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Hlutverk non-coding RNA og peroxidasins í frumusérhæfingu og greinóttri formgerð í brjóstafrumulínu með stofnfrumueiginleika
No full textBrjóstkirtillinn er greinótt líffæri sem skiptist í bleðla og samanstendur af
tvískiptri þekju af hollægum þekjufrumum og vöðvaþekjufrumum.
Grunnhimnan, sem meðal annars er rík af kollagen IV, skilur þekjuna frá
bandvefnum í kring en í honum má finna æðaþel, bandvefsfrumur og
ónæmisfrumur. Brjóstkirtill kvenna nýtur sérstöðu þar sem meirihluti
þroskaferils hans á sér stað eftir að fósturskeiði er lokið, aðallega á
kynþroskaskeiði, en kirtillinn lýkur ekki fullum þroska fyrr en á meðgöngu. Við
þetta greinast kirtileiningar í bleðlum enn frekar og mjólkurmyndandi
þekjueiningar myndast. Vísir að þessu ferli á sér stað í hverjum tíðahring
þegar kirtillinn býr sig undir mögulega meðgöngu og því skiptast á tímabil
uppbyggingar og niðurbrots á meðan á frjósemistímabili kvenna stendur.
Þessu ferli er viðhaldið af stofnfrumum og þekjuforverum sem sérhæfast í
hollægar kirtilþekjufrumur eða vöðvaþekjufrumur ásamt því að viðhalda eigin
stofnum. D492 er frumulína með stofnfrumueiginleika sem einangruð var úr
eðlilegum brjóstvef. Frumulínan getur myndað frumur sem hafa hvor um sig
eiginleika kirtilþekju og vöðvaþekju og myndar þyrpingar með greinótta
formgerð í þrívíðri rækt. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa sýnt að báðar svipgerðir eru
nauðsynlegar fyrir greinótta formgerð í þrívíðum þyrpingum D492
frumulínunnar. Þar að auki er bandvefsumbreyting þekjufrumanna í kirtlinum
nauðsynleg til að frumurnar geti skriðið inn í umlykjandi stoðvef og myndað
greinótta formgerð. Ýmsir þættir koma að stýringu greinóttrar formgerðar,
bandvefsumbreytingar og frumusérhæfingar í þekju brjóstkirtilsins. Í
doktorsverkefni mínu beindi ég sjónum að ncRNA sameindum og
grunnhimnuþættinum peroxidasin (PXDN) og notaði D492 frumulínuna ásamt
dótturlínunni D492M, sem hefur bandvefseiginleika, til að rannsaka hlutverk
þessara þátta í fyrrnefndum ferlum.
Í fyrstu greininni rannsökuðum við hlutverk miR-203a í
bandvefsumbreytingu í D492/D492M frumumódelinu og greinóttri formgerð í
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D492. Niðurstöður sýndu að tjáning miR-203a eykst í samræmi við myndun
greinóttrar formgerðar. Einnig kom í ljós að tjáning miR-203a er lítil sem
engin í D492M miðað við D492 en yfirtjáning á miR-203a í D492M leiddi að
hluta til viðsnúnings á bandvefsumbreytingu með aukinni tjáningu á luminal
og basal markerum. Einnig kom í ljós að í D492MmiR-203a dró mest úr tjáningu
PXDN. Við staðfestum síðar að PXDN er markgen miR-203a sem binst við
bindiset á 3‘UTR próteinsins og veldur þar með niðurtjáningu.
Önnur greinin segir frá meginrannsókn doktorsverkefnisins sem beindist
að PXDN próteininu, sem myndar krosstengi á milli kollagen IV sameinda, og
hlutverki þess í frumusérhæfingu og myndun greinóttrar formgerðar í D492.
Yfirtjáning á PXDN í D492 sýndi að próteinið ýtti undir ósérhæfða basal
svipgerð og dró um leið úr kirtilþekju- og vöðvaþekjusérhæfingu. Þetta leiddi
til hindrunar á myndun greinóttrar formgerðar þar sem þörf er á bæði
vöðvaþekju og kirtilþekju. Jafnframt kom fram aukin tjáning á
umritunarþættinum p63, sem þekkt er að viðheldur basal svipgerð í
brjóstaþekju. RNA raðgreining sýndi að auki að gen sem taka þátt í ferlum
tengdum sérhæfingu og þroskun þekjuvefja voru með aukna tjáningu en að
sama skapi var virkni í bandvefsumbreytingu þekjuvefjar, sem er
nauðsynlegur ferill í greinóttri formgerð, verulega skert. Niðurstöður
rannsóknarinnar sýndu fram á áður óþekkt hlutverk PXDN í frumusérhæfingu
í brjóstkirtlinum en genið hafði fram til þessa ekki verið skoðað í þessu tilliti.
Í þriðju greininni var hlutverk lncRNA sameindarinnar MEG3 í
bandvefsumbreytingu og frumusérhæfingu í D492/D492M frumumódelinu
kannað. Þar kom í ljós að MEG3 er bundið við bandvefslíka svipgerð en
tjáning þess var marktækt hærri í bandvefslíkum frumulínum miðað við
þekjufrumulínur. Við yfirtjáningu á MEG3 í D492 varð svipgerðarbreyting í átt
að basal svipgerð ásamt marktækri aukningu á bandvefslíkum eiginleikum og
meðfylgjandi aukinni tjáningu á bandvefskennipróteinum. Þar að auki dró úr
greinóttri formgerð í D492MEG3. Við niðurslátt á MEG3 í D492M varð
viðsnúningur á bandvefsumbreytingu og þekjueiginleikar jukust, þó aðeins í
átt að kirtilþekjusvipgerð. Þessar niðurstöður voru staðfestar með RNA
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raðgreiningu sem sýndi fram á að dregið hafði úr virkni bandvefsumbreytingar
samfara niðurtjáninu á bandvefsgenum og aukningu á kirtilþekjugenum.
