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Terms modified by Dutch Selected AbstractsDunefoot dynamics along the Dutch coastEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 10 2002B. G. Ruessink Abstract The dynamics of the dunefoot along a 160 km portion of the Dutch coast has been investigated based on a data set of annual surveys dating back to as early as 1850. The linearly detrended (or residual) dunefoot positions comprise an alongshore uniform and an alongshore non-uniform component. The former is expressed as 10 to 15 m of landward retreat along extensive (>10 km) stretches of coast during years with severe storm surges and as up to 5 m of seaward advance during years without significant storm activity. The latter, alongshore non-uniform component is organized in sandwave-like patterns, which may have a longevity of decades to up to the duration of the entire data set (150 years). Their wavelengths vary along the coast, from 3·5 to 10 km; migration rates are 0,200 m a,1. Dunefoot sandwaves are shown to be the shoreward extensions of similar sandwave patterns in the beach position. The non-uniform dunefoot behaviour constitutes at least 80 per cent of the total residual dunefoot dynamics, implying that along the Dutch coast residual dunefoot variability is controlled by temporal and spatial variability in beach characteristics, and not by storm-induced uniform erosion. Various potential mechanisms causing beach sandwaves are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Identification of Standard Auction ModelsECONOMETRICA, Issue 6 2002Susan Athey This paper presents new identification results for models of first,price, second,price, ascending (English), and descending (Dutch) auctions. We consider a general specification of the latent demand and information structure, nesting both private values and common values models, and allowing correlated types as well as ex ante asymmetry. We address identification of a series of nested models and derive testable restrictions enabling discrimination between models on the basis of observed data. The simplest model,symmetric independent private values,is nonparametrically identified even if only the transaction price from each auction is observed. For richer models, identification and testable restrictions may be obtained when additional information of one or more of the following types is available: (i) the identity of the winning bidder or other bidders; (ii) one or more bids in addition to the transaction price; (iii) exogenous variation in the number of bidders; (iv) bidder,specific covariates. While many private values (PV) models are nonparametrically identified and testable with commonly available data, identification of common values (CV) models requires stringent assumptions. Nonetheless, the PV model can be tested against the CV alternative, even when neither model is identified. [source] Going Dutch in London City Comedy: Economies of Sexual and Sacred Exchange in John Marston's The Dutch Courtesan (1605)ENGLISH LITERARY RENAISSANCE, Issue 1 2010Marjorie Rubright Conventional approaches to London city comedy have explored the genre's dependence upon character types. Through a consideration of the ways in which English and Dutch ethnicity is represented in city comedy, this essay reveals that a critical and methodological revision is necessary. In John Marston's The Dutch Courtesan and Thomas Middleton's The Family of Love, puns and double entendres vivify characterizations of Dutchness and Englishness as unstable and problematically proximate. What emerges is a study of the chiastic interplay of differences and similarities that constitute Englishness and Dutchness in London city comedy. I argue that across the Anglo-Dutch relation identity was more of an analogous phenomenon than a digital one. In tracing how English-identified characters "go Dutch," this essay argues that city comedy was actively exploring and keeping in play the fluidity of signifiers of ethnic difference, especially language, diet, and religious belief. (M.R.) [source] European Union scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse (1976,2000)ADDICTION, Issue 8 2005Xavier Sánchez-Carbonell ABSTRACT Background Alcohol and drug misuse is a social and health phenomenon of great relevance in the European Union (EU). One indicator of scientific production in a given area is the analysis of publications included in bibliographic databases. Scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse was analysed in EU member countries, and comparisons were made between countries. Methods Analysis of articles on alcohol and drug misuse published during the period 1976,2000 by institutions based in a country of the EU, indexed by PsycINFO. Results A total of 4825 citations was retrieved. Great Britain published 38.6%, while Sweden, Germany and Spain accounted for a further 30%. The articles dealt with drug and alcohol usage (12.8%), substance abuse (53.5%) and drug and alcohol rehabilitation (34.5%). The articles were published in 13 different languages, more than three-quarters being in English. Spanish was the second language, and was followed by French, German, Dutch and Italian. The articles were published in 521 different journals, and 62 of these published more than 10 articles. The journals publishing most were Addiction, Alcohol and Alcoholism and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Sixty-eight