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This paper aims to synthesize previous user innovation policy proposals into an adapted system of innovation framework, on which a future holistic user innovation policy for the household sector can be based. We do this in three steps. First, we introduce the systems of innovation framework as a comprehensive basis for a holistic approach to innovation policy. Second, we identify and review policy proposals made by user innovation researchers and categorize them according to ten key activities in the systems of innovation framework. Third, from a system of innovation perspective, we synthesize the policy proposals identified into an adapted framework, including determinants specific to user innovation in the household sector. The synthesized proposals are intended to strengthen the systemic and multi-causal effects of policy on household sector user innovation in a country, region, or sector. Future policies for user innovation may, on this basis, be instrumental in avoiding mono-causality, or the concentration on only a few policy instruments in a proposed policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational collaboration activities are generally under-researched part of the interactive learning between universities and industry. The study based on 529 Master of Science (MSc) theses from a major Swedish engineering school, the faculty of engineering LTH at Lund University, shows that MSc theses are a frequently used collaboration mechanism between university and industry in engineering education. Collaborating firms benefit mainly by recruiting students and the transfer of technological knowledge. Moreover, mainly regional large firms benefit from the educational collaboration and firms collaborate mostly on knowledge related to product innovations and in the early stages of the product innovation process. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tend to relate to newer engineering disciplines, have relatively more MSc thesis projects related to product innovations and later process stages, specifically in prototype development and testing, than large firms have. The paper suggests a number of university actions to increase knowledge spillover to SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of oxygen in ice-covered lakes is analyzed and related to biological oxygen demand and sediment oxygen demand. An approach for computing dissolved oxygen concentration is suggested assuming horizontally mixed waters and negligable vertical dispersion. It is found that the depletion of dissolved oxygen is mainly due to the transfer of oxygen at the water/sediment interface. The morphology of a lake is very important for how fast the dissolved oxygen concentration is reduced during winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel implementation technique for Vernier-based time-to-digital converters is reported. It is based on fractional- N phase-locked loops which allows the design of Vernier clocks with very close frequencies. The Vernier registers comparing counter values have been implemented in hardware in order to guarantee minimum detection latency of the moment of coincidence. Two Vernier clocks with close frequencies increment two 24-bit counters in a Cyclone V FPGA. A Vernier TDC with a demonstrated time resolution of 476 ps is reported. It is also established that the time resolution limit that can be achieved with the suggested design is 10 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European countries have followed the American example by changing the intellectual property laws governing university technology transfer from university inventorship to university ownership. The Scandinavian countries have chosen different paths as Denmark and Norway changed their laws in favor of university ownership, while Sweden retained its university inventor laws. This longitudinal study shows increasing technology transfer organization (TTO) capacity in all three countries regardless of change in intellectual property rights (IPR) framework or not. Danish and Norwegian TTOs increased their use of the license commercialization strategy, with variations at the TTO level, while the Swedish universities TTOs have maintained their use of the spin-off commercialization strategy. The relative use of the two commercialization strategies, licensing and spin-offs, is indirectly influenced by the IPR framework, and more directly by the designs of the policy intent of the university technology transfer system, the government funding system, the TTOs access to business development resources and competence, and monitoring of the university TTOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the past decade, the concept of Lean has spread rapidly within the healthcare sector, but there is a lack of instruments that can measure staff's perceptions of Lean adoption. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire measuring Lean in healthcare, based on Liker's description of Lean, by adapting an existing instrument developed for the service sector.Methods: A mixed-method design was used. Initially, items from the service sector instrument were categorized according to Liker's 14 principles describing Lean within four domains: philosophy, processes, people and partners and problem-solving. Items were lacking for three of Liker's principles and were therefore developed de novo. Think-aloud interviews were conducted with 12 healthcare staff from different professions to contextualize and examine the face validity of the questionnaire prototype. Thereafter, the adjusted questionnaire's psychometric properties were assessed on the basis of a cross-sectional survey among 386 staff working in primary care.Results: The think-aloud interviews led to adjustments in the questionnaire to better suit a healthcare context, and