NWO Veni, recent awardees

Introducing openESM: A database of openly available experience sampling datasets

Daniel W. Heck · NL

Abstract Experience sampling via mobile devices enables unprecedented insights into daily life. However, individual studies often cannot answer research questions conclusively, and open data are scattered across repositories in different formats. This impedes research into robustness, generalizability, and heterogeneity. We address this issue by introducing , an open-source database of openly available experience sampling datasets in a harmonized format. The growing database currently comprises

Comparing Missing Data Strategies for Generalized Pairwise Comparisons in Randomized Clinical Trials: A Simulation Study

Ruben P. A. van Eijk · University Medical Center Utrecht · NL

Generalized pairwise comparisons are increasingly being used in randomized clinical trials. This study evaluates how missing data strategies impact the operating characteristics of endpoints combining overall survival and a longitudinal outcome. A simulation study was conducted to evaluate the impact of censoring and missing longitudinal data on the Type I error, power, and bias of a hierarchical composite endpoint. Seven missing data strategies were identified from the literature, including ass

TAMing the tumor: targeting immune inhibitory receptors on tumor-associated macrophages in pediatric brain tumors – an emerging immunotherapy strategy

Tiago Carvalheiro · Princess Máxima Center · NL

Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Despite recent advancements in cancer survival, the prognosis for high-grade pediatric brain tumors remains poor, with treatments resulting in severe long-term side effects. Over the last decade, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has emerged as a promising treatment strategy, with success across various tumor types, particularly in adult malignancies. However, its efficacy in pediatric brain tumors has been limited, which can be attribute

An Open Database of Lunar Regolith and Simulants Properties

Olfa D’Angelo · NL

ABSTRACT Lunar regolith, the layer of unconsolidated material covering the Moon's surface, is central to the science and technology developed for the Moon, notably related to in‐situ science investigations, resource utilization, surface infrastructure, and mobility systems. However, data on lunar soil properties remain fragmented across decades of mission reports, often in formats that are difficult to access or interpret. We present a newly compiled database of lunar regolith physical and geote

Beyond the borders of wellbeing: network analyses reveal the fuzzy boundaries between wellbeing domains

Irene J. E. Teulings · NL

Understanding what constitutes a good life is central to psychological research, yet wellbeing models remain contested with respect to their structure and borders. We employ a network approach to investigate how wellbeing dimensions interrelate and whether they form distinct or overlapping constructs. Using a large, population-based sample from the European Social Survey (N = 45,122; 29 countries), we identified strong links between a broad range of wellbeing indicators across different theoreti

Causal language jumps and non-alignments between clinical practice guidelines and original studies: a systematic evaluation of diabetes guidelines and their cited evidence

Keling Wang · Erasmus MC · NL

OBJECTIVES: Clinical practice guidelines are designed to guide clinical practice and often make causal claims when making recommendations. Sometimes, guidelines make or require stronger causal claims than supplied in the original studies, a phenomenon we call 'causal language jump'. We aimed to evaluate the strength of expressed causation in guidelines and the evidence they reference to assess the pattern of jumps, taking diabetes as an illustrative example. DESIGN: This is a systematic evaluati

Elevation uncertainties in the Mekong Delta quantified using a transferable approach

Katharina Seeger · NL

The elevation of coastal lowlands relative to local sea level is a crucial determinant for their exposure and is key input for coastal hazard and relative sea-level rise impact assessments. For many data-sparse coastal lowlands worldwide, global digital elevation models are often the only source of information. While these provide an adequate spatial (i.e. horizontal) resolution for regional, delta-wide coastal assessments, their vertical errors in the range of several metres impede investigatio

Investigating phloem transport dynamics in Arabidopsis through compartmental modelling of positron emission tomography data

Kathy Steppe · NL

Here, we demonstrate the synergistic application of high-resolution PET scanning and compartmental modelling as a promising approach to advance our understanding of phloem dynamics in small-dimension plants, such as the model plant Arabidopsis. With this, an opportunity is created to explore the genetic basis of phloem dynamics.

Reduced levels of mitochondrial ribosomal protein MRPL54 does not alter Apc related adenoma formation

Claudia N. Spaan · Cancer Center Amsterdam · NL

Reprogramming of energy metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells and mutations that modify wild type intestinal cells to colon carcinomas increases cellular energy expenditure. Mitochondria are the main site for ATP production in (cancer) cells and disrupting their function results in impaired tumor forming efficacy. The mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) constitute the ribosome specifically in mitochondria, and as such are crucial for the translation process of the electron trans

Radio Monitoring Campaign of Active Repeater FRB 20220912A with CHIME

Thomas C. Abbott · NL

FRB 20220912A is a highly active repeating fast radio burst (FRB) source, discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) using its real-time FRB detection system (CHIME/FRB). Here, we present results from a radio monitoring campaign of FRB 20220912A using CHIME, including ~200 hours of data collected by CHIME/Pulsar, spanning 1.5 years following the source's discovery. We present an analysis of a sample of 828 CHIME-detected bursts from FRB 20220912A, in the 400-800 MHz

Reduced levels of mitochondrial ribosomal protein MRPL54 does not alter Apc related adenoma formation

Claudia N. Spaan · Cancer Center Amsterdam · NL

Reprogramming of energy metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells and mutations that modify wild type intestinal cells to colon carcinomas increases cellular energy expenditure. Mitochondria are the main site for ATP production in (cancer) cells and disrupting their function results in impaired tumor forming efficacy. The mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) constitute the ribosome specifically in mitochondria, and as such are crucial for the translation process of the electron trans

Emerging trade-offs in saltmarsh ecosystem services under sea-level rise

Victoria G. Mason · Utrecht University · NL

Coastal defence and carbon storage by coastal wetlands provide an increasingly recognised means of adaptation and mitigation in the face of climate change, yet these same services are threatened by the impacts against which they protect. Our understanding to date tends to consider impacts of rising sea levels on individual marsh services but fails to consider trade-offs and potential interactions between them. For instance, sea-level rise has the potential to enhance carbon storage but may decre

High-resolution genome assembly and linkage mapping in Meloidogyne hapla reveal non-canonical telomere repeats and recombination hotspots associated with effector proteins

Mark G. Sterken · Wageningen University & Research · NL

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are among the most destructive agricultural pests that cause significant yield losses across a wide range of crops. Meloidogyne hapla is a valuable model for studying root-knot nematodes due to its parasitic diversity, small diploid genome, and a reproductive strategy that facilitates genetic analysis. Here, we report the most contiguous genome assembly to date for any plant-parasitic nematode built using PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore, Illumina, and Hi-C seq

The Calprotectin Fragment, CPa9-HNE, Is a Plasma Biomarker of Mild Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Simon D. Pouwels · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly of the small airways and parenchyma. COPD lungs exhibit an influx of circulating innate immune cells, which, when isolated, display impaired functions, including imbalanced protease secretion. In addition to immune cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in COPD pathology. Remodeling of the ECM can generate ECM fragments, which can be released into circulation and subsequently induce p

A Tactile Feedback Approach to Path Recovery After High-Speed Impacts for Collision-Resilient Drones

Anton Bredenbeck · Delft University of Technology · NL

Aerial robots are a well-established solution for exploration, monitoring, and inspection, thanks to their superior maneuverability and agility. However, in many environments, they risk crashing and sustaining damage after collisions. Traditional methods focus on avoiding obstacles entirely, but these approaches can be limiting, particularly in cluttered spaces or on weight- and computationally constrained platforms such as drones. This paper presents a novel approach to enhance drone robustness

