VU University Research Articles

24-hour movement behaviours in the early years, potential behavioural determinants and prospective associations with growth, motor and social–emotional development: the My Little Moves study protocol

IntroductionThe early years are a critical period for establishing healthy 24-hour movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep), yet studies examining prospective associations between all 24-hour movement behaviours and...

‘Luxurious’ metaphors in luxury hotel websites in Singapore and Hong Kong: A mixed-methods study

Previous research has yielded a substantial body of empirical evidence regarding the use of metaphors in various types of discourse. However, limited research exists on the relationship between metaphor and more segmented economic industries, such as the luxury hospitality sector. The attention of this article is directed towards inspecting how metaphorical expressions are deployed by luxury hotels to construct their luxury identity and attract potential guests.A corpus of 62 lxury hotel websites from Singapore and Hong Kong is used as the contextual background for the investigation of metaphor usage in this study. Using MIPVU (Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam), a total of 6990 metaphorical keywords, including a diverse range of 28 source domains were observed. Among others, the five most productive source domains in the corpus are living organism, physical object, space, artifact, and motion. A mixed-methods approach that combines both quantitative data analytics and qualitative discourse analysis reveals and interprets significant associations between source domains, hotel facilities, and regions, suggesting that the choice of metaphorical expressions is not arbitrary but is influenced by specific factors related to the hotel's offerings and cultures. This study emphasises that the analysis of lexical-conceptual patterns in promotional texts can generate deeper insights into positioning strategies.

Pola Pemertahanan dan Penyesuaian Metafora pada Penerjemahan Novel Troubled Blood ke dalam Bahasa Indonesia

The concepts of retention and adjustment emerge as strategies to overcome the challenges associated with cultural transfer in metaphor translation. Metaphor retention is necessary because it ensures the retention of the imagery and meaning conveyed in the original text. Metaphor adjustment aims to translate culturally appropriate metaphors to the target text and avoid misunderstandings. This study seeks to explain the patterns of metaphor retention and adjustment in English novels translated into Indonesian, focusing on analyzing the form and meaning of metaphors. This research relies on the theory of translation retention proposed by Venuti (2008) and the theory of translation adjustment proposed by Eco (2013). The methodology used in this study is based on the theoretical framework proposed by Williams and Chesterman (2014), which places significant emphasis on the examination of linguistic elements contained in the source text as the main stage in translation research, followed by a comparative analysis conducted between the source text and the target text. The data used in this study consists of phrases, clauses, and sentences that have metaphorical features. The data were collected using the Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam (MIPVU). The data were categorized based on Halliday's (1985) grammatical metaphor framework, which focuses on noun, verb, and adjective metaphors. The collected metaphor data were then analyzed using the notions of retention and translation adjustment derived from Sajarwa's (2021) research. The study's findings show that noun metaphors dominate metaphor retention and adjustment. Metaphor retention occurs when the form and meaning of the metaphor do not change, while metaphor adjustment occurs when the metaphor's form changes and the metaphor's meaning does not change.

Genome-wide association study meta-analysis of dizygotic twinning illuminates genetic regulation of female fecundity.

Genome-wide association study meta-analysis of dizygotic twinning illuminates genetic regulation of female fecundity.

Combined surveillance and treatment register for children with cerebral palsy: the protocol of the Netherlands CP register

IntroductionCerebral palsy (CP) is a childhood onset, lifelong, condition. Early detection and timely treatment of potential problems during the child’s development are important to prevent secondary impairments and improve function....

