Thromboembolic complications remain a major public health burden, making antithrombotic agents one of the most widely prescribed groups of medication, but the treatment is often challenging as it... Show moreThromboembolic complications remain a major public health burden, making antithrombotic agents one of the most widely prescribed groups of medication, but the treatment is often challenging as it at the same time increases risk of bleeding. With nationwide data from Statistics Netherlands, antithrombotic therapy and relevant clinical outcomes were comprehensively examined in the patient population of atrial fibrillation, overall or among those with comorbid cancer. The results suggest the patient population was increasingly receiving anticoagulants, driven by the newly introduced medication- direct oral anticoagulant and guided by the CHA2DS2-VASc score, and meanwhile the patient population experienced fewer ischemic stroke and major bleeding. In spite of these promising changes, suboptimal medication adherence and potential underuse of anticoagulants remain directions for further improvement. Antithrombotic agent use during pregnancy was also examined in the general Dutch pregnant population, which featured a surge in antiplatelet prescriptions, and risk of preeclampsia/eclampsia decreased and several newborn outcomes improved simultaneously. Together, the studies presented in this thesis provide an overview of antithrombotic therapy in the Netherlands in recent years, providing insights for further improving this treatment and relevant patient outcomes. Show less
This thesis researches the profession of the upholsterer – or ‘kamerbehanger’ in Dutch – and the role they played in the creation of interiors in the Dutch Republic, in the long eighteenth century ... Show moreThis thesis researches the profession of the upholsterer – or ‘kamerbehanger’ in Dutch – and the role they played in the creation of interiors in the Dutch Republic, in the long eighteenth century (1680-1810). Its research centers on the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague and Haarlem. A total of 234 shops or individual upholsterers working there in this period were found. Hopefully, the index of their names included in this thesis will advance future research. The first chapter describes the way the profession developed, as well as how upholsterers learned the trade, worked, kept their shops and advertised. In the following four chapters, the relation between upholsterer and client is explored in-depth through case studies from the period 1680-1810.Upholsterers provided bed and wall hangings, curtains of all sorts, upholstered furniture and other textile wares. They were a relatively small but diverse group working in the luxury industries, with about 10 shops at any one time in Amsterdam and in The Hague, and about 1-5 shops in Haarlem. Some upholsterers did not have a shop but worked their trade from a single room, or worked for others. Most kept a small shop. For some, this was indeed the best profession (‘le meilleur métier’). Upholsterers such as a Pierre Courtonne or Johannes Deel, working for the Stadholders and the elite of their day, were able to amass fortunes of 20,000-50,000 guilders and played a role in designing interiors. Succes was dependent on factors such as seed money, an up-to-date knowledge of current fashions, and maintaining good relations with clients. Most shops went from father to son, and most of the upholsterers working in the Republic were locals. Only a small percentage were foreign-born, and even though France exercised a large influence on the luxury market in the eighteenth century, this is not reflected in the number of French upholsterers settling in the Republic. Only at the end of the century can an increase in their number be seen, and a handful of ‘French upholsterers’ settle in Holland. They seem to have had an advantage over their Dutch colleagues in that they were able to purchase the latest French wares directly through their connections.Regarding the relationship with their clients, it has been found that most upholsterers played the role of advisor and facilitator, when helping their clients buy a new interior or furniture. All-in-all, the case studies show how upholsterers would balance their client’s quest for the newest and most fashionable furniture and interiors with their budget and the available goods. Show less
In response to the shortage of nursing staff and the so-called refugee crisis in 2015, two residential homes invited first-generation immigrants with a refugee background to participate in a... Show moreIn response to the shortage of nursing staff and the so-called refugee crisis in 2015, two residential homes invited first-generation immigrants with a refugee background to participate in a project for nursing education, orientation and internships. Between 2015 and 2018, a group of ten immigrants started working in a Dutch residential home and a group of seventeen immigrants in the German home. This dissertation investigates the social processes when these newcomers start working with the established staff, as well as the extent to which their mutual interactions and values of good care influence the enactment of geriatric care. Using ethnographic observations (305 hours), in-depth interviews (44) and six focus groups (24), the established care workers and immigrants were followed in both homes. The empirical data shows that institutional constraints, such as staff shortage, the imposition of professional norms, gossip used as a ‘weapon of the weak’, mutual suspicions of indifference, and collective images of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ affected the enactment of geriatric care. Their habitus stimulated them to tinker among each other as well as with different, sometimes conflicting, values of good care. However, both groups shared the feeling of ignorance by management, a pain of not mattering. Show less
Although the Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War, its population was nonetheless affected by the war. Already in the 1920s and 1930s, Dutch journalists wrote about the... Show moreAlthough the Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War, its population was nonetheless affected by the war. Already in the 1920s and 1930s, Dutch journalists wrote about the possibility of a war in which the Netherlands would also be involved. From the early 1920s to the German invasion in May 1940, journalists, political commentators, politicians, military officials and civilians were occupied by the question what tomorrow’s war might look like. This book captures their efforts and brings to life the cultural memories of the First World War and the expectations for the war to come.By focusing on the dynamics of cultural memories, predictions for the future, and the resultant fear and anxiety, this book provides a better understanding of the ways in which the cultural memories of the Great War and expectations for a future war were part of Dutch society. It draws from a wide array of sources, ranging from newspaper clippings, novels, films and theatre plays to political cartoons and paintings. Most importantly, this study has a unique perspective. Whereas most existing studies look back from the Second World War, this book instead looks forward from the interbellum. Show less
