Eco-Bat: A design tool for assessing environmental impacts of buildings and equipment

This paper presents the features of Eco-Bat, a computer program developed to assess the environmental impacts of buildings, including construction materials and energy consumed, during its life cycle. The methodology used to evaluate environmental impacts based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, compatible with ISO 14040 standards, is detailed. The data are mainly extracted from an environmental impacts database, Ecoinvent, which contains values for the manufacturing and elimination of numerous materials as well as other processes. Two applications are presented to illustrate the possibilities offered by Eco-Bat. The first one is a comparison of different variants of building facades. The second example shows the analysis of a whole building including its energy consumptio

L’intégration d’un élève avec une déficience intellectuelle dans les degrés 1H-2H

Nous avons choisi la thématique de l’intégration scolaire au cycle 1 pour notre mémoire professionnel. Nous désirions découvrir les moyens mis en place afin de faciliter l’intégration d’un élève avec une déficience intellectuelle dans une classe 1H-2H. Nous souhaitions également connaître les buts, les bénéfices, les difficultés que peut provoquer une intégration scolaire. Pour débuter notre travail, nous nous sommes renseignées sur des aspects historiques concernant le handicap en Suisse afin d’en connaître son évolution et comprendre ce qu’il se passe actuellement lorsqu’un enseignant intègre un enfant en situation de handicap au sein de sa classe. En effet, nous savions que cette thématique de l’intégration était d’actualité et qu’elle était en plein changement. Il nous semblait également essentiel de nous familiariser avec les textes de la loi scolaire pour le canton du Jura afin de savoir quelle était la place de l’intégration au niveau politique. Nous avons ensuite défini le concept de handicap et celui d’intégration. Nous avons pris connaissance des différentes manières d’intégrer afin de discerner le modèle d’intégration employé dans le canton du Jura. Après nous être imprégnées de la littérature concernant l’intégration scolaire, nous avons élaboré un guide d’entretien qui nous a permis de questionner dix enseignantes jurassiennes des classes 1H -2H sur leur expérience concernant l’intégration. Par ce procédé, nous désirions prendre connaissance de ce qu’implique une intégration scolaire pour l’enseignant. Nous exposons trois éléments qui ressortent de notre analyse. Le premier est l’importance de la collaboration entre les différents protagonistes (l’aide externe, les parents de l’enfant intégré) lors d’une intégration. Le deuxième élément concerne l’aide externe qui est présente dans la classe lors de l’intégration de l’enfant avec une déficience intellectuelle et qui est essentielle au bon fonctionnement de ce processus. Pour terminer, le troisième élément traite de l’organisation nécessaire pour accueillir un élève en situation de handicap

Methodology for cost-effective energy and carbon emissions optimization in building renovation (Annex 56)

"Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme, March 2017"Buildings are responsible for a major share of energy use and have been a special target in the global actions for climate change mitigation, with measures that aim at improving their energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy use. The IEA-EBC Annex 56 project «Cost-Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Renovation» intends to develop the basics for future standards, which aim at maximizing effects on reducing carbon emissions and primary energy use while taking into account the cost-effectiveness of related measures. The IEA EBC Annex 56 project pays special attention to cost effective energy related renovation of existing residential buildings and low-tech office buildings (without air conditioning systems).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Methodology for cost-effective energy and carbon emissions optimization in building renovation (Annex 56): methodology and assessment of renovation measures by parametric calculations

Buildings are responsible for a major share of energy use and have accordingly been a special target in the global actions for climate change mitigation, with measures that aim at improving their energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy use. IEA-EBC project «Cost-Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Renovation» intends to develop a calculation basis for future standards, which aim at maximum effects on reducing carbon emissions and primary energy use. Thereby, the project pays special attention to the renovation of existing residential buildings and to cost effective building renovatio

Acute Effects of the Wim Hof Breathing Method on Repeated Sprint Ability: A Pilot Study

