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In interior cardiac computed tomography (CT) imaging, the x-ray beam is collimated to a limited field-of-view covering the heart volume, which decreases the radiation exposure to surrounding tissues. Spectral CT enables the creation of virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) through a computational material decomposition process. This study investigates the utility of VMIs for beam hardening (BH) reduction in interior cardiac CT, and further, the suitability of VMIs for coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and volume assessment is studied using spectral photon counting detector CT (PCD-CT). Ex vivo coronary artery samples (N = 18) were inserted in an epoxy rod phantom. The rod was scanned in the conventional CT geometry, and subsequently, the rod was positioned in a torso phantom and re-measured in the interior PCD-CT geometry. The total energy (TE) 10–100 keV reconstructions from PCD-CT were used as a reference. The low energy 10–60 keV and high energy 60–100 keV data were used to perform projection domain material decomposition to polymethyl methacrylate and calcium hydroxylapatite basis. The truncated basis-material sinograms were extended using the adaptive detruncation method. VMIs from 30–180 keV range were computed from the detruncated virtual monochromatic sinograms using filtered back projection. Detrending was applied as a post-processing method prior to CAC scoring. The results showed that BH artefacts from the exterior structures can be suppressed with high (≥100 keV) VMIs. With appropriate selection of the monoenergy (46 keV), the underestimation trend of CAC scores and volumes shown in Bland-Altman (BA) plots for TE interior PCD-CT was mitigated, as the BA slope values were −0.02 for the 46 keV VMI compared to −0.21 the conventional TE image. To conclude, spectral PCD-CT imaging using VMIs could be applied to reduce BH artefacts interior CT geometry, and further, optimal selection of VMI may improve the accuracy of CAC scoring assessment in interior PCD-CT.

In interior computed tomography (CT), the x-ray beam is collimated to a limited field-of-view (FOV) (e.g. the volume of the heart) to decrease exposure to adjacent organs, but the resulting image has a severe truncation artifact when reconstructed with traditional filtered back-projection (FBP) type algorithms. In some examinations, such as cardiac or dentomaxillofacial imaging, interior CT could be used to achieve further dose reductions. In this work, we describe a deep learning (DL) method to obtain artifact-free images from interior CT angiography. Our method employs the Pix2Pix generative adversarial network (GAN) in a two-stage process: (1) An extended sinogram is computed from a truncated sinogram with one GAN model, and (2) the FBP reconstruction obtained from that extended sinogram is used as an input to another GAN model that improves the quality of the interior reconstruction. Our double GAN (DGAN) model was trained with 10 000 truncated sinograms simulated from real computed tomography angiography slice images. Truncated sinograms (input) were used with original slice images (target) in training to yield an improved reconstruction (output). DGAN performance was compared with the adaptive de-truncation method, total variation regularization, and two reference DL methods: FBPConvNet, and U-Net-based sinogram extension (ES-UNet). Our DGAN method and ES-UNet yielded the best root-mean-squared error (RMSE) (0.03 ± 0.01), and structural similarity index (SSIM) (0.92 ± 0.02) values, and reference DL methods also yielded good results. Furthermore, we performed an extended FOV analysis by increasing the reconstruction area by 10% and 20%. In both cases, the DGAN approach yielded best results at RMSE (0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.04 ± 0.01 for the 10% and 20% cases, respectively), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) (30.5 ± 2.6 dB and 28.6 ± 2.6 dB), and SSIM (0.90 ± 0.02 and 0.87 ± 0.02). In conclusion, our method was able to not only reconstruct the interior region with improved image quality, but also extend the reconstructed FOV by 20%.

Purpose: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring with computed tomography (CT) has been proposed as a screening tool for coronary artery disease, but concerns remain regarding the radiation dose of CT CAC scoring. Photon counting detectors and iterative reconstruction (IR) are promising approaches for patient dose reduction, yet the preservation of CAC scores with IR has been questioned. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of IR for quantification of CAC using a photon counting flat-detector. Approach: We imaged a cardiac rod phantom with calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) inserts with different noise levels using an experimental photon counting flat-detector CT setup to simulate the clinical CAC scoring protocol. We applied filtered back projection (FBP) and two IR algorithms with different regularization strengths. We compared the air kerma values, image quality parameters [noise magnitude, noise power spectrum, modulation transfer function (MTF), and contrast-to-noise ratio], and CaHA quantification accuracy between FBP and IR. Results: IR regularization strength influenced CAC scores significantly (p

