International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion online publications
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Fishing for autonomy:The making of Indian fisheries science
No full textA troubled relation exists between the realms and practices of ‘science’ and ‘politics’ across the world in the 21st century, and presents itself as a struggle for autonomy between these realms, even within ‘applied’ state-funded scientific fields such as fisheries science. This study of fisheries science asks, “can science ever be far from politics, and should it?"Disciplinary actions, both internal and external aimed at curtailing autonomy, have existed across organisations, in various nations and across periods of time. Such practices as well as resistances to them have shaped these very fields today. How can we historically and sociologically understand struggles for autonomy of and within Indian fisheries science? This thesis interrogates the unexamined claim to modernity seen in contemporary struggles for autonomy within scientific organisations. It takes fisheries science and the historical shaping of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in India as the empirical grounds for constructing its case. The manuscript shows the value of engaging Bourdieu’s field theory with postcolonial science studies. This thesis deploys this framework to make visible the ways in which power and dominance operate through diverse practices within Indian fisheries science. The thesis argues that autonomy of the field and of its practitioners is neither an objective phenomenon nor a wholly subjective experience. Rather, India’s institutionalised fisheries science, may be seen as a historical enactment of politics by other means; a multiplicity of postcolonial practices which both limit and encourage autonomy of individuals and the field itself
Ion the prize:The dynamic role of ions at the solid-liquid interface
No full textUnderstanding solid–liquid interfacial interactions is essential for controlling chemical reactivity, material synthesis, and electrochemical behaviour. These interfaces play a key role in a wide range of applications, from energy conversion and storage to the fabrication of functional materials. This thesis examines how ions in solution influence the organization of solvent molecules and the energetics at interfaces, both in equilibrium and under applied potential. The first part of the thesis focuses on the solution-based synthesis of low-dimensional perovskite materials, particularly butylammonium lead iodide. It demonstrates that the oxidation state of the lead precursors (Pb²⁺ versus Pb⁴⁺) significantly impacts ion-solvent complexation, leading to distinct crystallization behaviours and morphologies. These findings underscore the importance of precursor chemistry in directing material formation at the molecular level. The second part of the thesis applies Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy to quantitatively map adhesion forces at electrified interfaces with high spatial resolution. By examining various electrolyte compositions and electrode materials, the thesis reveals how interfacial forces depend on ion identity, surface structure, and electrochemical conditions. These findings provide insights into the nanoscale organization of the electric double layer and uncover ion-specific effects that challenge traditional models of electrochemical interfaces. This thesis highlights the active and dynamic interplay of all system components, including ions, solvents, and solid surfaces, in shaping interfacial structure, chemical pathways, and electrochemical behaviour.</p
Sinofuturism as worlding:Imagining futures in sinophone digital art
No full text“Sinofuturism as Worlding: Imagining Futures in Sinophone Digital Art” responds to the prevalence with which politicians, journalists, and opinion makers imagine futures of the Sinophone sphere in either techno-utopian or techno-orientalist terms and as determined by either China or “the West.” It studies Sinophone digital art that has gained prominence and that produces nuanced imaginations of the relation between digital technologies and futures that go beyond reductive geopolitical binaries. The study asks: How does Sinophone digital art imagine technology-infused futures in response to techno-utopian and techno-orientalist imaginations of those futures? To answer this question, it adopts a theoretical framework that consists of three concepts: Sinophone, worlding, and Sinofuturism. These concepts are mobilized to analyze how future-oriented Sinophone digital art brings into being technology-infused futures of Sinophone words. The chapters focus on four themes that are prevalent in imaginations of such futures: connectedness, embodiment, self-care, and artificial intelligence. Case studies include artworks by artists such as LuYang, Lawrence Lek, aaajiao, Miao Ying, Li Yi-Fan, Ye Funa, Betty Apple, and Fei Yining, as well as exhibitions and other materials from art institutes such as Chronus Art Center (Shanghai), M WOODS (Beijing), and Digital Art Center (Taipei). By adopting a method of cultural analysis grounded in art historical and ethnographic methods, a more comprehensive understanding is produced of the multifaceted futures that are being imagined and brought into being across the Sinophone sphere
The persuasiveness of political targeting
