Stellingen behorende bij het proefschrift

Schistosoma mansoni and
host-parasite interactions

1. The presence of minor proteins in the schistosome eggshell can have major consequences for eggshell interactions with the hemostatic and immune systems of the host. (This thesis)
2. The absence of host proteins in the schistosome eggshell indicates that eggshell cross-linking is a rapid process that fully occurs within the female worm and is finished before oviposition. (This thesis)
3. Host hemostatic factors bind to schistosome eggshells and this facilitates excretion of schistosome eggs. (This thesis)
4. The ratio of anti-egg antibodies versus anti-worm antibodies in cerebral spine fluid (CSF) compared to serum can distinguish between true neuroschistosomiasis and other disorders damaging the blood-brain barrier in patients with systemic schistosomiasis only. (This thesis)
5. The pronounced reduction of phosphatidylinositol levels in serum of infected hamsters implies that yet unknown host-schistosome interactions occur. (This thesis)
6. A healthy ecosystem is one that is rich in parasites. (Trends Ecol Evol 2006, 21:3813-85)
7. Effect sizes and confidence intervals convey what a P value does not: the magnitude and relative importance of an effect. (G. Cummings, cited by R. Nuzzo, Nature 2014, 506:150-152)
8. Although classical music seems to relax animals more than pop music does, playing the latter in animal facilities can be justified when this is preferred by human workers. (J Appl Anim Welfare Sci 2006, 9:327-332)
9. Prerun stretches do not prevent injury. (Scand J Med Sci Sports 2010, 20:169- 81)
10. Empowerment of rural women is key to ending hunger. (FAO, State of Food and Agriculture, Rome 2010)
11. All data and results of research funded by public means should be freely accessible.