Le Secteur Associatif en Belgique: Une Analyse Quantitative et Qualitative

The book is divided in three parts. The first deals with the problem of defining the third sector in Belgium; the second part presents a quantitative analysis of the sector, and the third chapter provides a detailed analysis of the employment in the sector. The appendix includes interviews to representatives of non-profit organisations about the management of the organisations

Active-Site-Directed Inhibitors of Prolyl Oligopeptidase Abolish Its Conformational Dynamics

Deciphering conformational dynamics is crucial for understanding the biological functions of proteins and for designing compounds targeting them. In particular, providing an accurate description of microsecond–millisecond motions opens the opportunity for regulating protein–protein interactions (PPIs) by modulating the dynamics of one interacting partner. Here we analyzed the conformational dynamics of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) and the effects of active-site-directed inhibitors on the dynamics. We used an integrated structural biology approach based on NMR spectroscopy and SAXS experiments complemented by MD simulations. We found that POP is in a slow equilibrium in solution between open and closed conformations, and that inhibitors effectively abolished this equilibrium by stabilizing the enzyme in the closed conformation.This work was supported by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, MINECO-FEDER (Bio2013-40716-R, CTQ2013-48287 and CTQ2012-32183/BQU), and the Generalitat de Catalunya (XRB and Grup Consolidat 2014SGR521). AL has received funding from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. PB acknowledges the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (SPINHD-ANR-CHEX-2011) and the ATIP-Avenir program for financial support. FHT’s fellowship is co-funded by the INSERM and the University of Copenhagen. Technical assistance from staff at the P12 beam line (EMBL/DESY) is acknowledged.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

3D printed SrNbO2N photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants in water

Organic pollutants in water are a major concern for the environment and human health, and require urgent attention. Here, we developed for the first time monolithic structures by 3D printing of perovskite metal oxynitride, SrNbO2N, for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant in water. Advanced, synchrotron-based XRD-CT measurements were employed to gain structural insight into photocatalyst formulation and assess the fidelity of design in terms of both the chemical and physical form of the photocatalysts to be imaged. Our 3D printed material showed excellent photocatalytic activity, degrading 100% of methylene blue (MB) as well as good stability for three cycle operations. This is due to high adsorption of the 3D printed oxynitride towards MB which enhanced its photoredox reactivity. It is also evident from the excellent charge transfer demonstrating a charge transfer rate of (1.5 ± 0.2) × 108 s−1. We performed Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) calculations to understand the photocatalyst structure and degradation pathways. Our calculated band gap (at Γ) of 1.88 eV is in good agreement with the experimental values. We found that the highest valence bands were contributed by N p orbitals and the lowest conduction bands corresponded to Nb d orbitals offering avenues for fine-tuning the band gap. Hence, the ability to tailor photocatalyst monoliths by 3D printing renders their water treatment application more facile compared to their powder suspension counterparts

3D printed SrNbO₂N photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants in water

Organic pollutants in water are a major concern for the environment and human health, and require urgent attention. Here, we developed for the first time monolithic structures by 3D printing of perovskite metal oxynitride, SrNbO2N, for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant in water. Advanced, synchrotron-based XRD-CT measurements were employed to gain structural insight into photocatalyst formulation and assess the fidelity of design in terms of both the chemical and physical form of the photocatalysts to be imaged. Our 3D printed material showed excellent photocatalytic activity, degrading 100% of methylene blue (MB) as well as good stability for three cycle operations. This is due to high adsorption of the 3D printed oxynitride towards MB which enhanced its photoredox reactivity. It is also evident from the excellent charge transfer demonstrating a charge transfer rate of (1.5 ± 0.2) × 108 s−1. We performed Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) calculations to understand the photocatalyst structure and degradation pathways. Our calculated band gap (at Γ) of 1.88 eV is in good agreement with the experimental values. We found that the highest valence bands were contributed by N p orbitals and the lowest conduction bands corresponded to Nb d orbitals offering avenues for fine-tuning the band gap. Hence, the ability to tailor photocatalyst monoliths by 3D printing renders their water treatment application more facile compared to their powder suspension counterparts

Orlistat treatment is safe in overweight and obese liver transplant recipients: a prospective, open label trial

Obesity is a frequent complication following liver transplantation and is insufficiently responsive to dietary and life style advice. We studied the safety of orlistat treatment in obese and overweight liver transplant recipients (n = 15) on a stable tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen. For safety reasons, the treatment period was restricted (6 months 120 mg t.i.d., 3 months 120 mg daily). Three patients dropped out, tacrolimus dose was adjusted in six of 12 remaining patients (dose reduction in 4, increase in 2, P = N.S.). All dose adjustments occurred during the 6 months of orlistat 120 mg t.i.d. therapy. No drug intolerance, adverse events or episodes of rejection occurred during the study. Efficacy of orlistat treatment in this population could not be shown, because a formal control population was not included in this safety trial. Moreover, only a significant decrease of waist circumference (P < 0.01 versus start of the study), but not of weight or body mass index, was achieved in the treated group. Orlistat treatment is well tolerated in liver transplant recipients and can be started safely, provided immunosuppressive drug levels and dietary adherence are closely monitored

The safety of agomelatine in standard medical practice in depressed patients : a 26‐week international multicentre cohort study

© 2020 The Authors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Objective: The present observational cohort study documented the safety of agomelatine in current medical practice in out-patients suffering from major depressive disorder. Method: The 6-month evolution of agomelatine-treated patients was assessed with a focus on safety (emergent adverse events, liver acceptability), severity of depression using the Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) score, and functioning measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Results: A total of 8453 depressed patients from 761 centres in 6 countries were analysed (female: 67.7%; mean age: 49.1 ± 14.8 years). Adverse events reported were in accordance with the known safety profile of agomelatine. Cutaneous events were reported in 1.7% of the patients and increased hepatic transaminases values were reported in 0.9 % of the patients. The incidence of events related to suicide/self-injury was 1.0%. Two completed suicides, not related to the study drug, were reported. CGI-S total scores and SDS sub-scores improved and numbers of days lost or underproductive decreased over the treatment period. Conclusions: In standard medical practice, agomelatine treatment was associated with a low incidence of side effects. No unexpected events were reported. A decrease in the severity of the depressive episode and improved functioning were observed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Low temperature assembly method of microfluidic bio-molecules detection device

We developed a microfluidic device for the detection of bio-molecules. The active part of the device is a biofunctionalized interdigitated capacitive sensor. The microsystem consists of a sensor on silicon chip, a microfluidic channel formed by photo-patternable resist and a plastic cover. We implemented a low temperature packaging process to assemble the sensor and prevent the biological material from degradation.DNASi