bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of occupant behavior on energy use of HVAC system in offices
Authors: Deng Zhipeng , Chen Qingyan
Published: August 2019

The current methods for simulating building energy consumption are often inaccurate, and the error could be as large as 150%. Various types of occupant behavior may explain this inaccuracy. Therefore, it is important to identify an approach to estimate the impact of the behaviors on the energy consumption. The present study used EnergyPlus program to simulate the energy consumption of the HVAC system in an office building by implementing a behavioral artificial neural network (ANN) model. The behavioral ANN model calculates the probability of behavior occurrence according to indoor air temperature, relative humidity, clothing level and metabolic rate. The probability was used to predict energy use in 20 offices for one month in winter, spring and summer in 2018, respectively. Measured energy data from the offices were used to validate the simulated results. When a behavioral artificial neural network (ANN) model was implemented in the energy simulation, the difference between the simulated results and the measured data was less than 13%. Energy simulation using constant thermostat set point without considering occupant behavior was not accurate. Our further simulations found that adjustment of thermostat set point and clothing level by occupants could lead to 25% and 15% energy use variation in interior offices and exterior offices, respectively.
A field study of space heating control using acceptable set-point temperature estimation: winter experiment in Japan office
Authors: Yano Toru , Sako Miho
Published: August 2019

Energy conservation for space heating is important because a large portion of total energy consumption is used for space heating in cold regions. For example, space heating accounts for 40% and 18% of energy consumption in non-residential buildings in the EU and Japan, respectively. We have recently proposed a new space-heating control method that estimates acceptable set-point temperature based on survival analysis of historical data on set-point temperature adjustments by occupants in a space. By using survival analysis to estimate acceptable set-point temperatures, the proposed method adjusts the setpoint temperature of the space to the estimated minimum acceptable value. We present the results of a field study of the proposed method which was performed in winter 2017-2018 in Japan. In this study, we applied the proposed method in two office rooms and assessed energy savings and occupant acceptance ratios for the proposed method. Performance evaluation experiments were carried out twice in the winter. The energysaving rate was from 3% to 45%, and the occupant acceptance ratio exceeded 80% in both experiments. The results obtained in this study confirm that the proposed method is acceptable to occupants, while having a possibility of energy-saving.
Monitoring of Indoor Airflows with a New Two-Dimensional Airflow Sensor
Authors: Wang Yuanchen , Lodroner Christian , Müller Michael , Stergiaropoulos Konstantinos
Published: August 2019

Although airflow is invisible, it has a big influence on the indoor environment. An incorrectly planned HVAC systems can lead to draught and thermal discomfort in occupied zones. Since the commissioning tests required after the installation of HVAC systems are generally performed without occupancy, the tests results do not always accurately represent the airflow that occurs during ordinary usage. The airflow needs to be continuously monitored and controlled by an intelligent HVAC system. The aim of this study is to develop a new two-dimensional airflow sensor for the monitoring of indoor airflow, which can also indicate the flow direction. Several of these sensors can be placed in a planar sensor array, by which a two-dimensional section of the flow field is created. By recording data from several of these arrays simultaneously, an image of the three-dimensional flow could be acquired. The prototype of the sensor, which is made by Hahn-Schickard Society for Applied Research is currently being validated at the Institute for Building Energetics, Thermotechnology and Energy Storage. When the development is completed, it will greatly contribute to the control strategies of HVAC systems.
Energy demand prediction for the implementation of an energy tariff emulator to trigger demand response in buildings
Authors: Noyé Sarah , Saralegui Unai , Rey Raphael , Anton Miguel Angel , Romero Ander
Published: August 2019

Buildings are key actors of the electrical gird. As such they have an important role to play in grid stabilization, especially in a context where renewable energies are mandated to become an increasingly important part of the energy mix. Demand response provides a mechanism to reduce or displace electrical demand to better match electrical production. Buildings can be a pool of flexibility for the grid to operate more efficiently. One of the ways to obtain flexibility from building managers and building users is the introduction of variable energy prices which evolve depending on the expected load and energy generation. In the proposed scenario, the wholesale energy price of electricity, a load prediction, and the elasticity of consumers are used by an energy tariff emulator to predict prices to trigger end user flexibility. In this paper, a cluster analysis to classify users is performed and an aggregated energy prediction is realised using Random Forest machine learning algorithm.
Automated investigation, evaluation and optimisation of simple heating circuits in building automation
Authors: Ostermeier Marius , Müller Jochen
Published: August 2019

The majority of all control devices of heating circuits, which are maintained by the building management of the city of Cologne, was set according to standard parameters and for this reason show either very slow control behaviour or an increased tendency to oscillate. Specialists who can only optimise the controllers of these systems at great expense of time are often not available. By optimising the controller parameters, however, the controller performance, which is part of the overall building performance, can be improved. This paper deals with a developed system solution that can automatically investigate, evaluate and optimise simple heating circuits with PTn behaviour. The system solution has already evaluated the controller performance of 24 heating circuits from five schools in the city of Cologne. 54% of the rated heating circuits have very sluggish control behaviour and 4% are poorly tuned. The remaining 42% have an intermediate control behaviour. Two schools were also optimised in addition to the evaluation of the control behaviour. After optimisation, six out of eight heating circuits were rated better by at least one performance class than in the initial state.
Control strategy for battery-supported photovoltaic systems aimed at peak load reduction
Authors: Zhuravchak Ruslan , Nord Natasa , Brattebø Helge
Published: August 2019

