242 results
Search Results
2. Innovating Teachers' Professional Learning through Digital Technologies. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 237
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Minea-Pic, Andreea
- Abstract
Digital technologies offer immense potential for transforming teacher learning and the delivery of professional development activities throughout teachers' careers. As the COVID-19 pandemic has made face-to-face professional learning challenging or impossible for teachers to attend in many contexts, online professional learning options for teachers have been receiving renewed attention. This paper puts forward research evidence on the effectiveness of various forms of online learning for teachers and adults, and examines prerequisite conditions for enhancing teacher learning through digital technologies. Teachers' engagement in online learning activities, as captured by OECD surveys, remained limited in many OECD countries before the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper provides a basis for investigating how policies can support teachers' engagement in professional learning using digital technologies and help strike a balance between system-level provision of online teacher professional learning opportunities and the facilitation of teacher-led initiatives.
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- 2020
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3. Education Systems, Education Reforms, and Adult Skills in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). OECD Education Working Papers, No. 182
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Liu, Huacong
- Abstract
This study uses the PIAAC data to examine the relationships between education system characteristics (e.g. early tracking and vocational education orientation) and distributions of adult numeracy skills. It also investigates the effects of postponing the tracking age and easing university access for students on a vocational track on the average skills and different percentiles of the skills distribution. Correlational analysis suggests that education systems with more students enrolled in vocational tracks have on average higher levels of numeracy skills and more compressed skills distributions between the 50th and 90th percentiles. Further analysis suggests that postponing the tracking age among 14 European countries does not have a significant effect on the average skills of the population. However, it increases skills for individuals at the 10th, 20th, and 30th percentiles of the skill distribution. Expanding university access is associated with an increase in numeracy skills, particularly for individuals at the bottom three deciles of the distribution.
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- 2018
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4. Het archief van de Centrale der Boek- en Papiernijverheid-afdeling Gent.
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Langouche, Jessica
- Subjects
TRADE associations ,BOOK industry ,DECENTRALIZATION in management - Abstract
Copyright of Brood & Rozen: Tijdschrift voor de Geschiedenis van Sociale Bewegingen is the property of AMSAB - Institute of Social History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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- 2010
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5. Towards a Novel Technology Transfer Office Typology and Recommendations for Developing Countries
- Author
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Fai, Felicia M., de Beer, Christle, and Schutte, Corne S. L.
- Abstract
Potentially, technology transfer offices (TTOs) can play a significant role in facilitating the successful transfer of technologies and knowledge between universities and industry. Many developing countries are currently developing technology transfer practices within their universities. However, many developing country TTOs operate inefficiently or are ineffective. The sharing of experiences can lead to improvements in this endeavour. Advanced nations can serve as a frame of reference and a basis of policy recommendations for developing countries due to the longevity of their technology transfer activities. The authors issued 234 questionnaires to European university TTOs, of which 54 usable questionnaires were returned. They combine the data from these questionnaires with 19 interviews conducted with university TTO staff from 9 countries in an attempt to create a typology of practices that developing nations could emulate to improve technology transfer in their own contexts. While ultimately a clear typology was not forthcoming, the authors found some relationship between the dominant focus in the mission statement of developed country TTOs, the activities they undertake, their position in the university governance structure and their level of maturity which may usefully inform the development of TTO practices in developing countries.
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- 2018
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6. SPE issues call for papers
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ADDITIVES , *ENGINEERS' associations , *CONFERENCES & conventions - Abstract
The Additives & Colors Europe Division (ACE) of the Society of Plastics Engineers Europe is organizing the 6th European Additives & Colors Conference and has issued a call for papers. The event will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, on 11–12 March 2009. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2008
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7. Prevalence of Loneliness in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.
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Schroyen, S., Janssen, N., Duffner, L. A., Veenstra, M., Pyrovolaki, E., Salmon, E., and Adam, S.
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PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,LONELINESS ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,LITERATURE reviews ,MEDLINE ,COVID-19 pandemic ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,OLD age - Abstract
Objectives. To review the prevalence of loneliness (during/after COVID-19) in older people. Design. Scoping review using Medline and PsycInfo for worldwide prevalence estimates (white published literature search) and Google for prevalence data inside the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (grey literature). Setting. Worldwide prevalence estimates and a focus on the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. Participants. Papers published between 2016 and 2022 and a mean age of minimum of 65 years. Measurements. Prevalence estimates for older people. Results. The white literature search yielded 37 articles. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness estimates were the highest in Nigeria (46%) and the lowest in Australia (5%) (mean prevalence was 25.6%). Loneliness was reported to be higher in specific populations, for example, people living in specific communities such as senior housing communities or with impairments, than in the general population, with a mean prevalence estimate of 47.8%. During COVID-19, the prevalence of loneliness was higher than that before the pandemic: we observed a mean prevalence of 39.4%, in comparison to 25.6 before COVID-19. The grey literature search showed that, compared to Belgium and the Netherlands (13.5% and 36.5%, respectively), loneliness estimates were the lowest in Germany, with a mean prevalence of 7.7%. Conclusion. Large international differences in the prevalence of loneliness were observed between countries and populations studied. Several hypotheses could explain such differences, including sociocultural or historical-political characteristics. Without surprise, the pandemic and associated measures were linked to a higher level of loneliness. Furthermore, recommendations for addressing loneliness, including interventions, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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8. Immigrant Minority Languages and Multilingual Education in Europe: A Literature Review
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Elizabeth Pérez-Izaguirre, Gorka Roman, and María Orcasitas-Vicandi
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Immigrant minority (IM) languages have a significant presence in certain European regions. Nonetheless, these languages are not usually included in the school curriculum. This paper aims to analyse the studies published between 2010 and 2020 considering IM languages in multilingual European education contexts. The method included a search of academic papers published in the databases ERIC, Web of Science and Scopus, which yielded 42 studies. The studies were analysed by considering: (1) the demographic characteristics of the countries where the studies were conducted, (2) the sociolinguistic or psycholinguistic focus of the papers in relation to the European country, and (3) the characteristics of the bi-multilingual education programme including IM languages. The results indicate that: (1) the demographic characteristics of the country are not strictly related to the number of studies published, (2) most studies have a sociolinguistic approach even though many studies analyse both sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic factors, and (3) only seven multilingual education programmes including IM languages were described in these papers. We conclude that there is a lack of research focusing on IM languages in educational settings and discuss how addressing these gaps could create opportunities for building equitable multilingual communities in Europe.
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- 2024
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9. COVID-19 policy analysis for 10 European countries.
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Takefuji, Yoshiyasu
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HEALTH policy ,COVID-19 ,POLICY analysis ,HERD immunity ,PUBLIC health ,TIME series analysis ,SOCIAL distancing ,POLICY sciences ,COVID-19 testing - Abstract
Aim: The goal of this paper is to analyze the COVID-19 policies of 10 European countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Hungary, with a time-series policy analysis tool. Subject and methods: The results of the COVID-19 policy analysis are based on a single time-series indicator, or daily population mortality rate: the number of COVID-19 daily cumulative deaths divided by the population in millions. The lower the score, the better the policy. Although many experts believe that the COVID-19 policy outcome analysis is premature, time series analysis is an excellent analysis that can provide information on the progress and transition of policy outcomes. In other words, the proposed time series analysis tool allows policymakers to identify and quantify when mistakes were made during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The COVID-19 policy analysis discovered many useful facts. Sweden failed due to the herd immunity approach. Hungary made a fundamental mistake in COVID-19 tactics. Countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, and Poland showed time-series changes that differed from the others. Conclusion: Public health interventions can play a key role in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed policy analysis tool, hiscovid demonstrated the effectiveness of the time-series score behavior for discovering when policymakers made mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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10. Uses of the Journal Impact Factor in national journal rankings in China and Europe.
