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One of the main aims of the green building movement has been a desire to create a healthy indoor environment for building occupants. In terms of improving or enhancing occupant well-being, a unique case emerges for healthcare facilities, whose main existence is based on the principles of improving the health of their patients. In the U.S., the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system has become the most widely recognized and used certification system for green buildings, including green hospital buildings. However, hospitals with high total scores may be green buildings but not necessarily the optimal green healthcare environment from a patient's wellbeing perspective. The goal of the study was to identify whether hospitals and healthcare facilities actually value the specific criteria that influence the health of patients and their recovery period. In-depth analysis of LEED healthcare specific credits revealed general tendencies and practices for green healthcare buildings. Based on a statistical analysis, the mean of percent healthcare specific scores were calculated as 48% for those certified under LEED Healthcare, 62% for hospitals certified under LEED New Construction v3, and 52% for hospitals certified under LEED New Construction v2 rating systems. While hospitals included in the Healthcare category were initially expected to be the most successful ones in terms of achieving patient recovery and wellbeing related credits, they proved to earn the lowest percent of relevant points in this analysis. The result may be attributed to heightened restrictions and requirements of credits in the Healthcare scorecard, or hospitals may be valuing the level of certification more than those credits that were deemed relevant for patient wellbeing and rate of recovery, either due to lack of information or due to economic constraints. A high correlation coefficient was calculated among total scores and healthcare specific scores for the Healthcare dataset. On the other hand, correlation coefficients calculated for the other two datasets indicate a more random pattern among the two variables. For hospitals certified under the New Construction rating system, there seem to be weak support to claim that hospitals that receive high total scores and thus certification levels have high healthcare specific points as well.

In this study, we first obtained the cosmological term naturally in the Einstein–Hilbert type effect for the [Formula: see text] theory, then we discussed the magnetized string matter in the Marder universe, later the matter Lagrangian is not equivalent to string dust and we calculated independently for the string dust and the electromagnetic field, and added the magnetized string together. Finally, we studied the physical and geometric structure of the universe, limiting our results to some astrophysical observation data.

For most students in higher education, a green residence hall could form their first impressions regarding green buildings. As these students may be expected to make decisions regarding their place of residence upon graduation, if not sooner, the importance of their first experiences with a green building cannot be underestimated. Indoor environmental quality of residence halls may affect students' productivity, which would have far-reaching implications for the student, university, and society. The goal of the study was to assess the students' self-perceived comfort and indoor environmental quality of green residence halls in a higher education institution, together with their willingness to pay to reside in a green building upon graduation. The conducted survey resulted in 1040 complete responses, and so the sample size used in the analysis is one of the largest among studies done on green buildings. Results indicate that, students residing in a green building report higher satisfaction on thermal, lighting, and overall comfort levels, and report higher positive impact of their living environment on the quality of their studying. However, such students were also found to report decreased tendencies to consider green buildings in the future. Analysis towards willingness to pay of students to reside in a green building upon graduation revealed comparable results among the study and the control population, with 35-40% indicating no willingness to pay extra. Students with high self-reported knowledge on environmental issues were found to indicate significantly higher willingness to pay to reside in green buildings. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this study, we have investigated generalized anisotropic universe models for magnetized strange quark matter (MSQM) distribution in the framework of [Formula: see text] gravitation theory. For this aim, we have used linearly varying deceleration parameter suggested by Akarsu and Dereli (2012) and equation of state for strange quark matter. For LRS Bianchi I universe model, the magnetic field was obtained as zero. But it was found to be different from zero for other universe models. Also, the geometric and physical aspects of the model are discussed in the conclusion.

OBJECTIVE: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as measures of obesity have some limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether one measure could predict the presence of diastolic dysfunction (DD) more accurately than the other measures. METHODS: A total of 91 obese patients without any other risk factors for DD were prospectively enrolled. Echocardiographic examination was performed. DD was defined and categorized according to recent guidelines. The study participants were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of DD. Weight, height, and WC were measured; BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated; and a body shape index (ABSI) was calculated as WC/(BMI2/3height1/2). The associations between ABSI, BMI, WHR, and WC and the presence of DD were examined using logistic regression analyses. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the differences. RESULTS: WC and BMI were significantly greater in subjects with DD (p=0.049 and 0.051, respectively). A greater BMI, WC, and WHR increased the risk of the presence of DD (BMIDD: odds ratio [OR]=1.096, p=0.024; WC-DD: OR=1.059, p=0.007; WHR-DD: OR=2.363, p=0.007). After adjustment for age and sex, only BMI continued to be significantly associated with DD (p=0.031). ABSI was not associated with DD. CONCLUSION: After adjustment for age and sex, BMI was the only predictor of DD in obesity. Despite its limitations, BMI may still be a potentially more accurate measure of DD compared with other obesity measures.

Objective: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as measures of obesity have some limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether one measure could predict the presence of diastolic dysfunction (DD) more accurately than the other measures. Methods: A total of 91 obese patients without any other risk factors for DD were prospectively enrolled. Echocardiographic examination was performed. DD was defined and categorized according to recent guidelines. The study participants were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of DD. Weight, height, and WC were measured; BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated; and a body shape index (ABSI) was calculated as WC/(BMI(2/3)height(1/2)). The associations between ABSI, BMI, WHR, and WC and the presence of DD were examined using logistic regression analyses. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the differences. Results: WC and BMI were significantly greater in subjects with DD (p=0.049 and 0.051, respectively). A greater BMI, WC, and WHR increased the risk of the presence of DD (BMIDD: odds ratio [OR]=1.096, p=0.024; WC-DD: OR=1.059, p=0.007; WHR-DD: OR=2.363, p=0.007). After adjustment for age and sex, only BMI continued to be significantly associated with DD (p=0.031). ABSI was not associated with DD. Conclusion: After adjustment for age and sex, BMI was the only predictor of DD in obesity. Despite its limitations, BMI may still be a potentially more accurate measure of DD compared with other obesity measures.

Sustainability is an issue of increasing importance in today's world. Institutions of higher education are undergoing change towards incorporating sustainable development principles within their teaching, research, service, and community outreach efforts. This article presents a case study of the development and implementation of one such initiative: a university-wide freshman course centered on the topic of sustainability. The objective of the course was to expose freshman students to important sustainability issues in a common course team-taught by faculty from various disciplines. The article presents experiences and recommendations as a guide to administrators, faculty and researchers at other institutions of higher education that plan to undertake similar endeavors. Based on experiences with the course, it is recommended that institutions that attempt a similar course should allocate significant time to develop the course, ideally a year in advance. The course concept was predicated on faculty members from widely differing disciplines coming together to teach a cluster topic. While this led to an interesting diversity in perspective, and introduced students to the multi-dimensional aspects of sustainability issues, it also resulted in divergent expectations among faculty and a lack of coherence in achieving the goals of the course initially set forth. A mechanism needs to be in place to coordinate faculty and their lectures within a cluster, and to prevent divergent expectations. An additional challenge that should be taken into consideration is the level of preparedness of freshman students to participate in a course that required high levels of critical thinking and analysis. In conclusion, the course has much potential to create a culture of caring for sustainability issues at an institution, as well as being a bonding experience for incoming freshmen. However, some restructuring is necessary to nurture the students to the point where they can engage in meaningful discussion of sustainability issues.

Purpose – The purpose of the article was to convey experiences with pioneering interdisciplinary sustainability research by involving undergraduate students. Experiences with initiating and conducting multiple research projects spanning engineering and sustainability are described, and recommendations for programs and faculty in other institutions of higher education that plan to implement or support similar endeavors are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – The article and presented conclusions are based on three separate research projects, where specific examples as to how those projects were developed as well as challenges and rewards faced during the project are described. Findings – It is concluded that faculty should not refrain from working with students from different backgrounds and disciplines. Bringing different backgrounds and perspectives to a project enables a big picture view of problems at hand and leads to better solutions that are more in line with the three pillars of sustainability, while at the same time providing valuable hands-on experience to undergraduate students. Originality/value – By its very definition, sustainability is an interdisciplinary field and, thus, requires novel approaches for education and research compared to other settled fields of science. A viable way to increase the role of sustainability in higher education is to foster interdisciplinary research and teaching. The institutions role in promoting such efforts has been discussed together with example strategies that were found to be successful as well as those that were not. The article presents results of potential successes in projects where the traditional disciplinary bounds have been breached, and an interdisciplinary approach has been used to achieve project goals. The article also gives examples on what types of sustainability research can be conducted with undergraduate students.

