Colposcopy in diagnosis and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)

AIMS OF THE STUDIES 1. To investigate the diagnostic value of colposcopy under research conditions, in patients with an indication for colposcopy. (Wouter M. Huisman) 2. To investigate the possibility of accurately predicting histopathology by means of the colposcopic impression, when a standard set of diagnostic criteria is used. (Wouter M. Huisman) 3. To investigate the predictive contribution of colposcopy in grading CIN and in the recognition of human papilloma virus (HPV) infections within the standard facilities of the University Hospital Dijkzigt-Rotterdam in the routine cytologic, colposcopic and histopathologic evaluation of selected patients with cervical smears suggestive of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. (J.A. Wijnen) 4. To investigate in a prospective randomized study the possible effects of systemic folic acid supplementation on the cytologic, colposcopic and histopathologic manifestations of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. (J.A. Wijnen) 5. To investigate in a prospective randomized study the therapeutic effectiveness and side-effects of laser- or cryotherapy in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. (J.A. Wijnen)

Deciphering the complexity of a 'simple' mesolithic phenomenon:Indicators for construction, use and taphonomy of pit hearths in Kampen (the Netherlands)

Pit hearth features form a common phenomenon in the Mesolithic of North-West Europe, and the Netherlands and adjacent parts of Germany and Belgium in particular. Using soil micromorphology, we investigated the genesis and taphonomy of several pit hearth features, embedded in sandy podzolic soils from Kampen (the Netherlands). This is one of the first studies to investigate one of such pits in its entirety, instead of only the lower, charcoal-rich fill. Our results show that the upper fill of these pits contains considerable amounts of non-charred degraded organic matter. The lower fill typically contains fragments of charcoal and some wood tar, but also black coatings around sand grains, that is interpreted as charred humus from a podzol B-horizon. These coatings indicate that material from the upper horizons of a podzol profile – e.g. in the form of turves - was used to control a fire on the floor of the pit. Fine charred material postdepositionally leached from the pit feature into the underlying deposits, associated with increased formation of limped clay coatings. This indicates that ash-induced alkaline charcoal degradation and associated clay translocation played a role in this process. The Kampen case provides strong evidence that fine charred organic material may contaminate underlying archaeological or sedimentary unit

Arguments in favour of an anthropogenic origin of Mesolithic pit hearths. A reply to Crombé and Langohr (2020)

In response to the comment by Crombé and Langohr (2020) on our micromorphological study of Mesolithic pit hearths, we argue that these features are most likely anthropogenic in origin, and that it is therefore unlikely that they are the remains of burned ant nests. Arguments for an anthropogenic origin centre around (1) their regional and temporal distribution, (2) their spatial distribution within archaeological sites, (3) their charcoal spectrum and (4) the presence of cultural remains in the pits. We argue that the absence of fire-related features and apparent discrepancies in dating can be attributed to site-formation and taphonomic processes. Finally, we indicate that, due to a lack of actual observations of the subsurface morphology of burned ant nests, it is impossible to make a valid comparison. Based on the existing literature on ant nests fires, we come to a different model of this morphology than do Crombé and Langohr (2020). We conclude that these pit hearths form an important component of the Mesolithic archaeological record and that new research into their formation and their use may shed more light on their origin and purpose

Micromorphological indicators for degradation processes in archaeological bone from temperate European wetland sites

Micromorphological investigations of archaeological bones make it possible to study decay processes and the associated depositional environment in one go. A selection of micromorphological thin sections from soil samples from three wetland sites in Switzerland, The Netherlands and Norway that contained bone fragments were studied. The goal was to investigate the type and the timing of decay processes to better understand the taphonomy of bones in such sites. Using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), a range of biological decay processes and chemical/mineralogical transformations were observed. In two of the sites e Zug-Riedmatt in Switzerland and Hazendonk in The Netherlands e a relatively short exposure to adverse conditions must have occurred: Some of the bones from Zug-Riedmatt show localized collagen decay related to exposure to fresh ashes; others show cyanobacterial tunnelling related to submersion in shallow, clear water. In Hazendonk, bone fragments and fish scales apparently have first been exposed to bacterial decay related to putrefaction. Subsequently, alternations between wet and dry conditions resulted in the dissolution of some of the bone mineral and the formation of Ca, Fe(III) phosphates, probably mitridatite. Fungal decay caused extensive tunnelling of bone and fish scales as well as the secondary phosphates. These processes apparently ended when the bone-rich layer became permanently waterlogged and anoxic. In Stavanger, bone mineral is transformed into mitridatite and possibly other Ca Fe(III) phosphates. Indications that the redox conditions are variable at present suggest that these processes are still active. ©submittedVersio

