Meta-comparisons: how to compare methods for LCA?

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - Many methodological papers report a comparison of methods for LCA, for instance comparing different impact assessment systems, or developing...     

Starch determination in Chlorella vulgaris—a comparison between acid and enzymatic methods

Different methods for estimating starch in Chlorella vulgaris were compared with the view of establishing a procedure suitable for rapid and accurate determination of starch content in this microalgal species. A close agreement was observed between methods that use perchloric acid and enzymatic methods that use α-amylase and amyloglucosidase to hydrolyze the starch of microalgae grown under different nitrogen culture conditions. Starch values obtained by these methods were significantly higher than those estimated by using hydrochloric acid as solubilizing and hydrolyzing agent. The enzymatic method (EM1) proved to be the most rapid and precise method for microalgal starch quantification. Furthermore, the evaluation of resistant starch by enzymatic methods assayed in nitrogen-sufficient and nitrogen-starved cells showed that no formation of this type of starch occurred in microalgae, meaning that this should not interfere with starch content determinations.     

Accounting for effects of carbon flows in LCA of biomass-based products—exploration and evaluation of a selection of existing methods

Purpose

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become one of the most widespread environmental assessment tools during the last two decades. However, there are still impacts that are not yet fully integrated, including climate impacts of land use. This study contributes to the development process by testing a selection of recently proposed climate impacts assessment methods, some more focused on the impact of land use and others more focused on a product’s carbon life cycle.

Methods

Several assessment methods have been proposed in recent years, with their development still being in progress. Of these methods, we selected three methods that are more focused on the product’s carbon life cycle, and two methods more focused on the impact of land use. We applied the methods to an LCA study comparing biomass-based polyethylene (PE) packaging via different production routes in order to identify their methodological and practical challenges.

Results and discussion

We found that including the impact of land use and carbon cycles had a profound effect on the results for global warming impact potential. It changed the ranking among the different routes for PE production, sometimes making biomass-based PE worse than the fossil alternative. Especially, the methods accounting for long time lags between carbon emissions and uptake in forestry punished the wood-based routes. Moreover, the variation in the results was considerable, showing that although assessment methods for climate impact can be applied to biomass-based products, their outcomes are not yet robust.

Conclusions

We recommend efforts to harmonize and reconcile different approaches for the assessment of climate impact of biomass-based products with regard to (1) how they consider time, (2) their applicability to both short and long rotation crops and (3) harmonization of concepts and terms used by the methods. We further recommend that all value laden methodological choices that are built into the methods, such as the choice of reference states/points, are made explicit and that the outcomes of different modelling choices are tested.

     

LCA in architectural design—a parametric approach

Purpose

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has not been widely applied in the building design process because it is perceived to be complex and time-consuming. There is a high demand for simplified approaches that architects can use without detailed knowledge of LCA. This paper presents a parametric LCA approach, which allows architects to efficiently reduce the environmental impact of building designs.

Methods

First, the requirements for design-integrated LCA are analyzed. Then, assumptions to simplify the required data input are made and a parametric model is established. The model parametrizes all input, including building geometry, materials, and boundary conditions, and calculates the LCA in real time. The parametric approach possesses the advantage that input parameters can be adjusted easily and quickly. The architect has two options to improve the design: either through manually changing geometry, building materials, and building services, or through the use of an optimization solver. The parametric model was implemented in a parametric design software and applied using two cases: (a) the design of a new multi-residential building, and (b) retrofitting of a single-family house.

Results and discussion

We have successfully demonstrated the capability of the approach to find a solution with minimum environmental impact for both examples. In the first example, the parametric method is used to manually compare geometric design variants. The LCA is calculated based on assumptions for materials and building services. In the second example, evolutionary algorithms are employed to find the optimum combination of insulation material, heating system, and windows for retrofitting. We find that there is not one optimum insulation thickness, but many optima, depending on the individual boundary conditions and the chosen environmental indicator.

Conclusions

By incorporating a simplified LCA into the design process, the additional effort of performing LCA is minimized. The parametric approach allows the architect to focus on his main task of designing the building and finally makes LCA practically useful for design optimization. In the future, further performance analysis capabilities such as life cycle costing can also be integrated.

     

PhyloChip™ microarray comparison of sampling methods used for coral microbial ecology

Interest in coral microbial ecology has been increasing steadily over the last decade, yet standardized methods of sample collection still have not been defined. Two methods were compared for their ability to sample coral-associated microbial communities: tissue punches and foam swabs, the latter being less invasive and preferred by reef managers. Four colonies of star coral, Montastraea annularis, were sampled in the Dry Tortugas National Park (two healthy and two with white plague disease). The PhyloChip™ G3 microarray was used to assess microbial community structure of amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences. Samples clustered based on methodology rather than coral colony. Punch samples from healthy and diseased corals were distinct. All swab samples clustered closely together with the seawater control and did not group according to the health state of the corals. Although more microbial taxa were detected by the swab method, there is a much larger overlap between the water control and swab samples than punch samples, suggesting some of the additional diversity is due to contamination from water absorbed by the swab. While swabs are useful for noninvasive studies of the coral surface mucus layer, these results show that they are not optimal for studies of coral disease.     

