Extreme climate events and nonsustainable land use are important drivers altering the functioning of European ecosystems, resulting in loss of the services provided. Yet a consensus method for regular continental scale assessment of ecosystem condition in relation to land degradation (LD) is still lacking. Here, we propose a new remote sensing-based approach allowing for improved, repeated assessm

To improve the overall heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO 2 ) in a horizontal circular tube, this study proposes a novel kind of tube with cylindrically concaves and fillets on the circular surface. Several tubes are designed accordingly to investigate various parameters like θ (sectorial angle of concaves), r 2 (radius of concaves), r 3 (radius of fillets) and n (number of con

A unification of left-right SU(3)L×SU(3)R, color SU(3)C, and family SU(3)F symmetries in a maximal rank-8 subgroup of E8 is proposed as a landmark for future explorations beyond the Standard Model (SM). We discuss the implications of this scheme in a supersymmetric (SUSY) model based on the trinification gauge [SU(3)]3 and global SU(3)F-family symmetries. Among the key properties of this model are

Many people around the globe prefer bottled water especially in developing countries, where tap water is not drinkable. This study investigated the quality of bottled drinking water sold in Lilongwe city, Malawi. Compliance with Malawi Standards (MS) 560 (2004) for natural mineral water, MS 699 (2004) for bottled water and the World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water were examined.

Lignin depolymerisation receives great attention due to the pressing need to find sustainable alternatives to fossil sources for production of fuels and chemicals. In this study, alumina-supported Cu–Mn and Ni–Mo catalysts were tested for oxidative depolymerisation of a technical lignin stream—sodium lignosulphonates—to produce valuable low-molecular-weight aromatics that may be considered for ap

Measuring synaptic density in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging-based biomarkers targeting the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) has received much attention recently due to its potential research and clinical applications in synaptopathies, including neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Fluid-based biomarkers in proteinopathies have previously been suggested to provide

This paper explains how corporations can develop market-based activities to influence environmental policies. The empirical focus is on how Swedish apparel retailers qualify take-back systems for used clothes and textiles as steps toward creating circular fashion. An analysis of the qualities that retailers attach to take-back systems shows how qualification helps corporations feature fashion as p

The European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) will deliver 30,000 fully coherent, high brilliance X-ray pulses per second each with a duration below 100 fs. This will allow the recording of diffraction patterns of single complex molecules and the study of ultra-fast processes. Silicon pixel sensors will be used to record the diffraction images. In 3 years of operation the sensors will be exposed t

Purpose: Coffee and tea constituents have shown several anti-carcinogenic activities in cellular and animal studies, including against thyroid cancer (TC). However, epidemiological evidence is still limited and inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to investigate this association in a large prospective study. Methods: The study was conducted in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer

Medication packaging is essential to provide patients with guidance and correct use of their medicines for effective treatment. This research aims to increase knowledge about the medication packaging innovation process and its uptake towards patient‐centered packaging design. The study applied a qualitative research approach based on data from 25 in‐depth interviews with stakeholders involved in m

There is an increasing interest in modelling and control of integrated urban wastewater systems (UWS). Nevertheless, given the multiple interactions between the sub-systems–catchment, sewer system, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and receiving water system–the selection of effective control handles for improving receiving water quality is a major challenge. In this paper, a systematic study to i

Many multifamily houses are produced by small or medium size enterprises (SME's). These developers produce a substantial number of residential units per year. They have normally limited resources and need to have easy access to cost - effective structural solutions. Typical buildings comprise two storeys and four to eight flats. Due to costs and production efficiency these buildings are produced i