Specific Priorities Research Articles

Optimal process selection for natural gas liquids recovery: Energy, exergy, economic, and environmental perspectives

In contrast with extant studies on industrial natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery processes, this study focuses on the most significant configurations, including the industry-standard single-stage (ISS) process, gas subcooled (GSP) process, cold residue gas-recycle (CRR) process, recycle split-vapor (RSV) process, enhanced NGL recovery process (IPSI-1), and internal refrigeration for enhanced NGL recovery process (IPSI-2). Furthermore, this study in-depth analyses the energy, exergy, economics, and environmental factors to determine the optimal configuration based on specific scenarios and priorities. ASPEN HYSYS® V11 is used to simulate six NGL process configurations, each with a processing capacity of 5000 kmol/h. The study identifies critical design variables concerning energy consumption. The energy analysis reveals that the RSV process exhibits the highest energy consumption, totaling 38.00 MW. Additionally, the RSV configuration demonstrates the highest values for exergy destruction, capital cost, CO2 emissions, and purity compared to the other configurations. In contrast, the IPSI-1 process exhibits significantly higher energy efficiency than the RSV process, with 46 % lower energy consumption and the lowest specific CO2 emissions (0.048 kg CO2/kg feed). However, the analytical values for the lowest or middle rankings differ depending on the perspectives considered. Thus, this study provides valuable methods for selecting a conventional technology based on investment, input resources, and sustainable output requirements.

Evaluation of solar PV-based microgrids viability utilizing single and multi-criteria decision analysis

Feasibility analysis is crucial for solar projects to minimize risk and ensure goal achievement. Essential factors include the PV system's location, elevation, land slope, energy yield, soil texture, mean annual cloud frequency map, and distance from urban areas. This study examines the performance of a 3 MW PV system across five remote Egyptian regions characterized by desert weather conditions. The influence of available weather data sources and different yield estimation methods on the feasibility of the PV system is treated as a Single-Criteria Decision Making (SCDM) scheme. Meteorological data from Meteonorm 8.1, PVGIS, and NASA-SSE satellite data are utilized as input data for the designed PVsyst and ANSYS-based energy yield estimation models and for empirical formulas. Significant variations in estimated energy yield are observed, depending on the weather data source. The study also underscores the importance of diligently evaluating and comparing the accuracy and reliability of different weather data sources and estimation methods for simulating PV-based microgrid system performance. The yield estimation-based SCDM indicates that the New Valley PV system consistently outperformed the other systems. However, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) indicates that the Red Sea performs well in technical criteria evaluation, while alternative Aswan City excels in practical and feasibility criteria assessment. The study employs the MCDM approach to provide a more detailed evaluation. Specifically, the technical criteria focus on energy yield, system efficiency, and reliability.In contrast, a decision-maker prioritizing long-term sustainability might lean towards a system that excels in technical criteria, even if it is economically less attractive in the short term. Conversely, a decision-maker constrained by budget limitations might opt for a system that, while not the most technically efficient, offers the most cost-effective solution. This dual-criteria approach reveals that while one region may excel in technical performance, another is more financially viable. The choice between these two regions hinges on the specific priorities of the decision-maker.

Sustainability action in the real estate sector — An organizational and institutional perspective

IntroductionDecision-makers' perceptions, influenced by institutional and organizational pressures, shape sustainability action. However, the current body of research on the impact of these pressures within the real estate sector, particularly among real estate owner organizations, remains limited. Research argumentThis explorative study fills the research gap by providing empirical findings and theoretical interpretation that explains the influence and outcomes of institutional pressures on decision-making processes. Methodological approachExplorative surveys and interviews were conducted with asset managers in Sweden to understand their sustainability perceptions and actions within the real estate sector. Main findingsThe study found a notable shift in sustainability perceptions among asset managers in Sweden, with most recognizing sustainability as critical for commercial real estate, challenging the notion of their passivity and highlighting their proactive engagement. Economic incentives significantly influence sustainability actions, with top priorities being energy efficiency and renewable energy due to their positive business impact. Other sustainability actions are also important but not prioritized to the same extent, revealing specific priorities within real estate owner organizations, an area less explored in prior research. ConclusionThe article proposes a theoretical framework to guide future research on how institutional and organizational mechanisms shape decision-makers' sustainability perceptions, guiding sustainability action. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for implementing Sustainable Development Goals in practice across industries.

