Complexity for megaprojects in the energy sector

Megaprojects are characterised by their large-scale capital costs, long duration and extraordinary levels of technical and process complexity. Empirical data demonstrate that these projects experience alarming rates of failure. One of the main causes of such project failure is the high level of complexity and the absence of effective tools to assess and manage it. This study develops a new project complexity assessment method, which is specifically aimed at megaprojects in the energy sector. The assessment method contains a taxonomy of 51 complexity indicators and their consolidated weights, which are established through a novel Delphi-AHP Group Decision Making method. Numerical Scoring criteria for all indicators are defined on the basis of synthesis of existing knowledge of megaprojects to facilitate the application of the new method. It is reviewed and evaluated by experts and tested through a case study energy megaproject

Environmental and energy performances optimization of a neighborhood in Tehran, via IMM® methodology.

Due to the fact that urbanization, as a dominating global development process, has been reached a dramatic measure, series of questions have been arisen about its environmental impacts. The urbanization soaring rate, which its impetus has been provided by unprecedented population growth, has had serious of direct consequences such as inconceivable and unbalanced consumption of natural resources and global warming rate acceleration. In such a dramatic circumstances how urban planning and governance could contribute to climate mitigation and emissions reduction? How urban vulnerability and urban resilience should be managed? Again, how urban transformation should be propelled in order to address these challenges. To demonstrate that sustainability and environmental efficiency is an urban issue this paper shows the application of IMM® (Integrated Modification Methodology) on Shahrak-e Golestan, a newly settled neighborhood located in District 22 of Tehran. Forming this neighborhood for accommodating a part of city’s growing population is a well representative of the common developing manners in Tehran, therefore the transformed model resulted from the study could be considered as a model for further developments of the other districts

Finding New Cell Wall Regulatory Genes in Populus trichocarpa Using Multiple Lines of Evidence.

Understanding the regulatory network controlling cell wall biosynthesis is of great interest in Populus trichocarpa, both because of its status as a model woody perennial and its importance for lignocellulosic products. We searched for genes with putatively unknown roles in regulating cell wall biosynthesis using an extended network-based Lines of Evidence (LOE) pipeline to combine multiple omics data sets in P. trichocarpa, including gene coexpression, gene comethylation, population level pairwise SNP correlations, and two distinct SNP-metabolite Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) layers. By incorporating validation, ranking, and filtering approaches we produced a list of nine high priority gene candidates for involvement in the regulation of cell wall biosynthesis. We subsequently performed a detailed investigation of candidate gene GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR 9 (PtGRF9). To investigate the role of PtGRF9 in regulating cell wall biosynthesis, we assessed the genome-wide connections of PtGRF9 and a paralog across data layers with functional enrichment analyses, predictive transcription factor binding site analysis, and an independent comparison to eQTN data. Our findings indicate that PtGRF9 likely affects the cell wall by directly repressing genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, such as PtCCoAOMT and PtMYB.41, and indirectly by regulating homeobox genes. Furthermore, evidence suggests that PtGRF9 paralogs may act as transcriptional co-regulators that direct the global energy usage of the plant. Using our extended pipeline, we show multiple lines of evidence implicating the involvement of these genes in cell wall regulatory functions and demonstrate the value of this method for prioritizing candidate genes for experimental validation

A direct numerical simulation method for complex modulus of particle dispersions

We report an extension of the smoothed profile method (SPM)[Y. Nakayama, K. Kim, and R. Yamamoto, Eur. Phys. J. E {\bf 26}, 361(2008)], a direct numerical simulation method for calculating the complex modulus of the dispersion of particles, in which we introduce a temporally oscillatory external force into the system. The validity of the method was examined by evaluating the storage $G'(\omega)$ and loss $G"(\omega)$ moduli of a system composed of identical spherical particles dispersed in an incompressible Newtonian host fluid at volume fractions of $\Phi=0$, 0.41, and 0.51. The moduli were evaluated at several frequencies of shear flow; the shear flow used here has a zigzag profile, as is consistent with the usual periodic boundary conditions

Three-dimensionally Ordered Macroporous Structure Enabled Nanothermite Membrane of Mn2O3/Al