The use of photovoltaic (PV) technologies is one of the key means for achieving the balance between operational power demand and generation in net Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs). However, direct use of PV power on-site is limited due to wide variability and uncertainty of PV output, the temporal mismatch between PV generation and load and other factors. Consequently, in addition to low self-consumption rates, the problem of peak grid load and peak PV feed into the grid persists. Batteries that are coupled to PV units may partially offer the solution to these problems, if operated under an intelligent control strategy. In this paper we proposed a forecast-based control strategy for battery-to-grid interaction aimed at enhancing selfconsumption and at reducing peak load. Python programming environment was used for data processing and algorithm development. Exemplification was made based on the reported hourly energy demand in one office building of 3000 m2 heated floor area located in Trondheim, Norway. Forecasting of electricity load profiles was based on the seasonal autoregressive integral moving average (SARIMA) model. For PV power forecasting, the algorithm communicated with external service – Solcast API. The search method for optimal scheduling of operational time and the extent of charging/discharging was proposed. The results showed that as opposed to conventional battery use, this control strategy allowed to achieve significantly more consistent grid interaction. It offered highly accurate battery scheduling on a day-ahead basis while utilising minimum historical data and computational resources. The algorithm may be beneficial for end-users and grid operators, and thus, it has a high potential for future integration into building energy supply systems.
Resilient optimal design of multi-family buildings in future climate scenarios
Authors: Bilardo Matteo , Ferrara Maria , Fabrizio Enrico
Published: August 2019

In Europe, the second recast of EPBD promotes long-term strategies to accelerate the path to nZEBs, fostering the cost-optimized building design already suggested in the EPBD first recast. Since the nZEB design is a complex optimization problem that is subjected to uncertainty in its boundary conditions (climate, technologies, market, ...), it is necessary to guarantee the resilience of the NZEB optimal design to possible variations of future scenarios, especially as regards the climate change. This work applies the new EdeSSOpt methodology (Energy Demand and Supply Simultaneous Optimization) developed by the Authors aiming at investigating the variation of the cost-optimized multi-family building design in different Italian future climate scenarios, therefore considering parameters related to the building envelope, energy systems and renewable energy sources. The method is implemented into the TRNSYS® (energy model), GenOpt (optimizer) and WeatherShift® (future climate scenario generator) tools. The resulting cost-optimal solutions in future scenarios are related to a lower global cost and a decreased total primary energy consumption. Beyond the future trends of such performance indexes, the fact that most of technical solutions associated with the optimal solutions have not changed with the studied climate scenarios, indicates a certain resilience of the optimal design variables facing climate change.
Reduction of Conveyance Power Consumption of District Cooling and Heating Systems using Demand-Supply Coordinated Control
Authors: Kunitomo Osamu , Satoh Isao , Hiroshima Masanori
Published: August 2019

This study aims to discuss the effectiveness of “Demand-Supply Coordinated control” in reducing the power consumption required for conveyance by the heat transport medium in District Cooling and Heating (DHC) systems. The problem with DHC systems is that increased conveyance power is required to provide heating to consumers. As one of the measures to solve this problem, Demand-Supply Coordinated (DSC) control is introduced; however, its effectiveness and limitations have not been clarified so far. In this paper, first, the fundamental characteristics of a DHC system under DSC control are numerically examined. The results showed that the conveyance power consumption of DHC systems under DSC control can be classified into three regions, depending on the relative rate of demand change against the load-following capability of the heat source. Next, the authors compared the conveyance power of DSC control with that of Constant Supply Pressure (CSP) control adopted in conventional DHC, and showed regularity for each of the three regions mentioned above. Finally, the authors show the appearance frequency of these three regions of the practical DHC system under a real heat load in Japan. The results showed that the conveyance power required for DSC control is markedly lower than that of CSP control.
The application of the TES technology in CHP heating system with Chinese demand profiles——A techno-economic feasibility case study
Authors: Zhang Ruoyu , Wang Haichao , Wu Xiaozhou , Li Xiangli , Duanmu Lin
Published: August 2019

The thermal energy storage (TES) technology is an effective method to enhance the planning and the economy of the combined heat and power (CHP) plants, while it has still not been broadly promoted in China. In this paper we firstly establish a mathematical model for a Chinese CHP plant with TES. Then the EnergyPRO software is used to find the optimum type of the TES tank in a three-tariff electricity pricing market and the operation strategy of the CHP plant with the selected TES tank is studied. Thirdly, the economic benefits of the system with/without TES is evaluated. The results show that adding a TES tank with volume of 24000m3 can significantly increase operational profits of the CHP system and reduce the use of peak-shaving heat source.
Aspects regarding the use of recovered energy for air conditioning
Authors: Calotă Răzvan , Girip Alina , Istrate Sergiu , Ilie Anica , Nichita Mădălina , Cublesan Valentin
Published: August 2019

