Development of weighting factors in the context of LCIA

A new method is proposed for the identification of environmental impact category weights using a panel approach and a MultiCriteria Decision Aid (MCDA) for use within the weighting step in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA). Seven environmental criteria were assessed by panellists and weights were obtained. The weighting factors of 10 impact categories were calculated according to a four-step procedure: (1) criteria definition; (2) scoring of each impact category (scale of 1–100, 100 causing the most damage) according to seven environmental criteria (human health, ecosystem health, resource consumption as well as scale, duration, reversibility and “distance-to-target”) by a panel of Canadian citizens; (3) assessment of each criterion's importance using a “resistance to change” approach; and (4) criteria aggregation (through MCDA) which allowed the calculation of a final weighting score for each impact category. The greatest advantage of this procedure is the ease with which it can be implemented in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study whatever the LCIA method is used. Integrating weighting factors specific to the Canadian environmental context into a site-dependant LCIA method will contribute to the progress of LCA in Canada.     

‘Dynamic behavioral fingerprinting’: what drives the deployment of environmental information and communication capabilities?

This article investigates the impact of organizational drivers for the implementation of business process and network information and communication capabilities (ICCs) supporting cleaner production in the Dutch food and beverage industry. We do so with the intention to promote ‘dynamic behavioral fingerprinting’.Survey results show, that sub-sectors of this industry are driven to adopt environmental ICCs to a different level. Responses range from compliance-oriented (Slaughterhouses & meat sub-sector) to market-oriented (Bakery and biscuits sub-sector). Knowledge of key drivers and their impact offers opportunities to adjust the environmental policy and instruments to sub-sector specifics so that its effectiveness is improved. We therefore propose ‘dynamic behavioral fingerprinting’: mapping “typical” patterns of managerial response towards environmental issues, in order to improve the effectiveness of public–private interaction and cooperation.     

Tailor-made scenario planning for local adaptation to climate change

This paper presents a tailor-made scenario approach for climate change adaptation planning, which emphasises involvement of stakeholders in the development of socioeconomic scenarios and relates to the planning situation and interest of the planning entity. The method was developed and tested in case studies in three different sectors in Sweden (the health sector, the tourism sector and water resource management). The result of the case studies is that the tailor-made scenario approach facilitated the engagement of the local planning body in climate change adaptation and helped them to analyse consequences and possible solutions in a structured way. However, the scenarios that emerged mainly focused on socioeconomic drivers on which the planning body had a large impact or drivers that can be influenced through cooperation with other actors at the local or regional level. While this result underlines the need for local stakeholder involvement in scenario processes, it also indicates a local bias that could be remedied by a stronger representation of national and global perspectives in the scenario development process. Finally, we discuss how a “bottom-up” approach could be combined with a “consistency” approach, which points towards a possible way forward to a hybrid methodology that is compatible with the scenario framework currently being developed in connection to the fifth assessment report of the IPCC.     

北京市不同天气条件下单颗粒形貌及元素组成特征

使用透射电镜(TEM)对采自北京市2011年3~4月间不同天气条件下的气溶胶样品进行观察,并对比2010年3月沙尘天气和2010年11月18日雾天样品,对可吸入颗粒物PM10的基本形貌、矿物元素组成和硫化特征等做比较分析.结果表明,采样期间PM10主要包括烟尘集合体、飞灰、矿物颗粒、二次反应颗粒等,不同天气条件下颗粒类型并无明显差别.采样期间矿物颗粒以“富Si”颗粒(占总量46%)为主,“富Ca”(总量17%)、“富S”颗粒(总量13%)为次要,“富Fe”(总量7%)及较少“富Na” 颗粒(总量6%)和其他颗粒.沙尘天气中沙尘暴输入大量沙尘颗粒使占颗粒83% 的“富Si”颗粒含量明显高于阴天的36%和雾天的32%.仅在阴天和雾天发现大量“富S”颗粒,其中雾天26%,阴天10.7%,说明这2种天气二次反应强烈,易于生成富S二次颗粒,对颗粒物元素组成产生影响.对所有含S颗粒分析表明,不同天气含S矿物含量差异较大,阴天16%,雾天36%,晴天和沙尘天气则含量很低,说明一定的SO2浓度下,大气湿度越大,硫化现象越明显.雾天颗粒物表面的硫化现象相当严重,在含硫量较高的颗粒中,绝大部分同时含有Ca、Na、Si、Fe等元素,说明大气中含Ca、Na、Si、Fe的碱性矿物对雾水酸性有一定的缓冲作用.     