Assessment of UTI Diagnostic Techniques Using the Fuzzy-PROMETHEE Model.

Accurate diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is important as early diagnosis increases treatment rates, reduces the risk of infection and disease spread, and prevents deaths. This study aims to evaluate various parameters of existing and developing techniques for the diagnosis of UTIs, the majority of which are approved by the FDA, and rank them according to their performance levels. The study includes 16 UTI tests, and the fuzzy preference ranking organization method was used to analyze the parameters such as analytical efficiency, result time, specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Our findings show that the biosensor test was the most indicative of expected test performance for UTIs, with a net flow of 0.0063. This was followed by real-time microscopy systems, catalase, and combined LE and nitrite, which were ranked second, third, and fourth with net flows of 0.003, 0.0026, and 0.0025, respectively. Sequence-based diagnostics was the least favourable alternative with a net flow of -0.0048. The F-PROMETHEE method can aid decision makers in making decisions on the most suitable UTI tests to support the outcomes of each country or patient based on specific conditions and priorities.

“It’s gotta be done right way”: a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of a proposed longitudinal cohort study of young Aboriginal children in Alice Springs

There is a need for quality longitudinal data on the health and well-being of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (hereafter Aboriginal) in Alice Springs that can be used for research, planning and evaluation. The primary aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine whether or not a proposed cohort study would be acceptable to the local community. The proposed cohort study will prospectively examine various factors, events and exposures in early life that give Aboriginal children the best chance to grow up strong and lead a healthy happy life. Decisions on specific priority issues to be addressed and study procedures will be determined by local Aboriginal researchers and community members during a future co-design phase. 27 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with a range of community stakeholders and parents/caregivers of young Aboriginal children from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. Audio recorded data were transcribed and imported into NVivo12 qualitative software for reflexive thematic analysis. Three major themes concerning acceptability of the concept were constructed from the analysis: (1) Have to be mindful, (2) Duplication of data, and (3) “It’s gotta be done right way”. There was general support for the concept, however, many participants felt that a cautious and slow approach was necessary. Recommendations included focusing on building trust, taking it slow, and ensuring the study is conducted by local Aboriginal researchers. Barriers to feasibility noted included the high mobility of families, competing demands, and privacy concerns. Findings from this qualitative study support the feasibility and acceptability of a future cohort study of young Aboriginal children in Alice Springs. Leadership from respected local Aboriginal researchers and key stakeholders will be critical to its success.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Hypertension in Ship Crews of Seaports Work Coverage for Poso Port Health Office, Bungku Working Area

Objective: Ship crew as seafarers who work or are employed on board the ship by the owner or operator of the ship to carry out their duties following their position will have limitations in accessing health education, facilities, and infrastructure that support them to maintain their health. One of the non-communicable diseases that contributes to cardiovascular diseases is hypertension. This study aims to determine the risk factors related to the prevalence of hypertension in ship crew at Seaport work coverage for Poso Port Health Office, Bungku Working Area. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 385 participant involve in data analysis. Chi-square analysis was employed to assess the relationship between respondent characteristic variables and independent variables concerning the occurrence of hypertension. Multivariate analysis was conducted on variables that showed an association with hypertension to obtain independent risk values using logistic regression analysis. This research used a 95% confidence level. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in ship crew is 12.73%. Logistic regression results showed that the crew members had an overweight (AOR=15.93, 95%CI: 5.080-49.981, p=0.000) and moderate and heavy smokers among crew members (AOR=2.51, 95%CI: 1.038-6.066), p=0.021) were factors associated with the prevalence of hypertension in ships crew members of hypertension in ships crew members after controlled by aged over 45 years (AOR=22.94; 95% CI: 2.587-203.477, p=0.005) and family history of hypertension (AOR=6.01; 95% CI: 2.741-13.168, p=0.000). Conclusions: Body mass index and smoking behavior among ship crew members are significant risk factors for hypertension in this study, while alcohol consumption and workplace-related environmental stress were not found to be significant risk factors in this research Implication of the research: This research can serve as a reference for determining health programs and more specific priority groups targeted for the prevention and control of hypertension among ship crew members on board. Originality: This study was conducted on ship crew members, legally active seafarers in the operational tasks on ship, whereas most similar research uses the health data of seafarers in healthcare clinics.