In the paper the authors analyze the possibility of using the energy recovered from combustion gases, for air cooling. The objective is to evaluate the thermal potential of combustion gases from a cogeneration plant with a 3 MW electric power, located in Buzau. The monitoring data for the cogeneration system shows that the average flue gas temperature at the exit to the atmosphere is 125° C and the mass flow rate of the combustion gases is 18351 kg/h. The thermal potential of combustion gases isused for the preparation of hot water at 85°C for the operation of a LiBr-H2O solution absorption plant. Finally, the authors present a comparative study between the classic cooling system using chiller with mechanical vapor compression (VCM) and the absorption plant supplied by recovered energy from the cogeneration system, high lighting the advantage of the proposed trigeneration system.
A methodology for designing decentralised energy systems with predictive control for heat pumps and thermal storage
Authors: Lyden Andrew , Tuohy Paul
Published: August 2019

Decentralised energy systems provide the potential for adding energy system flexibility by separating demand/supply dynamics with demand side management and storage technologies. They also offer an opportunity for implementing technologies which enable sector coupling benefits, for example, heat pumps with controls set to use excess wind power generation. Gaps in this field relating to planning-level modelling tools have previously been identified: thermal characteristic modelling for thermal storage and advanced options for control. This paper sets out a methodology for modelling decentralised energy systems including heat pumps and thermal storage with the aim of assisting planning-level design. The methodology steps consist of: 1) thermal and electrical demand and local resource assessment methods, 2) energy production models for wind turbines, PV panels, fuel generators, heat pumps, and fuel boilers, 3) bi-directional energy flow models for simple electrical storage, hot water tank thermal storage with thermal characteristics, and a grid-connection, 4) predictive control strategy minimising electricity cost using a 24-hour lookahead, and 5) modelling outputs. Contributions to the identified gaps are examined by analysing the sensible thermal storage model with thermal characteristics and the use of the predictive control. Future extensions and applications of the methodology are discussed.
Development of Temperature Process Control Method Using Smith Predictor
Authors: Bogdanovs Nikolajs , Beļinskis Romualds , Petersons Ernests , Krūmiņš Andris , Brahmanis Artūrs
Published: August 2019

The analysis of a problem of development of control systems for objects with big time delay is carried out in this work. For such objects it is difficult to provide high-quality control, because the control is carried on the last status of object’s output. The main setup methods of PID regulators have been examined. Based on this analysis the technique of complete synthesis of the regulator of higher level is given in order to regulate building’s heating system. This work offers a new method of object’s control with distributed delay. As the test bed for the offered structure of control the valve of hot water supply in a heat-node is used. Using the test bed the stability of the system with time delay have been studied, which is controlled by the PID-regulator assisted by Smith Predictor used to compensate the dead time.
The Role of Building Codes and Controls in Enhancing Community Resilience
Authors: Hayter Sheila J. , Stout Sherry
Published: August 2019

Countries, states, and cities around the world are seeking to enhance power sector resilience through a combination of policy and technology. However, few of these efforts fully incorporate the built environment into power sector planning. Buildings account for more than a third of the global annual energy consumption and more than 60% of the annual electricity consumption. As such, buildings play a critical role in enhancing resilience in the power sector. Buildings can aid in power sector resilience by increasing power system flexibility, shaving and shifting demand, and providing on-site energy generation. All of these strategies require incentives to encourage participation. This paper presents an overview of energy management strategies to better incorporate building design and operation in power sector resilience planning.
Influence of thermal zoning and electric radiator control on the energy flexibility potential of Norwegian detached houses
Authors: Johnsen Thea , Taksdal Katrine , Clauß John , Yu Xingji , Georges Laurent
Published: August 2019

Energy flexibility of buildings can be used to reduce energy use and costs, peak power, CO2eq- emissions or to increase self-consumption of on-site electricity generation. Thermal mass activation proved to have a large potential for energy flexible operation. The indoor temperature is then allowed to fluctuate between a minimum and maximum value. Many studies investigating thermal mass activation consider electric radiators. Nevertheless, these studies most often assume that radiators modulate their emitted power, while, in reality, they are typically operated using thermostat (on-off) control. Firstly, this article aims at comparing the energy flexibility potential of thermostat and P-controls for Norwegian detached houses using detailed dynamic simulations (here IDA ICE). It is evaluated whether the thermostat converges to a P-control for a large number of identical buildings. As the buildings are getting better insulated, the impact of internal heat gains (IHG) becomes increasingly important. Therefore, the influence of different IHG profiles has been evaluated in the context of energy flexibility. Secondly, most studies about energy flexibility consider a single indoor temperature. This is questionable in residential buildings where people may want different temperature zones. This is critical in Norway where many occupants want cold bedrooms (~16°C) during winter time and open bedroom windows for this purpose. This article answers to these questions for two different building insulation levels and two construction modes (heavy and lightweight).
Study on energy loss and thermal environment through door open while air conditioner running
Authors: Lee Sihwan
Published: August 2019

