bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensuring Innovative Safety of Russia in the Context of“Break”in the Sixth Technological Way
Authors: Romanov E V , Drozdova T V , Romanova E V
Published: June 2019

Gaining the leading positions by Russia in creation and development of technologies of the sixth technological way staticizes the researches devoted to safety problems in the innovative sphere. External threats of innovative safety are defined by pressure technologies on Russia as a result of which“brain drain”of both mature, and young scientists will be provided. Internal threats are caused by the realized economic policy. Increase in a share of the state in those sectors of economy which are crucial for creation of technologies of the sixth technological way is necessary. At the same time it is necessary to increase the cost of“live work”for stimulation of investments into production. Decrease in social differentiation and level of corruption is considered in the context of increase in efficiency of expenditure of budgetary funds. Backbone threats of innovative safety are connected with the realized policy in education and sciences. The realization of the priorities of development of the higher education defined in the new state program“Development of education” considered in the context of the formed trend on considerable reduction of the budgetary places for training in a magistracy in the directions of preparation which are the key from the point of view of“break”in the sixth technological way - continuation of strategy for decrease in innovative capacity of state universities.
Simulation of Banking Sector’s Investment Potential
Authors: Kurmanova L , Kurmanova D
Published: June 2019

The article analyzes the factors of the macroeconomic environment that affect the level of the investment potential of the national banking system in modern conditions. Investment potential is a quantitative indicator assessing the availability of certain resources and their sufficiency to meet investment demand and investment activities. It is the investment opportunities of commercial banks that acquire special significance for economic growth, and therefore it is extremely important to develop an up-to-date mechanism for developing and realizing the investment potential of the Russian banking sector. The situation with long-term financing of the real economy is aggravated by the introduction of sanctions, which led to the closure of access to the Russian banks for international capital markets for borrowing “long” money. Issues related to the definition of the investment potential of the banking system and the evaluation of formation factors are widely considered in the scientific literature. However, there is no general definition and unified methodology for assessing the investment potential of the banking sector. All this testifies to the urgency of the scientific problem of developing assessment tools and forecasting investment potential, taking into account all possible factors affecting its magnitude. To determine the points of investment potential growth on the basis of correlation-regression analysis, a three-factor model for forecasting investment activity and expanding the potential of Russian commercial banks was formed.
Creation of Modern Region Innovation Infrastructure Development Management Technologies
Authors: Guseva I , Dalekin P
Published: June 2019

The article highlights the main problems and features of the innovation infrastructure development within the regional management. Innovative infrastructure in modern conditions of development is one of the strategic directions of development of science, the equipment and production in the country. Thus, one of the key problems concerning the development of innovation infrastructure in the regions is the lack of a single coordination mechanism that performs service functions between all the parties in the innovation process. The authors propose the introduction of a single Coordination center for the development of innovation infrastructure at the levels of management, performing the functions of planning and forecasting innovation processes, analysis and evaluation functions, information and coordination support, methodological support, control in the field of innovation. Introduction of the Coordination center of development of innovative infrastructure in the Russian Federation is based on integration approach and will allow participants of innovative process to increase the level of efficiency, effectiveness and commercialization of innovative activity, to create the uniform platform of management of innovations in the country. Development of uniform integration processes in the sphere of innovations is directed to interaction on three levels of management: federal, regional, local it is also focused on development of both small, and large innovative business.
Hygrothermal Risk Analysis of Recently Constructed Timber Buildings Exposed to Outdoor Climate Changes by the End of the Century in Germany
Authors: Ameri S , Rüther N
Published: June 2019

Scientific evidence predicts significant climate changes in the future and the world faces warmer days with extreme precipitation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of predicted climate changes until 2100 on the hygrothermal behavior of well-insulated residential timber buildings are being constructed recently in Germany according to the new low and zero energy standards. Considering the facts that wood and timber constructions are sensitive to moisture and moisture changes and these buildings should have a service life of 50 to 100 years, the hygrothermal performance of several exterior wall assemblies has been analyzed by means of coupled heat and moisture transfer numerical model in this period. Predicted climate data -by the end of the century- for several cities in different Germany’s hygrothermal regions, extracted from climate service centers’ databases and applied as an outdoor condition. The article discusses the response of a number of buildings envelops exposed to these exterior environments. Accordingly, critical aspects of moisture performance regarding the risk of mold growth and fungal decay were in each assembly analyzed. In this regard, relevant solutions were suggested aiming construction of more resilient timber structures to climate changes.
The Use of Natural Materials for Construction Projects – Social Aspects of Sustainable Building: Case Studies from Australia and Europe
Authors: Burroughs S , Růžička J
Published: June 2019

