contractile forces instructs cell identity. To characterize phosphorylation-mediated mechanosensing, we charted the global phosphoproteome dynamics of primary human lung fibroblasts on fibronectin-coated polydimethyl...

Fragmented identities: legal recognition of same-sex unions and life trajectories of queer Ukrainian refugees in EU member states

This article examines how the legal recognition of same-sex relationships shaped the migration choices and settlement experiences of queer Ukrainian refugees displaced by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted with LGBTQI+ Ukrainians...

Oral health and systemic health outcomes: A call for interdisciplinary action

Abstract Objectives To make the case, from periodontology and dental public health, for interdisciplinary action on oral and systemic health, and to set out recommendations for practice, policy, education, and research. Materials and Methods A joint working group of the European...

High-grade serous ovarian cancer is associated with increased TP53 mutation burden in uterine lavage

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) has low survival partly due to the lack of methods for detection, diagnosis, and risk prediction. TP53 mutations, which drive HGSC, are found in gynecological tissues as the result of somatic evolution, but it is unknown whether an excess o...

StereoBed - salvage stereotactic body radiotherapy of the prostate bed for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: study protocol for a randomized phase II/III trial

In cases of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy, salvage radiotherapy (RT) is a well-established standard-of-care treatment. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may offer a shorter treatment duration and favorable radiobiological characteristics, but eviden...

Critical result thresholds and notification practices in clinical laboratories

Laboratory medicine plays an important role in clinical decision-making. The timely notification of results requiring medical attention is therefore essential to ensure patient safety. Since its introduction, the concept of critical result notification has expanded to include bot...