The dialogical paradigm provides a theory of meaning alternative to the model-theoretical and proof-theoretical ones which are more widespread. From the dialogical point of view, meaning is given... Show moreThe dialogical paradigm provides a theory of meaning alternative to the model-theoretical and proof-theoretical ones which are more widespread. From the dialogical point of view, meaning is given by use within argumentative debates which are designed as two-player games. In this work we present the fundamental notions of the paradigm through the study of various dialogical semantics. We also make some incursions in the metatheory of dialogical games, with among other things a stress on the connection between dialogues and tableaux.Three specificities of our account are: the homogeneous way to ensure finiteness of dialogues with the device of repetition ranks, an explicit formulation of game rules with emphasis on speech acts, and the significant role given to the perspective of extended forms (tree representations) in our analysis.As for results, we propose a new demonstration of soundness and completeness of the tableau method with respect to dialogical games. We also give the first analysis of the dialogical manifestation of the decidability (or not) of a logic as intimately related to the handling with repetition ranks of repetitive behaviours in games. Show less
The adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse.... Show moreThe adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse. This book presents a study into the archaeology of the indigenous communities involved in the process of Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area (5500-2500 cal BC). It elucidates the role played by these in relation to their environmental context. This work brings together a comprehensive array of excavated archaeological sites in the Lower Rhine Area and indicates that the successive Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant culture, Hazendonk group and Vlaardingen culture societies represent a continuous long-term tradition of inhabitation of the wetlands and their margins. After demonstrating the existence of a diverse Mesolithic background to Neolithisation, the subsequent developments are studied by foregrounding the relationship between local communities and the dynamic wetland landscape. This points to long-term flexible behaviour and pragmatic choices in livelihood, food economy and mobility. For the interpretation of Neolithisation this study emphasises the persistent traditions of the communities involved. New elements are shown to be attuned to existing hunter-gatherer practices. By documenting indications of the mentalité of the wetland inhabitants, it is demonstrated that their mindset remains essentially ‘Mesolithic' for millennia. Show less
The aim of this thesis was to identify in the human blood transcriptome, relevant pathways and potential biomarker profiles that associate with chronological age and discriminate between __healthy... Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to identify in the human blood transcriptome, relevant pathways and potential biomarker profiles that associate with chronological age and discriminate between __healthy agers__ from long-lived families and normative ageing controls. Such profiles may harbor determinants of the biological ageing rate. We studied genome-wide gene expression profiles in blood of members of the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS) and replicated our findings by extended sampling within the unique LLS cohort. The findings of the exploratory analysis prompted us to investigate multiple genes in the IL7R and MTOR pathways for association with familial longevity. The results obtained by examining mRNA from blood samples brought us to study mTOR protein levels and signalling in primary skin fibroblasts from the corresponding donors in the LLS. Finally, to discover robust, biologically relevant gene networks as markers of chronological ageing in larger sample sizes, we performed an explorative network-based meta-analysis on large publicly available transcriptomic datasets. We have identified several networks, pathways and candidate genes potentially marking the biological age and the rate of ageing Show less
he papers in which are part of this theses describe the global diversity and conservation status of damselflies and dragonflies, contain a moleculair revision of the damselflies and discuss the... Show morehe papers in which are part of this theses describe the global diversity and conservation status of damselflies and dragonflies, contain a moleculair revision of the damselflies and discuss the biogeography of damselflies and dragonflies in the Australasian region. Show less
We have developed novel fluorescence bio-imaging based automated models to screen for novel candidate targets involved in prostate cancer metastasis. Utilizing these models and adopting a... Show moreWe have developed novel fluorescence bio-imaging based automated models to screen for novel candidate targets involved in prostate cancer metastasis. Utilizing these models and adopting a functional genomics based approach; we identified SYK as a novel regulator of prostate cancer progression. We also identified functional involvement of MST1R in regulating the progression of prostate cancer. For both of these targets, there is supporting human clinical data to validate our results in prostate cancer. Show less