The three pillars of sustainability are the economic, environmental and social pillars. To achieve sustainable construction projects, these three priorities must be balanced. Considering social aspects is of equal importance when considering the design, materials and technologies used in buildings. The increased use of naturally based materials from renewable sources using traditional techniques is common in sustainable buildings and can help balance some of the social aspects. Building with traditional technologies such as compressed earth blocks (CEBs), rammed earth, adobe, or strawbale technologies is a viable option to conventional construction methods when the structure meets modern scientific and engineering standards. High-quality, sustainable buildings are achievable using local resources and local labour. This paper presents case studies from remote Australia and Europe and shows the social and environmental impacts according to the technology used. Prior consideration of the social aspects can result in the improvement of the sustainability of the building.
Modern Earth Building – the Current State of Earth Building from a German Perspective
Authors: Jörchel S
Published: June 2019

Modern earth building today is in quite dynamic development process. While it was a quite “exotic” building material in the end of the last century it is today well know as a sustainable and appropriate building material. This paper will focus on Standards and Regulations, Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), Earth building in teaching and vocational training as well as on innovative earth building products introduced in the market. The new and revised DIN on earth building products will be published within a year as well as the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). Strategies to embed earth building in teaching and vocational training of building professionals are ongoing and will be presented like introduction of earth building skills in the formal educational framework of building trades. Innovative earth building products are introduced in the market with prefabricated rammed earth elements, a number of clay boards and combined construction techniques of wood and earth panels not to forget the use of straw bale building in combination with earth products to mention just a few aspects.
Fire and Mechanical Properties of Hemp and Clay Boards for Timber Structures
Authors: Kallakas H , Liblik J , Alao P F , Poltimäe T , Just A , Kers J
Published: June 2019

The use of timber with other bio-based building materials is often restricted due to the fire hazard. The primary protection for timber against fire is provided by cladding. Currently, there is limited fire protection design data on clay and hemp boards since they are relatively new products. Furthermore, the mechanical performance of boards is of utmost importance in timber frame assemblies. This paper presents a test program that determines the tensile and bending strength of boards accompanied by a comparison to widely used gypsum plasterboards. The fire protection effect for timber is assessed by using a cone heater. Main results indicate that clay and hemp boards are adequate alternatives for the gypsum plasterboards as they can demonstrate similar performance. Hemp boards made by dry method perform significantly better compared to the ones made by wet method. Clay boards with special additive demonstrate increased fire performance compared to more ecological boards. This study contributes to further research that is needed in order to provide design parameters for sustainable building solutions in the future.
Biodegradation of Mineral and Silicone Plasters and Its Comparison
Authors: Ryparová P , Kostelecká M , Tywoniak J
Published: June 2019

The article focuses on the determination of a fungal growth range on plaster depending on external conditions. The experiments compare three types of plaster which are the most widely used in Europe. The selected plaster is two mineral and one silicone. These types of plaster are standard mixtures developed and donated by manufacturing company from Czech Republic.

The article contains comparison of germination and growth of mould on the surface of samples with the type of used degradation process before inoculation of mould. The types of used degradation were carbonation, freeze-thaw cycle, degradation by soil microorganism and high moisture. The microbial resistance was made based on modified Norm ČSN EN ISO 846. The samples were placed on mineral agar and in the 100 % humidity. The resistance of samples was evaluated by microscopy analyses.
Non-Destructive Testing of Recycled Aggregate Concrete
Authors: Sierens Z , Vandevyvere B , Kyndt L , Tytens G , Li J
Published: June 2019

Currently, recycled aggregate concrete is a widely used building material. Due to negative influences on concrete’s mechanical properties, it is mostly used in low-valued applications. Nevertheless, high quality recycled concrete aggregates derived from a good quality original concrete can be used in high-valued applications, such as precast concrete. These high quality aggregates can be obtained by optimizing the crushing process. To ensure recycled aggregate concrete quality, the influence of different parameters on its mechanical and durability properties must be established. The quality of recycled concrete in high-valued applications can easily be measured via non-destructive tests. In this research project, the properties of recycled aggregate concrete are tested in a non-destructive way in order to establish a correlation between the different properties. Results of several laboratory tests show a good relation between the static elastic modulus and the dynamic elastic modulus, calculated by measuring the ultrasonic pulse waves and resonance frequency. Nevertheless, a study to transfer this knowledge into practice will demonstrate the applicability of the results.
Optimization of RC Structures with Regard to Amount of Embodied CO2 Emissions
Authors: Ženíšek M , Hájek P
Published: June 2019

