bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing forage–livestock system productivity and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions via sustainable pasture management of two Brachiaria cultivars
Authors: Silva Débora S. M. , Monteiro Alyce , Pedreira Bruno C. , Mombach Mircéia A. , Pereira Dalton H. , Rodrigues Renato A. R. , Matos Eduardo S.
Published: September 2024

Context Forage–livestock systems contribute to Brazilian greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, harming the environment and reducing bioeconomic efficiency. Employing technologies like pasture management is crucial for sustainable mitigation. Aims Our objective was to measure greenhouse gas emissions of beef cattle in forage systems by exploring well-managed Brachiaria hybrid pastures in the Brazilian Amazon Biome. Methods The experimental design was a randomised complete block, with two cultivars: Ipyporã and Mulato II, in four replicates, totalling eight experimental units, and each experimental unit was 1.5 ha. Key results Ipyporã pastures had 88.5% greater herbage mass than Mulato II in January (8350 vs 4430 kg dry mass ha−1). There was no difference between cultivars for soil GHG emissions. The greatest enteric methane and carbon dioxide values were measured in February. In Ipyporã pastures, the average daily gain was 57% and 50% greater than in Mulato II, in February (837 vs 533 g day−1) and March (1054 vs 700 g day−1) respectively. Enteric methane and carbon dioxide were 34% and 48% less respectively in Ipyporã pastures in February. Conclusions Soil GHG emissions in fertilised pastures followed similar patterns across different cultivars, but those with greater production tended to produce more emissions (soil and enteric) due to fertilisation and increased stocking rates. Implications Forage–livestock production systems benefit from adequate grazing and pasture management of two Brachiaria cultivars, resulting in greater productivity compared to GHG emissions. This leads to reduced emissions per unit of product, contributing to the development of a more efficient and sustainable forage–livestock system.
Cellular and circuit remodeling of the primate foveal midget pathway after acute photoreceptor loss
Authors: Akiba Ryutaro , Lind Boniec Shane , Knecht Sharm , Uyama Hirofumi , Tu Hung-Ya , Baba Takayuki , Takahashi Masayo , Mandai Michiko , Wong Rachel O.
Published: September 2024

The retinal fovea in human and nonhuman primates is essential for high acuity and color vision. Within the fovea lies specialized circuitry in which signals from a single cone photoreceptor are largely conveyed to one ON and one OFF type midget bipolar cell (MBC), which in turn connect to a single ON or OFF midget ganglion cell (MGC), respectively. Restoring foveal vision requires not only photoreceptor replacement but also appropriate reconnection with surviving ON and OFF MBCs and MGCs. However, our current understanding of the effects of cone loss on the remaining foveal midget pathway is limited. We thus used serial block-face electron microscopy to determine the degree of plasticity and potential remodeling of this pathway in adult
Macaca fascicularis
several months after acute photoreceptor loss upon photocoagulation. We reconstructed MBC structure and connectivity within and adjacent to the region of cone loss. We found that MBC dendrites within the scotoma retracted and failed to reach surviving cones to form new connections. However, both surviving cones and ON and OFF MBC dendrites at the scotoma border exhibited remodeling, suggesting that these neurons can demonstrate plasticity and rewiring at maturity. At six months postlesion, disconnected OFF MBCs clearly lost output ribbon synapses with their postsynaptic partners, whereas the majority of ON MBCs maintained their axonal ribbon numbers, suggesting differential timing or extent in ON and OFF midget circuit remodeling after cone loss. Our findings raise rewiring considerations for cell replacement approaches in the restoration of foveal vision.
Planting green and ecosystem services in row crop production systems
Authors: Blanco-Canqui Humberto , Jhala Amit J.
Published: September 2024

Delaying cover crop (CC) termination until or after row crop planting, known as planting green (PG), could boost CC biomass production and ecosystem services relative to the traditional CC termination (usually 1–3 weeks before crop planting). Yet, this potential has not been widely discussed. We reviewed the literature to compare CC biomass production, soil erodibility, soil water, soil C, nitrate leaching, weed suppression, insect population, disease and pest incidence risks, and crop yields between PG and traditional CC termination. Most (>95%) PG studies were: (1) from U.S. temperate regions, (2) short-term (<3 years), and (3) in winter rye CC managed in no-till corn and soybean production systems. Across studies, CC produced 1.09–11.26 times (2.56 times average) more biomass in PG than in the traditional CC termination. Cover crops in PG produced 0.117 Mg biomass ha
–1
d
–1
. Soil C and other properties did not respond to PG in most studies, although data were few. Soil water content was lower at crop planting and greater after CC termination in PG. Cover crops in PG often suppressed weeds but increased or had no effect on disease and pest incidence. They had mixed or no effect on crop yields in 68% of studies (13 of 19) but had reduced yields in 32%, suggesting PG may not be detrimental to crop production in most cases. Long-term (>10 years) studies are lacking to better understand ecosystem services from PG and establish optimum CC termination timings. Overall, PG has mixed effects on soil properties, soil C, insect population, diseases, pests, and crop yields, but PG can suppress weeds.
Modeling the mechanism of Ca2+ release in skeletal muscle by DHPRs easing inhibition at RyR I1-sites
Authors: Stephenson D. George
Published: September 2024

Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a central role in excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) in skeletal muscles. However, the mechanism by which activation of the voltage-sensors/dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) in the membrane of the transverse tubular system leads to activation of the Ca2+-release channels/ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in the SR is not fully understood. Recent observations showing that a very small Ca2+ leak through RyR1s in mammalian skeletal muscle can markedly raise the background [Ca2+] in the junctional space (JS) above the Ca2+ level in the bulk of the cytosol indicate that there is a diffusional barrier between the JS and the cytosol at large. Here, I use a mathematical model to explore the hypothesis that a sudden rise in Ca2+ leak through DHPR-coupled RyR1s, caused by reduced inhibition at the RyR1 Ca2+/Mg2+ inhibitory I1-sites when the associated DHPRs are activated, is sufficient to enable synchronized responses that trigger a regenerative rise of Ca2+ release that remains under voltage control. In this way, the characteristic response to Ca2+ of RyR channels is key not only for the Ca2+ release mechanism in cardiac muscle and other tissues, but also for the DHPR-dependent Ca2+ release in skeletal muscle.
Quantum gravity inspired nonlocal quantum dynamics preserving the classical limit
Authors: Ciszak Marzena , Belenchia Alessio , Ortolan Antonello , Marino Francesco
Published: September 2024

Several approaches to quantum gravity lead to nonlocal modifications of fields’ dynamics. This, in turn, can give rise to nonlocal modifications of quantum mechanics at non-relativistic energies. Here, we analyze the nonlocal Schrödinger evolution of a quantum harmonic oscillator in one such scenario, where the problem can be addressed without the use of perturbation theory. We demonstrate that although deviations from standard quantum predictions occur at low occupation numbers, where they could potentially be detected or constrained by high-precision experiments, the classical limits of quantum probability densities and free energy remain unaffected up to energies comparable with the nonlocality scale. These results provide an example of nonlocal quantum dynamics compatible with classical predictions, suggesting massive quantum objects as a promising avenue for testing some phenomenological aspects of quantum gravity.
Etching of Ga2O3: an important process for device manufacturing
Authors: Xi Zhaoying , Liu Zeng , Fang Junpeng , Bian Ang , Zhang Shaohui , Zhang Jia-Han , Li Lei , Guo Yufeng , Tang Weihua
Published: September 2024

Etching plays a key role in processing and manufacturing electronic and optoelectronic devices. For ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor gallium oxide (Ga2O3), its etching investigations and evolution mechanism are still at the earlier stage, and some more research gumption should be invested. In this review, we make a summary on the etching of Ga2O3, including dry (plasma) etching, wet chemical etching, and photoelectrochemical etching, and discuss the etching results, existing problems, and feasible solutions, in order to provide guidance and advises for furtherly developing the Ga2O3 etching and Ga2O3-based electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Electrical surface breakdown characteristics of micro- and nano-Al2O3 particle co-doped epoxy composites
Authors: Zhang Guobao , Yang Wei , Zhang Lei , Wu Zhengyang , Cai Mengyi , Zhu Taiyun , Sun Lei , Gao He , Li Zhen
Published: September 2024

Epoxy microcomposites are basic materials for gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) spacers that are subjected to huge electrical stress. Previous works have indicated that nanoparticles are beneficial to dielectric performance. However, surface electrical breakdown, a typical fault in GIS of co-doped micro- and nanoparticles in epoxy composites, is seldom studied. In this work, numerous concentrations of micro- and nano-Al2O3 are co-doped into an epoxy matrix; the surface traps, surface charging, and surface breakdown voltages (V
sb) of the co-doped composites are studied, and the influence of micro- and nano-Al2O3 on the electrical surface breakdown is clarified. The results show that V
sb first decreases and then increases with the microparticles, and V
sb decreases from 25.34 kV to 19.52 kV. As the number of nanoparticles increases, V
sb increases and then decreases when the microparticle loading is low, but decreases and then increases when the microparticle loading exceeds 40 wt%. Micro-Al2O3 particles introduce surface shallow traps into epoxy composites, while small amounts of nano-Al2O3 introduce deep traps. Two different mechanisms dominate the surface charging and V
sb of epoxy micro-nanocomposites. When the surface conductivity is lower than 7 × 10−14 S, the surface charges are reduced by the suppression of electrode injection as the trap depth increases, and V
sb increases. When the surface conductivity exceeds 7 × 10−14 S, the surface charge dissipation rate increases with the surface conductivity and V
sb increases as the surface conductivity increases. Our work indicates that co-doped micro- and nano-particles should keep the surface conductivity away from the specic value (7 × 10−14 S) to safeguard insulation properties for GIS spacers.
Fatigue failure analysis and life prediction of wheel load local area of ladle crane
Authors: Wei Guoqian , Yin Qingzheng , Zhao You , Dang Zhang , Lu Zhiwen
Published: September 2024

