Performative Microforests:

The design of office buildings can substantially improve the building, social, and ecological performance of office building projects. However, existing research on improving the performance of work environments has primarily focused on identifying and evaluating methods to make work environments less bad, rather than focusing on how to develop work environments that are positively performing. Moreover, the potential of building projects to perform positively, in terms of economic, social, and ecological performance, remains relatively unexplored in existing research and building projects. To this end, this PhD research project is focused on exploring the positive economic, social, and ecological performance potential of buildings. Specifically, this research project identifies and evaluates the potential economic, social, and ecological performance benefits of integrating microforests into office buildings.Microforests are defined in this book as dynamic, stimulating, cohesive spatial environments that are composed of vegetation and soil layers that mimic the structural, perceptual, and ecological composition of a forest ecosystem, yet are not large enough to reliably provide the myriad of functions of a robust, mature forest ecosystem. This design research focus is based on findings from existing literature that suggest that natural environments and stimuli can provide a diverse range of economic, social, and ecological performance benefits.The Design Research Methodology [DRM], an established research methodology that facilitates the use of diverse research methods in a rigorous, effective manner, is used in this research project to explore and evaluate the performance potential of microforests, by investigating the following sub research questions: How can microforests improve the performance of office buildings? How can microforests improve employee performance + comfort? How can microforests improve the ecological performance of office buildings? Within the DRM research framework, explorative design case studies, systematic literature reviews, expert interviews, observation case studies, and experimentation research methods were employed, in order to develop design guidelines, high performance space types and case studies, as well as assessments of the hypotheses of several experiments.For instance, as part of the investigation of the first sub research question, a design case study was conducted that evaluated the potential of microforests to reduce the energy consumption rates of office buildings, both in terms of the potential of vegetation to function as a shading device, and in terms of the potential energy savings that can be attained through the provision of semi-outdoor, high quality microforest workspaces. The results of this study, which are discussed in Chapter 4, indicate that vegetation can be as effective, or more effective, than typical shading devices, in terms of shading effectiveness. Moreover, in terms of economic performance, this study found that improving occupant work performance provided substantially greater economic benefits than reducing the energy costs of the mid-size commercial office building. This finding indicates that, in terms of economic performance, design teams should be focused on designing office environments that improve worker performance. Thus, the results of this case study indicate that economic and worker performance are interrelated.In order to investigate the potential effects of microforests on occupant thermal comfort, a quasi-experiment which evaluated the potential psychological and physiological impacts of microforests on occupant thermal comfort, was conducted. This study is discussed in Chapter 5. The results of this study indicate that working within a densely vegetated work environment, such as a microforest, improves occupant thermal comfort, both in normal and more extreme temperatures, throughout the four seasons. Thus, the inhabitation of microforests can improve occupant thermal comfort, as well as reduce building energy consumption rates, by allowing the temperature set point of the space to be raised in the summer and lowered in the winter.In terms of microforests impacting worker performance, a multidisciplinary, systematic literature review was conducted to identify the potential of the design of work environments to impact worker performance, particularly natural environments such as microforests. The results of this review, which are discussed in Chapter 6, indicate that natural environments can provide a diverse range of worker performance benefits. However, further research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of various design solutions, space types, and space qualities on worker performance. To this end, a survey was conducted to evaluate the types of work environments and space qualities that promote worker performance, including constructed and natural environments, in terms of a diverse range of work tasks. The results of this study, which are described in Chapter 7, suggest that knowledge workers prefer to conduct a wider variety of work tasks in microforests, compared to a range of existing work space types, than existing research suggests. Moreover, the results of this study suggest that different types of microforests, such as spatially open and public microforests compared to more dense and private microforests, provide different performance benefits, and are preferred for different work tasks. Hence, these findings suggest that the integration of microforests into office buildings can improve worker performance, and from a more general perspective, that workers prefer to have access to more diverse types of work spaces within their office environment than typical office environments provide. Furthermore, the results of the conducted studies indicate that the design of work space environments, at both the scale of individual spaces and space qualities, impacts worker performance, and thereby should be accounted for in the design of office environments.In terms of microforests impacting the ecological performance of building projects, a systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the ecological performance potential of building projects. The results of this review are presented in Chapters 8-11. Three general design strategies to improve the ecological integrity of local ecosystems were identified: design for ecosystem functions, design for ecological behavior, and design for biodiversity. The potential effectiveness of various design strategies within these three general design strategies were explored, as well as gaps in existing research, and issues with evaluating the ecological performance of building projects. Potentially effective design solutions were identified, such as hybrid infrastructure, gene seed banks, and constructed environments which are designed to foster positive experiences in natural environments.Moreover, the results of this review indicate that further research is needed to evaluate the comparative value of different ecological design solutions, as well as effective means to account for the interrelationships of building projects with their local and regional contexts.Taken together, the results of this research project make it evident that the design of constructed environments has a significant impact on the performance and value of building projects, from economic, social, and ecological performance perspectives. More specifically, the integration of microforests into office environments was found to yield a diverse range of building, worker, and ecological performance benefits. The results of this research project can aid in the development of comprehensive design support systems and building project performance metric systems, as well as identify, and in some cases evaluate, potentially high performing, innovative design solutions and strategies. However, it is important to note that the results of this research project indicate that, in order to develop comprehensive building performance evaluation metric systems and design methods, further research is necessary. To this end, this research project identified innovative performance benefits that the design of building projects, and microforests, can provide, as well as identified existing research gaps that should be addressed. This research project also identified potentially high performing space types and design strategies, including various types of microforests.In summary, the results of this research project demonstrate that the design of building projects can be an effective and efficient method to generate diverse economic, social, and ecological performance benefits. Moreover, the results of this research project suggest that the design of high quality spaces, particularly microforests, can improve the social and ecological performance of building projects, while at the same time, also reduce building costs

Deciphering landscape preferences: Investigating the roles of familiarity and biome types

Although people generally have positive evaluations of natural environments and stimuli, theory and research suggest that certain biomes are more preferable than others. Existing theories often draw on evolutionary ideas and people’s familiarity with biome types, with familiarity being the most supported, albeit not conclusively, in existing research. Across three samples (n = 720) we sought to compare preference ratings of 40 images that represented ten biomes (beach, lake, tropical and temperate forest, marsh, swamp, meadow, park, mountain, and river). We addressed objective familiarity by recruiting samples from two distinct geographies (Florida and Ontario), and we assessed subjective familiarity via image ratings. Familiarity was positively associated with liking biomes, though this trend was stronger for subjective familiarity compared to geography. Substantial variation in biome type preferences could not be attributed to familiarity. Specific biome types were strongly preferred irrespective of familiarity and geography. e.g., beaches and lakes were highly preferred, while marshes and swamps were substantially less preferred than other biome types. Further analyses found that the individual difference of nature relatedness predicted both familiarity and liking of all biomes except beaches, and that there was a lack of seasonal effects (fall and winter) across two Ontario samples. We discuss how results provide qualified support for the familiarity view, limits of this interpretation, how methodological choices such as the number of ratings might impact findings, and the potential applications of these results in landscape design

Long-term efficacy of a short period of taping followed by an exercise program in a cohort of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common source of anterior knee pain. While treatment for PFPS may be successful in the short term, long-term results are less promising. The purpose of this study was to record long-term pain and functionality outcomes following rehabilitation in patients affected by PFPS. A prospective cohort study of 44 patients with a diagnosis of PFPS and an activation imbalance between the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles were enrolled. Patients underwent patellar taping (2 weeks) followed by a rehabilitation program lasting until the end of the third month. Primary outcome measures were pain and the functional level of the patellofemoral joint. Secondary outcome measures were surface electromyographic (sEMG) onset timing of the VMO/VL during seated knee extension and squat and isometric knee extensor muscle strength. Significant differences in all the outcome measures were observed between the affected and unaffected sides before treatment. The pain score significantly decreased both posttreatment (Delta=-4.7; 95% CI=-5.4 to -3.9) and at the 12-month follow-up (Delta=-5.5; 95% CI=-6.1 to -4.8), while the functional level significantly increased both posttreatment (Delta=24; 95% CI=18.3 to 30.2) and at the 12-month follow-up (Delta=26; 95% CI=21.4 to 30.6). Post-treatment, 35/44 patients (79.5%) and 31/44 patients (70.5%) achieved normal sEMG onset timing of the VMO and VL in the seated knee extension exercise and in the squat exercise, respectively. A short period of patellar taping followed by an exercise program results in long-lasting pain control in PFPS associated with muscular dysfunction

Kinematic and kinetic features of normal level walking in patellofemoral pain syndrome: More than a sagittal plane alteration

Patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) often report discomfort and pain during walking. To date, most of the studies conducted to determine gait alterations in PFPS patients have focused on sagittal plane alterations. Physiological and biomechanical factors, however, suggest that frontal and transverse plane alterations may be involved in PFPS. We therefore decided to conduct a kinematic and kinetic evaluation on all three planes in 9 PFPS subjects and 9 healthy sex- and age-matched controls. General gait characteristics were similar in patients and controls, with the exception of swing velocity, which was lower in PFPS patients. Patients also displayed an increased knee abductor and external rotator moments in loading response, and reduced knee extensor moment both in loading response and in terminal stance. We speculate that these findings may be linked both to a pain-avoiding gait pattern and to alterations in the timing of activation of different components of the quadriceps muscle, which is typical of PFPS. The relevance for clinicians is this gait pattern may represent a biomechanical risk factor for future knee osteoarthritis. We therefore recommend that treatments aimed at PFPS should also attempt to restore a correct walking pattern. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Bringing nature to work: Preferences and perceptions of constructed indoor and natural outdoor workspaces

From the mere presence of plants to window views of nearby nature, contact with nature in the workplace has been associated with increased productivity and creativity, as well as positive emotional and physical health outcomes. Nevertheless, if nature is to be incorporated within or near workplaces effectively, it is important that workers perceive natural spaces to be conducive, and not detrimental, to performance on activities that they may engage in at work or else these changes to the physical environment may not be fully embraced by workers. Thus, in the current research we examine workers’ preferences and perceptions of different natural and constructed (built) environments for different workplace activities. In Study 1, 64 knowledge workers were exposed to images of natural outdoor and constructed indoor workspaces. They selected where they thought they would best and least be able to perform different workplace activities. Natural outdoor spaces were overrepresented as the best spaces for around 75% of the workplace activities, and were underrepresented as the worst spaces across all workplace activities. In Study 2 (N = 33), wherein participants evaluated various spatial qualities of the natural outdoor and constructed indoor space types that were included in Study 1, the natural outdoor spaces were rated as more fascinating, relaxing, open, bright, and quiet. The results of this research project suggest that natural outdoor workspaces are viewed as highly flexible, multi-use spaces that are appropriate for diverse workplace activities. Furthermore, access to diverse workspace types with different spatial qualities appears to be highly valued

Multiphase inclusions associated with residual carbonate in a transition zone diamond from Juina (Brazil)

Super-deep diamonds and their mineral inclusions preserve very precious information about Earth\u2019s deep mantle. In this study, we examined multiphase inclusions entrapped within a diamond from the Rio Vinte e um de Abril, S~ao Luiz area (Juina, Brazil), using a combination of non-destructive methods. Micro-Computed X-ray Tomography (m-CXRT) was used to investigate the size, shape, distribution and X-Ray absorption of inclusions and mapping by micro X-ray Fluorescence (m-XRF), m-Raman Spectroscopy and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (m-FTIR) were used to determine the chemical and mineralogical composition of the inclusions. Four large inclusions enclosed in the N-rich diamond core consist of dominant ferropericlaseemagnesiow\ufcstite and locally exsolved magnesioferrite. FTIR maps, obtained integrating the band at 1430 cm1, show also the presence of carbonates. A fifth large inclusion (ca 100 mm) was remarkable because it showed a very unusual flask shape, resembling a fluid/melt inclusion. Based on mCXRT tomography and m-Raman mapping, the flask-shaped inclusion is polyphase and consists of magnetite and hematite partly replacing a magnesiow\ufcstite core and small-volume of gas/vacuum. m-Raman spectra on the same inclusion revealed local features that are ascribed to postspinel polymorphs, such as maohokite or xieite, which are stable at P 18 GPa, and to huntite, a carbonate with formula CaMg3(CO3)4. This represents the first finding of maohokite and huntite in diamond. We interpret the composition of the inclusions as evidence of formation of ferropericlase emagnesiow\ufcstite and diamond in a carbonate-rich environment at depths corresponding at least to the Transition Zone, followed by oxidation of ferropericlaseemagnesiow\ufcstite by reaction with relatively large-volume entrapped melt during diamond ascent

Gli immigrati in Campania negli anni della crisi economica. Condizioni di vita e di lavoro, progetti e possibilità di integrazione

Anche negli ultimi anni la presenza straniera in Campania si è ulteriormente accresciuta, conservando la sua complessità dovuta al sedimentarsi di flussi migratori successivi con provenienze variabili nel tempo e motivazioni, caratteristiche, possibilità e prospettive d’inserimento spesso differenti tra le diverse cittadinanze che compongono l’articolato universo della popolazione immigrata. Accanto alle presenze temporanee si è inoltre osservato l'incremento di quelle (più) stabili, rappresentate da persone che hanno deciso di mettere radici nella regione e di fare famiglia. Un mondo solo in parte documentato e documentabile attraverso le statistiche ufficiali disponibili, che vanno integrate facendo ricorso a indagini ad hoc quando ci si prefigge lo scopo di esplorare il fenomeno nelle sue diverse dimensioni e articolazioni territoriali. Questo è quanto viene presentato in questo volume, contenente i risultati della ricerca campionaria Caratteristiche e condizioni di vita degli immigrati in Campania condotta per il Servizio Regionale di Mediazione Culturale Progetto Yalla. Basandosi su circa 3.800 interviste a un campione rappresentativo di immigrati maggiorenni originari dei Paesi meno sviluppati e dell’Europa dell’Est (compresi i neo comunitari) nelle cinque province della Campania e seguendo la metodologia di campionamento per centri di aggregazione, la ricerca ha avuto come obiettivo quello di aggiornare la conoscenza sulle caratteristiche attuali e sulle condizioni di vita dei cittadini stranieri presenti in Campania e analizzare i cambiamenti che vi sono stati negli ultimi anni per poi misurare il livello di integrazione dei diversi gruppi nazionali