Many topics in surgical skills education have been implemented without a solid scientific basis. For that reason we have tried to find this scientific basis. We have focused on training and... Show moreMany topics in surgical skills education have been implemented without a solid scientific basis. For that reason we have tried to find this scientific basis. We have focused on training and evaluation of minimally invasive surgical skills in a training setting and in practice in the operating room. This thesis has led to an enlarged insight in the organization of surgical skills training during residency training of surgical medical specialists. Show less
It is well known that complex mental abilities develop at least until late adolescence. Yet, there are also skills that children master perfectly, sometimes even better than adults. The goal of... Show moreIt is well known that complex mental abilities develop at least until late adolescence. Yet, there are also skills that children master perfectly, sometimes even better than adults. The goal of this thesis was to learn more about the possibilities of cognitive functioning in children and young adults, and the constraints set by the developing brain. An fMRI training approach was used to examine age- and experience-related effects in the development of working memory and resting-state functional connectivity. More specifically, we studied age differences on task performance and brain activation during a working memory task with various demands and difficulty levels, both before and after 6 weeks of practice with the task. In addition, to learn more about the interaction between different brain regions, we also examined age differences and practice effects on functional connectivity during resting-state. Show less
Lonkhuijzen, L. van; Roosmalen, J. van; Zeeman, G. 2011
Religious scholarship can be offensive to believers, as conflicts from the time of Galileo and Spinoza to the recent critique of Danish religious scholars in the wake of the infamous Muhammad... Show moreReligious scholarship can be offensive to believers, as conflicts from the time of Galileo and Spinoza to the recent critique of Danish religious scholars in the wake of the infamous Muhammad cartoons have shown. Studies of this type of scholarship have been appropriated by believers as a means of reinventing their own identities - as the training of twentieth-century Muslim clergy demonstrates. This volume offers a unique collection of training materials from European Muslim clergy since the 1940s - including Third Reich reports on debriefing imams, surveillance files on Muslim activists, and information on Bosnian clergy and their training centres - as well as an exploration of religion and academic freedom in general, accompanied by appendices in both Arabic and English Show less
The development of gynecological laparoscopy in The Netherlands is slow. Laparoscopic training needs more emphasis during residency training. The laparoscopic simulator needs to be officially... Show moreThe development of gynecological laparoscopy in The Netherlands is slow. Laparoscopic training needs more emphasis during residency training. The laparoscopic simulator needs to be officially implemented into residency curriculum guidelines and incorporated into practice. Simulator training should be structured and mandatory, as a training tool, as well as a skills assessment tool. In order for residents to obtain a sufficient and uniform level of skills, their surgical skills need to be measured individually and objectively by means of the simulator. In addition, experts' level on the simulator can be set as performance standards for residents and should be reached by residents before performing live laparoscopic surgery. Assisting during laparoscopic hysterectomy should be added to the requirements for graduation in the curriculum guidelines. To accomplish these recommendations, skilled laparoscopic gynecologists are required in every teaching hospital. Besides the beneficial aspects for residency training, a skilled laparoscopic gynecologist is needed to establish an internal referral system for procedures such as laparoscopic hysterectomy. For the other advanced laparoscopic procedures a regional or national referral system can be created. Show less
Since 1979, the hydrology of the Waza-Logone floodplain in semi-arid Cameroon has been affected by the construction upstream of a dam and embankment, reducing the flooding intensity in an area of... Show moreSince 1979, the hydrology of the Waza-Logone floodplain in semi-arid Cameroon has been affected by the construction upstream of a dam and embankment, reducing the flooding intensity in an area of 1500 km2, including Waza National Park. Subsequently, annual grasses invaded productive perennial grasslands, reducing the carrying capacity of the area for livestock, fisheries and wildlife. In 1994, after local consultations, a watercourse blocked by the embankment along the Logone river was re-opened, rehabilitating an area of 600 km2 of desiccated floodplain. Monitoring showed a gradual recovery of perennial grasslands, virtually completed in 2003, albeit with a species composition somewhat different from the 1970s. Numbers of most waterbirds increased two-fold, especially when their colonies benefited from local communities’ protection, whereas colonies of piscivorous birds were frequently destroyed. Floodplain antelopes showed an initial increase that has not persisted, probably because of increasing competition with livestock which densities increased three-fold due to the arrival of new pastoral groups and prolonged stay of herds traditionally frequenting the area. These developments indicate a problem in the sharing of the reflooding benefits between wildlife and people that rapidly respond to new opportunities, calling for intensified management planning to anticipate this unexpected success. A dialogue was institutionalised between protected area authorities and local communities. Effective conservation called for a stronger and lasting involvement of protected area personnel in planning and community conservation. Developed training courses showed good potential to upgrade knowledge and skills of present personnel. In addition, institutional changes are needed to assure the necessary increase in numbers of park personnel and their rotation, not only in and amongst national parks but with training institutes as well. The success of floodplain rehabilitation ultimately depends on long-term ecological and socio-economic monitoring, with individuals and institutions capable to translate upcoming insights into practice. Show less
