Anaerobic waste water treatment

Anaerobic waste water treatment will be employed in place of aerobic processes for many types of effluents in the near future. There is an increased understanding of the fundamentals of the process, and inexpensive high-rate treatment systems are being developed. In 1978 a full scale anaerobic upflow reactor was installed in The Netherlands and this system has since found many applications in industries all over the world. An advanced anaerobic fluid bed installation is now under construction at a bakers' yeast factory in Delft, The Netherlands.     

Dispersal and habitat connectivity in complex heterogeneous landscapes: an analysis with a GIS-based random walk model

A grid-based random walk model has been developed to simulate animal dispersal, taking landscape heterogeneity and linear barriers such as roads and rivers into account The model can be used to estimate connectivity and has been parametenzed for the badger in the central Netherlands The importance of key parameters was evaluated by means of sensitivity analysis Results agree with field observations, and give interesting insight into the isolation of populations and potential populations The model can be applied to obtain knowledge about dispersal processes in complex landscapes     

Bacterial canker of plum trees, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovars, as a serious threat for plum production in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, bacterial canker in plum trees (Prunus domestica) is a serious and recent problem in plum production. It is caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovars syringae and morsprunorum. The trunks of the affected plum trees are girdled by bacterial cankers resulting in sudden death of infected trees in 3-4 years after planting. Disease incidences can be very high, and sometimes complete orchards have to be removed. Recently, plum cultivation in the Netherlands has changed from a relatively extensive into an intensive cultivation. However, due to the risks of losses of trees due to bacterial canker, growers are reluctant to plant new plum orchards. In general nurseries and fruit growers are not familiar with bacterial diseases and lack knowledge in order to prevent infections. Therefore, control strategies to manage plum decline have to be developed.     

Technology transfer of Sabin-IPV to new developing country markets.

The Netherlands Vaccine Institute (NVI) developed the micro-carrier technology for large-scale production of IPV in the late 1960s and has used this technology successfully to produce IPV as well as DTP-IPV for the national immunization program in the Netherlands. As a public sector organization, and as one of the Millennium Development Goals, NVI has supported over the years access to vaccine technology like DTP and Hib for vaccine manufacturers in developing countries. In line with this role as a resource institute, NVI has recently been approached by a number of vaccine manufacturers, predominantly from developing countries, for transfer of IPV technology to meet the anticipated increase in demand for IPV following OPV cessation. Since WHO encourages new manufacturers to use the attenuated Sabin virus instead of wild polio strains in the production of IPV, NVI decided to respond positively to this WHO policy. The existing NVI experience in large-scale production of IPV and OPV using Vero cell based micro-carrier technology and its experience with experimental Sabin-IPV is an attractive start for the development of Sabin-IPV. This paper discusses the approach followed and the experience already gained in the project, as well as factors critical to its success.     

Dispersal and development ofMarenzelleria spp. (Polychaeta, Spionidae) populations in NW Europe and The Netherlands

The North American spionid polychaeteMarenzelleria cf.wireni was first recorded in the North Sea by Scotland in 1982.Marenzelleria cf.viridis was first found in the Baltic Sea in 1985. Tentative routes of dispersal since then are presented in this paper. In the Netherlands, a biological monitoring programme has revealed populations ofM. cf.wireni in the Ems estuary, Wadden Sea, and in the SW Netherlands. In the Dollard (Ems estuary) a large population has developed (2000–3000 individuals m^?2; 8–16 g ash-free dry weight m^?2). Since the introduction, the macrozoobenthic community has changed from being dominated (by biomass) by bivalves, to domination by polychaetes. Recently, a similar population started to develop at Balgzand (western Dutch Wadden Sea).     