Metal structures of ladle cranes are typical complex welded structures, where fatigue cracks are prone to initiate in some specific locations. In this paper, on-site tests and theoretical analysis were performed for a in-service ladle crane to investigate the crack damage mechanism at some local areas beneath the wheel loads. The on-site tests included crack observation of the entire bridge structure, geometry inspection of the main girder and stress test of the key locations. It was found that fatigue cracks had densely occurred in some spots with similar geometry details. The stress test results showed that obvious rail gnawing phenomenon happened during the ladle crane operating process. By finite element analysis (FEA) with a multi-layer model and DLOAD subroutine, stress time histories of the damaged spots under moving wheel loads were simulated. Combined with the tested stresses, influences of rail gnawing force on the stress cycling characteristics at the cracked areas were analyzed. Based on the in-service stress spectrum, the fatigue lives of the cracked areas were predicted, revealing that the random rail gnawing force is the dominant factor causing large amount of cracks at the damaged areas.
Green synthesised Mn3O4 and poly (o-phenylenediamine) for antimicrobial textile-based supercapacitor applications
Authors: K S Darshini , Chakraborty Sohini , Sam Dona Mary , N L Mary
Published: September 2024

The advancement of wearable supercapacitors (SCs) has recently garnered a lot of attention owing to their ease of fabrication into textiles, low cost, long cycle life, fast charging and discharging, high efficiency, and ability to bridge the energy and power gap between conventional capacitors and batteries. The present study focuses on the development of wearable textile-based SC electrodes using green-synthesised manganese oxide nanoparticles functionalised on poly(o-phenylenediamine) reinforced to a polymer nanocomposite. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized using spectroscopic techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction studies, and scanning electron microscopy to validate the incorporation of metal oxide nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. The thermal properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The electrochemical performance of the bare polymer and the nanocomposite was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and impedance spectroscopy techniques. An impressive specific capacitance of 213 Fg−1 was achieved at a current density of 1 Ag−1 for the polymer nanocomposite and even after 1000 cycles a capacitance retention of 89% was observed. Enhanced antimicrobial activity was also observed for the nanocomposite against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Based on these attributes, the fabricated device can be used as an efficient antimicrobial wearable SC.
Simultaneous iodine and barium imaging with photon-counting CT
Authors: Deng Xinchen , Richtsmeier Devon , Rodesch Pierre-Antoine , Iniewski Kris , Bazalova-Carter Magdalena
Published: September 2024

Objective. The objective of this study is to explore the capabilities of photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) in simultaneously imaging and differentiating materials with close atomic numbers, specifically barium (Z = 56) and iodine (Z = 53), which is challenging for conventional computed tomography (CT). Approach. Experiments were conducted using a bench-top PCCT system equipped with a cadmium zinc telluride detector. Various phantom setups and contrast agent concentrations (1%–5%) were employed, along with a biological sample. Energy thresholds were tuned to the K-edge absorption energies of barium (37.4 keV) and iodine (33.2 keV) to capture multi-energy CT images. K-edge decomposition was performed using K-edge subtraction and principal component analysis (PCA) techniques to differentiate and quantify the contrast agents. Main results. The PCCT system successfully differentiated and accurately quantified barium and iodine in both phantom combinations and a biological sample, achieving high correlations (

R
2

≈
1

) between true and reconstructed concentrations. PCA outperformed K-edge subtraction, particularly in the presence of calcium, by providing superior differentiation between barium and iodine. Significance. This study demonstrates the potential of PCCT for reliable, detailed imaging in both clinical and research settings, particularly for contrast agents with similar atomic numbers. The results suggest that PCCT could offer significant improvements in imaging quality over conventional CT, especially in applications requiring precise material differentiation.
Design and simulation of a III-Nitride light emitting transistor
Authors: Awwad Mohammad , Ifatur Rahman Sheikh , Joishi Chandan , McGlone Joe , Lise Anderson Betty , Rajan Siddharth
Published: September 2024

This paper describes the design and characteristics of monolithically integrated three-terminal gated III-Nitride light emitting diodes (LEDs) devices. The impact of channel doping and thickness on the voltage penalty of the transistor-LED hybrid device is analyzed, and it is shown that with appropriate design, low voltage drop can be realized across integrated gated LED structures. The impact of device design on the switching charge is investigated, and it is shown that the adoption of an integrated LED/transistor structure can reduce the switching charge necessary for operation of a switched LED display device by an order of magnitude when compared with stand-alone light-emitting diodes.
Single Bell inequality to detect genuine nonlocality in three-qubit pure genuinely entangled states
Authors: Stachura Ignacy , Makuta Owidiusz , Augusiak Remigiusz
Published: September 2024

It remains an open question whether every pure multipartite state that is genuinely entangled is also genuinely nonlocal. Recently, a new general construction of Bell inequalities allowing the detection of genuine multipartite nonlocality (GMNL) in quantum states was proposed in Curchod et al (2019 New J. Phys.
21 023016) with the aim of addressing the above problem. Here we show how, in a simple manner, one can improve this construction to deliver finer Bell inequalities for detection of GMNL. Remarkably, we then prove one of the improved Bell inequalities to be powerful enough to detect GMNL in every three-qubit genuinely entangled state. We also generalize some of these inequalities to detect not only GMNL but also nonlocality depth in multipartite states and we present a possible way of generalizing them to the case of more outcomes.
Design of Bi-planar coil to suppress radial magnetic field in magnetically shielded cylinder for magnetocardiography
Authors: Xie Xiaoxuan , Zhou Xiangyang , Zhao Fengwen , Wang Weiqian , Yin Chuanming , Sun Jinji
Published: September 2024

The high uniformity coils to suppress the static and dynamic magnetic fields along the cardiac magnetic signal are crucial for obtaining high-quality magnetocardiography (MCG) signals. In this paper, the target field method (TFM) combined with the bald eagle search (BES) algorithm is proposed in the design process of the bi-planar coil (BC) to suppress the radial magnetic field (consistent with cardiac magnetic signal) in the magnetically shielded cylinder (MSC). The simulation signifies that the maximum magnetic field deviation of the designed BC is reduced from 2.87% to 0.58% compared with the BC produced by traditional TFM, which illustrates that the proposed method can effectively suppress the radial static magnetic field of the MSC. In addition, automatic field nulling technology was introduced to suppress the dynamic magnetic disturbance. The experiment shows that the maximum magnetic field disturbance was reduced from 5.3 pT to 2.6 pT in the 4 × 4 measurement array. Finally, the cardiac magnetic signal measurement experiment in the MSC proves that the designed BC system is beneficial for high-quality MCG acquisition.
The candela realisation using molybdenum carbon fixed-point blackbody
Authors: Khlevnoy Boris , Grigoryeva Irina , Ivashin Evgenii , Otryaskin Denis , Solodilov Maksim
Published: September 2024

Candela, a unit of luminous intensity, was realised with an expanded (k = 2) uncertainty of 0.20% using a fixed-point blackbody based on a molybdenum–carbon (δ(MoC)–C) melting phase transition. The developed δ(MoC)–C blackbody consists of a high-temperature furnace and a fixed-point cell filled with the molybdenum–carbon alloy. The cell includes a radiation cavity with a diameter as large as 14 mm, which allows it to be used in front of the blackbody, a relatively large external aperture, extracting the radiation emitted by the fixed-point cell only. The thermodynamic temperature of the δ(MoC)–C blackbody was measured by comparing it with the Re–C fixed point and was found to be 2856.67 K with the standard uncertainty of 0.23 K. Therefore, the developed fixed-point blackbody is an almost ideal International Commission on Illumination illuminant A source. With an external aperture of 4.9956 mm diameter, the blackbody reproduces a luminous intensity of 388.52 cd at the point-of-inflection of the melting plateau. The blackbody transfers the unit to a primary photometer with a relative expanded uncertainty of 0.20% in its illuminance responsivity, which can be used for calibration of secondary lamps and photometers.
Improving non-invasive trajectory decoding via neural correlates of continuous erroneous feedback processing
Authors: Pulferer Hannah S , Kostoglou Kyriaki , Müller-Putz Gernot R
Published: September 2024

