The smart meets the conventional : Media storylines and societal frames on the energy action of housing cooperatives

In the acceleration phase of energy transitions, the role of community and citizen action is emphasised. The role of active, smart and experimental communities and individuals adopting novel practices and technologies is often contrasted with more conventional and mundane everyday practices, which change only slowly. In this context, the role of news media is central in disseminating information, mediating confrontations, and offering a space for shared societal frames on transition. This article examines Finnish media storylines on emerging energy technologies and practices in housing cooperatives, which manage most of the apartment buildings in Finland and thus have a key role in energy transition. Focusing on 17 years of development in three mainstream media, we first identify three main phases in media discourse intensity, focus and level of detail. Next, we analyse the ten main storylines on stabilising and reconfiguring the role of housing cooperatives in energy system change. Finally, we combine these storylines with cross-cutting societal frames on governmentalizing energy communities from the perspectives of technological anticipation, saving potentials and governance interventions.Peer reviewe

Impact of iodized table salt on the sensory characteristics of bread, sausage and pickle

Abstract The impact of iodized table salt on the sensory quality of wheat bread, bologna sausage and pickled cucumber was studied. Table salt (NaCl) content of the products was 1.7, 1.2 and 1.7 g/100 g, respectively. Iodine, added as potassium iodide (KI), was incorporated at levels 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg per kg table salt. Odor, flavor, appearance, and texture were evaluated using deviation from reference descriptive analysis (12 panelists, 4 replicates). Each sample was rated against the non-iodized reference sample (0 mg iodine). The retention of iodine during processing and storage was determined chemically. The iodine level 25 mg/kg, corresponding to current recommendations, did not cause sensory changes in tested products. In sausage, 50 and 100 mg/kg levels were associated with minor changes in texture and color. The maximum retention of iodine was 83% for bread, 98% for sausage, and 51% for cucumber. We did not find any sensory obstacle to using iodized table salt in industrial food production. Due to loss in manufacturing and inadequate intakes, iodine additions higher than currently recommended should be considered.Peer reviewe

The long non-coding RNA <i>HORAS5</i> mediates castration-resistant prostate cancer survival by activating the androgen receptor transcriptional program

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is driven by the androgen receptor (AR)-signaling axis. Hormonal therapy often mitigates PCa progression, but a notable number of cases progress to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). CRPC retains AR-activity and is incurable. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an uncharted region of the transcriptome. Several lncRNAs have been recently described to mediate oncogenic functions, suggesting that these molecules can be potential therapeutic targets. Here, we identified CRPC-associated lncRNAs by analyzing patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and clinical data. Subsequently, we characterized one of the CRPC-promoting lncRNAs, HORAS5, in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that HORAS5 is a stable, cytoplasmic lncRNA that promotes CRPC proliferation and survival by maintaining AR activity under androgen-depleted conditions. Most strikingly, knockdown of HORAS5 causes a significant reduction in the expression of AR itself and oncogenic AR targets such as KIAA0101. Elevated expression of HORAS5 is also associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients. Our results from HORAS5 inhibition in in vivo models further confirm that HORAS5 is a viable therapeutic target for CRPC. Thus, we posit that HORAS5 is a novel, targetable mediator of CRPC through its essential role in the maintenance of oncogenic AR activity. Overall, this study adds to our mechanistic understanding of how lncRNAs function in cancer progression

Gene Expression Profiling of Gliadin Effects on Intestinal Epithelial Cells Suggests Novel Non-Enzymatic Functions of Pepsin and Trypsin

Peer reviewe

LncRNA HORAS5 promotes taxane resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer via a BCL2A1-dependent mechanism.