Conservation of moths in The Netherlands: population trends, distribution patterns and monitoring techniques of day-flying moths

The loss of butterfly diversity in north-western Europe has been studied extensively but much less is known about the status of other macrolepidoptera. The present paper presents results of the research on mainly day-flying larger moths carried out by Dutch Butterfly Conservation in The Netherlands. Research started in 1992 with a public campaign and a mapping programme, leading to an increase in the number of records of macrolepidoptera. Results from the mapping programme on day-flying moths showed a strong general decrease in The Netherlands, comparable with the loss of butterfly diversity. Transect counts have been undertaken since 2000 for a few species and this method is sufficient to measure trends over time if the moth densities are high enough. Another research component was to focus on marshland habitats in The Netherlands. Fifty-five characteristic marshland moth species were selected and the relative abundance of nearly all these species has declined. These trends were compared with four other countries in the Atlantic biogeographical zone. The relative abundance of the majority of marshland moths in The Netherlands was found to be higher than those in other European countries, so that The Netherlands has a special responsibility for the conservation of the moths of its marshes. Moreover, we emphasise that, next to butterflies, moths can be of great use in nature conservation because of their potential significance as indicator species in endangered habitats.     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in a European context

This paper reviews the main aspects of the ethical and legal stance on preimplantation genetic diagnosis taken in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Each of the four countries has taken a different line. Germany has taken a prohibitive approach, while France has a cautious regulatory system and the UK a liberal one. The Netherlands does not yet have legislation which applies directory to PGD.     

Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis of Dutch Bordetella pertussis strains reveals rapid genetic changes with clonal expansion during the late 1990s

Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, has remained endemic in The Netherlands despite extensive nationwide vaccination since 1953. In the 1990s, several epidemic periods have resulted in many cases of pertussis. We have proposed that strain variation has played a major role in the upsurges of this disease in The Netherlands. Therefore, molecular characterization of strains is important in identifying the causes of pertussis epidemiology. For this reason, we have developed a multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) typing system for B. pertussis. By combining the MLVA profile with the allelic profile based on multiple-antigen sequence typing, we were able to further differentiate strains. The relationships between the various genotypes were visualized by constructing a minimum spanning tree. MLVA of Dutch strains of B. pertussis revealed that the genotypes of the strains isolated in the prevaccination period were diverse and clearly distinct from the strains isolated in the 1990s. Furthermore, there was a decrease in diversity in the strains from the late 1990s, with a remarkable clonal expansion that coincided with the epidemic periods. Using this genotyping, we have been able to show that B. pertussis is much more dynamic than expected.     

ITSs Typing of P. carinii Samples from Italy, The Netherlands and Tanzania.

SUMMARY P. carinii molecular epidemiology appears a new interesting investigational field to understand distribution and incidence of isolates from different geographical locations. Recently a typing system, the Type Specific Oligoblotting (TSO) based on 6 different sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITSs) of P. carinii rRNA has been developed [1]. By using P. carinii ITSs nested PCR followed by TSO hybridization we have typed 55 lung derived specimens collected in Italy, The Netherlands and sub-Saharian Africa from pts with microwpically detected P. carinii pneumonia.     

No substantial excess all-cause mortality among cardiac implantable electronic device patients during the first COVID‑19 lockdown in the Leiden area

Netherlands Heart Journal - In the Netherlands, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID?19) pandemic has resulted in excess mortality nationwide. Chronic heart disease patients are at risk for...     

The legal investigation of a decision not to operate on an infant with Down's syndrome and a duodenal atresia: a report from the Netherlands

It is well-known that in the Netherlands it has for several years been possible to carry out voluntary euthanasia quite openly, provided certain strict conditions are fulfilled. This situation has arisen because courts in the Netherlands have decided that doctors who end the lives of their patients under these conditions are in a "conflict of duties" situation, and therefore should not be convicted of any criminal offence. It has, however, not been known what view a Netherlands court might take about life and death decisions concerning patients who are not capable of giving consent -- for example, infants. This report briefly outlines my experience in the case of an infant with Down's syndrome and duodenal atresia -- a blockage of the digestive system that must be operated upon if the infant is to survive. A decision was taken not to operate, and this decision resulted in the Netherlands courts considering whether criminal proceedings were justified.     

TURBOVEG,a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data

Abstract. The computer software package TURBOVEG (for Microsoft® Windows®) was developed in The Netherlands for the processing of phytosociological data. This package comprises an easy‐to‐use data base management system. The data bank to be managed can be divided into several data bases which may consist of up to 100 000 relevés each. The program provides methods for input, import, selection, and export of relevés. In 1994, TURBOVEG was accepted as the standard computer package for the European Vegetation Survey. Currently it has been installed in more than 25 countries throughout Europe and overseas.     