Mn2O3 has been selected to realize nanothermite membrane for the first time in the literature. Mn2O3/Al nanothermite has been synthesized by magnetron sputtering a layer of Al film onto three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) Mn2O3 skeleton. The energy release is significantly enhanced owing to the unusual 3DOM structure, which ensures Al and Mn2O3 to integrate compactly in nanoscale and greatly increase effective contact area. The morphology and DSC curve of the nanothermite membrane have been investigated at various aluminizing times. At the optimized aluminizing time of 30 min, energy release reaches a maximum of 2.09 kJ∙g−1, where the Al layer thickness plays a decisive role in the total energy release. This method possesses advantages of high compatibility with MEMS and can be applied to other nanothermite systems easily, which will make great contribution to little-known nanothermite research

Burden and Management of Multi-Drug Resistant Organism Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Across the World: A Narrative Review

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are particularly susceptible to infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and are often the first to be affected by an emerging resistant pathogen. Unfortunately, their prevalence and impact on morbidity and mortality according to the type of graft is not systematically reported from high-as well as from low and middle-income countries (HIC and LMIC). Thus, epidemiology on MDRO in SOT recipients could be subjected to reporting bias. In addition, screening practices and diagnostic resources may vary between countries, as well as the availability of new drugs. In this review, we aimed to depict the burden of main Gram-negative MDRO in SOT patients across HIC and LMIC and to provide an overview of current diagnostic and therapeutic resources

Entrepreneurial approach for open innovation: opening new opportunities, mapping knowledge and highlighting gaps

Purpose Since the first definition of open innovation (OI), the indivisible relationship between this concept and entrepreneurship was undeniable. However, the exact mechanisms by which an entrepreneurial approach may benefit OI processes and vice versa are not yet fully understood. The study aims to offer an accurate map of the knowledge evolution of the OI-entrepreneurship relationship and interesting gaps to be filled in the future. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a bibliometric analysis, coupled with a systematic literature review performed over a data set of 106 peer-reviewed articles published from 2005 to 2020 to identify thematic clusters. Findings The results show five thematic clusters: entrepreneurial opportunities, organisational opportunities, strategic partnership opportunities, institutional opportunities and digital opportunities for OI. Investigating each of them, the authors created a framework that highlights future avenues for further developing the topic. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to systematise, analyse and critically interpret the literature concerned with the topic of the OI-entrepreneurship

Interfacial Chemistry in Al/CuO Reactive Nanomaterial and Its Role in Exothermic Reaction.

Interface layers between reactive and energetic materials in nanolaminates or nanoenergetic materials are believed to play a crucial role in the properties of nanoenergetic systems. Typically, in the case of Metastable Interstitial Composite nanolaminates, the interface layer between the metal and oxide controls the onset reaction temperature, reaction kinetics, and stability at low temperature. So far, the formation of these interfacial layers is not well understood for lack of in situ characterization, leading to a poor control of important properties. We have combined in situ infrared spectroscopy and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, in conjunction with firstprinciples calculations to identify the stable configurations that can occur at the interface and determine the kinetic barriers for their formation. We find that (i) an interface layer formed during physical deposition of aluminum is composed of a mixture of Cu, O, and Al through Al penetration into CuO and constitutes a poor diffusion barrier (i.e., with spurious exothermic reactions at lower temperature), and in contrast, (ii) atomic layer deposition (ALD) of alumina layers using trimethylaluminum (TMA)produces a conformal coating that effectively prevents Al diffusion even for ultrathin layer thicknesses (∼0.5 nm), resulting in better stability at low temperature and reduced reactivity. Importantly, the initial reaction of TMA with CuO leads to the extraction of oxygen from CuO to form an amorphous interfacial layer that is an important component for superior protection properties of the interface and is responsible for the high system stability. Thus, while Al e-beam evaporation and ALD growth of an alumina layer on CuO both lead to CuO reduction, the mechanism for oxygen removal is different, directly affecting the resistance to Al diffusion. This work reveals that it is the nature of the monolayer interface between CuO and alumina/Al rather than the thickness of the alumina layer that controls the kinetics of Al diffusion, underscoring the importance of the chemical bonding at the interface in these energetic materials