South America

Horizon 2020(H2020)818854Descriptive and Comparative Linguistic

Differentiable, holomorphic, and analytic functions on complex Φ-algebras

Analysis and Stochastic

Getting personal: advancing personalized oncology through computational analysis of membrane proteins

Cancer is considered the silent pandemic of the 21st century and the second leading cause of death worldwide. The significant heterogeneity of this disease, seen across various cancer types, individuals, and even tumor cells, makes it extremely challenging to treat effectively and safely in all patients. Personalized oncology has emerged as an efficient strategy to leverage the differences present in cancer for the selective targeting of tumor cells. This approach aims to reduce side effects while maintaining or enhancing therapeutic efficacy. However, the availability of personalized therapies is currently limited, leaving many cancer patients longing for more selective treatments. In this context, computational tools play a crucial role in exploring unresolved questions in cancer research and accelerating the discovery of new proteins that can be selectively targeted in anticancer therapies. One main advantage of using computational tools is the ability to investigate promising protein families that have been overlooked in cancer research due to experimental limitations or publication bias, such as membrane proteins. This thesis delves into the potential of computational tools in prioritizing novel targets, mutations, and drugs for use in personalized oncology, with a specific focus on membrane proteins.Medicinal Chemistr

Migraine, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease: a Mendelian randomization study

ObjectiveTo assess whether migraine may be genetically and/or causally associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or celiac disease.BackgroundMigraine has been linked to IBD and celiac disease in observational studies, but whether this link may be explained by a shared genetic basis or could be causal has not been established. The presence of a causal association could be clinically relevant, as treating one of these medical conditions might mitigate the symptoms of a causally linked condition.MethodsLinkage disequilibrium score regression and two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analyses were performed using summary statistics from cohort-based genome-wide association studies of migraine (59,674 cases; 316,078 controls), IBD (25,042 cases; 34,915 controls) and celiac disease (11,812 or 4533 cases; 11,837 or 10,750 controls). Migraine with and without aura were analyzed separately, as were the two IBD subtypes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Positive control analyses and conventional Mendelian randomization sensitivity analyses were performed.ResultsMigraine was not genetically correlated with IBD or celiac disease. No evidence was observed for IBD (odds ratio [OR] 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99–1.02, p = 0.703) or celiac disease (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.99–1.02, p = 0.912) causing migraine or migraine causing either IBD (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.96–1.22, p = 0.181) or celiac disease (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.79–1.48, p = 0.614) when all participants with migraine were analyzed jointly. There was some indication of a causal association between celiac disease and migraine with aura (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.08, p = 0.045), between celiac disease and migraine without aura (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.99, p = 0.006), as well as between migraine without aura and ulcerative colitis (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.29, p = 0.025). However, the results were not significant after multiple testing correction.ConclusionsWe found no evidence of a shared genetic basis or of a causal association between migraine and either IBD or celiac disease, although we obtained some indications of causal associations with migraine subtypes.Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen

Biomonitoring of dairy farm emitted ammonia in surface waters using phytoplankton and periphyton

Environmental Biolog

Informetric methods for studying the diversity of the scientific workforce: towards a state-of-the-art

Merit, Expertise and Measuremen

General Boolean function benchmark suite

Algorithms and the Foundations of Software technolog

Articulation of Indonesian identity in Mahabharata epic puppet comics by Sundanese, Javanese, and Balinese comic artists

Asian Studie

Asklepios en het zwaard: de Nederlandse militaire geneeskunde in de schaduw van de bom, 1949-1989

During the Cold War, the Dutch Army Medical Service (MGD) promoted the health and operational readiness of the Royal Netherlands Army. Medical war preparations were an integral part of this. The evacuation, treatment and nursing of sick and wounded soldiers in wartime required the formulation of procedures and doctrines as well as an extensive organization, complete with supplies and equipment, trained personnel and mobilization plans. However, these activities were shrouded in uncertainty as the prospect of biological, chemical or even nuclear warfare called into question all casualty estimations based on previous conflicts.The central question in this dissertation is how the MGD dealt with the nuclear threat perception and how military-medical war preparations were influenced by it. Against the backdrop of the ominous prospects of future warfare, military physicians tried to legitimize their war preparations and make sense of them. This mechanism is made clear using the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries: constructed optimistic images of the future that are based on the collective belief in scientific and technological progress. This study shows that the MGD maintained an optimistic outlook from the beginning through the end of the Cold War, but the reasoning that supported this viewpoint evolved over time.Politics, Culture and National Identities 1789-presen

The role of political elites in nation-building in contemporary Ethiopia, 1960-2020

This thesis is about the role of elites in Ethiopia's nation-building process, 1960-2020. The study aims to answer questions regarding the formation, manoeuvering and circulation of elites. Using a combination of theoretical notions on elite circulation and elite bargaining as conceptual framework, the research employed mixed methods, including in-depth interviews and document analysis. The trajectory of Ethiopian state formation is analyzed, highlighting elites' evolving nature and characteristics across different regimes. From the imperial regime via the Derg and EPRDF regimes to today’s PP rule, changes in power structures, ideologies, and socioeconomic dynamics have influenced elite composition and behaviour. Various dimensions and instruments of nation-building like economic integration, cultural integration, political centralization, and the establishment of effective state institutions are discussed. It is concluded that successive governments struggled to effectively utilize these instruments. It resulted in fragmentation, polarization, and authoritarianism, as key challenges were not met, including the failure to establish a compelling ideology and unifying national symbols, to provide overall public goods, to further civil society, or develop overarching language and education policies. The study proposes recommendations to address these challenges to nation-building, including elite reconfiguration, fostering consensus among ruling elites and stakeholders, and reducing the dominance of politicized ethno-elites.ASC – Publicaties niet-programma gebonde