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In pursuing Japan's target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, decarbonization strategies at the regional level have been taking place nationally. Some successes have been achieved in the residential sector in achieving decarbonization at the regional level due to improvements in the advancement of energy-saving technologies. An important prerequisite to achieving further decarbonization in the residential sector is understanding household electricity consumption of power demand objects. This study constructed a method for predicting residential electricity consumption in a case study region. First, we set up six models of household composition for scenario exercises. Then, we used the residential energy estimation based on daily activities (REEDA) method to calculate the hourly electricity consumption of each household composition in the four seasons based on the duration of daily life activity. Finally, we separately explore the impact of housing performance (insulation, airtightness), air-conditioning patterns (intermittent operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in all rooms), and geographical location on residential air conditional electricity consumption. The output is a regional residential energy estimate method that can consider multiple key variables. We verified the developed model by (1) comparing the estimated output with the Japan Energy Database and (2) testing the method for various residential areas in Japan. The results showed an accuracy level greater than 75% and nationwide applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The study aims to analyze the heat load in an air-conditioned bus cabin by attaching a layer of phase change material to its roof and window glass. Enthalpy equation coupled with momentum and continuity equations has been solved in PCM layer, whereas only the diffusion equation is solved in roof and glass to obtain the spatiotemporal distribution of the temperature. A significant reduction in temperature on the inner and outer surfaces of the glass window and roof is noticed when PCM is attached. The inner surface of the glass shows a temperature reduction from 310 K to 301.5 K at 2.00 P.M, whereas the roof reveals a significant decrease of 14 K temperature when PCM is glued underneath. PCM helps keep the temperature at the inner surface under 302 K up to 12.00 pm However, the temperature rises to 308 K when PCM is not attached. The PCM thickness has a significant impact on temperature. An increase in thickness from 6 mm to 12 mm leads to a temperature reduction of 3 K to 4 K. Focusing on the performance of PCM, Na2SO4.10 H2O as a PCM is found to be beneficial since the phase change process (liquid fraction between 0 and 1) exists for a longer duration due to its high latent heat of fusion. The reduction in temperature using PCM is implicitly reflected in curtailing the total heat load in the cabin. Approximately 5 kW (45%) reduction in total heat load has been achieved using a 12 mm PCM layer on glass and roof during the peak time of solar radiation, substantially saving fuel and battery energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the scalable fabrication of CdS/ZnS 1D/2D heterojunctions under ambient air conditions (i.e., room temperature and atmospheric pressure) in which ZnS nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of CdS nanosheets. The as‐formed heterojunctions exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 14.02 mmol h−1 g−1 when irradiated with visible light, which is ~10 and 85 times higher than those of pristine CdS nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles, respectively, and superior to most of the CdS‐based photocatalysts reported to date. Furthermore, they provide robust photocatalytic performance with demonstratable stability over 58 h, indicating their potential for practical applications. The formation of 1D/2D heterojunctions not only provides improved exposed active sites that respond to illumination but also provides a rapid pathway to generate photogenerated carriers for efficient separation and transfer through the matrix of single‐crystalline CdS nanosheets. In addition, first‐principles simulations demonstrate that the existence of rich Zn vacancies increases the energy level of the ZnS valence band maximum to construct type‐II and Z‐scheme mixed heterojunctions, which plays a critical role in suppressing the recombination of carriers with limited photocorrosion of CdS to enhance photocatalytic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a power system with a high proportion of renewable energy, sudden increases in wind power or photovoltaic output can lead to huge challenges, such as difficulties in accommodating excess renewable energy and imbalances between supply and demand on the grid. As an important adjustable resource on the demand side, air conditioning load is a flexible load for realizing output consumption. In this paper, a heterogeneous air conditioning load regulation strategy for renewable energy consumption is proposed. Each air conditioning load regulation quantity is obtained based on the day-ahead dispatching mode. Then, the temperature setting value, rated power, and duty cycle are selected as the indexes. The load regulation sequence is obtained by the entropy weight method. Finally, the load regulation time of each air conditioning load is obtained based on the constraint of the quantity of loads during the possible adjustment time. The simulation analysis shows that the temperature regulation strategy presented in this paper can effectively reduce the power fluctuations of air conditioning loads, while ensuring that users with lower temperature settings are selected in the adjustment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We report the scalable fabrication of CdS/ZnS 1D/2D heterojunctions under ambient air conditions (i.e., room temperature and atmospheric pressure) in which ZnS nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of CdS nanosheets. The as‐formed heterojunctions exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 14.02 mmol h−1 g−1 when irradiated with visible light, which is ~10 and 85 times higher than those of pristine CdS nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles, respectively, and superior to most of the CdS‐based photocatalysts reported to date. Furthermore, they provide robust photocatalytic performance with demonstratable stability over 58 h, indicating their potential for practical applications. The formation of 1D/2D heterojunctions not only provides improved exposed active sites that respond to illumination but also provides a rapid pathway to generate photogenerated carriers for efficient separation and transfer through the matrix of single‐crystalline CdS nanosheets. In addition, first‐principles simulations demonstrate that the existence of rich Zn vacancies increases the energy level of the ZnS valence band maximum to construct type‐II and Z‐scheme mixed heterojunctions, which plays a critical role in suppressing the recombination of carriers with limited photocorrosion of CdS to enhance photocatalytic behavior.

