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The sensitivity of groundwater recharge to different climate conditions was simulated using the approach of climatic analogue stations, i.e. stations presently experiencing climatic conditions corresponding to a possible future climate state. The study was conducted in the context of a safety assessment of a future near-surface disposal facility for low and intermediate level short-lived radioactive waste in Belgium; this includes estimation of groundwater recharge for the next millennia. Groundwater recharge was simulated using the Richards based soil water balance model HYDRUS-1D and meteorological time series from analogue stations. This study used four analogue stations for a warmer subtropical climate with changes of average annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration from -42% to +5% and from +8% to +82 %, respectively, compared to the present-day climate. Resulting water balance calculations yielded a change in groundwater recharge ranging from a decrease of 72% to an increase of 3% for the four different analogue stations. The Gijon analogue station (Northern Spain), considered as the most representative for the near future climate state in the study area, shows an increase of 3%of groundwater recharge for a 5% increase of annual precipitation. Calculations for a colder (tundra) climate showed a change in groundwater recharge ranging from a decrease of 97% to an increase of 32% for four different analogue stations, with an annual precipitation change from -69% to -14% compared to the present-day climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Percolation of external water through concrete results in the degradation of cement and changes the concrete pore water and solid phase composition. The assessment of long-term degradation of concrete is possible by means of model simulation. This paper describes simulations of chemical degradation of cement for different types of rain and soil water at an ambient earth surface temperature (10°C). Rain and soil water types were derived using generic equations and measurement of atmospheric boundary conditions representative for North-Belgium. An up-to-date and consistent thermodynamic model is used to calculate the geochemical changes during chemical degradation of the concrete. A general pattern of four degradation stages was simulated with the third stage being the geochemically most complex stage involving reactions with calcium-silicate hydrates, AFm and AFt phases. Whereas the sequence of the dissolution reactions was relatively insensitive to the composition of the percolating water, the duration of the different reactions depends strongly on the percolating water composition. Major identified factors influencing the velocity of cement degradation are the effect of dry deposition and biological activity increasing the partial pressure of CO2(g) in the soil air phase (and thus increasing the inorganic carbon content in the percolating water). Soil weathering processes have only a minor impact, at least for the relatively inert sandy material considered in this study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. – To point out the proportion of intellectually disabled women (IDW) who are sterilised, and the medical and social factors associated with an increased probability to be sterilised.Study design. – A population-based study among 97% of IDW aged 18–46, attending government-accredited institutions in the region of Brussels-Capital and the province of Walloon Brabant (Belgium).Results. – Among the IDW included in this study, 22.2% are sterilised, which is superior to the 7% in the general Belgian population. Factors associated with an increased probability to be sterilised are: living in an institution, having a higher intellectual quotient (IQ), being enrolled in an institution where sexual intercourse is authorised and attending an institution where contraception is required. The last three factors are significant only among women living in institutions and the last two, only in women with severe disability. Among IDW using contraception, no factor was associated with a greater probability to be sterilised.Conclusion. – The prevalence of sterilisation among IDW is three times higher than that in the Belgian population and it is mainly correlated with factors related to the institution where these women live, especially the severely disabled. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: For the last dozen years, there has been a reduction of candidates for specialization in Psychiatry. Furthermore, we receive complaints from the units where they work as young psychiatrists after training. Although, five years ago the examination-selection to this specialisation became a federal contest which prioritises grades obtained during their medical studies, this does not alone account for this development. Method: The authors teach in the Faculty of Medicine, but are also involved in the selection process, and in the process of accompanying candidates as they master Psychiatry. Based on their experiences and meetings with colleagues in other universities, they formulate hypotheses to explain this phenomenon. Results: In addition to the reduction of numbers of candidates for specialisation, the complaints regard their competences in three domains: Pharmacotherapies, Psychoterapies, and their leadership style which is qualified as authoritarian. We believe DSM II and subsequent versions had important effects on how psychiatry is taught. While trying to free the DSM from the influence of Psychoanalysis and not wanting to reduce training to merely learning statistical diagnostics and pharmacotherapeutic guidelines, training in Psychiatry has become «a little of everything and nothing precise». The result of this lack of content is young psychiatrists, lacking in self confidence and not sure enough of their references to establish a leadership style other than authoritarian. Conclusion: During medical studies, we need to reinforce the courses of physio-pharmaco-therapy, Psychotherapy, and comparative psychopathologie and add training in team management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Parental anxiety about young people's use of media has increased with the advent of Generation Alpha. Excessive consumption is assumed to lead to a sedentary lifestyle, psychiatric disorders, overconsumption of sexual content and suicidal behaviour. But are these assumptions valid?, Methods: We supplemented data from the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study for Belgium with a bibliographical search of online databases (Medline, Scopus, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed) with the keywords 'adolescent' - 'internet' and 'sedentarity' or 'suicide' or 'family' or 'sex*' or 'porno*' for articles published between 2014 and 2019. We selected 27 original research articles and/ or quantitative or qualitative meta-analyses., Results: Total consumption of different media (television, video games, internet) remained stable until 2010, and significantly increased in 2014. No parallel increase in sedentarity was reported. Controversy continues to surround the quantification of overconsumption, and the definition of 'problematic use'. Nevertheless, it appears that 5% of young people have unusual internet use, and 97.5% of these meet the criteria for a mental disorder. The risk of overconsumption is related to four factors: familial, personality, peer influence and supply. These general factors are supplemented by specific factors related to the abuse of sexual content and suicidal behaviour. For the latter, specific risk factors are the same as for suicidal young people who are not influenced by social media., Conclusion: Even if screen time is higher for Generation Alpha, these young people are no more at risk unless they accumulate risk factors. They are also exposed to challenges that researchers have not yet studied in any depth. One question relates to how they can manage their privacy if their parents published, without their consent, photographs of them as children? Another issue is their relationship to knowledge, given that everything they need to know can easily be found online.