Design principles in commons science: A response to “Ostrom,Hardin and the commons” (Araral)

Within the literature on common-pool resource management, one of the primary methodologies used is the meta-analysis of case studies, due to the difficulties of otherwise producing large-n datasets that span multiple systems. In this paper we respond to a critique of a previous meta-analysis that we have conducted, in which we evaluated Elinor Ostrom’s institutional design principles. Within our response we correct what we perceive to be factual errors contained in this critique, but more importantly we try to use this opportunity to re-evaluate our own work and expand this evaluation to the seminal work of Elinor Ostrom and the research program on common-pool resource management. We find that the original critique highlighted several important points, primarily the challenge of unpacking complex variable relationships and the conflation of diverse outcomes, and we discuss how these are challenges for the larger commons field. We conclude with some comments on how to move forward to confront these challenges.     

University research for sustainable development: definition and characteristics explored

University research is pivotal for sustainable development, but to succeed, new ways of conducting research are needed. Only recently has the field of “sustainability and higher education” (SHE) started to deal with the issue. In this paper we define “university research for sustainable development” comprehensively as “all research conducted within the institutional context of a university that contributes to sustainable development”, and propose a set of twenty two preliminary characteristics of this concept. We provide foundational information in particular for various university stakeholders, and those of higher education in general, considering the (re)orientation of research towards sustainable development and offer a beginning of dialogue on the subject, within SHE.     

Voluntary Agreements as an environmental policy instrument — evaluation criteria

As the resource to voluntary action grows wider, a question must be held on the factors that influence the performance of a Voluntary Agreement as an environmental policy instrument. Our goal in this paper is to answer that question, outlining the main variables that make a Voluntary Agreement simultaneously efficient, effective and just. Using several articles on the subject of voluntary action, under the themes of “economic regulation” and of contracts under “asymmetric information”, as well as available reports on the Portuguese and European experience on the use of Voluntary Agreements, we will undertake this objective following three steps: (i) we begin by underlining the main factors that justify the private and public option for Voluntary Action. (ii) We then present an analysis of the co-regulation process under the requirements of the three E criteria: efficiency, effectiveness and equity. (iii) Finally we conclude by presenting an “evaluation table” that summarises the elements that we found to be the most important for the “performance” of the voluntary action in each one of those criteria.     

Environmental impact of the substitution of imported soybean meal with locally-produced rapeseed meal in dairy cow feed

Growing public concerns about the traceability, safety and environmental-friendliness of food products provide an incentive for shorter supply chains in agricultural production. Here, we assessed the environmental impacts of the substitution of imported soybean meal with locally-produced rapeseed meal in French dairy production systems, using a life-cycle approach. Two feeding rations based on either French-produced rapeseed meal or Brazilian-produced soy meal as concentrates, were compared for nine impact categories, including global warming, ecotoxicity and eutrophication. Crop production was the main contributor to most impacts, while overseas transport of soy meal only had a marginal effect. The “Soybean” ration appeared more environmentally-efficient than the “Rapeseed” ration because it involved less intensive management practices, in particular regarding synthetic fertilizers consumption. However, land use changes brought about by soybean cultivation should also be examined.     

国家循环经济试点城市评价指标体系设计及案例分析

随着国家循环经济试点进入评判阶段,建立科学的循环经济发展模式评判体系尤为重要.在评述现有方法及评价指标体系的基础上,基于循环经济发展内涵,提出了“目标-结构-响应”3层循环经济评价指标体系.案例研究表明,1996—2008年国家试点城市——邯郸市资源生产力大幅攀升,年均增长率达7.3%,而同期碳排放强度大幅下降,年均下降率达4.5%;生产函数计量结果表明,资源要素对经济增长的贡献率由2000─2004年的34%降至2005─2008年的21%.说明邯郸市在“十一五”期间经济增长与资源输入和环境排放显著脱钩,由资源依赖型向资源效益型发展模式转变.结构和响应层面的指标证明了目标层面上的显著变化.      

“The commons” as a dynamic variable in understanding strategic alliances of scale: A groundwater case study in Pajaro Valley,California

Groundwater, a critical resource in many parts of the world, is often characterized as a common pool resource (Brozovic et al., 2006). Multiple individuals utilize groundwater from a basin, and each person has the capacity to reduce the quantity or quality available to others. We turn to a case study of the Pajaro Groundwater Basin in Central California to re-envision the characterization of “commons.” While providing a useful frame from which to analyze groundwater depletion in the Pajaro, we find Common Pool Resource (CPR) theory to be imprecise in its approach to a geographic scale. The notion of the “commons” is central to CPR studies, but there is wide divergence in what the “commons” constitutes, both spatially and socially (Laerhoven and Ostrom, 2007). Rather than propose a normative definition for the “commons,” we suggest that the “commons” as a geographic category is socially constructed and dynamically active over time, akin to the analytic of scale as developed within the fields of political ecology and geography. This move from situating the “commons” as a fixed and discrete geographic area to that which is constantly changing and relational helps us to better understand the ways in which water users collaborate and communicate around shared groundwater sources.     

