Evaluation Of An Extended Duct Air Delivery System For Spaces Conditioned By Rooftop Units

Traditional air delivery to high-bay buildings involves ceiling level supply and return ducts that create an almost-uniform temperature in the space. Problems with this system include potential recirculation of supply air and higher-than-necessary return air temperatures. A new air delivery strategy was investigated that involves changing the height of conventional supply and return ducts to have control over thermal stratification in the space. A full-scale experiment using ten vertical temperature profiles was conducted in a manufacturing facility over one year. The experimental data was utilized to validated CFD and EnergyPlus models. CFD simulation results show that supplying air directly to the occupied zone increases stratification while holding thermal comfort constant during the cooling operation. The building energy simulation identified how return air temperature offset, set point offset, and stratification influence the building’s energy consumption. A utility bill analysis for cooling shows 28.8% HVAC energy savings while the building energy simulation shows 19.3 – 37.4% HVAC energy savings.

High Quality Acoustic Time History Measurements of Rotor Harmonic Noise in Confined Spaces

A methodology has been developed and presented to enable the use of small to medium scale acoustic hover facilities for the quantitative measurement of rotor impulsive noise. The methodology was applied to the University of Maryland Acoustic Chamber resulting in accurate measurements of High Speed Impulsive (HSI) noise for rotors running at tip Mach numbers between 0.65 and 0.85 – with accuracy increasing as the tip Mach number was increased. Several factors contributed to the success of this methodology including: • High Speed Impulsive (HSI) noise is characterized by very distinct pulses radiated from the rotor. The pulses radiate high frequency energy – but the energy is contained in short duration time pulses. • The first reflections from these pulses can be tracked (using ray theory) and, through adjustment of the microphone position and suitably applied acoustic treatment at the reflected surface, reduced to small levels. A computer code was developed that automates this process. The code also tracks first bounce reflection timing, making it possible to position the first bounce reflections outside of a measurement window. • Using a rotor with a small number of blades (preferably one) reduces the number of interfering first bounce reflections and generally improves the measured signal fidelity. The methodology will help the gathering of quantitative hovering rotor noise data in less than optimal acoustic facilities and thus enable basic rotorcraft research and rotor blade acoustic design.

Evaluation of Urban Spaces from the Perspective of Universal Design Principles: The Case of Konya/Turkey

During the process of accessing services provided within urban interior and outer spaces the elderly and disabled individuals encounter with a myriad of problems due to the limitations posed by structured environments. This limitation hinders elderly and disabled individuals from mobility without assistance, which in turn negatively affects their full participation to urban and social life. Rearrangement of urban spaces to meet the needs of elderly and disabled individuals would correspondingly bolster life quality of the entire range of users. Within the scope of present research, as mandated by universal design principles to stick to plans and designs approaches inclusive for all users, it is aimed to conduct evaluations on the use of urban outer spaces situated within Konya City Center. In the hypothetical and theoretical part of this paper, the perception of disability throughout historical process has been examined from a sociological perspective. In addition, concept of universal design, its principles and gravity have also been elaborated. In the part dealing with the case study, outer spaces within Konya City Center have been analyzed with respect to universal design principles and a range of suggestions have been developed.

Solutions of Tikhonov functional equations and applications to multiplication operators on Szegö spaces

We consider a natural representation of solutions for Tikhonov functional equations. This will be done by applying the theory of reproducing kernels to the approximate solutions of general bounded linear operator equations (when defined from reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces into general Hilbert spaces), by using the Hilbert-Schmidt property and tensor product of Hilbert spaces. As a concrete case, we shall consider generalized fractional functions formed by the quotient of Bergman functions by Szegö functions considered from the multiplication operators on the Szegö spaces.

Invertibility characterization of Wiener-Hopf plus Hankel operators on variable exponent Lebesgue spaces via even asymmetric factorization

We obtain invertibility and Fredholm criteria for the Wiener-Hopf plus Hankel operators acting between variable exponent Lebesgue spaces on the real line. Such characterizations are obtained via the so-called even asymmetric factorization which is applied to the Fourier symbols of the operators under study.

Reasoning over knowledge-based generation of situations in context spaces to reduce food waste

With the ever-growing amount of connected sensors (IoT), making sense of sensed data becomes even more important. Pervasive computing is a key enabler for sustainable solutions, prominent examples are smart energy systems and decision support systems. A key feature of pervasive systems is situation awareness which allows a system to thoroughly understand its environment. It is based on external interpretation of data and thus relies on expert knowledge. Due to the distinct nature of situations in different domains and applications, the development of situation aware applications remains a complex process. This thesis is concerned with a general framework for situation awareness which simplifies the development of applications. It is based on the Situation Theory Ontology to provide a foundation for situation modelling which allows knowledge reuse. Concepts of the Situation Theory are mapped to the Context Space Theory which is used for situation reasoning. Situation Spaces in the Context Space are automatically generated with the defined knowledge. For the acquisition of sensor data, the IoT standards O-MI/O-DF are integrated into the framework. These allow a peer-to-peer data exchange between data publisher and the proposed framework and thus a platform independent subscription to sensed data. The framework is then applied for a use case to reduce food waste. The use case validates the applicability of the framework and furthermore serves as a showcase for a pervasive system contributing to the sustainability goals. Leading institutions, e.g. the United Nations, stress the need for a more resource efficient society and acknowledge the capability of ICT systems. The use case scenario is based on a smart neighbourhood in which the system recommends the most efficient use of food items through situation awareness to reduce food waste at consumption stage.

WEAK ISOMETRIES OF HAMMING SPACES

In this thesis we study weak isometries of Hamming spaces. These are permutations of a Hamming space that preserve some but not necessarily all distances. We wish to find conditions under which a weak isometry is in fact an isometry. This type of problem was first posed by Beckman and Quarles for Rn. In chapter 2 we give definitions pertinent to our research. The 3rd chapter focuses on some known results in this area with special emphasis on papers by V. Krasin as well as S. De Winter and M. Korb who solved this problem for the Boolean cube, that is, the binary Hamming space. We attempted to generalize some of their methods to the non-boolean case. The 4th chapter has our new results and is split into two major contributions. Our first contribution shows if n=p or p < n2, then every weak isometry of Hnq that preserves distance p is an isometry. Our second contribution gives a possible method to check if a weak isometry is an isometry using linear algebra and graph theory.

Lighting ambiances and materialities of wood in architecture: a comparative evaluation of the quality of spaces in relation to interior finishes

Le bois est un matériau souvent utilisé par les architectes pour améliorer l’ambiance générale d’un espace, mais peu de recherches en présentent l’impact réel du matériau sur les impressions visuelles et les effets lumineux. Cette recherche étudie l’influence de la matérialité du bois par rapport à la création d’ambiances d’éclairage spécifiques dans l’architecture. Plus particulièrement, elle se concentre sur l’impact des panneaux décoratifs en bois à générer de la diversité lumineuse dans les espaces intérieurs et son potentiel à améliorer la satisfaction environnementale et l’efficacité énergétique. La recherche utilise des maquettes à l’échelle pour leur précision dans la représentation des ambiances lumineuses d’espaces éclairés naturellement ainsi que les technologies récentes d’imagerie digitale pour capturer et analyser les résultats. La méthodologie permet la comparaison entre les différents réglages des espaces intérieurs créés par une sélection des types de matérialités du bois: la réflectance (valeur), la couleur et la réflectivité. Les modalités spatiales sont comparées en présence d’ensoleillement direct et sous des conditions de ciel couvert puisque les modèles d’éclairage et les ambiances diffèrent considérablement. Les résultats permettent d’établir une discussion sur les ambiances en termes de brillance et de contraste, sur la couleur ainsi que la répartition des zones lumineuses dans l’espace. La recherche souligne le rôle des matérialités que peuvent prendre le bois pour optimiser la diversité lumineuse et la création d’ambiances visuellement confortables, ainsi que ses possibilités d’améliorer les ambiances architecturales par rapport à la lumière.

Influence of the natural environment on health: evaluation of different environmental contexts (urban, green spaces) and intervention proposals

Urbanization has grown during the last decades, with an increase in population concentrated in cities. Cities are usually relatively nature-poor, and the loss of green urban space likely leads to less contact with the natural world for urban dwellers. It is known that the natural environment could provide important advantages, and the loss of contact with this type of environment has potential negative impacts on the quality of life. The use of green urban space demonstrated stronger benefits for mental health and stress reduction. In general, exposure to green urban space is linked to a reduction in mortality rates, due to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Green urban space could be an optimal environment in which to perform physical activity. Undertaking regular physical activity is one of the major determinants of health. The benefits of exercise have been widely demonstrated through a wide range of studies. Benefits are linked to the treatment and prevention of most chronic and non-communicable diseases, that are not contagious, but they are usually long-lasting. Regular physical activity could reduce mental health problems, such as anxiety. The World Health Organization proposed to improve physical activity programs through the implementation of interventions in green urban spaces. Green urban space provides a safe, accessible, and attractive place to perform physical activity. All the interventions aimed to promote the practice of physical activity and to reduce sedentary behavior are important. It is well known that physical activity has several positive effects, a great amount of the population remains inactive. A good strategy could be to show people how integrated physical activity into their all-day life, for example through the use of green urban space or active commuting. The results in the present thesis showed the effectiveness of performing physical activity in a natural environment and of active commuting.

Coworking spaces: thriving and organizing in the new world of work

The present Ph.D. thesis proposes three studies on coworking spaces to understand how they foster thriving and organizing in the new world of work. The first study maps and analyzes the thematic structure and evolution of the academic debate that has emerged around coworking spaces in recent years. In doing so, it conducts a science mapping analysis of 351 publications on coworking spaces to detect and visualize key themes in the literature and their co-occurrence with subthemes. The second study proposes an interpretive review of 98 publications from multiple disciplines to shed light on how coworking spaces emerge as sites of organizing for professionals who are not formally connected to one another. It suggests five dimensions that articulate coworking spaces as sites of organizing – ‘materiality,’ ‘temporality,’ ‘affect,’ ‘identity,’ and ‘formalization.’ This study aims to go beyond the community-related understanding of coworking that has characterized most scholarly attention, instead focusing on coworking spaces’ organizational character. The third study investigates what drives thriving at work for remote workers in coworking spaces. In doing so, it acknowledges the potential complex set of interrelationships underpinning thriving at work and mobilizes complexity theory and qualitative comparative analysis to uncover six different, yet equifinal, configurations of antecedents driving remote workers’ thriving in coworking spaces.

Power in public art spaces. F(r)ictions, performativity and the generation of counter-hegemonic narratives

Abstract This thesis applies queer theories to the examination of experiences which go beyond queerness. Queer, decolonial, antiracist and feminist new materialist concepts are implemented to the analysis of four case studies dealing with power and art in public spaces. By applying concepts as methodologies, autoethnographic reflections and f(r)ictions as research alternatives, the thesis brings up new diffractive readings from where to perform those scenarios differently. In doing so, the thesis disentangles the historical, material, philosophical, political and disruptive meanings which haunt the four case studies and triggers the artivist potential of their counter-hegemonic narratives.

Intraductal Carcinoma Of The Prostate: Interobserver Reproducibility Survey Of 39 Urologic Pathologists.

The diagnosis of intraductal carcinoma (IDC) of the prostate remains subjective because 3 sets of diagnostic criteria are in use. An internet survey was compiled from 38 photomicrographs showing duct proliferations: 14 signed out as high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), 17 IDC, and 7 invasive cribriform/ductal carcinoma. Each image was assessed for the presence of 9 histologic criteria ascribed to IDC. Thirty-nine respondents were asked to rate images as (1) benign/reactive, (2) HGPIN, (3) borderline between HGPIN and IDC, (4) IDC, or (5) invasive cribriform/ductal carcinoma. Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.68. There was 70% overall agreement with HGPIN, 43% with IDC, and 73% with invasive carcinoma (P < .001, χ(2)). Respondents considered 19 (50%) of 38 cases as IDC candidates, of which 5 (26%) had a two-thirds consensus for IDC; two-thirds consensus for either borderline or IDC was reached in 9 (47%). Two-thirds consensus other than IDC was reached in the remaining 19 of 38 cases, with 15 supporting HGPIN and 4 supporting invasive carcinoma. Findings that differed across diagnostic categories were lumen-spanning neoplastic cells (P < .001), 2× benign duct diameters (P < .001), duct space contours (round, irregular, and branched) (P < .001), papillary growth (P = .048), dense cribriform or solid growth (both P = .023), and comedonecrosis (P = .015). When the 19 of 38 images that attained consensus for HGPIN or invasive carcinoma were removed from consideration, lack of IDC consensus was most often attributable to only loose cribriform growth (5/19), central nuclear maturation (5/19), or comedonecrosis (3/19). Of the 9 histologic criteria, only 1 retained significant correlation with a consensus diagnosis of IDC: the presence of solid areas (P = .038). One case that attained IDC consensus had less than 2× duct enlargement yet still had severe nuclear atypia and nucleomegaly. Six fold nuclear enlargement was not significant (P = .083), although no image had both 6× nuclei and papillary or loose cribriform growth: a combination postulated as sufficient criteria for IDC. Finally, 20.5% of respondents agreed that an isolated diagnosis of IDC on needle biopsy warrants definitive therapy, 20.5% disagreed, and 59.0% considered the decision to depend upon clinicopathologic variables. Although IDC diagnosis remains challenging, we propose these criteria: a lumen-spanning proliferation of neoplastic cells in preexisting ducts with a dense cribriform or partial solid growth pattern. Solid growth, in any part of the duct space, emerges as the most reproducible finding to rule in a diagnosis of IDC. Comedonecrosis is a rarer finding, but in most cases, it should rule in IDC. Duct space enlargement to greater than 2× the diameter of the largest, adjacent benign spaces is usually present in IDC, although there may be rare exceptions.

Effect Of Particles Of Ashes Produced From Sugarcane Burning On The Respiratory System Of Rats.

The practice of burning sugarcane obtained by non-mechanized harvesting exposes workers and the people of neighboring towns to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) that is harmful to health, and may trigger a series of cardiorespiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of the micro-particles coming from sugarcane burning residues and to verify the effects of this micro-particulate matter on lung and tracheal tissues. Micro-particulate matter (PM10) was obtained by dissolving filter paper containing burnt residues in NaCl solution. This material was instilled into the Wistar rats' nostrils. Histological analyses (hematoxylin and eosin - HE) of cardiac, lung and tracheal tissues were performed. Inflammatory mediators were measured in lung tissues by using ELISA. The chemical composition of the particulate material revealed a large quantity of the phthalic acid ester, high concentrations of phenolic compounds, anthracene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Histological analysis showed a reduction in subjacent conjunctive tissue in the trachea, lung inflammation with inflammatory infiltrate formation and reduction of alveolar spaces and a significant increase (p<0.05) in the release of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and INF-γ in the group treated with PM10 when compared to the control group. We concluded that the burning sugarcane residues release many particles, which have toxic chemical compounds. The micro-particulate matter can induce alterations in the respiratory system.

Pollination Ecology Of Two Species Of Elleanthus (orchidaceae): Novel Mechanisms And Underlying Adaptations To Hummingbird Pollination.

Relationships among floral biology, floral micromorphology and pollinator behaviour in bird-pollinated orchids are important issues to understand the evolution of the huge flower diversity within Orchidaceae. We aimed to investigate floral mechanisms underlying the interaction with pollinators in two hummingbird-pollinated orchids occurring in the Atlantic forest. We assessed floral biology, nectar traits, nectary and column micromorphologies, breeding systems and pollinators. In both species, nectar is secreted by lip calli through spaces between the medial lamellar surfaces of epidermal cells. Such form of floral nectar secretion has not been previously described. Both species present functional protandry and are self-compatible yet pollinator-dependent. Fruit sets in hand-pollination experiments were more than twice those under natural conditions, evidencing pollen limitation. The absence of fruit set in interspecific crosses suggests the existence of post-pollination barriers between these synchronopatric species. In Elleanthus brasiliensis, fruits resulting from cross-pollination and natural conditions were heavier than those resulting from self-pollination, suggesting advantages to cross-pollination. Hummingbirds pollinated both species, which share at least one pollinator species. Species differences in floral morphologies led to distinct pollination mechanisms. In E. brasiliensis, attachment of pollinaria to the hummingbird bill occurs through a lever apparatus formed by an appendage in the column, another novelty to the knowledge of orchids. In E. crinipes, pollinaria attachment occurs by simple contact with the bill during insertion into the flower tube, which fits tightly around the bill. The novelties described here illustrate the overlooked richness in ecology and morphophysiology in Orchidaceae. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.