The availability of properly analyzed energy resource potential data is a prerequisite in energy planning and development. However, this was sparsely applied in Ethiopia’s renewable energy turnkey project development strategies. This study focuses on developing a solar energy resource map of Tigray to accelerate the expansion of solar energy to improve electricity access through on-grid and off-grid development schemes. This study uses monthly sunshine hour data from sixteen meteorological stations, measured at a 2 m height, and average yearly solar radiation data from twenty-two satellite stations, validated by solar radiation data and measured at three sites at 10 and 30 m heights. The solar energy potential was analyzed by taking relevant atmospheric and meteorological factors to produce solar radiation components. Accordingly, the average annual solar radiation of Tigray was found to be 6.1 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>/day and 5.3 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>/day based on meteorological and satellite data, respectively. The meteorological result gave a closer estimate to Ethiopia’s ESMAP Global Solar result of 5.83 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>/day. Finally, monthly and annual average solar radiation maps of the region were developed using ArcGIS10.5. The study’s results could contribute to assisting various solar energy developers in preparing better solar energy development plans to alleviate the chronic energy poverty of the region.
Lawrence Mapunda, Anthon Mwingwa, Doreen Kamori
et al.
Purpose: To understand the mechanisms of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) from Tanzania and characterize the genomes carrying the carbapenemase genes. Methods: Clinical CRKP isolates were selected from ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Whole-genome sequencing was performed utilizing Illumina and Nanopore platforms. Results: A total of twelve CRKP were analyzed in this study. Six different multilocus sequence types were detected, six isolates were sequence type ST437 and one belonged to a novel sequence type, ST6258. Resistance to carbapenems was multifactorial with co-existence of blaNDM-5 and blaOXA-181 in six CRKP, and blaNDM-5 and blaOXA-232 in one isolate, and chromosomal mutation of ompK36 and ompK37 in all twelve isolates. All the CRKP carried genes conferring resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins, penicillin, aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and quinolones. The hybrid assemblies of 001BS and 002PS2 revealed that they harbored seven and six different plasmids, respectively. The 001BS carried two blaNDM-5 on distinct plasmids. The first blaNDM-5 gene was carried on an IncFIB(K) plasmid; and the second blaNDM-5 co-existed with blaOXA-181 on the ColPK3-IncX3 plasmid. In contrast, in 002PS2 the blaNDM-5 and blaOXA-181 were carried on the IncFIB(K)-IncFII(K) and ColPK3-IncX3 plasmids, respectively. The genetic environment of the blaNDM-5 gene on both plasmids was flanked by the same genetic core IS26–IS30–blaNDM-5 –ble–trpF–DsbD–ISCR1–sul1– QacE–IS3000. Conclusion: Clonally related CRKP ST437 with multiple co-existing carbapenemase genes were detected for the first time at the tertiary hospital in Tanzania. The existence of this high-risk clone poses a great risk for further spread at our facility.
Maria Romøren, Karin Berg Hermansen, Trygve Johannes Lereim Sævareid
et al.
Abstract Background Acutely ill and frail older adults and their next of kin are often poorly involved in treatment and care decisions. This may lead to either over- or undertreatment and unnecessary burdens. The aim of this project is to improve user involvement and health services for frail older adults living at home, and their relatives, by implementing advance care planning (ACP) in selected hospital wards, and to evaluate the clinical and the implementation interventions. Methods This is a cluster randomized trial with 12 hospital units. The intervention arm receives implementation support for 18 months; control units receive the same support afterwards. The ACP intervention consists of 1. Clinical intervention: ACP; 2. Implementation interventions: Implementation team, ACP coordinator, network meetings, training and supervision for health care personnel, documentation tools and other resources, and fidelity measurements with tailored feedback; 3. Implementation strategies: leadership commitment, whole ward approach and responsive evaluation. Fidelity will be measured three times in the intervention arm and twice in the control arm. Here, the primary outcome is the difference in fidelity changes between the arms. We will also include 420 geriatric patients with one close relative and an attending clinician in a triadic sub-study. Here, the primary outcomes are quality of communication and decision-making when approaching the end of life as perceived by patients and next of kin, and congruence between the patient’s preferences for information and involvement and the clinician’s perceptions of the same. For patients we will also collect clinical data and health register data. Additionally, all clinical staff in both arms will be invited to answer a questionnaire before and during the implementation period. To explore barriers and facilitators and further explore the significance of ACP, qualitative interviews will be performed in the intervention units with patients, next of kin, health care personnel and implementation teams, and with other stakeholders up to national level. Lastly, we will evaluate resource utilization, costs and health outcomes in a cost-effectiveness analysis. Discussion The project may contribute to improved implementation of ACP as well as valuable knowledge and methodological developments in the scientific fields of ACP, health service research and implementation science. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05681585. Registered 03.01.23.
