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Copyright of Brood & Rozen: Tijdschrift voor de Geschiedenis van Sociale Bewegingen is the property of AMSAB - Institute of Social History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Historical re-enactments have become an increasingly popular topic in academic debate, as some scholars argue that re-enactments allow participants to critically investigate history and its representations. As a pastime dominated by men, most literature on war re-enactment and gender, however, has emphasized the subordinate position of women and the reproduction of conventional gender roles. This paper focuses on two European women re-enactment groups that challenge this understanding: Die Flakhelferinnen in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany and the Army Nurse Corps of the United States. Based on a visual ethnography of their Instagram combined with fieldwork in the Czech Republic and Belgium, I analyse the strategies these reenactors use in the remediation of the 'invisible' histories of women in the armed forces during WWII. The analysis demonstrates a complex negotiation between historical notions of 'femininity', contemporary identities, and Instagram's affordances in the remediation of gendered pasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND A growing number of primarily qualitative studies have shown that the legal trajectories of immigrants in Western countries are often complex. However, immigrants' long-term legal trajectories remain a blind spot in quantitative migration research. OBJECTIVES This paper aims to provide new empirical insights into the variety of legal pathways among non-European immigrants who arrived in Belgium between 1999 and 2008. We build a typology of legal trajectories, and we investigate how these trajectories are related to immigrants' country of origin, asylum status, and social ties in Belgium. METHODS The micro longitudinal data is from the Belgian National Register. We use sequence analysis to identify clusters of legal trajectories, and multinomial logistic regressions to explore how they are related to immigrants' characteristics. RESULTS We identify seven types of legal trajectory. While some are simple and smooth, others are characterized by moves back and forth between legal statuses and frequent periods of irregularity. Immigrants from the least developed countries and rejected asylum seekers are more likely to experience slow and chaotic trajectories. By contrast, simple and short trajectories are more common among immigrants from higher- or middle-income countries. We also find that social and family ties are a key factor in long-term immigrants experiencing smooth legal trajectories. CONCLUSIONS Legal statuses vary substantially over time, and trajectories differ widely among immigrants. Some categories of immigrants are more at risk of highly precarious longterm trajectories that may lead to situations of 'permanent temporariness'. CONTRIBUTION The paper highlights the relevance of a quantitative longitudinal perspective on immigrants' legal status and underlines the need to take into account not only the legal status upon arrival but also the complexity of legal trajectories during the stay in the destination country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Suvremena Lingvistika is the property of Suvremena Lingvistika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Comparative Law / Revista Romana de Drept Comparat is the property of Universul Juridic Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The case study examined in this contribution is that of Italian communities in Belgium, where associations played a fundamental role for Italian citizens who emigrated after World War II but also for their descendants. Associationism represents a very interesting research field, if we choose to look at migrants as active subjects, who do not simply adapt to the social context of the territories they live in but rather tend to transform it. By analysing the content of biographical interviews carried out with children and descendants of Italians who emigrated to the country between 1946 and 1976, this paper investigates the role of Italian associationism precisely in relation to the processes of socialisation and cultural mediation in an intergenerational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Araucaria is the property of Araucaria-Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofia, Politica y Humanidades and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

THIS RESEARCH PAPER FOCUSES TO CAPTURE CHANGES IN STATISTICAL PROPERTY BEFORE AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACT. WE COLLECTED SAMPLE DATA FROM JANUARY 2018 TO SEPTEMBER 2021 FOR TWO RANDOMLY SELECTED STOCK MARKETS, SUCH AS: BELGIUM (BRUSSELS STOCK EXCHANGE) AND INDONESIA (JAKARTA STOCK EXCHANGE). THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS PAPER IS TO TEST CHANGES IN NORMALITY PATTERN CONSIDERING AUGMENTED DICKER FULLER TEST AND TO DEMONSTRATE CHANGES IN RETURN PLOTS USING LOESS FITNESS, AND WITH ESTIMATED DENSITY PLOTS. THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF STOCK MARKETS, WHILE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY HAS BEEN SEVERELY AFFECTED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collected Papers of the Faculty of Law in Split / Zbornik Radova Pravnog Fakulteta u Splitu is the property of Split Faculty of Law and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rapid increase in Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption leads to significant challenges for charging station operators due to the unbalance between the growing demand for charging services and their limited power capacity connected to the grid. To tackle the challenge, this paper applies a two-step architecture in which an energy management system (EMS) in the first step determines the available capacity to charge the present fleet of EVs, after which in the second step this capacity is distributed over the individual EVs. To optimally allocate available power and satisfy user requirements, a user priority-based