Search

Associations between human genetic variation and clinical phenotypes have become a foundation of biomedical research. Most repositories of these data seek to be disease-agnostic and therefore lack disease-focused views. The Type 2 Diabetes Knowledge Portal (T2DKP) is a public resource of genetic datasets and genomic annotations dedicated to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related traits. Here, we seek to make the T2DKP more accessible to prospective users and more useful to existing users. First, we evaluate the T2DKP's comprehensiveness by comparing its datasets with those of other repositories. Second, we describe how researchers unfamiliar with human genetic data can begin using and correctly interpreting them via the T2DKP. Third, we describe how existing users can extend their current workflows to use the full suite of tools offered by the T2DKP. We finally discuss the lessons offered by the T2DKP toward the goal of democratizing access to complex disease genetic results.

Global demand for construction materials has grown exponentially in the last century, contributing to climate change and detrimental impacts on the ecosystem. To aid in sustainable growth and reduce our environmental footprint, renewable construction materials, such as lumber, have been incorporated into green building activities. The purpose of this study was to quantify the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing redwood lumber in northern California using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. This study surveyed and visited redwood manufacturing facilities in the US and collected data including lumber production, co-products, resource inputs, and direct emissions to air and water. The life-cycle inventory (LCI) was developed using the mass allocation of products and co-products. Cradle-to-grave (cradle-to-gate and gate-to-grave) LCA method was used to estimate the environmental impacts and energy usage in the production of redwood lumber (1 m3 of lumber), used in a redwood-deck, and its end-of-life (i.e., the deck was demolished after 25 years of its life and redwood lumber disposed of in a landfill that captures methane). About 48% of dry mass in the redwood logs were converted to lumber in the sawmill. Depending on the redwood lumber product analyzed, the cradle-to-gate cumulative fossil energy demand was estimated to be 1862 (522–4877) MJ/m3 of redwood lumber produced. The cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave global warming (GW) impact were estimated at 36 (22–65) and 139 (127–167) kgCO2eq/m3 of lumber, respectively. Upstream operations (including silviculture, harvesting, and transport) and mainstream (mill) operations (including sawing, drying, and planing) contributed 53% and 47% of total cradle-to-gate GW impact, respectively. However, the disposal of the redwood lumber products was the most dominant contributor (45–65%) to the cradle-to-grave GW impact of redwood lumber. Carbon stored in the whole lifecycle of redwood lumber is about 4 (range of 3‒5) times more than its cradle-to-grave carbon footprint (CFP), a substantial environmental benefit. Considering credits from co-generation (used mill residues to generate both heat and electricity) supplying renewable electricity to the local grid decreases the net GW impact from − 468 to − 579 kgCO2eq/m3 of lumber. Many redwood lumber products such as decking are used green (freshly-cut), and a large portion of green lumber is only air-dried, which has a much lower GW impact than kiln-dried (force-dried) lumber. Also, even if the lumber requires kiln-drying, the heat comes from burning on-site mill processing residues, considered a carbon–neutral energy source. For lumber production life-cycle stages, kiln-drying of lumber tends to use a lot of thermal energy (albeit mostly from mill residues) compared with the whole life cycle. However, the GW impact from the redwood lumber drying unit process is low, only 27%, because the product tends to be used green. Furthermore, using mill residues to produce on-site combined heat and power (co-generation) was shown to be the most efficient way to reduce the environmental footprints of lumber production. Overall, the results showed that redwood lumber production has a negative GW impact and acts as a carbon sink if used in the construction sector. Specifically, the final products store 3–5 times more greenhouse gas emissions over than what is released from cradle-to-grave. There are large differences in GW impact among five categories of redwood lumber products and the rough-green lumber types have the lowest GW impact (or highest GW reduction potential) among all.

