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Pollution from coal combustion is the largest problem in the current use of coal and the biggest constraint on the increased use of coal. Sulfurous emissions from the combustion of coal are cited as the leading contributor to acid rain. No cost-effective technology exists for the pre-combustion desulfurization of coal, but biotechnology may provide a solution.

Rapid thermal annealing of damage induced by implantation in silicon can be a cost effective technology for the processing of terrestrial solar cells as compared to classical furnace or pulsed laser annealing. Unfortunately, drawbacks as poor bulk lifetime or low open-circuit-voltage occur as well. We have attempted to overcome these limitations for POLYX multicrystalline cast silicon grown by CGE (France) by keeping the annealing temperature of the phosphorus doped layer as high as 800 °C (to ensure a good crystalline quality and a high dopant activation) while being less than 900 °C (to minimize the effect of degradation of the base properties). The purpose of the present work is to investigate the I-V characteristics of the cells and to compare to those obtained with classical furnace annealing or with classical diffusion process.

Packet-switching and very-small-aperture-terminal (VSAT) technologies are combined to produce a networking concept that minimizes the cost of the overall network without compromising its performance. There are a number of data communications applications where VSAT is the most cost-effective technology for networking; however, it may not meet the response time requirement for a specific application. Also, some applications require alternate routing or multiple host locations. For these applications, a combination of VSAT and X.25 packet-switched nodes (PSNs) is shown to be a reliable and cost effective solution. >

Despite the market significance of the ‘mobile home’ — which is in fact a factory-made dwelling that can be transported as a complete unit for permanent location on a site — the technology involved has attracted little interest from the orthodox building industry. A research and development project in America, ‘Project Manufactured Housing Industry’ (PMHI), suggests that such disinterest is misplaced. We invited the author to explain some of the possible lessons to be drawn from the project. He discusses here how alternative materials and different structural concepts — such as post and beam, stressed skin and monolithic volumetric components — are compatible with the already cost-effective technology and offer potential for the use of these factory-made units in higher-density and high-rise forms. Professor Bernhardt is President of the consultancy firm PIIHS which is responsible for the R & D project described.

The design of a mass memory for a database computer (DBC) is described. The DBC, a specialized back-end computer, is capable of managing 10**9 to 10**10 bytes of data and can support multiple data models with minimal software in the front-end computer. The design is based on moving-head disk technology which is perceived to be the most cost-effective technology for supporting such large volumes of on-line data. The design calls for certain key modifications in existing modes of disk component usage in an effort to incorporate a high degree of intelligence in the device and to enhance its throughput. These modifications pertain to activating concurrently all of the read/write heads available on an access mechanism and to the processing of data on-the-fly by associating a processing element with each read/write head.

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation has undertaken to investigate, develop, and characterize laser-assisted processing techniques utilized to produce the fine line, thin metal grid structures that are required to fabricate high-efficiency solar cells. Two basic techniques for metal deposition will be investigated, as follows: (1) photochemical decomposition of liquid or gas phase organometallic compounds utilizing either a focused, CW ultraviolet laser (System 1) or a mask and ultraviolet flood illumination, such as that provided by a repetitively pulsed, defocused excimer laser (System 2), for pattern definition, and (2) thermal deposition of metals from organometallic solutions or vapors utilizing a focused, CW laser beam as a local heat source to draw the metallization pattern. The purpose of this contract is to investigate the various existing laser-assisted film deposition techniques in order to develop a new, cost-effective technology for solar cell metallization. The tasks that will be performed in the conduct of these investigations are detailed. In the first three months of this contract, a comprehensive literature search has been carried out on the various state-of-the-art laser-assisted techniques for metal deposition, including laser chemical vapor deposition and laser photolysis of organometallics, as well as laser-enhanced electroplating. A compact system for the experiments involvingmore » laser-assisted photolysis of gas-phase compounds has been designed and constructed. Initial experiments on laser-enhanced electro-plating have yielded very promising results, with linewidths as fine as 25 ..mu..m and plating speeds as high as 12 ..mu..m/sec being achieved.« less

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) is a potentially cost effective technology for electric utility load leveling. Design concepts and cost estimates of SMES plants capable of delivering 5000 MWh daily have been previously identified. An important feature of a large commercial plant is a system that will reliably shut down the magnet by thermally dissipating the stored energy in the event of an imminent or actual loss of superconductivity. To prevent damage to the coil during such a protective energy dump, the entire coil must be driven “normal”, i.e., resistive rather than superconducting, in a short period of time. This requires rapid removal of the liquid helium coolant surrounding the coil.