Objective. Over the last decades, error-related potentials (ErrPs) have repeatedly proven especially useful as corrective mechanisms in invasive and non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, research in this context exclusively investigated the distinction of discrete events into correct or erroneous to the present day. Due to this predominant formulation as a binary classification problem, classical ErrP-based BCIs fail to monitor tasks demanding quantitative information on error severity rather than mere qualitative decisions on error occurrence. As a result, fine-tuned and natural feedback control based on continuously perceived deviations from an intended target remains beyond the capabilities of previously used BCI setups. Approach. To address this issue for future BCI designs, we investigated the feasibility of regressing rather than classifying error-related activity non-invasively from the brain. Main results. Using pre-recorded data from ten able-bodied participants in three sessions each and a multi-output convolutional neural network, we demonstrated the above-chance regression of ongoing target-feedback discrepancies from brain signals in a pseudo-online fashion. In a second step, we used this inferred information about the target deviation to correct the initially displayed feedback accordingly, reporting significant improvements in correlations between corrected feedback and target trajectories across feedback conditions. Significance. Our results indicate that continuous information on target-feedback discrepancies can be successfully regressed from cortical activity, paving the way to increasingly naturalistic, fine-tuned correction mechanisms for future BCI applications.
Predictive power-sharing scaling law in double-null L-mode plasmas
Authors: Lim K. , Ricci P. , Stenger L. , De Lucca B. , Durr-Legoupil-Nicoud G. , Février O. , Theiler C. , Verhaegh K.
Published: September 2024

The physical mechanisms regulating the power sharing at the outer targets of L-mode double-null (DN) configurations are investigated using nonlinear, flux-driven, three-dimensional two-fluid simulations. Scans of parameters that regulate the turbulent level, such as the plasma resistivity and the magnetic imbalance, reveal that the power asymmetry in DN configurations is determined by the combined effects of diamagnetic drift, turbulence, and geometrical factor. Leveraging these observations, an analytical theory-based scaling law for the power-sharing asymmetry is derived and compared with nonlinear simulations. These comparisons indicate that the scaling law effectively captures the trends observed in simulations. Validation with experimental data from TCV DN discharges demonstrates agreement of the scaling law with the experimental results.
Experimental Investigation of a Low-Cost Liquid Desiccant based Air Conditioning System for Tropical Climatic Conditions
Authors: Iyengar Ananth S. , Bhat Pritam , Kumar Reddy Pavan , Abhilash N
Published: September 2024

Weather extremes are common in recent times due to the increase in global warming caused by climate change. Thus, thermal comfort applications require considerable amount of energy produced annually. While passive methods of thermal comfort provide correct direction towards sustainability, it cannot provide the complete solution for the problem. One such passive method is a liquid desiccant-based air conditioning system which is a well-known technique that can provide the AC effect, but inherent with corrosion and low efficiency issues. Hence, we propose a simple setup with low-cost polymer components designed and fabricated to overcome these problems. The calcium chloride desiccant solution is chosen because it is non-toxic and inexpensive. The system is able to provide air at about 25 °C and RH of 60% with input ambient air at 31 °C and RH of 70%, by consuming 126 W of electrical power for air and water circulation and 752 W for desiccant heating bringing the total energy usage to about 878 W. With the success of the project multistage setup with other working fluids will be tested.
Adjoint Method Shape Optimization of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: van Stratan GSM , Roy Sukanta , Vincent Lee CC , Ke San Yam
Published: September 2024

This study demonstrates the efficacy of the adjoint method to optimize a VAWT blade. A symmetrical blade NACA0018 was chosen as the starting geometry and the adjoint method was applied through 2D CFD simulation to obtain a optimized blade. The 2D adjoint optimization scheme was found to produce a strong candidate blade which improves the average single blade moment coefficient by over 30%. A 3D analysis was then conducted, and the candidate blade was compared against the baseline NACA0018 blade and an unsymmetrical blade S1046 blade. The results showed the candidate blade performed much better than the NACA0018 blade by 20.42% as well as the S1046 blade by 15.18%. These results indicate the adjoint method is a suitable optimization code to aerodynamically optimize and improve the VAWT turbine.
Performance Analysis of Box-type Solar Cooker with New Selective Coatings
Authors: Sarangi Abhisek , Kumar Nayak Pritam , Nayak Jayashree , Sahoo Sudhansu S. , Mallik Ramesh K.
Published: September 2024

This paper offers a thorough experimental investigation of how applying selective coatings can enhance the performance of solar cookers in the box type. The application of black chrome on galvanized steel and black nickel on nickel-plated steel is given special attention. The results of the study show that the Black Nickel coating retains heat better than the Black Chrome coating because of its lower emissivity. When there is a large load, effective heat transfer from the absorber plate to the pot is quite important. Graphical examination of the temperature profiles indicates that when there is no load, the Black Nickel coating resulted in absorber plate temperatures ranging from 162-168°C, whereas the Black Chrome coating reached temperatures of 155-159°C. Under a load, the temperature of the absorber plate coated with Black Nickel ranged from 150-153°C, whereas the Black Chrome coating resulted in temperatures of 144-147°C. The findings align with the cooking pot temperatures, showing that the Black Nickel coating consistently outperformed the Black Chrome coating by obtaining higher temperatures in both loaded and unloaded circumstances. The ability of these coatings to swiftly attain greater temperatures is demonstrated by this research, which enhances the solar cooker’s efficiency both with and without a load. The findings represent a significant improvement in solar cooker technology since they offer a cost-effective and sustainable substitute for locations with sufficient sunshine.
Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene Oxide Nanosheets by Mechanical Exfoliation Using Ball Milling
Authors: Gaurav Anand , Paul Gayatri
Published: September 2024

