1,721,441 research outputs found
Agent-based modeling for studying the choices of households in Switzerland
No full textHousing plays a fundamental role in the transition towards a more sustainable society. In Switzerland, the unbalanced relationship between environmental, economic and social factors manifests itself in the current market trends of rental apartments, where data show a discrepancy between demand and supply. In fact, the impossibility for the supply to actively anticipate the change in tenants’ housing preferences often results in residential redistribution and new demand pressure. In this context, we have identified the following gaps: (i) Supply responds to the fast change in society (e.g., new family’s structure, lifestyles and comfort levels) with short-term satisfactory solutions. However, their long-term impact leads to a mismatch with the future evolving demand. In fact, the lack of understanding of system dynamics often causes actors to react to the system’s outputs, and to neglect the structure responsible for a specific behavior. Understanding the system structure is key to recognizing patterns, and to propose sustainable solutions accordingly. Therefore, studying the way tenants make decisions concerning their residential mobility is fundamental to design scenarios based on the system’s dynamics and to provide support for policy-makers, practitioners and households. (ii) Research on residential mobility and location choices is often fragmented in disciplinary silos, prioritizing the role played by housing characteristics (e.g., size, location, view) as determinants of decisions for the selection of a new dwelling. However, going beyond disciplinary fragmentation, housing function can be considered as the most crucial determinant of the system’s dynamics. Considering the lack of interdisciplinary and systemic approaches to housing and the related difficulty of the sector to predict and adapt to changing needs while providing sustainable solutions, the research aims to develop a model representing the way households take decisions concerning their residential situation. This allows to evaluate and propose measures supporting the transition towards housing sustainability in Switzerland. To fulfill this goal, a conceptual framework is developed, representing the factors influencing tenants’ decisions to move and where to move. From the framework, decision-making rules are derived, which allow for developing an Agent-Based Model (ABM) simulating tenants’ relocation decisions. To run the model, quantitative data on buildings and households are gathered from the database of our three partners: the cooperatives SCHL and ABZ and the insurer and asset manager Swiss Mobiliar. With the support of the qualitative findings of two Group Discussions with our partners’ tenants in Vaud and Zurich, we will conduct a large survey. Its results will feed into the model allowing, together with the behavioral rules, for simulating the interplay between households and dwellings. The Agent-Based Model of households’ residential decisions will feed an interdisciplinary collaborative model including social, economic and environmental factors as well as demand and supply requirements. The resulting baseline scenario will be used for the simulation of policy changes and the identification of new paths for the transition towards a more sustainable housing. These paths will be developed and assessed with a transdisciplinary approach involving our three partners and the Federal Housing Office, with the aim to propose a set of agreed policy recommendations for property owners as well as cantonal and federal authorities.HERU
Rethinking Urban metabolism for an optimized waste management in the Global South
No full textThis research aims to analyse how urban landscape patterns and stakeholders’ modus operandi relate to the way plastic waste circulate within a city. This allows for rethinking Urban Metabolism to include spatial variations and drivers that govern waste flow within the city.HERU
Case Report. Mixed systemic mycosis with fatal outcome in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukaemia
No full textFungal infections represent an increasing problem in immunocompromised patients. The majority of cases are caused by one single fungal pathogen and infections with more than one fungus are very rare. Here we describe a case of combined infection with Aspergillus and a zygomycete species, involving the lungs, spleen and the brain and leading to fatal outcome in spite of early antimycotic therapy
Diffusion of integrated energy management systems in Switzerland: A qualitative approach to uncover the role of supply and demand side information networks
No full textThe diffusion of renewable energy technologies is essential to advance the energy transition. With the Energy Strategy 2050, Switzerland aims to increase energy efficiency and decentralized renewable energy production. Energy Management Systems (EMS), by balancing energy production and consumption levels, are key to address these goals. However, even if those technologies are ready for deployment, they are not being widely adopted by the users. Besides users’ economic or ecological motivation to adopt, information exchange among people influences the adoption and is key to bridge this gap. Our work focuses on the diffusion of EMS integrating photovoltaics and e-mobility in Switzerland. The main goal is to understand the actor and information networks on the supply and demand side, and between them. We aim to identify key actors, communication channels and leverage factors to promote EMS, also focusing on proximity effects. This paper presents preliminary results of qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with EMS supply (18) and demand (21) side actors in 4 case-study regions: Solothurn, St. Gallen, Vaud, Ticino. The results show that energy utilities, energy technology providers, associations, engineers, architects, and institutional investors occupy a unique position to connect supply and demand and have an untapped potential to promote EMS. While social and geographical proximity seems to play a role for information exchange, the need to increase cohesiveness, partnerships between actors, and coordinating roles is identified. Interpersonal communication channels seem to be highly relevant, while mass media appears to play an ambiguous role. The quality and cohesiveness of information is key to promoting EMS, supported by the infrastructural context, clear and flexible energy legislation, and a straightforward business model. These results give insights into current actor landscapes enabling to derive recommendations to promote EMS in Switzerland.HERU
