381023 research outputs found
Sort by
Setting the stage : impact of beta-glucans and the liver environment on porcine natural killer cells
No full textNatural killer (NK) cells are typically considered as short-lived innate immune cells, important to eliminate virus-infected and malignant cells. They are also known to steer the adaptive immune response via the production of cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α. More recently, however, additional features of NK cells have been discovered and highlighted, especially in the liver of mouse and man. For example, liver-resident (lr) NK cells are able to mount antigen-specific responses, develop a memory-like phenotype and are long-lived. These recent insights in NK cell biology might open doors towards the application of NK cells in innovative vaccination strategies and novel therapeutics
European seabass in the southern North Sea : a story of electronic tags, movement ecology and environmental policy
No full textWereldwijd staan vispopulaties onder immense druk, waarbij visserij de belangrijkste oorzaak van de uitputting is. In 2015 klonk het alarm over de achteruitgang van de Europese zeebaars (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) als gevolg van een immense visserijdruk. Dit doctoraatsonderzoek brengt de individuele bewegingen van zeebaars in de zuidelijke Noordzee in kaart aan de hand van elektronische zenders. In een eerste stap onderzoeken we hoe we nieuwe technologieën en analysemethoden kunnen toepassen en uitwerken om optimaal en correct gebruik te maken van de zenderdata. Informatie over de bewegingen en migraties van zeebaars verkrijgen we enerzijds door een geluidssignaal dat de zender uitstuurt, en anderzijds door gegevens die opgeslagen worden op de zender zelf. Vanuit de zuidelijke Noordzee ondernemen zeebaarzen verschillende migratiestrategieën: sommigen zwemmen honderden kilometers zuidwestwaarts langs het Engels Kanaal, maar anderen blijven in de Noordzee. Op een fijnere ruimtelijke schaal zien we dat individuen doorgaans sterk gebonden zijn aan specifieke locaties, waar ze lang verblijven en waar ze naar terugkeren na migratie. Deze honkvastheid en complexe populatiestructuur dragen bij aan de kwetsbaarheid van zeebaars voor overbevissing en lokale uitputting. Kernproblemen van het beleid rond zeebaarsvisserij zijn echter in eerste plaats van een politieke aard
Through the teachers’ eyes : barriers to equitable language stimulating environments in early childhood education a qualitative mobile eye-tracking study
No full textThis study investigates the barriers teachers encounter in ensuring equal participation for all children in classroom interactions, with a focus on linguistically vulnerable and/or multilingual children. While disparities in engagement are well documented, the underlying mechanisms have received limited attention in the literature. Stimulated recall interviews (SRIs) with mobile eye-tracking recordings of teachers’ (N = 25) conversations were conducted. The results indicate that teachers perceive fostering language development as one of their core responsibilities; however, they appear to differentiate in their approach depending on children’s linguistic backgrounds. In addition, thematic analysis identified barriers at three levels: child, teacher, and system. At the child level, traits such as shyness, language background or limited language proficiency reduce participation. At the teacher level, implicit expectations and biases influence interaction patterns. At the system level, structural constraints – such as large class sizes and accountability pressures – further impede equitable engagement. While teachers aim to foster language development, systemic constraints and teacher biases can marginalise vulnerable children. The findings emphasise the need for targeted professional development and systemic reforms to foster more equitable language stimulation in early education
A multi-omics approach to resolve the enigmatic role of CYP78A in plant-growth promotion
No full textKlimaatverandering en de groeiende wereldpopulatie zullen in de nabije toekomst druk uitoefenen op de landbouwproductie, door een stijgende vraag naar voedsel, brandstof en veevoeder. Plantengroei heeft een directe invloed op de opbrengst van gewassen en wordt gereguleerd door complexe samenwerkingen van moleculaire systemen en genen. De CYP78A enzymen komen voor in alle landplanten en spelen een belangrijke rol in plantengroei en droogtetolerantie. Het identificeren van de CYP78A-gecatalyseerde reactie en ontrafeling van hun regulatie, zullen leiden tot nieuwe biostimulanten en breeding targets die opbrengst verhogen en gewassen droogtetolerant maken. Gebruikmakende van technieken zoals metabolomics, interactomics en multiplex CRISPR, werden mogelijke substraat-product koppels, interactoren en regulatoren geïdentificeerd
Decision-making under uncertainty for LT-ATES systems in complex subsurface settings: application to a low-transmissivity aquifer
No full textLow-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage systems (LT-ATES) store excess thermal energy in the subsurface and recover it when needed to heat and cool buildings sustainably. Complex subsurface settings are increasingly targeted for storage. Existing design guidelines cannot be readily applied because they were developed for homogeneous sandy aquifers. In complex settings, subsurface uncertainty translates into uncertainty about system feasibility or efficiency. This paper introduces a method to establish a decision tree for ATES based on uncertainty analysis. It combines Monte Carlo simulations of groundwater flow and heat transport with sensitivity analysis, joint probability distribution estimation and kernel density estimation. For illustration the method is applied to a low-transmissivity aquifer where hydraulic and thermal feasibility are the main prediction targets. Sensitivity analyses based on clustering reveal the impact of model parameters and engineering actions on both prediction targets. In the specific case study, we find for example that storage conditions with transmissivity below 20 m²/d lead to inefficient systems. Desirable storage conditions have transmissivity above 40 m²/d, while intermediate values require thorough risk analysis. Thermal breakthrough risk is higher when longitudinal dispersivity is above 3 m. Further, our approach results in some minimum requirements in terms of subsurface properties that have to be reached for which an investment is justified. On top, the decision tree proposes target engineering actions to decrease investment risk while optimizing return. As such, the proposed method effectively guides early investment decisions for LT-ATES in complex subsurface settings without requiring field data
