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This study explores taxpayer protection under the exchange of information (EOI) in China. From a comparative study between Chinese law and European law in general (combining EU law and the ECHR as interpreted by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)), possible improvements for the Chinese approach are suggested. The protection of taxpayers’ rights is divided into three different layers: confidential treatment of personal data, involvement of the taxpayer in the EOI-processes, and the right to remedy of taxpayers that have been treated incorrectly. Within these layers the study recommends to provide additional measures to attempt to effectively address data leakages or unjustified use of them, improved passive and active access for taxpayers into the EOI-process, and ex ante and ex post remedies in the event of violations. Cross-border exchange of tax-related information, taxpayer rights, data protection, privacy and information confidentiality, taxpayer participation under the EOI, effective remedy, Chinese law, European fundamental legal principles.

Supplementary Figure 3: Gating strategy for a representative sample

Supplementary Tables S1-S2

Purpose:Patients with cancer display reduced humoral responses after double-dose COVID-19 vaccination, whereas their cellular response is more comparable with that in healthy individuals. Recent studies demonstrated that a third vaccination dose boosts these immune responses, both in healthy people and patients with cancer. Because of the availability of many different COVID-19 vaccines, many people have been boosted with a different vaccine from the one used for double-dose vaccination. Data on such alternative vaccination schedules are scarce. This prospective study compares a third dose of BNT162b2 after double-dose BNT162b2 (homologous) versus ChAdOx1 (heterologous) vaccination in patients with cancer.Experimental Design:A total of 442 subjects (315 patients and 127 healthy) received a third dose of BNT162b2 (230 homologous vs. 212 heterologous). Vaccine-induced adverse events (AE) were captured up to 7 days after vaccination. Humoral immunity was assessed by SARS-CoV-2 anti-S1 IgG antibody levels and SARS-CoV-2 50% neutralization titers (NT50) against Wuhan and BA.1 Omicron strains. Cellular immunity was examined by analyzing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2–specific S1 and S2 peptides.Results:Local AEs were more common after heterologous boosting. SARS-CoV-2 anti-S1 IgG antibody levels did not differ significantly between homologous and heterologous boosted subjects [GMT 1,755.90 BAU/mL (95% CI, 1,276.95–2,414.48) vs. 1,495.82 BAU/mL (95% CI, 1,131.48–1,977.46)]. However, homologous-boosted subjects show significantly higher NT50 values against BA.1 Omicron. Subjects receiving heterologous boosting demonstrated increased spike-specific CD8+ T cells, including higher IFNγ and TNFα levels.Conclusions:In patients with cancer who received double-dose ChAdOx1, a third heterologous dose of BNT162b2 was able to close the gap in antibody response.

Environmental variation in time and space generates complex patterns in the spatial structure of temporally covarying populations. Accounting for spatial population structure is important for sustainable management and harvest, but there is a need for a better understanding of the many mechanisms affecting the spatial structure of populations. In the large-scale research project SUSTAIN, detailed long-term data from several taxa within the boreal and Arctic ecosystems were used to address key research questions about spatial population structure. Here, we synthesise the main findings from these studies. Because nearby populations experience similar environmental variation, populations close to each other show more correlated dynamics than those at greater distances. However, several mechanisms can affect the extent of such spatial population synchrony, and we point to some similarities across systems that can explain the observed discrepancy between the spatial structure of the environment and that of population dynamics. We discuss the consequences of these findings for the practical management of species in a changing environment and the need for further research on how populations and ecosystems are affected by the spatial structure of the environment.

Purpose: Patients with cancer display reduced humoral responses after double-dose COVID-19 vaccination, whereas their cellular response is more comparable with that in healthy individuals. Recent studies demonstrated that a third vaccination dose boosts these immune responses, both in healthy people and patients with cancer. Because of the availability of many different COVID-19 vaccines, many people have been boosted with a different vaccine from the one used for double-dose vaccination. Data on such alternative vaccination schedules are scarce. This prospective study compares a third dose of BNT162b2 after double-dose BNT162b2 (homologous) versus ChAdOx1 (heterologous) vaccination in patients with cancer. Experimental Design: A total of 442 subjects (315 patients and 127 healthy) received a third dose of BNT162b2 (230 homologous vs. 212 heterologous). Vaccine-induced adverse events (AE) were captured up to 7 days after vaccination. Humoral immunity was assessed by SARS-CoV-2 anti-S1 IgG antibody levels and SARS-CoV-2 50% neutralization titers (NT50) against Wuhan and BA.1 Omicron strains. Cellular immunity was examined by analyzing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2–specific S1 and S2 peptides. Results: Local AEs were more common after heterologous boosting. SARS-CoV-2 anti-S1 IgG antibody levels did not differ significantly between homologous and heterologous boosted subjects [GMT 1,755.90 BAU/mL (95% CI, 1,276.95–2,414.48) vs. 1,495.82 BAU/mL (95% CI, 1,131.48–1,977.46)]. However, homologous-boosted subjects show significantly higher NT50 values against BA.1 Omicron. Subjects receiving heterologous boosting demonstrated increased spike-specific CD8+ T cells, including higher IFNγ and TNFα levels. Conclusions: In patients with cancer who received double-dose ChAdOx1, a third heterologous dose of BNT162b2 was able to close the gap in antibody response.

