Hasil untuk "History of Low Countries - Benelux Countries"

A. D. Shrestha, D. Neupane, P. Vedsted et al.

Introduction: Cervical cancer rates vary across the world, being highest in Eastern Africa (including Zimbabwe) and lowest in Western Asia. It is the second most common type of cancer in women in the South East Asia region and a major cause of cancer deaths among women of low and middle income countries (LMICs) like Nepal. This review is an attempt to make a comprehensive report of prevalence, incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in LMICs. Methods: The review was conducted applying a computerized search with the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) major topics “Cervical Cancer”, “Cervical neoplasm” “Epidemiology”, (“prevalence” OR “incidence” OR “mortality”) and “HPV” OR “Human papillomavirus” as MeSH subheading. The search limits were: language (“English”), LMICs, dates (articles published from “1st January 2000 to 31st December 2015”), and species (“Humans”). The search was supplemented by cross-referencing. Publications that met the inclusion criteria were included in the synthesis. Results: Among the 20 studies reviewed; seven were from Africa, seven from Asia, three from South America, and one each from North America, Europe and Oceania. The review found the highest reported age standardized incidence rate as 17.9/100,000/year in Zimbabwe in 2000 and the lowest as 0.11/100,000/year in China in 2006. One study of Nigeria revealed a cervical cancer prevalence of 5.0 per 1,000 in 2012 in the 25-64 year age group. Further, the highest reported age standardized mortality rate was 16/100,000/year in India in 2015 and the lowest 1.8/100,000/year in Colombia in 2013. In addition, coitarche, tobacco smoking, number of sexual partners and family history of cervical cancer were reported as significant risk factors. Conclusion: The study provides a review of reported prevalence, incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in LMICs from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2015. The scarcity of information reveals a substantial need for further studies on cervical cancer prevalence, incidence and mortality with associated risk factors in LMICs.

N. Bouras, Manon van der Heijden, Liesbeth Rosen Jacobson

This special issue of TSEG - The Low Countries Journal of Social and Economic History is dedicated to Marlou Schrover and Leo Lucassen, who will both retire in 2026. The volume is presented to them on the occasion of their farewell symposium, held in Leiden on March 27, 2026. With this special issue, colleagues from the Netherlands and abroad honor two scholars whose work has been foundational to the development of migration history as a vibrant, analytically rigorous, and socially engaged field of research.

A. Bonney, R. Malouf, C. Marchal et al.

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in the world, however lung cancer screening has not been implemented in most countries at a population level. A previous Cochrane Review found limited evidence for the effectiveness of lung cancer screening with chest radiography (CXR) or sputum cytology in reducing lung cancer-related mortality, however there has been increasing evidence supporting screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).  OBJECTIVES: To determine whether screening for lung cancer using LDCT of the chest reduces lung cancer-related mortality and to evaluate the possible harms of LDCT screening. SEARCH METHODS We performed the search in collaboration with the Information Specialist of the Cochrane Lung Cancer Group and included the Cochrane Lung Cancer Group Trial Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, the Cochrane Library, current issue), MEDLINE (accessed via PubMed) and Embase in our search. We also searched the clinical trial registries to identify unpublished and ongoing trials. We did not impose any restriction on language of publication. The search was performed up to 31 July 2021.  SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of lung cancer screening using LDCT and reporting mortality or harm outcomes.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors were involved in independently assessing trials for eligibility, extraction of trial data and characteristics, and assessing risk of bias of the included trials using the Cochrane RoB 1 tool. We assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE. Primary outcomes were lung cancer-related mortality and harms of screening. We performed a meta-analysis, where appropriate, for all outcomes using a random-effects model. We only included trials in the analysis of mortality outcomes if they had at least 5 years of follow-up. We reported risk ratios (RRs) and hazard ratios (HRs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and used the I2 statistic to investigate heterogeneity.  MAIN RESULTS: We included 11 trials in this review with a total of 94,445 participants. Trials were conducted in Europe and the USA in people aged 40 years or older, with most trials having an entry requirement of ≥ 20 pack-year smoking history (e.g. 1 pack of cigarettes/day for 20 years or 2 packs/day for 10 years etc.). One trial included male participants only. Eight trials were phase three RCTs, with two feasibility RCTs and one pilot RCT. Seven of the included trials had no screening as a comparison, and four trials had CXR screening as a comparator. Screening frequency included annual, biennial and incrementing intervals. The duration of screening ranged from 1 year to 10 years. Mortality follow-up was from 5 years to approximately 12 years.  None of the included trials were at low risk of bias across all domains. The certainty of evidence was moderate to low across different outcomes, as assessed by GRADE. In the meta-analysis of trials assessing lung cancer-related mortality, we included eight trials (91,122 participants), and there was a reduction in mortality of 21% with LDCT screening compared to control groups of no screening or CXR screening (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.87; 8 trials, 91,122 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There were probably no differences in subgroups for analyses by control type, sex, geographical region, and nodule management algorithm. Females appeared to have a larger lung cancer-related mortality benefit compared to males with LDCT screening. There was also a reduction in all-cause mortality (including lung cancer-related) of 5% (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.99; 8 trials, 91,107 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).  Invasive tests occurred more frequently in the LDCT group (RR 2.60, 95% CI 2.41 to 2.80; 3 trials, 60,003 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). However, analysis of 60-day postoperative mortality was not significant between groups (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.94; 2 trials, 409 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).  False-positive results and recall rates were higher with LDCT screening compared to screening with CXR, however there was low-certainty evidence in the meta-analyses due to heterogeneity and risk of bias concerns. Estimated overdiagnosis with LDCT screening was 18%, however the 95% CI was 0 to 36% (risk difference (RD) 0.18, 95% CI -0.00 to 0.36; 5 trials, 28,656 participants; low-certainty evidence). Four trials compared different aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using various measures. Anxiety was pooled from three trials, with participants in LDCT screening reporting lower anxiety scores than in the control group (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.43, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.27; 3 trials, 8153 participants; low-certainty evidence). There were insufficient data to comment on the impact of LDCT screening on smoking behaviour.  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence supports a reduction in lung cancer-related mortality with the use of LDCT for lung cancer screening in high-risk populations (those over the age of 40 with a significant smoking exposure). However, there are limited data on harms and further trials are required to determine participant selection and optimal frequency and duration of screening, with potential for significant overdiagnosis of lung cancer. Trials are ongoing for lung cancer screening in non-smokers.

