Coordinated construction logistics: an innovation perspective

Coordinated construction logistics is an increasingly discussed topic in the Swedish construction industry. It is suggested as a means to increase efficiency in transportation, decrease material usage, coordinate health and safety on-site, etc. Much research on construction logistics has been done from a supply chain management perspective, often highlighting construction logistics as a necessary rational tool to improve efficiency in construction industry. However, could there be other ways to study this phenomenon? The purpose of this paper is to map empirically found coordinated construction logistics models and explore them as different types of innovation. The findings suggest that coordinated construction logistics models should be regarded as not being a fully embedded innovation as they have not yet changed the processes in the way they set out to do initially. Furthermore, differences are identified between company-based models, project-based models and system-based models, and suggest that differences in, for example, development, impact and objectives should be regarded both when conducting research on and when implementing coordinated construction logistics in practice. Finally, it is concluded that commitment, communication and cooperation are important when implementing coordinated construction logistics, which is in line with findings within the supply chain management literature.     

Carbon nanotube micropillars trigger guided growth of complex human neural stem cells networks

Nano Research - New strategies for spatially controlled growth of human neurons may provide viable solutions to treat and recover peripheral or spinal cord injuries. While topography cues are known...     

Who controls our data? The legal reasoning of the European Court of Justice in Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein and Tietosuojavaltuutettu v Jehovan todistajat

This paper analyses two judgments from the European Court of Justice. Both were delivered soon after the new Data Protection Regulation became applicable. The argumentation in the judgments provides timely clarification on certain key concepts in European data protection law. As the analysis will show, the ECJ continues its broad interpretation of the parties responsible for data processing. The judgments are generally compatible with the Court’s previous case law, which seeks to fill any potential gaps in the protection of individuals’ privacy rights. Hence, the aims of data protection rules are predominately interpreted by the Court within a fundamental rights framework. Even though the cases have certain significant differences, the conclusions to be drawn are similar: the argumentation of the Court is focused on data protection throughout. Moreover, the Court emphasises strong protection of personal data in all kinds of situations, even those where other rights could also be relevant.     

Removal of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from Pulp Mill Effluents by Ozonation

Ozone application was investigated for its effectiveness in the removal of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from bleaching effluent. The objectives were to compare the efficiency of ozone reaction on Na-EDTA solution with pure Fe³⁺-EDTA complex and EDTA complexes in bleaching effluent, and to test if changing pH and addition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) increases the removal of EDTA. Small ozone doses destroyed high proportions of Na-EDTA. This effect was diminished when EDTA formed complexes with other metal ions. It was shown that EDTA present in bleaching effluent was more easily oxidizable than in pure Fe³⁺-EDTA solution. Variation of initial pH value had no significant influence on the removal of Na-EDTA. Addition of hydrogen peroxide did not increase degradation of EDTA in bleaching effluent.     

Polymeric scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering: requirements and fabrication technologies

Cardiac tissue engineering (TE) is an emerging field, whose main goal is the development of innovative strategies for the treatment of heart diseases, with the aim of overcoming the drawbacks of traditional therapies. One of these strategies involves the implantation of three‐dimensional matrices (scaffolds) capable of supporting tissue formation. Scaffolds designed and fabricated for such application should meet several requirements, concerning both the scaffold‐forming materials and the properties of the scaffold itself. A scaffold for cardiac TE should be biocompatible and biodegradable, mimic the properties of the native cardiac tissue, provide a mechanical support to the regenerating heart and possess an interconnected porous structure to favour cell migration, nutrient and oxygen diffusion, and waste removal. Moreover, the mimesis of myocardium characteristic anisotropy is attracting increasing interest to provide engineered constructs with the possibility to be structurally and mechanically integrated in native tissue. Several conventional and non‐conventional fabrication techniques have been explored in the literature to produce polymeric scaffolds meeting all these requirements. This review describes these techniques, with a focus on their advantages and disadvantages, and their flexibility, with the final goal of providing the reader with the primal knowledge necessary to develop an effective strategy in cardiac TE. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Tracking the Aquatic Impacts of a Historical Metal Mine Using Lacustrine Protists and Diatom Algae

