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Purpose: It has been recognised that life cycle assessment (LCA) has a role in framing problem situations in environmental management. Yet relatively few studies have investigated whether the use of LCA does actually lead to the reconceptualisation of product systems as opposed to answering predefined questions. This paper discusses the experiences of six manufacturing firms that commissioned LCA

Purpose: Habitat loss is a significant cause of biodiversity loss, but while its importance is widely recognized, there is no generally accepted method on how to include impacts on biodiversity from land use and land use changes in cycle assessment (LCA), and existing methods are suffering from data gaps. This paper proposes a methodology for assessing the impact of land use on biodiversity using

Anthropogenically land cover modifications and human presence in natural environments are not without consequences to ecological processes. From a conservation perspective, these consequences are worrisome specially when considering the human domination of terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. The recent loss of wilderness areas has been described as catastrophic despite pro-active conservation scheme

Children born before 24 gestational weeks had high neonatal morbidity and a majority had one or more neurodevelopmental disorders in addition to somatic diagnoses in childhood. Active Swedish perinatal care of infants with gestational age <24 weeks has resulted in a survival rate of more than 50 percent. Resuscitation of these immature infants is controversial, and some countries offer comfort car

What happens to researchers when the topic they study poses an existential threat to the world as we know it? When communication on the topic is politically polarized, but at the same time institutionally encouraged and existentially needed? By what means do researchers come to navigate this complex communication environment? The climate crisis and changing social, political, and academic conditio

Space tourism is an industry with risks including health and safety, space debris, biological hazards, and sustainability concerns. However, there is limited research on the perceived risk of participation in space tourism, particularly regarding age and gender differences. An integrated research model was created and tested with four perceived risk dimensions using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparati

Background: Traumatic brain injury causes morbidity, mortality, and at least 2,500,000 yearly emergency department visits in the USA. Computerized tomography of the head is the gold standard to detect traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Some are not diagnosed at the first scan, and they are denoted “delayed intracranial hemorrhages. ” To detect these delayed hemorrhages, current guidelines for head

We investigate the structures and mechanical properties of leaf midribs of Ficus microcarpa and Prunus dulcis, which deposit calcium oxalate crystals, and of Olea europaea midribs which contain no mineral deposits, but do contain lignified fibers. The midrib mechanical performance contributes to the leaf's ability to maintain a flat conformation for light harvesting and to efficiently reconfigure

Ficus trees are adapted to diverse environments and have some of the highest rates of photosynthesis among trees. Ficus leaves can deposit one or more of the three major mineral types found in leaves: amorphous calcium carbonate cystoliths, calcium oxalates, and silica phytoliths. In order to better understand the functions of these minerals and the control that the leaf exerts over mineral deposi

Calcium oxalate and silica minerals are common components of a variety of plant leaves. These minerals are found at different locations within the leaf, and there is little conclusive evidence about the functions they perform. Here tools are used from the fields of biology, optics, and imaging to investigate the distributions of calcium oxalate, silica minerals, and chloroplasts in okra leaves, in

Background and Objective: Growing evidence shows that certain acute exposures, especially alcohol, may trigger episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is a lack of methods for assessing the relation between triggers and AF episodes in individual patients. The present paper proposes an approach to identifying AF triggers based on the assumption that the post-trigger AF burde

Males of sapphirinid copepods use regularly alternating layers of hexagonal-shaped guanine crystals and cytoplasm to produce spectacular structural colors. In order to understand the mechanism by which the different colors are produced, we measured the reflectance of live individuals and then characterized the organization of the crystals and the cytoplasm layers in the same individuals using cryo

One strategy evolved by teeth to avoid irreversible damage is to move and deform under the loads incurred during mastication. A key component in this regard is the periodontal ligament (PDL). The role of the bone underlying the PDL is less well defined. We study the interplay between the PDL and the underlying alveolar bone when loaded in the minipig. Using an Instron loading device we confirmed t

Objectives: To study the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures in a community-based sample of men and women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) overall, as well as early (< 1 year of disease duration, follow-up time maximum 10 years) and established (RA diagnosis since ≥ 5 years on July 1, 1997) RA, compared with the general population. To study potential risk factors for fractures in patients with RA

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of synchrotron radiation-based phase contrast enhanced micro-computed tomography (SR-PhC-μCT) for imaging of human meniscus. Quantitative parameters related to fiber orientation and crimping were evaluated as potential markers of tissue degeneration.DESIGN: Human meniscus specimens from 10 deceased donors were prepared using different preparation schemes:

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Background: - An estimated 240,000 newborns die worldwide within 28 days of birth every year due to congenital birth defect. Exposure to poor indoor environment contributes to poor health outcomes. In this research, we aim to evaluate the association between the usage of different type household cooking fuel and congenital birth defects in Nepal, as well as investigate whether air ventilation usag

This Special Topic focuses on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes in the deep interiors of planets, in which their fluid dynamos are in operation. The dynamo-generated, global, magnetic fields provide a background for our solar-terrestrial environment. Probing the processes within the dynamos is a significant theoretical and computational challenge and any window into interior dynamics greatly inc