Producing biochar from forest residues can help resolve environmental issues by reducing forest fires and mitigating climate change. However, transportation and storage of biomass to a centralized facility are often cost-prohibitive and a major hurdle for the economic feasibility of producing biobased products, including biochar. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts and economic feasibility of manufacturing biochar from forest residues with small-scale portable production systems. This study evaluated the environmental performance and economic feasibility of biochar produced through three portable systems (biochar solutions incorporated (BSI), Oregon Kiln (OK), and air curtain burner (ACB)) using forest residues in the United States (US). Cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were used to quantify environmental impacts and minimal selling price (MSP) of biochar respectively considering different power sources, production sites, and feedstock qualities. The results illustrated that the global warming (GW) impact of biochar production through BSI, OK, and ACB was 0.25–1.0, 0.55, and 0.61-t CO2eq/t biochar applied to the field, respectively. Considering carbon-sequestration, 1-t of biochar produced with the portable system at a near-forest site and applied to the field reduced the GW impact by 0.89–2.6 t CO2eq. For biochar production, the environmental performance of the BSI system improved substantially (60–70%) when it was powered by a gasifier-based generator instead of a diesel generator. Similarly, near-forest(off-grid) biochar production operations performed better environmentally than the operations at in-town sites due to the reduction in the forest residues transportation emissions. Overall, the net GW impact of biochar produced from forest residues can reduce environmental impacts (i.e., 1–10 times lower CO2eq emissions) compared with slash-pile burning. The MSP per tonne of biochar produced through BSI, OK, and ACB was $3,000–$5,000, $1,600, and $580 respectively considering 100 working days per year. However, with improved BSI systems when allowed to operate throughout the year, the MSP can be reduced to below $1000/t of biochar. Furthermore, considering current government grants and subsidies (i.e.,$12,600/ha for making biochar production from forest residues), the MSP of biochar can be reduced substantially (30–387%) depending on the type of portable system used. The portable small-scale production systems could be environmentally beneficial and economically feasible options to make biochar from forest residues at competitive prices given current government incentives in the US where excess forest biomass and forest residues left in the forest increase the risk of forest fires.

Mass timber building materials such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) have captured attention in mid- to high-rise building designs because of their potential environmental benefits. The recently updated multistory building code also enables greater utilization of these wood building materials. The cost-effectiveness of mass timber buildings is also undergoing substantial analysis. Given the relatively new presence of CLT in United States, high front-end construction costs are expected. This study presents the life-cycle cost (LCC) for a 12-story, 8,360-m2 mass timber building to be built in Portland, Oregon. The goal was to assess its total life-cycle cost (TLCC) relative to a functionally equivalent reinforced-concrete building design using our in-house-developed LCC tool. Based on commercial construction cost data from the RSMeans database, a mass timber building design is estimated to have 26 percent higher front-end costs than its concrete alternative. Front-end construction costs dominated the TLCC for both buildings. However, a decrease of 2.4 percent TLCC relative to concrete building was observed because of the estimated longer lifespan and higher end-of-life salvage value for the mass timber building. The end-of-life savings from demolition cost or salvage values in mass timber building could offset some initial construction costs. There are minimal historical construction cost data and lack of operational cost data for mass timber buildings; therefore, more studies and data are needed to make the generalization of these results. However, a solid methodology for mass timber building LCC was developed and applied to demonstrate several cost scenarios for mass timber building benefits or disadvantages.

The US housing construction market consumes vast amounts of resources, with most structural elements derived from wood, a renewable and sustainable resource. The same cannot be said for all nonresidential or high-rise buildings, which are primarily made of concrete and steel. As part of continuous environmental improvement processes, building life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to compare the environmental footprint of building structures. This study is a comparative LCA of an 8360-m 2 , 12-story mixed-us apartment/office building designed for Portland, OR, and constructed from mainly mass timber. The designed mass timber building had a relatively lightweight structural frame that used 1782 m 3 of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and 557 m 3 of glue-laminated timber (glulam) and associated materials, which replaced approximately 58% of concrete and 72% of rebar that would have been use in a conventional building. Compared with a similar concrete building, the mass timber building had 18%, 1% and 47% reduction in the impact categories of global warming, ozone depletion, and eutrophication, respectively, for the A1-A5 building LCA. The use of CLT and glulam materials substantially decreased the carbon footprint of the building, although it consumed more primary energy compared with a similar concrete building. The impacts for the mass timber building were affected by large amounts of gypsum board, which accounted for 16% of the total building mass. Both lowering the amount of gypsum and keeping the mass timber production close to the construction site could lower the overall environmental footprint of the mass timber building.