Til samantektar varpaði ég ljósi á hlutverk ncRNA sameindanna MEG3 og
miR-203a í bandvefsumbreytingu, frumusérhæfingu og greinóttri formgerð í
D492 og D492M en einnig bar ég kennsl á PXDN sem markgen miR-203a. Í
framhaldinu sýndi ég fram á að PXDN, sem hingað til hefur ekki verið
rannsakað í brjóstaþekju, eykur basal svipgerð í D492 en dregur úr
frumusérhæfingu og hindrar myndun greinóttrar formgerðar í D492.The mammary gland is a branched, lobular organ comprised of terminal duct
lobular units (TDLUs) that contain bilayered epithelium of inner luminal cells
and outer myoepithelial cells. The basement membrane, with collagen IV as
the chief component, separates the epithelium from the surrounding stroma
which is rich in fibroblasts, microvessels, and immune cells. The human
female mammary gland is unique as its main developmental period occurs
long after birth during puberty, and full maturity is not reached until pregnancy
where branching is increased, and milk-producing units are formed.
Furthermore, the gland undergoes cyclical changes during each menstrual
cycle in preparation for a possible pregnancy, where the epithelium expands
and is subsequently broken down if pregnancy does not occur. This process
is maintained by epithelial stem cells and progenitor cells that differentiate
into luminal and myoepithelial cells in addition to maintaining their population.
D492 is a breast epithelial cell line with stem cell properties, isolated from the
suprabasal subpopulation of normal breast epithelium. The suprabasal
population is believed to contain mammary stem cells, reflected in the ability
of D492 cells to undergo branching morphogenesis when cultured under
three-dimensional conditions. These branching structures resemble the
TDLUs of the breast and require plasticity of D492 cells which can form
populations of cells with luminal and myoepithelial characteristics. In addition
to epithelial plasticity, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a central
process in branching morphogenesis in the breast, as epithelial cells require
mesenchymal characteristics to be able to migrate into the surrounding
matrix when branches are being formed. A myriad of factors is involved in the
control of branching morphogenesis, EMT, and epithelial differentiation within
the breast. In my Ph.D. project, I applied the D492 cell model along with its
mesenchymal daughter cell line D492M and focused on the role of the
ncRNAs MEG3 and miR-203a and the basement membrane factor
peroxidasin (PXDN) in these processes.
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The first article focused on the role of microRNA (miRNA) miR-203a in
EMT in D492 and D492M in addition to branching morphogenesis in D492.
Small RNA sequencing revealed that miR-203a expression is increased
during branching with increased colony complexity and cell differentiation.
Furthermore, we found that miR-203a was significantly less expressed in
D492M compared to D492. Overexpression of miR-203a in D492M lead to
partial mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) with upregulation of both
luminal and basal markers. We also found that PXDN was the most
downregulated gene in D492MmiR-203a. Subsequently, we confirmed that miR-
203a targets the 3‘UTR of PXDN, resulting in post-transcriptional
downregulation.
In the second article, I present data which were the main focus of my
Ph.D. project, the collagen IV crosslinker PXDN and its role in epithelial
differentiation and branching morphogenesis in D492. Overexpression of
PXDN in D492 eliminated the luminal and myoepithelial phenotype while
inducing undifferentiated basal phenotype, thereby negatively affecting
plasticity that is characteristic for the D492 cell line. This led to complete
inhibition of branching morphogenesis. I also present evidence that induction
of basal phenotype in D492PXDN cells is mediated through upregulation of
p63, which maintains basal phenotype in breast epithelium. Furthermore,
RNA-sequencing reveals significant enrichment in pathways involved in
epithelial differentiation and development in D492PXDN while EMT, a
significant pathway involved in branching morphogenesis, is significantly
downregulated.
In the third article, the role of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MEG3 in
EMT and epithelial differentiation in D492 and D492M was explored. Results
showed that MEG3 expression was associated with mesenchymal phenotype
and was significantly higher in mesenchymal cell lines. Overexpression of
MEG3 in D492 was accompanied by increased basal and mesenchymal
features and reduced branching morphogenesis. With knock-down of MEG3
in D492M partial MET was observed with an increase in epithelial markers
but only towards the luminal phenotype. Results from D492M were confirmed
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by RNA sequencing which showed that the EMT pathway was downregulated
with simultaneous downregulation of mesenchymal genes and upregulation
of luminal markers
To summarize, I investigated the role of ncRNAs MEG3 and miR-203a in
EMT, epithelial differentiation, and branching morphogenesis in the D492 and
D492M cell lines. Furthermore, I identified PXDN, a collagen IV crosslinker
previously unexplored in the mammary gland, as a target of miR-203a.
