Abstract: The structure-property relationship at interfaces is difficult to probe for thermoelectric materials with a complex interfacial microstructure. Designing thermoelectric materials with a simple, structurally-uniform interface provides a facile way to understand how these interfaces influence the transport properties. Here, we synthesized Bi2-xSbxTe3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4) nanoflakes using a hydrothermal method, and prepared Bi2-xSbxTe3 thin films with predominantly (0001) interfaces by stacking the nanoflakes through spin coating. The influence of the annealing temperature and Sb content on the (0001) interface structure was systematically investigated at atomic scale using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Annealing and Sb doping facilitate atom diffusion and migration between adjacent nanoflakes along the (0001) interface. As such it enhances interfacial connectivity and improves the electrical transport properties. Interfac reactions create new interfaces that increase the scattering and the Seebeck coefficient. Due to the simultaneous optimization of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, the maximum power factor of the Bi1.8Sb0.2Te3 nanoflake films reaches 1.72 mW m(-1) K-2, which is 43% higher than that of a pure Bi2Te3 thin film.

Abstract: Additives in semiconductor metal oxides are commonly used to improve sensing behavior of gas sensors. Due to complicated effects of additives on the materials microstructure, adsorption sites and reactivity to target gases the sensing mechanism with modified metal oxides is a matter of thorough research. Herein, we establish the promoting effect of nanocrystalline zinc oxide modification by 1-7 at.% of indium on the sensitivity to CO gas due to improved nanostructure dispersion and concentration of active sites. The sensing materials were synthesized via an aqueous coprecipitation route. Materials composition, particle size and BET area were evaluated using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption isotherms, high-resolution electron microscopy techniques and EDX-mapping. Surface species of chemisorbed oxygen, OH-groups, and acid sites were characterized by probe molecule techniques and infrared spectroscopy. It was found that particle size of zinc oxide decreased and the BET area increased with the amount of indium oxide. The additive was observed as amorphous indium oxide segregated on agglomerated ZnO nanocrystals. The measured concentration of surface species was higher on In2O3-modified zinc oxide. With the increase of indium oxide content, the sensor response of ZnO/In2O3 to CO was improved. Using in situ infrared spectroscopy, it was shown that oxidation of CO molecules was enhanced on the modified zinc oxide surface. The effect of modifier was attributed to promotion of surface OH-groups and enhancement of CO oxidation on the segregated indium ions, as suggested by DFT in previous work.

Abstract: We provide a comprehensive analysis of the prominent tight-binding (TB) models for transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) available in the literature. We inspect the construction of these TB models, discuss their parameterization used and conduct a thorough comparison of their effectiveness in capturing important electronic properties. Based on these insights, we propose a novel TB model for TMDs designed for enhanced computational efficiency. Utilizing MoS2 as a representative case, we explain why specific models offer a more accurate description. Our primary aim is to assist researchers in choosing the most appropriate TB model for their calculations on TMDs.

Abstract: Background Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women in the developed world. In order to find developing cancers in an early stage, BC screening is commonly used. In Flanders, screening is performed in and outside an organized breast cancer screening program (BCSP). However, the determinants of BC screening coverage for both screening strategies are yet unknown. Objective To assess the determinants of BC screening coverage in Flanders. Methods Reimbursement data were used to attribute a screening status to each woman in the target population for the years 2008-2016. Yearly coverage data were categorized as screening inside or outside BCSP or no screening. Data were clustered by municipality level. A generalized linear equation model was used to assess the determinants of screening type. Results Over all years and municipalities, the median screening coverage rate inside and outside BCSP was 48.40% (IQR: 41.50-54.40%) and 14.10% (IQR: 9.80-19.80%) respectively. A higher coverage rate outside BSCP was statistically significantly (P < 0.001) associated with more crowded households (OR: 3.797, 95% CI: 3.199-4.508), younger age, higher population densities (OR: 2.528, 95% CI: 2.455-2.606), a lower proportion of unemployed job seekers (OR: 0.641, 95% CI: 0.624-0.658) and lower use of dental care (OR: 0.969, 95% CI: 0.967-0.972). Conclusion Coverage rate of BC screening is not optimal in Flanders. Women with low SES that are characterized by younger age, living in a high population density area, living in crowded households, or having low dental care are less likely to be screened for BC in Flanders. If screened, they are more likely to be screened outside the BCSP.

