Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Antonio Suarez, Ericka Ford, Richard Venditti, Stephen Kelley, Daniel Saloni, Ronalds Gonzalez
Summary: The need to decarbonize and reduce human activities is driving the growth of the bioplastics industry, particularly bio-polyethylene made from sugarcane. The environmental impact of this bio-based plastic is still under debate, and our study aims to evaluate it comprehensively through a life cycle analysis. Land-use change is found to be the main factor affecting the environmental sustainability of bio-polyethylene. Policies restricting deforestation are necessary to ensure the positive environmental profile of this material. We expect this work to contribute to a better understanding of the environmental impact of bio-polyethylene and promote the development of more sustainable products.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert L. Grossman
Summary: A data commons is a cloud-based data platform that allows a community to manage, analyze, and share data. It enables research communities to utilize cloud computing for large-scale data management and analysis, and securely share data, thereby accelerating research progress.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Simon Bruhn, Romain Sacchi, Ciprian Cimpan, Morten Birkved
Summary: It is important to provide quantitative decision support in environmental impact mitigation efforts, especially in resource and energy-demanding sectors like the built environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) offers recognized quantitative decision support, but it has limitations when applied to long-lived products like buildings. Prospective LCA (pLCA) allows evaluation of future scenarios and is aimed at improving documentation, credibility, and accessibility of pLCA in the built environment.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Christian Moretti, Blanca Corona, Ric Hoefnagels, Iris Vural-Gursel, Richard Gosselink, Martin Junginger
Summary: This article critically reviews forty-two peer-reviewed LCAs regarding lignin and derived products, highlighting the significant factors influencing the environmental performance of lignin-based products and providing recommendations for LCA practitioners to increase consistency in environmental claims. The findings suggest that the environmental performance of lignin-based products is significantly affected by various factors, including methodological issues and technical aspects, with lignin-based products often offering better environmental performances than fossil-based products, especially for climate change.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Clarisa Alejandrino, Irma Mercante, Maria D. Bovea
Summary: Although the methodological development of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment is still in discussion, a growing number of case studies have been published. This research aims to identify how LCSA is applied for each sustainability pillar and integrated into decision-making processes. The systematic review of case studies revealed key findings regarding goals, scope variations, data sources, impact indicators, and operational research methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Yaoguang Zhang, Di Dong, Ling Xu, Zhiwen Miao, Wenhui Mao, Frank Sloan, Shenglan Tang
Summary: China has achieved significant progress in advancing universal health coverage through the introduction of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) in 2003. The study assessed the impact of changing NCMS policies on service utilization, financial burden, and equity for NCMS enrollees between 2003 and 2013. The findings showed increased service utilization, reduced financial risk, and identified priority targets for future reforms to improve equity and financial protection for the rural population.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Michail Matthaiou, Okan Yurduseven, Hien Quoc Ngo, David Morales-Jimenez, Simon L. Cotton, Vincent F. Fusco
Summary: While 5G deployment will continue into the next decade, there is already strong interest in technologies for its successor, 6G. Despite the transformative impact of 5G, it is still far from supporting the Internet of Everything. Some fundamental problems for 6G include intelligent reflecting surfaces, cell-free massive MIMO, and THz communications, with signal processing playing a critical role.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Daniel Ayllon, Steven F. Railsback, Cara Gallagher, Jacqueline Augusiak, Hans Baveco, Uta Berger, Sandrine Charles, Romina Martin, Andreas Focks, Nika Galic, Chun Liu, E. Emiel van Loon, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Cyril Piou, J. Gareth Polhill, Thomas G. Preuss, Viktoriia Radchuk, Amelie Schmolke, Julita Stadnicka-Michalak, Pernille Thorbek, Volker Grimm
Summary: The acceptance and usefulness of simulation models can be improved by ensuring efficiency, transparency, reproducibility, and reliability in the modelling process. Using standardized notebook structure and terminology, as well as compiling TRACE documents, can benefit model developers, users, and stakeholders by enhancing model design and application, increasing acceptance and reuse, and ensuring replicability and reproducibility of the models and simulations. Adopting TRACE terminology and structure in modelling notebooks facilitates the production of TRACE documents.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ilesanmi Daniyan, Khumbulani Mpofu, Boitumelo Ramatsetse, Munish Gupta
Summary: The study aims to evaluate the efficient management of machine tools throughout their lifecycle, with a focus on using life cycle assessment methodology to reduce energy consumption and enhance environmental sustainability. An integrated life cycle and cyber physical machine tool model is proposed for this purpose.
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Ferucio Laurentiu Tiplea
Summary: RFID technology is widely used in various areas of society, and privacy protection is crucial. However, many current RFID schemes do not provide reliable privacy protection in existing models, mainly due to design errors or lack of thorough privacy analysis. This article presents five design scenarios that demonstrate the inability of these schemes to ensure privacy security in existing models, along with lessons on how to improve the design.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEPENDABLE AND SECURE COMPUTING
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Kaya de Barbaro, Caitlin M. Fausey
Summary: Research shows that using sensors to capture infants' behaviors in everyday life can reveal unknown patterns. The diversity and complexity of these patterns inspire future theories and practices to better embrace the multiple pathways of human development.
CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Antoine Beylot, Francoise Bodenan, Anne-Gwenaelle Guezennec, Stephanie Muller
Summary: This article critically reviews LCAs of tailings management and provides lessons learnt and suggestions for improved LCA in order to achieve more resource-efficient tailings management.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Martin Salo, Linda Bonnor, Christina Graneli, Pernilla Stenstrom, Magnus Anderberg
Summary: This study evaluated a decade of pediatric robotic surgery and found that despite low volume of surgeries, operative times and conversion rates are continuously decreasing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ROBOTICS AND COMPUTER ASSISTED SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Guy L. Jr Jr Steele, Sebastiano Vigna
Summary: Congruential pseudorandom number generators rely on good multipliers for good performance in spectral tests. Lists of multipliers with good lattice structure are provided for generators with typical power-of-two moduli, with a detailed analysis of multipliers close to the square root of the modulus.
SOFTWARE-PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Carla Bittencourt Rynkowski, Juliana Caldas
Summary: This article summarizes ten crucial applications of cerebral ultrasonography in the evaluation and management of neurocritical patients. It highlights the evolution of cerebral ultrasonography as an imaging modality for brain parenchyma and emphasizes its importance among medical care staff.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Tristan Senga Kiesse, Reinout Heijungs, Michael S. Corson
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING & ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Editorial Material
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Reinout Heijungs
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Peipei Tian, Hongwei Lu, Junguo Liu, Kuishuang Feng, Reinout Heijungs, Dan Li, Xing Fan
Summary: This study discusses the virtual water transfer pattern and water resources stress in China from the perspective of virtual water hypothesis. The results show that the distribution of water resources and virtual water transfer play a significant role in water resources stress in China. The study highlights the importance of improving land productivity and water efficiency to alleviate water stress and address the imbalance in water resources between different regions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jeroen B. Guinee, Arjan de Koning, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: A recent review of LCA-based Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) methods and their applications found that temporal issues of assigning carrying capacity to product systems are often overlooked. Many studies focus on spatial differentiation and principles for assigning carrying capacity, neglecting the time dimension. This article argues that assigning planetary boundaries to product systems is technically challenging and that even product LCA-based AESA should be considered relative.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Management
Ettore Settanni, Reinout Heijungs, Jagjit Singh Srai
Summary: This paper provides a unified methodological view of semi-quantitative problem structuring and modelling (SPSM), comparing and contrasting different techniques and highlighting overlaps and inconsistencies between them. The study emphasizes the importance of critically applying key analytical principles and leveraging human-computer interaction in SPSM research.
JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Dewi Pramanik, Marlies Spaans, Twan Kranenburg, Diego Bogarin, Reinout Heijungs, Frederic Lens, Erik Smets, Barbara Gravendeel
Summary: Phalaenopsis is an important ornamental pot plant for the global horticultural market. This study investigated the lignification patterns and orientation of Phalaenopsis inflorescence stems and found significant differences among different species and hybrids. The study also revealed a positive correlation between inflorescence orientation and the degree of lignification.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Esra Aleisa, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: Opportunity cost is the benefit foregone by choosing another course of action. Considering opportunity costs in economics enables better handling of trade-offs and supports strategic decision-making. Introducing the concept of opportunity cost into life cycle assessment can support the achievement of a circular economy.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Marina Dumont, Ranran Wang, Diana Wenzke, Kornelis Blok, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: High-temperature heat pump technologies can improve process efficiency, reduce energy demand, and enable a shift from fossil fuels to renewable electricity. By integrating these technologies into the heat processes of the German food and beverages industry, it is possible to meet a portion of the heat demand and reduce emissions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kai Fang, Jianjian He, Qingyan Liu, Siqi Wang, Yong Geng, Reinout Heijungs, Yueyue Du, Wenze Yue, Anqi Xu, Chuanglin Fang
Summary: The growing water scarcity due to international trade poses a serious threat to global sustainability. This paper tracks the virtual water trade and water footprint of BRI countries in 2005-2015 and finds a substantial increase in BRI's water footprint after considering water scarcity. The BRI acts as a net exporter of virtual water globally, but the export volume is decreasing. Noticeable transitions in nations' role are found between the BRI and global scales, as well as between with and without considering water scarcity. Overall economic and population growth drive the scarcity-weighted water footprint for BRI nations, highlighting the need for improved international trade and cooperation on water resources management.
Article
Environmental Studies
Reinout Heijungs
Summary: A recent study suggests that the cost associated with noise-related health impacts would favor a specific type of alternative road material. However, if a portion of the noise is attributed to the vehicles rather than solely to the road, the opposite conclusion could be drawn. Therefore, the study calls for further investigation into this allocation problem and the implementation of sensitivity analyses until a satisfactory solution is found.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Mozhgan Assari, Ayse Sena Eruguz, Wout Dullaert, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: This paper presents a sustainable inventory model for perishable products, which is the first model to explicitly consider product decay during transportation. The model can assess different transportation alternatives with different costs, emissions, and lead times to select the most sustainable and cost-efficient option. Numerical experiments show that considering product decay leads to different optimal solutions than those proposed by existing models.
COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Reinout Heijungs
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Reinout Heijungs
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Reinout Heijungs
Summary: The ecological scarcity method (ESM) is a widely used system for assessing environmental impact in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA). This study critically analyzes and modifies the method, finding that the attempt to align it with LCA standards has been less successful than expected. Referring to ESM as a distance-to-target method further obscures its interpretation.
Letter
Engineering, Environmental
Reinout Heijungs
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
