Health and social inequities in Belgium.

PubMed

Lagasse, R; Humblet, P C; Lenaerts, A; Godin, I; Moens, G F

1990-01-01

This paper presents two different yet complementary on-going studies related to the understanding of the mechanisms leading to social inequalities in health. The first part is devoted to a differential morbidity survey held in southern Belgium. It confirms that striking differences exist in the period around birth between social categories, and between the three districts under study. In a multivariate approach, differences remain between the social categories and between the district samples, which classically studied socio-demographical, behavioural and medical characteristics cannot fully explain. The role of cultural factors is analysed and discussed through the concept of 'health culture' and alternative hypotheses are reviewed in the light of the results. The second part reviews the studies conducted on the so-called avoidable mortality in the EEC and more specifically in Belgium. The concept of avoidable mortality is discussed, as well as its utility from the standpoint of the present concern on social inequalities. Differences between EEC countries are large, and even within Belgium there are important disparities between the districts. The role of health care supply has not been demonstrated yet in these two contexts. For Belgium, it appears that a major part of the unequally distributed mortality is constituted by causes of death considered as avoidable. Moreover, the most discriminating causes of death are overrepresented in socially deprived districts. The two perspectives are confronted in order to delineate perspectives for future research and operational outcomes for policy making and interventions.

Prevalence and demography of transsexualism in Belgium.

PubMed

De Cuypere, G; Van Hemelrijck, M; Michel, A; Carael, B; Heylens, G; Rubens, R; Hoebeke, P; Monstrey, S

2007-04-01

The Belgian medical world has acknowledged the diagnosis of transsexualism and accepted Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) as one of the steps in the treatment of choice since 1985. This prevalence and demographic study analyses data on all Belgian individuals who have undergone SRS since that year. All (188) plastic surgeons as well as all gender teams (Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, and Liège) in Belgium were sent demographic questionnaires to be completed for each of their transsexual patients. The results show an overall prevalence of 1:12,900 for male-to-female and 1:33,800 for female-to-male transsexuals in Belgium. In Wallonia (the French-speaking region of Belgium) the prevalence is significantly lower than in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking region) and in Brussels (the bilingual capital region). In the total Belgian population the male/female sex ratio is 2.43:1, again with a substantial difference between Wallonia on the one hand and Flanders on the other. While in Flanders and in Brussels the prevalence is comparable to that in other Western European countries, in Wallonia it is markedly lower. Transsexualism in Wallonia appears to be socially less acceptable: persons suffering from gender dysphoria in that part of Belgium encounter more problems accessing gender clinics and receiving treatment.

Silky bent grass resistance to herbicides: one year of monitoring in Belgium.

PubMed

Henriet, F; Bodson, B; Morales, R Meza

2013-01-01

Silky bent grass (Apera spica-venti (L.) P. Beauv.) is a common weed of cereal crops widely spread in Northern and Easthern Europe (Germany, Czech Republic,...), Northern Asia, Siberia and Canada. Up to now, no resistant case has been detected in Belgium but some chemical weeding failures have been observed in Wallonia fields. During summer 2011, 37 seed samples of Apera spica-venti were collected in Wallonia and submitted to resistance tests in controlled conditions. Three modes of action were tested: acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase inhibitors (pinoxaden and cycloxydim), acetolactate synthase inhibitors (mesosulfuron+iodosulfu-ron, pyroxsulam and sulfometuron) and photosynthesis inhibitors (isoproturon). One susceptible standard population was included in the test in order to validate it and to permit wild populations classification according to "R" rating system developed by Moss et al (2007). Most of populations were susceptible but some populations showed resistance to at least one of the three tested modes of action.

Education Policy Outlook: Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golden, Gillian; Figueroa, Diana Toledo; Giovinazzo, Manon; Crosby, Shiana; Horvathova, Michaela

2017-01-01

This policy profile on education in Belgium is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across OECD countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectoral knowledge base, the series offers a comparative outlook on education policy by providing…

[History of anaesthesia in Belgium].

PubMed

De Rood, M

2012-01-01

Man has for a long time searched means of fighting pain, by administration of plant extracts such as poppy seed, jimson weed, henbane, mandrake and alcohol. These substances were given in the form of cataplasms, potions or clysters. Somniferous sponges, applied on the face, were known since Antiquity and have been in use in some countries up to the 13th century. Surgery and pain were inseparable till mid 19th century. Indications for surgery were few, even though some patients could benefit from these sedative drugs. The anesthetic properties of ether and nitrous oxide (laughing gas), known since the 18th century, were only recognized in the 19th century. William Morton, a dentist, was the first to successfully provide general anesthesia with ether in 1846 in Boston. News spread to England shortly afterwards. On the European continent, the first use of ether was due to 2 Belgian surgeons. Next came chloroform as novel anesthetic. They were administered via either a gauze or a mask by the general practitioner, a medical student or a nurse. Unlike England, the use of these drugs for obstetrical anesthesia (called anesthesia "a la reine", alluding to Queen Victoria who benefited from chloroform during childbirth) was never very popular in Belgium. Since the years 1880, the use of cocaine, then of novocaine allowed to perform local anesthesia, then local nerve blocks and spinal anesthesia, installed by the surgeon prior to operating. Since then, surgery experienced rapid progress, Belgium included. During the 1914-1918 first World War, these advances saved many human lives. When general anesthesia was necessary, it was cared for by another physician or a nurse. The interwar period did not see significant advances in anesthesia, except in intravenous anesthesia with barbiturates, appeared in the late 1930's. Intra- and postoperative complications were frequent. Apart from sulfonamides, antibiotics were non-existent. During the war 1940-45, there was no progress in

75 FR 81309 - Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

... (Second Review)] Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: United... countervailing duty orders on stainless steel plate from Belgium and South Africa and the antidumping duty orders on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The...

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic sheep in Belgium.

PubMed

Verhelst, D; De Craeye, S; Vanrobaeys, M; Czaplicki, G; Dorny, P; Cox, E

2014-09-15

Even though infected sheep are a potential source of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans, information is lacking concerning the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep in Belgium. We examined 3170 serum samples for anti-Toxoplasma IgG in sheep by total lysate antigen (TLA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG to T. gondii was demonstrated in 87.4% of the tested sheep and in 96.2% of the 209 tested flocks. The seroprevalences in Antwerp (65.2%) and Wallonia (68.6%) are statistically lower than in the other regions in Belgium (96.7-97.8%) (P<0.05). The present study is the first report that analyzed the prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep in Belgium and confirms the high prevalence of Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies in the sheep population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 59744 - Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

... (Second Review)] Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: United... Africa and the antidumping duty orders on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa... revocation of the countervailing duty orders on stainless steel plate from Belgium and South Africa and the...

Country Report: Belgium-Flemish Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franken, Leni

2017-01-01

In the federal state of Belgium, education is, since the constitutional amendment of 1988, organised in an autonomous way by the Flemish, French and German Communities. Within each Community, there are different kinds of schools: "private" (but state funded) schools, which are mainly, but not exclusively, Catholic, and…

Ageism in Belgium and Burundi: a comparative analysis

PubMed Central

Marquet, Manon; Missotten, Pierre; Schroyen, Sarah; Nindaba, Desiderate; Adam, Stéphane

2016-01-01

Background Recent cross-cultural comparisons between Asian and Western cultures have shown that ageism arises more from the lack of availability of social and economic resources for older adults than from the culture itself. We tested this assumption by conducting a survey among people living in a least developed country compared with those living in a developed country. Participants and methods Twenty-seven Belgians living in Belgium, 29 Burundians living in Belgium, and 32 Burundians living in Burundi were included in this study. Their attitudes toward older adults were assessed using several self-reported measures. Results Statistical analyses confirmed that older people are more negatively perceived by Burundians living in Burundi than by Burundians and Belgians living in Belgium, whose attitudes did not differ from each other. Conclusion Consistent with our hypothesis, our results suggest that the level of development of a country and more particularly the lack of government spending on older people (pension and health care systems) may contribute to their younger counterparts perceiving them more negatively. PMID:27601889

Vocational Education and Training in Belgium. Brief Description. CEDEFOP Panorama Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotton, Paul

The past, present, and future of vocational education and training (VET) in Belgium were examined. The examination focused on the following topics: Belgium's education system; VET for young people; continuing vocational training; financing of continuing VET; qualitative aspects of VET; training of trainers; and trends and prospects. The following…

German in Belgium: Linguistic Variation from a Contact Linguistic Point of View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelde, Peter; Darquennes, Jeroen

2002-01-01

Discusses the situation of German Minorities in Old and New Belgium. Describes the process of federalization and its repercussions for East Belgium. Examines linguistic factors vis-a-vis these minorities located along the Germanic-Romance linguistic border. Looks at external linguistic factors and one internal factor and concludes by focusing on…

Vocational Education and Training in Belgium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geers, Frederik; Van Weydeveldt, Reinald

This document describes the vocational education and training system in Belgium, beginning in chapter 1 with the administrative, demographic, and economic background in which the training system exists. Chapter 2 provides a brief historical review of the development of the training system; arrangements for initial training; and arrangements for…

Spatial analysis of extreme precipitation deficit as an index for atmospheric drought in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamani, Sepideh; Van De Vyver, Hans; Gobin, Anne

2014-05-01

observations from isolated sites and using a common regression model based on climatological/geographical covariates. The behaviour of the fitted spatial GEV-distribution is heavy-tailed with γ ≡ 0.3 over Belgium. A comparison between the RL-maps using GEV model and the ones obtained from Universal Kriging (UK) confirms the reliability of the spatial GEV model in explaining atmospheric drought in Belgium. References [1] Beniston, M., Stephenson, D. B., Christensen, O. B., Ferro, C. A. T., Frei, C., Goyette, S., Halsnaes, K., Holt, T., Jylhü, K., Koffi, B., Palutikoff, J., Schöll, R., Semmler, T., and Woth, K. (2007), Future extreme events in European climate; an exploration of Regional Climate Model projections. Climatic Change, 81, 71-95. [2] Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (Eds.)] (2007), king Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 996 pp. [3] Coles, S. (2001), An Introduction to Statistical Modeling of Extreme Values, Springer-Verlag Heidelberg, Germany. [4] Embrechts, P., C. Klüppelberg, and T. Mikosch (1997), Modelling Extremal Events for Insurance and Finance, Springer-Verlag, Berlin. [5] Smith, R., (2004), Statistics of extremes, with application in environment, insurance and finance, in : Extreme Values in Finance, Telecommunications and the Environment, edited by: Finkenstadt, B. and Rootzen, H., 373-388, Chapman and Hall CRC Press, London.

An Astronomical Survey Conducted in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazé, Yaël; Fantaine, Sébastien

2014-01-01

This paper presents the results of the first survey conducted in Belgium about the interest in and knowledge of astronomy. Two samples were studied, the public at large (667 questionnaires) and students (2589 questionnaires), but the results are generally similar in both samples. We evaluated people's interest, main information source and…

76 FR 28809 - Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium; Termination of Five-Year Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-18

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 701-TA-376 (Second Review)] Stainless Steel... countervailing duty order on stainless steel plate from Belgium (75 FR 30777 and 75 FR 30434). On May 5, 2011... countervailing duty order concerning stainless steel plate from Belgium, finding that revocation of the...

Implementation of surveillance of invasive mosquitoes in Belgium according to the ECDC guidelines

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In 2012, the new guidelines for the surveillance of IMS in Europe, produced by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), were tested in Belgium. This study aimed at (1) testing the usefulness and applicability in the field of the ECDC guidelines for the surveillance of IMS in Europe and (2) surveying IMS throughout Belgium. Methods First, the scenarios, which Belgium is facing, were identified according to the ECDC guidelines. Second, the surveillance strategy and the methods were identified based on the guidelines and adjusted to the Belgium context. Two areas colonised by IMS and 20 potential points of entry (PoE) were selected. Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus (CO2-baited) traps (23) and oviposition traps (147) were set-up, and larval sampling was performed monthly or bi-monthly from July till October 2012. Finally, the costs and workload of the surveillance activities were compared to the estimates provided by the ECDC guidelines. Results Surveillance at 20 potential PoE (complying with scenario 1) revealed that no new IMS were established in Belgium. Surveillance at two sites colonised by IMS (scenario 2) indicated that although control measures have drastically reduced the Ae. j. japonicus population this species is still present. Furthermore, Ae. koreicus is permanently established. For both scenarios, the problems encountered are discussed and recommendations are given. In addition, the actual workload was lower than the estimated workload, while the actual costs were higher than the estimated ones. Conclusions The ECDC guidelines are helpful, applicable and efficient to implement surveillance of IMS in Belgium. Recommendations were customised to the local context (political demands, salary and investment costs, and existing expertise). The workload and costs related to the preparatory phase (i.e., planning, contacts with the PoE, writing a protocol) were found to be missing in the cost evaluation suggested in the guidelines

History of health technology assessment in Belgium.

PubMed

Cleemput, Irina; Van Wilder, Philippe

2009-07-01

This paper gives an overview of health technology assessment (HTA) in Belgium. The information included in the overview is based on legal documents and publicly available year reports of the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE). Belgium has a relatively young history in HTA. The principle of evidence-based medicine (EBM) was introduced in the drug reimbursement procedure in 2001, with the establishment of the Drug Reimbursement Committee (DRC). The DRC assesses the efficacy, safety, convenience, applicability, and effectiveness of a drug relative to existing treatment alternatives. For some drugs, relative cost-effectiveness is also evaluated. The activities of the DRC can, therefore, be considered to be the first official HTA activities in Belgium. Later, in 2003, KCE was established. Its mission was to perform policy preparing research in the healthcare and health insurance sector and to give advice to policy makers about how they can obtain an efficient allocation of limited healthcare resources that optimizes the quality and accessibility of health care. This broad mission has been operationalized by activities in three domains of research: HTA, health services research, and good clinical practice. KCE is independent from the policy maker. Its HTAs contain policy recommendations that may inform policy decisions but are not binding. Although the Belgian history of HTA is relatively short, its foundations are strong and the impact of HTA increasing. Nevertheless KCE has many challenges for the future, including continued quality assurance, further development of international collaboration, and further development of methodological guidance for HTA.

International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This artist's digital concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

This artist's digital concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

Assessing the harms of cannabis cultivation in Belgium.

PubMed

Paoli, Letizia; Decorte, Tom; Kersten, Loes

2015-03-01

Since the 1990s, a shift from the importation of foreign cannabis to domestic cultivation has taken place in Belgium, as it has in many other countries. This shift has prompted Belgian policy-making bodies to prioritize the repression of cannabis cultivation. Against this background, the article aims to systematically map and assess for the first time ever the harms associated with cannabis cultivation, covering the whole spectrum of growers. This study is based on a web survey primarily targeting small-scale growers (N=1293) and on three interconnected sets of qualitative data on large-scale growers and traffickers (34 closed criminal proceedings, interviews with 32 criminal justice experts, and with 17 large-scale cannabis growers and three traffickers). The study relied on Greenfield and Paoli's (2013) harm assessment framework to identify the harms associated with cannabis cultivation and to assess the incidence, severity and causes of such harms. Cannabis cultivation has become endemic in Belgium. Despite that, it generates, for Belgium, limited harms of medium-low or medium priority. Large-scale growers tend to produce more harms than the small-scale ones. Virtually all the harms associated with cannabis cultivation are the result of the current criminalizing policies. Given the spread of cannabis cultivation and Belgium's position in Europe, reducing the supply of cannabis does not appear to be a realistic policy objective. Given the limited harms generated, there is scarce scientific justification to prioritize cannabis cultivation in Belgian law enforcement strategies. As most harms are generated by large-scale growers, it is this category of cultivator, if any, which should be the focus of law enforcement repression. Given the policy origin of most harms, policy-makers should seek to develop policies likely to reduce such harms. At the same time, further research is needed to comparatively assess the harms associated with cannabis cultivation (and

Microbial adaption to a pesticide in agricultural soils: Accelerated degradation of 14C-atrazine in field soils from Brazil and Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jablonowski, Nicolai David; Martinazzo, Rosane; Hamacher, Georg; Accinelli, Cesare; Köppchen, Stephan; Langen, Ulrike; Linden, Andreas; Krause, Martina; Burauel, Peter

2010-05-01

An increasing demand for food, feed and bioenergy, and simultaneously a decline of arable land will require an intensive agricultural production including the use of pesticides. With an increasing use of pesticides the occurrence of an accelerated degradation potential has to be assessed. Atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. Even though its use was banned in several countries it is still widely used throughout America and the Asia-Pacific region. Atrazine is the most widely used herbicide in maize plantations in Brazil and the US. The use of atrazine in Belgium and all EU member states was banned in September 2004, with the permission to consume existing stocks until October 2005. Atrazine and its residues are still regularly detected in soil, ground and surface waters even years after its prohibition. Its persistence in soil and in association with organic particles might become crucial in terms of erosion due to climate and environmental changes. Due to its potential microbiological accessibility, the microbial mineralization of atrazine competes with chemical/physical interaction such as sorption and binding processes of the chemical molecule in the soil matrix. Binding or intrusion of the chemical on soil components results in a decrease of its accessibility for soil microbes, which does not necessarily exclude the molecule from environmental interactions. In the present study the accelerated atrazine degradation in agriculturally used soils was examined. Soil samples were collected from a Rhodic Ferralsol, Campinas do Sul, South Brazil, and Geric Ferralsol, Correntina, Northeastern Brazil. The sampling site of the Rhodic Ferralsol soil has been under crop rotation (soybean/wheat/maize/oat) since 1990. The Geric Ferralsol site has alternately been cultivated with maize and soybean since 2000. Both areas have been treated biennially with atrazine at recommended doses of 1.5 - 3

Acculturation Profiles of Russian-Speaking Immigrants in Belgium and Their Socio-Economic Adaptation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grigoryev, Dmitry; van de Vijver, Fons

2017-01-01

This article presents the results of a study on the relationship of acculturation profiles of Russian-speaking immigrants in Belgium, the duration of their stay, and their socio-economic adaptation. The data came from a socio-psychological survey of 132 Russian-speaking immigrants in Belgium (first generation) and were processed using latent…

Recruitment barriers for prophylactic vaccine trials: A study in Belgium.

PubMed

Harrington, Lauriane; Van Damme, Pierre; Vandermeulen, Corinne; Mali, Stéphanie

2017-12-04

Recruitment of volunteers is one of the main challenges in clinical trial management, and there is little information about recruitment barriers for preventative vaccine trials. We investigated both the recruitment barriers and recruitment strategies for preventive vaccine trials in Belgium. A 10 min survey was used as well as interviews of staff at all clinical trial sites in Belgium that regularly perform vaccine trials. We observed that there are successful recruitment strategies and few recruitment issues for trials involving healthy adults and those over 65 years old. However, challenges face the recruitment of paediatric populations, pregnant women, patients and the very elderly (over 85 years old). From these results, we identified three priority areas to increase recruitment for prophylactic vaccine trials in Belgium. These are: the lack of public knowledge about infectious diseases; the lack of resources of healthcare professionals to take part in clinical trials; and the burden to potential volunteers to take part in a trial. These were discussed with stakeholders and solutions were proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Demand for Higher Education in Belgium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duchesne, I.; Nonneman, W.

1998-01-01

Investigates determinants behind the spectacular higher education enrollment growth in Belgium since 1953, using a demand model that integrates consumption and investment aspects and empirically tests time-series data specifications between 1953 and 1992. Income and foregone earnings are driving enrollments. Income, opportunity costs, and the wage…

The foundation for climate services in Belgium: CORDEX.be

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Schaeybroeck, Bert; Termonia, Piet; De Ridder, Koen; Fettweis, Xavier; Gobin, Anne; Luyten, Patrick; Marbaix, Philippe; Pottiaux, Eric; Stavrakou, Trissevgeni; Van Lipzig, Nicole; van Ypersele, Jean-Pascal; Willems, Patrick

2017-04-01

According to the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) there are four pillars required to build climate services. As the first step towards the realization of a climate center in Belgium, the national project CORDEX.be focused on one pillar: research modelling and projection. By bringing together the Belgian climate and impact modeling research of nine groups a data-driven capacity development and community building in Belgium based on interactions with users. The project is based on the international CORDEX ("COordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment") project where ".be" indicates it will go beyond for Belgium. Our national effort links to the regional climate initiatives through the contribution of multiple high-resolution climate simulations over Europe following the EURO-CORDEX guidelines. Additionally the same climate simulations were repeated at convection-permitting resolutions over Belgium (3 to 5 km). These were used to drive different local impact models to investigate the impact of climate change on urban effects, storm surges and waves, crop production and changes in emissions from vegetation. Akin to international frameworks such as CMIP and CORDEX a multi-model approach is adopted allowing for uncertainty estimation, a crucial aspect of climate projections for policy-making purposes. However, due to the lack of a large set of high resolution model runs, a combination of all available climate information is supplemented with the statistical downscaling approach. The organization of the project, together with its main results will be outlined. The proposed coordination framework could serve as a demonstration case for regions or countries where the climate-research capacity is present but a structure is required to assemble it coherently. Based on interactions and feedback with stakeholders different applications are planned, demonstrating the use of the climate data.

Infection due to travel-related carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, a largely underestimated phenomenon in Belgium.

PubMed

Jans, B; D Huang, T-D; Bauraing, C; Berhin, C; Bogaerts, P; Deplano, A; Denis, O; Catry, B; Glupczynski, Y

2015-06-01

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are emerging worldwide, representing a major threat for public health. Early CPE detection is crucial in order to prevent infections and the development of reservoirs/outbreaks in hospitals. In 2008, most of the CPE strains reported in Belgium were imported from patients repatriated from abroad. Actually, this is no longer the case. A surveillance was set up in Belgian hospitals (2012) in order to explore the epidemiology and determinants of CPE, including the link with international travel/hospitalization. The present article describes travel-related CPE reported in Belgium. Different other potential sources for importation of CPE are discussed. Only 12% of all CPE cases reported in Belgium (2012-2013) were travel related (with/without hospitalization). This is undoubtedly an underestimation (missing travel data: 36%), considering the increasing tourism, the immigration from endemic countries, the growing number of foreign patients using scheduled medical care in Belgium, and the medical repatriations from foreign hospitals. The free movement of persons and services (European Union) contributes to an increase in foreign healthcare workers (HCW) in Belgian hospitals. Residents from nursing homes located at the country borders can be another potential source of dissemination of CPE between countries. Moreover, the high population density in Belgium can increase the risk for CPE-dissemination. Urban areas in Belgium may cumulate these potential risk factors for import/dissemination of CPE. Ideally, travel history data should be obtained from hospital hygiene teams, not from the microbiological laboratory. Patients who received medical care abroad (whatever the country) should be screened for CPE at admission.

Cross-border reproductive care in Belgium.

PubMed

Pennings, G; Autin, C; Decleer, W; Delbaere, A; Delbeke, L; Delvigne, A; De Neubourg, D; Devroey, P; Dhont, M; D'Hooghe, T; Gordts, S; Lejeune, B; Nijs, M; Pauwels, P; Perrad, B; Pirard, C; Vandekerckhove, F

2009-12-01

Cross-border reproductive care indicates the cross-border movements made by patients to obtain infertility treatment they cannot obtain at home. The problem at present is that empirical data on the extent of the phenomenon are lacking. This article presents the data on infertility patients going to Belgium for treatment. A survey was conducted among the centres for reproductive medicine that are allowed to handle oocytes and create embryos (B-centres). Data were collected on the nationality of patients and the type of treatment for which they attended during the period 2000-2007. Sixteen of 18 centres responded to the questionnaire. The flow of foreign patients has stabilized since 2006 at approximately 2100 patients per year. The majority of foreign nationals seeking treatment in Belgium were French women for sperm donation. The next highest group was patients entering the country to obtain ICSI with ejaculated sperm. There are clear indications that numerous movements are motivated by the wish to evade legal restrictions in one's home country, either because the technology is prohibited or because the patients have characteristics, which exclude them from treatment in their own countries.

The current state of clinical ethics and healthcare ethics committees in Belgium

PubMed Central

Meulenbergs, T; Vermylen, J; Schotsmans, P

2005-01-01

Ethics committees are the most important practical instrument of clinical ethics in Belgium and fulfil three tasks: the ethical review of experimental protocols, advising on the ethical aspects of healthcare practice, and ethics consultation. In this article the authors examine the current situation of ethics committees in Belgium from the perspective of clinical ethics. Firstly, the most important steps which thus far have been taken in Belgium are examined. Secondly, recent opinion by the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics with regard to ethics committees is presented and the activities of Belgian ethics committees are discussed. Finally, the option to bring research ethics and clinical ethics under the roof of just one committee is criticised using a pragmatic and a methodological argument. Concomitantly, the authors build an argument in favour of the further development of ethics consultation. PMID:15923477

Labor Unions and Political Parties in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorwin, Val R.

1975-01-01

The balance of power inside the dominant socialist and Catholic blocs in Belgium, which were once incontestably led by the political elites, has been shifting toward the trade unions. Regionalism has fragmented the political system far more than the industrial relations system; the unions' political influence will continue in importance. (Author)

Burden of blood transfusion in knee and hip surgery in the US and Belgium.

PubMed

Blanchette, Christopher M; Joshi, Ashish V; Szpalski, Marek; Gunzburg, Robert; Du Bois, Mark; Donceel, Peter; Saunders, William B

2009-09-01

Transfusion services in orthopaedic surgery can lead to unnecessary complications and increased healthcare costs. The objective of this study was to assess treatments and costs associated with blood and blood product transfusions in a historical cohort of 189,457 inpatients in the US and 34,987 inpatients in Belgium undergoing knee or hip surgery. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression were used to describe the factors associated with the use and cost of allogeneic blood transfusion. Hospitalisation costs for joint replacement surgery totalled $12,718 (SD=6,356) and averaged 4.33 days in the US, while costs in Belgium were $6,526 (SD=3,192) and averaged 17.1 days. The use of low molecular weight heparin and tranexamic acid was much higher in Belgium than the US (36% and 99% compared to 0% and 40%, respectively). Patients in the US spent 12.7 (p<0.0001) fewer days in the hospital, 0.3 (p<0.0001) fewer days in the intensive care unit and were 88% less likely to have allogeneic blood transfusions (OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.22-0.23), but incurred $6,483 (p<0.0001) more costs per hospitalisation than patients in Belgium. While hospital costs for patients were greater in the US, length of stay was shorter and patients were less likely to have transfusion services than those patients in Belgium. While this study is limited by factors inherent to observational studies, such as omitted variable bias, misclassification, and disease comorbidity, there are substantial differences in the use of blood products between Belgium and the US.

The Extension of Belgium's Euthanasia Law to Include Competent Minors.

PubMed

Raus, Kasper

2016-06-01

Following considerable debate, the practice of euthanasia was legalized in Belgium in 2002, thereby making Belgium one of the few places in the world where this practice is legal. In 2014 the law was amended for the first time. The 2014 amendment makes euthanasia legally possible for all minors who repeatedly and voluntarily request euthanasia and who are judged to possess "capacity of discernment" (regardless of their biological age), as well as fulfil a number of other criteria of due care. This extension of the 2002 euthanasia law generated a lot of national and international debate and has been applauded by many and heavily criticized by others. This evolution is clearly of interest to end-of-life debates in the entire world. This paper will therefore describe how this amendment came to get passed using official documents from Belgium's Senate and Chamber of Representatives where this amendment was discussed and subsequently passed. Next, some of the most commonly given arguments in favour of the law are identified, as well as the arguments most often voiced against the amendment. All these arguments will be expanded upon and it will be examined whether they hold up to ethical scrutiny. Analysing the official documents and identifying the most commonly voiced arguments gives valuable insight into how Belgium came to amend its euthanasia law and why it did so in 2014. It also becomes clear that although the current amendment is often seen as far-reaching, more radical ideas were proposed during the drafting of the law. Also, in analysing those arguments in favour of the amendment and those against, it is clear that the validity of some of these is questionable.

['Negative' eugenics, psychiatry, and Catholicism: clashes over eugenic sterilization in Brazil].

PubMed

Wegner, Robert; Souza, Vanderlei Sebastião de

2013-03-01

The article analyzes the dialogue between eugenicist Renato Kehl and a group of Brazilian psychiatrists who turned their interest to so-called negative eugenics in the early 1930s. Enthused about research into eugenics and the application of eugenic methods in countries such as the United States and Germany, authors like Ernani Lopes, Ignácio da Cunha Lopes, Alberto Farani, and Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva blamed Catholicism for impeding Brazil from moving in a similar direction, especially the church's resistance to the sterilization of 'degenerates', which entered into effect in Germany in 1934. The article charts the various strategies these authors proposed for engaging in dialogue with the Catholic Church.

A new focus of Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (Diptera, Culicidae) distribution in Western Germany: rapid spread or a further introduction event?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus, a potential vector of several viruses, was first detected in Germany in 2008 on the Swiss-German border. In the following years, this invasive species apparently succeeded in establishing populations in southern Germany and in spreading northwards. In 2011, its distribution area already covered large areas of the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg, and its northernmost German collection point was reported to be close to Stuttgart. Several independent submissions to our laboratories of Ae. j. japonicus specimens in July 2012, originating from the same area in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, prompted us to carry out an immediate surveillance in this region in the expectation of finding a further distribution focus of Ae. j. japonicus in Germany. Methods After inspecting the places of residence of the collectors of the submitted mosquito specimens, all kinds of water containers in 123 cemeteries in surrounding towns and villages were checked for mosquito developmental stages. These were collected and kept to produce adults for morphological species identification. One specimen per collection site was identified genetically by COI sequence analysis. Results Aedes j. japonicus adults and immature stages were found in 36 towns/villages that were checked (29%) over an area of approximately 2,000 km2 in southern North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland Palatinate. The species could not be demonstrated further south when monitoring towards the northernmost previous collection sites in southern Germany. It therefore remains to be elucidated whether the species has entered western Germany from the south, from Belgium in the west where it has been demonstrated to occur locally since 2002, or through a new introduction. Conclusions Aedes j. japonicus is obviously much more widely distributed in Germany than previously thought. It appears to be well adapted, to have a strong

Education in Belgium. Bulletin, 1932, No. 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel, James F.

1932-01-01

The people of the Kingdom of Belgium (Royaume de Belgique) at the close of the nation's first century of independence, have systems of schools and allied institutions of wide variety designed to guide and aid their citizenry in proper development from earliest infancy to and during the adult years. Living in a territory long inhabited by virile,…

Anaesthesia manpower in Belgium until 2020: nurse anaesthetists--a possible solution?

PubMed

Demeere, J L

2002-10-01

The study evaluated the manpower requirements in anaesthesia in Belgium until 2020. The basic intent was to estimate the need for anaesthesiologists in different hospitals because the number of medical students will be reduced to 700 in 2004 and to 600 in 2007 (numerus clausus), and the number of trainees in anaesthesia from 110 to 42 (best scenario) or to 21 (worst scenario). Simultaneous anaesthesia (more than one patient at the same time) is not allowed by our professional safety rules or by the Belgian Ministry of Public Health. The questions are: will we have enough anaesthesiologists in the next 20 years, and is there a need for nurses to administer anaesthesia? This professional title of nurse anaesthetist does not presently exist in Belgium. Every registered anaesthesiologist in Belgium received a questionnaire about the manpower requirements in his or her institution expected over the next 20 years. The workload in the specialty was also considered. We received 154 replies from 186 different hospitals. The workload is definitely high: 10 h per day was devoted to clinical work and 4.6 h per week to administration. Belgium will need 51 anaesthesiologists each year after 2004, and 58 each year from 2010 to 2020. Will anaesthesiologists accept their present high workload for the next 20 years? If not, the consequences will be serious. Three-quarters (75.4%) of the replies identified a need for more anaesthesiologists and considered that an anaesthesiologist supervising anaesthesia nurses for a number of patients simultaneously was a possible solution.

International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over the Straits of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida and the Bahamas. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating in the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida and the Bahamas. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating in the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over the Straits of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

Solar-like stars as seen by CoRoT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, R. A.; Appourchaux, T.; Baglin, A.; Auvergne, M.; Barban, C.; Baudin, F.; Michel, E.; Mosser, B.; Samadi, R.; Data Analysis Team D. A. T

2008-12-01

For more than a year, photometric high-quality data have been achieved from the CoRoT (COnvection ROtation and Planetary Transits; Baglin et al. 2006, Michel et al. 2008) min- isatellite developed by the French space agency (CNES) in collaboration with the Science Program of ESA, Austria, Belgium, Brazil Germany and Spain. The power spectrum of 4 dif- ferent solar-like stars (stars having sub-surface convective zones showing an acoustic (p) mode spectrum) has been obtained with unprecedented quality allowing the precise study of their seismic properties. These solar-like stars are F stars with masses in the range 1.0 to 1.4 M⊙ and are significantly hotter than the Sun.

76 FR 13890 - Importation of Bromeliad Plants in Growing Media From Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

... in Growing Media From Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health..., Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea from Belgium, Denmark, and the... regulations in ``Subpart--Nursery Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Plant Products,'' Sec. Sec...

HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE REFERENCES FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN IN WESTERN ROMANIA.

PubMed

Chirita-Emandi, Adela; Doros, Gabriela; Simina, Iulia Jurca; Gafencu, Mihai; Puiu, Maria

2015-01-01

To provide head circumference references for school-aged children in western Romania, and compare them with references from other European countries. A total of 2742 children, aged 6-19 years, from Timis county, were examined by medical students, between February 2010-June 2011. Head circumference references were constructed by Cole's LMS method with LMSChartMaker software. The Romanian 3rd, 50th and 97th percentiles for head circumference were compared with recent references from Belgium and Germany. Generally, boys show significantly larger head circumference compared to girls at any age. The head circumference increments between 6 and 19 years are < 1 cm/year. Head circumference increments decrease in increasing age of the children. In girls, adult head circumference is reached at the age of 16 years, whereas head circumference growth continues, in boys, slowly until 18 years. The comparison of Romanian head percentiles with those from Belgium and Germany revealed a smaller head circumference in Romanian children (both girls and boys). Comparing head circumference references from Romania to those from Germany and Belgium, we found lower median head circumference in Romanian boys and girls, that could be explained by a taller stature of boys and girls in Germany and Belgium compared to Romania.

7 CFR 6.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... EC 12. Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg... Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands...

7 CFR 6.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... EC 12. Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg... Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands...

7 CFR 6.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... EC 12. Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg... Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands...

7 CFR 6.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... EC 12. Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg... Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands...

7 CFR 6.21 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... EC 12. Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg... Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands...

Leadership Training Program for Medical Staff in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claes, Neree; Brabanders, Valérie

2016-01-01

Today healthcare is facing many challenges in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment. There is a need to develop strong leaders who can cope with these challenges. This article describes the process of a leadership training program for healthcare professionals in Belgium (named "Clinical Leadership Program" or…

Investigation of the passage of a derecho in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, Karim

2012-04-01

From the 7th July, 2010 until 14th July, 2010, a heat wave dominated the weather in Belgium. Three major storm situations occurred during this period and all three caused severe damage. In this paper, we discuss the last storm case of 14th July. That day, a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) crossed parts of France, Belgium and the Netherlands and caused very important wind damages and at least 2 people were killed. Most of the damage was caused by straight-line wind but at least one tornado was observed over the north of the Netherlands. This complex was induced in a very favorable synoptic configuration for severe weather and also the timing of the storm was favorable. In the frame of the Supercell project at the RMI, a damage survey was made of one of the most affected regions, which yielded useful information about the origin of the losses. Careful examination of the radar imagery revealed some connections between internal mesovortices and tracks of enhanced damage. As far as known, this paper is the first description of a derecho in Belgium. It is also the first time a connection is shown between some mesovortices and several damage tracks over the country. During the evolution of the QLCS, several examples of successive vortices were found in front of the system. Several of the vortices were accompanied by a tornado or a funnel cloud and the damage was typically concentrated along elongated tracks.

[Focus on planning the supply of physicians in Belgium].

PubMed

Benahmed, N; Alexander, S; De Wever, A; Deliège, D

2013-01-01

The planning of human medical resources has been in progress since 1996. The aim of this paper is to describe the process which occurred in Belgium and to point out its assets and limits. Literature review, analysis of the Belgian legislation at national and community (Flemish and French-speaking) level and analysis of the projection model. In Belgium, planniing is performed at two different levels of power. Firstly, the federal State determines the number of physicians who will access to the professional titles enabling them to obtain reimbursement of care by Health Funds. It is sustained by a supply projection type " stock and flows", an assessment of the number of required physicians (including healthcare expenditures by age and sex) and the purpose of equalizing Dutch-speaking and French-speaking medical densities. Secondly, Communities, are responsible for training and, as such, are organizing the selection at this level : entrance examination in the North and various selection procedures (now repealed) in the South. Worldwide, the managers of medical planning are faced with decisions related to appropriate numbers for human resources, given population needs, use of services and professional productivity. They have to address concerns from medical surplus to shortage. The case study of Belgium provides insight of various parameters which should be taken into account for national planning of physicians. It also shows the difficulty to assess a complex future and the factors which often hinder the implementation of evidence-based decisions.

Beginning Primary School Principals in Belgium: How They Deal with External Influences and Develop Professionally.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandenberghe, Roland

To understand the realities and complexities faced by beginning primary school principals, a group of researchers from Belgium, Canada, England, the Netherlands, and the United States launched a collaborative study in 2000. This report describes the Belgium arm of the study. The study set out to answer the following: What are similarities and…

77 FR 38736 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: New Qualifying Country-Czech Republic (DFARS...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... Germany Greece Israel Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United... Egypt Finland France Germany Greece Israel Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden... Belgium Canada Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Greece Israel Italy Luxembourg...

The State University at Ghent, Belgium, Educates Engineers in Rwanda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Impe, W. F.

1989-01-01

Describes the historical development and programs of engineering education at the University of Rwanda in cooperation with a Belgium university. Provides lists of courses for electromechanical and civil engineering programs. (YP)

Educational Reconstruction in Belgium. Bulletin, 1921, No. 39

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Walter A.

1921-01-01

Belgium's progress in rehabilitation has been the most marked of all the countries devastated by the World War. In resumption of operation of the iron and steel industries, of coal mining, of railroad rebuilding, of the sugar factories, of cotton spinning, of rebuilding residences and communal buildings, the Government, private initiative,…

Reintroduction of the invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus in Belgium in July 2013

PubMed Central

Boukraa, Slimane; Raharimalala, Fara N.; Zimmer, Jean-Yves; Schaffner, Francis; Bawin, Thomas; Haubruge, Eric; Francis, Frédéric

2013-01-01

Since its first report in 2000, the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus was not found any more during the different entomological inspections performed at its place of introduction in Belgium between 2001 and 2012. In July 2013, one adult male was captured at the same site (a platform of imported used tires located in Vrasene, Oost-Vlaanderen Province), during a monitoring using CO2-baited trap. This finding suggests the reintroduction of the species in Belgium via the used tire trade. PMID:24325893

77 FR 21963 - Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From Belgium: Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') has determined that Aperam Stainless Belgium N.V. (``Aperam'') is the successor-in- interest to ArcelorMittal Stainless Belgium N.V. (``AMSB''). As a result, Aperam...

CORDEX.be: COmbining Regional climate Downscaling EXpertise in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Termonia, P.

2015-12-01

The main objective of the ongoing project CORDEX.be, "COmbining Regional Downscaling EXpertise in Belgium: CORDEX and Beyond", is to gather existing and ongoing Belgian research activities in the domain of climate modelling to create a coherent scientific basis for future climate services in Belgium. The project regroups 8 Belgian Institutes under a single research program of the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO). The project involves three regional climate models: the ALARO model, the COSMO-CLM model and the MAR model running according to the guidelines of the CORDEX project and at convection permitting resolution on small domains over Belgium. The project creates a framework to address four objectives/challenges. First, this projects aims to contribute to the EURO-CORDEX project. Secondly, RCP simulations are executed at convection-permitting resolutions (3 to 5 km) on small domains. Thirdly, the output of the atmospheric models is used to drive land surface models (the SURFEX model and the Urbclim model) with urban modules, a crop model (REGCROP), a tides and storm model (COHERENS) and the MEGAN-MOHYCAN model that simulates the fluxes emitted by vegetation. Finally, one work package will translate the uncertainty present in the CORDEX database to the high-resolution output of the CORDEX.be project. The organization of the project will be presented and first results will be shown, demonstrating that convection-permitting models can add extra skill to the mesoscale version of the regional climate models, in particular regarding the extreme value statistics and the diurnal cycle.

Reimbursement of orphan drugs in Belgium: what (else) matters?

PubMed

Picavet, Eline; Cassiman, David; Simoens, Steven

2014-09-12

Most orphan drugs do not meet traditional standards of cost-effectiveness. Yet, most orphan drugs are reimbursed, which implies that other factors are taken into account at the time of reimbursement. To increase accountability of decision-makers, there is a need for more transparency in the factors that play a role in reimbursement decisions of orphan drugs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to use a combination of qualitative research methods to examine which official and non-official factors influence reimbursement decisions for orphan drugs in Belgium. Six semi-structured interviews with past or present members of the Drug Reimbursement Committee (DRC) were performed with a view to obtaining an overview of the potential factors influencing reimbursement. Additionally, these presence of these factors was assessed in the reimbursement dossiers of all orphan drugs (n = 64) for which an application for reimbursement was submitted to the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance in Belgium between January 2002 and July 2013. Different official (i.e. therapeutic value, budget impact, price and impact in clinical practice) and non-official factors (i.e. pricing and reimbursement in other countries, interference by patient organisations and experts, arguments related to quality of branded drug versus compounding, media attention, innovative character, economic importance, ethical arguments and the political climate) may have influenced past reimbursement decisions for orphan drugs in Belgium. The identification of factors influencing orphan drug reimbursement is a crucial step in the development of a transparent and consistent framework which will guide future decision-making for reimbursement of orphan drugs.

CORDEX.be: COmbining Regional climate Downscaling EXpertise in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Termonia, Piet; Van Schaeybroeck, Bert; De Ridder, Koen; Fettweis, Xavier; Gobin, Anne; Luyten, Patrick; Marbaix, Philippe; Pottiaux, Eric; Stavrakou, Trissevgeni; Van Lipzig, Nicole; van Ypersele, Jean-Pascal; Willems, Patrick

2016-04-01

The main objective of the ongoing project CORDEX.be, "COmbining Regional Downscaling EXpertise in Belgium: CORDEX and Beyond" is to gather existing and ongoing Belgian research activities in the domain of climate modelling to create a coherent scientific basis for future climate services in Belgium. The project regroups eight Belgian Institutes under a single research program of the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO). The project involves three regional climate models: the ALARO model, the COSMO-CLM model and the MAR model running according to the guidelines of the CORDEX project and at convection permitting resolution on small domains over Belgium. The project creates a framework to address four objectives/challenges. First, this projects aims to contribute to the EURO-CORDEX project. Secondly, RCP simulations are executed at convection-permitting resolutions (3 to 5 km) on small domains. Thirdly, the output of the atmospheric models is used to drive land surface models (the SURFEX model and the Urbclim model) with urban modules, a crop model (REGCROP), a tides and storm model (COHERENS) and the MEGAN-MOHYCAN model that simulates the fluxes emitted by vegetation. Finally, one work package will translate the uncertainty present in the CORDEX database to the high-resolution output of the CORDEX.be project. The organization of the project will be presented and first results will be shown, demonstrating that convection-permitting models can add extra skill to the mesoscale version of the regional climate models, in particular regarding the extreme value statistics and the diurnal cycle.

First Do No Harm: Euthanasia of Patients with Dementia in Belgium

PubMed Central

Cohen-Almagor, Raphael

2016-01-01

In Memory of Ed Pellegrino Euthanasia in Belgium is not limited to terminally ill patients. It may be applied to patients with chronic degenerative diseases. Currently, people in Belgium wish to make it possible to euthanize incompetent patients who suffer from dementia. This article explains the Belgian law and then explores arguments for and against euthanasia of patients with dementia. It probes the dementia paradox by elucidating Dworkin’s distinction between critical and experiential interests, arguing that at the end-of-life this distinction is not clearcut. It argues against euthanasia for patients with dementia, for respecting patients’ humanity and for providing them with more care, compassion, and good doctoring. PMID:26661050

Children of non-Western origin with end-stage renal disease in the Netherlands, Belgium and a part of Germany have impaired health-related quality of life compared with Western children.

PubMed

Schoenmaker, Nikki J; Haverman, Lotte; Tromp, Wilma F; van der Lee, Johanna H; Offringa, Martin; Adams, Brigitte; Bouts, Antonia H M; Collard, Laure; Cransberg, Karlien; van Dyck, Maria; Godefroid, Nathalie; van Hoeck, Koenraad; Koster-Kamphuis, Linda; Lilien, Marc R; Raes, Ann; Taylan, Christina; Grootenhuis, Martha A; Groothoff, Jaap W

2014-02-01

Many children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) living in Western Europe are of non-Western European origin. They have unfavourable somatic outcomes compared with ESRD children of Western origin. In this study, we compared the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of both groups. All children (5-18 years) with ESRD included in the RICH-Q project (Renal Insufficiency therapy in Children-Quality assessment and improvement) or their parents were asked to complete the generic version of the Paediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL). RICH-Q comprises the Netherlands, Belgium and a part of Germany. Children were considered to be of non-Western origin if they or at least one parent was born outside Western-European countries. Impaired HRQoL for children with ESRD of Western or non-Western origin was defined as a PedsQL score less than fifth percentile for healthy Dutch children of Western or non-Western origin, respectively. Of the 259 eligible children, 230 agreed to participate. One hundred and seventy-four children responded (response rate 67%) and 55 (32%) were of non-Western origin. Overall, 31 (56%) of the ESRD children of non-Western origin, and 58 (49%) of Western origin had an impaired total HRQoL score. Total HRQoL scores of children with ESRD of Western origin and non-Western origin were comparable, but scores on emotional functioning and school functioning were lower in non-Western origin (P=0.004 and 0.01, respectively). The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for ESRD children of non-Western origin to have impaired emotional functioning and school functioning, compared with Western origin, were 3.3(1.5-7.1) and 2.2(1.1-4.2), respectively. Children with ESRD of non-Western origin in three Western countries were found to be at risk for impaired HRQoL on emotional and school functioning. These children warrant special attention.

Reintroduction of the invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus in Belgium in July 2013.

PubMed

Boukraa, Slimane; Raharimalala, Fara N; Zimmer, Jean-Yves; Schaffner, Francis; Bawin, Thomas; Haubruge, Eric; Francis, Frédéric

2013-01-01

Since its first report in 2000, the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus was not found any more during the different entomological inspections performed at its place of introduction in Belgium between 2001 and 2012. In July 2013, one adult male was captured at the same site (a platform of imported used tires located in Vrasene, Oost-Vlaanderen Province), during a monitoring using CO2-baited trap. This finding suggests the reintroduction of the species in Belgium via the used tire trade. © S. Boukraa et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2013.

Regional Inequality in Reading Performance: An Exploration in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ning, Bo; Van Damme, Jan; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Gielen, Sarah; Bellens, Kim; Dupriez, Vincent; Dumay, Xavier

2016-01-01

In the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment, the Flemish community of Belgium outscored its French community in reading, with low achievers accounting for a large proportion of the score gaps. In this study, between-community comparisons based on the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method showed that the Flemish community benefits…

Training in the Motor Vehicle Repair and Sales Sector in Belgium. Report for the FORCE Programme. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denys, Jan; And Others

An international team of researchers studied the following aspects of training in Belgium's motor vehicle repair and sales sector: structure and characteristics; institutional and social context; relationship to Belgium's overall labor market; changing structural, economic, and organizational conditions; and training and recruitment and…

About three cases of ulceroglandular tularemia, is this the re-emergence of Francisella tularensis in Belgium?

PubMed

Dupont, E; Van Eeckhoudt, S; Thissen, X; Ausselet, N; Fretin, D; Stefanescu, I; Glupczynski, Y; Delaere, B

2015-10-01

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis that can be transmitted by several ways to human being and cause different clinical manifestations. We report three clinical cases of tularemia with ulceroglandular presentation in young males acquired during outdoor activities in Southern Belgium. Confirmation of the diagnosis was established by serology. Only three cases of tularemia have been reported in Belgium between 1950 and 2012 by the National Reference Laboratory CODA-CERVA (Ref Lab CODA-CERVA) but re-emergence of tularemia is established in several European countries and F. tularensis is also well known to be present in animal reservoirs and vectors in Belgium. The diagnosis of tularemia has to be considered in case of suggestive clinical presentation associated with epidemiological risk factors.

Reading Comprehension of Flemish Deaf Children in Belgium: Sources of Variability in Reading Comprehension after Cochlear Implantation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Kant, Anne; Vermeulen, Anneke; De Raeve, Leo; Schreuder, Robert

2010-01-01

This paper reports the results of two studies of reading comprehension of Flemish children in Belgium. In the northern part of Belgium (Flanders), Dutch is the official language. The Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Flanders are called Flemish. Dutch is also the national language of the Netherlands. Despite both groups using Dutch, cultural…

Territoriality and Freedom of Language: The Case of Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Jeught, Stefaan

2017-01-01

Language law in Belgium is based on two concepts. The territoriality principle entails that official language use varies from one linguistic region to another. The constitutional freedom of language is an essential complement to territoriality and grants residents the right to use the language of their choice. In the monolingual regions of the…

OECD Reviews of School Resources: Flemish Community of Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nusche, Deborah; Miron, Gary; Santiago, Paulo; Teese, Richard

2015-01-01

This report for the Flemish Community of Belgium forms part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Review of Policies to Improve the Effectiveness of Resource Use in Schools and explores how resources can be governed, distributed, utilised and managed to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of school education.…

Persistence, adherence, and medication-taking behavior in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis receiving denosumab in routine practice in Germany, Austria, Greece, and Belgium: 12-month results from a European non-interventional study.