Proximity-enhanced cysteine–histidine crosslinking for elucidating intrinsically disordered and other protein complexes

Qi Wu · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

its phosphorylated Ser356, overlooked by the majority of 14-3-3/Tau literature. Utilizing a mutational study and an equilibrium model, this cryptic binding interaction is revealed to play a prominent biomolecular role at cellularly relevant concentrations. This finding necessitates a re-evaluation of the mechanism of the 14-3-3/Tau interaction. The histidine-trap crosslinker approach reported here not only advances our understanding of the 14-3-3/Tau interaction but also demonstrates the potenti

Genome-Wide Differential Airway Gene Expression Analysis Identifies Genes Associated with COPD Comorbidities

Alen Faiz · NL

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with the co-occurrence of extra-pulmonary diseases, yet the underlying pathophysiology of comorbidities is poorly understood. In COPD patients, the bronchial epithelium often displays cellular damage and is chronically inflamed. The current study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes in bronchial epithelium of COPD patients with and without comorbidities. To this end, a genome-wide differential gene expression analysis w

Single-lipid tracking reveals heterogeneities in the nanoscale dynamics of colloid-supported lipid bilayers

Roderick P. Tas · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

In this work, we utilize single-particle tracking photoactivated localization microscopy (sptPALM) to explore lipid dynamics in colloid-supported lipid bilayers (CSLBs) with liquid-like (DOPC), gel-like (DPPC), and phase-separated (DOPC:DPPC:cholesterol) membranes. Using total internal reflection fluorescence illumination, we tracked photoactivatable fluorescent dyes conjugated to lipids within these membranes. Analysis of tracked lipids revealed that bilayers across all compositions have hetero

Beyond Words: Speech Coordination Linked to Personality and Appraisals

Nicol Alejandra Arellano-Véliz · University of Groningen · NL

We studied how personality differences and conversation topics predict interpersonal speech coordination, leading/following dynamics, and nonverbal interactional dominance in dyadic conversations. In a laboratory, 100 undergraduate students (50 same-gender dyads) had a 15-min conversation following three topics (introduction/self-disclosure/argumentation). Their speech coordination and turn-taking (speech/silence) dynamics were assessed through nonlinear time-series analyses: Cross-Recurrence Qu

The Act of Measurement: The Influence of Behavioural Tests on Spider Fear and Disgust

Jacqueline Peters · University of Amsterdam · NL

Behavioural assessments offer clinically relevant insights into anxious symptomatology, complementing self-report questionnaires in monitoring treatment effects. However, as a behavioural test is a form of brief exposure, it might not solely measure distress, but also influence it. In this study, we investigated whether measuring spider avoidance behaviour changes spider-related distress. Seventy-five individuals with a broad range of spider fear provided self-reported fear and disgust ratings,

Resolving inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity in NPM1-mutated AML at single-cell resolution

Emin Onur Karakaslar · Leiden University Medical Center · NL

Concurrent assessment of neurometabolism and brain hemodynamics to characterize the functional brain response to psychotropic drugs: An S-ketamine study

Anouk Schrantee · NL

Neuroimaging techniques offer valuable insights for understanding pharmacological treatment effects in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we present a novel approach that simultaneously assesses hemodynamic and neurometabolic brain responses to psychotropic drugs using interleaved pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) and pharmacological magnetic resonance spectroscopy (phMRS). This method was tested using a double-dose, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover design using S-ketami

Immunohistochemical investigation of canine lymph nodes collected during a rabies outbreak in South Africa

Redwan Rahmat · NL

Rabies is a fatal zoonosis that impairs host immune function, yet effects on peripheral lymphoid architecture are poorly defined. During a 2021-2022 rabies virus (RABV) outbreak in South Africa, we collected cervical lymph nodes from 36 rabies-suspect dogs; RABV RNA was detected in 27. Canine distemper virus RNA was detected in a subset across both RABV-positive (RABV+) and RABV-negative (RABV-) groups and was not associated with clinical-sign count. We set up a computer-assisted histological an

Chebyshev centers and radii for sets induced by quadratic matrix inequalities

Amir Shakouri · University of Groningen · NL

a QMI-induced set. Finally, the paper discusses applications of the presented results in data-driven modeling and control.

The role of triple evolution in the formation of LISA double white dwarfs

Abinaya Swaruba Rajamuthukumar · NL

Galactic double white dwarfs will be prominent gravitational wave sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). While previous studies have primarily focused on formation scenarios in which binaries form and evolve in isolation, we present the first detailed study of the role of triple stellar evolution in forming the population of LISA double white dwarfs. We used the multiple stellar evolution code ( MSE ) to model the stellar evolution, binary interactions, and the dynamics of tr

The influence of refugees’ housing location on their social contacts: Evidence from a national quasi-experiment

Kasper Otten · Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum · NL

In fleeing from war and persecution, refugees lose important social contacts from their home country and need to develop new social networks in their host country. A common conjecture is that the region where refugees settle has important influences on whether and with whom refugees develop social contacts, but establishing causal evidence has remained notoriously difficult. In this paper, we utilize the Dutch dispersal policy – which quasi-randomly allocates refugees across regions in the Nethe

Evaluating Concerning Behavior of Fixated Individuals

Isabelle van der Vegt · Utrecht University · NL

Fixated individuals who send repeated concerning communications to public figures pose a significant challenge, particularly when such communications escalate to approach or violence. The present study examined associations between three sources of threat assessment information-motivational type, structured professional judgment (CTAP-25), and automated linguistic analysis-and concerning behavior in a sample of fixated individuals (n = 117). Levels of concerning behavior constituted merely commu

Inducing Receptor Degradation as a Novel Approach to Target CC Chemokine Receptor 2 (CCR2)

Natalia V. Ortiz Zacarı́as · Leiden University · NL

CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) has been linked to many inflammatory and immune diseases, making it a relevant drug target. Yet, all CCR2 antagonists developed so far have failed in clinical trials; thus, novel strategies are needed to target this receptor. Targeted protein degradation represents a novel approach to inhibit protein function by hijacking the cellular degradation machinery, such as the proteasome, to degrade the protein of interest. Here, we aimed to determine the amenability of CC

Mechanical stimulation of induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiac fibroblasts

Frances S. de Man · Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences · NL

Cardiac fibrosis contributes to the development of heart failure, and is the response of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to pressure or volume overload. Limiting factors in CFs research are the poor availability of human cells and the tendency of CFs to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts when cultured in vitro. The possibility to generate CFs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), providing a nearly unlimited cell source, opens new possibilities. However, the behaviour of iPSC-CFs under mecha

Epigenome-wide association study on the plasma metabolome suggests self-regulation of the glycine and serine pathway through DNA methylation

Joanne A. Hoogerland · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

BACKGROUND: The plasma metabolome reflects the physiological state of various biological processes and can serve as a proxy for disease risk. Plasma metabolite variation, influenced by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, can also affect the cellular microenvironment and blood cell epigenetics. The interplay between the plasma metabolome and the blood cell epigenome remains elusive. In this study, we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of 1183 plasma metabolites in 693 participant