Although there are many initiatives to create incentives for investors and developers to invest in and redevelop brownfield sites, efficient prioritization of brownfields by taking into acc...

The research aims to find out the effect of project-based science education programme conducted with an active learning on scientific process skills and conceptions of 6-year-old children about nature of science. Quasi-experimental research design including experimental and control groups with pre-test and post-test was implemented. Mixed-method research including qualitative and quantitative data collection tools was adopted. The quantitative data were collected with Preschool Scientific Process Skills Scale while qualitative data were gathered with interviews to define scientific process skills of children. The research includes 26 children in total, 17 were in the experimental group and 9 were in the control group. Project Based Science Education Conducted with Active Learning was carried out on the experimental group and Project Based Science Education was carried out on the control group. The research lasted for 32 weeks between October, 2015 and June, 2016. Scores of scientific process skills about nature of science belonging to students in the experimental group were found to be higher than ones in the control group and the students in the experimental group were found to be more familiar with the related conceptions. The findings prove the positive effect of projectbased science education.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate and determine the relationships (if any) among pain, depression levels, fatigue, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) aged 65 years and over, and to compare the results with those of RA patients under 65 years of age. Materials and methods: The study included 52 patients with RA aged 65 years and over (Group 1) and 84 patients with RA under 65 years of age (Group 2). Pain, depression levels, fatigue, sleep quality, quality of life, and disease activity of all of the participants were evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Disease Activity Score-28, respectively. Results: When the two groups were compared, higher scores for the VAS, BDI, total CIS, and PSQI were found in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (P = 0.003, P = 0.003, P = 0.007, and P = 0.001, respectively). The SF-36 subscales of the physical component summary and mental component summary were not statistically significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This study evaluated the situation in elderly patients with RA and showed that pain, depression level, fatigue, and sleep quality worsen with age.

The aim of this study is to determine the reflection of 2013 Science Curriculum on students' continuous motivation for science learning. Moreover, the variables which are thought to have an impact on continuous motivation for science learning were examined in terms of gender, last grades of science course, membership of an academic journal, books read on science, movies watched on science, out-of-school activities on science and having family members interested in science. As a descriptive study, the sample consisted of a total of 356 students in Denizli in 2015-2016 academic year. To collect the data, "Continuous Motivation for Science Learning"questionnaire was used. According to the analyses, continuous motivation of secondary school students for science learning significantly differed in terms of their class. Furthermore, their continuous motivation was significantly affected by the variables of students' average means of science course, membership of an academic journal, books read on science, movies watched on science, and out-of-school activities on science. There was no significant difference between gender, and having a family member interested in science, and continuous motivation for science learning.

WOS: 000408735402169 …

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is commonly used to improve building energy efficiency, and its multiple iterations have been adopted by numerous countries, as well as most states in the U.S. The study assesses the effects and energy saving potentials of multiple passive and active building design features for new residential construction by using a baseline model designed to mimic existing characteristics of residential buildings in the Northeast region of the U.S. The developed model was verified for the two commonly adopted iterations of IECC codes to attain realistic results, and to quantify potential energy savings calculated beyond those that are provided by the Code. CFD analysis was used to assess indoor temperature variation and air velocity, together with an assessment for occupant comfort. Results indicate annual overall energy savings of 114 kWh/m2 in a detached single family home, which represents a 39% reduction in building total energy consumption in addition to and beyond the energy efficiency gains required by the 2012 IECC. CFD analysis results also indicate that occupant comfort is not compromised by techniques analyzed. For an individual residential building in the studied region, the energy savings over its lifetime would total 500 MWh. At the regional scale, should all new residential construction in the next 6 years in the cold climate region of the U.S. adopt the studied techniques, their cumulative savings would exceed energy generated in the U.S. from solar power in 2016.

