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.
Górczak K, Burzykowski, T & Claesen J 2025) A hierarchical negative-binomial model for analysis of correlated sequencing. Bioinformatics Advances, vol 5, issue1, vbaf126 https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbaf126
High-throughput techniques for biological and (bio)medical sciences often result in read counts used in downstream analysis. Nowadays, complex experimental designs in combination with these high-throughput methods are regularly applied and lead to correlated count-data measured from matched samples or taken from the same subject under multiple treatment conditions. Additionally, as is common with biological data, the variance is often larger than the mean, leading to over dispersed count data.
Poulain M. et al. (2025) At the Apothecary: Life in an International District in 15th-Century Bruges. Medieval Archaeology vol. 69 n° 1.
In 1996, A cesspit was uncovered in the backyard of Bruges’ Spanish nation house. The interdisciplinary study of this old rescue excavation sheds new light on life in the city’s international district between the late 14th and early 16th century. The refuse in the cesspit is what is left of several generations of traders, from a well-to-do apothecary, employing alchemical apparatus in the production of pigments, to Spanish traders documented at the site from the 1480s onwards.
Shiqiang Xu et al. (f2025) Bending the boundaries: the many facets of endophilin-As from membrane dynamics to disease. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 82:339 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-025-05856-w
The endophilin-A proteins (EndoAs) are Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain proteins with key roles in both clathrin-ediated (CME) and clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE). Humans have three differentially expressed EndoAs, EndoA1, -A2, and -A3, encoded by the SH3GL2/1/3 genes, respectively. Their functions primarily arise from their N-terminal BAR domain, which senses and induces local membrane curvature, and C-terminal SH3 domain, which mediates interactions with various proline-rich domain-containing partners.
Duquesne E. & Fournier D. (2025) Climate change redefines sea turtle hotspots: Vessel strike risks and gaps in protected areas. Science Advances 11, eadw4495.
Climate change is altering marine ecosystems, driving shifts in sea turtle distributions and challenging conservation efforts. Our study examines how climate change affects the global sea distribution of all seven sea turtle species, intersecting with marine protected areas (MPAs) and shipping corridors. Using species distribution models and environmental data from 2000 to 2024, we project sea turtle habitats under current conditions and three future climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) for 2050 and 2100.
Scoubeau, C. et al. (2025) Comparison of body composition, cardiorespiratory, and neuromuscular adaptations induced by three different high intensity training protocols. Physiological Reports https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70306.
This study investigated body composition, cardiorespiratory, and neuromuscular adaptations induced by three high intensity trainings easy to fit into daily routine. Thirty-seven adults participated in one of the following 8-week interventions: vigorous intensity continuous training (VICT; 28 min at 70% of peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak]), long interval high intensity interval training (LI-HIIT;6 × 2 min at 85% VO2peak), or short interval HIIT (SI-HIIT; 12 × 30 s at 125% maximal power output).
Gheysen J. et al. (2025) Development and characterisation of a liquid phase assisted healable aluminium-magnesium alloy processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion. Materials & Design 258, 114573.
Strategies to prevent the failure of Al alloys usually aim to optimise composition and microstructure to minimise damage initiation and propagation. However, these are inherently limited in that any damage that nucleates will not disappear. A new liquid phase assisted healable Al-Mg alloy is designed. Its microstructure is composed of a network of a lower melting point eutectic phase distributed within a higher melting point matrix.
Defalque C. et al. (2025) Drought and High Temperatures Impact the Plant–Pollinator Interactions in Fagopyrum esculentum. Plants 14, 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010131
As a result of climate change, temperate regions are facing the simultaneous increase in water and heat stress. These changes may affect the interactions between plants and pollinators, which will have an impact on entomophilous crop yields. Here, we investigated the consequences of high temperatures and water stress on plant growth, floral biology, flower-reward production, and insect visitation of five varieties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), an entomophilous crop of growing interest for sustainable agriculture.
De Baetselier, E. et al. (2025) EQUANU: Equality in Societal and Professional Recognition of Nurses—A Cross-Sectional Study on Societal and Professional Recognition of European Nurses. Journal of Nursing Management. Article ID 7466527, 13 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/jonm/7466527.
