Academic Ceremonies January 2009

“Symptoms in Patients with Cancer”

Pain is one of the most feared and most common symptoms in patients with cancer. In spite of the increased attention for and increased knowledge about pain an pain treatment the prevalence of moderate to serious pain in this patient group has not decreased in the past forty years. Of the patients that receive active anticancer treatment one quarter has moderate to serious pain. Half of the patients with an advanced stage of cancer suffer from moderate to serious pain. Almost half of the patients are undertreated for pain. The greatest risk of undertreatment is run by patients with a low education level and patients in a relatively good condition. 

Key words:

cancer, pain, undertreatment

“Unravelling fatigue in the working population: Course,consquences, and its association with burnout”

This dissertation studies the course of fatigue complaints in the working population. Serious fatigue complaints appear to have a very unfavourable course. Of a group of employees who suffered from serious fatigue 57% turned out to still suffer from this serious fatigue after 4 years. The course of the two different expression forms of fatigue was compared, namely long-term fatigue and burnout. Differences in symptoms, development and prognostic factors were found between burnout and long-term fatigue. When burnout and fatigue occur together, the course is more unfavourable than when they occur separately. It appears important to distinguish burnout and fatigue and to prevent the simultaneous occurrence of these disorders. 

Key words:

fatigue complaints, burnout, long-term fatigue

“The role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions”

“Wnt Signaling And Cardiac Hypertrophy”

Key words:

type 2 diabetes, twins, genetics

“Genetic analyses of type 2 diabetes related metabolic risk factors: a twin study”

​Besides an unhealthy lifestyle genetic sensitivity also plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D).  The PhD candidate performed genetic analyses with symptoms that precede or are related to T2D in a population of young adult twins from the East-Flanders Multiple Birth Register. This dissertation shows among others that in this group of twins differences in symptoms that are related to overweight, the blood sugar and cholesterol level can be largely explained by genetic differences. Because the identification of these genetic factors is very important to gain more insight in the underlying molecular mechanisms, analyses with genetic variants in candidate genes for T2D were performed.

“MIND THE GAP .A Critique of Human/Technology Analogies in Artificial Agents Discourse”

For a better grip on the development of clever computer technologies and humanoid robots researchers often speak in metaphors. Comparisons with people, such as the computer as digital butler, help with shaping ideas about how these technologies (have to) relate to people. This dissertation shows that this is no innocent pastime. Metaphors elucidate certain aspects of a technological concept, but they obscure many others just as well. Moreover, metaphors are interpreted differently in different contexts. On the basis of a critical analysis this dissertation discusses the many implicit choices that are behind promising pictures of the future of clever computer technologies. The research also shows that attention for differences between man and computer are just as essential for a good development of technique as the exploration of the similarities.

Key words:

metaphors, pictures of the future, artificial intelligence, artificial agents 

“Text Mining: de volgende stap in zoektechnologie; Vinden zonder precies te weten wat je zoekt of wat er niet lijkt te zijn”. (‘Text-Mining: the next step in search technology; Finding without exactly knowing what you are searching for or what doesn’t seem to be there.’)

“Dynamic regulation of thrombus stability”

Atherothrombosis is characterized by the tearing of a plaque in an artery, which results in the exposure of components of that plaque, such as collagen, to the blood stream and consequently in the activation of the thrombocytes.   Activated thrombocytes form a thrombus (a ball of thrombocytes) that can block the artery, such as in a heart or cerebral infarct. The research in this dissertation has led to improved insights in the signal mechanisms that take place in thrombocytes when they come into contact with (collagen in) torn plaques.  Shown was also that thrombus formation is not a simple succession of events, but a dynamic and partly reversible process. The improved insights in the process of thrombus formation, gained in this dissertation, contribute to the development of more effective medication for the treatment of atherothrombosis.

Trefwoorden:

thrombocytes, thrombus formation, thrombus stability, atherothrombosis 

“Sarcopenia in COPD: functional and metabolic implications”

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is a very common disorder of the bronchial tubes with important effects in the body outside the lungs. This dissertation studies the relation between dietary condition and strength, stamina and efficiency of arm and leg muscles, and the influence of exertion training in COPD patients. They appear to have a decreased leg muscle function. Conversely, the functioning of the arm muscles has remained at the same level. Possible disruptions in the glucose metabolism and in the decomposition of fat and muscle protein were studied in relation to changes in the dietary condition. COPD patients are characterized by an increased glucose production and muscle protein decomposition, while the speed of fat decomposition is not disturbed. 

Key words:

COPD, dietary condition, muscle function, metabolism, revalidation