In pursuing Japan’s target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, decarbonization strategies at the regional level have been taking place nationally. Some successes have been achieved in the residential sector in achieving decarbonization at the regional level due to improvements in the advancement of energy-saving technologies. An important prerequisite to achieving further decarbonization in the residential sector is understanding household electricity consumption of power demand objects. This study constructed a method for predicting residential electricity consumption in a case study region. First, we set up six models of household composition for scenario exercises. Then, we used the residential energy estimation based on daily activities (REEDA) method to calculate the hourly electricity consumption of each household composition in the four seasons based on the duration of daily life activity. Finally, we separately explore the impact of housing performance (insulation, airtightness), air-conditioning patterns (intermittent operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in a habitable room/continuous operation method in all rooms), and geographical location on residential air conditional electricity consumption. The output is a regional residential energy estimate method that can consider multiple key variables. We verified the developed model by (1) comparing the estimated output with the Japan Energy Database and (2) testing the method for various residential areas in Japan. The results showed an accuracy level greater than 75% and nationwide applicability.

In a power system with a high proportion of renewable energy, sudden increases in wind power or photovoltaic output can lead to huge challenges, such as difficulties in accommodating excess renewable energy and imbalances between supply and demand on the grid. As an important adjustable resource on the demand side, air conditioning load is a flexible load for realizing output consumption. In this paper, a heterogeneous air conditioning load regulation strategy for renewable energy consumption is proposed. Each air conditioning load regulation quantity is obtained based on the day-ahead dispatching mode. Then, the temperature setting value, rated power, and duty cycle are selected as the indexes. The load regulation sequence is obtained by the entropy weight method. Finally, the load regulation time of each air conditioning load is obtained based on the constraint of the quantity of loads during the possible adjustment time. The simulation analysis shows that the temperature regulation strategy presented in this paper can effectively reduce the power fluctuations of air conditioning loads, while ensuring that users with lower temperature settings are selected in the adjustment process.

With the beginning of 2020, the Corona virus pandemic began, which negatively affected all of humanity, as medical and engineering research began to solve many problems faced by society during the era of the virus. Those who are exposed to this situation are among the medical staff responsible for treating and quarantining patients with the Corona virus. It has become the responsibility of engineers to develop solutions to the ventilation problem in order to limit the spread of this virus. Where the aim of this research paper was to study the effect of distance between patient and nurse and the effect of ventilation on the spread of the Corona virus. where a simulation model was created a room with real and 3D dimensions was studied with a patient lying down and the nurse treating him next to him. Where the room contains an air conditioner, two outlets for the airflow and an opening for the patient's mouth to simulate the exit of carbon dioxide gas from his mouth. Where the different and high speeds were studied to find out their effect on the spread of the virus abroad and its disposal. The result proves the best flow velocity of the ventilation system is 20 m/s, which led to a large limitation of the waiting for the Corona virus. The best place for the patient and the airway in the room should not be in the same airway, and the best place is between them. where these results serve as a reference for the engineering of medical rooms in terms of the effect of ventilation and distance of the pathogen on the spread of the Corona virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is to determine the change in vehicle energy efficiency due to using the air conditioning system. There is a connection between the changes in vehicle energy efficiency and fuel consumption together with time needed for vehicle acceleration. The paper comprises the measurement results performed at stabilized speeds as well as during vehicle acceleration. The final part of the paper outlines the result of calculation of change in vehicle energy efficiency resulting from air conditioning unit used during New European Driving Cycle.

