Academic Ceremonies June 2011

“Assessment of injury in reperfused acute myocardial infarction using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging”

Accurate research into different characteristics of the myocardial infarct leads to a better understanding of underlying mechanisms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that de-spite successful opening of coronary arteries half of the patients have a declined blood circulation in capillaries and haematoceles in heart muscle tissue. Of all measured characteristics especially the infarct size is determinant for heart function repair after three months. Thirty minutes after a Dotter procedure the electrocardiogram can already show if a patient has an increased risk of declined function repair. For determination of the extensiveness of threat-ened heart muscle tissue during an acute coronary artery closure, MRI is more effective than angiographic and electrocardiographic methods. 

Key words:

myocardial infarct, MRI, function repair

“Debating Europe: Reflections on EU Affairs in the Public Sphere”

Since its inception, the European Union (EU) has grown in size and its competences have increased. These developments have been accompanied by growing worries about the democratic legitimacy of the Union and its policies. One of the core manifestations of this so-called ‘democratic deficit’ is a European public deficit.
Following a qualitative analysis of Dutch and German newspaper coverage of the debates on the future of Europe and EU air quality legislation, this thesis argues that this public deficit mainly represents a qualitative problem, reflected by mismatches in the timing and content of national debates vis-à-vis European policymaking in Brussels. In terms of democracy, this decreases opportunities to timely influence decision-making and hold the right people accountable.

Key words:

European Union, democratic legacy, public sphere

“Understanding consumers’ attitudes toward novel food technologies”

“HLA antibodies: detection and clinical relevance”

“Regulatory ubiquitylation in DNA repair: a multi-faceted role in maintaining genomic integrity”

"Memory distrust in the legal context"

So far, in the context of criminal law memory distrust has only been described on het basis of casuistic. This dissertation is a first attempt to empirically study memory distrust. Memory distrust can be defined as a situation in which people have little trust in their memories, which makes them extra vulnerable for external suggestions. Especially in the forensic practice memory distrust can have radical consequences. The results show that providing negative information usually leads to people starting to distrust their memory. And the more people distrust their memory, the more inclined they are to accept misleading information. Moreover, memory distrust incites more false confessions of the type that people believe in themselves.

Key words:

memory distrust, pseudo memories, false confessions

“Kupffer cells in fatty liver disease: does size really matter?”

“The role of the council secretariat and the European Commission in EU Foreign Policy”

For years, foreign policy was the exclusive domain of the individual European member states. This research shows that recently, however, they have handed over many tasks to Brussels. The reason is that European institutions can execute certain matters more efficiently than the member states. But the member states take no risks. They carefully weigh the pros and cons of delegation. This research also studies the consequences of delegation. It shows that the member state have lost sovereignty to a limited extent. Brussels has especially much influence when it concerns sending European police and justice missions to for example Kosovo.

Key words:

European Union, foreign policy, member states

“Pelvic physiotherapy in faecal incontinence”

This dissertation studies different aspects of the management of patients with faecal incontinence. Among those affected are young mothers. It appeared that a third- or fourth-degree sphincter rupture (prevalence 27%) was associated with postpartum faecal incontinence. 
If treatment by means of medication and dietary adaptations fails, pelvic physiotherapy is recommended as an early intervention given the low associated morbidity and reported improvement rates. A randomised controlled trial provided no evidence for an add-on effect of rectal balloon training to pelvic floor muscle training. This result will not change the existing recommendations as yet. Offer advice, information and pelvic floor muscle training at first, followed by the use of various elements of biofeedback in case of insufficient symptom relief. The use of constipating medication, any obstetric factor, and experiencing minor embarrassment predicted a favourable outcome of pelvic physiotherapy treatment. In the evaluation of patients with faecal incontinence, it is suggested that the Wexner score is most suitable for severity assessment and the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale for evaluating quality of life.

Key words:

feacal incontinence, pelvic physiotherapy

“Strategic Decision Making in Complex Games”

“Work and Pain: complaints of the arms, neck and shoulders among computer office workers. A study in Sudan and the Netherlands”

“Return of the narrative. Studies on transportation in social media”

These days, consumers write their negative experiences on Facebook and in blogs and have therefore considerable influence on the public opinion; this dissertation studied how companies can best react to negative reviews. The businesslike way in which the majority of the companies react causes a tremendous clash. Companies are used to communicate with their customers by means of statements and arguments. One of the conclusions of the research is that companies should always start with an apology and after that tell their side of the story. Moreover, this works better when the story is not told by the company spokesman, but by someone from the work floor. Social media are all about human contact. Van Laer developed a method that activates the empathic part of the brain by means of brain games. As a result, employees don’t only focus on financial results, but they also put themselves in the position of the customer. 

