Successful Circular Bio-Based Construction Initiatives: Five Essentials from Case Studies

There are challenges surrounding circularity and the application of bio-based material in construction, but also potentials. This paper aims to identify success and fail factors for the initiation phase of construction projects and shows what is essential to realize affordable circular and bio-based. This was specifically investigated for initiators of construction projects, like real estate professionals, property owners and developers. Based on case studies, we describe what these actors should focus on and pursue before the actual construction starts. For the purpose of this paper, research was done and interviews were held with people involved in exemplary projects (case studies). The interviews focused on choices that were made during the initiation phase that were decisive for the degree of circularity and the extent to which bio-based materials were applied. Motivations and consequences were covered. We found that are five essentials for successful circular bio-based construction. These five essentials form the outline of this paper: 1. AFFORDABLE cost-effective & inclusive reuse; 2. FLEXIBLE prepare for future functions; 3. PASSIVE stay cool & healthy with bio-based materials; 4. INTEGRAL continuously reflect on circular bio-based benefits; 5. TRADITIONAL OWNERSHIP keep it, simple. In one case, all five essentials were put into practice, while in the other cases it was a combination of three or four essentials. The five essentials and cases in this paper can be used as inspiration for product and process and could help realize affordable and feasible circular bio-based constructions. By focusing on the essentials, initiators have guidance to prevent valuable resources (including energy) going to waste, today and in the future.

Design of a Methodological Intervention for Developing Respect, Inclusion and Equality in Physical Education

The following educational intervention proposal arises from the importance of implementing an education based on fostering values through physical education (PE) lessons. PE has certain characteristics that contribute to enhancing learning at a social, affective and psychological level, in addition to promoting adequate physical development. The proposed design is based on Donald Hellison’s personal and social responsibility model (TPSR), whose main objective is to achieve a teaching methodology that can convey values and skills in the lives of youth at risk of exclusion. Different sports modalities are used in the initiation phase, which make up a ten-week teaching unit and in which the game takes the leading role. The application of this program focuses specifically on students in compulsory secondary education, a stage in which significant changes are experienced in many aspects and levels. However, it is completely adaptable to other developmental stages. In this way, the main objective of this work is to create an intervention proposal that aims to promote, following a set of intervention units of sessions, the development of the three main values in which this work is based: respect, equality and inclusion.

Brain Signaling of Indispensable Amino Acid Deficiency

Our health requires continual protein synthesis for maintaining and repairing tissues. For protein synthesis to function, all the essential (indispensable) amino acids (IAAs) must be available in the diet, along with those AAs that the cells can synthesize (the dispensable amino acids). Here we review studies that have shown the location of the detector for IAA deficiency in the brain, specifically for recognition of IAA deficient diets (IAAD diets) in the anterior piriform cortex (APC), with subsequent responses in downstream brain areas. The APC is highly excitable, which makes is uniquely suited to serve as an alarm for reductions in IAAs. With a balanced diet, these neurons are kept from over-excitation by GABAergic inhibitory neurons. Because several transporters and receptors on the GABAergic neurons have rapid turnover times, they rely on intact protein synthesis to function. When an IAA is missing, its unique tRNA cannot be charged. This activates the enzyme General Control Nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) that is important in the initiation phase of protein synthesis. Without the inhibitory control supplied by GABAergic neurons, excitation in the circuitry is free to signal an urgent alarm. Studies in rodents have shown rapid recognition of IAA deficiency by quick rejection of the IAAD diet.

Pragmatic structure of bargaining in Hindi: An (im)politeness and banter-based exposition

Bargaining is an accepted and commonplace practice in fixing the rate of virtually any kind of item purchased in India. Taking excerpts from a corpus of Eastern Hindi, in this paper, I have explored the linguistic behaviour of Eastern Hindi speakers in bargaining context in terms of the theory of banter and discuss how it actually serves to negotiate the competing motivations of protecting ones financial interests in a bargain as well as establishing and maintaining long-term positive inter-personal relationship with each other. As in conventional banter, in bargaining also, potentially impolite linguistic behaviour is used to show the in-group identity and establish a positive inter-personal relationship. I shall further argue that a bargain interaction involves both the conventional and impoliteness mitigation banter as well as conventional (im)politeness. In general, a successful bargain depends on what kind of linguistic behaviour is employed in which phase. The study shows that conventional politeness in initiation phase, conventional solidarity banter in argumentation phase and impoliteness mitigation banter or even non-polite behaviour in settlement phase is employed in successful bargains.

Brain Signaling of Indispensable Amino Acid Deficiency

Our health requires continual protein synthesis for maintaining and repairing tissues. For protein synthesis to function, all the essential (indispensable) amino acids (IAA) that must be available in the diet, along with those AAs that the cells can synthesize, the dispensable amino acids. Here we review studies that have shown the location of the detector for IAA deficiency in the brain, specifically for recognition of IAA deficient diets (IAAD diets) in the anterior piriform cortex (APC), with subsequent responses in downstream brain areas. The APC is highly excitable, uniquely suited to serve as an alarm for reductions in IAAs. With a balanced diet, these neurons are kept from over-excitation by GABAergic inhibitory neurons. Because several transporters and receptors on the GABAergic neurons have rapid turnover times, they rely on intact protein synthesis to function. When an IAA is missing, its unique tRNA cannot be charged. This activates the enzyme General Control Nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) that is important in the initiation phase of protein synthesis. Without the inhibitory control supplied by GABAergic neurons, excitation in the circuitry is free to signal an urgent alarm. Studies in rodents have shown rapid recognition of IAA deficiency by quick rejection of the IAAD diet.

Preventive but Not Therapeutic Topical Application of Local Anesthetics Can Inhibit Experimental Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita in Mice

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune blistering disorder characterized and caused by autoantibodies against type VII collagen (COL7). Although it has been noticed that EBA in both patients and mice is associated with an increased scratching, it is not clear whether and how the scratching contributes to disease manifestation. Hence, we here aimed to validate this clinical observation and also to investigate the potential contribution of increased scratching in EBA pathogenesis in mice. Longitudinal assessment of scratching behavior revealed an increased frequency of scratching as early as 12 hours after injection of anti-COL7 IgG into the skin of mice. Subsequently, scratching events became even more frequent in mice. In contrast, mice injected with a control antibody showed an unaltered scratching behavior throughout the observation period. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that mechanical irritation may promote the induction of inflammation in experimental EBA. To challenge this assumption, the local anesthetic dyclonine hydrochloride was topically applied before injection of anti-COL7 IgG. Dyclonine hydrochloride reduced the scratching events and impaired clinical disease manifestation. In therapeutic experimental settings, i.e. administration of the local anesthetic 24 hours after injection of anti-COL7 IgG, dyclonine hydrochloride only inhibited the scratching behavior, but had no significant effect on clinical disease development. In addition, eosinophils were detected in the skin before the injection of anti-COL7 IgG and significantly increased 48 hours after the antibody injection. Collectively, our results suggest that scratching behavior contributes to the initiation phase of disease manifestation in experimental EBA.

Bioenergetic Requirements and Spatiotemporal Profile of Nerve Growth Factor Induced PI3K-Akt Signaling Along Sensory Axons

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) promotes the elaboration of axonal filopodia and branches through PI3K-Akt. NGF activates the TrkA receptor resulting in an initial transient high amplitude burst of PI3K-Akt signaling followed by a maintained lower steady state, hereafter referred to as initiation and steady state phases. Akt initially undergoes phosphorylation at T308 followed by phosphorylation at S473, resulting in maximal kinase activation. We report that during the initiation phase the localization of PI3K signaling, reported by visualizing sites of PIP3 formation, and Akt signaling, reflected by Akt phosphorylation at T308, correlates with the positioning of axonal mitochondria. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation but not glycolysis is required for Akt phosphorylation at T308. In contrast, the phosphorylation of Akt at S473 is not spatially associated with mitochondria and is dependent on both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Under NGF steady state conditions, maintenance of phosphorylation at T308 shows dual dependence on oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Phosphorylation at S473 is more dependent on glycolysis but also requires oxidative phosphorylation for maintenance over longer time periods. The data indicate that NGF induced PI3K-Akt signaling along axons is preferentially initiated at sites containing mitochondria, in a manner dependent on oxidative phosphorylation. Steady state signaling is discussed in the context of combined contributions by mitochondria and the possibility of glycolysis occurring in association with endocytosed signalosomes.

Implementation of Digital Marketing for Economic Recovery of Micro Small Enterprise after Covid-19

The most important thing that needs to be considered in a pandemic is the economic sector recovery mechanism due to the lockdown policy, especially in Indonesia. This lockdown policy is an anticipatory step from the Government to the chainbreak of Covid-19s spread. The application of digital marketing at a strategic level is carried out as an alternative solution to traditional marketing becomes more comprehensive. So, this research aims to build and develop a model that is ideal for micro-enterprises adoption in Indonesia. This research uses an exploratory qualitative approach. Data sources were obtained through observation, interviews, and literature studies. The micro-enterprise adoption process comprises (1) the initiation phase, (2) the decision-making phase, and (3) the outcomes phase. The advantages of this program are (1) increase trust from existing customers and acquiring potential new customers, (2) novelty in technological sophistication, (3) expanding market share, and (4) increasing competitiveness.

FATIGUE DAMAGE MODELING IN LAMINATED COMPOSITES BY USING RX-FEM AND STRENGTH TRACKING METHOD

The durability and residual load carrying capacity of composite materials and structures is of critical importance for increasing their application across the industry. Regularized eXtended Finite Element Method (Rx-FEM) framework for discrete modeling of damage evolution and interaction in laminated composite materials under fatigue loading has been extended to include residual Strength Tracking (ST) method in the Mesh Independent Crack (MIC) insertion constitutive modeling as well as in the initiation phase of the fatigue Cohesive Zone Model (CZM). The ST method was initially proposed for semi empirical analysis of IM7/8852 open-hole specimen test S-N data under spectrum loading and variable R -ratios (R = 0.1, 5, and -1). In the present work, the ST method is implemented as a component of high-fidelity progressive damage analysis framework and is combined with damage variable incremental update technique for the propagation phase within the CZM formulation. 3D validation examples investigating the solution stability under constant amplitude fatigue with respect to the cycle increment size are presented and demonstrate the solution stability within a feasible range of cycles per step.

Young and invisible: a qualitative study of service engagement by people who inject drugs in India

ObjectivesThe HIV epidemic in India is concentrated in key populations such as people who inject drugs (PWID). New HIV infections are high among young PWID (≤30 years of age), who are hard to engage in services. We assessed perspectives of young PWID to guide development of youth-specific services.SettingWe conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with PWID and staff at venues offering services to PWID in three Indian cities representing historical and emerging drug use epidemics.ParticipantsPWID were eligible to participate if they were between 18 and 35 years, had initiated injection as adolescents or young adults and knew adolescent PWID in their networks. 43 PWID (81% male, 19% female) and 10 staff members participated in FGDs. A semistructured interview guide was used to elicit participants’ narratives on injection initiation experiences, barriers to seeking harm reduction services, service delivery gaps and recommendations to promote engagement. Thematic analysis was used to develop an explanatory model for service engagement in each temporal stage across the injection continuum.ResultsInjection initiation followed non-injection opioid dependence. Lack of services for non-injection opioid dependence was a key gap in the preinjection initiation phase. Lack of knowledge and reliance on informal sources for injecting equipment were key reasons for non-engagement in the peri-injection phase. Additionally, low-risk perception resulted in low motivation to seek services. Psychosocial and structural factors shaped engagement after established injection. Housing and food insecurity, and stigma disproportionately affected female PWID while lack of confidential adolescent friendly services impeded engagement by adolescent PWID.ConclusionsDevelopment of youth-specific services for young PWID in India will need to address unique vulnerabilities and service gaps along each stage of the injection continuum. Scaling-up of tailored services is needed for young female PWID and adolescents, including interventions that prevent injection initiation and provision of confidential harm reduction services.