Search

Although life cycle thinking offers a well-founded set of concepts, methods, and tools for organizational contexts, only little is known about its relevance in the construction sector. In this sector, construction corporations are key players. In this work, a novel impact-driven method to assess the adoption of life cycle thinking by construction corporations is introduced. Japan, as a high-income country with a relatively long history of environmental policies informed by material flow analysis, is chosen as the context. Five Japanese construction corporations and respective reporting are used as case studies. Trends in environmental impacts over time of the case study corporations are assessed using two indicators: resource and carbon productivity. In comparison, an automated text corpus analysis workflow is presented to explore the corporate report's life cycle thinking-related content in a meaningful way. Comparing the period of 2014–2018 and 2019–2023, an overall relative increase in framework adoptions (77%) and their integration in corporate categories (85%) in corporate reports indicates its increased procedural relevance among Japanese construction contractors. Findings show how the carbon indicator is embedded in various frameworks and, for instance, reveal an increased relevance of Scope 3 emissions as a framework on a low level. However, Scope 3 is also utilized as a performance indicator. To this end, considerable temporal differences in adoption practices are observed. Finally, a potentially effective corporate adoption model is identified through the comparative research design. The proposed method can be applied to other construction corporations and regional contexts. • Material inputs & carbon outputs of five construction corporations are analyzed. • A new impact-driven method is introduced to assess LCT adoptions in corporate reports. • LCT-related frameworks are found to gain relevance among construction corporations. • Corporate environmental impacts are compared to indicator & framework adoptions. • Features of a potentially effective corporate LCT adoption model are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stressfrakturen und Stressreaktionen zählen zu den überlastungsbedingten Verletzungen („Overuse injuries") und können für betroffene Sportler mit erheblichen Trainings- und Wettkampfausfällen einhergehen. Repetitive, die Belastungs- und Anpassungsfähigkeit übersteigende Lasteinwirkungen verbunden mit intrinsischen und extrinsischen Risikofaktoren oder trainingstaktischen Fehlern gelten als Hauptursache für die Entstehung von Stressfrakturen. Diese und mögliche begleitende individuelle Risikoprofile stellen sich vielfältig dar und erfordern eine komplexe und oftmals interdisziplinäre Versorgung. Die Mehrheit der Stressfrakturen heilt unkompliziert aus und die Wiedererlangung der vollen Leistungs- und Belastungsfähigkeit ist in der Regel gegeben. Bei verzögerter oder inadäquater Diagnosestellung (einige Verletzungsentitäten erfordern eine konsequente Entscheidungsfindung zur operativen Therapie) oder bei fehlender Berücksichtigung sekundärer Risikofaktoren können jedoch prolongierte Heilungsverläufe, Rezidivverletzungen oder sogar multiple Verletzungslokalisationen gleichzeitig auftreten. Eine frühzeitige Diagnostik und der Beginn einer stadiengerechten Therapie, einschließlich der Berücksichtigung vorhandener Risikofaktoren, sind daher von essentieller Bedeutung. Stress fractures and stress reactions are among the injuries caused by overuse ("overuse injuries") and can result in significant training and competition failures for affected athletes. Repetitive load effects that exceed the ability to cope with stress and adaptability, combined with intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors or tactical training errors, are considered to be the main cause of stress fractures. These and possible accompanying individual risk profiles are diverse and require complex and often interdisciplinary care. The majority of stress fractures heal easily and the recovery of full performance and resilience is usually given. However, if the diagnosis is delayed or inadequate (some injury entities require consistent decision-making regarding surgical therapy) or if secondary risk factors are not taken into account, prolonged healing processes, recurrent injuries or even multiple injury locations can occur at the same time. An early diagnosis and the beginning of a stage-appropriate therapy, including the consideration of existing risk factors, are therefore of essential importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die weltumspannende COVID-19-Pandemie hat auch die tägliche Arbeit der Mannschafts- und Verbandsärzte entscheidend verändert. Bislang kaum bedeutsame Arbeitsfelder kamen hinzu und insbesondere organisatorische Aufgaben stellen den betreuenden Sportmediziner vor große Herausforderungen. Präventive Maßnahmen wie die Erstellung von Hygienekonzepten und Umsetzung von Teststrategien sind zentraler Bestandteil einer Verhinderung von Infektionsgeschehen (und deren Ausbreitung) und somit Voraussetzung der Fortführung von Trainings- und Wettkampfmaßnahmen. Erforderlich sind Kenntnisse im direkten medizinischen Umgang mit SARS-CoV-2, inklusive geeigneter medizinischer Maßnahmen zur gefahrlosen Wiederaufnahme der Sportausübung. Auch sekundäre Folgen der Pandemie, wie beispielsweise Einschränkungen notwendiger operativer und rehabilitativer Maßnahmen oder das Auftreten psychischer Erkrankungen, müssen berücksichtigt werden. Eine teaminterne, offene und vertrauensvolle Kommunikation ist Grundlage der Akzeptanz der vereinbarten Maßnahmen. Durch die sich stetig ändernde Pandemiesituation und den Zuwachs an wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen ist eine fortlaufende Re-Evaluation der ausgesprochenen Empfehlungen und vereinbarten Prozedere notwendig. The global COVID 19 pandemic has also decisively changed the daily work of team physicians. Previously insignificant fields of work have been added and organisational tasks in particular pose great challenges for the sports physician in charge. Preventive strategies such as the development of hygiene concepts and the implementation of testing strategies are a central part of preventing the occurrence (and spread) of infections and are thus a prerequisite for the continuation of training and competition measures. Knowledge of the direct medical handling of SARS-CoV-2 is required, including appropriate medical measures for the safe resumption of sporting activities. Secondary consequences of the pandemic, such as restrictions on necessary surgical and rehabilitative treatments or the occurrence of mental illnesses, must also be taken into account. Open and trusting communication within the team is basic for acceptance of the agreed measures. Due to the constantly changing pandemic situation and the increase in scientific knowledge, a continuous re-evaluation of the recommendations and agreed procedures is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Global feed supply displaces environmental impacts of livestock rearing from feed consuming to feed producing countries. • Impacts vary across countries and livestock products, with global feed trade shaping impact profiles. • The origin and type of feed consumed influence the magnitude and distribution of the impacts. • The study identifies livestock production systems qualifying as priority sustainability targets. Driven by a growing and more affluent population, changing diets and lifestyles, the demand for livestock products is expected to surge in the next decades. Satisfying this demand will result in additional pressures on land systems. The increasingly globalized supply chains of the livestock economy will further decouple many of these impacts from the places where livestock are reared. In this study, we determined the impact intensities of global livestock production across three environmental indicators: deforestation, biodiversity loss and marine eutrophication. To this end, we used global data on the production of crops (and grass), their trade and use as feed in livestock-production systems, as well as livestock production data. We found the highest deforestation and biodiversity impact intensities in the tropics in Central and South America, Southeast Asia and Central Western Africa. In contrast, the highest values for marine eutrophication intensities were found in countries located in Northern Europe and in South and in East Asia. Our analyses show differences caused by varying efficiencies in livestock production systems and by the sourcing patterns of feed items. In grazing systems for the production of ruminant meat, for example, the resulting impact intensities are dominated by the consumption of grass. In intensive and industrialized production systems, the bulk of the deforestation and, to a lesser extent, biodiversity impacts are linked to imported soybean feed. Our results can help identify livestock production systems and countries that would qualify as priority action targets, as well as potential entry points to make their livestock production systems more sustainable. They can also be used to assist consumers in comparing impacts across and within livestock food product types. Ultimately, understanding the environmental impacts embodied in global supply chains of livestock products can help create better regulatory policies and science-based interventions for protecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing, configuring, and deploying legacy protocol gateways for existing cyber-physical systems to improve interoperability remains challenging. A possible solution is using model-driven engineering languages such as the Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL) that enables combined modelling of software, hardware, and communication for distributed systems. Experiences made while creating an OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) / Data Distribution Service (DDS) gateway indicate the suitability of AADL to model complex software artefacts. Moreover, a proposed process reduces the development and configuration effort for platform-specific gateway instances. A challenge to be addressed is the generation of executable code for resource-constraint devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The occurrence of congestive heart failure (CHF) hospitalization among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a poor prognostic marker.Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7), a marker of myocardial damage, identifies AF patients at high risk for this complication.Methods: We analyzed 2 prospective multicenter observational cohort studies that included 3691 AF patients. Levels of IGFBP-7 and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured from frozen plasma samples at baseline. The primary endpoint was hospitalization for CHF. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression analyses were constructed.Results: Mean patient age was 69 ± 12 years, 1028 (28%) were female, and 879 (24%) had a history of CHF. The incidence per 1000 patient-years across increasing IGFBP-7 quartiles was 7, 10, 32, and 85. The corresponding multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) were 1.0, 1.05 (0.63-1.77), 2.38 (1.50-3.79), and 4.37 (2.72-7.04) (P for trend <.001). In a subgroup of 2812 patients without pre-existing CHF at baseline, the corresponding aHRs were 1.0, 0.90 (0.47-1.72), 1.69 (0.94-3.04), and 3.48 (1.94-6.24) (P for trend <.001). Patients with IGFBP-7 and NT-proBNP levels above the biomarker-specific median had a higher risk of incident CHF hospitalization (aHR 5.20; 3.35-8.09) compared to those with only 1 elevated marker (elevated IGFBP-7 aHR 2.17; 1.30-3.60); elevated NT-proBNP aHR 1.97; 1.17-3.33); or no elevated marker (reference).Conclusion: Higher plasma levels of IGFBP-7 were strongly and independently associated with CHF hospitalization in AF patients. The prognostic information provided by IGFBP-7 was additive to that of NT-proBNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because of the accumulated numbers and the increasing rate of knee replacement surgeries larger numbers of revision cases are likely. Although the success rate of knee arthroplasties is high, complications like the loosening of the implant necessitate subsequent treatments. Therefore, new concepts such as metal-free ceramic implants are necessary, for example, using zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). Several studies showed that the strength of ceramic ZrO2 implants is equivalent to cobalt-chromium components.Methods: Non-destructive testing remains challenging due to the high density (6 g/cm³) of ZrO2. In this feasibility study, we investigated 8 tibial and 8 femoral implants respectively using an industrial X-ray micro-computed tomography (XCT) system at a voxel size of 100 μm. We established a non-destructive testing protocol for ceramic knee implants optimizing scanning parameters and sample orientation using CT simulations. Finally, we used an iterative artifact reduction procedure for beam hardening correction.Results: The results show that corrected image data enable the non-destructive inspection of high-density components. In this sample, none of the investigated components show any internal defects like pores or cracks. In general, XCT is a major imaging method that is able to provide a 3-dimensional representation of higher dense objects that allows the inspection of metal or ceramic knee implants. Even though we established an optimized scanning routine for tibial and femoral ceramic components, it is not possible to completely eliminate scanning artifacts of XCT.Conclusion: Altogether, after visual inspection, none of the beam-hardening corrected XCT data sets for femoral and tibial implants showed any defects, that is, no inclusions, cracks, or pores were detected. XCT test is therefore an essential addition to the fatigue testing since it is the only non-destroying testing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate whether uPA/PAI-1 protein in hormone receptor–positive (HR+) breast tumor can predict prognosis in early breast cancer (BC). 606 women with HR + BC who had ≥5 years of endocrine therapy and in whom tumor tissue was available were included in this analysis. Stromal uPA/PAI-1 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and overall survival (OS). Stromal uPA was detected in 292/538 tumors (54.3%) while 269/505 samples (53.3%) exhibited stromal PAI-1. Co-expression of both proteins was found in 163/437 (37.3%) samples. Stromal uPA/PAI-1 co-expression was not associated with tumor size, age, nodal status, grading, or receptor status. Tumor stroma with both uPA and PAI-1 protein expression were more likely to have a shorter DRFS (HR: 1.87; 95%CI 1.18–2.96; p = 0.007) and OS (HR: 1.29; 95%CI 0.93–1.80; p = 0.129) than women without uPA/PAI-1 co-expression. After a median follow-up of 10 years, women with uPA/PAI-1-positive tumors experienced a significantly shorter DRFS (86.5% vs 72.4%; p < 0.001) and OS (70.4% vs 58.9%; p = 0.020) compared to women with uPA/PAI-1 negative tumors. Stromal co-expression of uPA and PAI-1 in breast cancer predicts poor DRFS and OS in postmenopausal women with HR + early-stage BC who receive endocrine therapy. • The first study to evaluate if protein expression of uPA/PAI-1 in FFPE tumor samples. • IHC uPA/PAI-1 in FFPE could predict prognosis in early HR + breast cancer. • Stromal IHC uPA/PAI-1 predicts poor survival in HR + BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tropical deforestation for agriculture and tree plantations releases 2.6 GtCO 2 yr. • 29–39% of emissions are driven by international trade, mainly in beef and oilseeds. • Deforestation emissions make up large share of carbon footprint of forest-risk commodities. • A sixth of the carbon footprint of av. EU diets is due to deforestation emissions. • Imported deforestation emissions rival domestic agricultural emissions in many countries. Deforestation, the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, is largely driven by expanding forestry and agriculture. However, despite agricultural expansion being increasingly driven by foreign demand, the links between deforestation and foreign demand for agricultural commodities have only been partially mapped. Here we present a pan-tropical quantification of carbon emissions from deforestation associated with the expansion of agriculture and forest plantations, and trace embodied emissions through global supply chains to consumers. We find that in the period 2010–2014, expansion of agriculture and tree plantations into forests across the tropics was associated with net emissions of approximately 2.6 gigatonnes carbon dioxide per year. Cattle and oilseed products account for over half of these emissions. Europe and China are major importers, and for many developed countries, deforestation emissions embodied in imports rival or exceed emissions from domestic agriculture. Depending on the trade model used, 29–39% of deforestation-related emissions were driven by international trade. This is substantially higher than the share of fossil carbon emissions embodied in trade, indicating that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change need to consider the role of international demand in driving deforestation. Additionally, we find that deforestation emissions are similar to, or larger than, other emissions in the carbon footprint of key forest-risk commodities. Similarly, deforestation emissions constitute a substantial share (˜15%) of the total carbon footprint of food consumption in EU countries. This highlights the need for consumption-based accounts to include emissions from deforestation, and for the implementation of policy measures that cross these international supply-chains if deforestation emissions are to be effectively reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract International trade presents a challenge for measuring the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission footprint of human diets, because imported food is produced with different production efficiencies and sourcing regions differ in land use histories. We analyze how trade and countries of origin impact GHG footprint calculation for EU food consumption. We find that food consumption footprints can differ considerably between the EU countries with estimates varying from 610 to 1460 CO 2 -eq. cap−1 yr−1. These estimates include the GHG emissions from primary production, international trade and land use change. The share of animal products in the diet is the most important factor determining the footprint of food consumption. Embedded land use change in imports also plays a major role. Transition towards more plant-based diets has a great potential for climate change mitigation. Highlights • Countries reveal different GHG footprints of diets across the European Union. • Average GHG footprint of EU food supply is 1070 kg CO 2 -eq. cap−1 yr−1. • Consumption of animal products has largest effect on the GHG intensity of diets. • LUC emissions can be a large source of emissions for certain importing countries. • Production-based emission calculations underestimate GHG footprints of EU diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving and managing global natural capital requires an understanding of the complexity of flows of ecosystem services across geographic boundaries. Failing to understand and to incorporate these flows into national and international ecosystem assessments leads to incomplete and potentially skewed conclusions, impairing society’s ability to identify sustainable management and policy choices. In this paper, we synthesise existing knowledge and develop a conceptual framework for analysing interregional ecosystem service flows. We synthesise the types of such flows, the characteristics of sending and receiving socio-ecological systems, and the impacts of ecosystem service flows on interregional sustainability. Using four cases (trade of certified coffee, migration of northern pintails, flood protection in the Danube watershed, and information on giant pandas), we test the conceptual framework and show how an enhanced understanding of interregional telecouplings in socio-ecological systems can inform ecosystem service-based decision making and governance with respect to sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study sought to test the acceptability and feasibility of a nurse-led psycho-educational intervention (NLPI) delivered in primary care to prostate cancer survivors, and to provide preliminary estimates of the effectiveness of the intervention. Methods Men who reported an ongoing problem with urinary, bowel, sexual or hormone-related functioning/vitality on a self-completion questionnaire were invited to participate. Participants were randomly assigned to the NLPI plus usual care, or to usual care alone. Recruitment and retention rates were assessed. Prostate-related quality of life, self-efficacy, unmet needs, and psychological morbidity were measured at baseline and 9 months. Health-care resource use data was also collected. An integrated qualitative study assessed experiences of the intervention. Results 61% eligible men (83/136) participated in the trial, with an 87% (72/83) completion rate. Interviews indicated that the intervention filled an important gap in care following treatment completion, helping men to self-manage, and improving their sense of well-being. However, only a small reduction in unmet needs and small improvement in self-efficacy was observed, and no difference in prostate-related quality of life or psychological morbidity. Patients receiving the NLPI recorded more primary care visits, while the usual care group recorded more secondary care visits. Most men (70%; (21/30)) felt the optimal time for the intervention was around the time of diagnosis/before the end of treatment. Conclusions Findings suggest a nurse-led psycho-educational intervention in primary care is feasible, acceptable and potentially useful to prostate cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban form impacts the airflow patterns in cities and the resulting urban microclimate. This has significant implications for ventilation, overheating, wind chill, and safety concerns such as down drafts from skyscrapers. While Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are the best practice for analyzing urban airflow patterns in design, they are computationally expensive and require a high level of expertise, making them underutilized in the early design process. This paper presents a surrogate model for CFD using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) that can process arbitrary building geometries. The model is trained using an automated end-to-end pipeline based on Eddy3D and implemented within the Rhino and Grasshopper environment as an Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX)-based CFD-GAN predictor. This workflow provides instantaneous simulation feedback within the design software, reduces the risk of user error, and allows for appropriate spatial resolution in early design. The CFD-GAN demonstrates promising accuracy, with a Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) ranging from 75%–97% on a limited training dataset of 564 unique urban geometries. Although the model currently has limitations regarding accuracy in complex urban wake regions, we show that these are likely not of concern for outdoor thermal comfort analyses. While it cannot replace CFD in later design stages, the CFD-GAN facilitates the incorporation of urban airflow analysis in early design with minimal effort and instantaneous performance feedback. [Display omitted] • GAN surrogate model for urban CFD simulations processes arbitrary building geometries. • Automated end-to-end training pipeline