A usability study on the inGAIT-VSO: effects of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis on the walking performance of children with cerebral palsy

Cristina Bayón · NL

BACKGROUND: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly used by children with cerebral palsy (CP), but traditional solutions are unable to address the heterogeneity and evolving needs amongst children with CP. One key limitation lies in the inability of current passive devices to customize the torque-angle relationship, which is essential to adapt the support to the specific individual needs. Powered alternatives can provide customized behavior, but often face challenges with reliability, weight, an

Terminal Conjugation Enables Nanopore Sequencing of Peptides

Cees Dekker · Delft University of Technology · NL

Nanopore sequencing of peptides holds great promise for single-molecule proteomics, but robust conjugation strategies to adapt native peptides for motor-enzyme-driven translocation have yet to be developed. Here, we establish terminally directed DNA-peptide conjugation chemistry strategies that expand the applicability of nanopore sequencing beyond synthetic model systems to natural peptides. At the N terminus, omniligase catalyzes rapid and peptide ligation of a DNA handle under mild conditions

ReSeT: a taxonomy-aware reference genome selection tool

Jasmijn A. Baaijens · Delft University of Technology · NL

Abstract Motivation Reference genome composition determines which taxa a profiling pipeline can detect and distinguish, and becomes of critical importance for high-resolution profiling where taxonomic boundaries begin to blur. Existing selection tools optimize within-taxon representativeness but disregard discrimination across taxa, leaving open whether explicitly accounting for inter-taxon discrimination during selection improves profiling. Results Here we present ReSeT, a facility-location-bas

Orchestrating scalability: how patents render cloud imaginaries in CAV innovation

Sam; id_orcid 0000-0001-8347-3695 Hind · NL

This article explores how cloud computing enables and shapes the scaling of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), positioning cloud infrastructure as a technology, strategy, and imaginary central to the scaling of AI. Using a dataset of 69,421 global patent families, we analyse how diverse actors – including automotive manufacturers, chipmakers, electronics companies, autonomous vehicle firms, and telecom/mapping providers – mobilise cloud technologies to expand AI capabilities, manage resou

Generative AI governance: from regulatory design to institutional reordering

Joanne Kuai · NL

This special issue approaches generative AI governance as a multi-sited and contested process. Across diverse contexts, the contributions reveal governance as distributed across institutions, geographies, and infrastructures. By foregrounding labour, knowledge, and values as key sites of reordering, this special issue situates debates on generative AI within the institutional conditions through which systems are stabilised, contested, and normalised. Across the special issue, generative AI gover

Experimental validation of a reaction network model for autoxidation of linoleate esters

Piet D. Iedema · University of Amsterdam · NL

A deterministic mathematical model is used to study complex chemistry and determine kinetic parameters of the autoxidation polymerization (drying) of fatty acid esters such as ethyl and methyl linoleate (EL and ML). The model was developed previously and is based on an algorithm that generates a reaction network and the associated kinetic equations in an automated way (automatic reaction network generation – ARNG). The ARNG model computes the concentrations of the monomeric species, including th

Cohort profile: Worldwide Collaboration on OsteoArthritis prediCtion for the Hip (World COACH) – an international consortium of prospective cohort studies with individual participant data on hip osteoarthritis

Harrie Weinans · Utrecht University · NL

PURPOSE: Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability worldwide. Lack of effective therapies may reflect poor knowledge on its aetiology and risk factors, and result in the management of end-stage hip OA with costly joint replacement. The Worldwide Collaboration on OsteoArthritis prediCtion for the Hip (World COACH) consortium was established to pool and harmonise individual participant data from prospective cohort studies. The consortium aims to better understand determinants

The association of maternal-infant interactive behavior, dyadic frontal alpha asymmetry, and maternal anxiety in a smartphone-adapted still face paradigm

Marion I. van den Heuvel · Tilburg University · NL

Mother-infant interactions form a strong basis for emotion regulation development in infants. These interactions can be affected by various factors, including maternal postnatal anxiety. Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning allows for simultaneous assessment of mother-infant brain-to-behavior association during stressful events, such as the still-face paradigm (SFP). This study aimed at investigating dyadic interactive behavior and brain-to-behavior association across SFP and identifying n

Grouped Heterogeneity in Linear Panel Data Models with Heterogeneous Error Variances

Tom Boot · University of Groningen · NL

We develop a procedure to identify latent group structures in linear panel data models that exploits a grouping in the error variances of cross-sectional units. To accommodate such grouping, we introduce an objective function that avoids a singularity that arises in a pseudolikelihood approach. We provide theoretical and numerical evidence showing when allowing for variance groups improves classification. The developed procedure provides new evidence on the relation between firm-level research a

Low serum double-stranded DNA levels are associated with higher survival rates in severe COPD patients

Sharyn A. Roodenburg · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

Introduction: Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous danger signals that alert and activate the immune system upon cellular damage or death. It has previously been shown that DAMP release is increased in patients with COPD, leading to higher levels in extracellular fluids such as serum. In the current study we investigated whether the serum levels of DAMPs were associated with survival rates in COPD patients. Methods: A panel of seven DAMPs, consisting of HMGB1, fibrinogen,

Democratizing biomedical simulation through automated model discovery and a universal material subroutine

Ellen Kuhl · NL

Personalized computational simulations have emerged as a vital tool to understand the biomechanical factors of a disease, predict disease progression, and design personalized intervention. Material modeling is critical for realistic biomedical simulations, and poor model selection can have life-threatening consequences for the patient. However, selecting the best model requires a profound domain knowledge and is limited to a few highly specialized experts in the field. Here we explore the feasib

Circadian clock period length is not consistently linked to chronotype in a wild songbird

Barbara Helm · NL

Circadian clock properties vary between individuals and relate to variation in entrained timing in captivity. How this variation translates into behavioural differences in natural settings, however, is poorly understood. Here, we tested in great tits whether variation in the free-running period length (tau) under constant dim light (LL) was linked to the phase angle of the entrained rhythm ("chronotype") in captivity and in the wild, as recently indicated in our study species. We also assessed l

Lexical effects on talker discrimination in adult cochlear implant users

Terrin N. Tamati · NL

The lexical and phonological content of an utterance impacts the processing of talker-specific details in normal-hearing (NH) listeners. Adult cochlear implant (CI) users demonstrate difficulties in talker discrimination, particularly for same-gender talker pairs, which may alter the reliance on lexical information in talker discrimination. The current study examined the effect of lexical content on talker discrimination in 24 adult CI users. In a remote AX talker discrimination task, word pairs

A usability study on the inGAIT-VSO: effects of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis on the walking performance of children with cerebral palsy

Luc van Noort · NL

BACKGROUND: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly used by children with cerebral palsy (CP), but traditional solutions are unable to address the heterogeneity and evolving needs amongst children with CP. One key limitation lies in the inability of current passive devices to customize the torque-angle relationship, which is essential to adapt the support to the specific individual needs. Powered alternatives can provide customized behavior, but often face challenges with reliability, weight, an

Review article: Weddell Sea Polynya formation, cessation and climatic impacts

Lu Zhou · Utrecht University · NL

Abstract. Open-ocean polynyas, areas with little or no sea ice, reappeared extensively in 2016 and 2017 over the Maud Rise in the Weddell Sea after a 40-year hiatus, raising a series of unresolved questions about the atmosphere-ice-ocean interactions in the Antarctic region. These major polynyas significantly influence moisture and heat exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean, impacting both regional and global climate dynamics, as well as ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical processes