the number of items was reduced. Confirmatory factor analysis of the adjusted questionnaire showed a generally acceptable correspondence with Liker's description of Lean. Internal consistency, measured using Cronbach's alpha, for the factors in Liker's description of Lean was 0.60 for the factor people and partners, and over 0.70 for the three other factors. Test-retest reliability measured by the intra-class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.77 to 0.88 for the four factors.Conclusions: We designed a questionnaire capturing staff's perceptions of Lean adoption in healthcare on the basis of Liker's description. This Lean in Healthcare Questionnaire (LiHcQ) showed generally acceptable psychometric properties, which supports its usability for measuring Lean adoption in healthcare. We suggest that further research focus on verifying the usability of LiHcQ in other healthcare settings, and on adjusting the instrument if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the tense appropriability-openness relationship, defined by some as paradox. Based on an international survey of 415 manufacturing firms, we investigate how the use of different kinds of intellectual property protection mechanisms (IPPMs) affects interfirm R&D collaboration while considering partner location in the analysis as well. Our results show that the use of formal, semi-formal or informal IPPMs has different effects on openness in terms of partner variety and depth of collaboration with academic partners, value chain partners and competitors. Moreover, when considering location we uncover previously hidden appropriability-openness liaisons showing that semi-formal or informal IPPMs are mainly valid in relation to national partners, whereas formal appropriability explains international collaborations. One implication of the study is that to better understand the appropriability-openness relationship it is imperative to differentiate between national and international settings. We further suggest that the potential paradox delineating this relationship has a geographical dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article treats the problem of introducing transform theory (Fourier, Laplace, z) to undergraduate students and we suggest avectorapproach which means that signals (functions of time) should be treated as vectors from the beginning and that transforms are introduced as a scalar product; the transform should be presented as a tool to analyse the signal exactly in the same way as the dot product is used to analyse an ‘arrow’ vector in a Cartesian space. Hence, the transform becomes a tool to find the signal's magnitude in the directions of the basis vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Safety climate refers to the perceived value an organization places on safety at a specific point in time. To determine key predictors of safety climate in the fire service, we distributed a questionnaire to 105 career firefighters in a Swedish city of approximately 110,000 and analyzed their responses. We used these data to investigate the role of individual, work-group, and organizational factors (independent variables) on three safety climate outcomes (dependent variables): (a) compliance with safety regulations, (b) frequency of unsafe behaviors, and (c) frequency of errors and mistakes in line-of-duty firefighting. Factors at the individual level included personal risk taking, identity as a firefighter, emotional exhaustion, and work pressures. Hierarchical regression analyses show that these factors explained most of the variance in our three safety climate outcomes, making individual-level variables the most important predictors. Compliance with safety regulations was predicted by identity as a firefighter (an individual-level variable) and two work-group factors: supervisory support and group cohesion. The importance of these work-group, interpersonal variables highlights the need for supportive and caring leaders who work to increase group cohesion among firefighters. The frequency of generally unsafe behaviors was predicted by the two individual-level factors, personal risk taking and work pressure. This finding suggests more effort should be put into understanding how the work situation as a firefighter impacts risk taking. Finally, the frequency of errors and mistakes was predicted by emotional exhaustion (an individual-level variable). This finding supports previous findings by Smith et al. (2018) and emphasizes the need for additional research on chronic stressors among firefighters and on the impact of those stressors on risk behaviors in line-of-duty firefighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms are increasingly involving and relying on networks of suppliers and other external partners in their innovation processes. A successful exploitation of suppliers' technology and competencies is however challenging, not least in situations characterised by technological uncertainty. The main purpose of this study is to analyse how supplier innovativeness may be leveraged through internal knowledge integration capabilities in involving suppliers. The analysis is based on a survey of firms in Europe and North America. The study shows that innovative suppliers do contribute to a firm's innovation performance in terms of time-to-market and level of innovation in products/services. The main result is that an internal knowledge integration capability in terms of proficiency in supplier management and cross-functional decision making boosts innovation performance, in particular when technological uncertainty is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper will demonstrate how signals from analog sensors can be directly interfaced to any digital embedded system even though they may not be equipped with an on-chip ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), comparator or OP amp (Operational Amplifier). With only two resistors and one capacitor, we will present a solution that allows analog voltages to be measured directly using only a few digital I/O-pins. The digital target system requirements are minimized and limited to only two digital I/O-pins (with tri-state capability). No ADC, comparators, timers or capture modules are necessary. The extremely modest hardware requirements make it a suitable solution also for CPLDs/FPGAs (Complex Programmable Logic devices/Field Programmable Gate Arrays). Since this solution will allow even the simplest embedded system to be interfaced to analog voltage sensors, it has the potential of reducing design costs considerably. The proposed design is for DC or low-frequency signals and compared to other similar solution, this design needs no embedded analog blocks at all. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is concerned with the practical aspects of protecting an electrical measurement system against different kinds of interfering cross-talk. We categorise different kinds of cross-talk, describe their origin and how to decouple them in order to protect the system. This presentation is a primer for students or application engineers concerned with the practical operation of an electrical measurement system. We explain cross-talk phenomena with a minimum of electromagnetic theory, focusing more on understanding the origin of cross-talk in terms of basic electric and magnetic circuits rather than advanced electromagnetic wave equations, and how to decouple them. Compared to a typical textbook presentation on the subject, this work categorises all kinds of electromagnetic interferences using a minimum of mathematical equations, clearly explaining their origin and illustrating how each one is decoupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vegetated roofs are becoming a trend in urban design, among others as a tool for city greening, mitigating urban heat island effect, and lowering urban storm runoff. Additionally, pollutant removal within vegetated roofs is often expected; however, it is commonly not a design feature. This study investigated influence on runoff water quality from two full-scale vegetated roofs (an intensive from Japan and an extensive from Sweden). Results show that both extensive and intensive vegetated roofs are a sink of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen with similar performance. The intensive vegetated roof is also a sink of total nitrogen in contrast to the extensive roof. Phosphorus release is observed from the extensive vegetated roof but not from the intensive vegetated roof; release of dissolved organic carbon and potassium is observed from both roofs. The vegetated roofs, if not retaining the metal pollutants, were generally not a significant source. The increase of average pH during rainwater passage through the intensive vegetated roof indicated rapid neutralization of the acid depositions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite the proclaimed advantages and popularity of outsourcing, there are few and contradictory studies of the effects. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse how outsourcing manufacturing relates to performance and innovation at the plant level. A second purpose is to analyse how this outcome relates to investments in manufacturing capability. This paper is based on the results of a large-scale survey of outsourcing and manufacturing practices among a representative sample of Swedish engineering firms. The results show mainly no significant effects from outsourcing manufacturing on plant operating performance or innovation capability. This paper, however, reveals that the firms' investments in technological and organisational capabilities explain the improvements of performance at the plant level to a significantly higher extent than outsourcing does. This paper concludes with a suggestion to further analyse the potential of combined outsourcing and manufacturing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Poopó in Bolivia is a large, extremely shallow lake. The lake surface area is ≈3000 km2 at its spill-over level, although it could dry out at times. The lake water level varies with the regional rains and with the water inflow from the Desaguadero River. This study focuses on using and comparing three different approaches to determine the hypsographic curve for the lake. As the lake is extremely shallow, depth measurements must be conducted from a slowly moving boat using a rod. The accuracy using echo-sounding of the lake is poor. The second approach, which can be applied because the lake water level can vary considerably, and because the lake sometimes is almost dry, is to relate the lake surface area determined from satellite images to elevations determined from benchmarks on an island in the lake. The third method is an indirect one, in which the change in lake water volume over the period between two satellite images is determined from water balance computations and subsequently related to changes in the water surface area, as determined from the satellite images. Determination of the shoreline for different water levels in the lake is affected by errors related to the tilting of the water surface, and because wind forces the water to move several hundred metres towards the windward shore of the lake during a measurement survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports findings from the Swedish part of the 2nd International Continuous Improvement Survey. Based on Bessant's evolutionary model of continuous improvement behaviour, the continuous improvement capability level of the Swedish engineering industry is estimated. The data analysis shows that there is a need for progression towards higher continuous improvement capability levels. Therefore, the specific abilities to develop in order to support such a move forward are clarified. In addition to being an illustration of manufacturing practices in Sweden from a continuous improvement perspective, this article contributes to the field of Operations Management by being the first attempt to replicate the work of Bessant via a large-scale survey study. The model is found valid and it shows that development of continuous improvement abilities contribute to the enhancement of plant performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The runoff from and the water balance of a thin extensive green roof with sedum-moss have been studied. The soil cover is about 3 cm underlain by a thin drainage layer. The water balance is determined on a monthly basis. The runoff from the green roof is much reduced compared to runoff from hard roofs because of evapotranspiration. The annual runoff is rather close to that of natural river basins. Although most rainy days there is no or little runoff from the roof, the highest observed daily runoff values are close to the daily rainfall. Runoff is initiated when the soil is at field capacity, which for the studied roof corresponds to 9 mm storage. After that, on a not very short time basis, the runoff equals the precipitation. The reduction of the daily runoff can be described in a simple way knowing the daily precipitation, potential evaporation and storage capacity of the green roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Precipitation and runoff data from several controlled experiments (with dry and wet initial conditions) on a Sedum album green-roof have been analysed by means of linear programming in order to estimate a unit hydrograph (UH). The obtained UH was able to accurately predict peak flows and runoff volumes for any rain input. Results from the experiments indicated that roof slope had no effect on the direct runoff hydrograph, i.e., on peak flows and stormwater volumes. Whether conditions were dry or wet affected the retention capacity of the green-roof; for dry conditions, between 6 and 12mm of rain were required to initiate runoff, while for wet conditions the response was almost straight. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of warmer climate on melt and evaporation was studied for rainfed, snowfed and glacierfed basins located in the western Himalayan region. Hydrological processes were simulated under current climatic conditions using a conceptual hydrological model, which accounts for the rainfall–runoff, evaporation losses, snow and glacier melt. After simulations of daily observed streamflow (R2=0.90) for 6 years, the model was used to study the impact of warmer climate on melt and evaporation. Based on the future projected climatic scenarios in the study region, three temperature scenarios (T+1, T+2 and T+3 °C) were adopted for quantifying the effect of warmer climate. The comparison of the effect of warmer climate on different types of basins indicated that the increase in evaporation was the maximum for snowfed basins. For a T+2 °C scenario, the annual evaporation for the rainfed basins increased by about 12%, whereas for the snowfed basins it increased by about 24%. The high increase of the evaporation losses would reduce the runoff. It was found that under a warmer climate, melt was reduced from snowfed basins, but increased from glacierfed basins. For a T+2 °C scenario, annual melt was reduced by about 18% for the studied snowfed basin, while it increased by about 33% for the glacierfed basin. Thus, impact of warmer climate on the melt from the snowfed and glacierfed basins was opposite to each other. The study suggests that out of three types of basins, snowfed basins are more sensitive in terms of reduction in water availability due to a compound effect of increase in evaporation and decrease in melt. For a complex type of basin, the decrease in melt from seasonal snow may be counterbalanced by increase in melt from glaciers. However, on long-term basis, when the areal extent of glaciers will decrease due to higher melt rate, the water availability from the complex basins will be reduced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Annually laminated (varved) sediments from the River A˚ngermana¨lven, mid-central Sweden, have been used to construct an annual 2000-year long record of varve thickness. Maximum daily annual discharge and mean varve thickness for the years 1909–1971 are significantly correlated (r=0.87). A relationship between maximum daily annual discharge for the observed period (1909–1971) and varve thickness was determined. The return time of two exceptionally thick varves in the 2000-year long record at the years 658 and 492 ad were estimated and their likelihood estimated based on a Gumbel frequency analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article examines the relationship between quality management strategies and changes of work and work organization in industrial companies. Nine case studies in Sweden show that companies whose aim is total quality practice three different quality strategies characterized by detailed control, motivation of employees, and reorganization. It is argued that total quality management should include redesign of the work processes, combining decentralization, group work, goal-oriented control, and skill development. This reorganization strategy not only offers a greater potential for improvement of work, but it also seems essential for improving quality and productivity in the long run. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the dilead structural units in lead halide and hydroxo/oxo molecule, clusters and extended structures found in molten salts, aqueous solutions and the solid state. Obtaining of maximum Pb-Pb bonding in complexes with predominantly ionic lead-anion interactions; Lack of stabilizing ionic medium.