A usage-based approach to metaphor identification and analysis in child speech

AbstractThis paper presents a usage-based method for investigating metaphor acquisition in the speech of children aged two and above. The method draws on the strengths of the established tools for metaphor identification such as Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP), and Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam (MIP-VU), and adapts them for coding and analysing metaphors in the corpora of naturalistic interactions between children and their primary caregivers, such as those stored online in the CHILDES TalkBank. First, we discuss the premises underlying our methodological framework and provide a coding manual for working with child language. Second, we explain how to approach the challenges of coding transcripts of child speech and demonstrate how we reached high inter-annotator reliability scores of 0.97. We then show how the coding scheme works with a sample corpus of a child recorded between the ages of 2;0–3;1. To illustrate how the scheme can be applied to the study of metaphor acquisition, we analyse the coded metaphors for input–output frequencies. It is argued that our method can offer a unique lens for exploring metaphor production in very young children and it can help us to understand how children come to express their very first figurative meanings.

A Critical Cognitive Analysis of Metaphors in Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Political Speeches

This thesis analyzes the use of various types of metaphors in a self-built corpus of political speeches delivered by the first president of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, on his fight for Independence for Ghana and the whole of Africa. It aims to uncover how Dr. Nkrumah used rhetoric as a weapon to achieve his political aims and ideologies. In order to identify the metaphorical expressions, I used the Metaphor Identification Procedure developed by scholars at the VU University Amsterdam (abbreviated as MIPVU), which is a systematic and transparent procedure for identifying linguistic metaphors. By adopting MIPVU, lexical units of the sentences were examined, and then the contextual meaning of the unit was established to determine the more basic meaning. If the contextual meaning is contrasted with the basic meaning but can be understood in comparison with it, then the unit will be marked as a metaphor. A total sum of forty-three metaphorical expressions was identified in my self-built corpus. After the metaphors were identified, I followed the procedures of Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) to analyze the use of metaphors to reveal the underlying ideologies and rhetorical functions. It is found that Nkrumah frequently used the journey, war and religious metaphors to convey the intended message and achieve his political objectives. These metaphors can serve a series of functions, such as attracting attention to establish trust, providing an explanation through framing, expressing empathy, emotion or motivation, fulfilling aesthetic purpose as well as creating a political myth. More generally, metaphors as a powerful tool help make Nkrumah’s political speeches more convincing.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Genetic and Microenvironment Features Do Not Distinguish Follicular Lymphoma Patients Requiring Immediate or Deferred Treatment.

Genetic and Microenvironment Features Do Not Distinguish Follicular Lymphoma Patients Requiring Immediate or Deferred Treatment.

Focal 18 F-FDG uptake predicts progression of pre-invasive squamous bronchial lesions to invasive cancers.

Pre-invasive squamous lesions of the central airways can progress into invasive lung cancers. Identifying these high-risk patients could enable detection of invasive lung cancers at an early stage. In this study, we investigated the value of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18 F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans in predicting progression in patients with pre-invasive squamous endobronchial lesions. In this retrospective study, patients with pre-invasive endobronchial lesions, who underwent an 18 F-FDG PET scan at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, between January 2000 and December 2016, were included. Autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB) was used for tissue sampling and was repeated every 3 months. The minimum and median follow-up was 3 and 46.5months. Study endpoints were the occurrence of biopsy proven invasive carcinoma, time-to-progression and overall survival (OS). A total number of 40 of 225 patients met the inclusion criteria of which 17 (42.5%) patients had a positive baseline 18 F-FDG PET scan. A total of 13 of 17 (76.5%) developed invasive lung carcinoma during follow-up, with a median time to progression of 5.0months (range, 3.0-25.0). In 23 (57.5%) patients with a negative 18 F-FDG PET scan at baseline, 6 (26%) developed lung cancer, with a median time to progression of 34.0months (range, 14.0-42.0months, p < 0.002). With a median OS of 56.0months (range, 9.0-60.0 months) versus 49.0months (range, 6.0-60.0months) (p=0.876) for the18 F-FDG PET positive and negative groups, respectively. Patients with pre-invasive endobronchial squamous lesions and a positive baseline 18 F-FDG PET scan were at high-risk for developing lung carcinoma, highlighting that this patient group requires early radical treatment.

Editorial - Paradoxes in the Far Right’s gender and sexuality politics: Nationalism, Islamophobia and multiple positionings on gender

Over the last decades, issues related to gender and sexuality came to the center of public and political debates in Europe. Right-wing parties and actors across Europe are gaining popularity while increasingly drawing on gender and sexuality in their anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric (e.g. Mayer, Ajanovic and Sauer 2014, Meret and Siim 2013). This Special Issue results from an international workshop organised by the Network for the Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality (NAGS), part of the European Association of SocialAnthropologists (EASA), and held at VU University Amsterdam in December 2019. The workshop interrogated entanglements of anti-migration and gender discourses, including anti-gender movements across Europe. Its overall aim was to discuss different ‘uses and abuses of gender’ in relation to migration and Islamophobia as deployed by right-wing discourse (Scott 2013).&amp;nbsp;

Clusterin is increased in morphologically normal cardiomyocytes in lymphocytic myocarditis.

Clusterin is increased in morphologically normal cardiomyocytes in lymphocytic myocarditis.

Magnesium in chronic haemodialysis (MAGIC-HD): a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial to determine feasibility and safety of using increased dialysate magnesium concentrations to increase plasma magnesium concentrations in people treated with haemodialysis

IntroductionPeople treated with haemodialysis are at increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Plasma magnesium concentration has been inversely associated with these risks. Therefore, plasma magnesium may be a new...

Ignorance-led port policing? The limits of information sharing–based policing in the North Sea Canal Area and Port of Amsterdam and in the Port of Moerdijk

Abstract Whereas the Dutch government considers the Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport as crucial drug transport hubs for organized crime groups, there is scarce governance focus on the increasing shift of these groups to small, medium-sized, and (still) relatively anonymous Dutch ports, like the North Sea Canal Area (NSCA) and the Port of Moerdijk (PoM). They can be considered criminal diversion ports where port policing parties relies strongly on information sharing to establish intelligence-led port policing. What has remained un(der)studied are not only these criminal diversion ports, but also, and more specifically how and why (frontline) port policing staff (do not) share information and intelligence (position) with one another other. What are their motivations to withhold or share information? That is the key research question answered in this contribution by comparing two recent studies, one on the NSCA (Eski, Y., Boelens, M., Mesic, A., and Boutellier, H. (2021). Van Verhalen naar Verbalen: Een verkennende studie naar de aanpak van ondermijnende drugscriminaliteit in het Noordzeekanaalgebied en de haven van Amsterdam (NZKG). The Hague: Sdu.) and the other on the PoM (Fiddelers, V. [2021]. Intel aan het roer. Een studie naar informatiedeling binnen de politie ten behoeve van de aanpak ondermijnende criminaliteit in de haven van Moerdijk. Amsterdam: VU University.). By exploring comparatively the reasons the studies’ participants have, or think others have, for (withholding) information, this article considers to which extent Dutch small, medium-sized criminal diversion ports accommodate ignorance-led port policing (Reiner in Shepherd, J., Pease, K., Reiner, R., Squires, P., and Westmarland, L. (2010). ‘Debating Policing Research: A Research Council for Crime and Justice? Jonathan Shepherd and Ken Pease Call for Medical Research Standards to be Replicated in Policing Studies. Robert Reiner, Peter Squires, and Louise Westmarland respond.’ Criminal Justice Matters 80(1): 2–5.).

Evolution of the thematic structure and main producers of physical therapy interventions research: A bibliometric analysis (1986 to 2017)

