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Author Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Effect of size distribution, skewness and roughness on the optical properties of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Colloids and surfaces: A: physicochemical and engineering aspects Abbreviated Journal Colloid Surface A  
  Volume 640 Issue Pages 128521  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) It is a generally accepted idea that the particle size distribution strongly affects the optical spectra of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles. It is often quoted as one of the main reasons while explaining the mismatch between the theoretical and experimental optical spectra of such nanoparticles. In this work, these aspects are critically analyzed by means of a bottom up statistical approach that considers variables such as mean, standard deviation and skewness of the nanoparticle size distribution independently from one another. By assuming normal and log-normal distributions of the particle size, the effect of the statistical parameters on the Mie analytical optical spectra of colloidal nanoparticles was studied. The effect of morphology was also studied numerically in order to understand to what extent it can play a role. It is our finding that the particle polydispersity, skewness and surface morphology in fact only weakly impact the optical spectra. While, the selection of suitable optical constants with regard to the crystallinity of the nanoparticles is a far more influential factor for correctly predicting both the plasmon band position and the plasmon bandwidth in theoretical simulations of the optical spectra. It is shown that the mean particle size can be correctly estimated directly from the plasmon band position, as it is the mean that determines the resonance wavelength. The standard deviation can on the other hand be estimated from the intensity distribution data obtained from dynamic light scattering experiments. The results reported herein clear the ambiguity around particle size distribution and optical response of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Elservier Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000765946900002 Publication Date 2022-02-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0927-7757 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.2  
  Call Number DuEL @ duel @c:irua:185704 Serial 6908  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Omranian, S.R.; Geluykens, M.; Van Hal, M.; Hasheminejad, N.; Rocha Segundo, I.; Pipintakos, G.; Denys, S.; Tytgat, T.; Fraga Freitas, E.; Carneiro, J.; Verbruggen, S.; Vuye, C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Assessing the potential of application of titanium dioxide for photocatalytic degradation of deposited soot on asphalt pavement surfaces Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Construction and building materials Abbreviated Journal Constr Build Mater  
  Volume 350 Issue Pages 128859-13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) It is known that pollutants and their irreparable influence can considerably jeopardize the environment and human health. Such disastrous, growing, hazardous particles urged researchers to find effective ways and diminish their destructive impacts and preserve our planet. This study evaluates the potential of incorporating Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) semiconductor nanoparticles on asphalt pavements to degrade pollutants without compromising bitumen performance. Accordingly, the Response Surface Method (RSM) was employed to develop an experimental matrix based on the central composite design. Image Analysis (IA) was used to determine the rate of soot degradation (as pollutant representative) using MATLAB and ImageJ software. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) were finally carried out to estimate the effects of adding different percentages of TiO2 on the micro -structural features and dispersion of the TiO2, chemical fingerprinting, and rheological performance of the bituminous binder. The results showed a promising potential of TiO2 to degrade soot (over 50%) during the conducted experiments. In addition, the RSM outcomes showed that applying a higher amount of TiO2 is more efficient for pollutant degradation. Finally, no negative impact was observed, neither on the rheological behavior nor on the aging susceptibility of the bitumen, even though the homogenous dispersion of the TiO2 was clearly captured via CLSM.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000848227000001 Publication Date 2022-08-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0950-0618 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.4  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189820 Serial 7128  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Anibas, C.; Schneidewind, U.; Vandersteen, G.; Joris, I.; Seuntjens, P.; Batelaan, O. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title From streambed temperature measurements to spatial-temporal flux quantification : using the LPML method to study groundwater-surface water interaction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Hydrological processes Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 30 Issue 2 Pages 203-216  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Knowledge on groundwater-surface water interaction and especially on exchange fluxes between streams and aquifers is an important prerequisite for the study of transport and fate of contaminants and nutrients in the hyporheic zone. One possibility to quantify groundwater-surface water exchange fluxes is by using heat as an environmlental tracer. Modern field equipment including multilevel temperature sticks and the novel open-source analysis tool LPML make this technique ever more attractive. The recently developed LPML method solves the one-dimensional fluid flow and heat transport equation by combining a local polynomial method with a maximum likelihood estimator. In this study, we apply the LPML method on field data to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of vertical fluxes and their uncertainties from temperature-time series measured in a Belgian lowland stream. Over several months, temperature data were collected with multilevel temperature sticks at the streambed top and at six depths for a small stream section. Long-term estimates show a range from gaining fluxes of -291 mm day(-1) to loosing fluxes of 12 mm day(-1); average seasonal fluxes ranged from -138 mm day(-1) in winter to -16 mm day(-1) in summer. With our analyses, we could determine a high spatial and temporal variability of vertical exchange fluxes for the investigated stream section. Such spatial and temporal variability should be taken into account in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients and metals and in fate analysis of contaminant plumes. In general, the stream section was gaining during most of the observation period. Two short-term high stream stage events, seemingly caused by blockage of the stream outlet, led to a change in flow direction from gaining to losing conditions. We also found more discharge occurring at the outer stream bank than at the inner one indicating a local flow-through system. With the conducted analyses, we were able to advance our understanding of the regional groundwater flow system. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000369164900004 Publication Date 2015-06-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0885-6087 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:131587 Serial 7986  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Desmet, N.; Touchant, K.; Seuntjens, P.; Tang, T.; Bronders, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A hybrid monitoring and modelling approach to assess the contribution of sources of glyphosate and AMPA in large river catchments Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication The science of the total environment Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 573 Issue Pages 1580-1588  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Large river catchments with mixed land use capture pesticides from many sources, and degradable pesticides are converted during downstream transport. Unravelling the contribution of pesticide source and the effect of degradation processes is a challenge in such areas. However, insight and understanding of the sources is important for targeted managen-lent, especially when water is abstracted from the river for drinking water production. The river Meuse is such a case. A long-term monitoring data set was applied in a modelling approach for assessing the contribution of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) and tributaries (sub-basins) to surface water contamination, and to evaluate the effect of decay on the downstream concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA at the point of drinking water abstraction. The