Harskamp and Jacobse investigated the effect of new forms of instruction in arithmetic education. They examined the outcomes of 40 experimental studies aimed at improving arithmetic skills. Their findings revealed, for example, that a standardised and clearly structured programme that employs a variety of methods enables young children to learn arithmetic quicker and better than they do under the methods commonly used now, most of which do not offer a structured programme. Good methods include the use of picture books about arithmetic, group discussions, arithmetic games and songs. Short, focused board games or computer games also contribute to an improved development of young pupils’ counting skills and number comprehension.

‘Visualisation is a good method for slightly older children,’ says Egbert Harskamp, endowed professor of effective learning environments at the University of Groningen. ‘For addition and subtraction up to 100 it was found, for example, that offering rows of blocks or a string of beads in a ten structure considerably improved the arithmetic performances, as long as the teaching method used had a clear structure. The teaching methods for arithmetic currently used in Dutch schools contain some visual models for addition and subtraction but these are not usually presented in a coherent manner. This unstructured use can be confusing for pupils.’

The use of the computer in arithmetic education was also found to be effective. Dutch arithmetic teaching methods do not treat different types of calculation in a structured manner and various subjects are offered in a single lesson. Educational computer programs, however, have the advantage of a consistent structure that offers the material subject by subject. Moreover, well-designed computer programs provide instruction, testing and feedback components for pupils, and allow teachers to register how the pupils are progressing and where additional guidance is needed.

The studies were done in English-speaking countries. They covered number comprehension, basic operations, measurement and geometry, ratio calculations (percentages, fractions and ratios) or the solving of applied problems. A total of more than 6800 pupils from primary education were involved. The review of these studies has been presented in two publications: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Instructional Interventions on Students’ Mathematics Achievement and Effective arithmetic instruction with the help of computers. The second publication is mainly aimed at teachers.

The research was funded by the Dutch Programme Council for Educational Research, part of NWO. The complete research report can be downloaded from the NWO site via www.nwo.nl/proo. A Dutch version of the report for non-experts is also available there together with a practical translation of a large part of the research in the form of a leaflet.

The statistics, released by Dutch Public Health, show 60 percent of men in the Netherlands are too fat, and 44 percent among women.

One in seven people in the Netherlands are so fat it threatens their health, according to the research of the Dutch National Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM) among 4000 Dutch between 30 and 70 years.

Mainly women between 30 and 39 years old have become fatter, when compared to the last research on obesity 15 years ago.

Minister Edith Schippers (Health) is concerned about the increase. She has earmarked 70 million for sports promotion and strongly recommends that they take regular exercise.

It was expected that calves would also be affected by the virus. The animals were infected at the same time as the sheep and the goats, although the symptoms of the virus only became apparent later due to the longer gestation period of bovine animals compared to sheep and goats and because multiple lambs are born on sheep farms, while single calves are normally born on cattle farms. No additional measures are required.

The Ministry reported these findings today to neighbouring countries and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Henk Bleker, Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade raised the issue at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels.

So far reports have been received from 283 farms of symptoms that could indicate infection with the Schmallenberg virus. These reports have been received from 134 sheep farms, 136 cattle farms and 13 goat farms. Tests have been carried out at 107 sheep farms, 91 cattle farms, and 9 goat farms, and the disease has since been confirmed at 72 sheep farms, 2 cattle farms and 2 goat farms. The virus has therefore been confirmed at 76 of the 283 farms, and has not been found at 131 farms. Tests are continuing at the other 76 farms.

The Russian Federation has suspended the import of sheep and goats and products derived from these animals. Mexico has suspended the import of sperm and embryos from sheep, goats and bovine animals. Argentina and China have requested more information about the virus and the situation in the Netherlands, and have been informed in writing. Experts from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands and the European Commission are scheduled to discuss the issue shortly.

Source: government.nl

“Patients deserve the best possible care, but they also deserve the best possible experience”, says Diederik Zeven – General Manager of Philips Healthcare Middle East & Turkey. “At Philips, we simplify healthcare by combining our unique clinical expertise with insights into how patients and clinicians experience healthcare. In response, we develop more intuitive, and in the end better technology solutions to help take some of the complexity out of healthcare, and reduce the burden. This helps to drive better diagnosis, more appropriate treatment planning, faster patient recovery and long term health”, he adds.

During the show, Philips will be highlighting technologies that focus specifically on the patient, in addition to advanced networking tools that facilitate greater collaboration between radiologists and referring physicians.

Clinical collaboration to drive innovation and efficiency in radiology

The Imaging 2.0 concept is poised to address a dilemma that exists in healthcare today: more consumers are demanding quality healthcare, yet there is less money to treat them. Based on feedback from clinicians, Philips’ approach to this dilemma is to enable enhanced and smarter collaboration through advanced technology with the intention of better patient outcomes and lower costs for the healthcare system.

