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Energy and economic analysis of Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) used in non-domestic buildings
Get PDFThe potential savings in space heating energy from the installation of Fumed Silica (FS) and Glass Fibre (GF) Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) were compared to conventional expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation for three different non-domestic buildings situated in London (UK). A discounted payback period analysis was used to determine the time taken for the capital cost of installing the insulation to be recovered. VIP materials were ranked using cost and density indexes. The methodology of the Payback analysis carried out considered the time dependency of VIP thermal performance, fuel prices and rental income from buildings. These calculations show that VIP insulation reduced the annual space heating energy demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 10.2%, 41.3% and 26.7% for a six storey office building, a two floor retail unit building and a four storey office building respectively. FS VIPs had the shortest payback period among the insulation materials studied, ranging from 2.5 years to 17 years, depending upon the rental income of the building. For GF VIPs the calculated payback period was considerably longer and in the case of the typical 4 storey office building studied its cost could not be recovered over the life time of the building. For EPS insulation the calculated payback period was longer than its useful life time for all three buildings. FS VIPs were found to be economically viable for installation onto non-domestic buildings in high rental value locations assuming a lifespan of up to 60 years
Sprint start kinetics of amputee and non-amputee sprinters
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the forces applied to the starting blocks and the start performances (SPs) of amputee sprinters (ASs) and non-amputee sprinters (NASs). SPs of 154 male and female NASs (100-m personal records [PRs], 9.58–14.00 s) and 7 male ASs (3 unilateral above knee, 3 unilateral below knee, 1 bilateral below knee; 100 m PRs, 11.70–12.70 s) with running specific prostheses (RSPs) were analysed during full-effort sprint starts using instrumented starting blocks that measured the applied forces in 3D. Using the NAS dataset and a combination of factor analysis and multiple regression techniques, we explored the relationship between force characteristics and SP (quantified by normalized average horizontal block power). Start kinetics were subsequently compared between ASs and NASs who were matched based on their absolute 100 m PR and their 100 m PR relative to the world record in their starting class. In NASs, 86% of the variance in SP was shared with five latent factors on which measured parameters related to force application to the rear and front blocks and the respective push-off directions in the sagittal plane of motion were loaded. Mediolateral force application had little influence on SP. The SP of ASs was significantly reduced compared to that of NASs matched on the basis of relative 100-m PR (−33.8%; d = 2.11, p < 0.001), while a non-significant performance reduction was observed when absolute 100-m PRs were used (−17.7%; d = 0.79, p = 0.09). These results are at least partially explained by the fact that force application to the rear block was clearly impaired in the affected legs of ASs
Developing future facing graduates through innovative and challenging real world live projects
Get PDFThis paper will convey the iteration and student-centred impact of the ‘Real World Project’, a final year
interdisciplinary live project undertaken by students from the BA Graphic communication programme
within Cardiff School of Art and Design. ‘Real World’ provides students with opportunities to
creatively respond to a real world brief and to engage directly with clients. In 2015, Real World
challenged the students to communicate issues emerging from the Future Generations Act through
involvement with the Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales organisation. They worked in teams that included
design industry mentors and undertook responsibility for project management through time critical
milestones and deliverables.
We use the example of Real World to provoke a wider discussion about the role of live projects within
evolving political, social and pedagogical contexts. Whereas the typical live project is intended to afford
students the opportunities to solve problems through an experience that simulates the creative
industry, here we offer a viewpoint that considers the agency of the student in shaping the future
sustainability of the design profession
Securing the well-being and engagement of construction workers: an initial appraisal of the evidence
Get PDFConstruction sites pose unique challenges for employers who are seeking to develop
interventions to improve outcomes for workers. The contractors who constructed the
infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic Games were encouraged by the client
organisation to actively engage their workers and promote their well-being. This
paper examines how scholarly research has approached well-being and engagement in
the construction industry. A literature review identified a total of 21 papers that have
examined either well-being or engagement in construction and only a single paper
examined both subjects. There has been very limited research into this area. The
existing papers highlight a number of gaps which could be filled through future
research. The concept of well-being in construction is poorly defined and
predominantly focuses on stress and work-life balance. There is a lack of clarity or
certainty about whether and how some of the recommendations for improving wellbeing can be realistically implemented in construction, such as giving workers more
flexible working arrangements. It is also unclear what specific benefits construction
companies, and their clients, could expect to see from engagement or well-being
strategies. Consequently, it is currently difficult to make a convincing business case
or plan for the introduction of well-being or engagement strategies in construction.
Nonetheless, there is evidence that engagement and well-being strategies can improve
outcomes for individual construction workers and professionals, such as maintaining
or improving health or promoting safety or skills development. Many of the practices
that engage individuals also promote well-being: They do not need to be approached
as completely separate issues. The extant research suggests that construction
companies could usefully review; how they allocate and use resources on projects; the
leadership and coaching skills of site managers; how workers can influence the
planning of their work, and; their human resources procedures
Chemoreceptor responsiveness at sea level does not predict the pulmonary pressure response to high altitude
Get PDFThe hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) at sea level (SL) is moderately predictive of the
change in pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) to acute normobaric hypoxia. However, because of
progressive changes in the chemoreflex control of breathing and acid-base balance at high altitude (HA),
HVR at SL may not predict PASP at HA. We hypothesized that resting peripheral oxyhemoglobin
saturation (SpO2) at HA would correlate better than HVR at SL to PASP at HA. In 20 participants at SL,
we measured normobaric, isocapnic HVR (L/min·-%SpO2
-1) and resting PASP using echocardiography.
