The explosive radiation and diversification of the advanced snakes (superfamily Colubroidea) was associated with changes in all aspects of the shared venom system. Morphological changes included... Show moreThe explosive radiation and diversification of the advanced snakes (superfamily Colubroidea) was associated with changes in all aspects of the shared venom system. Morphological changes included the partitioning of the mixed ancestral glands into two discrete glands devoted for production of venom ormucous respectively, as well as changes in the location, size and structural elements of the venom-delivering teeth. Evidence also exists for homology among venom gland toxins expressed across the advanced snakes. However, despite the evolutionary novelty of snake venoms, in-depth toxin molecular evolutionary history reconstructions have been mostly limited to those types present in only two front-fanged snake families, Elapidae and Viperidae. To have a broader understanding of toxins shared among extant snakes, here we first sequenced the transcriptomes of eight taxonomically diverse rear-fanged species and four key viperid species and analysed major toxin types shared across the advanced snakes. Show less
Homicide engenders broad moral concerns in society, and its aftermath can be understood as a barometer for criminal justice policy. Of all homicides committed, however, only some lead to arrest, to... Show moreHomicide engenders broad moral concerns in society, and its aftermath can be understood as a barometer for criminal justice policy. Of all homicides committed, however, only some lead to arrest, to prosecution and ultimately to conviction in court. So far, no study has assessed the entire flow of homicide cases through the criminal justice system based on a nationwide sample. This study seeks to fill this empirical void by describing the entire flow of homicide cases and assessing the size of outflow at each stage of the criminal justice funnel in the Netherlands for a 20-year period. Our analysis highlights two main findings: First, the vast majority of suspects first identified by the police are ultimately sentenced for a homicide. Second, even in a country with low homicide rates and high rule of law indices, selection takes place at all stages of the criminal justice funnel. Whilst outflow mostly centres around exceptional clearance and legal factors, future work should assess the extent to which extra-legal characteristics play a role in crimes that are being investigated as potential homicides. Show less
Taxonomy as a science has accumulated data and knowledge for more than 250 years. The quality and usefulness of the facts recorded in taxonomic literature has greatly improved from the early... Show moreTaxonomy as a science has accumulated data and knowledge for more than 250 years. The quality and usefulness of the facts recorded in taxonomic literature has greatly improved from the early descriptive texts to the modern data-rich, hypothesis-driven works. Our work illustrates the application of some of the “e-taxonomic” tools and the “New Taxonomy” thinking explored in the introduction. Here, we analyzed specimen data contained in legacy taxonomic literature in Chapters 2 and 3—to observe species distribution of one spider group and genital evolution, respectively—and also explored an integrative perspective that involves describing new taxa and testing phylogenetic hypotheses using molecular and morphological data, as done in Chapter 4 and 5. Show less
Dijkhuizen, K.; Bustraan, J.; Bogaard, M.E.D. van den; Velthuis, S.I.; Lith, J.M.M. van; Driessen, E.W.; Beaufort, A.J. de 2020
Objectives Postgraduate trainee selection is a high-stakes process. While many studies focused on selection methods and psychometrics, little is known about the influence of selectors' personal... Show moreObjectives Postgraduate trainee selection is a high-stakes process. While many studies focused on selection methods and psychometrics, little is known about the influence of selectors' personal values and beliefs in the judgment and decision-making process. A better understanding of these factors is vital since selectors determine the future workforce. Methods We interviewed programme directors (PDs) from 11 specialties in one University Hospital. Thematic analysis was conducted with a combined approach of generic and in-vivo coding. Results PDs value excellence, 'fit' and personal characteristics. The content of these values are subject to personal interpretation and differ between PDs. PDs use various 'proxies' as alternative indicators of performance. They consider intuition, teamwork and autonomy important in judgement and decision-making. PDs find selection challenging and feel great accountability towards candidates and society. Conclusions Selectors criteria of judgement- and decision-making often remain implicit and focus on prior achievements and 'fit' with the current trainee-pool, possibly compromising the workforce's diversity. Implicit 'proxies' and intuitive decision-making may be an unwitting source of judgemental bias. 'Making the implicit explicit', by increasing awareness of personal values and beliefs and structuring the selection interview, may improve the quality of trainee selection. Show less
In het proefschrift wordt aan de orde gesteld in hoeverre de sollicitatiefase en de proeftijd door het recht worden genormeerd. Daarnaast wordt de vraag gesteld of de bescherming van de sollicitant... Show moreIn het proefschrift wordt aan de orde gesteld in hoeverre de sollicitatiefase en de proeftijd door het recht worden genormeerd. Daarnaast wordt de vraag gesteld of de bescherming van de sollicitant respectievelijk werknemer in de proeftijd in verhouding tot het belang van de werkgever voldoende is en of verdere normering (al dan niet via een wettelijke regeling) is aangewezen. Voor de sollicitatiefase en regeling van de proeftijd wordt in het boek een vergelijking gemaakt met het Duitse rechtssysteem. Er bestaat reeds een NVP Sollicitatiecode. Gebleken is evenwel dat deze bij ondernemingen en instellingen onvoldoende bekend is. Wetgeving voor de werving en selectie zal dan ook eerst meerwaarde hebben als de sollicitatiecode bij de werkgever en sollicitanten voldoende bekend is geworden en in de wet een goed werkend sanctieapparaat is opgenomen. In haar algemeenheid is de rechtspositie van de sollicitant naar Duits recht niet wezenlijk beter of slechter dan de rechtspositie van de sollicitant naar Nederlands recht. De Duitse sollicitatieprocedure onderscheidt zich in positieve zin van de Nederlandse sollicitatieprocedure door de duidelijke informatie-uitwisseling middels de uitgebreide documentatie die op grond van het gebruik bij een sollicitatiebrief wordt gevoegd. In het proefschrift is een proeve voor een nieuwe proeftijdregeling opgenomen. Voor de totstandkoming van deze proeve is gekozen voor een combinatie van het Duitse en Nederlandse rechtssysteem. In de proeve heeft Kötter de voordelen van de proeftijd naar Duits recht, zoals de plicht tot feitelijke proefneming, het hanteren van een opzegtermijn bij opzegging van de arbeidsovereenkomst tijdens de proeftijd en het hanteren van een langere maximumduur (zes maanden) van de proeftijd in het belang van de feitelijke proefneming overgenomen. Voordelen van de huidige Nederlandse proeftijdregeling zijn in de proeve intact gelaten. Show less
The general aim of the work described in this thesis is to help explain the variation in ageing by using the life history framework of B. anynana. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the... Show moreThe general aim of the work described in this thesis is to help explain the variation in ageing by using the life history framework of B. anynana. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the life history, together giving a complete picture of the origins of variation in ageing in this species. A central theme to every chapter is the relative influence of genes, the environment, and how they related to plasticity. A summarising discussion of all chapters, and a perspective on how the ideas in this thesis will contribute to ageing research in the future is also included. Show less