Background: Despite trends towards greater professionalisation of the nursing profession and an improved public image in certain countries, studies also show that large proportions of the public still do not fully appreciate nurses’ competencies. Mapping differences in the societal and professional recognition of nurses allows for benchmarking among countries.
De Kock C. et al. (2025) Ethics in Qualitative Migration and Refugee Studies in Europe: From “Doing no Harm” to Reciprocity and Equity. International Journal of Qualitative Methods Vol 24,1-18.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are key concepts in European ethical research standards, especially in qualitative migration and refugee studies (QMRS). The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA, 2012, 2023) provides a framework for the European research community that is grounded in the principles of doing no harm, reliability, honesty, respect, and accountability. The 2023 revision of this Code also emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Asryan, L. & Rots, V.(2024) Exploring Basalt: A Methodological Framework for Analysing Wear Traces on Basalt Tools. J Archaeol Method Theory vol 31, pp. 1954–1983, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-024-09663-8
Basalt is a widely used raw material for tool manufacture at prehistoric sites, but a unified methodology for assessing how hominfins used basalt in prehistory is lacking. A comprehensive experimental investigation of basalt tools is, thus, necessary to establish a reliable methodological framework that can be used to explore the functional properties of archaeological basalt assemblages.
Keirsebelik H. et al. (2025) From non‑tidal to tidal environments: movement behaviour of Chinese mitten crabs on downstream spawning migration. Movement Ecology 13:25 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-025-00548-3
Background The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is a widespread species that is both threatened and commercially valuable in its native range, but considered invasive in various other parts of the world. Being catadromous, their downstream spawning migration to the sea marks the crucial final step in their life. Yet, little is known about their behaviour during this migration.
Gezels E. e.a. (2025) General Practitioners’ Needs and Preferences Regarding the Provision of Self-sampling Tests for Cervical Cancer Screening in Flanders, Belgium. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, Vol.16: 1–12, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/21501319251320178.
Background: Screening coverage for cervical cancer remains suboptimal in Flanders, Belgium. The upcoming transition to primary HPV screening in January 2025 presents an opportunity to offer self-sampling kits (SSKs) as an alternative to conventional Pap smears, with the potential to increase participation rates. General practitioners (GPs) can play a crucial role in reaching under-screened populations. Hereto it is essential to understand the needs and preferences of GPs regarding the integration of SSKs into their routine practice.
Adant L. et al. (2025) Genetic counseling in veterinary medicine: towards an evidence‑based definition for the small animal practice. BMC Veterinary Research 21:89 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04495-4.
Background In human medicine, questions regarding heritable disorders are dealt with by clinical geneticists and genetic counselors and both the field, their roles and the tools they use are well-defined. Even though the prevalence of diseases is far higher and scientific literature agrees on expectations towards an increased importance, this does not seem to be the case in veterinary medicine. While we hypothesize that there will be an overlap, some characteristics uniquely linked to veterinary medicine might not be covered.
Wels J. & Hamarat N. (2025) Incidence and Prevalence of Reported Euthanasia Cases in Belgium, 2002 to 2023. JAMA Network Open 8(4):e256841. 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.6841.
IMPORTANCE Reported cases of assisted dying have increased in countries with such legislation. In Belgium, where euthanasia was legalized in mid-2002, cases rose from 236 in 2003 to 3423 in 2023. Most previous studies have focused on occurrence rates.
OBJECTIVE To examine the magnitude of the increase in euthanasia cases and its association with demographic changes observed during the study period.
Markaryan M. et al. (2025) Integrating interventions based on cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in physical therapist practice for individuals with chronic pain and insomnia: Identifying barriers and formulating implementation strategies. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy 29 (2025) 101243.
Introduction: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-choice treatment for insomnia disorders. Although CBT-I is primarily provided by trained psychologists, evidence shows that other healthcare providers can also successfully apply interventions based on CBT-I principles in absence of complex psychiatric comorbidities. Because insomnia and chronic pain often co-occur, integrating CBT-I-based interventions into physical therapy is relevant.