263134 research outputs found
Sort by
"Landschappen van pijn en herstel. Een exploratieve cognitief-linguïstische analyse van ruimtelijke metaforen in het boek Job
No full textThis thesis argues that spatial metaphors play a crucial role in the theological debate in the book of Job. A spatial metaphor understands something that is intrinsically not spatial in terms of something that is spatial. If a person feels down, up or high, for instance, these linguistic expressions do not have a physical location on a vertical axis; rather people think of emotional well-being in terms of space. Building on conceptual metaphor theory and spatial semantics, this study identifies, indexes and analyzes fossilized spatial metaphors that are primarily non-deliberately used. A systematic analysis of spatial metaphors allows the reader to unveil and explore underlying metaphorical conceptualizations and inferences that are highly significant for the message of the book of Job.
Spatial metaphors are ubiquitous in the book of Job, from its very start to its end. In the introduction to this thesis, I highlight the crucial role spatial metaphors play in the book of Job’s prologue. From the opening lines of the book, the protagonist’s ethics and well-being are conceptualized in spatial terms: Job is said to steer away from evil, he is whole, straight, and he holds on to his integrity, even when evil comes to him. In contrast to Clines’ claim that the language of the prologue is of striking severity compared to the ‘rich metaphor-laden language of the dialogues,’ spatial conceptual metaphors are important for the characterization of Job and his situation in the prologue.nbsp;predominance of spatial metaphors throughout the book has not been described before.
Three subsidiary clusters of spatial metaphors are investigated in more detail in this study. The chapter Boundaries and Containment illustrates how metaphors for enmity draw on the concept of the boundary: boundaries can be broken, they can be protective, and they can limit mobility. Boundary metaphors are regularly collocated and they bring coherence to otherwise disparate passages (also providing new exegetical insights, for instance, in 21:23-24). The chapter Place and Placelessness highlights how the relation between people and their place is used as a source domain for the metaphorical conceptualization of retribution and ill-being. Job challenges thenbsp;that the wicked are torn from their tent and that the dwelling of the righteous is safe. Bildad states that if Job is righteous, he will be restored to his right place. The relationship between people and their place is also conceptualized in terms of rootedness and rootlessness; likewise, it is present in the conceptualization of abstract properties as located possessions one struggles to hold on to (Job holds on to his integrity, but his right is taken away from him). In the chapter Distance and Direction it is shown that Job conceptualizes ethics and well-being in terms of distance and direction. The protagonist ingeniously challenges the default cause-and-effect logic which suggests that bad roads lead to bad places. He claims that he finds himself in a place to which he did not navigate. These three chapters illustrate how Job phrases his challenges to God, his behavior, and his creation in spatial terms.
The divine speech in its turn challenges Jobnbsp;mental geography of brokenness, imprisonment,nbsp;displacement. It presents a different landscape: God reacts to Job’s spatial metaphorical challenges with numerous spatial questions and with literal spatial language that radically challenges Job’s scale and his perspective. Regularly, albeit unsystematically, it also alludes to Job’s spatial metaphors (for instance, by insisting on the impenetrability of the skin of the animals described in chapters 40-41). These subtle, yet ubiquitous features of the divine response challenge Job’s spatial metaphorical world and they paint the picture of a different landscape, one that can ultimately lead to Job’s healing.status: Publishe
Schaalbare top-down synthese van hiërarchische zeolieten in biomassaconversie
No full textZeolites are used industrially on a large scale in adsorption, ion exchange and catalysis, based on a plethora of advantageous physicochemical properties, which are combined with a relatively straightforward synthesis using mostly low-value commodity chemicals. In catalysis however, their activity is often hampered by the high amount of micropores present, causing mass diffusion limitations or even accessibility problems. In order to overcome these shortcomings, an additional interconnected mesopore network needs to be introduced. These hierarchical zeolites have already been synthesized in many ways. Most of these synthesis strategies are however not feasible on an industrial scale, due to the high amount of unit operations, long synthesis times, high organics consumption and/or need of costly raw materials. One synthesis strategy that is showing potential on an industrial point of view is the alkaline treatment of commercially available zeolites, due to the simplicity and versatility of this method. However, some alkaline treatments still result in severe amorphisation of the zeolite, difficult filtration after treatment and/or have a high organics consumption.
