Report on energy efficiency potentials in the transport sector

This report illuminates potentials for energy saving within the transportation sector in the EU/EFTA area through energy efficiency measures for bringing about a modal shift from energy-demanding to more energy-efficient modes of transportation and reducing the movement of persons and goods

Assessing the cumulative effect of long-term training load on the risk of injury in team sports

Objectives: Determine how to assess the cumulative effect of training load on the risk of injury or health problems in team sports. Methods: First, we performed a simulation based on a Norwegian Premier League male football dataset (n players=36). Training load was sampled from daily session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). Different scenarios of the effect of sRPE on injury risk and the effect of relative sRPE on injury risk were simulated. These scenarios assumed that the probability of injury was the result of training load exposures over the previous 4 weeks. We compared seven different methods of modelling training load in their ability to model the simulated relationship. We then used the most accurate method, the distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM), to analyse data from Norwegian youth elite handball players (no. of players=205, no. of health problems=471) to illustrate how assessing the cumulative effect of training load can be done in practice. Results: DLNM was the only method that accurately modelled the simulated relationships between training load and injury risk. In the handball example, DLNM could show the cumulative effect of training load and how much training load affected health problem risk depending on the distance in time since the training load exposure. Conclusion: DLNM can be used to assess the cumulative effect of training load on injury risk.publishedVersio

Mechanical ventilation in the ICU- is there a gap between the time available and time used for nurse-led weaning?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a key component in the care of critically ill and injured patients. Weaning from MV constitutes a major challenge in intensive care units (ICUs). Any delay in weaning may increase the number of complications and leads to greater expense. Nurse-led, protocol-directed weaning has become popular, but it remains underused. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify discrepancies between the time available for weaning and time actually used for weaning. Further, we also wished to analyse patient and systemic factors associated with weaning activity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This retrospective study was performed in a 12-bed general ICU at a university hospital. Weaning data were collected from 68 adult patients on MV and recorded in terms of ventilator-shifts. One ventilator-shift was defined as an 8-hour nursing shift for one MV patient.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 2000 ventilator-shifts analysed, 572 ventilator-shifts were available for weaning. We found that only 46% of the ventilator shifts available for weaning were actually used for weaning. While physician prescription of weaning was associated with increased weaning activity (p < 0.001), a large amount (22%) of weaning took place without physician prescription. Both increased nursing workload and night shifts were associated with reduced weaning activity. During the study period there was a significant increase in performed weaning, both when prescribed or not (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study identified a significant gap between the time available and time actually used for weaning. While various patient and systemic factors were linked to weaning activity, the most important factor in our study was whether the intensive care nurses made use of the time available for weaning.</p

Quantification of Savings for the European Transport Sector through Energy Efficient Urban Planning

The transport sector accounts for around 30 % of Europe&rsquo;s final energy consumption. To meet the EU&rsquo;s decarbonization goals by 2050, it is important to quantify the energy savings potential in technology, infrastructure, and planning. This study analyses the European transport sector in the context of traditional and energy-efficient urban development. The latter demonstrates a scenario where accessibility is provided through enhanced proximity to a destination rather than through increased mobility, where mobility is shifted from roads and aviation towards rail. This development is ensured by, among other things, investing heavily in urban and inter-urban transport systems and abstaining from building new freeways and airports. The results indicate that it is not only desirable but economically beneficial to shift towards an energy-efficient transport system. The development of the European transport sector in the proposed trajectory significantly reduces annual final energy demand, and the investment made in new infrastructure for rail, bikes, and walkable urban areas are paid back by the reduced cost from road transport

Quantification of Savings for the European Transport Sector through Energy Efficient Urban Planning

The transport sector accounts for around 30 % of Europe&rsquo;s final energy consumption. To meet the EU&rsquo;s decarbonization goals by 2050, it is important to quantify the energy savings potential in technology, infrastructure, and planning. This study analyses the European transport sector in the context of traditional and energy-efficient urban development. The latter demonstrates a scenario where accessibility is provided through enhanced proximity to a destination rather than through increased mobility, where mobility is shifted from roads and aviation towards rail. This development is ensured by, among other things, investing heavily in urban and inter-urban transport systems and abstaining from building new freeways and airports. The results indicate that it is not only desirable but economically beneficial to shift towards an energy-efficient transport system. The development of the European transport sector in the proposed trajectory significantly reduces annual final energy demand, and the investment made in new infrastructure for rail, bikes, and walkable urban areas are paid back by the reduced cost from road transport

An open platform for seamless sensor support in healthcare for the Internet of things

Population aging and increasing pressure on health systems are two issues that demand solutions. Involving and empowering citizens as active managers of their health represents a desirable shift from the current culture mainly focused on treatment of disease, to one also focused on continuous health management and well-being. Current developments in technological areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), lead to new technological solutions that can aid this shift in the healthcare sector. This study presents the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a platform called Common Recognition and Identification Platform (CRIP), a part of the CareStore project, which aims at supporting caregivers and citizens to manage health routines in a seamless way. Specifically, the CRIP offers sensor-based support for seamless identification of users and health devices. A set of initial requirements was defined with a focus on usability limitations and current sensor technologies. The CRIP was designed and implemented using several technologies that enable seamless integration and interaction of sensors and people, namely Near Field Communication and fingerprint biometrics for identification and authentication, Bluetooth for communication with health devices and web services for wider integration with other platforms. Two CRIP prototypes were implemented and evaluated in laboratory during a period of eight months. The evaluations consisted of identifying users and devices, as well as seamlessly configure and acquire vital data from the last. Also, the entire Carestore platform was deployed in a nursing home where its usability was evaluated with caregivers. The evaluations helped assess that seamless identification of users and seamless configuration and communication with health devices is feasible and can help enable the IoT on healthcare applications. Therefore, the CRIP and similar platforms could be transformed into a valuable enabling technology for secure and reliable IoT deployments on the healthcare sector.This research work was supported under the European Framework Program FP7 Research for the Benefit of SMEs, project FP7-SME-2012-315158-CareStore. The authors would also like to acknowledge the work of all the members of the CareStore team, without whom this work would not be possible

A new statistical approach to training load and injury risk: separating the acute from the chronic load

The relationship between recent (acute) training load relative to long-term (chronic) training load may be associated with sports injury risk. We explored the potential for modelling acute and chronic loads separately to address current statistical methodology limitations. We also determined whether there was any evidence of an interaction in the association between acute and chronic training loads and injury risk in football. A men’s Qatar Stars League football cohort (1 465 players, 1 977 injuries), where training load was defined as the number of minutes of activity, and a Norwegian elite U-19 football cohort (81 players, 60 injuries), where training load was defined as the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). Mixed logistic regression was run with training load on the current day (acute load) and cumulative past training load estimated by distributed lag non-linear models (chronic load) as independent variables. Injury was the outcome. An interaction between acute and chronic training load was modelled. In both football populations, we observed that the risk of injury on the current day for different values of acute training load was highest for players with low chronic load, followed by high and then medium chronic load. The slopes varied substantially between different levels of chronic training load, indicating an interaction. Modelling acute and chronic loads separately in regression models is a suitable statistical approach for analysing the association between relative training load and injury risk in injury prevention research. Sports scientists should also consider the potential for interactions between acute and chronic load.publishedVersio