PubMed

Hadji, P; Papaioannou, N; Gielen, E; Feudjo Tepie, M; Zhang, E; Frieling, I; Geusens, P; Makras, P; Resch, H; Möller, G; Kalouche-Khalil, L; Fahrleitner-Pammer, A

2015-10-01

Persistence with and adherence to osteoporosis therapy are critical for fracture reduction. This non-interventional study is evaluating medication-taking behavior of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) receiving denosumab in Germany, Austria, Greece, and Belgium. Patients were representative of the PMO population and highly persistent with and adherent to denosumab at 12 months. Persistence with and adherence to osteoporosis therapy are important for optimal treatment efficacy, namely fracture reduction. This ongoing, non-interventional study will evaluate medication-taking behavior of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) receiving denosumab in routine practice in four European countries. The study enrolled women who had been prescribed subcutaneous denosumab (60 mg every 6 months) in accordance with prescribing information and local guidelines. Persistence was defined as receiving the subsequent injection within 6 months + 8 weeks of the previous injection. Adherence was defined as receiving two consecutive injections within 6 months ± 4 weeks of each other. Medication coverage ratio (MCR) was calculated using the time a patient was covered with denosumab, as assessed from prescription records. Treatment was assigned prior to and independently of enrollment; outcomes are recorded during routine practice. These planned 12-month interim analyses included data from 1500 patients from 141 sites. Mean age was 66.4-72.4 years, mean baseline total hip T-scores ranged from -2.0 to -2.1 and femoral neck T-scores from -2.2 to -2.6, and 30.7-62.1% of patients had prior osteoporotic fracture. Persistence was 87.0-95.3%, adherence 82.7-89.3%, and MCR 91.3-95.4%. In a univariate analysis, increased age, decreased mobility, and increased distance to the clinic were associated with significantly decreased persistence; parental history of hip fracture was associated with significantly increased persistence. These data extend the real-world evidence regarding

The Mother Centers in Germany--Empowerment Strategies for Community Women in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeckel, Monika

Mother Centers are a grassroots self-help movement in Germany that help stay-at-home mothers break through the isolation they experience in German society when they have children and are not available for full-time employment. There are about 300 mother center projects currently in Germany, including 40 in the former East Germany. The programs…

Risk adjustment and the fear of markets: the case of Belgium.

PubMed

Schokkaert, E; Van de Voorde, C

2000-02-01

In Belgium the management and administration of the compulsory and universal health insurance is left to a limited number of non-governmental non-profit sickness funds. Since 1995 these sickness funds are partially financed in a prospective way. The risk adjustment scheme is based on a regression model to explain medical expenditures for different social groups. Medical supply is taken out of the formula to construct risk-adjusted capitation payments. The risk-adjustment formula still leaves scope for risk selection. At the same time, the sickness funds were not given the instruments to exert a real influence on expenditures and the health insurance market has not been opened for new entrants. As a consequence, Belgium runs the danger of ending up in a situation with little incentives for efficiency and considerable profits from cream skimming.

Educational Expansion in Belgium: A Sociological Analysis Using Systems Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderstraeten, Raf

1999-01-01

Educational expansion is the result of an intricate interplay between individual expectations and characteristics of the educational subsystem. Using systems theory, this article presents figures on educational participation in Belgium. Educational policy cannot steer or control educational expansion. The system can only react autonomously.…

A cluster of airport malaria in Belgium in 1995.

PubMed

Van den Ende, J; Lynen, L; Elsen, P; Colebunders, R; Demey, H; Depraetere, K; De Schrijver, K; Peetermans, W E; Pereira de Almeida, P; Vogelaers, D

1998-08-01

In Europe 64 cases of airport malaria have been registered between 1969 and 1996, most of them in France, Switzerland and Belgium. In the summer of 1995 six cases of airport malaria occurred at the International airport of Brussels, Belgium. Of the six patients three were airport employees, three were occasional visitors. One patient died, the diagnosis was made by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing after exhumation. Two different species of Plasmodium were detected, and infections occurred on at least two different floors of the airport. An inquiry revealed that the cabin of airplanes is correctly sprayed, according to WHO recommendations, but that the inside of the hand luggage, the cargo hold, the animal compartment, the wheel bays and container flights remain possible shelters for infected mosquitoes. In a case of fever of unknown origin, airport malaria should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially during hot summers, and when thrombocytopenia is present. Additional antimosquito measures should be generalised, encompassing highly exposed personnel, container content and handling buildings, animal cages, wheel bays, and the boundary between the sorting and the reception of luggage.

Trends in lung cancer death rates in Belgium and The Netherlands: a systematic analysis of temporal patterns.

PubMed

Van Hemelrijck, Mieke J J; Kabir, Zubair; Connolly, Gregory N

2009-06-01

Belgium and The Netherlands have fairly similar smoking prevalence patterns, but distinct tobacco control policies. It is our aim to use lung cancer death rates, especially among the youngest age groups (30-39 years), as indicators of past smoking behavioral patterns to evaluate recent tobacco control efforts in both countries. Lung cancer mortality rates from 1954 to 1997 and from 1950 to 2000 were investigated in Belgium and The Netherlands, respectively, using the joinpoint regression modeling technique (log-linear Poisson models) to calculate annual percent change in death rate. In the most recent period (1984-2000) overall male lung cancer death rates have been declining at a faster rate in The Netherlands than in Belgium. In contrast, overall female lung cancer death rates (between 1950 and 2000) have been increasing at a faster rate in The Netherlands than in Belgium. Since 1988, however, APCs in death rates among Dutch females have begun to level off. Interestingly, during this same period, a significant annual decline of 7.7% among the youngest Dutch women (30-39 years) has been observed. Tobacco use prevention and interventions seem to have an impact on smoking prevalence, especially among younger age groups. In The Netherlands, where aggressive anti-tobacco campaigns were introduced a few years earlier than in Belgium, male lung cancer mortality rates have been declining more rapidly, and female lung cancer mortality rates have begun to level off.

First record of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Belgium.

PubMed

Schaffner, Francis; Van Bortel, Wim; Coosemans, Marc

2004-06-01

The 1st record of Aedes albopictus in Belgium was made in a village in Oost-Vlaanderen Province. Two preimaginal stages were collected on October 31, 2000, in the used tire stock of a recycling company that imports tires from the USA and Japan. The species has reproduced on site, and local environmental conditions make its establishment possible. Anopheles plumbeus was a common companion species found in tires in high densities.

Time trend of clinical cases of Lyme disease in two hospitals in Belgium, 2000-2013.

PubMed

De Keukeleire, Mathilde; Vanwambeke, Sophie O; Kabamba, Benoît; Belkhir, Leila; Pierre, Philippe; Luyasu, Victor; Robert, Annie

2017-12-05

As several studies indicated an increase in Lyme disease (LD), notably in neighbouring countries, concerns have arisen regarding the evolution of Lyme disease in Belgium. In order to confirm or infirm the increase of LD in Belgium, we focused on hospital admissions of patients diagnosed with LD between 2000 and 2013 based on hospital admission databases from two hospitals in Belgium. Hospital databases are a stable recording system. We did a retrospective analysis of the medical files of patients hospitalized with Lyme disease in two Belgian hospitals between 2000 and 2013. The annual number of cases of LD for the two studied Belgian hospitals remained stable between 2000 and 2013, ranging from 1 for the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc to 15 for the the Clinique Saint-Pierre. No increasing trend were noted in the estimated annual incidence rate but the average estimated annual incidence rate was higher for the hospital Saint-Pierre (8.1 ± 3.7 per 100,000 inhabitants) than Saint-Luc (2.2 ± 1.5 per 100,000 inhabitants). The number of hospital cases of LD peaked between June and November. Based on hospital admissions with LD, no increasing trend was observed for the period 2000-2013 in the two studied Belgian hospitals. This is in line with other studies carried out in Belgium.

First Do No Harm: Euthanasia of Patients with Dementia in Belgium.

PubMed

Cohen-Almagor, Raphael

2016-02-01

In Memory of Ed Pellegrino. Euthanasia in Belgium is not limited to terminally ill patients. It may be applied to patients with chronic degenerative diseases. Currently, people in Belgium wish to make it possible to euthanize incompetent patients who suffer from dementia. This article explains the Belgian law and then explores arguments for and against euthanasia of patients with dementia. It probes the dementia paradox by elucidating Dworkin's distinction between critical and experiential interests, arguing that at the end-of-life this distinction is not clearcut. It argues against euthanasia for patients with dementia, for respecting patients' humanity and for providing them with more care, compassion, and good doctoring. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The CoRoT B-type binary HD 50230: a prototypical hybrid pulsator with g-mode period and p-mode frequency spacings⋆

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degroote, P.; Aerts, C.; Michel, E.; Briquet, M.; Pápics, P. I.; Amado, P.; Mathias, P.; Poretti, E.; Rainer, M.; Lombaert, R.; Hillen, M.; Morel, T.; Auvergne, M.; Baglin, A.; Baudin, F.; Catala, C.; Samadi, R.

2012-06-01

Context. B-type stars are promising targets for asteroseismic modelling, since their frequency spectrum is relatively simple. Aims: We deduce and summarise observational constraints for the hybrid pulsator, HD 50230, earlier reported to have deviations from a uniform period spacing of its gravity modes. The combination of spectra and a high-quality light curve measured by the CoRoT satellite allow a combined approach to fix the position of HD 50230 in the HR diagram. Methods: To describe the observed pulsations, classical Fourier analysis was combined with short-time Fourier transformations and frequency spacing analysis techniques. Visual spectra were used to constrain the projected rotation rate of the star and the fundamental parameters of the target. In a first approximation, the combined information was used to interpret multiplets and spacings to infer the true surface rotation rate and a rough estimate of the inclination angle. Results: We identify HD 50230 as a spectroscopic binary and characterise the two components. We detect the simultaneous presence of high-order g modes and low-order p and g-modes in the CoRoT light curve, but were unable to link them to line profile variations in the spectroscopic time series. We extract the relevant information from the frequency spectrum, which can be used for seismic modelling, and explore possible interpretations of the pressure mode spectrum. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. Based on observations made with the ESO telescopes at La Silla Observatory under the ESO Large Programme LP182.D-0356, and on observations made with the Mercator Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma by the Flemish Community, at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and on observations obtained with the HERMES

Burden of skin cancer in Belgium and cost-effectiveness of primary prevention by reducing ultraviolet exposure.

PubMed

Pil, Lore; Hoorens, Isabelle; Vossaert, Katrien; Kruse, Vibeke; Tromme, Isabelle; Speybroeck, Niko; Brochez, Lieve; Annemans, Lieven

2016-12-01

Skin cancer (melanoma- and non-melanoma skin cancer) is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers worldwide. This study analysed the current and future economic burden of skin cancer in Belgium and the cost-effectiveness of primary prevention of skin cancer. A retrospective bottom-up cost-of-illness study was performed, together with a Markov model in order to analyse the cost-effectiveness and the budget impact analysis of primary prevention of skin cancer in Belgium. Total prevalence of skin cancer in Belgium was estimated to triple in the next 20years. The total economic burden of skin cancer in 2014 in Belgium was estimated at €106 million, with a cumulative cost of €3 billion in 2034. The majority of this total cost was due to melanoma (65%). Over a period of 50years, both a sensitisation campaign and a total ban on sunbed use would lead to a gain in quality-adjusted life-years and cost-savings. For every euro invested in the campaign, €3.6 would be saved on the long-term for the healthcare payer. Policy makers and clinicians should promote UV protection strategies, as they were estimated to be dominant strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wanted: suitable replacement stones for the Lede stone (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Kock, T.; Dewanckele, J.; Boone, M. A.; De Boever, W.; De Schutter, G.; Jacobs, P.; Cnudde, V.

2012-04-01

The Lede stone is an arenaceous limestone with a Lutetian age, occurring as discrete (most of the times three) stone banks in the marine sandy sediments of the Lede Formation (Belgium). It has a quartz content of approximate 40%. This increases abrasion strength and together with the cementation results in an average compressive strength of about 80-85 MPa. The cement is a microsparitic calcite cement. Other carbonate particles are both microfossils (mainly foraminifers) and macrofossils (bivalves, serpulids, echinoderms, …). This great diversity gives the stone a heterogeneous, animated appearance. The intra- and interparticle porosity is in total 5-10 % in average and the apparent density is 2400-2550 kg/m3. Another important constituent is glauconite, present in a few percent. In fresh state, the stone has a greenish-grey colour, but when it is exposed to atmospheric conditions for a couple of years, the stone acquires a yellowish to rust-coloured patina due to the weathering of glauconite. Sulphatation causes severe damage to the stone, and black gypsum crusts are common in urban environments on stones protected from runoff. This stone was excavated in both open air and underground quarries in the areas of Brussels and Ghent. The proximity of main rivers such as the Scheldt and Zenne provided transport routes for export towards the north (e.g. Antwerp and The Netherlands). Its first known use dates back to Roman times but the stone flourished in Gothic architecture due to its easy workability and its 'divine' light coloured patina. This results nowadays in a dominant occurrence in the cultural heritage of northwestern Belgium and the south of The Netherlands. Socio-economical reasons caused several declines and revivals of Lede stone in use. In the beginning of the 20th century, only a few excavation sites remained, with as main quarry the one located at Bambrugge (Belgium). By the end of the first half of the 20th century, however, no quarry sites remained

PREFACE: Selected invited contributions from the International Conference on Magnetism (Karlsruhe, Germany, 26-31 July 2009) Selected invited contributions from the International Conference on Magnetism (Karlsruhe, Germany, 26-31 July 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goll, Gernot; Löhneysen, Hilbert v.; Loidl, Alois; Pruschke, Thomas; Richter, Manuel; Schultz, Ludwig; Sürgers, Christoph; Wosnitza, Jochen

2010-04-01

The International Conference on Magnetism 2009 (ICM 2009) was held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 26 to 31 July 2009. Previous conferences in this series were organized in Edinburgh, UK (1991), Warsaw, Poland (1994), Cairns, Australia (1997), Recife, Brazil (2000), Rome, Italy (2003), and Kyoto, Japan (2006). As with previous ICM conferences, the annual Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (SCES) was integrated into ICM 2009. The topics presented at ICM 2009 were strongly correlated electron systems, quantum and classical spin systems, magnetic structures and interactions, magnetization dynamics and micromagnetics, spin-dependent transport, spin electronics, magnetic thin films, particles and nanostructures, soft and hard magnetic materials and their applications, novel materials and device applications, magnetic recording and memories, measuring techniques and instrumentation, as well as interdisciplinary topics. We are grateful to the International Advisory Committee for their help in coordinating an attractive program encompassing practically all aspects of magnetism, both experimentally and theoretically. The Program Committee comprised A Loidl, Germany (Chair), M A Continentino, Brazil, D E Dahlberg, USA, D Givord, France, G Güntherodt, Germany, H Mikeska, Germany, D Kaczorowski, Poland, Ching-Ray Chang, South Korea, I Mertig, Germany, D Vollhardt, Germany, and E F Wassermann, Germany. E F Wassermann was also head of the National Organizing Committee. His help is gratefully acknowledged. The scientific program started on Monday 27 July 2009 with opening addresses by the Conference Chairman, the Deputy Mayor of Karlsruhe, Ms M Mergen and the Chairman of the Executive Board of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, E Umbach. ICM 2009 was attended by the Nobel Laureates P W Anderson, A Fert and P Grünberg who gave plenary talks. A special highlight was the presentation of the Magnetism Award and Néel Medal to S S P Parkin who also presented his newest results

Euthanasia for Detainees in Belgium.

PubMed

Devolder, Katrien

2016-07-01

In 2011, Frank Van Den Bleeken became the first detainee to request euthanasia under Belgium's Euthanasia Act of 2002. This article investigates whether it would be lawful and morally permissible for a doctor to accede to this request. Though Van Den Bleeken has not been held accountable for the crimes he committed, he has been detained in an ordinary prison, without appropriate psychiatric care, for more than 30 years. It is first established that Van Den Bleeken's euthanasia request plausibly meets the relevant conditions of the Euthanasia Act and that, consequently, a doctor could lawfully fulfill it. Next, it is argued that autonomy-based reasons for euthanizing him outweigh complicity-based reasons against doing so, and that, therefore, it is also morally permissible for a doctor to carry out the euthanasia request.

Childhood varicella-zoster virus vaccination in Belgium

PubMed Central

Bilcke, Joke; Jan van Hoek, Albert; Beutels, Philippe

2013-01-01

Aim: To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a universal childhood varicella-zoster vaccination programme in Belgium (1) using the most recent Belgian data on varicella-zoster burden, (2) exploring different options for the timing of the second dose, (3) obtaining results with and without exogenous natural boosting, and (4) investigating the possible additional benefit of zoster booster vaccination for adults at age 50 or 60 years. Methods: An extensively studied and improved dynamic model is used to estimate primary and breakthrough chickenpox and zoster cases over time. For a range of vaccination options, we compared the direct costs (health care payer perspective) and health outcomes (including Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs) lost) associated with chickenpox and herpes zoster.  Estimates of social contact patterns, health care use, costs and QALY losses are almost exclusively based on Belgian databases and surveys. Results and Conclusions: If exogenous natural boosting exists, a net loss in QALYs is expected for several decades after implementing a universal chickenpox vaccination programme, due to an increase in zoster mainly in persons aged 50-80 years. This result holds also for scenarios that minimise or counteract the expected increase in zoster incidence (e.g. additional booster vaccinations in adults). However, if the boosting hypothesis is not true or if costs and QALYs are cumulated over at least 33 to more than 100 years after vaccination (depending on the assumptions made), different options for universal 2-dose vaccination against chickenpox in Belgium would be cost-effective at a vaccine price of €43/dose or lower. PMID:23321955

The Presence of Borrelia miyamotoi, A Relapsing Fever Spirochaete, in Questing Ixodes ricinus in Belgium and in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Cochez, C; Heyman, P; Heylen, D; Fonville, M; Hengeveld, P; Takken, W; Simons, L; Sprong, H

2015-08-01

Borrelia miyamotoi is a tick-borne bacterium that may cause relapsing fever in humans. As this pathogen has been discovered in Europe only recently, only little is known about its local impact on human health and its spatial distribution. In this study, we show the results of PCR screenings for B. miyamotoi in flagged Ixodes ricinus from Belgium and the Netherlands. B. miyamotoi was detected in nine of thirteen, and three of five locations from the Netherlands and Belgium, respectively. These outcomes indicate that B. miyamotoi is more spread than previously thought. The mean infection rate B. miyamotoi was 1.14% for Belgium and 3.84% for the Netherlands. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Inequality in treatment use among elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction: USA, Belgium and Quebec.

PubMed

Perelman, Julian; Shmueli, Amir; McDonald, Kathryn M; Pilote, Louise; Saynina, Olga; Closon, Marie-Christine

2009-07-30

Previous research has provided evidence that socioeconomic status has an impact on invasive treatments use after acute myocardial infarction. In this paper, we compare the socioeconomic inequality in the use of high-technology diagnosis and treatment after acute myocardial infarction between the US, Quebec and Belgium paying special attention to financial incentives and regulations as explanatory factors. We examined hospital-discharge abstracts for all patients older than 65 who were admitted to hospitals during the 1993-1998 period in the US, Quebec and Belgium with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Patients' income data were imputed from the median incomes of their residential area. For each country, we compared the risk-adjusted probability of undergoing each procedure between socioeconomic categories measured by the patient's area median income. Our findings indicate that income-related inequality exists in the use of high-technology treatment and diagnosis techniques that is not justified by differences in patients' health characteristics. Those inequalities are largely explained, in the US and Quebec, by inequalities in distances to hospitals with on-site cardiac facilities. However, in both Belgium and the US, inequalities persist among patients admitted to hospitals with on-site cardiac facilities, rejecting the hospital location effect as the single explanation for inequalities. Meanwhile, inequality levels diverge across countries (higher in the US and in Belgium, extremely low in Quebec). The findings support the hypothesis that income-related inequality in treatment for AMI exists and is likely to be affected by a country's system of health care.

[The Great European Georg Friedrich Nicolai: physician and pacifist. Berlin, Germany, 1874 - Santiago, Chile, 1964].

PubMed

Cabello C, Felipe

2013-04-01

Georg Friedrich Nicolai (1874-1964) was a German physician and physiologist whose pacifism during the First World War led him in 1914 to cosign with W. J. Foerster, A. Einstein and O. Bueck a "Manifesto to the Europeans" against the entry of Germany into the war and the invasion of Belgium. As a result of this appeal and his strong pacifism, Nicolai lost his positions as cardiologist to the German royal family, professor at the University of Berlin and chief of laboratory at the Charite hospital also in Berlin, and was sent as a garrison physician in Graundenz, in today's Poland. There he began to write his book, The Biology of War. It managed to avoid censorship and was published in Leipzig in 1916. He was court-martialed in Danzig in 1916 but escaped to Denmark. Nicolai was reinstated to his faculty positions by the Weimar Republic after the war but was subsequently forced to emigrate from Germany to South America by the pressure of right wing student groups who accused him of being a deserter and a traitor. From 1922 to 1932 Nicolai lived in Argentina, and from 1932 until his death in 1964, in Chile. In this later country Nicolai was professor in the University of Chile and interacted with members of the Chilean intelligentsia, including the poets Vicente Huidobro, Gonzalo Rojas and Pablo Neruda. Through his friendship with Chilean psychiatrist Agustin Tellez, Nicolai influenced the development of phenomenological psychiatric school in Chile. The Chilean novelist Fernando Alegria compared him favorably with Robert J. Oppenheimer and Linus Pauling.

The future of intercultural mediation in Belgium.

PubMed

Nierkens, Vera; Krumeich, Anja; de Ridder, Ri; van Dongen, Martien

2002-04-01

Intercultural mediation was developed to solve problems between western (Belgian) health professionals and Turkish, Moroccan and Italian clients. The need for intercultural mediation in Belgium Health Care was measured by asking intercultural mediators to complete a questionnaire about situations in which language, culture, social-economic and personal circumstances cause difficulties. Results show that the profession 'intercultural mediator' continues to be important in improving the quality and accessibility of the Belgian health care for ethnic minorities. Even if clients speak Flemish fluently, there are still difficulties between health professional and client caused by culture, social-economic and personal circumstances.

Geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium, 2008-2013: a principal component analysis.

PubMed

Strale, Mathieu; Krysinska, Karolina; Overmeiren, Gaëtan Van; Andriessen, Karl

2017-06-01

This study investigated the geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium over 2008--2013 on local (i.e., district or arrondissement) level. There were differences in the regional distribution of suicide and railway suicides in Belgium over the study period. Principal component analysis identified three groups of correlations among population variables and socio-economic indicators, such as population density, unemployment, and age group distribution, on two components that helped explaining the variance of railway suicide at a local (arrondissement) level. This information is of particular importance to prevent suicides in high-risk areas on the Belgian railway network.

Religious and Citizenship Education in Belgium/Flanders: Suggestions for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franken, Leni

2014-01-01

In Belgium (Flanders), citizenship education is one of the cross-curricular achievements, but it is not scheduled as a separate school subject. Alternatively, citizenship education is integrated in diverse school subjects and particularly in the religious education classes. However, with this didactical approach, two problems arise. First,…

Incidence of scabies in Belgium

PubMed Central

LAPEERE, H.; NAEYAERT, J.-M.; De WEERT, J.; De MAESENEER, J.; BROCHEZ, L.

2008-01-01

SUMMARY A prospective survey on scabies in Ghent, Belgium was performed in 2004. Sixty-four individual cases were reported, corresponding to a crude incidence rate of 28/100 000 inhabitants. The incidence was higher in the elderly (51/100 000 in persons aged >75 years) and a higher incidence was also found in immigrants (88/100 000). More than 40% of the registered scabies patients had symptoms for more than 4 weeks at the time of presentation. In 54% of the consultations, the patient had already consulted a physician for his/her skin problem. Of this group, 44% had not yet received any scabicidal treatment, indicating that scabies was not yet diagnosed or that an inappropriate treatment was prescribed. The observations suggest that the diagnosis and/or treatment of scabies in this region can still be improved. PMID:17506916

Dissemination of the Project's Findings. National Seminar: French-Speaking Belgium (10th, Brussels, Belgium, December 2, 1988). The CDCC's Project No. 8: "Innovation in Primary Education."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delmelle, Rene

A seminar was held in Brussels for the purpose of disseminating results of the Council of Europe's Council for Cultural Cooperation's (CDCC) Project 8, Innovation in Primary Education (IPE), and information about IPE-related educational innovation in French-speaking Belgium. Participants were 92 educators. A review of aims of the CDCC and aspects…

Update on Germany: Now Eastern Germany Gets a Free Press. Special Report SO 8, 1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyn, Hermann

Since the former East German Communist State--the German Democratic Republic (GDR)--was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany, the federal constitution has been valid throughout the whole of Germany, guaranteeing press freedom and ending press censorship in eastern Germany. In October 1989, the GDR had 39 daily newspapers (many…

A Skin Cancer Prevention Facial-Aging Mobile App for Secondary Schools in Brazil: Appearance-Focused Interventional Study.

PubMed

Brinker, Titus Josef; Heckl, Marlene; Gatzka, Martina; Heppt, Markus V; Resende Rodrigues, Henrique; Schneider, Sven; Sondermann, Wiebke; de Almeida E Silva, Carolina; Kirchberger, Michael C; Klode, Joachim; Enk, Alexander H; Knispel, Sarah; von Kalle, Christof; Stoffels, Ingo; Schadendorf, Dirk; Nakamura, Yasuhiro; Esser, Stefan; Assis, Aisllan; Bernardes-Souza, Breno

2018-03-09

The incidence of melanoma is increasing faster than any other major cancer both in Brazil and worldwide. Southeast Brazil has especially high incidences of melanoma, and early detection is low. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a primary risk factor for developing melanoma. Increasing attractiveness is a major motivation among adolescents for tanning. A medical student-delivered intervention that takes advantage of the broad availability of mobile phones and adolescents' interest in their appearance indicated effectiveness in a recent study from Germany. However, the effect in a high-UV index country with a high melanoma prevalence and the capability of medical students to implement such an intervention remain unknown. In this pilot study, our objective was to investigate the preliminary success and implementability of a photoaging intervention to prevent skin cancer in Brazilian adolescents. We implemented a free photoaging mobile phone app (Sunface) in 15 secondary school classes in southeast Brazil. Medical students "mirrored" the pupils' altered 3-dimensional (3D) selfies reacting to touch on tablets via a projector in front of their whole grade accompanied by a brief discussion of means of UV protection. An anonymous questionnaire capturing sociodemographic data and risk factors for melanoma measured the perceptions of the intervention on 5-point Likert scales among 356 pupils of both sexes (13-19 years old; median age 16 years) in grades 8 to 12 of 2 secondary schools in Brazil. We measured more than 90% agreement in both items that measured motivation to reduce UV exposure and only 5.6% disagreement: 322 (90.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that their 3D selfie motivated them to avoid using a tanning bed, and 321 (90.2%) that it motivated them to improve their sun protection; 20 pupils (5.6%) disagreed with both items. The perceived effect on motivation was higher in female pupils in both tanning bed avoidance (n=198, 92.6% agreement in females vs n=123

Germany: The Search for Unity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankenship, Glen, Ed.

The 12 lessons in this collection are designed so that they may be used individually, integrated into the curriculum at appropriate places, or used as a complete unit. The lessons are entitled: (1) Impressions of Germany and Germans; (2) The Location and Population of Germany; (3) Pollution in Germany: A Complex Problems; (4) German Political…

The health-related social costs of alcohol in Belgium.

PubMed

Verhaeghe, Nick; Lievens, Delfine; Annemans, Lieven; Vander Laenen, Freya; Putman, Koen

2017-12-16

Alcohol is associated with adverse health effects causing a considerable economic impact to society. A reliable estimate of this economic impact for Belgium is lacking. This is the aim of the study. A prevalence-based approach estimating the direct, indirect and intangible costs for the year 2012 was used. Attributional fractions for a series of health effects were derived from literature. The human capital approach was used to estimate indirect costs, while the concept of disability-adjusted life years was used to estimate intangible costs. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty around cost estimates and to evaluate the impact of alternative modelling assumptions. In 2012, total alcohol-attributable direct costs were estimated at €906.1 million, of which the majority were due to hospitalization (€743.7 million, 82%). The indirect costs amounted to €642.6 million, of which 62% was caused by premature mortality. Alcohol was responsible for 157,500 disability-adjusted life years representing €6.3 billion intangible costs. Despite a number of limitations intrinsic to this kind of research, the study can be considered as the most comprehensive analysis thus far of the health-related social costs of alcohol in Belgium.

Impact of environmental discourses on public health policy arrangements: a comparative study in the UK and Flanders, (Belgium).

PubMed

Stassen, K R; Gislason, M; Leroy, P

2010-10-01

Theoretically inspired by discursive institutionalism and multi-level governance, this paper assesses the extent to which 'environmental health' has emerged as a new discourse at European level, the effects it has had on national public health governance in two European countries, and what mechanisms have triggered or hindered these effects. Comparison of the dynamics in public health policy arrangements in Flanders (Belgium) and the UK, nations influenced by both international and European environmental health discourses. The Policy Arrangement Approach was the analytical framework used to structure the results of this textual analysis. Despite their shared focus on environmental health, Belgium and the UK display quite different approaches to environmental health governance. While Belgium works on environmental health in a predominantly top-down approach, the UK has developed a more inward-facing approach to environmental health policies. The cases of the UK and Belgium show that, although these countries respond similarly to internationally agreed charters and both are members of the European Union, national differences in environmental health policies persist, mainly due to pre-existing national policy arrangements and the activities of national institutions. This leads to a divergent interplay between national and international institutions. Copyright © 2010 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drugs in East Germany.

PubMed

Dressler, J; Müller, E

1997-09-01

Germany was divided into two parts after World War II. The closed border and a nonconvertible currency in the Eastern part were the factors that did not allow a drug market to develop. Alcohol and medicaments were used as substitute drugs. Since Germany was reunified 5 years ago, there are now the same conditions prevailing for the procurement and sale of drugs in East Germany as there are in the Western German states. This report describes the current state of drug traffic, especially in Saxony, under the new social conditions.

Roll out of intraveneous artesunate under named patient programmes in the Netherlands, Belgium and France

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Intravenous (IV) artesunate is the treatment of choice for severe malaria. In Europe, this treatment is only available in a few countries via named patient programmes (NPPs). As a case study, the legal and organisational aspects and pharmacovigilance of these NPPs and possibilities for harmonisation within the EU were studied over time and space using IV artesunate (Malacef) in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Methods The legal base and organisation of NPPs in the Netherlands, Belgium and France were studied. The diffusion and cumulative availability of IV artesunate and the pharmacovigilance components were compared among the three countries using distribution data from the period 2007 through 2012. Results Artesunate has quickly gained acceptance for treating severe malaria in the Netherlands, whereas both Belgium and France have introduced this treatment more hesitantly. This difference in acceptance is due to differences in the implementation of NPP legislation among the countries. France currently has a proactive system in which treatment requires the permission for each patient and an intensive follow-up protocol. On the other hand, Belgium and Dutch NPPs are more dependent on the investigators’ initiative and are therefore potentially faster and more flexible, facilitating the discovery of adverse effects that have not been reported by more formal comparative clinical trials. Conclusions NPPs provide a unique opportunity to study both the benefits and risks of unregistered products for treating rare diseases, provided that the patients are actively vigilated. Thus, we recommend that NPPs should be harmonised throughout Europe in order to ensure equal availability of treatment and therapeutic benefit to all Europeans without compromising patient safety. PMID:24063858

Towards Integrative Religious Education in Belgium and Flanders: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loobuyck, Patrick; Franken, Leni

2011-01-01

This article describes the way in which religious education (RE) has been organised in Flanders and Belgium, and gives attention to the problems and challenges that arise these days. We argue that the "Schoolpact" of 1958 which implies separate RE in different religions in public schools needs a revision. Therefore, we propose an…

Ramadan fasting and diabetes: an observational study among Turkish migrants in Belgium.

PubMed

Peeters, Bart; Mehuys, Els; Van Tongelen, Inge; Van Bever, Elien; Bultereys, Lore; Avonts, Dirk; Yıldız, Güven; Remon, Jean Paul; Boussery, Koen

2012-12-01

To investigate (i) Ramadan participation, (ii) provision of Ramadan-related advice by healthcare providers, (iii) medication use during Ramadan fasting among Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. This pilot observational study was conducted among a convenience sample of 52 Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. Two questionnaires collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, diabetes-related characteristics, current hypoglycaemic medication with dosing regimen, participation in the past Ramadan, reasons for (non-)participation, use of hypoglycaemic medication during the past Ramadan, advice from their healthcare providers about fasting during Ramadan and follow-up of this advice. Sixteen patients (31%) had fasted during the past Ramadan. Main reason for Ramadan participation was reinforcement of faith (12/15), while the main reason for non-participation was having diabetes (34/36). About 56% of the study population had received recommendations from their healthcare provider(s) about fasting and diabetes during Ramadan. The most commonly provided advice was not to participate in Ramadan, followed by modification of drug therapy. Only 3 patients ignored the advice of their health professionals. In addition, only 60% of those who actually fasted received recommendations about intake of diabetes medication during the Ramadan. Most fasters continued their medication dose unchanged (87% of OHA users and 80% of the insulin users). This pilot study found a low prevalence of Ramadan fasting among Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. We also found that provision of advice by healthcare providers could be improved. Larger scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2012 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Site of Death, Health Care Utilization, and Hospital Expenditures for Patients Dying With Cancer in 7 Developed Countries.

PubMed

Bekelman, Justin E; Halpern, Scott D; Blankart, Carl Rudolf; Bynum, Julie P; Cohen, Joachim; Fowler, Robert; Kaasa, Stein; Kwietniewski, Lukas; Melberg, Hans Olav; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje; Oosterveld-Vlug, Mariska; Pring, Andrew; Schreyögg, Jonas; Ulrich, Connie M; Verne, Julia; Wunsch, Hannah; Emanuel, Ezekiel J

2016-01-19

Differences in utilization and costs of end-of-life care among developed countries are of considerable policy interest. To compare site of death, health care utilization, and hospital expenditures in 7 countries: Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. Retrospective cohort study using administrative and registry data from 2010. Participants were decedents older than 65 years who died with cancer. Secondary analyses included decedents of any age, decedents older than 65 years with lung cancer, and decedents older than 65 years in the United States and Germany from 2012. Deaths in acute care hospitals, 3 inpatient measures (hospitalizations in acute care hospitals, admissions to intensive care units, and emergency department visits), 1 outpatient measure (chemotherapy episodes), and hospital expenditures paid by insurers (commercial or governmental) during the 180-day and 30-day periods before death. Expenditures were derived from country-specific methods for costing inpatient services. The United States (cohort of decedents aged >65 years, N = 211,816) and the Netherlands (N = 7216) had the lowest proportion of decedents die in acute care hospitals (22.2.% and 29.4%, respectively). A higher proportion of decedents died in acute care hospitals in Belgium (N = 21,054; 51.2%), Canada (N = 20,818; 52.1%), England (N = 97,099; 41.7%), Germany (N = 24,434; 38.3%), and Norway (N = 6636; 44.7%). In the last 180 days of life, 40.3% of US decedents had an intensive care unit admission compared with less than 18% in other reporting nations. In the last 180 days of life, mean per capita hospital expenditures were higher in Canada (US $21,840), Norway (US $19,783), and the United States (US $18,500), intermediate in Germany (US $16,221) and Belgium (US $15,699), and lower in the Netherlands (US $10,936) and England (US $9342). Secondary analyses showed similar results. Among patients older than 65 years who

Reform of health care in Germany

PubMed Central

Hurst, Jeremy W.

1991-01-01

For the past 45 years Germany has had two health care systems: one in the former Federal Republic of Germany and one in the former German Democratic Republic. The system in the Federal Republic was undergoing some important reforms when German reunification took place in October 1990. Now the system in eastern Germany is undergoing a major transformation to bring it more into line with that in western Germany. PMID:10110879

The Fate of Mrs Robinson: Criteria for Recognition of Whole-Body Vibration Injury as AN Occupational Disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

HULSHOF, C. T. J.; VAN DER LAAN, G.; BRAAM, I. T. J.; VERBEEK, J. H. A. M.

2002-05-01

Several recently published critical reviews conclude that there is strong epidemiological evidence for a relationship between occupational exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), low back pain (LBP) and back disorders. Whether this exposure is only a modest or a substantial risk factor for the onset and recurrence of LBP is still a matter of debate. In spite of this controversy, four European Union countries have decided to recognize and compensate LBP and certain spinal disorders as an occupational disease. In this paper, we review the criteria currently in use for the recognition of this occupational disease. A search of the literature was performed; additional information was obtained in work visits to national occupational disease institutes in Germany, France and Belgium, in annual reports and national statistics on occupational diseases. Belgium was the first country to add WBV injury to the official list of occupational diseases (1978), followed by Germany (1993), the Netherlands (1997), and France (1999). The incidence of newly recognized cases in 1999 varied considerably: 763 in Belgium, 269 in France, 16 in Germany, and 10 reported cases in the Netherlands. The findings of this review indicate that significant differences exist in the established and applied diagnostic and exposure criteria in the four EU countries. This is illustrated by the case of Mrs Robinson, a 41-year-old forklift driver with LBP, who would probably get recognition and compensation in the Netherlands and Belgium but would be rejected in France and Germany. The development of uniform internationally accepted criteria is recommended, also from an epidemiological point of view, as many data are collected in the process of recognition of this occupational disease.

The Coca-Cola incident in Belgium, June 1999.

PubMed

Nemery, B; Fischler, B; Boogaerts, M; Lison, D; Willems, J

2002-11-01

The present paper describes the outbreak of health complaints that occurred in Belgium, in June 1999, among schoolchildren and members of the general public in relation to the consumption of Coca-Cola and other soft drinks. The outbreak took place in the wake of a major food crisis, caused by PCB/dioxin contamination of animal feed, that had erupted shortly before. The clinical features (absence of serious poisoning) and epidemiological characteristics of the Coca-Cola outbreak pointed to mass sociogenic illness, and no subsequent toxicological or other data have refuted this hypothesis.

Health care reform in Belgium.

PubMed

Schokkaert, Erik; Van de Voorde, Carine

2005-09-01

Curbing the growth of public sector health expenditures has been the proclaimed government objective in Belgium since the 1980s. However, the respect for freedom of choice for patients and for therapeutic freedom for providers has blocked the introduction of microeconomic incentives and quality control. Therefore--with some exceptions, particularly in the hospital sector--policy has consisted mainly of tariff and supply restrictions and increases in co-payments. These measures have not been successful in curbing the growth of expenditures. Moreover, there remains a large variation in medical practices. While the structure of health financing is relatively progressive from an international perspective, socioeconomic and regional inequalities in health persist. The most important challenge is the restructuring of the basic decision-making processes; i.e. a simplification of the bureaucratic procedures and a re-examination of the role of regional authorities and sickness funds. Copyright (c) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

History of modern genetics in Germany.

PubMed

Hammar, Friederike

2002-01-01

The history of modern genetics in Germany during the 20th century is a story of missed chances. In the USA the genetic revolution opened a fascinating new field for ambitious scientists and created a rapidly growing new industry. Meanwhile Germany stood aside, combating with political and social restrictions. Promising young scientists who wanted to work in the field left Germany for the US, and big companies moved their facilities out of the country. Up until the middle of the 1990s molecular biology in Germany remained a "sleeping beauty" even though many brilliant scientists did their jobs very well. Then a somewhat funny idea changed everything: the German minister for education and science proclaimed the BioRegio contest in order to award the most powerful biotechnology region in Germany concerning academia and especially industry. Since then Germany's biotechnology industry has grown constantly and rapidly due to the foundation of a number of small biotech companies; big companies have returned their interests and their investments to Germany, paralleled by an improvement in academic research because of more funding and better support especially for younger scientists. In respect to biotechnology and molecular biology, Germany is still a developing country, but it has started to move and to take its chances in an exciting global competition.

Challenges in physician supply planning: the case of Belgium.

PubMed

Stordeur, Sabine; Léonard, Christian

2010-12-08

Planning human resources for health (HRH) is a complex process for policy-makers and, as a result, many countries worldwide swing from surplus to shortage. In-depth case studies can help appraising the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented. This paper has two objectives: to identify the key challenges in HRH planning in Belgium and to formulate recommendations for an effective HRH planning, on the basis of the Belgian case study and lessons drawn from an international benchmarking. In Belgium, a numerus clausus set up in 1997 and effective in 2004, aims to limit the total number of physicians working in the curative sector. The assumption of a positive relationship between physician densities and health care utilization was a major argument in favor of medical supply restrictions. This new regulation did not improve recurrent challenges such as specialty imbalances, with uncovered needs particularly among general practitioners, and geographical maldistribution. New difficulties also emerged. In particular, limiting national training of HRH turned out to be ineffective within the open European workforce market. The lack of integration of policies affecting HRH was noteworthy. We described in the paper what strategies were developed to address those challenges in Belgium and in neighboring countries. Planning the medical workforce involves determining the numbers, mix, and distribution of health providers that will be required at some identified future point in time. To succeed in their task, health policy planners have to take a broader perspective on the healthcare system. Focusing on numbers is too restrictive and adopting innovative policies learned from benchmarking without integration and coordination is unfruitful. Evolving towards a strategic planning is essential to control the effects of the complex factors impacting on human resources. This evolution requires an effective monitoring of all key factors affecting supply and demand, a dynamic

Challenges in physician supply planning: the case of Belgium

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Planning human resources for health (HRH) is a complex process for policy-makers and, as a result, many countries worldwide swing from surplus to shortage. In-depth case studies can help appraising the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented. This paper has two objectives: to identify the key challenges in HRH planning in Belgium and to formulate recommendations for an effective HRH planning, on the basis of the Belgian case study and lessons drawn from an international benchmarking. Case description In Belgium, a numerus clausus set up in 1997 and effective in 2004, aims to limit the total number of physicians working in the curative sector. The assumption of a positive relationship between physician densities and health care utilization was a major argument in favor of medical supply restrictions. This new regulation did not improve recurrent challenges such as specialty imbalances, with uncovered needs particularly among general practitioners, and geographical maldistribution. New difficulties also emerged. In particular, limiting national training of HRH turned out to be ineffective within the open European workforce market. The lack of integration of policies affecting HRH was noteworthy. We described in the paper what strategies were developed to address those challenges in Belgium and in neighboring countries. Discussion and evaluation Planning the medical workforce involves determining the numbers, mix, and distribution of health providers that will be required at some identified future point in time. To succeed in their task, health policy planners have to take a broader perspective on the healthcare system. Focusing on numbers is too restrictive and adopting innovative policies learned from benchmarking without integration and coordination is unfruitful. Evolving towards a strategic planning is essential to control the effects of the complex factors impacting on human resources. This evolution requires an effective monitoring of

Sunday Punch in Normandy. The Tactical Use of Heavy Bombardment in the Normandy Invasion

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

the greater part of the GAF within Germany . At the same time the first commitments directly associated with the impending assault came into force...attacks on both target categories were widespread, the marshalling yards being key points throughout the rail network of western Germany , Belgium...and northern and eastern France, and the airfield targets including the more important bases in northern Germany . The purpose of the Transportation

Interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium.

PubMed

Vertommen, Tine; Schipper-van Veldhoven, Nicolette; Wouters, Kristien; Kampen, Jarl K; Brackenridge, Celia H; Rhind, Daniel J A; Neels, Karel; Van Den Eede, Filip

2016-01-01

The current article reports on the first large-scale prevalence study on interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium. Using a dedicated online questionnaire, over 4,000 adults prescreened on having participated in organized sport before the age of 18 were surveyed with respect to their experiences with childhood psychological, physical, and sexual violence while playing sports. Being the first of its kind in the Netherlands and Belgium, our study has a sufficiently large sample taken from the general population, with a balanced gender ratio and wide variety in socio-demographic characteristics. The survey showed that 38% of all respondents reported experiences with psychological violence, 11% with physical violence, and 14% with sexual violence. Ethnic minority, lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) and disabled athletes, and those competing at the international level report significantly more experiences of interpersonal violence in sport. The results are consistent with rates obtained outside sport, underscoring the need for more research on interventions and systematic follow-ups, to minimize these negative experiences in youth sport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of physicians and pharmacists towards International Non-proprietary Name prescribing in Belgium.

PubMed

Van Bever, Elien; Elseviers, Monique; Plovie, Marijke; Vandeputte, Lieselot; Van Bortel, Luc; Vander Stichele, Robert

2015-03-01

International Non-proprietary Name (INN) prescribing is the use of the name of the active ingredient(s) instead of the brand name for prescribing. In Belgium, INN prescribing began in 2005 and a major policy change occurred in 2012. The aim was to explore the opinions of Dutch-speaking general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists. An electronic questionnaire with 39 five-point Likert scale statements and one open question was administered in 2013. Multivariate analysis was performed with multiple linear regression on a sum score for benefit statements and for drawback statements. Answers to the open question were qualitatively analysed. We received 745 valid responses with a representable sample for both subgroups. Participants perceived the motives to introduce INN prescribing as purely economic (to reduce pharmaceutical expenditures for the government and the patient). Participants accepted the concept of INN prescribing, but 88% stressed the importance of guaranteed treatment continuity, especially in older, chronic patients, to prevent patient confusion, medication non-adherence and erroneous drug use. In conclusion, the current way in which INN prescribing is applied in Belgium leads to many concerns among primary health professionals about patient confusion and medication adherence. Slightly adapting the current concept of INN prescribing to these concerns can turn INN prescribing into one of the major policies in Belgium to reduce pharmaceutical expenditures and to stimulate rational drug prescribing. © 2014 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Water availability change in central Belgium for the late 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabari, Hossein; Taye, Meron Teferi; Willems, Patrick

2015-08-01

We investigate the potential impact of climate change on water availability in central Belgium. Two water balance components being precipitation and potential evapotranspiration are initially projected for the late 21st century (2071-2100) based on 30 Coupled Models Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models relative to a baseline period of 1961-1990, assuming forcing by four representative concentration pathway emission scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, RCP8.5). The future available water is then estimated as the difference between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration projections. The number of wet days and mean monthly precipitation for summer season is projected to decrease in most of the scenarios, while the projections show an increase in those variables for the winter months. Potential evapotranspiration is expected to increase during both winter and summer seasons. The results show a decrease in water availability for summer and an increase for winter, suggesting drier summers and wetter winters for the late 21st century in central Belgium.

48 CFR 52.222-19 - Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece..., Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain...

48 CFR 52.222-19 - Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany..., Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia...

48 CFR 52.222-19 - Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece..., Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain...

Hypertension in Germany.

PubMed

Neuhauser, Hannelore; Diederichs, Claudia; Boeing, Heiner; Felix, Stephan B; Jünger, Claus; Lorbeer, Roberto; Meisinger, Christine; Peters, Annette; Völzke, Henry; Weikert, Cornelia; Wild, Philipp; Dörr, Marcus

2016-12-02

Hypertension is a key risk factor. However, population data based on blood pressure measurements in Germany are scarce. Standardized blood pressure (BP) measurements and medication data from seven population-based studies conducted in Germany between 1994 and 2012 (66 845 participants, 25-74 years) were analyzed: the EPICPotsdam study (1994-1998, EPIC), the KORA-S4 Study (1999-2001) in Augsburg, and the Gutenberg Health Study (2007-2012, GHS) in Mainz/Mainz-Bingen provided data for descriptive comparisons. Time trends were analyzed based on identical study regions for the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (BGS98) and the German Health Examination Survey for Adults (2008-11, DEGS1) as well as the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) in Northeast Germany (1997-2001) and the SHIP-TREND study (2008-2012). BP data were adjusted for study-specific measurement devices based on calibration studies. After adjustment for study-specific measurement devices, mean systolic and diastolic BP values were lower and treatment proportions higher in recent (2007-2012) compared to older (1994-2001) studies. Mean BP decrease was most pronounced (systolic ≥ 10 mmHg) in the elderly (55-74 years). The regional SHIP-TREND data for Northeast Germany showed a decrease in mean systolic BP in young men aged 25 to 34 years; on a national level according to the DEGS1 data, however, no such decrease was observed for this group. New data add evidence for lower BP in Germany. However, the prevention potential remains high. Future research based on population-based data should place a special focus on blood pressure data in young men.

Real world cost of human epidermal receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients: a longitudinal incidence-based observational costing study in the Netherlands and Belgium.

PubMed

Frederix, G W J; Severens, J L; Hövels, A M; van Hasselt, J G C; Hooiveld, M J J; Neven, P; Raaijmakers, J A M; Schellens, J H M

2015-05-01

Currently, no country-specific metastatic breast cancer (MBC) observational costing data are available for the Netherlands and Belgium. Our aim is to describe country-specific resource use and costs of human epidermal receptor 2 (HER-2)-positive MBC in the Netherlands and Belgium, making use of real-world data. The eligibility period for patient selection was from April 2004 to April 2010. Inclusion and retrospective data collection begins at the time of first diagnosis of HER-2-positive MBC during the eligibility period and ends 24 months post-index diagnosis of MBC or at patient death. We identified 88 eligible patients in the Netherlands and 44 patients in Belgium. The total costs of medical treatment and other resource use utilisation per patient was €48,301 in the Netherlands and €37,431 in Belgium. Majority of costs was related to the use of trastuzumab in both countries, which was 50% of the total costs in the Netherlands and 56% in Belgium respectively. Our study provides estimates of resource use and costs for HER-2-positive MBC in the Netherlands and Belgium. We noticed various differences in resource use patterns between both countries demonstrating caution is needed when transferring cost estimates between countries. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dental tourism from Switzerland to Germany.

PubMed

Gheorghe, Raluca; Zürcher, Andrea; Filippi, Andreas

In recent years the topic of dental tourism has increasingly come into focus of dentists and patients. In the present study an attempt was made to find out, why patients from a restricted region travel to Germany for dental care. In five German dental clinics located in the border area between Switzerland and Germany, 272 women and 236 men ranging in age from 5 to 94 years, who had undergone at least one dental treatment in Germany, were questioned concerning the reasons for their visits. The interviews took place within a period of 6 months and relied on a questionnaire to collect data regarding sociodemographic features and patient behavior. In comparison to residents of Germany, patients residing in Switzerland took on considerably longer travel distances for the dental visit, in some cases more than 50km (9.7%). For patients residing in Switzerland the technical equipment of the practice was more important (p<0.001), whereas for residents of Germany the cost-effective treatment was decisive (p<0.05). Almost all patients residing in Switzerland (95.6%) confirmed that dental treatments in Germany were cheaper and that additional family members also came to Germany for dental care (65.0%).

48 CFR 52.222-19 - Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong..., Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden...

Sistemas de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa en Belgica, Paises Bajos y Francia (Educational Documentation and Information Systems in Belgium, Holland, and France).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi Etchelouz, Nelly Yvis

This booklet describes the working and organization of the information and documentation systems in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. The discussion begins with a look at the Belgium educational system and how information services operate within that system. The central library, specialized services, and specialized information centers are all…

Microbiological Load of Edible Insects Found in Belgium.

