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The technopolitics of cybersecurity:Sociotechnical configurations, epistemic devices, and the production of knowledge
No full textThis 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
Follow the trace:Evaluating physical and digital forensic findings given activity level propositions using Bayesian networks
Full text linkForensic scientists face questions ranging from “What is the source ofthis trace?” to more complex issues like “Who did what, when, where,and how?” These latter questions, known as “activity level questions,”become particularly challenging when they involve multiple types oftraces, such as DNA traces and fibers. Evaluating the combined strengthof evidence in these cases provides great value to the court but requiresmanaging numerous probabilities arising from various uncertainties. Suchcomplex casework requires structured probabilistic reasoning, and Bayesiannetworks prove to be valuable tools for this purpose.By using fictive case examples throughout this work, we advocate thebenefits of the LR framework and Bayesian networks for evaluating forensicfindings given activity level propositions across various disciplines—including digital forensic science.The result? A collection of “building blocks” representing generalprobabilistic forensic problems and two template Bayesian networksapplicable to both mono- and interdisciplinary casework that map pathwaysfrom alleged activities to traces found on items of interest (i.e., “Follow thetrace”). Additionally, two use cases in digital forensic science are presented:one involving iPhone Health app data and another addressing Trojan horsedefense cases.This work aims to serve as a valuable reference for forensic scientists intheir casework and research while also providing useful insights for otherprofessionals in the forensic and legal fields
Breaking the chain of deception:A multi-stakeholder perspective on deceptive advertising and the potential of blockchain as a solution
No full textDeceptive advertising is a growing problem in the contemporary digital environment, exacerbated by increasing digitalisation and over-reliance of media companies on advertising revenue. These developments have created a complex and non-transparent online advertising ecosystem, enabling deceptive practices to operate undetected. Deceptive advertising undermines consumer well-being, imposes financial and reputational costs on industry stakeholders, and erodes societal trust by amplifying disinformation. While regulators have introduced measures to empower consumers, news media also play a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions of deceptive advertising and influencing how other stakeholders prioritise and address the issue. The widespread impact of deceptive advertising across the entire online advertising ecosystem highlights the need for a multi-stakeholder approach that includes consumers, the online advertising industry, and the news media.This dissertation explores perceptions of deceptive advertising from this multi-stakeholder perspective and investigates whether, and how, blockchain technology can serve as a potential solution. It examines how the news media frame deceptive advertising, how consumers’ beliefs and experiences shape their protection motivations, how industry experts perceive the issue and blockchain’s potential, and whether blockchain-based ad authenticity disclosures influence consumer perceptions of ad and brand credibility.Findings reveal that although all stakeholders acknowledge deceptive advertising as an issue, advertising industry experts differ in their assessment of its severity, and many consumers underestimate their susceptibility. While theoretically blockchain can reduce the impact of deceptive advertising by enhancing transparency and credibility, practical implementation faces substantial challenges. Effective application requires favourable regulation, consumer education, and adoption across the entire online advertising ecosystem
Precision in the storm:Host response dysregulation as a guide for prognosis and targeted therapies in pneumonia and sepsis
No full textThe overall objective of this thesis is to advance the field of immunomodulation in sepsis, pneumonia, and COVID-19 by aiding in the transition from clinical severity-based approaches to host response-based precision medicine using advanced (machine-learning) statistics and multi-omics. To address this, the thesis is organized into three key parts, each examining critical challenges identified in the introduction. Part I exemplifies the potential benefits of focusing on host response dysregulation and how to facilitate such a paradigm shift. Part II evaluates the impact of an increasingly relevant global factor: ageing populations and its potential implications for the effectiveness of immunomodulatory therapies. Finally, Part III investigates host response alterations underpinning adverse outcomes at multiple stages of disease progression: in pneumonia and COVID-19 before and during established sepsis. By employing multi-omics, including (cellular) transcriptomics and (cellular and plasma) proteomics, this chapter seeks to uncover actionable pathways that drive clinical deterioration and mortality and proposes novel research and therapeutic opportunities for early and potentially life-saving interventions
