Carbon sequestration and its role in the global carbon cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Brian J.; Sundquist, Eric T.

2009-01-01

For carbon sequestration the issues of monitoring, risk assessment, and verification of carbon content and storage efficacy are perhaps the most uncertain. Yet these issues are also the most critical challenges facing the broader context of carbon sequestration as a means for addressing climate change. In response to these challenges, Carbon Sequestration and Its Role in the Global Carbon Cycle presents current perspectives and research that combine five major areas: • The global carbon cycle and verification and assessment of global carbon sources and sinks • Potential capacity and temporal/spatial scales of terrestrial, oceanic, and geologic carbon storage • Assessing risks and benefits associated with terrestrial, oceanic, and geologic carbon storage • Predicting, monitoring, and verifying effectiveness of different forms of carbon storage • Suggested new CO2 sequestration research and management paradigms for the future. The volume is based on a Chapman Conference and will appeal to the rapidly growing group of scientists and engineers examining methods for deliberate carbon sequestration through storage in plants, soils, the oceans, and geological repositories.

Developing "Reflective" Development Practitioners through an Action-Learning Curriculum: Problems and Challenges in a South African Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luckett, S.; Luckett, K.

1999-01-01

A South African university's community development program attempted to integrate Checkland's soft-systems method into Kolb's learning-cycle theory. Evaluation revealed shortcomings in the curriculum design, including the assumption of learner autonomy, necessity of assessing students individually, and difficulty of allowing learners to construct…

Comparative Human Health Impact Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Framework of Life Cycle Assessment.

PubMed

Fransman, Wouter; Buist, Harrie; Kuijpers, Eelco; Walser, Tobias; Meyer, David; Zondervan-van den Beuken, Esther; Westerhout, Joost; Klein Entink, Rinke H; Brouwer, Derk H

2017-07-01

For safe innovation, knowledge on potential human health impacts is essential. Ideally, these impacts are considered within a larger life-cycle-based context to support sustainable development of new applications and products. A methodological framework that accounts for human health impacts caused by inhalation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in an indoor air environment has been previously developed. The objectives of this study are as follows: (i) evaluate the feasibility of applying the CF framework for NP exposure in the workplace based on currently available data; and (ii) supplement any resulting knowledge gaps with methods and data from the life cycle approach and human risk assessment (LICARA) project to develop a modified case-specific version of the framework that will enable near-term inclusion of NP human health impacts in life cycle assessment (LCA) using a case study involving nanoscale titanium dioxide (nanoTiO 2 ). The intent is to enhance typical LCA with elements of regulatory risk assessment, including its more detailed measure of uncertainty. The proof-of-principle demonstration of the framework highlighted the lack of available data for both the workplace emissions and human health effects of ENMs that is needed to calculate generalizable characterization factors using common human health impact assessment practices in LCA. The alternative approach of using intake fractions derived from workplace air concentration measurements and effect factors based on best-available toxicity data supported the current case-by-case approach for assessing the human health life cycle impacts of ENMs. Ultimately, the proposed framework and calculations demonstrate the potential utility of integrating elements of risk assessment with LCA for ENMs once the data are available. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

OECD/NEA Ongoing activities related to the nuclear fuel cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cornet, S.M.; McCarthy, K.; Chauvin, N.

2013-07-01

As part of its role in encouraging international collaboration, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is coordinating a series of projects related to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WPFC) comprises five different expert groups covering all aspects of the fuel cycle from front to back-end. Activities related to fuels, materials, physics, separation chemistry, and fuel cycles scenarios are being undertaken. By publishing state-of-the-art reports and organizing workshops, the groups are able to disseminate recent research advancements to the international community. Current activities mainly focus on advanced nuclearmore » systems, and experts are working on analyzing results and establishing challenges associated to the adoption of new materials and fuels. By comparing different codes, the Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios is aiming at gaining further understanding of the scientific issues and specific national needs associated with the implementation of advanced fuel cycles. At the back end of the fuel cycle, separation technologies (aqueous and pyrochemical processing) are being assessed. Current and future activities comprise studies on minor actinides separation and post Fukushima studies. Regular workshops are also organized to discuss recent developments on Partitioning and Transmutation. In addition, the Nuclear Development Committee (NDC) focuses on the analysis of the economics of nuclear power across the fuel cycle in the context of changes of electricity markets, social acceptance and technological advances and assesses the availability of the nuclear fuel and infrastructure required for the deployment of existing and future nuclear power. The Expert Group on the Economics of the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (EBENFC), in particular, is looking at assessing economic and financial issues related to the long term management of spent nuclear fuel. (authors)« less

Hybrid systems for transuranic waste transmutation in nuclear power reactors: state of the art and future prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yurov, D. V.; Prikhod'ko, V. V.

2014-11-01

The features of subcritical hybrid systems (HSs) are discussed in the context of burning up transuranic wastes from the U-Pu nuclear fuel cycle. The advantages of HSs over conventional atomic reactors are considered, and fuel cycle closure alternatives using HSs and fast neutron reactors are comparatively evaluated. The advantages and disadvantages of two HS types with neutron sources (NSs) of widely different natures -- nuclear spallation in a heavy target by protons and nuclear fusion in magnetically confined plasma -- are discussed in detail. The strengths and weaknesses of HSs are examined, and demand for them for closing the U-Pu nuclear fuel cycle is assessed.

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal food waste and sewage sludge: A comparative life cycle assessment in the context of a waste service provision.

PubMed

Edwards, Joel; Othman, Maazuza; Crossin, Enda; Burn, Stewart

2017-01-01

This study used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) and compared it against the current waste management system in two case study areas. Results indicated AcoD to have less environmental impact for all categories modelled excluding human toxicity, despite the need to collect and pre-treat food waste separately. Uncertainty modelling confirmed that AcoD has a 100% likelihood of a smaller global warming potential, and for acidification, eutrophication and fossil fuel depletion AcoD carried a greater than 85% confidence of inducing a lesser impact than the current waste service. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variation in facial masculinity and symmetry preferences across the menstrual cycle is moderated by relationship context.

PubMed

Little, Anthony C; Jones, Benedict C

2012-07-01

In women, changes in preference during the menstrual cycle have been documented for attractiveness judgements of odour and various physical and behavioural male traits. Although many studies have demonstrated greater attraction to masculine traits, such as male faces, bodies, and voices, at high fertility, several recent studies present null results for these shifts in preferences. Moreover, evidence for stronger attraction to symmetric faces at high fertility is equivocal. Here we examined variation in preferences across the cycle for both facial masculinity and symmetry according to relationship context. Using both within-subject (Study 1) and between-subject (Study2) designs, we show that women prefer masculinity and symmetry in male faces at times when their fertility is likely to be highest (during the follicular phase of their cycle) when judging the faces for short-term relationship attractiveness. No effect of cycle was seen for long-term judgements. These results indicate that cyclic shifts in women are most apparent when judging for short-term relationships, which may explain the null results in studies where only general attractiveness was assessed. Cyclical preferences could influence women to select a partner who possesses traits that may enhance her offspring's quality at times when conception is most likely and/or serve to improve partner investment when investment is important. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formative Assessment Probes: Labeling versus Explaining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2013-01-01

In the elementary grades, the butterfly is a commonly used curricular context for children to learn about growth and development of organisms as they progress through their life cycle. "A Framework for K-12 Science Education's" life science core idea LS1.B, Growth and Development of Organisms, states that by the end of grade 5,…

Influence of basin characteristics on the effectiveness and downstream reach of interbasin water transfers: displacing a problem

Treesearch

Ryan E Emanuel; John J Buckley; Peter V Caldwell; Steve McNulty; Ge Sun

2015-01-01

Interbasin water transfers are globally important water management strategies, yet little is known about their role in the hydrologic cycle at regional and continental scales. Specifically, there is a dearth of centralized information on transfer locations and characteristics, and few analyses place transfers into a relevant hydrological context. We assessed...

Regionalization of land use impact models for life cycle assessment: Recommendations for their use on the global scale and their applicability to Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pavan, Ana Laura Raymundo, E-mail: laurarpavan@gmail.com; Ometto, Aldo Roberto; Department of Production Engineering, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São-Carlense 400, São Carlos 13566-590, SP

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the main technique for evaluate the environmental impacts of product life cycles. A major challenge in the field of LCA is spatial and temporal differentiation in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods, especially impacts resulting from land occupation and land transformation. Land use characterization modeling has advanced considerably over the last two decades and many approaches have recently included crucial aspects such as geographic differentiation. Nevertheless, characterization models have so far not been systematically reviewed and evaluated to determine their applicability to South America. Given that Brazil is the largest country in South America, thismore » paper analyzes the main international characterization models currently available in the literature, with a view to recommending regionalized models applicable on a global scale for land use life cycle impact assessments, and discusses their feasibility for regionalized assessment in Brazil. The analytical methodology involves classification based on the following criteria: midpoint/endpoint approach, scope of application, area of data collection, biogeographical differentiation, definition of recovery time and reference situation; followed by an evaluation of thirteen scientific robustness and environmental relevance subcriteria. The results of the scope of application are distributed among 25% of the models developed for the European context, and 50% have a global scope. There is no consensus in the literature about the definition of parameters such biogeographical differentiation and reference situation, and our review indicates that 35% of the models use ecoregion division while 40% use the concept of potential natural vegetation. Four characterization models show high scores in terms of scientific robustness and environmental relevance. These models are recommended for application in land use life cycle impact assessments, and also to serve as references for the development or adaptation of regional methodological procedures for Brazil. - Highlights: • A discussion is made on performing regionalized impact assessments using spatial differentiation in LCA. • A review is made of 20 characterization models for land use impacts in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. • Four characterization models are recommended according to different land use impact pathways for application in Brazil.« less

Integrated systems analysis of persistent polar pollutants in the water cycle.

PubMed

van der Voet, E; Nikolic, I; Huppes, G; Kleijn, R

2004-01-01

Persistent polar pollutants (P3) are difficult to degrade in standard waste water treatment plants. As a result, they end up in the effluent and are emitted to the surface water. In some areas, this problem is aggravated through "closed loop recycling", causing concentrations of P3 in surface water to build up over time. This could cause violation of (future) EU regulations. In the P-THREE project, various alternative waste water treatment techniques are investigated regarding their effectiveness in eliminating these substances, especially membrane bioreactor treatment and advanced oxidation processes, MBR and AOP. The integrated systems analysis which is the subject of this paper assesses these techniques in a broader systems context: (1) the life-cycle of the P3, (2) the life cycle of the WWTPs, and (3) the WWTP life cycle costs.

The Bern Simple Climate Model (BernSCM) v1.0: an extensible and fully documented open-source re-implementation of the Bern reduced-form model for global carbon cycle-climate simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strassmann, Kuno M.; Joos, Fortunat

2018-05-01

The Bern Simple Climate Model (BernSCM) is a free open-source re-implementation of a reduced-form carbon cycle-climate model which has been used widely in previous scientific work and IPCC assessments. BernSCM represents the carbon cycle and climate system with a small set of equations for the heat and carbon budget, the parametrization of major nonlinearities, and the substitution of complex component systems with impulse response functions (IRFs). The IRF approach allows cost-efficient yet accurate substitution of detailed parent models of climate system components with near-linear behavior. Illustrative simulations of scenarios from previous multimodel studies show that BernSCM is broadly representative of the range of the climate-carbon cycle response simulated by more complex and detailed models. Model code (in Fortran) was written from scratch with transparency and extensibility in mind, and is provided open source. BernSCM makes scientifically sound carbon cycle-climate modeling available for many applications. Supporting up to decadal time steps with high accuracy, it is suitable for studies with high computational load and for coupling with integrated assessment models (IAMs), for example. Further applications include climate risk assessment in a business, public, or educational context and the estimation of CO2 and climate benefits of emission mitigation options.

Supporting Active Mobility and Green Jobs through the Promotion of Cycling.

PubMed

Scotini, Rodrigo; Skinner, Ian; Racioppi, Francesca; Fusé, Virginia; Bertucci, Jonas de Oliveira; Tsutsumi, Rie

2017-12-19

This article is a summary of the main findings of the study "Riding towards the green economy: cycling and green jobs", which was developed in the context of the Transport, Health and Environment pan-European Programme (THE PEP). It builds on previous work under THE PEP, which demonstrated the job creation potential of cycling and of green and healthy transport more generally. The report summarized in this article collected data on jobs associated with cycling directly from city authorities and analysed these to re-assess previous estimates of the job creation potential of cycling. It concluded that the number of cycling-related jobs in the pan-European Region could increase by 435,000 in selected major cities if they increased their cycling share to that of the Danish capital Copenhagen. The implications and potential role of municipal and sub-national authorities in facilitating cycling while supporting economic development are then discussed. These findings indicate that investment in policies that promote cycling could deliver not only important benefits for health, the environment and the quality of urban life, but could also contribute to a sizable creation of job opportunities. Authorities need to be proactive in promoting cycling in order to deliver these benefits.

Ecological approaches to informing public health policy and risk assessments on emerging vector-borne zoonoses

PubMed Central

Medlock, JM; Jameson, LJ

2010-01-01

Pathogens associated with vector-borne zoonoses occur in enzootic cycles within nature. They are driven by a combination of vertebrate host and invertebrate vector population dynamics, which in turn respond to changes in environmental stimuli. Human involvement in these cycles, and hence the occurrence of human disease, is often to act as incidental host. From a public health perspective our ability to better predict human outbreaks of these diseases and prepare intervention and mitigation strategies relies on understanding the natural cycle of pathogen transmission. This requires consideration of, for example, invertebrate and vertebrate ecology and biology, climatology, land use and habitat change. Collectively, these can be referred to as medical entomology and medical ecology. This article reviews the importance for inclusion of such disciplines when assessing the public health risk from vector-borne zoonoses and summarizes the possible future challenges and driving forces for changes in vector status and vector-borne zoonoses emergence, with a particular focus on a UK and European context. PMID:22460391

Emerging role of Geographical Information System (GIS), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and spatial LCA (GIS-LCA) in sustainable bioenergy planning.

PubMed

Hiloidhari, Moonmoon; Baruah, D C; Singh, Anoop; Kataki, Sampriti; Medhi, Kristina; Kumari, Shilpi; Ramachandra, T V; Jenkins, B M; Thakur, Indu Shekhar

2017-10-01

Sustainability of a bioenergy project depends on precise assessment of biomass resource, planning of cost-effective logistics and evaluation of possible environmental implications. In this context, this paper reviews the role and applications of geo-spatial tool such as Geographical Information System (GIS) for precise agro-residue resource assessment, biomass logistic and power plant design. Further, application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in understanding the potential impact of agro-residue bioenergy generation on different ecosystem services has also been reviewed and limitations associated with LCA variability and uncertainty were discussed. Usefulness of integration of GIS into LCA (i.e. spatial LCA) to overcome the limitations of conventional LCA and to produce a holistic evaluation of the environmental benefits and concerns of bioenergy is also reviewed. Application of GIS, LCA and spatial LCA can help alleviate the challenges faced by ambitious bioenergy projects by addressing both economics and environmental goals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle assessment on food waste and its application in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Si; Bao, Jingling; Liu, Xiaojie; Stenmarck, Asa

2018-01-01

Food waste causes tremendous problems in terms of environment and economy, twined with big social influence, thus studies on food waste are essential and meanwhile very complicated According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 1.3 billion ton/year of food are wasted globally, which has a total carbon footprint of 4.4 GtCO2 eq per year with a cost of USD 411 billion. According to statistics, China has roughly 195 million tons food waste per year, which is huge. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is an internationally standardized method by ISO for assessment of product and process, has been applied in food sectors to evaluate the different environmental influence, energy use etc. This paper analyzed some of the LCA application on the different parts of the food supply chain (production, post-harvest handling, the storage and transportation, processing, the retail, and consumption) where food waste is generated and on the food waste disposal stage, looked into what has been studied in the context of China, and gave recommendations for LCA application for Chinese food waste problems: 1) More application of LCA on food waste should be made on the early stage of the food cycle rather than just the kitchen waste; 2) Besides global warming potentials, other environmental influences should be studied more at the same time; 3) Food waste treatment can be studied using LCA broadly considering mixture with other substrates and using different recycling methods; 4) LCA based on a local context with local data/inventory are strongly needed; 5) further more detailed studies to support an elevated food waste management, such as food waste profile can be developed.

Translating evidence-based guidelines to improve feedback practices: the interACT case study.

PubMed

Barton, Karen L; Schofield, Susie J; McAleer, Sean; Ajjawi, Rola

2016-02-09

There has been a substantial body of research examining feedback practices, yet the assessment and feedback landscape in higher education is described as 'stubbornly resistant to change'. The aim of this paper is to present a case study demonstrating how an entire programme's assessment and feedback practices were re-engineered and evaluated in line with evidence from the literature in the interACT (Interaction and Collaboration via Technology) project. Informed by action research the project conducted two cycles of planning, action, evaluation and reflection. Four key pedagogical principles informed the re-design of the assessment and feedback practices. Evaluation activities included document analysis, interviews with staff (n = 10) and students (n = 7), and student questionnaires (n = 54). Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the questionnaire data. Framework thematic analysis was used to develop themes across the interview data. InterACT was reported by students and staff to promote self-evaluation, engagement with feedback and feedback dialogue. Streamlining the process after the first cycle of action research was crucial for improving engagement of students and staff. The interACT process of promoting self-evaluation, reflection on feedback, feedback dialogue and longitudinal perspectives of feedback has clear benefits and should be transferable to other contexts. InterACT has involved comprehensive re-engineering of the assessment and feedback processes using educational principles to guide the design taking into account stakeholder perspectives. These principles and the strategies to enact them should be transferable to other contexts.

Effect of feeding strategy on environmental impacts of pig fattening in different contexts of production: evaluation through life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Monteiro, A N T R; Garcia-Launay, F; Brossard, L; Wilfart, A; Dourmad, J-Y

2016-11-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used in many studies to evaluate the effect of feeding strategy on the environmental impact of pig production. However, because most studies have been conducted in European conditions, the question of possible interactions with the context of production is still under debate. The objective of this study was to evaluate these effects in 2 contrasted geographic contexts of production, South America (Brazil) and Europe (France). The LCA considered the process of pig fattening, including production and transport of feed ingredients and feed, raising of fattening pigs, and manure storage, transport, and spreading. Impacts were calculated at the farm gate, and the functional unit considered was 1 kg of BW gain over the fattening period. The performances of pigs were simulated for each scenario using the InraPorc population model (2,000 pigs per scenario considering between-animal variability). The LCA calculations were performed for each pig according to its own performance and excretion, and the results were subjected to variance analysis. The results indicate that for some impacts there are clear interactions between the effects of the feeding program, the origin of soybean, and the location of production. For climate change, interest in phase feeding and incorporation of crystalline AA (CAA) is limited and even counterproductive in Brazil with soybeans from the South (without deforestation), whereas they appear to be efficient strategies with soybeans from the Center West (with deforestation), especially in France. Rather similar effects, as those for climate change, were observed for cumulative energy demand. Conversely, potential eutrophication and acidification impacts were reduced by phase feeding and CAA addition in a rather similar way in all situations. Individual daily feeding, the only strategy that took into account between-animal variability, was the most effective approach for reducing the life cycle impact of pig fattening in all situations, whereas the potential of phase feeding programs and CAA was dependent on soybean origin and the geographical context of pig production, in contrast with previous results.

WaLA, a versatile model for the life cycle assessment of urban water systems: Formalism and framework for a modular approach.

PubMed

Loubet, Philippe; Roux, Philippe; Bellon-Maurel, Véronique

2016-01-01

The emphasis on the sustainable urban water management has increased over the last decades. In this context decision makers need tools to measure and improve the environmental performance of urban water systems (UWS) and their related scenarios. In this paper, we propose a versatile model, named WaLA (Water system Life cycle Assessment), which reduces the complexity of the UWS while ensuring a good representation of water issues and fulfilling life cycle assessment (LCA) requirements. Indeed, LCAs require building UWS models, which can be tedious if several scenarios are to be compared. The WaLA model is based on a framework that uses a "generic component" representing alternately water technology units and water users, with their associated water flows, and the associated impacts due to water deprivation, emissions, operation and infrastructure. UWS scenarios can be built by inter-operating and connecting the technologies and users components in a modular and integrated way. The model calculates life cycle impacts at a monthly temporal resolution for a set of services provided to users, as defined by the scenario. It also provides the ratio of impacts to amount of services provided and useful information for UWS diagnosis or comparison of different scenarios. The model is implemented in a Matlab/Simulink interface thanks to object-oriented programming. The applicability of the model is demonstrated using a virtual case study based on available life cycle inventory data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining Product Intake Fraction to Quantify and Compare Exposure to Consumer Products.

PubMed

Jolliet, Olivier; Ernstoff, Alexi S; Csiszar, Susan A; Fantke, Peter

2015-08-04

There is a growing consciousness that exposure studies need to better cover near-field exposure associated with products use. To consistently and quantitatively compare human exposure to chemicals in consumer products, we introduce the concept of product intake fraction, as the fraction of a chemical within a product that is eventually taken in by the human population. This metric enables consistent comparison of exposures during consumer product use for different product-chemical combinations, exposure duration, exposure routes and pathways and for other life cycle stages. We present example applications of the product intake fraction concept, for two chemicals in two personal care products and two chemicals encapsulated in two articles, showing how intakes of these chemicals can primarily occur during product use. We demonstrate the utility of the product intake fraction and its application modalities within life cycle assessment and risk assessment contexts. The product intake fraction helps to provide a clear interface between the life cycle inventory and impact assessment phases, to identify best suited sentinel products and to calculate overall exposure to chemicals in consumer products, or back-calculate maximum allowable concentrations of substances inside products.

Supporting Active Mobility and Green Jobs through the Promotion of Cycling

PubMed Central

Scotini, Rodrigo; Skinner, Ian; Racioppi, Francesca; Fusé, Virginia; Bertucci, Jonas de Oliveira; Tsutsumi, Rie

2017-01-01

This article is a summary of the main findings of the study “Riding towards the green economy: cycling and green jobs”, which was developed in the context of the Transport, Health and Environment pan-European Programme (THE PEP). It builds on previous work under THE PEP, which demonstrated the job creation potential of cycling and of green and healthy transport more generally. The report summarized in this article collected data on jobs associated with cycling directly from city authorities and analysed these to re-assess previous estimates of the job creation potential of cycling. It concluded that the number of cycling-related jobs in the pan-European Region could increase by 435,000 in selected major cities if they increased their cycling share to that of the Danish capital Copenhagen. The implications and potential role of municipal and sub-national authorities in facilitating cycling while supporting economic development are then discussed. These findings indicate that investment in policies that promote cycling could deliver not only important benefits for health, the environment and the quality of urban life, but could also contribute to a sizable creation of job opportunities. Authorities need to be proactive in promoting cycling in order to deliver these benefits. PMID:29257121

Life cycle assessment of a national policy proposal - the case of a Swedish waste incineration tax.

PubMed

Björklund, Anna E; Finnveden, Göran

2007-01-01

At the core of EU and Swedish waste policy is the so-called waste hierarchy, according to which waste should first be prevented, but should otherwise be treated in the following order of prioritisation: reuse, recycling when environmentally motivated, energy recovery, and last landfilling. Some recent policy decisions in Sweden aim to influence waste management in the direction of the waste hierarchy. In 2001 a governmental commission assessed the economic and environmental impacts of introducing a weight-based tax on waste incineration, the purpose of which would be to encourage waste reduction and increase materials recycling and biological treatment. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the waste incineration tax proposal. It was done in the context of a larger research project concerning the development and testing of a framework for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The aim of this paper is to assess the life cycle environmental impacts of the waste incineration tax proposal, and to investigate whether there are any possibilities of more optimal design of such a tax. The proposed design of the waste incineration tax results in increased recycling, but only in small environmental improvements. A more elaborate tax design is suggested, in which the tax level would partly be related to the fossil carbon content of the waste.

Determining system boundaries on commercial broiler chicken production system using ISO 14040/14044 guideline: A case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidek, ‘A. A.; Suffian, S. A.; Al-Hazza, M. H. F.; Yusof, H. M.

2018-01-01

The demand of poultry product in Malaysia market shows an escalation throughout the year and expected to increase in the future. The expansion of poultry production has led to environmental concern in relation to their operational impact to environmentAt present, assessment of waste management of poultry production in Malaysia is lacking. A case study research was conducted in a commercial broiler farm to identify and assess the system boundaries in the lifecycle supply chain of broiler chicken production using ISO 14040/44 guidelines. ISO 14040/44 standard includes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework guidelines to evaluate environmental influence associated with a product/process throughout its life span. All attributes associated with broiler operation is defined and the system boundaries is determined to identify possible inputs and outputs in the case study. This paper discuss the initial stage in the LCA process, which set the context of the research and prepare for the stage of Life Cycle Inventory.

Fitness and Individuality in Complex Life Cycles.

PubMed

Herron, Matthew D

2016-12-01

Complex life cycles are common in the eukaryotic world, and they complicate the question of how to define individuality. Using a bottom-up, gene-centric approach, I consider the concept of fitness in the context of complex life cycles. I analyze the fitness effects of an allele (or a trait) on different biological units within a complex life history and how these effects drive evolutionary change within populations. Based on these effects, I attempt to construct a concept of fitness that accurately predicts evolutionary change in the context of complex life cycles.

Comparative life cycle assessments: The case of paper and digital media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bull, Justin G., E-mail: jgbull@gmail.com; Kozak, Robert A., E-mail: rob.kozak@ubc.ca

The consumption of the written word is changing, as media transitions from paper products to digital alternatives. We reviewed the life cycle assessment (LCA) research literature that compared the environmental footprint of digital and paper media. To validate the role of context in influencing LCA results, we assessed LCAs that did not compare paper and print, but focused on a product or component that is part of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Using a framework that identifies problems in LCA conduct, we assessed whether the comparative LCAs were accurate expressions of the environmental footprints of paper and print.more » We hypothesized that the differences between the product systems that produce paper and digital media weaken LCA's ability to compare environmental footprints. We also hypothesized that the characteristics of ICT as an industrial sector weaken LCA as an environmental assessment methodology. We found that existing comparative LCAs offered problematic comparisons of paper and digital media for two reasons — the stark material differences between ICT products and paper products, and the unique characteristics of the ICT sector. We suggested that the context of the ICT sector, best captured by the concept of “Moore's Law”, will continuously impede the ability of the LCA methodology to measure ICT products. -- Highlights: • We review the LCA research that compares paper and digital media. • We contrast the comparative LCAs with LCAs that examine only digital products. • Stark differences between paper and digital media weakens LCA findings. • Digital products in general challenge the LCA method's reliability. • Continuous innovation and global nature of digital products impedes LCA methodology.« less

From individual to population level effects of toxicants in the tubicifid Branchiura sowerbyi using threshold effect models in a Bayesian framework.

PubMed

Ducrot, Virginie; Billoir, Elise; Péry, Alexandre R R; Garric, Jeanne; Charles, Sandrine

2010-05-01

Effects of zinc were studied in the freshwater worm Branchiura sowerbyi using partial and full life-cycle tests. Only newborn and juveniles were sensitive to zinc, displaying effects on survival, growth, and age at first brood at environmentally relevant concentrations. Threshold effect models were proposed to assess toxic effects on individuals. They were fitted to life-cycle test data using Bayesian inference and adequately described life-history trait data in exposed organisms. The daily asymptotic growth rate of theoretical populations was then simulated with a matrix population model, based upon individual-level outputs. Population-level outputs were in accordance with existing literature for controls. Working in a Bayesian framework allowed incorporating parameter uncertainty in the simulation of the population-level response to zinc exposure, thus increasing the relevance of test results in the context of ecological risk assessment.

Consistency of seven different GNSS global ionospheric mapping techniques during one solar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roma-Dollase, David; Hernández-Pajares, Manuel; Krankowski, Andrzej; Kotulak, Kacper; Ghoddousi-Fard, Reza; Yuan, Yunbin; Li, Zishen; Zhang, Hongping; Shi, Chuang; Wang, Cheng; Feltens, Joachim; Vergados, Panagiotis; Komjathy, Attila; Schaer, Stefan; García-Rigo, Alberto; Gómez-Cama, José M.

2018-06-01

In the context of the International GNSS Service (IGS), several IGS Ionosphere Associated Analysis Centers have developed different techniques to provide global ionospheric maps (GIMs) of vertical total electron content (VTEC) since 1998. In this paper we present a comparison of the performances of all the GIMs created in the frame of IGS. Indeed we compare the classical ones (for the ionospheric analysis centers CODE, ESA/ESOC, JPL and UPC) with the new ones (NRCAN, CAS, WHU). To assess the quality of them in fair and completely independent ways, two assessment methods are used: a direct comparison to altimeter data (VTEC-altimeter) and to the difference of slant total electron content (STEC) observed in independent ground reference stations (dSTEC-GPS). The main conclusion of this study, performed during one solar cycle, is the consistency of the results between so many different GIM techniques and implementations.

A web-based rapid assessment tool for production publishing solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Tong

2010-02-01

Solution assessment is a critical first-step in understanding and measuring the business process efficiency enabled by an integrated solution package. However, assessing the effectiveness of any solution is usually a very expensive and timeconsuming task which involves lots of domain knowledge, collecting and understanding the specific customer operational context, defining validation scenarios and estimating the expected performance and operational cost. This paper presents an intelligent web-based tool that can rapidly assess any given solution package for production publishing workflows via a simulation engine and create a report for various estimated performance metrics (e.g. throughput, turnaround time, resource utilization) and operational cost. By integrating the digital publishing workflow ontology and an activity based costing model with a Petri-net based workflow simulation engine, this web-based tool allows users to quickly evaluate any potential digital publishing solutions side-by-side within their desired operational contexts, and provides a low-cost and rapid assessment for organizations before committing any purchase. This tool also benefits the solution providers to shorten the sales cycles, establishing a trustworthy customer relationship and supplement the professional assessment services with a proven quantitative simulation and estimation technology.

Change in women's eating habits during the menstrual cycle.

PubMed

Kammoun, Ines; Ben Saâda, Wafa; Sifaou, Amira; Haouat, Emna; Kandara, Hajer; Ben Salem, Leila; Ben Slama, Claude

2017-02-01

During the menstrual cycle, the influence of hormonal variations on dietary habits in women has been suggested by several studies. In this context, our work aimed to assess the spontaneous food intake and the anthropometric parameters of women at different periods of their menstrual cycles. This prospective study included 30 healthy women with regular periods (28 to 30 days), aged between 18 and 45. We assessed the spontaneous food intake and the anthropometric measurements (weight and waist circumference) of the participants, during the follicular, peri-ovulatory and luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. Our results showed a slight but significant increase in body weight during the luteal phase (P=0.022) and the follicular phase (P=0.017) compared with the peri-ovulatory phase, without any significant change in waist circumference. The caloric intake increased during the peri-ovulatory (P<0.001) and the luteal phases (P<0.001), compared with the follicular phase, with a significant increase in carbohydrate (P<0.001), lipid (P=0.008) and protein (P=0.008) intake. Our study showed a significant decrease in women's weight during the peri-ovulatory phase, with a significant increase in caloric intake during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Divergent results have been reported by other authors and the physiopathology of these changes is still poorly understood. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Strategic advantages of high-rise construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaskova, Natalya

2018-03-01

Traditional methods to assess the competitiveness of different types of real estate in the context of huge changes of new technological way of life don't provide building solutions that would be correct from a strategic perspective. There are many challenges due to changes in the consumers' behavior in the housing area. A multiplicity of life models, a variety of opportunities and priorities, traditions and new trends in construction should be assessed in terms of prospective benefits in the environment of the emerging new world order. At the same time, the mane discourse of high-rise construction mainly relates to its design features, technical innovations, and architectural accents. We need to clarify the criteria for economic evaluation of high-rise construction in order to provide decisions with clear and quantifiable contexts. The suggested approach to assessing the strategic advantage of high-rise construction and the prospects for capitalization of high-rise buildings poses new challenges for the economy to identify adequate quantitative assessment methods of the high-rise buildings economic efficiency, taking into account all stages of their life cycle.

Application of life cycle thinking in multidisciplinary multistakeholder contexts for cross-sectoral planning and implementation of sustainable development projects.

PubMed

Thabrew, Lanka; Ries, Robert

2009-07-01

Development planning and implementation is a multifaceted and multiscale task mainly because of the involvement of multiple stakeholders across sectors and disciplines. Even though top-down sectoral planning is commonly practiced, bottom-up cross-sectoral planning involving all relevant stakeholders in a transdisciplinary learning environment has been recognized as a better option, especially if the goal is to drive development projects toward sustainable implementation (Rowe and Fudge 2003; Müller et al. 2005; Global Development Research Center 2008). Even though many planning approaches have this goal, there are limited decision frameworks that are suitable for achieving consensus among stakeholders from multiple disciplines with sectoral objectives and priorities. In most instances, the upstream and downstream effects of development decisions are not thoroughly investigated or communicated with the relevant stakeholders, strongly affecting cross-sectoral integration in the real world (Wiek, Brundiers, et al. 2006). This article presents methodological aspects of developing a stakeholder based life cycle assessment framework (SBLCA) for upstream-downstream decision analysis in a multistakeholder development planning context. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated using simple examples extracted from a pilot case study conducted in Sri Lanka for sustainable posttsunami reconstruction at a village scale. The applicability of SBLCA in specific planning stages, how it promotes transdisciplinary learning and cross-sectoral stakeholder integration in phases of project cycles, and how local stakeholders can practice life cycle thinking in their village development planning and implementation are discussed.

A More Flexible Approach to Valuing Flexibility

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

remaining life of the program? Almost certainly. Next is the cost assessment step. This is executed in the context of whatever design options we...methodology is essentially a modifi- cation of the current life cycle model and is premised on the notion that the need for capabili- ty changes in a program...valuing the inherent ability of a system or design to accommodate change. The proposed methodology is essentially a modifi-cation of the current life

Luteal Phase Deficiency in Regularly Menstruating Women: Prevalence and Overlap in Identification Based on Clinical and Biochemical Diagnostic Criteria

PubMed Central

Schliep, Karen C.; Mumford, Sunni L.; Hammoud, Ahmad O.; Stanford, Joseph B.; Kissell, Kerri A.; Sjaarda, Lindsey A.; Perkins, Neil J.; Ahrens, Katherine A.; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Mendola, Pauline

2014-01-01

Context: Although adequate luteal hormone production is essential for establishing pregnancy, luteal phase deficiency (LPD) is poorly characterized among eumenorrheic women. Objective: We assessed the prevalence and overlap of two established LPD diagnostic criteria: short luteal phase duration less than10 days (clinical LPD) and suboptimal luteal progesterone of 5 ng/mL or less (biochemical LPD) and their relationship with reproductive hormone concentrations. Design, Setting, and Participants: We conducted a prospective study in western New York (2005–2007) following 259 women, aged 18–44 years, for up to two menstrual cycles. Results: Among ovulatory cycles with recorded cycle lengths (n = 463), there were 41 cycles (8.9%) with clinical LPD, 39 cycles (8.4%) with biochemical LPD, and 20 cycles (4.3%) meeting both criteria. Recurrent clinical and biochemical LPD was observed in eight (3.4%) and five (2.1%) women, respectively. Clinical and biochemical LPD were each associated with lower follicular estradiol (both P ≤ .001) and luteal estradiol (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively) after adjusting for age, race, and percentage body fat. Clinical, but not biochemical, LPD was associated with lower LH and FSH across all phases of the cycle (P ≤ .001). Conclusions: Clinical and biochemical LPD were evident among regularly menstruating women. Estradiol was lower in LPD cycles under either criterion, but LH and FSH were lower only in association with shortened luteal phase (ie, clinical LPD), indicating that clinical and biochemical LPD may reflect different underlying mechanisms. Identifying ovulation in combination with a well-timed luteal progesterone measurement may serve as a cost-effective and specific tool for LPD assessment by clinicians and researchers. PMID:24606080

Life cycle thinking and assessment tools on environmentally-benign electronics: Convergent optimization of materials use, end-of-life strategy and environmental policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaoying

The purpose of this study is to integrate the quantitative environmental performance assessment tools and the theory of multi-objective optimization within the boundary of electronic product systems to support the selection among design alternatives in terms of environmental impact, technical criteria, and economic feasibility. To meet with the requirements that result from emerging environmental legislation targeting electronics products, the research addresses an important analytical methodological approach to facilitate environmentally conscious design and end-of-life management with a life cycle viewpoint. A synthesis of diverse assessment tools is applied on a set of case studies: lead-free solder materials selection, cellular phone design, and desktop display technology assessment. In the first part of this work, an in-depth industrial survey of the status and concerns of the U.S. electronics industry on the elimination of lead (Pb) in solders is described. The results show that the trade-offs among environmental consequences, technology challenges, business risks, legislative compliance and stakeholders' preferences must be explicitly, simultaneously, and systematically addressed in the decision-making process used to guide multi-faceted planning of environmental solutions. In the second part of this work, the convergent optimization of the technical cycle, economic cycle and environmental cycle is addressed in a coherent and systematic way using the application of environmentally conscious design of cellular phones. The technical understanding of product structure, components analysis, and materials flow facilitates the development of "Design for Disassembly" guidelines. A bottom-up disassembly analysis on a "bill of materials" based structure at a micro-operational level is utilized to select optimal end-of-life strategies on the basis of economic feasibility. A macro-operational level life cycle model is used to investigate the environmental consequences linking environmental impact with the cellular phone production activities focusing on the upstream manufacturing and end-of-life life cycle stages. The last part of this work, the quantitative elicitation of weighting factors facilitates the comparison of trade-offs in the context of a multi-attribute problem. An integrated analytical approach, Integrated Industrial Ecology Function Deployment (I2-EFD), is proposed to assess alternatives at the design phase of a product system and is validated with the assessment of desktop display technologies and lead-free solder alternatives.

Institutional Context of Carbon Cycle Science Research in the U.S. and North America - A SOCCR perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, G.; Cavallaro, N.; Ste-Marie, C.

2016-12-01

Carbon cycle science has been a research priority in the U.S. for decades. Interagency coordination interests and research needs in U.S. carbon cycle science led to the establishment of the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program, the North American Carbon Program (NACP), the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program (OCB) and other intergovernmental collaboration platforms such as CarboNA, involving the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This presentation highlights some of these activities, and the historical context, the institutional frameworks and the operational mechanisms that have helped to facilitate and advance large scale collaborative research in carbon cycle in the U.S. and North America.

Water conservation implications for decarbonizing non-electric energy supply: A hybrid life-cycle analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Shiyuan; Wang, Can; Shi, Lei; Cai, Wenjia; Zhang, Lixiao

2018-08-01

Low-carbon transition in the non-electric energy sector, which includes transport and heating energy, is necessary for achieving the 2 °C target. Meanwhile, as non-electric energy accounts for over 60% of total water consumption in the energy supply sector, it is vital to understand future water trends in the context of decarbonization. However, few studies have focused on life-cycle water impacts for non-electric energy; besides, applying conventional LCA methodology to assess non-electric energy has limitations. In this paper, a Multi-Regional Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment (MRHLCA) model is built to assess total CO 2 emissions and water consumption of 6 non-electric energy technologies - transport energy from biofuel and gasoline, heat supply from natural gas, biogas, coal, and residual biomass, within 7 major emitting economies. We find that a shift to natural gas and residual biomass heating can help economies reduce 14-65% CO 2 and save more than 21% water. However, developed and developing economies should take differentiated technical strategies. Then we apply scenarios from IMAGE model to demonstrate that if economies take cost-effective 2 °C pathways, the water conservation synergy for the whole energy supply sector, including electricity, can also be achieved. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning to Teach Elementary Science through Iterative Cycles of Enactment in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottoms, SueAnn I.; Ciechanowski, Kathryn M.; Hartman, Brian

2015-01-01

Iterative cycles of enactment embedded in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts provide rich opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to enact core practices of science. This study is situated in the larger Families Involved in Sociocultural Teaching and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FIESTAS) project, which weaves…

Protein-protein interactions and metabolite channelling in the plant tricarboxylic acid cycle

PubMed Central

Zhang, Youjun; Beard, Katherine F. M.; Swart, Corné; Bergmann, Susan; Krahnert, Ina; Nikoloski, Zoran; Graf, Alexander; Ratcliffe, R. George; Sweetlove, Lee J.; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Obata, Toshihiro

2017-01-01

Protein complexes of sequential metabolic enzymes, often termed metabolons, may permit direct channelling of metabolites between the enzymes, providing increased control over metabolic pathway fluxes. Experimental evidence supporting their existence in vivo remains fragmentary. In the present study, we test binary interactions of the proteins constituting the plant tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. We integrate (semi-)quantitative results from affinity purification-mass spectrometry, split-luciferase and yeast-two-hybrid assays to generate a single reliability score for assessing protein–protein interactions. By this approach, we identify 158 interactions including those between catalytic subunits of sequential enzymes and between subunits of enzymes mediating non-adjacent reactions. We reveal channelling of citrate and fumarate in isolated potato mitochondria by isotope dilution experiments. These results provide evidence for a functional TCA cycle metabolon in plants, which we discuss in the context of contemporary understanding of this pathway in other kingdoms. PMID:28508886

Biogas from Marine Macroalgae: a New Environmental Technology — Life Cycle Inventory for a Further LCA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romagnoli, Francesco; Blumberga, Dagnija; Gigli, Emanuele

2010-01-01

The main goal of this paper is to analyze the innovative process of production of biogas (via fermentation processes) using marine macroalgae as feedstock in a pilot project plant in Augusta (Sicily, Italy). Algae, during their growth, have the capacity to assimilate nutrients and thus subsequent harvesting of the algal biomass recovers the nutrients from biowaste sources giving the possibility to transform negative environmental externalities in positive mainly in terms of eutrophication and climate change impact categories. The paper presents a novel environmental technology for the production of biogas and 2nd generation biofuel (liquid biomethane) after an upgrading process through the use of a cryogenic technology. The paper would also like to make the first attempt at understanding the possibility to implement this innovative technology in the Latvian context. The first calculations and assumptions for the Life Cycle Inventory for a further Life Cycle Assessment are presented.

Improving substance information in USEtox® , part 1: Discussion on data and approaches for estimating freshwater ecotoxicity effect factors.

PubMed

Saouter, Erwan; Aschberger, Karin; Fantke, Peter; Hauschild, Michael Z; Bopp, Stephanie K; Kienzler, Aude; Paini, Alicia; Pant, Rana; Secchi, Michela; Sala, Serenella

2017-12-01

The scientific consensus model USEtox ® is recommended by the European Commission as the reference model to characterize life cycle chemical emissions in terms of their potential human toxicity and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity impacts in the context of the International Reference Life Cycle Data System Handbook and the Environmental Footprint pilot phase looking at products (PEF) and organizations (OEF). Consequently, this model has been systematically used within the PEF/OEF pilot phase by 25 European Union industry sectors, which manufacture a wide variety of consumer products. This testing phase has raised some questions regarding the derivation of and the data used for the chemical-specific freshwater ecotoxicity effect factor in USEtox. For calculating the potential freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity impacts, USEtox bases the effect factor on the chronic hazard concentration (HC50) value for a chemical calculated as the arithmetic mean of all logarithmized geometric means of species-specific chronic median lethal (or effect) concentrations (L[E]C50). We investigated the dependency of the USEtox effect factor on the selection of ecotoxicological data source and toxicological endpoints, and we found that both influence the ecotoxicity ranking of chemicals and may hence influence the conclusions of a PEF/OEF study. We furthermore compared the average measure (HC50) with other types of ecotoxicity effect indicators, such as the lowest species EC50 or no-observable-effect concentration, frequently used in regulatory risk assessment, and demonstrated how they may also influence the ecotoxicity ranking of chemicals. We acknowledge that these indicators represent different aspects of a chemical's ecotoxicity potential and discuss their pros and cons for a comparative chemical assessment as performed in life cycle assessment and in particular within the PEF/OEF context. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3450-3462. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Life Cycle Assessment and Release Studies for 15 Nanosilver-Enabled Consumer Products: Investigating Hotspots and Patterns of Contribution.

PubMed

Pourzahedi, Leila; Vance, Marina; Eckelman, Matthew J

2017-06-20

Increasing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products as antimicrobial agents has prompted extensive research toward the evaluation of their potential release to the environment and subsequent ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms. It has also been shown that AgNPs can pose significant burdens to the environment from life cycle emissions associated with their production, but these impacts must be considered in the context of actual products that contain nanosilver. Here, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment for the production of 15 different AgNP-enabled consumer products was performed, coupled with release studies of those same products, thus providing a consistent analytical platform for investigation of potential nanosilver impacts across a range of product types and concentrations. Environmental burdens were assessed over multiple impact categories defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI 2.1) method. Depending on the product composition and silver loading, the contribution of AgNP synthesis to the overall impacts was seen to vary over a wide range from 1% to 99%. Release studies found that solid polymeric samples lost more silver during wash compared to fibrous materials. Estimates of direct ecotoxicity impacts of AgNP releases from those products with the highest leaching rates resulted in lower impact levels compared to cradle-to-gate ecotoxicity from production for those products. Considering both cradle-to-gate production impacts and nanoparticle release studies, in conjunction with estimates of life cycle environmental and health benefits of nanoparticle incorporation, can inform sustainable nanoenabled product design.

Microbial contributions to climate change through carbon cycle feedbacks.

PubMed

Bardgett, Richard D; Freeman, Chris; Ostle, Nicholas J

2008-08-01

There is considerable interest in understanding the biological mechanisms that regulate carbon exchanges between the land and atmosphere, and how these exchanges respond to climate change. An understanding of soil microbial ecology is central to our ability to assess terrestrial carbon cycle-climate feedbacks, but the complexity of the soil microbial community and the many ways that it can be affected by climate and other global changes hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions on this topic. In this paper, we argue that to understand the potential negative and positive contributions of soil microbes to land-atmosphere carbon exchange and global warming requires explicit consideration of both direct and indirect impacts of climate change on microorganisms. Moreover, we argue that this requires consideration of complex interactions and feedbacks that occur between microbes, plants and their physical environment in the context of climate change, and the influence of other global changes which have the capacity to amplify climate-driven effects on soil microbes. Overall, we emphasize the urgent need for greater understanding of how soil microbial ecology contributes to land-atmosphere carbon exchange in the context of climate change, and identify some challenges for the future. In particular, we highlight the need for a multifactor experimental approach to understand how soil microbes and their activities respond to climate change and consequences for carbon cycle feedbacks.

Sex differences in conditioned stimulus discrimination during context-dependent fear learning and its retrieval in humans: the role of biological sex, contraceptives and menstrual cycle phases.

PubMed

Lonsdorf, Tina B; Haaker, Jan; Schümann, Dirk; Sommer, Tobias; Bayer, Janine; Brassen, Stefanie; Bunzeck, Nico; Gamer, Matthias; Kalisch, Raffael

2015-11-01

Anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Despite this sexual dimorphism, most experimental studies are conducted in male participants and studies focusing on sex differences are sparse. In addition, the role of hormonal contraceptives and menstrual cycle phase in fear conditioning and extinction processes remain largely unknown. We investigated sex differences in context-dependent fear acquisition and extinction (day 1) and their retrieval/expression (day 2). Skin conductance responses (SCRs), fear and unconditioned stimulus expectancy ratings were obtained. We included 377 individuals (261 women) in our study. Robust sex differences were observed in all dependent measures. Women generally displayed higher subjective ratings but smaller SCRs than men and showed reduced excitatory/inhibitory conditioned stimulus (CS+/CS-) discrimination in all dependent measures. Furthermore, women using hormonal contraceptives showed reduced SCR CS discrimination on day 2 than men and free-cycling women, while menstrual cycle phase had no effect. Possible limitations include the simultaneous testing of up to 4 participants in cubicles, which might have introduced a social component, and not assessing postexperimental contingency awareness. The response pattern in women shows striking similarity to previously reported sex differences in patients with anxiety. Our results suggest that pronounced deficits in associative discrimination learning and subjective expression of safety information (CS- responses) might underlie higher prevalence and higher symptom rates seen in women with anxiety disorders. The data call for consideration of biological sex and hormonal contraceptive use in future studies and may suggest that targeting inhibitory learning during therapy might aid precision medicine.

Economic impact of reduced mortality due to increased cycling.

PubMed

Rutter, Harry; Cavill, Nick; Racioppi, Francesca; Dinsdale, Hywell; Oja, Pekka; Kahlmeier, Sonja

2013-01-01

Increasing regular physical activity is a key public health goal. One strategy is to change the physical environment to encourage walking and cycling, requiring partnerships with the transport and urban planning sectors. Economic evaluation is an important factor in the decision to fund any new transport scheme, but techniques for assessing the economic value of the health benefits of cycling and walking have tended to be less sophisticated than the approaches used for assessing other benefits. This study aimed to produce a practical tool for estimating the economic impact of reduced mortality due to increased cycling. The tool was intended to be transparent, easy to use, reliable, and based on conservative assumptions and default values, which can be used in the absence of local data. It addressed the question: For a given volume of cycling within a defined population, what is the economic value of the health benefits? The authors used published estimates of relative risk of all-cause mortality among regular cyclists and applied these to levels of cycling defined by the user to produce an estimate of the number of deaths potentially averted because of regular cycling. The tool then calculates the economic value of the deaths averted using the "value of a statistical life." The outputs of the tool support decision making on cycle infrastructure or policies, or can be used as part of an integrated economic appraisal. The tool's unique contribution is that it takes a public health approach to a transport problem, addresses it in epidemiologic terms, and places the results back into the transport context. Examples of its use include its adoption by the English and Swedish departments of transport as the recommended methodologic approach for estimating the health impact of walking and cycling. Copyright © 2013 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence-based decision-making 7: Knowledge translation.

PubMed

Manns, Braden J

2015-01-01

There is a significant gap between what is known and what is implemented by key stakeholders in practice (the evidence to practice gap). The primary purpose of knowledge translation is to address this gap, bridging evidence to clinical practice. The knowledge to action cycle is one framework for knowledge translation that integrates policy-makers throughout the research cycle. The knowledge to action cycle begins with the identification of a problem (usually a gap in care provision). After identification of the problem, knowledge creation is undertaken, depicted at the center of the cycle as a funnel. Knowledge inquiry is at the wide end of the funnel, and moving down the funnel, the primary data is synthesized into knowledge products in the form of educational materials, guidelines, decision aids, or clinical pathways. The remaining components of the knowledge to action cycle refer to the action of applying the knowledge that has been created. This includes adapting knowledge to local context, assessing barriers to knowledge use, selecting, tailoring implementing interventions, monitoring knowledge use, evaluating outcomes, and sustaining knowledge use. Each of these steps is connected by bidirectional arrows and ideally involves healthcare decision-makers and key stakeholders at each transition.

Cycle time reduction using lean six sigma in make-to-order (MTO) environment: Conceptual framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Man, Siti Mariam; Zain, Zakiyah; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd

2015-12-01

This paper outlines the framework for application of lean six sigma (LSS) methodology to improve semiconductor assembly cycle time in a make-to-order (MTO) business environment. The cycle time reduction is the prime objective in the context of an overall productivity improvement particularly in the MTO environment. The interaction of the production rate and cycle time is described, while the emphasis is on Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) and Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) activities. A framework for the conceptual understanding is provided along with practical implementation issues. A relevant measure for the degree of flexibility (DOF) in the context of quick setup is also discussed.

Identifying built environmental patterns using cluster analysis and GIS: relationships with walking, cycling and body mass index in French adults.

PubMed

Charreire, Hélène; Weber, Christiane; Chaix, Basile; Salze, Paul; Casey, Romain; Banos, Arnaud; Badariotti, Dominique; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Hercberg, Serge; Simon, Chantal; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2012-05-23

Socio-ecological models suggest that both individual and neighborhood characteristics contribute to facilitating health-enhancing behaviors such as physical activity. Few European studies have explored relationships between local built environmental characteristics, recreational walking and cycling and weight status in adults. The aim of this study was to identify built environmental patterns in a French urban context and to assess associations with recreational walking and cycling behaviors as performed by middle-aged adult residents. We used a two-step procedure based on cluster analysis to identify built environmental patterns in the region surrounding Paris, France, using measures derived from Geographic Information Systems databases on green spaces, proximity facilities (destinations) and cycle paths. Individual data were obtained from participants in the SU.VI.MAX cohort; 1,309 participants residing in the Ile-de-France in 2007 were included in this analysis. Associations between built environment patterns, leisure walking/cycling data (h/week) and measured weight status were assessed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for individual and neighborhood characteristics. Based on accessibility to green spaces, proximity facilities and availability of cycle paths, seven built environmental patterns were identified. The geographic distribution of built environmental patterns in the Ile-de-France showed that a pattern characterized by poor spatial accessibility to green spaces and proximity facilities and an absence of cycle paths was found only in neighborhoods in the outer suburbs, whereas patterns characterized by better spatial accessibility to green spaces, proximity facilities and cycle paths were more evenly distributed across the region. Compared to the reference pattern (poor accessibility to green areas and facilities, absence of cycle paths), subjects residing in neighborhoods characterized by high accessibility to green areas and local facilities and by a high density of cycle paths were more likely to walk/cycle, after adjustment for individual and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics (OR = 2.5 95%CI 1.4-4.6). Body mass index did not differ across patterns. Built environmental patterns were associated with walking and cycling among French adults. These analyses may be useful in determining urban and public health policies aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Coupled near-field and far-field exposure assessment framework for chemicals in consumer products.

PubMed

Fantke, Peter; Ernstoff, Alexi S; Huang, Lei; Csiszar, Susan A; Jolliet, Olivier

2016-09-01

Humans can be exposed to chemicals in consumer products through product use and environmental emissions over the product life cycle. Exposure pathways are often complex, where chemicals can transfer directly from products to humans during use or exchange between various indoor and outdoor compartments until sub-fractions reach humans. To consistently evaluate exposure pathways along product life cycles, a flexible mass balance-based assessment framework is presented structuring multimedia chemical transfers in a matrix of direct inter-compartmental transfer fractions. By matrix inversion, we quantify cumulative multimedia transfer fractions and exposure pathway-specific product intake fractions defined as chemical mass taken in by humans per unit mass of chemical in a product. Combining product intake fractions with chemical mass in the product yields intake estimates for use in life cycle impact assessment and chemical alternatives assessment, or daily intake doses for use in risk-based assessment and high-throughput screening. Two illustrative examples of chemicals used in personal care products and flooring materials demonstrate how this matrix-based framework offers a consistent and efficient way to rapidly compare exposure pathways for adult and child users and for the general population. This framework constitutes a user-friendly approach to develop, compare and interpret multiple human exposure scenarios in a coupled system of near-field ('user' environment), far-field and human intake compartments, and helps understand the contribution of individual pathways to overall human exposure in various product application contexts to inform decisions in different science-policy fields for which exposure quantification is relevant. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Attachment based treatments for adolescents: the secure cycle as a framework for assessment, treatment and evaluation.

PubMed

Kobak, Roger; Zajac, Kristyn; Herres, Joanna; Krauthamer Ewing, E Stephanie

2015-01-01

The emergence of attachment-based treatments (ABTs) for adolescents highlights the need to more clearly define and evaluate these treatments in the context of other attachment based treatments for young children and adults. We propose a general framework for defining and evaluating ABTs that describes the cyclical processes that are required to maintain a secure attachment bond. This secure cycle incorporates three components: (1) the child or adult's IWM of the caregiver; (2) emotionally attuned communication; and (3) the caregiver's IWM of the child or adult. We briefly review Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Main's contributions to defining the components of the secure cycle and discuss how this framework can be adapted for understanding the process of change in ABTs. For clinicians working with adolescents, our model can be used to identify how deviations from the secure cycle (attachment injuries, empathic failures and mistuned communication) contribute to family distress and psychopathology. The secure cycle also provides a way of describing the ABT elements that have been used to revise IWMs or improve emotionally attuned communication. For researchers, our model provides a guide for conceptualizing and measuring change in attachment constructs and how change in one component of the interpersonal cycle should generalize to other components.

Attachment Based Treatments for Adolescents: The Secure Cycle as a Framework for Assessment, Treatment and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Kobak, Roger; Zajac, Kristyn; Herres, Joanna; KrauthamerEwing, E. Stephanie

2016-01-01

The emergence of ABTs for adolescents highlights the need to more clearly define and evaluate these treatments in the context of other attachment based treatments for young children and adults. We propose a general framework for defining and evaluating ABTs that describes the cyclical processes that are required to maintain a secure attachment bond. This secure cycle incorporates three components: 1) the child or adult’s IWM of the caregiver; 2) emotionally attuned communication; and 3) the caregiver’s IWM of the child or adult. We briefly review Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Main’s contributions to defining the components of the secure cycle and discuss how this framework can be adapted for understanding the process of change in ABTs. For clinicians working with adolescents, our model can be used to identify how deviations from the secure cycle (attachment injuries, empathic failures and mistuned communication) contribute to family distress and psychopathology. The secure cycle also provides a way of describing the ABT elements that have been used to revise IWMs or improve emotionally attuned communication. For researchers, our model provides a guide for conceptualizing and measuring change in attachment constructs and how change in one component of the interpersonal cycle should generalize to other components. PMID:25744572

A Stochastic Model of the Yeast Cell Cycle Reveals Roles for Feedback Regulation in Limiting Cellular Variability.

PubMed

Barik, Debashis; Ball, David A; Peccoud, Jean; Tyson, John J

2016-12-01

The cell division cycle of eukaryotes is governed by a complex network of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) and auxiliary proteins that govern CDK activities. The control system must function reliably in the context of molecular noise that is inevitable in tiny yeast cells, because mistakes in sequencing cell cycle events are detrimental or fatal to the cell or its progeny. To assess the effects of noise on cell cycle progression requires not only extensive, quantitative, experimental measurements of cellular heterogeneity but also comprehensive, accurate, mathematical models of stochastic fluctuations in the CDK control system. In this paper we provide a stochastic model of the budding yeast cell cycle that accurately accounts for the variable phenotypes of wild-type cells and more than 20 mutant yeast strains simulated in different growth conditions. We specifically tested the role of feedback regulations mediated by G1- and SG2M-phase cyclins to minimize the noise in cell cycle progression. Details of the model are informed and tested by quantitative measurements (by fluorescence in situ hybridization) of the joint distributions of mRNA populations in yeast cells. We use the model to predict the phenotypes of ~30 mutant yeast strains that have not yet been characterized experimentally.

The role of menstrual cycle phase and anxiety sensitivity in catastrophic misinterpretation of physical symptoms during a CO(2) challenge.

PubMed

Nillni, Yael I; Rohan, Kelly J; Zvolensky, Michael J

2012-12-01

The current study examined the interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity (AS; fear of anxiety and anxiety-related sensations) and menstrual cycle phase (premenstrual phase vs. follicular phase) on panic-relevant responding (i.e., cognitive and physical panic symptoms, subjective anxiety, and skin conductance level). Women completed a baseline session and underwent a 3-min 10 % CO(2)-enriched air biological challenge paradigm during her premenstrual and follicular menstrual cycle phases. Participants were 55 women with no current or past history of panic disorder recruited from the general community (M (age) = 26.18, SD = 8.9) who completed the biological challenge during both the premenstrual and follicular cycle phases. Results revealed that women higher on AS demonstrated increased cognitive panic symptoms in response to the challenge during the premenstrual phase as compared to the follicular phase, and as compared to women lower on AS assessed in either cycle phase. However, the interaction of AS and menstrual cycle phase did not significantly predict physical panic attack symptoms, subjective ratings of anxiety, or skin conductance level in response to the challenge. Results are discussed in the context of premenstrual exacerbations of cognitive, as opposed to physical, panic attack symptoms for high AS women, and the clinical implications of these findings.