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Kulczycki, Emanuel, Huang, Ying, Zuccala, Alesia A., Engels, Tim C. E., Ferrara, Antonio, Guns, Raf, Pölönen, Janne, Sivertsen, Gunnar, Taşkın, Zehra, and Zhang, Lin
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COMPARATIVE studies ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,INFORMATION science ,RESEARCH funding ,PERIODICAL articles ,IMPACT factor (Citation analysis) - Abstract
This paper investigates different uses of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in national journal rankings and discusses the merits of supplementing metrics with expert assessment. Our focus is national journal rankings used as evidence to support decisions about the distribution of institutional funding or career advancement. The seven countries under comparison are China, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Turkey—and the region of Flanders in Belgium. With the exception of Italy, top‐tier journals used in national rankings include those classified at the highest level, or according to tier, or points implemented. A total of 3,565 (75.8%) out of 4,701 unique top‐tier journals were identified as having a JIF, with 55.7% belonging to the first Journal Impact Factor quartile. Journal rankings in China, Flanders, Poland, and Turkey classify journals with a JIF as being top‐tier, but only when they are in the first quartile of the Average Journal Impact Factor Percentile. Journal rankings that result from expert assessment in Denmark, Finland, and Norway regularly classify journals as top‐tier outside the first quartile, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. We conclude that experts, when tasked with metric‐informed journal rankings, take into account quality dimensions that are not covered by JIFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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11. But what about that nice house you own? The impact of asset tests in minimum income schemes in Europe: An empirical exploration.
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Marchal, Sarah, Kuypers, Sarah, Marx, Ive, and Verbist, Gerlinde
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PUBLIC welfare ,ASSETS (Accounting) ,INCOME ,POVERTY ,RESEARCH funding ,SURVEYS ,GOVERNMENT policy ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors - Abstract
Means-tested transfer schemes in Europe and elsewhere tend to include not only income tests but also asset tests of various sorts. The role of asset tests in minimum income protection provisions has been extensively researched in the Anglo-Saxon context. Far fewer authors have assessed the role of asset tests on social policy in a continental European context. Although asset tests may be useful in singling out the more deserving of the poor, we know relatively little of their actual impact on eligibility and social outcomes in European welfare states. This paper looks at the prevalence and design of asset tests in European minimum income protection schemes. We distinguish between two main types of asset tests: outright disqualification when assets reach a certain value, versus a more gradual tapering at a fictional rate of return. We then analyse in greater detail how asset tests in Belgium and Germany, as representatives of these two types, affect minimum income protection eligibility and poverty outcomes. We use the EUROMOD microsimulation model on the Household Finance and Consumption Survey data in order to assess the effects of asset tests. This survey was explicitly designed to more realistically reflect assets and capital incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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12. The evolution of Belgium REITs.
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Marzuki, Muhammad Jufri and Newell, Graeme
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REAL estate investment trusts ,PORTFOLIO performance ,DECISION making in investments ,STOCK exchanges ,INVESTMENT policy - Abstract
Purpose: The Belgium Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) market was created primarily to facilitate a transparent, professionally managed and fiscally efficient market, providing access to the European property markets. Being the 2nd oldest REIT market in Europe, it has undergone many evolutionary changes over the years that add to its considerable stature as a sophisticated investment opportunity. This includes an increased recent focus on the social infrastructure property sectors such as healthcare, care facilities and nursing homes, consistent with the evolving investment mandates requiring stronger integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects in the investment strategy formulation. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategic transformation of Belgium REITs and empirically assess their performance attributes over 1995–2018. Sub-period performance dynamics of Belgium REITs in the pre-global financial crises (GFC) (1995–2007) and post-GFC (2009–2018) contexts are provided. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 23-year monthly total returns over 1995–2018 were used to analyse the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification potential of Belgium REITs. The traditional mean-variance portfolio optimisation model using the ex-post returns, risk and correlation coefficient of Belgium REITs and other financial assets was developed to determine the added-value benefits of Belgium REITs in a diversified investment framework. The analysis was further extended to cover the sub-periods of pre-GFC (1995–2007) and post-GFC (2009–2018). Findings: The results of the analysis provide a strong investment case for Belgium REITs, as they are able to deliver a discernible premium in the total return performance, superior risk-adjusted returns and strong diversification benefits with the stock market in a long-term investment horizon. Broadly consistent results are similarly observed in the sub-period analysis over varying market conditions. Importantly, the role of Belgium REITs in a diversified investment framework was also empirically validated, as they enhanced the mixed-asset portfolio performance comprised of the traditional asset classes of stocks and bonds across a broad portfolio risk-return spectrum. Dividend yield was also found to be a key component of the financial performance of Belgium REITs. Practical implications: The Belgium REIT market has evolved to become the 5th largest market in Europe by the capitalisation volume. This is mainly due to the robust regulatory support and innovations since its debut which have resulted in a polished framework that is both supportive and attractive to financial players and investors. The broad direct consequence of this paper is to highlight the performance attributes of Belgium REITs, adding clarity to the ongoing discussion regarding the viability of European REITs as a liquid and tax transparent route for institutional investors to obtain their property exposure. The strong dividend yield and ESG/social infrastructure focus of Belgium REITs sees Belgium REITs well-placed going forward to meet the evolving investment mandates from major investors. Originality/value: This paper is the first empirical investigation that elucidates the risk-adjusted performance and role of Belgium REITs as an important property investment opportunity. It equips investors and practitioners with an independent and comprehensive empirical validation of the strategic role of Belgium REITs in a portfolio. Well-informed and practical property investment decision making regarding the use of Belgium REITs for access to the property asset class is the main outcome of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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13. BIR CHALLENGES PERCEPTION OF FIBER RECYCLING MARKETS.
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PAPER recycling ,STOCK prices ,RECESSIONS ,PRODUCT quality - Abstract
The article reports on perception of paper recycling markets in Europe as of 2009 being challenged by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) in Brussels, Belgium. The BIR notes that paper stock prices have been improving. BIR Paper Division president Ranjit Baxi inferred that the recovered paper market has been affected by the global economic downturn. Baxi noted that the recovered fiber that has required storage based on reports is generally of low quality.
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- 2009
14. The Next Steps for Apprenticeship. Cedefop Reference Series. No 118
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France)
- Abstract
In a context of considerable interest in apprenticeship in recent years, Cedefop and the OECD decided to explore its future from the perspective of a number of megatrends, including sociodemographic changes, the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies and new forms of work organisation. They also considered how these trends have affected, and will continue to affect, the design and delivery of apprenticeship in European and OECD countries. The combination of the emerging economic crisis as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with long-term structural trends affecting global economies, will entail a profound transformation of the world of work and require effective policy responses in the years to come. This publication provides insights from 16 papers by researchers from Europe, Australia and the United States; nine were presented and discussed among policy-makers, practitioners and researchers during the joint Cedefop-OECD symposium on the future of apprenticeship held in October 2019 in Paris. Evidence and analysis in these papers will help inform political decisions shaping the future of apprenticeship.
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- 2021
15. The effects of Belgian outward direct investment in European high-wage and low-wage countries on employment in Belgium.
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Cuyvers, Ludo and Soeng, Reth
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FOREIGN investments ,EMPLOYMENT ,LABOR economics ,ECONOMIC development - Abstract
Purpose – The paper aims at providing evidence on the impact on employment of outward foreign direct investment, particularly from developed countries into low-wage countries, which is a major concern in many developed countries. Design/methodology/approach – The effects of foreign production undertaken by Belgian foreign-oriented companies on employment in Belgium are investigated by performing econometric tests for complementarity or substitution between home and affiliate employment. The data are from the Amadeus database and consist of a sample of 254 Belgian parent companies with foreign affiliates in low-wage and other high-wage European countries during the 1999-2007 period. Findings – The results show that, given the size of parent production in the home country, Belgian multinational enterprises with foreign affiliates in higher-wage European countries tend to employ more labour at home the more they produce in the host country. This probably reflects the needs of foreign affiliates in higher-wage European countries for management and supervisory services from parent companies. Another explanation might be that Belgian outward FDI is largely vertical. In contrast, no evidence is found about employment reallocation between parents and affiliates operating in lower-wage European countries. Originality/value – The paper provides evidence on overall effects on employment in Belgium of its outward foreign direct investment for the period 1999-2007, i.e. using the most recent data available. In contrast to many other studies, statistical diagnostic tests were carried out to choose the appropriate model to best fit the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2011
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16. The role of body image in sexual satisfaction among partnered older adults: a population-based study in four European countries.
