The World’s First Spent Fuel Repository : How to tackle safety, security and safeguards needs?

How to dispose of spent nuclear fuel safely and permanently? This is one of the fundamental questions related to the use of nuclear energy, that has been waiting for an answer since criticality of the first commercial reactors some sixty years ago. Also, in Finland, discussion on the question of nuclear waste was on the public agenda already when the first reactor was commissioned in the late 1970s and nuclear waste management policy and strategy were actively developed on the national level. In 1978, the Finnish Government decided that each producer of nuclear waste is responsible for the management of spent nuclear fuel. This decision was the beginning of a long process, the result of which is the world’s first spent spent nuclear fuel repository Onkalo, where the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel inside the Finnish bedrock is expected to start in 2025. This paper describes from the regulatory perspective how Finland changed the game and how Finland is developing a safe1 and sustainable solution for disposal of spent nuclear fuel. It will explain how this became politically acceptable, how the long-term safety of the solution is being demonstrated and how regulatory challenges related to safety, security and safeguards are being resolved in this first-of-its-kind facility. In broad terms, it will illustrate how the progress in geological disposal has been made possible in Finland and further highlight topical issues that are of interest to professionals and policymakers. The first chapter is focused on public acceptance and development of nuclear waste management policy and strategy in Finland. The second chapter explains how the long-term safety of the final repository has been handled and what the supporting technical solutions are. In the third and final chapter, an overview of safeguards of the disposal process is provided. Safeguards, a prerequisite for peaceful use of nuclear energy, is a topic of utmost importance also in the last leg of the nuclear fuel cycle. The scope of this short paper is rather limited and far from complete, but hopefully it manages to pass on certain lessons: responsible decision-making and a long-term political commitment to the chosen method, together with the research and development of the technical solution and enabling regulatory framework, are the keys for accomplishing the difficult task of disposing of spent nuclear fuel safely and permanently

The role of regions and impactful climate actions in achieving a carbon-neutral Finland

The role of regions and impactful climate actions in achieving a carbon-neutral Finland This report is a collection of effective emission reduction measures from research and the climate roadmaps of seven regions. These regions are South Karelia, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Uusimaa and Southwest Finland. The model roadmaps in this report emphasise the role of regional actors such as regional councils, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) and development organisations in achieving carbon neutrality objectives. Resources available for climate work in regions and municipalities are limited, so it is important to focus them on the most effective measures. Critical measures for reducing emissions from fossil fuels include reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency, significantly increasing the share of low-emission energy and the clean electrification of heating, transport and industrial processes. In the land use sector, critical emission reduction measures include the management of emissions from peatland fields and forests and the prevention of deforestation, in particular. As for clean energy production, regional actors’ tasks include zoning, developing permit processes and promoting the cooperation, competence and funding of key actors. In transport, emissions are impacted by zoning, sustainable transport programmes and pilot projects. In order to reduce emissions from buildings, regional actors can encourage local property owners to undertake energy renovations. Regional climate work is a continuous process, as new action plans and measures that affect emissions are implemented out constantly. To ensure the effectiveness of climate work, it is essential that the planned emission reduction measures of the roadmaps progress reliably and quickly towards practical implementation. It is crucial that relevant organisations have sufficient resources for implementing the roadmaps. Concrete investments have a positive impact on regional and municipal finances. The regions’ climate roadmaps focus on climate change mitigation. This report draws attention to synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. The progress of climate change poses significant risks to people, industries, and nature. These risks can hamper the wider achievement of sustainable development goals. Climate change mitigation and adaptation are essential for both re-gional economy as well as human health and safety. The model roadmaps describe the range of climate work and the multidisciplinary issues of carbon neutrality work. In the implementation phase of the climate programmes, it is important to maintain a participatory working method where regions implement climate action in cooperation with national and local stakeholders. The model roadmaps in this report include suitable indicators to support the practical monitoring of climate work and expert assessments of the impacts/effectiveness of individual measures. The model roadmaps lay the foundations for successful climate work

PIM1 accelerates prostate cancer cell motility by phosphorylating actin capping proteins

