Residential Electricity Consumption Patterns and their Relationship to Commute Times by Mode

In this study, the correlation between emerging electricity consumption patterns in the Chicago area and commute times to work by mode are explored. We found that when aggregating similar daily electricity consumption curves, areas sharing similar electricity patterns are geographically closer to each other and located in regions that are strictly urban or suburban. Furthermore, we modelled these clusters in terms of commute times to work by mode. The findings suggest that morning electricity consumption differs significantly among clusters and that it is caused primarily by long duration public transport trips

Optimizing the sustainability of single-family housing units

The sustainability of housing units can be improved by optimizing their social, environmental, and economic performances. The integration of green building equipment and systems such as geothermal heat pumps and water-efficient faucets often improves the social and environmental performances of housing units; however they can increase their initial cost and life cycle cost. Therefore, decision-makers need to carefully analyze and optimize the potential tradeoffs between the social, environmental, and economic performances of housing units. The main goal of this study is to develop novel multi-objective models for optimizing the sustainability of single-family housing units that represent 66% of the residential housing inventory in the US. To accomplish this goal, the research objectives of this study are to develop (1) an innovative housing social impact model that is capable of generating and analyzing optimal tradeoffs between the social quality of life for housing residents and the life cycle cost of housing; (2) a novel housing environmental performance model for maximizing the environmental performance of housing units while minimizing their initial cost; (3) a multi-objective optimization model that provides the capability of generating optimal tradeoffs among the three housing sustainability objectives of social quality-of-life, environmental performance, and life cycle cost; and (4) a scalable and expandable parallel computing framework that provides the capability of reducing the computational time of optimizing housing sustainability decisions and transforming this optimization problem from an intractable problem to a feasible and practical one. The performances of these developed models and framework were analyzed and refined using case studies of single-family housing units. The results of these performance evaluations illustrated that the developed optimization models were capable of generating a wide range of optimal solutions, where each identifies an optimal configuration of design and construction decisions that provides an optimal tradeoff among the three housing sustainability objectives. These novel research models and framework are expected to enhance the current practice of housing design and construction and contribute to maximizing the sustainability of single-family housing units.U of I OnlyU of I only access embargo extension requested by author. Approved by L. Spradlin at [email protected]. Embargo restriction placed by [email protected] 2015-12-21

Innovative Design and Execution Model for Improving Productivity of Interior Prefabricated Commercial Wall Assemblies

Field productivity of building trades is the focus of prefabricated construction practitioners as a path to greater profitability and competitiveness in the marketplace. Construction firms are struggling to meet the demand of the marketplace due to shortages of skilled workers and flat to declining productivity. Human capital and productivity challenges are affecting the ability to both acquire new work and complete the work under contract. This study focuses on the development of an innovative model that defines a process for the design, project site preconstruction planning phase, and fabrication of interior prefabricated wall components that improves onsite productivity. The developed model was tested and implemented in a case study of a single project comprised of four identical buildings located on a singular jobsite while utilizing both traditional and model approaches. The results verify that the productivity model developed in this study is capable of reducing on-site labor hours and, therefore, improving field productivity compared to traditional methods. The application of the model saved between 7–23% man-hours compared to the traditional methods and beat the estimate by 17%. Practitioners and researchers are both incentivized to explore, develop, and implement novel methodologies to address the human capital shortage that is facing the construction industry

Nanoscale Delivery Systems of Lutein: An Updated Review from a Pharmaceutical Perspective

Carotenoids are natural lipid-soluble pigments that produce yellow to red colors in plants as well as providing bright coloration in vegetables and fruits. Lutein belongs to the xanthophyll subgroup of the carotenoid family, which plays an essential role in photosynthesis and photoprotection in nature. In the human body, lutein, together with its isomer zeaxanthin and its metabolite meso-zeaxanthin, accumulates in the macula of the eye retina, which is responsible for central, high-resolution, and color vision. As a bioactive phytochemical, lutein has essential physiological functions, providing photoprotection against damaging blue light, along with the neutralization of oxidants and the preservation of the structural and functional integrity of cellular membranes. As a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, lutein unfortunately has a low bioavailability because of its lipophilicity and a low stability as a result of its conjugated double bonds. In order to enhance lutein stability and bioavailability and achieve its controlled delivery to a target, nanoscale delivery systems, which have great potential for the delivery of bioactive compounds, are starting to be employed. The current review highlights the advantages and innovations associated with incorporating lutein within promising nanoscale delivery systems, such as liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymer nanoparticles, and polymer–lipid hybrid nanoparticles, as well as their unique physiochemical properties