Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Teachers’ perceptions and self-reported practices regarding teaching personal and social skills in primary physical education: A survey study

Personal and social development constitutes an important goal of physical education (PE) curricula worldwide. PE teachers aiming to implement the intended personal and social development goals may benefit from employing specific teaching strategies such as encouraging peer collab...

Static Effective Hamiltonians for Molecular Systems through RPA-Based Downfolding

Abstract Green’s function-based downfolding methods construct effective Hamiltonians of reduced dimension that capture dynamical correlations of an electronic environment through effective potentials acting on the active space only. Using methods based on the constrained random p...

European Association of Palliative Care White Paper on research priorities for family caregiving in palliative care: A systematic review of reviews

BACKGROUND: Family carers are central to providing high quality palliative care. However, gaps remain in our understanding of how best to support carers. In 2010, the European Association for Palliative Care published a White Paper on 'Improving Support for Family Caregivers'. Th...

Invited perspectives: Towards usable compound event research

Abstract. Supporting stakeholders with science-based decision-making to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts is a central mandate of the climate research community. In particular, mapping out scenario-dependent climate risk landscapes is one of the most pressing challenge...

Exogenous GA3 promotes flower bud differentiation in Lycoris aurea by modulating hormone signaling and carbohydrate metabolism

Lycoris aurea Herb. (golden spider lily) exhibits a prolonged vegetative phase and delayed flowering, limiting its ornamental and commercial value. Gibberellins, particularly GA 3 , are well-known regulators of flower bud differentiation in plants. Here, we investigated whether e...

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and overlapping post-acute infection syndromes: international expert consensus framework for diagnostic standardization

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) lacks validated objective diagnostic criteria, leading to delayed diagnosis and inconsistent management. We aimed to establish an international expert consensus framework integrating measurable, risk-stratified assessmen...

Climate variability perception and its influence on crop diversification as an adaptation strategy among smallholder farmers in south-western Uganda

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face climate-induced threats to food and income security. While crop diversification is recognised as a sustainable adaptation strategy, its relationship with smallholder farmers’ climate variability perception across seasons and agro-eco...

Treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy using vaginal dilators in addition to usual care : a randomized controlled feasibility trial

To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of adding vaginal dilators (VD) to standard therapy for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). A prospective, randomized pilot trial was conducted at CHU Saint-Pierre, Brussels. Peri- and postmenopausal wome...

Vegetation Structure, Surface-Active Brachyuran Assemblages, and Selected Environmental Conditions in a Replanted Rhizophora mucronata Mangrove Stand

Mangrove replantation is widely implemented as a rehabilitation-oriented response to coastal degradation, yet many replanted stands remain poorly assessed after plantation. This study provides a preliminary dry-season post-plantation habitat characterization of an eight-year-old...

Exploring the organisation, operation and inquiries of Centres for Medicines Information: insights from a narrative review and questionnaire

Objectives Centres for Medicines Information (CMIs) are core components in providing evidence-based recommendations to practitioners, thus reducing medication errors. This study examined the organisational and operational features of international CMIs and the types of inquiries...

Influences of socioeconomic and environmental factors on STEMI incidence and related mortality: Insights from the Belgian Environmental Myocardial Infarction Risk (EMIR) Study

Abstract Background Current risk models for myocardial infarction incidence and post-event mortality primarily rely on clinical parameters and do not account for environmental or socioeconomic factors. We aimed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of determinants of ST-elev...

STEM Motivation, Identity and Interest Among Students in Two Flemish Secondary Schools: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey

Rapid technological innovation and digitalization have intensified the demand for STEM-related skills, yet many educational systems face stagnant or declining student engagement in STEM, particularly in the later years of secondary education. This study examined how gender, study...

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...

Full event interpretation with machine-learning-based particle-flow reconstruction in the CMS detector

Abstract The particle-flow (PF) algorithm constructs a global description of each particle collision by producing a comprehensive list of final-state particles, and is central to event reconstruction in the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. The existing PF implementation relies on...

Navigating Gender Microaggressions: Coping Practices and Organizational Dynamics in Gendered Higher Education Institutions

ABSTRACT Despite sustained policy efforts to address gender inequality, women academics continue to encounter subtle and often normalized forms of discrimination within higher education institutions (HEIs). While prior research has documented these dynamics through concepts such...

From six to twelve months: how extending the statutory prognostic threshold affected fast‑tracked end-of-life benefit access in England and Wales

Abstract Background To evaluate the impact of the 2022 change in prognostic eligibility criteria for the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) pathway, from an expected death within 6 months to within 12 months, on the number and characteristics of awardees for fast-tracked financ...

Constraining new physics in charm quark associated Higgs boson production events using the Standard Model effective field theory approach

A bstract As the search for observable deviations from the Standard Model of particle physics remains to be of significant interest, effective field theory (EFT) continues to be a popular method to parametrize such effects. In this work, a first-time investigation is performed of...

Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities of Two Coastal Halophytes Under Salinity–Flooding Stress

Soil salinisation and periodic flooding jointly shape coastal wetland ecosystems, but how coexisting halophytes differ in their rhizosphere bacterial communities under these conditions remains insufficiently understood. Here, we investigated rhizosphere bacterial communities asso...

Artificial intelligence in mathematics education: a two-dimensional conceptual framework and meta-review

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming mathematics education just as it is reshaping many other domains of modern life, creating new opportunities that fundamentally change the way students and teachers work. AI has become an increasingly prominent topic in mathema...

Best practices to master robotic preparation of ready-to-administer systemic anticancer therapy in hospital pharmacies

Automated reconstitution or preparation of systemic anticancer therapy has gained traction in the past decade. Transitioning from traditional manual workflows to fully automated production offers multiple benefits: decreased pharmacy staff workload, reduced risk of repetitive str...