VU University Amsterdam

About: VU University Amsterdam is a education organization based out in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 33856 authors who have published 75643 publications receiving 3414264 citations.

Music2Share - copyright-compliant music sharing in P2P systems

Abstract: Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are generally considered to be free havens for pirated content, in particular with respect to music. We describe a solution for the problem of copyright infringement in P2P networks for music sharing. In particular, we propose a P2P protocol that integrates the functions of identification, tracking, and sharing of music with those of licensing, monitoring, and payment. This highly decentralized music-aware P2P protocol will allow access to large amounts of music of guaranteed quality; it merges in a natural way the policing functions for copyright protection and an efficient music-management infrastructure for the benefit of the user.

Cytotoxicity and neurocytotoxicity of new marine anticancer agents evaluated using in vitro assays

Abstract: Purpose: New classes of anticancer drugs, isolated from marine organisms, have been shown to possess cytotoxic activity against multiple tumor types. Aplidine, didemnin B, and isohomohalichondrin B (IHB), among the more promising antitumor candidates, have been evaluated in the present study on a comparative basis in terms of their antiproliferative activity and neurotoxic effects in vitro. Methods: Using a panel of different human, prostatic cancer cell lines (DU 145, PC-3 and LNCaP-FGC) the effects of Aplidine, didemnin B, and IHB on tumor cell proliferation were tested in a colorimetric (XTT) assay and compared with the effects of vincristine, vinorelbine, and Taxol. Under analogous in vitro conditions these drugs were also monitored for neurocytotoxic effects using a PC 12 cell line based model. Results: Didemnin B and – especially – Aplidine were more effective in the inhibition of prostate cancer cell proliferation than vincristine, vinorelbine or Taxol at concentration levels between 5 and 50 pmol/ml. At these same concentrations, however, Didemnin B and Aplidine were also most potent in the in vitro neurotoxicity assays. IHB was found to exert even more potent antiproliferative activity (at concentration levels between 0.05 and 0.1 pmol/ml). However, neurotoxic effects were also found to be present at these levels. After drug withdrawal, the neurotoxic damage, inflicted by aplidine or IHB appeared to be more long lasting than after vincristine or vinorelbine exposure. Conclusions: These results point to high antiproliferative activity of aplidine and IHB in prostate cancer. At the same time, the data urge some caution in the clinical use of these agents because of potential neurotoxic side-effects. The use of a newly formulated Aplidine may involve a more favorable therapeutic profile.

The Dutch Parliamentary Elections in 2002 and 2003: The Rise and Decline of the Fortuyn Movement

Abstract: During the Dutch parliamentary elections of 2002, the new party ‘List of Pim Fortuyn’ (LPF) has won 26 seats mainly at the cost of the governing parties: next to D66, the PvdA and the VVD, which both hoped to win the elections. After the election, these parties had become smaller than CDA and LPF. Why could one ‘newcomer’ without a well-developed party organization gain such a smashing electoral victory? We argue that who wants to understand Fortuyn's victory should study his victims, i.e. the ‘established’ main parties on the left and right of the Dutch party system. We argue that the programmatic convergence of the established parties has made them look more similar and therefore almost indistinguishable in the eyes of many voters. This has reinforced the feeling of many voters that the established parties form merely a ‘cartel’ without having a sense for the problems of ordinary citizens, let alone the capacity to solve them. In addition, the ongoing rise of electoral volatility in the Netherlands shaped the room for ‘catching’ this segment of the Dutch electorate. Fortuyn effectively used this discontent by means of right-wing populism. Although he was often pictured as a right-wing extremist, this is not a convincing argument when his party programme is compared with other European parties that are considered either as ‘conservative’ or as part of the emerging ‘new right’ party family. The dramatic decline in votes of the LPF in the elections of January 2003 does not mean that the impact of this party has vanished. Rather the programmatic positions of the main parties were affected by the rise of the LPF. Most parties have moved further to the right of the party system in 2003 in order to become more attractive to voters who voted for the LPF in 2002.

Physical activity in young children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract: Purpose. The aim of this study was to describe the physical activity levels of 5- and 7-year-old children with cerebral palsy (CP, n = 97), to compare their physical activity levels with those of typically developing peers (TD, n = 57) and the Dutch recommendation for physical activity, and to investigate the associated factors.Method. The level of physical activity (hours spent on sports and physical activity per week) and contextual factors were assessed with standardised questionnaires.Results. Mean duration of self-reported physical activity for children with CP was 3.4 (± 1.9) h/week, which was significantly less than the 5.8 (± 2.3) h/week for TD-peers. Ninety-three percent of the children with CP were insufficiently physically active according to the Dutch recommendation for physical activity. Multiple regression analyses showed that younger age and lower educational level of the mother were significantly associated with lower levels of physical activity for children with CP, while severity of CP w...

Selective resistance to vasoactive effects of insulin in muscle resistance arteries of obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats.

Abstract: Obesity is related to insulin resistance and hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Insulin exerts both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor effects on muscle resistance arteries, whic...