In this thesis, nanochannels as well as nanofluidic phenomena are used to provide new and miniaturized bioanalytical tools for the life sciences. Isotachophoresis performed in nanochannels showed... Show moreIn this thesis, nanochannels as well as nanofluidic phenomena are used to provide new and miniaturized bioanalytical tools for the life sciences. Isotachophoresis performed in nanochannels showed the focusing and separation of analytes in a 0.4 picoliter volume, which is a volume in the order of a sample from a single cell. Depletion zone isotachophoresis (dzITP) is demonstrated which uses a nanofluidic phenomenon, concentration polarization, to enable isotachophoresis in a microchannel while using only a single electrolyte. A concept for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor (SERSOR) is explored; a coating protecting the SERS surface from irreversible adsorption may enable dynamic measurements of biomolecules in solution in minute volumes. Working with nanochannels has led to the discovery of new unexpected fundamental phenomena: the very high surface to volume ratio in nanochannels causes acidification of solutions introduced in them, despite the presence of up to 1 mol/L of buffer. Also, extreme pressures of more than a 1000 bar may be induced in a nanochannel by what we named electrocavitation, an effects shown to impose a limit on further downscaling of ITP. Show less
De afbeeldingen op het omslag: een heilige, een kerk en een priester, staan symbool voor de drie centrale thema__s van deze studie. De heilige verwijst naar de virtuele eigenaar van de kerk. De... Show moreDe afbeeldingen op het omslag: een heilige, een kerk en een priester, staan symbool voor de drie centrale thema__s van deze studie. De heilige verwijst naar de virtuele eigenaar van de kerk. De kerkafbeelding staat voor het onderzoek naar de relatie tussen parochiekerken en kloosters. Het derde thema is dat van de priester in Friesland en zijn (formele) positie. In vijf hoofdstukken komt in Heiligen en Heren aan de orde hoe de wijdingsprocedure in Utrecht in de praktijk liep, hoe de zogenoemde institutie of opdracht tot zielzorg door de aartsdiaken of een ander werd verleend, hoe de landsheer zich met het recht op benoeming of presentatie bemoeide, en in welke mate de centrale overheid het gedrag van priesters echt controleerde. Verder is onderzocht uit welke geledingen van de maatschappij de priesters afkomstig waren en hoeveel van hen een academische opleiding hadden gevolgd. Met dit alles levert dit boek basismateriaal aan voor het bepalen van het sterk lokale karakter van de middeleeuwse kerk in het Noorden van Nederland. Show less
We develop a new technique for Run-time Checking for two object-oriented languages: Java and the Abstract Behavioral Specification language ABS. In object-oriented languages, objects communicate by... Show moreWe develop a new technique for Run-time Checking for two object-oriented languages: Java and the Abstract Behavioral Specification language ABS. In object-oriented languages, objects communicate by sending each other messages. Assuming encapsulation, the behavior of objects is completely determined by the order of the messages, and their content. Traditional methods for Run-time Checking focus either exclusively on the description and testing of the order of the messages (Monitoring), or they focus on specifying and testing the content of those messages (Run-time Assertion Checking). Our method combines Monitoring with Run-time Assertion Checking.The basic idea behind our technique is that the behavior of objects can be described formally by means of an attribute grammar extended with assertions. The underlying (context-free) grammar specifies the valid orderings of the messages, the attributes define properties of the contents of the messages, and assertions specify the desired values of those properties. We develop a new Run-time Checker for attribute grammars in the form of a meta-program in the language Rascal and applied the Run-time Checker to an industrial case of the e-commerce company Fredhopper. We also investigated the efficiency of the run-time checker, and successfully discovered and solved several bugs in the Fredhopper software. Show less
In the present thesis we report our findings assessing individual differences in perception of infant signals due to early-life experiences and variability in the oxytocinergic system. We found... Show moreIn the present thesis we report our findings assessing individual differences in perception of infant signals due to early-life experiences and variability in the oxytocinergic system. We found that the perception of infant cues differs between individuals with fewer versus more experiences of emotional maltreatment (Chapter 5). These adverse experiences seem to change the activity and responsiveness of the oxytonergic system, such that higher levels of oxytocin are secreted, which in turn are associated with a more positive evaluation of infant mood (Chapter 2). Moreover, intranasal administration decreases the memory for negative infant cues in individuals who experienced childhood emotional maltreatment (Chapter 4). Our results may suggest that developmental changes in the oxytonergic system might help maltreated individuals to be open to new, potentially positive relationship experiences and to facilitate new attachments. Moreover, we suggest that reward training might be helpful in changing individuals__ perception of an infant for the better (Chapter 3). Overall, our findings might serve as a first step toward identifying cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that might help to improve (future) parenting Show less