On statistical methods for comparison of intrasample morphometric variability: Zalavár revisited

In studies of morphology, methods for comparing amounts of variability are often important. Three different ways of utilizing determinants of covariance matrices for testing for surplus variability in a hypothesis sample compared to a reference sample are presented: an F-test based on standardized generalized variances, a parametric bootstrap based on draws on Wishart matrices, and a nonparametric bootstrap. The F-test based on standardized generalized variances and the Wishart-based bootstrap are applicable when multivariate normality can be assumed. These methods can be applied with only summary data available. However, the nonparametric bootstrap can be applied with multivariate nonnormally distributed data as well as multivariate normally distributed data, and small sample sizes. Therefore, this method is preferable when raw data are available. Three craniometric samples are used to present the methods. A Hungarian Zalavár sample and an Austrian Berg sample are compared to a Norwegian Oslo sample, the latter employed as reference sample. In agreement with a previous study, it is shown that the Zalavár sample does not represent surplus variability, whereas the Berg sample does represent such a surplus variability.     

Selection response for part period egg number and egg mass in chickens — a comparison

Summary Two sublines from each of four flocks of White Leghorn were subjected to two cycles of selection for part year egg number and part year egg mass. A family index (combined selection) was the selection criterion for each of the two traits. The generation means of an unselected pedigreed randombred control, bred and maintained along with the selected sub-lines, were used for correcting short term environmental trends. The sublines selected for a common selection criterion were considered as replicates. The control corrected generation means, when averaged over replicates, gave the mean direct and correlated responses for the selected and different unselected traits. The average genetic change per generation was 2.16 eggs in egg number selected sublines and 146 g of egg mass in egg mass selected sublines. The direct response marginally exceeded the correlated response for both part period egg number and egg mass seen in the corresponding sublines. Except for egg weight the correlated responses for different unselected traits were in the same direction in both egg number and egg mass selected sublines. While the egg weight in egg number lines did not change, its response was positive in egg mass selected lines. A comparison between the lines revealed that the egg mass selected lines matured later and laid heavier but slightly less numerous eggs than the egg number selected sub-lines.     

Metaheuristics and Pontryagin’s minimum principle for optimal therapeutic protocols in cancer immunotherapy: a case study and methods comparison

Journal of Mathematical Biology - In this paper, the performance appropriateness of population-based metaheuristics for immunotherapy protocols is investigated on a comparative basis while the goal...     

Which cervical sampler? A comparison of four methods

Four cytology sampling methods were compared in 1063 patients referred for colposcopy with a recent abnormal smear. A dyskaryotic smear of any grade was considered a positive result, though comparisons were limited to cases with a subsequent biopsy confirming CINII or III. There were no differences between the abilities of any of the four methods to detect higher grades of CIN (χ²₃=4.603, P >0.20). the presence or absence of endocervical cells in a smear was not significantly associated with any variation in success rate (χ²₁=0.959, P >0.30). the joint analysis of the four methods and the presence/absence of endocervical cells also showed no significant effects (χ²₇=12.768, 0.1 > P >0.05). In the latter analysis the trend towards a conventional level of significance was accounted for by the Aylesbury spatula giving a relatively high success rate when endocervical cells were present. the suggestion of advantage for the Aylesbury spatula merits further investigation.     

Computational methods for evaluation of cell-based data assessment—Bioconductor

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Highlights► Bioconductor proposes more than 20 R packages for FCM analysis. ► Data infrastructure proposed by flowCore has become the standard for many packages. ► Automated gating is improving but remains an intensive field of research.     

Error identification/propagation/remediation in biomonitoring surveys—A knowledge-based approach towards standardization via fault tree analysis

Biomonitoring has become a key concept in environmental management since it is the most ecologically-relevant means for assessing pollution impact. Its broad applicability, however, raises the need for harmonization, optimization and standardization. The main difficulty met in the development of a generalized methodological framework for standardizing biomonitoring surveys is to reconcile a theoretical approach with an operational approach: in any set-up the survey strategy should ensure that the measured values represent the status of the environment. This leads, inevitably, to the application of a variety of methods, techniques and strategies in order to accommodate the special ecogeomorphological characteristics of each area and handle adequately the knowledge gaps related to local species stress response mechanisms and tolerances. Thereby, comparability of the results, even between subsequent surveys in the same area or concurrent surveys at neighbouring areas, is unfeasible, yet indispensable in defining spatiotemporal pollution patterns in large ecosystems. This inevitably requires some kind of normalization/harmonization that would strengthen any observed correlations between exposure and health effects, which ultimately may point at potential causal relationships. The aim of this work is to design/develop a knowledge management tool, built on a cybernetic infrastructure for (i) localizing the variation source(s) in each project that prohibit inter-survey normalisation/comparability, (ii) determining the path of error propagation as a causal chain when a fault is identified, (iii) testing the ultimate causes suggested as mostly responsible for this fault, and (iv) proceeding to remedial proposals (including a feedback possibility in case that the suggested remedy is proved to be inadequate) with a view to improving quality and reliability of biosurveillance. The presented tool relies on Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis (FFTA) to identify, categorise, sort and analyse all possible sources of variation and error in biomonitoring; thereby, an expert system is developed, where the tree (dendritic) structure serves as the Knowledge Base (KB) and the fuzzy rules based decision mechanism is the inference engine. This scheme, relying on a collaborative model building methodology and a systemic modeling formalism by using 2nd order cybernetics in order to include human judgement and reasoning, enables knowledge to be used not only for representation but also for reasoning at functional level.     