A Stochastic Model of the Yeast Cell Cycle Reveals Roles for Feedback Regulation in Limiting Cellular Variability

PubMed Central

Ball, David A.

2016-01-01

The cell division cycle of eukaryotes is governed by a complex network of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) and auxiliary proteins that govern CDK activities. The control system must function reliably in the context of molecular noise that is inevitable in tiny yeast cells, because mistakes in sequencing cell cycle events are detrimental or fatal to the cell or its progeny. To assess the effects of noise on cell cycle progression requires not only extensive, quantitative, experimental measurements of cellular heterogeneity but also comprehensive, accurate, mathematical models of stochastic fluctuations in the CDK control system. In this paper we provide a stochastic model of the budding yeast cell cycle that accurately accounts for the variable phenotypes of wild-type cells and more than 20 mutant yeast strains simulated in different growth conditions. We specifically tested the role of feedback regulations mediated by G1- and SG2M-phase cyclins to minimize the noise in cell cycle progression. Details of the model are informed and tested by quantitative measurements (by fluorescence in situ hybridization) of the joint distributions of mRNA populations in yeast cells. We use the model to predict the phenotypes of ~30 mutant yeast strains that have not yet been characterized experimentally. PMID:27935947

Preferential technological and life cycle environmental performance of chitosan flocculation for harvesting of the green algae Neochloris oleoabundans.

PubMed

Beach, Evan S; Eckelman, Matthew J; Cui, Zheng; Brentner, Laura; Zimmerman, Julie B

2012-10-01

Dewatering of the green algae Neochloris oleoabundans by flocculation was investigated for chitosan biopolymer, ferric sulfate, and alum. Chitosan was found to be most effective flocculant, with an optimum dose of 100mg/L algae broth. Zeta potential measurements suggest the mechanism involves both adsorption and charge neutralization processes. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare the chitosan method to other flocculation methods as well as centrifugation and filtration/chamber press processes. LCA showed that among these techniques, flocculation by chitosan is the least energy intensive and had the lowest impacts across all other categories of environmental impacts. The results are discussed in the overall context of biofuel production from algal biomass. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ERP evidence of distinct processes underlying semantic facilitation and interference in word production.

PubMed

Python, Grégoire; Fargier, Raphaël; Laganaro, Marina

2018-02-01

In everyday conversations, we take advantage of lexical-semantic contexts to facilitate speech production, but at the same time, we also have to reduce interference and inhibit semantic competitors. The blocked cyclic naming paradigm (BCNP) has been used to investigate such context effects. Typical results on production latencies showed semantic facilitation (or no effect) during the first presentation cycle, and interference emerging in subsequent cycles. Even if semantic contexts might be just as facilitative as interfering, previous BCNP studies focused on interference, which was interpreted as reflecting lemma selection and self-monitoring processes. Facilitation in the first cycle was rarely considered/analysed, although it potentially informs on word production to the same extent as interference. Here we contrasted the event-related potential (ERP) signatures of both semantic facilitation and interference in a BCNP. ERPs differed between homogeneous and heterogeneous blocks from about 365 msec post picture onset in the first cycle (facilitation) and in an earlier time-window (270 msec post picture onset) in the third cycle (interference). Three different analyses of the ERPs converge towards distinct processes underlying semantic facilitation and interference (post-lexical vs lexical respectively). The loci of semantic facilitation and interference are interpreted in the context of different theoretical frameworks of language production: the post-lexical locus of semantic facilitation involves interactive phonological-semantic processes and/or self-monitoring, whereas the lexical locus of semantic interference is in line with selection through increased lexical competition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perception of facial profiles: influence of female sex hormones and personality traits.

PubMed

Jovic, T; Pavlic, A; Varga, S; Kovacevic Pavicic, D; Slaj, M; Spalj, S

2016-11-01

The observational study investigated whether women's perception of the facial profile is related to changes in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle and under the influence of personality traits. Participants were heterosexual Caucasian normally menstruating women not using oral contraceptives (N = 30, aged 20-44 years). The profile attractiveness was assessed by grading of thirteen men's and women's Caucasian profile distortions by a visual analogue scale (0 = least to 100 = most attractive) in the non-ovulating phase and ovulating phase of the menstrual cycle. Male profiles were graded twice-in social and emotional contexts. Personality traits were assessed by Big Five Inventory. The most attractive male profiles in both phases and contexts were a straight profile or mild lip retrusion. According to cluster analysis, non-ovulating females distinguish skeletal from dentoalveolar alterations; however, maxillary retrognathism was considered to be closer to an attractive profile, which were resulting from dentoalveolar manipulations only. Ovulating females, when considering emotional relationship, exhibit lowest preference for males with convex profiles and extreme concave profile, while they consider males with slightly prominent chins due to maxillary retrognathism, mandibular prognathism or pronounced lip retrusion closer to the most attractive males. No clear patterns of influence of personality traits were detected. Moderate lip protrusion was the most attractive female profile in ovulating and straight profile in non-ovulating phase. The favorable profiles, on average, are the same regardless of the female hormonal status and personality traits. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sex differences in conditioned stimulus discrimination during context-dependent fear learning and its retrieval in humans: the role of biological sex, contraceptives and menstrual cycle phases

PubMed Central

Lonsdorf, Tina B.; Haaker, Jan; Schümann, Dirk; Sommer, Tobias; Bayer, Janine; Brassen, Stefanie; Bunzeck, Nico; Gamer, Matthias; Kalisch, Raffael

2015-01-01

Background Anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Despite this sexual dimorphism, most experimental studies are conducted in male participants, and studies focusing on sex differences are sparse. In addition, the role of hormonal contraceptives and menstrual cycle phase in fear conditioning and extinction processes remain largely unknown. Methods We investigated sex differences in context-dependent fear acquisition and extinction (day 1) and their retrieval/expression (day 2). Skin conductance responses (SCRs), fear and unconditioned stimulus expectancy ratings were obtained. Results We included 377 individuals (261 women) in our study. Robust sex differences were observed in all dependent measures. Women generally displayed higher subjective ratings but smaller SCRs than men and showed reduced excitatory/inhibitory conditioned stimulus (CS+/CS−) discrimination in all dependent measures. Furthermore, women using hormonal contraceptives showed reduced SCR CS discrimination on day 2 than men and free-cycling women, while menstrual cycle phase had no effect. Limitations Possible limitations include the simultaneous testing of up to 4 participants in cubicles, which might have introduced a social component, and not assessing postexperimental contingency awareness. Conclusion The response pattern in women shows striking similarity to previously reported sex differences in patients with anxiety. Our results suggest that pronounced deficits in associative discrimination learning and subjective expression of safety information (CS− responses) might underlie higher prevalence and higher symptom rates seen in women with anxiety disorders. The data call for consideration of biological sex and hormonal contraceptive use in future studies and may suggest that targeting inhibitory learning during therapy might aid precision medicine. PMID:26107163

Estimates of Embodied Global Energy and Air-Emission Intensities of Japanese Products for Building a Japanese Input–Output Life Cycle Assessment Database with a Global System Boundary

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

To build a life cycle assessment (LCA) database of Japanese products embracing their global supply chains in a manner requiring lower time and labor burdens, this study estimates the intensity of embodied global environmental burden for commodities produced in Japan. The intensity of embodied global environmental burden is a measure of the environmental burden generated globally by unit production of the commodity and can be used as life cycle inventory data in LCA. The calculation employs an input–output LCA method with a global link input–output model that defines a global system boundary grounded in a simplified multiregional input–output framework. As results, the intensities of embodied global environmental burden for 406 Japanese commodities are determined in terms of energy consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and their summation), and air-pollutant emissions (nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide). The uncertainties in the intensities of embodied global environmental burden attributable to the simplified structure of the global link input–output model are quantified using Monte Carlo simulation. In addition, by analyzing the structure of the embodied global greenhouse-gas intensities we characterize Japanese commodities in the context of LCA embracing global supply chains. PMID:22881452

[Resources and risks in old age: the LUCAS-I marker set for a classification of elderly people as fit, pre-frail and frail. First results on validity from the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS), Hamburg].

PubMed

Dapp, U; Anders, J; Golgert, S; von Renteln-Kruse, W; Minder, C E

2012-06-01

There is a need for a simple self-administered instrument to assess frailty in community-dwelling seniors. We present a new marker set to assess the functional state of seniors. Contrary to current literature, we focus not only on risks, but also include resources. The questions relate to facts (ways to do things), rather than on subjective information (e.g. exhaustion). It was developed in the context of the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) in Hamburg, Germany. The classification based on these questions proposes operational definitions of the terms fit, pre-frail and frail and is predictive for need for nursing care as well as mortality. A wealth of results establishes the validity of the categorisation compared to other health questions. One of the classification questions concerns cycling. For areas where cycling is not suitable, we propose to replace this question with one about independently walking 500 m. However, the cycling question appears to indicate frailty earlier. The self-administered questionnaire provides a simple, cost-effective way to screen seniors for early signs of declining function in order to start preventive action.

Estimating water consumption of potential natural vegetation on global dry lands: building an LCA framework for green water flows.

PubMed

Núñez, Montserrat; Pfister, Stephan; Roux, Philippe; Antón, Assumpció

2013-01-01

This study aimed to provide a framework for assessing direct soil-water consumption, also termed green water in the literature, in life cycle assessment (LCA). This was an issue that LCA had not tackled before. The approach, which is applied during the life cycle inventory phase (LCI), consists of quantifying the net change in the evapo(transpi)ration of the production system compared to the natural reference situation. Potential natural vegetation (PNV) is used as the natural reference situation. In order to apply the method, we estimated PNV evapotranspiration adapted to local biogeographic conditions, on global dry lands, where soil-water consumption impacts can be critical. Values are reported at different spatial aggregation levels: 10-arcmin global grid, ecoregions (501 units), biomes (14 units), countries (124 units), continents, and a global average, to facilitate the assessment for different spatial information detail levels available in the LCI. The method is intended to be used in rain-fed agriculture and rainwater harvesting contexts, which includes direct soil moisture uptake by plants and rainwater harvested and then reused in production systems. The paper provides the necessary LCI method and data for further development of impact assessment models and characterization factors to evaluate the environmental effects of the net change in evapo(transpi)ration.

Assessing food security in water scarce regions by Life Cycle Analysis: a case study in the Gaza strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recanati, Francesca; Castelletti, Andrea; Melià, Paco; Dotelli, Giovanni

2013-04-01

Food security is a major issue in Palestine for both political and physical reasons, with direct effects on the local population living conditions: the nutritional level of people in Gaza is classified by FAO as "insecure". As most of the protein supply comes from irrigated agricultural production and aquaculture, freshwater availability is a limiting factor to food security, and the primary reason for frequent conflicts among food production processes (e.g. aquaculture, land livestock or different types of crops). In this study we use Life Cycle Analysis to assess the environmental impacts associated to all the stages of water-based protein production (from agriculture and aquaculture) in the Gaza strip under different agricultural scenarios and hydroclimatic variability. As reported in several recent studies, LCA seems to be an appropriate methodology to analyze agricultural systems and assess associated food security in different socio-economic contexts. However, we argue that the inherently linear and static nature of LCA might prove inadequate to tackle with the complex interaction between water cycle variability and the food production system in water-scarce regions of underdeveloped countries. Lack of sufficient and reliable data to characterize the water cycle is a further source of uncertainty affecting the robustness of the analysis. We investigate pros and cons of LCA and LCA-based option planning in an average size farm in Gaza strip, where farming and aquaculture are family-based and integrated by reuse of fish breeding water for irrigation. Different technological solutions (drip irrigation system, greenhouses etc.) are evaluated to improve protein supply and reduce the pressure on freshwater, particularly during droughts. But this use of technology represent also a contribution in increasing sustainability in agricultural processes, and therefore in economy, of Gaza Strip (reduction in chemical fertilizers and pesticides etc.).

Learning to Teach Elementary Science Through Iterative Cycles of Enactment in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottoms, SueAnn I.; Ciechanowski, Kathryn M.; Hartman, Brian

2015-12-01

Iterative cycles of enactment embedded in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts provide rich opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to enact core practices of science. This study is situated in the larger Families Involved in Sociocultural Teaching and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FIESTAS) project, which weaves together cycles of enactment, core practices in science education and culturally relevant pedagogies. The theoretical foundation draws upon situated learning theory and communities of practice. Using video analysis by PSTs and course artifacts, the authors studied how the iterative process of these cycles guided PSTs development as teachers of elementary science. Findings demonstrate how PSTs were drawing on resources to inform practice, purposefully noticing their practice, renegotiating their roles in teaching, and reconsidering "professional blindness" through cultural practice.

Predictors of Premenstrual Impairment Among Women Undergoing Prospective Assessment for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Cycle-Level Analysis

PubMed Central

Schmalenberger, Katja M.; Eisenlohr-Moul, Tory A.; Surana, Pallavi; Rubinow, David R.; Girdler, Susan S.

2017-01-01

Background Women who experience significant premenstrual symptoms differ in the extent to which these symptoms cause cyclical impairment. This study clarifies the type and number of symptoms that best predict premenstrual impairment in a sample of women undergoing prospective assessment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in a research setting. Central research goals were to determine (1) which emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms of PMDD are uniquely associated with premenstrual impairment, and (2) how many cyclical symptoms optimally predict the presence of a clinically significant premenstrual elevations of impairment. Methods 267 naturally cycling women recruited for retrospective report of premenstrual emotional symptoms completed daily symptom reports using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) and occupational, recreational, and relational impairment for 1–4 menstrual cycles (N = 563 cycles). Results Multilevel regression revealed that emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms differ in their associations with impairment. The core emotional symptoms of PMDD were predictors of impairment, but not after accounting for psychological symptoms, which were the most robust predictors. The optimal number of premenstrual symptoms for predicting clinically significant premenstrual impairment was four. Conclusion Results enhance our understanding of the type and number of premenstrual symptoms associated with premenstrual impairment among women being evaluated for PMDD in research contexts. Additional work is needed to determine whether cognitive symptoms should receive greater attention in the study of PMDD, and to revisit the usefulness of the five-symptom diagnostic threshold. PMID:28193300

Predictors of premenstrual impairment among women undergoing prospective assessment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a cycle-level analysis.

PubMed

Schmalenberger, K M; Eisenlohr-Moul, T A; Surana, P; Rubinow, D R; Girdler, S S

2017-07-01

Women who experience significant premenstrual symptoms differ in the extent to which these symptoms cause cyclical impairment. This study clarifies the type and number of symptoms that best predict premenstrual impairment in a sample of women undergoing prospective assessment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in a research setting. Central research goals were to determine (1) which emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms of PMDD are uniquely associated with premenstrual impairment, and (2) how many cyclical symptoms optimally predict the presence of a clinically significant premenstrual elevation of impairment. A total of 267 naturally cycling women recruited for retrospective report of premenstrual emotional symptoms completed daily symptom reports using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) and occupational, recreational, and relational impairment for 1-4 menstrual cycles (N = 563 cycles). Multilevel regression revealed that emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms differ in their associations with impairment. The core emotional symptoms of PMDD were predictors of impairment, but not after accounting for secondary psychological symptoms, which were the most robust predictors. The optimal number of premenstrual symptoms for predicting clinically significant premenstrual impairment was four. Results enhance our understanding of the type and number of premenstrual symptoms associated with premenstrual impairment among women being evaluated for PMDD in research contexts. Additional work is needed to determine whether cognitive symptoms should receive greater attention in the study of PMDD, and to revisit the usefulness of the five-symptom diagnostic threshold.

Life-cycle thinking and the LEED rating system: global perspective on building energy use and environmental impacts.

PubMed

Al-Ghamdi, Sami G; Bilec, Melissa M

2015-04-07

This research investigates the relationship between energy use, geographic location, life cycle environmental impacts, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The researchers studied worldwide variations in building energy use and associated life cycle impacts in relation to the LEED rating systems. A Building Information Modeling (BIM) of a reference 43,000 ft(2) office building was developed and situated in 400 locations worldwide while making relevant changes to the energy model to meet reference codes, such as ASHRAE 90.1. Then life cycle environmental and human health impacts from the buildings' energy consumption were calculated. The results revealed considerable variations between sites in the U.S. and international locations (ranging from 394 ton CO2 equiv to 911 ton CO2 equiv, respectively). The variations indicate that location specific results, when paired with life cycle assessment, can be an effective means to achieve a better understanding of possible adverse environmental impacts as a result of building energy consumption in the context of green building rating systems. Looking at these factors in combination and using a systems approach may allow rating systems like LEED to continue to drive market transformation toward sustainable development, while taking into consideration both energy sources and building efficiency.

Evaluation in context: ATC automation in the field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harwood, Kelly; Sanford, Beverly

1994-01-01

The process for incorporating advanced technologies into complex aviation systems is as important as the final product itself. This paper described a process that is currently being applied to the development and assessment of an advanced ATC automation system, CTAS. The key element of the process is field exposure early in the system development cycle. The process deviates from current established practices of system development -- where field testing is an implementation endpoint -- and has been deemed necessary by the FAA for streamlining development and bringing system functions to a level of stability and usefulness. Methods and approaches for field assessment are borrowed from human factors engineering, cognitive engineering, and usability engineering and are tailored for the constraints of an operational ATC environment. To date, the focus has been on the qualitative assessment of the match between TMA capabilities and the context for their use. Capturing the users' experience with the automation tool and understanding tool use in the context of the operational environment is important, not only for developing a tool that is an effective problem-solving instrument but also for defining meaningful operational requirements. Such requirements form the basis for certifying the safety and efficiency of the system. CTAS is the first U.S. advanced ATC automation system of its scope and complexity to undergo this field development and assessment process. With the rapid advances in aviation technologies and our limited understanding of their impact on system performance, it is time we opened our eyes to new possibilities for developing, validating, and ultimately certifying complex aviation systems.

Residential Mobility, Age, and the Life Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yee, William; Arsdol, Maurice D. Van, Jr.

1977-01-01

A life cycle explanation of residential mobility is presented. It posits that age-related events in a normative context influence moving probabilities for homogeneous populations who have relatively uniform socialization. (Author)

Identifying built environmental patterns using cluster analysis and GIS: Relationships with walking, cycling and body mass index in French adults

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Socio-ecological models suggest that both individual and neighborhood characteristics contribute to facilitating health-enhancing behaviors such as physical activity. Few European studies have explored relationships between local built environmental characteristics, recreational walking and cycling and weight status in adults. The aim of this study was to identify built environmental patterns in a French urban context and to assess associations with recreational walking and cycling behaviors as performed by middle-aged adult residents. Methods We used a two-step procedure based on cluster analysis to identify built environmental patterns in the region surrounding Paris, France, using measures derived from Geographic Information Systems databases on green spaces, proximity facilities (destinations) and cycle paths. Individual data were obtained from participants in the SU.VI.MAX cohort; 1,309 participants residing in the Ile-de-France in 2007 were included in this analysis. Associations between built environment patterns, leisure walking/cycling data (h/week) and measured weight status were assessed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for individual and neighborhood characteristics. Results Based on accessibility to green spaces, proximity facilities and availability of cycle paths, seven built environmental patterns were identified. The geographic distribution of built environmental patterns in the Ile-de-France showed that a pattern characterized by poor spatial accessibility to green spaces and proximity facilities and an absence of cycle paths was found only in neighborhoods in the outer suburbs, whereas patterns characterized by better spatial accessibility to green spaces, proximity facilities and cycle paths were more evenly distributed across the region. Compared to the reference pattern (poor accessibility to green areas and facilities, absence of cycle paths), subjects residing in neighborhoods characterized by high accessibility to green areas and local facilities and by a high density of cycle paths were more likely to walk/cycle, after adjustment for individual and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics (OR = 2.5 95%CI 1.4-4.6). Body mass index did not differ across patterns. Conclusions Built environmental patterns were associated with walking and cycling among French adults. These analyses may be useful in determining urban and public health policies aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle. PMID:22620266

Technical and economic assessment of different options for minor actinide transmutation: the French case

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chabert, C.; Coquelet-Pascal, C.; Saturnin, A.

Studies have been performed to assess the industrial perspectives of partitioning and transmutation of long-lived elements. These studies were carried out in tight connection with GEN-IV systems development. The results include the technical and economic evaluation of fuel cycle scenarios along with different options for optimizing the processes between the minor actinide transmutation in fast neutron reactors, their interim storage and geological disposal of ultimate waste. The results are analysed through several criteria (impacts on waste, on waste repository, on fuel cycle plants, on radiological exposure of workers, on costs and on industrial risks). These scenario evaluations take place inmore » the French context which considers the deployment of the first Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) in 2040. 3 management options of minor actinides have been studied: no transmutation, transmutation in SFR and transmutation in an accelerator-driven system (ADS). Concerning economics the study shows that the cost overrun related to the transmutation process could vary between 5 to 9% in SFR and 26 % in the case of ADS.« less

Collective Intelligence and Three Aspects of Planning in Organizations: A NASA Example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billman, Dorrit; Feary, Michael

2010-01-01

For many complex sociotechnical systems, planning seems to require explicit coordination; certainly, in executing a plan the activities of different actors must be tightly coupled. However, distributing the needed planning information can be very burdensome and error prone, because different groups need different collections of information, updated or kept current on different time cycles. Further, the information needed to form successful plans is often highly distributed, and while feedback about the success of prior plans may exist, it may not be available to those in a position of using this to improve plans or to detect and resolve other problems in the system (Weick, 1995). Tools to support various aspects of planning have been developed, and can provide a huge benefit to the individuals working on that aspect. To be tractable, most solutions address a quite bounded slice of work, isolating it from the larger context. Prospective planning takes place over multiple, nested cycles of decision making. This builds a plan that specifies activities of different granularity. "Subplans" may specify multiple parallel activities by different groups and individuals, as well as sequential, nested actions by a single actor. Planning produces valuable, sharable, external, representations: in addition to prospective use, plans support retrospective assessment and also action in the present. Viewing planning in a larger context - both temporal and organizational -- enables noticing what one does not know and generating more systemic and effective solutions. Viewing a problem as one of collective intelligence invites thinking about the larger organizational context. Many approaches to supporting collective intelligence do not support execution of highly contingent actions, distributed across many players, and hence provide incomplete support for planning. However, CI technology maybe helpful in managing the processes of gathering information for decision making in planning and of distributing plan information to various actors, needed on various time cycles.

Social life cycle assessment and participatory approaches: A methodological proposal applied to citrus farming in Southern Italy.

PubMed

De Luca, Anna Irene; Iofrida, Nathalie; Strano, Alfio; Falcone, Giacomo; Gulisano, Giovanni

2015-07-01

Recently, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) has been developed under the methodological framework of Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) to evaluate the social impacts that emerge during the overall life cycle of a product or service. There is not yet a standardized methodology for S-LCA as there is for environmental LCA (eLCA), due to the nature of social impacts that do not depend only on the processes themselves, but also on the behavior and context of actors (manufactures, consumers, local community members, etc.). One of the most critical steps in the application of S-LCA concerns the choice of criteria for selecting affected actors, impact categories, subcategories, and the taxonomic relation among them. Moreover, the importance (in terms of weight) of these impacts may be felt differently by affected actors, confirming the importance of the context within which impacts arise. In this sense, the integration of participatory tools can be useful in making the S-LCA more locally relevant. The aim of the present study is twofold. First, we will outline a methodology that combines S-LCA with two research tools. The first is the focus group, adopted from qualitative research. The second is the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), adopted from operational research, which belongs to the framework of Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). These have been used to make the S-LCA more locally relevant and to legitimate the criteria used. Second, we will test this methodology by applying it to a specific field, i.e., 3 production areas and 3 different crop systems of citrus growing in the Calabria region in Southern Italy. Citrus growing is one of the most important agricultural sectors at regional level, and it is also well known for issues of social concern, particularly in relation to immigrant workers. The results show a number of differences between cases and could offer useful insights to both local decision makers, such as agricultural entrepreneurs, and to those public decision makers that design and implement territorial planning strategies. Results have allowed the authors to rank the social performance of each case and to reflect on the most critical steps in conducting an S-LCA. The integration of qualitative techniques and a multicriteria in sLCA allows catching local specificities by involving local experts and stakeholders Results highlighted that impact categories mostly contributed to performance differences Public deciders can be supported in deciding which farming practices should be encouraged, which social domains must be paid more attention, and where social problems mostly occur The methodological application allowed the authors also to foresee the feasibility of the integration of LCA and LCC results as inputs in sLCA to conduct a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). © 2015 SETAC.

Technology-enabled assessment of health professions education: consensus statement and recommendations from the Ottawa 2010 Conference.

PubMed

Amin, Zubair; Boulet, John R; Cook, David A; Ellaway, Rachel; Fahal, Ahmad; Kneebone, Roger; Maley, Moira; Ostergaard, Doris; Ponnamperuma, Gominda; Wearn, Andy; Ziv, Amitai

2011-01-01

The uptake of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in health professions education can have far-reaching consequences on assessment. The medical education community still needs to develop a deeper understanding of how technology can underpin and extend assessment practices. This article was developed by the 2010 Ottawa Conference Consensus Group on technology-enabled assessment to guide practitioners and researchers working in this area. This article highlights the changing nature of ICTs in assessment, the importance of aligning technology-enabled assessment with local context and needs, the need for better evidence to support use of technologies in health profession education assessment, and a number of challenges, particularly validity threats, that need to be addressed while incorporating technology in assessment. Our recommendations are intended for all practitioners across health professional education. Recommendations include adhering to principles of good assessment, the need for developing coherent institutional policy, using technologies to broaden the competencies to be assessed, linking patient-outcome data to assessment of practitioner performance, and capitalizing on technologies for the management of the entire life-cycle of assessment.

The Oedipus Cycle: Developmental Mythology, Greek Tragedy, and the Sociology of Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datan, Nancy

1988-01-01

Considers Greek myth of Oedipus and proposes an Oedipus cycle, in contrast to Freud's Oedipus complex, which represents not the unconscious passions of a small boy, but rather the awareness of the life cycle in the larger context of the succession of the generations and their mutual interdependence. (Author/NB)

Introductory Business Textbook Revision Cycles: Are They Getting Shorter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinser, Brian; Brunswick, Gary

2010-01-01

The rate of textbook revision cycles is examined in light of the recent trend towards more rapid revisions (and adoptions of textbooks). The authors conduct background research to better understand the context for textbook revision cycles and the environmental forces that have been influencing what appears to be more rapid textbook revisions. A…

Understanding bicycling in cities using system dynamics modelling.

PubMed

Macmillan, Alexandra; Woodcock, James

2017-12-01

Increasing urban bicycling has established net benefits for human and environmental health. Questions remain about which policies are needed and in what order, to achieve an increase in cycling while avoiding negative consequences. Novel ways of considering cycling policy are needed, bringing together expertise across policy, community and research to develop a shared understanding of the dynamically complex cycling system. In this paper we use a collaborative learning process to develop a dynamic causal model of urban cycling to develop consensus about the nature and order of policies needed in different cycling contexts to optimise outcomes. We used participatory system dynamics modelling to develop causal loop diagrams (CLDs) of cycling in three contrasting contexts: Auckland, London and Nijmegen. We combined qualitative interviews and workshops to develop the CLDs. We used the three CLDs to compare and contrast influences on cycling at different points on a "cycling trajectory" and drew out policy insights. The three CLDs consisted of feedback loops dynamically influencing cycling, with significant overlap between the three diagrams. Common reinforcing patterns emerged: growing numbers of people cycling lifts political will to improve the environment; cycling safety in numbers drives further growth; and more cycling can lead to normalisation across the population. By contrast, limits to growth varied as cycling increases. In Auckland and London, real and perceived danger was considered the main limit, with added barriers to normalisation in London. Cycling congestion and "market saturation" were important in the Netherlands. A generalisable, dynamic causal theory for urban cycling enables a more ordered set of policy recommendations for different cities on a cycling trajectory. Participation meant the collective knowledge of cycling stakeholders was represented and triangulated with research evidence. Extending this research to further cities, especially in low-middle income countries, would enhance generalizability of the CLDs.

Regional characterization of freshwater Use in LCA: modeling direct impacts on human health.

PubMed

Boulay, Anne-Marie; Bulle, Cécile; Bayart, Jean-Baptiste; Deschênes, Louise; Margni, Manuele

2011-10-15

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology that quantifies potential environmental impacts for comparative purposes in a decision-making context. While potential environmental impacts from pollutant emissions into water are characterized in LCA, impacts from water unavailability are not yet fully quantified. Water use can make the resource unavailable to other users by displacement or quality degradation. A reduction in water availability to human users can potentially affect human health. If financial resources are available, there can be adaptations that may, in turn, shift the environmental burdens to other life cycle stages and impact categories. This paper proposes a model to evaluate these potential impacts in an LCA context. It considers the water that is withdrawn and released, its quality and scarcity in order to evaluate the loss of functionality associated with water uses. Regionalized results are presented for impacts on human health for two modeling approaches regarding affected users, including or not domestic uses, and expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALY). A consumption and quality based scarcity indicator is also proposed as a midpoint. An illustrative example is presented for the production of corrugated board with different effluents, demonstrating the importance of considering quality, process effluents and the difference between the modeling approaches.

Critical Environmental Factors for Transportation Cycling in Children: A Qualitative Study Using Bike-Along Interviews

PubMed Central

Ghekiere, Ariane; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; de Geus, Bas; Clarys, Peter; Cardon, Greet; Salmon, Jo; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte

2014-01-01

Background Environmental factors are found to influence transport-related physical activity, but have rarely been studied in relation with cycling for transport to various destinations in 10–12 yr old children. The current qualitative study used ‘bike-along interviews’ with children and parents to allow discussion of detailed environmental factors that may influence children's cycling for transport, while cycling in the participant's neighborhood. Methods Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 35 children and one of their parents residing in (semi-) urban areas. Bike-along interviews were conducted to and from a randomly chosen destination (e.g. library) within a 15 minutes' cycle trip in the participant's neighborhood. Participants wore a GoPro camera to objectively assess environmental elements, which were subsequently discussed with participants. Content analysis and arising themes were derived using a grounded theory approach. Results The discussed environmental factors were categorized under traffic, urban design, cycling facilities, road design, facilities at destination, aesthetics, topography, weather, social control, stranger danger and familiar environment. Across these categories many environmental factors were (in)directly linked to road safety. This was illustrated by detailed discussions of the children's visibility, familiarity with specific traffic situations, and degree of separation, width and legibility of cycle facilities. Conclusion Road safety is of major concern in this 10–12 yr old study population. Bike-along interviews were able to identify new, detailed and context-specific physical environmental factors which could inform policy makers to promote children's cycling for transport. However, future studies should investigate whether hypothetical changes to such micro environmental features influence perceptions of safety and if this in turn could lead to changes in children's cycling for transport. PMID:25250738

Critical environmental factors for transportation cycling in children: a qualitative study using bike-along interviews.

PubMed

Ghekiere, Ariane; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; de Geus, Bas; Clarys, Peter; Cardon, Greet; Salmon, Jo; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte

2014-01-01

Environmental factors are found to influence transport-related physical activity, but have rarely been studied in relation with cycling for transport to various destinations in 10-12 yr old children. The current qualitative study used 'bike-along interviews' with children and parents to allow discussion of detailed environmental factors that may influence children's cycling for transport, while cycling in the participant's neighborhood. Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 35 children and one of their parents residing in (semi-) urban areas. Bike-along interviews were conducted to and from a randomly chosen destination (e.g. library) within a 15 minutes' cycle trip in the participant's neighborhood. Participants wore a GoPro camera to objectively assess environmental elements, which were subsequently discussed with participants. Content analysis and arising themes were derived using a grounded theory approach. The discussed environmental factors were categorized under traffic, urban design, cycling facilities, road design, facilities at destination, aesthetics, topography, weather, social control, stranger danger and familiar environment. Across these categories many environmental factors were (in)directly linked to road safety. This was illustrated by detailed discussions of the children's visibility, familiarity with specific traffic situations, and degree of separation, width and legibility of cycle facilities. Road safety is of major concern in this 10-12 yr old study population. Bike-along interviews were able to identify new, detailed and context-specific physical environmental factors which could inform policy makers to promote children's cycling for transport. However, future studies should investigate whether hypothetical changes to such micro environmental features influence perceptions of safety and if this in turn could lead to changes in children's cycling for transport.

Lack of support for relation between woman's masculinity preference, estradiol level and mating context.

PubMed

Marcinkowska, Urszula M; Ellison, Peter T; Galbarczyk, Andrzej; Milkowska, Karolina; Pawlowski, Boguslaw; Thune, Inger; Jasienska, Grazyna

2016-02-01

It has been proposed that women's preferences for male facial sexual dimorphism are positively correlated with conception probability and differ between short- and long-term mating contexts. In this study, we tested this assumption by analyzing relationships between estradiol levels to the women's preferences of male faces that were manipulated to vary in masculinity. Estradiol was measured in daily saliva samples throughout the entire menstrual cycle collected by Polish women with regular menstrual cycles. In our analyses, we included the three most commonly used definitions of the fertile window in the literature. After computing the overall masculinity preference of each participant and measuring hormone levels, we found that i) the timing of ovulation varied greatly among women (between -11 and -17days from the onset of the next menses, counting backwards), ii) there was no relationship between daily, measured during the day of the test (N=83) or average for the cycle (N=115) estradiol levels and masculinity preferences, iii) there were no differences in masculinity preferences between women in low- and high-conception probability phases of the cycle, and iv) there were no differences in masculinity preferences between short- and long-term mating contexts. Our results do not support the idea that women's preferences for a potential sexual partner's facial masculinity fluctuate throughout the cycle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developments in life cycle assessment applied to evaluate the environmental performance of construction and demolition wastes.

PubMed

Bovea, M D; Powell, J C

2016-04-01

This paper provides a review of the literature that applies the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to the assessment of the environmental performance of the life cycle of construction and demolition waste (CDW) management systems. This article is focused on generating a general mapping of the literature and on identifying the best practices in compliance with LCA framework and proposing directions for future LCA studies in this field. The temporal evolution of the research in this field and the aim of the studies have grown in parallel with the legal framework related to waste and energy efficiency of buildings. Most studies have been published in Europe, followed by USA. Asia and Australia, being at an incipient application stage to the rest of the world. Topics related to "LCA of buildings, including their EoL" and "LCA of general CDW management strategies" are the most frequently analysed, followed by "LCA of EoL of construction elements" and "LCA of natural material vs recycled material". Regarding the strategies, recycling off-site and incineration, both combined with landfill for the rejected fractions, are the most commonly applied. Re-use or recycling on-site is the strategy least applied. The key aspect when LCA is applied to evaluate CDW management systems is the need to normalise which processes to include in the system boundary and the functional unit, the use of inventory data adapted to the context of the case study and the definition of a common set of appropriate impact assessment categories. Also, it is important to obtain results disaggregated by unit processes. This will allow the comparison between case studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alternatives Assessment Frameworks: Research Needs for the Informed Substitution of Hazardous Chemicals

PubMed Central

Jacobs, Molly M.; Malloy, Timothy F.; Tickner, Joel A.; Edwards, Sally

2015-01-01

Background Given increasing pressures for hazardous chemical replacement, there is growing interest in alternatives assessment to avoid substituting a toxic chemical with another of equal or greater concern. Alternatives assessment is a process for identifying, comparing, and selecting safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (including those used in materials, processes, or technologies) on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability. Objectives The purposes of this substantive review of alternatives assessment frameworks are to identify consistencies and differences in methods and to outline needs for research and collaboration to advance science policy practice. Methods This review compares methods used in six core components of these frameworks: hazard assessment, exposure characterization, life-cycle impacts, technical feasibility evaluation, economic feasibility assessment, and decision making. Alternatives assessment frameworks published from 1990 to 2014 were included. Results Twenty frameworks were reviewed. The frameworks were consistent in terms of general process steps, but some differences were identified in the end points addressed. Methodological gaps were identified in the exposure characterization, life-cycle assessment, and decision–analysis components. Methods for addressing data gaps remain an issue. Discussion Greater consistency in methods and evaluation metrics is needed but with sufficient flexibility to allow the process to be adapted to different decision contexts. Conclusion Although alternatives assessment is becoming an important science policy field, there is a need for increased cross-disciplinary collaboration to refine methodologies in support of the informed substitution and design of safer chemicals, materials, and products. Case studies can provide concrete lessons to improve alternatives assessment. Citation Jacobs MM, Malloy TF, Tickner JA, Edwards S. 2016. Alternatives assessment frameworks: research needs for the informed substitution of hazardous chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 124:265–280; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409581 PMID:26339778

Small-scale geochemical cycles and the distribution of uranium in central and north Florida organic deposits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bond, P.A.

1993-03-01

The global geochemical cycle for an element tracks its path from its various sources to its sinks via processes of weathering and transportation. The cycle may then be quantified in a necessarily approximate manner. The geochemical cycle (thus quantified) reveals constraints (known and unknown) on an element's behavior imposed by the various processes which act on it. In the context of a global geochemical cycle, a continent becomes essentially a source term. If, however, an element's behavior is examined in a local or regional context, sources and their related sinks may be identified. This suggests that small-scale geochemical cycles maymore » be superimposed on global geochemical cycles. Definition of such sub-cycles may clarify the distribution of an element in the earth's near-surface environment. In Florida, phosphate minerals of the Hawthorn Group act as a widely distributed source of uranium. Uranium is transported by surface- and ground-waters. Florida is the site of extensive wetlands and peatlands. The organic matter associated with these deposits adsorbs uranium and may act as a local sink depending on its hydrogeologic setting. This work examines the role of organic matter in the distribution of uranium in the surface and shallow subsurface environments of central and north Florida.« less

Life-cycle energy production and emissions mitigation by comprehensive biogas-digestate utilization.

PubMed

Chen, Shaoqing; Chen, Bin; Song, Dan

2012-06-01

In the context of global energy shortages and climate change, developing biogas plants with links to agricultural system has become an important strategy for cleaner rural energy and renewable agriculture. In this study, a life-cycle energy and environmental assessment was performed for a biogas-digestate utilization system in China. The results suggest that biogas utilization (heating, illumination, and fuel) and comprehensive digestate reuse are of equal importance in the total energy production of the system, and they also play an important role in systemic greenhouse gas mitigation. Improvement can be achieved in both energy production and emissions mitigation when the ratio of the current three biogas utilization pathways is adjusted. Regarding digestate reuse, a tradeoff between energy and environmental performance can be obtained by focusing on the substitution for top-dressing, base fertilizers, and the application to seed soaking. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle assessment and sustainable engineering in the context of near net shape grown components: striving towards a sustainable way of future production.

PubMed

Kämpfer, Christoph; Seiler, Thomas-Benjamin; Beger, Anna-Lena; Jacobs, Georg; Löwer, Manuel; Moser, Franziska; Reimer, Julia; Trautz, Martin; Usadel, Björn; Wormit, Alexandra; Hollert, Henner

2017-01-01

Technical product harvesting (TEPHA) is a newly developing interdisciplinary approach in which bio-based production is investigated from a technical and ecological perspective. Society's demand for ecologically produced and sustainably operable goods is a key driver for the substitution of conventional materials like metals or plastics through bio-based alternatives. Technical product harvesting of near net shape grown components describes the use of suitable biomass for the production of technical products through influencing the natural shape of plants during their growth period. The use of natural materials may show positive effects on the amount of non-renewable resource consumption. This also increases the product recyclability at the end of its life cycle. Furthermore, through the near net shape growth of biomass, production steps can be reduced. As a consequence such approaches may save energy and the needed resources like crude oil, coal or gas. The derived near net shape grown components are not only considered beneficial from an environmental point of view. They can also have mechanical advantages through an intrinsic topology optimization in contrast to common natural materials, which are influenced in their shape after harvesting. In order to prove these benefits a comprehensive, interdisciplinary scientific strategy is needed. Here, both mechanical investigations and life cycle assessment as a method of environmental evaluation are used.

Assessing Marine Species Exposure to Ocean Acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jewett, E.; Busch, S.; McElhany, P.; Gledhill, D. K.; Milke, L. M.; Wieczorek, D.

2016-02-01

Assessing the vulnerability of society to ocean acidification (OA) demands an understanding of both the sensitivity of economically important species together with an organism's exposure to potentially harmful carbonate chemistry conditions. However, research has revealed that sensitivity to OA is frequently life-stage dependent and the environmental conditions experienced by a marine organism often vary with life-stage. Enhancing the development of a National Ocean Acidification Observing Network (NOA-ON) and establishing appropriate treatment conditions for experimental studies requires careful consideration of where the vulnerable life-stages of an organism reside in space (e.g., estuary versus oceanic), depth (e.g., surface mixed layer versus benthos), and time (e.g., diel vertical migration, seasonality of the chemical environment within the context of an organism life cycle). Few studies have explicitly attempted to document carbonate chemistry dynamics specific to a given organism's life-cycle. Here we estimate carbonate dynamics in terms of aragonite saturation state range and variability within the U.S. Northeast and West Coast through the application of NOAA's NOA-ON assets mapped out with respect to the life stages of economically important species within those regions. Two economically important species will be considered for which the life-cycles are well known along with the sensitivities to OA for early life-stages: Atlantic Surf Clam in the northeast and Dungeness Crab of the northwest coast of the U.S. Other species may also be considered.

Master and novice secondary science teachers' understandings and use of the learning cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reap, Melanie Ann

2000-09-01

The learning cycle paradigm had been used in science classrooms for nearly four decades. This investigation seeks to reveal how the 1earning cycle, as originally designed, is currently understood and implemented by teachers in authentic classroom settings. The specific purposes of this study were: (1) to describe teachers who use the learning cycle and compare their understandings and perceptions of the learning cycle procedure in instruction; (2) to elicit novice and master teacher perspectives on their instruction and determine their perception of the process by which learning cycles are implemented in the science classroom; (3) to describe the context of science instruction in the novice and master teacher's classroom to ascertain how the teacher facilitates implementation of the learning cycle paradigm in their authentic classroom setting. The study used a learning cycle survey, interviews and classroom observations using the Learning Cycle Teacher Behavior Instruments and the Verbal Interaction Category System to explore these features of learning cycle instruction. The learning cycle survey was administered to a sample of teachers who use the learning cycle, including master and novice learning cycle teachers. One master and one novice learning cycle teacher were selected from this sample for further study. Analysis of the surveys showed no significant differences in master and novice teacher understandings of the learning cycle as assessed by the instrument. However, interviews and observations of the selected master and novice learning cycle teachers showed several differences in how the paradigm is understood and implemented in the classroom. The master learning cycle teacher showed a more developed teaching philosophy and had more engaged, extensive interactions with students. The novice learning cycle teacher held a more naive teaching philosophy and had fewer, less developed interactions with students. The most significant difference was seen in the use of questioning and discussion. The master teacher used diverse questioning techniques and guided students in discussion of their findings while the novice teachers used more rote response questions and controlled the discussion. The findings of this study have implications for science teacher education, especially in the preparation of teachers in science methods courses and student teaching, and in in-service education programs.

Chapter 2: Restructuring Higher Education in a European Context--Short-Cycle Higher Education in Flanders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirsch, Magda

2010-01-01

After an overview of the history of short-cycle education within the Bologna process, this article details the development of short-cycle higher education policy in Flanders, the largest of the three communities in the Federal Kingdom of Belgium. By developing a Flemish national qualification framework in agreement with the European qualification…

Social class culture cycles: how three gateway contexts shape selves and fuel inequality.

PubMed

Stephens, Nicole M; Markus, Hazel Rose; Phillips, L Taylor

2014-01-01

America's unprecedented levels of inequality have far-reaching negative consequences for society as a whole. Although differential access to resources contributes to inequality, the current review illuminates how ongoing participation in different social class contexts also gives rise to culture-specific selves and patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. We integrate a growing body of interdisciplinary research to reveal how social class culture cycles operate over the course of the lifespan and through critical gateway contexts, including homes, schools, and workplaces. We first document how each of these contexts socializes social class cultural differences. Then, we demonstrate how these gateway institutions, which could provide access to upward social mobility, are structured according to middle-class ways of being a self and thus can fuel and perpetuate inequality. We conclude with a discussion of intervention opportunities that can reduce inequality by taking into account the contextual responsiveness of the self.

Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprint in the Wine Supply-Chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattara, Claudio; Raggi, Andrea; Cichelli, Angelo

2012-06-01

Global warming represents one of the most critical internationally perceived environmental issues. The growing, and increasingly global, wine sector is one of the industries which is under increasing pressure to adopt approaches for environmental assessment and reporting of product-related greenhouse gas emissions. The International Organization for Vine and Wine has recently recognized the need to develop a standard and objective methodology and a related tool for calculating carbon footprint (CF). This study applied this tool to a wine previously analyzed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The objective was to test the tool as regards both its potential and possible limitations, and thus to assess its suitability as a standard tool. Despite the tool's user-friendliness, a number of limitations were noted including the lack of accurate baseline data, a partial system boundary and the impossibility of dealing with the multi-functionality issue. When the CF and LCA results are compared in absolute terms, large discrepancies become obvious due to a number of different assumptions, as well as the modeling framework adopted. Nonetheless, in relative terms the results seem to be quite consistent. However, a critical limitation of the CF methodology was its focus on a single issue, which can lead to burden shifting. In conclusion, the study confirmed the need for both further improvement and adaptation to additional contexts and further studies to validate the use of this tool in different companies.

Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint in the wine supply-chain.

PubMed

Pattara, Claudio; Raggi, Andrea; Cichelli, Angelo

2012-06-01

Global warming represents one of the most critical internationally perceived environmental issues. The growing, and increasingly global, wine sector is one of the industries which is under increasing pressure to adopt approaches for environmental assessment and reporting of product-related greenhouse gas emissions. The International Organization for Vine and Wine has recently recognized the need to develop a standard and objective methodology and a related tool for calculating carbon footprint (CF). This study applied this tool to a wine previously analyzed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The objective was to test the tool as regards both its potential and possible limitations, and thus to assess its suitability as a standard tool. Despite the tool's user-friendliness, a number of limitations were noted including the lack of accurate baseline data, a partial system boundary and the impossibility of dealing with the multi-functionality issue. When the CF and LCA results are compared in absolute terms, large discrepancies become obvious due to a number of different assumptions, as well as the modeling framework adopted. Nonetheless, in relative terms the results seem to be quite consistent. However, a critical limitation of the CF methodology was its focus on a single issue, which can lead to burden shifting. In conclusion, the study confirmed the need for both further improvement and adaptation to additional contexts and further studies to validate the use of this tool in different companies.

Nutritional supplementation and artificial reproductive technique (ART) outcomes.

PubMed

Kermack, A J; Macklon, N S

2015-05-01

Approximately one in six couples suffer from subfertility, and many seek treatment with artificial reproductive technologies (ART). Despite improvements in laboratory techniques and ovarian stimulation, ongoing pregnancy rates per cycle remain at ~25%. Couples wanting to improve their chances may turn to adjuvant therapies, such as nutritional supplements. There is growing evidence that periconceptional nutritional status is a key determinant of fertility and long-term health of the offspring, and a lucrative market has developed to meet the demand based on these benefits. However, the practice of routine dietary supplementation before and during IVF treatment has not been subject to well-powered prospective randomised trials. In this article, the potential roles of specific nutritional supplements in the context of improving IVF outcomes are reviewed and an assessment is made of the evidence base supporting their clinical use in this context. Finally, current research needs in the field are outlined.

Techno-environmental assessment of the green biorefinery concept: Combining process simulation and life cycle assessment at an early design stage.

PubMed

Corona, Andrea; Ambye-Jensen, Morten; Vega, Giovanna Croxatto; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Birkved, Morten

2018-09-01

The Green biorefinery (GBR) is a biorefinery concept that converts fresh biomass into value-added products. The present study combines a Process Flowsheet Simulation (PFS) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the technical and environmental performance of different GBR configurations and the cascading utilization of the GBR output. The GBR configurations considered in this study, test alternatives in the three main steps of green-biorefining: fractionation, precipitation, and protein separation. The different cascade utilization alternatives analyse different options for press-pulp utilization, and the LCA results show that the environmental profile of the GBR is highly affected by the utilization of the press-pulp and thus by the choice of conventional product replaced by the press-pulp. Furthermore, scenario analysis of different GBR configurations shows that higher benefits can be achieved by increasing product yields rather than lowering energy consumption. Green biorefining is shown to be an interesting biorefining concept, especially in a Danish context. Biorefining of green biomass is technically feasible and can bring environmental savings, when compared to conventional production methods. However, the savings will be determined by the processing involved in each conversion stage and on the cascade utilization of the different platform products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bacterial endophytes enhance competition by invasive plants.

PubMed

Rout, Marnie E; Chrzanowski, Thomas H; Westlie, Tara K; DeLuca, Thomas H; Callaway, Ragan M; Holben, William E

2013-09-01

Invasive plants can alter soil microbial communities and profoundly alter ecosystem processes. In the invasive grass Sorghum halepense, these disruptions are consequences of rhizome-associated bacterial endophytes. We describe the effects of N2-fixing bacterial strains from S. halepense (Rout and Chrzanowski, 2009) on plant growth and show that bacteria interact with the plant to alter soil nutrient cycles, enabling persistence of the invasive. • We assessed fluxes in soil nutrients for ∼4 yr across a site invaded by S. halepense. We assayed the N2-fixing bacteria in vitro for phosphate solubilization, iron chelation, and production of the plant-growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). We assessed the plant's ability to recruit bacterial partners from substrates and vertically transmit endophytes to seeds and used an antibiotic approach to inhibit bacterial activity in planta and assess microbial contributions to plant growth. • We found persistent alterations to eight biogeochemical cycles (including nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron) in soils invaded by S. halepense. In this context, three bacterial isolates solubilized phosphate, and all produced iron siderophores and IAA in vitro. In growth chamber experiments, bacteria were transmitted vertically, and molecular analysis of bacterial community fingerprints from rhizomes indicated that endophytes are also horizontally recruited. Inhibiting bacterial activity with antibiotics resulted in significant declines in plant growth rate and biomass, with pronounced rhizome reductions. • This work suggests a major role of endophytes on growth and resource allocation of an invasive plant. Indeed, bacterial isolate physiology is correlated with invader effects on biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, phosphate, and iron.

Terrestrial nitrogen cycling in Earth system models revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stocker, Benjamin D; Prentice, I. Colin; Cornell, Sarah; Davies-Barnard, T; Finzi, Adrien; Franklin, Oskar; Janssens, Ivan; Larmola, Tuula; Manzoni, Stefano; Näsholm, Torgny; Raven, John; Rebel, Karin; Reed, Sasha C.; Vicca, Sara; Wiltshire, Andy; Zaehle, Sönke

2016-01-01

Understanding the degree to which nitrogen (N) availability limits land carbon (C) uptake under global environmental change represents an unresolved challenge. First-generation ‘C-only’vegetation models, lacking explicit representations of N cycling,projected a substantial and increasing land C sink under rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This prediction was questioned for not taking into account the potentially limiting effect of N availability, which is necessary for plant growth (Hungate et al.,2003). More recent global models include coupled C and N cycles in land ecosystems (C–N models) and are widely assumed to be more realistic. However, inclusion of more processes has not consistently improved their performance in capturing observed responses of the global C cycle (e.g. Wenzel et al., 2014). With the advent of a new generation of global models, including coupled C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycling, model complexity is sure to increase; but model reliability may not, unless greater attention is paid to the correspondence of model process representations ande mpirical evidence. It was in this context that the ‘Nitrogen Cycle Workshop’ at Dartington Hall, Devon, UK was held on 1–5 February 2016. Organized by I. Colin Prentice and Benjamin D. Stocker (Imperial College London, UK), the workshop was funded by the European Research Council,project ‘Earth system Model Bias Reduction and assessing Abrupt Climate change’ (EMBRACE). We gathered empirical ecologists and ecosystem modellers to identify key uncertainties in terrestrial C–N cycling, and to discuss processes that are missing or poorly represented in current models.

Teaching EFL Writing: An Approach Based on the Learner's Context Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Zheng

2017-01-01

This study aims to examine qualitatively a new approach to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) writing based on the learner's context model. It investigates the context model-based approach in class and identifies key characteristics of the approach delivered through a four-phase teaching and learning cycle. The model collects research…

Teaching Systems Thinking in the Context of the Water Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Tammy D.; Gail Jones, M.; Chesnutt, Katherine

2017-06-01

Complex systems affect every part of our lives from the ecosystems that we inhabit and share with other living organisms to the systems that supply our water (i.e., water cycle). Evaluating events, entities, problems, and systems from multiple perspectives is known as a systems thinking approach. New curriculum standards have made explicit the call for teaching with a systems thinking approach in our science classrooms. However, little is known about how elementary in-service or pre-service teachers understand complex systems especially in terms of systems thinking. This mixed methods study investigated 67 elementary in-service teachers' and 69 pre-service teachers' knowledge of a complex system (e.g., water cycle) and their knowledge of systems thinking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of participants. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of content assessment data and questionnaires were conducted. Results from this study showed elementary in-service and pre-service teachers applied different levels of systems thinking from novice to intermediate. Common barriers to complete systems thinking were identified with both in-service and pre-service teachers and included identifying components and processes, recognizing multiple interactions and relationships between subsystems and hidden dimensions, and difficulty understanding the human impact on the water cycle system.

Alternative carbohydrate reserves used in the daily cycle of crassulacean acid metabolism

Treesearch

C.C. Black; J.-Q. Chen; R.L. Doong; M.N. Angelov; Shi-Jean S. Sung

1996-01-01

Each day a massive interlocked biochemical cycle occurs in the green tissues of crassulacean acid metabolism plants.The function of this interlocked cycle, in its simplest context, is to furnish most of the CO2 for CAM plant photosynthesis.In this unified presentation our aims are (1) to divide CAM plants into two metabolic groups, (2) to...

[Bus drivers' biomechanical risk assessment in two different contexts].

PubMed

Baracco, A; Coggiola, M; Perrelli, F; Banchio, M; Martignone, S; Gullino, A; Romano, C

2012-01-01

The application of standardize methods for the biomechanical risk assessment in non-industrial cycled activity is not always possible. A typical case is the public transport sector, where workers complain of suffering for shoulder more than elbow and wrist pains. The Authors present the results of two studies involving two public transport companies and the risk of biomechanical overload of upper limbs for bus and tram drivers. The analysis has been made using three different approaches: focus groups; static analysis by using anthropometric manikins; work sampling technique by monitoring worker's activity and posture at each minute, for two hours and for each binomial vehicle-route, considering P5F e P95M drivers and assessing the perceived efforts thorough the Borg's CR10 Scale. The conclusive results show that the ergonomic analysis managed by multiple non-standardized techniques may reach consistent and repeatable results according to the epidemiological evidences.

The North American Energy System: Chapter 3 of SOCCR-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurney, K. R.; Marcotullio, P. J.; McGlynn, E.; Bruhwiler, L.; Davis, K. J.; Davis, S. J.; Engel-Cox, J.; Field, J.; Gately, C.; Kammen, D. M.; McMahon, J.; Morrow, W.; Torrie, R.

2017-12-01

North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States), has a large and complex energy system, which in this case includes the extraction and conversion of primary energy sources and their storage, transmission, distribution and ultimate end use in the building, transportation and industrial sectors. The presentation assesses the contribution of this energy system to the carbon cycle. The assessment includes the identification of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use in the different end use, changes over the past 10 years (since the last SOCCR) and the drivers of change. The assessment focuses on our understanding of the energy trends and system feedback dynamics, key drivers of change as a basis for carbon management. The energy systems' carbon emissions from the North American system are placed in global context and a review of scenarios into the future emissions levels, which demonstrate the requirements for de-carbonization in the medium and longer term.

Waste-to-energy: A review of life cycle assessment and its extension methods.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhaozhi; Tang, Yuanjun; Chi, Yong; Ni, Mingjiang; Buekens, Alfons

2018-01-01

This article proposes a comprehensive review of evaluation tools based on life cycle thinking, as applied to waste-to-energy. Habitually, life cycle assessment is adopted to assess environmental burdens associated with waste-to-energy initiatives. Based on this framework, several extension methods have been developed to focus on specific aspects: Exergetic life cycle assessment for reducing resource depletion, life cycle costing for evaluating its economic burden, and social life cycle assessment for recording its social impacts. Additionally, the environment-energy-economy model integrates both life cycle assessment and life cycle costing methods and judges simultaneously these three features for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion. Life cycle assessment is sufficiently developed on waste-to-energy with concrete data inventory and sensitivity analysis, although the data and model uncertainty are unavoidable. Compared with life cycle assessment, only a few evaluations are conducted to waste-to-energy techniques by using extension methods and its methodology and application need to be further developed. Finally, this article succinctly summarises some recommendations for further research.

Method applied to the background analysis of energy data to be considered for the European Reference Life Cycle Database (ELCD).

PubMed

Fazio, Simone; Garraín, Daniel; Mathieux, Fabrice; De la Rúa, Cristina; Recchioni, Marco; Lechón, Yolanda

2015-01-01

Under the framework of the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment, the European Reference Life-Cycle Database (ELCD - developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission), provides core Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data from front-running EU-level business associations and other sources. The ELCD contains energy-related data on power and fuels. This study describes the methods to be used for the quality analysis of energy data for European markets (available in third-party LC databases and from authoritative sources) that are, or could be, used in the context of the ELCD. The methodology was developed and tested on the energy datasets most relevant for the EU context, derived from GaBi (the reference database used to derive datasets for the ELCD), Ecoinvent, E3 and Gemis. The criteria for the database selection were based on the availability of EU-related data, the inclusion of comprehensive datasets on energy products and services, and the general approval of the LCA community. The proposed approach was based on the quality indicators developed within the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook, further refined to facilitate their use in the analysis of energy systems. The overall Data Quality Rating (DQR) of the energy datasets can be calculated by summing up the quality rating (ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 represents very good, and 5 very poor quality) of each of the quality criteria indicators, divided by the total number of indicators considered. The quality of each dataset can be estimated for each indicator, and then compared with the different databases/sources. The results can be used to highlight the weaknesses of each dataset and can be used to guide further improvements to enhance the data quality with regard to the established criteria. This paper describes the application of the methodology to two exemplary datasets, in order to show the potential of the methodological approach. The analysis helps LCA practitioners to evaluate the usefulness of the ELCD datasets for their purposes, and dataset developers and reviewers to derive information that will help improve the overall DQR of databases.

Assessment and comparison of three high-aluminum fly ash utilization scenarios in Inner Mongolia, China using an eco-efficiency indicator.

