Climate change exacerbates the oak processionary caterpillar problem in The Netherlands

Since its first observation in the south of The Netherlands in 1991, the geographical range of the oak processionary caterpillar has increased steadily over the years, moving in north-eastern direction. It shows that it now occurs in the whole southern part of The Netherland

A model study of the behavior of elastic liners in shallow underground openings

Models of epoxy resin were used in a stress freezing technique to determine areas of possible failure in lined circular openings. These models were loaded in a centrifuge for a fixed period of time, after which they were analyzed photoelastically. The material characteristic changes, with time, were recorded on graphs and used in the analysis. Two types of tests were conducted; one, where the lining thickness was changed and, the other, where materials of the liner and plate material were changed. The resulting analyses furnished proof that the greater the rigidity of the lining, the higher the stress developed in the lining, and also, as the lining thickness increased, holding liner inside diameter constant, the stress decreased in the lining and plate material --Abstract, page i

Dietary calcium decreases but short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides increase colonic permeability in rats

An increased intestinal permeability is associated with several diseases. Nutrition can influence gut permeability. Previously, we showed that dietary Ca decreases whereas dietary short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) increase intestinal permeability in rats. However, it is unknown how and where in the gastrointestinal tract Ca and scFOS exert their effects. Rats were fed a Western low-Ca control diet, or a similar diet supplemented with either Ca or scFOS. Lactulose plus mannitol and Cr-EDTA were added to the diets to quantify small and total gastrointestinal permeability, respectively. Additionally, colonic tissue was mounted in Ussing chambers and exposed to faecal water of these rats. Dietary Ca immediately decreased urinary Cr-EDTA excretion by 24 % in Ca-fed rats compared with control rats. Dietary scFOS increased total Cr-EDTA permeability gradually with time, likely reflecting relatively slow gut microbiota adaptations, which finally resulted in a 30 % increase. The lactulose: mannitol ratio was 15 % higher for Ca-fed rats and 16 % lower for scFOS-fed rats compared with control rats. However, no dietary effect was present on individual urinary lactulose and mannitol excretion. The faecal waters did not influence colonic permeability in Ussing chambers. In conclusion, despite effects on the lactulose: mannitol ratio, individual lactulose values did not alter, indicating that diet did not influence small-intestinal permeability. Therefore, both nutrients affect permeability only in the colon: Ca decreases, while scFOS increase colonic permeability. As faecal water did not influence permeability in Ussing chambers, probably modulation of mucins and/or microbiota is important for the in vivo effects of dietary Ca and scFOS

Construing the cultural other and the self: A Personal Construct analysis of English and Italian perceptions of national character

How we perceive other cultures is arguably of increasing importance in contemporary society, impacting on realms such as international relations, business and tourism. The qualitative research reported in this paper was carried out in the UK and in Italy and adopted a Personal Construct Psychology approach. It aimed to explore intercultural perceptions in a sample of people who had some degree of experience with the ‘other’ culture, and a unique feature of the research is that it asked how those perceptions might be affected if people from both cultures are given access to each other’s perceptions. There was considerable commonality in the perceptions of the English and Italian participants, and each culture envied some of the qualities of the other. However, they initially struggled to accommodate how they were seen by the other and endeavoured to resolve difference by construing at a more superordinate level. The findings also suggest that national identity is rooted in the construing of others’ constructions, achieved through relationship and comparison

Roadmap for Implementing Open Science Training Practices in Research Institutions

In this policy briefing FOSTER outlines six practical actions to be implemented by research institutions to support a cultural change towards Open Science