Life cycle assessment and cost analysis of residential buildings in south east of Turkey: part 1—review and methodology

Purpose

Buildings are responsible for more than 40 % of global energy used, and as much as 30 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. In order to quantify the energy and material inputs and environmental releases associated with each stage of construction sector, life cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost analysis of contemporary residential buildings have been conducted within two parts.

Methods

This paper is the first part of the study which includes the literature review and methodology used for such a comprehensive analysis. It was determined that there are three basic methods used in life cycle analysis: process analysis, input–output (I–O) analysis, and hybrid analysis. In this study, Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) is used for the calculation of primary energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. The second part of this study is about the application of the methodology which considers two actual buildings constructed in Gaziantep, Turkey.

Results and discussion

The proposed research focused on building construction, operating, and demolition phases. Energy efficiency, emission parameters, and costs are defined for the building per square meter basis. It is seen that the primary energy use and emissions of residential buildings around the world falls in the range of about 10 to 40 GJ/m² and 1–10 t CO₂/m² respectively.

Conclusions

The literature survey demonstrates that there are limited number of studies about life cycle cost assessment (LCCA) of residential buildings in the world. It was decided to use the ICE database as it is one of the most comprehensive databases for building materials, globally. The results of the study show that minimizing energy, material, and land use by considering potential impacts to the environment on a life cycle basis are the basic steps in designing an energy-efficient and environmental-friendly building.

     

Lack of new antiinfective agents: Passing into the pre-antibiotic age?

The lack of newly developed antibiotics, together with the increase in multi-resistance of relevant pathogenic bacteria in the last decades, represents an alarming signal for human health care worldwide. The number of severely infected persons increases not only in developing but also in highly industrialized countries. This relates in first line to the most severe form of a bacterial infection, sepsis and the septic shock syndrome, with high mortality on critical care units. No particular anti-sepsis drug is available, and the therapy with conventional antibiotics more and more fails to provide a survival benefit. Due to the fact that the pharmaceutical industry has withdrawn to a high degree from the development of anti-infectious agents, a huge challenge for health care is approaching in the 21 st century. In this article, these problems are outlined and possible alternatives are presented which may be helpful to solve the problem.     

Flashback and foreshadowing—a review of the taxon Opisthobranchia

Opisthobranchia have experienced an unsettled taxonomic history. At the moment their taxonomy is in state of dramatic flux as recent phylogenetic studies have revealed traditional Opisthobranchia to be paraphyletic or even polyphyletic, allocating some traditional opisthobranch taxa to other groups of Heterobranchia, e.g. Pulmonata. Here we review the history of Opisthobranchia and their subgroups, explain their traditionally proposed relationships, and outline the most recent phylogenetic analyses based on various methods (morphology, single gene and multiple gene analyses, as well as genomic data). We also present a phylogenetic hypothesis on Heterobranchia that, according to the latest results, represents a consensus and is the most probable one available to date. The proposed phylogeny supports the Acteonoidea outside of monophyletic Euthyneura, the basal euthyneuran split into Nudipleura (Nudibranchia plus Pleurobranchoidea) and the recently established taxon Tectipleura. The latter divides into the Euopisthobranchia, containing most of the major traditional opisthobranch clades, and the Panpulmonata, with a mix of the former opisthobranch, putative allogastropod and pulmonate taxa. This “new euthyneuran tree” rejects the traditional taxa Opisthobranchia and Pulmonata, and, in particular, has profound implications for preconceived textbook scenarios of opisthobranch and pulmonate evolution, which must now be reconsidered. In the absence of systematic barriers, research communities—which have traditionally investigated marine and non-marine heterobranchs separately—need to interact and finally merge for the sake of science.     

The interrelationship of tropical disease and mental disorder: conceptual framework and literature review (part I — malaria)

Substantial interactions between tropical diseases and psychiatric illness have long been recognized, but the impact of biological factors in the field of cross-cultural psychiatry has been less well studied than psychosocial factors. In reviewing the literature at the intersection of tropical medicine and psychiatry in order to summarize the existing data base in this field, a generalized interactive model informed by the theoretical contributions of George Engel, the WHO Scientific Working Group on Social and Economic Research, Arthur Kleinman, P. M. Yap, Edward Sapir and others has been developed to serve as a conceptual framework for this analysis of the literature and to guide further research. The clinical literature of tropical medicine and psychiatry which recognizes the significance of concurrent tropical disease and mental disorders is reviewed along with the more specific literature on malaria and concomitant psychiatric illness. Many authors have focused on the role of organic mental disorders, especially in connection with cerebral malaria, but several have also addressed psychosocial parameters through which the interrelationship between malaria and a full range of mental disorders is also mediated. The effects of malaria may serve as biological, psychological or social stressors operating in a cultural context which precipitate or shape features of psychiatric symptomatology. Psychiatric illness may likewise precipitate an episode of malaria with typical symptoms in a patient with a previously subclinical infection. Implications of the literature and this generalized interactive model are considered as they apply to clinical practice, public health and the application of social science theory in medicine.[/p]     