results show that WWTPs are important contributors for glyphosate and AMPA in large river catchments with mixed land uses. In the studied area, the river Meuse in the Netherlands, the relative contribution of WWTP effluents is above 29% for glyphosate and around 12% for AMPA. Local industries are found to be potentially big contributors of AMPA. Glyphosate entering the river system is gradually converted to AMPA and other degradation-productions, which results in downstream loads that are considerably lower than the sum of all influxes. In summer when the travel time is longer due to lower discharge, the first order decay of glyphosate in the river Meuse is estimated to result in about 50% reduction of the downstream glyphosate concentrations over a river stretch of 250 km. The contribution of glyphosate decay to the observed AMPA concentrations ranges between 2% and 10%. Contributions are sensitive to seasonal variations in discharge that influence the concentrations through dilution and degradation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000390071000153 Publication Date 2016-10-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0048-9697; 1879-1026 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:140296 Serial 7391  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Shi, P.; Yu, K.; Niinemets, Ü.; Gielis, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Can leaf shape be represented by the ratio of leaf width to length? Evidence from nine species of Magnolia and Michelia (Magnoliaceae) Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Forests Abbreviated Journal Forests  
  Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 41  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Leaf shape is closely related to economics of leaf support and leaf functions, including light interception, water use, and CO2 uptake, so correct quantification of leaf shape is helpful for studies of leaf structure/function relationships. There are some extant indices for quantifying leaf shape, including the leaf width/length ratio (W/L), leaf shape fractal dimension (FD), leaf dissection index, leaf roundness index, standardized bilateral symmetrical index, etc. W/L ratio is the simplest to calculate, and recent studies have shown the importance of the W/L ratio in explaining the scaling exponent of leaf dry mass vs. leaf surface area and that of leaf surface area vs. leaf length. Nevertheless, whether the W/L ratio could reflect sufficient geometrical information of leaf shape has been not tested. The FD might be the most accurate measure for the complexity of leaf shape because it can characterize the extent of the self-similarity and other planar geometrical features of leaf shape. However, it is unknown how strongly different indices of leaf shape complexity correlate with each other, especially whether W/L ratio and FD are highly correlated. In this study, the leaves of nine Magnoliaceae species (>140 leaves for each species) were chosen for the study. We calculated the FD value for each leaf using the box-counting approach, and measured leaf fresh mass, surface area, perimeter, length, and width. We found that FD is significantly correlated to the W/L ratio and leaf length. However, the correlation between FD and the W/L ratio was far stronger than that between FD and leaf length for each of the nine species. There were no strong correlations between FD and other leaf characteristics, including leaf area, ratio of leaf perimeter to area, fresh mass, ratio of leaf fresh mass to area, and leaf roundness index. Given the strong correlation between FD and W/L, we suggest that the simpler index, W/L ratio, can provide sufficient information of leaf shape for similarly-shaped leaves. Future studies are needed to characterize the relationships among FD and W/L in leaves with strongly varying shape, e.g., in highly dissected leaves.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000611074700001 Publication Date 2020-12-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1999-4907 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.951 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.951  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:174473 Serial 7572  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wittner, N.; Slezsák, J.; Broos, W.; Geerts, J.; Gergely, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Cornet, I. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Rapid lignin quantification for fungal wood pretreatment by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Spectrochimica acta: part A: molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 121912  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract (up) Lignin determination in lignocellulose with the conventional two-step acid hydrolysis method is highly laborious and time-consuming. However, its quantification is crucial to monitor fungal pretreatment of wood, as the increase of acid-insoluble lignin (AIL) degradation linearly correlates with the achievable enzymatic saccharification yield. Therefore, in this study, a new attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy method was developed to track fungal delignification in an easy and rapid manner. Partial least square regression (PLSR) with cross-validation (CV) was applied to correlate the ATR-FTIR spectra with the AIL content (19.9%–27.1%). After variable selection and normalization, a PLSR model with a high coefficient of determination (  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000985309100010 Publication Date 2022-09-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1386-1425 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.4; 2023 IF: 2.536  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190328 Serial 7201  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wittner, N.; Gergely, S.; Slezsák, J.; Broos, W.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Cornet, I. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Follow-up of solid-state fungal wood pretreatment by a novel near-infrared spectroscopy-based lignin calibration model Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of microbiological methods Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 208 Issue Pages 106725-106727  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract (up) Lignin removal plays a crucial role in the efficient bioconversion of lignocellulose to fermentable sugars. As a delignification process, fungal pretreatment has gained great interest due to its environmental friendliness and low energy consumption. In our previous study, a positive linear correlation between acid-insoluble lignin degradation and the achievable enzymatic saccharification yield has been found, hereby highlighting the importance of the close follow-up of lignin degradation during the solid-state fungal pretreatment process. However, the standard quantification of lignin, which relies on the two-step acid hydrolysis of the biomass, is highly laborious and time-consuming. Vibrational spectroscopy has been proven as a fast and easy alternative; however, it has not been extensively researched on lignocellulose subjected to solid-state fungal pretreatment. Therefore, the present study examined the suitability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for the rapid and easy assessment of lignin content in poplar wood pretreated with Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Furthermore, the predictive power of the obtained calibration model and the recently published ATR-FTIR spectroscopy-based model were compared for the first time using the same fungus-treated wood data set. PLSR was used to correlate the NIR spectra to the acid-insoluble lignin contents (19.9%-27.1%) of pretreated wood. After normalization and second derivation, a PLSR model with a good coefficient of determination (RCV2 = 0.89) and a low root mean square error (RMSECV = 0.55%) were obtained despite the heterogeneous nature of the fungal solid-state fermentation. The performance of this PLSR model was comparably good to the one obtained by ATR-FTIR (RCV2 = 0.87) while it required more extensive spectral pre-processing. In conclusion, both methods will be highly useful for the high-throughput and user-friendly monitoring of lignin degradation in a solid-state fungal pretreatment-based biorefinery concept.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000983287400001 Publication Date 2023-04-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0167-7012 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195814 Serial 9038  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Weiβ, R.; Gritsch, S.; Brader, G.; Nikolic, B.; Spiller, M.; Santolin, J.; Weber, H.K.; Schwaiger, N.; Pluchon, S.; Dietel, K.; Guebitz, G.; Nyanhongo, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A biobased, bioactive, low CO₂ impact coating for soil improvers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Green Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Green Chem  