Temporary structures are being extensively used by emergency services (rescue, disaster relief, military response units), and other end-users requiring temporary mobile off-grid energy solutions for different purposes (event organization, vacation homes, summer camps, etc.). Yet energy systems for these purposes largely remain fossil-based (such as diesel generators). Although such energy systems are inexpensive, they are carbon intensive and inefficient. This study presents a methodology of simulating temporary shelter with access to an energy supply system through a mobile energy unit with renewable (PV) power supply systems to ensure on-site electricity production, as well as heating/cooling and ventilation. Digital modeling simulations have been performed for a simulated temporary shelter in different climate conditions incorporating different combinations of electricity generation systems with a fossil fuel-based solution and a PV system, using TRNSYS software. Study results show that the operation of a mobile energy generation unit can operate HVAC systems and generate electricity for temporary shelter occupants in off-grid solutions. The modeling results show that the use of a mobile energy generation unit can significantly reduce diesel consumption in temporary shelters from 54% annually (in Riga, Latvia) to 96 % annually (in Jerusalem, Israel). Furthermore, the output of PV-generated electricity is higher (in most cases) than the consumed electricity amount.

The aims of this study were to analyze the content of three chloralkane compounds of PM2.5 and the correlation between three chloralkanes and the different gas phase condition. Three chloralkane compounds of 84 environment samples from Xigu District in Lanzhou were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Subsequently, the principal component analysis was used for samples classification, with influence factors including the humidity, temperature, air pressure, wind speed and wind direction. Importantly, genetic algorithm (GA) was used for variable screening. The classification effect by PCA, which was contributed to explore the data of three chloralkane and PM2.5 in winter higher than the summer, was significantly improved after obtaining 6 variables by GA. The prediction result showed that the classification effects by GA were better than before. The method proposed in this paper can accurately predict the PM2.5 and three chloralkane compounds in Xigu even across the country and different organic noxious compounds. It was demonstrated that the novel method had better selectivity for how to prevent and control these organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are designed for higher education learning, and improving university indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential to the enhanced performances of students and staff members alike. The majority of IAQ problems are due to inadequate ventilation in university buildings. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) measurements have become a commonly used screening test of IAQ because measurement levels can be used to evaluate the amount of ventilation and general comfort. This paper examines CO2 field measurement for undergraduate practical classes. Ten air conditioned laboratories with ventilation were chosen for CO2 field measurement. CO2 was monitored under indoor and outdoor conditions. Indoor CO2 concentration for Laboratories 1 and 10 is observed to be higher than 1000 ppm which indicated inadequate ventilation, while other laboratories showed CO2 concentrations less than 1000 ppm. Air capacity and outdoor air were calculated based on the design documentation. A comparison between design and actual outdoor air/person values indicates that the air conditioning systems of the laboratories had adequate ventilation.

Abstract Water-cooled air conditioning units have huge potential for providing a low carbon emission solution to controlling the temperature and humidity of commercial and domestic buildings as they do not rely on hazardous refrigerant materials in their operation unlike most present devices. Currently, however, its use is limited in high humidity areas due to low cooling efficiency and no effective method for controlling this type of system remotely. This research developed a novel remote-controlled system for use with air-conditioning units utilising solid desiccant dehumidifiers which can be employed to create low carbon emission buildings. The system employs multiple information technologies such as sensor fusion, digital input/output communication and mobile technologies to monitor and control the internal conditions of air-conditioned buildings and provides data collection, data processing, system control, and mobile access. The data collection module is built based on sensor fusion technologies to detect the operating status of the conditioned air. The real-time data processing module is implemented with feature extraction and non-linearization computing to process received data and transmit commands to a control unit. A case study involved monitoring and controlling the working conditions of a solid desiccant dehumidifier employed in an air conditioning unit. Remote control of the process was performed by tuning a NI-DAQ controller's parameters to regulate humidity, temperature, flow rates and other conditions in the unit. A mobile phone was utilised to demonstrate the remote-control function. The results prove that the system developed is successful in controlling the operation of water-cooled air conditioning units. Highlights • Application of sensor fusion and mobile technologies to improve water evaporative cooling systems with user satisfaction. • Improvement of thermal comfort of water-cooled air conditioning systems using the solid desiccant dehumidification method. • Contribution to the remote monitoring and control methods for regulating working conditions of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with numerical simulation of complete cooling system of internal combustion engine (GT-SUITE), which also involves the simulation of flow in underhood using the computationally undemanding simulation. A detailed model of the internal combustion engine is extended to a cooling circuit model which is then coupled to a simplified underhood model which is created with the help of GT-COOL application as a 3-D model and afterwards transferred to a 1-D form. The approaches, one using 1-D solution of arrangement of the heat exchangers and the other 3-D approach using the underhood model, were investigated in two steady states corresponding to various vehicle speeds and engine load. These simulations have shown the inappropriateness of 1-D approach when solving the flow in the heat exchangers in the underhood and helped to explore a relatively undemanding method of flow simulation in the underhood, which enables to detect the interaction between the models of the cooling system and the internal combustion engine and the issue of arrangement of the heat exchangers in the underhood.