PubMed

Yang, Shuo; Lin, Ling; Li, Shao Peng; Li, Qiang; Wang, Xiu Teng; Sun, Liang

2017-05-01

Utilization of fly ash is of great importance in China in the context of resource and environmental crises. Different fly ash utilization processes are proposed, and some have been practically applied. However, none of these fly ash utilization pathways has been evaluated comprehensively by integrating both environmental and economic perspectives. In this study, three high-aluminum fly ash utilization methods in Mongolia were assessed and compared based on the concept of eco-efficiency. The environmental assessment was conducted in accordance with life-cycle assessment principles, and a monetization-weighting approach was applied to obtain social willingness-to-pay as a reflection of environmental impact. The environmental assessment results revealed that the reuse of fly ash had significant advantage for saving primary resource, while solid waste, depletion of water, and global warming were the three highest environmental impacts from the life cycle perspective. The economic performance assessment showed positive net profits for fly ash utilization, but high value-added products were not necessarily indicative of better economic performance due to the relatively high operation cost. Comparison of the eco-efficiency indicators (EEIs) implied that the process of scenario 1#, which produced mullite ceramic and active calcium silicate, was the most recommended out of the three scenarios on the present scale. This judgment was consistent with the evaluation of the resource utilization rate. The present study showed that the EEI could be used to compare different fly ash utilization processes in a comprehensive and objective manner, thus providing definitive and insightful suggestions for decision-making and technical improvement.

Life cycle assessment of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) manufacturing process in Brazil.

PubMed

Piekarski, Cassiano Moro; de Francisco, Antonio Carlos; da Luz, Leila Mendes; Kovaleski, João Luiz; Silva, Diogo Aparecido Lopes

2017-01-01

Brazil is one of the largest producers of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) in the world, and also the MDF has the highest domestic consumption and production rate in the country. MDF applications are highlighted into residential and commercial furniture design and also a wide participation in the building sector. This study aimed to propose ways of improving the environmental cradle-to-gate life-cycle of one cubic meter MDF panel by means of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study. Complying with requirements of ISO 14040 and 14,044 standards, different MDF manufacturing scenarios were modelled using Umberto® v.5.6 software and the Ecoinvent v.2.2 life-cycle inventory (LCI) database for the Brazilian context. Environmental and human health impacts were assessed by using the CML (2001) and USEtox (2008) methods. The evaluated impact categories were: acidification, global warming, ozone layer depletion, abiotic resource depletion, photochemical formation of tropospheric ozone, ecotoxicity, eutrophication and human toxicity. Results identified the following hotspots: gas consumption at the thermal plant, urea-formaldehyde resin, power consumption, wood chip consumption and wood chip transportation to the plant. The improvement scenario proposals comprised the following actions: eliminate natural gas consumption at the thermal plant, reduce electrical power consumption, reduce or replace urea-formaldehyde resin consumption, reduce wood consumption and minimize the distance to wood chip suppliers. The proposed actions were analysed to verify the influence of each action on the set of impact categories. Among the results, it can be noted that a joint action of the proposed improvements can result in a total reduction of up to 38.5% of impacts to OD, 34.4% to AD, 31.2% to ET, and 30.4% to HT. Finally, MDF was compared with particleboard production in Brazil, and additional opportunities to improve the MDF environmental profile were identified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical footprint: a methodological framework for bridging life cycle assessment and planetary boundaries for chemical pollution.

PubMed

Sala, Serenella; Goralczyk, Malgorzata

2013-10-01

The development and use of footprint methodologies for environmental assessment are increasingly important for both the scientific and political communities. Starting from the ecological footprint, developed at the beginning of the 1990s, several other footprints were defined, e.g., carbon and water footprint. These footprints-even though based on a different meaning of "footprint"-integrate life cycle thinking, and focus on some challenging environmental impacts including resource consumption, CO2 emission leading to climate change, and water consumption. However, they usually neglect relevant sources of impacts, as those related to the production and use of chemicals. This article presents and discusses the need and relevance of developing a methodology for assessing the chemical footprint, coupling a life cycle-based approach with methodologies developed in other contexts, such as ERA and sustainability science. Furthermore, different concepts underpin existing footprint and this could be the case also of chemical footprint. At least 2 different approaches and steps to chemical footprint could be envisaged, applicable at the micro- as well as at the meso- and macroscale. The first step (step 1) is related to the account of chemicals use and emissions along the life cycle of a product, sector, or entire economy, to assess potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. The second step (step 2) aims at assessing to which extent actual emission of chemicals harm the ecosystems above their capability to recover (carrying capacity of the system). The latter step might contribute to the wide discussion on planetary boundaries for chemical pollution: the thresholds that should not be surpassed to guarantee a sustainable use of chemicals from an environmental safety perspective. The definition of what the planetary boundaries for chemical pollution are and how the boundaries should be identified is an on-going scientific challenge for ecotoxicology and ecology. In this article, we present a case study at the macroscale for the European Union, in which the chemical footprint according to step 1 is calculated for the year 2005. A proposal for extending this approach toward step 2 is presented and discussed, complemented by a discussion on the challenges and the use of appropriate methodologies for assessing chemical footprints to stimulate further research and discussion on the topic. © 2013 SETAC.

A Review of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Liquid Transportation Biofuels in the Pan American Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shonnard, David R.; Klemetsrud, Bethany; Sacramento-Rivero, Julio; Navarro-Pineda, Freddy; Hilbert, Jorge; Handler, Robert; Suppen, Nydia; Donovan, Richard P.

2015-12-01

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been applied to many biofuel and bioenergy systems to determine potential environmental impacts, but the conclusions have varied. Different methodologies and processes for conducting LCA of biofuels make the results difficult to compare, in-turn making it difficult to make the best possible and informed decision. Of particular importance are the wide variability in country-specific conditions, modeling assumptions, data quality, chosen impact categories and indicators, scale of production, system boundaries, and co-product allocation. This study has a double purpose: conducting a critical evaluation comparing environmental LCA of biofuels from several conversion pathways and in several countries in the Pan American region using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, and making recommendations for harmonization with respect to biofuel LCA study features, such as study assumptions, inventory data, impact indicators, and reporting practices. The environmental management implications are discussed within the context of different national and international regulatory environments using a case study. The results from this study highlight LCA methodology choices that cause high variability in results and limit comparability among different studies, even among the same biofuel pathway, and recommendations are provided for improvement.

A Review of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Liquid Transportation Biofuels in the Pan American Region.

PubMed

Shonnard, David R; Klemetsrud, Bethany; Sacramento-Rivero, Julio; Navarro-Pineda, Freddy; Hilbert, Jorge; Handler, Robert; Suppen, Nydia; Donovan, Richard P

2015-12-01

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been applied to many biofuel and bioenergy systems to determine potential environmental impacts, but the conclusions have varied. Different methodologies and processes for conducting LCA of biofuels make the results difficult to compare, in-turn making it difficult to make the best possible and informed decision. Of particular importance are the wide variability in country-specific conditions, modeling assumptions, data quality, chosen impact categories and indicators, scale of production, system boundaries, and co-product allocation. This study has a double purpose: conducting a critical evaluation comparing environmental LCA of biofuels from several conversion pathways and in several countries in the Pan American region using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, and making recommendations for harmonization with respect to biofuel LCA study features, such as study assumptions, inventory data, impact indicators, and reporting practices. The environmental management implications are discussed within the context of different national and international regulatory environments using a case study. The results from this study highlight LCA methodology choices that cause high variability in results and limit comparability among different studies, even among the same biofuel pathway, and recommendations are provided for improvement.

The changing nature of life cycle assessment

PubMed Central

McManus, Marcelle C.; Taylor, Caroline M.

2015-01-01

LCA has evolved from its origins in energy analysis in the 1960s and 70s into a wide ranging tool used to determine impacts of products or systems over several environmental and resource issues. The approach has become more prevalent in research, industry and policy. Its use continues to expand as it seeks to encompass impacts as diverse as resource accounting and social well being. Carbon policy for bioenergy has driven many of these changes. Enabling assessment of complex issues over a life cycle basis is beneficial, but the process is sometimes difficult. LCA's use in framing is increasingly complex and more uncertain, and in some cases, irreconcilable. The charged environment surrounding biofuels and bioenergy exacerbates all of these. Reaching its full potential to help guide difficult policy discussions and emerging research involves successfully managing LCA's transition from attributional to consequential and from retrospective to prospective. This paper examines LCA's on-going evolution and its use within bioenergy deployment. The management of methodological growth in the context of the unique challenges associated with bioenergy and biofuels is explored. Changes seen in bioenergy LCA will bleed into other LCA arenas, especially where it is important that a sustainable solution is chosen. PMID:26664146

LCA applied to elucidate opportunities for biogas from wastewaters in Colombia.

PubMed

Meneses-Jácome, A; Osorio-Molina, A; Parra-Saldívar, R; Gallego-Suárez, D; Velásquez-Arredondo, H I; Ruiz-Colorado, A A

2015-01-01

Biogas produced in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities (BWWF) is a resource wasted in several socio-economic contexts. BWWF-based projects are compared against energy projects using conventional electricity or natural gas (NG), following strict economic considerations that usually tip the balance in favour of conventional energy supply. This is because the economic gain associated with the environmental benefits of using small biogas sources like BWWF does not overcome the technical and financial effort required in these types of project. This paper shows a broader application of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to explore opportunities for positive (or effective) utilization of BWWF in the Colombian context. LCA has been used to evaluate the supply-chain of NG which is the direct competitor of BWWF, in three different Colombian regions, in order to identify those where higher NG environmental impacts offer increased environmental added-value to BWWF use. LCA was also applied to study two BWWF valorization scenarios in the poultry processing industry. It shows how valorization options for BWWF are more realistic and effective when specific-regional loads are applied to the environmental assessment of NG supply-chain and BWWF valorization.

Every apple has a voice: using stable isotopes to teach about food sourcing and the water cycle

DOE PAGES

Oerter, Erik; Malone, Molly; Putman, Annie; ...

2017-01-01

Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and incorporate it into their tissue (fruit water) during growth, and the geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable isotope composition ( δ 2H and δ 18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the context of a 1-daymore » outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data with open-source online geospatial analysis software. Here, we assessed learning outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the water cycle. But, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically tailored to the abilities of each participant group. This pilot study provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through agricultural activity.« less

Every apple has a voice: using stable isotopes to teach about food sourcing and the water cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oerter, Erik; Malone, Molly; Putman, Annie; Drits-Esser, Dina; Stark, Louisa; Bowen, Gabriel

2017-07-01

Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and incorporate it into their tissue (fruit water) during growth, and the geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the context of a 1-day outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data with open-source online geospatial analysis software. We assessed learning outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the water cycle. However, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically tailored to the abilities of each participant group. This pilot study provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through agricultural activity.

Every apple has a voice: using stable isotopes to teach about food sourcing and the water cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oerter, Erik; Malone, Molly; Putman, Annie

Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and incorporate it into their tissue (fruit water) during growth, and the geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable isotope composition ( δ 2H and δ 18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the context of a 1-daymore » outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data with open-source online geospatial analysis software. Here, we assessed learning outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the water cycle. But, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically tailored to the abilities of each participant group. This pilot study provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through agricultural activity.« less

Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Disinfection Technologies Used in Small Drinking Water Systems.

PubMed

Jones, Christopher H; Shilling, Elizabeth G; Linden, Karl G; Cook, Sherri M

2018-03-06

Small drinking water systems serve a fifth of the U.S. population and rely heavily on disinfection. While chlorine disinfection is common, there is interest in minimizing chemical addition, especially due to carcinogenic disinfection byproducts and chlorine-resistant pathogens, by using ultraviolet technologies; however, the relative, broader environmental impacts of these technologies are not well established, especially in the context of small (<10 000 people) water systems. The objective of this study was to identify environmental trade-offs between chlorine and ultraviolet disinfection via comparative life cycle assessment. The functional unit was the production of 1 m 3 of drinking water to U.S. Treatment included cartridge filtration followed by either chlorine disinfection or ultraviolet disinfection with chlorine residual addition. Environmental performance was evaluated for various chlorine contact zone materials (plastic, concrete, steel), ultraviolet validation factors (1.2 to 4.4), and electricity sources (renewable; U.S. average, high, and low impact grids). Performance was also evaluated when filtration and chlorine residual were not required. From a life cycle assessment perspective, replacing chlorine with UV was preferred only in a limited number of cases (i.e., high pumping pressure but filtration is not required). In all others, chlorine was environmentally preferred, although some contact zone materials and energy sources had an impact on the comparison. Utilities can use these data to inform their disinfection technology selection and operation to minimize environmental and human health impacts.

Benchmarking Terrestrial Ecosystem Models in the South Central US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kc, M.; Winton, K.; Langston, M. A.; Luo, Y.

2016-12-01

Ecosystem services and products are the foundation of sustainability for regional and global economy since we are directly or indirectly dependent on the ecosystem services like food, livestock, water, air, wildlife etc. It has been increasingly recognized that for sustainability concerns, the conservation problems need to be addressed in the context of entire ecosystems. This approach is even more vital in the 21st century with formidable increasing human population and rapid changes in global environment. This study was conducted to find the state of the science of ecosystem models in the South-Central region of US. The ecosystem models were benchmarked using ILAMB diagnostic package developed as a result of International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) project on four main categories; viz, Ecosystem and Carbon Cycle, Hydrology Cycle, Radiation and Energy Cycle and Climate forcings. A cumulative assessment was generated with weighted seven different skill assessment metrics for the ecosystem models. This synthesis on the current state of the science of ecosystem modeling in the South-Central region of US will be highly useful towards coupling these models with climate, agronomic, hydrologic, economic or management models to better represent ecosystem dynamics as affected by climate change and human activities; and hence gain more reliable predictions of future ecosystem functions and service in the region. Better understandings of such processes will increase our ability to predict the ecosystem responses and feedbacks to environmental and human induced change in the region so that decision makers can make an informed management decisions of the ecosystem.

Quantitative assessment of glacial fluctuations in the level of Lake Lisan, Dead Sea rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohling, Eelco J.

2013-06-01

A quantitative understanding of climatic variations in the Levant during the last glacial cycle is needed to support archaeologists in assessing the drivers behind hominin migrations and cultural developments in this key region at the intersection between Africa and Europe. It will also foster a better understanding of the region's natural variability as context to projections of modern climate change. Detailed documentation of variations in the level of Lake Lisan - the lake that occupied the Dead Sea rift during the last glacial cycle - provides crucial climatic information for this region. Existing reconstructions suggest that Lake Lisan highstands during cold intervals of the last glacial cycle represent relatively humid conditions in the region, but these interpretations have remained predominantly qualitative. Here, I evaluate realistic ranges of the key climatological parameters that controlled lake level, based on the observed timing and amplitudes of lake-level variability. I infer that a mean precipitation rate over the wider catchment area of about 500 mm y-1, as proposed in the literature, would be consistent with observed lake levels if there was a concomitant 15-50% increase in wind speed during cold glacial stadials. This lends quantitative support to previous inferences of a notable increase in the intensity of Mediterranean (winter) storms during glacial periods, which tracked eastward into the Levant. In contrast to highstands during ‘regular’ stadials, lake level dropped during Heinrich Events. I demonstrate that this likely indicates a further intensification of the winds during those times.

Life cycle assessment of two dwellings: one in Spain, a developed country, and one in Colombia, a country under development.

PubMed

Ortiz-Rodríguez, Oscar; Castells, Francesc; Sonnemann, Guido

2010-05-15

The main objective of this paper is to study and quantify the differences in energy consumption and environmental impacts of two dwellings during the full building life cycle: one in Spain, a developed country, and one in Colombia, a country under development. In both scenarios, we assessed the construction, use and end-of-life phases. Results show that the use phase in the Pamplona house (Colombia) represents a lower percentage for all impacts in the total than in the Barcelona house (Spain). The findings of this study showed that the difference in consumption in Colombia and Spanish dwellings analysed is not only due to the variation in results for bio-climatic differences but also because of the consumption habits in each country. The importance of consumption habits of citizens and the need to decouple socio-economic development from energy consumption are sought for achieving sustainability from a life cycle perspective. There is a crucial necessity to provide satisfaction to basic needs and comfort requirements of population with reasonable and sustainable energy consumption. Then, the type of standard dwelling varies substantially depending on the geographic location where it is built. Climate, technological, cultural, socio-economical differences clearly define the standard of a building in any context and in any region. However, the function is always the same, to provide protection and housing for its habitants. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ENVI-PV: An Interactive Web Client for Multi-Criteria Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic Systems Worldwide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perez-Lopez, Paula; Gschwind, Benoit; Blanc, Philippe

Solar photovoltaics (PV) is the second largest source of new capacity among renewable energies. The worldwide capacity encompassed 135 GW in 2013 and is estimated to increase to 1721 GW in 2030 and 4674 GW in 2050, according to a prospective high-renewable scenario. To achieve this production level while minimizing environmental impacts, decision makers must have access to environmental performance data that reflect their high spatial variability accurately. We propose ENVI-PV (http://viewer.webservice-energy.org/project_iea), a new interactive tool that provides maps and screening level data, based on weighted average supply chains, for the environmental performance of common PV technologies. Environmental impacts ofmore » PV systems are evaluated according to a life cycle assessment approach. ENVI-PV was developed using a state-of-the-art interoperable and open standard Web Service framework from the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). It combines the latest life cycle inventories, published in 2015 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) under the Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (PVPS) Task 12, and some inventories previously published from Ecoinvent v2.2 database with solar irradiation estimates computed from the worldwide NASA SSE database. ENVI-PV is the first tool to propose a worldwide coverage of environmental performance of PV systems using a multi-criteria assessment. The user can compare the PV environmental performance to the environmental footprint of country electricity mixes. ENVI-PV is designed as an environmental interactive tool to generate PV technological options and evaluate their performance in different spatial and techno-economic contexts. Its potential applications are illustrated in this paper with several examples.« less

The Knowing Organization as Learning Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choo, Chun Wei

2001-01-01

In organizational knowledge cycles there is continuous flow of information between sensemaking, knowledge creation, and decision making. The outcome of information use in one provides the context and resources for use in another. The example of the World Health Organization's smallpox eradication program illustrates a continuous cycle of…

Understanding the LCA and ISO water footprint: A response to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Water footprinting has emerged as an important approach to assess water use related effects from consumption of goods and services. Assessment methods are proposed by two different communities, the Water Footprint Network (WFN) and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) community. The proposed methods are broadly similar and encompass both the computation of water use and its impacts, but differ in communication of a water footprint result. In this paper, we explain the role and goal of LCA and ISO-compatible water footprinting and resolve the six issues raised by Hoekstra (2016) in “A critique on the water-scarcity weighted water footprint in LCA”. By clarifying the concerns, we identify both the overlapping goals in the WFN and LCA water footprint assessments and discrepancies between them. The main differing perspective between the WFN and LCA-based approach seems to relate to the fact that LCA aims to account for environmental impacts, while the WFN aims to account for water productivity of global fresh water as a limited resource. We conclude that there is potential to use synergies in research for the two approaches and highlight the need for proper declaration of the methods applied. This paper advances efforts to understand ways to accurately capture use of water in life cycle analysis in other contexts. As the paper indicates, there is a discussion about whether quantities of water should be weighted by some local stress factor. This paper attempts to brid

Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review.

PubMed

Xue, Mianqiang; Xu, Zhenming

2017-04-01

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.

Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Mianqiang; Xu, Zhenming

2017-04-01

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.

On the night shift: advanced nurse practice in emergency medicine.

PubMed

Jenkins, Jennifer

2016-05-01

Advanced nurse practitioners in the author's emergency department (ED) work autonomously and as part of a team to assess, diagnose and treat patients with unexplained and undiagnosed illnesses and injuries over a 24-hour cycle of care. The complexity of the role in EDs is often not fully understood, and expectations can vary between trusts and between different clinical areas within trusts. This article describes one night shift in the author's ED to explain the complexity of advanced nurse practitioners' roles in this environment. The article focuses on autonomous decision-making skills and the use of advanced clinical skills in the context of evidence-based practice.

Towards the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson-Delmotte, Valérie

2017-04-01

The Intergovernemental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted the invitation from the Paris Agreement to prepare a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. This special report is prepared under the scientific leadership of the co-chairs of the IPCC Working Groups I, II and III, and with operational support from the Technical Support Unit of Working Group I. It will consist of 5 chapters, providing (i) framing and context, (ii) exploring mitigation pathways compatible with 1.5°C in the context of sustainable development, (iii) assessing impacts of 1.5°C global warming on natural and human systems, and (iv) options for strengthening and implementing the global response to the threat of climate change, with a final chapter on sustainable development, poverty eradication and reducing inequalities. The timeline of preparation of the report is extremely short, with four lead author meetings taking place from March 2017 to April 2018, and an approval session scheduled in September 2018. It is crucial that new knowledge is being produced and submitted / published in the literature in time for contributing new material to be assessed by the authors of the report (with deadlines in late fall 2017 and spring 2018). With respect to the additional impacts expected for 1.5°C warming compared to present-day, and impacts avoided with respect to larger warming, new research is expected to build on existing CMIP5 projections, including new information on regional change, methods to provide knowledge for the most vulnerable ecosystems and regions, but also information from ongoing projects aiming to produce large ensembles of simulations, and new simulations driven by low carbon pathways. This is important for identifying climate change signals from climate variability (e.g. changes in water cycle, extremes...), for assessing strengths and limitations of methodologies using high end climate scenarios versus true stabilisation pathways, and for exploring long term risks beyond transient response, with consideration for overshoots and the full timescale of Earth system feedbacks. Lessons learnt from past warm climatic phases may also provide insights complementary to projections, albeit without the perspective of rates of changes that is specific to the issue of 1.5°C global warming. This special report is also designed to be complementary from the other reports in preparation for the IPCC Sixth Assessment cycle (AR6), including the special reports on the ocean and the cryosphere, on land use issues, both scheduled for 2019, and the Working Group main assessment reports, scheduled for 2021-2022.

An analysis of hydrogen production via closed-cycle schemes. [thermochemical processings from water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, R. E.; Cox, K. E.

1975-01-01

A thermodynamic analysis and state-of-the-art review of three basic schemes for production of hydrogen from water: electrolysis, thermal water-splitting, and multi-step thermochemical closed cycles is presented. Criteria for work-saving thermochemical closed-cycle processes are established, and several schemes are reviewed in light of such criteria. An economic analysis is also presented in the context of energy costs.

Transportation life cycle assessment (LCA) synthesis : life cycle assessment learning module series.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-12

The Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series is a set of narrated, self-advancing slideshows on : various topics related to environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This research project produced the first 27 of such modules, which : are freely...

Engage, discover, apply, learn, repeat: Implementing a Sustained National Climate Assessment within the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, R. H.

2017-12-01

Assessment of potential impacts and adaptations to global environmental change evaluate the continuously evolving state of science through the lens of relevance to challenges such as planning long-lived infrastructure and managing risks to property, ecosystems, public health, and other valued assets or objectives. These planning and decision contexts present varied challenges, including: multiple attributes at risk from interacting environmental and socioeconomic trends; uncertainties (scientific and otherwise); partial solutions with indefinite costs and benefits; and tradeoffs across stakeholder groups. Research and evaluation of assessments indicate they convey information that is more usable and relevant to decision makers if they are designed as sustained interactions of pertinent scientific and user communities and result in products beyond written reports. This talk will report on the work of a Federal Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment (SNCA) to develop recommendations to increase the SNCA's relevance and usability. The recommendations build on the conclusions of a 2013 report by the predecessor SNCA advisory committee and suggest next steps for (1) engagement, (2) provision of core scientific products, (3) tailoring of information and tools to provide insights under uncertainty, and (4) evaluation of products and outcomes. The recommended process focuses on providing insights relevant to consideration of risks and solutions. While resulting in a wide range of products and outcomes on an ongoing basis, aggregation and assessment of emerging insights and good practice for supporting decision making under uncertainty would recur over a four-year adaptive management cycle in the context of the preparation of the US national assessment report mandated under the Global Change Research Act. Uncertainty about the future role of Federal agencies in the assessment process and opportunities for increased engagement by non-Federal actors will be considered.

Exploring Land Use and Land Cover Change and Feedbacks in the Global Change Assessment Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, M.; Vernon, C. R.; Huang, M.; Calvin, K. V.; Le Page, Y.; Kraucunas, I.

2017-12-01

Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) is a major driver of global and regional environmental change. Projections of land use change are thus an essential component in Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) to study feedbacks between transformation of energy systems and land productivity under the context of climate change. However, the spatial scale of IAMs, e.g., the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), is typically larger than the scale of terrestrial processes in the human-Earth system, LULCC downscaling therefore becomes a critical linkage among these multi-scale and multi-sector processes. Parametric uncertainties in LULCC downscaling algorithms, however, have been under explored, especially in the context of how such uncertainties could propagate to affect energy systems in a changing climate. In this study, we use a LULCC downscaling model, Demeter, to downscale GCAM-based future land use scenarios into fine spatial scales, and explore the sensitivity of downscaled land allocations to key parameters. Land productivity estimates (e.g., biomass production and crop yield) based on the downscaled LULCC scenarios are then fed to GCAM to evaluate how energy systems might change due to altered water and carbon cycle dynamics and their interactions with the human system, , which would in turn affect future land use projections. We demonstrate that uncertainties in LULCC downscaling can result in significant differences in simulated scenarios, indicating the importance of quantifying parametric uncertainties in LULCC downscaling models for integrated assessment studies.

Occupational dermal exposure to nanoparticles and nano-enabled products: Part 2, exploration of exposure processes and methods of assessment.

PubMed

Brouwer, Derk H; Spaan, Suzanne; Roff, Martin; Sleeuwenhoek, Anne; Tuinman, Ilse; Goede, Henk; van Duuren-Stuurman, Birgit; Filon, Francesca Larese; Bello, Dhimiter; Cherrie, John W

2016-08-01

Over the past decade, the primary focus of nanotoxicology and nanoenvironmental health and safety efforts has been largely on inhalation exposure to engineered nanomaterials, at the production stage, and much less on considering risks along the life cycle of nano-enabled products. Dermal exposure to nanomaterials and its health impact has been studied to a much lesser extent, and mostly in the context of intentional exposure to nano-enabled products such as in nanomedicine, cosmetics and personal care products. How concerning is dermal exposure to such nanoparticles in the context of occupational exposures? When and how should we measure it? In the first of a series of two papers (Larese Filon et al., 2016), we focused our attention on identifying conditions or situations, i.e. a combination of nanoparticle physico-chemical properties, skin barrier integrity, and occupations with high prevalence of skin disease, which deserve further investigation. This second paper focuses on the broad question of dermal exposure assessment to nanoparticles and attempts to give an overview of the mechanisms of occupational dermal exposure to nanoparticles and nano-enabled products and explores feasibility and adequacy of various methods of quantifying dermal exposure to NOAA. We provide here a conceptual framework for screening, prioritization, and assessment of dermal exposure to NOAA in occupational settings, and integrate it into a proposed framework for risk assessment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Product Carbon Footprints and Their Uncertainties in Comparative Decision Contexts

PubMed Central

Dao, Hai M.; Phan, Lam T.; de Snoo, Geert R.

2015-01-01

In response to growing awareness of climate change, requests to establish product carbon footprints have been increasing. Product carbon footprints are life cycle assessments restricted to just one impact category, global warming. Product carbon footprint studies generate life cycle inventory results, listing the environmental emissions of greenhouse gases from a product’s lifecycle, and characterize these by their global warming potentials, producing product carbon footprints that are commonly communicated as point values. In the present research we show that the uncertainties surrounding these point values necessitate more sophisticated ways of communicating product carbon footprints, using different sizes of catfish (Pangasius spp.) farms in Vietnam as a case study. As most product carbon footprint studies only have a comparative meaning, we used dependent sampling to produce relative results in order to increase the power for identifying environmentally superior products. We therefore argue that product carbon footprints, supported by quantitative uncertainty estimates, should be used to test hypotheses, rather than to provide point value estimates or plain confidence intervals of products’ environmental performance. PMID:25781175

Representation of deforestation impacts on climate, water, and nutrient cycles in the ACME earth system model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, X.; Riley, W. J.; Zhu, Q.

2017-12-01

Deforestation causes a series of changes to the climate, water, and nutrient cycles. Employing a state-of-the-art earth system model—ACME (Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy), we comprehensively investigate the impacts of deforestation on these processes. We first assess the performance of the ACME Land Model (ALM) in simulating runoff, evapotranspiration, albedo, and plant productivity at 42 FLUXNET sites. The single column mode of ACME is then used to examine climate effects (temperature cooling/warming) and responses of runoff, evapotranspiration, and nutrient fluxes to deforestation. This approach separates local effects of deforestation from global circulation effects. To better understand the deforestation effects in a global context, we use the coupled (atmosphere, land, and slab ocean) mode of ACME to demonstrate the impacts of deforestation on global climate, water, and nutrient fluxes. Preliminary results showed that the land component of ACME has advantages in simulating these processes and that local deforestation has potentially large impacts on runoff and atmospheric processes.

Product carbon footprints and their uncertainties in comparative decision contexts.

PubMed

Henriksson, Patrik J G; Heijungs, Reinout; Dao, Hai M; Phan, Lam T; de Snoo, Geert R; Guinée, Jeroen B

2015-01-01

In response to growing awareness of climate change, requests to establish product carbon footprints have been increasing. Product carbon footprints are life cycle assessments restricted to just one impact category, global warming. Product carbon footprint studies generate life cycle inventory results, listing the environmental emissions of greenhouse gases from a product's lifecycle, and characterize these by their global warming potentials, producing product carbon footprints that are commonly communicated as point values. In the present research we show that the uncertainties surrounding these point values necessitate more sophisticated ways of communicating product carbon footprints, using different sizes of catfish (Pangasius spp.) farms in Vietnam as a case study. As most product carbon footprint studies only have a comparative meaning, we used dependent sampling to produce relative results in order to increase the power for identifying environmentally superior products. We therefore argue that product carbon footprints, supported by quantitative uncertainty estimates, should be used to test hypotheses, rather than to provide point value estimates or plain confidence intervals of products' environmental performance.

Life cycle environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction : phase II research report: an extension to the 2005 phase I research report. Module C, Life-cycle inventory of hardwood lumber manufacturing in the Northeast and North Central United States.

Treesearch

Richard Bergman; Scott A. Bowe

2008-01-01

The goal of this study was to find the environmental impact of hardwood lumber production through a gate-to-gate Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) on hardwood sawmills in the northeast and northcentral (NE/NC) United States. Primary mill data was collected per CORRIM Research Guidelines (CORRIM 2001). Life-cycle analysis is beyond the scope of the study.

Life cycle environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction : phase II research report: an extension to the 2005 phase I research report. Module L, Life-cycle inventory of hardwood lumber manufacturing in the Southeastern United States.

Treesearch

Richard D. Bergman; Scott A. Bowe

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of the environmental impact of hardwood lumber production through a gate-to-gate life-cycle inventory (LCI) of hardwood sawmills in the Southeastern United States (SE). Primary mill data were collected per Consortium on Research for Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) Research Guidelines. Life-cycle impact...

A framework for energy use indicators and their reporting in life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Arvidsson, Rickard; Svanström, Magdalena

2016-07-01

Energy use is a common impact category in life cycle assessment (LCA). Many different energy use indicators are used in LCA studies, accounting for energy use in different ways. Often, however, the choice behind which energy use indicator is applied is poorly described and motivated. To contribute to a more purposeful selection of energy use indicators and to ensure consistent and transparent reporting of energy use in LCA, a general framework for energy use indicator construction and reporting in LCA studies will be presented in this article. The framework differentiates between 1) renewable and nonrenewable energies, 2) primary and secondary energies, and 3) energy intended for energy purposes versus energy intended for material purposes. This framework is described both graphically and mathematically. Furthermore, the framework is illustrated through application to a number of energy use indicators that are frequently used in LCA studies: cumulative energy demand (CED), nonrenewable cumulative energy demand (NRCED), fossil energy use (FEU), primary fossil energy use (PFEU), and secondary energy use (SEU). To illustrate how the application of different energy use indicators may lead to different results, cradle-to-gate energy use of the bionanomaterial cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is assessed using 5 different indicators and showing a factor of 3 differences between the highest and lowest results. The relevance of different energy use indicators to different actors and contexts will be discussed, and further developments of the framework are then suggested. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:429-436. © 2015 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2015 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Mortality Salience, System Justification, and Candidate Evaluations in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election.

PubMed

Sterling, Joanna; Jost, John T; Shrout, Patrick E

2016-01-01

Experiments conducted during the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections suggested that mortality salience primes increased support for President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain, respectively. Some interpreted these results as reflecting "conservative shift" following exposure to threat, whereas others emphasized preferences for "charismatic" leadership following exposure to death primes. To assess both hypotheses in the context of a new election cycle featuring a liberal incumbent who was considered to be charismatic, we conducted four experiments shortly before the 2012 election involving President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Contrary to earlier studies, there was little evidence that mortality salience, either by itself or in interaction with political orientation, affected overall candidate ratings or voting intentions. However, a significant interaction between mortality salience and system justification in some studies indicated a more circumscribed effect. The failure to "replicate" previous results in the context of this election may be attributable to disagreement among participants as to which of the candidates better represented the societal status quo.

A geological perspective on potential future sea-level rise

PubMed Central

Rohling, Eelco J.; Haigh, Ivan D.; Foster, Gavin L.; Roberts, Andrew P.; Grant, Katharine M.

2013-01-01

During ice-age cycles, continental ice volume kept pace with slow, multi-millennial scale, changes in climate forcing. Today, rapid greenhouse gas (GHG) increases have outpaced ice-volume responses, likely committing us to > 9 m of long-term sea-level rise (SLR). We portray a context of naturally precedented SLR from geological evidence, for comparison with historical observations and future projections. This context supports SLR of up to 0.9 (1.8) m by 2100 and 2.7 (5.0) m by 2200, relative to 2000, at 68% (95%) probability. Historical SLR observations and glaciological assessments track the upper 68% limit. Hence, modern change is rapid by past interglacial standards but within the range of ‘normal’ processes. The upper 95% limit offers a useful low probability/high risk value. Exceedance would require conditions without natural interglacial precedents, such as catastrophic ice-sheet collapse, or activation of major East Antarctic mass loss at sustained CO2 levels above 1000 ppmv. PMID:24336564

Exploring NASA Human Spaceflight and Pioneering Scenarios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, Edgar; Wilhite, Alan

2015-01-01

The life cycle cost analysis of space exploration scenarios is explored via a merger of (1) scenario planning, separating context and (2) modeling and analysis of specific content. Numerous scenarios are presented, leading to cross-cutting recommendations addressing life cycle costs, productivity, and approaches applicable to any scenarios. Approaches address technical and non-technical factors.

The Carbon Cycle and the Earth Systems--Studying the Carbon Cycle in Multidisciplinary Environmental Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudovitch, Yossi; Orion, Nir

This paper describes a method that attempts to confront the challenges of developing an environmentally-based earth sciences program. The research scheme includes five stages: (1) predevelopment study; (2) curriculum development; (3) implementation; (4) formative evaluation; and (5) curriculum modification. The research results indicate that the…

Exploring the Aerodynamic Drag of a Moving Cyclist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theilmann, Florian; Reinhard, Christopher

2016-01-01

Although the physics of cycling itself is a complex mixture of aerodynamics, physiology, mechanics, and heuristics, using cycling as a context for teaching physics has a tradition of certainly more than 30 years. Here, a possible feature is the discussion of the noticeable resistant forces such as aerodynamic drag and the associated power…

Studying the Water Cycle in an Environmental Context: The "Blue Planet" Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-zvi-assaraf, Orit; Orion, Nir

The Blue Planet program aims to develop an understanding of and insight into the environment among students by introducing environmental problems such as pollution. This paper presents a study investigating junior high school students' previous knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and perceptions on the nature of the water cycle.…

The Abbreviated Pluripotent Cell Cycle

PubMed Central

Kapinas, Kristina; Grandy, Rodrigo; Ghule, Prachi; Medina, Ricardo; Becker, Klaus; Pardee, Arthur; Zaidi, Sayyed K.; Lian, Jane; Stein, Janet; van Wijnen, Andre; Stein, Gary

2013-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells proliferate rapidly and divide symmetrically producing equivalent progeny cells. In contrast, lineage committed cells acquire an extended symmetrical cell cycle. Self-renewal of tissue-specific stem cells is sustained by asymmetric cell division where one progeny cell remains a progenitor while the partner progeny cell exits the cell cycle and differentiates. There are three principal contexts for considering the operation and regulation of the pluripotent cell cycle: temporal, regulatory andstructural. The primary temporal context that the pluripotent self-renewal cell cycle of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is a short G1 period without reducing periods of time allocated to S phase, G2, and mitosis. The rules that govern proliferation in hESCs remain to be comprehensively established. However, several lines of evidence suggest a key role for the naïve transcriptome of hESCs, which is competent to stringently regulate the ESC cell cycle. This supports the requirements of pluripotent cells to self propagate while suppressing expression of genes that confer lineage commitment and/or tissue specificity. However, for the first time, we consider unique dimensions to the architectural organization and assembly of regulatory machinery for gene expression in nuclear microenviornments that define parameters of pluripotency. From both fundamental biological and clinical perspectives, understanding control of the abbreviated embryonic stem cell cycle can provide options to coordinate control of proliferation versus differentiation. Wound healing, tissue engineering, and cell-based therapy to mitigate developmental aberrations illustrate applications that benefit from knowledge of the biology of the pluripotent cell cycle. PMID:22552993

Every Apple has a Voice: Using Stable Isotope Hydrology to Teach about Food Sourcing and the Water Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oerter, E.; Malone, M.; Putman, A.; Stark, L. A.; Bowen, G. J.

2016-12-01

Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and incorporate it into their tissue ("fruit water") during growth, and the geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the context of a one-day outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data with open-source on-line geospatial analysis software. We assessed learning outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the water cycle. The introductory lecture and demonstration components were received, on average, uniformly well by the various participant groups. However, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically tailored to the abilities of each demographic group. This pilot study provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through agricultural activity.

Situationally Embodied Curriculum: Relating Formalisms and Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barab, Sasha; Zuiker, Steve; Warren, Scott; Hickey, Dan; Ingram-Goble, Adam; Kwon, Eun-Ju; Kouper, Inna; Herring, Susan C.

2007-01-01

This study describes an example of design-based research in which we make theoretical improvements in our understanding, in part based on empirical work, and use these to revise our curriculum and, simultaneously, our evolving theory of the relations between contexts and disciplinary formalisms. Prior to this study, we completed a first cycle of…

Life cycle assessment of thermal waste-to-energy technologies: review and recommendations.

PubMed

Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard; Tonini, Davide; Turconi, Roberto; Boldrin, Alessio

2015-03-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used extensively within the recent decade to evaluate the environmental performance of thermal Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies: incineration, co-combustion, pyrolysis and gasification. A critical review was carried out involving 250 individual case-studies published in 136 peer-reviewed journal articles within 1995 and 2013. The studies were evaluated with respect to critical aspects such as: (i) goal and scope definitions (e.g. functional units, system boundaries, temporal and geographic scopes), (ii) detailed technology parameters (e.g. related to waste composition, technology, gas cleaning, energy recovery, residue management, and inventory data), and (iii) modeling principles (e.g. energy/mass calculation principles, energy substitution, inclusion of capital goods and uncertainty evaluation). Very few of the published studies provided full and transparent descriptions of all these aspects, in many cases preventing an evaluation of the validity of results, and limiting applicability of data and results in other contexts. The review clearly suggests that the quality of LCA studies of WtE technologies and systems including energy recovery can be significantly improved. Based on the review, a detailed overview of assumptions and modeling choices in existing literature is provided in conjunction with practical recommendations for state-of-the-art LCA of Waste-to-Energy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normalisation in product life cycle assessment: an LCA of the global and European economic systems in the year 2000.

PubMed

Sleeswijk, Anneke Wegener; van Oers, Lauran F C M; Guinée, Jeroen B; Struijs, Jaap; Huijbregts, Mark A J

2008-02-01

In the methodological context of the interpretation of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) results, a normalisation study was performed. 15 impact categories were accounted for, including climate change, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, depletion of fossil energy resources, and land use. The year 2000 was chosen as a reference year, and information was gathered on two spatial levels: the global and the European level. From the 860 environmental interventions collected, 48 interventions turned out to account for at least 75% of the impact scores of all impact categories. All non-toxicity related, emission dependent impacts are fully dominated by the bulk emissions of only 10 substances or substance groups: CO(2), CH(4), SO(2), NO(x), NH(3), PM(10), NMVOC, and (H)CFCs emissions to air and emissions of N- and P-compounds to fresh water. For the toxicity-related emissions (pesticides, organics, metal compounds and some specific inorganics), the availability of information was still very limited, leading to large uncertainty in the corresponding normalisation factors. Apart from their usefulness as a reference for LCA studies, the results of this study stress the importance of efficient measures to combat bulk emissions and to promote the registration of potentially toxic emissions on a more comprehensive scale.

Parallel recovery of consciousness and sleep in acute traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Duclos, Catherine; Dumont, Marie; Arbour, Caroline; Paquet, Jean; Blais, Hélène; Menon, David K; De Beaumont, Louis; Bernard, Francis; Gosselin, Nadia

2017-01-17

To investigate whether the progressive recuperation of consciousness was associated with the reconsolidation of sleep and wake states in hospitalized patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study comprised 30 hospitalized patients (age 29.1 ± 13.5 years) in the acute phase of moderate or severe TBI. Testing started 21.0 ± 13.7 days postinjury. Consciousness level and cognitive functioning were assessed daily with the Rancho Los Amigos scale of cognitive functioning (RLA). Sleep and wake cycle characteristics were estimated with continuous wrist actigraphy. Mixed model analyses were performed on 233 days with the RLA (fixed effect) and sleep-wake variables (random effects). Linear contrast analyses were performed in order to verify if consolidation of the sleep and wake states improved linearly with increasing RLA score. Associations were found between scores on the consciousness/cognitive functioning scale and measures of sleep-wake cycle consolidation (p < 0.001), nighttime sleep duration (p = 0.018), and nighttime fragmentation index (p < 0.001). These associations showed strong linear relationships (p < 0.01 for all), revealing that consciousness and cognition improved in parallel with sleep-wake quality. Consolidated 24-hour sleep-wake cycle occurred when patients were able to give context-appropriate, goal-directed responses. Our results showed that when the brain has not sufficiently recovered a certain level of consciousness, it is also unable to generate a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle and consolidated nighttime sleep. This study contributes to elucidating the pathophysiology of severe sleep-wake cycle alterations in the acute phase of moderate to severe TBI. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

A review of green- and blue-water resources and their trade-offs for future agricultural production in the Amazon Basin: what could irrigated agriculture mean for Amazonia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathuillière, Michael J.; Coe, Michael T.; Johnson, Mark S.

2016-06-01

The Amazon Basin is a region of global importance for the carbon and hydrological cycles, a biodiversity hotspot, and a potential centre for future economic development. The region is also a major source of water vapour recycled into continental precipitation through evapotranspiration processes. This review applies an ecohydrological approach to Amazonia's water cycle by looking at contributions of water resources in the context of future agricultural production. At present, agriculture in the region is primarily rain-fed and relies almost exclusively on green-water resources (soil moisture regenerated by precipitation). Future agricultural development, however, will likely follow pathways that include irrigation from blue-water sources (surface water and groundwater) as insurance from variability in precipitation. In this review, we first provide an updated summary of the green-blue ecohydrological framework before describing past trends in Amazonia's water resources within the context of land use and land cover change. We then describe green- and blue-water trade-offs in light of future agricultural production and potential irrigation to assess costs and benefits to terrestrial ecosystems, particularly land and biodiversity protection, and regional precipitation recycling. Management of green water is needed, particularly at the agricultural frontier located in the headwaters of major tributaries to the Amazon River, and home to key downstream blue-water users and ecosystem services, including domestic and industrial users, as well as aquatic ecosystems.

Exploratory observations of the TRAPPIST-1 system: essential prelude to an immediate JWST follow-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wit, Julien

2016-10-01

Owing to over 1500 hours of monitoring including a recent 20-d long follow-up with the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have now constrained the architecture of TRAPPIST-1's system up to its ice line. There is no doubt left regarding the system uniqueness for Earth-sized comparative planetology and for the search for extrasolar habitats. The present request for DDT will fulfill the urgent need to inform the community about TRAPPIST-1 planets in order to guide their follow-up, notably in the context of the upcoming JWST Cycle 1 proposal. We request 23 HST/WFC3 orbits to assess the presence of extended atmospheres.

Emerging adults without a driver's license engage in more transportation-related physical activity to school/work in certain environmental contexts.

PubMed

Kar, Indra Neal; Li, Kaigang; Haynie, Denise L; Simons-Morton, Bruce G

2017-03-01

The aim was to examine the moderation effect of driving licensure status on the association between different environmental contexts and transportation-related physical activity to and from school and/or work (TPA-SW) among emerging adults. The data were from Wave 4 (n=2026, year 2013) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, an annual assessment of a nationally representative cohort across the nine U.S. Census Divisions. The outcome variable, TPA-SW, was derived from walking or cycling as modes of travel to and from school and/or work. Environmental context variables included residence, college attendance, and work status. Driving licensure status indicated whether or not participants had an independent driver's license. Poisson regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to test interactions between environmental context and driving licensure. There were significant interactions between environmental context and licensure. Interaction contrasts indicated that participants who did not have a driver's license engaged in more TPA-SW than their licensed counterparts if they were living at home (β=1.10, p<0.001), not attending school (β=0.73, p<0.001), attending a technical school/community college (β=1.13, p<0.001), working 1-30 hours/week (β=0.69, p<0.001), or working 30+hours/week (β=1.12, p<0.001). Among non-workers, those without a license engaged in less TPA-SW than participants with a license (β=-0.22, p=0.05). Among emerging adults in certain environmental contexts, delayed driver licensing may result in more physical activity with the possible tradeoff of less transportation mobility. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Emerging Adults without a Driver’s License Engage in More Transportation-Related Physical Activity to School/Work in Certain Environmental Contexts

PubMed Central

Kar, Indra Neal; Li, Kaigang; Haynie, Denise L.; Simons-Morton, Bruce G.

2017-01-01

The aim was to examine the moderation effect of driving licensure status on the association between different environmental contexts and transportation-related physical activity to and from school and/or work (TPA-SW) among emerging adults. The data were from Wave 4 (n = 2,026, year 2013) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, an annual assessment of a nationally representative cohort across the nine U.S. Census Divisions. The outcome variable, TPA-SW, was derived from walking or cycling as modes of travel to and from school and/or work. Environmental context variables included residence, college attendance, and work status. Driving licensure status indicated whether or not participants had an independent driver’s license. Poisson regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to test interactions between environmental context and driving licensure. There were significant interactions between environmental context and licensure. Interaction contrasts indicated that participants who did not have a driver’s license engaged in more TPA-SW than their licensed counterparts if they were living at home (β = 1.10, p < 0.001), not attending school (β = 0.73, p < 0.001), attending a technical school/community college (β = 1.13, p < 0.001), working 1–30 hours/week (β = 0.69, p < 0.001), or working 30+ hours/week (β = 1.12, p < 0.001). Among nonworkers, those without a license engaged in less TPA-SW than participants with a license (β = − 0.22, p = 0.05). Among emerging adults in certain environmental contexts, delayed driver licensing may result in more physical activity with the possible tradeoff of less transportation mobility. PMID:28011136

Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (PERV) – Molecular Structure and Replication Strategy in the Context of Retroviral Infection Risk of Human Cells

PubMed Central

Łopata, Krzysztof; Wojdas, Emilia; Nowak, Roman; Łopata, Paweł; Mazurek, Urszula

2018-01-01

The xenotransplantation of porcine tissues may help overcome the shortage of human organs for transplantation. However, there are some concerns about recipient safety because the risk of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) transmission to human cells remains unknown. Although, to date, no PERV infections have been noted in vivo, the possibility of such infections has been confirmed in vitro. Better understanding of the structure and replication cycle of PERVs is a prerequisite for determining the risk of infection and planning PERV-detection strategies. This review presents the current state of knowledge about the structure and replication cycle of PERVs in the context of retroviral infection risk. PMID:29755422

The Policy Cycle and Vernacular Globalization: A Case Study of the Creation of Vietnam National University--Hochiminh City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minh Ngo, Thanh; Lingard, Bob; Mitchell, Jane

2006-01-01

This article examines the policy cycle and vernacular globalization in the context of higher education reform in Vietnam. Through an analysis of the development of the Vietnam National University--Hochiminh City as part of the post-1986 reconstruction of Vietnamese higher education, the article considers the complex interrelationship between…

Visualizing land-use and management complexity within biogeochemical cycles of an agricultural landscape

Treesearch

Kai Nils Nitzsche; Gernot Verch; Katrin Premke; Arthur Gessler; Zachary Kayler

2016-01-01

Crop fields are cultivated across continuities of soil, topography, and local climate that drive biological processes and nutrient cycling at the landscape scale; yet land management and agricultural research are often performed at the field scale, potentially neglecting the context of the surrounding landscape. Adding to this complexity is the overlap of ecosystems...

What Will Keep Today's Teachers Teaching? Looking for a Hook as a New Career Cycle Emerges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Jason

2008-01-01

Context: Drawing from Ingersoll's (2001) study of teacher attrition, Huberman's (1989) study of the professional life cycle of teachers, and recent retention/attrition literature across the professions, this study seeks to make sense of the complexities of contemporary teachers' careers in light of changes in social and economic forces, the…

Master Volunteer Life Cycle: A Wide Angle Lens on the Volunteer Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strauss, Andrea Lorek; Rager, Amy

2017-01-01

Extension master volunteer programs, such as master naturalist and master gardener, often focus heavily on volunteer education. The model presented here describes the full life cycle of a master volunteer's experience in the program, putting education in the context of other essential program components. By zooming out to a wide-angle view of the…

How to Adapt Chemical Risk Assessment for Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction Related to the Water System.

PubMed

Faber, Ann-Hélène; Annevelink, Mark; Gilissen, Herman Kasper; Schot, Paul; van Rijswick, Marleen; de Voogt, Pim; van Wezel, Annemarie

2017-12-27

We identify uncertainties and knowledge gaps of chemical risk assessment related to unconventional drillings and propose adaptations. We discuss how chemical risk assessment in the context of unconventional oil and gas (UO&G) activities differs from conventional chemical risk assessment and the implications for existing legislation. A UO&G suspect list of 1,386 chemicals that might be expected in the UO&G water samples was prepared which can be used for LC-HRMS suspect screening. We actualize information on reported concentrations in UO&G-related water. Most information relates to shale gas operations, followed by coal-bed methane, while only little is available for tight gas and conventional gas. The limited research on conventional oil and gas recovery hampers comparison whether risks related to unconventional activities are in fact higher than those related to conventional activities. No study analyzed the whole cycle from fracturing fluid, flowback and produced water, and surface water and groundwater. Generally target screening has been used, probably missing contaminants of concern. Almost half of the organic compounds analyzed in surface water and groundwater exceed TTC values, so further risk assessment is needed, and risks cannot be waived. No specific exposure scenarios toward groundwater aquifers exist for UO&G-related activities. Human errors in various stages of the life cycle of UO&G production play an important role in the exposure. Neither at the international level nor at the US federal and the EU levels, specific regulations for UO&G-related activities are in place to protect environmental and human health. UO&G activities are mostly regulated through general environmental, spatial planning, and mining legislation.

Population dynamics and the economics of invasive species management: the greenhouse whitefly in California-grown strawberries.

PubMed

McKee, Gregory J; Goodhue, Rachael E; Zalom, Frank G; Carter, Colin A; Chalfant, James A

2009-01-01

In agriculture, relatively few efficacious control measures may be available for an invasive pest. In the case of a new insect pest, insecticide use decisions are affected by regulations associated with its registration, insect population dynamics, and seasonal market price cycles. We assess the costs and benefits of environmental regulations designed to regulate insecticide applications on an invasive species. We construct a bioeconomic model, based on detailed scientific data, of management decisions for a specific invasion: greenhouse whiteflies in California-grown strawberries. The empirical model integrates whitefly population dynamics, the effect of whitefly feeding on strawberry yields, and weekly strawberry price. We use the model to assess the optimality of alternative treatment programs on a simulated greenhouse whitefly population. Our results show that regulations may lead growers to "under-spray" when placed in an economic context, and provide some general lessons about the design of optimal invasive species control policies.

Cradle-to-Gate Impact Assessment of a High-Pressure Die-Casting Safety-Relevant Automotive Component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cecchel, Silvia; Cornacchia, Giovanna; Panvini, Andrea

2016-09-01

The mass of automotive components has a direct influence on several aspects of vehicle performance, including both fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions, but the real environmental benefit has to be evaluated considering the entire life of the products with a proper life cycle assessment. In this context, the present paper analyzes the environmental burden connected to the production of a safety-relevant aluminum high-pressure die-casting component for commercial vehicles (a suspension cross-beam) considering all the phases connected to its manufacture. The focus on aluminum high-pressure die casting reflects the current trend of the industry and its high energy consumption. This work shows a new method that deeply analyzes every single step of the component's production through the implementation of a wide database of primary data collected thanks to collaborations of some automotive supplier companies. This energy analysis shows significant environmental benefits of aluminum recycling.

Environmental Impacts of Future Urban Deployment of Electric Vehicles: Assessment Framework and Case Study of Copenhagen for 2016-2030.

PubMed

Bohnes, Florence A; Gregg, Jay S; Laurent, Alexis

2017-12-05

To move toward environmentally sustainable transport systems, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly seen as viable alternatives to internal combustion vehicles (ICVs). To ensure effectiveness of such deployment, holistic assessments of environmental impacts can help decision-makers determine optimized urban strategies in a long-term perspective. However, explicit guidance and conduct of such assessments are currently missing. Here, we therefore propose a framework using life cycle assessment that enables the quantification of environmental impacts of a transport system at full urban scale from a fleet-based, foresight perspective. The analysis of the passenger car fleet development in the city of Copenhagen for the years 2016-2030 is used as a proof-of-concept. We modeled and compared five powertrain technologies, and we assessed four fleet-based scenarios for the entire city. Our results showed relative environmental benefits from range-extended and fuel-cell EVs over ICVs and standard EVs. These results were found to be sensitive to local settings, like electricity grid mix, which could alter the relative environmental performances across EV technologies. The comprehensive framework developed here can be applied to other geographic areas and contexts to assess the environmental sustainability of transport systems.

Life-cycle environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction : phase II research report : an extension to the 2005 phase I research report. Module N, Life-cycle inventory of manufacturing prefinished engineered wood flooring in the eastern United States

Treesearch

Richard D. Bergman; Scott A. Bowe

2011-01-01

This study summarizes the environmental performance of prefinished engineered wood flooring using life-cycle inventory (LCI) analysis. Using primary mill data gathered from manufacturers in the eastern United States and applying the methods found in Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) Research Guidelines and International Organization of...

Promoting Collaboration in a Project-Based E-Learning Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanikolaou, Kyparisia; Boubouka, Maria

2011-01-01

In this paper we investigate the value of collaboration scripts for promoting metacognitive knowledge in a project-based e-learning context. In an empirical study, 82 students worked individually and in groups on a project using the e-learning environment MyProject, in which the life cycle of a project is inherent. Students followed a particular…

Policy Enactment, Context and Performativity: Ontological Politics and Researching Australian National Partnership Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Parlo; Heimans, Stephen; Glasswell, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Recently, critical policy scholars have used the concepts of enactment, context and performativity as an analytic toolkit to illuminate the complex processes of the policy cycle, in particular, the ways in which a multitude of official education reform policies are taken up, challenged and/or resisted by actors in local, situation-specific…

Walkability parameters, active transportation and objective physical activity: moderating and mediating effects of motor vehicle ownership in a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Neighborhood walkability has been associated with physical activity in several studies. However, as environmental correlates of physical activity may be context specific, walkability parameters need to be investigated separately in various countries and contexts. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which walkability affects physical activity have been less investigated. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that vehicle ownership is a potential mediator. We investigated the associations between walkability parameters and physical activity, and the mediating and moderating effects of vehicle ownership on these associations in a large sample of Swedish adults. Methods Residential density, street connectivity and land use mix were assessed within polygon-based network buffers (using Geographic Information Systems) for 2,178 men and women. Time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity was assessed by accelerometers, and walking and cycling for transportation were assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Associations were examined by linear regression and adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. The product of coefficients approach was used to investigate the mediating effect of vehicle ownership. Results Residential density and land use mix, but not street connectivity, were significantly associated with time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and walking for transportation. Cycling for transportation was not associated with any of the walkability parameters. Vehicle ownership mediated a significant proportion of the association between the walkability parameters and physical activity outcomes. For residential density, vehicle ownership mediated 25% of the association with moderate to vigorous physical activity and 20% of the association with the amount of walking for transportation. For land use mix, the corresponding proportions were 34% and 14%. Vehicle ownership did not moderate any of the associations between the walkability parameters and physical activity outcomes. Conclusions Residential density and land use mix were associated with time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and walking for transportation. Vehicle ownership was a mediator but not a moderator of these associations. The present findings may be useful for policy makers and city planners when designing neighborhoods that promote physical activity. PMID:23035633

Walkability parameters, active transportation and objective physical activity: moderating and mediating effects of motor vehicle ownership in a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Eriksson, Ulf; Arvidsson, Daniel; Gebel, Klaus; Ohlsson, Henrik; Sundquist, Kristina

2012-10-05

Neighborhood walkability has been associated with physical activity in several studies. However, as environmental correlates of physical activity may be context specific, walkability parameters need to be investigated separately in various countries and contexts. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which walkability affects physical activity have been less investigated. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that vehicle ownership is a potential mediator. We investigated the associations between walkability parameters and physical activity, and the mediating and moderating effects of vehicle ownership on these associations in a large sample of Swedish adults. Residential density, street connectivity and land use mix were assessed within polygon-based network buffers (using Geographic Information Systems) for 2,178 men and women. Time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity was assessed by accelerometers, and walking and cycling for transportation were assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Associations were examined by linear regression and adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics. The product of coefficients approach was used to investigate the mediating effect of vehicle ownership. Residential density and land use mix, but not street connectivity, were significantly associated with time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and walking for transportation. Cycling for transportation was not associated with any of the walkability parameters. Vehicle ownership mediated a significant proportion of the association between the walkability parameters and physical activity outcomes. For residential density, vehicle ownership mediated 25% of the association with moderate to vigorous physical activity and 20% of the association with the amount of walking for transportation. For land use mix, the corresponding proportions were 34% and 14%. Vehicle ownership did not moderate any of the associations between the walkability parameters and physical activity outcomes. Residential density and land use mix were associated with time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and walking for transportation. Vehicle ownership was a mediator but not a moderator of these associations. The present findings may be useful for policy makers and city planners when designing neighborhoods that promote physical activity.

Implementation of multidimensional knowledge translation strategies to improve procedural pain in hospitalized children.