In this research, we have investigated the behavior of massive and massless scalar field (SF) models (normal and phantom) for Kaluza–Klein universe in [Formula: see text] gravity with cosmological term ([Formula: see text]). To obtain field equations, we have used [Formula: see text] model given by Harko et al. [Phys. Rev. D 84, 024020 (2011)] and anisotropy feature of the universe. Finally, we have discussed our results in [Formula: see text] and General Relativity Theory (GRT) with various graphics.

Cisplatin is one of the effective chemotherapeutics in the treatment of several types of cancers. However, in addition to the efforts against to its toxicity, the amelioration of cisplatin sensitivity is an important point in treatment of cervical cancer. To do so, additional substances such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol in green tea, have been used in combination with chemotherapeutics. We aimed to investigate the possible molecular pathways to potentiate cervical cancer cell (HeLa) growth inhibition by combination therapy of cisplatin and EGCG. HeLa cells were treated with EGCG (25 µM), cisplatin (250 nM), and their combination for 24 h. Cell viability was determined by MTS Assay. We analyzed the expressions of NF-?B p65, COX-2, Nrf2, HO-1, p-mTOR, p-p70S6K1, p-4E-BP1, and p-Akt by Western blot analysis. Herein, we have demonstrated that EGCG works synergistic with cisplatin in inhibiting growth of cervical cancer cells. EGCG improved efficacy of cisplatin treatment in HeLa cells by regulating NF?B p65, COX-2, p-Akt, and p-mTOR pathways, whereas it increased the expression levels of Nrf2/HO-1 in combined therapy. Our observations revealed that EGCG increases the sensitization of cisplatin to cervical cancer cells by inhibiting cell survival and inducing apoptosis. © Copyright © 2015 Kilic, Sahin, Tuzcu, Basak, Orhan, Elibol-Can, Kilic, Sahin and Kucuk. Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi This study was supported by grants from Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA).

A renal epithelial tumor with a papillary or tubulopapillary pattern and a low nuclear grade is defined as a renal adenoma if its diameter is 5 mm or less. Two important issues related to the renal adenoma are the lack of exact criteria for the histopathological differentiation from a papillary renal cell carcinoma and the lack of consensus as to whether it is a precancerous lesion. Renal adenomatosis is very rarely seen entity entity characterized by multiple and usually bilateral adenomas. Innumerable adenomas, adenomatous transformations within a single tubule and adenomas measuring 7 mm or less, were detected in a 47-year-old man who underwent simple nephrectomy due to nonfunctional hydronephrosis secondary to urolithiasis. In this paper, our diagnostic approach to this fairly rare entity is discussed along with a brief literature review.

Laibson (1997) suggests the present bias problem as one of the driving forces of excessive borrowing. Shefrin and Thaler (1988) suggest that self-control underlies national borrowing/savings rate. We conduct a survey with 65 people between the ages of 21 and 56 to check for present bias as well as self-control problems among individuals in Turkey using a quasi-hyperbolic discounting model. Our findings show that different income groups have similar discount factors, i.e., impatience levels, but very different degrees of dynamic inconsistencies, i.e. present bias levels. In particular, 32.2% of low-income individuals exhibit present bias whereas this is down to 5.9% for high-income individuals. This result does not depend on a particular assumption of a utility function. Using the parameters we elicit through the surveys, policymakers can design appropriate commitment devices for time-inconsistent individuals to ensure a sustainable level of aggregate saving and financial investment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between central adiposity parameters and autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 114 obese individuals without any cardiovascular risk factors. Weight (in kg), height (in m), and waist circumference (WC; in cm) were measured and body mass index was calculated. Echocardiographic examination was performed to measure left ventricular mass and epicardial fat thickness (EFT). All the participants underwent an exercise test and electrophysiological evaluation using electromyography. Heart rate recovery (HRR) at 1-5 min, R-R interval variation at rest and during hyperventilation, and sympathetic skin response were measured. Pearson's correlation analysis was used. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with autonomic dysfunction. RESULTS: The HRR at 1-5 min was negatively correlated with WC and age (WC-HRR1: r = -0.32; WC-HRR2: r = -0.31; WC-HRR3: r = -0.26; WC-HRR4: r = -0.23; WC-HRR5: r = -0.21; age-HRR2: r = -0.32; age-HRR3: r = -0.28; age-HRR4: r = -0.41; age-HRR5: r = -0.42). Age was the only independent predictor of reduced HRR at 1-5 min. In addition, WC predicted a reduced HRR at 3 min. There were no significant associations between central obesity and electrophysiological parameters. EFT was not associated with ANS dysfunction. CONCLUSION: In this study, central adiposity and aging were associated with ANS dysfunction in obese individuals. The WC could be a marker of ANS dysfunction in obese individuals without any cardiovascular risk factors. The HRR assessment at a later decay phase could be more valuable for evaluating ANS function than during early recovery.

