Over 40% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medications while receiving anticancer treatment.

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medications (CAM) is popular among cancer patients. CAM includes vitamins, minerals, phytotherapy, homeopathy, nutritional supplements and probiotics. CAM use may lead to unwanted risks by interacting with anticancer drugs; therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to be aware of CAM use by their patients.

Architecture for low-cost and highly flexible metro-access networks using SOA-based OADM nodes and digital subcarrier multiplexing with power loading.

Metro-access networks exploiting wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to cope with the ever-growing bandwidth demands are sensitive to cost and need to be fast-configurable to meet the requirements of many new network services. Optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) are a key component in enabling fast dynamic wavelength allocation and optimization. In this Letter, we propose and demonstrate, to our knowledge, a novel architecture for high-performance metro-access networks that utilizes semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based OADM nodes, digital subcarrier multiplexing (DSCM), low-cost direct detection receivers, and power loading techniques, which makes the designed metro-access network cost-effective, fast reconfigurable, and flexible for bandwidth allocation on demand.

Efficacy of botulinum toxin A injection in pelvic floor muscles in chronic pelvic pain patients: a study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common multifactorial condition affecting 6%-27% of women aged 18-50 years worldwide. The aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin A (BTA) injection compared with placebo injections in the pelvic floor muscles in women with CPP to improve pain, function and quality of life.

Methods And Analysis: This is a study protocol for a multicentre, double-blinded placebo controlled RCT conducted in five gynaecology departments across the Netherlands.

Attitude of healthcare professionals toward the use of complementary and alternative medication during anti-cancer therapy.

Objective: Patients with cancer often use complementary and alternative medication (CAM). This research aims to study the current attitude of healthcare professionals toward the use of CAM to improve current care.

Methods: A questionnaire on both the current practice and opinions about CAM use was sent to healthcare professionals in Amsterdam UMC, who work for the department of hematology or oncology.

Potassium Silicate as Low-Temperature Binder in 3D-Printed Porous Structures for CO Separation.

Activated carbon sorbents were directly 3D-printed into highly adaptable monolithic/multi-channel systems by using potassium silicate as a low-temperature binder. By employing emerging 3D-printing technologies, monolithic structured sorbents were printed and fully characterized using N, Ar, and CO-sorption and Hg-intrusion porosimetry. The CO-capture performance and the required temperature for active-site regeneration were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis-looping experiments.