A series of Ba 1-x SiO 3 :xEu and Ba 0.92-y SiO 3 :0.08Eu, yBi 3+ phosphors have been synthesized using one-step calcination of a precursor prepared by chemical co-precipitation. The self-reduction phenomenon of Eu 3+ is observed and verified by photoluminescence (PL), excitation (PLE) spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Under 353 nm excitation, the Ba 1-x-y SiO 3 :xEu,yBi 3+ phosphors exhibit a broad band ranging from 390 nm to 560 nm with a peak centered at 499 nm originating from the 4f 6 5d→4f 7 transition of Eu 2+ ions and several narrow band emissions peaked at 464 nm, 537 nm, 581 nm, 590 nm, 615 nm, 660 nm and 705 nm can be attributed to 5 D 2 → 7 F 0 , 5 D 1 → 7 F 1 , 5 D 0 → 7 F 0 , 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 , 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 , 5 D 0 → 7 F 3 and 5 D 0 → 7 F 4 transition of Eu 3+ , respectively. The self-reduction of Eu 3+ →Eu 2+ in BaSiO 3 :Eu calcined in air has been explained from the following aspects: the charge compensation mechanism and the structures of 3-D networks composed by SiO 4 tetrahedra, helpful for maintaining of the reduction (Eu 3+ →Eu 2+ ) at a high temperature. Co-doping Bi 3+ ions can both enhance the emissions from Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ because the doped Bi 3+ ions not only can make vacancy for Eu 2+ but also can enhance the emitting for Eu 3+ in BaSiO 3 . Moreover, when excited by 370 nm, the CIE chromaticity coordinates of Ba 0.92 SiO 3 :0.08Eu and Ba 0.912 SiO 3 :0.08Eu,0.008Bi 3+ are (0.3521, 0.3141) and (0.3558, 0.3408), meanwhile their correlated color temperature (CCT) are 4478 K and 4523 K, which belongs to the warm white light region. Furthermore, the decay curves are measured and can be well fitted with double exponential decay equation. It shows that both the average lifetimes of Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ are extended with the concentration of Bi 3+ ions increasing. Therefore, the Ba 1-x-y SiO 3 :xEu,yBi 3+ phosphor is a promising warm white‐light emitting diodes (w-LEDs) integrated with NUV chips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Al-Si-MgO composite was prepared at 1450 °C for 2 h in air using aluminium powder, silicon powder and magnesia powder as raw materials. The calcined composite was characterized and analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDS. The results show that after being calcined, Al and Si in the composite reacted to form MgAl 2 O 4 and Mg 2 SiO 4 respectively, rather than the low melting point phase located within the MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 system. At high temperature, Al 2 O (g) and Mg (g) can be formed and spread along the pores in the specimen owing to the inhomogeneous gas concentration, and then oxidized by O 2 (g). Owing to the deposition of Al 2 O 3 and MgO and the volume expansion caused by Si transformation into SiO 2 , a dense layer containing MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 and Mg 2 SiO 4 finally forms close to the surface of Al-Si-MgO composite. The formation of the dense layer improves the antioxidant properties of the composite, forms a plate-like AlN polytype and leads to the retention of the unreacted Si in the centre of Al-Si-MgO composite. In addition, the formation mechanism for the dense layer in the Al-Si-MgO composite was also established in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative solution to provide a demand response for power system is proposed in this paper by considering the feasibility of two-way direct load control (TWDLC) of central air conditioning chiller system for wide-area in real-time manner. Particularly, the proposed TWDLC scheme is designed to tackle the load shedding ratio optimization problem for all under-controlled customers, aiming to satisfy the target load curtailment defined in each scheduling step. Another notable contribution of this work is the utilization of constraint loosening concept on actual load, curtailed to overcome the uncertainties of load reduction during TWDLC. Given the presence of fuzzy constraints, the proposed load shedding ratio optimization problem can be tackled using fuzzy linear programming. A delicate strategy is then formulated to transform the proposed fuzzy linear programming problem into a regular linear programming problem. A selection scheme used to obtain the feasible candidates set for load shedding at every sampling interval of TWDLC is also designed along with the fuzzy linear programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermediate phase is considered an important aspect to deeply understand the crystallization procedure in the growth of high-quality perovskite layers by an anti-solvent technique. However, the moisture influence on the intermediate phase formation is not clear in air conditions as yet. In this work, pure (FA0.2MA1.8)Pb3X8(DMSO·DMF) intermediate phase was obtained in as-prepared perovskite film by spin-coating the precursor of co-solvent (DMSO and DMF) in an ambient air (RH20−30%). Moreover, the appropriate quantity of ethyl acetate (C4H8O2, EA) also controls the formation of pure intermediate phase. The uniform and homogeneous perovskite film was obtained after annealing this intermediate film. Therefore, the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is 16.24% with an average PCE of 15.53%, of which almost 86% of its initial PCE was preserved after 30 days in air conditions. Besides, the steady-state output efficiency ups to 15.38% under continuous illumination. In addition, the PCE of large area device (100 mm2) reaches 11.11% with a little hysteresis effect. This work would give an orientation for PSCs production at the commercial level, which could lower the cost of fabricating the high efficiency PSCs.

To maintain a good performance, a room air conditioning unit is generally recommended to be cleaned twice a year, regardless of operating hours or concentration of airborne particles. With less operating hours or under clean ambience, the maintenance cost could be postponed under common energy efficiency. If a cleaning signal could be sent from the unit, itself, to the owner, a proper cleaning schedule could be provided. A dirtiness monitoring factors are aimed to be investigated from this study. Under varied degree of dirtiness simulated on the fan coil unit, system operation behaviors and thermodynamic properties were investigated. An experimental apparatus was installed under the actual indoor and outdoor conditions, in order to follow up related factors on real-time vapor compression cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are designed for higher education learning, and improving university indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential to the enhanced performances of students and staff members alike. The majority of IAQ problems are due to inadequate ventilation in university buildings. Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) measurements have become a commonly used screening test of IAQ because measurement levels can be used to evaluate the amount of ventilation and general comfort. This paper examines CO 2 field measurement for undergraduate practical classes. Ten air conditioned laboratories with ventilation were chosen for CO 2 field measurement. CO 2 was monitored under indoor and outdoor conditions. Indoor CO 2 concentration for Laboratories 1 and 10 is observed to be higher than 1000 ppm which indicated inadequate ventilation, while other laboratories showed CO 2 concentrations less than 1000 ppm. Air capacity and outdoor air were calculated based on the design documentation. A comparison between design and actual outdoor air/person values indicates that the air conditioning systems of the laboratories had adequate ventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air conditioning systems need permanent monitoring of the mass and energy flows in air ducts to assess their proper operation and detect and correct changes that may occur with time. This is a prerequisite for optimization in terms of energy efficiency. Such distributed monitoring systems require low-cost and robust flow sensors that must not be extremely precise, but give a good indication of the flow distribution within the air conditioning system. In this paper we present a novel flow sensor based on thick-film thermopiles deposited by silk-screen-printing on a plastic carrier. The flexible printed thermopile transducer was characterised in a flow channel to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology for air conditioning systems. The transducer exhibits a strictly increasing behaviour with increasing flow velocity, which is in good agreement to FEM simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building energy management (BEM) system can provide cost-effective energy management solutions for smart buildings. However, the success of BEM is contingent on identifying large energy consuming devices, monitoring energy usage, optimal scheduling of flexible appliances, and distinguishing and controlling energy wastage. To this end, this paper discusses the design of Internet of Things (IoT) for a flexible BEM with the backend analytic that performs analysis on energy usage pattern and the wastage. We present the experimental results of real-time monitoring of consumers’ energy usage in a commercial space to identify the electricity wastage. The experiment is conducted at an office testbed using a comprehensive wireless sensor network. Extensive analysis is done to identify the energy wastage pattern of users for reducing the electricity cost. It is demonstrated that it is possible to reduce significant energy wastage when an office building is equipped with the proposed IoT system.

