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This paper summarized the efforts performed to understand decay heat estimation from existing spent nuclear fuel (SNF), under the auspices of the Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. Needs for precise estimations are related to safety, cost, and optimization of SNF handling, storage, and repository. The physical origins of decay heat (a more correc
Background: With an increased life expectancy for the general population as well as for those ageing with chronic diseases, there are major challenges to the affected individuals and their families, but also to health care and societal planning. Most important, an increasing proportion of older people remain living in their ordinary homes despite health decline and disability. However, little is k
The problem: wearable eye trackers deliver eye-tracking data on a scene video that is acquired by a camera affixed to the participant’s head. Analyzing and interpreting such head-centered data is difficult and laborious manual work. Automated methods to map eye-tracking data to a world-centered reference frame (e.g., screens and tabletops) are available. These methods usually make use of fiducial
Background: Corticosteroids appears to be beneficial for severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children, but data in adults are limited. This study investigated effects of adjunctive corticosteroids in hypoxemic adults with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Methods: Adults admitted 2013-2017 with verified M. pneumoniae pneumonia and hypoxemia (SpO2 < 93% or oxygen treatment) were included in a cohort.
INTRODUCTION: The FEV1 quotient (FEV1Q), calculated as the index between FEV1 and a theoretical lower survivable FEV1 threshold of 0.4L for females and 0.5L for males, has been investigated as a novel method of interpreting results from lung function testing. The applicability of the FEV1Q in populations with chronic respiratory failure has not been studied, and the continuous association between
This systematic literature review assesses the current state of knowledge on how increased ICT use affects individual time-use patterns and the associated implications for lifestyle climate implications. While the environmental impacts of ICT have been widely debated in terms of direct energy consumption, there has been limited focus on the indirect time-use effects. The review draws on 101 articl
The European Forum for Research and Education in Allergy and Airways diseases (EUFOREA) organized its bi-annual forum EUFOREUM in Berlin in November 2023. The aim of EUFOREUM 2023 was to highlight pediatric action plans for prevention and optimizing care for type 2 inflammatory conditions starting in childhood, with a focus on early-stage diagnosis, ensuring neither under- nor overdiagnosis, optim
This essay delves into the akiya (vacant houses) problem in Japan, using the phenomenon as a lens to discuss the larger issue of depopulation and repopulation of regional Japan. It builds on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Kochi Prefecture from February to April, 2023, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with official workers and local residents of depopulated areas. The study find
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based method for automated segmentation of total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) in 18F-FDG PET/CT scans of patients with lymphoma, using an independent, publicly available benchmark dataset curated and segmented by expert readers in a previously published study. Methods: The AI model, based on a 3-dimensional U
Most retrograde signalling research in plants was performed using Arabidopsis, so an evolutionary perspective on mitochondrial retrograde regulation (MRR) is largely missing. Here, we used phylogenetics to track the evolutionary origins of factors involved in plant MRR. In all cases, the gene families can be traced to ancestral green algae or earlier. However, the specific subfamilies containing f
Polysaccharide degradation by microorganisms is essential in driving global nutrient cycling, developing renewable fuels or chemicals, and promoting human gut health. However, complex polysaccharides are often insoluble, making it challenging to study degradation with soluble enzymes or to measure microbial growth. Several protocols exist to address this challenge, including 3D-printed biomass con
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a 3-month post-hip arthroscopy rehabilitation program within a randomized controlled trial comparing hip arthroscopy to sham surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (HIP ARThroscopy International [HIPARTI] trial) by describing exercise adherence, type, and pain; 6-month changes in International Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33); and physical impairments and functiona
Many cocoa farmers, despite their crucial role for the production of chocolate and other cocoa products that many consumers enjoy, struggle to earn a decent income and improve their livelihoods. This thesis analyses the impact of the Living Income Differential, a fixed 400$ price markup added to the per-tonne cocoa price, on the position of Ghanaian farmers in the global value chain. Based on the
This thesis examines the evolution of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) in the EU. The overarching purpose is to give an example of ideational causation in the EU, and concretely, to illustrate how a norm can cause changes to policy and to policymaking. It is argued that the PCD concept is essentially a norm, because it provides a guideline for how to prioritize between differing and often co
Older adults are often portrayed as unwilling or unable to address quality issues in the formal care they receive. This study explores a methodology that captures the everyday reactions of older care users to quality problems, offering a nuanced understanding of their voice and agency when dissatisfied with care services. Using a telephone diary method, eight care users were contacted twice a week
This thesis investigates the ecological and urban regeneration of the Svisloch River in Minsk, focusing on its central urban segment. Historically a natural watercourse and public axis, the Svisloch has undergone a significant transformation into a technically regulated water body, reflecting the city's changing priorities as a result of Soviet-era infrastructure development and contemporary u
Satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool for modelling gross primary production (GPP) at large scales. While model comparison is a prerequisite for understanding carbon dynamics comprehensively, existing GPP products rely on a limited number of satellite sensors. In this study, the contemporary fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation product derived from PROBA-V and Sentinel-3
The rapid expansion of intermittent renewable energy sources has introduced substantial challenges to both the stability of the electrical grid and the economic viability of incumbent wind farms. In light of recent regulatory amendments within the energy market, stakeholders are compelled to adjust their operational strategies. Concurrently, the expansion of wind power has exacerbated price cannib
Introduction: Side-stream residue, oat okara, from the oat-milk production contains valuable nutrients but possesses a high risk of microbial spoilage. Valorisation of oat okara is therefore important to make sure that the oat beverage production stays sustainable. In this project, High-pressure processing (HPP), heat treatment and Lactobacillus fermentation have been evaluated for their microbial