Two lake sediment cores collected near a closed Cu–Au mine were analyzed for testate amoebas, diatoms, and geochemistry to compare their utility for assessment and monitoring of aquatic impacts of metal mines. Geochemical profiles displayed the mine history as increases in mineral matter-related elements during the mining period, and as post-mining metal peaks. Biotic assemblages co-varied with geochemical shifts, and the most notable ecological changes coincided with the peaks in metal concentrations. Additionally, nutrient enrichment caused a major shift in biotic assemblages. According to the results, the mine affected the lake environment over a relatively large area but the changes were transient. Major ecological effects occurred only after the actual mining period as the tailings weathered, which delayed the metal release. This suggests that mine impacts can be significantly reduced by careful design and after-care of the waste facilities.     

Astronomy and Etruscan Ritual: The Case of the Ara della Regina in Tarquinia

The ancient town of Tarquinia is the key place of the Etruscan system of beliefs, since its foundations were credited to Tarchon, descendant of the Greek hero Herakles, founder of the Etruscan League, and discloser of the sacred texts of the Etrusca Disciplina. These were said to come from the infant oracle Tages, who sprang out from the terrain in front of Tarchon while he was ploughing a field. In order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the archaeological records and the Etruscan symbolic world we investigate here on different orientations and on their possible symbolic meaning at the Ara della Regina, the sanctuary of Tarquinia. The main base appears to be related to the sun rising a decades before the spring equinox, while the Archaic altar, probably representing Tarchon’s cenotaph, was orientated to the setting of the constellation Herakles.     

Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Energetic Efficiency and Aging

Aging is associated with a progressive loss of maximal cell functionality, and mitochondria are considered a key factor in aging process, since they determine the ATP availability in the cells. Mitochondrial performance during aging in skeletal muscle is reported to be either decreased or unchanged. This heterogeneity of results could partly be due to the method used to assess mitochondrial performance. In addition, in skeletal muscle the mitochondrial population is heterogeneous, composed of subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria. Therefore, the purpose of the present review is to summarize the results obtained on the functionality of the above mitochondrial populations during aging, taking into account that the mitochondrial performance depends on organelle number, organelle activity, and energetic efficiency of the mitochondrial machinery in synthesizing ATP from the oxidation of fuels.     

Functional Modification of Fibronectin by N‐Terminal FXIIIa‐Mediated Transamidation

A straightforward strategy is presented for the site‐specific incorporation of fluorophores or reactive probes into the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin (Fn) by using the enzyme‐catalyzed transamidation by activated factor XIII. Characterization by SDS‐PAGE, western blotting, absorption measurements, mass spectrometry, and stepwise photobleaching for labeling quantification at the single‐molecule level showed that the labeling was efficient and restricted to the N‐terminal tails. The introduction of labels did not interfere with Fn fibrillogenesis, as verified by the incorporation of fluorescently labeled Fn into ECM and manually pulled Fn fibers. Site‐specific incorporation of an azide was used to create a template for bioorthogonal click chemistry reactions in a second bioconjugation step, thus offering versatile modification and application possibilities in the context of matrix biology and tissue engineering.     

Shape controlled spherical (0D) and rod-like (1D) silica nanoparticles in silica/styrene butadiene rubber nanocomposites: Role of the particle morphology on the filler reinforcing effect

Silica/styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) nanocomposites were prepared by blending method using shape-controlled spherical and rod-like nanoparticles with different aspect ratios as filler for the rubber reinforcement. The differently shaped silica particles were synthesized by sol–gel method using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTSM) as silica precursors, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as structure directing agent. This strategy allowed to study the influence of the particle morphology on the reinforcing effect independently of the silica surface chemistry and considering the aspect ratio as the only geometrical variance. Spherical and anisotropic rod-like particles, dispersed in the nanocomposites, formed a network of particles bridged by thin rubber layers throughout the SBR matrix. Moreover, differently oriented domains of aligned rods are observed when the aspect ratio of particles increases and is ≥2. Dynamic-mechanical properties demonstrated that the rod-like particles with the higher aspect ratio provided stronger reinforcement of the rubber. This was related to the self-alignment of the anisotropic particles and to the consequent larger filler/polymer interface, compared to that of spherical ones.