Phase synchronization of coupled bursting neurons and the generalized Kuramoto model

Bursting neurons fire rapid sequences of action potential spikes followed by a quiescent period. The basic dynamical mechanism of bursting is the slow currents that modulate a fast spiking activity caused by rapid ionic currents. Minimal models of bursting neurons must include both effects. We considered one of these models and its relation with a generalized Kuramoto model, thanks to the definition of a geometrical phase for bursting and a corresponding frequency. We considered neuronal networks with different connection topologies and investigated the transition from a non-synchronized to a partially phase-synchronized state as the coupling strength is varied. The numerically determined critical coupling strength value for this transition to occur is compared with theoretical results valid for the generalized Kuramoto model.Comment: 31 pages, 5 figure

Iodine-131 in Household waste - a pilot study

Werknemers in de thuis- en verpleegzorg en vuilnisophalers komen soms zonder dat te weten in aanraking met de radioactieve stof jodium-131. Toch is het niet aannemelijk dat zij aan een te hoge stralingsdosis blootstaan. Voorwaarde is, dat ze de normale hygienische voorschriften naleven. Dit blijkt uit verkennend onderzoek van het RIVM. Aanleiding is een tiental stralingsmeldingen bij een afvalverbrandingsinstallatie voor huishoudelijk afval in Dordrecht tussen april 2008 en april 2009. De straling was afkomstig van jodium-131 in incontinentiemateriaal en ander afval van patienten die met deze radioactieve stof zijn behandeld wegens een schildklierafwijking. Voor het onderzoek zijn vijf ziekenhuizen bezocht en zijn gegevens van de VROM-Inspectie gebruikt. Op basis hiervan heeft het RIVM scenario's opgesteld waarmee dosisschattingen voor werknemers zijn gemaakt. Deze schattingen zijn gebaseerd op de veronderstelling dat de hoeveelheid jodium-131 in incontinentiemateriaal niet groter is dan tot nu toe in het huishoudelijk afval is waargenomen. Er zijn twee mogelijke verklaringen voor de aanwezigheid van jodium-131 in het incontinentiemateriaal. Incontinente patienten mogen in Nederland niet poliklinisch met jodium-131 worden behandeld, maar in de praktijk gebeurt dat toch. De eerste 24 uur na de behandeling bevat de urine van deze patienten relatief veel van deze radioactieve stof. Een tweede verklaring zou kunnen zijn dat patienten die met een hoge dosering zijn behandeld, in sommige ziekenhuizen vaker vervroegd worden ontslagen. In Duitsland is poliklinische behandeling met jodium-131 niet toegestaan. Gezien de beperkte risico's lijkt een dergelijk totaalverbod in Nederland niet te rechtvaardigen. Om de risico's voor derden laag te houden, zou men bij incontinente patienten terughoudend moeten zijn met poliklinische behandeling en vervroegd ontslag.Workers in homecare and nursing homes are occasionally exposed to the radioactive drug iodine-131. Still, it is unlikely that dose limits are exceeded, provided that sanitary procedures are followed. This is shown in a pilot study by RIVM carried out after a number of radiation alerts at the household waste incinerator in Dordrecht between April 2008 and April 2009. The radiation originated from iodine-131 in diapers and similar waste from patients that had been treated for thyroid disorders. For this pilot study, five hospitals have been visited, and data were obtained from the environmental inspectorate. Based on this, scenarios were drawn up and dose estimates were made for workers. Two explanations are given for the unexpected presence of iodine-131 in household waste. First iodine-131 therapy is not allowed for outpatients if they are incontinent, but it is still done. Second, early release of patients treated with high doses may occur more often in some hospitals. In Germany, iodine therapy of outpatients is not allowed at all. In view of the limited risks, such a total ban seems unjustifiable in the Netherlands. To keep the risks for others to a minimum, hospitals should exercise restraint on sending incontinent patients home early.VRO

Data collection quality assurance in cross-national surveys: the example of the ESS

