Search

Analysing the entire project life cycle is a new trend in sustainability assessment in the construction sector. Research on sustainability issues in the construction sector started with issues related to buildings, while research for other structures such as infrastructure projects and bridges was not originally an integral part of the research. Therefore, the findings, knowledge and practical applications for buildings are more comprehensive than for infrastructure projects. This paper deals with the assessment of the sustainability of bridges throughout their life cycle and emphasises the importance of life cycle analysis of bridges in the early stages of planning and design. The study provides an overview of existing life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methodologies for environmental (Life Cycle Assessment LCA), economic (Life Cycle Cost LCC) and social (Social Life Cycle Assessment S-LCA) aspects. This paper provides a critical overview of the current state of the art in the field of LCSA of bridges. To identify knowledge gaps, a review of the literature on LCSA of bridges, which performs a comparative life cycle analysis of different variants or components of the load-bearing structure of bridges is provided. The main objective of the paper is to provide recommendations for conducting LCSA of bridges and to identify research directions for design criteria for sustainable bridges of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to study the the functional transmission of comprehensive land consolidation planning. This study can effectively connect the requirements of overall planning and upper planning, guide the lower planning and implementation of specific projects, promote the construction of ecological civilization, and Promote rural revitalization. This paper analyzes the realistic dilemma of function transmission in the comprehensive land consolidation planning, summarizes the association logic of the Land space function transmission and comprehensive land consolidation planning, proposes the transmission logic of establishing target function-space Demonstration Zone as an example for empirical research. The results of this paper show: Around the transmission logic of this article, Construct a “area-unit-plot” land comprehensive improvement function transmission system, it can effectively connect the requirements can provide experience for the preparation and implementation of comprehensive land consolidation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is highly needed and widely used to assess the environmental performance of circular economy (CE) measures such as reusing and sharing. However, the results of such LCAs are hampered by limited knowledge about the use phase of consumer products and oversimplification of important use phase aspects such as product functionality, user behavior, displacement, and rebound effects. This paper aims to validate the usefulness of a framework designed to assist practitioners in the generation and utilization of such knowledge in LCAs of circular measures. To validate the framework, a case study is used: reuse of shell jackets enabled by "premium secondhand" stores for outdoor equipment and clothing. The paper demonstrates that conclusions about the environmental performance of reuse can easily be altered depending on the functional unit definition, whether real user behavior data are used, and whether imperfect displacement and rebound effects are considered. For instance, shell jacket life cycles that include reuse and thus may be labeled "circular" have significantly higher environmental impact per use occasion than "linear" ones (used by one principal user the entire lifespan), since "circular" shell jackets are used less frequently, in particular during their first use span. Through facilitating the generation and utilization of environmentally relevant use phase data, which are otherwise often overlooked, the framework seems capable of supporting a better understanding of the environmental performance of CE measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing the entire project life cycle is a new trend in sustainability assessment in the construction sector. Research on sustainability issues in the construction sector started with issues related to buildings, while research for other structures such as infrastructure projects and bridges was not originally an integral part of the research. Therefore, the findings, knowledge and practical applications for buildings are more comprehensive than for infrastructure projects. This paper deals with the assessment of the sustainability of bridges throughout their life cycle and emphasises the importance of life cycle analysis of bridges in the early stages of planning and design. The study provides an overview of existing life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methodologies for environmental (Life Cycle Assessment - LCA), economic (Life Cycle Cost - LCC) and social (Social - Life Cycle Assessment – S-LCA) aspects. This paper provides a critical overview of the current state of the art in the field of LCSA of bridges. To identify knowledge gaps, a review of the literature on LCSA of bridges, which performs a comparative life cycle analysis of different variants or components of the load-bearing structure of bridges is provided. The main objective of the paper is to provide recommendations for conducting LCSA of bridges and to identify research directions for design criteria for sustainable bridges of the future.

The use of steel fibres in reinforcing concrete has proven to enhance certain mechanical and durability properties of concrete; however, as a material that presents enhanced properties, its environmental performance should also be analysed. This study aims to quantify the carbon emissions of steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams using a functional unit that considers the mechanical and durability performance of concrete through a whole life cycle assessment methodology that includes the benefits/load after the end-of-life. A cradle-to-grave approach, which considers the end-of-life stage and the benefits/loads beyond the system boundary, was performed to compare the embodied carbon of conventionally reinforced concrete and steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams. The results show that the addition of steel fibres as reinforcing material to concrete can reduce the area of steel required in the tension zone of a conventionally reinforced concrete beam and the embodied carbon of concrete by an average of 33% and 37%, respectively.

This article aims to show the potential contribution of high-yielding rice varieties to achieve sustainable intensification in paddy farming, by focusing on a developing country. A comparative life cycle assessment of traditional vs. high-yielding varieties is carried out by comparing the area-based and yield-based results. Primary data are collected through a farm survey (49 farms in the Mazandaran province, Iran; spring 2018). The results highlight that high-yielding varieties can reduce the yield-scaled impacts. However, area-scaled impacts are subject to increase for most impact categories. Statistically significant trade-offs involve global warming potential (+13% per ha and −28% per t in high-yielding varieties) and fossil resource depletion (+15% per ha and −26% per t in high-yielding varieties). Pesticide management is the most alarming practice. High-yielding varieties increase pesticide consumption and related toxicity impacts both per t and per ha. This study is a new contribution to the literature by improving and broadening the mainstream productivity perspective of current life cycle assessment research about crop varieties. The lessons learnt from this study suggest that the trade-offs between yield-scaled and area-scaled impacts should be carefully considered by decision-makers and policymakers, especially in developing countries that, like Iran, are affected by the overexploitation of natural resources. Targeted policy and the development of farmer education and advisory services are needed to create the enabling conditions for farm management changes, including conscious use of production inputs while avoiding heuristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is the big challenge, which definitely calls for a sustainable product declaration by life cycle assessment (LCA). In the recent years, a variety of functional units (FUs) have been applied to the comparative LCAs of product systems, but a persistent methodological challenge of applying FUs is still posed, especially in food systems. Responding to the research question of which FU is appropriate for proper environmental benchmarking, this present study revisits mass, economic value, and multiple (caloric value, protein, carbohydrate, fibre, saturated fat, minerals, vitamins) quality-based 12 FUs in food LCAs. Carbon footprints of 20 food products, expressed as Global Warming Potential 100, are calculated by openLCA 1.10.3 software, which are considered in the correlation test between the indicators per FUs using the statistical analysis, R 3.6.1. The results indicate that although the mass-based FUs (on dry/wet basis) do not reflect the actual function of food products, the FUs might be applied to the environmental benchmarking since both the FUs have a good correlation with others (R = 0.7–0.9) and vice versa, especially with the economic value-based FU to be integrated quantity & quality into a single FU. The results also reveal that it could be inappropriate to define a quality-based FU using all of macro & micro nutrients and minerals (R = 0.1–0.5), and the multiple quality-based FUs might not be appropriate for the environmental benchmarking. The comprehensive investigation of FUs for food LCAs could provide valuable insights into environmental benchmarking suitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of steel fibres in reinforcing concrete has proven to enhance certain mechanical and durability properties of concrete; however, as a material that presents enhanced properties, its environmental performance should also be analysed. This study aims to quantify the carbon emissions of steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams using a functional unit that considers the mechanical and durability performance of concrete through a whole life cycle assessment methodology that includes the benefits/load after the end-of-life. A cradle-to-grave approach, which considers the end-of-life stage and the benefits/loads beyond the system boundary, was performed to compare the embodied carbon of conventionally reinforced concrete and steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams. The results show that the addition of steel fibres as reinforcing material to concrete can reduce the area of steel required in the tension zone of a conventionally reinforced concrete beam and the embodied carbon of concrete by an average of 33% and 37%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on knowing the environmental impact in terms of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in the construction of adobe and brick single-family homes in the district of Aucallama, province of Huaral, Lima. The methodology followed was observational - quasiexperimental. Field studies were carried out, taking necessary data for the analysis of the unit items, these involve all the resources that are needed in the activities of the housing construction process. In order to have accurate and reliable results, calculations of meters and Carbon Footprint have been made with homes designed under the recommendations of the Peruvian Standards. The Carbon Footprint CF calculations were made with the help of Emission Factors from international inventories and national research. The calculations are made for the three processes: production of inputs, transportation, and execution. In the construction of the adobe house, 14 tons of CO2e have been obtained, while for the brick house, 50 tons of CO2e. The low built-in CF of the adobe house is due to the activities and inputs for the construction of those houses, which are handmade and large equipment is not required for each process, which makes it a sustainable house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Substitution of animal-source foods with plant-based alternatives requires product-specific information from both the environmental and nutritional perspectives. The use of nutrient indices as nutritional functional units (nFUs) in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of food products has been developed to integrate nutritional aspects into the method (nLCA). However, the methodological approaches vary because the execution of LCA always depends on context. Methods: We present a methodological approach for the nLCA of protein-rich foods with a product-group-specific nFU, as update to earlier development work. We compared three strategies for selecting nutrients to be included in the nFU index for protein-rich foods in a national context, considering Finnish nutrition recommendations to different age groups, and the population's dietary habits and nutrient intake. nFUs were demonstrated through cradle-to-plate LCA for foods made with beef, pork, broiler, trout, perch, chickpea, soya mince, and pulled oats as the main ingredients. Results: The selected strategies to format the nFU have a marked impact on the results especially for fish- and plant-based food. The results of each population group, especially children, also differ. The choice of nutrients in the index, the type of food assessed, and the system boundaries of assessment have a considerable impact on the results. Conclusion: The baseline nFU introduced in the study is valuable in producing sustainability information to support the aspiration to a sustainable dietary shift. The index used as the nFU should be formatted based on the study goal and scope, and vulnerable groups must be considered when interpreting the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and climate targets necessitate efficiency indicators to reflect resource-saving potentials. Prevailing indicators for cooling towers, however, often omit the effect of outside conditions. Hence, this study introduces an innovative indicator grounded in the energy efficiency ratio. Our proposed metric is the cost–benefit ratio between electricity demand and the thermodynamic minimum airflow. Thus, we call the novel indicator the airflow performance indicator. To validate its feasibility, we apply the indicator first to an extensive dataset encompassing 6575 cooling tower models and second to a year-long case study involving a data center's wet cooling system. As a result, the energy performance indicator demonstrates that dry cooling requires eight times more minimum airflow at the median than evaporative cooling would, directly correlating to the fan power. Furthermore, efficiency benchmarks derived from the dataset of 6575 cooling tower models provide a comparative assessment of the case study. Defining the quantified benefit as minimum airflow additionally underscores the limitations of free cooling as the wet cooling system only partly covers the cooling demand, requiring chillers additionally. In conclusion, the indicator empowers the identification of energy-saving potentials in the selection, design, and operation of cooling towers. Moreover, the functional unit definition provides a foundation for future life cycle assessments of cooling towers, enhancing cooling tower efficiency and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The citrus sector represents one of the main agri-food supply chains in Italy, which today is the second largest producer of citrus fruits in Europe. Consequently, its impact from an environmental, economic and social point of view can be considerable and it is therefore necessary to assess the sustainability performance of this supply chain. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies are nowadays an important tool for the improvement of production standards and for better decision support by entrepreneurs and public decision makers. This work aims to review in a systematic way the scientific literature on LCA applied to the citrus fruit sector and was conducted following the STARR-LCA checklist approach. The survey was conducted through the main bibliographic databases: Scopus, Web Of Science and Google Scholar, adopting specific search criteria depending on the tool used; the search led to a final selection of 42 articles. The analysis of the papers was conducted using various parameters such as: topic, methodology applied, system boundaries, functional units, allocation criteria, inventory analysis and impact assessment. The analysis of the results shows an overview of the state of the art of LCA approach applied to the citrus sector and can provide useful data and information for practitioners as well as a basis for further methodological developments.