Independent Regulation of Reovirus Membrane Penetration and Apoptosis by the μ1 ? Domain

Apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of reovirus encephalitis. Reovirus outer-capsid protein μ1, which functions to penetrate host cell membranes during viral entry, is the primary regulator of apoptosis following reovirus infection. Ectopic expression of full-length and truncated forms of μ1 indicates that the μ1 ϕ domain is sufficient to elicit a cell death response. To evaluate the contribution of the μ1 ϕ domain to the induction of apoptosis following reovirus infection, ϕ mutant viruses were generated by reverse genetics and analyzed for the capacity to penetrate cell membranes and elicit apoptosis. We found that mutations in ϕ diminish reovirus membrane penetration efficiency by preventing conformational changes that lead to generation of key reovirus entry intermediates. Independent of effects on membrane penetration, amino acid substitutions in ϕ affect the apoptotic potential of reovirus, suggesting that ϕ initiates apoptosis subsequent to cytosolic delivery. In comparison to wild-type virus, apoptosis-defective ϕ mutant viruses display diminished neurovirulence following intracranial inoculation of newborn mice. These results indicate that the ϕ domain of μ1 plays an important regulatory role in reovirus-induced apoptosis and disease.     

Water scarcity in Brazil: part 1—regionalization of the AWARE model characterization factors

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - This paper presents the regionalized water scarcity characterization factors (CFs) of the available water remaining (AWARE) model, which was...     

Life cycle thinking in small and medium enterprises: the results of research on the implementation of life cycle tools in Polish SMEs—part 1: background and framework

Purpose

This article is the first of a series of articles presenting the results of research on the implementation of life cycle management tools in small- and medium-sized companies in Poland. This work is part of a project financed by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PAED) which began in February 2011. It was carried out by the Wielkopolska Quality Institute—a business environment institution associated with the Polish Centre for Life Cycle Assessment (PCLCA). The main practical objective of the project was to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their business development, e.g. by expanding their horizons beyond the sphere of their operation and identifying new areas for improvement and promotion of the products and services on offer. These publications are a voice in the discussion on the opportunities and pertinence of implementing life cycle thinking (LCT) in small- and medium-sized enterprises and an attempt to identify potential barriers arising from specific characteristics of SMEs which could hinder or even prevent the effective implementation of life cycle techniques. Part 1 presents the situation of SMEs in Poland, general objectives of the project and organisation of the survey process.

Methods

It was decided to carry out research on the effectiveness of the implementation of LCA and life cycle costing (LCC) in organisations that had received financial support for the implementation of life cycle techniques. Financial constraints, which might potentially be a reason for limited interest in LC techniques among SMEs in Poland, were taken into account. Thus, financial support provided an opportunity for the project to obtain information from a wide range of companies, not only from those companies that were particularly aware of the benefits of LC techniques or had a very good financial situation. Research based on the method of individual in-depth interviews was preceded by an analysis of literature showing the status of SMEs in Poland. Given the results, the project objectives were formulated and the ways of conducting the research were defined.

Results and discussion

The comparison of Polish SMEs with the same category of companies in the EU shows some similarities, such as the percentage of companies engaged in various businesses. The differences are expressed primarily in the financial potential, which in the case of Polish SMEs, is significantly smaller than the average in the EU. In the SME sector, there are less than half as many small businesses in Poland than in the EU. There are, however, many more microbusinesses in Poland. An evaluation of the prevalence of LCA and LCC techniques indicates that they are used by just 3 % of Polish SMEs, which is a very small proportion compared to the more than 50 % of SMEs taking any environmental measures. Information collected on specific details of Polish SMEs was used to identify the target group and develop a survey questionnaire which aimed to audit, among other things, the approach to environmental and economic analyses in the past and the approach to the LCA and/or LCC analyses that were implemented from the point of view of difficulties in their implementation and potential use of the results.