Meeting the 2030 END TB goals in the wake of COVID-19: A modelling study of countries in the USAID TB portfolio.

Progress towards the 2030 End TB goals has seen severe setbacks due to disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. For governments and international partner organizations supporting the global TB response, there is a need to assess what level of effort is now needed to reach these goals. Using mathematical modelling, we addressed this question for the countries being supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). We aggregated the 24 countries in the USAID portfolio into three geographical country groups: South Asia; sub-Saharan Africa; and Central Asian Republics/Europe (CAR/EU). From 2023 onwards we modelled a combination of interventions acting at different stages of the care cascade, including improved diagnostics; reducing the patient care seeking delay; and the rollout of a disease-preventing vaccine from 2025 onwards. We found that in all three country groups, meeting the End TB goals by 2030 will require a combination of interventions acting at stages of the TB care cascade. Specific priorities may depend on country settings, for example with public-private mix playing an important role in countries in South Asia and elsewhere. When a vaccine becomes available, its required coverage to meet the 2030 goals will vary by setting, depending on the amount of preventive therapy that has already been implemented. Monitoring the number-needed-to-test to identify 1 person with TB in community settings can provide a useful measure of progress towards the End TB goals.

What are the research priorities for strengthening public health emergency preparedness and response in Africa?

BackgroundResearch evidence is needed to strengthen capacities in emergency preparedness and response (EPR). However, the absence of a clear research agenda limits the optimal use of research evidence. This paper reports on the prioritization of research questions and topics that could contribute to evidence-informed strengthening of EPR capacities in the African region.MethodsThe priority-setting consisted of desk review and stakeholder consultation workshop. Twenty-nine people participated in the workshop, including representatives from WHO regional office and EPR focal points in Africa, representatives of research institutions, and partners from Science for Africa Foundation, United Nations Children's Fund and Africa Center for Disease Control. Modified Delphi technique was used to systematically arrive at specific and cross-cutting research priorities in the three broad areas of the EPR, which are program Implementation, Clinical and Epidemiology. The research questions/topics were ranked on five-point Likert scale (1 = very low to 5 = very high) based on seven agreed-on criteria. Research priority score was calculated for each question as the mean of the criteria scores.ResultsA total of 123 research questions comprising, 29 on Epidemiology, 22 on Clinical, 23 on program Implementation, and 49 on cross-cutting issues were ranked. The top ten research priorities were: knowledge and skills of healthcare workers in detecting and responding effectively to disease outbreaks; quality of data (accuracy, timeliness, completeness) for epidemic prone diseases; determinants of vaccine hesitancy; determinants of infection transmission among health care workers during PHE; effective measures for protecting health workers from highly infectious pathogens in PHE; strategies to improve the effectiveness of contact tracing for epidemic prone diseases; effectiveness of current case definitions as screening tools for epidemic and pandemic prone diseases; measures to strengthen national and sub-national laboratory capacity for timely disease confirmation within the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response framework; factors affecting prompt data sharing on epidemic-prone diseases; and effective strategies for appropriate community participation in EPR.ConclusionsThe collaborative multi-stakeholder workshop produced a starting list of priority research questions and topics for strengthening EPR capacities in Africa. Action needs to be taken to continuously update the research agenda and support member States to contextualize the research priorities and commission research for timely generation and uptake of evidence.

