Victor Horta’s staircase ‘12, rue de Turin’. Genesis, canonization and readings of an iconic architectural interior view

The photographic view on the staircase of House Tassel by Victor Horta has become an iconic image of Victor Horta’s work and of European Art Nouveau in general. This contribution will investigate the genesis of this image, its canonization in the historiography of Art Nouveau and of modern architecture, and its multiple readings. In order to do so, I will dive into the context of the early reception of Horta’s work in the illustrated journals and architectural albums during the decade 1895-1905, firstly. Subsequently, I will explore its place in the major writings that established the canon of 20th-century modern architecture and address its multiple interpretations as explicated in the text and image discourses of these publications

De rol van de sociale omgeving bij gezond oud worden

Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

Effects of organically and conventionally produced feed on biomarkers of health in a chicken model

Consumers expect organic products to be healthier. However, limited research has been performed to study the effect of organic food on health. The present study aimed to identify biomarkers of health to enable future studies in human subjects. A feeding experiment was performed in two generations of three groups of chickens differing in immune responsiveness, which were fed identically composed feeds from either organic or conventional produce. The animals of the second generation were exposed to an immune challenge and sacrificed at 13 weeks of age. Feed and ingredients were analysed on macro- and micronutrients, i.e. vitamins, minerals, trace elements, heavy metals and microbes. The chickens were studied by general health and immune parameters, metabolomics, genomics and post-mortem evaluation. The organic and conventional feeds were comparable with respect to metabolisable energy. On average, the conventionally produced feeds had a 10 % higher protein content and some differences in micronutrients were observed. Although animals on both feeds were healthy, differences between the groups were found. The random control group of chickens fed conventional feed showed overall a higher weight gain during life span than the group on organic feed, although feed intake was mostly comparable. The animals on organic feed showed an enhanced immune reactivity, a stronger reaction to the immune challenge as well as a slightly stronger ‘catch-up growth’ after the challenge. Biomarkers for future research were identified in the parameters feed intake, body weight and growth rate, and in immunological, physiological and metabolic parameters, several of these differing most pronounced after the challeng

Going to the exclusive show : exhibition strategies and moviegoing memories of Disneys animated feature films in Ghent (1937-1982)

This is a case study of the exploitation and experience of Disney's animated feature films from the 1930s to the 1980s in Ghent (Belgium). It is a historical study of programming practices and financial strategies which constructed childhood memories on watching Disney. The study is a contribution to a historical understanding of the implications of global distribution of film as cultural products and the counter pull of localism. Using a multi-method approach, the argument is made that the scarce screenings were strategically programmed to uplift the moviegoing experience into something out of the ordinary in everyday life. Programming and revenue data characterize the screenings as exclusive and generating high intakes. Consequently, the remembered screenings did not exhale an easy accessible social status nor an image of pervasiveness of popular childhood film, contradictory to conventional accounts of Disney's ubiquity in popular culture

Vitality club: a proof-of-principle of peer coaching for daily physical activity by older adults

Many age-related diseases can be prevented or delayed by daily physical activity. Unfortunately, many older adults do not per- form physical activity at the recommended level. Professional interventions do not reach large numbers of older adults for a long period of time. We studied a peer-coach intervention, in which older adults coach each other, that increased daily physi- cal activity of community dwelling older adults for over 6 years. We studied the format and e ects of this peer coach interven- tion for possible future implementation elsewhere. Through interviews and participatory observation we studied the format of the intervention. We also used a questionnaire (n = 55) and collected 6-min walk test data (n = 261) from 2014 to 2016 to determine the motivations of participants and effects of the intervention on health, well-being and physical capacity. Vitality Club is a self-sustainable group of older adults that gather every weekday to exercise coached by an older adult. Members attend on average 2.5 days per week and retention rate is 77.5% after 6 years. The members perceived improve- ments in several health measures. In line with this, the 6-min walk test results of members of this Vitality Club improved with 21.7 meters per year, compared with the decline of 2–7 meters per year in the general population. This Vitality Club is successful in durably engaging its members in physical activity. The members perceive improvements in health that are in line with improvements in a physical function test. Because of the self-sustainable character of the intervention, peer coaching has the potential to be scaled up at low cost and increase physical activity in the increasing number of older adults.  Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

An item and construct bias analysis of two language versions of a verbal analogies scale

The Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey is a test of cognitive academic language proficiency that has been adapted from English into Xhosa by a South African team of researchers. This study was primarily concerned with the Verbal Analogies Scale of the Woodcock Muñoz Language Survey and aimed to extend previous research on the equivalence of the two language versions of the scale. The study employed a monolingual two-group design consisting of 150 mainly English-speaking and 149 mainly Xhosa learners in Grades 6 and 7. The first research objective was to investigate item bias (or differential item functioning items) in the Visual Analogies Scale across the Xhosa and English versions using logistic regression and Mantel–Haenszel statistical techniques. Five items were identified as differential item functioning. The second objective was to evaluate the construct equivalence of the two versions by conducting a factor analysis after removing the differential item functioning items from the scale. Two factors were identified. The first factor displayed significant loadings across both language versions. The second factor was stable for the English version but not for the Xhosa version. Results were supported by calculating a Tucker’s phi coefficient for both factors. It was therefore concluded that Factor 1 is structurally equivalent across the two language versions but that Factor 2 was not structurally equivalent. Thus, the detection and removal of differential item functioning items did not result in structural equivalence.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Contaminants and micro-organisms in organic and conventional food products

In the Netherlands we investigated animal and plant products on potentially hazardous contamination with heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues, patho-genic micro-organisms and nitrate. In most cases, the organically produced foods had equal or lower amounts of contaminants than conventionally pro-duced products. These results conflict with a common idea that organic farming theoretically increases food safety risks. For many contaminants organic food showed a large diversity in the amount of contamina-tion. Experience with organic farming, managing and manure use partly explain these differences. Understanding of these cultivation parameters can help in further improvement of organic cultivation practices