| 1. |
- Bosona, Techane, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing the Sustainability of Food Retail Business: The Case of Konsum Värmland, Sweden
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Service Science and Management. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 1940-9893 .- 1940-9907. ; 5, s. 373-385
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is public concern that the impacts of food retail business activities need to be recognized and addressed properly. The main objective of this study was to assess the sustainable business management of a cooperative food retail business in Sweden, known as Konsum Värmland (KV). The necessary data and information on history and status of KV, and its practical activities concerning the implementation of sustainable development principles as well as the motivation and challenges encountered during the implementation were gathered via reviewing different documents, research papers and press releases; interviewing decision makers and other personnel in KV and other researchers who have investi- gated KV. The implementation of sustainability initiatives was analyzed in depth mainly based on triple bottom line sustainability theory. The findings indicate that KV has incorporated the sustainability issues into its mission and values. It practically has been implementing sustainability programs in environmental, social and economic dimensions. It pro- vides environmentally friendly and quality food products using its main brands names for local products. The major drives for KV to implement sustainability initiatives are leadership and employees' commitment, organizational core values, and members' and consumers' awareness. On the other hand, the major challenges to such sustainability initia- tives are high price of greener products, high logistics cost and emission due to long winter time, the seasonality of local product, and high cost of large scale investment.
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| 2. |
- Bosona, Techane, et al.
(författare)
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Box-Scheme Based Delivery System of Locally Produced Organic Food: Evaluation of Logistics Performance
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Service Science and Management. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 1940-9893 .- 1940-9907. ; 4, s. 357-367
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The local food systems such as fruit and vegetable box-schemes are gaining new profitable niche markets as the demand for local food is increasing. This paper presents the study made on box-scheme based local food supply system in Sweden, the Roslagslådan network, in which three distributors of locally produced organic food (LPOF) were the main actors. The objective of the study was to investigate the Roslagslådan LPOF supply network and evaluate its logistics performance. The study was based on literature review, interview, field measurement and route simulation and optimisation (in terms of route distance and driving time) analysis. The geographic information system (GIS) software was used to map the locations of the distributing companies and their delivery points (customer locations) while Route LogiX software was used for the simulation and optimisation analyses of routes for collection and distribution of LPOF, mainly vegetables and herb-based products. From the quantified information, the three companies distributed, on average about 134 boxes of LPOF to about 116 delivery points, once in two weeks period mainly during August-October. The distribution via Roslagslådan network was supplemented with other means of selling: on farm sale, open market sales and selling via supermarket. The route optimisation analysis resulted in significant savings in route distance and delivery time. The savings in distance were up to 76%, 23% and 32% for Company-1, Company-2 and Company-3 respectively while the corresponding savings in delivery time were up to 75%, 10% and 16%. This reduction in distance and time led to positive improvement toward the environmental and economical issues enhancing the sustainability of local food systems
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| 3. |
- Bosona, Techane, et al.
(författare)
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GIS-Based Analysis of Integrated Food Distribution Network in Local Food Supply Chain
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Business and Management. - : Canadian Center of Science and Education. - 1833-3850 .- 1833-8119. ; 8, s. 13-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Local food producers need to integrate within networks of suppliers, distributor, customers and communityrepresentatives in order to increase their competitiveness. The main objective of this study was to evaluate theperformance of an integrated food distribution network (IFDN) in Sweden. Location and route analyses wereconducted using data of 11 producers, 149 customers and one distribution centre (DC). Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) tools and location analysis techniques were utilized. Route analyses were done considering onenon-integrated distribution system (scenario1) and three different integrated distributions systems (scenarios 2, 3and 4). The results of location analysis indicated that the existing DC is located at best position. When comparedto Scenario1, best improvements were gained in scenario3 i.e. up to 64% in number of routes, 53% in number ofvisits, 74% in transport distance and 63% in transport time. As a consequence, the emissions emanated fromvehicles were reduced. The analyses gave insights into main implications of IFDN such as implication forlogistics efficiency; implication for food and service quality; and implication for environmental sustainability oflocal food supply chain.
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| 4. |
- Bosona, Techane, et al.
