554 research outputs found
Transport Infrastructure Design Utopias for Guideways and A Review of The Marmaray Project
No full textTransport infrastructure design has regarded as a task in thefield of engineering; architects have mostly involved in the designof terminals and stations, but not in the routes of mobility –theguideways. The spatial value of guideways has not beenexamined, since they have been taken as paths for vehiclesembedded in the landscape in a notion of separatingtransportation space from built environment. But, this paperaims to spatially conceptualize guideways as city structures andnodes connecting different modes of transportation while housingvarious architectural facilities. As a case, three utopic guidewaydesigns are proposed for roads, bridges and viaducts in Istanbul,the biggest city of Turkey. And a current guideway constructionin Istanbul is introduced and discussed according to the conceptsaddressed throughout the study. The Marmaray Project is atunnel design, which can be appreciated as a real-time utopiaconnecting two sides of Bosphorus under water
Modelling the perception of visual design principles on façades through fuzzy sets: towards building an automated architectural data generation and labelling tool
No full textRecent studies showed that deep learning techniques and image processing can identify the distinguishing design principles in architectural façades. However, predicting the strength of a principle is still a challenging task, as it requires a huge amount of annotated design variations. The difficulties in both searching such big numbers of data – and its labelling by experts – slow down the research. This paper proposes a computation approach for obtaining this type of data faster. With the help of parametric modelling and evolutionary algorithms, we could manipulate the design elements, and thereby generate different solutions. An integrated fuzzy logic decision mechanism could enable to carry human knowledge in the judging and labelling of alternatives automatically. The final synthetic data developed from real building images could be used for machine learning applications to enhance our understanding of artistic expression.</p
Digital game-based learning in architecture education: Consolidating visual design principles in freshmen
No full textUsing games as educational tools has been a captivating subject in the academic domain. There is an increasing number of digital games designed to support architectural education. This paper introduces a serious game aimed at enhancing basic design knowledge for first-year architecture students. The game focuses on teaching and testing visual design principles such as emphasis, balance, and rhythm. Based on these principles, it allows students to create 2D compositions on a grid pattern by placing and manipulating simple shapes in terms of color, shape, and size. The final composition is evaluated by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool integrated into the game. This AI tool predicts the design principles present in the composition, providing three possible outcomes with associated percentages. The game, currently in the testing phase, has been played by 126 first-year students, and user experience has been assessed through questionnaires, surveys, and basic game metrics. The use of this game to teach visual design principles has proven to be an effective method for engaging students in active learning and enhancing their understanding and application of design concepts. The innovative use of AI to provide real-time feedback and the interactive nature of the game have fostered a deeper, experiential learning process. Additionally, students have proposed various innovative ideas to improve the gaming experience, suggesting potential enhancements that could lead to a more refined and enjoyable gameplay. These insights highlight the potential of digital game-based learning (DGBL) and AI-enhanced tools in creating an engaging and effective educational environment
The development of financial services and financial regulation in Angola
No full textThis dissertation examines developments in financial services in Angola, looking particularly at the role of the Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) in achieving greater competence in the banking division, growth, and well organized financial regulation and corporate governance. The author considers the work of BNA, the government of Angola (GOA), and investors in providing more financial services and increased competence of the banking service, with reference to international models
Regulatory tradeoffs in designing concession contracts for infrastructure networks
No full textNetwork activities typically involve collecting a good or service (such as electric utilities, phone services, and rail transportation) from many producers or distributing them to many users. Producers and users are often widely scattered, geographically. Close financial integration of networks is justified on the basis of economies of scope and scale and the benefits from pooling and coordinating. In many countries, network operators are completely integrated publicly-owned firms (private firms being deemed insufficiently efficient or equitable). Challengers of this practice contend that the inefficiency resulting from lack of competition outweighs the gain from economic integration. With reform, some competitive mechanisms can be introduced even when monopoly seems the best option for delivering a service. But conflicts between policymakers'objectives -including efficiency, equity, speed, speed of reform, and signaling- influence the design of concession contracts for infrastructure network services (including communications and transportation services). Competition begins with the unbundling of various stages of delivery. Then competitive bidding is popular, with the public authority keeping property rights on productive assets but conceding their operation to a private firm. The winner gets the right to maximize profits, within limits (having to provide universal services, for example, and avoid price discrimination). In liberalizing the delivery of a service, policymakers must consider not only efficiency but also social and fiscal feasibility. The authors discuss how relevant information asymmetry is in contract design and the award and regulatory processes. They also discuss how to design pricing to accommodate the obligation to provide universal service. To illustrate, they describe Argentina's experiment in liberalization, which is increasingly viewed as a model for changing private sector and government involvement in infrastructure services. Beginning in 1989, Argentina began privatizing utilities and transport services, because the government had decided that it could no longer afford to subsidize those services or finance the investments needed for their effective operation. To introduce competition, the government unbundled services and introduced competitive bidding. It also created sector-specific regulatory agencies to protect consumers from private monopolies and to protect the private concessionaires from government micromanagement. Making concession-based reform and contracted-based regulation of private monopolists sustainable will require strengthening regulatory agencies, clarifying their terms of reference and accountability, and better separating the responsibilities of sector ministers and regulators.Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Labor Policies,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Education for the Knowledge Economy,Knowledge Economy,Economic Theory&Research
Order and disorder in proteins
No full textIn contrast to the general view that proteins should have a specific 3D structure in solution for their activity, there are many proteins which do not have a folded “native” structure for a big portion of their sequence. While these intrinsically disordered regions are essential for protein function, they cause problems in efforts for determining the 3D structures for the folded domains. It has been shown that the removal of the disordered domains improved the structure determination success both by X-ray crystallography and by NMR. As part of Northeast Structural Genomics (NESG) effort I worked on identifying the disordered and flexible parts of the protein using Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange with Mass Spectroscopy (HDX-MS) analysis for construct optimization for high-throughput structure determination. Using this method I also studied human Smad3, which is an important part of the TGF-β-signaling pathway; and provided the first experimental data on structural features of the linker domain. During my training, I also studied human Deleted in Oral Cancer (DOC-1) protein, which was one of the proteins I studied by HDX-MS for construct optimization. We determined the solution structure of the folded region of DOC-1, which was shown to be important in cell-cycle regulation and cancer biology; and I also studied structure-function relations. Additionally, we studied the solution structure of Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase B from Bacillus subtilis, an important protein for reversing oxidative damage in cells, by NMR as a part of methods development studies for NMR for large proteins.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Asli Erteki
L’impacte dels passatges a la connectivitat dels carrers d’àrees comercials: el cas de l’àrea del mercat de Besiktas a Istanbul
No full textEls passatges, entesos com una tipologia constructiva important i convencional del teixit urbà estan a punt de desaparèixer a les actuals ciutats globalitzades. Investigacions prèvies assumeixen teòricament que els passatges faciliten el flux continu als espais públics, afavoreixen l’accessibilitat i milloren la vitalitat del carrer. Tot i això, no hi ha evidència suficient que demostri el seu potencial millorant la connectivitat dels espais. Aquest estudi té com a objectiu investigar com els passatges afecten físicament i visualment la connectivitat dels carrers i, per tant, com milloren la integració espacial a les xarxes d’aquests. L’estudi de camp es va dur a terme a petita escala a l’àrea d’un mercat comercial on hi ha molts passatges interconnectats. La metodologia utilitzada combina una anàlisi gràfica visual, axial i segmentària de la sintaxi espacial; amb una observació sistemàtica del volum de vianants i les opcions de ruta. Les nostres troballes suggereixen que els passatges augmenten tant la connectivitat física i visual com la integració espacial en proporcionar moltes rutes diverses, curtes i alternatives per al moviment dins de la xarxa de carrers. Tot i això, les troballes també van mostrar que l’ús efectiu dels passatges està predominantment associat a alguns dels seus atributs espacials. En aquest sentit, sempre que els passatges tinguin corredors curts i directes que proporcionen connexions en diferents direccions, contribuiran a l’accessibilitat dels carrers i a la vitalitat de les ciutats.Passages, an important and conventional building typology of the urban fabric, are about to disappear in today's globalized cities. Previous research theoretically assumes that passages allow continuous flow of public spaces, support accessibility, and enhance street vitality. However, there is not enough evidence to provide their potential for improving connectivity. This study aims to investigate how passages affect street connectivity physically and visually and thus how they improve spatial integration in street networks. The field study was conducted in a small-scale commercial market area, in which there are many interconnected passages. The methodology consists of axial, segment and visibility graph analyzes of space syntax, and a systematic observation of pedestrian volume and route choices. Our findings suggest that passages increase physical and visual connectivity and spatial integration by providing many diverse, short, and alternative routes for movement within the street network. However, the findings also showed that the effective use of the passages is predominantly associated with their spatial attributes. As long as passages have short and direct corridors, providing connections in different directions, they can contribute to the accessibility of streets and the vitality of cities.Los pasajes, entendidos como una tipología constructiva importante y convencional del tejido urbano están a punto de desaparecer en las actuales ciudades globalizadas. Investigaciones previas asumen teóricamente que los pasajes facilitan el flujo continuo en los espacios públicos, favorecen la accesibilidad y mejoran la vitalidad de la calle. Sin embargo, no hay evidencia suficiente que demuestre su potencial mejorando la conectividad de los espacios. Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar cómo los pasajes afectan física y visualmente a la conectividad de las calles y, por lo tanto, cómo mejoran la integración espacial en las redes de las mismas. El estudio de campo se llevó a cabo a pequeña escala en el área de un mercado comercial en el que hay muchos pasajes interconectados. La metodología utilizada combina un análisis gráfico visual, axial y segmentario de la sintaxis espacial; con una observación sistemática del volumen de peatones y las opciones de ruta. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que los pasajes aumentan tanto la conectividad física y visual como la integración espacial al proporcionar muchas rutas diversas, cortas y alternativas para el movimiento dentro de la red de calles. No obstante, los hallazgos también mostraron que el uso efectivo de los pasajes está predominantemente asociado a algunos de sus atributos espaciales. En este sentido, siempre que los pasajes cuenten con corredores cortos y directos que proporcionan conexiones en diferentes direcciones, contribuirán a la accesibilidad de las calles y a la vitalidad de las ciudades.Peer Reviewe
Mobile payments for remittances in Africa: Benchmarking with Latin America
No full textIn this article the author seeks to explain the reasons backing the success of mobile technology in money transfers comparing Africa and Latin America.Remittances, Africa, Latin America, mobile phones
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