Carbon footprint of hydrogen-powered inland shipping:impacts and hotspots

The shipping sector is facing increasing pressure to implement clean fuels and drivetrains. Especially hydrogen-fuel cell drivetrains seem attractive. Although several studies have been conducted to assess the carbon footprint of hydrogen and its application in ships, their results remain hard to interpret and compare. Namely, it is necessary to include a variety of drivetrain solutions, and different studies are based on various assumptions and are expressed in other units. This paper addresses this problem by offering a three-step meta-review of life cycle assessment studies. First, a literature review was conducted. Second, results from the literature were harmonized to make the different analyses comparable, serving cross-examination. The entire life cycle of both the fuels and drivetrains were included. The results showed that the dominant impact was fuel use and related fuel production. And finally, life-cycle hot spots have been identified by looking at the effect of specific configurations in more detail. Hydrogen production by electrolysis powered by wind has the most negligible impact. For this ultra-low carbon pathway, the modes of hydrogen transport and the use of specific materials and components become relevant

Circular business model innovation in incumbents: a tool for tactical experimentation

This paper addresses the following question using a design science approach: How to design and integrate a tactical decision-making artifact that facilitates the circular business model experimentation process with the customer in the B2B context of an incumbent company?The paper contributes to the literature in two ways. Firstly, it presents one solution for integrating impact assessments in the decision-making processes of CBM experimentation, addressing the lack of impact assessments in business model research. Secondly, the paper builds upon the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities (Santa-Maria, Vermeulen & Baumgartner, 2022) and operational management actions needed for experimentation capability (Bocken & Konietzko, 2022b) to make the experimentation discourse more tactical

Assessing branched tetraether lipids as tracers of soil organic carbon transport through the Carminowe Creek catchment (southwest England)

Soils represent the largest reservoir of organic carbon (OC) on land. Upon mobilization, this OC is either returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2) or transported and ultimately locked into (marine) sediments, where it will act as a long-term sink of atmospheric CO2. These fluxes of soil OC are, however, difficult to evaluate, mostly due to the lack of a soil-specific tracer. In this study, a suite of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs), which are membrane lipids of soil bacteria, is tested as specific tracers for soil OC from source (soils under arable land, ley, grassland, and woodland) to sink (Loe Pool sediments) in a small catchment located in southwest England (i.e. Carminowe Creek draining into Loe Pool). The analysis of brGDGTs in catchment soils reveals that their distribution is not significantly different across different land use types (p > 0:05) and thus does not allow land-use-specific soil contributions to Loe Pool sediments to be traced. Furthermore, the significantly higher contribution of 6-methyl brGDGT isomers in creek sediments (isomerization ratio (IR) D 0:48 ± 0:10, mean ± standard deviation (SD); p < 0:05) compared to that in catchment soils (IR D 0:28±0:11) indicates that the initial soil signal is substantially altered by brGDGT produced in situ. Similarly, the riverine brGDGT signal appears to be overwritten by lacustrine brGDGTs in the lake sedimentary record, indicated by remarkably lower methylation of branched tetraethers (MBT05ME D 0:46 ± 0:02 in creek bed sediments and 0:38 ± 0:01 in lake core sediments; p < 0:05) and a higher degree of cyclization (DC D 0:23±0:02 in creek bed sediments and 0:32±0:08 in lake core sediments). Thus, in this small catchment, brGDGTs do not allow us to trace soil OC transport. Nevertheless, the downcore changes in the degree of cyclization and the abundance of isoprenoid GDGTs produced by methanogens in the Loe Pool sediment do reflect local environmental conditions over the past 100 years and have recorded the eutrophication history of the lake. © 2020 Author(s)

Combined microsatellite and FGFR3 mutation analysis enables a highly sensitive detection of urothelial cell carcinoma in voided urine

