277989 research outputs found
Sort by
Toward a Unicameral Federalism in Belgium?
No full textIn June 2025, the Belgian federal government announced its intention to initiate the abolition of the Senate—an institution established in 1831 as part of Belgium’s foundational constitutional framework. Though long expected, this move signals the potential culmination of decades of institutional erosion, during which the Senate’s legislative influence and political relevance have been systematically questioned. This article traces the historical trajectory of the upper chamber, examines the constitutional and political hurdles surrounding its proposed dissolution, and explores alternative visions for its future
Positioning and transmission in cell-free networks: ambiguity function, and MRC/MRT array gains
No full textCell-free network is a new paradigm, originating from distributed MIMO, that has been investigated for a few recent years as an alternative to the celebrated cellular structure. Future networks not only consider classical data transmission but also positioning, along the lines of Integrated Communications and Sensing (ISAC). The goal of this paper is to investigate at the same time the ambiguity function which is an important metric for positioning and the understanding of its associated resolution and ambiguities, and the array gain when maximum ratio transmission (MRT) or MR combining (MRC) is implemented for data communications. In particular, the role and impact of using a waveform with non-zero bandwidth is investigated. The theoretical findings are illustrated by means of computational results
Simultaneous protection of the marine environment and critical infrastructures: a dual challenge for State action at sea. The Belgian example
No full textThis article is based on the contribution presented by the author in Marseille on March 25, 2025, during the First Conference of European Marine Academies. It provides an overview of current Belgian legislation on the protection of marine areas and highlights the role of these areas as critical infrastructures within the geopolitical context
Nonperturbative Self-Consistent Electron-Phonon Spectral Functions and Transport
No full textElectron-phonon coupling often dominates the electron spectral functions and carrier transport properties. However, studies of this effect in real materials have largely relied on perturbative one-shot methods due to the lack of a first-principles theoretical and computational framework. Here, we present a self-consistent theory and implementation for the nonperturbative calculations of spectral functions and conductivity due to electron-phonon coupling. Applying this method to monolayer InSe, we demonstrate that self-consistency qualitatively affects the spectral function and transport properties compared to state-of-the-art one-shot calculations and allow one to reconcile calculations with angle-resolved photoemission experiments. The developed method can be widely applied to materials with dominant electron-phonon coupling at moderate computational cost
Induction for extended affine type A Soergel bimodules from a maximal parabolic
No full textIn this paper we take a first step towards the categorification of the Zelevinsky tensor product of finite dimensional representations of extended affine type A Hecke algebras
Mismatched Luneburg Lens Antennas for FMCW Radar Systems
No full textWhile Luneburg lenses are among the best multibeam antenna topologies if one seeks low scan losses and large bandwidths, they also require very specific refractive indices and therefore limit the designer’s degrees of freedom. In this thesis, a new version of that lens is proposed, in which it is deliberately mismatched with the exterior medium in which it should radiate, to ease fabrication processes. Numerical tools, with different levels of complexity, are developed to study the lens behaviour. We propose simple expressions and design rules, showing how to adapt the lens to a given level of mismatch at its edge. Those include a frequency dependence and techniques to mitigate Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs). Multiple prototypes of cylindrical Mismatched Luneburg Lenses are fabricated on PCB. Measurements validate the proposed topology and show that it can produce multiple stable fan-shaped beams on a bandwidth greater than 10 GHz at V-band. The proposed GRIN lens antennas are then integrated in an FMCW radar system demonstrator, on a single-piece Semi-Flex PCB. The proposed implementation can provide angular information in both elevation and azimuth, which makes it suitable for applications such as automatic door sensors (i.e. the applicative framework of this thesis). Eventually, the potential impacts of the implemented demonstrator are discussed, after a multidimensional description of the state-of-the-Earth. Both direct (through a Life Cycle Analysis) and indirect (through a People-Planet-Prosperity approach) impacts are addressed.(FSA - Sciences de l'ingénieur) -- UCL, 202
Linzagolix with and without hormonal add-back therapy for symptomatic uterine fibroids: PRIMROSE 1 & 2 long-term extension and withdrawal study.