While air conditioner is running, opening doors and windows is a great way to reduce operating efficiency and undermine the air conditioning system’s ability to bring the indoor to a comfortable temperature. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the heat loss and thermal environment through the door open while air conditioner running. To achieve this goal, using full-scale measurement with the commercial store during the cooling period, the infiltration rate, thermal environment and energy consumption of air conditioners with door opened and door closed state were measured. The measured results show that the infiltration rate at the door opened state was increased by about 21.3 times compared to the door closed state. When the set temperature of the air conditioner was 24 °C, the room temperature in the opening gate cooling was measured to be about 5 °C higher than the closing gate cooling. However, the energy consumption was measured approximately 12 kWh/day and there was no difference with door state. This means that the energy consumption is not increased if the indoor air temperature would not reach the set point temperature of air conditioner.
Thermal environment mitigation effects in suburban area
Authors: Kurazumi Yoshihito , Kondo Emi , Fukagawa Kenta , Yamato Yoshiaki , Tobita Kunihito , Tsuchikawa Tadahiro
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the physiological and psychological responses of the human body and the outdoor environment evaluation index ETFe (enhanced conductioncorrected modified effective temperature). The experiments were carried out in summer. For the measurements, observation points were selected with consideration for the condition of the ground surface such as bare ground where the surface is gravel or soil; paved ground such as concrete, asphalt or blocks; green areas covered in plants and water surfaces and with consideration for the condition of the sky factor due to buildings or trees. 19 observation points were chosen. Subjects were 38 healthy young. ETFe that was considered to report neither hot nor cold, thermally neutral sensation, was 30.6°C. ETFe that was considered to report neither comfortable nor uncomfortable comfort was 35.5°C. It was considered that the threshold for the human body with regards to thermal environment stimuli in an outdoor space is higher than the thermal environment stimuli in a summer indoor space.
SVOC Concentrations in House dust and Residential Environment in Japanese Houses
Authors: KIM Hoon , INABA Yohei , BEKKI Kanae , HAYASHI Motoya , AZUMA Kenichi , KUNUGITA Naoki
Published: August 2019

This study aims to investigate the relevance of between SVOC concentrations in house dust and living environments. Using the newly proposed dust collecting and SVOC analysis method, we determined concentrations of the nine SVOC substances by dust size and made simultaneously the questionnaire about residential environments. Collected dusts were screened with sieves and then analyzed on nine components (DEP, DMP, BBP, DEHP, DINP, DBP, DNOP, DIDP, DIBP) by LC/MS/MS method. The results leaded to selecting less than 100μm and 100-250μm as the target size of dusts to be investigated intensively by considering the concentration distribution and the oral intake of humans. DEHP and DINP accounted for 96 to 97% of determined amount of SVOC and only the small amounts in the other seven components were detected. There was no significant difference in the component ratio depending on particle size. Significant difference was obtained between a few substances of SVOC and several living environment items.
The waste energy recovery, an energy-efficient solution for the industrial sector
Authors: Tokar Adriana , Negoiţescu Dan , Adam Marius , Tokar Dănuț , Negoiţescu Arina
Published: August 2019

One of the world’s topical issues is the necessity of energy consumption reduction in order to conserve less and less natural resources and protect the environment. The article deals with the need to develop the waste energy recovery solutions that reduce energy consumption among the industrial consumers. In order to identify the sources with recoverable potential and establish energy recovery solutions, thermography of the hot air and hot gas exhaust circuits from industrial technological facilities were performed, followed by monitoring the operation parameters and measuring the energy consumption. The energy consumption reduction is analyzed by comparative interpretations of the hourly consumption, before and after applying the optimal recovery solution. The analysis of the results revealed that the waste energy recovery during the technological facilities operation has, besides the economic benefit, also other positive energetic effects, technical and not at least ecological ones.
Air pollution measurements related to urban traffic in Bucharest
Authors: Popescu Lelia Letitia , Popescu Razvan Stefan , Preda Andrei , Limam Karim
Published: August 2019

This study is presenting pollution level in Bucharest, the sources being mainly the traffic or vehicles, that became in larger numbers every year. A new mobile laboratory is used which is able to monitor continuously PM2,5, PM10, NOx, NO, NO2, O3, CO, SO2and BTEX. The diurnal variations are presented in different environmental conditions: rainy day and sunny day, to compare the results and to present which is the outdoor influence of meteorological conditions. Particulate matter is influenced by rain as well as other compounds like BTEX. Ozone production is influenced by the solar radiation, so it’s also an interesting comparison between the two studied cases. BTEX compounds are measured by a mobile chromatograph placed in the lab and presents for every 30min. the diurnal variations of toluene, benzene, m, p, o xylene and ethylbenzene.
In-process measurement of urban energy-oxygen-pollution for the main residential building areas in Timisoara
Authors: Dogaru Vasile
Published: August 2019

The development of cities is below the target in reducing pollution and high population density. The environmental agency formulated the rules for the construction of spatial area-based balances of energy use-oxygen production-pollution for the new Building Code of Timisoara. Studies for households or traffic typically evaluate separately energy, oxygen production or pollution. In this research, we have developed a flow-funds model for conterminous residential building processes with spatial-temporal borders. We are modeling the integrated processes for energy-oxygen-pollution in 14 urban zones for households-buildings with segmentation of partial processes for energy-pollution and separately for oxygen flows. The segmentation is based on modeling of 338 streets at nano-levels as street segments. We have found a new solution for the boundaries in place of the 73 Territorial References Units in the in force Building Code. We made the distinction between area-point and in-process measurement. The modeling revealed that national energy-pollution balances did not integrate oxygen urban production which overestimates the CO2 reported figures. The daily intensity of carbon sequestration in the warm season for 14 zones in Timisoara varies between 0.21-0.70 grams per meter squared for residential areas. The different carbon sequestration intensity justifies differentiated measures to reduce the pollution in residential areas.
Local and general ventilation system for an operating room with surgeons and patient
Authors: Tacutu Laurentiu , Nastase Ilinca , Bode Florin , Dogeanu Angel , Croitoru Cristiana
Published: August 2019

The aim of this study is to determine how the air flow from a unidirectional air flow (UAF) system and a local ventilation system will interact with each other. The study analyzes the air circulation near the operating table at different air flow velocities from both systems. The air flow velocities correspond to the usual range of velocities recommended by norms and guidelines. The research was approached by numerical and experimental studies. The thermal plume of the occupants (patient and surgeon) were measured by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and thermography (IR). The results of the measurements were compared with the results from the numerical case. A mesh independence study was carried out for the numerical case. The study showed that velocities ≥0.2 m/s from the UAF, depending on the height of the room, can overcome the thermal plume generated by a human subject with a moderate activity (100÷120W). The velocities from the local ventilation system need to be higher with at least one step, in accordance with the distance from the ventilation system to the operating wound, in order to avoid disturbances generated from the UAF system.
Die vier Schockformen – Teil 1: hypovolämisch-hämorrhagischer Schock
Authors: Wunderl Martin , Tharmaratnam Gayathiri , Schebler Karoline , Jacko Tobias , Gässler Holger , Hossfeld Björn
Published: August 2019

In der Notfallmedizin begegnen dem Notarzt regelmäßig „Schockpatienten“ unterschiedlicher Genese. Mögen die Schockformen auf den ersten Blick sehr ähnlich aussehen, beeinflussen doch einige relevante Unterschiede in der jeweiligen Pathophysiologie die notärztliche Therapie.
Einfluss hoher Umgebungstemperaturen auf Helikoptercrews der Schweizer Luftwaffe
Authors: Mathieu Yannic , von Wattenwy Robert , Theiler Lorenz , Bron Denis
Published: August 2019

Die Anforderungen, die auf den täglichen Flugmissionen an die Helikopterbesatzungen der Schweizer Luftwaffe gestellt werden, sind hoch. So umfasst das Aufgabenspektrum neben normalen Personen- und Truppentransporten, komplexe Rettungs- und Kampfmissionen mit mehreren Akteuren. Stressfaktoren, wie enge Platzverhältnisse im Cockpit oder Lärm und Vibrationen der Turbinen sowie Rotoren, erschweren dabei die Arbeit der Piloten. In den Sommermonaten kommen zusätzlich erhebliche Temperaturbelastungen hinzu. Solche hohen Cockpitinnentemperaturen können als physische und psychische Stressoren Einfluss auf die Leistung der Piloten haben und sind somit flugsicherheitstechnisch relevante Parameter. In dieser Pilotstudie der Schweizer Luftwaffe wurden die Auswirkungen von hohen Cockpittemperaturen auf die Helikopterbesatzungen untersucht und die Zusammenhänge zwischen den verschiedenen Umgebungstemperaturen und den objektiv messbaren Körperparameter aufgezeigt.
Association Between Neck Circumference and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Moradi Sajjad , Mohammadi Hamed , Javaheri Aftab , Ghavami Abed , Rouhani Mohammad Hossein
Published: August 2019

Neck circumference (NC) has been suggested as a predictor for blood pressure disorders. Therefore, we sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the association between NC and blood pressure in adults. Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed and Scopus databases, up to March 2018. Studies which reported the correlation coefficient between NC, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were selected. Also, studies reported the odds ratio (OR) of hypertension or pre-hypertension included adults older than 18 years old were selected. Results were pooled using a random-effects model. Of 29 studies included in meta-analysis, 26 studies reported only correlation coefficient, 3 studies reported only odds ratio and 2 studies reported both correlation coefficient and odds ratio. Overall, NC was significantly correlated with SBP [ES (z)=0.20; 95% CI=0.18, 0.23] and DBP [ES (z)=0.20; 95% CI=0.16, 0.24]. Type of correlation coefficient was the sources of observed heterogeneity. Also, NC was directly associated with the risk of hypertension (OR=1.29; 95% CI: 1.06–1.56), but not pre-hypertension (OR=1.18; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.52). Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on the region indicated that the studies conducted in Western regions reported higher risk of HTN in association with NC (OR=1.27; 95% CI: 1.23–1.32), but not among those conducted in the Eastern regions (OR=1.11; 95% CI: 0.96–1.28). NC seems to be a new anthropometric measurement, which is probably a good predictor of elevated blood pressure, especially in the Western population.
Effects of Second-Generation Antiepileptic Drugs Compared to First-Generation Antiepileptic Drugs on Bone Metabolism in Patients with Epilepsy: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fu Jie , Peng Lilei , Li Jinglun , Tao Tao , Chen Yangmei
Published: August 2019

We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate effects of second-generation anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs; levetiracetam, lamotrigine) compared to first-generation AEDs (valproic acid, carbamazepine) on bone metabolism in epilepsy patients. PubMed, Web of Science, Clinical trials.gov, Wanfang, and China national knowledge infrastructure databases were searched. Ten trials were included. Results showed: (1) The overall SMD for changes of serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP, and PTH levels from baseline of LEV versus first-generation AEDs were 1.00 (95% CI=0.23–1.77, Z=2.56, p=0.01), 0.98 (95% CI=− 0.05 to 2.01, Z=1.86, p=0.06), − 1.17 (95% CI=− 2.08 to − 0.25, Z=2.50, p=0.01), 0.07 (95% CI=− 0.14 to 0.27, Z=0.63, p=0.53), respectively. (2) The overall SMD for changes of serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP, and PTH levels from baseline of LTG versus first-generation AEDs were −0.16 (95% CI=− 0.47 to 0.16, Z=0.99, p=0.32), −0.05 (95% CI=− 0.55 to 0.44, Z=0.22, p=0.83), 0.10 (95% CI=− 0.53 to 0.73, Z=0.31, p=0.75), −0.05 (95% CI=− 0.52 to 0.42, Z=0.22, p=0.83), respectively. Overall, our results indicate that compared to first-generation AEDs, LEV has less adverse effects on blood bone metabolism markers in epilepsy patients, while LTG does not. However, due to small number of included studies, our results warrant additional research.
Spiroergometrie in der erweiterten flugmedizinischen kardiovaskulären Beurteilung
Authors: Steppert Claus , Stumpf Christian
Published: August 2019

Die EU-Verordnung 1178/2011 fordert in speziellen Fällen eine erweiterte kardiovaskuläre Beurteilung, der Umfang ist jedoch nicht spezifiziert. Neben Ergometrie, Echokardiografie und Doppler der Halsgefäße werden vom Luftfahrtbundesamt zahlreiche Laborparameter gefordert. In den Leitlinien zum Management der stabilen koronaren Herzkrankheit ist die Ergometrie weitgehend obsolet. Stress-Echokardiografie und Stress- MRT bieten eine bessere diagnostische und prognostische Beurteilung. Die Spiroergometrie kombiniert die Ergometrie mit einer Messung respiratorischer Parameter. Hierüber kann das Herzzeitvolumen abgeschätzt und ischämische Veränderungen detektiert werden. Die Wertigkeit in der Erkennung ischämischer Veränderungen entspricht der des Stress-MRT bei signifikant niedrigeren Kosten. Bei einer Spiroergometrie ohne Ischämiezeichen ist die negative prädiktive Wertigkeit sehr hoch. Wir empfehlen die Spiroergometerie deshalb als Ersatz teurer prognostischer Untersuchungen.
57-jährige Patientin mit ungewöhnlicher Häufung infektiöser Hauterkrankungen
Authors: Niebel D. , Schwarze-Zander C. , Bieber T.
Published: August 2019

Aufgrund des ungewöhnlichen Befundes mehrerer gleichzeitig vorliegender infektiöser dermatologischer Krankheitsbilder wurde bei einer 57-jährigen Patientin eine HIV-Infektion diagnostiziert. Neben der spezifischen antiinfektiösen Therapie gegen nachgewiesene Erreger (Candida albicans und Herpes-simplex-Virus) führte die prompt eingeleitete antiretrovirale Therapie zu einer Senkung der Viruslast unterhalb der Nachweisgrenze und zur Stabilisierung des Immunstatus. Jede nachgewiesene HIV-Infektion sollte behandelt werden; eine sofortiger Behandlungsbeginn aller HIV-positiven Personen kann dazu beitragen, Neuinfektionen einzudämmen. Die moderne antivirale Kombinationstherapie mit „Single Tablet Regimen“ und geringer Nebenwirkungsrate hat deutlich zur Adhärenz beigetragen. Bei Auftreten von dermatologischen Indikatorenerkrankungen wie z. B. oraler Kandidose, Herpes zoster oder schwerer Psoriasis sollte ein HIV-Test durchgeführt werden.
Anti-osteoporotic and Anti-adipogenic Effects of Rhus chinensis Nutgalls in Ovariectomized Mice Fed with a High-fat Diet
Authors: Hwang Youn-Hwan , Jang Seon-A , Kim Taesoo , Ha Hyunil
Published: August 2019

