Eco-Bat: A design tool for assessing environmental impacts of buildings and equipment

This paper presents the features of Eco-Bat, a computer program developed to assess the environmental impacts of buildings, including construction materials and energy consumed, during its life cycle. The methodology used to evaluate environmental impacts based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, compatible with ISO 14040 standards, is detailed. The data are mainly extracted from an environmental impacts database, Ecoinvent, which contains values for the manufacturing and elimination of numerous materials as well as other processes. Two applications are presented to illustrate the possibilities offered by Eco-Bat. The first one is a comparison of different variants of building facades. The second example shows the analysis of a whole building including its energy consumptio

L’intégration d’un élève avec une déficience intellectuelle dans les degrés 1H-2H

Nous avons choisi la thématique de l’intégration scolaire au cycle 1 pour notre mémoire professionnel. Nous désirions découvrir les moyens mis en place afin de faciliter l’intégration d’un élève avec une déficience intellectuelle dans une classe 1H-2H. Nous souhaitions également connaître les buts, les bénéfices, les difficultés que peut provoquer une intégration scolaire. Pour débuter notre travail, nous nous sommes renseignées sur des aspects historiques concernant le handicap en Suisse afin d’en connaître son évolution et comprendre ce qu’il se passe actuellement lorsqu’un enseignant intègre un enfant en situation de handicap au sein de sa classe. En effet, nous savions que cette thématique de l’intégration était d’actualité et qu’elle était en plein changement. Il nous semblait également essentiel de nous familiariser avec les textes de la loi scolaire pour le canton du Jura afin de savoir quelle était la place de l’intégration au niveau politique. Nous avons ensuite défini le concept de handicap et celui d’intégration. Nous avons pris connaissance des différentes manières d’intégrer afin de discerner le modèle d’intégration employé dans le canton du Jura. Après nous être imprégnées de la littérature concernant l’intégration scolaire, nous avons élaboré un guide d’entretien qui nous a permis de questionner dix enseignantes jurassiennes des classes 1H -2H sur leur expérience concernant l’intégration. Par ce procédé, nous désirions prendre connaissance de ce qu’implique une intégration scolaire pour l’enseignant. Nous exposons trois éléments qui ressortent de notre analyse. Le premier est l’importance de la collaboration entre les différents protagonistes (l’aide externe, les parents de l’enfant intégré) lors d’une intégration. Le deuxième élément concerne l’aide externe qui est présente dans la classe lors de l’intégration de l’enfant avec une déficience intellectuelle et qui est essentielle au bon fonctionnement de ce processus. Pour terminer, le troisième élément traite de l’organisation nécessaire pour accueillir un élève en situation de handicap

Acute Effects of the Wim Hof Breathing Method on Repeated Sprint Ability: A Pilot Study

The Wim Hof breathing method (WHBM) combines periods of hyperventilation (HV) followed by voluntary breath-holds (BH) at low lung volume. It has been increasingly adopted by coaches and their athletes to improve performance, but there was no published research on its effects. We determined the feasibility of implementing a single WHBM session before repeated sprinting performance and evaluated any acute ergogenic effects. Fifteen amateur runners performed a single WHBM session prior to a Repeated Ability Sprint Test (RAST) in comparison to voluntary HV or spontaneous breathing (SB) (control) in a randomized cross-over design. Gas exchange, heart rate, and finger pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) were monitored. Despite large physiological effects in the SpO2 and expired carbon dioxide (VCO2) levels of both HV and WHBM, no significant positive or negative condition effects were found on RAST peak power, average power, or fatigue index. Finger SpO2 dropped to 60 ± 12% at the end of the BHs. Upon the last HV in the WHBM and HV conditions, end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PETCO2) values were 19 ± 3 and 17 ± 3 mmHg, indicative of respiratory alkalosis with estimated arterial pH increases of +0.171 and of +0.181, respectively. Upon completion of RAST, 8 min cumulated expired carbon dioxide volumes in the WHBM and HV were greater than in SB, suggesting lingering carbon dioxide stores depletion. These findings indicate that despite large physiological effects, a single WHBM session does not improve anaerobic performance in repeated sprinting exercise

IMPROVE ::enhancing demand-side energy reduction through informative billing strategies

In Switzerland, most of the information available on the energy bills corresponds to the minimum legal requirements imposed by national regulations. Such a scarcely understandable information does not motivate consumers to reflect on their level of energy consumption. A more user-friendly information presentation on the energy bill may induce increased awareness, laying the grounds for behaviour changes required to achieve the goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 of the Swiss Federal Council. The aim of the IMPROVE project was to explore how both consumers and energy utilities evaluate and perceive the importance of introducing enriched information on the energy bill to encourage households to reconsider their energy consumption levels

A method and tool for ‘cradle to grave’ embodied energy and carbon impacts of UK buildings in compliance with the new TC350 standards

As operational impacts from buildings are reduced, embodied impacts are increasing. However, the latter are seldom calculated in the UK; when they are, they tend to be calculated after the building has been constructed, or are underestimated by considering only the initial materials stage. In 2010, the UK Government recommended that a standard methodology for calculating embodied impacts of buildings be developed for early stage design decisions. This was followed in 2011–12 by the publication of the European TC350 standards defining the ‘cradle to grave’ impact of buildings and products through a process Life Cycle Analysis. This paper describes a new whole life embodied carbon and energy of buildings (ECEB) tool, designed as a usable empirical-based approach for early stage design decisions for UK buildings. The tool complies where possible with the TC350 standards. Initial results for a simple masonry construction dwelling are given in terms of the percentage contribution of each life cycle stage. The main difficulty in obtaining these results is found to be the lack of data, and the paper suggests that the construction and manufacturing industries now have a responsibility to develop new data in order to support this task

Methodology for cost-effective energy and carbon emissions optimization in building renovation (Annex 56): methodology and assessment of renovation measures by parametric calculations

Buildings are responsible for a major share of energy use and have accordingly been a special target in the global actions for climate change mitigation, with measures that aim at improving their energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy use. IEA-EBC project «Cost-Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Renovation» intends to develop a calculation basis for future standards, which aim at maximum effects on reducing carbon emissions and primary energy use. Thereby, the project pays special attention to the renovation of existing residential buildings and to cost effective building renovatio

Methodology for cost-effective energy and carbon emissions optimization in building renovation (Annex 56)

"Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme, March 2017"Buildings are responsible for a major share of energy use and have been a special target in the global actions for climate change mitigation, with measures that aim at improving their energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy use. The IEA-EBC Annex 56 project «Cost-Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Renovation» intends to develop the basics for future standards, which aim at maximizing effects on reducing carbon emissions and primary energy use while taking into account the cost-effectiveness of related measures. The IEA EBC Annex 56 project pays special attention to cost effective energy related renovation of existing residential buildings and low-tech office buildings (without air conditioning systems).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Women at Altitude: Sex-Related Physiological Responses to Exercise in Hypoxia.

Sex differences in physiological responses to various stressors, including exercise, have been well documented. However, the specific impact of these differences on exposure to hypoxia, both at rest and during exercise, has remained underexplored. Many studies on the physiological responses to hypoxia have either excluded women or included only a limited number without analyzing sex-related differences. To address this gap, this comprehensive review conducted an extensive literature search to examine changes in physiological functions related to oxygen transport and consumption in hypoxic conditions. The review encompasses various aspects, including ventilatory responses, cardiovascular adjustments, hematological alterations, muscle metabolism shifts, and autonomic function modifications. Furthermore, it delves into the influence of sex hormones, which evolve throughout life, encompassing considerations related to the menstrual cycle and menopause. Among these physiological functions, the ventilatory response to exercise emerges as one of the most sex-sensitive factors that may modify reactions to hypoxia. While no significant sex-based differences were observed in cardiac hemodynamic changes during hypoxia, there is evidence of greater vascular reactivity in women, particularly at rest or when combined with exercise. Consequently, a diffusive mechanism appears to be implicated in sex-related variations in responses to hypoxia. Despite well-established sex disparities in hematological parameters, both acute and chronic hematological responses to hypoxia do not seem to differ significantly between sexes. However, it is important to note that these responses are sensitive to fluctuations in sex hormones, and further investigation is needed to elucidate the impact of the menstrual cycle and menopause on physiological responses to hypoxia