Een integrale hervorming van de woningmarkt

Hervorming Sociale Regelgevin

Are public and private social expenditures complementary?

Most analyses of social protection are focussed on public arrangements. However, social effort is not restricted to the public domain; all kinds of private arrangements can be substitutes to public programs. OECD-data indicate that accounting for private social benefits and the impact of the tax system on social expenditure has an equalising effect on levels of social effort across a number of countries. This suggests complementarity between public and private social expenditures. Changes in the public/private mix in social protection will, however, have distributional effects. We expect that private schemes will generate less income redistribution than public programs. In this paper we will perform an empirical analysis. Using comparative international data we analyse whether there is a relationship between public and private social expenditures, and the distribution of income. We find a negative relationship between net public social expenditures and income inequality, but a positive relationship between net private social expenditures and income inequality across countries. In fact, when we incorporate private social security expenditures, the impact of total social expenditure on the income distribution becomes statistically trivial. We conclude that changes in the public/private mix in the provision of social protection may affect the redistributive impact of the welfare state

Functional similarities between pigeon \u27milk\u27 and mammalian milk : induction of immune gene expression and modification of the microbiota

Pigeon ‘milk’ and mammalian milk have functional similarities in terms of nutritional benefit and delivery of immunoglobulins to the young. Mammalian milk has been clearly shown to aid in the development of the immune system and microbiota of the young, but similar effects have not yet been attributed to pigeon ‘milk’. Therefore, using a chicken model, we investigated the effect of pigeon ‘milk’ on immune gene expression in the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and on the composition of the caecal microbiota. Chickens fed pigeon ‘milk’ had a faster rate of growth and a better feed conversion ratio than control chickens. There was significantly enhanced expression of immune-related gene pathways and interferon-stimulated genes in the GALT of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens. These pathways include the innate immune response, regulation of cytokine production and regulation of B cell activation and proliferation. The caecal microbiota of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens was significantly more diverse than control chickens, and appears to be affected by prebiotics in pigeon ‘milk’, as well as being directly seeded by bacteria present in pigeon ‘milk’. Our results demonstrate that pigeon ‘milk’ has further modes of action which make it functionally similar to mammalian milk. We hypothesise that pigeon ‘lactation’ and mammalian lactation evolved independently but resulted in similarly functional products

[Summary of the practice guideline 'Depressive disorder' (first revision) from the Dutch College of General Practitioners]

In the revised practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with a depressive disorder in general practice the distinction between mild and severe depression has been removed. By paying attention to a number of risk factors, the general practitioner can detect patients with a hidden depressive disorder. The general practitioner's strategy is aimed at reducing symptoms and restoring the ability to function normally. Factors that define the strategy are in particular patient's degree of suffering and dysfunctioning, and the patient's preferences and demands. In primary care tricyclic antidepressants and specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitors are the drugs of first choice: both are equally effective; the nature of the side effects differ

Samenvatting van de standaard 'Het soa-consult' van het Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap

The practice guideline on STD consultations from the Dutch College of General Practitioners sets out guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydia-infection, gonorrhoea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, genital herpes condylomata acuminata, hepatitis B, HIV-infection and pubic lice. Testing for Chlamydia-infection is always indicated if an STD is suspected but the necessity of also testing for gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis B or HIV-infection depends on the likely risk. For the diagnosis of Chlamydia in a symptomatic woman it advises taking material from the cervix and urethra. In an asymptomatic woman Chlamydia infection is excluded by means of a urine test. In men a urethral swab of the first part of the urinary stream can be used for diagnosis. The first choice of treatment for gonorrhoea is a single 1 g intramuscular dose ofcefotaxime. The practice guidelines also examine other aspects of treatment for STDs including counselling and telling partner

Samenvatting van de standaard 'Miskraam' (tweede herziening) van het Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap

The NHG practice guideline 'Miscarriage' provides guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pregnant women with vaginal bleeding during the period up to and including the 16th week after the first day of the last menstruation. The guideline has been revised on the basis of the developments over the last few years. The most important modifications are: In case of an imminent miscarriage, more consideration than before is given to the patient's preference with regard to ultrasonography, expectant management and curettage. The GP should therefore discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these options with the patient. A midwife was involved in the formulation of the new guideline. Referral from a GP to a midwife for transvaginal ultrasonography is offered as one of the possibilities. The paragraph on 'information' has been expanded on the basis of the results of a patient focus grou