General Electric (Denmark)

This study adopts the opposing theoretical views of legitimacy – institutional and strategic – in evaluating firm performance and top management commitment as antecedents to green procurement and green supplier development. Additionally, the impact of green procurement and green supplier development on supplier performance is analysed. Using a sample of western European companies, we develop a structural equation model to test our hypotheses. We find that the buying firm’s market performance positively relates to the adoption of green procurement. While financial performance has no effect on green procurement, top management commitment is found to be an important driver of both green procurement and green supplier development. Moreover, the relationship between green procurement and supplier performance is fully mediated by green supplier development. The paper addresses a research gap concerning firm-level antecedents for green procurement and green supplier development showing that both practices may impact supplier performance. Furthermore, it is shown that legitimacy concerns drive basic green procurement, whereas top management is decisive for advanced practices, such as green supplier development.

This article describes the basic physics of dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dissolution-DNP), and the impact of the resulting highly nonequilibrium spin states, on the physics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection. The hardware requirements for clinical translation of this technology are also presented. For studies that allow the use of externally administered agents, hyperpolarization offers a way to overcome normal magnetic resonance sensitivity limitations, at least for a brief T(1)-dependent observation window. A 10,000-100,000-fold signal-to-noise advantage provides an avenue for real-time measurement of perfusion, metabolite transport, exchange, and metabolism. The principles behind these measurements, as well as the choice of agent, and progress toward the application of hyperpolarized (13)C metabolic imaging in oncology, cardiology, and neurology are reviewed.

One important issue in the design and optimization of a superconducting cable conductor is the control of the current distribution between single tapes and layers. This presentation is based on a number of experiments performed on a 4-layer three meter long prototype superconducting cable conductor. The self and mutual inductances of the layers are studied theoretically. The current distribution between the superconducting layers is monitored as a function of transport current. The results are compared with the expected current distribution given by the authors' equivalent electrical circuit model. The AC losses are measured as a function of transport current and a given current distribution and compared with the monoblock model. Recommendations for design of future cable conductor prototypes are given.

Installation of wind turbines may be associated with costly grid reinforcements to maintain an acceptable voltage quality. Probabilistic load flow calculation can be performed by using Monte Carlo techniques for representing the uncertainty for loads and wind speed, so that e.g. the total number of hours with overvoltage per year can be estimated for a distribution network with several wind turbines. This new method makes it possible to analyse disconnecting of wind turbines in a distribution network as an alternative to reinforcement. Based on an example it is concluded that grid connection costs can be reduced if unacceptable overvoltage is avoided by stopping wind turbines instead of by reinforcing the grid.

Studies of contorted drift sequence in southeastern Denmark have resulted in a fusion of the working methods and principles of glacial-tectonics and lithostratigraphy and in the formulation of a new type of stratigraphy, kineto-stratigraphy, where main emphasis is placed on the study of the directional elements that reflect the movement patterns (kinetics) of former ice sheets. Through studies of principal localities, where deposits and deformation from more than one glacial advance are found, regional kineto­stratigraphic drift units are established, and local glacial deposits are classified accordingly. The relative significance of the various directional elements is discussed, and a brief outline of the new Weichselian kineto-stratigraphy of southeastern Denmark is given.

The flow past a NACA 0018 airfoil with sawtooth trailing edge serrations has been investigated using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). The serration flap angle and airfoil incidence are varied in order to study the effect of secondary flow establishing between the suction and pressure sides of the serrations. The flow topology around the serrations is inferred from the analysis of time-averaged streamlines close to the airfoil surface and from the wall-normal flow velocity in between serrations. Additional PIV measurements with a plane in cross-flow highlight the formation of streamwise vortex pairs. The flow behavior is further characterized in terms of its turbulence statistics. Noise emissions are measured with an acoustic phased array in combination with beamforming. The serrations are found to be effective in reducing noise, and their application is studied for different degrees of airfoil incidence and serration flap angle.

