Ideologie ontmoet economie; Private investeringen in Nederlands bos, natuur en landschap

Meer investeringen van burgers en bedrijven in bos, natuur en landschap. Dat is wat de overheid graag wil. Private investeringen komen echter nauwelijks van de grond, ondanks de vele verschillende initiatieven om deze te stimuleren. De vraag die we ons daarom moeten stellen, is of private financiering überhaupt wel toekomst heeft. Wageningen Universiteit deed daarom onderzoek naar de motieven van verschillende private partijen om wel of niet in bos, natuur en landschap te investeren. Via streekrekening, landschapsveilingen en groene financierin

Van einddoelplanning naar procesplanning - 20 jaar later

Als over strategische (of langetermijn-) planning in het bosen natuurbeheer wordt gesproken, wordt vaak verwezen naar twee typen van planning, namelijk einddoelplanning en procesplanning. Einddoelplanning was lange tijd dé manier van plannen in de Nederlandse beheerpraktijk, maar werd begin jaren ‘90 als ‘niet doelgericht’ en ‘inefficiënt’ bestempeld. Een procesmatige vorm van planning zou veel realistischer zijn. Heeft de strategische beheerplanning zich de laatste 20 jaar in de praktijk inderdaad in de richting van procesplanning ontwikkeld? Of is einddoelplanning nog steeds de belangrijkste manier van plannen? Een verslag van een verkennend onderzoek

Oral geranylgeranylacetone treatment increases heat shock protein expression in human atrial tissue

BACKGROUND Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are important chaperones that regulate the maintenance of healthy protein quality control in the cell. Impairment of HSPs is associated with aging-related neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) is a compound well known to increase HSPs through activation of heat shock factor-1 (HSF1). GGA increases HSPs in various tissues, but whether GGA can increase HSP expression in human heart tissue is unknown. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test whether oral GGA treatment increases HSP expression in the atrial appendages of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS HSPB1, HSPA1, HSPD1, HSPA5, HSF1, and phosphorylated HSF1 levels were measured by western blot analysis in right and left atrial appendages (RAAs and LAAs, respectively) collected from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) who were treated with placebo (n = 13) or GGA 400 mg/da(n = 13) 3 days before surgery. Myofilament fractions were isolated from LAAs to determine the levels of HSPB1 and HSPA1 present in these fractions. RESULTS GGA treatment significantly increased HSPB1 and HSPA1 expression levels in RAA and LAA compared to the placebo group, whereas HSF1, phosphorylated HSF1, HSPD1, and HSPA5 were unchanged. In addition, GGA treatment significantly enhanced HSPB1 levels at the myofilaments compared to placebo. CONCLUSION Three days of GGA treatment is associated with higher HSPB1 and HSPA1 expression levels in RAA and LAA of patients undergoing CABG surgery and higher HSPB1 levels at the myofilaments. These findings pave the way to study the role of GGA as a protective compound against other cardiac diseases, including postoperative atrial fibrillation

Integrale afweging van ruimtegebruik. Ontwikkeling van een instrumentarium voor het beoordelen van veranderingen in aanwending van ruimte

Ruimte is gelimiteerd in Nederland en door de grote vraag naar ruimte is de ruimtedruk groot. Dit rapport beschrijft een methode om veranderingen in ruimtegebruik in het landelijk gebied te beoordelen. Een raamwerk is opgesteld om de afweging gestructureerd te kunnen maken. De te vergelijken situaties worden gespecificeerd, de effecten die met de verandering samenhangen worden geïdentificeerd, net als de doelstellingen van de beslisser. Hieruit volgen de criteria, deze worden via indicatoren meetbaar gemaakt en gewaardeerd. Op basis van de scores op de criteria wordt een afweging gemaakt. Voor deze beoordeling zijn MCA en MKBA uitgewerkt en vergeleken. Dit beoordelingskader is toegepast voor de casestudie Kuindermeer. Een rode (meer woningbouw en bedrijven) en een groene (meer natuur) variant zijn ontwikkeld en beoordeeld met MCA en MKBA. De ontwikkelde methode is toepasbaar gebleken en beide afwegingsmethoden komen tot een lichte voorkeur voor de groene variant. De methoden kunnen een belangrijke rol spelen in (interactieve) besluitvormingsprocessen

Peri-Operative Kinetics of Plasma Mitochondrial DNA Levels during Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

During ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI), mitochondria may release mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). mtDNA can serve as a propagator of further injury but in specific settings has anti-inflammatory capacities as well. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the perioperative dynamics of plasma mtDNA during living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) and its potential as a marker of graft outcome. Fifty-six donor-recipient couples from the Volatile Anesthetic Protection of Renal Transplants-1 (VAPOR-1) trial were included. Systemic venous, systemic arterial, and renal venous samples were taken at multiple timepoints during and after LDKT. Levels of mtDNA genes changed over time and between vascular compartments. Several donor, recipient, and transplantation-related variables significantly explained the course of mtDNA genes over time. mtDNA genes predicted 1-month and 24-month estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and acute rejection episodes in the two-year follow-up period. To conclude, mtDNA is released in plasma during the process of LDKT, either from the kidney or from the whole body in response to transplantation. While circulating mtDNA levels positively and negatively predict post-transplantation outcomes, the exact mechanisms and difference between mtDNA genes are not yet understood and need further exploration.</p

"Interactief kappen": Staatsbosbeheer en de maatschappelijke acceptie van houtoogst

In dit essau aandacht voor het vernieuwende natuurbeleid van de kabinetten Rutte I en II, de daaruit voortvloeiende consequenties voor Staatsbosbeheer, de bijgestelde bosbeheervisie van de organisatie en de wijze waarop Nederlandse burgers - gemiddeld genomen - op de kap van bome reageren. Daarna komen vijf gebieden / aandachtspunten aan bod uit het recente verleden en heden van Staatsbosbeheer. Dit zijn: Drents Friese Woud, Heiderijk, Baarnse Bos, Westerkwartier en het project Kap & Verjonging. Directe aanleiding is de interactie tussen Staatsbosbeheer, belangengroepen en burgers, vrom en aand van die interactie, wederzijdse beeldvorming en uiteindelijk het leerproce

Homozygous whole body Cbs knockout in adult mice features minimal pathology during ageing despite severe homocysteinemia

Deficiencies in Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) lead to hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCy), which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular, bone and neurological disease. Moreover, CBS is important for the production of cysteine, hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) and glutathione. Studying the biological role of CBS in adult mice has been severely hampered by embryological disturbances and perinatal mortality. To overcome these issues and assess the effects of whole-body CBS deficiency in adult mice, we engineered and characterized a Cre-inducible Cbs knockout model during ageing. No perinatal mortality occurred before Cbs-/- induction at 10 weeks of age. Mice were followed until 90 weeks of age and ablation of Cbs was confirmed in liver and kidney but not in brain. Severe HHCy was observed in Cbs-/- (289 ± 58 µM) but not in Cbs+/- or control mice (<10 µM). Cbs-/- showed impaired growth, facial alopecia, endothelial dysfunction in absence of increased mortality, and signs of liver or kidney damage. CBS expression in skin localized to sebaceous glands and epidermis, suggesting local effects of Cbs-/- on alopecia. Cbs-/- showed increased markers of oxidative stress and senescence but expression of other H2 S producing enzymes (CSE and 3-MST) was not affected. CBS deficiency severely impaired H2 S production capacity in liver, but not in brain or kidney. In summary, Cbs-/- mice presented a mild phenotype without mortality despite severe HHCy. The findings demonstrate that HHCy is not directly linked to development of end organ damage

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Is Associated With Autophagy and Cardiomyocyte Remodeling in Experimental and Human Atrial Fibrillation

BACKGROUND: Derailment of proteostasis, the homeostasis of production, function, and breakdown of proteins, contributes importantly to the self-perpetuating nature of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm disorder in humans. Autophagy plays an important role in proteostasis by degrading aberrant proteins and organelles. Herein, we investigated the role of autophagy and its activation pathway in experimental and clinical AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Tachypacing of HL-1 atrial cardiomyocytes causes a gradual and significant activation of autophagy, as evidenced by enhanced LC3B-II expression, autophagic flux and autophagosome formation, and degradation of p62, resulting in reduction of Ca(2+) amplitude. Autophagy is activated downstream of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress: blocking ER stress by the chemical chaperone 4-phenyl butyrate, overexpression of the ER chaperone-protein heat shock protein A5, or overexpression of a phosphorylation-blocked mutant of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) prevents autophagy activation and Ca(2+)-transient loss in tachypaced HL-1 cardiomyocytes. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of ER stress in tachypaced Drosophila confirms its role in derailing cardiomyocyte function. In vivo treatment with sodium salt of phenyl butyrate protected atrial-tachypaced dog cardiomyocytes from electrical remodeling (action potential duration shortening, L-type Ca(2+)-current reduction), cellular Ca(2+)-handling/contractile dysfunction, and ER stress and autophagy; it also attenuated AF progression. Finally, atrial tissue from patients with persistent AF reveals activation of autophagy and induction of ER stress, which correlates with markers of cardiomyocyte damage. CONCLUSIONS: These results identify ER stress-associated autophagy as an important pathway in AF progression and demonstrate the potential therapeutic action of the ER-stress inhibitor 4-phenyl butyrate