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Training participation and the role of reciprocal attitudes
Get PDFUsing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, I examine the relation between workers' reciprocal attitudes, as measured in 2005 and 2010, and participation in work-related training courses in 2007 and 2013, respectively. Theory predicts that employers find it more profitable to invest in human capital of workers who have positively reciprocal attitudes, because they are more likely to return their employer's kindness with higher effort and/or loyalty. The findings are mixed, depending on the survey year. I find that positively reciprocal workers are more likely to participate in employer-financed training in 2007, in particular when training is general. Also, consistent with theoretical expectations, I do not find a relation between workers' reciprocal attitudes and participation in training that is not financed by the employer. However, workers' reciprocal attitudes are not related to training participation in 2013. A possible explanation is that employers use training to induce reciprocal feelings in a slack labour market only. (JEL codes: M53 and D91)
Ionizing Radiation Quality and Dose Effects on DNA Double Strand Break Repai
Get PDFThe use of alpha particles irradiation in clinical practice has gained interest in the past years,
for example with the advance of radionuclide therapy. The lack of affordable and easily accessible irradiation systems to study the cell biological impact of alpha particles hampers broad
investigation. Here we present a novel alpha particle irradiation set-up for uniform irradiation
of cell cultures. By combining a small alpha emitting source and a computer-directed movement stage, we established a new alpha particle irradiation method allowing more advanced
biological assays, including large-field local alpha particle irradiation and cell survival assays.
In addition, this protocol uses cell culture on glass cover-slips which allows more advanced
microscopy, such as super-resolution imaging, for in-depth analysis of the DNA damage caused
by alpha particles. This novel irradiation set-up provides the possibility to perform reproducible, uniform and directed alpha particle irradiation to investigate the impact of alpha radiation
on the cellular level
Public sector employee well-being: examining its determinants using the JD-R and P-E fit models
Get PDFIn this chapter, we focus on employee well-being within the public sector, and especially on its main determinants, using two theoretical models: the job demands–resources (JD-R) model and the person–environment (P-E) fit model. These are not the only models that have been deployed in empirical studies but are, in the literature, often seen as the main theoretical frameworks for studying well-being issues in organizations. Further, these models are relevant here as they clarify how individual, job, and organizational characteristics have a (positive or negative) effect on employee well-being. Although these models are general, and have not been specifically developed for the public sector, we will show that they can easily be applied in a public sector context
Clinical and Functional Consequences of C-Terminal Variants in MCT8: A Case Series
Get PDFCONTEXT: Genetic variants in SLC16A2, encoding the thyroid hormone transporter MCT8, can cause intellectual and motor disability and abnormal serum thyroid function tests, known as MCT8 deficiency. The C-terminal domain of MCT8 is poorly conserved, which complicates prediction of the deleteriousness of variants in this region. We studied the functional consequences of 5 novel variants within this domain and their relation to the clinical phenotypes. METHODS: We enrolled male subjects with intellectual disability in whom genetic variants were identified in exon 6 of SLC16A2. The impact of identified variants was evaluated in transiently transfected cell lines and patient-derived fibroblasts. RESULTS: Seven individuals from 5 families harbored potentially deleterious variants affecting the C-terminal domain of MCT8. Two boys with clinical features considered atypical for MCT8 deficiency had a missense variant [c.1724A>G;p.(His575Arg) or c.1796A>G;p.(Asn599Ser)] that did not affect MCT8 function in transfected cells or patient-derived fibroblasts, challenging a causal relationship. Two brothers with classical MCT8 deficiency had a truncating c.1695delT;p.(Val566*) variant that completely inactivated MCT8 in vitro. The 3 other boys had relatively less-severe clinical features and harbored frameshift variants that elongate the MCT8 protein [c.1805delT;p.(Leu602HisfsTer680) and c.del1826-1835;p.(Pro609GlnfsTer676)] and retained ~50% residual activity. Additional truncating variants within transmembrane domain 12 were fully inactivating, whereas those within the intracellular C-terminal tail were tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Variants affecting the intracellular C-terminal tail of MCT8 are likely benign unless they cause frameshifts that elongate the MCT8 protein. These findings provide clinical guidance in the assessment of the pathogenicity of variants within the C-terminal domain of MCT8
Novel insights into the Pathophysiology of Group II Pulmonary Hypertension Impact on the pulmonary vasculature and right ventricle
Get PDFThis thesis describes novel insights into pathophysiological mechanisms in pulmonary hypertension as a result of problems of the left heart. The author investigated why some patients deteriorate, even when the initial cause of the disease is cured. Furthermore, several pharmacotherapeutic approaches to stop the deterioration were tested
Expert consensus on moving towards a value-based healthcare system in the Netherlands
Get PDFObjectives: While the uptake of value-based health care (VBHC) is remarkable, uncertainty prevails regarding the most important actions and practices in establishing a value-based healthcare system. In this paper, we generate expert consensus on the most important aspects of VBHC.