The volume of CO2 emissions (and other greenhouse gases) has been rising almost continuously for several decades. Concrete is the most used man-made material in the world, thus the construction of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is associated with high environmental impact, mainly due to the consumption of cement as binder for concrete and steel as reinforcement. This article analyses the available options for the design of RC structure to reduce embodied CO2 emissions. The main part of the article is a case study demonstrating optimization of the load-bearing structure of multi-storey building. Emphasis was placed on achieving the optimal variant in terms of CO2 emissions, while maintaining a comparable cost of the construction. The results of this study show that in this particular case the use of concrete with a lower strength brings lower environmental impact than of concrete with higher strength. The reason is that the production of lower strength concrete allows the use of cements with a lower clinker content which is decisive for CO2 emissions. However, the use of concrete with higher strength allows more subtle structural members with lower content of concrete and potentially with higher durability.
Life Cycle Analysis of Vertical Building Extensions – Environmental Impacts of Different Material Selection
Authors: Hafner A , Storck M
Published: June 2019

Adding storeys to existing buildings plays a large role in sustainable urban densification and helps to decrease the growing demand for urban city housings. Vertical building extensions create living space without the need for further land use, by extending existing buildings vertically by one or more storeys. Research points to the possibility of creating 1.1 million homes through storey additions in German metropolitan areas. A common method for investigating environmental impacts of a building is a life cycle assessment (LCA). Because of vertical building extensions being a relatively new concept, research is lacking, especially for LCAs. Therefore, this study describes frameworks and rules for LCAs of vertical building extensions. Moreover, environmental impacts of different material selection within storey additions are investigated. For this, a realised storey addition is analysed and main construction materials of the exterior wall and roof are replaced. The environmental impacts of material selection are then compared using the impact category global warming potential. Results show that the choice of material has a large influence on LCA results. In this case, the wood construction has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions and amounts to approximately 180 kg CO2 eq/m2. The highest greenhouse gas emissions are emitted by a steel construction with approximately 230 kg CO2 eq/m2.
Application of “Element”-Method in Sustainability Assessment
Authors: Lützkendorf T
Published: June 2019

The application of sustainability assessment in the design of buildings for the analysis, assessment and improvement of design variants is still a long way from becoming an everyday activity. Often, it is only carried out to respond to a special request from investors/building owners or in connection with funding programs. To date, sustainability assessment is often considered as an additional task detached from the rest of the design process and primarily serving sustainability certification. This raises the question of how the task of sustainability assessment can be integrated into the design process even better than before and combined with traditional design tasks. One approach is to use the “Element”-method. Relevant parts of the structure are described in terms of their physical composition and construction work to be performed for their production. It is an approach used in the determination of construction costs. The task of checking compliance with a given cost frame/budget already set in client’s brief or at an early design stage comes with a continuous determination and assessment of construction costs along the different design stages. A similar approach can be followed for environmental impacts. The “Element”-method initially supports a combination of LCC and LCA – an approach that is being followed already more frequently. The consideration of elements additionally supports the assessment of the ease of deconstruction and recycling friendliness as well as effects on and risks to health and the local environment. Experiences from Germany will be presented along with a discussion of current applications.
Life Cycle Costing of Public Construction Projects
Authors: Schneiderova Heralova R
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of life cycle costing in the preparation phase of public construction projects. Life cycle costing is a method of economic analysis directed at all costs related to constructing, operating, and maintaining a construction project over a defined period of time. In the early phase of construction projects, an enormous benefit in life cycle costing can be achieved. The commonly used construction cost minimization approach should be substituted for life cycle cost optimization. In order to gain the maximum value for money, all costs incurred over the whole life span must be estimated. The optimization of the life cycle costs of a construction project is essential for a complex decision making process. All taken into consideration, the solution with the minimum value of life cycle costs can be chosen. Public investors are required to meet the objectives of sustainable building, and as a group they face limited financial resources and frequently a very strict institutional framework including procurement procedures. The quantification of life cycle costs, when deciding on a construction project, is required by the public sector in the Czech Republic. In addition, the estimated amount of life cycle costs has become a criterion in public tenders. The paper summarizes experience in building design valuation in terms of these life cycle costs.
Building Envelope Thermal Upgrade for School Buildings in Jordan
Authors: Ali H H , Al-Hashlamun R
Published: June 2019

