Eco-efficiency

Goal, Scope and Background The eco-efficiency analysis and portfolio is a powerful decision support tool for various strategic and marketing issues. Since its original academic development, the approach has been refined during the last decade and applied to a multitude of projects. BASF, as possibly the most prominent company using and developing this tool, has applied the eco-efficiency approach to more than 300 projects in the last 7 years. One of the greatest difficulties is to cover both dimensions of eco-efficiency (costs or value added and environmental impact) in a comparable manner. This is particularly a challenge for the eco-efficiency analyses of products. Methods In this publication, an important approach and field of application dealing with product decisions based on the combination of Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is described in detail. Special emphasis is put on the quantitative assessment of the relation of costs and environmental impacts. In conventional LCA an assessment of environmental impact categories is often made by normalization with inhabitant equivalents. This is necessary to be able to compare the different environmental impact categories, because of each different unit. For the proposed eco-efficiency analysis, the costs of products or processes are also normalized with adapted gross domestic product figures. Results and Discussion The ratio between normalized environmental impact categories and normalized costs (R_E,C) is used for the graphical presentation of the results in an eco-efficiency portfolio. For the interpretation of the results of an eco-efficiency analysis, it is important to distinguish ratios R_E,C which are higher than one from ratios lower than one. In the first case, the environmental impact is higher than the cost impact, while the inverse is true in the second case. This is very important for defining which kind of improvement is needed and defining strategic management decisions. The paper shows a statistical evaluation of the R_E,C factor based on the results of different eco-efficiency analyses made by BASF. For industries based on large material flows (e.g. chemicals, steel, metals, agriculture), the R_E,C factor is typically higher than one. Conclusions and Recommendations This contribution shows that LCC and LCA may be combined in a way that they mirror the concept of eco-efficiency. LCAs that do not consider LCC may be of very limited use for company management. For that very reason, corporations should install a data management system that ensures equal information on both sides of the eco-efficiency coin.     

The sensory modality used for learning affects grades

Second-year undergraduated students from 2008, 2009, and 2010 cohorts were asked to respond a questionnaire to determine their learning style preferences, the VARK questionnaire (where V is visual, A is aural, R is reading-writing, and K is kinesthetic), which was translated into Spanish by the author. The translated questionnaire was tested for wording comprehension before its application in the actual study. Using the results of the VARK questionnaire, students were classified as unimodal or multimodal and according to the first preferred sensory modality used for learning as V, A, R, or K learners. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and problems that required simple arithmetic calculations (arithmetic-type questions) were applied to the students. The relation between the main sensory modality used for learning and the grades obtained in each question type was analyzed both in unimodal and multimodal students. It was found that R unimodal students performed significantly better in arithmetic questions than A and K unimodal students (P < 0.001 by a Bonferroni multiple-comparison test after ANOVA). R unimodal students also performed better than R multimodal students in arithmetic questions (P = 0.02 by a Mann-Whitney U-test). However, no differences were observed after MCQs in either unimodal or multimodal students with different first sensory modalities used for learning. When MCQ scores between unimodal and multimodal students were compared, no differences were detected. It was concluded that the sensory learning style used for learning affects student outcome when students receive arithmetic questions but not when MCQs are applied.     

Comparative genomic analysis of dinucleotide repeats in Tritryps

The protozoans Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major (Tritryps), are evolutionarily ancient eukaryotes which cause worldwide human parasitosis. They present unique biological features. Indeed, canonical DNA/RNA cis-acting elements remain mostly elusive. Repetitive sequences, originally considered as selfish DNA, have been lately recognized as potentially important functional sequence elements in cell biology. In particular, the dinucleotide patterns have been related to genome compartmentalization, gene evolution and gene expression regulation. Thus, we perform a comparative analysis of the occurrence, length and location of dinucleotide repeats (DRs) in the Tritryp genomes and their putative associations with known biological processes. We observe that most types of DRs are more abundant than would be expected by chance. Complementary DRs usually display asymmetrical strand distribution, favoring TT and GT repeats in the coding strands. In addition, we find that GT repeats are among the longest DRs in the three genomes. We also show that specific DRs are non-uniformly distributed along the polycistronic unit, decreasing toward its boundaries. Distinctive non-uniform density patterns were also found in the intergenic regions, with predominance at the vicinity of the ORFs. These findings further support that DRs may control genome structure and gene expression.     

Roles of Wnt8a during formation and patterning of the mouse inner ear

Fgf and Wnt signalling have been shown to be required for formation of the otic placode in vertebrates. Whereas several Fgfs including Fgf3, Fgf8 and Fgf10 have been shown to participate during early placode induction, Wnt signalling is required for specification and maintenance of the otic placode, and dorsal patterning of the otic vesicle. However, the requirement for specific members of the Wnt gene family for otic placode and vesicle formation and their potential interaction with Fgf signalling has been poorly defined. Due to its spatiotemporal expression during placode formation in the hindbrain Wnt8a has been postulated as a potential candidate for its specification. Here we have examined the role of Wnt8a during formation of the otic placode and vesicle in mouse embryos. Wnt8a expression depends on the presence of Fgf3 indicating a serial regulation between Fgf and Wnt signalling during otic placode induction and specification. Wnt8a by itself however is neither essential for placode specification nor redundantly required together with Fgfs for otic placode and vesicle formation. Interestingly however, Wnt8a and Fgf3 are redundantly required for expression of Fgf15 in the hindbrain indicating additional reciprocal interactions between Fgf and Wnt signalling. Further reduction of Wnt signalling by the inactivation of Wnt1 in a Wnt8a mutant background revealed a redundant requirement for both genes during morphogenesis of the dorsal portion of the otic vesicle.     

