Sensitivity of building zones to potential global warming

As global warming entails new conditions for the built environment, the thermal and energy performance of existing buildings, which are designed based on current weather data, may become unclear and remain a great concern. Through building computer simulation and qualitative analysis of the weighted factor for the outdoor temperature impact on building energy and thermal performance, this paper investigates the sensitivity of different office building zoning to the potential global warming. A standard office building type is examined for all eight capital cities in Australia. Results show that comparing the middle and top floors, except for cool climate (i.e. Hobart), the ground floor appears to be the most sensitive to the effect of global warming and has the highest tendency for a overheating problem. From the analysis of the responses of different zone orientations to the outdoor air temperature increase, it is also found that there are widely varied responses between zone orientations, with South zone (in the southern hemisphere) being the most sensitive. With an increased external air temperature, the variation between different floors or zone orientations will become more significant, up to 53 percent increase of overheating hours in Darwin and 47 percent increase of cooling load in Hobart.

Ambient temperature and morbidity: A review of epidemiological evidence

OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews the epidemiological evidence on the relationship between ambient temperature and morbidity. It assesses the methodological issues in previous studies, and proposes future research directions. DATA SOURCES AND DATA EXTRACTION: We searched the PubMed database for epidemiological studies on ambient temperature and morbidity of non-communicable diseases published in refereed English journals prior to June 2010. 40 relevant studies were identified. Of these, 24 examined the relationship between ambient temperature and morbidity, 15 investigated the short-term effects of heatwave on morbidity, and 1 assessed both temperature and heatwave effects. DATA SYNTHESIS: Descriptive and time-series studies were the two main research designs used to investigate the temperature–morbidity relationship. Measurements of temperature exposure and health outcomes used in these studies differed widely. The majority of studies reported a significant relationship between ambient temperature and total or cause-specific morbidities. However, there were some inconsistencies in the direction and magnitude of non-linear lag effects. The lag effect of hot temperature on morbidity was shorter (several days) compared to that of cold temperature (up to a few weeks). The temperature–morbidity relationship may be confounded and/or modified by socio-demographic factors and air pollution. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant short-term effect of ambient temperature on total and cause-specific morbidities. However, further research is needed to determine an appropriate temperature measure, consider a diverse range of morbidities, and to use consistent methodology to make different studies more comparable.

P2-486 Environmental temperature variation and morbidity: a meta-analysis

Extreme temperatures have been shown to have a detrimental effect on health. Hot temperatures can increase the risk of mortality, particularly in people suffering from cardiorespiratory diseases. Given the onset of climate change, it is critical that the impact of temperature on health is understood, so that effective public health strategies can correctly identify vulnerable groups within the population. However, while effects on mortality have been extensively studied, temperature–related morbidity has received less attention. This study applied a systematic review and meta–analysis to examine the current literature relating to hot temperatures and morbidity.

Targeting mutant fibroblast growth factor receptors in cancer

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) play diverse roles in the control of cell proliferation, cell differentiation, angiogenesis and development. Activating the mutations of FGFRs in the germline has long been known to cause a variety of skeletal developmental disorders, but it is only recently that a similar spectrum of somatic FGFR mutations has been associated with human cancers. Many of these somatic mutations are gain-of-function and oncogenic and create dependencies in tumor cell lines harboring such mutations. A combination of knockdown studies and pharmaceutical inhibition in preclinical models has further substantiated genomically altered FGFR as a therapeutic target in cancer, and the oncology community is responding with clinical trials evaluating multikinase inhibitors with anti-FGFR activity and a new generation of specific pan-FGFR inhibitors.

