Unravelling decline of physical functioning in acutely hospitalized older patients:From risk factors to targeted intervention

The number of older adults with chronic diseases and consequent disabilities is increasing and leads to one of the biggest global challenges in healthcare. Older adults are frequently admitted to a hospital for acute illness or falls with 30-60% of the older adults experiencing Hospital Associated Disability (HAD), even when the illness is successfully managed. The loss of activities of daily life (ADLs) after hospitalization reduces self-care, independent living as well as participation in society which are often challenged by a higher dependency of care and/or caregivers. This negative spiral leads to increase in demands for long-term healthcare services and costs for society. This thesis aimed to unravel the mechanisms of HAD and demonstrated the importance of physical factors such as muscle mass, muscle strength, activity, and physical performance. In the development of functional decline after acute hospitalization, physical factors play an important role in combination with other factors such as depressive symptoms, apathy, and nutrition. A thorough analysis of the different factors that play a role in the development of functional decline, in combination with the goals of the patient are required before starting an intervention. This thesis recommends, based on consensus of a group international experts, identifying older adults at risk for functional decline and provide these targeted older adults a tailored-made exercise intervention tuned to the goals of the older adults, as soon as they return home after acute hospitalization

Theory of nuclear excitation by electron capture for heavy ions

The resonant process of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC) in collisions involving highly-charged ions has been investigated theoretically. NEEC is a rare recombination process in which a free electron is captured into a bound shell of an ion with the simultaneous excitation of the nucleus. Total cross sections for NEEC followed by the radiative decay of the excited nucleus are presented for various collision systems. The possibility to observe the NEEC in scattering experiments with trapped or stored ions was discussed focusing on the cases with the largest calculated resonance strength. As the photons emitted in different channels of the electron recombination process are indistinguishable in the total cross section, the interference between NEEC followed by the radiative decay of the nucleus and radiative recombination was investigated. The angular distribution of the emitted photons in the recombination process provides means to discern the two processes. Angular differential cross sections for the emitted photons in the case of E2 nuclear transitions were presented for several heavy elements

Vreemdelingen: De Directie Vreemdelingenzaken

Vele buitenlanders willen naar Nederland komen, omdat zij in hun eigen land worden vervolgd of omdat zij het hier beter hopen te krijgen. Zowel vanuit de samenleving als vanuit de politiek bestaat er grote belangstelling voor het vreemdelingen- en asielbeleid. Dit heeft te maken met de volgende omstandigheden. In de eerste plaats is het vreemdelingenbeleid in de loop der jaren niet alleen vernieuwd, maar is ook de visie van de overheid op immigratie-vraagstukken verbreed. Daarbij wordt het aantal vreemdelingen en asielzoekers dat zich in Nederland wil vestigen steeds groter. Daardoor ontstaat er steeds meer werk voor de Directie Vreemdelingenzaken (van het Ministerie van Justitie), omdat ieder verzoek en verblijf door de Directie individueel wordt bekeken. Tenslotte krijgt het vreemdelingenbeleid een internationaler karakter. Dit heeft onder andere te maken met de Europese eenwording die steeds verder vordert. Bovendien groeit het aantal mensen, dat naar West-Europa wil komen, waardoor het nodig is de oorzaken van migratie internationaal aan te pakken (bv. economische vluchtelingen)

Praten over de toekomst

Op 17 januari j.l. kwamen 17 studenten en 6 alumni bij elkaar in restaurant Spize aan het Spui in Den Haag om met elkaar in gesprek te gaan over studie en de toekomst. Lees hier een verslag over de avond

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Met de Wet Persoonsregistratie probeert Big Brother (de overheid) de privacy van ''us" (de burgers) te beschermen. Hieronder volgt een korte beschouwing van het al dan niet werken van de wet en de bijzondere positie van de bevolkingsadministratie

A more stable EMU does not require a central fiscal capacity

A central fiscal capacity is a recurring topic in discussions on reform of the Economic and Monetary Union, but no consensus on the usefulness and necessity of a such a capacity has been reached. This column, part of the Vox debate on euro area reform, argues that the potential stability benefits of a central fiscal capacity can be achieved through stronger financial market risk sharing and more effective use of fiscal stabilisers, without any additional fiscal risk sharing

Biodynamic light to support ageing in place for people living with dementia:An explorative longitudinal single-case experimental design in three persons

Background: Worldwide, people ageing in place become the new normal. For people with dementia, ageing in place is not that self-evident. Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia like aberrant motor behaviour are often associated with placement in long-term care facilities. Nowadays mental health care not only focuses on intramural care but also provides personalized care and support for community-dwelling people with dementia. Mental care and support in a home setting could be difficult, fortunately, assistive technology has great potential in fostering independent living and improving mental and physical health. Biodynamic lighting could be a promising technological innovation for home use to support people with dementia. Objective: This study explores the influence of biodynamic lighting on aberrant motor behaviour over time in people living with dementia at home. Method: This study uses an A-B-A-B withdrawal single-case experimental design of three persons living at home with dementia. Results: Although differences between biodynamic light and placebo light with respect to aberrant motor behaviour did not reach significance, a trend was seen in the stabilization of aberrant motor behaviour over time. All participants subjectively reported positive effects of the biodynamic light. Conclusion: As this research was merely explorative, future research should examine whether this intervention contributes to ageing in place for people living with dementia. However, this study showed that it is feasible to adopt these kinds of interventions in a home situation