A refined baseline methodology for large scale lighting retrofit projects

Abstract: The residential sector is one of the major consumers of energy produced in the world. According to International Energy Balances (IEA, 2013), the residential sector demand represents about a quarter of the primary energy used in the world. Therefore, most energy efficiency programmes targeting large savings on a national or regional level pay particular attention to the opportunities in the residential sector. Lighting retrofitting on a large number of sites constitutes one of the most used strategies of energy conservation in the residential sector. However, given the large number of sites involved in this type of project, conventional measurement and verification (M&V) techniques based on the audit of each site, are not cost effective. Often, a statistical assessment approach based on the audit of a limited number of sites is the methodology used to mitigate the cost and the logistical challenges associated with the project. The major challenge in projects of this nature is to accurately estimate the energy consumption of a large number of sites using the measurement performed on a sample of sites selected from the overall population. In this research, baseline methodologies used in a selected number of light retrofitting projects have been analysed and, based on the observations made during this analysis, some improvements are suggested. The proposed methodology has been tested on a number of residences located on the premises of the University of Johannesburg. This paper describes the existing baseline methodologies and presents the improvements suggested to enhance the credibility of M&V results. The key results of the experimental phase of this project are also presented in this paper

A second look at the toric h-polynomial of a cubical complex

We provide an explicit formula for the toric $h$-contribution of each cubical shelling component, and a new combinatorial model to prove Clara Chan's result on the non-negativity of these contributions. Our model allows for a variant of the Gessel-Shapiro result on the $g$-polynomial of the cubical lattice, this variant may be shown by simple inclusion-exclusion. We establish an isomorphism between our model and Chan's model and provide a reinterpretation in terms of noncrossing partitions. By discovering another variant of the Gessel-Shapiro result in the work of Denise and Simion, we find evidence that the toric $h$-polynomials of cubes are related to the Morgan-Voyce polynomials via Viennot's combinatorial theory of orthogonal polynomials.Comment: Minor correction

Collective dynamics of colloids at fluid interfaces

The evolution of an initially prepared distribution of micron sized colloidal particles, trapped at a fluid interface and under the action of their mutual capillary attraction, is analyzed by using Brownian dynamics simulations. At a separation \lambda\ given by the capillary length of typically 1 mm, the distance dependence of this attraction exhibits a crossover from a logarithmic decay, formally analogous to two-dimensional gravity, to an exponential decay. We discuss in detail the adaption of a particle-mesh algorithm, as used in cosmological simulations to study structure formation due to gravitational collapse, to the present colloidal problem. These simulations confirm the predictions, as far as available, of a mean-field theory developed previously for this problem. The evolution is monitored by quantitative characteristics which are particularly sensitive to the formation of highly inhomogeneous structures. Upon increasing \lambda\ the dynamics show a smooth transition from the spinodal decomposition expected for a simple fluid with short-ranged attraction to the self-gravitational collapse scenario.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, revised, matches version accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal

Frequency Tuned Planar Inverted F Antenna with L Shaped Slit Design for Wide Frequency Range.

yesA frequency tuned antenna has been designed to meet the coverage requirements of the DCS, PCS, UMTS and WLAN bands. The antenna consists of a main patch, and a planar inverted L (PIL) slot. The radiator patch is fed, and shorted, using simple feed lines with broadband characteristics. The handset represents the finite ground plane, and a varactor diode is mounted across the middle of the slot for tuning purposes. Initial tuning was obtained by placing lumped capacitors, instead of the varactor, over the radiator. Good agreement is obtained between the predicted and measured input return loss, gain and radiation pattern over the tuned frequency range.MSCR

Immunosurveillance in clinical cancer management

The progression of cancer involves a critical step in which malignant cells escape from control by the immune system. Antineoplastic agents are particularly efficient when they succeed in restoring such control (immunosurveillance) or at least establish an equilibrium state that slows down disease progression. This is true not only for immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but also for conventional chemotherapy, targeted anticancer agents, and radiation therapy. Thus, therapeutics that stress and kill cancer cells while provoking a tumor-targeting immune response, referred to as immunogenic cell death, are particularly useful in combination with ICIs. Modern oncology regimens are increasingly using such combinations, which are referred to as chemoimmunotherapy, as well as combinations of multiple ICIs. However, the latter are generally associated with severe side effects compared with single-agent ICIs. Of note, the success of these combinatorial strategies against locally advanced or metastatic cancers is now spurring successful attempts to move them past the postoperative (adjuvant) setting to the preoperative (neoadjuvant) setting, even for patients with operable cancers. Here, the authors critically discuss the importance of immunosurveillance in modern clinical cancer management

Dose-Dependent Effect of Rosuvastatin on VLDL–Apolipoprotein C-III Kinetics in the Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVE—Dysregulated apolipoprotein (apo)C-III metabolism may account for hypertriglyceridemia and increased cardiovascular risk in the metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the dose-dependent effect of rosuvastatin on VLDL apoC-III transport in men with the metabolic syndrome

Management of Platelet-Directed Pharmacotherapy in Patients With Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Elective Endoscopic Gastrointestinal Procedures

The periprocedural management of patients with atherosclerotic coronary heart disease, including those who have heart disease and those who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and stent placement who might require temporary interruption of platelet-directed pharmacotherapy for the purpose of an elective endoscopic gastrointestinal procedure, is a common clinical scenario in daily practice. Herein, we summarize the available information that can be employed for making management decisions and provide general guidance for risk assessment

Effective chiral lagrangian in the chiral limit from the instanton vacuum

We study the effective chiral Lagrangian in the chiral limit from the instanton vacuum. Starting from the nonlocal effective chiral action, we derive the effective chiral Lagrangian, using the derivative expansion to order $O(p^4)$ in the chiral limit. The low energy constants, $L_1$, $L_2$, and $L_3$ are determined and compared with various models and the corresponding empirical data. The results are in a good agreement with the data. We also discuss about the upper limit of the sigma meson, based on the present results.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.