I. Electricity: Trends and the Impact of Efficiency.- Electricity - The Political and Economic Context.- The Successes of Conservation.- Changing Patterns of Electricity Demand in Homes: An International Overview.- Power System Planning for the Next 20 Years.- II. Load Management Technologies and Programs.- The Concept of Demand-Side Management.- Load Management Technologies and Programs in the U.S.- Energy Management Systems.- Cool Storage in Commercial Buildings: Efficient and Cost-Effective Technology.- III. Prices and Metering.- Smart Meters.- Application and Potential of ACCET's (A Communication Customer Electronic Terminal).- Marginal Cost Pricing: An Efficient Tool to Ensure Electricity Demand Side Management.- A Spot Price Based Energy Marketplace.- Deregulation and Wheeling.- IV. Cogeneration.- Cogeneration Principles and Practices and a European Overview.- V. End-Use Technologies.- V.1MotorsandControls.- Electromechanical Energy Conversion by Controlled Electrical Drives.- Developments, Applications and Cost-Effectiveness of Variable Speed AC Drives.- Use of Electronic Adjustable Speed Drives in Commercial Buildings.- V.2Lighting.- Present-Day Light Sources.- From Light Source to Lighting Unit.- V.3IndustrialProcesses.- The Development of New Efficient Electricity End-Use Equipment and Processes in the French Industry.- Advances in Electrical Drying.- Electricity Savings in Refrigeration Processes.- V.4HeatPumps.- Heat Pumps - Basic Principles.- Application of Heat Pumps.- Research and Development in the Area of Heat Pump Technology.- V.5HVACSystems.- Design of Efficient HVAC Systems.- V.6HomeAppliances.- Technology Developments in Home Appliances.- Low Electricity Household for the Future.- Affordability and Pleasure: The Lessons from Low Energy Housing.- VI. Standards and Policies.- The Impact of Building Energy Standards on Energy Use and Demand.- Energy Targets: An Innovative Approach to Building Energy Standards.- Energy and Economic Savings from National Appliance Efficiency Standards in the U.S.- Sociological and Psychological Barriers to Electricity Savings.- The Political and Economic Implications of an Intensive Electricity Conservation Programme.- International and National Approaches to End-Use Technology Development.- VII. Case Studies.- Electricity Conservation in Brazil: Potential and Progress.- Electricity Conservation in Developing Countries - A Case Study for Pakistan.- Potentials for Technical Electricity Savings Using Known Technology.- Electricity Conservation in Japan.- The Potential for Residential Electricity Conservation in the U.S.: The PG&E Case Study.- The Potential for Electrical Efficiency in the Residential Sector Case Study Michigan, USA.

Tradeoffs and subsystem choices are examined in photovoltaic array subfield design, power-conditioning sizing and selection, roof- and ground-mounted structure installation, energy loss, operating voltage, power conditioning cost, and subfield size. Line- and self-commutated power conditioning options are analyzed to determine the most cost-effective technology in the megawatt power range. Methods for reducing field installation of flat panels and roof mounting of intermediate load centers are discussed, including the cost of retrofit installations.

Administrators must make well-informed decisions regarding new communications technology to disseminate information to diverse constituencies in the facility and its service area. For example, communicating and using information about rapidly changing regulations is important in today's competitive environment. Administrators are faced with choosing from among such electronic media as satellite programming, telephone systems, cable television, and microwave radio to meet their institutions' needs. Teleconferences and closed-circuit educational programming also offer cost-efficient choices. Consultants can assist the management team in developing an appropriate system, whether sharing in an existing program or private network or installing an independent satellite-receiving dish, or "downlink." The team, including medical personnel, must choose the hardware that the institution can use most effectively in accomplishing its objectives. Studying other facilities' systems, such as St. Joseph Hospital, Providence, RI, with its independent receiving dish, shows the practical applications of the often confusing technology. Administrators should not be put off by "'technology frenzy." About 600 U.S. institutions have receiving stations or access to them; most will have them in the future. Even smaller facilities can become leaders with this cost-effective technology. Administrations must lead in accepting the challenge to improve health care communications.

