Creating and Justifying Research and Development Value: Scope,Scale, Skill and Social Networking of R&D

In this paper we describe a framework for analysing the creation and justification of Research & Development. The 4S framework is developed for analysing the scope, scale, skills and social network aspects of Research & Development value. The framework is based on social system theory, a process contingency model, and recent Research & Development metrics. We present a first empirical assessment based on a workshop using the 4S framework for leveraging Research & Development. Results that assist in the assessment of value creation utilising R & D within networks are very relevant in high tech industries. The multi–dimensional process approach of this framework seems promising for understanding and managing R&D value creation, but needs further operationalisation. Case studies are described and a Dutch network on leveraging R&D has been initiated.     

Propene and 1-Octene Hydroformylation with Silica-Supported, Ionic Liquid-Phase (SILP) Rh-Phosphine Catalysts in Continuous Fixed-Bed Mode

Supported ionic liquid-phase (SILP) catalysts were made by immobilizing Rh-monophosphine complexes of bis(m-phenylguanidinium)phenylphosphine 1 and NORBOS 2 ligands in 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF₆], on a silica support. The catalysts were active in continuous gas- and liquid-phase hydroformylation of propene and 1-octene, exhibiting TOFs up to 88 h^-1 for SILP Rh-2 catalysts, while only low selectivities up to 74% n-aldehyde (n/iso ratio of 2.8) were obtained. This is the first example of continuous fixed-bed liquid-phase hydroformylation using SILP catalysts.     

Efficacy of iron fortification compared to iron supplementation among Vietnamese schoolchildren

Background  

Parents of six children are facing a trial on charges of aggravated manslaughter in the care a 5 1/2 month old infant who died suddenly and neglect of their four older children for causing them to be malnourished by feeding them all an exclusively raw foods vegan diet. Both parents declined plea bargains and plan to defend themselves in court.     

Creating geometrically robust designs for highly sensitive problems using topology optimization

Resonance and wave-propagation problems are known to be highly sensitive towards parameter variations. This paper discusses topology optimization formulations for creating designs that perform robustly under spatial variations for acoustic cavity problems. For several structural problems, robust topology optimization methods have already proven their worth. However, it is shown that direct application of such methods is not suitable for the acoustic problem under consideration. A new double filter approach is suggested which makes robust optimization for spatial variations possible. Its effect and limitations are discussed. In addition, a known explicit penalization approach is considered for comparison. For near-uniform spatial variations it is shown that highly robust designs can be obtained using the double filter approach. It is finally demonstrated that taking non-uniform variations into account further improves the robustness of the designs.     

Combining the triangle method with thermal inertia to estimate regional evapotranspiration — Applied to MSG-SEVIRI data in the Senegal River basin

Spatially distributed estimates of evaporative fraction and actual evapotranspiration are pursued using a simple remote sensing technique based on a remotely sensed vegetation index (NDVI) and diurnal changes in land surface temperature. The technique, known as the triangle method, is improved by utilizing the high temporal resolution of the geostationary MSG-SEVIRI sensor. With 15 min acquisition intervals, the MSG-SEVIRI data allow for a precise estimation of the morning rise in land surface temperature which is a strong proxy for total daytime sensible heat fluxes. Combining the diurnal change in surface temperature, dT_s with an interpretation of the triangular shaped dT_s − NDVI space allows for a direct estimation of evaporative fraction. The mean daytime energy available for evapotranspiration (R_n − G) is estimated using several remote sensors and limited ancillary data. Finally regional estimates of actual evapotranspiration are made by combining evaporative fraction and available energy estimates. The estimated evaporative fraction (EF) and actual evapotranspiration (ET) for the Senegal River basin have been validated against field observations for the rainy season 2005. The validation results showed low biases and RMSE and R² of 0.13 [−] and 0.63 for EF and RMSE of 41.45 W m^− 2 and R² of 0.66 for ET.     

Photocatalytic Valorization of Plastic Waste over Zinc Oxide Encapsulated in a Metal–Organic Framework

The conversion of waste plastic into high-value-added chemicals is regarded as a promising approach for relieving global plastic pollution and contributing to the circular economy. Herein, a partial calcination strategy is developed to fabricate a zinc oxide/UiO66-NH₂ (ZnO/UiO66-NH₂) heterojunction, in which ZnO is encapsulated in porous UiO66-NH₂ for the photocatalytic valorization of plastic. This strategy preserves the framework structure of UiO66-NH₂, thus enabling the formation of ZnO with ultra-small size distributed inside the skeleton. The synergistic effect of the obtained ZnO/UiO66-NH₂ heterojunction facilitates providing an efficient channel for carrier/mass transfer and guarantees structural stability. As a result, ZnO/UiO66-NH₂ exhibits high activity for converting polylactic acid (PLA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into acetic acid, coupled with H₂ production. This work provides a feasible strategy for rationally designing heterojunction photocatalysts, as well as an insight into understanding the process of photocatalytic valorization of plastic.     