charging management strategy is proposed. Such priority can optimally order the set of EVs to be charged based on user input. However, relying solely on user-estimated input can be prone to incorrect priority due to inaccurate estimations. Therefore, we introduced a clustering of charging sessions based on the user-provided estimated information in the proposed priority function. These clusters relax the effect of inaccurately estimated user input by grouping charging sessions with similar behavior. Our proposed priority can increase user satisfaction by up to 30%, as measured by the percentage of requested energy that is delivered to users, compared to scenarios without priority, 10% more than priority based solely on estimation information, and 8% more than first-come-first-serve. To avoid exposing the personal behavior of the user, we introduce a decentralized approach, applying a consensus-based method that allows local control per EV charging station and only requires minimal communication of a consensus variable with neighboring charging stations. By introducing the priority in the communication weight matrix of the consensus-based algorithm, we accelerate the convergence rate more than 10 times. Simulation results based on real-world data sets in Belgium demonstrate the proposed method scales well with growing fleet sizes. • A privacy-friendly, decentralized, two-stage architecture for prioritized EV charging. • New priority function based on clustering charging sessions and user preferences. • Prioritizing EV charging for users can increase satisfaction by 30%. • The consensus-based method with priority achieves a 10-fold faster convergence. • Real-world charging session data in Belgium was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the distribution of older people by living arrangement has changed and that old-age mortality differs by living arrangement. However, how these changes affect the total number of deaths has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to differentiate the effects on mortality of the change in the distribution of the population and the change in mortality rates associated with each type of living arrangement. METHODS: Continuous observation of the population aged 60 and older for the period 1991-2012 in Belgium provides a unique opportunity to analyze changes in the population and in mortality by living arrangement. A simple decomposition method is used to examine to what extent these changes have influenced the total number of deaths. RESULTS: population by living arrangement and the age-standardised mortality rates by living arrangement have changed remarkably. The overall effects of these changes on the total number of deaths offset each other, whereas the distribution of the number of deaths by living arrangement displays a large variation. CONCLUSION: This paper shows important changes in the distribution of the population and in mortality rates by living arrangement but only limited change in the total number of deaths. An important change occurred in the distribution of the population by their last living arrangement before death. CONCLUSION: This paper highlights long-term trends in population and mortality rates by living arrangement in older age and also the distribution of the last living arrangement before death, which has important implications concerning care of the most elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a snapshot of the way law and development is taught in the 'Sustainable Development and Global Justice' module taught at the Law Faculty of the University of Antwerp, Belgium. The first section highlights four interrelated dimensions, that is programme design, learning outcomes, staff profiles and teaching methods, and student body. The second section is an exploratory attempt at self-reflection along two lines of inquiry: intercultural (communication) competence and decolonisation. The latter is the most challenging, and also the most fundamental one. The two topics have been at the forefront of debates within the module, the Faculty and University, and society more generally. Perhaps not surprisingly, the outcome of this self-reflection is mixed: the module has taken important steps in the right direction and is intuitively on the right track, but would benefit from a more explicit vision and policy, in particular with regard to decolonisation. Challenges ahead include in particular decolonisation of assessment criteria and academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel cellular automata model that combines Long Short-Term Memory, Attention, and Neural Network models to capture spatio-temporal Land Use Change (LUC) behaviors while addressing the challenge of imbalanced datasets. The proposed method is developed and validated using data from Belgium, defined as three (100x100) m raster-based built-up maps for 2000, 2010, and 2020. The model is trained and validated using data from 2000 to 2010, and its effectiveness is tested using data from 2010 to 2020. The key contribution of our approach lies in its ability to tackle long-term temporal dependency and class imbalance problems in LUC science. Our proposed method significantly enhances the performance of spatio-temporal LUC simulation. Additionally, we adopt a data splitting strategy that takes into account the different transitions between classes, improving the accuracy of the model predictions of minority class. The obtained results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model in capturing complex spatio-temporal dynamics and reducing the impact of imbalanced datasets surpassing existing methods. The implications of our study extend beyond LUC modeling, as the proposed approach can be applied to a wide range of applications where machine learning is used to model complex environmental and geographical phenomena. • This paper presents a novel cellular automata model to simulate urban densification. • It combines the Long short term memory, the Attention, and the neural network models. • ALSTM-CA captures the temporal dependency and addresses the minority classes in LUC. • ALSTM-CA is developed, calibrated, and