Abstract: The occurrence and origin of diffuse intensity contours in electron micrographs of AgBr crystals are investigated. The observations are interpreted in terms of a model, which attributes diffuse scattering to the presence of predominant atom or vacancy clusters of a particular polyhedral type. It is shown that irrespective of the crystal morphology, interstitial Ag ions order in AgBr material in clusters of finite size along 001 type planes. A different geometry of the diffuse intensity locus observed for triangular and hexagonal tabular grains is explained in terms of the different twin plane morphology of these grains.

Abstract: Europe has somewhere between 150,000 and 500,000 landfill sites, with an estimated 90% of them being “non-sanitary” landfills, predating the EU Landfill Directive of 1999/31/EC. These older landfills tend to be filled with municipal solid waste and often lack any environmental protection technology. “ Doing nothing”, state-of-theart aftercare or remediating them depends largely on technical, societal and economic conditions which vary between countries. Beside “ doing nothing' and landfill aftercare, there are different scenarios in landfill mining, from re-landfilling the waste into ”sanitary landfills" to seizing the opportunity for a combined resource-recovery and remediation strategy. This review article addresses present and future issues and potential opportunities for landfill mining as an embedded strategy in current waste management systems through a multi-disciplinary approach. In particular, three general landfill mining strategies are addressed with varying extents of resource recovery. These are discussed in relation to the main targets of landfill mining: (i) reduction of the landfill volume (technical), (ii) reduction of risks and impacts (environmental) and (iii) increase in resource recovery and overall profitability (economic). Geophysical methods could be used to determine the characteristics of the landfilled waste and subsurface structures without the need of an invasive exploration, which could greatly reduce exploration costs and time, as well as be useful to develop a procedure to either discard or select the most appropriate sites for (E)LFM. Material and energy recovery from land-filled waste can be achieved through mechanical processing coupled with thermochemical valorization technologies and residues upcycling techniques. Gasification could enable the upcycling of residues after thermal treatment into a new range of eco-friendly construction materials based on inorganic polymers and glass-ceramics. The multi-criteria assessment is directly influenced by waste- and technology related factors, which together with site-specific conditions, market and regulatory aspects, influence the environmental, economic and societal impacts of (E)LFM projects.

Abstract: It has been acknowledged that power is a fundamental aspect that needs to be considered when performing a value chain analysis. The structure of the value chain is indicative of the power distribution along the chain. By employing systems thinking the structure of the value chain can be further investigated and inferences on market power issues can be made. This novel approach connects value chain research with insights from Industrial Organization (IO) literature. Depending on the case, market power may not be measurable by traditional economic tools. Systems thinking offers an alternative tool, allowing the employment of qualitative and quantitative data, overcoming drawbacks of IO methods and providing more depth to value chain analysis. In this paper the valuable contribution of systems thinking to market power analysis is exemplified by the Belgian sugar beet case. The analysis showed that transportability and perishability of sugar beet are key causes of market failure in the Belgian sugar value chain. Systems thinking can support understanding potential future behavior of the market based on the thorough understanding of the current market structure. We illustrate how to integrate factors determining the market structure into causal loop diagrams. This novel approach allows a comprehensive evaluation and thus opens up market power analysis to interdisciplinary research.

