HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE NETHERLANDS: CHANGES AND CHALLENGES FOR 2010

Major shifts in world economy, society and technology will cause dramatic changes in Dutch horticulture and in the attitude of the government towards research. The horticulture industry will change from a production-driven to a customer-driven strategy while developing market-oriented product chains. More than ever, knowledge becomes a critical factor in competition. In contrast with the past, the horticulture industry will protect knowledge to increase its profitability. The government will choose to focus on basic sciences, leaving applied research mainly to the industry. This is a major shift since the government used to be responsible for most research. Complete institutional research programmes are no longer state-financed; instead, a system of financing research programmes by competitive bids is being developed. The government is also restructuring the infrastructure of agricultural research. Breakthroughs in science and technology will have strong effects on how the industry will develop. The more important ones are described. In the future, research institutes will act in a competitive environment with great uncertainties. The knowledge market used to be dominated by governments, but will be dominated by internationally active private enterprises. Both management and researchers will take more customer-oriented attitudes. Research institutes will need to develop strategies to survive under these circumstances. Some possibilities are discussed. It is concluded that horticultural research will change. Instead of focusing on plant production, it will include many more disciplines and multi-disciplinary collaboration in agreement to the information flow in product chains. The horticulture industry will have to decide whether separate horticultural stations for applied research should remain and what kind of work must be done in the future.foresight, research policy, strategy development, horticulture, Netherlands, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Diagnosis and treatment of vascular graft and endograft infections:a structured clinical approach

A vascular graft or endograft infection (VGEI) is a severe complication that can occur after vascular graft or endograft surgery and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. A multidisciplinary approach, consisting of a team of vascular surgeons, infectious diseases specialists, medical microbiologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, and hospital pharmacists, is needed to adequately diagnose and treat VGEI. A structured diagnostic, antibiotic, and surgical treatment algorithm helps clinical decision making and ultimately aims to improve the clinical outcome of patients with a VGEI

Association of transcription-coupled repair but not global genome repair with ultraviolet-B-induced Langerhans cell depletion and local immunosuppression.

Exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation impairs cellular immune responses. This immunosuppression seems to be associated with Langerhans cell migration. DNA damage appears to play a key role because enhanced nucleotide excision repair, a pathway essential for elimination of ultraviolet-B-induced DNA lesions, strongly counteracts immunosuppression. To determine the effect of DNA repair on ultraviolet-B-induced local immunosuppression and Langerhans cell disappearance, three mouse strains carrying different defects in nucleotide excision repair were compared. XPC mice, which were defective in global genome repair, were as sensitive to ultraviolet-B-induced local suppression of contact hypersensitivity to picryl chloride as their wild-type littermates. CSB mice, defective in transcription-coupled repair, were far more sensitive for immunosuppression as were XPA mice, defective in both transcription-coupled repair and global genome repair. Only a moderate depletion of Langerhans cells was observed in XPC mice and wild-type littermates. Ultraviolet-B-induced Langerhans cell depletion was enhanced in CSB and XPA mice. Hence, the major conclusion is that local immunosuppression is only affected when transcription-coupled DNA repair is impaired. Furthermore, a defect in transcription-coupled repair was linked to enhanced ultraviolet-B-induced Langerhans cell depletion. In combination with earlier experiments, it can be concluded that Langerhans cell disappearance is related to ultraviolet-B-induced local but not to systemic immunosuppression

Influence of personalized extended interval dosing on the natalizumab wearing-off effect - a sub-study of the NEXT-MS trial

Background and objectives: Wearing-off symptoms during natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis are characterized by an increase of MS-related symptoms prior to natalizumab administration. The influence of extended interval dosing (EID) on wearing-off symptoms are important to consider, as this might cause hesitancy in initiating or continuing EID. Methods: Participants of the NEXT-MS trial, in which treatment intervals are adjusted based on drug concentrations, were divided into two groups: an extended group containing participants with at least one week of additional interval extension, and a group with a fixed interval during the trial (range 4–7 weeks). Changes in the occurrence, frequency, onset, and severity of wearing-off symptoms were evaluated. Results: 255 participants were included (extended group n = 171, fixed group n = 84). The odds on occurrence of wearing-off symptoms in the extended group did not increase after extending the treatment interval. Additional analyses for frequency, onset, and severity of wearing-off symptoms showed no changes over time. Mean decrease in natalizumab drug concentration did not influence the frequency of wearing-off symptoms. Discussion: Wearing-off symptoms were not reinforced by further extending the natalizumab interval. Wearing-off symptoms might increase in a minority of patients after EID, although our data support the view that wearing-off symptoms appear to be unrelated to the decrease in natalizumab trough drug concentrations.</p

HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE NETHERLANDS: CHANGES AND CHALLENGES FOR 2010

Major shifts in world economy, society and technology will cause dramatic changes in Dutch horticulture and in the attitude of the government towards research. The horticulture industry will change from a production-driven to a customer-driven strategy while developing market-oriented product chains. More than ever, knowledge becomes a critical factor in competition. In contrast with the past, the horticulture industry will protect knowledge to increase its profitability. The government will choose to focus on basic sciences, leaving applied research mainly to the industry. This is a major shift since the government used to be responsible for most research. Complete institutional research programmes are no longer state-financed; instead, a system of financing research programmes by competitive bids is being developed. The government is also restructuring the infrastructure of agricultural research. Breakthroughs in science and technology will have strong effects on how the industry will develop. The more important ones are described. In the future, research institutes will act in a competitive environment with great uncertainties. The knowledge market used to be dominated by governments, but will be dominated by internationally active private enterprises. Both management and researchers will take more customer-oriented attitudes. Research institutes will need to develop strategies to survive under these circumstances. Some possibilities are discussed. It is concluded that horticultural research will change. Instead of focusing on plant production, it will include many more disciplines and multi-disciplinary collaboration in agreement to the information flow in product chains. The horticulture industry will have to decide whether separate horticultural stations for applied research should remain and what kind of work must be done in the future