In traditional oriental medicine, nutgalls of Rhus chinensis have been used to treat various gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. This study aimed to investigate the benefits of nutgalls of R. chinensis on bone loss and obesity in ovariectomized mice fed with a high-fat diet. Following surgical menopause induction, nutgalls of R. chinensis was orally administered for 4 weeks. Body weight gain and organ weights were measured. Histopathological examinations and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis were performed. Nutgalls of R. chinensis remarkably decreased obesity, gonadal fat, and bone loss in ovariectomized mice fed with a high-fat diet. Nutgalls of R. chinensis inhibited adipocyte differentiation of multipotent bone marrow stromal cells and reduced fat accumulation in gonadal fat, liver, and bone tissues. In UHPLC-MS/MS analysis, 27 phytochemicals containing gallotannin derivatives and flavonoids were identified by comparison with mass fragmentation of authentic standards. Taken together, the results demonstrate the beneficial effects of nutgalls of R. chinensis and its phytochemicals to manage postmenopausal bone disorders and obesity.
Ruthenium-Catalyzed Direct Cross-Coupling of Secondary Alcohols to β-Disubstituted Ketones
Authors: Thiyagarajan Subramanian , Gunanathan Chidambaram
Published: August 2019

The β-disubstituted ketone functionality is prevalent in biologically active compounds and in pharmaceuticals. A ruthenium-catalyzed direct synthesis of β-disubstituted ketones by cross-coupling of two different secondary alcohols is reported. This new protocol was applied to the synthesis of variety of β-disubstituted ketones from various cyclic, acyclic, symmetrical, and unsymmetrical secondary alcohols. An amine–amide metal–ligand cooperation in a Ru catalyst facilitates the activation and formation of covalent bonds in selective sequences to provide the products. Kinetic and deuterium-labeling experiments suggested that aliphatic alcohols oxidize faster than benzylic secondary alcohols. A plausible mechanism is proposed on the basis of mechanistic and kinetic studies. Water and H2 are the only byproducts from this selective cross-coupling of secondary alcohols.

1 Introduction

2 Catalytic Self- or Cross-Coupling of Alcohols and Selectivity Challenges

3 Recent Developments in the Synthesis of β-Disubstituted Ketones

4 Scope of Ruthenium-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Secondary Alcohols

5 Mechanistic Studies and Proposed Mechanism

6 Conclusion
What Gets Measured Gets Done: Calculating the Value of Professional Service
Authors: Fabry Dave
Published: August 2019

In many practices, the role of professional service in the hearing aid delivery process has been obfuscated by the use of bundled pricing models. Emerging direct-to-consumer and third-party administrator hearing aid distribution channels will further challenge practitioners to examine how, and if, they choose to participate with new strategies to increase hearing aid adoption rates. This article focuses on providing a straightforward method for calculating revenue per clinical hour required to maintain quality, professionally driven, and profitable care in the hearing aid diagnostic, selection, fitting, and follow-up process. Furthermore, by measuring the value of clinical service, it uncouples the professional from the technology, and provides a tool for assessing how they can improve clinical efficiencies without compromising best practice or clinical outcomes.
Third-Party Payers…. The Silver Bullet?
Authors: Gosalia Amit
Published: August 2019

Healthcare reform brought about many changes in the healthcare industry including the hearing aid delivery model. Third-party payers (TPPs) became a growing trend with health insurance companies. The traditional hearing aid delivery model changed from provider and patient to provider, TPP, and patient. Due to the insertion of this middle man, profit can be diminished from the hearing aid sale, along with processes. Based on this decrease in revenue, decisions need to be made if using a TPP is profitable or even affordable for a clinic. Recent polls indicate more than half of those clinics polled currently do not participate with TPPs.
Often Posed Questions (and Answers) Regarding Medicare, Contracting, and Non-Hearing Aid Services
Authors: Abel Debra
Published: August 2019

Medicare Part B provider participation is often met with grumbling and disdain by most health care providers, including audiologists. Other pain points for audiologists likely include insurance contracts, third-party administrators, and the unknown of the future. The dynamic landscape that will include technology and delivery systems was, until recently, mere thoughts on paper and in conference rooms. With the moderate amount of misunderstanding about Medicare and contracting rules among the members of the profession, it is this article's intent to dispel these Medicare myths as they pertain to hearing and balance services provided by Medicare Part B–enrolled audiologists, to offer considerations in a practice's decision whether to accept commercial insurance and third-party payer contracts, and to offer the tools to position a practice to provide non-hearing aid–related services based on today's current information.
Antagonizing P2Y12 Receptor Inhibitors: Current and Future Options
Authors: Trenk Dietmar , Hille Laura , Leggewie Stefan , Stratz Christian , Nührenberg Thomas G. , Aradi Daniel , Schrör Karsten , Sibbing Dirk
Published: August 2019