ALESS--JWST: Dust-driven Morphologies and Hidden Stellar Mass in $z\sim3$ Sub-millimeter Galaxies

J. Li · NL

We present JWST/NIRCam and MIRI observations of twelve $z\sim3$ sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) from the ALESS survey, combined with high-resolution ($0.08''-0.16''$) ALMA 870$μ$m imaging, enabling spatially resolved SED fitting on $\sim$kpc scales. We find a resolved star-forming main sequence linking surface densities of star formation rate and stellar mass, suggesting star formation remains tightly coupled to local mass distribution even in obscured systems. Our resolved SED analysis reveals a

Snip  & Stitch: a simple and accessible correction for the pupil foreshortening error

Christoph Strauch · Utrecht University · NL

Modern eye trackers allow easy measurement of pupil size, a powerful physiological marker of cognitive processing. A major hindrance to using pupillometry is the so-called pupil foreshortening error (PFE). The PFE is the apparent change in pupil size that results from a change in the angle of the eye relative to the camera, despite the pupil remaining constant in reality. To prevent this, experimenters often rely on fixed gaze, limiting design flexibility. Existing correction methods necessitate

The Autonomous Data Language – Concepts, design and formal verification

Jan Friso Groote · NL

Nowadays, the main advances in computational power are due to parallelism. However, most parallel languages have been designed with a focus on processors and threads. This makes dealing with data and memory in programs hard, which distances the implementation from its original algorithm. We propose a new paradigm for parallel programming, the data-autonomous paradigm, where computation is performed by autonomous data elements. Programs in this paradigm are focused on making the data collaborate

Trade-off between spread and width for tree decompositions

Carla Groenland · Delft University of Technology · NL

We study the trade-off between (average) spread and width in tree decompositions, answering several questions from Wood [arXiv:2509.01140]. The spread of a vertex $v$ in a tree decomposition is the number of bags that contain $v$. Wood asked for which $c>0$, there exists $c'$ such that each graph $G$ has a tree decomposition of width $c\cdot tw(G)$ in which each vertex $v$ has spread at most $c'(d(v)+1)$. We show that $c\geq 2$ is necessary and that $c>3$ is sufficient. Moreover, we answer a sec

Beyond Decarbonisation: Two Challenges for the Twin Energy Transition?

Rodrigo Vallejo · TIAS School for Business and Society · NL

Elisa Morgera’s 2026 Montesquieu Lecture reframes climate action as a human-rights project of defossilisation: a move beyond carbon-centred mitigation towards the protection of interconnected life-supporting systems and economies organised around care. This commentary develops the implications of that account for energy law and policy – a particularly sensitive field for Morgera’s overall ambition. It argues, first, that Morgera’s transformative programme depends on its legal re-formalisation wi

Dental topography and diet in marsupials and comparisons with primates

Dorien de Vries · NL

Dental topography is a powerful tool for investigating the relationship between diet and tooth shape in mammals. Here, we test whether dental topographic metrics (DTMs) can accurately predict diet in marsupials based on 81 lower molars from 43 extant species in 12 families (six of the seven extant orders), and compare them to DTMs of primates with similar diets. DTMs tested included Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) and variants (ariaDNE, convex DNE, and ariaDNE CV), orientation patch count rotated

The constitutional foundation of explanation rights in EU digital regulation: An integrated approach

Melanie Fink · Europdonor Foundation · NL

EU digital regulation increasingly requires organisations to explain automated decisions affecting individuals. Yet explanation rights across instruments such as the GDPR, DSA, and AI Act have developed without systematic attention to their shared constitutional foundations or their relationship to parallel rights. This creates fragmentation along two dimensions. The first arises where a single actor holds obligations under multiple instruments, leaving it unclear which requirements apply and ho

Sortase A-Mediated Farnesylation of Cdc42 In Vitro

Liedewij Laan · NL

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Cdc42, a Rho-family GTPase, plays a pivotal role in establishing polarity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by accumulating on the membrane at the site of bud emergence. Cdc42’s ability to bind to membranes, mediated by prenylation, is essential for its function. Prenylation involves either the post-translational addition of a 15-carbon farnesyl group or a 20-carbon geranylgeranyl group to Cdc42’s C-terminus. One of the major challenges in studying th

<i>Bombus terrestris</i> Complementary Sex Determiner (BtCSD) is identified as a conserved hymenopteran sex determination region: evolution, breeding, and conservation implications

Joost van den Heuvel · Wageningen University & Research · NL

Abstract All Hymenoptera (bees, sawflies, ants, wasps) are haplodiploid. Haploid males develop from unfertilized eggs and diploid females from fertilized eggs. Many species also have single locus complementary sex determination (sl-CSD): hemizygosity of a CSD gene results in normal males and heterozygosity in normal females, but homozygosity typically yields sterile diploid males. Populations that lose CSD allelic diversity to critical level, increasingly produce detrimental diploid males. Emble

Discovery of 14‐3‐3 PPI Stabilizers by Extension of an Amidine‐Substituted Thiophene Fragment

Christian Ottmann · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulation is a promising approach in drug discovery with the potential to expand the 'druggable' proteome and develop new therapeutic strategies. While there have been significant advancements in methodologies for developing PPI inhibitors, there is a relative scarcity of literature describing the 'bottom-up' development of PPI stabilizers (Molecular Glues). The hub protein 14-3-3 and its interactome provide an excellent platform for exploring conceptual approa

Persistent alveolar inflammatory response in critically ill patients with COVID-19 is associated with mortality

Justin de Brabander · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NL

INTRODUCTION: Patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) show limited systemic hyperinflammation, but immunomodulatory treatments are effective. Little is known about the inflammatory response in the lungs and if this could be targeted using high-dose steroids (HDS). We aimed to characterise the alveolar immune response in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS, to determine its association with mortality, and to explore the association between HDS treatment and the a

Symptom networks in glioma patients: understanding the multidimensionality of symptoms and quality of life

J G Röttgering · Dutch Cancer Society · NL

PURPOSE: To comprehend the complex relationship between symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with diffuse glioma, we applied symptom network analysis to identify patterns of associations between depression, cognition, brain tumor-related symptoms, and HRQoL. Additionally, we aimed to compare global strength between symptom networks to understand if symptoms are more tightly connected in different subgroups of patients. METHODS: We included 256 patients and stratified t

Optimal compilation of parametrised quantum circuits

Aleks Kissinger · NL

Parametrised quantum circuits contain phase gates whose phase is determined by a classical algorithm prior to running the circuit on a quantum device. Such circuits are used in variational algorithms like QAOA and VQE. In order for these algorithms to be as efficient as possible it is important that we use the fewest number of parameters. We show that, while the general problem of minimising the number of parameters is NP-hard, when we restrict to circuits that are Clifford apart from parametris

StacKAT: Infinite State Network Verification

Jana Wagemaker · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

We develop StacKAT, a network verification language featuring loops, finite state variables, nondeterminism, and---most importantly---access to a stack with accompanying push and pop operations. By viewing the variables and stack as the (parsed) headers and (to-be-parsed) contents of a network packet, StacKAT can express a wide range of network behaviors including parsing, source routing, and telemetry. These behaviors are difficult or impossible to model using existing languages like NetKAT. We