PURPOSE: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) mutations were reported recently at a high frequency in low-grade urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC). We investigated the feasibility of combining microsatellite analysis (MA) and the FGFR3 status for the detection of UCC in voided urine. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In a prospective setting, 59 UCC tissues and matched urine samples were obtained, and subjected to MA (23 markers) and FGFR3 mutation analysis (exons 7, 10, and 15). In each case, a clinical record with tumor and urine features was provided. Fifteen patients with a negative cystoscopy during follow-up served as controls. RESULTS: A mutation in the FGFR3 gene was found in 26 (44%) UCCs of which 22 concerned solitary pTaG1/2 lesions. These mutations were absent in the 15 G3 tumors. For the 6 cases with leukocyturia, 46 microsatellite alterations were found in the tumor. Only 1 of these was also detected in the urine. This was 125 of 357 for the 53 cases without leukocyte contamination. The sensitivity of MA on voided urine was lower for FGFR3-positive UCC (15 of 21; 71%) as compared with FGFR3 wild-type UCC (29 of 32; 91%). By including the FGFR3 mutation, the sensitivity of molecular cytology increased to 89% and was superior to the sensitivity of morphological cytology (25%) for every clinical subdivision. The specificity was 14 of 15 (93%) for the two (molecular and morphological) cytological approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular urine cytology by MA and FGFR3 mutation analysis enables a highly sensitive and specific detection of UCC. The similarity of molecular profiles in tumor and urine corroborate their clonal relation

Total Pelvic Exenteration for Primary and Recurrent Malignancies

Contains fulltext : 81087.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)INTRODUCTION: Complete resection is the most important prognostic factor in surgery for pelvic tumors. In locally advanced and recurrent pelvic malignancies, radical margins are sometimes difficult to obtain because of close relation to or growth in adjacent organs/structures. Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) is an exenterative operation for these advanced tumors and involves en bloc resection of the rectum, bladder, and internal genital organs (prostate/seminal vesicles or uterus, ovaries and/or vagina). METHODS: Between 1994 and 2008, a TPE was performed in 69 patients with pelvic cancer; 48 with rectal cancer (32 primary and 16 recurrent), 14 with cervical cancer (1 primary and 13 recurrent), 5 with sarcoma (3 primary and 2 recurrent), 1 with primary vaginal, and 1 with recurrent endometrial carcinoma. Ten patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 66 patients with preoperative radiotherapy to induce down-staging. Eighteen patients received IORT because of an incomplete or marginal complete resection. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 43 (range, 1-196) months. Median duration of surgery was 448 (range, 300-670) minutes, median blood loss was 6,300 (range, 750-21,000) ml, and hospitalization was 17 (range, 4-65) days. Overall major and minor complication rates were 34% and 57%, respectively. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1%. A complete resection was possible in 75% of all patients, a microscopically incomplete resection (R1) in 16%, and a macroscopically incomplete resection (R2) in 9%. Five-year local control for primary locally advanced rectal cancer, recurrent rectal cancer, and cervical cancer was 89%, 38%, and 64%, respectively. Overall survival after 5 years for primary locally advanced rectal cancer, recurrent rectal cancer, and cervical cancer was 66%, 8%, and 45%. CONCLUSIONS: Total pelvic exenteration is accompanied with considerable morbidity, but good local control and acceptable overall survival justifies the use of this extensive surgical technique in most patients, especially patients with primary locally advanced rectal cancer and recurrent cervical cancer

Assessment tools for sustainability

What is an assessment ? - Process to understand the situation, act upon thatand go in the right direction. Why use tools ? - Practical, methodological and social value Tools to assess sustainability… … specific for People, Planet, Profit domains … some are integrative – can show trade-offs & optimization … cover either ‘now’ or ‘future

System analysis and system thinking

The field of industrial ecology studies human-nature interactions. Both man-made systems and ecosystems, as well as their interactions, can be characterized and analyzed by system analysis. They are systems containing multiple stocks of mass and energy and that interact by exchanging flows and information. As such, system analysis – or the broader system thinking as a general approach or mindset – is one of the foundations that industrial ecology is building on. It influences specific analysis tools, like mass flow analysis, life cycle analysis, as well as particular notions of sustainability. In this module, we will introduce system analysis to you: system components, system dynamics, stable states, and a systems view on sustainability. But the main goal is to trigger your interest and skills in systems thinking – as an approach, an analytical lens on sustainability problems. We consider it a research skill that can be of great value throughout your academic and professional career, as well as in daily life

What &amp; how? 6 lessons on system integration

What is a project ? How to combine theory & practice ? Systems perspective, how to take into account ? Short term (action) vs long term (full transition) ? Which stakeholders, how to involve ? Choices, values, uncertainty how to account for