Amit Pariyar, Yohei Murakami, Donghui Lin et al.

Multiple official languages within a country along with languages common with other countries demand content consistency in both shared and unshared languages during information sharing. However, inconsistency due to conflict in content shared and content updates not propagated in languages between countries poses a problem. Towards addressing inconsistency, this research qualitatively studied traits for information sharing among countries inside global brands as depicted by content shared in their country-specific websites. First, inconsistency in content shared is illustrated among websites highlighting the problem in information sharing among countries. Second, content propagation among countries that vary in scales and coupling for specific content categories are revealed. Scales suggested that corporate and customer support related information tend to be shared globally and locally respectively while product related information is both locally and regionally suitable for sharing. Higher occurrences of propagation when sharing corporate related information also showed tendency for high coupling between websites suggesting the suitability for rigid consistency policy compared to other categories. This study also proposed a simplistic approach with pattern of sharing to enable consistent information sharing.

Kui Zhao, Ziting Wang, Yu Liu et al.

Quantum simulation has emerged as a powerful framework for investigating complex many - body phenomena. A key requirement for emulating these dynamics is the realization of fully controllable quantum systems enabling various spin interactions. Yet, quantum simulators remain constrained in the types of attainable interactions. Here we demonstrate experimental realization of multiple microwave - engineered spin interactions in superconducting quantum circuits. By precisely controlling the native XY interaction and microwave drives, we achieve tunable spin Hamiltonians including: (i) XYZ spin models with continuously adjustable parameters, (ii) transverse - field Ising systems, and (iii) Dzyaloshinskii - Moriya interacting systems. Our work expands the toolbox for analogue - digital quantum simulation, enabling exploration of a wide range of exotic quantum spin models.

Mikhail G. Katz

Infinitesimals have seen ups and downs in their tumultuous history. In the 18th century, d'Alembert set the tone by describing infinitesimals as chimeras. Some adversaries of infinitesimals, including Moigno and Connes, picked up on the term. We highlight the work of Cauchy, Noël, Poisson and Riemann. We also chronicle reactions by Moigno, Lamarle and Cantor, and signal the start of a revival with Peano.

