The European Institute for Innovation through Health Data

The European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i~HD, www.i-hd.eu) has been formed as one of the key sustainable entities arising from the Electronic Health Records for Clinical Research (IMI-JU-115189) and SemanticHealthNet (FP7-288408) projects, in collaboration with several other European projects and initiatives supported by the European Commission. i~HD is a European not-for-profit body, registered in Belgium through Royal Assent. i~HD has been established to tackle areas of challenge in the successful scaling up of innovations that critically rely on high-quality and interoperable health data. It will specifically address obstacles and opportunities to using health data by collating, developing, and promoting best practices in information governance and in semantic interoperability. It will help to sustain and propagate the results of health information and communication technology (ICT) research that enables better use of health data, assessing and optimizing their novel value wherever possible. i~HD has been formed after wide consultation and engagement of many stakeholders to develop methods, solutions, and services that can help to maximize the value obtained by all stakeholders from health data. It will support innovations in health maintenance, health care delivery, and knowledge discovery while ensuring compliance with all legal prerequisites, especially regarding the insurance of patient's privacy protection. It is bringing multiple stakeholder groups together so as to ensure that future solutions serve their collective needs and can be readily adopted affordably and at scale

Einfluss mikrobieller Aktivitaet auf das Migrationsverhalten redoxsensitiver Radionuklide (Technetium und Selen) in Lockergesteinen

In closed cycle column tests under sterile conditions there was no or hardly any sorption of the two radionuclides. In closed cycle column tests with unsterile soils, however, the two radionuclides were extremely immobilised (80 % of the output activity of Tc-95m and 40 % of the output activity of Se-75). By inoculation of the sterile columns with mixed soil cultures an increase in sorption of 40 % of the output activity was achieved which is attributed to the microbial activity. The adsorbed radionuclides in unsterile columns could be remobilized by adding a bactericide. In columns with saline water the sorption of radionuclides was slightly lower. Soils with a 5 % organic carbon content showed extremely increased sorption of the two radionuclides. In comparison with closed cycle columns shake tests were carried out. During turbulent intermixing of water and solid, no sorption of technetium was observed in unsterile tests either, while Se-75 added as selenite was strongly adsorbed to the solid. When adding acetate as a C-source, the microbially conditioned reduction of the redox potential to -100 mV and, subsequently, a strong increase of sorption could be observed. A reduction of the pH value in the soils to pH 4, and simultaneous adding of acetate significally reduced the microbial activity and the sorption of technetium, while selenite sorption remained strong as before. Sorption tests with bacteria-pure and mixed cultures showed no sorption of the pertechnetate anion in the oxidation stage (VII). However, when reducing the pertechnetate by means of SnCl2, up to 40 % of the feed activity of killed and living biomass was immobilized. Between 20-30 % of the adsorbed technetium quantity was outside at the membrane, and 40% inside the cells. After a three-day incubation period in a technetium-containing solution, a factor of 15,5 was achieved as the maximum intracellular concentration factor for the isolate 9143 (Xanthomas sp.). (orig./MG)Zentrales Thema der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Untersuchung des mikrobiellen Einflusses auf die Sorption der Radionuklide Technetium Tc-95 m (TcO_4)- und Selen Se-75 (SeO_4"2-) in Boeden. Beide Radionuklide wurden in Umlaufsaeulenversuchen unter sterilen Bedingungen nicht bzw. kaum festgelegt. In Umlaufsaeulenversuche mit unsterilen Boeden wurden dagegen beide Radionuklide extrem stark immobilisiert (80% der Ausgangsaktivitaet fuer Tc-95 m und 40% der Ausgangsaktivitaet fuer Se-75). Bei Animpfen der sterilen Saeulen mit Bodenmischkulturen konnte eine Steigerung der Sorption von 40% der Ausgangsaktivitaet erreicht werden, die sich auf mikrobielle Aktivitaet zurueckfuehren laesst. Die sorbierten Radionuklide in unsterilen Saeulen liessen sich durch die Zugabe eines Bakterizides remobilisieren. In Saeulen mit salinem Wasser war die Sorption der Radionuklide leicht vermindert. Boeden mit 5% organischem Kohlenstoffgehalt zeigten stark erhoehte Festlegungen beider Radionuklide. Als Vergleich zu Umlaufsaeulenversuchen wurden Schuettelversuche durchgefuehrt. Bei der turbulenten Durchmischung von Wasser und Feststoff konnte auch in unsterilen Versuchen keine Sorption des Technetiums beobachtet werden, waehrend das als Selenit zugegebene Se-75 stark am Feststoff festgelegt wurde. Bei Zugabe von Acetat als C-Quelle liess sich die mikrobiell bedingte Absenkung des Redoxpotentials auf -100 mV und nachfolgend eine starke Steigerung der Sorption verfolgen. Eine Absenkung des pH-Wertes in den Boeden auf pH4 bei gleichzeitiger Acetatzugabe verminderte die mikrobielle Aktivitaet und die Sorption des Technetiums signifikant, waehrend die Selenitsorption unveraendert stark blieb. Sorptionsuntersuchungen mit Bakterienrein und Mischkulturen zeigten keine Festlegung des Pertechnetatanions in der Oxidationsstufe (VII). (orig./MG)Available from TIB Hannover: RO 6927(21) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

The SHARE Road Map: Healthgrids for Biomedical Research and Healthcare.