The driving force is to create a healing environment in which multiple modalities integrate caregivers into a consolidated workflow. This integration leads to less cost and greater efficiency. It marks a new world of collaboration, which can be seen in hybrid labs, combining modalities such as x-ray, ultrasound, PET and MR.

Women’s Health

No two women are alike, and neither are their cancers. Philips understands that breast cancer is a different experience for every woman it touches. Studies and guidelines suggest a multimodality approach for comprehensive screening, diagnosis and management. Philips offers a complete solution including mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and PET/CT supported by leading-edge information management.

For more than forty years, mammography has been the most common screening tool used for the early detection of breast cancer. Philips is showcasing the next generation of digital mammography – MicroDose Mammography. According to clinical reports, Philips MicroDose uses a substantially lower average X-ray dose than other full-field digital mammography systems. ^{1, 2}; In fact, it allows for a reduction in radiation dose by up to 50%.

Innovation in Emergency Care

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.³ Without immediate treatment, the majority of SCA victims will die, with the chances of survival reducing by up to 12% with every minute that passes.^{4, 5} Defibrillation is recognized as the only definitive treatment for the abnormal heart rhythm, which is most often associated with SCA.

During the show, Philips is demonstrating their continued commitment to innovation in this area with the introduction of the HeartStart FR3 in this region, raising the bar for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) by addressing the evolving needs of professional responders, so they can respond to patients swiftly and with confidence. Recognizing that time-to-therapy matters, the Defibrillator is designed to help professional responders make lifesaving faster, easier, and better.

From pregnancy to labor, hospital to home

Maternal and neonatal health care faces longstanding challenges. Neonatal mortality comprises nearly 60% of infant deaths, and nearly 40% of deaths in children under-five years of age.  Philips recognizes the profound importance of caring for new mothers and babies, and is dedicated to keeping them healthy.

From the obstetrician’s office to the hospital to the home, Philips Mother & Child Care provides simple, reliable health care solutions for parents and clinicians.

All Philips Healthcare New Product Introductions at Arab Health 2012 can be found at www.philips.com/arabhealth, or also viewed at the show by visiting Sheikh Saeed Hall 2 booth S2C10, at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The researchers recorded changes when male participants were told that they were being observed by a woman.

The experiments showed that women weren’t affected in any way by who they believed they were interacting with.

The Dutch researchers could not explain why male reactions were so different from female ones in the study.

Men do think about sex more often than women overall, but not all the time. The age of the participants could also play a role.

The number of Dutch emigrants aged 50 years or older has steadily grown since 2000. Nine in ten are in their fifties or sixties; over-70s rarely leave the Netherlands to settle elsewhere. Between 2000 and 2010, more than 56 thousand native Dutch in their fifties or sixties left the Netherlands. With 31 thousand, the number of native Dutch returning to the Netherlands is significantly lower. Net migration in this age category has been negative for a number of years now.

In 2008, the total personal capital of households of 50 to 69-year-old emigrants was nearly 10 percent higher than the personal capital of people in the same age category who stayed behind.

On average, emigrants belonging to the younger segment of the older generation are richer in almost every aspect. The average total value of their share portfolios is notably higher and the value of their immovable property, excluding their own houses is nearly twice as high. This is possibly because they own houses abroad. Their average debt, however, is also high relative to people who have not left the Netherlands.

source: cbs

Bored office workers are turning to coffee and chocolate to lighten up their day.

One in four office workers complain of “chronic boredom”, causing them to lose concentration and make mistakes.

When they’re bored, they tend to comfort eat, says a survey by occupational psychologist Sandi Mann.

The study of 102 office-based workers also showed that people are more likely to have an alcoholic drink at the end of a boring day at work.

Are you bored at work? Search and apply for another job today.

Here a funny video to add a smile to your day and combat office boredom!

The number of births in 2011 was lower than in 2010. The decline by 4 thousand is partly due to the current economic situation and partly due to the fact that fewer women are in the fertile age. Oddly enough, the ageing population does not seem to affect mortality. The annual number of deaths has remained fairly stable in recent years.

In 1.5 minutes, this explanimation shows the Netherlands by numbers on a normal day. How many babies are born, how many people die, how many people get married or divorced, and how many move house?

At @hartpatientAd and @cardioloogLukas on Twitter, patient Ad Langendonk from Eindhoven and his cardiologist, Dr Lukas Dekker, can be followed for a month from January 10 onwards.

