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Showing papers by "Université catholique de Louvain published in 2006"


Journal ArticleDOI
Abstract: This paper surveys the most important developments in multivariate ARCH-type modelling. It reviews the model specifications and inference methods, and identifies likely directions of future research.

1,526 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Vaccines are certainly the most promising applications for orally delivered nanoparticles and encouraging results upon in vivo testing are reported but low bioavailability and lack of control on absorbed dose slow down products development.

1,170 citations


Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: A review of the recent theoretical and empirical economic literature on migrants' remittances can be found in this article, where a mixture of individualistic (e.g., altruism, exchange) and familial motivations explain the likelihood and size of remittance; some studies also find evidence of moral hazard on the recipients' side and of the use of inheritance prospects to monitor the migrants' behavior.
Abstract: This chapter reviews the recent theoretical and empirical economic literature on migrants' remittances. It is divided between a microeconomic section on the determinants of remittances and a macroeconomic section on their growth effects. At the micro level we first present in a fully harmonized framework the various motivations to remit described so far in the literature. We show that models based on different motives share many common predictions, making it difficult to implement truly discriminative tests in the absence of sufficiently detailed data on migrants and receiving households' characteristics and on the timing of remittances. The results from selected empirical studies show that a mixture of individualistic (e.g., altruism, exchange) and familial (e.g., investment, insurance) motives explain the likelihood and size of remittances; some studies also find evidence of moral hazard on the recipients' side and of the use of inheritance prospects to monitor the migrants' behavior. At the macro level we first briefly review the standard (Keynesian) and the trade-theoretic literature on the short-run impact of remittances. We then use an endogenous growth framework to describe the growth potential of remittances and present the evidence for different growth channels. There is considerable evidence that remittances (in the form of savings repatriated by return migrants) promote access to self-employment and raise investment in small businesses, and there is also evidence that remittances contribute to raise educational attainments of children in households with migrant members. Investigation of the effects of remittances on outcomes such as children's education and health raise identification issues, however, as we explain below. Finally, the relationship between remittances and inequality appears to be non-monotonic: remittances seem to decrease economic inequality in communities with a long migration tradition but to increase inequality within communities at the beginning of the migration process. This is consistent with different theoretical arguments regarding the role of migration networks and/or the dynamics of wealth transmission between successive generations.

895 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that IL-27Rα-deficient mice were hypersusceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and generated more IL-17-producing T helper cells and suppressed IL-6-mediated T cell proliferation, providing a mechanistic explanation for theIL-27-mediated immune suppression noted in several in vivo models of inflammation.
Abstract: Interleukin 27 (IL-27) was first characterized as a proinflammatory cytokine with T helper type 1-inducing activity. However, subsequent work has demonstrated that mice deficient in IL-27 receptor (IL-27R alpha) show exacerbated inflammatory responses to a variety of challenges, suggesting that IL-27 has important immunoregulatory functions in vivo. Here we demonstrate that IL-27R alpha-deficient mice were hypersusceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and generated more IL-17-producing T helper cells. IL-27 acted directly on effector T cells to suppress the development of IL-17-producing T helper cells mediated by IL-6 and transforming growth factor-beta. This suppressive activity was dependent on the transcription factor STAT1 and was independent of interferon-gamma. Finally, IL-27 suppressed IL-6-mediated T cell proliferation. These data provide a mechanistic explanation for the IL-27-mediated immune suppression noted in several in vivo models of inflammation.

826 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented the vulnerability assessment of the ATEAM land use scenarios, which can help answer multidisciplinary questions such as: which are the main regions or sectors that are vulnerable to global change? How do the vulnerabilities of two regions compare? Which scenario is the least, or most, harmful for a given region or sector?

705 citations


Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: In this article, three methods of measuring technical efficiency are defined, and their results compared in an application to Belgian postal data, and they conclude with an estimated average labor-efficiency of about 90%.
Abstract: Three methods of measuring technical efficiency are defined, and their results compared in an application to Belgian postal data. The first one is that of adjusting a Cobb-Douglas production frontier; the second is that of computing the convex hull of the data, a la Farrell; the third one is developed on the basis of the sole assumptions of input and output disposability. We conclude with an estimated average labor-efficiency of about 90%.

