Flying is the safest way to travel

Independent investigations of aviation accidents and incidents have been broadly accepted within the aviation sector throughout its history as a valuable tool to enhance safety. Such investigations enable the sector to learn by establishing the sequence of events that provides a satisfactory explanation of the accident leads to the drafting of recommendations to prevent reoccurrences. In addition, these investigations, which are publicly disseminated, encourage public confidence in the sector. Other transport sectors, including road, rail and water, have been slower in coming to enjoy the same acceptance of independent investigations; here, there is considerable variation amongst nations, and—with the exception of the International Civil Aviation Organization agreement—almost no international consistency. This article examines why aviation has had a different tradition in this regard. Reasons are found in parallel growth of aviation technology and the philosophy of investigative bodies, the inherently international aspect of commercial aviation, and the role of public and political pressure following major accidents. The safety investigative orientation of the aviation sector is gradually expanding to other transport sections and beyond that to other sectors such as fixed site production plants, health care, and management of natural disasters. With the newly installed Safety Investigation Board, the Netherlands has arguably placed itself at the head of this league table

Incunabula in communities of canonesses regular and tertiaries related to the Devotio moderna: toward an ‘inclusive’ approach of Late medieval book ownership in the Low Countries

This contribution discusses the hitherto overlooked ownership of the earliest printed books (incunabula) by Netherlandish female religious communities of tertiaries and canonesses regular connected to the religious reform movement of the Devotio moderna. Studies of book ownership and book collections in these communities have tended to focus on manuscripts. From the last decades of the fifteenth century onwards, however, these religious women increasingly came in contact with printed books, even though the involvement of the Devotio moderna with the printing press was limited. The discussion focuses on the channels via which tertiaries and canonesses acquired books produced by commercially operating printers, the ways in which incunabula affected what these (semi-)religious women read, as well as the ratio between printed books in Latin and the vernacular, and their function(s) within these communities. Thus the essay intends to sketch a preliminary image of the role of incunabula in female convents, and advocates a more inclusive approach of female religious book ownership.NWO275-30-036Medieval and Early Modern Studie

Psychology students’ perception of and engagement with feedback as a function of year of study

Undergraduate students’ perception of feedback and level of engagement with the feedback they receive have gained increasing attention in the educational literature recently to identify areas which require educators’ attention. However, research in this area has generally been based on limited self-selecting samples, and has not considered how students’ relationship with feedback may alter depending on their year of study. To address this, a survey measuring students’ views and practices regarding feedback was completed at a higher education institution by 447 first-, second- and third-year psychology students, representing 77% of the cohort. Findings revealed that third years responded more negatively in both areas than their first- and second-year counterparts, whose ratings on these aspects themselves were far from optimal. These findings highlight the need for early interventions to improve students’ perception of and engagement with feedback in the earlier years, and to prevent the recorded deterioration later on in the degree course

Types, aspects, and impact of relocation initiatives deployed within and between long-term care facilities:A scoping review

Relocation of residents within or between long-term care facilities occurs regularly. To mitigate potential negative consequences, supportive relocation initiatives have been developed. This scoping review addresses types, aspects, and impact of relocation initiatives developed to relocate residents between or within long-term care facilities. A total of 704 articles were identified in a systematic literature search of 11 databases between April and July 2021. Using predefined eligibility criteria, two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts, resulting in 36 articles for full-text screening. Finally, six articles were included. Analysis was performed using thematic coding. Three types of relocation initiatives were identified, namely, interventions (n = 3), guidelines (n = 2), and a plan (n = 1). These initiatives described specific aspects of relocation, namely, spatial orientation (n = 3), practical assistance (n = 3), psychological support (n = 3), staff preparation (n = 2), and client engagement (n = 2). Only three intervention studies reported the impact of relocation initiatives on residents, namely, improved mental health (n = 3), spatial orientation (n = 2), self-reliance (n = 2), and social behavior (n = 1). The scope of the found relocation initiatives was often limited as they focused on specific designs, aspects, and residents. Therefore, the complexity of relocation processes is often overlooked, and more comprehensive relocation initiatives should be developed

Mannitol transport and mannitol dehydrogenase activities are coordinated in olea europaea under salt and osmotic stresses