Global construction industry has a huge influence on world primary energy consumption, spending, and greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. To better understand these factors for mass timber construction, this work quantified the life cycle environmental and economic performances of a high-rise mass timber building in U.S. Pacific Northwest region through the use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Using the TRACI impact category method, the cradle-to-grave LCA results showed better environmental performances for the mass timber building relative to conventional concrete building, with 3153 kg CO2-eq per m2 floor area compared to 3203 CO2-eq per m2 floor area, respectively. Over 90% of GHGs emissions occur at the operational stage with a 60-year study period. The end-of-life recycling of mass timber could provide carbon offset of 364 kg CO2-eq per m2 floor that lowers the GHG emissions of the mass timber building to a total 12% lower GHGs emissions than concrete building. The LCCA results showed that mass timber building had total life cycle cost of $3976 per m2 floor area that was 9.6% higher than concrete building, driven mainly by upfront construction costs related to the mass timber material. Uncertainty analysis of mass timber product pricing provided a pathway for builders to make mass timber buildings cost competitive. The integration of LCA and LCCA on mass timber building study can contribute more information to the decision makers such as building developers and policymakers.

Buildings consume large amounts of materials and energy, making them one of the highest environmental impactors. Quantifying the impact of building materials can be critical to developing an effective greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. Using Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings (IE4B), this paper compares cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) results for a 12-story building constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and a functionally equivalent reinforced concrete (RC) building. Following EN 15978 framework, environmental impacts for stages A1&ndash, A5 (product to construction), B2, B4, and B6 (use), C1&ndash, C4 (end of life), and D (beyond the building life) were evaluated in detail along resource efficiency. For material resource efficiency, total mass of the CLT building was 33.2% less than the alternative RC building. For modules A to C and not considering operational energy use (B6), LCA results show a 20.6% reduction in embodied carbon achieved for the CLT building, compared to the RC building. For modules A to D and not considering B6, the embodied carbon assessment revealed that for the CLT building, 6.57 &times, 105 kg CO2 eq was emitted, whereas for the equivalent RC building, 2.16 &times, 106 kg CO2 eq was emitted, and emissions from CLT building was 70% lower than that from RC building. Additionally, 1.84 &times, 106 kg of CO2 eq was stored in the wood material used in the CLT building during its lifetime. Building material selection should be considered for the urgent need to reduce global climate change impacts.

Wildfires are getting extreme and more frequent because of increased fuel loads in the forest and extended dry conditions. Prevention of wildfire by fuel treatment methods will generate forest residues in large volumes, which in addition to available logging residues, can be used to produce biofuels and bioproducts. In this study, the techno-economic assessment of three portable systems to produce woodchips briquettes (WCB), torrefied-woodchips briquettes (TWCB) and biochar from forest residues were evaluated using pilot-scale experimental data. A discounted cash flow rate of return method was used to estimate minimum selling prices (MSPs) for each product, to conduct sensitivity analyses, and to identify potential cost-reduction strategies. Using a before-finance-and-tax 16.5% nominal required return on investment, and a mean transport distance of 200 km, the estimated delivered MSPs per oven-dry metric ton (ODMT) of WCB, TWCB, and biochar were $162, $274, and $1044 respectively. The capital investment (16–30%), labor cost (23–28%), and feedstock cost (10–13%) without stumpage cost were the major factors influencing the MSP of solid biofuels and biochar. However, the MSPs of WCB, TWCB, and biochar could be reduced to $65, $145, and $470/ODMT respectively with technologically improved portable systems. In addition, the MSPs of solid biofuels and biochar could be further reduced by renewable energy and carbon credits, if the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potentials are quantified and remunerated. In conclusion, portable systems could be economically feasible to use forest residues and make useful products at current market prices while simultaneously reducing potential wildfires and GHG emissions.

