34575 research outputs found
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Exploring the application of heritage building information modelling (HBIM) for heritage conservation: insights from industry practitioners
No full textHeritage or Historic BIM (HBIM), a specialised application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the preservation and management of historic buildings, offers transformational opportunities for the heritage conservation sectors. However, this has not been fully explored, with HBIM applications mostly used as mere archival documentation for heritage architecture. As such, this study proposes to investigate the opportunities and challenges in adopting HBIM in preserving and managing heritage buildings. The study adopts a qualitative research strategy comprising literature review and expert interviews to explore the perspective of heritage conservation stakeholders on HBIM. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify the current state of HBIM adoption, its benefits, and its challenges. Findings reveal that while HBIM offers significant opportunities, such as improved archival documentation, visualisation, and maintenance planning, its adoption remains limited due to high costs, lack of expertise, and resistance to new technologies. This study acts as a reference point illuminating the need for increased awareness, training, and investment in HBIM to fully harness its potential, positioning it as a crucial tool for the sustainable management of heritage assets. This study originality is in its primary focus on HBIM, an application that has been under explored unlike BIM
Light Behind Bars: How light impacts mental health in prisons
No full textPurpose:
This paper synthesises literature on non-visual effects of light in prison environments, drawing attention to the disconnect between research evidence and current practices. It aims to guide prison designers and decision-makers toward lighting strategies that better support inmates' mental health and rehabilitation.
Methodology/Approach:
A focused literature search was conducted from June to October 2024 using Google Scholar and PubMed, targeting peer-reviewed studies published between 1985 and 2024. Included studies addressed the non-visual effects of light related to circadian rhythm, mental health, artificial and natural lighting, stress, aggression, and hormonal regulation. Only English-language studies providing empirical or theoretical insights relevant to confinement settings were considered. Studies focused solely on visual performance, non-human subjects, or lacking health implications were excluded. Keyword combinations were refined iteratively, though some relevant interdisciplinary work may have been missed due to indexing or terminological variations.
Findings:
Neglecting the role of lighting in prison design contributes to poor psychological outcomes. Limited access to daylight and the overuse of artificial lighting with high blue light content disrupt circadian regulation, worsening sleep, mood, and mental health. Conversely, designs that maximise daylight exposure and use adjustable artificial lighting with appropriate spectral qualities can promote emotional stability, reduce aggression, and support rehabilitation.
Original Value
This paper bridges the gap between lighting design, environmental psychology, and prison reform. By focusing on how light affects inmates' psychological health and rehabilitation, it offers insights into how prison design can be improved to foster well-being
Engage 2 D5.25 Engage 2 Open Science - Interim Report
No full textThis interim report presents the progress of Open Science implementation in the Engage 2 project (Task 5.6). In line with the Engage 2 Open Science Strategy (D5.24) and the H2020 OSCAR Code of Conduct, the consortium has advanced work across the seven core pillars of Open Science: open access, open data, open source, open methodology, open peer review, open educational resources, and citizen science. Key achievements include the launch of the Open Science tracking tool, the implementation of a stakeholder survey on open data, the expansion of the Engage Wiki as a central hub, and the publication of the first Diamond Open Access article. Awareness-raising activities during workshops have further supported community engagement, with strong interest in the planned Open Science Alliance (75% of survey respondents willing to join). While several practices remain at an early stage, the consortium has laid the foundations for broader adoption. This report also defines measurable targets and timelines for each pillar, providing clear direction for the next phase and supporting the overall aim of building a transparent, collaborative, and reproducible Air Traffic Management (ATM) research ecosystem
Development of a highly degenerate primer-based molecular tool for detecting and classifying the four major classes of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC) genes in bacteria
No full textPolyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC) gene encodes for PHA synthase enzyme which plays a key role in PHA
polymerisation. To screen, unknown bacterial strains for their potential to produce PHAs, the presence of phaC
gene is essential. Currently published primer sets targeting phaC gene are inadequate and often work only for
well-studied genera (e.g., Pseudomonas, Cupriavidus). Few studies validate them in vitro, even fewer use degenerate
primers to address phaC sequence diversity, and many fail to target all four phaC classes. In this study, nine novel
highly degenerate primers were designed using the HYDEN (HighlY DEgeNerate) tool. The design included 65
phaC gene sequences from class I, 10 from class II, 19 from class III, 30 from class III/IV, and 6 from class IV, carefully selected as a representative sample size to capture the variations among bacterial strains and phaC sequences. The primer specificity was then assessed in silico with De-MetaST-BLAST against all known phaC sequences in the NCBI
database. This was followed by in vitro screening of seven bacterial strains known to express the four major classes
of phaC genes and 15 novel marine bacterial strains in which phaC presence were unknown. Seven strains—
namely Halomonas alkaliphila DINO, Marinobacter sp. MB2, Halomonas profundus NQ7, Halomonas titanicae MC2,
Bacillus pacificus C4, Bacillus pacificus B4 and Bacillus mycoides B12 tested positive. All 15 strains were subjected to nutrient limiting growth conditions to assess PHA production with results confirming molecular screening. This
study demonstrates the successful development and validation of a highly degenerate primer-based molecular
