Method and system for Multi-Attribute Market Value Assessment in analysis of construction and retrofit projects

Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) methods prioritize the alternatives of comparative projects quite accurately. Problems arise when there is a need to determine the utility degrees and market values of the project alternatives. This becomes especially important for establishing the market value of real estate property in tender offers. However, the available MADM methods cannot accomplish this. Thus the authors of this article developed the MAMVA method, which permits determining the utility degrees and market values of project alternatives, and also developed a system on the basis of this developed method. This article presents the proposed Multi-Attribute Market Value Assessment (MAMVA) Method and the Decision Support System for Construction and Retrofit Projects (DSS-CRP). It also presents a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method and system. The application of the MAMVA Method and DSS-CRP System for prioritizing and for determining the utility degrees and market values of construction and retrofit projects under consideration for financing by the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Financial Mechanism Grant made it possible to decrease the amount of requested support.This article also presents the analysis and comprehensive assessment of the noted construction and retrofit projects. These were performed in consideration of the entire life cycle of a project and of needs satisfaction relevant to all the groups interested in a project. The developed MAMVA Method and DSS-CRP System permit assessing the appropriateness of projects under analysis in conceptual and qualitative forms. This method and system automatically submit the values of the project alternatives.     

Antibacterial Action of Nanoparticles by Lethal Stretching of Bacterial Cell Membranes

It is commonly accepted that nanoparticles (NPs) can kill bacteria; however, the mechanism of antimicrobial action remains obscure for large NPs that cannot translocate the bacterial cell wall. It is demonstrated that the increase in membrane tension caused by the adsorption of NPs is responsible for mechanical deformation, leading to cell rupture and death. A biophysical model of the NP–membrane interactions is presented which suggests that adsorbed NPs cause membrane stretching and squeezing. This general phenomenon is demonstrated experimentally using both model membranes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, representing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic quasi-spherical and star-shaped gold (Au)NPs are synthesized to explore the antibacterial mechanism of non-translocating AuNPs. Direct observation of nanoparticle-induced membrane tension and squeezing is demonstrated using a custom-designed microfluidic device, which relieves contraction of the model membrane surface area and eventual lipid bilayer collapse. Quasi-spherical nanoparticles exhibit a greater bactericidal action due to a higher interactive affinity, resulting in greater membrane stretching and rupturing, corroborating the theoretical model. Electron microscopy techniques are used to characterize the NP–bacterial-membrane interactions. This combination of experimental and theoretical results confirm the proposed mechanism of membrane-tension-induced (mechanical) killing of bacterial cells by non-translocating NPs.     

Light‐Emitting Nanophotonic Designs Enabled by Ultrafast Laser Processing of Halide Perovskites

Nanophotonics based on resonant nanostructures and metasurfaces made of halide perovskites have become a prospective direction for efficient light manipulation at the subwavelength scale in advanced photonic designs. One of the main challenges in this field is the lack of large‐scale low‐cost technique for subwavelength perovskite structures fabrication preserving highly efficient luminescence. Here, unique properties of halide perovskites addressed to their extremely low thermal conductivity (lower than that of silica glass) and high defect tolerance to apply projection femtosecond laser lithography for nanofabrication with precise spatial control in all three dimensions preserving the material luminescence efficiency are employed. Namely, with CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite highly ordered nanoholes and nanostripes of width as small as 250 nm, metasurfaces with periods less than 400 nm, and nanowire lasers as thin as 500 nm, corresponding to the state‐of‐the‐art in multistage expensive lithographical methods are created. Remarkable performance of the developed approach allows to demonstrate a number of advanced optical applications, including morphology‐controlled photoluminescence yield, structural coloring, optical‐ information encryption, and lasing.     

The selection of effective retrofit scenarios for panel houses in urban neighborhoods based on expected energy savings and increase in market value: The Vilnius case

Some of the problems associated with assessing the retrofit effectiveness of apartment buildings in urban areas are considered. The retrofit of houses should be followed by the amelioration of their surroundings. The priority order of districts to be renovated depends on the condition of the buildings in a district and on strategic urban development programmes. In order to determine the profitability of investments in housing retrofit, a number of retrofit scenarios should be developed. The authors of this paper offer a new approach to determining the retrofit effectiveness of houses based both on expected energy savings and the increase in market value of renovated buildings. In line with the proposed approach, retrofit scenarios for apartment buildings in Vilnius were developed, i.e. retrofit investment packages for various districts were prepared and arranged in the priority order for their application according to the method of geographical analysis suggested by the authors.     

Templating and Replication of Spiral Photonic Crystals for Silicon Photonics

This paper describes femtosecond laser lithography of 3-D photonic crystal templates in commercial photoresist SU-8 and replication of these templates with silicon. Using this approach, silicon-based photonic crystals having 3-D square spiral architecture and exhibiting photonic stop gaps near the 2.5- mum wavelength were fabricated. Possibilities to use a multiple-beam interference technique for two-photon absorption templating of photonic crystals are explored.     

Synthesis and properties of oxetane monomers and oligomers with electro‐active pendent groups

BACKGROUND: Monomers and polymers carrying pendent electro‐active fragments are widely studied due to their application in various optoelectronic devices. Monomers containing triphenylamino, triphenyldiamino and carbazol‐9‐yl fragments with vinyl, epoxy or acryl functional groups are mostly used. The synthesized materials are used for preparation of hole transport layers as well as host materials for electrophosphorescent light‐emitting diodes. Much fewer presentations are reported on the preparation of monomers containing other electro‐active or functional groups. RESULTS: Here we describe oxetane monomers and their oligomers containing various electro‐active pendent groups. The weight‐average molecular weights of the oligomers are in the range 1420–3250 g mol^?1 with a molecular weight distribution of 1.7–4.1. The electron photoemission spectra of amorphous layers of the compounds established ionization potentials of 5.55–5.85 eV. Room temperature hole drift mobility in the layers of some oligomers exceeds 10^?7 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at high electric fields. CONCLUSION: The synthesized oligomers exhibit promising thermal and film‐forming properties. Amorphous layers of some of the materials demonstrate suitable ionization potentials and sufficient hole transport properties for their application in optoelectronic devices. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The impact of overload conditions on computer network reliability

Performance in terms of reliability of computer networks motivates this paper. A limit theorem on the extreme queue length in open queueing networks in heavy traffic is derived and then applied to a reliability model for computer networks where we relate the time of failure of a computer network to the system parameters.