Background: In Belgium, 82% of the population consumes alcohol occasionally while 10% consume in a way that can be seen as problematic. On a European level, only 8% of the people who can be characterized as having Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) would have consulted professional assistance in the past year. In this context, the KCE (Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre) has addressed multiple recommendations to health professionals to reduce the "treatment gap" concerning the patients' care: (1) encourage screening and preventative interventions, (2) promote the acquirement of communicational and relational competences (3) develop collaborations between professionals. The objective of this article is to better understand their functioning., Method: We format a non-systematic literature review concerning these recommendations., Results: The implementation of these Brief Interventions programs in primary care is relevant due to the moderately positive impact on the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption but both the quality of the therapeutic relationship and collaboration with the care network would optimize Brief Interventions. The quality of the therapeutic relationship alone appears to have an impact on therapeutic outcome., Conclusion: Training concerning patient-professional relationship is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of BIs.

A coupled experimental-modelling approach was developed to evaluate the effects of molecular weight (MW) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on its transport through intact Boom Clay (BC) samples. Natural DOM was sampled in-situ in the BC layer. Transport was investigated with percolation experiments on 1.5cm BC samples by measuring the outflow MW distribution (MWD) by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). A one-dimensional reactive transport model was developed to account for retardation, diffusion and entrapment (attachment and/or straining) of DOM. These parameters were determined along the MWD by implementing a discretisation of DOM into several MW points and modelling the breakthrough of each point. The pore throat diameter of BC was determined as 6.6-7.6nm. Below this critical size, transport of DOM is MW dependent and two major types of transport were identified. Below MW of 2kDa, DOM was neither strongly trapped nor strongly retarded. This fraction had an averaged capacity factor of 1.19±0.24 and an apparent dispersion coefficient ranging from 7.5×10 -11 to 1.7× 10 -11 m 2 /s with increasing MW. DOM with MW>2kDa was affected by both retardation and straining that increased significantly with increasing MW while apparent dispersion coefficients decreased. Values ranging from 1.36 to 19.6 were determined for the capacity factor and 3.2×10 -11 to 1.0×10 -11 m 2 /s for the apparent dispersion coefficient for species with 2.2kDa

Background: It has been suggested that alcohol problems have a major impact in the workplace. It has long been recognized that misuse can have serious consequences for the productivity of workers. The extent of the problem is still an uncalculated cost. Few studies provide clear evidence of a cause, effect or relationship between substance abuse and workplace costs and valuable guidance to employers in evaluating the cost of substance abuse in their workplaces is missing., Objective: To estimate the awareness, policies and cost to employers of drinking in the workplace in Belgium and to illustrate the potential gains from drinking cessation provision. Costs vary with type of industry and policy in place; therefore, to estimate these costs, results from a survey were combined with evidence drawn from a review of literature., Study Design: An Internet survey of 216 workplaces in Belgium, based on a stratified random sample of workplaces with 50 or more employees, was conducted in 2005. Further information was collected from 150 occupational physicians. Additional evidence was compiled from a review of the literature of drinking-related costs., Results: 216 General Directors or HR Directors completed a questionnaire related to awareness, policy and costs. 150 occupational physicians completed a questionnaire related to awareness and policy. Companies are unaware or underestimate alcohol misuse among their employees. At least 84% of companies have no education or information policy about substance abuse. Absenteeism, accidents and turnover account for 0.87% of the wage bill. Reduced productivity/ (presenteeism accounts for 2.8%. The construction industry, postal services, hospitality industry (hotel/restaurants and catering) and sanitation industry (collection, street cleaning) are the most problematic sectors., Conclusion: Awareness: many companies are totally unaware of the impact of substance abuse and those that are aware underestimate the problem. Sectors are heterogeneous; some are more problematic than others. Policy: although there is a link between policy and consumption, few companies have a clear substance abuse policy. Cost: reduced productivity is perceived as the most important cost.

