Participatory SWOT-analysis for the spatial impact study Railway Zone Breda - a case study

This paper on the spatial impact study Railway Zone Breda describes a participatory SWOT-analysis for assessing the impact of a large scale innercity infrastructural project on adjacent residential neighborhoods in which residents and other stakeholders, policy officials of the municipality of Breda and researchers participated. This large infrastructural project includes the transformation of the present railway station into a shuttle station for the high speed train Amsterdam – Paris. The redevelopment of the Breda railway station will have undeniable impacts on the adjacent neighborhoods Belcrum and Spoorbuurt. For this reason the municipality of Breda decided to let the stakeholders in the neighbourhoods participate in the impact analysis. In the research process the emphasis was directed to the question what impacts the renewal could have for these neighborhoods. The inhabitants and businesses of those neighborhoods were divided in their opinions and expectations. Some of them mainly saw the positive side - they expected to gain by the new situation - but others stressed the potential dangers of the intended project, pointing at. Hence, the main research objectives were 1) to identify and analyze the current strengths and weaknesses of the neighborhoods, 2) to foresee / estimate the potential impacts of the large infrastructural transformation and the transformation (building) process on the adjacent neighborhoods, and 3) to identify the actions were needed to maximze the positive effects and minimize the negatieve effects. This case study narrates on a participatory policy analysis process (cf. Geurts & Mayer, 1996; Mayer, 1997) in which knowledge generation, exchange and application by the stakeholders mentioned, is combined with expert and practitioner’s knowledge to generate new insights (situated cognition, cf. Bredo, 1994) with a focus on future implementation on behalf of the policy making process that takes place in a local community network.

Alternatives to phosphorus‐containing pincer ligands in catalytic hydrogenation

The development of alternatives to phosphine-containing pincer ligands for homogeneous hydrogenation is described. Ligands of the "NNS" type and their Ru- and Co-complexes were synthesised, characterised, and successfully applied in chemoselective hydrogenations. Complexes of the type RuCl2(NNS)(PPh3) selectively hydrogenated unsaturated aldehydes, ketones and esters. Cobalt complexes CoCl2(NNS), in contrast, were precursors for nanoparticles which selectively hydrogenated olefins. Additionally, the Trost ligand was used for the first time in the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones.Die Entwicklung von Alternativen für phosphanhaltige Pincer-Liganden für homogenkatalysierte Hydrierungen wird beschrieben. "NNS-Liganden" und deren Ru- und Co-Komplexe wurden dargestellt, charakterisiert und angewendet für chemoselektive Hydrierungen. Komplexe der Formel RuCl2(NNS)(PPh3) waren aktiv in der selektiven Hydrierung von ungesättigten Aldehyden, Ketonen und Estern. CoCl2(NNS) Komplexe waren als Vorläufer für Co-Nanopartikel geeignet. Diese ermöglichen die selektive Hydrierung von Olefinen. Zusätzlich wurde der Trost-Ligand eingesetzt in der asymmetrischen Hydrierung von Ketonen

Eight new Afrotropical Spinitectus spp. (Nematoda: Cystidicolidae) from freshwater fishes with a key to the members of the genus in the Region

Seven new species of the genus Spinitectus Fourment, 1883, recovered from several species of freshwater fishes from West and Central Africa, are described. The eighth species, Spinitectus allaeri Campana-Rouget , 1961 recorded by Moravec (1974) in Egypt, is assigned to Spinitectus moraveci n. sp. The new and known species have been divided into three groups according to the number of spines in the first row behind the anterior end. The Spinitectus spp. in Group A have fewer than 20 spines in the first row and the group contains Spinitectus mormyri Campana-Rouget, 1961, Spinitectus thurstonae Ogden, 1967 and Spinitectus micropectus n. sp. Those in Group B have between 20 and 40 spines in the first row and comprise the species S. allaeri, Spinitectus menzalei Hugot, 1979, Spinitectus maleficius n. sp., Spinitectus macilentus n. sp., Spinitectus minusculus n. sp., Spinitectus macherius n. sp., Spinitectus mucronatus n. sp. and Spinitectus moraveci n. sp. Group C species have more than 45 spines in the first row and consist of Spinitectus polli Campana-Rouget, 1961 , Spinitectus petterae Boomker, 1993, Spinitectus zambezensis Boomker, 1993, and Spinitectus monstrosus n. sp. The species that are quite distinctive are S. mucronatus , which has characteristic spinulation and lateral floats on the eggs; S. monstrosus, which has characteristic spinulation and an exceptionally long left spicule; S. micro pectus, which has approximately 80 rows of large spines and six post-cloacal papillae and S. maleficius , that has approximately 20 rows of large spines and seven post-cloacal papillae. The remaining species can be differentiated by the number of spines in the first row, the number of post-cloacal papillae, the number of labial papillae and, in the females, the distance between the anus and the vulva and the position of the gravid uterine coils in relation to the anterior end. S. moraveci differs from S. allaeri in that the first six rows of spines are raised, giving the anterior end an inflated appearance, in the number of post-cloacal papillae, and in that the distance between the anus and the vulva is considerably shorter. There are distinct morphological similarities between the Spinitectus species recovered from Heterobranchus isopterus and/or Clarias vanderhorsti (Clariidae) in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, those recovered from Mormyrus spp. (Mormyridae) in western Zaire, Angola and Cameroon, and those recovered from Mastacembelus spp. (Mastacembelidae) in eastern Zaire. The differences lie mainly in the spinulation and the position at which the excretory pore opens, and they may be the result of host influence or represent adaptive radiation in the various regions. The affinities of the different species are discussed and a key to the members of the genus in Africa is provided.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.Foundation for Research Development.mn201