Efficient and reliable detection of damages is of critical importance in the aerospace industry. Within the context of non-destructive testing (NDT), advanced non-contact measurement techniques can be leveraged to obtain full-field responses of a target structure, facilitating the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) methodologies. The motivation of this chapter is to compare several types of measurement techniques, excitation signals, and post-processing methods applied to an Airbus airplane panel with sections of damaged and loose rivets. Its response is obtained using both digital image correlation (DIC) and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) techniques. The panel is excited with modal shakers or PZT patches using chirp or pseudorandom signals, for different frequency ranges. Full-field measurements were obtained, along with other more localized measurements on the area containing defects. On a later stage, methodologies inspired on nonlinear analysis and machine learning (ML) techniques were applied for damage detection. A description of the obtained results from these different experimental settings is shown in this chapter, together with a successful structural characterization and detection of damages on the airplane panel.

Innovative production techniques, such as 3D printing of metals, require attention both in the production and in the post-production phase. In fact, such manufacturing processes introduce higher margins of uncertainty compared to more canonical processes. As a consequence, they require an increased effort to succeed in delivering representations for the so-called dynamic virtualization process. Virtualization encompasses the ensemble of activities that are aimed at formulating the virtual model of a given structure and subsequently validating and updating this model in order to guarantee a realistic and accurate response prediction in a broad range of operating conditions. This chapter explores the main challenges related to the mentioned limitations, in the context of a down-scaled industrially relevant case study: a 3D-printed scaled titanium Wind Turbine (WT) blade. The scaled blade has been the object of a complete virtualization process: from the design by means of conventional WT blade tests, up to its “Digital-Twin” establishment, where we exploit state-of-the-art Virtual Sensing (VS) techniques, due to their intrinsic capability of “enriching” the high-fidelity model’s predictions with information extracted from test data. ISSN:2191-5644 ISSN:2191-5652

In recent years there has been an increasing interest to integrate optical sensing in mobile displays, for instance, for biometric fingerprint scanning functionality. There are several routes to incorporate optical fingerprint functionality within the full display area, each with their own benefits and challenges. Here we investigate the different integration routes using large-area, ultra-thin imagers based on organic photodiodes.

Solution-processed photodetectors could be of use in large-area light-sensing applications because they can be fabricated at low cost on plastic substrates and their absorption spectra can be tuned by chemical design. However, fabricating photodetectors with low dark currents and integrating them into high-resolution backplanes remains challenging. Here we show that solution-processed metal halide perovskite photodiodes on top of an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide transistor backplane can be used to create a flexible image sensor that is ~100 μm thick and has a resolution of 508 pixels per inch. We have developed a pixel edge cover layer for the system that reduces electrode current leakage and thus dark current density. The low noise current in combination with high external quantum efficiency results in high photodetectivity at wavelengths from 550 nm to 770 nm. We show that our imager can be used for document scanning and biometric fingerprinting and that it can be wrapped around objects with radii as small as 0.6 cm. Low-dark-current perovskite photodetectors can be integrated with an oxide transistor backplane to create a high-resolution optical scanning array capable of imaging flat and curved surfaces.

To realize the potential of artificial intelligence in medical imaging, improvements in imaging capabilities are required, as well as advances in computing power and algorithms. Hybrid inorganic–organic metal halide perovskites, such as methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3), offer strong X-ray absorption, high carrier mobilities (µ) and long carrier lifetimes (τ), and they are promising materials for use in X-ray imaging. However, their incorporation into pixelated sensing arrays remains challenging. Here we show that X-ray flat-panel detector arrays based on microcrystalline MAPbI3 can be created using a two-step manufacturing process. Our approach is based on the mechanical soft sintering of a freestanding absorber layer and the subsequent integration of this layer on a pixelated backplane. Freestanding microcrystalline MAPbI3 wafers exhibit a sensitivity of 9,300 µC Gyair–1 cm–2 with a μτ product of 4 × 10–4 cm2 V–1, and the resulting X-ray imaging detector, which has 508 pixels per inch, combines a high spatial resolution of 6 line pairs per millimetre with a low detection limit of 0.22 nGyair per frame.