The aims of this study were to 1. define the responses of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon, and peptide YY (PYY) to an oral meal and to intravenous L-arginine; and 2. examine correlation of enteroendocrine hormones with insulin secretion. We hypothesized a relationship between circulating incretin concentrations and insulin secretion.Subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 23), prediabetes (PDM, n = 17), or with type 2 diabetes (T2DM, n = 22) were studied twice, following a mixed test meal (470 kCal) (mixed meal tolerance test [MMTT]) or intravenous L-arginine (arginine maximal stimulation test [AST], 5 g). GLP-1 (total and active), PYY, GIP, glucagon, and β cell function were measured before and following each stimulus.Baseline enteroendocrine hormones differed across the glucose tolerance (GT) spectrum, T2DM generallyNGT and PDM. In response to MMTT, total and active GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and PYY increased in all populations. The incremental area-under-the-curve (0-120 min) of analytes like total GLP-1 were often higher in T2DM compared with NGT and PDM (35-51%; P 0.05). At baseline glucose, L-arginine increased total and active GLP-1 and glucagon concentrations in all GT populations (all P 0.05). As expected, the MMTT and AST provoked differential glucose, insulin, and C-peptide responses across GT populations. Baseline or stimulated enteroendocrine hormone concentrations did not consistently correlate with either measure of β cell function.Both MMTT and AST resulted in insulin and enteroendocrine hormone responses across GT populations without consistent correlation between release of incretins and insulin, which is in line with other published research. If a defect is in the enteroendocrine/β cell axis, it is probably reduced response to rather than diminished secretion of enteroendocrine hormones.

Activated carbon (AC) developed and marketed for water and gas purification is traditionally made from hard coals (fossil-based materials). However, increasing awareness of environmental impacts caused by fossil fuel consumption and fossil-based products has provided a market opportunity for renewable and low-impact biobased products as alternatives including AC. The huge volumes of woody biomass generated from forest management activities could be used as feedstocks for these new bioproducts. These new bioproducts require evaluation to determine if they are low impact. To aid in quantifying environmental impacts of a new bioproduct (such as AC), this study developed the cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the carbon activation of biochar in a rotary calciner by collecting operational and direct emission data while conforming to the internationally accepted life cycle assessmentmethod. The LCI datawere then modeled to develop the life cycle impact assessment profile of biochar-based carbon activation and compared with commercial coal-based carbon activation. The results showed about 35% less cradle-to-product gate cumulative energy demand for the biochar AC system compared with the coal AC system. Consequentially, the greenhouse gas emissions for biochar AC production were less than half that of coal AC production (8.60 kg CO2 eq vs 18.28 kg CO2 eq per kg of AC produced). This was because of both lower energy consumption and the biogenic carbon benefit from using woody biomass for both feedstock and processing. To ensure substitution of the two ACs, the physical properties for the AC from biochar and coal were compared for their Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and iodine number, which showed that both indicators were superior for biochar AC compared with coal AC. Therefore, biochar AC results from this study suggest a potential high-value market for woody biomass derived from forest restoration and wildfire suppression activities.

Timber harvest activities in the western United States have resulted in large volumes of low- to no-value logging (forest) residues. Alternatives to pile-and-burning are needed to best utilize this material and to mitigate the resultant environmental impacts. Briquetting (densifying) forest residues near-woods is one such option and is the focus of this study. This study presents a cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) performed to evaluate the overall environmental impacts associated with briquetting post-harvest forest residues and dry sawmill residues (sawdust) in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States. Environmental impacts resulting from the two briquette production systems were compared with firewood and propane production, which are common residential heating sources in rural areas of the PNW, on a per 1 MJ of useful energy for domestic heating. In the briquetted post-harvest forest residue system, the feedstock preparation stage had the largest share in global warming (GW) impact, mainly resulting from the drying process (69.5%), followed by transportation. Valorization of post-harvest forest residues, in combination with a briquetter, to produce a bioenergy carrier was revealed to be advantageous in smog, acidification, and eutrophication impact categories, with considerable environmental benefits from avoided pile-and-burn emissions. With all scenarios investigated, briquette production from post-harvest forest residues with high dryer efficiency showed lowest GW impact compared to briquetting sawmill residues and firewood supply chain. For a scenario analysis, LCA showed that using a diesel generator to support the forest residue briquetter operation resulted in 45% higher GW impact compared to use of a wood-gas-powered generator. Keywords: Bioenergy, Biomass densification, Briquette, Forest residues, Life-cycle assessment, Sawdust.

There is a strong need to manage low-value forest residues generated from the management practices associated with wildfire, pest, and disease control strategies to improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of forestlands. The conversion of this woody biomass into value-added products provides a great opportunity to benefit both the environment and economy. This study aimed to assess the environmental impacts of converting forest residues into two renewable fuels, cellulosic ethanol and biomethane, by different biochemical conversion pathways. The energy balances and environmental impacts, including acidification, eutrophication, global warming, and photochemical ozone formation, of the two biorefinery approaches were addressed. This work illustrated the advantages of converting forest residues into biomethane from energy and environmental perspectives. The tradeoff between the economic benefits and potential environmental issues need to be carefully considered.

