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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ryckx S. et al. (2023) Peripheral precocious puberty in Li–Fraumeni syndrome: a case report and literature review of pure androgen‑secreting adrenocortical tumors Journal of Medical Case Reports 17:195, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-023-03889-y
Introduction Pure androgen-secreting adrenocortical tumors are a rare but important cause of eripheral precocious puberty.
Opsomer S. et al. Resilience in advanced cancer caregiving promoted by an intimate partner’s support network: insights through the lens of complexity science. A framework analysis. BMC Palliative Care (2023) 22:12 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-023-01134-3
Abstract Background The tremendous physical and mental burden that comes with caregiving puts the intimate partners of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer at risk for mental disorders. However, most partners seem to be protected by resilience. Such a resilience process is promoted by certain individual characteristics (e.g., flexibility, positive attitude, internal strength, capacity to balance incoming and outgoing information, and ability to ask for and accept