The Cultural Landscape & Heritage Paradox; Protection and Development of the Dutch Archeological-Historical Landscape and its European Dimension

To what extent can we know past and mainly invisible landscapes, and how we can use this still hidden knowledge for actual sustainable management of landscape’s cultural and historical values. It has also been acknowledged that heritage management is increasingly about ‘the management of future change rather than simply protection’. This presents us with a paradox: to preserve our historic environment, we have to collaborate with those who wish to transform it and, in order to apply our expert knowledge, we have to make it suitable for policy and society. The answer presented by the Protection and Development of the Dutch Archaeological-Historical Landscape programme (pdl/bbo) is an integrative landscape approach which applies inter- and transdisciplinarity, establishing links between archaeological-historical heritage and planning, and between research and policy. This is supported by two unifying concepts: ‘biography of landscape’ and ‘action research’. This approach focuses upon the interaction between knowledge, policy and an imagination centered on the public. The European perspective makes us aware of the resourcefulness of the diversity of landscapes, of social and institutional structures, of various sorts of problems, approaches and ways forward. In addition, two related issues stand out: the management of knowledge creation for landscape research and management, and the prospects for the near future. Underlying them is the imperative that we learn from the past ‘through landscape’

Grammatical performance in children with dyslexia: the contributions of individual differences in phonological memory and statistical learning

Several studies have signaled grammatical difficulties in individuals with developmental dyslexia. These difficulties may stem from a phonological deficit, but may alternatively be explained through a domain-general deficit in statistical learning. This study investigates grammar in children with and without dyslexia, and whether phonological memory and/or statistical learning ability contribute to individual differences in grammatical performance. We administered the CELF word structure and recalling sentences subtests and measures of phonological memory (digit span, nonword repetition) and statistical learning (serial reaction time, nonadjacent dependency learning) among 8-to 11-year-old children with and without dyslexia (N = 50 per group). Consistent with previous findings, our results show subtle difficulties in grammar, as children with dyslexia achieved lower scores on the CELF (word structure: p =.0027, recalling sentences: p =.053). While the two phonological memory measures were found to contribute to individual differences in grammatical performance, no evidence for a relationship with statistical learning was found. An error analysis revealed errors in irregular morphology (e.g., plural and past tense), suggesting problems with lexical retrieval. These findings are discussed in light of theoretical accounts of the underlying deficit in dyslexia

HOXA10 controls osteoblastogenesis by directly activating bone regulatory and phenotypic genes

HOXA10 is necessary for embryonic patterning of skeletal elements, but its function in bone formation beyond this early developmental stage is unknown. Here we show that HOXA10 contributes to osteogenic lineage determination through activation of Runx2 and directly regulates osteoblastic phenotypic genes. In response to bone morphogenic protein BMP2, Hoxa10 is rapidly induced and functions to activate the Runx2 transcription factor essential for bone formation. A functional element with the Hox core motif was characterized for the bone-related Runx2 P1 promoter. HOXA10 also activates other osteogenic genes, including the alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein genes, and temporally associates with these target gene promoters during stages of osteoblast differentiation prior to the recruitment of RUNX2. Exogenous expression and small interfering RNA knockdown studies establish that HOXA10 mediates chromatin hyperacetylation and trimethyl histone K4 (H3K4) methylation of these genes, correlating to active transcription. HOXA10 therefore contributes to early expression of osteogenic genes through chromatin remodeling. Importantly, HOXA10 can induce osteoblast genes in Runx2 null cells, providing evidence for a direct role in mediating osteoblast differentiation independent of RUNX2. We propose that HOXA10 activates RUNX2 in mesenchymal cells, contributing to the onset of osteogenesis, and that HOXA10 subsequently supports bone formation by direct regulation of osteoblast phenotypic genes. <br/

Measuring primary school teachers’ attitudes towards new technology use: development and validation of the TANT questionnaire

This study concerns the development and validation of a questionnaire to measure primary school Teachers’ Attitudes towards New Technology use in teaching (TANT). Many researchers, policy makers and educators have emphasized the importance of using new technology in teaching. However, no instrument is available to measure teachers’ attitudes towards using new technology in teaching. In a previous literature study (authors), we used the well-known Theory of Planned Behaviour to identify and structure eight underlying factors that make up primary school teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in teaching. In the current study we aim to measure these factors. To that end, we developed eight corresponding scales, as well as a scale to measure primary school teachers’ use of new technology. Results of the validation study among 659 pre- and in-service teachers showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity for six attitudinal factors and teachers’ use of new technology. In addition, we explored the predictive validity of the attitudinal factors for explaining variability in teachers’ use of new technology and established configural, metric and scalar measurement invariance

Auditory statistical learning in children: Novel insights from an online measure

Nonadjacent dependency learning is thought to be a fundamental skill for syntax acquisition and often assessed via an offline grammaticality judgment measure. Asking judgments of children is problematic, and an offline task is suboptimal as it reflects only the outcome of the learning process, disregarding information on the learning trajectory. Therefore, and following up on recent methodological advancements in the online measurement of nonadjacent dependency learning in adults, the current study investigates if the recording of response times can be used to establish nonadjacent dependency learning in children. Forty-six children (mean age: 7.3 years) participated in a child-friendly adaptation of a nonadjacent dependency learning experiment (López-Barroso, Cucurell, Rodríguez-Fornells, & de Diego-Balaguer, 2016). They were exposed to an artificial language containing items with and without nonadjacent dependencies while their response times (online measure) were measured. After exposure, grammaticality judgments (offline measure) were collected. The results show that children are sensitive to nonadjacent dependencies, when using the online measure (the results of our offline measure did not provide evidence of learning). We therefore conclude that future studies can use online response time measures (perhaps in addition to the offline grammaticality judgments) to further investigate nonadjacent dependency learning in children

