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Background: Identification of older individuals with increased risk for cognitive decline can contribute not only to personal benefits (e.g., early treatment, evaluation of treatment), but could also benefit clinical trials (e.g., patient selection). We propose that baseline resting-state electroencephalography (rsEEG) could provide markers for early identification of cognitive decline. Objective: To determine whether rsEEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) differed between mild cognitively impaired (MCI) and healthy older adults. Methods: We analyzed rsEEG from a sample of 99 (ages 60–90) consensus-diagnosed, community-dwelling older African Americans (58 cognitively typical and 41 MCI). Eyes closed rsEEGs were acquired before and after participants engaged in a visual motion direction discrimination task. rsEEG TBR was calculated for four midline locations and assessed for differences as a function of MCI status. Hemispheric asymmetry of TBR was also analyzed at equidistant lateral electrode sites. Results: Results showed that MCI participants had a higher TBR than controls (p = 0.04), and that TBR significantly differed across vertex location (p < 0.001) with the highest TBR at parietal site. MCI and cognitively normal controls also differed in hemispheric asymmetries, such that MCI show higher TBR at frontal sites, with TBR greater over right frontal electrodes in the MCI group (p = 0.003) and no asymmetries found in the cognitively normal group. Lastly, we found a significant task aftereffect (post-task compared to pre-task measures) at posterior locations with higher TBR at posterior locations (Oz p = 0.002, Pz p = 0.057). Conclusion: TBR and TBR asymmetries differ between MCI and cognitively normal older adults and may reflect neurodegenerative processes underlying MCI symptoms.

Next-generation sequencing-based microbiological analysis is a complex way to profile vaginal microbiome samples since each step affects the results gained. Methodologies for sample collection lack golden standards. We compared Puritan DNA/RNA swab (PS) and Copan FLOQ swab (CS) and provided consistent and reliable microbiome profiles analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We collected two consecutive vaginal samples utilizing PS with room temperature storing and CS with instant freezing from 26 women. Variable region 4 of bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified with single PCR by custom-designed dual-indexed primers and sequenced with Illumina MiSeq system. Read quality control, operational taxonomic unit tables, and alpha and beta diversities analysis were performed, and community richness, diversity, and evenness were evaluated and compared between the two samplings and tests. Nineteen sample pairs produced detectable, intact DNA during the extraction protocol and/or further microbial profiles. Alpha bacterial diversity indices were independent on the collection protocol. No significant statistical differences were found in the measured beta diversity metrics between the collection methods. Of the women, 43% had Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiome profile despite of collection method. Previously reported important vaginal microbiome phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria were present in the sample set although their relative abundances varied among individuals. PS and CS enable constant vaginal microbiota sampling. The PS method with no need for instant freezing is suitable for on-site collections at clinics. Furthermore, it seems to be possible to take two samples instead of one with constant microbiological results.

BACKGROUND: The human adrenal cortex undergoes several rapid remodeling steps during its lifetime. In rodents, similar remodeling occurs postnatally in the “X-zone” layer through unknown mechanisms. Furthermore, little is known regarding the impact of thyroid hormone (TH) on adrenal glands in humans. METHODS: To investigate the impact of TH on adrenal pathophysiology, we created two genetic murine models mimicking human nonautoimmune hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Moreover, we analyzed serum thyrotropin (TSH) and steroid hormone concentrations in patients diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism and premature adrenarche (PA). RESULTS: We found that TH receptor beta-mediated hypertrophy of the X-zone significantly elevated the adrenal weights of hyperthyroid women. In the hypothyroid model, the X-zone was poorly developed in both sexes. Moreover, large reciprocal changes in the expression levels of genes that regulate adrenal cortical function were observed with both models. Unexpectedly, up- and downregulation of several genes involved in catecholamine synthesis were detected in the adrenal glands of the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid models, respectively. Furthermore, TSH and adrenal steroid concentrations correlated positively in pediatric patients with congenital hypothyroidism and PA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that congenital hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism functionally affect adrenal gland development and related steroidogenic activity, as well as the adrenal medulla.

Sexual health is an important aspect of quality of life, yet both healthcare professionals and patients might hesitate to bring up the topic during appointments. Our study investigated obstetrician-gynecologists' (OB/GYNs') self-reported competences in discussing and treating sexual problems, as well as the barriers to bringing up the subject. An additional aim was to evaluate the need for continuing education in sexual medicine.A web-based questionnaire was sent to the members of The Finnish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (n = 1212). The survey was completed by 328 respondents (275 specialists and 53 OB/GYN residents). Their background information (gender, age, education, occupational status, daily number of patients, and daily number of patients with sexual health issues) was assessed. The questionnaire included four fields: (A) self-reported competence in discussing and treating patients with sexual problems (three questions), (B) the barriers to bringing up sexual problems with patients (nine questions), (C) the source of education in sexual medicine (two questions), and (D) the need for education in sexual medicine (two questions).Most of the OB/GYNs self-reported their competence to be good in discussing sexual problems, but poor in treating patients' sexual problems. The male OB/GYNs reported better competence than did the females. Several barriers were identified-most frequently, "shortness of the appointment time" (76%), "lack of knowledge about sexual medicine" (75%), and "lack of experience with sexual medicine" (74%). Older OB/GYNs and male OB/GYNs reported fewer barriers. The majority of the respondents considered their previous education in sexual medicine to be insufficient, especially in medical school (95%), but also in residency (83%), and they reported a need for additional education.Our study indicated several barriers that hindered OB/GYNs from assessing sexual problems during appointments. Although OB/GYNs reported a good competence in discussing sexual problems, they reported a poor competence in treating them. Their previous education in sexual medicine was rated as insufficient, and continuing education was desired. The information provided by our study can be used for improving and organizing education in sexual medicine, which is crucial for diminishing the barriers to discussing and treating sexual problems.

Physicians and midwives meet patients with sexual health issues regularly; however, they may have limited sexual medicine education. The study's aim was to evaluate the self-reported competence of medical and midwifery students to bring up sexual health issues with their patients and to assess the barriers that hinder these discussions. The need for additional education was also evaluated.A web-based questionnaire was sent to the last-year medical and midwifery students graduating between December 2018 and May 2019 in Finland. In total, 233 medical students and 131 midwifery students participated in the study. Three fields were evaluated: the self-reported competence in discussing sexual health issues and treating patients with these issues, the barriers to bringing up sexual problems, and the need for education in sexual medicine.The students self-reported better competence in discussing sexual health issues than in treating patients' sexual problems. For the medical students, the most important barriers hindering bringing up sexual health issues were lack of i) time (89.2 %), ii) experience with sexual medicine (88.1 %), and iii) knowledge (82.1 %). For the midwifery students, the most important barriers were i) lack of experience with sexual medicine (73.3 %), ii) fear of failing to respond to patients' sexual health issues (64.9 %), and iii) lack of knowledge (62.5 %). A higher percentage of the midwifery students (96.2 %) reported an interest in sexual medicine education compared to the medical students (55.4 %) (OR 13.89, 95 % CI 5.32-35.71, P .001). Majority (76.5 %) of the medical students and almost half (45.0 %) of the midwifery students reported receiving too little sexual medicine education (OR 7.30, 95 % CI 4.00-13.33, P .001).Both student groups reported several barriers hindering bringing up sexual health issues with their patients and expressed a need for more education, particularly the medical students.

