Future business models for hydrogen in Swedish road transportation

Hydrogen has emerged as a potential enabler for reducing emissions in the transport sector. To fully harness its potential, stakeholders must adapt their business models to accommodate future business conditions. In our study, we focused on the Swedish road transportation sector and analyzed potential future conditions that will likely impact business models up to 2045. We outlined existing business models for hydrogen producers and hydrogen refueling station owners using the Business Model Canvas as an analytical framework. By considering policy documents, hydrogen roadmaps, scenario reports, and insights from interviews and workshops with industry experts, we identified key future business conditions. These conditions were categorized into four themes: ‘Net-Zero CO2’, ‘Mature Market’, ‘Electricity Price Volatility’, and ‘Heavy-Duty & Long-Haul’. Finally, we applied these conditions to today's business models to propose how future business models for 2045 might evolve. The main differences identified between the current and the future business models were the reduced complexity of the future business model and the opportunity to emphasize additional value offerings to fossil-free hydrogen, since the fossil-free value will be less unique in a future where fossil-free is the norm

Higher target attainment for B-lactam antibiotics in patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infections when four times actual minimum inhibitory concentrations and epidemiological cutoff values are applied compared to clinical breakpoints

IntroductionBeta-lactam antibiotics are essential in the treatment of Gram-negative bloodstream infections. The effect of beta-lactam antibiotics depends on the time of unbound antibiotic concentration above the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). An antibiotic concentration above MIC during the whole dosing interval (100% ƒT > MIC) has been suggested as a target for severe infections. The aim of the present study was to compare target attainment using targets derived from known MICs with standard generic targets.MethodsIn this prospective, single-center study, adult patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infection treated with cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam or meropenem were eligible for inclusion. Trough antibiotic concentrations were collected during a single dosing interval and actual MIC values for the antimicrobial agent against the infecting isolate were obtained using E-tests. Epidemiological cut off values, ECOFFs, were applied from European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, EUCAST, tables for isolates within the wild-type distribution. Antibiotic concentrations were measured using Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry. Free concentrations were estimated based on total concentrations. Two targets based on actual MICs were assessed: free trough concentrations above (1) four times the actual MIC (100% ƒT > 4MIC) or above (2) the ECOFF (100% ƒT > ECOFF). Proportions of target attainment for the MIC-based targets were compared with attainment using clinical breakpoints or PK/PD breakpoints. Treatment response was defined as clinical resolution at day 7 (No persisting signs or symptoms of infection).ResultsWe included 98 patients with a median age of 72 years. The most common microbiological finding was Escherichia coli (63%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (12%). Of all patients, 77/98 patients (79%) attained 100% ƒT > 4MIC and 80/98 (82%) attained 100% ƒT > ECOFF, compared with 57/98 (58%) using 100% ƒT > EUCAST clinical breakpoints. Clinical resolution at day 7 was significantly associated with target attainment applying the target 100% ƒT > 4MIC (p = 0.013), but this was not the case when 100% ƒT > ECOFF was applied (p = 0.50).ConclusionsIn our material, higher target attainment rates were seen using targets derived from actual MICs, compared to EUCAST clinical breakpoints. Attaining 100% ƒT > 4MIC was associated with resolution of infection, but the latter finding should be interpreted cautiously

Touch in language

This study reviews the literature on TOUCH to establish an analytical framework for the study of TOUCH in communication through language. Two questions are at the heart of the study—an ontological and a methodological one: What counts as TOUCH, and how can we investigate the way we talk about TOUCH? Within the broad framework of cognitive semantics, we offer a general approach to TOUCH and identify two main types of Gestalt profiles related to the dynamicity in the Gestalt formation, namely activity and experience, in which case the former is related to external stimulation only, while the latter may be the result of external or internal stimulation

Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals : An Introduction

This A-Z Guide offers an accessible and user-friendly overview of the essential concepts and terms needed to understand the implementation of the SDGs. Crafted in the form of an encyclopaedia, the volume presents 105 entries on important concepts and terms and their links to academic and policy debates. Each entry offers basic definitions of the concept or term at issue, followed by a brief discussion with illustrative examples and forward-looking reflections on science or policy. Together, all entries serve as a key reference for a wide global audience, ranging from students and researchers to policymakers, activists, consultants and other practitioners engaged with sustainable development

Mechanically Robust Supercrystals from Antisolvent-Induced Assembly of Perovskite Nanocrystals