PubMed

Caparros Megido, Rudy; Desmedt, Sandrine; Blecker, Christophe; Béra, François; Haubruge, Éric; Alabi, Taofic; Francis, Frédéric

2017-01-13

Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishing stores or towards traditional markets to find exotic insects that are illegal and not sanitarily controlled. From this perspective, this study aims to characterize the microbial load of edible insects found in Belgium (i.e., fresh mealworms and house crickets from European farms and smoked termites and caterpillars from a traditional Congolese market) and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (blanching for all species and freeze-drying and sterilization for European species) in reducing microorganism counts. All untreated insect samples had a total aerobic count higher than the limit for fresh minced meat (6.7 log cfu/g). Nevertheless, a species-dependent blanching step has led to a reduction of the total aerobic count under this limit, except for one caterpillar species. Freeze-drying and sterilization treatments on European species were also effective in reducing the total aerobic count. Yeast and mold counts for untreated insects were above the Good Manufacturing Practice limits for raw meat, but all treatments attained a reduction of these microorganisms under this limit. These results confirmed that fresh insects, but also smoked insects from non-European trades, need a cooking step (at least composed of a first blanching step) before consumption. Therefore, blanching timing for each studied insect species is proposed and discussed.

Evaluating the Early Benefit of Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine on Genital Warts in Belgium: A Cohort Study.

PubMed

Dominiak-Felden, Geraldine; Gobbo, Corrado; Simondon, François

2015-01-01

Genital warts (GWs) are common, with about 5% to 10% of people having at least one episode in their lifetime. They develop about 2-3 months after infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 6 and 11. The prophylactic quadrivalent HPV vaccine (qHPV), protects against HPV6/11 infections and diseases. In Belgium, HPV vaccines started to be reimbursed in 2007 and have been fully reimbursed since December 2008 for women 12 to 18 years old. This study aimed at evaluating the real-life benefit of qHPV vaccine introduction in Belgium on GWs by measuring both vaccine impact (VI) at a population level and the direct effect of the qHPV vaccine at an individual level (vaccine effectiveness (VE)), using data from a large sick-fund (MLOZ) reimbursement database. A first reimbursement for imiquimod (most common first-line GWs treatment in Belgium) was used as a surrogate for a first GWs episode; reimbursement of qHPV vaccine was used as surrogate for vaccination. VI was estimated by comparing the incidence of GWs before and after qHPV vaccine introduction in Belgium (ecologic evaluation). VE was assessed by comparing GWs incidences in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated women, among women eligible for HPV vaccination. VI was evaluated in 9,223,384 person-years. Overall, GWs incidence rates decreased significantly between the pre- and post-vaccination periods (-8.1% (95% CI: -15.3; -0.3) for men and women aged 18-59 years. This decrease was highest in women targeted by the HPV vaccination programme (-72.1% (95% CI: -77.9; -64.7) in women aged 16-22 years, with a 43% vaccine uptake in 2013). A significant decrease was also observed in men aged 16-22 years (-51.1%, 95%CI: -67.6; -26.2), suggesting herd-protection. VE was evaluated in 369,881 person-years. Age-adjusted VE for fully vaccinated women was 88.0% (95% CI: 79.4; 93.0). VE was higher when the first dose was given younger and remained high for over 4 years post-vaccination in all ages. High VI and VE of the qHPV vaccine were

Evaluating the Early Benefit of Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine on Genital Warts in Belgium: A Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Dominiak-Felden, Geraldine; Gobbo, Corrado; Simondon, François

2015-01-01

Genital warts (GWs) are common, with about 5% to 10% of people having at least one episode in their lifetime. They develop about 2–3 months after infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 6 and 11. The prophylactic quadrivalent HPV vaccine (qHPV), protects against HPV6/11 infections and diseases. In Belgium, HPV vaccines started to be reimbursed in 2007 and have been fully reimbursed since December 2008 for women 12 to 18 years old. This study aimed at evaluating the real-life benefit of qHPV vaccine introduction in Belgium on GWs by measuring both vaccine impact (VI) at a population level and the direct effect of the qHPV vaccine at an individual level (vaccine effectiveness (VE)), using data from a large sick-fund (MLOZ) reimbursement database. A first reimbursement for imiquimod (most common first-line GWs treatment in Belgium) was used as a surrogate for a first GWs episode; reimbursement of qHPV vaccine was used as surrogate for vaccination. VI was estimated by comparing the incidence of GWs before and after qHPV vaccine introduction in Belgium (ecologic evaluation). VE was assessed by comparing GWs incidences in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated women, among women eligible for HPV vaccination. VI was evaluated in 9,223,384 person-years. Overall, GWs incidence rates decreased significantly between the pre- and post-vaccination periods (-8.1% (95% CI: -15.3; -0.3) for men and women aged 18–59 years. This decrease was highest in women targeted by the HPV vaccination programme (-72.1% (95% CI: -77.9; -64.7) in women aged 16–22 years, with a 43% vaccine uptake in 2013). A significant decrease was also observed in men aged 16-22 years (-51.1%, 95%CI: -67.6; -26.2), suggesting herd-protection. VE was evaluated in 369,881 person-years. Age-adjusted VE for fully vaccinated women was 88.0% (95% CI: 79.4; 93.0). VE was higher when the first dose was given younger and remained high for over 4 years post-vaccination in all ages. High VI and VE of the q

Late Devonian (Frasnian) phyllopod and phyllocarid crustacean shields from Belgium reinterpreted as ammonoid anaptychi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goolaerts, Stijn; Denayer, Julien; Mottequin, Bernard

2017-12-01

The taxonomic affinities of fossils from the Frasnian succession of Belgium previously described as phyllopod and phyllocarid crustacean shields are discussed. The rediscovery of the holotype of Ellipsocaris dewalquei, the type species of the genus Ellipsocaris Woodward in Dewalque, 1882, allows to end the discussion on the taxonomic assignation of the genus Ellipsocaris. It is removed from the phyllopod crustaceans as interpreted originally and considered here as an ammonoid anaptychus. Furthermore, it is considered to be a junior synonym of the genus Sidetes Giebel, 1847. Similarly, Van Straelen's (1933) lower to middle Frasnian record Spathiocaris chagrinensis Ruedemann, 1916, is also an ammonoid anaptychus. Although ammonoids can be relatively frequent in some Frasnian horizons of Belgium, anaptychi remain particularly scarce and the attribution to the present material to peculiar ammonoid species is not possible.

[Ancient methods of animal disease prevention in Belgium].

PubMed

Mammerickx, M

1994-06-01

The author describes traditional methods of animal disease control in Belgium and the evolution of these methods up to the present time. Evidence is drawn mainly from Belgian law. The principles of hygienic prophylaxis, which have required little modification over the passage of time, were set out at the beginning of the 18th century by Lancisi and Bates, physicians to Pope Clement XI and King George I of Great Britain, respectively. These principles were immediately incorporated into Belgian law. However, it was not until the second half of the 19th century that they were applied correctly and with success.

Detection of BVDV persistently infected animals in Belgium: evaluation of the strategy implemented.

PubMed

Letellier, C; De Meulemeester, L; Lomba, M; Mijten, E; Kerkhofs, P

2005-11-15

Until now, no official bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV) control program has been implemented in Belgium. The only legislation dealing with the detection of BVDV-infected animals concerns the purchase of animals. A strategy of control, based on the identification and elimination of persistently infected (PI) animals and the vaccination of cows before insemination has been designed in both the Northern and the Southern part of the country. The strategy of detection of PI animals relies on PCR testing of pools of blood. Individual blood samples corresponding to the positive pools are then tested by BVDV-antigen ELISA. A first evaluation of the measures already applied in Belgium is presented. Data obtained in 2003 are presented and discussed regarding the validation of the laboratory strategy, the prevalence of positive herds, the genotype of circulating viruses, the outcome of antigen positive animals and the need for improvement of the current legislation.

[Diabetes and fasting during Ramadan. A observational study among Turkish immigrants in Belgium].

PubMed

Peeters, B; Mehuys, E; Van Tongelen, I; Van Bever, E; Bultereys, L; Avonts, D; Yildiz, G; Remon, J P; Boussery, K

2013-03-01

To investigate (i) Ramadan participation, (ii) provision of Ramadan related advice by healthcare providers (iii) medication use during Ramadan fasting among Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. This pilot observational study was conducted among a convenience sample of 52 Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. Two questionnaires collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, diabetes related characteristics, current hypoglycaemic medication with dosing regimen, participation in the past Ramadan, reasons for (non)participation, use of hypoglycaemic medication during the past Ramadan, advice from their healthcare providers about fasting during Ramadan and follow up of this advice. Sixteen patients (31%) had fasted during the past Ramadan. Main reason for Ramadan participation was reinforcement of faith (12/15), while the main reason for non participation was having diabetes (34/36). About 56% of the study population had received recommendations from their healthcare provider(s) about fasting and diabetes during Ramadan. The most commonly provided advice was not to participate in Ramadan, followed by modification of drug therapy. Only 3 patients ignored the advice of their healthcare professionals. In addition, only 60% of those who actually fasted received recommendations about intake of diabetes medication during the ramadan. Most fasters continued their medication dose unchanged (87% of OHA users and 80% of the insulin users). This pilot study found a low prevalence of Ramadan fasting among Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. We also found that provision of advice by healthcare providers could be improved. Larger scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Media Literacy Policy in Flanders Belgium: From Parliamentary Discussions to Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Audenhove, Leo; Mariën, Ilse; Vanwynsberghe, Hadewijch

2018-01-01

Media literacy has gained in importance in policy discussions on media, digital media and the Internet in many countries. How do these policies develop and what can be learned? This case study explores the factors contributing to the successful formulation and implementation of media literacy in Flanders-Belgium. By examining the trajectory of…

The Renewed Primary School in Belgium: Analysis of the Local Innovation Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandenberghe, Roland

The Renewed Primary School project in Belgium is analyzed in this paper in terms of organizational response to a large-scale innovation, which is characterized by its multidimensionality, by the large number of participating schools, and by a complex support structure. Section 2 of the report presents an elaborated description of these…

Music Training in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tapia, Ivan, Ed.

1994-01-01

This special-issue volume examines music education in the two Germanies and how music has had a great influence in the culture of the nations. The presentation is a professional and objective portrayal of music training and cultivation in Germany in the last decade of the present century. The articles attempt to outline the problems and tasks that…

Cost analysis of neonatal and pediatric parenteral nutrition in Europe: a multi-country study.

PubMed

Walter, E; Liu, F X; Maton, P; Storme, T; Perrinet, M; von Delft, O; Puntis, J; Hartigan, D; Dragosits, A; Sondhi, S

2012-05-01

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is critical in neonatal and pediatric care for patients unable to tolerate enteral feeding. This study assessed the total costs of compounding PN therapy for neonates, infants and children. Face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted in 12 hospitals across four European countries (Belgium, France, Germany and UK) to collect information on resources utilized to compound PN, including nutrients, staff time, equipment cost and supplies. A bottom-up cost model was constructed to assess total costs of PN therapy by assigning monetary values to the resource utilization using published list prices and interview data. A total of 49,922 PN bags per year were used to treat 4295 neonatal and pediatric patients among these hospitals. The daily total costs of one compounded PN bag for neonates in the 12 hospitals across the four countries equalled euro 55.16 (Belgium euro 53.26, France euro 46.23, Germany euro 64.05, UK Ł 37.43/\\[euro]42.86). Overall, nutrients accounted for 25% of total costs, supplies 18%, wages 54% and equipment 3%. Average costs per bag for infants <2 year were euro 84.52 (euro 74.65 in Belgium, euro 83.84 in France, euro 92.70 in Germany and Ł 52.63/euro 60.26 in the UK), and for children 2-18 years euro 118.02 (euro 93.85 in Belgium, euro 121.35 in France, euro 124.54 in Germany and Ł 69.49/euro 79.56 in the UK), of which 63% is attributable to nutrients and 28% to wages. The data indicated that PN costs differ among countries and a major proportion was due to staff time (Ł 1=euro 1.144959).

76 FR 14275 - Regulations Issued Under the Export Grape and Plum Act; Revision to the Minimum Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-16

... are added to the remaining list: Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Herzegovina, Macedonia... to mean the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic...

The history of antivenoms development: Beyond Calmette and Vital Brazil.

PubMed

Squaiella-Baptistão, Carla Cristina; Sant'Anna, Osvaldo Augusto; Marcelino, José Roberto; Tambourgi, Denise V

2018-05-17

This review presents the main contributions to our knowledge regarding the development of antivenoms for therapeutic use in victims of venomous animal bites. We cover the progress of serum therapy since tetanus and diphtheria antitoxins in Germany and France until the current scenario of antivenom production worldwide. During these more than 120 years of antivenom development, many researchers contributed to establish what are nowadays the antivenoms used for therapeutic purpose. The history of antivenoms development is fascinating! This review aims to recognize all those who contributed to the establishment of new sera, new methodologies and saving lives: much more than Calmette and Vital Brazil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inferring rubella outbreak risk from seroprevalence data in Belgium.

PubMed

Abrams, Steven; Kourkouni, Eleni; Sabbe, Martine; Beutels, Philippe; Hens, Niel

2016-12-07

Rubella is usually a mild disease for which infections often pass by unnoticed. In approximately 50% of the cases, there are no or only few clinical symptoms. However, rubella contracted during early pregnancy could lead to spontaneous abortion, to central nervous system defects, or to one of a range of other serious and debilitating conditions in a newborn such as the congenital rubella syndrome. Before the introduction of mass vaccination, rubella was a common childhood infection occurring all over the world. However, since the introduction of rubella antigen-containing vaccines, the incidence of rubella has declined dramatically in high-income countries. Recent large-scale mumps outbreaks, one of the components in the combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, occurring in countries throughout Europe with high vaccination coverage, provide evidence of pathogen-specific waning of vaccine-induced immunity and primary vaccine failure. In addition, recent measles outbreaks affecting populations with suboptimal vaccination coverages stress the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverages. In this paper, we focus on the assessment of rubella outbreak risk using a previously developed method to identify geographic regions of high outbreak potential. The methodology relies on 2006 rubella seroprevalence data and vaccination coverage data from Belgium and information on primary and secondary vaccine failure obtained from extensive literature reviews. We estimated the rubella outbreak risk in Belgium to be low, however maintaining high levels of immunisation and surveillance are of utmost importance to avoid future outbreaks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pertussis Serodiagnosis in Belgium from 1990 to 2009 ▿

PubMed Central

Vincent, Muriel; Rodeghiero, Caroline; Eylenbosch, Romain; Mans, Yvan; Swalus-Steenhouwer, Jeannine; Piérard, Denis; Huygen, Kris; Vanhoof, Raymond

2011-01-01

Diagnosis of pertussis by culture and PCR is most sensitive when performed on nasopharyngeal specimens collected <2 weeks and <3 weeks, respectively, after the onset of clinical disease. Conversely, serological testing allows the diagnosis of patients (mostly adults) with less typical whooping cough symptoms, for whom clinical samples are often collected at later time points. Here, we report on a 20-year serodiagnostic survey of pertussis in Belgium from 1990 to 2009. In total, 13,163 patients were analyzed for Bordetella pertussis-specific antibodies by agglutination, complement fixation, immunofluorescence, and ELISA. The number of positive pertussis cases detected by serodiagnosis ranged between 50 and 150 annually. The mean age of positive cases increased from 9.9 years in 1990 to 33.9 years in 2009. Whereas from 1990 to 2003, children and young adolescents made up the majority of cases, from 2004 onwards, cases were detected in all age groups and the distribution became bimodal, with a first peak at the age of 10 to 20 years and a second at the age of 35 to 50 years. In contrast, patients diagnosed since 2001 by PCR and/or culture were mostly children younger than 1 year of age. Despite extensive childhood vaccination campaigns, whooping cough is still present in Belgium. Our findings confirm the potential role of adults in the continued transmission of pertussis and strongly warrant booster or cocoon vaccinations in older age groups. PMID:21346057

[Piet de Somer, the University of Leuven and the Belgium poliovaccine in 1956-57].

PubMed

Billiau, A

2011-01-01

In the years following WW II, all 'Western' countries were struck by recurrent epidemics of infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis). In the early 1950s, a vaccine developed by Jonas Salk in Pittsburgh, became available in the U.S. and Canada. In 1953-54 central virology laboratories in Sweden, Denmark and France were already well advanced in setting up local production lines of the vaccine. At that point in time, the Catholic University of Leuven, on the initiative of the young microbiology professor, Piet De Somer, and in collaboration with the pharmaceutical concern R.I.T. (Recherches et Industries Thérapeutiques, Genval, Belgium), erected a new, multidisciplinary medical research institute, the Rega Institute. One of the research units to be headed by De Somer was destined to introduce the relatively new discipline of virology. As a test case, De Somer decided to venture on developing a production line of the Salk vaccine. In less than one year's time, the project was successful, such that Belgium became one of the first European countries to be self-supporting for its vaccine supply and to be able to initiate a large-scale vaccination campaign. The planning, preparation and execution of the project was accompanied by an extensive correspondence of De Somer with experts and other concerned parties in Belgium and abroad. This correspondence has been preserved and allows for a detailed reconstruction of the remarkable achievement.

[Fostering of health economics in Germany].

PubMed

Ulrich, V

2012-05-01

Health economics is now well established in Germany with the aim to apply economic tools to answer problems in health and health care. After a short review of the international development of health economics and the development in Germany in particular, the article looks at selected recent topics of health economic analysis in Germany (economic evaluation, industrial economics, health and education).

Narrating Linguistic Conflict: A Storytelling Analysis of the Language Conflict in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Keere, Kobe; Elchardus, Mark

2011-01-01

Few studies have addressed the question how the two main linguistic groups in Belgium (French and Flemish speakers) code each other. The research reported in this article is based on a storytelling forum of 56 persons that gathered five times. The storytelling sessions yielded 91 different stories about living in a bilingual society. These were…

PREFACE: Brazil MRS Meeting 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-11-01

The annual meetings, organized by the Brazilian materials research society - B-MRS, are amongst the most import discussion forums in the area of materials science and engineering in Brazil, with a growing interest from the national and international scientific society. In the last 4 years, more than 1,500 participants have attended the B-MRS meetings, promoting an auspicious environment for presentation and discussion of scientific and technological works in the materials science area. The XIII Brazilian Materials Research Society Meeting was held from 28 September to 02 October, 2014, in João Pessoa, PB, Brazil. The Meeting congregated more than 1650 participants from the whole of Brazil and from 28 other countries. More than 2100 abstracts were accepted for presentation, distributed along 19 Symposia following the format used in traditional meetings of Materials Research Societies. These involved topics such as: synthesis of new materials, computer simulations, optical, magnetic and electronic properties, traditional materials as clays and cements, advanced metals, carbon and graphene nanostructures, nanomaterials for nanostructures, energy storage systems, composites, surface engineering and others. A novelty was a symposium dedicated to innovation and technology transfer in materials research. The program also included 7 Plenary Lectures presented by internationally renowned researchers: Alberto Salleo from Stanford University, United States of America; Roberto Dovesi from Universita' degli Studi di Torino, Italy; Luís Antonio F. M. Dias Carlos from Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal; Jean Marie Dubois from Institut Jean-Lamour, France; Sir Colin Humphreys from University of Cambridge, England; Karl Leo from Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Robert Chang from Northwestern University, Evanston, United States of America. The numbers of participants in the B-MRS meetings have been growing continuously, and in this meeting we had almost 2200 presentations

Organ donation and transplantation statistics in Belgium for 2012 and 2013.

PubMed

Desschans, B; Evrard, P

2014-11-01

The 2012 and 2013 solid organ transplantation statistics were presented during the annual meeting of the Belgian Transplant Society. All data presented were collected from Eurotransplant International Foundation and/or from all individual Belgian transplant centers. It was demonstrated that the highest number of deceased donors detected (1310) from which 47.8% were an effective organ donor that corresponded to 29 per million inhabitants (pmi) in 2012 and 27.4 pmi in 2013. Out of 626 effective deceased organ donors, 491 (79%) were donors after brain death (DBD) and 135 (21%) donors after circulatory death (DCD), respectively. The majority (125/135; 93%) of DCD donors were DCD Maastricht category III donors and there were 7 (5%) donations following euthanasia. Family refusal tended to be lower for DCD (10.4%) compared to DBD donors (13.4%). Despite the increasing DCD donation rate, DBD donation remains stable in Belgium. The donor age is still increasing, reaching a median age of 53 years (range 0-90). Spontaneous intracranial bleeding (39.3%) and cranio-cerebral trauma (25%) remained the most frequent reasons of death. The number of living related kidney transplantations (57 in 2012 and 63 in 2013) followed the international trend albeit in Belgium it is still very limited. Nevertheless this activity could explain that the number of patients waiting for kidney transplantation (770) reached an absolute minimum in 2013. Except the reduced waiting list for lung transplantation (from 119 patients in 2011 to 85 in 2013), the waiting list remained stable for the other organs but almost 200 patients still died while on the waiting list. Belgium demonstrated the highest number of effective organ donors that corresponded to 29 per million inhabitants (pmi) in 2012 and 27.4 pmi in 2013. Thus far, and in contrast with other countries, there is no erosion of DBD in the DCD donor organ pool, but it is the important responsibility of all transplant centers and donor hospitals to

40 CFR 262.58 - International agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... consist of Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece..., Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United...

40 CFR 262.58 - International agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... consist of Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece..., Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United...

Forensic entomology and main challenges in Brazil.

PubMed

Gomes, Leonardo; Von Zuben, Cláudio J

2006-01-01

Apart from an early case report from China (13th century), the first observations on insects and other arthropods as forensic indicators were documented in Germany and France during mass exhumations in the 1880s by Reinhard, who is considered a co-founder of the discipline. After the French publication of Mégnin's popular book on the applied aspects of forensic entomology, the concept quickly spread to Canada and United States. At that time, researchers recognized that the lack of systematic observations of insects of forensic importance jeopardized their use as indicators of postmortem interval. General advances in insect taxonomy and ecology helped to fill this gap over the following decades. After World Wars, few forensic entomology cases were reported in the scientific literature. From 1960s to the 1980s, Leclercq and Nuorteva were primarily responsible for maintaining the method in Central Europe, reporting isolated cases. Since then, basic research in the USA, Russia and Canada opened the way to the routine use of Entomology in forensic investigations. Identifications of insects associated with human cadavers are relatively few in the literature of the Neotropical region and have received little attention in Brazil. This article brings an overview of historic developments in this field, the recent studies and the main problems and challenges in South America and mainly in Brazil.

International risk of yellow fever spread from the ongoing outbreak in Brazil, December 2016 to May 2017

PubMed Central

Dorigatti, Ilaria; Hamlet, Arran; Aguas, Ricardo; Cattarino, Lorenzo; Cori, Anne; Donnelly, Christl A; Garske, Tini; Imai, Natsuko; Ferguson, Neil M

2017-01-01

States in south-eastern Brazil were recently affected by the largest Yellow Fever (YF) outbreak seen in a decade in Latin America. Here we provide a quantitative assessment of the risk of travel-related international spread of YF indicating that the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Italy and Germany may have received at least one travel-related YF case capable of seeding local transmission. Mitigating the risk of imported YF cases seeding local transmission requires heightened surveillance globally. PMID:28749337

Constraints on the core μ-gradient of the solar-like star HD 49385 via low-degree mixed modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deheuvels, S.; Michel, E.

2010-12-01

The existence of an ℓ=1 avoided crossing in the spectrum of the solar-like pulsator-target \\cible was established by Deheuvels & Michel (2009). It is the first confirmed detection of such a phenomenon. The authors showed in a preliminary modeling of the star that it was in a post main sequence status. Being a 1.3 M⊙-star, \\cible has had a convective core during its main sequence phase. The μ-gradient left by the withdrawal of this core bears information about the processes of transport at the boundary of the core. We here investigate the constraints that the observed avoided crossing brings on the μ-gradient in the core of the star. The CoRoT space mission, launched on 2006 December 27, was developed and is operated by the CNES with participation of the Science Programs of ESA; ESA's RSSD, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain.

Establishing specialized health services for professional consultation in euthanasia: experiences in the Netherlands and Belgium

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg have adopted laws decriminalizing euthanasia under strict conditions of prudent practice. These laws stipulate, among other things, that the attending physician should consult an independent colleague to judge whether the substantive criteria of due care have been met. In this context initiatives were taken in the Netherlands and Belgium to establish specialized services providing such consultants: Support and Consultation for Euthanasia in the Netherlands (SCEN) and Life End Information Forum (LEIF) in Belgium. The aim of this study is to describe and compare these initiatives. Methods We studied and compared relevant documents concerning the Dutch and Belgian consultation service (e.g. articles of bye-laws, inventories of activities, training books, consultation protocols). Results In both countries, the consultation services are delivered by trained physicians who can be consulted in cases of a request for euthanasia and who offer support and information to attending physicians. The context in which the two organisations were founded, as well as the way they are organised and regulated, is different in each country. By providing information on all end-of-life care matters, the Belgian LEIF seems to have a broader consultation role than the Dutch SCEN. SCEN on the other hand has a longer history, is more regulated and organised on a larger scale and receives more government funding than LEIF. The number of training hours for physicians is equal. However, SCEN-training puts more emphasis on the consultation report, whereas LEIF-training primarily emphasizes the ethical framework of end-of-life decisions. Conclusion In case of a request for euthanasia, in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium similar consultation services by independent qualified physicians have been developed. In countries where legalising physician-assisted death is being contemplated, the development of such a consultation provision could also

78 FR 23624 - Determination and Certification Under the Foreign Assistance Act Relating to the Largest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-19

... certify that the top five exporting and importing countries and economies of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine (Belgium, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and...

Bluetongue sentinel surveillance program and cross-sectional serological survey in cattle in Belgium in 2010-2011.

PubMed

Vangeel, I; De Leeuw, I; Méroc, E; Vandenbussche, F; Riocreux, F; Hooyberghs, J; Raemaekers, M; Houdart, P; Van der Stede, Y; De Clercq, K

2012-10-01

Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) emerged in Central Western Europe in 2006 causing a large scale epidemic in 2007 that involved several European Union (EU) countries including Belgium. As in several other EU member states, vaccination against BTV-8 with inactivated vaccines was initiated in Belgium in spring 2008 and appeared to be successful. Since 2009, no clinical cases of Bluetongue (BT) have been reported in Belgium and BTV-8 circulation seemed to have completely disappeared by spring 2010. Therefore, a series of repeated cross-sectional surveys, the BT sentinel surveillance program, based on virus detection in blood samples by means of real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) were carried out in dairy cattle from the end of 2010 onwards with the aim to demonstrate the absence of BTV circulation in Belgium. This paper describes the results of the first two sampling rounds of this BT sentinel surveillance program carried out in October-November 2010 and January-February 2011. In addition, the level of BTV-specific maternal antibodies in young non-vaccinated animals was monitored and the level of herd immunity against BTV-8 after 3 consecutive years of compulsory BTV-8 vaccination was measured by ELISA. During the 1st sampling round of the BT sentinel surveillance program, 15 animals tested positive and 2 animals tested doubtful for BTV RNA by RT-qPCR. During the 2nd round, 17 animals tested positive and 5 animals tested doubtful. The positive/doubtful animals in both rounds were re-sampled 2-4 weeks after the original sampling and then all tested negative by RT-qPCR. These results demonstrate the absence of BTV circulation in Belgium in 2010 at a minimum expected prevalence of 2% and 95% confidence level. The study of the maternal antibodies in non-vaccinated animals showed that by the age of 7 months maternal antibodies against BTV had disappeared in most animals. The BTV seroprevalence at herd level after 3 years of compulsory BTV-8 vaccination was very high (97.4% [95

Measuring personal exposure from 900MHz mobile phone base stations in Australia and Belgium using a novel personal distributed exposimeter.

PubMed

Bhatt, Chhavi Raj; Thielens, Arno; Redmayne, Mary; Abramson, Michael J; Billah, Baki; Sim, Malcolm R; Vermeulen, Roel; Martens, Luc; Joseph, Wout; Benke, Geza

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to: i) measure personal exposure in the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) 900MHz downlink (DL) frequency band with two systems of exposimeters, a personal distributed exposimeter (PDE) and a pair of ExpoM-RFs, ii) compare the GSM 900MHz DL exposures across various microenvironments in Australia and Belgium, and iii) evaluate the correlation between the PDE and ExpoM-RFs measurements. Personal exposure data were collected using the PDE and two ExpoM-RFs simultaneously across 34 microenvironments (17 each in Australia and Belgium) located in urban, suburban and rural areas. Summary statistics of the electric field strengths (V/m) were computed and compared across similar microenvironments in Australia and Belgium. The personal exposures across urban microenvironments were higher than those in the rural or suburban microenvironments. Likewise, the exposure levels across the outdoor were higher than those for indoor microenvironments. The five highest median exposure levels were: city centre (0.248V/m), bus (0.124V/m), railway station (0.105V/m), mountain/forest (rural) (0.057V/m), and train (0.055V/m) [Australia]; and bicycle (urban) (0.238V/m), tram station (0.238V/m), city centre (0.156V/m), residential outdoor (urban) (0.139V/m) and park (0.124V/m) [Belgium]. Exposures in the GSM900 MHz frequency band across most of the microenvironments in Australia were significantly lower than the exposures across the microenvironments in Belgium. Overall correlations between the PDE and the ExpoM-RFs measurements were high. The measured exposure levels were far below the general public reference levels recommended in the guidelines of the ICNIRP and the ARPANSA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teacher Evaluation Policy as Perceived by School Principals: The Case of Flanders (Belgium)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuytens, Melissa; Devos, Geert

2018-01-01

In Flanders (Belgium), a new teacher evaluation policy was issued which placed a lot of autonomy with school principals to develop and implement a new teacher evaluation system. In this study, we explore how Flemish principals perceive the new teacher evaluation policy and what influences their perception. Results demonstrate that principals…

[Do-not-resuscitate policy on acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium].

PubMed

De Gendt, C; Bilsen, J; Vander Stichele, R; Lambert, M; Van Den Noortgate, N; Deliens, L

2007-10-01

This study describes the historical development and status of a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) policy on acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium. In 2002 (the year Belgium voted a law on euthanasia), a structured mail questionnaire was sent to all head geriatricians of acute geriatric wards in Flanders (N=94). Respondents were asked about the existence, development, and implementation of the DNR policy (guidelines and order forms). The response was 76.6%. Development of DNR policy began in 1985, with a step-up in 1997 and 200l. In 2002, a DNR policy was available in 86.1% of geriatric wards, predominantly with institutional DNR guidelines and individual, patient-specific DNR order forms. The policy was initiated and developed predominantly from an institutional perspective by the hospital. The forms were not standardized and generally lacked room to document patient involvement in the decision making process. Implementation of institutional DNR guidelines and individual DNR order forms on geriatric wards in Flanders lagged behind that of other countries and was still incomplete in 2002. DNR policies varied in content and scope and were predominantly an expression of institutional defensive attitudes rather than a tool to promote patient involvement in DNR and other end-of-life decisions.

Education, Ethnic Homogenization and Cultural Hybridization (Brussels, Belgium, and Cape Town, South Africa).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leman, Johan, Ed.

1999-01-01

The eight chapters of this theme issue examine the ways in which autochthonous communities regard the supply side of education. The supply side is segregational in nature, and immigrants themselves move toward ethnic homogenization. The focus is on urban minorities in Brussels (Belgium). Compares the situation in Cape Town (South Africa). (SLD)

International risk of yellow fever spread from the ongoing outbreak in Brazil, December 2016 to May 2017.

PubMed

Dorigatti, Ilaria; Hamlet, Arran; Aguas, Ricardo; Cattarino, Lorenzo; Cori, Anne; Donnelly, Christl A; Garske, Tini; Imai, Natsuko; Ferguson, Neil M

2017-07-13

States in south-eastern Brazil were recently affected by the largest Yellow Fever (YF) outbreak seen in a decade in Latin America. Here we provide a quantitative assessment of the risk of travel-related international spread of YF indicating that the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Italy and Germany may have received at least one travel-related YF case capable of seeding local transmission. Mitigating the risk of imported YF cases seeding local transmission requires heightened surveillance globally. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2017.

The world's air transportation services : data as to passengers, mail, and goods carried by American and European transportation services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1922-01-01

This report presents detailed descriptions, statistics, and graphs on European and American air transport. The European countries listed are Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, and Italy.

15 CFR 743.3 - Thermal imaging camera reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... controlled by ECCN 6A003.b.4.b to Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan...

A Blend of Romanism and Germanism: Experimental Science Instruction in Belgian State Secondary Education, 1880-1914

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onghena, Sofie

2013-04-01

A case study of secondary experimental science instruction in Belgium demonstrates the importance of cross-national communication in the study of science education. Belgian secondary science education in the years 1880-1914 had a clear internationalist dimension. French and German influences turn out to have been essential, stimulated by the fact that Belgium, as a result of its geographical position, considered itself as the centre of scientific relations between France and Germany, and as actually strengthened by its linguistic and cultural dualism in this regard. This pursuit of internationalist nationalism also affected the configuration of chemistry and physics as experimental courses at Belgian Royal State Schools, although the years preceding WWI are usually characterized as a period of rising nationalism in science, with countries such as Germany and France as prominent actors. To what extent did France and Germany influence Belgian debates on science education, science teachers' training, the use of textbooks, and the instalment of school laboratories and teaching collections?

Update: Federal Republic of Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loewenthal, Nessa P.

The Federal Republic of Germany is widely respected for its highly developed economy, rich cultural life, and significant contributions to science, mathematics, and the arts. Designed for families or individuals planning to move to or live in Germany for extended periods of time, this book provides guidance in such practical matters as entry…

[The development of clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis in Belgium].

PubMed

Cosyn, Jan; De Bruyn, Hugo

2008-01-01

In many disciplines of medicine guidelines are developed for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. These are essentially intended to standardize care and to optimize communication between the general practitioner and the specialist. Guidelines have already been described in the literature for chronic periodontitis. However, given the unique conditions in Belgium, these may not be appropriate for the average dental practice. In this manuscript the development of Belgian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis is described. Basically, ten clinical questions were used as a basis for a thorough literature search. Evidence-based clinical guidelines were developed and adapted during three peer review sessions. In the final session Belgian specialists, who had all been invited, participated. This made sure that the scientific input was sufficiently transformed into clinical guidelines which are actually feasible today in Belgium.

High incidence of primary pulmonary hypertension associated with appetite suppressants in Belgium.

PubMed

Delcroix, M; Kurz, X; Walckiers, D; Demedts, M; Naeije, R

1998-08-01

Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare, progressive and incurable disease, which has been associated with the intake of appetite suppressant drugs. The importance of this association was evaluated in Belgium while this country still had no restriction on the prescription of appetite suppressants. Thirty-five patients with primary pulmonary hypertension and 85 matched controls were recruited over 32 months (1992-1994) in Belgium. Exposure to appetite-suppressants was assessed on the basis of hospital records and standardized interview. Twenty-three of the patients had previously taken appetite suppressants, mainly fenfluramines, as compared with only 5 of the controls (66 versus 6%, p<0.0001). Five patients died before the interview, all of them had taken appetite suppressants. In 8 patients the diagnosis of primary pulmonary hypertension was uncertain, 5 of them had taken appetite suppressants. The patients who had been exposed to appetite suppressants tended to be on average more severely ill, and to have a shorter median delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis. A policy of unrestricted prescription of appetite suppressants may lead to a high incidence of associated primary pulmonary hypertension. Intake of appetite suppressants may accelerate the progression of the disease.

Euthanasia in Belgium: trends in reported cases between 2003 and 2013.

PubMed

Dierickx, Sigrid; Deliens, Luc; Cohen, Joachim; Chambaere, Kenneth

2016-11-01

In 2002, the Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient's explicit request. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium with regard to patients' sociodemographic and clinical profiles, as well as decision-making and performance characteristics. We used the database of all euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia in Belgium between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2013 (n = 8752). The committee collected these data with a standardized registration form. We analyzed trends in patient, decision-making and performance characteristics using a χ 2 technique. We also compared and analyzed trends for cases reported in Dutch and in French. The number of reported euthanasia cases increased every year, from 235 (0.2% of all deaths) in 2003 to 1807 (1.7% of all deaths) in 2013. The rate of euthanasia increased significantly among those aged 80 years or older, those who died in a nursing home, those with a disease other than cancer and those not expected to die in the near future (p < 0.001 for all increases). Reported cases in 2013 most often concerned those with cancer (68.7%) and those under 80 years (65.0%). Palliative care teams were increasingly often consulted about euthanasia requests, beyond the legal requirements to do so (p < 0.001). Among cases reported in Dutch, the proportion in which the person was expected to die in the foreseeable future decreased from 93.9% in 2003 to 84.1% in 2013, and palliative care teams were increasingly consulted about the euthanasia request (from 34.0% in 2003 to 42.6% in 2013). These trends were not significant for cases reported in French. Since legalization of euthanasia in Belgium, the number of reported cases has increased each year. Most of those receiving euthanasia were younger than 80 years and were dying of cancer. Given the increases observed among non

Euthanasia in Belgium: trends in reported cases between 2003 and 2013

PubMed Central

Dierickx, Sigrid; Deliens, Luc; Cohen, Joachim; Chambaere, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Background: In 2002, the Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient’s explicit request. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium with regard to patients’ sociodemographic and clinical profiles, as well as decision-making and performance characteristics. Methods: We used the database of all euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia in Belgium between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2013 (n = 8752). The committee collected these data with a standardized registration form. We analyzed trends in patient, decision-making and performance characteristics using a χ2 technique. We also compared and analyzed trends for cases reported in Dutch and in French. Results: The number of reported euthanasia cases increased every year, from 235 (0.2% of all deaths) in 2003 to 1807 (1.7% of all deaths) in 2013. The rate of euthanasia increased significantly among those aged 80 years or older, those who died in a nursing home, those with a disease other than cancer and those not expected to die in the near future (p < 0.001 for all increases). Reported cases in 2013 most often concerned those with cancer (68.7%) and those under 80 years (65.0%). Palliative care teams were increasingly often consulted about euthanasia requests, beyond the legal requirements to do so (p < 0.001). Among cases reported in Dutch, the proportion in which the person was expected to die in the foreseeable future decreased from 93.9% in 2003 to 84.1% in 2013, and palliative care teams were increasingly consulted about the euthanasia request (from 34.0% in 2003 to 42.6% in 2013). These trends were not significant for cases reported in French. Interpretation: Since legalization of euthanasia in Belgium, the number of reported cases has increased each year. Most of those receiving euthanasia were younger than 80 years and were dying of cancer

Premature mortality in Belgium in 1993-2009: leading causes, regional disparities and 15 years change.

PubMed

Renard, Françoise; Tafforeau, Jean; Deboosere, Patrick

2014-01-01

Reducing premature mortality is a crucial public health objective. After a long gap in the publication of Belgian mortality statistics, this paper presents the leading causes and the regional disparities in premature mortality in 2008-2009 and the changes since 1993. All deaths occurring in the periods 1993-1999 and 2003-2009, in people aged 1-74 residing in Belgium were included. The cause of death and population data for Belgium were provided by Statistics Belgium , while data for international comparisons were extracted from the WHO mortality database. Age-adjusted mortality rates and Person Year of Life Lost (PYLL) were calculated. The Rate Ratios were computed for regional and international comparisons, using the region or country with the lowest rate as reference; statistical significance was tested assuming a Poisson distribution of the number of deaths. The burden of premature mortality is much higher in men than in women (respectively 42% and 24% of the total number of deaths). The 2008-9 burden of premature mortality in Belgium reaches 6410 and 3440 PYLL per 100,000, respectively in males and females, ranking 4th and 3rd worst within the EU15. The disparities between Belgian regions are substantial: for overall premature mortality, respective excess of 40% and 20% among males, 30% and 20% among females are observed in Wallonia and Brussels as compared to Flanders. Also in cause specific mortality, Wallonia experiences a clear disadvantage compared to Flanders. Brussels shows an intermediate level for natural causes, but ranks differently for external causes, with less road accidents and suicide and more non-transport accidents than in the other regions. Age-adjusted premature mortality rates decreased by 29% among men and by 22% among women over a period of 15 years. Among men, circulatory diseases death rates decreased the fastest (-43.4%), followed by the neoplasms (-26.6%), the other natural causes (-21.0%) and the external causes (-20.8%). The larger

Antibiotic prescribing in relation to diagnoses and consultation rates in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden: use of European quality indicators.

PubMed

Tyrstrup, Mia; van der Velden, Alike; Engstrom, Sven; Goderis, Geert; Molstad, Sigvard; Verheij, Theo; Coenen, Samuel; Adriaenssens, Niels

2017-03-01

To assess the quality of antibiotic prescribing in primary care in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden using European disease-specific antibiotic prescribing quality indicators (APQI) and taking into account the threshold to consult and national guidelines. A retrospective observational database study. Routine primary health care registration networks in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. All consultations for one of seven acute infections [upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia and cystitis] and the antibiotic prescriptions in 2012 corresponding to these diagnoses. Consultation incidences for these diagnoses and APQI values (a) the percentages of patients receiving an antibiotic per diagnosis, (b) the percentages prescribed first-choice antibiotics and (c) the percentages prescribed quinolones. The consultation incidence for respiratory tract infection was much higher in Belgium than in the Netherlands and Sweden. Most of the prescribing percentage indicators (a) were outside the recommended ranges, with Belgium deviating the most for URTI and bronchitis, Sweden for tonsillitis and the Netherlands for cystitis. The Netherlands and Sweden prescribed the recommended antibiotics (b) to a higher degree and the prescribing of quinolones exceeded the proposed range for most diagnoses (c) in Belgium. The interpretation of APQI was found to be dependent on the consultation incidences. High consultation incidences were associated with high antibiotic prescription rates. Taking into account the recommended treatments from national guidelines improved the results of the APQI values for sinusitis in the Netherlands and cystitis in Sweden. Quality assessment using European disease-specific APQI was feasible and their inter-country comparison can identify opportunities for quality improvement. Their interpretation, however, should take consultation incidences and national guidelines into account. Differences in

76 FR 50495 - Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-15

... Review] Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan Determinations On the.... 1675(c)), that revocation of the countervailing duty order on stainless steel plate from South Africa... Africa, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an...

Germany Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

Germany was the largest energy consumer in Europe and the seventh-largest energy consumer in the world in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy. It was also the fourth-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) after the United States, China, and Japan in 2015. Its size and location give it considerable influence over the European Union’s energy sector. However, Germany must rely on imports to meet the majority of its energy demand.

Organizational Patterns within an International Educational System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, R.

1975-01-01

The organizational patterns of the European School system represent an amalgam of continental educational practices. The European School serves children from Belgium, France, Federal Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. (Author/IRT)

Euthanasia for people with psychiatric disorders or dementia in Belgium: analysis of officially reported cases.

PubMed

Dierickx, Sigrid; Deliens, Luc; Cohen, Joachim; Chambaere, Kenneth

2017-06-23

Euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill, such as those suffering from psychiatric disorders or dementia, is legal in Belgium under strict conditions but remains a controversial practice. As yet, the prevalence of euthanasia for people with psychiatric disorders or dementia has not been studied and little is known about the characteristics of the practice. This study aims to report on the trends in prevalence and number of euthanasia cases with a psychiatric disorder or dementia diagnosis in Belgium and demographic, clinical and decision-making characteristics of these cases. We analysed the anonymous databases of euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee Euthanasia from the implementation of the euthanasia law in Belgium in 2002 until the end of 2013. The databases we received provided the information on all euthanasia cases as registered by the Committee from the official registration forms. Only those with one or more psychiatric disorders or dementia and no physical disease were included in the analysis. We identified 179 reported euthanasia cases with a psychiatric disorder or dementia as the sole diagnosis. These consisted of mood disorders (N = 83), dementia (N = 62), other psychiatric disorders (N = 22) and mood disorders accompanied by another psychiatric disorder (N = 12). The proportion of euthanasia cases with a psychiatric disorder or dementia diagnosis was 0.5% of all cases reported in the period 2002-2007, increasing from 2008 onwards to 3.0% of all cases reported in 2013. The increase in the absolute number of cases is particularly evident in cases with a mood disorder diagnosis. The majority of cases concerned women (58.1% in dementia to 77.1% in mood disorders). All cases were judged to have met the legal requirements by the Committee. While euthanasia on the grounds of unbearable suffering caused by a psychiatric disorder or dementia remains a comparatively limited practice in Belgium, its

Primary Education and the Fight against Alcoholism in Belgium at the Turn of the Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Vroede, Maurice

1985-01-01

Actions taken to counter alcoholism in Belgium toward the end of the 19th century are discussed. Why the primary school was enlisted in the fight against the social problem, what initiatives were developed, and what results were achieved are considered. (RM)

Projected reduction in healthcare costs in Belgium after optimization of iodine intake: impact on costs related to thyroid nodular disease.

PubMed

Vandevijvere, Stefanie; Annemans, Lieven; Van Oyen, Herman; Tafforeau, Jean; Moreno-Reyes, Rodrigo

2010-11-01

Several surveys in the last 50 years have repeatedly indicated that Belgium is affected by mild iodine deficiency. Within the framework of the national food and health plan in Belgium, a selective, progressive, and monitored strategy was proposed in 2009 to optimize iodine intake. The objective of the present study was to perform a health economic evaluation of the consequences of inadequate iodine intake in Belgium, focusing on undisputed and measurable health outcomes such as thyroid nodular disease and its associated morbidity (hyperthyroidism). For the estimation of direct, indirect, medical, and nonmedical costs related to thyroid nodular diseases in Belgium, data from the Federal Public Service of Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, the National Institute for Disease and Disability Insurance (RIZIV/INAMI), the Information Network about the prescription of reimbursable medicines (FARMANET), Intercontinental Marketing Services, and expert opinions were used. These costs translate into savings after implementation of the iodization program and are defined as costs due to thyroid nodular disease throughout the article. Costs related to the iodization program are referred to as program costs. Only figures dating from before the start of the intervention were exploited. Only adult and elderly people (≥18 years) were taken into account in this study because thyroid nodular diseases predominantly affect this age group. The yearly costs due to thyroid nodular diseases caused by mild iodine deficiency in the Belgian adult population are ∼€38 million. It is expected that the iodization program will result in additional costs of ∼€54,000 per year and decrease the prevalence of thyroid nodular diseases by 38% after a 4-5-year period. The net savings after establishment of the program are therefore estimated to be at least €14 million a year. Optimization of iodine intake in Belgium should be quite cost effective, if only considering its impact on

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

A paradise for LGBT rights? The paradox of Belgium.

PubMed

Eeckhout, Bart; Paternotte, David

2011-01-01

How is it that a small country such as Belgium, with its reputation of relative conservatism, has jumped to the forefront of LGBT-friendly nations when it comes to the extension of rights to, and implementation of government policies for, its LGBT population? The analysis offered here focuses on a combination of six causes: the impact of wider secularization processes; the political history and culture of the country; the organization of especially the Flemish LGBT movement and reasons for its political effectiveness; mainstream social trends in national scapegoating hierarchies; the overall media environment; and the window of opportunity opened by the political landslide of 1999.

78 FR 34644 - Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From Belgium: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-10

... Coils From Belgium: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2011-2012 AGENCY... of the scope of the order, see the ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of Antidumping... Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content. Preliminary Results of the Review As a result of...

PREFACE: International Workshop on Discovery Physics at the LHC (Kruger2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleymans, Jean

2015-06-01

The third biannual conference on 'Discovery Physics at the LHC' was held on December 1-6 2014 at the Kruger Gate Hotel in South Africa. Over 100 participants attended from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. The latest results from the Large Hadron Collider as well the latest theoretical insights were presented. With the majestic Kruger National Park in the background this led to a very stimulating conference with many exchanges taking place. The proceedings reflect the high level of the conference. The financial contributions from the SA-CERN programme, the UCT-CERN Research Centre, the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand and iThemba L.A.B.S. are gratefully acknowledged. Local Organizing Committee: Z. Buthelezi J. Cleymans (chair) S. H. Connell A. S. Cornell T. Dietel S. Förtsch N. Haasbroek A. Hamilton W. A. Horowitz B. Mellado Z. Z. Vilakazi S. Yacoob

Sport in Germany. Basis-Info: Social Policy. In-Press.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beitz, Steffen

This report describes sports in Germany, explaining that sport is part of Germany's culture. Popular sports are enjoyed by both the public and private sector. Germany has a well-developed club and association sector. One in three Germans belongs to a sports organization. A major feature of sport in Germany is its autonomy. Popular sports begin in…

Qualitative survey of five beech damaging Coleoptera (Scolytidae and Lymexylonidae) in Wallonia (Southern Belgium)

Treesearch

Jean-Marc Henin; Olivier Huart; Phillipe Lejeune; Jacques Rondeux

2003-01-01

In 2000 and 2001, Trypodendron domesticum L. and T. signatum (F.) (Col.: Scolytidae) were one of the main causes of the depreciation of more than 1,600,000 m³ of standing beech trees, Fagus sylvatica L., in Wallonia (Southern Belgium). In 2001, a survey aiming at assessing the range of those indigenous...

Surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Germany: trends and challenges in the view of disease emergence and climate change.

PubMed

Jansen, Andreas; Frank, Christina; Koch, Judith; Stark, Klaus

2008-12-01

The changing epidemiology of vector-borne diseases represents a growing threat to human health. Contemporary surveillance systems have to adapt to these changes. We describe temporal trends and geographic origins of vector-borne diseases in Germany with regard to strengths of existing disease surveillance and to areas marked for improvement. We focused on hantavirus infection (endemic in Germany), chikungunya fever (recently emerging in Europe) and dengue fever (imported from tropical regions), representing important subgroups of vector-borne infections. Routine surveillance data on demographics, origin of infection and the date of reporting were analysed. From 2001 through 2007, 3,005 symptomatic hantavirus infections, and 85 cases of chikungunya fever were reported, similarly 1,048 cases of dengue fever in 2002 through 2007. The geographic origin of hantavirus infection was reported for 95.5% of all cases (dengue virus, 98.4%; chikungunya virus, 100%). Hantavirus infections were acquired in Germany in 97.6% of cases (n = 2800). In 2007, there was a marked increase of hantavirus cases, mainly in areas known to be endemic for hantavirus. In 2006, imported cases of chikungunya fever primarily returned from several islands of the Indian Ocean, while the majority of imported cases in 2007 came from India. The reported number of dengue fever cases have increased since 2004. Thailand contributed the largest proportion of cases (17-43% in individual years), followed by India, Brazil and Indonesia. Surveillance of notifiable vector-borne diseases in Germany is able to timely detect spatial and temporal changes of autochthonous an imported infections. Geographic and temporal data obtained by routine surveillance served as a basis for public health recommendations. In addition to surveillance of vector-borne infections in humans, nationwide monitoring programs and inventory techniques for emerging and reemerging vectors and for wildlife disease are warranted.

