Biogrondstoffen; van fossiel naar biomassa

Er is een oneindige voorraad planten dankzij de straling van de zon. Er zijn op aarde voldoende grond en biologische afvalstromen beschikbaar om een groot deel van de wereldbehoefte aan energie te vervullen en zo te komen tot een biobased economy. Het cahier Biogrondstoffen beschrijft de mogelijkheden en technieken om biomassa te verkrijgen en om te zetten in bruikbare en commercieel toepasbare biogrondstoffen. Het cahier besteedt ook aandacht aan de belemmeringen voor een dergelijke groene economie. Een duurzame productie van biomassa en biobrandstoffen op grote schaal vereist goede voorwaarden, zodat de omstandigheden van mensen in arme landen en het milieu niet verslechteren, maar juist verbeteren. Met die gedachte en gezien de ontwikkelingen in de technologie, is de redactie van het cahier voorzichtig optimistisch over de toekomst van een groene, mede op biomassa georiënteerde, economie

Are care staff equipped for end-of-life communication? : a cross-sectional study in long-term care facilities to identify determinants of self-efficacy

Background: End-of-life conversations are rarely initiated by care staff in long-term care facilities. A possible explanation is care staff's lack of self-efficacy in such conversations. Research into the determinants of self-efficacy for nurses and care assistants in end-of-life communication is scarce and self-efficacy might differ between care staff of mental health facilities, nursing homes, and care homes. This study aimed to explore differences between care staff in mental health facilities, nursing homes, and care homes with regard to knowledge about palliative care, time pressure, and self-efficacy in end-of-life communication, as well as aiming to identify determinants of high self-efficacy in end-of-life communication. Methods: Two cross-sectional Dutch studies, one in mental health facilities and one in nursing and care homes (PACE study). Nurses and care assistants were invited to complete a questionnaire in 2015. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify determinants of high self-efficacy. Results: Five hundred forty one nurses and care assistants completed a survey; 137 worked in mental health facilities, 172 in nursing homes, and 232 in care homes. Care staff at mental health facilities were the most knowledgeable about the World Health Organization's definition of palliative care: 76% answered 4-5 out of 5 items correctly compared to 38% of nursing home staff and 40% of care home staff (p 36, female, with formal palliative care training, and knowledge of the palliative care definition. Conclusion: Mental healthcare staff knew more about palliative care and had higher self-efficacy in end-of-life communication compared to nursing and care home staff. Educating care staff about providing palliative care and training them in it might improve end-of-life communication in these facilities

Математическое моделирование гидрогазодинамики и тепломассопереноса в сдвиговых течениях реологически сложных вязких сред: идеи, результаты, перспективы прогноза процессов

В настоящей работе представлен критический анализ проблем, результатов и перспектив исследований течений сложных по структуре/реологии вязких сред в трубопроводных системах (узлах оборудования нефтегазовой, химико-технологической и тепло-энергетической промышленности), испытывающих на себе влияние неизотермичности, нестационарности, переменности тепло- и реофизических свойств, внешних полей от действия инерционных и гравитационных сил, особенностей формы поперечного сечения проточной части. Особое внимание уделяется: технологиям моделирования углеводородов (тяжелых нефтей, масел) при их транспортировке на участках труб/каналов с интенсивным тепломассообменом; определению мер повышения энергоэффективности и стабильности функционирования оборудования, изучению опыта анализа проблем коррозии энергонапряженных элементов, а также их очистки от загрязнений

Demonstration of visualization techniques for the control room engineer in 2030.:ELECTRA Deliverable D8.1. WP8: Future Control Room Functionality

Deliverable 8.1 reports results on analytics and visualizations of real time flexibility in support of voltage and frequency control in 2030+ power system. The investigation is carried out by means of relevant control room scenarios in order to derive the appropriate analytics needed for each specific network event

Physicians' experiences with euthanasia: a cross-sectional survey amongst a random sample of Dutch physicians to explore their concerns, feelings and pressure

BACKGROUND: Physicians who receive a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide may experience a conflict of duties: the duty to preserve life on the one hand and the duty to relieve suffering on the other hand. Little is known about experiences of physicians with receiving and granting a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the concerns, feelings and pressure experienced by physicians who receive requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. METHODS: In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 3000 Dutch physicians. Physicians who had been working in adult patient care in the Netherlands for the last year were included in the sample (n = 2657). Half of the physicians were asked about the most recent case in which they refused a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide, and half about the most recent case in which they granted a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. RESULTS: Of the 2657 eligible physicians, 1374 (52%) responded. The most reported reason not to participate was lack of time. Of the respondents, 248 answered questions about a refused euthanasia or assisted suicide request and 245 about a granted EAS request. Concerns about specific aspects of the euthanasia and assisted suicide process, such as the emotional burden of preparing and performing euthanasia or assisted suicide were commonly reported by physicians who refused and who granted a request. Pressure to grant a request was mostly experienced by physicians who refused a request, especial