Phylogenetic relationships in Betula (Betulaceae) based on AFLP markers

The genus Betula comprises various species in boreal and temperate climate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The taxonomy of Betula is controversial and complicated by parallel evolution of morphological traits, polyploidization events, and extensive hybridization and introgression among species. Multilocus molecular data from AFLPs were used to provide phylogenetic information. A large number of polymorphic markers (321 variable bands) were produced in 107 Betula accessions from 23 species and 11 hybrids. The AFLP results were largely congruent with the results from previously examined nuclear DNA markers. Four distinct subgenera were identified within the genus Betula. These subgenera were partly in disagreement with the traditional (but disputed) division of the genus. In addition, the results indicated several groups of conspecific taxa. The majority of the species fell within subgenus Betula and shared a high degree of similarity with B. pendula. All hybrids were associated with this group, and the AFLP data contained signals on putative parents for some of the interspecific hybrids. Subgenus Chamaebetula and part of the Neurobetula species should be merged with Betula. The subgenera Betulenta, Betulaster, and the remaining part of Neurobetula are distinct and well supported. Although our results indicate that four major taxonomic groups can be recognized within the genus Betula, the relationship between them remains unclear. This may be due to the occurrence of hybridization and introgression, which would have a homogenizing effect on the relationships between species. Naturally occurring Betula species of hybrid origin may explain the low bootstrap values within the Betula clade

Nieuwe haverketen glutenvrij

Plantenfysioloog Luud Gilissen van Plant Research International werkte aan het opzetten van een glutenvrije keten voor haver. Het succes daarvan leidde tot een nieuw initiatief met medewerking van meer bedrijven om een haverketen op grotere schaal op te zetten

A framework for evaluating the effectiveness of flood emergency management systems in Europe

Calls for enhancing societal resilience to flooding are echoed across Europe alongside mounting evidence that flood risk will increase in response to climate change amongst other risk-enhancing factors. At a time where it is now widely accepted that flooding cannot be fully prevented, resilience discourse in public policy stresses the importance of improving societal capacities to absorb and recover from flood events. Flood emergency management has thus emerged as a crucial strategy in flood risk management. However, the extent to which emergency management supports societal resilience is dependent on the effectiveness of governance and performance in practice. Drawing from the extensive body of literature documenting the success conditions of so-called effective emergency management more broadly, this study formulates an evaluation framework specifically tailored to the study of Flood Emergency Management Systems (FEMS) in Europe. Applying this framework, this research performs a cross-country comparison of FEMS in the Netherlands, England, Poland, France, and Sweden. Important differences are observed in how FEMS have evolved in relation to differing contextual backgrounds (political, cultural, administrative and socio-economic) and exposures to flood hazard. Whereas the organization and coordination of actors are functioning effectively, other aspects of effective FEMS are relatively under-developed in several countries, such as provisions for institutional learning, recovery-based activities and community preparedness. Drawing from examples of good practice, this paper provides a critical reflection on the opportunities and constraints to enhancing the effectiveness of FEMS in Europe

Implementing advance care planning in routine nursing home care : the development of the theory-based ACP+ program

Background While various initiatives have been taken to improve advance care planning in nursing homes, it is difficult to find enough details about interventions to allow comparison, replication and translation into practice. Objectives We report on the development and description of the ACP+ program, a multi-component theory-based program that aims to implement advance care planning into routine nursing home care. We aimed to 1) specify how intervention components can be delivered; 2) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the program; 3) describe the final program in a standardized manner. Design To develop and model the intervention, we applied multiple study methods including a literature review, expert discussions and individual and group interviews with nursing home staff and management. We recruited participants through convenience sampling. Setting and participants Management and staff (n = 17) from five nursing homes in Flanders (Belgium), a multidisciplinary expert group and a palliative care nurse-trainer. Methods The work was carried out by means of 1) operationalization of key intervention components identified as part of a previously developed theory on how advance care planning is expected to lead to its desired outcomes in nursing homes into specific activities and materials, through expert discussions and review of existing advance care planning programs; 2) evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of the program through interviews with nursing home management and staff and expert revisions; and 3) standardized description of the final program according to the TIDieR checklist. During step 2, we used thematic analysis. Results The original program with nine key components was expanded to include ten intervention components, 22 activities and 17 materials to support delivery into routine nursing home care. The final ACP+ program includes ongoing training and coaching, management engagement, different roles and responsibilities in organizing advance care planning, conversations, documentation and information transfer, integration of advance care planning into multidisciplinary meetings, auditing, and tailoring to the specific setting. These components are to be implemented stepwise throughout an intervention period. The program involves the entire nursing home workforce. The support of an external trainer decreases as nursing home staff become more autonomous in organizing advance care planning. Conclusions The multicomponent ACP+ program involves residents, family, and the different groups of people working in the nursing home. It is deemed feasible and acceptable by nursing home staff and management. The findings presented in this paper, alongside results of the subsequent randomized controlled cluster trial, can facilitate comparison, replicability and translation of the intervention into practice

Insight into SUCNR1 (GPR91) structure and function

SUCNR1 (or GPR91) belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), which represents the largest group of membrane proteins in human genome. The majority of marketed drugs targets GPCRs, directly or indirectly. SUCNR1 has been classified as an orphan receptor until a landmark study paired it with succinate, a citric acid cycle intermediate. According to the current paradigm, succinate triggers SUCNR1 signaling pathways to indicate local stress that may affect cellular metabolism. SUCNR1 implication has been well documented in renin-induced hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion injury, inflammation and immune response, platelet aggregation and retinal angiogenesis. In addition, the SUCNR1-induced increase of blood pressure may contribute to diabetic nephropathy or cardiac hypertrophy. The understanding of SUCNR1 activation, signaling pathways and functions remains largely elusive, which calls for deeper investigations. SUCNR1 shows a high potential as an innovative drug target and is probably an important regulator of basic physiology. In order to achieve the full characterization of this receptor,more specific pharmacological tools such as small-molecules modulators will represent an important asset. In this review, we describe the structural features of SUCNR1, its current ligands and putative binding pocket. We give an exhaustive overview of the known and hypothetical signaling partners of the receptor in different in vitro and in vivo systems. The link between SUCNR1 intracellular pathways and its pathophysiological roles are also extensively discussed

