Thermal Performance Assessment of Flexible Modular Housing Units for Energy Independence Following Disasters

An investigation was conducted into temporary modular housing for use in disaster areas to assess the feasibility of energy independence. Flexible modular units have been proposed as a temporary housing solution in disaster areas, as they can be deployed in combination with energy units across a wide range of environments. A dynamic energy simulation was used to examine the heating/cooling requirements and the potential photovoltaic power generation of such modular housing in an East Asian climate. This was used to assess the potential for energy independence. The building performance was analyzed based on measurements of airtightness, insulation performance, and thermal bridge phenomena taken from mock-up modular housing. According to the wall assembly method, it was confirmed that the airtightness performance was poor. Further investigations explored the possibility of reducing the annual heating/cooling loads by improving the airtightness, which would contribute to greater energy independence. In general, the specific housing needs of different victim groups can easily be satisfied through the application of different modular unit combinations.

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Complete Genome Sequence Data of Three Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex Strains Isolated from Olive Trees in California, U.S.A.

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-05-20-0167-a ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 110 (11) ◽

pp. 1759-1762

Author(s):

Michael L. O’Leary ◽

Lindsey P. Burbank ◽

Rodrigo Krugner ◽

Drake C. Stenger

Keyword(s):

Los Angeles ◽

Complete Genome ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Xylella Fastidiosa ◽

Prunus Dulcis ◽

Assembly Method ◽

Wide Range ◽

Olive Trees ◽

Genome Assemblies ◽

Bacterial Plant Pathogen

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited bacterial plant pathogen that causes disease on numerous hosts. Additionally, X. fastidiosa asymptomatically colonizes a wide range of plant species. X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex has been detected in olive (Olea europaea) trees grown in California, U.S.A., as well as in Europe. Strains of X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex isolated from California olive trees are not known to cause disease on olive, although some can induce leaf-scorch symptoms on almond (Prunus dulcis). No genome assemblies currently exist for olive-associated X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex strains; therefore, a hybrid assembly method was used to generate complete genome sequences for three X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex strains (Fillmore, LM10, and RH1) isolated from olive trees grown in Ventura and Los Angeles counties of California.

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Configuration of Building Façade Surface for Seasonal Selectiveness of Solar Irradiation—Absorption and Reflection

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.4006673 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mohammad H. Naraghi ◽

Adrien Harant

Keyword(s):

Monte Carlo Model ◽

Solar Irradiation ◽

Cavity Surface ◽

Specular Reflectance ◽

Heating And Cooling ◽

Building Facade ◽

Small Depth ◽

Wide Range ◽

Surface Reflectivity ◽

Cooling Loads

A novel building façade surface configuration is proposed. This façade consists of grooved cavities that are configured in a manner that reflects summer (cooling season) insolation and absorbs winter (heating season) insolation. The effective absorptivities of the façade for various cavity reflectance characteristics, i.e., a wide range of diffuse and specular reflectance characteristics, are evaluated using a Monte Carlo model. It was determined that the best cavity surface reflectivity has fully diffuse surfaces and an absorptivity about 0.7. This reflectance characteristic of the cavities results in a small depth of the façade cavities and thicker divider wedge between adjacent cavities. The calculations in the present work are performed for a location proximate to the latitude of 41 deg N where both heating and cooling loads are significant. The same model can be applied to locations with different latitudes and building heating and cooling loads, which may result in slightly different cavity configurations and effective absorptivities.

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Distributed dynamic simulations of networked control and building performance applications

SIMULATION ◽

10.1177/0037549717711269 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 145-161

Author(s):

Azzedine Yahiaoui

Keyword(s):

Control Systems ◽

Dynamic Simulation ◽

Minimum Energy ◽

Building Performance ◽

Simulation Environment ◽

Dynamic Simulations ◽

Wide Range ◽

Automation And Control ◽

And Control ◽

Building Performance Applications

The use of computer-based automation and control systems for smart sustainable buildings, often so-called Automated Buildings (ABs), has become an effective way to automatically control, optimize, and supervise a wide range of building performance applications over a network while achieving the minimum energy consumption possible, and in doing so generally refers to Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) architecture. Instead of costly and time-consuming experiments, this paper focuses on using distributed dynamic simulations to analyze the real-time performance of network-based building control systems in ABs and improve the functions of the BACS technology. The paper also presents the development and design of a distributed dynamic simulation environment with the capability of representing the BACS architecture in simulation by run-time coupling two or more different software tools over a network. The application and capability of this new dynamic simulation environment are demonstrated by an experimental design in this paper.