This paper describes the results of a study carried out in 1982/83 to assess the prospects for solar thermal applications in Europe up to the year 2020. The study addressed itself to the current state of solar technology both in terms of cost and performance, to the potential applications in domestic and non domestic buildings and to the likely energy savings resulting from significant market penetration in the future. The purpose of the study was to draw together the practical conclusions drawn so far in solar thermal research and development and to establish the priorities for future R & D in this area. The main conclusion was that most of the basic research has now been done and its technical viability has been established. In particular passive solar space heating appears to be a cost effective technology in northern Europe, and solar water heating also shows considerable promise. Active solar space heating systems are awaiting significant performance improvement and cost reduction before they can be taken up in the market place, although various second generation systems show encouraging results. In terms of future energy saving the study has shown that solar thermal energy could make a significant contribution to Europe’s primary energy needs in the medium to long term, providing in excess of 50 million tonnes of oil equivalent per annum by the year 2020.

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is predicted to be the most cost-effective technology for seasonal storage of low-grade thermal energy. Approximately 60% of the US is underlain with aquifers potentially suitable for underground energy storage. Under sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE), Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), which is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute, has managed numerical modeling, laboratory studies, evaluation of environmental and institutional issues, and field testing of ATES at several sites. This report describes the monitoring and evaluation (under the auspices of PNL) of an ATES chill system constructed and operated by the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The system is the first such system to be monitored in a comprehensive manner. Results support both the promise and problems likely to be encountered in such systems. Chill ATES has the potential to substantially reduce energy consumption and, especially, summer peak cooling electrical demand. However, the geohydrologic environment that the system will use must be a major element in system design and operation. 9 refs., 25 figs., 10 tabs.

RADPLANET is a functioning LAN (Local Area Network) designed to integrate the many and varied facilities of a university medical center radiology department (Department of Radiation Sciences) into an efficient unified resource providing state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities and delivering precision radiotherapy. RADPLANET links diagnostic work stations, radiation-therapy planning work stations, and therapy machine stations into an integrated whole. The RADPLANET project exploits technology currently evolving in the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communicating Systems) community but also addresses digital image networking requirements peculiar to radiation therapy. RADPLANET is designed as a modular, expandable, piecemeal updatable system in order to incorporate new, more cost-effective technology as it becomes available and to provide new resources to meet the needs of a growing department and an increasingly sophisticated medical profession. The paper discusses design criteria and rationale, current status of the network, and plans for continuing expansion and enhancement.

Because hospitals are under increasing pressure to contain costs and yet continue to provide high quality patient care, trustees must be able to make cost-effective technology acquisition decisions. The author discusses the major factors that affect technology purchasing decisions, from information gathering to internal considerations such as financial constraints and the hospital's long-range goals. He also examines the expected effect of prospective pricing on technology management and decisionmaking.

The National Bureau of Standards' Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology (NBS/ICST) has sponsored the development of a general guideline for computer software verification and validation (V&V). The guideline is to be used by government and commercial personnel to plan, carry out, and assess V&V activities. This paper outlines the scope, direction, and status of this effort. A lifecycle V&V model which forms the basis of the guideline is described. It is the author's conviction that planning for V&V is an aspect of software development management, and that substantial, cost-effective technology is readily available for general application. The guideline to disseminate this information has been developed.

