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The hygrothermal behaviour of an outdoor ventilated crawl space with two different designs of the floor structure was investigated. The first design had 250 mm insulation and visible wooden beams towards the crawl space. The second design had 300 mm insulation and no visible wooden beams. One year of measurements was compared with simulations of temperature and moisture condition in the floor structure and crawl space. The measurements showed that the extra 50 mm insulation placed below the beams reduced moisture content in the beams below 20 weight% all year. A reasonable agreement between the measurements and simulations was found; however, the evaporation from the soil was a dominant parameter affecting the hygrothermal response in the crawl space and floor structure.

Internal insulation is used in many heritage buildings to ensure a better indoor environment and reduce energy use. This article describes measurement results from installing an internal insulation system in a Danish multi-story building. The internal insulation system consists of a fully glued vapour tight insulated plasterboard. To reduce the risk for wood decay and mould growth at the wooden beam ends in the floor construction, a 100-200 mm uninsulated gap was left above and below the floor construction. Measurements include the effect of orientation, degree of façade repair and influence of indoor moisture content. Results show in general acceptable hygrothermal conditions behind the insulation system. However, a gradual increase in relative humidity at sun-exposed walls was registered due to ‘summer condensation’. The degree of surface repair also showed an influence on relative humidity levels during this period. At the uninsulated gap above the floor, a higher moisture content indoor resulted in a higher relative humidity, though without exceeding the threshold for mould growth. However, a large temperature range was registered. The influence of the uninsulated gap on reducing the risk of wood decay and mould growth at the beam ends could therefore not unambiguously be confirmed.

I denne rapport belyses, hvilke fugtforhold der kan forventes i fremtidens højisolerede klimaskærm med fokus på tage, ydervægge og krybekældre. Analyserne sker med henblik på at forebygge fugtproblemer, der kan opstå, når klimaskærmen udsættes for mere ekstreme påvirkninger forårsaget af reduceret varmestrøm gennem konstruktionerne. Højisolerede konstruktioner skal forstås som de isoleringstykkelser, der forventes brugt for at opfylde Bygningsreglement 2020 og frem over. Konklusionerne gælder for bygninger som boliger og kontorer med normal fugtbelastning.Spørgsmålet på, om de øgede isoleringstykkelser vil udsætte klimaskærmens konstruktioner for en øget risiko for fugtrelaterede skader, fx skimmelsvamp og frostsprængninger, besvares gennem litteraturstudier fra de nordiske lande, beregninger af de typiske konstruktioner samt målinger i udvalgte enfamiliehuse.

In the design of very well-insulated homes, there is a need for a more nuanced design that takes into account winter and summer conditions. In this paper, we compare a traditional design for a typical Danish single-family house with large glazing areas oriented towards the south and smaller glazing areas towards the north, and a design with an even window distribution where the glazing-to-floor ratio is the same for each room. We found that the use of solar gains through south-oriented windows is not as important as is traditionally believed because, in well-insulated homes, space heating demand is not reduced much by having larger south-facing windows. Furthermore, we found that there is a g-value above which the additional solar gains through south-oriented windows do not help reduce space heating demand, and it becomes important to use solar shading or glazing with solar-control coating as a cheaper alternative to reduce overheating. Maximum window sizes from an overheating perspective were identified that are larger than the optimal window sizes for space heating demand. However, we show that the difference in space heating demand with optimal window size and with larger window sizes is small, so it is up to the building owner to decide whether or not he wants larger glazing areas to allow for more daylight. And windows can be positioned in the facade with considerable architectural freedom. However, we do recommend an even distribution of the glazing-to-floor ratio, because this generally provides an improved thermal indoor environment in south-oriented rooms and will ensure a better daylight level especially in north-oriented rooms. We also show that the optimal window size is influenced by thermal zone configuration and that there is a need for models in which a difference is made between zones with direct and with non-direct solar gains.

Basonuclins 1 and 2 are nuclear proteins specific to vertebrates. They have recently been shown to be the orthologs of the DISCO proteins of insects. All of these proteins have an essential function in embryonic development. It is likely that they are transcription factors with multiple gene targets, some of which are transcribed by DNA polymerase I, and others by polymerase II. It remains to be found which targets are common to the two basonuclins and even to the DISCO proteins, and why certain cell types possess either basonuclin 1 or basonuclin 2, while others possess both. The implication of the basonuclins in several human diseases adds to their interest as regulatory proteins.