Profluorescent nitroxides as sensitive probes of oxidative change and free radical reactions

This paper presents a review on the use of tethered nitroxide–fluorophore molecules as probes of oxidative change and free radical generation and reaction. The proximity of the nitroxide free radical to the fluorophore suppresses the normal fluorescence emission process. Nitroxide free radical scavenging, metabolism or redox chemistry return the system to its natural fluorescent state and so these tethered nitroxide–fluorophore molecules are described as being profluorescent. A survey of profluorescent nitroxides found in the literature is provided as well as background on the mechanism of action and applications of these compounds as fluorometric probes within the fields of biological, materials and environmental sciences.

Daily average temperature and mortality among the elderly : a meta-analysis and systematic review of epidemiological evidence

The impact of climate change on the health of vulnerable groups such as the elderly has been of increasing concern. However, to date there has been no meta-analysis of current literature relating to the effects of temperature fluctuations upon mortality amongst the elderly. We synthesised risk estimates of the overall impact of daily mean temperature on elderly mortality across different continents. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and PubMed to identify papers published up to December 2010. Selection criteria including suitable temperature indicators, endpoints, study-designs and identification of threshold were used. A two-stage Bayesian hierarchical model was performed to summarise the percent increase in mortality with a 1°C temperature increase (or decrease) with 95% confidence intervals in hot (or cold) days, with lagged effects also measured. Fifteen studies met the eligibility criteria and almost 13 million elderly deaths were included in this meta-analysis. In total, there was a 2-5% increase for a 1°C increment during hot temperature intervals, and a 1-2 % increase in all-cause mortality for a 1°C decrease during cold temperature intervals. Lags of up to 9 days in exposure to cold temperature intervals were substantially associated with all-cause mortality, but no substantial lagged effects were observed for hot intervals. Thus, both hot and cold temperatures substantially increased mortality among the elderly, but the magnitude of heat-related effects seemed to be larger than that of cold effects within a global context.

Water sensitive urban design through the lens of urban metabolism

Stormwater pollution has been recognised as one of the main causes of aquatic ecosystem degradation and poses a significant threat to both the goal of ecological sustainable development as well as human health and wellbeing. In response, water sensitive urban design (WSUD) practices have been put forward as a strategy to mitigate the detrimental impacts of urban stormwater runoff quality and to safeguard ecosystem functions. However, despite studies that support its efficiency in urban stormwater management, the mainstreaming of WSUD remains a significant challenge. This paper proposes that viewing WSUD through the lens of the integrated urban metabolism framework which encourages an interdisciplinary approach and facilitates dialogue through knowledge transfer is a strategy in which the implementation of WSUD can be mainstreamed.

The influence of ambient temperature on birth outcomes in Brisbane, Australia

Lately, there has been increasing interest in the association between temperature and adverse birth outcomes including preterm birth (PTB) and stillbirth. PTB is a major predictor of many diseases later in life, and stillbirth is a devastating event for parents and families. The aim of this study was to assess the seasonal pattern of adverse birth outcomes, and to examine possible associations of maternal exposure to temperature with PTB and stillbirth. We also aimed to identify if there were any periods of the pregnancy where exposure to temperature was particularly harmful. A retrospective cohort study design was used and we retrieved individual birth records from the Queensland Health Perinatal Data Collection Unit for all singleton births (excluding twins and triplets) delivered in Brisbane between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2009. We obtained weather data (including hourly relative humidity, minimum and maximum temperature) and air-pollution data (including PM10, SO2 and O3) from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. We used survival analyses with the time-dependent variables of temperature, humidity and air pollution, and the competing risks of stillbirth and live birth. To assess the monthly pattern of the birth outcomes, we fitted month of pregnancy as a time-dependent variable. We examined the seasonal pattern of the birth outcomes and the relationship between exposure to high or low temperatures and birth outcomes over the four lag weeks before birth. We further stratified by categorisation of PTB: extreme PTB (< 28 weeks of gestation), PTB (28–36 weeks of gestation), and term birth (≥ 37 weeks of gestation). Lastly, we examined the effect of temperature variation in each week of the pregnancy on birth outcomes. There was a bimodal seasonal pattern in gestation length. After adjusting for temperature, the seasonal pattern changed from bimodal, to only one peak in winter. The risk of stillbirth was statistically significant lower in March compared with January. After adjusting for temperature, the March trough was still statistically significant and there was a peak in risk (not statistically significant) in winter. There was an acute effect of temperature on gestational age and stillbirth with a shortened gestation for increasing temperature from 15 °C to 25 °C over the last four weeks before birth. For stillbirth, we found an increasing risk with increasing temperatures from 12 °C to approximately 20 °C, and no change in risk at temperatures above 20 °C. Certain periods of the pregnancy were more vulnerable to temperature variation. The risk of PTB (28–36 weeks of gestation) increased as temperatures increased above 21 °C. For stillbirth, the fetus was most vulnerable at less than 28 weeks of gestation, but there were also effects in 28–36 weeks of gestation. For fetuses of more than 37 weeks of gestation, increasing temperatures did not increase the risk of stillbirth. We did not find any adverse affects of cold temperature on birth outcomes in this cohort. My findings contribute to knowledge of the relationship between temperature and birth outcomes. In the context of climate change, this is particularly important. The results may have implications for public health policy and planning, as they indicate that pregnant women would decrease their risk of adverse birth outcomes by avoiding exposure to high temperatures and seeking cool environments during hot days.