The HealthGrid White Paper was published at the third annual conference in Oxford in 2005. Starting from the conclusions of the White Paper, the EU funded SHARE project (http://www.eu-share.org) has aimed at identifying the most important steps and significant milestones towards wide deployment and adoption of healthgrids in Europe. The project has defined a strategy to address the issues identified in the action plan for European e-Health (COM(2004).356) and has devised a roadmap for the major technological and ethical and legal developments and social and economic investments needed for successful take up of healthgrids in the next 10 years. A "beta" version of the road map underwent full review by a panel of 25 prominent European experts at a workshop in December 2007. The present document is an executive policy summary of the final draft road map. It has sought to reconcile likely conflicts between technological developments and regulatory frameworks by bringing together the project's technical road map and conceptual map of ethical and legal issues and socio-economic prospects. A key tool in this process was a collection of case studies of healthgrid applications

Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroflora auf die Sorption und Remobilisierung des Technetiums und des Selens an verschiedenen Sedimenten Abschlussbericht

In this research project the influence of autochthonous micro-organisms on immobilisation and remobilization of Technetium and Selenium was investigated. Both radionuclides are part of the nuclear fuel waste (Tc app. 6%). Former investigations have shown, that immobilisation behaviour of both elements can be influenced by micro-organisms. The autochthonous population of micro-organisms in deep sediments and their influence on immobilisation of Tc and Se was investigated in this study. For this reason recirculation column tests were carried out. Absolutely sterile and anaerobic handling is necessary handling the sediments and waters used for the experiments. Special methods for sampling, storage and handling were developed. More than 30 sediments have been investigated. The number of colony forming units (CFU) has always been relatively low (less than E+06 CFU). The results of recirculation column tests with autochthonous micro-organisms were compared with sterilized (Co-60) parallel tests and were verified with the results of hydrochemical equilibration code PHREEQUE. Instead of the allochthonous micro-orgamisms the autochthonous organisms showed no significant fixation of the radionuclides due to microbial activity. This is true for various temperatures of 10 C (aquifer temperature) and 20 C (normal laboratory temperature). An addition of an inoculum of the autochthonous micro-organisms developed at breeding temperature of 10 and 20 C had no influence on the radionuclide mobility. Performing conventional laboratory experiments you have to consider an overestimated retardation capacity because of an inevitable contamination with allochthonous micro-organisms. (orig.)In dem Forschungsvorhaben wurde der Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroorganismen auf das Immobilisierungsverhalten von Technetium und Selen untersucht. Beide redoxsensitiven Radionuklide sind im Abfall von Kernbrennelementen enthalten (Tc ca. 6%). Aus vorangegangenen Forschungsarbeiten ist bekannt, dass das Immobilisierungsverhalten der beiden Elemente durch Mikroorganismen beeinflusst werden kann. Nicht bekannt jedoch war, welche Mikroorganismen in Sedimenten aus groesseren Teufen vorkommen und welchen Einfluss diese auf das Immobilisierungsverhalten zeigen. In dieser Studie wurden ca. 30 Grundwasserleitermaterialien auf ihre autochthonen Mikroorganismen (MO) untersucht. Die Zahl der Koloniebildenden Einheiten (KBE) war immer relativ gering (weniger als E+06 KBE). Die Ergebnisse aus Umlaufsaeulenversuchen mit autochthonen MO wurden verglichen mit Proben, die durch Co-60-Bestrahlung sterilisiert wurden. Es zeigte sich, dass die im Boden vorhandenen autochthonen Mikroorganismen vor allem aufgrund ihrer geringen Populationsdichte keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Mobilitaet zeigen. Dies bestaetigt sich auch bei einer Versuchstemperatur von 20 C (Labortemperatur) gegenueber 10 C (Grundwasserleitertemperatur) sowie nach der Zugabe eines Inokulums aus autochthonen Mikroorganismen, die jeweils bei 10 C und 20 C bebruetet wurden. Bei konventionell durchgefuehrten Laborversuchen zur Abschaetzung der Rueckhaltekapazitaeten von Sedimenten gegenueber Schadstoffen muss, wegen der unvermeidbaren mikrobiellen Kontamination, mit der Moeglichkeit zu hoher Sorptionsraten bei redoxsensitiven Elementen gerechnet werden. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F99B15 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Untersuchung zur Methodik von Sterilisationsverfahren sowie mikrobielle Ueberwachung von Sorptionsexperimenten. Sorptionsexperimente zur Beeinflussung der Radionuklidmigration durch mikrobielle Aktivitaeten am Beispiel des Technetiums und Selen Abschlussbericht