Can Land Managers Control Japanese Knotweed? Lessons from Control Tests in Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delbart, Emmanuel; Mahy, Grégory; Weickmans, Bernard; Henriet, François; Crémer, Sébastien; Pieret, Nora; Vanderhoeven, Sonia; Monty, Arnaud

2012-12-01

Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica is an extremely abundant invasive plant in Belgium and surrounding countries. To date, no eradication method is available for land managers facing the invasion of this rhizomatous plant. We tested different chemical herbicides with two application methods (spraying and stem injection), as well as mechanical treatments, on knotweed clones throughout southern Belgium. The tested control methods were selected to be potentially usable by managers, e.g., using legally accepted rates for herbicides. Stem volume, height and density reduction were assessed after one or two years, depending on the control method. Labor estimations were made for each control method. No tested control method completely eradicated the clones. Stem injection with glyphosate-based herbicide (3.6 kg ha-1 of acid equivalent glyphosate) caused the most damage, i.e., no sprouting shoots were observed the year following the injection. The following year, though, stunted shoots appeared. Among the mechanical control methods, repeated cuts combined with native tree transplanting most appreciably reduced knotweed development. The most efficient methods we tested could curb knotweed invasion, but are not likely to be effective in eradicating the species. As such, they should be included in a more integrated restoration strategy, together with prevention and public awareness campaigns.

Cystic echinococcosis due to Echinococcus equinus in a horse from southern Germany.

PubMed

Blutke, Andreas; Hamel, Dietmar; Hüttner, Marion; Gehlen, Heidrun; Romig, Thomas; Pfister, Kurt; Hermanns, Walter

2010-05-01

In Europe, cystic echinococcosis is rare in horses and is mostly diagnosed at slaughter or postmortem examination. Equine cystic echinococcosis can be caused by various Echinococcus taxa, but only Echinococcus equinus (the "horse strain") is known to produce fertile cysts. In Europe, E. equinus appears to be endemic in Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, and Italy and has sporadically been reported in Belgium and Switzerland. The present report describes the first case of a molecularly confirmed E. equinus infection in a horse foaled and raised in Germany. The 19-year-old mare was presented for examination of inappetence, emaciation, and respiratory symptoms. X-ray radiographs of the thorax showed 2 well-circumscribed tumor-like masses, each approximately 10 cm in diameter in the caudal lung field. The horse was euthanized as its condition rapidly deteriorated. Necropsy revealed 2 thick-walled hydatid cysts, each 7-8 cm in diameter in the lung. The tri-layered cyst walls consisted of an outer adventitial layer, a laminated acellular intermediate layer, and an inner germinal membrane. Grossly, the cysts contained a clear, amber liquid with hydatid sand. Light microscopy of the hydatid sand revealed free protoscoleces, intact and ruptured brood capsules, calcareous corpuscles, and debris. Samples of protoscoleces underwent molecular characterization, and the diagnosis of E. equinus was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis of the complete mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene.

Nationwide inventory of mosquito biodiversity (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium, Europe.

PubMed

Versteirt, V; Boyer, S; Damiens, D; De Clercq, E M; Dekoninck, W; Ducheyne, E; Grootaert, P; Garros, C; Hance, T; Hendrickx, G; Coosemans, M; Van Bortel, W

2013-04-01

To advance our restricted knowledge on mosquito biodiversity and distribution in Belgium, a national inventory started in 2007 (MODIRISK) based on a random selection of 936 collection points in three main environmental types: urban, rural and natural areas. Additionally, 64 sites were selected because of the risk of importing a vector or pathogen in these sites. Each site was sampled once between May and October 2007 and once in 2008 using Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus traps. Diversity in pre-defined habitat types was calculated using three indices. The association between species and environmental types was assessed using a correspondence analysis. Twenty-three mosquito species belonging to traditionally recognized genera were found, including 21 indigenous and two exotic species. Highest species diversity (Simpson 0.765) and species richness (20 species) was observed in natural areas, although urban sites scored also well (Simpson 0.476, 16 species). Four clusters could be distinguished based on the correspondence analysis. The first one is related to human modified landscapes (such as urban, rural and industrial sites). A second is composed of species not associated with a specific habitat type, including the now widely distributed Anopheles plumbeus. A third group includes species commonly found in restored natural or bird migration areas, and a fourth cluster is composed of forest species. Outcomes of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed sampling scheme and support the choice of the trap type. Obtained results of this first country-wide inventory of the Culicidae in Belgium may serve as a basis for risk assessment of emerging mosquito-borne diseases.

Mobile gaming and problematic smartphone use: A comparative study between Belgium and Finland.

PubMed

Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriäinen, Maria; Griffiths, Mark D; Kuss, Daria J

2018-03-01

Background and aims Gaming applications have become one of the main entertainment features on smartphones, and this could be potentially problematic in terms of dangerous, prohibited, and dependent use among a minority of individuals. A cross-national study was conducted in Belgium and Finland. The aim was to examine the relationship between gaming on smartphones and self-perceived problematic smartphone use via an online survey to ascertain potential predictors. Methods The Short Version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ-SV) was administered to a sample comprising 899 participants (30% male; age range: 18-67 years). Results Good validity and adequate reliability were confirmed regarding the PMPUQ-SV, especially the dependence subscale, but low prevalence rates were reported in both countries using the scale. Regression analysis showed that downloading, using Facebook, and being stressed contributed to problematic smartphone use. Anxiety emerged as predictor for dependence. Mobile games were used by one-third of the respective populations, but their use did not predict problematic smartphone use. Very few cross-cultural differences were found in relation to gaming through smartphones. Conclusion Findings suggest mobile gaming does not appear to be problematic in Belgium and Finland.

Trypodendron domesticum and Trypodendron signatum: two scolytid species involved in beech decline in Belgium

Treesearch

B. Gaubicher; M. De Proft; J.-C. Gregoire

2003-01-01

Xylophagous scolytids (Ambrosia beetles) have long been known to prefer fallen or seriously weakened trees and stumps. They are attracted to this host material by ethanol produced by the fermenting phloem and sapwood. However, these insects have begun aggressively attacking living beeches in Southern Belgium, raising the issue of a possible shift towards primarity....

[Tularemia in Germany].

PubMed

Kohlmann, R; Geis, G; Gatermann, S G

2014-07-01

The bacterium Francisella tularensis is known for more than 100 years by now as the etiological agent of the disease tularemia, a zoonotic infection with a worldwide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. The prevalence of tularemia shows a wide geographic variation, being comparably infrequent in Germany. Tularemia can present itself with multiple clinical manifestations including ulceroglandular, glandular, oropharyngeal, oculoglandular, respiratory and typhoidal forms. Due to the low prevalence and the unspecific symptomatology, a rapid diagnosis and early start of an effective therapy are rarely obtained. Thus, in this article we summarize important aspects concerning etiology, ecology and routes of transmission, recent epidemiologic situation, clinical picture, diagnostics and treatment of tularemia, focusing on the situation in Germany. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

PREFACE: 12th International Symposium on Multiscale, Multifunctional and Functionally Graded Materials (FGM 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhangjian; Li, Jingfeng; Zhang, Lianmeng; Ge, Changchun

2013-03-01

Technology, and was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China. On behalf of the organizing committee of FGM-2012, I express my great appreciation to their support of the symposium. Nearly 100 scholars and students from Japan, Brazil, Germany, Russia, United States of America, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Singapore, China, and so on, attended FGM-2012, and 57 of the presented papers were collected and selected for publication. The subjects of these papers cover simulation and characterization, advanced fabrication technology, novel application of FGM and layer materials. I cordially thank all of the authors and attendees for their support, and my appreciation is also given to the advisory committee, organizing committee, and the conference volunteers for their hard work. Professor Zhangjian Zhou Proceedings Editor Beijing, December 2012 Committees International Advisory Committee Professor Glaucio H Paulino, USA Professor Marek-Jerzy Pindera, USA Professor Jeong-Ho Kim, USA Professor Emer Fazil Erdogan, USA Professor Dr Monika Willert-Porada, Germany Professor Emer Wolfgang G J Bunk, Germany Professor Omer Van Der Biest, Belgium Professor Michael M Gasik, Finland Professor Evgeny Levashov, Russia Professor Lianmeng Zhang, China Professor Qingjie Zhang, China Professor Wei Pan, China Professor Chang-Chun Ge, China Professor Jing-Feng Li, China Professor Zhangjian Zhou, China Associate Professor Serkan Dag, Turkey Professor Fernando A Rochinha, Brazil Professor Emilio C N Silva, Brazil Professor Luis August Rocha, Portugal Dr Sasa Novak, Slovenia Dr Masayuki Niino, Japan Professor Akira Kawasaki, Japan Professor Ichiro Shiota, Japan Dr Akinaga Kumakawa, Japan Dr Yoshikazu Shinohara, Japan Professor Kiyotaka Matsuura, Japan Professor Yoshinari Miyamoto, Japan Professor Takashi Goto, Japan Professor Yoshimi Watanabe, Japan Professor Kazuhiro Hasezaki, Japan Professor Soshu Kirihara, Japan Professor Emer Toshio Hirai, Japan Mr Choji Endou, Japan Dr

Paleoecological and climatic implications of stable isotope results from late Pleistocene bone collagen, Ziegeleigrube Coenen, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wißing, Christoph; Matzerath, Simon; Turner, Elaine; Bocherens, Hervé

2015-07-01

Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the impact of cold spells on the ecosystems in Central Europe still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Ziegeleigrube Coenen (ZC) is a late Pleistocene MIS 3 locality in the Lower Rhine Embayment of Germany, radiocarbon-dated to > 34 14C ka BP. The site yielded a broad spectrum of mammal species. We investigated the carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope signatures of bone collagen, since these are valuable tools in characterizing ecological niches, environmental conditions and aspects of climate and mobility. By comparison with pre- and post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites in Central Europe we show that ZC belongs in a cold event of MIS 3 and was climatically more similar to post-LGM sites than to pre-LGM sites. However, the trophic structure resembled that of typical pre-LGM sites in Belgium. This cold event in MIS 3 changed the bottom of the foodweb, but do not seem to have had a direct impact on the occurrence of the mammalian species and their ecological distribution. Apparently the (mega-) faunal community could adapt also to harsher environmental conditions during MIS 3.

First report of a mycolactone-producing Mycobacterium infection in fish agriculture in Belgium.

PubMed

Stragier, Pieter; Hermans, Katleen; Stinear, Tim; Portaels, Françoise

2008-09-01

In the past few years, a mycolactone-producing subgroup of the Mycobacterium marinum complex has been identified and analyzed. These IS2404-positive species cause pathology in frogs and fish. A recently isolated mycobacterial strain from a fish in Belgium was analyzed using a variety of molecular methods and the results were identical to those obtained from a mycolactone-producing M. marinum from Israel.

"It Is Not Easy": Challenges for Provider-Initiated HIV Testing and Counseling in Flanders, Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manirankunda, Lazare; Loos, Jasna; Debackaere, Pieterjan; Nostlinger, Christiana

2012-01-01

This study identified physicians' HIV testing practices and their barriers toward implementing provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) for Sub-Saharan African migrants (SAM) in Flanders, Belgium. In-depth interviews were conducted on a purposive sample of 20 physicians (ten GPs and ten internists). GPs performed mainly…

Different measles outbreaks in Belgium, January to June 2016 – a challenge for public health

PubMed Central

Grammens, Tine; Maes, Virginie; Hutse, Veronik; Laisnez, Valeska; Schirvel, Carole; Trémérie, Jean Marie; Sabbe, Martine

2016-01-01

During the first half of 2016, several outbreaks of measles were reported in the three regions of Belgium. Main challenges for public health were severe complications occurring in adults, nosocomial transmission and infection in healthcare workers. Here, we describe those outbreaks and lessons learnt for public health. PMID:27541858

Euthanasia in patients dying at home in Belgium: interview study on adherence to legal safeguards

PubMed Central

Smets, Tinne; Bilsen, Johan; Van den Block, Lieve; Cohen, Joachim; Van Casteren, Viviane; Deliens, Luc

2010-01-01

Background Euthanasia became legal in Belgium in 2002. Physicians must adhere to legal due care requirements when performing euthanasia; for example, consulting a second physician and reporting each euthanasia case to the Federal Review Committee. Aim To study the adherence and non-adherence of GPs to legal due care requirements for euthanasia among patients dying at home in Belgium and to explore possible reasons for non-adherence. Design of study Large scale, retrospective study. Setting General practice in Belgium. Method A retrospective mortality study was performed in 2005–2006 using the nationwide Belgian Sentinel Network of General Practitioners. Each week GPs reported medical end-of-life decisions taken in all non-sudden deaths of patients in their practice. GP interviews were conducted for each euthanasia case occurring at home. Results Interviews were conducted for nine of the 11 identified euthanasia cases. Requirements concerning the patient's medical condition were met in all cases. Procedural requirements such as consultation of a second physician were sometimes ignored. Euthanasia cases were least often reported (n = 4) when the physician did not regard the decision as euthanasia, when only opioids were used to perform euthanasia, or when no second physician was consulted. Factors that may contribute to explaining non-adherence to the euthanasia law included: being unaware of which practices are considered to be euthanasia; insufficient knowledge of the euthanasia law; and the fact that certain procedures are deemed burdensome. Conclusion Substantive legal due care requirements for euthanasia concerning the patient's request for euthanasia and medical situation were almost always met by GPs in euthanasia cases. Procedural consultation and reporting requirements were not always met. PMID:20353662

[Future supply of tuberculin in Germany].

PubMed

Sagebiel, D; Hauer, B; Haas, W; Magdorf, K; Priwitzer, M; Loddenkemper, R

2005-04-01

The manufacturers of the only tuberculin available up to now in Germany for intradermal TB tests according to Mantoux, Chiron Vaccines Behring, in 2004 unexpectedly stopped the production of the tuberculin Behring GT (GT="gereinigtes Tuberkulin"-purified protein derivative tuberculin). Only residual stocks were sold during the preceding months. The stocks of GT 10 were already depleted at the beginning of 2005, while there are small supplies left of GT 100 and GT 1000. As a temporary solution, Chiron Vaccines Behring is offering to import the Italian tuberculin Biocine PPD 5 IE lyophil produced by Chiron S.r.l. in Siena. As this is not licensed for sale in Germany, it is necessary to obtain an exceptional prescription (Einzelverordnung) according to section sign 73 (3) of the Federal Law Relating to the Manufacture and Distribution of Medicine (Arzneimittelgesetz, AMG). In the long term, Chiron Vaccines Behring plan to secure the supply of tuberculin in Germany by importing, starting in the summer of 2006, the tuberculin produced by Chiron Vaccines Evans in the UK (PPD Evans). However, these plans involve changing over to a different type of tuberculin twice within a very short period of time. Another problem is the unresolved issue of bioequivalence. Besides the above-mentioned tuberculins produced by Chiron Vaccines, a further possibility would be the import of the tuberculin PPD RT23 SSI of the Statens Serums Institute (Copenhagen/Denmark), which is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the standard tuberculin and which has already been introduced in several European countries, or of other tuberculins such as Tubersol (PPD CT68), which is used in the US. Together with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the German Central Committee against Tuberculosis (DZK) is striving to find a solution, in view of the urgent need for an uninterrupted supply of tuberculin in Germany for diagnostic purposes and contact tracing

Congenital jaundice in bovine aborted foetuses: an emerging syndrome in southern Belgium.

PubMed

Delooz, L; Mori, M; Petitjean, T; Evrard, J; Czaplicki, G; Saegerman, C

2015-04-01

Southern Belgium faces an unusual recent increase of icteric bovine aborted foetuses. In the necropsy room, the majority of foetuses presented jaundice and splenomegaly. Despite a wide range of analyses, no definitive cause of abortion has yet been established but some analysis results support the leptospirosis hypothesis. This first description of cases will help veterinary practitioners to recognize more cases and to conduct those to the laboratory for future investigations. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The Corporate University Landscape in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andresen, Maike; Lichtenberger, Bianka

2007-01-01

Purpose: The paper seeks first to present an overview of the corporate university landscape in Germany contrasting it with the US-American corporate university market and, second, to outline the development in Germany during the last 15 years and to have a look at future trends such as learning alliances. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID): heterogeneity in sperm banking facilities in a single country (Belgium).

PubMed

Thijssen, A; Dhont, N; Vandormael, E; Cox, A; Klerkx, E; Creemers, E; Ombelet, W

2014-01-01

Due to the high inflow of foreign patients seeking cross-border reproductive care in Belgium and the increased number of lesbian couples and single women who call for artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID), Belgian sperm banks nowadays face a shortage in donor sperm. However, since there is no central registration system for sperm donors in Belgium, no figures are currently available supporting this statement. Therefore a study was performed to obtain a detailed overview of the sperm banking facilities in Belgium. Questionnaires were sent to all Belgian centres for assisted reproduction with laboratory facilities (n = 18) to report on their sperm banking methods. The results showed that 82% of the centres rely partially or completely on foreign donor sperm. Moreover, four of the thirteen centres that have their own sperm bank use imported donor sperm in > 95% AID cycles. Our results show that in 63% of the Belgian AID cycles imported Danish donor sperm is being used. Donor recruitment is mainly performed through the centre's website (61%) or by distributing flyers in the centre (46%) and 9 to 180 potential donors have been recruited per centre in 2013. Eventually, 15 to 50% of these candidate donors were accepted. Different criteria for donor acceptance are handled by the centres: donor age limits range from 18-25 to 36-46 years old, and thresholds for sperm normality differ considerably. We can conclude that a wide variation in methods associated with sperm banking is observed in Belgian centres.

Artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID): heterogeneity in sperm banking facilities in a single country (Belgium)

PubMed Central

Thijssen, A.; Dhont, N.; Vandormael, E.; Cox, A.; Klerkx, E.; Creemers, E.; Ombelet, W.

2014-01-01

Due to the high inflow of foreign patients seeking cross-border reproductive care in Belgium and the increased number of lesbian couples and single women who call for artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID), Belgian sperm banks nowadays face a shortage in donor sperm. However, since there is no central registration system for sperm donors in Belgium, no figures are currently available supporting this statement. Therefore a study was performed to obtain a detailed overview of the sperm banking facilities in Belgium. Questionnaires were sent to all Belgian centres for assisted reproduction with laboratory facilities (n = 18) to report on their sperm banking methods. The results showed that 82% of the centres rely partially or completely on foreign donor sperm. Moreover, four of the thirteen centres that have their own sperm bank use imported donor sperm in > 95% AID cycles. Our results show that in 63% of the Belgian AID cycles imported Danish donor sperm is being used. Donor recruitment is mainly performed through the centre’s website (61%) or by distributing flyers in the centre (46%) and 9 to 180 potential donors have been recruited per centre in 2013. Eventually, 15 to 50% of these candidate donors were accepted. Different criteria for donor acceptance are handled by the centres: donor age limits range from 18-25 to 36-46 years old, and thresholds for sperm normality differ considerably. We can conclude that a wide variation in methods associated with sperm banking is observed in Belgian centres. PMID:25009728

[A report on clinical PET activities in Germany].

PubMed

Tashiro, M; Kubota, K; Itoh, M; Sasaki, H; Moser, E

1999-09-01

Clinical diagnostic procedure using positron emission tomography (PET) requires high costs. To promote clinical use of PET, sociomedical evaluation is necessary. In this paper, sociomedical situations concerning clinical use of PET in Germany is reported. Some comparisons are made between Japan and this country putting emphases on several points such as 1) number of cyclotron and PET facilities, 2) social restriction to transportation of radioisotopes, 3) activities of satellite PET facilities, and 4) clinical indications for PET studies. Number of cyclotron was larger in Japan (29) than in Germany (17), but number of PET facilities was larger in Germany (47) than in Japan (29). The reason seems that in Germany transportation and buying of radioisotopes is less restricted. Hence, more than half of PET facilities in Germany are "satellite facilities" which do not have their own cyclotrons. Radioisotope distribution seems to serve as a backbone of "satellite concept." Additionally in Germany, list of clinical indications for PET study is almost completed and now is widely in applied to most cases. To promote clinical use of PET in Japan, the German system might serve as an important socioeconomic model in Europe instead of the United States.

Declining male births in Germany before and after reunification.

PubMed

Grech, Victor

2013-01-01

Male births occur 3% in excess of female births in mammals in a ratio (M/F) of 0.515. Many factors have been shown to influence this, including socioeconomic deprivation. This paper reviews live birth data for Germany over the period 1946-2009, and identifies secular trends in M/F pre- and post-reunification. The null hypothesis is that there were no differences between East and West Germany, geographically or temporally, before and after reunification. Annual data on male and female live births were obtained from the Human Mortality Database and analyzed with contingency tables. These data were available separately for East and West Germany (1950-1989). There was a significant decline in M/F in both German Republics overall and before reunification (p<0.0001). No decline was present after. Pre-reunification, West Germany had a lower overall M/F than East Germany (p=0.001). In conclusion, a declining M/F has been shown in many countries over the past decades. The two German Republics' M/F fell prior to reunification and the economic collapse of East Germany. Contracting societies that offer poor socioeconomic conditions (such as the communist former East Germany) may result in a decrease in M/F, but this is not reflected in the data, which show that M/F in West Germany prior to reunification was lower than in East Germany. This is not explicable with the contracting economies hypothesis; other and as yet unknown influences may have modified M/F trends anticipated by known variables.

Differentiated Financing of Schools in French-Speaking Belgium: Prospectives for Regulating a School Quasi-Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demeuse, Marc; Derobertmasure, Antoine; Friant, Nathanael

2010-01-01

The school quasi-market in French-speaking Belgium is characterised by segregation. Efforts to apply measures that encourage greater social mixing have met with stiff resistance. In 2008 and 2009, turbulence was caused by the application of the "social mixing" law influencing the registration procedures. The purpose of this article is to…

Science-policy challenges for biodiversity, public health and urbanization: examples from Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keune, H.; Kretsch, C.; De Blust, G.; Gilbert, M.; Flandroy, L.; Van den Berge, K.; Versteirt, V.; Hartig, T.; De Keersmaecker, L.; Eggermont, H.; Brosens, D.; Dessein, J.; Vanwambeke, S.; Prieur-Richard, A. H.; Wittmer, H.; Van Herzele, A.; Linard, C.; Martens, P.; Mathijs, E.; Simoens, I.; Van Damme, P.; Volckaert, F.; Heyman, P.; Bauler, T.

2013-06-01

Internationally, the importance of a coordinated effort to protect both biodiversity and public health is more and more recognized. These issues are often concentrated or particularly challenging in urban areas, and therefore on-going urbanization worldwide raises particular issues both for the conservation of living natural resources and for population health strategies. These challenges include significant difficulties associated with sustainable management of urban ecosystems, urban development planning, social cohesion and public health. An important element of the challenge is the need to interface between different forms of knowledge and different actors from science and policy. We illustrate this with examples from Belgium, showcasing concrete cases of human-nature interaction. To better tackle these challenges, since 2011, actors in science, policy and the broader Belgian society have launched a number of initiatives to deal in a more integrated manner with combined biodiversity and public health challenges in the face of ongoing urbanization. This emerging community of practice in Belgium exemplifies the importance of interfacing at different levels. (1) Bridges must be built between science and the complex biodiversity/ecosystem-human/public health-urbanization phenomena. (2) Bridges between different professional communities and disciplines are urgently needed. (3) Closer collaboration between science and policy, and between science and societal practice is needed. Moreover, within each of these communities closer collaboration between specialized sections is needed.

Lung transplantation for respiratory failure; Belgium amongst the world leaders.

PubMed

Van Raemdonck, D; Verleden, G M

2011-01-01

Lung transplantation is a life-saving treatment option in carefully selected patients with end-stage lung disease. Life expectancy after this form of treatment has progressively increased with a current survival of 90% after 1 year, 70% after 5 years, and 50% after 10 years in experienced centers. Apart from a survival benefit, this treatment aims to improve the quality of life. Bilateral lung transplantation is the type of operation that is performed most frequently because of superior survival results, especially when chronic rejection develops. Single lung transplantation is now reserved for older patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Heart-lung transplantation is rarely done, only in patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome or complex congenital heart disease. Belgium is one of the world leaders in terms of number of deceased organ donors with a lung recovery rate of about 35%. With a total of 8.3 lung transplants per million population, Belgium is currently the number 1 in the world. The procedure nowadays is performed in 4 University Hospitals (UA-KUL-ULB-UCL) in the country. Between 1983 and 2009, nearly 1000 proedures were performed. The most common indication was emphysema, followed by cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and Eisenmenger's syndrome. Further application of this treatment option is hampered by several problems such as donor organ shortage, primary graft dysfunction, chronic rejection presenting as bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, and side effect of chronic immunosuppression. In the Laboratory for Experimental Thoracic Surgery and the Laboratory for Pneumology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, intensive research is done by our group looking for new methods to increase the lung donor pool and to prevent and to treat chronic rejection.

48 CFR 252.246-7002 - Warranty of construction (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (Germany). 252.246-7002 Section 252.246-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.246-7002 Warranty of construction (Germany). As prescribed in 246.710(4), use the following clause: Warranty of Construction (Germany) (JUN 1997) (a) In addition to any other...

48 CFR 252.246-7002 - Warranty of construction (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (Germany). 252.246-7002 Section 252.246-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.246-7002 Warranty of construction (Germany). As prescribed in 246.710(4), use the following clause: Warranty of Construction (Germany) (JUN 1997) (a) In addition to any other...

48 CFR 252.246-7002 - Warranty of construction (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (Germany). 252.246-7002 Section 252.246-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.246-7002 Warranty of construction (Germany). As prescribed in 246.710(4), use the following clause: Warranty of Construction (Germany) (JUN 1997) (a) In addition to any other...

48 CFR 252.246-7002 - Warranty of construction (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (Germany). 252.246-7002 Section 252.246-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.246-7002 Warranty of construction (Germany). As prescribed in 246.710(2), use the following clause: Warranty of Construction (Germany) (JUN 1997) (a) In addition to any other...

48 CFR 252.246-7002 - Warranty of construction (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (Germany). 252.246-7002 Section 252.246-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.246-7002 Warranty of construction (Germany). As prescribed in 246.710(4), use the following clause: Warranty of Construction (Germany) (JUN 1997) (a) In addition to any other...

Estimating Soil Organic Carbon stocks and uncertainties for the National inventory Report - a study case in Southern Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chartin, Caroline; Stevens, Antoine; Kruger, Inken; Esther, Goidts; Carnol, Monique; van Wesemael, Bas

2016-04-01

As many other countries, Belgium complies with Annex I of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Belgium thus reports its annual greenhouse gas emissions in its national inventory report (NIR), with a distinction between emissions/sequestration in cropland and grassland (EU decision 529/2013). The CO2 fluxes are then based on changes in SOC stocks computed for each of these two types of landuse. These stocks are specified for each of the agricultural regions which correspond to areas with similar agricultural practices (rotations and/or livestock) and yield potentials. For Southern Belgium (Wallonia) consisting of ten agricultural regions, the Soil Monitoring Network (SMN) 'CARBOSOL' has been developed this last decade to survey the state of agricultural soils by quantifying SOC stocks and their evolution in a reasonable number of locations complying with the time and funds allocated. Unfortunately, the 592 points of the CARBOSOL network do not allow a representative and a sound estimation of SOC stocks and its uncertainties for the 20 possible combinations of land use/agricultural regions. Moreover, the SMN CARBIOSOL is based on a legacy database following a convenience scheme sampling strategy rather than a statistical scheme defined by design-based or model-based strategies. Here, we aim to both quantify SOC budgets (i.e., How much?) and spatialize SOC stocks (i.e., Where?) at regional scale (Southern Belgium) based on data from the SMN described above. To this end, we developed a computation procedure based on Digital Soil Mapping techniques and stochastic simulations (Monte-Carlo) allowing the estimation of multiple (10,000) independent spatialized datasets. This procedure accounts for the uncertainties associated to estimations of both i) SOC stock at the pixelscale and ii) parameters of the models. Based on these 10,000 individual realizations of the spatial model, mean SOC stocks and confidence intervals can be then computed at

77 FR 40085 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-FDI Cooperation LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-06

... are: FDT Group, AISBL, Jodoigne, BELGIUM; Fieldbus Foundation, Austin, TX; HART Communication Foundation, Austin, TX; PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation e. V., Karlsruhe, GERMANY; OPC Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and...

Louse-borne relapsing fever in a refugee from Somalia arriving in Belgium.

PubMed

Darcis, Gilles; Hayette, Marie-Pierre; Bontems, Sebastien; Sauvage, Anne-Sophie; Meuris, Christelle; Van Esbroeck, Marjan; Leonard, Philippe

2016-03-01

We report a case of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) in a refugee from Somalia who had arrived in Belgium a few days earlier. He complained of myalgia and secondarily presented fever. Blood smears revealed spirochetes later identified as Borrelia recurrentis. LBRF should be considered in countries hosting refugees, particularly those who transit through endemic regions. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Definition of Vocational Diplomas in Germany and France.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobus, Martine; Verdier, Eric

1997-01-01

In both France and Germany, the government, employers' organizations, and unions all participate in defining vocational diplomas based on a national framework of procedures of elaborating and standardizing titles. Important differences between the diploma definition processes in France and Germany may be identified. In Germany, the issue is…

Overview of Seismic Hazard and Vulnerability of Ordinary Buildings in Belgium: Methodological Aspects and Study Cases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barszez, Anne-Marie; Camelbeeck, Thierry; Plumier, Andre

Northwest Europe is a region in which damaging earthquakes exist. Assessing the risks of damages is useful, but this is not an easy work based on exact science.In this paper, we propose a general tool for a first level assessment of seismic risks (rapid diagnosis). General methodological aspects are presented. For a given building, the risk is represented by a volume in a multi-dimensional space. This space is defined by axes representing the main parameters that have an influence on the risk. We notably express the importance of including a parameter to consider the specific value of cultural heritage.Then wemore » apply the proposed tool to analyze and compare methods of seismic risk assessment used in Belgium. They differ by the spatial scale of the studied area. Study cases for the whole Belgian Territory and for part of cities in Liege and Mons (Be) aim also to give some sense of the overall risk in Belgium.« less

Privacy Laws and Biobanking in Germany.

PubMed

Hoppe, Nils

2016-03-01

While the possibility of enacting a sui generis Biobank Act has been debated in Germany at great length, as of yet the country has not implemented any biobankspecific legislation. Instead, oversight is available via a network of research and privacy laws, including those of the European Union. The Nationale Kohorte, Germany's large-scale, population-based epidemiological research biobank, is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and there are currently 108 registered bio-banks throughout Germany. The current system, including the structure and study design of the Nationale Kohorte, privileges the protection of personal information even at the cost of socially desirable research; it remains to be seen if forthcoming legislation will shift this balance. © 2016 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.

Did Large-Scale Vaccination Drive Changes in the Circulating Rotavirus Population in Belgium?

PubMed Central

Pitzer, Virginia E.; Bilcke, Joke; Heylen, Elisabeth; Crawford, Forrest W.; Callens, Michael; De Smet, Frank; Van Ranst, Marc; Zeller, Mark; Matthijnssens, Jelle

2015-01-01

Vaccination can place selective pressures on viral populations, leading to changes in the distribution of strains as viruses evolve to escape immunity from the vaccine. Vaccine-driven strain replacement is a major concern after nationwide rotavirus vaccine introductions. However, the distribution of the predominant rotavirus genotypes varies from year to year in the absence of vaccination, making it difficult to determine what changes can be attributed to the vaccines. To gain insight in the underlying dynamics driving changes in the rotavirus population, we fitted a hierarchy of mathematical models to national and local genotype-specific hospitalization data from Belgium, where large-scale vaccination was introduced in 2006. We estimated that natural- and vaccine-derived immunity was strongest against completely homotypic strains and weakest against fully heterotypic strains, with an intermediate immunity amongst partially heterotypic strains. The predominance of G2P[4] infections in Belgium after vaccine introduction can be explained by a combination of natural genotype fluctuations and weaker natural and vaccine-induced immunity against infection with strains heterotypic to the vaccine, in the absence of significant variation in strain-specific vaccine effectiveness against disease. However, the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis is predicted to remain low despite vaccine-driven changes in the distribution of genotypes. PMID:26687288

The Role of the Company in Generating Skills. The Learning Effects of Work Organisation. Belgium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delcourt, Jacques; Fusulier, Bernard; Debaty, Pol; Maroy, Christian

Changes in the organization of work and production and in the management and structure of firms have an effect on the development of jobs and the segregation between certain trades and occupations. This macrocontext is a determining factor in the development of training and the acquisition of skill in Belgium. The Flemish region demonstrates the…

[Control of the legal practice of euthanasia in Belgium].

PubMed

Englert, M

2015-01-01

The Belgian law legalizing euthanasia under strict conditions came into effect September 22, 2002. Any physician performing euthanasia has to complete a registration document and to send it within four days to a federal commission whose mission is to verify that the legal conditions were fulfilled. From September 22, 2002 to December 31, 2013, 8.767 documents have been registered and analyzed by this commission. They are described in six reports referred to Parliament. The present paper analyzes the work of this commission and answers the criticisms concerning its quality and its efficiency. The allegations that clandestine euthanasia's escaping any control are performed are also discussed. In conclusion, it appears that the legal obligations concerning the practice of euthanasia in Belgium are fully effective.

Education in Germany: A Bibliography of English Language Publications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Max-Planck-Institut fuer Bildungsforschung, Berlin (West Germany).

This bibliography cites bibliographies, journals, books, essays, journal articles, and monographs on education in Germany. All publications cited are in English. The three major sections of the bibliography are education in Germany up to 1945, education in the Federal Republic of Germany, and education in the German Democratic Republic. Topics…

A social preference valuations set for EQ-5D health states in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

Cleemput, Irina

2010-04-01

This study aimed at deriving a preference valuation set for EQ-5D health states from the general Flemish public in Belgium. A EuroQol valuation instrument with 16 health states to be valued on a visual analogue scale was sent to a random sample of 2,754 adults. The initial response rate was 35%. Eventually, 548 (20%) respondents provided useable valuations for modeling. Valuations for 245 health states were modeled using a random effects model. The selection of the model was based on two criteria: health state valuations must be consistent, and the difference with the directly observed valuations must be small. A model including a value decrement if any health dimension of the EQ-5D is on the worst level was selected to construct the social health state valuation set. A comparison with health state valuations from other countries showed similarities, especially with those from New Zealand. The use of a single preference valuation set across different health economic evaluations within a country is highly preferable to increase their usability for policy makers. This study contributes to the standardization of outcome measurement in economic evaluations in Belgium.

Euthanasia and palliative sedation in Belgium.

PubMed

Cohen-Almagor, Raphael; Ely, E Wesley

2018-01-04

The aim of this article is to use data from Belgium to analyse distinctions between palliative sedation and euthanasia. There is a need to reduce confusion and improve communication related to patient management at the end of life specifically regarding the rapidly expanding area of patient care that incorporates a spectrum of nuanced yet overlapping terms such as palliative care, sedation, palliative sedation, continued sedation, continued sedation until death, terminal sedation, voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. Some physicians and nurses mistakenly think that relieving suffering at the end of life by heavily sedating patients is a form of euthanasia, when indeed it is merely responding to the ordinary and proportionate needs of the patient. Concerns are raised about abuse in the form of deliberate involuntary euthanasia, obfuscation and disregard for the processes sustaining the management of refractory suffering at the end of life. Some suggestions designed to improve patient management and prevent potential abuse are offered. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Nationwide population-based cohort study of uterine rupture in Belgium: results from the Belgian Obstetric Surveillance System

PubMed Central

Vandenberghe, G; De Blaere, M; Van Leeuw, V; Roelens, K; Englert, Y; Hanssens, M; Verstraelen, H

2016-01-01

Objectives We aimed to assess the prevalence of uterine rupture in Belgium and to evaluate risk factors, management and outcomes for mother and child. Design Nationwide population-based prospective cohort study. Setting Emergency obstetric care. Participation of 97% of maternity units covering 98.6% of the deliveries in Belgium. Participants All women with uterine rupture in Belgium between January 2012 and December 2013. 8 women were excluded because data collection forms were not returned. Results Data on 90 cases of confirmed uterine rupture were obtained, of which 73 had a previous Caesarean section (CS), representing an estimated prevalence of 3.6 (95% CI 2.9 to 4.4) per 10 000 deliveries overall and of 27 (95% CI 21 to 33) and 0.7 (95% CI 0.4 to 1.2) per 10 000 deliveries in women with and without previous CS, respectively. Rupture occurred during trial of labour after caesarean section (TOLAC) in 57 women (81.4%, 95% CI 68% to 88%), with a high rate of augmented (38.5%) and induced (29.8%) labour. All patients who underwent induction of labour had an unfavourable cervix at start of induction (Bishop Score ≤7 in 100%). Other uterine surgery was reported in the history of 22 cases (24%, 95% CI 17% to 34%), including 1 case of myomectomy, 3 cases of salpingectomy and 2 cases of hysteroscopic resection of a uterine septum. 14 cases ruptured in the absence of labour (15.6%, 95% CI 9.5% to 24.7%). No mothers died; 8 required hysterectomy (8.9%, 95% CI 4.6% to 16.6%). There were 10 perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate 117/1000 births, 95% CI 60 to 203) and perinatal asphyxia was observed in 29 infants (34.5%, 95% CI 25.2% to 45.1%). Conclusions The prevalence of uterine rupture in Belgium is similar to that in other Western countries. There is scope for improvement through the implementation of nationally adopted guidelines on TOLAC, to prevent use of unsafe procedures, and thereby reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality. PMID:27188805

Is Germany a model for managers?

PubMed

Wever, K S; Allen, C S

1992-01-01

Most American managers have a hard time making sense of Germany. The country has a fraction of the resources and less than one-third the population of the United States. Labor costs are substantially higher, paid vacations are at least three times as long, and strong unions are deeply involved at all levels of business, from the local plant to the corporate boardroom. Yet German companies manage to produce internationally competitive products in key manufacturing sectors, making Germany the greatest competitive threat to the United States after Japan. The seemingly paradoxical nature of the German economy typically evokes one of two diametrically opposed responses. The first is to celebrate the German economy as a "model" worth emulating--indeed, as the answer to declining U.S. competitiveness. The alternative, more skeptical response is to question Germany's staying power in a new, more competitive global economy. According to Kirsten Wever and Christopher Allen, the problem with both points of view is that they miss the forest for the trees. Observers are so preoccupied with praising--or blaming--individual components of the German economy that they fail to see the dynamic logic that ties these components together into a coherent system. In their review of recent research on the German business system, Wever and Allen argue that managers can learn an important lesson from Germany. In the global economy, competition isn't just between companies but between entire socioeconomic systems. Germany's ability to design a cohesive economic and social system that adapts continuously to changing requirements goes a long way toward explaining that country's competitive success.

Prevalence and content of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Catholic healthcare institutions in Belgium (Flanders).

PubMed

Gastmans, Chris; Lemiengre, Joke; van der Wal, Gerrit; Schotsmans, Paul; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette

2006-04-01

Euthanasia is performed worldwide, regardless of the existence of laws governing it. Belgium became the second country in the world to enact a law on euthanasia in 2002. Healthcare institutions bear responsibility for guaranteeing the quality of care for patients at the end of life, and for ensuring support for caregivers involved. Therefore, institutional ethics policies on end-of-life decision-making, especially on euthanasia, may be useful. A cross-sectional mail survey of general directors of Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium was used to describe the prevalence and content of written ethics policies for competent terminally ill, incompetent terminally ill, and non-terminally ill patients. Of the 298 targeted institutions, 81% of hospitals and 62% of nursing homes returned complete questionnaires. Of these, 79% of hospitals and 30% of nursing homes had a written ethics policy on euthanasia. Of hospitals 83% and of nursing homes 85% permitted euthanasia for competent terminally ill patients only in exceptional cases in accordance with legal due care criteria and provisions outlined by the palliative filter procedure. Euthanasia for incompetent terminally ill patients was prohibited by 27% of the hospitals and by 60% of the nursing homes. For non-terminally ill patients, these figures were 43 and 64%, respectively. Catholic healthcare institutions in Belgium (Flanders) made great efforts to develop written ethics policies on euthanasia. Only a small group of institutions completely prohibited euthanasia. Most of the institutions considered euthanasia to be an option if all possible alternatives (e.g., palliative filter procedure, which contains more rigorous criteria than those in the Belgian Euthanasia Act), have been thoroughly investigated.

Do-not-resuscitate policy on acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

De Gendt, Cindy; Bilsen, Johan; Vander Stichele, Robert; Lambert, Margareta; Den Noortgate, NeleVan; Deliens, Luc

2005-12-01

To describe the historical development and status of a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) policy on acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium, and to compare it with the international situation. Structured mail questionnaires. All 94 acute geriatric wards in hospitals in Flanders in 2002 (the year Belgium voted a law on euthanasia). Head geriatricians. A questionnaire was mailed about the existence, development, and implementation of the DNR policy (guidelines and order forms), with a request to return copies of existing DNR guidelines and DNR order forms. The response was 76.6%, with hospital characteristics not significantly different for responders and nonresponders. Development of DNR policy began in 1985, with a step-up in 1997 and 2001. In 2002, a DNR policy was available in 86.1% of geriatric wards, predominantly with institutional DNR guidelines and individual, patient-specific DNR order forms. Geriatric wards in private hospitals implemented their policy later (P=.01) and more often had order forms (P=.04) than those in public hospitals. The policy was initiated and developed predominantly from an institutional perspective by the hospital. The forms were not standardized and generally lacked room to document patient involvement in the decision making process. Implementation of institutional DNR guidelines and individual DNR order forms on geriatric wards in Flanders lagged behind that of other countries and was still incomplete in 2002. DNR policies varied in content and scope and were predominantly an expression of institutional defensive attitudes rather than a tool to promote patient involvement in DNR and other end-of-life decisions.

Poverty, health, and nutrition in Germany.

PubMed

Helmert, U; Mielck, A; Shea, S

1997-01-01

To investigate the relation between poverty and several variables describing health and nutrition behavior in East Germany and West Germany. Data are from the third National Health Survey in West Germany and the first Health Survey for the new federal states of Germany (1991/92). Both health surveys included a self-administered questionnaire ascertaining sociodemographic variables, smoking history, nutritional behavior (using a food-frequency list), physical activity, and a medical examination comprising measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, and blood sampling for serum cholesterol determination. Participants included 4958 subjects in the West Survey and 2186 subjects in the East Survey aged 25-69 years, with a respective net response rate of 69.0% and 70.2%. Poverty was defined as a household equivalence income of 62.5% or less of the median income of the general population. The lowest income group (poverty or near poverty) comprised 11.6% of East German versus 15.9% of West German males and 14.8% of East German versus 19.3% of West German females. For most but not all health and nutrition parameters, less favorable results were obtained for subjects with an equivalence income below or near poverty. The most striking poverty-related differences regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors were found for lack of regular exercise for both genders and obesity in females. No poverty-related differences were found for the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, despite a much higher prevalence of obesity in persons with an income below the poverty line. Current nutritional behavior and changes in nutritional behavior during the last three years was strongly related to income status, with a more unhealthy status for low-income population groups in both East and West Germany. In Germany, poverty has strong effects on individual health status and nutritional behavior. Because of rising unemployment rates and reductions in social security payments for low

48 CFR 22.1503 - Procedures for acquiring end products on the List of Products Requiring Contractor Certification...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... more (see subpart 25.4); or (4) Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy..., Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, or the United Kingdom...

[Recent population policy measures in Belgium, especially with respect to fertility].

PubMed

Bosman, E

1985-01-01

Policy measures affecting fertility, recently adopted in Belgium, are reviewed. The author notes that although responsibility for population matters has been delegated to the respective language groups, the responsibility for family law, divorce, abortion, social security, taxation, and labor policy remains a national responsibility. There are currently no measures in these areas adopted primarily for demographic reasons. Differences between the approaches taken by the French- and Dutch-speaking communities are noted. The author suggests that the French-speaking community has focused on problems relating to contraception and abortion, and the Dutch-speaking community has emphasized social welfare and family policy

Brazil.

PubMed

1983-07-01

Attention in this discussion of Brazil focuses: the history of the country's demographic situation; government's overall approach to population problems; population data systems and development planning; institutional arrangements for the integration of population within development planning; government's view of the importance of population policy in achieving development objectives; population size, growth, and natural increase; fertility; international migration; and spatial distribution. The population of Brazil grew from 17 million in 1900 to about 119 million in 1960, making it the most populous country in the world and 1 of the relatively few countries to have sustained rates of population growth of more than 2% for over a century. The government has not adopted an explicit policy to modify fertility or population growth. Initially this was because of its positive perception of the benefits of population growth and a large population size and, amore recently, because of Brazil's gradual transition to more moderate levels of fertility and population growth. Brazil's main sources of demographic data are its 9 censuses, conducted in 1982, 1890, 1900, 1920, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, and most recently in August 1980. A nationwide system of vital registration data are still lacking in many geographic areas, researchers have had to rely on indirect estimation techniques to derive estimates of past trends in fertility and mortality. Population policy has been regarded as a highly sensitive issue by Brazilian officials, and the government remains cautious in regard to population issues. Preliminary results of Brazil's 1980 census indicate a population of 119 million and an annual rate of population growth of 2.1%, continuing the downward trend that was first evident in 1976. The government considers levels and trends of population growth to be satisfactory, and morbidity and mortality to be unacceptable, partly because of a lack of success in reducing the incidence of

Silencing the Singer. Antibioethics in Germany.

PubMed

Schöne-Seifert, B; Rippe, K P

1991-01-01

"Die Gedanken sind frei," in the words of the old song. But in Germany, thoughts are no longer free. Peter Singer, the "death ethicist," has become a special target for activists attempting to silence bioethical debate in Germany. In the context of the trauma inflicted by National Socialism, a profound unease over issues at the end of life is accompanied by an insistence that these issues are not to be discussed.

Description of cervical cancer mortality in Belgium using Bayesian age-period-cohort models

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Objective To correct cervical cancer mortality rates for death cause certification problems in Belgium and to describe the corrected trends (1954-1997) using Bayesian models. Method Cervical cancer (cervix uteri (CVX), corpus uteri (CRP), not otherwise specified (NOS) uterus cancer and other very rare uterus cancer (OTH) mortality data were extracted from the WHO mortality database together with population data for Belgium and the Netherlands. Different ICD (International Classification of Diseases) were used over time for death cause certification. In the Netherlands, the proportion of not-otherwise specified uterine cancer deaths was small over large periods and therefore internal reallocation could be used to estimate the corrected rates cervical cancer mortality. In Belgium, the proportion of improperly defined uterus deaths was high. Therefore, the age-specific proportions of uterus cancer deaths that are probably of cervical origin for the Netherlands was applied to Belgian uterus cancer deaths to estimate the corrected number of cervix cancer deaths (corCVX). A Bayesian loglinear Poisson-regression model was performed to disentangle the separate effects of age, period and cohort. Results The corrected age standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased regularly from 9.2/100 000 in the mid 1950s to 2.5/100,000 in the late 1990s. Inclusion of age, period and cohort into the models were required to obtain an adequate fit. Cervical cancer mortality increases with age, declines over calendar period and varied irregularly by cohort. Conclusion Mortality increased with ageing and declined over time in most age-groups, but varied irregularly by birth cohort. In global, with some discrete exceptions, mortality decreased for successive generations up to the cohorts born in the 1930s. This decline stopped for cohorts born in the 1940s and thereafter. For the youngest cohorts, even a tendency of increasing risk of dying from cervical cancer could be observed, reflecting

The cost of alcohol in the workplace in Belgium.

PubMed

Tecco, Juan; Jacques, Denis; Annemans, Lieven

2013-09-01

It has been suggested that alcohol problems have a major impact in the workplace. It has long been recognized that misuse can have serious consequences for the productivity of workers. The extent of the problem is still an uncalculated cost. Few studies provide clear evidence of a cause, effect or relationship between substance abuse and workplace costs and valuable guidance to employers in evaluating the cost of substance abuse in their workplaces is missing. To estimate the awareness, policies and cost to employers of drinking in the workplace in Belgium and to illustrate the potential gains from drinking cessation provision. Costs vary with type of industry and policy in place; therefore, to estimate these costs, results from a survey were combined with evidence drawn from a review of literature. An Internet survey of 216 workplaces in Belgium, based on a stratified random sample of workplaces with 50 or more employees, was conducted in 2005. Further information was collected from 150 occupational physicians. Additional evidence was compiled from a review of the literature of drinking-related costs. 216 General Directors or HR Directors completed a questionnaire related to awareness, policy and costs. 150 occupational physicians completed a questionnaire related to awareness and policy. Companies are unaware or underestimate alcohol misuse among their employees. At least 84% of companies have no education or information policy about substance abuse. Absenteeism, accidents and turnover account for 0.87% of the wage bill. Reduced productivity/ (presenteeism accounts for 2.8%. The construction industry, postal services, hospitality industry (hotel/restaurants and catering) and sanitation industry (collection, street cleaning) are the most problematic sectors. Awareness: many companies are totally unaware of the impact of substance abuse and those that are aware underestimate the problem. Sectors are heterogeneous; some are more problematic than others. Policy

[Private medical education in Germany].

PubMed

Schwörer, Beatrix; Wissing, Frank

2018-02-01

Through the years, a range of privately funded medical training opportunities has been established in Germany. Only a few of them operate along the German Medical Licensure Act and thus underlie quality assurance regulations in Germany. Most of the courses are a result of German hospitals cooperating with universities from other EU countries. The content of the courses and the examinations underlie the regulations of the university's home country. This article aims to give an overview of the private medical training opportunities offered in Germany and to show differences compared to state funded German medical schools. The authors discuss the opportunities of private medical training as well as its challenges and risks. Basic principles concerning finances and quality assurance of national and international private medical training are provided. Regardless of their mode of financing, the superior goal of the training, according to the German Medical Licensure Act, should always be to enable young doctors to pursue further professional training, so that they can maintain the best possible quality in patient care, research, and medical education.