Access to long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) has increased and malaria has decreased globally, but malaria transmission remains high in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and insecticide resistance threatens current progress. Eave tubes are a new tool for the targeted delivery of insecticides against mosquitoes attempting to enter houses. The primary objective of this trial is to test whether screening plus eave tubes (SET) provides protection against malaria, on top of universal coverage with LLINs in an area of intense pyrethroid resistance. The trial will also assess acceptability and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. A two-armed, cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the effect of SET on clinical malaria incidence in children living in central Cote d’Ivoire. Forty villages will be selected based on population size and the proportion of houses suitable for modification with SET. Using restricted randomization, half the villages will be assigned to the treatment arm (SET + LLINs) and the remainder will be assigned to the control arm (LLINs only). In both arms, LLINs will be distributed and in the treatment arm, householders will be offered SET. Fifty children aged six months to eight years old will be enrolled from randomly selected households in each of the 40 villages. Cohorts will be cleared of malaria parasites at the start of the study and one year after recruitment, and will be monitored for clinical malaria case incidence by active case detection over two years. Mosquito densities will be assessed using CDC light traps and human landing catches and a subset of Anopheles mosquitoes will be examined for parity status and tested for sporozoite infection. Acceptability of SET will be monitored using surveys and focus groups. Cost-effectiveness analysis will measure the incremental cost per case averted and per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted of adding SET to LLINs. Economic and financial costs will be estimated from societal and provider perspective using standard economic evaluation methods. This study will be the first evaluation of the epidemiological impact of SET. Trial findings will show whether SET is a viable, cost-effective technology for malaria control in Cote d’Ivoire and possibly elsewhere. ISRCTN18145556 , registered on 01 February 2017 – retrospectively registered.

The use of aluminium alloy sheets in cars allows improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. Sheet manufacturing based on twin-roll casting (TRC) is a cost effective technology, that is a promising candidate for replacing the actual direct-chill casting technology. The effect of Mn content and pre-treatment on the grain structure and texture of recrystallized sheets produced from TRC AlMg3 alloys was investigated. Grain size and uniformity are affected mostly by the degree of deformation prior to annealing. The effect of Mn supersaturation and precipitation concurrent with recrystallization on grain size is less pronounced but both significantly reduce texture strength, especially this of the cube component. The mechanisms of the effect of Mn on texture were elucidated. High Mn solute supersaturation ensures suppression of cube texture development and prevents sheet anisotropy in forming procedures.

Propylene is one of the world’s most important basic olefin raw material used in the production of a vast array of polymers and other chemicals. The need for high purity grade of propylene is essential and traditionally achieved by the very energy-intensive cryogenic separation. In this study, a pillared inorganic anion SIF62− was used as a highly selective C3H4 due to the square grid pyrazine-based structure. Single gas adsorption revealed a very high C3H4 uptake value (3.32, 3.12, 2.97 and 2.43 mmol·g−1 at 300, 320, 340 and 360 K, respectively). The values for propylene for the same temperatures were 2.73, 2.64, 2.31 and 1.84 mmol·g−1, respectively. Experimental results were obtained for the two gases fitted using Langmuir and Toth models. The former had a varied degree of representation of the system with a better presentation of the adsorption of the propylene compared to the propyne system. The Toth model regression offered a better fit of the experimental data over the entire range of pressures. The representation and fitting of the models are important to estimate the energy in the form of the isosteric heats of adsorption (Qst), which were found to be 45 and 30 kJ·Kmol−1 for propyne and propylene, respectively. A Higher Qst value reveals strong interactions between the solid and the gas. The dynamic breakthrough for binary mixtures of C3H4/C3H6 (30:70 v/v)) were established. Heavier propylene molecules were eluted first from the column compared to the lighter propyne. Vacuum swing adsorption was best suited for the application of strongly bound materials in adsorbents. A six-step cycle was used for the recovery of high purity C3H4 and C3H6. The VSA system was tested with respect to changing blowdown time and purge time as well as energy requirements. It was found that the increase in purge time had an appositive effect on C3H6 recovery but reduced productivity and recovery. Accordingly, under the experimental conditions used in this study for VSA, the purge time of 600 s was considered a suitable trade-off time for purging. Recovery up to 99%, purity of 98.5% were achieved at a purge time of 600 s. Maximum achieved purity and recovery were 97.4% and 98.5% at 100 s blowdown time. Energy and power consumption varied between 63–70 kWh/ton at the range of purge and blowdown time used. The VSA offers a trade-off and cost-effective technology for the recovery and separation of olefins and paraffin at low pressure and high purity.