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Preparation and Investigation of Intelligent Polymeric Nanocapsule for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma12071093 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1093 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Fang Shi ◽

Jingchun Wu ◽

Bo Zhao

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Colloidal Particles ◽

Critical Concentration ◽

Average Particle Size ◽

Average Particle ◽

Assembly Method ◽

Recovery Capacity ◽

Wide Range

Micro-/nanomotors colloidal particles have attracted increasing interest as composite surfactants, owing to the combined advantages of both Janus solid surfactants and micro-/nanomotors. Here we put micro-/nanomotors colloidal particles into hollow polymeric micro-encapsulates. An intelligent polymeric nanocapsule was prepared for enhanced oil recovery by the self-assembly method. The particle size range of the polymeric capsule can be controlled between 20 to 1000 nm by adjusting the cross-linking thickness of the capsule’s outer membrane. The average particle size of polymeric capsules prepared in the study was 300 nm. The structure and properties of the Intelligent polymeric nanocapsule was characterized by a wide range of technics such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy by laser diffraction, ﬂuorescence microscopy, pendant drop tensiometer, laser particle size instrument, and interface tension analyzer. It was found that the intelligent polymeric nanocapsule exhibited signiﬁcant interfacial activity at the oil-water interface. When the Janus particles’ concentration reached saturation concentration, the adsorption of the amphiphilic nanoparticles at the interface was saturated, and the equilibrium surface tension dropped to around 31 mN/m. When the particles’ concentration reached a critical concentration of aggregation, the Gibbs stability criterion was fulﬁlled. The intelligent polymeric nanocapsule system has a better plugging and enhanced oil recovery capacity. The results obtained provide fundamental insights into the understanding of the assembly behavior and emulsifying properties of the intelligent polymeric nanocapsule, and further demonstrate the future potential of the intelligent polymeric nanocapsule used as colloid surfactants for enhanced oil recovery applications.

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Technical solutions for working elements of machines for efficient compaction of soil

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201823001006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 230 ◽

pp. 01006

Author(s):

Kazimir Glavatsky ◽

Volodymyr Cherkudinov ◽

Olexandr Posmitiuha

Keyword(s):

Soil Compaction ◽

Structural Elements ◽

Initial State ◽

Modular Units ◽

Wide Range ◽

Combined Action ◽

The Creation ◽

Technical Solutions ◽

The Impact ◽

Light Medium

The modernization of machines for compaction of soil on a modular basis has the following advantages: some of their structural elements (working equipment and working elements) can be performed as unified modular units, from which, depending on the technological requirements, it is possible to assemble the required configuration of the sealing machine; the initial state of the machine does not deteriorate, to which it is easy to return; the nomenclature of structural elements and machines in general decreases, as the machine can be completed with variable modules, which leads to an improvement in their quality. When consolidating the soil massive use static, dynamic and combined action on the soil in the form of rollers, vibro-and ramboards. Machines of the boottype are classified into light, medium and heavy, which determines the order of its application. It is obvious that the reduction of technology for the process of soil compaction is possible due to the creation of machines that can change the intensity of the impact on the soil in a wide range.

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Analysis of the Indoor Thermal Load Variations Depending on the Shading Device Parameters and Window Orientation

International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration ◽

10.1142/s2010132515500236 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (03) ◽

pp. 1550023 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yeo Beom Yoon ◽

Rashmi Manandhar ◽

Kwang Ho Lee

Keyword(s):

Vertical Wall ◽

Building Performance ◽

Cooling Load ◽

Load Variations ◽

Heating And Cooling ◽

Window System ◽

Shading Devices ◽

Shading Device ◽

Cooling Loads ◽

Heating And Cooling Load

Many studies have been done to study the advantage of using window shading devices as a means of controlling solar penetration into the building. Shading devices like blinds have been proved to have a significant effect on the heating and cooling load of the building. As it is easier and less costly to change blinds than changing the window system in a building, using blinds is a very effective way of improving building performance. Although many studies have been done, mostly the study focuses on window that is oriented towards the south. As it is obvious that in a real building windows can be facing any direction, in this study the effect of blinds on heating and cooling loads of a building has been done, when the design of blind is either horizontal or vertical, when it is placed either inside or outside and when the slat angle automatically changes based on either solar energy received on vertical wall or on horizontal surface (roof).

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NPGREAT: Assembly of the human subtelomere regions with the use of ultralong Nanopore reads and Linked-Reads

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1080088/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Eleni Adam ◽

Desh Ranjan ◽

Harold Riethman

Keyword(s):

Segmental Duplication ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Segmental Duplications ◽