verified using data from Belgium. • It achieved promising results based on F1-score, accuracy, and precision metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Satisfactory green views positively associated with neighborhood satisfaction. • Green views found to matter more than general presence of greenery in neighborhood. • Beautiful buildings most strongly associated with neighborhood satisfaction. • Building envelope greenery has synergistic potential for neighborhood satisfaction. Recent decades have seen theoretical and empirical support being generated for a positive relationship between exposure to nature and human well-being. However, exposure to nature is diverse. It can stem from spending time in green spaces, or simply from being able to observe greenery, such as from inside one's residence. The literature has devoted limited attention to the extent to which green views as a specific type of nature exposure contribute to satisfaction and well-being in urban areas. Therefore, this paper examines whether having satisfactory green views from within an urban residence is positively associated with the residents' neighborhood satisfaction. We use survey data from a large probability sample (n = 32,552) of respondents from 13 cities in the Flanders region of Belgium to run four binary logistic regression models that estimate the probability of reporting specific levels of neighborhood satisfaction. Each model is weighted to be representative of the urban population in these cities (N = 1,344,327) and statistically controls for the perceived presence of sufficient greenery in the neighborhood, 47 other self-reported neighborhood attributes, personal characteristics, and socio-demographic information. We find that urbanites who are more satisfied with the green views from their residence are more likely to report high neighborhood satisfaction. Our findings support the hypothesis that simply viewing greenery from within one's residence improves neighborhood satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design Thinking (DT) is not merely a well-known design methodology but also an entire mindset towards solving complex societal problems in an innovative way. Its popularity in diverse disciplines beyond design, is due to its relation with the development of key 21st-century skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Teaching the DT mindset has always required methods different from the traditional, one-way, mainly teacher-led approaches in which students play a more passive role in the learning process. Such creative methods include constructivist teaching practices, such as learning-by-doing and learning-by-making. Game modding, which is defined as the modification of existing games, is also seen as a constructivist teaching approach since in this way students learn by designing a game. The experience is argued to increase the engagement and interaction of players with the game, and combine the roles of player and designer. However, using game modding to teach the DT mindset remains poorly researched. This paper discusses the outcomes of a pilot study developed in the scope of the in-progress Erasmus+ KA2 project ‘T-CREPE’ (Textile Engineering for Co-Creation Paradigms in Education). This study investigates the influence of game modding on students’ adoption of the DT mindset through the use of an online learning platform that enables a game modding experience. This platform includes games that students can play, modify, and/or design their own in the process of developing a project. Students (n = 240) and teachers (n = 9) from three higher education institutions in Belgium and Greece participated in this study. The quantitative and qualitative data collected has provided information on their experiences of game modding while cultivating a DT mindset. The findings of the study indicate that game modding enables students to practise critical questioning, constructionism and co-creation, which are core elements of the DT mindset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision to serve foreign markets through exports or foreign direct investment (FDI) has been studied within proximity-concentration models of location, mainly in the context of trade in goods. This paper goes beyond this approach to account for the specific nature of services that are traded across borders in relation to market transaction costs. We show how services can be characterized by a bundle of attributes that collectively describe the service. These attributes are then tested to show how they affect the choice between exports and FDI using service-level data for firms in Belgium selling services abroad. Three different types of characteristic are shown to affect the export versus FDI decision: intangibility, the search-experience-credence framework and the requirement for either the supplier or the client to physically move to the point of production. Among other determinants, we find general and hard to evaluate complex services to be exported more than locally produced in foreign markets. The opposite holds for specialized (customized) and 'experience' services, or services that need close interaction with the buyer in their delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the evolution of archaeological knowledge production and theory has been discussed and analyzed using qualitative methods by reading vast amounts of archaeological texts in search of specific discourses or framings of the past. In this paper, we present text mining methodologies from digital humanities that can be applied to large corpora of archaeological texts to trace and evaluate changing knowledge practices. Such a big data approach is imperative. Due to the rapid increase of archaeological publications, qualitative research into the intellectual history of archaeology has become complicated and highly selective. The big data methods presented in this study were tested on a large corpus (4,811 texts totaling over 51 million words) of different types of archaeological texts from the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. The different text mining tools were successful in