Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-12-16T00:00:00Z
This study investigated an aspect of cognitive functioning or more specifically of executive functioning, that appears to be strongly affected in NF1: working memory. The primary goal of this...Show moreThis study investigated an aspect of cognitive functioning or more specifically of executive functioning, that appears to be strongly affected in NF1: working memory. The primary goal of this functional MRI study was to investigate whether or not the neuronal activity during working memory performance differs between NF1 children and controls. A second aim was to investigate the working memory performance outside the scanner. Participants included children with NF1 (N=21, 7 female), and controls (N=18, 10 female). Ages ranged between 8.2 and 19.1 (Mage= 13.12, SD=3.17). Neuronal activity was measured during the N-back task, and working memory performance outside the scanner was measured with the Memory Search 2D task of the ANT program. With respect to the main aim, the group means comparisons revealed non-significant differences. Though, the participants with NF1 had greater activity in the prefrontal cortex, and less activation in the posterior brain regions compared with controls. Overall, the NF1 children performed poorer on the working memory task outside the scanner. They performed even worse on the second, more demanding condition than the controls. These results may be explained by the dysfunction of the protein neurofibromin and a possible compensatory function of brain regions in individuals with NF1. These insights in brain functioning of individuals with NF1 might contribute to the development of intervention or treatment programs, medication and gene therapy.Show less
This thesis is written as part of my bachelor assignment in the seminar Analyse, Stochastiek en Besliskunde and the course Bachelor Onderzoek Natuurkunde. The contents are accesible to all who have...Show moreThis thesis is written as part of my bachelor assignment in the seminar Analyse, Stochastiek en Besliskunde and the course Bachelor Onderzoek Natuurkunde. The contents are accesible to all who have some knowledge in numerical mathematics and third year bachelor physics. I will start this thesis by introducing the problem and the experiment which led to the problem, this will be done in section 1 and 2. In section 3 I will show the models used for simulating the experiment. Section 4 will be about the numerical method I used. I will show and discuss the results from the calculations in section 5, 6 and 7. I want to thank Barry Koren, for his enthusiasm on this subject which was also new to him. In addition I want to thank him for his excellent guidance in the traject of the bachelor project and introducing me at the CWI. I also want to thank Tjerk Oosterkamp for introducing me to this subject and for never being out of enthusiasm and useful ideas. At last I want to thank Bas Edixhoven for introducing me to Pari/GP and for his different view on the mathematical part of the problem.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-11-15T00:00:00Z
This study investigated the predictive value of executive functioning for proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of 387 secondary school boys (Mage 14.1 years; SD = 1.2). Additionally, the...Show moreThis study investigated the predictive value of executive functioning for proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of 387 secondary school boys (Mage 14.1 years; SD = 1.2). Additionally, the effectiveness in terms of decrease in aggressive and executive functioning problems of the ‘Minder Boos en Opstandig’ (‘Less Anger and Rebellion’) intervention was investigated in a sample of 13 children (Mage at pretest 9.8 years; 3 girls). Executive functioning was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. The Reactive Proactive Questionnaire was used as a measure of reactive and proactive aggression and the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits was used to assess the influence of callous and unemotional traits. Results showed higher problem scores on the indices of the BRIEF to be uniquely predictive for reactive aggression. Several predictors on subscale level were found for reactive aggression and proactive aggression. Introducing the CU traits to the models of executive functioning as predictors of aggression did not lead to substantial differences. Treatment effects of the MBO intervention were found for both aggression and executive functioning, with significantly lower aggression scores for reactive individuals and a decrease in executive functioning problems. A focus on improving executive functioning in children and adolescents with aggression seems to be important as executive function impairments were associated with both reactive and proactive aggression. The differential influences of executive function impairments on both subtypes provide implications for treatment strategies of aggressive children and adolescents.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-09-22T00:00:00Z
The main objective of this study was to unravel characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by studying autism traits, social cognition, and gender differences in Klinefelter Syndrome (KS)...Show moreThe main objective of this study was to unravel characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by studying autism traits, social cognition, and gender differences in Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) and Triple X syndrome. ASD traits were assessed with the parent-report Autism Spectrum Quotient. Social cognition was measured with the Social Cognitive Skills Test. Participants included 17 KS boys and 16 Triple X girls (Mage = 12.0 years, SD = 2.6), and 85 control children (Mage = 10.6 years, SD = 1.1). Our results showed that both boys and girls with an extra X chromosome show substantially elevated rates of ASD traits compared to controls. In addition, our study is the first to show that KS boys and Triple X girls have overall impaired social cognitive skills and function at a lower social cognitive level than typically developing children. Our study provides guidelines for the design and enhancement of screening instruments and treatment programs, which will benefit the development of these children. Future studies should focus on identifying risk factors endangering the development of children with ASD and those that are born with an extra X chromosome.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-09-22T00:00:00Z
