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Abstract Background Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) offers non-invasive assessment of perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function from a single dynamic scan. However, no prior assessment of mitral regurgitation severity by PET has been presented. Application of indicator dilution techniques and gated image analyses to PET data enables calculation of forward stroke volume and total LV stroke volume. We aimed to evaluate a combination of these methods for measurement of regurgitant volume (RegVol) and fraction (RegF) using dynamic 15O-water and 11C-acetate PET in comparison to cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Results Twenty-one patients with severe primary mitral valve regurgitation underwent same-day dynamic PET examinations (15O-water and 11C-acetate) and CMR. PET data were reconstructed into dynamic series with short time frames during the first pass, gated 15O-water blood pool images, and gated 11C-acetate myocardial uptake images. PET-based RegVol and RegF correlated strongly with CMR (RegVol: 15O-water r = 0.94, 11C-acetate r = 0.91 and RegF: 15O-water r = 0.88, 11C-acetate r = 0.84, p 30mL) was 95% for 15O-water and 92% for 11C-acetate. Conclusions LV regurgitation severity quantified using cardiac PET correlated with CMR and showed high accuracy for discriminating patients from healthy volunteers.

Abstract Background DNA methylation in the form of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the most abundant base modification in animals. However, 5mC levels vary widely across taxa. While vertebrate genomes are hypermethylated, in most invertebrates, 5mC concentrates on constantly and highly transcribed genes (gene body methylation; GbM) and, in some species, on transposable elements (TEs), a pattern known as “mosaic”. Yet, the role and developmental dynamics of 5mC and how these explain interspecies differences in DNA methylation patterns remain poorly understood, especially in Spiralia, a large clade of invertebrates comprising nearly half of the animal phyla. Results Here, we generate base-resolution methylomes for three species with distinct genomic features and phylogenetic positions in Annelida, a major spiralian phylum. All possible 5mC patterns occur in annelids, from typical invertebrate intermediate levels in a mosaic distribution to hypermethylation and methylation loss. GbM is common to annelids with 5mC, and methylation differences across species are explained by taxon-specific transcriptional dynamics or the presence of intronic TEs. Notably, the link between GbM and transcription decays during development, alongside a gradual and global, age-dependent demethylation in adult stages. Additionally, reducing 5mC levels with cytidine analogs during early development impairs normal embryogenesis and reactivates TEs in the annelid Owenia fusiformis. Conclusions Our study indicates that global epigenetic erosion during development and aging is an ancestral feature of bilateral animals. However, the tight link between transcription and gene body methylation is likely more important in early embryonic stages, and 5mC-mediated TE silencing probably emerged convergently across animal lineages.

Abstract Background To strengthen palliative care for children in the Nordic countries, an updated status of current needs, resources, clinical services, education, and research is necessary to align and consolidate future research. A Nordic research collaboration initiative for children with palliative care needs was assembled in 2023. Building on this initiative, this paper presents an overview of pediatric palliative care (PPC) in the Nordic countries’ (a) population characteristics, (b) care models and setting of care, (c) education and training, and (d) research. Methods The Nordic initiative researchers collaboratively gathered and assessed available data on the characteristics of PPC within Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, and Åland. Data were compiled in a matrix with population characteristics, models- and setting of care, education and training, and areas of research in a Nordic context. The findings are narratively and descriptively presented, providing an overview of Nordic PPC. Results In total, the Nordic child population comprises around six million children (0–19 years), of which about 41.200 are estimated to be living with a life-limiting and/or life-threatening condition. Healthcare services are provided through various care models, ranging from specialized care to homecare settings. Overall, there remain few opportunities for education and training with some exceptions. Also, Nordic research within PPC has been shown to be a growing field although much remains to be done. Conclusion This overview is the first outline of the current PPC in Nordic countries. Although some differences remain important to acknowledge, overall, the strengths and challenges faced within PPC in the Nordic countries are comparable and call for joint action to increase evidence, services, and education to better serve the children, families, and healthcare personnel within PPC. Despite the varying structural premises for PPC, research endeavors aiming to provide evidence in this field seem increasing, timely and relevant for the Nordic countries, as well as the international context.