Novel foci of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks infected with Babesia canis and Babesia caballi in the Netherlands and in Belgium.

PubMed

Jongejan, Frans; Ringenier, Moniek; Putting, Michael; Berger, Laura; Burgers, Stefan; Kortekaas, Reinier; Lenssen, Jesse; van Roessel, Marleen; Wijnveld, Michiel; Madder, Maxime

2015-04-17

Autochthonous populations of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in the Netherlands were discovered after fatal cases of babesiosis occurred in resident dogs in 2004. The presence of D. reticulatus in the Netherlands has also linked with the emergence of piroplasmosis in the resident horse population. The aim of this study was to put together results of continued surveillance of field sites and hosts for this tick in the Netherlands and also in Belgium and determine their infection status for Babesia and Theileria species. Ticks were collected from the vegetation at 11 locations between 2011 and 2013. D. reticulatus ticks were also collected from different hosts between 2007 and 2013. Ticks were screened by PCR and reverse line blot (RLB). A total of 1368 D. reticulatus ticks were collected from 4 previously known field locations and from 5 new locations in the Netherlands and from 2 sites in Belgium (one old and one new location). A total of 855 ticks collected from 8 locations in the Netherlands and 2 locations in Belgium were tested. Fourteen ticks (1,64%) collected at 4 field locations (Dintelse Gorzen, Rozenburg, Slikken van de Heen and St. Philipsland) were positive for Babesia canis, whereas two ticks were positive for Babesia caballi, one tick in the Dintelse Gorzen in the Netherlands and one tick was found positive in De Panne in Belgium. A further 1092 D. reticulatus ticks were collected between 2007 and 2013 from 40 dogs (132 ticks), two ticks from two humans, 51 ticks from 15 horses, two ticks from two cats, one tick from a roe deer, whereas most ticks (904) were collected from cattle (n = 25). Ticks were found throughout the year on dogs in nearly all provinces of the Netherlands. None of the ticks collected from these hosts were infected. D. reticulatus is continuing its spread into novel areas. The finding that some autochthonous ticks are infected with B. canis and B. caballi poses a threat to the resident dog and horse population and justifies year

Germany since 1945: A Focus on Berlin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankenship, Glen; Smith, Lindsey

This lesson accompanies a videotape which examines some of the forces, personalities and events which shaped Berlin and the rest of Germany between 1945 and 1994. The lesson is introduced by using the videotape and uses references from the videotape for further classroom work. Worksheets for student use include "Events in Germany,…

[The inducement of demand in dental medicine in Belgium].

PubMed

Decaluwe, Frida; Renckens, An

2006-01-01

Many factors are important for the existence of supplier-induced demand (SID). Not just the individual practitioner is responsible; his or her behaviour might be influenced by the specific organisation of the market for health care/dental care. The article investigates the characteristics of the Belgian market for dental care and analyses the way in which they might influence the occurrence of SID and/or overconsumption. Attention goes to the payment system of dentists in Belgium, the health insurance system, dentist density and the regulation of the sector. Also mentioned are the recall system and other (governmental) initiatives that may influence patients' and practitioners' behaviour. Some factors--not yet systematically investigated--may be relevant as well: personal characteristics of the dentist (gender in particular) and the way companies direct practitioners' and patients' behaviour.

[Euthanasia 2002-2014: The situation in Belgium].

PubMed

Lossignol, D

2016-10-01

Since 2002, Belgian law has authorized the practice of euthanasia under certain clear conditions. All cases have to be reported to the Assessment and Control Commission (ACC). To date, more than 9000 cases have been reported. To make a statement about the Belgian experience requires consideration of several different essential points: detailed data and information from the ACC reports, their analysis, consequences on medical practice, problems experienced, legal and medical perspectives, criticism and attacks. The concept of individual and institutional conscience is also considered. Euthanasia for minors has been permitted since March 2014 but, to date, no case has been reported. In the light of what has happened in Belgium, we propose to analyse the legal situation in France. The Belgian experience is much more than an example and shows that, in difficult and painful situations, it is possible to meet the expectations of patients experiencing intolerable suffering with great respect and without imposing dogmatically something they do not wish. Copyright © 2015 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Satellite derived forest phenology and its relation with nephropathia epidemica in Belgium.

PubMed

Barrios, José Miguel; Verstraeten, Willem W; Maes, Piet; Clement, Jan; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Haredasht, Sara Amirpour; Wambacq, Julie; Lagrou, Katrien; Ducoffre, Geneviève; Van Ranst, Marc; Berckmans, Daniel; Coppin, Pol

2010-06-01

The connection between nephropathia epidemica (NE) and vegetation dynamics has been emphasized in recent studies. Changing climate has been suggested as a triggering factor of recently observed epidemiologic peaks in reported NE cases. We have investigated whether there is a connection between the NE occurrence pattern in Belgium and specific trends in remotely sensed phenology parameters of broad-leaved forests. The analysis of time series of the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index revealed that changes in forest phenology, considered in literature as an effect of climate change, may affect the mechanics of NE transmission.

Satellite Derived Forest Phenology and Its Relation with Nephropathia Epidemica in Belgium

PubMed Central

Barrios, José Miguel; Verstraeten, Willem W.; Maes, Piet; Clement, Jan; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Haredasht, Sara Amirpour; Wambacq, Julie; Lagrou, Katrien; Ducoffre, Geneviève; Van Ranst, Marc; Berckmans, Daniel; Coppin, Pol

2010-01-01

The connection between nephropathia epidemica (NE) and vegetation dynamics has been emphasized in recent studies. Changing climate has been suggested as a triggering factor of recently observed epidemiologic peaks in reported NE cases. We have investigated whether there is a connection between the NE occurrence pattern in Belgium and specific trends in remotely sensed phenology parameters of broad-leaved forests. The analysis of time series of the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index revealed that changes in forest phenology, considered in literature as an effect of climate change, may affect the mechanics of NE transmission. PMID:20644685

Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasubick, W.; Diepvens, A.; Gonzalez, J. J.

2004-06-01

Visual total-magnitude estimates: June 8.89 UT, 6.6 (W. Hasubick, Buchloe, Germany, 10x50 binoc.); 19.93, 6.4 (A. Diepvens, Balen, Belgium, 20x50 binoc.); 21.92, 6.7 (J. J. Gonzalez, Asturias, Spain, 7x50 binoc.).

Measuring Teaching Quality in Several European Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Grift, Wim J. C. M.

2014-01-01

Teaching quality has been observed in large representative samples from Flanders (Belgium), Lower Saxony (Germany), the Slovak Republic, and The Netherlands. This study reveals that measures of "creating a safe and stimulating climate", "clear and activating instruction", and "teaching learning strategies" were…

Three-Dimensional Evolution of Erupted Flux Ropes from the Sun (2-20 Solar Radii) to 1 AU

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Preprint, Solar Phys., 2013 14. ABSTRACT 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY ...NASA GSFC (USA), RAL and University of Birmingham (UK), MPS(Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA and IAS (France). References Brueckner, G.E., Howard, R.A

Contribution of Chronic Conditions to the Disability Burden across Smoking Categories in Middle-Aged Adults, Belgium.

PubMed

Yokota, Renata Tiene de Carvalho; Nusselder, Wilma Johanna; Robine, Jean-Marie; Tafforeau, Jean; Deboosere, Patrick; Van Oyen, Herman

2016-01-01

Smoking is considered the single most important preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, contributing to increased incidence and severity of disabling conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of chronic conditions to the disability burden across smoking categories in middle-aged adults in Belgium. Data from 10,224 individuals aged 40 to 60 years who participated in the 1997, 2001, 2004, or 2008 Health Interview Surveys in Belgium were used. Smoking status was defined as never, former (cessation ≥2 years), former (cessation <2 years), occasional light (<20 cigarettes/day), daily light, and daily heavy (≥20 cigarettes/day). To attribute disability to chronic conditions, binomial additive hazards models were fitted separately for each smoking category adjusted for gender, except for former (cessation <2 years) and occasional light smokers due to the small sample size. An increasing trend in the disability prevalence was observed across smoking categories in men (never = 4.8%, former (cessation ≥2 years) = 5.8%, daily light = 7.8%, daily heavy = 10.7%) and women (never = 7.6%, former (cessation ≥2 years) = 8.0%, daily light = 10.2%, daily heavy = 12.0%). Musculoskeletal conditions showed a substantial contribution to the disability burden in men and women across all smoking categories. Other important contributors were depression and cardiovascular diseases in never smokers; depression, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes in former smokers (cessation ≥2 years); chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases in daily light smokers; cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases in men and depression and diabetes in women daily heavy smokers. Beyond the well-known effect of smoking on mortality, our findings showed an increasing trend of the disability prevalence and different contributors to the disability burden across smoking categories. This information can be useful from a public

Predicting vehicle sales from GDP in 48 countries : 2005-2011.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

This study examined the relationship between GDP and vehicle sales in 48 developed and : developing countries during the years 2005 through 2011. The countries examined were : Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colo...

Socioeconomic deprivation and cancer survival in Germany: an ecological analysis in 200 districts in Germany.

PubMed

Jansen, Lina; Eberle, Andrea; Emrich, Katharina; Gondos, Adam; Holleczek, Bernd; Kajüter, Hiltraud; Maier, Werner; Nennecke, Alice; Pritzkuleit, Ron; Brenner, Hermann

2014-06-15

Although socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival have been demonstrated both within and between countries, evidence on the variation of the inequalities over time past diagnosis is sparse. Furthermore, no comprehensive analysis of socioeconomic differences in cancer survival in Germany has been conducted. Therefore, we analyzed variations in cancer survival for patients diagnosed with one of the 25 most common cancer sites in 1997-2006 in ten population-based cancer registries in Germany (covering 32 million inhabitants). Patients were assigned a socioeconomic status according to the district of residence at diagnosis. Period analysis was used to derive 3-month, 5-year and conditional 1-year and 5-year age-standardized relative survival for 2002-2006 for each deprivation quintile in Germany. Relative survival of patients living in the most deprived district was compared to survival of patients living in all other districts by model-based period analysis. For 21 of 25 cancer sites, 5-year relative survival was lower in the most deprived districts than in all other districts combined. The median relative excess risk of death over the 25 cancer sites decreased from 1.24 in the first 3 months to 1.16 in the following 9 months to 1.08 in the following 4 years. Inequalities persisted after adjustment for stage. These major regional socioeconomic inequalities indicate a potential for improving cancer care and survival in Germany. Studies on individual-level patient data with access to treatment information should be conducted to examine the reasons for these socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in more detail. © 2013 UICC.

Institutional Elderly Care Services and Moroccan and Turkish Migrants in Belgium: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Ahaddour, Chaïma; van den Branden, Stef; Broeckaert, Bert

2016-10-01

In several European countries, including Belgium, the rapid ageing of the migrant population has emerged only recently on the political agenda. The aim of this literature review is threefold. Firstly, it provides a review of the available studies on the accessibility and use of institutional care services by Moroccan and Turkish migrants in the Flemish part of Belgium including Flanders and Brussels. Secondly, it identifies their specific needs regarding elderly care services. Finally, it provides an overview of the way in which Belgian policy has dealt with the issue of migration and elderly care. Literature published between 1965 and 2014 and relevant to the Belgian context has been included. This search yielded 21 references, of which 8 empirical studies, 5 policy literature, 3 theoretical studies, 3 news articles and 2 popularized reports. Mainstream elderly care remains relatively inaccessible for these migrants due to the language and a series of cultural and religious barriers, a low level of education, financial constraints, a lack of knowledge of health care systems, and the so-called return and care dilemmas. Their religious and cultural needs are currently not met by elderly care services. The inclusive and neutral Belgian policy seems to pay insufficient attention to these issues.

The development of a national HIV Plan in Belgium: Achieving consensus despite institutional complexity.

PubMed

Schweikardt, Christoph; Coppieters, Yves

2015-10-01

The development of a national HIV Plan poses serious challenges to countries with a complex distribution of legal powers such as Belgium. This article explores how the Belgian national HIV Plan 2014-2019 was developed. Applying the policy streams model of John Kingdon, the analysis of the HIV Plan development process was based on published government statements, parliamentary documents, and websites of stakeholders. The Federal Ministry of Health initiative to achieve the HIV Plan was characterized by a coordinating role with a participatory approach towards the other Belgian governments and stakeholders. The 2013 protocol agreement of the Belgian governments committed them to principles, actions, and cooperation, but not to budgets, priorities, or target figures. The Federal government followed a successful strategy to create momentum and commitment to a common national vision on HIV/AIDS. The window of opportunity was not sufficient to create an implementation plan prior to the 2014 elections, and major challenges were left to the subsequent governments, including financing. The country of Belgium represents an example of a consensus strategy to achieve a national HIV Plan with its achievements and limits within institutional complexity and limited Federal legal powers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[When is psychosis dangerous? Ethical, professional en juridical considerations concerning psychosis and coercion in Belgium].

PubMed

Verbrugghe, A; Nys, H; Vandenberghe, J

2008-01-01

In Belgium a patient can only be compulsorily admitted to a psychiatric hospital if he is a danger to himself or others (law concerning coercion in Belgium, 26/06/1990). To explore the relationship between psychosis and danger, and to analyse the various interpretations of the 'dangerousness' criterion in the context of psychotic disorders and the underlying ethical positions. We studied the literature by means of PubMed, PsycINFO, manuals and references and used the search terms: 'coercion', 'commitment of mentally ill', 'dangerous behaviour', and 'psychotic disorders'. results The correlation between psychosis and danger is limited but is strengthened by comorbid substance abuse and non-compliance. The clinical assessment of danger does not have a firm scientific basis. The underlying ethical position determines when danger is regarded as being serious enough to justify coercion. Danger is a problematical criterion for coercion. We propose a model that weighs up the likelihood of danger against the expected pros and contrasts of coercion and the extent to which the disorder can be treated. The fluid nature of the 'dangerousness' criterion and the principle of proportionality call for a more varied arsenal of coercive measures which are less drastic than compulsory admission.

Genetic basis and clonal population structure of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolated from broiler carcasses in Belgium

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The aim of this study was to investigate the population structure and antimicrobial resistance profiles of a set of Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from broiler carcasses in Belgium, and to further analyze the molecular mechanisms responsible for the resistance phenotypes. Minimum inhibitory c...

The potential health and economic effects of plant-based food patterns in Belgium and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Schepers, Janne; Annemans, Lieven

2018-04-01

Policymakers increasingly require scientific evidence on both health and economic consequences of different nutritional patterns. The aim of this study was to assess health and economic effects of Mediterranean and soy-containing diets. Selected countries were Belgium and the United Kingdom. Cost-effectiveness of these plant-based food patterns was assessed in comparison with a "conventional" diet using an age- and sex-dependent prediction model. The model allowed the prediction of health outcomes and related health care costs for the food patterns over 20 y. A societal perspective was applied for cost calculation and health outcomes were expressed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). For Belgium, a soy-containing diet is estimated to lead to 202 QALYs and 107 QALYs per 1000 women and men, respectively, whereas societal savings of €2 146 000 and €1 653 000 are predicted. For the United Kingdom, a gain of 159 QALYs and 100 QALYs per 1000 women and men, respectively, is estimated, as are a prediction of savings of £1 580 000 and £1 606 000. For the Mediterranean diet in the corresponding estimates for Belgium are 184 QALYs and 148 QALYs per 1000 women and men, respectively, and savings of €1 618 000 and €1 595 000. For the United Kingdom, these are 122 QALYs and 110 QALYs per 1000 women and men, respectively, and savings of £1 155 000 and £1 046 000, respectively. A wider implementation of plant-based eating would lead to large net economic gains for society and improved health outcomes for the population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Every soul shall taste death." Attitudes and beliefs of Moroccan muslim women living in Antwerp (Belgium) toward dying, death, and the afterlife.

PubMed

Ahaddour, Chaïma; Broeckaert, Bert; Van den Branden, Stef

2018-02-26

This study aims to elicit the beliefs and attitudes of middle-aged and elderly Moroccan Muslim women toward dying, death, and the afterlife; to identify whether differences are observable between middle-aged and elderly participants and to document how the actual attitudes of our participants relate to normative Islamic literature. Interviews were conducted with middle-aged and elderly Moroccan women living in Belgium (n = 30) and with experts in the field (n = 15). This study reveals that the belief in an omnipotent and omniscient God and in an afterlife strongly marks the attitudes of first- and second-generation Muslims in Belgium toward life and death.

Germany's Persistent Balance-of-Payments Disequilibrium Revisited. German Studies Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindleberger, Charles P.

This essay compares Germany's persistent financial disequilibrium with the balance of payments situation in the United States. Delivered at a Symposium on German Economic Growth and Stability, the author concentrates on Germany's balance of payments surplus and presents U.S. figures mainly as a point of comparison. The material on Germany has been…

Undergraduate medical education in Germany

PubMed Central

Chenot, Jean-François

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to give international readers an overview of the organisation, structure and curriculum, together with important advances and problems, of undergraduate medical education in Germany. Interest in medical education in Germany has been relatively low but has gained momentum with the new "Regulation of the Licensing of Doctors" which came into effect in 2003. Medical education had required substantial reform, particularly with respect to improving the links between theoretical and clinical teaching and the extension of interdisciplinary and topic-related instruction. It takes six years and three months to complete the curriculum and training is divided into three sections: basic science (2 years), clinical science (3 years) and final clinical year. While the reorganisation of graduate medical education required by the new "Regulation of the Licensing of Doctors" has stimulated multiple excellent teaching projects, there is evidence that some of the stipulated changes have not been implemented. Indeed, whether the medical schools have complied with this regulation and its overall success remains to be assessed systematically. Mandatory external accreditation and periodic reaccreditation of medical faculties need to be established in Germany. PMID:19675742

The Challenge to USAFRICOM from Africa’s Colonial Past

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-18

build national treasure through colonization and empire building was on. Seven nations—Britain, France, Portugal , Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain...ability to diminish the local support and sanctuary for terrorists that is the sine qua non of their global reach. • American deeds matter more

WORKERS IN ADULT EDUCATION, THEIR STATUS, RECRUITMENT, AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

JESSUP, F.W.

A PILOT STUDY PREPARED FOR THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMPARES ADULT EDUCATOR STATUS, RECRUITMENT, AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN FRANCE, FLANDERS (BELGIUM), WEST GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. MAJOR CONCERNS INCLUDE SALARIES AND BENEFITS, QUALIFICATIONS, INSERVICE TRAINING, SPONSORING BODIES, ATTITUDES TOWARD FORMAL STAFF…

Quality Assurance in In-House Continuing Training. Case Studies from Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Severing, Eckart; Stahl, Thomas

Nine European Community Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom) conducted national studies that involved case studies of quality assurance in continuing education. Analysis of findings indicated that many firms regarded continuing training as a central instrument for achieving…

The Teaching of Anthropology: A Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombard, Jacques

1984-01-01

College-level anthropology teaching in various countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia, is compared. Terminology is examined and historical background is provided. Also discussed are educational crises, the organization of teaching, and teaching methods. (RM)

[Home treatment: systematic review and implementation in Germany].

PubMed

Gühne, Uta; Weinmann, Stefan; Arnold, Katrin; Atav, Esra-Sultan; Becker, Thomas; Riedel-Heller, Steffi

2011-04-01

To report about existing evidence of effectiveness of home treatment for severely mentally ill adults and implementation in Germany. Systematic electronic and manual literature search. Compared to standard care, home treatment was equally or more efficacious with respect to general state of health and mental health. Home treatment was superior with regard to other outcomes. So far, implementation in Germany is limited. Home treatment can be seen as an effective addition to existing approaches of psychiatric care. It may be cost-effective also in Germany. Reasons for limited implementation in routine care are discussed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Geography of Germany: Lessons for Teaching the Five Themes of Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankenship, Glen; Tinkler, D. William

This activity guide contains five lessons. Lesson 1 deals with "Location of Germany on the Earth's Surface" with two activities: (1) "Germany's Location in the World"; and (2) "Germany's Location in Europe." Lesson 2 is on the "Physical and Human Characteristics of Germany" with four activities on: (1)…

Successful overwintering of Aedes albopictus in Germany.

PubMed

Pluskota, Björn; Jöst, Artur; Augsten, Xenia; Stelzner, Lilith; Ferstl, Ina; Becker, Norbert

2016-08-01

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is of great concern to public health authorities due to its vector competence and rapid spread across the globe. In 2015, two large local breeding populations of Ae. albopictus were discovered in southwest Germany. In spring 2016, we were able to demonstrate the first evidence of a successful overwintering in Germany of this originally tropical mosquito species in different research projects. Particularly noteworthy is the successful hatching of diapause eggs of an Italian strain (Calabria), which overwintered successfully in the field in St. Georgen im Schwarzwald (Baden-Wuerttemberg) at 820 m above sea level. Furthermore, within the scope of a larvae monitoring, the first larvae that hatched in the field were detected on the April 09, 2016 in a rain barrel within the Heidelberg population. Our first results show that self-extinction due to an unsuccessful overwintering cannot be assumed for populations of the Asian tiger mosquito which settled in Germany in previous years. The evidence of a successful overwintering of a large number of diapause eggs and the hatching of the first larvae in field conditions opens the control year against Ae. albopictus in southwest Germany.

Preface: phys. stat. sol. (a) 201/5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avelino Pasa, André

2004-04-01

This issue contains scientific contributions to the 4th German/Brazilian Workshop on Applied Surface Science. The workshop was held in Germany at the beautiful Castle Ringberg conference site of the Max Planck Society, located 60 km from Munich, from 21-26 September 2003. The meeting was attended by about 50 participants, with 21 invited talks and 18 contributed presentations (8 oral and 10 posters) on relevant topics of surface science.As in previous meetings (1995 in Portobello, RJ, Brazil, 1998 in Döllnsee, Berlin, Germany, and 2001 in Itapema, SC, Brazil), a significant number of important questions in surface science were covered from both the theoretical and the experimental point of view. In the field of materials science, emphasis was given to the description of the structural, physical and chemical properties of nanostructures and films of inorganic (metals, alloys and oxides) and organic (polymers and biological molecules) materials.A substantial part of the success of the meeting can be attributed to the relaxed atmosphere at the castle, near the lake Tegernsee, where excellent scientific presentations were mixed with intense discussions among both senior and younger researchers. The event also led to the development of new and ongoing collaborations between partners from Brazil and Germany.The organizers of the Workshop, Israel J. R. Baumvol (Porto Alegre, Brazil), Hajo Freund (Berlin, Germany), Wolfgang H. P. Losch (Natal, Brazil), Horst Niehus (Berlin, Germany), André A. Pasa (Florianópolis, Brazil) and Eberhard Umbach (Würzburg, Germany), are greatly indebted to the following organizations for financial support: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Fritz-Haber-Institut Berlin (FHI), Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the specially created intergovernmental agreement between CAPES and DFG to promote such meetings.

The Role of Western Germany in West European Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-04-08

Ralph. Modern German History. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1964. (DD175 F5) 34. German Research Association. Germany: Franz Steiner Verlag Gmb...and Rudolf , Walter. This Germany. New York: New York Graphic Society Publishers, Ltd., 1954. (DD257 L42) 39. Heidenheimer, Arnold J. The Government...202-07, 243. 47. Lauder, K. H. A Brief Review of Science and Technoloc in Western Germany. London: HIISO, 1955. (Q18 G4G7) 48. Leonhardt, Rudolf Walter

Marine pharmacology in 2003-4: marine compounds with anthelmintic antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiplatelet, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral activities; affecting the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems, and other miscellaneous mechanisms of action.

PubMed

Mayer, Alejandro M S; Rodríguez, Abimael D; Berlinck, Roberto G S; Hamann, Mark T

2007-05-01

The current marine pharmacology review that covers the peer-reviewed literature during 2003 and 2004 is a sequel to the authors' 1998-2002 reviews, and highlights the preclinical pharmacology of 166 marine chemicals derived from a diverse group of marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria. Anthelmintic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antimalarial, antiplatelet, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis or antiviral activities were reported for 67 marine chemicals. Additionally 45 marine compounds were shown to have significant effects on the cardiovascular, immune and nervous system as well as possessing anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 54 marine compounds were reported to act on a variety of molecular targets and thus may potentially contribute to several pharmacological classes. Thus, during 2003-2004, research on the pharmacology of marine natural products which involved investigators from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, contributed numerous chemical leads for the continued global search for novel therapeutic agents with broad spectrum activity.

Marine pharmacology in 2003-4: Marine Compounds with Anthelminthic, Antibacterial, Anticoagulant, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antimalarial, Antiplatelet, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis, and Antiviral Activities; affecting the Cardiovascular, Immune and Nervous Systems, and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action

PubMed Central

Mayer, Alejandro M.S.; Rodriguez, Abimael D.; Berlinck, Roberto G.S.; Hamann, Mark T.

2007-01-01

The current marine pharmacology review that covers the peer-reviewed literature during 2003 and 2004 is a sequel to the authors' 1998-2002 reviews, and highlights the preclinical pharmacology of 166 marine chemicals derived from a diverse group of marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria. Anthelminthic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antimalarial, antiplatelet, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis or antiviral activities were reported for 67 marine chemicals. Additionally 45 marine compounds were shown to have significant effects on the cardiovascular, immune and nervous system as well as possessing anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 54 marine compounds were reported to act on a variety of molecular targets and thus may potentially contribute to several pharmacological classes. Thus, during 2003-2004, research on the pharmacology of marine natural products which involved investigators from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, contributed numerous chemical leads for the continued global search for novel therapeutic agents with broad spectrum activity. PMID:17392033

Ground-based photometric support for the CoRoT mission by the CoRoT-Hungarian Asteroseismology Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bognár, Zs.; Paparó, M.

2012-12-01

The CoRoT-Hungarian Asteroseismology Group was established in 2005 and joined the preparatory work of the CoRoT Mission via an ESA PECS project. After the successful launch of the telescope, we have continued our work of ground-based multi-colour photometric observations and contributed to the analyses of CoRoT data. Our observations were focused on δ Scuti, γ Doradus, and RR Lyrae stars. The follow-up of some selected targets' pulsations in different wavelengths has provided valuable information for mode identification. We provided additional support by the confirmation of relatively faint variables' spectral types. We proved that our ground-based observations can help in the interpretation of a target with a contaminated CoRoT light curve. In this paper, we summarize our most important results of the photometric support for the CoRoT Mission. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain.

PREFACE: International Workshop on Discovery Physics at the LHC (Kruger2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleymans, Jean

2013-08-01

The second conference on 'Discovery Physics at the LHC' was held on 3-7 December 2012 at the Kruger Gate Hotel in South Africa. In total there were 110 participants from Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, USA, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland and South Africa. The latest results from the Large Hadron Collider, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Jefferson Laboratory and BABAR experiments, as well as the latest theoretical insights were presented. Set against the backdrop of the majestic Kruger National Park a very stimulating conference with many exchanges took place. The proceedings reflect the high standard of the conference. The financial contributions from the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITHeP), the SA-CERN programme, the UCT-CERN Research Centre, the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand and iThemba Labs—Laboratory for Accelerator Based Science are gratefully acknowledged. Jean Cleymans Chair of the Local Organizing Committee Local Organizing Committee Oana Boeriu Jean Cleymans Simon H Connell Alan S Cornell William A Horowitz Andre Peshier Trevor Vickey Zeblon Z Vilakazi Group picture

Uranium deposits of Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Brazil is a country of vast natural resources, including numerous uranium deposits. In support of the country`s nuclear power program, Brazil has developed the most active uranium industry in South America. Brazil has one operating reactor (Angra 1, a 626-MWe PWR), and two under construction. The country`s economic challenges have slowed the progress of its nuclear program. At present, the Pocos de Caldas district is the only active uranium production. In 1990, the Cercado open-pit mine produced approximately 45 metric tons (MT) U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (100 thousand pounds). Brazil`s state-owned uranium production and processing company, Uranio do Brasil, announced itmore » has decided to begin shifting its production from the high-cost and nearly depleted deposits at Pocos de Caldas, to lower-cost reserves at Lagoa Real. Production at Lagoa Real is schedules to begin by 1993. In addition to these two districts, Brazil has many other known uranium deposits, and as a whole, it is estimated that Brazil has over 275,000 MT U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (600 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8}) in reserves.« less

Gambling experiences, problems, research and policy: gambling in Germany.

PubMed

Ludwig, Monika; Kräplin, Anja; Braun, Barbara; Kraus, Ludwig

2013-09-01

The objective of this paper is to present an overview of gambling in Germany, including historical development, legislative and economic changes as well as treatment options and their effectiveness. The available scientific literature and research reports on gambling in Germany were reviewed to obtain relevant information on history, commercialization, legislation, treatment and research agenda. Gambling in Germany is characterized by compromises between protective and economic efforts. At present, gambling is illegal in Germany, and provision is subject to the state monopoly. Mere gaming machines (specific slot machines) are not classified as gambling activity, permitting commercial providers. In recent years, implementing regulations for state gambling and gaming machines have been changed. Concerning the treatment of pathological gambling, various options exist; treatment costs have been covered by health and pension insurance since 2001. Information on the effectiveness of treatment in Germany is limited. Similarly, the number of peer-reviewed publications on gambling is small. German gambling legislation was subject to major changes in the past years. Based on the available body of research (longitudinal), studies on risk and protective factors and the aetiology of pathological gambling are needed. The effectiveness of pathological gambling treatment in Germany and the impact of gambling regulations on gambling behaviour also need to be investigated. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, December 2016 to March 2017: characteristics and challenges

PubMed Central

Grammens, Tine; Schirvel, Carole; Leenen, Sylvie; Shodu, Nathalie; Hutse, Veronik; Mendes da Costa, Elise; Sabbe, Martine

2017-01-01

We describe characteristics of an ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, and difficulties in control measures implementation. As at 12 March 2017, 177 measles cases were notified, of which 50% were 15 years and older, 49% female. Atypical clinical presentation and severe complications, mainly among adults, in combination with late notification, low or unknown vaccination coverage of contacts, infected healthcare workers and increased workload due to contact tracing, are the main concerns for outbreak management. PMID:28488998

Agreement on urgency assessment between secretaries and general practitioners: an observational study in out-of-hours general practice service in Belgium.

PubMed

Philips, H; Van Bergen, J; Huibers, L; Colliers, A; Bartholomeeusen, S; Coenen, S; Remmen, R

2015-10-01

In some European countries telephone triage (TT) during out-of-hours primary care showed to be safe and effective. Other countries, such as Belgium, may not have trained auxiliary personnel while their national health services want to establish TT. To compare urgency levels assessed by secretaries and general practitioners in one general practice cooperative in Belgium. Percentage of correct-, under-, and over-triage were calculated in total and per reason for encounter. Inter-rater agreement was investigated. The secretaries correctly triaged (same urgency level) 77% of the telephone calls, under-triaged 10% and over-triaged 13%.'Shortness of breath', 'skin cuts', 'chest pain', 'feeling unwell' and 'syncope' were often under-triaged. Before introducing TT, auxiliary staff should be trained and protocols should be used.

Ongoing outbreak of invasive listeriosis, Germany, 2012 to 2015.

PubMed

Ruppitsch, Werner; Prager, Rita; Halbedel, Sven; Hyden, Patrick; Pietzka, Ariane; Huhulescu, Steliana; Lohr, Dorothee; Schönberger, Katharina; Aichinger, Elisabeth; Hauri, Anja; Stark, Klaus; Vygen, Sabine; Tietze, Erhard; Allerberger, Franz; Wilking, Hendrik

2015-01-01

Listeriosis patient isolates in Germany have shown a new identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern since 2012 (n = 66). Almost all isolates (Listeria monocytogenes serotype 1/2a) belonged to cases living in southern Germany, indicating an outbreak with a so far unknown source. Case numbers in 2015 are high (n = 28). No outbreak cases outside Germany have been reported. Next generation sequencing revealed the unique cluster type CT1248 and confirmed the outbreak. Investigations into the source are ongoing.

Methodology for heritage conservation in Belgium based on multi-temporal interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejarano-Urrego, L.; Verstrynge, E.; Shimoni, M.; Lopez, J.; Walstra, J.; Declercq, P.-Y.; Derauw, D.; Hayen, R.; Van Balen, K.

2017-09-01

Soil differential settlements that cause structural damage to heritage buildings are precipitating cultural and economic value losses. Adequate damage assessment as well as protection and preservation of the built patrimony are priorities at national and local levels, so they require advanced integration and analysis of environmental, architectural and historical parameters. The GEPATAR project (GEotechnical and Patrimonial Archives Toolbox for ARchitectural conservation in Belgium) aims to create an online interactive geo-information tool that allows the user to view and to be informed about the Belgian heritage buildings at risk due to differential soil settlements. Multi-temporal interferometry techniques (MTI) have been proven to be a powerful technique for analyzing earth surface deformation patterns through time series of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. These techniques allow to measure ground movements over wide areas at high precision and relatively low cost. In this project, Persistent Scatterer Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (PS-InSAR) and Multidimensional Small Baseline Subsets (MSBAS) are used to measure and monitor the temporal evolution of surface deformations across Belgium. This information is integrated with the Belgian heritage data by means of an interactive toolbox in a GIS environment in order to identify the level of risk. At country scale, the toolbox includes ground deformation hazard maps, geological information, location of patrimony buildings and land use; while at local scale, it includes settlement rates, photographic and historical surveys as well as architectural and geotechnical information. Some case studies are investigated by means of on-site monitoring techniques and stability analysis to evaluate the applied approaches. This paper presents a description of the methodology being implemented in the project together with the case study of the Saint Vincent's church which is located on a former colliery zone. For

Report of the International Ice Patrol in the North Atlantic. 1986 Season Bulletin Number 72

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

business transac-tions from the season. Flight The Intemnational Ice Patrol Month Sooe these nhos requested that all ships transiting -Month Sorties hours...GERMANY 1 EASTERN SHELL UNKNOWN 1 EASTERN UNICORN PANAMA 1 1 ESPANA 1 FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 1 EUROPE BELGIUM 5 EVA FRANCE 1 1 EVERGREEN USA 15 1...when flown at 8000 ft similar pattern, but a winch failure computed using an algorithm (2438 m), maps a 50 km wide after 28 CTD stations resulted in

Sexual health is dead in my body: participatory assessment of sexual health determinants by refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although migrants constitute an important proportion of the European population, little is known about migrant sexual health. Existing research mainly focuses on migrants’ sexual health risks and accessibility issues while recommendations on adequate sexual health promotion are rarely provided. Hence, this paper explores how refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands define sexual health, search for sexual health information and perceive sexual health determinants. Methods Applying Community-based Participatory Research as the overarching research approach, we conducted 223 in-depth interviews with refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Framework Analysis Technique was used to analyse qualitative data. We checked the extensiveness of the qualitative data and analysed the quantitative socio-demographic data with SPSS. Results Our results indicate that gender and age do not appear to be decisive determinants. However, incorporated cultural norms and education attainment are important to consider in desirable sexual health promotion in refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that these migrants have a predominant internal health locus of control. Yet, most of them feel that this personal attitude is hugely challenged by the Belgian and Dutch asylum system and migration laws which force them into a structural dependent situation inducing sexual ill-health. Conclusion Refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands are at risk of sexual ill-health. Incorporated cultural norms and attained education are important determinants to address in desirable sexual health promotion. Yet, as their legal status demonstrates to be the key determinant, the prime concern is to alter organizational and societal factors linked to the Belgian and Dutch asylum system. Refugees

An Active Old Age--Senior Citizens in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzler, Birgit

1998-01-01

Life expectancies are rising all over the world, leading to higher proportions of older adults in the population. This is especially true in Japan and Germany. In Germany today, "old" no longer means necessarily "poor and frail." Through volunteer work, lifelong learning, study tours, and participation in sports, older Germans…

Germany's Emerging Multiethnic Society: Old Problems and New.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gedmin, Jeffrey

1994-01-01

Opinion polls do not indicate a growing neo-Nazism in Germany, but they do reveal substantial hostile attitudes toward Jews and significant bias against other ethnic minorities. Demographic trends suggest that Germany will have an increasingly multiracial society as well as a greater need for foreign labor in the future. (SLD)

Biochemical Education in Brazil.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vella, F.

1988-01-01

Described are discussions held concerning the problems of biochemical education in Brazil at a meeting of the Sociedade Brazileira de Bioquimica in April 1988. Also discussed are other visits that were made to universities in Brazil. Three major recommendations to improve the state of biochemistry education in Brazil are presented. (CW)

15 CFR 748.9 - Support documents for license applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... agency(ies), other than the government of the People's Republic of China. To determine whether the... security reasons? Does your transaction involve items destined for the People's Republic of China (PRC)? (i... Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria China (PRC) Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hong...

15 CFR 748.9 - Support documents for license applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... agency(ies), other than the government of the People's Republic of China. To determine whether the... security reasons? Does your transaction involve items destined for the People's Republic of China (PRC)? (i... Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria China (PRC) Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hong...

The Concept of Adult Education in the Affluent Society; Financial Aspects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Cultural Cooperation, Strasbourg (France).

Created to develop recommendations in alternative means of organizing and financing adult education in European countries, this course was preceded by a preliminary survey of delegates concerning financial arrangements in their respective nations: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Norway, Sweden,…

European Approaches to Quality Assurance: Models, Characteristics and Challenges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Damme, D.

2000-01-01

Examines models, characteristics, and challenges of quality assurance in higher education in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, and Spain. Notes a common move toward institutional autonomy and output oriented steering, and the absence of accreditation procedures comparable to those in Anglo-Saxon countries. Finds…

Pushing the limit: forensic nursing in Germany.

PubMed

Lambe, Andrea; Gage-Lindner, Nancy

2007-01-01

Violence remains a public health challenge and the nursing profession accepts this challenge by expanding its field. Although countries such as the United States, Great Britain, and Canada have employed forensic nurses for decades in different capacities, Germany has yet to follow their lead. This report discusses the German health care and legal systems and challenges Germany to develop an innovative, cost-efficient, and competent profession of forensic nursing.

Outplacement and Re-Employment Measures during Organizational Restructuring in Belgium: Overview of the Literature and Results of Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Witte, Hans; Vandoorne, Jan; Verlinden, Roel; De Cuyper, Nele

2005-01-01

Purpose: Aims to review the research literature and legislation on outplacement and re-employment interventions in Belgium and present results of qualitative research and case studies of companies, regarding interventions during organizational restructuring. Design/methodology/approach: Comprises a literature review, qualitative (semi-structured…

[Mosquitoes as vectors for exotic pathogens in Germany].

PubMed

Becker, N; Krüger, A; Kuhn, C; Plenge-Bönig, A; Thomas, S M; Schmidt-Chanasit, J; Tannich, E

2014-05-01

As a result of intensified globalization of international trade and of substantial travel activities, mosquito-borne exotic pathogens are becoming an increasing threat for Europe. In Germany some 50 different mosquito species are known, several of which have vector competence for pathogens. During the last few years a number of zoonotic arboviruses that are pathogenic for humans have been isolated from mosquitoes in Germany including Usutu, Sindbis and Batai viruses. In addition, filarial worms, such as Dirofilaria repens have been repeatedly detected in mosquitoes from the federal state of Brandenburg. Other pathogens, in particular West Nile virus, are expected to emerge sooner or later in Germany as the virus is already circulating in neighboring countries, e.g. France, Austria and the Czech Republic. In upcoming years the risk for arbovirus transmission might increase in Germany due to increased occurrence of new so-called "invasive" mosquito species, such as the Asian bush mosquito Ochlerotatus japonicus or the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. These invasive species are characterized by high vector competence for a broad range of pathogens and a preference for human blood meals. For risk assessment, a number of mosquito and pathogen surveillance projects have been initiated in Germany during the last few years; however, mosquito control strategies and plans of action have to be developed and put into place to allow early and efficient action against possible vector-borne epidemics.

Attitudes towards reforming primary care in Belgium: social network analysis in a pluralist context.

PubMed

Lorant, Vincent; Rihoux, Benoît; Nicaise, Pablo

2016-10-01

Health care policies are influenced by many groups which in turn influence each other. Our aim was to describe a network of nominated influential stakeholders and analyze how it affects attitudes to reforming primary care. Face-to-face interviews were carried out in Belgium with 102 influential people. Each respondent was asked to score solutions for improving the role of general practice in the health care system and to nominate up to six other influential stakeholders. Social network and multivariate analyses were used to describe the nomination network and its effect on attitudes to reform. The network was highly centralized and homophilous (tendency to bond with people who are similar) for language groups. Despite Belgium having a strong pluralist tradition of decision making, policy makers were central to the network (average indegree = 10.8) compared to professional representatives (6.9). Respondents supported an enhanced role for general practitioners but did not support radically new policies. Social network analysis contributes to understanding why health care reforms may languish in pluralistic, decentralized health care systems. The central position of a stakeholder in a network is related to perceived influence but does not favour a radical policy orientation. In addition, language-group homophily in the 'perceived influence network' leads to a weak coalition that only favours small-step reform. © The Author(s) 2016.

Ground-penetrating radar research in Belgium: from developments to applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambot, Sébastien; Van Meirvenne, Marc; Craeye, Christophe

2014-05-01

Ground-penetrating radar research in Belgium spans a series of developments and applications, including mainly ultra wideband radar antenna design and optimization, non-destructive testing for the characterization of the electrical properties of soils and materials, and high-resolution subsurface imaging in agricultural engineering, archeology and transport infrastructures (e.g., road inspection and pipe detection). Security applications have also been the topic of active research for several years (i.e., landmine detection) and developments in forestry have recently been initiated (i.e., for root zone and tree trunk imaging and characterization). In particular, longstanding research has been devoted to the intrinsic modeling of antenna-medium systems for full-wave inversion, thereby providing an effective way for retrieving the electrical properties of soils and materials. Full-wave modeling is a prerequisite for benefiting from the full information contained in the radar data and is necessary to provide robust and accurate estimates of the properties of interest. Nevertheless, this has remained a major challenge in geophysics and electromagnetics for many years, mainly due to the complex interactions between the antennas and the media as well as to the significant computing resources that are usually required. Efforts have also been dedicated to the development of specific inversion strategies to cope with the complexity of the inverse problems usually dealt with as well as ill-posedness issues that arise from a lack of information in the radar data. To circumvent this last limitation, antenna arrays have been developed and modeled in order to provide additional information. Moreover, data fusion ways have been investigated, by mainly combining GPR data with electromagnetic induction complementary information in joint interpretation analyses and inversion procedures. Finally, inversions have been regularized by combining electromagnetics models together with soil

Acid-neutralizing capacity and sodium content of antacid products from Belgium.

PubMed

Gombatz, V W

1984-01-01

The acid-neutralizing capacity and sodium content of nine antacid products available in Belgium were evaluated and compared with typical values for Mylanta-II. Liquid and tablets of Mylanta-II have a higher acid-neutralizing capacity per unit dose than do all the other Belgian antacids tested. On a unit dose basis, the sodium contents of the Mylanta-II products are lower than those of all other Belgian antacids tested except Maalox products. Because the minimum recommended dose (MRD) of Mylanta-II liquid is 5 ml, while that of Maalox is 10 ml, the sodium content of the MRD of Mylanta-II liquid is lower than that of the MRD of any of the other Belgian liquid antacids tested.

Self-Employment in the United Kingdom and Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meager, Nigel; And Others

In a comparison of self-employment patterns in Germany and the United Kingdom, data from the Labour Force Survey (United Kingdom) and Mikrozensus (Germany) were analyzed to identify the personal characteristics of self-employed individuals in the two countries, the characteristics of their self-employed activity, and movement in and out of…

Special Education in East Germany under Communist Domination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengstock, Wayne L.; Ruttgardt, Sieglind Ellger

1995-01-01

This article describes the development of special education in East Germany from the close of World War II through the cold war period, and examines the problems and challenges currently facing special education in a reunified Germany. These include a lack of infrastructure, economic needs, staffing problems, and needed curriculum changes. (DB)

Phylogenetic analysis of feline immunodeficiency virus strains from naturally infected cats in Belgium and The Netherlands.

PubMed

Roukaerts, Inge D M; Theuns, Sebastiaan; Taffin, Elien R L; Daminet, Sylvie; Nauwynck, Hans J

2015-01-22

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a major pathogen in feline populations worldwide, with seroprevalences up to 26%. Virus strains circulating in domestic cats are subdivided into different phylogenetic clades (A-E), based on the genetic diversity of the V3-V4 region of the env gene. In this report, a phylogenetic analysis of the V3-V4 env region, and a variable region in the gag gene was made for 36 FIV strains isolated in Belgium and The Netherlands. All newly generated gag sequences clustered together with previously known clade A FIV viruses, confirming the dominance of clade A viruses in Northern Europe. The same was true for the obtained env sequences, with only one sample of an unknown env subtype. Overall, the genetic diversity of FIV strains sequenced in this report was low. This indicates a relatively recent introduction of FIV in Belgium and The Netherlands. However, the sample with an unknown env subtype indicates that new introductions of FIV from unknown origin do occur and this will likely increase genetic variability in time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Pharmacovigilance in Germany : It is about time].

PubMed

Douros, A; Schaefer, C; Kreutz, R; Garbe, E

2016-06-01

Pharmacovigilance is defined as the activities relating to the detection, assessment, and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Although its beginnings in Germany date back more than 50 years, a stagnation in this field has been observed lately. Different tools of pharmacovigilance will be illustrated and the reasons for its stagnation in Germany will be elucidated. Spontaneous reporting systems are an important tool in pharmacovigilance and are based on reports of ADRs from treating physicians, other healthcare professionals, or patients. Due to several weaknesses of spontaneous reporting systems such as underreporting, media bias, confounding by comorbidity or comedication, and due to the limited quality of the reports, the development of electronic healthcare databases was publicly funded in recent years so that they can be used for pharmacovigilance research. In the US different electronic healthcare databases were merged in a project sponsored by public means resulting in more than 193 million individuals. In Germany the establishment of large longitudinal databases was never conceived as a public duty and has not been implemented so far. Further attempts to use administrative healthcare data for pharmacovigilance purposes are severely restricted by the Code of Social Law (Section 75, Book 10). This situation has led to a stagnation in pharmacovigilance research in Germany. Without publicly funded large longitudinal healthcare databases and an amendment of Section 75, Book 10, of the Code of Social Law, the use of healthcare data in pharmacovigilance research in Germany will remain a rarity. This could have negative effects on the medical care of the general population.

[Performance of in vitro fertilization in Germany].

PubMed

van der Ven, Hans; Montag, Markus; van der Ven, Katrin

2002-07-01

In Germany the application of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) is regulated by federal legislation. Compared with the international situation the "German Embryo Protection Law" is very "restrictive" and various methods of ART are prohibited, e.g. oocyte/embryo donation, embryo cryopreservation and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Furthermore, in Germany only 1 to 3 fertilized oocytes may be cultured to embryo. All these embryos then have to be transferred into the uterus of a particular patient. Additional fertilized oocytes can only be cryopreserved in a pronuclear state. The success rate of ART has increased significantly over the past few years owing to the introduction of blastocyst cultures and the selection of 1 to 2 good quality blastocysts for embryo transfer. Furthermore, the transfer of only 1 to 2 blastocysts effectively reduces the risk of high rank multiple pregnancies. In Germany, however, the selection of only a few good quality blastocysts for transfer is prohibited by law. New laboratory techniques, e.g. pronuclear scoring and polar body biopsy screening for aneuploidy are in accordance with German law. The application of these methods provides a selection of "good quality oocytes" and seems to increase the overall success rate. Further studies are required, however. The success rate, quality and cost effectiveness of ART in Germany appears compromised when compared with many other countries. What is more, in contrast to the international situation research and development in ART in Germany has been decreasing constantly over the past few years, due to the inappropriate regulations of the German health care system and the insufficient support given to university-based centers.

Stepping from Belgium to the United States and back: the conceptualization and impact of the Harvard Step Test, 1942-2012.

PubMed

Vangrunderbeek, Hans; Delheye, Pascal

2013-06-01

This article examines the contribution of the Belgian-American exercise physiologist Lucien Brouha in developing the Harvard Step Test (HST) at the'pioneering Harvard Fatigue Laboratory (HFL) during the Second World War and provides a better understanding of the importance of transnational relations concerning scientific progress. Analysis of sources in the University Archives of the State University in Liege (Belgium), the Archives and Documentation Centre of the Sportimonium at Hofstade (Belgium), the Harvard Business School Archives at Baker Library (Cambridge, MA), the Harvard Medical School Archives at Countway Library (Cambridge, MA), and the Brouha and Shaler private family archives (Sutton, VT). The outbreak of the Second World War shifted research at the interdisciplinary HFL toward the field of military physiology and resulted in the transfer of Brouha from Belgium to the HFL. Brouha's personal and academic experiences made him the right man in the right place to develop the HST in 1942. The HST--which has celebrated its 70th anniversary--was of immediate academic and practical significance during and after the war. Brouha' s case demonstrates the importance of personal experiences, transnational relations, and interdisciplinary research settings for the establishment of scientific (sub)disciplines. Studying internal scientific evolutions in relation to personal and work experiences of "mobile" and therefore often "forgotten" researchers like Brouha is necessary to better understand and interpret evolutions in science and corresponding processes of academic and social mobility.

Ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, December 2016 to March 2017: characteristics and challenges.

PubMed

Grammens, Tine; Schirvel, Carole; Leenen, Sylvie; Shodu, Nathalie; Hutse, Veronik; Mendes da Costa, Elise; Sabbe, Martine

2017-04-27

We describe characteristics of an ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, and difficulties in control measures implementation. As at 12 March 2017, 177 measles cases were notified, of which 50% were 15 years and older, 49% female. Atypical clinical presentation and severe complications, mainly among adults, in combination with late notification, low or unknown vaccination coverage of contacts, infected healthcare workers and increased workload due to contact tracing, are the main concerns for outbreak management. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2017.

Germany's expanding role in global health.

PubMed

Kickbusch, Ilona; Franz, Christian; Holzscheiter, Anna; Hunger, Iris; Jahn, Albrecht; Köhler, Carsten; Razum, Oliver; Schmidt, Jean-Olivier

2017-08-26

Germany has become a visible actor in global health in the past 10 years. In this Series paper, we describe how this development complements a broad change in perspective in German foreign policy. Catalysts for this shift have been strong governmental leadership, opportunities through G7 and G20 presidencies, and Germany's involvement in managing the Ebola virus disease outbreak. German global health engagement has four main characteristics that are congruent with the health agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals; it is rooted in human rights, multilateralism, the Bismarck model of social protection, and a link between development and investment on the basis of its own development trajectory after World War 2. The combination of momentum and specific characteristics makes Germany well equipped to become a leader in global health, yet the country needs to accept additional financial responsibility for global health, expand its domestic global health competencies, reduce fragmentation of global health policy making, and solve major incoherencies in its policies both nationally and internationally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiotherapy access in Belgium: How far are we from evidence-based utilisation?