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Kvalem, Ingela Lundin, Graham, Cynthia A., Hald, Gert Martin, Carvalheira, Ana Alexandra, Janssen, Erick, and Štulhofer, Aleksandar
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AGE distribution ,BODY image ,PROBABILITY theory ,REGRESSION analysis ,SEXUAL excitement ,PSYCHOLOGY of Spouses ,SURVEYS ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,BODY mass index ,CROSS-sectional method ,SEXUAL partners - Abstract
Body image issues can affect all domains of sexual functioning. The aim of this study was to examine how, in a sociocultural context where physical and sexual attractiveness is equated with young and slim body ideals, appearance dissatisfaction and importance are related to sexual satisfaction in older adults in four European countries. A cross-sectional survey with probability samples of the population aged 60–75 years was used. Only respondents with a partner were included in this paper, and the countries included Norway (n = 957), Denmark (n = 846), Belgium (n = 612), and Portugal (n = 367). Sexual satisfaction, appearance dissatisfaction, and importance were assessed, and frequency of intercourse/kissing and cuddling, relationship satisfaction, age, and body mass index were all used as control variables. Belgian men scored significantly lower on sexual satisfaction, while there was no difference in sexual satisfaction in women. Appearance dissatisfaction was lower in Scandinavian women and men, and in Belgian men, and appearance salience was lower in Norwegian men and women, and in Portuguese women. Linear regression analysis revealed that, adjusting for confounders, appearance dissatisfaction was significantly related to sexual satisfaction in Scandinavian women and men, as well as in Belgian men. Compared to research on younger adults, appearance evaluation appeared to play an equally important role in sexual satisfaction in older adults in our study. The variation in appearance dissatisfaction in older adults across European countries is a novel finding that needs to be examined further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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17. Unravelling heart failure nurses' education: Content comparison of heart failure nurses' education in three European Society of Cardiology states and the Heart Failure Association heart failure curriculum.
- Author
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Baldewijns, Karolien, Brunner-La Rocca, Hans-Peter, de Maesschalck, Lieven, Devillé, Aleidis, and Boyne, Josiane
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CARDIOVASCULAR nurses ,CURRICULUM evaluation ,NURSING audit ,CARDIOLOGY ,COURSE evaluation (Education) ,RESEARCH funding ,HEART failure ,HEART failure treatment ,MEDICAL societies - Abstract
Aims: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines state that heart failure nurse specialists (heart-failure nurses) with specific competences are essential for a successful heart-failure-management programme. Thus, the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC developed the heart failure nurse curriculum (HFA curriculum). Several ESC member states developed cardiovascular education programmes to enable nurses to deliver high specialist care, but little is known of whether these curricula are in line with the HFA curriculum. Therefore, this paper describes the extent to which cardiovascular education programmes in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany correspond to the HFA curriculum. Methods and results: A case study approach was adopted to obtain an in-depth understanding of the programme contents in relation to the HFA curriculum. For this purpose, representatives of the educational programmes and/or delegates of the national cardiovascular nursing organization shared their educational curricula. All of the studied cardiovascular education programmes aim to provide heart failure and/or cardiovascular nurses with essential competences for implementation of evidence based and guideline derived care. However, every cardiovascular education programme has a different focus/area of attention. Cardiovascular education in Belgium discusses aspects of all core-learning objectives of the HFA curriculum and emphasizes mostly knowledge aspects of these. Learning objectives in cardiovascular education in The Netherlands focus on chronic diseases in general and on learning objectives concerning patient education, support in self-care and management of device and pharmacological therapy. Cardiovascular education in Germany discusses most learning objectives; however, not all learning objectives receive equal attention. Conclusions: Although local cardiovascular education programmes adopt certain aspects of the HF curriculum, the curriculum as a whole is not adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
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18. Does sports club participation contribute to physical activity among children and adolescents? A comparison across six European countries.
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Kokko, Sami, Martin, Leena, Geidne, Susanna, Van Hoye, Aurelie, Lane, Aoife, Meganck, Jeroen, Scheerder, Jeroen, Seghers, Jan, Villberg, Jari, Kudlacek, Michal, Badura, Petr, Mononen, Kaisu, Blomqvist, Minna, De Clercq, Bart, and Koski, Pasi
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MEETINGS ,SELF-evaluation ,LOGISTIC regression analysis ,SPORTS participation ,ATHLETIC associations ,PHYSICAL activity ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,ODDS ratio - Abstract
Aims: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of the largest public health challenges of our time and requires a multisectoral public-health response. PA recommendations state that all children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily and carry out vigorous PA (VPA) three times weekly. While participation in sports club activities is known to enhance the probability of reaching the recommended overall PA level, less is known about the contribution of sports club participation to VPA, and few cross-national comparisons have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to study whether participation in sports club activities is associated with meeting the overall PA and VPA recommendations among children and adolescents across six European countries, namely Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland and Sweden. Methods: Analyses were carried out on existing self-reported national data sets using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Results indicate that approximately two-thirds of children and adolescents take part in sports club activities in the given countries. Sports club participants were more likely to meet the overall PA recommendations (OR 2.4–6.4) and VPA recommendation (OR 2.8–5.0) than non-participants. Conclusions: The extent to which overall PA and/or VPA is gained through sports club participation versus other settings needs to be further studied. Nonetheless, it can be argued that sports clubs have an important position in PA promotion for younger populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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19. Fossil Bear Bones in the Belgian Upper Paleolithic: The Possibility of a Proto Bear-Ceremonialism.
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Germonpré, Mietje and Hämäläinen, Riku
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CAVE dwellers ,PALEOLITHIC Period ,ARCHAEOLOGICAL finds ,PREHISTORIC peoples ,CAVE bear - Abstract
This paper examines several fossil bear bones from Upper Paleolithic deposits recovered from Belgian caves. The bones exhibit traces of ochre. The paper examines the archaeological and archaeozoological data in detail, comparing the finds with other sites containing fossil bear remains and identifying patterns suggesting purposeful staining of bear bones. These patterns are compared with ethnographic examples of bear ceremonialism. On the basis of similarities found in these analyses, the authors argue that a proto bear-ceremonialism existed during the Upper Paleolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
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20. Standardised integration requirements for naturalisation: less rights and less discretion? A qualitative meta-analysis of ethnographic studies of naturalisation procedures in Europe.
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Sredanovic, Djordje
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DISCRETION ,ETHNOLOGY ,ORGANIZATIONAL citizenship behavior ,CITIZENSHIP ,RIGHTS ,CONTRACTING out - Abstract
Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, in what can be called an 'integrationist wave', standardised integration requirements for naturalisation have become increasingly common in Europe. To examine the impact of such measures, I combine original ethnographic data on institutions involved in the implementation of citizenship policies in Belgium and the UK with a qualitative meta-analysis of existing ethnographic studies of the implementation of citizenship policies. I show how, in addition to introducing new obstacles to naturalisation, standardised requirements have also reduced the discretion inscribed in earlier procedures, albeit not uniformly across different cases. The integrationist wave could thus be understood not simply as the introduction of restrictive notions of integration, but also as the systemisation of earlier evaluation practices. I further show signs of a more recent tendency for states to retreat from examining the integration of candidates to citizenship, outsourcing the evaluation directly or indirectly to private actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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21. Nurses, midwives and students' reports of effective dedicated education units in five European countries: A qualitative study.