PubMed

Stevens, Bonnie J; Yamada, Janet; Promislow, Sara; Stinson, Jennifer; Harrison, Denise; Victor, J Charles

2014-11-25

Despite extensive research, institutional policies, and practice guidelines, procedural pain remains undertreated in hospitalized children. Knowledge translation (KT) strategies have been employed to bridge the research to practice gap with varying success. The most effective single or combination of KT strategies has not been found. A multifaceted KT intervention, Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality (EPIQ), that included tailored KT strategies was effective in improving pain practices and clinical outcomes at the unit level in a prospective comparative cohort study in 32 hospital units (16 EPIQ intervention and 16 Standard Care), in eight pediatric hospitals in Canada. In a study of the 16 EPIQ units (two at each hospital) only, the objectives were to: determine the effectiveness of evidence-based KT strategies implemented to achieve unit aims; describe the KT strategies implemented and their influence on pain assessment and management across unit types; and identify facilitators and barriers to their implementation. Data were collected from each EPIQ intervention unit on targeted pain practices and KT strategies implemented, through chart review and a process evaluation checklist, following four intervention cycles over a 15-month period. Following the completion of the four cycle intervention, 78% of 23 targeted pain practice aims across units were achieved within 80% of the stated aims. A statistically significant improvement was found in the proportion of children receiving pain assessment and management, regardless of pre-determined aims (p < 0.001). The median number of KT strategies implemented was 35 and included reminders, educational outreach and materials, and audit and feedback. Units successful in achieving their aims implemented more KT strategies than units that did not. No specific type of single or combination of KT strategies was more effective in improving pain assessment and management outcomes. Tailoring KT strategies to unit context, support from unit leadership, staff engagement, and dedicated time and resources were identified as facilitating effective implementation of the strategies. Further research is required to better understand implementation outcomes, such as feasibility and fidelity, how context influences the effectiveness of multifaceted KT strategies, and the sustainability of improved pain practices and outcomes over time.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHOD AND U.S. NORMALIZATION DATABASE FOR LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY METRICS

EPA Science Inventory

Normalization is an optional step within Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) that may be used to assist in the interpretation of life cycle inventory data as well as, life cycle impact assessment results. Normalization transforms the magnitude of LCI and LCIA results into relati...

Holistic impact assessment and cost savings of rainwater harvesting at the watershed scale

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated the impacts of domestic and agricultural rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in three watersheds within the Albemarle-Pamlico river basin (southeastern U.S.) using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost assessment. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) categori...

Cell cycle regulation in human embryonic stem cells: links to adaptation to cell culture.

PubMed

Barta, Tomas; Dolezalova, Dasa; Holubcova, Zuzana; Hampl, Ales

2013-03-01

Cell cycle represents not only a tightly orchestrated mechanism of cell replication and cell division but it also plays an important role in regulation of cell fate decision. Particularly in the context of pluripotent stem cells or multipotent progenitor cells, regulation of cell fate decision is of paramount importance. It has been shown that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) show unique cell cycle characteristics, such as short doubling time due to abbreviated G1 phase; these properties change with the onset of differentiation. This review summarizes the current understanding of cell cycle regulation in hESCs. We discuss cell cycle properties as well as regulatory machinery governing cell cycle progression of undifferentiated hESCs. Additionally, we provide evidence that long-term culture of hESCs is accompanied by changes in cell cycle properties as well as configuration of several cell cycle regulatory molecules.

A case study by life cycle assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuyun

2017-05-01

This article aims to assess the potential environmental impact of an electrical grinder during its life cycle. The Life Cycle Inventory Analysis was conducted based on the Simplified Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) Drivers that calculated from the Valuation of Social Cost and Simplified Life Cycle Assessment Model (VSSM). The detailed results for LCI can be found under Appendix II. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment was performed based on Eco-indicator 99 method. The analysis results indicated that the major contributor to the environmental impact as it accounts for over 60% overall SLCA output. In which, 60% of the emission resulted from the logistic required for the maintenance activities. This was measured by conducting the hotspot analysis. After performing sensitivity analysis, it is evidenced that changing fuel type results in significant decrease environmental footprint. The environmental benefit can also be seen from the negative output values of the recycling activities. By conducting Life Cycle Assessment analysis, the potential environmental impact of the electrical grinder was investigated.

Effect of soil in nutrient cycle assessment at dairy farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Maricke; de Boer, Imke; van Dam, Jos; van Middelaar, Corina; Stoof, Cathelijne

2016-04-01

Annual farm nutrient cycle assessments give valuable insight in the nutrient cycles and nutrient losses at dairy farms. It describes nutrient use efficiencies for the entire farm and for the underlying components cattle, manure, crops and soil. In many modelling studies, soil is kept as a constant factor, while soil quality is vital for soil functioning of the ecosystem. Improving soil quality will improve the nutrient cycle, and will also have positive effect on the soil functions crop production, water cycling and greenhouse gas mitigation. Spatial variation of soil properties within a farm, however, are not included in annual nutrient cycle assessments. Therefore it is impossible to identify fields where most profit can be gained by improving farm management at field level, and it is not possible to identify and to quantify nutrient flow path ways. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to improve the annual nutrient cycle assessment at Dutch dairy farms, by including soil properties and their spatial variation within farms. Soil type and soil quality will be described by visual soil assessment of soil quality characteristics. The visual observations will be linked to the nutrient cycle assessment, using soil-hydrological model SWAP. We will demonstrate how soil quality at field level can impact on crop production, eutrophication potential and greenhouse gas potential at farm level. Also, we will show how this framework can be used by farmers to improve their farm management. This new approach is focusing on annual nutrient cycle assessment, but could also be used in life cycle assessment. It will improve understanding of soil functioning and dairy farm management.

Implementing the 4D cycle of appreciative inquiry in health care: a methodological review.

PubMed

Trajkovski, Suza; Schmied, Virginia; Vickers, Margaret; Jackson, Debra

2013-06-01

To examine and critique how the phases of the 4D cycle (Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny) of appreciative inquiry are implemented in a healthcare context. Appreciative inquiry is a theoretical research perspective, an emerging research methodology and a world view that builds on action research, organizational learning, and organizational change. Increasing numbers of articles published provide insights and learning into its theoretical and philosophical underpinnings. Many articles describe appreciative inquiry and the outcomes of their studies; however, there is a gap in the literature examining the approaches commonly used to implement the 4D cycle in a healthcare context. A methodological review following systematic principles. A methodological review was conducted including articles from the inception of appreciative inquiry in 1986 to the time of writing this review in November, 2011. Key database searches included CINAHL, Emerald, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. A methodological review following systematic principles was undertaken. Studies were included if they described in detail the methods used to implement the 4D cycle of appreciative inquiry in a healthcare context. Nine qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Results highlighted that appreciative inquiry application is unique and varied between studies. The 4D phases were not rigid steps and were adapted to the setting and participants. Overall, participant enthusiasm and commitment were highlighted suggesting appreciative inquiry was mostly positively perceived by participants. Appreciative inquiry provides a positive way forward shifting from problems to solutions offering a new way of practicing in health care and health research. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

On the Stable Limit Cycle of a Weight-Driven Pendulum Clock

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llibre, J; Teixeira, M. A.

2010-01-01

In a recent paper (Denny 2002 Eur. J. Phys. 23 449-58), entitled "The pendulum clock: a venerable dynamical system", Denny showed that in a first approximation the steady-state motion of a weight-driven pendulum clock is shown to be a stable limit cycle. He placed the problem in a historical context and obtained an approximate solution using the…

Economic Analysis of Continued Education by Holders of Short-Cycle Technical Diplomas in French Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gendron, Benedicte

2006-01-01

In a context of fierce competition in the labour market and employment system, the decision to continue studying after completing French short-cycle higher vocational education must be distinguished from the simple individual decision for optimum allocation of resources postulated by standard human-resource theory. It has much more to do with a…

Uterine uptake of iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine during the menstrual phase of uterine cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bomanji, J.; Britton, K.E.

Radioiodinated I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) has been used for diagnostic purposes for detection of apudomas. In this paper normal physiological uptake of I-123 MIBG by the uterus during the menstrual phase of the uterine cycle is reported. It is likely that I-123 MIBG can be used to evaluate some of the problems in this context.

NASA's Carbon Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project: A Multi-Component Analysis System for Carbon-Cycle Research and Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, S.; Gunson, M.; Potter, C.; Jucks, K.

2012-01-01

The importance of greenhouse gas increases for climate motivates NASA s observing strategy for CO2 from space, including the forthcoming Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) mission. Carbon cycle monitoring, including attribution of atmospheric concentrations to regional emissions and uptake, requires a robust modeling and analysis infrastructure to optimally extract information from the observations. NASA's Carbon-Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project (FPP) is a prototype for such analysis, combining a set of unique tools to facilitate analysis of atmospheric CO2 along with fluxes between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere or ocean. NASA's analysis system is unique, in that it combines information and expertise from the land, oceanic, and atmospheric branches of the carbon cycle and includes some estimates of uncertainty. Numerous existing space-based missions provide information of relevance to the carbon cycle. This study describes the components of the FPP framework, assessing the realism of computed fluxes, thus providing the basis for research and monitoring applications. Fluxes are computed using data-constrained terrestrial biosphere models and physical ocean models, driven by atmospheric observations and assimilating ocean-color information. Use of two estimates provides a measure of uncertainty in the fluxes. Along with inventories of other emissions, these data-derived fluxes are used in transport models to assess their consistency with atmospheric CO2 observations. Closure is achieved by using a four-dimensional data assimilation (inverse) approach that adjusts the terrestrial biosphere fluxes to make them consistent with the atmospheric CO2 observations. Results will be shown, illustrating the year-to-year variations in land biospheric and oceanic fluxes computed in the FPP. The signals of these surface-flux variations on atmospheric CO2 will be isolated using forward modeling tools, which also incorporate estimates of transport error. The results will be discussed in the context of interannual variability of observed atmospheric CO2 distributions.

Interpersonal Coordination and Individual Organization Combined with Shared Phenomenological Experience in Rowing Performance: Two Case Studies

PubMed Central

Seifert, Ludovic; Lardy, Julien; Bourbousson, Jérôme; Adé, David; Nordez, Antoine; Thouvarecq, Régis; Saury, Jacques

2017-01-01

The principal aim of this study was to examine the impact of variability in interpersonal coordination and individual organization on rowing performance. The second aim was to analyze crew phenomenology in order to understand how rowers experience their joint actions when coping with constraints emerging from the race. We conducted a descriptive and exploratory study of two coxless pair crews during a 3000-m rowing race against the clock. As the investigation was performed in an ecological context, we postulated that our understanding of the behavioral dynamics of interpersonal coordination and individual organization and the variability in performance would be enriched through the analysis of crew phenomenology. The behavioral dynamics of individual organization were assessed at kinematic and kinetic levels, and interpersonal coordination was examined by computing the relative phase between oar angles and oar forces and the difference in the oar force impulse of the two rowers. The inter-cycle variability of the behavioral dynamics of one international and one national crew was evaluated by computing the root mean square and the Cauchy index. Inter-cycle variability was considered significantly high when the behavioral and performance data for each cycle were outside of the confidence interval. Crew phenomenology was characterized on the basis of self-confrontation interviews and the rowers' concerns were then analyzed according to course-of-action methodology to identify the shared experiences. Our findings showed that greater behavioral variability could be either “perturbing” or “functional” depending on its impact on performance (boat velocity); the rowers experienced it as sometimes meaningful and sometimes meaningless; and their experiences were similar or diverging. By combining phenomenological and behavioral data, we explain how constraints not manipulated by an experimenter but emerging from the ecological context of a race can be associated with functional adaptations or perturbations of the interpersonal coordination. PMID:28194127

ERP system implementation in SMEs: exploring the influences of the SME context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zach, Ondrej; Munkvold, Bjørn Erik; Håkon Olsen, Dag

2014-03-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Compared to large enterprises, SMEs differ in a number of inherent characteristics, which are likely to impact the ERP system implementations. The purpose of this study is to explore these influences of the SME context on the ERP system implementation process. SME characteristics are synthesised from relevant literature and the influences of the contextual factors on various activities across the ERP life cycle are investigated. The study presents findings from a multiple case study of four SMEs. The ownership type of the companies and limited resources were identified as the most influential contextual factors. Among the ERP life-cycle phases, the implementation phase was affected most by the SME context. The case studies also illustrate the need for a more nuanced view on what should be considered general characteristics of SMEs; for example, regarding the level of IS knowledge, business processes, and market characteristics.

Selecting Teaching Practice Schools across Social Contexts: Conceptual and Policy Challenges from South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Maureen

2014-01-01

In a country like South Africa, as in many other countries around the world, there is an imperative to prepare student teachers for a wide variety of social contexts, as part of breaking the cycle of disadvantage for poor learners. This article explores the challenge of placing student teachers for their field experience in schools that differ…

Methodology. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-02-01

modification, test, and production System operation, support, and maturation Weapon System Life Cycle Management Weapon systems Attainment...information management systems • Weapon systems electronics context – Focuses on many types of interactions » Information » Jamming » Support – Deals with...concepts • C4I context – Focuses on C4I information management systems – Defines the C4I systems and their information interchange requirements

A Decision Analytic Approach to Exposure-Based Chemical Prioritization

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Jade; Pabon, Nicolas; Collier, Zachary A.; Egeghy, Peter P.; Cohen-Hubal, Elaine; Linkov, Igor; Vallero, Daniel A.

2013-01-01

The manufacture of novel synthetic chemicals has increased in volume and variety, but often the environmental and health risks are not fully understood in terms of toxicity and, in particular, exposure. While efforts to assess risks have generally been effective when sufficient data are available, the hazard and exposure data necessary to assess risks adequately are unavailable for the vast majority of chemicals in commerce. The US Environmental Protection Agency has initiated the ExpoCast Program to develop tools for rapid chemical evaluation based on potential for exposure. In this context, a model is presented in which chemicals are evaluated based on inherent chemical properties and behaviorally-based usage characteristics over the chemical’s life cycle. These criteria are assessed and integrated within a decision analytic framework, facilitating rapid assessment and prioritization for future targeted testing and systems modeling. A case study outlines the prioritization process using 51 chemicals. The results show a preliminary relative ranking of chemicals based on exposure potential. The strength of this approach is the ability to integrate relevant statistical and mechanistic data with expert judgment, allowing for an initial tier assessment that can further inform targeted testing and risk management strategies. PMID:23940664

Role of mu, but not delta or kappa, opioid receptors in context-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking.

PubMed

Bossert, Jennifer M; Hoots, Jennifer K; Fredriksson, Ida; Adhikary, Sweta; Zhang, Michelle; Venniro, Marco; Shaham, Yavin

2018-05-19

Relapse to nonmedical use of prescription opioids often occurs after exposure to places previously associated with drug use. Here, we describe a rat model of context-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking after repeated cycles of drug self-administration and extinction-induced abstinence. We also determined the role of mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors (MOR, DOR, KOR) in this reinstatement. We trained rats to self-administer oxycodone for 6 h/d in Context A; lever pressing was paired with a discrete cue. Next, we extinguished the lever pressing in the presence of the discrete cue in Context B and then tested the rats for reinstatement of oxycodone seeking in both contexts. We retrained rats to self-administer oxycodone in Context A, re-extinguished their lever pressing in Context B, and retested them for reinstatement in both contexts. Prior to testing, we injected the rats with vehicle or antagonists of MOR (naltrexone; 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg), DOR (naltrindole; 7.5 or 15 mg/kg), or KOR (LY2456302; 5 or 10 mg/kg). We also tested the effect of naltrexone, naltrindole, and LY2456302 on oxycodone self-administration under fixed-ratio-1 (FR1) and progressive-ratio (PR) reinforcement schedules. We observed context-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking after repeated cycles of drug self-administration and extinction. Naltrexone, but not naltrindole or LY2456302, injections decreased this reinstatement. Additionally, naltrexone increased oxycodone self-administration under the FR1 schedule and decreased oxycodone self-administration under the PR schedule; naltrindole and LY2456302 were ineffective. Results demonstrate a critical role of MOR, but not DOR or KOR, in context-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking and oxycodone self-administration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Life Cycle Assessment for Biofuels

EPA Science Inventory

A presentation based on life cycle assessment (LCA) for biofuels is given. The presentation focuses on energy and biofuels, interesting environmental aspects of biofuels, and how to do a life cycle assessment with some examples related to biofuel systems. The stages of a (biofuel...

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

EPA Science Inventory

The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. This document is an update and merger of two previous EPA documents on LCA ("Life Cycle Assessment: Inventory Guidelines and Princip...

A Review of Current Investigations of Urban-Induced Rainfall and Recommendations for the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, J. Marshall

2004-01-01

Precipitation is a key link in the global water cycle and a proxy for changing climate; therefore proper assessment of the urban environment s impact on precipitation (land use, aerosols, thermal properties) will be increasingly important in ongoing climate diagnostics and prediction, Global Water and Energy Cycle (GWEC) analysis and modeling, weather forecasting, freshwater resource management, urban planning-design and land-atmosphere-ocean interface processes. These facts are particularly critical if current projections for global urban growth are accurate. The goal of this paper is to provide a concise review of recent (1990-present) studies related to how the urban environment affects precipitation. In addition to providing a synopsis of current work, recent findings are placed in context with historical investigations such as METROMEX studies. Both observational and modeling studies of urban-induced rainfall are discussed. Additionally, a discussion of the relative roles of urban dynamic and microphysical (e.g. aerosol) processes is presented. The paper closes with a set of recommendations for what observations and capabilities are needed in the future to advance our understanding of the processes.

[The impact of human activities on the dynamics of phosphorus in the environment and its effect on public health].

PubMed

de Quevedo, Claudia Maria Gomes; Paganini, Wanderley da Silva

2011-08-01

Phosphorus is a nutrient with finite and non-renewable sources, the speed of exploitation of which is currently far higher than the rates of return to its natural cycle. It is already being predicted that available and known sources will soon be exhausted, with serious and irreversible economic, social and environmental impacts. In this context, this study sets out to present information about the dynamics of phosphorus in the environment, assessing the impacts caused by human activities and establishing what actions might contribute to preservation of the nutrient cycle. To contribute to enhanced understanding of the topic, the evolution of data on population density, the number of industries and the extension of cultivated areas in a river basin, was studied over 22 years in relation to concentrations of phosphorus in water and sediment. The Tietê River was used for the case study. The results revealed that the control of domestic effluent, especially the amount of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) used in detergents and soap products, is of major importance for improving water quality, ensuring environmental protection and safeguarding public health.

Global warming potential of pavements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santero, Nicholas J.; Horvath, Arpad

2009-09-01

Pavements comprise an essential and vast infrastructure system supporting our transportation network, yet their impact on the environment is largely unquantified. Previous life-cycle assessments have only included a limited number of the applicable life-cycle components in their analysis. This research expands the current view to include eight different components: materials extraction and production, transportation, onsite equipment, traffic delay, carbonation, lighting, albedo, and rolling resistance. Using global warming potential as the environmental indicator, ranges of potential impact for each component are calculated and compared based on the information uncovered in the existing research. The relative impacts between components are found to be orders of magnitude different in some cases. Context-related factors, such as traffic level and location, are also important elements affecting the impacts of a given component. A strategic method for lowering the global warming potential of a pavement is developed based on the concept that environmental performance is improved most effectively by focusing on components with high impact potentials. This system takes advantage of the fact that small changes in high-impact components will have more effect than large changes in low-impact components.

How do trained raters take context factors into account when assessing GP trainee communication performance? An exploratory, qualitative study.

PubMed

Essers, Geurt; Dielissen, Patrick; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees; van Dulmen, Sandra; Kramer, Anneke

2015-03-01

Communication assessment in real-life consultations is a complex task. Generic assessment instruments help but may also have disadvantages. The generic nature of the skills being assessed does not provide indications for context-specific behaviour required in practice situations; context influences are mostly taken into account implicitly. Our research questions are: 1. What factors do trained raters observe when rating workplace communication? 2. How do they take context factors into account when rating communication performance with a generic rating instrument? Nineteen general practitioners (GPs), trained in communication assessment with a generic rating instrument (the MAAS-Global), participated in a think-aloud protocol reflecting concurrent thought processes while assessing videotaped real-life consultations. They were subsequently interviewed to answer questions explicitly asking them to comment on the influence of predefined contextual factors on the assessment process. Results from both data sources were analysed. We used a grounded theory approach to untangle the influence of context factors on GP communication and on communication assessment. Both from the think-aloud procedure and from the interviews we identified various context factors influencing communication, which were categorised into doctor-related (17), patient-related (13), consultation-related (18), and education-related factors (18). Participants had different views and practices on how to incorporate context factors into the GP(-trainee) communication assessment. Raters acknowledge that context factors may affect communication in GP consultations, but struggle with how to take contextual influences into account when assessing communication performance in an educational context. To assess practice situations, raters need extra guidance on how to handle specific contextual factors.

Oxaloacetate-to-malate conversion by mineral photoelectrochemistry: implications for the viability of the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle in prebiotic chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzman, Marcelo I.; Martin, Scot T.

2008-10-01

The carboxylic acids produced by the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle are possibly a biosynthetic core of initial life, although several steps such as the reductive kinetics of oxaloacetate (OAA) to malate (MA) are problematic by conventional chemical routes. In this context, we studied the kinetics of this reaction as promoted by ZnS mineral photoelectrochemistry. The quantum efficiency φMA of MA production from the photoelectrochemical reduction of OAA followed φMA=0.13 [OAA] (2.1×10-3+[OAA])-1 and was independent of temperature (5 to 50°C). To evaluate the importance of this forward rate under a prebiotic scenario, we also studied the temperature-dependent rate of the backward thermal decarboxylation of OAA to pyruvate (PA), which followed an Arrhenius behavior as log (k-2)=11.74 4956/T, where k-2 is in units of s-1. These measured rates were employed in conjunction with the indirectly estimated carboxylation rate of PA to OAA to assess the possible importance of mineral photoelectrochemistry in the conversion of OAA to MA under several scenarios of prebiotic conditions on early Earth. As an example, our analysis shows that there is 90% efficiency with a forward velocity of 3 yr/cycle for the OAA→MA step of the rTCA cycle at 280 K. Efficiency and velocity both decrease for increasing temperature. These results suggest high viability for mineral photoelectrochemistry as an enzyme-free engine to drive the rTCA cycle through the early aeons of early Earth, at least for the investigated OAA→MA step.

Tracking the evolutionary rise of C4 metabolism.

PubMed

Sage, Rowan F

2016-05-01

Upregulation of the C4 metabolic cycle is a major step in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Why this happened remains unclear, in part because of difficulties measuring the C4 cycle in situ in C3-C4 intermediate species. Now, Alonso-Cantabrana and von Caemmerer (2016) have described a new approach for quantifying C4 cycle activity, thereby providing the means to analyze its upregulation in an evolutionary context. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Life cycle environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction : phase II research report: an extension to the 2005 phase I research report. Module D, Life cycle inventory of softwood lumber manufacturing in the Northeastern and North Central United States.

Treesearch

Richard D. Bergman; Scott A. Bowe

2009-01-01

The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of the environmental impact for softwood lumber production through a gate-to-gate life-cycle inventory (LCI) of softwood sawmills in the northeastern and north central United States (NE/NC). Primary mill data were collected per Consortium on Research for Renewable Industrial Material (CORRIM) Research Guidelines (...

Alberta Carpenter | NREL

Science.gov Websites

cycle assessment in industrial by-product management, waste management, biofuels and manufacturing technologies Life cycle inventory database management Research Interests Life cycle assessment Life cycle inventory management Biofuels Advanced manufacturing Supply chain analysis Education Ph.D in environmental

Efficient and flexible memory architecture to alleviate data and context bandwidth bottlenecks of coarse-grained reconfigurable arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chen; Liu, LeiBo; Yin, ShouYi; Wei, ShaoJun

2014-12-01

The computational capability of a coarse-grained reconfigurable array (CGRA) can be significantly restrained due to data and context memory bandwidth bottlenecks. Traditionally, two methods have been used to resolve this problem. One method loads the context into the CGRA at run time. This method occupies very small on-chip memory but induces very large latency, which leads to low computational efficiency. The other method adopts a multi-context structure. This method loads the context into the on-chip context memory at the boot phase. Broadcasting the pointer of a set of contexts changes the hardware configuration on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The size of the context memory induces a large area overhead in multi-context structures, which results in major restrictions on application complexity. This paper proposes a Predictable Context Cache (PCC) architecture to address the above context issues by buffering the context inside a CGRA. In this architecture, context is dynamically transferred into the CGRA. Utilizing a PCC significantly reduces the on-chip context memory and the complexity of the applications running on the CGRA is no longer restricted by the size of the on-chip context memory. Data preloading is the most frequently used approach to hide input data latency and speed up the data transmission process for the data bandwidth issue. Rather than fundamentally reducing the amount of input data, the transferred data and computations are processed in parallel. However, the data preloading method cannot work efficiently because data transmission becomes the critical path as the reconfigurable array scale increases. This paper also presents a Hierarchical Data Memory (HDM) architecture as a solution to the efficiency problem. In this architecture, high internal bandwidth is provided to buffer both reused input data and intermediate data. The HDM architecture relieves the external memory from the data transfer burden so that the performance is significantly improved. As a result of using PCC and HDM, experiments running mainstream video decoding programs achieved performance improvements of 13.57%-19.48% when there was a reasonable memory size. Therefore, 1080p@35.7fps for H.264 high profile video decoding can be achieved on PCC and HDM architecture when utilizing a 200 MHz working frequency. Further, the size of the on-chip context memory no longer restricted complex applications, which were efficiently executed on the PCC and HDM architecture.

Mortality Salience, System Justification, and Candidate Evaluations in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

PubMed Central

Sterling, Joanna; Jost, John T.; Shrout, Patrick E.

2016-01-01

Experiments conducted during the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections suggested that mortality salience primes increased support for President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain, respectively. Some interpreted these results as reflecting “conservative shift” following exposure to threat, whereas others emphasized preferences for “charismatic” leadership following exposure to death primes. To assess both hypotheses in the context of a new election cycle featuring a liberal incumbent who was considered to be charismatic, we conducted four experiments shortly before the 2012 election involving President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Contrary to earlier studies, there was little evidence that mortality salience, either by itself or in interaction with political orientation, affected overall candidate ratings or voting intentions. However, a significant interaction between mortality salience and system justification in some studies indicated a more circumscribed effect. The failure to “replicate” previous results in the context of this election may be attributable to disagreement among participants as to which of the candidates better represented the societal status quo. PMID:26982197

Polylactic acid trays for fresh-food packaging: A Carbon Footprint assessment.

PubMed

Ingrao, Carlo; Tricase, Caterina; Cholewa-Wójcik, Agnieszka; Kawecka, Agnieszka; Rana, Roberto; Siracusa, Valentina

2015-12-15

This paper discusses application of Carbon Footprint (CF) for quantification of the 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP100) associated with the life cycle of polylactic acid (PLA) trays for packaging of fresh foods. A comparison with polystyrene (PS)-based trays was done considering two different transport system scenarios for PLA-granule supply to the tray production firm: a transoceanic freight vessel and an intercontinental freight aircraft. Doing so enabled estimation of the influence of the transportation phase on the GHG-emission rate associated with the PLA-trays' life cycle. From the assessment, the GWP100 resulted to be mainly due to PLA-granulate production and to its transportation to the tray manufacturing facility. Also, the study documented that, depending upon the transport system considered, the CF associated with the life cycle of the PLA trays can worsen so much that the latter are no longer GHG-emission saving as they are expected to be compared to the PS ones. Therefore, based upon the findings of the study, it was possible for the authors to understand the importance and the need of accounting for the transport-related issues in the design of PLA-based products, thus preserving their environmental soundness compared to traditional petroleum-based products. In this context, the study could be used as the base to reconsider the merits of PLA usage for product manufacturing, especially when high distances are implied, as in this analysed case. So, the authors believe that new research and policy frameworks should be designed and implemented for both development and promotion of more globally sustainable options. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic assessment of nonlinear typical section aeroviscoelastic systems using fractional derivative-based viscoelastic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sales, T. P.; Marques, Flávio D.; Pereira, Daniel A.; Rade, Domingos A.

2018-06-01

Nonlinear aeroelastic systems are prone to the appearance of limit cycle oscillations, bifurcations, and chaos. Such problems are of increasing concern in aircraft design since there is the need to control nonlinear instabilities and improve safety margins, at the same time as aircraft are subjected to increasingly critical operational conditions. On the other hand, in spite of the fact that viscoelastic materials have already been successfully used for the attenuation of undesired vibrations in several types of mechanical systems, a small number of research works have addressed the feasibility of exploring the viscoelastic effect to improve the behavior of nonlinear aeroelastic systems. In this context, the objective of this work is to assess the influence of viscoelastic materials on the aeroelastic features of a three-degrees-of-freedom typical section with hardening structural nonlinearities. The equations of motion are derived accounting for the presence of viscoelastic materials introduced in the resilient elements associated to each degree-of-freedom. A constitutive law based on fractional derivatives is adopted, which allows the modeling of temperature-dependent viscoelastic behavior in time and frequency domains. The unsteady aerodynamic loading is calculated based on the classical linear potential theory for arbitrary airfoil motion. The aeroelastic behavior is investigated through time domain simulations, and subsequent frequency transformations, from which bifurcations are identified from diagrams of limit cycle oscillations amplitudes versus airspeed. The influence of the viscoelastic effect on the aeroelastic behavior, for different values of temperature, is also investigated. The numerical simulations show that viscoelastic damping can increase the flutter speed and reduce the amplitudes of limit cycle oscillations. These results prove the potential that viscoelastic materials have to increase aircraft components safety margins regarding aeroelastic stability.

Forecasting of wet snow avalanche activity: Proof of concept and operational implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobiet, Andreas; Jöbstl, Lisa; Rieder, Hannes; Bellaire, Sascha; Mitterer, Christoph

2017-04-01

State-of-the-art tools for the operational assessment of avalanche danger include field observations, recordings from automatic weather stations, meteorological analyses and forecasts, and recently also indices derived from snowpack models. In particular, an index for identifying the onset of wet-snow avalanche cycles (LWCindex), has been demonstrated to be useful. However, its value for operational avalanche forecasting is currently limited, since detailed, physically based snowpack models are usually driven by meteorological data from automatic weather stations only and have therefore no prognostic ability. Since avalanche risk management heavily relies on timely information and early warnings, many avalanche services in Europe nowadays start issuing forecasts for the following days, instead of the traditional assessment of the current avalanche danger. In this context, the prognostic operation of detailed snowpack models has recently been objective of extensive research. In this study a new, observationally constrained setup for forecasting the onset of wet-snow avalanche cycles with the detailed snow cover model SNOWPACK is presented and evaluated. Based on data from weather stations and different numerical weather prediction models, we demonstrate that forecasts of the LWCindex as indicator for wet-snow avalanche cycles can be useful for operational warning services, but is so far not reliable enough to be used as single warning tool without considering other factors. Therefore, further development currently focuses on the improvement of the forecasts by applying ensemble techniques and suitable post processing approaches to the output of numerical weather prediction models. In parallel, the prognostic meteo-snow model chain is operationally used by two regional avalanche warning services in Austria since winter 2016/2017 for the first time. Experiences from the first operational season and first results from current model developments will be reported.

Conceptional Considerations to Energy Balance and Global Warming Potential of Soil Bioengineering Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von der Thannen, Magdalena; Paratscha, Roman; Smutny, Roman; Lampalzer, Thomas; Strauss, Alfred; Rauch, Hans Peter

2016-04-01

Nowadays there is a high demand on engineering solutions considering not only technical aspects but also ecological and aesthetic values. In this context soil bioengineering techniques are often used as standalone solutions or in combination with conventional engineering structures. It is a construction technique that uses biological components for hydraulic and civil engineering solutions. In general it pursues the same objectives as conventional civil engineering structures. Currently the used assessment methods for soil bioengineering structures are referencing technically, ecologically and socio-economically. In a modern engineering approach additionally, environmental impacts and potential added values should be considered. The research project E-Protect aims at developing Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models for this special field of alpine protective constructions. Both, the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) and the Global Warming Potential (GWP) should be considered in an Environmental LCA over the whole life cycle of an engineering structure. The life cycle itself can be divided into three phases: the construction phase, the use phase and the end of life phase. The paper represents a concept to apply an Environmental LCA model for soil bioengineering structures. Beside the construction phase of these structures particular attention will be given to the use phase. It is not only important in terms of engineering effects but also plays an important role for positive carbon footprint due to the growing plants of soil bioengineering structures in contrast to conventional structures. Innovative Environmental LCA models will be applied to soil bioengineering structures which provide a new transparency for the responsible planners and stakeholders, by pointing out the total consumption of resources in all construction phases and components.

Design of the Curriculum for a Second-Cycle Course in Civil Engineering in the Context of the Bologna Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, K. G.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the design of the curriculum for a Master of Engineering programme in civil engineering at University College Dublin. The revised programme was established to meet the requirements of the Bologna process and this paper specifically considers the design of a new, second-cycle master's component of the programme. In addition to…

An efficient approach to the analysis of rail surface irregularities accounting for dynamic train-track interaction and inelastic deformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Robin; Torstensson, Peter T.; Kabo, Elena; Larsson, Fredrik

2015-11-01

A two-dimensional computational model for assessment of rolling contact fatigue induced by discrete rail surface irregularities, especially in the context of so-called squats, is presented. Dynamic excitation in a wide frequency range is considered in computationally efficient time-domain simulations of high-frequency dynamic vehicle-track interaction accounting for transient non-Hertzian wheel-rail contact. Results from dynamic simulations are mapped onto a finite element model to resolve the cyclic, elastoplastic stress response in the rail. Ratcheting under multiple wheel passages is quantified. In addition, low cycle fatigue impact is quantified using the Jiang-Sehitoglu fatigue parameter. The functionality of the model is demonstrated by numerical examples.

Links between Immunologic Memory and Metabolic Cycling.

PubMed

Cottam, Matthew A; Itani, Hana A; Beasley, Arch A; Hasty, Alyssa H

2018-06-01

Treatments for metabolic diseases, such as diet and therapeutics, often provide short-term therapy for metabolic stressors, but relapse is common. Repeated bouts of exposure to, and relief from, metabolic stimuli results in a phenomenon we call "metabolic cycling." Recent human and rodent data suggest metabolic cycling promotes an exaggerated response and ultimately worsened metabolic health. This is particularly evident with cycling of body weight and hypertension. The innate and adaptive immune systems have a profound impact on development of metabolic disease, and current data suggest that immunologic memory may partially explain this association, especially in the context of metabolic cycling. In this Brief Review, we highlight recent work in this field and discuss potential immunologic mechanisms for worsened disease prognosis in individuals who experience metabolic cycling. Copyright © 2018 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Integrative Application of Life Cycle Assessment and Risk Assessment to Environmental Impacts of Anthropogenic Pollutants at a Watershed Scale.

PubMed

Lin, Xiaodan; Yu, Shen; Ma, Hwongwen

2018-01-01

Intense human activities have led to increasing deterioration of the watershed environment via pollutant discharge, which threatens human health and ecosystem function. To meet a need of comprehensive environmental impact/risk assessment for sustainable watershed development, a biogeochemical process-based life cycle assessment and risk assessment (RA) integration for pollutants aided by geographic information system is proposed in this study. The integration is to frame a conceptual protocol of "watershed life cycle assessment (WLCA) for pollutants". The proposed WLCA protocol consists of (1) geographic and environmental characterization mapping; (2) life cycle inventory analysis; (3) integration of life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) with RA via characterization factor of pollutant of interest; and (4) result analysis and interpretation. The WLCA protocol can visualize results of LCIA and RA spatially for the pollutants of interest, which might be useful for decision or policy makers for mitigating impacts of watershed development.

Assessment Research in the Context of Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tittle, Carol Kehr

Commemorating the work of Anne Cleary, the author considers the need for research on assessment in the practice context, provides an example of research in context, and proposes general areas of development for assessment research in the context of practice. Research has shown that effects of testing programs on practice are often not those that…

Life cycle assessment of stormwater management in the context of climate change adaptation.

PubMed

Brudler, Sarah; Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Karsten; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Rygaard, Martin

2016-12-01

Expected increases in pluvial flooding, due to climatic changes, require large investments in the retrofitting of cities to keep damage at an acceptable level. Many cities have investigated the possibility of implementing stormwater management (SWM) systems which are multi-functional and consist of different elements interacting to achieve desired safety levels. Typically, an economic assessment is carried out in the planning phase, while environmental sustainability is given little or no attention. In this paper, life cycle assessment is used to quantify environmental impacts of climate change adaptation strategies. The approach is tested using a climate change adaptation strategy for a catchment in Copenhagen, Denmark. A stormwater management system, using green infrastructure and local retention measures in combination with planned routing of stormwater on the surfaces to manage runoff, is compared to a traditional, sub-surface approach. Flood safety levels based on the Three Points Approach are defined as the functional unit to ensure comparability between systems. The adaptation plan has significantly lower impacts (3-18 person equivalents/year) than the traditional alternative (14-103 person equivalents/year) in all analysed impact categories. The main impacts are caused by managing rain events with return periods between 0.2 and 10 years. The impacts of handling smaller events with a return period of up to 0.2 years and extreme events with a return period of up to 100 years are lower in both alternatives. The uncertainty analysis shows the advantages of conducting an environmental assessment in the early stages of the planning process, when the design can still be optimised, but it also highlights the importance of detailed and site-specific data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecosystem services provided by groundwater dependent wetlands in karst areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massimo Delle Grazie, Fabio; Gill, Laurence

2017-04-01

Ecosystem services provided by groundwater dependent wetlands in karst areas Turloughs are topographic depressions in karst, which are intermittently flooded on an annual cycle via groundwater sources and have substrate and/or ecological communities characteristic of wetlands. Turloughs are designated a Priority Habitat in Annex 1 of the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as well as GWDTEs under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Hydrology is the primary driver of these unique ecosystems and so a rigorous understanding of the flooding regime is required in order to assess their conservation and future sustainability. This research aims to identify and quantify the ecosystem services associated with turloughs, particularly in relation to the need for habitat conservation in the face of external pressures associated with agriculture, road drainage schemes, water supply and wastewater disposal. The research focuses primarily on quantifying the ecosystem functions responsible for producing terrestrial hydrologic and climatic services, as well as intrinsic biodiversity services, and uses this context to lay out a blueprint for a more detailed ecosystem service assessment. These services have been quantified in appropriate units (biophysical or otherwise), based on actual or potential sustainable use levels. Available data and field studies have been used to assess the hydrological conditions necessary to sustain the biodiversity of vegetation as well as to better understand the connections between hydrology and biogeochemical cycles. The benefits of the turlough services have then been analyzed and quantified in appropriate units (ecological, socio-cultural and economic indicators) as well as monetary values. This has been done using the inVEST tool. InVEST includes models for quantifying, mapping, and valuing the benefits provided by terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. In particular the Habitat Risk Assessment and the Nutrient Delivery Ratio modules have been used.

Geothermal Water Use: Life Cycle Water Consumption, Water Resource Assessment, and Water Policy Framework

DOE Data Explorer

Schroeder, Jenna N.

2014-06-10

This report examines life cycle water consumption for various geothermal technologies to better understand factors that affect water consumption across the life cycle (e.g., power plant cooling, belowground fluid losses) and to assess the potential water challenges that future geothermal power generation projects may face. Previous reports in this series quantified the life cycle freshwater requirements of geothermal power-generating systems, explored operational and environmental concerns related to the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids, and assessed future water demand by geothermal power plants according to growth projections for the industry. This report seeks to extend those analyses by including EGS flash, both as part of the life cycle analysis and water resource assessment. A regional water resource assessment based upon the life cycle results is also presented. Finally, the legal framework of water with respect to geothermal resources in the states with active geothermal development is also analyzed.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT FOR PC BLEND 2 AIRCRAFT RADOME DEPAINTER

EPA Science Inventory

This report describes the life cycle assessment on a potential replacement solvent blend for aircraft radome depainting at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base. The life cycle assessment is composed of three separate but interrelated components: life cy...

EDITORIAL: THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

This is a special issue of Journal of Life Cycle Assessment that includes selected papers from the Internatonal Conference and Exhibition on Life Cycle Assessment (InLCA). In April 2000, the EPA, with co-organizer IERE, held the InLCA conferencethat attracted over 265 attendees (...

Beyond the throwaway society: A life cycle-based assessment of the environmental benefit of reuse.

PubMed

Castellani, Valentina; Sala, Serenella; Mirabella, Nadia

2015-07-01

In the context of a circular economy, sustainable consumption is often seen as the antithesis of current consumption patterns, which have led to the definition of the so-called throwaway society. Reuse may provide a preferred alternative to other waste management options, because it promotes resource efficiency and may significantly reduce environmental impacts. To appraise the environmental benefits related to reuse of goods, a methodology adopting life cycle assessment (LCA) has been developed. A standardized procedure has been developed, identifying reference products within product category subject to reuse, and collecting reliable inventory data as a basis for calculating environmental impact through LCA. A case study on a second-hand shop is presented, and the avoided impacts are quantified. Inventory data were taken both from the literature and directly from sales and surveys submitted to customers. The results are presented, highlighting: 1) for each product category, the average avoided impacts for 1 unit of reused product considered; and 2) for the overall activities of the second-hand shop, the cumulative avoided impacts in 1 yr. In the case study, the higher contribution to avoided impacts comes from the apparel sector, due to the high amount of items sold, followed by the furniture sector, because of the high amount of environmental impacts avoided by the reuse of each single item. © 2015 SETAC.

Including the introduction of exotic species in life cycle impact assessment: the case of inland shipping.

PubMed

Hanafiah, Marlia M; Leuven, Rob S E W; Sommerwerk, Nike; Tockner, Klement; Huijbregts, Mark A J

2013-12-17

While the ecological impact of anthropogenically introduced exotic species is considered a major threat for biodiversity and ecosystems functioning, it is generally not accounted for in the environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of products. In this article, we propose a framework that includes exotic species introduction in an LCA context. We derived characterization factors for exotic fish species introduction related to the transport of goods across the Rhine-Main-Danube canal. These characterization factors are expressed as the potentially disappeared fraction (PDF) of native freshwater fish species in the rivers Rhine and Danube integrated over space and time per amount of goods transported (PDF·m(3)·yr·kg(-1)). Furthermore, we quantified the relative importance of exotic fish species introduction compared to other anthropogenic stressors in the freshwater environment (i.e., eutrophication, ecotoxicity, greenhouse gases, and water consumption) for transport of goods through the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway. We found that the introduction of exotic fish species contributed to 70-85% of the total freshwater ecosystem impact, depending on the distance that goods were transported. Our analysis showed that it is relevant and feasible to include the introduction of exotic species in an LCA framework. The proposed framework can be further extended by including the impacts of other exotic species groups, types of water bodies and pathways for introduction.

Systemic or Intra-Amygdala Infusion of the Benzodiazepine, Midazolam, Impairs Learning, but Facilitates Re-Learning to Inhibit Fear Responses in Extinction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Genevra; Harris, Justin A.; Westbrook, R. Frederick

2010-01-01

A series of experiments used rats to study the effect of a systemic or intra-amygdala infusion of the benzodiazepine, midazolam, on learning and re-learning to inhibit context conditioned fear (freezing) responses. Rats were subjected to two context-conditioning episodes followed by extinction under drug or vehicle, or to two cycles of context…

78 FR 43870 - Hydrogen Energy California's Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Project; Preliminary Staff...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

... Combined Cycle Project; Preliminary Staff Assessment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY... Combined Cycle Project Preliminary Staff Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PSA/DEIS) (DOE... Gasification Combined Cycle Project, which would be designed, constructed, and operated by HECA, LLC. HECA's...

LCIA framework and cross-cutting issues guidance within the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

EPA Science Inventory

Increasing needs for decision support and advances in scientific knowledge within life cycle assessment (LCA) led to substantial efforts to provide global guidance on environmental life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) indicators under the auspices of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Init...

Estimating the boundaries of a limit cycle in a 2D dynamical system using renormalization group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Ayan; Das, Debapriya; Banerjee, Dhruba; Bhattacharjee, Jayanta K.

2018-04-01

While the plausibility of formation of limit cycle has been a well studied topic in context of the Poincare-Bendixson theorem, studies on estimates in regard to the possible size and shape of the limit cycle seem to be scanty in the literature. In this paper we present a pedagogical study of some aspects of the size of this limit cycle using perturbative renormalization group by doing detailed and explicit calculations upto second order for the Selkov model for glycolytic oscillations. This famous model is well known to lead to a limit cycle for certain ranges of values of the parameters involved in the problem. Within the tenets of the approximations made, reasonable agreement with the numerical plots can be achieved.

Life cycle assessment of a commercial rainwater harvesting system compared with a municipal water supply system

EPA Science Inventory

Building upon previously published life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, we conducted an LCA of a commercial rainwater harvesting (RWH) system and compared it to a municipal water supply (MWS) system adapted to Washington, D.C. Eleven life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) indi...

7 CFR 3560.65 - Reserve account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-year period. The reserve account analysis is based on either a Capital Needs Assessment or life cycle... Assessment or as part of the original life cycle cost analysis. The cost of conducting either a Capital Needs... Needs Assessment or life cycle cost analysis may be included in the loan financing. (b) For ownership...

7 CFR 3560.65 - Reserve account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...-year period. The reserve account analysis is based on either a Capital Needs Assessment or life cycle... Assessment or as part of the original life cycle cost analysis. The cost of conducting either a Capital Needs... Needs Assessment or life cycle cost analysis may be included in the loan financing. (b) For ownership...

Waste treatment integration in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baresi, L.; Kern, R.

1991-01-01

The circumstances and criteria for space-based waste treatment bioregenerative life-support systems differ in many ways from those needed in terrestrial applications. In fact, the term "waste" may not even be appropriate in the context of nearly closed, cycling, ecosystems such as those under consideration. Because of these constraints there is a need for innovative approaches to the problem of "materials recycling". Hybrid physico-chemico-biological systems offer advantages over both strictly physico-chemico or biological approaches that would be beneficial to material recycling. To effectively emulate terrestrial cycling, the use of various microbial consortia ("assemblies of interdependent microbes") should be seriously considered for the biological components of such systems. This paper will examine the use of consortia in the context of a hybrid-system for materials recycling in space.

Evaluating holistic environmental consequences of brownfield management options using consequential life cycle assessment for different perspectives.

PubMed

Lesage, Pascal; Deschênes, Louise; Samson, Réjean

2007-08-01

Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused sites whose reuse necessitates some sort of intervention. These sites are largely urban and are frequently contaminated. Brownfield management options can be associated with three types of environmental consequences: those resulting from changes in the site's environmental quality (primary impacts); those resulting from the actual intervention stage (secondary impacts); and, if the vocation of the site changes, those resulting from effects on regional land use (tertiary impacts). Different stakeholders and decision-making contexts will place a different importance on each of these types of impacts. This article proposes a framework for comparing brownfield management options in regard to these three types of environmental impacts and for interpreting these results from different perspectives. The assessment framework is based on consequential life cycle assessment (LCA), which is shown to provide environmental information on the three types of impacts. The results for a case study are presented, where a "rehabilitation" option allowing residential redevelopment is compared to an "exposure minimization" option not resulting in the site being reused. Calculated primary and tertiary impacts are favorable to the rehabilitation option, whereas secondary impacts are favorable to the exposure minimization option. A ternary diagram presents the favorable option for different stereotypical perspectives. Tertiary impacts are much greater than secondary impacts, and consequently all perspectives that consider tertiary impacts favor rehabilitation. The perspective that considers primary and secondary impacts receives conflicting information. The ternary diagram, showing results for all perspectives, could possibly be useful for consensus-building among stakeholders.

Evaluating Holistic Environmental Consequences of Brownfield Management Options Using Consequential Life Cycle Assessment for Different Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesage, Pascal; Deschênes, Louise; Samson, Réjean

2007-08-01

Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused sites whose reuse necessitates some sort of intervention. These sites are largely urban and are frequently contaminated. Brownfield management options can be associated with three types of environmental consequences: those resulting from changes in the site’s environmental quality (primary impacts); those resulting from the actual intervention stage (secondary impacts); and, if the vocation of the site changes, those resulting from effects on regional land use (tertiary impacts). Different stakeholders and decision-making contexts will place a different importance on each of these types of impacts. This article proposes a framework for comparing brownfield management options in regard to these three types of environmental impacts and for interpreting these results from different perspectives. The assessment framework is based on consequential life cycle assessment (LCA), which is shown to provide environmental information on the three types of impacts. The results for a case study are presented, where a “rehabilitation” option allowing residential redevelopment is compared to an “exposure minimization” option not resulting in the site being reused. Calculated primary and tertiary impacts are favorable to the rehabilitation option, whereas secondary impacts are favorable to the exposure minimization option. A ternary diagram presents the favorable option for different stereotypical perspectives. Tertiary impacts are much greater than secondary impacts, and consequently all perspectives that consider tertiary impacts favor rehabilitation. The perspective that considers primary and secondary impacts receives conflicting information. The ternary diagram, showing results for all perspectives, could possibly be useful for consensus-building among stakeholders.

Global change effects on humid tropical forests: Evidence for biogeochemical and biodiversity shifts at an ecosystem scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cusack, Daniela F.; Karpman, Jason; Ashdown, Daniel; Cao, Qian; Ciochina, Mark; Halterman, Sarah; Lydon, Scott; Neupane, Avishesh

2016-09-01

Government and international agencies have highlighted the need to focus global change research efforts on tropical ecosystems. However, no recent comprehensive review exists synthesizing humid tropical forest responses across global change factors, including warming, decreased precipitation, carbon dioxide fertilization, nitrogen deposition, and land use/land cover changes. This paper assesses research across spatial and temporal scales for the tropics, including modeling, field, and controlled laboratory studies. The review aims to (1) provide a broad understanding of how a suite of global change factors are altering humid tropical forest ecosystem properties and biogeochemical processes; (2) assess spatial variability in responses to global change factors among humid tropical regions; (3) synthesize results from across humid tropical regions to identify emergent trends in ecosystem responses; (4) identify research and management priorities for the humid tropics in the context of global change. Ecosystem responses covered here include plant growth, carbon storage, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and disturbance regime shifts. The review demonstrates overall negative effects of global change on all ecosystem properties, with the greatest uncertainty and variability in nutrient cycling responses. Generally, all global change factors reviewed, except for carbon dioxide fertilization, demonstrate great potential to trigger positive feedbacks to global warming via greenhouse gas emissions and biogeophysical changes that cause regional warming. This assessment demonstrates that effects of decreased rainfall and deforestation on tropical forests are relatively well understood, whereas the potential effects of warming, carbon dioxide fertilization, nitrogen deposition, and plant species invasions require more cross-site, mechanistic research to predict tropical forest responses at regional and global scales.

"Meta-analyses and P-curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: Reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014)": Correction to Gildersleeve, Haselton, and Fales (2014).

PubMed

2017-11-01

Reports an error in "Meta-analyses and p -curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: Reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014)" by Kelly Gildersleeve, Martie G. Haselton and Melissa R. Fales ( Psychological Bulletin , 2014[Sep], Vol 140[5], 1272-1280). In the article, all p -curve analyses examining the Context Moderation Hypothesis Prediction mistakenly included the p-value from Little, Jones, Burt, & Perrett (2007) Study 2 for the simple effect of fertility on attraction to facial symmetry in a short-term relationship context ( p < .001). The analyses should have instead included the p -value for the fertility X relationship context interaction ( p = .011). In addition, the p -curve analyses examining exact two-tailed p -values for the Cycle Shift Prediction should have included an additional p -value from Provost et al. (2008) Study 1 for the main effect of fertility on attraction to gait masculinity. The reported p -value for this effect was .05, making it ineligible for inclusion in p -curves of reported p-values. However, the exact recalculated two-tailed p -value was .049, making it eligible for inclusion in p -curves of exact p -values. The corrected p -curve of exact two-tailed p -values evaluating the Cycle Shift Prediction and Context Moderation Prediction (displayed in Figure 2) now includes a total of 15 p -values ( N = 1442) is no longer significantly right skewed χ²(30) = 41.25, p = .08. The corrected p -curve of exact two-tailed p -values evaluating the Cycle Shift Prediction, Context Moderation Prediction, and Partner Qualities Moderation Prediction (displayed in Figure 3) now includes a total of 21 p -values ( N = 1707) and continues to be significantly right skewed Χ²(42) = 69.83, p = .004. As part of this correction, the online supplemental materials have been updated. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2014-35938-003.) Two meta-analyses evaluated shifts across the ovulatory cycle in women's mate preferences but reported very different findings. In this journal, we reported robust evidence for the pattern of cycle shifts predicted by the ovulatory shift hypothesis (Gildersleeve, Haselton, & Fales, 2014). However, Wood, Kressel, Joshi, and Louie (2014) claimed an absence of compelling support for this hypothesis and asserted that the few significant cycle shifts they observed were false positives resulting from publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. How could 2 meta-analyses of the same literature reach such different conclusions? We reanalyzed the data compiled by Wood et al. These analyses revealed problems in Wood et al.'s meta-analysis-some of which are reproduced in Wood and Carden's (2014) comment in the current issue of this journal-that led them to overlook clear evidence for the ovulatory shift hypothesis in their own set of effects. In addition, we present right-skewed p-curves that directly contradict speculations by Wood et al.; Wood and Carden; and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014) that supportive findings in the cycle shift literature are false positives. Therefore, evidence from both of the meta-analyses and the p-curves strongly supports genuine, robust effects consistent with the ovulatory shift hypothesis and contradicts claims that these effects merely reflect publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. Unfounded speculations about p-hacking distort the research record and risk unfairly damaging researchers' reputations; they should therefore be made only on the basis of firm evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) cumulative live birth rates following preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy (PGD-A) or morphological assessment of embryos: A cohort analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Evelyn; Chambers, Georgina Mary; Hale, Lyndon; Illingworth, Peter; Wilton, Leeanda

2017-12-27

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy (PGD-A) for all 24 chromosomes improves implantation and clinical pregnancy rates per single assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycle. However, there is limited data on the live-birth rate of PGD-A over repeated cycles. To assess the cumulative live-birth rates (CLBR) of PGD-A compared with morphological assessment of embryos of up to three 'complete ART cycles' (fresh plus frozen/thaw cycles) in women aged 37 years or older. A retrospective cohort study of ART treatments undertaken by ART-naïve women at a large Australian fertility clinic between 2011 and 2014. Cohorts were assigned based on the embryo selection method used in their first fresh cycle [PGD-A, n = 110 women (PGD-A group); morphological assessment of embryos, n = 1983 women (control group)]. CLBR, time to clinical pregnancy and cycles needed to achieve a live birth were measured over multiple cycles. Compared to the control group, the PGD-A group achieved a higher per cycle live-birth rate (14.47% vs 9.12%, P < 0.01), took a shorter mean time to reach a clinical pregnancy leading to a live-birth (104.8 days vs 140.6 days, P < 0.05) and required fewer cycles to achieve a live-birth (6.91 cycles vs 10.96 cycles, P < 0.01). However, after three 'complete ART cycles', the CLBR was comparable for the two groups (30.90% vs 26.77%, P = 0.34). This is the first study to assess the effectiveness of PGD-A over multiple ART cycles. These real-world findings suggest that PGD-A leads to better outcomes than using morphological assessment alone in women of advanced maternal age. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Effect of cyclic fatigue on the fracture toughness of Polyoxymethylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramoa, B.; Berer, M.; Schwaiger, M.; Pinter, G.

2017-05-01

Polymers are used in a wide range of applications and their properties are dependent upon the morphological development during processing and the specimen configuration which in turn define the mechanical properties. In this context fatigue and monotonic testing are part of the standard procedure to assess relevant mechanical and material parameters to ensure a better part design. The present work addresses the performance issues of a real component made of Polyoxymethylene (POM) which is subjected to cyclic loads from intermediate levels to high peak values inside a damping mechanism. For this linear elastic fracture mechanics concepts were used to characterize the behavior of a POM homopolymer resin used in this application. Injection molded compact tension specimens, with sharp and blunt notches, were tested under a combination of cyclic and monotonic loads and the fracture surfaces were examined. The critical stress intensity factor obtained by monotonic tests was evaluated as a function of the cycle number, where an increase after the first 1000 cycles followed by a continuous decrease with higher numbers of cycles was observed. A variation of approximately 50% and 70% were obtained along the duration of the tests for the sharp and blunt notch specimens, respectively. In light of the obtained results, a discussion is presented considering the dynamic specimen compliance and the structural features observed on the fracture surfaces in combination with the fracture mechanical response.

Effect of surface protection on the permeability of eroded dentin

PubMed Central

Martins, Vivian Leite; da Costa Ramos, Rodrigo Vitoria; Pimenta Lima, Max José; Correia de Araújo, Roberto Paulo; Cavalcanti, Andrea Nóbrega

2018-01-01

Context: Eroded dentin might present the opening of dentinal tubules, increasing permeability, and consequently dentinal hypersensitivity. Aims: This study evaluated the permeability of dentin surfaces exposed to different levels of erosion and methods of surface protection. Materials and Methods: Dentine samples (3 mm × 3 mm × 1 mm) were prepared from bovine incisors (n = 90) and divided into three groups according to the method of controlling erosive challenge: Negative control, topical fluoride application, and glass ionomer sealant. Subsequently, they were randomly divided into three subgroups according to the exposure of simulated gastric acid solution (Demineralization – DES) (5% HCl, pH = 2.2), and remineralization (RE); negative control, 9 and 18 cycles DES-RE. The dentin permeability was measured by assessing the hydraulic conductance (μl/min.cmH2O.cm2). Statistical analysis was performed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results and Conclusions: Greater permeability was observed after 18 erosive cycles, followed by exposure to 9 cycles and negative control (P < 0.0001). The application of glass ionomer sealant resulted in a major reduction of the hydraulic conductivity, regardless of the erosive challenge. Control groups and topical fluoride application showed similar results. In conclusion, the severity of erosive challenge contributed to the increase of dentin permeability. Besides, the glass ionomer sealant was the only protection agent that promoted significant effects in dentin permeability. PMID:29628641

Incorporating spirituality in psychosocial group intervention for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a prospective randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Chan, Celia H Y; Chan, Cecilia L W; Ng, Ernest H Y; Ho, P C; Chan, Timothy H Y; Lee, G L; Hui, W H C

2012-12-01

This study examined the efficacy of a group intervention, the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (I-BMS) intervention, which aims at improving the psychosocial and spiritual well-being of Chinese women undergoing their first IVF treatment cycle. The I-BMS intervention facilitates the search of meaning of life in the context of family and childbearing, as well as the letting go of high IVF expectations. A randomized controlled study of 339 women undergoing first IVF treatment cycle in a local Hong Kong hospital was conducted (intervention: n= 172; no-intervention control: n= 167). Assessments of anxiety, perceived importance of childbearing, and spiritual well-being were made at randomization (T(0) ), on the day starting ovarian stimulations (T(1)), and on the day undertaking embryo transfer (T(2)). Comparing T(0) and T(2), interaction analyses showed women who had received the intervention reported lower levels of physical distress, anxiety, and disorientation. They reported being more tranquil and satisfied with their marriage, and saw childbearing as less important compared to women in the control group. These findings suggest that I-BMS intervention was successful at improving the psychosocial and spiritual well-being of women undergoing their first IVF treatment cycle. This study highlights the importance of providing integrative fertility treatment that incorporates psychosocial and spiritual dimensions. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Multi-Omics Profiling of Phytoplankton Community Metabolism: Linking Meta-Transcriptomics and Metabolomics to Elucidate Phytoplankton Physiology in a Model Coastal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kujawinski, E. B.; Longnecker, K.; Alexander, H.; Dyhrman, S.; Jenkins, B. D.; Rynearson, T. A.