Probing the Sources of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays—Constraints from Cosmic-Ray Measurements

Teresa Bister · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are the most energetic particles known—and yet their origin is still an open question. However, with the precision and accumulated statistics of the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Telescope Array, in combination with advancements in theory and modeling—e.g., of the Galactic magnetic field—it is now possible to set solid constraints on the sources of UHECRs. The spectrum and composition measurements above the ankle can be well described by a population of

In-situ laser ablation MC-ICP-MS of lead white in paintings

Paolo D’Imporzano · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Abstract This study develops and validates an in-situ LA-MC-ICP-MS method for lead isotope ratios (LIR) measurements of lead carbonate pigments at the micrometre scale. Two matrix-matched synthetic lead whites (PDLW1 and PDLW2) were produced from metallic lead, converted to carbonate, and characterised by solution MC-ICP-MS to define reference isotope compositions. These pigments were then used as calibrants and quality-control reference materials to assess LA performance, which yields accurate

Hypergraphs and simplicial complexes in focus: a roadmap for future research in higher-order interactions

Aida Abiad · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

Abstract Higher-order interactions are increasingly being recognized as fundamental to our understanding of complex systems, networks, and the development of the next generation of AI algorithms. However, modeling higher-order interactions requires us to go beyond graphs and networks, which can only encode pairwise interactions, and so demands a new theory. Hypergraphs and simplicial complexes (also called higher-order networks), which arise as natural mathematical representations of higher-orde

Depression recurrence is accompanied by longer periods in default mode and more frequent attentional and reward processing dynamic brain‐states during resting‐state activity

Sonsoles Alonso · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

Recurrence in major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, but neurobiological models capturing vulnerability for recurrences are scarce. Disturbances in multiple resting-state networks have been linked to MDD, but most approaches focus on stable (vs. dynamic) network characteristics. We investigated how the brain's dynamical repertoire changes after patients transition from remission to recurrence of a new depressive episode. Sixty two drug-free, MDD-patients with ≥2 episodes underwent a baseline

Logarithmically-accurate and positive-definite NLO shower matching

Melissa van Beekveld · National Institute for Subatomic Physics · NL

A bstract We present methods to achieve NLL+NLO accurate parton showering for processes with two coloured legs: neutral- and charged-current Drell-Yan, and Higgs production in pp collisions, as well as DIS and e + e − to jets. The methods include adaptations of existing approaches, as well as a new NLO matching scheme, ESME, that is positive-definite by construction. Our implementations of the methods within the PanScales framework yield highly competitive NLO event generation speeds. We validat

Dietary butyrate ameliorates metabolic health associated with selective proliferation of gut Lachnospiraceae bacterium 28-4

Yanan Wang · Leiden University Medical Center · NL

Short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, have multiple metabolic benefits in individuals who are lean but not in individuals with metabolic syndrome, with the underlying mechanisms still being unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of gut microbiota in the induction of metabolic benefits of dietary butyrate. We performed antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion of the gut and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice, a well-established translational model for devel

Advances on mechanical designs for assistive ankle-foot orthoses

Cristina Bayón · University of Twente · NL

Assistive ankle-foot orthoses (AAFOs) are powerful solutions to assist or rehabilitate gait on humans. Existing AAFO technologies include passive, quasi-passive, and active principles to provide assistance to the users, and their mechanical configuration and control depend on the eventual support they aim for within the gait pattern. In this research we analyze the state-of-the-art of AAFO and classify the different approaches into clusters, describing their basis and working principles. Additio

Plasticity of maternal environment-dependent expression-QTLs of tomato seeds

Basten L. Snoek · Utrecht University · NL

Seeds are essential for plant reproduction, survival, and dispersal. Germination ability and successful establishment of young seedlings strongly depend on seed quality and on environmental factors such as nutrient availability. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and many other species, seed quality and seedling establishment characteristics are determined by genetic variation, as well as the maternal environment in which the seeds develop and mature. The genetic contribution to variation in seed

IGF-1 boosts mitochondrial function by a Ca2+ uptake-dependent mechanism in cultured human and rat cardiomyocytes

B. Daan Westenbrink · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

uptake is required to boost oxidative metabolism during cardiomyocyte adaptive growth.

The relation between speaking-style categorization and speech recognition in adult cochlear implant users

Deniz Başkent · University of Groningen · NL

The current study examined the relation between speaking-style categorization and speech recognition in post-lingually deafened adult cochlear implant users and normal-hearing listeners tested under 4- and 8-channel acoustic noise-vocoder cochlear implant simulations. Across all listeners, better speaking-style categorization of careful read and casual conversation speech was associated with more accurate recognition of speech across those same two speaking styles. Findings suggest that some coc

Advanced Diffusion‐Weighted <scp>MRI</scp> for Cancer Microstructure Assessment in Body Imaging, and Its Relationship With Histology

Raquel Pérez-López · NL

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) aims to disentangle multiple biological signal sources in each imaging voxel, enabling the computation of innovative maps of tissue microstructure. DW-MRI model development has been dominated by brain applications. More recently, advanced methods with high fidelity to histology are gaining momentum in other contexts, for example, in oncological applications of body imaging, where new biomarkers are urgently needed. The objective of this arti

Postural and muscular effects of upper-limb movements on voicing

Wim Pouw · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

ABSTRACT Voice production can be a whole-body affair: Upper limb movements physically impact the voice in steady-state vocalization, speaking, and singing. This is supposedly due to biomechanical impulses on the chest-wall, affecting subglottal pressure. Unveiling such biomechanics is important, as humans gesture with their hands in a synchronized way with speaking. Here we assess biomechanical interactions between arm movements and the voice, by measurement of key (respiratory-related) muscles

Development and characterization of agonistic antibodies targeting the Ig-like 1 domain of MuSK

Jamie Lim · Leiden University Medical Center · NL

Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) is crucial for acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering and thereby neuromuscular junction (NMJ) function. NMJ dysfunction is a hallmark of several neuromuscular diseases, including MuSK myasthenia gravis. Aiming to restore NMJ function, we generated several agonist monoclonal antibodies targeting the MuSK Ig-like 1 domain. These activated MuSK and induced AChR clustering in cultured myotubes. The most potent agonists partially rescued myasthenic effects of MuSK mya

A gene regulatory network critical for axillary bud dormancy directly controlled by Arabidopsis <scp>BRANCHED1</scp>

Richard G. H. Immink · Wageningen University & Research · NL

The Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor BRANCHED1 (BRC1) plays a pivotal role in the control of shoot branching as it integrates environmental and endogenous signals that influence axillary bud growth. Despite its remarkable activity as a growth inhibitor, the mechanisms by which BRC1 promotes bud dormancy are largely unknown. We determined the genome-wide BRC1 binding sites in vivo and combined these with transcriptomic data and gene co-expression analyses to identify bona fide BRC1 direc

Developing strategic targeted interaction design to enhance disaster resilience of vulnerable communities

E. Hendriks · University of Twente · NL

Abstract Still too often, technical reconstruction assistance does not lead to adoption of hazard-resistant construction techniques by disaster-affected households. Ideally, effective interactions should be framed and communicated in such a way that it appeals to different intentions of individual households to build back safer. Currently, there is no model for humanitarian interactions that indicates what household characteristics reveal intention differences. To develop audience-specific inter

Letter to the Editor Concerning “The Ground State of Epitaxial Germanene on Ag(111)”

Harold J. W. Zandvliet · University of Twente · NL

In a recent article by Zhang et al. (1) in ACS Nano, the authors write in the abstract of their article that there are many claims of the realization of germanene (the germanium analogue of graphene) but that no experimental evidence for the honeycomb structure of this two-dimensional material has been provided.

