Inherent Conflict Research Articles

Competition and cooperation mechanism of new energy vehicle policies in China’s key regions

New energy vehicles (NEVs) are crucial in addressing environmental pollution and energy shortages. Their widespread adoption has been hindered by challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and limited market competitiveness. To promote the development of NEV, local governments in China have implemented various policies. However, resource constraints within regions have created inherent conflicts among policy objectives, while regional disparities have emerged due to differences in development status and characteristics. This study aims to model the complex competitive and cooperative mechanisms among different NEV policy objectives and compare their variations across three key regions: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Guangdong-Guangxi-Fujian (GGF), and Yangtze-River-Delta (YRD). Firstly, topic model Latent Dirichlet Allocation is applied on 857 local NEV policies from 2010 to 2021, identifying six core policy objectives, namely production technology, infrastructure, financial support, demonstration, industrial management and environmental protection. Then, the Lotka-Volterra model is employed to examine competitive and cooperative mechanism among these policy objectives. Key findings are: (1) infrastructure policies prevail across all regions; (2) regulation policies exhibit a comparative advantage in the BTH region, while implementation policies dominate in the GGF region and promotion policies in the YRD region; (3) cooperation among objectives is primarily observed in the BTH region, whereas competition plays a more dominant role in the other regions. This study fills a previous research gap and provides insights for researchers and policymakers, highlighting the development of customized strategies that consider the unique characteristics and requirements of each region.

Design and Analytical Modeling of a Dumbbell-Shaped Balloon Anchoring Actuator for Safe and Efficient Locomotion Inside Gastrointestinal Tract.

Colorectal cancer stands as one of the most prevalent cancers globally, representing 9.8% of total cases and contributing to 9.2% of mortalities annually. Robotic "front-wheel" navigating colonoscopes mitigate aggressive stretching against the long and tortuous colonic wall, alleviating associated discomfort and pain typically experienced by patients inspected by conventional "back-wheel" navigating colonoscopes. The anchoring unit of most "front-wheel" navigating colonoscopes plays a crucial role in ensuring effective locomotion by preventing slipping during elongation/contraction of the central actuation part. The soft balloon anchoring actuator emerges as a promising solution due to its high compliance. This study introduces a dumbbell-shaped balloon anchoring actuator (DBAA) integrating an "inflation and suction" mechanism to address the inherent conflict between achieving sufficient anchoring force and minimizing expansion and potential trauma of the colonic wall, commonly encountered in current balloon anchoring actuators. Analytical modeling of DBAA and soft external lumen, encompassing geometric deformation and anchoring force, were proposed to characterize the actuator and provide guidelines for designing and controlling DBAA in further applications, enabling autonomous anchoring within different diameter lumens and achieving the expected anchoring force. A comprehensive set of validation experiments was conducted, and the outcomes revealed high consistency with analytical predictions, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed analytical modeling approach. Furthermore, the results demonstrated a significant enhancement in anchoring force with the proposed actuator and corresponding mechanism while concurrently maintaining low-lumen expansion. For instance, in a lumen sample with the anchoring force reaches 14.5 N with 50 kPa negative pressure, which is 12.4 times of the force (1.17 N) observed without applying negative pressure.

Gradient Harmonization in Unsupervised Domain Adaptation.

Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) intends to transfer knowledge from a labeled source domain to an unlabeled target domain. Many current methods focus on learning feature representations that are both discriminative for classification and invariant across domains by simultaneously optimizing domain alignment and classification tasks. However, these methods often overlook a crucial challenge: the inherent conflict between these two tasks during gradient-based optimization. In this paper, we delve into this issue and introduce two effective solutions known as Gradient Harmonization, including GH and GH++, to mitigate the conflict between domain alignment and classification tasks. GH operates by altering the gradient angle between different tasks from an obtuse angle to an acute angle, thus resolving the conflict and trade-offing the two tasks in a coordinated manner. Yet, this would cause both tasks to deviate from their original optimization directions. We thus further propose an improved version, GH++, which adjusts the gradient angle between tasks from an obtuse angle to a vertical angle. This not only eliminates the conflict but also minimizes deviation from the original gradient directions. Finally, for optimization convenience and efficiency, we evolve the gradient harmonization strategies into a dynamically weighted loss function using an integral operator on the harmonized gradient. Notably, GH/GH++ are orthogonal to UDA and can be seamlessly integrated into most existing UDA models. Theoretical insights and experimental analyses demonstrate that the proposed approaches not only enhance popular UDA baselines but also improve recent state-of-the-art models.

