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Infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii remain a challenge to our healthcare systems as they are still difficult to treat. In order to improve treatment success, in particular for infections that have disseminated to the central nervous system, a better understanding of the disease is needed, addressing questions like how it evolves from a pulmonary to a brain disease and how novel treatment approaches can be developed and validated. This requires not only clinical research and research on the microorganisms in a laboratory environment but also preclinical models in order to study cryptococci in the host. We provide an overview of available preclinical models, with particular emphasis on models of cryptococcosis in rodents. In order to further improve the characterization of rodent models, in particular the dynamic aspects of disease manifestation, development, and ultimate treatment, preclinical in vivo imaging methods are increasingly used, mainly in research for oncological, neurological, and cardiac diseases. In vivo imaging applications for fungal infections are rather sparse. A second aspect of this review is how research on models of cryptococcosis can benefit from in vivo imaging methods that not only provide information on morphology and tissue structure but also on function, metabolism, and cellular properties in a non-invasive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The bioeconomy is a shared vision for a future European industry entirely based on organic matter. Authorities support this technological development with subsidies and policies stimulating R&D. One major limitation for the bioeconomy is that R&D and industrial growth require the continuous availability of biomass as a primary resource. This resource dependence is already present during the formative years of new biobased innovations and influences the pilot and demonstration phase of the development. Traditionally, it is assumed that public support for pilot and demonstration initiatives may overcome this hurdle. In this paper, we investigate how this resource constraint limits the effectiveness of bioeconomy policies. The future development of the biobased sector is simulated including the inherent dependence of industrial activity on biomass. We simulate the future growth and technological diversity of an emerging biotechnological sector: the sector of manure transformation in Belgium. The paper reports the evolutions for three policy scenarios. The model explicitly accounts for endogenous innovation and knowledge transfer mechanisms. The results show that policies may have an important impact on the sector structure in the long run, but the sector growth remains ultimately constrained by the availability of inputs. So bioeconomy policies to promote innovation will be less effective, unless mechanisms are included to alleviate the resource constraint. Highlights • Biomass resource constraints impact the effectiveness of bioeconomy policies. • Bioeconomy policies may have an important impact on the sector structure in the long run, but the sector growth remains ultimately constrained by the availability of inputs. • Solutions to reduce the biomass constraint have to be included in innovation policy for the biobased economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability guidelines can help to safeguard the sustainable use of biological materials. When these guidelines are legally prescribed, their influence on the economic viability of bioenergy, biofuel and bioliquid projects is increased substantially, through their impact on national subsidy regimes and international trade. One of the key examples is the European directive 2009/28/EC, or the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), and the related COM/2010/11 that integrate guidelines for calculating greenhouse gas impact for various bioenergy pathways. This paper looks further into the sustainability results when influenced by principal decisions that are legally open for debate. Therefore, a concise review is conducted of the legal state-of-the-art on whether a product is waste or not. The review pinpoints uncertainty, leading to four potential legal scenarios. The sustainability of a complex biorefinery is analysed for each scenario. The results show (i) a high sensitivity to the principal decisions on the nature of waste materials in the scenarios, and (ii) to the definition of boundaries between the processes. More detailed rules for the application of the RED guidelines are needed, and should be complemented with methods specifically targeting all relevant sustainability aspects, thereby enhancing the overall understanding of the sustainability of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The behaviour of household members has a significant impact on the resulting energy consumption of a household. Studies show that within the same buildings with the same installations, energy consumption can be reduced by an average of 37% by a more economical behaviour. There exists therefore, a large potential to reduce the demand by influencing behaviour. The question remains how this potential can be addressed. VITO conducted, in collaboration with the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve, the SEREC-project. This project investigated the socio-economic factors influencing residential energy consumption; furthermore, in the larger framework different tools have been developed. Several were tested and evaluated in a number of dwellings in this research. They address both energy consumption for heating as well as electricity consumption. The tools are completely different, but all were designed to help make householders aware of their energy-related behaviour and to provide recommendations on energy saving measures. For each case, potential changes in habits were followed-up. The observed range is quite large, as full scale audits of every dwelling were performed as general comparisons of annual consumption were made. To gain more insight into the effectiveness of the tools, several families participated in in-depth sociological interviews. The overall results show the strengths and weaknesses of the different tools. More generally, the results reveal some of the key properties of recommendations that are necessary to ensure effectiveness for behavioural change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]