Percutaneous left ventricular partitioning device for chronic heart failure

We report the first implantation of a percutaneous left ventricular partitioning device in the Netherlands. This device is developed for patients with chronic heart failure due to a left ventricular apical aneurysm caused by an anterior myocardial infarction.     

Considerations on the evolution of the chromosome complement in odonata

The views of earlier authors on the karyotypic evolution in dragonflies are criticised and a new hypothesis is proposed. It is based on integration of independent karyological, morphological and paleontological evidence, is accounting for the origin of any chromosome number, and is in agreement with the evidence found and the opinions expressed so far on the course of the karyotype numerical evolution in the other insect orders possessing holokinetic chromosomes.It seems most likely that the present numerical variation in odonate karyotypes has developed through the occurrence of breaks (leading to haploid numbers 10 to 15) and fusions (leading to the complements 3 to 7) in ancestral forms which had n=9.Low-n complements have been reported for tropical species only, whereas secondarily reduced high-n complements so far have been recorded only in dragonflies from the Temperate Region.The biological significance of the karyotype variation within a species is considered and a list of the known dragonfly hybrids is given.Paper presented at the Meeting of the Entomological Society of the Netherlands, 15 April 1967, Amsterdam and at the Meeting of the Genetical Society of the Netherlands, 21 April 1967, Utrecht.     

Evolutionary dynamics of declining melanism in the peppered moth in the Netherlands

Populations of Biston betularia in the region of The Netherlands around Leiden and Rotterdam were resampled. A comparison of three sets of data for 1969-1973, 1988 and 1999 enabled a further examination of declines in melanism. Unlike parallel changes for the black carbonaria form of this species in urban regions of Britain, those inThe Netherlands involve substantial changes in frequencies of at least two of the intermediate insularia morphs as well as an increase in the non-melanic typica morph. The darkest of the three insularia morphs has shown a transitory pulse of increased frequency in The Netherlands. The dynamics are discussed in relation to the history of air pollution and to straightforward predictions about selection.     

Detection of hepatitis B surface antigen using passive hemagglutination

The passive hemagglutination test (Sero-Test CCB) for the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been developed. The comparative study of the sensitivity of Sero-Test CCB, the passive hemagglutination test Hepanostikon (developed by Organon, the Netherlands) and the radioimmunoassay (with the use of an experimental assay kit provided by the Institute of Vaccines in Dessau, GDR) has been carried out by the determination of HBsAg in 100 coded sera from viral hepatitis patients and hepatitis virus carriers. Both passive hemagglutination tests (Sero-Test CCB and Hepanostikon) have yielded coinciding results (r = 0.90). The sensitivity of Sero-Test CCB has been found to exceed that achieved with the use of electrophoretic techniques 30-150 times, though it is 8 times lower than the sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay. The test kits Sero-Test CCB HBsAg are used for the examination of donor blood and for the survey of groups of persons subjected to a high risk of contacting hepatitis B infection in hemodialysis and transplantation centers, surgical wards, etc.     

Development and application of bio-economic modelling to compare silvoarable, arable, and forestry systems in three European countries

Silvoarable agroforestry could promote use of trees on farms in Europe, but its likely effect on production, farm profitability, and environmental services is poorly understood. Hence, from 2001 to 2005, the Silvoarable Agroforestry for Europe project developed a systematic process to evaluate the biophysical and economic performance of arable, forestry, and silvoarable systems in Spain, France, and The Netherlands. A biophysical model called “Yield-SAFE” was developed to predict long-term yields for the different systems and local statistics and expert opinion were used to derive their revenue, costs, and pre- and post-2005 grant regimes. These data were then used in an economic model called “Farm-SAFE” to predict plot- and farm-scale profitability. Land equivalent ratios were greater than one, showing Yield-SAFE predicted that growing trees and crops in silvoarable systems was more productive than growing them separately. Pre-2005 grants in Spain and The Netherlands penalised silvoarable systems, but post-2005 grants were more equitable. In France, walnut and poplar silvoarable systems were consistently the most profitable system under both grant regimes. In Spain, holm oak and stone pine silvoarable systems were the least profitable system under pre-2005 grants, but only marginally less profitable than arable systems under post-2005 grants. In The Netherlands, low timber values and the opportunity cost of losing arable land for slurry manure application made silvoarable and forestry systems uncompetitive with arable systems under both grant regimes.