A Data Communication Network for Administrative Purposes within the EU

The study assesses data communication requirements within the EU as it concerns Member State officials, EU bodies and the Community. A survey of current projects and their backgrounds is given. In addition the division of responsibilities among various bodies of the Commission are discussed. Given the EU's need for some sort of integration of data transfer services is self evident, the study investigates what possible challenges lie ahead as EU integration processes continue and its already large communications requirements continue to grow. For example, while the Commission as well as its empowered bodies have recognized the need for a unified communications architecture, the political will to implement such a system has been lacking. The report recommends the creation of a unified, universal communications architecture, that not only can handle all current types of data transfer, but anticipates growth as well.EU; data communication; authorities

Low Temperature District Heating for Future Energy Systems

The building sector is responsible for more than one third of the final energy consumption of societies and produces the largest amount of greenhouse gas emissions of all sectors. This is due to the utilisation of combustion processes of mainly fossil fuels to satisfy the heating demand of the building stock. Low temperature district heating (LTDH) can contribute significantly to a more efficient use of energy resources as well as better integration of renewable energy (e.g. geothermal or solar heat), and surplus heat (e.g. industrial waste heat) into the heating sector. LTDH offers prospects for both the demand side (community building structure) and the supply side (network properties or energy sources). Especially in connection with buildings that demand only low temperatures for space heating. The utilisation of lower temperatures reduces losses in pipelines and can increase the overall efficiency of the total energy chains used in district heating. To optimise the exergy efficiency of community supply systems the LowEx approach can be utilised, which entails matching the quality levels of energy supply and demand in order to optimise the utilisation of high-value resources, such as combustible fuels, and minimising energy losses and irreversible dissipation. The paper presents the international co-operative work in the framework of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Technology Cooperation Programme on District Heating and Cooling including Combined Heat and Power (DHC|CHP) Annex TS1

Vision 2030 : Towards a responsible and competent ownership society

Ownership means taking responsibility and carrying risk. Ownership has a strong impact on economic growth, investment and productivity. Good ownership has a positive impact on the success of a company at the different stages of its life cycle. Success creates jobs, income and prosperity, which help safeguard the financial basis of the welfare society in the future. Good ownership is responsible ownership. The working group’s proposals aim to make Finland and Finnish people considerably stronger in meeting the challenges of the future. Finland’s development is lagging behind the other Nordic countries, with GDP expected to grow by just 10% up to 2030. Stronger growth is necessary to ensure the current standard of living and level of services. The report presents a vision of Finland as an ownership society in 2030, where the Finnish identity encompasses a culture of responsible and competent ownership and a positive attitude to prosperity. Ownership is equal and broad-based, and it matters to all of us. The short-term proposals in the report can realistically be implemented already during the current government term. The longer-term proposals are themes for the Government Programme 2023–27. The working group also identified certain structural measures (supportive tax system, positive atmosphere, ownership skills) which are necessary for stronger growth in Finland. These measures will require resolute work through several government terms

Myocardial Blood Flow and Metabolic Rate of Oxygen Measurement in the Right and Left Ventricles at Rest and During Exercise Using O-15-Labeled Compounds and PET

Aims: Simultaneous measurement of right (RV) and left ventricle (LV) myocardial blood flow (MBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and oxygen consumption (MVO2) non-invasively in humans would provide new possibilities to understand cardiac physiology and different patho-physiological states.Methods: We developed and tested an optimized novel method to measure MBF, OEF, and MVO2 simultaneously both in the RV and LV free wall (FW) using positron emission tomography in healthy young men at rest and during supine bicycle exercise.Results: Resting MBF was not significantly different between the three myocardial regions. Exercise increased MBF in the LVFW and septum, but MBF was lower in the RV compared to septum and LVFW during exercise. Resting OEF was similar between the three different myocardial regions (similar to 70%) and increased in response to exercise similarly in all regions. MVO2 increased approximately two to three times from rest to exercise in all myocardial regions, but was significantly lower in the RV during exercise as compared to septum LVFW.Conclusion: MBF, OEF, and MVO2 can be assessed simultaneously in the RV and LV myocardia at rest and during exercise. Although there are no major differences in the MBF and OEF between LV and RV myocardial regions in the resting myocardium, MVO2 per gram of myocardium appears to be lower the RV in the exercising healthy human heart due to lower mean blood flow. The presented method may provide valuable insights for the assessment of MBF, OEF and MVO2 in hearts in different pathophysiological states.</div

Association of biallelic RFC1 expansion with early-onset Parkinson's disease

Background and Purpose: The biallelic repeat expansion (AAGGG)exp in the replication factor C subunit 1 gene (RFC1) is a frequent cause of cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) as well as late-onset ataxia. The clinical spectrum of RFC1 disease has expanded since the first identification of biallelic (AAGGG)exp and includes now various nonclassical phenotypes. Biallelic (AAGGG)exp in RFC1 in patients with clinically confirmed Parkinson's disease (PD) has recently been found. Methods: A nationwide cohort of 273 Finnish patients with early-onset PD was examined for the biallelic intronic expansion in RFC1. The expansion (AAGGG)exp was first screened using extra long polymerase chain reactions (Extra Large-PCRs) and flanking multiplex PCR. The presence of biallelic (AAGGG)exp was then confirmed by repeat-primed PCR and, finally, the repeat length was determined by long-read sequencing. Results: Three patients were found with the biallelic (AAGGG)exp in RFC1 giving a frequency of 1.10% (0.23%–3.18%; 95% confidence interval). The three patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PD, none of them had ataxia or neuropathy, and only one patient had a mild vestibular dysfunction. The age at onset of PD symptoms was 40–48 years and their disease course had been unremarkable apart from the early onset. Conclusions: Our results suggest that (AAGGG)exp in RFC1 is a rare cause of early-onset PD. Other populations should be examined in order to determine whether our findings are specific to the Finnish population.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Finnish Centre of Excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Meteorology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change : summary and outlook

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