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The aim of this paper is to investigate the causal effect of a recent attempt undertaken by the EPO to improve the quality of the patent granting process. To do so we examine a policy change that aimed at including the information revealed during the standardisation-setting process into the official definition of prior art. All the empirical analysis consistently support that the policy was successful. Indeed, we find a negative and strongly significant reduction in the granting rate, suggesting that the process of patent granting has become more careful and selective after the policy implementation.

Contains fulltext : 154833.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) We determined whether the participation rate for a brush-based cervicovaginal self-sampling device is noninferior to the participation rate for a lavage-based one for testing for hrHPV (high-risk human papillomavirus). Additionally, positivity rates for hrHPV, the detection rates for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and 3 or worse (CIN2+/3+), and user comfort were compared. A total of 35,477 non-responders of the regular cervical screening program aged 33-63 years were invited to participate. Eligible women (n = 30,130) were randomly assigned to receive either a brush-based or a lavage-based device, and a questionnaire for reporting user convenience. Self-sampling responders testing hrHPV-positive were invited for a physician-taken sample for cytology; triage-positive women were referred for colposcopy. A total of 5,218 women participated in the brush-based sampling group (34.6%) and 4809 women in the lavage-based group (31.9%), i.e. an absolute difference of 2.7% (95%CI 1.8-4.2). The hrHPV-positivity rates in the two groups were identical (8.3%, relative risk (RR) 0.99, 95%CI 0.87-1.13). The detection of CIN2+ and CIN3+ in the brush group (2.0% for CIN2+; 1.3% for CIN3+) was similar to that in the lavage group (1.9% for CIN2+; 1.0% for CIN3+) with a cumulative RR of 1.01, 95%CI 0.83-1.24 for CIN2+ and 1.25, 95%CI 0.92-1.70 for CIN3+. The two self-sampling devices performed similarly in user comfort. In conclusion, offering a brush-based device to non-responders is noninferior to offering a lavage-based device in terms of participation. The two self-sampling methods are equally effective in detecting hrHPV, CIN2+/CIN3+ and are both well accepted.

The Netherlands has a rich philanthropic history. However, since the introduction of the welfare state during the first half of the twentieth century, the Dutch government took over responsibility for the provision of most public goods and services. In 2007, the Dutch government spent 20 per cent of GDP on public social expenditures. Despite the strong state involvement in the production of public goods and services, philanthropy still thrives in the Netherlands: at least 55,000 nonprofits exist within a Dutch population of 16.6 million. This large and vibrant nonprofit sector, along with the presence of a small but very generous Protestant (Reformed) population, stimulates philanthropic giving in the Netherlands. Nonprofit organizations in the Netherlands serve a mainly complementary role to the state, which is reflected in the donation behavior of the Dutch. People in the Netherlands typically donate to nonprofit organizations active in fields that are not considered core state responsibilities, such as education, public health, and public and social benefits. Over the course of 2005, 94 per cent of the Dutch donated to one or more charitable organizations, donating on average 338 US dollars. Higher educated, female, and religiously affiliated Dutch people are all more likely to make a donation. Higher donations in the Netherlands are made by those who are older, have a higher education, have a higher income, own their home, are religiously affiliated (especially Protestants), attend religious services more often, have more trust in people, and are women. There are two main factors which potentially inhibit Dutch philanthropic giving in comparison to giving in other countries. First, the high level of public spending on the nonprofit sector has created a strong ‘subsidy-dependence’ among nonprofit organizations in the Netherlands. Since the economic crisis of 2008, the need for nonprofits to acquire income from fees and donations has increased, and it remains to be seen whether all organizations are equipped to deal with this rather sudden shift in funding sources. Second, philanthropic giving is inhibited in the Netherlands due to its charitable deduction system. The existing threshold for charitable tax deductions limits the number of households who use this stimulating measure, which in 2005 was only five per cent of the Dutch population.

