Exploring Building Energy Use Modeling

OBJECTIVE: The project objective was to analyze and test building energy use modeling software programs to find a quick and easy to use tool that can be implemented in the early stages of design. A list of programs was developed and narrowed down based on criteria important to architects in early design stages. Programs were tested and rated using a weighted criteria formula. Recommendations for capabilities and user interface of future energy modeling programs were made. This research is aimed at creating a methodology that makes it easier to analyze new energy modeling tools as they are developed in the coming years.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/research_based_design/1079/thumbnail.jp

Evaluation of Two Methods to Prevent Bovine Respiratory Disease in Growing Cattle

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the cattle feeding industry. High impact and cost of BRD necessitates development of preventative mechanisms to improve animal health, performance, and well-being and to augment the sustainability of beef production. Two potential mechanisms to prevent disease were investigated: through metaphylactic therapy (or the on-arrival mass medication of a group of high-risk cattle to control BRD) and through manipulation of dietary energy intake. A trial was conducted to determine the effects of on-arrival metaphylaxis in beef cattle for controlling BRD and the subsequent effects on health and performance. Male calves in a randomized complete block design (n=198) received ceftiofur crystalline free acid (EXC), tilmicosin phosphate (MIC), or were not treated (CON). Significant differences were not observed in morbidity rates (P = 0.14) between cattle on the MIC (46.4 ± 4.32%) or EXC treatments (56.5 ± 4.32%). Both the MIC and EXC treatments effectively reduced overall morbidity and delayed onset of clinical illness in newly received beef cattle. Furthermore, this reduction in overall morbidity was achieved with minimal increase in total antimicrobial usage. While overall performance outcomes were not different, animal health was improved with metaphylaxis. A second trial was conducted to determine the effects of limit-feeding growing steers on immune function. Thirty-two steers were fed the same ration at one of three intake levels (low, medium, or high DMI). All steers were vaccinated on study d-0 with a five-way modified live vaccine, which acted as an immunological challenge to measure immune function. Energy intake affected serum neutralizing antibody response to vaccines, and therefore overall immune function, in growing cattle. Future research should establish an ideal window of energy intake for growing cattle where both performance and health are optimized

The Fountain District: Framework Plan

The \u27South Auditorium\u27 neighborhood established itself in the days when loggers and other workers filled the district’s hotels due to its proximity to the river. In the wake of the Great Depression and as the logging trade declined, the area began to fall into disrepair and development shifted away from the Willamette River. By the 1950s, many of its 2,000+ inhabitants were low-income or elderly and living in small, poorly maintained apartments, shuffling from one to the next as they were forced out of their prior home. The neighborhood was also extremely diverse, housing numerous immigrant families, particularly Italian, Jewish, Chinese, and African American families. In 1955, the newly formed Portland Development Commission targeted a block of land in what was then considered part of South Portland as a test of the new Urban Renewal philosophy making the rounds in planning circles, at the behest of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee. It was decided that a 110 acre portion of the district would be razed in two phases. Interestingly, the district had originally been intended as the home for a new expo center or coliseum, with the remaining redevelopment occurring around it. This center would be just the sort of attraction to lure people to the city center, it was believed; these plans were scrapped, however, after conflicts between interested parties on each side of the Willamette resulted in the centerpiece of the project (later to be Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum) being relocated to the eastern side of the river. Inspired by the design principles of Le Corbusier and the budgets of major firms such as Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), renewal pressed onward, with the forthcoming towers and plazas to be punctuated by greenspaces, among them a set of fountains crafted by Lawrence Halprin. Little, if anything, remains of the district as it had existed prior to the removal of the area’s residences, businesses, and the communities who resided there. This project was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Stastny and Edward Starkie

Daylight & Glare

We conducted a daylighting and glare study for Bora Architects within their Portland business office space. The project was to examine the quality of daylight, consider the effectiveness of borrowed light, and strive to discover what LEED-compliant daylight autonomy really looks like. In addition we were tasked with running computer simulations to measure excess glare and look for ways to combat its effect. We were able to explore the effects of glare with in Bora’s workspace as it currently exists and look for interventions to improve perceived lighting level contrasts. The control of glare and daylighting can be an effective internal strategy to maximize visual comfort and reduce energy use. Our goals for investigating the current daylight conditions within Bora’s office spaces included using a variety of tools to measure light and glare, including Diva (for Rhino), Sefaira (for SketchUp), IpiX(for Iphone) and a light meter. We conducted various “rounds” of site observations and measurements within two key areas of Bora’s office space, including a conference room, as well as, an individuals typical work space.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/research_based_design/1068/thumbnail.jp

Dynamics of microbial populations mediating biogeochemical cycling in a freshwater lake

Background Microbial processes are intricately linked to the depletion of oxygen in in-land and coastal water bodies, with devastating economic and ecological consequences. Microorganisms deplete oxygen during biomass decomposition, degrading the habitat of many economically important aquatic animals. Microbes then turn to alternative electron acceptors, which alter nutrient cycling and generate potent greenhouse gases. As oxygen depletion is expected to worsen with altered land use and climate change, understanding how chemical and microbial dynamics impact dead zones will aid modeling efforts to guide remediation strategies. More work is needed to understand the complex interplay between microbial genes, populations, and biogeochemistry during oxygen depletion. Results Here, we used 16S rRNA gene surveys, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and a previously developed biogeochemical model to identify genes and microbial populations implicated in major biogeochemical transformations in a model lake ecosystem. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was done for one time point in Aug., 2013, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was done for a 5-month time series (Mar.–Aug., 2013) to capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of genes and microorganisms mediating the modeled processes. Metagenomic binning analysis resulted in many metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that are implicated in the modeled processes through gene content similarity to cultured organism and the presence of key genes involved in these pathways. The MAGs suggested some populations are capable of methane and sulfide oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction. Using the model, we observe that modulating these processes has a substantial impact on overall lake biogeochemistry. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequences from the metagenomic and amplicon libraries were linked to processes through the MAGs. We compared the dynamics of microbial populations in the water column to the model predictions. Many microbial populations involved in primary carbon oxidation had dynamics similar to the model, while those associated with secondary oxidation processes deviated substantially. Conclusions This work demonstrates that the unique capabilities of resident microbial populations will substantially impact the concentration and speciation of chemicals in the water column, unless other microbial processes adjust to compensate for these differences. It further highlights the importance of the biological aspects of biogeochemical processes, such as fluctuations in microbial population dynamics. Integrating gene and population dynamics into biogeochemical models has the potential to improve predictions of the community response under altered scenarios to guide remediation efforts

An integrated multi-omic analysis of iPSC-derived motor neurons from C9ORF72 ALS patients.

Neurodegenerative diseases are challenging for systems biology because of the lack of reliable animal models or patient samples at early disease stages. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could address these challenges. We investigated DNA, RNA, epigenetics, and proteins in iPSC-derived motor neurons from patients with ALS carrying hexanucleotide expansions in C9ORF72. Using integrative computational methods combining all omics datasets, we identified novel and known dysregulated pathways. We used a C9ORF72 Drosophila model to distinguish pathways contributing to disease phenotypes from compensatory ones and confirmed alterations in some pathways in postmortem spinal cord tissue of patients with ALS. A different differentiation protocol was used to derive a separate set of C9ORF72 and control motor neurons. Many individual -omics differed by protocol, but some core dysregulated pathways were consistent. This strategy of analyzing patient-specific neurons provides disease-related outcomes with small numbers of heterogeneous lines and reduces variation from single-omics to elucidate network-based signatures