Wood processing often involves an array of products and coproducts and a cascade of primary and secondary uses. Prior life-cycle assessment (LCA) reporting allocated environmental burdens ...

To keep environmental product declarations current, the underlying life-cycle inventory (LCI) data and subsequent life-cycle assessment data for structural wood products must be updated. Primary data collected from the industry for the year 2012 were analyzed using the weighted-average to update LCIs for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production on a 1-m3 basis in the Southeast (SE) and Pacific Northwest (PNW) regions of the United States. In addition, cradle-to-gate life-cycle impact assessments (LCIAs) were performed to assess the environmental impacts associated with LVL production for both regions. The cradle-to-gate LCIAs included three life-cycle stages: forestry operations, dry veneer production, and LVL production. The LCIs revealed that the dry veneer life-cycle stage dominated overall primary energy consumption for both the SE and the PNW at 6.83 (68.5%) and 6.75 GJ/m3 (75.3%), respectively. Energy consumption at the veneer stage was based primarily on renewable sources, especially wood ...

Transparency of environmental impacts for building products is of increasing concern. For wood building products, updating life-cycle assessment (LCA) data are critical to ensure that the ...

Climate change, environmental degradation, and limited resources are motivations for sustainable forest management. Forests, the most abundant renewable resource on earth, used to make a wide variety of forest-based products for human consumption. To provide a scientific measure of a product’s sustainability and environmental performance, the life cycle assessment (LCA) method is used. This article provides a comprehensive review of environmental performances of forest-based products including traditional building products, emerging (mass-timber) building products and nanomaterials using attributional LCA. Across the supply chain, the product manufacturing life-cycle stage tends to have the largest environmental impacts. However, forest management activities and logistics tend to have the greatest economic impact. In addition, environmental trade-offs exist when regulating emissions as indicated by the latest traditional wood building product LCAs. Interpretation of these LCA results can guide new product development using biomaterials, future (mass) building systems and policy-making on mitigating climate change. Key challenges include handling of uncertainties in the supply chain and complex interactions of environment, material conversion, resource use for product production and quantifying the emissions released.

The meat industry in the US generates considerable amount of slaughterhouse waste (SHW), which is typically converted into more useable products through the rendering process. Although rendering generates sellable fat and meal commodities, it has large environmental impacts because it is energy intensive. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology for treating SHW and reducing environmental impact through biogas production to generate heat or electricity, as well as by enabling nutrient recovery and pathogen reduction. This study compared the life-cycle energy use and global warming impact of treating SHW with traditional rendering with AD to produce heat and electricity. The study also considered the co-digestion of SHW with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge. A cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to quantify the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of these systems for treating SHW. We compared three scenarios: (1) AD of SHW, (2) Co-AD of SHW with OFMSW, and (3) Co-AD of SHW with sewage sludge to reference systems of simple rendering and composting. The study findings revealed that the total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions by treating SHW with AD and co-AD were 0.5−6.7 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 400−834 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, whereas for the rendering control scenarios total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions were 1.9 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 96.4 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, respectively. However, considering all the benefits of treating SHW with co-AD, including the displacement of fossil fuel and electricity and nitrogen fertilizers generated as system outputs, these systems perform better than the rendering process. Compared to the reference systems, the GHG reduction potential of treating SHW with co-AD varied between 426.8 and 524.0 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW. Among all input parameters, methane (CH₄) leak from the AD system, and nitrogen fertilizer displacement were the most sensitive parameters affecting the results. By implementing AD of SHW in meat industries in the southeast US, the energy production and GHG emissions reduction potential were estimated to be 22–29 × 10⁶ GJ and 1.6–2.0 × 109 kg-CO₂-eq per year, respectively. The results indicate that the AD of SHW can substantially reduce GHG emissions of the US meat industry as well as produce bioenergy to provide energy security in the US.