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Pedregosa, Sara, Zabalegui, Adelaida, Fabrellas, Núria, Risco, Ester, Pereira, Mariana, Dmoch‐Gajzlerska, Ewa, Şenuzun, Fisun, and Martin, Sandra
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CLINICAL medicine ,SCHOOL environment ,NURSE supply & demand ,RESEARCH funding ,QUALITATIVE research ,FOCUS groups ,AUTONOMY (Psychology) ,MIDWIVES ,INTERVIEWING ,STATISTICAL sampling ,RESPONSIBILITY ,MENTORING ,THEMATIC analysis ,ATTITUDES of medical personnel ,TRANSITIONAL programs (Education) ,PHENOMENOLOGY ,GROUNDED theory ,PSYCHOLOGY of nurses ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,NURSING students - Abstract
Aim: To investigate nursing/midwifery students, Clinical Mentors, Link Teachers and Head Nurses experiences within "Dedicated Education Unit" model in 6 European clinical placements and analyse the necessary elements for a powerful clinical learning environment. Design: A multi‐country, phenomenological, qualitative study. Methods: Focus group interviews were performed to identify the personal and organizational factors of importance for students and nurses/midwives. Results: Data analysis produced 4 main themes (1) Clinical placement organization, (2) students' clinical knowledge and skill acquisition, (3) students, and nurses/midwives' experiences within the DEU model and (4) factors for creating an effective learning environment. Conclusions: A close educational‐service collaboration, a realistic clinical placement planning, a focus on student learning process and an investment in professionals' education and development among others, are elements to set up a powerful clinical learning environment. Implications for the profession: It is considered advisable and urgent to improve the working conditions of nurses/midwives and the learning environments of students as a strategy to alleviate the global shortage of nurses and respond to the increasingly demanding health needs of the population. Impact: Due to the close relationship between students' learning and features of the clinical environment nurse educators seek innovative models which allow students to manage patient care and their transition to professional practice. To implement new learning strategies, identifying students, nurses and midwives perceptions and suggestions is a powerful information to evaluate implementation process and outcomes. Public Contribution: Our findings could help academic and clinical managers to meet the human and organizational requirements to create a successful learning environment in every student placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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22. Shifts at the margin of European welfare states: How important is food aid in complementing inadequate minimum incomes?
- Author
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Hermans, Karen, Cantillon, Bea, and Marchal, Sarah
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INCOME ,GOVERNMENT policy ,RESEARCH funding ,STATISTICAL sampling ,INTERVIEWING ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHARITY ,FOOD relief ,RESEARCH ,PUBLIC welfare ,CASE studies ,BUDGET ,POVERTY - Abstract
In recent decades, disappointing poverty trends and welfare state limitations in many European countries – including constraints on minimum income benefits – have paved the way for a larger role of the third sector. An interesting but controversial form of third-sector in-kind support is food aid provision. In Europe, food aid is, so far, a non-rights-based practice displaying worrisome discretionary and stigmatizing characteristics. Yet, the phenomenon of food aid in Europe has spread, professionalized, and penetrated the institutions of the welfare state. This raises the question if, how and to what extent food aid plays a role in bypassing structural constraints on minimum income protection. This article applies an exploratory case study approach to estimate the monetary value of food aid in relation to statutory minimum incomes in four EU-countries. We use cross-nationally comparable food reference budgets to price food aid packages in Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Spain. The results show that food aid, although not sufficient to close the at-risk-of-poverty gap, is non-trivial for some European households. In Spain and Belgium food aid packages can reach up to €100 a month (expressing 7% to 11% of respective minimum income benefit levels). Importantly, we perceive (formalized) cooperation and interaction between local welfare agencies and food charities in all countries, suggesting that welfare state actors use non-rights-based food aid for filling gaps in the social safety net. The large between- and within-country variation of the monetary values of food aid packages points, however, to food aid as a problematic discretionary practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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23. Mapping Europe into local climate zones.
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Demuzere, Matthias, Bechtel, Benjamin, Middel, Ariane, and Mills, Gerald
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL sciences ,CITIES & towns ,CLIMATOLOGY ,METROPOLIS ,MODELS & modelmaking - Abstract
Cities are major drivers of environmental change at all scales and are especially at risk from the ensuing effects, which include poor air quality, flooding and heat waves. Typically, these issues are studied on a city-by-city basis owing to the spatial complexity of built landscapes, local topography and emission patterns. However, to ensure knowledge sharing and to integrate local-scale processes with regional and global scale modelling initiatives, there is a pressing need for a world-wide database on cities that is suited for environmental studies. In this paper we present a European database that has a particular focus on characterising urbanised landscapes. It has been derived using tools and techniques developed as part of the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) project, which has the goal of acquiring and disseminating climate-relevant information on cities worldwide. The European map is the first major step toward creating a global database on cities that can be integrated with existing topographic and natural land-cover databases to support modelling initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Playing it Safe or Going all out in Brussels? How National Officials do European Business without Political Steering.
- Author
-
't Hart, Paul and Geuijen, Karin
- Subjects
- *
CIVIL service , *PUBLIC administration , *POLITICAL leadership , *POLITICAL planning - Abstract
For departmental servants, acting without a clear sense of political direction amounts to 'flying blind'. How do they cope with this normatively anomalous situation? And what does this mean - for the shaping of public policy and for the nature of the politics/administration nexus within the executive branch? To explore this question empirically we have chosen what we regard as a clear-cut case of civil servants working in a political leadership vacuum: Dutch national officials who participate in processes of international governance in a 'low politics' area: European police cooperation. This can be perceived as a transnational network of civil servants in which they exchange information and cooperate on enforcing regulation. The civil servants who populate these networks have to juggle multiple identities and roles. On the one hand they are policy experts, specialized in certain, often rather technical, areas, exchanging information, co-operating on enforcing regulation, and jointly constructing laws, regulations and practices as experts all believe will work. On the other hand they are national civil servants, who try to shape transnational, European rules and practices. In this paper we answer the question where they do take their cues from, if not from their political and hierarchical superiors. We found that in this case 'professional bricolage' is replacing 'political responsiveness'. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
25. The Antwerp (stair) case: how a modernist architect staged his educational and ideological programme.
- Author
-
Couchez, Elke
- Subjects
IDEOLOGY & society ,ARCHITECTURE ,PAINTING & society ,STAIR design ,HIGHER education ,TWENTIETH century ,HISTORY of socialism ,HISTORY of education ,HISTORY - Abstract
This paper looks at the educational project of Belgium’s acclaimed socialist and modernist architect Renaat Braem (1910–2001). While Braem is foremost remembered as a militant opinion maker, his work as an educator and an artist has received little scrutiny. When Braem was appointed interim director at the Antwerp National Higher Institute for Architecture and Urban Planning (NHIBS) in 1962, his first action point was not to change the curriculum. He instead reconstructed the physical configuration of the school. With an eye-catching staircase painting, he accentuated an important passage in the school building: the one from the administrative offices and library to the architectural studios. Claiming a central position in the institute, the staircase functioned as a stage and an auditorium on which an ideological and educational programme was enacted in an implicit, yet very physical manner. This article not only looks atwhatthe painting represents, but also athowit represents by applying Randolph Starn’s three categories of seeing: the glance, the measured view, and the scan. This threefold reading of the painting enables us to unpack (a) Braem’s educational project based on a socialist ideology and (b) the institutional climate of the 1960s. In the institutional debates, hovering between tradition and the rationalisation of education, Braem’s staircase painting proposed a third way. It revised the existing doctrines by reconciling the rational approach with a stronger focus on the human in the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. An exploratory study of barriers to inclusion in the European workplace.
- Author
-
Moody, Louise, Saunders, Janet, Leber, Marjan, Wójcik-Augustyniak, Marzena, Szajczyk, Marek, and Rebernik, Nataša
- Subjects
BUSINESS ,EMPLOYEE rights ,EMPLOYMENT of people with disabilities ,HEALTH services administration ,ERGONOMICS ,INDUSTRIAL relations ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH ,RESEARCH funding ,SURVEYS ,REGULATORY approval ,ATTITUDES toward disabilities - Abstract
Background: The European Disability Strategy (2010-2020) seeks to significantly raise the proportion of people with disabilities working in the open labour market. The ERGO WORK project is a collaboration of academic and industrial partners in six European countries, focused on understanding and tackling barriers to workplace inclusion for workers with disabilities. Methods: This study sought to explore the perceptions and needs of stakeholders in terms of workplace adaptation to the needs of employees with disabilities. An exploratory online survey was completed by 480 participants across six countries. Results: The analysis suggests that workplaces could be further improved to meet the needs of employees with considerable scope for training within companies to raise awareness about employees' needs, employers' obligations and workplace adaptation. Conclusions: This snapshot suggests there is still a gap between intent and reality in workplace inclusion and further strategies are needed to improve the opportunities for employees with disabilities. The paper argues that ergonomics may have a key role to play in tackling these challenges and adapting the workplace environment and job design to suit the needs of individual employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Global, regional, and national burden and quality of care index (QCI) of oral disorders: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 1990–2017.
