Tind Technologies (Norway)
Hes-so: ArODES Open Archive (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland / Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale / FH Westschweiz)Not a member yet
15764 research outputs found
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Exploring te potential of hardwood for building construction to reduce embodied GHG emissions
No full textThis study investigates the potential of hardwood as a complementary structural material for reducing embodied greenhouse gas (eGHG) emissions in buildings, responding to the growing interest of substituting concrete. Historically, operational emissions have been significantly reduced through improved thermal insulation and renewable energy integration, shifting attention toward eGHG emissions. While softwood is chosen to replace concrete in structural applications, resource limitations restrict its scalability. This research quantitatively assesses hardwood as a complementary alternative. The methodology involves identifying representative building typologies in Switzerland from energy performance databases and selecting two contemporary objects as benchmark case studies. Life cycle assessments (LCA) of these buildings establish eGHG emissions benchmarks. Timber alternatives, employing both soft- and hardwood, are developed according to practical construction requirements, structural safety, serviceability (vibration control), and fire safety criteria. Comparative LCAs of these timber typologies, based on Swiss standards (SIA 2032 and KBOB database), quantify potential eGHG emission reductions in comparison to concrete construction. The results reveal that timber substitutions consistently lower eGHG emissions compared to concrete. Although hardwood generates 20-100% higher emissions at the element production level, due to its density and processing demands, building-level analyses demonstrate comparable eGHG emissions reductions for both timber types. Multi-box slab elements significantly outperform traditional joist construction in material efficiency, minimizing slab thickness and related building height. Furthermore, structural over-dimensioning for fire safety proves more environmentally advantageous than protection panels when fire safety requirements are limited. Overall, hardwood emerges as a credible solution to complement timber typologies, enabling substantial eGHG emission reductions
Exploring multidimensional trajectories in low back pain ::protocol for a longitudinal cohort study
No full textPredictable patterns of unpredictability ::a literature review of discretion in migration control
No full textMigration control policies are marked by contradictory policy goals set in a complex web of intersecting international, national, and local regulations. This grants significant discretion to frontline workers. Despite the extensive research undertaken on discretion in migration control, there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge on how discretionary practices are patterned across countries and policy domains, what consequences these patterns have for migrants’ lives and for receiving states’ capacity to govern. Based on a systematic review of 125 articles published between 2001 and 2024, this article addresses this gap. Our findings reveal widespread discretionary practices that vary by decision-making situation but share common patterns, such as frontline workers’ perceptions of migrant ‘deservingness’, institutionalized suspicion, and racialized biases. We offer the concept of ‘predictable unpredictability’ to theorize the dynamics of frontline discretion. Itcaptures how discretion produces arbitrary outcomes and can be used as a mode of state control which allows state authorities to govern migration without codifying discriminatory sorting mechanisms in formal policies. By this informalization of power, states can avoid responsibility for harmful outcomes of their migration policies, at the same time as the predictable unpredictability in decision-making offers liminal agency to migrants if they ‘play the game’ of migration control
Pushing the Borders of the “Culpable Conduct” Exception? MA and ZR v Cyprus (App. No.39090/20)
No full textAfter fleeing from Syria in 2016, MA and ZR settled in a refugee camp in Lebanon. In 2020, they boarded a boat bound for Cyprus where they planned to seek asylum. However, their boat was intercepted in the territorial waters of Cyprus by the coastguard. According to the applicants, the Cypriot officers ignored their pleadings for asylum and tricked them into boarding another ship that headed back to Lebanon. Before their expulsion, they were stranded on the boat for two days in high temperatures and without proper access to food, water, and hygiene facilities. The Cypriot Government’s account of the events differed: the applicants had never asked for asylum despite having such a possibility; they had been offered enough food and water as well as some hygiene products; and they had boarded the ship to Lebanon voluntarily
Numerical investigation of a wedge-sleeve connection for demountable steel structure
No full textThis study investigates the structural performance of a novel modular sleeve connection equipped with a wedge locking mechanism, developed to enhance the reusability of steel structures within a circular construction framework. Nonlinear finite element analyses were carried out in Abaqus to examine the baseline configuration, where the beam and column are joined through a prefabricated welded sleeve–wedge assembly. Two variants were evaluated: a reference model without stiffeners and a modified model reinforced with transverse stiffener plates. The results show that stress concentrations in the unstiffened model are primarily located at the sleeve corners, leading to localized yielding under increasing loads. The inclusion of stiffeners helps redistribute stresses and delays plastic strain development, though yielding remains confined within the joint. Practical considerations highlight limitations of the welded one-piece assembly, particularly with respect to fabrication tolerances and on-site adjustability. Despite these drawbacks, the findings demonstrate the potential of wedge-based sleeve connections for demountable steel structures and establish a foundation for further developments involving bolted, more modular configurations
Tai chi or cognitive behavioural therapy for treating insomnia in middle aged and older adults ::randomised non-inferiority trial
No full textObjective: To assess whether tai chi is non-inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the first line treatment, for managing chronic insomnia in middle aged and older adults. Design: Randomised, assessor masked, non-inferiority trial. Setting: A single research site in Hong Kong with participants recruited from the local community between 18 May 2020 and 14 July 2022. Participants: Chinese participants aged ≥50 years with chronic insomnia diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition.Interventions: Tai chi and CBT-I interventions were delivered in group format over three months, consisting of one hour sessions twice a week for a total of 24 sessions. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the change in perceived insomnia severity measured by the Insomnia Severity Index after the intervention (month 3) and at 12 month follow-up (month 15). To assess whether tai chi is non-inferior to CBT-I, a threshold of four points was used as the margin of non-inferiority. Results: 200 participants were randomised (1:1) to receive tai chi (n=100) or CBT-I (n=100). The per protocol principle was adopted. At month 3, the tai chi group showed a reduction of 6.67 (95% confidence interval 5.61 to 7.73) in Insomnia Severity Index scores, while the CBT-I group had a reduction of 11.19 (10.06 to 12.32), resulting in a between group difference of 4.52 (−∞ to 5.81). Tai chi was deemed inferior to CBT-I at month 3 because the upper confidence limit exceeded the non-inferiority margin. At month 15, the reductions for tai chi and CBT-I were 9.51 (8.47 to 10.54) and 10.18 (8.97 to 11.40), respectively, with a between group difference of 0.68 (−∞ to 2.00). At this point, tai chi was considered non-inferior to CBT-I because the upper confidence limit fell within the non-inferiority margin. Results from the intention-to-treat analysis were consistent with the per protocol findings. No adverse events occurred during the intervention period. Conclusion: Tai chi was inferior to CBT-I at month 3 but non-inferior at month 15. This finding supports the use of tai chi as an alternative approach for the long term management of chronic insomnia in middle aged and older adults