Background: The PIM family kinases promote cancer cell survival and motility as well as metastatic growth in various types of cancer. We have previously identified several PIM substrates, which support cancer cell migration and invasiveness. However, none of them are known to regulate cellular movements by directly interacting with the actin cytoskeleton. Here we have studied the phosphorylation-dependent effects of PIM1 on actin capping proteins, which bind as heterodimers to the fast-growing actin filament ends and stabilize them. Methods: Based on a phosphoproteomics screen for novel PIM substrates, we have used kinase assays and fluorescence-based imaging techniques to validate actin capping proteins as PIM1 substrates and interaction partners. We have analysed the functional consequences of capping protein phosphorylation on cell migration and adhesion by using wound healing and real-time impedance-based assays. We have also investigated phosphorylation-dependent effects on actin polymerization by analysing the protective role of capping protein phosphomutants in actin disassembly assays. Results: We have identified capping proteins CAPZA1 and CAPZB2 as PIM1 substrates, and shown that phosphorylation of either of them leads to increased adhesion and migration of human prostate cancer cells. Phosphorylation also reduces the ability of the capping proteins to protect polymerized actin from disassembly. </p

Maakuntien rooli ja vaikuttavat ilmastotoimet hiilineutraalin Suomen saavuttamiseksi

Julkaisun sivua 69 on päivitetty 14.4.2022.Tähän raporttiin on koottu yhteen vaikuttavia päästövähennystoimia tutkimuksista sekä seitsemän maakunnan ilmastotiekartoista. Näitä maakuntia ovat Etelä-Karjala, Pirkanmaa, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Uusimaa ja Varsinais-Suomi. Raportin mallitiekartoissa korostuu maakunnallisten toimijoiden, kuten maakuntaliittojen, ELY-keskusten ja kehitysorganisaatioiden rooli hiilineutraaliustavoitteiden saavuttamisessa. Resurssit maakuntien ja kuntien ilmastotyöhön ovat rajalliset, joten on tärkeää keskittää resurssit kaikkein vaikuttavimpiin toimiin. Kriittisiä toimia fossiilisten polttoaineiden päästöjen vähentämiseksi ovat energiankäytön pienentäminen ja tehostaminen, vähäpäästöisen energian osuuden merkittävä kasvattaminen sekä lämmityksen, liikenteen ja teollisuusprosessien puhdas sähköistäminen. Maankäyttösektorilla kriittisiä päästövähennystoimia ovat etenkin turvemaapeltojen ja -metsien päästöjen hallinta sekä metsäkadon estäminen. Puhtaan energiantuotannon osalta maakunnallisten toimijoiden tehtäviä ovat muun muassa kaavoitus, lupaprosessien kehittäminen sekä keskeisten toimijoiden yhteistyön, osaamisen ja rahoituksen edistäminen. Liikenteessä kaavoituksella, kestävän liikkumisen ohjelmilla ja pilottihankkeilla vaikutetaan liikenteen päästöihin. Rakennusten päästöjen vähentämiseksi maakuntatason toimijat voivat kannustaa alueen kiinteistönomistajia energiaremontteihin. Maakunnallinen ilmastotyö on jatkuva prosessi, sillä uusia päästöihin vaikuttavia toimintasuunnitelmia ja toimia tehdään jatkuvasti. Ilmastotyön tuloksellisuutta ajatellen on keskeistä, että tiekarttojen päästövähennystoimet etenevät luotettavasti ja nopeasti käytännön toteutukseen. Kriittistä on, että toteuttajaorganisaatioissa on riittävät resurssit tiekarttojen toimeenpanoa varten. Konkreettisilla investoinneilla on alue- ja kuntataloutta vahvistava vaikutus. Maakuntien ilmastotiekartoissa korostuu ilmastonmuutoksen hillintä. Raportissa kiinnitetään huomiota ilmastonmuutoksen hillintä- ja sopeutumistoimien synergioihin. Ilmastonmuutoksen eteneminen aiheuttaa merkittäviä riskejä ihmisille, elinkeinoille ja luonnolle. Nämä riskit voivat haitata kestävän kehityksen tavoitteiden saavuttamista laajemmin. Ilmastonmuutoksen hillintä ja siihen sopeutuminen ovat välttämättömiä maakuntien aluetalouden sekä ihmisten terveyden ja turvallisuuden kannalta. Mallitiekartat kuvaavat ilmastotyön laajuutta ja monialaisia kysymyksiä, joiden parissa hiilineutraalisuustyötä tehdään. Ilmasto-ohjelmien toimeenpanovaiheessa on tärkeää jatkaa osallistavaa työskentelytapaa, jossa maakunnat toteuttavat ilmastotoimia yhteistyössä valtakunnallisten ja paikallisten sidosryhmien kanssa. Raportin mallitiekartoissa on mukana ilmastotyön käytännön seurannan tueksi sopivia mittareita ja asiantuntija-arvioita yksittäisten toimenpidekokonaisuuksien vaikuttavuudesta. Mallitiekartat luovat pohjaa tulokselliselle ilmastotyölle