PubMed

Lievens, Y; De Schutter, H; Stellamans, K; Rosskamp, M; Van Eycken, L

2017-10-01

Underutilisation of radiotherapy has been observed worldwide. To evaluate the current situation in Belgium, optimal utilisation proportions (OUPs) adopted from the European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology - Health Economics in Radiation Oncology (ESTRO-HERO) project were compared to actual utilisation proportions (AUPs) and with radiotherapy advised during the multidisciplinary cancer team (MDT) meetings. In addition, the impact of independent variables was analysed. AUPs and advised radiotherapy were calculated overall and by cancer type for 110,810 unique cancer diagnoses in 2009-2010. Radiotherapy utilisation was derived from reimbursement data and distinguished between palliative and curative intent external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and/or brachytherapy (BT). Sensitivity analyses regarding the influence of the follow-up period, the survival length and patient's age were performed. Advised radiotherapy was calculated based on broad treatment categories as reported at MDT meetings. The overall AUP of 37% (39% including BT) was lower than the OUP of 53%, but in line with advised radiotherapy (35%). Large variations by tumour type were observed: in some tumours (e.g. lung and prostate cancer) AUP was considerably lower than OUP, whereas in others there was reasonable concordance (e.g. breast and rectal cancer). Overall, 84% of treatments started within 9 months following diagnosis. Survival time influenced AUP in a cancer type-dependent way. Elderly patients received less radiotherapy. Although the actually delivered radiotherapy in Belgium aligns well to MDT advices, it is lower than the evidence-based optimum. Further analysis of potential barriers is needed for radiotherapy forecasting and planning, and in order to promote adequate access to radiotherapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The rise of adjusted fertilizer recommendations and the 1946 establishment of the Soil Service of Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Winter, H.

2012-04-01

The scientific branch of soil science was worldwide firmly established at the beginning of the 20th century. In this period, it developed strongly in various countries. During the thirties, interest in soil science and its subfields (plant nutrition, soil hydrology, soil microbiology,...) grew even more strongly, which can be demonstrated by the rapid growth of 'soil research institutions' all over the world. In Belgium, it was professor priest Joseph Baeyens (1885-1990) who established the first chair of 'Soil Science' in 1935 at the Catholic University of Leuven. He can be considered as a Belgian pioneer in soil fertility research. After having done prospective soil research in the Belgian Congo, the Belgium government supported him to start the same study for Belgian soils. This innovative soil fertility research was done at the Soil Science Institute of the University of Leuven, which was established and lead by Joseph Baeyens himself. His goal was to determine the fertility norms of the Belgian farmlands. After this large-scale study was done, the fertility norms and associated fertilizer needs could be presented to farmers all over the country. The overall goal was to increase crop production and to minimize fertilizer costs. When Baeyens started to spread his knowledge to the farmers, it would not take long before the demand for his knowledge grew significantly. This lead in 1946 to the erection of the Soil Service of Belgium: an independent laboratory and research institution, analyzing soil samples in order to customize fertilizer recommendations for farmers. This paper discusses the establishment and-development of the SSB. It covers the period between 1930 and 1950. Following questions will be addressed: How unique was the development of SSB on a national and international level? How did research take shape at the SSB? How did the SSB obtain its place in the Belgian agricultural network? What was the role of the government ? And finally, how did the

The Great Drama: Germany and the French Revolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurz, Gerhard

Revolution did not spread to Germany from France at the end of the 18th century, yet the German and other European states were forced to come to terms with the principles of the French Revolution such as political and legal freedoms and national unity. Germany was affected by the French Revolution particularly by the reactions of German…

INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION IN GERMANY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Central Inst. for Youth and Educational Television, Munich (West Germany).

DISCUSSIONS HELD AT THE BERLIN CONGRESS ON INSTRUCTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION (SEPTEMBER 27-29, 1966) ARE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED. THIS DOCUMENT ALSO LISTS RESEARCH PROJECTS IN INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION IN GERMANY, DESCRIBES THE BAVARIAN RADIO INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAM, SUMMARIZES THE OPINIONS OF THE GERMAN PRESS ON INSTRUCTIONAL…

Rural Development: The Industrialized Free-Enterprise Nations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economic Research Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Most of the nations of the world have expressed concern for rural revitalization by providing a greater range of economic opportunities, social amenities, and cultural advantages. This report discussed rural development in the highly industrialized nations of the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Norway,…

Cross-National Study of Educational Attainment: Stage I of the I.E.A. Investigation in Six Subject Areas. Final Report. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Benjamin S.

Twelve chapters describe an 18-nation study of educational attainment at the elementary and secondary school levels. Professional researchers participated in the project, developed through UNESCO and conducted under the auspices of educational research centers in Australia, Belgium, Chile, England, the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France,…

General Framework for Employment. Tableau de Bord. (Synoptic Table). Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs.

This synoptic table provides an overview and comparison of employment trends and policy measures for each member state of the European Community. Information on the following countries is presented in eight chapters: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and United Kingdom. Chapter 0…

Reading Disabilities: An International Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarnopol, Lester, Ed.; Tarnopol, Muriel, Ed.

This volume includes essays on reading disabilities in such places as Argentina, Austria, Belgium, China, Canada, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, Rhodesia, Republic of South Africa, and the United States. Most of the 20 essays include the background of special education in the…

Student Participation in the CCC Member Countries in 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldschmidt, E.

The status of student participation in Council for Cultural Cooperation (CCC) nations is examined, based on questionnaire replies from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. After a brief review of the situation from…

The Longitudinal Properties of a Solar Energetic Particle Event Investigated Using Modern Solar Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-10

and white light) and the longitudinal extent of the SEP event in the heliosphere. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION...The STEREO SECCHI data are pro- duced by a consortium of RAL (UK), NRL (USA), LMSAL (USA), GSFC (USA), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA (France

Implications for Arms Control in Technology Transfer to Less Developed Countries (LDC’s). Volume I. Considerations in Controlling Dual-Use Technology Products: An Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

Mitsubishi Brazil - Mercedes - Benz FranceNetherlands - DAF France - Hispani-Suiza, Sweden - Volvo-Penta SOFAM, Peugeot West Germany - Motor-Turbinen...Mitsubishi Brazil - Mercedes - Benz Netherlands - DAF France - Hispani-Suiza, Sweden - Volvo-Penta SOFAM, Peugeot West Germany - Motor-Turbinen... marketing practices as later described in pages 4-11. This paper examines likely LDC reactions to a situation in which for whatever reason they are

Coincidence of biophoton emission by wheat seedlings during simultaneous, transcontinental germination tests.

PubMed

Gallep, Cristiano M; Moraes, Thiago A; Dos Santos, Samuel R; Barlow, Peter W

2013-06-01

Measurements of spontaneous ultra-weak light (biophoton) emission from native Brazilian and German wheat seedlings in three simultaneous series of germination tests are presented, two run in Germany and one in Brazil. Seedlings in both countries presented semi-circadian rhythms of emission that were in accordance with the local lunisolar gravimetric tidal acceleration, as did seeds which had been transported from Brazil to Germany. The simultaneity of the photon emission patterns in all tests argues for the lunisolar tide and its rhythmic variations as regulators of the natural rhythm of photon emission. However, seedlings from seed samples transported from Brazil to Germany showed, in addition, a temporary disturbance within the emission periodicity which may indicate a possible short-term acclimatization to the new location.

Germany knows mining

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Whether it is the nuance of precision or robust rock breaking strength, German suppliers have the expertise. Germany has about 120 companies in the mining equipment industry, employing some 16,000 people. The article describes some recent developments of the following companies: DBT, Liebherr, Atlas Copco, BASF, Boart Longyear, Eickhoff, IBS, Maschinenfabrik Glueckauf, Komatsu, TAKRA, Terex O & R, Thyssen Krupp Foerdertechnik and Wirtgen. 7 photos.

Concentrating Solar Power Projects in Germany | Concentrating Solar Power |

Science.gov Websites

;alphabetical by project name. You can browse a project profile by clicking on the project name. Jülich Solar NREL Germany Concentrating solar power (CSP) projects in Germany are listed belowâ€"

Educational Systems and Rising Inequality: Eastern Germany after Unification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Below, Susanne; Powell, Justin J. W.; Roberts, Lance W.

2013-01-01

Educational systems considerably influence educational opportunities and the resulting social inequalities. Contrasting institutional regulations of both structures and contents, the authors present a typology of educational system types in Germany to analyze their effects on social inequality in eastern Germany after unification. After 1990, the…

HD 51844: An Am δ Scuti in a binary showing periastron brightening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hareter, M.; Paparó, M.; Weiss, W.; García Hernández, A.; Borkovits, T.; Lampens, P.; Rainer, M.; De Cat, P.; Marcos-Arenal, P.; Vos, J.; Poretti, E.; Baglin, A.; Michel, E.; Baudin, F.; Catala, C.

2014-07-01

intermediate evolutionary phase; the stellar rotation is super-synchronised, but circularisation of the orbit is not reached. Based on observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph attached to the Mercator Telescope which is operated on the island of La Palma by the University of Leuven (IvS) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. The HERMES spectrograph is supported by the Fund for Scientific Research of Flanders (FWO), Belgium, the Research Council of K.U. Leuven, Belgium, the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), Belgium, the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the Observatoire de Genève, Switzerland and the Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany. Based on CoRoT space-based photometric data; the CoRoT space mission was developed and operated by the French space agency CNES, with the participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. Based on observations collected at La Silla Observatory, ESO (Chile) with the HARPS spectrograph at the 3.6 m telescope, under programme LP185.D-0056.Table 9 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Research trends on pathogenic Cryptococcus species in the last 20 years: a global analysis with focus on Brazil.

PubMed

Albuquerque, Priscila C; Rodrigues, Marcio L

2012-03-01

Recent data demonstrates that cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii kills approximately 600,000 people per year in the world. In Brazil, cryptococcosis has recently been identified as the most fatal mycosis in AIDS patients. In this study, we aimed to map research into C. neoformans and C. gattii in the world, with a focus on the Brazilian contribution to this area. The parameters used for this analysis were based on publication records, including number of articles published, citation indices, journal impact factor and distribution of authorship in the last two decades. Our global analysis of publications demonstrated that, in the last 20 years, the USA was the country that produced the highest number of scientific articles in the Cryptococcus field, while Brazil occupied the third position. Brazilian productivity, however, showed a steady tendency to increase, in contrast to the USA and other countries. The average impact factor of journals at which articles authored by Brazilians were published was 2.58, which represented approximately half the value found for papers of American authorship. Studies authored by Brazilian scientists showed relatively low averages of citations per article, in comparison to papers published by researchers from the USA, France, Australia, The Netherlands and Germany, among others. This study demonstrates that the contribution of Brazilian scientists to the Cryptococcus field is continually growing, although papers produced in Brazil apparently have poor repercussion in comparison to those generated in developed countries.

Molecular analysis of rubella virus in travelers suspected of measles infection in São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Figueiredo, Cristina A; Yu, Ana Lucia Frugis; Afonso, Ana Maria S; Curti, Suely P; Oliveira, Maria I

2012-01-01

To identify measles virus genotypes in three cases of travelers suspected of measles infection. Samples (blood and urine) were collected for serology, virus isolation, and genotyping. Sera were analyzed for IgM antibodies against measles virus and rubella virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Siemens - Marburg, Germany). Clinical samples (lymphocytes and urine) were inoculated into Statens Serum Institute rabbit corneal epithelial cell line- ATCC CL 60 (SIRC) and Vero Slam cells. RNA was extracted from clinical samples and cell culture was inoculated and processed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with oligonucleotides specific for measles virus (MV) and rubella virus (RV). All patients showed IgM negative serology for MV and positive IgM for RV. RV belonging to genotypes 1B, 1C, and 1E were isolated from patients who came from Finland, Peru, and Germany, respectively. Genotype 1B has been found in Europe and on the East Coast of South America; 1C has been found in Peru and the West Coast of South America, and 1E, first identified in 1997, now appears to have worldwide distribution. Information about RV and MV genotypes circulating in São Paulo is essential for the control of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Brazil.

How Tracking Structures Attitudes towards Ethnic Out-Groups and Interethnic Interactions in the Classroom: An Ethnographic Study in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Praag, Lore; Boone, Simon; Stevens, Peter A. J.; Van Houtte, Mieke

2015-01-01

The influence of the ethnic composition of schools on interethnic relations and attitudes has been studied extensively and has received ample interest from policy makers. However, less attention has been paid to the structures and processes inside schools that organize interethnic relations and attitudes. In Flanders (Belgium), secondary education…

[Continuing Medical Education in Germany - mandatory and voluntary obligations].

PubMed

Böthin, Elke

2013-01-01

After 1945 the common medical training infrastructure was broken up into two different political systems. While in the Federal Republic of Germany the structure was based on physicians' self-governance, in the German Democratic Republic medical professional structures were organised by the government. After the unification of the two German states, which took place on October 3, 1990, the centralistic structure was replaced by the system of physician self-governance. Before January 1, 2004, continuing medical education (CME) in West Germany relied on a system of voluntary obligations. In East Germany, though, professional CMEs were compulsory; they were called "obligatorische periphere Fortbildung." Based on 15 expert interviews on the topic of "CME in Germany", the different circumstances and conditions were analysed taking account of the historical background. Only selected professionals with experience in both German states (one with a federal, the other with a centralistic system), were chosen for the survey. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Low occurrence of the new species Staphylococcus argenteus in a Staphylococcus aureus collection of human isolates from Belgium.

PubMed

Argudín, M A; Dodémont, M; Vandendriessche, S; Rottiers, S; Tribes, C; Roisin, S; de Mendonça, R; Nonhoff, C; Deplano, A; Denis, O

2016-06-01

Staphylococcus argenteus is a novel Staphylococcus species closely related to Staphylococcus aureus that has been recently described. In this study, we investigated the proportion and the characteristics of S. argenteus recovered from humans in Belgium. S. aureus. human isolates collected in Belgium from 2006 to 2015 (n = 1,903) were retrospectively characterised via the presence of non-pigmented colonies on chocolate agar, spa typing and rpoB sequencing to determine if some of them were in fact S. argenteus. Out of 73 strains non-pigmented on chocolate plates, 3 isolates (0.16 %) showed rpoB sequences, in addition to spa and sequence types (ST2250/t5787, ST2250/t6675, ST3240/t6675), related to S. argenteus. Two of them were methicillin-resistant, harbouring a SCCmec type IV. The three S. argenteus isolates carried genes (sak, scn) of the immune evasion cluster. This first Belgian nationwide analysis showed a low occurrence of S. argenteus. Further studies should be conducted to identify the distribution range and the clinical impact of this new species.

Transferring climate research results to stakeholder needs in Northern Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, Insa

2013-04-01

The North German Climate Office was established in 2006 at the Institute for Coastal Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany as consequence of an increased public information need regarding coastal climate change and its impacts in Northern Germany. The service is characterized by an intensive dialogue between regional climate research and stakeholders in Northern Germany. About once a week scientists of the North German climate office are invited to contribute to public dialogue events. Also, numerous direct inquiries are answered and expert interviews are conducted. From this dialogue process specific stakeholder information needs are localized and analysed to develop tailored information products. To provide easy and user specific access to research results interactive web tools are developed. One example is the North German climate atlas, an interactive web tool on possible future climate change in Northern Germany. Another interactive web tool is informing on present and future coastal protection needs in Northern Germany. Another aim of our information products is to assess and summarize the existing scientific knowledge on climate, climate change and impacts in Northern Germany. A mini IPCC-like regional assessment report has been published in 2010, which is summarizing, discussing and assessing the scientific knowledge on regional climate, climate change and impacts as well as possible adaptation strategies in the metropolitan region of Hamburg.

Economic consequences of legal and illegal drugs: The case of social costs in Belgium.

PubMed

Lievens, Delfine; Vander Laenen, Freya; Verhaeghe, Nick; Putman, Koen; Pauwels, Lieven; Hardyns, Wim; Annemans, Lieven

2017-06-01

Legal and illegal drugs impose a considerable burden to the individual and to society. The misuse of addictive substances results in healthcare and law enforcement costs, loss of productivity and reduced quality of life. A social cost study was conducted to estimate the substance-attributable costs of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and psychoactive medication to Belgian society in 2012. The cost-of-illness framework with prevalence-based and human capital approach was applied. Three cost components were considered: direct, indirect and intangible costs related to substance misuse. The direct and indirect cost of addictive substances was estimated at 4.6 billion euros in Belgium (419 euros per capita or 1.19% of the GDP) and more than 515,000 healthy years are lost due to substance misuse. The Belgian social cost study reaffirms that alcohol and tobacco impose the highest cost to society compared to illegal drugs. Health problems are the main driver of the social cost of legal drugs. Law enforcement expenditure exceed the healthcare costs but only in the case of illegal drugs. Estimating social costs of addictive substances is complex because it is difficult to determine to what extent the societal harm is caused by substances. It can be argued that social cost studies take only a 'snapshot' of the monetary consequences of substance misuse. Nevertheless, the current study offers the most comprehensive analysis thus far of the social costs of substance misuse in Belgium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and seasonality of six respiratory viruses during five consecutive epidemic seasons in Belgium.

PubMed

Ramaekers, Kaat; Keyaerts, Els; Rector, Annabel; Borremans, Annie; Beuselinck, Kurt; Lagrou, Katrien; Van Ranst, Marc

2017-09-01

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) are a major health problem, especially in young children and the elderly. Insights into the seasonality of respiratory viruses can help us understand when the burden on society is highest and which age groups are most vulnerable. We monitored six respiratory viruses during five consecutive seasons (2011-2016) in Belgium. Patient specimens (n=22876), tested for one or more of the following respiratory viruses, were included in this analysis: Influenza viruses (IAV & IBV), Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), Adenovirus (ADV) and Human parainfluenza virus (hPIV). Data were analysed for four age categories: <6y, 6-17y, 18-64y and ≥65y. Children <6y had the highest infection rates (39% positive vs. 20% positive adults) and the highest frequency of co-infections. hRSV (28%) and IAV (32%) caused the most common respiratory viral infections and followed, like hMPV, a seasonal pattern with winter peaks. hRSV followed an annual pattern with two peaks: first in young children and ±7 weeks later in elderly. This phenomenon has not been described in literature so far. hPIV and ADV occurred throughout the year with higher rates in winter. Children <6y are most vulnerable for respiratory viral infections and have a higher risk for co-infections. hRSV and IAV are the most common respiratory infections with peaks during the winter season in Belgium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Children and Their Changing Media Environment: A European Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livingstone, Sonia, Ed.; Bovill, Moira, Ed.

Integrating broadcasting, video, computing, games, and the Internet, the domestic television screen is being transformed into the site of a multimedia culture. To address questions about the meaning and uses of such new media, this volume brings together work by researchers in 12 countries--Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United…

International High Level Nuclear Waste Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreschhoff, Gisela; And Others

1974-01-01

Discusses the radioactive waste management in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the USSR. Indicates that scientists and statesmen should look beyond their own lifetimes into future centuries and millennia to conduct long-range plans essential to protection of future generations. (CC)

Wages and Labour Mobility; A Report by a Group of Independent Experts on the Relation between Changes in Wage Differentials and the Pattern of Employment with a Foreword on the Implications of the Study for Income Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

deWolff, Pieter; And Others

To determine the relationship between wage structure and employment patterns available evidence on changes in relative earnings and in relative numbers employed were surveyed for periods up to 15 years in 10 countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some findings…

Economic Policies and Practices. Programs for Relocating Workers Used by Governments of Selected Countries. Paper-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnitzer, Martin

Government relocation assistance programs, designed to move unemployed workers from areas where suitable employment opportunities do not exist to areas where jobs are available, were examined in detail for Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the United States and briefly for Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, West Germany, and the…

7 CFR 319.56-22 - Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. 319... Vegetables § 319.56-22 Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. (a) Importations allowed. The... applicable provisions of this subpart: (1) Apples from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain...

7 CFR 319.56-22 - Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. 319... Vegetables § 319.56-22 Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. (a) Importations allowed. The... applicable provisions of this subpart: (1) Apples from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain...

7 CFR 319.56-22 - Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. 319... Vegetables § 319.56-22 Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. (a) Importations allowed. The... applicable provisions of this subpart: (1) Apples from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain...

7 CFR 319.56-22 - Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. 319... Vegetables § 319.56-22 Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. (a) Importations allowed. The... applicable provisions of this subpart: (1) Apples from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain...

7 CFR 319.56-22 - Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. 319... Vegetables § 319.56-22 Apples and pears from certain countries in Europe. (a) Importations allowed. The... applicable provisions of this subpart: (1) Apples from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain...

Manuel B. Cossio's 1882 Tour of European Education Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otero-Urtaza, Eugenio

2012-01-01

This paper describes the journey through France, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Belgium that was undertaken in August and September 1882 by Manuel Bartolome Cossio, the foremost Spanish educationist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in order to examine European education museums and schools with a view to preparing…

Service Children's Education: Survey of Parental Views. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, Lisa; Rudd, Peter

2007-01-01

Service Children's Education (SCE) is an agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that is dedicated to the education of children of service families and MOD personnel serving outside of the United Kingdom, specifically in Belgium, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Belize and Brunei. These schools follow the…

The Role of the Company in Generating Skills: The Learning Effects of Work Organisation. Synthesis Report. CEDEFOP Document.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehaut, Philippe; Delcourt, Jacques

This report synthesizes the findings of a study of continuing training policy in nine countries of the European Community: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The following are among the topics discussed: the study's objectives and methods; characteristics of new forms of work and…

L'Enseignement scolaire des langues vivantes dans les pays membres de la communaute europeenne: bilan, reflexions et propositions (Modern Language Instruction in the Member Countries of the European Community: Evaluation, Reflections, and Proposals).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Deth, Jean-Pierre

A review of the situation of modern language teaching in western Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom) looks at the demography and multilingualism of the region, the organization of school systems in those countries, and the status of school-based modern language…

Tracking Streamer Blobs Into the Heliosphere

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-20

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 10 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT...NASA/GSFC (US), RAL (UK), UB- HAM (UK), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA (France), and IAS (France). In the US, funding was provided by NASA, in the

The Temperature-Dependent Nature of Coronal Dimmings

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

opening-up, of flux and can be observed both off-limb and on-disk. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT...international consortium of the NRL, LMSAL and NASA GSFC (USA), RAL and U. Bham (UK), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA and IAS (France). This work was

Brazil Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

In 2014, Brazil was the eighth-largest energy consumer in the world and the third-largest in the Americas, behind the United States and Canada, according to BP statistics. Total primary energy consumption in Brazil has nearly doubled in the past decade1 because of sustained economic growth. The largest share of Brazil's total energy consumption is oil and other liquid fuels, followed by hydroelectricity and natural gas

Does birth history account for educational differences in breast cancer mortality? A comparison of premenopausal and postmenopausal women in Belgium.

PubMed

Gadeyne, Sylvie; Deboosere, Patrick; Vandenheede, Hadewijch; Neels, Karel

2012-12-15

This study investigates the impact of reproductive factors on the association between education and breast cancer mortality in Belgium. The role of reproductive factors has been investigated in several studies, with mixed results. Reproductive factors are either completely or partially responsible for the association between education and breast cancer mortality. The data consist of the 1991 census linked to registration data on cause-specific mortality during the period 1991-1995, including all breast cancer deaths in Belgium during the observation period. The study population includes all women aged 35-79 at time of the census. Age-standardized mortality rates and mortality rate ratios (Poisson regression) are computed for educational groups with and without control for reproductive factors. The population is stratified according to age (women aged 35-49 and 50-79) and according to nulliparity. The relationship between education and breast cancer is significant among postmenopausal women. Breast cancer mortality is higher among the higher educated women. These results are consistent with international findings, the gradient not being negative as in most other causes of death, but positive. Statistical control for parity and age at first birth reduces the association largely. In addition, among nonparous women, differences in breast cancer mortality by education are not consistent and generally not significant. Reproductive factors are largely responsible for the positive association between education and breast cancer mortality among postmenopausal women in Belgium. Among premenopausal women, the relation is not significant, a pattern consistent with international studies. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Germany 2009-2013.

PubMed

Lehnert, Martin; Kraywinkel, Klaus; Heinze, Evelyn; Wiethege, Thorsten; Johnen, Georg; Fiebig, Julia; Brüning, Thomas; Taeger, Dirk

2017-02-01

The malignant mesothelioma is a rare malignancy and mainly caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. German cancer registries are providing a national database to investigate temporal and regional patterns of mesothelioma incidence. These may be of interest for healthcare planning and for surveillance programs aiming at the formerly exposed workforce. We analyzed population-based incidence data of malignant mesothelioma by site, type, sex, age, as well as district and state of patient's residence. Age-standardized incidence rates (AIRs40+) were calculated according to the European standard population truncated to the age of 40 years and older. We present rates at national, state, and district level and trends of incidence of northern states of Germany. In total, 7,547 malignant mesotheliomas were reported to German cancer registries diagnosed between 2009 and 2013-90% located to the pleura. On average, 1,198 men and 312 women were affected each year. We estimated AIR40+ of 4.77 in 100,000 German men and 0.98 in 100,000 German women. Regional clusters were predominantly located to the seaports of West Germany. The highest regional AIR40+ was 20 per 100,000 men. Corresponding rates in northeast Germany were between 2 and 4 per 100,000 men. Regional clusters of high incidence indicate districts with former shipyards and steel industry, but predominantly in the western part of Germany. The West-to-East difference corresponds to patterns of mortality. Twenty years after banning asbestos in Germany, Bremen and Hamburg are presenting the highest mesothelioma incidence but show steadily decreasing trends.

Career Development in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hass, Hubert

In Germany, after elementary school, the school system splits into three branches, with students either preparing for an apprenticeship or continuing in school. A second system exists, parallel to this education system, which combines general education with basic professional training. The first key career decision point is in Grade 4, when…

New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe: Results for Belgium.

PubMed

Dubois, Benedicte; Kobelt, Gisela; Berg, Jenny; Capsa, Daniela; Gannedahl, Mia

2017-08-01

In order to estimate the value of interventions in multiple sclerosis (MS) - where lifetime costs and outcomes cannot be observed - outcome data have to be combined with costs. This requires that cost data be regularly updated. This study is part of a cross-sectional retrospective study in 16 countries collecting data on resource consumption and work capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prevalent symptoms for patients with MS. Descriptive analyses are presented by level of severity, from the societal perspective, in EUR 2015. A total of 1856 patients (mean age: 54 years) participated in Belgium; 66% were below retirement age, and of these, 44% were employed. Employment was related to disease severity, and MS affected productivity at work in 85% of the patients. Overall, 95% and 72% of the patients experienced fatigue and cognitive difficulties, respectively, as a problem. Mean utility and annual costs were 0.703 and €26,400 at Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0-3, 0.478 and €45,300 at EDSS 4-6.5, and 0.193 and €62,000 at EDSS 7-9. The mean cost of a relapse was estimated to be €3000. This study provides current data on MS in Belgium that are important for development of health policies and for estimating the value of current and future treatments.

Prevalence of weather sensitivity in Germany and Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackensen, Sylvia; Hoeppe, Peter; Maarouf, Abdel; Tourigny, Pierre; Nowak, Dennis

2005-01-01

Several studies have shown that atmospheric conditions can affect well-being or disease, and that some individuals seem to be more sensitive to weather than others. Since epidemiological data on the prevalence of weather-related health effects are lacking, two representative weather sensitivity (WS) surveys were conducted independently in Germany and Canada. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to identify the prevalence of WS in Germany and Canada, (2) to describe weather-related symptoms and the corresponding weather conditions, and (3) to compare the findings in the two countries. In Germany 1,064 citizens (age >16 years) were interviewed in January 2001, and in Canada 1,506 persons (age >18 years) were interviewed in January 1994. The results showed that 19.2% of the German population thought that weather affected their health “to a strong degree,” 35.3% that weather had “some influence on their health” (sum of both = 54.5% weather sensitive), whereas the remaining 45.5% did not consider that weather had an effect on their health status. In Canada 61% of the respondents considered themselves to be sensitive to the weather. The highest prevalence of WS (high + some influence) in Germans was found in the age group older than 60 years (68%), which was almost identical in the Canadian population (69%). The highest frequencies of weather-related symptoms were reported in Germany for stormy weather (30%) and when it became colder (29%). In Canada mainly cold weather (46%), dampness (21%) and rain (20%) were considered to affect health more than other weather types. The most frequent symptoms reported in Germany were headache/migraine (61%), lethargy (47%), sleep disturbances (46%), fatigue (42%), joint pain (40%), irritation (31%), depression (27%), vertigo (26%), concentration problems (26%) and scar pain (23%). Canadian weather-sensitive persons reported colds (29%), psychological effects (28%) and painful joints, muscles or arthritis (10%). In Germany 32

The Marketisation of Guidance Services in Germany, France and Britain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Teresa; Bartlett, Will; Watts, A. G.

1999-01-01

Compares developments in Britain, France, and Germany, focusing on the trends toward marketing adult career guidance services. Describes how Germany's centralized system and the quasi-market based system in France might apply in Britain. (JOW)

Dealing with requests for euthanasia: interview study among general practitioners in Belgium.

PubMed

Meeussen, Koen; Van den Block, Lieve; Bossuyt, Nathalie; Echteld, Michael; Bilsen, Johan; Deliens, Luc

2011-06-01

In many countries, physicians are confronted with requests for euthanasia. Notwithstanding that euthanasia is legally permitted in Belgium, it remains the subject of intense debate. To gather in-depth empirical data on how general practitioners (GPs) deal with these requests in Belgium. Mortality follow-back study in 2005-2006 via the nationwide Sentinel Network of General Practitioners. Standardized face-to-face interviews were conducted with GPs for all the reported patients who did not die suddenly or totally unexpectedly at home, as judged by the GP. We conducted 205 interviews. Of these, 27 patients had at some point expressed a wish to receive a drug administered by a physician with the explicit intention to end life, that is, euthanasia. Thirteen of these formulated their requests explicitly and repeatedly, according to their GP. Compared with patients who expressed a wish but not an explicit/repeated request for euthanasia, those patients' requests were more often documented (8 of 13 vs. 2 of 14; P=0.01), and reiterated until their final days of life (6 of 13 vs. 0 of 14; P=0.02). Five patients received euthanasia. For the other 22 patients, GPs gave different reasons for not acceding to the request, often related to criteria stipulated in the Belgian law on euthanasia, and sometimes related to personal reasons. It is not uncommon for patients to ask their GP for euthanasia, although explicit requests remain relatively rare. Requests tend to vary widely in form and content, and far more are expressed than complied with. For many GPs, the Belgian law on euthanasia serves as a guiding principle in this decision-making process, although in a minority of the cases, a GP's personal opinion toward euthanasia seems to be decisive. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determinants of utilisation differences for cancer medicines in Belgium, Scotland and Sweden.

PubMed

Ferrario, Alessandra

2017-12-01

Little comparative evidence is available on utilisation of cancer medicines in different countries and its determinants. The aim of this study was to develop a statistical model to test the correlation between utilisation and possible determinants in selected European countries. A sample of 31 medicines for cancer treatment that obtained EU-wide marketing authorisation between 2000 and 2012 was selected. Annual data on medicines' utilisation covering the in- and out-patient public sectors were obtained from national authorities between 2008 and 2013. Possible determinants of utilisation were extracted from HTA reports and complemented by contacts with key informants. A longitudinal mixed effect model was fitted to test possible determinants of medicines utilisation in Belgium, Scotland and Sweden. In the all-country model, the number of indications reimbursed positively correlated with increased consumption of medicines [one indication 2.6, 95% CI (1.8-3.6); two indications 2.4, 95% CI (1.4-4.3); three indications 4.9, 95% CI (2.2-10.9); all P < 0.01], years since EU-wide marketing authorisation [1.2, 95% CI (1.02-1.4); p < 0.05], price per DDD [0.9, 95% CI (0.998-0.999), P < 0.01], and Prescrire rating [0.5, 95% CI (0.3-0.9), P < 0.05] after adjusting for time and other covariates. In this study, the most important correlates of increased utilisation in a sample of cancer medicines introduced in the past 15 years were: medicines coverage and time since marketing authorisation. Prices had a negative effect on consumption in Belgium and Sweden. The positive impact of financial MEAs in Scotland suggests that the latter may remove the regressive effect of list prices on consumption.

PREFACE: 21st Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics (SLAFES XXI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguiar, J. Albino

2014-04-01

The Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics (SLAFES) started in Caracas-Venezuela, and over time the symposia have taken place in 9 different Latin American countries. The last five events took place in Mérida-Venezuela (2002), Havana-Cuba (2004), Puebla-Mexico (2006), Puerto Iguazú-Argentina (2008) and Maragogi-Brazil (2011). During the last years, in the different SLAFES editions, the aim has been to bring together researches from Latina America and invite renowned scientists from around the world to a unique forum to discuss the latest developments regarding Solid state Physics. The 21st Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics (SLAFES XXI) was held in Villa de Leyva-Colombia, from September 30 to October 04, 2013. The 21st SLAFES version featured the participation of experts in various areas of Solid State Physics from countries such as Belgium, Germany, United States, Spain, Ireland, Chile, Argentina and Brazil, had 270 submitted works and was attended by 140 researchers. The development of this event was made possible by financial support from the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad del Norte-CO, Universidad de Magdalena-CO, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco-BR and the Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exatas, Naturales y Física. Editors Professor J Albino Aguiar Departamento de Física Universidade Federal de Pernambuco 50670-901 Recife PE Brazil e-mail: albino@df.ufpe.br Professor Jairo Roa-Rojas Grupo de Física de Nuevos Materiales Departamento de Física Universidad Nacional de Colombia A.A. 5997 Bogotá DC, Colombia e-mail: jroar@unal.edu.co Professor Carlos Arturo Parra Vargas Grupo Física de Materiales Escuela de Física Universidad Padagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia Tunja Colombia e-mail: carlos.parra@uptc.edu.co Professor David A Land\\'i nez Téllez Grupo de Física de Nuevos Materiales Departamento de Física Universidad Nacional de Colombia A.A. 5997 Bogotá DC

Estimated burden of fungal infections in Germany.

PubMed

Ruhnke, Markus; Groll, Andreas H; Mayser, Peter; Ullmann, Andrew J; Mendling, Werner; Hof, Herbert; Denning, David W

2015-10-01

In the late 1980's, the incidence of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in Germany was estimated with 36.000 IFDs per year. The current number of fungal infections (FI) occurring each year in Germany is still not known. In the actual analysis, data on incidence of fungal infections in various patients groups at risk for FI were calculated and mostly estimated from various (mostly national) resources. According to the very heterogenous data resources robust data or statistics could not be obtained but preliminary estimations could be made and compared with data from other areas in the world using a deterministic model that has consistently been applied in many countries by the LIFE program ( www.LIFE-worldwide.org). In 2012, of the 80.52 million population (adults 64.47 million; 41.14 million female, 39.38 million male), 20% are children (0-14 years) and 16% of population are ≥65 years old. Using local data and literature estimates of the incidence or prevalence of fungal infections, about 9.6 million (12%) people in Germany suffer from a fungal infection each year. These figures are dominated (95%) by fungal skin disease and recurrent vulvo-vaginal candidosis. In general, considerable uncertainty surrounds the total numbers because IFDs do not belong to the list of reportable infectious diseases in Germany and most patients were not hospitalised because of the IFD but a distinct underlying disease. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Three cases of imported dengue virus infection from Madeira to Belgium, 2012.

PubMed

Cnops, Lieselotte; Franco, Leticia; Van Meensel, Britt; Van den Ende, Jef; Paz Sanchez-Seco, Maria; Van Esbroeck, Marjan

2014-01-01

We report three laboratory-confirmed dengue virus (DENV) infections imported to Belgium by travelers returning from Madeira (Portugal). Despite the use of a mosquito-repellent spray as reported by two patients, the infection could not be prevented. Diagnosis was made by antigen detection and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in two cases and by serology 1 month after onset of symptoms in a third one. The responsible virus was identified as DENV serotype 1, American/African genotype (genotype V). The close relationship to isolates from Colombia supports the previous findings that a South American strain originated the outbreak in Madeira in 2012. © 2014 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Racialised Norms in Apprenticeship Systems in England and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadderton, Charlotte; Wischmann, Anke

2014-01-01

In this paper, we consider the issue of the under-representation of young people from minority ethnic/migrant backgrounds in apprenticeships in England and Germany. Whilst there are many studies on apprenticeships in England and Germany, few focus on under-representation or discrimination, even fewer on ethnic under-representation, and there are…

Incremental cost-effectiveness evaluation of vaccinating girls against cervical cancer pre- and post-sexual debut in Belgium.

PubMed

Demarteau, Nadia; Van Kriekinge, Georges; Simon, Philippe

2013-08-20

Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer (CC) primarily targets young girls before sexual debut and is cost-effective. We assessed whether vaccination with the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine added to screening remains cost-effective in females after sexual debut compared to screening alone in Belgium. The role of protection against non-HPV-16/18 was also investigated. A published Markov cohort model was adapted to Belgium. The model replicated the natural history of HPV infection, the effects of screening, and vaccination. Vaccine efficacy (VE) included non-HPV-16/18 protection based on the PATRICIA clinical trial data. Pre- and post-HPV exposure VE were differentiated. Lifetime vaccine protection was assumed. Input data were obtained from literature review, national databases and a Delphi panel. Costing was from a healthcare payer perspective. Costs were discounted at 3% and effects at 1.5%. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained and the number of lesions prevented with vaccination from age 12 to 40 was evaluated. The specific effect of non-HPV-16/18 protection was investigated. Univariate sensitivity analysis was performed on key variables. The model estimated that vaccinating a cohort of 100,000 girls at age 12 would prevent 646 CC cases over a lifetime (102 non-HPV-16/18) with an ICER of €9171/QALY. Vaccinating at age 26 would prevent 340 CC cases (40 non-HPV-16/18) with an ICER of €17,348/QALY and vaccinating at age 40 would prevent 146 CC cases (17 non-HPV-16/18) with an ICER of €42,847/QALY. The ICER remained under the highly cost-effective threshold (1×GDP/capita) until age 33 years and under the cost-effective threshold (3×GDP/capita) beyond age 40. Extending HPV vaccination to females post-sexual debut could lead to a substantial reduction in CC-related burden and would be cost-effective in Belgium. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Germany's Armed Forces in the Second World War: Manpower, Armaments, and Supply.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balsamo, Larry T.

1991-01-01

Discusses the state of Germany's armed forces in World War II. Describes Germany's progress from inferior weaponry and unprepared military at the beginning of the war to superior weapons and fighting. Stresses heavy German dependence on horse drawn supply. Credits Germany's defeat to human attrition accelerated by Hitler's operational leadership.…

[Pharmacological aspects of pain research in Germany].

PubMed

Niederberger, E; Kuner, R; Geißlinger, G

2015-10-01

In spite of several approved analgesics, the therapy of pain still constitutes a challenge due to the fact that the drugs do not exert sufficient efficacy or are associated with severe side effects. Therefore, the development of new and improved painkillers is still of great importance. A number of highly qualified scientists in Germany are investigating signal transduction pathways in pain, effectivity of new drugs and the so far incompletely investigated mechanisms of well-known analgesics in preclinical and clinical studies. The highlights of pharmacological pain research in Germany are summarized in this article.

Medication use and disease management of type 2 diabetes in Belgium.

PubMed

Mehuys, Els; De Bolle, Leen; Van Bortel, Luc; Annemans, Lieven; Van Tongelen, Inge; Remon, Jean-Paul; Giri, Mimi

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was (International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes Atlas Second Edition Executive Summary. Brussels: International Diabetes Federation; 2003) to describe the current status of medication use and disease management of type 2 diabetic patients in Flanders (Belgium), (World Health Organization. Prevention of diabetes mellitus. Technical report series no. 844. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1994) to identify the aspects of type 2 diabetes care a community pharmacist could provide additional educational services for, and (American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care 2006;29:S4-42) to propose these services as a pharmacist intervention. We recruited 338 patients in 77 community pharmacies in Flanders (Belgium). Each patient completed a questionnaire collecting personal data, information on duration of diabetes, medication, diabetes symptoms and self-management. At inclusion, patients measured their fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on three consecutive days. Prescription drugs (antidiabetic and other) purchased by each patient during the 12 months prior to inclusion in the study were reviewed from anonymized computerized pharmacy records. Degree of self-management, glycaemic control and medication use. The mean FPG of the sample was 150.7+/-43.0 mg/dl. Controlled glycaemia (FPG between 90 and 130 mg/dl (5.0-7.2 mmol/l)) was achieved in only 34.9% of the patients. Mainstay of hypoglycemic treatment consisted of metformin monotherapy (29.6%) and metformin combined with sulfonylurea (29.0%). Regarding co-medication, 76.9% of the patients used antihypertensive drugs whereas only 33.1% and 39.9% were on aspirin and statin therapy, respectively. ADA recommendations for annual eye and foot examination were not followed in 38.8% (eye) and 39.2% (feet) of the patients. The current management of type 2 diabetic Flemish patients falls short of recommended treatment goals. Community pharmacists may play a role in enhancing the awareness of glycaemic control and in

Wastewater treatment in a compact intensified wetland system at the Badboot: a floating swimming pool in Belgium.

PubMed

Van Oirschot, D; Wallace, S; Van Deun, R

2015-09-01

The Badboot (Dutch for swimming pool boat) is a floating swimming pool located in the city center of Antwerp in Belgium. The overall design consists of a recycled ferry boat that serves as a restaurant and next to that a newly built ship that harbours an Olympic size swimming pool, sun decks, locker rooms with showers, and a party space. A major design goal of the project was to make the ship as environmentally friendly as possible. To avoid discharge of contaminated waste water in the Antwerp docks, the ship includes onsite treatment of wastewater in a compact constructed wetland. The treatment wetland system was designed to treat wastewater from visitor locker rooms, showers, toilets, two bars, and the wastewater from the restaurant kitchen. Due to the limited space on board the ship, only 188 m(2) could be allocated to a wetland treatment system. As a result, part of the design included intensification of the wetland treatment process through the use of Forced Bed Aeration, which injects small quantities of air in a very uniform grid pattern throughout the wetland with a mechanical air compressor. The system was monitored between August 2012 and March 2013 (with additional sampling in the autumn of 2014). Flows and loads to the wetland were highly variable, but removal efficiency was extremely high; 99.5 % for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 88.6 % for total nitrogen and 97.2 % for ammonia. The treatment performance was assessed using a first-order, tanks-in-series model (the P-k-C* model) and found to be roughly equivalent to similar intensified wetlands operating in Germany. However, treatment performance was substantially better than data reported on passive wetlands, likely as a result of intensification. Even with mechanically assisted aeration, the total oxygen delivered to the treatment wetlands was insufficient to support conventional nitrification and denitrification, so it is likely that alternate nitrogen removal pathways, such as anammox, are

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-23

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluation Cross section measurements Experimental techniques Uncertainties and covariances Fission properties Current and future facilities ; International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) ;Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Losito Vasilis Vlachoudis;Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

Garbil, Roger

2018-04-16

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation; Cross section measurements; Experimental techniques; Uncertainties and covariances; Fission properties; Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden). Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman); Marco Calviani; Samuel Andriamonje; Eric Berthoumieux; Carlos Guerrero; Roberto Losito; Vasilis Vlachoudis; Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Educational Leaves for Employees. European Experience for American Consideration. A Report for the Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Von Moltke, Konrad; Schneevoigt, Norbert

Educational leave policies--paid time-off from work for educational purposes--in France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden are compared and extensively analyzed, and also, to a lesser degree, the policies in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom. These analyses, intended to be relevant to the American scene in relation to…

Adult Literacy: An International Perspective. Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Binkley, Marilyn; Matheson, Nancy; Williams, Trevor

The comparison of adult literacy in the United States and in other countries is based on data gathered in interviews with a sample of individuals representative of the population aged 16-65 in twelve countries: Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland,…

Vocational Training in the European Economic Community, with Particular Reference to its Likely Impact on British Training Policy and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, P. J. C., Comp.

This report documents the visits of a British delegation composed of representatives from three British vocational training organizations to the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC) and to France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Belgium during June 6-14, 1972. The key areas investigated were: (1) the…

International Trends in Productivity and Labor Costs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capdevielle, Patricia; And Others

1982-01-01

Productivity increased in 1981 in the United States, Japan, and European countries studied. Gains ranged from 2 to 4 percent in the US, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, to 6 percent in England and Denmark, and more than 7 percent in Belgium. In Canada and Sweden, productivity remained essentially unchanged. (SSH)

Liver transplantation in Germany.

PubMed

Tacke, Frank; Kroy, Daniela C; Barreiros, Ana Paula; Neumann, Ulf P

2016-08-01

Liver transplantation (LT) is a well-accepted procedure for end-stage liver disease in Germany. In 2015, 1489 patients were admitted to the waiting list (including 1308 new admissions), with the leading etiologies being fibrosis and cirrhosis (n = 349), alcoholic liver disease (n = 302), and hepatobiliary malignancies (n = 220). Organ allocation in Germany is regulated within the Eurotransplant system based on urgency as expressed by the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score. In 2015, only 894 LTs (n = 48 from living donors) were performed at 23 German transplant centers, reflecting a shortage of organs. Several factors may contribute to the low number of organ donations. The German transplant legislation only accepts donation after brain death (not cardiac death), whereas advances in neurosurgery and a more frequently requested "palliative care" approach render fewer patients suitable as potential donors. The legislation further requires the active consent of the donor or first-degree relatives before donation. Ongoing debates within the German transplant field address the optimal management of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and cholangiocarcinoma and measures to increase living donor transplantations. As a result of irregularities at mainly 4 German transplant centers that were exposed in 2012, guiding principles updated by the German authorities have since implemented strict rules (including internal and external auditing, the 8-eyes principle, mandatory repeated testing for alcohol consumption) to prohibit any manipulations in organ allocation. In conclusion, we will summarize important aspects on the management of LT in Germany, discuss legal and organizational aspects, and highlight challenges mainly related to the relative lack of organ donations, increasing numbers of extended criteria donors, and the peculiarities of the recipient patients. Liver Transplantation 22 1136-1142 2016 AASLD. © 2016 American

Secondary Education in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonen, Gerdi

This booklet provides a brief description of secondary education in Germany. The publication is part of a series that seeks to make the public aware of the education systems and traditions in all signatory states to the European Cultural Convention and to outline the essential problems these systems presently are facing. This short booklet…

Germany in Europe 1963.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanford Univ., CA.

The results of the 10-week National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Third-Level Institute for Secondary School Teachers of German, conducted by Stanford University in Bad Boll, Germany, are compiled in individual reports written in both German and English by the 25 participants. Emphasizing close contact with the residents in their working and home…

In-hospital costs associated with chronic constipation in Belgium: a retrospective database study

PubMed Central

Chevalier, P; Lamotte, M; Joseph, A; Dubois, D; Boeckxstaens, G

2014-01-01

Background Real-life data on the economic burden of chronic idiopathic constipation are scarce. The objectives of this study were to assess hospitalization resource use and costs associated with chronic constipation and its complications in Belgium. Methods This was a single country, retrospective study using the IMS Hospital Disease Database (2008), which comprises data on 34% of acute hospital beds in Belgium and contains information on patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), billed costs, drug use, diagnoses, and procedures. Stays with a primary diagnosis of constipation, or a secondary diagnosis of constipation and a concomitant diagnosis of a constipation-related complication, were selected. Patients with diagnoses of colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, or who had stays involving potentially constipation-inducing procedures, were excluded as having secondary constipation. Patients receiving opioids, calcium-antagonists, antipsychotics or antidepressants were excluded as having drug-induced constipation. Key Results In total, 1541 eligible patients were identified. The average unadjusted cost per day in hospital for idiopathic constipation was €441 (€311 ± 1.4 in day clinic visits without overnight stays; €711 ± 14.0 in full hospitalizations with complications). The average LOS in a full hospitalization setting was 7.0 and 4.0 days in stays with and without complications, respectively. The most frequent drug and procedural treatments were osmotically acting laxatives (with complications: 42.61%; without complications: 35.69%), and transanal enema (2.32% and 2.03%), respectively. Conclusions & Inferences The burden of constipation is often underestimated; it is a condition reflected by hospital-related costs comparable to such indications as migraine, which increase when associated with complications. PMID:24325294

In-hospital costs associated with chronic constipation in Belgium: a retrospective database study.

PubMed

Chevalier, P; Lamotte, M; Joseph, A; Dubois, D; Boeckxstaens, G

2014-03-01

Real-life data on the economic burden of chronic idiopathic constipation are scarce. The objectives of this study were to assess hospitalization resource use and costs associated with chronic constipation and its complications in Belgium. This was a single country, retrospective study using the IMS Hospital Disease Database (2008), which comprises data on 34% of acute hospital beds in Belgium and contains information on patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), billed costs, drug use, diagnoses, and procedures. Stays with a primary diagnosis of constipation, or a secondary diagnosis of constipation and a concomitant diagnosis of a constipation-related complication, were selected. Patients with diagnoses of colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, or who had stays involving potentially constipation-inducing procedures, were excluded as having secondary constipation. Patients receiving opioids, calcium-antagonists, antipsychotics or antidepressants were excluded as having drug-induced constipation. In total, 1541 eligible patients were identified. The average unadjusted cost per day in hospital for idiopathic constipation was €441 (€311 ± 1.4 in day clinic visits without overnight stays; €711 ± 14.0 in full hospitalizations with complications). The average LOS in a full hospitalization setting was 7.0 and 4.0 days in stays with and without complications, respectively. The most frequent drug and procedural treatments were osmotically acting laxatives (with complications: 42.61%; without complications: 35.69%), and transanal enema (2.32% and 2.03%), respectively. The burden of constipation is often underestimated; it is a condition reflected by hospital-related costs comparable to such indications as migraine, which increase when associated with complications. © 2013 The Authors. Neurogastroenterology & Motility Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tobacco Industry Influence on Science and Scientists in Germany

PubMed Central

Grüning, Thilo; Gilmore, Anna B.; McKee, Martin

2006-01-01

Using tobacco industry documents, we examined how and why the tobacco industry sought to influence science and scientists in Germany as a possible factor in explaining the German opposition to stricter tobacco regulation. Smoking and health research programs were organized both separately by individual tobacco companies and jointly through their German trade organization. An extensive network of scientists and scientific institutions with tobacco industry links was developed. Science was distorted in 5 ways: suppression, dilution, distraction, concealment, and manipulation. The extent of tobacco industry influence over the scientific establishment in Germany is profound. The industry introduced serious bias that probably influenced scientific and public opinion in Germany. This influence likely undermined efforts to control tobacco use. PMID:16317203

Environmental engineering education at Ghent University, Flanders (Belgium).

