Perspectives économiques 2007-2008

D’après les indicateurs conjoncturels récents, l’état actuel de l’économie belge demeure bien orienté. Les perspectives économiques pour les 18 prochains mois sont positives, avec une croissance que nous prévoyons à 2,8 % en 2007 et 2,5 % en 2008.

Perspectives économiques 2008 - 2009

Depuis près d’un an maintenant, l’économie belge est secouée par des vents contraires. Malgré cela, elle a fait preuve jusqu’à présent d’une assez bonne résilience eu égard aux chocs encaissés. Ceci fut encore confirmé au premier trimestre de 2008. Gare cependant aux excès d’optimisme ! Les évolutions récentes de l’environnement économique mondial et des indicateurs prospectifs de l’économie belge attestent davantage qu’il y a trois mois la perspective d’un ralentissement de l’économie en 2008 et en première partie de 2009.

Probing the work generated by the autonomous rotation around a single ruthenium atom in an organometallic complex

A variety of rotary molecular motors powered by light, chemical energy or tunnelling electrons have been synthesized and their operation in solution, in gels or on surfaces has been demonstrated. However, the single-molecule mechanics of such machines remain scarcely studied and very little data regarding their quantified performances have been disclosed. Here, we report on the synthesis of a series of molecules incorporating a five-arm rotor subunit and the direct quantitative measurement of the work generated by its rotation around the central ruthenium atom. We have used single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) to detect the autonomous oscillations. We demonstrate that a mechanical load does not prevent rotation and show that the chemical nature of the arms influences the energy barrier, causing differences in the work that the motor can generate. Our results illustrate that SMFS, which is now widely used to probe processes at the scale of a few tens of nanometers in biomacromolecules, can detect motions around a single atom in a tiny synthetic molecule

Floral biology of common buckwheat. Invited review.

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

compost

The electronic nose as a warning device of the odour emergence in

Adaptation et test d'un nez électronique pour suivre en continu la nuisance olfactive générée par un centre de compostage

peer reviewedL'article présente le travail de fin d'études de Catherine Ledent. Celui-ci a consisté à la mise au point et au test sur le terrain (sur le centre de compostage à Habay) d'un nez électronique destiné à être placé en continu sur un site industriel, de manière à détecter des occurrences d'odeur. Le prototype existant a été adapté de manière à satisfaire aux exigences du terrain. Par exemple, une régulation thermique de la chambre des capteurs a permis de s'affranchir des variations de température de l'ambiance. La phase de validation sur le terrain fut la plus exigeante: elle nécessitait en effet une présence constante de l'étudiante sur le terrain, de manière à identifier les causes possibles de variation des capteurs. En finale, le système a montré d'excellentes performances et peut servir de base à un développement technologique ultérieur

[(3)H]Adenosine uptake in brainstem membranes of CD-1 mice lacking the adenosine A(2a) receptor.

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated a decrease in [(3)H]nitrobenzylthioinosine binding sites in the brainstem of adenosine A(2a) receptor knockout mice, particularly in the brain nuclei involved in central control of cardiovascular function [Brain Research 877 (2000) 160]. The present study aimed to correlate this decrease, shown using autoradiography, with a functional change using a previously described method of [(3)H]adenosine uptake in a membrane preparation from the brainstem of wildtype CD - 1 and homozygous mutant mice lacking the adenosine A(2a) receptor. A statistically significant decrease was shown in the mean V(MAX) value obtained from homozygous mutant preparations (4.7 +/- 1.3 fmol/mg protein/20 s, P < 0.05, n = 4) compared to that obtained from wildtype controls (51.6 +/- 4.2 fmol/mg protein/20 s, n = 4). Competition studies using nucleoside uptake inhibitors showed a statistically significant increase in the log IC(50) values for dipyridamole (Wildtype: -4.3 +/- 0.2, Homozygous mutant: -8.3 +/- 0.4, n=5, P < 0.05) and dilazep (Wildtype: -3.9 +/- 0.8, Homozygous mutant: -8.3 +/- 0.8, n=5, P < 0.05) in the preparations using homozygous mutant tissue. The present study, in conjunction with the results of previous studies [Brain Research 877 (2000) 160], indicates that components of purinergic neurotransmission system have apparently adjusted in compensation for the lack of the A(2a) receptor.Comparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Differentiated carcinomas develop as a consequence of the thyroid specific expression of a thyroglobulin-human papillomavirus type 16 E7 transgene.

The oncogenic properties of the high risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) E7 protein are attributed to its interaction with the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product RB1 and other related proteins. We report here the generation of a transgenic model expressing the E7 oncogene of HPV16 in thyroid follicular cells, under control of the bovine thyroglobulin gene promoter. Transgenics develop differentiated and functionally regulated thyroid goitres, due to thyroid cell proliferation and accumulation of colloid. On the background of this colloid goitre, the mice develop foci of more actively proliferating cells that become invasive and ultimately tend to loose their differentiation. Old mice display secondary tumour nodules that mimic the various histological aspects of the human differentiated thyroid cancers: the follicular and papillary carcinomas. The development of totally undifferentiated carcinoma is in contrast exceptional. We conclude that RB1, and/or related proteins, are responsible for the strict negative control of proliferation that characterizes the thyroid cell of the adult. Inactivation of these proteins results in a continuous growth of the thyroid, without affecting its differentiation, function and regulation. Given the high frequency of progression to highly malignant phenotypes, the retinoblastoma susceptibility and related genes are good candidates as targets for mutations or deletions in early steps of human thyroid carcinogenesis. The search for such mutations in human thyroid cancers will test if this hypothesis holds true.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe