Extended reality (XR) — A magic box of digitalization in driving sustainable development of the construction industry: A critical review

Against a background of global resource shortage and climate change, there is an urgency for the construction industry to aim towards sustainable development. With the rapid development of information technology, the emergence of extended reality (XR) has provided new ideas and options for sustainable construction (SC). Such technologies are applied in research and practice of the whole construction lifecycle, which can well meet the requirements of SC. This paper presents a critical review of XR applications in SC, aiming to systematically summarize the specific uses and advantages of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies. This study also examines the gap in research into the imbalance between the use of technology and the construction stages involved. Most XR applications focus on the pre-construction stage, while visualization and interactivity are the main features for further application. Through qualitative analyses, different applications of XR are introduced in stages throughout the entire lifecycle of building projects. In addition, the current challenges and limitations are presented, and several suggestions are proposed to facilitate further advancements in SC research and practice in the near future. This review provides valuable information to help stakeholders understand the advances in XR research and benefit future exploration and practice in the field.<br/

Digital Transformation as a Business Differentiation Strategy for Sustainable Built Environment

This book brings together cutting-edge exploratory research findings to show how a vision for sustainable communities can be enabled by digital transformation. It attempts to apply existing knowledge about digital transformation and sustainable communities and compare, interpret, diagnose, and evaluate a variety of digital solutions to ascertain their suitability for the delivery of a more sustainable built environment. Chapters examine a breadth of issues including how digital transformations could: Provide digital/physical working/living environments that anticipate emerging lifestylesBlend digital engagements into the physical engagements within the built environmentSupport business and social activity in physical and online venuesUse advanced information and community-oriented technologies for efficient management of urban servicesPromote sustainabilityExpress narratives that celebrate the experience of place and community Leverage transformation of educational systemsFoster linkages between universities, and between universities and businesses· Facilitate working relationships among small and large companiesFoster new processes and arrangements for innovation in the built environmen

BIM-based environmental assessment of residential renovation projects during the operational phase

Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to combat global climate change has become an international necessity. A large portion of energy consumption is attributed to old buildings, with increased operational costs and decreased occupational comfort. These buildings require renovation measures that can be viewed as an opportunity to implement sustainable construction and create traditionally designed buildings based on sustainable construction. This study proposes a combination of building information modeling (BIM) with Design Builder and Meteonorm software to evaluate the environmental impact of renovating buildings during the operational phase. The process involved is demonstrated in a case study application to a typical two-story single-family residential building in Tehran city, in which the building’s materials, weight, and volume are determined using Revit software, and Design Builder is used to simulate the renovation effect on various building components – showing that, by combining the most effective insulation, glass, heating system, and doors, a 15% reduction in energy consumption and 44% reduction in CO2 emissions could be achieved. The study significantly advances knowledge in sustainable building practices by introducing a practical framework for decision-making in environmentally conscious building renovations, focusing on such crucial elements as insulation materials, window glass types, heating systems, and door materials. It also provides valuable insights into the practical implications of weather data for accurate environmental forecasting, emphasizing the methodology's applicability and adaptability to similar contexts, as evidenced by its successful application in a real-world case in Tehran

Age-related Differences in Body Fat and Fitness of Firefighters Participating in a Health and Wellness Program

Lockie, RG, Dulla, JM, Higuera, D, Ross, K, Orr, RM, Dawes, JJ, and Ruvalcaba, TJ. Age-related differences in body fat and fitness of firefighters participating in a health and wellness program. J Strength Cond Res 38(6): 1127-1135, 2024 - Fitness tends to decline, whereas body fat increases, with age, which could impact firefighter occupational performance later in their careers. Health and wellness program participation could reduce these age-related changes. Archival data from 270 firefighters (258 men and 12 women) from a health and wellness program were analyzed. Data included body mass index; body fat percentage (BF%); waist circumference (WC); waist-to-hip ratio (WHR); sit and reach; grip strength; absolute and relative predicted 1 repetition maximum (1RM) leg press; crunches; push-ups; and estimated maximal aerobic capacity (Vo 2max). Firefighters were grouped by age ≤29 (n = 29); 30-34 (n = 44); 35-39 (n = 38); 40-44 (n = 39); 45-49 (n = 48); 50-54 (n = 42); and 55+ (n = 30) years. A univariate analysis of covariance, with sex as a covariate and Bonferroni's post hoc adjustment, determined between-group differences. Effect sizes (d) were calculated. Key results included that the 55+ group had higher BF% and WC compared with the 3 youngest groups (p ≤ 0.002; d = 0.86-1.08). The 50-54 group had higher BF% than the 30-34 group (p = 0.010; d = 0.77). The 55+ group had a greater WHR, lower grip strength, and completed fewer crunches and push-ups than most younger groups (p ≤ 0.05; d = 0.60-1.32). The 50-54 and 55+ groups had a lower 1RM leg press and Vo 2max compared with the younger groups (p ≤ 0.009; d = 0.77-1.79). The program appeared generally effective, with limited differences in groups below 49 years of age. Greater disparities in fat mass and fitness tended to occur in the older groups (50-54, 55+ groups). The data highlighted that older firefighters were participating in the optional program, which could lead to better health outcomes.</p

Relationships Between Physical Ability Test Performance and Fitness in Recruits From a Southeastern U.S. Police Department

Police recruit occupational ability may be predicted by a physical ability test (PAT). This study determined relationships between a department-specific PAT and fitness test performance among police recruits. Retrospective analysis was conducted on recruit data (1,069 men and 404 women) from one department collected during 2005–2009 and 2016–2020. The following data were provided: grip strength; sit-and-reach; 60-second push-ups; 60-second sit-ups; 2.4-km run; and the PAT. The PAT involved exiting a vehicle and opening the trunk; running ;201 m; completing an obstacle course; dragging a 68-kg dummy 31 m; completing an obstacle course and running ;201 m; dry firing a weapon 6 times with each hand; and trunk item placement and vehicle reentry. Relationships between the PAT and fitness tests were measured by partial correlations and stepwise linear regression, both controlling for sex. The PAT was completed in a mean time of 4:1661:07 minutes : seconds. The PAT significantly (p,0.001) related to all fitness tests. Moderate relationships were found for push-ups (r520.35), sit-ups (r520.41), and the 2.4-km run (r 5 20.43). Small relationships were found with grip strength (r 5 20.19) and the sit-and-reach (r 5 20.17). The final regression model, which included sex and all fitness tests except the sit-and-reach, explained ;53% of the variance. Sex and the 2.4-km run explained;47% of the variance. Aerobic fitness appeared to have the greatest impact on PAT performance, which may have related to the PAT design and duration. Tasks completed in succession, and the use of a relatively light dummy, may stress aerobic fitness and muscular endurance to a greater extent

A Retrospective Analysis of Southeastern USA Police Recruit Health and Fitness from 4 Points in Time within a 16-year period: Implications for Physical Fitness Training

Drawing from the general population for its recruiting needs, police departments often employ academy curricula to improve a recruit’s fitness so they can perform occupational tasks. Recently, obesity and physical inactivity have increased in the general population, potentially influencing the health and fitness of incoming recruits. This study involved a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of health and fitness data of police recruits. Data from one police department in southeastern USA were analyzed at four specific time points, splitting the recruits into natural immerging groups; 2003 (n=93), 2006 (n=137), 2009 (n=74), and 2019 (n=242). Health and fitness data for all recruits included: age, height, body mass, and body mass index (BMI); systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP); sit-and-reach; combined grip strength; push-ups and sit-ups completed in 60 s; physical ability test (PAT) time; and 2.4-km run time. Several univariate analyses, with sex and age as covariates (ANCOVA), and a Bonferroni post hoc, determined if there were significant between-group differences. Effect sizes (d) were also calculated. Key results demonstrated that 2019 recruits were heavier than the recruits in 2006 and 2009 (p≤0.032; d=0.14-0.38); had a greater BMI (p≤0.028; d=0.24-0.75) and systolic BP (p&lt;0.001; d=0.47-0.65), and lesser sit-and-reach distance (p≤0.020; d=0.26-0.46), than all recruit groups; completed fewer sit-up repetitions than the recruits in 2006 and 2009 (p≤0.025; d=0.42-0.48); and were slower in the 2.4-km run than the recruits in 2006 (p=0.009; d=0.36). Police training staff may need to address lesser health (BMI, BP) and fitness (hamstring flexibility, abdominal endurance, aerobic fitness) in incoming recruits

Factors influencing event media personnel's frame building process at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Holding major events has the capacity to improve a host city's tourism image. Effective event leverage for image benefits requires host destinations to implement strategies to influence event media coverage in the lead up, during, and after the event. This research takes a media frame building perspective to understand the processes behind how event media personnel frame coverage of an event host. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with event media personnel at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. We developed a grounded theory model that depicts how event media personnel's pre-event frame repository and event period experiences influenced their perceptions and potential frames of the host destination. We advance knowledge of event leveraging, and media framing theory, by demonstrating the importance of experience and unofficial sources in event media framing. This knowledge can be used by stakeholders involved in event leveraging to better design strategies aimed at positively influencing media coverage of events.</p

Escalator accident mechanism analysis and injury prediction approaches in heavy capacity metro rail transit stations

The semi-open character with high passenger flow in Metro Rail Transport Stations (MRTS) makes safety management of human-electromechanical interaction escalator systems more complex. Safety management should not consider only single failures, but also the complex interactions in the system. This study applies task driven behavior theory and system theory to reveal a generic framework of the MRTS escalator accident mechanism and uses Lasso-Logistic Regression (LLR) for escalator injury prediction. Escalator accidents in the Beijing MRTS are used as a case study to estimate the applicability of the methodologies. The main results affirm that the application of System-Theoretical Process Analysis (STPA) and Task Driven Accident Process Analysis (TDAPA) to the generic escalator accident mechanism reveals non-failure state task driven passenger behaviors and constraints on safety that are not addressed in previous studies. The results also confirm that LLR is able to predict escalator accidents where there is a relatively large number of variables with limited observations. Additionally, increasing the amount of data improves the prediction accuracy for all three types of injuries in the case study, suggesting the LLR model has good extrapolation ability. The results can be applied in MRTS as instruments for both escalator accident investigation and accident prevention

Temporal leadership, team processes, and project team task performance

We disaggregate the overall conceptualization of temporal leadership into its two foundation facets: temporal planning and temporal reminders. We integrate these with a two-phase model of team processes during a time-limited project. Specifically, we suggest that leader temporal planning facilitates team transition processes early in a project, leader temporal reminders facilitate team action processes in the middle of the project, and both team processes mediate the effects of leader behavior on team task performance at the end of the project. Data were collected from the members of 51 teams at three points during an application development project and from team leaders at the conclusion of the project. As hypothesized, team transition processes mediated the relationship between leader temporal planning at project initiation and final team task performance. Leader temporal reminders predicted team action processes during project execution. However, team action processes failed to mediate the relationship between leader temporal reminders at the project midpoint and final task performance. We conclude with practical implications for project managers and suggestions for future research

Corporate Political Donations, Board Gender Diversity, and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Australia

We examine the association between corporate political donation (CPD) and the quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures by the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed firms. We also explore the effect of board members’ gender diversity on this association. Consistent with legitimacy and neo-pluralist argument, we report a negative association between corporate political donations and the quality of CSR disclosures. Furthermore, board gender diversity acts as the moderator and mitigates the negative association between political donations and CSR disclosures. We also find that it requires more than one female director to moderate the association between CPDs and CSR disclosures which provides support to the critical mass theory. Our additional analysis reveals that the negative association between CPDs and the quality of CSR disclosures is stronger for the resource industry, and the proportion of female directors has an insignificant effect on this association