Ordered arrays of nanocrystals, called supercrystals, have attracted significant attention owing to the collective quantum effects arising from the coupling between neighboring nanocrystals. In particular, lead halide perovskite nanocrystals are widely used because of the combination of the optical properties and faceted cubic shape, which enables the formation of highly ordered supercrystals. The most frequently used method for the fabrication of perovskite supercrystals is based on the self-assembly of nanocrystals from solution via slow evaporation of the solvent. However, the supercrystals produced with this technique grow in random positions on the substrate. Moreover, they are mechanically soft due to the presence of organic ligands around the individual nanocrystals. Therefore, such supercrystals cannot be easily manipulated with microgrippers, which hinders their use in applications. In this work, we synthesize mechanically robust supercrystals built from cubic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals by a two-layer phase diffusion self-assembly with acetonitrile as the antisolvent. This method yields highly faceted thick supercrystals, which are robust enough to be picked up and relocated by microgrippers. We employed X-ray nanodiffraction together with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to reveal the structure of CsPbBr3, CsPbBr2Cl, and CsPbCl3 supercrystals assembled using the two-layer phase diffusion technique and explain their unusual mechanical robustness. Our findings are crucial for further experiments and applications in which supercrystals need to be placed in a precise location, for example, between the electrodes in an electro-optical modulator

Sweden’s excess mortality in 2020–2022 and reporting in the media

Aim: The aim was to scrutinize the report in March 2023 that Sweden’s excess mortality was lowest in 2020–2022 compared with other European Union and Nordic countries, a report that received great national and international attention. Study design: Comparison of excess mortality in Sweden and Norway. Methods: Excess mortality for 2020–2022 was calculated for Sweden and Norway, the country with per-capita excess mortality closest to Sweden’s, compared with the average mortality for 2017–2019 in the respective country, following the definitions by Statistics Sweden reported in a daily newspaper. Results: Excess mortality is a measure with low misclassification compared with other pandemic outcome measures. Following the definitions, total excess mortality for the years 2020–2022 was 11,897 individuals in Sweden and 6089 in Norway. However, the distributions of excess mortality across the 3 years strongly differed. In Sweden, 60% of excess mortality was observed in 2020, 8% in 2021 and 32% in 2022. In sharp contrast, 0% of excess mortality was observed in Norway in 2020, 20% in 2021 and 80% in 2022. If the relative distribution of excess mortality in Sweden had been the same as in Norway in 2020–2022, approximately 7000 individuals who died in 2020 would instead have died as excess mortality in 2022, saving approximately 14,000 person-years in Sweden. Conclusions: The report disregards residual confounding due to the broad definition of the period 2020–2022. Mass media should avoid one-sided reporting

FreDESS : a clinical tool for perceptual evaluation of stuttering

Aim: Stuttering is a communication disorder that involves both manifest speech disfluencies and associated symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to introduce an easily administered and ecologically valid assessment tool designed for perceptual evaluation of stuttered speech, FreDESS (frequency of stuttering events, duration of events, effort, secondary behaviours, and severity). More specifically, we wanted to study its reliability and validity. Method: Video recordings of conversations with 38 people who stutter (PWS), 19 females and 19 males aged 13–25, were assessed by three speech language pathologists (SLP). Inter- and intrajudge reliability was estimated with intraclass correlation, standard error of measurement, and agreement between listeners. Internal consistency for the FreDESS parameters was estimated with Cronbach’s alpha (α). To test the validity of FreDESS, the relationships between the average estimated parameters of frequency, duration, secondary behaviours, and severity of FreDESS and the Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI-3), were analysed using intraclass correlation. Results: The interjudge reliability was good, especially for the frequency, duration, and severity parameters (90 per cent + agreement given 1 scale point difference). All parameters of the FreDESS had strong intrajudge reliability (ICC = 0.86–0.94) and the overall internal consistency was high (α = 0.98). The average ratings on the two assessment scales were in line with each other (r = 0.90–0.96), indicating high concurrent validity. Conclusion: The FreDESS scale for the assessment of stuttered speech may be a valuable tool in clinical and research contexts. It is a valid and more time-efficient assessment instrument than the more commonly used SSI

Navigating an emerging innovation ecosystem : a case study of fuel cell innovation in Taiwan