Subsequently, I showed that PXDN induces basal phenotype and stemness
with a simultaneous reduction in differentiation and inhibition of branching
morphogenesis in D492. In addition, I showed that this effect was elicited
through the p63, presenting a novel link to PXDN
Atomic Scale Simulations of Pt and Au Adatom Diffusion and Interlayer Transport
Get PDFThe research described in this thesis is part of a network project involving the growth of metal nanostructures on surfaces of solids, a Horizon 2020 project titled ELENA. The part of the project described here involved the use of various approaches including density functional theory (DFT), semi-empirical potential functions, and machine learned Gaussian approximation potentials (GAP) for determining the mechanism of adatom migration on surfaces of solids and interlayer transport. Minimum energy paths for the various elementary processes were calculated using the nudged elastic band method in order to identify the transition mechanisms and evaluate the corresponding activation energy. Particular focus was on processes involving the descent of adatoms that land on top of a growing close packed layer on platinum and gold crystals. These are the key transitions determining whether the surface grows layer-by-layer or forms three-dimensional islands. The optimal mechanism for such interlayer transport was identified taking into account the surface morphology, in particular the presence of kinks on the step edges. Also, calculations of Au adatom diffusion on the Si(100) surface were carried out. While exploratory calculations on all these systems were first carried out using semi-empirical potential functions, the principal results presented are based on more accurate DFT calculations that were carried out subsequently using the PBEsol electron density functional.
The principal result for the Pt/Pt(111) and Au/Au(111) systems is that downstepping occurs most readily when there is a kink on the step edge, and the preferred mechanism involves a concerted two atom process that places an atom near but not into the kink sites. This is important for explaining the re-entrant layer-by-layer growth which has been experimentally observed previously for Pt(111) growth. The calculations for Au/Au(111) presented here predict similar behavior for the growth of the Au(111) surface. The importance of choosing a single reference point for the energy of the adatom, here chosen to be the adatom on an extended flat surface, is demonstrated. Also, two effects are identified leading to a depletion zone near the step edges, which has previously been observed experimentally.
The calculations of a Au adatom on the Si(100)-2×1 surface reveal an unusual diffusion path. While the optimal binding site is in between the Si dimer rows, as has been deduced previously from experimental measurements, the optimal diffusion path involves promotion of the adatom to higher energy binding sites on top of a dimer row and then rapid skidding along the row before the adatom drops back down in between dimer rows to a low energy site. As a result, dimers of Au adatoms and possibly larger adatom clusters are predicted to form on top of dimer rows, rather than in between rows. On the basis of the calculations of binding sites and migration paths, kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of long time evolution were carried out and an effective activation energy for diffusion evaluated
Áhrif breytinga á landnotkun á norðurslóðum á þéttleika vaðfugla
No full textBiodiversity is declining globally, primarily driven by anthropogenic changes and alterations of natural habitats. In lowland Iceland, human impact has increased considerably in the past decades, often involving an increase in numbers of anthropogenic structures. The consequences of these land use changes for the important wildlife that these areas support is poorly known. The aim of this thesis was to study if and how four types of newly introduced structures/habitats (roads, summer houses, power lines and plantation forests) in the Icelandic lowlands affect the density and species composition of ground-nesting birds in the surrounding area. Surveys of bird abundance and distribution were undertaken throughout lowland areas of Iceland that varied in the number and extent of anthropogenic structures. Two species (Redwing and Snipe) were found in higher densities or showed no change with distance from the structures, while seven species (Meadow pipit, Black-tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel and Redshank) occurred in significantly lower densities close to at least one of these anthropogenic structures and, for roads and forests, these reduced densities occurred over distances up to 200 m. Reduced abundance close to structures was strongest for Golden Plover and Whimbrel, for which between 40-52% of the global populations currently breed in Iceland. The effects of land conversion of large areas of open habitats with roads, forest plantations, houses and power lines could potentially affect populations of these species. Point counts which have been carried out in the southern lowlands since 2011, in an area where anthropogenic influences are constantly expanding, have shown that while the local population of Redwing is increasing and Snipe numbers are stable, the remaining study species are decreasing. Planning of future infrastructure locations and configurations should be designed to reduce impacts on the ground-nesting bird populations for which Iceland has international obligations, and protecting the remaining large tracts of open habitat is likely to be a priority.The University of Iceland Research Fund
Science and Research Fund of South-Iceland
The Nature Conservation Fund of Pálmi Jónsson
The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administratio
From MDGs to SDGs: Global Governance, Developmentality and Ownership in Senegal
No full textThis doctoral research aims to examine and explain the emerging post-2015 development agenda focusing on the national consultations in Senegal. UN launched and guided the post-2015 development agenda to identify new global policy replacing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The complex and multifaceted processes that resulted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were informed by calls for ownership through participation and learning from the failures of the MDGs. A series of global participatory processes were organised, in which the voices of relevant stakeholders were to be heard during the consultations for The World We Want 2015. General citizens, policymakers, practitioners, and academics were to share their views on the world they wanted post-2015 in national participatory consultations in 88 countries, including Senegal.
The theoretical framework rests on theories of global governance and the analytical concept of developmentality. Global governance sheds light on the characteristics of the post-2015 development agenda. It was spearheaded by the UN and guided by what the international community takes for best practices in development cooperation. The concept of developmentality, which rests on Foucauldian understanding of power, is concerned with unequal relations in development cooperation. This thesis applies the concept to understand the exercising of power in the post-2015 national consultations in Senegal.
The overall research theme of the thesis is exploring and explaining the emerging post-2015 development agenda, especially the national consultations in Senegal. The specific aims focus on donor-recipient power relations, the MDG’s lessons, and how they informed the post-2015 development agenda. It explores how the outcome of national consultations is reflected in global and national development policies. Finally, the thesis aims to analyse and explain the division of ownership between national and global actors in the post-2015 national consultations in Senegal, using participation as a proxy.