BackgroundPatients with cancer, especially haematological cancer, are at increased risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infection. However, so far, a predictive biomarker that can assess compromised vaccine-induced anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in cancer patients has not been proposed.MethodsHere, we employed machine learning approaches to identify a biomarker signature based on blood cytokine and growth factors linked to vaccine response from 199 cancer patients receiving BNT162b2 vaccine.ResultsWe show that C-reactive protein (CRP; general marker of inflammation), interleukin (IL)-15 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), IL-18 (interferon-gamma inducing factor), and placental growth factor (an angiogenic cytokine) can correctly classify patients with a diminished vaccine response assessed at day 49 with >80% accuracy. Amongst these, CRP showed the highest predictive value for poor response to vaccine administration. Importantly, this unique signature of vaccine response was present at different studied timepoints both before and after vaccination and was not majorly affected by different anti-cancer treatments.ConclusionWhile we propose a blood-based signature of cytokines and growth factors that can be employed in identifying cancer patients at continued risk of COVID-19, our data also importantly suggest that such a signature could reflect the inherent make-up of some cancer patients who are also refractive to immunotherapy.

Vein grafting is a frequently used surgical intervention for cardiac revascularization. However, vein grafts display regions with intraplaque (IP) angiogenesis, which promotes atherogenesis and formation of unstable plaques. Graft neovessels are mainly composed of endothelial cells (ECs) that largely depend on glycolysis for migration and proliferation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether loss of the glycolytic flux enzyme phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in ECs inhibits IP angiogenesis and as such prevents unstable plaque formation. To this end, apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE−/−) mice were backcrossed to a previously generated PFKFB3fl/fl Cdh5iCre mouse strain. Animals were injected with either corn oil (ApoE−/−PFKFB3fl/fl) or tamoxifen (ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO), and were fed a western-type diet for 4 weeks prior to vein grafting. Hereafter, mice received a western diet for an additional 28 days and were then sacrificed for graft assessment. Size and thickness of vein graft lesions decreased by 35 and 32%, respectively, in ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice compared to controls, while stenosis diminished by 23%. Moreover, vein graft lesions in ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice showed a significant reduction in macrophage infiltration (29%), number of neovessels (62%), and hemorrhages (86%). EC-specific PFKFB3 deletion did not show obvious adverse effects or changes in general metabolism. Interestingly, RT-PCR showed an increased M2 macrophage signature in vein grafts from ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice. Altogether, EC-specific PFKFB3 gene deletion leads to a significant reduction in lesion size, IP angiogenesis, and hemorrhagic complications in vein grafts. This study demonstrates that inhibition of endothelial glycolysis is a promising therapeutic strategy to slow down plaque progression.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to huge pressure on not only healthcare systems, but also on healthcare professionals. Objective As the pandemic continues, the aim of this study is to evaluate how 10 reactions of healthcare professionals evolved during the first 18 months of COVID-19. Methods A repeated cross-sectional study was performed with eight measurement points between April 2020 and September 2021 in Belgium. Participants were asked how frequently (on a scale of 0–10) they experienced positive and negative reactions during normal circumstances and during past week, referred to as before and during COVID-19, respectively. These reactions were stress, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, muscle strain, hypervigilance, leaving profession, headache, doubting knowledge and skills, flashbacks and fear. Results In total, 13 308 respondents were included in our study. During both the first (March 2020) and second COVID-19 peak (November 2020), the measured personal, professional and physical reactions were significantly higher compared to before COVID-19. The third wave in April 2021 was shorter and less severe with regard to hospital admissions and deaths, yet an important impact on healthcare professionals could still be observed. ‘Fatigue,’ ‘stress,’ ‘difficulty sleeping’ and ‘muscle strain’ are the most worrying reactions in September 2021, which are increasing compared to the previous measurements. Conclusion Our results showed that acute stress reactions decreased over time but that chronic stress reactions and professional reactions, such as ‘intent to leave,’ increased. Healthcare organizations and policy makers should realize that 18 months after the start of COVID-19 almost all of the measured reactions continue to be more prevalent than before COVID-19. Moreover, the continuous increase over the last three measurement periods of the number of healthcare professionals who want to leave their profession is alarming. Continuous follow-up of the personal, professional and physical reactions is more than necessary.

