Spatial planning as large-scale practical project: the problem of effective governance

This article discusses the problem of the effectiveness of spatial planning by means of a comparison between the theory of Saey (spatial planning regulates a social struggle for collective interests) and collaborative planning as elaborated by Healey, starting from the viewpoint that spatial planning is a large-scale practical project. This type of project has a built-in tendency to fail. Saey and Healey present a similar way out, considering that the purpose of spatial planning should be the attainment of democratic quality in society. However, they diverge with respect to the societal field of action that they envisage. The societal field of action in Healey’s approach seems to imply a formal theory of praxis. A theory on governance threatens to replace a theory of society. This raises doubts about the effectiveness of collaborative planning. As (spatial) planning is a style of governance in the general sense (management of collective affairs), and collaborative planning is a textbook example of networked governance (as opposed to hierarchical government), this conclusion may be generalized to other forms of governance.Dit artikel bespreekt het probleem van de effectiviteit van ruimtelijke planning aan de hand van een vergelijking tussen de theorie van Saey (ruimtelijke planning reguleert een sociale strijd voor collectieve belangen) en de collaboratieve planning, zoals Healey deze heeft uitgewerkt. Het vertrekpunt daarbij is de opvatting van ruimtelijke planning als grootschalig praktisch project. Een dergelijk project heeft een ingebouwde tendens tot mislukken. Saey en Healey presenteren een gelijkaardige uitweg, namelijk dat ruimtelijke planning moet bijdragen aan het democratisch gehalte van de samenleving. Zij hebben echter een verschillende opvatting over het maatschappelijk actieveld. Healeys opvatting van het maatschappelijk actieveld blijkt een formele theorie van de praxis te impliceren. Beleidstheorie dreigt in de plaats te treden van maatschappijtheorie. Dit doet twijfels rijzen aangaande de effectiviteit van collaboratieve planning. Aangezien (ruimtelijke) planning een stijl van governance is (management van collectieve zaken) en collaboratieve planning een schoolvoorbeeld van genetwerkte governance (in tegenstelling tot hierarchisch bestuur) kan deze conclusie veralgemeend worden tot andere vormen van governance

Industry and engineering education interacting in an interregional project: a Flanders' perspective

The Interreg-IVa 2-Seas project i-MOCCA (“interregional MObility and Competence Centers in Automation”) concentrates on two fast evolving topics in industrial automation: industrial data communication and embedded control [1]. Both require high-end training of practicing engineers in industry and demonstrators illustrating proof-of-principle of emerging technologies. The i-MOCCA project aims to develop competence centers in different universities in the coastal regions of the UK, France and Flanders, Belgium. The project started in July 2011 and ends in September 2014

Detection of arenavirus in a peripheral odontogenic fibromyxoma in a red tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) with inclusion body disease

A captive bred red tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) was presented with a large intraoral mass originating from the buccal gingiva, attached to the right dentary teeth row. Based on the clinical features and histological examination, the diagnosis of a peripheral odontogenic fibromyxoma was made. Sections of liver biopsies and circulating lymphocytes contained relatively few eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies, indistinguishable from those observed in inclusion body disease-affected snakes. Inclusion bodies were not observed in cells comprising the neoplastic mass. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), arenavirus was detected in the neoplastic tissue. Two years after surgical removal of the mass, recurrence of the neoplastic lesion was observed. Numerous large inclusion body disease inclusions were abundantly present in the neoplastic cells of the recurrent fibromyxoma. Sections of liver biopsies and circulating lymphocytes contained relatively few intracytoplasmic inclusions. The RT-PCR revealed the presence of arenavirus in blood, a liver biopsy, and neoplastic tissue. The present case describes the co-occurrence of an arenavirus infection and an odontogenic fibromyxoma in a red tail boa

Severe aortic regurgitation due to endocarditis in a horse

A 4-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare was presented because of fever, exercise intolerance, a loud diastolic cardiac murmur and a remarkable bounding pulsation that was palpable all over the body. This bounding pulsation appeared simultaneous with the cardiac contractions. Cardiac ultrasound revealed a vegetation on the aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation and a second vegetation at the sinus of Valsalva. A reverse flow in the common carotid artery was present during diastole. Left heart catheterization showed left ventricular and aortic pressure curves characteristic of a rather acute development of the lesion. The strong bounding pulsation was caused by severe aortic regurgitation that resulted in a very wide pulse pressure with the occurrence of "Watson's water hammer pulse". Due to the grave prognosis, treatment was not attempted. Necropsy confirmed aortic valve endocarditis