- Author
-
Shoaee, Shervan, Ghasemi, Erfan, Sofi-Mahmudi, Ahmad, Shamsoddin, Erfan, Tovani-Palone, Marcos Roberto, Roshani, Shahin, Heydari, Mohammad-Hossein, Yoosefi, Moein, Masinaei, Masoud, Azadnaejafabadi, Sina, Mohammadi, Esmaeil, Rezaei, Negar, Larijani, Bagher, Fakhrzadeh, Hossein, and Farzadfar, Farshad
- Subjects
MEDICAL quality control ,TOOTH loss ,GLOBAL burden of disease ,LIFE expectancy ,AGE distribution ,ORAL diseases ,DENTAL care ,PERIODONTAL disease ,EDENTULOUS mouth ,FACTOR analysis ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,PEOPLE with disabilities ,DENTAL caries - Abstract
Background: Oral disorders are still a major global public health challenge, considering their perpetuating and chronic nature. Currently, there is no direct index to measure the quality of care on a population scale. Hence, we aim to propose a new index to measure the quality of care for oral disorders worldwide. Methods: We generated our database using the data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2017. Among different variables such as prevalence, incidence, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years, we utilised principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the component that bears the greatest proportion of information to generate the novel quality of care index (QCI) for oral disorders. Results: Global QCI for oral disorders gradually increased from 1990 to 2017 (from 70.5 to 74.6). No significant gender disparity was observed during this period, and the gender disparity ratio (GDR) was considered optimal in 1990 and 2017. Between 1990 and 2017, the age-standardised QCI for all oral disorders increased in all the SDI regions. The highest QCI for all oral disorders in 2017 belonged to high-middle SDI countries (=80.24), and the lowest YLDs rate was seen in the low SDI quintile. In 1990, the quality of care in European, Central Asian, and Central and South American countries was in the lowest quintiles, whereas the North American, East Asian, Middle Eastern, and some African countries had the highest quality of dental care. Maynmar (=100), Uganda (=92.5), Taiwan (=92.0), China (=92.5), and the United States (=89.2) were the five countries with the highest age-standardised QCI. Nicaragua (=41.3), Belgium (=40.2), Venezuela (=38.4), Sierra Leone (=30.5), and the Gambia (=30.3) were the five countries with the least age-standardised QCI values. Conclusion: The quality of care for all oral disorders showed an increasing trend on a global scale from 1990 to 2017. However, the QCI distribution was not homogenous among various regions. To prevent the exacerbation of imminent disparities in this regard, better attention to total tooth loss in high-income countries and prioritising primary healthcare provision in low-income countries are recommended for oral disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Not all the same after all? Superdiversity as a lens for the study of past migrations.
- Author
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De Bock, Jozefien
- Subjects
IMMIGRANTS ,CULTURAL pluralism ,FOREIGN workers ,MEDITERRANEAN peoples ,MEDITERRANEAN foreign workers ,IMMIGRANT families ,POST-World War II Period ,TWENTIETH century ,HISTORY - Abstract
Due to its claim of contemporary exceptionalism, the notion of superdiversity raises suspicion among historians. However, historians would do well to not dismiss the entire superdiversity debate as more hype that does not concern them. As a multidimensional perspective on diversity, encouraging researchers to examine the interplay of many different factors that condition people's lives and to move beyond an ethno-focal perspective, superdiversity could be of interest to historians as well. This article shows how the notion can help historians debunk some of the homogenizing categories that tend to characterize the representation of past immigrant populations. The paper uses a superdiversity lens to examine migration to the city of Ghent from 1960 to 1980. It is an open invitation to historians to accept the challenges that superdiversity poses and to provide a proper historicization of the concept, thus furthering its theoretical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Overview of Seismic Hazard and Vulnerability of Ordinary Buildings in Belgium: Methodological Aspects and Study Cases.
- Author
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Barszez, Anne-Marie, Camelbeeck, Thierry, Plumier, André, Sabbe, Alain, and Wilquin, Hugues
- Subjects
RISK assessment ,EARTHQUAKES ,EARTHQUAKE hazard analysis ,CULTURAL property ,SEISMOLOGY - Abstract
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 we 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 Liège and Mons (Be) aim also to give some sense of the overall risk in Belgium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. The impact of interpersonal reporting heterogeneity on cross-country differences in Healthy Life Years in Europe.
- Author
-
Luy, Marc, Giulio, Paola Di, and Minagawa, Yuka
- Subjects
SELF-evaluation ,FUNCTIONAL status ,HEALTH status indicators ,HEALTH expectancy ,POPULATION geography ,PHYSICAL activity ,DIFFERENTIAL item functioning (Research bias) ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding - Abstract
Background The European Union has used Healthy Life Years (HLY) as an indicator to monitor the health of its aging populations. Scholarly and popular interest in HLY across countries has grown, particularly regarding the ranking of countries. It is important to note that HLY is based on self-assessments of activity limitations, raising the possibility that it might be influenced by differences in health reporting behaviours between populations, a phenomenon known as differential item functioning (DIF). Methods We estimated DIF-adjusted HLY at age 50 for Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden to determine the extent to which differences in HLY might be influenced by reporting heterogeneity across countries. We used anchoring vignettes, taken from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, to estimate DIF-adjusted prevalence rates of activity limitations measured by the Global Activity Limitations Indicator (GALI). The Sullivan method was used to calculate DIF-adjusted HLY. Results Changes in HLY before and after adjustment ranged from a 1.20-year decrease for men in Italy to a 1.61-year increase for women in Spain. Adjustment for DIF produced changes in the rankings of the countries by HLY, with upward and downward movements of up to three positions. Conclusion Our results show that DIF is likely to affect HLY estimates, thereby posing a challenge to the validity of comparisons of HLY across European countries. The findings suggest that HLY should be used to monitor population health status within a country, rather than to make comparisons across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. The current state of post-medieval archaeology in Flanders.
- Author
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Herremans, Davy and Clercq, Wim De
- Subjects
ARCHAEOLOGY ,ARCHAEOLOGY methodology ,ARCHAEOLOGICAL excavations ,URBAN archaeology ,EDUCATION ,HISTORY - Abstract
Post-medieval archaeology in Flanders (Belgium) is a comparatively young archaeological discipline, even in an historically important region with centres such as Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. Originating in the slipstream of Flemish urban archaeology during the 1970s, the discipline has struggled for recognition ever since. As a result of more than 40 years of fieldwork, the material record of early-modern and modern history has changed drastically. Yet post-medieval archaeology has not reached its apogee. A framework with its own methods, teaching, research questions and theoretical approaches is still under construction. This paper aims not only at historiographical analysis of the field, but chiefly at defining a clear framework for positioning post-medieval archaeology in one of the most important regions in early-modern and modern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Church–State Regimes and their Impact on the Institutionalization of Islamic Organizations in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis.