The number of mRNAs and proteins that can be produced from a single gene is known to be increased by the number of start sites and by multiple splicing of products. A few genes have been found to generate extraordinarily large numbers of splicing isoforms. In the human, the largest number, nearly 2000 mRNA isoforms, has been reported for the neurexin 3α gene. However, the biological significance of alternative splicing often remains unclear because many alternative transcripts contain early translational stops and are thought to be rapidly degraded. We demonstrate here that human basonuclin 2 (bn2; approved gene symbol BNC2) transcripts are initiated from six promoters, are alternatively spliced at multiple positions, and are polyadenylated at four sites. Characterization of nearly 100 bn2 mRNA isoforms suggests that each promoter, splice site, and poly(A) addition site is used independently. The bn2 gene has therefore the potential to generate up to 90,000 mRNA isoforms encoding more than 2000 different proteins. Because alternative exons affect the position of the first methionine codon, the length of the coding region, and the position of the translational stop, the encoded proteins range in size from 43 to 1211 amino acids and some bear no sequence similarity to others. PCR analysis and transient expression in HeLa cells show that the major bn2 mRNA isoforms are stable and are translated into equally stable proteins, even when the mRNA bears an early translational stop.

BNC2 is an extremely conserved zinc finger protein with important functions in the development of craniofacial bones and male germ cells. Because disruption of the Bnc2 gene in mice causes neonatal lethality, the function of the protein in adult animals has not been studied. Until now BNC2 was considered to have a wider tissue distribution than its paralog, BNC1, but the precise cell types expressing Bnc2 are largely unknown. We identify here the cell types containing BNC2 in the mouse and we show the unexpected presence of BNC1 in many BNC2-containing cells. BNC1 and BNC2 are colocalized in male and female germ cells, ovarian epithelial cells, sensory neurons, hair follicle keratinocytes and connective cells of organ capsules. In many cell lineages, the two basonuclins appear and disappear synchronously. Within the male germ cell lineage, BNC1 and BNC2 are found in prospermatogonia and undifferentiated spermatogonia, and disappear abruptly from differentiating spermatogonia. During oogenesis, the two basonuclins accumulate specifically in maturing oocytes. During the development of hair follicles, BNC1 and BNC2 concentrate in the primary hair germs. As follicle morphogenesis proceeds, cells possessing BNC1 and BNC2 invade the dermis and surround the papilla. During anagen, BNC1 and BNC2 are largely restricted to the basal layer of the outer root sheath and the matrix. During catagen, the compartment of cells possessing BNC1 and BNC2 regresses, and in telogen, the two basonuclins are confined to the secondary hair germ. During the next anagen, the BNC1/BNC2-containing cell population regenerates the hair follicle. By examining Bnc2−/− mice that have escaped the neonatal lethality usually associated with lack of BNC2, we demonstrate that BNC2 possesses important functions in many of the cell types where it resides. Hair follicles of postnatal Bnc2−/− mice do not fully develop during the first cycle and thereafter remain blocked in telogen. It is concluded that the presence of BNC2 in the secondary hair germ is required to regenerate the transient segment of the follicle. Postnatal Bnc2−/− mice also show severe dwarfism, defects in oogenesis and alterations of palatal rugae. Although the two basonuclins possess very similar zinc fingers and are largely coexpressed, BNC1 cannot substitute for BNC2. This is shown incontrovertibly in knockin mice expressing Bnc1 instead of Bnc2 as these mice invariably die at birth with craniofacial abnormalities undistinguishable from those of Bnc2−/− mice. The function of the basonuclins in the secondary hair germ is of particular interest.

Gennem fem delprojekter blev der i projektet Energieffektiv fugthåndtering ibyggeprocessen kortlagt væsentlige parametre med betydning for energiforbrugetved udtørring, udviklet og demonstreret en energieffektiv udtørringsteknologitil anvendelse på byggepladser, samt udviklet et webbaseret beregningsværktøj.Resultaterne fra de forskellige delprojekter er medtaget iberegningsværktøjet, der kan bruges til at bestemme energibehovet og tidentil udtørringsprocessen af et råhus eller bygningsafsnit i større råhus.