Focuses on modifications to the Chalmers model in relation to temperature, dispersion, soft-breakdown effects and development of high electron mobility transistors (HEMT's) and metal semi-conductors field effect transistors (MESFET's). Performance of the devices; Experiments on commercial MESFET and HEMT devices; Analysis of temperature and dispersion effect; Relativity between measurement and simulation.

Background: Lean is commonly adopted in healthcare to increase quality of care and efficiency. Few studies of Lean involve staff-related outcomes, and few have a longitudinal design. Thus, the aim was to examine the extent to which changes over time in Lean maturity are associated with changes over time in care-giving, thriving and exhaustion, as perceived by staff, with a particular emphasis on the extent to which job demands and job resources, as perceived by staff, have a moderated mediation effect.Method: A longitudinal study with a correlational design was used. In total, 260 staff at 46 primary care units responded to a web survey in 2015 and 2016. All variables in the study were measured using staff ratings. Ratings of Lean maturity reflect participants' judgements regarding the entire unit; ratings of care-giving, thriving, exhaustion and job demands and resources reflect participants' judgements regarding their own situation.Results: First, over time, increased Lean maturity was associated with increased staff satisfaction with their care-giving and increased thriving, mediated by increased job resources. Second, over time, increased Lean maturity was associated with decreased staff exhaustion, mediated by decreased job demands. No evidence was found showing that job demands and job resources had a moderated mediation effect.Conclusion: The results indicate that primary care staff may benefit from working in organizations characterized by high levels of Lean maturity and that caregiving may also be improved as perceived by staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas existing business models for sustainability research have mainly focused on business model activities and sustainability outcomes for separate firms, we observe that alliances between small and large firms can influence a large firm’s learning and dissemination of sustainable technologies, thereby contributing to the sustainable transformation of mass markets. According to the theoretical framework and a case study, large firms appear to choose a race-to-learn mode of appropriating most of the learning in the alliance, leaving small firms with limited learning outcomes. Within the framework, the race-to-learn mode is the optimal strategy for large firms in a joint innovation process concerning a new technology. However, for a joint innovation process concerning a business model for sustainability, the incentives for large firms to adopt a cooperative innovation mode become considerably stronger. The framework and the case study indicate that a number of factors influence the learning outcomes and longevity of joint business model innovation, leading to different modes of joint business model innovation for sustainability processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel approach to the design of a digital ohmmeter with a resolution of <60 μΩ based on a general-purpose microcontroller and a high-impedance instrumentation amplifier only. The design uses two digital I/O-pins to alternate the current through the sample resistor and combined with a proper firmware routine, the design is a lock-in detector that discriminates any signal that is out of phase/frequency with the reference signal. This makes it possible to selectively detect the μV drop across sample resistors down to 55.6 μΩ using only the current that can be supplied by the digital output pins of a microcontroller. This is achieved without the need for an external reference signal generator and does not rely on the computing processing power of a digital signal processor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will demonstrate how a time-to-digital converter (TDC) with sub-nanosecond resolution can be implemented into an 8-bit microcontroller using so called 'direct' methods. This means that a TDC is created using only five bidirectional digital input-output-pins of a microcontroller and a few passive components (two resistors, a capacitor, and a diode). We will demonstrate how a TDC for the range 1-10 μs is implemented with 0.17 ns resolution. This work will also show how to linearize the output by combining look-up tables and interpolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface for the 2008 issue of "Hydrology Research" is presented.

A preface for the 2006 issue of the "Nordic Hydrology: An International Journal" is presented.