Key words:

consumer behaviour, social media, communication

“Who’s left behind? Social dimensions of health transition and utilization of medical care in Poland”

“Challenging the patient centred paradigm: designing feasible guidelines for doctor patient communication”​

“Innovation in Healthy Nutrition: every advantage has a disadvantage”

“Succesfully Managing Alliance Portfolios: an alliance capability view”

“Studies of the Affective and Developmental Domains of Psychopathology in Psychosis”

“Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests: Laboratory aspects in the diagnostic setting”

“Platelets in atherothrombosis - roles of CD36 and P2Y12 receptors”

“Parietal cortex and spatial cognition combining evidence from neuroimaging and functional brain stimulation”

The parietal cortex appears to be a mediator and regulator for the integration of all kinds of spatial functions, such as directing attention, comparing angles or combining sensory input from various sources. Damage to the parietal cortex leads to defects in the spatial cognition such as Neglect and Extinction, where one half of the visual field is neglected. Often spontaneous recovery occurs by reorganization, but the underlying mechanisms thereof are still unknown. Combining the imaging techniques (fMRI, EEG) with magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) made it possible to visualize for the first time how the brains can compensate TMS induced disorders. Follow-up research may ultimately lead to a treatment that stimulates spontaneous recovery. 

Key words:

parietal cortex, spatial cognition, fMRI, EEG, TMS 

“Some genetic polymorphisms and their impact on head and neck cancer susceptibility”

“HIV prevention and education among young people in Yemen”

This dissertation studies the impact of peer education and life-skills for HIV prevention among 6221 Yemeni young people. The findings revealed that the interventions have succeeded in improving HIV knowledge and risk perception; decreasing levels of stigma and discrimination; and in promoting less risky practices and behaviours related to HIV infection. Enabling elements had been the culturally sensitive messages, advocacy with decision makers and parents, participation and capacity building of peer educators and all existing stakeholders at school and community level.  The results from this evaluation could be useful in implementing future peer education interventions in similar conservative Muslim settings.

Key words:

Peer education, HIV education, Yemeni Young People 

“Building a common state or deepening divisions: Bosnian constitutional ethno federalism and its consequences”

The research shows the impact of the Bosnian constitutional system on the political development in the country. The main argument is that the constitutional system is beneficial to the nationalistic political parties. Therefore, the country lacks necessary reforms, as there is no cooperation between fractions representing particular ethno-political groups. 
There are several ‘constitutional’ explanations of this situation. The divisions within the country compel political actors to seek its support within one national group. The second reason is an overgrown administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which provides plenty of employment opportunities for the groups linked to the political elites. The engagement of international actors in the political life in Bosnia allows the political leaders to throw the blame on ‘the foreigners’.
A solution of this problem would be separation of ethnic questions from these of general, political or economic character, as well as new arrangements regarding territorial and institutional set up of the country.

Key words:

Constitutional system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, consociational democracy, power sharing, ethnic conflicts, Balkans, post-conflict settlement

“Material versus psychosocial explanations of socioeconomic differences in health-related functioning in older people”

The connection between socioeconomic status and health has often been studied. Frequently, unhealthy behaviour is put forward as an important explanation, but interventions in this field don’t appear to reduce the health differences between poor and rich. This dissertation studied the more fundamental explanations of socioeconomic health differences in older people. One of the conclusions is that factors related to how people look at life are even more important than living in relative poverty. The feeling of being in control of life is an important explanation for the fact that people from the higher socioeconomic classes feel healthier than people from the lower classes. These findings can contribute to the development of an effective strategy to reduce health differences.

Key words:

socioeconomic status, health differences, older people 

“Een besef van eigen kracht. Limburgse provinciale politiek in de periode 1962-2007”

In the period 1962-2007, the Limburg Provincial Government grew from a waiting public body that submissively implemented the state policy into an initiating political player in Limburg society. This development happened step by step, and there were four moments when the Provincial Government fundamentally changed its course. Three elements were involved: external urgent circumstances, the alliances between persons and the space that was offered by the central government and which the Provincial Government used to develop its own initiatives. The moment these three elements came together, the Provincial Government changed its general policy in a relatively short period of two to three years.

Key words:

provincial politics, Limburg, province, public administration, agenda-making

“Stakeholder Theory in Finance; on the Financial Relevance of Nonfinancial Stakeholders”

“Experimental Spinal Cord Stimulation in Neuropathic Pain Models”

“Het onzichtbare zichtbaar maken”