Proeftuin Food Valley : biobased economy en energietransitie

In deze brochure wordt uitgelegd waarom en hoe de Food Vally inspeelt op de ontwikkelingen binnen de biobased economy en de trasitie naar groene energie. Dit wordt gedaan in het project 'Duurzame Leefomgeving'

Chromatin remodelling complex dosage modulates transcription factor function in heart development

Dominant mutations in cardiac transcription factor genes cause human inherited congenital heart defects (CHDs); however, their molecular basis is not understood. Interactions between transcription factors and the Brg1/Brm-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodelling complex suggest potential mechanisms; however, the role of BAF complexes in cardiogenesis is not known. In this study, we show that dosage of Brg1 is critical for mouse and zebrafish cardiogenesis. Disrupting the balance between Brg1 and disease-causing cardiac transcription factors, including Tbx5, Tbx20 and Nkx2–5, causes severe cardiac anomalies, revealing an essential allelic balance between Brg1 and these cardiac transcription factor genes. This suggests that the relative levels of transcription factors and BAF complexes are important for heart development, which is supported by reduced occupancy of Brg1 at cardiac gene promoters in Tbx5 haploinsufficient hearts. Our results reveal complex dosage-sensitive interdependence between transcription factors and BAF complexes, providing a potential mechanism underlying transcription factor haploinsufficiency, with implications for multigenic inheritance of CHDs

Trajectories of Early Adolescent Loneliness: Implications for Physical Health and Sleep

The current study examines the relationship between prolonged loneliness, physical health, and sleep among young adolescents (10–13 years; N = 1214; 53% girls). Loneliness was measured at 10, 12 and 13 years of age along with parent-reported health and sleep outcomes. Using growth mixture modelling, 6 distinct trajectories were identified: ‘low increasing to high loneliness’ (n = 23, 2%), ‘high reducing loneliness’ (n = 28, 3%), ‘medium stable loneliness’ (n = 60, 5%), ‘medium reducing loneliness’ (n = 185, 15%), ‘low increasing to medium loneliness’ (n = 165, 14%), and ‘low stable loneliness’ (n = 743, 61%). Further analyses found non-significant differences between the loneliness trajectories and parent-report health and sleep outcomes including visits to health professionals, perceived general health, and sleep quality. The current study offers an important contribution to the literature on loneliness and health. Results show that the relationship may not be evident in early adolescence when parent reports of children’s health are used. The current study highlights the importance of informant choice when reporting health. The implications of the findings for future empirical work are discussed

Full-Scan Accurate Mass Selectivity of Ultra-Preformance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Time-of-Flight and Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry in Hormone and Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis

The applicability of ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with full-scan accurate mass time-of-flight (TOF) and Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) to the analysis of hormone and veterinary drug residues was evaluated. Extracts from blank bovine hair were fortified with 14 steroid esters. UPLC-Orbitrap MS performed at a resolving power of 60,000 (FWHM) enabled the detection and accurate mass measurement

Deposition and depletion of the coccidiostats toltrazuril and halofuginone in eggs

Toltrazuril (TZ), a triazinetrione derivative, and halofuginone (HFG), a quinazolinone derivative, have been licensed for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis in broilers and turkeys, but have been excluded for use in laying hens. Little is known regarding the deposition of residues of toltrazuril and halofuginone in eggs and their rate of depletion. In this study, laying hens were treated with therapeutic doses of TZ (78 mg l-1 in the drinking water for 2 days, repeated after a 5-day interval for another 2 days) and HFG (3 mg kg-1 in the feed for 14 days). Eggs were collected before, during and after treatment. Residue concentrations of toltrazuril and its metabolite ponazuril (PZ) and halofuginone were determined in whole egg, as well as in the yolk and albumen. TZ and PZ residues were monitored daily in whole egg until 19 days post-treatment. PZ was found the predominant residue formed. Toltrazuril concentrations in whole egg reached a maximum during treatment of 1500 µg kg-1, while ponazuril concentrations increased to 11,000 µg kg-1. At the end of the post-treatment period levels for TZ in whole egg had dropped below the limit of detection (LoD) of 30 µg kg-1 but PZ was still present at 1600 µg kg-1 (LoD: 10 µg kg-1). Residues of TZ and PZ were mainly distributed in the egg yolk. HFG residues were monitored until 14 days post-treatment. Halofuginone was detected in egg up to a concentration of 450 µg kg-1 during the medication period and declined fairly rapidly after the end of administration. After 12 days withdrawal, residue levels reached the limit of detection of 2 µg kg-1. Residue concentrations of HFG in yolk were approximately twice that in albumen