BackgroundBibliometric studies are used to analyse and map scientific areas, and study the scientific output and impact of institutes and countries. ObjectivesDescribe the thematic structure and evolution of the field of physical therapy interventions using articles indexed in Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Also, identify and compare the main producers (countries, institutions) over time (research output, citation impact). MethodsEligible articles were those indexed in PEDro (1986-2017) and matched to Web of Science. VOSviewer software, bibliometric text mining, and visualisation techniques were used to evaluate the thematic structure of the included articles. We collected data about authors’ country and institutional affiliation, and calculated bibliometric indicators (production, citation impact). ResultsA total of 29 090 articles were analysed. Eight topics were identified: “neurological rehabilitation”; “methods”; “exercise for prevention and rehabilitation of lifestyle diseases”; “assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal pain”; “physical activity”, “health promotion and behaviour change”; “respiratory physical therapy”; “hospital, primary care and health economics”; “cancer and complementary therapies”. The most productive countries were United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The most impactful countries were United States, France, Finland, and Canada. The most productive institutions were University of Sydney, VU University of Amsterdam, University of Queensland, and University of Toronto. ConclusionsThe thematic structure of physical therapy interventions has evolved over time with “neurological rehabilitation”, “methods”, “exercise related to lifestyle diseases”, and “physical activity” becoming increasingly important. Main producers of this research were traditionally located in North America and Europe but now include countries like China and Brazil.

Does placental abruption cause neonatal anemia?

Placental abruption can result in serious perinatal morbidity and mortality. However, it is not clear whether placental abruption could lead to neonatal anemia, as a direct relation has not been described yet. The objective of this study is to investigate whether there is a relation between occurrence of placental abruption and neonatal anemia. All women with a clinical diagnoses of placental abruption between January 2016 and April 2021 in Amsterdam UMC, from both the VU University Medical Center and Amsterdam Medical Center, were included. Demographic data and delivery outcomes were collected retrospectively using the medical files. The primary outcome was neonatal anemia, defined as hemoglobin levels less than the fifth percentile for gestational age. A total of 65 mothers and 65 neonates were included in our study. Average gestational age was 30 + 5 weeks. Mean hemoglobin level of the neonates at birth was 16.5g/dl (10.2 mmol/L) with hemoglobin levels comparable to the reference curve. Two neonates (3.6%) were diagnosed with anemia based on their hemoglobin level at birth, and six (9.2%) neonates received a blood transfusion within 24 h after birth. With this study, we found that the hemoglobin levels of the neonates born after placental abruption are comparable to the reference curve and do not show more neonates than expected below the fifth percentile for gestational age. It remains unclear whether there is fetal blood loss during a placental abruption but our results suggest that at least a big amount of fetal blood is not lost, since we did not found a large number of anemic neonates. Severe neonatal anemia in the case of placental abruption does not need to be expected.

The introduction of advanced practice physiotherapy within Dutch primary care is a quest for possibilities, added value, and mutual trust: a qualitative study amongst advanced practice physiotherapists and general practitioners

BackgroundDespite the increased deployment and added value of Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapy (APP) in musculoskeletal care internationally, APP is not yet widely accepted within Dutch primary care. This may be due to specific constraints in the implementation of APP within the Dutch healthcare system. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapists (APPs) and General Practitioners (GPs) with respect to implementing APP within Dutch primary care.MethodsThis explorative and interpretive qualitative study included 12 APPs and 3 GPs who were in various stages of implementing an APP care model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2021. The topic list was based on existing literature, the personal input of researchers, and the Constellation Approach framework. Data were analysed using a thematic inductive approach.ResultsFour main themes emerged from the data; 1) Both GPs’ trust in APP and a clear added value of APP are critical for starting implementation, 2) APPs need continuous support from GPs, 3) APPs believe that their position needs strengthening, and 4) Implementation of the APP model creates tension over ownership. These four themes highlight the perceived difficulties in gaining trust, lack of clarity over the added value of APP, ambiguity over APPs’ professional profile and positioning, a need on behalf of GPs to maintain authority, lack of reimbursement structure, and the struggle APPs face to strike a balance with current care.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that implementing an APP model of care is challenging, in part, because the deployment of APP does not sufficiently align with the core values of GPs, while GPs appear reluctant to hand over control of elements of patient care to APPs. APPs do not appear to have ownership over the implementation, given their strong dependence on the practice, values and needs of GPs.Trial registrationEthical approval was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam; reference number 2020.17 . All participants were asked to provide written informed consent prior to participating in the study.