No full textTo evaluate 1) whether oral linzagolix administered once daily for up to 52 weeks (extension study) at a dose of 100 mg or 200 mg with or without hormonal add-back therapy (ABT) (1.0 mg estradiol; 0.5 mg norethisterone acetate) can maintain the efficacy and tolerability seen at 6 months of therapy, and 2) whether there is any recurrence of symptoms (bleeding and pain) after cessation of therapy (withdrawal study). PRIMROSE 1 and PRIMROSE 2 were essentially identical, randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials conducted in women with uterine fibroid-associated heavy menstrual bleeding (menstrual blood loss of more than 80 ml per cycle over 2 menstrual cycles). Eligible women with uterine fibroid-associated heavy menstrual bleeding were randomly assigned at a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio to one of five masked daily treatments: (1)placebo, (2)100 mg linzagolix alone, (3)100 mg linzagolix with hormonal ABT (1 mg estradiol and 0.5 mg norethisterone acetate), (4) 200 mg linzagolix alone (with ABT after 24 weeks), or (5) 200 mg linzagolix with hormonal ABT (1 mg estradiol and 0.5 mg norethisterone acetate). After 24 weeks, patients assigned to the placebo or 200 mg linzagolix alone groups were switched to 200 mg linzagolix with ABT, except in PRIMROSE 1, where 50% of subjects on a placebo continued with the placebo (random selection) until week 52. All other women continued on the original study medication. Efficacy and safety were evaluated at week 52 (extension study) as well as week 64 (withdrawal study). Bone mineral density was also assessed at week 76 (6 months after cessation of therapy). A total of 94 clinical sites in the USA (PRIMROSE 1) and 95 in Europe and the USA (PRIMROSE 2). In PRIMROSE 1 and 2, 1,012 women were included in the full analysis set. Eligible subjects were women aged 18 years or older with ultrasound-confirmed fibroids and heavy menstrual bleeding of at least 80 ml blood loss per cycle for a minimum of two cycles, as determined by the alkaline haematin method. Eligible participants had to have at least one fibroid measuring 2 cm in diameter or more (or multiple small fibroids with overall uterine volume exceeding 200 cm), but no fibroids greater than 12 cm in diameter. The primary endpoint was decreased menstrual blood loss to less than 80 ml and a reduction of more than 50% from baseline. Specifically, this study sought to determine whether the reduction in menstrual blood loss and other secondary outcomes, such as uterine volume and pain, observed at 24 weeks could be maintained over an extended (52 weeks) treatment period and further withdrawal period. In the pooled data from PRIMROSE 1 and PRIMROSE 2 extension studies, the significantly higher proportion of women showing a reduction in heavy menstrual bleeding in all linzagolix (with or without ABT) treatment groups observed at week 24, was maintained until week 52. Percentages of women with reduced menstrual blood loss at week 52 (based on the pooled week 52 full analysis set) were 55.0% in the 100 mg group, 86.1% in the 100 mg with ABT group, 76.7% in the 200 mg group/200 mg with ABT, and 89.9% in the 200 mg with ABT group. Of subjects previously treated with linzagolix and in amenorrhoea by week 52, 88.8% reported their first bleed or heavy bleeding between weeks 52 and 64. In both PRIMROSE studies, the most common adverse events up to week 52 were hot flushes. Their incidence had returned to baseline values by week 64. Bone mineral density was well preserved in all groups at week 52. In women treated with 200 mg linzagolix alone up to week 24, initial BMD loss (lumbar spine) recovered by week 52 after adding ABT from week 24 onwards. Findings at 52 weeks confirmed the benefits of treatment observed at 24 weeks. At 52 weeks, linzagolix (100 mg or 200 mg) with or without ABT was found to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding, which is a burden for women with uterine fibroids. Their quality of life was improved. Risks of bone loss and vasomotor symptoms were minimized as a result of ABT administration. Partial suppression with once daily linzagolix (100 mg) without ABT potentially provides a unique option for chronic treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids in women who do not wish to have ABT or in whom it is contraindicated. The relatively fast recurrence of uterine fibroid-associated symptoms after cessation of therapy is an argument in favour of long-term continuation of treatment
A dynamic open-source model to investigate wake dynamics in response to wind farm flow control strategies
