Aquaponics in the Built Environment

Aquaponics’ potential to transform urban food production has been documented in a rapid increase of academic research and public interest in the field. To translate this publicity into real-world impact, the creation of commercial farms and their relationship to the urban environment have to be further examined. This research has to bridge the gap between existing literature on growing system performance and urban metabolic flows by considering the built form of aquaponic farms. To assess the potential for urban integration of aquaponics, existing case studies are classified by the typology of their building enclosure, with the two main categories being greenhouses and indoor environments. This classification allows for some assumptions about the farms’ performance in their context, but a more in-depth life cycle assessment (LCA) is necessary to evaluate different configurations. The LCA approach is presented as a way to inventory design criteria and respective strategies which can influence the environmental impact of aquaponic systems in the context of urban built environments

Het belang van rechtvaardigheidsbelevingen bij organisatieverandering

Rechtvaardigheid is een universeel begrip dat aandacht krijgt vanuit vele disciplines. Zo leert de sociale psychologie ons dat gepercipieerde rechtvaardigheid een factor is om rekening mee te houden in organisaties. Zeker in tijden van verandering, waarin middelen (her)verdeeld worden, zo betogen Leonard Millenaar en collega’s. ‘De mate waarin medewerkers de verdeling als rechtvaardig ervaren, heeft invloed op het gedrag dat zij vertonen.

Current status and future challenges in implementing and upscaling vertical farming systems

Vertical farming can produce food in a climate-resilient manner, potentially emitting zero pesticides and fertilizers, and with lower land and water use than conventional agriculture. Vertical farming systems (VFS) can meet daily consumer demands for nutritious fresh products, forming a part of resilient food systems—particularly in and around densely populated areas. VFS currently produce a limited range of crops including fruits, vegetables and herbs, but successful implementation of vertical farming as part of mainstream agriculture will require improvements in profitability, energy efficiency, public policy and consumer acceptance. Here we discuss VFS as multi-layer indoor crop cultivation systems, exploring state-of-the-art vertical farming and future challenges in the fields of plant growth, product quality, automation, robotics, system control and environmental sustainability and how research and development, socio-economic and policy-related institutions must work together to ensure successful upscaling of VFS to future food systems

Current status and future challenges in implementing and upscaling vertical farming systems

Vertical farming can produce food in a climate-resilient manner, potentially emitting zero pesticides and fertilizers, and with lower land and water use than conventional agriculture. Vertical farming systems (VFS) can meet daily consumer demands for nutritious fresh products, forming a part of resilient food systems—particularly in and around densely populated areas. VFS currently produce a limited range of crops including fruits, vegetables and herbs, but successful implementation of vertical farming as part of mainstream agriculture will require improvements in profitability, energy efficiency, public policy and consumer acceptance. Here we discuss VFS as multi-layer indoor crop cultivation systems, exploring state-of-the-art vertical farming and future challenges in the fields of plant growth, product quality, automation, robotics, system control and environmental sustainability and how research and development, socio-economic and policy-related institutions must work together to ensure successful upscaling of VFS to future food systems

Epidemiology of voice problems in Dutch teachers.

Item does not contain fulltextIn order to assess voice complaints and absence from work due to voice problems among teachers of primary and secondary education, as well as among a control group, 2,117 questionnaires were analysed. The total group consisted of 1,878 teachers and 239 controls. Female teachers more frequently reported voice complaints and absence from work due to voice problems than their male colleagues. No unequivocal relationship between age on the one hand and voice complaints and absence from work due to voice problems on the other hand was observed. Therefore, the percent of cases was corrected for gender but not for age. More than half of the teachers reported voice problems during their career and about one fifth had a history of absence from work due to voice problems. These numbers are relatively high compared to those of the controls with as well as to those without a vocally demanding profession. More than 20% of the teachers sought medical help or had been treated for a voice problem. Remarkably, more than 12% of the teachers had experienced voice problems during their training and this group reported significantly more voice complaints and absence from work due to voice problems in their career than the colleagues without voice problems during the training. The results of the Voice Handicap Index scores followed these trends. These findings point at voice problems during education as a risk factor for getting voice problems during the career. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that teaching is a high-risk profession for the development of voice problems, which is in accordance with other studies and support the contention that voice is a worldwide problem in the teaching profession. Furthermore, this study indicates the importance of voice care not only during training for the profession but also during the career

Risk factors for voice problems in teachers.

Item does not contain fulltextIn order to identify factors that are associated with voice problems and voice-related absenteeism in teachers, 1,878 questionnaires were analysed. The questionnaires inquired about personal data, voice complaints, voice-related absenteeism from work and conditions that may lead to voice complaints and absenteeism. Different factors play a role in the development and consolidation of voice problems. Physical and psycho-emotional factors appear to be the most important risk factors. Remarkably, voice load and environment seem to be less important as risk factors in the development and consolidation of voice complaints. Teachers who experienced voice problems during their training reported more voice problems during their career. The results of this study stress the importance of a multifactorial approach in the diagnosis and treatment of voice problems, whereby physical and psycho-emotional aspects should be considered as sensitive to the risk of developing voice problems. Moreover, this study shows the crucial importance of adequate voice training during the teacher training programme