International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion online publications
Not a member yet
484620 research outputs found
Sort by
From darkness to light:Exploring deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression
Get PDFDeep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This thesis explores its neurobiological mechanisms, symptom trajectories, effects on cognitive functioning, and response predictors. Findings from a systematic review of neuroimaging studies indicate that TRD may be a distinct major depressive disorder subtype, characterized by abnormalities in default mode network and occipital lobe functioning. Furthermore, we show that DBS effectively reduces depressive symptoms across all dimensions in TRD, although insomnia symptoms may improve at a slower rate. Additionally, patients with more anxiety symptoms, who typically tend to have worse pharmacological treatment outcomes, may particularly benefit from DBS. Using a meta-analytic approach, we further show that DBS for TRD does not lead to a decline in cognitive functioning. Two neuroimaging studies show that vALIC DBS normalizes amygdala hyporesponsivity and modifies amygdala functional connectivity in TRD. In addition, findings indicate that baseline and changes in reward circuit activity is associated with DBS outcome, although there was no significant effect of vALIC DBS on reward circuit functioning in patients compared to healthy controls. A systematic review and meta-analysis of preoperative predictors found no reliable predictors of response to DBS in TRD. Although further research is necessary, some findings suggests that a less chronic, more treatment-responsive course of depression may be associated with response, as well as hyperactivity in the subcallosal cingulate gyrus. In order to improve and personalize DBS treatment in TRD, future research should focus on personalizing DBS targets, identifying response predictors, and enhancing DBS treatment with adjunctive therapies
Against labour dispossession:A philosophical critique of the legal normalisation of undocumented migrants' exploitation in Europe
Get PDFThis doctoral dissertation undertakes a legal-philosophical investigation into the role of the European human rights regime in normalising legal structures that expose undocumented migrants to severe exploitation. It combines law and critical (migration) theory to examine the logic and functioning of regulations governing the residence and labour relations of undocumented migrants from both internal and external perspectives. It analyses the European Union’s Return and Sanctions Directives, along with a selection of landmark ECtHR judgments on the regularisation of undocumented migrants’ status and their protection against slavery, servitude, and forced labour. The dissertation introduces the term ‘il-legal alien’ to underscore the role of law in constructing and maintaining conditions of illegality and alienage. It situates its analyses within the broader context of the political economy of irregular migration under global capitalism and the market’s increasing deemand for cheap labour.The dissertation demonstrates that prevailing interpretations of European human rights laws reinforce and normalise structures of exploitability against il-legal aliens. It argues that these individuals are transformed into ‘pseudo-legal’ persons who lack the legal capacity to establish valid employment relationships. The illegalisation of their labour relations operates through a logic of ‘dispossession’, stripping them of the ability to autonomously control their bodily labour power. The dissertation shows that legal structures functioning under this logic bear similarities to legal regimes of slavery. The disserttaion highlights the liberatory potential of the right to unionisation, which could serve as the foundation for il-legal aliens’ collective struggle to reclaim their human right to work, independent of their residence status, in post-slavery Europe
From the battlefield to the courtroom (and back):The interplay between international humanitarian law and international criminal law
Get PDFInternational humanitarian law (IHL) was created to work preventatively, on the battlefield; for its part, international criminal law (ICL) has been drafted for use in retrospect, in a courtroom-setting. This thesis considers the interplay between these two branches of public international law. While the clarification and development of IHL by international criminal courts and tribunals was very welcome, the manner in which it has been applied during international trials was not always correct and may also be critiqued. In addition, the application of IHL in retrospect, as part of the prosecution and adjudication of alleged war crimes or other international crimes, such as crimes against humanity, is challenging. The scope of application of IHL, for example, has been assessed through a criminal law ‘lens’, leading to a significant broadening of its scope. The resultant expansive application of IHL by international criminal courts and tribunals may have a negative impact on the protection of persons under IHL or other bodies of law. Similarly, rulings on questions related to the conduct of hostilities may impact the legal framework governing military operations in times of armed conflict, and thus affect members of the military or on indeed other persons working with IHL during conflicts. The present book critically analyses the case law of war crimes trials before the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) and finds that more attention must be paid to ensure that IHL is correctly applied. For the ICC, statutory changes are required to avoid war crime provisions being applied incorrectly, intentionally or not, and the law distorted to prevent impunity; otherwise, such distortions may result in a version of IHL that can no longer be applied preventatively on the battlefield. Of equal note is that those reading international criminal and humanitarian law judgments must be mindful of the scope and limitations of such rulings
The City of Nature:Women and the Making of Green Space in Eighteenth-Century Amsterdam and Berlin
