Distribution of the Soil PAHs and Health Risk Influenced by Coal Usage Processes in Taiyuan City, Northern China

The quality of urban soil is closely related to the safety of public places and the guarantee of food quality. This study investigated the level, distribution, source, and carcinogenic risk of 16 U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban, agricultural, and montane soil in Taiyuan. The ∑16PAHs level varied from 104.78 to 6594.63 ng g−1 with a mean of 922.93 ng g−1, and 47.73% of the soil samples were severely contaminated, with a concentration higher than 600 ng g−1. PAHs with higher molecular weight (≥4 rings) were dominant in PAHs profiles accounting for 80.92%. In the spatial distribution of PAHs, hotspots of ∑16 PAHs were observed near the industries, indicating pollutants emitted by the industries directly affect the surrounding soil quality. The sources identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF) indicated: coal combustion (40.77%), vehicle exhausts (32.94%), biomass combustion (14.89%), and coking source (11.40%). Coal-related sources (coal and coking sources) were the major contributors (52.17%) to PAHs and carcinogenic risk (46.48%) assessed by BaP toxic equivalent concentration in total soils. Therefore, the extensive usage of coal was the leading factor for PAH pollution and health risk in Taiyuan soil.

Curating knowledge, creating change:: University Knowledge Center, Kosovo national transition

A collaborative system design initiative at the University for Business and Technology in Kosovo aims to make local knowledge visible and to enhance local knowledge creation, within the university and throughout the country. Since its inception in 2015, design activities aimed to activate systems through modeling the global knowledge landscape, technology enabled systems, and human activity processes. Within the framework of Informed Systems, application of Informed Learning Theory and Information Experience Design (IXD) guided prototyping systems that informed building an institutional repository named the UBT Knowledge Center. The knowledge vision anticipates that sustained curation, organization, discovery, access, and usage processes will accelerate academic engagement, national development, and global visibility, over time and with practice to further theory-to-practice and practice-to-theory.

Symbiotic relationships in educational services for vulnerable adolescents

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and to what extent different forms of symbiotic relationships (named mutualism and collaboration) within a usage centre lead to different levels of value in use for its resource integrators. This study focusses on the educational services provided in deprived neighbourhoods to potentially vulnerable adolescents. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a two-phase sequential exploratory mixed-method design. The first phase included a qualitative study that involved both the focal (the students) and peripheral resource integrators (the students’ parents) of a Brazilian educational institution that had exceptional results. The qualitative findings were used to build a comparative multi-group survey with four subgroups in which 530 peripheral resource integrators participated. Findings A mutualistic educational institution in which the participation of students’ parents is mandatory creates more value in use than collaborative institutions in which parental participation is optional. In the context of educational services for vulnerable adolescents, value in use is echoed in the coexistence of families, greater caring about the students, and the encouragement from the adolescents’ positive beliefs about education and respectful relationships with others. Social implications Initiatives aimed at addressing social issues regarding children or adolescents in situations of vulnerability will achieve better results if their families are contemplated and involved. Originality/value This study is the first to empirically test Kleinaltenkamp et al.’s usage centre framework (2017). In so doing, the study advances the understanding of how the interdependence of actors in the usage processes leads to value creation for vulnerable populations.

Opportunities for ethnographic methodologies in B2B service research

Purpose This paper highlights the suitability, application and fruitful opportunities for ethnographic methodologies in contemporary B2B service research. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a literature review and conceptual analysis of ethnographic research methodology and B2B service literatures. Findings This paper discusses the central features of ethnographic research methodologies, their key differences to other qualitative methodologies, key trends in contemporary B2B service research and opportunities for ethnographic research methodologies in selected priority areas. Research limitations/implications This paper highlights the opportunities, unique strengths and specific advantages of ethnographic research methodologies to advance B2B service research and theory development. Practical implications This paper encourages B2B firms to undertake ethnographic field projects to better understand customers’ roles, experiences and usage processes that relate to B2B services. Originality/value Ethnographic research approaches have been largely overlooked or neglected in B2B service research. This paper highlights their potential, suggests areas for application and encourages B2B service researchers to adopt ethnographic approaches to delve deeper into the social and cultural aspects of B2B services

Usage center – value cocreation in multi-actor usage processes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance extant theorizing around resource integration by conceptualizing and delineating the notion of a usage center. A usage center consists of a combination of interdependent actors that draw on resources across their individual usage processes to create value. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a conceptual inquiry into the usage center. Findings This paper delineates the notion of a usage center by way of focal and peripheral resource integrators, as well as focal and peripheral resources that form part of interdependent resource usage processes. The conceptual analysis reveals the need for resources to be accessible and shareable to focal and peripheral actors, with rivalry and emergence central factors influencing the actor’s usage processes. Originality/value Responding to recent calls for research developing insights into multi-actor value cocreation, this paper is the first to comprehensively and coherently conceptualize the notion of a usage center. In doing so, the authors build an important foundation for future theorizing related to the potential emergence of usage centers as well as the cocreation of individual and collective value.

Mechanical Properties Of Composite Biomass Briquettes

In the handling and usage processes, sufficient density and durability of biomass (straw, read) briquettes should be provided. For the briquettes density standards determined the value ρ > 1.0 g cm-3. In ? the densification process usually fine grinded particles are used, what significantly increases energy consumption for stalk material cutting. Calculated energy consumption for common reed cutting to sizes less than 3 mm was > 7 kJ kg-1 but for size 20 mm it was approximately 1 kJ kg-1. The goal of the investigation was to obtain the necessary density and durability of briquettes of larger biomass particles by arranging them. The orientation of straw or reed stalks had to promote binding by the pressing operation. The long stalk linking, in the picture of coloured stalk briquettes sections, is good visible. Crushing force dependence on particle size for arranged structure briquettes is stated in laboratory experiments. The specific splitting force of arranged structure coarse chopped wheat straw and reed briquettes reaches value 35 N mm-1. It is approximately the same as industrially produced wood briquettes. Splitting force of the hemp stalk briquettes reaches 115 N·mm-1.

Allocating the cost of the carbon footprint produced along a supply chain, among the stakeholders involved

Greenhouse gas emissions are widely considered nowadays one of the main causes for global climate change. Every product's supply chain consists of several energy usage processes. Three new approaches (end-userpays; production based; and profit based) regarding the allocation of the cost related to the carbon footprint (CF) produced, among producers and users are being presented. These approaches vary according to the ‘blame’ attached to each stakeholder involved, during the several phases of the ‘product's’ life cycle. According to the first approach, CO2 emissions occur as the need for the product/service exists. The second approach allocates the CF production-related cost in each step of the supply chain according to not only how much of this CF is produced in each step, but considering also the CF produced in the previous steps. The allocation follows the profit rate (profit/selling price) of each step of the supply chain. At the third approach, the profit rate used has to do with the profit of each step compared to the total profit of the entire supply chain. To achieve a socially fair price of a product, all stakeholders involved should pay their fair shares, to guarantee that all costs related to the product's supply chain are being fully recovered.