In this thesis, a new variation of the alkaline treatment is proposed. Herein, an alkaline solution is added to a zeolite suspension rather than the other way around, the latter being the standard alkaline treatment up until now. When the alkaline solution is gradually added to the suspension over the treatment time, the pH of the solution is kept low, since OH−-ions are being consumed with the occurring desilication reaction. This lower pH makes the gradual treatment less severe compared to the standard alkaline treatment, and is probably the reason why a reduction in amorphisation is seen, which lowers the need for a high amount of organic additives. Furthermore, the gradual treatment is demonstrated to universally reduce the filtration problem originating after a standard alkaline treatment on commercial zeolites and zeotypes. This is attributed to the prevention of fragmentation, which seems to be induced by a high pH. In addition, it is shown that an increase of the scale of the alkaline treatment with the solid to liquid ratio has a lesser impact on the porous properties with the gradual synthesis strategy compared to the standard method. This is an interesting result, since the solid to liquid ratio is related to the productivity of reactors dedicated to zeolite modification. The prospect of working at a higher solid to liquid ratio is therefore wanted on an industrial point of view. Furthermore, the gradual synthesis strategy enabled the synthesis of a hierarchical USY with an unprecedented combination of high mesoporosity and Brønsted acidity. These unique characteristics have shown their worth in the isomerisation of alpha-pinene, with an extraordinary high activity. This interesting reaction produces a series of useful products that can be used as flavours and fragrances, in the pharmaceutical industry or as polymer additives. This is an important result in the pursuit to sustainable chemistry, since alpha-pinene is derived from woody biomass and can therefore be regarded as a renewable feedstock.
In yet another variation of the alkaline treatment, the filtration set-up is being refurbished into the reactor performing the post-synthetic modification itself. The treatment solution is then brought into contact with a fixed zeolite bed. In this way, a USY zeolite with a Si/Al-ratio of 30 is successfully modified via a treatment with diethylamine. Doing so, one unit operation is saved out, as previously the treatment and separation were done in separate set-ups. As this is particularly useful in sequential treatments, the hierarchisation of zeolite Y is tested, which needs a pretreatment with an acid before the modification with a base. Also in this case the fixed bed post-synthetic modification is successful. These results show the potential of this alternative synthesis strategy, which still has a lot of possibilities for optimisation and future research.status: Publishe
Pain-related fear: avoidance behavior revisited
No full textThe traditional biomedical understanding and treatment of chronic pain seems to fail: pain persists, disability increases, and health care costs increase exponentially. Ultimately this leaves patients, significant others, health care providers and society unsatisfied. However, research showed that the biomedical assumption of pain being exclusively and causally related to physical pathology is incomplete. Since the 90s, a bulk of research has focused on non-medical factors that may impact pain and disability. Pain-related fear in particular emerged as a significant contributor to pain-related disability. Fueled by catastrophic beliefs about pain, pain-related fear supposedly induces escape and avoidance of feared activities, movements, and situations. Although this immediately reduces fear, it also prevents people from pursuing desired activities and life goals. As such, avoidance is typically considered to be an important pathway towards disability. Consequently, treatment strategies, such as exposure therapy, focus on correcting catastrophic beliefs, reducing fear and increasing daily functioning, despite pain. Overall, exposure therapy has a solid clinical-experimental evidence-base and seems effective. Still, some issues remain unresolved. In the current doctoral dissertation, two specific issues are addressed. First, avoidance is sometimes classified as safety-seeking behavior or behavior deemed necessary to prevent or minimize an feared catastrophe. A concern is that this prevents disconfirmation of catastrophic beliefs and thereby maintain fear. Hence, it should be weaned from exposure therapy. Yet others claim it may facilitate exposure therapy. A first aim of this project is therefore to scrutinize if and how safety-seeking behavior may hamper pain-related fear reduction procedures. Second, avoidance is mostly seen as a consequence of pain and pain-related fear. However, avoidance may also function as input for the development of pain-related fear and may even intensify the actual pain experience. Investigating this hypothesis forms the second aim of this dissertation. In part I of the dissertation, the General introduction is extended with a further introduction on avoidance behavior (Chapter 1). We review some general avoidance theories that might be relevant for conceptualizing and understanding of avoidance in chronic pain. In part II, the first research aim is addressed using different research methods. A meta-analysis (N = 15) was performed to evaluate the potential negative impact of safety-seeking behaviors on exposure-based interventions to reduce fear and anxiety. Results offer tentative evidence favoring the omission of safety-seeking behavior during exposure therapy (Chapter 2). In three experiments, we investigate the hypothesis that safety-seeking behavior, operationalized as subtle avoidance behavior, is a safety or inhibitory cue that reduces fear at the moment of the procedure, but causes fear to return when it is omitted afterwards. We used adifferential fear conditioning paradigm to study this in healthy participants. The paradigm was tailored to experimentally mimic the development and