Empirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural...Show moreEmpirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural environments in relation to depressive symptoms may prove useful for urban populations in which depressive symptoms are relatively more prevalent while natural environments are less accessible. The present study aims to offer insight into how depressive symptoms influence the restorative effects of natural environments on affect and stress compared to urban environments. An online questionnaire was used to measure depressive symptoms as well as affect and feelings of stress before and after exposure to a series of photographs of either natural or busy urban environments. Participants (N = 230) were divided in four groups based on presence of depressive symptoms (depressed, nondepressed) and type of environment (natural, urban). A Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc procedures was applied to assess differences between groups in affect and stress change. Results show no difference in affect and stress change between depressed and nondepressed groups. Negative affect and stress decreased in the nature condition. Positive affect decreased while stress increased in the urban condition. The findings suggest that natural environment can indeed improve affect and stress while urban environments can be detrimental, regardless of depressive symptoms.Show less
Empirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural...Show moreEmpirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural environments in relation to depressive symptoms may prove useful for urban populations in which depressive symptoms are relatively more prevalent while natural environments are less accessible. The present study aims to offer insight into how depressive symptoms influence the restorative effects of natural environments on affect and stress compared to urban environments. An online questionnaire was used to measure depressive symptoms as well as affect and feelings of stress before and after exposure to a series of photographs of either natural or busy urban environments. Participants (N = 230) were divided in four groups based on presence of depressive symptoms (depressed, nondepressed) and type of environment (natural, urban). A Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc procedures was applied to assess differences between groups in affect and stress change. Results show no difference in affect and stress change between depressed and nondepressed groups. Negative affect and stress decreased in the nature condition. Positive affect decreased while stress increased in the urban condition. The findings suggest that natural environment can indeed improve affect and stress while urban environments can be detrimental, regardless of depressive symptoms.Show less
Background - The Generalised Unsafety Theory of Stress, a novel stress explanation, considers the stress response as a default mode of the body, which is always active independently from stressors...Show moreBackground - The Generalised Unsafety Theory of Stress, a novel stress explanation, considers the stress response as a default mode of the body, which is always active independently from stressors unless it is inhibited based on perceiving safety. GUTS suggests there are compromised domains where stress is chronically released despite a lack of clear stressors, and the organism is unable to inhibit the stress mechanism mostly because of perceiving generalised unsafety around. One of these compromised domains is believed to be urban environments as they cannot provide sufficient signs of safety, and they mainly consist property of strangers. Natural environments in contrast are believed to provide signs of safety and therefore decrease stress levels. Using meta-analysis, this current research aimed to find and summarize evidence from existing studies reporting that urban environments are associated with increased levels of stress, Method - In total, 12 studies, collected from Web of Science database, were included in six meta-analyses conducted on heart rate variability (high frequency, low frequency/high frequency), saliva cortisol, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and heart rate data of healthy adult participants during and after exposure to urban and natural environments. Results - Statistically significant increased heart rate was found after a walk in the urban environment (g = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.20; 0.50, p <0.0001). High frequency heart rate variability was significantly lower after an urban walk(unknown baseline balance group: g = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.55; -0.11; baseline balanced: g = -2.52, 95% CI: -3.25; -1.78). Low frequency heart rate variability was significantly higher during the urban walk (unknown baseline balance group: g = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.49; 1.80; baseline balanced: g = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.78; 3.26). Subgroup analyses and funnel plots for heart rate variability showed a possible small-study effect in the baseline balanced groups. Blood pressure and cortisol measurements showed no significant effect and were ambiguous because of high heterogeneity and small number of included studies. Conclusions - Heart rate variability and heart rate measures indicated a higher stress level in urban than in natural environments providing an example of prolonged stress without stressors, explainable by GUTS. For blood pressure and cortisol no such evidence was provided. However, the results should be carefully interpreted because of high between-study heterogeneity and other limitations of these studies. Further research into stress measurements and effects of natural and urban environment on stress are required to provide reliable evidence.Show less
In 1986 was er voor het eerst sprake van een nieuwe Chinese filmstijl ‘Urban Cinema’,oftewel stedelijke cinema. De camera van stedelijke cinema richt zich op een stad in transformatie en op de...Show moreIn 1986 was er voor het eerst sprake van een nieuwe Chinese filmstijl ‘Urban Cinema’,oftewel stedelijke cinema. De camera van stedelijke cinema richt zich op een stad in transformatie en op de sociale groepen die aan de rand daarvan leven. In deze films wordt Beijing vaak als canvas gebruikt, zoals in de tweetal films Beijing Bicycle (2001) van Wang Xiaoshuai en Lost In Beijing (2007) van Li Yu. Beide films spelen zich af in Beijing en hebben belangrijke onderliggende kenmerken, zoals armoede, sociale ongelijkheid van migrantarbeiders en het aanpassen aan het leven in een grote stad.Show less
This thesis assesses the role and interaction of different actors in the redevelopment process for Kampong Bharu. The paper probes which factors have contributed to Kampong Bharu’s ability to...Show moreThis thesis assesses the role and interaction of different actors in the redevelopment process for Kampong Bharu. The paper probes which factors have contributed to Kampong Bharu’s ability to withstand redevelopment efforts. This paper argues that in spite of resident’s rhetoric, the process of redevelopment is not adequately explained as the local community challenging the power of the Malay state to preserve heritage over embracing modernity. Rather, it is better understood as a market exchange between group of individual residents who have not sold their land as they continue to seek a price which adequately compensates them for the inconvenience of moving, and for the likelihood that they will not be able to return.Show less
This BA-thesis focuses on cisterns in early modern Amsterdam, building upon the research conducted by Gawronski and Veerkamp in 2007. In their research, a number of topics are treated, such as...Show moreThis BA-thesis focuses on cisterns in early modern Amsterdam, building upon the research conducted by Gawronski and Veerkamp in 2007. In their research, a number of topics are treated, such as cistern sizes and capacities. However, little attention is spent to different functional applications of cisterns. Furthermore, spatial dispersion of cisterns in Amsterdam is completely left out. Therefore, in this thesis functional application of cisterns, divided into seven categories of context, and their spatial aspects are focused upon. Data was retrieved from the Amsterdamse Archeologische Rapporten (AAR), in which ninety-one cisterns are documented. This thesis has emerged clear differences and relations between size and capacity, and different categories of context of cisterns. These differences are explained both by functional application of the cistern, as well as wealth of its owner. Spatially, clear clusters of cisterns are recognised in post-17th century neighbourhoods, such as the Jordaan, canal belts and the islands of Marken and Oostenburg. Even in pre-17th century neighbourhoods, many cisterns are located in association to newly built 17th-18th century structures. In order to make more detailed conclusions about the use and dating of cisterns, more extensive documentation, and new dating methods are needed.Show less
This thesis presents a new survey of archaeozoological data from 10 towns, with a total of 60 assemblages, from the medieval county of Holland to determine diachronic and geographic trends in the...Show moreThis thesis presents a new survey of archaeozoological data from 10 towns, with a total of 60 assemblages, from the medieval county of Holland to determine diachronic and geographic trends in the meat consumption in urban areas. The methods used are based on the recent article by Ervynck and van Neer, which suggested that integrating the archaeozoological data from the southern Low Countries with research from the Netherlands would be beneficial for current research (Ervynck and van Neer 2017, 72). The research was performed by calculating the relative frequencies of cattle, pig and sheep, and consequently, calculating the Pig/Sheep ratio. This data has been collected in one survey. The diachronic and geographic trends that emerged from this survey were investigated and compared to the results from similar research in Flanders. The results of this study suggest that environmental factors were a very important influence in the consumption patterns of medieval towns. There are similarities in the relative frequencies and Pig/Sheep ratios of towns with similar environmental factors, mostly those towns located in areas of salt marshes, peat bogs and alluvial districts. These environments are much more suitable for sheep herding than pig herding. Other trends are less clear. The Pig/Sheep ratio is somewhat higher in towns such as Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Haarlem than expected from the research done in Flanders. It is still uncertain what the main cause for these high Pig/Sheep ratios is. However, it does seem that the consumption of pig is likely to have been less than the consumption of sheep based on the relative frequencies. Future research on these towns in comparison to the countryside is therefore advised.Show less
Although there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact...Show moreAlthough there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact management has on the sites themselves, the locals, the economy and the environment. This thesis will focus on two case studies, Lijiang and Dali, both ancient cities in Yunnan. In particular it will research two models of cultural heritage management, which are the government and government/private combination led models, and then proceed to discover what model appears to have the most seemingly ‘positive’ impacts the aforementioned aspects.Show less
