Regenerative design,socio-ecological systems and co-evolution

A key notion in regenerative design is the co-evolutionary, partnered relationship between socio-cultural and ecological systems, which requires an explicit engagement with the implications and consequences of future design decisions. However, despite the extensive literature in other disciplines regarding the co-evolution of socio-cultural and ecological systems, this approach has yet to receive serious scrutiny within the context of the built environment and within the emerging notions of regenerative development and design. Drawing on an interdisciplinary body of literature, a discussion is initiated on how socio-cultural and ecological systems and their co-evolution might connect to the concept of regenerative design. Following a critique of a relevant example highlighting the current practice of regenerative design, the new building for the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, potentially relevant aspects of a socio-ecological system and of evolution theories are examined for the built environment. Several observations are presented on how these may offer a stronger theoretical framing of regenerative design, particularly the shifts in design thinking: from buildings as artefacts to their dynamic role in adaptive processes over time; widening the boundary focus of a building from its site to the neighbourhood.

Une notion clé du design régénérateur est la relation coévolutionnaire de partenariat entre les systèmes socioculturels et écologiques, ce qui nécessite un engagement explicite à l'égard des implications et des conséquences des futures décisions en matière de design. Cependant, malgré la vaste littérature existant dans les autres disciplines concernant la coévolution des systèmes socioculturels et écologiques, cette approche doit encore faire l'objet d'un examen sérieux dans le contexte de l'environnement bâti et sous l'angle des notions émergentes de développement et de design régénérateurs. En s'appuyant sur un corpus interdisciplinaire de publications, une discussion est amorcée sur la manière dont les systèmes socioculturels et écologiques et leur coévolution pourraient être reliés au concept de design régénérateur. Après une critique portant sur un exemple pertinent mettant en évidence les pratiques actuelles du design régénérateur, le nouveau bâtiment du Centre de Recherche Interactive sur le Développement Durable de l'Université de Colombie Britannique, à Vancouver, sont examinés les aspects potentiellement pertinents d'un système socioécologique et des théories évolutionnistes, s'agissant de l'environnement bâti. Plusieurs observations sont présentées quant à la manière dont ceux-ci peuvent offrir un cadre théorique plus solide au design régénérateur, concernant en particulier les changements intervenant dans la façon de penser le design : des bâtiments envisagés en tant qu'artéfacts à leur rôle dynamique dans les processus adaptatifs au fil du temps, et un bâtiment dont les limites ne se focalisent plus sur son site, mais sont élargies à son quartier.

Mots clés: environnement bâti, coévolution, cadres conceptuels, évolution, design régénérateur, systèmes socioécologiques     

Building human agency: a timely manifesto

The 2009 Passive and Low Energy Architecture Conference (PLEA), held in Québec City, Canada, was themed ‘Architecture, Energy and the Occupant's Perspective’, with the ambition of positioning building inhabitants as key ‘active’ determinants of energy performance in ‘passive’ design through adaptive opportunities. Conference delegates committed to a Manifesto that embodied both the key longstanding priorities of PLEA and explicitly conveyed the priorities of the conference hosts. The Manifesto is examined in terms of how it captures and represents a shift in thinking that has occurred over the past few years, away from technological and technocratic solutions to comfort provisioning and towards reframing building energy consumption as a social and ethical challenge in which comfort plays a key role.

La Conférence 2009 sur l'Architecture Passive et Basse Energie (PLEA), qui s'est tenue à Québec, au Canada, avait pour thème « Architecture, Energie et la Perspective de l'Occupant », avec pour ambition de positionner les habitants d'immeubles comme principaux déterminants « actifs » de la performance énergétique dans un design « passif » par des opportunités d'adaptation. Les délégués de la conférence se sont engagés en faveur d'un Manifeste qui, tout à la fois, incarne les principales priorités qui sont depuis longtemps celles des Conférences PLEA et traduit explicitement les priorités des hôtes de la conférence. Cet article examine le Manifeste quant à la manière dont il appréhende et reflète le changement intervenu au cours de ces dernières années dans la manière de voir les choses, consistant à se détourner d'un confort fourni par des solutions technologiques et technocratiques et à aller dans le sens d'un recadrage de la consommation énergétique des immeubles considérée comme un défi social et éthique dans lequel le confort joue un rôle clé.

Mots clés: comportement adaptatif, agence, confort, fourniture du confort, qualité environnementale intérieure, habitants, manifeste, Conférence sur l'Architecture Passive et Basse Energie (PLEA)     

Translating moral orders: putting moral conflict theory in conversation with actor–network theory

Moral conflict theory explains deep moral differences and patterns of communication commonly associated with such conflicts. Moral conflict is defined as a struggle between humans, but we argue that the objects of contention in such intractable conflicts, including texts, physical objects, and places, assume a force of their own. We use actor–network theory to help explain this eventuality and to expand our understanding of moral conflict. Combining actor–network theory literature with moral conflict theory literature helps us understand the complexity of moral orders and the networks of actors involved in the construction of moral conflict. This expansion of literature also allows us to conceive of more possibilities for transcendent discourse.     