identifying theoretical trends. Our tools were also successful in charting the decrease in quality due to changed organizational circumstances (developer-led archaeology). Furthermore, we could also map changing banal nationalist framings of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The majority of Turkish and Moroccan minorities in Western Europe prefer transnational marriages over local co-ethnic and mixed marriages. Recent studies indicate partner selection patterns might be shifting after remaining unchanged for decades. However, it remains unclear to what extent changes observed in earlier studies have continued to carry on. OBJECTIVE This paper provides a comprehensive insight into the most recent partner selection trends of Turkish and Moroccan minorities in Belgium and assesses whether and to what degree known dynamics related to marriage age and educational attainment may change. METHODS The Belgian National Register data are analyzed, including all Turkish and Moroccan minority members who married between 2005 and 2015 (N = 91,916). After describing the prevalence of three partner types and their trends, multinomial logistic regressions estimate the effect of marriage age and educational attainment on partner choice. RESULTS The prevalence of transnational marriages declines for all minority members. Local coethnic marriages mostly absorb this decline, but a strong increase in mixed marriages is also observed. The influence of marriage age and educational attainment on partner choice has changed over the last 15 years. CONCLUSIONS Results reveal a strong decline in transnational marriages, reinforced by stricter immigration policies but initiated by other - possibly attitudinal - mechanisms. Dynamics regarding ethnic endogamy are subject to change as mixed marriages are also increasing among women and the lower educated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, partnerships are popular vehicles for addressing (agro-food related) sustainability challenges. Their popularity is reflected in a proliferation of studies on partnerships. Yet, the current body of literature does not sufficiently take into account: (i) the importance of the institutional contexts in which the partnerships are embedded; and (ii) how interactions and tensions between the different partners influence the process of shaping the partnership over time. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to gain in-depth insights on processes of shaping a partnership for sustainable agriculture and food, and the role that the context in which a partnership is embedded plays in these processes. Our findings are based on the single case study of a participatory action research project of a partnership in Belgium. In our analysis, we take a social practices approach and thus conceptualise partnerships as different sets of practices from which a new set of practices is created. The results show that in talking about the sustainability of agriculture and food, it is important to take into account existing practice bundles because: (i) they set the scene in which sustainability innovations are shaped; and (ii) they create the boundaries for possible kinds of change. Participating in a new set of practices requires a move away from 'normal' ways of working. Yet, although there are shared goals and practices, each partner organisation is also constrained by and working towards its own goals. This is likewise the case for how 'sustainability' is shaped, implying that existing practices play an important role in shaping 'sustainable' practices. In turn, these findings highlight the need to not simply assume that partnerships will contribute to sustainability transitions, but also to reflect on: (i) whether and how this might be the case; and (ii) who or what factors have the power in shaping and defining 'sustainability'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to understand how young Muslims in the super-diverse city of Antwerp negotiate the tensions between their religious identification and the broader cultural framework of individualism. Young Muslims in Antwerp face the challenge to present themselves as autonomous, while maintaining their religious identification. Based on 26 interviews with Muslim students in two secondary schools, we describe how presenting a dignified self to both non-Muslim and Muslim audiences requires a delicate balancing act. Drawing conceptually from cultural sociology, we explore how our respondents present themselves towards various audiences by selectively employing elements from the cultural repertoire of 'religious individualism'. In our analysis, we examine four ways in which respondents employ this repertoire to rework the potential tensions and present themselves as agentive within their religious framework. We also discuss how negotiating a contested identity requires more taxing boundary work for girls, and how they challenge gender norms without denying their religious identification. Overall, our analysis demonstrates how young Muslims in a West European context engage in complex boundary work and creatively draw on the cultural repertoire of religious individualism to negotiate their multiple identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade and more recently triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, algorithmic surveillance technologies have been increasingly implemented and experimented with by the police for crime control, public order policing, and as management tools. Police departments are also increasingly consumers of surveillance technologies that are created, sold, and controlled by private companies. They exercise an undue influence over police today in ways that are not widely acknowledged and increasingly play a role in the data capture and processing that feeds into larger cloud infrastructures and data markets. These developments are having profound effects on how policing is organized and on existing power relations, whereby decisions are increasingly being made by algorithms. Although attention is paid to algorithmic police surveillance in academic research as well as in mainstream media, critical