Implementation of a new bi-directional solar modelling method for complex facades within the ESP-r building simulation program

This paper provides an overview of a new method for modelling the total solar energy transmittance. It is implemented in the ESP-r building simulation program to model complex façades such as double glazed façades with external, internal or integrated shading devices. This new model has been validated and tested for several cases. The new model required changes to the solar control simulation algorithm and the user interface, so a new “Advanced optics menu” was also introduced into ESP-r. The paper presents the interface development and application of the new technique to different simulation configurations (especially different complex façades with shading devices) in a standard office building

The Fragility of the Photo-Truth : Verification of Amateur Images in Finnish Newsrooms

National news organisations have few means for exercising first-hand verification of amateur images in breaking news events. This article explores the attitudes Finnish journalists have towards the use of non-professional images. It examines how they perceive the need for the verification of amateur images, their responsibility with regard to that and how they practise verification and transparency in their everyday work. The results show that journalists, while perceiving accuracy and verification as central to journalistic work, either distance themselves from having responsibility for the accuracy of amateur images or attempt to perform or find some form of verification.Peer reviewe

Une Stratégie de Résolution Orientée par la Topologie des CSPs Numériques

http://www710.univ-lyon1.fr/~csolnonLes méthodes classiques de résolution de CSPs numériques sont basées sur un algorithme combinant une technique de bissection et un filtrage par consistance locale. En général, le filtrage est basé sur la Hull-consistance ou la Box-consistance. Les algorithmes de filtrage correspondants identifient souvent des trous dans les domaines, c'est-à-dire des intervalles sur lesquels certaines contraintes ne sont pas satisfaites. Ces trous sont cependant utilisés uniquement pour déterminer le plus petit intervalle englobant les solutions. Ce papier présente une stratégie de recherche, nommée TopSearch (Topological Search), qui exploite les trous identifiés par ces filtrages. TopSearch utilise ces informations pour sélectionner la direction de coupe ainsi que pour définir le point de coupe dans le domaine sélectionné. Si aucun trou n'est identifié une bissection standard est mise en oeuvre. Les premiers résultats expérimentaux montrent que cette heuristique de recherche dont le sur-coût est minime, peut améliorer de manière très significative les performances de la bissection classique

Automated Journalism as a Source of and a Diagnostic Device for Bias in Reporting

In this article we consider automated journalism from the perspective of bias in news text. We describe how systems for automated journalism could be biased in terms of both the information content and the lexical choices in the text, and what mechanisms allow human biases to affect automated journalism even if the data the system operates on is considered neutral. Hence, we sketch out three distinct scenarios differentiated by the technical transparency of the systems and the level of cooperation of the system operator, affecting the choice of methods for investigating bias. We identify methods for diagnostics in each of the scenarios and note that one of the scenarios is largely identical to investigating bias in non-automatically produced texts. As a solution to this last scenario, we suggest the construction of a simple news generation system, which could enable a type of analysis-by-proxy. Instead of analyzing the system, to which the access is limited, one would generate an approximation of the system which can be accessed and analyzed freely. If successful, this method could also be applied to analysis of human-written texts. This would make automated journalism not only a target of bias diagnostics, but also a diagnostic device for identifying bias in human-written news.Peer reviewe

The Fragility of Photo-truth : Verification of amateur images in Finnish newsrooms

This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Photojournalism and Citizen Journalism, available online: https://www.routledge.com/Photojournalism-and-Citizen-Journalism-Co-operation-Collaboration-and/Allan/p/book/9780415792462.Peer reviewe

Elucidating the RNA-binding mechanisms and functions of E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM25 in cell biology and innate immunity

Pathogenic viruses have a huge impact on human health and have caused numerous major epidemics both in the past and during the 21st century. The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defence against viruses, with pattern recognition receptors recognising molecules unique to viruses and triggering the expression of interferons and other anti-viral cytokines, leading to the formation of an anti-viral state. The Tripartite Motif Containing 25 (TRIM25) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase thought to be a key component in the activation of signalling by the pattern recognition receptor Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene I Protein (RIG-I), which recognises viral RNAs with a 5’-triphosphate moiety. TRIM25 has recently been identified as an RNA-binding protein, raising the question of whether its RNA-binding activity is important for its role in innate immunity. In this thesis, I demonstrated that TRIM25’s RNA-binding activity is mediated by its C-terminal PRY/SPRY domain and is required for its E3 ligase activity. I also generated TRIM25 knockout cells using a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy in HeLa and HEK293 cell lines and showed that deletion of TRIM25 does not generally affect levels of the mRNA binding partners of TRIM25 identified by a genome-wide Cross-Linking Immunoprecipitation (CLIP) screen. Finally, I showed that although deletion of TRIM25 in HEK293 cells reduced their ability to restrict Influenza A virus infection, it did not affect activation of RIG-I signalling pathway in response to 5’- triphosphate RNA. This suggests that TRIM25 is redundant for RIG-I signalling in HEK293 cells and its role in restricting Influenza A virus infection is unrelated to its role in the RIG-I pathway. These findings have opened new lines of investigations into functional and molecular roles of TRIM25 in cell biology and control of pathogenic infections and I have generated tools to aid in these investigations

Unboxing news automation : Exploring imagined affordances of automation in news journalism

News automation is an emerging field within journalism, with the potential to transform newswork. Increasing access to data, combined with developing technology, will allow further inquiries into automated journalism. Producing news text using NLG (natural language generation) is currently largely undertaken in specific, predictable news domains, such as sports or finance. This interdisciplinary study investigates how elite media representatives from Finland, Europe and the US imagine the affordances of this emerging technology for their organization. Our analysis shows how the affordances of news automation are imagined as providing efficiency, increasing output and aiding in reallocating resources to pursue quality journalism. The affordances are, however, constrained by such factors as access to structured data, the quality of automation and a lack of relevant skills. In its current form, automated text generation is seen as providing only limited benefits to news organizations that are already imagining further possibilities of automation.Peer reviewe