We present an automated radar data analysis algorithm developed to calculate probability distributions of meteor- and meteoroid parameters for head echoes detected with the Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar in Shigaraki, Japan. The algorithm utilizes direct Monte Carlo simulations of uncertainties, with Bayesian Markov-chain Monte Carlo estimation of meteor model parameters and N-body propagation of distributions to perform orbit determination. The implementation has been validated using raw data simulations and a comparison with previous analysis methods. The concepts are applicable on a wide range of possible head echo measurements with other radar systems. The generated probability distributions provide quantitative reliability, which enables improved statistical studies and investigating the origins of detected meteoroids. The methodology section is highly detailed in order for the methods to be reproducible and provide a solid reference foundation for future studies. One such study is presented in a companion paper called ‘High-altitude meteors detected by the interferometric MU radar’.

Background The impact on quantitative 15O-water PET/CT of a wide range of different reconstruction settings, including regularized reconstruction by block-sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM), was investigated. Methods Twenty clinical stress scans from patients referred for assessment of myocardial ischemia were included. Patients underwent a 4-min dynamic stress PET scan with 15O-water on a digital PET/CT scanner. Twenty-two reconstructions were generated from each scan and a clinical reconstruction was used as reference. Varied parameters were number of iterations, filter, exclusion of time-of-flight and point-spread function, and regularization parameter with BSREM. Analyses were performed in aQuant utilizing two different methods and resulting regional myocardial blood flow (MBF), perfusable tissue fraction (PTF), and transmural MBF (MBFt) values were evaluated. Results Across the two analyses, correlations toward the reference reconstruction were strong for all parameters (ρ ≥ 0.83). Using automated analysis and the diagnostic threshold of hyperemic MBF at 2.3 mL⋅g−1⋅min−1, diagnosis was unchanged irrespective of reconstruction method in all patients except for one, where only four of the most extreme reconstruction methods resulted in a change of diagnosis. Conclusion The low sensitivity of MBF values to reconstruction method and, as previously shown, scanner type and PET/CT misalignment, confirms that diagnostic hyperemic MBF cutoff values can be consistently used for 15O-water.

U Gimnaziji Franje Petrića Zadar provedeno je participativno akcijsko istraživanje metodom photovoice s ciljem da se učenicima pruži prilika da ih se čuje i razumije njihovo doživljavanje školskog stresa te da ih se potakne na promišljanje mogućnosti rješenja problema s kojima se svakodnevno suočavaju. S učenicima je odrađena fokus-grupa tijekom koje su posebno tri segmenta bila tema rasprave: uzroci, posljedice stresa te mogućnosti promjene. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo sedam učenika: dvije učenice trećeg razreda i pet učenika završnih razreda. Učenici su imali zadatak izraditi fotografije kojima će iznijeti svoja iskustva stresa u školi. U radu se prikazuju rezultati fokus-grupe te prijedlozi i akcije koje su učenici poduzeli. Kao uzroke stresnog osjećanja učenici navode sudjelovanje na društvenim mrežama, preveliku količinu gradiva, nastavu na daljinu tijekom pandemije bolesti COVID-19 te roditeljski pritisak. Posljedice su takve da učenici zanemaruju druženja, hobije i ostale izvanškolske interese. Kako bi se rasteretili od prevelike količine stresa, učenici su osmislili rješenje u obliku online druženja. Osnovali su online klub MIsliOC koji je popularan unutar škole, ali i lokalne zajednice.

With this summarized document we share the standard for positron emission tomography (PET)/(diagnostic)computed tomography (CT) imaging procedures in cardiovascular diseases that are inflammatory, infective, infiltrative, or associated with dysfunctional innervation (4Is) as recently published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. This standard should be applied in clinical practice and integrated in clinical (multicentre) trials for optimal standardization of the procedurals and interpretations. A major focus is put on procedures using [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]FDG), but 4Is PET radiopharmaceuticals beyond [18F]FDG are also described in this summarized document. Whilst these novel tracers are currently mainly applied in early clinical trials, some multicentre trials are underway and we foresee in the near future their use in clinical care and inclusion in the clinical guidelines. Diagnosis and management of 4Is related cardiovascular diseases are generally complex and often require a multidisciplinary approach by a team of experts. The new standards described herein should be applied when using PET/CT and PET/magnetic resonance, within a multimodality imaging framework both in clinical practice and in clinical trials for 4Is cardiovascular indications.

Background A rise in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has been reported worldwide. This nationwide study aimed to describe the secular trends and current incidence of CH in Finland. Methods Two independent study cohorts, a national and a regional, were collected from national registers and patient records. The national cohort represents all CH cases born in Finland between 1994 and 2017. Birth data, results of the screening test, and the incidence of CH were reviewed. Results Between 1994 and 2017, 1,400,028 children were born in Finland. Of these children, 503 were diagnosed with primary CH (incidence 1:2783). Male-to-female sex ratio was 1:2.0. The nationwide incidence was 33 cases per 100,000 live births between 1994 and 1999, 38 cases per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2005, 40 cases per 100,000 live births between 2006 and 2011, and 33 cases per 100,000 live births between 2012 and 2017. In the regional cohort (n = 139), the incidence of transient CH was 3.6%. The incidence of mild, moderate, and severe CH remained constant. Conclusions In Finland, the incidence of CH has not changed during the 24-year study period. Impact As opposed to recent reports worldwide, the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism has not changed between 1994 and 2017 in Finland. The proportions of mild, moderate, and severe congenital hypothyroidism did not change significantly over the study period. Lowering the TSH cut-off limit or increasing immigration did not affect the incidence rate of primary congenital hypothyroidism in Finland.