Get PDFThe long eighteenth century marked a transformative moment in the history of urban life when the age-old fantasy of a green city, a “city of nature,” was first translated into a tangible reality, involving men and women from across the class spectrum in its making. In this period, people also began to form a notion of urban nature as a family of related spatial typologies. This created new, imaginary links between cities and opened novel avenues of cultural exchange, such as those that developed between Amsterdam and Berlin. The City of Nature charts the shared landscape of green spaces that evolved in these two cities and shows this common ground to have been an inherently inequitable terrain in which hierarchies of gender and class became manifest. I argue that the process of urban greening as it unfolded in the long eighteenth century stood in relation to parallel shifts in gender ideologies and in the lived relations between men and women. The City of Nature shows that in the gardens, promenades, parks, and peri-urban landscapes of eighteenth-century Amsterdam and Berlin, the burgeoning gendered social positions of the modern age were cultivated – and contested – through everyday acts, discourse, and design. While the study reveals the city of nature to have been no less patriarchal in its set-up than the “grey” city, it makes the case that green spaces provided an important avenue for women to interfere in the urban landscape and to make space on their own terms
De laatste heer van Amerongen, een Europees edelman in een Nederlandse dorpsgemeenschap:Godard John George Charles Godard graaf van Aldenburg Bentinck 1857-1940, edelman laverend tussen dynastieke, lokale en internationale belangen
Get PDFAristocraten kunnen zich in verschillende Europese landen verheugen in de belangstelling van historici. Ook in Nederland speelden aristocraten een belangrijke rol in het publieke leven. Nederland is in de geschiedenis geregeld neergezet als de burgerlijke natie bij uitstek. Vaak wordt daarbij verwezen naar het werk van de historicus Johan Huizinga. Daardoor werd minder aandacht geschonken aan de adellijke en patricische families en hun invloed op de zich ontwikkelende Nederlandse Staat. Deze studie naar het leven van de (Europese) edelman Godard Bentinck geeft een aanzet tot inzicht in adellijke families vanuit het perspectief van een individuele edelman binnen zijn omgeving. Het is een bijzonder onderzoek vanwege de biografische component zowel als de bredere betekenis voor de moderne Nederlandse geschiedenis in de Europese context. Kastelen en buitenplaatsen kunnen op een brede publieke belangstelling rekenen, er verschijnen diverse publicaties over huizen en tuinen, maar deze hebben over het algemeen een toeristische, of tuin- en architectuurhistorische insteek. Maar weinig studies belichten de historische relatie tussen dergelijke huizen en hun eigenaren, en vrijwel nooit wordt daarbij uitgezoomd naar de (inter)nationale, en ingezoomd op de lokaal-regionale context waartoe deze zich verhielden. De voormalige woning van deze edelman, kasteel Amerongen, is inmiddels een museum. De Nederlandse samenleving investeerde vele miljoenen in de metamorfose van dit Huis. Onderzoek naar de betekenis ervan dient een publieke zaak: inzicht en duiding geven aan de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse adel
Unlocking palladium catalysis:S,O-ligand-promoted C-H functionalization of arenes
Get PDFOver the past decades, palladium-catalyzed (Pd-catalyzed) C–H activation has revolutionized the formation of C–C and C–X bonds, offering atom- and step-economic transformations without the need of pre-functionalization. Recently, non-directed C–H activation has gained increasing attention as a straightforward approach, driven by the development of diverse ligands. This thesis focuses on advancing non-directed C–H functionalization using arene as the limiting reagent through innovative Pd/S,O-ligand catalytic systems, delivering efficient and industrially relevant methodologies.More specifically, a para-selective Pd-catalyzed C–H alkynylation of anilines enabled by the S,O-ligand is presented in Chapter 2. This method achieves good yields with a broad substrate scope, showcasing its potential for downstream synthetic applications.A versatile C–H arylation reaction for anisole derivatives using aryl iodides under mild conditions is presented in Chapter 3. This methodology achieves arylation with excellent efficiency and selectivity, accommodating diverse substrates and enabling late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules.Chapter 4 describes a Pd/S,O-ligand catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative homocoupling of arenes, employing O2 as the sole oxidant at room temperature. This transformation affords biaryl dimers with high regioselectivity. Its application to the synthesis of a key precursor of the Upilex® monomer demonstrates the industrial relevance of the methodology.By expanding the utility of Pd/S,O-ligand catalysis, these studies establish a foundation for more sustainable and versatile C–H functionalization reactions, driving innovation in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, functional materials, and beyond
Towards precision medicine for (long) COVID:Perspectives on pharmacotherapy and molecular mechanisms
Get PDFThis thesis shed light on the complex and heterogeneous nature of (long) COVID. It contributed to the characterization of both acute COVID-19 and long COVID patients and the identification of individuals at risk of developing chronic lung damage. It covered research ranging from pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies on therepurposing of imatinib to target endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19, to the characterization of the P4O2 long COVID cohort, contributing to our understanding of its associated cellular and molecular profiles. This cohort included long COVID patients aged 40-65, mostly hospitalized with moderate disease severity, who predominantly experienced persistent respiratory, neurological, and fatigue symptoms and showed signs of ongoing pulmonary abnormalities at 3-6 months post-COVID. Transcriptomic analysis identified inflammatory nasal and blood profiles. This thesis provided novel insights into the nasal epithelium of long COVID patients, revealing upregulated SMURF1 expression in the nasal epithelium of patients with pulmonary radiologicalabnormalities. Additionally, it demonstrated decreased wound healing potential, barrier dysfunction and hypersensitivity of the nasal epithelium along with the involvement of the IFN-γ and IL-1β axis. The findings of this thesis highlight the need for continued inter- and multidisciplinary research to fully understand this (post-)viral condition and to explore clinical interventions, emphasizing our responsibility as researchers to continue solving the (long) COVID puzzle. The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering consequences can serve as a model for approaching future health crises, as we work towards tailored treatments for both immediate symptoms and long-term health outcomes in precision medicine for (post-)viral conditions
