REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) aims to achieve its purpose by working across multiple sectors and involving multi-level actors in reducing deforestation and forest degradation in tropical countries. By contrast, the European Union (EU) Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and its Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) focus on forestry and functions at bilateral state level. The FLEGT Action Plan specifically aims to tackle illegal logging, legalise timber production and trade improve forest governance in countries exporting tropical timber to the EU. Since illegal logging is just one driver of deforestation and forest degeneration, and legalisation of logging does not necessarily reduce deforestation and forest degradation, the two instruments differ in scale and scope. However, by addressing the causes of deforestation and forest degradation and their underlying governance issues, the EU FLEGT and REDD+ share many functional linkages at higher levels of forest policy and forest governance. The contribution and participation of civil society organisations (CSOs) and other actors is imperative to both processes. Our study is based on a survey of key actors (national and international) in REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Our analysis was guided by the theoretical perspectives of the policy arrangement approach and examination of two specific dimensions of this approach, namely resources and rules of the game. This paper argues that participation of CSOs in both processes is crucial as it facilitates and nurtures the very much needed cooperation between other national and international actors. The paper also argues that participation of CSOs feeds valuable information and knowledge into REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes, thus contributing to increased legitimacy, justice and transparency.

This study aims to analyse the technical viability and economic feasibility of rainwater harvesting systems for single and multifamily residential buildings in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil. Simulations were conducted for representative buildings in the city under different water usage scenarios and system designs, in a total of 36 simulation scenarios. An economic analysis was performed for four scenarios over a twenty-year period. Both initial and operational costs were considered and net present value, internal rate of return and payback used as feasibility indicators. Almost all of the cases simulated were technically viable for the group of houses, and up to 78.9% for flats. As for the economic analysis, for houses, between 60.1% and 74.8% of the cases were economically feasible, achieving a discounted payback period ranging from 6.2 to 8.6 years. For flats, between 57.8% and 64.2% of the cases were economically feasible, achieving a discounted payback period ranging from 4.8 to 5.6 years. As the water tariff in the city underwent changes recently, the former and current tariff formats were compared. The current tariff format provides more economic benefits for saving potable water, and leads to a higher net present value and a shorter discounted payback period.

The construction industry of Ukraine shall not only recover but also to upgrade, enhance and reevaluate projects of existing buildings. Further research raises simultaneously two pertinent issues for Ukraine - retrofitting as well as reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure. The priority objective of the research is to restore damaged and ruined buildings rapidly. It may be achieved by means of a creation of recovery methods in Ukraine and countries in the post-conflict stage of development. The approach implies using Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence of things (AIoT) to make reconstruction faster, better and less costly. In addition, we acquire a reduction of energy consumption and increase in the lifespan of the building by choosing retrofitting methods. The effectiveness of BIM and AIoT technologies allows imple-menting modern requirements to reduce the time and cost of design, optimize design solutions based on experience in designing new buildings and structures, providing the necessary infor-mation support of the investment project throughout its life cycle.

The decarbonization of the built environment, both in new construction and renovation, is crucial to mitigate its relevant impact on climate change and achieve the Paris agreement goals. This study presents a systematic LCA-based methodology to assess the whole life carbon emissions of buildings, applied to a proposal for the regeneration of one of Milan’s disused railway yards. As an entry for the 2020 Reinventing Cities competition, Scalo Lambrate is a project for a mainly residential neighborhood with a public park. Strategies to reduce carbon emissions deriving both from the operational energy and construction and maintenance were evaluated and their effects compared to a reference scenario over a time horizon of 100 years. The results show that, while the opportunities to reduce carbon emissions during the use phase are somehow limited due to the already stringent performance requirements for new builds, the use of fast-growing biogenic materials for construction materials, even if mixed with more traditional ones, can provide a significant reduction of the global warming potential over the whole life cycle, with a reduction of 70% over the baseline. The remaining emissions can be offset with afforestation initiatives that, however, must be assessed against land use issues.

A U.S. government health agency conducted epidemiological studies to evaluate whether exposures to drinking water contaminated with volatile organic compounds at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were associated with increased health risks to children and adults. These health studies required knowledge of contaminant concentrations in drinking water—at monthly intervals—delivered to family housing, barracks, and other facilities within the study area. Because concentration data were limited or unavailable during much of the period of contamination (1950s–1985), the historical reconstruction process was used to quantify estimates of monthly mean contaminant-specific concentrations. This paper integrates many efforts, reports, and papers into a synthesis of the overall approach to, and results from, a drinking-water historical reconstruction study. Results show that at the Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant (WTP) reconstructed (simulated) tetrachloroethylene (PCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 183 micrograms per liter (ug/L) compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 215 ug/L and exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s current maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 ug/L during the period November 1957–February 1987. At the Hadnot Point WTP, reconstructed trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 783 ug/L compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 1,400 ug/L during the period August 1953–December 1984. The Hadnot Point WTP also provided contaminated drinking water to the Holcomb Boulevard housing area continuously prior to June 1972, when the Holcomb Boulevard WTP came on line (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 32 ug/L) and intermittently during the period June 1972–February 1985 (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 66 ug/L). Applying the historical reconstruction process to quantify contaminant-specific monthly drinking-water concentrations is advantageous for epidemiological studies when compared to using the classical exposed versus unexposed approach.

Cartoons in the era of digital media are among the most prevalent medium of entertainment for the children, parents also encourage them to view such contents to engage the children which make an area need to be explained exhaustively by adopting new approaches. There are lot of studies in the past conducted to explain the impacts of the cartoons on the children however, it is remarkable fact that there is lack of the studies in the literature which directly address the observation about the above mentioned impacts in view of the teacher’s. This study deals with the educational, emotional, behavioral and Religious etc. impacts of cartoons on kids in view of teachers of the primary schools as they are considered as the one who can observer these impacts in a profound way. of the of Multan. Different areas of impacts have been analyzed in this study by using survey technique and analysis is conducted and presented in the teacher’s views in this study to examine what they feel that how cartoons are effecting the personalities of the children.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010 calls for the Nearly Zero Energy Standard for new buildings from 2021 onwards: Buildings using “almost no energy” are powered by renewable sources or energy produced by the building itself. For residential buildings, this ambitious new standard has already been reached. But for other building types this goal is still far away. The potential of these buildings to meet a Nearly Zero Energy Standard was investigated by analyzing ten case studies representing non-residential buildings with different uses. The analysis shows that the primary characteristics common to critical building types are a dense building context with a very high degree of technical installation (such as hospital, research and laboratory buildings). The large primary energy demand of these types of buildings cannot be compensated by building and property-related energy generation including off-site renewables. If the future Nearly Zero Energy Standard were to be defined with lower requirements because of this, the state related properties of Bavaria suggest that the real potential energy savings available in at least 85% of all new buildings would be insufficiently exploited. Therefore, it would be useful to instead individualize the legal energy verification process for new buildings to distinguish critical building types such as laboratories and hospitals.

This study investigates the effectiveness of a range of timber-based solutions for seismic and energy retrofitting of existing masonry buildings. These solutions are designed not only to prevent structural collapse during earthquakes but also to create integrated interventions that enhance thermo-physical performance and reduce emissions in existing buildings. Various case scenarios were considered and both mechanical and energetic behavior post-intervention were evaluated. Timber-engineered products serve as foundational components for the retrofit approach, encompassing one-dimensional vertical elements (strong-backs) and various types of panels (cross-laminated timber panels, laminated veneer lumber panels, and oriented strand board panels). The analyzed retrofit techniques share a common principle, involving the attachment of these timber-based elements to the building's wall surfaces through mechanical point-to-point connections. The proposed solutions integrate strong-backs and timber panels with membranes and insulation layers, yielding cohesive and highly effective interventions. Finite element modeling was employed to analyze the mechanical and thermal responses of the retrofitted walls. A comprehensive comparative analysis of various techniques was conducted to determine the most effective solution for each specific scenario.

Shared public buildings have become centers of innovation, integrating advanced technologies to meet evolving societal needs. With a heightened emphasis on occupants’ health and well-being, these buildings serve as hubs for technological convergence, facilitating seamless connectivity and intelligent data analysis and management. Within this context, environmental monitoring emerges as a foundational element, pivotal to all aspects of building management. This article provides findings from the nationally funded RE-START project, which focuses on shared public buildings, with special regard to educational and medical facilities. The project explores enhanced indoor air quality monitoring, focusing in particular on CO2 concentration that is directly correlated with occupancy, as a fundamental element for developing health and safety protocols, energy efficiency strategies, integration of smart building technologies, and data-driven energy management. The intersection of environmental monitoring, energy efficiency, security, and IoT technologies in in indoor spaces are relevant. The outcomes of the study reveal the delicate nature of all the involved components, that need to be carefully developed in an integrated manner.

Modular steel buildings (MSBs) interlocking inter-module connections (IMCs) have piqued researchers’ interest. However, the existing literature has not yet studied the optimisation of its plate thicknesses. This paper, therefore, focuses on optimising interlocking (IMCs) plate thickness in (MSBs), leveraging previous experimental and numerical simulation methodologies. Various numerical models for four MSBs interlocking (IMCs) with plate thicknesses (4 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm) were developed under compression loading conditions. The study’s novelty lay in its comprehensive parametric analysis, which evaluated the slip phenomenon in (MSBs) connections and introduced a slip prediction model validated against empirical data. Further innovative machine learning approach was utilised to predict slip values based on applied force through a random forest regression model trained using the 'Treebagger' function. Sensitivity analysis and comparisons with alternative methods were utilised to underscore the reliability and applicability of the findings. The results showed that 11.03 mm was the optimal plate thickness for interlocking (IMCs) in modular steel buildings, with up to 8.08% reduced material costs. Increasing plate thickness boosts its deformation resistance by up to 50.75%. ‘TreeBagger’ random forest for anomaly detection and machine learning improves slip prediction up to 7% at higher force levels.

The latest developments in digital humanities have increasingly enabled the construction of large data sets which can easily be accessed and used. These data sets often contain indirect localisation information, such as historical addresses. Historical geocoding is the process of transforming the indirect localisation information to direct localisation that can be placed on a map, which enables spatial analysis and cross-referencing. Many efficient geocoders exist for current addresses, but they do not deal with temporal information and are usually based on a strict hierarchy (country, city, street, house number, etc.) that is hard, if not impossible, to use with historical data. Indeed, historical data are full of uncertainties (temporal, textual, positional accuracy, confidence in historical sources) that can not be ignored or entirely resolved. We propose an open source, open data, extensible solution for geocoding that is based on gazetteers composed of geohistorical objects extracted from historical topographical maps. Once the gazetteers are available, geocoding an historical address is a matter of finding the geohistorical object in the gazetteers that is the best match to the historical address searched by the user. The matching criteria are customisable and include several dimensions (fuzzy string, fuzzy temporal, level of detail, positional accuracy). As the goal is to facilitate historical work, we also propose web-based user interfaces that help geocode (one address or batch mode) and display over current or historical topographical maps, so that geocoding results can be checked and collaboratively edited. The system has been tested on the city of Paris, France, for the 19th and the 20th centuries. It shows high response rates and is fast enough to be used interactively.

This research presents a comprehensive framework for efficiently generating forest fire datasets from Google Earth Engine data sources. The primary contribution of this work lies in providing a methodology to swiftly extract forest fire factors without the need for permissions or access to private datasets, rendering the dataset openly accessible and shared without barriers. Furthermore, given that the remote sensing data used is a global dataset, it can be applied in any region without restrictions. In this study, Peninsular Malaysia is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the framework's effectiveness. The generated dataset includes essential variables including the climate and environment, landcover, topography, and anthropogenic factors facilitating the analysis of fire occurrences. The methodology empowers data scientists, enabling them to leverage their analytical skills on the extracted dataset without requiring specialized remote sensing knowledge. Additionally, this study also showcases the adoption of large language models, specifically GPT-4 with the Noteable plugin, as a tool for conducting preliminary analyses on the generated dataset. Sample analyses reveal that several key features, including the KBDI, LST, PDSI, climate water deficit, and precipitation, significantly impact forest fire occurrences in Peninsular Malaysia. Despite the successful application of the GPT-4 with Noteable plugin, certain limitations and challenges are identified, highlighting the necessity for further validation of the tool's applicability and limitations. This study encourages future research to (1) adopt the proposed framework in other regions, (2) explore more detailed analyses encompassing all variables, and (3) leverage machine learning for advanced forecasting.

