Full-scale Implementation Research Articles

Country-wide analysis of the potential use of harwarders for final fellings in Sweden

ABSTRACT There is a need to decrease the costs of cut-to-length operations. The harwarder, a one-machine system with the potential to reduce the costs, has been compared to the two-machine system (TMS) at the stand and regional levels but not at the national level, which is important as basis for decision to implement. The objective was therefore to analyze its potential on a large scale in Swedish final fellings. It was evaluated using two modeling approaches in conjunction with data representing around 30% of Sweden’s yearly final fellings from five forestry organizations. The analyses revealed that total costs could be reduced by around 3% if up to 50% of the total volume was logged using harwarders rather than the TMS. This would require the introduction of up to 250 harwarders into machine fleets that currently use only the TMS. The two modeling approaches gave similar results. It was concluded that the harwarder may need to demonstrate greater potential to justify a full-scale implementation in Swedish forestry, but the machine could be improved through technological development, especially through automation.

Cost-effectiveness of transdiagnostic group cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders v. treatment as usual: economic evaluation of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial over an 8-month time horizon using self-reported data.

This economic evaluation supplements a pragmatic randomized controlled trial conducted in community care settings, which showed superior improvement in the symptoms of adults with anxiety disorders who received 12 sessions of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural group therapy in addition to treatment as usual (tCBT + TAU) compared to TAU alone. This study evaluates the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of tCBT + TAU over an 8-month time horizon. For the reference case, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) obtained using the EQ-5D-5L, and the health system perspective were chosen. Alternatively, anxiety-free days (AFDs), derived from the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the limited societal perspective were considered. Unadjusted incremental cost-effectiveness/utility ratios were calculated. Net-benefit regressions were done for a willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds range to build cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEAC). Sensitivity analyses were included. Compared to TAU (n = 114), tCBT + TAU (n = 117) generated additional QALYs, AFDs, and higher mental health care costs from the health system perspective. From the health system and the limited societal perspectives, at a WTP of Can$ 50 000/QALY, the CEACs showed that the probability of tCBT + TAU v. TAU being cost-effective was 97 and 89%. Promising cost-effectiveness results using AFDs are also presented. The participation of therapists from the public health sector could increase cost-effectiveness. From the limited societal and health system perspectives, this first economic evaluation of tCBT shows favourable cost-effectiveness results at a WTP threshold of Can$ 50 000/QALY. Future research is needed to replicate findings in longer follow-up studies and different health system contexts to better inform decision-makers for a full-scale implementation.

Optimisation of Bioethanol Production in a Potato Processing Industry

Nowadays, there is a requirement for industries to eliminate carbon from their energy mix and substitute it with greener options. This calls for investment in efforts to facilitate the scaling up of technical advancements. Because of the huge amount of waste, a life cycle strategy has been used by industries, especially the food industry, to lessen the environmental impact of their products. One of the sectors that burdens the environment with a significant amount of waste is the potato processing industrial sector. The current study focuses on the valorisation of all the potato processing waste streams (potato peels, potato tubers and slices, starch and low-quality chips) towards bioethanol production at a pilot level. After their physico-chemical characterisations, several experimental trials were performed in order to determine the optimum pretreatment and hydrolysis conditions for each waste stream. Acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis and hydrothermal pretreatment were examined when no pretreatment resulted in low ethanol yields (below 60%). The optimum results that were obtained were applied in a pilot plant of 200L to examine the upscaling factor. It was verified that upscaling by 1000 times generates comparable and, in some cases, greater results. From the integration of the results and the mass balances of a typical potato processing company, a full-scale implementation plan was also set up, where it was calculated that around 2 m3 bioethanol per week could be produced.

Overcoming Challenges for Shoot Tip Cryopreservation of Root and Tuber Crops

Root and tuber crops (RTCs) are the second-most important carbohydrate commodity after cereals. Many species of the RTCs are vegetatively propagated, making their shoot tips the preferred material to be conserved for future uses. Shoot tip cryopreservation provides an important tool to support the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. Over the past four decades, significant efforts have been undertaken to move shoot tip cryopreservation of RTCs from research projects to full-scale implementation in cryobanks. This comprehensive review focuses on the history of cryopreservation protocols developed in RTCs. The encapsulation and vitrification solution-based cryopreservation techniques followed by ultra-rapid freezing and thawing have been highly successful. Additionally, different strategies for improving the cryotolerance of shoot tips have been introduced to further increase post-cryopreservation recovery. Finally, the research conducted to explain the mechanism underlying cryoprotection and differential cryotolerance including the use of histological studies are highlighted.