  Volume 23 Issue 17 Pages 6501-6514  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Lignosulfonate-based bioactive coatings as soil improvers for lawns were developed using laccase as a biocatalyst. Incorporation of glycerol, xylitol and sorbitol as plasticizers considerably reduced the brittleness of the synthesized coatings of marine carbonate granules while thermal enzyme inactivation at 100 degrees C enabled the production of stable coatings. Heat inactivation produced stable coatings with a molecular weight of 2000 kDa and a viscosity of 4.5 x 10(-3) Pas. The desired plasticity for the spray coating of soil improver granules was achieved by the addition of 2.7% of xylitol. Agriculture beneficial microorganisms (four different Bacillus species) were integrated into the coatings. The stable coatings protected the marine calcium carbonate granules, maintained the viability of the microorganisms and showed no toxic effects on the germination and growth of model plants including corn, wheat, salad, and tomato despite a slight delay in germination. Moreover, the coatings reduced the dust formation of soil improvers by 70%. CO2 emission analysis showed potential for the reduction of up to 3.4 kg CO2-eq. kg(-1) product, making it a viable alternative to fossil-based coatings.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000683056500001 Publication Date 2021-08-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1463-9262; 1463-9270 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.125 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.125  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:180511 Serial 7558  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Spiller, M.; Muys, M.; Papini, G.; Sakarika, M.; Buyle, M.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Environmental impact of microbial protein from potato wastewater as feed ingredient : comparative consequential life cycle assessment of three production systems and soybean meal Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume 171 Issue Pages 115406  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB)  
  Abstract (up) Livestock production is utilizing large amounts of protein-rich feed ingredients such as soybean meal. The proven negative environmental impacts of soybean meal production incentivize the search for alternative protein sources. One promising alternative is Microbial Protein (MP), i.e. dried microbial biomass. To date, only few life cycle assessments (LCAs) for MP have been carried out, none of which has used a consequential modelling approach nor has been investigating the production of MP on food and beverage wastewater. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of MP production on a food and beverage effluent as a substitute for soybean meal using a consequential modelling approach. Three different types of MP production were analysed, namely consortia containing Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria (AHB), Microalgae and AHB (MaB), and Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria (PNSB). The production of MP was modelled for high-strength potato wastewater (COD = 10 kg/m3) at a flow rate of 1,000 m3/day. LCA results were compared against soybean meal production for the endpoint impact categories human health, ecosystems, and resources. Soybean meal showed up to 52% higher impact on human health and up to 87% higher impact on ecosystems than MP. However, energy-related aspects resulted in an 8–88% higher resource exploitation for MP. A comparison between the MP production systems showed that MaB performed best when considering ecosystems (between 13 and 14% better) and resource (between 71 and 80% better) impact categories, while AHB and PNSB had lower values for the impact category human health (8–12%). The sensitivity analysis suggests that the conclusions drawn are robust as in the majority of 1,000 Monte Carlo runs the initial results are confirmed. In conclusion, it is suggested that MP is an alternative protein source of comparatively low environmental impact that should play a role in the future protein transition, in particular when further process improvements can be implemented and more renewable or waste energy sources will be used.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000514748900032 Publication Date 2019-12-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.8 Times cited 10 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors would like to thank (i) the MIP i-Cleantech Flanders (Milieu innovatieplatform; Environment innovation platform) project Microbial Nutrients on Demand (MicroNOD; 150360) for financial support, (ii) the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) for supporting Gustavo Papini with a doctoral fellowship (strategic basic research; 1S38917N), (iii) Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) for supporting Matthias Buyle with a post-doctoral fellowship (Postdoctoral Fellow junior; 1207520N), and (iv) Bo Weidema, Abbas Alloul, Yixing Sui and Tim Van Winckel for their insightful discussions. ; Approved Most recent IF: 12.8; 2020 IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164944 Serial 6509  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Micco, V.; Amitrano, C.; Mastroleo, F.; Aronne, G.; Battistelli, A.; Carnero-Diaz, E.; De Pascale, S.; Detrell, G.; Dussap, C.-G.; Ganigué, R.; Jakobsen, Ø.M.; Poulet, L.; Van Houdt, R.; Verseux, C.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Willaert, R.; Leys, N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Plant and microbial science and technology as cornerstones to Bioregenerative Life Support Systems in space Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication NPJ microgravity Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 69-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Long-term human space exploration missions require environmental control and closed Life Support Systems (LSS) capable of producing and recycling resources, thus fulfilling all the essential metabolic needs for human survival in harsh space environments, both during travel and on orbital/planetary stations. This will become increasingly necessary as missions reach farther away from Earth, thereby limiting the technical and economic feasibility of resupplying resources from Earth. Further incorporation of biological elements into state-of-the-art (mostly abiotic) LSS, leading to bioregenerative LSS (BLSS), is needed for additional resource recovery, food production, and waste treatment solutions, and to enable more self-sustainable missions to the Moon and Mars. There is a whole suite of functions crucial to sustain human presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and successful settlement on Moon or Mars such as environmental control, air regeneration, waste management, water supply, food production, cabin/habitat pressurization, radiation protection, energy supply, and means for transportation, communication, and recreation. In this paper, we focus on air, water and food production, and waste management, and address some aspects of radiation protection and recreation. We briefly discuss existing knowledge, highlight open gaps, and propose possible future experiments in the short-, medium-, and long-term to achieve the targets of crewed space exploration also leading to possible benefits on Earth.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001093834300001 Publication Date 2023-08-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2373-8065 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199050 Serial 8916  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lindeboom, R.E.F.; Ilgrande, C.; Carvajal-Arroyo, J.M.; Coninx, I.; Van Hoey, O.; Roume, H.; Morozova, J.; Udert, K.M.; Sas, B.; Paille, C.; Lasseur, C.; Ilyin, V.; Clauwaert, P.; Leys, N.; Vlaeminck, S.