The effect of various pH, ionic strength and temperature on papain hydrolysis of salivary film

Stimulated human whole saliva (WS) was used to study the dynamics of papain hydrolysis at defined pH, ionic strength and temperature with the view of reducing an acquired pellicle. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used to monitor the changes in frequency due to enzyme hydrolysis of WS films and the hydrolytic parameters were calculated using an empirical model. The morphological and conformational changes of the salivary films before and after enzymatic hydrolysis were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and grazing angle infrared spectroscopy (GA-FTIR) spectra, respectively. The characteristics of papain hydrolysis of WS films were pH-, ionic strength- and temperature-dependent. The WS films were partially removed by the action of enzyme, resulting thinner and smoother surfaces. The IR data suggested that hydrolysis-induced deformation did not occur onto the remnants salivary films. The processes of papain hydrolysis of WS films can be controlled by properly regulating pH, ionic strength and temperature.

Mixed convection laminar flow along a horizontal plate subject to streamwise sinusoidal surface temperature

Mixed convection of a two-dimensional laminar incompressible flow along a horizontal flat plate with streamwise sinusoidal surface temperature has been numerically investigated for different values of Rayleigh number and Reynolds number for constant values of Prandtl number, amplitude and frequency of periodic temperature. The numerical scheme is based on the finite element method adapted to rectangular non-uniform mesh elements by a non-linear parametric solution algorithm. The fluid considered in this study is air. The results are obtained for the Rayleigh number and Reynolds number ranging from 102 to 104 and 1 to 100, respectively, with constant physical properties for the fluid medium considered. Velocity and temperature profiles, streamlines, isotherms, and average Nusselt numbers are presented to observe the effect of the investigating parameters on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics. The present results show that the convective phenomena are greatly influenced by the variation of Rayleigh numbers and Reynolds number.