The article presents a brief review of Heart Diseases (1936), the monograph by one of the founders of domestic and world cardiology Dmitry Dmitrievich Pletnev. In the monograph, he summarized his clinical and experimental approach to the issues of heart diseases, addressed several fundamental problems of modern physiology and healthcare, introduced the concept of functional unit and functional unity of the whole body, the concept of the extracardiac genesis of the chest frog, differential diagnosis of left and right ventricle myocardial infarction, semiotics and treatment of chronic heart failure, functional diagnosis of heart arrhythmias. All these approaches and concepts have long been included in the classics of world cardiology.

Purpose: Bioenergy with carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly proposed as an efficient way to mitigate climate change. This study examined the circumstances and methodological choices in which two CDR bioenergy systems were preferable to a reference bioenergy system from a climate change mitigation perspective. The CDR systems were also compared. Methods: Three systems were modelled: two CDR systems (Biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)), with a combined heat and power (CHP) system as reference. A parameterised life cycle inventory (LCI) model was developed and computed for all systems and four different functional units (FUs), resulting in different distributions of climate impacts. Contribution analysis was performed, followed by pair-wise comparison of all scenarios to establish their ranking. First-order Sobol indices were computed to assess the contribution of each parameter to total variance. When ranking of scenarios was strongly dependent on parameter values, decision tree analysis was applied. Results and discussion: The CDR systems had a lower climate impact than CHP in most computations, across all FUs. On comparing the two CDR systems, the preferable system changed with FU. With heat or carbon sequestration as FU the Biochar system was preferable in general, while with electricity or biomass use as FU, the BECCS system had the lowest climate impact in most computations. For most system configurations, energy substitutions had a large influence and contributed most to the variance in results. The system ranking also depended on the reference activities in the background energy system. Conclusions: The Biochar and BECCS systems were generally preferable to the reference CHP system from a climate mitigation perspective, particularly when the reference energy systems had a relatively low climate impact. However, FU and parameters affected the system ranking. For comparing BECCS and biochar, case-specific climate impacts will be decisive, but not always conclusive, as the choice of FU has such large impact on the results. Recommendations: When conducting LCA of multi-functional systems, the use of several FUs, parameterised LCI, and contribution analysis allows for deeper investigation than conventional sensitivity analyses. When analysing the climate impact of bioenergy with or without carbon removal, it is especially important to perform sensitivity analysis on the energy background system, since it strongly affects the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Recently, many studies have assessed the carbon footprint of bovine milk production. However, due to the complexity of life cycle assessment, most studies have analyzed research farms or “representative” farms, which do not capture farm variability. Furthermore, the lack of consistency in most studies means that we can seldom compare the footprint between different countries. To address this issue, we performed a systematic review of the literature, removing inconsistencies in life cycle assessment papers, namely the functional unit, allocation to milk, and global warming potential. We analyzed papers that accounted for many farms to address the variability of production systems within the countries. We found 21 papers from 19 countries; footprint recalculations were necessary for 16 papers. New Zealand, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States had a footprint 2 kg CO2e·kg−1 fat- and protein-corrected milk. The change in functional unit resulted in a small effect on the final footprint, whereas the global warming potential change was dependent in on the greenhouse gas profile for each country. Countries where milk is produced mainly as a pasture-based system had most of their footprint (>50%) associated with the emission of methane from enteric fermentation, whereas other countries (especially from Europe and North America) had a significant share of emissions from manure management, feed production, and fertilizer use. This different greenhouse gas profile allow decision makers to tailor mitigation options specific for each country. The choice of the allocation method had a strong influence in the final footprint. We suggest that for future studies, authors adhere to the International Dairy Federation guidelines. When this is not possible, we suggest a set of extra information to be reported, allowing recalculations as done in this review.