In recent years, many libraries and archives have started digitizing their collections thus making maps by Indigenous peoples more easily available for scholars to study. While a number of these maps were discussed by G. Malcolm Lewis in the History of Cartography series (volume 2, book 3, Chapter 4: 1984), more have since been found and disseminated. These maps are critical in understanding the historic and current land tenure of Indigenous groups. Further, Indigenous claims to land can be seen in their connections via toponymy. European concepts of territory and political boundaries did not coincide with First Nation/American Indian views resulting in the mistaken view that Natives did not have formal concepts of their territories. Further, Tribes/First Nations with cross-border territory have special jurisdictional problems. This paper will illustrate how many Native residents were very spatially cognizant of their own lands, as well as neighboring nations’ lands, overlaps between groups, hunting territories, populations, and trade networks. Currently, the Sinixt First Nation provides a perfect example of how an Aboriginal people are inputting and using a GIS representation of their territory with proper toponymy and use areas.

Ever since the virus was discovered in the 80s of the 19th century, plant viruses had a great impression within the field of plant pathology. In this book we trace the growth in the research on plant viruses beginning from traditional era (1882-1900) in which a new pathogen was discovered other than fungi and bacteria, later known as virus; biological era (1900-2000) in which the mode of spread and relationship of the virus with its vector was understood; biochemical/biophysical era (1930-1968) that marked the basis of virus purification and chemical characterization; molecular era of plant virology (1943-1995) in which establishment, progression & transmission of plant viruses was described within the host at molecular details ; era of viral molecular genetics (1980–2000), in which a significant role was played by the plant virologists to understand the position and function of genes, methods of viral gene cloning, gene silencing and other viral genome associated properties ; era of plant viral diagnostics (1980 – 2021) which led to rapid, specific and sensitive detection of plant viruses.

Viral variant analysis is a bedrock of the disease surveillance. When combined with temporospatial analysis variant analysis can further the knowledge of disease spread in a study area. This paper suggests a method to perform the analysis in an operational setting which will allow for real-time surveillance of viral variants and allow local public health professionals to rapidly respond to changes in the evolution of the disease. This method includes three main subprocesses: preprocessing, analysis, and rendering. This method can be performed across multiple software platforms. A use case is given in which it was found that this method helped a hospital system understand the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Northeast, Ohio.

This article reports a protocol on the application of Amp-TB2 (single-amphibole ther-mobarometry; [1]) based on detailed electron microprobe analyses performed on homogeneous natural standards and synthetic glasses, and amphibole crystals (mostly phenocrysts) of volcanic products erupted by Bezymianny volcano during its activity through time. The application of this protocol is facilitated by a new version of the model (Amp-TB2.1.xlsx) including an equation to identify heterogeneous domains (disequilibrium; not suitable for thermobarometric constraints) and homogenous (equilibrium) zones within amphibole crystals, which can be used to quantify the physico-chemical parameters (i.e., pressure, P; temperature, T; volatile content in the melt, H2Omelt; oxygen fugacity, fO2) of “steady-state” magmatic crystallization. Application examples of the protocol, showing detailed core-rim microprobe data and physico-chemical parameter variations in representative amphibole phenocrysts of Bezymianny are also reported. The depth (and P) estimated by Amp-TB2.1 for this volcano are compared to seismic tomography results. Amp-TB2.1 results mainly shows (1) that Bezymianny is characterized by a very dynamic feeding system where the magma is stored at shallow crustal levels before recent activity periods characterized by climatic events and (2) that the pre-eruptive depth of magma storage generally increases with the age of the investigated products.

Enhancing energy efficiency within the building sector is imperative to curbing energy losses, given that this sector alone contributes to over 34% of global energy consumption. Employing a building management system, along with its regular updates, presents a strategic avenue to decrease energy usage, enhance building energy efficiency, and more. Tailored control strategies, aligned with the unique characteristics and usage patterns of each building, are essential for achieving energy savings. This article presents an evaluation of HVAC system efficiency in office buildings, utilizing a data-driven approach coupled with simulations conducted in IDA ICE software. The research explores the control strategy of an office building equipped with a constant air volume HVAC system, featuring a regularly controlled air handling unit. The objective is to boost energy efficiency while striking a balance between occupant comfort and energy consumption. Findings indicate that by analyzing measured data and adjusting configurable parameters, building energy consumption can be significantly reduced. Close monitoring of indoor parameters by building operators and corresponding adjustments to the HVAC system can yield energy savings of up to 16%. Leveraging these insights, the paper suggests integrating data-driven and dynamic simulation methods into building management system models to optimize HVAC systems, enhance energy efficiency, and advance ambitious carbon neutrality objectives.

Seven human coronaviruses (hCoVs) are known to infect humans. The most recent one, SARS-CoV-2, was isolated and identified in January 2020 from a patient presenting with severe respiratory illness in Wuhan, China. Even though viral coinfections have the potential to influence the resultant disease pattern in the host, very few studies have looked at the disease outcomes in patients infected with both HIV and hCoVs. Groups are now reporting that even though HIV-positive patients can be infected with hCoVs, the likelihood of developing severe CoV-related diseases in these patients is often similar to what is seen in the general population. This review aimed to summarize the current knowledge of coinfections reported for HIV and hCoVs. Moreover, based on the available data, this review aimed to theorize why HIV-positive patients do not frequently develop severe CoV-related diseases.

A Global Historical Megatsunami Catalog (GHMCat) is presented, including all the events documented to date. The oldest event is from 1674 the Santorini event, ~3600 BP, is considered a particular case, and the most recent is from 2020. Although there is no formal definition of the term megatsunami, it is usually associated to the maximum height or runup reached by the waves when hitting the coast. Here we adopt this criterion and define a megatsunami when the wave reaches a height of 40 m or more. The catalog is initially based on tsunamis that meet this condition from the two existing Global Historical Tsunami Databases (GHTDs). Then, each of the events have been researched for its available references including earliest in order to verify the data, mainly on the maximum height of the waves and their causes. After a comprehensive review of published or on-line literature on historical tsunamis, including regional and local catalogs, papers, books, studies, reports and other available references, some of the oldest events have been ruled out. On the other hand, the literature review has also led to include in the catalog some new megatsunamis not included in the GHTDs. The global catalog contains 37 events from 1674 to 2023, 11 of which are either not included in the GHTDs or included with (erroneous) wave heights <40 m. All of them are described and characterized as far as can be gathered within the limitations of the scope of a global catalog and the available information on each historical case. The analysis of recorded historical megatsunamis shows that virtually all have been originated by large landslides, most of them subaerial landslides, with an unusual frequency of events in certain glaciated areas of Alaska and Norway, mainly in the first decades of the 20th century. In contrast, it is worth noting the small number of megatsunamis caused by submarine landslides or associated with volcanic explosions.

The cannabis plant has been known for millennia for its properties such as textile fiber, food, recreational and medicinal use. Since the origin of its domestication in Asia, cannabis has been transported to the rest of the continents by merchants, nomads, settlers, and slaves, who have also carried with them valuable knowledge about its uses. Its medical use was one of the major contributions of this plant in the various civilizations through which it passed. This article aims to understand its origins, dissemination, and medical use over the years to the present day.

History learning is often regarded as something that is considered unimportant and boring to be taught in the modern era like now. The existence of history learning itself is still important enough to be studied in the 21st century with all its benefits and uses. One of the uses of history is as a reasoning education. The research questions are how do we take advantage of history learning as reasoning and critical thinking education in the 21st century and how the usage of new media can make historical learning looks more interesting. The method used in this article is literature review with data obtained and analyzed from several journals and research results related to history learning and reasoning education, especially forms of critical thinking in the 21st century. From the results of the research, it was found that there was a link between learning history and its relation as a form of critical thinking in the 21st century, in several ways, such as teaching history based on historical thinking, and the usage of new media in history learning.

Historical city textures are living history embodying public open spaces of former civilizations, their landscapes and traditional life cultures, carrying them to the present and giving them life. The squares, which form the public open spaces, have been important meeting centers in the social lives of people. City furniture are the important elements in these public open spaces, reflecting the identity of the city and improving quality of life. City furniture improve the reflection of cultural value in historical city textures and their usability. The walled city center, where the historical city texture of Nicosia lies, has a very rich historical texture with the cultural heritage of various civilizations in the history of Cyprus. Public open spaces within the texture, which have acquired the quality of squares with their functions throughout the social history of Nicosia, are still important social spaces for the people of the city. This study analyzed Asmaaltı and Selimiye Squares, two important spaces of the walled city, through examining the city furniture in terms of their material, shape, and functionality, and their conformity with the historical texture. Their deficiencies and nonconformities with the historical texture were identified accordingly. In consideration with such examples, city furniture in historical city textures were assessed for their conformity with the texture characteristics, architectural styles, social, cultural, and economical characteristics, and relevant recommendations are presented respectively.

Tarihi kent dokuları, eski uygarlıkların kamusal açık alanlarını, peyzajlarını ve geleneksel yaşam kültürlerini bünyesinde barındıran, günümüze taşıyan ve yaşatan yaşayan bir tarihtir. Kamusal açık alanları oluşturan meydanlar, insanların sosyal yaşamlarında önemli buluşma merkezleri olmuştur. Kent mobilyaları bu kamusal açık alanlarda kentin kimliğini yansıtan ve yaşam kalitesini artıran önemli unsurlardır. Kent mobilyaları, kültürel değerlerin tarihi kent dokularına yansımasını ve kullanılabilirliğini artırır. Lefkoşa'nın tarihi kent dokusunun yattığı Suriçi kent merkezi, Kıbrıs tarihindeki çeşitli uygarlıkların kültürel mirası ile oldukça zengin bir tarihi dokuya sahiptir. Doku içinde kamusal açık alanlar, Lefkoşa'nın sosyal tarihi boyunca işlevleriyle meydan niteliği kazanan meydanlar, kent insanı için halen önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. kentliler için hala önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. kentliler için hala önemli sosyal mekanlardır. Bu çalışmada, Suriçi kentin iki önemli mekanı olan Asmaaltı ve Selimiye Meydanları, kent mobilyaları malzeme, biçim, işlevsellik ve tarihi dokuya uygunluk açısından incelenerek incelenmiştir. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. ve tarihi dokuya uygunluğu. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur. ve tarihi dokuya uygunluğu. Buna göre eksiklikleri ve tarihi dokuya uymayanları tespit edilmiştir. Bu örnekler ışığında tarihi kent dokularındaki kent mobilyalarının doku özellikleri, mimari üsluplar, sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik özelliklerle uygunluğu değerlendirilmiş ve öneriler sunulmuştur.

Improper illumination of cultural heritage buildings and monuments can be a source of enormous light pollution that can have a major impact on the overall environment of the illuminated area. Such lighting can be the result of carelessness or a wrong/badly designed lighting system. This paper presents one of the methodologies that can significantly reduce light pollution, especially the spilt light out of the façade. The methodology is based on using luminaires with specially made shutters with the appropriate silhouette of the object. The shutter is planned with the help of an object photo and sizes measured at the location. The methodology was tested during the renovation of the lighting system of different churches in Slovenia and is described in the example of the Church of St. Thomas near Ptuj, Slovenia. The results showed that the methodology is effective and can significantly reduce light pollution that occurs when such buildings are incorrectly lit.

In Mozambique, the aflatoxin research started in 1960’s and has been carried through apparently unrelated efforts according to opportunities. However, there was a major trend divided in early epidemiological studies and recent agricultural research. Early investigators found strong correlation between aflatoxin contamination and primary liver cancer. Since then, there have been efforts to analyze the extent of contamination, especially in groundnuts and maize. More recent investigation and intervention aimed mostly to reduce the level of contamination enough to allow such commodities to gain acceptance in the international market. The current status of knowledge is still marginal but the increasing involvement of local authorities, academia and international organizations seems promising.