This systematic literature review aims to explore the role of ontology-driven machine learning applications in public policy analysis. The study employs the PRISMA methodology to identify and analyze relevant literature published between 2012 and 2022. The review includes studies that investigate the use of machine learning techniques in policy analysis, the integration of ontologies in machine learning models, and the potential of this approach in improving policy-making processes. The findings suggest that ontology-driven machine learning applications have great potential in enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of policy analysis, while also addressing the challenges and limitations of traditional methods. The review provides insights into the key domains, methods, and outcomes of studies on this topic and discusses the implications for future research and practice in public policy analysis.

Gravity waves are a major source of the middle atmospheric short-term variability. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai volcanic eruption provided a unique opportunity to study gravity wave propagation around the globe from a well-defined source. The eruption triggered several atmospheric signatures including a lamb wave (troposphere/stratosphere/mesosphere) and a package of gravity waves. Here we present results of gravity wave signatures found in mesospheric winds leveraging multi-static meteor radar networks such as the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster and CONDOR. We were able to identify the eastward and westward propagating gravity waves. Furthermore, it was possible to estimate the intrinsic wave properties such as a horizontal wavelength of approximately 1600-2000 km and an intrinsic phase speed of 200 m/s.

Within the recently started "HPC-approach to Ionospheric Situational Awareness (HISSA)" project, we will re-analyze a comprehensive set of existing European incoherent scatter radar (EISCAT) measurements from Tromso VHF radar carried out since 1990. Our special focus is to extract, for the first time, the spectral information of these experiments for the benefit of better understanding the potential long-term changes in the polar D-region ionosphere. Backscattered spectral parameters are estimated by fitting a theoretical autocorrelation function (ACF) to the observed data by using a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) inversion approach. The methodology and some preliminary results of the neutral temperature, electron density, and plasma drift velocity at D region altitudes will be presented. The temperature estimates from EISCAT VHF measurements are compared with the simultaneous LIDAR temperature measurements from Tromso. The challenges of D-region temperature estimates from incoherent scatter radar spectral parameters, which is a function of ion-to-neutral collision frequency and ion mass will be discussed in detail.

The forcing component of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) is recently added into the IPCC's official Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) climate modelling. According to these simulations, the impact of inclusion of the medium energy electrons to the ozone variability was estimated to be 12-24% in the mesosphere and 5-7% in the stratosphere. However, to obtain a continuous particle forcing required for these multi-decadal simulations, the precipitating particle flux spectrum was parameterised by the magnetic Ap index to match statistically to the POES satellite's MEPED particle detector data. This rather simple approach has several uncertainties, but the most critical one is that the existing satellite-borne particle detectors, including the MEPED instrument, struggle to separate the loss cone populations from trapped particles, leading to biases in EPP forcing especially in the relativistic energies.In this presentation, we evaluate various EPP forcing models proposed for the future CMIP climate models against the EISCAT VHF data. This can be regarded as a ground-thruth approach for the mesospheric ionisation essential for the atmospheric consequences of the EPP.

The MADEIRA project (Middle Atmosphere Dynamics: Exploiting Infrasound Using a Multidisciplinary Approach at High Latitudes) is a four-year basic research project finishing in the spring 2023, funded by the Research Council of Norway. Its primary objective has been in elucidating the 30-60 km altitude range over large spatial scales using wind and temperature constraints from infrasound data collected at Arctic stations. Wave propagation modelling and infrasound interpretation from well-characterized sources provide remote atmospheric sensing. These data are more continuous in space and time than from many other direct measurement techniques. An aim has been to constrain high-top atmospheric models and explore stratosphere-mesosphere coupling with meteor radar wind measurements sampling the 70-100 km altitude range in combination with the infrasonic data. Another ambition has been to develop real-time diagnostic tools for the stratospheric polar vortex circulation and extreme events like Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. Thanks to this project, the research teams have got the opportunity to explore several aspects and building blocks related to infrasound-based middle atmospheric probing and to work towards an assimilation of such datasets into atmospheric models. This paper reviews key research output from the project and highlights accomplishments in the domains of, e.g.: Tropospheric and stratospheric cross-wind estimation using infrasound from explosions; Assimilation of atmospheric infrasound data to constrain tropospheric and stratospheric winds; Atmospheric wind and temperature profile inversion in an ensemble model context; Microbarom radiation and propagation model benchmarking; Speeding up infrasound transmission loss estimation using deep learning; Probing internal middle atmospheric gravity waves; Using a machine learning and stochastics-founded model to provide near real-time stratospheric polar vortex diagnostics. This project has included several high risk / high gain components and we highlight results that maybe could be labelled as unexpected successes, but we also discuss challenging research obstacles that occurred in our journey.

Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs) forced in the lower atmosphere are known to have a significant impact on the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. In the ionosphere, they can generate Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDs). These disturbances roughly occur on time scales of 15−80 min and are therefore often parametrized rather than directly resolved in ionosphere models. The energy and momentum transport by AGW-TIDs strongly depends on their wave parameters. Measurements of AGW-TIDs in the MLT region and determination of the wave parameters (vertical and horizontal wavelength, wave period and propagation direction) are therefore an essential step to improve ionosphere modelling. However, measurements that provide a good resolution in the vertical dimension (≲ 10 km) and time (≲ 10 min) as well as a large enough coverage in the horizontal dimension (≳ 300 × 300 km) are difficult at MLT altitudes. We show, that combined measurements of the EISCAT VHF incoherent scatter radar and the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster allow to determine the wave parameters of AGW-TIDs across the whole MLT region. Fourier filter methods are used to separate wave modes by wavelength, period and propagation direction. The extracted wave modes are fitted with wave functions in time-altitude and horizontal cross sections which gives the wave parameters. The coverage regions of the two applied instruments are separated only by approximately 10 km in altitude, which allows to identify a single wave mode in both measurements. We present the developed techniques on the example of a strongly pronounced AGW-TID measured on July 7, 2020. As a first application, two measurement campaigns have been conducted in early September and mid-October 2022 to study possible changes in AGW-TID parameters due to the MLT fall transition occurring around equinox. Another possible application of our method is to infer thermospheric neutral winds from the observed waves. We demonstrate this process under the assumption of the anelastic dissipative gravity wave dispersion relation.