675 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The 4-month outcome demonstrates the feasibility of composite tissue transplantation in facial reconstructive surgery and can already be deemed successful with respect to appearance, sensitivity, and acceptance by the patient.

559 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work states thatKinetic theory models involving the Fokker-Planck equation can be accurately discretized using a mesh support using a reduced approximation basis within an adaptive procedure making use of an efficient separation of variables.
Abstract: Kinetic theory models involving the Fokker-Planck equation can be accurately discretized using a mesh support (finite elements, finite differences, finite volumes, spectral techniques, etc.). However, these techniques involve a high number of approximation functions. In the finite element framework, widely used in complex flow simulations, each approximation function is related to a node that defines the associated degree of freedom. When the model involves high dimensional spaces (including physical and conformation spaces and time), standard discretization techniques fail due to an excessive computation time required to perform accurate numerical simulations. One appealing strategy that allows circumventing this limitation is based on the use of reduced approximation basis within an adaptive procedure making use of an efficient separation of variables. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

546 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a range of future, spatially explicit, land use change scenarios for the EU15, Norway and Switzerland based on an interpretation of the global storylines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that are presented in the special report on emissions scenarios (SRES).

540 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: High detection accuracy and overall Kappa were achieved by OB-Reflectance method in temperate forests using three SPOT-HRV images covering a 10-year period.

506 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Hypophosphatemia is a genetically heterogeneous disease and an autosomal recessive form (designated ARHP) to chromosome 4q21 is mapped and homozygous mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), which encodes a non-collagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes are identified.
Abstract: Hypophosphatemia is a genetically heterogeneous disease. Here, we mapped an autosomal recessive form (designated ARHP) to chromosome 4q21 and identified homozygous mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), which encodes a non-collagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes. Intact plasma levels of the phosphaturic protein FGF23 were clearly elevated in two of four affected individuals, providing a possible explanation for the phosphaturia and inappropriately normal 1,25(OH)2D levels and suggesting that DMP1 may regulate FGF23 expression.

Journal ArticleDOI
S. Schael1, R. Barate, R. Bruneliere, I. De Bonis  +1279 moreInstitutions (141)
TL;DR: In this paper, four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM).
Abstract: The four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The data of the four collaborations are statistically combined and examined for their consistency with the background hypothesis and with a possible Higgs boson signal. The combined LEP data show no significant excess of events which would indicate the production of Higgs bosons. The search results are used to set upper bounds on the cross-sections of various Higgs-like event topologies. The results are interpreted within the MSSM in a number of “benchmark” models, including CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. These interpretations lead in all cases to large exclusions in the MSSM parameter space. Absolute limits are set on the parameter cosβ and, in some scenarios, on the masses of neutral Higgs bosons.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings reinforce the idea that pharmacological activation of AMPK may provide, through signalling and metabolic and gene expression effects, a new strategy for the management of metabolic hepatic disorders linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Abstract: It is now becoming evident that the liver has an important role in the control of whole body metabolism of energy nutrients. In this review, we focus on recent findings showing that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a major role in the control of hepatic metabolism. AMPK integrates nutritional and hormonal signals to promote energy balance by switching on catabolic pathways and switching off ATP-consuming pathways, both by short-term effects on phosphorylation of regulatory proteins and by long-term effects on gene expression. Activation of AMPK in the liver leads to the stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and inhibition of lipogenesis, glucose production and protein synthesis. Medical interest in the AMPK system has recently increased with the demonstration that AMPK could mediate some of the effects of the fat cell-derived adiponectin and the antidiabetic drugs metformin and thiazolidinediones. These findings reinforce the idea that pharmacological activation of AMPK may provide, through signalling and metabolic and gene expression effects, a new strategy for the management of metabolic hepatic disorders linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Proceedings ArticleDOI
03 Apr 2006
TL;DR: The difficulties involved in the construction of such a multimodal emotion database are presented and the different protocols that have been used to cope with these difficulties are described.
Abstract: This paper presents an audio-visual emotion database that can be used as a reference database for testing and evaluating video, audio or joint audio-visual emotion recognition algorithms. Additional uses may include the evaluation of algorithms performing other multimodal signal processing tasks, such as multimodal person identification or audio-visual speech recognition. This paper presents the difficulties involved in the construction of such a multimodal emotion database and the different protocols that have been used to cope with these difficulties. It describes the experimental setup used for the experiments and includes a section related to the segmentation and selection of the video samples, in such a way that the database contains only video sequences carrying the desired affective information. This database is made publicly available for scientific research purposes.

