TBT-gehalten en effecten bij de Gewone Alikruik (Littorina littorea) en de Gevlochten Fuikhoorn (Nassarius reticulatus) langs de Nederlandse kust in 2009

Sinds 2005 analyseert IMARES het voorkomen van intersex bij Gewone Alikruiken (Littorina littorea) die op vaste locaties langs de Nederlandse kust verzameld worden. Het doel van dit onderzoek is effecten van verontreiniging met TBT vast te stellen

PFOS en dioxinen, dioxine-achtige en indicator PCB's in schelpdierweefsel (Rangia Cuneata)

PFOS wordt niet meer geproduceerd, maar is het afbraakproduct van gefluoreerde alkanen die veelvuldig gebruikt zijn als water/vuil afstotend middel bij diverse producten, zoals verpakkingsmaterialen, tapijten, textiel, leerbescherming en in blusmiddelen. De stof PFOS is persistent en doordat het sterk accumulerende eigenschappen heeft kan het in hoge concentraties aangetroffen worden in consumptievis. Rijkswaterstaat, Dienst Noord-Holland, heeft IMARES in november 2009 gevraagd chemische analyses van PFOS en dioxinen, dioxineachtige en indicator PCB’s uit te voeren in schelpdieren (Rangia Cuneata), afkomstig uit Zijkanaal C, Zijkanaal F en Voorzaan. De analyse van PFOS is uitgevoerd door IMARES, de analyse van dioxinen, dioxineachtige en indicator PCB’s is uitgevoerd door het RIKILT

Histologic Heterogeneity of Extirpated Renal Cell Carcinoma Specimens: Implications for Renal Mass Biopsy

Pathologic characteristics of extirpated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) specimens <7 cm were reviewed to get better information on technical nuances of renal mass biopsy (RMB). Specimens were stratified according to tumor stage, nuclear grade, size, histology, presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI), necrosis, and sarcomatoid features. When considering pT1 (0–7 cm) tumors, pT1b (4–7 cm) RCC masses were more likely to have necrosis (43% vs 16%, P < 0.001), LVI (6% vs 2%, P = 0.024), high-grade nuclear elements (29% vs 17%, P < 0.001), and sarcomatoid features (2% vs 0%, P = 0.006) compared with pT1a (0–4 cm) tumors. Additionally, pT3a tumors were more highly associated with necrosis (P = 0.005), LVI, sarcomatoid features, and high-grade disease (P for all < 0.001) when compared to pT1 masses. For masses ≤ 4 cm, pT3a cancers were more likely to demonstrate necrosis (38% vs 16%, P < 0.001), LVI (22% vs 2%, P < 0.001), high-grade nuclear elements (45% vs 17%, P < 0.001), and sarcomatoid features (12% vs 0%, P < 0.001) compared to pT1a tumors. Similarly, for masses 4–7 cm, pathologic T3a tumors were significantly more likely to have sarcomatoid features (12% vs 2%, P = 0.006) and LVI (22% vs 6%, P = 0.003) compared to pT1b tumors. In summary, pT3a tumors and those RCC masses >4 cm exhibit considerable histologic heterogeneity and may harbor elements that are not easily appreciated with limited renal sampling. Therefore, if RMB is considered for renal masses greater than 4 cm or those that abut sinus fat, a multi-quadrant biopsy approach is necessary to ensure adequate sampling and characterization of the mass

TBT-gehalten en effecten bij de Gewone Alikruik (Littorina littorea) en de Gevlochten Fuikhoorn (Nassarius reticulatus) langs de Nederlandse kust in 2010

Sinds 2005 analyseert IMARES in opdracht van Rijkswaterstaat (RIKZ, later de Waterdienst) het voorkomen van intersex bij de Gewone Alikruik (Littorina littorea) die op vaste locaties langs de Nederlandse kust verzameld worden. Het doel van dit onderzoek is effecten van verontreiniging met organotinverbindingen vast te stellen. Gewone Alikruiken zijn in vergelijking met andere gastropoden echter vrij ongevoelig voor TBT. In overleg met de opdrachtgever worden vanaf 2009 naast de Gewone Alikruiken ook Gevlochten Fuikhoorns (Nassarius reticulatus) verzameld. Dit wordt gedaan tijdens de schelpdierbemonsteringen die IMARES in opdfracht van het Ministerie van LNV uitvoert. Bij de Gevlochten Fuikhoorn resulteert TBT in imposex verschijnselen, een gevoeligere parameter dan inetersex