Journal Article The Zoned Plagioclase of the Skaergaard Intrusion, East Greenland Get access SVEN MAALØE SVEN MAALØE Institute of General GeologyØstervoldgade 5 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Petrology, Volume 17, Issue 3, August 1976, Pages 398–419, https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/17.3.398 Published: 01 August 1976 Article history Received: 30 September 1974 Revision received: 12 August 1975 Published: 01 August 1976

The 85,271 observations of test-day somatic cell count were on 17,477 Holstein cows with identified sires in 664 herds on the Quebec Dairy Herd Analysis Service during 1977. Somatic cell counts were transformed to a log (natural) scale and corrected for effects of month of test, age of sample at analysis, stage of lactation, season of calving, and age of cow. Analysis was within lactation and age. Heritability of test-day somatic cell count ranged from .05 for ~ 2 yr olds to 10 for mature (/> 6 yr) cows, and averaged .08 over all ages. Phenotypic correIations between somatic cell count and milk, fat, and protein yield, and fat and protein percent averaged -. 13, -. 13, -. 11, -. 02, and .09 and increased in absolute size with advancing age of cow. Respective average genetic correlations were. 14, .08, .18, --.08, and .04.

Damage progression in unidirectional glass fibre reinforced composites manufactured of a non-crimp fabric subjected to tension-tension fatigue is investigated, and a quantitative explanation is given for the experimentally observed stiffness degradation. The underlying damage-mechanisms are examined using three distinct microscopic analyses, and the transverse crack density is measured. It is documented that the stiffness loss in fatigue is directly related to fibre fractures in the load-carrying axial fibre bundles, initialised by interface debonding and cracking in the transverse backing bundles. A simple stiffness spring model validates the stiffness loss observed. A fatigue damage scheme is presented, which suggests that damage initiates due to failure of the backing bundle causing a stress concentration in the axial load-carrying fibres. This stress concentration, along with fretting fatigue, gives rise to axial fibre fractures and a loss of stiffness, eventually leading to final failure. The uniqueness of the present work is identification of the mechanisms associated with tension fatigue failure of unidirectional non-crimp fabrics used for wind turbine blades. The observed damage mechanisms need further attention and understanding in order to improve the fatigue life-time of unidirectional glass fibre reinforced non-crimp fabrics.

Level of Evidence: 5 Technical Efficacy Stage: 1

This study investigates how the morphology of spray-dried particles is related to the formulation and properties of the components in the formulation. Further, the scale effects in comparisons of levitation-dried single particles and spray-dried particles in a lab-scale spray dryer have been addressed. The Drying Kinetics AnalyzerTM generates single particles from a levitated drop under simulated spray-drying conditions. A set of surface-active polymers (bovine serum albumin, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and triblock co-polymer Poloxamer), in combination with lactose, were analyzed for their dynamic surface properties in solution, and their effect on particle morphology and surface composition were determined by low-vacuum SEM and XPS analyses. The morphology obtained in spray drying was reproduced in the single-particle drying. The surface compositions were also similar, but higher levels of surface-active materials were found at the surface of the single particles as compared to the spray-dried particles. Further, the adsorption rate of surface-active compounds at the drop surface estimated by dynamic surface tension was found to be an important parameter to estimate the surface composition at different drying scales. The particle morphology was primarily determined by the surface rheological properties of the feed solution and, to a lesser extent, by the surface composition.

This study examined the latent structure of spontaneous social attention in 11- to 26-month-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 90) and typically developing (n = 79) controls. Application of the joint and individual variance explained decomposition technique revealed that attention was driven by a condition-independent tuning into the dynamic social scenes construct and context-specific constructs capturing selection of the most relevant social features for processing. Gaze behavior in ASD is characterized by a limited tuning into the social scenes and by a selection of atypical targets for processing. While the former may be due to early disruption of the reward circuitry leading to limited appreciation of the behavioral relevance of social information, the latter may represent secondary deficits reflecting limited knowledge about social partners.

