The Struggle of Farming Systems in Europe:Looking for Explanations through the Lens of Resilience

Many farming systems in Europe are struggling to respond to accumulating economic, environmental, institutional and social challenges. From a resilience perspective, they need three distinct capacities to continue delivering products, income and public goods: robustness, adaptability and transformability. Based on a structured assessment of the resilience capacities of 11 farming systems across Europe we conclude that three mismatches likely contribute to their struggles. First, while farming systems comprised many non‐farm actors, resilience strategies largely focused on farms and their robustness, neglecting other options and opportunities. Second, while the delivery of public goods such as biodiversity and attractive landscapes was seen as a major concern, most resilience strategies focused on the delivery of private goods. Third, while in many farming systems actors expressed the need for transformation, farming systems’ capacity to transform was perceived as low. Building on the differentiated concept of resilience, findings can guide policymakers, farming system actors, consumers and societal interest groups to identify pathways towards more resilient agricultural systems in Europe

Impact of COVID-19 on farming systems in Europe through the lens of resilience thinking

CONTEXT Resilience is the ability to deal with shocks and stresses, including the unknown and previously unimaginable, such as the Covid-19 crisis. OBJECTIVE This paper assesses (i) how different farming systems were exposed to the crisis, (ii) which resilience capacities were revealed and (iii) how resilience was enabled or constrained by the farming systems’ social and institutional environment. METHODS The 11 farming systems included have been analysed since 2017. This allows a comparison of pre-Covid-19 findings and the Covid-19 crisis. Pre-Covid findings are from the SURE-Farm systematic sustainability and resilience assessment. For Covid-19 a special data collection was carried out during the early stage of lockdowns. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Our case studies found limited impact of Covid-19 on the production and delivery of food and other agricultural products. This was due to either little exposure or the agile activation of robustness capacities of the farming systems in combination with an enabling institutional environment. Revealed capacities were mainly based on already existing connectedness among farmers and more broadly in value chains. Across cases, the experience of the crisis triggered reflexivity about the operation of the farming systems. Recurring topics were the need for shorter chains, more fairness towards farmers, and less dependence on migrant workers. However, actors in the farming systems and the enabling environment generally focused on the immediate issues and gave little real consideration to long-term implications and challenges. Hence, adaptive or transformative capacities were much less on display than coping capacities. The comparison with pre-Covid findings mostly showed similarities. If challenges, such as shortage of labour, already played before the crisis, they persisted during the crisis. Also, the eminent role of resilience attributes was confirmed. In cases with high connectedness and diversity we found that these system characteristics importantly contributed to dealing with the crisis. Also the focus on coping capacities was already visible before the crisis. We are not sure yet whether the focus on short-term robustness just reflects the higher visibility and urgency of shocks compared to slow processes that undermine or threaten important system functions, or whether they betray an imbalance in resilience capacities at the expense of adaptability and transformability. SIGNIFICANCE Our analysis indicates that if transformations are required, e.g. to respond to concerns about transnational value chains and future pandemics from zoonosis, the transformative capacity of many farming systems needs to be actively enhanced through an enabling environment

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Een opmerkelijke biografie van een moderne devote : de Vita et eonversacio Salome priorisse in Diepenven

This contribution presents the first edition of the Latin biography of Salome Sticken (°1359 -f 1449), who was the most famous female follower of Geert Grote, the fourteenth century founder of the Modern Devotion. The vita has been handed down as part of a historical collection, the so-called Collectanea ad historiam Devotionis Modernae. This manuscript from the Heer-Florenshuis in Deventer goes back to the last decade of the fifteenth century and is kept at the Royal Library in Brussels (hs. 8849-8859). While the Middle Dutch lives of Salome Sticken and other modern devotionalists are eagerly unlocked and studied, the Latin texts are much less known. That the edition of this specific vita was so long in coming, is undoubtedly due to the fact that its writing is hard to read, in particular the many abbreviations of the scribe. Moreover, the texts has no paragraphs, almost no punctuation nor capitals indicating the beginning of a sentence. The vita is clearly an adaptation of another source known from Middle Dutch versions of Salome's life. By means of the edition of the Latin text it becomes possible, among other things, to compare Latin and vernacular traditions and in particular to elucidate the interaction between texts written by the sisters themselves and Latin versions redacted by clerics. The introduction to the edition aims to give an impetus to this type of research.La présente contribution est la première édition de la biographie latine de Salome Sticken (°1359 -f1449), la plus connue des disciples féminines de Geert Grote, fondateur de la Dévotion Moderne au quatorzième siècle. Cette vita nous est parvenue dans un manuscrit composite nommé Collectanea ad historiam Devotionis Modernae. Ce manuscrit, provenant de la Maison-de-Florent à Deventer, date de la dernière décennie du quinzième siècle et est conservé à la Bibliothèque royale à Bruxelles (ms. 8849-8859). Les vitae en moyen néerlandais de Salome Sticken ont été éditées et étudiées ; les textes en latin sont moins connus. L'édition de cette biographie en latin n'est pas aisée : l'écriture, à première vue belle et régulière, est néanmoins difficile à déchiffrer par les abbréviations du scribe et par un texte ininterrompu, sans aucun paragraphe, peu de ponctuation ou de lettres capitales au commencement des phrases. Cette vita est manifestement basée sur une autre source connue par les biographies de Salome en moyen néerlandais. En éditant cette biographie latine une comparaison avec les traditions vernaculaires devient possible et spécifiquement l'interaction entre les textes émanant des sœurs elles-mêmes et les textes latins des clercs. L'introduction à la présente édition donne une première impulsion à ce genre de recherches.Deze bijdrage brengt de eerste editie van de Latijnse biografie van Salome Sticken (°1359 -f1449), de beroemdste vrouwelijke volgeling van Geert Grote, de stichter van de Moderne Devotie in de veertiende eeuw. De vita is overgeleverd in een historisch verzamelwerk, de zogenaamde Collectanea ad historiam Devotionis Modernae. Dit handschrift, afkomstig uit het Heer-Florenshuis te Deventer, dateert uit het laatste decennium van de vijftiende eeuw en wordt bewaard in de Koninklijke Bibliotheek te Brussel (hs. 8849-8859). Terwijl de Middelnederlandse viten van Salome Sticken en andere moderne devoten gretig ontsloten en bestudeerd worden, zijn de Latijnse teksten veel minder bekend. Dat een uitgave van deze specifieke vita zo lang op zich liet wachten, heeft ongetwijfeld te maken met het feit dat het schrift moeilijk leesbaar is, vooral door de vele afkortingen van de scribent. De tekst bevat ook geen aanduidingen van paragrafen en weinig punctuatie of hoofdletters aan het begin van een zin. Deze vita is duidelijk een bewerking van een andere bron bekend uit Middelnederlandse versies van de levensbeschrijving van Salome. Met behulp van de editie van de Latijnse tekst wordt het onder andere mogelijk om de Latijnse en volkstalige tradities met elkaar te vergelijken en om in het bijzonder de wisselwerking te belichten tussen de teksten die uitgaan van de zusters zelf en de Latijnse versies van de clerici. Een aanzet tot dergelijk onderzoek wordt geboden in de inleiding bij de editie.De Mey Lieve, Heene Katrien. Een opmerkelijke biografie van een moderne devote : de Vita et eonversacio Salome priorisse in Diepenven. In: Bulletin de la Commission royale d'histoire. Académie royale de Belgique. Tome 173, 2007. pp. 189-229

Dynamische dia- en paramagnetische eigenschappen van hoge Tc-supergeleiders met Bi en Gd

SIGLEKULeuven Campusbibliotheek Exacte Wetenschappen / UCL - Université Catholique de LouvainBEBelgiu

Industrial hemp as a sustainable source of textile fibe : optimization of hemp cultivation in Flanders

In the ‘Hemp4Textiles’ project, a continuation of previous research (Vandepitte et al., 2020), we aim to investigate the impact of agronomic factors on crop yield performance and hemp fiber quality. Therefore, the influence of variety, nitrogen fertilization and sowing density were investigated through a 2-year variety and multifactorial field trial. Amongst the five varieties tested (USO31, Bialobrzeskie, Santhica 27, Santhica 70 and Fibror 79), differences in fiber yield were observed. The multifactorial field trials demonstrated that both the fertilization rate (range: 0-100 N) and variety affected bast fiber yield, while the investigated sowing densities (range: 300 – 600 s/m2) did not. The yield and quality of long hemp fiber after scutching will be determined and both field experiments will be repeated for the next two growing seasons

Iterative correction of beam hardening artifacts in CT

Purpose. To reduce beam hardening artifacts in CT in case of an unknown X-ray spectrum and unknown material properties. Methods. We assume that the object can be segmented into a few materials with different attenuation coefficients, and parameterize the spectrum using a small number of energy bins. The corresponding unknown spectrum parameters and material attenuation values are estimated by minimizing the difference between the measured sinogram data and a simulated polychromatic sinogram. Three iterative algorithms are derived from this approach: two reconstruction algorithms IGR and IFR, and one sinogram precorrection method ISP. Results. The methods are applied on real X-ray data of a high and a low-contrast phantom. All three methods successfully reduce the cupping artifacts caused by the beam polychromaticity in such a way that the reconstruction of each homogeneous region is to good accuracy homogeneous, even in case the segmentation of the preliminary reconstruction image is poor. In addition, the results show that the three methods tolerate relatively large variations in uniformity within the segments. Conclusions. We show that even without prior knowledge about materials or spectrum, effective beam hardening correction can be obtained.status: publishe

A comparison of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-anti-HER2-sdAb PET/CT with [18F]FDG-PET/CT in breast carcinoma patients

Introduction In breast carcinoma (BC), the Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) status plays an important role in prognosis and treatment options. HER2 assessment is done via immunohistochemistry (IHC) or in situ hybridization. Tumor heterogeneity can be missed by these techniques. Moreover, the ASCO CAP scoring system is less suited to determine “HER2-low” disease1. Whole body PET imaging could be a solution; we here show clinical evaluation of a 68Ga-labeled, NOTA-coupled, single-domain antibody (sdAb) tracer targeting the HER2 receptor2. Methods Twenty patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic BC were included in this phase II trial to assess repeatability, tracer uptake in tumor lesions and immunogenicity. Repeatability was presented at EMIM 20223. In 16 pts, [18F]FDG-PET/CT (FDG) was performed as standard-of-care within 5 weeks of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-anti-HER2-sdAb PET/CT (HER2-scan), and could be used for this subanalysis. HER2-scan was performed using intravenous injection of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-anti-HER2-sdAb (121,28 ± 15,65 MBq) followed by PET/CT (Siemens Biograph Vision, 120 s per bed position and 40 s for the legs) at 90 minutes post injection (pi). Peak Standard Uptake Values (SUVpeak) of selected lesions were measured on both the FDG and HER2-scan. Results/Discussion Sixteen women with BC (3 HER2 +, 13 HER2-) and a mean age of 59,7y (range, 33-81) were included in this subanalysis. Looking at historical HER2 scoring, there was no correlation between uptake in HER2-scan and IHC score. Out of 13 HER2-negative pts, 9 had lesions with SUVpeak higher than 5, showing relevant tracer uptake in HER2-low disease. Within multiple pts, clear differences in SUVpeak between lesions were measured on HER2-scan, which was not present on FDG. This observation, together with the earlier-reported repeatability, indicates the potential of the tracer to assess heterogeneity. Two pts with [18F]FDG uptake in suspicious but finally non-cancerous lesions, did not show any HER2 uptake in these lesions (inflammation around breast prosthesis, tuberculosis (Fig. 1)), showing better specificity compared to [18F]FDG. In several pts, even in some HER2-low cases, disease extent was better appreciated on HER2-scan than on FDG, indicating good sensitivity of the tracer. Conclusions Comparison of tracer uptake in HER2-scan and FDG confirms [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-anti-HER2-sdAb as a potentially sensitive and specific tracer in breast carcinoma patients, also in HER2-low disease. HER2-scan holds promise for disease characterization and guidance of treatment decisions in HER2-low BC pts who could be candidates for novel HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate treatment

Impact of Covid-19 on farming systems in Europe through the lens of resilience thinking

Context Resilience is the ability to deal with shocks and stresses, including the unknown and previously unimaginable, such as the Covid-19 crisis. Objective This paper assesses (i) how different farming systems were exposed to the crisis, (ii) which resilience capacities were revealed and (iii) how resilience was enabled or constrained by the farming systems' social and institutional environment. Methods The 11 farming systems included have been analysed since 2017. This allows a comparison of pre-Covid-19 findings and the Covid-19 crisis. Pre-Covid findings are from the SURE-Farm systematic sustainability and resilience assessment. For Covid-19 a special data collection was carried out during the early stage of lockdowns. Results and conclusions Our case studies found limited impact of Covid-19 on the production and delivery of food and other agricultural products. This was due to either little exposure or the agile activation of robustness capacities of the farming systems in combination with an enabling institutional environment. Revealed capacities were mainly based on already existing connectedness among farmers and more broadly in value chains. Across cases, the experience of the crisis triggered reflexivity about the operation of the farming systems. Recurring topics were the need for shorter chains, more fairness towards farmers, and less dependence on migrant workers. However, actors in the farming systems and the enabling environment generally focused on the immediate issues and gave little real consideration to long-term implications and challenges. Hence, adaptive or transformative capacities were much less on display than coping capacities. The comparison with pre-Covid findings mostly showed similarities. If challenges, such as shortage of labour, already loomed before, they persisted during the crisis. Furthermore, the eminent role of resilience attributes was confirmed. In cases with high connectedness and diversity we found that these system characteristics contributed significantly to dealing with the crisis. Also the focus on coping capacities was already visible before the crisis. We are not sure yet whether the focus on short-term robustness just reflects the higher visibility and urgency of shocks compared to slow processes that undermine or threaten important system functions, or whether they betray an imbalance in resilience capacities at the expense of adaptability and transformability. Significance Our analysis indicates that if transformations are required, e.g. to respond to concerns about transnational value chains and future pandemics from zoonosis, the transformative capacity of many farming systems needs to be actively enhanced through an enabling environmenISSN:0308-521