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The articles included in this thesis centre on what can be called the normative basis of risk analysis. Since risk analyses are decision procedures, they should adhere to norms of rational decision-making, and this they do. Most risk analysis schemes are built on a notion of the decision theoretic maxim that the goal of every decision is to maximize expected utility. However, for some thirty years

Scenario: Using adaptive dynamic theory, expose a monomorphic prey population to two habitat types and a visual predator. Questions: What circumstances can lead to the evolution of polymorphic crypsis? How is the outcome affected by the dispersal pattern of the prey and predator, by the amount of predation, and by the trade-off strength between the habitats? Mathematical method: I modelled three d

Bayesian inference can be extended to probability distributions defined in terms of their inverse distribution function, i.e. their quantile function. This applies to both prior and likelihood. Quantile-based likelihood is useful in models with sampling distributions which lack an explicit probability density function. Quantile-based prior allows for flexible distributions to express expert knowle

The equilibrium organization of two polymers in strong confinement has been extensively investigated in the scope of simple models in the recent past, after it was suggested that the entropic repulsion between polymers could be a mechanism for chromosome separation in living cells. Despite many efforts, how solvent quality can manipulate separation or compaction for the formation of domains in a t

The Special Section on Post-growth food systems for a just social-ecological transition within planetary boundaries explores post-growth and degrowth approaches that advocate for sufficiency, care, regeneration, and the democratization of food systems. It shows that post-growth food initiatives face multiple structural barriers, including capitalist systems that prioritize profit over ecological a

This article analyzes rational decision-making in court as an emotivecognitiveprocess formed in and through social interaction. Currenttheoretical perspectives have shown how emotion and thought areintertwined in the workings of the human brain but have seldom elaboratedon the contextual and structural features of rational-emotionaldecision-making. I propose a model that maps emotional processesanThis article analyzes rational decision-making in court as an emotivecognitiveprocess formed in and through social interaction. Currenttheoretical perspectives have shown how emotion and thought areintertwined in the workings of the human brain but have seldom elaboratedon the contextual and structural features of rational-emotionaldecision-making. I propose a model that maps emotional processesan

Fencing to exclude livestock is one of the effective strategies to passively reshape grassland ecosystem function, yet the dynamics of microbial community construction and their functional traits during restoration remain poorly understood. This study systematically sampled from various microhabitats (phyllosphere, litter, soil) within long-term fenced restoration areas, as well as areas with pers

Straw and nutrients retained in soil are crucial for priming effect (PE) and consequently for soil organic matter (SOM) turnover. However, the mechanisms by which carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) and their stoichiometric ratios impact microbial communities and regulate the PE intensity remain controversial, particularly in the flooded rice soils. In this work, the PE dynamics and micro

In a large social science literature, unequal rural class structures (“landlordism”) are associated with authoritarian political outcomes. This paper revisits the debate focusing on the electoral consequences of land inequality in Prussia, the locus classicus of the pernicious effects of landlordism, and Sweden, often perceived as Prussia’s opposite, with a farmer-dominated social structure and stIn a large social science literature, unequal rural class structures (“landlordism”) are as-sociated with authoritarian political outcomes. This paper revisits the debate focusingon the electoral consequences of land inequality in Prussia, the locus classicus of the per-nicious effects of landlordism, and Sweden, often perceived as Prussia’s opposite, with afarmer-dominated social structure and st

Background: Dental resin composites' performance is intricately linked to their polymerisation shrinkage characteristics. This study compares polymerisation shrinkage using advanced 3D micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and traditional 2D linear assessments. It delves into the crucial role of filler content on shrinkage and the degree of conversion in dental resin composites, providing valuable

Differential growth is central to eukaryotic morphogenesis. We showed using cellular imaging, simulations, and perturbations that light-induced differential growth in a curved organ, the Arabidopsis thaliana apical hook, emerges from the longitudinal expansion of subepidermal cells, acting in parallel with a differential in the material properties of epidermal cell walls that resist expansion. The

Uncertainty analysis should be an integral part of conducting a scientific investigation of the damaging human health effects of exposure to chemicals. Sources of uncertainty related to limitations in knowledge are present in all steps of a such risk assessment, i.e. the hazard identification, hazard characterization and exposure assessment. The purpose of uncertainty analysis is to evaluate the c

As humanity faces multiple mutually-reinforcing social-ecological crises, rhetoric on transformations abounds. However, transformations are normative, politically-contested processes that risk perpetuating, or even exacerbating, the ecological and socio-economic crises of today. We argue that transformations should seek to enhance human and non-human well-being within the planetary boundaries; a g

This paper extends the application of quantile-based Bayesian inference to probability distributions defined in terms of quantiles of observable quantities. Quantile-parameterized distributions are characterized by high shape flexibility and parameter interpretability, making them useful for eliciting information about observables. To encode uncertainty in the quantiles elicited from experts, we p

The self avoiding walk (SAW) model of the polymer has been extended to study the equilibrium properties of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) where two strands of the dsDNA are modeled by two mutually attracting self-avoiding walks (MASAWs) in the presence of an attractive surface. We study simultaneous adsorption and force induced melting transitions and explore different phases of DNA. It is observed t