Regional climate models (RCMs) are used for forecasting future climate including precipitation characteristics. Performances of five different RCMs for predicting the precipitation characteristics for Gothenburg, Sweden were evaluated against the daily observed precipitation over the period 1961 to 2009. Statistical analysis was done on annual, monthly, multi-daily, and daily data. The statistical techniques used include principal component analysis (PCA), comparison of annual maximum, frequency of exceedances determined from Poisson distribution, comparison of frequency distributions, and Mann-Kendall technique for investigating trend over time. Inter-annual variability and autocorrelation between years were also investigated. The results obtained point towards the usefulness of these high-resolution RCMs. It was observed that all the models give the annual maximum precipitation within 3 mm of the observed data. As for the observed series, no trends were found for monthly or seasonal data. The number of exceedances above threshold accepted Poisson distribution hypothesis with the mean exceedances from RCM-PROMES being very close to the mean exceedances from the observed data. PCA also indicated that PROMES came closest to explaining the observed data. The presented statistical methods can be used for bias correction of raw RCM data in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation has burdened cities with many problems associated with growth and the physical environment. Some of the urban locations in India are becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural hazards related to precipitation and flooding. Thus it becomes increasingly important to study the characteristics of these events and their physical explanation. This work studies rainfall trends in Delhi and Mumbai, the two biggest Metropolitan cities of Republic of India, during the period from 1951 to 2004. Precipitation data was studied on basis of months, seasons and years, and the total period divided in the two different time periods of 1951-1980 and 1981-2004 for detailed analysis. Long-term trends in rainfall were determined by Man-Kendall rank statistics and linear regression. Further this study seeks for an explanation for precipitation trends during monsoon period by different global climate phenomena. Principal component analysis and Singular value decomposition were used to find relation between southwest monsoon precipitation and global climatic phenomena using climatic indices. Most of the rainfall at both the stations was found out to be taking place in Southwest monsoon season. The analysis revealed great degree of variability in precipitation at both stations. There is insignificant decrease in long term southwest monsoon rainfall over Delhi and slight significant decreasing trends for long term southwest monsoon rainfall in Mumbai. Decrease in average maximum rainfall in a day was also indicated by statistical analysis for both stations. Southwest monsoon precipitation in Delhi was found directly related to Scandinavian Pattern and East Atlantic/West Russia and inversely related to Pacific Decadal Oscillation, whereas precipitation in Mumbai was found inversely related to Indian ocean dipole, El Niño- Southern Oscillation and East Atlantic Pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to integrate theoretical Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations with practical fire-fighting tactics commonly used when arriving at the scene of an underventilated fire. The paper shows that CFD has a great potential in improving understanding and creating better effectiveness in the estimation of fire-fighting tactics. If burning has occurred in a lack of oxygen for a long time, excessive pyrolysis products may have accumulated in the fire compartment. If air is suddenly introduced in the compartment a backdraft may occur. The CFD code used for the simulations is fire dynamics simulator (FDS). In this paper, we focus on the conditions that can lead to backdraft, and not the deflagration or rapid combustion in itself. Therefore, the simulations focus on the gravity current and the mixing process between cold fresh air and hot smoke gases by considering a uniform temperature inside the building as initial condition. The different tactics studied include natural ventilation, positive pressure ventilation (PPV) and dilution by water mist. Their effectiveness is observed comparing them with a reference scenario, where no action is taken. The main objective of natural ventilation is to find the fire source, and the venting is more effective with several openings. Tactics involving PPV are very effective in evacuating the unburnt gases, but increases the mixing, and consequently the probability of backdraft during the early stage of operation. On the other hand, the addition of water mist can reduce the danger of backdraft by reducing the concentration of unreacted combustible gases below the critical fuel volume fraction (CFVF), where ignition cannot occur. If the dilution level is insufficient the danger of backdraft is increased, mainly because the process of gases evacuation is longer due to cooling, which reduces the density difference between hot and cold gases. During a fire-fighting operation, the choice of tactic depends mainly on whether there are people left in the building or not, but also on the fire-fighters’ knowledge of the building’s geometry and the fire conditions. If the situation shows signs of strongly underventilated conditions, the danger of backdraft has to be considered and the most appropriate mitigation tactics must be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarises activities and results from the quality assessment project 'Quality Assurance of IT Support at Work' (ITQ) which has been performed by Swedish researchers in close cooperation with trade unions 1999-2005. The ITQ project is part of a network, UsersAward, which works for the goal to develop and implement a strategy for good software products on the work floor. A main result of the ITQ project is the first version of a software certification programme, User Certified 2002, which is described in some detail. The underlying theoretical arguments for its design and the performed pilot projects which have informed its implementation are also presented. The outcome of performed certifications is discussed in terms of stakeholder response; in terms of whether to certify artefact, processes, or both; and in terms of the relationship between software certification, standardisation, and public procurement agreements. One conclusion from the project is that a viable software certification