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prevalent disease with high annual mortality rates and a substantial societal and economic burden. Computed tomography (CT) is an essential diagnostic tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of CAD, and the 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend using CT as the initial diagnostic test for symptomatic patients. Since the use of ionizing examinations in the assessment of CAD is increasing, the imaging hardware, algorithms, and protocols warrant further developments to optimize the radiation dose. This doctoral dissertation evaluates recent hardware and computational advances in CT for the assessment of coronary artery calcium (CAC) with an optimized radiation dose. In particular, an experimental table-top photon counting detector CT (PCD-CT) setup was constructed to investigate the applicability of spectral PCD-CT for quantitative CAC scoring through material decomposition. The suitability of iterative reconstruction (IR) for CAC scoring with reduced radiation dose was assessed. Finally, interior tomography, in which the radiation beam is collimated to the organ-of-interest, was evaluated to investigate further possible radiation dose reduction in peripheral organs. The results showed that the experimental PCD-CT setup yields excellent image quality with a low radiation dose. However, the PCD was observed to require dedicated calibration techniques for optimized reconstruction quality. With the suitable PCD calibration and material decomposition techniques in place, spectral PCD-CT allowed for a quantitative assessment of CAC density and mass. Further, IR and interior reconstruction proved to be effective radiation dose reduction strategies with acceptable CAC scoring accuracy compared to conventionally used non-iterative reconstruction. Finally, interior tomography yielded sufficient image quality and a considerable dose reduction to organs outside the field-of-view. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the utility of PCDs, IR, and interior reconstruction in the optimization of radiation dose for CAC scoring. Tiivistelmä Sepelvaltimotauti on yleinen ja korkean kuolleisuuden tauti, jolla on merkittävä yhteiskunnallinen ja kansantaloudellinen vaikutus. Tietokonetomografialla (TT) on kriittinen rooli sepelvaltimotaudin diagnostiikassa ja seurannassa. Euroopan kardiologisen seuran 2019 ohjeistuksen mukaisesti TT:n rooli ensisijaisena työkaluna oireellisten potilaiden diagnostiikassa tulee kasvamaan. Lisääntyvän TT:n käytön myötä, uusimmilla teknologiainnovaatioilla on kriittinen rooli diagnostiikassa hyödynnettävän ionisoivan säteilyn käytön optimoinnissa. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena oli soveltaa uusimpia innovaatioita kuvantamislaitteistossa ja rekonstruktioalgoritmeissa sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien kuvantamiseen optimoidulla säteilyannoksella. Projektin alussa kehitettiin kokeellinen fotonilaskenta-TT (FTT)-kuvantamisasetelma, jonka avulla tutkittiin fotonilaskentailmaisimen soveltuvuutta sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien kvantifiointiin. Iteratiivinen rekonstruktio (IR) on mahdollistanut säteilyannoksen laskun useissa TT-protokollissa, mutta IR:n soveltuvuudesta sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien kvantifiointiin on ristiriitaisia tuloksia. Tästä johtuen työssä tutkittiin myös IR-algoritmien tarkkuutta sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien karakterisoinnissa. Lisäksi työssä tarkasteltiin sisätomografiakuvantamista, jossa säteilyannos rajataan tutkittavaan elimeen, mikä saattaa mahdollistaa säteilyannoksen vähentämisen perifeerisissä elimissä. FTT:n kuvanlaatu oli erinomainen ja se alensi säteilyannosta verrattuna diagnostisessa käytössä olevaan TT:hen. FTT:n optimoitu käyttö kuitenkin edellytti sille suunniteltuja kalibrointitekniikoita, jotka mahdollistivat tasaisen kuvanlaadun rekonstruktioissa. Sopivan detektorin kalibrointitekniikan ja materiaalihajotelma-algoritmin myötä kaksoisenergiaa hyödyntävä FTT mahdollisti kalkkeutumien tiheyden ja massan kvantitatiivisen arvioinnin. IR ja sisätomografia puolestaan mahdollistivat säteilyannoksen optimoinnin ja hyvän tarkkuuden sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien kvantifioinnissa. Loppupäätelmänä todetaan, että fotonilaskentailmaisin, IR ja sisätomografia mahdollistavat säteilyannoksen lisäoptimoinnin sepelvaltimokalkkeutumien kuvantamisessa.