discussions about its democratic oversight are rare. The goal of this paper is to contribute to ongoing research on police and surveillance oversight and to question how current judicial oversight of algorithmic police surveillance in Belgium addresses sociotechnical harms of these surveillance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Buy to protect": this may be the Conservatoire du Littoral philosophy. Since 1975, this unique public French institution endeavours to acquire vulnerable and threatened coastal areas of great natural relevance to ensure their permanent and sound management/protection by establishing conventions with local authorities. This paper is focused on (i) the research of remarkable attractive natural sites not (or only slightly) affected by human intrusions, (ii) the analysis of the Conservatoire policies related to landscape issues and (iii) the proposal of judicious measures to assess/maintain/enhance/monitor landscape quality. For such proposals, the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES) method was in situ applied along the northern French coast, from Belgium to the Seine estuary. This area, shaped in a macrotidal environment, was chosen as it exhibits a wide variety of scenery composed of majestic dunes complexes, estuaries, bays and impressive cliff formations, alongside a strong cultural heritage. It also includes some world-renowned sites such as Les Deux Caps (Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez), the Somme Bay and the cliffs of Étretat. CSES is a strong accurate indicator of scenic quality based on 26 physical and human parameters, and fuzzy-logic mathematics to overcome subjectivity and quantify uncertainties. As a result, an Evaluation Index (D) is obtained, enabling to classify sites into five distinct classes, from Class I (outstanding quality) to Class V (very poor quality). In this paper, 16 sectors respectively located along the Côte d'Opale (8), Côte Picarde (4) and Côte d'Albâtre (4) were selected after a long process of field testing. Seven were included in Class I, five in Class II and four in Class III. Finally, suggestions were made to complete the remarkable labour done by the Conservatoire. • This paper is focused on the assessment of very attractive natural coastal sites. • Sixteen sites were field-tested by using the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System. • Seven sites were included in Class I, five in Class II and four in Class III. • Emphasis was given to the Conservatoire du Littoral management approach. • Suggestions were made to complete the remarkable labour done by the Conservatoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos de Trabajo Social is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Current sustainability challenges in agro-food networks highlight the need for sustainability transitions in agro-food practices. This paper aims to contribute by analysing how emergent agro-food practices form and develop over time. Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) provide a locus to study how emergent agro-food practices are shaped and to understand the factors that influence how they develop over time. We take a social practices approach to study Voedselteams — a network of food buying groups in Belgium. We go beyond studying single practices, by analysing AFNs as consisting of bundles of practices. We use a mix of methods (desk-top study, structured and semi-structured interviews, participant observation and workshops). Our results show that becoming involved in an AFN may also mean getting involved in other 'alternative' practices. As such, engaging in an AFN may require more effort than gaining access to or provisioning food through more strongly routinised practices. Our results suggest that whether, and the extent to which, participants get involved in emergent practice-bundles depends on an interplay between their motivations and the ways in which the emergent practice-bundles are embedded in existing bundles of practices. The routinisation and professionalisation of alternative practices – more in line with existing practice bundles - may facilitate the participation of members willing to invest less time and effort in gaining access to food through an AFN. This suggests that the routinisation and alignment with the bundles of practices that shape daily lives are crucial for emergent practices to appeal to a wider public. • We study practices in a Belgian AFN to grasp how emergent practices are shaped. • Sustainability related objectives may drive the emergence of new social practices. • Emergent practices may be less aligned with and difficult to fit in daily lives. • AFN membership thus requires more effort and motivation of the participants. • Routinisation is important for emergent practices to appeal to a wider public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades institutional food has been studied to learn about wider developments in foodways in the past and present. Prison diets offer additional value to these studies in that prisoners’ food has specific connotations (e.g., control or extra punishment) and that it should not exceed common diets outside the prison (the so-called less-eligibility principle). This interdisciplinary paper examines the Belgian prison system circa 1900, then one of the most advanced worldwide. It addresses two issues: how did prison diets relate to dietary trends outside, and how was food utilized inside of prisons in terms of functionality. The paper surveys prison diets in the second half of the nineteenth century, analyses and assesses the 1905 prison regime and compares it with contemporary norms. This paper contributes to the current debate concerning food and its relationship to detention. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Street bin litter has been overlooked in waste characterization studies. • Five sorting experiments were performed on street bin litter in Leuven, Belgium. • Illegal dumping accounted for 33% of street bin litter. • 19% of total mass was glass, plastic or metal; 16% paper and cardboard. • An estimated 35% of street bin litter consisted of packaging. Street bin litter (SBL) is an overlooked waste stream and its composition has barely been studied. In a first characterization attempt, five sorting experiments were performed on SBL collected in Leuven, Belgium. The waste was sampled and sorted into 8 main and 39 subfractions. The largest main fractions found were illegally dumped waste (33 ± 3%), organics (17 ± 4%) and paper and cardboard (16 ± 2%). On a functional level, the street bins were estimated to contain about 35% packaging, of which beverage and food packaging constituted 46% and 38–44%, respectively. SBL is in relative terms too small a waste stream for economically viable material recovery. However, in order to make a full transition to a circular economy and due to its high visibility, SBL cannot be neglected. Preventive measures and the full application of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes can help to achieve SBL reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We evaluated the Flemish policy to reduce ammonia deposition in Natura 2000 areas. • The policy is ineffective in lowering deposition below critical loads. • Emission abatement should extend beyond the livestock sector. • The cost of abatement differs between livestock subsectors. • The effectiveness in individual habitats depends on the sensitivity of the habitat. Nitrogen deposition is one of the main environmental threats to the conservation goals in areas protected by the European Habitats Directive, a problem that is quite pronounced in the livestock-rich region of Flanders, Belgium. Livestock farms are often located close to Natura 2000 areas. Therefore, ammonia emissions from livestock housing and manure storage have a high contribution to the deposition in these nearby protected habitats. In order to control this problem, the Flemish government imposes restrictions on livestock farms that pose a substantial threat to protected habitats nearby. In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness of this spatially differentiated policy. Using an integrated spatially explicit modeling approach, we were able to show that the effectiveness of this policy is rather limited in terms of reducing the proportion of habitats in exceedance of the critical load for nitrogen. In order to obtain a good status for all sensitive habitats, emission abatement efforts should extend beyond the livestock sector. The effectiveness of the policy is dependent on habitat type and the livestock subsectors contributing to emissions nearby. Furthermore, by means of four different habitat classes, the effectiveness of alternative policy options can be easily assessed on the level of individual habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of Big data, data-driven farming is changing the agricultural businesses thanks to the use of modern technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, drones, and farm monitoring. IoT devices produce a massive amount of precious agri-data, which are collected and analyzed in real-time using innovative application tools. This combination of technology, known as "Smart farming", helps various stakeholders in the agri-ecosystem to monitor crops in real-time, as well as maximize productivity and profitability in farm and business operations with the minimum efforts. Although many Smart farming solutions have been introduced, both from industry and academia, universal applicability of these approaches for other farms, unfortunately, is not feasible. Most of these solutions are based on a home-made non-standard Big data processing architecture. In this paper, we propose WALLeSMART, a cloud-based Smart farming management system, applied to the Wallonia region of Belgium. The framework introduces a general architecture to address the challenges of acquisition, processing, storing, and visualization of very large amounts of data, both in batch and real-time basis. An initial prototype has been developed and tested with various farms showing prominent results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analyses of agricultural transitions to sustainability face two key challenges: • 1. The challenge of identifying variations in farming systems and their interactions. • 2. The challenge of identifying competing visions of sustainability. • We combine three theoretical frameworks to tackle these challenges. • Coexistence between different farming models, including agroecology, is possible. The contribution of the multi-level perspective (MLP) to study transition dynamics is widely recognized. MLP involves examining interactions between three socio-technical levels: niche, regime and landscape. Empirical analysis of niche-regime interactions when applying this framework to agricultural transitions to sustainability remains challenging, however. The diversity of historical farming systems within a region can make niches and regimes highly heterogeneous. In addition, agricultural transitions to sustainability may be driven as much by technological changes as by institutional features, including normative rules and cultural cognitive rules that are less adequately addressed by MLP. To tackle these two challenges, we combined MLP with two additional frameworks to describe transition processes: the comparative agriculture framework, drawn from agro-economic, geographic and historical analyses of agricultural crises, and the justification of practices framework, drawn from pragmatic sociology. In this paper, we apply these three frameworks to the fresh vegetable production sector in Wallonia (Belgium) and discuss visions of transition through the lens of the agroecological paradigm. This leads us to predict a situation of coexistence between two socio-technical configurations of production: an old, organic and conventional configuration reoriented toward more commercial autonomy for the producers, and a new configuration oriented toward agroecology. The study contributes to a major debate discussing the extent to which the agroecological paradigm is being co-opted by the regime or remains faithful to its original principles and opens up perspectives for public policy development in