Complementarity,biodiversity viability analysis,and policy-based algorithms for conservation

Biodiversity conservation “area-selection” strategies include not only trade-offs among society’s needs in land-use allocation, but also allocation of economic instruments such as incentives, levies, and biodiversity credits. For these applications, the key property of an area is its “complementarity”—the context-dependent, marginal gain in biodiversity provided by the area. Given that there has been little implementation of whole-sets of areas generated by the popular computer-based selection methods, we suggest that analogous “policy-based algorithms” would be a more effective real-world application of complementarity. Areas would be “selected” for conservation over time as a consequence of policies in which dynamic complementarity values influence application of economic instruments. These integrated biodiversity/economic strategies can use an extended form of complementarity reflecting marginal changes in regional probability of persistence of biodiversity. While probabilistic measures of biodiversity viability have been explored in area-selection for some time, it remains difficult to make viability statements about “all of biodiversity.” New approaches that use biodiversity surrogate information for “biodiversity viability analysis” (BVA) can take advantage of a general quantitative biodiversity framework in which pattern-based relationships among areas allow predictions at the species level. A standard assumption of “unimodal” species responses to environmental gradients yields an expected distribution of species in an ordination pattern, and allows sampling of inferred species. Based on environmental correlates, inferred species can be mapped in geographic space, forming distribution fragments. This information, when linked to species persistence models, may allow ongoing calculation of areas’ complementarity values. An example illustrates application of these ordination models to museum collection data for lizards from New South Wales (NSW), Australia.     

Risks in urban rooftop agriculture: Assessing stakeholders’ perceptions to ensure efficient policymaking

Rooftop agriculture (RA) is an innovative form of urban agriculture that takes advantage of unused urban spaces while promoting local food production. However, the implementation of RA projects is limited due to stakeholders’ perceived risks. Such risks should be addressed and minimized in policymaking processes to ensure the sustainable deployment of RA initiatives. This paper evaluates the risks that stakeholders perceive in RA and compares these perceptions with the currently available knowledge, including scientific literature, practices and market trends. Qualitative interviews with 56 stakeholders from Berlin and Barcelona were analyzed for this purpose. The results show that perceived risks can be grouped into five main categories: i) risks associated with urban integration (e.g., conflicts with images of “agriculture”), ii) risks associated with the production system (e.g., gentrification potential), iii) risks associated with food products (e.g., soil-less growing techniques are “unnatural”), iv) environmental risks (e.g., limited organic certification) and v) economic risks (e.g., competition with other rooftop uses). These risks are primarily related to a lack of (scientific) knowledge, insufficient communication and non-integrative policymaking. We offer recommendations for efficient project design and policymaking processes. In particular, demonstration and dissemination activities as well as participatory policymaking can narrow the communication gap between RA developers and citizens.     

科层制度视角下旅游地水资源治理的演变研究——以哈尼梯田为例

旅游业的可持续依赖于各项环境资源的投入及其科学有效的治理,而旅游地公共池塘资源治理问题仍有待深入。水资源作为一类典型的公共池塘资源,是目的地可持续发展的关键。以哈尼梯田核心区为案例,以水权科层概念模型为分析框架,通过半结构访谈、参与式观察等质性研究方法,探讨大众旅游发展前后目的地水权结构的演变历程。研究发现：（1）政体变动和大众旅游业的发展是促成目的地水权结构演变的主要动力,从赋权体系和分配方式两方面影响用户的水资源利用实践;（2）旅游情境下,目的地用户主体的异质性增强,水资源稀缺性提高,商品化趋势明显;（3）科层结构下,集体层级的决策实体作为连接国家层级决策实体和用户层级的中间层,只有充分发挥其监督管理的治理职能才能促进资源的公平利用与可持续发展。现阶段案例地水资源治理以市场力量为主导,而政府管理存在一定缺位,面临可持续发展的挑战。     

“无废城市”驱动下的城市代谢系统优化潜力评估:以盘锦市为例

“无废城市”建设试点的提出标志着中国“无废社会”战略的实施和落实。采用物质流分析法量化了盘锦市2005—2018年的城市物质代谢;采用层次分析法和熵权法综合评价城市经济、资源、环境子系统的发展水平;借助系统动力学探究“无废城市”综合管理相较于其他发展模式对城市代谢系统优化的多方面潜力。结果表明:盘锦市物质投入产出具有“高投入、高排放、高隐藏流”特点;资源效益发展受限影响着整体城市代谢水平;在“无废城市”综合管理模式下,预计2025年资源产出率将在2018年基础上提高20.29%,环境效率提升4倍,极大地促进城市代谢系统资源、环境、经济层面的优化。     