TEACHING ACADEMIC WRITING IN ENGLISH TO STUDENTS OF ECONOMICS THROUGH CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS

The article addresses EFL students’ academic writing competence by fostering and evaluating their writing practices through conceptual metaphors. The research dataset comprised 102 Russian students majoring in economics. The students received the instruction based on the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory during their EAP, ESP and EMI courses in economics. Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam (MIPVU) and the method of metaphoric modeling were used to assess EFL writing competence in economic knowledge domains – knowledge of terms and specific concepts, represented as conceptual metaphors. The statistical analysis did not show significant changes in the writing competence level of students when their EAP and ESP writing was compared. However, statistical differences were revealed in the use of metaphors when the students progressed from their EAP to EMI course and from their ESP to EMI course. The qualitative analysis demonstrated main differences within the conceptual metaphor domains in ESP and EMI writing. On the whole, the results reported here suggest the dynamics of FL writing competence of the Russian students specializing in economics when attending an EAP course, an ESP course and an EMI course in economics at the university.

Epidemiology of penetrating injury in an urban versus rural level 1 trauma center in the Netherlands

Background:Penetrating injury can encompass a large spectrum of injuries dependent on the penetrating object, the location of entry, and the trajectory of the object through the human body. Therefore, the management of penetrating injuries can be challenging and often requires rapid assessment and intervention. No universal definition of penetrating injury exists in the literature and little is known about the demographics and outcome of penetrating injury in the Netherlands.Objective:A research was carried out to ascertain the size and outcome of penetrating injuries in two level‐one trauma centers in the Netherlands.Methods:Using the trauma registry of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen and VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, all patients with penetrating injury were identified who were admitted to these level 1 trauma centers in the period between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2014. Penetrating injury was defined as an injury that caused disruption of the body surface and extended into the underlying tissue or into a body cavity. Data concerning age, gender, mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale, number of injuries, type of injury, and Injury Severity Score were collected and analyzed. Patient results were stratified by Injury Severity Score.Results:In total, 354 patients were identified, making up around 2% of all admitted trauma patients 3.1% (VU Medical Center) and 1.6% (Radboud Medical Center). Patients were overwhelmingly male (83.1%) and median age was 36 years (range = 1–88 years). Most injuries were caused by stabbings (51.1%) followed by shootings (26.3%). Admission to the intensive care unit occurred in 41.1% of all patients. Median stay in the intensive care unit was 5.1 days (range = 1–96 days) and median total hospital stay was 8 days (range = 1–95 days). Mortality among these patients was 7.1%, ranging from 0% among patients with Injury Severity Score 1–8 to 100% in patients with Injury Severity Score &gt; 34. High mortality figures were associated with injuries caused by firearms (19.4%), injuries to the head (27.9%), and alleged assaults (10.9%). Differences in demographics between the two centers were not significant.Conclusion:Penetrating injury is a relative rare occurrence in the Netherlands compared with other countries. It is associated with high mortality and substantial hospital costs. The incidence of penetrating injuries is higher in metropolitan areas than in rural areas. A universal definition of penetrating trauma should be agreed upon in order to ensure that future studies remain free of bias, and also to ensure that data remain homogeneous.

THE PASSIVITY OF ITALY IN COUNTERACTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: THE TALPIS V. ITALY CASE

Amsterdam Law Forum (ALF) is the student-run 'International Law Journal' of VU University. Every year ALF publishes a winter, spring, and summer issue. The journal consists of three sections; scientific articles, opinion articles, and commentaries. As of this year, ALF also creates a section for inaugural speeches. In addition, ALF hosts a conference in spring with a relevant legal theme, where renowned speakers are invited to share their perspectives. Overall, ALF is a topical journal that provides a platform for established scholars and young academics to share knowledge, opinions and experiences and to make contributions to the international law discourse. Staff, PhD students and master students who have written a very good thesis are invited to submit an article to ALF. What is learned in the cradle is carried to the tomb: we are looking forward to sharing your articles on our website!