Bekostigd en niet bekostigd hoger onderwijs: programma's en klanten

Dit rapport bevat een beschrijving van het bekostigde en niet-bekostigde hoger onderwijs in Nederland, Duitsland, Pennsylvania (Verenigde Staten), Australië en Nieuw-Zeeland. Het is geschreven in opdracht van de Onderwijsraad (www.onderwijsraad.nl) als achtergrondstudie bij zijn advies Ruimte voor Nieuwe Aanbieders in het Hoger Onderwijs. De beschrijving is toegespitst op de kenmerken van de publiek bekostigde en niet-bekostigde hoger onderwijssectoren, het opleidingenaanbod en de doelgroepen. Het afsluitende hoofdstuk geeft daarnaast een theorische beschouwing over de verschillen tussen beide sectoren

A psychological intervention based on cognitive-behavioural therapy reduces psychopathological symptoms that indirectly influence the heart rate via cortisol in hypertensive patients: Preliminary results of a pilot study

ObjectiveThis study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) integrated with psychoeducation in a group of hypertensive patients with clinically significant psychopathological symptoms.MethodsOne hundred hypertensive patients completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Of them, 17 scored above the clinical range (cut-off = 0.75) on the Global Severity Index and were included in the study. Psychological distress was assessed again after the intervention (T1) and 6 months after the end of treatment (T2). In addition, the cortisol dosage and the heart rate (HR) measurement were collected at both T0 and T2. Then, mediation analyses were carried out to calculate whether psychopathological distress might predict HR through elevated serum cortisol levels, at both T0 and T2.ResultsThe psychological intervention (CBT integrated with psychoeducation) reduced most of the psychopathological symptoms (anxiety, depression, somatisations, obsessions and compulsions, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation) but not cortisol dosage and HR measurement. However, psychological distress indirectly predicted HR via cortisol at T0 but not at T2.ConclusionThese results suggest and encourage the replicability of data in larger sample sizes and the comparison with a control group. Nevertheless, these results highlight a need for a multidimensional assessment of disorders affecting the mental and physical spheres of patients to support their overall well-being

Eco-morphodynamic carbon pumping by the largest rivers in the Neotropics

AbstractThe eco-morphodynamic activity of large tropical rivers in South and Central America is analyzed to quantify the carbon flux from riparian vegetation to inland waters. We carried out a multi-temporal analysis of satellite data for all the largest rivers in the Neotropics (i.e, width > 200 m) in the period 2000–2019, at 30 m spatial resolution. We developed a quantification of a highly efficient Carbon Pump mechanism. River morphodynamics is shown to drive carbon export from the riparian zone and to promote net primary production by an integrated process through floodplain rejuvenation and colonization. This pumping mechanism alone is shown to account for 8.9 million tons/year of carbon mobilization in these tropical rivers. We identify signatures of the fluvial eco-morphological activity that provide proxies for the carbon mobilization capability associated with river activity. We discuss river migration—carbon mobilization nexus and effects on the carbon intensity of planned hydroelectric dams in the Neotropics. We recommend that future carbon-oriented water policies on these rivers include a similar analysis

Identification of new mutations in the adenylosuccinate lyase gene associated with impaired enzyme activity in lymphocytes and red blood cells

AbstractWe determined the DNA sequence of the adenylosuccinate lyase (ASL) gene from a 13 year-old female, who showed a reduced ASL enzymatic activity in lymphocytes and red blood cells and suffered from severe psychomotor retardation. The patient was the offspring of a non-consanguineous marriage. She was found to be compound heterozygous for two missense-mutations located on different alleles (C300–G and G1266–T): the first mutation replaces Pro75 by Ala, the second mutation replaces Asp397 by Tyr