Sustainability Assessment of Urban Systems
No full textOur world is becoming more and more urban. Already, about 50% of the population lives in cities posing new challenges for sustainable development. What does sustainability mean in the context of living in a city? This book provides guidelines for sustainability assessment of urban systems to be used by experts and policy makers alike. We integrate theory and methods around sustainability assessment with concepts of systems science. We present and discuss already employed concepts of sustainability assessment and new ways of conceptualizing sustainability assessment issues in urban settings around the world. The book highlights the need to find models and solutions in order to design the sustainable cities of the future in light of the complexity of urban social life. It further presents different aspects of urban sustainability from energy to housing, to mobility and health covering social, economic and environmental aspects.HERU
Type 2A von Willebrand disease and systemic sclerosis: Vonicog alfa reduced gastrointestinal bleeding
No full textVon Willebrand disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder caused by qualitative or quantitative defects of von Willebrand factor (VWF). This case report of a patient with systemic sclerosis and gastrointestinal bleeding from angiodysplasias seeks to address the key clinical question of a useful diagnostic and therapeutic approach in this setting. The extent of vascular malformations and the frequency of bleeding episodes were unusually severe, and we reached a diagnosis of inherited type 2A VWD. After an insufficient effect of treatment with factor VIII (FVIII)/VWF, prophylactic administration of vonicog alfa, a recombinant VWF preparation without FVIII, was initiated. This therapy led to a substantial reduction of transfusion requirements and the improvement of angiodysplasias. In refractory gastrointestinal bleeding, hemostaseological evaluation is crucial, as inherited disorders of hemostasis may go unnoticed, especially in patients with underlying autoimmune diseases, where complications may be ascribed to the underlying disease.Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 202
The complex pathways of Wnt 5a in cancer progression
No full textIn contrast to the transforming members of the Wnt family, shown to be upregulated in many cancers, the role of Wnt 5a is still controversial. While it has been attributed a tumour suppressor function in some malignancies, there is increasing evidence of promigratory and proinvasive effects in others, mediated predominantly through the planar cell polarity pathway and activation of protein kinase C. Obviously, the outcome of an individual Wnt 5a signal is dependent on a multitude of variables, ranging from availability of receptors, downstream effectors, and inhibitors to external influences coming from the tumour microenvironment and the extracellular matrix
Housing functions: towards a new understanding of flexibility in architecture
No full textThe durability of buildings plays a key role for the sustainability of cities and the communities inhabiting them. However, the progressive loss in the last three centuries of the ability to alter buildings - in favor of a more controlled design and operation - brought about a ‘static’ rather than ‘durable’ building stock. This manifests itself today on the one hand in buildings that poorly accommodate the speed of the societal change in lifestyles, and on the other hand in a new highly customizable ‘placeless’ architecture, resulting from decades of experimentation around the concept of ‘flexibility’. Hence, to overcome the gap between physical and social durability, research on the systemic interactions between the material and social components of the built environment is needed. Previous works shows that these interactions in the housing sector are regulated by the housing function, the most crucial determinant of the housing’s system dynamics. In this paper, we introduce the housing function as a new key to understanding the concept of flexibility in architecture. We do so by exploring, in an online survey (N = 878), the role played by housing functions in the decision of Swiss tenants to move out or in a dwelling. Our analysis indicates that the match between the desired and actual housing function corresponds to a higher level of satisfaction of the tenants with their dwelling. Secondly, it appears that specific life-events (e.g., divorce) correspond to a change in the desired housing function. Lastly, these housing functions can be linked to common features characterizing the dwelling (e.g., balcony). Thus, flexibility can be defined as the ability of a dwelling to fulfill more than one desired housing function. Following the need to comply with new sustainable building standards, we propose to assess and rethink the long-term sustainability of the current and future housing stock based on the proposed functions and features.HERU
Exploring residential preferences before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland
No full textThe first COVID-19 lockdown blurred the boundaries between all dimensions of life. Residential environments had to function as schools, offices and homes, often challenging residents’ comfort and wellbeing. In this study, we look into the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown on housing residential preferences in Switzerland, which have been shown to be linked to health and wellbeing. Based on an online survey of residents (N = 5378) we explore the extent to which the functions they assign to their ideal dwelling (e.g. a status symbol, a shelter) have changed during the pandemic. We relate this change to the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, their feelings about the confinement and whether and how their leisure activities were affected by it. Results show that for more than half of the sample at least 1 of the 3 most desired housing functions prior to the pandemic gained or lost importance. Whilst the wish for a place for ‘satisfaction of aspirations’ showed the largest increase, a place fulfilling basic needs (i.e. eating, cooking) was found to be less desirable. With the support of logistic regression models, we identify two profiles of residents whose preferences changed, thereby shedding light on diverse ways of responding to the confinement measures. We argue that an enhanced understanding of the ideal housing functions is critical to design healthy residential environments which enable their inhabitants to cope with future challenges.HERU
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