Observer pour comprendre les interactions de la biodiversité avec les pratiques agricoles : premiers résultats de l’Observatoire Agricole de la Biodiversité

Ce numéro est constitué d’articles issus du colloque « Biodiversité et durabilité des agricultures » qui s’est tenu à Paris le 11 avril 2019Alors que l’agriculture et la biodiversité sont en interrelation forte, il n’existait pas jusque récemment desuivi de biodiversité ciblant les espaces agricoles. L’Observatoire Agricole de la Biodiversité (OAB) a étélancé en 2011 à l’initiative du ministère de l’agriculture. L’OAB est le premier projet national impliquantdes agriculteurs dans l'observation de la biodiversité, grâce à des protocoles simples mais standardisésde suivi de quatre groupes importants pour l’agriculture. L’OAB a un double objectif : (1) scientifique,pour mieux comprendre les relations entre pratiques et biodiversité, et documenter des tendancestemporelles de la biodiversité et (2) de sensibilisation, comme outil de recherche de réponsestechniques pour les agriculteurs. Entre 2011 et 2018, les agriculteurs participants ont effectué desobservations dans 2770 parcelles. Les premiers résultats permettent de retrouver des effets bienconnus des pratiques sur la biodiversité, mais surtout de détecter des premières tendances temporellesaprès seulement huit années de suivi. Par exemple les abeilles solitaires déclinent en général, saufdans les parcelles avec des pratiques peu intensives. L’OAB doit désormais monter en puissance, avecdavantage d’observateurs et de protocoles, afin de confirmer ces tendances et d’identifier des pratiquesvertueuses pour la conservation de la biodiversité dans les espaces agricoles

Faciliating More Efficient Negotiations for Innovative Therapies: A Value-Based Negotiation Framework

OBJECTIVES: An increasing number of innovative therapies (e.g., gene- and cell-based treatments) have been developed in the past 20 years. Despite the significant clinical potential of these therapies, access delays may arise because of differing perspectives of manufacturers and payers regarding issues such as the value of the product, clinical and financial uncertainties, and sustainability.Managed entry agreements (MEAs) can enable access to treatments that would not be reimbursed by conventional methods because of such concerns. However, although MEA typologies exist, there is currently no structured process to come to agreements on MEAs, which can be difficult to decide upon and implement.To facilitate more structured MEA negotiations, we propose a conceptual "value-based negotiation framework" with corresponding application tools. METHODS: The framework was developed based on an iterative process of scientific literature review and expert input. RESULTS: The framework aims to (i) systematically identify and prioritize manufacturer and payer concerns about a new treatment, and (ii) select a mutually acceptable combination of MEA terms that can best address priority concerns, with the lowest possible implementation burden. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed framework will be tested in practice, and is a step toward supporting payers and manufacturers to engage in more structured, transparent negotiations to balance the needs of both sides, and enabling quicker, more transparent MEA negotiations and patient access to innovative products

Characterization of a highly efficient chevron‑shaped anti‑contamination device

This paper is devoted to the characterization of an optimized chevron-shaped anti-contamination device (ACD). This device can prevent efficiently the propagation of turbulence from the fuselage along the attachment line (hypothetical streamline that spreads the flow going to suction side and the one going to pressure side) of swept wings and enables the development of a new laminar boundary layer downstream. More specifically, the aim is to prevent boundary-layer transition along the attachment line by a contamination process. This process is characterized by the typical Reynolds number R and the associated Poll’s criterion. Thus, ACD efficiency will be expressed in terms of R values. Some experiments performed on a new numerically optimized ACD have shown its ability to prevent leading- edge contamination up to R values close to the natural transition process of the laminar boundary layer along the attachment line. The corresponding stability analysis of the laminar boundary layer is made using the Görtler–Hämmerlin stability approach. The study is completed with the different transition processes that can occur downstream the attachment line, around the airfoil, especially with crossflow analysis

Comparison between the STENTYS self-apposing bare metal and paclitaxel-eluting coronary stents for the treatment of saphenous vein grafts (ADEPT trial)

Aims To describe the safety and performance of STENTYS self-expandable bare metal stents (BMS) versus paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs). Methods and Results A randomised controlled trial was performed in four hospitals in three European countries between December 2011 and December 2013. Patients with de novo lesions (>50% stenosis) in an SVG with a diameter between 2.5–6 mm were included. Primary endpoint was late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included procedural success and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 12 months. A total of 57 patients were randomised to STENTYS self-apposing BMS (n = 27) or PES (n = 30). Procedural success was obtained in 89.5%. No significant differences in late lumen loss were found between BMS and PES at 6 months (0.53 mm vs 0.47; p = 0.86). MACE rates at 12 months were comparable in both groups (BMS 22.2% vs. PES 26.7%; p = 0.70). Conclusions Treatment of SVGs with STENTYS self-expandable stents is safe and effective. No significant differences were found in late lumen loss and MACE between BMS and PES

M & L Jaargang 3/6

RedactioneelW. Claes, A. De Haeck en G. Van der Linden De Japanse honingboom te Sint-Truiden (Kerkom). Boomverzorging als beheersmaatregel voor het behoud van ons onroerend patrimonium. [The Sophora japonica at Sint-Truiden (Kerkom). Tree care as preservation measure of our heritage.]Miek Goossens Het Oud Stadhuis van Blankenberge. [The old town hall of Blankenberge.]C. Vermeersch Het verdriet van Brugge. [The sorrow of Bruges.]Brussels detailRoger Deneef De Demervallei tussen Aarchot en Werchter. Deel 2. [The Demer valley between Aarschot and Werchter (part 2).]SummaryM&L Binnenkran

Performance-based financing as a health system reform : mapping the key dimensions for monitoring and evaluation

Peer reviewedPublisher PD