Enhancing Weather Target Detection with Non-Uniform Pulse Repetition Time (NPRT) Waveforms

The velocity/distance trade-off poses a fundamental challenge in pulsed Doppler weather radar systems and is known as the velocity/distance dilemma. Techniques such as multiple-pulse repetition frequency, staggered pulse repetition time (PRT), and pulse phase coding are commonly used to mitigate this issue. The current study evaluates the adaptability/capability of a specific type of low-capture signal called the non-uniform PRT (NPRT) through analyzing the weather target characteristics of typical velocity distributions. The spectral moments estimation (SME) signal-processing algorithm of the NPRT weather echo is designed to calculate the average power, velocity, and spectrum width of the target. A comprehensive error analysis is conducted to ascertain the efficacy of the NPRT processing algorithm under influencing factors. The results demonstrate that the spectral parameters of weather target echo with a velocity of [−50,50] m/s through random-jitter NPRT signals align with radar functionality requirements (RFRs). Notably, the NPRT waveform resolves the inherent conflicts between the maximum unambiguous distance and velocity and elevates the upper limit of the maximal observation velocity. The evaluation results confirm that nonlinear radar signal processing technology can improve a radar’s detection performance and provide a new method for realizing the multifunctional observation of radar in different applications.

Changing the Rule? A re-reading of conflict on Iona in 1204

Two events on Iona in the early thirteenth century – a papal bull in 1203 and a raid by Irish churchmen in 1204 – have conventionally been interpreted as signalling that a formerly ‘Celtic’ monastery became Benedictine in 1203. The raid has been seen as an attempt to reverse this change because of the supposed opposition between the two traditions. This article challenges these views, arguing that (1) no inherent conflict existed between Celtic and Benedictine monasticism, (2) the 1203 papal bull did not establish a new Benedictine foundation, (3) Iona may already have been Benedictine in some sense for a century, and (4) the raiding Irish churchmen were Augustinians, not defenders of ‘Celtic’ monasticism. Instead, the raid was driven by ecclesiastical and political rivalries between Derry and Iona, reflecting the competing interests of the Mac Lochlainn kings in Ireland and Ragnall son of Somerled, king of the Hebrides.

Moral Certainty instead of Moral Objectivity

This paper argues that although Dworkin’s aim of developing a more practical understanding of moral truth is plausible, his attempt to do that while keeping the concept of moral objectivity remains deeply problematic. Because of its opposition to everything subjective, moral objectivity stands in an inherent conflict with the practical reality that we experience as persons from a first-person perspective; therefore, Dworkin’s attempt to reconceptualize moral objectivity from within a first-person perspective is inherently contradictory. The paper suggests that we should go one step further than Dworkin and give up the concept of moral objectivity altogether. A notion of moral certainty instead of moral objectivity would satisfy Dworkin’s intention of finding a practical conception of moral truth more adequately. A brief preliminary conception of it is developed while invoking the German philosopher Robert Spaemann’s ontology of a person.

The Function of OPEC in International Climate Change Law: the Route Taken to COP 28 and the Route Ahead

Abstract Since the consumption of fossil fuels is the main source of GHGs emissions and consequently climate change, the approach of OPEC to climate change is very important. The recent position of OPEC regarding the proposal to phasing out fossil fuels at COP 28 in 2023 showed how significant its approach can be in the evolution process of this regime. The question is what function OPEC has had and should have in the evolution of the climate change law. The results of this research show that in the first encounter of OPEC with the issue, due to the inherent conflict of the economic interests of member states with the goals of the climate change regime, it adopted an obstructive approach. But gradually, due to the global acceptance of the regime and comprehensive consensus regarding the scientific certainty of the threats of climate change, OPEC, reluctantly and inevitably, adjusted its former opposite position to some extent through its active participation in climate negotiations. However, in light of the increasing trend of GHGs emissions by the member states, which indicates the inability of OPEC to align the practice of its members with the goals of climate change, and the recent strong position of OPEC regarding the elimination of fossil fuels in COP 28, concerns have been raised about the future function of OPEC in the climate change legal regime. To play a constructive role in the future and use the available opportunities to reduce the climate change damage to the interests of the member countries over the long term, it should adopt initiatives such as functional changes and integration of climate issues into its strategies and projects in member states to be a supportive partner in the fight against climate change.

