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.

Measurement of the Bs0→μ+μ- branching fraction and search for B0→μ+μ- with the CMS experiment

Abstract: Results are presented from a search for the rare decays B0s→μ+μ− and B0→μ+μ− in pp collisions at s√=7 and 8 TeV, with data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5 and 20 fb−1, respectively, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. An unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the dimuon invariant mass distribution gives a branching fraction B(B0s→μ+μ−)=(3.0+1.0−0.9)×10−9, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. An excess of B0s→μ+μ− events with respect to background is observed with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations. For the decay B0→μ+μ− an upper limit of B(B0→μ+μ−)<1.1×10−9 at the 95% confidence level is determined. Both results are in agreement with the expectations from the standard model.

Microbial regulation of organismal energy homeostasis.

Abstract: The gut microbiome has emerged as a key regulator of host metabolism. Here we review the various mechanisms through which the gut microbiome influences the energy metabolism of its host, highlighting the complex interactions between gut microbes, their metabolites and host cells. Among the most important bacterial metabolites are short-chain fatty acids, which serve as a direct energy source for host cells, stimulate the production of gut hormones and act in the brain to regulate food intake. Other microbial metabolites affect systemic energy expenditure by influencing thermogenesis and adipose tissue browning. Both direct and indirect mechanisms of action are known for specific metabolites, such as bile acids, branched chain amino acids, indole propionic acid and endocannabinoids. We also discuss the roles of specific bacteria in the production of specific metabolites and explore how external factors, such as antibiotics and exercise, affect the microbiome and thereby energy homeostasis. Collectively, we present a large body of evidence supporting the concept that gut microbiota-based therapies can be used to modulate host metabolism, and we expect to see such approaches moving from bench to bedside in the near future.

Effect of a Collaborative Approach on the Quality of Prescribing for Geriatric Inpatients: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of pharmaceutical care provided in addition to acute Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) care on the appropriateness of prescribing. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial, with the patient as unit of randomization. SETTING: Acute GEM unit. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred three patients aged 70 and older. INTERVENTION: Pharmaceutical care provided from admission to discharge by a specialist clinical pharmacist who had direct contacts with the GEM team and patients. MEASUREMENTS: Appropriateness of prescribing on admission, at discharge, and 3 months after discharge, using the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI), Beers criteria, and Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) underuse criteria and mortality, readmission, and emergency visits up to 12 months after discharge. RESULTS: Intervention patients were significantly more likely than control patients to have an improvement in the MAI and in the ACOVE underuse criteria from admission to discharge (odds ratio (OR) 59.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 54.2‐21.6 and OR 56.1, 95% CI 52.2‐17.0, respectively). The control and intervention groups had comparable improvements in the Beers criteria. CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical care provided in the context of acute GEM care improved the appropriate use of medicines during the hospital stay and after discharge. This is an important finding, because only limited data exist on the effect of various strategies to improve medication use in elderly inpatients. The present approach has the potential to minimize risk and improve patient outcomes. JA m Geriatr Soc 55:658–665, 2007.

Unidirectional Chosen-Ciphertext Secure Proxy Re-Encryption

Abstract: In 1998, Blaze, Bleumer and Strauss introduced a cryptographic primitive called proxy re-encryption in which a proxy can transform-without seeing the plaintext-a ciphertext encrypted under one key into an encryption of the same plaintext under another key. The concept has recently drawn renewed interest. Notably, Canetti and Hohenberger showed how to properly define (and realize) chosen-ciphertext security for the primitive. Their system is bidirectional as the translation key allows converting ciphertexts in both directions. This paper presents the first unidirectional proxy re-encryption schemes with chosen-ciphertext security in the standard model (i.e., without the random oracle idealization). The first system provably fits a unidirectional extension of the Canetti-Hohenberger security model. As a second contribution, the paper considers a more realistic adversarial model where attackers may choose dishonest users' keys on their own. It is shown how to modify the first scheme to achieve security in the latter scenario. At a moderate expense, the resulting system provides additional useful properties such as non-interactive temporary delegations. Both constructions are efficient and rely on mild complexity assumptions in bilinear groups. Like the Canetti-Hohenberger scheme, they meet a relaxed flavor of chosen-ciphertext security introduced by Canetti, Krawczyk and Nielsen.