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While transdisciplinary (TD) research is desired in order to solve real world sustainability issues, this may be challenging for both academic and non-academic participants. Supporting learning through evaluation, we analyzed a project aiming at sustainable transport infrastructures. After developing a TD research framework as a benchmark, two external independent evaluators interviewed all project researchers, representatives for end-users, and donors. The evaluators compared results with the framework, and evaluators and participants critically reflected on the results together. There were three inconsistencies relative to the framework: (1) limited understanding of TD research among project management, end-users, and most of the researchers, (2) no structured learning process among end-users, instead, they expressed very diverse opinions about what they expected from the project, (3) project leaders had limited understanding of the special challenges of TD research, did not fully understand the status of the project&rsquo, s social system, and thus did not act as facilitators of the required collaborative learning process. Non-academic participants saw themselves as customers and not as partners in the knowledge production process. We conclude that TD problem-solving research requires much time and needs facilitation and training. A preparatory phase with a lower level of funding would be helpful in preparing for TD processes.

Target orientation in road management allows consideration of non-monetary landscape values that have been largely ignored due to lack of assessment tools and insufficient knowledge. We discuss shortcomings in traditional road planning and describe the new Swedish target-oriented approach to integrate natural and socio-cultural assets in road management. The approach is based on tangible environmental targets and criteria that can be enforced.We emphasize the advantages of the new approach and conclude that target orientation helps to integrate environmental impact assessment into the planning and performance control system. It enhances landscape-ecological concern among planners and strengthens the dialogue between engineers and environmentalists. Target orientation requires an elaborate monitoring system that has roots in a profound ecological understanding. In order to monitor performance and to validate measures mitigating negative effects of landscape fragmentation, further methodological development and applied ecological research are necessary.

Samples of the preamplifier circuit, as well as of separate n and p channel transistors of the type contained in the circuit, were irradiated with gammas from 60 Co source up to an integrated dose of 3 Mrad (30 kGy). The VLSI manufacturing technology used is the SOS4 process of ABB Hafo. A first analysis of the tests shows that the performance of the amplifier remains practically unaffected by the radiation for total doses up to 1 Mrad. At higher doses up to 3 Mrad the circuit amplification factor decreases by a factor between 4 and 5 whereas the output noise level remains unchanged. It is argued that it may be possible to reduce the decrease in amplification factor in future by optimizing the amplifier circuit design further.

The non-stationary noise generator of a large-signal IMPATT oscillator is studied. It is shown that only the zeroth-order term of the series expansion of the autocorrelation for the noise voltage is of importance for the oscillator noise spectrum. The zeroth-order term is determined by an integral of the square of the Green's function for the total voltage from a generation of a pair of carriers weighted by the mean generation rate A PIN diode model with a fixed rectangular voltage is studied numerically. The short-circuit noise current is shown to be inversely proportional to the reverse saturation current,Js. The possibility of improving the noise properties by increasing Js is discussed.

The coupling coefficients for the non-linear interaction between three different waves in a magnetized plasma have been calculated by means of coupled mode theory.