Making the use of scenarios in LCA easier: the superstructure approach

Purpose Much progress has recently been made in modelling future background systems for LCA by including future scenario data, e.g. from Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), into life cycle inventory (LCI) databases. A key problem is, however, that this yields potentially dozens of scenario LCI databases (i.e. LCI databases that represent different scenarios and reference years), instead of a single background database, which is very impractical for LCA modelling purposes. This paper proposes an approach to overcome this problem. Methods The approach consists of transforming all scenario LCI databases into a single superstructure database and an associated scenario difference file. The superstructure database is also a regular LCI database, but is constructed to contain all unique exchanges (elementary and intermediate flows) and processes that exist across all scenario LCI databases. The scenario difference file stores the differences between all scenarios and can be used to turn the superstructure into a specific scenario LCI database. This is very fast as it can be done in memory during LCA calculations. Results and discussion A key advantage of the superstructure approach is that a single LCI database can be used to represent different background systems. Therefore, the practitioner does not need to re-link a foreground system to multiple LCI databases, which is work-intensive and invites modelling errors. LCA results for all scenarios and reference years can be calculated automatically. We also illustrate how the superstructure approach has been implemented in the Activity Browser open source LCA software. Although this paper introduces the superstructure approach for background scenarios, it can also be used to model foreground scenarios, and even, as implemented in the Activity Browser, combinations of background and foreground scenarios. Finally, we briefly discuss further challenges that need to be addressed for a more widespread use of background scenarios in LCA. Conclusions The superstructure approach presents a practical solution for making the use of future background scenarios more wide-spread and, therefore, to overcome the problem of performing prospective LCA with temporally inconsistent foreground and background systems. The implementation in the Activity Browser makes the approach available for anyone and may serve as inspiration for other LCA software to implement the superstructure approach or a similar concept. While this may be an important technical milestone, additional coordination between data providers, scenario generators, LCA practitioners, and software developers will be required to further facilitate the use of background scenarios in prospective LCA studies.

Promiscuous molecules for smarter file operations in DNA-based data storage

DNA holds significant promise as a data storage medium due to its density, longevity, and resource and energy conservation. These advantages arise from the inherent biomolecular structure of DNA which differentiates it from conventional storage media. The unique molecular architecture of DNA storage also prompts important discussions on how data should be organized, accessed, and manipulated and what practical functionalities may be possible. Here we leverage thermodynamic tuning of biomolecular interactions to implement useful data access and organizational features. Specific sets of environmental conditions including distinct DNA concentrations and temperatures were screened for their ability to switchably access either all DNA strands encoding full image files from a GB-sized background database or subsets of those strands encoding low resolution, File Preview, versions. We demonstrate File Preview with four JPEG images and provide an argument for the substantial and practical economic benefit of this generalizable strategy to organize data.

Assessing the Involvement of Platelet Degranulation in the Therapeutic Properties of Exosome Derived from Amniotic Epithelial Cells through Enrichment and Interaction Network Analysis

Platelet degranulation allows the release of large secretable pools of biologically active proteins which are critical in wound healing initiation and angiogenesis. Exosomes, which can transport a diverse suite of macromolecules, derived from amniotic epithelial cells (AEC-Exo) improve wound healing and angiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this investigation, we performed a user-friendly bioinformatics analysis system to identify association among the angiogenic and wound healing effects of AEC-Exo treatments. To this end, FunRich software was used and linked to the Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) as a background database. Several enrichment analyses, including biological process, cellular component, molecular function, and protein domains were conducted on AEC-Exo proteome. Furthermore, to identify the proteins involved in platelet degranulation and evaluate protein-protein association information, comparative analyses and interaction network analyses were illustrated using the NCBI BioSystems, ExoCarta, and STRING databases. Our results indicated the statistically significant association between the proteome in AEC-Exo, platelet degranulation, and their corresponding processes. Therefore, the involvement of platelet degranulation in AEC-Exo proteins may elucidate the angiogenic and wound-healing effects of AEC-Exo treatments.

Research on Spent LiFePO4 Electric Vehicle Battery Disposal and Its Life Cycle Inventory Collection in China

The main research direction for the disposal of spent lithium-ion batteries is focused on the recovery of precious metals. However, few studies exist on the recycling of LiFePO4 electric vehicle (EV) batteries because of their low recycling value. In addition, a detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) of waste plays a significant role in its life cycle assessment (LCA) for an environmental perspective. In this study, an end-of-life (EOL) LiFePO4 EV battery is disposed to achieve the LCI result. The approach comprises manual dismantling of the battery pack/module and crushing and pyrolysis of cells. The authors classify the dismantling results and use different disposal methods, such as recycling or incineration. Regarding the environmental emissions during pyrolysis, the authors record and evaluate the results according to the experimental data, the bill of materials (BOM), the mass conservation, and the chemical reaction equations. In addition, the electricity power demand is related to the electricity mix in China, and the waste gases and solid residue are treated by using neutralization and landfill, respectively. Finally, the authors integrate the LCI data with analysis data and a background database (Ecoinvent). After the integration of the total emission and consumption data, the authors obtained the total detailed LCI resulting from the disposal of the LiFePO4 vehicle battery. This LCI mainly includes the consumption of energy and materials, and emissions to air, water, and soil, which can provide the basis for the future LCA of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries. Furthermore, the potential of industrial scale process research on the disposal of spent LiFePO4 batteries is discussed.

Environmental Impacts of Integrated Photovoltaic Modules in Light Utility Electric Vehicles

This paper presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules which have been integrated into electric vehicle applications, also called vehicle integrated photovoltaics (VIPV). The LCA was executed by means of GaBi LCA software with Ecoinvent v2.2 as a background database, with a focus on the global warming potential (GWP). A light utility electric vehicle (LUV) named StreetScooter Work L, with a PV array of 930 Wp, was analyzed for the location of Cologne, Germany. An operation time of 8 years and an average shadowing factor of 30% were assumed. The functional unit of this LCA is 1 kWh of generated PV electricity on-board, for which an emission factor of 0.357 kg CO2-eq/kWh was calculated, whereas the average grid emissions would be 0.435 kg CO2-eq/kWh. Hence, charging by PV power hence causes lower emissions than charging an EV by the grid. The study further shows how changes in the shadowing factor, operation time, and other aspects affect vehicle’s emissions. The ecological benefit of charging by PV modules as compared to grid charging is negated when the shadowing factor exceeds 40% and hence exceeds emissions of 0.435 kg CO2-eq/kWh. However, if the operation time of a vehicle with integrated PV is prolonged to 12 years, emissions of the functional unit go down to 0.221 kg CO2-eq/kWh. It is relevant to point out that the outcomes of the LCA study strongly depend on the location of use of the vehicle, the annual irradiation, and the carbon footprint of the grid on that location.

ChEA3: transcription factor enrichment analysis by orthogonal omics integration

Identifying the transcription factors (TFs) responsible for observed changes in gene expression is an important step in understanding gene regulatory networks. ChIP-X Enrichment Analysis 3 (ChEA3) is a transcription factor enrichment analysis tool that ranks TFs associated with user-submitted gene sets. The ChEA3 background database contains a collection of gene set libraries generated from multiple sources including TF–gene co-expression from RNA-seq studies, TF–target associations from ChIP-seq experiments, and TF–gene co-occurrence computed from crowd-submitted gene lists. Enrichment results from these distinct sources are integrated to generate a composite rank that improves the prediction of the correct upstream TF compared to ranks produced by individual libraries. We compare ChEA3 with existing TF prediction tools and show that ChEA3 performs better. By integrating the ChEA3 libraries, we illuminate general transcription factor properties such as whether the TF behaves as an activator or a repressor. The ChEA3 web-server is available from https://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/ChEA3.

Technology and Function on Sports Games Management System

Games Management System based on .NET platform development tool, using SQL Server 2008 as the background database. In this paper, first, it is an introduction to sports games management system design. Then introduces the related technologies of games management system include: New Features of .NET4.0 and SQL Server2008, and the working principle of ASP.NET technology. Finally, according to the games management systems currently in development status and shortcomings summarized the function of games management system. Including: management before the game is the athlete's registration, referee staff and schedule arrangements, individual notifications. Game management mainly is grades entry, modification and processing. After the game management is achievement release, released the list of winners.

Design and Realization of the Credit Card Management System

For the convenience of customers and bank managers to the management of credit card, credit card management system includes client money query, customer consumption management, credit card accounts, sales management, credit ratings, statistics report, the number of overdraft statistical function module, etc. This design USES the ACCESS to do background database, using vc + + development environment, combined with a c + + programming language implementation. The credit card information query and statistics report, open an account pin is the characteristics of this system. In particular System "query module" function greatly reduce the workload of staff, and to the rapid, accurate, and other advantages replace manually operated, and improve the efficiency of the credit card management.

Design of Graduate Employment Network SMS Platform

The paper design a new employment website, which change the previous employment website focusing only on employment information release mode, pay attention to improve students' employment ability, establish several enterprises and graduates, entrepreneurship and other. At the same time with JSP engine, Oracle established the information interactive website as the background database server; it will improve the efficiency and quality of the traditional employment information. At the same time, the paper introduces implementation of enterprise SMS platform using a GSM module, including the hardware environment, the SMS server software architecture, function and design. The scheme realizes the information exchange between students, teachers, and parents, through the practical operation, proved that the system has good practicability, solves many problems that exist in the employment information service, it has less demanding on the hardware, the realization of a simple, two times the development of convenient features.