programme has to cover the software's built-in features, its deployment process, and its actual situated usage. A second conclusion is that the buying organisation has to implement integrative processes in which its organisational development and its implementation of IT systems are coordinated. Conclusions are also drawn with respect to the set of organisational patterns underlying the UsersAward initiative - certifications, user panels, user surveys, user conferences and a yearly IT Prize contest. Finally, implications and plans for the future, especially international research and union cooperation activities, and further development of the certification process are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study for the arid northwest China has been conducted to find water-saving strategies of drip irrigation for dense-planted crops. The annual water consumption for optimal growth was 420 mm, of which soil evaporation was 27% and the foliage transpiration 73%. A relationship between soil water consumption and the irrigation amount, crop yield and water use efficiency were established. It was found that for high crop yield, it is important to maintain rather high soil water content during the two sensitive growth stages: elongation and milky filling stages. It is concluded that with drip irrigation higher yield was achieved although much less water was applied than what was used in block irrigation experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The influence of extensive sedum–moss vegetated roofs on runoff water quality was studied for four full scale installations located in southern Sweden. The aim of the study was to ascertain whether the vegetated roof behaves as a sink or a source of pollutants and whether the age of a vegetated roof influences runoff quality. The runoff quality from vegetated roofs was also compared with the runoff quality from non-vegetated roofs located in study areas. The following metals and nutrients were investigated: Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Zn, NO3–N, NH4–N, Tot–N, PO4–P, and Tot–P. The results show that, with the exception of nitrogen, vegetated roofs behave as source of contaminants. While in lower concentrations than normally found in urban runoff, some metals appear in concentrations that would correspond to moderately polluted natural water. Nitrate nitrogen is retained by the vegetation or soil or both. Apart from the oldest, the studied vegetated roofs contribute phosphate phosphorus to the runoff. The maintenance of the vegetation systems on the roofs has to be carefully designed in order to avoid storm-water contamination; for instance, the use of easily dissolvable fertilizers should be avoided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For 10 consecutive winters, measurements were carried out in Lake Vendyurskoe, Karelia, Russia. The aim of these measurements was to investigate some of the physical processes in this small shallow lake during its ice-covered period. Detailed measurements of ice thickness and condition, snow thickness, water temperature, salt content, and currents were developed into a database. Within this database are the winters 1994/95 and 1995/96, which are characterized by a very sharp change between positive and negative phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This note investigates and compares the effects of these two NAO phases on the regional climate and their relation to the thermal regime of Lake Vendyurskoe. It became clear that the ice-covered period length did not vary much from one winter to the other; however, a large difference was observed in the maximum average ice cover thickness and in the average water temperature at ice formation (e.g., larger thickness and colder water temperature during the 1995/96 winter). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural best management practices (BMPs) are now commonplace for stormwater management in new suburban developments; however, their installation in older central areas is limited. Here, the effect of disconnecting impervious areas from a combined sewer in favour of a new open stormwater system is investigated. The site, an inner city suburb of Malmö, Sweden, consists of council offices and apartment blocks separated by courtyards, roads and parking places. The BMPs range from green-roofs and open channels to detention ponds and their choice, size and location was dictated by cost, available land, safety and public expectations. The system was assessed by comparing synthetic hydrographs for the 1/2, 2, 5 and 10-year design-storms assuming wet and dry initial conditions. Direct runoff was simulated using the time–area method; and routing through the BMPs using PondPack. As the BMPs are in series, the outflow of one BMP became part of the inflow to the next in the system. Additionally, the water balance for the year 2001–2002 was investigated. It was found that the green-roofs are effective at lowering the total runoff from Augustenborg and that the ponds should successfully attenuate storm peak flows for even the 10-year rainfall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Numerical schemes and stability criteria are developed for solution of the one-dimensional fractional advection-dispersion equation (FRADE) derived by revising Fick's first law. Employing 74 sets of dye test data measured on natural streams, it is found that the fractional order F of the partial differential operator acting on the dispersion term varies around the most frequently occurring value of F = 1.65 in the range of 1.4 to 2.0. Two series expansions are proposed for approximation of the limit definitions of fractional derivatives. On this ground, two three-term finite-difference schemes—"1.3 Backward Scheme" having the first-order accuracy and "F.3 Central Scheme" possessing the F-th order accuracy—are presented for fractional order derivatives. The F.3 scheme is found to perform better than does the 1.3 scheme in terms of error and stability analyses and is thus recommended for numerical solution of FRADE. The fractional dispersion model characterized by the FRADE and the F.3 scheme can accurately simulate the long-tailed dispersion processes in natural rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes an analytical method which determined the longitudinal dispersion coefficient in Fischer's triple integral expression for natural rivers. Factors influencing the transverse distribution of local flow depth; Determination of transverse mixing coefficient; Derivation of longitudinal dispersion coefficient; Verification of the established equation for longitudinal dispersion coefficient.

