The Development of an On-Line Learning and Teaching Resource for the Socio-Centric Aspects of Sustainable Design

This paper fits into the topics of socially relevant design, design and emotion and sustainable design and explores the question how can we create a more sustainable way of life? The paper also addresses the central theme of the conference – Design Education – creating a better world. This paper reports on the next phase in the development of a web-based learning and teaching resource specifically aimed at the socio-centric dimension of sustainable design which can be found at www.sociocenticdesign.com . A more extensive literature review was conducted, of which a summary is presented, however, the focus is on the outcomes learned from the collection of further primary data. It is confirmed that there is strong dominance by the techno and eco-centric dimensions and that there is a lack of awareness of the socio-centric dimension. It is concluded that being sustainable in design actually is about leaving the final design to later; it means that first and foremost sustainable design is to consider the designs purpose and its effects on the user, the community and society as a whole. An evaluation of two existing web-based resources, that focus on eco-design, was also conducted and informed the outcomes presented in this paper. The paper sets outs in some detail the content, arrangement and suggested web-interfaces for the new learning resource focused on the socio-centric dimension. The content is arranged into the following sections based upon the recommendations generated by Conrad: Past and Future; Time; People; Consumption, Design and Theories. The results of the research suggest that a high level of interactivity in the web-interface will be required

Bromeliad tanks are unique habitats for microbial communities involved in methane turnover

The results indicate that every bromeliad tank is a unique island with respect to its resident microbial community. The presence of methanogens and active methanotrophs in all tank slurries further indicates the potential for both methane formation and methane oxidation.Max Planck Gesellschaft; LOEWE (Synmicro) Programm der hessischen Landesregierung zur Entwicklung wissenschaftlicher-ökonomischer Exzellenzresearc

Drowning Prevention by Design

This paper presents an overview of an exploratory case study collaboration between Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in support of an RNLI delivery programme for international community management of drowning prevention in low-resource environments. The study focuses on the development of low-volume public rescue throw-lines that can be community made and maintained, the assembly and use of which are supported by a set of RNLI-developed instruction manuals intended for universal dissemination. The study examines the clarity of the instructions in the context of the makers’ interpretation of the manuals within the local constraints of Zanzibar. Preliminary findings indicate that these universally intended instruction manuals, in their current format, are open to interpretation, producing unsafe drowning prevention rescue lines that do not meet safety-critical standards. A re-design of the manuals through creative collaboration in a local context are the outcomes of this research. Discussion is also given as to whether a universal instruction manual should be the desirable outcome

Determinants of functioning and health-related quality of life after vestibular stroke

BackgroundStroke accounts for 5–10% of all presentations with acute vertigo and dizziness. The objective of the current study was to examine determinants of long-term functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a patient cohort with vestibular stroke.MethodsThirty-six patients (mean age: 66.1 years, 39% female) with an MRI-proven vestibular stroke were followed prospectively (mean time: 30.2 months) in the context of the EMVERT (EMergency VERTigo) cohort study at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Munich. The following scores were obtained once in the acute stage (1 year after stroke): European Quality of Life Scale-five dimensions-five levels questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) for HRQoL, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) for symptom severity, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) for general functioning and disability. Anxiety state and trait were evaluated by STAI-S/STAI-T, and depression was evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Voxel-based lesion mapping was applied in normalized MRIs to analyze stroke volume and localization. Multiple linear regression models were calculated to determine predictors of functional outcome (DHI, EQ-VAS at follow-up).ResultsMean DHI scores improved significantly from 45.0 in the acute stage to 18.1 at follow-up (p ConclusionThe average functional outcome of strokes with the chief complaint of vertigo and dizziness is favorable. The most relevant predictors for individual outcomes are the personal anxiety trait (especially in combination with the female sex), the initial symptom intensity, and lesion volume. These factors should be considered for therapeutic decisions both in the acute stage of stroke and during subsequent rehabilitation.</p

Ethyl anthracene-9-carboxyl­ate

In the title compound, C17H14O2, the COO group and the anthracene fragment form a dihedral angle of 76.00 (19)°. The torsion angle around the O—Csp 3 bond of the ester group is 108.52 (18)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by C—H⋯O inter­actions and edge-to-face arene inter­actions with C—H⋯(ring centroid) distances in the range 2.75–2.84 Å

Oral Carnosine Supplementation Prevents Vascular Damage in Experimental Diabetic Retinopathy

Backgrounds/Aims: Pericyte loss, vasoregression and neuroglial activation are characteristic changes in incipient diabetic retinopathy. In this study, the effect of the antioxidant and antiglycating dipeptide carnosine was studied on the development of experimental diabetic retinopathy. Materials/Methods: STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats were orally treated with carnosine (1g/kg body weight/day). Retinal vascular damage was assessed by quantitative morphometry. Retinal protein extracts were analyzed for markers of oxidative stress, AGE-formation, activation of the hexosamine pathway and changes in the expression of Ang-2, VEGF and heat shock proteins Hsp27 and HO-1. Glial cell activation was analyzed using Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence of GFAP expression and retinal neuronal damage was histologically examined. Results: Oral carnosine treatment prevented retinal vascular damage after 6 months of experimental hyperglycemia. The protection was not caused by ROS-or AGE-inhibition, but associated with a significant induction of Hsp27 in activated glial cells and normalization of increased Ang-2 levels in diabetic retinas. A significant reduction of photoreceptors in retinas of carnosine treated animals was noted. Conclusion: Oral carnosine treatment protects retinal capillary cells in experimental diabetic retinopathy, independent of its biochemical function. The vasoprotective effect of carnosine might be mediated by the induction of protective Hsp27 in activated glial cells and normalization of hyperglycemia-induced Ang-2. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel</p

Schlussbericht zum InnoProfile Forschungsvorhaben Methoden und Baustoffe zur nutzerorientierten Bausanierung

Nutzerorientierte Bausanierung bedeutet eine gegenüber dem konventionellen Vorgehen deutlich verstärkte Ausrichtung des Planungs- und Sanierungsprozesses auf die Anforderungen und Bedürfnisse des zukünftigen Nutzers eines Gebäudes. Dies hat einerseits ein hochwertigeres Produkt zum Ergebnis, erfordert andererseits aber auch den Einsatz neuer Methoden und Baustoffe sowie ein vernetztes Zusammenarbeiten aller am Bauprozess Beteiligten. Der Fokus der Publikation liegt dabei auf den Bereichen, die eine hohe Relevanz für die nutzerorientierte Bausanierung aufweisen. Dabei handelt es sich insbesondere um: Computergestütztes Bauaufmaß und digitale Bauwerksmodellierung (BIM), bauphysikalische Methoden zur Optimierung von Energieeffizienz und Behaglichkeit bei der Sanierung von Bestandsgebäuden, zerstörungsfreie Untersuchungsmethoden im Rahmen einer substanzschonenden Bauzustandsanalyse und Entwicklung von Ergänzungsbaustoffen. Das Projekt nuBau ist eine Kooperation zwischen den Fakultäten Bauingenieurwesen und Architektur der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Die beteiligten Professuren sind: Bauphysik, Informatik in der Architektur, Polymere Werkstoffe und Werkstoffe des Bauens

Multi-messenger searches via IceCube’s high-energy neutrinos and gravitational-wave detections of LIGO/Virgo

We summarize initial results for high-energy neutrino counterpart searches coinciding with gravitational-wave events in LIGO/Virgo\u27s GWTC-2 catalog using IceCube\u27s neutrino triggers. We did not find any statistically significant high-energy neutrino counterpart and derived upper limits on the time-integrated neutrino emission on Earth as well as the isotropic equivalent energy emitted in high-energy neutrinos for each event