Following the educational reform in Jordan in 2003, the government decided to cease the construction of old, prototypical, and uninsulated schools in favor of thermally insulated site-specific buildings. However, more than 2917 uninsulated school buildings built before the reform have continued to function. Therefore, this research focuses on evaluating and comparing the thermal efficiency of the envelope of old, uninsulated prototypical schools with that of thermally insulated, site-specific school’s buildings in Jordan. Furthermore, it will develop envelope retrofit strategies for the remaining 2917 uninsulated schools. The proposed envelope retrofit alternatives will be analyzed in terms of potential energy saving and initial cost, based on which a holistic approach is developed by combining energy-efficient and economically feasible retrofitting alternatives. The research here uses mixed design methods to fulfill its purposes, including data collection from the literature and national archives, self-reported data, field monitoring of environmental parameters inside classrooms, and energy simulation using (Design Builder) software, in addition to economic analysis using the simple payback period analyses method. Based on analyses, a holistic approach to envelope retrofitting was developed for old governmental school models in Jordan, based on an analysis of the effects of the enhancement of envelope parameters on annual cooling and heating energy saving (walls, roof insulation, roof reflectance, windows, and shading elements). The proposed alternatives to envelope retrofitting for each envelope parameter was analyzed in terms of potential energy saving and initial cost analysis.
DataRen, a Territorial Energy Demand Modelling Tool
Authors: de Oliveira F , Schneider S , Hollmuller P
Published: June 2019

This paper presents a tool allowing for characterization of heat, electricity and cooling demand for any portion of the territory of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland). This project is conducted in cooperation with the local energy utility company Services Industriels de Genève and its final goal is to offer to all stakeholders a uniform spatio-temporal database to be used for the purpose of territorial energy planning. The added value is to consolidate the various data and estimations models into a single data container and to share the resulting data (GIS and hourly load curves) on a web-service platform. The model behind the tool operates in two steps. First the yearly demand of the various energy services (space heating, domestic hot water production, electricity, comfort cooling and process cooling) are estimated at building level, whenever possible using energy bills. Data gaps are filled using statistical extrapolations models. In a second step, these annual aggregated demands (at district level) are characterized in terms of hourly dynamic, for a common reference year, by re-scaling monitored load curves collected on various case studies. Finally, for a chosen district the tool evaluates the impact on energy demand of some prospective scenarios, as adding of new buildings and / or retrofitting existing ones.
Mapping of Cities Wastewater Heating/Cooling Capacity
Authors: Meeten N
Published: June 2019

This paper is not a research paper, but is provided as support information for an oral conference presentation. It is intended to provide background information to the topic of using wastewater as a thermal source for heating & cooling buildings and describe innovative work which has been undertaken in New Zealand in mapping the distribution and capacity of thermal energy within wastewater networks. This mapping work is also applicable in Central European cities and so relevant to Sustainable Building.

Approximately 20%–30% of all the energy used in New Zealand households is used in domestic hot water systems. This heat energy then flows ‘down the drain’ and is collected within a city’s wastewater network. So flowing through cities’ sewers, wastewater is a hidden and seldom used source of thermal energy, contained within infrastructure which is already existing. Its flow is constant irrespective of the seasons, and its availability is independent of wind or sun.

There is a very large thermal capacity available, which is currently largely unused. Wastewater can be used for heating and also for cooling of commercial buildings, apartment buildings or district energy schemes. This can allow buildings to stop using fossil fuels and the good thermal characteristics of wastewater offer significant increases in the electrical efficiency of building heating & air conditioning systems, with associated savings in potable water when wet cooling towers are eliminated.

The large thermal capacity available within the wastewater network can be modelled and mapped, to allow cities to start planning to take advantage of this resource and make significant gains in efficiency.

The oral presentation will show examples of cities who have had wastewater network energy mapping done, and a range of case studies of how wastewater heating & cooling energy is being used. An example of the outcomes from these mapping studies from Christchurch City in New Zealand (population 400,000) showed that there is sufficient heat available from the wastewater network to heat approximately 10,000 houses in the city.
Sustainable Campus Development in the Context of a Private Higher Education Institution in Hong Kong, a Case Study at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Authors: Lee H H Y
Published: June 2019

There was a trend of increasing private higher education institutions in Hong Kong, some higher education institutions implemented sustainable campus development despite of financial difficulties with main aim to continue the concepts and values of sustainability for the achievement of purpose of education for diffusion to the society. This paper reviewed sustainable campus development by looking at the physical environmental aspects, organizational changes and operational barriers. Moreover, different green building rating systems were discussed. It also summarized the impacts after completion of a sustainable campus development at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong including changes in habits and behaviour, organizational re-structuring, enhancement of sustainable attributes to policy and strategic plans as well as external influences and relationships. The results demonstrated how a sustainable campus development could transform concepts, values and attitudes in relation to sustainability on individual, organizations and the society for practices.
The Integration of Sustainable Cities in the Marshes (Iraq)
Authors: Rashid Kbah A A
Published: June 2019