The Wim Hof breathing method (WHBM) combines periods of hyperventilation (HV) followed by voluntary breath-holds (BH) at low lung volume. It has been increasingly adopted by coaches and their athletes to improve performance, but there was no published research on its effects. We determined the feasibility of implementing a single WHBM session before repeated sprinting performance and evaluated any acute ergogenic effects. Fifteen amateur runners performed a single WHBM session prior to a Repeated Ability Sprint Test (RAST) in comparison to voluntary HV or spontaneous breathing (SB) (control) in a randomized cross-over design. Gas exchange, heart rate, and finger pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) were monitored. Despite large physiological effects in the SpO2 and expired carbon dioxide (VCO2) levels of both HV and WHBM, no significant positive or negative condition effects were found on RAST peak power, average power, or fatigue index. Finger SpO2 dropped to 60 ± 12% at the end of the BHs. Upon the last HV in the WHBM and HV conditions, end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PETCO2) values were 19 ± 3 and 17 ± 3 mmHg, indicative of respiratory alkalosis with estimated arterial pH increases of +0.171 and of +0.181, respectively. Upon completion of RAST, 8 min cumulated expired carbon dioxide volumes in the WHBM and HV were greater than in SB, suggesting lingering carbon dioxide stores depletion. These findings indicate that despite large physiological effects, a single WHBM session does not improve anaerobic performance in repeated sprinting exercise

Effectiveness of short-term cycling interventions in older adults: a randomized trial of hypoxic, blood flow restriction, and eccentric cycling.

We evaluated whether a short-term cycling intervention in hypoxia, with blood flow restriction, or eccentric cycling induces greater health benefits than traditional cycling in older adults. Fifty-five individuals (68 ± 4 year, 25 females) performed supervised moderate-intensity intermittent training (MIIT) three times weekly for 4 weeks, assigned to one of four groups: HYP (hypoxic chamber, FiO₂ 14%), BFR (thigh cuffs at ≈ 350 mmHg, deflated between sets), ECC (eccentric ergocycle), or CON (traditional ergocycle). Pre- and post-training assessments covered cardiovascular function, quality of life, cognition, aerobic fitness, skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, knee extensors and flexors strength, and thigh volume. Training interventions improved the 6-min cycling test average power output (9 ± 15%, P < 0.001), isokinetic at different speeds (10 ± 16 to 20 ± 26%, all P < 0.001) and isometric peak torques (14 ± 15%, P < 0.001), thigh circumference (1 ± 2%, P = 0.008), diastolic pressure (-3 ± 8%, P = 0.021), resting heart rate (-3 ± 7%, P = 0.004), digit span (9 ± 21%, P = 0.031) and TMT-B performance (-1 ± 51%, P = 0.045) in all groups. However, no significant differences were observed between groups. These results confirm the efficacy of MIIT in older adults and suggest that exercise per se is more important than the specific modalities. Short-term (4-week) MIIT programs promote healthy aging, regardless of the training modality, which may encourage older adults to take action

IMPROVE ::enhancing demand-side energy reduction through informative billing strategies

In Switzerland, most of the information available on the energy bills corresponds to the minimum legal requirements imposed by national regulations. Such a scarcely understandable information does not motivate consumers to reflect on their level of energy consumption. A more user-friendly information presentation on the energy bill may induce increased awareness, laying the grounds for behaviour changes required to achieve the goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 of the Swiss Federal Council. The aim of the IMPROVE project was to explore how both consumers and energy utilities evaluate and perceive the importance of introducing enriched information on the energy bill to encourage households to reconsider their energy consumption levels

Recommendations for Women in Mountain Sports and Hypoxia Training/Conditioning.

The (patho-)physiological responses to hypoxia are highly heterogeneous between individuals. In this review, we focused on the roles of sex differences, which emerge as important factors in the regulation of the body's reaction to hypoxia. Several aspects should be considered for future research on hypoxia-related sex differences, particularly altitude training and clinical applications of hypoxia, as these will affect the selection of the optimal dose regarding safety and efficiency. There are several implications, but there are no practical recommendations if/how women should behave differently from men to optimise the benefits or minimise the risks of these hypoxia-related practices. Here, we evaluate the scarce scientific evidence of distinct (patho)physiological responses and adaptations to high altitude/hypoxia, biomechanical/anatomical differences in uphill/downhill locomotion, which is highly relevant for exercising in mountainous environments, and potentially differential effects of altitude training in women. Based on these factors, we derive sex-specific recommendations for mountain sports and intermittent hypoxia conditioning: (1) Although higher vulnerabilities of women to acute mountain sickness have not been unambiguously shown, sex-dependent physiological reactions to hypoxia may contribute to an increased acute mountain sickness vulnerability in some women. Adequate acclimatisation, slow ascent speed and/or preventive medication (e.g. acetazolamide) are solutions. (2) Targeted training of the respiratory musculature could be a valuable preparation for altitude training in women. (3) Sex hormones influence hypoxia responses and hormonal-cycle and/or menstrual-cycle phases therefore may be factors in acclimatisation to altitude and efficiency of altitude training. As many of the recommendations or observations of the present work remain partly speculative, we join previous calls for further quality research on female athletes in sports to be extended to the field of altitude and hypoxia