Book
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In the last 30 or 40 years, a substantial literature has grown up in which the tools of economic theory and analysis have been applied to problems in the arts and culture as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Over the last 30 or 40 years a substantial literature has grown up in which the tools of economic theory and analysis have been applied to problems in the arts and culture. Economists who have surveyed the field generally locate the origins of contemporary cultural economics as being in 1966, the year of publication of the first major work in modern times dedicated specifically to the economics of the arts. It was a book by Baumol and Bowen which showed that economic analysis could illuminate the supply of and demand for artistic services, the contribution of the arts sector to the economy, and the role of public policy. Following the appearance of the Baumol and Bowen work, interest in the economics of the arts grew steadily, embracing areas such as demand for the arts, the economic functions of artists, the role of the nonprofit sector, and other areas. Cultural economics also expanded to include the cultural or entertainment industries (the media, movies, the publishing industry, popular music), as well as heritage and museum management, property right questions (in particular copyright) and the role of new communication technologies such as the internet. The field is therefore located at the crossroads of several disciplines: economics and management, but also art history, art philosophy, sociology and law. The Handbook is placed firmly in economics, but it also builds bridges across these various disciplines and will thus be of interest to researchers in all these different fields, as well as to those who are engaged in cultural policy issues and the role of culture in the development of our societies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that non‐invasive MR elastography is a feasible method to assess the stage of liver fibrosis.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using non-invasive MR elastography for determining the stage of liver fibrosis. Twenty-five consecutive patients who had liver biopsy for suspicion of chronic liver disease were included in the study. The stage of fibrosis on the biopsies was assessed according to the METAVIR scoring system from F0, no fibrosis, to F4, cirrhosis. MR elastography was performed by transmitting low-frequency (65 Hz) mechanical waves into the liver with a transducer placed at the back of the patients. The MR pulse sequence was a motion-sensitized spin-echo sequence, phase-locked to the mechanical excitation. The phase maps were processed to obtain shear elasticity and shear viscosity maps. The mean hepatic shear elasticity increased with increasing stage of fibrosis. The mean elasticity was 2.24 +/- 0.23 kPa in the 11 patients without substantial fibrosis (F0-F1 grades), 2.56 +/- 0.24 kPa in the four patients with substantial fibrosis (F2-F3) and 4.68 +/- 1.61 kPa in the 10 patients with cirrhosis (F4). The differences between groups were statistically significant (p