Touchless technology based on user interaction modes such as voice or gestures is paving the way for tomorrow’s digital ecosystems, accelerated by hygiene requirements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gesture-based touchless user interfaces typically use near-infrared (NIR) cameras. The applicability of these systems is hampered by their limitations in field of view and their calibration requirements for high accuracy. Here, we show a novel touchless user interface based on a large-area visually transparent NIR-sensitive 16 × 16 organic photodetector (OPD) array that can be used on top of a display as a touchless user interface. Optical transparency is realized by implementing a printed copper (Cu) grid as a bottom transparent conductive electrode (TCE) and an array of patterned OPD subpixels. Electro-optical modelling enabled an optimal image sensor design that resulted in a high photodetectivity of ca. 1012 Jones at 850 nm and high visible-light transmittance of 70%. We demonstrate that our imager can be used as a penlight- and gesture controlled touchless user interface when combined with a commercial display.

Solution-processed organic photodetectors (OPDs) have witnessed great progress in the past few years. With silicon-like performance achieved, OPDs enable new medical imaging applications by offering cost-effective light detection over large area. Herein, we illustrate the compelling advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution OPD arrays for medical X-ray detectors and wearable pulse oximeters.

A monolithic manufacturing process is presented for the realization of active-matrix meshed thin-film-transistor (TFT) arrays on foil with physical voids between pixels, realizing membrane-like electronic arrays. The process is scalable to large-area substrates and enables (improved performance of) biometrics-under-display applications. Moreover, membrane-like TFT arrays provide opportunities for the use of TFT technology, and broader large-area thin-film electronics, in new applications in the domain of biomedical electronics, as demonstrated by example use cases of in vivo electrophysiology of the brain as well as in vitro electrophysiology in smart microwell plates.

ObjectivesTo validate a rapid serological test (RST) for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies used in seroprevalence studies in healthcare providers, including primary healthcare providers (PHCPs) in Belgium.DesignA phase III validation study of the RST (OrientGene) within a prospective cohort study.SettingPrimary care in Belgium.ParticipantsAny general practitioner (GP) working in primary care in Belgium and any other PHCP from the same GP practice who physically manages patients were eligible in the seroprevalence study. For the validation study, all participants who tested positive (376) on the RST at the first testing timepoint (T1) and a random sample of those who tested negative (790) and unclear (24) were included.InterventionAt T2, 4 weeks later, PHCPs performed the RST with fingerprick blood (index test) immediately after providing a serum sample to be analysed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibodies using a two-out-of-three assay (reference test).Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe RST accuracy was estimated using inverse probability weighting to correct for missing reference test data, and considering unclear RST results as negative for the sensitivity and positive for the specificity. Using these conservative estimates, the true seroprevalence was estimated both for T2 and RST-based prevalence values found in a cohort study with PHCPs in Belgium.Results1073 paired tests (403 positive on the reference test) were included. A sensitivity of 73% (a specificity of 92%) was found considering unclear RST results as negative (positive). For an RST-based prevalence at T1 (13.9), T2 (24.9) and T7 (70.21), the true prevalence was estimated to be 9.1%, 25.9% and 95.7%, respectively.ConclusionThe RST sensitivity (73%) and specificity (92%) make an RST-based seroprevalence below (above) 23% overestimate (underestimate) the true seroprevalence.Trial registration numberNCT04779424.

Reliable and efficient damage detection is critical for the use of lightweight materials in the mechanical and aerospace industries. Within the context of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), vibration-based tests have been applied for many decades to inspect components without damaging or debilitating their use. For posterior fault recognition, Artificial Intelligence techniques have achieved high success for a number of structural applications. In this work Testing, Simulation and Artificial Intelligence have been combined in order to develop a defect detection procedure. The use of an Optomet Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (SLDV) for such tests provides an interesting solution to measure the vibration velocities on the structure surface. The algorithm for identifying the defects is based on the Local Defect Resonance (LDR) concept, which looks to the high frequency vibrations to get a localized resonant activation of the defect. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques were implemented with the aim of creating an automatic procedure based on features extraction for damage detection. Wavelet transformation and modal analysis were used to provide inputs to the AI techniques. In order to better understand the limitation in terms of defect detection, damaged plates were modelled and simulated in order to perform a sensitivity analysis. Finally, an overall comparative overview of different algorithms results was also obtained.