Ninety-seven mildly obese females (BMI = 27.4 kg/m2) were in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial treated for 52 weeks. The treatment consisted of a hypocaloric diet providing 5000 kJ/day (1200 kcal) and a dietary fibre supplement of 7 g/day for 11 weeks, (part I), followed by a diet providing 6720 kJ/day (1600 kcal) and a dietary fibre supplement of 6 g/day for 16 weeks (part II). Finally placebo was withdrawn and all still adhering subjects were given a dietary fibre supplement of 6 g/day and an ad libitum diet for the rest of the period (part III). Initial body weights were comparable, 76.9 +/- 0.8 kg in the fibre group versus 77.7 +/- 1.3 kg in the placebo group. During part I the weight reduction in the fibre group of 4.9 kg was significantly higher compared to that of 3.3 kg in the placebo group (P = 0.05). Accumulated weight reduction during part II was still significantly higher in the fibre group, 3.8 kg, compared to 2.8 kg in the placebo group (P less than 0.05). Total weight loss in the fibre group after 52 weeks was 6.7 kg. Probability of adherence to the treatment regimen was significantly higher in the fibre group from week 13 and onwards (P less than 0.01). Initial blood pressures were comparable. A significant reduction of systolic blood pressure occurred in both groups. A significant reduction of diastolic blood pressure occurred in the fibre group only, from 85.4 +/- 1.2 mmHg to 81.7 +/- 1.1 mmHg (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The language of risk has many meanings, and in this article we demonstrate a discrepancy between individually perceived risk and the medical understanding of risk as understood and communicated by general practitioners (GPs). Risk is experienced and interpreted by people in a cultural context, i.e. the same objective risk can be perceived in many different ways and given a different meaning in daily life. GPs' evaluation of risk is made on the basis of our epidemiological knowledge, the medical culture of risk perception and the GP's personal experience and interpretation. The theoretical focus in the article is a synthesis of two theories: patient-centred general practice and theory based in anthropology about risk as culturally and socially constructed. We use empirical data from a qualitative study to illuminate the discussion.

BACKGROUND: The impact of response to treatment on subsequent symptoms, quality of life, health care consumption, and absence from work in functional dyspepsia is unknown. METHODS: Patients with functional dyspepsia from Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland (n = 567 (215 men), 18-80 years old) were followed up for 3 months after a 4-week treatment trial with omeprazole (20 mg or 10 mg) or placebo. The patients were blinded to the initial treatment. Dyspeptic symptoms and quality of life were assessed, and dyspepsia-related costs were calculated in terms of number of clinic visits, days on medication, and absence from work. RESULTS: Responders had fewer clinic visits than non-responders (1.5 versus 2.0 mean visits) and fewer days on medication (mean, 9 days versus 23 days) over the 3-month period (both, P < 0.001). The quality of life in responders was better at study entry and persisted over 3 months (all, P < 0.001). When analysed country by country, health care costs due to clinic visits and medications were significantly lower in responders in all countries (P < 0.05), except Denmark and The Netherlands. CONCLUSION: Symptom resolution in patients with functional dyspepsia has a positive impact on quality of life and reduces the subsequent costs over a 3-month period after cessation of initial treatment.

Background Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, and differences in glycemic status may affect this risk. We aimed to examine the effect of glycemic status evaluated by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) on the risk of thromboembolism among patients with atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods In this cohort study, we used data from Danish registries to identify patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and incident nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in the period of May 1, 2005, through December 31, 2015. On the basis of the most recent HbA1c measurement before an incident atrial fibrillation diagnosis, patients were divided into the categories: HbA1c ≤48 mmol/mol, HbA1c=49-58 mmol/mol, and HbA1c >58 mmol/mol. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios for the outcome thromboembolism. Results The study population included 5386 patients with incident nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Compared with patients with HbA1c ≤48 mmol/mol, we observed a higher risk of thromboembolism among patients with HbA1c=49-58 mmol/mol (hazard ratio, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.09-2.05) and HbA1c >58 mmol/mol (hazard ratio, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.13-2.22) after adjusting for confounding factors. When stratified on diabetes mellitus duration, similar results were found among patients with diabetes mellitus duration of <10 years. Contrastingly, in patients with diabetes mellitus duration of ≥10 years, higher HbA1c levels were not associated with a higher risk of thromboembolism. Conclusions In patients with incident atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus, increasing levels of HbA1c were associated with a higher risk of thromboembolism. However, no association was found among patients with diabetes mellitus duration ≥10 years.

