Differences in the oscillatory EEG dynamics of reading open class (OC) and closed class (CC) words have previously been found (Bastiaansen et al., 2005) and are thought to reflect differences in lexical-semantic content between these word classes. In particu-lar, the theta-band (4-7 Hz) seems to play a prominent role in lexical-semantic retrieval. We tested whether this theta effect is robust in an older population of subjects. Additionally, we examined how the context of a word can modulate the oscillatory dynamics underly-ing retrieval for the two different classes of words. Older participants (mean age 55) read words presented in either syntactically correct sentences or in a scrambled order ("scram-bled sentence") while their EEG was recorded. We performed time-frequency analysis to examine how power varied based on the context or class of the word. We observed larger power decreases in the alpha (8-12 Hz) band between 200-700 ms for the OC compared to CC words, but this was true only for the scrambled sentence context. We did not observe differences in theta power between these conditions. Context exerted an effect on the alpha and low beta (13-18 Hz) bands between 0 and 700 ms. These results suggest that the previously observed word class effects on theta power changes in a younger participant sample do not seem to be a robust effect in this older population. Though this is an indi-rect comparison between studies, it may suggest the existence of aging effects on word retrieval dynamics for different populations. Additionally, the interaction between word class and context suggests that word retrieval mechanisms interact with sentence-level comprehension mechanisms in the alpha-band.
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Since the arrival of cinema, film theorists have studied how spectators perceive the representations that the medium offers to our senses. Early film theorists have bent their heads over what cinema is, how cinema can be seen as art, but also over what cinema is capable of. One of the earliest film theorists, Hugo Münsterberg argued in 1916 that the uniqueness of cinema, or as he calls it photoplay, lies in the way it offers the possibility to represent our mental perception and organisation of the reality, or the world we live in: “the photoplay tells us the human story by overcoming the forms of the outer world, namely, space, time, and causality, and by adjusting the events to the forms of the inner world, namely, attention, memory, imagination, and emotion” (Münsterberg [1916] 2004, 402)
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Nature-based coastal management is mainstream in the Netherlands. About 12 Mm3 of sand is added annually to the coast to compensate coastal erosion and maintain high safety levels against flooding. This amount will likely increase to compensate for accelerated sea level rise. (Mega-)Nourishments may also strengthen and support biodiversity and recreational values of the coastal zone and associated wetland areas. However, the ecological and societal impacts of mega-nourishments on open coasts are not well established, hampering comparison of pros and cons of different nourishment strategies. This knowledge gap is largely due to the lack of suitable methods to monitor and predict the spreading of nourishment sand along the coast and into tidal basins. Ameland Inlet provides us with a unique opportunity to develop and test novel approaches to fill this knowledge gap in close collaboration with our consortium and stakeholders. In 2018 the first tidal inlet mega-nourishment (5 Mm3) was placed in the Ameland Inlet ebb-tidal delta, and geomorphic and biotic responses nearby are closely monitored in the Kustgenese 2.0 and SEAWAD programmes. Our research builds on the insights gained, will gather new data to investigate off-site effects (linked with SIBES/SIBUS sampling), and build a common knowledge-base with stakeholders. We will develop novel luminescence-based methods to monitor the temporal and spatial dispersal of nourishment sand. These insights will be combined with an inventory of off-site biotic responses to nourishment and the role biota play in the mixing of nourishment sand with natural sediments. Combined results will be used to develop and validate models to trace transport paths of individual grains and improve morphodynamic predictions. Throughout the project, we will collaborate and interact intensely with coastal managers and (local) stakeholders to address concerns and exchange insights, creating a platform for co-assessment and optimization of nourishment designs and strategies.