Tiivistelmä. Moraalinen ahdistus on merkittävä ongelma hoitotyöntekijöiden ammatissa. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on kuvailla tekijöitä, jotka vähentävät hoitotyöntekijöiden kokemaa moraalista ahdistusta. Tavoitteena on tuottaa tietoa hoitotyöntekijöiden moraalisen ahdistuksen vähentämiseen liittyvistä tekijöistä, jotta hoitotyössä voitaisiin välttyä ilmiön huonoilta vaikutuksilta. Tutkimuksessa saadun tiedon avulla voidaan kehittää toimintatapoja, jotka tukevat hoitotyöntekijöiden työssä jaksamista vähentämällä moraalista ahdistusta. Työ on katsaustyypiltään kuvaileva kirjallisuuskatsaus. Aineistonkeruu toteutettiin Cinahl (EBSCO), Scopus, ProQuest ja Medic tietokannoista maaliskuussa 2020. Katsaukseen valikoitui viisi vertaisarvioitua tutkimusta, jotka oli julkaistu 2013–2018. Tutkimuksen aineiston käsittelyssä käytettiin soveltaen aineistolähtöistä sisällönanalyysia. Koulutuksen avulla voitiin lisätä sekä hoitotyöntekijöiden tietoa ja osaamista eettisten ongelmien käsittelyssä sekä ilmiön tiedostamista, tunnistamista ja toimimista sen estämiseksi. Kommunikaation lisääminen eri ammattiryhmien välillä sekä hoitotyöntekijöiden kesken auttoi saavuttamaan yhteisymmärrystä annettavasta hoidosta, jolla oli positiivinen vaikutus hoitotyöntekijöiden moraalisen ahdistuksen määrään. Johtamisella voitiin vaikuttaa ennaltaehkäisevästi tukemalla työntekijöitä hankalien kliinisten tilanteiden aikana olemalla saatavilla sekä kuuntelemalla heidän huolenaiheitaan. Työympäristön parantaminen lisäsi joustavuutta, luottamusta ja hyvinvointia sekä työympäristön eettisyyttä tukevat käytännöt vähensivät moraalista ahdistusta. Työntekijöiden työhyvinvoinnista huolehtiminen sekä itsehoidolliset aktiviteetit vähensivät moraalisen ahdistuksen kokemista. Moraalisen ahdistuksen vähenemiseen voidaan vaikuttaa hoitotyöntekijöitä kouluttamalla ja lisäämällä kommunikaatiota työyhteisössä. Hankalien kliinisten tilanteiden aikana johtamisella voidaan vaikuttaa ongelmien syntymiseen ennaltaehkäisevästi. Lisäksi eettisyyttä tukevat käytännöt työympäristössä sekä työhyvinvoinnista huolehtiminen ovat tärkeitä moraalisen ahdistuksen vähentämisen kannalta.

The aim of this study is to compare how different calibration methods influence the image quality of photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) at high and low photon fluxes. We investigate the performance of flat-field correction, signal-to-equivalent thickness calibration (STC), and polynomial correction (PC) methods using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and iron as calibration materials. Two different cylindrical imaging phantoms containing contrast targets were scanned: an agar phantom and a phantom consisting of titanium hip implant embedded in agar. The scans were acquired using 120 kVp, and the energy thresholds of the PCD were set at 10 keV and 60 keV to obtain low energy (10–60 keV), high energy (60–120 keV) and total energy images (10–120 keV). Additionally, virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) with energies between 60–180 keV with 20 keV increments were generated from PC data. The reconstructions were made using filtered back projection, and image quality was assessed by evaluating image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and image uniformity. Overall, STC with PMMA as calibration material yielded the best image quality in terms of CNR and uniformity. Flat-field correction produced uniform reconstruction at low photon flux, but the performance degraded substantially at high flux. STC with iron as calibration material did not improve the reconstructions of the titanium hip implant. The beam hardening effects arising from metal were reduced when the VMI energy was increased while the CNR evaluated from agar phantom decreased with increasing energy of the VMI. Over the methods investigated, STC with PMMA was the most optimal calibration method for PCD-CT, yielding excellent image uniformity with both photon flux conditions.

