Increasing the benefits of stadiums for a municipality through sustainable development : a case study of Stadion Feijenoord

Almost all Dutch municipalities hosting a professional football club are owner of the stadium. The uncertainty of the indirect social and economic benefits of a stadium together with often unhealthy financial situations of professional sports club can result in the vacancy of the stadium. Thus, unmonitored decisions bring along irresponsible high financial risks for these municipalities in relation to the gained benefits. With sustainable (re)development these stadiums can become more beneficial for both the municipality and the main user, a sport club itself. A questionnaire among 31 City Councillors of the Dutch cities Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Enschede showed that limited financial risks and attracting companies are the most important criteria for public investments in stadium projects. Specific aspects related to sustainability had a lower impact, but the sustainability of the whole project, including long-term planning for example could increase the benefits for municipalities. A case study of Stadion Feijenoord was analysed for this research

Maternal and Paternal Risk Factors for Cryptorchidism and Hypospadias: A Case–Control Study in Newborn Boys

Little is known on environmental risk factors for cryptorchidism and hypospadias, which are among the most frequent congenital abnormalities. The aim of our study was to identify risk factors for cryptorchidism and hypospadias, with a focus on potential endocrine disruptors in parental diet and occupation. In a case–control study nested within a cohort of 8,698 male births, we compared 78 cryptorchidism cases and 56 hypospadias cases with 313 controls. The participation rate was 85% for cases and 68% for controls. Through interviews, information was collected on pregnancy aspects and personal characteristics, lifestyle, occupation, and dietary phytoestrogen intake of both parents. Occupational exposure to potential endocrine disruptors was classified based on self-reported exposure and ratings of occupational hygienists based on job descriptions. Our findings indicate that paternal pesticide exposure was associated with cryptorchidism [odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.1–13.4]. Smoking of the father was associated with hypospadias (OR = 3.8; 95% CI, 1.8–8.2). Maternal occupational, dietary, and lifestyle exposures were not associated with either abnormality. Both abnormalities were associated with suboptimal maternal health, a lower maternal education, and a Turkish origin of the parents. Being small for gestational age was a risk factor for hypospadias, and preterm birth was a risk factor for cryptorchidism. Because paternal pesticide exposure was significantly associated with cryptorchidism and paternal smoking was associated with hypospadias in male offspring, paternal exposure should be included in further studies on cryptorchidism and hypospadias risk factors

Crop yield gap and stability in organic and conventional farming systems

A key challenge for sustainable intensification of agriculture is to produce increasing amounts of food and feed with minimal biodiversity loss, nutrient leaching, and greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farming is considered more sustainable, however, less productive than conventional farming. We analysed results from an experiment started under identical soil conditions comparing one organic and two conventional farming systems. Initially, yields in the organic farming system were lower, but approached those of both conventional systems after 10-13 years, while requiring lower nitrogen inputs. Unexpectedly, organic farming resulted in lower coefficient of variation, indicating enhanced spatial stability, of pH, nutrient mineralization, nutrient availability, and abundance of soil biota. Organic farming also resulted in improved soil structure with higher organic matter concentrations and higher soil aggregation, a profound reduction in groundwater nitrate concentrations, and fewer plant-parasitic nematodes. Temporal stability between the three farming systems was similar, but when excluding years of Phytophthora outbreaks in potato, temporal stability was higher in the organic farming system. There are two non-mutually exclusive mechanistic explanations for these results. First, the enhanced spatial stability in the organic farming system could result from changes in resource-based (i.e. bottom-up) processes, which coincides with the observed higher nutrient provisioning throughout the season in soils with more organic matter. Second, enhanced resource inputs may also affect stability via increased predator-based (i.e. top-down) control. According to this explanation, predators stabilize population dynamics of soil organisms, which is supported by the observed higher soil food web biomass in the organic farming system.We conclude that closure of the yield gap between organic and conventional farming can be a matter of time and that organic farming may result in greater spatial stability of soil biotic and abiotic properties and soil processes. This is likely due to the time required to fundamentally alter soil properties.Article / Letter to editorCentrum voor Milieuwetenschappen Leide

Invloed mengen op stofwisseling van biggen

Het mengen van biggen (bij ongeveer 20 kg) zonder verplaatsing heeft geen langdurige invloed op de stofwisseling. De warmteproductie gedurende de eerste twee uur direct na het mengen is wél verhoogd vanwege actief gedrag

Biggen mengen voor transport?

