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Event Ethnography to study the global negotiations on the treaty to end plastic pollution: dataset from the first session of negotiations (INC-1)
Get PDFPlastics and their associated chemical pollution have emerged as a global threat. This recognition materialized in March 2022 with the adoption of a groundbreaking mandate among United Nations (UN) Member States, signaling the commencement of negotiations for a comprehensive treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution, encompassing the entire lifecycle. The first session of negotiations convened at the International Negotiating Committee (INC-1) in Punta del Este, Uruguay from November 28th–December 2nd, 2022, from there, four other negotiation sessions have either convened or will, with the expected conclusion in December 2024. The current study introduces a methodology for systematically observing and documenting global agreement-making. It utilizes a dataset from the first session of negotiations to explore the event ethnography (EE) methodology for following Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA). This paper aims to inspire and guide researchers in employing EE, recognizing its efficacy in navigating the complexities of the extensive Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) negotiations and promoting collaborative efforts for a comprehensive understanding of the process. EE is a method increasingly recognised to study multilateral international negotiations within the science-policy nexus to examine emerging obstacles, trends, power dynamics, and actors (both state and non-state) in action within the negotiations. Finally, a dataset is presented from INC-1 through a practical Excel document; the article then demonstrates one example of how the dataset can be employed to enhance comprehension of the negotiators and observers influencing the GPT negotiations.publishedVersio
Sound insulation properties of hollow box timber floors: a summary
Get PDFHollow-box timber floors are an efficient constructive option when long span is required. The industry has a strong interest in timber long span floors because they are a mean to make wooden constructions competitive in urban buildings and a wider range of building categories. Accurate knowledge of their acoustic properties is required to make these solutions attractive for the market and contribute to sustainable design choices. In the last years, we wrote several papers focusing on the sound insulation of hollow-box timber floors. Here, we present a consolidated summary of these papers with the aim of making the knowledge more readily available for the practitioners and the industry. We provide an overview of the parameters governing airborne and impact sound insulation in hollow-box timber floors. We present examples of how the available information can be used to adapt and optimize assemblies to meet different requirements. We discuss the constructive consequences of different choices, looking in particular at space requirements and the acoustic performance of the different solutions.publishedVersio
Improving value chain data lifecycle management utilising design for Lean Six Sigma methods
Get PDFPurpose: This project aims to optimise a secondary agricultural company’s reporting and data lifecycle by providing self-help business intelligence at an optimal price point for all business users.
Design/methodology/approach: A design for Lean Six Sigma approach utilising the define, measure analyse, design and verify methodology was utilised to design a new reporting and data product lifecycle.
Findings: The study found that this approach allowed a very structured delivery of a complex program. The various tools used assisted greatly in delivering results while balancing the needs of the team.
Practical implications: This study demonstrates how improving data analysis and enhanced intelligence reporting in agribusinesses enable better decision making and thus improves efficiencies so that the agribusiness can leverage the learnings.
Social implications: Improving data analysis increases efficiency and reduces agrifood food wastage thus improving sustainability and environmental impacts.