In general, innovation is considered a success element behind growth and competitiveness of manufacturing firms. This study investigated the impact of product and process innovation capability practices on competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises in Ethiopia. It also intended to test whether competitive advantage mediated the relationship between product innovation and competitiveness as well as process innovation and competitiveness. Quantitative research approach was used to collect questionnaire based data from 300 randomly selected manufacturing firms in Ethiopia; out of these, 270 were correctly completed and returned. Structural equation modeling with AMOS v23 was used for data analysis. Measurement model’s validation was done using confirmatory factor analysis in which all of the variables were assessed for convergent, composite and discriminant validity tests. The findings indicated that both product and process innovations had a significant direct effect on manufacturing firm’s competitiveness of manufacturing firms in Ethiopia. Moreover, both product and process innovations had a significant indirect effect on competitiveness through competitive advantage as the mediating variable. Competitive advantage as a mediating variable had a significant mediating role between product innovation and competitiveness, and between process innovation and competitiveness. These findings have substantial implications for manufacturing firms in Ethiopia to gear their energies towards improvement of products offered to market as well as those processes intended to produce quality products which outshines the internal and external competitions in the market. Hence, Ethiopian businesses are recommended to invest more in product and process innovations to build competitive advantage and competitiveness.

Even though Ethiopia recently adopted industrial park development as a policy instrument for fostering economic transformation, the effects of value chain management practices on firm performance has not been well researched. Thus, the study examined the effect of value chain management practices on the performance of manufacturing firms operating in Ethiopian industrial parks by using an explanatory research design. Employees of the industrial parks were considered as the target population and to select suitable respondents, a non-probability sampling technique was employed. The sample size was determined to be 382, which comprised of senior and middle managers. The study purified and validated scales for data collection by using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and to test the hypothesis, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The result of the study revealed that outbound logistics and marketing capabilities, statistically positively and significantly, affected financial and marketing performances. However, both inbound logistics and operations management capabilities did not significantly affect financial and marketing performance. Enhancing backward and forward linkage along the value chain and improving the efficiency of value chain management practices are paramount strategies. From the empirical evidence, the result of this study adds value to the existing knowledge of value chain management in industrial park contexts. Further, the paper significantly contributes to the field of industrial parks economic sustainability, in which the findings and suggestions can provide scientific knowledge to managers, practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers.

The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha′apai volcano erupted on 15 January 2022, launching Lamb waves and gravity waves into the atmosphere. In this study, we present results using 13 globally distributed meteor radars and identify the volcanogenic gravity waves in the mesospheric/lower thermospheric winds. Leveraging the High-Altitude Mechanistic general Circulation Model (HIAMCM), we compare the global propagation of these gravity waves. We observed an eastward-propagating gravity wave packet with an observed phase speed of 240 ± 5.7 m s−1 and a westward-propagating gravity wave with an observed phase speed of 166.5 ± 6.4 m s−1. We identified these waves in HIAMCM and obtained very good agreement of the observed phase speeds of 239.5 ± 4.3 and 162.2 ± 6.1 m s−1 for the eastward the westward waves, respectively. Considering that HIAMCM perturbations in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere were the result of the secondary waves generated by the dissipation of the primary gravity waves from the volcanic eruption, this affirms the importance of higher-order wave generation. Furthermore, based on meteor radar observations of the gravity wave propagation around the globe, we estimate the eruption time to be within 6 min of the nominal value of 15 January 2022 04:15 UTC, and we localized the volcanic eruption to be within 78 km relative to the World Geodetic System 84 coordinates of the volcano, confirming our estimates to be realistic.

Abstract This systematic review aims to review the effect of innovation strategy on firm competitiveness and to establish a theoretical background for future studies in the innovation and firm competitiveness literature. A total of 40 studies covering the innovation strategy and firm competitiveness were from 2015 to 2023 and analysed via a PRISMA method using the descriptive content analysis. These studies were found in the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Taylor and Francis databases. The findings from this review show that a large majority of the reviewed studies has concluded that innovation strategy have a positive relationship and effect between firm competitiveness. This study offers the chance to empirically examine innovation strategy and firm competitiveness from various angles. Despite a rapid recent increase in publications and special issue calls, many opportune research avenues within the innovation strategy and firm competitiveness field require further investigation.

