OBJECTIVE: Perceived fatigue significantly impacts quality of life after burns, yet how often it occurs is unknown. Therefor this study assessed the prevalence of perceived fatigue of burn survivors.METHODS: In February 2023, a systematic literature search was performed in CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science. Studies reporting the prevalence of post-burn perceived fatigue were included.RESULTS: In ten cross-sectional studies of moderate-high quality with measurements between 5.3 days and 42 years post burn, the prevalence of perceived fatigue varied between 5 % and 78 % with no apparent time trends. Broad study populations hindered explaining this varying prevalence by age or %TBSA. In four high-quality longitudinal studies with 3-5 measurements between 1 and 24 months post burn, the prevalence decreased over time, dropping from approximately 70 to 50 % in adults and 65 to 28 % in children. Studies used various measurement instruments and cut-off points for operationalizing perceived fatigue, severely limiting the interpretation and comparison of prevalence rates across studies.CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence and persistent nature of perceived fatigue among burn survivors emphasize its crucial role in burn rehabilitation. Future studies should prioritize identifying individuals with adverse trajectories of perceived fatigue and unravelling underlying mechanisms to develop effective treatments for reducing post-burn perceived fatigue.
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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the prevalence and predictors of reconstructive surgery among pediatric burn patients in the Netherlands.METHODS: Pediatric burn patients were identified through the Dutch Burn Repository R3. Eligibility criteria included a burn requiring hospital admission or surgical treatment at one of the Dutch burn centers in 2009-2019. First, patient, burn, and treatment characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics. Second, time to the first reconstructive surgery was modelled using Kaplan Meier curves. Third, a prediction model was developed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The model's performance was assessed using calibration, discrimination, and explained variance. Fourth, internal validation was performed using bootstrapping.RESULTS: Approximately three percent (n = 84) of pediatric patients (n = 3072) required reconstructive surgery between the initial burn-related hospital admission and September 2021. Median time to the first reconstructive surgery was 1.2 (0.7-1.6) years. Most surgeries were performed on the face, arm, neck, hand, or anterior trunk, owing to contractures or hypertrophic scarring. Predictors of reconstruction included the etiology, anatomical site, extent of full-thickness burn, surgical treatment in the acute phase, and length of hospital stay.CONCLUSION: Our study provided an overview of the prevalence and independent predictors of reconstructive surgery in the pediatric burn population.
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ObjectiveIn the Netherlands, persons of Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese descent form the largest groups of non-western immigrants. A high prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia has been described in immigrant populations in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. We determined the prevalence of MCI and dementia in older community-dwelling adults from the largest non-western immigrant groups in the Netherlands.MethodsParticipants, aged 55 years and older, of Turkish, Moroccan (Arabic or Berber), Surinamese (Creole or Hindustani) or Dutch descent were recruited via their general practitioners. Cognitive deficits were assessed using the Cross-Cultural Dementia screening instrument, which was validated in poorly educated people from different cultures. Differences in prevalence rates of MCI and dementia between the immigrant groups and a native Dutch group were analysed using chi-square tests.ResultsWe included 2254 participants. Their mean age was 65.0 years (standard deviation, 7.5), and 44.4% were male. The prevalence of MCI was 13.0% in Turkish, 10.1% in Moroccan–Arabic, 9.4% in Moroccan–Berber and 11.9% in Surinamese–Hindustani participants, compared to 5.9% in Surinamese–Creoles and 3.3% in native Dutch. The prevalence of dementia was 14.8% in Turkish, 12.2% in Moroccan Arabic, 11.3% in Moroccan Berber and 12.6% in Surinamese–Hindustani participants, compared to 4.0% in Surinamese–Creoles and 3.5% in native Dutch.ConclusionsMCI and dementia were three to four times more prevalent in the majority of non-western immigrant groups when compared to the native Dutch population. These differences are important for planning and improving healthcare facilities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Electronic Sports (esports) is a form of digital entertainment, referred to as "an organised and competitive approach to playing computer games". Its popularity is growing rapidly as a result of an increased prevalence of online gaming, accessibility to technology and access to elite competition.Esports teams are always looking to improve their performance, but with fast-paced interaction, it can be difficult to establish where and how performance can be improved. While qualitative methods are commonly employed and effective, their widespread use provides little differentiation among competitors and struggles with pinpointing specific issues during fast interactions. This is where recent developments in both