Language comprehension involves activating word meanings and integrating them with the sentence context. This study examined whether these routines are carried out even when they are theoretically unnecessary, namely, in the case of opaque idiomatic expressions, for which the literal word meanings are unrelated to the overall meaning of the expression. Predictable words in sentences were replaced by a semantically related or unrelated word. In literal sentences, this yielded previously established behavioral and electrophysiological signatures of semantic processing: semantic facilitation in lexical decision, a reduced N400 for semantically related relative to unrelated words, and a power increase in the gamma frequency band that was disrupted by semantic violations. However, the same manipulations in idioms yielded none of these effects. Instead, semantic violations elicited a late positivity in idioms. Moreover, gamma band power was lower in correct idioms than in correct literal sentences. It is argued that the brain's semantic expectancy and literal word meaning integration operations can, to some extent, be "switched off" when the context renders them unnecessary. Furthermore, the results lend support to models of idiom comprehension that involve unitary idiom representations.
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In the course of our supervisory work over the years, we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By ‘novice’ we mean Master’s students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. This second article addresses FAQs about context, research questions and designs. Qualitative research takes into account the natural contexts in which individuals or groups function to provide an in-depth understanding of real-world problems. The research questions are generally broad and open to unexpected findings. The choice of a qualitative design primarily depends on the nature of the research problem, the research question(s) and the scientific knowledge one seeks. Ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory are considered to represent the ‘big three’ qualitative approaches. Theory guides the researcher through the research process by providing a ‘lens’ to look at the phenomenon under study. Since qualitative researchers and the participants of their studies interact in a social process, researchers influence the research process. The first article described the key features of qualitative research, the third article will focus on sampling, data collection and analysis, while the last article focuses on trustworthiness and publishing.
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In the present study, the role of five categories of characteristics of a reciprocal peer coaching context was studied in relation to teacher learning. Both self-reports and student perceptions were used to measure teacher learning. Data were gathered on 28 secondary school teachers (14 coaching dyads). A mixed-method approach was adopted combining quantitative and qualitative data. To study the associations between five categories of characteristics of a peer coaching context (independent variable) and teacher learning (dependent variable), questionnaire results (quantitative data) and digital diaries (qualitative data) were examined. It was found that teachers learn when they are intrinsically motivated to take part in professional development programs; when they feel a certain pressure toward experimenting with new instructional methods; and when they are able to discuss their experiences within a safe, constructive, and trustworthy reciprocal peer coaching environment.
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The growing use of digital media has led to a society with plenty of new opportunities for knowledge exchange, communication and entertainment, but also less desirable effects like fake news or cybercrime. Several studies, however, have shown that children are less digital literate than expected. Digital literacy has consequently become a key part within the new national educational policy plans titled Curriculum.nu and the Dutch research and policy agendas. This research project is focused on the role the game sector can play in the development of digital literacy skills of children. In concrete, we want to understand the value of the use of digital literacy related educational games in the context of primary education. Taking into consideration that the childhood process of learning takes place through playing, several studies claim that the introduction of the use of technology at a young age should be done through play. Digital games seem a good fit but are themselves also part of digital media we want young people to be literate about. Furthermore, it needs to be taken into account that digital literacy of teachers can be limited as well. The interactive, structured nature of digital games offers potential here as they are less dependent on the support and guidance of an adult, but at the same time this puts even more emphasis on sensible game design to ensure the desired outcome. The question is, then, if and how digital games are best designed to foster the development of digital literacy skills. By harnessing the potential of educational games, a consortium of knowledge and practice partners aim to show how creating theoretical and practical insights about digital literacy and game design can aid the serious games industry to contribute to the societal challenges concerning contemporary literacy demands.
In the context of sustainability, the use of biocatalysis in organic synthesis is increasingly observed as an essential tool towards a modern and ‘green’ chemical industry. However, the lack of a diverse set of commercially available enzymes with a broad selectivity toward industrially-relevant substrates keeps hampering the widespread implementation of biocatalysis. Aminoverse B.V. aims to contribute to this challenge by developing enzymatic screening kits and identifying novel enzyme families with significant potential for biocatalysis. One of the most important, yet notoriously challenging reaction in organic synthesis is site-selective functionalization (e.g. hydroxylation) of inert C-H bonds. Interestingly, Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases (KGOs) have been found to perform C-H hydroxylation, as well as other oxyfunctionalization, spontaneously in nature. However, as KGOs are not commercially available, or even extensively studied in this context, their potential is not readily accessible to the chemical industry. This project aims to demonstrate the potential of KGOs in biocatalysis. In order to achieve this, the following challenges will be addressed: i) establishing an enzymatic screening methodology to study the activity and selectivity of recombinant KGOs towards industrially relevant substrates, ii) establishing analytical methods to characterize KGO-catalyzed substrate conversion and product formation. Eventually, the proof-of-principle demonstrated during this project will allow Aminoverse B.V. to develop a commercial biocatalysis kit comprised of KGO enzymes with a diverse activity profile, allowing their application in the sustainable production of either commodity, fine or speciality chemicals. The project consortium is composed of: i) Aminoverse B.V, a start-up company dedicated to facilitate chemical partners towards implementing biocatalysis in their chemical processes, and ii) Zuyd University, which will link Aminoverse B.V. with students and (bio)chemical professionals in creating a novel collaboration which will not only stimulate the development of (bio)chemical students, but also the translation of academic knowledge on KGOs towards a feasible biocatalytic application.