EAF dust is categorized as a hazardous solid waste. EPA approves only two treatment methods: either sending the dust to zinc recycling facility, or stabilizing it first and then disposing of it in a specially-lined landfill. Both methods are costly to EAF steelmakers. In order to reduce the cost and even better to make profit from the dust, EAF steelmakers need to find a cost-effective technology to separate zinc from EAF dust. This paper discusses in-process separation of zinc from EAF dust. A simple Zn concentration model is developed and from this two approaches of in-process separation of zinc from EAF dust are derived: (1) prematurely capturing dust at very high temperature when zinc is still in vapor status, (2) prematurely collecting dust immediately after quickly cooling EAF off-gas from high temperature to low temperature. A thermodynamic analysis is conducted to understand zinc behavior in EAF off-gas. It is demonstrated in theory that zinc is in vapor status while it exits from electric arc furnaces. Finally, recycling routes and economics of in-process separation of zinc from EAF dust are discussed.

The aim our study was to assess the usefulness of AgNOR stain in distinguishing between benign and malignant mesothelial lesions. The patients were divided into three groups: group I -- reactive mesothelium (71 cases), group II -- hyperplastic mesothelium (66 cases), group III -- epithelial type mesothelioma (52 cases). Smears were stained by Pap and AgNOR methods. After staining, all cases were randomized for blind evaluation. Each case was viewed independently by two observers. AgNORs were identified as black, usually spheric particles observed within the nucleolus. For each cell, the number of AgNOR-positive cells and the number of AgNOR-dots per nucleus were counted. Our results show that AgNOR staining is useful to differentiate epithelial type mesothelioma and benign mesothelial lesions such as reactive and hyperplastic mesothelium. This differentiation is based primarily on the mean number of AgNOR-dots per cell rather than number of AgNOR-positive cells. AgNOR is highly sensitive, specific and cost-effective technology which can be used as an ancillary diagnostic approach for distinguishing between reactive and/or hyperplastic changes of mesothelium as well as in differential diagnosis of epithelial type mesothelioma.

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) is a key cost-effective technology for monitoring power consumption and contributing to several challenges encountered when transiting to an efficient, sustainable, and competitive energy efficiency environment. This paper proposes a smart NILM system based on a novel local power histogramming (LPH) descriptor, in which appliance power signals are transformed into 2D space and short histograms are extracted to represent each device. Specifically, short local histograms are drawn to represent individual appliance consumption signatures and robustly extract appliance-level data from the aggregated power signal. Furthermore, an improved k-nearest neighbors (IKNN) algorithm is presented to reduce the learning computation time and improve the classification performance. This results in highly improving the discrimination ability between appliances belonging to distinct categories. A deep evaluation of the proposed LPH-IKNN based solution is investigated under different data sets, in which the proposed scheme leads to promising performance. An accuracy of up to 99.65% and 98.51% has been achieved on GREEND and UK-DALE data sets, respectively. While an accuracy of more than 96% has been attained on both WHITED and PLAID data sets. This proves the validity of using 2D descriptors to accurately identify appliances and create new perspectives for the NILM problem.

The chloroplast genome harbors plenty of valuable information for phylogenetic research. Illumina short-read data is generally used for de novo assembly of whole plastomes. PacBio or Oxford Nanopore long reads are additionally employed in hybrid approaches to enable assembly across the highly similar inverted repeats of a chloroplast genome. Unlike for PacBio, plastome assemblies based solely on Nanopore reads are rarely found, due to their high error rate and non-random error profile. However, the actual quality decline connected to their use has rarely been quantified. Furthermore, no study has employed reference-based assembly using Nanopore reads, which is common with Illumina data. Using Leucanthemum Mill. as an example, we compared the sequence quality of seven chloroplast genome assemblies of the same species, using combinations of two sequencing platforms and three analysis pipelines. In addition, we assessed the factors which might influence Nanopore assembly quality during sequence generation and bioinformatic processing. The consensus sequence derived from de novo assembly of Nanopore data had a sequence identity of 99.59% compared to Illumina short-read de novo assembly. Most of the errors detected were indels (81.5%), and a large majority of them is part of homopolymer regions. The quality of reference-based assembly is heavily dependent upon the choice of a close-enough reference. When using a reference with 0.83% sequence divergence from the studied species, mapping of Nanopore reads results in a consensus comparable to that from Nanopore de novo assembly, and of only slightly inferior quality compared to a reference-based assembly with Illumina data. For optimal de novo assembly of Nanopore data, appropriate filtering of contaminants and chimeric sequences, as well as employing moderate read coverage, is essential. Based on these results, we conclude that Nanopore long reads are a suitable alternative to Illumina short reads in plastome phylogenomics. Few errors remain in the finalized assembly, which can be easily masked in phylogenetic analyses without loss in analytical accuracy. The easily applicable and cost-effective technology might warrant more attention by researchers dealing with plant chloroplast genomes.