wearable sensor technology and machine learning can offer a solution. They enable a deep dive into player reactions and strategies, offering insights that surpass traditional qualitative coaching techniquesBy combining insights from gameplay data, team communication data, physiological measurements, and visual tracking, this project aims to develop comprehensive tools that coaches and players can use to gain insight into the performance of individual players and teams, thereby aiming to improve competitive outcomes. Societal IssueAt a societal level, the project aims to revolutionize esports coaching and performance analysis, providing teams with a multi-faceted view of their gameplay. The success of this project could lead to widespread adoption of similar technologies in other competitive fields. At a scientific level, the project could be the starting point for establishing and maintaining further collaboration within the Dutch esports research domain. It will enhance the contribution from Dutch universities to esports research and foster discussions on optimizing coaching and performance analytics. In addition, the study into capturing and analysing gameplay and player data can help deepen our understanding into the intricacies and complexities of teamwork and team performance in high-paced situations/environments. Collaborating partnersTilburg University, Breda Guardians.
Since the 1970s, Caribbean reefs have transitioned from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems. The prevalence of algae reduces coral recruitment, rendering the reefs unable to recover from additional disturbances and jeopardizing crucial ecosystem services, including coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. One of the main factors to the proliferation of algae is the scarcity of grazers, which is a result of overfishing and disease outbreaks. While fishing supports livelihoods, enhances local food security, and is an integral part of the Caribbean communities' culture, it remains a significant threat to coral reefs. Consequently, the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP) 2020-2030, outlining conservation and restoration priorities in the Caribbean Netherlands, underscores the necessity of an integrated approach to tackle the complex challenges of coral reef restoration and fisheries development. The Saba government, and nature management organizations of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are implementing the NEPP. Together with University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen University and WWF, they aim to identify novel species of native invertebrate grazers with the dual purpose of reef restoration and fisheries diversification. The Caribbean king crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), the West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes ventricosus), and the West Indian top shell (Cittarium pica) have been identified as potential candidates. Despite their preference to graze on macroalgae, their current densities are inadequate. Population enhancement of these species holds promise for reducing algae, promoting biodiversity, and simultaneously supporting small-scale fisheries. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the ecological effects and socio-economic potential of these grazers. The ReefGrazers project aims to assess the current densities of these herbivores around the BES islands, analyze their impacts on the reef, and evaluate their retention post-restocking. Socio-economic research will quantify current small-scale fishing practices, while market analysis will help assess the potential for the development of these novel resources as sustainable fisheries.
To optimize patient care, it is vital to prevent infections in healthcare facilities. In this respect, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains threatens public healthcare. Current gold standard techniques are based on classical microbiological assays that are time consuming and need complex expensive lab environments. This limits their use for high throughput bacterial screening to perform optimal hygiene control. The infection prevention workers in hospitals and elderly nursing homes underline the urgency of a point-of-care tool that is able to detect bacterial loads on-site in a fast, precise and reliable manner while remaining with the available budgets. The aim of this proposal titled SURFSCAN is to develop a novel point-of-care tool for bacterial load screening on various surfaces throughout the daily routine of professionals in healthcare facilities. Given the expertise of the consortium partners, the point-of-care tool will be based on a biomimetic sensor combining surface imprinted polymers (SIPs), that act as synthetic bacterial receptors, with a thermal read-out strategy for detection. The functionality and performance of this biomimetic sensor has been shown in lab conditions and published in peer reviewed journals. Within this proposal, key elements will be optimized to translate the proof of principle concept into a complete clinical prototype for on-site application. These elements are essential for final implementation of the device as a screening and assessment tool for scanning bacterial loads on surfaces by hospital professionals. The research project offers a unique collaboration among different end-users (hospitals and SMEs), and knowledge institutions (Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Maastricht Science Programme, IDEE-Maastricht University), which guarantees transfer of fundamental knowledge to the market and end-user needs.
