23 research outputs found
Supplemental Material - New algorithms for generating isovist field and isovist measurements
No full textSupplemental Material for New algorithms for generating isovist fields and isovist measurements by Arash H Alamdari, Khosro Daneshjoo, and Mansour Yeganeh in Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science</p
A lesson for the future: will you let me violate your privacy to save your life?
No full textCOVID-19 was an unprecedented pandemic that changed the lives of everyone. To handle the virus’s rapid spread, governments and big tech companies, such as Google and Apple, implemented Contact Tracing Applications (CTAs). However, the response by the public was different in each country. While some countries mandated downloading the application for their citizens, others made it optional, revealing contrasting patterns to the spread of COVID-19. In this study, in addition to investigating the privacy and security of the Canadian CTA, COVID Alert, we aim to disclose the public’s perception of these varying patterns. Additionally, if known of the results of other nations, would Canadians sacrifice their freedoms to prevent the spread of a future pandemic? Hence, a survey was conducted, gathering responses from 154 participants across Canada. Next, we questioned the participants regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and their knowledge and opinion of CTAs before presenting our findings regarding other countries. After showing our results, we then asked the participants their views of CTAs again. The arrangement of the preceding questions, the findings, and succeeding questions to identify whether Canadians’ opinions on CTAs would change, after presenting the proper evidence, were performed. Among all of our findings, there is a clear difference between before and after the findings regarding whether CTAs should be mandatory, with 34% of participants agreeing before and 56% agreeing afterward. This hints that all the public needed was information to decide whether or not to participate. In addition, this exposes the value of transparency and communication when persuading the public to collaborate. Finally, we offer three recommendations on how governments and health authorities can respond effectively in a future pandemic and increase the adoption rate for CTAs to save more lives.Peer reviewedusable privacycontact tracing appsCTAdata privacydata securit
Isolation, Characterization, and Catalytic Properties of a Novel Lipase Which Is Activated in Ionic Liquids and Organic Solvents
No full textEvidence-Based Design in Medical Centers and the Effects on Patient Satisfaction (Case Study: Kasra Hospital in Tehran, Iran)
No full textEvidence-based design (EBD) is a design approach that emphasizes using valid data to examine its effect on the design process. This approach is an important and growing movement towards creating a safe environment to take care of patients.
The purpose of this study is to improve design principles in hospitals and medical centers based on the EBD and put patients at the center of this approach to achieve patient satisfaction.
The research method is based on the bibliography studies, field observations, and data collected through the Delphi technique and questions asked from five experts in the architecture of medical spaces of Kasra hospital in Tehran, Iran using ASPECT software.
According to the obtained results, threshold rate of 6, the average factors of views (3.646), nature and outdoors (3.472), comfort and control (3.913), Legibility of place (3.900), facilities (3.079) and staff (3.594) has a relatively higher average than the average, The average of privacy and participation (2.769) and interior design (2.896) is lower than average, indicating low satisfaction with the mentioned factors. Also, the average of architectural features, Interior design features, and Mental and social features are reported as 3.166, 3.309, 3.073, and 3.817, respectively, and the total average score of the number It is almost favorable, and in general, the patients' opinion about the condition of the hospital is less than satisfactory.