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work tested whether the integration of facial features into a whole representation—holistic processing—was larger for SR than OR faces in Caucasians and Asians without life experience with OR faces, and found that SR faces are processed more holistically than Or faces.
Abstract: Recognizing individual faces outside one's race poses difficulty, a phenomenon known as the other-race effect. Most researchers agree that this effect results from differential experience with same-race (SR) and other-race (OR) faces. However, the specific processes that develop with visual experience and underlie the other-race effect remain to be clarified. We tested whether the integration of facial features into a whole representation-holistic processing-was larger for SR than OR faces in Caucasians and Asians without life experience with OR faces. For both classes of participants, recognition of the upper half of a composite-face stimulus was more disrupted by the bottom half (the composite-face effect) for SR than OR faces, demonstrating that SR faces are processed more holistically than OR faces. This differential holistic processing for faces of different races, probably a by-product of visual experience, may be a critical factor in the other-race effect.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The establishment of a database of DTI images in children can be used as a normal standard of reference for diagnosis of pediatric neurological abnormalities, and visual observations that maturation of the white matter and the normality of its architecture can be assessed with DTI in young children are confirmed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present paper offers an update on the genotoxic status of OTA, which is still controversial because contradictory results were obtained in various microbial and mammalian tests, notably regarding the formation of DNA adducts.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Advances in reproductive technology have made fertility preservation techniques a real possibility for patients whose gonadal function is threatened by premature menopause, or by treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgical castration, the review concludes.
Abstract: The review covers current options for ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation and provides a systematic review of the existing literature from the last 10 years, taking into account all previously published reviews on the subject. The different cryopreservation options available for fertility preservation in cancer patients are embryo cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. The choice depends on various parameters: the type and timing of chemotherapy, the type of cancer, the patient's age and the partner status. The different options and their results are discussed, as well as their putative indications and efficacy. The review concludes that advances in reproductive technology have made fertility preservation techniques a real possibility for patients whose gonadal function is threatened by premature menopause, or by treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgical castration.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A detailed study of the La1-xCaxCoO3 perovskites surface by XPS was carried out since this is a potentially useful tool to identify the oxygen species involved in the catalytic reaction and discriminate them as mentioned in this paper.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: CE-MDCT can characterize acute and chronic MI with contrast patterns similar to CE-MR and may provide important information on infarct size and viability at the time of noninvasive coronary imaging, because iodated contrast agents have similar kinetics in infarCTed and noninfarcted myocardium as gadolinium DPTA.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (CE-MDCT) might characterize myocardial infarct (MI) with patterns similar to those obtained by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (CE-MR) and studied the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vivo infarct characterization by CE-MDCT was shown to be feasible between 4 and 20 minutes after contrast injection in 7 pigs with MI. Subsequently, in 16 patients with acute MI and 21 patients with chronic MI, contrast patterns by CE-MDCT were related to CE-MR. Eighteen patients had hypoenhanced regions on early CE-MDCT images at the time of coronary imaging, and 34 patients had hyperenhanced regions on images acquired 10 minutes later. On a segmental basis, there was moderately good concordance of early hypoenhanced regions (92%, kappa=0.54, P<0.001) and late hyperenhanced regions (82%, kappa=0.61, P<0.001) between CE-MDCT and CE-MR. Absolute sizes of early hypoenhanced (6+/-16 versus 7+/-16 g, P=0.25) and late hyperenhanced (36+/-34 versus 31+/-40 g, P=0.14) regions were similar on CE-MDCT and CE-MR and were highly correlated (r=0.93, P<0.001 and r=0.89, P<0.001 respectively). In 8 retrogradely perfused infarcted rabbit hearts, contrast kinetics of iomeprol were similar to gadodiamide, ie, slow wash in (8.7+/-6.7 versus 1.2+/-0.3 minutes, P<0.001) in infarct core and slow washout (20+/-12 versus 2.5+/-0.5 minutes, P<0.001) in both infarct core and rim compared with the remote region. CONCLUSIONS: Because iodated contrast agents have similar kinetics in infarcted and noninfarcted myocardium as gadolinium DPTA, CE-MDCT can characterize acute and chronic MI with contrast patterns similar to CE-MR. CE-MDCT may thus provide important information on infarct size and viability at the time of noninvasive coronary imaging.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that greater selectivity in prescribing several classes of psychoactive drugs and more efficient treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism may help reduce the burden of fractures in HD patients.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings indicate that holistic face perception is largely supported by low spatial frequencies and suggest that holistic processing precedes the analysis of local features during face perception.
Abstract: Faces are perceived holistically, a phenomenon best illustrated when the processing of a face feature is affected by the other features. Here, the authors tested the hypothesis that the holistic perception of a face mainly relies on its low spatial frequencies. Holistic face perception was tested in two classical paradigms: the whole-part advantage (Experiment 1) and the composite face effect (Experiments 2-4). Holistic effects were equally large or larger for low-pass filtered faces as compared to full-spectrum faces and significantly larger than for high-pass filtered faces. The disproportionate composite effect found for low-pass filtered faces was not observed when holistic perception was disrupted by inversion (Experiment 3). Experiment 4 showed that the composite face effect was enhanced only for low spatial frequencies, but not for intermediate spatial frequencies known be critical for face recognition. These findings indicate that holistic face perception is largely supported by low spatial frequencies. They also suggest that holistic processing precedes the analysis of local features during face perception.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the main initial technique, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), has been complemented by other related methods and techniques and the purpose of this article is to critically assess some main recent developments in this field.
Abstract: During the past two decades, a set of systematic comparative case analysis techniques has been developing at a steady pace. During the last few years especially, the main initial technique, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), has been complemented by other related methods and techniques. The purpose of this article is to critically assess some main recent developments in this field. QCA and connected methods can be considered at two levels: as a research strategy and as a set of concrete techniques. The author first argues that such a strategy displays some decisive advantages in social science research, especially in small-and intermediate-N research designs. Second, QCA as well as three other related techniques, namely multi-value QCA (MVQCA), fuzzy sets and MSDO/MDSO, are presented in brief, and some current debates with regard to these techniques are also summarized. In the third section, the article surveys recent contributions and ongoing efforts that have provided some advances in the applicati...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Oligofructose treatment increases satiety following breakfast and dinner, reduces hunger and prospective food consumption following dinner, and presents a rationale to propose oligofructose supplements in the management of food intake in overweight and obese patients.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The administration of a fermentable dietary fibre (oligofructose) in rats increases satietogenic gut peptides and lowered spontaneous energy intake. The aim of the study was to assess the relevance of those effects of oligofructose on satiety and energy intake in humans. DESIGN: Single-blinded, crossover, placebo-controlled design, pilot study. SUBJECTS: Volunteers included five men and five women aged 21-39 years, BMI ranging from 18.5 to 27.4 kg/m(2), were randomly assigned as described below. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were included in two 2-week experimental phases during which they received either fibre (oligofructose (OFS)) or placebo (dextrine maltose (DM)); a 2-week washout period was included between crossover phases. In total, 8 g OFS or 8 g DM were ingested twice daily (16 g/day in total). Energy intake, hunger, satiety, fullness and prospective food consumption were assessed with analogue scales at the end of each experimental phase. RESULTS: During breakfast, OFS significantly increases the satiety (P=0.04) without any difference on other sensations as compared to DM treatment periods. After lunch, no significant differences are observed between treatment period. At dinner, OFS significantly increases satiety (P=0.04), reduces hunger (P=0.04) and prospective food consumption (P=0.05). The energy intake at breakfast and lunch are significantly lower (P=0.01, 0.03, respectively) after OFS treatment than after DM treatment. Total energy intake per day is 5% lower during OFS than in DM period. CONCLUSION: Oligofructose treatment increases satiety following breakfast and dinner, reduces hunger and prospective food consumption following dinner. This pilot study presents a rationale to propose oligofructose supplements in the management of food intake in overweight and obese patients.

Posted Content
TL;DR: The logarithmic autoregressive conditional duration model is introduced and compared with the ACD model of Engle and Russell [1998], which allows to introduce in the model additional variables without sign restrictions on their coefficients.
Abstract: This paper introduces the logarithmic autoregressive conditional duration (Log-ACD) model and compares it with the ACD model of ENGLE and RUSSELL [1998]. The logarithmic version allows to introduce in the model additional variables without sign restrictions on their coefficients. We apply the Log-ACD model to price durations relative to the bid-ask quote process of three securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and we investigate the influence of some characteristics of the trade process (trading intensity, average volume per trade and average spread) on the bid-ask quote process.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Aug 2006-Brain
TL;DR: Electrophysiological data showed in the majority of patients normal to slightly reduced nerve conduction velocities with often severely reduced amplitudes of the compound motor and sensory nerve action potentials, whereas a smaller group experienced a later onset and milder disease course.
Abstract: Mutations in mitofusin 2 (MFN2) have been reported in Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2) families. To study the distribution of mutations in MFN2 we screened 323 families and isolated patients with distinct CMT phenotypes. In 29 probands, we identified 22 distinct MFN2 mutations, and 14 of these mutations have not been reported before. All mutations were located in the cytoplasmic domains of the MFN2 protein. Patients presented with a classical but rather severe CMT phenotype, since 28% of them were wheelchair-dependent. Some had additional features as optic atrophy. Most patients had an early onset and severe disease status, whereas a smaller group experienced a later onset and milder disease course. Electrophysiological data showed in the majority of patients normal to slightly reduced nerve conduction velocities with often severely reduced amplitudes of the compound motor and sensory nerve action potentials. Examination of sural nerve specimens showed loss of large myelinated fibres and degenerative mitochondrial changes. In patients with a documented family history of CMT2 the frequency of MFN2 mutations was 33% indicating that MFN2 mutations are a major cause in this population.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assessed the capability of 1-m resolution IKONOS-2 imagery to estimate the five main forest variables-age, top height, circumference, stand density and basal area-in even-aged common spruce stands.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that in insulin-producing cells adequate levels of mir-9 are mandatory for maintaining appropriate Granuphilin levels and optimal secretory capacity, and that silencing of Onecut-2 by RNA interference increases Gran Euphilin expression and mimics the effect of Mir-9 on stimulus-induced exocytosis.