Together, they will cover events before, during and after a minimally-invasive intervention in which catheters are used to remedy Ad Langendonk’s heart rhythm disorder and give him back his quality of life. The Catharina Hospital and Philips have launched this unique initiative to provide information to the public in an accessible manner and to show how rewarding healthcare innovation can be for both patients and society.

Like nearly 300,000 other Dutch people, Ad Langendonk has a heart rhythm disorder that has a highly negative impact on his quality of life. At 45 years of age, with two children and a busy job, he should be enjoying the prime of life. However, because of his heart rhythm disorder, he has had to give up many activities. The number of people with such disorders will greatly increase in the coming years to around 1 million by the year 2050.

Followers of @hartpatientAd can tweet Ad and his cardiologist, Dr Lukas Dekker, with questions about heart rhythm disorders and how they are treated. In addition, Ad can be supported by visiting www.dialoog.skipr.nl/evolutieindezorg.

Minimally-invasive treatment live via social media
On January 27, Ad Langendonk’s heart rhythm disorder will be treated with a minimally-invasive procedure known as catheter ablation – a treatment that is rapidly increasing in popularity after a great deal of research and development over the last decade. Ad’s actual treatment can be followed ‘live’ via www.dialoog.skipr.nl/evolutieindezorg, with the medical team at Catharina Hospital keeping the world continuously updated on the progress of the procedure. In this way, people will be able to see the direct impact that healthcare innovation can have on a patient’s quality of life.

“Innovation is the only means by which we can offer solutions to future healthcare issues. We need to keep an eye on costs, but this needs to be done in a balanced way. There is no denying that innovations such as this one are the future. It therefore remains vital to keep investing,” says Dr Lukas Dekker, cardiologist at the Catharina Hospital. “To stimulate that investment, it is important to increase awareness. That is why I am so enthusiastic about this initiative. In this way, people are brought together, discussions are encouraged and ideas exchanged. Most importantly, the disease is given a face, which gives people a more personalized insight into the issues. Visitors share the journey of the patient and feel as if they are part of it every step of the way.”

“Discussions about healthcare innovation are often complex and abstract, but ultimately healthcare is all about people”, says Will Ickenroth from Philips Healthcare Benelux.  “The value of healthcare and the importance of innovation to people and to society as a whole becomes much clearer when you visit a hospital or have a conversation with physicians and patients. Together with the Catharina Hospital and Ad Langendonk, we are launching this unique initiative to show this from a patient’s personal perspective.”

The current healthcare costs associated with treating atrial fibrillation – the heart disorder that Ad Langendonk is suffering from – amount to 580 million Euros per year. With an increase in the number of patients, the costs will increase further. Innovative treatment methods, such as the catheter ablation procedure that Ad Langendonk will undergo, will aid in providing good, efficient and affordable care for an increasingly large group of patients.

General practitioners should be free to decide for themselves where they want to establish their practices. The Dutch National Association of General Practitioners (LHV), however, calls on its members to restrict this freedom. The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has therefore decided to impose a fine of EUR 7,719,000 on LHV. In addition, two LHV officials are imposed personal fines of EUR 50,000 and EUR 25,000 respectively, because the NMa holds them responsible for making LHV’s recommendations to its members. Almost every GP in the Netherlands is a member of LHV.

Henk Don, member of the Board of the NMa, denounces the situation: ‘We already made clear to LHV in 2001 that it is illegal to restrict establishment options of general practitioners. With the recommendations of LHV to accept new GPs in a certain area only if the established GPs in that area agree to such an entry, the odds are very high that newcomers are not given a fair chance.’ He continues: ‘This policy not only hurts new GPs, but hurts patients and insurers as well, because they are left with fewer choices.’ And to eliminate any confusion regarding this issue, the NMa has also imposed an order subject to periodic penalty payments on LHV, requiring it to inform all of its members and regional divisions that its establishment recommendations have been revoked. The NMa launched the investigation into LHV after it had received indications from alarmed GPs.

The NMa’s actions supports the government’s position on how health care should function: health care providers who perform well, innovate, and who put patients first, should be rewarded in that patients and health insurers choose them over those that perform poorly. Establishment policies such as LHV’s would only hinder this selection process.

Trade associations usually play an important and positive role in dynamic industries. They can help an industry move forward in a changing environment. However, making recommendations on establishment, prices, supply restrictions or market-sharing is not part of the range of duties a forward-looking trade association normally has, and may even constitute a violation of the Dutch Competition Act.

On January 1, 2013, the NMa will merge with the Netherlands Consumer Authority and the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority of the Netherlands (OPTA), creating a new authority: The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). This new authority aims to ensure that markets work in order to protect consumer interests. To this end, the ACM will focus on three main themes: consumer protection, industry-specific regulation, and competition oversight.