Data were collected during 13 months of fieldwork in Senegal and New York from 2011 to 2013. Methods used were: (1) Formal and informal interviews with development professionals belonging to the international community in both settings and Senegalese government officials; (2) Participant observation conducted during the post-2015 national consultations in Senegal; and (3) Analysis of relevant policy documents. Qualitative data were analysed in Atlas.ti.
The findings reveal the unequal donor-recipient relations in Senegal rooted in the contradicting principles of the Paris Declaration. Lack of
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harmonisation among donors, reflected in the “problem of the flag”, results in donor competition and concealing information. The simultaneous endorsement of ownership and conditioned aid entails an incompatibility that sometimes goes unnoticed. I suggest this contradiction is disguised in donors’ support of conditioned assistance, assumed to enhance aid effectiveness, but also allows selfish motives. Through developmentality, donors apply dialogue, broad consultations, and capacity building to steer recipients toward their desired policies.
There is consensus on the merits and failures of the MDGs. The failures informed the urgency to promote ownership through participation in the national consultations to secure effective implementation of the outcome. Nonetheless, the views on the post-2015 development agenda varied; Senegal wanted a revised version of the MDGs, while New York argued for something new. The policy priorities identified in Senegal were in line with already formulated national and global development policies, both before and after the consultations. This lack of new priorities might reflect two problems of the consultative process: first, the fundamentals for a decent living are already known, and second, the public participation as spelt out in UN guidelines with the aim for globally comparable data was tokenistic. The research indicates overwhelming UN ownership of the national consultations, particularly in activities classified as defining and leadership, based on an explorative exercise to quantify ownership using participation as a proxy,
The thesis concludes that the post-2015 development agenda is a product of global governance through best practice, with the UN steering the process toward its desired outcome. The agenda, concerned with procedures rather than content, legitimised the complex processes with two interlinked best practice arguments. The first, rooted in development cooperation and the first principle of the Paris Declaration, states that ownership of the post-2015 development agenda was crucial to secure effectiveness in implementing the outcome. The second argument, learning from experience, was to avoid reproducing the failures of the MDGs. The UN provided firm guidance during the consultations supported by rhetoric embracing the participation-ownership link, rooted in best practices within development cooperation. The concept of developmentality, a way of governing in development cooperation, highlights this exercising of indirect power during the national consultations in Senegal.
This thesis questions the assumed logic that an UN-led global policymaking process will, through participation, result in ownership of the process. Ownership requires a clear and concise definition and an operationalisation beyond existing monitoring systems. Without a proper definition and the risk of becoming only a buzzword, the use of ownership in global policymaking and development cooperation should be formally abandoned. The thesis calls for improvements in global policymaking through learning from past experiences and questions the globally induced urge for new
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beginnings. It argues for an increased emphasis on implementation rather than the perpetual formulation of new policies, new beginnings that often bring about already known results. Further research is needed on the concepts of ownership and participation and how they, through the Paris Declaration, serve as best practices in development cooperation.University of Iceland Research Fund, Félags-, mannfræði- og þjóðfræðideild, Rannís, Alco
Majorana zero modes in tubular nanowires
Get PDFMajorana zero modes have recently been proposed as a solution to obtain fault-tolerant quantum computation. They are quasiparticle excitations in quantum systems at the nanoscale with the potential to function as qubits, the basic building blocks of quantum computers. Their topological properties hold promise to counter the decoherence problem, where quantum coherence is lost due to coupling with the environment, which is one of the main challenges for upscaling the number of qubits in a quantum computer.
In this work, Majorana zero modes in core-shell nanowire systems are investigated. Core-shell nanowires are tubular conductors that commonly have polygonal cross-section geometry due to crystallographic qualities. Semiconductors with proximity-induced superconductivity, large g-factors and Rashba spin-orbit coupling, can be tuned by an external magnetic field to host Majorana zero modes. Corner-localization of the lowest energy states in polygonal core-shell nanowires allows for hosting multiple Majorana zero modes within a single nanowire system. Three-dimensional nanowires are modeled using the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian, which is solved numerically by diagonalization. Effects of variable core and shell geometry are analyzed and triangular wires with hexagonal cores are found to have particularly large energy separations between the first and second groups of energy states, which is favorable for experimental hosting of Majorana zero modes. Braiding in such a system is discussed and for the realization of real space braiding, a dual core wire is suggested to include the necessary degrees of freedom for the simplest non-commutative braiding operation. The relation between Andreev reflection and propagation of the superconductivity property is studied by modeling partially proximitized wire shells, with radial, angular and longitudinal interfaces, corresponding to common experimental platforms. Varying compatibility is found with Andreev reflection.
Flux-periodic oscillations in the energy spectra of proximitized shells are explored along with the effects of geometry, Zeeman and spin-orbit interaction. Instances are shown where the periodicity of the lowest energy state is found to separately display normal, superconducting and fractional flux quanta.
To gain insight into the structure of topological invariants, the first Chern number in particular, Stokes' theorem for bivector-valued fields is analyzed and visualized using geometric calculus.
The findings show how the multiple components necessary for the emergence of Majorana zero modes each have complex subtleties and interdependencies, and in what way they should be investigated to come closer to the technological realization of Majorana zero modes.The Icelandic Research Fund, grant no. 206568-051 and Reykjavik University Research Fund, project no. 21804
Patterns and drivers of rangeland degradation in Mongolia
Get PDFRangelands are currently facing increasing threats from climate change, overgrazing and land conversion and rangeland degradation is a growing concern worldwide. The ability of degraded rangelands to provide the natural resources needed to sustain pastoralists and ensure the persistence of traditional nomadic lifestyles is less than that of healthy rangelands. In Mongolia, serious concerns have emerged in recent decades about the accelerating rate of rangeland degradation. Understanding rangeland degradation and assessing long term trends of vegetation change is thus critical to design sustainable management practices. Mongolian rangelands represent about 2.5% of the world’s total grassland area and are considered among the last intact rangelands in the world. Most of the Mongolian territory is covered by rangelands and the livelihoods of nearly half of the Mongolian population are related to livestock grazing on rangelands.
