A web-based teaching/learning environment to support collaborative knowledge construction in design

A web-based application has been developed as part of a recently completed research which proposed a conceptual framework to collect, analyze and compare different design experiences and to construct structured representations of the emerging knowledge in digital architectural design. The paper introduces the theoretical and practical development of this application as a teaching/learning environment which has significantly contributed to the development and testing of the ideas developed throughout the research. Later in the paper, the application of BLIP in two experimental (design) workshops is reported and evaluated according to the extent to which the application facilitates generation, modification and utilization of design knowledge

Structural asessment and strengthening of Atatürk's mausoleum, Anitkabir

Anıtkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the commander of Turkish War of Independence and the founder of Republic of Turkey. Rather than a work of architecture, Anıtkabir has been a symbol and a focal center of Atatürk’s principles, republican revolutions and modern Turkey

A Socio-Cognitive Approach to Knowledge Construction through Blended Learning

This paper results from an educational research project that was undertaken by the School of Architecture, at the University of Liverpool funded by the Higher Education Academy in UK. The research explored technology driven shifts in architectural design studio education, identified their cognitive effects on design learning and developed an innovative blended learning approach that was implemented at a masters level digital design studio. The contribution of the research and the proposed approach to the existing knowledge and practice are twofold. Firstly, it offers a new pedagogical framework which integrates social, technical and cognitive dimensions of knowledge construction. And secondly, it offers a unique operational model through the integration of both mediational and instrumental use of digital media. The proposed model provides a useful basis for the effective mobilization of next generation learning technologies which can effectively respond to the learning challenges specific to architectural design knowledge and its means of creation

Challenges of Integrating BIM in Architectural Education

This paper provides a critical overview of some of the fundamental issues regarding the adoption and integration of BIM – both as a method and as a technology – in Architectural education. It aims to establish a common ground for the rationale behind such integration and reflects on the past and present state of the cultural, intellectual, professional and technological context of Architecture. The paper will introduce the core issues to be considered in order to succeed in this challenging and transformational process. It will also introduce a framework for a gradual and progressive adoption of BIM and integrated design in the architectural curriculum

A value-driven perspective to understand data-driven futures in architecture

This paper reports on an investigation of the potentials of data utilisation in Architecture from a value generation and business creation points of view, based on an ongoing PhD research by the first author. It is of crucial importance to, first, identify what data actually signifies for Architecture, and secondly to explore how the value obtained through data-driven approaches in other industries could potentially be transferred and applied in our professional context. These objectives have been achieved through a qualitative comparative analysis of various cases. Additionally, the paper discusses the multiplicity of factors which contribute to different interpretations and utilisation of data with reference to various value systems embedded into our profession (e.g. design as ideology, design as profession, design as service). A comparative analysis of the existing data utilisation methods in connection with various value systems provide crucial insights in order to answer the following questions: How can data assess values in architectural design/practice? How can data utilisation give way to the emergence of new values for the profession

Crosstalk between mammalian autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are the two major intracellular quality control and recycling mechanisms that are responsible for cellular homeostasis in eukaryotes. Ubiquitylation is utilized as a degradation signal by both systems, yet, different mechanisms are in play. The UPS is responsible for the degradation of short-lived proteins and soluble misfolded proteins whereas autophagy eliminates long-lived proteins, insoluble protein aggregates and even whole organelles (e.g., mitochondria, peroxisomes) and intracellular parasites (e.g., bacteria). Both the UPS and selective autophagy recognize their targets through their ubiquitin tags. In addition to an indirect connection between the two systems through ubiquitylated proteins, recent data indicate the presence of connections and reciprocal regulation mechanisms between these degradation pathways. In this review, we summarize these direct and indirect interactions and crosstalks between autophagy and the UPS, and their implications for cellular stress responses and homeostasis

Have the third molars become vestigial due to the industrialization of our diet?

Human jaws have been proven to be subject to morphological changes through the course of evolution. The diet of the human species has evolved from tough and abrasive to soft and processed food. This is hypothesized to have had some consequences on the jaws and third molars in particular. This literary review aims to investigate the correlation between dietary habits and dysfunctionality of the third molars in light of the increased prevalence of third molar complications in recent human history and the evolution of diet. This is a literary review using PubMed, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar as core databases. Specific keywords were used to gather data for our search. The jaw of the human lineage appears to have gone through developmental and morphological changes concurrent with the dietary shift from tough and abrasive to soft and processed food. The available data suggests that in comparison with their ancestors, modern humans appear to experience more developmental and pathological complications with their third molars. Modern human dentitions are more overcrowded, and there are more complications associated with third molars than ever before recorded. In some cases, third molars fail to develop entirely, which is also known as agenesis. The changes in the dietary habits of the extinct hominins seem to have some correlation with the jaws of their successors having less room for third molars to develop and erupt into a well-aligned position in the dental arch. The data found in the present literary review study indicates that there have been evolutionary changes in development in the maxilla and mandible, and localization and development of third molars. These changes are hypothesized to have been a result of the changes in dietary habits and subsistence strategies throughout human evolution.Prosjektoppgave / Integrert masteroppgaveOD3PROSJMAOD-ODON

Exploiting BIM in energy efficient domestic retrofit: evaluation of benefits and barriers

Energy efficient retrofit of the building stock is an important and contemporary issue in the built environment. Building Information Modelling (BIM) can offer a comprehensive and integrating platform for construction projects, as has been demonstrated for many large-scale schemes, mostly in new buildings but sometime also in retrofit projects. This research focuses on the potential of adopting BIM through a smaller scale activity of residential retrofit to achieve energy efficient housing. Although many strategies and technologies have been developed during the last decades, retrofit processes are still confronted by technical, economic and social challenges. This paper investigates how BIM may be integrated all the way through the residential retrofit process and how new digital technology can be engaged. The potential strengths and weaknesses of BIM implementation in retrofitting are identified. This paper is part of an on-going research study and the outcomes from this research will be used to develop a framework which enables informed decisions to be made in retrofitting schemes, and which actively engages BIM into the retrofit process to support automation at retrofitting stages

Toward Building Hybrid Biological/in silico Neural Networks for Motor Neuroprosthetic Control

WOS: 000370402900001PubMed ID: 26321943In this article, we introduce the Bioinspired Neuroprosthetic Design Environment (BNDE) as a practical platform for the development of novel brain-machine interface (BMI) controllers, which are based on spiking model neurons. We built the BNDE around a hard real-time system so that it is capable of creating simulated synapses from extra-cellularly recorded neurons to model neurons. In order to evaluate the practicality of the BNDE for neuroprosthetic control experiments, a novel, adaptive BMI controller was developed and tested using real-time closed-loop simulations. The present controller consists of two in silico medium spiny neurons, which receive simulated synaptic inputs from recorded motor cortical neurons. In the closed-loop simulations, the recordings from the cortical neurons were imitated using an external, hardware-based neural signal synthesizer. By implementing a reward-modulated spike timing-dependent plasticity rule, the controller achieved perfect target reach accuracy for a two-target reaching task in one-dimensional space. The BNDE combines the flexibility of software-based spiking neural network (SNN) simulations with powerful online data visualization tools and is a low-cost, PC-based, and all-in-one solution for developing neurally inspired BMI controllers. We believe that the BNDE is the first implementation, which is capable of creating hybrid biological/in silico neural networks for motor neuroprosthetic control and utilizes multiple CPU cores for computationally intensive real-time SNN simulations.Bogazici University BAP Grants [10XD3]; Bogazici University Life Sciences and Technologies Research Center [09K120520]This research was supported by Bogazici University BAP Grants #10XD3 and Bogazici University Life Sciences and Technologies Research Center #09K120520