Nexus of thermal resilience and energy efficiency in buildings: A case study of a nursing home

Extreme weather events become more frequent and severe due to climate change. Although energy efficiency technologies can influence thermal resilience of buildings, they are traditionally studied separately, and their interconnections are rarely quantified. This study developed a methodology of modeling and analysis to provide insights into the nexus of thermal resilience and energy efficiency of buildings. We conducted a case study of a real nursing home in Florida, where 12 patients died during Hurricane Irma in 2017 due to HVAC system power loss, to understand and quantify how passive and active energy efficiency measures (EEMs) can improve thermal resilience to reduce heat-exposure risk of patients. Results show that passive measures of opening windows and doors for natural ventilation, as well as miscellaneous load reduction, are very effective in eliminating the extreme dangerous occasions. However, to maintain safe conditions, active measures such as on-site power generators and thermal storage are also needed. The nursing home was further studied by changing its location to two other cities: San Francisco (mild climate) and Chicago (cold winter and hot summer). Results revealed that the EEMs' impacts on thermal resilience vary significantly by climate and building characteristics. The study also estimated the costs of EEMs to help stakeholders prioritize the measures. Passive measures that may not save energy may greatly improve thermal resilience, and thus should be considered in building design or retrofit. Findings from this study indicate energy efficiency technologies should be evaluated not only by their energy savings performance but also by their influence on a building's resilience to extreme weather events

Proteomic Profiling of Enteroid Cultures Skewed Towards Development of Specific Epithelial Lineages

Recently, three‐dimensional small intestinal organoids (enteroids) have been developed from cultures of intestinal stem cells which differentiate in vitro to generate all the differentiated epithelial cell types associated with the intestine and mimic the structural properties of the intestine observed in vivo. Small‐molecule drug treatment can skew organoid epithelial cell differentiation towards particular lineages, and these skewed enteroids may provide useful tools to study specific epithelial cell populations, such as goblet and Paneth cells. However, the extent to which differentiated epithelial cell populations in these skewed enteroids represent their in vivo counterparts is not fully understood. In this study, we have performed label‐free quantitative proteomics to determine whether skewing murine enteroid cultures towards the goblet or Paneth cell lineages results in changes in abundance of proteins associated with these cell lineages in vivo. Our data confirm that skewed enteroids recapitulate important features of the in vivo gut environment, confirming that they can serve as useful models for the investigation of normal and disease processes in the intestine. Furthermore, by comparison of our mass spectrometry data with histology data contained within the Human Protein Atlas, we identify putative novel markers for goblet and Paneth cells

Biodiversidade de bactérias endofíticas em malpighia emarginata e avaliação de isolados com potencial biotecnológico

Orientador: Prof. Dr. João Alencar PamphileTese (doutorado em Biologia Comparada) - Universidade Estadual de Maringá, 2014RESUMO: A Malpighia emarginata, conhecida popularmente como acerola, foi introduzida no Brasil na década de 1950. É uma espécie arbustiva que se desenvolve em zonas de clima tropical e subtropical, conhecida por sua resistência e rusticidade, além de ser muito atrativa devido ao teor de vitamina C encontrado em seus frutos, que podem ser consumidos in natura ou na forma de sucos e geleias. Os microrganismos endofíticos têm sido isolados de todas as espécies vegetais estudadas e apresentam potencial biotecnológico no controle de patógenos, promoção de crescimento e produção de metabólitos secundários, além da produção de diversas enzimas. As bactérias endofíticas vivem em simbiose com a planta, transitando entre estágios de colonização epifítica e endofítica, e dessa forma podem oferecer benefícios ecológicos ao vegetal ou mesmo ter um efeito neutro. Para que seja garantida a eficiência do controle biológico é necessário conhecer a ecologia do patógeno e do antagonista. As bactérias endofíticas apresentam alto potencial para controle de fitopatógenos, em virtude de sua competição por espaços e nutrientes no interior da planta. Os endófitos, além de apresentarem elevada capacidade para a produção de diversas enzimas, com inúmeras propriedades e aplicações biotecnológicas, também podem ser usados em outras áreas de interesse como na solubilização de fosfato. Para estudar a diversidade de bactérias endofíticas é utilizado o sequenciamento do gene 16S rDNA, que, aliado a técnica de PCR, se tornou um padrão universal na identificação e classificação bacteriana. Dessa forma, os objetivos desse trabalho foram o de estudar a diversidade de bactérias endofíticas presentes em M. emarginata e analisar o potencial biotecnológico desses isolados na solubilização de fosfato inorgânico, no controle biológico de fitopatógenos e também a produção in vitro de enzimas extracelulares. Pelo sequenciamento da região 16S foi possível identificar 36,94% dos isolados, distribuídos nos seguintes gêneros: Acinetobacter, Aureimonas, Bacillus, Cellulomonas, Enterobacter, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas e Staphylococcus, sendo mais de 30% destes, foram identificados em nível de espécie. Na avaliação da solubilização de fosfato, 17,64% das bactérias apresentaram resultado positivo. Muitos isolados também foram capazes de inibir o crescimento de fitopatógenos em até 89,09%. Os halos produzidos na atividade enzimática chegaram a 4,80. Esses estudos comprovaram a diversidade genética existente na comunidade endofítica de M. emarginata, e demonstra o potencial biotecnológico de alguns isolados, na solubilização de fosfato, no controle biológico e na produção de enzimas de interesse comercialABSTRACT: The Malpighia emarginata, popularly known as "acerola", was introduced in Brazil in the 1950s. It is a shrub that grows in areas with tropical and subtropical climate, known for its resistance and rusticity, besides being very attractive due to the vitamin C found in its fruit, which can be consumed in natura or as juices and jellies. The endophytic microorganisms have been isolated from all plant species studied and have biotechnological potential for the control of pathogens, growth promotion, production of secondary metabolites and several enzymes. Endophytic bacteria live in symbiosis with the plant and move between stages of epiphytic and endophytic colonization, and thus can provide ecological benefits to the plant or even have a neutral effect. To ensure the efficiency of the biological control is necessary to know the ecology of the pathogen and the antagonist. Endophytic bacteria have a high potential to control pathogens, due to their competition for space and nutrients in the interior of the plant. The endophytes have high capacity for the production of several enzymes with numerous properties and biotechnological applications, and also can be used in other interesting areas, as phosphate solubilization. The sequencing of 16S rDNA gene, combined with PCR technique, became a universal standard for bacterial identification and classification, being used to study the diversity of endophytic bacteria. Therefore, the objectives of this work were to study the diversity of endophytic bacteria present in M. emarginata and analyze their biotechnological potential for the solubilization of inorganic phosphate, the biological control of plant pathogens and the in vitro production of extracellular enzymes. It was possible to identify 36.94% of the isolates by sequencing of 16S, distributed in the following genera: Acinetobacter, Aureimonas, Bacillus, Cellulomonas, Enterobacter, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus; more than 30% were identified to the species level. Regarding the evaluation of the phosphate solubilization, 17.64% of bacteria were positive. Many isolates were also able to inhibit up to 89.09% the pathogens growth The halos produced in the enzyme activity reached up to 4.80. This study demonstrated the existence of genetic diversity in the endophytic community of M. emarginata and the biotechnological potential of some isolates for the phosphate solubilization, biological control and the production of enzymes of commercial interest124 f. : il. (algumas color.)