reduction of fear of movement-related stimuli. Pain-related fear was measured via self-report measures as well as startle eye blink reflex modulation. Results of all three experiments are in line with our predictions: the reduction of pain-related fear is facilitated during extinction when safety-seeking behavior is present, but this is associated with a return of fear afterwards. When safety-seeking behavior is absent, pain-related does not return at test (Chapter 3). Additionally, one experiment suggests that performing the same behavioral response with a different function, i.e., to obtain a monetary reward, attenuates its detrimental impact on fear reduction procedures (Chapter 4). Finally, we performed a replicated single-case study (Chapter 5), in which six chronic low back patients enrolled in either exposure therapy with safety-seeking behavior, without it, or in exposure-only. Daily and non-daily measures were used to assess which treatment type would be better in reducing pain-related fear, disability, and catastrophizing. Results do not allow us to draw firm conclusions (Chapter 5). Part III presents two experiments (Chapter 6) with healthy participants, devoted to the second research aim. We compare whether escaping, totally avoiding and subtle avoidance of a painful heat stimulus, as opposed to being fully exposed to it, increases perceived harmfulness and pain of subsequent heat stimuli, exceeding baseline levels. Our predictions are only partly supported. In the fourth and final part, a General discussion is presented. A summary and integrated interpretation of the findings is described. This is complemented with a discussion of specific clinical implications and general critical reflections on exposure therapy in chronic pain. Finally, strengths and limitations are addressed, as well as unresolved issues and potential future research directions.status: Publishe
Microbioomsamenstelling in Autisme: Een Multimodaal Onderzoek naar de Samenhang tussen Hersenen, Bacteriën en Gedrag in Relatie tot het Oxytocinerge Systeem
No full textAutism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with social communication and interaction, combined with restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. In addition to these core symptoms, individuals with autism often experience a range of co-occurring conditions, including attachment difficulties, social stress and anxiety, as well as gastrointestinal problems and poor oral health. Recent research suggests that gut and oral microbiome compositions may contribute to the etiology of autism, although the specific bacteria involved remain unclear. Furthermore, alterations in the brain's oxytocinergic system play a significant role in the social and stress-regulatory difficulties of autism, with intranasal oxytocin being explored as a therapeutic option. While still in its early stages, preclinical evidence indicates significant bidirectional interactions between the oxytocinergic system and gut and oral microbiota. However, to date, only one study has investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin on microbiome compositions. The overarching aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of oral and gut microbiome compositions in the underlying mechanisms of autism, their link to clinical characteristics and the endogenous oxytocinergic system, and their potential modulation by intranasal oxytocin administration. This thesis identified diagnosis-related differences in both oral and gut microbiome compositions, with significant associations to behavioral difficulties, even after accounting for lifestyle factors. It also demonstrated that both oral and gut microbiome compositions were linked to brain connectivity, and the potential relevance of microbiome-brain interactions in explaining behavioral difficulties. Furthermore, reduced endogenous oxytocin levels were observed in autistic children, and associations were found between endogenous oxytocinergic signaling and both oral and gut microbiome compositions. Additionally, a four-week course of intranasal oxytocin administration altered both oral and gut microbiome compositions, providing preliminary evidence for the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in modulating microbiome alterations. The insights gained from this thesis provide preliminary evidence supporting the potential utility of oral and gut microbiome alterations as diagnostic markers for autism, and as targets for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.status: Publishe
Kwantificatie van Heterogene Granulaire Mengsels met behulp van Hyperspectrale Deep Learning, met Toepassing op Maïskuil en Bulkhaver
No full textWith increasing global demands on food quality, safety, and production efficiency, the need for reliable, real-time quality control methods in the agrifood sector has grown significantly. Current practices for evaluating bulk granular products are often based on manual sampling and visual inspection, which are time-consuming, subjective, and provide limited representativeness of the entire batch. Moreover, these methods are typically performed offline, after production is complete, preventing timely feedback that could optimize processing conditions. Additionally, while distinguishing highly distinct objects is relatively easy, both for the human eye and computer vision systems, differentiating objects that are very similar in shape, size, and color (such as various grain types, tea blends, or granola) remains a significant challenge. To address these limitations, this study explores the integration of spectral imaging with deep learning-based computer vision for the automated quantification of heterogeneous granular mixtures.
By using spectral imaging, which includes both multispectral and hyperspectral modalities, richer information than conventional RGB imaging can be leveraged by capturing data across a broader range of wavelengths. This allows for the differentiation of materials that appear visually similar but have distinct spectral signatures, enabling more precise classification and quantification of mixture components.
