A morphological design and evaluation model for the development of circular facades

The current construction industry can be characterized by its linear model of material use resulting in waste with its possible negative impact on the environment and society. As a solution to the inefficient material use of the construction industry, they should strive to a circular model of material use. This can be obtained by the application of the circular economy concept. However, clear guidance on how to apply the circular economy concept in buildings is still to be fully developed. In this research, a Circular Building Framework (CBF) and a Morphological Design and Evaluation Model (MDEM) have been developed for the facade. The CBF forms the starting point of the MDEM by providing a holistic view on all aspects related to the design and functioning of circular buildings. The MDEM forms a first draft to apply two essential principles ‘design for disassembly’ and ‘design for adaptability’ in the development of circular designed facades. In the MDEM two types of conceptual circular facade design solutions are identified making the facade designer aware about the consequences of different design decisions. The application of the MDEM will reclaim the embodied values of facade products by enabling them to enter re-life options at high quality

For To All Those Who Have, More Will be Given: The Matthew Effect, Nonprofit Organizations, and the Adoption of Internet Technology

This study assesses the adoption of Internet-based communication by nonprofit organizations. The research literature posits that the Internet may serve as a ‘leveler’ between rich and poor organizations by lowering the transaction costs of communication, by lowering costs of access to information and by reducing the scale-economy advantages that larger and well-resourced organizations usually enjoy. This literature contrasts with Robert Merton’s Matthew Effect, in which the better-resourced advance and the lesser resourced do not (Merton and Zuckerman 1973(1968)). This study attempts to determine what characteristics distinguish the nonprofit organizations that adopt Internet technologies. This study uses a multi-method approach to ascertain these structural and financial characteristics (Campbell and Fiske 1959; Brewer and Hunter 1989; Judd, Smith et al. 1991). The data collected during this research include case studies of Roman Catholic higher education institutions, content analysis of institutional WWW sites, and a large-scale national survey of randomly chosen nonprofit organizations as a baseline data set on adoption and usage of the Internet among v nonprofit organizations. Results of these analyses suggest that while earlier patterns of adoption perdure in some nonprofit organizations and other organizations have Internet connectivity, as of the year 2000—some six years after the general availability of WWWbased technologies—the adoption of some of these technologies has already occurred, calling into question the Matthew Effect and comparable concerns about a “Digital Divide.” Nearly 90 percent of nonprofit organizations use electronic mail and have access to the Internet as of July 2000. However, only two-thirds of nonprofit organizations have WWW sites and only 20 percent of organizations use their respective WWW sites for electronic fundraising. Regression analysis suggests a positive correlation between the use of Internet technologies and the variables: organization size, assets, information technology (IT) investment, IT personnel, and history of innovation adoption. The same analysis finds a negative correlation between Internet usage and available financial resources

Could light colour and source change mood in children with autism?

Neuroarchitecture has shown in previous work that the environment and its features can influence, not only the mood but also the health and performance of its users. However, limited research has been done about the influence of environmental factors on the mood of people who suffer from sensory processing disorders and perceive the environment differently, for example, children with autism, using qualitative data. Among all the possible architectonic features, the light was chosen as the matter of study after being considered as one of the most invasive and influential features of the environment that could impact the temper and behaviour of a person. This study aims to design a tool to measure the influence of the colour and source of the light has on the mood of children with autism to know which types of light might improve their well-being in the future. Four children participated in a study in which three physiological signals (electrodermal activity, facial thermography and rate per minute of tics) were measured while they were playing with toys under different light conditions. Results showed that the different sources (LED and fluorescent light) and colours of the light (yellow, green, red and blue) could influence their physiological and behavioural responses. The data obtained in the experiment was introduced in an innovative three-dimensional system called ‘3D Mood Box’ to identify the emotional states of the participants and thus, for instance, their mood, and results showed that the different types of light affect every child differently. Information extracted from this tool will inform future design decisions which can improve the mood of the participants. This thesis also raises awareness about the influence of architecture in the well-being of all the users, especially those who perceive the world differently. Moreover, the method proposed can be applied in future research in order to understand the reactions of any individual towards the environment

Accessibility of Health Data Representations for Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for Design

Health data of consumer off-the-shelf wearable devices is often conveyed to users through visual data representations and analyses. However, this is not always accessible to people with disabilities or older people due to low vision, cognitive impairments or literacy issues. Due to trade-offs between aesthetics predominance or information overload, real-time user feedback may not be conveyed easily from sensor devices through visual cues like graphs and texts. These difficulties may hinder critical data understanding. Additional auditory and tactile feedback can also provide immediate and accessible cues from these wearable devices, but it is necessary to understand existing data representation limitations initially. To avoid higher cognitive and visual overload, auditory and haptic cues can be designed to complement, replace or reinforce visual cues. In this paper, we outline the challenges in existing data representation and the necessary evidence to enhance the accessibility of health information from personal sensing devices used to monitor health parameters such as blood pressure, sleep, activity, heart rate and more. By creating innovative and inclusive user feedback, users will likely want to engage and interact with new devices and their own data

Multidisciplinary perspectives on Artificial Intelligence and the law

This open access book presents an interdisciplinary, multi-authored, edited collection of chapters on Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) and the Law. AI technology has come to play a central role in the modern data economy. Through a combination of increased computing power, the growing availability of data and the advancement of algorithms, AI has now become an umbrella term for some of the most transformational technological breakthroughs of this age. The importance of AI stems from both the opportunities that it offers and the challenges that it entails. While AI applications hold the promise of economic growth and efficiency gains, they also create significant risks and uncertainty. The potential and perils of AI have thus come to dominate modern discussions of technology and ethics – and although AI was initially allowed to largely develop without guidelines or rules, few would deny that the law is set to play a fundamental role in shaping the future of AI. As the debate over AI is far from over, the need for rigorous analysis has never been greater. This book thus brings together contributors from different fields and backgrounds to explore how the law might provide answers to some of the most pressing questions raised by AI. An outcome of the Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law and its interdisciplinary working group on Law and Artificial Intelligence, it includes contributions by leading scholars in the fields of technology, ethics and the law.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proceedings of the International Conference on Energising the SDGs through Appropriate Technology and Governance

This volume presents the papers presented at the international conference on Energising the SDGs through appropriate technology and governance. Papers were presented in eight sessions. In addition, there was a keynote speech, a panel discussion, a workshop on Sustainability Compass and a lunch-time poster session. This compendium provides a summary of the event and includes original papers and posters delivered at the conference. These covered various themes, including climate action plan in UK and Japanese cities and their alignment with the SDGs; sustainable energy access; contribution of renewable energies, urban design and sustainable development goals, tools for evaluation and monitoring of progress with the SDGs, and innovations and business models for various services

A diffusion of innovation model modified for educational technology working with coaches and physical education teachers

Bibliography: p. 329-34

Senior Cohousing: The Social Architecture of Cohousing, Community Design & Well Being

The world is facing a situation without precedent, due to the anticipated growth in and increasing longevity of elderly people. Where and how people live is and can be a determinant of health. There is substantial research on inadequate housing for older people and its adverse effects on health. However, less is known about how senior cohousing affects the health of its residents. Further research is needed to improve strategies for senior living environments that promote social interaction and facilitate well-being. This study aims to bolster design and policy strategies by investigating how senior cohousing residents perceive how their living situation affects their well-being. The theoretical underpinning for this study brings together the aging theories together with Rowe and Kahn’s (Rowe & Kahn 1997, 2015) and Baltes’ (Baltes & Baltes, 1990), theories on successful aging and well-being. These approaches expand on the Person (PE)-Environment dynamic interchange while adding Socialization (S) into the models’ framework the complex blending of physiological, behavioral, and social interaction that occur at scales of the individual, built environment, and community. This research investigates how environmental design and improved social networks result in measurable improvements in quality of life (QOL), life satisfaction (LS), and well-being (WB). The study sought to evaluate the determinants across multiple SR (self-reported) measures of health. The survey results show that increased are statistically significant for QOL, LS, and WB. Senior cohousing residents are a select group of individuals who seek a more meaningful and socially connected life. They enjoy independence, autonomy, and a healthier, active aging process. The research shows that high-quality social interaction and sustainable and environmentally sensitive architectural design, through the concept of Socially Enriched Environments (SEE) and Nature Rich Environments (NRE), promote a positive sense of well-being, and self-rated health (SRH). Senior cohousing is a necessary consideration for policy initiatives in the United States, given current health care cost trajectories for the aged which are unsustainable. If undertaken, this typology can potentially relieve some of the associated costs of providing health care. It has the clear potential to help relieve social isolation and lack of social support. However, currently, the domestic senior cohousing cohort is a highly selective group with substantial life resources (education, income, assets, and resilience) that puts them well outside normal population distributions in the U.S. Meanwhile, senior cohousing has and is becoming a well-established typology. Meanwhile, senior cohousing has and is becoming a well-established typology in Denmark, Sweden, and, more recently, the United Kingdom. The establishment of these European communities relies on policy initiatives and organizational and financial assistance which make it a viable option. In the U.S., the provision of policy assistance in the formation of senior cohousing communities can reduce the amount of lead time necessary to develop these communities and the high costs of initial development while potentially increasing the number of seniors who could live in them

MALDI and SIMS microscope mode imaging mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful tool, mapping the spatial distribution of molecules with micron or sub-micron resolutions using their molecular mass. Microscope MSI is a great technique with a high throughput, but is used less commonly than microprobe MSI as it achieves lower mass and spatial resolution. This thesis presents methods for improving the mass and spatial resolution with a microscope MSI instrument, as well as expanding the imaging field of view. A new microscope MSI instrument is also presented, utilising secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Using a reflectron ToF mass spectrometer, by generating a stronger field, the spatial resolution can be increased from 13 ± 1 μm o 8 ± 1 μm experimentally, and could potentially reach <7 μm according to simulations. Variable magnification has been explored in simulation, and the application of an additional einzel lens proved capable of changing the magnification from ×92 to ×20, which can expand the field of view from 270 μm to 1242 μm. This can increase the scope of the instrument by acquiring larger images first, with a <50 μm spatial resolution and ~ 2,500 mass resolution, before increasing the magnification on a region of interest and attaining higher resolution data. Such a feature would be very desirable in commercial applications and improve the throughput of the instrument. Using a Timepix3 camera, the timing precision can be improved by using a more intense trigger, reaching a 4.5 ns full width half maximum (FWHM). Through the use of time-over-threshold data, mass peaks can be reduced from a FWHM of 50 μm to 32 μm, improving the attainable mass resolution with the Timepix3 camera, bringing it closer to the true mass resolution of the instrument. A SIMS ToF mass spectrometer has been presented, taking a similar design to the reflectron ToF instrument. Work was done to characterise this instrument in order for it to be used in tandem with the reflectron ToF mass spectrometer