The influence of vegetation and building morphology on shadow patterns and mean radiant temperatures in urban areas: model development and evaluation

The solar and longwave environmental irradiance geometry (SOLWEIG) model simulates spatial variations of 3-D radiation fluxes and mean radiant temperature (T mrt) as well as shadow patterns in complex urban settings. In this paper, a new vegetation scheme is included in SOLWEIG and evaluated. The new shadow casting algorithm for complex vegetation structures makes it possible to obtain continuous images of shadow patterns and sky view factors taking both buildings and vegetation into account. For the calculation of 3-D radiation fluxes and T mrt, SOLWEIG only requires a limited number of inputs, such as global shortwave radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, geographical information (latitude, longitude and elevation) and urban geometry represented by high-resolution ground and building digital elevation models (DEM). Trees and bushes are represented by separate DEMs. The model is evaluated using 5 days of integral radiation measurements at two sites within a square surrounded by low-rise buildings and vegetation in Göteborg, Sweden (57°N). There is good agreement between modelled and observed values of T mrt, with an overall correspondence of R 2 = 0.91 (p < 0.01, RMSE = 3.1 K). A small overestimation of T mrt is found at locations shadowed by vegetation. Given this good performance a number of suggestions for future development are identified for applications which include for human comfort, building design, planning and evaluation of instrument exposure.

Flow structure and near-field dispersion in arrays of building-like obstacles

Dispersion in the near-field region of localised releases in urban areas is difficult to predict because of the strong influence of individual buildings. Effects include upstream dispersion, trapping of material into building wakes and enhanced concentration fluctuations. As a result, concentration patterns are highly variable in time and mean profiles in the near field are strongly non-Gaussian. These aspects of near-field dispersion are documented by analysing data from direct numerical simulations in arrays of building-like obstacles and are related to the underlying flow structure. The mean flow structure around the buildings is found to exert a strong influence over the dispersion of material in the near field. Diverging streamlines around buildings enhance lateral dispersion. Entrainment of material into building wakes in the very near field gives rise to secondary sources, which then affect the subsequent dispersion pattern. High levels of concentration fluctuations are also found in this very near field; the fluctuation intensity is of order 2 to 5.

A low mortality, high morbidity reduced intensity status epilepticus (RISE) model of epilepsy and epileptogenesis in the rat

Animal models of acquired epilepsies aim to provide researchers with tools for use in understanding the processes underlying the acquisition, development and establishment of the disorder. Typically, following a systemic or local insult, vulnerable brain regions undergo a process leading to the development, over time, of spontaneous recurrent seizures. Many such models make use of a period of intense seizure activity or status epilepticus, and this may be associated with high mortality and/or global damage to large areas of the brain. These undesirable elements have driven improvements in the design of chronic epilepsy models, for example the lithium-pilocarpine epileptogenesis model. Here, we present an optimised model of chronic epilepsy that reduces mortality to 1% whilst retaining features of high epileptogenicity and development of spontaneous seizures. Using local field potential recordings from hippocampus in vitro as a probe, we show that the model does not result in significant loss of neuronal network function in area CA3 and, instead, subtle alterations in network dynamics appear during a process of epileptogenesis, which eventually leads to a chronic seizure state. The model’s features of very low mortality and high morbidity in the absence of global neuronal damage offer the chance to explore the processes underlying epileptogenesis in detail, in a population of animals not defined by their resistance to seizures, whilst acknowledging and being driven by the 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of animal use in scientific procedures) principles.

Utilising integrated information system approach for building demolition project management

Building demolition has been undergoing evolutionary development in its technologies for several decades. In order to achieve a high level of demolition material reuse and recycling, new management approaches are also necessitated. Several information systems are proposed or developed particularly promoting efficient project management, waste minimization and project safety. These information systems include waste exchange, 4D visualization, safety aware schedule, waste product schedule, site atTangement optimization and so on. However, the fragmented information systems applied by various parties involved in the demolition project could generate conflicts due to the lack of communication and standardization. This paper aims to develop a framework of an integrated information system for building demolition projects, which covers the major aspects of innovative management approaches and conventional construction project management perspective. Practically, the system will serve as an information portal for all demolition project team members.

Urban heat island and its impact on building energy consumption

Urban areas tend to have higher air temperatures than their surroundings as a result of man-made aiterations. This phenomenon is known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect. UHI is considered to he one of the major problems encountered by the human race this century. Solar radiation that is absorbed during the day by buildings is re~emitted after sunset creating high temperatures in urban areas. Also, anthropogenic heat sources such as air conditioners and road traffic add to the rise in temperatures, A number of
studies have indicated that UHI has a significant effect on the energy use of buildings. In mid- and low-latitude cities, heat islands contribute to urban dwellers' summer discomfort and significantly higher air-conditioning loads. This chapter summarizes and reviews the latest research methodologies and findings about the effect of increased temperatures on the energy consumption of buildings. The latest developments in the heat island mitigation strategies are remarkable, However, more attention needs to be
given to the implementation and testing of these strategies in full-scale buildings.

Accident avoidance importance for building demolition

Building demolition, as compared to building construction is always carried out as quickly and cheaply as possible. The nature of limited time and resources of the demolition project sometimes translate into poor work planning and safety precautions. In recent years, demolition work has become more complicated due to the high diversity of building types and there are various demolition techniques and strategies. It is important to have a clear understanding of the type of building to be demolished, the method to be used and risks involved to ensure proper work planning. Using historical data on demolition related accidents; this paper discusses the classification of injuries and causes of the accidents. To conclude, strategies for better understanding of demolition work and good practices of site safety are recommended.

Building nature’s safety net 2011 : the state of protected areas for Australia’s ecosystems and wildlife.

This report is the third in a series with the two previous reports published in 2006 and 2008. This report details major conservation initiatives that have occurred in Australia since the last report, in which data was current to 2006, and highlights emerging issues. A major enhancement on previous reports is the inclusion of ecosystem and threatened species gap analyses, and the reporting on Australia's protected area systems on both land and sea. We define a minimum standard for an adequate, representative, and comprehensive reserve system by sampling ecosystem and species level diversity. Using the latest protected area and national species and ecosystem spatial data, we quantify the gaps: those areas needing to move from the current reserve system to one which meets the minimum standard. We also use data provided by various parks agencies, from responses to a questionnaire or as published by the agencies, to detail financial investments in protected areas, and estimate the investment levels needed to fill the documented gaps. We also identify critical policy changes needed to more effectively fill the identified gaps.

Mind the gap! : A discussion on the disparity between low and high income countries in the provision of mental health care and the implications for capacity building in Kenya’s nursing workforce.

About fourteen per cent of the global burden of disease has been attributed to mental, neurological and substance use disorders. A number of initiatives have been launched in recent years to respond to this, the World Health Organisation (WHO) introduced the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) to address the widening gap between what is needed to provide adequate mental health services and what is currently available, especially in low and middle income countries where the gap is widest.
This discussion paper will focus on mental health nursing in Kenya, a country in East Africa with a population of 42 million people. Mental illness is common in Kenya with up to twenty five per cent prevalence rates, yet mental health services are sparse at the tertiary and primary care level and mental health remains a low budget and policy priority for the government. The aim of this paper is to raise participants’ awareness of the challenges of delivering mental health nursing care in low-income countries such as Kenya, and to explore possible solutions to the problem.

Building academic resilience: A longitudinal study of Master of Teaching students’ perceptions of written feedback on high stakes assessment

This paper reports on a two-year study of tertiary education students’ perceptions of written feedback on assessment. Contextualised in a regional Australian university and drawing on a cohort of Master of Teaching pre-service teachers, a survey approach was used to collect data from participants in both years of their graduate-level entry program. The paper contributes to the emerging body of literature on students’ perceptions of written feedback on assessment by discussing four themes that emerged from the study. It concludes with a number of recommendations for teacher educators to enhance current feedback practices.

Geo-identity, urban school choice and education campaigns for public schools

Educational campaigning has received little attention in the literature. This study investigates long-term and organised urban campaigns that are collectively lobbying the Victorian State Government in Australia, for a new public high school to be constructed in their suburb. A public high school is also known as a state school, government school, or an ordinary comprehensive school. It receives the majority of its funding from the State and Federal Australian Government, and is generally regarded as ‘free’ education, in comparison to a private school. Whilst the campaigners frame their requests as for a ‘public school’, their primary appeal is for a local school in their community. This study questions how collective campaigning for a locale-specific public school is influenced by geography, class and identity. In order to explore these campaigns, I draw on formative studies of middle-class school choice from an Australian and United Kingdom perspective (Campbell, Proctor, & Sherington, 2009; Reay, Crozier, & James, 2011). To think about the role of geography and space in these processes of choice, I look to apply Harvey’s (1973) theory of absolute, relational and relative space. I use Bourdieu (1999b) as a sociological lens that is attentive to “site effects” and it is through this lens that I think about class as a “collection of properties” (Bourdieu, 1984, p. 106), actualised via mechanisms of identity and representation (Hall, 1996; Rose, 1996a, 1996b). This study redresses three distinct gaps in the literature: first, I focus attention on a contemporary middle-class choice strategy—that is, collective campaigning for a public school. Research within this field is significantly under-developed, despite this choice strategy being on the rise. Second, previous research argues that certain middle-class choosers regard the local public school as “inferior” in some way (Reay, et al., 2011, p. 111), merely acting as a “safety net” (Campbell, et al., 2009, p. 5) and connected to the working-class chooser (Reay & Ball, 1997). The campaigners are characteristic of the middle-class school chooser, but they are purposefully and strategically seeking out the local public school. Therefore, this study looks to build on work by Reay, et al. (2011) in thinking about “against-the-grain school choice”, specifically within the Australian context. Third, this study uses visual and graphic methods in order to examine the influence of geography in the education market (Taylor, 2001). I see the visualisation of space and schooling that I offer in this dissertation as a key theoretical contribution of this study. I draw on a number of data sets, both qualitative and quantitative, to explore the research questions. I interviewed campaigners and attended campaign meetings as participant observer; I collected statistical data from fifteen different suburbs and schools, and conducted comparative analyses of each. These analyses are displayed by using visual graphs. This study uses maps created by a professional graphic designer and photographs by a professional photographer; I draw on publications by the campaigners themselves, such as surveys, reports and social media; but also, interviews with campaigners that are published in local or state newspapers. The multiple data sets enable an immersive and rich graphic ethnography. This study contributes by building on understandings of how particular sociological cohorts of choosers are engaging with, and choosing, the urban public school in Australia. It is relevant for policy making, in that it comes at a time of increasing privatisation and a move toward independent public schools. This study identifies cohorts of choosers that are employing individual and collective political strategies to obtain a specific school, and it identifies this cohort via explicit class-based characteristics and their school choice behaviours. I look to use fresh theoretical and methodological approaches that emphasise space and geography, theorising geo-identity and the pseudo-private school

Temperature rise in cavities prepared by high and low torque handpieces and Er : YAG laser

Objective The aim of this study was to compare intrapulpal temperature increases produced by a high-speed high-torque (speed-increasing) handpiece, a high-speed low-torque handpiece (air-turbine) and an Er: YAG (Erbium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet) laser. Subject and methods Thirty bovine incisors were reduced to a dentine thickness of 2.0 mm. Class V preparations were prepared to a depth of 1.5 mm, measured with a caliper or by a mark on the burs. A thermocouple was placed inside the pulp chamber to determine temperature increases (C). Analysis was performed on the following groups (n = 10) treated with: G1, low-torque handpiece; G2, high-torque handpiece; and G3, Er: YAG laser (2.94 mu m at 250 mJ/4 Hz), all with water cooling. The temperature increases were recorded with a computer linked to the thermocouples. Results The data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey statistical test. The average temperature rises were: 1.92 +/- 0.80 degrees C for G1, 1.34 +/- 0.86 degrees C for G2, and 0.75 +/- 0.39 degrees C for G3. There were significant statistical differences among the groups (p = 0.095). All the groups tested did not have a change of temperature that exceeds the threshold of 5.5 degrees C. Conclusion Temperature response to the low and high torque handpieces seemed to be similar, however the Er: YAG laser generated a lower temperature rise.