Abstract: Transition projects have been implemented for Flemish agriculture since 2003, but these did not enable a transformation of the agricultural sector. This paper looks at pre-transition scenarios that have been collectively designed by stakeholders of the agricultural sector in 2002. These foresaw decreases in the regional animal stocks in Flanders. However, the real evolution of the sector did not reveal such a decrease. It is assumed that the individual adaptive behaviour of farmers can explain the unexpected stability of the Flemish agricultural sector. A detailed agent-based model has been built to replicate the past evolution, accounting for structural diversity of farmers, heterogeneity in behaviour, and natural resource constraints. The results indicate that different forms of rigidity in the individual behaviour of farmers slow down the adaptation of the agricultural sector. Future transition scenarios should account for these elements in order not to overestimate the speed of change in the sector. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: In the past decade, to improve crop production and productivity, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious irrigation farming expansion program and has introduced new large- and small-scale irrigation initiatives. However, in Ethiopia, poverty remains a challenge, and crop productivity per unit area of land is very low. Literature on the technical efficiency (TE) of large-scale and small-scale irrigation user farmers as compared to the non-user farmers in Ethiopia is also limited. Investigating smallholder farmers' TE level and its principal determinants is very important to increase crop production and productivity and to improve smallholder farmers' livelihood and food security. Using 1026 household-level cross-section data, this study adopts a technology flexible stochastic frontier approach to examine agricultural TE of large-scale irrigation users, small-scale irrigation users and non-user farmers in Ethiopia. The results indicate that, due to poor extension services and old-style agronomic practices, the mean TE of farmers is very low (44.33%), implying that there is a wider room for increasing crop production in the study areas through increasing the TE of smallholder farmers without additional investment in novel agricultural technologies. Results also show that large-scale irrigation user farmers (21.05%) are less technically efficient than small-scale irrigation user farmers (60.29%). However, improving irrigation infrastructure shifts the frontier up and has a positive impact on smallholder farmers' output.

Abstract: Y Ecosystem services (ESs) include the benefits people receive from ecosystems that support the socio-economic requirements and human well-being. The Man and Biosphere (MAB) programs are a scientific plan in the African context that is linked to governments and attempts to create a systematic ground to enhance the relationship between individuals and their environments. Using economic valuation methods, the main objective of this study was to perform a systematic review on studies undertaken in African countries in order to expose the role of MAB programs in conserving ESs in these countries. Based on the results, MAB programs offer both the protection of cultural ecosystem services and the improvement of livelihoods. Moreover, the MAB programs enable biosphere reserves to help national governments find solutions to the pressing challenges in Africa. In conclusion, policymakers should be aware of the main goal of ESs valuation approaches. In other words, the main goal should focus on the creation of prevention rather than rehabilitation activities in order to avoid the loss of ecosystem services mainly at the cost of users. Overall, the findings of this study underlined that economic valuation methods should provide evidence to underpin the development of policy instruments for the conservation of ESs in African countries. More importantly, ESs conservation strategies should consider various measures to reduce human impacts while also considering their well-being. In this context, the study's main implication is that human well-being is determined not only by the quantity but also by the quality of ESs.

Abstract: Over the decades, Bayesian statistical inference has become a staple technique for modelling human multisensory perception. Many studies have successfully shown how sensory and prior information can be combined to optimally interpret our environment. Because of the multiple sound localisation cues available in the binaural signal, sound localisation models based on Bayesian inference are a promising way of explaining behavioural human data. An interesting aspect is the consideration of dynamic localisation cues obtained through self-motion. Here we provide a review of the recent developments in modelling dynamic sound localisation with a particular focus on Bayesian inference. Further, we describe a theoretical Bayesian framework capable to model dynamic and active listening situations in humans in a static auditory environment. In order to demonstrate its potential in future implementations, we provide results from two examples of simplified versions of that framework.

Abstract: Two electrochemical methodologies, i.e. flowchart and dual-sensor, were developed to aid law enforcement present at festivals to obtain a rapid indication of the presence of four illicit drugs in suspicious samples encountered.