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Absolute gravity (AG) measurements have been performed at Mt. Zugspitze (2960 m height, Northern Limestone Alps) from 2004 to 2019. For this 15 years’ time span, the deduced gravity variations at the two summit stations are in the order of ‑0.30 μm/s² with a standard uncertainty of 0.04 μm/s². In addition, two stations in the Ester Mountains about 15 km apart of Mt. Zugspitze were occupied to serve as a reference and for validation. These stations at the mountain Wank (base site at an altitude of 735 m and summit site at 1738 m) show no significant gravity variation. The vertical stability of Mt. Wank summit is monitored by GNSS since 2004 and the results confirm its stability. Because a small mountain uplift due to Alpine orogeny cannot explain the gravity decrease at Mt. Zugspitze, the dominating geophysical contribution is assumed to be induced by glacial retreat due to climate warming. The modelled gravity effect from the diminishing glaciers between epochs 1999 and 2018 shows a linear trend of ‑0.012 μm/s² per year at the AG sites on Mt. Zugspitze and explains 60% of the observed gravity variation. Long-term variations on inter-annual and climate-relevant decadal scale are under investigation and are complemented by superconducting gravimetry (initiated in 2019) and new GNSS equipment., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

Data on glacier mass balance are indicators of local and regional climate variations and serve as essential variables for monitoring of the Earth’s climate system. Vernagtferner glacier in the Austrian Alps is monitored since more than 50 years by glaciologists of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Due to the long time series of mass balance data, it is among around 50 glaciers worldwide that serve as reference glaciers of the World Glacier Monitoring Service. Vernagtferner is also an ideal test site for comparing different types of observation techniques, like the glaciological, hydrological or the geodetic mass balance method. As an independent observation technique, terrestrial relative gravimetry is used since about a decade. An essential component for verifying the long-term stability and consistency of relative gravimetry combined with local mass modelling is the availability of an absolute gravity reference. In 2014 and 2022, the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) conducted absolute gravity measurements with A10 instruments at three stations in direct vicinity of the glacier masses, as well as at two reference stations in the Ötztal valley. In this contribution, we report on the results of the field campaigns and compare the observed time variations of gravity to results from forward modelling of local mass variations derived from a combination of digital terrain models and GNSS measurements., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

Classically, vertical reference frames were realized as national or continent-wide networks of geopotential differences derived from spirit leveling and gravimetry. Those networks are affected by systematic leveling errors, leading to tilts in the order of decimeter or more in larger networks. Today, there opens the possibility to establish a worldwide unified vertical reference frame based on a conventional geoid model. Such a frame would be accessible through GNSS measurements, i.e., physical heights would be derived by the method of GNSS-leveling. The question arises, whether future vertical reference frames will still be realized by leveling/gravimetry and if not, whether existing leveling data can still be of use for geoid-based vertical datums. This question is mainly driven by the high quality of spirit leveling over short distances. We present two alternative methods to combine spirit leveling and GNSS-leveling and show to which degree they can support vertical datum realization and at the same time filter long wavelengths systematic errors in classical spirit leveling networks., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

Background and status of (inter)national research: During the beginning of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, medical care focused on providing intensive care beds and ventilation capacities for acutely ill SARS-CoV2 patients. More than 124 000 (03/2022) people died in Germany because of or with COVID-19 [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Additional file 3: Supplementary file WP1. Interview Online Survey Relatives.

Additional file 10: Supplementary file WP4. Online Survey PC Hospital.

Additional file 5: Supplementary file WP2. Interview guide Oncologists.

Additional file 8: Supplementary file WP3. Online Survey SPHC.

Additional file 7: Supplementary file WP3. Interview Guide SPHC.

Additional file 4: Supplementary file WP2. Interview guide Mobile care services.

Additional file 6: Supplementary file WP2. Online Survey Oncologists.

Additional file 9: Supplementary file WP4. Interview guide PC Hospital.

Additional file 2: Supplementary file WP1. Interview Guide Relatives.

Poor communication contributes to morbidity and mortality, not only in general medical care but also at the end oflife. This leads to issues relating to symptom control and quality of care. As part of an international project focused on bereaved relatives’ perceptions about quality of end-of-life care, we undertook a quality improvement (QI) project in a general hospital in Córdoba city, Argentina.\ud \ud \ud By using two iterative QI cycles, we launched an educational process and introduced a clinical mnemonic tool, I-PASS, during ward handovers. The introduction of the handover tool was intended to improve out-of-hours care.\ud \ud \ud Our clinical outcome measure was ensuring comfort in at least 60% of dying patients, as perceived by family carers, during night shifts in an oncology ward during the project period (March–May 2019). As process-based measures, we selected the proportion of staff completing the I-PASS course (target 60%) and using I-PASS in at least 60% of handovers. Participatory action research was the chosen method.\ud \ud \ud During the study period, 13/16 dying patients were included. We received 23 reports from family carers about the level of patient comfort during the previous night.\ud \ud \ud Sixty-five per cent of healthcare professionals completed the I-PASS training. The percentage of completed handovers increased from 60% in the first Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to 68% in the second one.\ud \ud \ud The proportion of positive reports about patient comfort increased from 63% (end of the first PDSA cycle) to 87% (last iterative analysis after 3 months). Moreover, positive responses to ‘Did doctors and nurses do enough for the patient to be comfortable during the night?’ increased from 75% to 100% between the first and the second QI cycle.\ud \ud \ud In conclusion, we achieved the successful introduction and staff training for use of the I-PASS tool. This led to improved perceptions by family carers, about comfort for dying patients.

Background\ud \ud Recognized disparities in quality of end-of-life care exist. Our aim was to assess the quality of care for patients dying from cancer, as perceived by bereaved relatives, within hospitals in seven European and South American countries.\ud \ud \ud \ud Materials and Methods\ud \ud Postbereavement survey by post, interview, or via tablet in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, U.K., Germany, Norway, and Poland. Next of kin to cancer patients were asked to complete the international version of the Care Of the Dying Evaluation (i-CODE) questionnaire 6–8 weeks postbereavement. Primary outcomes were (a) how frequently the deceased patient was treated with dignity and respect, and (b) how well the family member was supported in the patients’ last days of life.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud From 1,683 potential participants, 914 i-CODE questionnaires were completed (response rate 54%). Approximately 94% reported the doctors treated their family member with dignity and respect “always” or “most of the time”; similar responses were given about nursing staff (94%). Additionally, 89% participants reported they were adequately supported; this was more likely if the patient died on a specialist palliative care unit (odds ratio, 6.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.3–17.8). Although 87% participants were told their relative was likely to die, only 63% were informed about what to expect during the dying phase.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud \ud This is the first study assessing quality of care for patients dying from cancer from the bereaved relatives’ perspective across several countries on two continents. Our findings suggest many elements of good care were practiced but improvement in communication with relatives of imminently dying patients is needed. Clinical trial information: NCT03566732\ud \ud \ud \ud Implications for Practice\ud \ud Previous studies have shown that bereaved relatives’ views represent a valid way to assess care for dying patients in the last days of their life. The Care Of the Dying Evaluation questionnaire is a suitable tool for quality improvement work to help determine areas where care is perceived well and areas where care is perceived as lacking. Health care professionals need to sustain high quality communication into the last phase of the cancer trajectory. In particular, discussions about what to expect when someone is dying and the provision of hydration in the last days of life represent key areas for improvement.

Background:\ud The provision of care for dying cancer patients varies on a global basis. In order to improve care, we need to be able to evaluate the current level of care. One method of assessment is to use the views from the bereaved relatives.\ud \ud Aim:\ud The aim of this study is to translate and pre-test the ‘Care Of the Dying Evaluation’ (CODETM) questionnaire across seven participating countries prior to conducting an evaluation of current quality of care.\ud \ud Design:\ud The three stages were as follows: (1) translation of CODE in keeping with standardised international principles; (2) pre-testing using patient and public involvement and cognitive interviews with bereaved relatives; and (3) utilising a modified nominal group technique to establish a common, core international version of CODE.\ud \ud Setting/participants:\ud Hospital settings: for each country, at least five patient and public involvement representatives, selected by purposive sampling, fed back on CODETM questionnaire; and at least five bereaved relatives to cancer patients undertook cognitive interviews. Feedback was collated and categorised into themes relating to clarity, recall, sensitivity and response options. Structured consensus meeting held to determine content of international CODE (i-CODE) questionnaire.\ud \ud Results:\ud In total, 48 patient and public involvement representatives and 35 bereaved relatives contributed to the pre-testing stages. No specific question item was recommended for exclusion from CODETM. Revisions to the demographic section were needed to be culturally appropriate.\ud \ud Conclusion:\ud Patient and public involvement and bereaved relatives’ perceptions helped enhance the face and content validity of i-CODE. A common, core international questionnaire is now developed with key questions relating to quality of care for the dying.