The main objectives of this PhD thesis were (1) to compile previous studies on rangeland degradation in Mongolia and systematically review and synthesize information on how studies identified degradation, the theoretical frameworks used, drivers of degradation and the geographical distribution of studies, (2) to detect trends in vegetation change in Mongolian rangelands using broad scale long-term monitoring data, and (3) to investigate the drivers of change in vegetation over ~10 years in the steppe zone of Mongolia using detailed field data.
Trends in the literature indicated growing concerns about rangeland degradation in Mongolia, especially since the turn of the 21st century when the number of international scientific publications on this topic considerably increased. However, the lack of a common definition of degradation and of standardized ways of measuring it makes it difficult to compare results of different studies. Using a nationwide long-term database of rangeland health in Mongolia, we detected mostly non-significant trends in key indicators of vegetation change across the forest steppe, steppe and desert steppe. However, where significant trends were detected, these were consistent with reported rangeland degradation. For example, we observed noticeable decreasing trends in grasses characteristic of healthy rangelands, including Stipa sp. This was the first attempt to use the database of the National Rangeland Monitoring program and the results emphasize the value of this national resource. Using detailed field data, we found that changes in vegetation over a ~10-year period were widespread across the steppe. Plant communities changed from communities dominated by grasses toward communities dominated by annuals and sedges that are characteristic of degraded ecosystem states. However, disentangling the role of different drivers remains difficult. Our results highlight the importance of considering regional differences in the effect of different drivers on grassland vegetation when designing sustainable grazing management strategies. In all, this study shows that we are still far from understanding the complexities of rangeland degradation. Nevertheless, current efforts are promising, and Mongolia provides a good example for the world.GRÓ Land Restoration Training programm
Becoming cosmopolitan citizen-architects: A reflection on architectural education in a Nordic-Baltic perspective
Get PDFBecoming Cosmopolitan Citizen Architects: A Reflection on Architectural Education in a Nordic–Baltic Perspective
This doctoral thesis contributes to the discussion of how architectural education can be advanced to respond better to the current climate and social emergencies. Architecture as a composite discipline is dedicated to the exploration and design of the relationship between humans and their environment. Architecture is in a key position to educate future practitioners to become capable of dealing with the current man-made crisis. Yet the pedagogical path to follow is uncertain. Even though many commentators praise architectural education’s intention to form skilled, socially engaged, and civic minded professionals, others accuse schools of architecture of producing politically distanced and apathetic individuals, professionals whose main concerns are devoted to geometrical exploration alone.
This thesis does not bring a single solution to this broad area of discourse. Instead, it focuses on understanding and advocating for the contribution cosmopolitan citizenship education can bring to architectural education, to advance its societal role by educating architects who are better equipped to deal with grand challenges. UNESCO explains cosmopolitan citizenship education as the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and behaviours necessary to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure, and sustainable societies; its aim is also to form collaborative individuals who have a sense of belonging to the worldwide community of human and more-than-human beings. This type of education emphasises political, economic, social, and cultural inter¬dependency and interconnectedness that exist between the local, the national, and the global. It further emphasises the shared responsibilities that each individual carries as a distinct yet equal citizen of a shared and common world. This focus of this PhD research was not set a priori but is the result of my explorative journey into the practice of architectural education. This journey started with my sincere intention to become a better educator by providing comprehensive learning conditions for my students to develop both their personal interests and their societal agency. The journey involved qualitative mixed-method research that combined autoethnography and interviews with students and educators in architecture. It led to the formulation and activation of a theory explaining my main concern of making architectural education more socially relevant in a time when it is desperately needed.
The journey began as an autoethnographic inquiry into my own architectural teaching practice as an educator who started his career in 2004. It uses two case studies of design studio courses, which I authored and supervised at the Iceland University of the Arts (IUA), to critically reflect on students’ intentions and their outcomes. These experiences highlighted the great capacity that students manifest to address and respond to issues of societal concern and use them as drivers of their design process. The journey then continued with the intention of learning from fellow educators and students in architecture at the Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture (NBAA), thinking together about the societal value of architectural education. What emerged from these dialogues is the shared conviction to use architectural education as a project to develop not only the acquisition of knowledge and professional skills, but also to advance the attitudes, values, and behaviours necessary to respond to global challenges whilst creating conditions for students and educators to locally engage as active citizens in their com¬munities. This led me to investigate the fields of citizenship education, cosmopolitanism, global citizenship education, and critical pedagogy. Reflecting on the relationship between cosmopolitan citizenship education and architectural education guided me to explore how the first could further support the second; this became the central focus of the thesis. This reflection and exploration served as a theoretical framework to analyse and interpret the Nordic–Baltic voices and led me to build a grounded theory which I call Cosmopolitan Citizenship Architectural Education (CCAE). The purpose of this theory is to help students and educators cultivate a language and activate a pedagogy capable of advancing their positive societal agency.