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Nitrogen cycle microorganisms can be reactivated after Space exposure Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Scientific reports Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 8 Issue Pages 13783  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Long-term human Space missions depend on regenerative life support systems (RLSS) to produce food, water and oxygen from waste and metabolic products. Microbial biotechnology is efficient for nitrogen conversion, with nitrate or nitrogen gas as desirable products. A prerequisite to bioreactor operation in Space is the feasibility to reactivate cells exposed to microgravity and radiation. In this study, microorganisms capable of essential nitrogen cycle conversions were sent on a 44-days FOTON-M4 flight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and exposed to 10(-3)-10(-4) g (gravitational constant) and 687 +/- 170 mu Gy (Gray) d(-1) (20 +/- 4 degrees C), about the double of the radiation prevailing in the International Space Station (ISS). After return to Earth, axenic cultures, defined and reactor communities of ureolytic bacteria, ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria, nitrite oxidizing bacteria, denitrifiers and anammox bacteria could all be reactivated. Space exposure generally yielded similar or even higher nitrogen conversion rates as terrestrial preservation at a similar temperature, while terrestrial storage at 4 degrees C mostly resulted in the highest rates. Refrigerated Space exposure is proposed as a strategy to maximize the reactivation potential. For the first time, the combined potential of ureolysis, nitritation, nitratation, denitrification (nitrate reducing activity) and anammox is demonstrated as key enabler for resource recovery in human Space exploration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000444501200063 Publication Date 2018-09-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2045-2322 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153641 Serial 8309  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lindeboom, R.E.F.; De Paepe, J.; Vanoppen, M.; Alonso-Fariñas, B.; Coessens, W.; Alloul, A.; Christiaens, M.E.R.; Dotremont, C.; Beckers, H.; Lamaze, B.; Demey, D.; Clauwaert, P.; Verliefde, A.R.D.; Vlaeminck, S.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A five-stage treatment train for water recovery from urine and shower water for long-term human Space missions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Desalination Abbreviated Journal Desalination  
  Volume 495 Issue Pages 114634  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Long-term human Space missions will rely on regenerative life support as resupply of water, oxygen and food comes with constraints. The International Space Station (ISS) relies on an evaporation/condensation system to recover 74–85% of the water in urine, yet suffers from repetitive scaling and biofouling while employing hazardous chemicals. In this study, an alternative non-sanitary five-stage treatment train for one “astronaut” was integrated through a sophisticated monitoring and control system. This so-called Water Treatment Unit Breadboard (WTUB) successfully treated urine (1.2-L-d−1) with crystallisation, COD-removal, ammonification, nitrification and electrodialysis, before it was mixed with shower water (3.4-L-d−1). Subsequently, ceramic nanofiltration and single-pass flat-sheet RO were used. A four-months proof-of-concept period yielded: (i) chemical water quality meeting the hygienic standards of the European Space Agency, (ii) a 87-±-5% permeate recovery with an estimated theoretical primary energy requirement of 0.2-kWhp-L−1, (iii) reduced scaling potential without anti-scalant addition and (iv) and a significant biological reduction in biofouling potential resulted in stable but biofouling-limited RO permeability of 0.5 L-m−2-h−1-bar−1. Estimated mass breakeven dates and a comparison with the ISS Water Recovery System for a hypothetical Mars transit mission show that WTUB is a promising biological membrane-based alternative to heat-based systems for manned Space missions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000582172900007 Publication Date 2020-09-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0011-9164 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.9 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.9; 2020 IF: 5.527  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171514 Serial 6523  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Tendeloo, M.; Xie, Y.; Van Beeck, W.; Zhu, W.; Lebeer, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Oxygen control and stressor treatments for complete and long-term suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biofilm-based partial nitritation/anammox Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Bioresource Technology Abbreviated Journal Bioresource Technol  
  Volume 342 Issue Pages 125996  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Mainstream nitrogen removal by partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) can realize energy and cost savings for sewage treatment. Selective suppression of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) remains a key bottleneck for PN/A implementation. A rotating biological contactor was studied with an overhead cover and controlled air/N2 inflow to regulate oxygen availability at 20 °C. Biofilm exposure to dissolved oxygen concentrations < 0.51 ± 0.04 mg O2 L-1 when submerged in the water and < 1.41 ± 0.31 mg O2 L-1 when emerged in the headspace (estimated), resulted in complete and long-term NOB suppression with a low relative nitrate production ratio of 10 ± 4%. Additionally, weekly biofilm stressor treatments with free ammonia (FA) (29 ± 1 mg NH3-N L-1 for 3 h) could improve the NOB suppression while free nitrous acid treatments had insufficient effect. This study demonstrated the potential of managing NOB suppression in biofilm-based systems by oxygen control and recurrent FA exposure, opening opportunities for resource efficient nitrogen removal.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000704455300005 Publication Date 2021-09-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.651 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.651  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181301 Serial 8355  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Pintucci, C.; Carballa, M.; Varga, S.; Sarli, J.; Peng, L.; Bousek, J.; Pedizzi, C.; Ruscalleda, M.; Tarragó, E.; Prat, D.; Colica, G.; Picavet, M.; Colsen, J.; Benito, O.; Balaguer, M.; Puig, S.; Lema, J.M.; Colprim, J.; Fuchs, W.; Vlaeminck, S.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The ManureEcoMine pilot installation : advanced integration of technologies for the management of organics and nutrients in livestock waste Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Water science and technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 75 Issue 6 Pages 1281-1293  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Manure represents an exquisite mining opportunity for nutrient recovery (nitrogen and phosphorus), and for their reuse as renewable fertilisers. The ManureEcoMine proposes an integrated approach of technologies, operated in a pilot-scale installation treating swine manure (83.7%) and Ecofrit® (16.3%), a mix of vegetable residues. Thermophilic anaerobic digestion was performed for 150 days, the final organic loading rate was 4.6 kgCOD m−3 d−1, with a CH4 production of 1.4 Nm3 m−3 d−1. The digester was coupled to an ammonia side-stream stripping column and a scrubbing unit for free ammonia inhibition reduction in the digester and nitrogen recovery as ammonium sulphate. The stripped digestate was recirculated daily in the digester for 15 days (68% of the digester volume), increasing the gas production rate by 27%. Following a decanter centrifuge, the digestate liquid fraction was treated with an ultrafiltration membrane. The filtrate was fed into a struvite reactor, with a phosphorus recovery efficiency of 83% (as orthophosphate). Acidification of digestate could increment the soluble orthophosphate concentration up to 4 times, enhancing phosphorus enrichment in the liquid fraction and its recovery via struvite. A synergistic combination of manure processing steps was demonstrated to be technologically feasible to upgrade livestock waste into refined, concentrated fertilisers.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000397590800003 Publication Date 2016-12-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0273-1223; 1996-9732 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:139911 Serial 8200  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Huang, W.; Li, Y.; Niklas, K.J.; Gielis, J.; Ding, Y.; Cao, L.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A superellipse with deformation and its application in describing the cross-sectional shapes of a square bamboo Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Symmetry-Basel Abbreviated Journal Symmetry-Basel  
