Direkte Patienteninformation für verschreibungspflichtige Arzneitmittel: internationale Erfahrungen und Optionen für Deutschland

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Implementation Framework for Energy Flexibility Technologies in Alkmaar and Évora

This research was funded by POCITYF, (FP7 grant agreement No 864400).As energy generation based on renewable resources does not always match energy consumption profiles, Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) should embody energy flexibility technologies to decrease possible negative impacts on existing grids due to, e.g., reverse power flows. As part of the EU H2020 Smart Cities and Communities project POCITYF, the cities Alkmaar (NL) and evora (PT) aim to support the deployment and market uptake of such districts and in doing so demonstrate innovative and integrated technologies to enable flexibility in the energy system. This paper addresses implementation conditions for energy flexibility technologies that help cities to engender the expected impact and ensure replication of these technologies to other sites. It aims to guide both urban planners and technology solution providers through pitfalls and opportunities that can appear during the design and implementation of PEDs. Taking this into consideration, the RUGGEDISED innovation and implementation framework for smart city technology was taken as a starting point to describe and analyze the experiences in Alkmaar and evora.publishersversionpublishe

Designing “National Day of Service” Projects to Promote Volunteer Job Satisfaction

National Day of Service (NDS) volunteering events have become common, yet little is known about how the design of such events affects volunteer satisfaction. This relationship is important because volunteer satisfaction ensures a strong volunteer base for special events and promotes sustained volunteerism. We explore how the design of NDS projects promotes volunteer job satisfaction. Our approach to the research question is informed by work design theory. Based on interview, participant observation, and focus-group data from an NDS in the Netherlands, the findings suggest that nonprofit organizations can elicit volunteer job satisfaction by designing NDS projects that create a sense of added value, support productivity, and make volunteers feel comfortable. Designing NDS projects that incorporate task significance, symbolic social support, feedback from others, beneficiary contact, task identity, project preparation, physically demanding work, social support, and limited autonomy help to achieve these goals

Concentrations of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Are Not Associated with Senescence Marker p16INK4a or Predictive of Intracellular Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Metabolite and Endogenous Nucleotide Exposures in Adults with HIV Infection

As the HIV-infected population ages, the role of cellular senescence and inflammation on co-morbid conditions and pharmacotherapy is increasingly of interest. p16INK4a expression, a marker for aging and senescence in T-cells, is associated with lower intracellular concentrations of endogenous nucleotides (EN) and nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). This study expands on these findings by determining whether inflammation is contributing to the association of p16INK4a expression with intracellular metabolite (IM) exposure and endogenous nucleotide concentrations

Migrant nurses in Brazil: demographic characteristics, migration flow and relationship with the training process

Objetivo analisar a migração de enfermeiros no Brasil, descrevendo as características demográficas dos enfermeiros migrantes, os principais fluxos migratórios, estabelecendo relações com o processo formativo. Método estudo descritivo exploratório, a partir dos dados do Censo Demográfico do ano 2010. Os dados foram tratados pela estatística descritiva. Resultado havia 355.383 enfermeiros residentes no Brasil no ano 2010. Desses, 36.479 (10,3%) relataram movimentação na comparação com o ano 2005, sendo 18.073 (5,1%) por migração intraestadual, 17.525 (4,8%) por migração interestadual e 871 (0,2%) por migração internacional. Predominou, na população de enfermeiros, o sexo feminino (86,3%), a raça/cor da pele branca (65,2%) e o estado civil solteiro (48,3%), sem variações consideráveis entre os grupos, segundo a situação de migração. Os achados indicam fluxos de migração orientados pelo processo de formação para Estados que concentram número de cursos e vagas na graduação e pós-graduação stricto sensu e a motivação por oportunidade de empregos em regiões de expansão econômica do país. Conclusão é necessário aprofundar a discussão sobre a movimentação de enfermeiros no Brasil, suas motivações e fluxos migratórios internacionais.Objetivo analizar la migración de enfermeros en Brasil, describiendo las características demográficas de los enfermeros migrantes, los principales flujos migratorios, estableciendo relaciones con el proceso de formación. Método estudio descriptivo exploratorio, a partir de los datos del Censo Demográfico del año 2010. Los datos se analizaron utilizando la estadística descriptiva. Resultado había 355,383 enfermeros residentes en Brasil en el año 2010. De esos, 36,479 (10.3%) reportaron movimiento en comparación con el año 2005, de los cuales 18,073 (5.1%) fue por migración dentro del estado, 17,525 (4.8%) por migración entre los estado y 871 (0.2%) por migración internacional. Ha predominado, en la población de enfermeros, el sexo femenino (86.3%), la raza/color de la piel blanca (65.2%) y el estado civil soltero (48.3%), sin variaciones considerables entre los grupos, según la situación de migración. Los hallazgos indican flujos de migración motivados por el proceso de formación para Estados que concentra un número de cursos y lugares en a nivel licenciatura y postgrado stricto sensu y la motivación por oportunidad de empleos en regiones de expansión económica del país. Conclusión es necesario profundizar la discusión sobre el movimiento de enfermeros en Brasil, sus motivaciones y flujos migratorios internacionales.Objective to analyze the migration of nurses in Brazil, describe the demographic characteristics of migrant nurses, the main migration flows, and establish relationships with the training process. Method a descriptive, exploratory study, based on 2010 Census data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Result there were 355,383 nurses in Brazil in 2010. Of these, 36,479 (10.3%) reported having moved compared to the year 2005: 18,073 (5.1%) for intrastate migration, 17,525 (4.8%) interstate migration, and 871 (0.2%) international migration. Females (86.3%), Caucasians (65.2%), and unmarried (48.3%) nurses prevailed in the population, without considerable variation between groups according to migration situation. The findings indicate that the migration flows are driven by the training process for states that concentrate a greater number of courses and positions in undergraduate and graduate studies, and the motivation of employment opportunity in regions of economic expansion in the country. Conclusion it is necessary to deepen the discussion on the movement of nurses in Brazil, their motivations, and international migration

