Energy Market in the Post-COVID-19 World

The objective of this chapter was to structurally model the high priority factors in the face of the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 on the energy market. The method was based on interpretive structural modeling, and the matrix of crossed impacts multiplication was applied to classification. A model of 12 factors structured hierarchically in six levels is proposed in which consumption preferences, regulatory and normative modifications, political restrictions, and planning strategies have the greatest influence on the energy market from the perspective of China. As a result of this, it is suggested to move towards greater participation of public and private actors in renewable energy vectors.

Literacy Development in L1 in Bilingual Education

This chapter explores literacy development in the mother tongue (L1) in bilingual education programs. To explore the impact of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on literacy development in L1, a large-scale study was conducted in a monolingual autonomous community (Castilla-La Mancha) located in central Spain. Scores obtained by CLIL and non-CLIL (n=4,231) learners aged 9-10 in a writing task and in a reading comprehension test were compared. Results showed CLIL was not detrimental for literacy development in L1, since no significant differences were detected between both groups in their overall proficiency in written production and reading comprehension. However, a differential achievement was observed depending on the type of instruction CLIL/non-CLIL in some areas. Significant differences were observed in favour of CLIL students in receptive vocabulary, expressive richness and spelling, whereas the non-CLIL group was ahead in critical reading, planning strategies, and use of text typologies.

The Basics of Developing an Alternative Concept for Commercial and Military Vehicle Operation (Random Strategy)

The efficiency of commercial automobiles and wheeled military vehicles mainly depends on the choice of maintenance (M) and current repair (CR) concept. In the paper the difficulties of adapting the (M) and (CR) planning strategies to the structural characteristics of modern transport facilities are pointed out. The advantages of using the (M) and (CR) random strategy for transport facilities based on the stochastic nature of failures and malfunctions are substantiated. Considering the failures and malfunctions as random values and identifying the patterns of their distribution based on γ percentage resources, it is proposed to develop a list of regulated maintenance and repair work, periodicity and labor intensity based on a random strategy, which will increase the efficiency of preserving the technical resource of the rolling stock throughout the entire life cycle of the vehicle.

The influence of weather on fatal accidents in Austrian mountains

Projections of warmer global temperatures in fast approaching time horizons warrant planning strategies for reducing impacts on human morbidity and mortality. This study sought to determine whether increases in temperature and other changes in weather indices impacted rates of fatal accidents occurring in the popular mountainous regions of Austria with the purpose of improving mountain prevention and accident mitigation strategies. The study was based on the merging of 3285 fatal outdoor accidents reported by the Austrian Alpine Safety Board for the period 2006 to 2018 with daily meteorological data from 43 nearby climate stations during the same period. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the odds of one or more fatal accidents per station and day with weather indices as predictors, controlling for weekend effects bringing more visitors to the mountains. Separate prediction models were performed for summer and winter activities, as well as for specific disciplines. Even after adjustment for concomitant effects impacting mountain fatal accidents, the daily weather indices of temperature, relative humidity, global radiation, cloudiness, snow cover and precipitation were statistically significantly associated with fatal accident risk. In particular, a one-degree Celsius increase in temperature was associated with a 13% increase in odds of a mountain biking accident in the summer and a 8% increase in odds of a mountain suicide in the winter. An increase in global radiation by 1 kWh/m2 was associated with a 11% and 28% increase in fatal accident odds for mountaineering in the summer and touring in the winter, respectively.

Impact of task preparedness on L2 oral performance and strategy use

The present study sets out to explore the effects of pre-task planning and unpressured on-line planning on L2 learners’ oral performance and their choices of planning strategies in a dialogic task condition. Forty-eight intermediate Chinese EFL learners were invited to perform the task and were then assigned to four groups, each with a different planning condition. Complexity, accuracy, and fluency of their oral production were measured. Results indicated that in the dialogic task condition, unpressured on-line planning raised syntactic complexity. Strikingly, pre-task planning did not improve L2 performance in all dimensions. Additionally, a trade-off effect was found between complexity and accuracy. Retrospective interviews were conducted to explore strategies employed by the participants and their perceptions of task preparedness. Results showed that the participants preferred to use metacognitive strategies and social/affective strategies in the dialogic task. Both advantages and limitations were identified by the participants regarding different planning conditions.

A Relative Study of Contemporary Residential Landscape Architecture: From the Local to the Global Aspect

The location of residential quarters has a deep connection with the pattern of everyday life. It is not always significant for social activities; however, it is the main component in city planning. Along with the improvement of the society and economy, the landscape of residences is likewise changing. This paper aims to discuss the planning strategies of residential landscape from a socio-technical perceptive. A diverse approach was implemented for collecting data due to the uncertain situation around the world because of COVID19 including personal archival data, LDA authority, building regulations, research articles and interviews. The variables adapted for the current research are: drift from outdoor spaces to indoor spaces, orientation of design and spatial layout and practices diffusion. The study suggests that the dynamics of space and practices can normalize the unsustainable arrangements rooted in social organizations. The increased consumption of electrical appliances and specification of spaces has changed the culture into an unsuitable indoor layout planning and has neglected the use of outdoor areas in contemporary societies. This study can help to bring the implementation of house planning into a broader perspective globally as there is a comparison drawn between the local and international landscaped signing by a renowned landscape architect "Geoffrey Bawa". Keywords: architecture, contemporary and landscape, open spaces, orientation, residential planning

Streams’ and Springs’ Biophysical Dynamics as Structuring Elements of Future Urban Development: Systemic Strategies for Spatial Planning - A Case Study in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

Historically, water bodies were gradually conditioned by unsustainable spatial planning practices, which led to conflicting and fragmented relationships between urban development and water dynamics. Streams and springs are more vulnerable to urban interventions and less identified as protagonists of urban structuring than rivers. However, they present the potential to guide urban development regarding their broad capillarity, easy manipulation and close relationship with urban fabrics, especially in developing country fast-urbanisation reality. Also, there is a demand for more holistic and practical approaches regarding water dynamics and urban development alternatives that can add value to water-centred initiatives focused on water management. This article proposes a methodological framework focused on formulating systemic spatial planning strategies (land-use and urban design guidelines) based on streams’ and springs’ spatially and functionally biophysical dynamics as structuring elements of future urban development towards composing one urban-eco system. The following principles guide the planning strategies: a) to guarantee water dynamics whole functioning as constraints to urban land-use definition; b) to promote potential functional and spatial integration between the urban fabric and water bodies that guide the configuration of urban fabrics according to the whole functioning of water dynamics. The spatial planning strategies show the potential to be systematically applied throughout a city, systemically addressing and integrating water dynamics and urban development issues towards a more sustainable and resilient reality, on a broader scale perspective and not only on-site symptoms.