Graphene Oxide Nanosheets (GONs) are synthesized by reduction of graphite powder using mechanical exfoliation through ball milling under wet condition. Pure graphite is subjected to peeling, exfoliation, and fragmentation in the presence of a reducing agent for a duration of 30 hours to achieve few layered GONs. Intermediate samples throughout the duration of ball milling are extracted from the wet slurry to investigate the characteristics of the milling process. The extracted samples are investigated under XRD, FESEM, Raman spectroscopy, BET and FTIR to understand the synthesis process of GONs from pure graphite. The analysis of the ball milled samples through the characterization techniques depicts the formation of GONs with layered morphology. EDS and FTIR confirms the oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide. The successful exfoliation of graphite to GONs through ball milling will help in synthesis of cost-effective GONs for various technological applications.
Sustainable manufacturing of a drug degrading material utilizing green energy
Authors: Kumar Padhi Manas , Kar Prativa , Nanda Binita , Rath Dharitri , Subhadarshini Asima , Nanda Braja B.
Published: September 2024

Red mud (RM) also known as Bauxite residue is a semi-solid waste generated in the Bayer process which is calcined at 200ºC to make it porous and to remove excess moisture and volatile components. RM before and after calcination is characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, FTIR, UVDRS methods here. The peaks for hematite (α-Fe2O3) are clearly identified in XRD as well as FTIR (590 cm−1 and 480 cm−1 for Fe-O stretching band) which shows a remarkable enhance from RM to RM-200 and proves to be helpful in degradation of norfloxacin. Activated red mud exhibited a good percentage of degradation of 60 ppm norfloxacin molecule (nearly 88%) compared to raw RM (66%) at neutral pH under visible light irradiation. The scavenging experiment confirms hydroxyl (OH·) and superoxide (O2–.) are found to be the dominant radicals for the degradation of norfloxacin by the photocatalytic process. The material proved its stability after 4 consecutive cycles showing the percentage of degradation dropping marginally∼79%.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions from the San Pedro Bay Ports and future policy implications
Authors: Zhang Jiachen , Park Junhyeong , Bui Nancy , Forestieri Sara , Mazmanian Elizabeth , He Yucheng , Parmer Cory , C Quiros David
Published: September 2024

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, collectively known as the San Pedro Bay Ports, serve as vital gateways for freight movement in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic and other influencing factors disrupted freight movement and led to unprecedented cargo surge, vessel congestion, and increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from seaport and connected freight system operations beginning in June 2020. In this study, we conducted the first comprehensive monthly assessment of the excess particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to the heightened congestion and freight transport activity from ocean-going vessels (OGVs), trucks, locomotives, and cargo handling equipment (CHE) supporting seaport operations. Excess emissions peaked in October 2021 at 23 tons of NOx per day and 2001 tons of CO2 per day. The strategic queuing system implemented in November 2021 significantly reduced the number of anchored and loitering OGVs and their emissions near the ports, even during continued high cargo throughput until Summer 2022. Looking forward, we analyzed projected emissions benefits of adopted California Air Resources Board regulations requiring cleaner and zero-emission trucks, locomotives, and CHE over the next decade. If a repeated port congestion event were to occur in 2035, NOx emissions from land-based freight transport should be lessened by more than 80%. Our study underscores the potential emissions impacts of disruptions to the freight transport network and the critical need to continue reducing its emissions in California and beyond.
Trade associations in Nordic construction – their role in procurement and project delivery
Authors: Klakegg O J , Ingason H T , Aaltonen K , Lahdenperä P , Kadefors A , Thuesen C , Gottlieb S C
Published: September 2024

A trade association is a not-for-profit organization made up of companies and/or individuals with common interests or who work in the same industry. They act as a representative body for the industry they represent. As the ‘industry voice’, trade associations speak on behalf of their members to government, agencies, regulators, the media, and other opinion formers. There are several trade associations connected to the construction industry in all Nordic countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role they play in improving procurement and project delivery in the Nordic countries. Based on interviews with trade association representatives across all Nordic countries, the paper maps their structures, roles, and strategies for involving in procurement and project delivery across the construction industry in each country. Similarities and differences are analysed and discussed considering the situation in each country. The result shows that trade associations have important and similar roles in each country, motivated by the wish to support their members. The first observation is that most trade associations across the Nordics are actively involved in developing procurement trends and knowledge accumulation. The motivation for engaging in procurement and project delivery is the well-being of members. They all depend on fair competition and access to market, and they all need to be associated with successful projects. The second observation is that it seems generally accepted across the trade associations that it is important to promote more collaborative procurement strategies and project delivery methods. The third observation is that all trade associations across the Nordics take an active role in gathering, analysing, and distributing knowledge and experiences connected to this development. Dissemination is both possible and probable through the trade associations effort.
Examining the financial uncertainty of an alliance project from the perspective of the contracting parties
Authors: Lahdenperä Pertti
Published: September 2024

