97 research outputs found
Transgressive femininity: gender in the Scandinavian Modern Breakthrough
No full textThis PhD thesis deals with how new discourses on femininity and gender developed in
Scandinavian literature during the Modern Breakthrough, 1880-1909. Political,
economic and demographic changes in the Scandinavian societies put pressures on the
existing, conventional gender roles, which literature reflects; however, literature also
created and introduced new discourses on gender.
The main focus has been on transgressive female characters in Danish, Swedish
and Norwegian novels, which I have seen as indicators of emerging new forms of
femininity. The study shows how the transgression of gender boundaries is used in the
novels, when presenting their views on what femininity is, should be or could be. In
addition to analysing the textual strategies in the representation of these ‘deviant’
literary characters, I have examined how the relevant texts were received by critics and
reviewers at the time, as reviews are in themselves discursive constructs.
The theoretical basis of this study has mainly been Michel Foucault’s discourse
theory, Judith Butler’s theory of performativity and Yvonne Hirdman’s theory of
gender binarism. I have also used concepts from several (mainly Anglo-American and
Scandinavian) literary gender theorists and historians in the analyses.
The four novels analysed in this study are as follows: 1) Danish author Herman
Bang’s early decadence novel Haabløse Slægter (1880), where I use a queer theory
perspective. 2) Norwegian author Ragnhild Jølsen’s Rikka Gan (1904), where the
strong elements of pre-psychoanalysis are analysed. 3) Swedish author August
Strindberg’s Le Plaidoyer d’un fou (1887-88), where I make a narratological
examination of the narrative voice from a gender perspective. 4) Swedish author Annie
Quiding’s Fru Fanny (1904), analysed as an example of ‘negative’ New Woman
literature.
The thesis shows how literature of the time represented and introduced new forms
of femininity, often in the form of ambiguous female characters, and often to the
disapproval of the critics. It also shows that gender discourses were much alike within
Scandinavia. Furthermore, my study lays bare the skeleton of normative Breakthrough femininity, what can be called the dominant discourse on femininity at the time: a nonexisting
sexual desire, feminine immobility/containment in the home and an imperative,
self-sacrificing motherliness
Development of targeted liposome drug delivery vehicle
No full textCoating of liposomes with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has proven to prolong the circulation time of liposomes in the blood stream. PEG prevents the binding of opsonins and subsequent uptake of the liposomes by mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). The reduction in clearance of PEGylated liposomes from the circulation improve the bioavailability of the liposomes in the blood and increase the chance of liposomes being accumulated in tumor tissue by the enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR).
The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the incorporation and retention ability of PEGylated liposome formulations of the anticancer agent Camptothecin (CPT), and further try to develop an immunoliposomal formulation of CPT targeting the EGFR receptors on the surface of colorectal cancer cells.
The results from the incorporation and retention studies showed that the formulation consisting of 79 % egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC), 20 % 1,2-di-oleyl-3- trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and 1 % PEG conjugated with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE-PEG) clearly showed the highest incorporation of CPT and the most stable retention ability in different media including medium containing erythrocytes. Formulations with dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDAB) and 4-(Dodecyloxy)-benzoic acid (DB) demonstrated lower incorporation ability and were slightly more unstable in regard to retention of CPT compared to the formulation with DOTAP. Based on these results, the PEGylated formulation with DOTAP was chosen as the basis for the immunoliposomal formulation.
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and EGFR antibodies were conjugated to the liposome surface by the inclusion of 1 % maleimide terminated DSPE-PEG into the liposome membrane. The loss of CPT from the liposomes observed during conjugation was however significant.
In conclusion the presence of PEG on the liposome surface and DOTAP in the liposome bilayer seems to give the most promising PEGylated CPT formulation, which could possibly be a candidate for further in vivo studies. For the immunoliposomes, the attachment of antibodies on the surface was successful. However, due to loss of CPT during the conjugation process the method used is not optimal for this CPT liposome formulation, and further studies are needed to find a more suitable preparation method or a more stable immunoliposome formulation
From ice core to ground-penetrating radar: representativeness of SMB at three ice rises along the Princess Ragnhild Coast, East Antarctica
No full textAbstract The future contributions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to sea level rise will depend on the evolution of its surface mass balance (SMB), which could amplify/dampen mass losses increasingly observed at the ice sheet's edge. In situ constraints of SMB over annual-to-decadal timescales consist mostly of firn/ice cores that have a surface footprint cm .SMB constraints also come from climate models, which have a higher temporal resolution but a larger surface footprint of several km .We use ice-penetrating radar data to obtain an intermediate spatial and temporal resolution SMB record over three ice rises along the Princess Ragnhild Coast. The co-located ice cores allow us to obtain absolute radar-derived SMB rates at a multi-annual-to-decadal temporal resolution. By comparing the ice core SMB measurements and the radar-derived SMB records, we determine that pointwise measurements of SMB are representative of a small surface area, m radius extending from the ice core drill site for the ice rises studied here, and that the pointwise measurements are systematically 7–15 cm w.e. a lower than the mean SMB value calculated for the whole ice rises. However, ice core records are representative of an entire ice rise's temporal variability at the temporal resolution examined.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe
Ragnhild Jølsen’s “Det Forbandede Ord”: A Fairy Tale of Light and Darkness in Female Desire
No full textNorwegian author Ragnhild Jølsen wrote compelling novels, yet her last collection of short stories in Efterlatte Arbeider [Later Work] reveals her artistry through her shorter works and literary fragments. In Efterlatte Arbeider, Jølsen crafts a fairy tale, “Det Forbandede Ord” [“The Forbidden Word”], that tells of a woman gifted with the ability to perceive the darkest evil and the purest beauty in nature, a gift that propels her into exploring the mysteries of nature and creation. Because “Den Forbandede Ord” was uncovered after Jølsen’s death and was most likely unedited, many English-speaking readers have not read it, let alone analyzed it. Given a cursory glance, most readers would understand this story as a mere cautionary tale that warns women against acting on their curiosity about strange men. Due to Jølsen’s nonconformity in her lifestyle and form of expression, however, I interpret Jølsen’s story as one of female empowerment, one that portrays the light and darkness in women’s experiences in the form of a folk tale to assert women’s resilience
Review of the realisation of Norway’s “Strategy for intensifying international efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation for the period 2014–2017”
No full textThis report was commissioned by Norad and the evaluation was realised by Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI). Joar Svanemyr is the main author of the report. Camilla Gianella at CMI and Ragnhild Elise Johansen, external consultant to CMI, provided inputs to drafts of the report. Norad reviewed and commented on the draft report but the views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Norad
Review of the realisation of Norway’s “Strategy for intensifying international efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation for the period 2014–2017”
No full textThis report was commissioned by Norad and the evaluation was realised by Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI). Joar Svanemyr is the main author of the report. Camilla Gianella at CMI and Ragnhild Elise Johansen, external consultant to CMI, provided inputs to drafts of the report. Norad reviewed and commented on the draft report but the views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Norad
Historiske toll- og skipsanløpslister – tollregnskap som kilde
No full textAbstract
Eighteenth century trade statistics can help cast new light on
economic, cultural and social aspects of the eighteenth century,
as well as show international and global interconnection. In this
article , the author looks more closely at the Norwegian work that
has been done to make such sources available to the public, as well
as discussing the potential uses of these statistics in historical
studies
Seafood from Norway : food safety
No full textSince Norway is a major supplier of seafood
worldwide, monitoring the food safety of Norwegian fish
products is a priority. This commentary gives a brief
overview of the food safety of seafood from Norwegian
waters. Several preventative measures during harvest/catch,
processing and distribution have been established and
are implemented regularly. Furthermore, comprehensive
monitoring programmes to detect and quantify undesirable
substances, such as heavy metals and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), in Norwegian seafood are carried out.
Substances with health benefits, such as omega-3 fatty
acids, are also analysed. In general, evidence shows the
level of undesirable substances in seafood from Norway to
be low. In fact, in the majority of samples analysed, levels
of undesirable substances were reported to be below the
maximum limit set by the European Union (EU). This leads
to the conclusion that consumption of seafood originating
from Norway involves a low risk of negative health effects
and that consumers can have confidence in the products
they purchase.peer-reviewe
“Dialogue changes lives” : the importance of international student organisations in the building of intercultural competencies
No full textIn a globalised world in which not only economic ties but also families, friendships and indeed our social environment at large are increasingly intercultural, knowledge about culture has maybe never been more important. Intercultural competencies are the key to understand the socio-political world from a multitude of angles. Acquiring intercultural competencies, it will be argued, is an important feature of prosperous development – indeed a basic need – should be recognised as such and not be submerged into a general need for education. This thesis claims that international student organisations play an important but apparently overlooked or taken for granted part in achieving intercultural competencies.
Through a narrative exploration of his own performance as an active member in leading positions within the European Geography Association, the author concludes that the value of the gained experiences is not only an invaluable supplement to formal education. Building intercultural competencies has moreover a value of its own and contributes through challenging our knowledge, attitudes and skills to deeper understanding of the world In a global knowledge or learning economy this knowledge base is a vital resource for the development of countries – not confined to global north or south, but universal
“Dialogue changes lives” : the importance of international student organisations in the building of intercultural competencies
No full textIn a globalised world in which not only economic ties but also families, friendships and indeed our social environment at large are increasingly intercultural, knowledge about culture has maybe never been more important. Intercultural competencies are the key to understand the socio-political world from a multitude of angles. Acquiring intercultural competencies, it will be argued, is an important feature of prosperous development – indeed a basic need – should be recognised as such and not be submerged into a general need for education. This thesis claims that international student organisations play an important but apparently overlooked or taken for granted part in achieving intercultural competencies.
Through a narrative exploration of his own performance as an active member in leading positions within the European Geography Association, the author concludes that the value of the gained experiences is not only an invaluable supplement to formal education. Building intercultural competencies has moreover a value of its own and contributes through challenging our knowledge, attitudes and skills to deeper understanding of the world In a global knowledge or learning economy this knowledge base is a vital resource for the development of countries – not confined to global north or south, but universal
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