Joshua Dimasaka, Sivasakthy Selvakumaran, Andrea Marinoni
Amidst the intensifying extreme rainfall patterns due to climate change, global early warning systems for mass movements (e.g. landslides, avalanches) need to provide not only the coarsely aggregated danger reports, but also the necessary fine details to understand its potential implications on critical infrastructures such as transportation systems. In this study, we introduce a novel ‘intergraph’ method that enhances the exposure information using a graph-based machine learning implementation on the hydrological and geological characteristics of mass movements and the underlying connectivity of settlement-transportation systems. Demonstrating the entire country of Norway and the 2020 Gjerdrum quick clay incident as a case study, we integrated the assessment of both direct and indirect exposure information of settlement-transportation systems and their daily 1 km-by-1 km susceptibility map, which were derived from the 68 934 mass movement incidents since 1957 and the connectivity information of 4778 settlements and 257 000 km road networks. Our findings achieved 86.25% accuracy, providing a distribution of improved susceptibility estimates and identifying critical settlements in near-real-time. By interacting the graphical representations of the shared causal drivers of susceptibility and the settlement-transportation system connectivity, our study extends our understanding of the exposure of multiple interacting settlements with a high granularity degree in a unified approach.
Nils Eiel Steen, Zillur Rahman, Attila Szabo
et al.
Abstract Background Immune mechanisms are indicated in schizophrenia (SCZ). Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with SCZ and immune-related phenotypes. Here, we use cutting edge statistical tools to identify shared genetic variants between SCZ and white blood cell (WBC) counts and further understand the role of the immune system in SCZ. Study Design GWAS results from SCZ (patients, n = 53 386; controls, n = 77 258) and WBC counts (n = 56 3085) were analyzed. We applied linkage disequilibrium score regression, the conditional false discovery rate method and the bivariate causal mixture model for analyses of genetic associations and overlap, and 2 sample Mendelian randomization to estimate causal effects. Study Results The polygenicity for SCZ was 7.5 times higher than for WBC count and constituted 32%–59% of WBC count genetic loci. While there was a significant but weak positive genetic correlation between SCZ and lymphocytes (rg = 0.05), the conditional false discovery rate method identified 383 shared genetic loci (53% concordant effect directions), with shared variants encompassing all investigated WBC subtypes: lymphocytes, n = 215 (56% concordant); neutrophils, n = 158 (49% concordant); monocytes, n = 146 (47% concordant); eosinophils, n = 135 (56% concordant); and basophils, n = 64 (53% concordant). A few causal effects were suggested, but consensus was lacking across different Mendelian randomization methods. Functional analyses indicated cellular functioning and regulation of translation as overlapping mechanisms. Conclusions Our results suggest that genetic factors involved in WBC counts are associated with the risk of SCZ, indicating a role of immune mechanisms in subgroups of SCZ with potential for stratification of patients for immune targeted treatment.
Previous research states that accessibility and participation are prerequisites for students, regardless of ability, to be able to develop in school. The point of accessibility and participation is that everyone should be able to feel included and have access to learning. From an inclusive education perspective, the interest of this study is how teachers work in diverse literacy practices to address a variety of student conditions and needs. By studying how some primary education teachers describe how they design and stage learning environments, we want to contribute new knowledge about inclusive literacy practices.
The data collection was carried out through focus group discussions. We analysed the data with Critical Literacy (CL) as a theoretical framework, and the related concepts of domination, access, diversity, and design were used. The general impression that emerges from our study is that teachers design literacy activities based on both supportive and inclusive aspects and with a focus on variation and diversity. In the study, more similarities than differences emerged, for instance a focus on multimodal methods and the importance of didactic flexibility. The teachers also highlighted the importance of producing text, not just consuming and processing existing texts. Sometimes the analysis reveals differences. Even so, the teachers’ intentions to include all students in the classroom education remain significant.
