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.
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.
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.
Vantieghem W, Roose I, Goosen K, Schelfhout W, Van Avermaet P (2023) Education for all in action: Measuring teachers’ competences for inclusive education. PLoS ONE 18(11): e0291033. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.one.0291033
While inclusive education has achieved international importance, there is no valid instrument to measure teachers’ competences in creating quality classrooms for diverse learners, which this study aims to remedy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with 975 preservice teachers and 600 in-service teachers were used. Central to teachers’ inclusive teaching competency is both beliefs and efficacy.
Mortier, F. et al. (2023) Effect of laboratory and sample storage factors on urinary protein: creatinine ratios and clinical decision making in cats. Journal 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Qayyum M., Kerre E.E. & Rana S. (2023) .FMIAT: Frequency Matrix Inclusion Analysis Technique for MCDM. Proceedings 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.
Moreels, P. et al. (2023) Intra- and inter-specific reproductive barriers in the tomato clade..Frontiers in Plant Science. 14:1326689.doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1326689.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) domestication and later introduction into Europe resulted in a genetic bottleneck that reduced genetic variation. Crosses with other wild tomato species from the Lycopersicon clade can be used to increase genetic diversity and improve important agronomic traits such as stress tolerance. However, many species in the Lycopersicon clade have intraspecific and interspecific incompatibility, such as gametophytic self-incompatibility and unilateral incompatibility.
De Weerdt, J. et al. (2023) Migratory destinations and spatial structuring of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) wintering off Nicaragua, Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41923-7
Understanding the migratory patterns of large whales is of conservation importance, especially in identifying threats to specific populations. Migration ecology, including migratory destinations, movements and site fidelity for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) remain poorly studied in parts of the range of the Central America population, considered endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. This study aimed to investigate the migratory destinations of humpback whales sighted at two study sites in Nicaragua, which are part of the Central America population.
Servais L., Huberland V. & Richelle L. (2025) Misuse of Pregabalin: a qualitative study from a patient’s perspective. BMC Public Health 23:1339.
Introduction The misuse of Pregabalin has been the subject of growing concern for several years. The effects sought are multiple and it is rarely taken as a single drug. It is most frequently used together with opioids, which may increase the risk of fatal overdose. In response to this emerging phenomenon, we seek to better understand the situation of misuse in Belgium and identify the people involved in it.
Cossard A., Stam K., Smets A. & Jossin Y. (2023) MKL/SRF and Bcl6 mutual transcriptional repression safeguards the fate and positioning of neocortical progenitor cells mediated by RhoA. Science Advances eadd0676.
During embryogenesis, multiple intricate and intertwined cellular signaling pathways coordinate cell behavior. Their slightest alterations can have dramatic consequences for the cells and the organs they form. The transcriptional repressor Bcl6 was ecently found as important for brain development. However, its regulation and integration with other signals is unknown.
Nauwynck E. et al. (2023) Parsing Genetic and Autoimmune Etiology in Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. JCEM Case Reports 1, 1–5 https://doi.org/10.1210/jcemcr/luad124
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a rare cause of primary amenorrhea in adolescents. For young women with uncertain etiology of POI, genetic and autoimmune testing may be recommended to assist in treatment and management decisions. This report presents a case of POI in a 16-year-old adolescent with both poly-autoimmune disease and a heterozygous missense variant in the bone morphogenic factor 15 (BMP15) gene, both potentially involved in the pathogenesis of POI.
Esposito G. et al. (2023) Participatory governance in megaprojects: the Lyon–Turin high-speed railway among structure, agency, and democratic participation. Policy and Society. puac/029.
Megaprojects are increasingly common across countries and attract substantial political attention from a variety of actors. Recent studies have highlighted the need to move from an understanding of megaprojects as linear and rational processes towards a more nuanced approach that accounts for non-linear and conflictual aspects. Participatory governance is often proposed as a valuable resource in this regard.