Novel nanomaterial-based pesticide formulations are increasingly perceived as promising aids in the transition to more efficient agricultural production systems. The current understanding of... Show moreNovel nanomaterial-based pesticide formulations are increasingly perceived as promising aids in the transition to more efficient agricultural production systems. The current understanding of potential unintended (eco)toxicological impacts of nano-formulated pesticides is scarce, in particular with regard to (non-target) aquatic organisms and ecosystems. The present study reports the results of a long-term freshwater mesocosm experiment which assessed responses of individual zooplankton taxa and communities to a novel TiO2-coated nano-formulation of the fungicidecarbendazim. Population- and community trends were assessed and compared in response to the nano-formulation and its constituents applied individually (i.e. nano-sized TiO2, carbendazim) and in combination (i.e. nano-sized TiO2 & carbendazim). Minimal differences were observed between effects induced by the nano-formulation and its active ingredient (i.e. carbendazim) when applied at equivalent nominal test concentrations (4 μg L−1). Nano-sized TiO2 was found to affect zooplankton community trends when applied separately at environmentally realistic concentrations (20 μg L−1 nominal test concentration). However, when nano-sized TiO2 was applied in combination with carbendazim, nano-sized TiO2 was found not to alter effects on community trends induced by carbendazim. The findings of the current study provide an extensive and timely addition to the current body of work available on non-target impacts of nano-formulated pesticides. Show less
Bhatt, D.K.; Crooijmans, M.E.; Coenradij, J; Valero, A.M.; Lubbers, M.; Asin-Garcia, E; ... ; Billerbeck, S. 2022
Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a rapidly growing scientific discipline. In the Netherlands, various universities and companies are tackling a variety of opportunities and challenges within this... Show moreSynthetic biology (SynBio) is a rapidly growing scientific discipline. In the Netherlands, various universities and companies are tackling a variety of opportunities and challenges within this field. In this perspective article, we review the current synthetic biology landscape in the Netherlands across academia, industry, politics, and society. Especially within Dutch academia there is an active, though only partially connected, research community involved in various domains of SynBio. Mostly supported by governmental funding, academic research is focusing on top-down synthetic biology, involving the engineering of for example bacteria and yeast for bioproduction, as well as bottom-up and cell-free synthetic biology aiming to understand life and build synthetic cells. There is also a large number of talented and motivated students interested in the field, exemplified by the participation and success of Dutch teams in the international iGEM synthetic biology competition. Commercial synthetic biology activities are taking place in various large industrial companies, as well as in start-ups and spin-offs, mostly divided over several ‘SynBio hubs’ in the Netherlands. However, the investment, regulatory and public-perception landscape is not yet optimal to stimulate entrepreneurial activities in SynBio. The Dutch and global society can further benefit from the large promise of SynBio through better integration of people active in the Dutch SynBio field, frequent political and public dialogue, and more attention towards regulatory issues. The recently founded Dutch synthetic biology association SynBioNL aims to contribute to realizing a positive impact on society by stimulating advances of the field in the Netherlands and beyond. Show less
This paper presents the initial report of our “Karakorum Rescue Project 2020-21” in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The petroglyphs of the Karakorum Mountains are very important as it was... Show moreThis paper presents the initial report of our “Karakorum Rescue Project 2020-21” in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The petroglyphs of the Karakorum Mountains are very important as it was crucial crossroads throughout ancient times and different routes were used by a wide diversity of merchants, travellers, caravans and pilgrims for thousands of years. These rock art sites in the region are in danger due to the construction of dam, destruction and vandalism of especially the Buddhist rock art continue to threaten the existence of these historical petroglyphs, including many that have as yet never been documented before. For the preservation and documentation of this heritage, we initiated this project with the support of the Prince Claus Heritage Emergency Grant and the Aliph Alliance. This helps us to outline the academic and fieldwork strategies we used and how we combined a (non-invasive) archaeological photographical rescue campaign with an active and inclusive outreach to the local communities of the research region. Show less
Harskamp, R.E.; Himmelreich, J.C.L.; Wong, G.W.M.; Teichert, M. 2021
Objectives To describe the prevalence, temporal and regional trends in prescribing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in conjunction with interacting medications. Methods We performed a cross... Show moreObjectives To describe the prevalence, temporal and regional trends in prescribing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in conjunction with interacting medications. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of pharmacy dispensing data in the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Statistics (SFK) registry on patients who have had a prescription for a DOAC filled at one of 831 randomly selected pharmacies in the Netherlands between Jan 2014-Jan 2019. Results We identified 99,211 patients who had a first DOAC prescription filled. Mean age was 71.6 +/- 10.9 years, 58% were male. In 2014, 8,293 patients were treated with DOACs, in 2018, 35,415 were newly started on a DOAC. In 2018, the use of apixaban was most common (52%) in the Eastern region, whereas rivaroxaban was most frequently prescribed (32-48%) in the other regions. At time of first prescription, the vast majority (99.3%) used >= 1 concomitant interacting drug, and 3.2% used >= 3 interacting medications. Most common were digoxin (37.8%), atorvastatin (31.5%), verapamil (13.7%) and amiodarone (9.7%). While the number of interacting medications remained unchanged over time (median 1, interquartile range 1-1), there was a notable decrease in antiarrhythmic medications and an increase in non-cardiovascular interacting medications (e.g. dexamethasone from 0.9% to 7.1%, antiepileptic drugs from 2.5% to 3.8%, and haloperidol from 0.5% to 2.2% in 2014 and 2018, respectively). Conclusion DOAC use has quadrupled in Dutch clinical practice over the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018. While the number of patients who take interacting medications remained stable, the profile of interacting medications has changed over time from cardiovascular to medications affecting other organ systems. Show less