Keywords: Medical Centers, Evidence-Based Design, Patient Satisfaction, Kasra hospita
Masonry Dome Behavior under Gravity Loads Based on the Support Condition by Considering Variable Curves and Thicknesses
No full textIt is necessary to recognize masonry domes’ behavior under gravity loads in order to strengthen, restore, and conserve them. The neutral hoop plays a crucial role in identifying the masonry dome’s behavior to distinguish between its tensile and compressive regions. When it comes to determining the neutral hoop position in a dome with the same brick material, in addition to determining the dome’s curve and thickness, the support condition located on the boundary line is a significant parameter that has received less attention in the past. Therefore, this research aims to comprehensively define masonry dome behaviors based on the support condition’s effect on the masonry dome’s behavior, in addition to thickness and curve parameters, by determining neutral hoop(s). The method is a graphical and numerical analysis to define the sign-changing positioning in the first principal stress (hoop stress), based on the shell theory and extracted from a finite element method (FEM) Karamba3D analysis of a macro-model. The case studies are in four types of supports: condition fixed, free in the X- and Y-axes, free in all axes (domes placed on a drum), and free in all axes (domes placed on a pendentive and a drum). For each support condition, twelve curves and four varied thicknesses for each curve are considered. Results based on the dome’s variables show that, in general, four types of masonry domes behavior can be identified: single-masonry dome behavior with no neutral hoop; double-masonry dome behavior where all hoops are compressive with a single neutral hoop; double-masonry dome behavior where hoops are compressive and tensile with a single neutral hoop; and treble-masonry dome behavior with double neutral hoops
Preferences of furniture manufacturers for using lightweight wood-based panels as eco-friendly products
No full textLightweight panels, as an eco-friendly element for furniture manufacturing, offer several potential market and production opportunities for many secondary woodworking companies. In this study, the perceptions of Iranian furniture manufacturers were evaluated by means of ANP-based multi-type questionnaires, regarding the conditions and requisite features of lightweight panels in furniture manufacturing. The ANP results revealed that product design, quality and price were effective sub-criteria for furniture manufacturers. The most important attributes for choosing panels during the manufacturing process were: lack of panel warping, product abundance in the market, and withdrawal resistance of connectors. Manufacturers indicated that they were aware of the advantages lightweight panels would bring them, but they were still in need of further persuasion concerning the quality and workability of lightweight panels. Combining lightweight and conventional panels for furniture manufacturing could lead to an increased interest in assuring furniture quality. In addition, further development of lightweight panels is necessary to increase the variation in the market
The Effect of Balcony to Enhance Natural Ventilation in Local Houses in Mazandaran Province
No full text<p>Utilization of natural ventilation in buildings has a long history. Architecture has been trying to response to weather conditions all the time. Wind catcher, mashrabiya, portico and iwan are some examples of climate designs in vernacular architecture which have shown the importance of natural ventilation since a long time ago. The efficiency scope of natural ventilation when used with other cooling techniques will be more widespread. Today, designing desirable buildings using natural ventilation requires knowing theoretical foundations and a detailed study based on new knowledge regarding the feasibility of the use of components design and equipment related to natural ventilation. The present research aims to offer architects some design solutions in order to take advantage of natural ventilation in buildings using the vernacular architecture. Through matching features of functional spaces in local houses with climatic characteristics of regions around the Caspian sea (Mazandaran province) and determining the pattern used in these spaces in housing areas, the present study seeks to answer this question: “Are types of local houses in regions with moderate and humid climate in Iran (Mazandaran) consistent with regional climate in terms of patterns applied in internal functional spaces? How do regional climate features affect physical form of houses?”</p><p>The results show that there is a direct and consistent relationship between vernacular architectural features of Mazandaran province and climate classification and regional climate. It also enhances home comfort in summer and finally, it can be concluded that local houses are built based on the climate classification and environment context, and natural ventilation is the most important factor affecting the conditions which improve environmental comfort. The present research provides some guidelines for the architectural design of residential buildings in regions with moderate and humid climate with the aim of achieving maximum level of natural ventilation. Also, in order to exploit the potential of natural ventilation, the results of the research will help architect select optimal designing parameters in harmony with the regional climate. </p></jats:p
Imidazolium chloride-based ionic liquid-assisted improvement of lipase activity in organic solvents
No full textCorresponding Author Isolation and Identification of Heavy Metal Resistant Bacteria from Industrial Wastewaters in Guilan Province
No full textABSTRACT Heavy metal pollution by natural factors is a world-wide phenomenon. Release of large quantities of heavy metals without handling proper processes that could decrease the concentration of such a material is a hassle that makes strains resistant to these heavy metals apart from entering into human food chain. In this research, wastewater of four firms in Guilan province such as Foolad, Risandegi, Chooka and Ganje tannery were analyzed according to standard methods. These methods were included culturing the strains on the specified media such as Luria-Bertani agar and Kings' B. In the wastewater of these factories, there were kinds of heavy metals such as Chromium, Nickel, Cobalt, Mercury and etc. However existence of these heavy metals is fatal to keep the life progressive, but a kind of creatures like some bacteria could adapt themselves to the condition. Here we mentioned two genera of bacteria, Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp., which were more renowned in the category of resistance to heavy metals. First of all, we used Nutrient Agar medium in order to distinction of Gram positive bacteria from Gram negative ones. After that, by dilution preparation from sample and inoculation the bacterial suspension into medium, the range of resistance to heavy metal concentration for Bacillus sp. in Luria-Bertani Agar and for Pseudomonas sp. in Kings' B medium were determined. This estimation was validated by adding salt of heavy metal by the concentration from 0 µg/ml through 100 µg/ml and pH from 5 to 9. Results showed that both of two isolates had the most accumulation rate in pH=7 and concentration of 50 µg/ml heavy metal