Applying Physical Education Methods to Skills Teaching of Law Students

[EN] We study to what extent the “constraints-led approach” (CLA) in physical education can also be applied to skills teaching for law students. In the CLA athletes are challenged to finding their own movement solutions in a dynamic setting rather than responding to verbal cues in a fixed environment. Similarly, we experimented with the implicit acquisition of policy analysis skills in law students in preparation for pro bono client work in so-called law clinics. Although the project was cut short due to Covid-19 circumstances, preliminary outcomes suggest students feel better equipped to working with clients. We provisionally conclude that CLA skills teaching has the potential to improve skill acquisition in clinical legal education.Sluijs, J.; Gilissen, HK.; Van Look, K. (2021). Applying Physical Education Methods to Skills Teaching of Law Students. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1369-1376. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.130471369137

'Gezond met haver' rapportage van het haverketenproject 'Gezond met haver' 2006-2008

In dit rapport wordt ingegaan op de resultaten en ervaringen van het project ‘Gezond met haver’. Het project betreft een innovatief Praktijkproject van TransForum. Het project is gestart in 2006 en afgerond in 2008. Het project heeft beoogd om een relevante bijdrage te leveren aan de maatschappelijk belangrijke aspecten verantwoorde voeding, gezondheid en duurzaamheid. De doelstelling van het project is dan ook als volgt geformuleerd: “Het opzetten van een haverketen om daarmee bij te dragen aan een nieuw duurzaam agronomisch perspectief [‘Planet’] voor de ontwikkeling van nieuwe voedingsproducten met hoge toegevoegde waarde, bereid van gegarandeerd zuiver haver en gegarandeerd glutenvrije ingrediënten [‘Profit’] ter bevordering van de gezondheid van iedereen, inclusief coeliakiepatiënten [‘People’]”

Physiological reactivity to fear in children: effects of temperament, attachment & the serotonin transporter gene

This thesis addressed the physiological impact of fear in 4- and 7-year-old children, induced by media and social fear-inducing tasks (the Trier Social Stress Test for Children). The main question pertained to individual differences in physiological reactivity to fear-inducing stimuli. The possibly relevant factors of attachment security, the child’s temperamental fearfulness, and variations in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR; long vs. short allele) were taken into account. Results showed that temperament, attachment, and genetic influences play significant and interactive roles in the expression of fear reactivity. A secure relationship affected the reactivity to media-induced fear stimuli in temperamentally more fearful children but not in less fearful children irrespective of children’s ages. This finding adds to the growing literature showing that children high in negative emotion are more susceptible to positive as well as negative rearing influences. Furthermore, we found evidence that reactivity to the social fear-inducing task was explained by a combination of variations in the serotonin transporter gene and attachment security. Children with a secure attachment representation and two long 5-HTT alleles showed the lowest levels of fear reactivity, indicating that physiological reactivity to a social fear-inducing task is a product of the child’s biology and environment.LEI Universiteit LeidenFSW - Gezinsopvoeding - Ou

Analyse et évolution des formes graphiques

In a lecture published under its oral form, as it was given, the author tries to show how sketchy the hypothesis of the «ductus» is in the analysis of any script. The study of the «ductus» should be complemented by a profound exam of the morphology of the characters and graphic signs, unique objective element that can be observed today.Dans une leçon publieé sous la forme orale dans laquelle elle fut dite, l'auteur tente de montrer tout ce que l'hypothèse du «ductus» a de fragmentaire dans l’analyse de toute écriture. L'examen du «ductus» doit se compléter par un examen approfondi de la morphologie des lettres et des signes graphiques, seul élément objectif observable aujourd'hui

Bridges over troubled waters: an interdisciplinary framework for evaluating the interconnectedness within fragmented domestic flood risk management systems

Diversification of strategies in Flood Risk Management (FRM) is widely regarded as a necessary step forward in terms of lessening the likelihood and magnitude of flooding, as well as minimizing the exposure of people and property, and in turn the disruption, economic damage, health impacts and other adverse consequences that ensue when floods occur. Thus, diversification is often heralded as an essential condition for enhancing societal resilience to flooding. However, an inevitable consequence of diversifying strategies and practices in FRM is that it can lead to fragmentation within FRM systems, in terms of the distribution of responsibilities between actors and governing rules enacted within different policy domains. This can prove detrimental to the effectiveness of FRM. Building upon the notion of fragmentation developed in legal and governance literature, this paper introduces the concept of ‘bridging mechanisms’, i.e. instruments that remedy fragmentation by enhancing interconnectedness between relevant actors through information transfer, coordination and cooperation. This paper develops a typology of both fragmentation and bridging mechanisms and analyzes their relations, partly drawing upon empirical research conducted within the EU ‘STAR-FLOOD’ project. In turn, this paper outlines a novel interdisciplinary methodological framework for evaluating the degree and quality of the interconnectedness within fragmented domestic FRM systems. A pragmatic, flexible and broadly applicable tool, this framework is both suited for academic purposes, as well as for practically oriented analysis and (re)development of fragmented FRM systems, and potentially other fragmented systems, within the EU and abroad