Event

Stellar Scape

With its deep skies that hypnotize and subjugate, space exerts an unrivalled fascination on the human species. As the Anthropocene crisis shakes our balances (environmental, technological, democratic), the 'Land of Night' is by turns the last frontier to be colonized, a resource to be exploited, a tourist destination, an observatory for remote surveillance, a dumping ground for orbiting debris, and forever the infinite constellation of our original interrogations as well as our (meta)physical reveries.From the atomic fragment to the great universal whole, the Stellar Scape exhibition brings together some two dozen international artists, researchers and engineers around the imaginaries of astronomy and the revival of space adventures. Through art installations, immersive environments, scientific innovations, speculative projects, we experience this expanding starry landscape, mirroring the cosmic link that connects us in a single space to all those things that appear there not only as they are, but also as they could be. More information on the exhibition
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Public defense of doctoral thesis - Julien FAVRESSE

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 was quickly declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020.At the start of the pandemic, healthcare professionals were faced with the marketing of numerous kits designed to measure binding antibodies. The role of neutralizing antibodies as the best correlate of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection was quickly highlighted. A neutralization assay with the use of pseudovirus was therefore developed by our team and compared with several binding assays.There have been considerable efforts to produce and clinically validate new vaccines against COVID-19. The CRO-VAX HCP study was designed to assess the humoral response in a population of healthcare professionals who had received two doses of COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine.Given the decline in vaccine efficacy over time and the emergence of variants likely to evade immunity, a third dose was quickly recommended by the authorities to boost immunity. This was administered to 155 volunteers in the CRO-VAX HCP study.Still facing a decline in vaccine efficacy over time and the emergence of new variants, a second adapted booster was proposed. In September 2022, 54 participants in the CRO-VAX HCP study received this second booster. The humoral response was assessed and neutralizing antibodies against several variants were measured. In addition, we also measured the cellular response using an interferon-gamma release assay. Compared with the humoral response, which declines considerably over time, the cellular response remained fairly stable. This could therefore explain why individuals with low antibody titers can still be protected against a severe form of the disease .
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Gray-Scott Summer School on High-Performance Computing

The school will deal with optimizing computations on different types of hardware (CPU, GPU), presenting their respective characteristics, architectures and bottlenecks. It will cover both generic optimization methods applicable to all types of hardware, and the various libraries, technologies and languages available to achieve the best possible performance. Ideally, the machine's peak performance. Hardware considered: CPU, GPU.Languages considered: C++17, C++20, CUDA, Fortran, Rust, PythonLibraries considered: SYCL, Eve, Numpy, cunumerics, legate, Jax, Thrust.Compilers considered: G++, Clang++, nvc++, gfortran, nvfortran, dpc++.Profiling tools: Valgrind, Maqao, Perf, NSight, Malt and NumaProfAll methods will be illustrated on simple examples, such as Hadamard products, reductions, barycenter calculations and matrix products in order to be applied to a single problem: the simulation of a Gray Scott reaction. This problem is simple enough to be understood quickly, yet complex enough to be difficult for compilers to optimize without help. Each method will be broken down into simple versions, using default options, and one or more advanced versions, which will allow their advantages and disadvantages to be discussed and quantified.For more information on its content, please consult the school websiteOn the University of Namur satellite site, you'll enjoy the following benefits: Interaction with official LAPP trainers; Group support and a good working atmosphere; Lunch and a drink at the end of the day on the first day; You choose what you want to follow on site. We encourage you to come on the first day, but you make up your own program on the other days.To register for the UNamur satellite site: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxikCQTfsQl9zZfnidm4xLSuDpdJGcgyLKOfJ2wo4VMgrgRw/viewform Read more
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Public defense of thesis - Louise GÉRARD

ABCB5 belongs to the ABC transporter superfamily composed of 48 members. These transporters have been extensively studied for their role in cancer multidrug resistance and, more recently, in tumorigenesis. ABCB5 has been identified as a marker of skin progenitor cells, melanoma stem cells, and limbal stem cells. Its expression has also been reported, among others, in melanoma, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and several hematological malignancies. The unique feature of ABCB5 is that it exists as both a full transporter (ABCB5FL) and a half-transporter (ABCB5β). Several studies have shown that the ABCB5β homodimer, in contrast to ABCB5FL, cannot confer multidrug resistance. Since these studies focused on a limited number of drugs, we cannot exclude the possibility that this homodimer may be involved in drug resistance or biological functions that have yet to be elucidated. However, it is also reasonable to hypothesize that ABCB5β could dimerize with other half transporters of the ABCB family to become functional. Using three complementary techniques: (1) nanoluciferase-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, (2) coimmunoprecipitation, and (3) proximity ligation assay, we identified two novel heterodimers in two melanoma cell lines: ABCB5β/B6 and ABCB5β/B9. Both heterodimers could be expressed in High-Five insect cells when both interacting partners were fused using the linker region of ABCB1, resulting in chimeric heterodimers. ATPase assays revealed that all chimeric heterodimers have a basal ATPase activity and that both functional nucleotide-binding domains in each dimer are required for their basal ATPase activity. Also, we obtained preliminary data suggesting that ABCB5β traffics from the endoplasmic reticulum to melanosomes independently of its dimerization, suggesting that its heterodimers might be located in similar organelles. However, several limitations were encountered when attempting to confirm their intracellular localization. Finally, since several anti-ABCB5 antibodies in the literature have shown a lack of specificity, we generated a mouse monoclonal anti-ABCB5 antibody in collaboration with Atlas Antibodies. The specificity of this antibody was demonstrated by immunofluorescence, making this antibody an important tool in the characterization of ABCB5β and ABCB5FL. Although further studies are needed to elucidate the physiological relevance of ABCB5β heterodimers, preliminary data support the hypothesis that ABCB5β is involved in melanogenesis. Taken together, these results represent an important step towards elucidating the functional role of ABCB5β in melanocytes and melanoma.
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Midi de l'ADRE - The Social Study citizen panel

