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Verk Gravity, Holography and Deformations(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2026) Nix, Alexia; Friðrik Freyr Gautason (main advisor), Valentina Giangreco M. Puletti (administrative advisor); Faculty of Physical Sciences (UI); Raunvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)In this dissertation we aim to explore gravity using two different methods, namely precision holography and stress-tensor deformations. From the holographic perspective we achieve this by studying the holographic dual of the half-BPS Wilson loop operator, in a variety of both conformal and non-conformal field theories, which is given by the partition function of a fundamental string or probe M2-brane in the corresponding dual geometry. We do this by focusing on the first subleading correction of the corresponding holographic expansion. This way we provide new quantitative tests of these gauge/gravity dualities, and we further develop the tools that are necessary for such an analysis. On the other hand, we utilize the massive gravity formulation of stress-tensor deformations to establish new connections with various theories of gravity, as well as mathematics. In particular, using this formulation we construct a new d-dimensional deforming operator that extends the findings of previous holographic studies, and makes contact with earlier results of minimal massive gravity. In three dimensions, we study the stress-tensor deformation of a certain seed theory and recover the DBI action of a two-brane in Polyakov form as the deformed action, establishing a new connection to string theory. Finally, restricting our analysis to two dimensions we show how the study of some deformed theories, that satisfy certain properties, can lead to further insights regarding the algebraic properties of special functions.Verk Irrelevant deformations, relevant masses(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2026) Tsolakidis, Evangelos; Valentina Giangreco and Marotta Puletti; Faculty of Physical Sciences (UI); Raunvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)The study of stress-tensor deformations is a newly-formed subfield in high energy theoretical physics and one of its main goals is to map out the space of all quantum field theories. Considering their connection to ghost-free massive gravity via the seminal example of TT in two dimensions, we develop a purely gravitational formalism for any deformation of this family in any dimension. Our approach indicates that the effect of the deformation reduces to coupling the undeformed theory with a carefully constructed mass term for the graviton. We employ this idea in various scenarios retrieving and extending known results in string theory and mathematics, ending up in higher dimensions where the dynamics are less explored. There, we establish a concrete connection between a ghost-free massive gravity theory and a holographically inspired deformation providing in parallel a direct derivation of the Polyakov form for branes in static gauge, based on the corresponding structure of the deformation.Verk Stillbirth in Iceland: Causes and clinicopathological phenotypes(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2026-08-04) Bjarnadóttir, Ragnheiður; Jóhanna Gunnarsdóttir; Faculty of Medicine (UI); Læknadeild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)Aims: to explore the stillbirth rate (SBR) and examine the etiology of stillbirth in Iceland from 1996-2021 as well as review the placental histopathology. Methods: Clinical information was obtained from medical records of mothers who had stillbirths and their infants (n=395). Infants were divided into groups according to gestational age (GA) at diagnosis of stillbirth: early preterm: ≥22 but < 28 weeks (n=140), late preterm: ≥28 but <37 weeks (n=130) and term: ≥ 37 weeks (n=125). Autopsy records and gross description of placenta were reviewed and microscopic slides re-evaluated and classified according to the Amsterdam placental workshop consensus into four major patterns of placental injury. Primary and associated causes of death were assigned according to the Stockholm classification of stillbirth. The SBR, maternal and fetoplacental characteristics, placental histopathology as well as cause of death were compared between two 13-year periods (1996-2008 and 2009-2021) and between GA groups. Chi-square tests were applied and p-level of 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The SBR decreased from 4.10 to 2.88/1000 births (p=0.009) between the former and latter period, but the reduction was limited to stillbirths diagnosed before term. Fewer stillbirths in the latter period were attributed to causes such as infection and placental abruption as well as unknown/unexplained. The most common primary causes of stillbirth were reduced circulation in the umbilical cord (25.6%) and placental insufficiency (25.2%); both increased with advancing GA. Despite no difference in proportion of small for gestational age infants between the two periods, placental weight <10th percentile for GA was significantly more common in the latter period than the earlier (30.3% vs 21.3%, p= 0.002), when a larger proportion of stillbirths was attributed to placental insufficiency (37.0 vs 17.0%, p=0.0002). The stillbirth rate at term was 1.18/1000 term infants with no decrease between the two periods. In stillbirth at term, placentas weighing under the 10th percentile were more common in the latter (43.5 vs 31.7%, p<0.05). Chronic villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) was significantly more often diagnosed in the latter period (40.3 vs,12.7%, p<0.01. Cord complications and placental insufficiency were the most common causes of stillbirth at term as 72% (91/125) of deaths were attributed to these causes, either alone or together. Compared to the earlier period, stillbirth was significantly more often attributed to placental insufficiency (with or without cord complications) in the latter compared to the earlier (56.5% vs. 22.2%, p<0.001). Placental histologic slides were reviewed for 96.4% stillborn singletons and classified into four major patterns of placental injury. Maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) was diagnosed in 19.0%, fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM) in 31.6%, acute chorioamnionitis (ACA) in 32.2% and VUE in 15.9%. More than one pattern of placental injury was found in 7.7% and none of the major patterns in 27.9% of placentas. A similar proportion of MVM was seen in all GA groups, FVM was more common ≥28 weeks whereas ACA was most frequent <28 weeks and VUE most often diagnosed at term. A higher proportion of maternal vascular malperfusion was found in stillbirths with small for gestational age (SGA) infants than non-SGA (23.0 vs 6.1%) as well as in stillbirths with maternal hypertensive disorder of pregnancy than in stillbirths with a normotensive mother (23.9 vs 11.8%). The umbilical cord was classified as at risk in half (53.8%) of singleton stillbirths, the proportion increased with gestational age (28.9% <28 weeks, 56.0% ≥28 but <37 and 71.7% at term). Hypercoiled, excessively long and wrapped cords were most common. Term stillbirths with cord at risk often also had placental MVM and/or VUE. Conclusions: The SBR decreased in the latter period due to a reduction in preterm stillbirth but the SBR at term was unchanged. Reduced circulation of the umbilical cord and placental insufficiency were the commonest causes of death, both increasing with gestational age. Stillbirth due to infection and placental abruption as well as unexplained stillbirths decreased during the study period whereas deaths attributed to placental insufficiency became more common, reflecting lack of reduction of stillbirth at term in the latter period. Stillbirths with VUE and FVM, as well as umbilical cord at risk, were more common with advancing GA and often without recognized risk factors. Understanding major patterns of placental injury and their correlation to clinical phenotypes of stillbirth is valuable when counselling after stillbirth and planning surveillance of a subsequent pregnancy.Verk Professional Knowledge in Transition: Police Education Reform and the Reconfiguration of Knowledge in Icelandic Policing(University of Iceland, School of Education, Faculty of Education and Diversity, 2026-08) Bragason, Olafur Orn; Guðrún Geirsdóttir og Ingólfur Ásgeir Jóhannesson; Faculty of Education and Diversity (UI); Deild menntunar og margbreytileika (HÍ); School of Education (UI); Menntavísindasvið (HÍ)This doctoral thesis examines how Iceland’s 2016 police education reform reconfigured the forms, value, and legitimacy of professional knowledge as basic police education was shifted from a vocational model to a university-based programme. The reform formed part of a wider professionalisation process with the intention to strengthen the police’s analytical, ethical and communicative competence so that officers are better equipped to respond to an increasingly complex policing environment. Using the analytical perspectives of Shulman, Eraut and Chan, the thesis examines how different forms of knowledge are produced, valued and rendered legitimate across policy, educational and workplace settings. The research comprises four interrelated studies using a multi-method, multi-level design combining qualitative and quantitative approaches: (I) a historical discourse analysis of the policy and legislative texts that framed the reform; (II) an institutional analysis of the implementation of flexible learning and its relationship to workforce needs, access to education, and the system-level legitimation of the reform; (III) a longitudinal study of students’ valuations of professional competence before and after police education reform; and (IV) qualitative interviews with newly graduated officers examining how professional knowledge is enacted and legitimised in practice. The findings suggest that the reform achieved institutional alignment with higher education, but that epistemic and cultural change unfolded more slowly. At the policy level, legitimacy was built on both technocratic and professionalising logics; at the educational level, police students in the university-based programme placed greater value on analytical and relational competence than students in the earlier vocational model; and at the workplace level, academic and experiential knowledge remained only partially integrated. The thesis conceptualises these processes as part of a multi-level knowledge formation in policing and uses the concept of comprehensive competence to describe the cognitive, ethical, and relational dimensions of professional practice. The study contributes to international debates on professional education by portraying how reforms in a small state illuminate the complex interplay between institutional change, learning cultures, and the evolving legitimacy of professional knowledge.Verk Pathways to Sustainable Eating: Fostering Sustainable Attunement through Commensality and Collective Culinary Creativity(University of Iceland, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, 2026) Viðarsdóttir, Auður; Valdimar Tr. Hafstein; Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics (UI); Félagsfræði-, mannfræði- og þjóðfræðideild (HÍ); School of Social Sciences (UI); Félagsvísindasvið (HÍ)Considerable improvements can be achieved for human and planetary health if everyday food practices are transformed into a sustainable direction, as industrial food systems account for one third of greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to ecosystem degradation. Although the food system is global in scope, changes at local and regional levels are significant to drive its transformation. This PhD dissertation explores the experiences of individuals who have adopted more sustainable or healthier diets (e.g., vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and more) in Iceland in recent years with the aim to generate insights to inform further research and policy toward more sustainable and healthier foodways in the country. The research was a part of the transdisciplinary project Sustainable Healthy Diets: Filling the Gaps and Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future, funded by Rannís through the Strategic Research and Development Program 2020–2023. Grounded in ethnology and folkloristics, the analysis emphasizes meaning-making processes in everyday life. The study employs ethnographic methods, including in-depth interviews, participant observation, and a qualitative questionnaire, to investigate the motivations, challenges, and practices associated with dietary transformations among people in Iceland. The dissertation is theoretically informed by more-than-human approaches that bridge the social sciences, humanities, and ecology, and frame eating as an active, embodied engagement that places humans in an ongoing, contingent relation with the world. The study’s findings contribute to research on sustainable dietary transformations, notably by shifting the focus from individual dietary changes to how food and eating can be actively employed to reform human–nature relations and build community. The study identifies creative tinkering as one of the main factors that facilitates and sustains a change toward more sustainable diets—a dynamic process in which new food habits gradually align with practitioners’ core values, bodily needs, and social and natural environments, constituting meaning-making through embodied relations with one’s own body, nature, and other living beings. The main hindering factor in maintaining a new diet, especially in the case of vegans, is the challenging social situations that alternative food practices can create, such as when new food values clash with family traditions or culinary heritage. However, creative tinkering reinforces people’s core values in such a way that it becomes easier for them to overcome and negotiate difficult social situations, share new food values, and maintain their kinship ties through repeated everyday commensality. New values thus become meaningful through human and more-than-human relations, demonstrating the transformative potential of eating as simultaneously a cultural and physiological process. In addition to situating commensality and kinship as relevant analytical tools within dietary sustainability research, the dissertation contributes two original concepts for further application and development in future research: sustainable attunement and collective culinary creativity. Sustainable attunement describes the iterative, embodied process of aligning new values with food habits, bodily needs, and social practices, including the emotional labor of navigating social frictions while remaining true to those values, all of which support the long-term maintenance of a new diet. Collective culinary creativity is a strategy for creating meaningful connections around food and sustainability in local contexts, enhancing the transformative potential of cooking and eating and effectively integrating ethnological methods into transdisciplinary research. Moreover, exploring food-related practices through the conceptual lens of time reveals that the values people build through social relationships often clash with the capitalist, dualistic logic that shapes the global food system and much modern knowledge production. Food’s relational role—as more than a commodity and a means to nurture human and more-thanhuman relations—is frequently undervalued within prevailing systems, which can hinder change as transformations become established largely through social ties. This mismatch must be critically examined to prevent undermining sustainable practices in everyday life. Lastly, this dissertation reflects on the role of ethnology in transdisciplinary research aimed at sustainable food transformations, arguing that ethnologists are particularly well suited to tackle complex socio-ecological challenges and engage with the inherent complexities and contradictions of dietary changes, ultimately facilitating sustainability transformations that treat everyday practices as sites of potential radical change.Verk Making Sense of Gender in Compulsory School Practices in Iceland(University of Iceland, School of Education, Faculty of Philosophy, History and Archaeology, 2023-10) Þrastardóttir, Bergljót; Ingólfur Ásgeir Jóhannesson og Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir; Faculty of Philosophy, History and Archaeology (UI); Deild heimspeki, sagnfræði og fornleifafræði (HÍ); School of Education (UI); Menntavísindasvið (HÍ)The Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights Irrespective of Gender no. 150/2020 and the current national curriculum for compulsory school education in Iceland emphasise the promotion of gender equality and queer education. However, there are few signs of the enactment of these obligations at the compulsory school level, and research is lacking on the interplay of gender and education. I found this