Timbre brownfield prioritization tool to support effective brownfield regeneration.

In the last decade, the regeneration of derelict or underused sites, fully or partly located in urban areas (or so called “brownfields”), has become more common, since free developable land (or so called “greenfields”) has more and more become a scare and, hence, more expensive resource, especially in densely populated areas. Although the regeneration of brownfield sites can offer development potentials, the complexity of these sites requires considerable efforts to successfully complete their revitalization projects and the proper selection of promising sites is a pre-requisite to efficiently allocate the limited financial resources. The identification and analysis of success factors for brownfield sites regeneration can support investors and decision makers in selecting those sites which are the most advantageous for successful regeneration. The objective of this paper is to present the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT), developed as a web-based solution to assist stakeholders responsible for wider territories or clusters of brownfield sites (portfolios) to identify which brownfield sites should be preferably considered for redevelopment or further investigation. The prioritization approach is based on a set of success factors properly identified through a systematic stakeholder engagement procedure. Within the TBPT these success factors are integrated by means of a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology, which includes stakeholders' requalification objectives and perspectives related to the brownfield regeneration process and takes into account the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental dimensions). The tool has been applied to the South Moravia case study (Czech Republic), considering two different requalification objectives identified by local stakeholders, namely the selection of suitable locations for the development of a shopping centre and a solar power plant, respectively. The application of the TBPT to the case study showed that it is flexible and easy to adapt to different local contexts, allowing the assessors to introduce locally relevant parameters identified according to their expertise and considering the availability of local data

Public opinion on energy crops in the landscape: considerations for the expansion of renewable energy from biomass

Public attitudes were assessed towards two dedicated biomass crops – Miscanthus and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC), particularly regarding their visual impacts in the landscape. Results are based on responses to photographic and computer-generated images as the crops are still relatively scarce in the landscape. A questionnaire survey indicated little public concern about potential landscape aesthetics but more concern about attendant built infrastructure. Focus group meetings and interviews indicated support for biomass end uses that bring direct benefits to local communities. Questions arise as to how well the imagery used was able to portray the true nature of these tall, dense, perennial plants but based on the responses obtained and given the caveat that there was limited personal experience of the crops, it appears unlikely that wide-scale planting of biomass crops will give rise to substantial public concern in relation to their visual impact in the landscape

Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool to support effective brownfield regeneration

In the last decade, the regeneration of derelict or underused sites, fully or partly located in urban areas (or so called "brownfields"), has become more common, since free developable land (or so called "greenfields") has more and more become a scare and, hence, more expensive resource, especially in densely populated areas. Although the regeneration of brownfield sites can offer development potentials, the complexity of these sites requires considerable efforts to successfully complete their revitalization projects and the proper selection of promising sites is a pre-requisite to efficiently allocate the limited financial resources. The identification and analysis of success factors for brownfield sites regeneration can support investors and decision makers in selecting those sites which are the most advantageous for successful regeneration. The objective of this paper is to present the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT), developed as a web-based solution to assist stakeholders responsible for wider territories or clusters of brownfield sites (portfolios) to identify which brownfield sites should be preferably considered for redevelopment or further investigation. The prioritization approach is based on a set of success factors properly identified through a systematic stakeholder engagement procedure. Within the TBPT these success factors are integrated by means of a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology, which includes stakeholders' requalification objectives and perspectives related to the brownfield regeneration process and takes into account the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental dimensions). The tool has been applied to the South Moravia case study (Czech Republic), considering two different requalification objectives identified by local stakeholders, namely the selection of suitable locations for the development of a shopping centre and a solar power plant, respectively. The application of the TBPT to the case study showed that it is flexible and easy to adapt to different local contexts, allowing the assessors to introduce locally relevant parameters identified according to their expertise and considering the availability of local data

A Dynamic Real Time In Vivo and Static Ex Vivo Analysis of Granulomonocytic Cell Migration in the Collagen-Induced Arthritis Model

<div><p>Neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes (granulomonocytic cells; GMC) drive the inflammatory process at the earliest stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The migratory behavior and functional properties of GMC within the synovial tissue are, however, only incompletely characterized. Here we have analyzed GMC in the murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model of RA using multi-photon real time in vivo microscopy together with ex vivo analysis of GMC in tissue sections.</p> <p>GMC were abundant as soon as clinical arthritis was apparent. GMC were motile and migrated randomly through the synovial tissue. In addition, we observed the frequent formation of cell clusters consisting of both neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes that actively contributed to the inflammatory process of arthritis. Treatment of animals with a single dose of prednisolone reduced the mean velocity of cell migration and diminished the overall immigration of GMC.</p> <p>In summary, our study shows that the combined application of real time in vivo microscopy together with elaborate static post-mortem analysis of GMC enables the description of dynamic migratory characteristics of GMC together with their precise location in a complex anatomical environment. Moreover, this approach is sensitive enough to detect subtle therapeutic effects within a very short period of time.</p> </div

Kinetics of cell migration.

<p>A) Comparative real time in vivo analysis of cell migration in healthy versus CIA subjects were performed in C57BL/6 lysM-EGFP animals. GMC cells with the expression of EGFP (green) are rarely found in healthy tissue, whereas they are abundant in the synovial tissue of CIA subjects. The magenta signal displays a second harmonic generation (SHG) of collagen structures (see also <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0035194#pone.0035194.s002" target="_blank">Movie S1</a>). Scale bars (left corner) represent 100 µm. Representative pictures are shown from movies that were made in three healthy control subjects and three subjects with CIA. B)–D): Quantification of cell velocity (b), displacement over time (c) and the motility index (total displacement/cumulative path length) (d) are shown for GMC cells in healthy subjects, in CIA subjects (CIA) and in CIA subjects treated with prednisolone (CIA+Pred). For (b) and (c), data points represent individual cells (healthy: n = 142; CIA: n = 4055; CIA+Pred: n = 3787) compiled from three independent imaging sessions involving individual joints of three animals. Mean values±s.e.m. are shown. Graph bars show mean±s.e.m. (d). Asterisks (*) indicate significant p values (<0.05). E) Cell immigration describes the number of cells immigrating into the ROI at each time point. Few cells immigrate in healthy subjects. CIA diseased subjects start with high numbers of GMC cells and increasing numbers of cells immigrate into the scanned area. Prednisolone stabilizes cell immigration to comparable numbers of cells immigrating at each time point. Data are mean values from experiment that were performed in three healthy controls, three CIA subjects and three CIA+Prednisolone subjects. Asterisks (*) indicate significant p values (<0.05).</p