2016-02-01

Phytoplankton blooms in coastal areas contribute a large fraction of primary production to the global oceans. Despite their central importance, there are fundamental unknowns in phytoplankton community metabolism, which limit the development of a more complete understanding of the carbon cycle. Within this complex setting, the tools of systems biology hold immense potential for profiling community metabolism and exploring links to the carbon cycle, but have rarely been applied together in this context. Here we focus on phytoplankton community samples collected from a model coastal system over a three-week period. At each sampling point, we combined two assessments of metabolic function: the meta-transcriptome, or the genes that are expressed by all organisms at each sampling point, and the metabolome, or the intracellular molecules produced during the community's metabolism. These datasets are inherently complementary, with gene expression likely to vary in concert with the concentrations of metabolic intermediates. Indeed, preliminary data show coherence in transcripts and metabolites associated with nutrient stress response and with fixed carbon oxidation. To date, these datasets are rarely integrated across their full complexity but together they provide unequivocal evidence of specific metabolic pathways by individual phytoplankton taxa, allowing a more comprehensive systems view of this dynamic environment. Future application of multi-omic profiling will facilitate a more complete understanding of metabolic reactions at the foundation of the carbon cycle.

Hyperresolution Global Land Surface Modeling: Meeting a Grand Challenge for Monitoring Earth's Terrestrial Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Eric F.; Roundy, Joshua K.; Troy, Tara J.; van Beek, L. P. H.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; 4 Blyth, Eleanor; de Roo, Ad; Doell. Petra; Ek, Mike; Famiglietti, James;

Richness, biomass, and nutrient content of a wetland macrophyte community affect soil nitrogen cycling in a diversity-ecosystem functioning experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Korol, Alicia R.; Ahn, Changwoo; Noe, Gregory

2016-01-01

The development of soil nitrogen (N) cycling in created wetlands promotes the maturation of multiple biogeochemical cycles necessary for ecosystem functioning. This development proceeds from gradual changes in soil physicochemical properties and influential characteristics of the plant community, such as competitive behavior, phenology, productivity, and nutrient composition. In the context of a 2-year diversity experiment in freshwater mesocosms (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 richness levels), we assessed the direct and indirect impacts of three plant community characteristics – species richness, total biomass, and tissue N concentration – on three processes in the soil N cycle – soil net ammonification, net nitrification, and denitrification potentials. Species richness had a positive effect on net ammonification potential (NAP) through higher redox potentials and likely faster microbial respiration. All NAP rates were negative, however, due to immobilization and high rates of ammonium removal. Net nitrification was inhibited at higher species richness without mediation from the measured soil properties. Higher species richness also inhibited denitrification potential through increased redox potential and decreased nitrification. Both lower biomass and/or higher tissue ratios of carbon to nitrogen, characteristics indicative of the two annual plants, were shown to have stimulatory effects on all three soil N processes. The two mediating physicochemical links between the young macrophyte community and microbial N processes were soil redox potential and temperature. Our results suggest that early-successional annual plant communities play an important role in the development of ecosystem N multifunctionality in newly created wetland soils.

Hyperresolution global land surface modeling: Meeting a grand challenge for monitoring Earth's terrestrial water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Eric F.; Roundy, Joshua K.; Troy, Tara J.; van Beek, L. P. H.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Blyth, Eleanor; de Roo, Ad; DöLl, Petra; Ek, Mike; Famiglietti, James; Gochis, David; van de Giesen, Nick; Houser, Paul; Jaffé, Peter R.; Kollet, Stefan; Lehner, Bernhard; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Sivapalan, Murugesu; Sheffield, Justin; Wade, Andrew; Whitehead, Paul

2011-05-01

Monitoring Earth's terrestrial water conditions is critically important to many hydrological applications such as global food production; assessing water resources sustainability; and flood, drought, and climate change prediction. These needs have motivated the development of pilot monitoring and prediction systems for terrestrial hydrologic and vegetative states, but to date only at the rather coarse spatial resolutions (˜10-100 km) over continental to global domains. Adequately addressing critical water cycle science questions and applications requires systems that are implemented globally at much higher resolutions, on the order of 1 km, resolutions referred to as hyperresolution in the context of global land surface models. This opinion paper sets forth the needs and benefits for a system that would monitor and predict the Earth's terrestrial water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles. We discuss six major challenges in developing a system: improved representation of surface-subsurface interactions due to fine-scale topography and vegetation; improved representation of land-atmospheric interactions and resulting spatial information on soil moisture and evapotranspiration; inclusion of water quality as part of the biogeochemical cycle; representation of human impacts from water management; utilizing massively parallel computer systems and recent computational advances in solving hyperresolution models that will have up to 109 unknowns; and developing the required in situ and remote sensing global data sets. We deem the development of a global hyperresolution model for monitoring the terrestrial water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles a "grand challenge" to the community, and we call upon the international hydrologic community and the hydrological science support infrastructure to endorse the effort.

Higher order genomic organization and regulatory compartmentalization for cell cycle control at the G1/S-phase transition.

PubMed

Ghule, Prachi N; Seward, David J; Fritz, Andrew J; Boyd, Joseph R; van Wijnen, Andre J; Lian, Jane B; Stein, Janet L; Stein, Gary S

2018-05-10

Fidelity of histone gene regulation, and ultimately of histone protein biosynthesis, is obligatory for packaging of newly replicated DNA into chromatin. Control of histone gene expression within the 3-dimensional context of nuclear organization is reflected by two well documented observations. DNA replication-dependent histone mRNAs are synthesized at specialized subnuclear domains designated histone locus bodies (HLBs), in response to activation of the growth factor dependent Cyclin E/CDK2/HINFP/NPAT pathway at the G1/S transition in mammalian cells. Complete loss of the histone gene regulatory factors HINFP or NPAT disrupts HLB integrity that is necessary for coordinate control of DNA replication and histone gene transcription. Here we review the molecular histone-related requirements for G1/S-phase progression during the cell cycle. Recently developed experimental strategies, now enable us to explore mechanisms involved in dynamic control of histone gene expression in the context of the temporal (cell cycle) and spatial (HLBs) remodeling of the histone gene loci. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

de Bruijn cycles for neural decoding.

PubMed

Aguirre, Geoffrey Karl; Mattar, Marcelo Gomes; Magis-Weinberg, Lucía

2011-06-01

Stimulus counterbalance is critical for studies of neural habituation, bias, anticipation, and (more generally) the effect of stimulus history and context. We introduce de Bruijn cycles, a class of combinatorial objects, as the ideal source of pseudo-random stimulus sequences with arbitrary levels of counterbalance. Neuro-vascular imaging studies (such as BOLD fMRI) have an additional requirement imposed by the filtering and noise properties of the method: only some temporal frequencies of neural modulation are detectable. Extant methods of generating counterbalanced stimulus sequences yield neural modulations that are weakly (or not at all) detected by BOLD fMRI. We solve this limitation using a novel "path-guided" approach for the generation of de Bruijn cycles. The algorithm encodes a hypothesized neural modulation of specific temporal frequency within the seemingly random order of events. By positioning the modulation between the signal and noise bands of the neuro-vascular imaging method, the resulting sequence markedly improves detection power. These sequences may be used to study stimulus context and history effects in a manner not previously possible. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Context factors in general practitioner-patient encounters and their impact on assessing communication skills--an exploratory study.

PubMed

Essers, Geurt; Kramer, Anneke; Andriesse, Boukje; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees; van Dulmen, Sandra

2013-05-22

Assessment of medical communication performance usually focuses on rating generically applicable, well-defined communication skills. However, in daily practice, communication is determined by (specific) context factors, such as acquaintance with the patient, or the presented problem. Merely valuing the presence of generic skills may not do justice to the doctor's proficiency.Our aim was to perform an exploratory study on how assessment of general practitioner (GP) communication performance changes if context factors are explicitly taken into account. We used a mixed method design to explore how ratings would change. A random sample of 40 everyday GP consultations was used to see if previously identified context factors could be observed again. The sample was rated twice using a widely used assessment instrument (the MAAS-Global), first in the standard way and secondly after context factors were explicitly taken into account, by using a context-specific rating protocol to assess communication performance in the workplace. In between first and second rating, the presence of context factors was established. Item score differences were calculated using paired sample t-tests. In 38 out of 40 consultations, context factors prompted application of the context-specific rating protocol. Mean overall score on the 7-point MAAS-Global scale increased from 2.98 in standard to 3.66 in the context-specific rating (p<0.00); the effect size for the total mean score was 0.84. In earlier research the minimum standard score for adequate communication was set at 3.17. Applying the protocol, the mean overall score rose above the level set in an earlier study for the MAAS-Global scores to represent 'adequate GP communication behaviour'. Our findings indicate that incorporating context factors in communication assessment thus makes a meaningful difference and shows that context factors should be considered as 'signal' instead of 'noise' in GP communication assessment. Explicating context factors leads to a more deliberate and transparent rating of GP communication performance.

Extensive epigenetic reprogramming during the life cycle of Marchantia polymorpha.

PubMed

Schmid, Marc W; Giraldo-Fonseca, Alejandro; Rövekamp, Moritz; Smetanin, Dmitry; Bowman, John L; Grossniklaus, Ueli

2018-01-25

In plants, the existence and possible role of epigenetic reprogramming has been questioned because of the occurrence of stably inherited epialleles. Evidence suggests that epigenetic reprogramming does occur during land plant reproduction, but there is little consensus on the generality and extent of epigenetic reprogramming in plants. We studied DNA methylation dynamics during the life cycle of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. We isolated thalli and meristems from male and female gametophytes, archegonia, antherozoids, as well as sporophytes at early and late developmental stages, and compared their DNA methylation profiles. Of all cytosines tested for differential DNA methylation, 42% vary significantly in their methylation pattern throughout the life cycle. However, the differences are limited to few comparisons between specific stages of the life cycle and suggest four major epigenetic states specific to sporophytes, vegetative gametophytes, antherozoids, and archegonia. Further analyses indicated clear differences in the mechanisms underlying reprogramming in the gametophytic and sporophytic generations, which are paralleled by differences in the expression of genes involved in DNA methylation. Differentially methylated cytosines with a gain in methylation in antherozoids and archegonia are enriched in the CG and CHG contexts, as well as in gene bodies and gene flanking regions. In contrast, gain of DNA methylation during sporophyte development is mostly limited to the CHH context, LTR retrotransposons, DNA transposons, and repeats. We conclude that epigenetic reprogramming occurs at least twice during the life cycle of M. polymorpha and that the underlying mechanisms are likely different between the two events.

Discourse coalitions in Swiss waste management: gridlock or winds of change?

PubMed

Duygan, Mert; Stauffacher, Michael; Meylan, Grégoire

2018-02-01

As a complex socio-technical system, waste management is crucially important for the sustainable management of material and energy flows. Transition to better performing waste management systems requires not only determining what needs to be changed but also finding out how this change can be realized. Without understanding the political context, insights from decision support tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) are likely to be lost in translation to decision and policy making. This study strives to provide a first insight into the political context and address the opportunities and barriers pertinent to initiating a change in Swiss waste management. For this purpose, the discourses around a major policy process are analysed to uncover the policy beliefs and preferences of actors. Discourse coalitions are delineated by referring to the Advocacy Coalition Framework (Sabatier, 1998) and using the Discourse Network Analysis (Leifeld and Haunss, 2012) method. The results display an incoherent regime (Fuenfschilling and Truffer, 2014) with divergent belief clusters on core issues in waste management. Yet, some actors holding different beliefs appear to have overlapping interests on secondary issues such as the treatment of biogenic waste or plastics. Although the current political context hinders a system-wide disruptive change, transitions can be initiated at local or regional scale by utilizing the shared interest across different discourse coalitions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The M-C-M' cycle and social capital.

PubMed

Hean, Sarah; Cowley, Sarah; Forbes, Angus; Griffiths, Peter; Maben, Jill

2003-03-01

Social capital has become a popular term over the past two decades amongst researchers, policy makers and practitioners from varied disciplines. This popularity, however, has resulted in a great deal of confusion over the nature and application of social capital in different contexts. This confusion has made it difficult to identify and measure social capital within the evaluation of specific social and health programmes, one of the aims of which may be to stimulate social capital. This paper identifies a theoretical model that seeks to capture the dynamic nature of social capital to assist in the development of research methods that will facilitate its measurement and exploration within such programmes. The model reported in the paper identifies the key components of social capital and expresses the relationship between those components in a dynamic system based on Marx's description of the process of capital (economic) exchanges expressed in the M-C-M' cycle. The M-C-M' cycle is the transformation of money (M) into commodities (C), and the change of commodities back again into money (M') of altered value. The emphasis within the paper is on the capital element of the concept and its transactional nature with the aim of avoiding the pitfall of attributing social capital in relation to social behaviours in isolation of context and interaction. Importantly, the paper seeks to distinguish the central elements of social capital from some of the antecedent factors and outcomes often attributed to and confused with social capital adding to the problem of providing valid measurement. The model is presented as the basis for the measurement of social capital within a transactional process involving the investment of social resources in a cyclical process, which may result in net gains or losses. This process is described as the R-C-R' cycle following Marx's model of economic capital, with the focus being on the transfer of social resources (R) rather than money (M). R represents an internal resource held by individuals, C the external resource or commodity they obtain from the network and the R' the internal resource of altered value. The possibilities of the model in assisting in the measurement of social capital specifically in assessing formal networks are explored.

Health impact assessment of cycling network expansions in European cities.

PubMed

Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Salmon, Maëlle; Martinez, David; Ambros, Albert; Brand, Christian; de Nazelle, Audrey; Dons, Evi; Gaupp-Berghausen, Mailin; Gerike, Regine; Götschi, Thomas; Iacorossi, Francesco; Int Panis, Luc; Kahlmeier, Sonja; Raser, Elisabeth; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark

2018-04-01

We conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of cycling network expansions in seven European cities. We modeled the association between cycling network length and cycling mode share and estimated health impacts of the expansion of cycling networks. First, we performed a non-linear least square regression to assess the relationship between cycling network length and cycling mode share for 167 European cities. Second, we conducted a quantitative HIA for the seven cities of different scenarios (S) assessing how an expansion of the cycling network [i.e. 10% (S1); 50% (S2); 100% (S3), and all-streets (S4)] would lead to an increase in cycling mode share and estimated mortality impacts thereof. We quantified mortality impacts for changes in physical activity, air pollution and traffic incidents. Third, we conducted a cost-benefit analysis. The cycling network length was associated with a cycling mode share of up to 24.7% in European cities. The all-streets scenario (S4) produced greatest benefits through increases in cycling for London with 1,210 premature deaths (95% CI: 447-1,972) avoidable annually, followed by Rome (433; 95% CI: 170-695), Barcelona (248; 95% CI: 86-410), Vienna (146; 95% CI: 40-252), Zurich (58; 95% CI: 16-100) and Antwerp (7; 95% CI: 3-11). The largest cost-benefit ratios were found for the 10% increase in cycling networks (S1). If all 167 European cities achieved a cycling mode share of 24.7% over 10,000 premature deaths could be avoided annually. In European cities, expansions of cycling networks were associated with increases in cycling and estimated to provide health and economic benefits. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Do Trained Raters Take Context Factors into Account When Assessing GP Trainee Communication Performance? An Exploratory, Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essers, Geurt; Dielissen, Patrick; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees; van Dulmen, Sandra; Kramer, Anneke

2015-01-01

Communication assessment in real-life consultations is a complex task. Generic assessment instruments help but may also have disadvantages. The generic nature of the skills being assessed does not provide indications for context-specific behaviour required in practice situations; context influences are mostly taken into account implicitly. Our…

Assessment of future changes in water availability and aridity

DOE PAGES

Greve, P.; Seneviratne, S. I.

2015-07-04

Substantial changes in the hydrological cycle are projected for the 21st century, but these projections are subject to major uncertainties. In this context, the “dry gets drier, wet gets wetter” (DDWW) paradigm is often used as a simplifying summary. However, recent studies cast doubt on the validity of the paradigm and also on applying the widely used P-E (precipitation - evapotranspiration) metric over global land surfaces. Here we show in a comprehensive CMIP5-based assessment that projected changes in mean annual P - E are generally not significant, except for high-latitude regions showing wetting conditions until the end of the 21stmore » century. Significant increases in aridity do occur in many subtropical and also adjacent humid regions. However, combining both metrics still shows that approximately 70% of all land area will not experience significant changes. Finally, based on these findings, we conclude that the DDWW paradigm is generally not confirmed for projected changes in most land areas.« less

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment between Warm SMA and Conventional SMA

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

This report presents the comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) between warm stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and conventional : SMA. Specifically, the study evaluated and compared the life cycle environmental and economic performances of two mixtures: a ...

Conceptual Framework To Extend Life Cycle Assessment Using Near-Field Human Exposure Modeling and High-Throughput Tools for Chemicals

EPA Science Inventory

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a decision-making tool that accounts for multiple impacts across the life cycle of a product or service. This paper presents a conceptual framework to integrate human health impact assessment with risk screening approaches to extend LCA to include n...

Assessing heterogeneity in soil nitrogen cycling: a plot-scale approach

Treesearch

Peter Baas; Jacqueline E. Mohan; David Markewitz; Jennifer D. Knoepp

2014-01-01

The high level of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil N cycling processes hinders our ability to develop an ecosystem-wide understanding of this cycle. This study examined how incorporating an intensive assessment of spatial variability for soil moisture, C, nutrients, and soil texture can better explain ecosystem N cycling at the plot scale. Five sites...

Life Cycle Impact Assessment Research Developments and Needs

EPA Science Inventory

Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) developments are explained along with key publications which record discussions which comprised ISO 14042 and SETAC document development, UNEP SETAC Life Cycle Initiative research, and research from public and private research institutions. It ...

Professional development for design-based learning in engineering education: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez Puente, Sonia M.; van Eijck, Michiel; Jochems, Wim

2015-01-01

Design-based learning (DBL) is an educational approach in which students gather and apply theoretical knowledge to solve design problems. In this study, we examined how critical DBL dimensions (project characteristics, design elements, the teacher's role, assessment, and social context) are applied by teachers in the redesign of DBL projects. We conducted an intervention for the professional development of the DBL teachers in the Mechanical Engineering and the Electrical Engineering departments. We used the Experiential Learning Cycle as an educational model for the professionalisation programme. The findings show that the programme encouraged teachers to apply the DBL theoretical framework. However, there are some limitations with regard to specific project characteristics. Further research into supporting teachers to develop open-ended and multidisciplinary activities in the projects that support learning is recommended.

From chemical risk assessment to environmental resources management: the challenge for mining.

PubMed

Voulvoulis, Nikolaos; Skolout, John W F; Oates, Christopher J; Plant, Jane A

2013-11-01

On top of significant improvements and progress made through science and engineering in the last century to increase efficiency and reduce impacts of mining to the environment, risk assessment has an important role to play in further reducing such impacts and preventing and mitigating risks. This paper reflects on how risk assessment can improve planning, monitoring and management in mining and mineral processing operations focusing on the importance of better understanding source-pathway-receptor linkages for all stages of mining. However, in light of the ever-growing consumption and demand for raw materials from mining, the need to manage environmental resources more sustainably is becoming increasingly important. The paper therefore assesses how mining can form an integral part of wider sustainable resources management, with the need for re-assessing the potential of mining in the context of sustainable management of natural capital, and with a renewed focus on its the role from a systems perspective. The need for understanding demand and pressure on resources, followed by appropriate pricing that is inclusive of all environmental costs, with new opportunities for mining in the wastes we generate, is also discussed. Findings demonstrate the need for a life cycle perspective in closing the loop between mining, production, consumption and waste generation as the way forward.

Correlates of time spent walking and cycling to and from work: baseline results from the commuting and health in Cambridge study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Purpose Environmental perceptions and psychological measures appear to be associated with walking and cycling behaviour; however, their influence is still unclear. We assessed these associations using baseline data from a quasi-experimental cohort study of the effects of major transport infrastructural developments in Cambridge, UK. Methods Postal surveys were sent to adults who travel to work in Cambridge (n = 1582). Questions asked about travel modes and time spent travelling to and from work in the last week, perceptions of the route, psychological measures regarding car use and socio-demographic characteristics. Participants were classified into one of two categories according to time spent walking for commuting ('no walking' or 'some walking') and one of three categories for cycling ('no cycling', '1-149 min/wk' and ' ≥ 150 min/wk'). Results Of the 1164 respondents (68% female, mean (SD) age: 42.3 (11.4) years) 30% reported any walking and 53% reported any cycling to or from work. In multiple regression models, short distance to work and not having access to a car showed strong positive associations with both walking and cycling. Furthermore, those who reported that it was pleasant to walk were more likely to walk to or from work (OR = 4.18, 95% CI 3.02 to 5.78) and those who reported that it was convenient to cycle on the route between home and work were more likely to do so (1-149 min/wk: OR = 4.60, 95% CI 2.88 to 7.34; ≥ 150 min/wk: OR = 3.14, 95% CI 2.11 to 4.66). Positive attitudes in favour of car use were positively associated with time spent walking to or from work but negatively associated with cycling to or from work. Strong perceived behavioural control for car use was negatively associated with walking. Conclusions In this relatively affluent sample of commuters, a range of individual and household characteristics, perceptions of the route environment and psychological measures relating to car use were associated with walking or cycling to and from work. Taken together, these findings suggest that social and physical contexts of travel decision-making should be considered and that a range of influences may require to be addressed to bring about behaviour change. PMID:22074293

Can we bet on negative emissions to achieve the 2°C target even under strong carbon cycle feedbacks?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, K.; Yamagata, Y.; Yokohata, T.; Emori, S.; Hanaoka, T.

2015-12-01

Negative emission technologies such as Bioenergy with Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (BioCCS) play an ever more crucial role in meeting the 2°C stabilization target. However, such technologies are currently at their infancy and their future penetrations may fall short of the scale required to stabilize the warming. Furthermore, the overshoot in the mid-century prior to a full realization of negative emissions would give rise to a risk because such a temporal but excessive warming above 2°C might amplify itself by strengthening climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. It has not been extensively assessed yet how carbon cycle feedbacks might play out during the overshoot in the context of negative emissions. This study explores how 2°C stabilization pathways, in particular those which undergo overshoot, can be influenced by carbon cycle feedbacks and asks their climatic and economic consequences. We compute 2°C stabilization emissions scenarios under a cost-effectiveness principle, in which the total abatement costs are minimized such that the global warming is capped at 2°C. We employ a reduced-complexity model, the Aggregated Carbon Cycle, Atmospheric Chemistry, and Climate model (ACC2), which comprises a box model of the global carbon cycle, simple parameterizations of the atmospheric chemistry, and a land-ocean energy balance model. The total abatement costs are estimated from the marginal abatement cost functions for CO2, CH4, N2O, and BC.Our preliminary results show that, if carbon cycle feedbacks turn out to be stronger than what is known today, it would incur substantial abatement costs to keep up with the 2°C stabilization goal. Our results also suggest that it would be less expensive in the long run to plan for a 2°C stabilization pathway by considering strong carbon cycle feedbacks because it would cost more if we correct the emission pathway in the mid-century to adjust for unexpectedly large carbon cycle feedbacks during overshoot. Furthermore, our tentative results point to a key policy message: do not rely on negative emissions to achieve the 2°C target. It would make more sense to gear climate mitigation actions toward the stabilization target without betting on negative emissions because negative emissions might create large overshoot in case of strong feedbacks.

Sensitivity of the carbon cycle in the Arctic to climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, A. David; Anderson, Leif G.; Christensen, Torben R.; Dallimore, Scott; Guo, Laodong; Hayes, Daniel J.; Heimann, Martin; Lorenson, T.D.; Macdonald, Robie W.; Roulet, Nigel

2009-01-01

The recent warming in the Arctic is affecting a broad spectrum of physical, ecological, and human/cultural systems that may be irreversible on century time scales and have the potential to cause rapid changes in the earth system. The response of the carbon cycle of the Arctic to changes in climate is a major issue of global concern, yet there has not been a comprehensive review of the status of the contemporary carbon cycle of the Arctic and its response to climate change. This review is designed to clarify key uncertainties and vulnerabilities in the response of the carbon cycle of the Arctic to ongoing climatic change. While it is clear that there are substantial stocks of carbon in the Arctic, there are also significant uncertainties associated with the magnitude of organic matter stocks contained in permafrost and the storage of methane hydrates beneath both subterranean and submerged permafrost of the Arctic. In the context of the global carbon cycle, this review demonstrates that the Arctic plays an important role in the global dynamics of both CO2 and CH4. Studies suggest that the Arctic has been a sink for atmospheric CO2 of between 0 and 0.8 Pg C/yr in recent decades, which is between 0% and 25% of the global net land/ocean flux during the 1990s. The Arctic is a substantial source of CH4 to the atmosphere (between 32 and 112 Tg CH4/yr), primarily because of the large area of wetlands throughout the region. Analyses to date indicate that the sensitivity of the carbon cycle of the Arctic during the remainder of the 21st century is highly uncertain. To improve the capability to assess the sensitivity of the carbon cycle of the Arctic to projected climate change, we recommend that (1) integrated regional studies be conducted to link observations of carbon dynamics to the processes that are likely to influence those dynamics, and (2) the understanding gained from these integrated studies be incorporated into both uncoupled and fully coupled carbon–climate modeling efforts.

Is objective and accurate cognitive assessment across the menstrual cycle possible? A feasibility study

PubMed Central

Neill, Jo; Scally, Andy; Tuffnell, Derek; Marshall, Kay

2015-01-01

Objectives: Variation in plasma hormone levels influences the neurobiology of brain regions involved in cognition and emotion processing. Fluctuations in hormone levels across the menstrual cycle could therefore alter cognitive performance and wellbeing; reports have provided conflicting results, however. The aim of this study was to assess whether objective assessment of cognitive performance and self-reported wellbeing during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle is feasible and investigate the possible reasons for variation in effects previously reported. Methods: The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to assess the cognitive performance and wellbeing of 12 women. Data were analysed by self-reported and hormone-estimated phases of the menstrual cycle. Results: Recruitment to the study and assessment of cognition and wellbeing was without issue. Plasma hormone and peptide estimation showed substantial individual variation and suggests inaccuracy in self-reported menstrual phase estimation. Conclusion: Objective assessment of cognitive performance and self-assessed wellbeing across the menstrual cycle is feasible. Grouping data by hormonal profile rather by self-reported phase estimation may influence phase-mediated results. Future studies should use plasma hormone and peptide profiles to estimate cycle phase and group data for analyses. PMID:26770760

Development and application of basis database for materials life cycle assessment in china

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoqing; Gong, Xianzheng; Liu, Yu

2017-03-01

As the data intensive method, high quality environmental burden data is an important premise of carrying out materials life cycle assessment (MLCA), and the reliability of data directly influences the reliability of the assessment results and its application performance. Therefore, building Chinese MLCA database is the basic data needs and technical supports for carrying out and improving LCA practice. Firstly, some new progress on database which related to materials life cycle assessment research and development are introduced. Secondly, according to requirement of ISO 14040 series standards, the database framework and main datasets of the materials life cycle assessment are studied. Thirdly, MLCA data platform based on big data is developed. Finally, the future research works were proposed and discussed.

Current warming will reduce yields unless maize breeding and seed systems adapt immediately

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challinor, A. J.; Koehler, A.-K.; Ramirez-Villegas, J.; Whitfield, S.; Das, B.

2016-10-01

The development of crop varieties that are better suited to new climatic conditions is vital for future food production. Increases in mean temperature accelerate crop development, resulting in shorter crop durations and reduced time to accumulate biomass and yield. The process of breeding, delivery and adoption (BDA) of new maize varieties can take up to 30 years. Here, we assess for the first time the implications of warming during the BDA process by using five bias-corrected global climate models and four representative concentration pathways with realistic scenarios of maize BDA times in Africa. The results show that the projected difference in temperature between the start and end of the maize BDA cycle results in shorter crop durations that are outside current variability. Both adaptation and mitigation can reduce duration loss. In particular, climate projections have the potential to provide target elevated temperatures for breeding. Whilst options for reducing BDA time are highly context dependent, common threads include improved recording and sharing of data across regions for the whole BDA cycle, streamlining of regulation, and capacity building. Finally, we show that the results have implications for maize across the tropics, where similar shortening of duration is projected.

EVALUATING THE GREENNESS OF IONIC LIQUIDS VIA LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Ionic Liquids have been suggested as "greener" replacements to traditional solvents. However, the environmental impacts of the life cycle phases have not been studied. Such a "cradle to gate" Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for comparing the environmental impact of various solvents...

Crash Attenuator Data Collection and Life Cycle Tool Development

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-14

This research study was aimed at data collection and development of a decision support tool for life cycle cost assessment of crash attenuators. Assessing arrenuator life cycle costs based on in-place expected costs and not just the initial cost enha...

Garvin Heath | NREL

Science.gov Websites

& Impacts Analysis Group in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center. Areas of Expertise Life cycle environmental impacts of energy technologies, including externalities Life cycle assessment Sustainability ;Life Cycle Assessment of a Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Power Plant and the Impacts of Key

Fetal programming: testosterone exposure of the female sheep during midgestation disrupts the dynamics of its adult gonadotropin secretion during the periovulatory period.

PubMed

Savabieasfahani, Mozhgan; Lee, James S; Herkimer, Carol; Sharma, Tejinder P; Foster, Douglas L; Padmanabhan, Vasantha

2005-01-01

Prenatal exposure of the female sheep to excess testosterone (T) leads to hypergonadotropism, multifollicular ovaries, and progressive loss of reproductive cycles. We have determined that prenatal T treatment delays the latency of the estradiol (E2)-induced LH surge. To extend this finding into a natural physiological context, the present study was conducted to determine if the malprogrammed surge mechanism alters the reproductive cycle. Specifically, we wished to determine if prenatal T treatment 1) delays the onset of the preovulatory gonadotropin surge during the natural follicular phase rise in E2, 2) alters pulsatile LH secretion and the dynamics of the secondary FSH surge, and 3) compromises the ensuing luteal function. Females prenatally T-treated from Day 60 to Day 90 of gestation (147 days is term) and control females were studied when they were approximately 2.5 yr of age. Reproductive cycles of control and prenatally T-treated females were synchronized with PGF2alpha, and peripheral blood samples were collected every 2 h for 120 h to characterize cyclic changes in E2, LH, and FSH and then daily for 14 days to monitor changes in luteal progesterone. To assess LH pulse patterns, blood samples were also collected frequently (each 5 min for 6 h) during the follicular and luteal phases of the cycle. The results revealed that, in prenatally T-treated females, 1) the preovulatory increase in E2 was normal; 2) the latencies between the preovulatory increase in E2 and the peaks of the primary LH and FSH surges were longer, but the magnitudes similar; 3) follicular-phase LH pulse frequency was increased; 4) the interval between the primary and secondary FSH surges was reduced but there was a tendency for an increase in duration of the secondary FSH surge; but 5) luteal progesterone patterns were in general unaltered. Thus, exposure of the female to excess T before birth produces perturbances and maltiming in periovulatory gonadotropin secretory dynamics, but these do not produce apparent defects in cycle regularity or luteal function. To reveal the pathologies that lead to the eventual subfertility arising from excess T exposure during midgestation, studies at older ages must be conducted to assess if there is progressive disruption of neuroendocrine and ovarian function.

Evaluation of staff performance and interpretation of the screening program for prevention of thalassemia.

PubMed

Prommetta, Simaporn; Sanchaisuriya, Kanokwan; Fucharoen, Goonnapa; Yamsri, Supawadee; Chaiboonroeng, Attawut; Fucharoen, Supan

2017-06-15

Thalassemia screening program has been implemented for years in Southeast Asia, but no external quality assessment program has been established. We have developed and initiated the proficiency testing (PT) program for the first time in Thailand with the aim to assess the screening performance of laboratory staff and their competency in interpretation of the screening results. Three PT cycles per year were organized. From the first to the third cycle of the PT scheme, a total number of participant laboratories increased from 59 to 67. In each cycle, 2 PT items (assigned as blood samples of the couple) were provided. Performance evaluation was based on the accuracy of screening results, i.e . mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and the dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) test for haemoglobin E, including the competency in interpretation of screening results and assessment of foetal risk. Performance was assessed by comparing the participants' result against the assigned value. Of all 3 cycles, most laboratories reported acceptable MCV and MCH values. From the first to the third cycle, incorrect DCIP test and misinterpretation rates were decreased while incorrect risk assessment varied by cycle to cycle. Combining the accuracy of thalassemia screening and the competency in interpretation and risk assessment, approximately half of participants showed excellent performance. Improved performance observed in many laboratories reflects the achievement and benefit of the PT program which should be regularly provided.

The Temporal Regulation of S Phase Proteins During G1

PubMed Central

Grant, Gavin D.; Cook, Jeanette G.

2018-01-01

Successful DNA replication requires intimate coordination with cell cycle progression. Prior to DNA replication initiation in S phase, a series of essential preparatory events in G1 phase ensures timely, complete, and precise genome duplication. Among the essential molecular processes are regulated transcriptional upregulation of genes that encode replication proteins, appropriate post-transcriptional control of replication factor abundance and activity, and the assembly of DNA-loaded protein complexes to license replication origins. In this chapter we describe these critical G1 events necessary for DNA replication and their regulation in the context of both cell cycle entry and cell cycle progression. PMID:29357066

Integrating Risk Context into Risk Assessments: The Risk Context Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroner, Daryl G.; Gray, Andrew L.; Goodrich, Ben

2013-01-01

The context in which offenders are released is an important component of conducting risk assessments. A sample of 257 supervised male parolees were followed in the community ("M" = 870 days) after an initial risk assessment. Drawing on community-based information, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the recently developed Risk…

Extractable nitrogen and microbial community structure respond to grassland restoration regardless of historical context and soil composition

PubMed Central

Dickens, Sara Jo M.; Allen, Edith B.; Santiago, Louis S.; Crowley, David

2015-01-01

Grasslands have a long history of invasion by exotic annuals, which may alter microbial communities and nutrient cycling through changes in litter quality and biomass turnover rates. We compared plant community composition, soil chemical and microbial community composition, potential soil respiration and nitrogen (N) turnover rates between invaded and restored plots in inland and coastal grasslands. Restoration increased microbial biomass and fungal : bacterial (F : B) ratios, but sampling season had a greater influence on the F : B ratio than did restoration. Microbial community composition assessed by phospholipid fatty acid was altered by restoration, but also varied by season and by site. Total soil carbon (C) and N and potential soil respiration did not differ between treatments, but N mineralization decreased while extractable nitrate and nitrification and N immobilization rate increased in restored compared with unrestored sites. The differences in soil chemistry and microbial community composition between unrestored and restored sites indicate that these soils are responsive, and therefore not resistant to feedbacks caused by changes in vegetation type. The resilience, or recovery, of these soils is difficult to assess in the absence of uninvaded control grasslands. However, the rapid changes in microbial and N cycling characteristics following removal of invasives in both grassland sites suggest that the soils are resilient to invasion. The lack of change in total C and N pools may provide a buffer that promotes resilience of labile pools and microbial community structure. PMID:25555522

Biogeochemical Cycles in Degraded Lands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Eric A.; Vieira, Ima Celia G.; ReisdeCarvalho, Claudio Jose; DeanedeAbreuSa, Tatiana; deSouzaMoutinho, Paulo R.; Figueiredo, Ricardo O.; Stone, Thomas A.

2004-01-01

The objectives of this project were to define and describe the types of landscapes that fall under the broad category of "degraded lands" and to study biogeochemical cycles across this range of degradation found in secondary forests. We define degraded land as that which has lost part of its capacity of renovation of a productive ecosystem, either in the context of agroecosystems or as native communities of vegetation. This definition of degradation permits evaluation of biogeochemical constraints to future land uses.

Breaking cycles of risk: The mitigating role of maternal working memory in associations among socioeconomic status, early caregiving, and children's working memory.

PubMed

Suor, Jennifer H; Sturge-Apple, Melissa L; Skibo, Michael A

2017-10-01

Previous research has documented socioeconomic-related disparities in children's working memory; however, the putative proximal caregiving mechanisms that underlie these effects are less known. The present study sought to examine whether the effects of early family socioeconomic status on children's working memory were mediated through experiences of caregiving, specifically maternal harsh discipline and responsiveness. Utilizing a psychobiological framework of parenting, the present study also tested whether maternal working memory moderated the initial paths between the family socioeconomic context and maternal harsh discipline and responsiveness in the mediation model. The sample included 185 socioeconomically diverse mother-child dyads assessed when children were 3.5 and 5 years old. Results demonstrated that maternal harsh discipline was a unique mediator of the relation between early experiences of family socioeconomic adversity and lower working memory outcomes in children. Individual differences in maternal working memory emerged as a potent individual difference factor that specifically moderated the mediating influence of harsh discipline within low socioeconomic contexts. The findings have implications for early risk processes underlying deficits in child working memory outcomes and potential targets for parent-child interventions.

Life cycle assessment of fertilization of corn and corn-soybean rotations with Swine manure and synthetic fertilizer in iowa.

PubMed

Griffing, Evan Michael; Schauer, Richard Lynn; Rice, Charles W

2014-03-01

Life cycle assessment is the predominant method to compare energy and environmental impacts of agricultural production systems. In this life cycle study, we focused on the comparison of swine manure to synthetic fertilizer as nutrients for corn production in Iowa. Deep pit (DP) and anaerobic lagoon (AL) treatment systems were compared separately, and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) was chosen as the representative synthetic fertilizer. The two functional units used were fertilization of 1000 kg of corn in a continuous corn system and fertilization of a crop yielding 1000 kg of corn and a crop yielding 298 kg of soybean in a 2-yr corn-soybean rotation. Iowa-specific versions of emission factors and energy use were used when available and compared with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change values. Manure was lower than synthetic fertilizer for abiotic depletion and about equal with respect to eutrophication. Synthetic fertilizer was lower than manure for global warming potential (GWP) and acidification. The choice of allocation method and life cycle boundary were important in understanding the context of these results. In the DP system, methane (CH) from housing was the largest contributor to the GWP, accounting for 60% of the total impact. When storage systems were compared, the DP system had 50% less GWP than the AL system. This comparison was due to reduction in CH emissions from the storage system and conservation of nitrogen. Nitrous oxide emissions were the biggest contributor to the GWP of UAN fertilization and the second biggest contributor to the GWP of manure. Monte Carlo and scenario analyses were used to test the robustness of the results and sensitivity to methodology and important impact factors. The available crop-land and associated plant nutrient needs in Iowa was compared with manure production for the current hog population. On a state- or county-wide level, there was generally an excess of available land. On a farm level, there is often an excess of manure, which necessitates long-distance transport. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

LIFE CYCLE DESIGN OF AMORPHOUS SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES

EPA Science Inventory

The life cycle design framework was applied to photovoltaic module design. The primary objective of this project was to develop and evaluate design metrics for assessing and guiding the Improvement of PV product systems. Two metrics were used to assess life cycle energy perform...

PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT: INVENTORY GUIDELINES AND PRINCIPLES

EPA Science Inventory

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be used as an objective technical tool to evaluate the environmental consequences of a product, process, or activity holistically, across its entire life cycle. omplete LCA can be viewed as consisting of three complementary components (1) the i...

Geographic variation and evolution in the life cycle of the witch-hazel leaf gall aphid, Hormaphis hamamelidis.

PubMed

von Dohlen, C D; Gill, D E

1989-02-01

Two divergent life cycles associated with different elevations and latitudes have been documented for the witch-hazel leaf gall aphid, Hormaphis hamamelidis. At low elevation in northern Virginia, the aphid had seven distinct generations alternating between the primary host, witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), and a secondary host, river birch (Betula nigra). These findings confirm the original published life cycle description for the same locality. A second, abbreviated life cycle consisting of only three generations restricted to witch-hazel was discovered at high elevation (1000 m) in north central and northwestern Virginia. Aphids of both life cycles were sympatric at a middle elevation site. The life cycles and morphology suggest that the two forms are separate species. Although monoecious life cycles on primary hosts in aphids generally are thought to be ancestral to complex host-alternating ones, it is certainly possible that monoecious cycles are sometimes secondarily derived from complex cycles. By constructing a preliminary phylogeny of the described species in the tribe Hormaphidini, we propose that the abbreviated life cycle is derived from the complex one in the case of these witchhazel gall aphids. Our findings are discussed in the context of current theory regarding the evolutionary stability of complex life cycles.

Identification of fuel cycle simulator functionalities for analysis of transition to a new fuel cycle

DOE PAGES

Brown, Nicholas R.; Carlsen, Brett W.; Dixon, Brent W.; ...

2016-06-09

Dynamic fuel cycle simulation tools are intended to model holistic transient nuclear fuel cycle scenarios. As with all simulation tools, fuel cycle simulators require verification through unit tests, benchmark cases, and integral tests. Model validation is a vital aspect as well. Although compara-tive studies have been performed, there is no comprehensive unit test and benchmark library for fuel cycle simulator tools. The objective of this paper is to identify the must test functionalities of a fuel cycle simulator tool within the context of specific problems of interest to the Fuel Cycle Options Campaign within the U.S. Department of Energy smore » Office of Nuclear Energy. The approach in this paper identifies the features needed to cover the range of promising fuel cycle options identified in the DOE-NE Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening (E&S) and categorizes these features to facilitate prioritization. Features were categorized as essential functions, integrating features, and exemplary capabilities. One objective of this paper is to propose a library of unit tests applicable to each of the essential functions. Another underlying motivation for this paper is to encourage an international dialog on the functionalities and standard test methods for fuel cycle simulator tools.« less

Managing Environmental Flows for Impounded Rivers in Semi-Arid Regions- A Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) Approach for the Assessment of River Habitat for Salmonid Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pai, H.; Sivakumaran, K.; Villamizar, S. R.; Flanagan, J.; Guo, Q.; Harmon, T. C.

2013-12-01

Balancing ecosystem health in water-scarce, agriculturally dominated river basins remains a challenge. In dry water years, maintaining conditions for restored and sustained indigenous fish populations (a frequently used indicator for ecosystem health) is particularly challenging. Competing human demands include urban and agricultural water supplies, hydropower, and flood control. In many semi-arid regions, increasing drought intensity and frequency under future climate scenarios will combine with population increases to water scarcity. The goal of this work is to better understand how reservoir releases affect fish habitat and overall river aquatic ecosystem quality. Models integrating a diverse array of physical and biological processes and system state are used to forecast the river ecosystem response to changing drivers. We propose a distributed parameter-based Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) approach for assessing fish habitat quality. Our river ecosystem HSI maps are based on a combination of the following: (1) In situ data describing stream flow and water quality conditions; (2) Spatial observations, including surveyed cross-sections, aerial imagery and digital elevation maps (DEM) of the river and its riparian corridor; and (3) Simulated spatially distributed water depths, flow velocities, and temperatures estimated from 1D and 2D river flow and temperature models (HEC-RAS and CE-QUAL-W2, respectively). With respect to (2), image processing schemes are used to classify and map key habitat features, namely riparian edge and shallow underwater vegetation. HSI maps can be modified temporally to address specific life cycle requirements of indicator fish species. Results are presented for several reaches associated with the San Joaquin River Restoration Project, focusing on several components of the Chinook salmon life cycle. HSI maps and interpretations are presented in the context of a range of prescribed reservoir release hydrographs linked to California water year descriptors (wet, dry, critical low, etc.). Implications are discussed with respect to effective reservoir operation (requisite flow releases and temperature) and restorative actions (e.g., riparian vegetation) in the context of habitat suitability.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Nicholas R.; Carlsen, Brett W.; Dixon, Brent W.

Dynamic fuel cycle simulation tools are intended to model holistic transient nuclear fuel cycle scenarios. As with all simulation tools, fuel cycle simulators require verification through unit tests, benchmark cases, and integral tests. Model validation is a vital aspect as well. Although compara-tive studies have been performed, there is no comprehensive unit test and benchmark library for fuel cycle simulator tools. The objective of this paper is to identify the must test functionalities of a fuel cycle simulator tool within the context of specific problems of interest to the Fuel Cycle Options Campaign within the U.S. Department of Energy smore » Office of Nuclear Energy. The approach in this paper identifies the features needed to cover the range of promising fuel cycle options identified in the DOE-NE Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening (E&S) and categorizes these features to facilitate prioritization. Features were categorized as essential functions, integrating features, and exemplary capabilities. One objective of this paper is to propose a library of unit tests applicable to each of the essential functions. Another underlying motivation for this paper is to encourage an international dialog on the functionalities and standard test methods for fuel cycle simulator tools.« less

A rapid review of the impact of commissioning on service use, quality, outcomes and value for money: implications for Australian policy.

PubMed

Gardner, Karen; Davies, G Powell; Edwards, Karen; McDonald, Julie; Findlay, Terry; Kearns, Rachael; Joshi, Chandni; Harris, Mark

2016-01-01

The aim of this systematic review was to assess evidence of the impact of commissioning on health service use, quality, outcomes and value for money and to consider findings in the Australian context. Systematic searches of the literature identified 444 papers and, after exclusions, 36 were subject to full review. The commissioning cycle (planning, contracting, monitoring) formed a framework for analysis and impacts were assessed at individual, subpopulation and population levels. Little evidence of the effectiveness of commissioning at any level was available and observed impacts were highly context-dependent. There was insufficient evidence to identify a preferred model. Lack of skills and capacity were cited as major barriers to the implementation of commissioning. Successful commissioning requires a clear policy framework of national and regional priorities that define agreed targets for commissioning agencies. Engagement of consumers and providers, especially physicians, was considered to be critically important but is time consuming and has proven difficult to sustain. Adequate information on the cost, volume and quality of healthcare services is critically important for setting priorities, and for contracting and monitoring performance. Lack of information resulted in serious problems. High-quality nationally standardised performance measures and data requirements need to be built into contracts and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. In Australia, there is significant work to be done in areas of policy and governance, funding systems and incentives, patient enrolment or registration, information systems, individual and organisational capacity, community engagement and experience in commissioning.

Estimating terrestrial aboveground biomass estimation using lidar remote sensing: a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolkos, S. G.; Goetz, S. J.; Dubayah, R.

2012-12-01

Estimating biomass of terrestrial vegetation is a rapidly expanding research area, but also a subject of tremendous interest for reducing carbon emissions associated with deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The accuracy of biomass estimates is important in the context carbon markets emerging under REDD, since areas with more accurate estimates command higher prices, but also for characterizing uncertainty in estimates of carbon cycling and the global carbon budget. There is particular interest in mapping biomass so that carbon stocks and stock changes can be monitored consistently across a range of scales - from relatively small projects (tens of hectares) to national or continental scales - but also so that other benefits of forest conservation can be factored into decision making (e.g. biodiversity and habitat corridors). We conducted an analysis of reported biomass accuracy estimates from more than 60 refereed articles using different remote sensing platforms (aircraft and satellite) and sensor types (optical, radar, lidar), with a particular focus on lidar since those papers reported the greatest efficacy (lowest errors) when used in the a synergistic manner with other coincident multi-sensor measurements. We show systematic differences in accuracy between different types of lidar systems flown on different platforms but, perhaps more importantly, differences between forest types (biomes) and plot sizes used for field calibration and assessment. We discuss these findings in relation to monitoring, reporting and verification under REDD, and also in the context of more systematic assessment of factors that influence accuracy and error estimation.

Training Intensity Distribution Over a Four-Year Cycle in Olympic Champion Rowers: Different Roads Lead to Rio.

PubMed

Plews, Daniel J; Laursen, Paul B

2017-09-27

The purpose of this study was to compare the training intensity distribution (TID) of the undefeated world champion male rowing New Zealand (kiwi) pair over a four-year Olympic cycle, across training phases, training years, and between individuals. Training data, including heart rate and boat speed, were recorded in the athletes rowing in the same boat between March 2013 and August 2016, ending with the Rio Olympics final. Progressive exercise tests assessed first (LT 1 ) and second (LT 2 ) lactate thresholds and associated heart rates, to determine the percentage of training performed below, between and above these demarcation points. Training an average of only 12-15 h/wk throughout the Olympic cycle, the mean percent distribution of time (±SD) at each training intensity was 80.4 ± 5.5% LT 2 for Rower A and 67.3 ± 9.0% LT 2 for Rower B. Across the years 2014-2016, Rower A performed most likely more training

Dietary Carbohydrate Intake Does Not Impact Insulin Resistance or Androgens in Healthy, Eumenorrheic Women

PubMed Central

Schisterman, Enrique F.; Schliep, Karen C.; Plowden, Torie; Zarek, Shvetha M.; Yeung, Edwina; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Mumford, Sunni L.

2015-01-01

Context: Diet is proposed to contribute to androgen-related reproductive dysfunction. Objective: This study evaluated the association between dietary macronutrient intake, carbohydrate fraction intake, and overall diet quality on androgens and related hormones, including anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and insulin, in healthy, regularly menstruating women. Design: This was a prospective cohort study from 2005 and 2007. Setting: The study was conducted at the University at Buffalo, western New York State, USA. Participants: Participants were 259 eumenorrheic women without a self-reported history of infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or other endocrine disorder. Main Outcome Measures: A 24-hour dietary recall was administered 4 times per menstrual cycle, and hormones were measured 5 to 8 times per cycle for 1 (n = 9) or 2 (n = 250) cycles per woman (n = 509 cycles). Associations between the dietary intake of carbohydrates (starch, sugar, sucrose, and fiber), macronutrients, overall diet quality and hormones (insulin, AMH, and total and free testosterone), as well as the relationship of dietary intake with occurrences of high total testosterone combined with high AMH (fourth quartile of each), ie, the “PCOS-like phenotype,” were assessed. Results: No significant relationships were identified between dietary intake of carbohydrates, percent calories from any macronutrient or overall diet quality (ie, Mediterranean diet score) and relevant hormones (insulin, AMH, and total and free testosterone). Likewise, no significant relationships were identified between dietary factors and the occurrence of a subclinical PCOS-like phenotype. Conclusions: Despite evidence of a subclinical continuum of a PCOS-related phenotype of elevated androgens and AMH related to sporadic anovulation identified in previous studies, dietary carbohydrate and diet quality do not appear to relate to these subclinical endocrine characteristics in women without overt PCOS. PMID:26066675

Osmoconditioning prevents the onset of microtubular cytoskeleton and activation of cell cycle and is detrimental for germination of Jatropha curcas L. seeds.

PubMed

de Brito, C D; Loureiro, M B; Ribeiro, P R; Vasconcelos, P C T; Fernandez, L G; de Castro, R D

2016-11-01

Jatropha curcas is an oilseed crop renowned for its tolerance to a diverse range of environmental stresses. In Brazil, this species is grown in semiarid regions where crop establishment requires a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying appropriate seed, seedling and plant behaviour under water restriction conditions. In this context, the objective of this study was to investigate the physiological and cytological profiles of J. curcas seeds in response to imbibition in water (control) and in polyethylene glycol solution (osmoticum). Seed germinability and reactivation of cell cycle events were assessed by means of different germination parameters and immunohistochemical detection of tubulin and microtubules, i.e. tubulin accumulation and microtubular cytoskeleton configurations in water imbibed seeds (control) and in seeds imbibed in the osmoticum. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed increasing accumulation of tubulin and appearance of microtubular cytoskeleton in seed embryo radicles imbibed in water from 48 h onwards. Mitotic microtubules were only visible in seeds imbibed in water, after radicle protrusion, as an indication of cell cycle reactivation and cell proliferation, with subsequent root development. Imbibition in osmoticum prevented accumulation of microtubules, i.e. activation of cell cycle, therefore germination could not be resumed. Osmoconditioned seeds were able to survive re-drying and could resume germination after re-imbibition in water, however, with lower germination performance, possibly due to acquisition of secondary dormancy. This study provides important insights into understanding of the physiological aspects of J. curcas seed germination in response to water restriction conditions. © 2016 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Effects of hormonal contraceptives on mental rotation and verbal fluency.

PubMed

Griksiene, Ramune; Ruksenas, Osvaldas

2011-09-01

Cognitive abilities, such as verbal fluency and mental rotation, are most sensitive to changes in sex steroids but poorly studied in the context of hormonal contraceptive usage. Therefore, we investigated the performance of mental rotation and verbal fluency in young (21.5±1.8 years) healthy oral contraceptive (OC) users (23 women) and non-users (20 women) during the follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Salivary 17β-estradiol, progesterone and testosterone levels were assayed to evaluate hormonal differences between groups and the phases of the menstrual cycle. To assess the effects of progestins having androgenic/anti-androgenic properties, OC users were subdivided into the third and new generation OC users. In addition, positive and negative affects as factors possibly affecting cognitive performance were evaluated. Salivary 17β-estradiol and progesterone levels were significantly lower in hormonal contraception users. Level of salivary testosterone was slightly lower in the OC users group with significant difference only during ovulatory phase. Naturally cycling women performed better on verbal fluency task as compared to OC users. Subjects who used the third generation (androgenic) OCs generated significantly fewer words as compared to new generation (anti-androgenic) OC users and non-users. The third generation OC users demonstrated significantly longer RT in MRT task as compared to non-users. The MRT, verbal fluency and mood parameters did not depend on the phase of menstrual cycle. The parameters of the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) scales did not differ between OC users and non-users. Our findings show that hormonal contraception has an impact on verbal and spatial abilities. Different performances between users of oral contraceptives with androgenic and anti-androgenic properties suggest an essential role for the progestins contained in OCs on cognitive performance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topology and Control of the Cell-Cycle-Regulated Transcriptional Circuitry

PubMed Central

Haase, Steven B.; Wittenberg, Curt

2014-01-01

Nearly 20% of the budding yeast genome is transcribed periodically during the cell division cycle. The precise temporal execution of this large transcriptional program is controlled by a large interacting network of transcriptional regulators, kinases, and ubiquitin ligases. Historically, this network has been viewed as a collection of four coregulated gene clusters that are associated with each phase of the cell cycle. Although the broad outlines of these gene clusters were described nearly 20 years ago, new technologies have enabled major advances in our understanding of the genes comprising those clusters, their regulation, and the complex regulatory interplay between clusters. More recently, advances are being made in understanding the roles of chromatin in the control of the transcriptional program. We are also beginning to discover important regulatory interactions between the cell-cycle transcriptional program and other cell-cycle regulatory mechanisms such as checkpoints and metabolic networks. Here we review recent advances and contemporary models of the transcriptional network and consider these models in the context of eukaryotic cell-cycle controls. PMID:24395825

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AN INTRODUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

EPA Science Inventory

Research within the field of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) has greatly improved since the work of Heijungs and Guinee in 1992. Within the UNEP / SETAC Life Cycle Initiative an effort is underway to provide recommendations about the direction of research and selection of LC...

Dealing with Emergy Algebra in the Life Cycle Assessment Framework

EPA Science Inventory

The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) represents one of the four steps of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which is a standardized procedure (ISO 14040:2006) to estimate the environmental impacts generated by the production, use and disposal of goods and services. In this co...

Comparison of energy-based indicators used in life cycle assessment tools for buildings

EPA Science Inventory

Traditionally, building rating systems focused on, among others, energy used during operational stage. Recently, there is a strong push by these rating systems to include the life cycle energy use of buildings, particularly using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), by offering credits t...

LIFE-CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT DEMONSTRATION FOR THE BGU-24

EPA Science Inventory

The primary goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate a life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) approach using existing life-cycle inventory (LCI) data on one of the propellants, energetics, and pyrotechnic (PEP) materials of interest to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)...

Integrated Metrics for Improving the Life Cycle Approach to Assessing Product System Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

Life cycle approaches are critical for identifying and managing to reduce burdens in the sustainability of product systems. While these methods can indicate potential environmental impacts of a product, current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods fail to integrate the multiple im...

Watch Out for the "Living Dead": Cell-Free Enzymes and Their Fate.

PubMed

Baltar, Federico

2017-01-01

Microbes are the engines driving biogeochemical cycles. Microbial extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs) are the "gatekeepers" of the carbon cycle. The total EEA is the sum of cell-bound (i.e., cell-attached), and dissolved (i.e., cell-free) enzyme activities. Cell-free enzymes make up a substantial proportion (up to 100%) of the total marine EEA. Although we are learning more about how microbial diversity and function (including total EEA) will be affected by environmental changes, little is known about what factors control the importance of the abundant cell-free enzymes. Since cell-attached EEAs are linked to the cell, their fate will likely be linked to the factors controlling the cell's fate. In contrast, cell-free enzymes belong to a kind of "living dead" realm because they are not attached to a living cell but still are able to perform their function away from the cell; and as such, the factors controlling their activity and fate might differ from those affecting cell-attached enzymes. This article aims to place cell-free EEA into the wider context of hydrolysis of organic matter, deal with recent studies assessing what controls the production, activity and lifetime of cell-free EEA, and what their fate might be in response to environmental stressors. This perspective article advocates the need to go "beyond the living things," studying the response of cells/organisms to different stressors, but also to study cell-free enzymes, in order to fully constrain the future and evolution of marine biogeochemical cycles.

A new device for monitoring individual activity rhythms of honey bees reveals critical effects of the social environment on behavior.

PubMed

Beer, Katharina; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Härtel, Stephan; Helfrich-Förster, Charlotte

2016-08-01

Chronobiological studies of individual activity rhythms in social insects can be constrained by the artificial isolation of individuals from their social context. We present a new experimental set-up that simultaneously measures the temperature rhythm in a queen-less but brood raising mini colony and the walking activity rhythms of singly kept honey bees that have indirect social contact with it. Our approach enables monitoring of individual bees in the social context of a mini colony under controlled laboratory conditions. In a pilot experiment, we show that social contact with the mini colony improves the survival of monitored young individuals and affects locomotor activity patterns of young and old bees. When exposed to conflicting Zeitgebers consisting of a light-dark (LD) cycle that is phase-delayed with respect to the mini colony rhythm, rhythms of young and old bees are socially synchronized with the mini colony rhythm, whereas isolated bees synchronize to the LD cycle. We conclude that the social environment is a stronger Zeitgeber than the LD cycle and that our new experimental set-up is well suited for studying the mechanisms of social entrainment in honey bees.

RISK ASSESSMENT AND LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT (LCIA) FOR HUMAN HEALTH CANCEROUS AND NONCANCEROUS EMISSIONS: INTEGRATED AND COMPLEMENTARY WITH CONSISTENCY WITHIN THE USEPA

EPA Science Inventory

The historical parallels, complementary roles, and potential for integration of human health risk assessment (RA) and Life-Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) are explored. Previous authors have considered the comparison of LCA and risk assessment recognizing the inherent differences ...

A First Step Forward: Context Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conner, Ross F.; Fitzpatrick, Jody L.; Rog, Debra J.

2012-01-01

In this chapter, we revisit and expand the context framework of Debra Rog, informed by three cases and by new aspects that we have identified. We then propose a way to move the framework into action, making context explicit. Based on the framework's components, we describe and illustrate a process we label context assessment (CA), which provides a…

Sustainability Analysis | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov Websites

environmental, life-cycle, climate, and other impacts of renewable energy technologies. Photo of a man viewing a energy choices within the complex web of connections between energy and water. Life Cycle Assessment Harmonization Our life cycle assessment harmonization provides lenders, utility executives, and lawmakers with

LIFE-CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT DEMONSTRATION FOR THE GBU-24

EPA Science Inventory

The primary goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate a life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) approach using existing life-cycle inventory (LCI) data on one of the propellants, energetics, and pyro-technic (PEP) materials of interest to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD...

LCACCESS: A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT RESOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

LCAccess is an EPA-sponsored website intended to promote the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in business decision-making by faciliatating access to data sources that are useful in developing a life cycle inventory (LCI). While LCAccess does not itself contain data, it is a sea...

Biological Chlorine Cycling in Arctic Peat Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zlamal, J. E.; Raab, T. K.; Lipson, D.