Nanocelluloses have gained significant attention in recent years due to singular properties (good biocompatibility, high optical transparency and mechanical strength, large specific surface area and good film-forming ability) and wide-ranging applications (paper, food packaging, textiles, electronics and biomedical). This article is a comprehensive review of nanocelluloses from the preparation methods to their applications in conservation and restoration of historical paper documents. The novelty lies in the information collected about nanocelluloses as renewable, environmentally friendly and sustainable materials in the field of preservation of cultural heritage as an alternative to conventional methods. Several studies have demonstrated that nanocelluloses, with or without other particles, impart to the paper documents excellent optical and mechanical properties, very good stability against temperature and humidity aging, stronger antibacterial and antifungal activity, high protection to UV light and do not require additional adhesive.

Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives and include trans-retinoic acid, isotretinoin, tamibarotene, and bexarotene, all of which are currently available for clinical use. The clinical development of retinoid therapy for neuroblastoma has a history spanning more than four decades. The most promising agent is isotretinoin, which can contribute to improving event-free survival in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma by approximately 10 % when administered over six months as maintenance therapy. Although isotretinoin is regarded as an essential component in the standard clinical management of high-risk neuroblastoma, its use for this purpose in the US and EU is off-label. To promote isotretinoin use in Japan as a treatment for neuroblastoma, our clinical research team is planning to launch an investigator-initiated, registration-directed clinical trial. The present review article discusses the basic science behind retinoid therapy, pre-clinical / clinical evidence on neuroblastoma, the concept of the proposed clinical trial, and prospects for this therapy.

What if oxygenic photosynthesis is a primordial process with roots at the origin of life? What would the impact of this change in perspective be on our understanding of the early Earth and of the emergence and diversification of life? In here, I will examine some of the historical context of the study of the evolution of photosynthesis, which led to the consolidation of the current notion that the origin of anoxygenic photosynthesis occurred before the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis. I will show with a few examples how the mainstream view on the evolution of photosynthesis traces back to Oparin’s ‘primordial soup’ scenario for the origin of life, fuelled by the century-old perception that oxygenic photosynthesis is a plant rather than a bacterial trait. However, it has become more evident than ever before that the mainstream view is not supported by the evolution of the photosystems. In other words, the origin of biological water oxidation appears to be the seed from where photosynthesis sprout. Somewhat troubling and contrary to all predictions that derive from the mainstream view, photosystem II—the water-splitting and oxygen-evolving enzyme—shows features that are better explained if photochemical reaction centres originated during the establishment of oxygenic photosynthesis. An urgent revision of the evolution of photosynthesis procured to be free from biases of interpretations and presuppositions is strongly encouraged from all angles of the Life and Earth Sciences.

History is part of the social sciences or humanities. In history, it studies events in the past which also determine what happens in the present and the future. With history, we can find out events and incidents in the past by reading books or by watching movies. Historical science provides many benefits for all circles. However, in this 21st century, which is a modern era, history is less desirable among millennials for various reasons. The purpose of writing this paper, the first is to find out what are the benefits of historical science in this millennial era, the second is to find out whether history is in demand or not among millennials, then what is the benefit of history in this millennial era. The third is to find a solution related to historical science learning so as not to be boring while maintaining its benefits. This research is to solve a common problem among millennials, namely whether millennials are interested in studying history and what can increase millennial interest in studying history. Researchers collect data to compile this paper with a qualitative method, which is to collect the latest journals for reference between 2019 and 2021 which are related to the urgency of 21st-century history for millennials. In addition, the researchers also looks for the latest data related to interest in studying historical science which is used to find out whether history is in demand or not among millennials. Thus, this research can find out what causes millennials to be less interested in history and find a solution, namely by using film media to increase millennial interest. This article is very useful in providing information about the urgency of learning history in the 21st century so that readers can use this article as material to conduct further research on this matter. As for this research, it has limitations, namely this research is only limited to millennials in relation to the urgency of historical science.

A remarkable, unquestioned assumption in studies measuring the association between national average Intellectual Quotients (IQ) and Gross Domestic Products (GDP) per capita is that a supposedly immutable genetic factor (IQ) may be correlated with a markedly fluctuant one (the wealth of nations). Using historical GDP per capita data produced by the Maddison project, we find that, over history, the (Pearson productmoment) correlation coefficient (r) between average IQ and GDP per capita is highly variable and ranges from strong negative values to strong positive values. The correlation between national IQ and GDP per capita is thus a snapshot of the world order at some point in time, and historical data allow us to identify several other eras. Moreover, global GDP at any point in time is never difficult to predict in the first place. We show that arbitrary ad-hoc scores based on a country’s continental location present a more significant correlation with contemporary GDP per capita. We conclude this paper by a call to clarify the purpose of IQ studies in Macroeconomics and for the consideration of GDP as a time-series in this line of research.

In recent years, architectural interactions have become the center of many important reflections. However, there is little agreement on the subject. Some authors consider architecture to be about its relations with human and nonhuman agents. Others consider that buildings have an autonomous presence, which transcends all their interactions. These approaches are generally seen as incompatible. Although at the heart of the debate is the role of relations in architecture, their nature is not addressed. The discussion could gain clarity by recognizing the differences between them. In this paper, we propose a classification of architectural interactions, which may help to better inform further discussion on the topic. A closer look at architectural relations reveals that autonomy and relationality are not opposing, but complementary aspects.

Monochromatic documents claim for much less computer bandwidth for network transmission and storage space than their color or even grayscale equivalent. The binarization of historical documents is far more complex than recent ones as paper aging, color, texture, translucidity, stains, back-to-front interference, kind and color of ink used in handwritting, printing process, digitalization process, etc. are some of the factors that affect binarization. This article presents a new binarization algorithm for historical documents. The new global filter proposed is performed in four steps: filtering the image using a bilateral filter, splitting image into the RGB components, decision-making for each RGB channel based on an adaptive binarization method inspired by Otsu's method with a choice of the threshold level, and classification of the binarized images to decide which of the RGB components best preserved the document information in the foreground. The quantitative and qualitative assessment made with 21 binarization algorithms in three sets of “real world” documents showed very good results.

Tiny by physical size, the State of Israel retains some of the world’s most important cultural treasures, along with many other great cultural institutions. Archeological treasures have yielded much information as far as biblical history and have been well adapted to a Zionist narrative by both the Jewish press and international news organizations, such as the New York Times whose archives are replete with reports of Jewish history being dug up by the Jewish people. Once the State of Israel gained independence in 1948, the course was set for the development of historical museums whose discourse would reflect the most significant events in Jewish history, most especially the Holocaust and the state of constant warfare that continues to imbue the cultural consciousness of its citizens. In this paper we outline, through categorization, the various historical museums, which are currently operating. Furthermore, this article hopes to shed some light upon the cultural sensibilities conveyed through these institutions.

This comprehensive critical review shows how green buildings and energy optimization solutions improve indoor air quality as well as environmental quality (IEQ) and human health. Electricity-efficient green buildings create a better indoor atmosphere and save electricity. Green buildings improve occupant well-being through IAQ, thermal comfort, acoustics, and lighting. Renewable energy, green construction materials, and intelligent technologies increase sustainability and reduce environmental impact. Environmental hazards, architectural design, and societal variables can improve indoor air quality and subsequently reduce health risks linked with poor air quality. The evaluation highlights the pros and cons of low-cost IAQ sensors and equipment. These devices provide valuable insights, but calibration and validation using reference equipment are necessary to ensure accuracy and reliability. Architects, engineers, environmentalists, and policymakers are essential in creating green buildings with high IEQ. Prioritizing occupant comfort, health, and productivity ensures a sustainable and healthy future for future generations. However, continual monitoring and research are needed to improve green building practices and overcome construction problems. Intelligent models for continual on-field calibration of low-cost sensors may improve performance. Green buildings benefit occupants and the environment by optimizing energy use and using IAQ monitoring technologies.

How to achieve sustainable development and protection of historical district is a worthwhile research topic. As a vital way to update urban space, tourism development in historical district is an effective solution to redistribute urban functions and increase urban vitality. This paper takes the Insadong in South Korea as a case to carry out the evaluation of tourist satisfaction in historical districts. The research finds that: 1) The tourist satisfaction evaluation of Insadong includes 6 dimensions in total, namely “Embodiment of historical elements”, “The blend of tradition and modernity”, Industry distribution and type", "Consumer demand", "Street layout and function", "Landscaping". The most satisfying for tourists is "Landscaping", and the most dissatisfying is "Street layout and function". 2) “The blend of tradition and modernity” has the highest weight while “Industry distribution and type” has the lowest one in the analysis of influencing factors on overall satisfaction. 3) The analysis of the common factor weight and the common factor satisfaction shows that “The blend of tradition and modernity” and “Street layout and function” are the parts that need to be improved. “Consumer demand” also has a lot of room for promotion. The research results will benefit to enhance the tourist experiences of historical district and provide theoretical basis and practical experience reference for effective protection and sustainable development of historical district.

Abstract: Seismic performance and loss assessments can have widely varying degrees of uncertainty. An essential issue is whether a particular assessed seismic loss or performance result has sufficient reliability to serve as the basis for risk management decisions and actions, including whether or not a code prescribed performance level is met, or if an assessed loss level is acceptable. A method is developed measuring the reliability of performance and loss assessments for individual buildings and for portfolios. Consideration is given to how well the building investigation and corresponding evaluation process have been performed, the qualifications of the person(s) doing the assessment, the thoroughness of the evaluation, and the technical validity of the assessment procedure or model. The approach characterizes the uncertainty of each component of the assessment procedure for each building in qualitative terms. The resulting reliability measure is likely to be most useful for the cases where an entity is determining whether/or not a building has acceptable life safety performance, or if a portfolio has an acceptably low risk of seismic damage loss over a given period of time. In both cases, the reliability must either be sufficient to warrant action, or serve to indicate need for improved assessment.

Only now, four decades after passive houses were designed in the US and built in Canada, the authors are able to discuss the next generation of new and retrofitted buildings in the same way. This paper presents a universal system for different types of buildings and climates that includes construction experience and is reinforcing multi-disciplinary synergies. A next generation of technology uses adaptable indoor climate, integrates HVAC and building structure; applies field monitoring of energy and indoor environment and develops a performance model that is based on artificial neutral network. This approach, includes: 1. The self-learning ANN as a part of the building management system, 2. This management system guides energy optimization in a post-construction stage 3. A two-stage construction process for new and retrofits. The first stage prescribes investment level and optimizes performance; opposite in the second stage. This paper highlights that some elements of the proposed methodology have already been applied in the practice. It also underlines that this integrated multi-disciplinary system can be applied with a different combination of technological elements.

A large amount of data is produced every day by stakeholders of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system, in particular airline operators, airports, and air navigation service provider (ANSP). Most data is kept private for many reasons, including commercial and security concerns. More than data, shared information is precious, as it leverages intelligent decision-making support tools designed to smooth daily operations. We present a framework to detect, identify and characterise anomalies in past aircraft trajectory data. It is based on an open source of ADS-B based aircraft trajectories, and extracted information can benefit a wide range of stakeholders: Air Traffic Control (ATC) training centres could play more realistic simulations; ANSP may improve capacity indicators; academics improve safety models and risk estimations; and commercial stakeholders, like airlines and airports, may use such information to improve short-term predictions and optimise their operations. The technique is based on autoencoding artificial neural networks applied on flows of trajectories, which provide a useful reading grid associating cluster analysis with quantified level of abnormality. In particular, we find that the highest anomaly scores correspond to poor weather conditions, whereas anomalies with a lower score relate to ATC tactical actions.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment, defined as an interdisciplinary assessment and development of an overall plan of treatment and follow-up, has become a fundamental part of clinical geriatric care. Since the 1970s, the Veterans Administration has encouraged the development of geriatric evaluation and management programs. Evolution of geriatric evaluation and management has occurred over time and many VA medical centers have transferred inpatient geriatric evaluation programs to long-term care Community Living Centers (CLC) and outpatient settings. Availability of resources and trained personnel across the continuum of care as well as administrative facilitation of collaboration between care components are critical to the efficient utilization of geriatric services. Facilities may need to prioritize their resources and utilize the most effective and relevant elements of geriatric evaluation and management according to patient population needs, available space, resources, and institutional priorities.