The paper describes technical characteristics and presents the first scientific results of a novel infrared imaging system (imager) for studies of nightglow emissions coming from the hydroxyl (OH) and molecular oxygen (O2) layers in the mesopause region (80–100 km) above northern Scandinavia. The OH imager was put into operation in November 2022 at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna (67.86° N, 20.42° E; 400 m altitude). The OH imager records selected emission lines in the OH(3-1) band near 1500 nm to obtain intensity and temperature maps at around 87 km altitude. In addition, the OH imager registers infrared emissions coming from the O2 IR A-band airglow at 1268.7 nm in order to obtain O2 intensity maps at a slightly higher altitude, around 94 km. This technique allows the tracing of wave disturbances in both horizontal and vertical domains in the mesopause region. Validation and comparison of the OH(3-1) rotational temperature with collocated lidar and Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite temperatures are performed. The first scientific results obtained from the OH imager for the first winter season (2022–2023) are discussed.

Abstract Aims This study aimed to study the prognostic value of myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) and myocardial external efficiency (MEE) from 11C‐acetate positron emission tomography (PET) in cardiac amyloidosis (CA) patients. Methods and results Forty‐eight CA patients, both transthyretin (ATTR) and immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis, and 20 controls were included. All subjects were examined with 11C‐acetate PET and echocardiography. MVO2, forward stroke volume (FSV), and left ventricular mass (LVM) were derived from 11C‐acetate PET and used to calculate MEE. CA patients were followed for survival and the prognostic impact of clinical, echocardiographic, and 11C‐acetate PET parameters was analysed. MVO2 and MEE were reduced in CA compared with controls, but without significant difference between deceased and surviving CA patients. The ratio of 11C‐acetate PET‐derived FSV and LVM was also reduced in CA and significantly lowered in deceased patients compared with survivors. In univariate analysis, New York Heart Association class, N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide, and the 11C‐acetate PET parameters FSV/LVM and MEE were the strongest prognostic factors. Of the 11C‐acetate PET parameters, FSV/LVM was the strongest survival predictor with hazard ratio of 0.56 per 0.1 mL/g (95% confidence interval 0.39–0.81, P = 0.002) and independently prognostic in a multivariate model. MEE significantly separated deceased from surviving CA patients with the cut‐off of 15.7% (P = 0.032). Survival was significantly shorter with FSV/LVM below 0.27 mL/g (P

Abstract A minequake of magnitude ML 4.1 occurred on 18 May 2020 early in the morning at the LKAB underground iron ore mine in Kiruna, Sweden. This is the largest mining‐induced earthquake in Scandinavia. It generated acoustic signals observed at three infrasound arrays at 9.3 (KRIS, Sweden), 155 (IS37, Norway), and 286 km (ARCI, Norway) distance. We perform full‐waveform focal mechanism inversion based on regional seismic data and local infrasound data. These independently highlight that this event was dominated by a shallow‐depth collapse in agreement with in‐mine seismic station data. However, regional infrasound data cannot inform the inversion process without an accurate model of atmospheric winds and temperatures. Yet, our numerical simulations demonstrate a potential of using local and regional infrasound data to constrain an event's focal mechanism and depth.