No full textIn an era where digital technologies shape our daily lives, political campaigning has undergone a revolutionary transformation, using sophisticated voter data to reach individuals with personalized messages. Through a literature review and three empirical studies, this dissertation enhances our understanding of political targeting's nuances and effectiveness. The literature review identifies gaps in existing research, such as the lack of comparative analysis of targeting strategies, dynamic examination of repeated ad exposure, exploration of mechanisms between ad exposure and voting behavior, and individual and contextual moderating effects. To address these gaps, the dissertation presents empirical evidence using three innovative methodologies: a hybrid approach of browser tracking and panel surveys, a combination of mobile experience sampling, panel surveys, and content analysis, and a longitudinal experimental design. These methods capture online political ad exposure in realistic election settings. The dissertation overall finds small persuasive effects of political advertising. Repeated exposure to online political ads increases the likelihood of voting for the advertised party, especially among voters with lower political knowledge and online privacy literacy. Issue-based targeting, where ads address topics important to the voter, is perceived more positively and enhances voting behavior, transcending partisan biases. Ads aligning with both party and issue preferences are most positively received, with no significant difference in effectiveness between party-based and issue-based targeting. This dissertation emphasizes the need for educational initiatives to improve online privacy literacy, and calls for regulatory measures to protect vulnerable groups from manipulative content. It contributes to fostering a healthier information consumption environment during elections
The technopolitics of cybersecurity:Sociotechnical configurations, epistemic devices, and the production of knowledge
Full text linkThis thesis critically examines how cybersecurity knowledge is produced and the political implications thereof. Dominant approaches tend to frame cybersecurity as a technical or strategic tool to defend powerful states and corporations. This enacts a universalised conception of danger that legitimises pervasive surveillance, anticipatory intervention, and hierarchical authority. Such framings risk neglecting the mundane, everyday practices and unintended consequences of cybersecurity technologies that shape how insecurity is imagined and governed. At the intersection of Critical Security Studies (CSS) and Science and Technology Studies (STS), this thesis develops a conceptual vocabulary for analysing cybersecurity as sociotechnical configurations in which humans and technologies are co-produced. Empirically, it demonstrates how cybersecurity infrastructures and practices – from standardisation processes to intrusion detection systems – create imaginaries of omniscience that privilege Western, state-centric interests while marginalising alternative epistemologies and lived experiences. By studying how knowledge about threats and risks is constructed through computational ordering and automation, the thesis shows how irregularities are increasingly suspicioned as dangers, producing new categories of insecurity. Ultimately, it argues that cybersecurity is not merely reactive but a technopolitical project that reproduces asymmetries of power, erodes democratic oversight, and transforms everyday security practices into instruments of algorithmic governance. By resisting closures that cast the world as inherently insecure, this research contributes to a broader critical project that reasserts the political stakes of cybersecurity and opens space for democratic contestation and alternative futures
Let's chat about sex, baby!:Leveraging chatbots for sexual health promotion
Full text linkSexually transmitted infections remain a major concern among youth, especially new couples who often stop using condoms early. This dissertation explores how conversational agents can support STI prevention by facilitating sexual health discussions. It emphasizes user-centered, qualitative methods to design and evaluate chatbots for individuals and couples. Towards improved CAs that can engage new, young couples through interactions about condom use for STI prevention, this dissertation takes a progressive approach to design, and assess the user acceptance of, two conversational agents: Mish (for individual use), and MishSync (for couple use). Specifically, this dissertation provides an overview of sexual health CAs and identifies user acceptance factors relevant for this context (Chapter 2), after which Mish (Chapter 3) and MishSync (Chapters 4 and 5) are designed and evaluated (on the basis of the identified user acceptance factors) through interviews (see Table 1 for an overview of Mish and MishSync). This research sheds light on key factors influencing user acceptance of sexual health chatbots, and highlights the role of machine-specific schemas in shaping user perceptions of chatbot interactions. Findings reveal that motivational interviewing can be successfully adapted for a chatbot-based sexual health intervention, fostering comfort and self-disclosure. Moreover, the user-centered design approach demonstrated that couples-based CAs are well-received but require distinct considerations, particularly regarding trust-building and partner dynamics. While CAs show promise for engaging young people in sexual health discussions, future research is needed to refine human-chatbot interactions for greater real-world adoption
Incremental cartilage damage of the ankle:Steps towards an evidence-based personalized approach
Full text linkThe present thesis highlights the etiology, incidence, phenotypes as well as management of (osteo)chondral injuries to the ankle throughout a wide and inter- and multidisciplinary scope. The overreaching goal of the thesis was to work towards an evidence-based personalized approach for the treatment of incremental cartilage damage of the ankle with a specific focus on the treatment of large, secondary osteochondral lesions of the talus, hence aiming to prevent the further progression in the above-mentioned cascade from osteochondral lesion to end-stage osteo-arthritis