J. Kanis, H. Johansson, N. Harvey et al.

Wouter Smets

ABSTRACT National canons of history sparked intense debate among historians over the last years, history educators have regularly shown concerns regarding these canons. The main arguments are that history is instrumentalized for political purposes, and that canons are incompatible with multiculturality. In this study, the cases of the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders) are used to discuss these concerns. The aim of this article is to gain a more complex understanding of the use of canonical discourse in the setting of history education. The current study actualizes and reconsiders Banks’ typologies of knowledge, and applies them to multicultural history education. Hence, the canon debates in the low countries are contextualized from an international perspective of debates on canon and history teaching. It is argued that both national canons specifically intend to confront popular knowledges and historical myths with academic historiographic discourses. More particularly both canons seek to include discourses on minority groups and multiculturality, which may benefit the use of transformative knowledge in history education. The use of canonical discourses however must not be reduced to transmission. Beside qualification history education also strives towards socialization and subjectivation. It is discussed how a thoughtful use of canonical discourse may add to realizing these purposes of education.

Weng Fei Low, Gim Hee Lee

The stark contrast in the design philosophy of an event camera makes it particularly ideal for operating under high-speed, high dynamic range and low-light conditions, where standard cameras underperform. Nonetheless, event cameras still suffer from some amount of motion blur, especially under these challenging conditions, in contrary to what most think. This is attributed to the limited bandwidth of the event sensor pixel, which is mostly proportional to the light intensity. Thus, to ensure that event cameras can truly excel in such conditions where it has an edge over standard cameras, it is crucial to account for event motion blur in downstream applications, especially reconstruction. However, none of the recent works on reconstructing Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) from events, nor event simulators, have considered the full effects of event motion blur. To this end, we propose, Deblur e-NeRF, a novel method to directly and effectively reconstruct blur-minimal NeRFs from motion-blurred events generated under high-speed motion or low-light conditions. The core component of this work is a physically-accurate pixel bandwidth model proposed to account for event motion blur under arbitrary speed and lighting conditions. We also introduce a novel threshold-normalized total variation loss to improve the regularization of large textureless patches. Experiments on real and novel realistically simulated sequences verify our effectiveness. Our code, event simulator and synthetic event dataset will be open-sourced.

Béla Vizvári, Gergely Kovács

Purpose: Only few companies were able to produce vaccine again COVID-19. Thus, one producer supplied it to many countries. The distribution was not effective. Some countries overstocked the vaccine while other countries were not able to buy enough. The purpose of the present paper is to provide with a frame such that one producer distributes the vaccine to a set of countries in a way that the shortage is minimized. Methodology: The consumption of the countries are approximated by regression functions taking into account the saturation of the process. The distribution of the vaccine is determined by MIP models of operations research. Findings: Effective distribution of vaccine can be obtained for even a large number of countries. Both the level of the shortage and the number of the consecutive shortage days in a country can be controlled. Practical implications: A group of countries can act as a single partner of a pharmaceutical company. They can get a steady supply. The company gets a well-organized delivery plan. Social implications: More people can be saved because of the steady supply of the vaccine. Originality: The paper develops a new concept for the fair distribution of vaccines between countries. This concept and the method derived from it can be applied in the event of future pandemics on a global scale.

Alberto Baccini, Eugenio Petrovich

Self-citations are a key topic in evaluative bibliometrics because they can artificially inflate citation-related performance indicators. Recently, self-citations defined at the largest scale, i.e., country self-citations, have started to attract the attention of researchers and policymakers. According to a recent research, in fact, the anomalous trends in the country self-citation rates of some countries, such as Italy, have been induced by the distorting effect of citation metrics-centered science policies. In the present study, we investigate the trends of country self-citations in 50 countries over the world in the period 1996-2019 using Scopus data. Results show that for most countries country self-citations have decreased over time. 12 countries (Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Ukraine), however, exhibit different behavior, with anomalous trends of self-citations. We argue that these anomalies should be attributed to the aggressive science policies adopted by these countries in recent years, which are all characterized by direct or indirect incentives for citations. Our analysis confirms that when bibliometric indicators are integrated into systems of incentives, they are capable of affecting rapidly and visibly the citation behavior of entire countries.

Sabi Gurung, Hannah Tong, E. Bryce et al.