Background: Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is an incurable malignancy. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in drug resistance. Materials & methods: LncRNA HORAS5 role in cabazitaxel resistance (i.e., cell-count, IC50 and caspase activity) was studied via lentiviral-mediated overexpression and siRNA-based knockdown. Genes expression was analyzed with RNA-sequencing, reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot. HORAS5 expression was queried in clinical database. Results: Cabazitaxel increased HORAS5 expression that upregulated BCL2A1, thereby protecting CRPC cells from cabazitaxel-induced apoptosis. BCL2A1 knockdown decreased cell-count and increased apoptosis in CRPC cells. HORAS5-targeting antisense oligonucleotide decreased cabazitaxel IC50. In CRPC clinical samples, HORAS5 expression increased upon taxane treatment. Conclusion:HORAS5 stimulates the expression of BCL2A1 thereby decreasing apoptosis and enhancing cabazitaxel resistance in CRPC cells

The evolutionarily conserved long non‐coding RNA <i>LINC00261</i> drives neuroendocrine prostate cancer proliferation and metastasis <i>via</i> distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic mechanisms

Metastatic neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive disease, whose incidence is rising. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a large family of disease- and tissue-specific transcripts, most of which are still functionally uncharacterized. Thus, we set out to identify the highly conserved lncRNAs that play a central role in NEPC pathogenesis. To this end, we performed transcriptomic analyses of donor-matched patient-derived xenograft models (PDXs) with immunohistologic features of prostate adenocarcinoma (AR+/PSA+) or NEPC (AR-/SYN+/CHGA+ ) and through differential expression analyses identified lncRNAs that were upregulated upon neuroendocrine transdifferentiation. These genes were prioritized for functional assessment based on the level of conservation in vertebrates. Here, LINC00261 emerged as the top gene with over 3229-fold upregulation in NEPC. Consistently, LINC00261 expression was significantly upregulated in NEPC specimens in multiple patient cohorts. Knockdown of LINC00261 in PC-3 cells dramatically attenuated its proliferative and metastatic abilities, which are explained by parallel downregulation of CBX2 and FOXA2 through distinct molecular mechanisms. In the cell cytoplasm, LINC00261 binds to and sequesters miR-8485 from targeting the CBX2 mRNA, while inside the nucleus, LINC00261 functions as a transcriptional scaffold to induce SMAD-driven expression of the FOXA2 gene. For the first time, these results demonstrate hyperactivation of the LINC00261-CBX2-FOXA2 axes in NEPC to drive proliferation and metastasis, and that LINC00261 may be utilized as a therapeutic target and a biomarker for this incurable disease

Adiposity Associated Plasma Linoleic Acid is Related to Demographic, Metabolic Health and Haplotypes of FADS1/2 Genes in Irish Adults

Scope: This study examined to what extent plasma linoleic acid (LA) is modified by adiposity, and explored any association between plasma LA, demographics, dietary intakes, markers of metabolic health and haplotypes of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 1/2 genes. Methods and results: 820 participants with fasting blood samples from Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey were studied. Plasma fatty acids were determined using GC-MS. 15 SNPs of FADS 1/2 genes were genotyped. Plasma LA decreased while γ-linoleic acid and dihomo-γ-linoleic acid increased in overweight/obese participants (P ≤ 0.002). Participants in the highest quartile of plasma LA showed decreased plasma markers of de novo lipogenesis, insulin resistance and of inflammation (TNF-α, PAI-1) (P ≤ 0.005). Adiposity (waist circumference and body fat) was strongly inversely associated with plasma LA accounting for 11.8% of variance observed, which was followed by FADS1/2 haplotypes (3.9 %), quantity and quality of carbohydrate intakes (3.8 %), dietary PUFA intakes (3.7 %), systolic blood pressure (3.6 %) and age (3.2 %). Conclusion: Plasma LA was inversely associated with adiposity, followed by haplotypes of FADS1/2 genes, carbohydrate intakes and dietary PUFA intakes. The association observed between plasma LA and adiposity may be linked to decreased de novo lipogenesis, insulin resistance and inflammation