The introduction of Corded Ware Culture at a local levely:An exploratory study of cultural change during the Late Neolithic of the Dutch West Coast through ceramic technology

The introduction of the Corded Ware Culture (3000–2500 BCE) is considered a formative event in Europe's past. Ancient DNA analyses demonstrate that migrations played a crucial role in this event. However, these analyses approach the issue at a supra-regional scale, leaving questions about the regional and local impact of this event unresolved. This study pilots an approach to ceramics that brings this small-scale impact into focus by using the transmission of ceramic technology as a proxy for social change. It draws on ethno-archaeological studies of the effects of social changes on the transmission of ceramic production techniques to hypothesise the impact of three idealised scenarios that archaeologists have proposed for the introduction of Corded Ware Culture: migration, diffusion, and network interactions. Subsequently, it verifies these hypotheses by integrating geochemical (WDXRF), mineralogical (petrography), and macromorphological analysis of ceramics with network analysis. This method is applied to 30 Late Neolithic ceramic vessels from three sites in the western coastal area of the Netherlands (Hazerswoude-Rijndijk N11, Zandwerven, and Voorschoten-De Donk). This study concludes that the introduction of Corded Ware material culture is a process that varies from site to site in the western coastal area of the Netherlands. Moreover, the introduction of the Corded Ware Culture is characterised by continuity in technological traditions throughout the study area, indicating a degree of social continuity despite typological changes in ceramic

Lasst Gras darüber wachsen : Zur Überweidung der Grassteppe in der Inneren Mongolei

Die Lebensbedingungen der Nomaden in Zentralasien haben sich im letzten Jahrhundert grundlegend verändert. So wurden z.B. in der Inneren Mongolei, einer Autonomen Region im Nordosten von China, die Nomaden in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts sesshaft gemacht. In einem engen Zusammenhang mit diesen Veränderungen stehen die Überweidung der Grassteppe, Bodenerosion und Sandstürme in diesen Gebieten. Im Rahmen eines interdisziplinären Forschungsprojektes, das in Zusammenarbeit mit der Chinese Academy of Science durchgeführt und von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft gefördert wird, befasst sich eine Arbeitsgruppe des Instituts für Landschaftsökologie und Ressourcenmanagement der Universität Gießen mit Fragen zum Wasserhaushalt, mit der Wassererosion und mit dem Austrag von Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff über die Gewässer in der Inneren Mongolei

Issues in higher education policy : an update on higher education policy issues in 2004 in 11 Western countries

Higher education is a dynamic field. It is, however, also a field where changes don¿t take place overnight. This 2004 update report covers a period of 1.5 years, a period in which some earlier policy initiatives have been implemented and new ones have emerged. It is therefore not surprising to observe that many of the policy issues on the agenda in the previous Update Report (April, 2003) still are a topic of debate today.\ud The main part of the report are the descriptions of the current (2004) higher education debates and policy initiatives for each of the eleven IHEM countries, arranged in four themes educational and research infrastructure, finance, governance and quality. In conclusion, four `overarching¿ policy issues in contemporary European (and Australian) higher education are discussed. These issues are:\ud * The Bologna process and changing degree structures\ud * The changing organisation of research\ud * Financial accountability and responsibility\ud * Interactive governanc

Timing and Pace of Neolithisation in the Dutch Wetlands (c. 5000–3500 cal. BC)

This article presents an overview of the current evidence on the process of Neolithisation in the Dutch wetlands. Over the years, several models have been proposed with different perspectives on the timing and pace of the process: a long transition, an early short transition, and a late short transition. The applicability of any of these models is, of course, dependent of the evidence. In this article, we briefly discuss recently obtained data from the Netherlands on vegetation disturbance (woodland clearing), soil disturbance (tillage), cereal cultivation, animal husbandry, and the use of ceramics. The data discussed involve palynological, sedimentary, micromorphological, archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, as well as lipid analyses. Hence, it is concluded that from the mid fifth millennium cal. BC onwards, various aspects of a more “Neolithic lifestyle” become apparent in the archaeological record, including cereal cultivation on a structural, but small-scale basis in wetland environments. However, despite the “gradual” tendency that can be observed, the evidence is as yet inconclusive with regard to any of the models, due to persisting limitations of the datasets, potential regional variability, and aspects of scale. A new project, the Emergence of Domestic Animals in the Netherlands (EDAN), aims at a better understanding of animal husbandry through aDNA and isotope analyses, within a framework of statistical chronological modelling. We expect this project to enhance the debate greatly