Appropriate window solutions are decisive for the design of ‘nearly zero-energy’ buildings with healthy and comfortable indoor environment. This paper focuses on the relationship between size, orientation and glazing properties of facade windows for different side-lit room geometries in Danish ‘nearly zero-energy’ houses. The effect of these parameters on space heating demand, daylighting and thermal environment is evaluated by means of EnergyPlus and DAYSIM and presented in charts illustrating how combinations of design parameters with minimum space heating demand can be selected within a solution space defined by targets for daylighting and thermal comfort. In contrast with existing guidelines, the results show an upper limit for energy savings and utilisation of solar gains in south-oriented rooms. Instead, low U-values are needed in both north- and south oriented rooms before large window areas lead to reductions in space heating demand. Furthermore, windows in south-oriented rooms have to be carefully designed to prevent overheating. Design options for prevention of overheating, however, correspond well with options for low space heating demand. Glazings with solar control coating are therefore obvious alternatives to dynamic solar shadings. Regarding room geometry, deep or narrow south-oriented rooms show difficulties in reaching sufficient daylight levels without overheating.

Absence of mitosis and meiosis are distinguishing properties of male germ cells during late fetal and early neonatal periods. Repressors of male germ cell meiosis have been identified, but mitotic repressors are largely unknown, and no protein repressing both meiosis and mitosis is known. We demonstrate here that the zinc-finger protein BNC2 is present in male but not in female germ cells. In testis, BNC2 exists as several spliced isoforms and presumably binds to DNA. Within the male germ cell lineage, BNC2 is restricted to prospermatogonia and undifferentiated spermatogonia. Fetal prospermatogonia that lack BNC2 multiply excessively on embryonic day (E)14.5 and reenter the cell cycle prematurely. Mutant prospermatogonia also engage in abnormal meiosis; on E17.5, Bnc2−/− prospermatogonia start synthesizing the synaptonemal protein SYCP3, and by the time of birth, many Bnc2−/− prospermatogonia have accumulated large amounts of nonfilamentous SYCP3, thus appearing to be blocked at leptonema. Bnc2−/− prospermatogonia do not undergo proper male differentiation, as they lack almost all the mRNA for the male-specific methylation protein DNMT3L and have increased levels of mRNAs that encode meiotic proteins, including STRA8. Bnc2−/− prospermatogonia can produce spermatogonia, but these enter meiosis prematurely and undergo massive apoptotic death during meiotic prophase. This study identifies BNC2 as a major regulator of male germ stem cells, which is required for repression of meiosis and mitosis in prospermatogonia, and for meiosis progression during spermatogenesis. In view of the extreme evolutionary conservation of BNC2, the findings described here are likely to apply to many species.

There is a lack of international research focusing on how the siblings-in-law of adults with a learning disability experience their commitment to provide support. Using narrative research, the authors have aimed to gain an insight into the perspectives of 14 siblings-in-law (living in the Flemish part of Belgium) about the decision to live together with a family member who has a learning disability. The decision to live together usually begins with a crisis. However, the decision process is a complex mechanism; it involves dynamics and events within a family (between family members both with and without blood relationships) and is intensified by experiences within a society that holds different views about families and disability. We are aided in gaining a deeper understanding of this complex process by considering interpretations based on the contextual framework of Boszormenyi-Nagy.

In Nordic countries significant primary energy saving potential exists in houses built before 1980. These old houses need to be renovated, which provides an opportunity for implementation of energy efficiency measures. However, there are several economic and market hindrances and the renovation markets are dominated by handicraft-based individual solutions. In this paper we have analyzed the opportunities for implementation of one-stop-shop business models where an overall contractor offers full-service renovation packages including consulting, independent energy audit, renovation work, follow-up (independent quality control and commissioning) and financing. A comparative assessment of emerging business models in the Nordic countries shows that different types of actors can provide such a service. Financing is included in some models. There are differences in how customers are contacted, while the similarities are on how the service is provided. Even though there is strong business potential for one-stop-shop energy renovation concept, still it has been somewhat difficult to start or run such a business. Various options to overcome the hindrances to promote energy efficient renovation of detached houses are discussed.