In this work, the accuracy of material decomposition (MD) using an energy discriminating photon counting detector was studied. An MD framework was established and validated using calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) inserts of known densities (50 mg/cm³, 100 mg/cm³, 250 mg/cm³, 400 mg/cm³), and diameters (1.2 mm, 3.0 mm, 5.0 mm). These inserts were placed in a cardiac rod phantom that mimics a tissue equivalent heart and measured using an experimental photon counting detector cone beam computed tomography (PCD-CBCT) setup. The quantitative coronary calcium scores (density, mass, and volume) obtained from the MD framework were compared with the nominal values. Additionally, three different calibration techniques, signal-toequivalent thickness calibration (STC), polynomial correction (PC), and projected equivalent thickness calibration (PETC) were compared to investigate the effect of the calibration method on the quantitative values. The obtained MD estimates agreed well with the nominal values for density (mass) with mean absolute percent errors (MAPEs) 8 ± 11% (9 ± 15%) and 4 ± 6% (9 ± 14%) for STC and PETC calibration methods, respectively. PC displayed large MAPEs for density (27 ± 9%), and mass (25 ± 12%). Volume estimation resulted in large deviations between true and measured values with notable MAPEs for STC (40 ± 90%), PC (40 ± 80%), and PETC (40 ± 90%). The framework demonstrated the feasibility of quantitative CaHA mass and density scoring using PCD-CBCT.

Computed tomography (CT) is the reference method for cardiac imaging, but concerns have been raised regarding the radiation dose of CT examinations. Recently, photon counting detectors (PCDs) and interior tomography, in which the radiation beam is limited to the organ-of-interest, have been suggested for patient dose reduction. In this study, we investigated interior PCD-CT (iPCD-CT) for non-enhanced quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC) using an anthropomorphic torso phantom and ex vivo coronary artery samples. We reconstructed the iPCD-CT measurements with filtered back projection (FBP), iterative total variation (TV) regularization, padded FBP, and adaptively detruncated FBP and adaptively detruncated TV. We compared the organ doses between conventional CT and iPCD-CT geometries, assessed the truncation and cupping artifacts with iPCD-CT, and evaluated the CAC quantification performance of iPCD-CT. With approximately the same effective dose between conventional CT geometry (0.30 mSv) and interior PCD-CT with 10.2 cm field-of-view (0.27 mSv), the organ dose of the heart was increased by 52.3% with interior PCD-CT when compared to CT. Conversely, the organ doses to peripheral and radiosensitive organs, such as the stomach (55.0% reduction), were often reduced with interior PCD-CT. FBP and TV did not sufficiently reduce the truncation artifact, whereas padded FBP and adaptively detruncated FBP and TV yielded satisfactory truncation artifact reduction. Notably, the adaptive detruncation algorithm reduced truncation artifacts effectively when it was combined with reconstruction detrending. With this approach, the CAC quantification accuracy was good, and the coronary artery disease grade reclassification rate was particularly low (5.6%). Thus, our results confirm that CAC quantification can be performed with the interior CT geometry, that the artifacts are effectively reduced with suitable interior reconstruction methods, and that interior tomography provides efficient patient dose reduction.

The objective of this research is to increase understanding about B2B company-led user engagement on social media content. Building on hierarchy-of-effects (HoE) theory, we explore how the world’s leading B2B companies use content objectives (why), strategies (how), and tactics (what) on Twitter. We first integrate B2B advertising and social media research on companies’ content objectives, strategies, and tactics. Then, using qualitative analyses, we examine the existence of objectives, strategies, and tactics in the most engaging tweets (N = 365) of the worlds’ ten leading B2B brands, covering five industries, in 2017. Finally, we quantitatively examine how the use of diverse objectives and strategies differs between the most engaging tweets (N = 318) and least engaging tweets (N = 229) of the companies in 2018. The companies use objectives, strategies and tactics that relate to creating awareness, knowledge and trust, interest, and liking in the majority of their most and least engaging tweets, and express preference, conviction and purchase aspects much less. Differences exist in general, industry-wise, and company-wise. The study is a rare attempt to integrate the extant B2B advertising and social media research, and compare the most and least engaging B2B social media content.

