Designing IAQ-Resilient Post-Pandemic Buildings

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes to human life and habits. There is an increasing urgency to promote occupants’ health and well-being in the built environment where they spend most of their lives, putting indoor air quality (IAQ) in the spotlight. This study fits into this context, aiming to provide useful information about the design, construction, and operation of an IAQ-resilient building in the post-pandemic era for it to ensure a good trade-off between energy- and health-related objectives. The PRISMA guidelines were adopted to conducting a systematic review obtaining 58 studies that offered relevant results on two main research areas: (i) the concept of resilience, focusing on its definition in relation to the built environment and to pandemic-related disruptions; and (ii) the building design strategies that are able to increase buildings’ resilience, focusing on the preventive measures involving engineering control. In addition, the metrics and the decision-making tools able to make IAQ-resilient buildings attractive to the investors, focusing on the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) technique, were discussed. The research supported the transition of the building sector to a human-centered approach that is able to include IAQ resilience among the main priorities of future buildings to guarantee the occupants’ health and well-being

Gentrificación y turistificación: dinámicas y estrategias en Barcelona = Gentrification and touristification: dynamics and strategies in Barcelona

[spa] La gentrificación como proceso de transformación urbana de barrios de clases populares forma parte de la dinámica de un gran número de ciudades, especialmente en aquellas que además cuentan con un potente atractivo turístico. Los procesos asociados a la gentrificación no siguen las mismas pautas en los distintos espacios de la ciudad y muestran procesos diferenciales en sus dinámicas y 'resistencias' al proceso de transformación. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar cómo se están produciendo estas dinámicas de transformación urbana y cómo se están articulando algunas de las estrategias frente a la gentrificación y turistificación aplicadas al caso de estudio de algunos barrios del distrito de Sants Montjuïc de la ciudad de Barcelona. A pesar de la evidencia de los elementos gentrificadores y de participar del proceso de turistificación, estas áreas conservan su 'esencia de barrio' debido a su tejido asociativo y cooperativo que ha conseguido amortiguar este proceso. [eng] Gentrification as a process of urban transformation of popular neighbourhoods is a usual dynamic in cities, especially in those with powerful tourist attraction. Processes linked to gentrification do not follow the same standards in different spaces in cities and show differentiated resistance processes facing this transformation. This paper aims to analyse how these urban transformation dynamics are happening and how these strategies face gentrification are articulating in specific neighbourhoods, in the case study of Sants-Montjuïc District of Barcelona city. Despite the existence of gentrifying elements and the participation of touristification processes, some neighbourhoods preserve their "essence of neighbourhood" due to their associative and cooperative fabric, which have buffered the effects

The Polyvalent heat pumps technology in retrofit of existing HVAC systems

In terms of existing buildings’ retrofit, historical and non-residential buildings clearly represent two challenging categories. In historical buildings, due to architectural constraints, acting on the technical side is often the only way to reduce consumptions, while non-residential buildings usually require simultaneous production of hot and chilled water. In these cases, Polyvalent heat pumps represent an interesting solution, able to guarantee significant reductions of primary energy consumptions. In detail, a Reference Building for an historical office was simulated in three Mediterranean cities, using EnergyPlus software and some evaluation tools specifically set to emulate the energy performances of the examined HVAC technologies

HVAC solutions for energy retrofitted hotel in Mediterranean area

To meet the European targets for achieving high-performing buildings, the refurbishment of the existing building stock and, in particular, of historical buildings represents a great challenge. The research aims at identifying the most energy-effective HVAC configuration for retrofitting historical hotels in Mediterranean area, where the objective is to minimize the consumptions for both space heating and cooling. A Reference Building for an historical hotel was simulated in five Mediterranean cities and different HVAC solutions were assessed, using EnergyPlus software coupled with tools specifically set to emulate the energy behaviour of certain HVAC technologies, aiming to highlight the most efficient alternative

Vulnerability to Psychosis, Ideas of Reference and Evaluation with an Implicit Test

Background: Ideas of reference (IRs) are observed in the general population on the continuum of the psychotic phenotype (as a type of psychotic-like experiences, PLE). The instruments usually used to evaluate IRs show some problems: They depend on the cooperation of the participant, comprehension of items, social desirability, etc. Aims: The Testal emotional counting Stroop (TECS) was developed for the purpose of improving evaluation of individuals vulnerable to psychosis and its relationship with ideas of reference. The TECS (two versions) was applied as an implicit evaluation instrument for IRs and related processes for early identification of persons vulnerable to psychosis and to test the possible influence of emotional symptomatology. Method: A total of 160 participants (67.5% women) from the general population were selected (Mean (M) = 24.12 years, standard deviation (SD) = 5.28), 48 vulnerable and 112 non-vulnerable. Results: Vulnerability to psychosis was related to greater latency in response to referential stimuli. Version 4 of the TECS showed a slight advantage in identifying more latency in response to referential stimuli among participants with vulnerability to psychosis (Cohen's d = 1.08). Emotional symptomatology (especially stress), and IQ (premorbid) mediated the relationship between vulnerability and IR response latency. Conclusions: The application of the implicit Testal emotional counting Stroop test (TECS) is useful for evaluating processes related to vulnerability to psychosis, as demonstrated by the increased latency of response to referential stimuli

Toward NZEB by optimizing HVAC system configuration in different climates

Finding the most appropriate matching between envelope features and HVAC system configurations in function of different climates results fundamental for minimizing buildings’ energy consumptions. The research aims at presenting the most energy-performing HVAC system configurations for high-performing buildings. Different configurations were modeled for new non-residential Reference Buildings in seven European cities, using dynamic simulation software EnergyPlus and some evaluation tools specifically set to emulate the energy performance of some specific HVAC technologies. Finally, the results obtained were compared in order to outline some conclusions, useful as guidelines for optimizing the choice of HVAC systems in function of climate conditions

Los efectos de la Crisis económica en el urbanismo disperso de la Región Metropolitana de Barcelona

Este trabajo trata de explicar las características del proceso de dispersión urbana experimentado por la Red Metropolitana de Barcelona en las últimas décadas y su configuración actual. Persigue, además, identificar las consecuencias sociodemográficas de la crisis actual en este tipo espacios urbanos. Las características del "urbanismo residencial disperso" -el sobrecoste de vivir en este espacio, el elevado nivel de endeudamiento de las familias que se han trasladado de forma reciente, así como una limitada solidaridad familiar y red social vecinal de escaso arraigo− hacen de este tipo desarrollo urbano un candidato ejemplar para reflejar los efectos sociales de la actual crisis económica o, como también ha sido denominada, la Gran Recesión del siglo XXI. El análisis muestra los primeros resultados a partir de datos secundarios que permiten estudiar el mercado inmobiliario, su población (crecimiento y estructura) y la movilidad residencial experimentada, así como la tasa de paro o la renta familiar disponible, comparando dos períodos (2002-2007 y 2008-2014). Aunque la gravedad de los efectos de la Crisis todavía no se hace visible (dado que en estos municipios dispersos predominan las clases medias y altas y, por tanto, con capacidad de reajustar sus respuestas de adaptación ante situaciones de crisis), sí podemos detectar cuáles han sido sus formas de adaptación ante las nuevas condiciones, y apuntar algunos de sus riesgos sociales futuros

Jurisdicción nacional, su prórroga en el marco del poder de policía

El análisis de esta temática es interesante abordarlo con el propósito de generar un espacio de análisis y reflexión sobre el mismo, para cuando el hoy estudiante realice su actividad profesional y se le planteen cuestiones de ejercicio profesional en diferentes ámbitos del país. Es necesario contextualizar esta problemática para cuando ésta deba ser ejercida por los estudiantes en formación, para avanzar sobre la realidad que tengan como circunstancia de su ejercicio y poder actuar en consecuencia. El fin es que se tome conciencia sobre las consecuencias que acarrea el tema de la jurisdicción en el ejercicio profesional, al tiempo de favorecer la reflexión y el análisis sobre distintos aspectos del mundo jurídico, para que puedan desarrollar criterios y canalizar acciones, porque más allá de que estemos formando profesionales ingenieros, estos deben tener, conocimiento del derecho, que es el que presupone la existencia de una vida en sociedad, de convivencia. Debe darse una discusión compleja y seria de cuando la jurisdicción nacional debe ser aplicable y no como simple escudo en desmedro de los intereses locales, que fortalecen la república federal tal cual fue concebida por los constituyentes. Darle una acabada noción a un estudiante de este tema, lleva como consecuencia entender los conceptos fundamentales de nuestra Constitución Nacional, y hace que no solo proyectemos buenos profesionales, sino lo más importante, mejores ciudadanos que sepan llevar adelante su actividad profesional adecuada a las circunstancias que se le presenten.Facultad de Ingenierí

INTELIGÊNCIA COMPETITIVA E DISTÂNCIA PSÍQUICA NO SETOR MOVELEIRO

Uma das decisões críticas com que se defronta uma empresa que deseja internacionalizar-se se refere à em que país ingressar. De acordo com uma das correntes dominantes na literatura de internacionalização, as empresas escolhem inicialmente aqueles mercados que os gestores consideram mais próximos do mercado doméstico e apenas em etapa posterior adentraria mercados percebidos como distintos. Assim sendo, propõem-se o estudo apresentar os conceitos de Internacionalização, Distância Psíquica e Inteligência Competitiva, a fim de identificar se existe relação entre os mesmos. Para tal, foram pesquisadas 80 empresas do setor moveleiro do Rio Grande do Sul que já foram previamente classificadas em outro estudo por níveis de Inteligência Estratégica. Selecionamos as 40 empresas que tiveram os maiores níveis e as 40 empresas que tiveram os menores níveis. O objetivo é identificar se as empresas analisadas com maior e menor nível de inteligência competitiva realizam exportações e se os primeiros destinos de exportação foram para destinos próximos ou mais distantes. Os resultados indicam que existe uma relação fraca entre inteligência competitiva e exportações e entre inteligência competitiva e distância psíquica baseado nas empresas que foram analisadas neste estudo

Imbalance of Neutrophils and Lymphocyte Counts Can Be Predictive of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Occurrence in Hepatitis C-related Cirrhosis Treated With Direct-acting Antivirals

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