Der er behov for at reducere energiforbruget i bygninger, samt generelt at forbedre energieffektiviteten i byggesektoren i Danmark, som i resten af EU. Energibesparelser bør dog gå hånd i hånd med at sikre et sundt og behageligt indeklima. Formålet med denne afhandling er at bidrage til udviklingen af danske lavenergihuse med et godt indeklima. For at nå målet med en fossilfri energiforsyning i Danmark i 2050, skal der tages hensyn til både nybyggeri og renovering af eksisterende bygninger for at imødekomme fremtidens energibehov.For at tilskynde udviklingen af passende design af nye lavenergibygninger og facaderenovering af eksisterende bygninger, er der behov for mere viden om vinduesdesign. I forhold til vinduesdesignet i et typisk dansk enfamiliehus konstrueret i overensstemmelse med de nuværende og fremtidige energikrav, blev indflydelsen af vinduesstørrelse, -type og orientering af vinduerne undersøgt i forhold til rumvarmebehov og termisk indeklima i EnergyPlus ved at sammenligne et vinduesdesign med en jævn fordeling (samme rude-til-gulv-areal i hvert værelse), med et traditionelt vinduesdesign med store sydvendte vinduer. Betydningen af at inddele bygningen i termiske zoner på resultatet af rumvarmebehov og termisk indeklima, og dermed valget af vinduesdesign, blev også undersøgt. Når der skelnes mellem termiske zoner med direkte og indirekte solinskud, viste resultaterne, at valget af vinduets størrelse og retning ikke længere udgører en stor del af varmebehovet, så længe en lav U-værdi anvendes. Hvis en jævn vinduesfordeling anvendes i kombination med en passende udluftning og solafskærmning i de kritiske sydvendte rum, kan vinduerne i velisolerede bygninger placeres med stor arkitektonisk frihed. Derudover blev dagslyset undersøgt. Forholdet mellem forskellige vinduesparametre (rudeareal, orientering, U-værdi, g-værdi og lystransmittans) og hvordan disse påvirker energiforbruget, dagslys og termisk indeklima blev ved hjælp af DAYSIM og EnergyPlus undersøgt i rum med forskellige geometrier. Med hensyn til dagslys blev en klimaafhængige dagslysfaktor, der tager hensyn til bygnings placering anvendt og sammenlignet ved brug af en klimabaseret dagslys modellering. Diagrammer, som illustrerer et rum af løsninger for rumvarmebehov defineret af mål for dagslys og termisk indeklima blev brugt til at diskutere effekten af forskellige vinduesparametre. Potentielle konflikter i relation til vinduesdesign blev heraf identificeret til at være i dybe eller smalle sydvendte værelser i velisolerede boliger. Derefter blev der givet anbefalinger om vinduesløsninger baseret på resultater, der viser, at de kan vælges på værelsesbasis, mens valg af rude-til-gulv-forholdet er baseret på krav til dagslys. For at opnå et godt termisk indeklima og minimalt rumvarmebehov, er en høj g-værdi anbefalet i nordvendte værelser, mens ruder med solafskærmende belægning kan bruges som et alternativ til dynamisk styret solafskærmning i sydvendte værelser.Mens disse anbefalinger blev givet som et udgangspunkt for at vælge et godt vinduesdesign i de tidlige designfaser, er energimæssige ydeevne og termisk indeklima også bestemt af en bygnings energisystem og bør overvejes for hver enkelt bygning. Arkitekter, ingeniører og bygherrer er ofte ikke i besiddelse af de nødvendige forenklede værktøjer til de tidlige faser af designprocessen, hvor de vigtigste beslutninger bliver truffet. Denne forskning indfører derfor et forenklet værktøj, kaldet WinDesign, som kan anvendes i de tidlige projekteringsfaser for valg af vinduesdesign, men også mere generelt til forudsigelse af opbygningens ydeevne. Udvikling og validering af værktøjet, som bruger en 4 - trins metode, viste, hvordan vinduerne kan vælges med hensyn til energiforbrug, termisk indeklima, omkostninger og til en vis grad dagslys (baseret på elforbrug til kunstig belysning). Fordi værktøjet er baseret på simple metoder som beskrevet i EN ISO 13790 og kræver begrænsede input-data, kan analysen udføres relativt hurtigt i forhold til mere avancerede værktøjer. En af begrænsningerne for værktøjet er, at det ikke omfatter dagslysanalyse. Andre brugervenlige og enkle værktøjer skal bruges til dette. Et eksempel på en sådan anvendelse er givet i denne afhandling.For at renovere de eksisterende enfamiliehuse til lavenergi-standarder og for at fremskynde denne renovering, er der behov for en integreret tilgang baseret på anvendelsen af den fulde vifte af tekniske renoveringsløsninger. Boligejere har brug for hjælp med design og beslutningstagning, så denne afhandling introducerer