An innovative solution to provide a demand response for power system is proposed in this paper by considering the feasibility of two-way direct load control (TWDLC) of central air conditioning chiller system for wide-area in real-time manner. Particularly, the proposed TWDLC scheme is designed to tackle the load shedding ratio optimization problem for all under-controlled customers, aiming to satisfy the target load curtailment defined in each scheduling step. Another notable contribution of this work is the utilization of constraint loosening concept on actual load, curtailed to overcome the uncertainties of load reduction during TWDLC. Given the presence of fuzzy constraints, the proposed load shedding ratio optimization problem can be tackled using fuzzy linear programming. A delicate strategy is then formulated to transform the proposed fuzzy linear programming problem into a regular linear programming problem. A selection scheme used to obtain the feasible candidates set for load shedding at every sampling interval of TWDLC is also designed along with the fuzzy linear programming.

A novel finding, that the “burned” graphene has a significant role in determining the morphology of the resultant LiNiO 2 nanoparticles prepared under the air conditions, was reported in this work. Briefly, prior to the calcination-preparation of LiNiO 2 , a series of graphene with various weight contents (0.5 wt %, 1 wt %, 1.5 wt % and 2 wt %) were added in the starting materials of LiNiO 2 , and then followed by a subsection calcination method under the air conditions. The obtained samples were thoroughly characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was found that when the “burned” content of graphene is below 2 wt %, LiNiO 2 particles with an average size ranging from about 100 to 500 nm were demonstrated to have regular crystal structures. Results obtained from the electrochemical measurements effectively indicated that the largest value of initial discharge capacity and the highest cycling stability were exhibited by the 1.5 wt % graphene-burned LiNiO 2 cathode material as compared to other graphene-burned samples. Interestingly, when employing graphite other than graphene as the carbon source, LiNiO 2 particles with well defined octahedron structure were prepared by the same process, which is beneficial to the development of micro-devices. A novel concept, that burned graphene has a significant role in determining the morphology as well as the electrochemical properties of resulting samples, is presented in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The oxidation of alcohols using catalytic amounts of metal complexes is highly attractive from the viewpoint of green chemistry principles. However, examples of metal complex-catalyzed oxidations of alcohols with O2 using water as the solvent are still rare, and precious metals, high-pressure O2 or air, and a stoichiometric amount of base are often required. In this study, it was found that an oxovanadium-4,4′-t-Bubpy (4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridyl) complex exhibited high catalytic activity in the oxidation of benzhydrols under an atmosphere of O2 in water as the sole solvent. Interestingly, this catalytic oxidation method could be applied to the gram-scale aerobic oxidation of alcohols in water under the atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) is an important factor involving in hemostasis and various cardiovascular diseases. Air pollution is related to many respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. During the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 period (August 8 to September 17, 2008) when air quality in Beijing improved greatly, we studied the relationship between plasma vWF level and the factors of air pollution index (API), ABO blood group, and polymorphisms in vWF gene in healthy young adults. We recruited 114 healthy medical students. In a period of more than 4 months around the period of Olympic Games Beijing 2008, six blood samples at stages 1 and 2 (before Olympic Games), stages 3 and 4 (during Olympic Games), and stages 5 and 6 (after Olympic Games) were taken from every participant for the measurement of plasma vWF level and genotyping of three SNPs (rs7954855, rs7965413, and rs216311) in vWF gene. Daily air pollution index near their living places was obtained from the officially published data. The average API began to decrease from stage 2, reached to nadir in stages 3 and 4, and increased but was still lower in stages 5 and 6. Plasma vWF decreased during the experimental period in all participants. The average plasma vWF decreased from stage 2 and remained lower in stages 3-6. vWF level varied greatly among the participants (from 30 to 170 %) but decreased proportionately when we analyzed their levels individually. Participants with O blood type had lower plasma vWF level than those with A, B, and AB blood types. Those with the SNP in vWF gene causing homozygous threonine at codon 1381 had lower plasma vWF level than those with homozygous alanine or heterozygous alanine/threonine. In the 114 normal individuals, the average plasma vWF level decreased during the period of Olympic Games Beijing 2008 when air quality improved greatly. This suggests that control of air pollution may be useful to prevent some diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A one-step process has been proposed and used for the preparation of CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanocrystals. In the proposed method, acetylacetonate salts and Se powder were simply refluxed in triethylenetetramine under air condition for 6h. The as-prepared CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanocrystals were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission election microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and