Virtual screening, or in silico screening, is a new approach attracting increasing levels of interest in the pharmaceutical industry as a productive and cost-effective technology in the search for novel lead compounds. Although the principles involved--the computational analysis of chemical databases to identify compounds appropriate for a given biological receptor--have been pursued for several years in molecular modeling groups, the availability of inexpensive high-performance computing platforms has transformed the process so that increasingly complex and more accurate analyses can be performed on very large data sets. The virtual screening technology of Protherics Molecular Design Ltd. is based on its integrated software environment for receptor-based drug design, called Prometheus. In particular, molecular docking is used to predict the binding modes and binding affinities of every compound in the data set to a given biological receptor. This method represents a very detailed and relevant basis for prioritizing compounds for biological screening. This paper discusses the broader scope of virtual screening and, as an example, describes our recent work in docking one million compounds into the estrogen hormone receptor in order to highlight the technical feasibility of performing very large-scale virtual screening as a route to identifying novel drug leads.

The detection of extensive air-showers with radio method isa relatively young. But promising branch in experimental astrophysics ofultrahigh energies. This method allows one to carry out observations re-gardless of weather conditions and time of day, and the precision of recon-struction of the properties of primary particles is comparable to the clas-sical methods. The main disadvantage of this method is the complexityof the trigger implementation. Radio signals from extensive air-showershave a duration of few tens nanoseconds and amplitudes comparable tothe surrounding background. Moreover, industrial noise, tele- and radiobroadcasting signals, as well as noise from the electronic equipment ofthe experiment, often interfere with measurements. Most of the setupsfor detecting radio emission from extensive air-showers use an externaltrigger from optical or particle detectors. Despite numerous attemptsto develop autonomous (operating with an internal trigger) cosmic rayradio detectors, there is still no established cost-effective technology forthe sparse radio arrays. In the present work, we give an overview of ourprogress in this direction, particularly, we describe a noise generator andsimulation study using data from the Tunka-Rex Virtual Observatory.

Aim: To present an integrated techno-economic analysis assessing the feasibility of affinity purification technologies using the manufacture of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitor photoreceptors for retinal dystrophies as a case study. Materials & methods: Sort purity, progenitor yield and viable cell recovery were investigated for three cell sorting techniques: fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS); magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS); and a novel technology SpheriTech beads. Experimentally derived metrics were incorporated into an advanced bioprocess economics tool to determine cost of goods per dose for each technology. Results & conclusion: Technical and bioprocess benefits were noted with SpheriTech beads which, unlike FACS and MACS, require no cell labeling. This simplifies the bioprocess, reduces cell loss and leaves target cells label free. The economic tool predicted cost drivers and a critical dose (7 × 107 cells per dose) shifting the most cost-effective technology from FACS to MACS. Process optimization is required for SpheriTech to compete economically.

Printed electronics is emerging as a new, large scale and cost effective technology that will be disruptive in fields such as energy harvesting, consumer electronics and medical sensors. The performance of printed electronic devices relies principally on the carrier mobility and molecular packing of the polymer semiconductor material. Unfortunately, the analysis of such materials is generally performed with destructive techniques, which are hard to make compatible with in situ measurements, and pose a great obstacle for the mass production of printed electronics devices. A rapid, in situ, non-destructive and low-cost testing method is needed. In this study, we demonstrate that nonlinear optical microscopy is a promising technique to achieve this goal. Using ultrashort laser pulses we stimulate two-photon absorption in a roll coated polymer semiconductor and map the resulting two-photon induced photoluminescence and second harmonic response. We show that, in our experimental conditions, it is possible to relate the total amount of photoluminescence detected to important material properties such as the charge carrier density and the molecular packing of the printed polymer material, all with a spatial resolution of 400 nm. Importantly, this technique can be extended to the real time mapping of the polymer semiconductor film, even during the printing process, in which the high printing speed poses the need for equally high acquisition rates.