This study investigates the response of the semidiurnal tide (SDT) to the 2013 major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event using meteor radar wind observations and mechanistic tidal model simulations. In the model, the background atmosphere is constrained to meteorological fields from the Navy Global Environmental Model - High Altitude analysis system. The solar (thermal) and lunar (gravitational) SDT components are forced by incorporating hourly global temperature tendency fields from the ERA5 forecast model, and by specifying the M2 and N2 lunar gravitational potentials, respectively. The simulated SDT response is compared against meteor wind observations from the CMOR (43.3◦N, 80.8◦W), Collm (51.3◦N, 13.0◦E), and Kiruna (67.5◦N, 20.1◦E) radars, showing close agreement with the observed amplitude and phase variability. Numerical experiments investigate the individual roles of the solar and lunar SDT components in shaping the net SDT response. Further experiments isolate the impact of changing propagation conditions through the zonal mean background atmosphere, non-linear wave-wave interactions, and the SSW-induced stratospheric ozone redistribution. Results indicate that between 80-97 km altitude in the northern hemisphere mid-to-high latitudes the net SDT response is driven by the solar SDT component, which itself is shaped by changing propagation conditions through the zonal mean background atmosphere and by non-linear wave-wave interactions. In addition, it is demonstrated that as a result of the rapidly varying solar SDT during the SSW the contribution of the lunar SDT to the total measured tidal field can be significantly overestimated.

Čimbenici stanične proliferacije i diferencijacije, te pojavnost primarnih cilija u zamecima sjekutića/očnjaka u čovjeka tijekom razvojnih stadija pupoljka, kape i zvona, istražena je na serijskim rezovima zubnih tkiva 10 normalnih ljudskih fetusa (starosti 7-21 tjedana) primjenom imunohistokemijske metode i metode dvostruke imunofluorescencije za biljege Ki-67, α-tubulin, γ-tubulin, Oct-4, CK8 i vimentin. Udjeli stanica pozitivnih na Ki-67 analizirani su Kruskal-Wallis i Dunn-ovim post hoc testom. Tijekom promatranog razdoblja, udio stanica pozitivnih na Ki-67 je u vanjskom caklinskom epitelu pao sa 48.86% na 24.52%, dok se u unutarnjem caklinskom epitelu povećao sa 56.11% na 60.06%, da bi potom pao na 46.26%. U dentalnoj papili je bilo 46.26% stanica pozitivnih na Ki-67, a u stadiju zvona samo 22.08%. Opadanje udjela proliferirajućih stanica se vidjelo u zvjezdastom retikulumu (sa 46.26% na 15.49%). Jaki citoplazmatski izražaj Oct-4 opisan je u caklinskom organu i to osobito u diferencirajućim preameloblastima. Pomak od jezgrenog prema citoplazmatskom izražaju Oct-4 uočen je tijekom napredovanja razvoja i u stanicama dentalne papile. Primarne cilije (α-tubulin) nalazile su se na površini većine stanica zubnog zametka. Proliferirajuće stanice (bez cilija) je obilježavala prisutnost dvaju centriola (γ-tubulin), dok su kod nekih diferencirajućih stanica primarne cilije povezane s jednim od centriola. CK8 je bio izražen uglavnom u epitelnim dijelovima zubne osnove, dok je vimentin bio izraćen i u epitelnim, i u mezenhimskim tkivima zubnog zametka. Izražaj CK8 se pojačavao u preameloblastima s napredovanjem razvoja. Koekspresija dvaju biljega (CK8 i vimentin) primijećena je u caklinskom organu, a pojačavala se u preameloblastima i preodontoblastima tijekom njihove diferencijacije. Stanična proliferacija omogućava rast caklinskog organa, a njezino smanjenje u pojedinim tkivima upućuje na ispunjenje njihove razvojne funkcije i postupni nestanak. Smanjenje proliferacije se poklapa s početkom diferencijacije preameloblasta i preodontoblasta. Staničnu diferencijaciju prati pojačani izražaj Oct-4 i prisutnost primarnih cilija. Obrasci izražaja CK8 i vimentina upućuju na njihovu ulogu u proliferaciji, migraciji stanica te diferencijaciji preameloblasta i preodontoblasta.

This study looked at how market innovation affected SMEs' performance in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, with the use of government support programmes as a moderator. The study's meta-analysis will be guided by the Schumpeter innovation theory, which also incorporates the diffusion of innovation theory, expectancy theory, institutional theory, stakeholder theory, absorptive capacity theory, resource-based view/theory, dynamic capability theory, R-A theory, and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The researcher used an effect size approach based on a forest and funnel plot to scan, exclude, and include relevant material. Researchers discovered a connection between the Dimension of Innovation and company performance on the basis of an extensive literature review. Also Based on the studied literature, the researcher discovered a link between the moderation of the government support programme and the performance of SMEs' firms in the area of innovation. To carry out this study, an exploratory sequential mixed research design will be used. Based on the current literature, the study attempts to create a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses. It was discovered that the impact of marketing innovation on a firm's performance was moderated by government support programmes. Businesses must be encouraged to adopt government support programmes with a moderating influence as a result.

This study looked at how market innovation affected SMEs' performance in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, with the use of government support programmes as a moderator. The study's meta-analysis will be guided by the Schumpeter innovation theory, which also incorporates the diffusion of innovation theory, expectancy theory, institutional theory, stakeholder theory, absorptive capacity theory, resource-based view/theory, dynamic capability theory, R-A theory, and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The researcher used an effect size approach based on a forest and funnel plot to scan, exclude, and include relevant material. Researchers discovered a connection between the Dimension of Innovation and company performance on the basis of an extensive literature review. Also Based on the studied literature, the researcher discovered a link between the moderation of the government support programme and the performance of SMEs' firms in the area of innovation. To carry out this study, an exploratory sequential mixed research design will be used. Based on the current literature, the study attempts to create a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses. It was discovered that the impact of marketing innovation on a firm's performance was moderated by government support programmes. Businesses must be encouraged to adopt government support programmes with a moderating influence as a result.

Atmospheric Gravity Waves and Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances can be observed in the neutral atmosphere and the ionosphere at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Especially at medium scales, these oscillations are often not resolved in general circulation models and are parameterized. We show that ionospheric disturbances forced by upward propagating atmospheric gravity waves can be simultaneously observed with the EISCAT Very High Frequency incoherent scatter radar and the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster. From combined multi-static measurements, both vertical and horizontal wave parameters can be determined by applying a specially developed Fourier filter analysis method. This method is demonstrated using the example of a strongly pronounced wave mode that occurred during the EISCAT experiment on 7 July 2020. Leveraging the developed technique, we show that the wave characteristics of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances are notably impacted by the fall transition of the mesosphere/lower thermosphere. We also demonstrate the application of using the determined wave parameters to infer the thermospheric neutral wind velocities. Applying the dissipative anelastic gravity wave dispersion relation, we obtain vertical wind profiles in the lower thermosphere.

