Radio observations provide a unique view of black holes in the Universe. This thesis presents low frequency radio images and uses the radio sources in those images to study the evolution of black... Show moreRadio observations provide a unique view of black holes in the Universe. This thesis presents low frequency radio images and uses the radio sources in those images to study the evolution of black holes and galaxies through the age of the Universe. Show less
Until a few years ago, only two human polyomaviruses (JC and BK) were known to infect humans and cause severe illness in immunocompromised hosts. Since 2007, at least eleven new polyomaviruses... Show moreUntil a few years ago, only two human polyomaviruses (JC and BK) were known to infect humans and cause severe illness in immunocompromised hosts. Since 2007, at least eleven new polyomaviruses became known that infect humans. Among them is the polyomavirus associated with trichodysplasia spinulosa (TSPyV). In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, the main focus is on the recent developments in studying the newly identified human polyomaviruses until mid-2014. This introductory chapter sets the stage for further investigation into TSPyV infection, pathogenesis, evolution and host adaptation, which is detailed in Chapter 2. To study causality between TSPyV infection and TS disease, in Chapter 3, the prevalence, load and localization of this virus is described. In Chapter 4, the cellular mechanisms behind disruption of cellular proliferation and TS spicule formation by TSPyV Large T-antigen is investigated. By In-silico analysis, in Chapter 5, the identification of a polyomavirus evolution and adaptation mechanism called COCO-VA is highlighted. Subsequently, in Chapter 6, TSPyV genome sequences are tested to gain more insight into this COCO-VA mechanism. Finally, in Chapter 7, the findings described in this dissertation are discussed with regard to several TSPyV aspects, and compared to existing knowledge about polyomaviruses in a broader context. Show less
The evolution of ageing is a field flush with misconceptions, misunderstandings, and hiatuses. In this thesis I address the most important misunderstanding and misconceptions, and develop new... Show moreThe evolution of ageing is a field flush with misconceptions, misunderstandings, and hiatuses. In this thesis I address the most important misunderstanding and misconceptions, and develop new theory to fill the gaps. This work directly leads to the restatement of the central question in the evolutionary theory of ageing. Rather than evaluating evolutionary forces in models that are at best weakly rooted in (patho-) physiological mechanisms, usually phrased in terms of __age-specific genes__ that are not further specified, as is the current practice, the most pressing question becomes why an organism cannot, or does not, do in itself what it is perfectly capable of doing outside itself in the form of reproduction, namely producing a perfectly healthy __young__ organism. Evolutionary forces cannot answer this question. If anything, this is a mechanistic question. I suggest investigating __the evolution of unretainability__: why and how has our form of life evolved, in which it is mechanistically impossible to bring ageing to a halt, and what are the responsible mechanistic constraints? Show less