Effective long-term participation of communities in disaster risk reduction measures in landslide-prone areas continues to be a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which community-based soil-bioengineering techniques allow for effective mitigation of shallow landslide events given technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability criteria. The Red Cross has been implementing community-based disaster risk reduction programs aimed at increasing resilience at the community level in Honduras since 2005. Since 2010, 230 landslide hazard sites have been stabilized using soil-bioengineering measures (the use of living plant material to provide certain engineering functions) based on a carefully and systematically developed partnership with local communities. In 2018, an assessment of 73 sites established between 2010 and 2014 showed that (1) 83% of the sites were adequately maintained and (2) 69% of the sites fulfilled the function of soil stabilization. A cost–benefit analysis was conducted for two sites and indicated a cost–benefit ratio of 4.5 and 6 respectively. Some of the key factors for these high success rates include the fact that bioengineering is a locally adapted, easily implemented, cost-effective technology that offers landowners multiple benefits by increasing food security and creating income-generation opportunities. The Red Cross has recognized the importance of empowering communities by building self-confidence so that they can ultimately take responsibility for their own future. The creation of well-functioning local emergency committees has proven highly effective in achieving this goal. When adequately trained, these committees are able to support the replication and maintenance of disaster-risk reduction measures at the community-level in the long term. This case study supports the hypothesis that carefully designed participatory approaches are essential for achieving sustainable, long-term transformative change and risk reduction.

Energy storage through hydropower leads to free surface water waves in the connected reservoirs. The reason for this is the movement of water between reservoirs at different elevations, which is necessary for electrical energy storage. Currently, the expansion of renewable energies requires the development of fast and flexible energy storage systems, of which classical pumped storage plants are the only technically proven and cost-effective technology and are the most used. Instead of classical pumped storage plants, where reservoirs are located on the surface, underground pumped storage plants with subsurface reservoirs could be an alternative. They are independent of topography and have a low surface area requirement. This can be a great advantage for energy storage expansion in case of environmental issues, residents’ concerns and an unusable terrain surface. However, the reservoirs of underground pumped storage plants differ in design from classical ones for stability and space reasons. The hydraulic design is essential to ensure their satisfactory hydraulic performance. The paper presents a hybrid model study, which is defined here as a combination of physical and numerical modelling to use the advantages and to compensate for the disadvantages of the respective methods. It shows the analysis of waves in ventilated underground reservoir systems with a great length to height ratio, considering new operational aspects from energy supply systems with a great percentage of renewable energies. The multifaceted and narrow design of the reservoirs leads to complex free surface flows; for example, undular and breaking bores arise. The results show excessive wave heights through wave reflections, caused by the impermeable reservoir boundaries. Hence, their knowledge is essential for a successful operational and constructive design of the reservoirs.

Threats due to insufficient, inadequate and costlier methods of treating contaminants such as arsenic have emphasized the significance of optimizing and managing the processes adopted. This study was aimed at the complete elimination of arsenic from an aqueous medium with minimum energy consumption using the electrocoagulation process. Arsenic removal around 95% was rapidly attained for optimized conditions having a pH of 7, 0.46 A current intensity, 10 mg/L initial concentration and only 2 min of applied time duration using the energy of 3.1 watt-hour per gram of arsenic removed. Low values of applied current for longer durations resulted in the complete removal of arsenic with low energy consumption. Various hydroxide complexes including ferrous hydroxide and ferric hydroxide assisted in the removal of arsenic by adsorption along with co-precipitation. Surface models obtained were checked and found with a reasonably good fit having high values of coefficient of determination of 0.933 and 0.980 for removal efficiency and energy consumption, respectively. Adsorption was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. Multivariate optimization proved it as a low-cost effective technology having an operational cost of 0.0974 Indian rupees (equivalent to USD 0.0013) per gram removal of arsenic. Overall, the process was well optimized using CCD based on response surface methodology.