2,970 research outputs found
Low cost DIY solar energy hot water system
Author name used in this publication: N. C. CheungRefereed conference paper2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe
Property price gradients: The vertical dimension
This is an empirical study on the pricing of two vertical property attributes: floor level and building height. Floor level is the vertical location of a unit in a multi-storey building; the extra price paid for a higher floor level is labelled a floor-level premium. Previous hedonic price studies unequivocally showed that the floor-level premium is positive, but they were silent on whether its magnitude varies with floor levels and with buildings of different heights. Indeed, building height is a feature of a building, not its constituent units, so it is not clear whether building height alone should affect the units' prices. Based on a sample of highly homogeneous housing units in buildings of varying heights, we found that (1) the floor-level premium was not constant, but diminished as floor level increases; (2) there was no significant difference in the pattern of the floor-level premium between high-rise and low-rise buildings; and (3) there was a positive and significant premium for units in low-rise buildings over those in high-rise ones. These findings can help developers determine the optimal height and shape of their development. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201
MOTSA TOF-MRA using multi-oblique-stacks acquisition (MOSA)
One of the intrinsic advantages of current TOF MRA techniques is their insensitivity to in-plane blood flow or turbulent flow, causing hypointense signal or
discontinuity in blood vessels in MRA images. To overcome this problem, a multi-oblique-stacks acquisition (MOSA) technique is proposed to improve the
visualization of in-plane blood flows in MRA. The results showed that TOF-MRA obtained from MOSA was improved as compared to that of conventional
MOTSA for the same amount of scan time.published_or_final_versio
Floor-level premiums in high-rise and low-rise buildings
This paper examines a unique feature of multi-storey buildings – floor-level premiums.
Floor-level premiums refer to the price paid for the vertical location of a flat, measured
by its floor level. Previous hedonic price studies unequivocally showed that floor-level
premiums are positive. However, they were often based on the assumptions that floorlevel
premiums are constant 1) across different floor levels within the same building
and/or 2) across different buildings given the same floor level. This second assumption is
particularly interesting because it begs the question of whether the same premium is paid
for high-rise and low-rise buildings. For instance, do we pay the same for the 5th floor of
a low-rise building and that of a high-rise building? Based on a sample of highly
homogeneous buildings (except for their heights), we found that floor-level premiums
were not constant but diminishing with respect to floor levels. Moreover, there was no
significant difference in the pattern of floor-level premiums between high-rise and lowrise
buildings. Finally, there was a positive and significant premium for shorter buildings
over taller buildings.published_or_final_versio
MRI characterization of trabecular bone structure by exploring bone microscopic susceptibility effect
Bone strength depends on bone mineral density (BMD) as well as properties related to bone quality, such as the microarchitecture of trabecular bone.
Structural parameters, such as trabecular thickness, can also critically influence the mechanical competence and thus resistance to fracture of bone. Complex
bone structure can induce microscopic susceptibility effect and alter the bone transverse relaxation properties, which are expected to become more prominent
at high field. This study aims to examine such susceptibility effect at 3T and explore the possibility of using bone as an endogenous contrast agent to derive
the structural information in human trabecular bone.published_or_final_versio
The effect of SARS on the price of re-entrants in multi-storey apartment buildings
Natural lighting and ventilation have long been a primary consideration in building design,
particularly for those high-rise and densely packed apartment blocks where mechanical
ventilation is normally secondary. In Hong Kong, there are prescriptive legal requirements
governing the provision of natural lighting and ventilation in private buildings. This,
coupled with developers’ profit-maximizing incentives, often gives rise to re-entrant designs
commonly found in apartment buildings in Hong Kong.
This paper aims to study the economic impacts of the disposition of re-entrants on property
prices with reference to the revelation of the chimney effect of re-entrants after the occurrence
of the mass community outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS) in Amoy
Gardens in 2003. In this study, we use a hedonic pricing model to examine whether flats
designed with a re-entrant is sold at a different price than those without a re-entrant. We
draw a sample of property transactions from a popular single residential development with
variations in re-entrant designs. A total of 357 transactions were collected, of which 90 were
transacted after the SARS event. The model is capable to monitor any significance changes
in the premium of re-entrant and its relationship with floor level before and after SARS.
Based on the hedonic pricing analysis, we found that the preference for re-entrants is
floor-dependent. Before SARS, homebuyers were not fond of re-entrants on low floor levels,
but they were willing to pay more for re-entrants as the floor level increases. Yet, the
outbreak of SARS did not significantly change their preferences for re-entrants. The market
is capable to capitalize the building design into property prices. Developers and designs
should improve their building design to meet the ever changing needs of the market. This
paper provides an empirical framework to examine how homebuyers price a particular design
feature using property transaction data.published_or_final_versio
Comparative study of Building Performance Assessment Schemes in Hong Kong
Having access to information is essential when one needs to make a decision to buy property or renovate a building. However, information concerning the health, safety, and environmental performance of buildings is not always readily available. This creates a need for building performance assessment tools. This paper aims to compare the building performance assessment schemes available for use in Hong Kong, namely The Hong Kong Building Environment Assessment Method (HK-BEAM), The Intelligent Building Index (IBI), The Building Quality Index (BQI), and The Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme for Buildings (CEPAS). Their similarities and differences are pinpointed and discussed in detail. The findings of this study will serve as a guide for practitioners to decide on the schemes that best suit their purposes.postprin
A New Optimization Cost Model for VLSI Standard Cell Placement
In this paper, we propose a new optimization cost model for VLSI placement. It distinguishes itself from the traditional wire-length cost model by having direct impact on the quality of the detailed routing phase. We also extend the well-known simulated annealing standard cell placement algorithm by applying our new cost model. Experimental results show that we got 13% layout area reduction compared to traditional wire length model, 11% reduction to commercial tool.published_or_final_versio
CXCL12/CXCR4 axis: an emerging neuromodulator in pathological pain
The roles of chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its receptor chemokine C-X-C motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) reveal this chemokine axis as an emerging neuromodulator in the nervous system. In the peripheral and central nervous systems, both CXCL12 and CXCR4 are expressed in various kinds of nociceptive structures, and CXCL12/CXCR4 axis possesses pronociceptive property. Recent studies have demonstrated its critical roles in the development and maintenance of pathological pain, and both neuronal and glial mechanisms are involved in this CXCL12/CXCR4 axis-mediated pain processing. In this review, we summarize the recent development of the roles and mechanisms of CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in the pathogenesis of chronic pain by sciatic nerve injury, human immunodeficiency virus-associated sensory neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, spinal cord injury, bone cancer, opioid tolerance, or opioid-induced hyperalgesia. The potential targeting of CXCL12/CXCR4 axis as an effective and broad-spectrum pharmacological approach for chronic pain therapy was also discussed.published_or_final_versio
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