Public-private Interaction in Infrastructure Networks.:Towards effective Market Involvement in the Management of Public Infrastructure Networks.

Voor het functioneren en ontwikkelen van infrastructuurnetwerken is de markt onontbeerlijk. Maar hoe betrekken publieke netwerkbeheerders, zoals Rijkswaterstaat en ProRail, de markt in hun netwerkbeheer? Leidt de marktbetrokkenheid ook tot een structurele verandering van de markt tot een gezonde marktdynamiek? Dit onderzoek tracht inzicht te krijgen in de complexe relaties tussen een (publieke) infrastructuurnetwerk beheerder en de markt. Via deze relaties beïnvloedt een netwerkbeheerder de markt en wordt het netwerkbeheer beïnvloed door die markt. Een verandering in één van deze relaties, bijvoorbeeld als gevolg van een nieuw netwerk- of marktbeleid of conjuncturele ontwikkeling, heeft effect op alle andere relaties. Het is daarbij de uitdaging om het netwerkbeheer van infrastructuur te koppelen aan een marktbenadering, die meerwaarde genereert voor het netwerk en tegelijkertijd een duurzame marktdynamiek stimuleert. Het inzicht in de relaties helpt daarbij om te begrijpen hoe de huidige praktijk functioneert en biedt een basis om voorgenomen beleidswijzigingen ex-ante te evalueren.For the operation and development of infrastructure networks, the involvement of market organizations is essential. But how do public network managers, such as Rijkswaterstaat and ProRail, involve the market in their network management? Does this involvement also lead to a structural change in the market to sustainable market dynamics based on differentiation instead of price competition? The research tries to understand the complex relationships between a (public) infrastructure network administrator and the market. Through these relationships network management influences the market and is influenced by the market. A change in one these relationships, for example due to a new network or market policy or economic development, affects all other relationships. It is a true challenge to link network management and necessary market involvement to a market approach, which generates added value for the network while simultaneously stimulating a sustainable market dynamics. The understanding of the relationships helps to understand the current practice, and provides a basis for evaluating proposed policy changes ex ante

Generating spatial quality through co-creation between public highway administrators and stakeholders:Experiences from the Blankenburg project (The Netherlands)

AbstractTransport infrastructure not only makes areas accessible, it also influences the spatial quality. Areas in turn affect the functioning of networks. Transport infrastructure and adjoining areas are thus symbiotically linked. Yet in practice it appears a challenge to effectively integrate infrastructure and area in planning and management. In policy-making and the planning science, joint planning or co-creation between public planning authorities and stakeholders is regularly mentioned as the key for integral development. But how to shape the process and instruments of co-creation, when the interests of the stakeholders vary and project frames (such as time and budget) are tight. The case study of the Blankenburgverbinding, as presented in this paper, addresses these questions. The Blankenburgverbinding is a new infrastructure project to the west of Rotterdam in The Netherlands, crossing a densely populated area including valuable ecological zones. A complex challenge that requires an integral solution. Through so-called design tables and counselling groups, various stakeholders are actively involved in the planning and design process. The search for integrated spatial quality is thereby the base.This paper describes the method of involvement, in particular the tensions between project management and participation. The aim of the paper is to give practical lessons and recommendations for co-creation at the interface between infrastructure and area, where the search for an optimal balance between mobility and spatial quality is the driver

Genome-Wide Identification of Ampicillin Resistance Determinants in Enterococcus faecium

Enterococcus faecium has become a nosocomial pathogen of major importance, causing infections that are difficult to treat owing to its multi-drug resistance. In particular, resistance to the β-lactam antibiotic ampicillin has become ubiquitous among clinical isolates. Mutations in the low-affinity penicillin binding protein PBP5 have previously been shown to be important for ampicillin resistance in E. faecium, but the existence of additional resistance determinants has been suggested. Here, we constructed a high-density transposon mutant library in E. faecium and developed a transposon mutant tracking approach termed Microarray-based Transposon Mapping (M-TraM), leading to the identification of a compendium of E. faecium genes that contribute to ampicillin resistance. These genes are part of the core genome of E. faecium, indicating a high potential for E. faecium to evolve towards β-lactam resistance. To validate the M-TraM results, we adapted a Cre-lox recombination system to construct targeted, markerless mutants in E. faecium. We confirmed the role of four genes in ampicillin resistance by the generation of targeted mutants and further characterized these mutants regarding their resistance to lysozyme. The results revealed that ddcP, a gene predicted to encode a low-molecular-weight penicillin binding protein with D-alanyl-D-alanine carboxypeptidase activity, was essential for high-level ampicillin resistance. Furthermore, deletion of ddcP sensitized E. faecium to lysozyme and abolished membrane-associated D,D-carboxypeptidase activity. This study has led to the development of a broadly applicable platform for functional genomic-based studies in E. faecium, and it provides a new perspective on the genetic basis of ampicillin resistance in this organism