Het mengen van biggen voor transport naar een ander bedrijf heeft geen nadelige invloed op de stofwisseling. Zowel biggen die gemengd zijn als biggen die niet gemengd zijn hebben na transport een verhoogde stofwisseling. Veertien dagen na transport isde stofwisseling nog niet op het normale niveau

Fermi Surface Study of Quasi-Two-Dimensional Organic Conductors by Magnetooptical Measurements

Magnetooptical measurements of several quasi-two-dimensional (q2D) organic conductors, which have simple Fermi surface structure, have been performed by using a cavity perturbation technique. Despite of the simple Fermi surface structure, magnetooptical resonance results show a dramatic difference for each sample. Cyclotron resonances (CR) were observed for q-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 and (BEDT-TTF)3Br(pBIB), while periodic orbit resonances (POR) were observed for (BEDT-TTF)2Br(DIA) and (BEDT-TTF)3Cl(DFBIB). The selection of the resonance seems to correspond with the skin depth for each sample. The effective mass of POR seems to have a mass enhancement due to the many-body effect, while effective mass of CR is independent of the strength of the electron-electron interaction. The scattering time deduced from each resonance's linewidth will be also presented.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, to be published to J. Phys. Soc. Jpn Vol.72 No.1 (accepted

Dynamic modelling of BOF process : comparison of model performance with the plant data

In a top blowing steel making process (BOF), the refining reactions of C, Si, Mn and P are related to several physicochemical phenomena occurring in different zones (e.g. slag-metal emulsion, jet impact zone, slag-bulk metal zone) inside the converter. In earlier publications, the authors have demonstrated a dynamic model, based on the fundamental approach of multiple zone reaction kinetics to simulate the refining of elements (C, Si, Mn and P) in a top blowing steelmaking process (BOF).[1,2] After successful model validation with the literature data from a 200 ton converter[3], simulations have been carried out to assess the model performance with the plant data. Off-line heat data obtained from a 330 ton converter at Tata Steel, Netherlands was used for the model validation. The BOF shop in Tata Steel operates with a wide range of operating and process conditions such as (i) different scrap mix, (ii) dynamic flux addition strategy, (iii) dynamic change in lance position and (iv) top and bottom flow rate. The model predictions of hot metal impurities were validated with the two sub-lance measurements and the simulated slag compositions were compared with the end blow measurements. The possible effect of the uncertainties associated with the measured (or reported) input variables in industrial conditions on the accuracy of the model calculations has been investigated. Further, the role of dynamic change in lance height and flow rate on the slag formation and the hot metal refining has been studied. The present study identifies the critical input variables required for the accuracy in the prediction of the dynamic model in plant conditions and provides a fundamental understanding to control the dynamic process variables in a BOF operation

Small-q phonon-mediated superconductivity in organic \kappa-BEDT-TTF compounds

We propose a mew picture for superconductivity in $\kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2X$ salts arguing that small-{\bf q} electron-phonon scattering dominates the pairing. We reproduce the distinct X-shaped d-wave gap reported recently by magnetooptic measurements and we argue that the softness of the momentum structure of the gap and the near degeneracy of s- and d-wave gap states may be at the origin of the experimental controversy about the gap symmetry. We show that a magnetic field applied parallel to the planes may induce extended gapless-regions on the FS accounting for the experimental signatures of a Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinikov state and it may induce gap symmetry transitions as well.Comment: 4 pages and 7 figure

Comparison of the Fermi-surface topologies of kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 Cu(NCS)_2 and its deuterated analogue

We have measured details of the quasi one-dimensional Fermi-surface sections in the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 Cu(NCS)_2 and its deuterated analogue using angle-dependent millimetre-wave techniques. There are significant differences in the corrugations of the Fermi surfaces in the deuterated and undeuterated salts. We suggest that this is important in understanding the inverse isotope effect, where the superconducting transition temperature rises on deuteration. The data support models for superconductivity which invoke electron-electron interactions depending on the topological properties of the Fermi surface

Gewichtsverlies van biggen tijdens vasten en daaropvolgend transport

In een samenwerkingsproject tussen het Praktijkonderzoek Varkenshouderij en de Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen hebben vijf transporten (60 km) met elk 40 biggen plaatsgevonden. Voor aanvang van het transport kregen de biggen gedurende een periode van 16 uur geen voer verstrek