- Author
-
Loobuyck, Patrick, Debeer, Jonathan, and Meier, Petra
- Subjects
CHURCH & state ,MUSLIMS ,ISLAM ,COMPARATIVE studies ,RELIGIOUS institutions ,SOCIAL conditions in France, 1995- ,SOCIAL conditions in Great Britain, 1945- ,SOCIAL conditions in Germany ,SOCIAL history ,SOCIETIES ,GERMAN history, 1990- - Abstract
Since the 1990s, the establishment and recognition of representative bodies for Muslim communities in Western European countries have been an important political and social topic. In many immigration countries in Europe, there were a variety of initiatives. In this article, we shall discuss to what extent particular church–state regimes are crucial to the understanding of the genealogy of these representative Muslim organizations. Four countries in Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK, are studied in a comparative manner. These countries have very different church–state regimes which makes it possible to explore how and if the emergence of several Muslim councils was structured by pre-existing church–state practices and arrangements. After an introduction and a description of the research hypotheses, the paper provides first a brief overview of the church–state relations in the four European nations and then outlines the genealogy of their Muslim representative bodies. Finally, the similarities and differences among these institutions are discussed in the light of three research hypotheses. In conclusion, we are able to demonstrate that, contrary to general belief, it is largely not the case that the emergence of various Muslim councils in the different states was structured by pre-existing church–state arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Blood selenium levels and factors influencing concentration values.
- Author
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Robberecht, Harry, Cauwenbergh, Rudy Van, and Hermans, Nina
- Subjects
PUBLICATIONS ,SELENIUM ,GENDER ,SMOKING ,RACE ,GENETIC polymorphisms - Abstract
Recent values for blood seleni-um concentrations in healthy persons in Bel-gium, Europe and worldwide are reviewed. Various factors, which probably influence the blood selenium concentration level of people residing in a given geographical area, are discussed. The literature is screened for the effects of age, gender, smoking and drinking habits, race, state of lactation, environmen-tal exposure and medical treatment on con-centration levels. The differences are mostly found to be small on the absolute scale, with only nutrition seeming to be a major fac-tor. Selenium values in pathological condi-tions are not intensively discussed because it is not always well understood. Moreover, enhanced or decreased levels may be the cause or the consequence of the disease and hence do not give an indication of the eti-ology and physiopathological consequences of changes. The interested reader is only re-ferred to some interesting and recent papers. Quite new in the interpretation of observed levels is gene polymorphism. This can be situated either in genes coding for selenium-dependent enzymes or other proteins. The first publications on selenium and the related field of nutrigenomics are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Dismantling the Dublin System: M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece.
- Author
-
Moreno-Lax, Violeta
- Subjects
HUMAN rights ,REFOULEMENT ,CONVENTION Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) ,JUDGE-made law - Abstract
Abstract The Dublin Regulation establishes criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for asylum lodged in the European Union by a third-country national. The system is based on the presumption that Member States may be considered 'safe countries' for asylum seekers, for which reason transfers from one Member State to another are supposed not to violate the principle of non-refoulement. The fact that all Member States have acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and to the European Convention on Human Rights, that they share a pledge to establish a Common European Asylum System comprising harmonized protection standards, and that, as members of the Union, are obliged to respect and protect fundamental rights, constitute the unspoken premises on which the supposition rests. However, the Dublin Regulation does not establish whether the presumption should be considered absolute or rebuttable, and how and when, in the latter situation, it should be deemed refuted in the individual case. How the 'principle of refutability' has come into being in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights constitutes the focus of the present analysis. The review of the Strasbourg jurisprudence is accompanied by an assessment of the diverging practices that have proliferated across the EU in this regard. The paper concludes with some reflections on the impact of the M.S.S. judgement on the forthcoming reform of the Dublin system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Spy cave (Belgium) Neanderthals (36,000y BP). Taphonomy and peri-mortem traumas of Spy I and Spy II: Murder or accident.
- Author
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Fernández-Jalvo, Y. and Andrews, P.
- Subjects
- *
NEANDERTHALS , *TAPHONOMY , *FOSSIL hominids , *CAVES , *POPULATION , *DEAD , *SPIES - Abstract
Spy Cave is one of the most iconic Pleistocene sites yielding two adult Neanderthal skeletons recovered in the 19th century. The cave is located in Belgium and is one of the most important sites for human evolution in European context. The remains of Spy definitively influenced the concept of Neanderthals as archaic fossil humans in relation to modern human populations. This paper shows the results of the taphonomic study of these human remains to investigate the cause of death of the two individuals, and why they occurred at this site, specifically whether they were buried. Excavation in the 19th century lacked some of the present-day methodology of excavation, and there is little information about context, but we have examined the taphonomic modifications of the bones of the two skeletons in comparison with the putative faunal remains found in the cave. Several hypotheses have been proposed for the Spy human remains, from human cannibalism to intentional funerary burials. We will try to clarify the possible cause of death and propose the most congruent hypothesis in the taphonomic context of these human remains, from accidental death due to falling limestone blocks to interpersonal violence. • Spy Cave is one of the most iconic Neanderthal sites with two adult skeletons. • Discovered in 1866, various hypotheses were proposed: burial, cannibalism, accident. • We clarify the possible cause of death based on taphonomic and forensic criteria. • The most feasible: interpersonal violence followed by accidental falling blocks. • This case may appear as the first perfect crime naturally hidden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Intercultural education of nurses and health professionals in Europe (IENE).
- Author
-
Taylor, G., Papadopoulos, I., Dudau, V., Maerten, M., Peltegova, A., and Ziegler, M.
- Subjects
MEDICAL education ,PHILOSOPHY of education ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,NEEDS assessment ,NURSING education ,CULTURAL pluralism ,RESEARCH funding ,QUALITATIVE research ,CULTURAL awareness ,CULTURAL competence - Abstract
TAYLOR G., PAPADOPOULOS I., DUDAU V., MAERTEN M., PELTEGOVA A. & ZIEGLER M. (2011) Intercultural education of nurses and health professionals in Europe (IENE). International Nursing Review, 188-195 This paper presents the results of a needs analysis carried out during a 2-year European Union-funded project titled 'Intercultural education of nurses and health professionals in Europe'. The study aimed to explore the perceived learning and teaching needs of students and practitioners of health-care professions in relation to preparation for working in another European country and/or in a multicultural environment. The participating countries were: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania and the UK. Questionnaires, consisting of open questions, were completed by a total of 118 participants. Data analysis adopted both a priori and inductive approaches. The predetermined constructs of cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence were used to structure suggestions for theoretical input and practical activities and experiences. Inductive analysis revealed other emergent themes that underpin all four of these constructs. Practical experiences form a fundamental part of preparation for labour mobility and/or for practice within a multicultural environment. However, health-care practitioners need to be adequately prepared for such experiences and value the opportunity to learn about culture, to explore values and beliefs, and to practise intercultural skills within the safe environment of an educational establishment, facilitated by skilled teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Engineering skills education: the Bachelor of Engineering programme of the 'Vrije Universiteit Brussel' as a case study.
- Author
-
Van Biesen, LeoPierre, Rahier, Hubert, Vanherzeele, Herman, Willem, Rudolph, Hubin, Annick, Veretennicoff, Irina, Deblauwe, Nico, and Ponet, Mireille
- Subjects
BOLOGNA process (European higher education) ,HIGHER education ,EDUCATIONAL standards ,BACHELOR of science degree ,ENGINEERING education ,ACADEMIC degrees - Abstract
The Bologna process has triggered an important change in the course outline towards a sustainable, transparent and quality- driven European education system. In Belgium, engineering education had to be completely revised. The transformation of the former system, leading to the degree of academic engineer after five years of study, into the typical Bologna 3+2 structure leading to the academic degrees of Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering, respectively, has created opportunities to completely reconsider and restructure the engineering education at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. One of the main objectives of the new programme was to explicitly meet all the requirements with respect to the education output contained in the 'Dublin descriptors' and that of present-day society at large. In this paper, we report on our experience in this transformation. To this end, we use the outcomes of the consultation with alumni, our self-assessments and assessments by an international panel appointed by the VLIR-VLOA (Flemish-Dutch inspection commissions) that took place in 2004 and 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. FOR WHOM AND FOR WHAT THE DEFINITION OF SEVERE DEMENTIA IS USEFUL AN EDCON CONSENSUS.
- Author
-
BYRNE, E. J., BENOIT, M., ARRIETA, J. M. LOPEZ, GERALDI, C., KOOPMANS, R., ROLLAND, Y., SARTORIUS, N., STOPPE, G., and ROBERT, P.
