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Inverse model for biphasic blood flow in the microcirculation
(2023)The energy demand of the brain to maintain its primary functions such as processing and transmitting information through electrical signals is very high. This requires a robust supply of blood, which is distributed to all brain regions by a dense vascular network. The brain is capable of adjusting vessel diameters to locally and temporally regulate blood flow in response to changes in neuronal activity. In addition, the vasculature often ...Doctoral Thesis -
Reactive flows dynamics for low-emissions aviation: spray combustion in hot vitiated environment and passive control of thermoacoustic instabilities
(2023)Humanity has little time left to address the most daunting challenge of modern society: the climate crisis. The steady increase in anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases starting from the Industrial Revolution has led to a significant change of the Earth’s climate, triggering a multitude of natural disasters. To curb these issues, representatives of many nations around the world have agreed on a common path to reach net zero emissions ...Doctoral Thesis -
The curse of dimensionality and gradient-based training of neural networks: shrinking the gap between theory and applications
(2023)Neural networks have gained widespread attention due to their remarkable performance in various applications. Two aspects are particular striking: on the one hand, neural networks seem to enjoy superior approximation capacities than classical methods. On the other hand, neural networks are trained successfully with gradient-based algorithms despite the training task being a highly nonconvex optimization problem. This thesis advances the ...Doctoral Thesis -
Investigating cancer heterogeneity through single-cell DNA sequencing
(2023)Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) describes the coexistence of cellular populations with distinct geno- and phenotypes within a tumor, posing a major obstacle to successful cancer treatment. The rapid progress in sequencing technologies over the last decades enabled studying ITH at the single-cell level, the highest possible resolution. Single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) accesses the genomic information of individual tumor cells and their ...Doctoral Thesis -
Stress and stress management in a digital world: Towards a technology-mediated intervention programme for the workplace
(2023)Digital technologies have changed the workplace dramatically over the past decades. While they increase efficiency and productivity, they have also contributed to a rising prevalence of work-related stress and stress-related health problems. Stressors like information overflow, digital interruptions, time pressure and emotional demands greatly shape modern-day working life but have not been studied in realistic yet controlled settings. ...Doctoral Thesis -
Nature and catalytic activity of Lewis acid extra-framework species in zeolites
(2023)Zeolites are aluminosilicate materials possessing well-defined pore sizes, hydrothermal stability, and structural tunability. Due to the combination of unique characteristics, they hold a central place in heterogeneous catalysis and continue to find an impressive number of potential applications. The role of zeolites as acid catalysts originates from the co-presence of Lewis acid sites (LAS) and Brønsted acid sites (BAS). The structure ...Doctoral Thesis -
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Cognitive Limitations
(2023)Our brains are finite. This limitation entails that human decision-making cannot be perfect. However, it may be optimal given its restrictions. In this thesis, we consider resource limitations to study the brain and its behavior. In the first project, we study how humans perceives the number of elements in a set. In particular, we develop a model based on efficient coding given limited resources. Based on this model, we investigate which ...Doctoral Thesis -
Solid-Liquid Separation of Fecal Sludge: Understanding the Governing Mechanisms for Improved Global Sanitation
(2023)Non-sewered sanitation relies on at-source containment and storage of fecal sludge, which is then collected and transported to treatment. This is a relatively new field that has started to gain attention. Contrary to the initial perception that non-sewered sanitation only serves rural areas, it plays a crucial role in fulfilling sanitation needs for over one-third of the world's population. In urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa, onsite ...Doctoral Thesis -
Immersive Learning at the Workplace: The Effects of Using Immersive Head-Mounted Displays to Improve Stress Management and Analytical Skills on Presence and Learning Outcomes
(2023)Learning plays an essential role in our society in general and in the workplace in specific, as it empowers individuals and enables workers to adapt to new challenges. Learning can take many different forms. For example in the workplace, employee training is an essential tool for imparting knowledge and learning new skills. Moreover, learning can be supported by different technologies, such as computers or smartphones. In recent years, ...Doctoral Thesis