per cent of the articles were signed by more than one author, and the index of collaboration, between 1996 and 2000, was 3.24. Discussion and conclusions PsycINFO is useful for making comparisons between countries, because it includes the name and country of the institution. The number of publications in the EU on alcohol and drug misuse increased over the quarter-century analysed. The most used language was English, as it also is for PsycINFO as a whole, and a tendency towards its increased use was observed. Classification of the articles by subject by the Classification Code is too general, and makes it difficult to distinguish between the areas it proposes. Production tends to be concentrated in journals dealing specifically with drug dependence and psychiatry. The index of collaboration is similar to that found in other scientific areas. [source] The Impact of Institutional Differences on Derivatives Usage: a Comparative Study of US and Dutch FirmsEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2003Gordon M. Bodnar F30; G15; G32 Abstract This paper examines the influence of institutional differences on corporate risk management practices in the USA and the Netherlands. We compare results to surveys in each country using a strategy that corrects for differences over industry and size classes across the Dutch and US samples. We document several differences in the firms' uses and attitudes towards derivatives and attempt to attribute them to the differences in the institutional environments between the USA and the Netherlands. We find that institutional differences appear to have an important impact on risk management practices and derivatives use across US and Dutch firms. [source] Comparison of the aggregation properties, secondary structure and apoptotic effects of wild-type, Flemish and Dutch N-terminally truncated amyloid , peptidesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2001N. Demeester Abstract The Dutch (E22Q) and Flemish (A21G) mutations in the ,APP region of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) are associated with familial forms of Alzheimer dementia. However, patients with these mutations express substantially different clinical phenotypes. Therefore, secondary structure and cytotoxic effects of the three A,(12,42) variants [wild-type (WT), Dutch and Flemish] were tested. At a concentration of 5 µm the aggregation of these peptides followed the order: A,(1,42) WT > A,(12,42) WT > A,(12,42) Flemish >,A,(12,42) Dutch. The stability of the secondary structure of these peptides upon decreasing the trifluoroethanol (TFE) concentration in the buffer was followed by circular dichroism measurements. WT peptides progressively lost their ,-helical structure; this change occurred faster for both the Flemish and Dutch peptides, and at higher percentages of TFE in the buffer, and was accompanied by an increase in ,-sheet and random coil content. Apoptosis was induced in neuronal cells by the A,(12,42) WT and Flemish peptides at concentrations as low as 1,5 µm, as evidenced by propidium iodide (PI) staining, DNA laddering and caspase-3 activity measurements. Even when longer incubation times and higher peptide concentrations were applied the N-truncated Dutch peptide did not induce apoptosis. Apoptosis induced by the full length A,(1,42) peptide was weaker than that induced by its N-truncated variant. These data suggest that N-truncation enhanced the cytotoxic effects of A, WT and Flemish peptides, which may play a role in the accelerated progression of dementia. [source] Are cognitive differences between immigrant and majority groups diminishing?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2004Jan te Nijenhuis A review is given of scores on various cognitive measures, comparing groups of ethnic Dutch and non-Western immigrants using a large number of datasets. The research shows that there are large group differences in school results, work proficiency, and g for Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, Netherlands Antilleans, and Indonesians from the Moluccans compared with ethnic Dutch. However, South-East Asians score higher, and persons with one immigrant and one ethnic Dutch parent score only slightly below the mean of the Dutch. When comparing first-generation disadvantaged immigrant groups with later generations the data show substantial improvements for g, a remarkable stability of educational differences for younger children, and a clear improvement in educational achievement at the end of primary school. Indirect data on intergenerational improvements in work proficiency appear suggestive of a trend of closing gaps. Some of the data reflect higher cognitive capacities over time, and this enhances integration of immigrants into Dutch society. Causes of group differences and improvements in mean level of g are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Governments and unpopular social policy reform: Biting the bullet or steering clear?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009BARBARA VIS This article shows that there exists substantial cross-cabinet variation in the degree to which governments take unpopular measures and argues that current studies cannot adequately explain this variation. Using insights from prospect theory, a psychological theory of choice under risk, this study hypothesises that governments only engage in unpopular reform if they face a deteriorating socio-economic situation, a falling political position, or both. If not, they shy away from the risk of reform. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA) of the social policy reform activities pursued by German, Dutch, Danish and British cabinets between 1979 and 2005 identifies a deteriorating socio-economic situation as necessary for unpopular reform. It is only sufficient for triggering reform, however, if the political position is also deteriorating and/or the cabinet is of rightist composition. This study's findings further the scholarly debate on the politics of welfare state reform by offering a micro-foundation that helps one to understand what induces political actors aspiring to be re-elected to engage in electorally risky unpopular reform. [source] What I think you see is what you get: Influence of prejudice on assimilation to negative meta-stereotypes among Dutch Moroccan teenagersEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Elanor Kamans This research examined how Dutch Moroccan teenagers in the Netherlands deal with the negative stereotype that they believe the Dutch have about their group. We hypothesize that Moroccans act in line with this negative image when they are prejudiced against the Dutch and feel personally meta-stereotyped. A survey study among 88 Dutch Moroccan teenagers revealed that Moroccan teenagers who felt negative about the Dutch and thought that they were personally negatively stereotyped, expressed attitudes in line with this negative "meta-stereotype." That is, they act in line with the outgroup's negative image by legitimizing criminality, aggression, loitering teenagers, and Muslim extremism. These findings suggest that being confronted with a negative stereotype about one's group might sometimes lead to a reaction that is both harmful for the stereotyped group as well as society in general. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Inclusiveness of identification among farmers in The Netherlands and Galicia (Spain)EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Bert Klandermans In this paper we discuss inclusiveness of identification among farmers in Galicia (Spain) and The Netherlands. Identification with three nested categories,farmers in the local community, farmers in the country, and farmers in Europe was assessed among 167 Dutch and 248 Galician farmers at three points in time: winter of 1993/94, winter 1995 and fall 1995. Our findings suggest that inclusiveness reduces the level of identification. However, the observed patterns of identification were more complex than inclusiveness per se can account for. Borrowing from the common ingroup-identity model, functional and socialization models of identity formation, and a model of politicized collective identity we formulated hypotheses about patterns of identification that were to be expected. On the whole our findings supported our theoretical reasoning. Galician farmers appear to identify much less with farmers in their country and Europe than Dutch farmers do. Inclusiveness of identification appears to be linked to experience with national and supranational political institutions. More political knowledge and involvement appear to generate more inclusive patterns of identification. Among Galician farmers evaluation of the agricultural policy of the European Union is negatively related to identification with farmers in Europe, among Dutch farmers the two are positively related. Finally, more inclusive identities seem to be more politicized. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ethnic minority identity and group context: self-descriptions, acculturation attitudes and group evaluations in an intra- and intergroup situationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Maykel Verkuyten In an experimental questionnaire study among Chinese participants living in the Netherlands, it was found that self-descriptions, acculturation attitudes and ingroup evaluation were affected by the comparative group context. Following self-categorization theory, different predictions were tested and supported. Self-ratings on trait adjectives systematically differed between an intragroup (Chinese) and an intergroup (Chinese versus Dutch) context. Furthermore, ethnic self-categorization turned out to be related to self-descriptions in the intragroup context, whereas ethnic self-esteem showed an effect on self-descriptions in the intergroup context. Acculturation attitudes and ingroup favouritism were also affected by the comparative context. In the intergroup context, participants were more strongly in favour of heritage culture maintenance and reported higher ingroup favouritism than in the intragroup context. It is concluded that studies on ethnic minorities should consider the important and often neglected intragroup processes and comparisons in addition to the familiar minority,majority group comparisons. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mergers and acquisitions in Japan: Lessons from a Dutch-Japanese case studyGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 3 2009Frits D. J. Grotenhuis This article deals with lessons learned from mergers and acquisitions in Japan. In general, such combinations are not success stories, since 50,80 percent of them do not bring the benefits that were expected. Several reasons for such failures have been brought up in the literature, but real-life cases of the "how" and "why" are very limited or fragmented, especially in a Japanese context. This study enhances a more integral approach into Dutch-Japanese acquisitions. Based on an in-depth Dutch-Japanese case study and a literature review, it can be concluded that the preparation of mergers and acquisitions with Japanese organizations should be focused on (1) knowledge about the target company and its context, (2) strategic issues, and (3) leadership and cultural issues, in order to prevent culture clashes and misunderstandings, and increase the chances of success. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Post-return experiences and transnational belonging of return migrants: a Dutch,Moroccan case studyGLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 4 2010JUNE DE BREE Abstract In this article we explore the links between return migration, belonging and transnationalism among migrants who returned from the Netherlands to northeast Morocco. While transnationalism is commonly discussed from the perspective of a receiving country, this study shows that transnationalism also plays a vital role in reconstructing post-return belonging. Return migration is not simply a matter of ,going home', as feelings of belonging need to be renegotiated upon return. While returnees generally feel a strong need to maintain various transnational practices, the meanings they attach to these practices depend on motivations for return, gender and age. For former (male) labour migrants, transnational practices are essential for establishing post-return belonging, whereas such practices are less important for their spouses. Those who returned as children generally feel uprooted, notwithstanding the transnational practices they maintain. The amount of agency migrants are able to exert in the return decision-making process is a key factor in determining the extent to which returnees can create a post-return transnational sense of home. [source] Transglutaminase-1 gene mutations in autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis: Summary of mutations (including 23 novel) and modeling of TGase-1,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 4 2009Matthew L. Herman Abstract Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a heterogeneous group of rare cornification diseases. Germline mutations in TGM1 are the most common cause of ARCI in the United States. TGM1 encodes for the TGase-1 enzyme that functions in the formation of the cornified cell envelope. Structurally defective or attenuated cornified cell envelop have been shown in epidermal scales and appendages of ARCI patients with TGM1 mutations. We review the clinical manifestations as well as the molecular genetics of ARCI. In addition, we characterized 115 TGM1 mutations reported in 234 patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (Caucasion Americans, Norwegians, Swedish, Finnish, German, Swiss, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Hispanics, Iranian, Tunisian, Moroccan, Egyptian, Afghani, Hungarian, African Americans, Korean, Japanese and South African). We report 23 novel mutations: 71 (62%) missense; 20 (17%) nonsense; 9 (8%) deletion; 8 (7%) splice-site, and 7 (6%) insertion. The c.877-2A>G was the most commonly reported TGM1 mutation accounting for 34% (147 of 435) of all TGM1 mutant alleles reported to date. It had been shown that this mutation is common among North American and Norwegian patients due to a founder effect. Thirty-one percent (36 of 115) of all mutations and 41% (29 of 71) of missense mutations occurred in arginine residues in TGase-1. Forty-nine percent (35 of 71) of missense mutations were within CpG dinucleotides, and 74% (26/35) of these mutations were C>T or G>A transitions. We constructed a model of human TGase-1 and showed that all mutated arginines that reside in the two beta-barrel domains and two (R142 and R143) in the beta-sandwich are located at domain interfaces. In conclusion, this study expands the TGM1 mutation spectrum and summarizes the current knowledge of TGM1 mutations. The high frequency of mutated arginine codons in TGM1 may be due to the deamination of 5, methylated CpG dinucleotides. Hum Mutat 0, 1,12, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Clause Segmentation by 6-Month-Old Infants: A Crosslinguistic PerspectiveINFANCY, Issue 5 2008Elizabeth K. Johnson Each clause and phrase boundary necessarily aligns with a word boundary. Thus, infants' attention to the edges of clauses and phrases may help them learn some of the language-specific cues defining word boundaries. Attention to prosodically well-formed clauses and phrases may also help infants begin to extract information important for learning the grammatical structure of their language. Despite the potentially important role that the perception of large prosodic units may play in early language acquisition, there has been little work investigating the extraction of these units from fluent speech by infants learning languages other than English. We report 2 experiments investigating Dutch learners' clause segmentation abilities. In these studies, Dutch-learning 6-month-olds readily extract clauses from speech. However, Dutch learners differ from English learners in that they seem to be more reliant on pauses to detect clause boundaries. Two closely related explanations for this finding are considered, both of which stem