Carl Berner citypark : transformation of an urban space focusing on multifunctionality and stormwater management

Det er forventet at klimaet vil by på hyppigere og mer intense nedbørshendelser, samtidig som byene stadig nedbygges og fortettes med impermeable flater. Den kompakte byutviklingen omhandler en kamp om arealer, der grønnstruktur og sosiale møteplasser ofte nedprioriteres. I denne sammenhengen øker behovet for effektiv arealutnyttelse av de gjenværende, verdifulle pusterommene i byen. Denne masteroppgaven er en prosjekteringsoppgave der vi utformer et byrom på Carl Berner, sentralt på tette Grünerløkka. I dag preges byrommet av et stort, grått parkeringsareal med synlig overvannsproblematikk, der det foreligger planer om fortetting. Vi ønsker å utforske en alternativ utforming som prioriterer klimatilpasning og byliv. Oppgaven stiller spørsmålet: Hvordan kan transformasjon av et byrom på Carl Berner med fokus på flerfunksjonalitet og overvannshåndtering bidra til å skape en attraktiv møteplass i en kompakt bystruktur? Målet med oppgaven er å komme frem til et helhetlig planforslag som bidrar til økt arealeffektivitet og antall brukstimer, bærekraftig overvannshåndtering, ivaretakelse og styrking av stedsidentiteten, samt tilrettelegging for aktivitet med særlig hensyn til barn og unge. Oppgaven består av fem deler. I første del beskrives oppgaven, mens andre del gir en sammenfatning av relevant kunnskap som ligger til grunn. I tredje del introduseres prosjektområdet. De tre første delene bygger opp til fjerde del, prosjekteringsdelen, der det presenteres et helhetlig planforslag for Carl Berner bypark. Planforslaget fremstilles gjennom en hovedplan og tre delområder, som viser transformasjonen fra parkeringsareal til en attraktiv bypark til glede for nærområdet - året og døgnet rundt. Oppgaven avsluttes med en konklusjon og refleksjon der vi drøfter planforslaget og bruken av kombinerte funksjoner og åpen overvannshåndtering i tett by.It is expected that the changing climate will offer more frequent and intense rainfalls in the future, while the cities will continuously be degraded and densified with impermeable flutters. The compact urban development is about a struggle for areas, where green structures and social meeting places are often downgraded. In this context, the need for efficient usage of land for the remaining, valuable respites in the cities is increasing. This master’s thesis is a landscaping architecture project where we design an urban space at Carl Berner, an area centrally located at Grünerløkka in Oslo. Today, the area is characterized by a large, gray parking area with visible surface water problems, with present plans for densification. We want to explore an alternative design that prioritizes climate adaptation and city life. The thesis asks the question: How can transformation of an urban space on Carl Berner focusing on multifunctionality and stormwater management help create an attractive meeting place in a compact urban structure? The goal of the project is to achieve a comprehensive proposal that contributes to increased area efficiency and hours of usage while implementing sustainable surface water management and strengthening a sense of identity for the place, as well facilitating increased activities with special emphasis on considering children and young people. The thesis consists of five parts. In the first part the task is described, while the second part provides a summary of relevant underlying frameworks and concepts. In the third part of the thesis, the project area is introduced. The first three parts frames the project while leading up to the fourth part, the engineering part. In this part, a comprehensive proposal for Carl Berner citypark is presented. The proposal is presented through a main plan and three sub-area plans, which show the transformation from a parking area to an attractive citypark for the benefit of the local community – around both the clock and the year. The thesis concludes with final reflections and a discussion of the proposal and the use of combined functions and open surface water management in dense city spaces.M-L

Survey of the transcriptome of Aspergillus oryzae via massively parallel mRNA sequencing

Aspergillus oryzae, an important filamentous fungus used in food fermentation and the enzyme industry, has been shown through genome sequencing and various other tools to have prominent features in its genomic composition. However, the functional complexity of the A. oryzae transcriptome has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we applied direct high-throughput paired-end RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to the transcriptome of A. oryzae under four different culture conditions. With the high resolution and sensitivity afforded by RNA-Seq, we were able to identify a substantial number of novel transcripts, new exons, untranslated regions, alternative upstream initiation codons and upstream open reading frames, which provide remarkable insight into the A. oryzae transcriptome. We were also able to assess the alternative mRNA isoforms in A. oryzae and found a large number of genes undergoing alternative splicing. Many genes and pathways that might be involved in higher levels of protein production in solid-state culture than in liquid culture were identified by comparing gene expression levels between different cultures. Our analysis indicated that the transcriptome of A. oryzae is much more complex than previously anticipated, and these results may provide a blueprint for further study of the A. oryzae transcriptome

Fine-Scale Variation and Genetic Determinants of Alternative Splicing across Individuals

Recently, thanks to the increasing throughput of new technologies, we have begun to explore the full extent of alternative pre–mRNA splicing (AS) in the human transcriptome. This is unveiling a vast layer of complexity in isoform-level expression differences between individuals. We used previously published splicing sensitive microarray data from lymphoblastoid cell lines to conduct an in-depth analysis on splicing efficiency of known and predicted exons. By combining publicly available AS annotation with a novel algorithm designed to search for AS, we show that many real AS events can be detected within the usually unexploited, speculative majority of the array and at significance levels much below standard multiple-testing thresholds, demonstrating that the extent of cis-regulated differential splicing between individuals is potentially far greater than previously reported. Specifically, many genes show subtle but significant genetically controlled differences in splice-site usage. PCR validation shows that 42 out of 58 (72%) candidate gene regions undergo detectable AS, amounting to the largest scale validation of isoform eQTLs to date. Targeted sequencing revealed a likely causative SNP in most validated cases. In all 17 incidences where a SNP affected a splice-site region, in silico splice-site strength modeling correctly predicted the direction of the micro-array and PCR results. In 13 other cases, we identified likely causative SNPs disrupting predicted splicing enhancers. Using Fst and REHH analysis, we uncovered significant evidence that 2 putative causative SNPs have undergone recent positive selection. We verified the effect of five SNPs using in vivo minigene assays. This study shows that splicing differences between individuals, including quantitative differences in isoform ratios, are frequent in human populations and that causative SNPs can be identified using in silico predictions. Several cases affected disease-relevant genes and it is likely some of these differences are involved in phenotypic diversity and susceptibility to complex diseases

Do circulating androgen levels predict competitiveness in female athletes?

Objective: In males a correlation between competitiveness and testosterone have been reported. As no such data is available in females we aimed at investigating the possible association between competitiveness and androgen levels in a sample of female top athletes. Method: Thirty one Norwegian female top athletes completed the competitiveness subscale of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ), underwent a maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) test with a following lactate measurement and had blood samples drawn to measure androstendione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS)and compute free testosterone index (FTI). Regression analyses were used to investigate the correlation between competitiveness and hormone levels. Results: No androgens were directly correlated to competitiveness. However, when controlling for age, body mass index, VO2max, lactate and sports category, androstendione had a significant positive correlation and free testosterone index (FTI) a significant negative correlation to competitiveness. Conclusion: In female top athletes androstenedione may be positively and FTI negatively associated with SOQ measured competitiveness. Further research into to possible association between androgens and competitiveness in females are needed to confirm or reject our findings

The Stephen Cobb User's guide to FileMaker II

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