- Subjects
DEMENTIA ,PALLIATIVE treatment ,ADULT care facilities ,INSTITUTIONAL care - Abstract
The European Dementia Consensus Network (EDCON) is a special project of the Madariaga Foundation located in Brussels. The Madariaga Foundation seeks to facilitate collaboration between European countries and between the public and private sector. This paper will review the differences in the definitions of Severe Dementia and summarise the EDCON consensus on their implications for management. EDCON recommends that: - The attributes of the person suffering from dementia should be given as much attention (and are as important for care) as the severity of cognitive decline in dementia; - The dementia syndrome (particularly in it's severe form) is inadequately defined by criteria which only includes the domain of cognition; - Physical, legal, social and cultural factors defining the environment of patients and their families should be carefully examined and that the results of this examination should be used in conjunction with the results of the somatic and psychiatric assessment in planning care and placement of the patient; - patients with severe dementia should have access to palliative care; - family members should be included in the care plans for those with severe dementia who are in institutional care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Une directive-cadre sur les services d'intérêt général en Europe.
- Author
-
CRESPY, Amandine
- Subjects
BELGIAN politics & government, 1993- ,EUROPEAN politics & government, 1989- ,SOCIAL policy - Abstract
Copyright of Revue L'Annee Sociale is the property of Institut de Sociologie de l'Universite Libre de Bruxelles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2007
40. Formadores y usuarios frente al doble vínculo de la formación para la empleabilidad.
- Author
-
Darmon, Isabelle, Frade, Carlos, Demazière, Didier, and Hass, Isabelle
- Subjects
UNEMPLOYMENT ,LABOR market ,LABOR supply ,EMPLOYMENT ,FIELD research ,RIGHT to work (Human rights) - Abstract
Copyright of Cuadernos de Relaciones Laborales is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2006
41. Public authority in European capitals: a map of governance, an album with symbols.
- Author
-
VAN DER WUSTEN, HERMAN
- Subjects
ARCHITECTURAL design ,ROMAN architecture ,DOMESTIC architecture ,CONSTRUCTION ,ARCHITECTS & builders - Abstract
This paper deals with the residences of public authority across Europe from the emergence of the state system to the present. It is concerned with the addresses, the buildings, their surroundings and the symbolic significance from the point of view of builders and the public. The building styles have been heavily influenced by the examples of imperial and papal Rome, and a dominant model of a European capital city building has evolved. There are also some systematic differences, particularly for those countries with a dramatic history of constitutional change and for those with a decentralized process of state-building in the early stages of the process. In the second half of the 19th century, and probably again currently, the residences of public authority should be read in conjunction with the positioning of a series of civic institutions. The display of state authority has been increasingly accompanied by the representation of national identity. More recently, however, a touch of cosmopolitanism has been added in many capitals. The reading of these capitals is therefore now more ambiguous. This will probably intensify under the impact of the emerging European multilevel governance system. At the same time, this governance system has become increasingly based in Brussels. For this city to symbolically represent Europe is a very difficult ambition in the context of its multiple capital roles. However, Brussels has a long history of dealing successfully with such urban challenges in spite of major conflicts and drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. The Environmental Supply of Farm Households.
- Author
-
Dupraz, P., Vermersch, D., de Frahan, B. Henry, and Delvaux, L.
- Subjects
HOUSEHOLDS ,FARMS ,AGRICULTURAL policy ,POLLUTION control industry ,FARMERS ,BIRDS ,WALLOONS - Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to analyse farmers' participation in environmental schemes, which are gaining a growing importance within the European agricultural policy. These schemes are implemented through voluntary contracts that pay farmers for the provision of environmental services. The microeconomic model that is developed is a farm household model that incorporates the producer and consumer behaviour of the farmer to optimise his environmental supply considering that the environmental service that he is supplying also has the characteristics of a public good. Defined as the difference between the profit loss in providing the environmental service and the willingness to pay to consume this service, the household's "willingness to accept" (WTA) is compared with two flexible WTA measures that account for the technological flexibility of the environmental supply. Data come from a survey of an agri-environmental scheme implemented in the Walloon region of Belgium since 1995 and intended to protect the nesting of some endangered bird species. Econometric results show that contingent valuation is a reliable method to reveal the behaviours of farmers facing the invitation to participate in this scheme. They also confirm that farmer behaviour is also influenced by environmental preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. 77th Congress of the European Orthodontic Society, Ghent, Belgium.
- Author
-
Moss, J. P.
- Subjects
CONFERENCES & conventions ,ORTHODONTICS ,DENTAL associations ,TOOTH eruption - Abstract
The article discusses the highlights of the 77th Congress of the European Orthodontic Society held in Ghent, Belgium from June 19 to 23, 2001. The keynote address was delivered by Luc Dermaut, president of the organization. A lecture on problems associated with tooth eruption was given by professor Jüri Kurol. Among the topics of papers presented at the event were orthodontic treatment in elderly patients and biomechanics in orthodontics.
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Who is willing to help Ukrainian refugees and why? The role of individual prosocial dispositions and superordinate European identity.
- Author
-
Politi, Emanuele, Gale, Jessica, Roblain, Antoine, Bobowik, Magdalena, and Green, Eva G.T.
- Subjects
COLLEGE students ,HUMANITARIANISM ,EMPATHY ,PSYCHOLOGY of refugees ,WAR ,ATTITUDE (Psychology) ,GROUP identity ,UKRAINIANS ,HUMANISM ,INTERPERSONAL relations ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,RESEARCH funding ,INTENTION ,SOCIAL skills - Abstract
In 2022, Europe experienced unprecedented citizen mobilizations to help Ukrainian refugees. Based on two parallel lines of scholarship, we examined individual prosocial dispositions and superordinate identities related to intentions to help Ukrainians. Employing a French‐speaking student sample in Belgium (N = 374), in Study 1, we showed that dispositional prosociality and European identification were both positively related to intentions to help Ukrainians. An interaction qualified these main effects, so that highly prosocial European identifiers were particularly willing to help. With a nationwide quota sample of the French‐speaking population in Belgium (N = 371), in Study 2, we identified two processes mediating the relationship of dispositional prosociality and European identification with intentions to help Ukrainians. On the one hand, dispositional prosociality was positively related to empathy with Ukrainians, which in turn predicted participants' helping intentions. On the other hand, European identification was positively related to both empathy and identity fusion with Ukrainians, which further predicted participants' helping intentions. Overall, these findings suggest that individual prosocial dispositions and superordinate identities represent two cumulative pathways to intergroup helping. Concluding, we discuss common and specific processes related to intentions to help Ukrainians, compared with other refugee groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Housing Turks and Moroccans in Brussels and Amsterdam: The Difference between Private and Public Markets.
- Author
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Kesteloot, Christian and Cortie, Cees
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TURKS ,MOROCCANS ,ETHNIC relations - Abstract
In this paper, the settlement patterns of Turks and Moroccans in Brussels will be compared with the patterns of the same groups in Amsterdam. It will be argued that housing market variables explain a lot of the differences between the two cities. The large number of (affordable) social dwellings in Amsterdam forms a significant contrast with the virtual lack of these dwellings in the Brussels area. Historical variables account for these different kinds of housing stock. Cultural variables, differences between and within the categories of Turks and Moroccans, can be seen as an additional explanatory factor for the segregation and concentration patterns of Turks and Moroccans in both cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 1998
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46. BUSINESS PRICING POLICIES AND INFLATION - SOME EVIDENCE FROM E.E.C. COUNTRIES.
