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In recent years, human behavior and the impact on energy use have become an important consideration in energy efficiency programs both in the residential and commercial building sectors. Because of this, great advances, in both energy efficient technologies and behavior-based saving approaches, have been made. Designers are discovering innovative ways to balance technology and humans in the built environment as well as associated energy outcomes. However, oftentimes, there is still a disconnection between the occupant and building interface. This paper presents findings from a mixed-method study, which investigated adaptive comfort opportunities in an academic research building in the Northwest U.S. A pilot survey was implemented to understand occupants’ perceptions of thermal, acoustic, air quality and visual comfort, as well as opportunities for adaptive comfort behaviors (e.g., opening/closing windows). The researchers utilized a novel survey method, which included a unique photo upload functionality, as well as open-ended survey questions and follow-up email interviews, to better understand the disconnection between the occupants and the building interface. An overarching hypothesis and two research questions guided the data analysis. Findings suggested that occupants liked daylight and electric lighting (when they had control), and they enjoyed the adjustable desks. However, acoustical and visual privacy issues were frequent complaints, especially in the open-office environment. This study provides insights about the importance of understanding the building context and human-building interface, especially when implementing behavioral approaches. Helpful lessons learned from the survey are also presented.

Despite the research advances and demonstrated benefit of occupant modelling and simulation in recent years, its uptake in building simulation practice has been relatively slow. One of the underlying causes of this issue is limited occupant-related features of building performance simulation (BPS) tools. To this end, we present a detailed breakdown of occupant-related features and compare them between common BPS tools. Based on the outcomes of a stakeholder workshop, and an international survey that focused on occupant modelling, we provide detailed recommendations to improve occupant-related features in BPS tools. We finally present a case study demonstrating the suggested occupant-related features to apply multiple occupancy assumptions, and integrate occupant behaviour models from the literature. Results are presented as part of a non-functional mock-up graphical user interface (GUI) to demonstrate potential features of BPS tools given the suggested occupant-related improvements. These suggested improvements for BPS tools would enable users to quickly assess proposed designs’ sensitivity to different occupancy scenarios, and ultimately increase the robustness of their final designs. The presented recommendations are relevant to practitioners, researchers, and BPS tool developers as part of the efforts to increase the uptake of detailed occupant modelling in building simulation practice.

Occupant behaviour represents one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in building energy use. Energy use uncertainty is an undesirable trait with regards to sizing equipment and estimating energy use and cost. This paper presents one approach to help address this uncertainty: use of passive building measures to minimize the occurrence of discomfort so that occupants do not have to adapt as frequently in potentially energy-intensive ways. A robust design method is proposed whereby occupant behaviour models are embedded in building performance simulation to test different building designs for their probabilistic energy use and adaptive actions. To demonstrate the method, the daylighting and solar shading domain is explored. The results indicate one possible approach to reducing the impact of occupant behaviour in buildings. However, the study also shows the need for more occupant monitoring and modelling research as well as more empirical evidence to validate robust design strategies.

Colocalization Single Molecule Spectroscopy (CoSMoS) has proven to be a useful method for studying the composition, kinetics, and mechanisms of complex cellular machines. Key to the technique is the ability to simultaneously monitor multiple proteins and/or nucleic acids as they interact with one another. Here we describe a protocol for constructing a CoSMoS micromirror Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscope (mmTIRFM). Design and construction of a scientific microscope often requires a number of custom components and a significant time commitment. In our protocol, we have streamlined this process by implementation of a commercially available microscopy platform designed to accommodate the optical components necessary for a mmTIRFM. The mmTIRF system eliminates the need for machining custom parts by the end-user and facilitates optical alignment. Depending on the experience-level of the microscope builder, these time-savings and the following protocol can enable mmTIRF construction to be completed within two months.

To examine risks for adverse perinatal outcomes among Southeast Asian women with pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or preeclampsia. Perinatal outcomes of singleton births of Cambodian (3,489), Laotian (2,038), Vietnamese (11,605), Japanese (3,083) and non-Hispanic White women (33,088) were analyzed using Washington state linked birth certificate and hospitalization discharge records (1993-2006). Both Cambodian (aOR = 1.68) and Laotian (aOR = 1.71) women with GDM had increased odds of macrosomia when compared with Japanese women with GDM. Southeast Asian women with GDM had reduced odds of macrosomia when compared with White women. Southeast Asian women with preeclampsia had increased odds for preterm delivery when compared with Japanese and White women with preeclampsia. Research is needed to understand why Southeast Asian women with GDM are more likely to have better perinatal outcomes when compared with White women. Vigilant monitoring and culturally sensitive care for Southeast Asian women with preeclampsia is needed.

This study examined differences in perinatal outcomes of Southeast Asian (SEA) women compared with non-Hispanic white women in Washington. Using linked birth certificate and hospitalization discharge records for the years 1993-2006, we compared singleton births of Cambodian (3,858), Laotian (2,223), and Vietnamese (12,949) women with a random sample of white women (35,581). Associations between maternal nativity and perinatal outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. There are clear nativity differences among SEAs for gestational diabetes mellitus, anemia, placenta previa and febrile illness. SEAs had increased risks for these disorders when compared with white women. Compared with infants delivered of white women, infants of SEAs had increased risks for moderate to heavy meconium, birth injury and low birth weight. Differences in nativity among SEAs (populations that are traditionally studied in aggregate) should be considered when designing and carrying out interventions to prevent adverse pregnancy morbidity and outcomes among immigrants.

Despite being rich in later prehistoric and historic archaeology that includes megalithic monuments, Bronze age copper mines and medieval castles, the Mizen Peninsula, south-west Ireland, has revealed little about its stone age past. Evidence for a Mesolithic presence in SW Ireland is rare and, to date, all archaeological finds of this age in Co. Cork are further north and east of the Mizen Peninsula. However a recent palaeoecological study of pollen, non-pollen palynomorph, plant macrofossil and microscopic charcoal data from a peat bog located near Mount Gabriel has provided evidence for disturbances, characterised by fire disturbance of woodland and exploitation of wetlands, since ca. 8400 years b.p. Two working hypotheses are considered to explain these disturbances: human activity or natural agencies. If the human activity hypothesis is accepted, they represent the first possible evidence of a Mesolithic presence on the Mizen Peninsula.