Reductie milieudruk voedsel : met nadruk op voedselverspilling door huishoudens

Het project "Reductie milieudruk voedsel met nadruk op voedselverspilling door huishoudens – 1e fase" is erop gericht om interventiestrategieën te verkennen, waarmee huishoudens gestimuleerd kunnen worden om voedselverspilling te verminderen. Het verminderen van voedselverspilling is een complexe oplossing voor een complex probleem: niet alleen huishoudens, maar ook andere ketenspelers en stakeholders dienen betrokken te worden om milieudruk in de voedselketen te realiseren

Regional perinatal mortality differences in the Netherlands; care is the question

Background. Perinatal mortality is an important indicator of health. European comparisons of perinatal mortality show an unfavourable position for the Netherlands. Our objective was to study regional variation in perinatal mortality within the Netherlands and to identify possible explanatory factors for the found differences. Methods. Our study population comprised of all singleton births (904,003) derived from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry for the period 2000-2004. Perinatal mortality including stillbirth from 22+0weeks gestation and early neonatal death (0-6 days) was our main outcome measure. Differences in perinatal mortality were calculated between 4 distinct geographical regions North-East-South-West. We tried to explain regional differences by adjustment for the demographic factors maternal age, parity and ethnicity and by socio-economic status and urbanisation degree using logistic modelling. In addition, regional differences in mode of delivery and risk selection were analysed as health care factors. Finally, perinatal mortality was analysed among five distinct clinical risk groups based on the mediating risk factors gestational age and congenital anomalies. Results. Overall perinatal mortality was 10.1 per 1,000 total births over the period 2000-2004. Perinatal mortality was elevated in the northern region (11.2 per 1,000 total births). Perinatal mortality in the eastern, western and southern region was 10.2, 10.1 and 9.6 per 1,000 total births respectively. Adjustment for demographic factors increased the perinatal mortality risk in the northern region (odds ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.28, compared to reference western region), subsequent adjustment for socio-economic status and urbanisation explained a small part of the elevated risk (odds ratio 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20). Risk group analysis showed that regional differences were absent among very preterm births (22+0- 25+6weeks gestation) and most prominent among births from 32+0gestation weeks onwards and among children with severe congenital anomalies. Among term births (37+0weeks) regional mortality differences were largest for births in women transferred from low to high risk during delivery. Conclusion. Regional differences in perinatal mortality exist in the Netherlands. These differences could not be explained by demographic or socio-economic factors, however clinical risk group analysis showed indications for a role of health care factors

Long-term effects of cranial irradiation and intrathecal chemotherapy in treatment of childhood leukemia: a MEG study of power spectrum and correlated cognitive dysfunction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prophylaxis to prevent relapses in the central nervous system after childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) used to consist of both intrathecal chemotherapy (CT) and cranial irradiation (CRT). CRT was mostly abolished in the eighties because of its neurotoxicity, and replaced with more intensive intrathecal CT. In this study, a group of survivors treated with CRT before 1983 and another group treated without CRT thereafter are investigated 20–25 years later, giving a much stronger perspective on long-term quality of life than previous studies. The outcomes will help to better understand these groups’ current needs and will aid in anticipating late effects of prophylactic CRT that is currently applied for other diseases. This study evaluates oscillatory neuronal activity in these long-term survivors. Power spectrum deviations are hypothesized to correlate with cognitive dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Resting state eyes-closed magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 14 ALL survivors treated with CT + CRT, 18 treated with CT alone and 35 controls. Relative spectral power was calculated in the δ, θ, α1, α2, β and γ frequency bands. The Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT) program was used to assess cognition in the executive functions domain. MEG data and ANT scores were correlated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the CT + CRT group, relative θ power was slightly increased (p = 0.069) and α2 power was significantly decreased (p = 0.006). The CT + CRT group performed worse on various cognitive tests. A deficiency in visuomotor accuracy, especially of the right hand, could be clearly associated with the deviating regional θ and α2 powers (0.471 < r < 0.697). A significant association between decreased regional α2 power and less attentional fluctuations was found for CT + CRT patients as well as controls (0.078 < r < 0.666). Patients treated with CT alone displayed a power spectrum similar to controls, except for a significantly increased level of left frontal α2 power (p = 0.030).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The tendency towards global slowing of brain oscillatory activity, together with the fact that dementia has been reported as a late effect of CRT and the neuropsychological deficiencies currently present, suggest that the irradiated brain might be aging faster and could be at risk for early‐onset dementia. The CT group showed no signs of early aging.</p

Sustainability reporting in construction contractors: A case study

Construction activities have significant impacts on the environment, economy and society. As a result, sustainability has become an agenda in construction related business. This is evidenced by an increasingly number of construction related companies adopting sustainability reporting practice. Construction contractors are no exception. This study aims to investigate the sustainability reporting practices adopted by top Chinese contractors active in the international arena. The focus is placed on those Chinese contractors ranked top 50 by the Engineering News Record (ENR) top 225 international contractors. The results showed that the sustainability reporting practices of these top Chinese contractors, in terms of both approaches and the depth, varied significantly however there is a clear trend of growing level of disclosure of sustainability related information. Similarly, environmental sustainability seems the predominate focus of sustainability reporting exercises of top international contractors from China. These findings help to assist senior management of construction contractors to form business strategies to facilitate disclosure and other sustainability related practices

Future Food Basket : methodology for the forecasting of the future food demand

Research by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) on global food and nutrition security focuses on the question how to achieve transitions to a food system that will be adequately equipped to nourish the growing world population. One of the challenges of this transition is to evolve to a food system that will be sustainable (resource-efficient and with minimal impact on climate change and global warming), yielding affordable, trustworthy (safe), high-quality food products. This particular report is part of a study on the redesign of food value chains from linear value chains into circular adaptive value chain networks for nutrition and food security (Redesign or Adaptive Value Chain Networks for food and nutrition security (AdVaNs)). In view of the global trends of world population growth, urbanization, the efficient use of natural resources, mitigation of the impact of food production on climate change and global warming, this research addresses global food and nutrition security by developing a forecast model for the content and composition of local food baskets. Enablers of changes in these future food baskets are the growing economic welfare, advancing information technologies and sustainability issues that affect regional and global value chains. Knowledge about these trends in this future demand on food is searched for by policy makers and governments that are in need of accurate and reliable quantitative information for strategic decision-making. By developing forecasting models that are dedicated to human nutritional needs and consumption patterns, historic quantitative data can be transferred into future trends and predictions regarding food demand in specific regions. A methodology, using autonomous time based linear regression, was developed by the authors to predict a future food basket in terms of energy, composition and products for the near future in 2030 based on available historical data. The methodology was used for 4 regions in Mexico (Mexico City, North-, South- and Central Mexico). Also the amount of micro-nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, in the food was estimated. The forecasted results were also categorised by two demographic characteristics: income class (low income vs. high income) and the residential environment (urban vs. rural environment). The forecasting is based on FAO data in combination with national data for the prediction of the specific regional food baskets in Mexico. The results show that the urban region obtains more energy and vegetables, fruit and meat, having also the more wealthy class of the population. Also in Mexico most proteins and carbohydrates are consumed as part of staple foods. In this research validation of the methodology was carried out by using data from the past to predict the situation in 2011 of the composition of the food basket. This comparison of the present data with the forecasted data shows that this linear regression method can be used to forecast the food basket in 2030 for a majority of product groups, but to a smaller extent for milk and pulses in particular

Critical elements for consumer acceptance of Eco-feed concepts

The PPP RENEW (side- and residual streams for Eco-feed application in the Netherlands, with specific attention for the design of circular food systems and consumer acceptance) was launched in February 2021. The project is a public privatepartnership, and its aim is to design and valorise Eco-feed concepts. Eco-feed is conceptualized as a circular feed product for non-ruminant animals, based on side- and residual streams collected from retail and foodservice outlets. In this project, we consider only Eco-feed for pigs and poultry (layers and broilers). PPP RENEW focuses on 3 main research questions (RQs): RQ.1) Which conditions are necessary to create a positive business case for Eco-Feed in the Netherlands, from economic, environmental and animal welfare point of view? RQ.2) Which conditions are necessary to create consumer and food value chain acceptance of Eco-feed products? RQ.3) Which scenarios contribute to the development of Eco-feed concepts? This report presents the findings on task 2.1 (related to RQ.2) and addresses elements that influence consumer acceptance (attitude and behaviour) and which are critical for accepting products for human consumption that are based on Eco-fed pigs and chicken. A literature review has been performed to create an analytical framework to explainacceptance, and four focus group discussions were organised to collect first insights from consumers on the topic.Our findings suggest that elements including personal characteristics, social context, physical context, the product itself, and the production system all matter. However, it seems that consumers are not (yet) very aware of what livestock animals eat, and how feed is being produced. Furthermore, there seem to be no clear difference between more or lesss ustainability-oriented consumers with regards to their opinion on Eco-feed concepts

Microfoundations of Dynamic Capabilities: Insights from Circular Economy Business Cases

Circular economy is a key strategy to achieve corporate sustainability. However, so far, most firms are unable to translate the concept of circular economy into their corporate strategies, business models, and operations. Some scholars have argued that firms need to develop new (and dynamic) capabilities for circular economy implementation. Yet there is a little discussion on how firms can develop such capabilities. Notably, there is a paucity of research on specific skills, processes, and organizational activities (microfoundations of dynamic capabilities) that may facilitate circular economy implementation. To address this knowledge gap, using a multiple‐case studies approach, we explore microfoundations of dynamic capabilities in successful circular economy business cases. Our findings indicate that dynamic capabilities positively contribute to circular economy implementation. Our case studies show that case firms identified circular economy opportunities by using four microfoundations of sensing capability. Further, case firms acted on the identified opportunities by using simultaneously three microfoundations of seizing capability and four microfoundations of reconfiguring capability. This paper contributes to the literature on the relations between dynamic capabilities and corporate sustainability by providing insights on how sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring dynamic capabilities act in successful operationalization of circular economy strategies