Life cycle assessment of base–load heat sources for district heating system options

Purpose  

There has been an increased interest in utilizing renewable energy sources in district heating systems. District heating systems are centralized systems that provide heat for residential and commercial buildings in a community. While various renewable and conventional energy sources can be used in such systems, many stakeholders are interested in choosing the feasible option with the least environmental impacts. This paper evaluates and compares environmental burdens of alternative energy source options for the base–load of a district heating center in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) using the life cycle assessment method. The considered energy sources include natural gas, wood pellet, sewer heat, and ground heat.     

Deparaffinization of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks using hot water instead of xylene

This study aimed to deparaffinize formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues using hot water instead of xylene and measuring the quantity and quality of the extracted DNA from the respective tissues. To deparaffinize the tissue sections with hot water, small sections were exposed to 90 °C distilled sterile water. After 25 FFPE tissue samples were deparaffinized with the hot water method, DNA was then extracted. The mean of optical density and the ratio of absorbance of the DNA solution were 220.01 ± 36.1 ng/μl and 1.65 ± 0.1, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) gene showed that the method can be used as a tool for different applications.     

A study of the binding site requirements of rhodopsin using isomers of α-retinal and 5-substituted α-retinal analogs

Results of the binding interaction of isomers of α-retinal and six substituted α-retinals (5-butyl, 5-phenyl, 5-isopropyl, 5-heptyl, 5-decyl, and 10-fluoro) with bovine opsin are reported. Their implications on the binding site requirements are discussed.     

Weight History in Clinical Practice: The State of the Science and Future Directions

Eliciting a weight history can provide clinically important information to aid in treatment decision‐making. This view is consistent with the life course perspective of obesity and the aim of patient‐centered care, one of six domains of health care quality. However, thus far, the value and practicality of including a weight history in the clinical assessment and treatment of patients with obesity have not been systematically explored. For these reasons, the Clinical Committee of The Obesity Society established a task force to review and assess the available evidence to address five key questions. It is concluded that weight history is an essential component of the medical history for patients presenting with overweight or obesity, and there are strong and emerging data that demonstrate the importance of life stage, duration of exposure to obesity, maximum BMI, and group‐based trajectory modeling in predicting risk for increased morbidity and mortality. Consideration of these and other patient‐specific factors may improve risk stratification and clinical decision‐making for screening, counseling, and management. Recommendations are provided for the key elements that should be included in a weight history, and several needs for future clinical research are outlined.