Introduction: The diagnostic process of syncopes remains an important and complex issue. In spite of everything, it is estimated that 20 to 30% of syncopes remain unexplained. The diagnosis of psychogenic syncope is estimated at 5.5% to 14% of syncopes. A systematic psychiatric evaluation of unexplained syncopes would be strongly recommended. We present here the original care by the "Centre Interdisciplinaire des Malaises Inexpliqués et des Syncopes (Interdisciplinary Centre of Unexplained Faintness and Syncopes.)" set up by the neurology and cardiology departments associated with the ENT department. We describe the place liaison psychiatry has been able to define and its field of action., Subject and Methods: After a year of operation, and on the basis of structured interviews with the "Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview" and on a review of records, we assessed the recruitment in terms of psychiatric monitoring as well as the associated psychiatric diagnoses in patients who consulted for an unexplained syncope., Results: Of the 91 patients who have consulted the Interdisciplinary Centre of Unexplained Faintness and Syncopes in 2009, 24% have been directed towards a psychiatric evaluation. Among these, 68% suffered from an anxiety disorder, 27% from a major depressive disorder and 22% from a substance-related disorder., Discussion: We assess the interesting conditions that the Interdisciplinary Centre of Unexplained Faintness and Syncopes proposes for a liaison psychiatry activity. We note the interest in easier access to psychiatric care for a group that would not have spontaneously approached the Centre., Conclusion: Other measures of quality of care indices are still to be developed.

Background: Comparative study at two years between adults and adolescents aimed at identifying the social, family, personality traits and health locus of control factors influencing physical and mental health, consumption of medications, and frequency of medical consultations., Method: Twenty participants (10 adults and 10 adolescents) were included in a two years long longitudinal study. At baseline, participants' age, gender, family composition, net income, chronic treatments, family dynamics (Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scale), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and personality (NEO Personality Inventory) were recorded. Every six months their state of mental and physical health (12 Survey Factors and Hamilton Depression Scale), consumption of medications and number of medical consultations were reassessed., Results: Age has a deleterious effect not only on physical health (r=-0.628*) but also on the frequency of depressive symptoms (r=0.576*). Adults are protected against the above effect by the number of people living in the same household (r=-0.588*). The ideal family or couple is more important than the actual family or couple. The higher these ideals, the healthier the adults (r=0.738*), and the less teenagers go to the doctors (r=-0.648*). Among adults, independence from others is correlated with good mental health (r=-0.829**) and among teens, ability to manage their wishes is positively correlated with good mental health (r=0.718**)., Conclusion: Although different mechanisms determine adolescents and adults' levels of health, other common mechanisms involved include age and the need for love. The older we grow, the more our health tends to deteriorate; the more we dream of love, the more it improves. The differences depend on the place that is left to others. Among teenagers, the first factor pertains to how well they manage their own desires; among adults, what matters most is independence from others.

Introduction: cooncurrent alcohol and tobacco dependency appears to be a common phenomenon yet medical literature often focuses on only one substance at a time when examining the question of withdrawal and illustrates that the evaluation of tobacco consumption appears to be overlooked in psychiatry., Subject and Methods: in this study, we analyse perceptions among first-year postgraduates in Psychiatry, before and after training in Motivational Interviewing, with regard to the idea of suggesting that patients might consider simultaneous dual alcohol-tobacco withdrawal., Results: the trend is to disregard the systematic history of substance consumption and to not recommend concurrent alcohol-tobacco withdrawal. Motivational interview training tends to reverse this trend., Discussion: the lessening of the therapist's feeling of powerlessness in the face of relapse is one of the explanatory factors behind this change of approach. A study design is proposed focusing on the patient's perceptions., Conclusion: guidelines concerning dual alcohol-tobacco withdrawal programs are to be developed.