Education (General), Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar
The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are large-scale measurements about teaching and learning. There is a link between TALIS indicators and PISA results. We investigated which countries are effective according to TALIS indicators as inputs and PISA 2015 mathematics, scientific, and reading literacy scores as outputs in this research. Common 24 countries' data from TALIS 2013 and PISA 2015 were analyzed. Data envelopment analysis was used in this quantitative research. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal were found to be effective countries in EMS 1.3, DEAP-XP 2.1, and R-4.0.3 software according to the input-oriented CCR model. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal were found to be effective countries in EMS 1.3, DEAP-XP 2.1, and R-4.0.3 software according to the input-oriented BCC model. The results obtained from the BCC and CCR model differ partially. Italy and Norway should be taken as reference the mostly by ineffective countries for getting better PISA score according to both models analyzing with EMS 1.3, DEAP-XP 2.1, and R-4.0.3.
The past few decades have seen a turn to the empirical in applied ethics. This article makes two contributions to debates on this turn: one with regard to methodology and the other with regard to scope. First, it considers empirical bioethics, which arose out of a protest against abstract theorizing in moral philosophy and a call for more sensitivity to lived experience. Though by now an established field, methodological discussions are still centred around the question of how empirical research can inform normative analysis. This article proposes an answer to this question that is based on Iris Murdoch’s criticism of the fact/value distinction and Cora Diamond’s concept of reflective empiricism. Second, the discussion takes as a point of departure a study on genome-edited farmed salmon that uses qualitative research interviews and focus groups. Although there are several animal ethics studies based in empirical data, there are few works on the methodological challenges raised by empirical ethics in this area. The article contributes to these discussions by arguing that reflective empiricism can constitute a methodological approach to animal ethics.
ABSTRACT Norwegian welfare and prosperity have thrived in step with a growing petroleum sector dominating Norway's economy. However, new knowledge about the limits of the world's carbon budget and how this might render some fossil fuel reserves ‘unburnable’ now presents carbon as a potential risk. Carbon risk may be climatic, in that petroleum extraction contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions; or it could be economic, as current investments might end up as ‘stranded assets’ in a world seeking to move beyond oil. Since at least 2013, policy advocacy coalitions have employed the carbon risk concept to challenge two fundamental institutions in Norwegian petroleum resource governance: the licensing of offshore exploration areas and the petroleum tax policy. Drawing on official documents and media statements, as well as workshops and interviews with a broad range of stakeholders in Norwegian climate and petroleum policy, this paper analyses policy processes in which notions of carbon risk have been at the centre of disagreements between opposing advocacy coalitions challenging or defending the status quo of Norwegian petroleum resource governance. We identify a growing mismatch between a discernible change in Norwegian public discourse, on the one hand, and inertia in the petroleum resource management regime, on the other. Increased rhetorical connections between carbon risk and petroleum policies have caused tension and debate that challenge the governance of Norwegian petroleum production. Key policy insights Petroleum policy and climate policy have been institutionalized into separate policy fields at the national level in Norway. This separation is increasingly challenged by advocacy coalitions pointing to the climatic and economic risks of future oil and gas production. While the coalition highlighting economic risks has been more successful than the one pointing to climatic risks of oil production, neither has so far had material effects on the practices of Norwegian petroleum governance. The existing international and EU-level climate policy regime helps legitimize a continued separation between climate- and oil policymaking in Norway.
Students at St. Olaf have the opportunity to study a unique subject — Norwegian. St. Olaf is one of a few colleges and universities where students can use Norwegian to complete their foreign language requirement — and beyond the requirement can study in depth the language, literature, culture, and history of Norway. In addition to graduating with a major in Norwegian, St. Olaf students have many opportunities to study and travel in Norway.
Simen A. Steindal RN, PhD, professor, Mari O. Ohnstad RN, MNSc, Ørjan Flygt Landfald MSc
et al.