(Deictic) relational responding is not related to autism traits in the general population
No full textAmphibian persistence in the Anthropocene : the spread of chytridiomycosis and the response of populations
No full textOm biodiversiteit in het Antropoceen te behouden, is een grondig begrip nodig van de gevolgen van antropogene veranderingen. Chytridiomycose, een dodelijke amfibieënziekte veroorzaakt door pathogene schimmels van het genus Batrachochytrium, veroorzaakt een groot verlies van biodiversiteit als gevolg van menselijk gestuurde introducties vanuit het oorspronkelijke verspreidingsgebied in Oost-Azië. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) veroorzaakt al minstens een halve eeuw afnames en uitsterving onder amfibieën, vooral bij kikkersoorten, en is over de hele wereld verspreid. Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) werd pas in 2013 beschreven en veroorzaakt een sterke afname van salamanderpopulaties in Noordwest-Europa. In tegenstelling tot Bd is Bsal nog niet buiten zijn invasieve verspreidingsgebied in Europa gedetecteerd, maar vormt een aanstaande bedreiging voor de mondiale salamanderdiversiteit. Het karakteriseren van de reacties van amfibieënpopulaties en het in kaart brengen en anticiperen van de verspreiding van Batrachochytrium zijn daarom van cruciaal belang voor het aansturen van natuurbehoudsmaatregelen
The admissibility of evidence in international commercial arbitration
No full textThe main aim of the thesis is to reveal, analyse and critically evaluate the status quo of admissibility of evidence in international commercial arbitration. The status quo can be characterised by three widely held opinions: 1) the admissibility of evidence plays a minor role in international commercial arbitration proceedings; 2) arbitral tribunals tend to take a liberal approach towards the application of the admissibility rules. In other words, arbitrators admit almost any evidence submitted by the parties; 3) in the absence of an agreement to the contrary by the parties, the admissibility of evidence is left to the broad discretion of arbitral tribunals. The dissertation not only reveals and evaluates these three approaches, but also identifies their fundamental shortcomings and proposes specific ways in which the status quo of admissibility of evidence in international commercial arbitration could be improved
Synthetic spectroscopic observations : methods and applications in stellar kinematics of simulated galaxies
No full textDit proefschrift presenteert een studie naar het genereren en analyseren van synthetische ruimtelijk opgeloste spectroscopische waarnemingen van gesimuleerde sterrenstelsels. Het proefschrift richt zich op de ontwikkeling van een raamwerk om realistische spectroscopische schijnwaarnemingen te bouwen voor state-of-the-art hydrodynamische simulaties, gebruikmakend van stellaire populatiemodellen met hoge spectrale resolutie en volledige stralingsoverdrachtsbehandeling met SKIRT. resolutie stellaire populatiemodellen en volledige behandeling van radiatieve overdracht met SKIRT. Met behulp van deze synthetische waarnemingen bestudeert het proefschrift het vermogen van kosmologische simulaties om de kinematische structuur van sterrenstelsels waargenomen in het lokale heelal en in vroegere tijden te reproduceren en onderzoekt het ook de vertekeningen in de gemeten kinematica
Water management for improved aquaculture production in the Rwenzori region of Uganda
No full textIn rural Sub-Saharan Africa, water is a scarce but highly coveted natural resource that is important for all forms of production and livelihood. While large-scale aquaculture is rapidly growing especially around Lake Victoria, rural smallholder fish farming in Uganda is still underperforming and understudied. This stands in contrast with highly productive regions like Asia, where smallholder aquaculture is dominant in rural areas and the backbone of the economy, as well as providing livelihood opportunities. This study explores the potential of aquaculture in rural Uganda with an emphasis on evaluating the optimal utilization of the available water resources and assessing the impact of climate and production factors on aquaculture yields, hereby using the Rwenzori region as a natural laboratory.
In this thesis, we identify potential surface water resources for inland aquaculture from Sentinel-2 images of the Rwenzori Region of Uganda. We introduce the use of remote sensing techniques and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to identify and map the surface water resources available. After characterizing the availability of surface water resources in the region to foster effective aquaculture development, the factors that affect aquaculture production are assessed and discussed. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of active fish farmers on water quality and its management in aquaculture are also evaluated. This is complemented by an assessment of the impacts of KAPs on the sustainable utilization of the available freshwater resources as well as on self-reported yields. The thesis further highlights the presence of microclimates in the mountainous regions of Uganda and their potential impact on the fish yields from smallholder aquaculture amidst the current low species diversity of the country’s aquaculture sector. Spatial and temporal variations in water quality among earthen pond fish farmers are also unearthed using water quality index methods. The thesis generally highlights the importance of promoting the development of aquaculture in rural Uganda through the sustainable utilization of water resources using environment-friendly and climate-resilient methods for improved household nutrition, incomes, and national development as targeted by the Uganda Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals