Water-air-CO2-flux changes after damming rivers loaded with suspended basaltic particles

Publisher Copyright: © 2024Contributions of CO2 emissions from reservoirs to the atmosphere are continuously increasing with rising energy demand. Therefore, it is important to quantify the emissions and define the rate determining mechanism of CO2 fluxes in man-made reservoirs. Here we present results from two reservoirs in Iceland over a total time span of 16 years. The partial pressure of CO2 within the Hálslón reservoir, fed by glacier meltwater loaded with suspended basaltic particles, was considerably less than the CO2 pressure of the atmosphere during the years 2008–2013. The specific CO2 uptake from the atmosphere into Hálslón was estimated at 121 ± 67.9 gCO2 m−2 yr during the 6 months ice-free period or 5000 t annually. The uptake rate was governed by the CO2 gradient across the water-air-interphase and windspeed but less by temperature. However, temperature will affect water-rock interactions and sub-zero temperature can result in ice cover, terminating water-air interactions. Atmospheric CO2 concentration dictates the maximum upper limit of the CO2 influx rate at fixed wind speed. The downstream mixing of Hálslón reservoir water with the CO2 emitting Lagarfljót reservoir lowered the CO2 emissions from Lagarfljót from 5335 t CO2 yr−1 to 1670 t CO2 yr−1 after the damming. This study shows that dissolution of basalt in glacier melt waters leads to direct CO2 uptake from the atmosphere, which can potentially be utilised for future carbon removal from the atmosphere.Peer reviewe

Building Smart Materials by Tuning the Self- assembly Modes in Supramolecular Gels

The astounding capacity of nature to self-assemble is a fundamental principle that is seen at many different scales, ranging from micro to macromolecular structures. The study of self- assembly continues to be a vibrant area of research, but understanding self-assembly in nature is a challenging task because of its dynamic nature. Therefore, studying the role of such interactions provides valuable insights into designing smart materials. This doctoral work aimed to study the role of various non-bonding interactions and the spatial arrangement of the functional groups in dictating the self-assembly modes in individual and multi- component low molecular weight gels (LMWGs). The primary focus was on LMWGs with functionalities such as amide, urea, thiourea, and carbamate moieties with extended hydrogen bonding capability, which could result in gel fibrils with intriguing properties. Furthermore, antibacterial agents and drug-mimicking moieties were incorporated in addition to the above functionalities, and the applications of LMWGs in sensing, antibacterial studies, and gel phase crystallization were investigated. LMWGs were designed and synthesized, and the structure-property correlation was studied using rheology, scanning electron microscopy, circular dichroism, FT-IR, UV-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The gelation properties in the presence of metal salts were investigated, which showed that the presence of metal salts leads to the making/breaking of gels. The interactions of polymorphic drugs in gels with drug-mimicking and non-mimicking functionalities were examined to evaluate the specific role of functionalities in the crystal growth of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The self-assembly in the multi- component gels based on chiral or enantiomeric compounds was studied in detail and the specific co-assembly modes in mixed enantiomeric gels was confirmed by various analytical techniques. In general, the doctoral thesis aimed at understanding the crucial role of particular functionalities or substituents in tuning the gelation properties in individual and enantiomeric multi-component systems. This doctoral thesis gives a detailed outlook towards tuning the self-assembly in both individual and multi-component gels via various internal and external factors, which will help us to predict the mechanism of supramolecular gel formation and design LMWGs with tunable properties.Náttúran sýnir í eðli sínu ótrúlega hæfileika til að raða, setja eða hvarfa sjálfkrafa saman grunneiningar til að mynda smásameindir, fjölliður svo og risasameindir. Rannsóknir og þekking á náttúrulegum ferlum í sjálfkrafa hvörfum grunneininga til fjölliðumyndunar er krefjandi og heillandi viðfangsefni, sér í lagi þar sem lífheimurinn hannar og býr til „snjallefni“ á einfaldan hátt. Í þessu rannsóknaverkefni til doktorsprófs voru rannsökuð gel efnasambönd með lága sameindamassa (LMWG). Hlutverk ýmissa ótengdra þátta og víxlverkana milli virkra efnahópa voru rannsakaðir með það markmið að ákvarða hvaða þættir stjórna sjálfkrafa byggingu sameindanna í gelunum. Valin voru fjölþátta kerfi með tveimur virkum hópum og aðallega litið til virkni eftirfarandi hópa: amíð, þvagefni, thíoþvagefni og karbamat vegna eiginleika virku hópanna og hæfileika til að mynda vetnistengi í trefjakenndum gelum. Áhrif efna eins og salta/jóna, bakteríudrepandi efna og lífrænna lyfjaefna voru einnig rannsökuð með tilliti til bakteríudrepandi virkni, gelmyndunar, og breytinga á kristöllun trefjanna í gelforminu. Mismunandi LMWG gel voru hönnuð og smíðuð og uppbygging eða byggingaeiginleikar þessara gela rannsökuð og greind með togþolsmælingum, seigju, og styrkleika gelsins, rafeindasmásjá, ljósbrotseiginleikum, FT-IR, litrófsmælingum á útfjólubláa og sýnilega sviðinu og röntgen kristal greiningu. Áhrif málmsalta á gelin voru rannsökuð, bæði við myndun þeirra og niðurbrot. Víxlverkun lífvirkra efna og efna er líkja eftir lyfjavirkum sameindum var rannsökuð til að öðlast skilning á hlutverki virku hópanna við kristöllun lyfvirkra efna (API). Hlutverk og áhrif handhverfuhreinna efna við sjálfvirka byggingu fjölþátta kerfa við gelmyndun var rannsökuð og greind. Sértæk samsetning í blöndum af handhverfu gelunum var staðfest með ýmsum greiningaraðferðum svo og afgerandi hlutverk tiltekinna virkra hópa til að stýra byggingareiginleikum þessara gela. Rannsóknaverkefnið svaraði ýmsum spurningum varðandi gelmyndun og getur leitt til betri og skilvirkari aðferðafræði við hönnun og myndun LMWG með fyrirsjáanlega eiginleika.University of Iceland Doctoral fund, Teaching Assistantship Grant, Aðalsteinn Kristjánsson Memorial Fund, Rannis Iceland, Erasmus+ gran

