A Multiliteracies Approach to the Graphic Novel Adaptation of Stormbreaker: Facilitating Authentic Reading in a Swiss Lower Secondary ELT Classroom

The authors detail an action research project in a Swiss school around the graphic novel adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s Stormbreaker. The project provided language learners with opportunities to show their potential through their own creative adaptations of the spy story

Cost-optimal retrofit analysis for residential buildings

The current retrofit rate in Switzerland is very low. Among other reasons this is attributed to a lack of knowledge about cost-optimal retrofit strategies. In this work we carry out a holistic cost-optimal retrofit analysis for a Swiss single-family house. First, currently popular retrofit measures including all incurring lifecycle costs are identified and collected. Thereby, building systems as well as building envelope retrofit measures are considered. The retrofit measures are then combined to form a wide range of applicable retrofit strategies which are assessed in terms of cost-effectiveness and environmental impact. The calculation methodology considers the impact of building envelope retrofit measures on the design and efficiency of the heating system. For the case study building, the most cost-optimal retrofit strategy is to combine a geothermal heat pump with inter-rafter roof insulation and cellar ceiling insulation. The results indicate that the choice of heating system is much more crucial in terms of cost-effectiveness than building envelope measures. With respect to reducing primary energy consumption, building envelope measures are indispensable, however, when aiming for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the choice of heating system becomes dominant.ISSN:1742-6588ISSN:1742-659

Warmwasser-Kurzentnahmen : Auswirkung und Vermeidung

SchlussberichtDiese Feldstudie untersuchte, wie gross die tatsächliche Wirkung von der Funktion «Mittelstellung kalt» auf den Energieverbrauch in Gebäuden ist und wie die Akzeptanz der Nutzer ist. Dafür wurden zwei verschiedene methodische Ansätze verwendet: Einerseits wurde bei 16 Wohnungen eine Messkampagne durchgeführt, wobei jeweils Eco-Armaturen am Waschtisch im Bad und am Spültisch in der Küche installiert und der Wasserverbrauch sowie die Wassertemperaturen während eines Jahres gemessen wurden. Andererseits wurden die 16 Haushalte zu den Themen Zufriedenheit, Nutzung und Komfort befragt

Warmwasser-Kurzentnahmen : Auswirkung und Vermeidung

SchlussberichtDiese Feldstudie untersuchte, wie gross die tatsächliche Wirkung von der Funktion «Mittelstellung kalt» auf den Energieverbrauch in Gebäuden ist und wie die Akzeptanz der Nutzer ist. Dafür wurden zwei verschiedene methodische Ansätze verwendet: Einerseits wurde bei 16 Wohnungen eine Messkampagne durchgeführt, wobei jeweils Eco-Armaturen am Waschtisch im Bad und am Spültisch in der Küche installiert und der Wasserverbrauch sowie die Wassertemperaturen während eines Jahres gemessen wurden. Andererseits wurden die 16 Haushalte zu den Themen Zufriedenheit, Nutzung und Komfort befragt

Impact of Measurement Uncertainty on Building Modeling and Retrofitting Decisions

Retrofitting buildings is essential for improving the existing global building stock. Innovations in wireless sensor networks have provided new means for scalable and potentially low-cost solutions for evaluating optimal retrofit measures in a building. Building models are used to explore different retrofit options and to find effective combinations of retrofit measures for a building in question. This paper departs outlining a novel grey-box modeling process for building retrofit based on measurement data. However, it is unknown if the measurement data and, as a consequence, the retrofit analysis is affected by uncertainties due to measurement accuracy and other factors. Quantifying these uncertainties during the analysis process is important in the context of making effective retrofit decisions. Consequently, this work examines the influence of measurement uncertainties on the generation of the retrofit models and the suggested retrofit measures. The results illustrate that measurement uncertainty is manageable for retrofit decisions, i.e., the measurement uncertainties rarely influence the ranking of retrofit measures. However, reduced measurement uncertainties are beneficial for adequately sizing the building retrofit interventions. It is shown that measurement uncertainty of flow meter measurements and indoor temperature measurements have the biggest impact on the heat loss coefficient estimation error, which ranges overall from 3 to 26%. Further, it is shown that some retrofit measures are more sensitive to uncertainty in the input data, such as district heating and wood pellets boilers, compared to measures that include heat pumps.ISSN:2297-336

Attenuated palmitoylation of serotonin receptor 5-HT1A affects receptor function and contributes to depression-like behaviors

The serotonergic system and in particular serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1AR) are implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we demonstrated that 5-HT1AR is palmitoylated in human and rodent brains, and identified ZDHHC21 as a major palmitoyl acyltransferase, whose depletion reduced palmitoylation and consequently signaling functions of 5-HT1AR. Two rodent models for depression-like behavior show reduced brain ZDHHC21 expression and attenuated 5-HT1AR palmitoylation. Moreover, selective knock-down of ZDHHC21 in the murine forebrain induced depression-like behavior. We also identified the microRNA miR-30e as a negative regulator of Zdhhc21 expression. Through analysis of the post-mortem brain samples in individuals with MDD that died by suicide we find that miR-30e expression is increased, while ZDHHC21 expression, as well as palmitoylation of 5-HT1AR, are reduced within the prefrontal cortex. Our study suggests that downregulation of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation is a mechanism involved in depression, making the restoration of 5-HT1AR palmitoylation a promising clinical strategy for the treatment of MDD

Sustainability Agenda for the Pantanal Wetland: Perspectives on a Collaborative Interface for Science, Policy, and Decision-Making

International audienceBuilding bridges between environmental and political agendas is essential nowadays in face of the increasing human pressure on natural environments, including wetlands. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services for humanity and can generate a considerable direct or indirect income to the local communities. To meet many of the sustainable development goals, we need to move our trajectory from the current environmental destructive development to a wiser wetland use. The current article contain a proposed agenda for the Pantanal aiming the improvement of public policy for conservation in the Pantanal, one of the largest, most diverse, and continuous inland wetland in the world. We suggest and discuss a list of 11 essential interfaces between science, policy, and development in region linked to the proposed agenda. We believe that a functional science network can booster the collaborative capability to generate creative ideas and solutions to address the big challenges faced by the Pantanal wetland