Background Small for gestational age (SGA) is a public health concern since it is associated with mortality in neonatal and post-neonatal period. Despite the large magnitude of the problem, little is known about the population-attributable risk (PAR) of various risk factors for SGA. This study estimated the relative contribution of risk factors for SGA, as a basis for identifying priority areas for developing and/or implementing interventions to reduce the incidence of SGA births and related mortality and morbidity. Methods We conducted a literature review on 63 potential risk factors for SGA to quantify the risk relationship and estimate the prevalence of risk factors (RFs). We calculated the population-attributable fraction for each of the identified RF for 81 Countdown countries and calculated regional estimates. Twenty-five RFs were included in the final model while extended model included all the 25 RFs from the final model and two additional RFs. Results In the final and extended models, the RFs included in each model have a total PAF equal to 63.97% and 69.66%, respectively of SGA across the 81 LMICs. In the extended model, maternal nutritional status has the greatest PAF (28.15%), followed by environmental and other exposures during pregnancy (15.82%), pregnancy history (11.01%), and general health issues or morbidity (10.34%). The RFs included in the final and extended model for Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region have a total PAF of 63.28% and 65.72% of SGA, respectively. In SSA, the top three RF categories in the extended model are nutrition (25.05%), environment and other exposure (13.01%), and general health issues or morbidity (10.72%), while in South-Asia’s it was nutrition (30.56%), environment and other exposure (15.27%) and pregnancy history (11.68%). Conclusions The various types of RFs that play a role in SGA births highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach to tackle SGA. Depending on the types of RFs, intervention should be strategically targeted at either individual or household and/or community or policy level. There is also a need to research the mechanisms by which some of the RFs might hinder fetal growth.

E. Bryce, Sabi Gurung, Hannah Tong et al.

Background Complications associated with preterm birth (PTB) are the largest contributor to under-five mortality globally. Success in reaching the Sustainable Development Goal target requires identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for PTB, estimating the relative importance of these risk factors, and identifying/implementing effective prevention strategies to address them. Methods We conducted a literature review to define risk relationships and estimate prevalence for established risk factors for spontaneous PTB (sPTB). We then estimated population attributable fractions (PAF) for the sPTB risk factors identified in the review as statistically significant for the 81 low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries included in the Countdown 2030 initiative. We summed country-level findings to produce PAFs for each risk factor and regional estimates for sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Results Forty-four potential sPTB risk factors were identified. and the final analysis included twenty-four risk factors with evidence of significant associations with sPTB. A second model with three additional risk factors with borderline insignificant associations was also run. Taken together, the twenty-four risk factors had a total PAF of 73% for all 81 countries and 77% and 72% of sPTB in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, respectively. For all countries, maternal undernutrition had the highest PAF (17.5%), followed by maternal infections (16.6%), environmental exposures (16%) and pregnancy history (8.7%). Conclusions While multiple risk factors contribute to sPTB, no single risk factor addresses a predominant fraction, and 27% of spontaneous preterm births are not associated with risk factors that we identified. Despite the significant role of preterm birth in child survival, there are major data gaps in LMIC settings. Furthermore, there is a paucity of evidence for effective interventions to prevent preterm birth. Preventing sPTB requires understanding underlying mechanisms leading to sPTB in different populations, and the identification/implementation of effective interventions.

Herbert E. Ainamani, Roland Weierstall-Pust, R. Bahati et al.

ABSTRACT Worldwide, children who grow up under adverse conditions risk the development of mental health problems. However, reliable data on the estimated magnitude of mental disorders of PTSD, depression and their associated factors among maltreated children and adolescents in low- and middle-income-countries (LMICs) is still lacking. This study estimated the magnitude of PTSD, depression and the associated factors among the children and adolescents with ahistory of maltreatment in Southwestern Uganda. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we assessed 232 children and adolescents on the prevalence of PTSD using Child PTSD Symptoms Scale for DSM-5 – Self-Report (CPSS-VSR) and Depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Predictor variables were taken from the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure- Paediatric Version (Pedi MACE). Logistic regressions analyses were selected for statistical modelling while odds-ratios were calculated to assess the strength of associations between the predictor and outcome variables. Results In total, 140 (60%) participants fulfiled diagnostic criteria for PTSD and 91 (39%) for depression respectively. Predictor variables of PTSD were witnessing intimate partner violence (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.19–1.83, p = <0.001), having lived in more than two homes (OR = 2.69, 95%CI: 1.34–5.41, p = .005), and being cared for by non-relatives (OR = 2.25; 95%CI: 2.26–223.9, p = .008). Variables predicting depression were witnessing intimate partner violence (OR = 1.30; 95%CI: 108–1.57, p = .006); being cared for by non-relatives (OR = 5.62, 95%CI: 1.36–23.1, p = .001) and being female (OR = .054, 95% CI: 0.30–1.00, p = .005). Conclusion Children living under adverse conditions are at a higher risk of developing PTSD and depression. We recommend interventions that aim at reducing adverse psychosocial stressors so as to improve or restore the children’s mental health.Abbreviations: PTSD: Post traumatic stress disorder; LMICs: Low- and middle-income countries; IPV: Intimate partner violence; OVC: Orphans and vulnerable children HIGHLIGHTS Children with a history of maltreatment are likely to meet depression and PTSD diagnosis that is associated with factors such as witnessing intimate partner violence, living in multiple homes, having been cared for by none relatives and being female.