Designing multifunctional enzymatic devices for biosensing and chemical conversion
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the design of multifunctional enzymatic devices for biosensing and chemical conversion, focusing on enhancing biosensor performance and stability through enzyme and materials engineering. Biosensors are indispensable in modern diagnostics, enabling the rapid and accurate detection of biomarkers crucial for early disease diagnosis. However, their practical application is constrained by limitations in sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. This research addresses these challenges by combining engineered enzymes and materials with diverse electrochemical, optical, and photothermal properties to enhance biosensor functionality. Electrochemical biosensors, while highly sensitive, face challenges related to biomolecule stability during their complex construction. Chapter 2 introduces a thermostable engineered urate oxidase (UOx), which significantly enhances stability and detection range. This engineered enzyme enables the development of robust biosensors suitable for diverse diagnostic conditions. Chapter 3 extends this application to optical biosensors, introducing a redox-reversible probe with engineered UOx, NADPH oxidase (YcnD), or monoamine oxidase (MAO-D5) for increased thermal stability and recyclability. This sustainable design reduces waste while maintaining high sensitivity. In Chapter 4, photothermal biosensors utilizing engineered UOx or aspartate oxidase (AspOx) are developed for uric acid or aspartic acid detection, respectively. These devices, powered by sunlight and featuring recyclable photothermal agents, offer cost-effective and non-invasive solutions for chronic disease management. Beyond biosensing, Chapter 5 demonstrates the versatility of bio-electrochemistry for chemical conversion by presenting a bioelectrocatalytic system for the asymmetric alkene reduction catalyzed by flavin-dependent ene-reductases. This approach addresses flavin cofactor recycling challenges and simplifies industrial processes
Precision medicine in respiratory diseases:A translational journey from biomarker discovery to validation
Get PDFRespiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and post COVID condition pose significant global health challenges due to their complexity, heterogeneity, and burden on patients and healthcare systems. This thesis explored innovative approaches for improved understanding, diagnoses, and management of these conditions through systems biology and biomarker research.The thesis starts with providing an introduction on prevalence, impact, and shared biological mechanisms of respiratory diseases. The chapter emphasizes on the roles of inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disruptions. The following section of the work is related to exhaled metabolites. In a systematic review the association of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath with asthma and COPD risk factors is addressed, the results advocate for careful interpretation and exclusion of risk factor-driven VOCs. Subsequent chapters investigated the potential of VOCs as noninvasive biomarkers for asthma control, COPD exacerbations, and pediatric post COVID condition, demonstrating their utility in diagnosis/prognosis, monitoring, and patient stratification. The closing chapter before the general discussion reports on the integration of multi-omics approaches, incorporating salivary microbiome and serum inflammatory markers to enhance prediction of asthma attacks in children.The general discussion synthesized key findings, addressing methodological challenges, the necessity for standardization, and the importance of external validation in biomarker research. By leveraging omics technologies and advanced analytical tools, this work contributes to the advancement of precision medicine in respiratory diseases. It underscores the potential for noninvasive diagnostic and monitoring strategies to improve early detection, potential personalized treatment, and overall patient outcomes
The complexity of post COVID-19 condition:Exploring long-term health effects
No full textThe main objective of this thesis is to enhance our understanding of post COVID-19 condition by exploring its long-term health effects, focusing on symptom development and progression. We used data from the P4O2 COVID-19 cohort, which included 95 patients aged 40-65 years with persistent symptoms 3-6 months after infection.We observed that diffusion capacity (DLCO) was below the lower limit of normal in 40.2% of the patients, with age and severe acute infection independently associated with this decrease. Fatigue was reported by 75.9% of patients at 3-6 months, decreasing to 57.1% at 12-18 months after infection. Post COVID-19 patients were grouped into 11 symptom-based clusters previously seen in an ME/CFS cohort. Three distinct trajectories were identified for fatigue and dyspnoea: decreasing, high persistent, and low persistent. Never smokers and participants in lifestyle interventions were more likely to show improvement. Similarly, moderate cases and lifestyle intervention participants had higher odds of decreasing dyspnoea compared to high persistent. We also found a decline in kidney function. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased over time from 85.3 ml/min/1.73m2 during acute phase to 80.9 ml/min/1.73m2 at 12-18 months after infection. Compared to controls, eGFR in post COVID-19 patients was 6.45 ml/min/1.73m2 lower at 3-6 months and 10.26 ml/min/1.73m2 lower at 12-18 months. These findings underscore the diverse and persistent nature of post COVID-19 symptoms and highlight the role of demographic and physiological factors. They emphasize the importance of personalized treatment strategies that consider the unique symptom profiles and backgrounds of patients.<br/