Improving nutritional management within high-risk groups

The current pitfalls and future possibilities of nutritional management are discussed by two patients with tongue cancer who have suffered from substantial weight loss. Their nutritional problems are illustrative of those among other (cancer) patient groups. The main concerns are the lack of early case finding and dietary treatment, and insufficient nutritional information transfer through referral letters. The GP as a central and longitudinal caretaker faces challenges in improving nutritional management

High prevalence of undernutrition in Dutch community-dwelling older individuals

a b s t r a c t Objective: To examine the prevalence of undernutrition in community-dwelling older individuals (65 y) using data from various settings. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was performed to examine the prevalence of undernutrition in three samples (all 65 y): 1) 1267 community-dwelling individuals participating in a large prospective population-based study, the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) in 1998/99; 2) 814 patients receiving home care in 2009/10; and 3) 1878 patients from general practices during the annual influenza vaccination in 2009/10. Undernutrition was assessed by the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire 65þ. Results: Mean age was 77.3 y (SD 6.7) in the LASA sample, 81.6 y (SD 7.4) in the home care sample, and 75.3 y (SD 6.5) in the general practice sample. The prevalence of undernutrition was highest in the home care sample (35%), followed by the general practice (12%) and LASA (11%) samples. The prevalence of undernutrition increased significantly with age in the general practice and LASA samples. Gender differences were observed in the general practice and home care samples; women were more likely to be undernourished in the general practice sample and men were more likely to be undernourished in the home care sample. Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition in Dutch community-dwelling older individuals was relatively high, especially in home care patients. Ó 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction Undernutrition is an important problem in all health care settings. Undernutrition can be defined as a disorder of nutritional status resulting from reduced nutrient intake or impaired metabolism In the past years, more attention is given to recognize and treat undernourished patients in Dutch institutional settings. Screening and treatment of undernutrition in hospital patients were added as performance indicators to the national benchmarks on quality of care in the Netherlands in 2007/0

Proceedings of the first international symposium on underground freight transportation by capsule pipelines & other tube/tunnel systems

The purpose of this symposium is to bring the key players and stakeholders of capsule pipelines together from around the world not only to share experiences and research findings, but also to plan the future of capsule pipelines, in order to accelerate commercial use of various types of capsule pipelines. The five specific objectives of this Symposium are: 1. Review state-of-the-art and recent developments in the field of capsule pipelines. 2. Share research findings among researchers. 3. Bring stakeholders together to plan for the future of capsule pipelines. 4. Bring attention to the capability of capsule pipelines as an environmentally friendly, new mode of freight transport for the future. 5. Organize a worldwide network (coalition) to promote and accelerate commercial use of capsule pipelines.Workshop recommendations -- Opening remarks -- Keynote speech : "selling the underground pipe dream," -- Program -- Short course program -- Individual papers. "Capsule pipeline technologies : current status and potential future use" ; "Recent developments in coal log pipeline technology" ; ''Electrical capsule pipeline system for freight transportation" ; ''The technical & economic feasibility of tube freight transportation systems" ; "Review of past and current research and use of capsule pipelines in Japan" ; "Pneumatic capsule pipelines in japan and future developments" ; "Electromagnetic pipeline transport systems for the phosphate industry" ; "Use of linear induction motors for pumping capsules in pneumatic capsule pipelines (PCP)" ; "Corridor selection in Texas as part of a freight pipeline feasibility study" ; ''Underground freight transport in urban areas" ; "OLS-Schiphol, a pilot study for automated underground freight transport in the Netherlands" ; "The continued potential for pneumatic capsule pipeline systems in North America" ; "Transportation of goods through pipelines-a comprehensive study" ; "Megaships, megaports and landside access problems in the U.S. port industry-an opportunity for freight pipelines" ; "Tube freight system risk assessment" ; "Underground goods distribution in the city of Leiden : the results of a feasibility study" ; "Analysis of pneumatic capsule pipeline systems with bends" -- Luncheon speaker: "The pneumatic mail tubes: New York's hidden highway and its development" -- Panel discussion on need for UFT -- Participants roster