Behҫet’s disease, and the role of TNF-α and TNF-α blockers

In this both narrative and systematic review, we explore the role of TNF-α in the immunopathogenesis of Behçet’s disease (BD) and the effect of treatment with TNF-α blockers. BD is an auto-inflammatory disease, characterized by recurrent painful oral ulcerations. The pathogenesis of BD is not yet elucidated; it is assumed that TNF-α may play a key role. In the narrative review, we report an increased production of TNF-α, which may be stimulated via TLR-signaling, or triggered by increased levels of IL-1β and IFN-γ. The abundance of TNF-α is found in both serum and in sites of inflammation. This increased presence of TNF-α stimulates T-cell development toward pro-inflammatory subsets, such as Th17 and Th22 cells. Treatment directed against the surplus of TNF-α is investigated in the systematic review, performed according to the PRISMA guideline. We searched the Pubmed and Cochrane database, including comparative studies only. After including 11 studies, we report a beneficial effect of treatment with TNF-α blockers on the various manifestations of BD. In conclusion, the pivotal role of TNF-α in the immunopathogenesis of BD is reflected in both the evidence of their pro-inflammatory effects in BD and in the evidence of the positive effect of treatment on the course of disease in BD

Developing policy aimed at 21st-century digital skills for the creative industries:an interview study with founders and managing directors

The creative industry is a sector where digitisation inevitably changes work practices and the skill requirements are high. The rapid digitisation makes it imperative for workers to acquire digital skills beyond mere technical use. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to offer a deeper analysis of the nature and level of 21st-century digital skills and (2) to explore the roles of both individual workers and organisations in skill development. In total, 24 interviews were conducted with founders and managing directors of creative organisations based in the Netherlands. The results show that they believe that workers’ technical skill levels are naturally high; while in fact, digital skills might require attention when content-related aspects are considered. The first priority in this case should be to raise awareness within an organisation’s management. Thereafter, intentional and structural efforts on the part of individual workers and organisations are needed to improve skill development practices in the workplace.</p

The youth Digital Skills Performance Test Results:Report on the results of real-life information navigation and processing, communication and interaction, and content creation and production skills tasks

This report discusses the results of performance testing to measure digital skill levels among children in six European countries (Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal). Key of performance testing is that participants use the Internet to demonstrate skills. In the present study, children between the ages of 13 to 18 performed real-life tasks to measure their digital skills. The tasks referred to the following three dimensions: (1) information navigation and processing, (2) communication and interaction, and (3) content creation and production skills. Sub-components for the digital skill tasks were derived from ‘The youth Digital Skills Indicator’ (yDSI) (Helsper et al., 2021).As performance testing is a time- and labour-intensive process, the tests were divided in two modules. In most countries, the modules were performed on the same day in the Spring of 2022. All performance tests were conducted in class at school. In total, 772 children performed module 1 and 705 children module 2 (aiming at minimum 100 participants per country). Each country strived for a balance in gender and in lower and higher SES schools. The primary objective of performance testing is not to obtain a representative sample but to obtain a reliable and valid measurement of digital skills. This report shows the percentages of children who correctly performed each task and the overall score for the three digital skills. Moreover, attention is paid to country level comparisons and differences between children (e.g., gender, age, and support from family and friends). The results of information navigation and processing skills demonstrate that children experience most difficulties with performing tasks focussed on evaluating information (e.g., selecting the most reliable website, naming the intention of a post). The task performance of communication and interaction skills furthermore demonstrates that what is appropriate and courteous online behaviour is not self-evident for children. With regards to content creation and production skills, many children succeed in uploading a copy-right free image but only a small minority designed a presentation slide according to the pre-established guidelines. Overall, the results raise doubts whether children have sufficient digital skill levels. Factors that often contribute to digital skill levels in large-scale survey research, seem less relevant in performance tests

youth Digital Skills Indicator

The youth Digital Skills Indicator was developed as part of the ‘Youth Skills (ySKILLS)’ project and added to the ‘From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes’ digital skills measurement toolkit. Please read the accompanying document on the underlying rationale for these scales and on how to create and use composite scales in the following document: Helsper, E.J., Schneider, L., van Deursen, A.J.A.M., van Laar, E. (2021). The youth Digital Skills Indicator: Report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySKILLS digital skills measure. KU Leuven, Leuven: ySKILLS. Available at: https://yskills.eu

The youth Digital Skills Performance Tests

Report on the development of real-life tasks encompassing information navigation and processing, communication and interaction, and content creation and production skills. This report discusses the development of a high-quality measurement instrument – real-life performance testing – for a range of digital skills amongst young people with the overall aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the methodological issues that had to be addressed. Carefully designed and implemented performance tests measure actual actions and what is regarded as real-life ways of engaging with technology. Areas considered are the constraints of various types of performance tests and the coding and analytical procedures involved. The tests cover three different dimensions of skills: (1) information navigation and processing skills; (2) communication and interaction skills; and (3) content creation and production skills. The design of the performance tests is discussed in light of the findings of developing and testing cross-nationally compatible tasks. The developed performance tests provide valuable insights into information navigation and processing, communication and interaction, and content creation and production skills. In addition, the development process itself provided valuable lessons for future applications. Based on crossnational experiences with the developed tests, this report demonstrates features of test development and application procedures to improve the quality of such assessments. Our experiences target specific issues of performance test development beyond the well-known disadvantages of being time and labour intensive. The aim is to expand knowledge on how to design a performance test and encourage other researchers to use this direct assessment method of digital skills

Do synovial biopsies help to support evidence for involvement of innate immunity in the immunopathology of Behçet's disease?

Behçet's disease is a complex vasculitis of unknown etiology. Abundant neutrophils suggest the involvement of innate immunity. Cytokines are skewed to the T-helper-1 pattern. Few sterile organs are easily accessible for analysis in Behçet's disease. Cañete and coworkers identify inflamed joints as a feasible model and suggest the involvement of innate immunity in Behçet's disease

youth Digital Skills Indicator:German questionnaire

The youth Digital Skills Indicator was developed as part of the ‘Youth Skills (ySKILLS)’ project and added to the ‘From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes’ digital skills measurement toolkit.Please read the accompanying document on the underlying rationale for these scales and on how to create and use composite scales in the following document: Helsper, E.J., Schneider, L., van Deursen, A.J.A.M., van Laar, E. (2021). The youth Digital Skills Indicator: Report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySKILLS digital skills measure. KU Leuven, Leuven: ySKILLS. Available at: https://yskills.eu

youth Digital Skills Indicator:Finnish questionnaire

The youth Digital Skills Indicator was developed as part of the ‘Youth Skills (ySKILLS)’ project and added to the ‘From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes’ digital skills measurement toolkit.Please read the accompanying document on the underlying rationale for these scales and on how to create and use composite scales in the following document: Helsper, E.J., Schneider, L., van Deursen, A.J.A.M., van Laar, E. (2021). The youth Digital Skills Indicator: Report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySKILLS digital skills measure. KU Leuven, Leuven: ySKILLS. Available at: https://yskills.eu