Developing a sustainable food industry is the global consensus regarding climate change and food security. This present study aims to take account of life cycle-carbon footprints for the environmental performance/labeling of 20 food products commissioned by the flour processing factory in Pyongyang and to give lessons for the rest consumer products. This study conducts analyses of Functional Units (FUs) and hotspots with a couple of questions of how much are life cycle-carbon footprints per FU of the food products investigated from the company? and what are the key hotspots (primary, secondary, and tertiary) connected to the life cycle phases? The results show that the carbon footprints of food products vary in a range of 2050–5080 g CO2eq. depending on the defined FUs: mass-based FUdry (dry basis), mass-based FUtotal (total basis), and economic value-based FUpri (price basis). The results also reveal that both the mass-based FUdry and economic value-based FUpri might lead to proper environmental benchmarking/labeling of food products, when compared to the mass-based FUtotal that could definitely affect food LCAs. In addition, the results indicate that three subsystems in 20 product systems are identified as environmental hotspots to have improvement potential: flour subsystems (13 primary hotspots), washing and wastewater subsystems (12 secondary hotspots), and electricity subsystems (14 tertiary hotspots), while representing average contributions of 28.58, 23.34 and 16.23% to the total carbon footprints, respectively. The findings could encourage LCA practitioners and commissioners to implement a sustainable policy for environmental performance/labeling of crop-based food products and give lessons for the rest consumer products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supergenes are sets of genes and genetic elements that are inherited like a single gene and control complex adaptive traits, but their functional roles and units are poorly understood. In Papilio polytes, female-limited Batesian mimicry is thought to be regulated by a ~130 kb inversion region (highly diversified region: HDR) containing 3 genes, UXT, U3X, and doublesex (dsx) which switches non-mimetic and mimetic types. To determine the functional unit, we here performed electroporation-mediated RNAi analyses (and further Crispr/Cas9 for UXT) of genes within and flanking the HDR in pupal hindwings. We first clarified that non-mimetic dsx-h had a function to form the non-mimetic trait in female and only dsx-H isoform 3 had an important function in the formation of mimetic traits. Next, we found that UXT was involved in making mimetic-type pale-yellow spots and adjacent gene sir2 in making red spots in hindwings, both of which refine more elaborate mimicry. Furthermore, downstream gene networks of dsx, U3X, and UXT screened by RNA sequencing showed that U3X upregulated dsx-H expression and repressed UXT expression. These findings demonstrate that a set of multiple genes, not only inside but also flanking HDR, can function as supergene members, which extends the definition of supergene unit than we considered before. Also, our results indicate that dsx functions as the switching gene and some other genes such as UXT and sir2 within the supergene unit work as the modifier gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental campaign, performed on different types of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (UHP-FRCC)--made with four replacement rates (0, 20, 50, and 70%) of cement with fly ash and cured for 1, 4, and 13 weeks--is described in this paper. Specifically, 72 cylinders were tested to measure the compressive strength and Young's modulus of elasticity; stress-strain relationships were obtained from 72 dumbbell-type specimens subjected to uniaxial tension, and 12 beams, tested in four-point bending, provided the moment-curvature diagrams. The best UHP-FRCC was selected through an eco-mechanical analysis, capable of combining the mechanical performance with the environmental impact of concrete. When the ultimate bending moment of a beam is the functional unit of this analysis, the higher the replacement rate of cement, the better the beam performance, although material properties and structural ductility show opposite trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many studies have assessed the carbon footprint of bovine milk production. However, due to the complexity of life cycle assessment, most studies have analyzed research farms or "representative" farms, which do not capture farm variability. Furthermore, the lack of consistency in most studies means that we can seldom compare the footprint between different countries. To address this issue, we performed a systematic review of the literature, removing inconsistencies in life cycle assessment papers, namely the functional unit, allocation to milk, and global warming potential. We analyzed papers that accounted for many farms to address the variability of production systems within the countries. We found 21 papers from 19 countries; footprint recalculations were necessary for 16 papers. New Zealand, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States had a footprint <1 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 e) per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, whereas 5 countries had a footprint >2 kg CO 2 e·kg−1 fat- and protein-corrected milk. The change in functional unit resulted in a small effect on the final footprint, whereas the global warming potential change was dependent in on the greenhouse gas profile for each country. Countries where milk is produced mainly as a pasture-based system had most of their footprint (>50%) associated with the emission of methane from enteric fermentation, whereas other countries (especially from Europe and North America) had a significant share of emissions from manure management, feed production, and fertilizer use. This different greenhouse gas profile allow decision makers to tailor mitigation options specific for each country. The choice of the allocation method had a strong influence in the final footprint. We suggest that for future studies, authors adhere to the International Dairy Federation guidelines. When this is not possible, we suggest a set of extra information to be reported, allowing recalculations as done in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous researches focusing on the alternatives to conventional concrete regarding environmental benefits and trade-offs. For this purpose, nowadays, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely used. Until now, LCA results of conventional and green concretes have shown some limitations, and this paper focuses on addressing them. Firstly, the researches have been mostly based on a small number of concretes, which can limit the possibility to quantify the range of emissions for different set of assumptions. The second one is regarding the appropriate selection of functional unit where a divergence between different researches is visible. Moreover, it has been recognised that the criteria involved in the investigation of transportation might lead to the variation of results. Also, inventory allocation has to be assessed in detail to reach adequate distribution of the environmental impact of the concrete during its life cycle phases. Finally, CO2 uptake of the concretes throughout the life cycle should be considered and applied adequately to have representative results of overall CO2 emissions. It is expected that the differences will depend on construction practices among the countries where the researches are executed. Also, the results will surely vary between different system definitions when LCA is applied.