Looking beyond the NICU:Long-term outcomes and machine learning prediction
No full textThis thesis studies the long-term outcomes after preterm birth, focussing on pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcome and investigates the value of machine learning in the prediction of these outcomes.In Chapter 1, a meta-analysis is performed to study the pulmonary outcome of preterm infants. Preterm born children face a three times increased risk of adverse pulmonary outcome. A lower gestational age or birthweight, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and receiving invasive mechanical ventilation were all significantly associated with increased risk of adverse pulmonary outcome.Chapter 2 identifies studies using machine learning to predict neurodevelopmental outcome. This study finds that models often face risk of inflated predictive performance due to data leakage from testing to training data, and that those with sufficient quality are limited to outcome up to two years and are mainly based on predictors derived from advanced MRI imaging.In Chapter 3 and 4, machine learning models were developed to predict neurodevelopmental outcome based on readily available predictors from the neonatal period. The models reached moderate overall performances (AUC up to 0.703), yet performed significantly better than the conventional models and reached high negative predictive values (up to 95%). The models performed better predicting outcome at five than outcome at two years of age. Vital signs handled through a basic approach modestly improved prediction of motor outcome but not cognitive outcome.In Chapter 5 the design and implementation of a sturctured neonatal follow-up with integrated data-pipeline was studied. This structured follow-up of highly vulnerable neonates and their parents facilitates both individual patient care and health care innovation through evaluation and scientific research.</p
(Mal-) adaptive synchronization in the human brain:Signatures of neural oscillations in psychiatric and normative populations
Full text linkNeural oscillations are a fundamental mechanism to orchestrate precise temporal coordination in the brain and slightly different patterns in neural oscillations may have far-reaching consequences for cognitive functioning. The goal of this thesis is to elucidate the neuronal oscillatory mechanisms that reflect cognitive processing. I investigated the cognitive mechanism of attention in normative groups as well as in people with psychiatric disorders namely, post-traumatic stress disorder and autism spectrum disorder. I aim to shed light on attentional resource allocation in various cognitive paradigms as well as neural mechanisms at rest. For the final chapter, I had the unique opportunity to investigate neural power and connectivity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder while they received deep brain stimulation treatment
Let’s talk about sex:Optimising the management of unexplained infertility
Full text linkThis thesis aimed to optimise expectant management (EM) for couples with unexplained infertility, focusing on sexual health. While at least six months of EM is recommended for couples with a favourable prognosis for natural conception, pregnancy rates remain limited, and it often fails to meet their need for action and information, leading to non-adherence and overtreatment.To address these issues, we explored couples’ experiences and identified a need for supportive interactions and advice on managing lifestyle, distress, and sexual challenges via a secure website. Using these insights, literature and expert input, we developed the Pleasure&Pregnancy (P&P) web-based programme, targeting sexual well-being- a critical but overlooked factor in fertility care. A randomised controlled trial evaluated the programme’s effectiveness compared to standard EM. While the P&P programme did not improve pregnancy rates, it enhanced women’s sexual pleasure, orgasm, and satisfaction. Although coital frequency and male sexual functioning decreased in the overall population, engaged users experienced reduced declines in coital frequency and improved male sexual desire. A cross-sectional study revealed that 25% of recently diagnosed couples are at risk of sexual dysfunction, highlighting the importance of prioritising sexual health. Factors like age, anxiety, depression, and relationship distress were associated with poorer sexual functioning. Dyadic analysis confirmed the interdependence of partners’ sexual functioning, emphasising the need for couple-focused fertility research and treatments.This thesis concludes that integrating sexual health support into EM can better address couples’ needs, improve sexual health, and may improve adherence. Further research into the P&P programme’s role in infertility care is recommended
Early nutritional strategies to modulate the early-life stress- and Alzheimer's disease-induced changes in the brain:Focus on microglia
Full text linkDit proefschrift onderzoekt de invloed van voedingsstoffen zoals omega-3 vetzuren (N-3 PUFAs) en koffiepolyfenolen op de hersenen en hun rol in het immuunsysteem, met een specifieke focus op microglia, de immuuncellen van de hersenen. Een belangrijk thema is de rol van deze voedingsstoffen in het verminderen van de negatieve gevolgen van vroege stress (early-life stress (ES)) en hun mogelijke bijdrage aan de ziekteprocessen van de ziekte van Alzheimer (AD).Uit eerder onderzoek blijkt dat vroege voedingsinterventies, bijvoorbeeld via verrijking met N-3 PUFAs, bescherming kunnen bieden tegen de schadelijke effecten van ES, waarbij microglia een belangrijke rol spelen. Deze interventies kunnen mogelijk de achteruitgang verminderen bij AD, zoals wordt waargenomen in individuelen blootgesteld aan ES. Dit proefschrift bespreekt hoe N-3 PUFA en hun derivaten, zoals oxylipines, de structuur en functies van microglia beïnvloeden in verschillende hersengebieden. Er wordt onderzocht hoe een dieet verrijkt met N-3 PUFAS de vorming van amyloïde plaques, een pathologisch kenmerk van AD, kan verminderen. Muizen die op jonge leeftijd een dergelijk dieet kregen, vertoonden een significante afname van amyloïde plaques in de hippocampus en de entorhinale cortex, hersengebieden die essentieel zijn voor geheugenfuncties. Deze vermindering van plaques werd in verband gebracht met veranderingen in de morfologie en functie van microglia. Microglia die zich dichter bij amyloïde plaques bevonden, vertoonden veranderingen in complexiteit en een toename van fagocytose—het vermogen om schadelijke stoffen zoals amyloïde plaques op te ruimen.Samengevat, dit proefschrift benadrukt het potentieel van (vroege) voedingsinterventies, met name N-3 PUFAs, om vroege negatieve programmering door stress te moduleren en de ontwikkeling van neurodegeneratieve ziekten zoals AD op latere leeftijd te beïnvloeden. Het onderzoek draagt bij aan een beter begrip van de complexe interacties tussen voeding, het immuunsysteem van de hersenen en ziekteprocessen zoals AD
A transnational social contract:How a plurality of actors shape the rights of Indian low-wage labor emigrants along the India-Gulf Cooperation Council migration corridor
Full text linkMany low-wage employed migrant workers worldwide face precarious jobs, unsafe conditions, and poor living situations. The India-Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) corridor exemplifies this: India sends the most migrants globally, and approximately half of all Indian migrants stay in the GCC region, where most work in so-called unskilled job categories. Migrant-origin states such as India potentially deploy a variety of policy tools to protect and enforce their citizens’ labor and human rights abroad. However, despite the norm of supporting and providing rights to their nationals abroad, this is not an obligation states have. This dissertation shows that the rights Indian emigrants receive are informed by notions of deservingness and membership negotiated and shaped by a plurality of local, subnational, national, trans- and international state and non-state actors.Drawing on document analysis, observations, and interviews with actors involved in the transnational policy process of emigration and emigrant policymaking in the GCC region and India, the dissertation finds that the Indian state differentiates its policies along labels of high and low-skilled migration and that differentiated access to social protection and other citizenry rights also results from varying subnational incorporation of emigrants and practices of CSOs in the origin and destination context which support emigrants in procuring rights
Integrated biocatalytic approaches enabling steroids synthesis and functionalization
Full text linkSteroids are ubiquitous in nature and perform essential vital functions such as the regulation hormonal activity or the digestion and absorption of lipids. Steroids are also fundamental constituents of cell membranes and can exhibit anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities with important therapeutic applications in the treatment of several clinical conditions including cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Not surprisingly, the global market for steroidal drugs and intermediates has a remarkable value of more than 10 billion US dollars. Despite their impressive distribution, the production of many steroid molecules remains difficult via traditional organic chemistry, displaying many synthetic steps, low yields and selectivity. Given the urge to make these molecules more accessible for clinical trials and drug manufacturing, new atom-efficient and chemo-selective synthesis methods are highly desired. Such new processes must also meet modern synthesis standards such as sustainability, safety, and cost efficiency. For this purpose, in this joined PhD project we aimed to address this challenge by developing integrated flow chemo-biocatalytic systems for steroid functionalization. In particular, the major aims of the project are:• Discover and apply new enzymes for the site-specific functionalization of steroids under mild conditions (e.g., sulphation, amination)• Implement new biocatalysts into tailored chemical routes to shorten the number of synthesis steps, enhance efficiency, and reduce waste.This project benefited by the collaboration between the Laboratory of Medicinal and Advanced Synthetic Chemistry led by Professor Antimo Gioiello at UniPG Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences with sustainable and flow synthesis of steroids and the Biocatalysis lab led by Professor Francesco Mutti at the UvA's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, with organic synthesis using enzymes and enzyme engineering