intriguing and decided that it was important to inquire about the gendered aspects of school practices at the compulsory school level, especially since Iceland has been internationally reported to be a feminist paradise. I chose to do the study presented in this thesis on how gender is manifested in school culture and practices in the upper grades of the compulsory school level (grades 8–10, age level 13–16) in one school. The study consists of one data set produced through ethnographic methods. Participant observations were conducted for three months, which gave the researcher an opportunity to interact closely in the field, producing deeper knowledge than before on how actors make sense of gender and how it is performed at the compulsory school level in Iceland. Students and school staff at the upper level of the school participated in group and individual interviews. Rich observational data and additional material was collected to acquire insights into the gendered practices and discourses in the school. This study contributes to and generates new knowledge on how the school and the culture define and (re)produce gender differences, particularly with regards to the available gender positions in schools. The thesis is a compilation of three articles. Article I explores gender dividing practices reflected in different school spaces. Article II explores how students’ gender performativity and conceptualisation of girls as drama supports binary understanding of gender. Article III presents girls claiming discursive space to be able to change the normative gender script in school. Together, these articles give insight into the gender aspects of compulsory school practices in Iceland. Main findings indicate that the school environment favoured dividing practices between boys and girls in both overt and subtle ways, with a relative lack of resistance to the persistent gender division. This was reflected in (cis)heteronormative understanding of gender and gender-based arrangement of different school spaces that reproduced binary gender relations. The understanding of gender categories in school settings had a vital role in positioning students based on their masculine or feminine performativity and reproduced the ideas reflected in societal discourse on gender and social media promoting stereotypical gendered performativity. Claiming discursive space to resist the normative gender script available to students was an individual effort which came with the risk of rejection. The findings further suggest that schools must do better and comply with their duties as to promote gender equality education instead of limiting available gender positions and, thus, students’ freedom to express fluid gender and sexual identities. Schools must also dismantle the myth of Iceland as a gender equal paradise since gender inequalities are still very prominent in schools and will go unnoticed if not addressed.Verk Animals on display in an Age of Extinction(University of Iceland, School of Humanities, Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies, 2026) Kjartansdóttir, Katla; Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir; Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies (UI); Íslensku- og menningardeild (HÍ); School of Humanities (UI); Hugvísindasvið (HÍ)The examination presented in this PhD dissertation unpacks the significant but changing role of animals, as living beings and in the forms of museum objects, souvenirs, and symbols. The main theoretical frameworks derive from crossdisciplinary, post-humanist perspectives, which have highlighted the agency and role of more-than-humans as important and valuable companion species. In line with these perspectives the aim throughout the dissertation is to draw forth the important role of more-than-humans (including animals and objects) as actants with their own cultural biographies and thing power. In this relation, particular attention is given to visual and material representations of the Atlantic puffin and the extinct great auk within the context of art, tourism and museums. The investigation reveals, for example, how the Atlantic puffin as a living animal, material object and visual symbol has increasingly been activated within the context of Arctic tourism in Iceland. Another aim of the dissertation is to shed light on how current human induced environmental challenges, such as climate change and animal extinction, have impacted and changed our human/more-than-human relations. Furthermore, how these changes are met and engaged with through visual and material representations within the context of art, tourism, and museums. The dissertation contributes to the emerging field of multi-species studies, across disciplines, which include animal studies, post-humanist studies and more-than-human studies. The four case studies shed light on the complexities, challenges, and politics of representing human/more-than-human entanglements in our present epoch, frequently described as the Age of Extinction. An epoch, which demands continual challenging of traditional, dualistic boundaries and divisions to raise fruitful discussions and, not least, to discover collective solutions. Throughout the dissertation museums, and other cultural spaces, are regarded as important arenas where discussions and critical reflections can take place on urgent dark ecological matters of our times, such as rapid animal extinction.Verk A Novel Role of the MITF-A Isoform in Maintaining Genomic Stability(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2026-03-04) Venkatesh, Thejus; Stefán Sigurðsson; Faculty of Medicine (UI); Læknadeild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)The genome of all living cells is susceptible to various intra- and extracellular events that can compromise its stability. This genomic stability is crucial for the normal function of all cells, and failure to preserve genome integrity can lead to cancer and other diseases. In the event of DNA damage, cells activate the so-called DNA Damage Response to initiate DNA repair. Replication stress can also cause genomic instability. Replication stress interrupts the DNA replication process by stalling the active replication fork. If there is prolonged replication stress, it leads to genomic instability, which can result in DNA damage, chromosomal abnormalities, and mutations. MITF is a transcription factor best known for its roles in melanocyte biology and melanoma, but its function in genome maintenance remains incompletely understood. While most studies have focused on the MITF-M isoform, the roles of other isoforms remain largely unexplored. Interestingly, many non-melanocytic cells predominantly express the MITF-A isoform. Data presented in this project show that MITFA is expressed in most tissues, including cancer tissues, and may function as a genome maintenance protein. In this study, we use the osteosarcoma cell line U2OS to uncover the non-melanocyte-specific role of MITF. We found that MITF depletion leads to TP53 accumulation, P21 expression, increased 53BP1 nuclear bodies, and high fork speed, suggesting a protective role in S phase, thus maintaining genomic stability. Differentially expressed genes upon MITF-A isoform knockdown show downregulation of genes associated with DNA replication and DNA repair. Mass spectrometry reveals that MITF-A shows increased interaction with proteins involved in DNA replication and repair, including RPA and PARP1, compared to MITF-M. Notably, data from single-molecule C-trap optical tweezer experiments show that MITF-A, but not MITF-M, stably binds RPA-coated singlestranded DNA. Replication dynamics revealed that MITF-A depletion led to an increase in replication fork speed, which is associated with reduced PARylation. Collectively, this study highlights MITF-A’s role in DNA replication and in maintaining genomic stability.Verk In Situ LIBS Analysis of Oxidation, Vaporization, and Phase Transformations in Molten Aluminum Alloys(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2026-06-24) Radsson, Mani Thor; Snorri Þorgeir Ingvarsson; Faculty of Physical Sciences (UI); Raunvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)This thesis demonstrates how in‑situ Laser‑Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used to probe thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena in molten aluminum alloys. The results show that LIBS not only provides rapid compositional analysis but also captures vapor–liquid equilibria, oxidation behavior, and phase‑transformation dynamics