The subject of the research is __difference and repetition,__ an area which bears a direct relationship to Wjm Kok__s practice, in which the production of work always emerges and passes through... Show moreThe subject of the research is __difference and repetition,__ an area which bears a direct relationship to Wjm Kok__s practice, in which the production of work always emerges and passes through series. It is also the title of a book by Gilles Deleuze that has been used as source and reference to explicate the research. Taking this book Difference and Repetition as a departure point, an ongoing series of writings was produced that sought to expose the different angles of the subject. The majority of these texts were published in diverse platforms, constituting an exchange with related subjects and his practice as a foundation for exploring other territories. A selected collection of these texts constitutes the dissertation. The presentation of this research will take place during the defense in the Grand Auditorium of Leiden University. Show less
In this thesis, patterns of variation in plant metabolomes and insect communities were described in GM and non-GM potato plants in both laboratory and field experiments. Differences between plant... Show moreIn this thesis, patterns of variation in plant metabolomes and insect communities were described in GM and non-GM potato plants in both laboratory and field experiments. Differences between plant genotypes in insect abundances were small when compared to year-to-year differences, location effects and differences between developmental stages of plants. Standardized effect sizes are discussed as an alternative scale for measuring effects. Leaf age, aphid infestation and virus infection were found to cause significant alterations in leaf metabolism in a laboratory study as measured by 1H NMR. However, these changes were similar in quantity and quality in both GM and non-GM plants. Furthermore, 1H NMR metabolomic profiles of potato plants were measured in a 2-year field study. Large changes in metabolomic profiles occurred across years and locations, and throughout the growth period of plants within years. Only weak relationships were found between metabolomics data and insect abundances on the same experimental fields. GxE interactions imply that conclusions from field trials are not valid outside the range of tested environments. This emphasizes the need for a careful choice of representative geographical zones for risk assessment studies. However, it also shows that a residual level of uncertainty in NTO safety is unavoidable. Show less
In this thesis the thermal- and photo-substitution behavior of polypyridyl ruthenium complexes is described at the surface of lipid bilayers and in homogeneous solutions. It is shown that the... Show moreIn this thesis the thermal- and photo-substitution behavior of polypyridyl ruthenium complexes is described at the surface of lipid bilayers and in homogeneous solutions. It is shown that the successive thermal binding and light-induced unbinding of the cationic ruthenium complex at the surface of the lipid bilayer requires negatively charged liposomes and ruthenium complexes containing moderately hindered N-N bidentate ligands. Our results in homogeneous solution show that changing the steric hindrance of the bidentate ligand influences both the photo- and thermal reactivities of these complexes, by altering the mechanism of the Ru-S bond formation. It is also shown that the Ru-S bond formation at the surface of negative lipid bilayers is faster than the same reaction in homogenous aqueous solutions, and a two-steps mechanism is proposed for the thermal coordination of ruthenium aqua complexes at membrane-embedded ligands. Furthermore, the application of ruthenium-functionalized liposomes in drug delivery is discussed. In vitro tests on cancer cell lines show that neutral liposomes functionalized with ruthenium compounds are more readily taken up by cancer cells than ruthenium-free liposomes. The liposome samples with ruthenium compounds are shown to be poorly cytotoxic in the dark. After light irradiation, the cytotoxicity increased at least up to five times for ruthenium complexes supported on non-PEGylated liposomes. Finally, the photoactivation of polypyridyl complexes with low-energy photons was studied using a photosensitization approach. A photosubstitution reaction was made faster upon yellow light irradiation than upon blue light irradiation by covalently linking a rhodamine B dye to the ruthenium complex. Show less
A system-level design methodology such as Daedalus provides designers with a forward synthesis flow for automated design, programming, and implementation of multiprocessor systems-on-chip. Daedalus... Show moreA system-level design methodology such as Daedalus provides designers with a forward synthesis flow for automated design, programming, and implementation of multiprocessor systems-on-chip. Daedalus employs the polyhedral process network model of computation to represent applications. These networks are automatically derived from sequential C code. A forward synthesis flow greatly increases designer productivity. Still, the designer needs to perform a time-consuming forward synthesis step to learn if a network satisfies his performance constraints. Furthermore, it is not trivial to select a set of transformations and transformation parameters for a network such that performance requirements are met. A forward synthesis flow thus solves only part of a design problem, as it does not provide fast feedback on the transformations a designer should apply to meet his performance constraints. This dissertation intro duces different performance estimation techniques for polyhedral process networks. The most promising technique is the profiling-based cprof technique that works directly on the sequential application code. This makes cprof an easy-to-use, robust, and fast technique, without the need to derive a polyhedral process network. This dissertation then discusses four transformations and analyzes factors that affect the efficacy of each transformation. Show less