Conclusions

Part 1 of the series of articles demonstrates a marginal-scale dissemination of life cycle management techniques among Polish SMEs. Companies definitely prefer to introduce relatively simple solutions that do not require specialised knowledge or unnecessary costs, e.g. they introduce energy-saving bulbs and waste segregation. Only a small percentage of companies implement more complex activities, and most commonly, these are medium-sized companies with greater financial and human capital. So what should be done to make SMEs use life cycle techniques more frequently? Is it appropriate to make changes in the methodology and life cycle techniques as such, or should, rather, the incentive for SMEs to use LCT come from outside as a requirement of public institutions or suppliers in a supply chain? Answers to these questions are provided in the research conclusions presented in parts 2 and 3 of the series of articles.     

Molar absorptivity and a1cm1% values for proteins at selected wavelengths of the ultraviolet and visible regions—XIX

A table of molar absorptivity and A^1%_1cm values for more than 220 proteins is given. The conditions used to obtain these values and references to the original literature are also given.     

A legend of the SNARE complex and synaptotagmin—the insight into synaptic transmission

The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors three scientists,James Rothman,Randy Schekman and Thomas Südhof,whose work revealed the mystery of the vesicle trafficking,i.e.,how cells,from yeast to mammals,organize their transport systems.In a neuroscience perspective,this decades-long story might be described as a legend     

Docking of the alkaloid geissospermine into acetylcholinesterase: a natural scaffold targeting the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Pharmacological studies from our group [Lima et al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 92:508, (2009)] revealed that geissospermine (GSP), the major alkaloid of the bark extract of Brazilian Geissospermum vellosii, inhibits acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) in the brains of rats and electric eels (Electrophorus electricus). However, the binding mode (i.e., conformation and orientation) of this indole-indoline alkaloid into the AChE active site is unknown. Therefore, in order to propose a plausible binding mode between GSP and AChE, which might explain the observed experimental inhibitory activity, we performed comparative automatic molecular docking simulations using the AutoDock and Molegro Virtual Docker (MVD) programs. A sample of ten crystal structures of the Pacific electric ray (Torpedo californica) TcAChE, in complex with ten diverse active site ligands, was selected as a robust re-docking validation test, and also for GSP docking. The MVD results indicate a preferential binding mode between GSP and AChE, in which GSP functional groups may perform specific interactions with residues in the enzyme active site, according to the ligand–protein contacts detected by the LPC/CSU server. Four hydrogen bonds were detected between GSP and Tyr121, Ser122, Ser200, and His440, in which the last two residues belong to the catalytic triad (Ser200···His440···Glu327). Hydrophobic and π–π stacking interactions were also detected between GSP and Phe330 and Trp84, respectively; these are involved in substrate stabilization at the active site. This study provides the basis to propose structural changes to the GSP structure, such as molecular simplification and isosteric replacement, in order to aid the design of new potential AChE inhibitors that are relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Biodrying for mechanical–biological treatment of wastes: A review of process science and engineering

Biodrying is a variation of aerobic decomposition, used within mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) plants to dry and partially stabilise residual municipal waste. Biodrying MBT plants can produce a high quality solid recovered fuel (SRF), high in biomass content. Here, process objectives, operating principles, reactor designs, parameters for process monitoring and control, and their effect on biodried output quality are critically examined. Within the biodrying reactors, waste is dried by air convection, the necessary heat provided by exothermic decomposition of the readily decomposable waste fraction. Biodrying is distinct from composting in attempting to dry and preserve most of biomass content of the waste matrix, rather than fully stabilise it. Commercial process cycles are completed within 7–15 days, with mostly H₂O_(g) and CO₂ loses of ca. 25–30% w/w, leading to moisture contents of <20% w/w. High airflow rate and dehumidifying of re-circulated process air provides for effective drying. We anticipate this review will be of value to MBT process operators, regulators and end-users of SRF.     

Getting rid of the unwanted: highlights of developments and challenges of biobeneficiation of iron ore minerals—a review

The quest for quality mineral resources has led to the development of many technologies that can be used to refine minerals. Biohydrometallurgy is becoming an increasingly acceptable technology worldwide because it is cheap and environmentally friendly. This technology has been successfully developed for some sulphidic minerals such as gold and copper. In spite of wide acceptability of this technology, there are limitations to its applications especially in the treatment of non-sulphidic minerals such as iron ore minerals. High levels of elements such as potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) in iron ore minerals are known to reduce the quality and price of these minerals. Hydrometallurgical methods that are non-biological involving the use of chemicals are usually used to deal with this problem. However, recent advances in mining technologies favour green technologies, known as biohydrometallurgy, with minimal impact on the environment. This technology can be divided into two, namely bioleaching and biobeneficiation. This review focuses on Biobeneficiation of iron ore minerals. Biobeneficiation of iron ore is very challenging due to the low price and chemical constitution of the ore. There are substantial interests in the exploration of this technology for improving the quality of iron ore minerals. In this review, current developments in the biobeneficiation of iron ore minerals are considered, and potential solutions to challenges faced in the wider adoption of this technology are proposed.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 4-hydroxyl aurone derivatives as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

