Post-harvest loss reduction : a value chain perspective on the role of post-harvest management in attaining economically and environmentally sustainable food chains

This paper was written by experts from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), representing their combined expertise on food chains, post-harvest technology, sustainability, food security, economics, and food safety. The paper was drafted at the request of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give insight in the potential impact of post-harvest management (PHM) on a selected number of societal themes. The themes that are considered relevant within the domestic and international political context for global economic development and social stability, are successively: 1) food security, 2) food safety, 3) economic revenues, 4) employment, and 5) climate footprint. This paper presents the outcome of an exercise to combine the relevant expertise1) related to the topic of post-harvest management and in the context of reducing food losses in the post-harvest chain. The objective of the paper is to provide insight in the effects of the deployment of resources for the strengthening of post-harvest management on the mentioned themes

Right Atrial Pressure Affects the Interaction between Lung Mechanics and Right Ventricular Function in Spontaneously Breathing COPD Patients

INTRODUCTION: It is generally known that positive pressure ventilation is associated with impaired venous return and decreased right ventricular output, in particular in patients with a low right atrial pressure and relative hypovolaemia. Altered lung mechanics have been suggested to impair right ventricular output in COPD, but this relation has never been firmly established in spontaneously breathing patients at rest or during exercise, nor has it been determined whether these cardiopulmonary interactions are influenced by right atrial pressure. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with COPD underwent simultaneous measurements of intrathoracic, right atrial and pulmonary artery pressures during spontaneous breathing at rest and during exercise. Intrathoracic pressure and right atrial pressure were used to calculate right atrial filling pressure. Dynamic changes in pulmonary artery pulse pressure during expiration were examined to evaluate changes in right ventricular output. RESULTS: Pulmonary artery pulse pressure decreased up to 40% during expiration reflecting a decrease in stroke volume. The decline in pulse pressure was most prominent in patients with a low right atrial filling pressure. During exercise, a similar decline in pulmonary artery pressure was observed. This could be explained by similar increases in intrathoracic pressure and right atrial pressure during exercise, resulting in an unchanged right atrial filling pressure. CONCLUSIONS: We show that in spontaneously breathing COPD patients the pulmonary artery pulse pressure decreases during expiration and that the magnitude of the decline in pulmonary artery pulse pressure is not just a function of intrathoracic pressure, but also depends on right atrial pressure

Pulmonary hypertension at exercise in COPD: does it matter?

Journal ArticleSCOPUS: ed.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

First live birth after ovarian stimulation using a chimeric long-acting human recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) agonist (recFSH-CTP) for in vitro fertilization

Objective: To report the first pregnancy and live birth after ovarian stimulation using a chimeric long-acting human recombinant FSH agonist (recFSH-CTP) for IVF.Design: Case report.Setting: Tertiary fertility center.Patient: A 32-year-old woman with a 7-year history of primary infertility.Intervention: Ovarian stimulation with a single SC injection of 180 ?g recFSH-CTP on cycle day 3, followed by daily injections of 150 IU recFSH from cycle day 10 onward, combined with daily GnRH antagonist 0.25 mg SC to prevent a premature LH rise. Final oocyte maturation was induced by 10,000 IU hCG.Main outcome measure: First ongoing pregnancy obtained with recFSH-CTP.Result: Twelve oocytes were retrieved. Ten oocytes were fertilized in vitro by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and from these 10 oocytes, two embryos were subsequently transferred after 3 days of culture. A pregnancy test 2 weeks after ET was positive, and ultrasound investigation revealed an intact, intrauterine, singleton pregnancy after 12 weeks.Conclusion: The first pregnancy and live birth was achieved after ovarian stimulation using recFSH-CTP for IVF.<br/

CT angiography from a 23 year old iPAH patient who died from massive hemoptysis.

<p>Panel A is a transverse section showing central pulmonary artery dilatation and small saccular aneurysms in more peripheral vessels (small arrows). Note the irregular borders of the central vessels. Panel B shows a coronal reconstruction with aneurysmatic changes to the main pulmonary artery (large arrow) and peripheral vessels (small arrows). Panel C is a 3 D reconstruction.</p

Baseline demographics, hemodynamics and bronchial artery hypertrophy characteristics of the BMPR2 sub population analysis.

<p>#  =  p<0.01, versus BMPR2 positive, ¶  =  p<0.05. Values are mean ± SD. CT angiograms were available from 11 BMPR2 positive patients and from 27 BMRP2 negative patients.</p

Baseline demographics and hemodynamics of the study population.

*<p> =  p<0.001 versus Hemoptysis positive, #  =  p<0.01, ¶  =  p<0.05. Values are mean ± SD.</p

The pulmonary artery diameter was measured at the trunk of the pulmonary artery, on axial CT angiography slices using electronic callipers.

<p>The pulmonary artery diameter was measured at the trunk of the pulmonary artery, on axial CT angiography slices using electronic callipers.</p