(författare)
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Integrated logistics network for the supply chain of locally produced food, Part I: Location and route optimization analyses
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Service Science and Management. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 1940-9893 .- 1940-9907. ; 4, s. 174-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to a growing interest in locally produced food (LPF), there is a tendency of promoting local food systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the existing flow of LPF from producers to consumers and develop a coordinated and efficient distribution system for producers in Halland region, Sweden. An integrated logistics network (ILN) embracing producers, retailers, a collection centre (CC) and a distribution centre (DC) was proposed. Data collection, location analysis and route optimisation analysis were conducted. Geographic information system (GIS) and Route LogiX software were utilised for the analyses. Four scenarios of food distribution were identified and analyzed. When compared to the existing system, the best scenario improved transport distance, time and number of routes up to 93%, 92% and 87% respectively. The distribution of LPF was integrated into large scale food distribution channel (LSFDC) and this could increase the sustainability of local food system
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| 5. |
- Bosona, Techane, et al.
(författare)
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Potential for optimised food deliveries in and around Uppsala city, Sweden
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Transport Geography. - : Elsevier BV. - 0966-6923. ; 19, s. 1456-1464
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Food products are among the most frequently delivered items to retail shops in city centres and also need special attention owing to their perishable nature and quality requirements. The main objective of this study was to map out the segments of food distribution systems and determine the constraints and possibilities in developing a co-ordinated and optimised food distribution system in and around Uppsala city, to promote efficiency and environmental sustainability. The study was conducted by arranging a series of seminars, carrying out field measurements, optimisation analysis and emission estimation. Data on eight companies that distribute food in and around Uppsala city, distribute were gathered and analysed. Different tools were used successfully i.e. Global Positioning System (GPS) for field measurement. RouteLogiX for route optimisation analysis and MODTRANS (a Matlab based package) for emission estimation. Optimising the individual routes reduced travel distance by 39% and time by 40% while total optimisation reduced the number of routes by 58%, the number of vehicles by 42%, and the total distance by 39%. Consequently, optimisation could reduce emissions generated by vehicles by 48%. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Fridén, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Higher pain sensitivity and lower muscle strength in postmenonpausal women with early rheumatoid arthritis compared with age-matched healthy women--a pilot study.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Disability and Rehabilitation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0963-8288 .- 1464-5165. ; 35:16, s. 1350-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine muscle strength and pain sensitivity in postmenopausal women with and without RA.METHODS: Ten women with and ten without early RA were recruited. All were postmenopausal, and did not use hormone replacement therapy. Measurements of isokinetic muscle strength in knee flexors/extensors, hand grip strength, timed standing, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), suprathreshold pressure pain, and segmental and plurisegmental endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms during muscle contraction were assessed.RESULTS: Participants with early RA were weaker in knee flexors, in hand grip strength and they needed more time for the timed standing. Women with early RA had higher sensitivity to threshold pain and suprathreshold pressure pain compared to women without RA. PPTs increased in the contracting muscle as well as in a distant resting muscle during static contractions in both groups.CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate differences in muscular strength between postmenopausal women with and without RA. Furthermore, women with RA had decreased PPT and hyperalgesia, but no dysfunction of segmental or plurisegmental pain inhibitory mechanisms during static exercise compared to healthy controls. The normal function of endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms despite chronic pain in women with RA might contribute to the good effects of physical activity previously reported.
