| Records |
| Author |
Gezahegn, T.W.; Van Passel, S.; Berhanu, T.; D'haese, M.; Maertens, M. |
| Title |
Do bottom-up and independent agricultural cooperatives really perform better? Insights from a technical efficiency analysis in Ethiopia |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Agrekon |
Abbreviated Journal |
Agrekon |
| Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
|
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM) |
| Abstract |
The cooperative landscape in Ethiopia is very heterogeneous with a mixture of remains of the pre-1991 government-controlled system and new post-1991 bottom-up collective action initiatives. This heterogeneity, coupled with a large growth in the number of cooperatives in the country, offers an interesting perspective to study the determinants of the (in)efficiency of cooperatives. In this paper, we analyse the performance of Ethiopian agricultural cooperatives, focusing on the degree of technical (in)efficiency and its determinants. We use the stochastic frontier approach in which we account for heteroskedasticity and the monotonicity of production functions, presenting a methodological improvement with respect to previous technical efficiency studies. The results show that NGO- and government-initiated cooperatives are less efficient than community-initiated ones, implying that governments and NGOs should not interfere too strongly in cooperative formation. Cooperatives with a high degree of heterogeneity in members' participation are found to be about 98% less efficient, while cooperatives that have paid employees are 33% more efficient. Besides, results show that cooperatives in Ethiopia function more efficiently if they incentivize committee members through monetary compensation. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
000487651200001 |
Publication Date |
2019-09-24 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
0303-1853 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links  |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
1.3 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
|
| Notes |
; The authors acknowledge funding from the VLIR-UOS TEAM Program (VLIR-UOS-ZEIN2015PR406 (13V95615T), Belgium. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 1.3; 2020 IF: 0.224 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:163772 |
Serial |
6184 |
| Permanent link to this record |
| |
|
| |
| Author |
Samaee, V.; Sandfeld, S.; Idrissi, H.; Groten, J.; Pardoen, T.; Schwaiger, R.; Schryvers, D. |
| Title |
Dislocation structures and the role of grain boundaries in cyclically deformed Ni micropillars |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Materials Science And Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure And Processing |
Abbreviated Journal |
Mat Sci Eng A-Struct |
| Volume |
769 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
138295 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Transmission electron microscopy and finite element-based dislocation simulations were combined to study the development of dislocation microstructures after cyclic deformation of single crystal and bicrystal Ni micropillars oriented for multi-slip. A direct correlation between large accumulation of plastic strain and the presence of dislocation cell walls in the single crystal micropillars was observed, while the presence of the grain boundary hampered the formation of wall-like structures in agreement with a smaller accumulated plastic strain. Automated crystallographic orientation and nanostrain mapping using transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of lattice heterogeneities associated to the cell walls including long range elastic strain fields. By combining the nanostrain mapping with an inverse modelling approach, information about dislocation density, line orientation and Burgers vector direction was derived, which is not accessible otherwise in such dense dislocation structures. Simulations showed that the image forces associated with the grain boundary in this specific bicrystal configuration have only a minor influence on dislocation behavior. Thus, the reduced occurrence of “mature” cell walls in the bicrystal can be attributed to the available volume, which is too small to accommodate cell structures. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
000500373800018 |
Publication Date |
2019-08-21 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
0921-5093 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
6.4 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
Financial support from the Flemish (FWO) and German Research Foundation (DFG) through the European M-ERA.NET project “FaSS” (Fatigue Simulation near Surfaces) under the grant numbers GA.014.13 N,SCHW855/5-1, and SA2292/2-1 is gratefully acknowledged. V.S. acknowledges the FWO research project G012012 N “Understanding nanocrystalline mechanical behaviour from structural investigations”. H.I. is mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FSR-FNRS). S.S. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council through the ERC Grant Agreement No. 759419 (MuDiLingo – A Multiscale Dislocation Language for Data- Driven Materials Science). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.4; 2020 IF: 3.094 |
| Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:163475 |
Serial |
5371 |
| Permanent link to this record |
| |
|
| |
| Author |
Sakarika, M.; Spanoghe, J.; Sui, Y.; Wambacq, E.; Grunert, O.; Haesaert, G.; Spiller, M.; Vlaeminck, S.E. |
| Title |
Purple non-sulphur bacteria and plant production: benefits for fertilization, stress resistance and the environment |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Microbial biotechnology |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
| Volume |
13 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1336-1365 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Purple non-sulphur bacteria (PNSB) are phototrophic microorganisms, which increasingly gain attention in plant production due to their ability to produce and accumulate high-value compounds that are beneficial for plant growth. Remarkable features of PNSB include the accumulation of polyphosphate, the production of pigments and vitamins and the production of plant growth-promoting substances (PGPSs). Scattered case studies on the application of PNSB for plant cultivation have been reported for decades, yet a comprehensive overview is lacking. This review highlights the potential of using PNSB in plant production, with emphasis on three key performance indicators (KPIs): fertilization, resistance to stress (biotic and abiotic) and environmental benefits. PNSB have the potential to enhance plant growth performance, increase the yield and quality of edible plant biomass, boost the resistance to environmental stresses, bioremediate heavy metals and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Here, the mechanisms responsible for these attributes are discussed. A distinction is made between the use of living and dead PNSB cells, where critical interpretation of existing literature revealed the better performance of living cells. Finally, this review presents research gaps that remain yet to be elucidated and proposes a roadmap for future research and implementation paving the way for a more sustainable crop production. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
000482388700001 |
Publication Date |
2019-08-21 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
1751-7915 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
5.7 |
Times cited |
10 |
Open Access |
|
| Notes |
; The authors would like to acknowledge: (i) the MIP i-Cleantech Flanders (Milieu-innovatieplatform; Environment innovation platform) project Microbial Nutrients on Demand (MicroNOD) for financial support; (ii) the China Scholarship Council for financially supporting Y. Sui (File No. 201507650015); (iii) the DOCPRO4 project 'PurpleTech', funded by the BOF (Bijzonder onderzoeksfonds); Special research fund from the University of Antwerp for financially supporting J. Spanoghe, and (iv) E. Koutsoukou for constructing components of Figs 5 and 6. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: NA |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:162876 |
Serial |
6587 |
| Permanent link to this record |
| |
|
| |
| Author |
Ozcan, M.; Ozen, S.; Yagmurcukardes, M.; Sahin, H. |
| Title |
Structural, electronic and vibrational properties of ultra-thin octahedrally coordinated structure of EuO2 |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Journal Of Magnetism And Magnetic Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Magn Magn Mater |
| Volume |
493 |
Issue |
493 |
Pages |
165668 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
| Abstract |
Novel stable ultra-thin phases of europium oxide are investigated by means of state-of-the-art first principles calculations. Total energy calculations show that single layers of EuO2 and Eu(OH)(2) can be stabilized in an octahedrally coordinated (1T) atomic structure. However, phonon calculations reveal that although both structures are energetically feasible, only the 1T-EuO2 phase has dynamical stability. The phonon spectrum of 1T-EuO2 displays three Raman active modes; a non-degenerate out-of-plane A(1g) mode at 353.5 cm(-1) and two doubly-degenerate in-plane E-g modes at 304.3 cm(-1). Furthermore, magnetic ground state and electronic band dispersion calculations show that the single layer EuO2 is a metal with net magnetic moment of 5(mu B) per unitcell resulting in a half-metallic ferrimagnetic behavior. Moreover, robustness of the half-metallic ferrimagnetic characteristics of EuO2 is confirmed by the application of electric field and charging. Single layer 1T-EuO2, with its stable ultra-thin structure and half-metallic ferrimagnetic feature, is a promising novel material for nanoscale electronic and spintronic applications. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
000486397800003 |
Publication Date |
2019-08-03 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
0304-8853 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
2.7 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
|
| Notes |