A novel green approach for silver recovery from chloride leaching solutions through photodeposition on zinc oxide

Silver is extensively used in electronics, industrial catalysis, and biomedical sector owing to its enhanced physicochemical properties. E-waste recycling may contribute significantly to enhance silver recovery in the view of a circular economy and limit the depletion of mineral sources. In this scenario, hydrometallurgical routes represent the most widely used techniques for silver extraction/recovery and require strong acidic solutions, high temperatures, and multiple operating units. An alternative sustainable route for silver recovery from leaching solutions used for silver extraction in industrial applications is herein proposed for the first time. The novel green process of silver recovery is based on the UV/vis light-driven photocatalytic deposition of pure metallic silver over low-cost and non-toxic ZnO photocatalyst. In the second step, ZnO is dissolved by slight acidification and pure metallic silver is easily recovered. Low environmental impact, mild operating conditions, and economic viability are among the major perks of the new silver recovery process developed.In the view of a full-scale implementation, several operating conditions of the recovery process (i.e., photocatalyst load, starting silver concentration, type of hole scavenger and irradiation) were thoroughly investigated. A mathematical model capable of describing the system behaviour under different operating conditions was also developed and allowed to estimate unknown kinetic parameters for the Ag-photodeposition process.

Predictive assessment of damage to vegetation at the Krapivinsky reservoir and directions for its minimisation

The Krapivinsky hydroelectric complex is a project that was a complex of more than 40 events. Their full-scale implementation could prevent those environmental problems that are especially acute for Kuzbass today. The production of electricity at the Krapivinsky HPS was supposed to be an incidental process accompanying the environmental project to a greater extent. However, in order to make a decision on the future fate of this object, it is necessary to assess the impact on the environment, including flora within the territorial boundaries of the Krapivinsky reservoir, assessing the possible damage to vegetation in the water protection zone and in the flood zone. This is especially true for rare plant species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass. For this purpose, an analysis of the vegetation on the territory of the object under consideration was carried out, the species of the presented plants were studied and examined, it was determined whether they were classified as rare species, and ways were also proposed to minimize possible harmful or irreversible damage to the flora in the zone of the Krapivinsky HPS.

Sensor Equipped UAS for Non-Contact Bridge Inspections: Field Application

In the future, sensors mounted on uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) will play a critical role in increasing both the speed and safety of structural inspections. Environmental and safety concerns make structural inspections and maintenance challenging when conducted using traditional methods, especially for large structures. The methods developed and tested in the laboratory need to be tested in the field on real-size structures to identify their potential for full implementation. This paper presents results from a full-scale field implementation of a novel sensor equipped with UAS to measure non-contact transverse displacement from a pedestrian bridge. To this end, the authors modified and upgraded a low-cost system that previously showed promise in laboratory and small-scale outdoor settings so that it could be tested on an in-service bridge. The upgraded UAS system uses a commodity drone platform, low-cost sensors including a laser range-finder, and a computer vision-based algorithm with the aim of measuring bridge displacements under load indicative of structural problems. The aim of this research is to alleviate the costs and challenges associated with sensor attachment in bridge inspections and deliver the first prototype of a UAS-based non-contact out-of-plane displacement measurement. This work helps to define the capabilities and limitations of the proposed low-cost system in obtaining non-contact transverse displacement in outdoor experiments.

An Overview of the Current State of Mobility as a Service

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is the latest paradigm in mobility, especially in urban areas, in which traffic participants usually use an application or a web service to get from their origins to destination by an optimal mode of transportation. In this manner, private car ownership becomes obsolete, and the service is seamless in terms of charging, reservation, route planning and time efficiency. This should be the ideal path for urban transport in the future; however, there are several obstacles preventing full-scale implementation, such as division of stakeholder responsibility, state of data, information and communication technologies, and sustainability of business models. Therefore, this paper states the basic components of MaaS ecosystem, and discusses the current problems and opportunities regarding the stakeholders, technology, and business models. The current state of development in the most prominent areas is also presented. Finally, the paper presents conclusions and recommendations for further MaaS development and implementation.

