Schengen under Covid-19

The Global Covid-19 pandemic led to disruptions in the European Union. To contain the spread of the highly contagious disease, member states introduced uncoordinated restrictions to the freedom of movement in the Schengen area. This renewed fragmentation and the apparent inability of the European Commission to mitigate and control the situation renewed the theoretical debate of European integration. Past research on crisis has shown that the scope and symmetry of a crisis affects how the integration unfolds, the constitutional and institutional framework also affect these outcomes. When a crisis affects an area where the EU has clear competence along with strong institutions, integration tends to evolve in a neofunctionalistic way. Where it’s the opposite, intergovernmental bargaining drives integration. This thesis aims to analyse if the covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the Schengen policy in a way that can be explained by examining the integrational theories neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism. The analysis is based on policy documents from three EU institutions, the European Commission, The European Parliament, and The European Council. The results show that supranational actors, like the Commission and the Parliament, advocate for deeper integration of the Schengen codex but are aware of the past failures to do so, which show a combination of neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism. The conclusions that this thesis draws are that the pandemic has revitalized the need for policy reform, according to the documents analysed, but that the classic theories of integration are not substantial on their own to draw accurate predictions on actual integrational outcomes related to Schengen

Downregulation of aging-related Klotho gene in experimental colitis: the role of TNF and IFN-γ

Klotho deficiency in hypomorphic KL mice leads to premature senescence and phenotype consistent with impaired mineral homeostasis. Klotho has anti-inflammatory properties protecting from NO-induced endothelial dysfunction, reduces the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, and may contribute to T-cell dysfunction. Since defective Ca2+/Pi homeostasis leading to osteopenia/osteoporosis is frequently associated with human IBD, we investigated the changes in Klotho gene expression as a consequence of experimental colitis

The Role of Curcumin in Modulating Colonic Microbiota During Colitis and Colon Cancer Prevention:

Intestinal microbiota influences the progression of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). With diet being a key determinant of the gut microbial ecology, dietary interventions are an attractive avenue for the prevention of CAC. Curcumin is the most active constituent of the ground rhizome of the Curcuma Longa plant, which has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-proliferative properties

Discovery and Genomic Characterization of a Novel Ovine Partetravirus and a New Genotype of Bovine Partetravirus

Partetravirus is a recently described group of animal parvoviruses which include the human partetravirus, bovine partetravirus and porcine partetravirus (previously known as human parvovirus 4, bovine hokovirus and porcine hokovirus respectively). In this report, we describe the discovery and genomic characterization of partetraviruses in bovine and ovine samples from China. These partetraviruses were detected by PCR in 1.8% of bovine liver samples, 66.7% of ovine liver samples and 71.4% of ovine spleen samples. One of the bovine partetraviruses detected in the present samples is phylogenetically distinct from previously reported bovine partetraviruses and likely represents a novel genotype. The ovine partetravirus is a novel partetravirus and phylogenetically most related to the bovine partetraviruses. The genome organization is conserved amongst these viruses, including the presence of a putative transmembrane protein encoded by an overlapping reading frame in ORF2. Results from the present study provide further support to the classification of partetraviruses as a separate genus in Parvovirinae

Antegrade persufflation of porcine kidneys improves renal function after warm ischemia

IntroductionTransplantation of kidneys from expanded criteria donors (ECD), including after circulatory death (DCD), is associated with a higher risk of adverse events compared to kidneys from standard criteria donors. In previous studies, improvements in renal transplant outcomes have been seen when kidneys were perfused with gaseous oxygen during preservation (persufflation, PSF). In the present study, we assessed ex-vivo renal function from a Diffusion Contrast Enhanced (DCE)-MRI estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); and metabolic sufficiency from whole-organ oxygen consumption (WOOCR) and lactate production rates.MethodsUsing a porcine model of DCD, we assigned one kidney to antegrade PSF, and the contralateral kidney to static cold storage (SCS), both maintained for 24 h at 4°C. Post-preservation organ quality assessments, including eGFR, WOOCR and lactate production, were measured under cold perfusion conditions, and biopsies were subsequently taken for histopathological analysis.ResultsA significantly higher eGFR (36.6 ± 12.1 vs. 11.8 ± 4.3 ml/min, p < 0.05), WOOCR (182 ± 33 vs. 132 ± 21 nmol/min*g, p < 0.05), and lower rates of lactate production were observed in persufflated kidneys. No overt morphological differences were observed between the two preservation methods.ConclusionThese data suggest that antegrade PSF is more effective in preserving renal function than conventional SCS. Further studies in large animal models of transplantation are required to investigate whether integration with PSF of WOOCR, eGFR or lactate production measurements before transplantation are predictive of post-transplantation renal function and clinical outcomes

Ruimte voor water : proefsleuven voor een toekomstige waterberging in de Oude Lierpolder, gemeente Westland

Lit.opg. en verklarende woordenlijst

ILAHS.reeks2

De verwachting is hoog dat behoudenswaardige archeologische resten uit de Late-Middeleeuwen en Nieuwe tijd binnen het plangebied aanwezig zijn. Het verdient de voorkeur de bouwwerkzaamheden zo uit te voeren dat archeologische resten zoveel mogelijk behouden blijven. In het huidige plan is voorgesteld een ophogingspakket van 1,10 m aan te brengen alvorens te bouwen met heipalen. In dit geval is archeologisch vervolgonderzoek niet nodig. Bij wijzigingen van de bouwplannen dient rekening te worden gehouden met vervolgonderzoek in de vorm van proefsleuven. De sloop van de funderingen van het woonhuis op de locatie dient begeleid te worden door een archeoloog en eventueel bouwhistoricus

Programma van eisen voor archeologisch veldonderzoek in het plangebied Zuiderloo, gemeente Heiloo (Noord-Holland)

Met lit. op