Influence of derived operation-specific tractor emission data on results from an LCI on wheat production

The shortage of data for emissions from agricultural tractors contributes to LCA results on environmental load from modern crop production possibly having high error levels and high uncertainties. The first part of this work describes measurements and calculations made in order to obtain operation-specific agricultural emission data. Calculations are based on emission data measured on a standard 70 kW tractor of a widely available make. In the second part, results from an LCI on wheat production based on traditionally used emission data are calculated and compared with results obtained when using the emission data for specific working operations derived in part one. One conclusion of the study is that the emission values, when related to the energy in the used fuel, show very large variations between different driving operations. Another conclusion is that the use of the new data results in a marked reduction of the total air emissions produced in the wheat production chain, especially for CO and HC, but also for NO_x and SO₂.     

Global Scenarios: Background Review for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

The long-range outlook for the world’s ecosystems depends on the course taken by global development in the coming decades. Current global trends and ecological dynamics are consistent with very different outcomes, defined by alternative assumptions about the technological, economic, demographic, geopolitical, and social aspects of development and the ways in which institutions, personal and public values, and natural systems may be expected to respond to historically novel stressors. Recent advances in scenario analysis have addressed the dual methodological challenge of exploring these uncertainties in an organized way and determining what would be needed to make the transition to sustainability. This paper reviews global scenario research, setting current efforts in a historical context. It focuses on seven recent studies that are comprehensive, regionally disaggregated, and narratively rich—and thus of greatest relevance to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). It summarizes their social visions and the level of quantitative detail used in these exercises. Taken together, this suite of global scenario studies provides a useful platform for the MA by offering insight into the complex factors that drive ecosystem change, estimating the magnitude of regional pressures on ecosystems, sounding the alert on critical uncertainties that could undermine sustainable development, and understanding the importance of institutions and values. But these studies are only a point of departure. The integration of changing ecosystem conditions into global development scenarios, as both effects and causes, is at the cutting edge of scenario analysis. The paper concludes by identifying directions for this research program and suggesting ways that the MA can contribute to this effort.     

Agaricus Bisporus: An assessment of its carcinogenic potency

This assessment focuses on the concentrations of some chemicals present in theAgaricus bisporus mushroom, the cancer-inducing doses of these chemicals or mushroom used in the animal experiments, the total amounts of these chemicals or mushroom needed to induce cancer in these mice, and the estimated total amounts of these chemicals or mushroom needed to induce cancer in humans. By adding the estimated amounts of chemicals needed to induce cancer and by comparing it with the amount of raw mushroom needed to induce the same effect, it becomes obvious that we have accounted for less than 2% of the carcinogenic components of theAgaricus bisporus mushroom. Since some unavailable data handicapped this assessment, it should be regarded as tentative and subject to further adjustment.     

AlphaFold and the amyloid landscape

Protein aggregation is a widespread phenomenon with important implications in many scientific areas. Although amyloid formation is typically considered as detrimental, functional amyloids that perform physiological roles have been identified in all kingdoms of life. Despite their functional and pathological relevance, the structural details of the majority of molecular species involved in the amyloidogenic process remains elusive. Here, we explore the application of AlphaFold, a highly accurate protein structure predictor, in the field of protein aggregation. While we envision a straightforward application of AlphaFold in assisting the design of globular proteins with improved solubility for biomedical and industrial purposes, the use of this algorithm for predicting the structure of aggregated species seems far from trivial. First, in amyloid diseases, the presence of multiple amyloid polymorphs and the heterogeneity of aggregation intermediates challenges the “one sequence, one structure” paradigm, inherent to sequence-based predictions. Second, aberrant aggregation is not the subject of positive selective pressure, precluding the use of evolutionary-based approaches, which are the core of the AlphaFold pipeline. Instead, amyloid polymorphism seems to be constrained by the need for a defined structure-activity relationship in functional amyloids. They may thus provide a starting point for the application of AlphaFold in the amyloid landscape.     

Assessment of biology investigations

The restricted range of biology investigations submitted for assessment in England and Wales, almost exclusively laboratory-based and with very little fieldwork, can be seen as a consequence of Sc1 being perceived as a skills-based performance model. An alternative approach to procedural understanding conceptualises investigations as the process of utilising a knowledge base, the Concepts of Evidence. Four biology investigations set in different contexts are analysed in this paper and the Concepts of Evidence used are shown to be very similar for each. However, the sequence in which ideas are used and actions occur differs between lab-based investigations and fieldwork. A case is made for the assessment of investigations against the Concepts of Evidence in written tests as being potentially a more reliable and valid way of assessing the ideas used in all types of biology investigations, thus reducing the distorting effect of assessment on the curriculum.     