This study seeks to uncover the externalizing behavioral phenotype of extra X chromosome children, and discover the role of emotion-regulation and executive functioning (EF) deficits in its...Show moreThis study seeks to uncover the externalizing behavioral phenotype of extra X chromosome children, and discover the role of emotion-regulation and executive functioning (EF) deficits in its development. Participants included extra X chromosome children (N = 29, 16 girls and 13 boys) and control children (N = 84, 33 boys, 51 girls). Ages ranged between 7 and 16 (Mage = 10;3, SD = 1;7). Externalizing behavior was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire assessed emotion regulation and two tasks of the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks battery measured EF. To provide a detailed picture of overall social functioning of the participants the Social Skills Rating System was used. Results showed that extra X chromosome children show more externalizing behavior, more mental flexibility deficits and nearly significantly more rumination. In extra X chromosome children, externalizing behavior was positively related to inhibition deficits and to rumination levels. Emotion regulation and EF were not related but children exhibiting less rumination were more dependent on their EF in the prediction of externalizing behavior. Implications include evidence for the role of neuropsychological deficits in externalizing behavior and possible guidelines for the treatment of children with an extra X chromosome and externalizing behavior.Show less
This thesis investigates the Newton-Raphson solution routine used in the quasi-static multibody model of diarthrodial joints (Kwak et al. 2003). We suggest a more reliable method for solving non...Show moreThis thesis investigates the Newton-Raphson solution routine used in the quasi-static multibody model of diarthrodial joints (Kwak et al. 2003). We suggest a more reliable method for solving non-linear systems of equations that is based on numerical methods for solving differential equations, and show, given the physical nature of the model, that it will find a solution more reliably. This new method is called the Taylored Backward Euler method. It is very reliable, but takes more time to find a solution than the Newton-Raphson algorithm.Show less
The ABC conjecture: the final frontier. These are the methods used by the ABC@home project. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new Diophantine equations; to seek out new ABC triples; to...Show moreThe ABC conjecture: the final frontier. These are the methods used by the ABC@home project. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new Diophantine equations; to seek out new ABC triples; to boldly go where no man has gone before.Show less
This thesis is about bone paste (also called incrustation) used in the pottery of the Dutch Funnel Beaker West Group, which could be dated between 3400 BC and 2850 BC. On the basis of the problem...Show moreThis thesis is about bone paste (also called incrustation) used in the pottery of the Dutch Funnel Beaker West Group, which could be dated between 3400 BC and 2850 BC. On the basis of the problem definition an answer is sought for the question whether the bone paste was inserted into the pottery decorations and what this bone paste is made of. This question is answered through four research parts. The first is a study of Funnel Beaker pottery to look at how frequently the phenomenon of bone paste usage occurs. The second is an experiment to try to find out what is the best way to make bone paste. The third is a taphonomical experiment to see if there are any detectable traces of the application of bone paste in the pottery. And the fourth is a DNA analysis to find out if the bone which was used for the Funnel Beaker pottery was human or animal derived. The conclusion of this thesis is that bone paste can be found in about 23% of the ancient pottery studied. Probably, more pottery contained bone paste, but this is undetectable due to taphonomic conditions and the cleaning of the pottery. White burned crushed bone was most likely rubbed into fired pottery and then a fatty substance such as melted butter was put over it. This means that the pots could not be heated or washed. The result of the taphonomical part of the research is the discovery that bone powder applied before melted butter is most resistant to all kinds of taphonomical processes. The outcome of the DNA analysis is that most likely burned human bone was used as a source for the crushed bone powder in the ancient pottery decorations.Show less
Wijk bij Duurstede is built on top of the Early Medieval settlement Dorestad. In 2008 ‘Veilingterrein’, an area adjoining the former port area, was excavated. Among the finds were 50 water wells....Show moreWijk bij Duurstede is built on top of the Early Medieval settlement Dorestad. In 2008 ‘Veilingterrein’, an area adjoining the former port area, was excavated. Among the finds were 50 water wells. For this study two of these wells were investigated at the Cultural Heritage Agency (lab Stichting RING/RCE). One water well was made of a discarded cask made of 23 oak staves and a piece of beech. Samples were taken from the staves and the tree rings measured. The staves were found to originate from one single tree. Synchronising the data from all staves created a series of 111 tree rings, including 11sapwood rings. This series did not match reliably with the reference chronologies. Cross-dating individual staves with the chronologies was not successful either. The piece of beech could not be dated dendrochronologically. The second water-well, a hollowed-out oak, was sampled, the synchronised measurements totalled 92 rings, no sapwood was present. The wood did not match with the reference chronologies.Show less
