Scientific papers

In accordance with its mission to support high level research in Belgium, the University Foundation provides financial support towards the publication in high level international journals of scientific papers which report on research in Belgian research groups. Financial support may be granted to partially cover the costs due by the author for illustrations, for page charges and for article processing fees, and for linguuistic control. 

Because the possible support is restricted to Belgian research groups, the regulations and application procedures are only available in French  and in Dutch.

Articles subsidized by the University Foundation

What follows is a list of articles to which a subsidy was awarded by the University Foundation. The titles are ordered by year of publication and by title.

E. Kowalski, M. Aluwé, B. Ampe, S. Janssens, N. Buys, S. De Smet & S. Millet

Kowalski, E. et al. (2024) Effect of sire type and a by-product based diet on performance and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs. Animal Vol. 18, Issue 3, 101-106.

For many years, pig production has focused on maximizing performance by selecting for maximal muscle growth and feeding diets that allow the animals to express their genetic potential. However, it is unclear whether this selection for muscle deposition has affected the capacity of pigs to cope with by-product based diets, which rely on fat as the primary energy source instead of starches and sugars.

Fabian Beeckman, Andrzej Drozdzecki, Alexa De Knijf, Dominique Audenaert, Tom Beeckman & Hans Motte

Beeckman F. et al. (2024) High-throughput assays to identify archaea-targeting nitrification inhibitorsFrontiers in Plant Science.14:1283047.doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1283047.

Nitrification is a microbial process that converts ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2 -) and then to nitrate (NO3-). The first and rate-limiting step in nitrification is ammonia oxidation, which is conducted by both bacteria and archaea. In agriculture, it is important to control this process as high nitrification rates result in NO3 - leaching, reduced nitrogen (N) availability for the plants and environmental problems such as eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions.

Natalia de Souza Araujo, Fernando Ogihara, Pedro Mariano Martins and Maria Cristina Arias

Araujo et al. (2024) Insights from Melipona bicolor hybrid genome assembly: a stingless bee genome with chromosome-level scafold. BMC Genomics 25:171 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10075-x

Background The highly eusocial stingless bees are crucial pollinators of native and agricultural ecosystems. Never theless, genomic studies within this bee tribe remain scarce. We present the genome assembly of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor. This bee is a remarkable exception to the typical single-queen colony structure, since in this spe cies, multiple queens may coexist and share reproductive duties, resulting in genetically diverse colonies with weak kinship connections. As the only known genuinely polygynous bee, M.

Kyara Baert, Mathieu Ombecq, Myriam Van Winckel, Silke Henry, Eline Tommelein & Valérie Vanhoorne

Baert, K. et al. (2024) The viscosity-enhancing effect of carob bean gum and sodium carboxymethylcellulose when added to infant formulaFood Science and Nutrition. 2024;00:1–10. 

Despite limited supporting evidence, the practice of thickening breast milk or infant formula with commercially available thickening agents is prevalent. This study explored the viscosity-enhancing impact of carob bean gum (CBG) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) when added to infant formula at various concentrations and for different thickening durations. The findings indicate that thickening leads to an exponential increase in milk viscosity, from 25% of the recommended dosage onward.

Lena Imeraj & Sylvie Gadeyne

 Imeraj L. &  Gadeyne S. (2024) Trapped in Place? Ethnic and Educational Heterogeneity in Residential Mobility and Integration of Young Adults in Brussels. European Journal of Population  40:5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-023-09690-3.

Spatial assimilation theory asserts that immigrants’ socioeconomic progress leads to residential adaptation and integration. This association has proven robust in USA and European urban areas through much of the twentieth century, but drastic change of ethnic and class compositions yet persistent (neighbourhood) inequality in the urban landscape urge us to reconsider the dynamic interaction between stability and change.

Alexandre Perrot, Boris Hespeels, Karine Van Doninck & Anne‑Catherine Heuskin

Perrot, A., Hespeels B., Van Doninck K. & Heuskin A. (2023) Adineta vaga under fire: simulating the impact of radiation Hydrobiologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05324-1

Previous studies have demonstrated the remarkable resistance of bdelloid rotifers to ionizing radiation, making them an interesting model system for studying radiation effects on living organisms. In this study, we use simulations, instead of direct experimental exposures, to examine whether all bdelloids are affected equally by radiation exposure and to explore the relationship between biological data and energy deposition patterns induced by low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation.

Arne Claeys, Peter Merseburger, Jasper Staut, Kathleen Marchal & Jimmy Van den Eynden

Claeys A, Merseburger P, Staut J,  Marchal K & Van den Eynden J,  Benchmark of tools for in silico prediction of MHC class I and class II genotypes from NGS data BMC Genomics (doi.org/10.1186/s12864-023-09351-z )

Background The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes are a group of highly polymorphic genes that are located in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region on chromosome 6. The HLA genotype affects the presentability of tumour antigens to the immune system. While knowledge of these genotypes is of utmost importance to study differences in immune responses between cancer patients, gold standard, PCR-derived genotypes are rarely available in large Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) datasets.