"The significance of cross-national surveys for the social sciences has increased over the past decades and with it the number of cross-national datasets that researchers have access to. Cross-national surveys are typically large enterprises that demand dedicated efforts to coordinate the process of data collection in the participating countries. While cross-national surveys have addressed many important methodological problems, such as translation and the cultural applicability of concepts, the management of the data collection process has yet had little place in cross-national survey methodology. This paper describes the quality standards for data collection and their monitoring in the European Social Survey (ESS). In the ESS data are collected via face-to-face interviewing. In each country a different survey organisation carries out the data collection. Assuring the quality across the large number of survey organisations is a complex but indispensable task to achieve valid and comparable data." (author's abstract)"International vergleichende Umfragen haben in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten zunehmende Bedeutung in den Sozialwissenschaften erlangt. Diese Umfragen sind für gewöhnlich große Unterfangen, die gezielte Anstrengungen zur Koordinierung der Datenerhebung in den teilnehmenden Ländern erfordern. Probleme des Managements der Datenerhebung bei international vergleichenden Umfragen haben bislang jedoch nur wenig Aufmerksamkeit gefunden, im Unterschied etwa zu anderen methodischen Herausforderungen wie Fragen der Übersetzung oder der interkulturellen Übertragbarkeit von theoretischen Konzepten. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt die Qualitätsstandards für die Datenerhebung und deren Überwachung im European Social Survey (ESS). Im ESS werden Daten in persönlich-mündlichen Interviews erhoben; in jedem Teilnehmerland ist ein anderes Umfrageinstitut mit der Feldarbeit betraut. Um valide und vergleichbare Daten zu erzielen, sind Maßnahmen zur Sicherung der Qualität der Datenerhebung über die große Zahl von Umfrageinstituten hinweg unverzichtbar." (Autorenreferat

COMPARISON OF ANGLES AND THE CORRESPONDING MOMENTS IN KNEE AND HIP DURING RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED SQUATS

The aim of this study is the comparison of angles and the corresponding moments in knee and hip during squatting. The five subjects performed restricted and unrestricted squats. The experimental set-up consisted of a motion capture system and two force plates. The loading conditions were 0, ¼ and ½ BW. The moments and the force were calculated using inverse dynamics. Overall, the maximal moments were observed in the knee during unrestricted squats and in the hip during restricted squats. Comparing the moments at a knee angle of 60º, the loading conditions have a larger influence than the type of execution. The moment in the knee is 10.4%, respectively 11.2% lower with ¼ and ½ body weight during restricted squats. In the hip, the moment is 15.5 %, respectively 14 % higher for the same conditions. The angle of the hip remains rather constant. This most likely implies a higher load to the lower back. Hence, the exercise instruction should be adapted to the aims and the training condition of the athlete

The use of mid-infrared spectrometry to predict body energy status of Holstein cows

Energy balance, especially in early lactation, is known to be associated with subsequent health and fertility in dairy cows. However, its inclusion in routine management decisions or breeding programs is hindered by the lack of quick, easy, and inexpensive measures of energy balance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of mid-infrared (MIR) analysis of milk, routinely available from all milk samples taken as part of large-scale milk recording and milk payment operations, to predict body energy status and related traits in lactating dairy cows. The body energy status traits investigated included energy balance and body energy content. The related traits of body condition score and energy intake were also considered. Measurements on these traits along with milk MIR spectral data were available on 17 different test days from 268 cows (418 lactations) and were used to develop the prediction equations using partial least squares regression. Predictions were externally validated on different independent subsets of the data and the results averaged. The average accuracy of predicting body energy status from MIR spectral data was as high as 75% when energy balance was measured across lactation. These predictions of body energy status were considerably more accurate than predictions obtained from the sometimes proposed fat-to-protein ratio in milk. It is not known whether the prediction generated from MIR data are a better reflection of the true (unknown) energy status than the actual energy status measures used in this study. However, results indicate that the approach described may be a viable method of predicting individual cow energy status for a large scale of application

Safety risks among frail older people living at home in the Netherlands:A cross‐sectional study in a routine primary care sample

Frail older people face a range of problems and risks that could undermine their ability to live safely at home. A comprehensive overview of these risks, from a multidimensional perspective, is currently lacking. This study aims to examine the prevalence of risks in multiple domains of life among frail older people living at home. We used cross‐sectional data from 824 people aged 65 years and older, who received a comprehensive geriatric assessment (the interRAI Home Care [interRAI‐HC]) between 2014 and 2018, as part of routine care from 25 general practices in the region of West‐Friesland, the Netherlands. The interRAI‐HC identifies amenable risks related to people's clinical conditions, functioning, lifestyle and behaviour, and social and physical environment. Descriptive statistics were used to examine population characteristics (age, gender, marital status, living arrangements and presence of chronic conditions) and prevalence of risks. Most common risks were related to people's clinical conditions (i.e cardio‐respiratory health, urinary incontinence, pain), functioning (i.e. limitations in instrumental activities of daily living and mood) and social environment (i.e. limitations in informal care and social functioning). More than 80% of frail older people faced multiple risks, and often on multiple domains of life simultaneously. People experiencing multiple risks per person, and on multiple domains simultaneously, were more often widowed and living alone. The multidimensional character of risks among frail older people living at home implies that an integrated approach to care, comprising both health and social care, is necessary. Insight in the prevalence of these risks can give direction to care allocation decisions