the context of increasing governmental attention to the agroecological paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ager: Journal of Depopulation & Rural Development Studies / Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural is the property of Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Flemish region in Belgium is characterised by a high and ever-growing proportion of settlement area. Moreover, the historical growth pattern has resulted in fragmented urban development causing societal and environmental problems such as strong competition for space by multiple sectors and traffic congestion. The Flemish government has incorporated in its Spatial Policy Plan the goal to reduce land take to zero by 2040 and to guide future urban development according to the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning model. One of the principles of the plan is to concentrate urban development (to house the growing population and employment) at locations with good access to public transport and public and private services. Moreover, accessibility should be reached by means of active modes of transportation (e.g. walking, cycling). This paper offers a method to assist spatial planners that operate at a regional scale level by operationalizing these TOD-principles through mapping the urban development potential area-wide at high resolution. The proposed method builds upon the 'node-place model' put forward by Bertolini (1999). The method is applied to assess the urban development potential of locations in Flanders at a full-scale (i.e. for every location in Flanders, not only in areas around train stations). The method can be used to support policy makers operating at various levels (regional – local) to identify and prioritise locations that qualify for expansion, densification or reduction of the built-up area. • TOD principles are translated in an area-wide urban development map. • Urban development map based on accessibility of public transport and services. • Full-scale mapping of Bertolini's node-place model for regional spatial planners. • High resolution maps facilitate identifying local 'hotspots' for urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper argues that none of the secular trends that have driven down real interest rates over the past decades is likely to reverse in the near future. Government debt-servicing costs have therefore decreased significantly and can be expected to decrease further over the coming years. We calculate the direct gains accruing to the Belgian government from lower net debt interest payments and contrast them to the projected future increases in age-related expenditures. If interest rates remain on their current levels and savings on interest payments are channelled to cover the increases in age-related expenditures, they will cover two thirds of financing needs in these areas until 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper explores motivations for diasporic medical tourism. Using a qualitative method it seeks to understand diasporic medical tourism behaviour. Specifically, it examines the case of the Polish diaspora in Belgium making return trips to their country of origin to obtain healthcare services. Narratives suggest that the Polish diaspora in Belgium travels primarily for VFR (visiting friends and relatives), yet medical tourism constitutes a secondary reason while it is well planned and organized up-front. Four motivational factors have an influence on this behaviour: time availability (by-the-by), relative cost, shopping for the best quality and cultural affinity. Furthermore, managerial and theoretical implications of diasporic medical tourism are discussed as well as recommendations for future research. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Diasporic medical tourism appears to be a well-planned and organized activity of the diasporic travellers. • Four motivational factors emerged: relative cost, time-availability, search for the best quality & cultural affinity. • Promoting diasporic medical travel requires working via ethnic and kinship networks. • Internet, word-of-mouth and strength of national brand shape diasporic attitudes and choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Smart City is a fuzzy concept, which integrates numerous characteristics, components and dimensions. These characteristics are challenged in the academic literature, especially the technocentric approach and the central position of private companies. Moreover, the lack of proper conceptualisation pushes cities to claim themselves 'smart'. Finally, there are few rigorous analytical or statistical analyses of the concept and its application to territories. Therefore, this paper studies how Belgian municipalities understand the concept of Smart Cities in 2016. Based on the groundwork of literature on Smart Cities and the results of a survey of 113 Belgian municipalities, a typology of four understandings of the Smart City (technological, societal, comprehensive and non-existent) is elaborated. The results also show that municipalities with no understanding of the Smart City concept or with a technical understanding are mostly located in small and rural municipalities. This could be a sign of rejection of the phenomenon in this context. Conversely, medium and large-sized municipalities mostly develop a societal or comprehensive understanding. Therefore, this study highlights a dichotomy of understanding and acceptance of the concept of the Smart City between peripheral (rural and small size municipalities) and central municipalities (urban, medium and large size municipalities). Highlights • There are few rigorous analytical or statistical analyses around the concept Smart City and its application on territories. • A survey on Belgian municipalities stresses 4 Smart City understanding: technological, societal, comprehensive, non-existent. • A dichotomy of understanding appears between large & urban municipalities and rural & small municipalities. • The municipal appropriation of the Smart City phenomenon generates a vicious and virtuous circle. • Taking into account territorial scales and