I noticed that despite the intentions expressed by the Nordic–Baltic interlocutors to use architectural education to produce citizen-architects aware of and engaged in local and global affairs, they lacked the confidence to fully embrace and include cosmopolitan citizenship education within architectural education. I believe this was a missed opportunity, so I used my research as an instrument to build a mandate for change, to raise questions to expand the meaning and scope of architectural education. To do this, I have presented the findings of this PhD in more than twenty conferences in the fields of education, design, planning, and architectural education and have published twenty articles. My intentions with this PhD are to:
1. identify and critically examine the strong relationship between the field of cosmopolitan citizenship and architectural education;
2. suggest how the first can help form a language and a pedagogy in architectural education capable of supporting students and their educators to further explore their societal roles; and
3. advance the societal relevance of architectural education.
This research supports the conclusion that architectural education is a field of study not only receptive to the notion of cosmopolitan citizenship, but one that helps to activate it. As such, architectural education is of paramount importance not only for educating future designers of buildings but also to prepare students for active cosmopolitan citizenship. It is of the utmost importance to educate future architects who can contribute new perspectives and new stories of what architecture is and can do, architects who can enact new societal agencies necessary to face and respond to the present grand challenges and those yet to come.Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture
Iceland University of the Arts
University of Icelan
Lipids at high latitudes: investigation of sources, environmental controls, and new potential applications of brGDGT-based paleoclimate proxies
Get PDFAs high latitude regions continue a decades-long trend of warming at roughly twice the rate of the global average, an understanding of their climatic histories becomes increasing important for predicting their future. Organic molecular proxies preserved in lake sediment archives offer one avenue for reconstructing key elements of such past climates, including their temperature, precipitation, and vegetation regimes. In particular, a class of bacterial membrane-spanning lipids called branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) form the basis for a paleothermometer that can be applied to reconstruct temperatures as far back as the Cretaceous in sedimentary archives across the globe.
Despite these successes, challenges remain that complicate the development and application of brGDGT-based proxies. First, while they correlate best with temperature and pH, other environmental parameters can influence brGDGT distributions, including seasonality, conductivity, and oxygen availability. Second, it is unknown whether these empirical correlations are the result of a direct physiological response of brGDGT-producing organisms to their environment or an indirect effect resulting from variations in bacterial community composition. Finally, an incomplete understanding of where brGDGTs are produced on the landscape and how they contribute to the sedimentary record hinders our ability to interpret proxies in mixed-source archives.
Herein, I present research addressing each of these three challenges with an emphasis on the Eastern Canadian Arctic and Iceland. First, I develop a technique for grouping brGDGTs based on structural characteristics and show that it can be used to deconvolve the effects of temperature and pH/conductivity. I further find a warm-season bias in brGDGT-derived temperatures and develop calibration equations for temperature and conductivity. Next, I compile >2500 samples from a dozen sample types across the globe and find near-universal trends in the relationships between brGDGTs and temperature, pH, and one another. These commonalities support a physiological basis for observed environmental trends. Finally, by measuring brGDGTs in their intact, polar form, I find that lipid sources in lake catchments can be distinguished and suggest novel applications down core. By advancing our understanding of brGDGTs, my results further our ability to reconstruct key climatic variables from sedimentary archives, especially at high latitudes
Exploring the Meaning of Medicine: A Reflection Upon Three Key Examples
Get PDFThis thesis explores the meaning of medicine and considers ethical challenges that arise when medicine's limits are tested as it enters new grounds. The methodology and argumentation used in the thesis can be described as a two-step process. In the first part, the author investigates three ethical examples representing current controversies on the limits of medicine. This is done in three peer reviewed articles. In the second part the focus of the discussion is on common themes visible in all of the three articles. By paying special attention to these themes important elements of the papers are teased out and the argumentation for them strengthened. Through this reflection it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of what medicine is and ought to be.
The three examples that are used to throw light upon medicine’s expansion are surrogacy, obesity, and fetal diagnosis. These examples were chosen mainly because they demonstrate this expansion and have all been in public debate in Iceland in the last decade. They have mainly been approached and discussed as medical issues. In three peer reviewed articles, these categorizations are questioned and the constructional forces in society are investigated to determine how they influence medicine's limits.
The second part of the thesis is an ethical reflection upon the discussion of the three key examples in the articles. When this discussion is investigated further, four common themes appear that reveal how medicine has the potential to be oppressive, especially toward already stigmatized and marginalized patients.
In the second part, the research question is, “When medicine enters new grounds, as described in the articles, it can deviate from its ends and inherent values. What characterizes this deviation and how can that knowledge be used to interpret the meaning of medicine?”
The four themes that are common to the key examples in the articles show how medicine can deviate from its ends and inherent values. The first theme shows how the medical description of the disease and the diagnosis gain a separate existence without a clear connection to the patient's experience. This diverging dichotomy undermines the patient's humanity as he is no longer at the center of the doctor’s attention. The second theme shows how overemphasis on biomedical science can cast a shadow on the patient as a human being. As a consequence, it enforces the tendencies described in the first theme and makes the patient more vulnerable. The third theme regards the voices of people in marginalized positions. It shows how they are especially vulnerable towards trends in medicine that can undermine their humanity. The fourth theme is on social justice. It reveals the importance of viewing the patient relationally. If that is not done, medicine can lead to oppression and therefore social justice in health care is not respected.
Investigation of the themes above shows that they are interconnected. They reveal medicine as an endeavor with inherent uncertainty, unavoidable power imbalance, and finally, the dynamic core concept of “disease” that will never be accurately defined. These “ontological characteristics” of medicine make the harm described above prone to happen. It is, therefore, important to recognize these processes, described under the themes, in order to avoid them from causing harm to patients and groups of people.