en metode til renovering baseret på et ideelt one-stop-shop koncept. Gennem kontakt med en enkelt aktør, er husets ejer forsynet med en fuld servicepakke, der inkluderer alle de nødvendige skridt til renoveringen: rådgivning, tilbud på arbejdet, finansiering, forvaltning af entreprisen og opfølgning. Ved hjælp af sådan en fuld servicepakke kan kvaliteten og effektiviteten af en renovering forbedres, hvilket kan reducere investeringsomkostningerne og gøre hele renoveringsprocessen lettere og mere attraktivt for bygherrer. Men for en vellykket gennemførelse af den metode, er der behov for mere forskning i strategier for markedsføring og former for tilskyndelse. Som en del af metoden, er renoveringspakker rettet mod forskellige typer af enfamiliehuse også foreslået. Hovedfokus er på segmentet af enfamiliehuse der er bygget i perioden mellem 1960 og 1980, og huse bygget før 1930. Resultaterne viser, at begge typer af enfamiliehuse kunne blive renoveret til et niveau af energiforbrug, der er sammenlignelig med kravene til nye huse i dag, men kun hvis en omfattende efterisolering er kombineret med energieffektive installationer. Hvis fremtidens energikrav skal opfyldes, vil der dog være behov for yderligere forskning i andre energibesparende foranstaltninger og nye materialer. There is a need to reduce energy consumption in buildings and in general improve energy efficiency in the building sector in Denmark, as in the rest of the EU. Energy savings, however, should go hand in hand with providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. So, the aim of this thesis is to contribute to the development of Danish low-energy residential buildings with good indoor environment. To reach the target of a fossil-free energy supply in Denmark by 2050, both new building design and renovation of existing buildings to meet future energy requirements need to be taken into account.To encourage the development of appropriate designs for new low-energy buildings and façade renovation of existing buildings, improved knowledge is needed on window design. The research consisted of two parts. First in relation to window design in a typical Danish single-family house constructed in accordance with current and future energy requirements, the influence of window size, type and orientation on space heating demand and thermal indoor environment were investigated in EnergyPlus by comparing a window design with an even distribution (same glazingto-floor-area in each room) with a traditional window design with large south-oriented windows. The influence of the thermal zone configuration on the prediction of space heating demand and thermal indoor environment, and therefore on the choice of window design, was also investigated. When distinguishing between thermal zones with direct and non-direct solar gains, results showed that the choice of window size and orientation is no longer a big issue from the perspective of heating demand as long as low glazing U-values are used. If an even window distribution is used in combination with an appropriate venting rate and solar control in critical southoriented rooms, windows can be positioned in the façade of well-insulated residential buildings with considerable architectural freedom. Second, daylight was considered and the relationship between various window parameters (glazing area, orientation, Uvalue, g-value and light transmittance) and how these affect energy performance, daylight and thermal indoor environment was investigated using DAYSIM and EnergyPlus for rooms with various geometries. With regard to daylight performance, a climate-dependent daylight factor taking into account building location was used and compared with the use of climate-based modelling. Charts illustrating a space of solutions for space heating demand defined by targets for daylight and thermal indoor environment were used to discuss the effect of different window parameters and potential conflicts related to window design were identified in deep or narrow southoriented side-lit rooms in well-insulated dwellings. Thereafter, recommendations on window solutions were given based on results showing that they can be chosen on a room-by-room basis with the choice of glazing-to-floor ratio based on daylight requirements. To achieve a good thermal indoor environment and minimum space heating demand, for example, a high g-value is recommended in north-oriented rooms, and glazing with solar-control coating can be used as an alternative to dynamically controlled solar shading in south-oriented rooms.