UV–vis spectroscopy. The size distributions of CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanocrystals were in the ranges of 15–25nm and could be obtained by adjusting the reaction time and/or the acetylacetonate salts concentrations. The synthesis strategy developed in this work may be used as a general process for the synthesis of CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanocrystals, and may have great potential to be applied in high efficiency, yet low cost photovoltaic areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Public rooms are characterized by different concentration and species composition of fungi, depending on the type of the public use object, its age, maintenance and the presence of air conditioning. Aim of the study: The research objective was to evaluate the extent of mycological air pollution in selected rooms of the public use, depending on the air conditioning (AC) mode (on or off), by determining the number and species composition of fungi. Material and methods: The study material was the air taken from 6 distinct spaces in a public building. The analysis was performed using the Koch sedimentation method. Results: Air mycological analysis showed that in the second period of the research (in July), when the AC was on, the total number of fungi isolated in the studied rooms was higher than during the first period (in April), when the AC did not work. The most commonly found in all the places were the representatives of Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Rhizpous spp. and Cladosporium spp. However, types such as Candida, Rhodotorula, Fusarium occurred sporadically. Conclusions: Air conditioning may contribute to increased indoor air pollution by spores and scraps of mycelium of filamentous fungi. The air in the studied air-conditioned rooms was not heavily contaminated by filamentous fungi and yeasts, because clean air in these rooms can be considered good. The type of usable room, its area, the air conditioning (AC) mode (on or off) and the number of people staying in the room influence the quality of mycological air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope is a powerful tool for obtaining micrographs from conductive and semiconductive materials. The imaging technique has recently been improved for microscopy of nanostructured biomaterials on highly ordered atomic surfaces. We describe, here, high resolution imaging of individual IgM and IgG using a scanning tunneling microscope (Nama-STM) in air condition. The biomolecules were immobilized on the surface of Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG). Obtained micrographs could reveal structural details of immunoglobulins G and M on the atomically flat surfaces. Obtained results confirmed that STM could be more useful than other microscopy techniques for the analysis of single biomolecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate parotid and submandibular/sublingual (SM/SL) unstimulated salivary secretion rate in a group of healthy individuals in winter and summer, and to observe the effect of room-adjusted temperature (air-conditioning) on salivary flow-rate in those seasons. Design: Unstimulated salivary secretion rates of the right parotid and the SM/SL glands were measured in 50 healthy Israeli volunteers. Each volunteer was evaluated four times during the study: twice in winter (February–March) and twice in summer (July–August). Results: Parotid and SM/SL salivary mean secretion rate in winter was significantly higher than in summer (p <0.02 and p <0.05, respectively). Room heating in winter lowered significantly the mean parotid flow. Air-conditioning cancelled almost completely the seasonal effects on parotid and SM/SL secretions. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that room temperature is an important factor in measurement of salivary secretion rate. Hence, temperature should ideally be recorded and reported when assessing salivary flow-rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Except for conventional cages, the most common housing systems for laying hens comprise deep litter, aviaries and more recently furnished cages. Layers in floor systems may also include out-door keeping. Furnished cages will be the only legal form of cages in the EU from 2012 (1999 EU-directive) but have as yet only been installed in significant numbers in Sweden and partly in Norway, Germany and Great Britain. Climate, feed, bird genotype, group size as well as the legal possibility to beak trim or to use certain medical treatments (mainly against endo- and ectoparasites) or not, are all conditions affecting results with different housing systems in different countries. Offering benefits to the bird as regards increase in behavioural repertoire as well as providing more space, all alternatives to conventional cages, require new orspecial knowledge of management. This is due to the fact that these systems often include higher potential risks in production and health of layers. This especially applies to non-cage systems (Petermann, 2003). The main issues to control in largergroup floorhousing are parasitic disorders, outbreak and spreading of cannibalistic pecking, increased feed intake, misplaced eggs, catching of spent hens and airquality (dust and ammonia levels). Many management practices to reduce some of these risks have been presented including rearing method, medication, vaccination, light intensity, genotype, feed composition, beak trimming and – for improved air quality – the use of spraying/fogging with water or oil as well as more frequent manure removal at closerintervals have been practised. Coming in a wide range of models and group sizes, the furnished cages attempt to combine the benefits and reduce the disadvantages of floorkeeping and conventional cages. The most developed models