Insights in the contributions of the RSPO-LGR pathway to breast cancer

Eline Johanna ter Steege · The Netherlands Cancer Institute · NL

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and despite advancements in diagnostics and treatment methods that have led to lower mortality rates, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death among women. In general, breast cancer is divided in 5 different subtypes, primarily based on the expression of the hormone receptors the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Current treatment options for breast cancer patien

On the VC dimension of deep group convolutional neural networks

Anna Sepliarskaia · NL

We study the generalization capabilities of Group Convolutional Neural Networks (GCNNs) with ReLU activation function by deriving upper and lower bounds for their Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension. Specifically, we analyze how factors such as the number of layers, weights, and input dimension affect the VC dimension. We further compare the derived bounds to those known for other types of neural networks. Our findings extend previous results on the VC dimension of continuous GCNNs with two layer

Large B-cell Lymphomas of Immune-Privileged Sites Relapse via Parallel Clonal Evolution from a Common Progenitor B Cell

G. Tjitske Los-de Vries · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Large B-cell lymphoma of immune-privileged sites (LBCL-IP) arise in immune sanctuaries including the testis and central nervous system (CNS). After initially reaching complete response, relapses occur in almost 50% of patients, typically at other immune-privileged sites. Resolution of the clonal relationships and evolutionary patterns of LBCL-IP is required to understand the unique clinical behavior. We collected a unique set of 33 primary-relapse LBCL-IP sample pairs and performed next-generati

Robust Committee Voting, or The Other Side of Representation

Gregory Kehne · NL

We study approval-based committee voting from a novel perspective. While extant work largely centers around proportional representation of the voters, we shift our focus to the candidates while preserving proportionality. Intuitively, candidates supported by similar voter groups should receive comparable representation. Since deterministic voting rules cannot achieve this ideal, we develop randomized voting rules that satisfy ex-ante neutrality, monotonicity, and continuity, while maintaining st

From night-to-night and from person-to-person: dynamic phenomena of insomnia

Mona M. Klau · University of Amsterdam · NL

Study Objectives: Sleep is complex and variable, yet insomnia research and treatment often rely on averages-either across nights or across individuals. Such approaches risk obscuring dynamic features that characterize insomnia as a disorder and its unique manifestation in individuals. In this study, we explore disorder-specific (group-level) and person-specific (individual-level) dynamic phenomena of insomnia among people with insomnia. Methods: We analyzed 8 weeks of sleep diary data from 61 pa

Single-enzyme redox-neutral oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids using alcohol dehydrogenases

Matteo Damian · University of Amsterdam · NL

studies provided insights into substrate tolerance, highlighting the structural features that govern enzyme activity. This biocatalytic method provides a scalable, selective, and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional oxidation strategies for primary alcohols to carboxylic acids.

Freshwater Conservation Priority Areas Are Threatened by Global Mining Activities

Mariana Braz Pires · Leiden University · NL

Mining poses significant and persistent threats to freshwater ecosystems, with impacts often enduring long after operations cease. Growing concerns suggest that the expansion of mining to meet global mineral demands for decarbonization may amplify these cumulative risks to freshwater biodiversity. However, the location and extent of potential conflict hotspots remain poorly understood, hampering our ability to meet international conservation targets. Here, we map areas of potential conflict betw

Freshwater Conservation Priority Areas Are Threatened by Global Mining Activities

Mariana Braz Pires · Leiden University · NL

Mining poses significant and persistent threats to freshwater ecosystems, with impacts often enduring long after operations cease. Growing concerns suggest that the expansion of mining to meet global mineral demands for decarbonization may amplify these cumulative risks to freshwater biodiversity. However, the location and extent of potential conflict hotspots remain poorly understood, hampering our ability to meet international conservation targets. Here, we map areas of potential conflict betw

Hot blue progenitors of stellar-mass black holes

Avishai Gilkis · NL

While the connection between massive stars and supernova explosions is well established observationally, the link between massive stars and black hole formation remains elusive. Some massive stars may collapse directly to black holes without a successful supernova, and may therefore appear as disappearing stars. We investigate the expected photometric properties of such black hole progenitors by combining detailed single and binary stellar evolution models with physically motivated prescriptions

Sector length distributions of recursively definable graph states through analytic combinatorics

Eloïc Vallée · NL

The sector length distribution or Shor-Laflamme distribution (SLD) of quantum states is governed by the $k$-body correlations amongst the different systems, and has been used to study entanglement and error correction. A succinct description of a quantum state's SLD can be obtained by representing it through the coefficients of an appropriate weight enumerator polynomial, yielding bounds on fidelity under depolarizing noise and on multipartite entanglement. However, such expressions quickly grow

qsGW quasiparticle and GW-BSE excitation energies of 133,885 molecules

Lucas Visscher · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Machine learning applications in the chemical sciences, especially when based on neural networks, critically depend on the availability of large quantities of high-quality data. As they provide excellent accuracy for both charged and neutral excitations, a large dataset containing quasiparticle self-consistent GW (qsGW) and Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) data would be highly desirable to model excited state energies and properties. In this work, we introduce a dataset for qsGW-BSE excitation ener

Sustaining Knowledge Infrastructures: Asking Questions and Listening for Answers

Kathleen Gregory · African Studies Centre · NL

Sustaining knowledge infrastructures (KIs) remains a persistent issue that requires continued engagement from diverse stakeholders as new questions and values arise in relation to KI maintenance. We draw on existing academic literature, practical experience with KI projects, and our discussions at a 2024 workshop for researchers and practitioners exploring KI evaluation to pose five questions for KI project managers to consider when thinking about how to make their KIs evolve sustainably over ti

Frequency-specific transcranial neuromodulation of alpha power alters visuospatial attention performance

Selma K. Kemmerer · Maastricht University · NL

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 10 Hz has been shown to modulate spatial attention. However, the frequency-specificity and the oscillatory changes underlying this tACS effect are still largely unclear. Here, we applied high-definition tACS at individual alpha frequency (IAF), two control frequencies (IAF+/-2Hz) and sham to the left posterior parietal cortex and measured its effects on visuospatial attention performance and offline alpha power (using electroencephalography,

The spatial representation of leadership depends on ecological threat: A replication and extension of Menon et al. (2010).