In this research, we focused on two applications within the agrifood domain, both with high industrial relevance. The first case focuses on maize forage, a highly heterogeneous mixture consisting of leaves, stalks, husks, and kernels. Since only the kernels are relevant for assessing processing quality, and their degree of fragmentation directly impacts the digestibility of the feed or the efficiency of biogas production, this study evaluates the added value of spectral imaging for accurate kernel classification and quantification. The second use case addresses the contamination of bulk oats with spelt kernels, which are visually and spectrally very similar, making them difficult to distinguish using traditional methods. This is of particular importance as oats are naturally gluten-free, making accurate detection of gluten containing contaminants critical for meeting food safety standards. Here, a novel strategy was developed to overcome the bottleneck of ground truth annotation in hyperspectral datasets. This approach allowed for the efficient generation of training data without compromising spectral integrity, thereby enabling the development of robust deep learning models for quantification of objects in heterogeneous, granular mixtures.status: Publishe
Een genmodificatiestrategie voor onbehandelbare CFTR mutaties die mucoviscidose veroorzaken
No full textCystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary, progressive and lethal multi-organ disorder affecting 85,000 people worldwide. CF is caused by mutations in CFTR, which codes for a chloride/bicarbonate channel in the apical membrane of (airway) epithelial cells. Over 2000 CFTR mutations have been described of which 432 disease-causing. Potentiators and correctors have been market approved to functionally correct about 40 different mutations, accounting for 90% of patients. However, 92% of CFTR mutations cannot be corrected by any available small-molecules . With the advent of CRISPR-Cas gene editing, a new era of precision medicine has evolved, with the potential to cure diseases at the genetic level. In this project, I will develop a base or prime editing strategy to functionally rescue drug- refractory mutations G85E, L227R, L927P and N1303K in cell lines, patient-derived intestinal organoids and airway cultures. As prolonged CRISPR-Cas exposure in target tissue compromises gene editing safety, I will develop airway-tropic virus like particles (VLPs) to transiently deliver CRISPR-Cas to human airway cells for CFTR correction. I will profile on-target editing efficiency and map potential off-targets. Finally, I will evaluate if the developed systems are fit for future ex vivo/in vivo gene therapy by delivery of the gene editors to human CF airway epithelial cells with the goal of correcting these missense mutations to WT-CFTR at single cell level.status: Publishe
Te land, te water en in de lucht. De rol van belastingen en staatsinterventie in het beheer en de exploitatie van de Egyptische dierenpopulatie en natuurlijke hulpbronnen onder de Ptolemeïsche heerschappij
No full textOf the thousands of papyrological documents preserved from Ptolemaic Egypt, many deal with fiscal matters, providing unique insight into the tax system established by the Greco-Macedonian dynasty that ruled the country after Alexander the Great's death. No less than two hundred taxes have been documented for the Ptolemaic period, which led numerous scholars to criticize the tax-eager Ptolemies and to pity their exploited subjects. A more nuanced view has gradually emerged over the years, in particular thanks to the appearance of updated, comprehensive studies of various Ptolemaic taxes. However, within this new trend, little attention has been paid so far to the animal-related taxes that were levied by the Ptolemies. This project carefully identifies and thoroughly analyzes these taxes to eventually determine the extent to which the Ptolemaic state controlled and intervened in the management and exploitation of Egypt's animal population and related natural resources such as pastures.status: Publishe
Narrow-field input naar het intermediaire Superior Colliculus faciliteert voorpoot reikwijdte bewegingen via projecties naar de Pontine Reticular Nucleus
No full textTo generate an appropriate motor performance in the complex natural environment, the nervous system must simultaneously process and integrate multiple streams of sensory information. While role of proprioceptive feedback and its connectivity to motor output circuits has been studied extensively, circuit-level knowledge linking visual feedback to motor function is largely limited to arousal, orienting and innate behavioral functions. Preliminary results from my Ph.D. thesis laboratory suggest that while visual input is critical for successful learning and execution during a forelimb reaching/grasping assay, primary visual cortex (i.e., visual awareness) is not. Using a multi-disciplinary approach of high-speed three-dimensional movement kinematics, mouse genetics, virus-mediated circuit tracing, optically-identified neuronal recordings and optogenetic or pharmacogenetic manipulations, I aim to study 1) which visual feedback circuit components in a cell-type specific manner are required for motor learning and appropriate motor execution, and 2) whether and how visual and proprioceptive feedback integrate distinct individual sensory modalities to accommodate successful forelimb reaching movement. Successful implementation of the study will lead to valuable information to design neural prostheses and inspire new therapeutic approaches to facilitate not only motor learning but also recovery of motor functions.status: Publishe