The performance of landscape concepts in spatial planning : branding, bonding and bringing about

Spatial planners are expressive people. They often use landscape concepts, being metaphors that refer to landscape ideas and planning principles. Examples are Green Heart, Nature Pearls and the Camelisation of landscapes. Such landscape concepts seem ‘innocent’ but are ‘guilty’ of powerful effects. The power of a landscape concept is rooted in its colourful, rhetorical and multiple nature, in combination with the drives and political practice of its users. Accordingly, the first part of this study provides a theoretical or philosophical reflection on the use of landscape concepts in spatial planning, including views of Foucault, Deleuze and Latour. The effect of a landscape concept can be subtle and unexpected. For example, media indirectly couple assumptions about 'good planning' to the concept of National Landscape, i.e. the limited ideal of open landscapes. Using a concept also provides opportunities: it can be used for bonding people and promoting landscapes. For example, the concept Waterpark in a vision for the Dutch IJmeer region was a flexible and informal concept. This allowed the organisations involved to identify with the concept and bundle interests, although it was a temporarily success. The second part of this study provides more insight into Dutch regional planning practice and the use of landscape concepts. Finally, this study discusses the benefit of a 'will to connect' by planners in contrast to a 'will to control'

Way Out Voices: A Phenomenology of Interbeing

Interbeing is a foundational teaching of Thien Su (Zen master) Thích Nhất Hạnh, beloved Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist who has worked closely with Chan Khong, an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist nun. Together they founded Plum Village retreat center in the Dordogne region of France. This volume of invited essays—taken as a whole—reveals the inspirational power of the word interbeing as a focus for creating common ground within scholarship for voices not so often heard. Metaphorically, this phenomenology is what Nhất Hạnh might call a “hugging meditation.

Exhaled breath analysis for diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is common in patients with respiratory failure in the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite improvements in ventilation strategies, a high mortality remains exceeding 40% in the severe cases. Numerous pathways involved in this syndrome are known, but the exact pathophysiology of ARDS is still not entirely clear. Also, it is not yet possible to capture the processes at the bedside. The greatest challenges remain the early and objective recognition of ARDS. One of the methods that might increase recognition is exhaled breath analysis. Assessment of breath biomarkers has the major advantage that it can be performed entirely non-invasive. In this thesis we focussed on non-invasive methods to diagnose ARDS. In a review minimally and non-invasive diagnostic methods assessing biological processes of ARDS on their diagnostic accuracy were listed, with taking into account the risk of bias. To gain insight in the reliability of the diagnosis, interobserver agreement among a panel of experts was quantified. To bring exhaled breath analysis from bench to bedside a number of steps were taken. A novel point-of-care (POC) breath test for ARDS diagnosis was created and validated. Subsequently the diagnostic accuracy of the POC breath test was assessed in a large multicentre observational cohort study. At last the rest of the breath pattern using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was assessed on possible biomarkers for ARDS

Exhaled breath analysis for diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is common in patients with respiratory failure in the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite improvements in ventilation strategies, a high mortality remains exceeding 40% in the severe cases. Numerous pathways involved in this syndrome are known, but the exact pathophysiology of ARDS is still not entirely clear. Also, it is not yet possible to capture the processes at the bedside. The greatest challenges remain the early and objective recognition of ARDS. One of the methods that might increase recognition is exhaled breath analysis. Assessment of breath biomarkers has the major advantage that it can be performed entirely non-invasive. In this thesis we focussed on non-invasive methods to diagnose ARDS. In a review minimally and non-invasive diagnostic methods assessing biological processes of ARDS on their diagnostic accuracy were listed, with taking into account the risk of bias. To gain insight in the reliability of the diagnosis, interobserver agreement among a panel of experts was quantified. To bring exhaled breath analysis from bench to bedside a number of steps were taken. A novel point-of-care (POC) breath test for ARDS diagnosis was created and validated. Subsequently the diagnostic accuracy of the POC breath test was assessed in a large multicentre observational cohort study. At last the rest of the breath pattern using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was assessed on possible biomarkers for ARDS

Arming drug carriers to disable the Hepatic Stellate Cell : the targeted delivery of apoptosis-inducing drugs to the fibrotic liver

Chronic liver damage of various origins (e.g. viral hepatitis; chronic intoxication by alcohol, chemicals or drugs; Wilson’s disease) can eventually lead to liver cirrhosis, the end stage of liver fibrosis. This process is characterized by the accumulation of excessive amounts of scar tissue within the liver. The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) plays a crucial role during this fibrotic process. After liver damage, this cell-type becomes activated and starts to proliferate, during which it transforms from a resting vitamin A-storing cell into an activated myofibroblast-like cell. This activated HSC produces excessive amounts of extracellular matrix compounds and inhibitors of matrix degradation, thereby strongly affecting the liver architecture and hepatic organ function. Up till now, no pharmaceutical intervention is available to treat this fibrotic disease, leaving liver transplantation as the only option left. Animal model studies revealed however that this fibrotic process is reversible. Livers can undergo regression of fibrosis after withdrawal of the damaging stimulus, even in an advanced stage of cirrhosis. This regression was found to be accompanied by the disappearance of activated HSC via apoptosis. This important observation suggests that inducing or accelerating HSC apoptosis during fibrogenesis might attenuate or reverse the fibrogenic process. However, the therapeutic application of these apoptosis-inducing drugs might be troublesome because these drugs do not accumulate at the target cell in the diseased liver and therefore may cause side effects elsewhere in the body. A drug-targeting approach in which the chosen drug is specifically delivered in the HSC may therefore be highly relevant for apoptosis-inducing drugs. Such an approach would lead to increased accumulation of the drug at the desired site, but it may also reduce the adverse effects after systemic administration of the targeted drug. The aim of this research project was therefore to examine the possibility of HSC-specific induction of apoptosis. A drug targeting construct, capable of selective delivery of apoptosis-inducing drugs to the HSC during liver fibrosis was developed. The HSC-selective drug carrier mannose-6-phosphate-modified human serum albumin (M6PHSA) was used in these studies. This carrier was designed to specifically bind to insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose-6-phosphate (IGF-II/M6P) receptors, which are upregulated on the cell surface of activated HSC. As apoptosisinducing drugs, we applied gliotoxin and 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2. Both drugs were chosen because of their potent ability to induce apoptosis in HSC, yet their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles makes a targeting approach essential.

Indgreb i praksis - i anledning af Theodor W. Adornos 100-årsdag

Artiklen leverer en bred præsentation af Theodor W. Adorno i anledning af 100-året for hans fødsel den 11. september 1903. Med fokus på den filosofiske side af forfatterskabet behandles Adornos hovedværker, og de sættes i forbindelse med bl.a. filosofferne Edmund Husserl og Martin Heidegger