34 research outputs found
Het maatschappijbeeld van Abraham Kuyper
The present study deals with the 'image of society' of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920). Kuyper was a Dutch theologian, founder of the Free (Calvinistic) University, leader of the Antirevolutionary Party and editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper (De Standaard). In our study we try to find answers to the following questions: 1. What is the societal value-orientation of Kuyper and what valueorientation does he reject? 2. What is the meaning of this value-orientation for Kuyper's religious-political movement? (with reference to the Calvinistic section of the population). 3. What are the consequences of this value-orientation for the relation between the Dutch society as a whole and the Calvinistic section which is a part of it? The following diagram may serve as an illustration of this relation. ... Zie: Summar
The war on street 'terror': why tackle anti-social behaviour?
This article examines the rationales of Dutch politicians for tackling the perceived pressing problem of 'anti-social behaviour' (ASB) and the question did they copy the British approach? The first part will describe in short the concept of policy transfer and the recent British fight against ASB. The focus will be on the introduction of the Anti-social Behaviour Order. The second part is an empirical study into the Dutch retreat from 'condoning' ASB, consisting of interviews with Dutch politicians focusing on their ideas for tackling ASB. Those are compared with the British's rationales. This kind of comparative elite ethnography is not common in criminology, but this article aims at providing evidence of its benefits. By answering the research question an insight into the origins of policy in the sphere of criminal justice can be obtained
Codon usage in vertebrates is associated with a low risk of acquiring nonsense mutations
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Codon usage in genomes is biased towards specific subsets of codons. Codon usage bias affects translational speed and accuracy, and it is associated with the tRNA levels and the GC content of the genome. Spontaneous mutations drive genomes to a low GC content. Active cellular processes are needed to maintain a high GC content, which influences the codon usage of a species. Loss-of-function mutations, such as nonsense mutations, are the molecular basis of many recessive alleles, which can greatly affect the genome of an organism and are the cause of many genetic diseases in humans.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We developed an event based model to calculate the risk of acquiring nonsense mutations in coding sequences. Complete coding sequences and genomes of 40 eukaryotes were analyzed for GC and CpG content, codon usage, and the associated risk of acquiring nonsense mutations. We included one species per genus for all eukaryotes with available reference sequence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We discovered that the codon usage bias detected in genomes of high GC content decreases the risk of acquiring nonsense mutations (Pearson's <it>r </it>= -0.95; <it>P </it>< 0.0001). In the genomes of all examined vertebrates, including humans, this risk was lower than expected (0.93 ± 0.02; mean ± SD) and lower than the risk in genomes of non-vertebrates (1.02 ± 0.13; <it>P </it>= 0.019).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While the maintenance of a high GC content is energetically costly, it is associated with a codon usage bias harboring a low risk of acquiring nonsense mutations. The reduced exposure to this risk may contribute to the fitness of vertebrates.</p
Monitoring of platinum surface contamination in seven Dutch hospital pharmacies using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Differential Trends in the Codon Usage Patterns in HIV-1 Genes
Host-pathogen interactions underlie one of the most complex evolutionary phenomena resulting in continual adaptive genetic changes, where pathogens exploit the host's molecular resources for growth and survival, while hosts try to eliminate the pathogen. Deciphering the molecular basis of host–pathogen interactions is useful in understanding the factors governing pathogen evolution and disease propagation. In host-pathogen context, a balance between mutation, selection, and genetic drift is known to maintain codon bias in both organisms. Studies revealing determinants of the bias and its dynamics are central to the understanding of host-pathogen evolution. We considered the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type 1 and its human host to search for evolutionary signatures in the viral genome. Positive selection is known to dominate intra-host evolution of HIV-1, whereas high genetic variability underlies the belief that neutral processes drive inter-host differences. In this study, we analyze the codon usage patterns of HIV-1 genomes across all subtypes and clades sequenced over a period of 23 years. We show presence of unique temporal correlations in the codon bias of three HIV-1 genes illustrating differential adaptation of the HIV-1 genes towards the host preferred codons. Our results point towards gene-specific translational selection to be an important force driving the evolution of HIV-1 at the population level
J. van der Zouwen, De gereformeerden en de Vrije Universiteit. Sociologisch onderzoek naar inhoud en ontwikkeling van de relatie tussen een instelling en haar recruteringsveld voor steunverlening
Het maatschappijbeeld van Abraham Kuyper
The present study deals with the 'image of society' of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920). Kuyper was a Dutch theologian, founder of the Free (Calvinistic) University, leader of the Antirevolutionary Party and editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper (De Standaard). In our study we try to find answers to the following questions: 1. What is the societal value-orientation of Kuyper and what valueorientation does he reject? 2. What is the meaning of this value-orientation for Kuyper's religious-political movement? (with reference to the Calvinistic section of the population). 3. What are the consequences of this value-orientation for the relation between the Dutch society as a whole and the Calvinistic section which is a part of it? The following diagram may serve as an illustration of this relation. ... Zie: Summar
Is there a European Identity?
The concept of identity – beyond its primary meaning of individual identity which is psychologically so important even in times of post-modern deconstruction of the individual – signals a sense of belonging. The question is: to whom or to what do we feel to belong, want to belong? To social, cultural, economical, political groups or communities? To our families, friends, kindred spirits? To a certain gender? To a belief, ideology? To specific memories and experiences? To certain topics and activities? To a borough, a city, a region, a nation, to Europe ? To…