Frederick Asante, Jean Huge, Noble K. Asare & Farid Dahdouh-Guebas

Asante, F. et al.(2023) Does mangrove vegetation structure reflect human utilization of ecosystem goods and services? iScience, vol. 26, 106858.

Many coastal communities in developing countries depend on mangrove ecosystem services (ES). A combination of anthropogenic and environmental stresses threatens mangroves globally. This study at the Ankobra catchment communities in Ghana focused on the relation between ES utilization and mangrove forest structure. Through vegetation survey, we observed significant effects of selective logging, branch cutting, density of Acrostichum aureum, and water stress on tree stocking and sapling densities.

Femke Mortier, Sylvie Daminet, Luc Duchateau, Kristel Demeyere, Evelyne Meyer, & Dominique Paepe

Mortier, F. et al. (2023) Effect of laboratory and sample storage factors on urinary protein: creatinine ratios and clinical decision making in catsJournal of Internal Veterinary Medicine Vol.37, pp. 1038-1046.

Background
Urinary protein:creatinine ratio (UPC) results affect the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of chronic kidney disease in cats.

Objectives
To investigate the interlaboratory and intralaboratory variability and the effect of storage on UPC and International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) proteinuria substaging in cats.

Animals
Healthy and diseased client-owned cats.

Emma De Keersmaecker, Anke Van Bladel, Silvia Zaccardi, Nina Lefeber, Carlos Rodriguez-Guerrero, Eric Kerckhofs, Bart Jansen & Eva Swinnen

De Keersmaecker E.  (2023)  Effects of semi-immersive virtual reality and manipulation of optic flow speed on gait biomechanics in people post-stroke.Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 55:jmm12384.

This study investigated the effect of virtual reality and manipulation of the speed of the virtual environment while walking on a treadmill, both in people post-stroke and healthy people. Sixteen people post-stroke and 16 healthy controls walked on a self-paced treadmill.

Nele Bertels, Henk Seelen, Justine Dembele & Annemie Spooren

Bertels, N., Seelen H.,  Dembele J. & Spooren A. (2023) Essential training variables of arm-hand training in people with cervical spinal. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. 55: jrm7147.

Objective: To identify and evaluate 3 training variables of motor training programmes involving people with a cervical spinal cord injury: i.e. motor training strategies, therapy dosage, and persons’ motivation for arm-hand functioning in subacute and chronic phases.
Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, EMBASE, and DARE databases were searched for active arm-hand motor training programmes. Two independent reviewers assessed methodological quality. Pre-post effect

Julian Wechs,Cyril Branciard & Ognyan Oreshkov

Wechs J,, Branciard C. & Oreshkov, O.  (2023) Existence of processes violating causal inequalities on time-delocalised subsystems. Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36893-3.

It has been shown that it is theoretically possible for there to exist quantum and classical processes in which the operations performed by separate parties do not occur in a well-defined causal order. A central question is whether and how such processes can be realised in practice. In order to provide a rigorous framework for the notion that certain such processes have a realisation in standard quantum theory, the concept of time-delocalised quantum subsystem has been introduced.
Isabeau Van Acker, Alexis Dewaele, Els Elaut & Kariann Baetens

Van Acker, I.; Dewaele, A.; Elaut, E.& Baetens, K. (2023) Exploring Care Needs of Partners of Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals in Co-Transition: A Qualitative Interview Study. Healthcare, 11, 1535. https://doi.org/10.3390/ healthcare11111535

Abstract: Scientific knowledge on the impact of a gender-affirming transition on intimate partners of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals is limited. It is unclear which care needs partners have and which role health care professionals can play during this transition process. The aim of this study was to explore the unique experiences and care needs of people partnering with TGD people in the context of a gender-affirming transition.

S. Vanhuysse et al.

Vanhuysse, S. et al. (2023) Fine-scale mapping of urban malaria exposure under data scarcity: an approach centred on vector ecology, Malaria Journal vol. 22, art. number 113.

Background  Although malaria transmission has experienced an overall decline in sub-Saharan Africa, urban malaria is now considered an emerging health issue due to rapid and uncontrolled urbanization and the adaptation of vectors to urban environments. Fine-scale hazard and exposure maps are required to support evidence-based policies and targeted interventions, but data-driven predictive spatial modelling is hindered by gaps in epidemiological and entomological data.

Madiha Qayyum, Etienne E. Kerre & Shazia Rana

Qayyum M., Kerre E.E. & Rana S. (2023)  .FMIAT: Frequency Matrix Inclusion Analysis Technique for MCDMProceedings of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Tome 76, No 7, pp. 999-1007.

The wider applicability of inclusion measures as well as the diversity of data existing in real life situations has motivated most of the researchers to introduce a two degree inclusion indicator within the intuitionistic fuzzy framework. Although these measures are capable of portraying the level of inclusion as well as a non inclusion relation existing between objects under consideration yet, they lose their practical application due to their computational complexity in many decision making situations.

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