2014-12-01

Soils of the Arctic tundra near Barrow, Alaska are waterlogged and anoxic throughout most of the profile due to underlying permafrost. Microbial communities in these soils are adapted for the dominant anaerobic conditions and are capable of a surprising diversity of metabolic pathways. Anaerobic respiration in this environment warrants further study, particularly in the realm of electron cycling involving chlorine, which preliminary data suggest may play an important role in arctic anaerobic soil respiration. For decades, Cl was rarely studied outside of the context of solvent-contaminated sites due to the widely held belief that it is an inert element. However, Cl has increasingly become recognized as a metabolic player in microbial communities and soil cycling processes. Organic chlorinated compounds (Clorg) can be made by various organisms and used metabolically by others, such as serving as electron acceptors for microbes performing organohalide respiration. Sequencing our arctic soil samples has uncovered multiple genera of microorganisms capable of participating in many Cl-cycling processes including organohalide respiration, chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation, and perchlorate reduction. Metagenomic analysis of these soils has revealed genes for key enzymes of Cl-related metabolic processes such as dehalogenases and haloperoxidases, and close matches to genomes of known organohalide respiring microorganisms from the Dehalococcoides, Dechloromonas, Carboxydothermus, and Anaeromyxobacter genera. A TOX-100 Chlorine Analyzer was used to quantify total Cl in arctic soils, and these data were examined further to separate levels of inorganic Cl compounds and Clorg. Levels of Clorg increased with soil organic matter content, although total Cl levels lack this trend. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) was used to provide information on the structure of Clorg in arctic soils, showing great diversity with Cl bound to both aromatic and alkyl groups. Incubations were conducted in the laboratory providing arctic soils with Clorg, and measurements taken to assess rates of organohalide respiration show an increase in chloride production due to microbial activity. Investigating these soils with diverse techniques affirms the importance of Cl-cycling in a pristine arctic tundra ecosystem.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirka, Michael M.; Nandwana, Peeyush; Lee, Yousub

Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is rapidly emerging as an established manufacturing process for metal components. Unlike traditional metals fabrication processes, metals fabricated via AM undergo localized thermal cycles during fabrication. As a result, AM presents the opportunity to control the liquid-solid phase transformation, i.e. material texture. But, thermal cycling presents challenges from the standpoint of solid-solid phase transformations. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges in metals AM in the context of texture control and associated solid-solid phase transformations in Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flood, A.M.

This study investigates the theoretical extension of moral development theory from the strictly human, anthropocentric context to the environmental or ecological context in terms of Care and Justice orientations of moral development theory. A theoretical conceptualization of moral orientation to the environment was developed, based on the framework of Lyons' conceptualization of self and morality, and designed to fit her scoring method. This allowed for the testing of moral orientations in an environmental context to determine if moral orientation would remain the same in spite of contextual differences. A new scoring method, the Flood Relative Presence Scoring Method, was developed.more » This research serves as the theoretical basis for this new scoring method, which is designed to more accurately assess the relative presence of moral orientations among subjects than previously reported methods of Predominance of Orientations or Presence of Orientations. Gender differences in moral orientation which were found in subjects' responses to Human dilemmas were also found in their responses to Environmental dilemmas. This research looked at contextual variations of moral orientations and contains strong evidence that the present view of moral development theory is incomplete, as well as unnecessarily limited to the human domain. These findings underlie the need for further research to (1) reconceptualize our models of moral development to include relationships not only to humans, but also to the environment; (2) empirically derive within a framework of moral considerations concerning the environment; (3) examine how these orientations may be related to each other within the context of environmentally responsive behavior; (4) determine whether and how the relationship between these orientations and environmental ethical behavior varies over the life cycle; (5) investigate cross-cultural differences between moral orientation and environmentally responsive behavior.« less

Early life stress impairs contextual threat expression in female, but not male, mice.

PubMed

Manzano-Nieves, Gabriela; Gaillard, Mizan; Gallo, Meghan; Bath, Kevin G

2018-05-21

Early life stress (ELS) is associated with altered processing of threat signals, and increased lifetime risk of anxiety and affective pathology, disorders that disproportionately affect females. We tested the impact of a limited bedding paradigm of ELS (from P4-11) on contextual threat learning, context memory, footshock sensitivity, and anxietylike behavior, in adult male and female mice. To examine contextual threat learning, mice conditioned by context/footshock association were tested 24 hr later for the context memory. To determine the effect of ELS on footshock sensitivity, a separate cohort of mice were exposed to footshocks of increasing intensity (0.06 to 0.40 mA) and behavioral responses (jump and audible vocalization) were assessed by observers blind to treatment condition, sex, and cycle stage. ELS impaired context memory in female, but not male, mice. ELS increased footshock-induced threshold to vocalize, but not to jump, in both sexes. In female mice, this effect was most apparent during estrus. Decreased body weight, indicative of higher stress incurred by an individual mouse, correlated with increased threshold to jump in both sexes reared in ELS, and to audibly vocalize in ELS females. As ELS effects on shock sensitivity were present in both sexes, the contextual recall deficit in females was not likely driven by changes in the salience of aversive footshocks. No effects on anxietylike behavior, as measured in the elevated plus maze (EPM), were observed. More work is needed to better understand the impact of ELS on both somatic and gonadal development, and their potential contribution to threat learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

A Methodology for Integrated, Multiregional Life Cycle Assessment Scenarios under Large-Scale Technological Change.

PubMed

Gibon, Thomas; Wood, Richard; Arvesen, Anders; Bergesen, Joseph D; Suh, Sangwon; Hertwich, Edgar G

2015-09-15

Climate change mitigation demands large-scale technological change on a global level and, if successfully implemented, will significantly affect how products and services are produced and consumed. In order to anticipate the life cycle environmental impacts of products under climate mitigation scenarios, we present the modeling framework of an integrated hybrid life cycle assessment model covering nine world regions. Life cycle assessment databases and multiregional input-output tables are adapted using forecasted changes in technology and resources up to 2050 under a 2 °C scenario. We call the result of this modeling "technology hybridized environmental-economic model with integrated scenarios" (THEMIS). As a case study, we apply THEMIS in an integrated environmental assessment of concentrating solar power. Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions for this plant range from 33 to 95 g CO2 eq./kWh across different world regions in 2010, falling to 30-87 g CO2 eq./kWh in 2050. Using regional life cycle data yields insightful results. More generally, these results also highlight the need for systematic life cycle frameworks that capture the actual consequences and feedback effects of large-scale policies in the long term.

Randomized clinical trials and observational studies in the assessment of drug safety.

PubMed

Sawchik, J; Hamdani, J; Vanhaeverbeek, M

2018-05-01

Randomized clinical trials are considered as the preferred design to assess the potential causal relationships between drugs or other medical interventions and intended effects. For this reason, randomized clinical trials are generally the basis of development programs in the life cycle of drugs and the cornerstone of evidence-based medicine. Instead, randomized clinical trials are not the design of choice for the detection and assessment of rare, delayed and/or unexpected effects related to drug safety. Moreover, the highly homogeneous populations resulting from restrictive eligibility criteria make randomized clinical trials inappropriate to describe comprehensively the safety profile of drugs. In that context, observational studies have a key added value when evaluating the benefit-risk balance of the drugs. However, observational studies are more prone to bias than randomized clinical trials and they have to be designed, conducted and reported judiciously. In this article, we discuss the strengths and limitations of randomized clinical trials and of observational studies, more particularly regarding their contribution to the knowledge of medicines' safety profile. In addition, we present general recommendations for the sensible use of observational data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Motion-compensated noncontact imaging photoplethysmography to monitor cardiorespiratory status during exercise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yu; Hu, Sijung; Azorin-Peris, Vicente; Greenwald, Stephen; Chambers, Jonathon; Zhu, Yisheng

2011-07-01

With the advance of computer and photonics technology, imaging photoplethysmography [(PPG), iPPG] can provide comfortable and comprehensive assessment over a wide range of anatomical locations. However, motion artifact is a major drawback in current iPPG systems, particularly in the context of clinical assessment. To overcome this issue, a new artifact-reduction method consisting of planar motion compensation and blind source separation is introduced in this study. The performance of the iPPG system was evaluated through the measurement of cardiac pulse in the hand from 12 subjects before and after 5 min of cycling exercise. Also, a 12-min continuous recording protocol consisting of repeated exercises was taken from a single volunteer. The physiological parameters (i.e., heart rate, respiration rate), derived from the images captured by the iPPG system, exhibit functional characteristics comparable to conventional contact PPG sensors. Continuous recordings from the iPPG system reveal that heart and respiration rates can be successfully tracked with the artifact reduction method even in high-intensity physical exercise situations. The outcome from this study thereby leads to a new avenue for noncontact sensing of vital signs and remote physiological assessment, with clear applications in triage and sports training.

Loading Path and Control Mode Effects During Thermomechanical Cycling of Polycrystalline Shape Memory NiTi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholson, D. E.; Benafan, O.; Padula, S. A.; Clausen, B.; Vaidyanathan, R.

2018-01-01

Loading path dependencies and control mode effects in polycrystalline shape memory NiTi were investigated using in situ neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction performed during mechanical cycling and thermal cycling at constant strain. Strain-controlled, isothermal, reverse loading (to ± 4%) and stress-controlled, isothermal, cyclic loading (to ± 400 MPa for up to ten cycles) at room temperature demonstrated that the preferred martensite variants selected correlated directly with the macroscopic uniaxial strain and did not correlate with the compressive or tensile state of stress. During cyclic loading (up to ten cycles), no significant cycle-to-cycle evolution of the variant microstructure corresponding to a given strain was observed, despite changes in the slope of the stress-strain response with each cycle. Additionally, thermal cycling (to above and below the phase transformation) under constant strain (up to 2% tensile strain) showed that the martensite variant microstructure correlated directly with strain and did not evolve following thermal cycling, despite relaxation of stress in both martensite and austenite phases. Results are presented in the context of variant reorientation and detwinning processes in martensitic NiTi, the fundamental thermoelastic nature of such processes and the ability of the variant microstructure to accommodate irreversible deformation processes.

Loading Path and Control Mode Effects During Thermomechanical Cycling of Polycrystalline Shape Memory NiTi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholson, D. E.; Benafan, O.; Padula, S. A.; Clausen, B.; Vaidyanathan, R.

2018-03-01

Loading path dependencies and control mode effects in polycrystalline shape memory NiTi were investigated using in situ neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction performed during mechanical cycling and thermal cycling at constant strain. Strain-controlled, isothermal, reverse loading (to ± 4%) and stress-controlled, isothermal, cyclic loading (to ± 400 MPa for up to ten cycles) at room temperature demonstrated that the preferred martensite variants selected correlated directly with the macroscopic uniaxial strain and did not correlate with the compressive or tensile state of stress. During cyclic loading (up to ten cycles), no significant cycle-to-cycle evolution of the variant microstructure corresponding to a given strain was observed, despite changes in the slope of the stress-strain response with each cycle. Additionally, thermal cycling (to above and below the phase transformation) under constant strain (up to 2% tensile strain) showed that the martensite variant microstructure correlated directly with strain and did not evolve following thermal cycling, despite relaxation of stress in both martensite and austenite phases. Results are presented in the context of variant reorientation and detwinning processes in martensitic NiTi, the fundamental thermoelastic nature of such processes and the ability of the variant microstructure to accommodate irreversible deformation processes.

Gene context analysis in the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system.

PubMed

Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Chu, Ken; Ivanova, Natalia; Hooper, Sean D; Markowitz, Victor M; Kyrpides, Nikos C

2009-11-24

Computational methods for determining the function of genes in newly sequenced genomes have been traditionally based on sequence similarity to genes whose function has been identified experimentally. Function prediction methods can be extended using gene context analysis approaches such as examining the conservation of chromosomal gene clusters, gene fusion events and co-occurrence profiles across genomes. Context analysis is based on the observation that functionally related genes are often having similar gene context and relies on the identification of such events across phylogenetically diverse collection of genomes. We have used the data management system of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) as the framework to implement and explore the power of gene context analysis methods because it provides one of the largest available genome integrations. Visualization and search tools to facilitate gene context analysis have been developed and applied across all publicly available archaeal and bacterial genomes in IMG. These computations are now maintained as part of IMG's regular genome content update cycle. IMG is available at: http://img.jgi.doe.gov.

Life-cycle assessment of a Waste-to-Energy plant in central Norway: Current situation and effects of changes in waste fraction composition.

PubMed

Lausselet, Carine; Cherubini, Francesco; Del Alamo Serrano, Gonzalo; Becidan, Michael; Strømman, Anders Hammer

2016-12-01

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants constitute one of the most common waste management options to deal with municipal solid waste. WtE plants have the dual objective to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and simultaneously to produce useful energy (heat and/or power). Energy from WtE is gaining steadily increasing importance in the energy mix of several countries. Norway is no exception, as energy recovered from waste currently represents the main energy source of the Norwegian district heating system. Life-cycle assessments (LCA) of WtE systems in a Norwegian context are quasi-nonexistent, and this study assesses the environmental performance of a WtE plant located in central Norway by combining detailed LCA methodology with primary data from plant operations. Mass transfer coefficients and leaching coefficients are used to trace emissions over the various life-cycle stages from waste logistics to final disposal of the ashes. We consider different fractions of input waste (current waste mix, insertion of 10% car fluff, 5% clinical waste and 10% and 50% wood waste), and find a total contribution to Climate Change Impact Potential ranging from 265 to 637gCO 2 eq/kg of waste and 25 to 61gCO 2 eq/MJ of heat. The key drivers of the environmental performances of the WtE system being assessed are the carbon biogenic fraction and the lower heating value of the incoming waste, the direct emissions at the WtE plant, the leaching of the heavy metals at the landfill sites and to a lesser extent the use of consumables. We benchmark the environmental performances of our WtE systems against those of fossil energy systems, and we find better performance for the majority of environmental impact categories, including Climate Change Impact Potential, although some trade-offs exist (e.g. higher impacts on Human Toxicity Potential than natural gas, but lower than coal). Also, the insertion of challenging new waste fractions is demonstrated to be an option both to cope with the excess capacity of the Norwegian WtE sector and to reach Norway's ambitious political goals for environmentally friendly energy systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards measuring the semantic capacity of a physical medium demonstrated with elementary cellular automata.

PubMed

Dittrich, Peter

2018-02-01

The organic code concept and its operationalization by molecular codes have been introduced to study the semiotic nature of living systems. This contribution develops further the idea that the semantic capacity of a physical medium can be measured by assessing its ability to implement a code as a contingent mapping. For demonstration and evaluation, the approach is applied to a formal medium: elementary cellular automata (ECA). The semantic capacity is measured by counting the number of ways codes can be implemented. Additionally, a link to information theory is established by taking multivariate mutual information for quantifying contingency. It is shown how ECAs differ in their semantic capacities, how this is related to various ECA classifications, and how this depends on how a meaning is defined. Interestingly, if the meaning should persist for a certain while, the highest semantic capacity is found in CAs with apparently simple behavior, i.e., the fixed-point and two-cycle class. Synergy as a predictor for a CA's ability to implement codes can only be used if context implementing codes are common. For large context spaces with sparse coding contexts synergy is a weak predictor. Concluding, the approach presented here can distinguish CA-like systems with respect to their ability to implement contingent mappings. Applying this to physical systems appears straight forward and might lead to a novel physical property indicating how suitable a physical medium is to implement a semiotic system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment of laminated veneer lumber produced in the southeast region of the United States

Treesearch

Richard D. Bergman; Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum

2017-01-01

The goal of the present study was to develop life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) data associated with gate-to-gate laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production in the southeast (SE) region of the U.S. with the ultimate aim of constructing an updated cradle-to-gate mill output life-cycle assessment (LCA). The authors collected primary (survey) mill data from LVL production...

Life Cycle Assessment Perspectives on Delivering an Infant in the US

PubMed Central

Campion, Nicole; Thiel, Cassandra L.; DeBlois, Justin; Woods, Noe C.; Landis, Amy E.; Bilec, Melissa M.

2012-01-01

This study introduces life cycle assessment as a tool to analyze one aspect of sustainability in healthcare: the birth of a baby. The process life cycle assessment case study presented evaluates two common procedures in a hospital, a cesarean section and a vaginal birth. This case study was conducted at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which delivers over 10,000 infants per year. The results show that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), waste disposal, and the production of the disposable custom packs comprise a large percentage of the environmental impacts. Applying the life cycle assessment tool to medical procedures allows hospital decision makers to target and guide efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of healthcare procedures. PMID:22482785

Sustainability assessment of a lightweight biomimetic ceiling structure.

PubMed

Antony, Florian; Grießhammer, Rainer; Speck, Thomas; Speck, Olga

2014-03-01

An intensive and continuous debate centres on the question of whether biomimetics has a specific potential to contribute to sustainability. In the context of a case study, the objective of this paper is to contribute to this debate by presenting the first systematic approach to assess the sustainability of a complex biomimetic product. The object of inquiry is a lecture hall's ribbed slab. Based on criteria suggested by the Association of German Engineers (VDI), it has been verified that the slab has been correctly defined as biomimetic. Moreover, a systematic comparative product sustainability assessment has been carefully carried out. For purposes of comparison, estimated static calculations have been performed for conceivable current state-of-the-art lightweight ceiling structures. Alternative options are a hollow article slab and a pre-stressed flat slab. Besides a detailed benefit analysis and a discussion of social effects, their costs have also been compared. A particularly detailed life cycle assessment on the respective environmental impacts has also been performed. Results show that the biomimetic ribbed slab built in the 1960s is able to keep up with the current state-of-the-art lightweight solutions in terms of sustainability. These promising results encourage a systematic search for a broad range of sustainable biomimetic solutions.

Coarse-grained models for interacting, flapping swimmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oza, Anand; Ristroph, Leif; Shelley, Michael; Courant Institute Applied Math Lab Collaboration

2016-11-01

We present the results of a theoretical investigation into the dynamics of interacting flapping swimmers. Our study is motivated by ongoing experiments in the NYU Applied Math Lab, in which freely-translating, heaving airfoils interact hydrodynamically to choose their relative positions and velocities. We develop a discrete dynamical system in which flapping swimmers shed point vortices during each flapping cycle, which in turn exert forces on the swimmers. We present a framework for finding exact solutions to the evolution equations and for assessing their stability, giving physical insight into the preference for certain observed "schooling states". The model may be extended to arrays of flapping swimmers, and configurations in which the swimmers' flapping frequencies are incommensurate. Generally, our results indicate how hydrodynamics may mediate schooling and flocking behavior in biological contexts. A. Oza acknowledges the support of the NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Vocabulary Assessment with Varying Levels of Context: A Replication Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, Brenna

2014-01-01

This replication study investigates how the level of context in vocabulary assessment affects the scores on tests of American idioms. Using Uçkun's methodology of 3 tests with 3 levels of context, 85 participants varying in level from high-beginner to advanced took an online test consisting of 30 questions, 10 questions for each level of context.…

The role of organizational context in moderating the effect of research use on pain outcomes in hospitalized children: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Yamada, Janet; Squires, Janet E; Estabrooks, Carole A; Victor, Charles; Stevens, Bonnie

2017-01-23

Despite substantial research on pediatric pain assessment and management, health care professionals do not adequately incorporate this knowledge into clinical practice. Organizational context (work environment) is a significant factor in influencing outcomes; however, the nature of the mechanisms are relatively unknown. The objective of this study was to assess how organizational context moderates the effect of research use and pain outcomes in hospitalized children. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken with 779 nurses in 32 patient care units in 8 Canadian pediatric hospitals, following implementation of a multifaceted knowledge translation intervention, Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality (EPIQ). The influence of organizational context was assessed in relation to pain process (assessment and management) and clinical (pain intensity) outcomes. Organizational context was measured using the Alberta Context Tool that includes: leadership, culture, evaluation, social capital, informal interactions, formal interactions, structural and electronic resources, and organizational slack (staff, space, and time). Marginal modeling estimated the effects of instrumental research use (direct use of research knowledge) and conceptual research use (indirect use of research knowledge) on pain outcomes while examining the effects of context. Six of the 10 organizational context factors (culture, social capital, informal interactions, resources, and organizational slack [space and time]) significantly moderated the effect of instrumental research use on pain assessment; four factors (culture, social capital, resources and organizational slack time) moderated the effect of conceptual research use and pain assessment. Only two factors (evaluation and formal interactions) moderated the effect of instrumental research use on pain management. All organizational factors except slack space significantly moderated the effect of instrumental research use on pain intensity; informal interactions and organizational slack space moderated the effect of conceptual research use and pain intensity. Many aspects of organizational context consistently moderated the effects of instrumental research use on pain assessment and pain intensity, while only a few influenced conceptual use of research on pain outcomes. Organizational context factors did not generally influence the effect of research use on pain management. Further research is required to further explore the relationships between organizational context and pain management outcomes.

Context factors in consultations of general practitioner trainees and their impact on communication assessment in the authentic setting.

PubMed

Essers, Geurt; van Dulmen, Sandra; van Es, Judy; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees; Kramer, Anneke

2013-12-01

Acquiring adequate communication skills is an essential part of general practice (GP) specialty training. In assessing trainee proficiency, the context in which trainees communicate is usually not taken into account. The present paper aims to explore what context factors can be found in regular GP trainee consultations and how these influence their communication performance. In a randomly selected sample of 44 videotaped, real-life GP trainee consultations, we searched for context factors previously identified in GP consultations and explored how trainee ratings change if context factors are taken into account. Trainee performance was rated twice using the MAAS-Global, first without and then with incorporating context factors. Item score differences were calculated using a paired samples t-test and effect sizes were computed. All previously identified context factors were again observed in GP trainee consultations. In communication assessment scores, we found a significant difference in 5 out of 13 MAAS-Global items, mostly in a positive direction. The effect size was moderate (0.57). GP trainee communication is influenced by contextual factors; they seem to adapt to context in a professional way. GP specialty training needs to focus on a context-specific application of communication skills. Communication raters need to be taught how to incorporate context factors into their assessments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life Cycle Assessment Harmonization | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov Websites

change are excluded from this analysis. The data showed that life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions Sensitivity Analysis of Biopower Life-Cycle Assessments and Greenhouse Gas Emission, Electric Power Research hydropower, ocean, geothermal, biopower, solar, wind, nuclear, coal, and natural gas technologies. See the

Toward Automated Inventory Modeling in Life Cycle Assessment: The Utility of Semantic Data Modeling to Predict Real-WorldChemical Production

EPA Science Inventory

A set of coupled semantic data models, i.e., ontologies, are presented to advance a methodology towards automated inventory modeling of chemical manufacturing in life cycle assessment. The cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory for chemical manufacturing is a detailed collection of ...

Developing Students' Understanding of Industrially Relevant Economic and Life Cycle Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bode, Claudia J.; Chapman, Clint; Pennybaker, Atherly; Subramaniam, Bala

2017-01-01

Training future leaders to understand life cycle assessment data is critical for effective research, business, and sociopolitical decision-making. However, the technical nature of these life cycle reports often makes them challenging for students and other nonexperts to comprehend. Therefore, we outline here the key takeaways from recent economic…

Life cycle assessment part 2: current impact assessment practice.

PubMed

Pennington, D W; Potting, J; Finnveden, G; Lindeijer, E; Jolliet, O; Rydberg, T; Rebitzer, G

2004-07-01

Providing our society with goods and services contributes to a wide range of environmental impacts. Waste generation, emissions and the consumption of resources occur at many stages in a product's life cycle-from raw material extraction, energy acquisition, production and manufacturing, use, reuse, recycling, through to ultimate disposal. These all contribute to impacts such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, photooxidant formation (smog), eutrophication, acidification, toxicological stress on human health and ecosystems, the depletion of resources and noise-among others. The need exists to address these product-related contributions more holistically and in an integrated manner, providing complimentary insights to those of regulatory/process-oriented methodologies. A previous article (Part 1, Rebitzer et al., 2004) outlined how to define and model a product's life cycle in current practice, as well as the methods and tools that are available for compiling the associated waste, emissions and resource consumption data into a life cycle inventory. This article highlights how practitioners and researchers from many domains have come together to provide indicators for the different impacts attributable to products in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase of life cycle assessment (LCA).

Molecular Cogs: Interplay between Circadian Clock and Cell Cycle.

PubMed

Gaucher, Jonathan; Montellier, Emilie; Sassone-Corsi, Paolo

2018-05-01

The cell cycle and the circadian clock operate as biological oscillators whose timed functions are tightly regulated. Accumulating evidence illustrates the presence of molecular links between these two oscillators. This mutual interplay utilizes various coupling mechanisms, such as the use of common regulators. The connection between these two cyclic systems has unique interest in the context of aberrant cell proliferation since both of these oscillators are frequently misregulated in cancer cells. Further studies will provide deeper understanding of the detailed molecular connections between the cell cycle and the circadian clock and may also serve as a basis for the design of innovative therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent trends, drivers, and projections of carbon cycle processes in forests and grasslands of North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domke, G. M.; Williams, C. A.; Birdsey, R.; Pendall, E.

2017-12-01

In North America forest and grassland ecosystems play a major role in the carbon cycle. Here we present the latest trends and projections of United States and North American carbon cycle processes, stocks, and flows in the context of interactions with global scale budgets and climate change impacts in managed and unmanaged grassland and forest ecosystems. We describe recent trends in natural and anthropogenic disturbances in these ecosystems as well as the carbon dynamics associated with land use and land cover change. We also highlight carbon management science and tools for informing decisions and opportunities for improving carbon measurements, observations, and projections in forests and grasslands.

Life cycle analysis of pistachio production in Greece.

PubMed

Bartzas, Georgios; Komnitsas, Kostas

2017-10-01

In the present paper, a life cycle assessment (LCA) study regarding pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) cultivation in Aegina island, Greece, was performed to evaluate the energy use footprint and the associated environmental impacts. In this context, a detailed life cycle inventory was created based on site-survey data and used for a holistic cradle-to-farm gate LCA analysis using the GaBi 6.5 software. The main impact categories assessed were acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion potential (ODP), photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) and cumulative energy demand (CED). In order to reveal the main environmental concerns pertinent to pistachio production and in turn propose measures for the reduction of environmental and energetic impacts, three scenarios were compared, namely the Baseline scenario (BS) that involves current cultivation practices, the Green Energy (GE) scenario that involves the use of biological fertilizers i.e. compost, and the Waste Utilization (WU) scenario that involves the production of biochar from pistachio and other agricultural wastes and its subsequent soil application to promote carbon sequestration and improve soil quality. Based on the results of this study, the use of compost for fertilization (GE scenario), which results in approximately 9% savings in terms of energy consumption and the five environmental impact categories studied compared to BS scenario, is considered a promising alternative cultivation strategy. Slightly higher savings (10% on average) in terms of the five calculated environmental impact categories, compared to the BS scenario, were indicated when the WU scenario was considered. Regarding energy consumption, the WU scenario results in minor increase, 3%, compared to the BS scenario. Results of uncertainty analysis performed using the Monte Carlo technique and contribution analysis showed that GE and WU scenarios offer reliable and significant eco-profile improvements for pistachio production in the study area compared to the current situation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life cycle comparison of centralized wastewater treatment and urine source separation with struvite precipitation: Focus on urine nutrient management.

PubMed

Ishii, Stephanie K L; Boyer, Treavor H

2015-08-01

Alternative approaches to wastewater management including urine source separation have the potential to simultaneously improve multiple aspects of wastewater treatment, including reduced use of potable water for waste conveyance and improved contaminant removal, especially nutrients. In order to pursue such radical changes, system-level evaluations of urine source separation in community contexts are required. The focus of this life cycle assessment (LCA) is managing nutrients from urine produced in a residential setting with urine source separation and struvite precipitation, as compared with a centralized wastewater treatment approach. The life cycle impacts evaluated in this study pertain to construction of the urine source separation system and operation of drinking water treatment, decentralized urine treatment, and centralized wastewater treatment. System boundaries include fertilizer offsets resulting from the production of urine based struvite fertilizer. As calculated by the Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI), urine source separation with MgO addition for subsequent struvite precipitation with high P recovery (Scenario B) has the smallest environmental cost relative to existing centralized wastewater treatment (Scenario A) and urine source separation with MgO and Na3PO4 addition for subsequent struvite precipitation with concurrent high P and N recovery (Scenario C). Preliminary economic evaluations show that the three urine management scenarios are relatively equal on a monetary basis (<13% difference). The impacts of each urine management scenario are most sensitive to the assumed urine composition, the selected urine storage time, and the assumed electricity required to treat influent urine and toilet water used to convey urine at the centralized wastewater treatment plant. The importance of full nutrient recovery from urine in combination with the substantial chemical inputs required for N recovery via struvite precipitation indicate the need for alternative methods of N recovery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting the success of IVF: external validation of the van Loendersloot's model.

PubMed

Sarais, Veronica; Reschini, Marco; Busnelli, Andrea; Biancardi, Rossella; Paffoni, Alessio; Somigliana, Edgardo

2016-06-01

Is the predictive model for IVF success proposed by van Loendersloot et al. valid in a different geographical and cultural context? The model discriminates well but was less accurate than in the original context where it was developed. Several independent groups have developed models that combine different variables with the aim of estimating the chance of pregnancy with IVF but only four of them have been externally validated. One of these four, the van Loendersloot's model, deserves particular attention and further investigation for at least three reasons; (i) the reported area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (c-statistics) in the temporal validation setting was the highest reported to date (0.68), (ii) the perspective of the model is clinically wise since it includes variables obtained from previous failed cycles, if any, so it can be applied to any women entering an IVF cycle, (iii) the model lacks external validation in a geographically different center. Retrospective cohort study of women undergoing oocyte retrieval for IVF between January 2013 and December 2013 at the infertility unit of the Fondazione Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan, Italy. Only the first oocyte retrieval cycle performed during the study period was included in the study. Women with previous IVF cycles were excluded if the last one before the study cycle was in another center. The main outcome was the cumulative live birth rate per oocytes retrieval. Seven hundred seventy-two women were selected. Variables included in the van Loendersloot's model and the relative weights (beta) were used. The variable resulting from this combination (Y) was transformed into a probability. The discriminatory capacity was assessed using the c-statistics. Calibration was made using a logistic regression that included Y as the unique variable and live birth as the outcome. Data are presented using both the original and the calibrated models. Performance was evaluated correlating the mean predicted chances of live births in the five quintiles and the observed rates. Two-hundred-eleven live births (27%) were obtained. The c-statistic was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.61-0.67, P < 0.001). The slope of the linear predictor (calibration slope) expressed as an Odds Ratio was 1.81 (95% CI: 1.46-2.24, P < 0.001), corresponding to a beta of 0.630. The calibration intercept was +0.349 (P = 0.13). While a clear discrepancy exists using the original model, data appear properly distributed with the calibrated model. The Pearson coefficient of the correlation between the mean predicted chances of live births in the five quintiles and the observed rates was 0.99 (P = 0.002). Data were collected retrospectively, thus exposing them to potential inaccuracies. The selection criteria for access to IVF adopted in our center might be too stringent, leading to the exclusion of women with a poor, yet acceptable chance of live birth. Therefore, the validity of the model in women with a very low chance of live birth could not be tested. The van Loendersloot's model can be used in other contexts but it is important that it has local calibration. It may help in counseling couples about their chance of success but it cannot be used to exclude treatments. Further research is needed to improve the discriminatory performance of IVF predictive models. None. Not applicable. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Isolated and Community Contexts Produce Distinct Responses by Host Plants to the Presence of Ant-Aphid Interaction: Plant Productivity and Seed Viability.

PubMed

Canedo-Júnior, Ernesto Oliveira; Santiago, Graziele Silva; Zurlo, Luana Fonseca; Ribas, Carla Rodrigues; Carvalho, Rafaela Pereira; Alves, Guilherme Pereira; Carvalho, Mariana Comanucci Silva; Souza, Brígida

2017-01-01

Ant-aphid interactions may affect host plants in several ways, however, most studies measure only the amount of fruit and seed produced, and do not test seed viability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of the presence of ant-aphid interactions upon host plant productivity and seed viability in two different contexts: isolated and within an arthropod community. For this purpose we tested the hypothesis that in both isolated and community contexts, the presence of an ant-aphid interaction will have a positive effect on fruit and seed production, seed biomass and rate of seed germination, and a negative effect on abnormal seedling rates, in comparison to plants without ants. We performed a field mesocosm experiment containing five treatments: Ant-aphid, Aphid, Community, Ant-free community and Control. We counted fruits and seeds produced by each treatment, and conducted experiments for seed biomass and germinability. We found that in the community context the presence of an ant-aphid interaction negatively affected fruit and seed production. We think this may be because aphid attendance by tending-ants promotes aphid damage to the host plant, but without an affect on seed weight and viability. On the other hand, when isolated, the presence of an ant-aphid interaction positively affected fruit and seed production. These positive effects are related to the cleaning services offered to aphids by tending-ants, which prevent the development of saprophytic fungi on the surface of leaves, which would cause a decrease in photosynthetic rates. Our study is important because we evaluated some parameters of plant fitness that have not been addressed very well by other studies involving the effects of ant-aphid interactions mainly on plants with short life cycles. Lastly, our context dependent approach sheds new light on how ecological interactions can vary among different methods of crop management.

Isolated and Community Contexts Produce Distinct Responses by Host Plants to the Presence of Ant-Aphid Interaction: Plant Productivity and Seed Viability

PubMed Central

Santiago, Graziele Silva; Zurlo, Luana Fonseca; Ribas, Carla Rodrigues; Carvalho, Rafaela Pereira; Alves, Guilherme Pereira; Carvalho, Mariana Comanucci Silva; Souza, Brígida

2017-01-01

Ant-aphid interactions may affect host plants in several ways, however, most studies measure only the amount of fruit and seed produced, and do not test seed viability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of the presence of ant-aphid interactions upon host plant productivity and seed viability in two different contexts: isolated and within an arthropod community. For this purpose we tested the hypothesis that in both isolated and community contexts, the presence of an ant-aphid interaction will have a positive effect on fruit and seed production, seed biomass and rate of seed germination, and a negative effect on abnormal seedling rates, in comparison to plants without ants. We performed a field mesocosm experiment containing five treatments: Ant-aphid, Aphid, Community, Ant-free community and Control. We counted fruits and seeds produced by each treatment, and conducted experiments for seed biomass and germinability. We found that in the community context the presence of an ant-aphid interaction negatively affected fruit and seed production. We think this may be because aphid attendance by tending-ants promotes aphid damage to the host plant, but without an affect on seed weight and viability. On the other hand, when isolated, the presence of an ant-aphid interaction positively affected fruit and seed production. These positive effects are related to the cleaning services offered to aphids by tending-ants, which prevent the development of saprophytic fungi on the surface of leaves, which would cause a decrease in photosynthetic rates. Our study is important because we evaluated some parameters of plant fitness that have not been addressed very well by other studies involving the effects of ant-aphid interactions mainly on plants with short life cycles. Lastly, our context dependent approach sheds new light on how ecological interactions can vary among different methods of crop management. PMID:28141849

Life cycle thinking in impact assessment—Current practice and LCA gains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bidstrup, Morten, E-mail: Bidstrup@plan.aau.dk

It has been advocated that life cycle thinking (LCT) should be applied in impact assessment (IA) to a greater extent, since some development proposals pose a risk of significant impacts throughout the interconnected activities of product systems. Multiple authors have proposed the usage of life cycle assessment (LCA) for such analytical advancement, but little to no research on this tool application has been founded in IA practice so far. The aim of this article is to elaborate further on the gains assigned to application of LCA. The research builds on a review of 85 Danish IA reports, which were analysedmore » for analytical appropriateness and application of LCT. Through a focus on the non-technical summary, the conclusion and the use of specific search words, passages containing LCT were searched for in each IA report. These passages were then analysed with a generic framework. The results reveal that LCT is appropriate for most of the IAs, but that LCA is rarely applied to provide such a perspective. Without LCA, the IAs show mixed performance in regard to LCT. Most IAs do consider the product provision of development proposals, but they rarely relate impacts to this function explicitly. Many IAs do consider downstream impacts, but assessments of upstream, distant impacts are generally absent. It is concluded that multiple analytical gains can be attributed to greater application of LCA in IA practice, though some level of LCT already exists. - Highlights: • Life cycle thinking is appropriate across the types and topics of impact assessment. • Yet, life cycle assessment is rarely used for adding such perspective. • Impact assessment practice does apply some degree of life cycle thinking. • However, application of life cycle assessment could bring analytical gains.« less

The E7 Open Reading Frame Acts in cis and in trans To Mediate Differentiation-Dependent Activities in the Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Life Cycle▿†

PubMed Central

Bodily, Jason M.; Mehta, Kavi P. M.; Cruz, Linda; Meyers, Craig; Laimins, Laimonis A.

2011-01-01

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents of several important genital and other mucosal cancers. The HPV16 E7 gene encodes a viral oncogene that is necessary for the continued growth of cancer cells, but its role in the normal, differentiation-dependent life cycle of the virus is not fully understood. The function of E7 in the viral life cycle was examined using a series of mutations of E7 created in the context of the complete HPV16 genome. The effect of these E7 mutations on key events of the viral life cycle, including immortalization, episomal maintenance, late promoter activation, and infectious virion synthesis, was examined. Our studies show that the pRb binding domain is indispensable for early viral activities, whereas the C-terminal zinc finger domain contributed primarily to very late events. Mutations of the casein kinase II phosphorylation site caused a complex phenotype involving both the function of E7 protein and a cis element necessary for the activation of the late promoter, identifying for the first time a promoter element important for late promoter function in the context of the viral genome. All mutant genomes tested showed reduced viral titers following growth in organotypic raft cultures. These studies clarify the role of E7 as a regulator of late events in the differentiation-dependent HPV life cycle. PMID:21697473

Guidance on How to Move from Current Practice to Recommended Practice in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative Publication)

EPA Science Inventory

The report provides guidance on how to move from current practice to recommended practice in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. It is composed of three complementary parts elaborated in the first task force (TFI) of the LCIA programme, with contribution of the other three task forces:

Impact of Accreditation on Improvement of Operational Inputs after Two Cycles of Assessments in Some Ghanaian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dattey, Kwame; Westerheijden, Don F.; Hofman, W. H. A.

2017-01-01

The study assesses the influence of accreditation, after two cycles of evaluation on some selected Ghanaian universities. This was done by examining the changes that had occurred in specified indicators, mainly because of the implementation of suggestions for improvement made by the previous cycle's evaluators. The study employed quantitative…

Context-Based Assessment: Creating Opportunities for Resonance between Classroom Fields and Societal Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellocchi, Alberto; King, Donna T.; Ritchie, Stephen M.

2016-01-01

There is on-going international interest in the relationships between assessment instruments, students' understanding of science concepts and context-based curriculum approaches. This study extends earlier research showing that students can develop connections between contexts and concepts--called "fluid transitions"--when studying…

Formative Assessment in a Test-Dominated Context: How Test Practice Can Become More Productive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiao, Yangyu

2017-01-01

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the roles that assessment plays in promoting learning. Formative assessment is considered a powerful strategy for improving student learning; however, its learning potential has been less extensively explored in contexts where summative assessment dominates, because summative assessment is…

Effect of Air Pollution on Menstrual Cycle Length-A Prognostic Factor of Women's Reproductive Health.

PubMed

Merklinger-Gruchala, Anna; Jasienska, Grazyna; Kapiszewska, Maria

2017-07-20

Air pollution can influence women's reproductive health, specifically menstrual cycle characteristics, oocyte quality, and risk of miscarriage. The aim of the study was to assess whether air pollution can affect the length of the overall menstrual cycle and the length of its phases (follicular and luteal). Municipal ecological monitoring data was used to assess the air pollution exposure during the monitored menstrual cycle of each of 133 woman of reproductive age. Principal component analyses were used to group pollutants (PM 10 , SO₂, CO, and NO x ) to represent a source-related mixture. PM 10 and SO₂ assessed separately negatively affected the length of the luteal phase after standardization (b = -0.02; p = 0.03; b = -0.06; p = 0.02, respectively). Representing a fossil fuel combustion emission, they were also associated with luteal phase shortening (b = -0.32; p = 0.02). These pollutants did not affect the follicular phase length and overall cycle length, neither in single- nor in multi-pollutant models. CO and NO x assessed either separately or together as a traffic emission were not associated with overall cycle length or the length of cycle phases. Luteal phase shortening, a possible manifestation of luteal phase deficiency, can result from fossil fuel combustion. This suggests that air pollution may contribute to fertility problems in women.

Influence of the Amazon Hydrological Regime on Eutrophication Indicators of a Hydroelectric Power Plant Reservoir.

PubMed

Freire, Jean Carlos A; Hauser-Davis, Rachel Ann; da Costa Lobato, Tarcísio; de Morais, Jefferson M; de Oliveira, Terezinha F; F Saraiva, Augusto Cesar

2017-05-01

Dam constructions in the Amazon have increased exponentially in the last decades, causing several environmental impacts and serious anthropogenic impacts in certain hydroelectric power plant reservoirs in the region have been identified. The assessment of the trophic status of these reservoirs is of interest to indicate man-made changes in the environment, but must take into account the hydrological cycle of the area. This can be relevant for environmental management actions, aiding in the identification of the ecological status of water bodies. In this context, physico-chemical parameters and eutrophication indicators were determined in a hydroelectric power plant reservoir in the Brazilian Amazon to assess trophic variations during the regional hydrological regime phases on the reservoir, namely dry, filling, full and emptying stages. The local hydrological regimes were shown to significantly influence TSS and turbidity, as well as NH 4 , NO 3 , PO 4 , with higher values consistently observed during the filling stage of the reservoir. In addition, differences among the sampling stations regarding land use, population and anthropogenic activities were reflected in the PO 4 3- values during the different hydrological phases.

Ecotoxicity of artificial sweeteners and stevioside.

PubMed

Stolte, Stefan; Steudte, Stephanie; Schebb, Nils Helge; Willenberg, Ina; Stepnowski, Piotr

2013-10-01

Produced, consumed and globally released into the environment in considerable quantities, artificial sweeteners have been identified as emerging pollutants. Studies of environmental concentrations have confirmed the widespread distribution of acesulfame (ACE), cyclamate (CYC), saccharin (SAC) and sucralose (SUC) in the water cycle at levels that are among the highest known for anthropogenic trace pollutants. Their ecotoxicity, however, has yet to be investigated at a larger scale. The present study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by systematically assessing the influence of ACE, CYC and SAC and complementing the data on SUC. Therefore we examined their toxicity towards an activated sewage sludge community (30min) and applying tests with green algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus (24h), water fleas Daphnia magna (48h) and duckweed Lemna minor (7d). We also examined the effects caused by the natural sweetener stevioside. The high No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOECs) yielded by this initial evaluation indicated a low hazard and risk potential towards these aquatic organisms. For a complete risk assessment, however, several kinds of data are still lacking. In this context, obligatory ecotoxicity testing and stricter environmental regulations regarding food additives appear to be necessary. © 2013.

Assessment of Carrying Capacity of Timber Element Using SBRA Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Michal

2017-10-01

Wood as a building material has a significant perspective in the context of nonrenewable energy sources and production of greenhouse gas emissions. The subject of this paper is to verify the carrying capacity of the timber element using the probabilistic method Simulation Based Reliability Assessment (SBRA). The simulation is performed for one million cycles. Key factors decreasing the strength of wooden material at the time include the duration of the loads, and combinations thereof. Inconsiderable factor affecting the strength of wood is also the humidity. Continuous beam with three fields (length 15 m, glued laminated timber, and strength class GL 36 according to the DIN EN 1194) is placed in an environment with a thermal-humidity regime of the 2nd class according to the EC 5. Average life of carrying timber structure is estimated to be 50 years. The simulation results show that there is no risk of failure of wood during the first year. The probability of failure is common in the 10 years of its life. Then, wooden element already meets only a reduced level of reliability.

Effect of grazing on methane uptake from Eurasian steppe of China.

PubMed

Tang, Shiming; Zhang, Yujuan; Zhai, Xiajie; Wilkes, Andreas; Wang, Chengjie; Wang, Kun

2018-03-20

The effects of grazing on soil methane (CH 4 ) uptake in steppe ecosystems are important for understanding carbon sequestration and cycling because the role of grassland soil for CH 4 uptake can have major impacts at the global level. Here, a meta-analysis of 27 individual studies was carried out to assess the response patterns of soil CH 4 uptake to grazing in steppe ecosystems of China. The weighted log response ratio was used to assess the effect size. We found that heavy grazing significantly depressed soil CH 4 uptake by 36.47%, but light and moderate grazing had no significant effects in grassland ecosystem. The response of grassland soil CH 4 uptake to grazing also was found to depend upon grazing intensity, grazing duration and climatic types. The increase in soil temperature and reduced aboveground biomass and soil moisture induced by heavy grazing may be the major regulators of the soil CH 4 uptake. These findings imply that grazing effects on soil CH 4 uptake are highly context-specific and that grazing in different grasslands might be managed differently to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

On valuing peers: theories of learning and intercultural competence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cajander, Åsa; Daniels, Mats; McDermott, Roger

2012-12-01

This paper investigates the links between the contributing student pedagogy and other forms of peer-mediated learning models, e.g. open-ended group projects and communities of practice. We find that a fundamental concern in each of these models is the attribution of value; specifically, recognition of the value of learning that is enabled by peer interaction, and the way in which value is created and assessed within a learning community. Value is also central to theories of intercultural competence. We examine the role that the concept of value plays in the development cycle of intercultural competence and relate it to its function in peer-mediated learning models. We also argue that elements of social learning theory, principally recent work on value creation in communities of practice, are very relevant to the construction and assessment of the type of activities proposed within the contributing student pedagogy. Our theoretical analysis is situated within the context of a globally distributed open-ended group project course unit and our conclusions are illustrated with reference to student practice in this environment.

Persistent Identifiers in Earth science data management environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, Tobias; Stockhause, Martina; Lautenschlager, Michael

2014-05-01

Globally resolvable Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) that carry additional context information (which can be any form of metadata) are increasingly used by data management infrastructures for fundamental tasks. The notion of a Persistent Identifier is originally an abstract concept that aims to provide identifiers that are quality-controlled and maintained beyond the life time of the original issuer, for example through the use of redirection mechanisms. Popular implementations of the PID concept are for example the Handle System and the DOI System based on it. These systems also move beyond the simple identification concept by providing facilities that can hold additional context information. Not only in the Earth sciences, data managers are increasingly attracted to PIDs because of the opportunities these facilities provide; however, long-term viable principles and mechanisms for efficient organization of PIDs and context information are not yet available or well established. In this respect, promising techniques are to type the information that is associated with PIDs and to construct actionable collections of PIDs. There are two main drivers for extended PID usage: Earth science data management middleware use cases and applications geared towards scientific end-users. Motivating scenarios from data management include hierarchical data and metadata management, consistent data tracking and improvements in the accountability of processes. If PIDs are consistently assigned to data objects, context information can be carried over to subsequent data life cycle stages much easier. This can also ease data migration from one major curation domain to another, e.g. from early dissemination within research communities to formal publication and long-term archival stages, and it can help to document processes across technical and organizational boundaries. For scientific end users, application scenarios include for example more personalized data citation and improvements in the amount of context available for unfamiliar datasets. We can see how Earth system model data is spatially and temporally transformed to better fit the differing scenarios relevant in consecutive life cycle stages. At the end, users often want to cite and use distinct subsets of data which are disseminated through e-science infrastructures. If actionable collections of fine-granular PIDs are available, much more precise citation and use can be supported. This can also help to establish interoperable input and output references for processing tasks during intermediate life cycle stages. The current working draft API of the Research Data Alliance's working group on PID Information Types combined with more elaborate collection mechanisms can provide the necessary foundations and tools to enable wide-spread use of PIDs for data life cycle management and user applications. This contribution will highlight some of the available mechanisms and existing efforts with particular focus on applications for institutional data management and e-science infrastructures such as the Earth System Grid Federation.

Development of an ICT in IBSE course for science teachers: A design-based research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Trinh-Ba

2018-01-01

Integration of ICT tools for measuring with sensors, analyzing video, and modelling into Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) is a need globally recognized. The challenge to teachers is how to turn manipulation of equipment and software into manipulation of ideas. We have developed a short ICT in IBSE course to prepare and support science teachers to teach inquiry-based activities with ICT tools. Within the framework of design-based research, we first defined the pedagogical principles from the literature, developed core materials for teacher learning, explored boundary conditions of the training in different countries, and elaborated set-ups of the course for the Dutch, Slovak, and Vietnamese contexts. Next, we taught and evaluated three iterative cycles of the Dutch course set-ups for pre-service science teachers from four teacher-education institutes nationwide. In each cycle, data on the teacher learning was collected via observations, questionnaires, interviews, and documents. These data were then analyzed for the questions about faithful implementation and effectiveness of the course. Following the same approach, we taught and evaluated two cycles of the Slovak course set-ups for in-service science teachers in the context of the national accreditation programme for teacher professional development. In addition, we investigated applicability of the final Dutch course set-up in the context of the physics-education master program in Vietnam with adaptations geared to educational and cultural difference. Through the iterations of implementation, evaluation, and revision, eventually the course objectives were achieved to certain extent; the pedagogical principles and core materials proved to be effective and applicable in different contexts. We started this research and design project with the pedagogical principles and concluded it with these principles (i.e. complete theory-practice cycle, depth first, distributed learning, and ownership of learning) as the core of the basic design of the ICT in IBSE course. These principles can be considered as independent, validated educational products, which teacher educators can "buy into" and use for broader aims than only "ICT in IBSE" integration. Pedagogical principles establish the theoretical model underlying the course design, provide guidelines and structure to the (re)design, implementation, evaluation, and optimization process, and help to communicate the design-based research to others. The role of pedagogical principles in design-based research is indeed essential. Moreover, we incorporated a robustness test and a generalizability/transferability test as a further step in our design-based research and achieved successful outcomes with this step. Consequently, we strongly recommend the testing of the design product in routine implementation conditions and in considerably different contexts (e.g. different programmes or even countries) as part of design-based research.

[Psychometric properties of a Multidimensional Scale of Social Expression to assess social skills in the Internet context].

PubMed

Carballo, José L; Pérez-Jover, Ma Virtudes; Espada, José P; Orgilés, Mireia; Piqueras, José Antonio

2012-02-01

The increase in the use of New Technologies in social relationships could be generating a new paradigm in social skills. Valid and reliable instruments to assess these changes are needed. The aim of this study is to analyze the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Social Expression (EMES) in the assessment of social skills on the Internet and Social Networks. A total of 413 college students from the province of Alicante participated on this study. The scale was applied according to two contexts: Real and Internet/Virtual. High internal consistency was shown. The 12-factor structure found for the Virtual Context scale is similar to that of the original study. The scale had shown to be a good predictor of hours of Internet use. In conclusion, EMES-C is useful for assessing real context and Internet context social skills.

Rangeland health assessment - The key to understanding and assessing rangeland soil health in the Northern Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As the science related to soil and rangeland health evolves, so do their protocols and assessment methodologies. Rangeland health assessments consist of evaluating how well ecological processes such as the water cycle, energy flow and nutrient cycling are functioning at a site. Soil health is the ca...

Cycling to Maintain and Improve Fitness: Line-1 Modes of Nuclear Entrance and Retrotransposition.

PubMed

Mita, Paolo; Boeke, Jef D

2018-04-01

The LINE-1/L1 retrotransposon is a transposable element still active in the human genome. Most retrotransposons in the genome are inactive or repressed by several host mechanisms. In specific contexts, active L1 retrotransposons may evade repression and copy themselves into new genomic loci. Despite a general knowledge of the L1 life cycle, little was known about the dynamics of L1 proteins and function during the different stages of the host cell cycle. Our work highlighted a well-orchestrated localization of L1 proteins and mRNA that take advantage of mitotic nuclear membrane breakdown. Once in the nucleus, L1 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) are able to retrotranspose during the S phase when L1 retrotransposition peaks. Our conclusions highlight previously unappreciated features of the L1 life cycle, such as the differences between cytoplasmic and nuclear RNPs and the cycling of L1 ORF1 protein and L1 activity during progression through the cell cycle. These new observations are discussed here in light of the evolutionary arms race between L1 retrotransposons and the host cell.

Performance analysis of a bio-gasification based combined cycle power plant employing indirectly heated humid air turbine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukherjee, S., E-mail: sankha.deepp@gmail.com; Mondal, P., E-mail: mondal.pradip87@gmail.com; Ghosh, S., E-mail: sudipghosh.becollege@gmail.com

Rapid depletion of fossil fuel has forced mankind to look into alternative fuel resources. In this context, biomass based power generation employing gas turbine appears to be a popular choice. Bio-gasification based combined cycle provides a feasible solution as far as grid-independent power generation is concerned for rural electrification projects. Indirectly heated gas turbine cycles are promising alternatives as they avoid downstream gas cleaning systems. Advanced thermodynamic cycles have become an interesting area of study to improve plant efficiency. Water injected system is one of the most attractive options in this field of applications. This paper presents a theoretical modelmore » of a biomass gasification based combined cycle that employs an indirectly heated humid air turbine (HAT) in the topping cycle. Maximum overall electrical efficiency is found to be around 41%. Gas turbine specific air consumption by mass is minimum when pressure ratio is 6. The study reveals that, incorporation of the humidification process helps to improve the overall performance of the plant.« less

A Fe-C-Ca big cycle in modern carbon-intensive industries: toward emission reduction and resource utilization

PubMed Central

Sun, Yongqi; Sridhar, Seetharaman; Seetharaman, Seshadri; Wang, Hao; Liu, Lili; Wang, Xidong; Zhang, Zuotai

2016-01-01

Herein a big Fe-C-Ca cycle, clarifying the basic element flows and energy flows in modern carbon-intensive industries including the metallurgical industry and the cement industry, was proposed for the first time in the contexts of emission reduction and iron ore degradation nowadays. This big cycle was focused on three industrial elements of Fe, C and Ca and thus it mainly comprised three interdependent loops, i.e., a C-cycle, a Fe-cycle and a Ca-path. As exemplified, we started from the integrated disposal of hot steel slags, a man-made iron resource via char gasification and the employment of hematite, a natural iron resource greatly extended the application area of this idea. Accordingly, based on this concept, the theoretical potentials for energy saving, emission reduction and Fe resource recovery achieved in modern industry are estimated up to 7.66 Mt of standard coal, 63.9 Mt of CO2 and 25.2 Mt of pig iron, respectively. PMID:26923104

A Fe-C-Ca big cycle in modern carbon-intensive industries: toward emission reduction and resource utilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yongqi; Sridhar, Seetharaman; Seetharaman, Seshadri; Wang, Hao; Liu, Lili; Wang, Xidong; Zhang, Zuotai

2016-02-01

Herein a big Fe-C-Ca cycle, clarifying the basic element flows and energy flows in modern carbon-intensive industries including the metallurgical industry and the cement industry, was proposed for the first time in the contexts of emission reduction and iron ore degradation nowadays. This big cycle was focused on three industrial elements of Fe, C and Ca and thus it mainly comprised three interdependent loops, i.e., a C-cycle, a Fe-cycle and a Ca-path. As exemplified, we started from the integrated disposal of hot steel slags, a man-made iron resource via char gasification and the employment of hematite, a natural iron resource greatly extended the application area of this idea. Accordingly, based on this concept, the theoretical potentials for energy saving, emission reduction and Fe resource recovery achieved in modern industry are estimated up to 7.66 Mt of standard coal, 63.9 Mt of CO2 and 25.2 Mt of pig iron, respectively.

Personality Assessment: A Competency-Capability Perspective.

PubMed

Kaslow, Nadine J; Finklea, J Tyler; Chan, Ginny

2018-01-01

This article begins by reviewing the proficiency of personality assessment in the context of the competencies movement, which has dominated health service psychology in recent years. It examines the value of including a capability framework for advancing this proficiency and enhancing the quality of personality assessments, including Therapeutic Assessment (Finn & Tonsager, 1997 ), that include a personality assessment component. This hybrid competency-capability framework is used to set the stage for the conduct of personality assessments in a variety of contexts and for the optimal training of personality assessment. Future directions are offered in terms of ways psychologists can strengthen their social contract with the public and offer a broader array of personality assessments in more diverse contexts and by individuals who are both competent and capable.

Life cycle greenhouse gas and energy assessment of winegrape production in California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Purpose: This study applies life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy use, and direct water use in winegrape production across common vineyard management scenarios in two representative growing regions of California, USA (Napa and Lodi). California hosts 90 percent...

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MATHEMATICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND COMPREHENSIVENESS OF LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT APPROACHES

EPA Science Inventory

The impact assessment phase of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has received much criticism due to lack of consistency. ISO 14042 requires selection of impact categories that “reflect a comprehensive set of environmental issues” related to the system being studied, especi...

Life cycle assessment of hydrogenated biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using the catalytic cracking and hydrogenation method.

PubMed

Yano, Junya; Aoki, Tatsuki; Nakamura, Kazuo; Yamada, Kazuo; Sakai, Shin-ichi

2015-04-01

There is a worldwide trend towards stricter control of diesel exhaust emissions, however presently, there are technical impediments to the use of FAME (fatty acid methyl esters)-type biodiesel fuel (BDF). Although hydrogenated biodiesel (HBD) is anticipated as a new diesel fuel, the environmental performance of HBD and its utilization system have not been adequately clarified. Especially when waste cooking oil is used as feedstock, not only biofuel production but also the treatment of waste cooking oil is an important function for society. A life cycle assessment (LCA), including uncertainty analysis, was conducted to determine the environmental benefits (global warming, fossil fuel consumption, urban air pollution, and acidification) of HBD produced from waste cooking oil via catalytic cracking and hydrogenation, compared with fossil-derived diesel fuel or FAME-type BDF. Combined functional unit including "treatment of waste cooking oil" and "running diesel vehicle for household waste collection" was established in the context of Kyoto city, Japan. The calculation utilized characterization, damage, and integration factors identified by LIME2, which was based on an endpoint modeling method. The results show that if diesel vehicles that comply with the new Japanese long-term emissions gas standard are commonly used in the future, the benefit of FAME-type BDF will be relatively limited. Furthermore, the scenario that introduced HBD was most effective in reducing total environmental impact, meaning that a shift from FAME-type BDF to HBD would be more beneficial. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intravenous human immunoglobulins for refractory recurrent pericarditis: a systematic review of all published cases.

PubMed

Imazio, Massimo; Lazaros, George; Picardi, Elisa; Vasileiou, Panagiotis; Carraro, Mara; Tousoulis, Dimitrios; Belli, Riccardo; Gaita, Fiorenzo

2016-04-01

Refractory recurrent pericarditis is a major clinical challenge after colchicine failure, especially in corticosteroid-dependent patients. Human intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) have been proposed as possible therapeutic options for these cases. The goal of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of IVIGs in this context. Studies reporting the use of IVIG for the treatment of recurrent pericarditis and published up to October 2014 were searched in several databases. All references found, upon initial assessment at title and abstract level for suitability, were consequently retrieved as full reports for further appraisal. Among the 18 citations retrieved, 17 reports (4 case series and 13 single case reports, with an overall population of 30 patients) were included. The mean disease duration was 14 months and the mean number of recurrences before IVIG was 3. Approximately 47% of patients had idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, 10% had an infective cause, and the remainder a systemic inflammatory disease. Nineteen out of the 30 patients (63.3%) were on corticosteroids at IVIG commencement. IVIGs were generally administered at a dose of 400-500 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days with repeated cycles according to the clinical response. Complications were uncommon (headache in ~3%) and not life-threatening. After a mean follow-up of approximately 33th months, recurrences occurred in 26.6% of cases after the first IVIG cycle, and 22 of the 30 patients (73.3%) were recurrence-free. Five patients (16.6%) were on corticosteroids at the end of the follow-up. IVIGs are rapidly acting, well tolerated, and efficacious steroid-sparing agents in refractory pericarditis.