Outcomes and potential impact of a virtual hands-on training program on MRI staging confidence and performance in rectal cancer

Objectives: To explore the potential impact of a dedicated virtual training course on MRI staging confidence and performance in rectal cancer. // Methods: Forty-two radiologists completed a stepwise virtual training course on rectal cancer MRI staging composed of a pre-course (baseline) test with 7 test cases (5 staging, 2 restaging), a 1-day online workshop, 1 month of individual case readings (n = 70 cases with online feedback), a live online feedback session supervised by two expert faculty members, and a post-course test. The ESGAR structured reporting templates for (re)staging were used throughout the course. Results of the pre-course and post-course test were compared in terms of group interobserver agreement (Krippendorf’s alpha), staging confidence (perceived staging difficulty), and diagnostic accuracy (using an expert reference standard). // Results: Though results were largely not statistically significant, the majority of staging variables showed a mild increase in diagnostic accuracy after the course, ranging between + 2% and + 17%. A similar trend was observed for IOA which improved for nearly all variables when comparing the pre- and post-course. There was a significant decrease in the perceived difficulty level (p = 0.03), indicating an improved diagnostic confidence after completion of the course. // Conclusions: Though exploratory in nature, our study results suggest that use of a dedicated virtual training course and web platform has potential to enhance staging performance, confidence, and interobserver agreement to assess rectal cancer on MRI virtual training and could thus be a good alternative (or addition) to in-person training. // Clinical relevance statement: Rectal cancer MRI reporting quality is highly dependent on radiologists’ expertise, stressing the need for dedicated training/teaching. This study shows promising results for a virtual web-based training program, which could be a good alternative (or addition) to in-person training. // Key Points: • Rectal cancer MRI reporting quality is highly dependent on radiologists’ expertise, stressing the need for dedicated training and teaching. • Using a dedicated virtual training course and web-based platform, encouraging first results were achieved to improve staging accuracy, diagnostic confidence, and interobserver agreement. • These exploratory results suggest that virtual training could thus be a good alternative (or addition) to in-person training

Geven in Nederland 2022

Giving in the Netherlands provides the macro-economic estimates of philanthropy by households, bequests, foundations, corporations and lotteries. The Center for Philanthropic Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has conducted the research since 1995. This is the 13th edition, about giving in the year 2020. Giving in the Netherlands 2022 answers the following questions: How generous are the Dutch in their charitable giving? Who gives to which charitable causes? How has giving behavior developed over the past 25 years? In Giving in the Netherlands, we do not only examine financial contributions, but also volunteer service. Giving in the Netherlands contributes to the visibility of the philanthropic sector in the Netherlands. This is important to legitimize an independent and rapidly growing sector. In 2020, the Netherlands gave € 5.6 billion ($ 5.6 billion, £ 4.9 billion) which equals 0.7% of GDP. As a proportion of GDP, the Netherlands gave slightly less in 2020 than in 2018. In addition, 44% of the population was engaged in volunteer work. Corporations and households give most. Together, corporations and households are responsible for almost 80% of all philanthropy in the Netherlands. While, every source has a favorite charitable cause, health received the most in 2020

An integrated clinical program and crowdsourcing strategy for genomic sequencing and Mendelian disease gene discovery.

