Tentacular thinking in storied places : a deep-mapping of an art-science-activist worlding in 'Necropolis' (2017 onward)

With the Institut des Croisements, choreographer, dancer and curator Arkadi Zaides unfolds a continuing engagement in human rights issues. His research-based art practice thinks through the entanglement of politics and the ways bodies (are allowed to) move. In 2017, Zaides embarked on the long-term performance project Necropolis, considering the movements of people who are systematically and brutally stopped by border policies, highlighting the choreography that occurs in the social sphere. The performance project entails a documentary approach to the contemporary geopolitical reality of migration. Rather than providing a coherent, consistent analysis of the performance Necropolis, this text testifies of a co-production of knowledge from within the research-based, long durational performance project of Necropolis, and its many off-springs, such as the NecropolisLAB and the continuously constituted virtual city of the dead called NECROPOLIS. Rather than writing “about” an art practice, this text came into being in collaboration with an art practice. As another process of knowledge production is at stake, this text is not single-authored, but rather presents a hybrid constellation of different voices from within the collaborative process itself

Performance of a screening algorithm for chlamydial infection in 2 samples of patients in general practice

This paper evaluates the performance of an algorithm developed for opportunistic, selective screening of women for chlamydial infection in general practice in Antwerp, Belgium. Its performance was examined in 2 independent sets of patients: A) a cohort of 326 women participating in a pilot screening study, and B) a sample of 25 Chlamydia positive women, identified from the records of a laboratory of clinical microbiology. For group A, positive and negative predictive values were calculated and the accuracy of the algorithm was assessed. For group B, we examined the proportion of patients complying with the algorithm. In group A, the screening algorithm would have detected 73% of the cases in 35.6% of the population. The positive and negative predictive values were 7.7% and 98.4%, respectively. In group B, 84% of patients complied with the algorithm. The screening algorithm worked reasonably well in 2 datasets from a similar population studied 2 y later, but needs further validation

Can red yeast rice and olive extract improve lipid profile and cardiovascular risk in metabolic syndrome? A double blind, placebo controlled randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises a spectrum of clinical phenotypes in which dyslipidemia, dysglycemia and hypertension are clustered and where all share a high level of oxidative stress and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This study examines the effect of a nutritional supplement combining red yeast rice and olive fruit extract on the lipid profile and on oxidative stress in a population of patients with MetS. METHODS: In a double blind placebo controlled randomized trial, 50 persons with MetS, as defined by the ATPIII criteria, received the study product or placebo for 8 weeks. The study product contained 10.82 mg of monacolins and 9,32 mg of hydroxytyrosol per capsule, and is commercialized as Cholesfytol plus. The primary outcome measure was the difference in LDL reduction between intervention and control groups. Furthermore, differences in changes of CH, HDL, ApoA1, ApoB, HbA1c and oxLDL were measured, as well as side-effects, CK elevation, changes in clinical parameters and in cardiovascular risk. RESULTS: In the intervention group, LDL cholesterol was lowered by 24% whereas it increased by 1% in the control group (p < 0.001). Other effects observed were a change in total cholesterol (−17% in the intervention group vs +2% in the control group, p < 0.001), apolipoprotein B (−15% vs +6%, p < 0.001), and TG (−9% vs + 16%, p = 0.02). Oxidized LDL decreased by 20% vs an increase of 5% in the control group (p < 0.001). Systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure decreased significantly by 10 mmHg (vs 0% in the control group, p = 0.001) and 7 mmHg (vs 0% in the control group, p = 0.05) respectively. One person in the intervention group, who suffered from Segawa’s syndrome, dropped out because of severe muscle ache. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of active products in this study may be an alternative approach to statins in people who do not need, or cannot or do not want to be treated with chemical statins. Side effects, effects on oxidative stress and on glucose metabolism need to be examined more thoroughly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02065180 (February 2014)

Exposure to arsenic in relation with DNA damage in adolescents of the 3rd Flemish environment and health study (2012-2014)

Arsenic (As) is a compound naturally present in the environment. Recent studies have shown detectable levels of As in rice, rice food products, and apple juice. As is a well known carcinogen and is related to multiple health effects, for example dermal and kidney toxicity. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that As exposure is also a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the exposure to As in a sample of 408 adolescents that were recruited from the general population in Flanders as part of the third Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS3). We tested whether the current levels of As exposure were associated with oxidative stress biomarkers or biomarkers for DNA damage. In this study, the individual exposure to As was estimated by measuring total As in whole blood and different toxic As metabolites in urine: As III, As V, mono-methylarsonous acid (MMA), dimethylarsinous acid (DMA), and the non-toxic, organic compound arsenobetaine. The sum of the toxic compounds was defined as toxic relevant As (TRA). DNA damage was measured using the alkaline comet assay and the micronucleus test in whole blood samples, and by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, Gentaur) quantifying 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in urine. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the change of effect for an increase of the exposure from P25 to P75 (P25-P75). All models were adjusted for gender, age, smoking status and statistically significant (p<0.05) covariates. The exposure biomarker As III was categorised due to the large number values below the quantification limit (LOQ). The effect estimate was given for the group with the highest As III exposure versus the group with values below LOQ. Multiple regression analysis showed significant positive associations of urinary inorganic As III (iAsIII) and MMA with DNA breaks measured by the comet assay (iAsIII: β=0.333, 95% CI=0.061-0.605; MMA: β=0.090, 95% CI=0.014-0.166). Urinary iAs levels were positively associated with concentrations of 8-OHdG (iAsIII: OR=1.231, 95% CI=1.107-1.369; iAsV: OR=1.074, 95% CI=1.014-1.137; MMA: OR=1.154, 95% CI=1.105-1.205; DMA: OR=1.099, 95% CI: 1.041-1.160; TRA: OR=1.131, 95% CI= 1.073-1.192). No statistically significant associations were found with the micronucleus test. Although 82% of the adolescents had a TRA concentration below the Biomonitoring Equivalents for non-carcinogenic effects (≤6.4 µg/l), the data obtained in this study indicate that chronic exposure of Flemish adolescents to very low levels of As, compared to studies in e.g. Bangladesh, and both in whole blood (total As) or urine (TRA), is associated with oxidative stress and DNA damage. The studies of the Flemish Center of Expertise on Environment and Health were commissioned, financed and steered by the Ministry of the Flemish Community (Department of Economics, Science and Innovation; Flemish Agency for Care and Health; and Department of Environment, Nature and Energy)