A multiscale model for efficiently simulating laser powder bed fusion process with detailed microstructure and mechanical performance results

Numerical simulation is regarded as an important method for studying the mechanisms of additive manufacturing (AM), especially in building a multiscale simulation model. However, the conversion of physical phenomena and parameters across scales is complex, and the number of simulation elements often changes extremely, leading to an inherent conflict between simulation accuracy and efficiency. Therefore, this work introduces a model that balances the need for detailed grain morphology and overall simulation efficiency, to investigate the relationship between process parameters, microstructure, and mechanical performance during Inconel 718 laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process. The cellular automata - finite element method (CA-FEM) was used to simulate the melt pool forming and predict the microstructure evolution. Based on the CA result, the tensile process was simulated through crystal plasticity-finite element method (CP-FEM). Specially, the CA-FEM model was simplified and sliced layer-by-layer to reduce simulation time and data storage, supporting parallel computation. The prediction time for the microstructure growth of millions of elements was less than 1.5 h. The CP-FEM model was simplified by reasonably reducing elements in the representative volume element (RVE) model, improving the simulation efficiency by 73 %. The simulation results were validated through EBSD observation and tensile tests, showing good agreement with experimental results, with the final simulation error for mechanical performance not exceeding 10 %. The effects of process parameters on microstructure and mechanical performance were comprehensively discussed. This model supports the optimization of L-PBF process parameters for Ni-based alloys and provides a reference for improving the efficiency of multiscale simulations for other AM processes and materials.

Multi-stage planning of clean resources and energy storage assets with hybrid uncertainty modeling for low-carbon resilient distribution systems

Climate change drives the urgent need for low-carbon and resilient energy system transitions. However, current planning methods ignore the inherent conflicts between carbon emission reduction and resilience enhancement, failing to optimally balance asset allocation for both aspects. They also neglect the long-term dynamic and stochastic nature of transitions, exposing systems to hybrid uncertainties. This paper presents a multi-stage dynamic planning method for clean resources and energy storage assets in power distribution networks. First, to facilitate low-carbon and resilient transitions, adaptive, stage-wise planning decisions are optimally determined under various planning strategies to mitigate risks stemming from hybrid uncertainties. Second, to precisely quantify the impact of hybrid uncertainties on decision-making, a systematic hybrid-uncertainty modeling approach is designed to capture short- and long-term uncertainties arising from both exogenous and endogenous factors. Third, to alleviate computational complexity, a decomposition-based stochastic dynamic dual integer programming method with augmented cut generation is introduced, which decomposes the original problem into stage-wise subproblems coordinated through forward and backward steps. Numerical results show that the proposed method generates cost-effective planning schemes, yielding $60 K in savings and reducing carbon emissions by 3853 tons. The method also demonstrates strong scalability, with a 52% reduction in solution time for large-scale planning problems.

Lyapunov-based distributed secondary frequency and voltage control for distributed energy resources in islanded microgrids with expected dynamic performance improvement

Microgrids (MGs) can effectively integrate the high penetration distributed energy resources (DERs) for the energy and environmental crisis. Still, fluctuations in intermittent DERs may lead to severe frequency and voltage deviations or even the instability of islanded MGs. Secondary control has successfully compensated for the frequency and voltage deviations. Research on secondary control mainly focused on steady-state operating objectives, i.e., frequency and voltage recovery and power sharing. Still, improving the dynamic responses of secondary control is crucial for system-stable operation, especially in the presence of synchronous DERs. This is because these units can cause undesired oscillatory modes, leading to system instability. In addition, because of the line impedance effect, accurate reactive power sharing is usually ignored when voltage recovery is considered. This will lead to an overload of MGs. To improve the dynamics of secondary control while trading off voltage regulation and reactive power sharing, we propose a Lyapunov-Function (LF)–based distributed secondary control strategy. In the proposed LF-based control strategy, the frequency, voltage, and power information are introduced into feedback control based on the Lyapunov stability theorem. Therefore, the improved frequency and voltage deviations and accurate power sharing can be guaranteed when the Lyapunov function asymptotically attenuates to zero. The inherent conflict between voltage regulation and reactive power sharing is addressed by converging the average voltage to the rated reference. Besides, the improved dynamic performance of secondary control is achieved by considering global power variations, which are obtained by distribution-level phasor measurement units. Global power variations can establish control actions to dampen system oscillations and accelerate system restoration. Furthermore, the controller design method based on the Lyapunov stability theorem can naturally promise the stability of the proposed secondary frequency and voltage controllers. Numerical simulations on the IEEE 34-bus system validate that the proposed control strategy can ensure the significantly improved dynamic performance of secondary control while achieving steady-state operation objectives.