Eftychia Stamkou · University of Amsterdam · NL

Since humanity's first steps, individuals have used nonverbal cues to communicate and infer leadership, such as walking ahead of others. Menon et al., (2010) showed that the use of spatial ordering as cue to leadership differs across cultures: Singaporeans were more likely than Americans to represent leaders behind rather than in front of groups. Furthermore, they showed that threat priming increases the representation of leaders at the back. We replicate and extend these findings. We draw on cu

Increased genetic contribution to wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Lude Franke · University Medical Center Groningen · NL

Physical and mental health are determined by an interplay between nature, for example genetics, and nurture, which encompasses experiences and exposures that can be short or long-lasting. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a unique situation in which whole communities were suddenly and simultaneously exposed to both the virus and the societal changes required to combat the virus. We studied 27,537 population-based biobank participants for whom we have genetic data and extensive longitudinal data c

Pan-cancer functional analysis of somatic mutations in G protein-coupled receptors

Gerard J. P. van Westen · Leiden University · NL

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) form the most frequently exploited drug target family, moreover they are often found mutated in cancer. Here we used an aggregated dataset of mutations found in cancer patient samples derived from the Genomic Data Commons and compared it to the natural human variance as exemplified by data from the 1000 Genomes project. While the location of these mutations across the protein domains did not differ significantly in the two datasets, a mutation enrichm

To take back value: critique as protocol design

Andrea Leiter · Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences · NL

What can it mean to inherit the tradition of a critical international lawyer in a time when legal form is increasingly entangled with code, infrastructure and automation? This article explores these questions by tracing a shift from critique as judgment to critique as practice, as an engagement from within rather than from above. Drawing on the author’s work in developing the Decentralised Ecological Economics Protocol (DEEP) through the Sovereign Nature Initiative, it asks: what happens to crit

CONSEQUENCES 2025 - The 4th Workshop on Causality, Counterfactuals and Sequential Decision-Making for Recommender Systems

Thorsten Joachims · NL

Recommender systems are inherently decision-making systems, taking actions that have consequences for the world around them.Some consequences might be desirable (for example, growing the user base for an online platform), others might be unintended (for example, amplifying inequality among item providers).In order to reason about these consequences, we need to resort to methods from the literature on causal inference.Whilst this research area has seen a growing interest in recent years, there is

Feeling better now? Being defended diminishes daily mood problems and self‐blame in victims of bullying

Lydia Laninga‐Wijnen · NL

BACKGROUND: School bullying is a group phenomenon in which being defended by peer bystanders may buffer against the development of psychological problems in victims. AIMS: This registered report examines whether being defended diminished victims' daily mood problems and self-blame, both from a within- and between-person perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Daily diary data were collected from n = 1669 Finnish 7th-9th grade students (M age = 14.45; 55.5% girl) across 3 weeks. In n = 1329 out of 12

The topology of cyberspace and cybercrime journeys: a framework for analyzing online offender mobility

Asier Moneva · Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement · NL

Abstract Purpose This paper introduces a novel framework for analyzing online offender mobility. Methods Drawing on multidisciplinary insights, we extend two established criminological models for studying offline offending—the geometry of crime and crime journeys—by adapting their core concepts to cyberspace and developing a topology in which the cyber place is defined and becomes the unit of analysis. Just as offenders travel before, during, and after committing crime offline, we argue they als

Novel insights into the dynamic function of PRC2 in innate immunity

Annette E. Neele · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NL

The polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is an established therapeutic target in cancer. PRC2 catalyzes methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and is known for maintaining eukaryote cell identity. Recent discoveries show that modulation of PRC2 not only impacts cell differentiation and tumor growth but also has immunomodulatory properties. Here, we integrate multiple immunological fields to understand PRC2 and its subunits in epigenetic canonical regulation and non-canonical mechanism

Cerebellum-dependent associative learning is not impaired in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1

Henk‐Jan Boele · NL

Abstract Individuals with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) experience a high degree of motor problems. The cerebellum plays a pivotal role in motor functioning and the NF1 gene is highly expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells. However, it is not well understood to what extent NF1 affects cerebellar functioning and how this relates to NF1 motor functioning. Therefore, we subjected global Nf1 +/− mice to a cerebellum-dependent associative learning task, called Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning. Additi

The global critical current effect of superconductivity

Mazhar N. Ali · NL

Superconductivity has been investigated for over a century, but there are still open questions about what determines the critical current; the maximum current a superconductor can carry before switching to its normal state. For a given superconductor, the zero-field critical current is widely believed to be determined by its inherent properties and be related to its critical magnetic field. Here, by studying superconducting polycrystalline films, single crystal flakes, and layered heterostructur

The COVID-19 Intelligence Failure: Why Warning Was Not Enough <i>by Erik J. Dahl</i>

Nikki Ikani · Leiden University · NL

&lt;p&gt;For decades, public health experts and journalists worldwide warned about a viral pandemic capable of causing illness and loss of life. Previous outbreaks of SARS, Ebola, and MERS highlighted this threat, which occupied top positions in risk assessments globally. Yet even with knowledge and precedent, the COVID-19 pandemic caught the world off guard. It revealed a world inadequately prepared and plunged societies into a state of disruption, with over 7 million deaths reported to the Wor

Higher-Order Topological Directionality and Directed Simplicial Neural Networks

Claudio Battiloro · NL

Topological Deep Learning (TDL) has emerged as a paradigm to process and learn from signals defined on higher-order combinatorial topological spaces, such as simplicial or cell complexes. Although many complex systems have an asymmetric relational structure, most TDL models forcibly symmetrize these relationships. In this paper, we first introduce a novel notion of higher-order directionality and we then design Directed Simplicial Neural Networks (Dir-SNNs) based on it. Dir-SNNs are message-pass

CAKE requires programming - On the provable post-quantum security of (O)CAKE

Silvia Ritsch · NL

In this work we revisit the post-quantum security of KEM-based password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE), specifically that of (O)CAKE. So far, these schemes evaded a security proof considering quantum adversaries. We give a detailed analysis of why this is the case, determining the missing proof techniques. To this end, we first provide a proof of security in the post-quantum setting, up to a single gap. This proof already turns out to be technically involved, requiring advanced techniques to

Optimal Zero‐Free Regions for the Independence Polynomial of Bounded Degree Hypergraphs

Pjotr Buys · University of Amsterdam · NL

ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate the distribution of zeros of the independence polynomial of hypergraphs of maximum degree . For graphs, the largest zero‐free disk around zero was described by Shearer as having radius . Recently, it was shown by Galvin et al. that for hypergraphs the disk of radius is zero‐free; however, it was conjectured that the actual truth should be . We show that this is indeed the case. We also show that there exists an open region around the interval that is zero‐f

Meaningful informed consent? How participants experience and understand data donation

Tim Groot Kormelink · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Data donation makes it possible to invite participants to request and share their data from digital platforms for research purposes. While it is a user-centric approach to digital trace data collection, little is known about how participants experience and understand the data donation process. This study therefore asked twenty participants to verbalize their thoughts and actions as they went through data donation (from Google, YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), and interviewed t

Roadmap on quantum magnetic materials

David Soriano · NL

Abstract Fundamental research on two-dimensional (2D) magnetic systems based on van der Waals materials has been rapidly gaining traction since their recent discovery. With the increase of recent knowledge, it has become clear that such materials have also a strong potential for applications in devices that combine magnetism with electronics, optics, and nanomechanics. Nonetheless, many challenges still lay ahead. Several fundamental aspects of 2D magnetic materials are still unknown or poorly u

Non-polio enteroviruses compromise the electrophysiology of a human iPSC-derived neural network

Lisa Bauer · Erasmus MC · NL

The non-polio enteroviruses enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68) and enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71) are highly prevalent and considered pathogens of increasing health concern. While most enterovirus infections are mild and self-limiting, severe complications ranging from meningitis, encephalitis, to acute flaccid paralysis can occur, especially in children and immunocompromised patients. Despite the global burden of neurological complications caused by EV-D68 and EV-A71, the underlying neuropathogenesis remains p