This work is dedicated to developing a laboratory method for assessing emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from different carbon-based materials at elevated temperatures. The method will additionally contribute to enhancing the fundamental knowledge about the formation and decomposition of these compounds during various process conditions. Developing a method entails designing a setup for laboratory-scale experiments utilizing different furnace configurations and off-gas capturing media. To demonstrate the method's applicability, different carbon materials were tested under identical conditions, and analysis results for the same material in different furnace setups were compared. In this article, we have focused on the procedure for obtaining the “fingerprint” of PAH emissions under conditions characteristic of industrial processes. • Two setups for investigation of the influence of temperature on PAH emissions were designed and tested for three types of carbon materials. • The collected off-gas samples underwent analysis in two different laboratories to capture intra-laboratory differences and to evaluate the significance of the instrument detection limit. • The results of PAH 16 (16 EPA PAH) and PAH 42 analysis were compared to showcase the influence of the expanded list on the overall emission of PAH.The novel methodology enables the determination and comparison of PAH emissions during the thermal treatment of individual carbon materials under laboratory conditions. This could potentially be a new approach for predicting the PAH emissions in metallurgical industries that use these carbon materials as reducing agents in their processes and their control by optimizing process parameters and raw materials used. In addition to being suitable for simulating various conditions in the metallurgical industry, the utilization of low-hazard PAH solvents makes it a promising method.

Analysis of pesticide residue levels in juice beverages is important to ensure safe consumption and avoid global trade concerns associated to pesticide contaminations. A simple, inexpensive and effective method was developed for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in bottled juice drinks using GC-MS. Sample pretreatment was performed using dispersive solid-phase microextraction (D-μ-SPE) for matrix desorption and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for analyte enrichment. In this study, an affordable and effective sorbent for the adsorption of OCPs from juice samples was synthesized from avocado seeds mixed with magnetic precursors for D-μSPE. The ground avocado seeds combined with a magnetic precursor nanocomposite were characterized using various instruments including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The solution obtained from D-μ-SPE desorption was used as a dispersant for the subsequent DLLME, which made the combination of D-μ-SPE with DLLME much easier. The effectiveness of the method was enhanced by optimizing the influential parameters in both D-μ-SPE and DLLME. Then after, the optimal values were determined for the real sample analysis. Accordingly, there was good linear dynamic range with a coefficient of determination (r2) ≥ 0.9989. The limit of detection and quantification were 0.02–0.69 and 0.06–2.10 ng/L respectively. The method showed high enrichment factors ranging from 96 to 313 with recoveries of 87–100 %. Intraday and interday precisions were ≤4 %. Compared with other reported methods, this method is a one-step, simple, cheap, fast, and environmentally friendly alternative and straightforward method for adsorbing organochlorine pesticides from sample solutions. These results demonstrates the high potential of the proposed method for the extraction and cleanup of contaminants in selected juices and other related samples.

The hope of reaching diverse and large target groups has motivated civic education practitioners to offer their content on social media. The question has therefore long ceased to be whether civic education should take place on the internet, but rather how civic education goals can be implemented digitally to foster civic literacy. At first glance, the possibility of reaching a broad audience in a short time seems tempting. At a second glance, social media reveals several challenges that can impair educational processes. The present paper discusses the following questions: What are the opportunities and pitfalls of civic education in social media? How can we ensure successful civic education in a digitalized world? In our article, we want to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on the topic by drawing among others from the literature in the fields of media psychology, communication studies, and education science. By integrating insights from various disciplines, our paper seeks to enrich the academic dialogue and to promote a nuanced understanding of the evolving dynamics of civic education in the digital realm. With its practical focus, our paper further aims to underscore the applicability of scientific research.

Abstract Aim To explore nurses' perceptions to alleviate dyspnoea in inpatients with advanced cancer while receiving palliative care. Design A descriptive qualitative design. Methods Seven focus groups were conducted with nurses (n = 27) from five specialized palliative care wards in four hospitals in south and southwest Finland. The focus groups were conducted between June and November 2019, and the transcripts were analysed using inductive analysis. Results The findings revealed three categories: recognizing dyspnoea is a multi‐faceted problem, dealing with the complexity of assessment of dyspnoea and strategies for relieving dyspnoea. Nurses perceived the complexity of dyspnoea as a symptom and emphasized the importance of utilizing patients' subjective experiences and consistent assessment scales to determine its severity. Furthermore, nonpharmacological interventions are as pertinent as pharmacological and medical interventions. The findings can assist nurses in selecting appropriate interventions for dyspnoea care, ultimately enhancing the quality of patient care and patient safety.