The Design Of A Community-Informed Socially Interactive Humanoid Robot And End-Effectors For Novel Edge-Rolling

This dissertation discusses my work in building an HRI platform called Quori and my once separate now integrated work on a manipulation method that can enable robots like Quori, or any more capable robot, to move large circular cylindrical objects. Quori is a novel, affordable, socially interactive humanoid robot platform for facilitating non-contact human-robot interaction (HRI) research. The design of the system is motivated by feedback sampled from the HRI research community. The overall design maintains a balance of affordability and functionality. Ten Quori platforms have been awarded to a diverse group of researchers from across the United States to facilitate HRI research to build a community database from a common platform. This dissertation concludes with a demonstration of Quori transporting a large cylinder for which Quori does not have the power to lift nor the range of motion to dexterously manipulate. Quori is able to achieve this otherwise insurmountable task through a novel robotic manipulation technique called robotic edge-rolling. Edge-rolling refers to transporting a cylindrical object by rolling on its circular edge, as human workers maneuver a gas cylinder on the ground for example. This robotic edge-rolling is achieved by controlling the object to roll on the bottom edge in contact with the ground, and to slide on the surface of the robot\u27s end-effector. It can thus be regarded as a form of robotic dexterous, in-hand manipulation with nonprehensile grasps. This work mainly addresses the problem of grasp planning for edge-rolling by studying how to design appropriately shaped end-effectors with zero internal mobility and how to find feasible grasps for stably rolling the object with the simple end-effectors

A GEOGRAFIA NÃO ME DEIXA DORMIR:

Resumo: Objetivou-se com este trabalho traçar algumas características físicas, culturais e de infraestrutura moçambicana, bem como analisar os aspectos econômicos, sociais e políticos da atualidade. Com 45 anos de independência da metrópole portuguesa, Moçambique tem as marcas das lutas desse período na pele da sua sociedade e do seu território. Quem olha e afirma isso são pesquisadores curiosos pela Geografia deste lugar e que buscam descortinar as relações apreendidas nas incursões pelas províncias de Nampula, Maputo, Gaza e Inhambane. Para isso, foram registrados e analisados diversos momentos e situações nos quais o país apresenta óbvios contrastes. Resquícios do modelo colonizador português são apresentados nos constantes conflitos civis armados e na corrupção institucionalizada. Entre as ameaças imperialistas do presente, a pilhagem territorial feita por empresas e instituições brasileiras responsáveis pela explotação mineral e, também, pela exploração religiosa que promete prosperidade. No mesmo contexto, aos chineses cabem a ameaça à produção de alimentos nas machambas diante da incorporação das terras do campesinato moçambicano. Parece que assistimos a tudo como sob efeito do creme da mafura. Apesar das dificuldades sociais muitas vezes atreladas aos desastres naturais e às ameaças do presente, Moçambique se destaca pela vontade de superação e pela busca de seu lugar no cenário geoeconômico africano e, quiçá, mundial. Entretanto, os caminhos para ainda enfrentarão a política polarizada pelos mesmos grupos que estiverem em guerra, nas décadas de 1970 a 1990, e que hoje são os partidos FRELIMO e RENAMO. Palavras Chave: África, Fotografia. Missão Científica, Políticas Públicas. Abstract: The objective of this work was to trace some physical, cultural and Mozambican infrastructure characteristics, as well as to analyze the current economic, social and political aspects. With 45 years of independence from the Portuguese metropolis, Mozambique has the marks of the struggles of that period in the shoes of its society and its territory. Those who look and affirm this are researchers who are curious about the geography of this place and who seek to unveil the relationships learned in the incursions by the provinces of Nampula, Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane. For this, several moments and situations were recorded and analyzed in which the country has obvious contrasts. Remnants of the Portuguese colonizing model are presented in the constant armed civil conflicts and institutionalized corruption. Among the imperialist threats of the present, territorial looting by Brazilian companies and institutions responsible for mineral exploitation and, also, for religious exploration that promises prosperity. In the same context, the Chinese face the threat to food production on the machambas in view of the incorporation of Mozambican peasantry lands. It seems that we watched everything as if under the influence of the mafura cream. Despite the social difficulties often linked to natural disasters and the threats of the present, Mozambique stands out for its will to overcome and for its search for its place in the African and perhaps global geoeconomic scenario. However, the paths to still face polarized politics by the same groups that were at war in the 1970s and 1990s, which today are the FRELIMO and RENAMO parties. Keywords: Africa, Photography. Scientific Mission, Public Policy