Hierarchical information processing in the visual system

Roelfsema, P.R. [Promotor]Togt, C. van der [Copromotor

Making evaluations matter: a practical guide for evaluators

This guide is primarily for evaluators working in the international development sector. It is also useful for commissioner of evaluations, evaluation managers and M&E officers. The guide explains how to make evaluations more useful. It helps to better understand conceptual issues and appreciate how evaluations can contribute to changing mindsets and empowering stakeholders. On a practical level, the guide presents core guiding principles and pointers on how to design and facilitate evaluations that matter. Furthermore, it shows how to get primary intended users and other key stakeholders to contribute effectively to the evaluation proces

Niche Construction and the Evolution of Leadership

We use the concept of niche construction - the process whereby individuals, through their activities, interactions, and choices, modify their own and each other\u27s environments - as an example of how biological evolution and cultural evolution interacted to form an integrative foundation of modern organizational leadership. Resulting adaptations are formal structures that facilitate coordination of large, postagrarian organizational networks. We provide three propositions explaining how leadership processes evolve over time within and between organizations in order to solve specific coordination problems. We highlight the balancing act between self-interests and group interests in organizations and show how leadership must regulate this tension to maintain organizational fitness. We conclude with predictions about the future evolution of leadership in organizations

FISH mapping and molecular organization of the major repetitive sequences of tomato

This paper presents a bird's-eye view of the major repeats and chromatin types of tomato. Using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with Cot-1, Cot-10 and Cot-100 DNA as probes we mapped repetitive sequences of different complexity on pachytene complements. Cot-100 was found to cover all heterochromatin regions, and could be used to identify repeat-rich clones in BAC filter hybridization. Next we established the chromosomal locations of the tandem and dispersed repeats with respect to euchromatin, nucleolar organizer regions (NORs), heterochromatin, and centromeres. The tomato genomic repeats TGRII and TGRIII appeared to be major components of the pericentromeres, whereas the newly discovered TGRIV repeat was found mainly in the structural centromeres. The highly methylated NOR of chromosome 2 is rich in [GACA](4), a microsatellite that also forms part of the pericentromeres, together with [GA](8), [GATA](4) and Ty1-copia. Based on the morphology of pachytene chromosomes and the distribution of repeats studied so far, we now propose six different chromatin classes for tomato: (1) euchromatin, (2) chromomeres, (3) distal heterochromatin and interstitial heterochromatic knobs, (4) pericentromere heterochromatin, (5) functional centromere heterochromatin and (6) nucleolar organizer regio

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Current perspectives

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common malignancy arising from the liver. ICC makes up about 10% of all cholangiocarcinomas. It arises from the peripheral bile ducts within the liver parenchyma, proximal to the secondary biliary radicals. Histologically, the majority of ICCs are adenocarcinomas. Only a minority of patients (15%) present with resectable disease, with a median survival of less than 3 years. Multidisciplinary management of ICC is complicated by large differences in disease course for individual patients both across and within tumor stages. Risk models and nomograms have been developed to more accurately predict survival of individual patients based on clinical parameters. Predictive risk factors are necessary to improve patient selection for systemic treatments. Molecular differences between tumors, such as in the epidermal growth factor receptor status, are promising, but their clinical applicability should be validated. For patients with locally advanced disease, several treatment strategies are being evaluated. Both hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with floxuridine and yttrium-90 embolization aim to downstage locally advanced ICC. Selected patients have resectable disease after downstaging, and other patients might benefit because of postponing widespread dissemination and biliary obstruction

Trauma team activation varies across Dutch emergency departments: a national survey

Background Tiered trauma team response may contribute to efficient in-hospital trauma triage by reducing the amount of resources required and by improving health outcomes. This study evaluates current practice of trauma team activation (TTA) in Dutch emergency departments (EDs). Methods A survey was conducted among managers of all 102 EDs in the Netherlands, using a semi-structured online questionnaire. Results Seventy-two questionnaires were analysed. Most EDs use a one-team system (68 %). EDs with a tiered-response receive more multi trauma patients (p < 0.01) and have more trauma team alerts per year (p < 0.05) than one-team EDs. The number of trauma team members varies from three to 16 professionals. The ED nurse usually receives the pre-notification (97 %), whereas the decision to activate a team is made by an ED nurse (46 %), ED physician (30 %), by multiple professionals (20 %) or other (4 %). Information in the pre-notification mostly used for trauma team activation are Airway-Breathing-Circulation (87 %), Glasgow Coma Score (90 %), and Revised Trauma Score (85 %) or Paediatric Trauma Score (86 %). However, this information is only available for 75 % of the patients or less. Only 56 % of the respondents were satisfied with their current in-hospital trauma triage system. Conclusions Trauma team activation varies across Dutch EDs and there is room for improvement in the trauma triage system used, size of the teams and the professionals involved. More direct communication and more uniform criteria could be used to efficiently and safely activate a specific trauma team. Therefore, the implementation of a revised national consensus guideline is recommende

Efficacy and tolerability of four antimalarial combinations in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Senegal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In view of the high level of chloroquine resistance in many countries, WHO has recommended the use of combination therapy with artemisinin derivatives in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to <it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>. Four antimalarial drug combinations, artesunate plus amodiaquine (Arsucam^®), artesunate plus mefloquine (Artequin^®), artemether plus lumefantrine (Coartem^®; four doses and six doses), and amodiaquine plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine, were studied in five health districts in Senegal.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a descriptive, analytical, open, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of these four antimalarial combinations in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria using the 2002 WHO protocol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All drug combinations demonstrated good efficacy. On day 28, all combinations resulted in an excellent clinical and parasitological response rate of 100% after correction for PCR results, except for the four-dose artemether-lumefantrine regimen (96.4%). Follow-up of approximately 10% of each treatment group on day 42 demonstrated an efficacy of 100%.</p> <p>The combinations were well tolerated clinically and biologically. No unexpected side-effect was observed and all side-effects disappeared at the end of treatment. No serious side-effect requiring premature termination of treatment was observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The four combinations are effective and well-tolerated.</p

System strengthening approaches for scaling up development outcomes from agricultural research. Knowledge sharing workshop. 13‐15 November 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CIP organized a workshop to share, review and analyze experiences and results from system strengthening approaches across the potato and sweetpotato programs in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique, as well as other initiatives that are working towards the same goal. The workshop brought together some fifty participants from Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique, together with CIP staff from its headquarters in Lima and the CIP Africa Regional Office, as well as a delegation from Irish Aid and other interested partners from West Africa