Historically, Physalis physalis massive stranding events have been infrequent and poorly documented. However, their occurrence can have significant impacts on human health and the stability of coastal ecosystems. In this study we analyze the largest P. physalis stranding event historically recorded affected Cuba’s northwestern coast in December 2022. We counted all colonies during the massive event along ~ 3 km coast, within a 5 m stripe. Density, dimorphic form (left/right-handed), and colony size were quantified using 0.25 m2 quadrat placed every 50 m, 10 m from shoreline. Eighty-five people were stung, with 38 having strong allergic reactions, resulting in a health risk. Over ten thousand colonies were recorded, with the highest mean colony density (29.3 per m2) ever reported. The massive stranding coincided with the lowest Arctic Oscillation index (-2.59) in the past 11 years during December, likely linked to climate change. This led to the emergence of northeasterly winds reaching speeds of up to 24 km/h. Wind direction and speed, coupled with the dominance of left-handed colonies (71.4%), suggest the Sargasso Sea as the possible source of the bloom. The high prevalence of juvenile P. physalis colonies (68 %) likely aligns with the autumn breeding season in the northern hemisphere. The potential causes of P. physalis blooms are still poorly understood. Systematic monitoring of the distribution and abundance of this species should be a research priority considering the potential risk to human health and that the blooms could become more frequent and affect other areas in the Atlantic, given climate change and increasing eutrophication of the oceans.

The long-term resilience of Pyrenean forests in the face of historical anthropogenic clearing remains largely unknown. The palynological study of the varved sediments from a mid-elevation (1027 m) karstic lake provides a high-resolution record of three major century-scale deforestation/recovery (DR) cycles that occurred in the last two millennia, during Roman, Medieval and Modern times. Each DR cycle is characterized considering three different levels: overall forest trends, by forest type and by individual taxa. Overall, the studied forests exhibited high resilience, as they recovered almost completely after each deforestation event (bulk resilience). The critical point of no return (tipping point) beyond which forests would have irreversibly disappeared from the region was never reached, even after deforestation magnitudes above 60%. The different forest types identified (conifer, sclerophyll and deciduous) persisted over time, showing similar heterogeneous patterns with minor spatial reorganizations (mosaic resilience). Individually, the main forest taxa underwent minor variations in their relative abundances, always within the same attraction domains (community resilience). The high levels of resilience documented in these Pyrenean forests are attributed to the action of metapopulation and metacommunity processes and mechanisms in a highly dynamic patchy environment. Conservation actions should be focused on the maintenance of these spatial patterns and the associated ecological dynamics.

This article aims to examine the concept of historical thinking by looking at the development of historical learning from colonialism to reformation, as well as some examples of innovations in history learning through technology media. The development of history learning in Indonesia has a long story from the colonialism era to the reformation that changed from time to time. However, changes and reforms in the education system do not make students more interested in history. The 21st century, known as the digital century, makes students' attention more focused on the present and the development of the times. Therefore, there are many innovations that are in line with technological media to support and maintain history learning in this era. The question from this research is how is history learning not favored by students when technological innovations to support this learning have developed? By using the literature review method and a qualitative approach, this article provides a new perspective through existing data. Because innovation cannot run effectively before it is accompanied by historical thinking, so the results of the research are historical thinking must be instilled from the start to support innovations that develop and attract students' interest. Based on the study, it is recommended that have historical thinking to further optimize technology develops innovation more effectively and ask for more interest in history. Keywords: 21st Century, Historical Development, Paradigm

We assemble a set of methodologies using theories in variationist linguistic and GIScience, and tools used in historical GIS to analyse spatial variation in Japanese dialectal lexicon. Based on historical dialect atlas data, we calculate a linguistic distance matrix across survey localities. The linguistic variation expressed through this distance is contrasted with several distance based measurements utilised to estimate the potential of language contact across Japan historically and at present. Besides, administrative boundaries are tested for their separation effect. Aggregate association measures within linguistic variation can challenge previous notions of dialect area formation. Depending on local geographies in spatial subsets, great circle distance, travel distance and travel times explain a similar proportion of the variance in dialectal variation despite the limitations of the latter two. While they explain the majority, two further contact estimations have lower explanatory power: least cost paths implemented to model contact before the industrial revolution, based on DEM and seafaring, and a linguistic influence index based on the law of gravity. Historical domain boundaries and present day prefecture boundaries are found to have a substantial effect on dialectal variation. However, the interplay of boundaries and distance is yet to be identified. We claim that a similar methodology can address spatial variation in other digital humanities, given a similar spatial and attribute granularity.

Farming systems prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa are exposed and vulnerable to climate change due to their high dependence on rainfall. However, most studies have only estimated the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity at a regional or national level. We add to this literature by focussing on the sub-national impacts. This study uses 30 years (1981–2011) of yield and weather data in Zambia and applies the Just and Pope model to determine how rainfall and temperature affect yield and yield variability of maize and beans at the national and subnational levels. Results show a negative impact of temperature rise on yield and a positive impact of rainfall rise on yield, above the current mean levels. These results differ by agro-ecological region. Worst-case-scenario predicted impacts using HadGEM-ES2 global circulation model show that major yield decreases (25% for maize and 34% for beans) by 2050 will be in region II and will be driven mainly by temperature increase offsetting the positive gains from rainfall increase. The model mainly under-predicts yield for maize and overpredicts yield for beans. These findings call for agro-ecological region-specific adaptation strategies and well-planned policy interventions to make agriculture more resilient to climate change.

Buildings can generate heats which are mostly generated from the machinery using inside the buildings, and these heats generally released to the atmosphere. Buildings can also block the wind flow by their canopies and trap the heat by using low albedo materials. These causes pointedly contribute to urban heat island and greenhouse effects. Likewise, urban development and building construction in Cambodia are growing rapidly. The construction has been recognized as a key development sector while thousands of buildings are being built and have been operated in the main cities. However, those buildings mostly have not been considered to incorporate sustainability concepts while the major final energy consumers in the country are buildings. The buildings’ energy consumption is also projected to increase more than double until 2040. Hence, sustainable building promotion in Cambodia is necessary, and sustainable building criteria are completely required. This research aims to find out significant sustainable building criteria for Cambodia and focused on planning and design criteria because having proper planning and design is a smart start leading to achieving building sustainability in all stages. This research used the Delphi methods to validate the relevant sustainable building criteria available in the literature and then select the significant ones for Cambodia based on the Delphi consensus. The results showed that ninety-nine consensus planning and design criteria were found to be significant for sustainable buildings in Cambodia.

Modern day construction is widely influenced using concrete-steel composite columns. A lot of research on concrete-steel composite columns is being carried out around the world. The rapid growth in concrete-steel composite construction has widely decreased the use of conventional reinforced cement concrete construction (R.C.C), and the steel construction practices. The concrete-steel composite construction has obtained an extensive receiving around the globe. As Pakistan is a developing country, so, it is relatively a new concept for its construction industry when compared with the developed countries around the globe. Although, the R.C.C construction is suitable and economical for construction of framing systems of low-rise buildings, however, the increased dead load, span restrictions, less stiffness and risky formwork makes it uneconomical and unviable when it comes across the construction of intermediate to high-rise buildings. This research is an effort to learn the cost effectiveness, increased or decreased stiffness, and change on the functionality of the composite construction for intermediate to high-rise buildings constructed in Pakistan. A Base + Ground + 11 storey commercial building is selected for this study. A comparison is made between conventional R.C.C columns structure and concrete-encased composite columns structure. The equivalent static nonlinear analysis is performed using ETABS 2017 software. Although, for Base + Ground + 11 storey building, the construction cost of concrete-encased composite structure is 7.7% more than the conventional R.C.C columns structure, but the concrete-encased composite structure will have 13.013% more constructed floor area. This increased floor area helps to settle the cost difference between the two structures.

The classification of kidney tumors has undergone a remarkable evolution since the early 19th century, reflecting advances in medical science and technology. This historical overview traces the development of renal tumor classification, beginning with early clinical observations and macroscopic descriptions to the integration of molecular diagnostics in contemporary classifications. The establishment of international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) facilitated collaboration and standardization in tumor classification, leading to refined classifications and standardized nomenclature. Advancements in histological and molecular studies, particularly genetic analyses, revolutionized the understanding of renal cell carcinomas, enabling precise categorization based on molecular characteristics. The journey from rudimentary classifications to sophisticated systems based on detailed histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular criteria underscores the continuous evolution of kidney tumor classification. This article provides a comprehensive overview of this evolution, highlighting the contributions of scholars and the impact of technological advancements on our understanding and management of kidney tumors.

Aymaraism, as a socio-cultural phenomenon, has given rise to components and elements of representativeness in the population of the Andes. However, the dialectic component of the Aymara as a nation is annulled by fundamental historiographical elements that underlie this process of identification. The empirical analysis of the historical data leads us to conclude that the Aymara language and culture contain ambiguous elements that cannot be defined according to the dialectical interpretation and the current narrative. Thus, the analysis of the cultural, linguistic and social elements of this population from the Early Horizon period to the present confirms the historical distortion towards a narrative component of origin and presence in the territory of the Qullasuyu, in the current geographical area of the Collao. In order to understand this phenomenon, this work promotes the complementarity of the analysis through the use of ethnoarchaeological and documentary elements in order to clarify the origin, synthesis and development of the Aymara from a historical perspective, leaving aside the dialectical component of the present.

Driven by the proliferation of DC energy sources and DC end-use devices (e.g., photovoltaics, battery storage, solid-state lighting, and consumer electronics), DC power distribution in buildings has recently emerged as a path to improved efficiency, resilience, and cost savings in the transitioning building sector. Despite these important benefits, there are several technological and market barriers impeding the development of DC distribution, which have kept this technology at the demonstration phase. This paper identifies specific end-use cases for which DC distribution in buildings is viable today. We evaluate their technology and market readiness, as well as their efficiency, cost, and resiliency benefits while addressing implementation barriers. The paper starts with a technology review, followed by a comprehensive market assessment, in which we analyze DC distribution field deployments and their end-use characteristics. We also conduct a survey of DC power and building professionals through on-site visits and phone interviews and summarize lessons learned and recommendations. In addition, the paper includes a novel efficiency analysis, in which we quantify energy savings from DC distribution for different end-use categories. Based on our findings, we present specific adoption pathways for DC in buildings that can be implemented today, and for each pathway we identify challenges and offer recommendations for the research and building community.

As fossil-fueled heating in the building sector is responsible for 16 % of Germanys total CO2 emissions, it is of great importance to use climate-neutral alternatives for the decarbonization of this sector. Options for the climate-neutral heating of buildings include electricity or hydrogen as energy carriers, both explicitly considered by German policy. In this paper, bottom-up studies are conducted to investigate the role of hydrogen for the climate-neutral energy supply of ten selected residential buildings in comparison to electricity-based systems. Based on a selection of as different typical buildings as possible for single- (SFH) and multi-family houses (MFH) of different construction years, demand profiles are simulated for each building and the respective cost-optimal supply system is determined. For the construction of this system, the electricity-based technologies available are electric heater and heat pump as well as the hydrogen-based technologies hydrogen boiler and fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) system. Based on the results of the optimization, sensitivity analyses are performed. These analyses aim to identify threshold values of the hydrogen price for the use of hydrogen in building energy systems as well as to make the quantities of hydrogen consumed visible.The identified threshold values show the significant role of hydrogen-operated CHP in MFH if the hydrogen price reaches 0.17 €/kWh_H2 in 2050 at an electricity price of 0.31 €/kWh_el. So, hydrogen-based energy systems represent an economically viable alternative to electricity-based systems with heat pumps. We identify electricity to hydrogen price ratios for the economically viable use of hydrogen in the examined buildings that range from 1.67 to 2.82. According to these ratios, the economically reasonable use of hydrogen in buildings can be derived. For the individual building groups for the year 2050, a ratio of 2.5 can be determined for SFH and 1.8 for MFH, that is favored by the use of CHP which also supplies electricity to the buildings. However, the role hydrogen will finally play in German residential buildings in the future depends to a large extent on political decisions on distribution issues and price signals.

The urgent need to improve performance in the construction industry has led to the adoption of many innovative technologies. 3D laser scanners are amongst the leading technologies being used to capture and process assets or construction project data for use in various applications. Due to its nascent nature, many questions are still unanswered about 3D laser scanning, which in turn contribute to the slow adaptation of the technology. Some of these include the role of 3D laser scanners in capturing and processing raw construction project data. How accurate is the 3D laser scanner or point cloud data? How does laser scanning fit with other wider emerging technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM)? This study adopts a proof-of-concept approach, which in addition to answering the afore-mentioned questions, illustrates the application of the technology in practice. The study finds that the quality of the data, commonly referred to as point cloud data is still a major issue as it depends on the distance between the target object and 3D laser scanner’s station. Additionally, the quality of the data is still very dependent on data file sizes and the computational power of the processing machine. Lastly, the connection between laser scanning and BIM approaches is still weak as what can be done with a point cloud data model in a BIM environment is still very limited. The aforementioned findings reinforce existing views on the use of 3D laser scanners in capturing and processing construction project data.

A temporary monitoring system was installed on the 175-years-old historical Széchenyi chain bridge under its reconstruction process. The bridge is in the downtown area of the capital city of Hungary and plays a significant role in city life of Budapest. Six-month-long measurements were conducted during the reconstruction process of the bridge, yielding crucial insights into the structural behaviour of the historical structure. Measurement results were evaluated; the findings encompass the rotation capacity of pins between chain elements, and structural response to temperature changes. This information helped the decision-making of designers and construction company during the reconstruction made between 2021 and 2023. For instance, daily temperature fluctuations result in increased bending moments in the chain elements, rising up to 158% compared to the values observed during a proof load test in 2018. Furthermore, the measurements reveal an approximate 42% increase in normal forces compared to the proof load test, which highlights the high sensitivity of chain bridges to temperature fluctuations, where geometric stiffness plays a crucial role. Reconstruction, reducing self-weight, notably intensifies the impact on normal forces and bending moments. These outcomes strongly emphasize the dominance of dead load and self-weight in the case of chain bridges.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) was considered a minor crop in the Canadian prairies until recently, but its potential for cultivation is increasing due to its positive environmental impact and economic value. This review provides a historical summary of faba bean improvement in western Canada. Although traditional breeding methods have proved useful, in the last decade faba bean improvement has benefited from advances in genetics, biochemistry and molecular breeding tools. The overall breeding goal is to develop high yielding germplasm with improved agronomic characteristics that will be of economic value to the emerging faba bean sectors, including the plant protein industry. To maximize value and acceptance by producers, processors and the food industry as a source of protein and dietary fibre, future faba bean varieties need to be high-yielding, have diverse seed size classes, disease resistance, genetically low vicine-convicine concentration, and have wider adaptation to different agro-ecological zones of Canada. The experiences over the last 40 years of faba bean improvement in western Canada may be useful to other breeding programs globally located in regions with similar agroecology. In the past 10–15 years, faba bean genetic development in Canada has benefited greatly from research and development interactions with most of the faba bean research programs in northern Europe.

Nowadays the preservation and restoration of historical building needs to be faced in accordance with a novel sensibility regarding environment to preserve the future generations. In this context, the scientific community is focusing on novel and sustainable materials and techniques allowing durability and mechanical performances and at the same time compatibility with the existing heritage. Alkali activated materials represent a great challenge to produce new materials starting from the existing ones with reducing consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and environmental impact. This study deals with the valorization of waste materials coming from demolition and construction activities in the manufacture of geocomposites suitable for restoration and conservation of historical heritage. In particular, waste from tuff sawing and brick grinding were used as raw materials, then the geopolymeric samples produced were characterized from physical-chemical and mechanical point of view in order to investigate their performance and evaluate their suitability as materials for historical buildings recovery. Brick waste based geocomposites resulted to be more compact than the tuff-based ones as showed by the higher density values and the lower values of open porosity and water absorption and as further confirmed by the trend of the mechanical performance. Moreover, experimental data showed that physical and mechanical properties of both bricks and tuff waste-based geocomposites, even with different waste content, are compatible with existing building materials and to all the traditional repairing products.

This article presents the results of the study on the elements and spaces that likes and dislikes’ historical urban landscape of Ibarra's city, Ecuador, based on the analysis of the urban image. This research aims to propose an objective way to intervene a historical landscape based on the opinion of the people who frequent the place. Our hypothesis is that the characteristics (age, gender, educational level, and frequency of visits) of the interviewees condition their judgment on liking and disliking. It is proposed to know which of these characteristics condition the judgment. The methodology has two parts: a descriptive statistical analysis with graphs and frequencies used to map each point on the maps, and a logistic regression model to study the relationships between liking and disliking with interviewee characteristics. As results, (1) it has been possible to obtain those elements or spaces that are liked and disliked in proportion graphs and in planimetry. (2) Explanatory analysis of liking and disliking through the logistic regression model and inference to study significant characteristics. It emphasizes that "frequency of visits" is the significant characteristic for the elements and spaces that dislike. It's concluded that the study carried out provides objective tools to obtain the opinion of people and it's useful seen it in planimetry. Also, could be establish priorities to urban authorities about improve and intervention on elements or spaces that people judge because they are liking or disliking.

This work examines drought and wet events based on Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) over Kenya from 1981 to 2016. Spatiotemporal analysis of dry and wet events is conducted for 3 and 12-month SPEI. The drought incidences were observed during the period 1984, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2015, and 2016 for SPEI-3 whilst the SPEI-12 demonstrated the manifestation of drought during the year 2000 and 2006. SPEI clearly shows that the wettest period, 1997 and 1998 that coincide with the El Nino event in both time steps. SPEI -3 shows a reduction in moderate drought events while severe and extreme cases were on increase towards the end of the twentieth century. Conversely, SPEI-12 depicts an overall increase in severe drought occurrence over the study location with observed intensity of -1.54 and cumulative frequency of 64 months during the study period. The trend of wet events is upwards in the western and central highlands while the rest of the regions show increase in dry events during the study period. Moreover, moderate dry/wet events predominate whilst extreme events occur least frequent across all grid cells. It is apparent that the study area experiences mild extreme dry events in both categories although moderately severe dry events dominate most parts of the study area. High intensity and frequency of drought is noted in SPEI-3 while least occurrences of extreme events are recorded in SPEI-12. Although drought event prevails across the study area, there is evidence of extreme flood conditions over the recent decades. These findings form a good basis for next step of research that will look at projection of droughts over the study area based on regional climate models.

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is a metaheuristic global optimization paradigm that has gained prominence in the last two decades due to its ease of application in unsupervised, complex multidimensional problems which cannot be solved using traditional deterministic algorithms. The canonical particle swarm optimizer is based on the flocking behavior and social co-operation of birds and fish schools and draws heavily from the evolutionary behavior of these organisms. This paper serves to provide a thorough survey of the PSO algorithm with special emphasis on the development, deployment and improvements of its most basic as well as some of the very recent state–of-the-art implementations. Concepts and directions on choosing the inertia weight, constriction factor, cognition and social weights and perspectives on convergence, parallelization, elitism, niching and discrete optimization as well as neighborhood topologies are outlined. Hybridization attempts with other evolutionary and swarm paradigms in selected applications are covered and an up-to-date review is put forward for the interested reader.

For the majority of the contractual arrangements used in construction projects, the owner is not responsible for the cost deviations due to the variability of labor productivity or material price, amongst many other aspects. Consequently, the cost performance of a project may be entirely distinct for the owner and the contractor. Since the majority of the quantitative research on cost estimation and deviation found in the literature adopts the owners’ perspective, this research provides a contribution towards modelling costs and cost deviation from a contractors’ perspective. From an initial sample of 13 residential building and 10 office building projects, it was possible to develop models for cost estimation at the early stage of development including both endogenous and exogenous variables. Although the sample is relatively small, the authors were able to fully analyze all the cost data, using no secondary sources of data (very frequent in cost modelling studies). The statistically significant variables in the cost estimation models were the areas above and below ground and the years following the 2008 financial crisis, including the international bailout (2011-2014) period. For estimating the unit cost, a nonlinear model was obtained with the number of underground and total floor, the floor ratio and the years following the 2008 financial crisis, including the international bailout (2011-2014) period as predictors. For the office buildings, it was also found a statistically significant correlation between the cost deviation and the number of underground floors.

Published data or available literature on sustainable building plan-design, construction, performance, and renovation criteria have covered some stages or some parts of each stage. These data usually have been published partially in many different papers―there have not been any papers that published these data together. Hence, this paper aims to collectively review these data and publish them together. The collection and review of these data were carried out by our twenty-five team members who specialized in sustainable urban, architectural, and civil engineering and construction management. The gathered and reviewed outputs were combined and validated based on a general group consensus. This consensus decision-making proceeded through two major group meetings with several follow-up meetings. The first major meeting was to combine and improve the gathered reviewed sustainable building criteria for Cambodia. The second major meeting was to validate the improved reviewed sustainable building criteria for Cambodia. The several follow-up meetings were to discuss the relevance and importance of the validated data “criteria and their classifications and descriptions” in all stages and more focused on their importance and applicability to Cambodia. The collective reviewed data in this paper would be useful to researchers in the fields. They could also be useful collective knowledge and information for policymakers from governmental agencies and development partners, particularly for sustainable building and construction companies.

Historical legacy of Eastern European and Balkans’ health systems was mutually interdependent and shaped by local socioeconomic circumstances. Three distinctive systems of risk sharing and health financing to develop since the late XIX century were the Bismarck, Beveridge, and Semashko systems. Modern day healthcare systems in these countries are challenged by population ageing, accelerated innovation in medical technology, growing purchasing power and rising demand for healthcare services. Supply side changes contribute to demand side efficiency bottlenecks in financing, driving the costs of the already expensive medical care up. All of the nations have a large share of citizens experiencing difficulty with affordability and access to medical care, particularly in rural and remote areas. Network of Health technology assessment agencies have mushroomed over the past three decades. Principles of health economics theory and cost-effective resource allocation are slowly gaining ground in governing authorities’ mindset and decision-making process. For many years to come, pharmaceuticals and medical services will remain dependent on out-of-pocket spending. Currently accelerating and spreading 4.0 Industrial Revolution, together with the Belt and Road Initiative, are likely to substantially impact the further economic development of this vast region. Post-Pandemic ‘Green’ Recovery strategies adopted by many of the Eastern European governments shall also make this transition towards sustainable development more difficult and challenging given the large dependency of all these economies upon traditional carbon fuels.

Gyroscopes are fascinating instruments with a history of about 200 years. When J.G.F. Bohnenberger presented his machine to his students in 1810 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, nobody could have foreseen that this fascinating development would be used for complex orientation and positioning. At the University of Stuttgart, Germany, a collection of 160 exhibits is available and in transition for a sustainable future. Here, the systems are digitized in 2D, 2.5D and 3D and are made available for a world-wide community using OpenAccess platforms. The technologies being used are Computed Tomography, Computer Vision, Endoscopy and Photogrammetry. The workflows for combining voxel representations and colored point clouds are described, to create Digital Twins of the tangible assets. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed und work for near future is outlined in this new and challenging field of Tech Heritage digitization.

The chemical industry is an integral part of the world economy and a substantial income source for developing countries. However, existing regulations or the enforcement of these regulations, on controlling atmospheric pollutants sometimes may be insufficient, leading to the deterioration of surrounding ecosystems and to a quality decrease of the atmospheric environment. Previous works in this domain fail to generate executable solutions for inspection agencies due to practical challenges. In addressing these challenges, we introduce a so-called Chemical Plant Environment Protection Game (CPEP) to generate reasonable schedules of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations for inspection agencies. First, Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs) are incorporated together with source estimation methods into this research. Second, high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations as well as gas sensors are modeled into the CPEP. Third, simplified data analysis on the regularly discharging of chemical plants is utilized to construct the CPEP. Finally, an illustrative case study is used to investigate the effectiveness of the CPEP Game, and a realistic case study is conducted to illustrate how the models and algorithms being proposed in this paper, work. Results show that playing a CPEP Game can reduce operational costs of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations; moreover, playing the game leads to more compliance from the chemical plants towards the inspection agencies.