It is necessary to ask how to address these processes that may lead medicine away from its ends and inherent values and ask how can we use that knowledge to interpret the meaning of medicine. Here, an interpretation of medicine as being three dimensional, i.e. based on science, with a clear vocation and inherent values, is proposed. Each dimension is described and the investigation of the themes is used to gain a more concise understanding of the meaning, ends, and inherent values of medicine. This approach, firstly, underlines the importance of a holistic view of medicine where its ends and inherent values are not marginalized. Secondly, the three dimensional model is introduced to argue for the importance of guarding a common core of medicine which can be referred to as a frame of reference in medicine's progress.Þessi ritgerð rannsakar merkingu læknisfræðinnar og beinir sjónum að siðferðilegum álitaefn-um sem vakna þegar læknisfræðin fer inn á ný svið og það reynir á mörk hennar. Aðferðafræðin og rökfærslan í ritgerðinni er sett fram í tveimur hlutum. Í fyrri hluta rannsakar höfundur þrjú siðferðileg dæmi sem varpa ljósi á núverandi umræðu um mörk læknisfræðinnar. Þessi umræða birtist í þremur ritrýndum greinum. Í síðari hluta ritgerðar er umfjöllunin um þessi þrjú dæmi í greinunum, skoðuð saman, hún yfirveguð og endurmetin. Með því að skoða sérstaklega hvað er sameiginlegt í umfjöllun um öll þrjú dæmin má setja fram fjögur þemu. Rannsókn á þeim dýpkar skilning á mikilvægum þáttum sem fjallað er um í greinunum og varpar betra ljósi á það hvað læknisfræði er og hvað hún ætti að vera.
Dæmin þrjú sem notuð eru til að varpa ljósi á útþenslu læknisfræðinnar eru: staðgöngumæðrun, offita og fósturgreiningar. Þessi dæmi voru valin þar sem þau hafa öll verið fyrirferðarmikil í opinberri umræðu á Íslandi síðastliðinn áratug. Þar voru þau skilgreind og ávörpuð sem læknisfræðileg álitamál. Í þremur ritrýndum greinum er þessi flokkun dregin í efa og jafnframt rannsakað á hvern hátt samfélagsleg öfl móta læknisfræðina og mörk hennar.
Í síðari hluta ritgerðar eru ofannefndar þrjár greinar yfirvegaðar saman til að greina hvað þær eiga sameiginlegt. Þessi athugun sýnir að í öllum þremur lykildæmunum sem greinarnar fjalla um má sjá fjögur sameiginleg þemu, sem afhjúpa hvernig læknisfræðin getur aukið á kúgun hópa sem þegar glíma við jaðarsetningu og stimplun. Rannsóknarspurningin í síðari hluta ritgerðar er: Þegar læknisfræðin fer inn á ný svið, eins og lýst er í greinunum, getur hún vikið frá tilgangi sínum og innri gildum. Hvað einkennir þessar breytingar og hvernig getur sú þekking verið hjálpleg til að túlka merkingu læknisfræðinnar? Þemun fjögur sem sjá má í öllum lykildæmunum sýna hvernig læknisfræðin getur fjarlægst tilgang sinn og innri gildi. Fyrsta þemað fjallar um það hvernig sjúkdómsgreiningin og læknisfræðileg lýsing á sjúkdómnum öðlast sjálfstæða tilvist án skýrra tengsla við upplifun sjúklingsins. Sú tvíhyggja og það bil sem myndast á milli þessara þátta grefur undan mennsku sjúklingsins þar sem athygli læknisins beinist ekki fyrst og fremst að sjúklingnum sjálfum heldur fremur að sjúkdómnum sem einangruðu fyrirbæri. Undir öðru þemanu er rakið hvernig ofuráhersla á vísindi getur varpað skugga á mennsku sjúklingsins. Það eykur þær tilhneigingar sem lýst er í fyrsta þemanu og gerir sjúklinginn enn berskjaldaðri. Í þriðja þemanu er röddum jaðarsetts fólks lýst. Þar er bent á hvernig sjúklingar í jaðarsettri stöðu verða sérstaklega berskjaldaðir fyrir þeim straumum innan læknisfræði sem geta grafið undan mennsku þeirra. Fjórða þemað fjallar um félagslegt réttlæti. Þar er bent á mikilvægi þess að skoða sjúklinginn aðstæðubundið til að hindra kúgun og standa vörð um félagslegt réttlæti í allri læknisþjónustu.
Við rannsókn á þessum þemum má sjá að þau tengjast öll innbyrðis. Ennfremur afhjúpa þau að læknisfræðin fæst við hluti sem aldrei eru fyllilega fyrirsjáanlegir, hún inniber óhjákvæmilega valdamismunun og byggir á óljósri kjarnahugmynd, þ.e. sjúkdómi, sem aldrei verður skilgreind nákvæmlega. Þessi eðliseinkenni læknisfræðinnar gera þann mögulega skaða sem lýst er í umræðunni um þemun ávallt yfirvofandi. En einmitt þess vegna er þekking á þeim ferlum sem þar er lýst mikilvæg til að geta fyrirbyggt þann mögulega skaða sem læknisfræðin getur valdið sjúklingum og tilteknum hópum fólks ef ekki er brugðist við.
