Climatescan.nl: the development of a web-based map application to encourage knowledge-sharing of climate-proofing and urban resilient projects

Over recent years, there has been an explosion in the number and diversity of projects undertaken to address urban resilience and climate proofing. Sharing the knowledge gained from these projects demands increasingly innovative and accessible methods. This paper details the outcomes of one such initiative: an interactive web-based map application that provides an entry point to gain detailed information of various ‘blue-green’ projects. The climatescan.nl has proven to be a successful tool in several international workshops, not only for field-based practitioners but also for those involved in teaching and research. Further upscaling is needed however if the full potential of such an application is to be achieved

Phenomenological Aspects of Isospin Violation in the Nuclear Force

Phenomenological Lagrangians and dimensional power counting are used to assess isospin violation in the nucleon-nucleon force. The $\pi NN$ coupling constants (including the Goldberger-Treiman discrepancy), charge-symmetry breaking, and meson-mixing models are examined. A one-loop analysis of the isospin-violating $\pi NN$ coupling constants is performed using chiral perturbation theory. Meson-mixing models and the $^3$He - $^3$H mass difference are also discussed in the context of naturalness.Comment: 10 pages, latex, 1 figure -- To appear in Physics Letters B -- epsfig.sty require

Comment on piNN Coupling from High Precision np Charge Exchange at 162 MeV

In this updated and expanded version of our delayed Comment we show that the np backward cross section, as presented by the Uppsala group, is seriously flawed (more than 25 sd.). The main reason is the incorrect normalization of the data. We show also that their extrapolation method, used to determine the charged piNN coupling constant, is a factor of about 10 less accurate than claimed by Ericson et al. The large extrapolation error makes the determination of the coupling constant by the Uppsala group totally uninteresting.Comment: 5 pages, latex2e with a4wide.sty. This is an updated and extended version of the Comment published in Phys. Rev. Letters 81, 5253 (1998

Effect of planned place of birth on obstetric interventions and maternal outcomes among low-risk women : a cohort study in the Netherlands

Background: The use of interventions in childbirth has increased the past decades. There is concern that some women might receive more interventions than they really need. For low-risk women, midwife-led birth settings may be of importance as a counterbalance towards the increasing rate of interventions. The effect of planned place of birth on interventions in the Netherlands is not yet clear. This study aims to give insight into differences in obstetric interventions and maternal outcomes for planned home versus planned hospital birth among women in midwife-led care. Methods: Women from twenty practices across the Netherlands were included in 2009 and 2010. Of these, 3495 were low-risk and in midwife-led care at the onset of labour. Information about planned place of birth and outcomes, including instrumental birth (caesarean section, vacuum or forceps birth), labour augmentation, episiotomy, oxytocin in third stage, postpartum haemorrhage >1000 ml and perineal damage, came from the national midwife-led care perinatal database, and a postpartum questionnaire. Results: Women who planned home birth more often had spontaneous birth (nulliparous women aOR 1.38, 95 % CI 1.08-1.76, parous women aOR 2.29, 95 % CI 1.21-4.36) and less often episiotomy (nulliparous women aOR 0.73, 0.58-0.91, parous women aOR 0.47, 0.33-0.68) and use of oxytocin in the third stage (nulliparous women aOR 0.58, 0.42-0.80, parous women aOR 0.47, 0.37-0.60) compared to women who planned hospital birth. Nulliparous women more often had anal sphincter damage (aOR 1.75, 1.01-3.03), but the difference was not statistically significant if women who had caesarean sections were excluded. Parous women less often had labour augmentation (aOR 0.55, 0.36-0.82) and more often an intact perineum (aOR 1.65, 1.34-2.03). There were no differences in rates of vacuum/forceps birth, unplanned caesarean section and postpartum haemorrhage >1000 ml. Conclusions: Women who planned home birth were more likely to give birth spontaneously and had fewer medical interventions. © 2016 The Author(s)

Патопсихологические особенности и закономерности развития органических психических расстройств при болезни Паркинсона

Проанализированы особенности эмоционально−потребностной сферы, выраженность личностных особенностей, типы отношения к болезни у пациентов с болезнью Паркинсона (БП) и психическими расстройствами. Выявлены патопсихологические факторы формирования органического депрессивного расстройства (F06.36), органического тревожного расстройства (F06.4), органического эмоционально−лабильного расстройства (F06.6), описаны механизмы их патогенеза. Относительно деменции (F02.3) у больных БП единого патопсихологического механизма ее формирования не обнаружено, основная роль в ее патогенезе принадлежит органическому поражению головного мозга.Проаналізовано особливості емоційно−потребової сфери, виразність особистісних особливостей, типи ставлення до хвороби у пацієнтів із хворобою Паркінсона (ХП) та психічними розладами. Виявлено патопсихологічні фактори формування органічного депресивного розладу (F06.36), органічного тривожного розладу (F06.4), органічного емоційно−лабільного розладу (F06.6), описано механізми їх патогенезу. Щодо деменції (F02.3) у хворих на ХП єдиного патопсихологічного механізму її формування не виявлено, основна роль в її патогенезі належить органічному ураженню головного мозку.The peculiarities of emotion−need sphere, degree of personality peculiarities, types of attitude to the disease were analyzed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and mental disorders. Pathopsychological factors of forming organic depressive disorder (F06.36), organic anxiety disorder (F06.4), organic emotional−labile disorder (F06.6) were revealed. The mechanisms of their pathogenesis were described. As for dementia (F02.3), uniform pathopsychological mechanism of its formation was not revealed in patients with PD. Main role in its pathogenesis is played by organic brain lesions

Expanding the clinical spectrum of 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase deficiency

3-Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (3-PGDH) deficiency is considered to be a rare cause of congenital microcephaly, infantile onset of intractable seizures and severe psychomotor retardation. Here, we report for the first time a very mild form of genetically confirmed 3-PGDH deficiency in two siblings with juvenile onset of absence seizures and mild developmental delay. Amino acid analysis showed serine values in CSF and plasma identical to what is observed in the severe infantile form. Both patients responded favourably to relatively low dosages of serine supplementation with cessation of seizures, normalisation of their EEG abnormalities and improvement of well-being and behaviour. These cases illustrate that 3-PGDH deficiency can present with mild symptoms and should be considered as a treatable disorder in the differential diagnosis of mild developmental delay and seizures. Synopsis: we present a novel mild phenotype in patients with 3-PGDH deficiency

Prenatal screening for congenital anomalies: exploring midwives’ perceptions of counseling clients with religious backgrounds

BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, prenatal screening follows an opting in system and comprises two non-invasive tests: the combined test to screen for trisomy 21 at 12 weeks of gestation and the fetal anomaly scan to detect structural anomalies at 20 weeks. Midwives counsel about prenatal screening tests for congenital anomalies and they are increasingly having to counsel women from religious backgrounds beyond their experience. This study assessed midwives’ perceptions and practices regarding taking client’s religious backgrounds into account during counseling. As Islam is the commonest non-western religion, we were particularly interested in midwives’ knowledge of whether pregnancy termination is allowed in Islam. METHODS: This exploratory study is part of the DELIVER study, which evaluated primary care midwifery in the Netherlands between September 2009 and January 2011. A questionnaire was sent to all 108 midwives of the twenty practices participating in the study. RESULTS: Of 98 respondents (response rate 92%), 68 (69%) said they took account of the client’s religion. The two main reasons for not doing so were that religion was considered irrelevant in the decision-making process and that it should be up to clients to initiate such discussions. Midwives’ own religious backgrounds were independent of whether they paid attention to the clients’ religious backgrounds. Eighty midwives (82%) said they did not counsel Muslim women differently from other women. Although midwives with relatively many Muslim clients had more knowledge of Islamic attitudes to terminating pregnancy in general than midwives with relatively fewer Muslim clients, the specific knowledge of termination regarding trisomy 21 and other congenital anomalies was limited in both groups. CONCLUSION: While many midwives took client’s religion into account, few knew much about Islamic beliefs on prenatal screening for congenital anomalies. Midwives identified a need for additional education. To meet the needs of the changing client population, counselors need more knowledge of religious opinions about the termination of pregnancy and the skills to approach religious issues with clients