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Public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects progress through separate phases, with each phase subject to unique risks, thereby requiring a phase-based strategy for managing risks. To date, most research on PPP risk has emphasized phases, with an obvious neglect of the final, transfer phase (TP) of PPP projects, in which the project ownership reverts to government. This study identified and evaluated critical risk categories of the TP, using China's PPP water sector as the context of analysis. A two-stage approach was adopted, including both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Seven critical transfer risk categories (CTRCs) were identified, namely overhaul risks, contract risks, posttransfer operation risks, residual value risks, political risks, information risks, and succeeding operator risks, of which three are unique to the TP. Expert recommendations were presented for the facilitation of a smooth transfer of water PPPs in China. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge in PPP risk management, and the specialized research approach employed may be utilized in similar exploratory studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and efficient catalyst system was developed for homocoupling reactions of aryl halides. The catalyst system consists of Pd(OAc)2 and the peppery sensory component of tobacco leaves. This is the first time that a sensory component has been used in an organic reaction. Experiments using the catalyst system showed that the reactions proceeded smoothly under air in the absence of both an additional ligand and a reductant. Furthermore, the catalyst system can be applied to the coupling reactions of hetaryl iodides. Many functional groups (including a hydroxy group) are tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most infrastructure public-private partnerships (PPPs) are returned to the government once the contract term expires. Before the handover, a preparatory period, known as the "handover stage (HS)," is needed to determine whether the project is fit for handover. However, to date, no means to assess the performance status of the handover management has been established. This study addresses this practical demand by establishing a definition of handover success and identifying and evaluating criteria for the measurement of handover success, which contributes to a better understanding of HS management. • PPP handover success is defined as a hierarchical structure constituted by 12 key performance indicators. • 'Consecutive water production' emerges as the indicator with highest efficacy in assessing handover success of water PPPs. • Governments should be vigilant when dealing with handover stage due to the opportunistic tendency of private parties. • A process-based handover performance assessment mode comprising three evaluation nodes is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronized CaO with pores was synthesized by calcining the reaction product CaCO3 from NH4HCO3 and Ca(OH)2. Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis were used to characterize CaO, which confirmed that after calcining at 800°C for 2 hr, CaCO3 was completely converted into porous micronized CaO with a surface area of about 7.295 m2/g and a particle size of 0.5–1.5 μm. The porous CaO microparticles were used as heterogeneous catalysts for producing biodiesel from transesterification of soybean oil and methanol. The influences of reaction time, calcined temperature, and reusability of CaO were explored. The experiments showed that CaO has high catalytic activity for transesterification reaction, and the yield of biodiesel reaches more than 98% under the conditions of methanol/oil mole ratio of 9, and the catalyst amount (catalyst/oil) of 3% after reaction for 2.5 hr. The CaO catalyst can be recycled easily and it also has the advantage of low pollution. Simple synthetic route, low cost, high catalytic activity, good reusability, and great potential for industrialization are the advantages of the porous micronized CaO catalyst that was proposed in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]