There are clinical scenarios where the balance between the risk of ischemic and bleeding events leads to the clinical decision to reverse the antiplatelet effect of P2Y12 receptor inhibitors. These scenarios comprise emergency situations such as active severe bleeding, urgent procedures with presumed high bleeding risk, or major trauma with (anticipated) bleeding. Supplementation of platelets has been investigated in ex vivo as well as in in vivo studies. These studies indicate that the inhibition of adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation by the irreversibly binding thienopyridine derivatives clopidogrel and prasugrel can be reversed by administration of platelet concentrates. Supplementation of platelets in patients on prasugrel is more effective if this can be transfused > 6 hours after last dosing. Studies on the reversal effect obtained by administration of platelet concentrates in patients on ticagrelor show conflicting results. Experimental data suggest that administration of serum albumin might increase the reversal effect. A monoclonal antibody fragment (PB2452) for neutralizing ticagrelor is currently in clinical development. A recently published first in man study shows that reversal of platelet inhibition occurs within 5 minutes after start of administration and the effect is maintained for 20 to 24 hours after a 16-hour infusion which is by far the most effective approach for reversal of ticagrelor.
Rural unemployment pushes migrants to urban areas in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Lyu Haoyang , Dong Zengchuan , Roobavannan Mahendran , Kandasamy Jaya , Pande Saket
Published: August 2019

Migration is often seen as an adaptive human response to adverse socio-environmental conditions, such as water scarcity. A rigorous assessment of the causes of migration, however, requires reliable information on the migration in question and related variables, such as, unemployment, which is often missing. This study explores the causes of one such type of migration, from rural to urban areas, in the Jiangsu province of China. A migration model is developed to fill a gap in the understanding of how rural to urban migration responds to variations in inputs to agricultural production including water availability and labor and how rural population forms expectations of better livelihood in urban areas. Rural to urban migration is estimated at provincial scale for period 1985–2013 and is found to be significantly linked with rural unemployment. Further, migration reacts to a change in rural unemployment after 2–4 years with 1% increase in rural unemployment, on average, leading to migration of 16,000 additional people. This implies that rural population takes a couple of years to internalize a shock in employment opportunities before migrating to cities. The analysis finds neither any evidence of migrants being pulled by better income prospects to urban areas nor being pushed out of rural areas by water scarcity. Corroborated by rural–urban migration in China migration survey data for 2008 and 2009, this means that local governments have 2–4 years of lead time after an unemployment shock, not necessarily linked to water scarcity, in rural areas to prepare for the migration wave in urban areas. This original analysis of migration over a 30-year period and finding its clear link with unemployment, and not with better income in urban areas or poor rainfall, thus provides conclusive evidence in support of policy interventions that focus on generating employment opportunities in rural areas to reduce migration flow to urban areas.
Ultra-high-bandwidth polarization interferometry and optimal quadratic phase detection
Authors: Weber T. E. , Smith R. J.
Published: August 2019

A novel homodyne interferometer and analysis method are described which use orthogonal polarization components to measure large rapid changes in interferometric phase, in quadrature, in the presence of strong time-dependent attenuation of the scene beam. This approach overcomes the major sources of error associated with homodyne interferometry (sensitivity nulls, ambiguity in the direction of phase change when passing through a sensitivity null, and intolerance to beam power variations) while maintaining its intrinsic simplicity and speed, enabling extremely high-bandwidth, high-dynamic range measurements limited only by available detector technology. Using this technique, electron density in a magnetized plasma shock was measured with unprecedented bandwidth and resolution, revealing short-timescale features not previously observed.
Spectral curve duality beyond the two-matrix model
Authors: Luu Martin T.
Published: August 2019

We describe a simple algebraic approach to several spectral duality results for integrable systems and illustrate the method for two types of examples: the Bertola–Eynard–Harnad spectral duality of the two-matrix model and the various dual descriptions of minimal model conformal field theories coupled to gravity.
Coupled cluster study of the x-ray absorption spectra of formaldehyde derivatives at the oxygen, carbon, and fluorine K-edges
Authors: Frati Federica , de Groot Frank , Cerezo Javier , Santoro Fabrizio , Cheng Lan , Faber Rasmus , Coriani Sonia
Published: August 2019

We have investigated the performance of a core-valence separated scheme within the coupled cluster (CC) hierarchy of methods CC singles (CCS), CC singles and approximate doubles (CC2), and CC singles and doubles (CCSD) in reproducing the K-edge x-ray absorption spectra of the low-Z elements carbon, oxygen, and fluorine in formaldehyde (CH2O), carbonyl fluoride (CF2O), formyl fluoride (CHFO), and formic acid (CHOOH). The analysis covers the entire frequency region from the first 1s → π* excitation to the core-ionization limit, encompassing the region of Rydberg transitions. Moreover, a simulation of the vibronic progressions in the 1s → π* bands of both carbon and oxygen in formaldehyde has been performed at the core-valence separated CCSD level, and the results are critically compared with highly resolved experimental data for this molecule.