Christopher Boudreaux, Anand Jha, Monica Escaleras

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if a country quality of governance moderates the effect of natural disasters on startup activity within that country. We test our hypotheses using a panel of 95 countries from 2006 to 2016. Our findings suggest that natural disasters discourage startup activity in countries that have low quality governance but encourage startup activity in countries that have high quality governance. Moreover, our estimates reveal that natural disasters effects on startup activity persist for the short term (1-3 years) but not the long term. Our findings provide new insights into how natural disasters affect entrepreneurship activity and highlight the importance of country governance during these events.

Heini Väisänen, Ewa Batyra

Around 40% of pregnancies worldwide are unintended and a half of those are terminated. Yet, few international comparisons of unintended pregnancy resolution (choosing birth or abortion) exist. This study analysed how parous women's pregnancy intentions and abortion decisions are associated with their reproductive histories and country contexts using twelve Demographic and Health Surveys representing four context groups: post-Soviet/communist and Asian countries with liberal abortion legislation, and Asian and Latin American countries with restrictive abortion legislation. Similarities were found across contexts: preference to have children of both sexes, space births, stop childbearing after reaching desired family size and an increased likelihood of unintended pregnancy when using less-effective contraceptive methods versus none. Contextual factors most clearly associated with reports of unintended pregnancy resolution were type of abortion legislation and living in post-Soviet/communist contexts. Women's propensity to report abortions and unintended pregnancy varied by context and the decision-making processes for pregnancy versus fertility management were different.

Anne-Laure Van Bruaene

De bmgn – lchr is het wetenschappelijke tijdschrift bij uitstek voor de studie van de Nederlandse Opstand. Dit artikel neemt deze algemene vaststelling als uitgangspunt en brengt door een kwantitatieve analyse een aantal ontwikkelingen scherper in beeld. Het bekijkt de chronologische ontwikkelingen in het aantal bijdragen over de Opstand en neemt daarbij ook de taal van de bijdragen en de nationaliteit van de auteurs mee in de analyse. Tot slot wordt gekeken naar de geografische invalshoek van de bijdragen. Op basis van die analyse kan worden vastgesteld dat rond 1990 het Opstandsonderzoek is gaan verbreden door nieuwe vraagstellingen. Een aantal recente nwo-Vici projecten hebben voor een definitieve omslag gezorgd. De vraag is of het onderzoek over de Opstand, zoals het aan bod komt in de bmgn – lchr, ook internationaler is geworden en vooral, wat dat dan precies mag betekenen.

J. Ortiz, K. Neuzil

Influenza vaccines have a long history of safety and demonstrated efficacy; however, they are seldom used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although reasons for underuse are multifactorial and differ from country to country, the need for up to twice-annual reformulation and yearly vaccination are obstacles to influenza prevention in LMICs. Major efforts are underway to produce next-generation influenza vaccines that provide durable protection against drifted strains, and such vaccines could address these unmet needs. However, additional information is required to influence immunization policies in most LMICs. Better estimates of vaccine impact on important public health outcomes, more affordable vaccines, improved programmatic suitability, and strengthened immunization delivery infrastructures are needed and must be considered early during the development of new vaccines if widespread adoption in LMICs is to be achieved.

L. Grenier, J. Lori, B. Darney et al.

Abstract Evidence from high‐income countries suggests that group antenatal care, an alternative service delivery model, may be an effective strategy for improving both the provision and experience of care. Until recently, published research about group antenatal care did not represent findings from low‐ and middle‐income countries, which have health priorities, system challenges, and opportunities that are different than those in high‐income countries. Because high‐quality evidence is limited, the World Health Organization recommends group antenatal care be implemented only in the context of rigorous research. In 2016 the Global Group Antenatal Care Collaborative was formed as a platform for group antenatal care researchers working in low‐ and middle‐income countries to share experiences and shape future research to accelerate development of a robust global evidence base reflecting implementation and outcomes specific to low‐ and middle‐income countries. This article presents a brief history of the Collaborative's work to date, proposes a common definition and key principles for group antenatal care, and recommends an evaluation and reporting framework for group antenatal care research.

S. Aggarwal, G. Patton, N. Reavley et al.