Enhancing multifunctionality in European boreal forests: The potential role of Triad landscape functional zoning

Land-use policies aim at enhancing the sustainable use of natural resources. The Triad approach has been suggested to balance the social, ecological, and economic demands of forested landscapes. The core idea is to enhance multifunctionality at the landscape level by allocating landscape zones with specific management priorities, i.e., production (intensive management), multiple use (extensive management), and conservation (forest reserves). We tested the efficiency of the Triad approach and identified the respective proportion of above-mentioned zones needed to enhance multifunctionality in Finnish forest landscapes. Through a simulation and optimization framework, we explored a range of scenarios of the three zones and evaluated how changing their relative proportion (each ranging from 0 to 100%) impacted landscape multifunctionality, measured by various biodiversity and ecosystem service indicators. The results show that maximizing multifunctionality required around 20% forest area managed intensively, 50% extensively, and 30% allocated to forest reserves. In our case studies, such landscape zoning represented a good compromise between the studied multifunctionality components and maintained 61% of the maximum achievable net present value (i.e., total timber economic value). Allocating specific proportion of the landscape to a management zone had distinctive effects on the optimized economic or multifunctionality values. Net present value was only moderately impacted by shifting from intensive to extensive management, while multifunctionality benefited from less intensive and more diverse management regimes. This is the first study to apply Triad in a European boreal forest landscape, highlighting the usefulness of this approach. Our results show the potential of the Triad approach in promoting forest multifunctionality, as well as a strong trade-off between net present value and multifunctionality. We conclude that simply applying the Triad approach does not implicitly contribute to an overall increase in forest multifunctionality, as careful forest management planning still requires clear landscape objectives.

Setting Research Priorities for Effective Climate Change Management and Policymaking: A Delphi Study in Bolivia and Paraguay

Over the last few years, increased research has been carried out on climate change. Part of this research has been based on foresight methodologies to gain time in the fight against climate change and identify planning and development policies that may be effective in the future. However, more research is needed, and it is essential to continue working to determine the appropriate strategies to chart the right path in the fight against climate change. Particularly scarce attention has been given to Latin American countries and, more specifically, to collaboration between countries in identifying priority research lines in this area. In this context, this study is innovative in presenting an articulated and cooperative work between Bolivia and Paraguay in identifying strategic lines of investigation linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that might have a more significant impact on climate change management. The application of the Delphi technique within a group of experts allowed the consolidation of different perspectives and knowledge on climate change and allowed us to identify, within the SDGs, the priority lines that should be addressed to manage climate change impacts. The results identify specific priority research lines for Bolivia and Paraguay related to the genetic diversity of food crops (SDG 2), new or reemerging human viruses (SDG 3), sustainable freshwater extraction and supply (SDG 6), cleaner fossil fuel technology (SDG 7), sustainable transport (SDG 9), local impact of climate-related hazards and disasters (SDG 13), and terrestrial biodiversity (SDG 15). These research lines should not be seen as exclusive but as the priority research lines that might have the most significant impact and should be addressed in the short term.