Objectives: Trauma and bleeding can affect the functions of circumventricular organs (CVOs), which are essential for most autonomic and endocrine functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural changes at circumventricular organs after traumatic brain injury. Methods: Two experimental groups were used: Traumatic injury group and a control group, six Wistar albino rats each. Under general anaesthesia, a lead object weighing 450 g was allowed to fall freely from a height of 90 cm through a copper tube onto the metal discover the skulls of the rats. 48 hours after trauma and control animals were anaesthetized. Rats were perfused with a fixation fluid (3% paraformaldehyde and 1% gluteraldehyde in PBS) until the heart stopped. Tissues containing SFO, OVLT, ME, AP were obtained using Paxinos & Watson Rat Stereotaxic Atlas. Ultrastructure examinations were done using TEM. Results: In all traumatic animals, edematous areas were abundant in neuropil. There were degeneration findings at neural and glial cell bodies, neuropil and myelinated nerve fibres. Degeneration at myelin sheath and degenerated organel remnants within the axoplasm were seen. There were disruption at myelinated and nonmyelinated axons. The number of the secretory granules at ME were reduced. Discussion: Changes observed in CVOs 48 hours after experimental head injury has a potential role in explaining functional and endocrine dysfunctions seen after TBI. © 2016, Ege University Press. All rights reserved.

Introduction: It was aimed to evaluate sleep disturbances and quality of life in primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) patients and to evaluate any relationship with urinary incontinence. Methods: The study included 77 voluntary patients admitted to the rheumatology clinic. The control group consisted of 80 healthy individuals. All participants were requested to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepines Scale (ESS), International Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) study group (IRLSSG) rating scale, and SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. The age of pSS onset, age at diagnosis, and age at the beginning of therapy were recorded. Patients with urinary incontinence were evaluated with the incontinence severity index(ISI). Results: The mean scores of the mental health, general health, vitality, physical function, physical role function and emotional role function parameters of the patients were statistically significantly lower than those of healthy volunteers. In the ESS scale, the average score was found to be 7.9 +/- 2.8 in the patient group and 4.5 +/- 2.1 in the control group. The average IRLSSG rating scale score was 13.4 +/- 7.6 in the patient group and 5.4 +/- 5.2 in the control group. The total PSQI score was 7.8 +/- 3.5 in the patient group and 4.11 +/- 1.64 in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of ESS, IRLSSG rating scale and sleep quality scores. Patients with urinary incontinence (n=26) had significantly higher PSQI and SF-36 scores than patients without urinary incontinence (n=51). Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with pSS have a significantly decreased sleep quality and HRQOL compared with the normal population. Urinary incontinence had a negative impact on sleep and HRQOL. RLS, sleepiness and urinary incontinence are common in patients with pSS.