137Cs in the meat of wild boars: a comparison of the impacts of Chernobyl and Fukushima

The impact of Chernobyl on the 137Cs activities found in wild boars in Europe, even in remote locations from the NPP, has been much greater than the impact of Fukushima on boars in Japan. Although there is great variability within the 137Cs concentrations throughout the wild boar populations, some boars in southern Germany in recent years exhibit higher activity concentrations (up to 10,000 Bq/kg and higher) than the highest 137Cs levels found in boars in the governmental food monitoring campaign (7900 Bq/kg) in Fukushima prefecture in Japan. The levels of radiocesium in boar appear to be more persistent than would be indicated by the constantly decreasing 137Cs inventory observed in the soil which points to a food source that is highly retentive to 137Cs contamination or to other radioecological anomalies that are not yet fully understood.CDC NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center/T42OH009229-07NRC/NRC-HQ-12-G-38-004

First report of multinodular pulmonary fibrosis associated with equine herpesvirus 5 in Belgium

A 20-year-old horse was evaluated for symptoms of weight loss, anorexia, fever and lethargy. Clinical examination revealed tachypnea, poor body condition and increased breath sounds on auscultation. Ultrasound showed multiple consolidations on the lungs. Thoracic radiography revealed a severe nodular pattern. The horse was treated with antibiotics, corticoids and supportive medication. Since no improvement was observed, the horse was euthanized. At necropsy, numerous coalescing fibrous nodules were present in the lungs. Histology revealed diffuse interstitial fibrosis and macrophages containing abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and oval eosinophilic to amphophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies. Tissue samples tested positive for the presence of equine herpes virus 5 (EHV 5) on the basis of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. A diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) was made. This is the first report of EMPF in Belgium. EMPF can be suspected based on the ultrasonographic, radiographic and histological changes. EMPF is associated with EHV 5, but the etiological role of EHV 5 still remains to be proven

The geographical structure of capitalism at the origin of cultural protest against globalization as expressed in contemporary politics of identity

In a large number of countries, fundamental shifts are taking place in the balance of power between political parties or movements. In nearly all cases, the nature of political discourse underlying national politics has changed radically, the politics of identity having now become prominent. We argue that the failure of capitalism to bring about universal prosperity is at the origin of the rise of this type of politics. It fails to secure decent living conditions for unskilled workers in the core states of Western Europe, and it fails to secure opportunities for social mobility for the equivalent of the European middle-class in the (semi)peripheral states. An analysis of three cases of politics of identity that have the connotation of civilization – Islamism, Hindu nationalism and extreme right-wing nationalism in Europe – corroborates this view. These three cases of politics of identity appear to be related to a crisis of legitimacy. However, this does not imply that Islamism and Hindu nationalism are the non-Western equivalents of extreme right-wing nationalism in Europe. The former are phenomena of the periphery, the latter is a phenomenon of the core.In een groot aantal landen treden er in het machtsevenwicht tussen politieke partijen of bewegingen fundamentele verschuivingen op. In vrijwel alle gevallen is de aard van het politieke discours achter de nationale politiek radicaal veranderd. De identiteitspolitiek trad op de voorgrond. Aan de basis hiervan ligt naar onze mening het onvermogen van het kapitalisme zijn belofte van universele welvaart waar te maken. Het kapitalisme slaagt er niet in voor de laaggeschoolden in West-Europa volwaardige bestaansvoorwaarden te creëren. Het slaagt er ook niet in de tegenhanger van de Europese middenklasse in de (semi)perifere landen voldoende kansen op sociale mobiliteit te verschaffen. Een analyse van drie gevallen van identiteitspolitiek met de connotatie van beschaving, Islamisme, Hindoe-nationalisme en extreem-rechts nationalisme in Europa, bevestigt deze zienswijze. Bij alle drie is er een legitimiteitscrisis in het spel. Dit betekent evenwel niet dat Islamisme en Hindoe-nationalisme de niet-Westerse tegenhangers zijn van extreem-rechts nationalisme in Europa. Dit laatste is een verschijnsel van de kern, de eersten zijn verschijnselen van de periferie