A project alliance is a project delivery system in which the owner and service providers share the risks associated with the project. The aim of this paper is to increase understanding of the functioning of the payment bases of alliance projects, especially from the perspective of diverse uncertainty. The work is based on the plans and contracts of one of the implemented alliance projects and on modelling the project’s payment system. The developed model was simulated taking into consideration the multiple uncertainties associated with the project. The compensation paid by the owner to the service providers and the service providers’ consortium fee were examined in particular. Alongside the original model based on the project’s contract, some alternative instances were also defined. The focus was on the effect of the cost escalation and on the transfer of the corresponding risk to the alliance, as according to the contract the inflation risk of the project lay with the owner. In addition, the model was examined in situations where uncertainty increases significantly, or risk events tend to co-occur. At their most extreme, the risks were assumed to be so high that the service providers’ loss limitation clause could have steered the determination of compensation. The contribution of the work is in illustrating the effect of different contractual solutions and broadening our understanding of the functionality and sensitivity of the alliance payment system.
Using past performance as an award criterion in EU public procurement.
Authors: Olander S , Norinder H
Published: September 2024

The outcome of a procurement process largely depends upon how it was designed e.g. the terms and conditions that evaluates on what criteria a supplier is awarded a contract. In private sector procurement, evaluation of past performance is natural part of the evaluation process procurement. In public procurement there are more limited possibilities to evaluate past performance based on the rules and regulations that need be adhered. During 2020-2022 the Swedish National Transport Administration conducted 30 procurement pilots where they used past results from a performance assessing tool as award criterion in the evaluation of tenders. The purpose of the research presented here is to gain knowledge of how past performance can be used an award criteria within the boundaries of the EU public procurement directive. More specifically, can a evaluations from tool developed for assessing supplier performance during a project implementation, be used as an award criterion in the procurement of forthcoming projects. Ever since the ruling from Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Lianakis case C-532/06, experts and courts have argued about where the limit is for allowing evaluation of suppliers past performance. A nuanced interpretation is that evaluation of past performance is allowed if the evaluation is focused on factors that gives an added value in identifying the best bid and not only evaluates the supplier’s general ability. The result of this study showed that is possible from both a legal as well as a procurement process perspective to evaluate past performance in public procurement. However, the system used needs to design in a way that is clear and non-ambiguous. Further, there is a challenge of how to assess new suppliers in a market where there is no past performance to evaluate. There are ways of doing this but needs to be done within the boundaries of public procurement principles set by the EU directives.
Lessons from ex-post evaluation of government investment projects
Authors: Welde Morten , Holst Volden Gro
Published: September 2024

Although public goods and services are increasingly delivered through projects, many studies have demonstrated that the success of projects in different sectors varies. In Norway, large government projects are subjected to extensive ex-ante appraisal with external quality assurance before budgets can be allocated, and each year, a sample of projects is also evaluated ex-post under the auspices of a research programme. The ex-ante processes and the evaluation of projects ex-post are unusual by international standards, which thus provides an interesting foundation for exploring how the knowledge gained from ex-post evaluations is used to improve the planning and delivery of future projects. This paper presents a study of how Norwegian ministries and agencies use ex-post evaluations of projects within their respective portfolios of responsibilities. Based on interviews with representatives of the target group for the evaluations, the authors examine whether the evaluations improve the appraisal and delivery of subsequent projects. The findings reveal that the use of the results has been limited and that many target group members are unaware of the evaluation. The authors suggest some changes to the evaluation process that might increase the use of ex-post evaluations.
Unlocking project success: The crucial role of interpersonal skills in project management
Authors: Tadege Shiferaw Asmamaw
Published: September 2024