Objective: To determine the relationship between central adiposity parameters and autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. Subjects and Methods: The study included 114 obese individuals without any cardiovascular risk factors. Weight (in kg), height (in m), and waist circumference (WC; in cm) were measured and body mass index was calculated. Echocardiographic examination was performed to measure left ventricular mass and epicardial fat thickness (EFT). All the participants underwent an exercise test and electrophysio-logical evaluation using electromyography. Heart rate recovery (HRR) at 1-5 min, R-R interval variation at rest and during hyperventilation, and sympathetic skin response were measured. Pearson's correlation analysis was used. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with autonomic dysfunction. Results: The HRR at 1-5 min was negatively correlated with WC and age (WC-HRR1: r = -0.32; WC-HRR2: r = -0.31; WC-HRR3: r = -0.26; WC-HRR4: r = -0.23; WC-HRR5: r = -0.21; age-HRR2: r = -0.32; age-HRR3: r = -0.28; age-HRR4: r = -0.41; age-HRR5: r = -0.42). Age was the only independent predictor of reduced HRR at 1-5 min. In addition, WC predicted a reduced HRR at 3 min. There were no significant associations between central obesity and electrophysiological parameters. EFT was not associated with ANS dysfunction. Conclusion: In this study, central adiposity and aging were associated with ANS dysfunction in obese individuals. The WC could be a marker of ANS dysfunction in obese individuals without any cardiovascular risk factors. The HRR assessment at a later decay phase could be more valuable for evaluating ANS function than during early recovery. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

The objective of this study was to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) to limit constructability issues on a net-zero energy home, in an effort to enhance sustainability and increase competitiveness in the residential construction industry. An extensive literature review was conducted to determine common constructability issues and to compile success factors identified previously by other researchers for traditional home construction. The CSFs were then narrowed to a group of thirteen CSFs unique to net-zero energy home construction. This framework of net-zero energy CSFs was supported by a case study of a net-zero energy home under construction in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Through the use of observational research on this home, the importance of each CSF was defined, and their contributions to a net-zero energy home was discussed based on evidence from the case study. CSFs and constructability issues identified in this research will assist the residential construction sector's continued effort to reduce energy use, enhance conservation, and promote sustainability through the support of net-zero energy residential construction. CSFs will promote sustainability by increasing the ease and efficiency of the design and construction of net zero energy homes which will in return make the homes more cost efficient to build and an affordable option for home buyers.

WOS: 000307308300011, Behaviors of quark matter and strange quark matter which exist in the first seconds of the early Universe in f(R) gravity are studied for Bianchi I and V universes. In this respect, we obtain exact solutions of the modified Einstein field equations by using anisotropy feature of Bianchi I and V space-times. In particular, we investigate exact f(R) functions for Bianchi I as the contribution of strange quark and quark matter. Also, we have concluded that quark matter may contribute to the early acceleration of the universe since quark matter behaves like phantom-type dark energy. Furthermore, obtained f(R) solutions represents early eras of the Universe since f(R) solutions for quark matter coincide with f(R) equations for inflation. From this point, we can reach the conclusion that quarks may be source of the early dark energy of the universe or source of little inflation due to their repulsive force.

Service life of building products has an important influence on life cycle assessment (LCA) results of buildings. The goal of this study was to propose a systematic approach to estimate service life of building products by including both technical and social factors. A hybrid service life prediction method, combining the statistical approach described in American Society for Testing and Materials standard G166 with the Factor Method adopted by International Organization for Standardization standard 15686, was proposed. In their current forms, the two methods are not suitable to provide reliable lifetime estimates for the wide variety of products that are used in buildings. Statistical analysis was preferred over a deterministic approach. Regression analysis was used to define Weibull distribution parameters for each product. These distributions were then used to calculate the mean estimated service life of products with an 80% confidence interval. Using actual lifetime observed from practice instead of design lifetime for reference service life was preferred. This enables the use of a smaller range of coefficients for each factor affecting service life, which decreases subjectivity and increases reliability of results. Example median service life estimates were demonstrated for common residential interior finishes that are replaced more frequently, and therefore require more maintenance planning and potentially have significant environmental impacts. Probability of renovation distributions was also presented for interior finishes. The proposed method inherently includes social factors in the dataset used to define lifetime distributions, which could be as important as durability for some building product categories. Another advantage is that choosing reference service life based on real-life conditions decreases the range of coefficients necessary for modifying factors in comparison to when design lifetime is used, thus decreasing the subjectivity of results due to variations in assigned values by different users. The Factor Method is the most promising method available to estimate service life of products. Unless additional data points were gathered for investigated products, the presented lifetime distribution results can be directly applied to LCA studies. The proposed hybrid method can also be applied to other products that are studied within the Factor Method. Products whose lifetimes are influenced by social factors are prime candidates to apply this method.

