Vrije Universiteit Brussel

About: Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a education organization based out in Brussels, Belgium. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 14295 authors who have published 38258 publications receiving 1203970 citations. The organization is also known as: VUB.

Quantum nonlocality in two three-level systems

Abstract: Recently a new Bell inequality has been introduced by Collins et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 040404 (2002)], which is strongly resistant to noise for maximally entangled states of two d-dimensional quantum systems. We prove that a larger violation, or equivalently a stronger resistance to noise, is found for a nonmaximally entangled state. It is shown that the resistance to noise is not a good measure of nonlocality and we introduce some other possible measures. The nonmaximally entangled state turns out to be more robust also for these alternative measures. From these results it follows that two von Neumann measurements per party may be not optimal for detecting nonlocality. For $d=3,4,$ we point out some connections between this inequality and distillability. Indeed, we demonstrate that any state violating it, with the optimal von Neumann settings, is distillable.

A longitudinal analysis of gross motor coordination in overweight and obese children versus normal-weight peers.

Abstract: The relationship of childhood overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) with motor skill and coordination is gaining due attention; however, longitudinal evidence is currently lacking. The dual purpose of this study was (1) to investigate the short-term evolution in the level of gross motor coordination according to children's weight status, and (2) to identify those factors predicting their gross motor coordination performance over a 2-year interval. Participants were 50 children with OW, including 8 with OB (aged 6–10 years at baseline, with 52% boys), and 50 with normal-weight (NW) matched for gender and age. Anthropometrics (body height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), %body fat) and level of gross motor coordination (Korperkoordinationstest fur Kinder, KTK) were assessed in 2007 (baseline) and 2 years later in 2009 (follow-up). At baseline, participants completed a survey based on the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire (FPAQ) to obtain socio-demographic information and to determine physical activity levels in diverse domains. The evolution in the level of gross motor coordination over time was strongly related to children's weight status. Participants in the NW group showed more progress than their OW/OB peers, who demonstrated significantly poorer performances. Accordingly, between-group differences in KTK outcomes (that is, raw item scores and total motor quotient) became more evident over time. Multiple linear regression analysis further indicated that, in addition to BMI per se (negative predictor), participation in organized sports within a sports club (positive predictor) determines gross motor coordination performance(s) 2 years later. Our results provide conclusive evidence for an increasingly widening gap of OW/OB children's gross motor coordination relative to NW peers across developmental time in the absence of targeted initiatives. Special attention is thus needed for OW/OB children, especially for those not practicing sports in a club environment, in terms of motor skill improvement to promote regular participation in physical activity.

Bacterial vaginosis is associated with uterine cervical human papillomavirus infection: a meta-analysis

Abstract: Bacterial vaginosis (BV), an alteration of vaginal flora involving a decrease in Lactobacilli and predominance of anaerobic bacteria, is among the most common cause of vaginal complaints for women of childbearing age. It is well known that BV has an influence in acquisition of certain genital infections. However, association between BV and cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been inconsistent among studies. The objective of this meta-analysis of published studies is to clarify and summarize published literature on the extent to which BV is associated with cervical HPV infection. Medline and Web of Science were systematically searched for eligible publications until December 2009. Articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. After testing heterogeneity of studies, meta-analysis was performed using random effect model. Twelve eligible studies were selected to review the association between BV and HPV, including a total of 6,372 women. The pooled prevalence of BV was 32%. The overall estimated odds ratio (OR) showed a positive association between BV and cervical HPV infection (OR, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.84). This meta-analysis of available literature resulted in a positive association between BV and uterine cervical HPV infection.

Human population studies with cytogenetic biomarkers: review of the literature and future prospectives.

Abstract: Cytogenetic biomarkers are by far the most frequently used endpoints in human population studies. Their sensitivity for measuring exposure to genotoxic agents and their role as early predictors of cancer risk have contributed to this success. In this article, we present an overview of the last 25 years of population studies with cytogenetic biomarkers, describing the evolution of this research and addressing the most promising innovations for the future. The evaluation has been restricted to the most popular assays, i.e., chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus (MN), which are considered to be causally related to early stages of chronic diseases, especially cancer, and may therefore play a major role in prevention. An extensive literature search covering the period 1 January 1980 to 31 December 2003 was performed using the Medline/PubMed database. A total of 833 population studies using CAs and 434 using matched MN inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. We report the distribution of selected papers by year of publication, country, language, agents investigated, and methods employed. The state of the art and future prospects regarding cytogenetic techniques and epidemiologic and statistical methods are discussed. The role of susceptibility and its potential impact on genotoxic damage are discussed with special attention to the effect of major genetic polymorphisms on the baseline frequency of CAs and micronuclei.

Acquisition of tumour inducing ability by non-oncogenic agrobacteria as a result of plasmid transfer.

Abstract: IT has been suggested that the tumour-inducing capacity of Agrobacterium is determined by plasmid genes1,2. The acquisition of virulence by non-pathogenic agrobacteria from pathogenic agrobacteria has been demonstrated by Kerr3,4. We investigated whether this phenomenon could be the result of transfer of a plasmid. Besides providing further evidence for the hypothesis that plasmid genes carry the genetic information for the tumour-inducing ability of Agrobacterium, the system offers the possibility of studying the genetics and functions of the plasmid.