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Phlips, Louis
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PRICING ,INDUSTRIAL concentration ,PRICE inflation - Abstract
This paper presents some empirical evidence, for Belgium, the Netherlands and France, on the so-called 'administrative inflation' hypothesis. The hypothesis might be defined as saying that price increases are higher in more concentrated industries, given positive changes in demand and costs. Empirically speaking, it implies that, for a cross-section of industries, wholesale-price changes are a positive function of concentration ratios, for given increases in demand and unit costs. Although any relevant evidence would be an interesting contribution to the present discussion about the Common Market's antitrust policy, the hypothesis has never been confronted-to my knowledge-with data from European Economic Community (E.E.C.) countries. The evidence presented in this paper is limited to the 1958-65 period, because of the difficulty in collecting comparable data form earlier years. As we were more familiar with Belgian data, Belgium was selected as a test case to detetmine the most appropriate empirical specification of the hypothesis. A few changes in Weiss's approach proved to be beneficial and are discussed in section it together with the data and results obtained for Belgium. In section III, results for the Netherlands are compared with the Belgian evidence on the basis of an analysis of covariance. Section IV introduces France while the last section draws some conclusions as to the validity of the hypothesis in a European framework.
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- 1969
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47. Differences in Anthropometric Parameters of Children in Six European Countries.
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Semánová, Csilla, Szőllősi, Gergő J., Ilyés, István, Cardon, Greet, Latomme, Julie, Iotova, Violeta, Bazdarska, Yuliya, Lindström, Jaana, Wikström, Katja, Herrmann, Sandra, Schwarz, Peter, Karaglani, Eva, Manios, Yannis, Makrilakis, Konsantinos, Moreno, Luis, González-Gil, Esther M., and Rurik, Imre
- Subjects
STATURE ,BODY weight ,MIDDLE-income countries ,DEVELOPED countries ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,ANTHROPOMETRY ,CHILDHOOD obesity ,TYPE 2 diabetes ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,LOW-income countries ,RESEARCH funding ,BODY mass index ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Background: The databases of children's anthropometric parameters are often outdated, rarely representative and are not always available at an international level. Objectives: To present children's anthropometric parameters in six European countries that contributed to the Feel4Diabetes project and find country-specific differences. Design/Setting: The Feel4Diabetes study was performed between 2016 and 2018, targeting children in Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary and Spain. The current study presents data from the baseline and the yearly follow-up anthropometric measurements. Subjects: In total, 20,832 measurements of children (48.7% boys) between 6 and 10 years of age were conducted. Main outcome measure: weight, height, BMI. Results: Belgian boys had the lowest body weight and height, while Greek boys had the highest body weight, and Finnish had the highest body height. The highest proportion of overweight (percentile above 85%) and obese boys (percentile above 95%) was in Greece, followed by Hungarian, Spanish, Bulgarian and Finnish boys. In contrast, Belgian boys had the lowest ratio in both categories. Among girls, Greece had the highest; Belgium had the lowest body weight; Finland was the highest in all age categories. The ratio in the overweight range was the highest in Greece, followed by Spanish, Bulgarian and Hungarian girls, who were second in the obese category. Finnish girls had lower and Belgian girls had the lowest ratio in both BMI categories. All the detailed data are presented in tables, and the trends are figures. Conclusions: Our study presents fresh and comparable anthropometric data of children between 6 and 10 years of age in six European countries, supporting the need for appropriate obesity prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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48. Healthcare use and healthcare costs for patients with advanced cancer; the international ACTION cluster-randomised trial on advance care planning.
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Korfage, Ida J, Polinder, Suzanne, Preston, Nancy, van Delden, Johannes JM, Geraerds, SandraJLM, Dunleavy, Lesley, Faes, Kristof, Miccinesi, Guido, Carreras, Giulia, Moeller Arnfeldt, Caroline, Kars, Marijke C, Lippi, Giuseppe, Lunder, Urska, Mateus, Ceu, Pollock, Kristian, Deliens, Luc, Groenvold, Mogens, van der Heide, Agnes, and Rietjens, Judith AC
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MULTIVARIATE analysis ,MEDICAL care costs ,MEDICAL care ,ADVANCE directives (Medical care) ,MEDICAL care use ,CANCER patients ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,COMPARATIVE studies ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,STATISTICAL sampling ,CANCER patient medical care - Abstract
Background: Advance care planning supports patients to reflect on and discuss preferences for future treatment and care. Studies of the impact of advance care planning on healthcare use and healthcare costs are scarce. Aim: To determine the impact on healthcare use and costs of an advance care planning intervention across six European countries. Design: Cluster-randomised trial, registered as ISRCTN63110516, of advance care planning conversations supported by certified facilitators. Setting/participants: Patients with advanced lung or colorectal cancer from 23 hospitals in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the UK. Data on healthcare use were collected from hospital medical files during 12 months after inclusion. Results: Patients with a good performance status were underrepresented in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Intervention and control patients spent on average 9 versus 8 days in hospital (p = 0.07) and the average number of X-rays was 1.9 in both groups. Fewer intervention than control patients received systemic cancer treatment; 79% versus 89%, respectively (p < 0.001). Total average costs of hospital care during 12 months follow-up were €32,700 for intervention versus €40,700 for control patients (p = 0.04 with bootstrap analyses). Multivariable multilevel models showed that lower average costs of care in the intervention group related to differences between study groups in country, religion and WHO-status. No effect of the intervention on differences in costs between study groups was observed (p = 0.3). Conclusions: Lower care costs as observed in the intervention group were mainly related to patients' characteristics. A definite impact of the intervention itself could not be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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49. Return to work following long term sickness absence: a comparative analysis of stakeholders' views and experiences in six European countries.
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Popa, Adela Elena, Akgüç, Mehtap, and Amir, Ziv
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SICK leave ,HEALTH policy ,WORK environment ,CULTURE ,CHRONIC diseases ,STAKEHOLDER analysis ,CONSUMER attitudes ,COMPARATIVE studies ,PHENOMENOLOGY ,QUALITATIVE research ,CONCEPTUAL structures ,SOCIAL security ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,EMPLOYMENT reentry ,JUDGMENT sampling ,THEMATIC analysis ,PUBLIC welfare ,LABOR market - Abstract
Purpose Return to work is a complex and challenging process which takes various forms in different contexts. The aim of this study is to explore and compare cross-country differences in stakeholders' experiences and views on actors, policies and practices relevant for return to work after long-term sickness absence. The comparative exploration is done in six countries with various legislative backgrounds, welfare and social dialogue systems. Methods Using a purposive sample, six multidisciplinary stakeholders group discussions were conducted in six countries: Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. A total of 51 individuals comprised of social partners, policymakers or representatives of public bodies and patient associations participated. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to derive the most important themes in the discussions. Results Five major themes emerged from the group discussions. A graphic model is proposed to emphasize the variety of frameworks and processes across countries. Conclusions The core part of the return to work process is the dynamic relation between legislation, stakeholders and practices, which is influenced by broader national and societal factors. The cross-country variation in legislations, stakeholders and practices can be understood as a continuum, from low to high structuring, development and comprehensiveness. Although social dialogue appears to have a role in return to work process with variation across countries, it is not always on top of the agenda of social partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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50. Nice work if you can get it: Labour market pathways of Belgian service voucher workers.
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Lens, Dries, Marx, Ive, Oslejová, Jarmila, and Mussche, Ninke
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BELGIANS ,SOCIAL security ,GOVERNMENT policy ,EMPLOYMENT ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,WAGES ,RESEARCH funding ,LABOR market ,EMPLOYMENT reentry ,WOMEN employees - Abstract
Seen as an alternative to precarious, informal work or no job at all, several European countries have started to use tax money to boost the demand for domestic services. This article asks whether this makes sense. We consider the case of the heavily subsidized and highly popular service voucher scheme in Belgium. Close to a quarter of households there employ domestic service workers under the scheme, making it in relative terms the largest scheme of its kind in Europe. The workers employed under the scheme enjoy extensive labour and social security rights. Does the service voucher scheme provide a model to be followed if we care about labour market exclusion and precariousness or is this a case of institutionalized second-tier work? To that end we trace workers' labour market pathways over a considerable length of time. We find that a substantial share of women find a way out of vulnerable labour market situations through the scheme. However, a very significant number enter from steady employment. This is clearly at odds with the original objective of offering a stepping stone to women with a precarious labour market position. The scheme also plays an ambivalent role in the labour market integration process of immigrant newcomers. At least in part, the Belgian scheme can be seen as a case of policy overshooting. We suggest some potential improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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