Analysis of Site-Specific Phosphorylation of PTEN by Using Enzyme-Catalyzed Expressed Protein Ligation

The activity and localization of PTEN, a tumor suppressor lipid phosphatase that converts the phospholipid PIP3 to PIP2, is governed in part by phosphorylation on a cluster of four Ser and Thr residues near the C terminus. Prior enzymatic characterization of the four monophosphorylated (1p) PTENs by using classical expressed protein ligation (EPL) was complicated by the inclusion of a non-native Cys at the ligation junction (aa379), which may alter the properties of the semisynthetic protein. Here, we apply subtiligase-mediated EPL to create wt 1p-PTENs. These PTENs are more autoinhibited than previously appreciated, consistent with the role of Tyr379 in driving autoinhibition. Alkaline phosphatase sensitivity analysis revealed that these autoinhibited 1p conformations are kinetically labile. In contrast to the Cys mutant 1p-PTENs, which are poorly recognized by an anti-phospho-PTEN antibody, three of the four wt 1p-PTENs are recognized by a commonly used anti-phospho-PTEN antibody.     

Mechanisms for the formation of low temperature,non-alloyed Au-Ge ohmic contacts to n-GaAs

Low temperature, non-alloyed Au-Ge contact formation ton-GaAs is a multi-step pro-cess. During the first 5 min of annealing at 320° C the Au and Ge segregate into regions a few microns in size and extend over the entire thickness of the metal layer and sig-nificant in-diffusion of the Au and Ge and out-diffusion of the Ga and As occurs. This intermixing reduces the barrier height from 0.75 to 0.40 eV. The contact does not show ohmic behavior until it has been annealed for 3 hr. During this time Ge continues to in-diffuse but at a slower rate than it did initially. The rate of Ge in-diffusion is en-hanced by the presence of Au since samples containing less Au require longer anneals to show ohmic behavior and have higher specific contact resistances. The presence of excess As, which is prevented from evaporating by a Si₃N₄ cap has the opposite effect since capped layers have higher specific contact resistances. Au-Ge phases appear after approximately 3 hr of annealing, therefore, Au-Ge phases cannot be responsible for the reduction in barrier height. The interface morphology is smooth, differing from that of pure Au and alloyed contacts that often contain spiking of the metals into the semi-conductor. The orientation relationship for the Au grains differs from that of pure Au. Work performedat U.S. Army ETDL, Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703. Work performed at U.S.Army ETDL, Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703.     

Spectral density of millimeter wave amplitude scintillations in an absorption region

A detailed theory including the effect of water vapor fluctuations for the spectral density of the log amplitude scintillations of a radio wave propagating in an absorption medium is presented. The scintillation spectra obtained from links at 55.5 and 36.1 GHz on a common 4.1 km path are given together with the relevant meteorological data. Results show that the lower corner frequency predicted by Ott and Thompson, for the enhancement of the scintillations in an absorption region, is a good approximation.     

Ryanodine action at calcium release channels. 1. importance of hydroxyl substituents

Ryanodine (1) and dehydroryanodine (2) have a polar face formed by cis-hydroxyls at C-2, C-4, C-6, and C-12. The importance of the hydroxyls to the action of 1 and 2 at the ryanodine receptor (ryr) of calcium release channels is examined at [3H]-1 binding sites in brain and skeletal muscle and in heart membranes relative to cardiac contractility, a pharmacologic response which appears to be mediated by the ryr. Five types of changes are considered: blocking the 4- and 6-hydroxyls as cyclic borates and boronates; blocking the 10- and 12-hydroxyls as cyclic phosphates, phosphonates, and phosphoramidates; methylation at nitrogen or hydroxyls at C-4 and C-10; dehydration of the C-2 hydroxyl; additional data for a 4,12-oxygen-bridged series. The first change has little effect on potency possibly due to the lability of the boron protective groups whereas the cyclic phosphorus compounds have reduced activity. Methylation reduces potency the least at nitrogen and the C-4 hydroxyl. Dehydration of 1 to 2-deoxy-2(13)-dehydro-1 allows the restoration of oxygen at C-2 by conversion to epoxides or a diol. One of the epoxides and 2-deoxy-2(13)-dehydro-2 retain 8-31% of ryanodine's potency in the ryr assays and 81% in the cardiac contractility system. In the 4,12-oxygen-bridged series, high potency at the receptor and cardiac muscle is retained in the 4-hydroxy ketal.