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Item does not contain fulltext PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of implementation of the HPV vaccine on HPV knowledge and HPV vaccine acceptance. METHODS: From June until December 2009 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 698 male and female students aged 18-25 years were recruited and interviewed about HPV, cervical carcinoma and HPV vaccine acceptance. RESULTS: Of all participants 46.6% had never heard of HPV. Women and students from the medical faculty were significantly more aware of HPV. Acceptance of a "catch-up" HPV vaccination in women was 51% and in men 27%. Acceptance of the HPV vaccination for 12-year old girls was 79%. CONCLUSION: After implementation of the HPV vaccine in the national vaccination program, > 50% of the students lack knowledge on HPV. Acceptance of a "catch-up" HPV vaccination was low. However, the acceptance of HPV vaccination for 12-year-old girls was high. Vaccine implementation strategies, focusing on 12-16 year old girls, might have caused this difference. Young adults need to be informed that the HPV vaccine may still be efficient when they are sexually active, but HPV 16 and 18 negative.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: To determine the number interventions and outcomes in patients referred with two consecutive Pap 2 cervical smear results who were managed either by a wait-and-see policy or aggressively, and to determine whether triage with high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) detection, resulting in the referral of only hr-HPV positive patients, would lead to the detection of all patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). DESIGN: Retrospective comparison and retrospective cohort study. METHOD: 282 patients referred in 1997/'99 with 2 consecutive Pap 2 cervical smears in the screening program were included. Patients referred to the UMC St Radboud Hospital (n = 140; mean age: 45 years) underwent a colposcopy during which only lesions suggestive for CIN 3 were treated. All other colposcopic lesions (CIN 2 or less) were not treated but followed prospectively. Patients referred to the Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ) (n = 142; mean age: 44 years) underwent colposcopy during which all colposcopic lesions (including CIN 2 or less) were treated directly. The two groups were compared in terms of the final cytological follow-up, the number of loop excisions, and the number of patients with CIN. The mean follow up was 40 months. In the first group, the effect of triage using hr-HPV detection was also investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: With the wait-and-see approach, statistically significantly fewer diathermic loop excisions were done: 13 versus 124. After the follow-up period there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the number of patients with persisting Pap 2: 16 (11%) versus 12 (8%). Triage with hr-HPV detection would identify all patients with CIN 3, 50% of the patients with CIN 2, and none of the patients with CIN 1; of the 48 hr-HPV-positive women, 1 had a CIN 3 lesion and 3 had a CIN 2 lesion; of the remaining 92 women, 2 had a CIN 1 lesion and 3 had a CIN 2 lesion. CONCLUSION: The wait-and-see approach led to fewer interventions, while the number of women with persisting Pap 2 smears was not higher than with the aggressive approach. Triage with hr-HPV may reduce the number of referrals and colposcopies, but follow-up remains necessary in all women regardless of hr-HPV status.

This paper investigates the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in shaping the GSM (global system for mobile communications) industry. This industry is an example of a high-tech industry in which standards play a large role. In the process of designing the GSM standard, a lot of attention has been given to IPRs, mainly to avoid a situation in which a single IPR holder could hamper or even totally block the development of the standard. Nevertheless, the ultimate GSM standard contains a large amount of so-called ‘essential IPRs’, i.e. IPRs without which the implementation of GSM products is impossible. The GSM case provides an interesting example of how (essential) IPRs ownership and alliance networks influence each other, and how both of them affect market structure and market shares. The play with the essential GSM IPRs, and the strategy of Motorola in particular, is found to have dramatically changed the standardization processes in the telecommunications industry. Where IPR was considered a non-issue in this sector for many decades, it is now among the main issues to be resolved for any new standard, as has recently been shown with the standardization of third-generation mobile networks. Our findings with respect to alliances reveal that timing of the emergence of strong network positions is in line with the findings on essential IPRs. We found for three of the four dominant network players that their position in the network is based on ownership of essential IPRs. The relationship between market power (inclusion in the top-5 equipment suppliers) and the two variables of our main interest (essential IPRs and network centrality) is found to be a positive one with some notable exceptions.