The Taiwanese government has actively promoted and established policies for developing fuel cell research and industrial activities since the early 2000s. The activities, including those of Taiwanese policy actors, private firms, and research institutions, are part of a fuel cell innovation ecosystem. Through an embedded case study, this paper examines past national policies, sectoral-level developments, and how a firm has navigated the environment. The analysis is based on the notion of an innovation ecosystem, which analytically covers micro, meso, and macro levels and has more porous boundaries than a national innovation system. Hence, the contribution of this paper relates to creating a deeper understanding of what is happening under the surface of government policy and what path firms can take. Thus, it contributes to studies on latecomer strategies in technology sectors of the dynamic interaction between policy, sectoral development, and firm strategy

The SAM-Krom biomonitoring study shows occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium and increased genotoxicity in Denmark

Background Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a carcinogen. Exposure to Cr(VI) may occur in different industrial processes such as chrome plating and stainless steel welding. The aim of this study was to assess occupational exposure to Cr(VI) in Denmark. Methods This cross-sectional study included 28 workers and 8 apprentices with potential Cr(VI) exposure and 24 within company controls, all recruited from six companies and one vocational school. Use of occupational safety and health (OSH) risk prevention measures were assessed through triangulation of interviews, a questionnaire and systematic observations. Inhalable Cr(VI) and Cr-total were assessed by personal air exposure measurements on Cr(VI) exposed participants and stationary measurements. Cr concentrations were measured in urine and in red blood cells (RBC) (the latter reflecting Cr(VI)). Genotoxicity was assessed by measurement of micronuclei in peripheral blood reticulocytes (MNRET). Results At announced visits, a consistent high degree of compliance to OSH risk prevention measures were seen in ‘chromium bath plating’ for both technical devices (e.g. ventilation, plastic balls, sheet coverings) and in the use of personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, respirators), yet a lesser degree of compliance was observed in ‘stainless steel welding’. The geometric mean of the air concentration of Cr(VI) was 0.26 μg/m3 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12–0.57) for the Cr(VI)-exposed workers and 3.69 μg/m3 (95% CI: 1.47–9.25) for the Cr(VI)-exposed apprentices. Subdivided by company type, the exposure levels were 0.13 μg/m3 (95% CI: 0.04–0.41) for companies manufacturing and processing metal products, and 0.81 μg/m3 (95% CI: 0.46–1.40) for bath plating companies. Workers with occupational exposure to Cr(VI) had significantly higher median levels of urinary Cr (2.42 μg/L, 5th-95th percentile 0.28–58.39), Cr in RBC (0.89 μg/L, 0.54–4.92) and MNRET (1.59 ‰, 0.78–10.92) compared to the within company controls (urinary: 0.40 μg/L, 0.16–21.3, RBC: 0.60 μg/L, 0.50–0.93,MNRET: 1.06 ‰, 0.71–2.06). When sub-dividing by company type, urinary Cr (4.61 μg/L, 1.72–69.5), Cr in RBC (1.33 μg/L, 0.95–4.98) and MNRET (1.89 μg/L, 0.78–12.92) levels were increased for workers with potential Cr(VI) exposure in bath-plating companies, and when subdividing by work task, workers engaged in process operation had increased levels of urinary Cr (8.51 μg/L, 1.71–69.5), Cr in RBC (1.33 μg/L, 0.95–4.98) and MNRET (1.89 μg/L, 0.82–12.92) levels. Conclusion This biomonitoring study shows that bath platers were highly exposed to Cr(VI), as suggested by relatively high levels of urinary Cr, Cr in RBC and increased levels of micronuclei. The urinary Cr concentrations were high when compared to the French biological limit value of 2.5 μg Cr/L, corresponding to the Danish occupational exposure limit of 1 μg/m3. This, in turn, indirectly suggests that additional exposure routes than via air may contribute to the exposure. For welders, no statistically significant increases compared to within company controls were observed, however, the observed urinary Cr levels were similar to the levels observed in a European study (HBM4EU), and were higher than the levels observed for welders in Sweden (SafeChrom). In spite of a high degree of self-reported and observed compliance to OSH risk prevention measures during announced visits, the biomarkers of exposure reflecting recent exposure (urinary Cr) or exposure during the last four months (Cr in RBC) may point to variation in compliance to OSH risk prevention measures in general. Reduced occupational exposure to Cr(VI) may be achieved by applying the hierarchy of controls in eliminating or substituting Cr(VI), and the use of more effective technical solutions (e.g. automation)