Types, aspects, and impact of relocation initiatives deployed within and between long-term care facilities:A scoping review

Relocation of residents within or between long-term care facilities occurs regularly. To mitigate potential negative consequences, supportive relocation initiatives have been developed. This scoping review addresses types, aspects, and impact of relocation initiatives developed to relocate residents between or within long-term care facilities. A total of 704 articles were identified in a systematic literature search of 11 databases between April and July 2021. Using predefined eligibility criteria, two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts, resulting in 36 articles for full-text screening. Finally, six articles were included. Analysis was performed using thematic coding. Three types of relocation initiatives were identified, namely, interventions (n = 3), guidelines (n = 2), and a plan (n = 1). These initiatives described specific aspects of relocation, namely, spatial orientation (n = 3), practical assistance (n = 3), psychological support (n = 3), staff preparation (n = 2), and client engagement (n = 2). Only three intervention studies reported the impact of relocation initiatives on residents, namely, improved mental health (n = 3), spatial orientation (n = 2), self-reliance (n = 2), and social behavior (n = 1). The scope of the found relocation initiatives was often limited as they focused on specific designs, aspects, and residents. Therefore, the complexity of relocation processes is often overlooked, and more comprehensive relocation initiatives should be developed

Unknown makes unloved:A case study on improving integrated health and social care in the Netherlands using a participatory approach

Many initiatives integrating health and social care have been implemented in order to provide adequate care and support to older people living at home. Further development of existing initiatives requires iterative processes of developing, implementing and evaluating improvements to current practice. This case study provides insight into the process of improving an existing integrated care initiative in the Netherlands. Using a participatory approach, researchers and local stakeholders collaborated to develop and implement activities to further improve collaboration between health and social care professionals. Improvement activities included interprofessional meetings focussing on reflection and mutual learning and workplace visits. Researchers evaluated the improvement process, using data triangulation of multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources. According to participating professionals, the improvement activities improved their communication and collaboration by establishing mutual understanding and trust. Enabling factors included the safe and informal setting in which the meetings took place and the personal relationships they developed during the project. Different organisational cultures and interests and a lack of ownership and accountability among managers hindered the improvement process, whereas issues such as staff shortages, time constraints and privacy regulations made it difficult to implement improvements on a larger scale. Still, the participatory approach encouraged the development of partnerships and shared goals on the level of both managers and professionals. This case study highlights that improving communication between professionals is an important first step in improving integrated care. In addition, it shows that a participatory approach, in which improvements are co-created and tailored to local priorities and needs, can help in the development of shared goals and trust between stakeholders with different perspectives. However, stakeholders' willingness and ability to participate in such an improvement process is challenged by many factors

'20 days protected learning' - students' experiences of an Overseas Nurses Programme - 4 years on: A retrospective survey

Background From September 2005 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) introduced new arrangements for the registration of non-EU overseas nurses which requires all applicants to undertake '20 days of protected learning' time in the UK and for some, a period of supervised practice. A survey was undertaken at Bournemouth University, which offers a '20 days protected learning only' programme, to elicit overseas nurses' demographic details, experiences in completing the programme and their 'final destinations' once registered. Methods An online survey was devised which contained a mixture of tick box and open ended questions which covered demographic details, views on the programme and final destinations This was uploaded to www.SurveyMonkey.com and sent out to nurses who had completed the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP) with Bournemouth University (n=1050). Quantiative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were coded and analysed using content analysis . Results There were 251 respondents (27.7% response rate). The typical 'profile' of a nurse who responded to the survey was female, aged 25-40 years and had been qualified for more than 5 years with a bachelors degree. The majority came from Australia on a 2 year working holiday visa and the key final destination in the UK, on registration with the NMC, was working for an agency. There were five key findings regarding experience of the programe. Of those surveyed 61.2% did not feel it necessary to undergo an ONP; 71.6% felt that they should be able to complete the programme on-line in their own country; 64.2% that the ONP should only contain information about delivery of healthcare in UK and Legal and professional (NMC) issues; 57% that European nurses should also undergo the same programme and sit an IELTS test; and 68.2% that the programme was too theory orientated; and should have links to practice (21%). Conclusions The NMC set the admissions criteria for entry to the register and Standards for an ONP. The findings of this survey raise issues regarding the percieved value and use of this approach for overseas nurses, and it may be helpful to take this into account when considering future policy