On methods in hare Indian ethnology — a. rejoinder

Prelude to East African History, a collection of papers given at the First East African Vacation School in Pre‐European African History and Archaeology in December 1962, Merrick Posnansky, editor, Student's Library, Oxford University Press, London 1966. 186 pp., 9 s. 6 d.

Ethiopian Music. An Introduction. A Survey of Ecclesiastical and Secular Ethiopian Music and Instruments. Michael Powne. Oxford University Press, London 1966. xix+160 pp., 11 pl., 5 figs., 36 music ex. 1 map. Price 42 s. ‐ 2nd edition. London 1968. Price 45 s.

An Africans Religion. The Spirit of Nyajena. Case History of a Karanga People. Michael Gelfand. Juta &; Co., Limited. Cape Town, Wynberg, Johannesburg 1966. 135 pp. 1 Karte, Illustr. Price 37 s 6 d.

Mkhas Grub Rje's Fundamentals of the Buddhist Tantras. Ferdinand D. Lessing and Alex Wayman. Rgyud sde spyihi rnam par gzag pa rgyas par brjod. The Hague, Paris. 1968.

A Ceremonial Ox of India: The Mithan in Nature, Culture, and History. Frederick J. Simoons. University of Wisconsin Press Ltd., London 1968. 323 pp., pr. 104 s. 6 d.

Dor el Gussa und Gebel ben Ghnema. Zur nachpluvialen Besiedlungsgeschichte des Ostfezzan. Ergebnisse der Frobenius‐Expedition nach libyen 1963/64. Helmut Ziegert. Veröffentlichung des Frobenius‐Institutes Frankfurt. F. Steiner Verlag. Wiesbaden 1967. X+94 S. m. 19 Abb., 203 Taf., 3 Karten. Gebunden. DM 66: ‐.

Archäologische Untersuchungen am Mittleren Amazonas. Beiträge zur Vorgeschichte des südamerikanischen Tieflandes. Peter Paul Hilbert. Marburger Studien zur Völkerkunde I. Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 1968. 164 Abb., 11 Karten, 337 Seiten. Preis DM 60:‐.

Bibliography of Benin Art. Paula Ben‐Amos. Primitive Art Bibliographies. No. VI. The Museum of Primitive Art. New York 1968, 27 pp.

Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion. 1966. 176 pp. Price 30 s.

The Social Anthropology of Complex Societies. 1966. 156 pp. Price 30 s. A.S.A. Monographs 3 and 4. Michael Banton (general editor). Tavistock Publications. London.

Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology. George and Louise Spindler (general editors). Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, London.

Changing Japan. Edward Norbeck. 1965. 82 pp., 1 map, 1 pl.

The Dusun. A North Borneo Society. Thomas Rhys Williams. 1965. 100 pp., 1 pl., 1 map.

Understanding an African Kingdom: Bunyoro. John Beatty. New York … 1965. 61 pp., 1 map.

Bunyoro. An African Kingdom. John Beatty. New York … 1960. 86 pp., 1 pl., 1 map.     

A system dynamics approach in LCA to account for temporal effects—a consequential energy LCI of car body-in-whites

Purpose  

The purpose of this paper is to take steps towards a life cycle assessment that is able to account for changes over time in resource flows and environmental impacts. The majority of life cycle inventory (LCI) studies assume that computation parameters are constants or fixed functions of time. This assumption limits the opportunities to account for temporal effects because it precludes consideration of the dynamics of the product system.     

Are public payments for organic farming cost-effective? Combining a decision-support model with LCA

Purpose  

The agricultural sector fulfils several functions such as the production of food energy and landscape conservation. An equilibrium between economic development and environmental protection should be found and research should aid political decision-making. In recent years, great efforts have been made to assess the environmental and economic implications of changes in both environmental and agricultural policies. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been extended by cost functions and social parameters. The validation of suggestions for political measures can be improved by combining existing environmental and economic models. This approach is applied in this paper in order to compare an increased support for organic farming with specific environmental policy measures, focusing on the resulting impacts and socioeconomic indicators.     

LIMS — a catalyst for re-engineering

This paper describes how a laboratory information management system (LIMS) can act as a catalyst for re-engineering. Some of the key issues of successful change management are described and the common pitfalls that LIMS projects can fall into are summarised.