Advances towards smart ecosystems showcases Internet of Things (IoT) as a transversal strategy to improve energy efficiency in buildings, to enhance their comfort and environmental conditions, and to grow knowledge about building behavior, its relationships with the users and the interconnections among themselves and with the environmental and ecological context. EU estimates that 75% of the building stock is inefficient and aged with +40 years old. Although many buildings have some kind of system for regulating their indoor temperature, only a small subset provides integrated Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems; within that subset, only a low percentage includes smart sensors, and only a minimum of that percentage integrates those sensors into IoT ecosystems. This work proposes several contributions. On the one hand, to understand the built environment as a set of interconnected systems that constitute a complex framework where IoT ecosystems are key enabling technologies to improve energy efficiency and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) by filling the gap between theoretical simulations and real measurements. On the other hand, to understand IoT ecosystems as cost-effective solutions where: acquire data through connected sensors, analyze information in real-time, and build knowledge to make data-driven decisions. Furthermore, data set is public for third-party use to contribute scientific community to their research studies. Thus, this paper also contributes with a detailed functional scheme of IoT ecosystem deployed in 3 buildings of University of Zaragoza (Spain) with +200 geolocated wireless sensors with +100 representative spaces. The obtained results, through real installations with IoT as learning factory, show several learned lessons (about building complexity; energy consumption, costs and savings; and IAQ and health improvement) and contribute, as a proof-of-concept, with a proposal of prediction of building performance based on both correlations (between CO2 and occupancy) and neural networks (applied to CO2 and temperature). In summary, in a real context of economic restrictions, complexity, higher energy costs, social vulnerability and climate change, IoT-based strategies, as proposed in this work, highlight as an open, modular and interoperable approach to move towards smart communities (buildings, cities, regions, etc.) by improving energy efficiency and environmental quality (indoor and outdoor) with low cost, quick implementation, and low impact on users within great challenges for growth, interconnection, climate change and sustainability.

The close proximity of different buildings heights can cause disturbances in the working of the smoke and ventilation ducts of lower buildings, threatening the health and even the lives of residents. To define the influence of high-rise building on the work of the ducts of the neighbouring double-storied building, experimental investigations in the wind tunnel were conducted. On this basis, empirical equations and graphs were developed leading to determining the aerodynamic coefficients considering different wind directions and the height of ducts. The direction of the wind reveals a greater influence than the height of the ducts. Properly using deflectors or increasing the height of the duct ensures maintaining static rarefaction in the area of smoke and ventilation ducts. The creation of rarefaction ensures the reliability of the natural ventilation system and the safety of the health of residents.

The natural frequency of buildings decreases during a strong-motion earthquake, and the structure loses its stiffness. As a result, understanding the damaging process in the structure owing to changes in structural properties is critical during a seismic excitation. The time-frequency technique can detect the damaged building’s time-varying frequency contents. Wigner distributions (WD), Wigner-Ville distributions (WVD), pseudo-Wigner-Ville distributions (PWVD), smoothed pseudo-Wigner-Ville distributions (SPWVD), and synchrosqueezing transforms (SST) have all become popular in recent years for a variety of earthquake engineering applications, including building damage detection. This study proposes the local maximum synchrosqueezing transform (LMSST) for detecting frequency shifts in buildings during strong earthquakes. The data presented in the research show that the suggested method outperforms as compared to the conventional time-frequency methods for detecting frequency shifting in earthquake-damaged structures.

The construction of earth buildings, both throughout history and in the current day, is well-established worldwide. Despite New Zealand's pre- and post-colonial history of earth construction, earth buildings as residential homes have not been well-received or popularised throughout present-day New Zealand. This research aims to identify the reasons for this lack of awareness and to determine methods that promote earth buildings in New Zealand. This research is based on data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with subject matter experts and via an online questionnaire completed by members of the Earth Building Association New Zealand (EBANZ). The data collected revealed the experiences and perceptions of all participants regarding the advantages, challenges and promotion of earth buildings specific to New Zealand. Upon analysing these responses, key reoccurring themes were identified and compared. Regarding New Zealand's lack of awareness of earth buildings, interview and questionnaire participants responded that this shortcoming was due to earth construction being a very niche market and lacking commercial marketing. Education was the most frequently reoccurring theme raised by all participants as the top promotional tool for raising awareness of earth buildings. The results of this research can be applied to future work regarding obstacles that limit the growth of New Zealand's earth building industry, as well as research on the role of New Zealand's education system in exposing the next generation of builders, designers, and consumers to earth construction.

The need for a relatively quick solution to the problem of providing highways with roadside service facilities necessitates the development of a series of appropriate standard projects. To increase the efficiency of these series, it is advisable to carry out the interconnection of space-planning solutions based on a particular module. Taking into account the variety of planning and landscape characteristics of the sites for the placement of objects of the mainline service, it seems advisable to choose as a module not a square or rectangular, but a triangular configuration, which allows in most cases to harmoniously block the modules. The proposed roof module in the form of a "regular" triangle facing the tetrahedron has a structural basis in the form of a single-tier rod spatial plate. The principal space-planning solutions of all four dozen objects from the approved nomenclature of the mainline service performed in the process of analyzing the possibilities show the real possibility of solving the development tasks on the basis of this system. The use of the proposed modular system makes it possible to successfully solve a number of tasks to reduce the harmful impact on the environment and effectively use renewable energy sources.

Earthquake is among the most devastating natural disasters causing severe economic, environmental, and social destruction. Earthquake safety assessment and building hazard monitoring can highly contribute to urban sustainable development through identification and insight into optimum materials and structures. While the vulnerability of structures mainly depends on the structural resistance, the safety assessment of buildings can be highly challenging. In this paper, we consider Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method which is a qualitative procedure for estimating structural scores for buildings suitable for medium- to high-seismic cases. This paper presents an overview of the common RVS methods, i.e., FEMA P-154, IITK-GGSDMA, and EMPI. To examine the accuracy and validation, a practical comparison is performed between their assessment and observed damage of reinforced concrete buildings from a street survey in the Bingöl region, Turkey, after the 11 May 2003 earthquake. The results demonstrate that the application of RVS methods for preliminary damage estimation is a vital tool. Furthermore, the comparative analysis showed that FEMA P-154 creates an assessment that overestimates damage states and is not economically viable while EMPI and IITK-GGSDMA provide for more accurate and practical estimation, respectively.

Smart home and building systems are popular solution that support maintaining comfort, safety and improving energy efficiency in buildings. However, dynamically developing distributed network technologies, in particular the Internet of Things, are increasingly entering the above-mentioned application areas of building automation, offering new functional possibilities. The result of these processes is the emergence of many different solutions that mix technologies of field-level and ICT networks in various configurations and architectures. New paradigms are also emerging, such as edge and fog computing, providing support for local monitoring and control networks in the implementation of advanced functions and algorithms, including machine learning and artificial intelligence mechanisms. This paper collects state-of-the-art information in these areas, along with a systematic review of the literature, case-studies and an analysis of selected development trends. The author systematized this information in the context of the potential development of building automation systems. Based on the conclusions of this analysis and discussion, a framework for the development of the Generic IoT paradigm in smart home and building applications has been proposed, along with a SWOT analysis of its usability. Future works are proposed as well.

How many different writers authored the huge number of texts attributed to Galen of Pergamum (129~216 AD), medical doctor and philosopher, a giant in the history of medicine? To find out which texts were his and which ones were written by others is known as the “Galenic Question”. We propose a “solution” to it through a multidisciplinary approach based: (a) on historical research and (b) on a mathematical analysis of the Greek texts. The historical approach has considered historical independent sources and anachronisms. The mathematical approach has been based on a mathematical theory concerning deep–language variables, rarely consciously controlled by any author, therefore capable of giving indications on similarity of texts, with little or no bias. The multidisciplinary approach has convinced us that at least three authors wrote the texts attributed to Galen. The first two very likely were real historical persons: (a) a certain Galen living between the end of the I century BC and the second half of the I century AD; (b) the historical Galen of Pergamum (II–III centuries AD) and (c) several unknown authors hiding under the name Galen, but surely living after Galen of Pergamum’s death.

This paper examines the transformative journey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents from copilots to integral coworkers within diverse sectors. Beginning with a foundational overview, we delve into the historical evolution of AI agents, highlighting key technological milestones and the shift from simple automated tools to sophisticated decision-making systems capable of learning and adapting over time. We explore the capabilities of AI agents, including problem-solving, predictive analytics, and automation, and their applications across healthcare, business, and education, showcasing their role in diagnostics, customer service, and personalized learning, among other areas. We also address the integration of AI agents in the workplace, presenting strategies for collaboration between humans and AI, and outline the challenges and ethical considerations that accompany the development and deployment of AI technologies. A comprehensive tutorial provides insight into the development process of AI agents, emphasizing goal definition, data handling, algorithm selection, and ethical guidelines. We also consider the pathway towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the societal and ethical implications of widespread AI integration, proposing strategies for equitable and ethical AI use.

During the MoDeCo2000 scientific and research project on mortars used in the territory of the Roman Danube Limes in Serbia, the biggest challenge was the quest for the provenance of used raw materials. The area where the largest city in the province of Moesia Superior developed, with millennial continuity of land use and settlement, was selected as a case study for deeper research. The material and immaterial values of Roman Viminacium have survived in the later life of the landscape, through the preserved building remains and artifacts, secondary use of building materials, but also toponyms, customs, and stories. Recycling of materials is commonly recognised in the modern age as the industrial processing of existing products in order to obtain raw materials and later prepare new products, representing one of the basic elements of sustainability. However, people throughout history have always used what they had at hand and the building remains were reused, but also recycled for new constructions. In this study we follow the presence of the specific material we call natural brick in the historical Viminacium landscape, focusing on Roman construction and specifically its potential use in lime mortars, connecting humanistic and natural sciences.

This article discusses an international scientific expedition to Greenland that researched geography, geodesy, botany, and glaciology of the area. The results here focus on the geodetic and glaciological results obtained with the eBee drone in the eastern part of Greenland at the front of the Knud Rasmussen glacier. From two overflights nearby the glacier front, it was possible to obtain the speed of the glacier flow and the distribution of velocities in the glacier stream. The results correlate with other measurement methods and this technology has been shown as feasible. Of course, there are more accurate and long-term options or devices for monitoring the flow of glaciers. In this case of short-term visits to the site, the possibility of using a drone is interesting and the results show not only the flow speed of the glacier, but also the shape and structure from a height of up to 200m. The second part of the paper focuses on the analysis of modern satellite images of the Knud Rasmussen glacier from Google Earth (Landsat series 1984-2016) and a comparison with historical aerial images from 1932-1933. Experimentally, historical images were processed photogrammetrically into a 3D model.

This paper defines the two main causes of global warming in the UK and seeks to cut climate change using green hydrogen made from renewable electricity sources. Combustion vehicles powered by fossil gasoline and diesel emit a third of UK climate-warming CO2 while buildings heated by natural gas provide a quarter. First, current UK grid problems are defined: Electricity grid, gas grid and petroleum grid. Then experiments on the private energy community of Keele University allow electrolysis demonstrations producing green hydrogen for buildings and vehicle refueling. Next, the model supply chain is planned and tested. Finally, experiments and calculations are outlined, analyzing the optimum system design criteria proposed. We conclude that economic green hydrogen can displace diesel and gasoline in vehicle transport, while also displacing natural gas for combined heat and power in buildings. In addition, the prospect in 2023 is that profits can now be made all along the green hydrogen supply chain, such that new businesses involved in clean communities can beat the National Grid monopoly and other large dominant fossil grid companies.

3D city models integrate heterogeneous urban data from multiple sources in a unified geospatial representation, combining both semantics and geometry. Although in the last decades, they are predominantly used for visualization, today they are used in a large range of tasks related to exploration, analysis, and management across multiple domains. The complexity of urban processes and the diversity of urban environment bring challenges to the implementation of 3D city models. To address such challenges, this paper presents the development process of a 3D city model of a single neighborhood in Sofia city based on CityGML 2.0 standard. The model represents the buildings in LOD1 with a focus on CityGML features of related to the buildings like building part, terrain intersection curve and address. Similar building models of 18 cities provided as open datasets are explored and compared in order to extract good modeling practices. As a result, workflows for generation of 3D building models in LOD1 are elaborated and improvements in the feature modeling are proposed. Two options of building model are examined: modeling of a building as a single solid and modeling of a building with separate building parts. Finally, the possibilities for visualization of the model in popular platforms such as ArcGIS Pro and Cesium Ion are explored.