The identification and quantification of temperature-related mortality

The relationship between weather and mortality has been observed for centuries. Recently, studies on temperature-related mortality have become a popular topic as climate change continues. Most of the previous studies found that exposure to hot or cold temperature affects mortality. This study aims to address three research questions: 1. What is the overall effect of daily mean temperature variation on the elderly mortality in the published literature using a meta-analysis approach? 2. Does the association between temperature and mortality differ with age, sex, or socio-economic status in Brisbane? 3. How is the magnitude of the lag effects of the daily mean temperature on mortality varied by age and cause-of-death groups in Brisbane? In the meta-analysis, there was a 1-2 % increase in all-cause mortality for a 1ºC decrease during cold temperature intervals and a 2-5% increase for a 1ºC increment during hot temperature intervals among the elderly. Lags of up to 9 days in exposure to cold temperature intervals were statistically significantly associated with all-cause mortality, but no significant lag effects were observed for hot temperature intervals. In Brisbane, the harmful effect of high temperature (over 24ºC) on mortality appeared to be greater among the elderly than other age groups. The effect estimate among women was greater than among men. However, No evidence was found that socio-economic status modified the temperature-mortality relationship. The results of this research also show longer lag effects in cold days and shorter lag effects in hot days. For 3-day hot effects associated with 1°C increase above the threshold, the highest percent increases in mortality occurred among people aged 85 years or over (5.4% (95% CI: 1.4%, 9.5%)) compared with all age group (3.2% (95% CI: 0.9%, 5.6%)). The effect estimate among cardiovascular deaths was slightly higher than those among all-cause mortality. For overall 21-day cold effects associated with a 1°C decrease below the threshold, the percent estimates in mortality for people aged 85 years or over, and from cardiovascular diseases were 3.9% (95% CI: 1.9%, 6.0%) and 3.4% (95% CI: 0.9%, 6.0%), respectively compared with all age group (2.0% (95% CI: 0.7%, 3.3%)). Little research of this kind has been conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. This PhD research may contribute to the quantitative assessment of the overall impact, effect modification and lag effects of temperature variation on mortality in Australia and The findings may provide useful information for the development and implementation of public health policies to reduce and prevent temperature-related health problems.

MHD natural convection flow from an isothermal horizontal circular cylinder under consideration of temperature dependent viscosity

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) natural convection laminar flow from an iso-thermal horizontal circular cylinder immersed in a fluid with viscosity proportional to a linear function of temperature will be discussed with numerical simulations. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a non-dimensional form and the resulting nonlinear system of partial differential equa-tions are reduced to convenient form, which are solved numerically by two very efficient methods, namely, (i) Implicit finite difference method together with Keller box scheme and (ii) Direct numerical scheme. Numerical results are presented by velocity and temperature distributions of the fluid as well as heat transfer characteristics, namely the shearing stress and the local heat transfer rate in terms of the local skin-friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number for a wide range of magnetohydrodynamic parameter, viscosity-variation parameter and viscous dissipation parameter. MHD flow in this geometry with temperature dependent viscosity is absent in the literature. The results obtained from the numerical simulations have been veri-fied by two methodologies.

The philosophy and practice of water sensitive urban design : is it consistent with a whole system approach

This paper provides a critique of the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) paradigm by discussing its congruence with an established sustainable design principle called 'whole system design'. It was found that WSUD is congruent with the whole system design approach as a philosophy, but not in practice. Future improvement of WSUD practice may depend on the adoption of a front-loaded, teamwork-based design and planning process that is embedded in the principle of whole system design.

Temperature dependent electrical resistivity in expoxy : multiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Thin films of expoxy nanocomposites modified by multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared by shear mixing and spin casting. The electrical behaviour and its dependence with temperature between 243 and 353 degrees Kelvin were characterized by measuring the direct current (DC) conductivity. Depending on the fabrication process, both linear and non-linear relationships between conductivity and temperature were observed. In addition, the thermal history also played a role in dictating the conductivity. The implications of these observations for potential application of these files as strain sensors are discussed.

Energy use, indoor temperature and possible adaptation strategies for air-conditioned office buildings in face of global warming

This paper discusses and summarises a recent systematic study on the implication of global warming on air conditioned office buildings in Australia. Four areas are covered, including analysis of historical weather data, generation of future weather data for the impact study of global warming, projection of building performance under various global warming scenarios, and evaluation of various adaptation strategies under 2070 high global warming conditions. Overall, it is found that depending on the assumed future climate scenarios and the location considered, the increase of total building energy use for the sample Australian office building may range from 0.4 to 15.1%. When the increase of annual average outdoor temperature exceeds 2 °C, the risk of overheating will increase significantly. However, the potential overheating problem could be completely eliminated if internal load density is significantly reduced.