influences are necessary in the development of Smart Cities and Territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract In order to comply with the targeted collection rates set by new European waste management regulations, a better knowledge of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collection flows is needed. This paper highlights the importance of considering the regional spatial context to develop an appropriate waste collection strategy. Through material flow analysis, we compare the collection flows of end-of-life desktop computers in two neighbouring regions and link the differences of collection rates with spatial ones. The Brussels Capital Region (BCR), an urban area, and the Walloon Region (WR), a mixed urban-rural area with a predominance of rural areas, are chosen as case studies. The quantities and collection flows of end-of-life desktop computers are estimated by combining statistics and reporting data. Globally, in the WR, 70.99% of end-of-life desktop computers are collected in accordance with the WEEE Directive while only 32.98% are in the BCR. This difference may be related to spatial context. For instance, the high population density increases the built-up areas and limits space for waste collection infrastructures. As a consequence, in the BCR, only 22.29% of end-of-life desktop computers from households are captured by compliant collection channels against 84.80% in the WR. The collection from businesses still needs to be developed in both regions but also suffers from this lack of infrastructures. While the reliability assessment of our estimates emphasizes a lack of data regarding non-compliant collection channels, our results underline the need to take into account the regional spatial context in setting up the collection of WEEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A mathematical framework is presented to systematically combine MFA and LCA. • A case study on WEEE waste management in Belgium is presented. • Consumer behavior and technological progress show most potential for resource saving. • The mathematical framework can be used for prospective decision support. Abstract Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a key resource in the circular economy given its high concentration of valuable materials such as metals. The complexity of recycling this resource, however, is high due to different collection, separation and reprocessing steps. A combined Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be used to optimise the environmental performance of this recycling chain. Whereas usually these methodologies are used post-factum, i.e. when data is available, this paper presents how MFA and LCA can be used to predict material flows and the potential environmental benefit of the recycling chain, guiding policy makers and industries towards effective decision making. Based on a case study in Flanders, Belgium, firstly, it is shown that currently only 32% of WEEE materials are recycled towards high-end applications whereas 68% is lost in low-end applications, landfill or incineration. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals such as aluminium and copper achieve the highest high-end material recoveries (54, 46 and 44% respectively), whereas precious metals and plastic achieve lower high-end material recoveries (21–38% and 20% respectively). Secondly, it is shown that the most promising factors to improve material recovery and environmental benefit are consumer behaviour and technological progress (mainly in separation technologies), both potentially doubling the current environmental benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As scientific understanding of the heritable aspects of cancer deepens, the need to effectively communicate genetic information within the families of cancer patients becomes more acute. In the palliative care context, the question of when and how to disclose a patient's genetic information raises a host of ethical, legal, and social issues, including the challenges of communicating during the end-of-life stage and complex familial and cultural dynamics. In this paper, the authors outline the legal components of these issues in three civil law jurisdictions with similarly comprehensive approaches to healthcare and palliative care - Quebec, Belgium, and France - and provide insights from bioethics literature and normative documents on the disclosure of genetic information at the end of life. From this research, the authors propose a strategy for palliative care providers who are considering available options to communicate hereditary health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the relationship between institutional, electoral and party system dynamics on the one hand, and the evolution of total electoral volatility in Belgium, on the other. Based on aggregated election data from the 1876-2010 period the paper describes how and why party system size and electoral volatility in a fragmented parliamentary democracy interrelate and how they affect the equal parliamentary representation of parties. There are three important conclusions: first of all, the national party system has become more permeable to new parties over time and, concurrently, has become more competitive. This process has impacted negatively on the supremacy of the three traditional ideologies and the distinctive electoral market leadership of the Flemish Catholic party. But more importantly, it is not the absolute number but rather the relative change in electoral competition from one election to the next that has been a prime factor in explaining the linkage between party system fragmentation and electoral volatility. Lastly, the increasingly permeable Belgian national party system seems to have impacted adversely on the equal representation of smaller parties and - somewhat counterintuitively - even after the year 2000 has primarily rewarded larger parties, the very parties that represent the main pillar-based ideologies. Added to this is that one of the main factors precluding equal representation of (new) parties is total electoral volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]