We assess the sustainability of rural electrification in Manica Province, Mozambique, focusing on different alternatives for mini-grid and off-grid power supply. The qualitative assessment considers four dimensions of sustainability, namely environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and institutional. We argue that small-scale hydropower is the most sustainable alternative for off-grid or mini-grid solutions in rural Manica Province with good possibilities to scale up this to the major parts of rural Mozambique. The investigation shows that social acceptance for small-scale hydropower is high. Environmental sustainability of small-scale hydropower is higher than for PV systems. To speed up the electrification process, efficient rural electrification has to connect policy to local scale and institutional strengthening. The legislation needs to be improved, and there is a need for better institutional coordination for hydropower mini-grids' regulation. Along this line, a national framework to support small and independent power producers is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructed wetlands have been increasingly used for treatment of secondary wastewater containing various contaminants. This paper presents a Variable Residence Time (VART)-based model, called VART-BOD model, for simulation of BOD removal processes in constructed wetlands with free water surface (FWS). Mathematically, the VART-BOD model describes a free water surface wetland with three vertical layers, including vegetated water column layer, advection-dominated upper root layer, and diffusion-dominated lower root layer. Biogeochemically, the VART-BOD model simulates various BOD removal processses and mechanisms, including monod kinetics of bacterial growth, mass exchange between water column and root layers, advection, dispersion, and diffusion. A unique feature of the VART-BOD model is the incorporation of a dynamic diffusion-dominated root-zone. The VART-BOD model was tested with data collected from two distinct FWS wetlands: Gustine Wetland, USA and Manzala Wetland, Egypt. Testing results showed that the coefficient of determination (r 2 ) and root mean square error (RMSE) values vary in the ranges of 0.73–0.99 and 0.41–8.70 mg/L, respectively, for Gustine Wetland cells while r 2 = 0.98 and RMSE = 0.72 mg/L for Manzala Wetland. The VART-BOD model is a reliable and efficient tool for designing constructed wetlands and for understanding effects of various processes and mechanisms on the treatment efficiency of wastewater in constructed wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maze operation is a potentially curative surgical option in patients with disabling atrial fibrillation (AF) refractory to conventional treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the initial 4-year Maze experience in our institution. The study included 26 patients (19 males, mean age 55 years) who had undergone the Maze (III) operation between 1994 and 1998. Nine patients had surgery for concomitant heart disease. Follow-up was 3-55 (median 18) months. No deaths or neurological complications occurred; 22 patients are at present in regular sinus-, or junctional rhythm, 2 patients have permanent atrial pacing for symptomatic sinus node dysfunction, and 2 patients have had persistent AF, post surgery. Sinus node dysfunctions were detected in five patients, though not requiring pacemakers. Out of the total 26 patients, 23 are free of anti-arrhythmic drugs. Echocardiographic signs of left atrial contraction were recorded in 50% of the patients. The Maze operation offers a safe alternative to conventional therapy, with attractive results justifying expansion in the use of this treatment for AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]