The UK Government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050. Buildings are responsible for 37% of the total GHG emissions in the UK and the need to reduce their emissions has resulted in more stringent building regulations in the recent past. The regulations, energy rating systems and voluntary guidelines — all are primarily aimed at reducing the need for heating and associated energy use by increasing insulation and air-tightness. However, future climates are projected to be warmer than the present day. Internal gains dominated non-domestic buildings will likely overheat, the adaptation to which will require energy-intensive cooling solutions, thus defeating the purpose of heating-focused regulations. This research investigated the effects of warming climate on overheating, and energy use and resulting emissions in representative urban office spaces in London in the present-day and future climates using hourly dynamic thermal simulations. Findings suggest that more airtight and highly—insulated office buildings designed for heating—dominated temperate UK climate will overheat in the 2050s. Heating demand reduces but electricity consumption increases by 121% when hybrid cooling is adopted to ameliorate overheating. Despite the rise, adopting a mixed-mode ventilation strategy was one of the ways of achieving overall energy efficiency while meeting benchmark overheating and carbon emissions target in present and future climatic contradictions. Current heating-focused legislations need to be urgently re-evaluated to account for the effects of climatic variability and overheating risks.

We explores the relational, dynamic elements of Complex Buildings, a type of architecture designed to incubate uses, located in urban areas with high housing density. The uses of Complex Buildings concern different elements, including the network of agents using or managing them, the environment, and the activities and functions that take place occasionally, temporarily or permanently. Data was gathered through ethnographic research lasting 6 months and a chronotopian approach was used to describe time and space. We analyzed and discussed the interaction of the elements of Complex Buildings through a cellular automaton model, a computational method that simulates the growth of complex systems. It was used here to generate patterns that suggest configurations of uses that can optimize management and therefore increase economic and social capital. The cellular automaton model was also used to develop an abstraction of the Centquatre, a public cultural center in Paris. This center is a good example of a Complex Building, being based on a public-private partnership and having an architectural configuration designed to host a wide range of art, social and productive activities. The building includes a large central space used as an urban public area open to different types of people. The importance of this case study lies in its capacity to produce economic value by combining different uses, and also by welcoming different people to the public space. Regarding the building as a living organism, the cellular automaton model reveals the determinant nature of the concepts of configuration, compatibility of uses and economic value generated by the presence of people. We argue that this approach makes it possible to show that the space-time design and public space dimensions are determinant factors in Complex Buildings.

(1) Background: This paper investigates the epidemiological risk related to temperature before and during COVID-19 in Italy; (2) Methods: Deaths in 2015-2019 and temperatures were correlated. Excess and COVID-19 deaths were examined to estimate the relationships with temperatures; (3) Results: Annual deaths were higher during the cold months (+45,000, SD = 4,700, S = 21). The scenario worsened during COVID-19. Mortality was higher during minimum temperature periods, although the curve moderately rose in the warmest months (r = -0.75, 95% CI = [-0.87; -0.56], S = 23). COVID-19 deaths showed a decreasing seasonality. Monthly excess deaths during COVID-19 were high (+4,200, IQR = [2,800; 8,000], S = 28) with a doubt of seasonality. COVID-19 mortality was correlated with regional latitude (r = 0.86, 95% CI = [0.68; 0.94], S = 20). Discrepancies between COVID-19 and excess deaths were found. The exposed population was subject to aging; (4) Conclusions: The epidemiological risk in Italy is seasonal and geographically dependent. Low and very high temperatures can lead to mortality peaks. Therefore, COVID-19 and any other epidemiological risk must be evaluated in light of this evidence. Health systems need to be strengthened during cold and extremely hot periods. Future research should investigate these phenomena at the causal level.

This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of retrofitting techniques aimed at enhancing the seismic resilience of seismically vulnerable historical buildings. Recognizing the dual objectives of structural safety and architectural preservation, this research evaluates and compares several advanced retrofitting methods, including base isolation, strengthening of masonry, steel bracing systems, Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wrapping, and damping devices. Each technique is critically assessed based on its effectiveness in mitigating seismic risks, its compatibility with historical architectural features, and its applicability to various building types. Base isolation is highlighted for its ability to decouple buildings from ground motion, thereby significantly reducing seismic forces and protecting architectural integrity. Strengthening of masonry through the use of fiber-reinforced polymers and steel elements enhances the ductility and strength of masonry walls, making them more resilient to seismic forces. Steel bracing systems are shown to provide essential lateral support, particularly in timber-framed structures, improving overall stability and reducing deformation during earthquakes. FRP wrapping is identified as a versatile technique that strengthens structural elements without compromising aesthetic value, making it suitable for reinforcing concrete and masonry components. Damping devices, including viscous dampers and tuned mass dampers, are discussed for their ability to dissipate seismic energy and control structural vibrations, offering a minimally invasive solution that preserves historical aesthetics. The study also addresses several challenges and research gaps associated with these retrofitting techniques, such as ensuring architectural compatibility, assessing long-term material performance, optimizing cost-effectiveness, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks. By advancing knowledge in these areas, the research aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in the development of retrofitting solutions. Ultimately, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to safeguard historical buildings against seismic hazards. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and best practices in structural engineering and architectural conservation, stakeholders can develop sustainable, cost-effective, and culturally sensitive retrofitting strategies that protect valuable cultural heritage for future generations.

The paper highlights the performance of the seismic isolation devices, installed on retrofitted buildings in reducing the seismic response when subjected to earthquakes. Two buildings from the beginning of the XX-th century in Bucharest are chosen from many more, monitored over the city area. We discuss the response of these base-seismic isolated structures, relying on good quality data acquired from the recent strong earthquake (03.11.2022, MW = 5.0). Elastic response spectra computed from recordings at two levels of each structure are used, placed under and right above the isolating layer. At one building the existence of previous recordings and the particularity of the sensors allow a comparison with other two relatively recent medium intensity earthquakes. The assessment is carried out in terms of maximum acceleration amax, measured at certain levels in each structure, spectral acceleration amplitude SAmax and spectral-peak corresponding period. We find that the base-isolation methodology is effective in reducing the response of the building right above the isolating layer, an observation valid for both structures, all components of the recordings, and spectral acceleration values. Moreover, the outcomes from the modal evaluation performed prior to rehabilitation and seismic isolation process are presented, by pointing out a higher newly acquired fundamental period of the isolated structures.

Oncology has emerged as a crucial field of study and treatment in the domain of medicine. Computed tomography has gained widespread adoption as a radiological modality for the identification and characterisation of pathologies, particularly in oncology, enabling precise identification of affected organs and tissues. However, achieving accurate liver segmentation in computed tomography scans remains a challenge due to the presence of artefacts and the varying densities of soft tissues and adjacent organs. This paper compares artificial intelligence algorithms and traditional medical image processing techniques to assist radiologists in liver segmentation on computed tomography scans, and evaluates their accuracy and efficiency. It is noteworthy that although studies have been conducted on liver segmentation in computed tomography scans, they often lack an intuitive and visual component that allows healthcare professionals to manipulate and observe the results obtained, thereby limiting interaction with the outcomes. From the literature review, challenges such as under-segmentation, over-segmentation, and poor boundary detection, as well as the selection of methods to improve the accuracy and efficiency of liver segmentation in computed tomography scanners, are highlighted as needs to be addressed. The importance of future research in understanding the essential features for the study, generating more datasets, improving segmentation efficiency, and developing lightweight artificial intelligence frameworks for liver segmentation is outlined.

Open bidding is widely used in Sinopec's material procurement due to its advantages of openness, transparency, and cost savings. However, there have been many complaints about collusive bidding in recent years. Collusive bidding will pose significant challenges to fair competition and increase project costs for material procurement. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an analysis model to identify and prevent the collusive bidding. In this paper, we propose a statistical model for identifying collusive bidding using the coefficient of variation cv, the ratio of high to low average quotation rP and the deviation rate of quotation δ as indicators, based on the statistics of the historical quotations for material A. Through a case study of the framework agreement bidding for material B, we identified the collusion behavior of bidders effectively, thereby verifying the applicability of this statistical model.

The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has brought with it an increase in the use of digital platforms and an exponential increase in the number of scientific papers worldwide. The purpose of this study is to show a global overview of the digital transformation from 1975 to the present (2021). The main collection of the Web of Science database was used to retrieve global scientific production on digital transformation. Bibliometric indicators of production, visibility, impact, and collaboration were analyzed to assess research progress on the topic. The results show that digital transformation is a construct of recent development, increasingly relevant and transdisciplinary, with a clear growth after the declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The role that Colombia will play in terms of food supply in the coming years has generated a discussion on the agricultural practices implemented, specifically in the use of pesticides. Therefore, this article aims to provide a comprehensive and complete review of the status of pesticide use in the agricultural sector, highlighting the agri-food industry in Colombia. Currently, the use of pesticides has intensified throughout the world, generating a call for attention by governmental entities in terms of regulation. Colombia for the year 2019 presented a rate of use of 7.8 kg/ha of pesticides, placing it among the twenty countries with the highest rate. On the other hand, the quantities and economic benefits of exports and imports are growing steadily. Several organizations have focused their efforts on determining the health consequences that people exposed to chronic and/or acute intoxication may suffer. This has led to cases of cytogenetic, neurocognitive and physical effects, prompting governmental organizations to regulate the use of pesticides. Finally, the need to design pesticide management and handling systems that respond to the needs of producers and the sector, integrating international food safety guidelines, is identified.

Prevention of obstetric trauma from damage to the pelvic floor is not always possible and sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) may be necessary later in life. Sacral nerve stimulation has been a promising innovation in the management of moderate to severe faecal incontinence and following sphincter repair failure. Although the indication spectrum for SNS is expanding, the success of neuromodulation for constipation is limited. Adverse events of SNS requiring re-intervention are not common but a long-term successful outcome may depend on interventions for maintenance of the device.

India bears the highest burden of global dog-mediated human rabies deaths. Despite this, rabies is not notifiable in India, and continues to be underprioritized in public health discussions. This review examines the historical treatment of rabies in British India, a disease which has received relatively less attention in the literature on Indian medical history. Human and animal rabies was widespread in British India and treatment of bite victims imposed a major financial burden on the colonial Government of India. It subsequently became a driver of Pasteurism in India and globally and a key component of British colonial scientific enterprise. Efforts to combat rabies led to the establishment of a wide network of research institutes in India and important breakthroughs in development of rabies vaccines. As a result of these efforts, rabies no longer posed a significant threat to the British and it declined in administrative and public health priorities in India towards the end of colonial rule; a decline that has yet to be reversed in modern-day India. The review also highlights features of the administrative, scientific and societal approaches to dealing with this disease in British India which persist to this day.

Building energy demand impacts a myriad of interconnected economic, societal, and environmental aspects. As a result, Buildings Energy Models (BEM) play an important role in the process of urban design and planning. While previous studies have investigated the effects of building interventions on energy efficiency, their applicability may be limited due to the BEM’s high computational complexity. This limits their ability to systematically study important aspects of energy demand on a large scale. The development of Machine Learning Models (MLM) allows to design the required detailed analysis and solutions, while reducing the computational burden, making MLM attractive for urban designers. The capability of MLM to generalize well for multiple contexts (in our case, multiple buildings) is a crucial contributor to their applicability. However, the validation process in a wider context is often overlooked, therefore its generalization capabilities are not quantified. In this paper, we present a framework to train and validate a surrogate model derived from a physics-based BEM. Our method employs a Multiple Linear Regression model to predict Energy Use Intensity (EUI) for office buildings in Singapore using 36 input parameters (covariates), based on a training dataset of 23,000 samples. Model validation is performed by comparing the results of the Surrogate Model (SM) to a widely used BEM for a sample of 120 buildings. Our results indicate that the SM has an accuracy of NRMSE of 13%, NMBE of −3.56%, and R2 of 0.92, which suggests it can effectively and accurately predict building EUI. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis, which indicates that the parameters associated with internal loads and internal space usage are the most influential. Additionally, we present a reduced order model trained with only the 11 most influential parameters, which exhibits negligible loss in accuracy compared to the full SM while providing reduced complexity. Finally, we demonstrate an application of our SM to evaluate energy efficiency under uncertainty scenarios. The analytically derived results indicate a potential reduction of EUI of offices in Singapore from 227kWh/m2 to 99kWh/m2 by altering the building parameters that were identified as most influential.