Introduction Educational institutions worldwide have implemented learning management systems (LMSs) to centralise and manage learning resources, educational services, learning activities and institutional information. LMS has mainly been used by teachers as storage and transfer of course material. To effectively utilise digital technologies in education, there is a need for more knowledge of student experiences with digital technology, such as LMSs and especially regarding how LMSs can contribute to student engagement and learning. Objective This study aimed to gain knowledge about postgraduate nursing students’ experiences with the use of LMS in a subject in an advanced practice nursing master's programme. Methods A qualitative method with a descriptive design was employed. Two focus group interviews were performed with eight postgraduate nursing students from an advanced practice nursing programme at a university college in Norway. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Three themes emerged from the data material: 1) A course structure that supports learning; 2) LMS tools facilitate preparation, repetition and flexibility; and 3) own responsibility for using the LMS for preparation before on-campus activities. Conclusion The course structure within the LMS seemed to be important to enhance postgraduate students’ ability to prepare before on-campus activities. Implementation and use of LMS tools can facilitate preparation, repetition and flexibility, especially when postgraduate students study difficult topics. Postgraduate students seem to have different views regarding their own responsibility for using the LMS to prepare before on-campus activities.
<p>The neXtSIM-F (neXtSIM forecast) forecasting system consists of a stand-alone sea ice model, neXtSIM (neXt-generation Sea Ice Model), forced by the TOPAZ ocean forecast and the ECMWF atmospheric forecast, combined with daily data assimilation of sea ice concentration. It uses the novel brittle Bingham–Maxwell (BBM) sea ice rheology, making it the first forecast based on a continuum model not to use the viscous–plastic (VP) rheology. It was tested in the Arctic for the time period November 2018–June 2020 and was found to perform well, although there are some shortcomings. Despite drift not being assimilated in our system, the sea ice drift is good throughout the year, being relatively unbiased, even for longer lead times like 5 d. The RMSE in speed and the total RMSE are also good for the first 3 or so days, although they both increase steadily with lead time. The thickness distribution is relatively good, although there are some regions that experience excessive thickening with negative implications for the summertime sea ice extent, particularly in the Greenland Sea.</p>
<p>The neXtSIM-F forecasting system assimilates OSI SAF sea ice concentration products (both SSMIS and AMSR2) by modifying the initial conditions daily and adding a compensating heat flux to prevent removed ice growing back too quickly. The assimilation greatly improves the sea ice extent for the forecast duration.</p>
Purpose: Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is a collective term for various subgroups of glaucoma of which primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEG) are the most common. There is increasing evidence that both conditions have systemic ramifications. We wanted to examine to what extent lifespan and cause of death are influenced by POAG, pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES), and PEG. Materials and methods: Of 1864 people who underwent an eye examination in 1985–86, the presence of PES and/or glaucoma, along with date and cause of death were recorded. Based on information from the National Death Registry, the individuals were classified into the following groups of systemic diseases regarded as causing death: Cardiovascular disease (with two subgroups), cerebrovascular disease and neoplasms. Results: All 1864 persons were followed to death, up to 30 years after examination. No difference in lifespan was observed when comparing OAG (i.e. POAG and PEG together) with the rest of the population. When adjusting for gender and age at inclusion, patients with POAG showed a reduced lifespan in the cardiovascular death group (2.44 years, p = 0.043). When comparing lifespan in the neoplastic group in the glaucoma patients, POAG and PEG, directly against each other, a mean age difference of 6.87 years (p = 0.017) was found. Conclusions: POAG patients showed reduced lifespan due to neoplasia and cardiovascular disease. Persons with PES and PEG did not show these lifespan reductions. Our main conclusion is that POAG and PEG, the two main OAG subgroups, are very different disease entities both from an ocular and a systemic point of view.
The long-tailed silverfish (<i>Ctenolepisma longicaudata)</i> has recently made its appearance and demonstrated a tremendous proliferation in Norway, where it is currently considered a major indoor nuisance pest in modern buildings. To reduce the risk of human pesticide exposure, several baits with indoxacarb, clothianidin, fipronil or imidacloprid as the active ingredient were investigated to provide knowledge regarding their potential for integrated pest management solutions. Primary and secondary poisoning, as well as the durability of baits, were experimentally evaluated in bioassays. Baits with indoxacarb, clothianidin and fipronil killed more than 90% of the experimental insects (primary poisoning) when presented in competition with food. Only indoxacarb produced high mortality when dead conspecifics were consumed (secondary poisoning) and resulted in more than 75% mortality. The efficacy of baits with indoxacarb against <i>C. longicaudata</i> was also found to be very long. Laboratory degraded baits were consumed and induced high levels of mortality for more than a month, and field degraded baits for more than 6 months. Adults and juveniles were equally affected in the experiments. Primary and secondary toxicity in combination with long durability and effects on both life stages tested suggest that the bait has high-level potential as a safe control strategy against the long-tailed silverfish if indoxacarb is used as the active ingredient.