Decision-making processes in image guided radiotherapy: A think aloud study

Introduction3D Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) using Cone Beam Computer Tomography (CBCT) has been implemented for a range of treatment sites across the UK in the last decade. A paucity of evidence exists to understand how radiation therapists (RTTs) make clinical decisions during image interpretation as part of the IGRT process. The aim of this study was to investigate the decision-making processes used by RTTs during image interpretation of IGRT. MethodCase study methodology was adopted utilising a think aloud observational method with follow-up interviews. 12 RTTs were observed and interviewed across three UK radiotherapy centres. Participants were observed reviewing and making clinical decisions in a simulated environment using clinical scenarios developed in partnership with each centres’ Clinical Imaging Lead. Protocol analysis was used to analyse the observational data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. ResultsA range of approaches to decision-making was observed which varied in length from nine phrases to 57 (mean 24) per case. Six themes emerged from the data: Set Sequence, Site Specific Clinical Priorities, Initial Gross Review, Decision to treat, Compromise and experience. In addition, three cognitive decision-making processes were identified: Simple linear, Linear repeating and Intuitive decision-making process. The findings of the study align with general principles of expert performance, whereby experience in a specific scope of practice is more beneficial in developing expertise than overall experience. ConclusionThis study has provided new and original insight in the decision-making processes of RTTs. The study has highlighted three process models to explain how RTTs make decisions during IGRT: Simple linear, Linear repeating and Intuitive decision-making process. Intuitive processes are widely accepted to be error prone and linked to bias. When using this process, some RTTs followed this with a confirmation phase. This second phase of the process should be encouraged when teaching IGRT. The results of the study support the concept of expert performance, where performance and expertise are only improved by exposing individuals to specific types of experiences. RTTs, managers and Higher Education Institutions are encouraged to review these models and implement them into IGRT training. It is clear from the evidence base that understanding how we make decisions, enables us to develop expertise and reduce errors during the decision-making process.

PROGRESS OF FOOD PRODUCTION AND FOOD PROCESSING BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The increase in human population worldwide has become a major threat to food security and nutrition. Food production and processing sector particularly the agriculture and food processing are asked to satisfy two apparently contradictory needs, to become more productive, and at the same time, more sustainable. Biotechnology is one of the sectors with significant contribution in modernizing agriculture, food security, and nutrition. Africa including Ethiopia has started research in agricultural-food processing biotechnology a few decades ago. However, research and public awareness on biotechnology is inadequate. This review appraises the agriculture/food production and food processing biotechnology progress in developing societies particularly in Africa so as to understand the roles which agricultural and food processing biotechnology could play therein. The paper concludes with the recommendation that individual countries need to identify their specific national priorities and preferences in food production and harness the growing body of science and innovations in genetic engineering and food processing to address specific issues.

ASSESING THE RUSSO-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT OF 2022: UNRAVELING THE PUTIN DOCTRINE IN THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY

Abstract: This article aims to build upon the existing neoclassical realist analysis of Russia’s foreign policy in Ukraine during 2022. By introducing a comprehensive analytical framework grounded in neoclassical realism, it seeks to delve into the influence of specific developments and priorities within Russia on its foreign policy conduct towards Ukraine. Contrary to the commonly perceived image of a more assertive and aggressive Russia, recent trends in both foreign and domestic policy reveal an internally conflicted, introspective, and reactive Russia, demonstrating its lack of preparedness to embrace an evolving international role. Through this analysis, it becomes apparent that Putin’s uncertainty in effectively addressing the multifaceted challenges and inevitable tensions, whether of domestic or international nature, emerges as a direct consequence of Russian mismanagement in handling foreign policy matters related to Ukraine. Unraveling the complexities and contradictions shaping Russia’s actions in the region, this article provides deep insights into the dynamics governing the Ukrainian crisis and its wider implications for global geopolitics. Keywords: Russian foreign policy, conflict management, the Ukrainian crisis, Putin, neoclassical realism

Quantitative approaches for including equity in risk and resilience infrastructure planning analyses.