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| 7. |
- Hallesius, Hanns, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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A pre-study for a new efficient transshipment technology for combined transports
- 2023
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The project addresses the need for green end-to-end long-distance transportation over land and the need to shift more cargo from road to rail. The overarching target is to shift a considerable part of present long-distance road transports to combined transportation, by providing seamless transshipment between road and rail, with the aim to accelerate the shift from energy-consuming fossil transportation to a combination of energy-efficient and fossil-free long-distance transportation on rail and flexible and fossil-free short-distance trucking.Combined transport (CT) of semi-trailers combines the sustainability (electrification & energy efficiency) of rail with the flexibility of road, enabling green transport chains. The availability and competitiveness of CT is however limited by inefficiencies related to the transshipment, as most trailers cannot be managed by present methods, as CT terminals are capital intensive and therefore typically few and far apart, and as large part of transport costs and time are related to the transshipment.The proposed solution “Assisted RoRo Transshipment” is an innovative & competitive way for loading trailers onto railway wagons at terminals, through horizontal loading of trailers onto flat railway wagons by the use of assisted precision driving (Ro-Ro). The trailer can be pushed onto the railway wagon directly by the tractor bringing it to the terminal, or alternatively by a terminal tractor.One objective of the pre-study project has been to achieve a deeper understanding of the fit within the transport system in Sweden, including relevant market, and the needs of all relevant stakeholders. Another objective has been to review the feasibility of the technology in different implementations. A further objective has been to identify relevant use cases, and propose an actionable project plan for a full scale demo project.The following general research questions were addressed:How well does the concept fit in the present system and market? How feasible is the concept in relation to risks and regulations? How should a suitable full scale demo project (FSDP) be designed and planned and what should be considered regarding technology?To review the fit of the new concept in present systems and market, a review has been made from the perspectives system, behaviour and application. A thorough review on the market mechanics has been made and the different components of the intermodal transport system have been addressed. Simulations of effects by the introduction of the Assisted RoRo Transshipment concept in various environments was carried out.As a summary, the conclusion is that Assisted RoRo Transshipments have the potential of bringing relevant improvements to the marked in various situations. The costs for transshipment are estimated to be considerably lower than present alternatives and new opportunities are created for the establishment of intermediate terminals along the railway line. Faster transshipments together with the possibility to use also non-liftable trailers in CT provides opportunities or growing the CT market. Based upon these conclusions, further development and demonstrations are suggested, as well as further research.In the study regarding the feasibility of the concept, various risks related to CT and an implementation of Assisted RoRo Transshipments were reviewed and analysed. Applicable legislation and requirements related to intermodal railway transports were also reviewed and analysed in view of various levels of implementation. The main conclusions from the feasibility study are that the Assisted RoRo Transshipment concept appears to be feasible for implementation in an FSDP as well as in large scale and that the risks involved in transshipments and transportation call for focus on safety and reliability in all implementations. Various alternatives for an FSDP were simulated and analysed. The technology concept has been tested from different perspectives. The conclusions were that there is a number of variations as to how a demonstration and pilot project can be set up in various stages of the development of the concept. The suggestion is however to set up a limited FSDP, with one or a few wagons in commercial pilot traffic between two terminals as part of an existing intermodal shuttle. The railway wagon should be adapted for Assisted RoRo Transshipments. Temporary platforms for Assisted RoRo Transshipments should be arranged on or close to the terminals. The project also proposes a project plan for such FSDP.
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| 8. |
- Kordnejad, Behzad, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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D25.3 Report on the basic functional and technical specifications regarding CMS as relevant input for FP3
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present document constitutes the basic functional and technical specifications regarding CMS as relevant input for Flagship Project FP3 – IAM4RAIL. The term Condition monitoring systems (CMS) here refers to wayside monitoring systems and in particular the Intelligent Video Gate (IVG) concept developed within the Shift2Rail programme and the projects FR8HUB and FR8RAIL III. The concept is now further developed in a concept called “Standardised European Checkpoints” within Flagship Project FP5 – TRANS4M-R. As these checkpoints will also be developed within FP3 WP7, the main purpose of this deliverable is to provide FP3 basic functional and technical specifications developed previously for the concept within Shift2Rail as well as the vision for the further development of the concept within FP5. Moreover, as CMS also includes other wayside monitoring systems (WMS) than the IVG concept, previous work within Shift2Rail regarding these technologies will also be addressed in this deliverable. The IVG concept was first described and showcased on a model train within Shift2Rail and the project FR8HUB and the full scale demonstrated within FR8RAIL III, including installation of gate in Gothenburg, Sweden for terminal purposes, while for yard purposes the gate in Nurnberg yard in Germany was used. The work will now continue within FP5 with extending the concept with further functionalities for terminals, yards and borders and to further European countries, both on a local/national and a European level. Challenges experienced during the Shift2Rail projects regard first of all installation challenges; one should consider all the required steps i.e. finding a suitable location, contracting sub provider, obtaining all permissions for installation, purchasing components, transportation of equipment, construction, fine tuning while estimating costs and effort for each step. As for the technical challenges and the image processing, hit rates over 95% for character recognition (codes) are required i.e. ability to recognize more code types e.g. domestic ILU codes differs and are hard to recognize, as well as improved damage detection abilities. Regarding the technical challenges with data exchange, it is particularly worth considering that handling information of dangerous goods is strictly regulated. Regarding Wayside monitoring systems based on other detection technologies, the industry is already providing sensors to monitor a large number of freight wagon conditions. However, there are still areas of freight wagons that are difficult or impossible to monitor with stationary or on-board sensors. However, it will not be possible to deploy a comprehensive condition detection solution at one time but step by step. The gradual integration of domestic and international data will also present economic, technical and legal challenges.
