ACTIVITIES AND SPACE USE FOR ENABLING LOCAL ECONOMY IN COASTAL LOW INCOME HOUSING

Many low income households are supported by Home Based Enterprises (HBE) for their income generation. However the settlements in coastal areas have physical problems related to the corrosive land and climate condition, as well as the possi-bilities of natural hazards such as flooding (ADB, 2003 : UNHABITAT 2003). The rapid growths of cities especially in developing countries (DCs) contribute to social problems, serious burdens for human health and the environment. In order to imp-rove the quality of human life in the coastal cities, some local government decided to remove some settlements to the inland area such as problems in some big coastal cities in Indonesia. In many cases, many resettlements of housing failed to meet community’s and user’s requirements. To reduce and avoid sustainability problems, it is necessary to have more insight and understanding of the used of space in coastal low income housing. This paper describes the use of communal spaces for daily activities which are indicating the lack of space available in coastal settlements in order to accomodate user’s needs

ACTIVITIES AND SPACE USE FOR ENABLING LOCAL ECONOMY IN COASTAL LOW INCOME HOUSING

Many low income households are supported by Home Based Enterprises (HBE) for their income generation. However the settlements in coastal areas have physical problems related to the corrosive land and climate condition, as well as the possi-bilities of natural hazards such as flooding (ADB, 2003 : UNHABITAT 2003). The rapid growths of cities especially in developing countries (DCs) contribute to social problems, serious burdens for human health and the environment. In order to imp-rove the quality of human life in the coastal cities, some local government decided to remove some settlements to the inland area such as problems in some big coastal cities in Indonesia. In many cases, many resettlements of housing failed to meet community’s and user’s requirements. To reduce and avoid sustainability problems, it is necessary to have more insight and understanding of the used of space in coastal low income housing. This paper describes the use of communal spaces for daily activities which are indicating the lack of space available in coastal settlements in order to accomodate user’s needs

10-Year cardiovascular event risks for women who experienced hypertensive disorders in late pregnancy: the HyRAS study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the cause of death in 32% of women in the Netherlands. Prediction of an individual's risk for cardiovascular disease is difficult, in particular in younger women due to low sensitive and specific tests for these women. 10% to 15% of all pregnancies are complicated by hypertensive disorders, the vast majority of which develop only after 36 weeks of gestation. Preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease in later life show both features of "the metabolic syndrome" and atherosclerosis. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and cardiovascular disease may develop by common pathophysiologic pathways initiated by similar vascular risk factors. Vascular damage occurring during preeclampsia or gestational hypertension may contribute to the development of future cardiovascular disease, or is already present before pregnancy. At present clinicians do not systematically aim at the possible cardiovascular consequences in later life after a hypertensive pregnancy disorder at term. However, screening for risk factors after preeclampsia or gestational hypertension at term may give insight into an individual's cardiovascular risk profile. METHODS: Women with a history of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension will be invited to participate in a cohort study 2,5 years after delivery. Participants will be screened for established modifiable cardiovascular risk indicators. The primary outcome is the 10-year cardiovascular event risk. Secondary outcomes include differences in cardiovascular parameters, SNP's in glucose metabolism, and neonatal outcome. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence on the potential health gains of a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor screening program for women whose pregnancy was complicated by hypertension or preeclampsia. The calculation of individual 10-year cardiovascular event risks will allow identification of those women who will benefit from primary prevention by tailored interventions, at a relatively young age. Trail registration The HYPITAT trial is registered in the clinical trial register as ISRCTN08132825

Genome-wide association study identifies six new loci influencing pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure.

Numerous genetic loci have been associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in Europeans. We now report genome-wide association studies of pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In discovery (N = 74,064) and follow-up studies (N = 48,607), we identified at genome-wide significance (P = 2.7 × 10(-8) to P = 2.3 × 10(-13)) four new PP loci (at 4q12 near CHIC2, 7q22.3 near PIK3CG, 8q24.12 in NOV and 11q24.3 near ADAMTS8), two new MAP loci (3p21.31 in MAP4 and 10q25.3 near ADRB1) and one locus associated with both of these traits (2q24.3 near FIGN) that has also recently been associated with SBP in east Asians. For three of the new PP loci, the estimated effect for SBP was opposite of that for DBP, in contrast to the majority of common SBP- and DBP-associated variants, which show concordant effects on both traits. These findings suggest new genetic pathways underlying blood pressure variation, some of which may differentially influence SBP and DBP

The need for post-occupancy evaluation of public apartment buildings in Ghana

\u3cp\u3ePurpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and show why post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of public apartment buildings in Ghana as a product of design is important. Design/methodology/approach: By design the paper is descriptive. It uses a literature review as a method to summarize, synthesize and show the gaps in the existing knowledge on public apartment buildings in general and Ghana in particular. These arguments are brought together in a conceptual framework for approaching POE studies. Findings: This paper finds that gaps exist in the existing POE research knowledge regarding public apartment buildings in Ghana not only as residential settings but also as designed artifacts intended for use. Research limitations/implications: There is a need for scientific research which focus on the design and use of public apartment buildings in Ghana to provide empirical basis for design, policy and research decision-making. Social implications: This paper shows that occupants’ feedback information is important, as it can benefits government, designers and builders, building regulators and managers, as well as end users. Originality/value: The paper contributes a conceptual framework based on which POE studies can be designed.\u3c/p\u3

Towards sustainable infrastructure development in Africa : design principles and strategies for lifespan-based building performance

Societies and economies the world over develop on the wheels of infrastructure. In Africa, it accounts for about one-third to one-half of all public investment (Kessides, 1993). Significant about infrastructure in general, however is the fact that they have very long lives. Consequently, their impact on capital investment, resource utilization, the quality of the environment and overall quality of human life can be very significant. It is important therefore that they meet performance requirements in terms of economic, ecological and social sustainability. By the same token, their long lifespan fraught the design task with enormous amount of uncertainties, compounding the already ill-defined nature of design problems. Given that change is importune, and the fact that it is impracticable to foresee all the changes that will occur over time, a defining characteristic of all infrastructure will be the capacity to respond to change. Focusing on the case of buildings, this paper presents a discussion on some design principles and strategies which assure responsiveness to change and hence sustainable performance. Although the concepts have been advocated for over half a century now, studies show that they still remain marginal to the design profession. To clarify the concepts for research questioning and extension of knowledge, this paper seeks to examine their basic tenets with the view to harmonize the core principles and strategies. A literature review method is used with examples from field observations where necessary. The paper first attempts to review and harmonize these principles, and highlights the practical usefulness. It then highlights the implications for research and development in building technology as well as technology capacity building for sustainable infrastructure development in Africa

A typological analysis of public apartment buildings in Ghana

\u3cp\u3eTypological studies are considered useful because they help trace and understand the changes in building characteristics from the past to the present. This knowledge serves as a basis for improvement and change in future designs. In Ghana, although different designs have been applied to public apartments since independence, it is not known what their typologies are in generic forms. This makes it difficult to raise research questions for post-occupancy evaluation and to formulate and test research hypothesis with respect to the relation between design attributes and use requirements. This study analyzes and presents a typological view of the public apartment buildings in Ghana synchronically using designs over the past five decades. A reductionist approach to data analysis, qualitative in nature, is used to describe the plan form characteristics of the designs, using the form of access – vertical and horizontal – as the criteria. The study found 11 mutually exclusive design typologies, the most dominant of which is the single central staircase with lobby access. The study builds on existing knowledge and contributes to knowledge and understanding with respect to the typo-morphological characteristics of public apartment buildings in Ghana.\u3c/p\u3

Induction of labour or expectant monitoring in hypertensive pregnancy disorders at term:do women's postpartum cardiovascular risk factors differ between the two strategies?

<p>Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in the western world. Several studies have described the association between hypertensive pregnancy disorders and CVD in later life. Our aim was to compare postpartum cardiovascular risk factors in women who had a shorter and women who had a longer exposure to endothelial activation during their term hypertensive pregnancy.</p><p>Study design: We studied a subsample of women with pregnancy-induced hypertension or mild preeclampsia at term, who had participated in the randomized HYPITAT trial comparing induction of labour (IOL cohort) (n = 110) or expectant monitoring (EM cohort) (n = 91). We assessed, 2.5 years postpartum, cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. blood pressure, anthropometrics, glucose, HbA1C, insulin, HOMA score, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, high sensitive CRP, microalbumin and metabolic syndrome, and compared these risk factors between the induction and expectant groups.</p><p>Results: The mean time from randomization to delivery was 3.3 days in the induction group and 10.3 days in the expectant group (p <.001), generating a difference in exposure of 7 days. After a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years, the prevalence of hypertension (IOL 34%; EM 37%, p = .66) and metabolic syndrome (IOL 26%; EM 27%, p = 1.0) was similar in both groups. Furthermore, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BM!, waist circumference, glucose, HbA1C, insulin, HOMA score, lipids, HsCRP-levels and micro-albumin were all comparable between women who had induction of labour and those who had expectant monitoring.</p><p>Conclusion: In women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at term, induction of labour does not affect the clinical and biochemical cardiovascular profile at 2.5 years postpartum. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.</p>