Design: The Delphi technique was used to reach consensus on the most important practices in moving towards a value-based healthcare system.
Setting and participants: A Dutch expert panel consisting of nine members participated in a two-round survey.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: We developed 39 initial items based on the pioneering literature on VBHC and recent health policies in the Netherlands. Experts rated the importance of each item on a 4-point Likert scale. Experts could change items or add new ones as they saw fit. We retained items that were rated (very) important by ≥80% of the panel.
Results: After two survey rounds, 32 items (72%) were included through expert consensus. Experts unanimously agree on the importance of shared decision-making, with this item uniquely obtaining the maximum score. Experts also reached consensus on the importance of outcome measurements, a focus on medical conditions, and full cycles of care. No consensus was reached on the importance of benchmarking.
Conclusion: This paper provides new insight into the most important actions and practices for establishing a value-based healthcare system in the Netherlands. Interestingly, several of our findings contrast with the pioneering literature on VBHC. This raises the question whether VBHC’s widespread international uptake indicates its actual implementation, or rather that the original concept primarily serves as an inspiring idea
A shifting yet grounded transnational social field: Interplays of displacement and emplacement in African migrant trajectories across Central America
Get PDFIn this article, we draw on the volatile complexity of African migrant trajectories in Central America to broaden the scope of transnational scholarship. These trajectories are characterised by mobilities as well as immobilities, taking shape in particular local contexts. By focusing on the interplays between displacement and emplacement that are part of these trajectories, we aim to increase our understanding of the extent to which migrants still ‘on the move’ experience both temporal embeddedness and cross-border connectedness, thereby acknowledging and unravelling transnational lives as they ‘touch the ground’ en route. To do so, we build on long-standing scholarly commitments in Central and South America and recent field research in Costa Rica. We go into selected empirical cases to discuss the dynamics of travelling, dwelling and travelling again as part of African migrant trajectories across Central America. We then explore the value of a ‘shifting’ transnational social field perspective and indicate some challenges for future trajectory research
Changes in motor nerve excitability in acute phase Guillain-Barré syndrome
Get PDFBackground: The most common subtypes of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) are acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN). In the first days after the onset of weakness, standard nerve conduction studies (NCS) may not distinguish GBS subtypes. Reduced nerve excitability may be an early symptom of nerve dysfunction, which can be determined with the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan. The aim of this study was to explore whether early changes in motor nerve excitability in GBS patients are related to various subtypes. Methods: Prospective case–control study in 19 GBS patients from The Netherlands and 22 from Bangladesh. CMAP scans were performed within 2 days of hospital admission and NCS 7–14 days after onset of weakness. CMAP scans were also performed in age- and country-matched controls. Results: CMAP scan patterns of patients who were classified as AMAN were distinctly different compared to the CMAP scan patterns of the patients who were classified as AIDP. The most pronounced differences were found in the stimulus intensity parameters. Conclusions: CMAP scans made at hospital admission demonstrate several characteristics that can be used as an early indicator of GBS subtype
Conceptwetsvoorstel dubbele achternaam
Get PDFDe auteur behandelt het conceptwetsvoorstel dubbele achternaam van 8 februari 202