This study deals with a comparison of the environmental performance of one-way slabs utilizing steel fibre-reinforced limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) concrete with the control case of Ordinary Portland cement concrete. The experimental program constituted compressive and residual strength testing of concrete mixes and beams reinforced with traditional longitudinal steel reinforcement as opposed to steel fibres. The code-compliant design of the one-way slabs confirmed that, by adding steel fibres, 45% replacement of longitudinal steel reinforcement could be achieved. The cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis proved that the use of LC3 as a binder and integration of steel fibres lowers the environmental impact of one-way slabs by 10% despite the slight increase in the concrete cover of the steel fibre-reinforced concrete slabs for carbonation resistance purposes. Several scenario analyses were carried out to confirm that the savings could reach 40% depending on concrete mix design optimization and the potential use of recycled fibres. • LC3 concrete proven for use as a C40/50 structural concrete. • Concrete cover increase for carbonation resistance has negligible carbon footprint. • The addition of steel fibres could reduce the reinforcement rebars in one-way slabs by 45%. • LC3 as a binder and steel fibre-reinforcement could save 10% carbon of one-way slabs. • Adjusted concrete mixes and the use of recycled steel fibres could increase the savings to 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the issues confronting manufacturers is the requirement for establishing sustainable production methods, which poise between economic feasibility and ecological preservation. Alternative sustainable cutting fluid methods must be developed since the traditional lubricants employed in machining operations are unsustainable from the environmental impact point of view. The balance between energy-production demand and quality-productivity is required for sustainable production. In this respect, this research studies the tool life, machining efficiency, energy consumption, and carbon emission under dry, flood machining, and minimum quantity lubrication machining. This study comprises two parts: evaluation of machining characteristics in terms of tool life, machining efficiency, energy consumption, and carbon emission, and the life cycle assessment (LCA) of inventories used during machining experimentation. The outcomes of this novel work revealed an increase of 42% and 61% in tool life at a cutting speed of 185 ​m/min under flood and MQL media than dry machining. At a cutting speed of 185 ​m/min in three different lubricating conditions, the percentage increase in the efficiency was 31%, and 28% for dry, flood, and MQL machining. In MQL machining, due to more uniform lubrication than flood machining, energy usage decreases by 38%, 32%, and 27% at the rate of metal removal of 93.67, 131.68, and 152.36 ​mm3/min. Also, A decrease in CO2 emissions of 16%, 21%, and 18% was attained in MQL machining than flood machining at 185, 215, and 245m/min cutting speeds. Furthermore, this also compares life cycle inventory analysis in dry, flood, and minimum quantity lubrication. Gate-to-gate approach methodology adopted for LCA analysis of system boundaries and functional unit to examine the environmental impression through ReCipe 2016, Endpoint (H) methodology. Sustainable assessment through life cycle analysis determined that dry and mist machining are more sustainable than wet machining.

A metal thermal spraying technology on composite laminate has been used to integrate aircraft structure load carrying characteristics and anti-icing / de-icing function. A composite functional structure test unit for aircraft anti-icing / de-icing was designed and tests on the unit were carried out to obtain resistance and strength data under different load conditions with considering anti-icing / de-icing in operation or in non-operation. The test results show that the unit resistance increases under the tensile load with the non-operation condition, and the resistance value increases by 40% under the ultimate tensile load with the operation condition, and bending and interlaminar loading have little effect on the resistance. The tensile ultimate strength of the unit is unchanged with the operation condition, the bending ultimate strength is reduced by 10% and the interlaminar ultimate strength is reduce by 36% . It is shown that the functional unit has been proved to keep anti-icing / de-icing function ability before tensile, bending and interlaminar strength failures occur. The research results have important experimental guidance for the structural design and development of multi-electric / all-electric aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 53 functional units (FUs) were identified from a total of 144 protozoan species; • These FUs represented a clear variability in spatial distribution among four sites; • The patterns of the protozoan FUs showed a significant variation among four sites; • The patterns of the protozoan FUs were driven by the increasing levels of nutrients; • The FUs of protozoa may be used as a useful bioindicators of water quality. Protozoan periphytons with their ecological features are considered as a robust bioindicator for bioassessment of both environmental stress and anthropogenic impacts in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, a 1-year baseline survey was conducted using glass slides in coastal waters of Yellow sea, China. Four sampling sites (A–D) were selected from a clean area to a polluted station, and samples were collected monthly at a depth of 1 m. Environmental variables such as salinity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), soluble reactive phosphates (SRP), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) were measured synchronically to compare with biotic factors. From a total of 144 identified protozoan species, 53 functional units (FUs) were proposed based on four biological traits: feeding type, resource of food supply, body size and movement type. These FUs represented a clear variability in spatial distribution among four study sites. Relative abundances of sessile colonial bacterivores (e.g., BOS5s) showed an increasing trend from sites A to D. Multivariate analysis revealed that the patterns of protozoan FUs showed a significant variation among four sampling sites, and were driven by the increasing levels of nutrients (e.g., NH4-N) and decreasing ranks of DO (P<0.05). The bacterivorous FUs (e.g., BOS5s and BIS3v) were significantly positively related to NH4-N, while the vagile algivorous FUs (e.g., AIS8v, AOS3v, AOS6v) and sessile predators (e.g., RIS4s) were significantly positively correlated with transparency. These findings suggested that FUs of protozoan periphytons may be used as a useful bioindicators of water quality status in marine ecosystems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of materials, there is a mismatch between the current practice and existing guidelines regarding functional unit definition. The purpose of this study is to develop a practice‐based framework for defining functional units in comparative LCAs of materials and provide guidance regarding in which situations different functional unit types are relevant. A literature review of comparative LCAs of materials identified three types of functional units: (i) the reference flow functional unit, (ii) the property functional unit, and (iii) the performance functional unit. These functional unit types, of which only the latter strictly complies with LCA guidelines, represent varying degrees of functional equivalence and technological maturity. The most relevant functional unit type depends on the goal of the study. We suggest that screening assessments of whether materials have comparable environmental impacts can apply reference flow functional units. Material comparisons for certain application areas with some important properties can apply property functional units. For comparisons of end products, performance functional units can be applied. However, even in such cases, complete functional equivalence can hardly be achieved due to more or less relevant product differences. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated for the case of comparing cemented carbide and polycrystalline diamond hard materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous researches focusing on the alternatives to conventional concrete regarding environmental benefits and trade-offs. For this purpose, nowadays, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely used. Until now, LCA results of conventional and green concretes have shown some limitations, and this paper focuses on addressing them. Firstly, the researches have been mostly based on a small number of concretes, which can limit the possibility to quantify the range of emissions for different set of assumptions. The second one is regarding the appropriate selection of functional unit where a divergence between different researches is visible. Moreover, it has been recognised that the criteria involved in the investigation of transportation might lead to the variation of results. Also, inventory allocation has to be assessed in detail to reach adequate distribution of the environmental impact of the concrete during its life cycle phases. Finally, CO2 uptake of the concretes throughout the life cycle should be considered and applied adequately to have representative results of overall CO2 emissions. It is expected that the differences will depend on construction practices among the countries where the researches are executed. Also, the results will surely vary between different system definitions when LCA is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the carbon footprint accounting method for pipeline transportation of refined oil products can provide support for the study on carbon emission characteristics and laws during the transportation of refined oil products. By determining the function unit and the evaluation boundary, a carbon footprint model of refined oil pipeline system was established and the carbon footprint was accounted, for which the specific steps include building the pipeline network structure, establishing the material balance, summarizing the emission inventory, adjusting the emission distribution, and calculating the carbon footprint. Based on the refined oil transportation data of an enterprise in Guangxi, the carbon footprint was calculated with this method, and the causes of carbon footprint in different transportation routes were analyzed, including the transportation distance, flow rate, pipeline routing and elevation, pipe specifications and other factors. According to the calculation results and the cause analysis, the recommended measures for reducing the carbon footprint during the pipeline transportation of refined oil products were proposed, and the study results could provide some reference for reduction of carbon footprint in the refined oil pipeline system.

Mollusk hemocyanins, among the largest known proteins, are used as immunostimulants in biomedical and clinical applications. The hemocyanin of the Chilean gastropod Concholepas concholepas (CCH) exhibits unique properties, which makes it safe and effective for human immunotherapy, as observed in animal models of bladder cancer and melanoma, and dendritical cell vaccine trials. Despite its potential, the structure and amino acid sequence of CCH remain unknown. This study reports two sequence fragments of CCH, representing three complete functional units (FUs). We also determined the high-resolution (1.5 Å) X-ray crystal structure of an "FU-g type" from the CCHB subunit. This structure enables in-depth analysis of chemical interactions at the copper-binding center and unveils an unusual, truncated N-glycosylation pattern. These features are linked to eliciting more robust immunological responses in animals, offering insights into CCH's enhanced immunostimulatory properties and opening new avenues for its potential applications in biomedical research and therapies. [Display omitted] • High-resolution FU structure unveils an unusual N-glycosylation pattern • Sequence information for Concholepas concholepas hemocyanin (CCH) • Two leucine at the Cu 2 O 2 cluster explain the absence of phenol oxidase activity Muñoz et al. determined the high-resolution structure of a functional unit (FU) from the immunogenic hemocyanin from Concholepas concholepas and report three FU sequences. Structural analysis reveals an unusual, truncated N-glycosylation and two leucines that hinder access to the Cu 2 O 2 cluster, explaining the absence of phenol oxidase activity in hemocyanin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-level synthesis (HLS) is utilized for high-performance and energy-efficient heterogeneous systems designing. HLS is assist in field-programmable gate array circuits designing where hardware implementations are refined and replaced in target device. However, the power-process-voltage-temperature-delay (PPVTD) variation in VLSI circuits undergoes many problems and reduced the performance. In order to address these problems, C4.5 with eXtreme Gradient Boosting Classification based High Level Synthesis (C4.5-XGBCHLS) Method is designed for afford better runtime adaptability (RA) with minimal error rate. VLSI circuits are designed using the behavioral input and results are measured at running condition. When VLSI circuit’s results get reduced, the language description of the circuit is considered as an input. Then, compilation process convert high level specification into Intermediate Representation (IR) in control/data flow graph (CDFG). CDFG computes data and control dependencies among operations. eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) Classifier is exploited in C4.5-XGBCHLS method to classify the error causing functional unit (FU) with minimal error rate. XGBoost Classifier exploited C4.5 decision tree as base classifier to enhance classification of error causing FU in VLSI circuits. After that, FU gets allocated in place of error causing FU from functional library based on the design objectives and PPVTD variations. Finally, operation scheduling and binding process is executed for register transfer level (RTL) generation to form VLSI circuits with improved RA. The simulation results shows that the C4.5-XGBCHLS method enhances the performance of functional unit selection accuracy (FUSA) with minimal error rate (ER) and circuit adaptability time (CAT).

