Knock on (Engineered) Wood: Pathways to Increased Deployment of Cross-Laminated Timber

Significant negative environmental impacts are attributed to the building sector. To complement operational building efficiency, mitigation strategies could further decrease these environmental impacts. One mitigation strategy is increased use of low-carbon and bio based building materials. The objective of this research is to support such sustainable transitions within the complex building sector of Sweden, via identification of barriers and drivers for a specific bio and low-carbon building material called cross-laminated timber (CLT). Results from literature review and questionnaire responses were used to form recommendations for increasing deployment of CLT in Sweden, via specific leverage points and instruments. Increased deployment of CLT in Sweden is also linked with several factors unique to Sweden. For example, environmental targets of the building sector, demand for housing, timber trends, development of a bio based and circular economy, and resource efficiency. To further validate and enhance results, global examples of successful CLT manufacturing practices, sustainable innovation transitions, and CLT support instruments were also examined. Results were also analysed using multilevel perspective, technology innovation system, and innovation diffusion frameworks. These tools were used to gain an interdisciplinary, comprehensive perspective and strengthen understanding of the building sector using systems thinking. Results showed main barriers as lack of knowledge or skills, negative perceptions, perceived costs or risks, misalignment with regulations, and technological path dependencies within the Swedish building sector. Main drivers were CLT’s carbon sequestration, low embodied carbon, renewability, efficient manufacturing and construction, cost competitiveness, and prefabrication. Key actors included building project owners, contractors, architects, engineers, the national housing authority (Boverket), and municipal building companies. Recommendations included education, skill building, green procurement, stronger materials focus in certifications, environmental evaluations of materials, environmental material requirements embedded in contracts and tenders, material carbon tax, stronger focus on building lifecycle impacts, and increased political focus on building materials. Recommendations are categorised and prioritised in the conclusion for clarity

A Study of the Effectiveness of BREEAM as an Assessment Tool for Sustainability by Interview of Practitioners

The increasing environmental obligations on the built environment have resulted in a range of assessment methods. A currently predominant choice, applied by developers and consultants is the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). Our interviews with BREEAM-certified professionals evaluated the proficiency of BREEAM as a measure of sustainability and noted the nature of flaws in its current application. Primary research methods were in-depth, semi-structured interviews, developed from a thematic analysis of the previously published literature review. Results acknowledged that BREEAM is essentially an efficient tool for assessing the environmental performance of a development and that the evolving nature of BREEAM gives it the greatest potential to develop into a proficient measure of sustainability. However, this study concluded that BREEAM is not currently a proficient test for sustainability, as it does not address enough of the fundamental principles of sustainable development. If sustainability is the aim, then attention should focus on: 1. Product lifetime economics need to be built into the assessment. 2. Attention should be paid to the geographical location and environmental properties of the site. 3. Post construction, continual monitoring of effectiveness and evaluation of impacts should be carried out

A Conceptual and Literature Review of the Effectiveness of BREEAM

The literature examining BREEAM was explored to extract an overview of the effectiveness of the method in assessing sustainability in built developments. It was found that BREEAM is a respected assessment tool, with much potential to develop into a valuable driver towards sustainable development in the construction industry. Shortfalls were discovered in the way the method has been used, e.g. in the industry understanding of sustainable development as a holistic concept; in the focus on short-term financial rewards; in the lack of site-specific consideration of the application of solutions

Chytrid fungus infection in alpine tree frogs is associated with individual heterozygosity and population isolation but not population-genetic diversity

Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the emerging fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been implicated in the decline of over 500 amphibian species. Population declines could have important genetic consequences, including reduced genetic diversity. We contrasted genetic diversity among both long-Bd-exposed and unexposed populations of the south-east Australian alpine tree frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina) across its range. At the population level, we found no significant differences in genetic diversity between Bd-exposed and unexposed populations. Encouragingly, even Bd-infected remnant populations that are now highly isolated maintain genetic diversity comparable to populations in which Bd is absent. Spatial genetic structure among populations followed an isolation-by-distance pattern, suggesting restricted movement among remnant populations. At the individual level, greater heterozygosity was associated with reduced probability of infection. Loss of genetic diversity in remnant populations that survived chytridiomycosis epidemics does not appear to be a threat to L. v. alpina. We suggest several factors underpinning maintenance of genetic diversity: (1) remnant populations have remained large enough to avoid losses of genetic diversity; (2) many individuals in the population are able to breed once before succumbing to disease; and (3) juveniles in the terrestrial environment have low exposure to Bd, providing an annual ‘reservoir’ of genetic diversity. The association between individual heterozygosity and infection status suggests that, while other work has shown all breeding adults are typically killed by Bd, males with greater heterozygosity may survive longer and obtain fitness benefits through extended breeding opportunities. Our results highlight the critical role of life history in mitigating the impacts of Bd infection for some amphibian species, but we infer that increased isolation as a result of disease-induced population extirpations will enhance population differentiation and thus biogeographic structure

Assessment of contact involvements and scrums in international rugby union match-play using video analysis and microsensor technology methods

This study sought to assess the validity of contact involvement (CI) detection using microsensor technology (MST, Catapult Vector) within the context of a Tier One national rugby union (RU) squad, consisting of 44 players. Sensitivity of MST units to detect CI and scrums was assessed in eight test matches, by comparison with match data obtained by video analysis. This paper is the first to assess the sensitivity of MST to the full range of skilled CI which occur in RU, including evaluating “non-performance” collisions, such as incidental collisions or foul play. Sensitivity to tackles made (52.9–84.9%) and ruck hits (53.3–87.2%) was lower than previous research, although ball carries (71.9–93.5%) showed broadly similar sensitivity to established results. The sensitivity of the MST to detect scrums was substantially lower than previous findings, with large positional variation evident (51.4–91.5%). Further refinement of MST software should be considered in order to facilitate valid monitoring of RU performance and injury risk. An additional finding was that video analysis generally demonstrated satisfactory intrarater reliability. This result supports the use of video analysis as a reliable method of assessing RU performance, including CI

Probiotics: Achieving a Better Regulatory Fit

In 2007, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), a $150 million initiative to characterize the microbial communities found at several different sites on the human body and to analyze the role of these microbes in human health and disease. Many lines of research have demonstrated the significant role of the microbiota in human physiology. The microbiota is involved, for example, in the healthy development of the immune system, prevention of infection from pathogenic or opportunistic microbes, and maintenance of intestinal barrier function. The HMP findings are helping us understand the role and variation of microorganisms within and across individuals, they are also promoting interest in the development of probiotic products. NIH set aside a portion of HMP funds to study the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) of the HMP’s scientific goals. Among the funded ELSI studies was an effort to look at the current regulatory framework for probiotics and to determine if it is a good fit for the range of probiotics that are on the market, under development, or that may be developed in the future as a result of the HMP. This article reports on the findings of a Working Group consisting of NIH-funded HMP scientists, physicians, legal academics, government regulators, industry and consumer representatives, bioethicists, food and drug lawyers, and health policymakers who were assembled to address the adequacy of the current regulatory framework for probiotics under the HMP ELSI funded project. Specifically, after discussion of the features of probiotics that are relevant to their regulation and an overview of FDA’s current regulation of probiotics, the article addresses the following questions: 1) Do current regulations adequately address the safety of new probiotic products? 2) Should probiotic foods and dietary supplements be classified as drugs and required to go through the drug approval process? 3) What types of product characterization requirements are appropriate for probiotics? 4) Are current claim regulations appropriate for probiotics and, if not, how might they be improved