screening tool capable of detecting and differentiating the four major classes of phaC genes in well-known non-marine and novel marine PHA-storing bacteria
Free Banking Stablecoins
No full textMonetary policy and central banks faced significant challenges in recent decades, like the Great Recession and the 2008–2009 financial crisis, and the Global Inflation Surge of 2021–2022. The introduction of blockchain technology triggered major financial innovations. Nevertheless, the adoption of digital currencies and stablecoins in particular has been limited and does not have wide and everyday use, like national currencies. To understand non-national currency usage better, we examine free banking in Scotland and the U.S., and specifically note issuance. Lessons from these periods suggest the importance of reserves and coordination mechanisms. Based on these free banking cases, we propose that banks and corporations should have the freedom to issue their own stablecoins. More specifically, we examine the freedom for regulated banks to issue their own stablecoins in a competitive environment, learning from historical precedents how to manage such a system. Free banking stablecoins could provide significant benefits, especially in countries with unstable monetary systems, like emerging economies. Such benefits can range from better monetary policy, inflation targeting, and stability, to a broader range of innovative financial markets and services that can contribute towards entrepreneurship, investments, and economic development. Citizens, entrepreneurs, and domestic and foreign investors can gain from these benefits. At the same time, the banking sector and financial institutions can maintain an important role and further expand and develop by offering innovative financial services in an evolving and challenging environment due to financial technology and disintermediation. Finally, governments and central banks could also benefit from increased financial inclusion, higher economic growth and development, but also from more competition and financial stability, and from financial innovation and technology services
The Syrian Diaspora in Germany After Assad
No full textSome refugees may return to Syria because they want to live there again. But many won’t—for the same reasons many refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe didn’t after World War II
The Berlin International Film Festival in a Time of Crisis
No full textDuring the Berlinale’s 75th anniversary, it felt like the world was coming apart—but at least we had the 'borderless realm' of film
Flying there? Challenges in accessible air travel in Europe
No full textThis chapter considers accessible transport, focusing on air transport which is the most important transport mode for modern day international tourists. Moreover, the air travel journey is crucial for tourism as it is usually the first and last experience of the tourist. Focusing on Europe, the chapter argues that there is a lack of holistic approach to accessible air travel with a need for a more all-embracing attitude to the planning and regulation of the provision of accessible air travel services, and with a requirement for better co-ordination and integration with the different stakeholders involved.
After identifying the importance of air travel to tourism, starting from a tourist perspective, both hidden and non-hidden disabilities within the context of air travellers are examined. The challenges and constraints faced by this heterogeneous group are identified, particularly in relation to the overall tourism experience and barriers to travel. This is followed by an examination of current air transport regulations and standards governing the provision of accessible services focusing within Europe, (the EU and the UK), and the challenges confronting passengers.
Using this as the context, the chapter brings together evidence through primary research and key secondary studies undertaken from the perspective of different stakeholders and highlights the current gaps and weaknesses in the planning and provision of services. The focus is on the whole passenger journey (getting to and from the airport, the airport experience, the airline experience) which often has been neglected in previous research where the emphasis is too narrow and considered just from a passenger, airline or airport viewpoint. These findings identify the challenges facing passengers with reduced mobilities when air travel is delivered compartmentally, and how providing a holistic air travel journey that is fully accessible and inclusive creates an overall positive tourist experience
Urinary Extracellular Vesicle Signatures as Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Patients
No full textUrinary extracellular vesicles (U-EVs) are gaining increasing interest as non-invasive liquid biopsy tools for clinical use. Prostate cancer (PCa) is amongst the highest cancer-related cause of death in men, and therefore, the identification of non-invasive robust biomarkers is of high importance. This study assessed U-EV profiles from individuals affected by PCa at Gleason scores 6–9, compared with healthy controls. U-EVs were characterised and assessed for proteomic cargo content by LC-MS/MS analysis. The U-EV proteomes were compared for enrichment of gene ontology (GO), KEGG, and Reactome pathways, as well as disease–gene associations. U-EVs ranged in size from 50 to 350 nm, with the majority falling within the 100–200 nm size range for all groups. U-EV protein cargoes from the PCa groups differed significantly from healthy controls, with 16 protein hits unique to the GS 6–7 and 88 hits to the GS 8–9 U-EVs. Pathway analysis showed increased enrichment in the PCa U-EVs of biological process GO (5 and 37 unique to GS 6–7 and GS 8–9, respectively), molecular function GO (3 and 6 unique to GS 6–7 and GS 8–9, respectively), and cellular component GO (10 and 22 unique to GS 6–7 and GS 8–9, respectively) pathways. A similar increase was seen for KEGG pathways (11 unique to GS 8–9) and Reactome pathways (102 unique to GS 8–9). Enrichment of disease–gene associations was also increased in the PCa U-EVs, with highest differences for the GS 8–9 U-EVs (26 unique terms). The pathway enrichment in the PCa U-EVs was related to several key inflammatory, cell differentiation, cell adhesion, oestrogen signalling, and infection pathways. Unique GO and KEGG pathways enriched for the GS 8–9 U-EVs were associated with cell–cell communication, immune and stress responses, apoptosis, peptidase activity, antioxidant activity, platelet aggregation, mitosis, proteasome, mRNA stability oxytocin signalling, cardiomyopathy, and several neurodegenerative diseases. Our findings highlight U-EVs as biomarkers to inform disease pathways in prostate cancer patients and offer a non-invasive biomarker tool for clinical use