In today’s rapidly evolving world, marked by technological advancements, digitalization, and evolving environmental and social requirements, the construction industry is grappling with increasing project complexity. This complexity, in turn, impacts performance. Technical competences alone no longer ensure project success; instead, organizations with superior interpersonal skills are better positioned for success. Measures are being taken to enhance interpersonal skills in Norway’s construction industry. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these measures and to explore potential variations in the need for key interpersonal skills among primary project partners and across different project phases. Data were collected through a literature review and semi-structured interviews conducted with selected informants from two large Statsbygg projects. The findings of this study underscore the crucial role of interpersonal skills in project success, a role that becomes more significant as projects increase in size and complexity. Despite the acknowledged importance of these skills within the Norwegian construction industry, measures to enhance them have not yielded the expected success. This study first outlines current measures to improve interpersonal skills, including the integration of collaboration in turnkey contracts, promotion of teamwork, effective meeting facilitation, onboarding processes, and co-location. It then identifies obstacles to these initiatives, such as the perceived difficulty in acquiring these skills, budget and time constraints, and uncertainties about the initiatives’ effectiveness. The study also explores potential differences in the need for key interpersonal skills among project partners, uncovering a shared need for skills like collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, with strategic thinking being an exception, primarily linked to the client’s role in the project’s early stage. While the research is focused on a specific segment of the Norwegian construction industry, it provides valuable, broadly applicable insights. Future research could strengthen these findings by expanding the scope to include more case projects and interviewees.
Which attributes define a megaproject?
Authors: Bakke Christian , Johansen Agnar
Published: September 2024

Megaprojects are highly complex undertakings that significantly impact the world. Flyvbjerg states megaprojects require significant resources: “Over Budget, Over Time, Over and Over Again.” Megaprojects impact society decades after they are delivered, and a higher success rate is crucial, especially in light of sustainability. The number of megaprojects is increasing, the complexity of the projects is unique, and ownership is becoming increasingly complex. This research discusses how megaprojects are defined according to existing literature. What do we consider a megaproject? Furthermore, which attributes (complexity, stakeholder management, project ownership, and so on) can be used as an Early Signal to identify which delivery model is needed? With a premise that a megaproject needs to be handled differently than a conventional project. This paper is based on a literature review examining the definition of megaproject. The literature review shows that megaprojects are typically defined as a delivery model to deliver large-scale, complex, and one-off capital investments in the public and private sectors. Or a project system greater than 0.01% of the national gross domestic product (GDP). Our results show that there are no common definitions of what a megaproject is in the literature. Our research shows that a higher focus on complexity, technology, novelty, duration, stakeholder management, project governance, and political ramifications is more critical in defining a megaproject than the project’s capital cost or size (tonn, m2, or length).
Strategies of re-use of building materials and components (BMC) in Scandinavian renovation and transformation projects
Authors: Støre-Valen Marit
Published: September 2024

Re-use of building materials and -components (BMC) in renovation and transformation project has a great potential to capture Circular Economy principles (CE). This study looks at strategies and sustainable development goals among a selection of public and private building owners and how they are practising circular principles in Scandinavian renovation and transformation projects. This is done by studying national and international research literature, national and European (EU) policy documents, business strategy documents and semi-structured in-depth interviews among private and public building owners. In Scandinavia, there are national strategies and regulations that promote circularity within the building sector. However, on a local level, only the large city municipalities have applied this by local guidelines and action plans. The research literature and the building owners interviewed, points towards the need to collaborate to reach national SDG’s. One suggestion is that the building material suppliers take responsibility to store and resell BMC, ensuring quality documentation. The building owners report that the main motivation to do re-use of BMC in renovation projects is the focus on the climate gas reduction, competence development and the internal environmental goals. However, further collaboration, competence and innovation is needed to upscale re-use of BMC to a larger market.
Advancing Facilities Management by a Framework of Sustainability Drivers in Project Management
Authors: Zahid A , Klungseth N J
Published: September 2024

The sustainability concept has boomed significantly, and its importance is noteworthy among organisations worldwide. The increased focus on sustainability has impacted both the project management (PM) and facilities management (FM) activities. This sustainability challenge is a complex and important to deal with. The role of sustainable PM in FM is significant towards achieving sustainable development as projects are the means of implementing sustainability strategies that are targeting the 3 P’s (people, planet, and profit) of sustainability. The novelty of this paper is in its focus, with a combined focus on both the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) and FM industries using PM as a focus while investigating sustainability drivers that can help the industries overcome complex and challenging sustainability barriers. We as part of the paper aim to develop a sustainability drivers’ framework that can guide researchers and practitioners in PM and FM to tackle sustainability challenges. By performing a literature review using the ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases, 74 articles were finally selected to highlight the key sustainability drivers. Based on the collected literature, a theoretical sustainability drivers’ framework was produced that can help in advancing the FM via the sustainable PM. The resulting sustainability drivers were categorised as (1) organisational aspects, (2) financial factors, (3) promoting awareness, (4) stakeholders’ role, (5) standards and tools, (6) government policies and regulations, and (7) others. In this paper, we focus on two categories in detail from a project governance (PG) perspective, that is, organisational aspects and stakeholders’ role. The main takeaway of our study is the theoretical sustainability drivers’ framework that will guide the practitioners and researchers in AEC/FM industry to deal with the complexity brought by sustainability challenges through the sustainable PM lens, and become a powerful driver of long-term value creation for their organisations by effectively applying sustainability practices.