Basonuclins 1 and 2 are nuclear proteins specific to vertebrates. They have recently been shown to be the orthologs of the DISCO proteins of insects. All of these proteins have an essential function in embryonic development. It is likely that they are transcription factors with multiple gene targets, some of which are transcribed by DNA polymerase I, and others by polymerase II. It remains to be found which targets are common to the two basonuclins and even to the DISCO proteins, and why certain cell types possess either basonuclin 1 or basonuclin 2, while others possess both. The implication of the basonuclins in several human diseases adds to their interest as regulatory proteins.

There is both a need and a significant business potential for one-stop-shop business models where an overall contractor offers full-service renovation packages including consulting, independent energy audit, renovation work, independent quality control and commissioning, and financing. The renovation market for single-family houses could be in the order of hundreds of million Euros per year in each Nordic country.

Future tightening of the energy requirements increases focus on design of new and better performing buildings with goodindoor environment and only limited extra cost compared to new buildings today. This paper presents a method for economicoptimization of the design of new low energy dwellings that takes into account the indoor thermal environment. By use of thecriterion of cost of conserved energy implemented in a Microsoft Excel sheet, a cost optimal design according to a targetedenergy frame can be found. The resulting indoor thermal environment is then evaluated based on parametric analysis in thedynamic simulation tool WinDesign. If any changes have to be made to ensure a good indoor thermal environment, iterationbetween the two programs must be performed. An example is used to illustrate this process. It indicates that the method can beused from the early design phases to ensure that an economic design solution with good indoor environment can be identified.The example also shows that in order to ensure that buildings have low energy consumption, at minimum extra cost, moreappropriate products and solutions will have to become available on the market at a competitive price.

Successful Sustainable Renovation Business for Single-Family Houses - SuccessFamilies

We studied a man with distal hypospadias, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, mild limb-length inequality and a balanced translocation involving chromosomes 9 and 13. To gain insight into the etiology of his birth defects, we mapped the translocation breakpoints by high-resolution comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), using chromosome 9- and 13-specific tiling arrays to analyze genetic material from a spontaneously aborted fetus with unbalanced segregation of the translocation. The chromosome 13 breakpoint was ∼400 kb away from the nearest gene, but the chromosome 9 breakpoint fell within an intron of Basonuclin 2 (BNC2), a gene that encodes an evolutionarily conserved nuclear zinc-finger protein. The BNC2/Bnc2 gene is abundantly expressed in developing mouse and human periurethral tissues. In all, 6 of 48 unrelated subjects with distal hypospadias had nine novel nonsynonymous substitutions in BNC2, five of which were computationally predicted to be deleterious. In comparison, two of 23 controls with normal penile urethra morphology, each had a novel nonsynonymous substitution in BNC2, one of which was predicted to be deleterious. Bnc2(-/-) mice of both sexes displayed a high frequency of distal urethral defects; heterozygotes showed similar defects with reduced penetrance. The association of BNC2 disruption with distal urethral defects and the gene's expression pattern indicate that it functions in urethral development.

existing single-family houses in the Nordic countries are to have competitive power compared to new buildings on the future housing market. Good technical solutions exist but need to be combined based on the full range of (standard) solutions in order to reach the low primary energy level of new houses. A one-stop-shop in the form of a full-service concept could be seen as a possibility to make it easy for the homeowner to comply with possible future requirements to realize far-reaching energy savings in connection with extensive renovations, provided that the building sector offers the solutions. Such one-stop-shops in the form of full-service providers of energy efficient renovation of single-family house are missing in the Nordic countries, although this service is vital to open up the market. As part of the Nordic research project `SuccesFamilies´ with the purpose to change the business environment in order to speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses –a sustainable renovation concept suitable for different categories of single-family houses with regard to type and age has been proposed in this article. The sustainable renovation concept includes an ideal full-service concept and technical renovation solutions targeted to different types of single-family houses.

Retinoic acid-related Orphan Receptor alpha (RORα; NR1F1) is a widely distributed nuclear receptor involved in several (patho)physiological functions including lipid metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and circadian rhythm. To better understand the role of this nuclear receptor in liver, we aimed at displaying genes controlled by RORα in liver cells by generating HepG2 human hepatoma cells stably over-expressing RORα. Genes whose expression was altered in these cells versus control cells were displayed using micro-arrays followed by qRT-PCR analysis. Expression of these genes was also altered in cells in which RORα was transiently over-expressed after adenoviral infection. A number of the genes found were involved in known pathways controlled by RORα, for instance LPA, NR1D2 and ADIPOQ in lipid metabolism, ADIPOQ and PLG in inflammation, PLG in fibrinolysis and NR1D2 and NR1D1 in circadian rhythm. This study also revealed that genes such as G6PC, involved in glucose homeostasis, and AGRP, involved in the control of body weight, are also controlled by RORα. Lastly, SPARC, involved in cell growth and adhesion, and associated with liver carcinogenesis, was up-regulated by RORα. SPARC was found to be a new putative RORα target gene since it possesses, in its promoter, a functional RORE as evidenced by EMSAs and transfection experiments. Most of the other genes that we found regulated by RORα also contained putative ROREs in their regulatory regions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) confirmed that the ROREs present in the SPARC, PLG, G6PC, NR1D2 and AGRP genes were occupied by RORα in HepG2 cells. Therefore these genes must now be considered as direct RORα targets. Our results open new routes on the roles of RORα in glucose metabolism and carcinogenesis within cells of hepatic origin.

Basonuclin 1 and the recently discovered basonuclin 2 are vertebrate proteins with multiple paired C(2)H(2) zinc fingers. It has long been known that the zinc fingers of basonuclin 1 closely resembled those of the Drosophila disconnected and discorelated proteins, two proteins essential for head development, but the relation between the basonuclins and the disco proteins has remained unclear because the putative function of basonuclin 1 in the control of keratinocyte growth potential appeared unrelated to that of disco and there was no resemblance between basonuclin 1 and Drosophila disco outside of the zinc fingers. The recent generation of a basonuclin-2 knockout has demonstrated that basonuclin 2 shares with disco a function in head development and the availability of new arthropod genome sequences has shown that the basonuclins are the vertebrate orthologs of the insect disco proteins. All these proteins are thought to be transcription factors, and it will have to be determined to what extent they share similar targets.

The Nordic research project “Success Families”, is a joint project between VTT in Finland, Danish Technical University, Mid Sweden University and Segel AS in Norway. The aim of the project is to find out how to bridge missing link between the homeowner and the variety of suppliers of relevant products and services. The project started in May 2009 and will conclude in first quarter 2012. This paper presents preliminary conclusions related to stakeholders’ interests and what barriers and opportunities are identified so far in the market place for energy efficient renovation of detached houses. As the work in this project is in progress, the presentation at the conference will include new findings identified after the deadline of this paper.

The Nordic single-family house renovation market is dominated by a craftsman based approach with individual solutions, traditional warehouses ”do-it-yourself-shops” and some actors marketing single products. To speed up the implementation of sustainable renovation of single-family houses there is a great need for full-service packages including consulting, contract work, follow-up, financing and operation and maintenance. There are few Nordic examples of such service models for renovation of single-family houses which entered the market recently. The success of these concepts is yet to be evaluated.

Deliverable 1.1 Successful Sustainable Renovation Business for Single-Family Houses - SuccessFamilies

Basonuclin 2 is a recently discovered zinc finger protein of unknown function. Its paralog, basonuclin 1, is associated with the ability of keratinocytes to multiply. The basonuclin zinc fingers are closely related to those of the Drosophila proteins disco and discorelated, but the relation between disco proteins and basonuclins has remained elusive because the function of the disco proteins in larval head development seems to have no relation to that of basonuclin 1 and because the amino acid sequence of disco, apart from the zinc fingers, also has no similarity to that of the basonuclins. We have generated mice lacking basonuclin 2. These mice die within 24 h of birth with a cleft palate and abnormalities of craniofacial bones and tongue. In the embryonic head, expression of the basonuclin 2 gene is restricted to mesenchymal cells in the palate, at the periphery of the tongue, and in the mesenchymal sheaths that surround the brain and the osteocartilagineous structures. In late embryos, the rate of multiplication of these mesenchymal cells is greatly diminished. Therefore, basonuclin 2 is essential for the multiplication of craniofacial mesenchymal cells during embryogenesis. Non- Drosophila insect databases available since 2008 reveal that the basonuclins and the disco proteins share much more extensive sequence and gene structure similarity than noted when only Drosophila sequences were examined. We conclude that basonuclin 2 is both structurally and functionally the vertebrate ortholog of the disco proteins. We also note the possibility that some human craniofacial abnormalities are due to a lack of basonuclin 2.

Diseases of polyglutamine expansion, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are neurodegenerative diseases associated with insoluble protein aggregates and neuronal death. These diseases constitute a group of devastating diseases for which there is currently little treatment. The protein aggregates may be the cause of neuronal death, although there is some controversy as to which form of aggregation (oligomers, polymers or microscopic aggregates) is the most toxic. More than a decade ago, the participation of transglutaminases in the formation of the abnormal protein aggregates was proposed. Transglutaminases are a large family of enzymes that catalyze the formation of N(sigma) (gamma-glutamyl)-lysine isodipeptide crosslinks between proteins. In this review, we summarize the evidence supporting the participation of transglutaminase in diseases of the central nervous system. We also describe newly developed transglutaminase inhibitors and their potential use as therapeutic agents in neurological disease.