Both resting SpO2 and PASP measures were repeated on day 2 (n=10), days 4-8 (n=12), and 2-3 weeks
(n=8) after arrival at 5050m. These data were also collected at 5050m on life-long HA residents (Sherpa;
n=21). Compared to SL, SpO2 decreased from 98.6 to 80.5% (P<0.001), while PASP increased from
21.7 to 34.0mmHg (P<0.001) after 2-3 weeks at 5050m. Isocapnic HVR at SL was not related to SpO2
or PASP at any time point at 5050m (all P>0.05). Sherpa had lower PASP (P<0.01) than lowlanders on
days 4-8 despite similar SpO2. Upon correction for hematocrit, Sherpa PASP was not different from
lowlanders at SL, but lower than lowlanders at all HA time points. At 5050m, whilst SpO2 was not
related to PASP in lowlanders at any point (all R2=0.50), there was a weak relationship in the
Sherpa (R2=0.16; P=0.07). We conclude that neither HVR at SL nor resting SpO2 at HA correlates with
elevations in PASP at HA
Doping as addiction: disorder and moral responsibility
Get PDFD’Angelo and Tamburrini invited readers to consider doping in sport as a health issue and dopers as potential addicts who need therapy rather than offenders who need punishing. The issue of addiction in sport is important and very much under researched. In this essay I explore the extent to which addiction can be justifiably used as an excuse for offending behaviour. The favoured argument is that addicts experience a craving or compulsion to use over which they have no control. I argue that there is insufficient evidence that addicts experience such compulsion. Although it seems science is unravelling some of the mysteries of addiction, it has not provided sufficient evidence that addictive consumption amounts to compulsive use. Nevertheless, it is clear that addicts do have difficulty with controlling their use and such difficulties ought to be considered in any judgements about moral responsibility. This does not mean that rules or laws including anti-doping legislation should be altered because not all those who fall foul are addicted. Moreover, accepting responsibility and punishment for the consequences of their actions (including anti-doping rules) is an important part of therapy for addicts
‘I found out the hard way’: Micro-political workings in professional football
Get PDFThis paper examines the micro-political experiences of Adam (a pseudonym), a newly appointed fitness coach at a Football Association Premier League Club, in his search for acceptance by senior colleagues. Data were collected through a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, before being subject to a process of inductive analysis. Goffman’s (1959, 1963) writings on impression management and stigma, Ball’s (1987) micro-political perspective, and Garfinkel’s (1967) notion of status degradation are primarily utilised to make sense of Adam’s perceptions and actions. The findings point to the value of developing coaches’ micro-political understandings, and of including their formal facilitation within given professional preparation programmes. Doing so, it is argued, would better equip coaches for the problematic realities of their practice
Momentum in US Open men’s singles tennis
Get PDFMost of the research in racket sports has focussed on point outcomes rather than point sequences and other events that may trigger positive or negative momentum. Therefore, the purpose of the current investigation was to determine if point outcome in US Open men’s singles tennis matches is associated with (a) the outcomes of the previous one, two or three points and (b) events within previous points such as aces, double faults, winners and errors. A further purpose was to investigate whether the outcomes of service games were significantly associated with the outcomes of the receiving and next serving games that followed. Ninety player performances from 45 US Open men’s singles matches were analysed as a sample and individually. The outcomes of the previous 1 to 3 points within service games had no significant influence on the outcome of the current point (p > 0.291). Where breaks of serve had been achieved despite the server having game points, the player breaking serve was significantly more likely to hold serve in the next game (100% v 74%, p < 0.001). The investigation suggests that momentum effects different players in different ways which has implications for coaching and psychological support for tennis players
Changes in joint kinetics during learning the longswing on high bar
Get PDFBiomechanics helps us understand the association between technique changes and performance improvement during learning. The aim of this research was to investigate joint kinetic characteristics of technique during learning of the longswing on the high bar. Twelve male, novice participants took part in the learning study. During swing attempts in 8 weekly testing sessions, kinematic data were collected. Inverse dynamics analysis was performed from known zero forces at the toes to quantify joint moments and power at the hips and shoulders. Key biomechanical constraints that limited performance outcome were identified based on changes in joint kinetics during learning. These constraints were the ability to perform a large shoulder power and to overcome passive kinetics acting during the downswing. Constraints to action at the level of joint kinetics differentially challenge learners and therefore could underpin more individual, specific learning interventions. Functional phases, defined by maximum hyperextension to flexion of the hips and maximum flexion to extension of the shoulders, did not describe the key joint kinetics of the hip and shoulder for novices. The functional phases may serve however to identify novices that were unable to overcome the passive kinetic constraint