Therapist behaviours in a web-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) for chronic cancer-related fatigue:Analyses of e-mail correspondence

Web-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) has been found effective in decreasing fatigue severity in patients suffering from Chronic Cancer-Related Fatigue (CCRF). In web-based therapy, guidance from a therapist positively affects treatment outcome. So far, less is known about what kind of therapist behaviours contribute to treatment outcome. The present study aimed at 1) identifying therapist behaviours during eMBCT and 2) exploring whether these behaviours were correlated to a decrease in fatigue severity among patients. Qualitative content analyses were performed on 537 feedback e-mails from five therapists sent to 31 patients within a secured portal. Through content analyses, nine therapist behaviours were identified: emphatic utterances, probing self-reflection, informing, psychoeducation, task prompting, paraphrasing, task reinforcement, providing group context and alliance bolstering. Among these behaviours task prompting (19%), paraphrasing (16%) and task reinforcement (15%) were the most common. Linear regression analyses showed a significant association between informing and task prompting on the one hand and a decrease in fatigue severity on the other. Multivariate analysis indicated that informing and task prompting jointly explain the decrease in fatigue. These findings underline the importance for therapists to provide patients with sufficient information and to encourage them to do the exercises

String Indexing for Patterns with Wildcards

We consider the problem of indexing a string $t$ of length $n$ to report the occurrences of a query pattern $p$ containing $m$ characters and $j$ wildcards. Let $occ$ be the number of occurrences of $p$ in $t$, and $\sigma$ the size of the alphabet. We obtain the following results. - A linear space index with query time $O(m+\sigma^j \log \log n + occ)$. This significantly improves the previously best known linear space index by Lam et al. [ISAAC 2007], which requires query time $\Theta(jn)$ in the worst case. - An index with query time $O(m+j+occ)$ using space $O(\sigma^{k^2} n \log^k \log n)$, where $k$ is the maximum number of wildcards allowed in the pattern. This is the first non-trivial bound with this query time. - A time-space trade-off, generalizing the index by Cole et al. [STOC 2004]. We also show that these indexes can be generalized to allow variable length gaps in the pattern. Our results are obtained using a novel combination of well-known and new techniques, which could be of independent interest

Goed Gietwater: Werkpakket 2: Kwaliteit gietwater en groeiprestaties

Referaat De opkweeksector stelt hoge eisen aan de kwaliteit van gietwater ter voorkoming van groeiremming en ziekten. Lozingen en emissies zijn soms een uitweg om risico’s te mijden. Het project Goed Gietwater beoogt de ontwikkeling van een duurzame watertechnologie voor opkweekbedrijven in de glastuinbouw. Hiermee moet de emissie geminimaliseerd worden. In dit verslag over werkpakket 2 wordt een geselecteerd aantal factoren die de kwaliteit van het gietwater negatief kunnen beïnvloeden nader onderzocht. Het gaat om een ontsmettingsmiddel (natrium hypochoriet), twee organische stoffen (POW-humus en kokoschips) een remstof (Alar) en een vloeier. Deze stoffen worden in meetreeksen getest op groeiremming. Natrium hypochloriet laat groeiremming zien vanaf 45 mg/l, ook Alar (Daminozide) remt de groei vanaf 45 mg/l. De organische stoffen en de vloeier vertonen geen groeiremming. Een hoog gehalte aan organische stof beïnvloedt wel de groei van micro-organismen en kan verstorend werken bij de UV-ontsmetting. In een tweede reeks testen is gekenen naar het tenietdoen van de groeiremming met geavanceerde oxidatie. Geavanceerde oxidatie (AOX) lijkt geen oplossing te bieden voor afbraak van natrium hypochloriet, humus en exudaat van kokoschips bij de in de praktijk toegepaste UVc-dosis (maximaal 250 mJ/cm2). Vloeier in demiwater wordt bij een hoge dosis peroxide (30ppm) en 240mJ/cm2 UVc tot 45% afgebroken. AOX leidt niet tot substantiele afbraak van remstoffen. Abstract The propagation sector demands a very high quality of irrigation water to prevent negative growth effects and diseases. Discharge of nutrient solution is sometimes used to avoid risks for the crop. The project Goed Gietwater (Good Irrigation Water) aims to develop sustainable water technology for nurseries in greenhouse horticulture. The underlying aim is to reduce the emission of nutrients and crop protection agents. This report decribes how in Work Package 2 a selected number of quality determining factors was investigated in laboratory experiments. The tested materials were a disinfectant (sodium hypochlorite), two organic compounds (POW-humic and coconut chips) a growth control agent (Alar) and a surfactant as used in rockwool. Sodium hypochlorite gave growth inhibition from 45 mg/l on, Alar (Daminozide) reduced growth from 45 mg/l. The organic substances and surfactant showed no growth inhibition. In a subsewuent series of tests advanced oxidation (AOX) seems no solution to destruct sodium hypochlorite or POW humus or the exudate of coir chips when applied in practical UVc doses (up to 250 mJ/cm2). Surfactant with a high dose peroxide (30 ppm) and 240mJ/cm2 UVc is broken down up to 45%. AOX does not readily destrcut growth control agents

Cohort profile of BIOMArCS: The BIOMarker study to identify the Acute risk of a Coronary Syndrome-a prospective multicentre biomarker study conducted in the Netherlands

__Purpose:__ Progression of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) towards acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a dynamic and heterogeneous process with many intertwined constituents, in which a plaque destabilising sequence could lead to ACS within short time frames. Current CAD risk assessment models, however, are not designed to identify increased vulnerability for the occurrence of coronary events within a precise, short time frame at the individual patient level. The BIOMarker study to identify the Acute risk of a Coronary Syndrome (BIOMArCS) was designed to evaluate whether repeated measurements of multiple biomarkers can predict such 'vulnerable periods'. __Participants:__ BIOMArCS is a multicentre, prospective, observational study of 844 patients presenting with ACS, either with or without ST-elevation and at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor. __Methods and analysis:__ We hypothesised that patterns of circulating biomarkers that reflect the various pathophysiological components of CAD, such as distorted lipid metabolism, vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, increased thrombogenicity and ischaemia, diverge in the days to weeks before a coronary event. Divergent biomarker patterns, identified by serial biomarker measurements during 1-year follow-up might then indicate 'vulnerable periods' during which patients with CAD are at high short-Term risk of developing an ACS. Venepuncture was performed every fortnight during the first half-year and monthly thereafter. As prespecified, patient enrolment was terminated after the primary end point of cardiovascular death or hospital admission for nonfatal ACS had occurred in 50 patients. A case-cohort design will explore differences in temporal patterns of circulating biomarkers prior to the repeat ACS

Q

The Qweak experiment, which took data at Jefferson Lab in the period 2010 - 2012, will precisely determine the weak charge of the proton by measuring the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic e-p scattering at 1.1 GeV using a longitudinally polarized electron beam and a liquid hydrogen target at a low momentum transfer of Q2 = 0.025 (GeV/c)2. The weak charge of the proton is predicted by the Standard Model and any significant deviation would indicate physics beyond the Standard Model. The technical challenges and experimental apparatus for measuring the weak charge of the proton will be discussed, as well as the method of extracting the weak charge of the proton. The results from a small subset of the data, that has been published, will also be presented. Furthermore an update will be given of the current status of the data analysis

Quality indicators for patients with traumatic brain injury in European intensive care units

Background: The aim of this study is to validate a previously published consensus-based quality indicator set for the management of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and to study its potential for quality measur