Université catholique de Louvain

About: Université catholique de Louvain is a education organization based out in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 25319 authors who have published 57360 publications receiving 2172080 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Louvain & UCLouvain.

2019 Update of the Joint European League against Rheumatism and European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EULAR/ERA-EDTA) recommendations for the management of lupus nephritis

Abstract: Objective To update the 2012 EULAR/ERA–EDTA recommendations for the management of lupus nephritis (LN). Methods Following the EULAR standardised operating procedures, a systematic literature review was performed. Members of a multidisciplinary Task Force voted independently on their level of agreeement with the formed statements. Results The changes include recommendations for treatment targets, use of glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and management of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The target of therapy is complete response (proteinuria 1 g/24 hours despite renin–angiotensin–aldosterone blockade, MMF in combination with glucocorticoids is preferred. Assessment for kidney and extra-renal disease activity, and management of comorbidities is lifelong with repeat kidney biopsy in cases of incomplete response or nephritic flares. In ESKD, transplantation is the preferred kidney replacement option with immunosuppression guided by transplant protocols and/or extra-renal manifestations. Treatment of LN in children follows the same principles as adult disease. Conclusions We have updated the EULAR recommendations for the management of LN to facilitate homogenization of patient care.

Projected changes in mineral soil carbon of European croplands and grasslands, 1990–2080

Abstract: We present the most comprehensive pan-European assessment of future changes in cropland and grassland soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to date, using a dedicated process-based SOC model and state-of-the-art databases of soil, climate change, land-use change and technology change. Soil carbon change was calculated using the Rothamsted carbon model on a European 10 x 10' grid using climate data from four global climate models implementing four Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenarios (SRES). Changes in net primary production (NPP) were calculated by the Lund-Potsdam-Jena model. Land-use change scenarios, interpreted from the narratives of the IPCC SRES story lines, were used to project changes in cropland and grassland areas. Projections for 1990-2080 are presented for mineral soil only. Climate effects (soil temperature and moisture) will tend to speed decomposition and cause soil carbon stocks to decrease, whereas increases in carbon input because of increasing NPP will slow the loss. Technological improvement may further increase carbon inputs to the soil. Changes in cropland and grassland areas will further affect the total soil carbon stock of European croplands and grasslands. While climate change will be a key driver of change in soil carbon over the 21st Century, changes in technology and land-use change are estimated to have very significant effects. When incorporating all factors, cropland and grassland soils show a small increase in soil carbon on a per area basis under future climate (1-7 t C ha(-1) for cropland and 3-6 t C ha(-1) for grassland), but when the greatly decreasing area of cropland and grassland are accounted for, total European cropland stocks decline in all scenarios, and grassland stocks decline in all but one scenario. Different trends are seen in different regions. For Europe (the EU25 plus Norway and Switzerland), the cropland SOC stock decreases from 11 Pg in 1990 by 4-6 Pg (39-54%) by 2080, and the grassland SOC stock increases from 6 Pg in 1990 to 1.5 Pg (25%) under the B1 scenario, but decreases to 1-3 Pg (20-44%) under the other scenarios. Uncertainty associated with the land-use and technology scenarios remains unquantified, but worst-case quantified uncertainties are 22.5% for croplands and 16% for grasslands, equivalent to potential errors of 2.5 and 1 Pg SOC, respectively. This is equivalent to 42-63% of the predicted SOC stock change for croplands and 33-100% of the predicted SOC stock change for grasslands. Implications for accounting for SOC changes under the Kyoto Protocol are discussed.

Covalently bonded three-dimensional carbon nanotube solids via boron induced nanojunctions

Abstract: The establishment of covalent junctions between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the modification of their straight tubular morphology are two strategies needed to successfully synthesize nanotube-based three-dimensional (3D) frameworks exhibiting superior material properties. Engineering such 3D structures in scalable synthetic processes still remains a challenge. This work pioneers the bulk synthesis of 3D macroscale nanotube elastic solids directly via a boron-doping strategy during chemical vapour deposition, which influences the formation of atomic-scale "elbowg" junctions and nanotube covalent interconnections. Detailed elemental analysis revealed that the "elbowg" junctions are preferred sites for excess boron atoms, indicating the role of boron and curvature in the junction formation mechanism, in agreement with our first principle theoretical calculations. Exploiting this materialĝ€™s ultra-light weight, super-hydrophobicity, high porosity, thermal stability, and mechanical flexibility, the strongly oleophilic sponge-like solids are demonstrated as unique reusable sorbent scaffolds able to efficiently remove oil from contaminated seawater even after repeated use.

Tumor hypoxia does not drive differentiation of tumor-associated macrophages but rather fine-tunes the M2-like macrophage population

Abstract: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are exposed to multiple microenvironmental cues in tumors, which collaborate to endow these cells with protumoral activities. Hypoxia, caused by an imbalance in oxygen supply and demand because of a poorly organized vasculature, is often a prominent feature in solid tumors. However, to what extent tumor hypoxia regulates the TAM phenotype in vivo is unknown. Here, we show that the myeloid infiltrate in mouse lung carcinoma tumors encompasses two morphologically distinct CD11b(hi)F4/80(hi)Ly6C(lo) TAM subsets, designated as MHC-II(lo) and MHC-II(hi) TAM, both of which were derived from tumor-infiltrating Ly6C(hi) monocytes. MHC-II(lo) TAM express higher levels of prototypical M2 markers and reside in more hypoxic regions. Consequently, MHC-II(lo) TAM contain higher mRNA levels for hypoxia-regulated genes than their MHC-II(hi) counterparts. To assess the in vivo role of hypoxia on these TAM features, cancer cells were inoculated in prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 (PHD2)-haplodeficient mice, resulting in better-oxygenated tumors. Interestingly, reduced tumor hypoxia did not alter the relative abundance of TAM subsets nor their M2 marker expression, but specifically lowered hypoxia-sensitive gene expression and angiogenic activity in the MHC-II(lo) TAM subset. The same observation in PHD2(+/+) → PHD2(+/-) bone marrow chimeras also suggests organization of a better-oxygenized microenvironment. Together, our results show that hypoxia is not a major driver of TAM subset differentiation, but rather specifically fine-tunes the phenotype of M2-like MHC-II(lo) TAM.

Explaining Firms’ Export Behaviour: R&D, Spillovers and the Destination Market*

Abstract: We examine the importance of a firm's own R&D activity and intra-sectoral spillovers on the decision to export and the export intensity using firm level panel data for Spain for the period 1990-98. Own R&D activity is found to be an important determinant of export activity. There is little evidence to suggest that Spanish firms benefit from spillovers of the exporting activity of others. However, there is evidence that R&D spillovers exert positive effects on firms' export ratios. We find a larger marginal impact of R&D spillovers on export intensity of firms exporting to other OECD countries than those exporting to non-OECD nations.