A series of 4-hydroxyl aurone derivatives were designed synthesized and evaluated as potential multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The results demonstrated that most of the derivatives exhibited good multifunctional properties. Among them, compound 14e displayed good inhibitory activities of self- and Cu²⁺-induced Aβ_1–42 aggregation with 99.2% and 84.0% at 25 μM, respectively, and high antioxidant activity with a value 1.90-fold of Trolox. In addition, 14e also showed remarkable inhibitory activities of both monoamine oxidase A and B with IC₅₀ values of 0.271 μM and 0.393 μM, respectively. However the 6-methoxyl aurones 15a–c revealed excellent selectivity toward MAO-B. Furthermore, the representative compounds 14e and 15b displayed good metal-chelating abilities and blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeabilities in vitro.     

Paleoecology of the cenozoic reefal foraminifers and algae — A brief review

The paleoecology of reefal foraminifers and algae assumes a considerable importance in determining and delineating sub-environments of ancient reefs, especially those of non-coral origin.A review of the ecologic distribution of the Cenozoic larger foraminifers in different biofacies of the reef-complex environment has revealed the following: (1) a prolific growth of “Alveolina” was possible in the back-reef region near the reef core; (2) Orbitolites and Marginopora preferred sheltered waters on the reef-flat and in the back-reef zones; (3) nummulitids and Discocyclina thrived in both fore- and back-reef shoal areas, but the species living in the former are much stouter than those living in the latter; (4) Heterostegina is and, in the geologic past, was a form, preferring quieter waters of the back-reef lagoons and reef-flat pools; (5) Pellatispira was a typical fore-reef form.Smaller foraminifers, as a whole, are dominant in back-reef lagoons. An abundance of miliolids indicates a sheltered environment prevailing in the reef-flat pools and back-reef zones, whereas reef flats, in general, are characterized by a paucity of smaller foraminifers. An increase in the number of nodosariids and globigerinids points to a fore-reef environment, the depth of which is indicated by the relative abundance of the latter group. Encrusting foraminifers are characteristic of the reef core and are important constituents of for-algal (foraminiferal + algal) reef complexes.Of the algae, the calcarous chlorophyte Halimeda is relatively more abundant in the sheltered parts of a reef-complex, especially the lagoons, where water is moderately agitated and clear; its sudden abundance in the geologic record indicates the advent of a reefal environment. An abundance of the calcareous chlorophyte Dasycladaceae indicates the shallow back-reef areas adjacent to the reef core. Articulated coralline algae are associated with reef-complexes but are varied in their adaptability and, hence, are widely distributed in different parts of the complex. Abundant crustose coralline algae almost certainly indicate a reef-core sub-environment; their skeletons are among the chief constructional units of the core. They increase in abundance towards the outer edge of the reef core and decrease away from it.     

Sequence and developmental expression of amphioxus AmphiNk2–1: insights into the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate thyroid gland and forebrain

 We characterized an amphioxus NK-2 homeobox gene (AmphiNk2–1), a homologue of vertebrate Nkx2–1, which is involved in the development of the central nervous system and thyroid gland. At the early neurula stage of amphioxus, AmphiNk2–1 expression is first detected medially in the neural plate. By the mid-neurula stage, expression is localized ventrally in the nerve cord and also begins in the endoderm. During the late neurula stage, the ventral neural expression becomes transiently segmented posteriorly and is then down-regulated except in the cerebral vesicle at the anterior end of the central nervous system. Within the cerebral vesicle AmphiNk2–1 is expressed in a broad ventral domain, probably comprising both the floor plate and basal plate regions; this pattern is comparable to Nkx2–1 expression in the mouse diencephalon. In the anterior part of the gut, expression becomes intense in the endostyle (the right wall of the pharynx), which is the presumed homologue of the vertebrate thyroid gland. More posteriorly, there is transitory expression in the midgut and hindgut. In sum, the present results help to support homologies (1) between the amphioxus endostyle and the vertebrate thyroid gland and (2) between the amphioxus cerebral vesicle and the vertebrate diencephalic forebrain. Received: 4 September 1998 / Accepted: 24 October 1998