bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaging and choosing the right patients for transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach
Authors: Ranganath Rohit , Shaear Mohammad , Razavi Christopher R. , Pace‐Asciak Pia , Russell Jonathon O. , Tufano Ralph P.
Published: June 2020

Advances in imaging for preoperative localization have propelled the widespread adoption of minimally invasive/focused parathyroidectomy in primary hyperparathyroidism. Though it is performed through a relatively small incision, studies have shown that the presence of a neck scar increases attentional bias towards the neck resulting in compromised quality of life. Transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOEPVA) eliminates a neck scar. While indications for TOEPVA are the same as that of minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy, confident preoperative localization of the parathyroid with a surgeon performed ultrasound along with concordant localization with SPECT CT is an essential prerequisite before offering patients this approach for parathyroidectomy. Early data has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of this approach.
The Integration of Lidar and Legacy Datasets Provides Improved Explanations for the Spatial Patterning of Shell Rings in the American Southeast
Authors: Davis Dylan S. , DiNapoli Robert J. , Sanger Matthew C. , Lipo Carl P.
Published: June 2020

Archaeologists have struggled to combine remotely sensed datasets with preexisting information for landscape-level analyses. In the American Southeast, for example, analyses of lidar data using automated feature extraction algorithms have led to the identification of over 40 potential new pre-European-contact Native American shell ring deposits in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Such datasets are vital for understanding settlement distributions, yet a comprehensive assessment requires remotely sensed and previously surveyed archaeological data. Here, we use legacy data and airborne lidar-derived information to conduct a series of point pattern analyses using spatial models that we designed to assess the factors that best explain the location of shell rings. The results reveal that ring deposit locations are highly clustered and best explained through a combination of environmental conditions such as distance to water and elevation as well as social factors.
SOLVING DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS IN SEQUENCES: UNIVERSALITY AND UNDECIDABILITY
Authors: POGUDIN GLEB , SCANLON THOMAS , WIBMER MICHAEL
Published: June 2020

We study solutions of difference equations in the rings of sequences and, more generally, solutions of equations with a monoid action in the ring of sequences indexed by the monoid. This framework includes, for example, difference equations on grids (for example, standard difference schemes) and difference equations in functions on words. On the universality side, we prove a version of strong Nullstellensatz for such difference equations under the assumption that the cardinality of the ground field is greater than the cardinality of the monoid and construct an example showing that this assumption cannot be omitted. On the undecidability side, we show that the following problems are undecidable:
CATEGORICAL COMPLEXITY
Authors: BASU SAUGATA , ISIK UMUT
Published: June 2020

We introduce a notion of complexity of diagrams (and, in particular, of objects and morphisms) in an arbitrary category, as well as a notion of complexity of functors between categories equipped with complexity functions. We discuss several examples of this new definition in categories of wide common interest such as finite sets, Boolean functions, topological spaces, vector spaces, semilinear and semialgebraic sets, graded algebras, affine and projective varieties and schemes, and modules over polynomial rings. We show that on one hand categorical complexity recovers in several settings classical notions of nonuniform computational complexity (such as circuit complexity), while on the other hand it has features that make it mathematically more natural. We also postulate that studying functor complexity is the categorical analog of classical questions in complexity theory about separating different complexity classes.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2498
Authors: Sterio Milena
Published: June 2020

On November 15, 2019, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2498, which extended the mandate of the previously established Panel of Experts of Somalia by an additional year; the Resolution also expanded the scope of the Panel's inquiry by specifically tasking the Panel to investigate Al-Shabaab's revenue sources and illegal taxation schemes.
Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary (Eur. Ct. H.R.)
Authors: Stoyanova Vladislava
Published: June 2020

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Grand Chamber decided in Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary that the holding of the applicants, who were asylum-seekers, in the “transit zone” between Hungary and Serbia did not amount to deprivation of liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). On this point, the Grand Chamber overruled the unanimously adopted Chamber judgment. At the same time, the Grand Chamber ruled that Hungary had violated Article 3 ECHR since Hungary did not assess the risk of ill-treatment for the applicants in Serbia.
The Logic of Violence in Drug War
Authors: CASTILLO JUAN CAMILO , KRONICK DOROTHY
Published: June 2020

Drug traffickers sometimes share profits peacefully. Other times they fight. We propose a model to investigate this variation, focusing on the role of the state. Seizing illegal goods can paradoxically increase traffickers’ profits, and higher profits fuel violence. Killing kingpins makes crime bosses short-sighted, also fueling conflict. Only by targeting the most violent traffickers can the state reduce violence without increasing supply. These results help explain empirical patterns of violence in drug war, which is less studied than are interstate or civil war but often as deadly.
News and Geolocated Social Media Accurately Measure Protest Size Variation
Authors: SOBOLEV ANTON , CHEN M. KEITH , JOO JUNGSEOCK , STEINERT-THRELKELD ZACHARY C.
Published: June 2020

Larger protests are more likely to lead to policy changes than small ones are, but whether or not attendance estimates provided in news or generated from social media are biased is an open question. This letter closes the question: news and geolocated social media data generate accurate estimates of protest size variation. This claim is substantiated using cellphone location data from more than 10 million individuals during the 2017 United States Women’s March protests. These cellphone estimates correlate strongly with those provided in news media as well as three size estimates generated using geolocated tweets, one text-based and two based on images. Inferences about protest attendance from these estimates match others’ findings about the Women’s March.
“Therefore I Have Removed the Veil”: Disclosure of Secrets in Eleventh-Century Islam and the Literary Character of Maimonides’s Guide
Authors: Michaelis Omer
Published: June 2020

This article investigates Maimonides’s ethos of disclosing “secrets” and explores its Islamic origins, focusing on sources neglected by earlier scholarship concerning the Guide of the Perplexed. I turn from the prevalent method by which the Guide has been studied for decades, namely, as a work at the core of which lie strategies and an ethos of concealment. In lieu of the conventional method, I go in a very different direction by inquiring into the modes that Maimonides used in fashioning his Guide as a work that involves a self-proclaimed exceptional act of revelation of secrets and a breach of the boundaries of concealment. The resulting textual investigation demonstrates that clusters of motifs presented in these sources, as well as structures of arguments, were retained in their cultural migration. This exploration allows me to illuminate new aspects of the question of the genre of Maimonides’ Guide, its sources, and its author’s intertextual art of writing.
Endocrine disruption and altered sexual development in aquatic organisms: an invertebrate perspective
Authors: Langston W. J.
Published: June 2020

Contaminants causing sex-altering, endocrine disrupting-like (ED) effects, or otherwise influencing reproduction, have been of growing concern to humans for more than 50 years. They have also been a perturbing, though less well-studied, phenomenon in marine organisms, following the recognition of tributyltin (TBT)-induced imposex and population extinctions in (neo)gastropods in the 1970s. Whilst ED impacts in mammals and fish are characterized by mimicry or antagonism of endogenous hormones by environmental contaminants (acting through Nuclear Receptors which are present in all metazoans) much less is known regarding pathways to effects in invertebrates. Despite the absence of a defined steroidal/mechanistic component, the extent, severity and widespread nature of ED-like manifestations and altered sexual characteristics observed in marine invertebrates gives rise to comparable concerns, and have been a long-term component of the MBA's research remit. The manifestations seen in sensitive taxa such as molluscs and crustaceans confirm they are valuable indicators of environmental quality, and should be exploited in this capacity whilst we seek to understand the pervasiveness and underlying mechanisms. In so doing, invertebrate indicators address aims of organizations, such as the EEA, OECD, UNEP and WHO, charged with management and monitoring of chemicals and ensuring that adverse effects on humans and the environment are minimized (Bergman et al., 2013). In view of the recent general declines in marine biodiversity, and the potential contribution of ED-like phenomena, safeguarding against deleterious effects through increased research which links pollutant exposure with reproductive dysfunction among invertebrates, is seen as a high priority.
A Computation Effective Range-Based 3D Mapping Aided GNSS with NLOS Correction Method
Authors: Ng Hoi-Fung , Zhang Guohao , Hsu Li-Ta
Published: June 2020

Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning in dense urban areas remains a challenge due to the signal reflection by buildings, namely multipath and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) reception. These effects degrade the performance of low-cost GNSS receivers such as in those smartphones. An effective three-dimensional (3D) mapping aided GNSS positioning method is proposed to correct the NLOS error. Instead of applying ray-tracing simulation, the signal reflection points are detected based on a skyplot with the surrounding building boundaries. The measurements of the direct and reflected signals can thus be simulated and further used to determine the user's position based on the measurement likelihood between real measurements. Verified with real experiments, the proposed algorithm is able to reduce the computational load greatly while maintaining a positioning accuracy within 10 metres of error in dense urban environments, compared with the conventional method of ray-tracing based NLOS corrected positioning.
Constructing families of cospectral regular graphs
Authors: Haythorpe M. , Newcombe A.
Published: June 2020

A set of graphs are called cospectral if their adjacency matrices have the same characteristic polynomial. In this paper we introduce a simple method for constructing infinite families of cospectral regular graphs. The construction is valid for special cases of a property introduced by Schwenk. For the case of cubic (3-regular) graphs, computational results are given which show that the construction generates a large proportion of the cubic graphs, which are cospectral with another cubic graph.
Practical guide to climate change for general insurance practitioners
Authors: Rothwell M. , Earle M. , Ooi C. H. , Orr J. , Shroff S. , Siew J.
Published: June 2020

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world. Scientific research points out that it is predominately driven by human activity. There are three different types of risks that arise from this change. These have been broadly grouped into physical, transition and liability risks. These risks can impact general insurers to different degrees, depending on their business areas and investment strategies. These may pose different strategic, investment, market, operational and reputational risks. This paper provides General Insurance Practitioners with an overview of different aspects of insurance operations that may be affected by climate change. It highlights the impact of these risks on pricing and underwriting, reserving, reinsurance, catastrophe modelling, investment, risk management and capital management processes.
Restricted Chase Termination for Existential Rules: A Hierarchical Approach and Experimentation
Authors: KARIMI ARASH , ZHANG HENG , YOU JIA-HUAI
Published: June 2020

The chase procedure for existential rules is an indispensable tool for several database applications, where its termination guarantees the decidability of these tasks. Most previous studies have focused on the skolem chase variant and its termination analysis. It is known that the restricted chase variant is a more powerful tool in termination analysis provided a database is given. But all-instance termination presents a challenge since the critical database and similar techniques do not work. In this paper, we develop a novel technique to characterize the activeness of all possible cycles of a certain length for the restricted chase, which leads to the formulation of a framework of parameterized classes of the finite restricted chase, called
$k$-$\mathsf{safe}(\Phi)$
rule sets. This approach applies to any class of finite skolem chase identified with a condition of acyclicity. More generally, we show that the approach can be applied to the hierarchy of bounded rule sets previously only defined for the skolem chase. Experiments on a collection of ontologies from the web show the applicability of the proposed methods on real-world ontologies.
Community Integrated Earth System Model (CIESM): Description and Evaluation
Authors: Lin Yanluan , Huang Xiaomeng , Liang Yishuang , Qin Yi , Xu Shiming , Huang Wenyu , Xu Fanghua , Liu Li , Wang Yong , Peng Yiran , Wang Lanning , Xue Wei , Fu Haohuan , Zhang Guang Jun , Wang Bin , Li Ruizhe , Zhang Cheng , Lu Hui , Yang Kun , Luo Yong , Bai Yuqi , Song Zhenya , Wang Minqi , Zhao Wenjie , Zhang Feng , Xu Jingheng , Zhao Xi , Lu Chunsong , Chen Yizhao , Luo Yiqi , Hu Yong , Tang Qiang , Chen Dexun , Yang Guangwen , Gong Peng
Published: June 2020

A team effort to develop a Community Integrated Earth System Model (CIESM) was initiated in China in 2012. The model was based on NCAR Community Earth System Model (Version 1.2.1) with several novel developments and modifications aimed to overcome some persistent systematic biases, such as the double Intertropical Convergence Zone problem and underestimated marine boundary layer clouds. Aerosols' direct and indirect effects are prescribed using the MACv2‐SP approach and data sets. The spin‐up of a 500‐year preindustrial simulation and three historical simulations are described and evaluated. Prominent improvements include alleviated double Intertropical Convergence Zone problem, increased marine boundary layer clouds, and better El Niño Southern Oscillation amplitude and periods. One deficiency of the model is the significantly underestimated Arctic and Antarctic sea ice in warm seasons. The historical warming is about 0.55 °C greater than observations toward 2014. CIESM has an equilibrium climate sensitivity of 5.67 K, mainly resulted from increased positive shortwave cloud feedback. Our efforts on porting and redesigning CIESM for the heterogeneous Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer are also introduced, including some ongoing developments toward a future version of the model.
Regulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis by MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 contributes to pathogen and drought resistance in apple
Authors: Geng Dali , Shen Xiaoxia , Xie Yinpeng , Yang Yusen , Bian Ruiling , Gao Yuqi , Li Pengmin , Sun Liying , Feng Hao , Ma Fengwang , Guan Qingmei
Published: June 2020

MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 have been demonstrated to be responsible for lignin accumulation in apple under drought stress. In this study, using a metabolomic approach, we identified differentially accumulated phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolites in MdMYB88/124 transgenic RNAi plants under control and long-term drought stress conditions in apple roots. We confirmed the regulation of phenylalanine by MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 via UPLC-MS in apple roots under both control and drought conditions. Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) and ChIP-quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses, we found that MdMYB88 positively regulates the MdCM2 gene, which is responsible for phenylalanine biosynthesis, through binding to its promoter region. Under long-term drought conditions, MdMYB88/124 RNAi plants consistently accumulated increased amounts of H2O2 and MDA, while MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 overexpression plants accumulated decreased amounts of H2O2 and MDA. We also examined the accumulation of metabolites in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway in the leaves of MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 transgenic apple plants after long-term drought stress. We found that metabolites responsible for plant defense, including phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, accumulated less in the RNAi plants but more in the overexpression plants under both control and drought conditions. We further demonstrated that MdMYB88/124 RNAi plants were more sensitive to Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali and Valsa mali, two pathogens that currently severely threaten apple production. In contrast, MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 overexpression plants were more tolerant to these pathogens. The cumulative results of this study provided evidence for secondary metabolite regulation by MdMYB88 and MdMYB124, further explained the molecular roles of MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 in drought resistance, and provided information concerning molecular aspects of their roles in disease resistance.
Supervised learning of gene-regulatory networks based on graph distance profiles of transcriptomics data
Authors: Razaghi-Moghadam Zahra , Nikoloski Zoran
Published: June 2020

Characterisation of gene-regulatory network (GRN) interactions provides a stepping stone to understanding how genes affect cellular phenotypes. Yet, despite advances in profiling technologies, GRN reconstruction from gene expression data remains a pressing problem in systems biology. Here, we devise a supervised learning approach, GRADIS, which utilises support vector machine to reconstruct GRNs based on distance profiles obtained from a graph representation of transcriptomics data. By employing the data from Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as synthetic networks from the DREAM4 and five network inference challenges, we demonstrate that our GRADIS approach outperforms the state-of-the-art supervised and unsupervided approaches. This holds when predictions about target genes for individual transcription factors as well as for the entire network are considered. We employ experimentally verified GRNs from E. coli and S. cerevisiae to validate the predictions and obtain further insights in the performance of the proposed approach. Our GRADIS approach offers the possibility for usage of other network-based representations of large-scale data, and can be readily extended to help the characterisation of other cellular networks, including protein–protein and protein–metabolite interactions.
Historical dataset of administrative units with social-economic attributes for Austrian Silesia 1837–1910
Authors: Ostafin Krzysztof , Kaim Dominik , Siwek Tadeusz , Miklar Anna
Published: June 2020

Scientists from many disciplines need historical administrative boundaries in order to analyse socio-economic data in space and time. In this paper, we present a set of historical data consisting of administrative unit boundaries and exemplary socio-economic attributes for Austrian Silesia, an historical region located in modern Czechia and Poland. The dataset covers nearly 700 administrative unit boundaries on the level of cadastral or political communes and their subparts and was acquired through manual vectorisation of historical maps (1:28,800) from the period 1837–1841. The local-level units can be easily joined into higher-level divisions such as court or political districts for the period 1837–1910. The data can then be combined with statistical data collected approximately every 10 years for a similar period. Within the quality assessment, the relations between cartographic and census data and their credibility are analysed. The present dataset provides many possibilities for joining a wide range of historical statistical data to better understand various demographic and economic processes based on advanced analyses, e.g., by using GIS.
Relationship between Lipoprotein (a) and cognitive function – Results from the Berlin Aging Study II
Authors: Röhr Franziska , Bucholtz Nina , Toepfer Sarah , Norman Kristina , Spira Dominik , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Lill Christina M. , Bertram Lars , Demuth Ilja , Buchmann Nikolaus , Düzel Sandra
Published: June 2020

It has been suggested that an age-related loss of cognitive function might be driven by atherosclerotic effects associated with altered lipid patterns. However, the relationship between Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and healthy cognitive aging has not yet been sufficiently investigated. For the current analysis we used the cross-sectional data of 1,380 Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) participants aged 60 years and older (52.2% women, mean age 68 ± 4 years). We employed the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD)-Plus test battery to establish latent factors representing continuous measures of domain specific cognitive functions. Regression models adjusted forAPOEgenotypes, lipid parameters and other risk factors for cognitive impairment were applied to assess the association between Lp(a) and performance in specific cognitive domains. Men within the lowest Lp(a)-quintile showed better cognitive performance in the cognitive domain executive functions and processing speed (p = 0.027). No significant results were observed in women. The results of the current analysis of predominantly healthy BASE-II participants point towards an association between low Lp(a) concentrations and better cognitive performance. However, evidence for this relationship resulting from the current analysis and the employment of a differentiated cognitive assessment is rather weak.
DOE for the formation of the effect of switching between two images when an element is turned by 180 degrees
Authors: Goncharsky Anton , Durlevich Svyatoslav
Published: June 2020

An optical security element forming different 2D images when it is turned by 180 degrees is developed and manufactured for the first time. A synthesis technology is developed that incorporates the computation of the beam pattern in elementary hogels with sizes smaller than 100 microns, computation of the phase function of the diffractive optical element (DOE), and formation of the microrelief of the DOE using electron-beam technology. The DOE employed is a multilevel kinoform with an asymmetrical microrelief shaped with a precision of 10 nm. The resulting security feature is easy to control visually, and the DOE is securely protected against counterfeiting. These DOEs are easy to replicate using standard technologies in the manufacturing of embossed holograms and can be used to protect bank notes, securities, and documents against counterfeiting.
An artificial neural network approach for predicting hypertension using NHANES data
Authors: López-Martínez Fernando , Núñez-Valdez Edward Rolando , Crespo Rubén González , García-Díaz Vicente
Published: June 2020

This paper focus on a neural network classification model to estimate the association among gender, race, BMI, age, smoking, kidney disease and diabetes in hypertensive patients. It also shows that artificial neural network techniques applied to large clinical data sets may provide a meaningful data-driven approach to categorize patients for population health management, and support in the control and detection of hypertensive patients, which is part of the critical factors for diseases of the heart. Data was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2016. This paper utilized an imbalanced data set of 24,434 with (69.71%) non-hypertensive patients, and (30.29%) hypertensive patients. The results indicate a sensitivity of 40%, a specificity of 87%, precision of 57.8% and a measured AUC of 0.77 (95% CI [75.01–79.01]). This paper showed results that are to some degree more effectively than a previous study performed by the authors using a statistical model with similar input features that presents a calculated AUC of 0.73. This classification model can be used as an inference agent to assist the professionals in diseases of the heart field, and can be implemented in applications to assist population health management programs in identifying patients with high risk of developing hypertension.
Effect of intramolecular hydrogen-bond formation on the molecular conformation of amino acids
Authors: Giubertoni Giulia , Sofronov Oleksandr O. , Bakker Huib J.
Published: June 2020

The molecular conformation of the carboxyl group can be crucial for its chemical properties and intermolecular interactions, especially in complex molecular environments such as polypeptides. Here, we study the conformational behaviour of the model amino acid N-acetylproline in solution at room temperature with two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. We find that the carboxyl group of N-acetylproline adopts two distinct conformations, syn- and anti-. In the syn-conformer the O–H group is oriented at  ~60∘ with respect to the C=O and in the anti-conformer the O–H is anti-parallel to the C=O. In hydrogen-bond accepting solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or water, we observe that, similar to simple carboxylic acids, around 20% of the -COOH groups adopt an anti-conformation. However, when N-acetylproline is dissolved in a weakly hydrogen-bond accepting solvent (acetonitrile), we observe the formation of a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond between the carboxyl group in the anti-conformation and the amide group, which stabilizes the anti-conformer, increasing its relative abundance to ~60%.
An integrated energy-efficient electrochromic device for salt water purification
Authors: Silambarasan Krishnamoorthy , Qin Tengteng , Liu Xiaoqiang , Zhou Yanmei , Alwarappan Subbiah
Published: June 2020

Chemically assisted reverse dual ion electrochromic desalination device assembly for energy-efficient salt removal from salt water.
Development of a bidirectional isothermal amplification strategy for the sensitive detection of transcription factors in cancer cells
Authors: Zhang Yan , Li Qing-nan , Xiang Dong-xue , Zhou Kaiyue , Xu Qinfeng , Zhang Chun-yang
Published: June 2020

We develop a bidirectional isothermal amplification strategy for the sensitive detection of transcription factors in cancer cells.
Electrifying green synthesis: recent advances in electrochemical annulation reactions
Authors: Martins Guilherme M. , Zimmer Geórgia C. , Mendes Samuel R. , Ahmed Nisar
Published: June 2020

Herein, electrochemical annulations involving mediators and mediator-free conditions have been discussed. Also, the use of sacrificial electrodes has been explored.
Micro-strains in the extracellular matrix induce angiogenesis
Authors: Sewell-Loftin Mary Kathryn , Katz Joshua B. , George Steven C. , Longmore Gregory D.
Published: June 2020

A microtissue platform with independent control over biomechanical parameters is described and used to demonstrate how cell-generated forces drive angiogenesis.
Controlling the block sequence of multi-block oligomer ligands for neutralization of a target peptide
Authors: Takimoto Hinata , Katakami Sho , Miura Yoshiko , Hoshino Yu
Published: June 2020

A series of block oligomers consisting of the same monomer composition but a different block sequence was prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to screen high affinity ligands for a toxic peptide.
The interfacial degradation mechanism of polymer:fullerene bis-adduct solar cells and their stability improvement
Authors: Yan Lingpeng , Gu Huimin , Li Zerui , Zhang Jianqi , Yang Yongzhen , Wang Hua , Liu Xuguang , Wei Zhixiang , Luo Qun , Ma Chang-Qi
Published: June 2020

The interfacial degradation between P3HT and MoO3 is the main reason for fast VOC and FF decays of polymer solar cells, which can be suppressed by inserting a thin C60 layer.
Preparation of biomass-derived porous carbon supported Ni nanoparticles for CO2 reforming of CH4
Authors: Lv Penggang , Liu Dawei , Tian Bin , Ma Xiaoxun , Fan Maohong , Xu Long
Published: June 2020

A schematic diagram for the reaction of CH4 and CO2 over a Ni/bio-char catalyst.
One-step cascade detection of glucose at neutral pH based on oxidase-integrated copper(ii) metal–organic framework composites
Authors: Huang Hui , Zhang Wenjing , Lei Lulu , Bai Juan , Li Jiao , Song Donghui , Zhao Jingqi , Li Jiali , Li Yongxin
Published: June 2020

An integrated system was fabricated from a copper(ii) metal–organic framework (Cu-MOF) and glucose oxidase (GOx) for one-step cascade determination of glucose at neutral pH (pH = 7.0).
Correction: Spatially heterogeneous dynamics of cells in a growing tumor spheroid: comparison between theory and experiments
Authors: Sinha Sumit , Malmi-Kakkada Abdul N. , Li Xin , Samanta Himadri S. , Thirumalai D.
Published: June 2020

Correction for ‘Spatially heterogeneous dynamics of cells in a growing tumor spheroid: comparison between theory and experiments’ by Sumit Sinha et al., Soft Matter, 2020, 16, 5294–5304, DOI: 10.1039/C9SM02277E.
Measurements behind Internal Insulation on Solid Masonry Walls with Different Orientations and Degrees of Repair in a Danish Multi-story Building
Authors: Vanhoutteghem Lies , Haker Høegh Britt , Hansen Thor
Published: June 2020

Internal insulation is used in many heritage buildings to ensure a better indoor environment and reduce energy use. This article describes measurement results from installing an internal insulation system in a Danish multi-story building. The internal insulation system consists of a fully glued vapour tight insulated plasterboard. To reduce the risk for wood decay and mould growth at the wooden beam ends in the floor construction, a 100-200 mm uninsulated gap was left above and below the floor construction. Measurements include the effect of orientation, degree of façade repair and influence of indoor moisture content. Results show in general acceptable hygrothermal conditions behind the insulation system. However, a gradual increase in relative humidity at sun-exposed walls was registered due to ‘summer condensation’. The degree of surface repair also showed an influence on relative humidity levels during this period. At the uninsulated gap above the floor, a higher moisture content indoor resulted in a higher relative humidity, though without exceeding the threshold for mould growth. However, a large temperature range was registered. The influence of the uninsulated gap on reducing the risk of wood decay and mould growth at the beam ends could therefore not unambiguously be confirmed.
Resilience of Canadian homes and small buildings to the effects of climate change - Risk of deterioration due to condensation within wall assemblies
Authors: Defo Maurice , Lacasse Michael
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of climate change on the moisture performance and durability of typical Canadian wood-frame walls using hygrothermal simulations, with a particular attention to the risk of condensation. To reduce the risk of condensation, the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) recommends a maximum air leakage rate of 0.10L/sm2 at 75 Pa in buildings with interior relative humidity not greater than 55%. This leakage rate was evaluated in five cities across Canada for a wood-frame wall having brick cladding, with and without outdoor insulation and both walls meeting the minimum insulation requirements given in NBCC. It is found that the risk of condensation will be reduced in the future in all 5 cities analysed. The reduction in the risk of condensation is slightly higher for the wall with no exterior insulation than for the wall with exterior insulation. This reduction in the risk of condensation means that the limit of 0.10L/(sm2) for building having a warm side relative humidity of less than 55% may be reconsidered in the future. There may however be some risks associated with the increase in rain in some cities.
Pore scale modelling of moisture transfer in building materials with the phase field method
Authors: Bianchi Janetti Michele , Janssen Hans
Published: June 2020

This study explores the applicability of the phase field method for modelling moisture storage and transport in porous materials. Accordingly, the system is treated as a continuum where the phases (liquid and humid air) are separated through a diffuse interface, which evolves in the pores until the equilibrium state is reached. The interface thickness is related to the surface tension, while the contact angle is defined as a boundary condition. The mass transfer in the porous matrix is driven by the Cahn-Hilliard equation and the phase transition is controlled by an equation of state. The above method is tested for a simple geometry (infinitely extended parallel plates), by comparing the numerical outcomes against available measured data and analytical solutions. The challenges arising for a further application to complex pore structures and real building materials are discussed.
Sensitivity and Uncertainty analyses on a DELPHIN model: the impact of material properties on moisture in a solid brick wall
Authors: Grint Naomi , Marincioni Valentina , Elwell Clifford A.
Published: June 2020

This paper presents sensitivity and uncertainty analyses on a DELPHIN model, which is representative of a case study wall in real climatic conditions. Results of the Differential Sensitivity Analysis (DSA) show properties governing liquid water transported into, through and stored in the wall impact most on moisture accumulation, affecting relative humidity (RH) outputs by 10 – 35% at three different locations in the wall. Parameters affecting vapour transport into the room also influence RH outputs at the inner location, but less than rain amount and rain exchange coefficient. A probabilistic uncertainty study is then used to explore key material functions, parameterised as four sets of co-ordinates and varied randomly. The correlation between the parameter inputs and the resulting change in RH is assessed. There are some surprising divergences from the DSA, including the significance of moisture storage in the plaster layer in the presence of liquid. Low correlation coefficients suggest numbers of variables could be reduced to further clarify the effects of these parameters, and interesting questions are raised on the parameterisation of material functions to represent the uncertainty in the characterisation of real walls.
The Human Comfort Level in an Energy-Saving Simulation Model of Office Building
Authors: Dzelzitis Egils , Sidenko Sandra
Published: June 2020

Currently high attention is drawn to the studies of the influence of pulsating flow to the heat transfer. Such unsteady flows can be created artificially or may appear during the operation of the thermal energy equipment. The purpose of this work is to perform numerical studies of the pulsating fluid flow effect supplied to a panel heating radiator on its heat output; and to determine the effect of pulsations of heat output on a human comfort level as well. Numerical modeling was prepared with CAD/CFD/HVAC complex of SolidWorks/FlowSimulation software. Where the complete system of Navier-Stokes equations and the energy equation were solved using the k-ε turbulence model in a non-stationary formulation of the problem. Results of the numerical calculations showed that the periodic pulsating flow of the fluid in the heating radiator during operation, in comparison with the stationary mode, leads to increasing and decreasing in the thermal power of the radiator. But at the same time, with an average estimate, the thermal power with pulsations of the fluid’s flow increases for about 10-15% comparing with a stationary mode. Model of the office room in the considered operating mode is not comfortable; this conclusion is based on such criteria as operating temperature, PMV, PPD, identified in the numerical calculations process.
Effectiveness of Fixed-Bed Regenerators for Energy Recovery in Buildings Applications
Authors: Ramin Hadi , Krishnan Easwaran N. , Simonson Carey J.
Published: June 2020

Energy consumption for ventilation purposes in buildings makes up a considerable portion of HVAC energy consumption. Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) can reduce the required energy to pre-condition outdoor air in winter and summer seasons. Due to the high ratio of heat transfer area to volume, Fixed-Bed Regenerators (FBRs) can reach high effectiveness up to 90%. However, limited research studies are available for FBRs in HVAC applications. In this paper, a small-scale test facility is used to determine the sensible effectiveness of a FBR. Furthermore, a numerical model is proposed and validated against the experimental results from the small-scale test facility. The numerical results for latent effectiveness have been compared with available data in the literature and the comparison shows a satisfactory agreement between numerical and results from the literature.
Hygrothermal conditions in Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) dwellings
Authors: Solvang Tingstveit Merethe , Kofoed Nielsen Henrik , Risholt Birgit
Published: June 2020

The use of CLT has been increasing the last decade, and a subsequently focus on documentation of the accompanying indoor climate and exposed wooden surfaces on human well-being. This study presents the results of a measurement campaign conducted over one year of a CLT apartment building in Grimstad, Norway. The apartment building consists of three floors with 35 apartments and comply with the Norwegian passive house standard and energy grade A. Measurements of the relative humidity (RH), indoor air temperature and wood moisture content (MC) were performed in the exposed CLT spruce panels in three apartments in two different floors. The results from the three apartments show a relatively small variation in the MC values regardless the residents behavior measured as RH variation through a complete year. Selected periods from a cold period (winter) and a warm period (summer) show the variation in relative humidity (RH) and moisture content in the CLT element. However, results from control measurements showed higher MC values. The gap between the measurements and methods are discussed.
Development of a statistical model to assess the climate conditions in the ventilation layer of double pitched roofs
Authors: Tieben Johannes , Bachinger Julia , Nusser Bernd
Published: June 2020

For the proper simulation of hygrothermal processes in roof constructions with ventilation layers the knowledge of climate conditions within the ventilation layer is requisite. In this work a model for the assessment of temperature and air humidity has been developed using multiple regression analysis. Therefore, the climate conditions inside the ventilation layers of differently covered and oriented roofs have been monitored for one year. Relevant outside climate parameters for the calculation of ventilation layer climates have been identified. The comparison between measured and calculated values indicated an adequate accuracy of the developed model with limitations for the use in snow fall periods.
Predicting solar radiation using a parametric cloud model
Authors: Skeie Kristian , Gustavsen Arild
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we evaluate a method to calculate hourly global solar radiation and improve the calculation of diffuse and vertical surface radiation on building facades by accounting for ground conditions based on publicly available data of cloud coverage, temperature and precipitation from a forecast service covering the Nordic countries. The detailed weather forecasts produced by MET Norway provide hourly forecasts for the next 60 hours, and 6-hour predictions for the next week. To calculate solar radiation on cloudy days the clear and cloudy sky MAC model developed by Davies and Mckay (1982) is used. Instead of basing the prediction on ground observations as in the original method, cloud coverage in three levels and total cloud cover is used as input in a cloud product parameterisation. The resulting global horizontal irradiance is validated against the output of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) model and compared to a year of hourly ground measurements in Trondheim, Norway. To evaluate applicability to the building sciences, vertical irradiance measurements are compared to tilted surface irradiance calculated with the ISO 52010:2017 method. For the location, six-hour forecasting performance is on par with the GHI output of the NWP model (using the cloud layer model and the available weather parameters of the location forecast API). To account for the unpredictability of clouds and improve the short-term forecasting performance beyond 38 % RMSD, 38 % SD and 0.80 R2 a different approach is needed, like combining model and sky observations.
Performance analysis of glazed PVT collectors for multifamily building
Authors: Pokorny Nikola , Matuska Tomas
Published: June 2020

The paper deals with performance analysis of potential application of glazed photovoltaic-thermal collector for domestic hot water preparation for multifamily building in European climatic conditions. Two different solutions are studied, glazed photovoltaic-thermal collectors integrated in the building envelope and glazed photovoltaic-thermal collectors fixed on the roof of the building. Moreover, the paper presents a comparison with conventional side by side installation of solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels to show the benefit of photovoltaic-thermal collectors. Simulation analysis has been done in TRNSYS with use of developed and validated mathematical model of glazed photovoltaic-thermal collector.
Design and simulation of a new PCM heat exchanger for domestic hot water and air temperature control
Authors: Robadey Jacques , Rime Simon , Voide Dominique
Published: June 2020

Based on previous experiences which have proven the efficiency of PCM heat exchangers for air temperature control, we designed and simulated new PCM heat exchanger structures made of multiple PCM layers sandwiched between loading and discharge layers. By circulating air or water in the discharge circuit, these heat exchangers can be used for heating air or water, respectively. For both use cases, a three-dimensional analysis of the phase change and calculations of the charge/discharge powers were performed for the fusion and solidification processes. We obtained heating discharge powers ≥ 2.6 kW/m3 for 8 hours for air and ≥ 65 kW/m3 for 13 minutes for water with a respective total storage capacity of 28 kWh/m3 and 37 kWh/m3. The heat extraction of air and water flows and their time dependence are discussed according to the percentage of liquid PCM and the temperature profile of the discharge flow inside the heat exchanger.
Energy Flexibility Assessment of a Zone with Radiant Floor Heating System by Means of Experimental Measurements
Authors: Saberi Derakhtenjani Ali , Athienitis Andreas
Published: June 2020

This article investigates the potential energy flexibility of a thermal zone that contains a hydronic radiant floor heating system embedded in a concrete slab. The energy flexibility of the zone is quantified from experimental measurements for a specific zone air set point change. The experiment was carried out in an experimental perimeter zone test cell (PZTC) designed to simulate the conditions of an office space near a window which has a radiant floor heating system. The PZTC is located inside a controlled environmental chamber (EC). The EC provides the desired exterior conditions. The temperature inside the PZTC is controlled with a thermostat that adjusts the heating power delivered from the hydronic pipes to the slab. It was observed that modulating the zone air temperature setpoint results in significant changes in the heating load, and thus providing a certain amount of energy flexibility. Application of the quantified energy flexibility along with applicable strategies in response to a specific price signal profile are discussed.
How effective is kaolin clay for the creation of a perfect hydraulic interface contact between materials?
Authors: Vereecken Evy , Schůtová Petra , Roels Staf
Published: June 2020

Due to interface phenomena such as compaction pores, a mismatch of the pore structure, etc., moisture transfer in multi-layered building elements can deviate from the moisture transfer observed for the combination of the separate materials. Several studies on interface phenomena make use of kaolin clay to provide – as a reference – a perfect hydraulic contact between materials. This paper investigates, based on a series of imbibition experiments, whether kaolin clay truly creates this perfect contact, and thus, whether the hydraulic interface resistance between materials can be nullified by use of kaolin clay. For a low absorptive material or a large distance between the contact interface and the water surface, composite samples put together with kaolin clay show an identical water uptake curve as observed for homogeneous samples. For a material with a high absorptivity and a contact interface closer to the water plain, however, even with kaolin clay a hydraulic interface resistance is observed and estimated to be in the order of 6 000 m/s till 12 000 m/s. If present, such an interface resistance is furthermore shown to have no impact on the water uptake curve for samples composed of low absorptive bricks or with a contact interface further away from the water plain.
Modified pressure plate method for measuring adsorption moisture retention curves
Authors: Feng Chi , Janssen Hans
Published: June 2020

The pressure plate is one of the most widely used methods to measure the moisture retention curves of porous materials in the over-hygroscopic range. Due to its working principle and operational protocol, the traditional pressure plate method is only applicable to the desorption process. In this study, we propose a novel method to measure the moisture retention curves for the adsorption process. Only simple modifications to the traditional pressure plate setup are needed, and minor changes in the experimental procedures are required. Validation measurements are performed on three representative porous building materials: calcium silicate, autoclaved aerated concrete and ceramic brick. Results from the modified pressure plate method are compared with those from the semi-permeable membrane and the psychrometer methods. The modified pressure plate method successfully provides similar results to the other two established methods for all three materials, and hence proves to be reliable in determining the adsorption moisture retention curves in the over-hygroscopic range.