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| 9. |
- Kordnejad, Behzad, 1980-
(författare)
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Deliverable 3.3 Demonstration and Evaluation including Best Usage of the Data Capture
- 2022
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The concept of Intelligent Video Gate (IVG) consists of a gate system installed at relevant railway nodes equipped with cameras and RFID readers for automatic identification of wagons and intermodal loading units (ILU; for example, containers, swap bodies, and semi-trailers) as well as damages, through image recognition and detection of wagon numbers, loading unit codes, placards and RFID units. The IVG is to be located at, or nearby, railway facilities where it can lead to significant improvements for processes within the supply chain, related to time, planning, work safety, maintenance and claims.The aim of this deliverable is to describe a demonstrator of the IVG, a technique to enhance optimization of a fully operational terminal or yard, and with data management to enable fast and reliable detection of incoming and outgoing assets. Through automatic detection by an IVG of wagon numbers and intermodal loading units (ILU) handled, including recognition of dangerous goods, their sequence as well as visible damages, processes at terminals and yards can be optimized to achieve efficient dwell times and handling, as well as facilitate processes at other actors in the supply chain.The R&I highlighted in this report are related to three tasks; Task 3.3: AI for images processing, Task 3.4: Data sharing and exploitation and Task 3.5: Demonstration and Evaluation. Task 3.3 and Task 3.4 have partially been reported in (D3.2, 2021) and further elaborated in this deliverable, Chapters 3 and 4. Task 3.5 entails the use cases considered in the exploitation plan, described in Chapter 5 and evaluated in Chapter 6.Use cases evaluated in this deliverable are dependent on correct extraction of information from the images produced by the IVG, as well as on reliable storage and sharing of the resulting data. The current accuracy levels for the IVG of Trafikverket in Gothenburg, Sweden have been demonstrated in this deliverable. The evaluations that have been performed show that there is room for improvements of the information extraction, but also that the concept works well and that the extracted information has been successfully made available and makes several important use cases possible. The uses cases have also been demonstrated in the final event of FR8RAIL III on 2022/12/09.It can be concluded that the IVG concept shows potential of automation and digitalization regarding reduction of time and speed-up of the technical checks on departure and arrival, use of image processing combined with machine learning as well as sharing and exploitation of data along the supply chain. However there are potentials for further improvements of the image processing and data sharing, to achieve accuracy levels above 95% through e.g. ability to recognize more code types (mainly national), using colour cameras and exploring common format for data sharing and semantics.
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| 10. |
- Kordnejad, Behzad, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Intelligent Video Gate – A Conceptual Application of Emerging Technologies in Rail Freight Transports
- 2020
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Ingår i: Proceedings of 8th Transport Research Arena TRA 2020, April 27-30, 2020, Helsinki, Finland.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The emergence of new technologies and their corresponding applications within intermodal and rail freight terminals enable improvements in efficiency in existing business processes, relieving them of manual activities and enabling higher degree of automation and digitalization. To initiate the next logical step to a higher level of automation in terminals and to reduce the lead-time needed for the identification and verification processes of freight trains, the concept “Intelligent Video Gates” (IVG) is introduced within the framework of the H2020 Shift2Rail initiative and FR8HUB project. The project has been bi-sectional, first describing functional and technical requirements and the selection of components and secondly carrying out a technical proof of concept (PoC) and introducing a roll-out and implementation plan (RIP) within a Swedish and German context. This paper presents the main findings from the project, literature review, survey of similar studies and a case study simulating the expected effects of the concept.
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