The first joint ESGAR/ ESPR consensus statement on the technical performance of cross-sectional small bowel and colonic imaging

Objectives: To develop guidelines describing a standardised approach to patient preparation and acquisition protocols for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) of the small bowel and colon, with an emphasis on imaging inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: An expert consensus committee of 13 members from the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) and European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) undertook a six-stage modified Delphi process, including a detailed literature review, to create a series of consensus statements concerning patient preparation, imaging hardware and image acquisition protocols. Results: One hundred and fifty-seven statements were scored for agreement by the panel of which 129 statements (82 %) achieved immediate consensus with a further 19 (12 %) achieving consensus after appropriate modification. Nine (6 %) statements were rejected as consensus could not be reached. Conclusions: These expert consensus recommendations can be used to help guide cross-sectional radiological practice for imaging the small bowel and colon. Key points: • Cross-sectional imaging is increasingly used to evaluate the bowel • Image quality is paramount to achieving high diagnostic accuracy • Guidelines concerning patient preparation and image acquisition protocols are provided

Absence of BCL-2 expression identifies a subgroup of AML with distinct phenotypic, molecular, and clinical characteristics

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the rapid and uncontrolled clonal growth of myeloid lineage cells in the bone marrow. The advent of oral, selective inhibitors of the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) apoptosis pathway, such as venetoclax, will likely induce a paradigm shift in the treatment of AML. However, the high cost of this treatment and the risk of additive toxicity when used in combination with standard chemotherapy represent limitations to its use and underscore the need to identify which patients are most-and least-likely to benefit from incorporation of venetoclax into the treatment regimen. Bone marrow specimens from 93 newly diagnosed AML patients were collected in this study and evaluated for BCL-2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Using this low-cost, easily, and readily applicable analysis method, we found that 1 in 5 AML patients can be considered as BCL-2(-). In addition to a lower bone marrow blast percentage, this group exhibited a favorable molecular profile characterized by lower WT1 expression and underrepresentation of FLT3 mutations. As compared to their BCL-2(+) counterparts, the absence of BCL-2 expression was associated with a favorable response to standard chemotherapy and overall survival, thus potentially precluding the necessity for venetoclax add-on

Macrophage Death as a Pharmacological Target in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by the gradual build-up of plaques within the vessel wall of middle-sized and large arteries. Over the past decades, treatment of atherosclerosis mainly focused on lowering lipid levels, which can be accomplished by the use of statins. However, some patients do not respond sufficiently to statin therapy and therefore still have a residual cardiovascular risk. This issue highlights the need for novel therapeutic strategies. As macrophages are implicated in all stages of atherosclerotic lesion development, they represent an important alternative drug target. A variety of anti-inflammatory strategies have recently emerged to treat or prevent atherosclerosis. Here, we review the canonical mechanisms of macrophage death and their impact on atherogenesis and plaque stability. Macrophage death is a prominent feature of advanced plaques and is a major contributor to necrotic core formation and plaque destabilization. Mechanisms of macrophage death in atherosclerosis include apoptosis, passive or accidental necrosis as well as secondary necrosis, a type of death that typically occurs when apoptotic cells are insufficiently cleared by neighboring cells via a phagocytic process termed efferocytosis. In addition, less-well characterized types of regulated necrosis in macrophages such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and parthanatos may occur in advanced plaques and are also discussed. Autophagy in plaque macrophages is an important survival pathway that protects against cell death, yet massive stimulation of autophagy promotes another type of death, usually referred to as autosis. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that a better insight into the different mechanisms of macrophage death, and how they mutually interact, will provide novel pharmacological strategies to resolve atherosclerosis and stabilize vulnerable, rupture-prone plaques

Voorradenbeheer : operationalisering van duurzaam bodembeheer op gebiedsniveau via voorraadbenadering

Binnen het project “Duurzaam bodembeheer middels voorraden” is een methode ontwikkeld om bodemthema’s zoals bodemdaling of verzilting om te zetten naar voorraden. Een voorraad heeft duidelijke ruimtelijke dimensies: een volume/omvang, die in de tijd kan veranderen en geografisch traceerbaar is. Zo wordt bijvoorbeeld duidelijk waar en hoeveel de bodem daalt binnen een gebied en waar de verzilting in een regio door een ingreep toe- of afneemt. De methode is een hulpmiddel bij de concretisering van bodemambities op provinciaal en gemeentelijk niveau en het toetsen van deze ambities. Publicatie in opdracht van Stichting Kennisontwikkeling Kennisoverdracht Bodem (SKB), TNO, Haskoning, Alterra, Provincie Zuid-Holland en H2Ruimt