A Measurement Tool for Circular Economy Practices: A Case Study in Pallet Supply Chains

A circular economy (CE) is an economic system where products and services are traded in closed loops or ‘cycles’. This work develops a framework for assessing the extent to which product supply chains incorporate circular economy principles, and applies this framework to a specific material handling application, the wooden pallet supply chain. The main decisions affecting circularity and the most common decision alternatives for the wooden pallet supply chain are identified for the Pre-manufacturing, manufacturing, product delivery, customer use, and end-of-life phases. A streamlined life cycle assessment tool is developed for supporting a quick analysis about how the level of adoption of CE strategies could support environmental sustainability in pallet supply chains. A questionnaire, scoring, and assessment are presented for each phase of a pallet supply chain to reduce input and use of natural resources, reduce emission levels, reduce valuable materials losses, increase share of renewable and recyclable resources, and increase the value of durability of products. A case study is used to test the proposed method and present a contrast between two scenarios

Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Pallet Logistics through Preemptive Remanufacturing: An Integer Linear Optimization Model

The use of pallets is crucial in handling and transportation processes and wooden pallet represent the most common packaging type in the US and in Europe. This work focuses on the environmental impact of wooden pallet reverse logistics, exploring the advantages of preemptive remanufacturing policies. Preemptive schedules allow the service provider to allocate transportation emissions across multiple pallet components, increasing the environmental efficiency of the transportation process. This advantage has to be compared to the lost opportunity of repairing a usable component earlier than required. An integer linear optimization model analyzes this trade-off and the benefits of a preemptive remanufacturing schedule are described. The impact of transportation distance on the efficiency of preemptive policies is explored through a sensitivity analysis

Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Pallet Logistics through Preemptive Remanufacturing: An Integer Linear Optimization Model

The use of pallets is crucial in handling and transportation processes and wooden pallet represent the most common packaging type in the US and in Europe. This work focuses on the environmental impact of wooden pallet reverse logistics, exploring the advantages of preemptive remanufacturing policies. Preemptive schedules allow the service provider to allocate transportation emissions across multiple pallet components, increasing the environmental efficiency of the transportation process. This advantage has to be compared to the lost opportunity of repairing a usable component earlier than required. An integer linear optimization model analyzes this trade-off and the benefits of a preemptive remanufacturing schedule are described. The impact of transportation distance on the efficiency of preemptive policies is explored through a sensitivity analysis

A rock-surface microweathering index from Schmidt hammer R-values and its preliminary application to some common rock types in southern Norway

An index of the degree of rock-surface microweathering based on Schmidt hammer R-values is developed for use in the field without laboratory testing. A series of indices - I2 to In, where n is the number of successive blows with the hammer - is first proposed based on the assumption that the R-values derived from successive impacts on the same spot on a weathered rock surface converge on the value characteristic of an unweathered surface of the same lithology. Of these indices, the I5 index, which measures the difference between the mean R-value derived from first and fifth impacts as a proportion of the mean R-value from the fifth impact, is regarded as optimal: use of fewer impacts (e.g. in an I2 index) underestimates the degree of weathering whereas use of more impacts (e.g. in an I10 index) makes little difference and is therefore inefficient and may also induce an artificial weakening of the rock. Field tests of these indices on weathered glacially-scoured bedrock outcrops of nine common metamorphic and igneous rock types from southern Norway show, however, that even after ten impacts, successive R-values fail to approach the values characteristic of unweathered rock surfaces (e.g. bedrock from glacier forelands and road cuttings). An improved *I5 index is therefore preferred, in which the estimated true R-value of an unweathered rock surface is substituted. Weathered rock surfaces exposed to the atmosphere for ~10,000 years in southern Norway exhibit *I5 indices of 36-57%, values that reflect a similarly high degree of weathering irrespective of the rock type

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Mapping the global endemicity and clinical burden of Plasmodium vivax, 2000–17: a spatial and temporal modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax exacts a significant toll on health worldwide, yet few efforts to date have quantified the extent and temporal trends of its global distribution. Given the challenges associated with the proper diagnosis and treatment of P vivax, national malaria programmes-particularly those pursuing malaria elimination strategies-require up to date assessments of P vivax endemicity and disease impact. This study presents the first global maps of P vivax clinical burden from 2000 to 2017. METHODS: In this spatial and temporal modelling study, we adjusted routine malariometric surveillance data for known biases and used socioeconomic indicators to generate time series of the clinical burden of P vivax. These data informed Bayesian geospatial models, which produced fine-scale predictions of P vivax clinical incidence and infection prevalence over time. Within sub-Saharan Africa, where routine surveillance for P vivax is not standard practice, we combined predicted surfaces of Plasmodium falciparum with country-specific ratios of P vivax to P falciparum. These results were combined with surveillance-based outputs outside of Africa to generate global maps. FINDINGS: We present the first high-resolution maps of P vivax burden. These results are combined with those for P falciparum (published separately) to form the malaria estimates for the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study. The burden of P vivax malaria decreased by 41·6%, from 24·5 million cases (95% uncertainty interval 22·5-27·0) in 2000 to 14·3 million cases (13·7-15·0) in 2017. The Americas had a reduction of 56·8% (47·6-67·0) in total cases since 2000, while South-East Asia recorded declines of 50·5% (50·3-50·6) and the Western Pacific regions recorded declines of 51·3% (48·0-55·4). Europe achieved zero P vivax cases during the study period. Nonetheless, rates of decline have stalled in the past five years for many countries, with particular increases noted in regions affected by political and economic instability. INTERPRETATION: Our study highlights important spatial and temporal patterns in the clinical burden and prevalence of P vivax. Amid substantial progress worldwide, plateauing gains and areas of increased burden signal the potential for challenges that are greater than expected on the road to malaria elimination. These results support global monitoring systems and can inform the optimisation of diagnosis and treatment where P vivax has most impact. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust

Getting The Most out of Attending the AAHPERD National Convention

Objectives: To understand the importance of being a member of AAHPERD and attending the National Conference and Expo. This session will provide Physical Education Teacher Education, PETE, students information about why it is important to be a member of AAHPERD and attend the National Convention & Expo. The presenters will present information about the benefits of being apart of a national association and their personal experiences as first year attendees. The presenters will go into detail about the knowledge and opportunities that they have gained through these experiences. One of the points that will be stressed is to gain knowledge about new ideas and techniques at sessions such as the NASPE Teachers of the Year. The purpose of this session is for attendees to understand how important it is to play an active role in our field. Being aware of how to access current information about physical education and promote being a life long learner. It is crucial to gain knowledge about new information and techniques to help their future student be successful. By the end of this session the attendees will know how to take advantage of this opportunity through networking and being involved in the physical education community

Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Pallet Logistics through Preemptive Remanufacturing: An Integer Linear Optimization Model

The use of pallets is crucial in handling and transportation processes and wooden pallet represent the most common packaging type in the US and in Europe. This work focuses on the environmental impact of wooden pallet reverse logistics, exploring the advantages of preemptive remanufacturing policies. Preemptive schedules allow the service provider to allocate transportation emissions across multiple pallet components, increasing the environmental efficiency of the transportation process. This advantage has to be compared to the lost opportunity of repairing a usable component earlier than required. An integer linear optimization model analyzes this trade-off and the benefits of a preemptive remanufacturing schedule are described. The impact of transportation distance on the efficiency of preemptive policies is explored through a sensitivity analysis