; Computational resources were provided by TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TR-Grid e-Infrastructure). HS acknowledges financial support from the TUBITAK under the project number 117F095. MY is supported by the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl) by a postdoctoral fellowship. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 2.7; 2020 IF: 2.63 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:162755 |
Serial |
6323 |
| Permanent link to this record |
| |
|
| |
| Author |
Ma, Z.; Perreault, P.; Pelegrin, D.C.; Boffito, D.C.; Patience, G.S. |
| Title |
Thermodynamically unconstrained forced concentration cycling of methane catalytic partial oxidation over CeO2FeCralloy catalysts |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Chemical Engineering Journal |
Abbreviated Journal |
Chem Eng J |
| Volume |
380 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
122470-11 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Converting waste associated natural gas from oil fields is uneconomic with current gas-to-liquid technology. Micro Gas-to-Liquids technology ( GtL) combines process intensification and numbering up economics to reduce capital costs to convert flared and vented natural gas to value-added synthetic fuel: Milli-second contact times in the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOX) integrated with a tandem Fischer-Tropsch (FT) step meets the economic constraints together with remote process control. FeCralloy knitted fibres with high thermal conductivity and low pressure drop, resist thermal and mechanical stresses in the high pressure CPOX step. The FeCralloy catalysts are free of pre-reduction treatments. We deposited Pt and/or CeO2 over the fibre surface via solution combustion synthesis. Methane conversion was higher at ambient pressure compared to 2 MPa while the Pt/CeO2 FeCralloy was relatively inert from 0.1 MPa to 2 MPa. However, both catalysts demonstrated high activity in quasi-chemical looping partial oxidation of methane: during the reduction step while feeding methane, an on-line mass spectrometer only detected H2 while in the oxidation step it detected predominantly CO. Kinetic modeling of the oxidation-reduction cycles suggests that the reaction follows a direct mechanism to produce CO and H2 rather than an indirect mechanism that first produces CO2 and H2O followed by reforming. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
|
Publication Date |
2019-08-14 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
1385-8947; 1873-3212 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record |
| Impact Factor |
15.1 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
|
| Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 15.1; 2020 IF: 6.216 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:162119 |
Serial |
8665 |
| Permanent link to this record |
| |
|
| |
| Author |
Tian, F.; Wang, Y.; Sandhu, H.S.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P. |
| Title |
Comparison of seed morphology of two ginkgo cultivars |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Journal Of Forestry Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Forestry Res |
| Volume |
31 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
751-758 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
| Abstract |
Ginkgo biloba L. is a precious relic tree species with important economic value. Seeds, as a vital reproductive organ of plants, can be used to distinguish cultivars of the species. We chose 400 seeds from two cultivars of ginkgo (Fozhi and Maling; 200 seeds for each cultivar) as the study material and used the Gielis equation to fit the projected shape of these seeds. The coefficients of variation (CV) in root mean squared errors (RMSE) obtained from the fitted data were used to compare the level of inter-cultivar variations in seed shape. We also used the covariance analysis to compare the allometric relationships between seed weights and projected areas of these two cultivars. The Gielis equation fitted well the seed shapes of two ginkgo cultivars. The lower CV in RMSE of cultivar Fozhi than Maling indicated a less symmetrical seed shape in the latter than the former. The bootstrap percentile method showed that the seed shape differences between the two cultivars were significant. However, there was no significant difference in the exponents between the seed weights and the projected areas of these two cultivars. Overall, the significant differences in shapes between the seeds of two ginkgo cultivars were well explained by the Gielis equation; this model can be further extended to compare morphological differences in other ginkgo cultivars, and even for plant seeds or animal eggs that have similar oval shapes. |
| Address |
|
| Corporate Author |
|
Thesis |
|
| Publisher |
|
Place of Publication |
|
Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
000529367600005 |
Publication Date |
2018-07-28 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
1007-662x |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
3 |
Times cited |
3 |
Open Access |
|
| Notes |
; ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3; 2020 IF: 0.774 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:154987 |
Serial |
6474 |
| Permanent link to this record |