Common Inflammation-Related Candidate Gene Variants and Acute Kidney Injury in 2647 Critically Ill Finnish Patients

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome with high incidence among the critically ill. Because the clinical variables and currently used biomarkers have failed to predict the individual susceptibility to AKI, candidate gene variants for the trait have been studied. Studies about genetic predisposition to AKI have been mainly underpowered and of moderate quality. We report the association study of 27 genetic variants in a cohort of Finnish critically ill patients, focusing on the replication of associations detected with variants in genes related to inflammation, cell survival, or circulation. In this prospective, observational Finnish Acute Kidney Injury (FINNAKI) study, 2647 patients without chronic kidney disease were genotyped. We defined AKI according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. We compared severe AKI (Stages 2 and 3, n = 625) to controls (Stage 0, n = 1582). For genotyping we used iPLEX(TM) Assay (Agena Bioscience). We performed the association analyses with PLINK software, using an additive genetic model in logistic regression. Despite the numerous, although contradictory, studies about association between polymorphisms rs1800629 in TNFA and rs1800896 in IL10 and AKI, we found no association (odds ratios 1.06 (95% CI 0.89-1.28, p = 0.51) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.80-1.05, p = 0.20), respectively). Adjusting for confounders did not change the results. To conclude, we could not confirm the associations reported in previous studies in a cohort of critically ill patients.Peer reviewe

Heme oxygenase-1 repeat polymorphism in septic acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome that frequently affects the critically ill. Recently, an increased number of dinucleotide repeats in the HMOX1 gene were reported to associate with development of AKI in cardiac surgery. We aimed to test the replicability of this finding in a Finnish cohort of critically ill septic patients. This multicenter study was part of the national FINNAKI study. We genotyped 300 patients with severe AKI (KDIGO 2 or 3) and 353 controls without AKI (KDIGO 0) for the guanine-thymine (GTn) repeat in the promoter region of the HMOX1 gene. The allele calling was based on the number of repeats, the cut off being 27 repeats in the S-L (short to long) classification, and 27 and 34 repeats for the S-M-L2 (short to medium to very long) classification. The plasma concentrations of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme were measured on admission. The allele distribution in our patients was similar to that published previously, with peaks at 23 and 30 repeats. The S-allele increases AKI risk. An adjusted OR was 1.30 for each S-allele in an additive genetic model (95% CI 1.01-1.66; p = 0.041). Alleles with a repeat number greater than 34 were significantly associated with lower HO-1 concentration (p<0.001). In septic patients, we report an association between a short repeat in HMOX1 and AKI risk

PIM1 accelerates prostate cancer cell motility by phosphorylating actin capping proteins

Background: The PIM family kinases promote cancer cell survival and motility as well as metastatic growth in various types of cancer. We have previously identified several PIM substrates, which support cancer cell migration and invasiveness. However, none of them are known to regulate cellular movements by directly interacting with the actin cytoskeleton. Here we have studied the phosphorylation-dependent effects of PIM1 on actin capping proteins, which bind as heterodimers to the fast-growing actin filament ends and stabilize them. Methods: Based on a phosphoproteomics screen for novel PIM substrates, we have used kinase assays and fluorescence-based imaging techniques to validate actin capping proteins as PIM1 substrates and interaction partners. We have analysed the functional consequences of capping protein phosphorylation on cell migration and adhesion by using wound healing and real-time impedance-based assays. We have also investigated phosphorylation-dependent effects on actin polymerization by analysing the protective role of capping protein phosphomutants in actin disassembly assays. Results: We have identified capping proteins CAPZA1 and CAPZB2 as PIM1 substrates, and shown that phosphorylation of either of them leads to increased adhesion and migration of human prostate cancer cells. Phosphorylation also reduces the ability of the capping proteins to protect polymerized actin from disassembly. Conclusions: Our data suggest that PIM kinases are able to induce changes in actin dynamics to support cell adhesion and movement. Thus, we have identified a novel mechanism through which PIM kinases enhance motility and metastatic behaviour of cancer cells.Peer reviewe