The study aims at examining the effect of Green Human Resource Management practices and strategic planning on maintaining sustainable business practices in agro-processing firms around Addis Ababa. The sample size of the study was a total of 312 leaders and non- managerial employees of agroprocessing firm.. Descriptive survey design was employed in the study with the assumption that it enables the researcher to reveal the existing situations of strategic planning and green human resource management practices and sustainable business practices in agro-processing firms . Also it employed both qualitative and quantitative research approach The source of the data for the study was both secondary and primary data in which the primary data was collected through questionnaires which was developed in English language and translated in to Afan Oromo. Simple random sampling was employed to select target respondents. The collected data was analyzed both in descriptive and inferential analysis through SPSS, Version- 20.The study found out, Green human Resource Management practices and corporate social responsibility had significant effect on sustainable business practices,. Hence, firms are advised to exert efforts on the green human resource management practices and fulfilling corporate social responsibilities in order to maintain a sound sustainable business practices.

Allophylus serratus is an important medicinal plant whose leaves, fruits, roots and stem have been in use in traditional medicines. The present study is aimed to carry out preliminary phytochemical analysis and to determine antioxidant activity of leaf and callus water, methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of A. serratus. The extracts were subject to various qualitative and quantitative tests for phytochemical analysis. An in vitro antioxidant activity of the extracts was investigated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS++,(2,2-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiozoline)-6-sulfonic acid) and FRAPS(Ferric reducing/ antioxidant power) assays. The qualitative phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, glycocides, saponins, tannins, and steroids in both leaf and callus extracts. The quantitative analysis result showed higher yields of phenolics (104.73±4.3 mg) followed by flavonoids (69.63±6.35 mg) and soluble tannins (69.59±1.27mg) equivalent gallic acid/g of methanol, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. In case of callus extracts, the highest yield is phenols (54.42±6.59gm) followed by flavonoids (39.17±6.35 gm) equivalent gallic acid/g of methanol extracts. The antioxidant activity assays of both leaf and callus extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activity which could be due to high content of phenolics and flavenoids. The methanol extract showed more antioxidant potential than the other extracts of both leaf and callus but leaf extracts show significant antioxidant activity than the callus extracts. Therefore, both leaf and callus extracts of Allophylus serratus contain phytochemicals that are potential source for antioxidant which suggested that the plant could serve as a source of useful drugs.

BackgroundIndividuals with multiple islet autoantibodies are at increased risk for clinical type 1 diabetes and may proceed gradually from stage to stage complicating the recruitment to secondary prevention studies. We evaluated multiple islet autoantibody positive subjects before randomisation for a clinical trial 1 month apart for beta-cell function, glucose metabolism and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). We hypothesized that the number and type of islet autoantibodies in combination with different measures of glucose metabolism including fasting glucose, HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), intra venous glucose tolerance test (IvGTT) and CGM allows for more precise staging of autoimmune type 1 diabetes than the number of islet autoantibodies alone.MethodsSubjects (n = 57) at 2–50 years of age, positive for two or more islet autoantibodies were assessed by fasting plasma insulin, glucose, HbA1c as well as First Phase Insulin Response (FPIR) in IvGTT, followed 1 month later by OGTT, and 1 week of CGM (n = 24).ResultsAutoantibodies against GAD65 (GADA;n = 52), ZnT8 (ZnT8A;n = 40), IA-2 (IA-2A;n = 38) and insulin (IAA;n = 28) were present in 9 different combinations of 2–4 autoantibodies. Fasting glucose and HbA1c did not differ between the two visits. The estimate of the linear relationship between log2-transformed FPIR as the outcome and log2-transformed area under the OGTT glucose curve (AUC) as the predictor, adjusting for age and sex was − 1.88 (− 2.71, − 1.05)p = 3.49 × 10–5. The direction of the estimates for all glucose metabolism measures was positive except for FPIR, which was negative. FPIR was associated with higher blood glucose. Both the median and the spread of the CGM glucose data were significantly associated with higher glucose values based on OGTT, higher HbA1c, and lower FPIR. There was no association between glucose metabolism, autoantibody number and type except that there was an indication that the presence of at least one of ZnT8(Q/R/W) A was associated with a lower log2-transformed FPIR (− 0.80 (− 1.58, − 0.02),p = 0.046).ConclusionsThe sole use of two or more islet autoantibodies as inclusion criterion for Stage 1 diabetes in prevention trials is unsatisfactory. Staging type 1 diabetes needs to take the heterogeneity in beta-cell function and glucose metabolism into account.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govidentifier:NCT02605148, November 16, 2015

Universal testing for microsatellite instability (MSI) is recommended in colorectal cancer (CRC) to screen for Lynch syndrome and to guide optimal treatment and follow-up of the patients. Especially in neoadjuvant setting, where immuno-oncological treatments have recently shown excellent responses, identification of MSI status at biopsy is a prerequisite. Idylla MSI test offers a rapid and automated test to assess MSI-status from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sections. In this study, we compared the performance of the Idylla MSI test to mismatch repair (MMR) protein immunohistochemistry (IHC) using 117 CRC biopsies with previously known deficient MMR status. The concordance between Idylla and IHC was 99.0% (95/96) for biopsies with the recommended ≥ 20% tumor cell content. Further, 85.7% (18/21) of suboptimal CRC biopsy specimens (tumor cell content 5–15%) were diagnosed as MSI. Overall, we identified four discrepant cases of which three had tumor cell content less than 20%, explaining the discordant result. Our study shows that the Idylla MSI test offers a competent tool for MSI screening in CRC biopsy specimens.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a restrictive and infiltrative cardiomyopathy, characterized by increased biventricular filling pressures and low output. Symptoms are predominantly of right heart origin. The role of right ventricular (RV) myocardial blood flow (MBF) in CA has not been studied.OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to first associate RV MBF measured by using positron emission tomography (PET) with reference standards of RV pressures and then to explore its prognostic value in CA.METHODS: Cardiac PET was performed at rest in 52 patients with CA and 9 healthy control subjects. MBF was quantified from the right and left ventricles by using 11C-acetate, 15O-water, or both (n = 25). RV pressure was measured invasively or by echocardiography. Associations between biventricular MBF toward symptoms, RV function, and outcome (death or acute heart failure) were studied in patients with CA.RESULTS: MBF of the right ventricle (MBFRV) and the ratio of MBFRV and MBF of the left ventricle (MBFRV/LV) for the 2 tracers were significantly correlated (r > 0.92). MBFRV was directly correlated with RV systolic pressures with both tracers (P ≤ 0.005). MBFLV was inversely correlated with wall thickness (P < 0.0001). MBFRV/LV was significantly associated with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, New York Heart Association functional class, RV pressures, and RV systolic function (all; P < 0.001). Twenty-six cardiac events (25 deaths) occurred during follow-up (median 44 months). MBFRV/LV higher than 56% was associated with a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (AUC: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.91-1.00]; P < 0.0001); and predicted outcome with hazard ratio 9.0 (95% CI: 4.2-14.5), P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of MBFRV using PET are feasible, as confirmed with 2 different tracers. Imbalance between RV and LV myocardial perfusion is associated with increased RV load and adverse events in cardiac amyloidosis.

The mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT, 80–100 km) region is an important boundary between Earth's atmosphere below and space above and may act as a sensitive indicator for anthropogenic climate change. Existing observational and modeling studies have shown the middle atmosphere and the MLT is cooling and contracting because of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. However, trend analyses are highly sensitive to the time periods covered, their length, and the measurement type and methodology used. We present for the first time the linear and 11-year solar cycle responses in the meteor ablation altitude distributions observed by 12 meteor radars at different locations. Decreasing altitudes were seen at all latitudes (linear trends varying from −10.97 to −817.95 m dec−1), and a positive correlation with solar activity was seen for most locations. The divergence of responses at high latitudes indicates an important and complex interplay between atmospheric changes and dynamics at varying time scales.

Upravljačka struktura EU-a doživjela je u posljednja dva desetljeća "participativni zaokret", a cilj toga bilo je jačanje sudjelovanja europskih građana. EU je odlučila osnažiti e-participaciju kako bi se na taj način suprotstavila „demokratskom deficitu“, a jedan od načina bio je i uspostava novog alata participacije – Europske građanske inicijative – kojim se građane nastojalo potaknuti na sudjelovanje u oblikovanju politika EU-a. Iako je ispočetka dosta obećavao, mnogi su građani, aktivisti, organizatori inicijativa i ostali dionici ubrzo počeli izražavati svoje nezadovoljstvo provedbom i postignutim rezultatima tog instrumenta e-participacije. U ovom radu istražujemo razloge tog nezadovoljstva te tvrdimo kako je Europska građanska inicijativa umjesto inkluzivnosti postigla upravo suprotno. Zbog svoje digitalne prirode i posebnog dizajna provedbe u kojem Komisija igra značajnu ulogu, EGI je više pogodovao etabliranim organizacijama te mladim i privilegiranim skupinama ljudi., The governance structure of the EU has undergone a "participatory turn" in the last two decades with the aim of increasing citizen participation. To counteract the "democratic deficit", the EU decided to strengthen e-participation, and one of the ways was to introduce a new participation tool called the European Citizens' Initiative, which aimed to encourage citizens to shape EU policies. In spite of its initial promise, many citizens, activists, initiative organizers, and other stakeholders soon expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation and results of this e-participation tool. This paper analyzes the reasons behind this dissatisfaction and argues that the European Citizens' Initiative has achieved the opposite of inclusivity. The ECI has favored more established organizations and young, privileged groups because of its digital nature and special implementation design.

The view of the human brain as a complex network has led to considerable advances in understanding the brain’s network organization during rest and task, in both health and disease. Here, we propose that examining brain networks within the task aftereffect model, in which we compare resting-state networks immediately before and after a cognitive engagement task, may enhance differentiation between those with normal cognition and those with increased risk for cognitive decline. We validated this model by comparing the pre- and post-task resting-state functional network organization of neurologically intact elderly and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) derived from electroencephalography recordings. We have demonstrated that a cognitive task among MCI patients induced, compared to healthy controls, a significantly higher increment in global network integration with an increased number of vertices taking a more central role within the network from the pre- to post-task resting state. Such modified network organization may aid cognitive performance by increasing the flow of information through the most central vertices among MCI patients who seem to require more communication and recruitment across brain areas to maintain or improve task performance. This could indicate that MCI patients are engaged in compensatory activation, especially as both groups did not differ in their task performance. In addition, no significant group differences were observed in network topology during the pre-task resting state. Our findings thus emphasize that the task aftereffect model is relevant for enhancing the identification of network topology abnormalities related to cognitive decline, and also for improving our understanding of inherent differences in brain network organization for MCI patients, and could therefore represent a valid marker of cortical capacity and/or cortical health.

Akut ST-höjningsinfarkt (STEMI) är ett livshotande tillstånd som kräver snabbbedömning och behandling. Tid till behandling av STEMI är den viktigaste faktorn för att minska skada på hjärtat och tidig död. Hälso-och sjukvården ska kunna erbjuda fibrinolysbehandling om direkt perkutan kranskärlsintervention inte är tillgänglig inom 120 minuter. För att administrera fibrinolys i så tidigt skede som möjligt behöver behandlingen kunna ges prehospitalt. Att utföra god omvårdnad och ge en säker vård är av betydelse, därför är det viktigt att fördjupa kunskapen om sjuksköterskors upplevelser vid prehospital fibrinolysbehandling. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva specialistsjuksköterskors upplevelser av prehospital fibrinolysbehandling vid STEMI. Metod: Designen som har valts är kvalitativ. Datainsamlingen gjordes via åtta individuella intervjuer. Till analys användes kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i ett tema: Den långa vägen under beredvillig press och fem subteman: Akut beredskap med ansvar från ankomst till framkomst, Meningsfull behandling under vidsträckta transporter med mångfacetterade känslor, Sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och tydliga rutiner är gynnsamt vid långa avstånd till vårdenhet, Värdefullt kollegialt stöd under många mil. Bristande stöd och utbildning ger otrygghet vid prehospital fibrinolysbehandling. Slutsats: Prehospital fibrinolysbehandling upplevdes som en beredvillig press under lång tid. Ansvar och akut beredskap togs från det att larm inkom till att patienten lämnades till annan vårdenhet. Att ge denna behandling genererademångfacetterade känslor hos specialistsjuksköterskorna. Resultatet visar att det finns brist på utbildning och stöd från verksamheten. Det finns ett stort behov av ytterligare forskning inom detta område för att främja patienten, sjuksköterskan, verksamheten samt samhället. Klinisk implikation: Kliniska implikationer som kan tillföra verksamheten är att fibrinolysbehandling ingår i veckoövningar, att kamratstödjare utbildas samt avlastningssamtal för att lindra stress och oro.

