Development of an integrated building design information interface

This research recognizes the need for building simulation/performance tools that can easily be integrated into the building design process. The study examines available simulation tools and attempts to determine why these tools are not used by building designers/architects. Findings confirm that the complexity of simulation tools created by scientists, who are more technically oriented, discourages use by architects who are more visually oriented people. The evaluation and analysis of available simulation tools suggests a thorough research methodology for creating a new front-end interface that solves current usage problems. The research is limited to the interface design of the new front-end which is named Integrated Building Design Information Interface (IBDII). The new front end provides an interface that allows designers to make more informed decisions during the design process while providing a front-end that supports AutoCAD and permits a user interface where the mode of input is graphical and not numerical. Criteria for the new front-end interface enable the development of a series of mock-up interface designs that are responsive to the needs of architects. A working graphical user interface of the building information prototype is created and is then put through an empirical user testing. The usability testing establishs the usefulness, effectiveness, likeability and learnability of the developed interface design. The testing includes six factors which act as indicators of usability and provide suggestions for future developments. The testing evaluation ascertains that the interface is easy to learn and use. Findings also show that the best feature of integrated building design information front-end is its interface design and there is room for improvement in the way input is selected

Using natural marks to estimate free-ranging dog Canis familiaris abundance in a MARK-RESIGHT framework in suburban Mumbai, India

Free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) are a major conservation issue in the tropics and adopt many ecological roles, alternatively functioning as predators, prey, or competitors of wildlife in diverse environments. Dogs are also potential reservoirs of disease that can be transmitted to both wildlife and people. Therefore a range of management interventions have been suggested to control dog populations. In order to monitor interventions to decrease dog populations, estimates of their population size are important and such methods need to be time- and cost-effective. We describe here a potential method that uses natural marks on dogs along with counts of non-marked individuals in a mark-resight framework to estimate the abundance of free-ranging dogs in a suburban area in India. Using the logit-normal mixed effects estimator to incorporate the effects of individual resighting heterogeneity, we found a total (Nj) of 680.64 ± 34.06 (95% CI = 617.22 – 751.35) dogs in the study area, with an overall mean resighting probability of 0.53 ± 0.03 (95% CI = 0.47 – 0.58). This corresponds to a density estimate of 57 dogs km−2 (CI = 51 – 63). Given that certain assumptions are met, this method may be useful to estimate abundance of dogs where other kinds of marks may be unavailable or impractical. This method may be applied to other species of feral animals as well, where some proportion of a population has distinct natural marks.publishedVersio

Opportunities for prioritizing and expanding conservation enterprise in India using a guild of carnivores as flagships

Conservation interventions in developing countries are frequently thwarted by socio-economic agendas, severely limiting the scope and rigor of biodiversity and habitat conservation. Very few ecological assessments incorporate human interests in conservation prioritization, creating asynchrony between planning and implementation. For conservation actions to be logistically feasible, multiple criteria including ecological, social, economic and administrative aspects must be considered. Understanding how these different dimensions interact spatially is also important for gauging the potential for conservation success. Here, we use a guild of select mammalian carnivores (wild canids and hyenas) in India to (i) generate distribution maps at the spatial scale of administrative sub-districts, that are relevant to management, (ii) examine ecological, social and biogeographic factors associated with their distribution, assess key threats, and identify areas important for their conservation, (iii) use prioritization tools for balancing habitat conservation, human needs and economic growth, and (iv) evaluate the spatial congruence between areas with high conservation potential, and areas currently in focus for protection efforts, conservation investments, and infrastructure development. We find that the current Protected Area system does not adequately cover or represent diverse habitats, that there is immense potential for States to increase financial investments towards alternative conservation strategies, and, most infrastructure projects may be potentially jeopardizing important carnivore habitats where the two overlap. Our framework allowed for identifying locations where conservation investments would lead to the highest benefits for carnivores as flagships, which also benefit other species across habitats. We make a case for re-evaluating how large-scale prioritization assessments are made, and for broadening the purview of conservation policies in India and other developing countries

Do wildlife crimes against less charismatic species go unnoticed? A case study of golden jackal canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 poaching and trade in India

Wildlife crimes pertaining to lesser-known species do not usually garner adequate focus or interest by enforcement and conservation agencies. Additionally, illegal wildlife trade fuelled by religious beliefs in sorcery and superstition is an oft-neglected field of research. To draw attention to these two broad issues, we provide a baseline analysis of open-source reports on Golden Jackal Canis aureus poaching and trade in India. We highlight the pervasiveness of an active local and transnational 'jackal horn' trade, which is severely under-reported and insufficiently researched. News reports and government seizure data reveal that, between 2013 and 2019, 126 skins, eight tails, more than 370 'jackal horns', 16 skulls and two live jackals have been seized. The demand for the illusionary 'jackal horn' appears to be driven by extensive online endorsement and unsubstantiated claims made by religious practitioners, targeted primarily at south Asian markets. This preliminary study is an urgent call for concerted efforts to monitor the illegal trafficking and trade of this common species, with a particular focus on the demand and supply chains

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Importance of Native Grassland Habitat for Den-Site Selection of Indian Foxes in a Fragmented Landscape

Fragmentation of native habitats is now a ubiquitous phenomenon affecting wildlife at various scales. We examined selection of den-sites (n = 26) by Indian foxes (Vulpes bengalensis) in a highly modified short-grassland landscape in central India (Jan-May, 2010). At the scale of the home-range, defined by an 800 m circular buffer around den sites, we examined the effect of land-cover edges and roads on selection of sites for denning using a distance-based approach. At the smaller den-area scale, defined by a 25 m x 25 m plot around den and paired available sites, the effect of microhabitat characteristics was examined using discrete-choice models. Indian foxes selected den-sites closer to native grasslands (t = -9.57, P < 0.001) and roads (t = -2.04, P = 0.05) than random at the home-range scale. At the smaller scale, abundance of rodents and higher visibility increased the odds of selection of a site by eight and four times respectively, indicating resource availability and predator avoidance to be important considerations for foxes. Indian foxes largely chose to den in human-made structures, indicated by the proportion of dens found in earthen bunds (0.69) and boulder piles (0.27) in the study area. With agricultural expansion and human modification threatening native short-grassland habitats, their conservation and effective management in human dominated landscapes will benefit the Indian fox. The presence of some human-made structures within native grasslands would also be beneficial for this den dependent species. We suggest future studies examine the impact of fragmentation and connectivity of grasslands on survival and reproductive success of the Indian fox

Intermittent hypoxia increases intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs)

Intermittent hypoxia is a characteristic of sleep apnea, a condition that has been linked to several adverse health consequences including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. To elucidate potential mechanisms underlying these associations, the effects of intermittent hypoxia on endothelial cell function were examined. Specifically, endothelial cells were subjected to intermittent hypoxia and changes in [Ca2+]i were quantified. The Ca2+‐sensitive fluorescent dye, fura‐2‐AM, was used to monitor [Ca2+]i in HMVECs. HMVECs were perfused with solution containing either 16% O2; 5% CO2 (normoxic) or 1% O2; 5% CO2 (hypoxic), alternating between two reservoirs at five minute intervals for 1 hour. In control experiments, perfusion was switched between two normoxic reservoirs. Episodes of intermittent hypoxia caused periodic increases in [Ca2+]i and resulted in a sustained increase in the baseline [Ca2+]i at 30 and 60 minutes. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in baseline [Ca2+]i under normoxic conditions. Ca2+‐free perfusate eliminated the change in [Ca2+]i with intermittent hypoxia, whereas the presence of the nonselective cation channel inhibitor, SKF 96365, delayed these trends and the T‐type Ca2+ channel inhibitor, mibefradil, had no effect. These results indicate that intermittent hypoxia alters endothelial cell function as evidenced by changes in [Ca2+]i