Abstract: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were monitored simultaneously by means of Radiello passive samplers at six sites of Santa Clara city, Cuba, in the cold and the warm seasons in 2010. The dissolved ionic forms of NO2 and SO2 as nitrate and sulfite plus sulfate, respectively, were determined by means of ion chromatography. Analysis of NO2 as nitrite was also performed by UVVis spectrophotometry. For NO2, significant t tests show good agreement between the results of IC and UVVis methods. The NO2 and SO2 concentrations peaked in the cold season, while their minimum levels were experienced in the warm season. The pollutant levels do not exceed the maximum allowable limit of the Cuban Standard 39:1999, i.e., 40 μg/m3 and 50 μg/m3 for NO2 and SO2, respectively. The lowest pollutant concentrations obtained in the warm season can be attributed to an increase in their removal via precipitation (scavenging) while to the decreased traffic density and industrial emission during the summer holidays (e.g., July and August).

Abstract: Socio-technical transitions are often hindered by the resilience of existing infrastructures, as policymakers are reluctant to invest in novel products or services. Using the example of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) based fuels, we set up a discrete choice experiment to assess whether European policymakers have a tendency to avoid investing in novel, and more disruptive technologies, and rather prefer to invest in technologies that resemble the incumbent. Results indicate that policymakers prefer to allocate funding to dominant technologies. The results also revealed an overall positive perception of CCU technologies among policymakers. As the commercialisation of such products and processes continues, acceptance among this group of stakeholders is key.

Abstract: Increasing interest in sustainability has led to the development of sustainability assessment tools such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). Due to methodological disparity of these three tools, conflicting assessment results generate confusion for many policy and business decisions. In order to interpret and integrate assessment results, the paper provides a framework that clarifies the connections and coherence between the included assessment methodologies. Building on this framework, the paper further focuses on key aspects to adapt any of the methodologies to full sustainability assessments. Aspects dealt with in the review are for example the reported metrics, the scope, data requirements, discounting, product- or project-related and approaches with respect to scarcity and labor requirements. In addition to these key aspects, the review shows that important connections exist: (i) the three tools can cope with social inequality, (ii) processes such as valuation techniques for LCC and CBA are common, (iii) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is used as input in both LCA and CBA and (iv) LCA can be used in parallel with LCC. Furthermore, the most integrated sustainability approach combines elements of LCA and LCC to achieve the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). The key aspects and the connections referred to in the review are illustrated with a case study on the treatment of end-of-life automotive glass. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract: This study is an attempt to develop ecotourism in Nehbandan County, in the South Khorasan Province, Iran, by representing unknown areas that have tourism potential. The most important obstacle in the development of tourism industry is the lack of strong marketing plans, tourism management, accommodations for overnight and long stays, and medical and health clinic in the desert. This is a qualitative, exploratory case study investigating the status of environmental, sociocultural, and economic impacts of ecotourism development on the native people's livelihood in Nehbandan County in Iran. The methodology is based on field observations, secondary data sources, and field survey. It is an interpretive approach that avoids numbers but focuses on issues linked to culture and nature. In the present study, the grounded theory was used to perform data analysis. Based on the findings, ecotourism has undoubtedly proven to be an effective environmental conservation tool in the study site and enables local people to increase their livelihood security through employment in activities relating to ecotourism and the development of rural livelihood.

Abstract: Cotton is one of the important crops that play an important role in creating a livelihood for rural people in many parts of Iran. Cotton production necessitates a large amount of resources (e.g., fossil energy and agrochemicals, all of which have the potential to damage the environment in various ways). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the environmental effects of cotton production in the South Khorasan Province of Iran. For this purpose, life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques have been applied to investigate the environmental impacts of cotton production. LCA is a practical method to evaluate the environment on the product flow, in which all aspects of the product life cycle are examined by a comprehensive approach. Furthermore, combining the LCA method with other managerial strategies such as DEA could allow researchers to provide decision-makers with more practical and interpretable data. The findings of the efficiency test showed that the average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 0.81, 0.92, and 0.87, respectively. Respiratory inorganics (i.e., respiratory effects resulting from winter smog caused by emissions of dust, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides to air) posed the greatest environmental burden in cotton production, followed by non-renewable energy, carcinogens, and global warming. In addition, the highest effects were on human health, and then, on resources and climate change. Energy, on-system pollution, and waste played a crucial role in the environmental impacts of cotton processing. This study suggests improving farmers' knowledge toward the optimum application of chemical fertilizers, or their substitution with green fertilizers, which reduces the environmental effect of growing cotton in the area.