utilizing Eddy3D produces modular ONNX-based CFD-GAN predictor. • CFD-GAN predictor integrated in Rhino & Grasshopper allows for seamless design workflow. • Achieved SSIMs ranging between 75%–97% based on 564 unique urban geometries. • Provides instantaneous simulation feedback for performance-driven decision-making in early urban design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building resilience to extreme events is very complex. It involves consideration of climatic and non-climatic factors, human and natural environments and their dynamics, and governance systems that include groups with wide-ranging authorities, influence and interests. In this article, we analyse the effects of the latest multi-year drought (2011–2016) in agricultural production in California; impacts on food security; and coping responses of several actors. We found that despite the drought and water shortages, California continued to be the leading state for fruit and tree nuts and that it did not affect food security. We also found that these results were strongly influenced by the numerous policy, regulatory, institutional, and management decisions taken at the local, state and federal levels, as well as to availability of groundwater, the primary drought reserve. The California case can be considered an example for the rest of the country, and the world, that extreme events require extraordinary preparedness and response measures just to cope with them, not to mention adapting to them, and that building resilience is a long-term process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the coming decades the global demand for food, and especially for animal products is projected to increase. At the same time, competition for agricultural land is projected to intensify due to a wide range of drivers, including a growing world population, changes in food consumption patterns and bioenergy production. It is therefore vital to understand the relationship between global agricultural land use and the consumption of food. Here we use the United Kingdom as an example to show the agricultural land footprint of a highly developed country over the period 1986–2011. Our analysis shows that the total land footprint of the UK has decreased over time from 25,939 kha in 1987 (3-year mean) to 23,723 kha in 2010 (3-year mean), due to a lower grassland footprint resulting from lower ruminant meat supply. Cropland use has increased slightly from around 8400 kha in 1987 to about 8800 kha in 2010, but has decreased slightly on a per-capita basis as the UK’s population increased over time. Our analysis shows that 85% of the UK’s total land footprint is associated with meat and dairy production, but only 48% of total protein and 32% of total calories derive from livestock products. Our results suggest that, if countries reduce their ruminant product consumption, land could be freed up for other uses, including bio-energy production, forest regrowth, and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure travel within the European Union (EU) contributes significantly to the carbon footprint of global tourism. Distance travelled is a main factor in this impact, but some of its determinants remain unexplored. We examined the role of tourists' holiday preferences in shaping the carbon footprint of leisure travel within the EU by calculating demand and impact indicators associated with eight holiday styles. We find a substantial and equivalent carbon footprint for visiting relatives, nature tourism and sea, sun and sand tourism, but a higher carbon intensity of travel per trip for the latter. This is due to widespread demand for sea, sun, and sand tourism despite the concentration of destinations in Southern Europe. Furthermore, international travel within the EU is on average three times more carbon intensive than domestic travel. Our insights suggest that tourists' holiday preferences can be leveraged for the sustainable development of leisure travel within the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current trends in manufacturing focus on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The physical world and its virtual representation are increasingly converging, which leads to Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) in the manufacturing environment. CPPS synergize conventional production technology as well as ICT, allowing machines and products to exchange information, trigger actions and control other components autonomously. Therefore, seamless communication between physical objects of the shop floor and various computer systems is required. The Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI4.0) provided by the Plattform Industrie 4.0 specifies requirements for CPPS consisting of Industrie 4.0-components. In such systems, a major goal is to enable communication of I4.0 components among each other via industrial networks. For this purpose, RAMI4.0 suggests that each component has a virtual representation and uses Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) based communication with I4.0-semantics. This paper describes a systematic approach to OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) information model for representing the static and dynamic behavior of manufacturing systems. Moreover, the approach is generic in the sense that it can be used to define information models for multiple target technologies, such as OPC UA, MTConnect and others. It even allows to reuse large parts of the generated models for similar manufacturing utilities and various target technologies. Therefore, we first present a concept for system analysis and design by using the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which is widely accepted for interdisciplinary work. The information gathered is then transformed to OPC UA information models which serves as target technology in this paper. The purpose of this approach is to simplify the process of defining virtual representations of manufacturing systems. Applying the presented concept allows transformation of classic manufacturing systems into CPPS with SOA-based communication and semantically rich virtual representations of individual components. It is therefore well suited to meet the requirements specified by RAMI4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the production or consumption of agricultural commodities in one place can drastically affect land use and the environment elsewhere. We show how changes in beef production and consumption in Russia following the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 contributed to the emergence of a beef trade linkage between Brazil and Russia. We argue that the decline of Russian beef production after 1991, the rebound of domestic consumption since the late 1990s, the global beef trade constellation of the early 2000s, and the booming Brazilian cattle sector during the same periods forged a strong and lasting telecoupling in the beef trade between Brazil and Russia. As a result, Russia became the largest importer of both CO 2 and non-CO 2 emissions embodied in Brazilian beef exports since the 2000s. Our review exemplifies how the combination of institutional and socioeconomic shocks along with major changes in global markets can couple food systems and redistribute environmental footprints across long distances. Incorporating telecouplings in assessments of sustainable food systems is therefore important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural land use to meet the demands of a growing population, changing diets, lifestyles and biofuel production is a significant driver of biodiversity loss. Globally applicable methods are needed to assess biodiversity impacts hidden in internationally traded food items. We used the countryside species area relationship (SAR) model to estimate the mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles species lost (i.e. species ‘committed to extinction’) due to agricultural land use within each of the 804 terrestrial ecoregion. These species lost estimates were combined with high spatial resolution global maps of crop yields to calculate species lost per ton for 170 crops in 184 countries. Finally, the impacts per ton were linked with the bilateral trade data of crop products between producing and consuming countries from FAO, to calculate the land use biodiversity impacts embodied in international crop trade and consumption. We found that 83% of total species loss is incurred due to agriculture land use devoted for domestic consumption whereas 17% is due to export production. Exports from Indonesia to USA and China embody highest impacts (20 species lost at the regional level each). In general, industrialized countries with high per capita GDP tend to be major net importers of biodiversity impacts from developing tropical countries. Results show that embodied land area is not a good proxy for embodied biodiversity impacts in trade flows, as crops occupying little global area such as sugarcane, palm oil, rubber and coffee have disproportionately high biodiversity impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatio-temporal areal data can be seen as a collection of time series which are spatially correlated according to a specific neighboring structure. Incorporating the temporal and spatial dimension into a statistical model poses challenges regarding the underlying theoretical framework as well as the implementation of efficient computational methods. We propose to include spatio-temporal random effects using a conditional autoregressive prior, where the temporal correlation is modeled through an autoregressive mean decomposition and the spatial correlation by the precision matrix inheriting the neighboring structure. Their joint distribution constitutes a Gaussian Markov random field, whose sparse precision matrix enables the usage of efficient sampling algorithms. We cluster the areal units using a nonparametric prior, thereby learning latent partitions of the areal units. The performance of the model is assessed via an application to study regional unemployment patterns in Italy. When compared to other spatial and spatio-temporal competitors, the proposed model shows more precise estimates and the additional information obtained from the clustering allows for an extended economic interpretation of the unemployment rates of the Italian provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staged, low and high-temperature subcritical liquefaction were used to pretreat algae and generate a biocrude primarily characterized by free fatty acids and unsaturated hydrocarbons with reduced nitrogen heteroatom levels. Subsequently, catalytic hydrodenitrogenation and deoxygenation (HDN/HDO) was conducted using ruthenium (5% Ru/carbon) and cobalt molybdenum catalysts. Ru on carbon was the most effective HDO catalyst and generated the lowest level of nitrogen and heteroatoms in the resulting oil. A CoMo-S catalyst generated higher nitrogen and heteroatom levels, and resulted in a higher TAN value and lower heating value, probably due to the low sulfur levels in the biocrude. The highest quality oil was generated from a raceway strain using Ru/C and HTL pretreatment (225 °C, 15 min) with a repeated batch HDN/HDO step (3.24% N, 8.2% O, TAN of 12, 1.25% water, HHV 40 MJ/kg) and had a boiling point range of ~ 20% kerosene, ~ 30% distillate fuel oil, and ~ 50% gas oil. A 57% reduction in nitrogen content of the oil was realized when repeated HDN/HDO was coupled with HTL pretreatment using Ru/C (4.3 wt.%N), relative to 7.5%N for single stage HTL/HDO. Final yields for the highest quality oil generated via the coupled HTL/HDO process ranged from 15 to 22%. Recovery and reuse of the catalyst (Ru/C) resulted in a significant decline in activity potentially caused by coking and metals deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-stage hydrothermal liquefaction process was used to reduce nitrogen heteroatoms in algae biocrude and generate an aqueous co-product stream for algae cultivation. A low temperature liquefaction pretreatment (PT: 125–225°C, 0.5–30 min) hydrolyzed proteins and partitioned nitrogen to the aqueous phase, which was separated and analyzed for nutrient and toxin concentrations. The retained solids (20%) were subjected to hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in the second step at 350°C for 60 min. The low temperature pretreatment was most effective at higher temperatures and holding times (225°C, 15 min), removing 45% of the nitrogen present in the algae solids, while retaining 59% of the solid mass, yet reduced overall bio-oil yields by 35 to 71% relative to single stage HTL. Experiments conducted in two-chamber reactors with increased heating rates, resulted in similar nitrogen removal levels at shorter residence times (250°C, 5 min). When coupled with high-temperature HTL, pretreatment improved the elemental content of the biocrude by increasing the total nitrogen removed and reducing nitrogen heteroatom content by 26–28%, compared to HTL alone. The aqueous co-product stream was analyzed for nutrient availability and indicated potential for recycle and algae cultivation due to its high nitrogen and phosphorus levels, moderate pH, and low inhibitory compound concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localization is a crucial requirement for mobile underwater systems. Real-time position information is needed for control and navigation of underwater vehicles, in early warning systems and for certain routing protocols. Past research has shown that the localization accuracy of networked underwater systems can be significantly improved using inter-vehicle collaboration. More specifically the Maximum Likelihood (ML) position estimates of a mobile collective can be computed from measurements of relative positions and motion, albeit in a non-real-time fashion. In this work we extend this solution to compute the position estimates of a network in real-time and in a distributed fashion. We first describe a centralized approach to identify key factors that fundamentally limit the performance of a real-time solution. Using the centralized approach as a benchmark, we arrive at a real-time distributed solution that additionally computes the location of vehicles using information obtained locally by them. We address practical considerations in the implementation of our algorithm and propose solutions to mitigate computational errors. With this proposed implementation, we provide insight on how to appropriately plan a deployment of nodes when collaborative tracking is to be utilized. Lastly, we shed light on situations where implementing collaborative tracking can hinder the localization performance of the network so that these can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time synchronization and localization are key requirements for distributed underwater systems consisting of numerous low-cost submersibles. In these systems, submersibles are highly resource constrained and typically have limited acoustic communication capability. We investigate the problem of tracking submersibles that only have the capability of receiving acoustic signals. Traditional Long Base Line (LBL) systems track the location of submersibles by providing a GPS-like infrastructure that consists of a few reference beacons at known locations. In these systems the unknown positions of submersibles are estimated from beacon transmissions using time-difference-of-arrival (TDoA) based localization. As such TDoA makes the key assumption that beacon transmissions occur nearly concurrently in time. While this assumption is ensured in small LBL deployments it does not hold as the size of the system scales up. In this paper we identify scenarios where signals from multiple beacons are significantly lagged in time. We further identify the motion of the submersible between signal arrivals as a key factor that deteriorates the performance of TDoA, when transmissions are not concurrent. To address this problem we propose to track the submersible while performing time-synchronization. Our proposed technique, called Time of Arrival based Tracked Synchronization (ToA-TS) essentially extends GPS like localization for scenarios where beacon transmissions are not concurrent and submersibles are not capable of two-way communication. We show the benefit of our proposed scheme by comparing its performance to other localization techniques using experimentally obtained data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Profound changes in land use occurred during the last century in Europe, driven by growing population, changes in affluence, and technological innovation. To capture and understand these changes, we compiled a consistent dataset on the distribution of land-use types and biomass extraction for nine European countries (Albania, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) since the late 19th to early 20th century, when national statistical publications became available. We then calculated a range of indicators within the “human appropriation of net primary production” (HANPP) framework for the nine countries and for the sum of all countries on a yearly basis from 1902 to 2003. We find that cropland and grazing land contracted in all countries except Albania in the observed period, while forestland increased. Crop yields increased in all countries, most strongly during the second half of the 20th century. In some countries, biomass extraction on grazing lands increased to a similar extent. Overall, HANPP was high but declined slightly from 63% of the net primary production of potential vegetation in 1902 to 55% in 2003. This is the result of increasing crop yields on shrinking cropland and grazing land, which was only partly offset by increasing biomass extraction on expanding forests and by expanding settlement areas. HANPP trends on croplands were mostly uniform across countries, but differed substantially on grazing lands. While political differences, e . g ., between communist and capitalist countries, did not directly affect HANPP dynamics, economic and population growth were related to increases in biomass extraction for long periods of time in much of the sample, and only in recent decades did the collapse of the Eastern Block’s Comecon market, EU agricultural policy, and world market developments coincide with a stagnation of biomass extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new insights into the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies (novel mathematical and computer-based methods) for designing and optimising the eco-industrial park (EIP) of Jurong Island in Singapore. The concept of Industry 4.0 translation to an EIP is introduced, which delivers an expert system allowing users to monitor, control, and optimise the social, economic and environmental repercussions of the industrial activities on Jurong Island. This expert system is a cyber-infrastructure making use of the latest advances in high performance computing (HPC), advanced mathematical modelling, and semantic web technologies. The proposed work addresses end-user driven demands by harnessing HPC resources and advanced data analytics to enable intelligent design, operation, and management of all entities on Jurong Island. The outcome of the work can serve stakeholders from both the private and public sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide emission is an important parameter for indication of environmental impact of an industrial process. For a process that has known product capacity or revenue information, an Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) model can be applied to estimate the carbon dioxide emission. Due to the difficulty in obtaining such information for many industries, a simple linear correlation was developed using data obtained from applying EIO-LCA model on certain known processes in conjunction with the land area information obtained by ArcGIS, a geographic information software program. Jurong Island, an industrial park housing more than 100 companies in Singapore is chosen as the case study site. Carbon dioxide emission from different industrial sectors in Jurong Island were also compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new insights into the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies (novel mathematical and computer-based methods) for designing and optimising the eco-industrial park (EIP) of Jurong Island in Singapore. The concept of Industry 4.0 translation to an EIP is introduced, which delivers an expert system allowing users to monitor, control, and optimise the social, economic and environmental repercussions of the industrial activities on Jurong Island. This expert system is a cyber-infrastructure making use of the latest advances in high performance computing (HPC), advanced mathematical modelling, and semantic web technologies. The proposed work addresses end-user driven demands by harnessing HPC resources and advanced data analytics to enable intelligent design, operation, and management of all entities on Jurong Island. The outcome of the work can serve stakeholders from both the private and public sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide emission is an important parameter for indication of environmental impact of an industrial process. For a process that has known product capacity or revenue information, an Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) model can be applied to estimate the carbon dioxide emission. Due to the difficulty in obtaining such information for many industries, a simple linear correlation was developed using data obtained from applying EIO-LCA model on certain known processes in conjunction with the land area information obtained by ArcGIS, a geographic information software program. Jurong Island, an industrial park housing more than 100 companies in Singapore is chosen as the case study site. Carbon dioxide emission from different industrial sectors in Jurong Island were also compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Production processes are resource and energy intensive. To meet the increasing requirements of sustainable production and to assure economic competitiveness, novel strategic approaches are necessary in designing production systems, for which integrated simulation as a holistic decision support tool is proposed. An integrated simulation in terms of a co-simulation allows coupling of simulation environments at runtime in order to link different model descriptions (e.g. differential equations, data-based models) and computational algorithms (e.g. explicit/implicit ODE solvers with independent step sizes). Incorporating interactions across different optimization fields i.e. machines, energy systems and industrial buildings a practical case study identifies significant energy and emission savings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: There are a number of scoring systems for risk evaluation in cardiac surgery, the most important of which are the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score, the ACEF score (acronym for age, preoperative creatinine, and ejection fraction), and more recently, the new EuroSCORE-II. The aim of our study was to analyze and compare the predictive value of these scores in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: A total of 1,512 consecutive patients undergoing either conventional AVR (n = 1,066) or TAVR (transfemoral, n = 291; transapical, n = 155) were enrolled. Logistic and additive EuroSCORE of all patients were 13.3% ± 13.2% and 7.8% ± 3.3%, on average. The mean STS score, ACEF score, and EuroSCORE-II were 5.7% ± 5.0%, 1.5% ± 0.7%, and 4.2% ± 4.9%, respectively. Results: Overall mortality at 30 days was 6.3%. The area under the curve (AUC) was 73.8 for the logistic EuroSCORE and 73.5 for the additive EuroSCORE. The STS score gave an AUC of 70.8. The AUCs for the ACEF and EuroSCORE-II were 63.8 and 71.2, respectively. In the transfemoral TAVR group, AUCs were 59.8 and 59.3 for the logistic and additive EuroSCORE, respectively, 63.2 for the STS score, and 55.9 and 55.4 for the ACEF and EuroSCORE-II, respectively. In the transapical TAVR group, AUCs were 88.0 and 82.8 for the logistic and additive EuroSCORE, respectively, 79.0 for the STS score, and 61.7 and 83.7 for the ACEF and EuroSCORE-II, respectively. Conclusions: Overall, 30-day mortality was best predicted by the STS score. Discrimination threshold predicting mortality was equal between all other risk calculators. Surprisingly, the new EuroSCORE-II was not superior to other models in risk prediction for AVR and TAVR patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Global patterns of land use intensity are poorly understood, particularly in the developing world. [•] The multidimensionality of land use intensity should be considered by jointly using input, output, and system metrics. [•] A range of cropland intensity metrics exist, but existing data are often uncertain. [•] Large data gaps remain for grazing and forestry intensity. [•] Research priorities should include first, better integration of satellite-based and ground based data, second, validating and better documentation of datasets, and third, creation of consistent time series. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Trade liberalization has greatly accelerated the volume of traded agricultural products in past decades. As land resources become more limited in some countries, international trade plays an important role in compensating for land scarcity in these countries. This paper aims to measure and locate the virtual land use hidden in China''s imports and exports, for both primary crops and processed products, from 1986 to 2009. The results show that as China''s crop imports had grown greatly during the last decade, the net virtual land trade hidden in international trade had increased from −4.42Mha in 1986 to 28.90Mha in 2009. The main category of virtual land imports had changed from cereals to oil crops, which accounted for 82.2% of the total virtual land imports in 2009. Over the two decades the main source of virtual land imports had changed from North America to both South America and North America. International trade could also lower demand for land resources at the global level: our results showed that China''s crop trade was contributing to global land savings by 3.27Mha on annual average during 1986–2009. Economic development, and associated dietary changes and policy shifts were linked to the change of China''s virtual land trade pattern. To make land use more sustainable at the global level, both importing and exporting countries of virtual land should consider ecological and socio-economic impacts of these trade flows in their policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Statement of problem: Metal ceramic restorations are widely used in prosthodontics, but long-term data on their clinical performance in private practice settings based on prospective trials are sparse. Purpose: This clinical trial was designed to provide realistic long-term survival rates for different outcomes related to tooth loss, crown loss, and metal ceramic defect. Material and methods: Ninety-five participants were provided with 190 noble metal ceramic single crowns and 138 participants with 276 fixed dental prosthesis retainer crowns on vital posterior teeth. Follow-up examinations were scheduled 2 weeks after insertion, annually up to 8 years, and after 10 years. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, Mantel-Cox logrank tests, and Cox regression analyses were conducted. Results: Because of variations in the time of the last examinations, the maximum observation period was 12.1 years. For the primary outcome ‘loss of crown or tooth’, the Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 94.3% ±1.8% (standard error) at 8.0 years (last outcome event) for single crowns and 94.4% ±1.5% at 11.0 years for fixed dental prosthesis retainer crowns. The difference between the survival functions was not significant (P>.05). For the secondary outcome ‘metal ceramic defect’, the survival rate was 88.8% ±3.2% at 11.0 years for single crowns and 81.7% ±3.5% at 11.0 years for fixed dental prosthesis retainer crowns. In Cox regression models, the only significant covariates for the outcome event ‘metal ceramic defect’ were bruxism in the medical history (single crowns) and signs and symptoms of bruxism (fixed dental prosthesis retainer crowns) with hazard ratios of 3.065 (95% CI 1.063 – 8.832) and 2.554 (95% CI 1.307 – 4.992). Conclusions: Metal ceramic crowns provided in private practice settings show good longevity. Bruxism appears to indicate a risk for metal ceramic defects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Throughout history, humans have transformed natural forests into agricultural land, settlement areas and managed forests. Studies on the dynamics of forest change are one of the mainstays in land change science. The forest transition theory offers a powerful tool to analyze changes in human interference with forests. At the national level, a range of factors have been found to influence a country''s forest change. The role of international wood product trade has, however, rarely been studied based on empirical data. We offer a global assessment of how this trade helps shape observed forest change, by relating forest stock change to net trade of wood products for the period 1997–2007 and by localizing the origin of wood consumed in a given nation. For many nations, traded wood products have a relevant impact on the course of ongoing forest transitions. We develop a general typology of how wood product trade can influence forest change and place various nations within this framework. We find that many wealthy nations with returning forests seem to accelerate this return by importing wood products. These imports appear to be provided by two main types of wood exporters: (a) by wealthy countries with low population densities and stable forests and (b) by relatively poor countries with declining forests, employing increasing population and welfare levels. We discuss these findings in the light of general theories on land use transitions and forest change and conclude by highlighting implications for national forest policies and global environmental governance, aiming at reducing negative impacts of wood products and enhancing the positive role they can play in replacing more fossil fuel intensive products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Holmium Laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is an effective treatment, yet the learning curve is considered difficult. We propose the trimodal approach of Holmium Laser ablation (HoLAP), then ablation with resection (HoLARP) and finally enucleation (HoLEP) during the development of surgical competence. Methods: A centre experienced in Holmium Laser (HoL) prostatectomy evaluated ablation techniques in prostates less than 50cc as a training modality. Prospective data were collected and outcomes compared with controls who had HoLEP. Subsequently a HoL prostatectomy service was introduced to a new centre and evaluated prospectively during the initial experience of two surgeons mentored by another trained in the trimodal staged approach. Results: Outcomes following HoLAP were comparable to HoLEP in prostate volumes under 50cm3. The new HoL service was evaluated over 6 months. 70 cases were carried out, 42 HoLAP and 28 HoLEP. Outcomes were compared prospectively with 30 TURPs by another surgeon. A decrease in catheterisation time and hospital stay was noted in the laser group. Conclusion: The staged progression from HoLAP, then HOLARP and finally to HOLEP with morcellation appears a safe and reproducible way to introduce HoL prostatectomy into standard urological practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Land for food production is limited. We investigate how land demand for food develops as populations grow, diets change and agricultural practices become more intensive. The Philippines provide an excellent case: during the 20th century population grew tenfold implying similar increases in basic dietary needs. To quantify occurring changes, we link average dietary patterns to their arable land requirements. For this, we utilize data on population, dietary patterns and crop yields from 1910 to 2003. While average per capita food supply improved during the century, the amount of land required to feed a person declined, albeit not continuous: it was at about 2500m2 in 1910, at 2000m2 in 1960, at 1000m2 in 1985, and did not change greatly since then. Accounting for population growth, this translates to a fourfold increase in total land required for food from 1910 to 2003. When investigating what drove the observed developments at national level, we find that in the first half of 20th century population growth was linked to increased land requirements, before strong increases in yields were enabling constant land requirements for about two decades. Recently, the combined effect of dietary change and population growth led again to increased land requirements for food. Different yield developments in individual crops caused shifts in the relative land requirements of different food items. Our findings suggest that developments in land requirements for food and underlying factors are often non-linear. Caution is warranted when discussing futures of global food supply, based on assumptions of linear or continuous trends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present a smart phone application visualizing the evolution and the variability in the speed of a rowing boat in real-time. The application supports the rower in optimizing his/her movements to maximize the speed of the rowing boat and to optimize the uniformity of the speed of the rowing boat. The graphical user interface is kept simple in design so that the rower is not distracted due to the readout of the application data during the rowing. The accumulated acceleration data can be examined on a web interface after rowing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several pressure sensors were deployed in a small lake to determine its storage change. It could be shown that a deep enough deployment and an averaging over a time interval of 1hour and 5 measuring points allowed for a measurement of 1 or 2kg/m2 (i.e. 2mm of water column) of changes in the storage on the scale of the lake size. This accuracy for the lake storage could not be achieved by other methods, especially if conditions were difficult, e.g. snowfall, or in cases when precipitation was small. Finally, the pressure measurement – originally intended to roughly determine the water level – turned out to be a direct measurement of water mass in the lake, which was the proper magnitude for exchanges between atmosphere and lake. Hence the measurement of lake storage could become an interesting approach even for meteorological measurements, such as precipitation and evaporation on a water surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The architectural community needs holistic, evidence-based planning tools to promote urban resilience in the face of global warming. To ensure maximum impact, simulation-driven microclimate analysis methods must be integrated early in the design process. With Eddy3D, we present a toolkit to simulate outdoor thermal comfort metrics with a decoupled approach. We motivate the decoupled systems framework with meteorological measurements and local and global sensitivity analyses of three different climates. For a real-world case study on a university campus, we present results for both wind velocity and mean radiant temperature simulations. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a decoupled simulation approach that considers design aiding for the architectural practice. Our findings support reduced simulation time and flexibility, with the caveat of reduced accuracy due to neglecting forced convection, albeit this being less relevant in the early stages of design. The framework presented in this manuscript has been implemented and released as Eddy3D, a plugin for Rhino & Grasshopper. [Display omitted] • We introduce Eddy3D — a toolkit for decoupled outdoor thermal comfort simulation that is motivated by global sensitivity analyses. • Eddy3D has been implemented as a plugin for Rhino & Grasshopper. • We validated both mean radiant temperature and wind velocity simulations with on-campus, real-world measurements — and show good agreement for both. • We discuss how our approach can help extract meaningful metrics such as the outdoor thermal comfort autonomy that help practitioners with performance-based decision aiding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A survey of starter and probiotic cultures was carried out to determine the current antibiotic resistance situation in microbial food additives in Switzerland. Two hundred isolates from 90 different sources were typed by molecular and other methods to belong to the genera Lactobacillus (74 samples), Staphylococcus (33 samples), Bifidobacterium (6 samples), Pediococcus (5 samples), or were categorized as lactococci or streptococci (82 samples). They were screened for phenotypic resistances to 20 antibiotics by the disk diffusion method. Twenty-seven isolates exhibiting resistances that are not an intrinsic feature of the respective genera were further analyzed by microarray hybridization as a tool to trace back phenotypic resistances to specific genetic determinants. Their presence was finally verified by PCR amplification or Southern hybridization. These studies resulted in the detection of the tetracycline resistance gene tet(K) in 5 Staphylococcus isolates used as meat starter cultures, the tetracycline resistance gene tet(W) in the probiotic cultures Bifidobacterium lactis DSM 10140 and Lactobacillus reuteri SD 2112 (residing on a plasmid), and the lincosamide resistance gene lnu(A) (formerly linA) in L. reuteri SD 2112. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) has been linked to outdoor activity patterns and used to evaluate the effectiveness of urban interventions to improve thermal comfort. This study investigates how simulating the urban environment at increasing levels of physical accuracy impacts UTCI values along three cycling routes in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Baseline UTCI values are estimated using a local weather file, and the following increments in physical accuracy are considered: wind-scaling, shading from buildings, shading and cooling from trees, computational fluid dynamics simulations for wind speeds, and simulated surface temperatures. With bike ridership data from Bluebikes, Boston's bike-sharing program, the relationship between bike ridership patterns and UTCI values along each route is studied. Supervised machine learning models are applied to predict bike ridership based on UTCI and other predictors. UTCI simulation results show that incorporating the various increments of accuracy influences hourly UTCI values at urban areas and exposed areas differently. Incorporating local wind speeds is especially impactful for urban areas. The statistical models trained to predict hourly bike trip counts based on UTCI and other demand and weather predictors achieved a root-mean-squared error of 1.06 trips. 47% of predictions were correct, and an additional 42% of predictions were off by 1 trip. This study demonstrates the importance of spatial refinement in simulating UTCI, and motivates future research into efficient simulation methods or rules-of-thumb for deriving spatial-temporal UTCI values. Future work into building a robust predictive model would motivate the design of thermally comfortable environments for human-powered transportation in cities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]