Originality/value: This paper proposes creating a standardised approach to deploying Six Sigma methodology to correct both the data provisioning lifecycle and the subsequent business intelligence reporting lifecycle. It is the first study to look at process optimisation across the agricultural industry’s entire data and business intelligence lifecycle.publishedVersio
CCS technological innovation system dynamics in Norway
Get PDFCO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) is today seen as a key technology to cut carbon emissions in many hard-to-abate sectors such as energy-intensive processing industries and the waste sector. Although CO2 capture is technically possible, key challenges for realizing CCS persist. Over the past decade, CCS has taken a new direction with more focus on application in energy-intensive industries rather than the energy sector. For CCS value chains to materialize, innovation and implementation thus needs to occur amongst an array of actors, with different innovation modes, institutions, and policy regimes, and with varying sectoral capacities for adaptation and change. There has so far been limited social science research on CCS innovation dynamics, which we suggest approaching as a socio-technical change process. To better understand this process, we draw on the sustainability transitions research field and employ the Technological Innovation System (TIS) framework to study the CCS innovation system in Norway. We find that, overall, the Norwegian CCS TIS displays systemic weaknesses for example in the form of market formation and resource mobilization, yet recent developments suggest a relatively positive momentum for this technological field which is key to meeting Norwegian and global climate mitigation targets.publishedVersio
A 3D kinetic Monte Carlo study of streamer discharges in CO2
Get PDFWe theoretically study the inception and propagation of positive and negative streamers in CO2. Our study is done in 3D, using a newly formulated kinetic Monte Carlo discharge model where the electrons are described as drifting and diffusing particles that adhere to the local field approximation. Our emphasis lies on electron attachment and photoionization. For negative streamers we find that dissociative attachment in the streamer channels leads to appearance of localized segments of increased electric fields, while an analogous feature is not observed for positive-polarity discharges. Positive streamers, unlike negative streamers, require free electrons ahead of them in order to propagate. In CO2, just as in air, these electrons are supplied through photoionization. However, ionizing radiation in CO2 is absorbed quite rapidly and is also weaker than in air, which has important ramifications for the emerging positive streamer morphology (radius, velocity, and fields). We perform a computational analysis which shows that positive streamers can propagate due to photoionization in CO2. Conversely, photoionization has no effect on negative streamer fronts, but plays a major role in the coupling between negative streamers and the cathode. Photoionization in CO2 is therefore important for the propagation of both positive and negative streamers. Our results are relevant in several applications, e.g. CO2 conversion and high-voltage technology (where CO2 is used in pure form or admixed with other gases). Keywords: 3D, streamer, CO2publishedVersio
A study on the influence of impurity content on fatigue endurance in a 6082 Al-alloy
Get PDFThe paper investigates the influence of different impurity/scrap elements on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) properties of 6082 Al-alloy. Accordingly, HCF tests are carried out on the different variants- GA1, GA2 and GA3 (designed as a function of varying impurity content)- of this alloy, which resulted in a lower fatigue limit in GA2/GA3 compared to GA1. To explain such behavior, detailed fractographic and microstructural investigations are conducted which bring out that although the crack initiation and propagation modes are mostly transgranular irrespective of alloy variant and stress levels, intergranular crack initiation is promoted in GA2/GA3 at 150 MPa in contrast to occurrence of run-out in GA1 at the same stress level. This phenomenon is found to be facilitated by intermetallic particles anchoring the grain boundaries. These observations point out the possibility of strong sensitivity of stress and alloy variant (varying impurity content) to fatigue life. The difference in fatigue properties as a function of alloy variant could be attributed to the variation in initial microstructure/particle size distribution as well as the slip character. In light of these, a fracture mechanism map is generated which underlines the different mechanisms responsible for fatigue crack initiation among different alloy variants.publishedVersio
BRAVENT – Veileder for brannteknisk prosjektering av ventilasjonsanlegg i skolebygg
Get PDFDette dokumentet er en veileder. Veilederen skal benyttes av rådgivende ingeniører i brannteknisk prosjektering av ventilasjonsanlegg i skolebygg. Det fokuseres på rømningssikkerhet og skadebegrensning ved små branner i en tidlig fase av brannforløpet. Veilederen beskriver forutsetninger for bruk, krav og preaksepterte ytelser i VTEK, samt ulike typer ventilasjonsanlegg med tilhørende komponenter. Dokumentet illustrerer typiske prinsippløsninger for ulike ventilasjonsstrategier i bygg, samt forskningsresultater fra brannforsøk og undersøkelser i tidligere faser av BRAVENT-prosjektet. Veilederen tar for seg nybygg, eksisterende bygg og verneverdige bygg hvor grensesnittet mellom rådgivende ingeniør brann (RIBr), ventilasjon (RIV), elektro (RIE) og automasjon (RIAut) defineres. En sjekkliste oppsummerer viktige punkter å hensynta ved prosjektering av ventilasjonsanlegg. Rutiner for drift og vedlikehold beskrives til slutt.publishedVersio
Histomolecular Validation of [<sup>18</sup>F]-FACBC in Gliomas Using Image-Localized Biopsies
No full textBackground: Gliomas have a heterogeneous nature, and identifying the most aggressive parts of the tumor and defining tumor borders are important for histomolecular diagnosis, surgical resection, and radiation therapy planning. This study evaluated [18F]-FACBC PET for glioma tissue classification.
