Publications

Environmental impact assessments of marine aggregate extraction are traditionally conducted based on morphological characteristics of macrobenthos, which is time-consuming, labour-intensive and requires specific taxonomic expert knowledge. Bulk DNA metabarcoding is suggested as a promising alternative. This study compares the traditional morphological and the bulk DNA metabarcoding method to assess the impact of sand extraction activities on ...

Managing athletic training is an intensive and complex process, requiring specialized strategies to optimize both health and performance outcomes. At its core lies the intricate interplay of biological and physical pathways spanning from the cellular to the organismal level within the human body. This inherent complexity is compounded by the fact that no two athletes are alike, each presenting a unique physiological profile that demands ...

The ambition of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.3 is to improve global water quality by 2030. SDG indicator 6.3.2 monitors progress towards this target by assessing water bodies against ‘good’ ambient water quality criteria, with nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) as part of the key metrics. However, large data gaps present a fundamental challenge, especially for Africa on how to assess the progress being made with respect to both ...

Environmental enrichment using elevated platforms is one of the emerging approaches to improve the welfare of broiler chickens. Following promising results of these platforms with integrated additional functionalities i.e. cooling system, manure collection trays and sheltered area on litter quality and related welfare indicators in experimental settings, this study aimed to test these platforms in a commercial pilot farm. The objectives were a) ...

Trace metals and metalloids are groups of chemical elements that naturally occur in low concentrations and cycle in the environment driven by natural processes and human activities. They have a persistent and bio-accumulative tendency in the environment, and certain trace metals and metalloids have become a public health concern. This study assesses the concentration of eleven trace metals and a metalloid in sediments and catfish muscle from ...

Offshore wind turbines are dynamic structures that require an accurate estimate of the main eigenfrequencies to avoid resonance and, as a result, increased fatigue damage. This contribution focuses on the first and second mode eigenfrequencies measured over an entire offshore wind farm in the Belgian North Sea. The comparison between the field measurements during parked conditions and design estimations yields the same conclusions as previous ...

The integration of eDNA metabarcoding into monitoring programs provides valuable information about fish community structures. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the method's effectiveness in distinguishing fine-scale eDNA signals, there is a limited understanding of eDNA distribution in shallow, well-mixed environments, especially related to sampling depth. We analyzed 167 samples collected from the surface and bottom water at 17 ...

BACKGROUND: Increasing studies linked outdoor air pollution (OAP), indoor environmental factors (IEFs), and antibiotics use (AU) with the first wave of allergies (i.e., asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema), yet the role of their exposures on children's second wave of allergy (i.e., food allergy) are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between exposure to OAP and IEFs and childhood doctor-diagnosed food allergy (DFA) during the ...

This paper introduces a transformative “living” hypothesis in architecture and engineering, proposing a paradigm shift from conventional design to regenerative, ecologically interconnected resilient systems. At the heart of our hypothesis is the integration of earth-bound materials and bioreceptive surfaces through metabolic exchanges that can be directly monitored via bioelectricity using advanced computational models and cooperative governance ...