in molten metal. In Al–Mg alloys, the Mg LIBS signal was found to be influenced by vapor‑phase emission, causing an exponential increase in apparent Mg concentration with temperature. Arrhenius analysis showed that this trend follows the enthalpy of Mg vaporization, confirming that LIBS directly reflects Mg vapor–liquid equilibrium. Alloying additions revealed varying degrees of thermodynamic interactions: Si, Zn, and Sn in 1-3 wt% concentrations moderately affected Mg activity, while alloying with Be, Ca, and Sr significantly reduced the temperature-dependent Mg contribution at only 0.01 wt% additions, in agreement with other studies on the influence of these group-II elements on the oxidation of Mg-containing melts. For Li‑containing alloys, the LIBS analysis showed strong signal saturation due to rapid surface oxidation and the formation of Li‑rich surface films. Time‑dependent measurements demonstrated that the Li concentration decays exponentially in the melt, with decay time increasing linearly with Mg concentration, suggesting that Mg-containing oxides have a partial blocking effect on Li removal from the melt. In primary aluminum, Li additions were shown to enhance the loss of Mg, Ca, and Sr from the melt. In Al–Ti and Al–Zr alloys, LIBS was successfully used to map liquid–solid equilibria and track real‑time formation of Al₃Ti and Al₃Zr. Measured liquidus lines agreed with thermodynamic predictions, while experiments at different cooling rates revealed different degrees of nucleation undercooling for Al₃Ti and Al₃Zr phases. Silicon additions were shown to reduce undercooling in Al–Zr alloys and affect the morphology of Al₃Zr in the solidified alloy. Overall, the work shows that molten-metal LIBS analysis is a powerful tool for studying vaporization, oxidation, and intermetallic phase formation in molten alloys, offering unique opportunities for real-time analysis in metallurgical research and industrial process monitoring.Verk Scribes and Scribal Practice in Fifteenth-Century Iceland: A Study on the Evolution of Script and Language.(University of Iceland, School of Humanities, Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies, 2026-06-19) Pagani, Roberto Luigi; Haraldur Bernharðsson; Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies (UI); Íslensku- og menningardeild (HÍ); School of Humanities (UI); Hugvísindasvið (HÍ)This dissertation investigates Icelandic scribal and linguistic practices during the socalled “long” fifteenth century, roughly spanning from the late fourteenth century to the early sixteenth. The period has traditionally been regarded as one of stagnation in both language and script, yet such an assessment has rarely been tested through systematic analysis. The present study re-examines this assumption by tracing selected palaeographic and orthographic developments across a corpus of fifty scribal hands drawn from manuscripts dated between c. 1375 and c. 1525. Three palaeographic and seven linguistic features were selected on the basis of their frequency, diagnostic value, and chronological sensitivity. These include, among others, the distribution of forms of the letter “a”, of the tall “s” and of the “r” rotunda on the one hand, and on the other the fricativisation of unstressed wordfinal k, the diphthongisation of e before ng and that of é, the drop of intervocalic g before i/j, the u-epenthesis, and the orthographic representation of palatal consonants. Data were gathered through systematic random sampling of images of manuscript texts and converted into quantitative tables allowing comparison between conservative and innovative forms. The results demonstrate that the fifteenth century was not a static period but rather one characterised by gradual and uneven change. Certain features reveal clear chronological trajectories, while others display persistent coexistence of competing forms. When the individual profiles of scribal hands are compared, no coherent clusters emerge that could correspond to geographical or institutional affiliations, suggesting a highly individualised scribal practice which challenges the notion of “scribal schools” or “scribal milieu”. The combination of palaeographic and linguistic data thus provides a more nuanced picture of late-medieval Icelandic manuscript culture. Far from representing a period of decline, the “long” fifteenth century appears as a dynamic phase of transition, bridging the classical and early modern stages of Icelandic writing. Not least, the findings offer a basis for refining the dating of broadly-dated manuscripts and for reassessing the evolution of Icelandic orthography and script.Verk The non-antibacterial mechanism of action of azithromycin and other macrolides in respiratory epithelium(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2026-06) Asbjarnarson , Arni; Þórarinn Guðjónsson; Faculty of Medicine (UI); Læknadeild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)Epithelial barrier failure is a common denominator in multiple acute and chronic respiratory diseases. The respiratory epithelial barrier presents the first line of defence against infectious agents and other particulate matter; continuous exposure of epithelial cells results in molecular and phenotypic changes that evoke conditions such as inflammation, fibrosis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Macrolide antibiotics are known for their off-label use in treatments of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD), primarily due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Azithromycin (AZM), in particular, has been recognized for its use in decreasing the frequency of CRD exacerbations. Our research group has previously shown that AZM maintains bronchial epithelial integrity in air-liquid interface (ALI) cell culture conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are not completely known. The aim of this thesis is to understand the non-antibiotic mechanism of action of macrolides, particularly AZM, in modulation of barrier integrity and metabolism of bronchial epithelial cells. In paper I, the effects of different macrolides (AZM, clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin and solithromycin) on gene expression and epithelial integrity in ALI culture were compared. AZM treatment, when compared to other macrolides, drastically enhanced barrier integrity, induced phospholipid retention and vesicle build-up. Analysis of gene sequencing data sets revealed AZM treatment distinctly enriched several gene sets, most notably increasing the expression of genes related to keratinocyte differentiation, establishment of skin barrier and downregulation of EMT pathways. The focus of Paper II was the potential role of AZM in EMT. AZM inhibited TGF-β1-induced upregulation of SNAI1, N-cadherin and vimentin, key features of EMT. Furthermore, AZM reduced the expression of caveolin-1 that has previously been linked to EMT. The data presented in Paper II report a potential mechanism by which AZM inhibits EMT via depletion of caveolin-1 and cholesterol from the cell membrane through their transport to a perinuclear location. The aim of Paper III was to expand on and compare the effects of the same macrolide antibiotics as those examined in Paper I, but with a focus on oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function. Macrolide treatment indirectly decreased mitochondrial respiration and lowered protein levels of electron transport chain proteins. However, only AZM treatment caused an increase in reactive oxygen species at 72 hours post treatment along with a downstream increase in lipid peroxidation. The antioxidant pathway of KEAP1/NRF2 was activated and gene expression data from longer treatments (14 and 21 days) in ALI culture revealed that AZM initiated mitochondrial dynamic and protective pathways through mitohormesis. In Paper IV, AZM was compared to a nonantibacterial derivative of AZM (EP395) to determine whether the effects of AZM are distinct from its antimicrobial activity. It was shown that EP395 retained the barrier integrity enhancing capabilities of AZM along with positive enrichment of the same gene sets found to be uniquely affected by AZM treatment, indicating that these effects are distinct from the antibacterial activity. Papers V and VI focused on ventilatorinduced lung injury (VILI) in a rodent model where it was investigated whether macrolides ameliorate the negative effects caused by mechanical ventilation. It was shown that barrier failure correlated with increased expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and higher tidal volumes. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress and phenotypic changes in mitochondria were observed. Finally, we reported that AZM and EP317, another derivative of AZM with reduced antibacterial activity, ameliorated pulmonary oedema, enhanced barrier integrity, and attenuated inflammatory responses caused by ventilation. Collectively, I have shown that AZM has greater effects on bronchial epithelial barrier integrity than other macrolides, that it inhibits EMT and fortifies mitochondrial resilience. I propose possible mechanistic pathways involved in the beneficial effects of AZM treatment, while recognising that additional research is needed to fully uncover AZM’s involvement in the discussed pathways.Verk BDPA radicals for DNP-NMR and a new method for RNA spin-labeling(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2026-06-16) Ahmad, Iram; Snorri Þór Sigurðsson; Faculty of Physical Sciences (UI); Raunvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is a powerful approach for overcoming the low sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and has extensive applications in the study of both materials and biological systems. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and fluorescence spectroscopy are highly important complementary techniques and are particularly valuable for studying nucleic acid structure and dynamics. The broader application of these methods, however, depends on the availability of suitable polarizing agents and site-specific spectroscopic probes, respectively. This thesis focuses on the development of 1,3 bisdiphenylene-2-phenylallyl (BDPA)-based polarizing agents for DNP-NMR and a facile spin labeling strategy for nucleic acids. The first part describes the development of tailored BDPA derivatives for high-field DNPNMR. The synthesis of the key precursor, tetrabromo BDPA, was first optimized. A tetraazide-BDPA building block was subsequently prepared, enabling conjugation to a variety of alkynes via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Using this strategy, four BDPA derivatives with varied polarity, size, and steric shielding were prepared. Of these, a BDPA-dendrimer derivative exhibited enhanced persistence and superior DNP performance, achieving the highest liquid-state DNP enhancement reported to date in viscous solutions. The second part describes a noncovalent RNA spin labeling strategy based on helical stacking of small RNA hairpins, containing the rigid spin label Çm, on RNA duplexes. Complementary overhangs promoted efficient hairpin-duplex stacking, monitored by EPR spectroscopy. In addition, collaborative projects involving incorporation of rigid and semirigid spin labels and fluorophores in nucleic acids to study their structure, dynamics and interactions with proteins using EPR and fluorescence spectroscopies, are recounted.Verk Development of AsymPol- and bTurea-Derived Bis-Nitroxides for DNP-Enhanced NMR in Biological Systems(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Physical Sciences, 2026-06-16) Wilson, Ancy Trisha; Snorri Þór Sigurðsson; Faculty of Physical Sciences (UI); Raunvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful technique to unravel complex biomolecular structures at atomistic resolution. DNP serves to overcome the inherent insensitivity of NMR by the polarization transfer from unpaired electrons to nuclei of interest under microwave irradiation. The sensitivity gain conferred by DNP enables the detection of biomolecules at their physiological concentration. Nitroxide biradicals have shown to be excellent polarizing agents at 9.4 T and 14.1 T, prompting our interest in utilizing them to investigate complex systems via DNP-NMR. However, their broader applicability is limited by several factors, including synthetic challenges, lack of specificity, poor aqueous solubility, and rapid reduction in a reducing environment. This thesis describes the development of synthetic strategies for nitroxide-based biradicals to address these limitations. Firstly, a series of AsymPol-derivatives, including an isothiocyanate, a tetrazine, a maleimide, a cholesterolbased tripod, and an azide, was synthesized to enable targeting of diverse systems ranging from biomolecules to materials. These radicals enabled targeted DNP, which allows selective enhancement of signals from specific sites. Secondly, bTurea-derived bcTCOOKs and bcTmols were developed as readily accessible and water-soluble derivatives to address synthetic limitations associated with highly performing bis-nitroxide biradicals. Among these, bcTCOOK-M2 was the highest yielding and exhibited particularly high DNP sensitivity. Finally, a synthetic strategy was established for highly water-soluble, reductionresistant nitroxide radicals (43 and 44) for in-cell DNP applications. Their stability in the presence of ascorbic acid was evaluated and compared with known radicals; however, they did not exhibit sufficient stability under reductive conditions.Verk An infant diet score, BMI and asthma medication in childhood; Population-based evidence from the Icelandic Maternal and Child Health Study (ICE-MCH).(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, 2026-06) Jonsdottir, Jenny; Birna Þórisdóttir og Inga Þórsdóttir; Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition (UI); Matvæla- og næringarfræðideild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)Background and aim: Infant nutrition is a key determinant of both short- and long-term health. However, few population-based studies have integrated information on breastfeeding and complementary feeding into a comprehensive measure and examined its associations with childhood health outcomes. The aim of this doctoral thesis, “An Infant Diet Score, BMI, and Asthma Medication in Childhood: PopulationBased Evidence from the Icelandic Maternal and Child Health Study (ICE-MCH)”, was to investigate associations between infant nutrition, childhood BMI, and pediatric asthma medication use. Materials and methods: The ICE-MCH study includes data from electronic health registers for children born in Iceland between 2009 and 2015, forming a nationwide population-based cohort (N=30,623). Paper I of the thesis describes infant nutrition from a few weeks after birth until one year of age. Nutritional variables were obtained from records completed by primary healthcare nurses during nine routine visits with the infant and their caregiver, most often the mother. A composite measure of infant nutrition quality, the Infant Diet Score (IDS), was derived from these data, based on Icelandic infant feeding recommendations and existing infant diet scores. The IDS comprised six components: duration of exclusive and any breastfeeding, age at introduction of cow’s milk and complementary foods, an estimate of dietary variety, and use of vitamin D supplementation. Higher scores indicated greater adherence to infant nutrition guidelines. Associations between the IDS and growth outcomes were examined, with a focus on the international BMI-for-age z-scores during infancy and toddlerhood (12 and 18 months; Paper I) and childhood (2.5, 4, 6, and 9 years; Paper II). Associations between the IDS and asthma medication between ages 1 and 7 years were investigated using data from the Icelandic Prescription Medicines Register. The outcome was defined as two or more dispensations of asthma medication within a 12- month period (Paper III). In addition to descriptive analyses, linear and logistic regression models were applied, both unadjusted and adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Due to its composite nature, the IDS was calculated for the subset of children with complete nutritional data across all nine visits from 0 to 12 months of age (n = 12,848). Findings from Papers I–III showed that greater adherence to infant nutrition guidelines, reflected by a higher IDS, was associated with more favorable BMI trajectories up to 9 years of age and a lower risk of asthma medication use up to age 7. Children in the lowest IDS quintiles had higher odds of overweight and obesity (based on international definitions) at 12 and 18 months and at 6 and 9 years compared with those in the highest quintile, after adjustment for relevant maternal and birth characteristics. When examining individual components of the score, most consistently shorter duration of exclusive and any breastfeeding were associated with less favorable growth outcomes. Shorter duration of exclusive and any breastfeeding, lower use of vitamin D supplementation, and lower overall IDS were consistently associated with increased odds of having two or more asthma medication dispensations within a 12- month period between ages 1 and 7 years. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the Infant Diet Score, a composite measure capturing overall diet quality during the first year of life, is a valuable population-based indicator of infant nutrition that can be applied in research on health outcomes. Lower adherence to infant nutrition guidelines in the first year of life is associated with less favorable growth trajectories and increased asthma medication dispensation in childhood. These findings suggest that infant nutrition is an early-life exposure that is important for subsequent child health.Verk On seismic behavior and vulnerability of building structures: Dynamic identification, condition assessment, and fragility modeling(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2026-06-10) Gautam, Dipendra; Rajesh Rupakhety, Bjarni Bessason, Hugo Rodrigues; Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (UI); Umhverfis- og byggingarverkfræðideild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)Structures undergo various changes during their service life due to deterioration or external loading. These changes are the keys to design, assess, and predict structural behavior. The three pillars of structural engineering are the most governing factors to justify safety, serviceability, functionality, and operability of structures, considering forms and functions. Although independently extensively studied, coordinated efforts have not been widely practiced in structural engineering, starting from characterization to condition assessment and finally probabilistic response depiction. Aiming at coordinated dissemination of the three pillars, the present study performs system identification based modal characterization to develop period-height relationships and condition assessment under no external loading, structure undergoing deterioration, changed state of structure due to extreme loading, changed state of structure due to construction progression, and strengthened structures following various states of damage. Furthermore, many sets of seismic fragility functions have been developed for low-rise RC buildings, considering global and component level performance using empirical data. This study covers RC and stone and brick masonry buildings for dynamic identification, condition assessment, and seismic vulnerability modeling. Experimental and empirical approaches have been deployed to estimate dynamic characteristics as structural performance signatures, evolution of dynamic characteristics as signatures of changed state of the structures, and probabilistic models as signatures to quantify the exceedance probability of particular damage level in buildings and components under seismic excitation. Bayesian modeling based formulation is adopted through MCMC using Metropolis-Hastings sampling to derive period-height relationships and fragility functions. Subsequently, posterior parameter uncertainties have also been characterized.Verk Bleeding following cardiac surgery: Incidence, risk factors, complications and outcomes(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2026-06) Heimisdóttir, Alexandra; Tómas Guðbjartsson; Faculty of Medicine (UI); Læknadeild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)Aims: Bleeding is a common and inevitable complication of cardiac surgery, and excessive bleeding is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Various complications related to excessive bleeding and re-exploration have been identified, including prolonged hospital stay, increased incidence of infections, and a higher risk of 30-day mortality. Less is known, however, regarding the long-term prognosis of these patients, and results of previous studies on certain proposed risk factors have been conflicting. The aim of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of bleeding complications after cardiac surgery, especially coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve replacement surgery. The specific aims were to identify risk factors (Studies III and IV) and analyse short- and long-term outcomes (Studies I, II, and V), in order to help prevent excessive bleeding and improve patient prognosis. Methods: The project consisted of five retrospective, nationwide cohort studies. Study I was based on data from over 48,000 patients from the SWEDEHEART registry who underwent CABG and/or valve replacement surgery in Sweden between 2006 and 2015. Studies II–V included all patients who underwent CABG in Iceland between 2001 and 2022. Risk factors for excessive bleeding were assessed, as well as the relationship between excessive bleeding and preoperative use of antidepressants (SSRI/SNRI), red cell distribution width (RDW), and perioperative complications. Short- and long-term outcomes of patients re-explored for bleeding were also examined, and perioperative transfusion trends over an 18-year period in Iceland were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with excessive bleeding, re-exploration, and transfusions, while Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess long-term outcomes. Results: Re-exploration for bleeding was associated with significantly increased 30- and 90-day mortality and higher rates of perioperative complications, including stroke, acute kidney injury, and prolonged hospital stay, but was not associated with increased long-term mortality among patients who survived the initial postoperative period. Preoperative use of SSRI/SNRIs was not associated with an increased risk of bleeding, perioperative complications, or 30-day mortality. Elevated preoperative RDW was independently associated with increased 24-hour chest tube output, higher rates of red blood cell transfusion, re-exploration for bleeding, and other perioperative complications, but not with 30-day mortality. Over an 18-year study period, a significant decline was observed in the proportion of patients receiving perioperative transfusion of any blood product. This decline may have been attributed to increased awareness, improved surgical techniques, and the implementation of international transfusion guidelines and strategies such as cell salvage and point-of-care coagulation testing. The main factors associated with excessive bleeding were female sex, low body mass index, preoperative use of antiplatelet medication, and impaired renal function. Conclusions: This project provided in-depth insight into bleeding as a complication of cardiac surgery and highlighted important risk factors and predictors of severe bleeding, as well as the short- and long-term outcomes of affected patients. The findings underscored the importance of preoperative risk stratification, timely intervention, and the implementation of strategies to reduce bleeding during and after surgery. The decline in transfusion rates in Iceland over the past two decades likely reflected the positive impact of system-level improvements in bleeding and transfusion management.Verk Can a novel imagery-competing task intervention reduce intrusive memories of trauma? A study among Icelandic women(University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, 2026) Thorarinsdottir, Kristjana; Andri Steinþór Björnsson; Faculty of Psychology (UI); Sálfræðideild (HÍ); School of Health Sciences (UI); Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ)Objective: Intrusive memories of trauma, experienced as vivid and distressing involuntary sensory memories, are the core clinical symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and contribute to the enduring distress and functional impairment associated with the disorder. Although existing PTSD treatments are effective, they often require a detailed description of the trauma on the patient’s behalf, causing additional distress. They also depend on specialist clinical delivery, making therapists too few to deliver therapy to all those in need. These factors limit accessibility and scalability of the interventions. There is a pressing need for brief, simple and scalable interventions that minimize treatment barriers and that can be delivered remotely. The overarching aim of this thesis was to adapt to the Icelandic population and then evaluate a brief cognitive intervention designed to reduce the frequency of established intrusive trauma memories using an imagery-competing task after a memory retrieval, drawing from theories of memory