Purpose: The paper explores the antecedents to business model scalability. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is conceptual and exploratory in nature and builds on the practice / action learning approach. Findings: The paper presents an action research based framework for approaching and understanding the change needs of business models and business model scalability as practices. These practices are based on a literature review of business opportunities, scalability and market dynamics. Practical Implications: From a managerial and entrepreneurial perspective, the findings of the paper highlight the role and dynamism of the business environment and the continuous assessment of the business environ- ment in evaluating business opportunity and changes in opportunity. Originality/Value: The paper proposes a novel framework for business model synchronization against busi- ness opportunity, and vice versa. It also connects the business model to the market and hence to the market value of the firm., Journal of Business Models, Vol 6 No 1 (2018): Journal of Business Models

The extant research on network development often focuses on individual networks, thereby leaving room for theorizing how multiple networks coevolve. To fill the gap, we aim to create a conceptual framework to explain coevolution among networks. Drawing from the fields of biology, ecology and sociology and integrating them into the management literature, we propose that the basis for network coevolution is the existence of hot and cold spots—where networks are either mutually receptive to signals from each other or not—and that coevolution is driven by identity schisms. We also introduce essential mechanisms (criteria for fitness, traits change), characteristics (neither deterministic nor causal, disruption of network development process) and possible outcomes (mutation, competition, isolation, complementariness, extinction) of coevolution among networks. The contribution of the study on the extant research on social networks and networking lies in increasing our understanding of the mechanisms of network-to-network interaction at the whole network level.

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of dynamic capability in business model change in Internet-based business start-ups and Internet-based business enterprises. This study reviews the literature on business models, business model change, and dynamic capability, and defines business model change as a dynamic capability that is expected to lead to increased speed of business change and competitive advantages over the long term. This empirical study of business model change is accomplished by the case study method. The study is based on field data of four case companies regarding entrepreneurs’, business developers’, and business leaders’ behavior and actions while they are utilizing the business model concept for the purpose of business change. This study approaches business model change as a dynamic capability from three dynamic capability cluster perspectives. It explores how businesses can use the concept of business model for business decisions as well as how they can use the concept of business model to improve the speed of business change after new business opportunities or threats are found. The analysis identifies the process of business model change and factors that affect business model change, and the outcomes are results from three dynamic capability clusters that Internet-based companies are able to follow in a fast-changing business environment. This study develops a posteriori model proposing that a dynamically capable business model change consists of sensing, seizing, and transforming activities to obtain successful business and competitive advantages over the long term. A posteriori model of business model change as a dynamic capability creates a framework to support a quick business model change, especially in a fast-changing business environment. This study adds a dynamic capability viewpoint to the business model literature pertaining to business modeling and business model change. Regarding the managerial implications, this study shows how entrepreneurs and business owners can utilize the concept of business model in order to support a quick business change and possibly gain a competitive advantage in the long term. The study results indicate that internal and external factors for business model change are company-specific and those vary between the start-up and enterprise. And thus, a successful business model change can be achieved through analyzing and further developing these company-specific factors. These factors can be seen as a micro foundation of dynamic capability, and development of these factors can improve competitive advantage. Tiivistelmä Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan nuoreen Internet liiketoimintaan pohjautuvaan kasvuyritykseen ja kypsiin Internet liiketoimintaan pohjautuviin yrityksiin tehtyjä liiketoimintamallimuutoksia dynaamisten kyvykkyyksien näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen aihetta lähestytään nuoren kasvuyrityksen sekä kypsien yritysten kannalta ja työn teoreettinen viitekehys rakennetaan liiketoimintamallin, liiketoimintamallimuutoksen sekä dynaamisen kyvykkyyden tutkimusjulkaisujen kautta. Työssä liiketoimintamallimuutos määritellään dynaamiseksi kyvykkyydeksi joka kehittyy eri toimintojen avulla. Tämä dynaaminen kyvykkyys voi mahdollistaa nopeamman liiketoimintamuutoksen ja pitkällä aikavälillä se voi vaikuttaa myös kilpailuedun saavuttamiseen. Työn empiirisessä osassa liiketoimintamallimuutosta tutkitaan tapaustutkimusmenetelmällä neljässä yrityksessä. Yrittäjien, liiketoimintakehittäjien, sekä johtajien käyttäytymistä ja toimenpiteitä tutkitaan liiketoimintamallikonseptin kautta muutostilanteessa. Yrittäjien, liiketoimintakehittäjien, sekä johtajien käyttäytymistä ja toimenpiteitä tutkitaan liiketoimintamallikonseptin kautta muutostilanteessa. Työssä dynaamista liiketoimintamallimuutosta lähestytään kolmen dynaamiselle kyvykkyydelle määritellyn klusterin kautta (havaitseminen, tarttuminen, sekä uhkien hallinta ja muuntautuminen). Nämä klusterit toimivat erityisesti silloin kun yritysten tulee tehdä nopeita liiketoimintapäätöksiä ja liiketoimintamuutoksia. Analyysissa tunnistetaan liiketoimintamallin muutosprosessi, sekä sisäiset ja ulkoiset tekijät joilla on vaikutusta liiketoimintamallimuutokseen. Lopputulokset ovat seuraus kolmesta dynaamisen ominaisuuden klusterista joita organisaatioiden tulisi huomioida nopeasti muuttuvassa ympäristössä. Tutkimuksessa kehitetään jälkikäteismalli jossa liiketoimintamallimuutos dynaamisena kyvykkyytenä synnytetään dynaamisen kyvykkyyden klustereissa esiintyvien toimenpiteiden kautta. Näiden toimenpiteiden avulla on mahdollista saavuttaa pitkällä aikavälillä menestystä ja mahdollisesti myös kilpailuetua. Jälkikäteismalli tukee dynaamista liiketoimintamallimuutosta nopeasti muuttuvassa liiketoimintaympäristössä. Työn teoreettinen kontribuutio on erityisesti dynaamisen kyvykkyyden näkökulma liiketoimintamallintamiseen ja liiketoimintamallimuutokseen. Työssä osoitetaan myös kuinka yrittäjät ja liiketoimintaomistajat voivat käytännössä hyödyntää liiketoimintamallikonseptia nopeasti tehtävään liiketoimintamuutokseen. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että sisäisillä ja ulkoisilla tekijöillä on vaikutusta liiketoimintamallimuutokseen. Nämä tekijät ovat yrityskohtaisia, ja nuoren kasvuyrityksen ja kypsien yritysten väliltä löytyy eroja. Sen vuoksi onnistunut liiketoimintamallimuutos voidaan tehdä näitä tekijöitä analysoimalla ja kehittämällä.

