Book review - kirja-arvostelu

Antti Latvala & Karri Silventoinen (toim.) Käyttäytymisgenetiikka. Geeneistä yhteiskuntaan. Gaudeamus 2014

Transport phenomena of polar biomolecules and colloids : perspectives through simulation

The thesis focuses on the transport of polar biomolecules and colloid particles studied through atomistic and coarse-grained simulation techniques. The thesis is comprised of two themes complementing one another. First we concentrate on the structural and dynamical aspects of alcohol molecules in lipid bilayers with varying degree of unsaturation. Second, the thesis employs dielectrophoresis to elucidate the non-equilibrium transport phenomena of nano-sized colloidal particles. The former is an example of simulating a molecular system at the atomic level, providing insight into the mechanism of anesthetics such as alcohols. The latter topic exemplifies the more coarse grained approach of describing surface polarization effects of a colloid coupled to a varying external electric field and subsequent transport of the colloid. In water solution the lipids self-organize into bilayer structures depicting biological membranes. The effect of ethanol and methanol solvents on the lipid bilayer structure and dynamics was investigated. Simulations show ethanol transport into and through the bilayer, results indicating an undisputable effect of alcohols, esp. ethanol, on membrane properties. Hydrogen bonding between lipid and alcohol molecules is observed, and lipid bilayer pressure profile changes due to alcohol are obtained. For dielectrophoresis, novel computational models for the transport of (nano-sized) colloidal particles in non-homogeneous electric fields are developed. The model's coupling strength depends on field strength, colloid charge magnitude and charge distribution, which in real life also affect the general characteristics of (surface) conductivity and permittivity that evoke dielectrophoretic behavior of e.g. cells. The colloids in simulation are shown to be affected by their medium via Brownian motion and hydrodynamics. It is demonstrated that aggregation of nano-sized colloids can enhance their transport.reviewe

Urban sustainability and the SDGs : A Nordic perspective and opportunity for integration

Urban sustainability has been used to cover multiple aspects of urban development. Terms related to sustainability have been generously used to advance ubiquitous and hard-to-measure targets not least in response to global and national sustainable development (SD) targets. However, ad-hoc and governed urbanization processes differ. In addition to different development pathways, local differences in interpretation of sustainability exist. This renders a global urban sustainability discourse disconnected from local practice. In this paper we focus on the Nordic cities, combining what is known about the similarities of the cities and societies, their recent development and highlights. Comparing with the global sustainability discourse spearheaded by the UN development goals (SDGs) we analyze the potential links in Nordic urban development to the global aims, as well as the local action taken via ex-ante review and assessment. With increasing demands for transformative change in urban planning and other institutions due to environmental, social and economic challenges, we demonstrate where strengthening the urban sustainability agenda is particularly needed. Findings show surprisingly little focus on socially just and cross-thematic development pre-SDGs, while it is expected that the dominant technocratic focus will give way to these other aspects necessary to address sustainability under the current SDG framework

Modelling population structure in the context of urban land use change in Europe

Population structure and dynamics are important drivers of land use. In this article, we present the methods and outcomes of integrating population projections across multiple spatial scales with an urban growth model. By linking shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP)-specific national population projections to present-day population distributions at a sub-national scale, we describe a downscaling approach that provides input into a regional urban growth (RUG) model for Europe. The allocation of population acts as a key driver for residential urban demand especially in the SSP5-based scenario, and therefore regional (sub-national) urban growth. Sub-national population trends can deviate strongly from national averages stemming from current population age structures: this creates different urban land use patterns and demand for artificial surfaces. We see strong population dependence in the regional development of urban areas across Europe, and the effects caused by age structure and sub-national population dynamics

Estimating impact likelihoods from probabilistic projections of climate and socio-economic change using impact response surfaces

Peer reviewe