scholarly journals Methodological approach for a sustainable management of water inflow and geothermal energy in tunnels

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Furno ◽  
Marco Barla ◽  
Antonio Dematteis ◽  
Stefano Lo Russo
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Water Inflow ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Tunnel Design

It is quite unusual to consider the exploitation of geothermal resources during at the tunnel design stage. This paper is intended to analyse the nature and the potential of the geothermal resources. These are essentially the hot or cold water inflow and the temperature of the surrounding ground itself. A methodological approach is proposed to face the problem, determine relevant information and estimate the attractiveness of the application. The approach is then applied to the case study of the metro line Dudullu-Bostanci in Istanbul, currently under design, by identifying a possible application of heat exchangers integrated into the tunnel lining and evaluating preliminarily the environmental and economical aspects.

scholarly journals Authority-Based Conversation Tracking in Twitter: An Unattended Methodological Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3273
Author(s):  
Marçal Mora-Cantallops ◽  
Salvador Sánchez-Alonso ◽  
Elena García-Barriocanal ◽  
Miguel-Ángel Sicilia
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
The Political ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
European Elections ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Previous Step

Twitter is undoubtedly one of the most widely used data sources to analyze human communication. The literature is full of examples where Twitter is accessed, and data are downloaded as the previous step to a more in-depth analysis in a wide variety of knowledge areas. Unfortunately, the extraction of relevant information from the opinions that users freely express in Twitter is complicated, both because of the volume generated—more than 6000 tweets per second—and the difficulties related to filtering out only what is pertinent to our research. Inspired by the fact that a large part of users use Twitter to communicate or receive political information, we created a method that allows for the monitoring of a set of users (which we will call authorities) and the tracking of the information published by them about an event. Our approach consists of dynamically and automatically monitoring the hottest topics among all the conversations where the authorities are involved, and retrieving the tweets in connection with those topics, filtering other conversations out. Although our case study involves the method being applied to the political discussions held during the Spanish general, local, and European elections of April/May 2019, the method is equally applicable to many other contexts, such as sporting events, marketing campaigns, or health crises.

scholarly journals Preventing Dampness Related Health Risks at the Design Stage of Buildings in Mediterranean Climates: A Cyprus Case Study

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Ugochukwu Elinwa ◽  
Cemil Atakara ◽  
Ifeoluwa Ojelabi ◽  
Abiola Abiodun
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Design Stage

scholarly journals Assessment of the photovoltaic potential at urban level based on 3D city models: A case study and new methodological approach

Solar Energy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 264-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Romero Rodríguez ◽  
Eric Duminil ◽  
José Sánchez Ramos ◽  
Ursula Eicker
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
3D City Models ◽  
Urban Level ◽  
City Models

scholarly journals Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4186
Author(s):  
Abdulhakeem Raji ◽  
Abeer Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

This paper adopted a case study approach to investigate the sustainability practices of a Scottish university in order to understand if sustainability forms part of its central policy agenda. As such, the paper focuses on the levels of awareness and disclosure of their sustainable practices, measuring the impacts and effectiveness of those initiatives. This paper introduces signaling theory to explore the idea that appropriate communication via integrated thinking can close the gap between the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that the provision of this relevant information will lead to better communication between the organization and its stakeholders, supporting a signaling theory interpretation. Therefore, we are suggesting that integrated thinking is an internal process that organizations can follow to increase the level of disclosure as a communication tool with stakeholders. From the literature reviewed, four themes were identified (definition of university sustainability, sustainability awareness, disclosure framework within universities, and level of accountability). The research adopted a pragmatic view and conducted individual interviews with participants belonging to three stakeholder groups (members of the university’s senior management, the governing council, and the student union executive). Although this study focused on just one Scottish university, it should still provide some insight for the better understanding of the underpinning issues surrounding the sustainability accountability practices of Scottish universities in general. The research findings indicated that the university prioritized only two sustainability dimensions—economic and environmental—and that the university still perceived sustainability as a voluntary exercise. Additionally, it is evident that the university had no framework in place for measuring its sustainability delivery—and therefore had no established medium of communicating these activities to its stakeholders. Moreover, research findings showed that the social and educational context of sustainability was lacking at the university. The university has done little or nothing to educate its stakeholders on sustainability.

scholarly journals Protection of Children in Difficulty in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Fang Zhao ◽  
Ning Zhu ◽  
Juha Hämäläinen
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Child Protection Services ◽  
The Media ◽  
Professional Systems ◽  
Depth Interviews

This study investigated the resilience of the Chinese child protection system in responding to the special needs of children in difficulty under the specific circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study applied qualitative document analysis of child protection administrative documents, in-depth interviews with 13 child protection professionals, and an in-depth case study of 14 children living in difficulty, complemented by relevant information available in the media. The results indicate that there are good policies in China’s child protection services but the organizational and functional fragmentation complicates implementation, suggesting a need for the development of bottom-up practices. The essential conclusion supported by these results is that the child protection system should be regarded and developed as a systematic project combining the legal, policymaking, and professional systems of child welfare services as well as governmental and non-governmental forces. As the COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of the need to develop the field of child protection holistically as an integrated system in terms of social sustainability in China, an international literature-based comparison indicates that the pandemic has also raised similar political awareness in other countries.

scholarly journals Sustainable Modularity Approach to Facilities Development Based on Geothermal Energy Potential

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2691
Author(s):  
Nataša Ćuković Ignjatović ◽  
Ana Vranješ ◽  
Dušan Ignjatović ◽  
Dejan Milenić ◽  
Olivera Krunić
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Pannonian Basin ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Different Temperatures

The study presented in this paper assessed the multidisciplinary approach of geothermal potential in the area of the most southeastern part of the Pannonian basin, focused on resources utilization. This study aims to present a method for the cascade use of geothermal energy as a source of thermal energy for space heating and cooling and as a resource for balneological purposes. Two particular sites were selected—one in a natural environment; the other within a small settlement. Geothermal resources come from different types of reservoirs having different temperatures and chemical compositions. At the first site, a geothermal spring with a temperature of 20.5 °C is considered for heat pump utilization, while at the second site, a geothermal well with a temperature of 54 °C is suitable for direct use. The calculated thermal power, which can be obtained from geothermal energy is in the range of 300 to 950 kW. The development concept was proposed with an architectural design to enable sustainable energy efficient development of wellness and spa/medical facilities that can be supported by local authorities. The resulting energy heating needs for different scenarios were 16–105 kW, which can be met in full by the use of geothermal energy.

scholarly journals Methods for conducting international Delphi surveys to optimise global participation in core outcome set development: a case study in gastric cancer informed by a comprehensive literature review

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Alkhaffaf ◽  
Jane M. Blazeby ◽  
Aleksandra Metryka ◽  
Anne-Marie Glenny ◽  
Ademola Adeyeye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Vascular Malformations ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Core Outcome Set ◽  
Core Outcome ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
International Participation

Abstract Background Core outcome sets (COS) should be relevant to key stakeholders and widely applicable and usable. Ideally, they are developed for international use to allow optimal data synthesis from trials. Electronic Delphi surveys are commonly used to facilitate global participation; however, this has limitations. It is common for these surveys to be conducted in a single language potentially excluding those not fluent in that tongue. The aim of this study is to summarise current approaches for optimising international participation in Delphi studies and make recommendations for future practice. Methods A comprehensive literature review of current approaches to translating Delphi surveys for COS development was undertaken. A standardised methodology adapted from international guidance derived from 12 major sets of translation guidelines in the field of outcome reporting was developed. As a case study, this was applied to a COS project for surgical trials in gastric cancer to translate a Delphi survey into 7 target languages from regions active in gastric cancer research. Results Three hundred thirty-two abstracts were screened and four studies addressing COS development in rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, vascular malformations and polypharmacy were eligible for inclusion. There was wide variation in methodological approaches to translation, including the number of forward translations, the inclusion of back translation, the employment of cognitive debriefing and how discrepancies and disagreements were handled. Important considerations were identified during the development of the gastric cancer survey including establishing translation groups, timelines, understanding financial implications, strategies to maximise recruitment and regulatory approvals. The methodological approach to translating the Delphi surveys was easily reproducible by local collaborators and resulted in an additional 637 participants to the 315 recruited to complete the source language survey. Ninety-nine per cent of patients and 97% of healthcare professionals from non-English-speaking regions used translated surveys. Conclusion Consideration of the issues described will improve planning by other COS developers and can be used to widen international participation from both patients and healthcare professionals.

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