Ecumenism in St Andrews : a fact and a mandate

In a three-way conversation, ministers from Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches in St Andrews, Fife reflect on their experience of ecumenical theology and local church practice. As they wrestle with the reality of the Church’s disunity, they seek to draw out some specific biblical, theological, and practical resources which have been especially helpful in their own ecumenical practice as local church ministers. What clearly emerges as a central feature is the gift which denominational differences and diversities can bring out of ecumenical efforts. Encountering sisters and brothers in other ecclesial communities can play a crucial role in enriching our own ecclesial identities, but, as these authors emphasise, it requires pushing against the consumerist competition which can easily creep up on us in a shrinking church ‘market’. Remaining open to the gift of another – in this case, another Christian communal expression – is at the heart of anything that can be called genuine ecumenism.Peer reviewe

Reflecting on the Future of QDA Software: Special Issue of The Qualitative Report

This article introduces the special issue of The Qualitative Report, which brings together five papers exploring the scope, depth, history and future of Qualitative Data Analysis software (QDAS), originally presented at a conference in Rotterdam in 2016. The selected papers provide insights into the history of the QDAS community and future developments of the software packages, uses of QDAS for tasks beyond text analysis, the promise of a common exchange format for researchers using different packages, and strategies for putting to rest, once and for all, persistent misconceptions about QDAS that continue to circulate in the literature and during education and training events. We also suggest a “wish list” for future QDAS developments, including the ability to import e-books, full integration with data mining approaches, and engagement in the Open Science movement

Het oog spiegelt de oogarts

REDE uitgesproken bij de aanvaarding van het ambt van gewoon hoogleraar in de oogheelkunde aan de faculteit der geneeskunde, Brasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, op 18 april 198

Atherosclerosis, C-reactive protein, and risk for open-angle glaucoma: The Rotterdam Study

PURPOSE. To test the hypotheses that atherosclerosis and elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are risk factors for open-angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS. In a prospective, population-based cohort study, all participants 55 years and older and at risk for incident OAG underwent, at baseline (1990-1993) and at follow-up (1997-1999), the same ophthalmic examination, including visual field testing and optic disc photography. Baseline atherosclerosis was assessed by means of echography of the carotid arteries, abdominal x-ray examination, and ankle-arm index; baseline serum CRP levels were used in the analyses. The diagnosis of OAG was based on an algorithm using optic disc measures and visual field loss. Odds ratios of OAG were computed with logistic regression analyses. Risk factors were categorized in tenues and according to standard deviation. RESULTS. After a mean follow-up of 6.5 years, incident OAG was diagnosed in 87 of 3842 (2.3%) participants at risk for OAG. Carotid artery plaques, carotid intima-media thickness, aortic calcifications, ankle-arm index, and CRP levels were not significant risk factors for OAG. The odds ratio, given for the highest and lowest tertiles, for carotid plaques was 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-2.99), for carotid intima-media thickness 0.86 (95% CI, 0.47-1.57), for aortic calcifications 1.02 (95% CI, 0.60-1.75), for ankle-arm index 0.69 (95% CI, 0.38-1.25), and for CRP 1.19 (95% CI, 0.68-2.07). CONCLUSIONS. In this prospective, population-based study, neither atherosclerosis nor serum CRP level was an important risk factor for OAG.

Reflecting on the Future of QDA Software: Special Issue of The Qualitative Report

This article introduces the special issue of The Qualitative Report, which brings together five papers exploring the scope, depth, history and future of Qualitative Data Analysis software (QDAS), originally presented at a conference in Rotterdam in 2016. The selected papers provide insights into the history of the QDAS community and future developments of the software packages, uses of QDAS for tasks beyond text analysis, the promise of a common exchange format for researchers using different packages, and strategies for putting to rest, once and for all, persistent misconceptions about QDAS that continue to circulate in the literature and during education and training events. We also suggest a “wish list” for future QDAS developments, including the ability to import e-books, full integration with data mining approaches, and engagement in the Open Science movement

Blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and the incidence of age-related maculopathy: the Rotterdam Study

PURPOSE: To determine whether blood pressure and subclinical atherosclerosis are associated with incident age-related maculopathy (ARM). METHODS: The study was performed within the Rotterdam Study, a population-based, prospective cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A total of 4822 subjects who at baseline were aged 55 years more, were free of ARM, and participated in at least one of two follow-up examinations after a mean of 2 and 6.5 years, were included in the study. At baseline, blood pressure and the presence of atherosclerosis were determined. ARM was assessed according to the International Classification and Grading System and defined as large, soft drusen with pigmentary changes; indistinct drusen; or atrophic or neovascular age-related macular degeneration. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, incident ARM was diagnosed in 417 subjects. Increased systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure was associated with a higher risk of ARM. Adjusted for age, gender, smoking, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus, odds ratios (OR) per 10-mm Hg increase were 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.14) and 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04-1.18), respectively. Moreover, different measures of atherosclerosis were associated with the risk of ARM. An increase in carotid wall thickness (OR per 1 SD, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03-1.28) increased the risk of ARM. The lowest compared with the highest tertile of ankle-arm index had an OR of 1.32 (95% CI: 1.00-1.75). A weak association was found between aortic calcifications and the risk of ARM. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated systolic blood or pulse pressure or the presence of atherosclerosis may increase the risk of development of ARM

Dietary assessment in the elderly: Application of a two-step semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire for epidemiological studies

Objective: Description and application of an adapted semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) for dietary assessment in the elderly population of the Rotterdam Study. Design: Dietary assessment consisting of a two-step approach was performed in 5434 participants (2225 men, 3029 women) of the Rotterdam Study from 1990 to 1993, a population-based prospective cohort of 7983 subjects aged 55-95 years (participation rate 78%). Statistical analysis: Nutrient intake was calculated for men and women in four age groups (55-64 years, 65-74 years, 75-84 years, 85-95 years) and linear trend analysis for differences in mean nutrient intake across age groups (55-64 gears 65-74 years, 75-95 years) by regression analysis was conducted. The influence of baseline characteristics on energy and nutrient intakes adjusted by age and sex was investigated by one-way-analysis of variance. Results: The adapted SFFQ made it possible to measure nutrient intake in the elderly within a limited time frame (2 x 20 min) across a wide age range (55-95 years). For nutrient intake we observed a general decline in mean intake of energy and most nutrients with age in men. In women the relation with age was not consistent: for most nutrients mean intake showed a decrease with age (e.g. water, magnesium, potassium), for some an incre

Pioglitazone improves cardiac function and alters myocardial substrate metabolism without affecting cardiac triglyceride accumulation and high-energy phosphate metabolism in patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus

0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In T2DM patients, pioglitazone was associated with improvement in some measures of left ventricular diastolic function, myocardial glucose uptake, and whole-body insulin sensitivity. The functional changes, however, were not associated with myocardial substrate and high-energy phosphate metabolis