Risk and resilience assessments for critical infrastructure focus on myriad objectives, from natural hazard evaluations to optimizing investments. Although research has started to characterize externalities associated with current or possible future states, incorporation of equity priorities at project inception is increasingly being recognized as critical for planning related activities. However, there is no standard methodology that guides development of equity-informed quantitative approaches for infrastructure planning activities. To address this gap, we introduce a logic model that can be tailored to capture nuances about specific geographies and community priorities, effectively incorporating them into different mathematical approaches for quantitative risk assessments. Specifically, the logic model uses a graded, iterative approach to clarify specific equity objectives as well as inform the development of equations being used to support analysis. We demonstrate the utility of this framework using case studies spanning aviation fuel, produced water, and microgrid electricity infrastructures. For each case study, the use of the logic model helps clarify the ways that local priorities and infrastructure needs are used to drive the types of data and quantitative methodologies used in the respective analyses. The explicit consideration of methodological limitations (e.g., data mismatches) and stakeholder engagements serves to increase the transparency of the associated findings as well as effectively integrate community nuances (e.g., ownership of assets) into infrastructure assessments. Such integration will become increasingly important to ensure that planning activities (which occur throughout the lifecycle of the infrastructure projects) lead to long-lasting solutions to meet both energy and sustainable development goals for communities.

Priority Bird Conservation Areas in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Conserving bird populations is a key goal for management of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and is likely to have effects well beyond its boundaries. To inform bird- conservation strategies, we identified Priority Bird Conservation Areas for riparian landbirds and waterbirds in the Delta, defined as the most valuable 5% of the landscape for each group. We synthesized data from 2,547 surveys for riparian landbirds and 7,820 surveys for waterbirds to develop predictive distribution models, which then informed spatial prioritization analyses. We identified a total of 26,019 ha that are a high priority for conserving riparian landbirds, waterbirds, or both, representing the most important places in the Delta to protect and manage, as well as strategic areas where adjacent restoration could expand valuable habitat. These Priority Bird Conservation Areas include the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Consumnes River Preserve, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and bufferlands that surround the Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District. However, we also found that over 60% of the Priority Bird Conservation Areas are not currently protected, indicating a vulnerability to changes in land cover or land use. We recommend advancing strategies for bird conservation in the Delta by developing more specific objectives and priorities, extending these analyses to include other bird species, and planning to mitigate the loss of Priority Bird Conservation Areas where they are most vulnerable to land cover change. The predictive models and analysis framework we developed represent the current state of the science on areas important to bird conservation, while also providing a foundation for an evolving bird-conservation strategy that reflects the Delta’s continuously evolving knowledge base and landscape.

Port Competitiveness at Sapangar Bay Container Port from Shipping Lines Perspectives in BIMP EAGA Region

Feeder ports in archipelago of the sub-region of BIMP EAGA often face challenges in terms of connectivity due to the dispersed nature of the islands. Realizing the untapped economic potential in the area and the robust geopolitical landscape that has taken place in the last decades, there is an exigency of the countries in BIMP EAGA to improve their port to be the preferred choice by shipping lines. A port's competitiveness holds a paramount significance for shipping lines to call a certain port. Thus, this study aims to examine the perspective of Main Line Operators (MLO) on level of importance of the competitiveness of ports in BIMP EAGA, especially Sapangar Bay Container Port. Ten Main line Operators (MLO) of Intra Asia were selected to respond to the questionnaires using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The result revealed that the MLO ranked the most important attributes from top to bottom were port efficiency and facilities (EP), port pricing and support services (PP), Hinterland Characteristics (HC), Maritime Accessibility (MA) and lastly Institutional Regulatory (IR). The specific priorities and preferences of shipping lines in this sub-region may be influenced by factors such as trade patterns, port infrastructure, market demands and overall competitiveness of the ports in the region. Findings of this study contribute to the general understanding of port competitiveness in the BIMP EAGA from the perspective of the MLO and may guide the policymakers, port authorities and industry stakeholders in addressing the specific needs and prioritizing their strategic planning to improve the port