reconsolidation. This is known as a novel imagery-competing task intervention (ICTI). Specifically, the intervention combines a memory reminder cue with a visuospatial task (playing Tetris with mental rotation) to disrupt sensory-perceptual features of intrusive memories. The objectives were to test the efficacy of the intervention in an Icelandic context. Further objectives were to evaluate whether the intervention would be a feasible way to reduce the frequency of intrusive memories and whether such reduction in frequency would have an impact on PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms and functional impairment. Methods: Three studies were conducted using repeated single-case AB designs in which each intrusive memory “hotspot” was targeted individually. Study I was a single-case design with a woman with subthreshold PTSD. She monitored four intrusive memories across a four-week baseline, an eight week intervention period, and one- and three-month follow-ups. Study II was a case series of three women (two with PTSD, one with subthreshold PTSD). Each participant monitored their intrusive memories for one week at baseline, up to six weeks during the intervention phase, and again for one week at the one- and three-month follow-ups. Study III was a case series with eight trauma-exposed women, three with PTSD and three with subthreshold PTSD. The intervention was delivered face-to-face in Study I, partly remotely in Study II and entirely remotely in Study III, with guidance provided by either clinical psychologists or psychology students without specialist mental health training. Participants completed baseline, intervention, and follow-up diaries at one- and threemonths. Across all studies, the primary outcome was frequency of intrusive memories recorded in daily diaries. Secondary outcomes were PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, functional impairment, and acceptability and feasibility of the intervention. Results: Across the three studies, the intervention was found to be feasible, acceptable, and consistently associated with substantial reductions in intrusive memories. Results in Study I showed a 52% reduction in the frequency of total intrusive memories during the intervention compared to baseline, increasing to a 76% reduction at the one-month follow-up and a 92% reduction at the three-month followup. Improvements were also observed in PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep, concentration, and functioning. The participant rated the intervention as an acceptable way to reduce the frequency of intrusive memories. Study II also found reductions across all three participants. One participant reported 38.8 intrusions per week at baseline, which reduced to 18.0 per week during the intervention period (54% reduction). The number of intrusive memories further reduced to 8 per week at the one-month follow-up (80% reduction) and increased to 13 (67% reduction) at the three-month follow-up. The second participant reported 10.8 intrusions per week at baseline, which reduced to 4.7 per week during the intervention period (57% reduction) with a further reduction to 1 per week at the onemonth follow-up (91% reduction) and to zero at the three-month follow-up. The third participant reported 33.7 intrusions per week at baseline, which reduced to 20.7 per week during the intervention period (39% reduction) and to 5 per week at the onemonth follow-up (85% reduction) and increased to 8 per week (76% reduction) at the three-month follow-up. All participants reported reductions in PTSD symptoms postintervention, with two also showing reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms. Participants rated the intervention as being acceptable. Study III extended these findings to remote delivery and non-specialist guidance. All eight participants showed reductions in intrusive memories from baseline to the intervention period, although reductions were minimal for two participants, overall, 6.3% to 93% reduction. At the one-month follow-up, six out of eight participants showed further reductions, 58% to 100%, and by the three-month follow-up reductions were 72% to 100%. Most participants experienced improvements in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and functioning improved for seven out of eight participants. Participants rated the digital delivery and non-specialist guidance as highly acceptable. Conclusions: The research presented in this thesis provides evidence in support of a brief imagery-competing task intervention which can substantially reduce the frequency of long-standing intrusive memories of trauma. Furthermore, it can improve associated psychological symptoms and functioning. The intervention targeting the core clinical symptom of PTSD is low-cost, scalable and acceptable. It does not require patients to describe their trauma in detail, and it can be delivered by nonspecialists after training, thereby addressing key barriers in traditional effective PTSD treatments. The studies further demonstrate the feasibility of remote digital delivery, indicating scalability and public mental health relevance. The findings support progression to a randomized controlled trial. Overall, the thesis highlights the promise of this simple and brief intervention for reducing intrusive memories and related distress, improving access to care for trauma-exposed populations. Keywords: Intrusive memories of trauma, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, visuospatial task interventionVerk Disabled Women and Violence: Access to Justice(University of Iceland, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, 2026-06) Gjecaj, Eliona; Rannveig Traustadóttir; Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics (UI); Félagsfræði-, mannfræði- og þjóðfræðideild (HÍ); School of Social Sciences (UI); Félagsvísindasvið (HÍ)This dissertation explores access to justice for disabled women who have been subjected to gender-based violence. The research was conducted in Iceland and foregrounds the intersectional nature of the multiple forms of discrimination these women face, emphasizing their right to live free from violence and abuse, and their right to access justice as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Scholarship in this area remains surprisingly limited; therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to address this gap by creating new and much needed knowledge about the experiences of disabled women as well as of those who support them through the processes of detection, reporting, investigation and prosecution of violence. The doctoral research adopts an interdisciplinary human rights approach, combining disability studies, gender studies and disability human rights law. This framework emphasizes the intersecting forms of discrimination and unequal power relations that contribute to the social exclusion, marginalisation, and disempowerment of disabled women, rendering them more vulnerable to violence than both disabled men and nondisabled women. A multi-method qualitative approach was employed for data collection including 36 in-depth interviews with participants from key stakeholder groups identified as critical to the process of reporting and prosecution of the violence: disabled women, professionals working in support centres for survivors of violence, individuals within the justice system involved in reporting and prosecution, and experts in the field of disability, violence and justice. Qualitative interviews were essential in enabling an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of the disabled women at the centre of the study. This approach recognizes and values the meanings they ascribe to their everyday experiences and ensures that the voices of marginalised groups are acknowledged. Additional data were gathered through document analysis and field observations. Document analysis comprised a detailed review of published life histories by disabled women, court documents, national laws and policies, and international human rights instruments with a particular focus on the CRPD. Field observations included attending court proceedings involving cases of violence against disabled women and visiting centres that provide support to survivors of violence. The study unfolded during the onset, progression, and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insights into its impacts on the lives and experiences of disabled women while also introducing methodological challenges that shaped the research process. The findings document the