B cells and their signaling pathways:The guiding lights to decipher and target autoimmunity
No full textAutoimmunity arises when the immune system misrecognizes self as non-self, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. B cells are central to this process by producing autoantibodies, presenting self-antigens, and secreting pro-inflammatory mediators. This thesis focuses on B cell biology in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with the aim of (i) characterizing B cell subsets across immune compartments and inflamed tissues, and (ii) exploring disease-relevant intracellular signaling pathways as therapeutic targets.In AAV, kidney biopsies revealed diverse B and T cell populations, including atypical memory B cells, plasma cells, and pro-inflammatory T helper cells, within a microenvironment shaped by NF-κB and interferon signaling. Furthermore, enhanced canonical and non-canonical NF-κB signatures were identified in peripheral B cells in active AAV, which were effectively inhibited by IKKβ and NIK blockade, resulting in reduced B cell proliferation, differentiation, and autoantibody production. In IIM, characterized by an interferon signature and JAK/STAT activation, B cell profiling uncovered skewed transitional/naïve and memory subsets. Additionally, JAK inhibition preferentially suppressed B cell differentiation and reduced autoantibody production, supporting its therapeutic potential in IIM. In RA, autoreactive ACPA⁺ B cells displayed enhanced proliferation as well as (auto)antibody and cytokine production, which were abrogated by NF-κB inhibition, while JAK inhibition broadly suppressed B cell activity.This thesis demonstrates that targeting NF-κB and JAK/STAT signaling in AAV, IIM and RA modulates autoreactive B cell responses. Targeting these pathways in B cells offers opportunities for more precise therapies, moving beyond broad B cell depletion toward durable, pathway-specific modulation
Alveolar host response in acute respiratory distress syndrome
No full textThis thesis presents a series of translational studies investigating the alveolar host response in the patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), integrating molecular, cellular, and clinical perspectives. ARDS is a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, high mortality, and limited treatment options. A deeper understanding of localized host responses may support the development of targeted therapies and improved diagnostics.The thesis begins with a comprehensive review of the alveolar immune landscape, highlighting neutrophils and macrophages as dominant cell populations and underscoring the heterogeneity of immune responses across etiologies and disease stages. Building on this foundation, high-dimensional single-cell proteomics was applied to characterize alveolar immune profiles in ARDS patients with different underlying causes. The results revealed pathogen-specific differences in immune activation and maturation, tightly linked to local cytokine profiles and patient outcomes.Subsequent work focused on the fibroproliferative response in COVID-19-related ARDS, demonstrating that early fibroproliferation is associated with increased short-term mortality but does not reliably predict long-term fibrotic sequelae. Another study evaluated the diagnostic utility of exhaled breath metabolites in large patient cohorts. Although metabolite-based algorithms achieved moderate accuracy, they fell short of clinical applicability, reflecting the challenges of translating breathomics into practice.Together, these studies illustrate the compartmentalized and dynamic nature of alveolar host responses in ARDS, encompassing inflammation, immune regulation, and tissue remodeling. They emphasize the importance of functional immune profiling, longitudinal assessment, and integration of molecular and clinical data to advance precision approaches for this complex syndrome
Timing of light:Circadian and metabolic effects
No full textIn mammals, the circadian timing system consists of a light- sensitive central brain clock located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and various peripheral clocks. Disruption of this circadian system is associated with adverse health problems including adiposity and diabetes mellitus. This thesis aims to study the timing of light, and the circadian and metabolic effects on rats and humans. Chapter 2 investigates the adaptation speed of behavioral and metabolic parameters in a rat model of jet lag and shift work, and the effects of time-restricted food intake as a potential strategy to mitigate the negative effects of such phase-inversions in rats. Chapter 3 investigates possible changes in the liver and muscle insulin signaling pathway, the adaptation speed of the molecular clock in liver, muscle and white adipose tissue (WAT) and the daily body temperature rhythm in the same rat model. Moreover we investigate the effect of high fat diet, either ad libitum or restricted to the dark period, on the adaptation speed after a 12h phase shift of the light/dark cycle in rats. Chapter 4 investigates the blood oxygenation level dependent light responsiveness of the SCN-area in three groups of obese people: 1) normal insulin sensitivity, 2) insulin resistance and 3) type 2 diabetes. Further, we investigate the resting-state functional connectivity from the SCN-area to pre-specified regions of interest in brain as a marker of resting-state SCN-area activity. Chapter 5 investigates the effect of morning bright light exposure on the human WAT transcriptome.<br/