This thesis is about the classification and mapping of ecosystems, essential for an integratedgeographical approach to environmental management which takes into account spatialdifferentiation. To... Show moreThis thesis is about the classification and mapping of ecosystems, essential for an integratedgeographical approach to environmental management which takes into account spatialdifferentiation. To this end, it considers man's environment as an ecosystem, follows asystems approach and attempts to purposively connect at least three systematic angles forecosystem analysis, viz.:ecosystem processes (corresponding with the central themes of environmentalmanagement);the vertical structure of main ecosystem components (corresponding with themedia of environmental management);the horizontal patterns of ecosystems (to account for spatial variability and ageographical orientation to environmental management). Show less
A unifying framework is presented for describing the phenotypic coevolutionary dynamics of a general ecological community. We start from an individual-based approach allowing for the interaction of... Show moreA unifying framework is presented for describing the phenotypic coevolutionary dynamics of a general ecological community. We start from an individual-based approach allowing for the interaction of an arbitrary number of species. The adaptive dynamics of species's trait values are derived from the underlying population dynamics within the community; in consequence, the evolutionary process is driven by ecological change. We present a hierarchy of dynamical models for the investigation of coevolutionary systems. The necessity of stochastic treatment is demonstrated and deterministic approximations are derived where appropriate. The mathematical framework advanced here to our knowledge is the first one to combine the individual-based, stochastic perspective with a fully dynamical analysis of the phenotypic coevolutionary process. The hierarchy of models presented is particularly geared to infer evolutionary predictions from ecological assumptions. Applications to evolutionary dynamics both in predator-prey systems and under asymmetric competition demonstrate the versatility of our approach. Rich coevolutionary patterns are obtained and novel evolutionary phenomena are revealed. Deductions are given to derive various well-known equations from the literature of evolutionary modelling. Consequently the different domains of validity for these models are delineated and several ad-hoc assumptions are removed. In particular, equations central to the fields of evolutionary game theory, adaptive dynamics, replicator dynamics and reaction-diffusion models of phenotypic evolution are recovered and are identified as special cases within a dynamical theory of coevolution. Show less
Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic infections in tropical areas. It is caused by blood-dwelling flukes, residing in the mesenteric and pelvic veins of the human host. Over... Show moreSchistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic infections in tropical areas. It is caused by blood-dwelling flukes, residing in the mesenteric and pelvic veins of the human host. Over 200 million individuals are estimated to be infected with these worms, while at least 700 million people are at risk. The conventional method to diagnose this disease is by the demonstration of parasite eggs in faecal or urine specimens. However, this technique has several disadvantages, a.o. infections with low worm burden can be easily missed, and due to a high day-to-day fluctuation in egg counts, repeated examinations are needed to estimate the intensity of infection. Alternatively, schistosomiasis can be diagnosed by the detection of host antibodies directed against schistosome antigens. This technique has shown to be highly sensitive and specific, but is not able to differentiate between active and past infection, or to give information about intensity of infection Show less
In deze studie wordt de invloed van instituties en cultuur op het overheidsbeleid onderzocht. Aan de hand van twee case-studies naar het automobiliteitsbeleid in de steden Birmingham en München... Show moreIn deze studie wordt de invloed van instituties en cultuur op het overheidsbeleid onderzocht. Aan de hand van twee case-studies naar het automobiliteitsbeleid in de steden Birmingham en München wordt duidelijk dat lokale beleidsinstituties en culturen voor een grote mate van invloed zijn op de keuze voor het automobiliteitsbeleid. Een link wordt gelegd met de Nederlandse situatie en het thema van bestuurlijke vernieuwing. Show less
This book ('The reliance principle and contractual liability: an inquiry into the dogmatics of contract law') aims to be a contribution to the field of civil law and legal theory. lts central theme... Show moreThis book ('The reliance principle and contractual liability: an inquiry into the dogmatics of contract law') aims to be a contribution to the field of civil law and legal theory. lts central theme is the question whether it is possible to give an alternative foundation of contractual liability, given the fact that the so called reliance principle' ('Vertrauensprinzip') does not meet the standards of legal dogmatics in an appropriate manner. Thus it should be stressed that this book is not only concerned with the role of the reliance principle as a basis of liability in contemporary law, but also with the character of (continental-European) civil law itself. The nine chapters of the book can be read as one elaborated argument on the desired foundations of contract law. Show less
Human schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic diseases in the world, affecting 200 million people predominantly in third world countries. In areas where the disease is highly... Show moreHuman schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic diseases in the world, affecting 200 million people predominantly in third world countries. In areas where the disease is highly prevalent it causes important health problems, and it also has socially-economic effects on the population. Schistosomiasis is caused by the presence of the blood-fluke Schistosoma in the blood-vessels of mammalian hosts. The current method for diagnosis of schistosomiasis in developing countries is the parasitological examination of urine and faeces for the presence of Schistosoma eggs. An alternative method which is now increasingly used is based on the detection of Schistosoma antigens in the circulatory system or the urine of the host. The gut of the parasite is an important source of these antigens since many gut-associated antigens are excreted into the circulation of the host following digestion of food (e.g. blood cells, proteins) by the parasite. Two major gut–associated antigens which have been thoroughly studied with regard to diagnostic detectability, are the circulating anodic antigen (CAA) and the circulating cathodic antigen (CCA). In this thesis, these two unique antigens are further analysed with respect to their biochemical carbohydrate structure, localization, in vitro and in vivo excretion and detection patterns, and their role in a number of host-parasite immune interactions (granulocytes, complement system). Show less