Sequence Contigs ◽

Correct Orientation ◽

Assembly Method ◽

Wide Range ◽

Complete Sequencing ◽

Lower Depth ◽

High Depth

Abstract Background Human subtelomeric DNA regulates the length and stability of adjacent telomeres that are critical for cellular function, and contains many gene/pseudogene families. Large evolutionarily recent segmental duplications and associated structural variation in human subtelomeres has made complete sequencing and assembly of these regions difficult to impossible for many loci, complicating or precluding a wide range of genetic analyses to investigate their function. Results We present a hybrid assembly method, NanoPore Guided REgional Assembly Tool (NPGREAT), which combines Linked-Read data with ultralong nanopore reads spanning subtelomeric segmental duplications to potentially overcome these difficulties. Linked-Read sets identified by matches with 1-copy subtelomere sequence adjacent to segmental duplications are assembled and extended into the segmental duplication regions using Regional Extension of Assemblies using Linked-Reads (REXTAL). Telomere-containing ultralong nanopore reads are then used to provide contiguity and correct orientation for matching REXTAL sequence contigs as well as identification/correction of any misassemblies (associated primarily with tandem repeats). While we focus on subtelomeres, the method is generally applicable to assembly of segmental duplications and other complex genome regions. Our method was tested for a subset of representative subtelomeres with ultralong nanopore read coverage in GM12878. 10X Linked-Read datasets with high depth of coverage and a TELL-seq Linked-Read dataset with lower depth of coverage were each combined with the ultralong nanopore reads from the same genome to provide improved assemblies. Tandem repeat regions of the short-read assemblies, which are especially prone to misassembly due to collapse of matching tandemly repeated reads, were readily identified and properly sized by comparison with the nanopore reads. Conclusion The NPGREAT method resulted in extension of high-quality assemblies into otherwise inaccessible segmental duplication regions near telomeres, enhancing our ability to accurately assemble human subtelomere DNA. This information will enable improved analyses of the structure, function, and evolution of these key regions.

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[ANT]: A Machine Learning Approach for Building Performance Simulation: Methods and Development

The Academic Research Community Publication ◽

10.21625/archive.v3i1.442 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 205

Author(s):

Mahmoud M. Abdelrahman ◽

Ahmed Mohamed Yousef Toutou

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

High Performance ◽

General Purpose ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Building Performance ◽

Performance Simulation ◽

Building Performance Simulation ◽

Wide Range ◽

Performance Development ◽

High Level

In this paper, we represent an approach for combining machine learning (ML) techniques with building performance simulation by introducing four methods in which ML could be effectively involved in this field i.e. Classification, Regression, Clustering and Model selection . Rhino-3d-Grasshopper SDK was used to develop a new plugin for involving machine learning in design process using Python programming language and making use of scikit-learn module, that is, a python module which provides a general purpose high level language to nonspecialist user by integration of wide range supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms with high performance, ease of use and well documented features. ANT plugin provides a method to make use of these modules inside Rhino\Grasshopper to be handy to designers. This tool is open source and is released under BSD simplified license. This approach represents promising results regarding making use of data in automating building performance development and could be widely applied. Future studies include providing parallel computation facility using PyOpenCL module as well as computer vision integration using scikit-image.

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Evaluation of capabilities of different global sensitivity analysis techniques for building energy simulation: experiment on design variables

Ambiente Construído ◽

10.1590/s1678-86212021000200516 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 89-111

Author(s):

Arthur Santos Silva ◽

Enedir Ghisi

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Computational Cost ◽

Building Performance ◽

Commercial Building ◽

Building Performance Simulation ◽

Global Sensitivity ◽

Heating And Cooling ◽

Design Variables ◽

Cooling Loads

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the capabilities of different global sensitivity analysis methods applied to building performance simulation, i.e. Morris, Monte Carlo, Design of Experiments, and Sobol methods. A single-zone commercial building located in Florianópolis, southern Brazil, was used as a case study. Fifteen inputs related to design variables were considered, such as thermal properties of the construction envelope, solar orientation, and fenestration characteristics. The performance measures were the annual heating and cooling loads. It was found that each method can provide different visual capabilities and measures of interpretation, but, in general, there was little difference in showing the most influent and least influent variables. For the heating loads, the thermal transmittances were the most influent variables, while for the cooling loads, the solar absorptances stood out. The Morris method showed to be the most feasible method due to its simplicity and low computational cost. However, as the building simulation model is still complex and non-linear, the variance-based method such as the Sobol is still necessary for general purposes.

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Red Fluorescent Proteins for Gene Expression and Protein Localization Studies in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Efficient Transformation with DNA Assembled via the Gibson Assembly Method

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02033-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 81 (20) ◽

pp. 7244-7252 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Katrin Beilharz ◽

Renske van Raaphorst ◽

Morten Kjos ◽

Jan-Willem Veening

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Cell Biology ◽

Fluorescent Proteins ◽

Protein Localization ◽

Gibson Assembly ◽

Content Type ◽

Assembly Method ◽

Red Fluorescent Proteins ◽

Wide Range

ABSTRACTDuring the last decades, a wide range of fluorescent proteins (FPs) have been developed and improved. This has had a great impact on the possibilities in biological imaging and the investigation of cellular processes at the single-cell level. Recently, we have benchmarked a set of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and generated a codon-optimized superfolder GFP for efficient use in the important human pathogenStreptococcus pneumoniaeand other low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. In the present work, we constructed and compared four red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) inS. pneumoniae. Two orange-red variants, mOrange2 and TagRFP, and two far-red FPs, mKate2 and mCherry, were codon optimized and examined by fluorescence microscopy and plate reader assays. Notably, protein fusions of the RFPs to FtsZ were constructed by direct transformation of linear Gibson assembly (isothermal assembly) products, a method that speeds up the strain construction process significantly. Our data show that mCherry is the fastest-maturing RFP inS. pneumoniaeand is best suited for studying gene expression, while mKate2 and TagRFP are more stable and are the preferred choices for protein localization studies. The RFPs described here will be useful for cell biology studies that require multicolor labeling inS. pneumoniaeand related organisms.

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