  Volume 12 Issue 12 Pages 2073  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Many cross-sectional shapes of plants have been found to approximate a superellipse rather than an ellipse. Square bamboos, belonging to the genus Chimonobambusa (Poaceae), are a group of plants with round-edged square-like culm cross sections. The initial application of superellipses to model these culm cross sections has focused on Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Franceschi) Makino. However, there is a need for large scale empirical data to confirm this hypothesis. In this study, approximately 750 cross sections from 30 culms of C. utilis were scanned to obtain cross-sectional boundary coordinates. A superellipse exhibits a centrosymmetry, but in nature the cross sections of culms usually deviate from a standard circle, ellipse, or superellipse because of the influences of the environment and terrain, resulting in different bending and torsion forces during growth. Thus, more natural cross-sectional shapes appear to have the form of a deformed superellipse. The superellipse equation with a deformation parameter (SEDP) was used to fit boundary data. We find that the cross-sectional shapes (including outer and inner rings) of C. utilis can be well described by SEDP. The adjusted root-mean-square error of SEDP is smaller than that of the superellipse equation without a deformation parameter. A major finding is that the cross-sectional shapes can be divided into two types of superellipse curves: hyperellipses and hypoellipses, even for cross sections from the same culm. There are two proportional relationships between ring area and the product of ring length and width for both the outer and inner rings. The proportionality coefficients are significantly different, as a consequence of the two different superellipse types (i.e., hyperellipses and hypoellipses). The difference in the proportionality coefficients between hyperellipses and hypoellipses for outer rings is greater than that for inner rings. This work informs our understanding and quantifying of the longitudinal deformation of plant stems for future studies to assess the influences of the environment on stem development. This work is also informative for understanding the deviation of natural shapes from a strict rotational symmetry.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000602546300001 Publication Date 2020-12-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-8994 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.7; 2020 IF: 1.457  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:174472 Serial 8622  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wang, L.; Miao, Q.; Niinemets, Ü.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Quantifying the variation in the geometries of the outer rims of corolla tubes of Vinca major L Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Plants Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 11 Issue 15 Pages 1987-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Many geometries of plant organs can be described by the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation, . Here, r is the polar radius corresponding to the polar angle φ; m is a positive integer that determines the number of angles of the Gielis curve when φ ∈ [0 to 2π); and the rest of the symbols are parameters to be estimated. The pentagonal radial symmetry of calyxes and corolla tubes in top view is a common feature in the flowers of many eudicots. However, prior studies have not tested whether the Gielis equation can depict the shapes of corolla tubes. We sampled randomly 366 flowers of Vinca major L., among which 360 had five petals and pentagonal corolla tubes, and six had four petals and quadrangular corolla tubes. We extracted the planar coordinates of the outer rims of corolla tubes (in top view) (ORCTs), and then fitted the data with two simplified versions of the Gielis equation with k = 1 and m = 5: (Model 1), and (Model 2). The adjusted root mean square error (RMSEadj) was used to evaluate the goodness of fit of each model. In addition, to test whether ORCTs are radially symmetrical, we correlated the estimates of n2 and n3 in Model 1 on a log-log scale. The results validated the two simplified Gielis equations. The RMSEadj values for all corolla tubes were smaller than 0.05 for both models. The numerical values of n2 and n3 were demonstrated to be statistically equal based on the regression analysis, which suggested that the ORCTs of V. major are radially symmetrical. It suggests that Model 1 can be replaced by the simpler Model 2 for fitting the ORCT in this species. This work indicates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes (in top view) can both be modeled by the Gielis equation and demonstrates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes of plants tend to form radial symmetrical geometries during their development and growth.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000839115100001 Publication Date 2022-08-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189315 Serial 7200  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Shi, P.; Gielis, J.; Quinn, B.K.; Niklas, K.J.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Schrader, J.; Ruan, H.; Wang, L.; Niinemets, Ü.; Niinennets, U. url  doi
openurl 
  Title ‘biogeom’ : an R package for simulating and fitting natural shapes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Abbreviated Journal Ann Ny Acad Sci  
  Volume 1516 Issue 1 Pages 123-134  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Many natural objects exhibit radial or axial symmetry in a single plane. However, a universal tool for simulating and fitting the shapes of such objects is lacking. Herein, we present an R package called 'biogeom' that simulates and fits many shapes found in nature. The package incorporates novel universal parametric equations that generate the profiles of bird eggs, flowers, linear and lanceolate leaves, seeds, starfish, and tree-rings, and three growth-rate equations that generate the profiles of ovate leaves and the ontogenetic growth curves of animals and plants. 'biogeom' includes several empirical datasets comprising the boundary coordinates of bird eggs, fruits, lanceolate and ovate leaves, tree rings, seeds, and sea stars. The package can also be applied to other kinds of natural shapes similar to those in the datasets. In addition, the package includes sigmoid curves derived from the three growth-rate equations, which can be used to model animal and plant growth trajectories and predict the times associated with maximum growth rate. 'biogeom' can quantify the intra- or interspecific similarity of natural outlines, and it provides quantitative information of shape and ontogenetic modification of shape with important ecological and evolutionary implications for the growth and form of the living world.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000829772300001 Publication Date 2022-07-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0077-8923; 1749-6632 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.2  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189314 Serial 7131  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, Y.; Quinn, B.K.; Gielis, J.; Li, Y.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Evidence that supertriangles exist in nature from the vertical projections of Koelreuteria paniculata fruit Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Symmetry Abbreviated Journal Symmetry-Basel  
  Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 23  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Many natural radial symmetrical shapes (e.g., sea stars) follow the Gielis equation (GE) or its twin equation (TGE). A supertriangle (three triangles arranged around a central polygon) represents such a shape, but no study has tested whether natural shapes can be represented as/are supertriangles or whether the GE or TGE can describe their shape. We collected 100 pieces of Koelreuteria paniculata fruit, which have a supertriangular shape, extracted the boundary coordinates for their vertical projections, and then fitted them with the GE and TGE. The adjusted root mean square errors (RMSEadj) of the two equations were always less than 0.08, and >70% were less than 0.05. For 57/100 fruit projections, the GE had a lower RMSEadj than the TGE, although overall differences in the goodness of fit were non-significant. However, the TGE produces more symmetrical shapes than the GE as the two parameters controlling the extent of symmetry in it are approximately equal. This work demonstrates that natural supertriangles exist, validates the use of the GE and TGE to model their shapes, and suggests that different complex radially symmetrical shapes can be generated by the same equation, implying that different types of biological symmetry may result from the same biophysical mechanisms.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000746030100001 Publication Date 2021-12-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-8994 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:186453 Serial 7158  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Shi, P.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Gielis, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The generalized Gielis geometric equation and its application Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Symmetry-Basel Abbreviated Journal Symmetry-Basel  
  Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 645-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Many natural shapes exhibit surprising symmetry and can be described by the Gielis equation, which has several classical geometric equations (for example, the circle, ellipse and superellipse) as special cases. However, the original Gielis equation cannot reflect some diverse shapes due to limitations of its power-law hypothesis. In the present study, we propose a generalized version by introducing a link function. Thus, the original Gielis equation can be deemed to be a special case of the generalized Gielis equation (GGE) with a power-law link function. The link function can be based on the morphological features of different objects so that the GGE is more flexible in fitting the data of the shape than its original version. The GGE is shown to be valid in depicting the shapes of some starfish and plant leaves.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000540222200156 Publication Date 2020-04-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-8994 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.7 Times cited 4 Open Access  
  Notes ; This research was funded by the Jiangsu Government Scholarship for Overseas Studies (grant number: JS-2018-038). ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.7; 2020 IF: 1.457  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:168141 Serial 6526  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, J.; Zhu, W.; Dong, H.; Yang, Z.; Zhang, P.; Qiang, Z. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Impact of carrier on ammonia and organics removal from zero-discharge marine recirculating aquaculture system with sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Environmental Science And Pollution Research Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Pollut R  
  Volume 27 Issue 28 Pages 34614-34623  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Marine recirculating aquaculture system (MRAS) is an effective technology that provides sustainable farming of food fish globally. However, dissolved organics material (chemical oxygen demand, COD) and especially ammonia are produced from uneaten feed and metabolic wastes of fish. To purify the MRAS water, this study adopted a sequencing biofilm batch reactor (SBBR) and comparatively investigated the performances of four different carriers on ammonia and COD removal. Results indicated that the NH4+-N removal rates were 0.045 +/- 0.05, 0.065 +/- 0.008, 0.089 +/- 0.005, and 0.093 +/- 0.003 kg/(m(3)center dot d), and the COD removal rates were 0.019 +/- 0.010, 0.213 +/- 0.010, 0.255 +/- 0.015, and 0.322 +/- 0.010 kg/(m(3)center dot d) in the SBBRs packed with porous plastic, bamboo ring, maifan stone, and ceramsite carriers, respectively. Among the four carriers, ceramsite exhibited the best performance for both NH4+-N (80%) and COD (33%) removal after the SBBR reached the steady-state operation conditions. For all carriers studied, the NH4+-N removal kinetics could be well simulated by the first-order model, and the NH4+-N and COD removal rates were logarithmically correlated with the carrier's specific surface area. Due to its high ammonia removal, stable performance and easy operation, the ceramsite-packed SBBR is feasible for MRAS water treatment.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000565020300005 Publication Date 2019-04-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0944-1344; 1614-7499 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.8 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.8; 2020 IF: 2.741  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171932 Serial 6542  
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Author Van Hoecke, L.; Laffineur, L.; Campe, R.; Perreault, P.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Challenges in the use of hydrogen for maritime applications Type A1 Journal Article;Review article, Hydrogen Production, Hydrogen Storage, Maritime Applications
  Year 2021 Publication Energy & Environmental Science Abbreviated Journal Energ Environ Sci  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article;Review article, Hydrogen Production, Hydrogen Storage, Maritime Applications; Sustainable energy, air and water technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Maritime shipping is a key factor that enables the global economy, however the pressure it exerts on the environment is increasing rapidly. In order to reduce the emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses, the search is on for alternative fuels for the maritime shipping industry. In this work the usefulness of hydrogen and hydrogen carriers is being investigated as a fuel for sea going ships. Due to the low volumetric energy density of hydrogen under standard conditions, the need for efficient storage of this fuel is high. Key processes in the use of hydrogen are discussed, starting with the production of hydrogen from fossil and renewable sources. The focus of this review is different storage methods, and in this work we discuss the storage of hydrogen at high pressure, in liquefied form at cryogenic temperatures and bound to liquid or solid-state carriers. In this work a theoretical introduction to different hydrogen storage methods precedes an analysis of the energy-efficiency and practical storage density of the carriers. In the final section the major challenges and hurdles for the development of hydrogen storage for the maritime industry are discussed. The most likely challenges will be the development of a new bunkering infrastructure and suitable monitoring of the safety to ensure safe operation of these hydrogen carriers on board the ship.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621101100009 Publication Date 2021-01-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1754-5692 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 29.518 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes For the completion of this work we would like to thank, Compagnie Maritime Belge for initial funding 9 of the research into maritime hydrogen storage and the University of Antwerp for funding of the 10 Doctoral Project that allowed for the completion of this work. Approved Most recent IF: 29.518  
  Call Number DuEL @ duel @c:irua:174754 Serial 6668  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Perreault, P.; Robert, E.; Patience, G.S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Experimental methods in chemical engineering : mass spectrometry – MS Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication The Canadian journal of chemical engineering Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 97 Issue 5 Pages 1036-1042  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Mass spectrometry identifies the atomic mass of molecules and fragments in the gas phase. The spectrometer ionizes the molecules that then pass through an electric or magnetic field towards a detector. The field modifies the molecule's trajectory and we infer mass from its direction and velocity in a static field or from the stability of its path in a dynamic field. The electric current is amplified and a mass spectrum is generated from the location or timing of the signal from the detector, translated into a plot of the intensity as a function of the mass‐over‐charge ratio. It is field deployable, measures concentrations in real time with a temporal resolution better than 100 ms, and detection limits of fg. However, the signal drifts with time so we have to calibrate it as frequently as every hour. Calibrating requires multiple mixtures with varying concentrations to map the non‐linear response. The Web of Science Core Collection indexed over 60 000 articles that refer to MS (2016 and 2017) with applications ranging from permanent gas analysis, to identifying protein, forensic science, and natural products. The bibliometric software VOSViewer(2010) identified four clusters of research related to MS: (1) proteomics, proteins, plasma, and metabolomics; (2) solid phase extraction together with gas chromatography; (3) tandem mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography; and (4) waste water and toxicity. We expect that the technique will continue to evolve with increased sensitivity, lower drift, and greater specificity. Miniaturization efforts should also continue in order to develop faster field deployable instruments.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000468025000001 Publication Date 2019-01-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0008-4034; 1939-019x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162123 Serial 7947  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Verreydt, G.; Bronders, J.; van Keer, I.; Diels, L.; Vanderauwera, P. