Scriptiebank overzicht

Soils are everywhere and they are teeming with life. They contain over 59% of all biodiversity and these different species are in close contact with each other. Soil organisms interact with such a vast array of other soil organisms that they construct an intricate soil community network, which is still poorly understood. However, global change is pushing down on these smaller life forms and, by extent, threatening the world as we know it. The loss in soil biodiversity is tangible in the functional network and stunts the performance of entire ecosystems.

This thesis will point our gaze downwards, literally. We will explore the intricate soil network, comprised of life such as microscopic insects, worm-like organisms, fungi and bacteria. While largely invisible, the cooperation of these organisms keeps both the natural world and our civilisation running, as they deliver valuable ecosystem functions which shape our aboveground worlds. Bacteria are an essential cornerstone in soil networks. For instance, they are crucial in the decomposition process, in which they recycle organic matter and thus revitalise the ecosystem. This was our reason to further look into how Bacteria are impacted by the loss of whole groups from the soil network.

This research has found that subsequentially losing more and more different organism groups results in bacterial communities which differ significantly from each other. As their composition changes, the benefits they provide to the ecosystem change as well. We showed that the ability of bacteria to recycle nutrients is drastically impeded as the soil networks are degrading. This will in turn cause further decline in biodiversity as certain species will be unable to sustain their nutritional needs

Plant productivity was affected as well. While grasses seemed to be more resilient, herbs decreased in their performance, which could ultimately have important consequences for the ecosystems, such as a lower abundance of flowers for pollinators.

This study underlines the efficiency of a diverse soil system. Due to the disruption in the trophic and decomposition networks, the functioning of the overall soil network declines in its efficiency. This is alarming considering these belowground communities are the foundation of our aboveground world.

De scriptie kadert binnen het ruimer maatschappelijk kader omtrent de klimaat- en biodiversiteitscrisis. Zij omvat een grondige juridische analyse van het internationaal en regionaal rechtskader, dat een directe dan wel indirecte vrijwarende rol kan bekleden voor de veerkracht van bossen. Tot slot is de scriptie geschreven vanuit een multidisciplinaire invalshoek, waarbij recht en wetenschap elkaar afwisselen.

In a highly unequal society, many young Brazilians suffer oppression based on their class, race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. In the transition to adulthood, a period that is already marked by important changes, this brings along specific needs that need to be met. This research answers how ICBIE, a cultural centre in Salvador da Bahia, tries to meet those needs by providing a
space for young people to participate in activities and volunteer. Young adults from the region and volunteers of ICBIE have participated in a survey and in-depth interviews to find the answer to the central question of this thesis:
“How does volunteering at ICBIE contribute to the personal and professional development of young adults living on the Itapagipe Peninsula of Salvador, Bahia?”. Their answers, insights and stories were complemented by observations and were compared with, and analyzed through the lens of
national data and concepts from Robert Havighurst, Social Justice Theory and Anti-Oppressive Practises. The results show that young adults face a multitude of obstacles, mostly related to oppressive practises. Classism is the form of
oppression that stood out, connecting almost all of the respondents. And while ICBIE can’t directly change the root of these oppressive practises, it mitigates the harmful effects caused by them, by creating a place where volunteers can
learn, take up responsibility, open their view on the world, create meaningful bonds, feel safe and loved, and cultivate hope and resilience for the future.

Digitalisering en dekolonisering lijken op het eerste gezicht met elkaar in lijn te liggen als innovatieve en inclusieve (r)evoluties. Onderliggend blijkt dat echter niet het geval, wat nadelig werkt voor landen ten zuiden van de Sahara en mensen van Afrikaanse afkomst in de diaspora. Een interdisciplinaire analyse en discussie geven inzicht en overzicht in de situatie vandaag en een constructief kader voor de toekomst.

This thesis proposes a reference architecture to enhance business process architectures with IoT technology, enabling business processes to not only sense the environment but also steer IoT objects.

DE KUNST VAN SYMBIOSEDE WAANZIN VAN HET PARASITEREN OP DE PLANEETAan de vooravond van de Klimaatconferentie in Parijs lijken de woorden van beleidsmakers als vaag gemompel te verstommen te midden van het groeiende verzet tegen onze huidige disharmonische verhouding tot de aarde. Welke noot speelt kunst in de bonte polyfonie van wetenschappers, politici, activisten, burgerbewegingen, een groene paus en boomknuffelaars?

Patenting embryonic stem cells -influence of recent jurisprudence on (Belgian) stem cell research Debaere, M1; Iserentant, D1,2; Pappaert, K3 ; Paemen, L3  1Ghent University, 2VIB, 3De Clercq & Partners Abstract: In October 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that procedures relating to human embryonic stem cells or human embryonic stem cell lines are excluded from patentability if they required the destruction of a human embryo. This EU ruling consequently has affected the practice of the European Patent Office and has caused a lot of confusion in the scientific community.