Chain Risk Model for quantifying cost effectiveness of phytosanitary measures

A Chain Risk Model (CRM) was developed for a cost effective assessment of phytosanitary measures. The CRM model can be applied to phytosanitary assessments of all agricultural product chains. In CRM, stages are connected by product volume flows with which pest infections can be spread from one stage to another. The arrangement of these stages can be varied. Experience with CRM was acquired through two cases: Clavibacter in Tomatoes and PSTVd (Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid) in potatoes. Employees from the Dutch Plant Protection Service (PD) will initially test CRM. Ten behoeve van een onderbouwde kosten effectieve afweging tussen fytosanitaire maatregelen is een Keten Risico Model ontwikkeld. Het KRM model is toepasbaar voor alle agrarische productketens. In het model zijn ketenschakels verbonden door product volume stromen, waarmee infecties kunnen worden verspreid. De rangschikking van de keten schakels kan door de gebruiker van het model worden gevarieerd. Met het model is ervaring opgedaan aan de hand van een tweetal cases: Clavibacter in tomaat en Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid (PSTVd) in aardappel. In eerste plaats wordt beoogd medewerkers van de PD te laten werken met KRM

Fear of exercise and health-related quality of life in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Several studies have reported improved survival rates thanks to the use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the treatment of patients with life-threatening arrhythmia. However, the effects of the ICD on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of these patients are not clear. The aim of this study is to describe HR-QoL and fear of exercise in ICD patients. Eighty-nine ICD patients from the University Hospital in Groningen, the Netherlands, participated in this study. HR-QoL was measured using the Rand-36 and the Quality of Life After Myocardial Infarction Dutch language version questionnaires. Fear of exercise was measured using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Dutch version and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Dutch version. Association between outcome variables was analysed by linear regression analyses. Study results show that the HR-QoL of patients with ICDs in our study population is significantly worse than that of normal healthy people. Furthermore, fear of exercise is negatively associated with HR-QoL corrected for sex, age and number of years living with an ICD. After implantation of the ICD, patients with a clear fear of exercise should be identified and interventions should be considered in order to increase their HR-QoL

Investing in the Prevention of Communicable Disease Outbreaks:Fiscal Health Modelling—The Tool of Choice for Assessing Public Finance Sustainability

National strategies for preparedness for future outbreaks of COVID-19 often include timely preparedness with vaccines. Fiscal health modelling (FHM) has recently been brought forward as an additional analysis by defining the public economic impact from a governmental perspective. As governments are the main decision-makers concerning pandemic preparedness, this study aimed to develop an FHM framework for infectious diseases in the Netherlands. Based on the Dutch COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 and 2021 and publicly available data on tax income and gross domestic product (GDP), the fiscal impact of COVID-19 was assessed using two approaches. Approach I: Prospective modelling of future fiscal impact based on publicly available laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases; and Approach II: Retrospective assessment of the extrapolated tax and benefit income and GDP. Approach I estimated the consequences that can be causally linked to the population counts reducing income taxes by EUR 266 million. The total fiscal loss amounted to EUR 164 million over 2 years (excluding pension payments averted). The total losses in terms of tax income (2020 and 2021) and GDP (2020) (Approach II), were estimated at, respectively, EUR 13.58 billion and EUR 96.3 billion. This study analysed different aspects of a communicable disease outbreak and its influence on government public accounts. The choice of the two presented approaches depends on the perspective of the analysis, the time horizon of the analysis and the availability of data.</p

Population dynamics of potato cyst nematodes and associated damage to potato

Population dynamics of potato cyst nematodes (PCN; Globoderarostochiensis (Woll.) Skarbilovich and G. pallida Stone) and their interactions with potato plants are insufficiently understood to explain variations of population increase and yield reduction among years and locations. This thesis describes experiments and simulation studies to elucidate mechanisms of PCN population increase and associated damage to potato. Models of potato crop growth and PCN population development, driven by radiation and ambient and soil temperatures, were linked through effects of second-stage juveniles on photosynthesis and through interactions among root growth, hatching and root invasion of second-stage juveniles. Photosynthesis reduction by second-stage juveniles during syncytial initiation could fully explain yield loss due to PCN. Population increase was explained by effects of the density of second-stage juveniles in roots on the sex ratio and on root death and concomitant death of the nematodes within. Simulated mechanisms of crop resistance and tolerance agreed with experimental observations. Tolerance was enhanced by resistance, acting upon or before the stage of syncytial initiation. The potential use of the model for development and evaluation of PCN control strategies in sustainable production systems is discussed

Air flow and chlorpropham (CIPC) emissions from a potato storage

After having been harvested, potatoes are often stored at the farm. Chlorpropham (CIPC) is used in the potato storage to ensure potato sprout inhibition. This substance has a fairly low vapour pressure and easily attaches itself to material in the potato storage such as: potatoes, soil and construction materials. The structure of the potato storage often holds a large amount of CIPC. The extent to which CIPC is emitted through ventilation air is unknown. This study answers the question regarding the extent in which CIPC is emitted from the building to the outside environment via ventilation air and air leaks

The criterion-related validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score as a generic nursing dependency instrument for different rehabilitation patient groups

Objective: To investigate the criterion or concurrent validity of the Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS) for determining nursing dependence in different rehabilitation groups, with the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (C D S).Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Centre for Rehabilitation of the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.Subjects: Patients after stroke, spinal cord injury, multitrauma, head injury, amputation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, lung diseases, tuberculosis and coronary artery disease. One hundred and fifty-four patients were included.Measures: The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS), the Barthel Index (BI) and the Care Dependency Scale (CDS).Results: The correlation (rho) between the NPDS and the BI for all groups was - 0.87-1 R-2 = 0.76 (n = 154). Per patient group rho varied from - 0.70 (R-2 = 0.49) to - 0.93 (R-2 = 0.86). The overall correlation between the NPDS and CDS was larger than the criterion of rho = 0.60 (r=- 0.74; R-2 = 0.55) but was &lt;0.60 in the rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis group. The overall correlation between BI and CDS exceeded the criterion (r = 0.75; R-2 = 0.56).Conclusions: The NPDS is a generic nursing dependency instrument that can be used as a valid measure across various patient groups in rehabilitation.</p

Het voedsellandschap van de Zuidvleugel

Dit boekje is een inventarisatie van bedrijven en initiatieven in en rond het stedelijke gebied die zich richten op voedselproductie voor voornamelijk de lokale markt