Methods: Pre-surgical [18F]-FACBC PET/MR images were used during surgery and image-localized biopsy sampling in patients with high- and low-grade glioma. TBR was compared to histomolecular results to determine optimal threshold values, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values for the classification of tumor tissue. Additionally, PET volumes were determined in patients with glioblastoma based on the optimal threshold. [18F]-FACBC PET volumes and diagnostic accuracy were compared to ce-T1 MRI. In total, 48 biopsies from 17 patients were analyzed.
Results: [18F]-FACBC had low uptake in non-glioblastoma tumors, but overall higher sensitivity and specificity for the classification of tumor tissue (0.63 and 0.57) than ce-T1 MRI (0.24 and 0.43). Additionally, [18F]-FACBC TBR was an excellent classifier for IDH1-wildtype tumor tissue (AUC: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71–0.96). In glioblastoma patients, PET tumor volumes were on average eight times larger than ce-T1 MRI volumes and included 87.5% of tumor-positive biopsies compared to 31.5% for ce-T1 MRI.
Conclusion: The addition of [18F]-FACBC PET to conventional MRI could improve tumor classification and volume delineation.publishedVersio
The CO2 Reduction Potential of Using Black Pellets for Energy Production in Romania
Get PDFIn this study, a contextual analysis of the CO2 reduction potential by using black pellets for energy production in Romania was performed. Black pellets have similar fuel properties to that of coal, thus representing a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative for power generation. To assess the CO2 emissions reduction potential of the black pellet technology, two value chains for energy production were compared: one utilizing black pellets and the other using coal as the primary fuel source. The value chain of black pellets consists of biomass harvesting, the transportation of biomass from its source to the black pellets production plant, which incorporates pretreatment and steam explosion units, and finally, the utilization of black pellets for power production. The coal value chain encompasses coal mining, the transportation of the extracted coal to the power plant, and subsequent power generation. The total CO2 emissions for power generation in a 50 MW using black pellets and coal amounted to 16.27 and 272.10 kton/y, respectively. This substantial difference in emissions primarily stems from the higher emissions associated with coal extraction and the release of CO2 during coal combustion for power production. It is important to emphasize that power generation from black pellets results in net-zero emissions during combustion since biomass captures and stores CO2 throughout its lifecycle. The results of this analysis demonstrate the environmental advantages attainable by replacing coal with black pellets, thus promoting a more sustainable approach to energy production. Copyright © 2024, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.publishedVersio
HMS i havbruk - Oppsummerende faglig sluttrapport
Get PDFDenne rapporten oppsummerer resultater fra prosjektet HMS i havbruk. Prosjektet har funnet at fall, støt og klemskader er de hyppigst rapporterte ulykkestypene på oppdrettsanlegg og havbruksfartøy, at belastning og ulykker er hovedårsak til arbeidsrelatert fravær og bekymring hos ansatte i havbruksnæringen, at nye konsept kan innebære endrede og større farer på grunn av store dimensjoner og krefter og at HMS må prioriteres høyere på alle nivå i selskapene, slik at det er tilstrekkelige ressurser til sikkerhetsstyring, utstyr, læring og samarbeid. En rekke tiltak som kan brukes i selskapenes interne HMS-arbeid er utarbeidet, og presentert på nettstedet www.hmsihavbruk.no. Prosjektet har synliggjort behov for videre FoU-arbeid på HMSområdet i næringen inkludert monitorering av HMS, samspill mellom ulike aktører, bruk av teknologi og beslutningsstøtte i tilknytning til målkonflikterHMS i havbruk - Oppsummerende faglig sluttrapportpublishedVersio