Maximizing virtual power plant profit: A two-level optimization model for energy market participation

Managing dispersed generation via virtual power plants (VPPs) is crucial for maximizing profits in electricity markets. This paper presents a model aimed at maximizing VPP profit through participation in the energy market. The proposed model addresses grid and security constraints of units using deterministic programming, formulated as an equilibrium-constrained, two-level mathematical optimization model. The first level focuses on maximizing VPP profit, while the second optimizes social welfare. Applying duality theory transforms this two-level model into a mixed-integer linear programming model, further refined using Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions. Given the inherent conflict in these objectives, a novel algorithm employing water flow dynamics is proposed for solving the model. To enhance method performance, the Pareto criterion and fuzzy decision-making are incorporated. Model tests are conducted on a standard 24-bus IEEE grid, demonstrating its efficiency. For the single-objective problem without line congestion, the solving time was 12 s. Introducing line congestion increased the profit by 13.4 %, from $40,413.21 to $45,837.32. In the two-objective problem without congestion, the profit ranged between $36,928.72 and $42,813.28, and emissions ranged from 275.21 to 2,916.32 pounds. With congestion, the profit range increased by a maximum of 8.7 %, and emissions were reduced by up to 4.6 %.

Unlocking the stable interface in aqueous zinc-ion battery with multifunctional xylose-based electrolyte additives

The growth of dendrites and the side reactions occurring at the Zn anode pose significant challenges to the commercialization of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). These challenges arise from the inherent conflict between mass transfer and electrochemical kinetics. In this study, we propose the use of a multifunctional electrolyte additive based on the xylose (Xylo) molecule to address these issues by modulating the solvation structure and electrode/electrolyte interface, thereby stabilizing the Zn anode. The introduction of the additive alters the solvation structure, creating steric hindrance that impedes charge transfer and then reduces electrochemical kinetics. Furthermore, in-situ analyses demonstrate that the reconstructed electrode/electrolyte interface facilitates stable and rapid Zn2+ ion migration and suppresses corrosion and hydrogen evolution reactions. As a result, symmetric cells incorporating the Xylo additive exhibit significantly enhanced reversibility during the Zn plating/stripping process, with an impressively long lifespan of up to 1986 h, compared to cells using pure ZnSO4 electrolyte. When combined with a polyaniline cathode, the full cells demonstrate improved capacity and long-term cyclic stability. This work offers an effective direction for improving the stability of Zn anode via electrolyte design, as well as high-performance AZIBs.

A Comparative Analysis of the Design and Implementation of the Twin Peaks Model of Financial Regulation in South Africa and Australia

Abstract In response to the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, South Africa, like most other countries, embarked on a journey of financial regulatory reform. This transformation has seen the country shift away from a silo approach, where various sectoral regulators supervise different financial institutions, towards the Twin Peaks model of financial regulation. The term “Twin Peaks” refers to the separation of regulatory functions between two independent regulators. For instance, one regulatory agency is responsible for the supervision of the safety and soundness of financial institutions, and the other is focussed on the regulation of business conduct. The Twin Peaks model is designed to provide the benefits and efficiencies of an integrated approach while simultaneously addressing inherent conflicts between the objectives of the safety and soundness of the financial system and consumer protection. The Financial Sector Regulation Act provides for the Twin Peaks model in South Africa. This Act positions South Africa as one of the first developing countries to adopt the model. On the other hand, Australia is the pioneer of the model since it implemented it in 1998. Its implementation in Australia, much as in South Africa, involved the separation of regulators for prudential soundness on the one hand and market conduct and consumer protection on the other. In this article, the authors provide a comparative analysis of the design and implementation of the Twin Peaks model in Australia and South Africa. They argue that while there are minor differences between the design and implementation of this model in Australia and South Africa, the model was customised and implemented to align with the specific needs of each country

The Role of Management Control System in Mitigating Corruption: The Levers of Control Perspective

A Management Control System (MCS) is a comprehensive mechanism organizations can use to ensure that their strategies and plans are effectively implemented to achieve their objectives. This concept paper explores the application of Management Control Systems (MCS), specifically concerning levers of control (LOC), for behavioral control. Based on the comprehensive literature review, it is expected that LOC will be able to provide a pathway to mitigate corruption not only from the perspective of fraud diamond theory but also from the perspective of agency theory. Agency theory highlights the inherent conflict of interest between agents, who have more information about their actions and intentions, and principals, who rely on agents to act in their best interest. This information asymmetry creates opportunities for agents to engage in corrupt practices, such as embezzlement, bribery, or fraud, including unethical behavior that may undermine organizational goals and trust. Effective control mechanisms are essential to mitigate these risks and ensure alignment between agents' actions and principals' objectives. Furthermore, organizations can apply the principles of fraud diamond theory when creating an effective control framework to deter corruption.

