Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an analytical tool that evaluates the environmental consequences of a product, process, or activity across its entire life cycle. LCA is used internationally by government and industry to obtain a comprehensive perspective of the interactions between an activity and the environment and provides a method to systematically identify opportunities for improvement. The framework is integrated into environmental management programs motivated by market awareness, public perception, and cost savings. The use of LCA is driven by external forces such as eco-labels and the recent development of the ISO 14000 standards. However, LCA has many shortcomings that need to be addressed. The concerns of poor data quality, data availability, high implementation costs, subjectivity, and lack of standardization have sent LCA into a state of flux. In light of the recent surge of interest in LCA, the authors of this article have conducted a corporate survey that targets the implementation of LCA. Their goal is to determine the level of activity of LCA among known practitioners and to elucidate common themes. This article presents their findings from responses by 34 companies that were known to be actively involved in LCA or contemplating its future use. 相似文献
Genogroup II.4 norovirus (NoV) remains the predominant NoV strain in food- and water-borne outbreaks. Capsid integrity as well as viral RNA persistence were determined for GII.4 NoV by real-time RT-PCR after 1?C14 freeze/thaw (F/T) cycles (?80?°C/+22?°C) or after ?80?°C storage for up to 120?days. In both cases, capsid integrity and viral RNA titers remained stable. RNase was exogenously added after 1?C14 F/T cycles, but did not alter the amount of genomic NoV RNA detected, indicating that capsids remained intact. Presumptive NoV infectivity was evaluated in functional studies by a porcine gastric mucin binding assay. Viruses frozen and thawed up to 14× bound similarly to porcine mucin, suggesting no reduction in virus infectivity. Overall, this study shows that a) NoV particles retain their integrity for at least 14 F/T cycles, b) long-term (120?day) frozen storage does not decrease NoV RNA titers, and c) capsid binding to receptor-like glycoprotein moieties remains unaltered after 14 F/T cycles. This work indicates that freezing and thawing of foods or beverages would not be a practical processing intervention to reduce NoV contamination. Likewise, repeated freezing and thawing, as might be encountered during winter months, is not expected to inactivate NoV in the environment. Results do show that laboratory samples destined for molecular biological analyses or for use as positive controls may be repeatedly frozen and thawed without any anticipated reduction in NoV RNA titers. This study documents the cryostability of NoV capsids and RNA to freezing and thawing and to the possible retention of virus infectivity. 相似文献
Herein, we report evidence of an envenomation apparatus (EA) in two different species of extinct “giant” shrews, Beremendia and an indeterminate soricine (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae), documented by very well preserved fossil specimens recovered
from two Early Pleistocene cave deposits of the Sierra de Atapuerca in Burgos, Spain. The two soricine taxa from Atapuerca
have evolved specialized teeth as EAs, which differ from those of recently reported mammals of the Paleocene age, being more
similar to the ones described in the modern Solenodon. This discovery reveals the first instance of shrews possessing what appears to be an EA, an evolutionary adaptation that,
in these species, was probably related to an increase in body mass and hunting of a larger-sized prey. The Atapuerca specimens
would have a highly specialized EA, one of the very few reported for an extinct or living mammal of any time. In addition
to the presence of a gutter-like groove along the medial side of the crown of the lower incisors, these two species also present
stout jaws and a modified mandibular symphysis with a conspicuous cavity, which in life would likely contain large amounts
of connective tissue. The strong mandible architecture of these large shrews would be, in this way, reinforced by a more immovable
symphysis, increasing the bite force exerted over a potential prey. This adaptation, together with the grooved incisors, would
ensure a rapid and efficient transmission of the poisonous saliva to paralyze relatively large-sized prey. 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Two carbon dots (CD) with diameters of 4.9?±?1.5 and 4.1?±?1.2 nm were successfully synthesized through an... 相似文献
Fragmentation of natural habitats is one of the main causes of the loss of biodiversity. However, all plants do not respond to habitat fragmentation in the same way due to differences in species traits. We studied the effect of patch size and isolation on the biodiversity of vegetation in the mixed-oak forests in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The aim was to evaluate whether all the growth-forms of vegetation are equally affected by forest fragmentation in order to improve the management strategies to restore this type of vegetation. This study has shown that the effect of the area and spatial isolation of the patches was not the same for the different growth-forms. Fragmentation had a mainly negative effect on the richness and diversity of forest specialist species, especially ferns and herbaceous growth-forms. Moreover, the presence and/or cover of woodland herbaceous species (such as Lamiastrum galeobdolon and Helleborus viridis) and of woodland ferns (namely Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Asplenium trichomanes, Polystichum setiferum, Dryopteris affinis) were negatively affected by patch size, possibly due to the reduction of habitat quality. These species have been replaced by more generalist species (such as Cardamine pratensis, Cirsium sp., Pulmonaria longifolia or Rumex acetosella) in small patches. Patch isolation had a negative effect on the presence of forest specialist species (namely, L.?galeobdolon, Frangula alnus, Hypericum androsaemum, A.?adiantum-nigrum and Athyrium filix-femina) and favored colonization by more generalist species such as Cirsium sp., Calluna vulgaris, Erica arborea or Ulex sp. Thus, in this region special attention should be paid to the conservation of forest specialist species, especially ferns and herbs. In conservation policy focused on forest specialist species, the most valuable species in forest ecosystems, conservation of large forest areas should be promoted. 相似文献