lived experiences of violence described by disabled women, detailing its multiple forms and complex manifestations. The study highlights the low rates of reporting and explores the multifaceted reasons underlying this, including how the women conceptualise justice in relation to the barriers they face. Through an in-depth analysis of a single court case, the research also provides a critical lens on broader issues concerning access to justice for disabled women. It identifies factors that facilitate access to justice in accordance with CRPD obligations, as well as barriers that hinder, or have the potential to hinder, such access. Rights Protection Officers (RPOs) emerged as a particularly important procedural accommodation in facilitating effective access to justice. As a result, a part of the research focused on the scope of the work performed by Rights Protection Officers and their role in securing access to justice for disabled women. A key conclusion of this research is a call for Icelandic authorities to take meaningful action to protect disabled women from the pervasive violence they face and fulfil their duty to provide reasonable and procedural accommodation within the Icelandic justice system. This includes ensuring that all professionals involved receive appropriate training and awareness-raising grounded in the human rights principles and values of the CRPD. Without such reforms, access to justice will remain inconsistent and contingent upon the particular professionals assigned to a case—effectively rendering justice a matter of chance rather than a guaranteed right.Verk Brexit: A Case Study in Post-Truth Politics and European Disintegration(University of Iceland, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Political Science, 2026-04-27) Orlando, Vittorio; Maximilian Conrad; Faculty of Political Science (UI); Stjórnmálafræðideild (HÍ); School of Social Sciences (UI); Félagsvísindasvið (HÍ)This dissertation investigates Brexit as both a unique political event and a paradigmatic case of European disintegration, situating it within the broader context of post-truth politics. The overarching aim is to understand how ideological, structural, and communicative dynamics interact to challenge the cohesion of the European Union (EU). By combining five interlinked studies, the research develops a theory of European disintegration grounded in the role of crises, political actors, and post-truth narratives. Methodologically, the thesis employs qualitative case study designs, process tracing, qualitative content analysis, and frame analysis. Empirical materials include political speeches, campaign documents, party manifestos, media content, and EU institutional texts. The article-based format allows each publication to focus on a distinct dimension of disintegration while collectively contributing to the development of a comprehensive theoretical model. The first article analyses the causes of Brexit through process tracing, identifying the interplay between pre-existing ideological Euroscepticism, structural crises such as the Eurozone and refugee crises, and the strategic agency of political actors. It concludes that disintegration is best understood as the outcome of a triad of ideas, actors, and crises. The second article investigates the role of post-truth politics in the Leave campaign, demonstrating how misinformation and emotionally charged narratives framed EU membership as a risk. By classifying campaign materials into thematic groups, it shows how actors mobilised post-truth strategies across different arenas, confirming the centrality of communicative manipulation in disintegration processes. The third article explores Brexit’s impact on Euroscepticism in Italy and Germany. Through comparative content analysis of four Eurosceptic parties, it finds that Brexit served as a rhetorical benchmark. In Germany, the AfD openly advocated “DEXIT,” while in Italy, parties such as Lega and Fratelli d’Italia reinforced their Euroscepticism without pursuing withdrawal. Structural contexts and government participation largely explain these divergences, highlighting how Brexit influenced national discourses without producing uniform effects. The fourth article examines Brexit’s institutional consequences, focusing on differentiated integration. Analysing policy documents and official EU statements, it finds that while Brexit introduced disintegration pressures, it simultaneously reinforced differentiated integration, especially in monetary and foreign policy. This suggests that disintegration can reshape integration trajectories rather than simply weaken them. The fifth article assesses Eurosceptic narratives in the 2024 European Parliament elections, analysing materials from far-left and far-right parties. Using frame analysis, it identifies persistent themes—migration, governance, and economic sovereignty—mirroring the Leave campaign’s post-truth strategies. The findings indicate that destructive Euroscepticism remains strong, framing the EU as illegitimate, while constructive Euroscepticism advocates reform rather than withdrawal. Across the five studies, several consistent results emerge. First, political parties and institutions shape disintegration by constructing narratives that reframe EU membership as a matter of identity, security, and sovereignty. Second, ideological forces such as nationalism and economic anxiety interact with crises to provide fertile ground for disintegrative narratives. Third, post-truth politics intensifies these dynamics by privileging emotion and representation over factual accuracy. Finally, Brexit is shown to be both a cause and a symptom of European disintegration: while it has not produced immediate systemic collapse, it has reframed EU membership as reversible and provided a blueprint for future contestation. The dissertation concludes that European disintegration is a multidimensional process driven by the interaction of crises, actors, and ideational forces. Post-truth politics plays a pivotal role in this process, enabling political actors to transform crises into disintegrative opportunities. By integrating insights from Brexit and subsequent Eurosceptic developments, the thesis proposes a constructivist theory of disintegration that advances scholarly understanding of the EU’s vulnerabilities and future trajectories.Verk The Effects of Long-term Cessation of Grazing on Carbon Dynamics in Icelandic Grassland and Heathland(University of Iceland, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Earth Sciences, 2026-05-20) Klopsch, Christian; Anna Guðrún Þórhallsdóttir; Faculty of Earth Sciences (UI); Jarðvísindadeild (HÍ); School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI); Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)Large herbivores are increasingly recognised as key regulators of terrestrial carbon cycling, yet empirical evidence on how long-term cessation of grazing alters carbon dynamics and storage remains limited. The aim of this PhD research is to investigate how multi-decadal cessation of grazing influences carbon fluxes and storage in sub-arctic grassland and heathland ecosystems. The study uses a network of grazer exclosures established 20-83 years ago across 34 sites in Iceland, with paired continuously grazed land. Growing-season CO₂ exchange was quantified through extensive chamber-based flux measurements and NDVI data, and carbon storage and pathways in the plant–soil system were assessed using 201 soil profiles to 60 cm depth. The study results show that across sites, long-term cessation of grazing was associated with a 37% lower growing-season net CO₂ uptake and lower vegetation greenness relative to grazed land. In topsoil (0–10 cm), soil organic carbon stocks were 8% lower in exclosures, accompanied by 21% lower fine-root biomass, while root functional traits remained largely unchanged. Grazed grassland retained both the highest net CO₂ uptake and largest SOC stocks. Cessation of grazing caused a transition toward heathland at several grassland sites, associated with lower productivity and carbon sequestration while it had more limited effects in long-established heathlands. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that sustained extensive grazing maintains higher carbon turnover, enhances below-ground carbon inputs, and supports long-term SOC storage in sub-arctic grassland. This dissertation provides comprehensive empirical evidence that grazing can function as a nature-based solution for preserving carbon sinks in sub-arctic ecosystems.