An investigation into tensile structure system: construction morphology and architectural interventions

Tensile structures represent a new chapter in the history of building structures. Tensile structure system are capable of spanning large distances while incurring very little weight on supporting structure, developments in the design of fabric structure can dramatically change the ways in which permanent building construction is conceptualized. This paper reviews the current methods and systems for design and construction of fabric structures. The paper begins with a brief historical evolution and explanation of the various types of fabric structure that have previously been built. Subsequent topics address the development of computational analysis methods, innovative construction techniques, fabric material types, properties and their characteristics.  In this paper, a qualitative descriptive evaluation research method has been used. The research methodology comprises of case studies, visual observation and data collection. Finally, five case studies around the world have been presented to validate and illustrate the various modern trends and the direct application of design and construction methods of tensile structure system

Analysis of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks with reference to its potential and sustainability

The traditional bricks are the main building materials that are used extensively in the construction and building industry. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete blocks are recently one of the newly adopted building materials. The Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a product of fly ash which is mixed with lime, cement, and water and an aerating agent. The AAC is mainly produced as cuboid blocks and prefabricated panels. The Autoclaved aerated concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured to contain lots of closed air voids. The AAC blocks are energy efficient, durable, less dense, and lightweight. It is manufactured by adding a foaming additive to concrete in different sizes of molds as per requirement, then wire-cutting these blocks or panels from the resulting ‘cake lump’ and ‘heating them with steam. This process is called as Autoclaving. It has been observed that this material is an eco-friendly building material that is being manufactured from industrial waste and is composed of non-toxic ingredients. In this paper, an overview of AAC blocks with reference to its potential and sustainability as a novel building material has been presented. The paper also presents a comparative cost analysis of AAC Blocks with the Red clay bricks and its suitability and potential use in the construction in the building industry

Exploration of prefabricated building system in housing construction

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the development and current status of prefabrication       techniques and their application in building construction and why its use is still limited in the housing sector in India and why prefabrication is not being used so far to provide affordable housing to all. Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in factories, and then transporting the complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The important aspect is how much of a potential difference it can establish so that appropriate development can be implemented. This paper reviews the current prefabrication system scenario for housing in India. The paper begins with a brief introduction about different types of prefabrication system. Subsequent topics address the need of prefabrication and ethical dilemma of technology transfer for prefabricated building system in India.  In this paper, a qualitative descriptive evaluation research method has been used. The research methodology comprises of case studies, visual observation and data collection. Finally, two case studies around the world have been presented to validate and illustrate the various modern trends and application of design and construction methods of prefabricated building system in housing

Assessing the Adoption of M-commerce in SMEs in the Service Industry of Malaysia

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between performance expectancy, and government support for m-commerce adoption among Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the service industry. The study was quantitative, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 396 SMEs in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM, and findings discovered that the proposed model explained 58.4% of the variance in the dependent variable which is considered at a strong level. The findings show that there is a positive significant relationship between performance expectancy, and government support for m-commerce adoption

Online Purchase Environment Using Blockchain-Based Solutions: : An Acceptance of Online Grocer

The process of gaining and maintaining customer trust has grown more complex as e-commerce goes inescapably online. Consumers now expect complete transparency on what they buy through an integrated and transparent purchasing pipeline because they can access various options. However, not all online payment options are secure and reliable for customers, particularly those who live in cities and engage with online grocery purchases on a daily basis. Current businesses can only gain their clients' trust if they provide answers to queries about how safe, accurate, and transparent an online purchase can be. Failure to do that will frequently result in losing their business. According to previous studies, nearly half of consumers who switch brands do so because they no longer trust the brand. The blockchain concept is revolutionary because it allows all parties to write, read, share, and use the same information in the most secure ways possible in real-time. There is a shared source of information since the data on a blockchain is dispersed among all users. Although everything is transparent, everyone engaged still has a say in who sees what. Therefore, the primary goal of the research is to examine the variables affecting the adoption of the blockchain system among present e-commerce customers for online grocers in an urban area. The primary goal is to establish a blockchain-based solution model for implementing metropolitan area distribution networks for consumer grocery. The target responders are residents of the Klang Valley who are frequent online shoppers and have completed at least one online transaction. A set of questionnaires was created to collect data from the respondents, as this research was conducted using quantitative methodologies. Through an online poll, a total of 384 responses were gathered. SPSS software was used to analyse the survey data. The dependent variable is highly impacted by the independent variables' namely accuracy, online payment, and cybersecurity

Evidence Based Patient Room Design and Improving Outcomes: Case of Healthcare Facility in Saudi Arabia

In healthcare facility, designing inpatient units are very crucial because its physical infrastructure and built environment not only effect patients and family but also Healthcare staff and their outcomes. This Study aimed to cover technical considerations of planning and designing of patient Room Unit in context of future emerging trend with mainly focus on evidence-based user Centered Care Approach and their physical infrastructural, emotional and social need for improved outcomes. The Methodology through engagement of various techniques to gather information of healthcare facilities through observation, Literature review of published journals, academic papers, also Data collection in this qualitative study and basic concept background are investigated through online survey and observation for Saudi Arabia specialized and tertiary Healthcare system. The results are dependent on the overall experience of staff, patient and visitors, and the key design elements that support zoning of space with higher level of satisfaction rate with respectively 87% with positive outcome response (very satisfied/satisfied), 9% Neutral, 4% negative response (Unsatisfied /Very unsatisfied) with respect to overall user experience. This paper shall be useful in assessing design features of Patient room and work flow efficiency. A significant relationship was established between user's preferences, comfort factors, overall need and satisfaction in the patient room

PAWS: A performance evaluation tool for parallel computing systems

A description is given of PAWS (parallel assessment window system), a set of tools that provides an interactive user-friendly environment for analysis of existing, prototype, and conceptual machine architectures running a common application. PAWS consists of an application tool, an architectural characterization tool, a performance assessment tool, and an interactive graphical display tool. The application characterization tool provides a facility for evaluating the level and degree of an application's parallelism. The architecture characterization tool allows users to create, store, and retrieve descriptions of machines in a database. This approach permits users to evaluate conceptual machines before building any hardware. The performance assessment tool generates profile plots through the interactive graphical display tool. It shows both the ideal parallelism inherent in the machine-independent dataflow graph and

Physics of Organelle Membrane Bridging via Cytosolic Tethers is Distinct From Cell Adhesion

Tremendous progress has been made recently in imaging the contacts between intra-cellular organelles, which are thought to be mediated by soluble tethers. However, they are still difficult to study in cellulo, and reconstituting them in vitro is a standing challenge. Here we take a mimetic approach to study Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) interacting via single- (or double-) stranded DNA sequences of two different lengths. Like intra-cellular tethers which may reside in the cytosol when unbound, the DNA-tethers are soluble, but can insert into the membrane with the help of cholesterol moieties found at their extremities. Tether-exchange between the bulk “cytosol” and the GUV/SLB membrane leads to a novel statistical ensemble in which the entire system equilibrates together, rather than individual GUVs behaving as separate closed systems. As a consequence, adhesion between the GUV and the SLB is driven by collective entropic effects amplified by tether shape changes associated with membrane bridging. A direct experimental consequence is an unusual dependence on tether-concentration, which becomes an important control parameter at low concentrations, while tether length/flexibility are less important. The establishment of this fundamentally different interaction between two membranes suggests that in physiological conditions, the regulation of contact formation inside cells may be very different from the case of the much studied ligand-receptor mediated cell adhesion

Hepatoprotective Effects of Silybum marianum

Oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and transaminase reactions are some of the mechanisms that can lead to liver dysfunction. A time-dependent study was designed to evaluate the ability of silymarin (SLN) and glycyrrhizin (GLN) in different dosage regimens to lessen oxidative stress in the rats with hepatic injury caused by the hepatotoxin carbon tetrachloride. Wistar male albino rats (n = 60) were randomly assigned to six groups. Group A served as a positive control while groups B, C, D, E, and F received a dose of CCl4 (50% solution of CCl4 in liquid paraffin, 2 mL/kg, intraperitoneally) twice a week to induce hepatic injury. Additionally, the animals received SLN and GLN in different doses for a period of six weeks. CCl4 was found to induce hepatic injury by significantly increasing serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances while decreasing total protein and the activities of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. Treatment with various doses of SLN and GLN significantly reduced ALT, AST, ALP, and TBARS levels and increased GSH, SOD, and CAT levels. Our findings indicated that SLN and GLN have hepatoprotective effects against oxidative stress of the liver