Many life cycle assessment (LCA) studies do not adequately address the actual lifetime of buildings and building products, but rather assume a typical value. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of lifetime on residential building LCA results. Including accurate lifetime data into LCA allows a better understanding of a product’s environmental impact that would ultimately enhance the accuracy of LCA results. This study focuses on refining the US residential building lifetime, as well as lifetime of interior renovation products that are commonly used as interior finishes in homes, to improve LCA results. Residential building lifetime data that presents existing trends in the USA was analyzed as part of the study. Existing product life cycle inventory data were synthesized to form statistical distributions that were used instead of deterministic values. Product elementary flows were used to calculate life cycle impacts of a residential model that was based on median US residential home size. Results were compared to existing residential building LCA literature to determine the impact of using updated, statistical lifetime data. A Monte Carlo analysis was performed for uncertainty analysis. Sensitivity analysis results were used to identify hotspots within the LCA results. Statistical analysis of US residential building lifetime data indicate that average building lifetime is 61 years and has a linearly increasing trend. Interior renovation energy consumption of the residential model that was developed by using average US conditions was found to have a mean of 220 GJ over the life cycle of the model. Ratio of interior renovation energy consumption to pre-use energy consumption, which includes embodied energy of materials, construction activities, and associated transportation was calculated to have a mean of 34% for regular homes and 22% for low-energy homes. Ratio of interior renovation to life cycle energy consumption of residential buildings was calculated to have a mean of 3.9% for regular homes and 7.6% for low-energy homes. Choosing an arbitrary lifetime for buildings and interior finishes, or excluding interior renovation impacts introduces a noteworthy amount of error into residential building LCA, especially as the relative importance of materials use increases due to growing number of low-energy buildings that have lower-use phase impacts.

In this study, quark and strange quark matter which exist in the first seconds of the early Universe have been studied in the context of general relativity to be able to obtain space–time geometry of first seconds of the early Universe. For this purpose, Einstein’s field equations for quark and strange quark matter in the non static spherically symmetric space–time have been solved by using experimental result that anisotropy parameter of quark matter is very small. We have concluded from obtained solutions that the space–time structure of first seconds of the Early Universe is homogeneous and isotropic. Also we have concluded that the color interactions of the quarks may be origin of primordial magnetic field in the early universe.

Using the Einstein, Bergmann–Thomson (BT) and Landau–Lifshitz (LL) energy and momentum formulations in teleparallel gravity (TG), we obtain the total energy and momentum distributions for phantom black hole metric. We get different energy distributions similar to the earlier study and the momentum distributions vanish for phantom black hole metric in TG. These momentum solutions agree with the study of Sahoo et al. in general relativity. However, using Einstein, Bergmann–Thomson and Landau–Lifshitz energy and momentum complexes, we investigate regular black hole, asymptotically flat wormhole, anti-de Sitter wormhole and Ellis wormhole solutions in TG. We obtain (i) same BT and LL energy density solutions for regular black hole metric, (ii) same and zero energy distribution for asymptotically flat wormhole, (iii) proportion with Einstein and BT energy density solutions for anti-de Sitter wormhole, (iv) same and negative Einstein and BT energy density solutions for Ellis wormhole in TG.

The magnetized strange quark matter (MSQM) solutions are obtained for a Marder type universe using constant deceleration parameter. The exact solutions of field equations are obtained for f(R,[Formula: see text]T) = R + 2f(T) model given by [T. Harko et al., Phys. Rev. D 84, 024020 (2011)] with cosmological term. Also, we have obtained General Relativity (GR) solutions for MSQM distributions. For [Formula: see text], we get the dark energy model, i.e. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. However, for [Formula: see text], we find the cosmological constant [Formula: see text] as negative in f(R,[Formula: see text]T) theory and GR. These results agree with [S. Aygün et al., Astrophys. Space Sci. 361, 380 (2016); C. Aktaş and S. Aygün, Chinese J. Phys. 55, 71 (2017); P. K. Sahoo et al., Mod. Phys. Lett. A 32, 1750105 (2017)] in f(R,[Formula: see text]T) theory. The physical consequences of our obtained models are discussed at the end.