This paper studies the dynamic response of corner supported modular steel buildings with a core wall system, under progressive collapse scenarios, associated with corner module removals. Since using secondary systems such as concrete core in mid- to high-rise buildings is currently una-voidable, understanding their impact on load transfer between modules during collapse scenarios becomes essential. The designated buildings with four-, eight- and twelve-story were modelled using the macro-model based finite element method in Abaqus. Also, three different locations are considered for the concrete shear core within the building plan, leading to nine various case scenarios. Each vertical and horizontal inter-module connection was modelled by one axial and two shear springs with predefined nonlinear force-displacement behaviour. The local and global buckling, which plays an essential role in the building's stability, was considered to obtain accurate results. Finally, parametric studies on the building response were carried out, including the intra-module connection rigidity and inter-module connection stiffness. The results demonstrated that the core wall could maintain the robustness of modular steel building through two mechanisms dependent on its location within the plan. Also, preventing plastic hinges from forming in beams could be introduced as an anti-collapse mechanism in the corner module removal scenarios

The fourth industrial revolution has resulted in the digitalization of projects and operations across all sectors. Accordingly, efforts are being made to utilize advanced technologies to improve the energy efficiency of the building sector. This study has reviewed the current application and limitations of cutting-edge technologies in this regard. An overview of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin (DT), and building information modeling (BIM) for energy efficiency of buildings has been provided. It has been found that the use of Industry 4.0 technologies, during the construction and operational phase of buildings, has a great potential to reduce energy consumption and emissions of the sector. This study may help stakeholders of the built environment to understand the role of industry 4.0 tools for energy efficiency of the sector.

As Solar Photovoltaics in buildings reaches maturity, grid integration and economic yield are topics of greater interest. The traditional design of photovoltaic installations has considered the optimal orientation of photovoltaic modules to be that which yields the maximum annual energy production. The influence of the consumption patterns and the hourly-variable electricity prices implies that this traditional optimal design might not be the most profitable. Using a full-year dataset for a residential installation, alternative installations using canopies and modules attached to the façades are simulated. Simulating the energy balances for different annual consumptions, it is found that the canopy and façade installations offer better self-consumption of the PV produced energy, reflected in a 9% higher self-consumption degree using modules on façades and a 5% using canopies. The economic evaluation under the new electricity tariffs in Spain shows a better profit for PV self-consumption, reducing by more than 2 years the time of return on investment. The analysis of different alternatives for an industrial PV has allowed us to identify several benefits for these orientations, such as an increase in annual energy production of up to 59% over the optimal-producing orientation, that are confirmed after several months of operation.

An energy diagnosis is a tool used to seek the improvement of energy saving measures, environmental conservation and energy efficiency, making relevant its implementation in any kind of buildings. For this article, an energy diagnosis of third level was carried out in buildings of the Instituto de Energías Renovables (IER) from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) through survey and census of the 36 buildings in the IER, in order to characterize current patterns of energy consumption and demand, and generating specific strategies towards savings and energy efficiency, such as indicators and corrective proposals within and non-financial investment.

During the last decade, Bangladesh has been experienced a significant climatic anomalies which lead to an increase in magnitude and frequency of various climate relate extreme events. Climate scientists substantiate that global temperature and precipitation pattern is expected to change, which may result in consequential impact on agriculture, livelihood, and ecosystem. Bangladesh is therefore likely to face substantial challenges in the coming decades. In order to adequately understand this complex, dynamic phenomena, Analyzing historical Climate change scenarios as well as projecting its future trends is a great concern for researcher. This study aims to analyzes/ historical climatic data from (1901-2020), and predict future temperature and precipitation patterns in Bangladesh using CMIP6 data. Data used in this study (Observed data is from CRU TS 4.05 and future data is from CMIP6) have been acquired from WorldClim v2.1. Various methods including correlation, regression, standard deviation, correlation matrix, percentiles, cell statistics, and IDW interpolation were performed to analyze the trends, variability and spatial patterns of temperature and rainfall. This study revealed that Over the historical study period (1901-2020) Bangladesh has been experienced a significant warming trend with an average increase in temperature 2°C and with annual decline of the total precipitation 607.26 mm along with a shift towards drier conditions despite weak correlation with hotter years. Projected climate models represents that Bangladesh minimum temperature is expected to increase from 1°C to 4.4°C as well as maximum temperatures from 1°C to 4.1°C by 2100. Moreover, projected precipitation is expected to increase by 480.38 mm, with the biggest rises during monsoon months. Regional variations in temperature and precipitation are again expected, with the Southeast (SE) likely experiencing the most significant warming and the Northeast (NE) seeing the most substantial increase in precipitation.

Collecting and recording physiological parameters and forwarding this data via telemedicine or remote surveys may significantly increase the health and safety of people working under extreme environmental conditions, like firefighters, mountain rescuers, disaster control employees, military personnel, etc. First, ruggedized systems, as small, lightweight, and flexible as possible, are needed to optimize the goal of increasing occupational health and safety of persons at risk and maximizing their performance during missions. Previous systems could only record a very limited number of parameters, and a few could forward the data online to return information to the user. Therefore, in order to record several meaningful, valid, and reliable physiological parameters synchronized, an extension of existing systems is required. This review highlights this problem and gives an overview of the historical development. The actual status of the systems available was listed and described comparatively. In the end, a proven, promising, and innovative solution is presented that can solve the problem and allow people to work more safely in extreme environments, which may represent the future.

Women's leadership continues to be a critical issue in today's society. Women face significant challenges in leadership, including limited representation in high-level positions and persistent gender-based discrimination. Many factors, including personal experiences, education, work experiences, and the influence of role models, influence women's leadership paths. This study explores how historical and contemporary role models help guide women's leadership choices. Specifically, we seek to understand the role of historical and contemporary role models in shaping women's perceptions of leadership and influencing their career aspirations.The study uses a qualitative research design to explore the experiences of women leaders in different industries. The participants were selected using purposive sampling, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the data, and the results were presented using descriptive statistics and qualitative data analysis.The study findings reveal that historical and contemporary role models significantly shape women's perceptions of leadership and influence their career aspirations. Women who have had access to role models in their personal lives or through media exposure are more confident in their ability to lead. They are more likely to pursue leadership positions. Historical role models provide women with tangible examples of what is possible regardingwomen's leadership. Studying role models from diverse backgrounds is essential in inspiring women from diverse backgrounds to pursue leadership roles.The study findings have significant implications for women's leadership development. They suggest efforts to increase the representation of women in leadership positions should focus on providing access to diverse role models. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of media representation of women leaders, as exposure to role models through media can help overcome barriers to access to role models in personal and professional networks.In conclusion, the study provides important insights into the influence of historical and contemporary role models on women's leadership paths. The study underscores the importance of role models in inspiring and guiding women's leadership journeys and the need for diverse and inclusive representation of women leaders in media and personal and professional networks. The findings provide practical recommendations for women's leadership development initiatives and future research.

As urbanization continues to accelerate, the concept of smart buildings has transitioned from a futuristic vision to an integral component of modern cities. These buildings, often seen as the building blocks of smart cities, are increasingly relying on cutting-edge technologies like 5G and cloud computing to reach unprecedented levels of energy efficiency, sustainability, and occupant comfort. This paper offers a comprehensive exploration into the marriage of smart building technologies with 5G and cloud computing. It scrutinizes the individual and combined impacts of these technologies, presents various case studies showcasing real-world applications, and anticipates future trends. Moreover, it delves into technical challenges, policy implications, and offers concrete recommendations for stakeholders.

The behaviour of steel frame buildings under progressive collapse conditions depends on a combination of several parameters including the interplay between different collapse resistance mechanisms mobilized in different structural components. Previous studies have shown that the extent to which these mechanisms may contribute to progressive collapse resistance depends on the ability of the beam-column connections to undergo large inelastic deformations prior to reaching their deformation capacity limits. For this reason, and due to the important role of their flexural strength and tying capacity in the development of essential collapse resistance mechanisms, the response of beam-column connections is one of the most important features of progressive collapse performance. Based on the knowledge gained through previous studies on the mechanics of the problem, the role of the connections is critically reviewed by examining the results of several experimental studies conducted during the past decade. The factors that may adversely affect progressive collapse resistance – such as failure modes of certain connection types – are evaluated, and novel approaches of limiting these factors which are currently under development are reviewed. The assessment of these parameters leads to useful conclusions of practical significance, while highlighting the aspects of the problem that need further study and understanding.

Afterthe series of earthquakes in August 1953, most of Kefalonia’s building stock totally collapsed. The buildings that emerged as a result of a collective effort are commonly referred to as «arogi» buildings, with the term arogimeaning help or assistance. In this way, merely referring to these structures is a direct mention to the circumstances under which they were constructed. The reconstruction of the building stock of the island was based in a series of building types proposed from the authorities, and proceeded replacing the richness of the architectural forms that stood before the earthquake, with austere but necessary settlements. Nevertheless, it is these buildings that constitute today’s image of the island. This study wishes to introduce us to “arogi” buildings structural system, as it was applied in Kefalonia after 1953 earthquake, with reference to recent bibliography and the recent experience of 2014 earthquake. The purpose of setting the grounds for such a research would be to highlight the effectiveness of this structural system. Moreover, to emphasize the fact that “arogi” buildings and their construction procedure incorporate Kefalonia’s recent history and have eventually produced today’s available “traditional” architecture of the island.

There is a continuous growth of heat pump installations in residential buildings in Germany. The heat pumps were not only used for space heating and domestic hot water consumption but also to offer flexibility to the grid. the high coefficient of performance and the low cost of heat storages made the heat pumps an optimal candidate for the power to heat applications. Thus, several questions are raised about the optimal integration and control of the heat pump system with buffer storages to maximize its operation efficiency and minimize the operation costs. In this paper, an experimental investigation is performed to study the performance of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) with a combi-storage under several configurations and control factors. The experiments were performed on an innovative modular testbed that is capable of emulating a ground source to provide the heat pump with different temperature levels at different times of the day. Moreover, it can emulate the different building loads such as the space heating load and the domestic hot water consumption in real-time. The data gathered from the testbed and different experimental studies were used to develop a simulation model based on Modelica that can accurately simulate the dynamics of a GSHP in a building. The model was validated based on different metrics. Energetically, the difference between the developed model and the measured values was only 3.08\% and 4.18\% for the heat generation and electricity consumption, respectively.

The article reveals distinctive features of the interaction between architectural and structural solutions for the design of tall buildings as well as spotlights the most distinctive cases of expression. In the contemporary world, interaction is turning into the antithesis of the formerly dominant utilitarian attitude and standardization of tall buildings architectural solutions. Meanwhile, the search for rational structural solutions leads to new possibilities of architectural expression. This necessitates the transformation of a structural solution and its adaptation to the need of a modern architect to be exceptional and noticed. Interaction covers the current as well as retrospective and perspective periods. SWOT analysis was used by the authors of the article to assess the interaction between architectural and structural solutions in tall buildings design, select the most important criteria that could be used searching for rational architectural and structural solutions in future by applying multi-criteria decision making methods.

This paper attempts to alter a prevailing assumption that buildings use energy to an understanding that in fact, people use energy. Therefore, to successfully accelerate the transition to a low-carbon society and economy more emphasis should be on motivating people and increasing their awareness by making them energy conscious building users and therefore active players in the energy transition process. In this context, this paper provides insights from the Horizon 2020 MOBISTYLE project. It demonstrates research and development approaches, highlights the main project objectives, and presents findings of an ethnographic (qualitative) study of users’ habits, practices, and needs. The aim of the project is to motivate behavioural change by raising consumer awareness through the provision of attractive personalized information on user’s energy use, indoor environment and health, all enabled by an integrated information and communication technology (ICT) service. In this context, the anthropological people-centred approach is integrated into the MOBISTYLE approach putting users at the centre of the ICT tools development process. The main quantitative objective of the project is a reduction of energy use for at least 16 % prompted by the provision of combined information and feedback systems on energy, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health. The most relevant motivational factors and key performance indicators (KPIs) for encouraging a more energy conscious and healthy lifestyle were defined by means of a people-centred approach, adopting anthropological inquiries in different settings. Information about users’ lifestyles and their needs was collected in focus groups with potential users in five case studies, located in different European Union (EU) countries. Behaviour change is achieved through awareness campaigns, which encourage users to be pro-active about their energy consumption and to simultaneously improve health and well-being.