Background There is a trend towards decentralisation of laboratory tests by means of Point-of-Care testing (POCT). Within hospitals, Belgian law requires a POCT policy, coordinated by the clinical laboratory. There is however no legal framework for POCT performed outside the hospital: no reimbursement, no compulsory quality monitoring and no limits nor control on the prices charged to the patient. Uncontrolled use of POCT can have negative consequences for individual and public health. Proposal We propose that POCT outside hospitals would only be reimbursed for tests carried out within a legal framework, requiring evidence-based testing and collaboration with a clinical laboratory, because clinical laboratories have procedures for test validation and quality monitoring, are equipped for electronic data transfer, are familiar with logistical processes, can provide support when technical issues arise and can organise and certify training. Under these conditions the government investment will be offset by health benefits, e.g. fall in antibiotic consumption with POCT for CRP in primary care, quick response to SARS-CoV2-positive cases in COVID-19 triage centres. Priorities 1 degrees extension of the Belgian decree on certification of clinical laboratories to decentralised tests in primary care; 2 degrees introduction of a separate reimbursement category for POCT; 3 degrees introduction of reimbursement for a limited number of specified POCT; 4 degrees setup of a Multidisciplinary POCT Advisory Council, the purpose of which is to draw up a model for reimbursement of POCT, to select tests eligible for reimbursement and to make proposals to the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV/INAMI). No funding was received for this work. Meetings of the members of the Working Group POCT with external experts on POCT were facilitated by Roche Diagnostics Belgium (Machelen, Belgium).

Objectives Development and implementation of SARS-CoV-2 serologic assays gained momentum. Laboratories keep on investigating the performance of these assays. In this study, we compared three fully automated SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays. Methods A total of 186 samples from 84 PCR-positive COVID-19 patients and 120 control samples taken before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were analyzed using commercial serologic assays from Roche, Siemens and DiaSorin. Time after the positive COVID-19 PCR result and onset of symptoms was retrieved from the medical record. An extended golden standard, using the result of all three assays was defined, judging if antibodies are present or absent in a sample. Diagnostic and screening sensitivity/specificity and positive/negative predictive value were calculated. Results Diagnostic sensitivity (ability to detect a COVID-19 positive patient) ≥14 days after positive PCR testing was 96.7% (95% CI 88.5–99.6%) for DiaSorin, 93.3% (95% CI 83.8–98.2%) for Roche and 100% (95% CI 94.0–100%) for Siemens. Lower diagnostic sensitivities were observed Conclusions This study revealed acceptable performance for all three assays. An orthogonal testing algorithm using the Siemens and Roche assay achieved the highest positive predictive values for antibody detection in low seroprevalence settings.

We combine a low dark current and high-detectivity near-infrared (NIR)-sensitive organic photodetector with a high-resolution 508 pixels per inch (ppi) oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane to create a large-area thin NIR detector, using processes that are compatible with flat-panel display fabrication. The detector is characterized showing high uniformity and linearity. With the use of a NIR light source, the detector is capable of imaging the (pattern of) veins under the skin in reflection, leading to improved biometric authentication.

Nonlinear dynamic simulations of complex structures can have very high computational costs. In this work, a nonlinear modeling procedure is applied to an airplane mockup with two localized nonlinearities, connected to its wings. In order to reduce the simulation computational burden, the experimentally validated linear Finite Element Model (FEM) of the airplane is condensed into a Reduced Order Model (ROM). Only the modes with a relevant importance in the frequency range of interest are kept in the ROM. The linear ROM is then coupled with a local nonlinear data-driven model of the nonlinearities, obtaining a nonlinear ROM with relatively low computational weight. After using it for a nonlinear transient simulation, the physical answer in a desired node or point of interest can be obtained performing the inverse coordinate transformation. The local nonlinear data-driven model is based on the nonlinear attachments Restoring Force Surface (RFS), estimated through the Acceleration Surface Method (ASM). The nonlinear stiffness restoring force is modeled as a polynomial, estimated with a least square fitting of the experimental restoring force. The possibility to use this approach in case of multiple nonlinear modes is evaluated and the predictions of the model are compared with measured response.

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a non-contact full-field image analysis technique which allows to retrieve strains and displacements in three dimensions at the surface of any type of material and under arbitrary loading. In recent years, high-speed and high-resolution cameras have been developed for static as well as for dynamic applications. As consequence, the application fields for DIC have broadened and it has proven to be a flexible and very accurate measurement solution for deformation analysis and material characterization. In this work DIC technique is used to get the full-field displacement of the structure under test. This information could then be used to derive the modal characteristic of the structure (e.g. natural frequencies, damping ratios and full-field mode shapes). These results can be validated by using classical sensors (e.g. strain gauges, accelerometers) or other optical methods (e.g. laser doppler vibrometers). Several test cases are discussed, and two different approaches are used for combining the data obtained during the vibration tests. The most obvious approach would be the alignment of the time histories of input (shaker) and output based on reference signals for Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) calculation prior to perform any further processing. An alternative in case of broadband excitation, requires processing time data into auto and crosspowers and identify the modal parameters by using Operational Modal Analysis (OMA).