Strong pseudorandom functions in AC0[2] in the bounded-query setting

M. (Marshall) Ball · NL

Understanding the minimal computational power needed to realize a pseudorandom function (PRF) is a long-standing question in cryptography. By the Razborov–Smolensky polynomial approximation method, it is known that $AC^0[2]$ cannot support strong pseudorandom functions with subexponential security, since any such function can be distinguished from random with quasipolynomially many samples. In this work, we initiate the study of low-complexity strong PRFs under a refined framework that separates

A duality based 2-approximation algorithm for maximum agreement forest

Neil Olver · Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica · NL

We give a 2-approximation algorithm for the Maximum Agreement Forest problem on two rooted binary trees. This NP-hard problem has been studied extensively in the past two decades, since it can be used to compute the rooted Subtree Prune-and-Regraft (rSPR) distance between two phylogenetic trees. Our algorithm is combinatorial and its running time is quadratic in the input size. To prove the approximation guarantee, we construct a feasible dual solution for a novel exponential-size linear program

Classification-based motion analysis of single-molecule trajectories using DiffusionLab

J. J. Erik Maris · Utrecht University · NL

Single-particle tracking is a powerful approach to study the motion of individual molecules and particles. It can uncover heterogeneities that are invisible to ensemble techniques, which places it uniquely among techniques to study mass transport. Analysis of the trajectories obtained with single-particle tracking in inorganic porous hosts is often challenging, because trajectories are short and/or motion is heterogeneous. We present the DiffusionLab software package for motion analysis of such

Quantification of Protein Glycosylation Using Nanopores

Marthe T. C. Walvoort · University of Groningen · NL

Although nanopores can be used for single-molecule sequencing of nucleic acids using low-cost portable devices, the characterization of proteins and their modifications has yet to be established. Here, we show that hydrophilic or glycosylated peptides translocate too quickly across FraC nanopores to be recognized. However, high ionic strengths (i.e., 3 M LiCl) and low pH (i.e., pH 3) together with using a nanopore with a phenylalanine at its constriction allows the recognition of hydrophilic pep

Energy comparison of sequential and integrated CO2 capture and electrochemical conversion

Mengran Li · Delft University of Technology · NL

Abstract Integrating carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electrolysis with CO 2 capture provides exciting new opportunities for energy reductions by simultaneously removing the energy-demanding regeneration step in CO 2 capture and avoiding critical issues faced by CO 2 gas-fed electrolysers. However, understanding the potential energy advantages of an integrated process is not straightforward due to the interconnected processes which require knowledge of both capture and electrochemical conversion processes

Chasing Puppies

Mikkel Abrahamsen · NL

We solve an open problem posed by Michael Biro at CCCG 2013 that was inspired by his and others' work on beacon-based routing. Consider a human and a puppy on a simple closed curve in the plane. The human can walk along the curve at bounded speed and change direction as desired. The puppy runs along the curve (faster than the human) always reducing the Euclidean straight-line distance to the human, and stopping only when the distance is locally minimal. Assuming that the curve is smooth (with so

The influence of corn trypsin inhibitor on the contribution of coagulation determinants to the Technoclone Thrombin Generation Assay (TGA) and the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram (CAT)

Carolina E. Touw · Leiden University Medical Center · NL

In thrombin generation (TG) assays, regarded as global coagulation tests, contact activation is considered a major problem which can be eliminated by adding Corn Trypsin Inhibitor (CTI). In previous studies, however, venous thrombosis risk prediction using TG assays did not improve after CTI addition. However, it is unknown whether CTI addition could help to detect subtle but relevant nuances in determinants of TG, making the assay more suitable to detect disturbances in the coagulation system.

Emergence or Grammaticalization? The Case of Negation in Kata Kolok

Hannah Lutzenberger · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

Typological comparisons have revealed that signers can use manual elements and/or a non-manual marker to express standard negation, but little is known about how such systematic marking emerges from its gestural counterparts as a new sign language arises. We analyzed 1.73 h of spontaneous language data, featuring six deaf native signers from generations III-V of the sign language isolate Kata Kolok (Bali). These data show that Kata Kolok cannot be classified as a manual dominant or non-manual do

Charge transport in liquid crystal network of terthiophene-siloxane block molecules

Ghislaine Vantomme · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

In their thermotropic liquid-crystalline state, molecular semiconductors can show charge transport with high carrier mobility. Polymerization of the corresponding mesogens into a cross-linked network often deteriorates the charge transport. Here, we report that mesogens consisting of a terthiophene core and discrete oligodimethylsiloxane side-chains terminated by acrylate units can be photopolymerized in the columnar phase with retention of nanoscale order and charge transport capabilities. We a

Annual CO2 Budget Estimation From Chamber-Based Flux Measurements on Intensively Drained Peat Meadows: Effect of Gap-Filling Strategies

Weier Liu · University of Groningen · NL

Estimating annual CO 2 budgets on drained peatlands is important in understanding the significance of CO 2 emissions from peatland degradation and evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation techniques. The closed-chamber technique is widely used in combination with gap-filling of CO 2 fluxes by parameter fitting empirical models of ecosystem respiration (R eco ) and gross primary production (GPP). However, numerous gap-filling strategies are available which are suitable for different circumstanc

Open quantum dynamics with variational non-Gaussian states and the truncated Wigner approximation

Liam J. Bond · QuSoft · NL

We present a framework for simulating the open dynamics of spin-boson systems by combining variational non-Gaussian states with a quantum trajectories approach. We apply this method to a generic spin-boson Hamiltonian that has both Tavis-Cummings and Holstein type couplings and which has broad applications to a variety of quantum simulation platforms, polaritonic physics, and quantum chemistry. Additionally, we discuss how the recently developed truncated Wigner approximation for open quantum sy

Carefree multiple testing with e-processes

Yury Tavyrikov · NL

E-processes enable hypothesis testing with ongoing data collection while maintaining Type I error control. However, when testing multiple hypotheses simultaneously, current $e$-value based multiple testing methods such as e-BH are not invariant to the order in which data are gathered for the different $e$-processes. This can lead to undesirable situations, e.g., where a hypothesis rejected at time $t$ is no longer rejected at time $t+1$ after choosing to gather more data for one or more $e$-proc

Politeness without payoff? Evaluating the effect of a short pragmatics intervention on L1 request writing

Afra Klarenbeek · Tilburg University · NL

This study explores the introduction of pragmatics concepts—speech acts, conversational implicature, and politeness—into L1 language education and its impact on students' writing. Despite the well-documented benefits of pragmatics instruction in L2 contexts, its application in L1 settings remains under-researched. Using a quasi-experimental research design with switching replications, involving 241 Dutch pre-university students, the current study examined whether a short intervention in which co

Applying evolutionary theory to understand host–microbiome evolution

Bob Week · NL

Vertical Technologies and Relational Values: Rethinking Ethics of Technology in an Age of Extractivism

Jeroen Hopster · Utrecht University · NL

Critical reflection on the material, environmental, and social conditions underlying technology remains peripheral to the field of technology ethics. In this commentary, I underwrite the diagnosis by Vandemeulebroucke et al. (2025) that the field suffers from an "extractivist blindspot", but propose a somewhat different cure. First, rather than focusing on the material ontogenesis of technical artefacts, a more radical turn away from artefacts is called for, towards layered socio-technical syste