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Passive samplers for monitoring VOCs in groundwater and the prospects related to mass flux measurements Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2010 Publication Ground water monitoring and remediation Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 30 Issue 2 Pages 114-126  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Measurement and interpretation of mass fluxes in favor of concentrations is gaining more and more interest, especially within the framework of the characterization and management of large-scale volatile organic carbon (VOC) groundwater contamination (source zones and plumes). Traditional methods of estimating contaminant fluxes and discharges involve individual measurements/calculations of the Darcy water flux and the contaminant concentrations. However, taken into account the spatially and temporally varying hydrologic conditions in complex, heterogeneous aquifers, higher uncertainty arises from such indirect estimation of contaminant fluxes. Therefore, the potential use of passive sampling devices for the direct measurement of groundwater-related VOC mass fluxes is examined. A review of current passive samplers for the measurement of organic contaminants in water yielded the selection of 18 samplers that were screened for a number of criteria. These criteria are related to the possible application of the sampler for the measurement of VOC mass fluxes in groundwater. This screening study indicates that direct measurement of VOC mass fluxes in groundwater is possible with very few passive samplers. Currently, the passive flux meter (PFM) is the only passive sampler which has proven to effectively measure mass fluxes in near source groundwater. A passive sampler for mass flux measurement in plume zones with regard to long-term monitoring (several months to a year) still needs to be developed or optimized. A passive sampler for long-term monitoring of contaminant mass fluxes in groundwater would be of considerable value in the development of risk-based assessment and management of soil and groundwater pollutions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000277620400009 Publication Date 2010-05-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1069-3629 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:82757 Serial 8363  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Huang, L.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Hui, C.; Gielis, J.; Lian, M.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Inequality measure of leaf area distribution for a drought-tolerant landscape plant Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Plants Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 12 Issue 17 Pages 3143-11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Measuring the inequality of leaf area distribution per plant (ILAD) can provide a useful tool for quantifying the influences of intra- and interspecific competition, foraging behavior of herbivores, and environmental stress on plants’ above-ground architectural structures and survival strategies. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on this issue. This paper aims to fill this gap by comparing four inequality indices to measure ILAD, using indices for quantifying household income that are commonly used in economics, including the Gini index (which is based on the Lorenz curve), the coefficient of variation, the Theil index, and the mean log deviation index. We measured the area of all leaves for 240 individual plants of the species Shibataea chinensis Nakai, a drought-tolerant landscape plant found in southern China. A three-parameter performance equation was fitted to observations of the cumulative proportion of leaf area vs. the cumulative proportion of leaves per plant to calculate the Gini index for each individual specimen of S. chinensis. The performance equation was demonstrated to be valid in describing the rotated and right shifted Lorenz curve, given that >96% of root-mean-square error values were smaller than 0.004 for 240 individual plants. By examining the correlation between any of the six possible pairs of indices among the Gini index, the coefficient of variation, the Theil index, and the mean log deviation index, the data show that these indices are closely related and can be used interchangeably to quantify ILAD.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001065193100001 Publication Date 2023-08-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199564 Serial 8886  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Meire, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Lommens, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Van Driessche, I. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Microwave-assisted synthesis of mesoporous titania with increased crystallinity, specific surface area, and photocatalytic activity Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Journal of materials science Abbreviated Journal J Mater Sci  
  Volume 51 Issue 21 Pages 9822-9829  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Mesoporous titanium dioxide is a material finding its use in a wide range of applications. For many of these, it is important to achieve a high degree of crystallinity in the material. It is generally accepted that the use of the soft templating approach to synthesize mesoporous titania, results in a compromise between crystallinity and specific surface area due to thermal instability of the used templates. In this paper, we explore how the use of microwave irradiation can influence the crystallinity, specific surface area, and the electronic properties of mesoporous titania. Therefore, we combined microwave radiation with an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) synthesis. We show that additional microwave treatment at carefully chosen synthesis steps can enhance the crystallinity with 20 % without causing significant loss of surface area (>360 m2/g). Surface photovoltage measurements were used to investigate the electronic properties. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated in aqueous media by following the degradation of an industrial dye, methylene blue, and the herbicide isoproturon under UV irradiation and in gaseous media looking at the degradation of acetaldehyde, a common indoor pollutant under UVA irradiation. In all cases, the microwave treatment results in more active materials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000381182200023 Publication Date 2016-07-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-2461 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.599 Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes ; M. Meire and S. W. Verbruggen acknowledge the FWO-Flanders (Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders) for financial support. We want to thank T. Planckaert for the N<INF>2</INF> sorption measurements, J. Watte for the XRD measurements, and professor K. De Buysser for the quantitative Rietveld refinements. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.599  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:140098 Serial 5970  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Kummamuru, N.B.; Watson, G.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Perreault, P. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Accelerated methane storage in clathrate hydrates using mesoporous (Organo-) silica materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Fuel Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 354 Issue Pages 129403-129418  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Methane (CH4) clathrate hydrates have gained much attention in the ever-growing search for novel energy storage methods; however, they are currently limited due to their poor water-to-hydrate conversions and slow formation kinetics. To surmount these bottlenecks, significant research has been centered on the design of novel methods (porous media). In this vein, the present work explores two hydrophobic mesoporous solids, an alkyl-grafted mesoporous silica (SBA-15 C8) and a periodic mesoporous organosilica (Ring-PMO), in their ability to promote CH4 clathrates. Both materials have shown to facilitate CH4 clathrate formation at mild operating conditions (6 MPa and 269–276 K). The study revealed that the maximal CH4 storage capacities are strongly linked to the critical/optimal quantity of water in the system which was determined to be at 130% and 200% of the pore volume for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. Up to 90% and 95% of the maximum water-to-hydrate conversions were achieved in 90 min at the lowest experimental temperature and critical water content for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. At these conditions, SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO showed a maximum gas uptake of 98.2 and 101.2 mmol CH4/mol H2O, respectively. Both the materials exhibited no chemical or morphological changes post-clathrate formations (characterized using FT-IR, N2 sorption, XRD, and TEM), inferring their viability as clathrate promoters for multiple cycles. An integrated multistep model was considered adequate for representing the hydrate crystallization kinetics and fits well with the experimental kinetic data with a low average absolute deviation in water-to-hydrate conversions among the three distinct kinetic models analyzed. Overall, the results from this study demonstrate hydrophobic porous materials as effective promoters of CH4 clathrates, which could make clathrate-based CH4 storage and transport technology industrially viable.