The knowledge about the influence of microbial activities on the radionuclide migration is not very extended up to now. The sorption behaviour of the redox sensitive radionuclides "9"5"mTc and "7"5Se was investigated under consideration of microbial metabolism and the development of bacterial populations in loose sediments. Recirculation column experiments (aerobe) were carried out as well as batch experiments (aerobe and anaerobe). Sterile experiments were compared with non sterile experiments. The investigation of sterilising methods with low impact on the physico chemical properties of sediments proved gamma irradiation to be the best choice. The addition of nutrients in batch experiments showed an immobilisation of Tc and Se combined with a decreasing redox value (Eh). Non sterile recirculation experiments showed a reproducible fixation of Tc and Se without any observed decrease of the redox value. The immobilisation occurred without any measurable alteration of the marco environment. These results are not understandable taking thermodynamic data into consideration. There was no fixation of Tc and Se within 95 days in sterile column experiments. The addition of micro-organisms isolated from the non sterile columns led to a decreasing redox values. The addition of biocide (5000 ppm NaN_3) to the non sterile columns resulted in a remobilisation of Tc but not of Se. To a great extend the micro-orgnisms identified within the non sterile columns were allochthonous. The immobilisation of Tc by living cells is much bigger than by autoclaved (dead) cells. A microbial population in the cap rock aquifers is highly probables as well as in the disposal site (after the excavation and filling period). The assessment of the cap rock aquifer's retardation capacity for the radionuclide migration may be overestimated not knowing the impact of the autochthonous microflora on those radionuclides interacting with micro-orgnisms. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F94B783+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroflora auf die Sorption und Remobilisierung des Technetiums und des Selens Abschlussbericht

In dem Forschungsvorhaben wurde der Einfluss der autochthonen Mikroorgansimen auf die Mobilitaet von Technetium und Selen untersucht. Beide redoxsensitiven Radionuklide sind im Abfall von Kernbrennelementen enthalten (Tc ca. 6%). Aus vorangegangenen Forschungsarbeiten ist bekannt, dass die Mobilitaet der beiden Elemente durch Mikroorganismen beeinflusst werden kann. Es war jedoch nicht bekannt, welche Mikroorganismen in Sedimenten aus groesseren Tiefen vorkommen und welchen Einfluss sie auf die Mobilitaet ausueben. Fuer die Durchfuehrung von Umlaufsaeulenversuchen unter Verwendung von Sedimenten mit autochthoner mikrobieller Besiedlung ist es erforderlich bei der Probennahme und Bearbeitung auf sterile Handhabung und Konservierung der im Sediment angetroffenen physikochemische Bedingungen zu achten. Hierfuer wurden spezielle Techniken zur Probennahme, Lagerung und Verarbeitung der Proben entwickelt. Die Ergebnisse der Umlaufsaeulenversuche mit autochthoner mikrobieller Besiedlung wurden denen von parallel durchgefuehrten Sterilversuchen gegenuebergestellt und mit Hilfe einer erweiterten Version des hydrochemischen Modellierungsprogrammes PHREEQE ueberpueft. Es zeigte sich, das die im Boden vorhandene Mikroorganismen vor allem aufgrund ihrer ausserordentlich geringen Populationsdichte (von<10 E+6 KBE) nur einen sehr geringen Einfluss zeigen. Jedoch laesst sich bemerken, dass bei konventionell durchgefuehrten Laborversuchen zur Abschaetzung der Rueckhaltekapazitaeten von Sedimenten gegenueber Schadstoffen durch mikrobielle Kontamination mit zu hohen Sorptionsraten bzw. Festlegungsraten gerechnet werden muss. (orig.)Within this research project the influence of autochthonous mirco-organisms on immobilization and remobilization of Technetium and Selenium was investigated. Both redoxsensitive radionuclides are part of the waste of nuclear fuel (Tc app. 6%). Former investigations have shown, that immobilization behaviour of both elements could be influenced by micro-organisms. It has not been known, if the autochthonous (or in situ) organisms from greater depth do also have an influence on radionuclide mobility. The autochthonous populations of micro-organisms in deep sediments and their influence on the migration of Tc and Se were investigated in this study. For this reason recirculation column experiments were carried out. Absolutely sterile and anaerobic handling was necessary for the sampling and the further treatment of the sediments and waters used in the experiments. Therefor special methods for sampling, storage and handling had been developed. The results of recirculation column test with autochthonous micro-organisms were compared with sterile parallel tests and were verified with the results of an elaborated version of the hydrogeochemical equilibration code PHREEQE. It was shown that the autochthonous micro-organisms had only very little influence on the migration behaviour. The reason is the very low population (less than 10 E+6 CFU). Nevertheless it has to be taken into consideration, that conventional laboratory experiments for the estimation of the retention capacities of sediments for hazardous waste lead to an overestimation, if the sediments are contaminated with allochthonous micro-organisms (CFU=colony forming units). (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F97B1413 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman