1,720,961 research outputs found
Applying Energy Efficiency Strategies to Reduce Energy Consumption in Mosques.
No full textMosques are a valuable symbol of the Islamic religion and addressing the sustainability of mosques is not just an environmental imperative but also a religious and economic one and it has been clear that there is a significant research gap in the area of sustainability in religious buildings. This research investigates the application of energy efficiency strategies to reduce energy consumption in mosques, focusing on three mosques of varying sizes—large, medium, and small— with different characteristics in the Alrahmaniya suburb of Sharjah. The study sets the stage by identifying the unique architectural and operational characteristics of mosques and the specific challenges they face in adopting energy-saving measures. Through conducting thorough literature review, stakeholders and imams interviews, and detailed simulations, the research identifies and tests a range of strategies, including changing the type of external wall, glazing, roofing systems and the combination of them. The selected mosques serve as case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of these measures. Simulations indicate that these strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption without compromising the thermal comfort of worshippers. After conducting 44 simulations, the medium mosque showed the highest reduction in energy consumption, while the large and small mosques also displayed considerable improvements. The study concludes by recommending optimal design guidelines and best practices, such as an ideal height scenario for mosque design to enhance energy efficiency which was validated by implementing it on simulations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for future research into diverse building types, collaboration with local authorities and communities, and regular energy audits and monitoring to sustain and enhance energy savings
indoor air quality, employee's health, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
No full textEmployee performance and health are significantly impacted by the work environment. Indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant impact on employees' health and productivity in the office setting. Due to the lack of studies done to evaluate IAQ influence inside low and high-cost companies in UAE, this study was motivated to fill this gap and to evaluate the effects of IAQ within two different levels of working environments. Poor Indoor Air Quality is a relevant area of concern which has a direct impact on an employee's performance (Azuma et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between IAQ exposure and associated risks on employee health and performance in two different companies’ levels. Two different levels of companies were chosen as a case study where the best methodology applied. Data were collected using quantitative method (Field measurement) where we utilized three devices in order to reach the problem causes and to know more about our research question like (4 in 1 Environmental Meter, Air quality CO2 meter, and a sound level alert), a survey questionnaire utilized to know employee’s satisfaction and reaction with surrounding working environment, and finally a employees interview were conduct to elaborate more on their perspective regarding indoor air quality. The survey questionnaire which was distributed to all employees who were working in those companies revealed multiple evidence and facts. The questioning where mainly focusing on employee’s perspective to multiple aspects like: the amount of time that employees spend in their workplace, glare presence, windows availability, presence of printers/photocopiers, and scanners, wet ceilings, ventilation system, type of furniture, thermal comfort, as well as flooring materials. Respondents from low cost company showed that there was evidence of inadequate indoor quality from different aspects, while high-cost company showed that there was sufficient indoor quality from many manners perspective. Field measurements shed light on specific areas like: the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the workplace, humidity levels, air velocity, temperature, and noise source. These measurements discovered the presence of multi factors in low cost companies associated in causing poor indoor quality. Moving forward the results revealed that there are many different problems derived from working environments. This paper correspondingly presents some new ideas and scopes that will help engineering companies to recognize the impact of poor IAQ on their employees and analyze the reasons that lead to weak IAQ in their companies as well as to know this issue could be addressed in order to maintain positive atmosphere that enhance employee’s performance and health
Re-Orienting Awareness to Human Sustainability by Integrating Indoor Spaces Strategies in Schools. Case studies from Sharjah and Ajman
No full textA combination of global and regional methods can lead to the sustainability of the entire universe; this may also require a massive, extensive effort on a larger scale. Environmental sustainability is defined as the planet's resistance to the universe's eventual expansion- as the planet's destiny-, which is brought on by the planet's rising temperature and the greenhouse gases that will eventually produce an explosion! Fighting against this fate will slow it down, but it won't stop it! In contrast, one way to change one's perspective on "what really needs to be sustained" is to consider for whom the environment is being maintained.It's crucial to understand that sustainability includes not just environmental considerations but also social, emotional, psychological, humanitarian, and economic ones. The lack of sustainability, internally and externally, has become a significant problem in today's society. Most of the time, Sustainability is typically associated with actions taken at a global level, but it is also vital to consider its effects in our immediate surroundings, especially, in indoor environments where we spend a big portion of our lives, as well as in the most important aspect among all, Our own selves. The integration between the sustainability of indoor strategies and individual well-being are two interrelated elements that affect the overall sustainability of our environment. By choosing strategies or objectives such as Feng Shui, Biophilic design, minimalism, and Islamic principles "FBMI" -as external strategies- and then studying how they will affect occupants' neuro programming and psychological well-being - the internal section- we can create indoor spaces that do not only prioritize sustainability but also enhance the psychology and well-being of individuals..Aim: This article examines the demand for human sustainability through the educational sector by focusing on Re-Orienting Awareness to Human Sustainability by Integrating Indoor Spaces Strategies in Schools. Methodology: Two schools were selected: The International School of Creative Science in Mueileh, ISCS and Al-Shola American School in Ajman, SAS. A voice recording of two Interviews of seven questions was done with the schools' principals, plus Two types of survey questionnaires -kids and adults- were distributed on 600 responders, as follows, 400 responses from SAS and 200 responses from ISCS. Surveys targeted these categories as follows,100 kids between grades 3-6, 150 adult students between grades 7-12, and 150 teachers in SAS, meanwhile, in ISCS were distributed as 100 kids, 50 adult students and 50 teachers. The agreement scale questionnaire which targets adults and the image choice questionnaire which targets the children are the two selected types of questionnaire. Data will be analysed after collection by software such as Excel sheet ,Nvivo and SPSS. Results: An average of 74% of the 400 adult respondents agreed that the external environment variables (airflow, site orientation, natural light, greenery, minimalism, and faith) can positively impact participants' psychology; furthermore, 73.74% of the same respondents disagreed on -the participants' psychology and well-being can be healed or enhanced by the external environment variables alone-; instead, there must be internal self-healing and enhancements. Any Indoor space strategies can't be effective if the three main human components are not well sustained. > 80% of the total 400 responses from both cases, agreed that Human sustainability is required and a vital core in sustaining the environment, which is considered a high rate of DEMAND for human sustainability through schools. Reorienting our awareness towards human sustainability is a Demand
Investigating the Impact of Skylights and Atrium Configurations on Visual Comfort and Daylight Performance in Dubai Shopping Malls
No full textThe city of Dubai enjoys a plethora of shopping malls and retail centres. Due to harsh weather in the outdoor areas, visitors and residents prefer indoor spaces, especially areas such as central atriums in the shopping malls where people can socialise, dine and engage in daily activities. Such an atrium features skylights as these are considered the main source of natural light due to the absence of side windows in this type of building. This research investigates the impact of atrium and skylight configurations on daylight performance and visual comfort in shopping malls. The study begins with a comprehensive literature review to build a theoretical foundation and identify research gaps. Key variables and target metrics are identified, followed by a selection of representative case studies. Field measurements and computer simulations are conducted to model and validate daylight performance. Annual simulations are used to assess seasonal variations, while sensitivity analysis identifies key parameters. A genetic algorithm and multi-objective optimisation (MOO) simulations are used to generate optimal configurations, summarised in the form of a Pareto front selection criteria guide the choice of the optimum solution, which is then applied and analysed in a case study. Comparative analysis quantifies such improvements, and generic guidelines are developed for broader application, along with a discussion of future steps and possible research opportunities
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Transformative Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Personalized Sustainable Architectural Design
No full textEmphasizing the harmony between environmental goals and personal preferences, the study looks at how sustainable building design relates to human preferences. While sustainable design advances health, resource economy, and energy efficiency, human tastes occasionally center on aesthetics and materials that might be incompatible with sustainability. This study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) could reconcile these conflicting objectives so that architects may create unique designs while also adhering to environmental standards. Large dataset evaluation capability of AI helps it to identify trends in architectural designs, personal preferences, and environmental needs. Architects can design customized, responsive settings that mix human aesthetic choices with sustainability by applying Training on Architectural Data (TOD) method. Using AI, the study grouped words associated with beauty, proportion, color, and materials across architectural movements to provide context on their perceptions. Moreover, architect-specific prompts produced AI-generated designs that demonstrated how to link architectural trends with personal preferences. This paper underlines how revolutionary AI is in enhancing tailored and sustainable architecture and highlights future opportunities for collaborative collaboration between architects and data scientists to propel invention in human-centered design. The results show how well AI can examine vast amounts of data and produce relevant visual representations matching certain architectural trends and unique designs of individual architects. AI generates fresh design innovation by tying human preferences to architectural trends, therefore enabling architects to mix current aesthetics with cultural relevance and environmental principles
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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