of furnished cages provide similar production results to conventional cages. However, differences still exists e.g. in egg quality traits between models. Design and location of nests, perches and litter are all important factors.In conclusion, future trends in investments forhousing system in egg production will have to take into account several factors apart from the degree of success from technical development of each system. These will probably involve national directives regarding beak trimming, stocking densities, directives of withdrawal times of medication and occupational safety on one side and national markets and trades fordifferent categories of eggs on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is of significance for this society to develop and utilize sustainable energy and renewable resources. Photocatalytic the transformation of biomass exhibits a variety of seductive advantages, including cost-effectiveness, sustainability, mild reaction conditions and environment-benign properties. However, in order to obtain a relative high yield, most photocatalytic oxidation of HMF systems employ O 2 as sole oxidant or adopt high light density condition, which is much higher than the natural sunlight density. In this work, we employ microwave-assisted post-synthetic metal exchange (PSE) method to synthesize porous TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti composite as photocatalyst for the oxidation of HMF to DFF under air condition at low temperature (4 oC). SEM and FT-IR characterizations confirm the successful cation exchange of Ti4+ with Zr4+, and the Raman spectra confirm the existence of strong interactions between TiO 2 and UIO-67-Zr/Ti. This catalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance, achieving 94% conversion with more than 70% selectivity for DFF. Moreover, this system also exhibits wide substrates compatibility. Photocatalytic the transformation of HMF to DFF exhibits a variety of seductive advantages including cost-effectiveness, sustainability, mild reaction conditions and environment-benign properties. However, in order to obtain a relative high yield, most of photocatalytic oxidation of HMF to DFF systems employ O 2 as oxidant or adopt high light density condition, which is much higher than the natural sun light density, thus hindering these systems to be applied in industrial fields.In this work, the TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti has been constructed with microwave assisted PSE method. This catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance, achieving 94% conversion with more than 70% selectivity under air conditon at low temperature (4 oC). [Display omitted] • Porous TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti was constructed by microwave-assisted PSE method. • Ti4+ is coordinated into the frameworks of UIO-67 materials with PSE method. • The combination of TiO 2 with UIO-67-Zr/Ti can widen the light absorption range. • The interactions between TiO 2 and UIO-67-Zr/Ti can be proved by Raman and FT-IR. • TiO 2 @UIO-67-Zr/Ti can oxidize HMF to DFF at low temperature under air condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermoelectric air conditioning system (TE-AC) is a small, noiseless alternative to standard vapor compression refrigeration (VCR) systems. The cooling characteristics of a TE-AC system operating under two conditions, i.e., steady current and current pulses, are investigated in this study. This system consists of three thermoelectric modules, a heat sink, and an air circulation fan. The result shows that maximum temperature reduction in cooling side of TE-AC system was achieved at 6 A input current under steady state operation. The optimum performance of the TE-AC system under steady state operation depends upon the combined effect of the cooling load, Joule, Fourier, and Peltier heat. In TE-AC pulse operation, both current width and cooling load applied on the cold side of the thermoelectric module (TEMs) play an important role in achieving optimum cooling performance of the system. When normal input current operation (i.e., no current pulse) was compared to pulse-operated TE-AC system operation, it was found that pulse operation provides an additional average temperature reduction of 3–4 °C on the cold side of TEMs. Although on the hot side, it maintains a temperature in the range of 18 °C to 24 °C to reduce overshoot heat flux. The duration of operation is also important in determining pulse width and pulse amplitude. Minimum and overshoot peak temperature rises during each cycle for longer run operation. In the TE-AC system, the accumulated Joule heat during a current pulse frequently causes a temperature overshoot, which lasts much longer. As a result, the next current pulse was not released until the temperature of TE was restored to its initial value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present research was devoted to modeling investigation of paraffin solidification within a wavy channel. Paraffin was mixed with CuO nano powders and creates NEPCM. Changing the surface of duct and working PCM is the main factors of this paper for improving the performance. The outer duct contains NEPCM and air within inner side can be warmer due to discharging process. The outputs indicate that wavy duct has better performance than the straight one due to its shorter solidification duration. Utilizing wavy duct and NEPCM can help the solidification and enhance the rate of process about 38%. Inclusion of nanomaterial leads to lower discharging time. • Transient solidification of paraffin with help of CuO was examined. • To model the behavior of NEPCM, FVM has been applied. • Duration of solidification reduces with rise of CuO volume fraction. • Discharging rate goes up with rise of a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]