from the acoustic differences in clause boundary realizations in Dutch versus English. [source] Evidence of Early Language Discrimination Abilities in Infants From Bilingual EnvironmentsINFANCY, Issue 1 2001Laura Bosch Previous research data indicate that soon after birth, infants from monolingual families can discriminate utterances drawn from languages that differ prosodically, but discrimination between rhythmically similar languages, such as English and Dutch, has not yet been established by 2 months of age. In the case of bilinguals, the question of how early they can distinguish between the languages of exposure remains unanswered. The goal of this study was to analyze language discrimination capacities in 4-month-old bilingual infants simultaneously exposed to 2 Romance languages belonging to the same rhythmic category, Spanish and Catalan. Using a familiarization-preference procedure, 2 groups of bilingual-to-be infants showed a capacity to discriminate between these 2 familial languages. Moreover, when compared with 2 groups of infants from monolingual environments, the size of the observed effects was the same. These results can be taken as initial evidence of an early capacity to distinguish languages in simultaneous bilingual exposure, thus challenging the hypothesis that language discrimination capacities are delayed in bilinguals. [source] AQS security scores: What do they represent?INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004A study in construct validation In a sample of 129 Dutch 15-month-old infants, attachment security was assessed both with the Attachment Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1995) and with a short version of Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall's (1978) Strange Situation (SSS). Infants classified as secure using the SSS had significantly higher AQS scores than insecure and disorganized infants in particular. At the AQS item level, disorganized infants were described as significantly more noncompliant, fussy, and angry relative to secure infants. When security as assessed using the SSS was controlled, the observed quality of parental interactive behavior, parental ego-resilience, high levels of infant task orientation and pleasure, and low levels of infant anger proneness were found to explain significant and unique portions of the variance in the AQS security scores. The apparently unfavorable set of characteristics associated with low AQS security scores suggests such scores to predict later developmental problems. ©2004 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] Mediating between predetermined order and chaos: the role of the teacher in task-based language educationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 3 2009Kris Van den Branden interactie; taakgericht onderwijs; leerkracht; taalleren Tasks are not blueprints for action. A number of empirical studies carried out in authentic classrooms have shown that teachers and students reinterpret the tasks they are offered by syllabus developers in ways that suit their own purposes, learning needs, and interaction styles. This observation has raised fundamental questions about the degree to which teachers who are working with tasks can make any prediction concerning the learning that will come of out of task-based interactional work. In addition, if learners' reactions to tasks are fairly unpredictable, teachers may be inclined to associate task-based work with organisational chaos and with the seemingly unattainable challenge of having to cater to every individual learner's personal whims. Drawing on classroom-based research carried out in Flanders, and describing two task-based lessons that were observed in authentic Dutch as a second language (DSL) classrooms, this paper shows that between the extremes of deterministic predictability on the one hand and complete chaos on the other lies a rich pedagogical space that teachers and learners who work with tasks can exploit to construct shared projects with clearly determined goals. Taaltaken zijn geen blauwdruk voor activiteit in de klas. Uit heel wat onderzoek naar klasinteractie blijkt dat leerkrachten en leerlingen de taken die ze krijgen voorgeschoteld, herinterpreteren, zodat ze beter aansluiten bij hun leerstijlen, interesses en interactiestijl. Dit roept de vraag op of leerkrachten die met taken werken nog wel enige voorspelling kunnen doen over wat hun leerlingen uit de taakuitvoering zullen leren. Bovendien dreigen heel wat leerkrachten taakgericht onderwijs te associëren met chaos in de klas, en met de schier onhaalbare uitdaging om op alle behoeften en reacties van alle individuele leerlingen te moeten inspelen. Op basis van onderzoek in Vlaamse klassen, en voortbouwend op 2 taakgerichte lessen die werden geobserveerd in Vlaamse NT2-klassen, illustreert dit artikel dat er tussen chaos en complete voorspelbaarheid een rijke pedagogische ruimte ligt. Binnen die pedagogische ruimte gaan leerkrachten en leerlingen samen aan de slag rond een gezamenlijk taakgericht project met duidelijke doeleinden. [source] Going Dutch: The Development of Collaborative Practices Between Higher Education and Museums and GalleriesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 1 2003Liz Smith This study reports on a very successful collaboration between teacher education courses in Manchester and Amsterdam and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The