Evaluation of pregnancy and delivery in 13 women who underwent resection of a sacrococcygeal teratoma during early childhood

Sacrococcygeal teratoma resection often brings changes in pelvic anatomy and physiology with possible consequences for defecation, micturition and sexual function. It is unknown, whether these changes have any gynecological and obstetric sequelae. Until now four pregnancies after sacrococcygeal teratoma resection have been described and cesarean section has been suggested to be the method of choice for delivery. We evaluated the pregnancy course and mode of delivery in women previously treated for a sacrococcygeal teratoma. The records of all patients who underwent sacrococcygeal teratoma resection after 1970 in one of the six pediatric surgical centers in the Netherlands were reviewed retrospectively. Women aged 18 years and older were eligible for participation. Patient characteristics, details about the performed operation and tumor histology were retrieved from the records. Consenting participants completed a questionnaire addressing fertility, pregnancy and delivery details. Eighty-nine women were eligible for participation; 20 could not be traced. Informed consent was received from 41, of whom 38 returned the completed questionnaire (92.7%). Thirteen of these 38 women conceived, all but one spontaneously. In total 20 infants were born, 17 by vaginal delivery and 3 by cesarean section, in one necessitated by previous intra-abdominal surgery as a consequence of sacrococcygeal teratoma resection. Conversion to a cesarean section was never necessary. None of the 25 women without offspring reported involuntary childlessness. There are no indications that resection of a sacrococcygeal teratoma in female patients is associated with reduced fertility: spontaneous pregnancy is possible and vaginal delivery is safe for mother and child, irrespective of the sacrococcygeal teratoma classification or tumor histolog

Rehabilitation patients: undernourished and obese?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of undernutrition in patients in Dutch rehabilitation centres and to measure the diagnostic accuracy of available screening tools. METHODS: This cross-sectional multicentre study was conducted in 11 rehabilitation centres in The Netherlands. Patient's nutritional status was determined by the amount of weight loss during the last 1, 3 and 6 months and body mass index (BMI). Diagnostic accuracy was assessed for 5 screening tools: Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire Residential Care (SNAQRC), SNAQ65+, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and Mini nutrition Assessment-short form. RESULTS: Twenty-eight percent of the patients were severely undernourished and 10% were moderately undernourished. In the undernourished group, 28% were overweight (BMI 25-30) and 19% were obese (BMI > 30). The SNAQ65+ is the recommended screening tool due to its high diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 96%, specificity 77%, positive predictive value 62%, negative predictive value 90%) and quick and easy use. The MNA had the worst diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 44%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of undernutrition in patients in Dutch rehabilitation centres is high. Almost half of the undernourished patients were overweight or obese. Therefore, it is important not only to screen for undernutrition, but also carefully to assess possible overweight/obesity in every undernourished rehabilitation patient

Students’ and Teachers’ Experiences With the Implementation of Problem-Based Learning at a University Law School

A few years ago, the Erasmus School of Law implemented problem-based learning (PBL) as an instructional method in the bachelor’s program. Transition to a PBL program often brings some difficulties for the teaching staff. To find out whether the implementation at the Erasmus School of Law has been successful, students and teachers were asked about their experiences with and perceptions of the PBL program. Both students and teachers reported positive study behaviors, such as regular studying and active involvement of students as a result of PBL. However, some issues also arose after implementing PBL: staff members reported dissatisfaction regarding the PBL program and students reported feelings of insufficient preparation for the legal profession. Recommendations on how to address these issues are discussed

Forced expression of the interferon regulatory factor 2 oncoprotein causes polyploidy and cell death in FDC-P1 myeloid hematopoietic progenitor cells

The IFN regulatory factor-2 (IRF-2) oncoprotein controls the cell cycle-dependent expression of histone H4 genes during S phase and may function as a component of an E2F-independent mechanism to regulate cell growth. To investigate the role of IRF-2 in control of cell proliferation, we have constructed a stable FDC-P1 cell line (F2) in which expression of IRF-2 is doxycycline (DOX)-inducible, and a control cell line (F0). Both the F2 and F0 cell lines were synchronized in the G1 phase by isoleucine deprivation, and IRF-2 was induced by DOX on release of cells from the cell cycle block. Flow cytometric analyses indicated that forced expression of IRF-2 has limited effects on cell cycle progression before the first mitosis. However, continued cell growth in the presence of elevated IRF-2 levels results in polyploidy (\u3e4n) or genomic disintegration (\u3c2n) and cell death. Western blot analyses revealed that the levels of the cell cycle regulatory proteins cyclin B1 and the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-inhibitory protein p27 are selectively increased. These changes occur concomitant with a significant elevation in the levels of the FAS-L protein, which is the ligand of the FAS (Apo1/CD95) receptor. We also found a subtle change in the ratio of the apoptosis-promoting Bax protein and the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Hence, IRF-2 induces a cell death response involving the Fas/FasL apoptotic pathway in FDC-P1 cells. Our data suggest that the IRF-2 oncoprotein regulates a critical cell cycle checkpoint that controls progression through G2 and mitosis in FDC-P1 hematopoietic progenitor cells