Attitudes towards cultural heritage have long been characterised by an ‘endangerment sensibility’ concerned with preventing losses. Recently, however, critical heritage scholars have argued that... Show moreAttitudes towards cultural heritage have long been characterised by an ‘endangerment sensibility’ concerned with preventing losses. Recently, however, critical heritage scholars have argued that loss can be generative, facilitating the formation of new values and attachments. Their arguments have focused primarily on material heritage, whose risk of damage and disappearance is accelerating due to growing environmental crises. After Japan’s 2011 tsunami, however, heritage scholars there began probing a related question: what happens when supposedly ‘intangible’ heritage is damaged? Taking this question as a starting point, I ask how recent applications of assemblage theory in studies of heritage can shed light on destruction's role in forming and reforming places and peoples. Drawing on fieldwork in Japan’s disaster regions, I argue that disassembly is a form of damage rendering both the things mediating heritage and its reciprocal mediation of social life matters of concern. I suggest that the potential of loss lies in how heritage can be made to translate other interests during its reassembly. By contrast, attempts to perpetuate pre-existing relations can render the social more rather than less precarious, depending on the context. Show less
This introduction to the Asiascape: Digital Asia special issue on ‘smart communities’ discusses how new technologies have created a paradigm of ‘smartness’ that informs how innovators,... Show moreThis introduction to the Asiascape: Digital Asia special issue on ‘smart communities’ discusses how new technologies have created a paradigm of ‘smartness’ that informs how innovators, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and administrators imagine sociality in urban spaces. This is visible in plans for turning Singapore, Hong Kong, or Taipei into ‘smart cities’, and countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea are similarly rolling out initiatives that promise to revamp urban life across the region. Such ‘solutionist’ attempts to address the complexities of contemporary social life through technology cleverly fuse surveillance techniques, capitalist structures, free labour practices, and neoliberal governance to create urban utopias of safety, convenience, and community. We have asked the contributors to this special issue to explore what people do, through and with digital technologies, as they establish, claim, contest, and alter various social relations in the name of ‘smart community’, and this article introduces and discusses their results. Show less
Childhood obesity remains a major public health concern. To successfully address the childhood obesity epidemic, intersectoral community interventions that take into account the multifactorial... Show moreChildhood obesity remains a major public health concern. To successfully address the childhood obesity epidemic, intersectoral community interventions that take into account the multifactorial aetiology of childhood obesity are needed. However, the implementation of such interventions has proved to be difficult and prone to error. This thesis therefore examines the implementation process of five EPODE-derived intersectoral community approaches targeting childhood obesity in the Netherlands. It focuses on both the level of implementation and determinants of implementation. Quantitative as well as qualitative methods are used, next to novel “in-between” methods such as Quantitative Comparative Analysis and Social Network Analysis. Recommendations are provided on how to design strategies to improve the implementation of intersectoral community approaches, and suggestion for future research initiatives are made. Show less
Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium, the toxin-producing strains of which cause colitis. Risk factors are antibiotics, advanced age and severe comorbidity. C. difficile infection ... Show moreClostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium, the toxin-producing strains of which cause colitis. Risk factors are antibiotics, advanced age and severe comorbidity. C. difficile infection (CDI) has been regarded as mostly a hospital-acquired infection. Preventing relapses is considered the biggest challenge in CDI management. In this thesis, we show that CDI occurs in Dutch general practices, often in patients without contact with hospitals. Also, we show that the emerging virulent strain PCR ribotype 027 has not become dominant in European hospitals, but community-associated type 078 has become highly prevalent. Furthermore, we found that cystic fibrosis outpatients are frequently colonized with C. difficile, though mostly with nonpathogenic strains. Thus, acquisition of C. difficile in the community appears more important than previously thought. Next, we show that renal failure at the time of diagnosis predicts relapses. In addition, patients who fail to develop antibodies against C. difficile toxins have a higher chance of relapse. We describe an experimental product derived from the milk of cows vaccinated against C. difficile and its toxins, which might prevent relapses. The last part of the thesis consists of the European guideline for CDI treatment and its recent update Show less