Information session content This session will introduce a new research infrastructure funded by the FNRS and FWO that enables the collection of high-quality survey data. "The Social Study" (https://thesocialstudy.be/) consists of a panel of more than 5,000 citizens residing in Belgium surveyed at regular frequency, whose probability sample enables conclusions to be drawn at population level. A valuable tool for all researchers interested in survey data at the Belgian level! Who is this information session for? All researchers. Presentation Audrey Vandeleene, TSS survey manager, ULBJérémy Dodeigne, TSS executive committee member, UNamurCatherine Linard, TSS scientific committee member, UNamur Time and place of training The information session will take place on Wednesday 27/11/2024 from 12:45pm to 2pm at ADRE - NARC room, rue de Bruxelles, 55. Discover Midis de l'ADRE
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Grandes Conférences Namuroises (GCN) | Meeting with Dan Van Raemdonck

This talk, entitled "Sauvons le français... de ceux qui le veulent sauver... du déclin" proposes to walk through the evolution of the French language, deconstructing the alarmist rhetoric that claims our language is in decline. "A little manual for resisting and deconstructing the dominant discourses that are mortifying for a language that is, after all, very much alive and evolving, as long as we let it. French is doing very well, thank you. "Dan Van Raemdonck.To close this evening, a drink will be offered, allowing you to extend the discussions in a convivial atmosphere.
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BENEVOL 2024 + IMPACT! day

What? BENEVOL on Thursday and Friday, November 21 and 22: the congress will bring together researchers working in software engineering, evolution, and maintenance. This year, we will have two keynotes: one by Prof. Andy Zaidman from TU Delft and one by Prof. Sonia Haiduc from Florida State University. IMPACT! day on November 20: as a PhD student and/or researcher, you can join us to learn to communicate what you bring to the table efficiently thanks to the tried and tested Value Proposition canvas and exchange with practitioners, who will expose the challenges they encounter daily. The IMPACT! day initiative is supported by the GRASCOMP doctoral school, and participants will receive a certificate. As a software development professional, you can join us on Wednesday afternoon, November 20, as a guest from the corporate world to share your current challenges and connect with researchers working to advance software development and maintenance practices (please do not hesitate to contact us at snail.info@unamur.be if you would like to participate in the introductory panel of guests from the professional world and/or at the World Café). When? Wednesday 20 (IMPACT Day!) Thursday 21 - Friday 22 November 2024 (BENEVOL Research Congress) Organizers Xavier Devroey, Gilles Perrouin, Benoît Vanderose, Anthony Cleve, Babette Di Guardia, Amélie Notaro, Sophie Panarotto, Alix Decrop, Tom Mens Where? TRAKK, Namur creative hub (Journée IMPACT!) S09, Faculty of Sciences, University of Namur, Belgium (BENEVOL Research Congress) More information
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Amazonia, the heart of Mother Earth

The film takes viewers on a sensory journey to the heart of life in the Amazon. Spectacular images and mesmerizing sounds reveal the majesty and power of the Amazon, the heart of Mother Earth. Your guides? The indigenous Guardians of the living world. They invite you to join them in protecting a vital heritage.Their story resonates with each of us and calls us to reflect on our responsibility towards future generations.The screening will be followed by a panel discussion in the presence of two indigenous Amazonian chiefs, director Gert-Peter Bruch and Esmeralda de Belgique, director.
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Preselections for the eloquence tournament

Each contestant will attempt to qualify for the tournament final, speaking on a free topic for a maximum of 6 minutes. This event is open to the public. Free entry.
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Tournoi d'éloquence - final of the 2025 edition

Come and watch the students selected for the finals, vote for the public prize and extend the evening with a drink.This event is open to the public. Free admission.
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Midi Genre: AI, threat or opportunity for women?

Julie Henry is a doctoral student in computer science and STEAM project leader. Her work focuses, among other things, on gender stereotypes and their influence on career orientation, particularly with regard to STEM professions. Antoinette Rouvroy holds a PhD in legal sciences from the European University Institute (Florence, 2006) and is a qualified FNRS researcher at the Centre de Recherche en Information, Droit et Société (CRIDS). Since 2000, she has been interested in the relationship between law, modes of construction and risk, science and technology, and neoliberal governmentality.The Midi will be moderated by François-Xavier Fiévez, Vice-Rector in charge of Gender. In parallel with this discussion, an exhibition by Plan International entitled #Dream4Girls, pinpointing some big dreams for the future of girls generated by AI, will be accessible in the Quai 22 exhibition hall.This free event is open to the public (registration required).Registrations: https://www.billetweb.fr/midi-genre-ia-menace-ou-opportunite-pour-les-femmes
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Academic writing" training

The 5-session program Session 1: Friday, May 23, 2025, 10:00-13:00 | Improving structure and styleSession 2: Friday, June 6, 2025, 10:00-13:00 | Writing an introduction and literature reviewSession 3: Friday, June 13, 2025, 10:00-13:00 | Writing a methods, results and discussion section; peer review of participants' papersSession 4: Friday, June 20, 2025, 10:00-13:00 | General and individual feedbackSession 5: Friday, June 27, 2025, 10:00-13:00 | Communicating your research to a wider audienceSpace is limited and priority will be given to early registration.Price: 200€Deadline for registrations: 31/01/2025 More info and registration
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