Norway has implemented economic incentives over several years to encourage a transition from conventional vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), and now has the largest share of EVs per capita in the world. In this study, the authors explore the impacts of increasing EV penetration levels in a Norwegian distribution grid, by using real power measurements obtained from household smart meters in load flow analyses. The implications of installing a fast charger in the grid have been assessed, and an optimal location for it is proposed, aiming at minimising both grid losses and voltage deviations. Moreover, the potential for reactive power injection to reduce the voltage deviations caused by fast chargers has been investigated. Results show that the EV hosting capacity of the grid is good for a majority of the end‐users, but the weakest power cable in the system will be overloaded at a 20% EV penetration level. The network tolerated an EV penetration of 50% with regard to the voltage levels at all end‐users. Injecting reactive power at the location of an installed fast charger proved to significantly reduce the largest voltage deviations otherwise imposed by the charger.

Abstract Partitioning interwell tracer tests (PITT) were used ID determine the spatial distribution and volume of residual trichloroethene (TCE) present in alluvium beneath the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plain in southern Ohio. Its first use at this site was in support of the design of a surfactant flood to remove the residual DNAPL (dense nonaqueous phase liquids) from the alluvial aquifer. The second application assessed the performance of the surfactant flood. The average DNAPL saturation in the first PITT was 0.1 to 0.2% in a swept pore volume of 4500 gallons (17.000 L). A second PITT was undertaken following the surfactant flood and yielded an average residual saturation of 0.06% in a swept pore volume of 3400 gallons (13.000 L), the reduction in pore volume being due to the confinement of the tracers to the lower sand and gravel unit of the alluvium. The design, operation, and analysis of the two PM Is provided strong evidence of a buried channel that controls the spatial distribution of the residual TCI: DNAPL in the basal sand and gravel aquifer and must be considered in the eventual full remediation of this aquifer.

The dependence of the etch rates of vapor‐deposited binary borosilicate, phosphosilicate, and arsenosilicate glasses on glass composition and per cent buffered in water are presented. The etch rates of these doped glasses generally increase with increasing dopant oxide concentration, the exception being those of borosilicate glasses in concentrated buffered which exhibit minima at about 18 mole per cent (m/o) . The use of these and similarly gathered results to infer new etchants is demonstrated.

BACKGROUND: Rectal bleeding is common in the community and in general practice, but few studies have examined the causes of rectal bleeding in patients presenting to general practitioners. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of neoplastic conditions in patients with rectal bleeding presenting in general practice and to explain the associations between presenting symptoms and final diagnoses. METHODS: We conducted two studies, the first in 1989, the second in 1991, in which we invited Danish general practitioners to register 3-4 patients aged 40 and over presenting with rectal bleeding. RESULTS: In Study 1 among 208 patients aged 40 and over and presenting with a first episode of rectal bleeding, colorectal cancer and polyps were present in 15.4 and 7.7%, respectively. In Study 2 among 209 patients aged 40 and over and presenting with overt rectal bleeding, 156 reported a first bleeding episode or a change in their usual bleeding pattern, and in this group colorectal cancer and polyps were diagnosed in 14.1 and 11.5%, respectively. In the group with unchanged bleeding the cancer polyp prevalence was 6.7% (P < 0.05). The patients in both studies were followed through a yearly letter to the GP for at least 32 and 22 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A joint analysis of the two study populations showed that only age and change in bowel habit contributed to differentiating the cancer from the non-cancer patients.