Þegar því hefur verið lýst hvernig læknisfræðin getur fjarlægst tilgang sinn og innri gildi er hægt að spyrja hvernig sú þekking geti gagnast til að túlka merkingu læknisfræðinnar. Hér kynnir höfundur þríhliða sýn á læknisfræðina þar sem henni er lýst þannig að hún grundvallist á vísindum, byggist á köllun og hafi sterk innri gildi. Sérhverju þessara sjónarhorna er lýst og umfjöllun um þemun er notuð til að fá dýpri skilning á merkingu, tilgangi og innri gildum læknisfræðinnar. Þessi þríhliða sýn dregur í fyrsta lagi fram mikilvægi þess að sjá læknisfræðina í víðara ljósi þar sem tilgangi hennar og innri gildum er ekki ýtt til hliðar. Í öðru lagi er þessi þríhliða sýn sett fram til að rökstyðja mikilvægi þess að standa vörð um sameiginlegan kjarna læknisfræðinnar sem vísa má til sem viðmiðs þegar lagt er mat á framþróun hennar
Vald og vanmáttur: Eitt hundrað og ein/saga á jaðri samfélagsins 1770–1936
Get PDFÍ rannsókninni, sem ritgerð þessi byggir á, er grafist fyrir um lífsþræði alþýðufólks sem myndi
flokkast sem fatlað fólk í okkar samtíma. Það var gert með því að rýna í alls kyns opinberar
heimildir, sem varðveittar eru á skjalasöfnum á Íslandi. Tímabilið sem rannsóknin nær til er
1770–1936 og fjallar um eitt hundrað og einn einstakling. Heimildir, sem urðu til hjá opinberum
yfirvöldum eru margvíslegar og afar umfangsmiklar. Í þeim var leitað svara við því hvernig hið
opinbera tungutak mismunandi heimilda speglar hversdagslíf einstaklinganna, líkamlega og
félagslega stöðu þeirra, samhengi og tilfinningalíf. Leitað er fanga úr fórum sagnfræði og þá
sérstaklega aðferðafræði einsögunnar (e. microhistory) og fötlunarfræði (e. disability studies)
og einkum út frá sjónarhorni gagnrýninnar fötlunarfræði (e. critical disability studies).
Hugmyndin er að samþætta þessi tvö fræðasvið því þannig mætti leitast við að draga fram á
sjónarsviðið nær ósýnilega fatlaða einstaklinga úr íslenskri fortíð. Helstu atriðin, sem þarf að
hafa í huga við slíka rannsókn, eru einstaklingarnir sjálfir, æviferill þeirra, hvað þeir lögðu til
samfélagsins og viðhorf samfélagsins til þeirra. Kvillar sem hrjáðu þá skilgreina þá ekki í
samhengi þessarar rannsóknar. Slík nálgun kemur úr smiðju fötlunarfræðinnar. Þar sem þeir
eru ekki lengur á lífi þarf að beita ýmsum aðferðum einsögunnar til að nálgast þessar
upplýsingar úr fortíðinni.
Afrakstur rannsóknarinnar er settur fram í þremur áföngum. Í fyrsta lagi birtast einsögur
allra einstaklinganna. Yrðingarnar, þ.e. umsagnir yfirvalda, gefa til kynna líkamlegt, andlegt og
jafnvel tilfinningalegt ástand þeirra sem við sögu koma. Einnig er sjónum beint að sjálfum
kvillunum. Þeir eru greindir með ýmsum tækjum samtvinnunar (e. intersectionality) til að
greina margþætta mismunun gagnvart fötluðu fólki í íslensku samfélag. Niðurstaðan var sú að
því minni og einfaldari sem kvillarnir voru og því betra skjól það sem einstaklingunum stóð til
boða, því betra líf og samfélagslega samþykktara beið þeirra. Eftir því sem kvillarnir urðu
flóknari og margfaldari og félagsleg staða verri, því hörmulegri var ævin. Vinnuframlag
viðkomandi einstaklinga var það sem samfélagið beindi sjónum sínum að. Ef grunur var um
leti eða einhvers konar aumingjadóm var stimplun samfélagsins afar harkaleg. Viðunandi
vinnuframlag bjargaði þó engum frá samfélagslegri jaðarsetningu, áreiti eða einelti. Í öðru lagi
eru greind ákveðin stef í sögunum, sem draga fram samfélagsleg úrræði eða úrræðaleysi
gagnvart einstaklingunum. Í þriðja lagi er sjónarhorninu beint að ákveðnum einstaklingum með
því að para tvo og tvo saman í tíu undirköflum. Þetta er gert til þess að draga fram andstæður
og/eða hliðstæður í sögum þeirra og þá sértaklega valdaafstæður sem höfðu áhrif á líf fólksins.
Helstu niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar eru þær að þessi aðferðafræði nær að draga fram
heillega lífsþræði þessara einstaklinga. Þrátt fyrir að hver heimild um einstaklinginn virðist
við fyrsta lestur ansi hlutlæg þá geta þær í sameiningu dregið fram upplýsingar um
tilfinningalíf einstaklinganna, aðbúð þeirra og aðstæður. Þær varpa einnig ljósi á hversu lítið
mátti út af bregða til þess að bærilegar aðstæður fatlaðs fólks breyttust í óbærilegar. Því má
greina mikið álag á fólkið í mörgum þessara sagna. Slíkt ástand bendir til hægfara ofbeldis
sem bæði beindist að einstaklingunum sjálfum og samfélaginu sem þeir voru hluti af. Varpað
er ljósi á misnotkun valds gegn vanmáttugum einstaklingum. Valdbeitingin var margslungin
og jafnvel menningarlega samþykkt þrátt fyrir að um refsiverða hegðun væri að ræða