Monitoring Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) Levels in Mixed-Use Residential-Commercial Buildings in Shiraz, Iran: Assessing the Carcinogenicity and Non-Carcinogenicity Risk of Their Inhabitants

The aim of this study is to investigate the concentration of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) compounds in the indoor air of residential-commercial complexes and to compare it with other residential buildings (control) as well as to assess the carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity risk of these pollutants. BTEX concentration was investigated in the indoor air of 30 ground floor restaurants, 30 upper residential units of the complexes, 20 adjacent residential units (control), and their corridors. The mean BTEX concentration measured in the upper residential units was reported higher than in the control residential units, though they were not significantly different. The lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) value calculated for benzene in the upper residential units was lower than 10−4 and higher than 10−6 across all ages, indicating a carcinogenicity risk. Furthermore, the mean hazard quotient (HQ) for all compounds was obtained lower than 1, suggesting no concern about the non-carcinogenicity risk of these compounds in the studied region. Nevertheless, considering the sources of benzene production in the indoor air as well as the carcinogenicity of these pollutants and the risk they pose in human health, application towards the reduction of the sources and concentration of benzene in the indoor air are necessary.

An Econometric Model for the Analysis of the Influence of the Refurbishment Costs on Housing Prices

With reference to the Italian context, the present research intends to analyze the functional relationships between the unit cost of restructuring and the selling prices in the residential segment. The analysis has been contextualized to the three clusters (Northern Italy, Central Italy, Southern Italy and Islands) in which the Italian territory is commonly divided. The case study concerns 965 residential units sold in the first half of 2019 and located in the 103 provincial capitals. The implemented econometric technique is a data-driven method that employs a genetic algorithm and allows the identification of the most influencing factors among the explanatory variables considered. For each cluster, a model has been selected in order to study the influence of unit cost of restructuring on housing prices.

Inside a Microapartment: Design Solutions to Support Future Sustainable Lifestyles

The purpose of this study wass to assess the interior design solutions of residential microflats built in large European cities in countries from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A sample consisting of thirty representative microflats with a floor area below 35 m2 was selected for the study. The flats were intended for either permanent or temporary occupancy and were built over the past fifteen years. The research field covered several large European cities, where demand for such units is high. Comparative analyses of different microflat interior design models were performed. The objective of the study was to determine which contemporary microflat interior design solutions (such as space layout, furniture layout, and design, color, and material design) are optimal and the most commonly used. Sets of design solutions applied in microflats were collected and documented. The study used a range of research methods, including a review of the literature, websites, field research, and comparative analysis. The set of presented interior design solutions and the conclusions drawn from the analyses can be useful to architects and interior designers who design microflats and residential units with greater floor areas, or flats where effective use of floor area is crucial (e.g., student housing). It is also worth mentioning that the existing literature on microflats focuses primarily on the United States and Australia and not Europe, and discusses the economics and ecology of inhabiting microflats.

SARS-CoV-2 Distribution in Residential Housing Suggests Contact Deposition and Correlates with Rothia sp

Monitoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on surfaces is emerging as an important tool for identifying past exposure to individuals shedding viral RNA. Our past work has demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) signals from surfaces can identify when infected individuals have touched surfaces such as Halloween candy, and when they have been present in hospital rooms or schools. However, the sensitivity and specificity of surface sampling as a method for detecting the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 positive individual, as well as guidance about where to sample, has not been established. To address these questions, and to test whether our past observations linking SARS-CoV-2 abundance to Rothia spp. in hospitals also hold in a residential setting, we performed detailed spatial sampling of three isolation housing units, assessing each sample for SARS-CoV-2 abundance by RT-qPCR, linking the results to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences to assess the bacterial community at each location and to the Cq value of the contemporaneous clinical test. Our results show that the highest SARS-CoV-2 load in this setting is on touched surfaces such as light switches and faucets, but detectable signal is present in many non-touched surfaces that may be more relevant in settings such as schools where mask wearing is enforced. As in past studies, the bacterial community predicts which samples are positive for SARS-CoV-2, with Rothia sp. showing a positive association.ImportanceSurface sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is increasingly being used to locate infected individuals. We tested which indoor surfaces had high versus low viral loads by collecting 381 samples from three residential units where infected individuals resided, and interpreted the results in terms of whether SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted directly (e.g. touching a light switch) or indirectly (e.g. by droplets or aerosols settling). We found highest loads where the subject touched the surface directly, although enough virus was detected on indirectly contacted surfaces to make such locations useful for sampling (e.g. in schools, where students do not touch the light switches and also wear masks so they have no opportunity to touch their face and then the object). We also documented links between the bacteria present in a sample and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, consistent with earlier studies.

Islamic Values in Muslim Housing Griya Sakinah Residence and Influence on the Behaviour of Its Residents

The development of housing that carries Islamic values has grown rapidly in the last 10 years in line with the increasing economic potential and awareness of Muslims to get a conducive environment for families, making developers build housing with Islamic concepts. This study aims to determine Islamic values that are embodied in the area, housing units and determine their influence on the behavior of its inhabitants. The research method used is descriptive analytical, namely revealing facts on objects in the present time. The results showed that the Griya Sakinah Muslim housing applied Islamic values to the area, facilities and housing units, namely the Hablumminallah in the form of a mosque which functions as a worship space and socialization space for residents of housing and local residents. The value of Hablumminannas is manifested in the construction of public facilities in the area and Hablumminalalamien is manifested in the construction of gardens in housing and the form of residential units with tropical architectural concepts in accordance with the local climate and environment. What has not been noticed is the value of death reminders in the form of tombs for residential residents. The new thing found in this study is the role of mosques to overcome social segregation in housing areas with cluster concept and further research needed about hijab in Islamic settlement.

Rehabilitation in advanced dementia through computer-assisted exergaming with Able-X: A collective case study

<p>Psychosocial interventions have been found to have similar outcomes as pharmacological interventions for people with dementia (PWD). Cognitive stimulation has been found to benefit cognition and there is evidence of self-reported quality of life (QOL) and wellbeing improvement in this population. However, little research has been carried out in exploring the association between QOL and computer-assisted exergaming in PWD. This study explored if a programme of computer-assisted exergaming interventions, utilising exergaming technology (Able-X), as an adjunct to existing activities and treatments, could deliver improvements in QOL, including cognitive and physical function for 10 people diagnosed with dementia. An ontological approach of social pragmatism, combined with interpretive epistemology, within a collective convergent parallel case study (CS) methodological design was used. The study was carried out in three aged care residential units in New Zealand (NZ) that catered for people with dementia. As far as possible the principle of errorless learning (EL) (Terrace, 1963) was applied to the gaming environment when utilising the Able-X gaming interface, which was not entirely errorless. EL is based on the principle that it is difficult for people with impaired memory to remember and correct errors made while trying to learn or relearn something. Pre-and post-gaming qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with lead care staff and the next of kin for each participant, health record review, observation of video footage of the gaming experiences and computer-generated exergaming scores. In addition, several quantitative measures were used: Mini-Mental State Examination-2-BV, Global Deterioration Scale, Functional Assessment Staging Test, Quality of Life–AD, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Rating Scale for Anxiety in Dementia. Data were generated over a 10-month period (excluding postscript comments). Data triangulation included application of the theoretical framework of ‘embodied selfhood’ (Kontos, 2003, 2004) to demonstrate participants’ agency through intentionality of individualistic bodily movements, gestures and a sentient affinity with the social environment, and through habitus of the social relational body that implicitly understands the socio-cultural ways of being-in-the-world. The analysis revealed five emergent themes and six novel concepts that lend themselves to further inquiry. The first three themes: ‘Sentient interaction with the social gaming environment’, ‘Initiation and gaming advancement in partnership’, and ‘Levels of gaming intentionality’, focused on the gaming environment, including gaming initiation, engagement and progress. The other two themes: ‘Hand-eye coordination’ and ‘Aspects of QOL’, evidenced the similarities and differences across each case in terms of the main findings. The key findings were significant improvements in hand-eye coordination, global QOL, and anxiety levels. Furthermore, cognitive scores improved for five participants and depression scores for seven participants, however, these improvements were not significant. In addition, there was qualitative evidence of enhanced motivation to re-engage in psychosocial social activities for all participants, improved behavioural symptoms of dementia for nine participants, enhanced communication for nine participants and enhanced functioning of skills relating to activities of daily living tasks for seven participants. This study demonstrated that improved hand-eye coordination and overall QOL were the results of computer-assisted exergaming with Able-X and EL strategies. Irrespective of the stage of dementia, significant benefits can be achieved through either solo or small group facilitated exergaming sessions.</p>

Rehabilitation in advanced dementia through computer-assisted exergaming with Able-X: A collective case study

<p>Psychosocial interventions have been found to have similar outcomes as pharmacological interventions for people with dementia (PWD). Cognitive stimulation has been found to benefit cognition and there is evidence of self-reported quality of life (QOL) and wellbeing improvement in this population. However, little research has been carried out in exploring the association between QOL and computer-assisted exergaming in PWD. This study explored if a programme of computer-assisted exergaming interventions, utilising exergaming technology (Able-X), as an adjunct to existing activities and treatments, could deliver improvements in QOL, including cognitive and physical function for 10 people diagnosed with dementia. An ontological approach of social pragmatism, combined with interpretive epistemology, within a collective convergent parallel case study (CS) methodological design was used. The study was carried out in three aged care residential units in New Zealand (NZ) that catered for people with dementia. As far as possible the principle of errorless learning (EL) (Terrace, 1963) was applied to the gaming environment when utilising the Able-X gaming interface, which was not entirely errorless. EL is based on the principle that it is difficult for people with impaired memory to remember and correct errors made while trying to learn or relearn something. Pre-and post-gaming qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with lead care staff and the next of kin for each participant, health record review, observation of video footage of the gaming experiences and computer-generated exergaming scores. In addition, several quantitative measures were used: Mini-Mental State Examination-2-BV, Global Deterioration Scale, Functional Assessment Staging Test, Quality of Life–AD, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Rating Scale for Anxiety in Dementia. Data were generated over a 10-month period (excluding postscript comments). Data triangulation included application of the theoretical framework of ‘embodied selfhood’ (Kontos, 2003, 2004) to demonstrate participants’ agency through intentionality of individualistic bodily movements, gestures and a sentient affinity with the social environment, and through habitus of the social relational body that implicitly understands the socio-cultural ways of being-in-the-world. The analysis revealed five emergent themes and six novel concepts that lend themselves to further inquiry. The first three themes: ‘Sentient interaction with the social gaming environment’, ‘Initiation and gaming advancement in partnership’, and ‘Levels of gaming intentionality’, focused on the gaming environment, including gaming initiation, engagement and progress. The other two themes: ‘Hand-eye coordination’ and ‘Aspects of QOL’, evidenced the similarities and differences across each case in terms of the main findings. The key findings were significant improvements in hand-eye coordination, global QOL, and anxiety levels. Furthermore, cognitive scores improved for five participants and depression scores for seven participants, however, these improvements were not significant. In addition, there was qualitative evidence of enhanced motivation to re-engage in psychosocial social activities for all participants, improved behavioural symptoms of dementia for nine participants, enhanced communication for nine participants and enhanced functioning of skills relating to activities of daily living tasks for seven participants. This study demonstrated that improved hand-eye coordination and overall QOL were the results of computer-assisted exergaming with Able-X and EL strategies. Irrespective of the stage of dementia, significant benefits can be achieved through either solo or small group facilitated exergaming sessions.</p>

The Wrong Side of the Tracks

<p>Christchurch was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on the 22 February 2011. The quake devastated the city, taking lives and causing widespread damage to the inner city and suburban homes. The central city lost over half its buildings and over 7000 homes were condemned throughout Christchurch. The loss of such a great number of homes has created the requirement for new housing to replace those that were lost. Many of which were located in the eastern, less affluent, suburbs. The response to the housing shortage is the planned creation of large scale subdivisions on the outskirts of the city. Whilst this provides the required housing it creates additional sprawl to a city that does not need it. The extension of Christchurch’s existing suburban sprawl puts pressure on roading and pushes residents further out of the city, creating a disconnection between them. Christchurch’s central city had a very small residential population prior to the earthquakes with very few options for dense inner city living. The proposed rebuild of the inner city calls for a new ‘dense, vibrant and diverse central hub’. Proposing the introduction of new residential units within the central city. However the placement of the low-rise housing in a key attribute of the rebuild, the eastern green ‘Frame’, diminishes its value as open green space. The proposed housing will also be restrictive in its target market and therefore the idea of a ‘vibrant’ inner city is difficult to achieve. This thesis acts as response to the planned rebuild of inner Christchurch. Proposing the creation of a model for inner city housing which provides an alternative option to the proposed housing and existing and ongoing suburban sprawl. The design options were explored through a design-led process were the options were critiqued and developed. The ‘final’ proposal is comprises of three tall towers, aptly named the Triple Towers, which condense the proposed low-rise housing from an 11000 square metre footprint to combined footprint of 1500 square metres. The result is an expansion of the publicly available green space along the proposed eastern frame of the city. The height of the project challenges the height restrictions and is provocative in its proposal and placement. The design explores the relationships between the occupants, the building, the ‘Frame’ and the central city. The project is discussed through an exploration of the architecture of Rem Koolhaas, Renzo Piano and Oscar Niemeyer. Rather than their architecture being taken as a direct influence on which the design is based the discussion revolves around how and why each piece of comparative architecture is relevant to the designs desired outcome.</p>

The Wrong Side of the Tracks

<p>Christchurch was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on the 22 February 2011. The quake devastated the city, taking lives and causing widespread damage to the inner city and suburban homes. The central city lost over half its buildings and over 7000 homes were condemned throughout Christchurch. The loss of such a great number of homes has created the requirement for new housing to replace those that were lost. Many of which were located in the eastern, less affluent, suburbs. The response to the housing shortage is the planned creation of large scale subdivisions on the outskirts of the city. Whilst this provides the required housing it creates additional sprawl to a city that does not need it. The extension of Christchurch’s existing suburban sprawl puts pressure on roading and pushes residents further out of the city, creating a disconnection between them. Christchurch’s central city had a very small residential population prior to the earthquakes with very few options for dense inner city living. The proposed rebuild of the inner city calls for a new ‘dense, vibrant and diverse central hub’. Proposing the introduction of new residential units within the central city. However the placement of the low-rise housing in a key attribute of the rebuild, the eastern green ‘Frame’, diminishes its value as open green space. The proposed housing will also be restrictive in its target market and therefore the idea of a ‘vibrant’ inner city is difficult to achieve. This thesis acts as response to the planned rebuild of inner Christchurch. Proposing the creation of a model for inner city housing which provides an alternative option to the proposed housing and existing and ongoing suburban sprawl. The design options were explored through a design-led process were the options were critiqued and developed. The ‘final’ proposal is comprises of three tall towers, aptly named the Triple Towers, which condense the proposed low-rise housing from an 11000 square metre footprint to combined footprint of 1500 square metres. The result is an expansion of the publicly available green space along the proposed eastern frame of the city. The height of the project challenges the height restrictions and is provocative in its proposal and placement. The design explores the relationships between the occupants, the building, the ‘Frame’ and the central city. The project is discussed through an exploration of the architecture of Rem Koolhaas, Renzo Piano and Oscar Niemeyer. Rather than their architecture being taken as a direct influence on which the design is based the discussion revolves around how and why each piece of comparative architecture is relevant to the designs desired outcome.</p>