中国新型城镇化发展的“C 模式”研究

研究了以美国为首的发达国家城镇化的发展历程,称为“A模式”,主要特征为城市低密度蔓延、全民机动化、资源大量消耗、一次性产品泛滥、过度消费等,总结经验教训,对比中国特色城镇化的发展历程,称为“ B模式”,主要特点是起步晚、水平较低、速度快,从资源与环境的角度分析了中国城镇化发展状况以及面临的形势,指出中国继续以“B模式”的城镇化发展将不可持续,不再适应中国建设“新型城镇化”的发展目标和日益提高的环保要求,探索实现中国“新型城镇化”的发展目标的“C模式”,即是坚持以节约优先、保护优先、自然恢复为原则,走以新型工业化和农业现代化推动下的新型城镇化道路。     

Computer und chemische Synthese

Numerous computer programs have gained entry into drug research; some of them are already used as a matter of routine, whereas others are still being tested. The special advantages of the use of computer programs are shown for the two fields “computer-assisted synthesis planning” and “quantitative structure-activity relationships”. Several aspects of cooperation between man and computer are briefly discussed.     

Prioritization of climate change adaptation approaches in the Gambia

Adaptation to climate change has been recognized as very important in developing countries that face the greatest threats from global warming. In proposing various adaptation approaches, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change required nations to prepare adaptation plans of action. However, the areas of priority in climate change adaptation have not been considered. This study has developed a new prioritization methodology for climate change adaptation in developing countries. Five categories and 25 approaches in climate change adaptation were adopted through a thorough and detailed analysis of pertinent literature related to the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) in the Gambia. A fuzzy analytic hierarchy process-based questionnaire survey was designed and presented to 12 experts chosen from the committee members of the Gambia’s NAPA. The survey was made to determine the relative importance of the strategies for climate change adaptation. The results indicate that the five most important adaptation categories are health (0.223), forestry (0.213), water (0.210), food (0.181), and energy (0.174), with health as the number one priority in climate change adaptation. Further findings show that the prioritization order of the adaptation approaches to climate change in the Gambia is as follows: “Health education,” “public sensitization,” “water supply infrastructure development,” “microfinance,” and “infrastructure and technology enhancement.”     

Amphimixis and the individual in evolving populations: does Weismann’s Doctrine apply to all,most or a few organisms?

The German biologist August Weismann (1834–1914) proposed that amphimixis (sexual reproduction) creates variability for natural selection to act upon, and hence he became one of the founders of the Neo-Darwinian theory of biological evolution. He is perhaps best known for what is called “Weismann’s Doctrine” or “Weismann’s Barrier” (i.e. the irreversible separation of somatic and germ cell functionalities early during ontogeny in multicellular organisms). This concept provided an unassailable argument against “soft inheritance” sensu Lamarck and informed subsequent theorists that the only “individual” in the context of evolution is the mature, reproductive organism. Herein, we review representative model organisms whose embryology conforms to Weismann’s Doctrine (e.g. flies and mammals) and those that do not (e.g. freshwater hydroids and plants) based on this survey and the Five Kingdoms of Life scheme; we point out that most species (notably bacteria, fungi, protists and plants) are “non-Weismannian” in ways that make a canonical definition of the “individual” problematic if not impossible. We also review critical life history functional traits that allow us to create a matrix of all theoretically conceivable life cycles (for eukaryotic algae, embryophytes, fungi and animals), which permits us to establish where this scheme Weismann’s Doctrine holds true and where it does not. In addition, we argue that bacteria, the dominant organisms of the biosphere, exist in super-cellular biofilms but rarely as single (planktonic) microbes. Our analysis attempts to show that competition among genomic variants in cell lineages played a critical part in the evolution of multicellularity and life cycle diversity. This feature was largely ignored during the formulation of the synthetic theory of biological evolution and its subsequent elaborations.     

Artificial intelligence in obstetric ultrasound: A scoping review

The objective is to summarize the current use of artificial intelligence (AI) in obstetric ultrasound. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched using the following keywords “neural networks”, OR “artificial intelligence”, OR “machine learning”, OR “deep learning”, AND “obstetrics”, OR “obstetrical”, OR “fetus”, OR “foetus”, OR “fetal”, OR “foetal”, OR “pregnancy”, or “pregnant”, AND “ultrasound” from inception through May 2022. The search was limited to the English language. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they described the use of AI in obstetric ultrasound. Obstetric ultrasound was defined as the process of obtaining ultrasound images of a fetus, amniotic fluid, or placenta. AI was defined as the use of neural networks, machine learning, or deep learning methods. The authors’ search identified a total of 127 papers that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The current uses of AI in obstetric ultrasound include first trimester pregnancy ultrasound, assessment of placenta, fetal biometry, fetal echocardiography, fetal neurosonography, assessment of fetal anatomy, and other uses including assessment of fetal lung maturity and screening for risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. AI holds the potential to improve the ultrasound efficiency, pregnancy outcomes in low resource settings, detection of congenital malformations and prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes.