Average Life Cycle Research Articles

Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions reduction from bike share systems: a model considering real-world trips and transportation mode choice patterns

The emerging bike share systems provide convenient mobility to short-distance travelers for both leisure and commuting purposes. Many cities are rolling out bike share programs. However, few studies have evaluated how bike share systems (BSS) are used to quantify their sustainability impacts. This study proposes a Bike Share Emission Reduction Estimation Model (BS-EREM) to quantify the environmental benefits from bike share trips and compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from BSS in eight cities in the United States, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. The BS-EREM model stochastically estimates the transportation modes substituted by bike share trips, considering factors such as trip distance, trip purpose, trip start time, the accessibility of public transits, and historical distributions of transportation mode choices. Based on average life cycle emission factors of different transportation modes, our analysis reveals that the annual GHG emission reductions contributed by the eight BSSs in year 2016 range from 41 tons of CO2-eq (Seattle) to 5417 tons of CO2-eq (New York City), while the emission reductions per trip range from 283 to 581 g CO2-eq. The total annual emission reduction is linearly correlated to the number of trips, bikes, and docks. The bike share stations located in the center of a city contributed to more total GHG emission reductions due to the high trip volumes, while the stations that are further away have higher emission reductions on a per trip basis due to longer trips and higher car substitution rate.

Life cycle study of maize stem borer (Chilo partellus Swinhoe) under laboratory condition at National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal

Maize stem borer (Chilo partellus swinhoe) is one of the major threatening global pests of maize and considered as the national top priority entomological research problem in Nepal. The Life cycle of maize stem borer was studied under laboratory condition at National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal during 2018. Development of stem borer undergoes following stages like egg, larvae, pupa and adult. Eggs and different instars of maize stem borer larvae were collected from maize fields were put with host materials (maize leaf and stem) to become different instars of larva, pupae and finally turned to adults. Eggs were harvested from adults and kept on blotting paper which was kept inside petriplates and reared for adults. Their life span in each stage (egg, larva and pupa) and the fecundity of adults recorded. Daily room temperature and relative humidity (RH) in laboratory conditions were recorded. The Egg incubation period ranged from 4-7 days and hatched generally in the early morning (6-8 AM). The complete larvae period ranged from 29 to 36 days while pupal period was ranged from 7 to 12 days. The average male pupal length was found 13 mm and female was 16 mm long. The fecundity of C. partellus Swinhoe was recorded 150-160 eggs per female. The Oviposition period was 4 days and adult male survived for 4-7 days while female for 4-9 days. The average life cycle of C. partellus completed in (44-48) days during summer whereas (60-64) days during winter at average room temperature of (26-27° C) and RH of (70-80%). These results have important implications to know the survival and development of pest including effective pest management strategy.

Are e-scooters polluters? The environmental impacts of shared dockless electric scooters

Shared stand-up electric scooters are now offered in many cities as an option for short-term rental, and marketed for short-distance travel. Using life cycle assessment, we quantify the total environmental impacts of this mobility option associated with global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and respiratory impacts. We find that environmental burdens associated with charging the e-scooter are small relative to materials and manufacturing burdens of the e-scooters and the impacts associated with transporting the scooters to overnight charging stations. The results of a Monte Carlo analysis show an average value of life cycle global warming impacts of 202 g CO2-eq/passenger-mile, driven by materials and manufacturing (50%), followed by daily collection for charging (43% of impact). We illustrate the potential to reduce life cycle global warming impacts through improved scooter collection and charging approaches, including the use of fuel-efficient vehicles for collection (yielding 177 g CO2-eq/passenger-mile), limiting scooter collection to those with a low battery state of charge (164 g CO2-eq/passenger-mile), and reducing the driving distance per scooter for e-scooter collection and distribution (147 g CO2-eq/passenger-mile). The results prove to be highly sensitive to e-scooter lifetime; ensuring that the shared e-scooters are used for two years decreases the average life cycle emissions to 141 g CO2-eq/passenger-mile. Under our Base Case assumptions, we find that the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with e-scooter use is higher in 65% of our Monte Carlo simulations than the suite of modes of transportation that are displaced. This likelihood drops to 35%–50% under our improved and efficient e-scooter collection processes and only 4% when we assume two-year e-scooter lifetimes. When e-scooter usage replaces average personal automobile travel, we nearly universally realize a net reduction in environmental impacts.

Prediction of annual generations of the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta on tomato cultivations in Egypt

BackgroundTomato crop is the first vegetable crop in Egypt; it covers about 3% of Egypt’s total planted area. The tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta is a polyphagous insect pest which feeds on several solanaceous plant species and preferentially on tomato causing high losses in productivity. This study aims to predict the annual generations and expected times for moth emergence in order to select the best time for the pest management.MethodsSpecimens of T. absoluta were collected from infested tomato field and reared under controlled temperatures to calculate the thermal requirements for development and completing the whole generation. The duration of different developmental stages of this insect and the life table parameters were estimated. The data were used to calculate the thermal constant and developmental zero for different developmental stages using the formula of Jasic (Bihemoslov 72:383-390, 1975) mathit{mathsf{y}}=mathit{mathsf{n}} left(mathit{mathsf{t}}-mathit{mathsf{x}}right) .ResultsEcological studies were performed to evaluate the adverse effects of climatic changes on insect populations based on accumulation of the thermal requirements for development. The developmental zero was 5.79 °C and the thermal constant was 171 DDs to complete the pupal stage development. Based on these values, the pupae development can be repeated 36 times during 2012 when the mean annual temperature was 22.8 °C. In Giza governorate, the average life cycle duration during 2012 was 52.44 days when the mean annual temperature was 22.8 °C, the number of annual generations was 8.05, and the timing of the first generation was 11.66 days in April 2012 while the 8th generation cycle was obtained after 28.2 days of January 2013. In Qena governorate, the mean annual temperature was increased to be 26.04 °C, so the annual generations increased to 9.52. The first generation was recorded by the end of April 2012 while the 9th generation was completed on 24.4 days of December 2012. In Merssa-Matrouh governorate, the mean annual temperature was 20.53 °C and the number of the annual generations was found to be 7 during 2012. The first generation occurred on the day 19.86 of April 2012 while the 7th generation cycle was detected after 30.98 days of January 2013. This means that there must be successive emergence of the adults but with variations during the different months and locations in correlation with variation of temperatures.ConclusionThe accumulated thermal requirements appeared to be a very critical factor affecting insect development to complete the annual generations of T. absoluta in Egypt. This helps in designing the effective program and the best time for the pest management.

Job Creation in Colombia vs the U.S.: 'Up or out Dynamics' Meets 'The Life Cycle of Plants'

Following the seminal work of Hsieh and Klenow (2014), there is growing consensus that a key difference between the U.S. and developing economies is that the latter exhibit slower employment growth over the life cycle of the average productive establishment. At the same time, the distribution of startup employment growth in the U.S. is highly skewed, with extraordinary growth establishments driving average employment growth, giving rise to the up or out dynamics label (Haltiwanger, Jarmin and Miranda, 2013). We look at the entire population of non-micro manufacturing establishments in Colombia vs. the US and find that slower average life cycle growth in Colombia is driven by a less enthusiastic contribution of extraordinary growth plants and less dynamic selection of young underperforming plants. As a consequence, the size distribution of non-micro plants exhibits more concentration in small-old plants in Colombia, both in unweighted and employment-weighted bases. These findings point to a shortage of high-growth entrepreneurship and a relatively high likelihood of long-run survival for small, likely unproductive plants, as two key elements at the heart of the development problem. An extreme concentration of resources in micro plants is the other distinguishing feature of the Colombian manufacturing sector vis a vis the US'.

Short‐Term Variations in the Surface Upwelling off Northeastern Taiwan Observed via Satellite Data

AbstractShort‐term biweekly variations in the surface upwelling off northeastern Taiwan are well documented. However, due to limitations in the spatiotemporal resolution and coverage of the observed data, the lifecycle and associated dynamics are poorly understood. In this study, a gradient‐based edge detection algorithm is proposed to detect the surface upwelling. The sea surface temperature data of geostationary satellite Himawari‐8 were used to explore a complete short‐term process as a case study. The evolution was analyzed in terms of an upwelling index measured via the temperature difference between upwelled and surrounding water and the area and shape of the surface upwelling. The process lasted approximately 17 days as the upwelling moved northeastward under the advection of the Kuroshio Current and included two stages: intensification and decay. The last 8 years (2010–2017) of multisatellite combined sea surface temperature data were examined to verify the results obtained in the case study. A statistical analysis shows that most of the short‐term processes occur in the summer with an average lifecycle of approximately 15 ± 5 days. The trajectories of the upwelling center can be grouped into three types: quasi‐stationary near the shelf break, moving northward across the shelf break, and moving northeastward along the shelf break. A preliminary discussion suggests that the observed variations may be caused by the collective effects of multiple dynamical mechanisms, such as fluctuations in the Kuroshio Current, surface wind curl, and typhoons. This study furthers our knowledge of the surface upwelling off northeastern Taiwan and provides constraints for numerical simulations.

High-Resolution Seeded Simulations of Western North Pacific Ocean Tropical Cyclones in Two Future Extreme Climates

ABSTRACTA variant of downscaling is devised to explore the properties of tropical cyclones (TCs) that originate in the open ocean of the western North Pacific Ocean (WestPac) region under extreme climates. This variant applies a seeding strategy in large-scale environments simulated by phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) climate-model integrations together with embedded integrations of Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System for Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC), an operational, high-resolution, nonhydrostatic, convection-permitting numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Test periods for the present day and late twenty-first century are sampled from two different integrations for the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 forcing scenario. Then seeded simulations for the present-day period are contrasted with similar seeded simulations for the future period. Reinforcing other downscaling studies, the seeding results suggest that the future environments are notably more conducive to high-intensity TC activity in the WestPac. Specifically, the future simulations yield considerably more TCs that exceed 96-kt (1 kt ≈ 0.5144 m s−1) intensity, and these TCs exhibit notably greater average life cycle maximum intensity and tend to spend more time above the 96-kt intensity threshold. Also, the future simulations yield more TCs that make landfall at >64-kt intensity, and the average landfall intensity of these storms is appreciably greater. These findings are supported by statistical bootstrap analysis as well as by a supplemental sensitivity analysis. Accounting for COAMPS-TC intensity forecast bias using a quantile-matching approach, the seeded simulations suggest that the potential maximum western North Pacific TC intensities in the future extreme climate may be approximately 190 kt.

Benchmarks for environmental impact of housing in Europe: Definition of archetypes and LCA of the residential building stock

This study describes the results of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applied to 24 statistically-based dwelling archetypes, representative of the EU housing stock in 2010. The aim is to quantify the average environmental impacts related to housing in Europe and to define reference values (baseline scenario) for policies development. The average environmental impacts have been calculated taking into consideration the number of dwellings (clustered per typology, year of construction and climate zone) related to each representative model. System boundaries include production, construction, use (energy and water consumption), maintenance/replacement, and end-of-life phases of each dwelling. The environmental life cycle impact assessment was carried out using the ILCD method. EU average annual environmental impact per person, per dwelling, and per m2 were calculated. Results show that the average life cycle greenhouse gases emissions related to housing per person per year are 2.62 t CO2eq and related to a representative dwelling per year are of 6.36 t CO2eq. The use phase (energy and water consumption) is the most relevant one, followed by the production and the maintenance/replacement phases. Single-family houses are responsible for the highest share of impacts related to housing in Europe. The same type of building has different impacts in different climatic zones, due to the differences in the need for space heating. In general, electricity use and space heating are the activities that contribute more to the overall impacts. The final results could be used as a baseline scenario for testing eco-innovation scenarios and setting targets toward impact reduction.

Life cycle of the southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Canestrini 1888 (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions

The southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most important tick species affecting bovine wealth worldwide. Three uninterrupted generations of this species were observed under laboratory conditions (28±3 oC and 80±5% R.H.) using rabbit hosts. The average life cycle was determined as 65±8 days. Adult feeding period averaged 7.1±1.24 days. Pre-oviposition and oviposition periods averaged 4.1±1.3 days and 8.6±0.85 days, respectively. Pre-hatching periods averaged 21.03±2.99 days. Larval free-living and feeding to moulting periods averaged 3.5±0.75 days and 7.9±0.69 days, respectively. Nymphal feeding to moulting periods averaged 10.9±1.38 days. Weights of unfed and fed females averaged 1.26±0.29 mg and 120.32±45.6 mg, respectively and produced egg masses with average weights of 29.5±9.03 mg. Number of eggs per female averaged 1455.3±434.5 eggs with peak oviposition on the 3rd day. Average hatching rate was 83.5±2.94%, and the reproduction efficiency index averaged at 12.79±2.85. The conversion efficiency index averaged at 0.26±0.05 and the reproduction fitness index averaged at 10.68±2.4. Tick recovery rate averaged at 4.7%. A strong linear relationship was found between weights of engorged females and weights of egg masses (r = 0.83) and also between weights of engorged females and number of eggs laid (r = 0.82). This work aims to describe temporal and quantitative biological facts of R. (B.) microplus life cycles. Few studies have discussed R. (B.) microplus biology in quantitative terms, and these data can be useful in designing control plans or in epidemiological studies under laboratory conditions.

Life Cycle and Intrusion Tolerance Optimization Topology Models for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks have such disadvantages as upper limit of node energy and poor intrusion tolerance, etc. In light of these disadvantages, by analyzing such key parameters as residual energy, load, node degree, this paper proposes a wireless sensor network (WSN) life-cycle model, which fully considers node energy consumption and load fault tolerance, and a scale-free intrusion tolerance and targeted attacks optimization topology model. Then it verifies their feasibility through simulation test. The results show that the WSN life cycle model takes into account the impacts of residual energy and load capacity on the life cycle and fault tolerance of the system and improves the connectivity probability of high energy consumption nodes and small load nodes, leading to more uniform energy consumption of the wireless sensor network. Through the load adjustment coefficient, the life cycle of the network model is significantly increased. The simulation results show that the fault tolerance and survival time of the proposed model are both improved to some extent compared with those of other models. The proposed scale-free intrusion tolerance and targeted attacks optimization topology model optimizes the power exponent of the network using the structure entropy, and the established scale-free topology structure can make the model more tolerant to intrusion. The simulation results show that the intrusion tolerance of the algorithm proposed in this paper is 2.5 times that of the traditional network model, and the average life cycle is also significantly increased compared to those of other models.

An Overview and Comparison of Online Implementable SOC Estimation Methods for Lithium-Ion Battery

With the popularity of electrical vehicles, the lithium-ion battery industry is developing rapidly. To ensure battery safe usage and to reduce its average lifecycle cost, accurate state of charge (SOC) tracking algorithms for real-time implementation are required for different applications. Many SOC estimation methods have been proposed in the literature. However, only a few of them consider the real-time applicability. This paper classifies the recently proposed online SOC estimation methods into five categories. Their principal features are illustrated, and the main pros and cons are provided. The SOC estimation methods are compared and discussed in terms of accuracy, robustness, and computation burden. Afterward, as the most popular type of model-based SOC estimation algorithms, seven nonlinear filters existing in literature are compared in terms of their accuracy and execution time as a reference for online implementation.

Biology and life table of Tetranychus neocaledonicus on lima bean

ABSTRACTThe objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of the use of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) as hosts of the mite Tetranychus neocaledonicus. For such, the biology and fertility life table of T. neocaledonicus on P. lunatus plants were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in a controlled environment at 25 ± 1°C and 75 ± 10% relative humidity (RH), with a 12-h photoperiod. The eggs used in the experiments were from inventories. Evaluations were performed twice daily in the immature stage. While in the adult stage, a single evaluation was carried out, in which reproductive aspects of T. neocaledonicus were analysed, being determined the daily oviposition and the longevity of females and males. The average life cycle of females and males was 11.94 and 11.48 days, respectively. For females, the development of the mobile period of larva, protonymph, and deutonymph presented an average of 2.23, 1.17, and 1.24 days, respectively, and for males, an average of 2.20, 1.06, and 1.21 days, respectively. Regarding the post-embryonic non-mobile periods of protochrysalis, deutochrysalis, and teleiochrysalis, the averages obtained were 0.66, 0.76, and 0.78 days, respectively, for females and males 0.62, 0.68, and 0.73 days, respectively. The sex ratio was 0.77 and the average longevity of females and males was 44.30 and 48.30 days, respectively. In the life table parameters, the following variables were measured: intrinsic rate of increase (rm), 0.14 f/f/d; mean generation duration (T), 21.2 days; net reproductive rate (R0), 24.7 individuals; finite rate of increase (λ), 1.16 f/f; and population doubling time, 4.64 days. Therefore, lima bean allows the development and reproduction of the mite T. neocaledonicus. The rapid development, allied to the high viability of immature forms and the high oviposition of females, suggests that this mite can achieve pest status in this crop.

Life cycle of Amblyomma mixtum (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing different hosts under laboratory conditions.

Amblyomma mixtum is a tick species in the Amblyomma cajennense complex. The known geographic range of A. mixtum extends from Texas in the USA to western Ecuador and some islands in the Caribbean. Amblyomma mixtum is a vector of disease agents of veterinary and public health importance. The objective of this study was to describe the life cycle of A. mixtum under laboratory conditions. Bovines, rabbits and sheep were infested with larvae, nymphs, and adult ticks under controlled conditions to assess several biological parameters. Eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults were kept in an incubator (27°C temperature and 80% relative humidity) when they were off the host. The average life cycle of A. mixtum was 88 and 79days when fed on rabbits and cattle, respectively. Sheep were found to be unsuitable because no ticks attached. The rabbit is a more practical host to maintain a colony of A. mixtum under laboratory conditions. The data from this study can be considered as an example for the life cycle of A. mixtum. However, caution must be exercised when making comparisons to the biology of A. mixtum in its natural habitat.

On the biology and thermal developmental requirements of the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Egypt

This study evaluated the thermal requirements for development of the cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis depending on different biological parameters on Okra leaves Abelmoschus esculentusat under two constant temperatures (20 and 30 °C) at (RH 65%, 12:12 h. light/dark). The effect of temperature on eggs was ineffective since it hatched shortly to first nymphal instars after deposition. While the tested temperature caused significant effects on nymphal durations, pupation rate (pre-male stage), females emergence %, pre-oviposition, longevity, post-oviposition periods and fecundity in females (egg deposition, ovisacs numbers and hatchability %). The thermal constant and developmental zero were calculated to be 7.29 °C and 79.9 degree-days (DDs) for eggs, 11.67 °C and 272.9 DDs for nymphal stages, 11.06 °C and 46.4 DDs for males and then 3.31 °C and 554.1 DDs for females, respectively. The duration of the life cycle was 65.6 ± 10.36 days at 20 °C; this was shortened to 35.51 ± 1.12 days at 30 °C. The thermal requirements to complete the insect development for one generation was 8.2 °C for the developmental zero and 774.1 DDs for the thermal constant. Based on the thermal requirements values, the average life cycle duration from January to December 2016 was 61.78 days and the number of annual generations was 7.143 when the average annual temperature was 23.29 °C.

Evaluation of life cycle carbon impacts for higher education building redevelopment: a multiple case study approach

UK higher education institutions have strong drivers to reduce operational carbon emissions through building redevelopment. The life cycle carbon impact of buildings − operational and embodied carbon − is a developing area of consideration, particularly in redevelopment. A case study analysis was employed to assess how redevelopment interventions can reduce life cycle carbon impacts.The five case study buildings covered a variety of activities, construction styles, systems and operational characteristics. Each building was monitored over a 12-month period and the data was combined with metered energy use to calibrate life cycle carbon base models following the BS EN 15978:2011 standard. The base models were modified to simulate a range of carbon reduction interventions and also new-build to current UK energy efficiency regulations. The design stage uncertainty was factored in.The best-case refurbishment options showed average life cycle carbon savings of between 20 and 29%, with the most effective intervention varying by building. For new-build, the savings ranged from 32–64%, with the greatest being for conversion from mechanical to natural ventilation. The average contribution of embodied carbon to total life cycle carbon impact for the new-builds varied from 6% for the chemistry building to 23% for the law building.

Application of life cycle assessment approach to deliver low carbon houses at regional level in Western Australia

Australian building sector contributes 23% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is particularly important for Western Australia (WA) as the houses here are made of energy- and carbon-intensive clay bricks. This research has utilized life cycle assessment (LCA) approach and cleaner production strategies (CPS) to design low-carbon houses in 18 locations in regional WA. An integrative LCA analysis of clay brick house has been conducted by incorporating energy efficiency rating tool (i.e., AccuRate) to capture the regional variation in thermal performance of houses in 18 locations in WA under five climatic zones. The data bank provided information on energy and materials for mining to material production, transportation of construction materials to the site of construction, and construction stages, while an energy rating tool has been utilized to generate location-specific information on energy consumption during use stage for developing a life cycle inventory for estimating life cycle GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption of a typical 4 × 2 × 2 detached house (i.e., 4 bed rooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 cars/double garage). This approach has enabled us to determine the location-specific hotspot of a house in order to select suitable CPS for achieving reduced level of GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption. Except for two hottest locations, the average life cycle GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption of houses at 16 locations in regional WA have been estimated to be 469 t of CO2 equivalent (or CO2 e-) and 6.9 TJ, respectively. Home appliances and water heating have been found to be the top two hotspots. The CPS options, including rooftop solar photovoltaic panels (PV), solar water heaters (SWH) integrated with gas based water heaters, cast in situ concrete sandwich wall, fly ash as a partial replacement of cement in concrete, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam made of post-consumed polyethylene terephthalate bottles, have been considered to reduce GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption of a typical house in18 locations in regional WA. Excluding above two hottest locations, these CPS provide an opportunity to reduce GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption per house by an average value of 320 t CO2 e- and 3.7 TJ, respectively. Considering the alarming growth rate of the housing industry in WA, the incorporation of optimum house orientation, rooftop solar PV, roof top SWH, cast in situ sandwich wall, partial replacement of cement in concrete with fly ash, and PET foam insulation core could reduce the overall GHG emissions and embodied energy consumption associated with the construction and use of clay brick wall house which in turn will assist in achieving Australia’s GHG emission reduction target by 2050. The findings provide useful data for architects, designers, developers, and policy makers to choose from these CPS options based on existing resource availability and cost constraints.

Evaluation of life cycle carbon impacts for higher education building redevelopment: an archetype approach

An archetype-based approach was taken to generalise case study findings on the life cycle carbon impacts of higher education building redevelopment. For each archetype, the life cycle operational and embodied carbon impacts of carbon reduction interventions and building redevelopment options were analysed. The contribution of embodied carbon to total life cycle carbon impact was also evaluated.A database of English and Welsh university buildings was constructed comprising energy and geometry data. Six archetypes for pre-1985 buildings were then determined based on academic activity and servicing strategy. Buildings were synthesised for each archetype using case study data and the database geometry data. Life cycle carbon models following the BS EN 15978:2011 standard were constructed, calibrated using the database energy data and used to simulate carbon reduction interventions and new-build schemes. Various material systems were considered and design stage uncertainty was factored in.For new-build, average life cycle carbon savings ranged from 37 to 54%, exceeding the range of 25–33% for the best-case refurbishment options. However, in some cases the differences were only slight and within the range of uncertainty. Structural systems and building services dominated material impacts, the latter owing to replacement cycles. The generalised findings were used to provide guidance on higher education carbon management.

Optimizing fuzzy reverse supply chain for end-of-life vehicles

The rapid development of new technologies, such as the anti-lock braking system, navigation or Global Positioning System, and electronic fuel injection, has shortened the life cycles of vehicles. Currently, the average life cycle of vehicles in Japan is around 10years. Hence, the disposal of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) has placed heavy pressure on both the environment and human life given its negative effects. To achieve sustainable development, ELVs must be properly handled through depollution, reuse, recovery, or recycling, among others. Considering its efficiency, effectiveness, and practical advantages, reverse supply chain management has been adopted in several industries and viewed as a highly prominent option among suggested tactic solutions for solving this issue. In this study, a model of multi end-of-life vehicle reverse supply chain system with fuzzy parameters is studied. The proposed model is subsequently transformed into the equivalent auxiliary crisp model through an appropriate approach, that is, linear programming with fuzzy parameters, and the final preferred compromise solutions are determined. Finally, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the capability of and provide insights into the proposed model.

Climatology and Structures of Southwest Vortices in the NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis

Abstract The southwest vortex (SWV) is a meso-α-scale cyclonic low pressure system originating in southwest China. It is a high-impact precipitation-generating weather system in this region and a large downstream area. A climatology of the SWV over 1979–2010 is presented here. Results indicate that the SWV is a common regional weather system with about 73 annual occurrences. Two primary genesis regions are identified, one in the Sichuan basin and another one in the southeast flank of the Tibetan Plateau. SWV genesis displays seasonality with a spring–summer preference and diurnal variations. The average life cycle, horizontal dimension, and translation speed are 15.1 h, 435 km, and 8.6 m s−1, respectively. SWVs are classified into four types that show regional and seasonal contrasts in structure. In type I, the winter–spring elevated dry vortex in the basin is vertically confined to a shallow layer between 850 and 600 hPa and tilts northeastward. The low-level vortex has a cold center, and the middle to upper levels feature baroclinicity. In type II, the nighttime warm-season precipitating vortex system in the basin has a deep structure with the cyclonic vorticity extending from the surface into the upper troposphere. The nonsevere precipitating vortex (type IIa) is weakly baroclinic and tilts northward with height, whereas the severe precipitating vortex (type IIb) is vertically aligned. For type III, in the southern mountains, the shallow surface-based vortex develops in a well-mixed boundary layer and vertically tilts in the upslope direction and has a warm and low-humidity core. For type IV, the heavy precipitating vortex in the mountainous region is large, deep, and nearly upright with a fairly barotropic environment.

Global Comparisons of Regional Life Cycle Properties and Motion of Multiday Convective Systems: Tropical and Midlatitude Land and Ocean

Abstract Tracking of convective cloud systems (cloud-top temperature <245 K) in geosynchronous satellite images at 3-h intervals is used to determine life cycle statistics of convective systems in four regimes: tropical land and ocean and midlatitude land and ocean, including seasonal comparisons. The ISCCP tracking dataset covers the period 1984–2006. Only systems with lifetimes greater than or equal to 1 day that were moving predominantly eastward or westward are considered, with splits and merges combined into larger extended convective systems. The life cycle variables are lifetime (duration), maximum area, and minimum cloud-top temperature. These are compared to each other and to the speed of longitudinal motion. Distributions and relationships between the life cycle variables are similar to previous studies based on single-day lifetimes, but the current study is globally extensive (all longitudes at lower and middle latitudes) and multidecadal, which allows extension of such results to rarer, larger, and longer-lived convective systems than previous work. Velocity distributions were monomodal with tails skewed in the direction of the zonal mean wind, being almost purely eastward in the midlatitudes but nearly symmetric in both directions with a small westward bias in the tropics. Representative life cycles for each geographical region are formed by averaging together systems with similar lifetimes. These composite life cycles show that, except for the first and last days, the daily evolution of most system variables exhibits little variation during the average multiday convective life cycle, although the cloud area goes through one cycle of expansion and contraction in a lifetime.