Net-works: The technological development and economic significance of the pelagic trawl

Technological change is a crucial but a vastly under-researched aspect of the development of modern fisheries. This is the first study to explore the invention and development of the pelagic trawl, one of the most effective fishing gears in the world. This thesis examines a large and complex network of inventors and organisations from all over the world, including Iceland, each of whom were involved in the innovation process, and how their interactions and influences drove technical change. The innovation process is charted by looking at changes in the design of the pelagic trawl over time in detail and identifying the drivers of change and the impetus behind the new designs and ideas. The invention of the pelagic trawl is an excellent window into the process of how new technologies and ideas are introduced into fisheries. In following the story of inventors and designs, this study also presents the lives of the key individuals and their motivations, as well as the motives of organisations and various government institutions in encouraging the development of the pelagic trawl. Lastly, the economic significance of pelagic trawling is explored by looking especially at its effects on fish catch and productivity.Tæknibreytingar eru lykilþáttur í nútímaþróun fiskveiða en hafa lítt verið rannsakaðar. Í þessu verkefni er í fyrsta sinn tekin til rannsóknar uppfinning og þróun flotvörpunnar, eins afkastamesta veiðarfæris í heiminum. Við könnum stórt og flókið net uppfinningamanna og stofnana í mörgum löndum, þ. á m. Íslandi, sem unnu að þróun flotvörpunnar og hvernig samskpti þeirra og áhrif knúðu tæknibreytingar áfram. Við rekjum uppfinningannaferlið með því að skoða nákvæmlega breytingar á hönnun flotvörpunnr í tímans rás og metum hvaða áhrifaþættir koma við sögu nýrra hugmynda og hönnunar. Uppfinning flotvörpunnar er ágætur gluggi inn í ferlið sem verður til við að þróa nýja fiskveiðitækni. Með því að fylgja eftir uppfinningamönnunum og framvindu hönnunar kynnumst við starfi frumkvöðlanna og hugmyndunum sem knúðu þá áfram, en einnig þætti stofnana og stjórnvalda í að örva þessa nýju tækni. Loks skoðum við efnhagslega þýðingu flotvörpunnar með því að kanna áhrif hennar á fiskafla og framleiðni í veiðum.Rannís; Akku

Author Correction : Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries (Nature Medicine, (2025), 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4)

Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.Correction to: Nature Medicinehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4, published online 6 January 2025. In the version of the article initially published, in the eighth paragraph of the Discussion, the text “Among large nations, the largest increases in SSB-related T2D burdens were in Mexico, Thailand and the United Kingdom, and in CVD burdens, Colombia, Nigeria, Thailand and Russia. These changes align with rises in SSB consumption in these nations12. Similarly, declining SSB-related cardiometabolic burdens in Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom (for CVD) are consistent with their decreasing SSB consumption from 1990 to 202012” was incorrect and has now been updated to “Among largely populated nations, the largest increases in SSB-related T2D incidence was in Colombia, USA and Argentina; and in CVD incidence, Nigeria, Russia, Colombia and Thailand. These changes generally align with rises in SSB consumption in these nations, except in the US where slight declines in SSB consumption were offset by increased burdens of diabetes 12. Similarly, declining SSB-related cardiometabolic burdens in Turkey, Brazil, and the United States and the United Kingdom for CVD are consistent with their decreasing SSB consumption from 1990 to 202012.” Additionally, Supplementary Data 1 and 2 have been updated to remove decimals in values greater than 100. These corrections have been made to the HTML and PDF versions of the article