Doel van deze scriptie is de relatie tussen rock art en het landschap in de bronstijd te onderzoeken. Rock art is een geschikt medium voor een bredere studie naar de prehistorische samenleving en...Show moreDoel van deze scriptie is de relatie tussen rock art en het landschap in de bronstijd te onderzoeken. Rock art is een geschikt medium voor een bredere studie naar de prehistorische samenleving en de bewoning en het gebruik van het landschap. De regio Bohuslän in Zweden is als onderzoeksgebied gekozen daar er zich een grote concentratie rock art bevindt en er zeer gedetailleerde, recente onderzoeken beschikbaar zijn. Het rock art onderzoek in Bohuslän is van oudsher, maar zelfs tot op de dag van vandaag, geregeerd door het aardse paradigma. De laatste jaren is er een begin gemaakt met het vestigen van een nieuw maritiem kader. De meest voorkomende figuratieve motieven in Bohuslän zijn petrogliefen van boten. Het lijkt er op dat die op een betekenisvolle locatie aan de kust liggen. Ze wijken sterk af van de rock art uit de omgeving. De grootste rock art sites met de meeste afbeeldingen van boten zijn in de nabijheid van de kust gelokaliseerd, terwijl rock art sites met afbeeldingen van grote mensfiguren zich op de hoger gelegen gebieden bevinden. Zou het om een locatie kunnen gaan waar de lokale elite zijn reizen begon? De onderzoekers zijn het er over eens dat de samenleving in de bronstijd de vorm van een “chiefdom” heeft. Er zijn echter vele verschillende vormen van een “chiefdom”, van sterk hiërarchisch tot meer egalitair. De rock art kan ons een aanwijzing geven over de mate van hiërarchie binnen de “chiefdoms” en daarmee de sociale structuur van de samenleving in Bohuslän.Show less
In 1975 plans were made for a recreational park east of Wijchen. During the research of the area, it became clear that this place was of great archaeological interest. So it was decided that...Show moreIn 1975 plans were made for a recreational park east of Wijchen. During the research of the area, it became clear that this place was of great archaeological interest. So it was decided that excavation was necessary. The excavation commenced in spring 1976 and took several years. During the excavation two house plans were identified and great quantities of pottery collected. Unfortunately, there has been no documentation in the thirty years since the excavation with exception of site plans. Therefore there is a great shortage of information. In the past years some students did some thesis-research on the subject of Wijchen-Berendonck and they discovered that this site contained mainly Iron Age material. The houses have been dated to Early and Middle Iron Age as well. In this thesis a small part in the northwest of the site is studied. At this part of the site only two structures are evident: two small barns. The focus of this thesis is on the pottery found in four large pits. The results of this research indicate that the material is from the Iron Age also and so it is suspected that the collection also contains Early and Middle period. However this is not clear enough, which is due to the lack of information and documentation. To achieve more clearance in this project we need to wait for the research results of masterstudent Marloes Luijten, who is studying the rest of the site at the moment.Show less
From the site Seru Boca on Curaçao where archeological research was conducted by the Faculty of Archeology of the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, charcoal from a hearth place was brought to...Show moreFrom the site Seru Boca on Curaçao where archeological research was conducted by the Faculty of Archeology of the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, charcoal from a hearth place was brought to the botanical laboratory. In order to analyse the relationship of the people who lit the fire with their environment, charcoal determination is conducted in this report. The relevance of charcoal investigation is addressed and for determination, sixteen recent samples were compared with the archeological charcoal and morphological features were looked at. Several approaches towards the choice of wood are noted; not only the suitability, determined by ecophysical and mechanical properties and availibity is looked at, but also ethnographical usage of species is briefly addressed. Concerning the determination, it was established that the species found, Laguncularia racemosa, was present in the vegetation between 1415 and 1648, in which period the archeological charcoal remains were carbon dated.Show less
This paper investigates the Wartberg-Stein-Vlaardingen-complex as proposed by Louwe Kooijmans (1983) A systematic comparison was made of chronology, pottery, burial rituals, settlements, and...Show moreThis paper investigates the Wartberg-Stein-Vlaardingen-complex as proposed by Louwe Kooijmans (1983) A systematic comparison was made of chronology, pottery, burial rituals, settlements, and subsistence of these three cultural groups. Stein and Vlaardingen show many similarities in pottery which lead to the suggestion that they might have been one cultural phenomenon, with Stein being the dry component and Vlaardingen the wet component. However, this disregards the differences in other aspects of material culture. The Wartberg-culture is geographically far apart and show some important differences. The main conclusion of this paper is that there is not enough common ground for the Wartberg-Stein-Vlaardingen-complex set apart from other middle and late neolithic cultures in Western Europe. The relations of the Wartberg-culture with Stein- and Vlaardingen-group are not as close as propesed by Louwe Kooijmans (1983).Show less
