Expectations and achievements in new firms

Author's accepted version (post-print).acceptedVersio

Hvordan kan det danske og norske Forsvaret forbedre organisationens evne til at opsamle, integrere og dele den viden, som genereres af personellet

Masterprosjekt i IKT og Læring.Det danske og det norske forsvar bruger begge erfaringshåndteringssystemer, for at kunne fastholde erfaringer fra bl.a. internationale missioner. I Norge hedder systemet FERDABALL, i Danmark er navnet DLIMS. Formålet er, at kunne anvende den fastholdte viden til at forbedre kapaciteten i fremtidige missioner, og undgå at de samme fejl bliver gentaget. Indholdet af databaserne er data og informationer, som er baseret på den viden, der bliver oparbejdet gennem de erfaringer missionens deltager gør sig. Analysen af begge erfaringshåndteringssystemer har vist, at begge indeholder mangelfulde data, at personellet er dårligt uddannet i brug af systemerne og at de har ringe kendskab til formålet. Det betyder, at der er viden og erfaringer, som forbliver usynlige for organisationen. I denne opgave ser vi på, hvordan vi kan øge den organisatoriske værdi af de erfaringer den enkelte soldat har gjort under sin deltagelse i missioner. Gennem interview i Danmark og fokusgruppeinterview i Norge har vi kvalificeret analysen. Resultaterne antyder, at forslag der skal øge den organisatoriske værdi af erfaringerne skal følge tre retninger. Til at indsamle data og informationer vil vi præsentere en APP, som er designet til af forbedre den enkelte soldats muligheder for at bidrage med tekst, billeder, video og audio. For selve vidensdelingssystemet med den tilhørende database forelsår vi en mere wiki orienteret tilgang til analyse og opbevaring af data, informationer og viden. Og endelig for distributionen af vidensdatabasens indhold ser vi på en mere Google inspireret søgemotor, som tillader den enkelte en langt lettere tilgang til den eksplicitte viden der er lagtet i FERDABALL og i DLIMS

Non-financial barriers in oral health care: a qualitative study of patients receiving opioid maintenance treatment and professionals’ experiences

Background People with substance use disorders often have poor oral health, which can negatively impact their quality of life. Since 2005, patients receiving opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) in Norway have been eligible for free oral health care services offered through public oral health clinics. Despite a large need for oral health services amongst patients in OMT, figures suggest that the use of these services is low amongst this patient group. It has been unclear which barriers that contribute to this. This qualitative study explores the underlying barriers to the use of oral health care services amongst patients in OMT, from the perspective of the patients as well as dental health care workers (DHW). Methods Through a combination of focus group interviews and individual interviews, data were collected from 63 participants; 30 patients in OMT and 33 DHW. Thematic analysis identified key themes for the use (or not) of oral health care services amongst patients in OMT. Results Both individual and structural barriers prevent OMT patients from using the free oral health care services offered to them. These barriers include struggling to attend appointments, anxiety and fear of dentists, discrepancies between patients’ expectations and the services offered and perceived stigma. OMT patients’ lack of information regarding their rights and access to oral health services was also a barrier, as was DHWs’ lack of knowledge and information of the OMT system and what they can offer patients. Conclusions OMT patients face several barriers in accessing and using oral health care services. However, through a number of relatively simple measures, it is possible that the use of oral health services amongst OMT patients can be increased.publishedVersio

Hazards, Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events

Geohazards are events related to geological features and processes that cause loss of life and severe damage to property and the natural and built environment. The most common and destructive geohazards in Norway are snow avalanches, clay-, debris- and rock slides, and floods, which together caused more than 2000 deaths during the last 150 years. Statistically, about 10 large slides and avalanches are expected to occur in Norway the next 50-100 years, each with possibly 20-100 deaths, unless preventive planning and actions are made. In addition to the loss of lives, geohazards pose a large impact on infrastructure and the daily life in many parts of Norway. A possible increase of extreme weather events in the next 50 years may lead to change in the type and frequency of slides and avalanches. The main objective of the four year research project GeoExtreme is therefore to assess the geohazard situation in Norway in a changing climate over the next 50 years. The initial step is a statistical analysis of the relationships between meteorological conditions and geohazards. To do this, a national database of slide events has been established. The time and location of these events will be compared to interpolated meteorological datasets for the last 100 years. Results of this analysis will be used in combination with climate scenarios for the next 50 years to produce a picture of possible future geohazards in Norway. The effects on the local society are studied in detail in four study areas representing different climate areas in Norway. An important part of the project is the assessment of socioeconomic consequences of geohazards in Norway, both in the past, and in the future, under the predicted climate scenarios. Important parameters here are cost related to damage by natural disasters as well as to mitigation measures, ability to learn by experience, changes in preparedness, and impact on policy makers. The first results show a high predictability of slide events by standard meteorological observations. Also the vulnerability pattern shows significant changes from hazard for residential areas to transport lines and leisure time activities. The presentation gives a general overview over the project and presents some of the first results of the analyses

The impact of weather conditions on everyday cycling with different bike types in parents of young children participating in the CARTOBIKE randomized controlled trial

Author's accepted manuscriptAvailable from 05/12/2022acceptedVersio

Danish study of Non-Invasive testing in Coronary Artery Disease (Dan-NICAD):study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an established method for ruling out coronary artery disease (CAD). Most patients referred for CCTA do not have CAD and only approximately 20–30 % of patients are subsequently referred to further testing by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or non-invasive perfusion evaluation due to suspected obstructive CAD. In cases with severe calcifications, a discrepancy between CCTA and ICA often occurs, leading to the well-described, low-diagnostic specificity of CCTA. As ICA is cost consuming and involves a risk of complications, an optimized algorithm would be valuable and could decrease the number of ICAs that do not lead to revascularization. The primary objective of the Dan-NICAD study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) as secondary tests after a primary CCTA where CAD could not be ruled out. The secondary objective includes an evaluation of the diagnostic precision of an acoustic technology that analyses the sound of coronary blood flow. It may potentially provide better stratification prior to CCTA than clinical risk stratification scores alone. METHODS/DESIGN: Dan-NICAD is a multi-centre, randomised, cross-sectional trial, which will include approximately 2,000 patients without known CAD, who were referred to CCTA due to a history of symptoms suggestive of CAD and a low-risk to intermediate-risk profile, as evaluated by a cardiologist. Patient interview, sound recordings, and blood samples are obtained in connection with the CCTA. All patients with suspected obstructive CAD by CCTA are randomised to either stress CMRI or stress MPS, followed by ICA with fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements. Obstructive CAD is defined as an FFR below 0.80 or as high-grade stenosis (>90 % diameter stenosis) by visual assessment. Diagnostic performance is evaluated as sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios, and C statistics. Enrolment commenced in September 2014 and is expected to be complete in May 2016. DISCUSSION: Dan-NICAD is designed to assess whether a secondary perfusion examination after CCTA could safely reduce the number of ICAs where revascularization is not required. The results are expected to add knowledge about the optimal algorithm for diagnosing CAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT02264717. Registered on 26 September 2014. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1388-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

The impact of Aeolus wind retrievals on ECMWF global weather forecasts

Abstract Aeolus is the world's first spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar, providing profiles of horizontal line-of-sight (HLOS) wind retrievals. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) impact and error statistics of Aeolus Level-2B (L2B) wind statistics have been assessed using the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global data assimilation system. Random and systematic error estimates were derived from observation minus background departure statistics. The HLOS wind random error standard deviation is estimated to be in the range 4.0-7.0 m/s for the Rayleigh-clear and 2.8-3.6 m/s for the Mie-cloudy, depending on atmospheric signal levels which in turn depend on instrument performance, atmospheric backscatter properties and the processing algorithms. Complex systematic HLOS wind error variations on time-scales less than one orbit were identified, most strongly affecting the Rayleigh-clear winds. NWP departures and instrument housekeeping data confirmed that it is caused by temperature gradients across the primary mirror. A successful bias correction scheme was implemented in the operational processing chain in April 2020. In Observing System Experiments (OSEs), Aeolus provides statistically significant improvement in short-range forecasts as verified by observations sensitive to temperature, wind and humidity. Longer forecast range verification shows positive impact that is strongest at the day two to three forecast range: 2% improvement in root-mean-square error for vector wind and temperature in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, and polar troposphere. Positive impact up to 9 days is found in the tropical lower stratosphere. Both Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy winds provide positive impact, but the Rayleigh accounts for most tropical impact. The Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI) metric is available since 9 January 2020, when Aeolus was operationally assimilated, which confirms Aeolus is a useful contribution to the global observing system, with the Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy winds providing similar overall short-range impact in 2020

Correction of wind bias for the lidar on-board Aeolus using telescope temperatures

The European Space Agency satellite Aeolus provides continuous profiles of the horizontal line-of-sight wind component at a global scale. It was successfully launched into space in August 2018 with the goal to improve numerical weather prediction (NWP). Aeolus data has already been successfully assimilated into several NWP models and has already helped to significantly improve the quality of weather forecasts. To achieve this major milestone the identification and correction of several systematic error sources was necessary. One of them is related to small temperatures fluctuations across the 1.5 m diameter primary mirror of the telescope which cause varying wind biases along the orbit of up to 8 m/s. This paper presents a detailed overview of the influence of the telescope temperature variations on the Aeolus wind products and describes the approach to correct for this systematic error source in the operational near-real-time (NRT) processing. It was shown that the telescope temperature variations along the orbit are due to changes of the top-of-atmosphere short- and long-wave radiation of the Earth and the response of the telescope’s thermal control system to that. To correct for this effect ECMWF model-equivalent winds are used as bias reference to describe the wind bias in a multiple linear regression model as a function of various temperature sensors located on the primary telescope mirror. This correction scheme has been in operational use at ECMWF since April 2020 and is capable of reducing a large part of the telescope-induced wind bias. In cases where the influence of the temperature variations is particularly strong it was shown that the bias correction can improve the orbital bias variation by up to 53 %. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the approach of using ECMWF model-equivalent winds is justified by the fact that the global bias of models u-component winds w.r.t to radiosondes is smaller than 0.3 m/s. However, this paper also presents the alternative of using Aeolus ground return winds which serve as zero wind reference in the multiple linear regression model. The results show that the approach based on ground return winds only performs 10.8 % worse than the ECMWF model-based approach and thus has good potential for future applications for upcoming reprocessing campaigns or even in the NRT processing of Aeolus wind products

Collecting and utilising crowdsourced data for numerical weather prediction: propositions from the meeting held in Copenhagen, 4–December 5, 2018

In December 2018, the Danish Meteorological Institute organised an international meeting on the subject of crowdsourced data in numerical weather prediction (NWP) and weather forecasting. The meeting, spanning 2 days, gathered experts on crowdsourced data from both meteorological institutes and universities from Europe and the United States. Scientific presentations highlighted a vast array of possibilities and progress being made globally. Subjects include data from vehicles, smartphones, and private weather stations. Two groups were created to discuss open questions regarding the collection and use of crowdsourced data from different observing platforms. Common challenges were identified and potential solutions were discussed. While most of the work presented was preliminary, the results shared suggested that crowdsourced observations have the potential to enhance NWP. A common platform for sharing expertise, data, and results would help crowdsourced data realise this potential