The extensive marshlands of Mesopotamia represent a unique component of our global heritage and resources. The seas of reed beds were home to ancient communities rooted in the dawn of human history. The wetlands are the locale in which human civilization began with the Sumerian culture more than 5,000 years ago. Scholars regard the marshes as the site of the biblical"Garden of Eden," the "Great Flood," and the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham. On the shores of the marshes, the legendary Epic of Gilgamesh was enacted. World-renowned archaeological sites on the fringes of the marshes include Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Larsa, Lagash and Nina.The current marsh dwellers are our only link with this rich cultural past. Following the end of the Gulf War in 1991, the marsh dwellers were important elements in the uprising. To end the rebellion, the regime implemented an intensive system of drainage and water diversion structures that desiccated over 90% of the marshes. The reed beds were also burned and poison introduced to the waters. It is estimated that more than 500,000 were displaced, 95,000 of them to Iran, 300,000 internally displaced, and the remainder to other countries. By January 2003, the majority of the marshes were wastelands. From this point and to re settling the local community the research trying to present a sustainable village in the marshes that can be built from local materials and depend on the local society.
Planning and Implementing Low Carbon-Communities in Canada
Authors: Skopek J , Pope S , Bucking S
Published: June 2019

Given the urgency to mitigate climate change, an efficient and effective approach is to reduce carbon reduction at the community level. This is more cost-effective than addressing buildings individually because it opens opportunities for both cost-effective economies of scale to deploy renewable energy and other technologies.

While there are currently several low/near net zero-community pilots in existence or in the making, they usually occur in specialized circumstances such as residential subdivisions or model communities, and they tend to focus on technology fixes. To achieve climate change mitigation goals, a more holistic approach is needed that consists of a planning process for existing communities, which integrates energy and resiliency, and involves the utilities. This paper explores common barriers to an integrated process and examines the advantages of a utility-led approach.
Retrofitting Hospitals: a Parametric Design Approach to Optimize Energy Efficiency
Authors: Gaspari J , Fabbri K , Gabrielli L
Published: June 2019

Despite many progress have been done in the renovation of the existing stock, retrofitting hospitals and other strategic buildings still represent a very challenging issue both for their complex articulation and for the need to maintain acceptable operational level. The paper reports a research activity, run at the Department of Architecture in cooperation with S. Orsola Hospital in Bologna, aimed at investigating innovative strategies for retrofitting to meet the highest energy efficiency standards at national level. The main goal of the administration was to set a renovation plan – taking into account some limitations concerning the existing building features and the budget availabilities – able to remarkably reduce energy demand while creating the minimum disruption for end users. The starting position of the research was to preserve the historical image of the building while defining a strategy to insulate it from inside. The novelty of design approach lied in defining a basic working unit which was associated to the typical room of the stay division that was used to analyse the starting conditions (indoor comfort and environmental parameters) and simulate via software modelling the potential improvements. This led to define a step by step strategy that was translated into global intervention scenarios while the basic working unit was properly re-designed and validated. This approach allowed to define a parametric strategy able to predict the impacts of renovation on each floor, on each wing and on the system as a whole while assigning a specific unit cost and a reliable renovation timing.
New European Document on Assessment of Existing Structures and Building Stock
Authors: Holický M
Published: June 2019

The upcoming CEN Technical Specification (TS) on assessment of existing structures and building stock is related to the fundamental concepts and requirements of the current generation of EN Eurocodes. The final draft of the Technical Specification was already submitted to the technical committee CEN TC250 in April 2018. The document concerns all types of building stock, buildings, bridges and construction works, including geotechnical structures, exposed to all kinds of actions. It contains requirements, general framework of assessment, data updating, structural analysis, different verification methods (partial factors, probabilistic methods, risk assessment), past performance, interventions, annexes (flowchart, target reliability and partial factor methods, assessment of heritage building stock). The submitted contribution provides background information on the principles accepted in the final draft of TS and practical examples of applications to assessment of existing building stock. Particular attention is given to operational assessment methods of existing buildings taking into account actual material properties and actions.
The District Energy-Efficient Retrofitting of Torrelago (Laguna de Duero – Spain)
Authors: Vasallo A , Vallejo E , Massa G , Macía A , Pablos L , Criado C , Arrizabalaga E , Iturralde J , Gordaliza A , De Castro I , Larrinaga F
Published: June 2019

The urban growth is estimated to reach up the 66 % by 2050 and consequently the need of resources within the cities will increase significantly. This, combined with the 40 % of energy consumption and 36 % of CO2 emissions of the building sector, makes necessary to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable cities. The CITyFiED project contributes to this transition, aiming to develop an innovative and holistic methodological approach for energy-efficient district renovation and deliver three large scale demonstration cases in the cities of Lund (Sweden), Laguna de Duero (Spain) and Soma (Turkey). CITyFiED methodology consists of several phases that ease the decision-making tasks towards the district renovation, considering the energy efficiency as the main pillar and local authorities as clients. For the case of Torrelago district (Spain) the intervention consists of a set of energy conservative measures including the façade retrofitting of 143.025 m2 of living space in 31 twelve-storey buildings; the renovation of the district heating network with a new biomass thermal plant; the integration of renewable energy sources, including a micro-cogeneration system, and the installation of individual smart meters. After the renovation action, one-year monitoring campaign is ongoing. The CITyFiED monitoring platform will collect information from the energy systems and deliver environmental, technical, economic and social key performance indicators by March 2019. At the end of the project the achievement of the predefined goals will be verified: up to 36 % of energy saving and 3,429 tons-CO2/yr emissions saving covering the 59,4 % of the energy consumption with renewable sources
Sirius: Retrofitting Brutalism in Sydney
Authors: Gandh V , North ML
Published: June 2019

The Sirius building in Sydney, Australia has and continues to be at the centre of contestations pertaining to its proposed sale, possible demolition, and redevelopment of the site. The ostensibly Brutalist building erected between 1975 and 1980 was built to accommodate public housing tenants, as were a number of other such buildings in different parts of the world built during post-World War II, as Brutalism was seen to represent an ethical architecture through its expression and aesthetic. With 79 apartments of 1-4 bedrooms, and of in-situ and precast concrete construction, Sirius is being upheld as an excellent example of Brutalism, and opposition to the proposed sale and redevelopment of the site has been mounted on the basis that the building should be heritage listed for its historic, social, technical and aesthetic significance. The argument of saving the building on the basis that it houses public housing tenants has also been rigorously employed. At the same time the sale of the building has been justified on the basis that its retention would cause undue economic hardship to the owners by limiting funds for reinvestment in social housing elsewhere. This paper while acknowledging both sides of this debate, will seek to explore whether the retention of Sirius can be undertaken through refurbishment and retrofitting. Other such examples of Brutalist public housing in countries like the United Kingdom which have been retrofitted will form the basis of comparison to examine whether retrofitting of the Sirius will uphold its ethical dimension, or whether its retention will serve a market of consumers with an interest in mid-century architecture and design.
Green Construction Capability Model (GCCM) for Contracting Companies
Authors: Setiawan H , Ervianto W I , Han A L
Published: June 2019

Construction project has been considered as one of the contributors to the environmental destruction, therefore green construction becomes the important issue in many countries including Indonesia. However, the success of green construction implementation depends on the capability of contractors, therefore model to assess the capability of contractors to build the projects based on green construction approach becomes important need to be developed. This study is aimed to develop a model to assess capability level of contractor to implement green construction. The model has adopted the concept of Capability Maturity Model (CMM). The model assesses the capability level of contractors based on 16 factors that are categorized into seven aspects of green construction. Those aspects are energy conservation, water conservation, safety and health, environment management, appropriate land use, air quality, sources and cycle of materials. While the capability of contractors to implement green construction is classified into five levels: initial, repeatable, defined, managed and optimizing. Finally, the assessment model named Green Construction Capability Model (GCCM) is proposed as a tool to assess the capability level of contractors to implement green construction.
Young Leaders of the City of the Future
Authors: Śmiechowski D
Published: June 2019

Sustainable built environment aimed at community’s well-being is possible to be striven for – with substantial involvement of citizens. Cultural vitality and freedom, social equity, environmental renewability, economic prosperity and solidarity are high global goals, although everyday reality depends to the largest extent on the way our closest surroundings are treated – according to common will and visions, individual attitudes, skills. Wider interrelationships concerning the inhabited space and its values, are evident to those who are emphatic, open to constant learning, imagining, experimenting, cooperation. This should concern, in larger and larger extent, the younger generation. An important point of departure for a new paradigm is the conjunction of environmental care and active participation, to foster self-agency within citizenship. Engaging young leaders in planning processes and governance, gives a chance to facilitate the implementation of invaluable potential, as well as puts education into practice – within the important lessons of everyday democracy. Examples of educational projects as well activities of school groups and youth councils may prove the value of this potential. The set of Sustainable Development Goals as well as the postulated Polish Architectural Policy contain the message ready to be translated both in educational and design practice.
Using Public Opinion to Estimate Improvements in Economic and Social Dimensions of Sustainability
Authors: Sůra M
Published: June 2019

The responsible body preparing a building project often gets into the situation when they have to carry out a project influencing the public. Sustainable building objectives form an important issue for public awareness when a project is to be implemented, while other objectives and concerns presented by community, individuals or economic operators also may change the original project in some way. The projects in question were not viewed and accepted equally by each party as different effects on the stakeholders were expected and the project did not naturally resonate with everyone’s views.

In the article we inform about a course of action of municipality when involving the public and other stakeholders to a building project that was required to be a sustainable one. The purpose was to lessen threats to sustainability paradigms from them, threats such as disagreements with the building project, consequential delays and future costs, caused by lack of information, by other parties’ interference, or omission of unrecognized public and stakeholders’ interests. Some figures are provided that document time change of public attitude, and an indicator that might provide a rough estimate on projects’ sustainability aspects improvements or changes, prior to construction.
Assessment of Different Methodologies for Mapping Urban Heat Vulnerability for Milan, Italy
Authors: Bhattacharjee S , Gerasimova E , Imbert C , Tencar J , Rotondo F
Published: June 2019

Aims: To compare methodologies for calculating vulnerability index of Milan city and find correlation between the main components influencing vulnerability.

Methodology: At-satellite brightness temperatures were used to study exposure of city districts to Urban Heat Island. The distribution of vulnerable population (people younger than 14 and older than 65) was also taken into account by producing a map, which showed sensitivity indices for each city district. Adaptive capacity was represented as a complex set of subindicators such as health care accessibility, level of living conditions and vegetation cover. Exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity – main indicators of vulnerability – were used to obtain five different maps, which could identify districts more vulnerable to the Urban Heat Island. Collected data showed correlations between factors influencing vulnerability.

Results: All formulas except one show similar vulnerability index distributions. Correlation graphs showed direct proportionality with exposure, very low correlation with sensitivity and indirect proportionality with adaptive capacity (except one formula which is discussed in paper).
ENERGIS: Decision-Support Tool for the Implementation of Energy Policies at Urban and Regional Level
Authors: Hernández Moral G , Serna González V I , Massa G , Valmaseda Tranque C
Published: June 2019

The implementation of energy policies to reduce CO2 emissions poses specific challenges, especially to public authorities, who should define specific objectives, and evaluate the adequacy and impact of energy actions proposed. Nevertheless, an appropriate analysis is highly time-consuming due to the lack of tools. In this process, the first step is to establish the baseline energy status of the area of study. Only with this knowledge, in particular of the residential sector (main CO2 emissions contributor in cities), is it possible to plan for a low carbon economy. In this context, the ENERGIS tool will support energy planners by mapping energy demand of the residential sector at different scales, as a first step towards CO2 emissions calculation. To do so, a nationally validated Energy Performance Certification (EPC) tool has been automated, its results at building level mapped and aggregated at different scales. By basing the proposed platform on EPC calculation methodologies supported by the Energy Performance Directive of Buildings (EPBD 2010/31/EU), the ENERGIS platform achieves two main goals: it aids in the implementation of energy directives and energy actions by offering an easy to use tool to identify areas in need and, secondly, it promotes the EPBD, by making use of one of its main instruments to measure energy performance: the EPCs.
Developments and perspectives on the precision forming processes for ultra-large size integrated components
Authors: Yuan Shijian , Fan Xiaobo
Published: June 2019

In order to meet the requirements of high reliability, long-lifetime and lightweight in a new generation of aerospace, aviation, high-speed train, and energy power equipment, integrated components are urgently needed to replace traditional multi-piece, welded components. The applications of integrated components involve in a series of large-size, complex-shaped, high-performance components made of difficult-to-deform materials, which present a huge challenge for forming ultra-large size integrated components. In this paper, the developments and perspectives of several extreme forming technologies are reviewed, including the sheet hydroforming of ultra-large curved components, dieless hydroforming of ellipsoidal shells, radial-axial ring rolling of rings, in situ manufacturing process of flanges, and local isothermal forging of titanium alloy components. The principle and processes for controlling deformation are briefly illustrated. The forming of typical ultra-large size integrated components and industrial applications are introduced, such as the high strength aluminum alloy, 3 m in diameter, integrated tank dome first formed by using a sheet blank with a thickness the same as the final component, and a 16 m diameter, integrated steel ring rolled by using a single billet. The trends for extreme forming of ultra-large size integrated components are discussed with a goal of providing ideas and fundamental guidance for the further development of new forming processes for extreme-size integrated components in the future.
ATRX Mutations in Pineal Parenchymal Tumors of Intermediate Differentiation
Authors: Martínez Haydee , Nagurney Michelle , Wang Zi-Xuan , Eberhart Charles G , Heaphy Christopher M , Curtis Mark T , Rodriguez Fausto J
Published: June 2019

Pineal parenchymal tumors are rare neoplasms, ranging from WHO Grade I to IV. There are few studies characterizing the molecular profiles of these tumors. ATRX alterations are strongly associated with the presence of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) phenotype, and within the central nervous system they tend to occur in subsets of gliomas, including those with IDH, NF1, or histone (H3 K27M or G34) mutations. Here, we identified ATRX frameshift mutations by next generation sequencing associated with corresponding protein loss in 2 cases of pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation (PPTID) developing in a 21-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man. In contrast, we identified partial ATRX loss in 1 pineoblastoma, among 14 pineal parenchymal tumors of various grades (6 pineoblastomas, 4 pineocytomas, and 4 PPTID) using tissue microarrays; ALT was absent in these cases. Evaluating the cBioPortal database, an ATRX mutation was identified in one (of 3 total) PPTIDs analyzed. Thus, ATRX mutations associated with protein loss and ALT develop in a small subset of pineal parenchymal tumors and may be limited to those with intermediate differentiation. The clinical significance of these alterations requires further study.
Music, Speech, and Handedness
Authors: Deutsch Diana
Published: June 2019

Chapter 1 reviews the history of thought concerning specialization of function in the brain, particularly regarding speech and music. This history begins in the nineteenth century with the work of the phrenologists Gall and Spurzheim, and later with studies of brain-damaged patients, particularly by Broca and Wernicke. It continues into the mid-twentieth century with the work of Luria and others, also focusing on patients who have suffered brain damage, then considers recent work. The roles of the left and right hemispheres are discussed, particularly their roles in speech. The abilities of left-handers, right-handers, and mixed-handers are compared, especially relating to music and speech. This chapter is a prelude to Chapter 2, which explores a number of musical illusions that, statistically, are heard differently by left- and right-handers.
Branched-chain amino acid interactions in growing pig diets1
Authors: Cemin Henrique S , Tokach Mike D , Woodworth Jason C , Dritz Steve S , DeRouchey Joel M , Goodband Robert D
Published: June 2019

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) Leu, Ile, and Val share the first steps of their catabolism due to similarities in their structure. The BCAA are reversibly transaminated in skeletal muscle through the activity of branched-chain aminotransferase and then transported to the liver. They undergo an irreversible decarboxylation catalyzed by the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex. Both enzymes are common to Leu, Ile, and Val and increased enzymatic activity stimulated by an excess of one of them will increase the catabolism of all BCAA, which can result in antagonisms. Leucine and its keto acid are the most potent stimulators of BCAA catabolic enzymes. Moreover, BCAA and large neutral amino acids (LNAA) share common brain transporters. Research has shown that high concentrations of BCAA, especially Leu, can decrease the absorption of LNAA, such as Trp, which is a precursor of serotonin and can have a significant impact in feed intake regulation. Finally, high Leu concentrations have the ability to overstimulate the mTOR signaling pathway, resulting in an inhibitory effect on feed intake. Most of the research conducted to evaluate the impact of BCAA on growth performance of pigs seems to agree that high levels of Leu decrease weight gain, mostly due to a reduction in feed intake. However, some studies, mostly with finishing pigs, observed no evidence for an impact on growth performance even with extremely high levels of Leu. It could be hypothesized that these inconsistencies are driven by the entire dietary amino acid profile as opposed to only considering the level of Leu. Grow-finish diets typically contain high levels of Leu, but the other BCAA are also well above the requirement and could potentially mitigate the negative impact of Leu on BCAA catabolism. Indeed, some studies suggest that when diets contain high levels of Leu, more Ile and Val are needed to optimize growth performance. However, the precise relationship between BCAA and their balance in swine diets is not fully understood. More research is needed to understand and quantify the relationship between LNAA and BCAA.