The role of forest residues in the accounting for the global warming potential of bioenergy

Bioenergy makes up a significant portion of the global primary energy pie, and its production from modernized technology is foreseen to substantially increase. The climate neutrality of biogenic CO₂ emissions from bioenergy grown from sustainably managed biomass resource pools has recently been questioned. The temporary change caused in atmospheric CO₂ concentration from biogenic carbon fluxes was found to be largely dependent on the length of biomass rotation period. In this work, we also show the importance of accounting for the unutilized biomass that is left to decompose in the resource pool and how the characterization factor for the climate impact of biogenic CO₂ emissions changes whether residues are removed for bioenergy or not. With the case of Norwegian Spruce biomass grown in Norway, we found that significantly more biogenic CO₂ emissions should be accounted towards contributing to global warming potential when residues are left in the forest. For a 100‐year time horizon, the global warming potential bio factors suggest that between 44 and 62% of carbon‐flux, neutral biogenic CO₂ emissions at the energy conversion plant should be attributed to causing equivalent climate change potential as fossil‐based CO₂ emissions. For a given forest residue extraction scenario, the same factor should be applied to the combustion of any combination of stem and forest residues. Life cycle analysis practitioners should take these impacts into account and similar region/species specific factors should be developed.     

Bait traps remain attractive to euglossine bees even after two weeks: a report from Brazilian Atlantic forest

Bait traps are effective and commonly used method in the studies of orchid bees. Important questions in the context of this method, including those related to bait dispersion, how long baits remain attractive, the distance from which males are supposed to be attracted to lures and so on, are still open subjects. Data on the attractiveness of bait traps that have remained in the field during two weeks in a large Atlantic forest preserve are presented. Four main results emerge from the data: (i) the abundance of specimens collected per day decreased in all the attractants as the traps were left on the field; (ii) despite this decrease, the absolute number of individuals collected after eight and fifteen days is remarkably, mostly in eugenol and vanillin baits; (iii) the vast majority of species, 22 of 25, was already collected on the first sample day; (iv) a consistent variation in the relative abundance of individuals collected in each scent as collections were made. We urge that bait traps should not be left in the field beyond what is strictly necessary since there is a real possibility of collecting a significant number of individuals as these traps remain available.     

Coastal eutrophication assessment in the United States

Recent national assessments document that nitrogen-driven coastal eutrophication is widespread and increasing in the United States. This significant coastal pollution problem includes impacts including increased areas and severity of hypoxic and anoxic waters; alteration of food webs; degradation and loss of sea grass beds, kelp beds and coral reefs; loss of biodiversity; and increased incidences and duration of harmful algal blooms. In this paper, we review two complementary approaches to assessing the causes and consequences of these trends, as well as potential remedies for them. The first is a national-scale assessment, drawn primarily from expert knowledge of those most familiar with the individual estuaries and integrated into a common analysis framework. The second approach, focused on the Mississippi/Atchafalaya basin – the largest US drainage basin – draws upon both quantitative and qualitative analyses within a comprehensive framework, Integrated Assessment.     

Monitoring of level of mean concentration and toxicity equivalence (TEQ) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in selected vegetables,beans and grains in khanewal and multan,Pakistan

Contamination of food chain by Polychlorinated biphenyls through use of pesticides, electric and industrial waste poses human health risk. In previous studies, PCB species were stated as endocrine disrupting pollutants and showed toxic health effects like cancerous and noncancerous in animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of PCBs and its toxicity equivalence in food item from plant source to evaluate the health risk in Khanewal and Multan, Pakistan. Samples were collected and processed for further analysis of PCB species through GC/MS after extraction and clean up. The mean concentrations of PCBs ranged as 2.71–151.67 ng/g in beans and grains and 2.30–97.00 ng/g dry weight in vegetables and were lower than 200–3000 ng/g PCBs recommended by FDA tolerance level for all foods. The mean concentrations of two NDL-PCB species detected in all vegetables, beans and grains except S.indicum and T.aestivum were lower than maximum allowable concentration of non-dioxin like PCBs i.e. 40ngg^?1 reported by European Commission. Mean TEQ of sum of 14 PCB species ranged as 1.52–5.91 ng-WHO-TEQg^?1 in vegetables and 1.46–10.04 ng-WHO-TEQg^?1 in beans and grains. The present study concluded that the mean concentrations and mean TEQs of PCB species in most of the vegetables, beans and grains were found safe but due to higher consumption rate of some vegetables and grains, posed the moderate level of risk for human health. This study emphasizes on an implement of the strict rules regarding the use of restricted chemicals to diminish the effluence in food chains. Current research will be useful in up gradation of effective measures to reduce the poisonous contribution of PCB sources and the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystem in the country.