Remote sensing of coastal vegetation in the Netherlands and Belgium

Vegetation maps are frequently used in conservation planning and evaluation. Monitoring commitments, a.o. in relation to the European Habitat Directive, increase the need for efficient mapping tools. This paper explores methods of vegetation mapping with particular attention to automated classification of remotely sensed images. Characteristics of two main types of imagery are discussed, very high spatial resolution false colour images on the one hand and hyperspectral images on the other. The first type has proved its qualities for mapping of - mainly - vegetation structure in dunes and salt marshes. Hyperspectral imagery enables thematic detail but encounters more technical problems

A Major Asymmetric Dust Trap in a Transition Disk

The statistics of discovered exoplanets suggest that planets form efficiently. However, there are fundamental unsolved problems, such as excessive inward drift of particles in protoplanetary disks during planet formation. Recent theories invoke dust traps to overcome this problem. We report the detection of a dust trap in the disk around the star Oph IRS 48 using observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The 0.44-millimeter-wavelength continuum map shows high-contrast crescent-shaped emission on one side of the star originating from millimeter-sized grains, whereas both the mid-infrared image (micrometer-sized dust) and the gas traced by the carbon monoxide 6-5 rotational line suggest rings centered on the star. The difference in distribution of big grains versus small grains/gas can be modeled with a vortex-shaped dust trap triggered by a companion.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures (accepted version prior to language editing

Achtergronddocument Nulmeting Effectindicatoren Monitor Agenda Vitaal Platteland

De Monitor AVP is een systeem waarin eenduidige gegevens worden opgenomen voor monitoring van effecten, resultaten en prestaties van de beleidsdoelstellingen opgenomen in de Agenda Vitaal Platteland (AVP) van het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV). Dit document geeft de resultaten en achtergrondinformatie van de nulmeting en de methoden van de metingen van de afzonderlijke effectindicatoren van de Monitor AVP. De effectindicatoren zijn bedoeld om de maatschappelijke effecten van de Agenda Vitaal Platteland inzichtelijk te maken. Dit achtergronddocument is opgesteld om de continuïteit voor toekomstige herhalingsmetingen te waarborgen

'White knuckle care work' : violence, gender and new public management in the voluntary sector

Drawing on comparative data from Canada and Scotland, this article explores reasons why violence is tolerated in non-profit care settings. This article will provide insights into how workers' orientations to work, the desire to care and the intrinsic rewards from working in a non-profit context interact with the organization of work and managerially constructed workplace norms and cultures (Burawoy, 1979) to offset the tensions in an environment characterized by scarce resources and poor working conditions. This article will also outline how the same environment of scarce resources causes strains in management's efforts to establish such cultures. Working with highly excluded service users with problems that do not respond to easy interventions, workers find themselves working at the edge of their endurance, hanging on by their fingernails, and beginning to participate in various forms of resistance; suggesting that even among the most highly committed, 'white knuckle care' may be unsustainable

Opportunities for personalised follow-up care among patients with breast cancer: A scoping review to identify preference-sensitive decisions

Abstract Introduction Current follow‐up arrangements for breast cancer do not optimally meet the needs of individual patients. We therefore reviewed the evidence on preferences and patient involvement in decisions about breast cancer follow‐up to explore the potential for personalised care. Methods Studies published between 2008 and 2017 were extracted from MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE. We then identified decision categories related to content and form of follow‐up. Criteria for preference sensitiveness and patient involvement were compiled and applied to determine the extent to which decisions were sensitive to patient preferences and patients were involved. Results Forty‐one studies were included in the full‐text analysis. Four decision categories were identified: “surveillance for recurrent/secondary breast cancer; consultations for physical and psychosocial effects; recurrence‐risk reduction by anti‐hormonal treatment; and improving quality of life after breast cancer.” There was little evidence that physicians treated decisions about anti‐hormonal treatment, menopausal symptoms, and follow‐up consultations as sensitive to patient preferences. Decisions about breast reconstruction were considered as very sensitive to patient preferences, and patients were usually involved. Conclusion Patients are currently not involved in all decisions that affect them during follow‐up, indicating a need for improvements. Personalised follow‐up care could improve resource allocation and the value of care for patients

Annual Report 2010 - Operation and Utilisation of the High Flux Reactor

The High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten is managed by the Institute for Energy (IE) of the EC - DG JRC and operated by NRG who are also licence holder and responsible for commercial activities. The HFR operates at 45 MW and is of the tank-in-pool type, light water cooled and moderated. It is one of the most powerful multi-purpose materials testing reactors in the world and one of the world leaders in target irradiation for the production of medical radioisotopes.JRC.F.4-Nuclear Reactor Integrity Assessment and Knowledge Managemen

Screening chimeric GAA variants in preclinicalstudy results in hematopoietic stem cell genetherapy candidate vectors for Pompe disease

Pompe disease is a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder caused by acid α-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency resulting in lysosomal glycogen accumulation and progressive myopathy. Enzyme replacement therapy, the current standard of care, penetrates poorly into the skeletal muscles and the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS), risks recombinant enzyme immunogenicity, and requires high doses and frequent infusions. Lentiviral vector-mediated hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) gene therapy was investigated in a Pompe mouse model using a clinically relevant promoter driving nine engineered GAA coding sequences incorporating distinct peptide tags and codon optimizations. Vectors solely including glycosylation-independent lysosomal targeting tags enhanced secretion and improved reduction of glycogen, myofiber, and CNS vacuolation in key tissues, although GAA enzyme activity and protein was consistently lower compared with native GAA. Genetically modified microglial cells in brains were detected at low levels but provided robust phenotypic correction. Furthermore, an amino acid substitution introduced in the tag reduced insulin receptor-mediated signaling with no evidence of an effect on blood glucose levels in Pompe mice. This study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of lentiviral HSPC gene therapy exploiting optimized GAA tagged coding sequences to reverse Pompe disease pathology in a preclinical mouse model, providing promising vector candidates for further investigation

Operation and Utilisation of the High Flux Reactor - Annual Report 2009

The High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten is managed by the Institute for Energy (IE) of the EC - DG JRC and operated by NRG who are also licence holder and responsible for commercial activities. The HFR operates at 45 MW and is of the tank-in-pool type, light water cooled and moderated. It is one of the most powerful multi-purpose materials testing reactors in the world and one of the world leaders in target irradiation for the production of medical radioisotopes.JRC.F-Institute for Energy and Transport (Petten