Single CSTR can be as effective as an SBR in selecting PHA-storing biomass from municipal wastewater-derived feedstock

A key step for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from organic waste streams is the selection of a biomass with a high PHA-storage capacity (selection-step), which is usually performed in sequencing batch reactors (SBR). A major advancement would be to perform such selection in continuous reactors to facilitate the full-scale implementation of PHA production from municipal wastewater (MWW)-derived feedstock. The present study therefore investigates to what extent a simple continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) represents a relevant alternative to anSBR. To this end, we operated two selection reactors (CSTR vs. SBR) on filtered primary sludge fermentate while performing a detailed analysis of the microbial communities, and monitoring PHA-storage over long-term (∼150 days) and during accumulation batches. Our study demonstrates that a simple CSTR is as effective as an SBR in selecting biomass with high PHA-storage capacity (up to 0.65 gPHA gVSS−1) while being 50% more efficient in terms of substrate to biomass conversion yields. We also show that such selection can occur on VFA-rich feedstock containing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in excess, whereas previously, selection of PHA-storing organisms in a single CSTR has only been studied under P limitation. We further found that microbial competition was mostly affected by nutrient availability (N and P) rather than by the reactor operation mode (CSTR vs. SBR). Similar microbial communities therefore developed in both selection reactors, while microbial communities were very different depending on N availability. Rhodobacteraceae gen. were most abundant when growth conditions were stable and N-limited, whereas dynamic N- (and P-) excess conditions favoured the selection of the known PHA-storer Comamonas, and led to the highest observed PHA-storage capacity. Overall, we demonstrate that biomass with high storage capacity can be selected in a simple CSTR on a wider range of feedstock than just P-limited ones.

The Ethiopia–Eritrea rapprochement: highly personalised and less-institutionalised initiative

Once a unified state, Ethiopia and Eritrea experienced a catastrophic war. Although deep-rooted economic and political conditions were at work in the background, issues of an improperly demarcated border triggered the 1998–2000 war. During the outbreak both Ethiopia and Eritrea were already emerging from another war. As a result, tens of thousands died, and millions were displaced. The intervention of the international community averted the war. The Organization of African Unity arbitrated the matter, supported by the United Nations, the European Union and the United States. However, disagreement over the implementation of the technical arrangements of the arbitration obstructed the full-scale implementation of the arbitration – leading to a period of ‘no peace, no war’. Both maintained an adamant position, and resuming relations appears impossible unless a change of government takes place. Fortunately, a wave of civil resistance rocked Ethiopia from 2015 to 2018, resulting in national reform in mid-February 2018. This opened the initiative for the resumption of relations. This paper discusses the conditions contributing to the renewal of the Ethiopian–Eritrean ties and the steps taken by both to revise their foreign policy directions that had them in a deadlock for decades. It also identifies risk factors bottlenecking the full-scale normalisation of the rapprochement.

Effect of temperature during the hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge on the aerobic treatment of the produced process waters

The treatment of the highly contaminated process water produced during the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of waste activated sludge is of major concern for the full-scale implementation of the HTC process. So far, no satisfying treatment strategies have been elaborated and the biodegradability under aerobic conditions has hardly been studied. To fill these gaps, aerobic tests were first carried out in batches with HTC process waters produced at 190 °C, 218 °C and 249 °C, and two parallel sequencing batch reactors (SBR) were operated to treat process waters produced at 190 °C and 217 °C. Both experiments show that the HTC temperature has only a little effect on the elimination of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In the aerobic batch tests, DOC removal were 80.5–81.9 %. In the SBR, 28 % of the initial DOC was found to be recalcitrant, and 25–28 % of the initial nitrogen. In the SBR experiments, the nitrification was also monitored, and nitrification inhibition test were conducted on both process waters obtained at 190 °C and 217 °C. Nitrification the initial SBR reactors was only possible after dilution of the process waters, which indicates the presence of inhibiting substances. The inhibition tests validated those observations, and showed that process waters derived at 217 °C had a higher inhibition potential. This study demonstrates that aerobically treated HTC process waters are still too polluted to be discharged in a wastewater treatment plant: model calculations showed an increase in effluent DOC of 8.3 mg C/L.