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Plant and Cell Physiology following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at http://pcp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/pcr121? ijkey=6orgUM5fkIjedYn&keytype=refThe intracellular accumulation of organic compatible solutes functioning as osmoprotectants, such as polyols, is an important response mechanism of several plants to drought and salinity. In Olea europaea a mannitol transport system (OeMaT1) was previously characterised as a key player in plant response to salinity. In the present study, heterotrophic sink models, such as olive cell suspensions and fruit tissues, and source leaves were used for analytical, biochemical and molecular studies. The kinetic parameters of mannitol dehydrogenase (MTD) determined in mannitol-growing cells, at 25 °C and pH 9.0, were as follows: Km, 54.5 mM mannitol and Vmax, 0.47 μmol h-1 mg-1 protein. The corresponding cDNA was cloned and named OeMTD1. OeMTD1 expression was correlated with MTD activity, OeMaT1 expression and carrier-mediated mannitol transport, in mannitol- and sucrose-growing cells. Furthermore, sucrosegrowing cells displayed only residual OeMTD activity, even though high levels of OeMTD1 transcription were observed. There is evidence OeMTD is regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. MTD activity and OeMTD1 expression were repressed after Na+, K+ and PEG treatments, both in mannitol- and sucrose-growing cells. In contrast, salt and drought significantly increased mannitol transport activity and OeMaT1 expression. Altogether, these studies support that olive tree copes with salinity and drought by coordinating mannitol transport with intracellular metabolism.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (research project ref. PTDC/AGR-ALI/100636/2008; to A. Conde, grant ref. SFRH/BD/47699/2008; to C. Conde, grant ref. SFRH/BPD/34998/2007; to P. Silvagrant ref. SFRH/BD/13460/2003)

Traditional and Health-Related Philanthropy: The Role of Resources and Personality

I study the relationships of resources and personality characteristics to charitable giving, postmortem organ donation, and blood donation in a nationwide sample of persons in households in the Netherlands. I find that specific personality characteristics are related to specific types of giving: agreeableness to blood donation, empathic concern to charitable giving, and prosocial value orientation to postmortem organ donation. I find that giving has a consistently stronger relation to human and social capital than to personality. Human capital increases giving; social capital increases giving only when it is approved by others. Effects of prosocial personality characteristics decline at higher levels of these characteristics. Effects of empathic concern, helpfulness, and social value orientations on generosity are mediated by verbal proficiency and church attendance.

Proteomics Comparison of Cerebrospinal Fluid of Relapsing Remitting and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Based on clinical representation of disease symptoms multiple sclerosis (MScl) patients can be divided into two major subtypes; relapsing remitting (RR) MScl (85-90%) and primary progressive (PP) MScl (10-15%). Proteomics analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has detected a number of proteins that were elevated in MScl patients. Here we specifically aimed to differentiate between the PP and RR subtypes of MScl by comparing CSF proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: CSF samples (n = 31) were handled according to the same protocol for quantitative mass spectrometry measurements we reported previously. In the comparison of PP MScl versus RR MScl we observed a number of differentially abundant proteins, such as protein jagged-1 and vitamin D-binding protein. Protein jagged-1 was over three times less abundant in PP MScl compared to RR MScl. Vitamin D-binding protein was only detected in the RR MScl samples. These two proteins were validated by independent techniques (western blot and ELISA) as differentially abundant in the comparison between both MScl types. Conclusions/Significance: The main finding of this comparative study is the observation that the proteome profiles of CSF in PP and RR MScl patients overlap to a large extent. Still, a number of differences could be observed. Protein jagged-1 is a ligand for multiple Notch receptors and involved in the mediation of Notch signaling. It is suggested in literature that the Notch pathway is involved in the remyelination of MScl lesions. Aberration of normal homeostasis of Vitamin D, of which approximately 90% is bound to vitamin D-binding protein, has been widely implicated in MScl for some years now. Vitamin D directly and indirectly regulates the differentiation, activation of CD4+ T-lymphocytes and can prevent the development of autoimmune processes, and so it may be involved in neuroprotective elements in MScl

Coherent Stranski-Krastanov growth in 1+1 dimensions with anharmonic interactions: An equilibrium study

The formation of coherently strained three-dimensional islands on top of the wetting layer in Stranski-Krastanov mode of growth is considered in a model in 1+1 dimensions accounting for the anharmonicity and non-convexity of the real interatomic forces. It is shown that coherent 3D islands can be expected to form in compressed rather than in expanded overlayers beyond a critical lattice misfit. In the latter case the classical Stranski-Krastanov growth is expected to occur because the misfit dislocations can become energetically favored at smaller island sizes. The thermodynamic reason for coherent 3D islanding is the incomplete wetting owing to the weaker adhesion of the edge atoms. Monolayer height islands with a critical size appear as necessary precursors of the 3D islands. The latter explains the experimentally observed narrow size distribution of the 3D islands. The 2D-3D transformation takes place by consecutive rearrangements of mono- to bilayer, bi- to trilayer islands, etc., after exceeding the corresponding critical sizes. The rearrangements are initiated by nucleation events each next one requiring to overcome a lower energetic barrier. The model is in good qualitative agreement with available experimental observations.Comment: 12 pages text, 15 figures, Accepted in Phys.Rev.B, Vol.61, No2