Tässä tutkielmassa käsitellään Euroopan komission ennallistamisasetuksesta käytyä julkista keskustelua. Julkisen keskustelun näyttämönä toimivat Helsingin Sanomissa julkaistut mielipidekirjoitukset ja niiden kommentit. Tavoitteena tutkielmassa on selvittää, minkälaisia oikeuttamisen tapoja keskustelussa ennallistamisasetuksesta käytettiin, ja minkälaisia eroja ennallistamisasetusta kannattaneiden ja vastustaneiden väliltä löytyi. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä toimii Luc Boltanskin ja Laurent Thévenot’n kehittämä oikeuttamisteoria. Oikeuttamisteorian lähtökohtana on rakenteellisen ylhäältä päin havainnoivan sijaan tarkoitus ratkoa ja havainnoida pieniä ja suuria ihmistenvälisiä konflikteja tutkimuskohteen tasolta. Teorian ytimessä ovat oikeuttamiset maailmat. Maailmat ovat arvojen tuottamia tilannekohtaisia sosiaalisia järjestyksiä, joihin perustelut pohjataan julkisuudessa tapahtuvissa kiistoissa. Oikeuttamisen maailmoja voi periaatteessa olla rajattomasti, mutta tässä tutkielmassa hyödynnetään laajasti käytettyä kahdeksan maailman luokittelua. Tässä tutkimuksessa käytettyjä oikeuttamisen maailmoja ovat: teollisuuden maailma, kansalaisuuden maailma, maineen maailma, inspiraation maailma, kodin maailma, markkinoiden maailma, ekologian maailma sekä projektien maailma. Tutkielman aineisto koostuu Helsingin Sanomien mielipidekirjoituksista, sekä kirjoitusten kommenttipalstoille tulleista kommenteista. Sanomalehdillä on edelleen merkittävä asema julkisen keskustelun näyttämönä: jopa 95 prosenttia suomalaisista lukee sanoma- tai aikakauslehteä viikoittain. Tästä syystä myös Suomen suurin päivälehti, Helsingin Sanomat, voidaan nähdä merkittävänä julkisen keskustelun alustana. Analysoin aineistoa julkisen oikeuttamisen analyysin avulla. Tämä laadullinen metodi on kehitetty suomalaisten Eeva Luhtakallion sekä Tuomas Ylä-Anttilan toimesta juuri oikeuttamisteorian kautta tapahtuvaan julkisen keskustelun analysointiin. Tutkimuksen analyysin tuloksena löytyneistä oikeuttamisen maailmoista suosituin oli teollisuuden maailma, jossa arvokkaina asioina näyttäytyvät esimerkiksi tieteen tekeminen sekä tehokkuus. Teollisuuden maailman lisäksi suosittuja tapoja oikeuttaa vaade löytyi ekologian ja markkinoiden maailmasta. Tulos selittyy ainakin kompleksisella keskustelunaiheella, jossa teollisuuden maailmaan kuuluvaan tieteeseen vedottiin paljon ja mielipidekirjoituksista valtaosa oli asiantuntijoiden laatimia. Lisäksi tulosta selittää metsätalouden historiallinen asema suomessa sekä median nostama ennallistamisasetuksen hinta. Ekologian maailman oikeuttamista suosi sen sijaan aiheen liittyminen vahvasti tässä oikeuttamisen maailmassa arvokkaan luonnonsuojelun teemoihin.

Objective: To investigate how much the IMRaD structure of diploma theses defended in graduate Study of Dental Medicine at University of Split School of Medicine is compatible with that of the original research articles, considering the proportions of IMRaD sections – Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Materials and methods: 150 diploma theses defended between 2016 and 2021 were collected from the Digital Academic Archives and Repositories (DABAR) and compared with 150 original research articles published in five dental scientific journals during the same period. The length of each IMRaD section in diploma theses and original research articles was measured using the Word Count in MS Office Word and expressed as the number of words. The overall length of IMRaD structure was calculated by adding the length of each IMRaD section. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. Results: On average, the overall length of IMRaD structure of diploma theses was longer than that of the original research articles. On average, the longest section in diploma theses was the Introduction (occupied almost 50% the overall length of IMRaD structure). In the average original research article, the Introduction section occupied about 15% of the overall length of IMRaD structure, while the Discussion was the longest section. The highest correlation with the overall length of IMRaD structure in diploma theses was found for Introduction (R=0.82; R2=0.67; P

The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha′apai volcano eruption was a unique event that caused many atmospheric phenomena around the globe. In this study, we investigate the atmospheric gravity waves in the mesosphere/lower-thermosphere (MLT) launched by the volcanic explosion in the Pacific, leveraging multistatic meteor radar observations from the Chilean Observation Network De Meteor Radars (CONDOR) and the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster in Fennoscandia. MLT winds are computed using a recently developed 3DVAR+DIV algorithm. We found eastward- and westward-traveling gravity waves in the CONDOR zonal and meridional wind measurements, which arrived 12 and 48 h after the eruption, and we found one in the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster that arrived 27.5 h after the volcanic detonation. We obtained observed phase speeds for the eastward great circle path at both locations of about 250 m s−1, and they were 170–150 m s−1 for the opposite propagation direction. The intrinsic phase speed was estimated to be 200–212 m s−1. Furthermore, we identified a potential lamb wave signature in the MLT winds using 5 min resolved 3DVAR+DIV retrievals.

Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19), caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, may be asymptomatic or could cause mild to severe symptoms affecting the respiratory system. Many individuals suffering from COVID‐19 have reported persistent symptoms and/or complications lasting beyond 4–12 and >12 weeks, now called ongoing symptomatic COVID‐19, long COVID‐19, or post‐COVID‐19 syndrome. It is known that approximately 22%–27% of patients present with laryngeal‐related symptoms, including dysphonia or aphonia, hoarseness, voice fatigue, vocal fold paralysis, and paresis. Further, vocal cord paralysis, caused by postviral vagal neuropathy resulting in dysfunctional vocal cord mobility, has been confirmed by laryngeal electromyography (EMG) in patients with no history of intubation recovering from COVID‐19. It is well known that the primary motor cortex for laryngeal motor representation (M1) plays an important role in human voice and speech production. Also, the MEPs response represents the pathway of spatial and temporal summation of several descending volleys activating the α‐motoneurons, thus reliably reflecting the excitation state of the M1, cortico‐bulbar cells for the vagal nerve, the corticobulbar tract, the peripheral recurrent laryngeal nerve, and the target laryngeal muscle. Here, the paper presents a case of a 39‐year‐old female who has recovered from COVID‐19 twice, in whom paralysis of the left vocal cord occurred after the second COVID‐19. Acoustic voice analysis showed pathological voice findings for jitter (1.15%), shimmer (1.182 dB), and noise‐to‐harmonic ratio (NHR) (8 dB). Eleven months after the first examination, laryngoscopy, and stroboscopic examination showed symmetric and consistent vocal cords mobility with complete adduction during phonation. In addition, the voice analysis measures were typical for jitter, shimmer, and NHR. E‐field navigated TMS was used as a nonstandard neurophysiologic technique to evaluate the excitability of the corticobulbar tract by recording the MEP from thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle and estimating the MEP peak‐top‐peak amplitude. Results show that navigated TMS may well be suited in laryngological research and clinical settings for evaluating COVID‐19‐related symptoms.