No full textWind farm flow control (WFFC) is the discipline of manipulating the flow between wind turbines to achieve a farm-wide goal, like power maximization, power tracking or load mitigation. Specifically, steady-state control approaches have shown promising results in both theory and practice for power maximization. But how are they expected to perform in a dynamically changing environment? This paper presents an open-source wake modeling framework called OFF (abbreviated from the models OnWARDS, FLORIDyn and FLORIS). It allows the approximation of the performance of WFFC strategies in response to environmental changes at a low computational cost. It is rooted in previously published dynamic parametric engineering models and offers a flexible and adaptable platform to explore these models further. The presented study tests the modeling framework by investigating the performance of different wake steering controllers in a 10-turbine wind farm case study based on a subset of the Dutch wind farm Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN). The case study uses a 24 h wind direction time series based on field data and verifies subsets of the time series in a large-eddy simulation (LES). The results highlight how dependent yaw travel is on the controller settings and suggest where users can strike a balance between power gains and actuator usage. They also show the structural differences and similarities between steady-state and dynamic engineering models. The comparison to LES shows what timescales the surrogate models cover and how accurately. While steady-state models capture turbine power signal dynamics up to ≈1/570 Hz, the dynamic wake description can predict dynamics up to ≈1/360 Hz with a better correlation and normalized root-mean-square error. Further results show that the dynamic wake description is mainly advantageous over steady-state wake models for shorter periods (< 20 min). The paper also opens up discussion about the effectiveness of wind farm flow control in a time-marching manner as opposed to a steady-state viewpoint
Impact of A Multidisciplinary Team Discussion for Genetic Lung Fibrosis.
No full textApproximately 30% of individuals diagnosed with familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) exhibit a pathogenic variant upon genetic analysis. We established a genetic Multidisciplinary Discussion (geneMDD) aimed to enhance expertise in diagnosing and managing FPF. This study aimed at prospectively evaluating the impact of geneMDD on diagnosis and treatment in patients referred to geneMDD. In this prospective study, we enrolled all consecutive patients referred to the geneMDD. At each meeting, the impact of the meeting was questioned on the genetic conclusion, the pulmonary diagnosis, and the treatment. A total of 115 patients were included. Before geneMDD, rare variants were detected in 82 out of 107 patients, among which 65 variants were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic. Following geneMDD, 2 pathogenic variants (3%) were reclassified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) (n = 1) or benign (n = 1). Among the 17 variants initially classified as VUS, 2 (11.8%) were reclassified as likely pathogenic/pathogenic. The pulmonary diagnosis was confirmed for all patients (unclassifiable lung fibrosis was the more frequent diagnosis, n = 38, 33.0%). The therapeutic regimen was changed after geneMDD in 30 patients. Factors associated with therapeutic changes included the pulmonary diagnosis and presence of a pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant. In addition, the French health system allows offering whole genome sequencing (WGS) in patients with a first negative genetic analysis by NGS panel after discussion in geneMDD, but in total, since September 1st, 2021, WGS was negative for the four analysed families. This study suggests that geneMDD could influence the treatment of FPF patients
Chronique biographique de Transmettre la foi dans une société en mutations
No full textCe livre rend hommage au travail théologique entrepris par le professeur Joël Molinario (désormais JM) depuis plus de vingt ans, au sein de l’Institut catholique de Paris et de l’ISPC. L’ouvrage s’ouvre avec un avant-propos d’Anne-Sophie Vivier-Muresan et une préface d’Isabelle Morelle et Roland Lacroix qui rappellent les compétences de JM comme maître ainsi que ses qualités d’accompagnateur et d’écoutant. Il regroupe dix-sept contributions réparties en trois axes correspondants chacun à l’héritage théologique et catéchétique de JM comme pédagogue et catéchète, théologien et théologien de la Ciase (Commission indépendante sur les abus sexuels dans l’Église)