central aim of the initiative was to promote and sustain partnerships between Higher Education (HE) institutions, public galleries and schools with a view to developing, delivering and sharing good practice in art and design within a European context. [source] Psychometric properties of an interviewer-administered version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) among Dutch, Moroccan and Turkish respondentsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009T. Fassaert Abstract The Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) is an instrument that is widely used to screen for mental disorders, but information is lacking on its psychometric qualities in non-Western samples. This study used a population-based sample (N = 725) to assess the reliability and validity of the K10 across ethnic groups in an urban area. The results were generally supportive of the K10 as a reliable and valid instrument to screen for anxiety and depression in all three groups. Cronbach's alpha was high (0.93) and the results indicated the existence of a solid single factor structure. Item bias in relation to ethnic background was minor. In each group, there was good criterion validity with respect to one-month DSM-IV diagnosis for depressive and/or anxiety disorder. The results nevertheless highlight the importance of cross-cultural validation, as we found different cut-off values for ethnic subgroups to obtain optimal sensitivity and specificity for detecting depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Churches in Dutch: Causes of Religious Disaffiliation in The Netherlands, 1937,1995JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 4 2001Manfred Te Grotenhuis The Netherlands has become one of the most secular countries in the world. A vast majority of the Dutch people does not attend church regularly and more than half its population is not affiliated with any church at all. In this study we set out to test which individual and contextual characteristics affect religious disaffiliation. We deduced several hypotheses from theories on social integration and rationalization. To test these hypotheses we used retrospective data containing information on events that took place in the lives of our respondents since adolescence. These data were analysed using a discrete-time event history model. We found that the higher the level of rationalization in a certain year, the more likely people were to disaffiliate. This effect was particularly strong for young people. Moreover, by introducing rationalization in the model we found a number of spurious relationships that at first glance seemed to be causal. Not surprisingly, respondents were more likely to disaffiliate in cases where their partners were nonreligious. However, as respondents and their partners presumably are effected equally by rationalization, we cannot but conclude that the process of rationalization is mainly responsible for the process of religious disaffiliation that takes place in The Netherlands. [source] Music-assisted relaxation to improve sleep quality: meta-analysisJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2009Gerrit De Niet Abstract Title.,Music-assisted relaxation to improve sleep quality: meta-analysis. Aim., This paper is a report of a meta-analysis conducted to evaluate the efficacy of music-assisted relaxation for sleep quality in adults and elders with sleep complaints with or without a co-morbid medical condition. Background., Clinical studies have shown that music can influence treatment outcome in a positive and beneficial way. Music holds the promise of counteracting psychological presleep arousal and thus improving the preconditions for sleep. Data sources., We conducted a search in the Embase (1997 , July 2008), Medline (1950 , July 2008), Cochrane (2000 , July 2008), Psychinfo (1987 , July 2008) and Cinahl (1982 , July 2008) databases for randomized controlled trials reported in English, German, French and Dutch. The outcome measure of interest was sleep quality. Methods., Data were extracted from the included studies using predefined data fields. The researchers independently assessed the quality of the trials using the Delphi list. Only studies with a score of 5 points or higher were included. A pooled analysis was performed based on a fixed effect model. Results., Five randomized controlled trials with six treatment conditions and a total of 170 participants in intervention groups and 138 controls met our inclusion criteria. Music-assisted relaxation had a moderate effect on the sleep quality of patients with sleep complaints (standardized mean difference, ,0·74; 95% CI: ,0·96, ,0·46). Subgroup analysis revealed no statistically significant contribution of accompanying measures. Conclusion., Music-assisted relaxation can be used without intensive investment in training and materials and is therefore cheap, easily available and can be used by nurses to promote music-assisted relaxation to improve sleep quality. [source] The Question of Market DependenceJOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 1 2002Ellen Meiksins Wood Capitalism is a system of social-property relations in which survival and social reproduction are dependent on the market; a system that is, therefore, driven by the imperatives of competition and a relentless drive to improve the forces of production. This article explores the nature of that market dependence and the specific historical conditions in which it emerged. In debate with Robert Brenner's recent article in this journal (vol.1, no.2) about the early development of capitalism in the Low Countries, it is suggested that, while the Dutch Republic was a highly developed commercial society, it seems to have lacked the specific conditions that made market dependence a basic property relation, as it was in early modern English agrarian capitalism. The differences between Dutch and English patterns of economic development reflect some fundamental differences between commercial and capitalist societies. [source] Ethnic In-Group Favoritism Among Minority and Majority Groups: Testing the Self-Esteem Hypothesis Among PreadolescentsJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Maykel Verkuyten The self-esteem hypothesis in intergroup relations, as proposed by social identity theory (SIT), states that successful intergroup discrimination enhances momentary collective self-esteem. This hypothesis is a source of continuing controversy. Furthermore, although SIT is increasingly used to account for children's group attitudes, few studies have examined the hypothesis among children. In addition, the hypothesis's generality makes it important to study among children from different ethnic groups. The present study, conducted among Dutch and Turkish preadolescents, examined momentary collective self-feelings as a consequence of ethnic group evaluations. The results tended to support the self-esteem hypothesis. In-group favoritism was found to have a self-enhancing effect among participants high in ethnic identification. This result was found for ethnic majority (Dutch) and minority (Turkish) participants. [source] Differences in prevalence of pressure ulcers between the Netherlands and Germany , associations between risk, prevention and occurrence of pressure ulcers in hospitals and nursing homesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 9 2008Antje Tannen MA Aim., This study compares pressure ulcer prevalence and prevention activities in nursing homes and hospitals within two European countries. Background., Over three years stable differences have been found between the Netherlands (NL) and Germany (GER) with higher pressure ulcer rates in the NL. As previous analyses have shown, the differences cannot be entirely explained by differences in the population's vulnerability to pressure ulcers because they still remain after risk adjustment. Therefore, the differences in prevalence must be caused by other factors. The purpose of this study is to analyse if any potential differences in preventive activities can account for the varying occurrence of pressure ulcers. Method., In both countries, nation-wide surveys were conducted annually using the same standardised questionnaires. Trained nurses examined all consenting patients of the voluntarily participating facilities. This examination included a skin assessment of the entire body. Data regarding risk factors, prevention and details about wounds were then collected. Results., In-patients of 29 German (n = 2531) and 71 Dutch (n = 10 098) nursing homes and 39 German (n = 8515) and 60 Dutch (n = 10 237) hospitals were investigated. The use of pressure-reducing devices was more common in the NL than in GER, but all other interventions were more frequently provided to German risk patients than to their Dutch counterparts. The pressure ulcer prevalence was significantly higher in the Dutch sample. After adjusting for gender, age, Braden Score and prevention, the probability of having a pressure ulcer was 8·1 times higher for Dutch nursing home residents than for German residents. Conclusion., Some of the variance in pressure ulcer prevalence between the two countries can be explained by varying pressure ulcer prevention. However, some remarkable differences still remain unexplained. Relevance to clinical practice., The extent of pressure ulcer prevention, especially repositioning and nutrition intervention provided to patients at risk, is not in accordance with international guidelines. [source] Long-term effects of computer training of phonological awareness in kindergartenJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 1 2005Eliane Segers Abstract The present study examined the long-term effects of a computer intervention for the development of phonological awareness in Dutch kindergartners. Native Dutch and immigrant children worked with the software 15 min/week during one school year. Following a pretest , interim test , post-test , retention test design, the effects on rhyming, phonemic segmentation, auditory blending, and grapheme knowledge were assessed. The intervention showed significant immediate effects on rhyming and grapheme knowledge. The time spent on the computer games also correlated with the learning gains for the experimental group. In the first grade, retention effects were demonstrated after 4 months of formal reading education. [source] Risk trading in trans-boundary flood management: case study of the Dutch and German RhineJOURNAL OF FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008C.-T. Chang Abstract This paper explores the potential of applying a newly developed risk trading system, the so-called ,tradeable flood mitigation permit', to international flood management. Trading, aimed at complementing binding agreements or regulations, offers a new approach to transnational collaboration. A case study on the Dutch and German River Rhine is presented. The principle of internalising externalities using direct financial means is applied. The expected result is a higher level of river basin management in the upstream area, with financial resources coming from downstream. Specific institutional conditions, at both national and international levels, are identified in order to facilitate the establishment of the transactions. [source] Comprehensiveness versus Pragmatism: Consensus at the Japanese,Dutch InterfaceJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 8 2007Niels G. Noorderhaven abstract By comparing the views of managers working at the interface of two consensus-oriented societies, Japan and the Netherlands, we show important differences between the consensus decision-making processes as seen by Japanese and Dutch managers. These differences relate to how complete the agreement of opinion should be in order to speak of consensus, with the Japanese managers demanding a more complete consensus than the Dutch. The processes and conditions that Japanese and Dutch managers see as leading to consensus also differ. Japanese consensus is based on a more ordered, sequential process than Dutch consensus. Our respondents differed deeply regarding the role of the hierarchy in their own and the others' consensus processes, with both Japanese and Dutch managers seeing their own consensus process as less hierarchical. Our findings show that the concept of consensus is interpreted quite differently by Japanese and Dutch managers. This is an important warning for companies operating at the interface of these two societies. More in general our research illustrates the usefulness for international management research of detailed comparative studies focusing not on stark contrasts but on more subtle differences between management practices. [source] Dementia in Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities,Epidemiology, Presentation, and DiagnosisJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 2 2010Andre Strydom Abstract As life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) extends into older age, dementia is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality. To update and summarize current knowledge on dementia in older adults with ID, the authors conducted a comprehensive review of the published literature from 1997,2008 with a specific focus on: (1) epidemiology of dementia in ID in general as well as in specific genetic syndromes; (2) presentation; and (3) diagnostic criteria for dementia. The review drew upon a combination of searches in electronic databases Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO for original research papers in English, Dutch, or German. The authors report that varied methodologies and inherent challenges in diagnosis yield a wide range of reported prevalence rates of dementia. Rates of dementia in the population with intellectual disability not because of Down syndrome (DS) are comparable with or higher than the general population. Alzheimer's disease onset in DS appears earlier and the prevalence increases from under 10% in the 40s to more than 30% in the 50s, with varying prevalence reported for those 60 and older. Incidence rates increase with age. Few studies of dementia in other genetic syndromes were identified. Presentation differs in the ID population compared with the general population; those with DS present with prominent behavioral changes believed to be because of frontal lobe deficits. Authors recommend large-scale collaborative studies of high quality to further knowledge on the epidemiology and clinical presentation of dementia in this population. [source] Visual constraints in written word recognition: evidence from the optimal viewing-position effectJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 3 2005Marc Brysbaert In this paper we review the literature on visual constraints in written word processing. We notice that not all letters are equally visible to the reader. The letter that is most visible is the letter that is fixated. The visibility of the other letters depends on the distance between the letters and the fixation location, whether the letters are outer or inner letters of the word, and whether the letters lie to the left or to the right of the fixation location. Because of these three factors, word recognition depends on the viewing position. In languages read from left to right, the optimal viewing position is situated between the beginning and the middle of the word. This optimal viewing position is the result of an interplay of four variables: the distance between the viewing position and the farthest letter, the fact that the word beginning is usually more informative than the word end, the fact that during reading words have been recognised a lot of times after fixation on this letter position and the fact that stimuli in the right visual field have direct access to the left cerebral hemisphere. For languages read from right to left, the first three variables pull the optimal viewing position towards the right side of the word (which is the word beginning), but the fourth variable counteracts these forces to some extent. Therefore, the asymmetry of the optimum viewing-position curve is less clear in Hebrew and Arabic than in French and Dutch. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||