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001059413200001 Publication Date 2023-08-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0016-2361 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.4 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 07.02.2024  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.601  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197987 Serial 8829  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Sui, Y.; Muys, M.; Van de Waal, D.; D'Adamo, S.; Vermeir, P.; Fernandes, T.V.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Enhancement of co-production of nutritional protein and carotenoids in Dunaliella salina using a two-phase cultivation assisted by nitrogen level and light intensity Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Bioresource technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 287 Issue Pages 121398  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Microalga Dunaliella salina is known for its carotenogenesis. At the same time, it can also produce high-quality protein. The optimal conditions for D. salina to co-produce intracellular pools of both compounds, however, are yet unknown. This study investigated a two-phase cultivation strategy to optimize combined high-quality protein and carotenoid production of D. salina. In phase-one, a gradient of nitrogen concentrations was tested. In phase-two, effects of nitrogen pulse and high illumination were tested. Results reveal optimized protein quantity, quality (expressed as essential amino acid index EAAI) and carotenoids content in a two-phase cultivation, where short nitrogen starvation in phase-one was followed by high illumination during phase-two. Adopting this strategy, productivities of protein, EAA and carotenoids reached 22, 7 and 3 mg/L/d, respectively, with an EAAI of 1.1. The quality of this biomass surpasses FAO/WHO standard for human nutrition, and the observed level of β-carotene presents high antioxidant pro-vitamin A activity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000469414500008 Publication Date 2019-04-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159661 Serial 7916  
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Author De Paepe, J.; Garcia Gragera, D.; Arnau Jimenez, C.; Rabaey, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gòdia, F. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Continuous cultivation of microalgae yields high nutrient recovery from nitrified urine with limited supplementation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of environmental management Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 345 Issue Pages 118500-118510  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Microalgae can play a key role in the bioeconomy, particularly in combination with the valorisation of waste streams as cultivation media. Urine is an example of a widely available nutrient-rich waste stream, and alkaline stabilization and subsequent full nitrification in a bioreactor yields a stable nitrate-rich solution. In this study, such nitrified urine served as a culture medium for the edible microalga Limnospira indica. In batch cultivation, nitrified urine without additional supplements yielded a lower biomass concentration, nutrient uptake and protein content compared to modified Zarrouk medium, as standard medium. To enhance the nitrogen uptake efficiency and biomass production, nitrified urine was supplemented with potentially limiting elements. Limited amounts of phosphorus (36 mg L−1), magnesium (7.9 mg L−1), calcium (12.2 mg L−1), iron (2.0 mg L−1) and EDTA (88.5 mg Na2-EDTA.2H2O L−1) rendered the nitrified urine matrix as effective as modified Zarrouk medium in terms of biomass production (OD750 of 1.2), nutrient uptake (130 mg N L−1) and protein yield (47%) in batch culture. Urine precipitates formed by alkalinisation could in principle supply enough phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, requiring only external addition of iron, EDTA and inorganic carbon. Subsequently, the suitability of supplemented nitrified urine as a culture medium was confirmed in continuous Limnospira cultivation in a CSTR photobioreactor. This qualifies nitrified urine as a valuable and sustainable microalgae growth medium, thereby creating novel nutrient loops on Earth and in Space, i.e., in regenerative life support systems for human deep-space missions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001052880800001 Publication Date 2023-08-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 8.7 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 03.02.2024  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 8.7; 2023 IF: 4.01  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199049 Serial 8844  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Muys, M.; Sui, Y.; Schwaiger, B.; Lesueur, C.; Vandenheuvel, D.; Vermeir, P.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title High variability in nutritional value and safety of commercially available Chlorella and Spirulina biomass indicates the need for smart production strategies Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Bioresource technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 275 Issue Pages 247-257  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Microalgal biomass production is a resource-efficient answer to the exponentially increasing demand for protein, yet variability in biomass quality is largely unexplored. Nutritional value and safety were determined for Chlorella and Spirulina biomass from different producers, production batches and the same production batch. Chlorella presented a similar protein content (47 ± 8%) compared to Spirulina (48 ± 4%). However, protein quality, expressed as essential amino acid index, and digestibility were lower for Chlorella (1.1 ± 0.1 and 51 ± 9%, respectively) compared to Spirulina (1.3 ± 0.1 and 61 ± 4%, respectively). Generally, variability was lower between batches and within a batch. Heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, antibiotics and nitrate did not violate regulatory limits, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels exceeded the norm for some samples, indicating the need for continuous monitoring. This first systematic screening of commercial microalgal biomass revealed a high nutritional variability, necessitating further optimization of cultivation and post-processing conditions. Based on price and quality, Spirulina was preferred above Chlorella.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000456405000030 Publication Date 2018-12-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:155979 Serial 8040  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Voordeckers, D.; Lauriks, T.; Baetens, D.; Ysebaert, T.; Denys, S.; Billen, P.; Tytgat, T.; Van Acker, M. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Numerical study on the impact of traffic lane adjustments and low boundary walls on pedestrian exposure to NO2 in street canyons Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Landscape and urban planning Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 243 Issue Pages 104974-13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Law; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Research Group for Urban Development; Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS); Research Group for Urban Development; Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract (up) Mitigating the adverse effects of air pollution, especially on human health, is one of the greater contemporary challenges for cities. Street canyons have herein been identified as bottleneck areas in urbanized environments. Focusing on the necessity of fast-response interventions, strategies to control source-receptor pathways (e.g. implementing low boundary walls (LBWs)) are gaining interest. A potential strategy which is greatly overlooked is the adjustment (reduction or displacement) of traffic lanes in order to increase the distance between source (traffic) and recipient (pedestrians). Within our study, computation fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate the impact of alternations to traffic lanes (whether or not combined with LBWs) on the pedestrian exposure to NO2 for a specific case-study (Belgie center dot lei, Antwerp) under two prevailing wind directions. The average differences in NO2 concentrations for the entire pedestrian area ranged between +1.0 % to-3.6 %. On specific locations, reduction up to-8.0 % were reached. In case of perpendicular winds, a lateral displacement of all traffic lanes towards the windward facade including LBWs was found most beneficial to reduce pedestrian exposure. LBWs also showed to be efficient in reducing potential adverse effects of lane displacement under less frequent wind directions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001134403700001 Publication Date 2023-12-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0169-2046 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:201400 Serial 9065  
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