Abstract: Appropriate use of agricultural technologies and diversifying the farming activities is critical to addressing food security problems in Africa, including Ethiopia. The country is experimenting with the new Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) approach alongside the well-established Transfer of Technology (ToT) approach. This paper analyzes the gaps between policy discourses (as reflected in policy documents and strategic orientation documents) and extension practices (as reflected in the daily exchanges between farmers and the frontline staff of the Ethiopian extension system). It provides insights into the challenges faced and emphasizes the need for better coordination between policy formulation and implementation to enhance extension services. Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can benefit from the valuable perspectives the findings offer. The study contributes to understanding the relationship between policy discourses and extension practices, and its implications can inform policy design and implementation in similar contexts. A qualitative research approach was deployed to analyze policy discourse and practice. Data were collected in Fogera, a district in Northwest Ethiopia, between August 2018 and February 2019. The data for the paper were obtained from 23 Focus Group Discussions conducted with men and women. 13 Informant Interviews (KIIs) were also carried out with personnel at different levels of government agricultural services and departments. Transcripts of recordings of the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were analyzed using a deductive approach. The study focuses on rice crops in the Fogera district, which are crucial for food security and reducing poverty. Although the geographic area is limited, the results can be used to improve the extension system in other areas facing similar challenges. Specifically, the study suggests switching from the traditional transfer of technology approach to the agricultural innovation system approach. Furthermore, the study's techniques, such as qualitative interviews, may have limitations and not fully capture the intricacies of policy and extension practices. The findings demonstrate that, although the policy documents strongly adhere to agricultural innovation system principles, top-down transfer of technology approaches continues to dominate in practice. Moreover, we have found potential discrepancies between the training content delivered and the specific needs of smallholder farmers. Practically, prescriptive systems are still used because agricultural innovation system approaches are not well understood by the Extension Agents. To realize a genuine agricultural innovation system, Ethiopia's extension apparatus should move forward with building committed and robust relationships between farmers, extension agents, researchers, private sectors, and non-governmental organizations. To this end, more research, enhanced training, and improved institutions are needed on what genuine agricultural innovation system could look like at the grass-roots level. This also includes understanding the roles that different actors within Ethiopia's development army should assume how a multi-actor policy dialogue can be organized.

Abstract: The experiments conducted are focused on natural organic substances, removal from water in ion-exchange process, ultrafiltration process and ion exchange-ultrafiltration integrated process. The water from the Odra River and model solution were investigated. In treatment processes, various doses of 5 anion-exchange resins as well as polyethersulphone membranes with different cut-offs were used. The efficiency of process was determined by measuring a decrease both in the colour intensity and the UV 254 nm absorbance. The results show that separation efficiency in integrated process depends on resin dose added to water before ultrafiltration and on the membrane cut-off as well. Among the resins tested the most efficient was MIEX (R) resin. The ion-exchange process carried out prior to the ultrafiltration increased, especially for high cut-off membranes, NOM retention and resulted in the decrease of membrane fouling intensity.

Abstract: <script type='text/javascript'>document.write(unpmarked('Thermoelectric transport is traditionally analyzed using relations imposed by time-reversal symmetry, ranging from Onsager\u0027s results to fluctuation relations in counting statistics. In this paper, we show that a recently discovered duality relation for fermionic systems-deriving from the fundamental fermion-parity superselection principle of quantum many-particle systems-provides new insights into thermoelectric transport. Using a master equation, we analyze the stationary charge and heat currents through a weakly coupled, but strongly interacting single-level quantum dot subject to electrical and thermal bias. In linear transport, the fermion-parity duality shows that features of thermoelectric response coefficients are actually dominated by the average and fluctuations of the charge in a dual quantum dot system, governed by attractive instead of repulsive electron-electron interaction. In the nonlinear regime, the duality furthermore relates most transport coefficients to much better understood equilibrium quantities. Finally, we naturally identify the fermion-parity as the part of the Coulomb interaction relevant for both the linear and nonlinear Fourier heat. Altogether, our findings hence reveal that next to time-reversal, the duality imposes equally important symmetry restrictions on thermoelectric transport. As such, it is also expected to simplify computations and clarify the physical understanding for more complex systems than the simplest relevant interacting nanostructure model studied here.'));

Abstract: Surface coating is a crucial method to mitigate the aging problem of high-Ni cathode active materials (CAMs). By avoiding the direct contact of the CAM and the electrolyte, side reactions are hindered. Commonly used techniques like wet or ALD coating are time consuming and costly. Therefore, a more cost-effective coating technique is desirable. Herein, a facile and fast dry powder coating process for CAMs with nanostructured fumed metal oxides are reported. As the model case, the coating of high-Ni NMC (LiNi0.7Mn0.15Co0.15O2) by nanostructured fumed Al2O3 is investigated. A high coverage of the CAM surface with an almost continuous coating layer is achieved, still showing some porosity. Electrochemical evaluation shows a significant increase in capacity retention, cycle life and rate performance of the coated NMC material. The coating layer protects the surface of the CAM successfully and prevents side reactions, resulting in reduced solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation and charge transfer impedance during cycling. A mechanism on how the coating layer enhances the cycling performance is hypothesized. The stable coating layer effectively prevents crack formation and particle disintegration of the NMC. In depth analysis indicates partial formation of LixAl2O3/LiAlO2 in the coating layer during cycling, enhancing lithium ion diffusivity and thus, also the rate performance.