Acidic waters and sulphate-rich precipitates are typical by-products of mining activity such as in Rio Tinto (Huelva, SW Spain). This river drains pyrite mines situated in the Iberian Pyrite Belt which have been in operation since the Bronze Age and probably constitutes the oldest continuously operating mining activity over the world. In the present work, we have used Raman spectroscopy to study a wide range of natural mineral samples collected at Rio Tinto which origin is related to evaporation and mineral transformation processes in a wet and extreme acidic environment. In addition, we simulated the phenomenon of mineral precipitation in controlled conditions by using a simulator developed at the laboratory evaporating natural water collected at Rio Tinto. Also, a series of experiments using the same waters as small droplets have been carried out using micro-Raman technique. The droplets were placed on substrates with different chemical composition and reactivity. The results reveal that the precipitation sequence occurred in Rio Tinto mainly comprises copiapite and coquimbite group minerals followed by several other low hydrated iron sulphates. The experiments carried out on droplets allow estimating with higher accuracy the precipitation sequence. 相似文献
The preliminary analysis of four months of emergency room visits for asthma in two inner city areas containing populations of similar socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic compositions, with similar day to day weather conditions but differing in their day to day levels of air pollution was made, and the relationship of visits to emergency rooms to daily temperature and air pollution levels measured in the areas, are described. In Harlem no relationship between daily visits to emergency rooms and daily levels of either smokeshade or sulfur dioxide have been observed whereas in Brooklyn a relatively strong correlation between daily visits for asthma and daily levels of sulfur dioxide but not with smokeshade have been observed over and above the effect of temperature. In both areas there was a strong relationship between daily visits for asthma and the first cold spells of the fall season. The average male/female ratio for asthma visits to hospital emergency rooms of both areas in the age group under thirteen years of age was 1.7 and for the over thirteen years of age group was 0.6. It appears from the data that Brooklyn presents a different picture for the environmental influence on asthma attacks. Even though it has been shown by previous investigators that asthmatics are sensitive to sulfur dioxide, we feel that in our case sulfur dioxide is not necessarily the causative agent, but might rather implicate some other confounding variable (most likely an environmental agent) that is disseminated in the general Bedford-Stuyvesant area in a similar day to day pattern to sulfur dioxide. We infer this from the fact that levels of sulfur dioxide were somewhat higher on the average in the Harlem area than they were in the Brooklyn area. 相似文献
Energy efficiency in biomass production is a major challenge for a future transition to sustainable food and energy provision. This study uses methodologically consistent data on agroecosystem energy flows and different metrics of energetic efficiency from seven regional case studies in North America (USA and Canada) and Europe (Spain and Austria) to investigate energy transitions in Western agroecosystems from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth centuries. We quantify indicators such as external final energy return on investment (EFEROI, i.e., final produce per unit of external energy input), internal final EROI (IFEROI, final produce per unit of biomass reused locally), and final EROI (FEROI, final produce per unit of total inputs consumed). The transition is characterized by increasing final produce accompanied by increasing external energy inputs and stable local biomass reused. External inputs did not replace internal biomass reinvestments, but added to them. The results were declining EFEROI, stable or increasing IFEROI, and diverging trends in FEROI. The factors shaping agroecosystem energy profiles changed in the course of the transition: Under advanced organic and frontier agriculture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, population density and biogeographic conditions explained both agroecosystem productivity and energy inputs. In industrialized agroecosystems, biogeographic conditions and specific socio-economic factors influenced trends towards increased agroecosystem specialization. The share of livestock products in a region’s final produce was the most important factor determining energy returns on investment.
A contemporary issue of major concern is the millions of people fleeing homelands owing to political and socioeconomic challenges and seeking assistance elsewhere throughout the world. An effective response to this crisis includes support models that meet the various needs of refugee populations. In the complex system of humanitarian action, aid workers, among a multiplicity of actors, are the most important assets. This study utilised an inclusion–exclusion theoretical lens to examine the impact of their workplace experiences on activities in the context of the refugee crisis in Lebanon. In-depth interviews were held with 36 humanitarian practitioners, representing five international organisations that are involved in refugee aid programmes in the country. The study led to a new understanding of the link between inclusion and exclusion and the effectiveness of the humanitarian response to emergencies. In addition, it yielded new insights into apprehension about the national–international divide and its consequences for humanitarian assistance. 相似文献