De Nijs Research Articles

New asthma testing enhances the care of respiratory patients

New asthma testing enhances the care of respiratory patients

Poking the beast in the ivory tower: workload models and performance management in contemporary academia

The context of Higher Education in the UK, and more generally in Europe, is changing as to- days’ Universities are increasingly being managed as business organizations (Sousa, de Nijs and Hendriks, 2010). Far from being locked in ivory towers (Barry et al., 2001), academics nowadays are expected not only to teach and make original contributions to knowledge but also to show the impact of their publications, to apply for funding or grants, to engage in knowledge exchange activities within the local or international community and to contribute to widening participation agendas or developing links with external businesses and organisations. This is considered by many in the field as going against the very ‘nature of the beast’, the academic way of working and managing performance (McAlpine and Akerlind, 2010). In addition, departments, and more generally Universities, have been asked to develop particular forms of accountability in reference to performance, budgets, human resources management and income generation in order to monitor efficiency and provide a quantification of the time spent on various teaching, research or administrative tasks (Anderson et al., 2002). The oversight and management of such processes, is generally left to academics in senior positions who often find themselves caged in roles they do not particularly wish to take on and are not always able to carry out effectively. Within this environment, the implementation of workload models has proven contentious as it is rejected by many as a form of control, but advocated by those who seek fair allocations of work and efficient management of resources. Drawing from Foucauldian theories of power, this paper explores tensions and nodes of resistance to academic control through the opinions voiced by staff in a UK University with reference to the implementation of workload models. We investigate this topic through the use of thematic analysis conducted on an email trail of 54 messages, and the 117 results of a university-wide survey of staff aimed at understanding their position regarding workload models.

"Adult-onset asthma: is it really different?" Selma B. de Nijs, Lisette N. Venekamp and Elisabeth H. Bel. Eur Respir Rev 2013; 22: 44-52.

"Adult-onset asthma: is it really different?" Selma B. de Nijs, Lisette N. Venekamp and Elisabeth H. Bel. Eur Respir Rev 2013; 22: 44-52.

Latent Class Models in Social Work

In recent years, methods of analyzing variables have become increasingly popular in social work research. Techniques such as structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor (CFA) have been introduced into the curriculum of social work doctoral programs (Gillespie, Alsup, & Rubio, 1995). Many social worker researchers are now familiar with these techniques. Another useful but less well known approach to analyzing variables is class (LC) modeling. LC models are person-centered methods. These approaches can be quite useful when investigating problems that affect diverse groups of people. LC models estimate a variable that explains an aspect of heterogeneity (or diversity) in a population. This is particularly important when the aspect of heterogeneity is elusive and difficult to capture with a single measure (for example, religiosity, attitudes about moral issues) (McCutcheon, 1987a). LC modeling is not a particularly new concept-techniques have been described for more than 50 years (Green, 1951, 1952). Early examples of LC modeling include the use of General Social Survey data from the 1970s to identify classes of racial prejudice and lack of racial prejudice among white respondents (Tuch, 1981) and to identify classes of respondents regarding sexual morality and values (McCutcheon, 1987b). The recent development of more efficient and useable statistical methods, described later in this article, has made the application of LC models to social science problems a more realistic possibility (Goodman, 2002). LC models are becoming increasingly popular as a method of analysis. A search for latent class analysis in PsycINFO reveals that LC modeling techniques have been used for examining subtypes of borderline personality disorder (Clifton & Pilkonis, 2007), bipolar disorder (Fagiolini et al., 2007), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (de Nijs, Ferdinand, & Verhulst, 2007). LC models have been used to examine patterns of juvenile offending (Odgers et al., 2007), couple violence (Simpson, Doss, Wheeler, & Christensen, 2007), and substance abuse (Agrawal, Lynskey, Madden, Bucholz, & Heath, 2007; Dierker, Vesel, Sledjeski, Costello, & Perrine, 2007). It is clear that LC models have important applications that are relevant to social work research, yet they are infrequently used by social work researchers. A keyword search of Social Work Abstracts (in April 2009, using the terms latent AND [class OR cluster OR profile OR structure]) and a hand search of five social work journals (Journal of Social Service Research, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, Social Service Review, Social Work Research, and Research on Social Work Practice) revealed only six social work articles using LC models (Bowen, Lee, & Weller, 2007; Keller, Cusick, & Courtney, 2007; Neely-Barnes, Marcenko, & Weber, 2008; Pears, Kim, & Fisher, 2008; Travis & Combs-Orme, 2007; Vaughn, Shook, & McMillen, 2008). This research note is intended to extend the knowledge of social work researchers about LC models by explaining the basic concepts of and assumptions underlying LC models, the distinction between class (LCA) and profile (LPA), exploratory and confirmatory analysis, methods for model estimation, tests of model fit, and statistical software packages that are available for conducting LC modeling. Examples are used throughout to illustrate these concepts. BASIC CONCEPTS AND ASSUMPTIONS A variable is one that cannot be directly observed. Because it cannot be directly observed, the relationship between a set of measured variables is used to characterize the unobserved (latent) one (McCutcheon, 1987a). Social work researchers have frequently used the concept of variables to estimate measurement models (Gillespie et al., 1995). In CFA, the relationships between measured indicators are used to estimate the true value of one or more construct(s) (McCutcheon, 1987a) and the measurement error (Kline, 2005). …

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy: Is it an Idiopathic Epilepsy Caused by a Malformation of Cortical Development?

EFHC1 Interacts with Microtubules to Regulate Cell Division and Cortical Development. de Nijs L, Léon C, Nguyen L, Loturco JJ, Delgado-Escueta AV, Grisar T, Lakaye B. Nat Neurosci 2009;12(10):1266–1274. Mutations in the EFHC1 gene are linked to juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), one of the most frequent forms of idiopathic generalized epilepsies. JME is associated with subtle alterations of cortical and subcortical architecture, but the underlying pathological mechanism remains unknown. We found that EFHC1 is a microtubule-associated protein involved in the regulation of cell division. In vitro, EFHC1 loss of function disrupted mitotic spindle organization, impaired M-phase progression, induced microtubule bundling, and increased apoptosis. EFHC1 impairment in the rat developing neocortex by ex vivo and in utero electroporation caused a marked disruption of radial migration. We found that this effect was a result of cortical progenitors failing to exit the cell cycle and defects in the radial glia scaffold organization and in the locomotion of postmitotic neurons. Therefore, we propose that EFHC1 is a regulator of cell division and neuronal migration during cortical development and that disruption of its functions leads to JME.

A38 Bereavement care for relatives by oncology nurses: contact by phone

A38 Bereavement care for relatives by oncology nurses: contact by phone

Electronic structure and magnetism of UCoGe from first principles

First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory were performed on UCoGe, a ferromagnetic superconductor reported recently [N.T. Huy, A. Gasparini, D.E. de Nijs, Y. Huang, J.C.P. Klaasse, T. Gortenmulder, A. de Visser, A. Hamann, T. Gőrlach, H.v. Lőhneysen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 (2007) 067006]. The electronic density of states and magnetic properties were studied using the relativistic full-potential APW plus local-orbitals method and the full-potential local-orbitals (FPLO) method, respectively. A stable ferromagnetic ground state was found. The uranium total magnetic moment is quite small (about 0.1 μ B) as a result of almost complete cancellation between the spin magnetic moment of 1.2 μ B and the opposite orbital magnetic moment of 1.1 μ B, resulting from strong spin–orbit coupling at the uranium site. A magnetic moment of 0.4 and 0.2 μ B was found at the cobalt site using the APW+lo and the FPLO method, respectively.

La traducció del «Tirant lo Blanch» en neerlandès

Bob de Nijs exposes some considerations about possible sources of different episodis of Tirant lo Blanch which arose when preparing the translation into Dutch. De Nijs focuses basically on the coincidences in the argument (the burial of both lovers in Brittany, for instance) and in the re-use of the characters (the Fresian king or Pyramus, Diafebus 's shield bearer) between the Tirant and Tristan et Iseut, which is one of the landmarks of the literature created in Brittany. The last part of the study analyses the influences of the ecclesiastic liturgy in some episodis in Constantinople. As an introduction, the Belgian translator summarises the preliminary stages of his work and exposes shortly the social and linguistic situation of the Dutch speakers who are divided into different states.

Dutch risk assessment system for new chemicals: DRANC Ton C.M. de Nijs

This paper describes the philosophy and the methodology used in the Dutch Risk Assessment System for New Chemical Substances: DRANC. This system is implemented in a computer program, available for advisory tasks concerning the assessment of hazard and risk of new chemical substances. In the previous paper by Vermeire et al. (1993, this issue) the general outline of the initial assessment has been described. Within the same framework, Directive 79/831/EEC and the ensuing Dutch Chemical Substances Act, DRANC has been developed to systematically predict and assess the hazards for man and environment related to the production and use of new chemical substances. The exposure and no-effect concentrations are predicted by a model based on the essential jurisdictional and mathematical starting points. Hazard Quotients for target organisms and the Margin of Safety are determined. Special attention has been paid to the incorporation of the variances as they occur in nature. Within the risk assessment system they are described by uncertainty factors. Finally, it will be shown that the validation of such systems form a major problem. Although the system is not fully completed for all production levels, the practical application of basic principles of risk analysis makes it a valuable tool in the assessment process.

ChemInform Abstract: Two‐Step Chemo‐Enzymatic Synthesis of Octyl 6‐O‐Acyl‐α‐D‐glucopyranoside Surfactants from Glucose.

ChemInformVolume 21, Issue 50 Natural Products ChemInform Abstract: Two-Step Chemo-Enzymatic Synthesis of Octyl 6-O-Acyl-α-D-glucopyranoside Surfactants from Glucose. M. P. DE NIJS, M. P. DE NIJS Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this authorL. MAAT, L. MAAT Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this authorA. P. G. KIEBOOM, A. P. G. KIEBOOM Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this author M. P. DE NIJS, M. P. DE NIJS Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this authorL. MAAT, L. MAAT Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this authorA. P. G. KIEBOOM, A. P. G. KIEBOOM Lab. Org. Chem., Delft Univ. Technol., 2628 BL Delft, Neth.Search for more papers by this author First published: December 11, 1990 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.199050313Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume21, Issue50December 11, 1990 RelatedInformation

CPtmWax 57 CB: A chemically bonded polyethylene glycol stationary phase for gas chromatography

Journal of High Resolution ChromatographyVolume 5, Issue 9 p. 501-503 Short Communication CPtmWax 57 CB: A chemically bonded polyethylene glycol stationary phase for gas chromatography R. C. M. de Nijs, Corresponding Author R. C. M. de Nijs Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsDepartment of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorJ. de Zeeuw, J. de Zeeuw Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author R. C. M. de Nijs, Corresponding Author R. C. M. de Nijs Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsDepartment of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorJ. de Zeeuw, J. de Zeeuw Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV, P.O.B. 3 Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: September 1982 https://doi.org/10.1002/jhrc.1240050910Citations: 17AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume5, Issue9September 1982Pages 501-503 RelatedInformation

Intermediate test for (fused silica) capillary columns

Journal of High Resolution ChromatographyVolume 3, Issue 11 p. 583-584 Short Communication Intermediate test for (fused silica) capillary columns R. C. M. de Nijs, Corresponding Author R. C. M. de Nijs Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsDepartment of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorR. P. M. Dooper, R. P. M. Dooper Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author R. C. M. de Nijs, Corresponding Author R. C. M. de Nijs Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsDepartment of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorR. P. M. Dooper, R. P. M. Dooper Department of Research and Development, Chrompack Nederland BV., P.O. Box 3, 4330 AA Middelburg, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: November 1980 https://doi.org/10.1002/jhrc.1240031107Citations: 4AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume3, Issue11November 1980Pages 583-584 RelatedInformation