Toimintaohjekortit Etelä-Savon sairaanhoitopiirin turvallisuusohjeista

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tehdä Etelä-Savon sairaanhoitopiirin turvallisuusohjeista toimintaohjekortteja. Toimintaohjekortit eivät korvaa laajempia turvallisuusohjeita, vaan toimivat henkilökunnan muistin tukena äkillisissä tilanteissa. Toimintaohjekortit tulevat Etelä-Savon sairaanhoitopiirin käyttöön toimintayksiköiden henkilökunnan saataville. Toimintaohjekortit toteutettiin seuraavista tilanteista: tulipalo, väkivaltatilanne, äkillinen kriisi työyhteisössä, sähkönjakelun häiriö ja tietoliikenteen häiriö. Kortteja suunniteltaessa otettiin huomioon ohjetekstin laatimisen periaatteet. Hyvä toimintaohje on selkeä ja tarvittava tieto on siitä nopeasti löydettävissä. Hyvää ohjetta on helppo seurata ja sen noudattaminen johtaa tarkoituksenmukaiseen lopputulokseen. Toimintaohjekortit perustuvat laajempiin turvallisuusohjeisiin. Toimintaohjekortit toimitettiin toimeksiantajalle sähköisessä muodossa ja hyväksytettiin sairaalan turvallisuuspäälliköllä. Lisäksi toimintaohjekortit käytettiin kommentoitavana Mikkelin keskussairaalassa kahden osaston henkilökunnalla. Toimintaohjekorttien sisältöä muokattiin yhteistyössä toimeksiantajan edustajan kanssa. Valmiista korteista pyydettiin palautetta kahden Mikkelin keskussairaalan osaston henkilökunnalta. Kortit on tarkoitus asettaa työyksiköissä näkyvälle paikalle, josta ne ovat helposti saatavilla. Näkyvillä ollessaan niiden on myös tarkoitus edistää henkilöstön sitoutumista positiiviseen turvallisuuskulttuuriin. Opinnäytetyöprosessin aikana todettiin, että toimintaohjekorttien päivitystarve on jatkuva. Toimeksiantaja huolehtii toimintaohjekorttien päivittämisestä ja minulla on pyrkimys mahdollisuuksien mukaan osallistua toimintaohjekorttien jatkokehittämiseen.The aim of this bachelor’s thesis was to shorten South-Savo Hospital District’s safety instructions into more usable form, as instruction cards. These instruction cards do not replace larger-scale safety instructions. They are meant to support one’s memory during a sudden incident. The instruction cards were created about following incidents: fire, violence, sudden crisis in a working unit, disturbance in electricity distribution and disturbance in information traffic. The principles of writing an instruction were paid attention to during the process. A good instruction is clear and all the needed information can be found quickly. It is important that the instruction is easy to follow and following it will lead the user to appropriate outcome. The instruction cards were carried out in co-operation with the assigner and are based on larger-scale safety instructions. The instruction cards were supplied to the assigner in electrical form. The security manager of South-Savo Hospital District approved the instructions cards. The personnel of two wards in Mikkeli Central Hospital had opportunity to give suggestions about how the cards could be developed further. The cards are to be placed on a visible place in working units in order that they are always easily available. As the safety instruction cards are visible, they are also meant to increase the personnel’s commitment to the positive safety culture

Control of surge currents in inverter fed loads

Switch mode power converters have been used in high power applications such as DC links and variable frequency motor drives for a number of decades. In these applications the load is fixed and well known, and therefore the nature of the power demand placed on the inverter is also well known. In more recent years, high frequency switch mode inverters have become available at smaller power levels as consumer products. These inverters are marketed as capable of providing AC power to ANY AC load which the customer may have. In this case the inverter is called upon to supply power to a diverse variety of loads, presenting it with very challenging operational issues, especially with regards start up surge currents. This thesis investigates the characteristics of the input current drawn by consumer type AC loads, when driven by a standard sinusoidal 60 Hz 110VAC source, with particular emphasis on the inrush current transients found during start up. It then goes on to look at how the surge currents differ when the driving voltage is a non-sinusoidal single step waveform as produced by the vast majority of small inverters. This is followed by a discussion on the benefit of having multiple step waveforms and trapezoidal waveforms, in terms of their effect on the surge current transients. From the discussion on multi step and trapezoidal waveforms, it is shown that a current regulated output is the optimum solution for small modified sinewave inverters when they are used to drive typical consumer type loads. This approach is demonstrated in a 300W inverter through the implementation of hysteretic output current control. Finally, AC output bridge switching losses are investigated, and the benefit of a small amount of series output inductance is demonstrated through simulations and circuit trials.Applied Science, Faculty ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, Department ofGraduat