Problems for ‘standard’ dispositionalist accounts of semantic content

Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.A popular view in metasemantics is the view that a speaker’s dispositions regarding the use of a symbol determine the meaning of that symbol for the speaker. Kripke (Wittgenstein on rules and private language, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1982) arguments against simple versions of semantic dispositionalism have inspired ever new versions. A recent account in the literature, due to Warren (Noûs 54(2):257–289, 2020) offers a sophisticated version of semantic dispositionalism whereby certain conditions are imposed on speaker’s dispositions to count as meaning determining—conditions we can refer to as ‘standard’. In this paper, I argue that there are a number of cases that suggest that even under such conditions, a speaker’s meaning and their dispositions can come apart, and that this suggests that dispositional accounts of semantic content presuppose that there are semantic norms, independent of a speaker’s dispositions, and thus do not explain semantic content. I conclude that, since these problems generalise to non-standard dispositionalist accounts, the dispositionalist’s prospects are dim.Peer reviewe

Ejtm3 experiences after ChatGPT and other AI approaches : values, risks, countermeasures

We invariably hear that Artificial Intelligence (AI), a rapidly evolving technology, does not just creatively assemble known knowledge. We are told that AI learns, processes and creates, starting from fixed points to arrive at innovative solutions. In the case of scientific work, AI can generate data without ever having entered a laboratory, (i.e., blatantly plagiarizing the existing literature, a despicable old trick). How does an editor of a scientific journal recognize when she or he is faced with something like this? The solution is for editors and referees to rigorously evaluate the track records of submitting authors and what they are doing. For example, false color evaluations of 2D and 3D CT and MRI images have been used to validate functional electrical stimulation for degenerated denervated muscle and a home Full-Body In-Bed Gym program. These have been recently published in Ejtm and other journals. The editors and referees of Ejtm can exclude the possibility that the images were invented by ChatGPT. Why? Because they know the researchers: Marco Quadrelli, Aldo Morra, Daniele Coraci, Paolo Gargiulo and their collaborators as well! Artificial intelligence is not banned by the EJTM, but when submitting their manuscripts to previous and to a new Thematic Section dedicated to Generative AI in Translational Mobility Medicine authors must openly declare whether they have used artificial intelligence, of what type and for what purposes. This will not avoid risks of plagiarism or worse, but it will better establish possible liabilities.Peer reviewe

The genomic basis of adaptive differentiation between closely related morphs of Arctic charr

Exploring the genetic basis of ecological diversification is crucial to understand how diversity is generated and maintained. The overall aim of this thesis is to disentangle the genetic basis behind the ecological differentiation of the Arctic charr in lake Thingvallavatn (Iceland), where this species has diverged genetically and phenotypically into four morphs along the benthic-limnetic ecological axis. Here I focused on studying the genetic underpinnings behind the phenotypic traits involved in this well-characterised case of ecological differentiation: (1) the morphology associated with benthic and limnetic ecologies and (2) the discrete size differentiation. To tackle this, a variety of methodological approaches was used: 1) geometric morphometrics to characterise morphological differentiation across morphs, 2) QTL mapping to map those traits onto the genome, and 3) population genomic approaches to look at the genetic underpinnings behind discrete body size differentiation across morphs. For the geometric morphometrics and the QTL mapping parts of the study, laboratory reared families from the lake were established and for the population genomics part fish were collected from the lake. Throughout this thesis I provide evidence for a genetic basis behind body size and shape in the Thingvallavatn system. QTL mapping revealed that the relative size of the head, maxilla shape and peduncle depth were attributed to single QTL with moderate to high effects, likely complemented with other QTL of small effects. Additionally, genome scans unveiled highly differentiated genomic regions shared between the small and large morph pairs, including a region containing the glypican-6 gene, which is highly conserved in vertebrate evolution, playing a role in cell proliferation and growth. This work significantly contributes to our understanding of ecological diversification and opens avenues for further research in salmonid and other freshwater systems

Nunalleq Digital Museum: multi-vocal narration of a Yup'ik past

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.Digital technology facilitates remote access to archaeological collections and offers an accessible platform for knowledge sharing and innovative storytelling. Here, the authors present a newly developed online museum resource co-curated by archaeologists and the descendant community in Quinhagak, Alaska.Peer reviewe

Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.In a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of 688,808 individuals with major depression (MD) and 4,364,225 controls from 29 countries across diverse and admixed ancestries, we identify 697 associations at 635 loci, 293 of which are novel. Using fine-mapping and functional tools, we find 308 high-confidence gene associations and enrichment of postsynaptic density and receptor clustering. A neural cell-type enrichment analysis utilizing single-cell data implicates excitatory, inhibitory, and medium spiny neurons and the involvement of amygdala neurons in both mouse and human single-cell analyses. The associations are enriched for antidepressant targets and provide potential repurposing opportunities. Polygenic scores trained using European or multi-ancestry data predicted MD status across all ancestries, explaining up to 5.8% of MD liability variance in Europeans. These findings advance our global understanding of MD and reveal biological targets that may be used to target and develop pharmacotherapies addressing the unmet need for effective treatment.Peer reviewe