Effect of muscle temperature soon after slaughter on pork quality: a pilot study.

The effect of various environmental temperatures, ranging between 42.5 and 25 degrees C during the first 2 h after slaughter, on pork quality was studied in longissimus dorsi samples. Higher environmental temperatures resulted in higher lactate and lower pH 2 h after slaughter. Samples kept at higher environmental temperatures (42.5 and 40 degrees C) showed characteristics typical for pale soft exudative pork. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Managing conflicting public values. Governing with integrity and effectiveness

The articles of this symposium were all part of the First Global Dialogue on Ethical and Effective Governance, a conference organized by the VU University in Amsterdam in May 2009. In this introduction we focus on the subtitle of the conference: governing with integrity and governing effectively/efficiently - both are intrinsically valued. The importance of governing with moral public values like transparency, equity, and honesty is clear. Yet it is also clear that acting on moral values does not always produce the required policy outcomes. The potential conflict between governing with integrity and governing efficiently and effectively is the central theme of this symposium. © The Author(s) 2010

Openbaarmaking van inspectie-oordelen

Zoals ook elders in dit themanummer aan de orde komt, wordt informatie over de kwaliteit van zorginstellingen en zorgverleners in toenemende mate openbaar gemaakt. Onder andere maakt de Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg (IGZ) sinds enkele jaren de namen openbaar van instellingen die onder verscherpt toezicht zijn geplaatst. Komt dat de kwaliteit van de zorg ten goede? In deze opinierubriek legt prof. dr. Gerrit van der Wal, Inspecteur-generaal voor de Gezondheidszorg, uit waarom de IGZ de namen van instellingen met verscherpt toezicht publiceert en welke effecten de IGZ hiermee beoogt te realiseren. Dr. Judith van Erp, criminoloog bij de Erasmus School of Law en auteur van diverse publicaties over openbaarmaking in het toezicht, waaronder het boek Naming en shaming in het markttoezicht (Boom Juridische uitgevers 2009), waarschuwt voor onbedoelde neveneffecten

Withdrawing an explicit request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide: a retrospective study on the influence of mental health status and other patient characteristics

BACKGROUND: Mental health status may be closely related to an instability of intentions toward a premature death, but little is known about such instability following an explicit request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (EAS) and patient characteristics associated with a change of mind. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to 6596 general practitioners in The Netherlands (response rate 60%). Of these, 1681 provided descriptions of the most recent explicit request for EAS they had received in the preceding 18 months. RESULTS: Symptoms of depression and anxiety were related to a change of mind, but no relationship was found with the total score of the NOSGER Mood Dimension. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that patients who changed their mind had more mental health problems and less mental clarity than those who died by EAS. They also had fewer general health problems, had less unbearable and pointless suffering (according to the physician), were less concerned about loss of dignity and alternative treatment options were more frequently available. A further analysis revealed that mental health problems were more prevalent among patients whose requests were refused than among those who changed their mind. The physicians' evaluations of the reasons why a patient requested EAS were similar to a more objective measure of the patient characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that mental health status must be carefully assessed, and possible instability of desire must be taken into account in the course of a request for EAS. These results require replication, and future studies should adopt a prospective metho

All the world's a screen.

Charlotte Gould and Paul Sermon developed and presented this collaborative new artwork entitled 'All the World's a Screen', a live interactive telecommunications performance, to link public audiences in Manchester and Barcelona. On the evening of Saturday 28th May 2011 participants at MadLab in Manchester's Northern Quarter and Hangar Artist Studios in Poblenou, Barcelona were joined together on screen for the first time to create their very own interactive generative cinema experience, complete with sets, costumes and props. Employing the scenography techniques of Alfred Hitchcock the artists created a miniature film set in which the remote audiences acted and directed their own movie, transporting participants into animated environments and sets where they created unique personalised narratives

Exploring the causes of adverse events in hospitals and potential prevention strategies

Objectives To examine the causes of adverse events (AEs) and potential prevention strategies to minimise the occurrence of AEs in hospitalised patients. Methods For the 744 AEs identified in the patient record review study in 21 Dutch hospitals, trained reviewers were asked to select all causal factors that contributed to the AE. The results were analysed together with data on preventability and consequences of AEs. In addition, the reviewers selected one or more prevention strategies for each preventable AE. The recommended prevention strategies were analysed together with four general causal categories: technical, human, organisational and patient-related factors. Results Human causes were predominantly involved in the causation of AEs (in 61% of the AEs), 61% of those being preventable and 13% leading to permanent disability. In 39% of the AEs, patient-related factors were involved, in 14% organisational factors and in 4% technical factors. Organisational causes contributed relatively often to preventable AEs (93%) and AEs resulting in permanent disability (20%). Recommended strategies to prevent AEs were quality assurance/peer review, evaluation of safety behaviour, training and procedures. For the AEs with human and patient-related causes, reviewers predominantly recommended quality assurance/peer review. AEs caused by organisational factors were considered preventable by improving procedures. Discussion Healthcare interventions directed at human causes are recommended because these play a large role in AE causation. In addition, it seems worthwhile to direct interventions on organisational causes because the AEs they cause are nearly always believed to be preventable. Organisational factors are thus relatively easy to tackle. Future research designs should allow researchers to interview healthcare providers that were involved in the event, as an additional source of information on contributing factors.