Individualism and Collectivism in International Community During Covid19 Pandemic 2020

Covid19 pandemic has changed the face of the world depicted in people to people relations, both domestically and internationally. Throughout the year of 2020, we have become familiar with some of the very popular terminologies for instance the word lockdown, social distancing, work from home, and the infamous names of Ken and Karen. These terminologies mark the shifts on how people conduct their interpersonal interactions, as the consequences of full-scale implementation of health protocols.
 This article will discuss the situation of individualism and collectivism as an existence within people to people interactions. It is known that both conceptions

Predicting Chlorine and Trihalomethanes in a Full-Scale Water Distribution System under Changing Operating Conditions

Predicting free chlorine residual and Trihalomethanes (THMs) in water distribution systems (DS) is challenging, given the variability and imprecise description of the chlorination conditions prevailing in full-scale systems. In this work, we used the variable reaction rate constant (VRRC) model, which offers the advantage of describing variable applied dosage and rechlorination conditions without the need for model recalibration. The VRRC model successfully predicted chlorine decay and THMs formation in ammonia-containing water at the lab scale. Comparing the goodness of fit results showed a better fit by the VRRC model than the 1st-order and an equally good fit compared to the parallel 1st-order model. However, the independence of the VRRC coefficients upon chlorine dosage made it a better choice for full-scale implementation than the parallel 1st-order model. Chlorine and THMs predictions in the DS were performed in 22 locations from a full-scale DS in southern Quebec (Canada). Chlorine predictions by VRRC were conducted in the spring and fall of 2021 under changing water quality conditions (temperature, DOC, dosage). With a prediction target of 0.1 mg/L absolute error, the VRRC model met this target in 77% of the points in the spring and 73% in the fall. While the predictions were comparable and slightly better than those of the 1st-order model, the main advantage of the VRRC was its applicability under variable dosage and rechlorination conditions (e.g., booster chlorination). THMs predictions in the DS were successfully performed in fall 2021. While 91% of the nodes had less than 5 μg/L of absolute prediction error with the VRRC model, the 1st-order model only met this target in 1 out of 22 points. In addition to its high precision, the VRRC can predict THMs using only the lab scale experiments for model parametrization. This enables small utilities with limited resources to predict the possibility of THMs non-compliances under changing water quality conditions with simple lab-based experiments. Changing climatic conditions can deteriorate drinking water quality, raise regulatory concerns for chlorine and THMs, and threaten public health. Water utilities can use the simple approach proposed in this work to assess the possibility of non-compliance under changing conditions. Moreover, the efficiency of different interventions or mitigation strategies to resolve or avoid non-compliance can be evaluated with this approach.

СИСТЕМА TIRADS ПРИ УЗЛОВОЙ ПАТОЛОГИИ ЩИТОВИДНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ В ПРАКТИКЕ ЭНДОКРИНОЛОГА

Today, the pathology of the thyroid gland (TG) occupies a leading place among endocrine pathologies. At the same time, nodules in the thyroid gland are determined in 30-70% of the population according to various literature data. Most often they are represented by nodular proliferating goiter, but a small percentage - thyroid cancer. Detection of cancer is possible with fine-needle aspiration node biopsy (FNAB) of the thyroid gland. Modern technical capabilities make it possible to perform FNAB of the thyroid gland with the size of formations from 2-3 mm. However, the question arises: is there a need for invasive diagnostics of absolutely all identified thyroid formations? Total biopsy of nodular formations is unjustified from the point of view of the economy and quality of life of patients. Full-scale implementation of the TIRADS system in the work of primary care allows ultrasound doctors to justify the indications for performing FNAB in thyroid nodules. The introduction of TBSRTC into the practice of cytological laboratories creates conditions for more efficient work of cytologists. A modern diagnostic information system based on TIRADS and TBSRTC reduces the time to make a decision and the likelihood of an error in making a diagnosis and choosing further treatment tactics.

A REVIEW OF NEW IMPROVEMENTS IN RESOURCE ALLOCATION PROBLEM OPTIMIZATION IN 5G USING NON-ORTHOGONAL MULTIPLE ACCESS

Because of the arising requirements of emerging networks (Fifth generation and beyond) such as supporting diverse Quality of Services (QoS), low latency, and high spectral efficiency; the previous and traditional generations of communication systems are becoming inappropriate. Furthermore, due to the huge connectivity and ever-growing demands of diverse services and high data rate applications, more effective radio access techniques are required for the purpose of a full-scale implementation of the fifth generation (5G) and beyond wireless systems. Therefore; the researchers are looking for new mechanisms to accomplish these demands, and one of the key techniques been proposed is NOMA due to its capability of spectrum efficiency enhancement. In NOMA-Based systems, the information signals of various users are superimposed at the transmitter side, by utilizing the differences of channel gain to work for different users simultaneously. In this study, recent papers on resource allocation problem based on Power-Doman NOMA (PD-NOMA) in 5G networks were reviewed and the goal (objective function), optimization methods used, and obtained results of each analyzed paper are investigated. In addition, the discussed resource allocation problems were classified into: optimal rate problems and power/energy-efficient problems and the proposed solutions in each of it are analyzed. Finally, this study highlights some of the present and future challenges in this field.