Security Risks: Management and Mitigation in the Software Life Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilliam, David P.

2004-01-01

A formal approach to managing and mitigating security risks in the software life cycle is requisite to developing software that has a higher degree of assurance that it is free of security defects which pose risk to the computing environment and the organization. Due to its criticality, security should be integrated as a formal approach in the software life cycle. Both a software security checklist and assessment tools should be incorporated into this life cycle process and integrated with a security risk assessment and mitigation tool. The current research at JPL addresses these areas through the development of a Sotfware Security Assessment Instrument (SSAI) and integrating it with a Defect Detection and Prevention (DDP) risk management tool.

Generation separation in simple structured life cycles: models and 48 years of field data on a tea tortrix moth.

PubMed

Yamanaka, Takehiko; Nelson, William A; Uchimura, Koichiro; Bjørnstad, Ottar N

2012-01-01

Population cycles have fascinated ecologists since the early nineteenth century, and the dynamics of insect populations have been central to understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic biological processes responsible for these cycles. We analyzed an extraordinary long-term data set (every 5 days for 48 years) of a tea tortrix moth (Adoxophyes honmai) that exhibits two dominant cycles: an annual cycle with a conspicuous pattern of four or five single-generation cycles superimposed on it. General theory offers several candidate mechanisms for generation cycles. To evaluate these, we construct and parameterize a series of temperature-dependent, stage-structured models that include intraspecific competition, parasitism, mate-finding Allee effects, and adult senescence, all in the context of a seasonal environment. By comparing the observed dynamics with predictions from the models, we find that even weak larval competition in the presence of seasonal temperature forcing predicts the two cycles accurately. None of the other mechanisms predicts the dynamics. Detailed dissection of the results shows that a short reproductive life span and differential winter mortality among stages are the additional life-cycle characteristics that permit the sustained cycles. Our general modeling approach is applicable to a wide range of organisms with temperature-dependent life histories and is likely to prove particularly useful in temperate systems where insect pest outbreaks are both density and temperature dependent. © 2011 by The University of Chicago.

Autonomy and Accountability in the Assessment of Learning: Tipping the Balance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Linda; Neutze, Guyon; Zepke, Nick

2001-01-01

Explores the economic and political contexts of assessment in New Zealand adult education. Discusses assessment in relation to power, objectivity, reliability, and validity, suggesting that accountability prevails over autonomy. Advocates a context-dependent learner-teacher partnership for assessment in adult education. (Contains 54 references.)…

Rethinking Validation in Complex High-Stakes Assessment Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koch, Martha J.; DeLuca, Christopher

2012-01-01

In this article we rethink validation within the complex contexts of high-stakes assessment. We begin by considering the utility of existing models for validation and argue that these models tend to overlook some of the complexities inherent to assessment use, including the multiple interpretations of assessment purposes and the potential…

A Life Cycle Assessment Framework for Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Technologies : or An Integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) Framework for Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-02-01

Qing Lu (ORCID ID 0000-0002-9120-9218) Given a huge amount of annual investment and large inputs of energy and natural resources in pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities, significant environmental improvement and budget saving can ...

Epigenetics of human papillomaviruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johannsen, Eric; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706

Human papilllomaviruses (HPVs) are common human pathogens that infect cutaneous or mucosal epithelia in which they cause warts, self-contained benign lesions that commonly regress. The HPV life cycle is intricately tied to the differentiation of the host epithelium it infects. Mucosotropic HPVs are the most common sexually transmitted pathogen known to mankind. A subset of the mucosotropic HPVs, so-called high risk HPVs, is etiologically associated with numerous cancers of the anogenital tract, most notably the cervix, as well as a growing fraction of head and neck cancers. In these cancers, the HPV genome, which normally exists an a double stranded,more » circular, nuclear plasmid, is commonly found integrated into the host genome and expresses two viral oncogenes, E6 and E7, that are implicated in the development and maintainance of the cancers caused by these high risk HPVs. Numerous studies, primarily on the high risk HPV16, have documented that the methylation status of the viral genome changes not only in the context of the viral life cycle but also in the context of the progressive neoplastic disease that culminates in cancer. In this article, we summarize the knowledge gained from those studies. We also provide the first analysis of available ChIP-seq data on the occupancy of both epigentically modified histones as well as transcription factors on the high risk HPV18 genome in the context of HeLa cells, a cervical cancer-derived cell line that has been the subject of extensive analyses using this technique. - Highlights: • Methylation status of HPV genomes is dynamic. • Changes are seen in both the viral life cycle and neoplasia. • Histone modification status at LCR is predictive of transcription factor occupancy. • Novel transcription factor binding noted by ChIP-seq.« less

Solidification and solid-state transformation sciences in metals additive manufacturing

DOE PAGES

Kirka, Michael M.; Nandwana, Peeyush; Lee, Yousub; ...

2017-02-11

Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is rapidly emerging as an established manufacturing process for metal components. Unlike traditional metals fabrication processes, metals fabricated via AM undergo localized thermal cycles during fabrication. As a result, AM presents the opportunity to control the liquid-solid phase transformation, i.e. material texture. But, thermal cycling presents challenges from the standpoint of solid-solid phase transformations. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges in metals AM in the context of texture control and associated solid-solid phase transformations in Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718.

Differential effects of cell cycle regulatory protein p21(WAF1/Cip1) on apoptosis and sensitivity to cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Liu, Suxing; Bishop, W Robert; Liu, Ming

2003-08-01

p21(WAF1/Cip1) was initially identified as a cell cycle regulatory protein that can cause cell cycle arrest. It is induced by both p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms. This mini-review briefly discusses its currently known functions in apoptosis and drug sensitivity. As an inhibitor of cell proliferation, p21(WAF1/Cip1) plays an important role in drug-induced tumor suppression. Nevertheless, a number of recent studies have shown that p21(WAF1/Cip1) can assume both pro- or anti-apoptotic functions in response to anti-tumor agents depending on cell type and cellular context. This dual role of p21(WAF1/Cip1) in cancer cells complicates using p21(WAF1/Cip1) status to predict response to anti-tumor agents. However, it is possible to develop p21(WAF1/Cip1)-targeted reagents or p21(WAF1/Cip1) gene transfer techniques to have a beneficial effect within a well-defined therapeutic context. Better understanding of the roles of p21(WAF1/Cip1) in tumors should enable a more rational approach to anti-tumor drug design and therapy.

Evolution of modern eukaryotes in the context of Cryogenian geochemical, tectonic and climatic changes (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosak, T.; MacDonald, F. A.; Pruss, S. B.; Lahr, D.

2010-12-01

The Cryogenian period (850-635 Ma) is one of the most dynamic periods in Earth history; its strata host evidence of the break-up of a super-continent, multiple low-latitude glaciations, the reorganization of geochemical cycles, the radiation of eukaryotes, and the origin of animals. However, relationships between the evolving ecosystems during this time, global glaciations and the cycling of carbon, sulfur and oxygen remain poorly understood. This is due to the lack of studies that couple geochemical and micropaleontological records in a stratigraphic and sedimentological context and the paucity of studies of sections that span the entire interval. Here we describe our current work on the recently discovered microfossil record from carbonate rocks deposited between the two Cryogenian low-latitude glaciations (710-635 million years ago) including the Tayshir Formation in Mongolia and cap carbonates from the Rasthof Formation in Namibia. This record provides constraints on the severity of Sturtian low-latitude glaciation and shows the presence of various modern eukaryotic lineages in late Cryogenian ecosystems and the first occurrences of various shell-building organisms. These biological changes gave rise to an increasing complexity of food webs that may have fed the first animals and influenced the sinking and burial of organic matter, ushering the Neoproterozoic revolution in biogeochemical cycling.

Back-end of the fuel cycle - Indian scenario

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wattal, P.K.

Nuclear power has a key role in meeting the energy demands of India. This can be sustained by ensuring robust technology for the back end of the fuel cycle. Considering the modest indigenous resources of U and a huge Th reserve, India has adopted a three stage Nuclear Power Programme (NPP) based on 'closed fuel cycle' approach. This option on 'Recovery and Recycle' serves twin objectives of ensuring adequate supply of nuclear fuel and also reducing the long term radio-toxicity of the wastes. Reprocessing of the spent fuel by Purex process is currently employed. High Level Liquid Waste (HLW) generatedmore » during reprocessing is vitrified and undergoes interim storage. Back-end technologies are constantly modified to address waste volume minimization and radio-toxicity reduction. Long-term management of HLW in Indian context would involve partitioning of long lived minor actinides and recovery of valuable fission products specifically cesium. Recovery of minor actinides from HLW and its recycle is highly desirable for the sustained growth of India's NPPs. In this context, programme for developing and deploying partitioning technologies on industrial scale is pursued. The partitioned elements could be either transmuted in Fast Reactors (FRs)/Accelerated Driven Systems (ADS) as an integral part of sustainable Indian NPP. (authors)« less

Life-cycle assessment of Nebraska bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-01

Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a necessary component in bridge management systems (BMSs) for : assessing investment decisions and identifying the most cost-effective improvement alternatives. The : LCCA helps to identify the lowest cost alternati...

Introduction of the identification, situation, background, assessment, recommendations tool to improve the quality of information transfer during medical handover in intensive care.

PubMed

Ramasubbu, Benjamin; Stewart, Emma; Spiritoso, Rosalba

2017-02-01

To audit the quality and safety of the current doctor-to-doctor handover of patient information in our Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. If deficient, to implement a validated handover tool to improve the quality of the handover process. In Cycle 1 we observed the verbal handover and reviewed the written handover information transferred for 50 consecutive patients in St George's Hospital Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. For each patient's handover, we assessed whether each section of the Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations tool was used on a scale of 0-2. Zero if no information in that category was transferred, one if the information was partially transferred and two if all relevant information was transferred. Each patient's handover received a score from 0 to 10 and thus, each cycle a total score of 0-500. Following the implementation of the Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations handover tool in our Intensive Care Unit in Cycle 2, we re-observed the handover process for another 50 consecutive patients hence, completing the audit cycle. There was a significant difference between the total scores from Cycle 1 and 2 (263/500 versus 457/500, p < 0.001). The median handover score for Cycle 1 was 5/10 (interquartile range 4-6). The median handover score for Cycle 2 was 9/10 (interquartile range 9-10). Patient handover scores increased significantly between Cycle 1 and 2, U = 13.5, p < 0.001. The introduction of a standardised handover template (Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations tool) has improved the quality and safety of the doctor-to-doctor handover of patient information in our Intensive Care Unit.

A Comparative Analysis of Life-Cycle Assessment Tools for End-of-Life Materials Management Systems

EPA Science Inventory

We identified and evaluated five life-cycle assessment tools that community decision makers can use to assess the environmental and economic impacts of end-of-life (EOL) materials management options. The tools evaluated in this report are waste reduction mode (WARM), municipal s...

Life Cycle Assessment Software for Product and Process Sustainability Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vervaeke, Marina

2012-01-01

In recent years, life cycle assessment (LCA), a methodology for assessment of environmental impacts of products and services, has become increasingly important. This methodology is applied by decision makers in industry and policy, product developers, environmental managers, and other non-LCA specialists working on environmental issues in a wide…

The creation, management, and use of data quality information for life cycle assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Despite growing access to data, questions of “best fit” data and the appropriate use of results in supporting decision making still plague the life cycle assessment (LCA) community. This discussion paper addresses revisions to assessing data quality captured in a new US Environme...

Specificity, contexts, and reference groups matter when assessing autistic traits

PubMed Central

Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Dern, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Many of the personality and behavioral traits (e.g., social imperviousness, directness in conversation, lack of imagination, affinity for solitude, difficulty displaying emotions) that are known to be sensitive to context (with whom?) and reference group (according to whom?) also appear in questionnaire-based assessments of autistic traits. Therefore, two experiments investigated the effects of specifying contexts and reference groups when assessing autistic traits in autistic and non-autistic participants. Experiment 1 (124 autistic and 124 non-autistic participants) demonstrated that context matters when assessing autistic traits (F(1,244) = 267.5, p < .001, η2p = .523). When the context of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire was specified as the participants’ out-group (e.g., “I like being around non-autistic people” or “I like being around autistic people”), both autistic and non-autistic participants self-reported having more autistic traits; when the context was specified as the participants’ in-group, participants reported having fewer autistic traits. Experiment 2 (82 autistic and 82 non-autistic participants) demonstrated that reference group matters when assessing autistic traits (F(2,160) = 94.38, p < .001, η2p = .541). When the reference group on the Social Responsiveness Scale was specified as the participants’ out-group (e.g., “According to non-autistic people, I have unusual eye contact”), autistic participants reported having more autistic traits; when the reference group was their in-group, autistic participants reported having fewer autistic traits. Non-autistic participants appeared insensitive to reference group on the Social Responsiveness Scale. Exploratory analyses suggested that when neither the context nor the reference group is specified (for assessing autistic traits on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient), both autistic and non-autistic participants use the majority (“non-autistic people”) as the implied context and reference group. PMID:28192464

How to apply the ICF and ICF core sets for low back pain.

PubMed

Stier-Jarmer, Marita; Cieza, Alarcos; Borchers, Michael; Stucki, Gerold

2009-01-01

To introduce the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as conceptual model and classification and the ICF Core Sets as a way to specify functioning for a specific health condition such as Low Back Pain, and to illustrate the application of the ICF and ICF Core Sets in the context of clinical practice, the planning and reporting of studies and the comparison of health status measures. A decision-making and consensus process was performed to develop the ICF Core Sets for Low Back Pain, the linking procedure was applied as basis for the content comparison of health-status measures and the Rehab-Cycle was used to exemplify the application of the ICE and ICF Core Sets in clinical practice. Two different ICF Core Sets, namely, a comprehensive and a brief, are presented, three different health-status measures were linked to the ICF and compared and a case example of a patient with Low back Pain was described based on the Rehab-Cycle. The ICF is a promising new framework and classification to assess the impact of Low Back Pain. The ICF and practical tools, such as the ICF Core Sets for Low Back Pain, are useful for clinical practice, outcome and rehabilitation research, education, health statistics, and regulation.

Modelling of chemical degradation of blended cement-based materials by leaching cycles with Callovo-Oxfordian porewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olmeda, Javier; Henocq, Pierre; Giffaut, Eric; Grivé, Mireia

2017-06-01

The present work describes a thermodynamic model based on pore water replacement cycles to simulate the chemical evolution of blended cement (BFS + FA) by interaction with external Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) pore water. In the framework of the radioactive waste management, the characterization of the radionuclide behaviour (solubility/speciation, adsorption) in cementitious materials needs to be done for several chemical degradation states (I to IV). In particular, in the context of the deep geological radioactive waste disposal project (Cigéo), cement-based materials will be chemically evolved with time in contact with the host-rock (COx formation). The objective of this study is to provide an equilibrium solution composition for each degradation state for a CEM-V cement-based material to support the adsorption and diffusion experiments reproducing any state of degradation. Calculations have been performed at 25 °C using the geochemical code PhreeqC and an up-to-date thermodynamic database (ThermoChimie v.9.0.b) coupled to SIT approach for ionic strength correction. The model replicates experimental data with accuracy. The approach followed in this study eases the analysis of the chemical evolution in both aqueous and solid phase to obtain a fast assessment of the geochemical effects associated to an external water intrusion of variable composition on concrete structures.

Comparison of intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes between spermatozoa retrieved from testicular biopsy and from ejaculation in cryptozoospermic men.

PubMed

Amirjannati, N; Heidari-Vala, H; Akhondi, M A; Hosseini Jadda, S H; Kamali, K; Sadeghi, M R

2012-05-01

The infrequent presence of spermatozoa in cryptozoospermic men ejaculate is a limiting factor in the treatment of them. Sometimes, this consideration impels us to apply meticulous microscopic search in ejaculate or testicular sperm extraction (TESE) method. The aim of this study was to assess putative effectiveness of sperm origin, ejaculated or testicular, in cryptozoospermia treatment. In this context, were evaluated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes in two parameters including fertilisation rate (2PN) and embryo quality, independently. We compared the outcome in two groups: patients who underwent ejaculate/ICSI and ones who underwent TESE/ICSI process. Nineteen ICSI cycles performed with testicular spermatozoa and the rest of cycles (n = 208) carried out with ejaculated spermatozoa. Result analysis showed similar fertilisation rate between testicular and ejaculated spermatozoa (respectively, 60% versus 68%, P ≥ 0.05). Also, on the other hand, embryo quality did not show significant differences between two groups, except grade A with low significance. With regard to almost equal performance of both methods in results and being invasive of TESE as surgical sperm retrieval method, the use of ejaculated sperm more than testicular sperm should be recommended in patients with cryptozoospermia whenever possible. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Process skills approach to develop primary students’ scientific literacy: A case study with low achieving students on water cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryanti; Ibrahim, M.; Lede, N. S.

2018-01-01

The results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study on the scientific literacy of Indonesian students since the year 2000 have been still far below the international average score of 500. This could also be seen from the results of the science literacy test of 5th-grade students of primary school in Indonesia which showed that 60% of students are still at level ≤ 3 (value < 500). The students’ science literacy skills need to be improved by applying learning with a process skills approach. This study aims to describe the findings of classroom action research using a process skills approach to the science literacy level of primary students (n = 23). This research was conducted in 2 cycles with stages of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Students’ ability in scientific literacy was measured by using description and subjective tests of context domains, knowledge, competencies, and attitudes. In this study, researchers found an improvement in students’ science literacy skills when learning using a process skills approach. In addition, students’ scientific attitude is also more positive. In activities for learning science, students should be challenged as often as possible so that they have more practice using their scientific knowledge and skills to solve problems presented by teachers in the classroom.

Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y): reliability and relationship with physical activity.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Dori; Ding, Ding; Sallis, James F; Kerr, Jacqueline; Norman, Gregory J; Durant, Nefertiti; Harris, Sion K; Saelens, Brian E

2009-01-01

To examine the psychometric properties of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Youth (NEWS-Y) and explore its associations with context-specific and overall physical activity (PA) among youth. In 2005, parents of children ages 5-11 (n=116), parents of adolescents ages 12-18 (n=171), and adolescents ages 12-18 (n=171) from Boston, Cincinnati, and San Diego, completed NEWS-Y surveys regarding perceived land use mix-diversity, recreation facility availability, pedestrian/automobile traffic safety, crime safety, aesthetics, walking/cycling facilities, street connectivity, land use mix-access, and residential density. A standardized neighborhood environment score was derived. Self-reported activity in the street and in parks, and walking to parks, shops, school, and overall physical activity were assessed. The NEWS-Y subscales had acceptable test-retest reliability (ICC range .56-.87). Being active in a park, walking to a park, walking to shops, and walking to school were related to multiple environmental attributes in all three participant groups. Total neighborhood environment, recreation facilities, walking and cycling facilities, and land use mix-access had the most consistent relationships with specific types of activity. The NEWS-Y has acceptable reliability and subscales were significantly correlated with specific types of youth PA. The NEWS-Y can be used to examine neighborhood environment correlates of youth PA.

Vertebrate development in the environment of space: models, mechanisms, and use of the medaka

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolgemuth, D. J.; Herrada, G.; Kiss, S.; Cannon, T.; Forsstrom, C.; Pranger, L. A.; Weismann, W. P.; Pearce, L.; Whalon, B.; Phillips, C. R.

1997-01-01

With the advent of space travel, it is of immediate interest and importance to study the effects of exposure to various aspects of the altered environment of space, including microgravity, on Earth-based life forms. Initial studies of space travel have focused primarily on the short-term effects of radiation and microgravity on adult organisms. However, with the potential for increased lengths of time in space, it is critical to now address the effects of space on all phases of an organism's life cycle, from embryogenesis to post-natal development to reproduction. It is already possible for certain species to undergo multiple generations within the confines of the Mir Space Station. The possibility now exists for scientists to consider the consequences of even potentially subtle defects in development through multiple phases of an organism's life cycle, or even through multiple generations. In this discussion, we highlight a few of the salient observations on the effects of the space environment on vertebrate development and reproductive function. We discuss some of the many unanswered questions, in particular, in the context of the choice of appropriate models in which to address these questions, as well as an assessment of the availability of hardware already existing or under development which would be useful in addressing these questions.

High-speed ultraviolet photometry of HD 60435

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, M.; Nelson, M. J.; Bless, R. C.; Dolan, J. F.; Elliot, J. L.; Percival, J. W.; Robinson, E. L.; Van Citters, G. W.

1993-01-01

We present the first high-speed ultraviolet photometry of an oscillating Ap star, HD 60435. After removing known orbital effects related to the Hubble Space Telescope, we confirm the presence of a strong pulsation period at a frequency of 123.70 cycles per day. In addition, we find significant amplitude modulation of this frequency that we suggest could be the result of beating of multiple periodicities. In this context, we suggest evidence for the presence of four additional frequencies at nu = 120.56, 126.55, 149.49, and 221.03 cycles per day. Three of these frequencies correspond well to frequencies detected in optical observations of HD 60435. The fourth, at 149.49 cycles per day, if real, is a potentially new pulsation mode that has not been detected in ground-based observations of this star. The amplitude of the 123 cycles per day pulsation is significantly larger in the ultraviolet than it is in the blue.

Parasitism and the retrotransposon life cycle in plants: a hitchhiker's guide to the genome.

PubMed

Sabot, F; Schulman, A H

2006-12-01

LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposons are the main components of higher plant genomic DNA. They have shaped their host genomes through insertional mutagenesis and by effects on genome size, gene expression and recombination. These Class I transposable elements are closely related to retroviruses such as the HIV by their structure and presumptive life cycle. However, the retrotransposon life cycle has been closely investigated in few systems. For retroviruses and retrotransposons, individual defective copies can parasitize the activity of functional ones. However, some LTR retrotransposon groups as a whole, such as large retrotransposon derivatives and terminal repeats in miniature, are non-autonomous even though their genomic insertion patterns remain polymorphic between organismal accessions. Here, we examine what is known of the retrotransposon life cycle in plants, and in that context discuss the role of parasitism and complementation between and within retrotransposon groups.

The Interaction of Global Biochemical Cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, B., III; Dastoor, M. N.

1984-01-01

The global biosphere in an exceedingly complex system. To gain an understanding of its structure and dynamic features, it is necessary not only to increase the knowledge about the detailed processes but also to develop models of how global interactions take place. Attempts to analyze the detailed physical, chemical and biological processes in this context need to be guided by an advancement of understanding of the latter. It is necessary to develop a strategy of data gathering that severs both these purposes simultaneously. The following papers deal with critical aspects in the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in details as well as the cycle of water and the flow of energy in the Earth's environment. The objective is to set partly the foundation for the development of mathematical models that allow exploration of the coupled dynamics of the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, as well as energy and water flux.

Rotational Modulation and Activity Cycles at Rotational Extremes: 25 yrs of NURO Photometry for HII 1883

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milingo, Jackie; Saar, Steven; Marschall, Laurence

2018-01-01

We present a 25 yr compilation of V-band differential photometry for the Pleiades K dwarf HII 1883 (V660 Tau). HII 1883 has a rotational period of ~ 0.24 d and displays significant rotational modulation due to non-uniform surface brightness or "starspots". Preliminary work yields a cycle period of ~ 9 yrs and rotational shear (ΔP_rot/) considerably less than solar. HII 1883 is one of the fastest rotating single stars with a known cycle. With additional data available we compare newly determined P_cyc and ΔP_rot/ values with those of other stars, putting HII 1883 into the broader context of dynamo properties in single cool dwarfs.

An Exact Efficiency Formula for Holographic Heat Engines

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Clifford

2016-03-31

Further consideration is given to the efficiency of a class of black hole heat engines that perform mechanical work via the pdV terms present in the First Law of extended gravitational thermodynamics. It is noted that, when the engine cycle is a rectangle with sides parallel to the (p,V) axes, the efficiency can be written simply in terms of the mass of the black hole evaluated at the corners. Since an arbitrary cycle can be approximated to any desired accuracy by a tiling of rectangles, a general geometrical algorithm for computing the efficiency of such a cycle follows. Finally, amore » simple generalization of the algorithm renders it applicable to broader classes of heat engine, even beyond the black hole context.« less

Is naming faces different from naming objects? Semantic interference in a face- and object-naming task.

PubMed

Marful, Alejandra; Paolieri, Daniela; Bajo, M Teresa

2014-04-01

A current debate regarding face and object naming concerns whether they are equally vulnerable to semantic interference. Although some studies have shown similar patterns of interference, others have revealed different effects for faces and objects. In Experiment 1, we compared face naming to object naming when exemplars were presented in a semantically homogeneous context (grouped by their category) or in a semantically heterogeneous context (mixed) across four cycles. The data revealed significant slowing for both face and object naming in the homogeneous context. This semantic interference was explained as being due to lexical competition from the conceptual activation of category members. When focusing on the first cycle, a facilitation effect for objects but not for faces appeared. This result permits us to explain the previously observed discrepancies between face and object naming. Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1, with the exception that half of the stimuli were presented as face/object names for reading. Semantic interference was present for both face and object naming, suggesting that faces and objects behave similarly during naming. Interestingly, during reading, semantic interference was observed for face names but not for object names. This pattern is consistent with previous assumptions proposing the activation of a person identity during face name reading.

Automated respiratory cycles selection is highly specific and improves respiratory mechanics analysis.

PubMed

Rigo, Vincent; Graas, Estelle; Rigo, Jacques

2012-07-01

Selected optimal respiratory cycles should allow calculation of respiratory mechanic parameters focusing on patient-ventilator interaction. New computer software automatically selecting optimal breaths and respiratory mechanics derived from those cycles are evaluated. Retrospective study. University level III neonatal intensive care unit. Ten mins synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation and assist/control ventilation recordings from ten newborns. The ventilator provided respiratory mechanic data (ventilator respiratory cycles) every 10 secs. Pressure, flow, and volume waves and pressure-volume, pressure-flow, and volume-flow loops were reconstructed from continuous pressure-volume recordings. Visual assessment determined assisted leak-free optimal respiratory cycles (selected respiratory cycles). New software graded the quality of cycles (automated respiratory cycles). Respiratory mechanic values were derived from both sets of optimal cycles. We evaluated quality selection and compared mean values and their variability according to ventilatory mode and respiratory mechanic provenance. To assess discriminating power, all 45 "t" values obtained from interpatient comparisons were compared for each respiratory mechanic parameter. A total of 11,724 breaths are evaluated. Automated respiratory cycle/selected respiratory cycle selections agreement is high: 88% of maximal κ with linear weighting. Specificity and positive predictive values are 0.98 and 0.96, respectively. Averaged values are similar between automated respiratory cycle and ventilator respiratory cycle. C20/C alone is markedly decreased in automated respiratory cycle (1.27 ± 0.37 vs. 1.81 ± 0.67). Tidal volume apparent similarity disappears in assist/control: automated respiratory cycle tidal volume (4.8 ± 1.0 mL/kg) is significantly lower than for ventilator respiratory cycle (5.6 ± 1.8 mL/kg). Coefficients of variation decrease for all automated respiratory cycle parameters in all infants. "t" values from ventilator respiratory cycle data are two to three times higher than ventilator respiratory cycles. Automated selection is highly specific. Automated respiratory cycle reflects most the interaction of both ventilator and patient. Improving discriminating power of ventilator monitoring will likely help in assessing disease status and following trends. Averaged parameters derived from automated respiratory cycles are more precise and could be displayed by ventilators to improve real-time fine tuning of ventilator settings.

PCR cycles above routine numbers do not compromise high-throughput DNA barcoding results.

PubMed

Vierna, J; Doña, J; Vizcaíno, A; Serrano, D; Jovani, R

2017-10-01

High-throughput DNA barcoding has become essential in ecology and evolution, but some technical questions still remain. Increasing the number of PCR cycles above the routine 20-30 cycles is a common practice when working with old-type specimens, which provide little amounts of DNA, or when facing annealing issues with the primers. However, increasing the number of cycles can raise the number of artificial mutations due to polymerase errors. In this work, we sequenced 20 COI libraries in the Illumina MiSeq platform. Libraries were prepared with 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 PCR cycles from four individuals belonging to four species of four genera of cephalopods. We found no relationship between the number of PCR cycles and the number of mutations despite using a nonproofreading polymerase. Moreover, even when using a high number of PCR cycles, the resulting number of mutations was low enough not to be an issue in the context of high-throughput DNA barcoding (but may still remain an issue in DNA metabarcoding due to chimera formation). We conclude that the common practice of increasing the number of PCR cycles should not negatively impact the outcome of a high-throughput DNA barcoding study in terms of the occurrence of point mutations.

Exploring the implication of climate process uncertainties within the Earth System Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, B.; Lambert, F. H.; McNeal, D.; Harris, G.; Sexton, D.; Boulton, C.; Murphy, J.

2011-12-01

Uncertainties in the magnitude of future climate change have been a focus of a great deal of research. Much of the work with General Circulation Models has focused on the atmospheric response to changes in atmospheric composition, while other processes remain outside these frameworks. Here we introduce an ensemble of new simulations, based on an Earth System configuration of HadCM3C, designed to explored uncertainties in both physical (atmospheric, oceanic and aerosol physics) and carbon cycle processes, using perturbed parameter approaches previously used to explore atmospheric uncertainty. Framed in the context of the climate response to future changes in emissions, the resultant future projections represent significantly broader uncertainty than existing concentration driven GCM assessments. The systematic nature of the ensemble design enables interactions between components to be explored. For example, we show how metrics of physical processes (such as climate sensitivity) are also influenced carbon cycle parameters. The suggestion from this work is that carbon cycle processes represent a comparable contribution to uncertainty in future climate projections as contributions from atmospheric feedbacks more conventionally explored. The broad range of climate responses explored within these ensembles, rather than representing a reason for inaction, provide information on lower likelihood but high impact changes. For example while the majority of these simulations suggest that future Amazon forest extent is resilient to the projected climate changes, a small number simulate dramatic forest dieback. This ensemble represents a framework to examine these risks, breaking them down into physical processes (such as ocean temperature drivers of rainfall change) and vegetation processes (where uncertainties point towards requirements for new observational constraints).

Watch Out for the “Living Dead”: Cell-Free Enzymes and Their Fate

PubMed Central

Baltar, Federico

2018-01-01

Microbes are the engines driving biogeochemical cycles. Microbial extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs) are the “gatekeepers” of the carbon cycle. The total EEA is the sum of cell-bound (i.e., cell-attached), and dissolved (i.e., cell-free) enzyme activities. Cell-free enzymes make up a substantial proportion (up to 100%) of the total marine EEA. Although we are learning more about how microbial diversity and function (including total EEA) will be affected by environmental changes, little is known about what factors control the importance of the abundant cell-free enzymes. Since cell-attached EEAs are linked to the cell, their fate will likely be linked to the factors controlling the cell’s fate. In contrast, cell-free enzymes belong to a kind of “living dead” realm because they are not attached to a living cell but still are able to perform their function away from the cell; and as such, the factors controlling their activity and fate might differ from those affecting cell-attached enzymes. This article aims to place cell-free EEA into the wider context of hydrolysis of organic matter, deal with recent studies assessing what controls the production, activity and lifetime of cell-free EEA, and what their fate might be in response to environmental stressors. This perspective article advocates the need to go “beyond the living things,” studying the response of cells/organisms to different stressors, but also to study cell-free enzymes, in order to fully constrain the future and evolution of marine biogeochemical cycles. PMID:29354095

Carbon Cycle Model Linkage Project (CCMLP): Evaluating Biogeochemical Process Models with Atmospheric Measurements and Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimann, M.; Prentice, I. C.; Foley, J.; Hickler, T.; Kicklighter, D. W.; McGuire, A. D.; Melillo, J. M.; Ramankutty, N.; Sitch, S.

2001-12-01

Models of biophysical and biogeochemical proceses are being used -either offline or in coupled climate-carbon cycle (C4) models-to assess climate- and CO2-induced feedbacks on atmospheric CO2. Observations of atmospheric CO2 concentration, and supplementary tracers including O2 concentrations and isotopes, offer unique opportunities to evaluate the large-scale behaviour of models. Global patterns, temporal trends, and interannual variability of the atmospheric CO2 concentration and its seasonal cycle provide crucial benchmarks for simulations of regionally-integrated net ecosystem exchange; flux measurements by eddy correlation allow a far more demanding model test at the ecosystem scale than conventional indicators, such as measurements of annual net primary production; and large-scale manipulations, such as the Duke Forest Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) experiment, give a standard to evaluate modelled phenomena such as ecosystem-level CO2 fertilization. Model runs including historical changes of CO2, climate and land use allow comparison with regional-scale monthly CO2 balances as inferred from atmospheric measurements. Such comparisons are providing grounds for some confidence in current models, while pointing to processes that may still be inadequately treated. Current plans focus on (1) continued benchmarking of land process models against flux measurements across ecosystems and experimental findings on the ecosystem-level effects of enhanced CO2, reactive N inputs and temperature; (2) improved representation of land use, forest management and crop metabolism in models; and (3) a strategy for the evaluation of C4 models in a historical observational context.

Distribution of iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria across a coastal acid sulfate soil (CASS) environment: implications for passive bioremediation by tidal inundation.

PubMed

Ling, Yu-Chen; Bush, Richard; Grice, Kliti; Tulipani, Svenja; Berwick, Lyndon; Moreau, John W

2015-01-01

Coastal acid sulfate soils (CASS) constitute a serious and global environmental problem. Oxidation of iron sulfide minerals exposed to air generates sulfuric acid with consequently negative impacts on coastal and estuarine ecosystems. Tidal inundation represents one current treatment strategy for CASS, with the aim of neutralizing acidity by triggering microbial iron- and sulfate-reduction and inducing the precipitation of iron-sulfides. Although well-known functional guilds of bacteria drive these processes, their distributions within CASS environments, as well as their relationships to tidal cycling and the availability of nutrients and electron acceptors, are poorly understood. These factors will determine the long-term efficacy of "passive" CASS remediation strategies. Here we studied microbial community structure and functional guild distribution in sediment cores obtained from 10 depths ranging from 0 to 20 cm in three sites located in the supra-, inter- and sub-tidal segments, respectively, of a CASS-affected salt marsh (East Trinity, Cairns, Australia). Whole community 16S rRNA gene diversity within each site was assessed by 454 pyrotag sequencing and bioinformatic analyses in the context of local hydrological, geochemical, and lithological factors. The results illustrate spatial overlap, or close association, of iron-, and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in an environment rich in organic matter and controlled by parameters such as acidity, redox potential, degree of water saturation, and mineralization. The observed spatial distribution implies the need for empirical understanding of the timing, relative to tidal cycling, of various terminal electron-accepting processes that control acid generation and biogeochemical iron and sulfur cycling.

Development of the method and U.S. normalization database for Life Cycle Impact Assessment and sustainability metrics.

PubMed

Bare, Jane; Gloria, Thomas; Norris, Gregory

2006-08-15

Normalization is an optional step within Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) that may be used to assist in the interpretation of life cycle inventory data as well as life cycle impact assessment results. Normalization transforms the magnitude of LCI and LCIA results into relative contribution by substance and life cycle impact category. Normalization thus can significantly influence LCA-based decisions when tradeoffs exist. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a normalization database based on the spatial scale of the 48 continental U.S. states, Hawaii, Alaska, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with a one-year reference time frame. Data within the normalization database were compiled based on the impact methodologies and lists of stressors used in TRACI-the EPA's Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts. The new normalization database published within this article may be used for LCIA case studies within the United States, and can be used to assist in the further development of a global normalization database. The underlying data analyzed for the development of this database are included to allow the development of normalization data consistent with other impact assessment methodologies as well.

An Infrastructure to Enable Lightweight Context-Awareness for Mobile Users

PubMed Central

Curiel, Pablo; Lago, Ana B.

2013-01-01

Mobile phones enable us to carry out a wider range of tasks every day, and as a result they have become more ubiquitous than ever. However, they are still more limited in terms of processing power and interaction capabilities than traditional computers, and the often distracting and time-constricted scenarios in which we use them do not help in alleviating these limitations. Context-awareness is a valuable technique to address these issues, as it enables to adapt application behaviour to each situation. In this paper we present a context management infrastructure for mobile environments, aimed at controlling context information life-cycle in this kind of scenarios, with the main goal of enabling application and services to adapt their behaviour to better meet end-user needs. This infrastructure relies on semantic technologies and open standards to improve interoperability, and is based on a central element, the context manager. This element acts as a central context repository and takes most of the computational burden derived from dealing with this kind of information, thus relieving from these tasks to more resource-scarce devices in the system. PMID:23899932

Land-surface influences on weather and climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer, F.; Mintz, Y.

1984-01-01

Land-surface influences on weather and climate are reviewed. The interrelationship of vegetation, evapotranspiration, atmospheric circulation, and climate is discussed. Global precipitation, soil moisture, the seasonal water cycle, heat transfer, and atmospheric temperature are among the parameters considered in the context of a general biosphere model.

Life cycle assessment of asphalt pavement maintenance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

This study aims at developing a life cycle assessment (LCA) model to quantify the impact of pavement preservation on energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The construction stage contains material, manufacture, transportation and plac...

INTRODUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter introduces the book, "Life Cycle Impact Assessment: Striving Towards Best Available Practice" which is a summary of the contributions of the second SETAC-Europe Working Group on Life Cycle Impact Assessment (WIA-2) to the development and recognition of best...

Meeting health and psychological needs of women in drug treatment court.

PubMed

Morse, Diane S; Cerulli, Catherine; Bedell, Precious; Wilson, John L; Thomas, Katherine; Mittal, Mona; Lamberti, J Steven; Williams, Geoffrey; Silverstein, Jennifer; Mukherjee, Aninda; Walck, Donna; Chin, Nancy

2014-02-01

We explored healthcare-related experiences of women drug court participants through combining context from the socio-ecological model with motivation needs for health behavior as indicated by self-determination theory. Five focus groups with 8 women drug court participants, 8 court staff, and 9 community service providers were examined using qualitative framework analysis. Themes emerged across the socio-ecological model and were cross-mapped with self-determination theory-defined motivation needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Socio-ecological levels contained experiences either supporting or eroding women's motivation needs: (1) intrapersonal challenges participants termed an "evil cycle" of relapse, recidivism, trauma, and life challenges; (2) interpersonal context of parenting and stigma involving features of this "evil cycle"; (3) institutions with logistical barriers to legal and medical assistance; (4) community resources inadequate to support living and employment needs. Self-determination theory helps explain motivation required to address the women's healthcare needs and multiple demands at all levels of the socio-ecological model. © 2013.

Cultural perceptions and practices around menarche and adolescent menstruation in the United States.

PubMed

Stubbs, Margaret L

2008-01-01

This overview details the persistence of negative characterizations of the menstrual cycle as a feature of the current cultural context in which girls begin menstrual life in the United States. In addition, research on girls' current menstrual attitudes and experiences within this context are reviewed. Current research suggests that girls are not very knowledgeable about menstruation, and that menstrual education continues to provide girls with mixed messages, such as: menstruation is a normal, natural event, but it should be hidden. Girls' attitudes and expectations about menstruation are negatively biased and have been found to contribute to self-objectification, body shame, and lack of agency in sexual decision-making. Although preparation has been found to be associated with more positive menarcheal and menstrual experiences, specificity about what constitutes "good" preparation has not been well articulated. Implications for promoting the menstrual cycle among young girls as a vital sign in service of monitoring their health are discussed.

Assessment of disk MHD generators for a base load powerplant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chubb, D. L.; Retallick, F. D.; Lu, C. L.; Stella, M.; Teare, J. D.; Loubsky, W. J.; Louis, J. F.; Misra, B.

1981-01-01

Results from a study of the disk MHD generator are presented. Both open and closed cycle disk systems were investigated. Costing of the open cycle disk components (nozzle, channel, diffuser, radiant boiler, magnet and power management) was done. However, no detailed costing was done for the closed cycle systems. Preliminary plant design for the open cycle systems was also completed. Based on the system study results, an economic assessment of the open cycle systems is presented. Costs of the open cycle disk conponents are less than comparable linear generator components. Also, costs of electricity for the open cycle disk systems are competitive with comparable linear systems. Advantages of the disk design simplicity are considered. Improvements in the channel availability or a reduction in the channel lifetime requirement are possible as a result of the disk design.

Exploration of Culturally Proficient Mental Health Assessment and Treatment Practices of Black/African American Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Tina Marie

2012-01-01

Changing trends within the mental health system treatment practices demand exploration of the cultural context of assessment and treatment of Black/African Americans. Culturally competent assessments include a realistic integration of historical context. Clinicians counseling Black/African Americans must be prepared to assess and address PTSD,…

Toward Medical Documentation That Enhances Situational Awareness Learning

PubMed Central

Lenert, Leslie A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of writing medical notes in a computer system goes beyond documentation for medical-legal purposes or billing. The structure of documentation is a checklist that serves as a cognitive aid and a potential index to retrieve information for learning from the record. For the past 50 years, one of the primary organizing structures for physicians’ clinical documentation have been the SOAP note (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan). The cognitive check list is well-suited to differential diagnosis but may not support detection of changes in systems and/or learning from cases. We describe an alternative cognitive checklist called the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Through incorporation of projections of anticipated course events with and without treatment and by making “Decisions” an explicit category of documentation in the medical record in the context of a variable temporal cycle for observations, OODA may enhance opportunities to learn from clinical care. PMID:28269872

Use of non-invasive genetics to generate core-area population estimates of a threatened predator in the Superior National Forest, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber-Meyer, Shannon; Ryan, Daniel; Grosshuesch, David; Catton, Timothy; Malick-Wahls, Sarah

2018-01-01

core areas and averaged 52.3 (SD=8.3, range=43-59) during 2015-2017 in the larger core areas. We found no evidence for a decrease or increase in abundance during either period. Lynx density estimates were approximately 7-10 times lower than densities of lynx in northern populations at the low of the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) population cycle. To our knowledge, our results are the first attempt to estimate abundance, trend and density of lynx in Minnesota using non-invasive genetic capture-mark-recapture. Estimates such as ours provide useful benchmarks for future comparisons by providing a context with which to assess 1) potential changes in forest management that may affect lynx recovery and conservation, and 2) possible effects of climate change on the depth, density, and duration of annual snow cover and correspondingly, potential effects on snowshoe hares as well.

Material Concerns: Evaluating Sulfur Concrete for use in the Lunar Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, Richard N.; Toutanji, Houssam

2006-01-01

On Earth sulfur "concrete" is an established construction material that has good mechanical properties, generally better than Portland cement, and can be used in corrosive environments. Troilite (FeS) has been found on the moon and raises the question of using extracted sulfur as a lunar construction material, an attractive alternative to conventional concrete as it does not require water. Troilite reduction to elemental sulfur and using it to make concrete in a lunar setting has been previously discussed. However, little has been experimentally done to evaluate its performance in the extreme lunar environment. This study subjected sets of sulfur concrete samples, prepared using JSC-1 lunar simulant, to I ) extended periods of high vacuum and 2) extreme temperature cycles. Here an overview of sulfur concrete and experimentally assessed properties, put in context of the lunar environment, is presented and discussed.

Multidimensional Scaling Analysis of the Dynamics of a Country Economy

PubMed Central

Mata, Maria Eugénia

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes the Portuguese short-run business cycles over the last 150 years and presents the multidimensional scaling (MDS) for visualizing the results. The analytical and numerical assessment of this long-run perspective reveals periods with close connections between the macroeconomic variables related to government accounts equilibrium, balance of payments equilibrium, and economic growth. The MDS method is adopted for a quantitative statistical analysis. In this way, similarity clusters of several historical periods emerge in the MDS maps, namely, in identifying similarities and dissimilarities that identify periods of prosperity and crises, growth, and stagnation. Such features are major aspects of collective national achievement, to which can be associated the impact of international problems such as the World Wars, the Great Depression, or the current global financial crisis, as well as national events in the context of broad political blueprints for the Portuguese society in the rising globalization process. PMID:24294132

Nanotechnology in Textiles.

PubMed

Yetisen, Ali K; Qu, Hang; Manbachi, Amir; Butt, Haider; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Hinestroza, Juan P; Skorobogatiy, Maksim; Khademhosseini, Ali; Yun, Seok Hyun

2016-03-22

Increasing customer demand for durable and functional apparel manufactured in a sustainable manner has created an opportunity for nanomaterials to be integrated into textile substrates. Nanomoieties can induce stain repellence, wrinkle-freeness, static elimination, and electrical conductivity to fibers without compromising their comfort and flexibility. Nanomaterials also offer a wider application potential to create connected garments that can sense and respond to external stimuli via electrical, color, or physiological signals. This review discusses electronic and photonic nanotechnologies that are integrated with textiles and shows their applications in displays, sensing, and drug release within the context of performance, durability, and connectivity. Risk factors including nanotoxicity, nanomaterial release during washing, and environmental impact of nanotextiles based on life cycle assessments have been evaluated. This review also provides an analysis of nanotechnology consolidation in the textiles market to evaluate global trends and patent coverage, supplemented by case studies of commercial products. Perceived limitations of nanotechnology in the textile industry and future directions are identified.

Effect of Air Pollution on Menstrual Cycle Length—A Prognostic Factor of Women’s Reproductive Health

PubMed Central

Merklinger-Gruchala, Anna; Jasienska, Grazyna; Kapiszewska, Maria

2017-01-01

Air pollution can influence women’s reproductive health, specifically menstrual cycle characteristics, oocyte quality, and risk of miscarriage. The aim of the study was to assess whether air pollution can affect the length of the overall menstrual cycle and the length of its phases (follicular and luteal). Municipal ecological monitoring data was used to assess the air pollution exposure during the monitored menstrual cycle of each of 133 woman of reproductive age. Principal component analyses were used to group pollutants (PM10, SO2, CO, and NOx) to represent a source-related mixture. PM10 and SO2 assessed separately negatively affected the length of the luteal phase after standardization (b = −0.02; p = 0.03; b = −0.06; p = 0.02, respectively). Representing a fossil fuel combustion emission, they were also associated with luteal phase shortening (b = −0.32; p = 0.02). These pollutants did not affect the follicular phase length and overall cycle length, neither in single- nor in multi-pollutant models. CO and NOx assessed either separately or together as a traffic emission were not associated with overall cycle length or the length of cycle phases. Luteal phase shortening, a possible manifestation of luteal phase deficiency, can result from fossil fuel combustion. This suggests that air pollution may contribute to fertility problems in women. PMID:28726748

Life-cycle assessment of redwood decking in the United States with a comparison to three other decking materials

Treesearch

R. Bergman; H. Sup-Han; E. Oneil; I. Eastin

2013-01-01

The goal of the study was to conduct a life-cycle inventory (LCI) of California redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) decking that would quantify the critical environmental impacts of decking from cradle to grave. Using that LCI data, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) was produced for redwood decking. The results were used to compare the environmental footprint...

A Life-Cycle Assessment of Biofuels: Tracing Energy and Carbon through a Fuel-Production System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krauskopf, Sara

2010-01-01

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool used by engineers to make measurements of net energy, greenhouse gas production, water consumption, and other items of concern. This article describes an activity designed to walk students through the qualitative part of an LCA. It asks them to consider the life-cycle costs of ethanol production, in terms of…

Systems Integration Challenges for a National Space Launch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

May, Todd A.

2011-01-01

System Integration was refined through the complexity and early failures experienced in rocket flight. System Integration encompasses many different viewpoints of the system development. System Integration must ensure consistency in development and operations activities. Human Space Flight tends toward large, complex systems. Understanding the system fs operational and use context is the guiding principle for System Integration: (1) Sizeable costs can be driven into systems by not fully understanding context (2). Adhering to the system context throughout the system fs life cycle is essential to maintaining efficient System Integration. System Integration exists within the System Architecture. Beautiful systems are simple in use and operation -- Block upgrades facilitate manageable steps in functionality evolution. Effective System Integration requires a stable system concept. Communication is essential to system simplicity

Menstrual Cycle Hormone Changes in Women Traversing Menopause: Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation

PubMed Central

Crawford, Sybil L.; El Khoudary, Samar R.; Allshouse, Amanda A.; Burnett-Bowie, Sherri-Ann; Finkelstein, Joel; Derby, Carol; Matthews, Karen; Kravitz, Howard M.; Harlow, Sioban D.; Greendale, Gail A.; Gold, Ellen B.; Kazlauskaite, Rasa; McConnell, Dan; Neal-Perry, Genevieve; Pavlovic, Jelena; Randolph, John; Weiss, Gerson; Chen, Hsiang-Yu; Lasley, Bill

2017-01-01

Context: Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in women approaching menopause are inadequately studied. Objective: To describe day-to-day menstrual cycle hormones in women as they approach menopause from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Daily Hormone Study (DHS). Design: DHS enrollees collected daily urine for one entire menstrual cycle or up to 50 days, whichever came first, annually, up to the final menstrual period (FMP) or for up to 10 years. Setting: Seven sites across the United States. Participants: A total of 511 premenopausal or early perimenopausal women at enrollment, within 10 years before menopause. Intervention: Time-to-FMP measurement. Main Outcome Measures: Evidence of luteal activity (ELA), determined using objective algorithms. Menstrual cycle/segment length; whole cycle, and segment integrated urinary luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estrone conjugates, and pregnanediol glucuronide (Pdg) for each year, organized around the FMP. Results: Mean menstrual cycle length was remarkably preserved at 26 to 27 days in ELA cycles; non-ELA cycles had greater variability. The percentage of cycles that were ELA remained high until 5 years before the FMP (87.9%); only 22.8% of cycles within 1 year of the FMP were ELA. Whole cycle hormones remained relatively stable up to 3 years before the FMP, when gonadotropins began to increase. Pdg excretion declined slowly with progress to the FMP, but Pdg patterns of ELA cycles remained distinguishable from non-ELA. Conclusions: Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in perimenopausal women resemble those of midreproductive-aged women until 5 years before menopause, and presumably ovulatory cycles retain a potentially fertile pattern up to the end of reproductive life. PMID:28368525

Segmented-memory recurrent neural networks.

PubMed

Chen, Jinmiao; Chaudhari, Narendra S

2009-08-01

Conventional recurrent neural networks (RNNs) have difficulties in learning long-term dependencies. To tackle this problem, we propose an architecture called segmented-memory recurrent neural network (SMRNN). A symbolic sequence is broken into segments and then presented as inputs to the SMRNN one symbol per cycle. The SMRNN uses separate internal states to store symbol-level context, as well as segment-level context. The symbol-level context is updated for each symbol presented for input. The segment-level context is updated after each segment. The SMRNN is trained using an extended real-time recurrent learning algorithm. We test the performance of SMRNN on the information latching problem, the "two-sequence problem" and the problem of protein secondary structure (PSS) prediction. Our implementation results indicate that SMRNN performs better on long-term dependency problems than conventional RNNs. Besides, we also theoretically analyze how the segmented memory of SMRNN helps learning long-term temporal dependencies and study the impact of the segment length.

76 FR 72423 - Bridging the Idea Development Evaluation Assessment and Long-Term Initiative and Total Product...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0780] Bridging the Idea Development Evaluation Assessment and Long-Term Initiative and Total Product Life Cycle... Idea Development Evaluation Assessment and Long-Term Initiative and Total Product Life Cycle Approaches...

A new data architecture for advancing life cycle assessment

EPA Science Inventory

IntroductionLife cycle assessment (LCA) has a technical architecture that limits data interoperability, transparency, and automated integration of external data. More advanced information technologies offer promise for increasing the ease with which information can be synthesized...

LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, is an environmental accounting and mangement approach that consider all the aspects of resource use and environmental releases associated with an industrial system from cradle-to-grave. Specifically, it is a holistic view of environmental interacti...

Abiotic raw-materials in life cycle impact assessments: An emerging consensus across disciplines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drielsma, Johannes; Allington, Ruth; Brady, Thomas; Guinée, Jeroen; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Hummen, Torsten; Russell-Vaccari, Andrea; Schneider, Laura; Sonnemann, Guido; Weihed, Pär

2016-01-01

This paper captures some of the emerging consensus points that came out of the workshop “Mineral Resources in Life Cycle Impact Assessment: Mapping the path forward”, held at the Natural History Museum London on 14 October 2015: that current practices rely in many instances on obsolete data, often confuse resource depletion with impacts on resource availability, which can therefore provide inconsistent decision support and lead to misguided claims about environmental performance. Participants agreed it would be helpful to clarify which models estimate depletion and which estimate availability, so that results can be correctly reported in the most appropriate framework. Most participants suggested that resource availability will be more meaningfully addressed within a comprehensive Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework rather than limited to an environmental Life Cycle Assessment or Footprint. Presentations from each of the authors are available for download.

Mental health consequences of weight cycling in the first-year post-treatment for breast cancer.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Sabiston, Catherine M; Castonguay, Andrée L; Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly; Taylor, Valerie H

2018-08-01

Weight cycling is linked with advanced breast cancer diagnosis, increased risk of cancer reoccurrence and cancer-related mortality. While women treated for breast cancer report challenges with navigating their post-treatment body shape and weight, the effects of weight cycling on body image and mental health have not been elucidated. This study examined associations between weight changes and weight cycling on psychological health (i.e. weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms) among women in the first-year post-treatment. Self-reported assessments of pre-cancer weight cycling, post-treatment weight-related guilt, shame and depressive symptoms, and objective assessments of weight were assessed in a longitudinal sample of 173 women treated for breast cancer (M age  = 55.01 ± 10.96 years). Based on findings from multilevel models, women experienced the most weight-related shame when their weight was heavier than their personal average. Additionally, heavier weight was associated with worse psychological health, particularly for women with a history of stable (vs. cycling) weight pre-cancer. Weight cycling pre-cancer and post-treatment weight change have important implications for psychological well-being. Due to the potential psychological consequences associated with a history of weight cycling, targeted strategies are needed to improve overall health outcomes for women's survivorship after breast cancer.

[Life cycle assessment of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of cellulosic ethanol from corn stover].

PubMed

Tian, Wang; Liao, Cuiping; Li, Li; Zhao, Daiqing

2011-03-01

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the only standardized tool currently used to assess environmental loads of products and processes. The life cycle analysis, as a part of LCA, is a useful and powerful methodology for studying life cycle energy efficiency and life cycle GHG emission. To quantitatively explain the potential of energy saving and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of corn stover-based ethanol, we analyzed life cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of corn stover-based ethanol by the method of life cycle analysis. The processes are dilute acid prehydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. The functional unit was defined as 1 km distance driven by the vehicle. Results indicated: compared with gasoline, the corn stover-based E100 (100% ethanol) and E10 (a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline by volume) could reduce life cycle fossil energy consumption by 79.63% and 6.25% respectively, as well as GHG emissions by 53.98% and 6.69%; the fossil energy consumed by biomass stage was 68.3% of total fossil energy input, N-fertilizer and diesel were the main factors which contributed 45.78% and 33.26% to biomass stage; electricity production process contributed 42.06% to the net GHG emissions, the improvement of technology might reduce emissions markedly.

Making sense of complexity in context and implementation: the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework.

PubMed

Pfadenhauer, Lisa M; Gerhardus, Ansgar; Mozygemba, Kati; Lysdahl, Kristin Bakke; Booth, Andrew; Hofmann, Bjørn; Wahlster, Philip; Polus, Stephanie; Burns, Jacob; Brereton, Louise; Rehfuess, Eva

2017-02-15

The effectiveness of complex interventions, as well as their success in reaching relevant populations, is critically influenced by their implementation in a given context. Current conceptual frameworks often fail to address context and implementation in an integrated way and, where addressed, they tend to focus on organisational context and are mostly concerned with specific health fields. Our objective was to develop a framework to facilitate the structured and comprehensive conceptualisation and assessment of context and implementation of complex interventions. The Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework was developed in an iterative manner and underwent extensive application. An initial framework based on a scoping review was tested in rapid assessments, revealing inconsistencies with respect to the underlying concepts. Thus, pragmatic utility concept analysis was undertaken to advance the concepts of context and implementation. Based on these findings, the framework was revised and applied in several systematic reviews, one health technology assessment (HTA) and one applicability assessment of very different complex interventions. Lessons learnt from these applications and from peer review were incorporated, resulting in the CICI framework. The CICI framework comprises three dimensions-context, implementation and setting-which interact with one another and with the intervention dimension. Context comprises seven domains (i.e., geographical, epidemiological, socio-cultural, socio-economic, ethical, legal, political); implementation consists of five domains (i.e., implementation theory, process, strategies, agents and outcomes); setting refers to the specific physical location, in which the intervention is put into practise. The intervention and the way it is implemented in a given setting and context can occur on a micro, meso and macro level. Tools to operationalise the framework comprise a checklist, data extraction tools for qualitative and quantitative reviews and a consultation guide for applicability assessments. The CICI framework addresses and graphically presents context, implementation and setting in an integrated way. It aims at simplifying and structuring complexity in order to advance our understanding of whether and how interventions work. The framework can be applied in systematic reviews and HTA as well as primary research and facilitate communication among teams of researchers and with various stakeholders.

Community, intervention and provider support influences on implementation: reflections from a South African illustration of safety, peace and health promotion.

PubMed

van Niekerk, Ashley; Seedat, Mohamed; Kramer, Sherianne; Suffla, Shahnaaz; Bulbulia, Samed; Ismail, Ghouwa

2014-01-01

The development, implementation and evaluation of community interventions are important for reducing child violence and injuries in low- to middle-income contexts, with successful implementation critical to effective intervention outcomes. The assessment of implementation processes is required to identify the factors that influence effective implementation. This article draws on a child safety, peace and health initiative to examine key factors that enabled or hindered its implementation, in a context characterised by limited resources. A case study approach was employed. The research team was made up of six researchers and intervention coordinators, who led the development and implementation of the Ukuphepha Child Study in South Africa, and who are also the authors of this article. The study used author observations, reflections and discussions of the factors perceived to influence the implementation of the intervention. The authors engaged in an in-depth and iterative dialogic process aimed at abstracting the experiences of the intervention, with a recursive cycle of reflection and dialogue. Data were analysed utilising inductive content analysis, and categorised using classification frameworks for understanding implementation. The study highlights key factors that enabled or hindered implementation. These included the community context and concomitant community engagement processes; intervention compatibility and adaptability issues; community service provider perceptions of intervention relevance and expectations; and the intervention support system, characterised by training and mentorship support. This evaluation illustrated the complexity of intervention implementation. The study approach sought to support intervention fidelity by fostering and maintaining community endorsement and support, a prerequisite for the unfolding implementation of the intervention.