The aim of this thesis is to introduce the readers to the importance of bio-based products and their potential applications in chemical industries. Alternative routes to the widely used nylon... Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to introduce the readers to the importance of bio-based products and their potential applications in chemical industries. Alternative routes to the widely used nylon precursor caprolactam are discussed and compared with the current fossil-based synthesis. Furthermore, the aim of the research - the development of a novel synthesis route to caprolactam based on biomass - is reported; the envisaged reaction sequence includes the development of new catalytic chemistry, namely reductive amidation and hydroamidomethylation. Show less
The main goal of this work is to develop a method that, operating on top of an Evolutionary Algorithm, increases its likeliness of finding innovative solutions. This likeliness is laid out to be... Show moreThe main goal of this work is to develop a method that, operating on top of an Evolutionary Algorithm, increases its likeliness of finding innovative solutions. This likeliness is laid out to be increased with the diversity of the solutions found, provided that they are of sufficient quality. The developed method needs to be applicable in a scenario in which the search is required to be started from a single, fixed solution. Therefore, a scheme is envisioned in which the search is performed in a sequential fashion, zooming in on a locally-optimal solution, and then exploring for a new potentially high-quality region based on a memory of solutions encountered earlier in the search. Two exploration criteria, one using an archive of earlier solutions as memory and the other deriving from a surrogate model trained on earlier solutions, were established to be worthwhile for integration into quality-based search. The resulting schemes were applied to a real-world airfoil optimization task, showing both to perform better than the baseline method of multiple standard optimization runs. The model-based approach delivers the best results, in the sense that it finds more solutions, more diverse solutions, and better-quality solutions than the baseline method. Show less
Cellulose makes up one of the most abundant renewable materials, present in all kinds of plant biomass (Pauly and Keegstra 2010). However, to be able to utilize the cellulose as feedstock, it needs... Show moreCellulose makes up one of the most abundant renewable materials, present in all kinds of plant biomass (Pauly and Keegstra 2010). However, to be able to utilize the cellulose as feedstock, it needs to be separated from lignin which cements the cellulose and hemi-cellulose fibers. Lignolytic peroxidases can be produced by Aspergillus niger, and its production was found to be improved by heme supplementation, suggesting a limiting effect of this co-factor during heterologous expression. The research described in this thesis explores fungal heme biosynthesis and its regulation by means of heme deficient mutant strains and overexpression strains of heme biosynthesis genes or corroborated iron metabolism with the final aim to increase the available intracellular heme for peroxidase production. Using heme deficient strains, we demonstrated that A. niger is capable of heme uptake and utilzation and that siroheme synthesis derives from the first half of the heme biosynthesis pathway as well. The tight regulation on heme biosynthesis on transcription and (post)translational level prohibits large changes in heme content, and indicated a bottleneck on the level of ferrochelatase and possible uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase and coproporphyrinogen III oxidase and questions whether A. niger would be the most suitable host for heterologous peroxidase production. Show less
Ancient Greek was spoken in a large number of dialectal varieties, and is attested in both literary and epigraphic sources. Although none of these sources offers direct evidence for syllabic... Show moreAncient Greek was spoken in a large number of dialectal varieties, and is attested in both literary and epigraphic sources. Although none of these sources offers direct evidence for syllabic liquids, it is known that these sounds must have been present in Proto-Greek, the common pre-stage of these dialects, and already in Proto-Indo-European. This dissertation offers a reconstruction of the development of the syllabic liquids in all alphabetic Greek dialects (from ca. 800 BCE) and in Mycenaean (ca. 1400-1200 BCE). The emphasis is on two questions: what exactly was the regular outcome of syllabic r and syllabic l (in which way did they vocalize)? And when in the prehistory of Greek sound changes did this vocalization take place? Show less
