The historical process of the masonry city walls construction in China during 1st to 17th centuries AD.

Masonry city walls were common defense facilities in the cities of the Eurasian before the industrial revolution. However, they were not widespread in China until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Limited in research methods, previous studies failed to make convincing arguments on this phenomenon. We collected, organized and analyzed relevant historical documents to reconstruct the spatio-temporal process of the construction of masonry walls from 1st to 17th century in China. We conducted a time series analysis primarily based on factors such as wars, garrisons, economy, and natural disasters. Analysis of the correlation among the construction of masonry walls and these factors provides insights into this process. From the 1st to 14th century, only 125 masonry city walls were built in China and the annual average number was below 0.1. While in the Ming Dynasty, a total of 1,493 masonry walls were built, with an annual average of 5.41. The construction activities in 1368-1456 spread throughout the country, but mainly appeared in the high-grade administrative cities and garrisons, as a result of the planned implementation of the central government. The construction activities in 1457-1644 had corresponding cluster areas during different periods, mainly at county-level. We found that the wall construction was stimulated by external factors such as wars and disasters. We believe that the mass construction of masonry walls in the Ming Dynasty is a phenomenon of cultural diffusion. The central government plan, the complex interactions between local governments and community, and the stimulation of external factors worked together to contribute to the diffusion of masonry city walls in the Ming Dynasty.

[Architecture, budget and dignity]. / Architecture, budget et dignité.

Drawing on its dynamic strengths, a psychiatric unit develops various projects and care techniques. In this framework, the institute director must make a number of choices with regard to architecture. Why renovate the psychiatry building? What financial investments are required? What criteria should be followed? What if the major argument was based on the respect of the patient's dignity?

Investments for medical equipment in a mother and child health hospital: correlation with level of services/departments.

AIM: To assess whether investments for medical equipments assigned by a team of experts to a mother and child health hospital located in Mongolia were correlated with structural, organizational, and educational level of its services/departments. METHODS: A score was used for evaluating the level of each service/department. It was based on a 'structural area' and an 'organizational and educational area'. Destination of funds was determined by a team of experts in collaboration with the head of the service/department. RESULTS: Thirty-three of 36 services/departments (91.6%) were evaluated. A total sum of 4,432,140 Euros to invest in medical equipment was estimated. Assigned investments were inversely correlated with the total (structural plus organizational and educational area) score (n = 33; r = -0.59; p = 0.0002), and the specific scores for structural area (n = 33; r = -0.46; p = 0.005) and organizational and educational area (n = 33; r = -0.56; p = 0.0006). CONCLUSIONS: A large part of the funds for medical equipment was destined to services/departments with low organizational and educational conditions, limiting the potential effect of the aid meanwhile supporting the most in need departments. Educational efforts and monitoring of specific long-term indicators are mandatory.

Construtores de casa e artífices de cidadania: modos cooperativos de trabalhar e viver / Constructors of house and artifices of citzenship: cooperative was to work and live

Este artigo centra-se na análise de uma cooperativa da construção civil orientada por princípios da economia solidária. Buscou-se compreenderem que medida essa experiência associativa, além de constituir uma estratégia de sobrevivênciae de resistência diante do desemprego e subemprego, pode contribuir para a invenção de novas formas de trabalho e vida produtoras de saúde. Realizou-se um estudo qualitativo voltado ao conhecimento das principais questões que atravessam o processo produtivo cooperativo, sua viabilidade econômica e técnica e as relações estabelecidas entre os associados. Encontrou-se que o empreendimento rompe com a lógica habitual de trabalho implantada nos canteiros de obra, investe na qualificaçãode trabalhadores e expande um novo sentido formativo, de partilha, de sentimento associativo e de compromisso social com a comunidade local. Apesar das limitações decorrentes da falta de financiamento compatível com a especificidade de iniciativas dessa natureza, constitui uma referência exemplar de sucesso sob premissas da economia solidária.

This article focuses on the analysis of a civil construction cooperative guided by the principles of solidary economy. The goal was to understand towhat extent this associative experience, in addition to building a strategy of survival and of resistance to unemployment and underemployment, can contribute to the invention of new forms of work and of life that can produce health. A qualitative study was carried out to get to know the main issues involved in the cooperative productive process, its economic and technical viability, and the relationships established among the members. It was found that the project breaks away from the habitual logic of work thatis deployed at construction sites, that it invests in worker qualification, and expands a new qualification sense, one of sharing, of associated feeling, and of social commitment to the local community. In spite of the limitations derived from the lack of funding compatible with the specificity of initiatives of this nature, it is an exemplary reference of success under the premises of the solidary economy.

Estimates of associated outdoor particulate matter health risk and costs reductions from alternative building, ventilation and filtration scenarios.

Although many studies have reported calculations of outdoor particulate matter (PM) associated externalities using ambient data, there is little information on the role buildings, their ventilation and filtration play. This study provides the framework to evaluate the health risk and cost reduction of building, ventilation and filtration strategies from outdoor PM pollution on a nationwide level and applied it to a case study in Singapore. Combining Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and time weighted exposure models, with established concentration-response functions and monetary valuation methods, mortality and morbidity effects of outdoor PM on the population of Singapore under different building, ventilation and filtration strategies were estimated. Different interventions were made to compare the effects from the current building conditions. The findings demonstrate that building protection effect reduced approximately half the attributable health cases amounting to US$17.7 billion due to PM pollution when compared to levels computed using outdoor data alone. For residential buildings, nationwide adoption of natural ventilation from current state is associated with 28% higher cases of mortality and 13 to 38% higher cases for different morbidities, amounting to US$6.7 billion. The incurred cost is negligible compared to energy costs of air-conditioning. However, nationwide adoption of closed residence and air-conditioning are associated with outcomes including fewer mortality (10 and 6% respectively), fewer morbidities (8 and 4% respectively) and economic savings of US$1.5 and 0.9 billion respectively. The related savings were about a factor of 9 the energy cost for air-conditioning. Nationwide adoption of mechanical ventilation and filtration from current natural ventilation in schools is associated with fewer asthma hospital admissions and exacerbations; although the economic impact is not substantial. Enhanced workplace filtration reduces the mortality and morbidity cases by 14 and 13% respectively amounting to savings of up to US$2.4 billion. The huge costs savings are comparable to the average worker salary and insignificant to energy, installation and rental cost. Despite uncertainty about accurate benefits, this study shows that health and economic gain via different building, ventilation and filtration designs in minimizing ingress of outdoor PM applied to a nationwide scale can be very large. Importantly, the results suggest that PM associated externalities and legislative efforts should not only focus on ambient PM reduction policies but also include building-informed decisions.

Pumped up prices? Advice on controlling scope creep in health care construction projects.

Changes in the scope of any health care construction project are inevitable. They happen for a number of reasons, including pressure from doctors and staff. While some are justified by factors that influence space requirements, such as changing market needs, new physicians or new technology, others inflate the cost of a construction project without adding significant benefits.