Community, intervention and provider support influences on implementation: reflections from a South African illustration of safety, peace and health promotion

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The development, implementation and evaluation of community interventions are important for reducing child violence and injuries in low- to middle-income contexts, with successful implementation critical to effective intervention outcomes. The assessment of implementation processes is required to identify the factors that influence effective implementation. This article draws on a child safety, peace and health initiative to examine key factors that enabled or hindered its implementation, in a context characterised by limited resources. Methods A case study approach was employed. The research team was made up of six researchers and intervention coordinators, who led the development and implementation of the Ukuphepha Child Study in South Africa, and who are also the authors of this article. The study used author observations, reflections and discussions of the factors perceived to influence the implementation of the intervention. The authors engaged in an in-depth and iterative dialogic process aimed at abstracting the experiences of the intervention, with a recursive cycle of reflection and dialogue. Data were analysed utilising inductive content analysis, and categorised using classification frameworks for understanding implementation. Results The study highlights key factors that enabled or hindered implementation. These included the community context and concomitant community engagement processes; intervention compatibility and adaptability issues; community service provider perceptions of intervention relevance and expectations; and the intervention support system, characterised by training and mentorship support. Conclusions This evaluation illustrated the complexity of intervention implementation. The study approach sought to support intervention fidelity by fostering and maintaining community endorsement and support, a prerequisite for the unfolding implementation of the intervention. PMID:25081088

A New Tool for Assessing Context Conditioning Induced by US-Unpredictability in Humans: The Martians Task Restyled

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meulders, Ann; Vervliet, Bram; Vansteenwegen, Debora; Hermans, Dirk; Baeyens, Frank

2011-01-01

Unpredictability of an unconditioned stimulus (US) typically produces context conditioning in animals and humans. We modified the Martians task--a computer game measuring learning of Pavlovian associations through conditioned suppression--for assessing context conditioning in humans. One between-subjects and one within-subjects study are reported.…

Macroeconomics after Two Decades of Rational Expectations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCallum, Bennett T.

1994-01-01

Discusses real business cycle analysis, growth theory, and other economic concepts in the context of the rational expectations revolution in macroeconomics. Focuses on post-1982 research. Concludes that the rejuvenation of growth analysis is an encouraging development because it could lead to changes in welfare policy. (CFR)

Agile Learning: Sprinting through the Semester

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Guido

2017-01-01

This paper introduces agile learning, a novel pedagogical approach that applies the processes and principles of agile software development to the context of learning. Agile learning is characterized by short project cycles, called sprints, in which a usable deliverable is fully planned, designed, built, tested, reviewed, and launched. An…

Making Decisions with Data: Are We Environmentally Friendly?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn; Watson, Jane

2016-01-01

Statistical literacy is a vital component of numeracy. Students need to learn to critically evaluate and interpret statistical information if they are to become informed citizens. This article examines a Year 5 unit of work that uses the data collection and analysis cycle within a sustainability context.

Life-cycle energy implications of different residential settings : recognizing buildings, travel, and public infrastructure.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

The built environment can be used to influence travel demand, but very few studies consider the relative energy : savings of such policies in context of a complex urban system. This analysis quantifies the day-to-day and embodied : energy consumption...

Designing authentic assessment: strategies for nurse educators.

PubMed

Poindexter, Kathleen; Hagler, Debra; Lindell, Deborah

2015-01-01

Increased emphasis on health care safety requires renewed attention to teaching and learning processes for future health care professionals. When presented with problems situated in a clinical context, learners have rich opportunities to demonstrate integration of concepts. Authentic assessment is an approach to evaluation of learning through which students can demonstrate acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the context of real-world or realistic nursing practice activities. This article describes features, approaches, and examples of authentic assessment processes in the context of classroom, clinical, and online nursing education.

Context conditioning and behavioral avoidance in a virtual reality environment: effect of predictability.

PubMed

Grillon, Christian; Baas, Johanna M P; Cornwell, Brian; Johnson, Linda

2006-10-01

Sustained anxiety can be modeled using context conditioning, which can be studied in a virtual reality environment. Unpredictable stressors increase context conditioning in animals. This study examined context conditioning to predictable and unpredictable shocks in humans using behavioral avoidance, potentiated startle, and subjective reports of anxiety. Subjects were guided through three virtual rooms (no-shock, predictable, unpredictable contexts). Eight-sec duration colored lights served as conditioned stimuli (CS). During acquisition, no shock was administered in the no-shock context. Shocks were paired with the CS in the predictable context and were administered randomly in the unpredictable context. No shock was administered during extinction. Startle stimuli were delivered during CS and between CS to assess cued and context conditioning, respectively. To assess avoidance, subjects freely navigated into two of the three contexts to retrieve money. Startle between CS was potentiated in the unpredictable context compared to the two other contexts. Following acquisition, subjects showed a strong preference for the no-shock context and avoidance of the unpredictable context. Consistent with animal data, context conditioning is increased by unpredictability. These data support virtual reality as a tool to extend research on physiological and behavioral signs of fear and anxiety in humans.

Learning-Oriented E-Assessment: The Effects of a Training and Guidance Programme on Lecturers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodríguez-Gómez, Gregorio; Quesada-Serra, Victoria; Ibarra-Sáiz, María Soledad

2016-01-01

Various frameworks that acknowledge the importance of assessment as a core aspect of the learning process have been proposed to enhance life-long learning and promote participative strategies. In this context, learning-oriented e-assessment was developed to enhance learning through assessment in a technology-mediated context. Using a…

Life cycle assessment of fuel ethanol produced from soluble sugar in sweet sorghum stalks in North China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Ning; Yang, Yang; Cai, Hao

This paper describes the results of a life cycle assessment of sweet sorghum stalk (SSS)-based ethanol in North China. We determined the environmental performance of SSS-based ethanol and examined its advantages and disadvantages, as compared to gasoline, focusing on the life cycle of feedstock production, transportation, ethanol production and distribution, and use. The GREET transportation model and the method developed by the Centre of Environmental Sciences at Leiden University (CML method) were used to compile a life cycle inventory and to assess environmental impacts. Results indicate that SSS-based ethanol has advantages in terms of energy consumption, with a well tomore » wheel decrease of 85% fossil energy and 44% global warming potential, as compared with gasoline. Abiotic depletion potential, acidification potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential were also 50–90% lower than in the case of gasoline, while human health toxic potential was 36% lower. However, SSS-based sorghum did not have advantages over gasoline in terms of life cycle cost, land use, and water consumption. Results indicate that such an evaluation cannot just consider a few types of environmental impacts, researchers should promote systematic and comprehensive life cycle assessment of ethanol to guide the development of an energy strategy for China.« less

A fuel cycle assessment guide for utility and state energy planners

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-07-01

This guide, one in a series of documents designed to help assess fuel cycles, is a framework for setting parameters, collecting data, and analyzing fuel cycles for supply-side and demand-side management. It provides an automated tool for entering comparative fuel cycle data that are meaningful to state and utility integrated resource planning, collaborative, and regional energy planning activities. It outlines an extensive range of energy technology characteristics and environmental, social, and economic considerations within each stage of a fuel cycle. The guide permits users to focus on specific stages or effects that are relevant to the technology being evaluated andmore » that meet the user`s planning requirements.« less

Life Cycle Energy Analysis of Reclaimed Water Reuse Projects in Beijing.

PubMed

Fan, Yupeng; Guo, Erhui; Zhai, Yuanzheng; Chang, Andrew C; Qiao, Qi; Kang, Peng

2018-01-01

  To illustrate the benefits of water reuse project, the process-based life cycle analysis (LCA) could be combined with input-output LCA to evaluate the water reuse project. Energy is the only evaluation parameter used in this study. Life cycle assessment of all energy inputs (LCEA) is completed mainly by the life cycle inventory (LCI), taking into account the full life cycle including the construction, the operation, and the demolition phase of the project. Assessment of benefit from water reuse during the life cycle should focus on wastewater discharge reduction and water-saving benefits. The results of LCEA of Beijing water reuse project built in 2014 in a comprehensive way shows that the benefits obtained from the reclaimed water reuse far exceed the life cycle energy consumption. In this paper, the authors apply the LCEA model to estimate the benefits of reclaimed water reuse projects quantitatively.

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT - A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Research within the field of life cycle impact assessment has greatly improved since the work of Heijungs and Guinee in 1992. Methodologies are currently available to address specific locations within North America, Europe and Asia. Internationally researchers are working togethe...

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF GASOLINE BLENDING OPTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

A life cycle assessment has been done to compare the potential environmental impacts of various gasoline blends that meet octane and vapour pressure specifications. The main blending components of alkylate, cracked gasoline and reformate have different octane and vapour pressure...

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPARISON METRICS FOR LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND PROCESS DESIGN

EPA Science Inventory

Metrics (potentials, potency factors, equivalency factors or characterization factors) are available to support the environmental comparison of alternatives in application domains like proces design and product life-cycle assessment (LCA). These metrics typically provide relative...

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

EPA Science Inventory

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate environmental burdens associated with a product, process or activity by identifying and quantifying relevant inputs and outputs of the defined system and evaluating their potential impacts. This article outlines the four components ...

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: INVENTORY GUIDELINES AND PRINCIPLES

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is describing the process, the underlying data, and the Inherent assumptions Involved in conducting the Inventory component of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) In order to facilitate understanding by potential users. This Inventory...

Mobile Phone Middleware Architecture for Energy and Context Awareness in Location-Based Services

PubMed Central

Galeana-Zapién, Hiram; Torres-Huitzil, César; Rubio-Loyola, Javier

2014-01-01

The disruptive innovation of smartphone technology has enabled the development of mobile sensing applications leveraged on specialized sensors embedded in the device. These novel mobile phone applications rely on advanced sensor information processes, which mainly involve raw data acquisition, feature extraction, data interpretation and transmission. However, the continuous accessing of sensing resources to acquire sensor data in smartphones is still very expensive in terms of energy, particularly due to the periodic use of power-intensive sensors, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The key underlying idea to design energy-efficient schemes is to control the duty cycle of the GPS receiver. However, adapting the sensing rate based on dynamic context changes through a flexible middleware has received little attention in the literature. In this paper, we propose a novel modular middleware architecture and runtime environment to directly interface with application programming interfaces (APIs) and embedded sensors in order to manage the duty cycle process based on energy and context aspects. The proposed solution has been implemented in the Android software stack. It allows continuous location tracking in a timely manner and in a transparent way to the user. It also enables the deployment of sensing policies to appropriately control the sampling rate based on both energy and perceived context. We validate the proposed solution taking into account a reference location-based service (LBS) architecture. A cloud-based storage service along with online mobility analysis tools have been used to store and access sensed data. Experimental measurements demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our middleware, in terms of energy and location resolution. PMID:25513821

Mobile phone middleware architecture for energy and context awareness in location-based services.

PubMed

Galeana-Zapién, Hiram; Torres-Huitzil, César; Rubio-Loyola, Javier

2014-12-10

The disruptive innovation of smartphone technology has enabled the development of mobile sensing applications leveraged on specialized sensors embedded in the device. These novel mobile phone applications rely on advanced sensor information processes, which mainly involve raw data acquisition, feature extraction, data interpretation and transmission. However, the continuous accessing of sensing resources to acquire sensor data in smartphones is still very expensive in terms of energy, particularly due to the periodic use of power-intensive sensors, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The key underlying idea to design energy-efficient schemes is to control the duty cycle of the GPS receiver. However, adapting the sensing rate based on dynamic context changes through a flexible middleware has received little attention in the literature. In this paper, we propose a novel modular middleware architecture and runtime environment to directly interface with application programming interfaces (APIs) and embedded sensors in order to manage the duty cycle process based on energy and context aspects. The proposed solution has been implemented in the Android software stack. It allows continuous location tracking in a timely manner and in a transparent way to the user. It also enables the deployment of sensing policies to appropriately control the sampling rate based on both energy and perceived context. We validate the proposed solution taking into account a reference location-based service (LBS) architecture. A cloud-based storage service along with online mobility analysis tools have been used to store and access sensed data. Experimental measurements demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our middleware, in terms of energy and location resolution.

An approach towards risk assessment for the use of a synergistic metallic diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration additive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, S. L.; Richards, P. J.

The motivations for legislation to set diesel emissions limits requiring the use of diesel particulate filters (DPF) are summarised. If the DPF is to be used, demonstration of regeneration (combustion of collected carbonaceous material) without additional emission problems is important. Potential metal emissions resulting from use of a synergistic Fe/Sr fuel-borne DPF regeneration catalyst are evaluated. Measurements over legislated drive cycle estimate the metals to comprise 1-2% of the solid material emitted, and the DPF to collect >99% of such material. Diesel particulate matter is used as a marker, and from existing air quality and emission inventory measurements, maximum conceivable increases of <1 ng m -3 and <250 pg m -3 for iron and strontium, respectively, are calculated. From environmental assessment levels, derived from occupational exposure limits, these are not significant. For humans, daily ingress of airborne Sr is estimated at 3.5 ng. This is small compared to the known Sr contents of lungs, blood and the daily diet. In the context of reductions of other metals, particulate matter and pollutant emissions, the overall assessment is that the use of these metals to enable use of a DPF allows significant net environmental benefit to be obtained.

Towards more sustainable management of European food waste: Methodological approach and numerical application.

PubMed

Manfredi, Simone; Cristobal, Jorge

2016-09-01

Trying to respond to the latest policy needs, the work presented in this article aims at developing a life-cycle based framework methodology to quantitatively evaluate the environmental and economic sustainability of European food waste management options. The methodology is structured into six steps aimed at defining boundaries and scope of the evaluation, evaluating environmental and economic impacts and identifying best performing options. The methodology is able to accommodate additional assessment criteria, for example the social dimension of sustainability, thus moving towards a comprehensive sustainability assessment framework. A numerical case study is also developed to provide an example of application of the proposed methodology to an average European context. Different options for food waste treatment are compared, including landfilling, composting, anaerobic digestion and incineration. The environmental dimension is evaluated with the software EASETECH, while the economic assessment is conducted based on different indicators expressing the costs associated with food waste management. Results show that the proposed methodology allows for a straightforward identification of the most sustainable options for food waste, thus can provide factual support to decision/policy making. However, it was also observed that results markedly depend on a number of user-defined assumptions, for example on the choice of the indicators to express the environmental and economic performance. © The Author(s) 2016.

Health impact assessment of active transportation: A systematic review.

PubMed

Mueller, Natalie; Rojas-Rueda, David; Cole-Hunter, Tom; de Nazelle, Audrey; Dons, Evi; Gerike, Regine; Götschi, Thomas; Int Panis, Luc; Kahlmeier, Sonja; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark

2015-07-01

Walking and cycling for transportation (i.e. active transportation, AT), provide substantial health benefits from increased physical activity (PA). However, risks of injury from exposure to motorized traffic and their emissions (i.e. air pollution) exist. The objective was to systematically review studies conducting health impact assessment (HIA) of a mode shift to AT on grounds of associated health benefits and risks. Systematic database searches of MEDLINE, Web of Science and Transportation Research International Documentation were performed by two independent researchers, augmented by bibliographic review, internet searches and expert consultation to identify peer-reviewed studies from inception to December 2014. Thirty studies were included, originating predominantly from Europe, but also the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They compromised of mostly HIA approaches of comparative risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. Estimated health benefit-risk or benefit-cost ratios of a mode shift to AT ranged between -2 and 360 (median=9). Effects of increased PA contributed the most to estimated health benefits, which strongly outweighed detrimental effects of traffic incidents and air pollution exposure on health. Despite different HIA methodologies being applied with distinctive assumptions on key parameters, AT can provide substantial net health benefits, irrespective of geographical context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differences in environmental preferences towards cycling for transport among adults: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Mertens, Lieze; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; Ghekiere, Ariane; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Van de Weghe, Nico; Van Dyck, Delfien

2016-08-12

Increasing cycling for transport can contribute to improve public health among adults. Micro-environmental factors (i.e. small-scaled street-setting features) may play an important role in affecting the street's appeal to cycle for transport. Understanding about the interplay between individuals and their physical environment is important to establish tailored environmental interventions. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine whether specific subgroups exist based on similarities in micro-environmental preferences to cycle for transport. Responses of 1950 middle-aged adults (45-65 years) on a series of choice tasks depicting potential cycling routes with manipulated photographs yielded three subgroups with different micro-environmental preferences using latent class analysis. Although latent class analysis revealed three different subgroups in the middle-aged adult population based on their environmental preferences, results indicated that cycle path type (i.e. a good separated cycle path) is the most important environmental factor for all participants and certainly for individuals who did not cycle for transport. Furthermore, only negligible differences were found between the importances of the other micro-environmental factors (i.e. traffic density, evenness of the cycle path, maintenance, vegetation and speed limits) regarding the two at risk subgroups and that providing a speed bump obviously has the least impact on the street's appeal to cycle for transport. Results from the current study indicate that only negligible differences were found between the three subgroups. Therefore, it might be suggested that tailored environmental interventions are not required in this research context.

Full-Cycle Assessment of Critical Thinking in an Ethics and Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blue, Jennifer; Taylor, Beverley; Yarrison-Rice, Jan

2008-01-01

Enhancing critical thinking skills for undergraduate students is important across the curriculum and between disciplines. We report on a method of improving critical thinking skills, which was studied through an Ethics and Science First-Year Seminar course. We used full cycle assessment over a three-year period to assess students' development and…

Technical Report of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2013

2013-01-01

The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) has been planned as an ongoing program of assessment. The first cycle of the assessment has involved two "rounds." The first round, which is covered by this report, took place over the period of January 2008-October 2013. The main features of the first cycle of…

NREL: U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database Home Page

Science.gov Websites

U.S. Life-Cycle Inventory Database Buildings Research Photo of a green field with an ocean in the background. U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database NREL and its partners created the U.S. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Database to help life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners answer questions about environmental

Geobiochemistry of metabolism: Standard state thermodynamic properties of the citric acid cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canovas, Peter A.; Shock, Everett L.

2016-12-01

Integrating microbial metabolism into geochemical modeling allows assessments of energy and mass transfer between the geosphere and the microbial biosphere. Energy and power supplies and demands can be assessed from analytical geochemical data given thermodynamic data for compounds involved in catabolism and anabolism. Results are reported here from a critique of the available standard state thermodynamic data for organic acids and acid anions involved in the citric acid cycle (also known as the tricarboxylic acid cycle or the Krebs cycle). The development of methods for estimating standard state data unavailable from experiments is described, together with methods to predict corresponding values at elevated temperatures and pressures using the revised Helgeson-Kirkham-Flowers (HKF) equation of state for aqueous species. Internal consistency is maintained with standard state thermodynamic data for organic and inorganic aqueous species commonly used in geochemical modeling efforts. Standard state data and revised-HKF parameters are used to predict equilibrium dissociation constants for the organic acids in the citric acid cycle, and to assess standard Gibbs energies of reactions for each step in the cycle at elevated temperatures and pressures. The results presented here can be used with analytical data from natural and experimental systems to assess the energy and power demands of microorganisms throughout the habitable ranges of pressure and temperature, and to assess the consequences of abiotic organic compound alteration processes at conditions of subsurface aquifers, sedimentary basins, hydrothermal systems, meteorite parent bodies, and ocean worlds throughout the solar system.

Global rates of mantle serpentinization and H2 release at oceanic transform faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruepke, Lars; Hasenclever, Joerg

2017-04-01

The cycling of seawater through the ocean floor is the dominant mechanism of biogeochemical exchange between the solid earth and the global ocean. Crustal fluid flow appears to be typically associated with major seafloor structures, and oceanic transform faults (OTF) are one of the most striking yet poorly understood features of the global mid-ocean ridge systems. Fracture zones and transform faults have long been hypothesized to be sites of substantial biogeochemical exchange between the solid Earth and the global ocean. This is particularly interesting with regard to the ocean biome. Deep ocean ecosystems constitute 60% of it but their role in global ocean biogeochemical cycles is much overlooked. There is growing evidence that life is supported by chemosynthesis at hydrothermal vents but also in the crust, and therefore this may be a more abundant process than previously thought. In this context, the serpentine forming interaction between seawater and cold lithospheric mantle rocks is particularly interesting as it is also a mechanism of abiotic hydrogen and methane formation. Interestingly, a quantitative global assessment of mantle serpentinization at oceanic transform faults in the context of the biogeochemical exchange between the seafloor and the global ocean is still largely missing. Here we present the results of a set of 3-D thermo-mechanical model calculations that investigate mantle serpentinization at OTFs for the entire range of globally observed slip rates and fault lengths. These visco-plastic models predict the OTF thermal structure and the location of crustal-scale brittle deformation, which is a prerequisite for mantle serpentinization to occur. The results of these simulations are integrated with information on the global distribution of OTF lengths and slip rates yielding global estimates on mantle serpentinization and associated H2 release. We find that OTFs are potentially sites of intense crustal fluid flow and are in terms of H2 release almost as important as MOR-related serpentinization.

Performance of Optimization Heuristics for the Operational Planning of Multi-energy Storage Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, J.; Schradi, J.; Nowak, W.

2016-12-01

In the transition to low-carbon energy sources, energy storage systems (ESS) will play an increasingly important role. Particularly in the context of solar power challenges (variability, uncertainty), ESS can provide valuable services: energy shifting, ramping, robustness against forecast errors, frequency support, etc. However, these qualities are rarely modelled in the operational planning of power systems because of the involved computational burden, especially when multiple ESS technologies are involved. This work assesses two optimization heuristics for speeding up the optimal operation problem. It compares their accuracy (in terms of costs) and speed against a reference solution. The first heuristic (H1) is based on a merit order. Here, the ESS are sorted from lower to higher operational costs (including cycling costs). For each time step, the cheapest available ESS is used first, followed by the second one and so on, until matching the net load (demand minus available renewable generation). The second heuristic (H2) uses the Fourier transform to detect the main frequencies that compose the net load. A specific ESS is assigned to each frequency range, aiming to smoothen the net load. Finally, the reference solution is obtained with a mixed integer linear program (MILP). H1, H2 and MILP are subject to technical constraints (energy/power balance, ramping rates, on/off states...). Costs due to operation, replacement (cycling) and unserved energy are considered. Four typical days of a system with a high share of solar energy were used in several test cases, varying the resolution from one second to fifteen minutes. H1 and H2 achieve accuracies of about 90% and 95% in average, and speed-up times of two to three and one to two orders of magnitude, respectively. The use of the heuristics looks promising in the context of planning the expansion of power systems, especially when their loss of accuracy is outweighed by solar or wind forecast errors.

Validation of snow characteristics and snow albedo feedback in the Canadian Regional Climate Model simulations over North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, B.; Sushama, L.; Diro, G. T.

2015-12-01

Snow characteristics and snow albedo feedback (SAF) over North America, as simulated by the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5), when driven by ERA-40/ERA-Interim, CanESM2 and MPI-ESM-LR at the lateral boundaries, are analyzed in this study. Validation of snow characteristics is performed by comparing simulations against available observations from MODIS, ISCCP and CMC. Results show that the model is able to represent the main spatial distribution of snow characteristics with some overestimation in snow mass and snow depth over the Canadian high Arctic. Some overestimation in surface albedo is also noted for the boreal region which is believed to be related to the snow unloading parameterization, as well as the overestimation of snow albedo. SAF is assessed both in seasonal and climate change contexts when possible. The strength of SAF is quantified as the amount of additional net shortwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere as surface albedo decreases in association with a 1°C increase in surface temperature. Following Qu and Hall (2007), this is expressed as the product of the variation in planetary albedo with surface albedo and the change in surface albedo for 1°C change in surface air temperature during the season, which in turn is determined by the strength of the snow cover and snowpack metamorphosis feedback loops. Analysis of the latter term in the seasonal cycle suggests that for CRCM5 simulations, the snow cover feedback loop is more dominant compared to the snowpack metamorphosis feedback loop, whereas for MODIS, the two feedback loops have more or less similar strength. Moreover, the SAF strength in the climate change context appears to be weaker than in the seasonal cycle and is sensitive to the driving GCM and the RCP scenario.

"Etxadi-Gangoiti" Scale: A Proposal to Evaluate the Family Contexts of Two-Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arranz Freijo, Enrique B.; Olabarrieta Artetxe, Fernando; Manzano Fernández, Ainhoa; Martín Ayala, Juan luís; Galende Pérez, Nuria

2014-01-01

This paper makes a proposal for the comprehensive assessment of the family context of children aged two years. It offers an updated resource based on recent research into the assessment of family contexts and their influence on children's psychological development. The proposal explores the following areas: Presence of learning materials;…

Does Context Matter? An Analysis of Training in Multicultural Assessment, Consultation, and Intervention between School Psychologists in Urban and Rural Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, Markeda; Looser, Joshua

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent of training in multicultural assessment, intervention, and consultation of school psychologists in urban and rural contexts. Although there is greater cultural and sociodemographic diversity in urban settings as compared to rural settings, it is unknown whether school psychologists in urban…

The attentional boost effect and context memory.

PubMed

Mulligan, Neil W; Smith, S Adam; Spataro, Pietro

2016-04-01

Stimuli co-occurring with targets in a detection task are better remembered than stimuli co-occurring with distractors-the attentional boost effect (ABE). The ABE is of interest because it is an exception to the usual finding that divided attention during encoding impairs memory. The effect has been demonstrated in tests of item memory but it is unclear if context memory is likewise affected. Some accounts suggest enhanced perceptual encoding or associative binding, predicting an ABE on context memory, whereas other evidence suggests a more abstract, amodal basis of the effect. In Experiment 1, context memory was assessed in terms of an intramodal perceptual detail, the font and color of the study word. Experiment 2 examined context memory cross-modally, assessing memory for the modality (visual or auditory) of the study word. Experiments 3 and 4 assessed context memory with list discrimination, in which 2 study lists are presented and participants must later remember which list (if either) a test word came from. In all experiments, item (recognition) memory was also assessed and consistently displayed a robust ABE. In contrast, the attentional-boost manipulation did not enhance context memory, whether defined in terms of visual details, study modality, or list membership. There was some evidence that the mode of responding on the detection task (motoric response as opposed to covert counting of targets) may impact context memory but there was no evidence of an effect of target detection, per se. In sum, the ABE did not occur in context memory with verbal materials. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Design Experimentation with Multiple Perspectives: The GenScope Assessment Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickey, Daniel T.; Kruger, Ann Cale; Frederick, Laura D.; Schafer, Nancy Jo; Zuiker, Steven

The GenScope Assessment Project is studying assessment in the context of a month-long computer-supported learning environment for introductory genetics. Across three annual iterations with multiple teachers, project researchers manipulated the materials, incentives, and contexts in which students were invited to use formative feedback on…

Self-Assessment and Peer-Assessment in an EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamini, Morteza; Tahmasebi, Soheila

2012-01-01

Salient in an EFL teaching context is students' dissatisfaction with their final scores especially in oral courses. This study tried to bridge the gap between students' and teachers' rating system through alternatives to existing measurement methods. Task-based language assessment has stimulated language teachers to question the way through which…

Transportation Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Synthesis, Phase II

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-04-24

The Transportation Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Synthesis includes an LCA Learning Module Series, case studies, and analytics on the use of the modules. The module series is a set of narrated slideshows on topics related to environmental LCA. Phase I ...

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, II

EPA Science Inventory

Research within the field of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) has greatly improved since the work of Heijungs and Guinee in 1992. Methodologies are currently available to address specific locations within North America, Europe, and Asia. Internationally, researchers are work...

Life Cycle Assessment of Domestic and Agricultural Rainwater Harvesting Systems

EPA Science Inventory

To further understanding of the environmental implications of rainwater harvesting and its water savings potential relative to conventional U.S. water delivery infrastructure, we present a method to perform life cycle assessment of domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH) and agricul...

AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT SOPHISTICATION

EPA Science Inventory

On November 29-30,1998 in Brussels, an international workshop was held to discuss Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) Sophistication. Approximately 50 LCA experts attended the workshop from North America, Europe, and Asia. Prominant practicioners and researchers were invited to ...

78 FR 52764 - Extension of Public Comment Period Hydrogen Energy California's Integrated Gasification Combined...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Extension of Public Comment Period Hydrogen Energy California's Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Project Preliminary Staff Assessment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement... California's Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Project Preliminary Staff Assessment/Draft Environmental...

ANALYZING SHORT CUT METHODS FOR LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT INVENTORIES

EPA Science Inventory

Work in progress at the U.S. EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory is developing methods for quickly, easily, and inexpensively developing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) inventories. An LCA inventory represents the inputs and outputs from processes, including fuel and ...

Bikes, helmets, and public health: decision-making when goods collide.

PubMed

Bateman-House, Alison

2014-06-01

How ought public officials address policy choices that entail trade-offs between desirable public health goods? Increasing cycling improves public health both by promoting physical activity and by decreasing vehicle use, thus reducing vehicular emissions. Proponents of bicycle helmets argue that, used properly, they protect individual cyclists; however, there is concern that mandating helmet use may result in a decrease in cycling. In 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed a bicycle helmet mandate, concerned that it would have a negative impact on the city's cycling rate, which he had sought to increase. The mayor did not explain his rationale, leaving constituents unsure why he opposed the proposal. This case study underscores the challenge of creating public policy in the context of competing public health goods.

Design and testing of an MRI-compatible cycle ergometer for non-invasive cardiac assessments during exercise

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important tool for cardiac research, and it is frequently used for resting cardiac assessments. However, research into non-pharmacological stress cardiac evaluation is limited. Methods We aimed to design a portable and relatively inexpensive MRI cycle ergometer capable of continuously measuring pedalling workload while patients exercise to maintain target heart rates. Results We constructed and tested an MRI-compatible cycle ergometer for a 1.5 T MRI scanner. Resting and sub-maximal exercise images (at 110 beats per minute) were successfully obtained in 8 healthy adults. Conclusions The MRI-compatible cycle ergometer constructed by our research group enabled cardiac assessments at fixed heart rates, while continuously recording power output by directly measuring pedal force and crank rotation. PMID:22423637

Ecology and Life Cycle Patterns of Echinococcus Species.

PubMed

Romig, T; Deplazes, P; Jenkins, D; Giraudoux, P; Massolo, A; Craig, P S; Wassermann, M; Takahashi, K; de la Rue, M

2017-01-01

The genus Echinococcus is composed of eight generally recognized species and one genotypic cluster (Echinococcus canadensis cluster) that may in future be resolved into one to three species. For each species, we review existing information on transmission routes and life cycles in different geographical contexts and - where available - include basic biological information of parasites and hosts (e.g., susceptibility of host species). While some Echinococcus spp. are transmitted in life cycles that involve predominantly domestic animals (e.g., dog - livestock cycles), others are wildlife parasites that do or do not interact with domestic transmission. In many cases, life cycle patterns of the same parasite species differ according to geography. Simple life cycles contrast with transmission patterns that are highly complex, involving multihost systems that may include both domestic and wild mammals. Wildlife transmission may be primary or secondary, i.e., resulting from spillovers from domestic animals. For most of the species and regions, existing information does not yet permit a conclusive description of transmission systems. Such data, however, would be highly relevant, e.g., for anticipation of geographical changes of the presence and frequency of these parasites in a warming world, or for initiating evidence-based control strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of the contraceptive vaginal ring (NuvaRing) compared with a combined oral contraceptive in Chinese women: a 1-year randomised trial.

PubMed

Fan, Guang Sheng; Ren, Mulan; Di, Wen; Su, Ping; Chang, Qin; Wu, Shuying; Qin, Yun; Korver, Tjeerd; Marintcheva-Petrova, Maya; Yacik, Carol; McCrary Sisk, Christine; Wang, Guoqin

2016-08-01

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the monthly vaginal ring (NuvaRing; 15 μg ethinylestradiol [EE] and 120 μg etonogestrel per day) compared with a monophasic (21/7) combined oral contraceptive (COC) containing 30 μg EE and 3 mg drospirenone in healthy Chinese women aged 18-40 years. This was a phase III, open-label, randomised multicentre trial conducted in China. Participants received NuvaRing or COC for 13 cycles (3 weeks of ring/pill treatment followed by a 1-week ring-free/pill-free period). Contraceptive efficacy was assessed by in-treatment pregnancies and expressed by the Pearl Index (PI; number of pregnancies/100 woman-years of use). Cycle control was assessed by unscheduled (breakthrough) and absence of scheduled (withdrawal) bleeding events. Safety and tolerability were assessed throughout the study. Participants were randomised either to the NuvaRing (n = 732) or to the COC (n = 214); 588 (82.4%) and 182 (78.4%) participants, respectively, completed the study. There were 10 in-treatment pregnancies in the NuvaRing group (PI 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92, 3.53) and five in the COC group (PI 3.12; 95% CI 1.01, 7.29). Breakthrough bleeding/spotting ranged from 18.6% (Cycle 1) to 4.2% (Cycle 11) for NuvaRing and from 21.6% (Cycle 1) to 7.9% (Cycle 11) for COC. Absence of withdrawal bleeding ranged from 8.6% (Cycle 1) to 3.0% (Cycle 11) for NuvaRing and from 14.6% (Cycle 1) to 6.4% (Cycle 5) for COC. For NuvaRing and COC, respectively, 26.6% and 25.0% of participants had treatment-related adverse events, and 7.0% and 9.1% discontinued the study as a result. Once-monthly NuvaRing is efficacious and safe for use in Chinese women.

Pairing the Adult Learner and Boutique Wineries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holyoke, Laura; Heath-Simpson, Delta

2013-01-01

This study explored connections between adult learners and their experiences in the context of small boutique wineries operating in the start-up phase of the organizational life cycle. The research objective was to gain insight regarding the pairing of adult learners with the entering of a specialty industry. Fourteen individuals from four…

An energy systems view of sustainability: emergy analysis of the San Luis Basin, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

Energy Systems Theory (EST) is used to provide a context for understanding and interpreting sustainability. We propose that “what is sustainable” for a system at any given level of organization is determined by the cycles of change originating in the next larger system. Further...

Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Trevor I.; Christensen, Warren M.; Mountcastle, Donald B.; Thompson, John R.

2015-01-01

We report on several specific student difficulties regarding the second law of thermodynamics in the context of heat engines within upper-division undergraduate thermal physics courses. Data come from ungraded written surveys, graded homework assignments, and videotaped classroom observations of tutorial activities. Written data show that students…

Multidimensional Collaboration: Reflections on Action Research in a Clinical Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Sheila; Poland, Fiona; Spalding, Nicola J.; Sargen, Kevin; McCulloch, Jane; Vicary, Penny

2011-01-01

This paper reflects on the challenges and benefits of multidimensional collaboration in an action research study to evaluate and improve preoperative education for patients awaiting colorectal surgery. Three cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting were designed to evaluate practice and implement change in this interactive setting,…

Liquid Motion Lamp: A Learning-Cycle Approach to Solubility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Sherri L.; Votaw, Nikki L.

2008-01-01

The abstract concepts of density and solubility are often difficult for middle-grade students and should be taught within several contexts to provide multiple experiences with the phenomena. To authenticate the learning of these concepts, this article provides instructional guidelines for constructing a liquid motion lamp to engage students in…

A Participatory Design Approach for a Mobile App-Based Personal Response System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Donggil; Oh, Eun Young

2016-01-01

This study reports on a participatory design approach including the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a mobile app-based personal response system (PRS). The first cycle formulated initial design principles through context and needs analysis; the second utilized the collaboration with instructors and experts embodying specific…

Teaching's Conscientious Objectors: Principled Leavers of High-Poverty Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santoro, Doris A.

2011-01-01

Background/Context: Most accounts of teacher attrition fall into one or both of the following categories: teacher life cycle and workplace conditions. Many educational researchers have described and analyzed teaching in moral and ethical terms. Despite the numerous articles and books that study the personal convictions of teachers, a sustained…

Accreditation of Engineering Programmes: European Perspectives and Challenges in a Global Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augusti, Giuliano

2007-01-01

The EUR-ACE Socrates-Tempus project (September 2004/March 2006) proposed a decentralized European system for accreditation of engineering programmes in the "Bologna process" area (European Higher Education Area) at the First and Second Cycle (FC and SC) level (but including "Integrated Programmes", i.e. programmes leading…

Professional Formation in Hong Kong: Yin & Yang in a Free-Market Economy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrester, Victor

2007-01-01

The relationship between the professional formation of beginning teachers, education reforms and Hong Kong's free-market economy is explored. An overview of educational change and then beginning teachers' professional formation within the context of economic cycles provides a contextual background against which two research projects are…

Exploring and Developing Graduate Teaching Assistants' Pedagogies via Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotger, Sharon

2011-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) teach many undergraduates in introductory science courses in the USA. Previous literature suggests that GTAs would prefer more context-dependent opportunities to learn to teach more effectively. This study explores the impact of participation in a lesson study cycle with GTAs responsible for an undergraduate…

Ecological Understanding 2: Transformation--A Key to Ecological Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlsson, Britta

2002-01-01

Describes the structure and general features of the phenomenon of ecological understanding. Presents qualitatively different ways of experiencing cycling of matter and the flow of energy in the context of ecosystems. The idea of transformation is key to the development of ecological understanding. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/YDS)

Teacher Language Awareness in Supervisory Feedback Cycles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindahl, Kristen; Baecher, Laura

2016-01-01

This study investigates pre- and post-observation feedback provided to TESOL teacher candidates who are preparing to work in content-based instruction/content and language integrated learning contexts, extending the conceptualization of teacher language awareness (TLA) to candidate supervision. It examines the extent to which TLA is manifested by…

Evidence and the Antisocial Behaviour Policy Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bannister, Jon; O'Sullivan, Anthony

2014-01-01

Context conditions the nature of policy development. The relationship between evidence and policy is similarly conditioned in terms of the types of evidence deployed to address specific policy matters. This raises a number of interesting questions: how are different types of evidence best classified? Are there systematic linkages between context…

An Emergy Systems View of Sustainability: Emergy Evaluation of the San Luis Basin, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

Energy Systems Theory (EST) was used to provide a context for understanding and interpreting sustainability. We propose that “what is sustainable” for a system at any given level of organization is determined by the cycles of change originating in the next larger system. Furtherm...

Revisiting the ants of Melanesia and the taxon cycle: historical and human-mediated invasions of a tropical archipelago.

PubMed

Economo, Evan P; Sarnat, Eli M

2012-07-01

Understanding the historical evolution of biotas and the dynamics of contemporary human-mediated species introductions are two central tasks of biology. One hypothesis may address both-the taxon cycle. Taxon cycles are phases of range expansion and contraction coupled to ecological and evolutionary niche shifts. These historical invasion processes resemble human-mediated invasions in pattern and possibly mechanism, but both the existence of historical cycles and the roles of recent introductions are in question. We return to the system that originally inspired the taxon cycle-Melanesian ants-and perform novel tests of the hypothesis. We analyze (i) the habitat distributions of Fiji's entire ant fauna (183 species), (ii) ecological shifts associated with the in situ radiation of Fijian Pheidole in a phylogenetic context, and (iii) the ecological structure of a massive exotic ant invasion of the archipelago. Our analyses indicate lineages shift toward primary habitats, higher elevation, rarity, and ecological specialization with increasing level of endemism, consistent with taxon cycle predictions. The marginal habitats that historically formed a dispersal conduit in the Pacific are now mostly replaced by human-modified habitats dominated by a colonization pulse of exotic species. We propose this may represent the first phase of an incipient global cycle of human-mediated colonization, ecological shifts, and diversification.

Taking Another Look at the Data Management Life Cycle: Deconstruction, Agile, and Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, J. W.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Parsons, M. A.; Benedict, K. K.

2014-12-01

The data life cycle has figured prominently in describing the context of digital scientific data stewardship and cyberinfractructure in support of science. There are many different versions of the data life cycle, but they all follow a similar basic pattern: plan, collect, ingest, asses, preserve, discover, and reuse. The process is often interpreted in a fairly linear fashion despite it being a cycle conceptually. More recently at GeoData 2014 and elsewhere, questions have been raised about the utility of the data life cycle as it is currently represented. We are proposing to the community a re-examination of the data life cycle using an agile lens. Our goal is not to deploy agile methods, but to use agile principles as a heuristic to think about how to incorporate data stewardship across the scientific process from proposal stage to research and beyond. We will present alternative conceptualizations of the data life cycle with a goal to solicit feedback and to develop a new model for conceiving and describing the overall data stewardship process. We seek to re-examine past assumptions and shed new light on the challenges and necessity of data stewardship. The ultimate goal is to support new science through enhanced data interoperability, usability, and preservation.

The process of processing: exploring the validity of Neisser's perceptual cycle model with accounts from critical decision-making in the cockpit.

PubMed

Plant, Katherine L; Stanton, Neville A

2015-01-01

The perceptual cycle model (PCM) has been widely applied in ergonomics research in domains including road, rail and aviation. The PCM assumes that information processing occurs in a cyclical manner drawing on top-down and bottom-up influences to produce perceptual exploration and actions. However, the validity of the model has not been addressed. This paper explores the construct validity of the PCM in the context of aeronautical decision-making. The critical decision method was used to interview 20 helicopter pilots about critical decision-making. The data were qualitatively analysed using an established coding scheme, and composite PCMs for incident phases were constructed. It was found that the PCM provided a mutually exclusive and exhaustive classification of the information-processing cycles for dealing with critical incidents. However, a counter-cycle was also discovered which has been attributed to skill-based behaviour, characteristic of experts. The practical applications and future research questions are discussed. Practitioner Summary: This paper explores whether information processing, when dealing with critical incidents, occurs in the manner anticipated by the perceptual cycle model. In addition to the traditional processing cycle, a reciprocal counter-cycle was found. This research can be utilised by those who use the model as an accident analysis framework.

Examining Associations of Environmental Characteristics with Recreational Cycling Behaviour by Street-Level Strava Data

PubMed Central

Sun, Yeran; Du, Yunyan; Wang, Yu; Zhuang, Liyuan

2017-01-01

Policymakers pay much attention to effectively increasing frequency of people’s cycling in the context of developing sustainable and green cities. Investigating associations of environmental characteristics and cycling behaviour could offer implications for changing urban infrastructure aiming at encouraging active travel. However, earlier examinations of associations between environmental characteristics and active travel behaviour are limited by low spatial granularity and coverage of traditional data. Crowdsourced geographic information offers an opportunity to determine the fine-grained travel patterns of people. Particularly, Strava Metro data offer a good opportunity for studies of recreational cycling behaviour as they can offer hourly, daily or annual cycling volumes with different purposes (commuting or recreational) in each street across a city. Therefore, in this study, we utilised Strava Metro data for investigating associations between environmental characteristics and recreational cycling behaviour at a large spatial scale (street level). In this study, we took account of population density, employment density, road length, road connectivity, proximity to public transit services, land use mix, proximity to green space, volume of motor vehicles and traffic accidents in an empirical investigation over Glasgow. Empirical results reveal that Strava cyclists are more likely to cycle for recreation on streets with short length, large connectivity or low volume of motor vehicles or on streets surrounded by residential land. PMID:28617345

Examining Associations of Environmental Characteristics with Recreational Cycling Behaviour by Street-Level Strava Data.

PubMed

Sun, Yeran; Du, Yunyan; Wang, Yu; Zhuang, Liyuan

2017-06-15

Policymakers pay much attention to effectively increasing frequency of people's cycling in the context of developing sustainable and green cities. Investigating associations of environmental characteristics and cycling behaviour could offer implications for changing urban infrastructure aiming at encouraging active travel. However, earlier examinations of associations between environmental characteristics and active travel behaviour are limited by low spatial granularity and coverage of traditional data. Crowdsourced geographic information offers an opportunity to determine the fine-grained travel patterns of people. Particularly, Strava Metro data offer a good opportunity for studies of recreational cycling behaviour as they can offer hourly, daily or annual cycling volumes with different purposes (commuting or recreational) in each street across a city. Therefore, in this study, we utilised Strava Metro data for investigating associations between environmental characteristics and recreational cycling behaviour at a large spatial scale (street level). In this study, we took account of population density, employment density, road length, road connectivity, proximity to public transit services, land use mix, proximity to green space, volume of motor vehicles and traffic accidents in an empirical investigation over Glasgow. Empirical results reveal that Strava cyclists are more likely to cycle for recreation on streets with short length, large connectivity or low volume of motor vehicles or on streets surrounded by residential land.

Measuring and moderating the water resource impact of biofuel production and trade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fingerman, Kevin Robert

Energy systems and water resources are inextricably linked, especially in the case of bioenergy, which can require up to three orders of magnitude more water than other energy carriers. Water scarcity already affects about 1 in 5 people globally, and stands to be exacerbated in many locales by current biofuel expansion plans. This dissertation engages with several of the analytical and governance challenges raised by this connection between bioenergy expansion and global water resources. My examination begins with an overview of important concepts in water resource analysis, followed by a review of current literature on the water impacts of most major energy pathways. I then report on a case study of ethanol fuel in California. This work employed a coupled agro-climatic and life cycle assessment (LCA) model to estimate the water resource impacts of several bioenergy expansion scenarios at a county-level resolution. It shows that ethanol production in California regularly consumes more than 1000 gallons of water per gallon of fuel produced, and that 99% of life-cycle water consumption occurs in the feedstock cultivation phase. This analysis then delves into the complexity of life cycle impact assessment for water resources. Despite improvements in water accounting methods, impact assessment must contend with the fact that different water sources are not necessarily commensurable, and that impacts depend on the state of the resource base that is drawn upon. I adapt water footprinting and LCA techniques to the bioenergy context, describing comprehensive inventory approaches and developing a process for characterizing (weighting) consumption values to enable comparison across resource bases. This process draws on metrics of water stress, accounting for environmental flow requirements, climatic variability, and non-linearity of water stress effects. My assessment framework was developed in hopes that it would be useful in managing the risks and impacts it describes. The primary actors in this governance effort are government regulators, whose policies and incentives continue to drive and to shape the expansion of the bioenergy industry. However, the ability of governments to manage the impacts of biofuels is severely constrained by their obligations under international trade law. This dissertation concludes, therefore, with a detailed investigation into relevant precedents under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). I use these precedents to identify the policy tools that governments would be able to bring to bear in moderating the water resource impacts and myriad other environmental and social concerns raised by bioenergy expansion.

Interpretations of Formative Assessment in the Teaching of English at Two Chinese Universities: A Sociocultural Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Qiuxian; Kettle, Margaret; Klenowski, Val; May, Lyn

2013-01-01

Formative assessment is increasingly being implemented through policy initiatives in Chinese educational contexts. As an approach to assessment, formative assessment derives many of its key principles from Western contexts, notably through the work of scholars in the UK, the USA and Australia. The question for this paper is the ways that formative…

Assessment for Learning in International Contexts: Exploring Shared and Divergent Dimensions in Teacher Values and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwick, Paul; Shaw, Stuart; Johnson, Martin

2015-01-01

The Assessment for Learning in International Contexts (ALIC) project sought to extend knowledge around teachers' understandings of Assessment for Learning (AfL). Using a modified version of a survey item devised by James and Pedder for use with teachers in England, evidence was gathered about the assessment practices that were highly valued by…

Cytoskeleton in motion: the dynamics of keratin intermediate filaments in epithelia.

PubMed

Windoffer, Reinhard; Beil, Michael; Magin, Thomas M; Leube, Rudolf E

2011-09-05

Epithelia are exposed to multiple forms of stress. Keratin intermediate filaments are abundant in epithelia and form cytoskeletal networks that contribute to cell type-specific functions, such as adhesion, migration, and metabolism. A perpetual keratin filament turnover cycle supports these functions. This multistep process keeps the cytoskeleton in motion, facilitating rapid and protein biosynthesis-independent network remodeling while maintaining an intact network. The current challenge is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of the keratin cycle in relation to actin and microtubule networks and in the context of epithelial tissue function.

Cytoskeleton in motion: the dynamics of keratin intermediate filaments in epithelia

PubMed Central

Windoffer, Reinhard; Beil, Michael; Magin, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

Epithelia are exposed to multiple forms of stress. Keratin intermediate filaments are abundant in epithelia and form cytoskeletal networks that contribute to cell type–specific functions, such as adhesion, migration, and metabolism. A perpetual keratin filament turnover cycle supports these functions. This multistep process keeps the cytoskeleton in motion, facilitating rapid and protein biosynthesis–independent network remodeling while maintaining an intact network. The current challenge is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of the keratin cycle in relation to actin and microtubule networks and in the context of epithelial tissue function. PMID:21893596

A finite world, earth sciences, and public trust.

PubMed

Narasimhan, T N

2003-01-01

The beginning of the 21st century has coincided with our recognition that life-sustaining earth cycles are remarkably fine-tuned, and that humans have developed technological abilities to perturb these cycles. Also, inspired bythe gifts of freedom and democracy, humans have given themselves laws to exploit nature for profit. The upshot is that nature's balance, governed by immutable physical laws, is being confronted by social laws driven by human aspirations. This conflict and its implications to the human relevance of the earth sciences are explored in the context of an extraordinary tradition of European culture known as public trust.

Corrigendum to "Three climatic cycles recorded in a loess-palaeosol sequence at Semlac (Romania)-Implications for dust accumulation in south-eastern Europe" [Quat. Sci. Rev. 154C (2016) 130-142

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeeden, C.; Kels, H.; Hambach, U.; Schulte, P.; Protze, J.; Eckmeier, E.; Marković, S. B.; Klasen, N.; Lehmkuhl, F.

2018-05-01

In the article 'Three climatic cycles recorded in a loess-palaeosol sequence at Semlac (Romania)-Implications for dust accumulation in south-eastern Europe' (Zeeden et al., 2016) we employed rock magnetic and grain size proxy data in combination with OSL- and correlative age models. The data and dating is combined to discuss glacial-interglacial paleoclimate variability in an Eurasian context. This dataset was also interpreted regarding the dust source in the eastern Carpathian (Middle Danube) Basin.

Athletic Activity and Hormone Concentrations in High School Female Athletes

PubMed Central

Wojtys, Edward M.; Jannausch, Mary L.; Kreinbrink, Jennifer L.; Harlow, Siobán D.; Sowers, MaryFran R.

2015-01-01

Context: Physical activity may affect the concentrations of circulating endogenous hormones in female athletes. Understanding the relationship between athletic and physical activity and circulating female hormone concentrations is critical. Objective: To test the hypotheses that (1) the estradiol-progesterone profile of high school adolescent girls participating in training, conditioning, and competition would differ from that of physically inactive, age-matched adolescent girls throughout a 3-month period; and (2) athletic training and conditioning would alter body composition (muscle, bone), leading to an increasingly greater lean–body-mass to fat–body-mass ratio with accompanying hormonal changes. Design: Cohort study. Settings: Laboratory and participants' homes. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 106 adolescent girls, ages 14–18 years, who had experienced at least 3 menstrual cycles in their lifetime. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants were prospectively monitored throughout a 13-week period, with weekly physical activity assessments and 15 urine samples for estrogen, luteinizing hormone, creatinine, and progesterone concentrations. Each girl underwent body-composition measurements before and after the study period. Results: Seventy-four of the 98 girls (76%) who completed the study classified themselves as athletes. Body mass index, body mass, and fat measures remained stable, and 17 teenagers had no complete menstrual cycle during the observation period. Mean concentrations of log(estrogen/creatinine) were slightly greater in nonathletes who had cycles of <24 or >35 days. Mean log(progesterone/creatinine) concentrations in nonathletes were less in the first half and greater in the second half of the cycle, but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: A moderate level of athletic or physical activity did not influence urine concentrations of estrogen, progesterone, or luteinizing hormones. However, none of the participants achieved high levels of physical activity. A significant number (17%) of girls in both activity groups were amenorrheic during the 3-month study period. PMID:25329345

Event-based aquifer-to-atmosphere modeling over the European CORDEX domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keune, J.; Goergen, K.; Sulis, M.; Shrestha, P.; Springer, A.; Kusche, J.; Ohlwein, C.; Kollet, S. J.

2014-12-01

Despite the fact that recent studies focus on the impact of soil moisture on climate and especially land-energy feedbacks, groundwater dynamics are often neglected or conceptual groundwater flow models are used. In particular, in the context of climate change and the occurrence of droughts and floods, a better understanding and an improved simulation of the physical processes involving groundwater on continental scales is necessary. This requires the implementation of a physically consistent terrestrial modeling system, which explicitly incorporates groundwater dynamics and the connection with shallow soil moisture. Such a physics-based system enables simulations and monitoring of groundwater storage and enhanced representations of the terrestrial energy and hydrologic cycles over long time periods. On shorter timescales, the prediction of groundwater-related extremes, such as floods and droughts, are expected to improve, because of the improved simulation of components of the hydrological cycle. In this study, we present a fully coupled aquifer-to-atmosphere modeling system over the European CORDEX domain. The integrated Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform, TerrSysMP, consisting of the three-dimensional subsurface model ParFlow, the Community Land Model CLM3.5 and the numerical weather prediction model COSMO of the German Weather Service, is used. The system is set up with a spatial resolution of 0.11° (12.5km) and closes the terrestrial water and energy cycles from aquifers into the atmosphere. Here, simulations of the fully coupled system are performed over events, such as the 2013 flood in Central Europe and the 2003 European heat wave, and over extended time periods on the order of 10 years. State and flux variables of the terrestrial hydrologic and energy cycle are analyzed and compared to both in situ (e.g. stream and water level gauge networks, FLUXNET) and remotely sensed observations (e.g. GRACE, ESA ICC ECV soil moisture and SMOS). Additionally, the presented modeling system may be useful in the assessment of groundwater-related uncertainties in virtual reality and scenario simulations.

Life Cycle Assessment of III-V Precursors for Photovoltaic and Semiconductor Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horowitz, Kelsey A; Smith, Brittany L.; Babbitt, Callie W.

This study provides detailed information on the manufacture of III-V metal organic vapor phase epitaxy precursors through extensive literature and patent research. This data informed a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of these chemicals. Reported impacts include cumulative energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. The results were interpreted to identify sources of environmental burden within the life cycle and were compared to energy demand reported in previous studies.

The effects of anandamide and oleamide on cognition depend on diurnal variations.

PubMed

Rueda-Orozco, Pavel E; Montes-Rodriguez, Corinne J; Ruiz-Contreras, Alejandra E; Mendez-Diaz, Monica; Prospero-Garcia, Oscar

2017-10-01

Cannabinergic receptor 1 (CB1r) is highly expressed in almost the entire brain; hence, its activation affects diverse functions, including cognitive processes such as learning and memory. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that CB1r expression fluctuates along the light-dark cycle. In this context, the objective of this work was to characterize the cannabinergic influence over cognitive processes and its relationship with the light-dark cycle. To this aim we studied the effects of two endogenous cannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and oleamide (ODA), on the consolidation of memory and event-related potentials (ERPs) depending on the light-dark cycle. Our results indicate that AEA and ODA impair the consolidation of spatial and emotional memories and reduce the amplitude of several components of the ERP complex, depending on the phase of the light-dark cycle. This study further supports the notion that endocannabinoids participate in the regulation of cognitive processes with strong influence of environmental variables such as the light-dark cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swimming and cycling do not cause positive effects on bone mineral density: a systematic review.

PubMed

Abrahin, Odilon; Rodrigues, Rejane Pequeno; Marçal, Anderson Carlos; Alves, Erik Artur Cortinhas; Figueiredo, Rosa Costa; Sousa, Evitom Corrêa de

2016-02-17

Osteoporosis is considered a common metabolic bone disease and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. In this context, physical activity has been used as a non-pharmacological tool for prevention and auxiliary treatment of this disease. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of cycling and swimming practice on bone mineral density (BMD). This research was conducted in accordance with the recommendations outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The studies were consulted in the period from 2004 to 2014, through major electronic databases: PubMed ® , SciELO ® and LILACS ® . Ten studies evaluated the effects of cycling on BMD, and the results showed that nine studies have linked the practice of professional cycling with low levels of BMD. Another 18 studies have reported that swimming has no positive effects on bone mass. We conclude that cycling and swimming do not cause positive effects on BMD; thus, these are not the most suitable exercises for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

A reappraisal of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle: what can we learn by extracting concepts from Gaia theory?

PubMed

Cresser, Malcolm S; Aitkenhead, Matthew J; Mian, Ishaq A

2008-08-01

Although soil scientists and most environmental scientists are acutely aware of the interactions between the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, for conceptual convenience when portraying the nitrogen cycle in text books the N cycle tends to be considered in isolation from its interactions with the cycling of other elements and water, usually as a snap shot at the current time; the origins of dinitrogen are rarely considered, for example. The authors suggest that Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis provides a useful and stimulating framework for consideration of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle. If it is used, it suggests that urbanization and management of sewage, and intensive animal rearing are probably bigger global issues than nitrogen deposition from fossil fuel combustion, and that plant evolution may be driven by the requirement of locally sustainable and near optimal soil mineral N supply dynamics. This may, in turn, be partially regulating global carbon and oxygen cycles. It is suggested that pollutant N deposition may disrupt this essential natural plant and terrestrial ecosystem evolutionary process, causing biodiversity change. Interactions between the Earth and other bodies in the solar system, and possibly beyond, also need to be considered in the context of the global N cycle over geological time scales. This is because of direct potential impacts on the nitrogen content of the atmosphere, potential long-term impacts of past boloid collisions on plate tectonics and thus on global N cycling via subduction and volcanic emissions, and indirect effects upon C, O and water cycling that all may impact upon the N cycle in the long term.

Towards answering the "so what" question in marine renewables environmental impact assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degraer, Steven; Birchenough, Silvana N. R.; Braeckman, Ulrike; Coolen, Joop W. P.; Dannheim, Jennifer; De Mesel, Ilse; Grégoire, Marilaure; Kerckhof, Francis; Lacroix, Geneviève; Lindeboom, Han; Moens, Tom; Soetaert, Karline; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Van Hoey, Gert

2016-04-01

Marine renewable energy (MRE) projects are increasingly occupying the European North-Atlantic coasts and this is clearly observed in the North Sea. Given the expected impacts on the marine environment, each individual project is accompanied by a legally mandatory, environmental monitoring programme. These programmes are focused on the resultant effects on ecosystem component structure (e.g. species composition, numbers and densities) of single industrial projects. To date, there is a tendency to further narrow down to only a selection of ecosystem components (e.g. marine mammals and birds). While a wide knowledge-based understanding of structural impacts on (a selection of) ecosystem components exists, this evidence is largely lacking when undertaking impact assessments at the ecosystem functioning level (e.g. trophic interactions, dispersal and nutrient cycling). This critical knowledge gap compromises a scientifically-underpinned answer to the "so what" question of environmental impacts, i.e. whether the observed impacts are considered to be good or bad, or acceptable or unacceptable. The importance of ecosystem functioning is further acknowledged in the descriptors 4 and 6 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU MSFD) and is at the heart of a sustainable use and management of our marine resources. There hence is a fundamental need to focus on ecosystem functioning at the spatial scales at which marine ecosystems function when assessing MRE impacts. Here, we make a plea for an increased investment in a large (spatial) scale impact assessment of MRE projects focused on ecosystem functioning. This presentation will cover a selection of examples from North Sea MRE monitoring programmes, where the current knowledge has limited conclusions on the "so what" question. We will demonstrate how an ecosystem functioning-focused approach at an appropriate spatial scale could advance our current understanding, whilst assessing these issues. These examples will cover biogeochemical cycling, food webs and connectivity in a cumulative MRE impact assessment context. This presentation will highlight both the available knowledge base and further elaborate on the knowledge gaps. We will offer guidance on how these knowledge gaps could be further investigated, based on examples taken from the recently started projects FaCE-It, Functional biodiversity in a changing sedimentary environment: implications for biogeochemistry and food webs in a managerial setting (financed by the Belgian Science Policy) and UNDINE, Understanding the influence of man-made structures on the ecosystem functions of the North Sea (financed by INSITE). This presentation will set the scene and offer further thinking on the current issues associated to MRE monitoring, particularly beyond the level of ecological structure and individual industrial projects. The overall message will aid advancing and strengthening a collaborative MRE monitoring, helping scientists, managers and regulators to answer the much needed "so what" question to support environmental assessments. Keywords: offshore wind farms, cumulative effects, spatial upscaling, ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycling, food webs Contact author: Steven Degraer, steven.degraer@naturalsciences.be