Hybridizing Shear-Stiffening Gel and Chemically-Strengthened Ultrathin Glass Sheets for Flexible Impact-Resistant Armor.

Traditional anti-impact armors and shields are normally made of stiff and hard materials and therefore deficient in flexibility. This greatly limits their applications in protecting objects with complex geometries or significant deformability. Flexible armors can be developed with the application of hard platelets and soft materials, but the lower rigidity of the flexible armors renders them incapable of providing sufficient resistance against impact attacks. To address the inherent conflict between flexibility and impact resistance in traditional armors, here, a composite is developed by hybridizing a shear-stiffening gel as the matrix and chemically-strengthened ultrathin glass sheets (CSGS) as the reinforcement. The resulting laminate, termed PCCL, exhibits both high flexibility and high impact resistance. Specifically, at low strain rates, the high ductility of the gel combined with the high flexural strength of the CSGS enables the PCCL to undergo considerable deformation; at high strain rates, on the other hand, the shear stiffening behavior of the gel matrix endows the PCCL with excellent impact resistance manifested by its high performance in energy absorption and high rigidity. With the combination of high flexibility and high impact resistance, the PCCL is demonstrated to be an ideal armor for protecting curved vulnerable objects from impact attacks.

Evaluation and benchmarking of research-based microgrid systems using FWZIC-VIKOR approach for sustainable energy management

Microgrid (MG) is one of the technologies considered in the direction of providing green and sustainable energy resources for local communities. Ensuring the best performance of these MG technologies requires extensive research to provide the most efficient system. Research-based microgrids (RB-MGs) play a vital role in the development of green energy platforms, as microgrid applications vary according to different scenarios and locations. Selecting the best research-based microgrid ensures providing local communities and stakeholders with well-tested and examined MG systems. Assessing research-based microgrid systems (RB-MG) for sustainable green applications poses a challenging multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) problem. These complexities encompass the consideration of several evaluation criteria, the relative importance of these criteria, variations in data, and the inherent trade-offs and conflicts between these factors. Crisp and definite values to evaluate the research-based microgrids could not be found despite a comprehensive investigation. In this regard, appraisals and opinions of experts and professionals in providing sustainable energy with vast knowledge and experience in assessment, selection, installation, and operation were addressed as data. A novel decision-making model was developed to evaluate and select the most proper RB-MG system by processing these data. This study proposes an integrated MADM modelling approach using Fuzzy Weighted with Zero Inconsistency (FWZIC) method in conjunction with the Vlse-kriterijumska Optimizcija I Kaompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method. The underlying process starts with constructing a decision matrix (evaluation criteria intersectioned with RB-MGs). Then, evaluation criteria are weighted using FWZIC, and the RB-MGs are ranked for each category using VIKOR. The results derived from FWZIC weights provide valuable insights. Key criteria such as 'installed power (KW)' and 'storage capacity (C3)' show notable values of 0.159 and 0.151, respectively, underscoring their importance in identifying optimal RB-MGs. These weights and alternatives were used to rank the highest RB-MG, which is LIER-CIRCE of the average PV power group, and Ormazabal from the 'Highest PV Power' group. Ormazabal obtained the lowest Qi (0.426). For the average PV power group, alternative number 7 (Atenea Centre) ranked as the best alternative with the lowest Qi among other RB-MGs in the same group (0.158107). Comparative assessments with various MCDM methods reveal strong correlations with TOPSIS and MABAC, but negative correlations with MAIRA. Additionally, there is a statistical difference in grouping by PV installed power (KW) or MPC.

