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Visualizing the Intersection of Climate Change Concerns, Health, Attitudes and Demographic Factors
Get PDFEffective data visualization is essential for translating complex information into accessible insights that support interpretation and decision-making. This study explores the use of dashboards and infographics in visualizing climate change concern, using data from the 2023 Norwegian Quality of Life Survey. Infographics offered clear, narrative snapshots for public understanding, while dashboards enabled interactive exploration of regional and demographic variations. Key predictors of climate concern included attitudes, general worry, and urbanization, with urban residents expressing the most concern. Visualization tools also contributed to early-stage digital twin modeling by making abstract data structures more relatable and actionable. By combining visual formats, this study enhances user engagement and demonstrates how tailored communication tools can bridge the gap between research and public awareness. Dashboards and infographics serve complementary roles in health and climate communication, supporting both exploration and understanding.publishedVersio
Neural Networks as Argument Generators: Exploring Counter-Argument Generation
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Identification of pathways involved in leukemic phenotypes in a Drosophila melanogaster model for MLL-rearranged leukemia
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Studies of mtDNA epigenetics and structural integrity in health, aging, and Parkinson’s disease
Get PDFMitokondriell dysfunksjon er et kjennetegn ved aldring og nevrodegenerative sykdommer, inkludert Parkinsons sykdom (PD), men de underliggende mekanismene er fortsatt dårlig forstått. Et voksende interesseområde er mitokondriell epigenetikk – spesielt DNA-metylering av det mitokondrielle genomet (mtDNA) – som en potensiell regulator av mitokondriell genuttrykk og funksjon. Imidlertid forblir eksistensen, omfanget og den funksjonelle relevansen av mtDNA-metylering kontroversiell, ettersom publiserte studier rapporterer svært variable og motstridende funn.
Det overordnede målet med dette arbeidet var å avgjøre om mtDNA inneholder biologisk meningsfull metylering, å vurdere dens potensielle rolle i reguleringen av mitokondriell genuttrykk, og å utforske om dette spiller en rolle i patogenesen til PD. I tillegg utforsket vi mengden og fordelingen av vevsspesifikke aldersavhengige mtDNA-delesjoner og andre somatiske endringer ved hjelp av langlesing-sekvenseringsteknologier. Disse analysene hadde som mål å gi en omfattende forståelse av somatisk mtDNA-variabilitet og dens potensielle bidrag til vevsspesifikk sårbarhet ved aldring og sykdom.
Helgenom bisulfittsekvensering ble brukt til å undersøke mitokondriell DNA (mtDNA)-metylering i ferskfrosne prefrontal korteks (PFC)-prøver. Vi fant neglisjerbare nivåer av mtDNA-metylering (0,37 ± 0,15 %, område 0,07–5,49 %) med unntak av ett enkelt hotspot ved posisjon m.545, hvor metyleringsnivåene nådde 5,49 ± 0,97 % (område 2,63–9,21 %). Kartlegging utelukkende mot mtDNA-referansegenomet ga optimal dekning, samtidig som man unngikk falske positive metyleringssignaler fra de nukleære mitokondrielle pseudogenene som den tradisjonelle helgenom-aligneringsstrategien ga.
Videre analyserte vi data fra tidligere studier som rapporterte høye nivåer av mtDNA-metylering, for å identifisere kildene til de motstridende funnene. Vi identifiserte flere metodologiske problemer som var ansvarlige for disse forskjellene og foreslo spesifikke tiltak for å unngå skjevhet (bias), inkludert å unngå bruk av harde grenseverdier for metyleringsdeteksjon, streng metodikk i DNA-lineariseringsmetodene og etablering av en robust negativ kontroll.
Til slutt gjennomførte vi en grundig karakterisering av somatiske mtDNA-delesjoner ved hjelp av Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) langlesing-sekvensering i flere postmortem-vev fra to friske eldre individer, inkludert prefrontal korteks (PFC), cerebellum (lillehjernen), kolon (tykktarm), hjerte, nyre, lever og muskel. ONT-dataene avslører svært vevsspesifikke mønstre av mtDNA-delesjoner, der store delesjoner hovedsakelig ble observert i PFC og skjelettmuskulatur. Det er verdt å merke seg at vi identifiserte to korte delesjonsarter (m.6,261-6,380 og m.11,041-11,219) som var til stede i alle analyserte vev. Disse to delesjonene var mest fremtredende i cerebellum (lillehjernen), hvor de forekom i henholdsvis 28 % og 12 % av mtDNA-populasjonen. mtDNA-kopitall, avledet fra ONT-data, viste også signifikante vevsspesifikke forskjeller. Som forventet var nøyaktigheten til ONT for deteksjon av enkeltnukleotidvarianter (SNV) dårligere enn for Illumina. Likevel viste en sammenlignende vurdering på tvers av prøver at den relative mutasjonsbyrden i mtDNA varierte betydelig mellom vev, med den høyeste byrden påvist i hjernen og den laveste i hjertet.
