Voorstel bouwstenen nieuwe weidevogelpakketten agrarisch natuurbeheer in een notendop : wat regelen we in Nederland, wat in Brussel?

In opdracht van directie Kennis van het ministerie van LNV is een voorstel ontwikkeld voor bouwstenen voor nieuwe pakketten weidevogelbeheer. De doelstellingen worden per gebiedsplan vastgesteld. De verantwoordelijkheid hiervoor ligt bij provincies en Rijk, die daarvoor desgewenst een gebiedscommissie in het leven kunnen roepen. Het minimum dat altijd (in alle gebiedsplannen) geldt is: 35 bp /100 ha, bestaande uit één of meer van de volgende soorten: Grutto, Tureluur, Watersnip, Kemphaan, Slobeend, Zomertaling, Veldleeuwerik, Wulp, Kluut, Krakeend, Kuifeend, Wintertaling, Graspieper, Gele kwikstaart, Kievit, Scholekster. Per gebied kan deze doelstelling nader worden gefocust op één of meerdere van bovengenoemde soorten en/of naar boven worden bijgestel

Mucin Muc2 Deficiency and Weaning Influences the Expression of the Innate Defense Genes Reg3β, Reg3γ and Angiogenin-4

Background Mucin Muc2 is the structural component of the intestinal mucus layer. Absence of Muc2 leads to loss of this layer allowing direct bacterial-epithelial interactions. We hypothesized that absence of the mucus layer leads to increased expression of innate defense peptides. Specifically, we aimed to study the consequence of Muc2 deficiency (Muc2-/-) on the expression of regenerating islet-derived protein 3 beta (Reg3ß), regenerating islet-derived protein 3 gamma (Reg3¿), and angiogenin-4 (Ang4) in the intestine shortly before and after weaning. Methods Intestinal tissues of Muc2-/- and wild-type (WT) mice were collected at postnatal day 14 (P14, i.e. pre-weaning) and P28 (i.e. post-weaning). Reg3ß, Reg3¿, and Ang4 expression was studied by quantitative real-time PCR, Western-blot, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Results Reg3ß and Reg3¿ were expressed by diverging epithelial cell types; namely enterocytes, Paneth cells, and goblet cells. Additionally, Ang4 expression was confined to Paneth cells and goblet cells. Expression of Reg3ß, Reg3¿, and Ang4 differed between WT and Muc2-/- mice before and after weaning. Interestingly, absence of Muc2 strongly increased Reg3ß and Reg3¿ expression in the small intestine and colon. Finally, morphological signs of colitis were only observed in the distal colon of Muc2-/- mice at P28, where and when expression levels of Reg3ß, Reg3¿, and Ang4 were the lowest. Conclusions Expression of Reg3 proteins and Ang4 by goblet cells point to an important role for goblet cells in innate defense. Absence of Muc2 results in up-regulation of Reg3ß and Reg3¿ expression, suggesting altered bacterial-epithelial signaling and an innate defense response in Muc2-/- mice. The inverse correlation between colitis development and Reg3ß, Reg3¿, and Ang4 expression levels might point toward a role for these innate defense peptides in regulating intestinal inflammatio

Adult-onset autoinflammation caused by somatic mutations in UBA1:A Dutch case series of patients with VEXAS

Background: A novel autoinflammatory syndrome was recently described in male patients who harbored somatic mutations in the X-chromosomal UBA1 gene. These patients were characterized by adult-onset, treatment-refractory inflammation with fever, cytopenia, dysplastic bone marrow, vacuoles in myeloid and erythroid progenitor cells, cutaneous and pulmonary inflammation, chondritis, and vasculitis, which is abbreviated as VEXAS. Objective: This study aimed to (retrospectively) diagnose VEXAS in patients who had previously been registered as having unclassified autoinflammation. We furthermore aimed to describe clinical experiences with this multifaceted, complex disease. Methods: A systematic reanalysis of whole-exome sequencing data from a cohort of undiagnosed patients with autoinflammation from academic hospitals in The Netherlands was performed. When no sequencing data were available, targeted Sanger sequencing was applied in cases with high clinical suspicion of VEXAS. Results: A total of 12 male patients who carried mutations in UBA1 were identified. These patients presented with adult-onset (mean age 67 years, range 47-79 years) autoinflammation with systemic symptoms, elevated inflammatory parameters, and multiorgan involvement, most typically involving the skin and bone marrow. Novel features of VEXAS included interstitial nephritis, cardiac involvement, stroke, and intestinal perforation related to treatment with tocilizumab. Although many types of treatment were initiated, most patients became treatment-refractory, with a high mortality rate of 50%. Conclusion: VEXAS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of males with adult-onset autoinflammation characterized by systemic symptoms and multiorgan involvement. Early diagnosis can prevent unnecessary diagnostic procedures and provide better prognostic information and more suitable treatment options, including stem cell transplantation

A Dutch consensus statement on the diagnosis and treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis

INTRODUCTION: Despite the availability of several guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), clinical routine practice will only improve when an implementation strategy is in place to support clinical decision making and adequate implementation of guidelines. We describe here an initiative to establish national and multidisciplinary consensus on broad aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of AAV relevant to daily clinical practice in the Netherlands. METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group of physicians in the Netherlands with expertise on AAV addressed the broad spectrum of diagnosis, terminology, and immunosuppressive and non-immunosuppressive treatment, including an algorithm for AAV patients. Based on recommendations from (inter)national guidelines, national consensus was established using a Delphi-based method during a conference in conjunction with a nationally distributed online consensus survey. Cut-off for consensus was 70% (dis)agreement. RESULTS: Ninety-eight professionals were involved in the Delphi procedure to assess consensus on 50 statements regarding diagnosis, treatment, and organisation of care for AAV patients. Consensus was achieved for 37/50 statements (74%) in different domains of diagnosis and treatment of AAV including consensus on the treatment algorithm for AAV. CONCLUSION: We present a national, multidisciplinary consensus on a diagnostic strategy and treatment algorithm for AAV patients as part of the implementation of (inter)national guideline-derived recommendations in the Netherlands. Future studies will focus on evaluating local implementation of treatment protocols for AAV, and assessments of current and future clinical practice variation in the care for AAV patients in the Netherlands

Threat-sensitive anti-predator defence in precocial wader, the northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Birds exhibit various forms of anti-predator behaviours to avoid reproductive failure, with mobbing—observation, approach and usually harassment of a predator—being one of the most commonly observed. Here, we investigate patterns of temporal variation in the mobbing response exhibited by a precocial species, the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). We test whether brood age and self-reliance, or the perceived risk posed by various predators, affect mobbing response of lapwings. We quantified aggressive interactions between lapwings and their natural avian predators and used generalized additive models to test how timing and predator species identity are related to the mobbing response of lapwings. Lapwings diversified mobbing response within the breeding season and depending on predator species. Raven Corvus corax, hooded crow Corvus cornix and harriers evoked the strongest response, while common buzzard Buteo buteo, white stork Ciconia ciconia, black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus and rook Corvus frugilegus were less frequently attacked. Lapwings increased their mobbing response against raven, common buzzard, white stork and rook throughout the breeding season, while defence against hooded crow, harriers and black-headed gull did not exhibit clear temporal patterns. Mobbing behaviour of lapwings apparently constitutes a flexible anti-predator strategy. The anti-predator response depends on predator species, which may suggest that lapwings distinguish between predator types and match mobbing response to the perceived hazard at different stages of the breeding cycle. We conclude that a single species may exhibit various patterns of temporal variation in anti-predator defence, which may correspond with various hypotheses derived from parental investment theory