External utilization of oil and gas produced water: Why is the industry hesitant to full-scale implementation?

External utilization of oil and gas produced water: Why is the industry hesitant to full-scale implementation?

Exploring the Impacts of Full-Scale Distribution System Orthophosphate Corrosion Control Implementation on the Microbial Ecology of Hydrologically Connected Urban Streams.

Many cities across the nation are plagued by lead contamination in drinking water. As such, many drinking water utilities have undertaken lead service line (LSL) replacement to prevent further lead contamination. However, given the urgency of lead mitigation, and the socioeconomic challenges associated with LSL replacement, cities have used phosphate-based corrosion inhibitors (i.e., orthophosphate) alongside LSL replacement. While necessary to ensure public health protection from lead contamination, the addition of orthophosphate into an aging and leaking drinking water system may increase the concentration of phosphate leaching into urban streams characterized by century-old failing water infrastructure. Such increases in phosphate availability may cascade into nutrient and microbial community composition shifts. The purpose of this study was to determine how this occurs and to understand whether full-scale distribution system orthophosphate addition impacts the microbial ecology of urban streams. Through monthly collection of water samples from five urban streams before and after orthophosphate addition, significant changes in microbial community composition (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) and in the relative abundance of typical freshwater taxa were observed. In addition, key microbial phosphorus and nitrogen metabolism genes (e.g., two component regulatory systems) were predicted to change via BugBase. No significant differences in the absolute abundances of total bacteria, Cyanobacteria, and "Candidatus Accumulibacter" were observed. Overall, the findings from this study provide further evidence that urban streams are compromised by unintentional hydrologic connections with drinking water infrastructure. Moreover, our results suggest that infiltration of phosphate-based corrosion inhibitors can impact urban streams and have important, as-yet-overlooked impacts on urban stream microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Elevated lead levels in drinking water supplies are a public health risk. As such, it is imperative for cities to urgently address lead contamination from aging drinking water supplies by way of lead service line replacements and corrosion control methods. However, when applying corrosion control methods, it is also important to consider the chemical and microbiological effects that can occur in natural settings, given that our water infrastructure is aging and more prone to leaks and breaks. Here, we examine the impacts on the microbial ecology of five urban stream systems before and after full-scale distribution system orthophosphate addition. Overall, the results suggest that infiltration of corrosion inhibitors may impact microbial communities; however, future work should be done to ascertain the true impact to protect both public and environmental health.

Effects of patient accessible electronic health records on nurses’ work environment: a survey study on expectations in Sweden

ObjectivesThe introduction of information and communication technology influences the work environment of large groups of employees in healthcare. In Sweden, a national healthcare service providing patient accessible electronic health records...

Effective multipurpose sewage sludge and food waste reduction strategies: A focus on recent advances and future perspectives

Energy crisis and increasing rigorous management standards pose significant challenges for solid waste management worldwide. Several emerging diseases such as COVID-19 aggravated the already complex solid waste management crisis, especially sewage sludge and food waste streams, because of the increasingly large production year by year. As mature waste disposal technologies, landfills, incineration, composting, and some other methods are widespread for solid wastes management. This paper reviews recent advances in key sewage sludge disposal technologies. These include incineration, anaerobic digestion, and valuable products oriented-conversion. Food waste disposal technologies comprised of thermal treatment, fermentation, value-added product conversion, and composting have also been described. The hot topic and dominant research foci of each area are summarized, simultaneously compared with conventional technologies in terms of organic matter degradation or conversion performance, energy generation, and renewable resources production. Future perspectives of each technology that include issues not well understood and predicted challenges are discussed with a positive effect on the full-scale implementation of the discussed disposal methods.

Oxidation of Aqueous Naproxen Using Gas-Phase Pulsed Corona Discharge: Impact of Operation Parameters

Naproxen is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug poorly metabolized in the human body, thus resulting in its presence in domestic wastewaters. It is resistant to conventional wastewater treatment, making new methods necessary. Pulsed corona discharge, an energy-efficient advanced oxidation process, was experimentally studied for the oxidation of naproxen in various operation conditions, showing high energy efficiencies in a wide span of pH levels, concentrations, and pulse repetition frequencies. Surfactants present in treated solutions appeared to enhance the degradation rate. The research results contribute to the knowledge of the method’s chemistry and technology, supporting its full-scale implementation.