Abstract: Conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) separation in the petrochemical industry via cryogenic distillation is energy intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Alternatively, polymer membrane-based separations are of significant interest owing to low production cost, low-energy consumption and ease of upscaling. However, the implementation of commercial polymeric membranes is limited by their permeability and selectivity trade-off and the insufficient thermal and chemical stability. Herein, a novel type of amorphous mixed matrix membrane (MMM) able to separate CO2/CH4 mixtures with the highest selectivities ever reported for MOF based MMMs is presented. The MMM consists of an amorphised metal-organic framework (MOF) dispersed in an oxidatively cross-linked matrix achieved by fine tuning of the thermal treatment temperature in air up to 350 degrees C which drastically boosts the separation properties of the MMM. Thanks to the protection of the surrounding polymer, full oxidation of this MOF (i.e. ZIF-8) is prevented, and amorphisation of the MOF is realized instead, thus in situ creating a molecular sieve network. In addition, the treatment also improves the filler-polymer adhesion and induces an oxidative cross-linking of the polyimide matrix, resulting in MMMs with increased stability or plasticization resistance at high pressure up to 40 bar, marking a new milestone as new molecular sieve MOF MMMs for challenging natural gas purification applications. A new field for the use of amorphised MOFs and a variety of separation opportunities for such MMMs are thus opened.

Abstract: This paper reviews and compares 11 studies that have estimated external costs of fossil electricity generation by benefits transfer. These studies include 13 countries and most of these countries are developing countries. The impact pathway approach is applied to estimate the environmental impact arising from fossil fuel-fired power plant's air emission and the related damages on human health. The estimated damages are used to value the monetary external costs from fossil fuel electricity generation. The estimated external costs in the 13 countries vary from 0.51 to 213.5 USD (2005) per MWh due to differences in fossil fuel quality, location, technology, and efficiency of power plants and additionally differences in assumptions, monetization values, and impact estimations. Accounting for these externalities can indicate the actual costs of fossil energy. The results can be applied by policy makers to take measures to avoid additional costs and to apply newer and cleaner energy sources. The described methods in the selected studies for estimating the external costs with respect to incomplete local data can be applied as a useful example for other developing countries.

Abstract: Electroporation technique is widely used in biotechnology and medicine for the transport of various molecules through the membranes of biological cells. Different mathematical models of electroporation have been proposed in the literature to study pore formation in plasma and nuclear membranes. These studies are mainly based on models using a single isolated cell with a canonical shape. In this work, a spacetime (x,y,t) multiphysics model based on quasi-static Maxwells equations and nonlinear Smoluchowskis equation has been developed to investigate the electroporation phenomenon induced by pulsed electric field in multicellular systems having irregularly shape. The dielectric dispersion of the cell compartments such as nuclear and plasmatic membranes, cytoplasm, nucleoplasm and external medium have been incorporated into the numerical algorithm, too. Moreover, the irregular cell shapes have been modeled by using the Gielis transformations.

Abstract: The electrochemical properties and phase transformations during (de)insertion of Li+ in LiFePO4, LiFe0.9Mn0.1PO4 and LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 are studied by means of galvanostatic cycling, potential intermittent titration technique (PITT) and in situ X-ray powder diffraction. Different modes of switching between the solid solution and two-phase regimes are revealed which are influenced by the Mn content in Li1-xFe1-yMnyPO4. Additionally, an increase in electrochemical capacity with the Mn content is observed at high rates of galvanostatic cycling (10C, 20C), which is in good agreement with the numerically estimated contribution of the solid solution mechanism determined from PITT data. The observed asymmetric behavior of the phase transformations in Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 during charge and discharge is discussed. For the first time, the crystal structures of electrochemically deintercalated Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 with different Li content – LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4, Li0.5Fe0.5Mn0.5PO4 and Li0.1Fe0.5Mn0.5PO4 – are refined, including the occupancy factors of the Li position. This refinement is done using electron diffraction tomography data. The crystallographic analyses of Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 reveal that at x = 0.5 and 0.9 the structure retains the Pnma symmetry and the main motif of the pristine x = 0 structure without noticeable short range order effects.