Segmentation and Tracking of Adherens Junctions in 3D for the Analysis of Epithelial Tissue Morphogenesis

Epithelial morphogenesis generates the shape of tissues, organs and embryos and is fundamental for their proper function. It is a dynamic process that occurs at multiple spatial scales from macromolecular dynamics, to cell deformations, mitosis and apoptosis, to coordinated cell rearrangements that lead to global changes of tissue shape. Using time lapse imaging, it is possible to observe these events at a system level. However, to investigate morphogenetic events it is necessary to develop computational tools to extract quantitative information from the time lapse data. Toward this goal, we developed an image-based computational pipeline to preprocess, segment and track epithelial cells in 4D confocal microscopy data. The computational pipeline we developed, for the first time, detects the adherens junctions of epithelial cells in 3D, without the need to first detect cell nuclei. We accentuate and detect cell outlines in a series of steps, symbolically describe the cells and their connectivity, and employ this information to track the cells. We validated the performance of the pipeline for its ability to detect vertices and cell-cell contacts, track cells, and identify mitosis and apoptosis in surface epithelia of Drosophila imaginal discs. We demonstrate the utility of the pipeline to extract key quantitative features of cell behavior with which to elucidate the dynamics and biomechanical control of epithelial tissue morphogenesis. We have made our methods and data available as an open-source multiplatform software tool called TTT (http://github.com/morganrcu/TTT)     

Risk Factors for Death from Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, State of S?o Paulo,Brazil, 2009

This case-control study aimed to assess the risk factors for death from influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in patients with laboratory confirmation, who had severe acute respiratory illness-SARI and were hospitalized between June 28^th and August 29^th 2009, in the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Campinas, Brazil. Medical charts of all the 193 patients who died (cases) and the 386 randomly selected patients who recovered (controls) were investigated in 177 hospitals. Household interviews were conducted with those who had survived and the closest relative of those who had died. 73.6% of cases and 38.1% of controls were at risk of developing influenza-related complications. The 18-to-59-year age group (OR = 2.31, 95%CI: 1.31–4.10 (reference up to 18 years of age)), presence of risk conditions for severity of influenza (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.11–3.57, if one or OR = 6.05, 95%CI: 2.76–13.28, if more than one), obesity (OR = 2.73, 95%CI: 1.28–5.83), immunosuppression (OR = 3.43, 95%CI: 1.28–9.19), and search for previous care associated with the hospitalization (OR = 3.35, 95%CI: 1.75–6.40) were risk factors for death. Antiviral treatment performed within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms (OR = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.08–0.37, if within 48hours, and OR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.11–0.81, if between 48 and 72 hours) was protective against death. The identification of high-risk patients and early treatment are important factors for reducing morbi-mortality from influenza.     

Long-Lasting Immune Protection and Other Epidemiological Findings after Chikungunya Emergence in a Cambodian Rural Community,April 2012

The East/Central/South African genotype of Chikungunya virus with the E1-A226V mutation emerged in 2011 in Cambodia and spread in 2012. An outbreak of 190 cases was documented in Trapeang Roka, a rural village. We surveyed 425 village residents within 3–4 weeks after the outbreak, and determined the sensitivity and specificity of case definitions and factors associated with infection by CHIKV. Self-reported clinical presentation consisted mostly of fever, rash and arthralgia. The presence of all three clinical signs or symptoms was identified as the most sensitive (67%) and specific (84%) self-reported diagnostic clinical indicator compared to biological confirmation by MAC-ELISA or RT-PCR used as a reference. Having an indoor occupation was associated with lower odds of infection compared with people who remained at home (adjOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12–0.82). In contrast with findings from outbreaks in other settings, persons aged above 40 years were less at risk of CHIKV infection, likely reflecting immune protection acquired when Chikungunya circulated in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975. In view of the very particular history of Cambodia, our epidemiological data from Trapeang Roka are the first to support the persistence of CHIKV antibodies over a period of 40 years.     

Microbial eco-physiological profiles to estimate the biological restoration of a trichloroethylene-contaminated soil

In the present study, the effectiveness of two plants, Medicago sativa L. and Dittrichia viscosa L., and a biostimulation method based on the use of an olive waste vermicompost, to restore the original quality of a trichloroethylene-contaminated soil was evaluated using eco-physiological profiles. These were designed in form of sun-ray plots by combining soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase, urease and o-diphenol oxidase), bacterial population size via real-time PCR, Shannon diversity index values for PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles, and genetic diversity θ_(π) of the sequenced Proteobacteria of the different treatments. The eco-physiological profiles coupling biochemical and molecular parameters could be used as a valuable index for monitoring the success of a restoration scheme, estimating the quality of both contaminated and restored soils. Particularly remarkable was the interaction between vermicompost and D. viscosa, the only treatment that improved biochemical and microbiological restoration in such a way that an eco-physiological profile greater than that of the uncontaminated soil was noticed. The results showed the need to combine chemical analysis and microbiological measurements for evaluating the efficacy of soil remediation techniques.