My research takes the artistic use of the devices that bring sound waves into electricity and back as its central focus point; they are commonly called microphones and loudspeakers. These devices... Show moreMy research takes the artistic use of the devices that bring sound waves into electricity and back as its central focus point; they are commonly called microphones and loudspeakers. These devices have become essential for many forms of music making. Through the same pair of loudspeakers, people listen to diverse music and sound, such as violin sonatas, rock songs or simply the latest news. Accordingly, microphones and loudspeakers are often designed to remain transparent; that is, "inaudible" in the final sound result. From the 1950s on, microphones and loudspeakers started to play a crucial role not only in the mere reproduction of sound, but also in the creation of music. Composers and musicians often described these new possibilities of using microphones and loudspeakers as musical instruments. This resulted not only in many pieces and performances that used microphones and loudspeakers in unusual ways but also in many new possibilities for musical composition. Confronted with microphones and loudspeakers through my own practice as a composer using electro-acoustic media, I investigated how microphones and loudspeakers could become musical instruments. This resulted in 28 compositions and a text about historical, theoretical, and practical aspects of the subject. To obtain a clear picture of the possibilities of microphones and loudspeakers in music, I develop four approaches in my dissertation. Three of them focus on the transparent use (reproducing, supporting and generating). The fourth approach focuses on the use of microphone and loudspeakers in an opaque way; that is, as musical instruments. I call this the interacting approach, since the music should, in contrast to the other approaches, not be transmitted through microphones and loudspeakers, but formed, coloured, and changed by these devices. The fourth approach was the starting point for 28 compositions, in which I investigate in what ways one could interact or "play" microphones and loudspeakers. This resulted in a categorisation of three interaction parameters: movement, material and space. I looked at how these interaction parameters might be recognised in the work of other musicians and composers, as well as how the interaction with microphones and loudspeakers influenced compositional form, the performance situation, and the relationship between musician and musical instrument. This resulted in a theory and praxis in which I elaborate upon unique features of music, composed with microphones and loudspeakers. ****************** Several chapters of this dissertation have been adapted and made into the book ‘Between Air and Electricity : Microphones and Loudspeakers as Musical Instruments’ which has been published at Bloomsbury Open Access DOI 10.5040/9781501327636Show less
Population growth and the drop in the returns from the major cash crop (coffee) for small farmers are the main drivers that have influenced the farming systems and mobility of farmers in the... Show morePopulation growth and the drop in the returns from the major cash crop (coffee) for small farmers are the main drivers that have influenced the farming systems and mobility of farmers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC). The main objective of this research activity was to determine the interactions between farming systems and human mobility in the WHC. A comparative study was conducted through household and field surveys in three villages and conceptualized based on the systems approach. The different types of mobility were influenced by household social factors, the quest for ‘high valued' farm plots and hired labour. Urban-rural migration contributed to occupation diversification and social mobility. The sustainability factor was a function of land use intensity, intensity of off-farm inputs, the household adjustment factor and mobility of the household. The sacred groves were rich in plant diversity of varied ecological and economic importance. Nitrogen mining was common at all levels of the farming system. These determinants and types of mobility claims are pertinent to the research area; the sustainability results of the farming systems reflect the reality on the ground; the nutrient flux evaluated at the crop and farm levels constitute a valuable database for future research. Show less
The study of the integration of areas peripheral to the main urban centres of the conquered lands to the Islamic sphere of authority in the 7th century poses great issues to historians because of... Show moreThe study of the integration of areas peripheral to the main urban centres of the conquered lands to the Islamic sphere of authority in the 7th century poses great issues to historians because of the scarcity of sources available. The Egyptian countryside however beneficiates from a large body of documentary evidence composed of papyri in Greek, Coptic and Arabic in addition to archaeological data and local historiography. This study offers to explore the history of Middle-Egypt, precisely the region of Antinoe/Anṣinā and Hermopolis/Ašmūn/Ašmūnayn as it became part of the empire of the Medinan (642-659), Umayyad (659-750) and Abbasid caliphs (750-868). The very detailed documentation available for the region allows to investigate the immediate measures that were taken locally after the conquest to insure and installation of the conquerors and their sustenance. It also shows how cooperation with the local au thorities was working from the very first years of Islamic dominance. One of the examples of that is given by the office of the duke of the Thebaid in Antinoe, revealing over time how such position contributed to the formation of the Islamic administrative hierarchy during the Umayyad period. However, the city of Anṣinā progressively fades away from the available documentation from the 8th century on as Ašmūn/Ašmūnayn becomes the main administrative centre of the area indicating a shift in the administrative system completed by the 9th century Show less