Most maritime accidents are caused by human error. To reduce these errors, increase safety, protect the marine environment, reduce the administrative burden, and optimize maritime trade, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided to implement a concept called e-Navigation. The term e-Navigation refers to the integration of the most modern information and communication systems, both on board and ashore. The research scope of this work is the safety of navigation of the ship during the port entrance. Particularly in this case, the elements that affect the safety of the ship during port entrance are analyzed in a case study of New York port. An adaptive model based on the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) was created, which evaluates the decision-making elements and risk assessment for port entry. The model is adaptable in the context of the different port requirements. With the presented model, all entities (ships, shipping companies, and service providers) have insight into the estimated decision to enter the port based on the given elements. Further research needs to be continued on the issue of comparing the proposed model with similar models, and how much reliance on the model burdens or facilitates the Master’s decision.

New measurement techniques aiming to achieve a better understanding of the PAH emissions dynamics during production of electrode paste briquettes were tested. Traditional sampling method requires several hours of sampling to get enough PAH components on the adsorbent material to perform reliable analysis. As the process is changing from one batch to the next, emissions cannot be expected to be constant over time. Better time resolution is essential to increase the understanding of emission variations. Thermal desorption (TD) tubes allow for sampling times as short as 10 min. The SINTSENSE, a standalone photo ionization detector (PID) implementation allows for continuous emission monitoring providing online data second by second. However, the SINTSENSE will only report a total hydrocarbon estimate, with no differentiation between individual components. Comparing results from these 3 methodologies gives interesting findings on the emission dynamics and variations in composition, in addition to benchmarking the individual measurement techniques.

Recent simulation studies have provided evidence that a pulsating aurora (PsA) associated with high-energy electron precipitation is having a clear local impact on ozone chemistry in the polar middle mesosphere. However, it is not clear if the PsA is frequent enough to cause longer-term effects of measurable magnitude. There is also an open question of the relative contribution of PsA-related energetic electron precipitation (PsA EEP) to the total atmospheric forcing by solar energetic particle precipitation (EPP). Here we investigate the PsA-EEP impact on stratospheric and mesospheric odd hydrogen, odd nitrogen, and ozone concentrations. We make use of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model and recent understanding on PsA frequency, latitudinal and magnetic local time extent, and energy-flux spectra. Analysing an 18-month time period covering all seasons, we particularly look at PsA-EEP impacts at two polar observation stations located at opposite hemispheres: Tromsø in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Halley Research Station in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). We find that PsA EEP can have a measurable impact on ozone concentration above 30 km altitude, with ozone depletion by up to 8% seen in winter periods due to PsA-EEP-driven NOx enhancement. We conclude that PsA-EEP has the potential to make an important contribution to the total EPP forcing; thus, it should be considered in atmospheric and climate simulations., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

We describe the use of radar beam-park experiments to characterize the space debris resulting from a recent fragmentation event, the deliberate demolition of the defunct Kosmos-1408 satellite. We identify the Kosmos-1408 fragments and present distribution of measurement parameters as well as proxy orbit parameters. We present and apply a novel technique to estimate the size of objects by matching the signal to noise ratio of the detection to the radiation pattern of the radar. With this method we estimate the size distribution of the debris cloud. We also demonstrate how a pair of beam-park observations can be used to perform a crude, yet seemingly reliable, initial orbit determination. Finally, we present followup observations ∼5 months after the fragmentation that show a still compact cloud of debris.

The submitted abstract presents a unique report of a patient with paralysis of the left vocal cord examined with navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS examination showed to be useful in the assessment of corticobulbar tract integrity by recording motor-evoked potentials (MEP) from vocal muscles. MEP response represents the final pathway of spatial and temporal summation of several descending volleys activating the α-motoneurons, thus reliably reflecting the excitation state of the cortico-bulbar cells for the vagal nerve, the corticobulbar tract, the peripheral recurrent laryngeal nerve, and the target vocal muscle. The radiological absence of CNS, neck, and thorax processes and no history of endotracheal intubation with positive antibody testing suggests that unilateral left vocal cord paralysis was due to post-viral (COVID-19) vagal neuropathy. TMS examination proved to serve as an additional armamentarium in clinical laryngological assessment.

With this document, we provide a standard for PET/(diagnostic) CT imaging procedures in cardiovascular diseases that are inflammatory, infective, infiltrative, or associated with dysfunctional innervation (4Is). This standard should be applied in clinical practice and integrated in clinical (multicenter) trials for optimal procedural standardization. A major focus is put on procedures using [18F]FDG, but 4Is PET radiopharmaceuticals beyond [18F]FDG are also described in this document. Whilst these novel tracers are currently mainly applied in early clinical trials, some multicenter trials are underway and we foresee in the near future their use in clinical care and inclusion in the clinical guidelines. Finally, PET/MR applications in 4Is cardiovascular diseases are also briefly described. Diagnosis and management of 4Is-related cardiovascular diseases are generally complex and often require a multidisciplinary approach by a team of experts. The new standards described herein should be applied when using PET/CT and PET/MR, within a multimodality imaging framework both in clinical practice and in clinical trials for 4Is cardiovascular indications.

Purpose Obtaining vascular access in the pediatric population can be challenging, with insertion success rates varying widely based on patient and practitioner associated factors. Difficulty establishing peripheral intravenous access can delay treatment, which can be detrimental in emergent situations. Nurses who are trained in vascular access yield a much higher first attempt success rate, which decreases resource utilization, time to intervention, and complication rate. Fewer insertion attempts can also result in improved outcomes including decreased length of stay and better patient and family perception of pain. Design and methods The Vascular Access Service at our institution developed an extensive training program, which included three stages: didactic learning, simulation training, and insertion validation. Results During the first three months of 2020, there were 54 ultrasound-guided peripheral IVs placed in the pediatric intensive care units, 100% of which were placed by the vascular access service. In the first three months of 2021, 63 ultrasound-guided peripheral IVs were placed, 100% of which were placed by pediatric intensive care unit nurses. Of those placed by pediatric intensive care unit nurses, 52 (82.5%) were placed following their ultrasound-guided peripheral IV training. First time insertion success rates were 86.5% with competency in a diverse patient population of widely varying ages. Conclusions Programs that include repeated simulation experiences may facilitate greater learning and thus increase the confidence of the nurses trained. Improving staff skills for vascular access has promoted independent bedside practice and contributed to a culture of quality and safety for the pediatric patient population.