In economics, opportunity cost is defined as the benefit foregone by choosing another course of action. Considering opportunity costs enables the improved handling of trade-offs to better support strategic decision-making. We introduce the concept of opportunity cost into life cycle assessment (LCA). In our framework, opportunity cost extends the system expansion paradigm to support better alignment with a circular economy (CE). Opportunity cost thinking is considered to be most useful for the efficient allocation of scarce economic capital for the creation of economic value. In the environmental domain, we use such thinking to account for the implications of 'wasting waste'. In this paper, we consider a case of treated wastewater sludge being used as a source of nutrients as a vehicle to study the points at which LCA can support a CE. Our conclusions, however, have wider repercussions because there are many more situations in which product systems are analytically demarcated from the web of connections in which they are embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of the subclavius muscle (SM) are described as stabilization of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) and resisting elevation of the lateral end of the clavicle. During systematic cadaveric dissections, we observed additional fibrous structures, previously described as variants of the anatomy, extending from the SM and inserting into the coracoid process (CP). Due to the high incidence of these structures in our dissections, we hypothesized that the attachment at the CP is more common than appreciated and that, as a corollary, the function of the SM was (or has been) more complex than simply depressing the clavicle and generating stability at the SCJ. For our investigation, fifty‐two upper extremities of 26 human cadavers were dissected. The SM was demonstrated from costal to clavicular attachment. We documented additional fibrous structures apparently derived from the SM inserting into the CP. Measurements of the length of the SM, the length of its attachment, and the length of the clavicle were taken in situ, with the specimens supine and the upper extremity in the anatomical position. Variations in the anatomy of the SM and its coracoidal attachment were recorded, and potential correlations were investigated. For documentation purposes photographs and video sequences of passive motion of the shoulder girdle of the specimens were taken. In 49 of the 52 specimens we found additional fibrous structures passing from the SM to the CP. We differentiated three types: (1) a strong cord‐like structure; (2) a small or thin cord‐like structure or structures; and (3) a planar twisted sheet‐like structure. The SM and its extension to the CP appears to contribute to a 'functional scapular suspension system' together with the other muscles enveloped by the clavipectoral fascia (pectoralis minor, coracobrachialis and the short head of the biceps brachii). This system assists in the control of the position of the scapula in relation to the thorax, particularly in elevated positions of the upper extremity. We speculate that the differentiation of the fibrous structure depends on the functional demands of the individual. Level of Evidence: Basic science study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Linguistica Copernicana is the property of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords: Agriculture; Food system; Functional unit; Impact assessment; Nutrient composition; Nutrient profiling; Sustainable diet EN Agriculture Food system Functional unit Impact assessment Nutrient composition Nutrient profiling Sustainable diet 1932 1936 5 11/09/21 20211001 NES 211001 Graph Introduction Recent years have seen the emergence of a new concept called nutritional life cycle assessment or n-LCA (Green et al. [8], [9]; Stucki et al. [16]). Using an Australian nutrient rich food index that includes 18 nutrients (NRF-ai) as the functional unit, another different set of GHG emission results are obtained (Fig. The list of nutrients that appear on the nutrition information panels of most packaged foods and the long, and yet incomplete, lists of nutrients catalogued in food composition databases are evidence of this. Nutrient profiling tools can be used to classify and rank foods according to nutritional composition, but it is important to remember that healthy diets depend on a variety of foods. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Since the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development was set, cities are gaining momentum in the sustainability debate as favorable hubs of interventions to implement environmentally friendly policies. What makes a city sustainable is still object of debate though, as standards, frameworks, and methodologies with different goals and scope proliferate. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is promising in supporting cities to achieve this ambitious task, but methodological constraints still exist to make it applicable at city scale. This study offers proposals to solve current bottlenecks in the goal and scope phase for the application of LCA to urban systems and allowing for a meaningful inter-city comparison and benchmarking. Methods: In order to define cities along with their function(s) and functional unit, a systematic desk study combined with authors' knowledge is performed and tested on the city of Leuven (Belgium). The final outcome includes the following: (i) categorization of cities based on their (prevalent) function(s); (ii) sets of indicators able to support both urban policies and LCA studies; and (iii) accounting and use of the population equivalent concept, as innovative and enhanced functional unit able to summarize and normalize different entities (i.e., residents and other city-users) to one single metric. Results and discussion: Despite the fervent debate about cities and their sustainability, few studies address the topic of categorization and benchmarking of cities in an exhaustive way. The proposals were successfully applied to the city of Leuven, as first case study, with different degrees of extent and quality. A shortlist of five biophysical and economic criteria combined with ten urban categories represents a first straightforward tier of categorization. The population equivalent has the triple function of being descriptive, quantitative, and analytical for performing thorough urban sustainability studies and define targeted policies, but requires high computational and data collection efforts. The quality and granularity of collected information proved to be directly proportional to the access of local data sources, and inversely to its complexity, i.e., sufficient for policy support, but improvable when the goal is to perform LCA studies. Conclusions: The functional categorization of cities and the calculation of the population equivalent provide a new approach for meaningful and helpful inter-city comparisons, as well as an enhanced detection and interpretation of urban environmental burdens. Due to the relevance of the