Improving the SMAC atmospheric correction code by analysis of Meteosat Second Generation NDVI and surface reflectance data

In order to obtain high quality data, the correction of atmospheric perturbations acting upon land surface reflectance measurements recorded by a space-based sensor is an important topic within remote sensing. For many years the Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S) radiative transfer model and the Simplified Method for Atmospheric Correction (SMAC) codes have been used for this atmospheric correction, but previous studies have shown that in a number of situations the quality of correction provided by the SMAC is low. This paper describes a method designed to improve the quality of the SMAC atmospheric correction algorithm through a slight increase in its computational complexity. Data gathered from the SEVIRI aboard Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) is used to validate the additions to SMAC, both by comparison to simulated data corrected using the highly accurate 6S method and by comparison to in-situ and 6S corrected SEVIRI data gathered for two field sites in Africa. The additions to the SMAC are found to greatly increase the quality of atmospheric correction performed, as well as broaden the range of atmospheric conditions under which the SMAC can be applied. When examining the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the relative difference between SMAC and in-situ values decreases by 1.5% with the improvements in place. Similarly, the mean relative difference between SMAC and 6S reflectance values decreases by a mean of 13, 14.5 and 8.5% for Channels 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Furthermore, the processing speed of the SMAC is found to remain largely unaffected, with only a small increase in the time taken to process a full SEVIRI scene. Whilst the method described within this paper is only applicable to SEVIRI data, a similar approach can be applied to other data sources than SEVIRI, and should result in a similar accuracy improvement no matter which instrument supplies the original data.     

Incremental method evolution in global software product management: A retrospective case study

Company growth in a global setting causes challenges in the adaptation and maintenance of an organization’s methods. In this paper, we will analyze incremental method evolution in software product management in a global environment. We validate a method increment approach, based on method engineering principles, by applying it to a retrospective case study conducted at a large ERP vendor. The results show that the method increment types cover all increments that were found in the case study. Also, we identified the following lessons learned for company growth in a global software product management context: method increment drivers, such as the change of business strategy, vary during evolution; a shared infrastructure is critical for rollout; small increments facilitate gradual process improvement; and global involvement is critical. We then claim that method increments enable software companies to accommodate evolutionary adaptations of development process in agreement with the overall company expansion.     

Utility of an image-based canopy reflectance modeling tool for remote estimation of LAI and leaf chlorophyll content at the field scale

This paper presents a physically-based approach for estimating critical variables describing land surface vegetation canopies, relying on remotely sensed data that can be acquired from operational satellite sensors. The REGularized canopy reFLECtance (REGFLEC) modeling tool couples leaf optics (PROSPECT), canopy reflectance (ACRM), and atmospheric radiative transfer (6SV1) model components, facilitating the direct use of at-sensor radiances in green, red and near-infrared wavelengths for the inverse retrieval of leaf chlorophyll content (C_ab) and total one-sided leaf area per unit ground area (LAI). The inversion of the canopy reflectance model is constrained by assuming limited variability of leaf structure, vegetation clumping, and leaf inclination angle within a given crop field and by exploiting the added radiometric information content of pixels belonging to the same field. A look-up-table with a suite of pre-computed spectral reflectance relationships, each a function of canopy characteristics, soil background effects and external conditions, is accessed for fast pixel-wise biophysical parameter retrievals. Using 1 m resolution aircraft and 10 m resolution SPOT-5 imagery, REGFLEC effectuated robust biophysical parameter retrievals for a corn field characterized by a wide range in leaf chlorophyll levels and intermixed green and senescent leaf material. Validation against in-situ observations yielded relative root-mean-square deviations (RMSD) on the order of 10% for the 1 m resolution LAI (RMSD = 0.25) and C_ab (RMSD = 4.4 μg cm^− 2) estimates, due in part to an efficient correction for background influences. LAI and C_ab retrieval accuracies at the SPOT 10 m resolution were characterized by relative RMSDs of 13% (0.3) and 17% (7.1 μg cm^− 2), respectively, and the overall intra-field pattern in LAI and C_ab was well established at this resolution. The developed method has utility in agricultural fields characterized by widely varying distributions of model variables and holds promise as a valuable operational tool for precision crop management. Work is currently in progress to extend REGFLEC to regional scales.