Despite major progress in defining the genetic basis of Mendelian disorders, the molecular etiology of many cases remains unknown. Patients with these undiagnosed disorders often have complex presentations and require treatment by multiple health care specialists. Here, we describe an integrated clinical diagnostic and research program using whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing (WES/WGS) for Mendelian disease gene discovery. This program employs specific case ascertainment parameters, a WES/WGS computational analysis pipeline that is optimized for Mendelian disease gene discovery with variant callers tuned to specific inheritance modes, an interdisciplinary crowdsourcing strategy for genomic sequence analysis, matchmaking for additional cases, and integration of the findings regarding gene causality with the clinical management plan. The interdisciplinary gene discovery team includes clinical, computational, and experimental biomedical specialists who interact to identify the genetic etiology of the disease, and when so warranted, to devise improved or novel treatments for affected patients. This program effectively integrates the clinical and research missions of an academic medical center and affords both diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients suffering from genetic disease. It may therefore be germane to other academic medical institutions engaged in implementing genomic medicine programs

Efficacy and toxicity of bimodal radiotherapy in WHO grade 2 meningiomas following subtotal resection with carbon ion boost:Prospective phase 2 MARCIE trial

Background: Novel radiotherapeutic modalities using carbon ions provide an increased relative biological effectiveness (RBE) compared to photons, delivering a higher biological dose while reducing radiation exposure for adjacent organs. This prospective phase 2 trial investigated bimodal radiotherapy using photons with carbon-ion (C12)-boost in patients with WHO grade 2 meningiomas following subtotal resection (Simpson grade 4 or 5).Methods:A total of 33 patients were enrolled from July 2012 until July 2020. The study treatment comprised a C12-boost (18 Gy [RBE] in 6 fractions) applied to the macroscopic tumor in combination with photon radiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions). The primary endpoint was the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints included overall survival, safety and treatment toxicities. Results:With a median follow-up of 42 months, the 3-year estimates of PFS, local PFS and overall survival were 80.3%, 86.7%, and 89.8%, respectively. Radiation-induced contrast enhancement (RICE) was encountered in 45%, particularly in patients with periventricularly located meningiomas. Patients exhibiting RICE were mostly either asymptomatic (40%) or presented immediate neurological and radiological improvement (47%) after the administration of corticosteroids or bevacizumab in case of radiation necrosis (3/33). Treatment-associated complications occurred in 1 patient with radiation necrosis who died due to postoperative complications after resection of radiation necrosis. The study was prematurely terminated after recruiting 33 of the planned 40 patients. Conclusions:Our study demonstrates a bimodal approach utilizing photons with C12-boost may achieve a superior local PFS to conventional photon RT, but must be balanced against the potential risks of toxicities.</p

Geven in Nederland 2022

Giving in the Netherlands provides the macro-economic estimates of philanthropy by households, bequests, foundations, corporations and lotteries. The Center for Philanthropic Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has conducted the research since 1995. This is the 13th edition, about giving in the year 2020. Giving in the Netherlands 2022 answers the following questions: How generous are the Dutch in their charitable giving? Who gives to which charitable causes? How has giving behavior developed over the past 25 years? In Giving in the Netherlands, we do not only examine financial contributions, but also volunteer service. Giving in the Netherlands contributes to the visibility of the philanthropic sector in the Netherlands. This is important to legitimize an independent and rapidly growing sector. In 2020, the Netherlands gave € 5.6 billion ($ 5.6 billion, £ 4.9 billion) which equals 0.7% of GDP. As a proportion of GDP, the Netherlands gave slightly less in 2020 than in 2018. In addition, 44% of the population was engaged in volunteer work. Corporations and households give most. Together, corporations and households are responsible for almost 80% of all philanthropy in the Netherlands. While, every source has a favorite charitable cause, health received the most in 2020