Articular cartilage is a connective tissue, that provides virtually frictionless articulation between bones in a joint. Degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA), is the most common type of arthritis. During its development, cartilage is progressively lost, decreasing the functional capacity of the joint. Currently it is diagnosed with radiography, which might not show changes in cartilage tissue during the early stages of OA. In radiography, cartilage degeneration might be visible only when OA has progressed to advanced stage. The lack of effective treatment methods for advanced stage of OA has generated interest towards the development of biomarkers for the detection of early OA. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially relaxation time mapping, is able to provide accurate information on early changes in cartilage structure and is considered to be one of the best candidates for the detection of early OA. Morphological assessment of three-dimensional MRI, on the other hand, can be used as an indicator of the rate of cartilage loss. In this work, OA is reviewed and the current methods for diagnosing OA are studied. Relaxation time mapping and morphological assessment of articular cartilage are current research interests and these methods will also be discussed.

In this article, we discuss the potential of Dalcroze-inspired music education for students with special educational needs (SEN), based on preliminary findings of an on-going PhD study (ethnographic practitioner research) and the experiences of the first author when teaching music in a special education school for ten years. In that practice, the holistic approach based on Jaques-Dalcroze’s educational ideas was found to offer valuable and meaningful learning experiences and a tool for a deeper understanding of music, oneself and others. The research design consisted of a music and movement intervention for a group of Finnish grade 8 and 9 SEN students over a period of one school year. This paper draws on the first author’s reflections on the intervention (field notes and research diary) as well as on the teacher interview data. The preliminary results of the study indicate that the Dalcroze approach fosters equal opportunities for SEN students to experience music and to develop and demonstrate their skills, musical knowledge and agency. In the music–movement activities, the joy of collaboration with student peers and the teacher on the one hand, and enjoyment of each student’s bodily experiences on the other, are intertwined in the processes of embodied musical interaction. This interaction, primarily aimed at learning in and through music, evokes emotions as well as offers students opportunities to confront their emotions and make sense of learning situations and life in general.

Continuous software engineering (CSE) is used for customer experiments and repetitive integrated processes within and between business planning and software development. First, this paper defines a new framework, called CRUSOE, for analysing CSE prerequisites. The framework allows for a more precise analysis of the interrelations and estimation of the changes that are prerequisites for moving from traditional product development to CSE. CRUSOE addresses prerequisites associated with and interdependencies among (1) the strategy, (2) architecture and (3) organisation. Second, this paper describes a case study conducted as part of a smartphone platform project to investigate the CSE prerequisites for product-focused software development. The results are synthesised together with recent related studies using the CRUSOE framework. The findings confirm challenges in moving towards CSE in embedded system development. Moreover, context-specific prerequisites should be considered, while it is still unclear as to how CSE can be systematically applied to the non-website development context.