Property size and forest cover were key determinants of forest restoration in Southern Bahia in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Forest restoration has gained traction as a solution to mitigate climate change, contribute to biodiversity conservation, and support forest livelihoods. Yet there is limited evidence on the spatial locations where restoration is most likely to occur. In landscapes that primarily contain private properties, assessing the likelihood of restoration can be informed by understanding the enabling and limiting factors that have influenced property-level restoration in the past. In this paper, we tested the relationships between restoration, property size, and forest cover, for 8451 properties between 1985 and 2019 in Southern Bahia, Atlantic Forest, Brazil. We found that spatial property-level variables were strongly associated with restoration. First, we found that property size was positively correlated with the amount of restoration per property. Medium-sized properties (between 40 and 127 ha) accounted for the most restoration in aggregate. Second, we found that properties with less forest cover were associated with higher amounts of restoration. In addition, for properties larger than 20 ha, those with intermediate amounts of forest cover had high amounts of restoration. Third, we found that restoration was a spatial process that occurred in hotspots rather than randomly across the study landscape, indicating that restoration often occurred near to other restored properties. Understanding these relationships may assist restoration planners in making more informed estimates of the conditions that might enable future restoration. Given that restoration is a complex process that may require different approaches in different socio-environmental contexts, decision-makers may consider identifying and prioritizing properties of different sizes and with different amounts of forest cover depending on their specific priorities, landscape-level conditions, and restoration context. Our spatial analysis techniques assist in improving broader understanding of possible ways in which land use policy could prioritize for restoration at the property level and could later be applied to other socio-environmental tropical forest systems.

Competitive Priorities as Operations Management Strategy Enablers

This paper discusses the importance of applying competitive priorities that include cost, quality, time, and flexibility as the basis for a company’s operating strategy. Some examples of successful companies applying these types of competitive priorities will be explained. However, there is no specific recipe that companies should follow in choosing the right competitive priorities, as each individual company has a different competitive strategy and resource approach. In fact, there is no guarantee that selecting specific competitive priorities will maintain the company’s position in the marketplace, because selection requires a critical and continuous process across the company's conditions. In a dynamic business environment, companies should focus on strategic flexibility and innovation capabilities as additional tools to current competitive priorities. Finally, the role of the company’s management is crucial, as it can carefully define the objectives of the competitive priorities and the improvement of the applied innovation strategy.

Prediction of Unpaved Road Conditions Using High-Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning

Rural roads play a crucial role in fostering economic and social development in Africa. Local Road Authorities (LRAs) struggle to collect road condition data using conventional means due to logistical and resource issues. Poor road conditions and restricted mobility have severe economic consequences for the transport of goods and services. Lack of maintenance can increase costs three-fold. In this work, a novel framework is proposed in which earth observations using high-resolution optical satellite imagery are applied to measure the condition of unpaved roads, providing a vital input to maintenance planning and prioritisation. A trial was conducted using this method on 83 roads in Tanzania totalling 131.7 km. The experimental results demonstrate that, by analysing variations in pixel intensity of the road surface, the condition can be estimated with an accuracy of 71.9% when compared to ground truth information. Machine Learning techniques are applied to the same network to test the performance of the system in predicting road conditions. A blended classifier approach achieves an accuracy of 88%. The proposed framework enables LRAs to define the information they receive based on their specific priorities, offering a rapid, objective, consistent and potentially cost-effective system that overcomes the current challenges faced by LRAs.

Structuring values and normative frameworks using Schwartz's value theory to map the three tenets of energy justice

Recent energy justice studies have explicitly introduced different normative frameworks. However, an elaboration of how these newly introduced normative frameworks relate to each other is missing in the energy justice literature. This could lead to false expectations that a specific normative framework could solve the normative challenges of energy justice. We indicate that normative frameworks embrace specific values and priority rules, but still lack an attempt to map out a general overall value structure of human and societal values in general. We introduce Shalom Schwartz's core value theory to propose a structure that allows us to map key values and their relation to energy justice. We illustrate that the three-tenets framework as such lacks normative guidance and show how Schwartz theory can be used to scaffold the three-tenets framework in dealing with underlying value disputes. The study concludes that Schwartz's theory proves useful in addressing the lack of a normative framework structure. The study indicates the individual approach as a key limitation and proposes further analyses towards a more collective approach.