TBT-gehalten en effecten bij de Gewone Alikruik, de Gevlochten Fuikhoorn en de Purperslak langs de Nederlandse kust in 2014

Het doel van dit onderzoek is effecten van verontreiniging met organotinverbindingen, specifiek tributyltinverbindingen (TBT), vast te stellen. Gewone Alikruiken zijn algengrazers en in vergelijking met andere gastropoden vrij ongevoelig voor TBT

TBT-gehalten en effecten bij de Geowne Alikruik, de Gevlochten Fuikhoorn en de Purperslak langs de Nederlansdse kust in 2013

Sinds 2005 analyseert IMARES in opdracht van Rijkswaterstaat (RIKZ, later de Waterdienst) het voorkomen van intersex bij de Gewone Alikruiken (Littorina littorea) die op vaste locaties langs de Nederlandse kust verzameld worden. Het doel van dit onderzoek is effecten van verontreiniging met organotinverbindingen vast te stellen. Gewone Alikruiken zijn in vergelijking met andere gastropoden echter vrij ongevoelig voor TBT. In overleg met de opdrachtgever zijn in 2013 wederom naast de Gewone Alikruiken ook Gevlochten Fuikhoorns (Nassarius reticulatus) en Purperslakken (Nucella lapillus) verzameld

The magical realism of body counts: How media credulity and flawed statistics sustain a controversial policy

The drone war in Pakistan poses humanitarian, legal, ethical and political challenges. The tactic is controversial and has been condemned by the United Nations’ special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings. Yet, polls have shown high support for the tactic in the United States (and to a lesser degree in the United Kingdom). Much of this has to do with the media reporting on the war, which consistently underestimates its human toll. Dubious statistics have sustained the image of a surgical war with little collateral damage. But as this article shows, there are reasons to doubt these numbers. The article argues that two interrelated factors have contributed to a flawed accounting of the war’s human toll: (1) rituals of objectivity that privilege ‘official sources’ and (2) fetishizing of statistics as hard facts without regard for the underlying data. The coverage has also been distorted by news values that downplay or ignore deaths in distant places unless they cross an inordinately high threshold

Extensive surgical cytoreduction and intraoperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei remains a fatal disease. However, extensive surgical cytoreduction combined with intraoperative heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has recently emerged as a new treatment modality, which might improve survival. Methods: Patients underwent treatment if the tumour appeared to be technically resectable on preoperative abdominal computed tomography and there were no distant metastases. After aggressive surgical cytoreduction, HIPEC with the administration of mitomycin C was performed for 90 min. Depending on histological grading, patients received adjuvant 5-¯uorouracil and leucovorin therapy. Results: Forty-six patients were treated. Optimal surgical cytoreduction was obtained in 40 patients. Postoperative surgical complications occurred in 18 patients. Four patients died as a direct result of the treatment. Bone marrow suppression due to mitomycin C toxicity occurred in 22 patients. There was no other major toxicity related to the HIPEC procedure. After a median follow-up of 12 months, 40 patients are alive, eight of whom have proven recurrence. The actuarial survival rate (Kaplan±Meier) at 3 years was 81 per cent. Conclusion: These results con®rm that extensive surgery combined with HIPEC is feasible in patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei and that improved long-term survival might be achieved

Deciding on appropriate use of force: human-machine interaction in weapons systems and emerging norms

This article considers the role of norms in the debate on autonomous weapons systems (AWS). It argues that the academic and political discussion is largely dominated by considerations of how AWS relate to norms institutionalised in international law. While this debate on AWS has produced insights on legal and ethical norms and sounded options of a possible regulation or ban, it neglects to investigate how complex human-machine interactions in weapons systems can set standards of appropriate use of force, which are politically-normatively relevant but take place outside of formal, deliberative law-setting. While such procedural norms are already emerging in the practice of contemporary warfare, the increasing technological complexity of AI-driven weapons will add to their political-normative relevance. I argue that public deliberation about and political oversight and accountability of the use of force is at risk of being consumed and normalised by functional procedures and perceptions. This can have a profound impact on future of remote-warfare and security policy