Samlet sett gir dette arbeidet innsikt i landskapet for mtDNA-metylering, samtidig som det understreker behovet for en skreddersydd tilnærming i mtDNA-metyleringsanalyse for å forhindre fallgruver og feiltolkninger. Parallelt belyser vår omfattende profilering av somatiske mtDNA-endringer deres vevsspesifikke natur ved aldring.Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. One emerging area of interest is mitochondrial epigenetics - particularly DNA methylation of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) - as a potential regulator of mitochondrial gene expression and function. However, the existence, extent, and functional relevance of mtDNA methylation remain controversial, with published studies reporting highly variable and contradictory findings.
The overarching objective of this work was to determine whether mtDNA harbors biologically meaningful methylation, to assess its potential role in the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression, and to explore whether this plays a role in the pathogenesis of PD. In addition, we explored the abundance and distribution of tissue-specific age-dependent mtDNA deletions and other somatic alterations using long-read sequencing technologies. These analyses aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of somatic mtDNA variability and its potential contribution to tissue-specific vulnerability in aging and disease.
Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing was employed to examine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) methylation in fresh-frozen prefrontal cortex (PFC) samples. We found negligible levels of mtDNA methylation (0.37 ± 0.15%, range 0.07–5.49%) except for a single hotspot at position m.545, where methylation levels reached 5.49 ± 0.97% (range 2.63–9.21%). Mapping exclusively to the mtDNA reference genome provided optimal coverage, while avoiding false-positive methylation signals of the nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes yielded by the traditional whole-genome alignment strategy.
Further, we analyzed data from previous studies reporting high levels of mtDNA methylation, to identify the sources of the conflicting findings. We identified several methodological issues responsible for these differences and proposed specific measures to avoid bias, including avoiding the use of hard cut-offs for methylation detection, rigorous methodology in the DNA linearization methods and establishment of a robust negative control.
Finally, we conducted an in-depth characterization of somatic mtDNA deletions using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing in multiple postmortem tissues from two healthy older individuals, including PFC, cerebellum, colon, heart, kidney, liver, and muscle. The ONT data reveal highly tissue-specific patterns of mtDNA deletions with large deletions predominantly observed in the PFC and skeletal muscle. Notably, we identified two short deletion species (m.6,261-6,380, and m.11,041-11,219), which were present across all analyzed tissues. These two deletions were most prominent in the cerebellum, where they occurred in 28% and 12% of the mtDNA population. mtDNA copy number, inferred from ONT data, also exhibited significant tissue-specific differences. As expected, the ONT’s accuracy in single-nucleotide variant (SNV) detection was inferior to that of Illumina. Nevertheless, a comparative assessment across samples showed that the relative mtDNA mutational load varied greatly across tissues, with the highest burden detected in the brain and the lowest in the heart.
Collectively, this work provides insight into the mtDNA methylation landscape, while it highlights the need for a tailored approach in mtDNA methylation analysis to prevent pitfalls and misinterpretations. In parallel, our comprehensive profiling of somatic mtDNA alterations sheds light on their tissue-specific nature in aging.Doktorgradsavhandlin
Arctic Wintertime Sea Ice Breakup Events - Detection and Evolution
Get PDFOpenings in the Arctic sea ice give rise to strong localized heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere, causing ocean mixing and potentially leading to new sea ice growth. Despite the increased attention on sea ice breakup events due to an observed increase in their occurrence during winter, we still lack an automated sea ice breakup detection method. This thesis introduces the first automatic detection of wintertime pan-Arctic sea ice breakups from 2000 to 2018 using the spatiotemporal statistical analysis method Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) of extreme deformation anomalies obtained from the high-resolution sea ice model neXtSIM. The extreme anomalies are masked and filtered to find the dominant deformation variability explained by the three first EOF modes. Breakups in individual Arctic regions are defined from these modes and their corresponding 90th (P90) and 10th (P10) percentiles. A breakup event is defined when the amplitude variance of the temporal EOF exceeds P90 or falls below P10. Using ERA5 reanalysis, we present how synoptic weather patterns are congruent with extensive sea ice deformation and drift for the defined breakups in the individual regions. The atmospheric and sea ice evolution is studied for the days before, during, and after the onset day. Agreeing with previous findings, we find that the persistence and orientation of the wind relative to the coast are the key factors for sea ice breakup events in all Arctic regions. Alongshore flow is favorable for coastal lead formation, while offshore flow also favors coastal polynya formation.Masteroppgave i meteorologi og oseanografiGEOF399MAMN-GEO
Unraveling the Genetics of Shared Clinical and Serological Manifestations in Patients With Systemic Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases
Get PDFObjective
Systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases (SIADs) such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren disease (pSS), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (myositis) are complex conditions characterized by shared circulating autoantibodies and clinical manifestations, including skin rashes, among others. This study was aimed at elucidating the genetics underlying these common features.
Methods
We performed targeted DNA sequencing of coding and regulatory regions from approximately 1,900 immune-related genes in a large cohort of 2,292 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SIADs with SLE, pSS, and myositis as well as 1,252 controls. A gene-based functionally weighted genetic score for aggregate testing of all genetic variants, including rare variants, was complemented by in silico functional analyses and in vitro reporter experiments.
Results
Case–control association analysis detected known and potentially novel genetic loci in agreement with previous genetic and transcriptomics findings linked to the SIAD autoimmune background. Intriguingly, case–case comparisons between patient subgroups with and without specific autoantibodies revealed that the subgroups defined by antinuclear antibodies and anti–double-stranded DNA antibodies have unique genetic profiles reflecting their heterogeneity. When focusing on clinical features, we overall showed that dual-specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) protective genetic variants lead to increased gene expression and potentially to anti-inflammatory effects on the SIAD-associated skin phenotype. This is consistent with recent genetic findings on eczema and with the previously reported down-regulation of the MAPK signaling-related gene DUSP1 in other skin disorders.
Conclusion
Together, this suggests common molecular mechanisms potentially underlying overlapping clinical manifestations shared among different disorders and informs clinical heterogeneity, which could be translated to improve disease diagnostic and treatment, also in more generalized disease frameworks.publishedVersio
Statsstøtte til havvind i Norge. En rettsdogmatisk analyse av utformingskravene for støtteordninger etter EØS-retten.
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Læren om bristende forutsetninger
Get PDFHvilken selvstendig rolle har forutsetningslæren i dag? En analyse av avtalerevisjonsgrunnlagene avtaleloven § 36 og læren om bristende forutsetninger.MasteroppgaveJUS399MAJURMAJUR-
Private limited companies' consent authority under paragraph 4-15, in conjunction with paragraph 4-16 of the Norwegian Private Limited Companies Act (aksjeloven) – an analysis of the board of directors’ discretion to deny consent to acquisitions in takeover situations
No full textProblemstillingen som reises i oppgaven er i hvilken grad et styre har mulighet til å nekte samtykke til aksjeerverv, i tilfeller hvor aksjeselskap kjøpes opp. Aksjeselskap har en lovfestet rett til å nekte samtykke til erverv av aksjer, aksjeloven § 4-15 (2). I utgangspunktet tillegges denne myndigheten styret i aksjeselskap, jf. aksjeloven § 4-16 (1) 2.pkt. Etter aksjeloven § 4-16 (2) settes det rammer for samtykkekompetansen ved at en eventuell nektelse må ha "saklig grunn". Jeg ser da nærmere på tre spørsmål i tilknytning til problemstillingen, som er følgende:
1) Første spørsmål omhandler i hvilken utstrekning styret i aksjeselskap har mulighet til å nekte samtykke til erverv. Altså vurderes hvilken skjønnsmargin styret har ved vurderinger av om de skal nekte samtykke.
2) Andre spørsmålet er om oppkjøp i seg selv er tilstrekkelig som «saklig grunn» for å nekte samtykke. Et underordnet spørsmål er i den sammenheng hva som ligger i vilkåret «saklig grunn».
3) I det tilfellet at oppkjøp ikke er tilstrekkelig som nektelsesgrunnlag i seg selv, er det tredje spørsmålet hvilke implikasjoner oppkjøp vil ha for en vurdering av «saklig grunn».MasteroppgaveJUS399MAJURMAJUR-
A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Hybrid Solar PV-BESS Systems: Technological Standing, Profit Strategies, Investor Interests, and Optimization
Get PDFAt the forefront of the expansion of the renewable energy sector are solar photovoltaic systems. While commonly deployed as a standalone technology, the inherent challenge of intermittency and the growing prominence of battery energy storage have prompted the integration of these technologies into hybrid configurations, commonly referred to as hybrid photovoltaic-battery energy storage systems (PV-BESSs). The scope of this study involves two major aims: to conduct a comprehensive review of hybrid solar PV-BESSs, placing it appropriately within the academic and technological discourse, and to develop an optimization model used to maximize profits, simulating the real-world behavior of such systems. In support of these aims, the following research objectives are pursued: (i) Providing a technical understanding of the system and comparing it to other predominant renewable technologies, (ii) introducing monetization strategies available for power producers and examining how PV-BESSs contribute to emerging strategies, (iii) investigating why this system is becoming increasingly popular amongst investors, and (iv) developing and applying an empirical forecasting model that estimate power generation of a solar PV inverter, whose output is alongside market prices, and operational constraints used as inputs in an optimization model that maximize profits. This optimization design then explores five configurations of the system, whose profitability and system behavior are compared and assessed. The review objectives (\romannumeral1 - \romannumeral3) are addressed through a semi-systematic review process, which involves identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant literature from a range of sources without an exclusion criterion. The development of the optimization framework (\romannumeral4) uses a quantitative approach based on empirical data, incorporating mathematical modeling and a constraint-based analysis. The review findings reveal an energy sector and a marketplace that increasingly value and reward systems inhabiting the properties of PV-BESS. The optimization results identify configurations that most efficiently enhance economic returns, demonstrating that increased battery capabilities lead to the highest profitability, while the absence of storage or elevated operational costs diminishes profits. Together, these findings underscore the important role of hybrid solar PV-BESS in the future energy landscape and provide insights for optimizing their profitability.Masteroppgave i energiENERGI399I5MAMN-ENE