Introduction: Besides dyspnoea and cough, patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or sarcoidosis may experience distressing non-respiratory symptoms, such as fatigue or muscle weakness. However, whether and to what extent symptom burden differs between patients with IPF or sarcoidosis and individuals without respiratory disease remains currently unknown. Objectives: To study the respiratory and non-respiratory burden of multiple symptoms in patients with IPF or sarcoidosis and to compare the symptom burden with individuals without impaired spirometric values, FVC and FEV1 (controls). Methods: Demographics and symptoms were assessed in 59 patients with IPF, 60 patients with sarcoidosis and 118 controls (age ≥18 years). Patients with either condition were matched to controls by sex and age. Severity of 14 symptoms was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. Results: 44 patients with IPF (77.3% male; age 70.6±5.5 years) and 44 matched controls, and 45 patients with sarcoidosis (48.9% male; age 58.1±8.6 year) and 45 matched controls were analyzed. Patients with IPF scored higher on 11 symptoms compared to controls (p<0.05), with the largest differences for dyspnoea, cough, fatigue, muscle weakness and insomnia. Patients with sarcoidosis scored higher on all 14 symptoms (p<0.05), with the largest differences for dyspnoea, fatigue, cough, muscle weakness, insomnia, pain, itch, thirst, micturition (night, day). Conclusions: Generally, respiratory and non-respiratory symptom burden is significantly higher in patients with IPF or sarcoidosis compared to controls. This emphasizes the importance of awareness for respiratory and non-respiratory symptom burden in IPF or sarcoidosis and the need for additional research to study the underlying mechanisms and subsequent interventions.
Aims: identify and explain purchasing-oriented patterns in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) via case study research.Scope: Using a conceptual framework and empirical research this article proposes a series of purchasing-oriented patterns in SMEs. These patterns align activities to achieve the SMEs proposed value proposition towards customers and activities to purchase resources needed for realizing the value proposition.Structure: This paper introduces the research topic. It discusses a conceptual framework and theory. It then continues with the methodology to collect and analyse case study data and describes empirical finding. It discusses these findings related to the framework and literature and ends with summarizing first conclusions.Conclusion: The SMEs in the dataset use four types of purchasing-oriented patterns related to their customer value propositions These SMEs can strive for low transaction costs can but invest in extrinsic product attributes to realize their value proposition. Both the transaction cost theory and the resource based view help to explain the purchasing-oriented patterns. Further research is needed to strengthen and validate findings.
Beweegrichtlijnen geven aan hoeveel beweging nodig is voor een goede gezondheid van jong tot oud. Voor een gezonde leefstijl van kinderen zijn bewegen, samen spelen, samen leren en samen werken van groot belang, maar dat geldt ook voor ouderen. Picoo brengt het belang van bewegen en samenzijn bij elkaar. Dat zorgt voor een goede ontwikkeling van het kind, het welzijn van ouderen en het verstevigen van het bewegen en samenzijn in de maatschappij. Project: Actief Plezier met Picoo: Jong en Oud in Beweging! Vraag: Draagt Picoo bij aan meer beweging en verbinding tussen kinderen en ouderen door samen te bewegen? Doel: Het inzetten van Picoo leidt tot meer samen beweging, waardoor welzijn van ouderen en ontwikkeling van het kind en meer beweging wordt vergroot. Methode: Mixed method observatieonderzoek /survey/kort gesprek Kinderen tot 18 jaar en senioren 65 plus met een zorgvraag T0: kinderen en ouderen krijgen uitleg over het gebruik van Picoo Interventie: Picoo is een controller en spelcomputer ineen, ontwikkeld om kinderen (maar ook volwassen) interactief buiten te laten spelen.6 Tijdens de actieve games heeft elke deelnemer een eigen controller. De controllers staan met elkaar in verbinding. T1 Tijdens het spel wordt d.m.v. een observatielijst gekeken hoe jong en oud reageren op het samen spelen met Picoo. T2 Na het spel geven kinderen en ouderen door middel van Visual Analogue Scale (smileys) wat hun ervaringen zijn. T3 Na het spel gaan kinderen en ouderen kort met elkaar in gesprek over hun ervaringen Uitvoering: Interdisciplinaire mix van studenten Verpleegkunde, Fysiotherapie, Mens en Techniek en Social Work Eindproduct: Nieuwe testcase en input voor doorontwikkeling Picoo richting verbinding jong en oud. Kennis over mogelijkheden/ervaringen over verbinding door beweging wordt gedissemineerd naar de praktijk en onderwijs. Resultaten worden gerapporteerd en gepubliceerd op relevante sites zoals bijvoorbeeld kenniscentrum sport en bewegen, zorginstellingen en scholen.
Electrohydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA), also known as Electrospray (ES), is a technology which uses strong electric fields to manipulate liquid atomization. Among many other areas, electrospray is currently used as an important tool for biomedical applications (droplet encapsulation), water technology (thermal desalination and metal recovery) and material sciences (nanofibers and nano spheres fabrication, metal recovery, selective membranes and batteries). A complete review about the particularities of this technology and its applications was recently published in a special edition of the Journal of Aerosol Sciences [1]. Even though EHDA is already applied in many different industrial processes, there are not many controlling tools commercially available which can be used to remotely operate the system as well as identify some spray characteristics, e.g. droplet size, operational mode, droplet production ratio. The AECTion project proposes the development of an innovative controlling system based on the electrospray current, signal processing & control and artificial intelligence to build a non-visual tool to control and characterize EHDA processes.
The seaweed aquaculture sector, aimed at cultivation of macroalgal biomass to be converted into commercial applications, can be placed within a sustainable and circular economy framework. This bio-based sector has the potential to aid the European Union meet multiple EU Bioeconomy Strategy, EU Green Deal and Blue Growth Strategy objectives. Seaweeds play a crucial ecological role within the marine environment and provide several ecosystem services, from the take up of excess nutrients from surrounding seawater to oxygen production and potentially carbon sequestration. Sea lettuce, Ulva spp., is a green seaweed, growing wild in the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Sea lettuce has a high nutritional value and is a promising source for food, animal feed, cosmetics and more. Sea lettuce, when produced in controlled conditions like aquaculture, can supplement our diet with healthy and safe proteins, fibres and vitamins. However, at this moment, Sea lettuce is hardly exploited as resource because of its unfamiliarity but also lack of knowledge about its growth cycle, its interaction with microbiota and eventually, possible applications. Even, it is unknown which Ulva species are available for aquaculture (algaculture) and how these species can contribute to a sustainable aquaculture biomass production. The AQULVA project aims to investigate which Ulva species are available in the North Sea and Wadden Sea which can be utilised in onshore aquaculture production. Modern genomic, microbiomic and metabolomic profiling techniques alongside ecophysiological production research must reveal suitable Ulva selections with high nutritional value for sustainable onshore biomass production. Selected Ulva spp lines will be used for production of healthy and safe foods, anti-aging cosmetics and added value animal feed supplements for dairy farming. This applied research is in cooperation with a network of SME’s, Research Institutes and Universities of Applied Science and is liaised with EU initiatives like the EU-COST action “SeaWheat”.