Forest-derived biomaterials can play an integral role in a sustainable and renewable future. Research across a range of disciplines is required to develop the knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges of incorporating more renewable forest resources in materials, chemicals, and fuels. We focus on wood specifically because in our view, better characterization of wood as a raw material and as a feedstock will lead to its increased utilization. We first give an overview of wood structure and chemical composition and then highlight current topics in forest products research, including (1) industrial chemicals, biofuels, and energy from woody materials; (2) wood-based activated carbon and carbon nanostructures; (3) development of improved wood protection treatments; (4) massive timber construction; (5) wood as a bioinspiring material; and (6) atomic simulations of wood polymers. We conclude with a discussion of the sustainability of wood as a renewable forest resource.

Pacific Northwest policy makers are excited about the emergence of mass timber into U.S. construction markets as the product potentially creates local manufacturing jobs while utilizing Douglas fir growing sustainably in the region. This study assessed regional economic impacts generated by mass timber high-rise construction in Oregon. Economic impact estimates were derived using a regionally specific input-output model combined with analysis-by-parts methodology. Financial data from Portland’s 12-story Framework building, estimated using RSMeans software, provided purchasing information. The study’s economic model made use of regionally specific socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey to determine how economic impacts translated into increased earnings for study area residents. Because building with mass timber represented product substitution over traditional construction practices, this study assessed regional impacts of mass timber construction alongside the opportunity costs associated with a concrete frame alternative. Net impact assessment results indicated that construction of the 12-story building using a mass timber design generated larger economic impacts than traditional concrete frame construction and generated additional earnings for households of all income levels. Panels must be produced locally to realize the full economic benefits of mass timber construction as importing panels from outside the state creates economic leakage that reduces economic benefits.

The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a building material is gaining popularity in the North American building sector, especially in mid- to high-rise building designs. This study presents the methodology of life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and an example of a hypothetical case study in Portland, Oregon, USA, of a CLT mass timber building compared with a baseline code-compliant concrete alternative. It was found, not unexpectedly, that the mass timber building with premium energy and water saving designs exhibited a lower total life-cycle cost (TLCC) than a concrete building for a 60-year study period under provided research assumptions and limitations. The construction cost dominated the TLCCs for both buildings. Little to no historical construction and operational data exist for mass timber buildings in North America, which made this analysis limited for generalizing the results. However, a solid methodology was established for future LCCA on mass timber buildings, and cost-specific data will be implemented when the information becomes available.

The first life cycle impact assessment for redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) forest management activities (i.e. a cradle-to-sawmill gate input) including the growing, harvesting, and hauling of redwood sawlogs to a sawmill was completed. In the stump-to-truck timber harvesting analysis, primary transport activities such as skidding and yarding consumed the largest amount of fuel and consequently generated the greatest environmental impacts (50% of the total) compared with the other harvesting stages (felling, processing, and loading). Hauling sawlogs to the sawmill was also a major contributor to total greenhouse gas emissions, representing 20% of total emissions. The most efficient harvest method in terms of fuel consumption per m 3 of wood harvested was the manual ground-based system used in even-aged silvicultural operations, followed by the skyline harvesting methods. Relative to even-aged silvicultural systems, uneven-aged systems, often prescribed to meet environmental goals such as maintaining biodiversity and protecting wildlife habitats, used 20% more fuel per m 3 of redwood sawlogs harvested. This was because uneven-aged systems required an increased number of entries to harvest the same amount of wood as even-aged systems. The cradle-to-gate GHG emissions from redwood forest management activities including growing, harvesting and hauling the logs represent only 14% (17.13 kg CO 2 e/m 3 ) of the total GHG emissions (i.e. cradle-to-grave) associated with redwood decking lumber. The study results showed substantial differences in environmental impacts for the various harvesting operations and silvicultural systems for redwood forest management and operations. Therefore, the life cycle impact assessment results for the various redwood harvesting and silvicultural systems should be carefully considered when evaluating environmental performance of forest management activities along with other objectives.

The movement of firewood within emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (EAB)-infested states and into adjoining areas has been a contributor to its spread throughout the United States and Canada. In an effort to prevent further human-aided spread of EAB and to facilitate interstate commerce, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and cooperating states in the EAB quarantine have established a heat treatment process to be used as a mitigating treatment to allow movement of firewood from EAB quarantine areas. Firewood producers have since been faced with challenges implementing heat treatment processes and meeting the treatment standard for firewood. In this article, we present four case studies, conducted at firewood heat treatment facilities, with the aim of addressing these challenges. Different heat treating strategies were used in each of these facilities to meet the particular needs of operation. A step-by-step operating procedure was developed for heat treatment operation and temperature monitoring of both kiln and firewood samples during the heating process.

The Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium identified 14 loci in European Ancestry (EA) individuals associated with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) adjusted for body mass index. These loci are wide and narrowingthe signalsremains necessary. Twelve of 14 loci identified inGIANTEA samples retained strong associations with WHR in our joint EA/individuals of African Ancestry (AA) analysis (log-Bayes factor >6.1). Transethnic analysesatfiveloci (TBX15-WARS2, LYPLAL1, ADAMTS9, LY86andITPR2-SSPN)substantially narrowed the signals to smaller sets of variants, some of which are in regions that have evidence of regulatory activity. By leveraging varying linkage disequilibrium structures across different populations, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with strong signals and narrower credible sets from trans-ethnic meta-analysis of central obesity provide more precise localizations of potential functional variants and suggest a possible regulatory role. Meta-analysis results for WHR were obtained from 77 167 EA participants from GIANT and 23 564 AA participants from the AfricanAncestry Anthropometry Genetics Consortium. For fine mapping we interrogatedSNPs within ±250 kbflanking regionsof 14 previously reported indexSNPsfrom loci discovered in EApopulations by performing trans-ethnic meta-analysis of results from the EA and AA meta-analyses. We applied a Bayesian approach that leverages allelic heterogeneity across populations to combine meta-analysis results and aids in fine-mapping shared variants at these locations. We annotated variants using information from the ENCODE Consortium and Roadmap Epigenomics Project to prioritize variants for possible functionality. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

In this article, we present cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory (LCI) data for wood fuel pellets manufactured in the Southeast United States. We surveyed commercial pellet manufacturers in 2010, collecting annual production data for 2009. Weighted-average inputs to, and emissions from, the pelletization process were determined. The pellet making unit process was combined with existing LCI data from hardwood flooring residues production, and a life-cycle impact assessment was conducted using the Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) model. The potential bioenergy and embodied nonrenewable energy in 907 kg (1 ton, the functional unit of this study) of wood fuel pellets was also calculated. The pelletization of wood requires significant amounts of electrical energy (145 kWh/Mg), but the net bioenergy balance is positive. Wood pellets require 5.8 GJ of fossil energy to produce 17.3 GJ of bioenergy (a net balance of 10.4 GJ/Mg). However, if environme...

It has recently been suggested that the low-frequency c.136–14_136–13insC variant in high-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) may strongly contribute to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk. In our study, we attempted to confirm that HMGA1 is a novel type 2 diabetes locus in French Caucasians. The gene was sequenced in 368 type 2 diabetic case subjects with a family history of type 2 diabetes and 372 normoglycemic control subjects without a family history of type 2 diabetes. None of the 41 genetic variations identified were associated with type 2 diabetes. The lack of association between the c.136–14_136–13insC variant and type 2 diabetes was confirmed in an independent French group of 4,538 case subjects and 4,015 control subjects and in a large meta-analysis of 16,605 case subjects and 46,179 control subjects. Finally, this variant had no effects on metabolic traits and was not involved in variations of HMGA1 and insulin receptor (INSR) expressions. The c.136–14_136–13insC variant was not associated with type 2 diabetes in individuals of European descent. Our study emphasizes the need to analyze a large number of subjects to reliably assess the association of low-frequency variants with the disease.

Transparent and credible environmental labeling of products is vital for a sustainable future. Ecolabeling shows information on the environmental performance of products, processes, and services. T...

Because of the potential risk associated with moving emerald ash borer (EAB)-infested firewood, the interstate movement of all hardwood firewood in the USA is currently restricted under the Federal quarantine. Communities and firewood producers are now faced with decisions on how to treat their firewood for interstate commerce. The new US Federal regulations for heat sterilization of ash firewood require holding a core temperature of 71°C for 75 min, which is higher than current international standard for heat treating solid wood packaging materials (ISPM 15). A study funded by the US Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center examined the efficacy of different heat-treatment schemes for meeting the new regulations and developed empirical models for estimating heating times under various heating conditions. This paper addresses some practical issues of the heat-treatment process in terms of meeting the current heating standard for EAB, monitoring temperature changes during heating process ...

Overstocked small-diameter softwood timber in western US forests has created a serious forest health and fire hazard, and the costs of removing this material are high. One way to lower costs is to ...