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.
Burgeon, C., (2021) Past, present, and future trends in boar taint detection Trends in Food Science and Technology, Volume 112, 283-297 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.04.007
Background
Boar taint is an unpleasant smell found in the meat of some uncastrated male pigs. This taint is often prevented by surgical castration without anesthesia or analgesia. However, this practice is an animal welfare concern. Production of entire males and immunocastration were suggested as alternatives. Ensuring that meat is untainted remains a priority for slaughterhouses. This has initiated research about the development of new boar taint detection methods. Most focus on detecting skatole and androstenone, two major contributors to boar taint.
Retout M., ,Gosselin B.,Mattiuzzi A.,Ternad I., Jabin I, and Bruylants G., Peptide-Conjugated Silver Nanoparticles for the Colorimetric Detection of the Oncoprotein Mdm2 in Human Serum, ChemPlusCjhem, vol.87, issue 4.
The development of efficient, reliable, and easy-to-use biosensors allowing early cancer diagnosis is of paramount importance for patients. Herein, we report a biosensor based on silver nanoparticles functionalized by peptide aptamers for the detection of a cancer biomarker, i. e. the Mdm2 protein. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were produced and stabilized with a thin PEGylated-calix[4]arene layer that allows (i) the steric stabilization of the AgNPs and (ii) the covalent conjugation of the peptide aptamers via the formation of an amide bond.
Nea, F., et al. (2021) Phytochemical Investigation and Biological Activities of Lantana rhodesiensis. Molecules 26, 846. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26040846
Abstract: Lantana rhodesiensis Moldenke is a plant widely used to treat diseases, such as rheumatism, diabetes, and malaria in traditional medicine. To better understand the traditional uses of this plant, a phytochemical study was undertaken, revealing a higher proportion of polyphenols, including flavonoids in L. rhodesiensis leaf extract and moderate proportion in stem and root extracts.
Colin, M., Dechêne, L. et al. (2021) Priming of mesenchymal stem cells with a hydrosoluble form of curcumin allows keeping their mesenchymal properties for cell‐based therapy development Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcmm.16403
Abstract : Mesenchymal stem cells are increasingly studied for their use as drug‐carrier in addition to their intrinsic potential for regenerative medicine. They could be used to transport molecules with a poor bioavailability such as curcumin in order to improve their clinical usage. This natural polyphenol, well‐known for its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, has a poor solubility that limits its clinical potential.
Plants are constantly facing abiotic and biotic stresses. To continue to thrive in their environment, they have developed many sophisticated mechanisms to perceive these stresses and provide an appropriate response. There are many ways to study these stress signals in plant, and among them, protoplasts appear to provide a unique experimental system. As plant cells devoid of cell wall, protoplasts allow observations at the individual cell level. They also offer a prime access to the plasma membrane and an original view on the inside of the cell.
Farid Dahdouh-Guebas et al. (2021) Reconciling nature, people and policy in the mangrove social-ecological system through the adaptive cycle heuristic. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Volume 248, 5 January 2021, 106942, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106942
Sow, M.; De Spiegelaere, M.; Raynault, M.-F. (2021) Risk of Low Birth Weight According to Household Composition in Brussels and Montreal: Do Income Support Policies Variations Explain the Differences Observed between Both Regions? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 7936. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157936
Abstract: Variations in social policy between countries provide opportunities to assess the impact of these policies on health inequities. This study compares the risk of low birth weight in Brussels and Montreal, according to household composition, and discusses the impact of income support policies. For each context, we estimated the impact of income support policies on the extent of poverty of welfare recipients, using the model family method.
Wauters, W. (2021) Smelling Disease and Death in the Antwerp Church of Our Lady, c. 1450-1559. Early Modern Low Countries, 1, pp. 17-39. DOI 10.51750/emlc10006
Abstract : Early modern societies were pervaded by smells and odours, but few traces have survived that offer a glimpse of the olfactory experience. This essay reconstructs this lost early modern ‘smellscape’, focusing on the smell of disease and death in the late medieval Antwerp Church of Our Lady (c. 1450-1559). Bustling cathedrals and parish churches could be a minefield of life-threatening odours, as there was a strong interaction between externally perceived body odour and a person’s inner sweetness.
Desbouys, L., Rouche, M., De Ridder, K., Pedroni, C., Castetbon, K. (2021) Ten‑year changes in diet quality among adolescents and young adults (Food Consumption Survey 2004 and 2014, Belgium) European Journal of Nutrition https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02499-y
Abstract
Purpose To estimate the 10-year change in the overall nutritional quality of adolescent and young adult’s diet, as measured by the modified Nutrient Profiling System of the British Food Standards Agency individual Dietary Index (FSAm-NPS-DI) which funds the Nutri-Score development, and in different components of this score, overall and according to the individual characteristics.
Descamps, C. et al. (2021) The effects of drought on plant–pollinator interactions: What to expect? Environmental and Experimental Botany Volume 182, 104297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2020.104297
Abstract : Current predictions suggest that in temperate zones climate change will increase the frequency of extreme events such as summer droughts, leading to deficit in water availability for ecosystems. Plants will more often experience water stress during the spring and summer. The effects of drought on plants in these systems have predominantly been studied in wind-pollinated crop species, focusing on vegetative growth or yield.
Bourgeois, S.; Sawatani, T.; Van Mulders, A.; De Leu, N.; Heremans, Y.; Heimberg, H.; Cnop, M.; Staels, W. (2021) Towards a functional cure for diabetes using stem cellderived beta cells: are we there yet? Cells 2021, 10, 191.
Diabetes mellitus is a pandemic metabolic disorder that results from either the autoimmune destruction or the dysfunction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. A promising cure is beta cell replacement through the transplantation of islets of Langerhans. However, donor shortage hinders the widespread implementation of this therapy. Human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, represent an attractive alternative beta cell source for transplantation.
Rouche, M. et al. (2021) Twenty-Four-Year Trends in Family and Regional Disparities in Fruit, Vegetable and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption among Adolescents in Belgium International Journal of Environmental research and Public Health, 18(9), 4408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094408
Abstract: Dietary habits are influenced by various determinants that may evolve over time. This study aimed to examine, among adolescents in Belgium, trends in the dietary habits between 1990 and 2014 and to determine changes in family and regional disparities related to diet during this time period. In the 1990, 2002 and 2014 cross-sectional “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” (HBSC) surveys, food consumption was estimated using a short Food Frequency Questionnaire.
Lukicheva, S., & Mardulyn, P. (2021). Whole-genome sequencing reveals asymmetric introgression between two sister species of cold-resistant leaf beetles. Molecular Ecology, 00, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16011
Abstract : A large number of genetic variation studies have identified cases of mitochondrial genome introgression in animals, indicating that reproductive barriers among closely related species are often permeable. Because of its sheer size, the impact of hybridization on the evolution of the nuclear genome is more difficult to apprehend. Only a few studies have explored it recently thanks to recent progress in DNA sequencing and genome assembly.
Abstract : Innovative programs that emerge in response to the rapidly changing care needs of older adults provide an opportunity to study the transformations in working and employment conditions within the homecare sector. This study seeks to understand how innovations introduced in the homecare sector have affected the well-being of homecare workers providing non-medical domestic support to older adults who wish to age in place.
Saénz A. A. et al. (2020) ADHD and ASD: distinct brain patterns of inhibition-related activation? Translational Psychiatry vol. 10, 1-10.