Conceptualising trust and collaboration among stakeholders in MaaS ecosystems

Understanding the factors that facilitate trust and collaboration in Mobility as a Service (MaaS) ecosystems is crucial to the effective delivery of a MaaS scheme given the involvement of both public and private stakeholders. This paper presents the findings of a study investigating the factors that build trust and collaboration among the stakeholders in a MaaS ecosystem and provides insights into the role of regulatory authorities in enabling MaaS developments. The research approach employed the Constructivist Grounded Theory Method (CGTM) using the distinct cases of Whim in Helsinki, Finland and The Sydney MaaS trial in Sydney, Australia. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the representatives of key stakeholder organizations in the two MaaS ecosystems. A conceptual framework of trust and collaboration was developed for each case study to illustrate the process of forming and consolidating trust and collaboration in each MaaS ecosystem. The findings suggest that trust acts as the antecedent and catalyst for building collaborative space within a MaaS ecosystem. Possessing a good understanding of partners’ expectations is a prerequisite for collaboration given the inherent conflicts between interests and goals of the public and private sector. The capability of the partners, prior relationships and open negotiations emerged as the key constructs which form trust in a MaaS ecosystem. It was evident that appropriate policies and legislation developed with the consultation of stakeholders are critical in the development of trust and collaboration in the MaaS ecosystem.

Biodiversity offsetting as a form of depoliticised nature: Social aspects of a pilot project in Lahti, Finland

We examine the public perceptions of an urban biodiversity offsetting pilot project and the implications of such a project for conflicts in urban planning. The City of Lahti was the first in Finland to pilot biodiversity offsetting in its urban planning in 2021. This pilot project demonstrates the contradictions of depoliticised nature, which the urban context makes visible. We draw on interviews with city planners and other city officials, residents and stakeholders, workshops, and documents tracing the pilot project. The case study shows how biodiversity offsetting risks rendering urban planning and its inherent conflicts over preserving greenspaces and enabling development to a set of technical measurements and valuation, while “the social” in urban planning becomes secondary. The theoretical framework of depoliticisation highlights the tensions between the biodiversity offsetting scheme and the participatory planning processes. The former is presented as depoliticised and incontestable, while the latter are overrun by a technocratic measuring of ecological values. We conclude that the contradictions of depoliticised nature are built into the core of biodiversity offsetting and consider ways to improve the social fairness of offsetting in urban contexts.

Rational utilization of the size and electronic effect of inhibitors enabling high polishing rate with minimum corrosion in copper chemical mechanical polishing

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) relies on corrosion to remove excess materials, while also on corrosion inhibitors to ensure post-polished surface quality. The robust adsorption of inhibitors onto metal surfaces typically improves inhibition effectiveness but significantly reduces the polishing rate. In this study, we propose and validate a novel strategy that focuses on the utilization of large-sized physisorption-type inhibitors to address this inherent conflict. By incorporating disproportionated rosin (DR) as the inhibitor, the developed slurry facilely obtained a balance between polishing efficiency and quality for copper CMP. The inhibition mechanism of DR was elucidated through electrochemical characterization, adsorption isotherms, and reactive forcefield molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulations. The weak physisorption of the inhibitors facilitated their easy removal, resulting in minimal impact on the polishing rate. Additionally, the large-size structure of DR effectively hindered corrosive substances from reaching concave areas not under external force, thereby demonstrating superior inhibition efficacy. The adsorption mode of DR on copper was simultaneously determined through adsorption isotherms and ReaxFF MD simulations, marking the first instance of linking classic adsorption theory with MD simulations. The advantage of the ReaxFF MD simulations over classic MD simulations and density-functional-theory calculations for the metal-inhibitor adsorption systems was also discussed and demonstrated.

Sweden’s conflicting green leadership in the European Union

ABSTRACT This article examines the nuanced dynamics of green leadership within the European Union (EU), focusing on Sweden. Sweden has long been heralded as an exemplar of environmental and climate leadership within the European Union as well as a frontrunner in the adoption of green policies, notably in the realms of bioenergy and biofuels. However, its leadership stance has come under scrutiny due to the inherent conflicts within green initiatives, often referred to as ‘green-green dilemmas’ that arise when environmental actions, despite their sustainable intentions, clash over competing interests. Drawing on a variety of sources we delve into the complexities surrounding Sweden's green leadership. The article highlights how Sweden’s enthusiastic endorsement of bioenergy and biofuels, integral to its climate action strategy, has sparked debates and raised questions about Sweden´s perceived green leadership within the European Union. Sweden's approach to navigating these conflicts, alongside its efforts to negotiate and balance economic interests with environmental ambitions, offers a compelling insight into the challenges of maintaining green leadership in the face of conflicting green agendas.