PubMed

Demeestere, K; Dewulf, J; Janssen, C; Van Langenhove, H

2004-01-01

Since the 1980s, environmental engineering education has been a rapidly growing discipline in many universities. This paper discusses the history, the current status and the near future of environmental engineering education at Ghent University. This university, with about 50% of the Flemish university environmental engineering students, can be considered as representative for the situation in Flanders, Belgium. In contrast to many other universities, environmental engineering education at Ghent University does not have its historical roots in civil engineering, but has been developed from the curricula organized by the former Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. As part of a reorganisation of the education and research activities at this faculty, a curriculum leading to the degree of "bio-engineer in environmental technology" was established in 1991. This curriculum covers a 5-year study and is constructed around 8 main components. Exchange of students with other European universities, e.g. within the Socrates framework, has become a prominent aspect of student life and education. This paper also briefly describes the employment opportunities of graduated bio-engineers in environmental technology. Finally, the current implementation of the bachelor's-master's structure, leading to a "master of science in environmental technology" degree is summarized.

Human leptospirosis in Brazil.

PubMed

Corrêa, M O

1975-06-01

Serological data on the prevalence of human leptospiroses in certain regions of Brazil are presented. Out of 467 diseased and clinically healthy persons, 40 were positive in the Amazonia. The most frequent serotypes were grippotyphosa (27.5%), panama (25%), icterohaemorrhagiae (10%) and woffi (10%). In 1966 and 1970, 279 cases were identified in Recife (northeastern Brazil) during outbreaks subsequent to floods. Among these 92.5% belonged to the icterohaemorrhagiae serotype. From 1947 to 1972, in São Paulo City (southeastern Brazil), of 18,233 patients with clinical signs of leptospirosis, 2,237 were positive with 86.5% belonging to icterohaemorrhagiae. In all Brazil, 32 strains of leptospires were isolated, 27 of which belonged to the icterohaemorrhagiae serotype and one strain for each wolffi, canicola, grippotyphosa, andamana and alexi serotypes.

Vector-borne diseases in cats in Germany.

PubMed

Bergmann, Michèle; Hartmann, Katrin

2017-10-17

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are caused by a wide range of pathogens, which are transmitted by a variety of vectors, such as ticks and fleas. As a result of climate changes, more vector-borne diseases are becoming endemic in Germany, not only in dogs, but also in cats. For some of the pathogens prevalence data still need to be investigated in Germany. However, natural infections with Bartonella, Anaplasma, haemotropic Mycoplasma and Borrelia species have already been described in German cats. Clinical relevance of these pathogens is not fully understood, and it is still unknown, why most infected cats stay asymptomatic and which predisposing factors contribute to the development of clinical signs in cats. Moreover, there is a risk of zoonotic transmission for some of the pathogens, e.  g., for some Bartonella spp. infections that are associated with cat scratch disease in humans. Due to the increasing number of VBDs in cats in Germany, preventive measures, such as the use of acaricides and insecticides, should be performed on a regular base in order to reduce the risk of these infections.

Brazil-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-06

unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Brazil-U.S. Relations Summary On January 1, 2007, Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva...Under President Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva, Brazil has aimed, with varying degrees of success, to raise its global profile. Brazil has become a...sociologist of the center-left Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), was elected by a wide margin over Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva of the Worker’s

Brazil-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-18

unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Brazil-U.S. Relations Summary On January 1, 2007, Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva...Inácio “Lula” da Silva, Brazil has aimed, with varying degrees of success, to raise its global profile. Brazil has become a leader of developing...prominent sociologist of the center-left Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), was elected by a wide margin over Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva of the

An outbreak of Legionnaire's disease among visitors to a fair in Belgium in 1999.

PubMed

De Schrijver, K; Dirven, K; Van Bouwel, K; Mortelmans, L; Van Rossom, P; De Beukelaar, T; Vael, C; Fajo, M; Ronveaux, O; Peeters, M F; Van der Zee, A; Bergmans, A; Ieven, M; Goossens, H

2003-03-01

This paper describes an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease at Kapellen in Belgium among visitors of the annual fair. The investigation started on 13th November 1999 after a respiratory physician notified the health authorities of the province of Antwerp of presumptive cases of legionellosis. The annual commercial fair at Kapellen, a small town in northern Belgium, was held 10 days previously and attracted 50,000 visitors. Stand employees (professionals or volunteers), technical staff of the hall and visitors at the fair were affected cases. An exploratory case-control study was conducted to trace the source of the epidemic. To complete the inventory study and to evaluate other risk factors, a cohort study of exhibitors and staff was conducted. Ninety-three people met the case definition, 41 of whom were considered as confirmed, 14 as presumptive cases and 38 as possible/clinical cases. Five people died. Further testing at the reference laboratory confirmed all strains to be Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. The sensitivity for culture was low (29.2%), and sensitivity for seroconversion was high (90.9%). For urinary antigen test, a sensitivity with Biotest EIA of 65.6% was found, and the sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was 85.7%. In all cases, the individual had visited the fair. Those individuals working in the central areas of the tent, near the aerosol-producing devices, were at higher risk of disease. Legionella was detected by PCR on swabs of the surfaces of the whirlpool. Although not fully proven, an aerosol-producing device was the most probable source of the outbreak.

Bibliografia Especializada: Educacion Media (Specialized Bibliography: Intermediate Education).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boletin del Centro Nacional de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa, 1969

1969-01-01

This specialized international bibliography on various issues in intermediate education lists almost 70 articles and books, written between 1957 and 1969, in Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, Spain, France, Mexico, and the United States. Articles appear in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English. Several articles were sponsored by international…

19 CFR 159.34 - Certified quarterly rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) LIQUIDATION OF DUTIES Conversion of Foreign Currency § 159.34 Certified quarterly rate. (a) Countries for which quarterly rate is certified. For the currency of each of the following... York for such foreign currency for a day in that quarter: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada...

Paint removal activities in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holbein, R.; Arnolds-Mayer, G.

1993-03-01

To replace paint removing chemicals containing chlorinated hydrocarbons several alternative paint stripping methods have been developed or are under study in Germany: high pressure water stripping; plastic media blasting; use of alcalic and acid activated softeners; CO2 pellet blasting; and laser application.

Epidermolysis bullosa care in Germany.

PubMed

Bruckner-Tuderman, Leena

2010-04-01

Until 2003, no structures existed in Germany for special care of patients with rare diseases, such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB). At that point, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research announced a clinical research program-networks for rare diseases. The Network Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB Network), coordinated from the Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Freiburg, has operated since October 2003 with the goal of improving diagnostics and clinical management, elucidating disease mechanisms, and development of novel therapies for EB (www.netzwerk-eb.de). Future goals of the EB Network include securing the clinical-diagnostic and IT structures established with grant support and focusing research on molecular disease mechanisms in EB and novel biologically valid therapies. Intensive collaborations with other networks for rare genetic diseases will generate durable structures in Germany and form a basis for future international consortia. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety and depression in adults with cystic fibrosis: a comparison between patients and the general population in Sweden and three other European countries.

PubMed

Backström-Eriksson, Lena; Sorjonen, Kimmo; Bergsten-Brucefors, Agneta; Hjelte, Lena; Melin, Bo

2015-10-14

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive life-shortening disease among Caucasians. Studies exploring the prevalence of anxiety and depression in adult CF patients are few, show inconsistent findings and rarely include comparisons with general populations. Prevalence and degree of anxiety and depression were investigated in adult CF patients in Sweden, Belgium, Germany and the UK, and compared to corresponding general population data. Adult non-transplanted CF patients from the three largest CF-centres (out of four) in Sweden (N = 129; Age range 18-70 years; 50 % women) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Studies using HADS in adult CF populations in the UK, Germany, and Belgium were included, as well as HADS normative data from the corresponding general populations. No elevated risk for anxiety and depression was found among the CF patients. However, a Country x Group interaction effect emerged; CF patients experienced a higher degree of anxiety than the general population in Sweden, but not in the other countries, though this finding did not remain significant in a logistic regression analysis. In Sweden the effect was limited to women. A Country x Group interaction effect was also found for Depression; CF patients experienced lower degree of depression than the general population in Sweden, Germany and the UK, but not in Belgium/Netherlands. Contrary to earlier outcomes, the present results do not indicate any general elevated risk for anxiety and depression among CF patients. Anxiety was slightly higher in the Swedish CF population, compared to the general population; this finding was not seen in the other countries. Depression among CF patients was lower than or similar to that in the general populations in the studied countries.

Older Students in Europe. A Survey of Older Students in Four European Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clennell, Stephanie, Ed.

A survey of older students received responses from 4,461 people aged 60 or over in four European countries: United Kingdom, West Germany, France, and Belgium. The questionnaire had three sections: students' background; information on study methods, time spent, organization of work, and use of study aids; and Approaches to Study Inventory (ASI).…

An analysis of European demand for oak lumber

Treesearch

William G. Luppold

1984-01-01

Exports of oak lumber from the United States to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France were analyzed using ordinary least squares estimation procedures. The analyses indicated that the large increases in European demand for U.S. oak during the 1970's were caused by a combination of the dollar's depreciation against currencies of major European...

Bilingual Preschools. Volume 2: Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten, Kristin, Ed.; Rohde, Andreas, Ed.; Schelletter, Christina, Ed.; Steinlen, Anja K., Ed.

2010-01-01

Drawing on data from eleven preschools in four European countries (Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the UK), this edited volume explores the progress of preschool children learning English over a period of two years. This edited volume (Volume II) gives details on best practices in bilingual preschools as well as background and training on topics…

Travels With Gates: Shangri-La Dialogue

Science.gov Websites

Department of Defense Submit Search Shangri-La Dialogue June 2010 Germany Belgium England Azerbaijan . Gates had with U.S. partners as part of the annual Asia security summit known as the "Shangri-La meetings at the "Shangri-La Dialogue" security summit. Story U.S.-China Military Ties Need Work

Occupational Profiles: The Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Architectural Heritage. CEDEFOP Panorama. Summary Report. 1st Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulet, J. L.

This report summarizes in tabular form the results of national studies that were conducted in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom to identify the job skills and knowledge required of persons employed in the fields of rehabilitation and conservation of historic buildings. Presented in chapter 1 is a comparative analysis of the…

Equal Opportunities and Vocational Training. Qualifications and Educational Needs of Co-Working Spouses of Owners of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riis-Jorgensen, Karin

A study examined the training needs of women working in moderate-sized enterprises owned by their husbands. Information collected from interviews with spouses of business owners in Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and Italy confirmed the original hypothesis that in the kind of enterprise studied it is the man who owns the…

Raising Student Awareness of the Use of English for Specific Business Purposes in the European Context: A Staff-Student Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickerson, C.; Gerritsen, M.; Meurs, F.v.

2005-01-01

This Research Note reports on a large-scale staff-student project focussing on the use of English for Specific Business Purposes in a number of promotional genres (TV commercials, annual reports, corporate web-sites, print advertising) within several of the EU member states: Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain. The project as a…

School Chemistry, Trends in Reform, Selected Topics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chisman, D. G.

Trends, from 1960 to 1963, in the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America are outlined in the first part of this report of a 1963 working session on the teaching of school…

Antibiotic prescribing in dental practice in Belgium.

PubMed

Mainjot, A; D'Hoore, W; Vanheusden, A; Van Nieuwenhuysen, J-P

2009-12-01

To assess the types and frequency of antibiotic prescriptions by Belgian dentists, the indications for antibiotic prescription, and dentists' knowledge about recommended practice in antibiotic use. In this cross-sectional survey, dental practitioners were asked to record information about all antibiotics prescribed to their patients during a 2-week period. The dental practitioners were also asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire regarding demographic data, prescribing practices, and knowledge about antibiotic use. A random sample of 268 Belgian dentists participated in the survey. During the 2-week period, 24 421 patient encounters were recorded; 1033 patients were prescribed an antibiotic (4.2%). The median number of prescriptions per dentist for the 2 weeks was 3. Broad spectrum antibiotics were most commonly prescribed: 82% of all prescriptions were for amoxycillin, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and clindamycin. Antibiotics were often prescribed in the absence of fever (92.2%) and without any local treatment (54.2%). The most frequent diagnosis for which antibiotics were prescribed was periapical abscess (51.9%). Antibiotics were prescribed to 63.3% of patients with periapical abscess and 4.3% of patients with pulpitis. Patterns of prescriptions were confirmed by the data from the self-reported practice. Discrepancies between observed and recommended practice support the need for educational initiatives to promote rational use of antibiotics in dentistry in Belgium.

[Hepatitis E: a Third World's hepatitis found in Belgium].

PubMed

Seivert, M; Belaiche, J; Delwaide, J

2008-09-01

Hepatitis E virus is the second cause of acute viral hepatitis of oral-fecal origin in the world. This virus has a vast distribution throughout the world and manifests itself either in epidemic or endemic-sporadic form in many developing countries. Usually, the cases of HEV infection in industrialized countries are observed after a history of travel in an endemic area. However, an increasing number of cases have been attributed to a HEV zoonotic form transmitted by swine. HEV infection can lead to deadly fulminant hepatic failure in 1-4% in the common population, but the mortality incidence reaches 20% in case of third trimester pregnant women infection. The diagnosis of HEV infection can be made using serological tests but today, RT-PCR is considered as the gold standard test. Unfortunately, this technique is not widely available in Belgium yet. There is no treatment for HEV infection, only prophylactic measures as hygiene and sewage treatment can stop epidemics. Recently, a new vaccine, still in research phase, has showed promising outcomes.

Regional Climate Service in Northern Germany -The North German Climate Office

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, I.; Von Storch, H.

2012-12-01

The North German Climate Office was established in 2006 at the Institute for Coastal Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany as consequence of an increased public information need regarding coastal climate change and its impacts in Northern Germany. The service is characterized by an intensive dialogue between regional climate research and stakeholders in Northern Germany. About once a week scientists of the North German climate office are invited to contribute to public dialogue events. Also numerous direct inquiries are answered and expert interviews are conducted. From this dialogue process specific stakeholder information needs are localized and analysed to develop tailored information products. To provide easy and user specific access to research results interactive web tools are developed. One example is the North German climate atlas, an interactive web tool on possible future climate change in Northern Germany. Another interactive web tool is informing on present and future coastal protection needs in Northern Germany. Another aim of our information products is to assess and summarize the existing scientific knowledge on climate, climate change and impacts in Northern Germany. A mini IPCC-like regional assessment report has been published in 2010, which is summarizing, discussing and assessing the scientific knowledge on regional climate, climate change and impacts as well as possible adaptation strategies in the metropolitan region of Hamburg.

Elimination of terrestrial rabies in Germany using oral vaccination of foxes.

PubMed

Müller, Thomas; Bätza, Hans-Joachim; Freuling, Conrad; Kliemt, Anke; Kliemt, Jeannette; Heuser, Rolf; Schlüter, Hartmut; Selhorst, Thomas; Vos, Adriaan; Mettenleiter, Thomas C

2012-01-01

Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has become the method of choice in fox rabies control in Europe. During the past three decades fox-mediated rabies virtually disappeared from Western and Central Europe. Following Switzerland, Germany was the second European country to launch ORV field trials on its territory in 1983. This paper provides a historical overview on the emergence of fox rabies in Germany; describing the basic principles and milestones of the German rabies eradication programme and presenting results of two decades of efforts to control the disease in foxes. Also, setbacks as well as country-specific differences and particularities on Germany's long way to rabies elimination in comparison to other European countries are addressed. Since the first field trials in Germany the number of rabies cases steadily decreased from 10 484 in 1983 to three cases recorded in 2006. On February 3rd 2006 the last case of terrestrial rabies in Germany was detected in a fox near the town of Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In 2008, ORV ceased after 25 years and Germany was officially declared as free from terrestrial rabies. The German rabies eradication programme did cost approximately 100 million euro of which 37 million euro were covered by the EU. For the future, efforts should focus on maintaining a rabies free status by implementing measures to prevent reintroduction of terrestrial rabies from endemic countries.

Development of gridded solar radiation data over Belgium based on Meteosat and in-situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Journée, Michel; Vanderveken, Gilles; Bertrand, Cédric

2013-04-01

Knowledge on solar resources is highly important for all forms of solar energy applications. With the recent development in solar-based technologies national meteorological services are faced with increasing demands for high-quality and reliable site-time specific solar resource information. Traditionally, solar radiation is observed by means of networks of meteorological stations. Costs for installation and maintenance of such networks are very high and national networks comprise only few stations. Consequently the availability of ground-based solar radiation measurements has proven to be spatially and temporally inadequate for many applications. To overcome such a limitation, a major effort has been undertaken at the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI) to provide the solar energy industry, the electricity sector, governments, and renewable energy organizations and institutions with the most suitable and accurate information on the solar radiation resources at the Earth's surface over the Belgian territory. Only space-based observations can deliver a global coverage of the solar irradiation impinging on horizontal surface at the ground level. Because only geostationary data allow to capture the diurnal cycle of the solar irradiance at the Earth's surface, a method that combines information from Meteosat Second Generation satellites and ground-measurement has been implemented at RMI to generate high resolution solar products over Belgium on an operational basis. Besides these new products, the annual and seasonal variability of solar energy resource was evaluated, solar radiation climate zones were defined and the recent trend in solar radiation was characterized.

Cooking up a culinary identity for Belgium. Gastrolinguistics in two Belgian cookbooks (19th century).

PubMed

Parys, Nathalie

2013-12-01

The notion of cookbooks as socio-historic markers in a society is generally accepted within food studies. As both representations and prescriptions of food practices, perceived habits and attitudes towards food, they represent a certain identity for their readers. This paper investigates the nature of the identity that Belgian cookbooks constructed through their rhetoric. An important part of this study is to explore how and to what extent explicit reference to Belgium was made. To this end recipe titles/labels and recipe comments used in two leading bourgeois cookbooks from nineteenth-century Belgium were subjected to a quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The analysis showed that clear attention was paid to national culinary preferences. In terms of a domestic culinary corpus, it became apparent that both the Dutch and French editions of these cookbooks promoted dishes that were ascribed a Belgian origin. Internationality, however, was also an important building block of Belgian culinary identity. It was part of the desire of Belgian bourgeoisie to connect with an international elite. It fit into the 'search for sophistication', which was also expressed through the high representation of the more costly meats and sweet dishes. In addition, other references associated with bourgeois norms and values, such as family, convenience and frugality, were additional building blocks of Belgian culinary identity. Other issues such as tradition, innovation and health, were also matters of concerns to these Belgian cookbooks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and potential health risk of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in different water catchments in Belgium.

PubMed

Ehsan, Amimul; Geurden, Thomas; Casaert, Stijn; Paulussen, Jef; De Coster, Lut; Schoemaker, Toon; Chalmers, Rachel; Grit, Grietje; Vercruysse, Jozef; Claerebout, Edwin

2015-02-01

Human wastewater and livestock can contribute to contamination of surface water with Cryptosporidium and Giardia. In countries where a substantial proportion of drinking water is produced from surface water, e.g., Belgium, this poses a constant threat on drinking water safety. Our objective was to monitor the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in different water catchment sites in Belgium and to discriminate between (oo)cysts from human or animal origin using genotyping. Monthly samples were collected from raw water and purified drinking water at four catchment sites. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected using USEPA method 1623 and positive samples were genotyped. No contamination was found in purified water at any site. In three catchments, only low numbers of (oo)cysts were recovered from raw water samples (<1/liter), but raw water samples from one catchment site were frequently contaminated with Giardia (92 %) and Cryptosporidium (96 %), especially in winter and spring. Genotyping of Giardia in 38 water samples identified the presence of Giardia duodenalis assemblage AI, AII, BIV, BIV-like, and E. Cryptosporidium andersoni, Cryptosporidium suis, Cryptosporidium horse genotype, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Cryptosporidium hominis were detected. The genotyping results suggest that agriculture may be a more important source of surface water contamination than human waste in this catchment. In catchment sites with contaminated surface water, such as the Blankaart, continuous monitoring of treated water for the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia would be justified and (point) sources of surface water contamination should be identified.

[New drugs of abuse on the Web: the role of the Psychonaut Web Mapping Project].

PubMed

Schifano, Fabrizio; Ricciardi, Alessandra; Corazza, Ornella; Deluca, Paolo; Davey, Zoe; Rafanelli, Chiara

2010-01-01

In the rapid change of drug scenarios, as the powerful development in the drug market, particularly in the number and the kind of the compound available, Internet plays a dominant role to become one of the major "drug market". The European Commission funded the Psychonaut Web Mapping Project (carried out in the time-frame January 2008-December 2009), with the aim to start/implement an Early Warning System (through the data/information collected from the Web virtual market), to identify and categorise novel recreational drugs/psychoactive compounds (synthetical/herbal drugs), and new trends in drug use to provide information for immediate and prevention intervention. The Psychonaut is a multi-site research project involving 8 research centres (De Sleutel, Belgium; University of Hertfordshire School of Pharmacy, St George's University of London, England; A-klinikkasäätiö, Finlandia; Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany; Assessorato Salute Regione Marche, Italy; Drug Abuse Unit, Spain; Centre of Competence Bergen Clinics Foundation, Norway) based in 7 European Countries (England, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Spain, Norway).

Tularaemia in southwest Germany: Three cases of tick-borne transmission.

PubMed

Boone, I; Hassler, D; Nguyen, T; Splettstoesser, W D; Wagner-Wiening, C; Pfaff, G

2015-07-01

Tularaemia, caused by Francisella tularensis, is an endemic zoonosis frequently occurring in southwest Germany. Since 2005 there is an increase in the number of reported cases of tularaemia in Germany. We report on two cases of ulceroglandular tularaemia and one case of glandular tularaemia that occurred in the summer of 2012 and 2013 in two counties in the Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Bacteria were transmitted through tick bites, which to date has only rarely been reported in Germany. Inadequate treatment of the patients and an aggravation of clinical symptoms were caused by a delay between disease onset and the detection of the pathogen. Although contact to or consumption of infected hares are the most often reported transmission routes of tularaemia in Germany, tick-bites should also be taken into account. Health professionals should include Francisella tularensis in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever and/or ulcerative lymphadenopathy following a tick bite. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary history of dog rabies in Brazil.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yuki; Suzuki, Yoshiyuki; Itou, Takuya; Ito, Fumio H; Sakai, Takeo; Gojobori, Takashi

2011-01-01

Although dogs are considered to be the principal transmitter of rabies in Brazil, dog rabies had never been recorded in South America before European colonization. In order to investigate the evolutionary history of dog rabies virus (RABV) in Brazil, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of carnivore RABV isolates from around the world and estimated the divergence times for dog RABV in Brazil. Our estimate for the time of introduction of dog RABV into Brazil was the late-19th to early-20th century, which was later than the colonization period but corresponded to a period of increased immigration from Europe to Brazil. In addition, dog RABVs appeared to have spread to indigenous animals in Brazil during the latter half of the 20th century, when the development and urbanization of Brazil occurred. These results suggest that the movement of rabid dogs, along with human activities since the 19th century, promoted the introduction and expansion of dog RABV in Brazil.

The emigration of Germany's Jewish dermatologists in the period of National Socialism.

PubMed

Eppinger, S; Meurer, M; Scholz, A

2003-09-01

In the context of our investigation, we found information on 432 (76%) of the 569 Jewish dermatologists in Germany. There is evidence that 57 (10%) of the Jewish dermatologists were murdered in concentration camps, 61 (10.7%) died a natural death, 13 (2%) committed suicide, and 25 (4%) survived the Third Reich in Germany. After 1933, 276 (49%) Jewish dermatologists were able to leave Germany; the United States of America was the main destination and 107 (or 41%) emigrated there. A total of 34 (13%) Jewish dermatologists emigrated from Germany to Palestine and 16 to Latin America. Regarding emigration to other European countries, 20 of the Jewish dermatologists from Germany went to Great Britain (including Walter Freudenthal, 1893-1952, and Ernst Sklarz, 1894-1975), and 24 emigrated to other European countries, such as France (Rudolf Mayer, 1895-1962), Sweden (Carl Lennhoff, 1883-1963), and the Netherlands (Otto Schlein, 1895-1944).

Training in the Retail Sector in the French and Flemish-Speaking Communities in Belgium. Report for the FORCE Programme. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollet, Ignace; And Others

An international team of researchers studied the following aspects of training in Belgium's retail sector: structure and characteristics, institutional and social context, employment and labor, changing conditions and their implications for skill requirements, and training and recruitment. Data were collected from an analysis of social and…

Labor, Business, and Change in Germany and the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wever, Kirsten S., Ed.

This book explores how two nations with widely divergent political economies, Germany and the United States (U.S.), embraced change in four contemporary settings. "Mutual Learning with Trade-Offs" (Kirsten Wever) discusses mutual learning and the distinguishing characteristics of the political economies of Germany and the U.S.…

Drastic decrease of Salmonella Enteritidis isolated from humans in Belgium in 2005, shift in phage types and influence on foodborne outbreaks

PubMed Central

COLLARD, J. M.; BERTRAND, S.; DIERICK, K.; GODARD, C.; WILDEMAUWE, C.; VERMEERSCH, K.; DUCULOT, J.; VAN IMMERSEEL, F.; PASMANS, F.; IMBERECHTS, H.; QUINET, C.

2008-01-01

SUMMARY In Belgium, non-typhoidal salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis are the two most frequently reported foodborne illnesses. During 2005, a 71% decrease of Salmonella Enteritidis infections compared with the average annual number cases in the period 2000–2004 was recorded by the Belgian National Reference Centre for Salmonella and Shigella. After the peak of 1999, the total number of salmonellosis cases decreased gradually, with the exception of 2003 when an increase was again recorded due to the rise of isolates belonging to the serotype Enteritidis. PT4, the predominant phage type of serotype Enteriditis over recent years (except in 2003), became the second most prevalent phage type in 2005 after PT21. We present in this paper the epidemiology (incidence and trends) of human salmonellosis in Belgium and assess the role of the vaccination programme in layer flocks on the decline of the incidence of human salmonellosis and foodborne outbreaks due to S. Enteritidis. PMID:17645812

The BINA collaboration: science at the Royal Observatory of Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Cat, Peter; Cuypers, Jan; Blomme, Ronny; Frémat, Yves; Groenewegen, Martin; Lampens, Patricia; Lobel, Alex; Pauwels, Thierry; Van de Steene, Griet; van Hoof, Peter

2018-04-01

The Belgo-Indian Network for Astronomy and Astrophysics (BINA) is a collaboration between Indian and Belgian astronomical institutes with the main aim to optimize the scientific output of the Indo-Belgian telescopes, being the 4.0-m International Liquid Mirror Telescope and the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope. These new facilities are both located at the Devasthal Observatory near Nainital, India. In this contribution, we introduce projects that are of scientific interest for colleagues of the department "Astronomy and Astrophysics" of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB). It serves as an invitation for Indian astronomers to participate. We highlight how these projects could benefit from observations with the Indo-Belgian telescopes by using instruments from the first-generation (currently offered) and/or the next-generation (development or design phase). We show that, from an ROB point-of-view, the BINA would be the most successful if the 3.6-m DOT would be equipped with an efficient optical high-resolution spectrograph.

Epidemiology in Germany-general development and personal experience.

PubMed

Wichmann, Heinz-Erich

2017-08-01

Did you ever hear about epidemiology in Germany? Starting from an epidemiological desert the discipline has grown remarkably, especially during the last 10-15 years: research institutes have been established, research funding has improved, multiple curriculae in Epidemiology and Public Health are offered. This increase has been quite steep, and now the epidemiological infrastructure is much better. Several medium-sized and even big population cohorts are ongoing, and the number and quality of publications from German epidemiologists has reached a respectable level. My own career in epidemiology started in the field of environmental health. After German reunification I concentrated for many years on environmental problems in East Germany and observed the health benefits after improvement of the situation. Later, I concentrated on population-based cohorts in newborns (GINI/LISA) and adults (KORA, German National Cohort), and on biobanking. This Essay describes the development in Germany after worldwar 2, illustrated by examples of research results and build-up of epidemiological infractructures worth mentioning.

The Search for Specialists and Managers. Staff Shortage in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stahl, Klaus, Ed.

1999-01-01

Despite its high unemployment level, Germany is experiencing a shortage of specialists and managers. Germany's need for highly qualified information technology (IT) workers and engineers is particularly great. Approximately 10,000 posts for computer scientists and IT specialists remained vacant in 1998. Because of the shortage of such specialists,…

Training and Further Training in the Federal Republic of Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pakleppa, Hans

The Federal Republic of Germany uses its development aid policy to support the growth of manpower resources in developing countries by means of a broad spectrum of training and further training programs of foreign specialists. In planning these programs and arranging scholarships, Germany tries to orient itself toward the educational policy…

Space Radar Image of Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-27

This is a false-color, three-frequency image of the Oberpfaffenhofen supersite, southwest of Munich in southern Germany, which shows the differences in what the three radar bands can see on the ground.

The earthquake of the century in Northwestern Europe: the Roermond, the Netherlands, earthquake of April 13, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Eck, T.; Ahorner, L.; Paulssen, H.

1993-01-01

Early Monday morning, at 3:20 a.m. local time on April 13, 1992, fierce ground shaking woke up many people in the Dutch province of Limburg and bordering regions in Germany and Belgium. The shaking was caused by an earthquake of Richter magnitude 5.9, centered near the Dutch city of Roermond (see map, next page).

Living Ethnoastronomy: Discovering the Connectedness of the Human Spirit beneath the Night Sky

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard Paul; Awad, Nayif

2017-01-01

Richard Hechter and Nayif Awad wrote this article from opposite sides of the Earth and are getting ready to meet again in December 2017 to continue their project of bringing the world together through physics education, one constellation at a time. With the events in France, Belgium, Germany, United States, and United Kingdom fresh in their minds,…

Bilingual Preschools. Volume I: Learning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten, Kristin, Ed.; Rohde, Andreas, Ed.; Schelletter, Christina, Ed.; Steinlen, Anja K., Ed.

2010-01-01

Drawing on data from eleven preschools in four European countries (Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the UK), this edited volume explores the progress of preschool children learning English over a period of two years. In the first volume, children's lexical and grammatical comprehension, the quality of L2 input, the effect of immersion on L1…

The Impact of Globalization on the U.S. Defense Industrial Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

national security and technology. 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% U.S. Greece U.k. France Turkey Poland Denmark Germany Italy Netherlands Belgium...Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2011, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the

77 FR 23508 - Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

...)] Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan Determination On the basis of the record \\1... antidumping duty orders on brass sheet and strip from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan would be likely to... from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan: Investigation Nos. 731-TA-313, 314, 317, and 379 (Third Review...

The hierarchical cluster analysis of oral health attitudes and behaviour using the Hiroshima University--Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) among final year dental students in 17 countries.

PubMed

Komabayashi, Takashi; Kawamura, Makoto; Kim, Kang-Ju; Wright, Fredrick A C; Declerck, Dominique; Goiâs, Maria do Carmo Matias Freire; Hu, De-Yu; Honkala, Eino; Lévy, Gérard; Kalwitzki, Matthias; Polychronopoulou, Argy; Yip, Kevin Hak-Kong; Eli, Ilana; Kinirons, Martin J; Petti, Stefano; Srisilapanan, Patcharawan; Kwan, Stella Y L; Centore, Linda S

2006-10-01

To explore and describe international oral health attitudes/ behaviours among final year dental students. Validated translated versions of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire were administered to 1,096 final-year dental students in 17 countries. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted within the data to detect patterns and groupings. The overall response rate was 72%. The cluster analysis identified two main groups among the countries. Group 1 consisted of twelve countries: one Oceanic (Australia), one Middle-Eastern (Israel), seven European (Northern Ireland, England, Finland, Greece, Germany, Italy, and France) and three Asian (Korea, Thailand and Malaysia) countries. Group 2 consisted of five countries: one South American (Brazil), one European (Belgium) and three Asian (China, Indonesia and Japan) countries. The percentages of 'agree' responses in three HU-DBI questionnaire items were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. They include: "I worry about the colour of my teeth."; "I have noticed some white sticky deposits on my teeth."; and "I am bothered by the colour of my gums." Grouping the countries into international clusters yielded useful information for dentistry and dental education.

Jung's views of Nazi Germany: the first year and Jung's transition.

PubMed

Schoenl, William; Schoenl, Linda

2016-09-01

This article first considers Jung's response to the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany. It brings forth evidence that, besides wanting to preserve psychotherapy in Germany and maintain the international connection between the German and other communities of psychotherapists, he wanted to advance Jungian psychology - his psychology - in Germany. It also presents evidence that, although he occasionally made some anti-Semitic statements during this early period, he was not anti-Semitic in the way the Nazis were. The paper then argues that after Gustav Bally's criticisms in the Neue Zuercher Zeitung in February 1934, Jung entered into a transitional period that spring during which he became warier both of the Nazis and of making any statements that could be construed as being anti-Semitic. Schoenl and Peck (2012) have shown how Jung's views of Nazi Germany changed from 1933 to March 1936. This present article demonstrates very significant changes in Jung's views during the important early part of this period, that is from January 1933 - when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany - through to the spring of 1934. It draws on evidence from archival and other primary sources. © 2016, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Cost-effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation in Belgium.

PubMed

Wouters, Hanne; Thijs, Vincent; Annemans, Lieven

2013-01-01

To assess the cost-effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate ('dabigatran') vs vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in the Belgian healthcare setting for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism (SE) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). A Markov model was used to calculate the cost-effectiveness of dabigatran vs VKAs in Belgium, whereby warfarin was considered representative for the VKA class. Efficacy and safety data were taken from the Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) trial and a network meta-analysis. Local resource use and unit costs were included in the model. Effectiveness was expressed in Quality Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs). The model outcomes were total costs, total QALYs, incremental costs, incremental QALYs and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The level of International Normalized Ratio (INR) control and the use of other antithrombotic therapies observed in Belgian clinical practice were reflected in two scenario analyses. In the base case analysis, total costs per patient were €13,333 for dabigatran and €12,454 for warfarin. Total QALYs per patient were 9.51 for dabigatran and 9.19 for warfarin. The corresponding ICER was €2807/QALY. The ICER of dabigatran was €970/QALY vs warfarin with real-world INR control and €5296/QALY vs a mix of warfarin, aspirin, and no treatment. Results were shown to be robust in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The analysis does not include long-term costs for clinical events, as these data were not available for Belgium. As in any economic model based on data from a randomized clinical trial, several assumptions had to be made when extrapolating results to routine clinical practice in Belgium. This analysis suggests that dabigatran, a novel oral anticoagulant, is a cost-effective treatment for the prevention of stroke and SE in patients with non-valvular AF in the Belgian healthcare setting.

The Assessment of African Swine Fever Virus Risk to Belgium Early 2014, using the Quick and Semiquantitative Pandora Screening Protocol.

PubMed

Roelandt, S; Van der Stede, Y; D'hondt, B; Koenen, F

2017-02-01

A risk assessment was organized during the early EU ASF outbreaks of early 2014 (February-April) and performed in cooperation with 15 Belgian and European experts on ASFV and its epidemiology in pigs/wild boar. African swine fever (ASF) is considered as one of the most dangerous infectious pig diseases, causing many outbreaks. Since the end of 2013 - early 2014, several outbreaks within the European Union (Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Latvia) were reported to OIE, which prompted several risk assessments by (inter)national bodies and scientists. In this study, the open source, semiquantitative Pandora risk assessment tool was used for a quick overall screening of the risk posed by ASF to Belgium early 2014. A set of integrated risk scores was calculated within the Pandora framework. Experts scored the questions and uncertainty levels in the Pandora modules individually, after which the calculations were performed and averaged scores were used within pre-defined risk scales to define and visualize the ASF risk to Belgium. Emergence risk was considered low (Pandora score 0.29), while disease consequences were deemed high (0.93); the resulting multiplicative overall risk of ASFV for Belgium was low (0.27). The Belgian experts tended to give lower risk scores than the European experts, especially for entry risk and trade/public opinion consequences. These risk scores are further interpreted with a due consideration of the qualitative data in the expert remarks and of other ASF risk assessments. The results are similar to more extensive and elaborate risk assessment models/procedures which may require more time and resources. The Pandora tool allows sequential updates to monitor (rates of) increasing risk and provides information for risk managers to organize targeted control. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Content and Student Factors in Mastering Environmental Studies--Nature in Primary Education: Evidence from a National Assessment in Flanders (Belgium)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen, Rianne; Crauwels, Marion

2011-01-01

A large-scale paper-and-pencil assessment of the attainment targets of environmental studies with a focus on the subject area nature was held in primary education in Flanders (Belgium). The tests on different subfields of nature, i.e. the human body, healthcare, organisms, ecosystems, environmental care and non-living nature, were administered to…

Bullying Involvement of Korean Children in Germany and in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bae, Hwa-ok

2016-01-01

This study compared bullying involvement of Korean or Korean-German children living in Germany with children in Korea, and examined children's perceptions of school environment associated with bullying involvement of the children. This study included 105 Korean or Korean-German children living in the Bayern State of Germany as the study sample and…

Potential impact of policy regulation and generic competition on sales of cholesterol lowering medication, antidepressants and acid blocking agents in Belgium.

PubMed

Fraeyman, J; Van Hal, G; De Loof, H; Remmen, R; De Meyer, G R Y; Beutels, P

2012-01-01

Pharmaceutical expenditures are increasing as a proportion of health expenditures in most rich countries. Antidepressants, acid blocking agents and cholesterol lowering medication are major contributors to medicine sales around the globe. We aimed to document the possible impact of policy regulations and generic market penetration on the evolution of sales volume and average cost per unit (Defined Daily Doses and packages) of antidepressants, acid blocking agents and cholesterol lowering medication. We extracted data from the IMS health database regarding the public price and sales volume of the antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOl's) and tricyclic and remaining antidepressants (TCA's)), acid blocking agents (proton pump inhibitors (PPl's) and H2 receptor antagonists) and cholesterol lowering medication (statins and fibrates) in Belgium between 1995 and 2009. We describe these sales data in relation to various national policy measures which were systematically searched in official records. Our analysis suggests that particular policy regulations have had immediate impact on sales figures and expenditures on pharmaceuticals in Belgium: changes in reimbursement conditions, a public tender and entry of generic competitors in a reference pricing system. However, possible sustainable effects seem to be counteracted by other mechanisms such as marketing strategies, prescribing behaviour, brand loyalty and the entry of pseudogenerics. It is likely that demand-side measures have a more sustainable impact on expenditure. Compared with other European countries, generic penetration in Belgium remains low. Alternative policy regulations aimed at enlarging the generic market and influencing pharmaceutical expenditures deserve consideration. This should include policies aiming to influence physicians' prescribing and a shared responsibility of pharmacists, physicians and patients towards expenditures.

Treatment Variation of Sequential versus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients in the Netherlands and Belgium.

PubMed

Walraven, I; Damhuis, R A; Ten Berge, M G; Rosskamp, M; van Eycken, L; de Ruysscher, D; Belderbos, J S A

2017-11-01

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is considered the standard treatment regimen in non-surgical locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and sequential chemoradiotherapy (SCRT) is recommended in patients who are unfit to receive CCRT or when the treatment volume is considered too large. In this study, we investigated the proportion of CCRT/SCRT in the Netherlands and Belgium. Furthermore, patient and disease characteristics associated with SCRT were assessed. An observational study was carried out with data from three independent national registries: the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) and the Dutch Lung Cancer Audit-Radiotherapy (DLCA-R). Differences in patient and disease characteristics between CCRT and SCRT were tested with unpaired t-tests (for continuous variables) and with chi-square tests (for categorical variables). A prognostic model was constructed to determine patient and disease parameters predictive for the choice of SCRT. This study included 350 patients from the BCR, 780 patients from the NCR and 428 patients from the DLCA-R. More than half of the stage III NSCLC patients in the Netherlands (55%) and in Belgium more than a third (35%) were treated with CCRT. In both the Dutch and Belgian population, higher age and more advanced N-stage were significantly associated with SCRT. Performance score, pulmonary function, comorbidities and tumour volume were not associated with SCRT. In this observational population-based study, a large treatment variation in non-surgical stage III NSCLC patients was observed between and within the Netherlands and Belgium. Higher age and N-stage were significantly associated with the choice for SCRT. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for the organization of mental health services for children and adolescents in Belgium: use of the soft systems methodology.

PubMed

Vandenbroeck, Philippe; Dechenne, Rachel; Becher, Kim; Eyssen, Marijke; Van den Heede, Koen

2014-02-01

The prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents in Western countries is high. Belgium, like many other Western countries, struggles with the set-up of a coherent and effective strategy for dealing with this complex societal problem. This paper describes the development of a policy scenario for the organization of child and adolescent mental health care services (CAMHS) in Belgium. The development process relied on Soft Systems Methodology including a participatory process with 66 stakeholders and a review of the existing (inter-)national evidence. A diagnostic analysis illustrated that the Belgian CAMHS is a system in serious trouble characterized by fragmentation and compartmentalization. A set of 10 strategic recommendations was formulated to lay down the contours of a future, more effective CAMHS system. They focus on mastering the demands made on scarce and expensive specialized mental health services; strengthening the range of services - in particular for those with serious, complex and multiple mental health problems - and strengthening the adaptive capacity of and the ethical guidance within the future CAMHS system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terminal Decline in Well-Being Differs between Residents in East Germany and West Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, Nina; Gerstorf, Denis; Ram, Nilam; Goebel, Jan; Wagner, Gert G.

2017-01-01

Lifespan research has long been interested in how contexts shape individual development. Using the separation and later reunification of Germany as a kind of natural experiment we examine whether and how living and dying in the former East or West German context has differentially shaped late-life development of well-being. We apply multi-level…

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-20

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation, Cross section measurements, Experimental techniques, Uncertainties and covariances, Fission properties, and Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France), T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary), E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain), F. Gunsing (CEA, France), F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium), A. Junghans (FZD, Germany), R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman), Marco Calviani, Samuel Andriamonje, Eric Berthoumieux, Carlos Guerrero, Roberto Losito, Vasilis Vlachoudis. Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garbil, Roger

2010-11-09

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation; Cross section measurements; Experimental techniques; Uncertainties and covariances; Fission properties; Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden). Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman); Marco Calviani; Samuel Andriamonje; Eric Berthoumieux; Carlos Guerrero; Robertomore » Losito; Vasilis Vlachoudis; Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean« less

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vlachoudis, Vasilis

2010-11-09

Part 8. The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu Topics of interest include: Data evaluation Cross section measurements Experimental techniques Uncertainties and covariances Fission properties Current and future facilities International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary) E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France) F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany) R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Ericmore » Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto LositoVasilis Vlachoudis Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean« less

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2010-11-09

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluation Cross section measurements Experimental techniques Uncertainties and covariances Fission properties Current and future facilities ; International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) ;Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Lositomore » Vasilis Vlachoudis;Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean« less

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive.EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluationCross section measurementsExperimental techniquesUncertainties and covariancesFission propertiesCurrent and future facilities  International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco CalvianiSamuel AndriamonjeEric BerthoumieuxCarlos GuerreroRoberto LositoVasilis Vlachoudis Workshop Assistant: Géraldine Jean

Innovative energy technologies and climate policy in Germany

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schumacher, Katja; Sands, Ronald D.

2006-12-01

Due to the size and structure of its economy, Germany is one of the largest carbon emitters in the European Union. However, Germany is facing a major renewal and restructuring process in electricity generation. Within the next two decades, up to 50% of current electricity generation capacity may retire because of end-of-plant lifetime and the nuclear phase-out pact of 1998. Substantial opportunities therefore exist for deployment of advanced electricity generating technologies in both a projected baseline and in alternative carbon policy scenarios. We simulate the potential role of coal integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), natural gas combined cycle (NGCC), carbonmore » dioxide capture and storage (CCS), and wind power within a computable general equilibrium of Germany from the present through 2050. These advanced technologies and their role within a future German electricity system are the focus of this paper. We model the response of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany to various technology and carbon policy assumptions over the next few decades. In our baseline scenario, all of the advanced technologies except CCS provide substantial contributions to electricity generation. We also calculate the carbon price where each fossil technology, combined with CCS, becomes competitive. Constant carbon price experiments are used to characterize the model response to a carbon policy. This provides an estimate of the cost of meeting an emissions target, and the share of emissions reductions available from the electricity generation sector.« less

Reconstructing historical atmospheric mercury deposition in Western Europe using: Misten peat bog cores, Belgium.

PubMed

Allan, Mohammed; Le Roux, Gael; Sonke, Jeroen E; Piotrowska, Natalia; Streel, Maurice; Fagel, Nathalie

2013-01-01

Four sediment cores were collected in 2008 from the Misten ombrotrophic peat bog in the Northern part of the Hautes Fagnes Plateau in Belgium. Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were analyzed to investigate the intra-site variability in atmospheric Hg deposition over the past 1,500 years. Mercury concentrations in the four cores ranged from 16 to 1,100 μg kg(-1), with the maxima between 840 and 1,100 μg kg(-1). A chronological framework was established using radiometric (210)Pb and (14)C dating of two cores (M1 and M4). Pollen horizons from these two cores were correlated with data from two additional cores, providing a consistent dating framework between all the sites. There was good agreement between atmospheric Hg accumulation rates in the four cores over time based on precise age dating and pollen chronosequences. The average Hg accumulation rate before the influence of human activities (from 500 to 1,300 AD) was 1.8 ± 1 μg m(-2)y(-1) (2SD). Maximum Hg accumulation rates ranged from 90 to 200 μg m(-2)y(-1) between 1930 and 1980 AD. During the European-North American Industrial Revolution, the mean Hg accumulation rate exceeded the pre-Industrial values by a factor of 63. Based on comparisons with historical records of anthropogenic activities in Europe and Belgium, the predominant regional anthropogenic sources of Hg during and after the Industrial Revolution were coal burning and smelter Hg emissions. Mercury accumulation rates and chronologies in the Misten cores were consistent with those reported for other European peat records. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local modelling of land consumption in Germany with RegioClust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagenauer, Julian; Helbich, Marco

2018-03-01

Germany is experiencing extensive land consumption. This necessitates local models to understand actual and future land consumption patterns. This research examined land consumption rates on a municipality level in Germany for the period 2000-10 and predicted rates for 2010-20. For this purpose, RegioClust, an algorithm that combines hierarchical clustering and regression analysis to identify regions with similar relationships between land consumption and its drivers, was developed. The performance of RegioClust was compared against geographically weighted regression (GWR). Distinct spatially varying relationships across regions emerged, whereas population density is suggested as the central driver. Although both RegioClust and GWR predicted an increase in land consumption rates for east Germany for 2010-20, only RegioClust forecasts a decline for west Germany. In conclusion, both models predict for 2010-20 a rate of land consumption that suggests that the policy objective of reducing land consumption to 30 ha per day in 2020 will not be achieved. Policymakers are advised to take action and revise existing planning strategies to counteract this development.

Heat waves in lowland Germany and their circulation-related conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczyk, Arkadiusz M.; Sulikowska, Agnieszka

2017-09-01

The research study aimed at assessing multiannual variability of heat wave occurrence in the lowland part of Germany between 1966 and 2015 and determining the role of atmospheric circulation in their occurrence. The analysis was conducted with the use of two independent datasets, that is, the dataset of Germany's National Meteorological Service, Deutscher Wetterdienst, and American meteorological reanalysis database of the National Centre for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research. This article defines a hot day as a day with maximum temperature of >30 °C, and a heat wave as a sequence of at least three such days. The observed warming translated into an increase in a number of hot days and, consequently, an increase in the frequency of heat wave occurrence. In the analysed 50-year period, the smallest number of heat waves was observed between 1976 and 1985, and the largest number between 2006 and 2015 in the lowland part of Germany. The occurrence of heat waves in lowland Germany was related to anticyclonic circulation.

[Surgical research in Germany. Organization, quality and international competitiveness].

PubMed

Menger, M D; Laschke, M W

2012-04-01

Surgical research in Germany is performed within surgical clinics by individual working groups or in surgical research divisions. Additionally, a few independent institutes and departments of surgical research have been established at medical faculties. The number of these institutions, however, is too small. To increase productivity in surgical research, structural changes are necessary, including additional establishment of further institutes and professorships. The quality of clinical research in surgery in Germany is critically discussed. International comparison shows that Germany has a low ranking with respect to the number of clinical studies published in leading surgical journals. However, there has been some improvement in the quality of clinical studies performed in surgical departments during the last 15 years. The establishment of the study center of the German Society of Surgery shows that excellent clinical studies with adequate numbers of patients can also be performed in Germany and can be published in leading journals. Accordingly, there is need to distribute the structures and the competence necessary to perform clinical studies in a standardized manner to all surgical departments involved in clinical research. The experimental surgical research in Germany is not adequately visible, although over the last 10 years the most relevant publications from institutions for surgical research have been placed in journals with a mean impact factor of 8. This may be due to the fact that 85% of these top publications are published in non-surgical journals. The aim for the future must therefore be to increase the impact factor and, thus, the attractiveness of surgical journals. This may be achieved by publishing the highest quality results from experimental surgical research not in non-surgical but in surgical journals.

International Survey in Eight Countries about Teachers and Teaching Profession: Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Libya, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey, United States of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chistolini, Sandra

2010-01-01

An international team of experts from Belgium, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and the USA employed a questionnaire to identify the deontology of teachers from infant to secondary school in eight countries. The survey was implemented between 2004 and 2007. The socio-cultural concept of "Verstehen" (understanding) as described in the work…

Brazil's Higher Education Responses to the Global Challenges of the 21st Century. Thinking Brazil. No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2006

2006-01-01

"Thinking Brazil" is an electronic publication of the Brazil Institute. This issue of "Thinking Brazil" highlights the research of Elizabeth Balbachevsky. On July 24, 2006, Elizabeth Balbachevsky, Woodrow Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar and Associate Professor of Political Science, Universidade de Sao Paulo, presented her research on the…

The health status of Russian-speaking immigrants in Germany.

PubMed

Tselmin, S; Korenblum, W; Reimann, M; Bornstein, S R; Schwarz, P E H

2007-12-01

Germany developed today into a country of immigration, which creates an additional burden for the social security system and results in a new challenge for the healthcare. In the last 17 years more than two million "Russia Germans" have been repatriated and about two hundred thousand Jewish refugees have resettled in Germany from the former Soviet Union. Nevertheless relevant data concerning migration-related public health care are very scare. Search of PubMed and Journals extracts combined with the own researches, analysing the health status indices of the Russian-speaking immigrants in Germany. Both repatriates of German origin and Jewish refugees demonstrated higher prevalence of impaired lipid metabolism in comparison with native population. 42 % of the 503,040 HBsAg (hepatitis B s-Antigen) carriers in Germany were migrants. The Jewish refugees demonstrated the highest rates of depression and anxiety and the highest levels of awakening cortisol. On the other side German resettlers showed lower cardiovascular as well as all-cause death rates compared to the native Germans. The development of adequate health care programmes to address migratory aspects as well as the establishment of quality standards will realistically enhance the capability of responding rapidly to migrant health aspects and help to tackle inequalities in health.

Predictors for reimbursement of oncology drugs in Belgium between 2002 and 2013.

PubMed

Pauwels, Kim; Huys, Isabelle; De Nys, Katelijne; Casteels, Minne; Simoens, Steven

2015-01-01

Price setting and reimbursement decisions regarding drugs are competence of individual member states in Europe. These decisions involve important trade-offs between social, ethical, clinical and economic criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative importance of criteria for reimbursement of oncology drugs in Belgium. Reimbursement dossiers on oncology drugs for which reimbursement was applied between 2002 and 2013 were consulted. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. Results showed that clinical evidence and presence of alternative treatments have a significant impact on the reimbursement decisions. Evidence-based medicine still plays a role in Belgian reimbursement decision-making. In order to allow transition towards value-based medicine and avoid spending money on products with limited incremental benefit, therapeutic need at patient level need to be taken into account.

A survey of medical informatics in Belgium.

PubMed

Roger, F H; Behets, M; Andre, J; de Moor, G; Sevens, C; Willems, J L

1987-01-01

The Belgian Society for Medical Informatics (MIM) organized a survey in 1986 in order to assess the present state of development of medical informatics in Belgium. Questionnaires were sent to hospitals, laboratories, private practitioners and pharmacists, as well as to social security organizations and software industries. The response rate was higher in hospitals (93%) than in any other category. Results showed a large number of computerized hospitals (93% of general acute care hospitals and 91% of psychiatric hospitals). There has been a sharp increase (+ 15%) in computerization of the admission, accounting and billing procedures since 1985, most likely in relation with administrative rules issued by the Belgian Government. The same trend (+ 20%) has been observed for computer applications in clinical laboratories, between 1984 and 1985. There is almost one computer terminal for ten beds in the hospitals with more than 200 beds in 1986. This figure exemplifies the present trend to on-line access to data. Computerized instrumental aids to medicine such as text processing, imaging or computerized interpretation of signals have known a rapid extension during recent years, although less comprehensive than administrative applications in hospitals and in social security organizations. The present state of other applications in medicine (general practice, pharmacy, etc.) was more difficult to assess as those information systems remain more pinpointed. In all medical fields, there appears to be a new rise in computer programs offered by software companies.

Treatment outcome of intravenous artesunate in patients with severe malaria in the Netherlands and Belgium

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Intravenous (IV) artesunate is the treatment of choice for severe malaria. In Europe, however, no GMP-manufactured product is available and treatment data in European travellers are scarce. Fortunately, artesunate became available in the Netherlands and Belgium through a named patient programme. This is the largest case series of artesunate treated patients with severe malaria in Europe. Methods Hospitalized patients treated with IV artesunate between November 2007 and December 2010 in the Netherlands and Belgium were retrospectively evaluated. Patient characteristics, treatment and clinical outcome were recorded on a standardized form and mortality, parasite clearance times and the occurrence of adverse events were evaluated. Results Of the 68 treated patients, including 55 with severe malaria, two patients died (2/55 = 3.6%). The mean time to 50% parasite clearance (PCT50), 90% and 99% were 4.4 hours (3.9 - 5.2), 14.8 hours (13.0 - 17.2), and 29.5 hours (25.9 - 34.4) respectively. Artesunate was well tolerated. However, an unusual form of haemolytic anaemia was observed in seven patients. The relationship with artesunate remains uncertain. Conclusions Data from the named patient programme demonstrate that IV artesunate is effective and well-tolerated in European travellers lacking immunity. However, increased attention needs to be paid to the possible development of haemolytic anaemia 2-3 weeks after start of treatment. Treatment of IV artesunate should be limited to the period that IV treatment is required and should be followed by a full oral course of an appropriate anti-malarial drug. PMID:22462806

Changes to the statin prescribing policy in Belgium: potential impact in clinical and economic terms.

PubMed

Liew, Danny; Webb, Kate; Marbaix, Sophie; Annemans, Lieven

2012-08-01

New policies in Belgium encourage prescribing of generic HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), but may lead to non-equivalent switching of patients from more potent second generation statins, as has occurred elsewhere. We sought to assess the potential health economic impact of the new policies. This was a cost-effectiveness analysis. A Markov model was constructed to simulate the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death among a representative cohort of 80 Belgian patients initially free of CVD and taking atorvastatin. Cardiovascular risks were estimated from calibrated Framingham equations, and utilities and costs from published data. Decision analysis assessed the potential impact of switching all 80 patients to simvastatin. Changes in lipid levels expected to arise from switching were based on a published meta-analysis. If the 80 patients remained on atorvastatin, the model predicted that 23 (29%) would develop CVD over 20 years. If they were switched to simvastatin, the predicted number was 25 (31%), equating to a 'number needed to harm' of 52. Switching would lead to a net cost saving of €131 (2012) per subject, but also a loss of 0.03 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) per subject. These equated to a decremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €4777 per QALY lost. Sensitivity analyses indicated this result to be robust. Recently introduced statin prescribing policies in Belgium are likely, as intended, to reduce statin costs, but also increase the burden of CVD due to non-equivalent switching. It would be cost effective to maintain patients on atorvastatin for primary prevention rather than switch them to simvastatin.

Treatment outcome of intravenous artesunate in patients with severe malaria in the Netherlands and Belgium.

PubMed

Kreeftmeijer-Vegter, Annemarie R; van Genderen, Perry J; Visser, Leo G; Bierman, Wouter F W; Clerinx, Jan; van Veldhuizen, Cees K W; de Vries, Peter J

2012-03-31

Intravenous (IV) artesunate is the treatment of choice for severe malaria. In Europe, however, no GMP-manufactured product is available and treatment data in European travellers are scarce. Fortunately, artesunate became available in the Netherlands and Belgium through a named patient programme. This is the largest case series of artesunate treated patients with severe malaria in Europe. Hospitalized patients treated with IV artesunate between November 2007 and December 2010 in the Netherlands and Belgium were retrospectively evaluated. Patient characteristics, treatment and clinical outcome were recorded on a standardized form and mortality, parasite clearance times and the occurrence of adverse events were evaluated. Of the 68 treated patients, including 55 with severe malaria, two patients died (2/55 = 3.6%). The mean time to 50% parasite clearance (PCT50), 90% and 99% were 4.4 hours (3.9 - 5.2), 14.8 hours (13.0 - 17.2), and 29.5 hours (25.9 - 34.4) respectively. Artesunate was well tolerated. However, an unusual form of haemolytic anaemia was observed in seven patients. The relationship with artesunate remains uncertain. Data from the named patient programme demonstrate that IV artesunate is effective and well-tolerated in European travellers lacking immunity. However, increased attention needs to be paid to the possible development of haemolytic anaemia 2-3 weeks after start of treatment.Treatment of IV artesunate should be limited to the period that IV treatment is required and should be followed by a full oral course of an appropriate anti-malarial drug.

Brazil-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-03

the Amazon falls within Brazilian borders, making Brazil home to 40% of the world’s remaining tropical forests.96 The Brazilian Amazon was largely...20 Amazon Conservation......................................................................................................... 20 Domestic Efforts...independence in 1822, Brazil occupies almost half of the continent of South America and boasts immense biodiversity, including the vast Amazon

Setting scientific standards: publishing in medical societies in nineteenth-century Belgium.

PubMed

Vandendriessche, Joris

2014-01-01

This article examines the publishing procedures of nineteenth-century medical societies, using the Medical Society of Ghent (Belgium) as a case study. It argues, more precisely, that the introduction of formalized review procedures in medical societies can be considered part of the emergence of a professional scientific culture in the first half of the nineteenth century. First, by participating in these procedures physicians took on different stylized roles, for example of the contributing author, the righteous judge, or the punctual secretary, and articulated new professional values such as contributing to science. Second, the publishing procedures of medical societies also provide insight into the mechanisms of reaching consensus in nineteenth-century medicine. By developing new scientific genres, such as the published meeting report, medical societies aimed to extend the community of peers beyond the group of society members and establish trust and agreement throughout the medical community.

[Telemedicine in Germany. Status, Barriers, Perspectives].

PubMed

Brauns, H-J; Loos, Wolfgang

2015-10-01

Telemedicine as a subject has reached politics, doctors and patients, but it has still not been able to make the leap from research, development, and testing into real practice. This is generally because of the great barriers to implementation, mainly the lack of telematics infrastructure and of payment regulations in Germany. Telemedicine projects are mainly isolated applications and it has not been possible to integrate them in to nationwide regular health services. Other challenges along the path to standard care include that research-based small-medium enterprise (SME) companies usually face high barriers hindering access to this market, because it is imposible for them to finance all the required evidence-based studies to verify the medical benefits and the econimic efficiency. Additionally, a high market nontransparency is noted. However, the signs of progress are visible, e.g., the E-health initiative of the German government or recent legislative initiatives. However, long processes are observed that do not facilitate the use of telemedicine. Although some federal states, e.g., North Rhine Westphalia, Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Saxony, show exemplary activities, there are still many white areas on the telemedicine map of Germany. The road to standard care will be long, but is not unattainable. The reasons for supporting telemedicine are still strong. The future development of telemedicine applications will contribute to sustainable and high-quality patient care in Germany.

Attitudes and self-reported behavior of patients, doctors, and pharmacists in New Zealand and Belgium toward direct-to-consumer advertising of medication.

PubMed

Dens, Nathalie; Eagle, Lynne C; De Pelsmacker, Patrick

2008-01-01

Patients', doctors', and pharmacists' attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for medication and their perceptions of its impact on patient self-reported behavior in terms of request for, and consumption of, advertised medication were investigated. Data were obtained in New Zealand, 1 of only 2 countries that allow mass-media DTCA for prescription medication, and in Belgium, which does not. Attitudes were relatively negative in both countries, but significantly more positive in New Zealand than in Belgium. The impact of DTCA (both in a positive and a negative sense) on self-reported patient behavior and patient interaction with doctors and pharmacists was limited in both countries. Although -- as already established in previous work -- the informativeness and reliability of DTCA can be much improved, and the attitude of medical professionals toward DTCA is negative in both countries, from the point of view of medical professionals and patients, DTCA does not harm the self-reported relationship between doctors, pharmacists, and patients.

Development and communication of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders).

PubMed

Gastmans, Chris; Lemiengre, Joke; de Casterlé, Bernadette Dierckx

2006-10-01

To describe whether and how Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders) have developed written ethics policies on euthanasia and communicated these policies to their employees, patients, and patient's relatives. A cross-sectional mail survey of general directors of Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders). Of the 298 targeted institutions, 81% of hospitals and 62% of nursing homes returned complete questionnaires. A high percentage of Catholic hospitals (79%) and a moderate percentage of nursing homes (30%) had written ethics policies on euthanasia. Both caregivers and healthcare administrators were involved in the development and approval of these policies. Physicians and nurses were best informed about the policies. More than half of the nursing homes (57%) took the initiative to inform both residents and relatives about the policies, while only one hospital did so. The high prevalence of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Flemish Catholic hospitals may reflect the concern of healthcare administrators to maintain the quality of care for patients requesting euthanasia. However, the true contribution of these policies to quality end-of-life care and to supporting caregivers remains unknown and needs further research. Legislation and centrally developed guidelines might influence healthcare institutions to develop ethics policies.

Management of radioactive waste in Belgium: ONDRAF/NIRAS and Belgoprocess as major actors of the waste acceptance system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zaelen, Gunter van; Verheyen, Annick

2007-07-01

The management of radioactive waste in Belgium is undertaken by the national agency for radioactive waste and enriched fissile materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, and its industrial partner Belgoprocess. ONDRAF/NIRAS has set up a management system designed to guarantee that the general public and the environment are protected against the potential hazards arising from radioactive waste. Belgoprocess is a private company, founded in 1984 and located in Dessel, Belgium. It is a subsidiary of ONDRAF/NIRAS and its activities focus on the safe processing and storage of radioactive waste. The management system of ONDRAF/NIRAS includes two aspects: a) an integrated system and b) anmore » acceptance system. The integrated system covers all aspects of management ranging from the origin of waste to its transport, processing, interim storage and long-term management. The safety of radioactive waste management not only depends on the quality of the design and construction of the processing, temporary storage or disposal infrastructure, but also on the quality of the waste accepted by ONDRAF/NIRAS. In order to be manage d safely, both in the short and the long term, the waste transferred to ONDRAF/NIRAS must meet certain specific requirements. To that end, ONDRAF/NIRAS has developed an acceptance system. (authors)« less

Tobacco policies in Nazi Germany: not as simple as it seems

PubMed Central

Bachinger, Eleonore; McKee, Martin; Gilmore, Anna

2008-01-01

Summary Objective Reluctance to develop effective tobacco control measures in Germany has been attributed to the anti-smoking stance taken by the Nazis, which has encouraged pro-smoking groups to equate tobacco control advocacy with totalitarianism. This paper reassesses the scale and nature of tobacco control in Germany during the Third Reich. Design Analysis of documents and reports about the situation in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s supplemented by a review of Reich legal ordinances, party newspapers, health behaviour guidelines issued by Nazi party organizations, and interviews with expert informants. Results While there was considerable opposition to smoking in Nazi Germany, there was no consistent Nazi policy to combat smoking, and what did exist built on pre-existing policies. Although extreme measures were taken in isolated localities or by overzealous party members, there was a marked ambivalence to tobacco control at the highest levels. Many policies were contradictory; measures were often not enforced, and cigarettes were actively distributed to ‘deserving’ groups. Conclusion Policies on tobacco in Nazi Germany are much more complex than is often represented by those who invoke them to condemn those seeking to reduce the burden of disease caused by smoking. PMID:18222506

Situation Reports--Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Finland, German Federal Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Tanzania, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data pertaining to population and family planning in seventeen foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Finland, German Federal Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Tanzania, Yugoslavia, and Zambia. Information is…

The inland water macro-invertebrate occurrences in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

Vannevel, Rudy; Brosens, Dimitri; Cooman, Ward De; Gabriels, Wim; Frank Lavens; Mertens, Joost; Vervaeke, Bart

2018-01-01

The Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) has been performing biological water quality assessments on inland waters in Flanders (Belgium) since 1989 and sediment quality assessments since 2000. The water quality monitoring network is a combined physico-chemical and biological network, the biological component focusing on macro-invertebrates. The sediment monitoring programme produces biological data to assess the sediment quality. Both monitoring programmes aim to provide index values, applying a similar conceptual methodology based on the presence of macro-invertebrates. The biological data obtained from both monitoring networks are consolidated in the VMM macro-invertebrates database and include identifications at family and genus level of the freshwater phyla Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Mollusca, and Arthropoda. This paper discusses the content of this database, and the dataset published thereof: 282,309 records of 210 observed taxa from 4,140 monitoring sites located on 657 different water bodies, collected during 22,663 events. This paper provides some background information on the methodology, temporal and spatial coverage, and taxonomy, and describes the content of the dataset. The data are distributed as open data under the Creative Commons CC-BY license.

Ulceroglandular tularemia in a toddler in Germany after a mosquito bite.

PubMed

Hanke, Christof A; Otten, Joerg-Elard; Berner, Reinhard; Serr, Annerose; Splettstoesser, Wolf; von Schnakenburg, Christian

2009-08-01

Although tularemia is a long-known disease, its significance had diminished over the last decades in Middle Europe. However, over the past years, there is new evidence suggesting that tularemia has re-emerged in Germany. In 2007, the highest number of human cases for almost 50 years has been notified. Beside typical vectors, new ways of transmission seem to gain significance. So far, mosquito bite-transmitted tularemia has only been known from Scandinavia but not from Middle Europe. We report the first case of a 1-year-old toddler from Southwestern Germany with mosquito bite-associated ulceroglandular tularaemia. The new and interesting features of this case are the young age of the patient and the unusual transmission route. The available data suggesting changes in the epidemiology for tularemia in Germany are reviewed. This is an interesting case of infantile tularemia with a very unusual transmission route, highlighting ongoing changes in the epidemiology of tularemia in Germany.

Lise Meitner's escape from Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sime, Ruth Lewin

1990-03-01

Lise Meitner (1878-1968) achieved prominence as a nuclear physicist in Germany; although of Jewish origin, her Austrian citizenship exempted her from Nazi racial laws until the annexation of Austria in 1938 precipitated her dismissal. Forbidden to emigrate, she narrowly escaped to the Netherlands with the help of concerned friends in the international physics community.

Regenerative medicine in Brazil: small but innovative.

PubMed

McMahon, Dominique S; Singer, Peter A; Daar, Abdallah S; Thorsteinsdóttir, Halla

2010-11-01

Although Brazil has received attention for conducting one of the world's largest stem cell clinical trials for heart disease, little has been published regarding Brazil's regenerative medicine (RM) sector. Here we present a comprehensive case study of RM in Brazil, including analysis of the current activity, the main motivations for engaging in RM and the remaining challenges to development in this field. Our case study is primarily based on semi-structured interviews with experts on RM in Brazil, including researchers, policymakers, clinicians, representatives of firms and regulators. Driven by domestic health needs and strategic government support, Brazil is producing innovative RM research, particularly for clinical research in cardiology, orthopedics, diabetes and neurology. We describe the main RM research currently taking place in Brazil, as well as some of the economic, regulatory and policy events that have created a favorable environment for RM development. Brazilian RM researchers need to overcome several formidable challenges to research: research funding is inconsistent, importation of materials is costly and slow, and weak linkages between universities, hospitals and industry impede translational research. Although Brazil's contribution to the RM sector is small, its niche emphasis on clinical applications may become of global importance, particularly if Brazil manages to address the challenges currently impinging on RM innovation.

A 13 km Long Paleoseismological Trench in Western Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grützner, C. H.; Reicherter, K.; Winandy, J.

2012-04-01

The expansion of an open pit lignite mine in this area makes it necessary to translocate one of Germany's most frequented, E-W trending highways for a length of 13 km during the next months and years. By this occasion, one of the largest faults of the Lower Rhine Embayment (LRE), the Rurrand Fault, was already cut in 2010. We applied geological mapping and surface-near geophysical techniques for investigating this possible candidate for the 1756 Düren earthquake (M>6; and considered as the strongest historical earthquake in Germany), and found clear hints for recent active faulting. The LRE in western Germany is one of the seismically most active areas in Central Europe. Earthquakes stronger than M6 have been documented by paleoseismological and archeoseismological investigations and written sources. Instrumental seismicity reached ML5.9 (Mw5.4; April 13th, 1992) in this densely populated area with alone nearby Cologne having more than one million inhabitants. Active faults trend NW-SE in a horst-graben system, parallel to the rivers Rhine and Rur. Recent studies reported that active faults in the study area are characterized by recurrence periods in the order of tens of ka. Those faults in western Germany are often not visible in the field due to relatively high erosion rates and therefore, the seismic hazard might be underestimated. The ongoing highway construction works will cut more (active) faults. We expect at least eight already mapped faults to be cut by the earth works, some of which capable of causing damaging earthquakes judging from their mere length. The construction work is a unique opportunity for paleoseismological investigations at already known, but yet unstudied faults. We hope to gather additional data for an improvement of seismic hazard estimations in Western Germany.

Inclusion body disease in snakes: a review and description of three cases in boa constrictors in Belgium.

PubMed

Vancraeynest, D; Pasmans, F; Martel, A; Chiers, K; Meulemans, G; Mast, J; Zwart, P; Ducatelle, R

2006-06-03

Inclusion body disease, a fatal disorder in Boidae, is reviewed, and three cases in boa constrictors, the first reported cases in Belgium, are described. The snakes showed nervous signs, and numerous eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions, which are considered to be characteristic of the disease, were found in the liver and pancreas. The disease is suspected to be caused by a retrovirus, but transmission electron microscopic examinations of several tissues from one of the snakes did not reveal particles with a typical retroviral morphology.

Quality of pathology reporting is crucial for cancer care and registration: a baseline assessment for breast cancers diagnosed in Belgium in 2008.

PubMed

De Schutter, H; Van Damme, N; Colpaert, C; Galant, C; Lambein, K; Cornelis, A; Neven, P; Van Eycken, E

2015-04-01

Given the crucial role of pathology reporting in the management of breast cancers, we aimed to investigate the quality and variability of breast cancer pathology reporting in Belgium. Detailed information on non-molecular and molecular parameters was retrieved from the pathology protocols available at the Belgian Cancer Registry for 10,007 breast cancers diagnosed in Belgium in 2008. Substantial underreporting was shown for several clinically relevant non-molecular parameters, such as lymphovascular invasion. High-volume laboratories performed only slightly better than others, and analyses at the individual laboratory level showed clear inter-laboratory variability in reporting for all volume categories. Information on ER/PR and HER2 IHC was mentioned in respectively 91.7% and 90.8% of evaluative cases. HER2 ISH data were available for 78.5% of the cases judged to be 2+ for HER2 IHC. For cases with different specimens analysed, discordance between these specimens was highest for HER2, followed by PR. For HER2, results obtained from different laboratories were even less concordant. In addition, inter-laboratory differences were noted in the used ER/PR scoring systems, the proportion of ER-/PR+ cases, and the relation between histological grade and ER/PR positivity. Data on Ki67 were only available for 43.8% of the investigated cases, and showed inconsistent use of cut-off values. Breast pathology reporting in Belgium in 2008 was suboptimal and showed considerable inter-laboratory variability. Synoptic reporting has been proposed as a facilitator towards increased reporting quality and harmonization, but the lack of aligned informatics remains a major hurdle in its concrete implementation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changing Traditions in Germany's Public Schools. International Studies in Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dichanz, Horst; Zahorik, John A.

Understanding German elementary and secondary schools requires knowledge of political, geographic, economic, and social aspects of Germany. German schools have developed in accordance with the prevailing influences of their times. People and events, throughout the past 400 years, are discussed. The legal status of education in Germany is similar…

Using Co-authorship Networks to Map and Analyse Global Neglected Tropical Disease Research with an Affiliation to Germany

PubMed Central

Bender, Max Ernst; Edwards, Suzanne; von Philipsborn, Peter; Steinbeis, Fridolin; Keil, Thomas; Tinnemann, Peter

2015-01-01

Background Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has increased in recent decades, and significant need-gaps in diagnostic and treatment tools remain. Analysing bibliometric data from published research is a powerful method for revealing research efforts, partnerships and expertise. We aim to identify and map NTD research networks in Germany and their partners abroad to enable an informed and transparent evaluation of German contributions to NTD research. Methodology/Principal Findings A SCOPUS database search for articles with German author affiliations that were published between 2002 and 2012 was conducted for kinetoplastid and helminth diseases. Open-access tools were used for data cleaning and scientometrics (OpenRefine), geocoding (OpenStreetMaps) and to create (Table2Net), visualise and analyse co-authorship networks (Gephi). From 26,833 publications from around the world that addressed 11 diseases, we identified 1,187 (4.4%) with at least one German author affiliation, and we processed 972 publications for the five most published-about diseases. Of those, we extracted 4,007 individual authors and 863 research institutions to construct co-author networks. The majority of co-authors outside Germany were from high-income countries and Brazil. Collaborations with partners on the African continent remain scattered. NTD research within Germany was distributed among 220 research institutions. We identified strong performers on an individual level by using classic parameters (number of publications, h-index) and social network analysis parameters (betweenness centrality). The research network characteristics varied strongly between diseases. Conclusions/Significance The share of NTD publications with German affiliations is approximately half of its share in other fields of medical research. This finding underlines the need to identify barriers and expand Germany’s otherwise strong research activities towards NTDs. A geospatial analysis of research

A survey of environmental needs and innovative technologies in Germany

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Voss, C.F.; Roberds, W.J.

1995-05-01

The International Technology Program (IT?), formerly the international Technology Exchange Program (ITEP), of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) is responsible for promoting: (1) the import of innovative technologies to better address EM`s needs; and (2) the export of US services into foreign markets to enhance US competitiveness. Under this program: (1) the environmental restoration market in Germany was evaluated, including the description of the general types of environmental problems, the environmental regulations, and specific selected contaminated sites; and (2) potentially innovative environmental restoration technologies, either commercially available or under development in Germany,more » were identified, described and evaluated. It was found that: (1) the environmental restoration market in Germany is very large, on the order of several billion US dollars per year, with a significant portion possibly available to US businesses; and (2) a large number (54) of innovative environmental restoration technologies, which are either commercially available or under development in Germany, may have some benefit to the DOE EM program and should be considered for transfer to the US.« less

[Breastfeeding Rates and Duration in Germany - A Systematic Review].

PubMed

Weissenborn, A; Abou-Dakn, M; Bergmann, R; Both, D; Gresens, R; Hahn, B; Hecker, A; Koletzko, B; Krawinkel, M; Kroll, D; Rouw, E; Scheele, M; Schwegler, U; Sievers, E; Sporleder, E; Springer, S; Vetter, K; Wöckel, A; Kersting, M

2016-11-01

Aim: 20 years after establishment of the National Breastfeeding Committee, the present work, based on published data on breastfeeding, is aimed at providing insight into the development of breastfeeding behaviour in Germany. Methods: To identify relevant publications, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science using the search terms "breast feeding" or "breastfeeding" in combination with "Germany". The publication period was limited to the period 1995-2014. Results: A total of 35 studies with data on breastfeeding for the birth cohorts of 1990-2012 were identified. Most of the data had been collected in regional or local surveys, often retrospectively. About 60% of the studies had been conducted with the primary aim of collecting data on breastfeeding or infant nutrition. Over the past 2 decades, breastfeeding rates were always relatively high at the beginning (72-97%). However, they declined significantly within the first 2 months, and by the age of 6 months, only about 50% of infants were still breastfed. Conclusion: Breastfeeding support and early assistance should be offered to a greater extent in order to achieve sustainable improvement of breastfeeding frequency and duration in Germany. Regarding the quality of data collected on breastfeeding, it seems crucial to implement standardised approaches to monitor breastfeeding in Germany. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[AIDS prevention in Germany].

PubMed

Pott, E

2007-04-01

In 1987 the national AIDS prevention campaign "Gib AIDS keine Chance" (Don't give AIDS a chance) was started in Germany. After a very difficult and controversial political debate about a probably successful response to AIDS, in the end a political decision was made in favour of the implementation of a long term "social learning strategy". Thus, since then the Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (Federal Centre for Health Education, BZgA) has been running the campaign on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health. The result of this prevention program is a low rate of infections. In Germany there were 2600 newly diagnosed infections in 2005: 59 % in homosexual men, 16 % by heterosexual contacts, 17 % in people from high prevalence countries and 7 % in i.v. drug users. In comparison to the international situation Germany has a relatively low HIV-prevalence even nowadays. However, Germany has also been confronted with an increasing number of newly diagnosed infections in the last few years. When the prevention program was started it was very important to build new structures for a successful implementation of the campaign. That meant for instance to build up an effective infrastructure for cooperation between the governmental and the nongovernmental sector, including organising the coordinated action among the partners at the federal, regional and local levels. Likewise, international networking was of great importance. A key element, relevant for the success of the campaign was the close cooperation at the federal level between the BZgA and the Deutsche AIDS Hilfe (German AIDS Help, DAH), to combine the highreach intervention in low-prevalence populations with intensive interventions for high prevalence groups. An effective national AIDS prevention campaign must reach the whole population; inform the public about the main risks of infection, about methods of protection and about what is not infectious. Moreover groups with a higher level of risk of

Defense.gov Press Articles

Science.gov Websites

departs Joint Base Andrews, Md., June 21, 2015, for a trip to Germany, Estonia and Belgium. During the , civic leaders and elected officials inside a Marine Corps hangar on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst , N.J., Dec. 15, 2014. The president visited the base to thank troops for their service. U.S. Army photo

Epidemiological trends for hospital admissions for acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in Belgium following the introduction of routine rotavirus vaccination and the subsequent switch from lyophilized to liquid formulation of Rotarix™.

PubMed

Raes, M; Strens, D; Kleintjens, J; Biundo, E; Morel, T; Vyse, A

2016-10-01

This study describes epidemiological trends for acute rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in Belgium in children aged ⩽5 years during the period June 2007 to May 2014 after the introduction of routine rotavirus (RV) vaccination. This period encompassed the switch from lyophilized to the liquid formulation of Rotarix™ (GlaxoSmithKline, Belgium) in August 2011. Uptake of RV vaccine remained consistently high throughout the study period with Rotarix the brand most often used. RV was present in 9% (1139/12 511) of hospitalized cases with acute gastroenteritis included in the study. Epidemiological trends for hospital admissions for RVGE remained consistent throughout the study period, with no evidence of any change associated with the switch from lyophilized to liquid formulation of Rotarix. This suggests both formulations perform similarly, with the liquid formulation not inferior regarding ability to reduce hospital admissions for acute RVGE in children aged ⩽5 years. A strong seasonal effect was observed with most RVGE occurring in the winter months but with some variability in intensity, with highest incidence found in those aged 6-24 months. The main observation was the decreased number of hospital admissions for RVGE in Belgium that occurred during winter 2013/2014.

Prospects for Vocational Education in the United States: Lessons from Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanford, Michael; Maruco, Tattiya; Tierney, William G.

2015-01-01

Germany is one of a handful of Western European nations (including Austria and the Netherlands) that maintains a highly-differentiated educational system in which secondary level students are sorted into different schools on the basis on their perceived scholastic abilities. Despite the numerous political and cultural shifts in Germany over the…

Disintegration and Violence among Migrants in Germany: Turkish and Russian Youths versus German Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baier, Dirk; Pfeiffer, Christian

2008-01-01

Turkish and Russian immigrants are the two largest groups of immigrants in Germany, but there are some important differences regarding their legal status. Although most of the Turkish adolescents were born in Germany, few of them have German citizenship. In contrast, most of the Russian youths were born outside Germany, but they mostly possess…

International adoption from Ethiopia: An overview of the health status at arrival in Belgium.

PubMed

Van Kesteren, Lydia; Wojciechowski, Marek

2017-10-01

Ethiopia is a densely populated country with a fast growing economy. Still socioeconomic and health issues render many children parentless. One thousand and twenty eight Ethiopian children have been adopted in Belgium from September 2005 to September 2015. Little has been published about their health status at arrival. Three hundred and fifteen children adopted from Ethiopia were clinically evaluated at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp from 1 January 2008 until 31 December 2014. Epidemiological and medical data were collected and analysed retrospectively. Data about 164 boys and 151 girls with a mean age of three years were analysed. Twenty per cent was adequately vaccinated, for 66.7% of children these data were absent. About 8.6% of the children were wasted/thin, 28.9% stunted. Skin abnormalities were seen in 40.3%, especially Tinea capitis. No children tested positive for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis C. Four children had an acute or chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection, eight children had a cured HBV infection. Two children tested positive for malaria. Active pulmonary tuberculosis was found in six children. Sixty-two per cent had one or more intestinal parasite. Giardia lamblia (41.9%) and Blastocystis hominis (27.0%) were most frequently isolated. There is a statistically relevant association between the number of intestinal parasites and age at presentation. In this group eosinophilia had a sensitivity of 30.2%, a specificity of 79.1% for intestinal parasites and a positive likelihood ratio of 1.44 with a negative likelihood ratio of 0.88. Apart from the high prevalence of stunting and intestinal parasites important medical problems were infrequent. A systematic clinical examination and screening for infectious diseases remain important to ensure a healthy start of a new life in Belgium.

[Disaster Control and Civil Protection in Germany].

PubMed

Kippnich, Maximilian; Kowalzik, Barbara; Cermak, Rudolf; Kippnich, Uwe; Kranke, Peter; Wurmb, Thomas

2017-09-01

The train crash of Bad Aibling/Germany in February 2016 and the terrorist attacks of the recent years in Europe have demonstrated the urgent need to be prepared for such disastrous events. Disaster preparedness and disaster control are very important governmental duties, as are civil protection and civil defense. In Germany the responsibility for those tasks are divided between the 16 "Länder" and the Federation. While the Federation takes care of the civil protection and disaster assistance, the Länder are responsible for disaster control. The presented article focuses on these issues and gives valuable insights into the German system of disaster control and civil protection with a focus on health protection. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Tracking and Sense of Futility: The Impact of Between-School Tracking versus Within-School Tracking in Secondary Education in Flanders (Belgium)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Houtte, Mieke; Stevens, Peter A. J.

2015-01-01

It has been established since the 1960s that tracking yields negative consequences for students in lower tracks. As this research has been carried out mainly in the USA and UK, the effects of tracking have been demonstrated in systems of within-school tracking mostly. However, in many European countries--such as Belgium (Flanders)--tracking is…

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome due to Puumala virus in Germany.

PubMed

Vollmar, Patrick; Lubnow, Matthias; Simon, Michaela; Müller, Thomas; Bergler, Tobias; Alois, Philipp; Thoma, Bryan R; Essbauer, Sandra

2016-11-01

In Germany Puumala virus (PUUV), known to cause mild forms of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), is the predominating endemic hantavirus. We herein describe an unusually severe case of a PUUV infection that occurred in summer 2015 in South Eastern Germany in a region known to be endemic for PUUV since over ten years. A 54-year-old female gardener was admitted to hospital with fever, cough and dyspnea. Within 48hours the patient developed a rapid progressive adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with circulatory failure and required ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatment. Serological and molecular biological examinations of serum samples confirmed an infection with PUUV. Partial sequences of the S- and M-segment clustered to a strain previously described in South Eastern Germany. Our reported case highlights, that in rare incidents PUUV can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a syndrome that is usually found after infections with New World hantaviruses, and neurological symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Survival of Patients with Oral Cavity Cancer in Germany

PubMed Central

Listl, Stefan; Jansen, Lina; Stenzinger, Albrecht; Freier, Kolja; Emrich, Katharina; Holleczek, Bernd; Katalinic, Alexander; Gondos, Adam; Brenner, Hermann

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to describe the survival of patients diagnosed with oral cavity cancer in Germany. The analyses relied on data from eleven population-based cancer registries in Germany covering a population of 33 million inhabitants. Patients with a diagnosis of oral cavity cancer (ICD-10: C00-06) between 1997 and 2006 are included. Period analysis for 2002–2006 was applied to estimate five-year age-standardized relative survival, taking into account patients' sex as well as grade and tumor stage. Overall five-year relative survival for oral cavity cancer patients was 54.6%. According to tumor localization, five-year survival was 86.5% for lip cancer, 48.1% for tongue cancer and 51.7% for other regions of the oral cavity. Differences in survival were identified with respect to age, sex, tumor grade and stage. The present study is the first to provide a comprehensive overview on survival of oral cavity cancer patients in Germany. PMID:23349710

The School-HE Interface in West Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmithals, F.

1986-01-01

Discusses the concerns and problems associated with the secondary school-higher education interface in West Germany. Reviews reform efforts and attempts at problem resolution with specific emphasis on physics instruction. (ML)

Combined prevalence of inherited skeletal disorders in dog breeds in Belgium.

PubMed

Coopman, F; Broeckx, B; Verelst, E; Deforce, D; Saunders, J; Duchateau, L; Verhoeven, G

2014-01-01

Canine hip dysplasia (CHD), canine elbow dysplasia (CED), and humeral head osteochondrosis (HHOC) are inherited traits with uneven incidence in dog breeds. Knowledge of the combined prevalence of these three disorders is necessary to estimate the effect of the currently applied breeding strategies, in order to improve the genetic health of the population. Official screening results of the Belgian National Committee for Inherited Skeletal Disorders (NCSID) revealed that an average of 31.8% (CHD, CED, or both; n = 1273 dogs) and 47.2% (CHD, CED, HHOC, or a combination of these three diseases; n = 250 dogs) of dogs are mildly to severely affected by at least one skeletal disorder. According to the current breeding recommendations in some dog breeds in Belgium, these animals should be restricted (mild signs) or excluded (moderate to severe signs) from breeding. The introduction of genetic parameters, such as estimated breeding values, might create a better approach to gradually reduce the incidence of these complex inherited joint disorders, without compromising genetic population health.

Society and Social Justice: Problems of Political Education in West Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Siegfried

1981-01-01

Discusses social justice in West Germany within the context of the experience of Nazism, the economic disaster after World War II, and the successful development of the economy and welfare state since 1949. Refers to various textbooks and recent empirical studies on the political attitudes of students in West Germany. (Author/KC)

An exploratory study on cultural variations in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values of freshman (first-year) dental students.

PubMed

Kawamura, M; Wright, F A C; Declerck, D; Freire, M C M; Hu, D Y; Honkala, E; Lévy, G; Kalwitzki, M; Polychronopoulou, A; Yip, H K; Kinirons, M J; Eli, I; Petti, S; Komabayashi, T; Kim, K J; Razak, A A A; Srisilapanan, P; Kwan, S Y L

2005-08-01

To identify similarities and differences in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values among freshman dental students. Cross-cultural survey of dental students. 18 cultural areas. 904 first-year dental students completed the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) translated into their own languages. Individual areas were clustered by similarity in responses to the questions. The first group displayed an 'occidental-culture orientation' with the exception of Brazil (Cluster 1 comprised: Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Brazil, Cluster 2: Germany, Italy, Finland and France). The second group displayed an 'oriental-cultural orientation' with the exception of Greece and Israel (Cluster 3 comprised: China and Indonesia, and Cluster 4: Japan, Korea, Israel, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Greece). Australia and United Kingdom were the countries that were most alike. Ireland was the 'neighbour' to these countries. Greece and Malaysia had similar patterns of oral health behaviour although geographic conditions are very different. Although it was considered that in Hong Kong, occidental nations have affected the development of education, it remained in the oriental-culture group. Comparison with the data from the occidentals indicates that a higher percentage of the orientals put off going to the dentist until they have toothache (p < 0.001). Only a small proportion of the occidentals (8%) reported a perception of inevitability in having false teeth, whereas 33% of the orientals held this fatalistic belief (p = 0.001). Grouping the countries into key cultural orientations and international clusters yielded plausible results, using the HU-DBI.

Accessibility to cochlear implants in Belgium: state of the art on selection, reimbursement, habilitation, and outcomes in children and adults.

PubMed

De Raeve, Leo; Wouters, Annelies

2013-03-01

Belgium, and especially the northern region called Flanders, has been a center of expertise in cochlear implants and early hearing screening for many years. Some of their surgeons and engineers were pioneers in the development of cochlear implants and in 1998 Flanders was the first region in Europe to implement a universal hearing screening program for all neonates. The Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance has reimbursed cochlear implants in children and adults since 1994 and bilateral implantation in children under the age of 12 years since February 2010. These deaf children, screened and implanted early, achieve higher auditory, speech and language outcomes and increasing numbers are going to regular schools using fewer interpreters. In 2010, 93% of severe-to-profound deaf preschool children in Flanders had received cochlear implants and 25% had bilateral implants. Although on average twice as many adults as children are implanted a year in Belgium, we have less research data available from this adult population. Also very little is published about the growth curves and minimal rehabilitation requirements (intensity, duration etc.) after implantation for both children and adults. So, there still remain many challenges for the future.

75 FR 3444 - Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof From Germany: Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-21

... Thereof From Germany: Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed-Circumstances Review AGENCY: Import... bearings and parts thereof from Germany with respect to myonic GmbH. DATES: Effective Date: January 21... Germany on May 15, 1989. See Antidumping Duty Orders: Ball Bearings, Cylindrical Roller Bearings, and...

Survey on the Policy of Continuing Training in Large Firms. Case Studies in Belgium, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupont, Georges; Reis, Fernanda

A study examined employee training policies and their implementation in four or five large companies in five countries (Belgium, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom). Data were gathered through interviews by an expert in each of the countries using an interviewer's guide developed for the project (resulting in approximately 30…

Epidemiology of trichinellosis in Germany, 1996-2006.

PubMed

Jansen, Andreas; Schöneberg, Irene; Stark, Klaus; Nöckler, Karsten

2008-04-01

The epidemiology of trichinellosis in Germany was investigated by analyzing national surveillance data from 1996-2006. During this period, 95 laboratory-confirmed infections and 12 outbreaks were reported. The highest mean annual incidence was found in immigrants from southeast European countries (0.3 cases/100,000 vs. 0.01 cases/100,000 in the German population) with an incidence rate ratio of 26.0 (95% confidence interval 11.6-51.8). The predominant clinical symptom was muscle pain in 79 patients (83%). Mean diagnostic delay was 49 days. Among patients with reported source of infection (85%; n = 81), the consumption of pork (mostly originating from endemic countries) represented the most frequent exposure (93%; n = 75). In addition, trichinellosis cases were associated with both indigenous (n = 1) and imported (n = 5) wild boar meat. Although domestic pigs in Germany are practically free from Trichinella spp., the parasite was found in German wild animals such as wild boars, foxes, and racoon dogs. We conclude that trichinellosis still remains a public health issue in Germany, especially among individuals with a migrational background. Immigrants from endemic countries need to be educated about the risks of consuming raw or inadequately cooked pork and wild boar products from their homeland. In addition, German healthcare providers need to be aware of trichinellosis, especially in areas with a large immigrant population.

Lymphogranuloma venereum in men screened for pharyngeal and rectal infection, Germany.

PubMed

Haar, Karin; Dudareva-Vizule, Sandra; Wisplinghoff, Hilmar; Wisplinghoff, Fabian; Sailer, Andrea; Jansen, Klaus; Henrich, Birgit; Marcus, Ulrich

2013-03-01

To determine prevalence of lymphogranuloma venereum among men who have sex with men in Germany, we conducted a multicenter study during 2009-2010 and found high rates of rectal and pharyngeal infection in men positive for the causative agent, Chlamydia trachomatis. Many infections were asymptomatic. An adjusted C. trachomatis screening policy is justified in Germany.

Military Post Office Mail Distribution Scheme (MPOMDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

VIENNA) 09667-0001 AMERICAN EMBASSY BELGIUM (BRUSSELS) 34032-0001 AMERICAN EMBASSY BOLIVIA (LA PAZ) 34030-0001 AMERICAN EMBASSY BRAZIL (BRASILA) 34033...1801 3 INF DIV, NCO ACADEMY 09036- 2018 3 INF, REPL DET 09701-1815 3 MATERIAL MAINT CMD 09182-1823 3 MED BN 09164-3443 3 MED DET 09164-3433 3 MED DET

Cost-effectiveness analysis of pneumococcal vaccination of adults and elderly persons in Belgium.

PubMed

De Graeve, D; Lombaert, G; Goossens, H

2000-06-01

To analyse the direct medical costs and effectiveness of vaccinating adults aged between 18 and 64 years and elderly persons > or = 65 years of age with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. This was a decision-analytic modelling study from the societal perspective in Belgium. The analysis compared 'vaccination' with 'no vaccination and treatment'. Calculations were based on the assumption that vaccination is as effective against all pneumococcal infections as it is against invasive pneumococcal disease. Data on the incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis, frequency of hospitalisation, mortality rates and vaccine effectiveness were derived from the international literature. Costs were derived from analysis of historical data for cases of pneumococcal infection in Belgium. Vaccinating 1000 adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years gains approximately 2 life-years in comparison with the no vaccination option. However, to realise these additional health benefits requires additional costs of 11,800 European Currency Units (ECU; 1995 values) per life-year saved. Vaccinating 1000 elderly people (> or = 65 years) leads to > 9 life-years gained as well as a small monetary benefit of ECU1250. An extensive sensitivity analysis did not greatly affect the results for the elderly population: vaccination in this age group always remained favourable, and thus it is clearly indicated from an economic point of view. A crucial assumption for both age groups is that the effectiveness of the vaccine holds for all pneumococcal pneumonia. It is clear that the results will become less favourable if this assumption is dropped. Preventing pneumococcal infections by vaccination clearly benefits people's health. Reimbursement can be recommended for the elderly group; however, more accurate epidemiological data are still needed to make decisions concerning routine pneumococcal vaccination in adults < 65 years of age. Unfortunately, the issue of whether the

"Spiegeldorf": Nazi Appeals in Weimar Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprague, Gregory A.

The paper discusses rationales for simulation gaming and describes "Spiegeldorf," a socio-historical game which simulates socioeconomic conditions in early 1930 Germany and Nazi party tactics used to gain mass support. Objectives are to identify characteristic Nazi tactics and points of political ideology, describe German social classes…

West Germany: Federal Structure, Political Influence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toogood, Alex

1978-01-01

Describes the organizational structure of the broadcasting industry in West Germany which is unique because of the federal, public, and political elements involved. Special problems that arise from this framework are discussed, including financing, programing, creative vs technical advances, concepts of production values, and political balance.…

Dental hygiene education in Germany: Between economics and emotions.

PubMed

Offermanns, B; Petersilka, G J

2017-08-30

To date, there is still no IFDH approved dental hygienist (DH) education model in Germany. Nevertheless, opportunities to complete vocational DH education courses have substantially increased within the last two decades. However, the content and quality of these courses vary greatly and are difficult to survey. The purpose of this article therefore was to present an overview of the education programmes offered in Germany as of March 2017. A formal request was sent to all education establishments for details of such courses, and a systematic internet search was performed covering the DH education topic in Germany. Ten vocational education programmes were found, most of them organized by local dental chambers. One private provider offers a Bachelor Degree in Dental Hygiene on completion of a course which runs over 2 or 3 ys. Details of contents, objectives and concise ratings or comparisons of the various courses are scarce, although in principle all should meet the same quality standards. For dental hygiene students, patients and dentists, it is hard and unsatisfactory to get a clear overview of the types and the quality of DH education which can be achieved in Germany. A solution for this dilemma would appear to be essential. However, due to the peculiarities of German legislation as well as the complex sphere of vested interests, it is impossible to predict if or when the situation will change for the better. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How to overcome hurdles in opiate substitution treatment? A qualitative study with general practitioners in Belgium.

PubMed

Fraeyman, Jessica; Symons, Linda; Van Royen, Paul; Van Hal, Guido; Peremans, Lieve

2016-06-01

Opiate substitution treatment (OST) is the administration of opioids (methadone or buprenorphine) under medical supervision for opiate addiction. Several studies indicate a large unmet need for OST in general practice in Antwerp, Belgium. Some hurdles remain before GPs engage in OST prescribing. Formulate recommendations to increase engagement of GPs in OST, applicable to Belgium and beyond. In 2009, an exploratory qualitative research was performed using focus group discussions and interviews with GPs. During data collection and analysis, purposive sampling, open and axial coding was applied. The script was composed around the advantages, disadvantages and conditions of engaging in OST in general practice. We conducted six focus groups and two interviews, with GPs experienced in prescribing OST (n = 13), inexperienced GPs (n = 13), and physicians from addiction centres (n = 5). Overall, GPs did not seem very willing to prescribe OST for opiate users. A lack of knowledge about OST and misbehaving patients creates anxiety and makes the GPs reluctant to learn more about OST. The GPs refer to a lack of collaboration with the addiction centres and a need of support (from either addiction centres or experienced GP-colleagues for advice). Important conditions for OST are acceptance of only stable opiate users and more support in emergencies. Increasing GPs' knowledge about OST and improving collaboration with addiction centres are essential to increase the uptake of OST in general practice. Special attention could be paid to the role of more experienced colleagues who can act as advising physicians for inexperienced GPs.

Contribution of chronic conditions to gender disparities in health expectancies in Belgium, 2001, 2004 and 2008.

PubMed

Yokota, Renata T C; Nusselder, Willma J; Robine, Jean-Marie; Tafforeau, Jean; Renard, Françoise; Deboosere, Patrick; Van Oyen, Herman

2018-06-15

We aimed to investigate the contribution of chronic conditions to gender differences in disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and life expectancy with disability (LED) in Belgium in 2001, 2004 and 2008. Data on disability and chronic conditions from participants of the 2001, 2004 and 2008 Health Interview Surveys in Belgium were used to estimate disability prevalence by cause using the attribution method. Disability prevalence was applied to life tables to estimate DFLE and LED using the Sullivan method. Decomposition techniques were used to assess the contribution of mortality and disability and further of causes of death and disability to gender disparities in DFLE and LED. Higher LE, DFLE and LED were observed for women compared with men in all years studied. A decrease in the gender gap in LE (2001: 5.9; 2004: 5.6; 2008: 5.3) was observed in our cross-sectional approach followed by a decrease in gender differences in DFLE (2001: 1.9; 2004: 1.3; 2008: 0.5) and increase in LED (2001: 4.0; 2004: 4.4; 2008: 4.8). The higher LED in women was attributed to their lower mortality due to lung/larynx/trachea cancer, ischaemic heart diseases, and external causes (2001 and 2004) and higher disability prevalence due to musculoskeletal conditions (2008). Higher DFLE was observed in women owing to their lower mortality from lung/larynx/trachea cancer, ischaemic heart diseases, digestive cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. To promote healthy ageing of populations, priority should be given to reduce the LED disadvantage in women by targeting non-fatal diseases, such as musculoskeletal conditions.

Lymphogranuloma Venereum in Men Screened for Pharyngeal and Rectal Infection, Germany

PubMed Central

Dudareva-Vizule, Sandra; Wisplinghoff, Hilmar; Wisplinghoff, Fabian; Sailer, Andrea; Jansen, Klaus; Henrich, Birgit; Marcus, Ulrich

2013-01-01

To determine prevalence of lymphogranuloma venereum among men who have sex with men in Germany, we conducted a multicenter study during 2009–2010 and found high rates of rectal and pharyngeal infection in men positive for the causative agent, Chlamydia trachomatis. Many infections were asymptomatic. An adjusted C. trachomatis screening policy is justified in Germany. PMID:23621949