topic in the scientific debate, the authors envisage complementary and multidisciplinary studies to make cities more and more part of the solution to the sustainability challenge, especially to improve the concept of population equivalent and the data management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the word functional in the most diverse theories and approaches has contributed in no small measure to the confusion in linguistics today. This article does not claim to give an overview of the different directions of functionalism in linguistics. Rather, the aim is to present what Coseriu‘s view characterised as functional in his time and to what extent his theory outlined a path that still makes sense in functional-cognitive linguistics today. This will involve an examination of Coseriu‘s difficult-to-identify concept of function. Furthermore, the article will also show that functional thinking is relevant for current grammatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize and soybean are two widely spread crops for food, feed and biofuel production, and in South America there are some of the most important producing countries in the world. This study investigates the environmental impact linked to their agricultural production in a sub-tropical South American context, starting from primary data relating to a cultivated area in eastern Paraguay. To this end, the Life Cycle Assessment approach was adopted in a cradle-to-farm gate perspective, evaluating eight different impact categories. In particular, two widespread intra-annual rotations were compared, both of which consider soybean as a first-season crop, alternating in the second-season with maize or soybean itself. Environmental results were expressed both in a crop-to-crop approach (per t of individual product) and with four different units expressing the land management function (1 ha year−1); the productive function (1 GJ ha−1 year−1 and 1 t of crude protein ha−1 year−1) and finally the financial function (1 USD of gross margin ha−1 year−1) of the two different cropping systems. In the cropping system approach, results expressed per hectare of cultivated area and per t of crude protein produced do not see one cropping system performing better than the other consistently over the evaluated impact categories. The soybean-maize rotation, on the other hand, appeared clearly more efficient from an environmental point of view in terms of gross energy and gross margin produced per hectare per year.The lack of a shared consensus on the most appropriate and comprehensive way to express the results of LCA studies on cropping systems makes difficult the selection of the best system. In particular, there are still on-going limitations and controversies in selecting the most appropriate functional unit for cropping systems LCA.

The UK livestock industry urgently needs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to contribute to ambitious climate change policy commitments. Achieving this requires an improved understanding of emission sources across a range of production systems to lower the burden associated with livestock products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methods are used in this study to model milk production from two genetic merits of Holstein Friesian cows managed in two novel and two conventional UK dairy systems. Select merit cows sired by bulls with high predicted transmission for fat plus protein yield are compared with Control merit animals sired from UK average merit bulls. Cows were managed in conventional housed and grazed dairy systems with novel Byproduct and Homegrown feeding regimes. A LCA was used to quantify the effect of allocation and management of feed components on the carbon footprint of milk production. Natural variation in nutritional quality of dairy system rations was investigated to quantify uncertainty in the carbon footprint results. Novel production system data are used to assess the effect of introducing home grown legumes and co-product feeds. Control merit footprints across each of the management regimes were significantly higher (p

Design of high-performance processors with very low power requirement is the primary goal of many contemporary and futuristic applications. This brief presents a novel processor micro-architecture which is capable of achieving these requirements. The micro-architecture is based on RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). The core is implemented and verified on Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA board with a resource requirement of 7617 LUTs and 2319 FFs. This core could achieve a Dhrystone benchmark score of 1.71 DMIPS per MHz which is higher than ARM Cortex-M3 (1.50 DMIPS per MHz) and ARM Cortex-M4 (1.52 DMIPS per MHz). The Coremark benchmark is also tested on this core and it gives 4.13 Coremark per MHz. The physical design result of the core using commercial tools shows that it can achieve a maximum frequency of 198.02 MHz with 0.036 mm2 area and 17.36 μW/MHz power requirement at UMC 40 nm technology node. The core consumes a dynamic power of 19.75 μW/MHz at UMC 90nm which is 36% and 40% better than ARM Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M4 respectively and also lower than many others cores. The results show that this core can outperform many existing commercial and open-source cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Kuwait, electricity is generated from two primary sources, heavy fuel combustion and natural gas combustion. As Kuwait relies mainly on petroleum-based products for electricity generation, identifying and understanding the environmental and energy trade-off of such operations should be carefully investigated. The life cycle assessment (LCA) tool is applied to identify the potential environmental impacts and energy performance of electricity generation under three scenarios, by considering the material flow in various stages involved such as raw-material extraction, transportation, and operations. The three scenarios investigated represent current and futuristic electricity grid mixes. The analysis of four indicators consists of two environmental and two energy indicators per one kWh of the electricity generated. The environmental indicators examined are global warming potential (GWP) and water consumption (WC), whereas the energy indicators target cumulative energy demand (CED) and net energy ratio (NER). Results indicate that one kWh of electricity generated would have a GWP (0.63-0.77) kg CO2 -eq, mainly from the fuel combustion process, WC (0.0013-0.0015) m3 of water, about 68% from cooling processes, CED (9.9-10.7) MJ, and NER (0.34-0.39). The variation in results depends on the scenario investigated. It can be observed from the analysis that introducing solar photovoltaic and wind to the electricity grid mix improves the environmental and energy performance of Scenarios 3, where 15% of the electricity generated from renewables (10% solar PV and 5% wind) corresponds to a further decrease in LCA results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]