Thermo-Hygrometric Comfort of Naturally Ventilated Classroom Building as a Function of the Openings Positioning and Orientation

The basic functional requirement of a classroom environment suggests a safe, delightful and relaxing place for the learners’ physical and psychological well-being and vigor such that there will be an aligned expression of satisfaction with the thermal environment. This study assessed the operational thermal comfort of naturally ventilated one-side-window oriented classroom building in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria using objective and subjective research approaches. The objective research technique involved the use of standardized measurement devices in the assessment of associated environmental factors which were relative humidity, airflow rate, ambient and mean radiant temperatures. The human factor aspect of thermal comfort was subjectively assessed using a questionnaire structured on ASHRAE scale. The measurements were taken at the height of 130 cm at the time intervals of 7:50 – 8:30 am (morning session) and 2:20 – 3:00 pm (Afternoon session) from the month of March 2016 through to February 2017, Mondays to Fridays, excluding days of any form of holidays. The descriptive statistics of the environmental factors data obtained showed that the indoor environment of the assessed classrooms was warm and stale with an average ambient temperature range of 29.37 - 30.08 ℃,  mean radiant temperature 29.24 - 31.28 ℃, relative humidity 67.81 - 68.99 % and wind speed 0.022 - 0.037 m/s. The multiple linear regression analysis gave an R-value of .943 with .889 chances that the average ambient temperature of the classrooms will be affected by time-invariants and microclimate variables which was an indication of good level of prediction. The human factors of the thermal comfort observed a variation between the perceived and the preferred thermal sensation with respect to the time of the day and seasons which was unsatisfactory for the teaching and learning process

Toward a Framework for Systematic Error Modeling of NASA Spaceborne Radar with NOAA/NSSL Ground Radar-Based National Mosaic QPE

Characterization of the error associated to satellite rainfall estimates is a necessary component of deterministic and probabilistic frameworks involving space-born passive and active microwave measurement") for applications ranging from water budget studies to forecasting natural hazards related to extreme rainfall events. We focus here on the error structure of NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) at ground. The problem is addressed by comparison of PR QPEs with reference values derived from ground-based measurements using NOAA/NSSL ground radar-based National Mosaic and QPE system (NMQ/Q2). A preliminary investigation of this subject has been carried out at the PR estimation scale (instantaneous and 5 km) using a three-month data sample in the southern part of US. The primary contribution of this study is the presentation of the detailed steps required to derive trustworthy reference rainfall dataset from Q2 at the PR pixel resolution. It relics on a bias correction and a radar quality index, both of which provide a basis to filter out the less trustworthy Q2 values. Several aspects of PR errors arc revealed and quantified including sensitivity to the processing steps with the reference rainfall, comparisons of rainfall detectability and rainfall rate distributions, spatial representativeness of error, and separation of systematic biases and random errors. The methodology and framework developed herein applies more generally to rainfall rate estimates from other sensors onboard low-earth orbiting satellites such as microwave imagers and dual-wavelength radars such as with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission

Se-methylselenocysteine inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity of mouse mammary epithelial tumor cells in vitro

INTRODUCTION: Se-methylselenocysteine (MSC), a naturally occurring selenium compound, is a promising chemopreventive agent against in vivo and in vitro models of carcinogen-induced mouse and rat mammary tumorigenesis. We have demonstrated previously that MSC induces apoptosis after a cell growth arrest in S phase in a mouse mammary epithelial tumor cell model (TM6 cells) in vitro. The present study was designed to examine the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway in TM6 tumor model in vitro after treatment with MSC. METHODS: Synchronized TM6 cells treated with MSC and collected at different time points were examined for PI3-K activity and Akt phosphorylation along with phosphorylations of Raf, MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK), extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The growth inhibition was determined with a [(3)H]thymidine incorporation assay. Immunoblotting and a kinase assay were used to examine the molecules of the survival pathway. RESULTS: PI3-K activity was inhibited by MSC followed by dephosphorylation of Akt. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was also downregulated after these cells were treated with MSC. In parallel experiments MSC inhibited the Raf–MEK–ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: These studies suggest that MSC blocks multiple signaling pathways in mouse mammary tumor cells. MSC inhibits cell growth by inhibiting the activity of PI3-K and its downstream effector molecules in mouse mammary tumor cells in vitro

GIS hotspot Application and Use of Set-Cover Problem For Centralized Abattoir Biogas Plant Treatment Facilities In Anambra State of Nigeria

Anambra state is faced with high population explosion and consequently high production of abattoir wastes in major abattoir centres in the state. There is need for strategic waste management in allocation of  bio-energy plants to digest these wastes. ArGIS software was used to perform hotspot Analysis to delineate clusters of abattoir potential features with values significantly higher or lower than the overall study area mean or average value. In addition, the set covering location model was used to determine the number of bio-energy treatment plant facilities that should be constructed in the study area and where they should be located. The result of the study indicated that eight abattoirs were classified as hotspot zones/locations (L), and consequently used in the set covering location modelling. The set covering location model indicates that a minimum of two bio-energy plant should be constructed in Obosi (L1) and Umunya (L8) of the study area. The outcome of the study would be useful in harnessing abattoir wastes generated in the study area

Feature Extraction Techniques Using Semantic Based Crawler For Search Engine

He vast amount of data on the World WideWeb has resulted in convergence powerful analyticaltechnologies, namely the Semantic Web. The SemanticWeb has allowed for evolution of linked multidimensional data that allows for querying information on the web using their semantics or meaning and not just a list of key words. The paperdiscussed how Semantic Web technologies evolved from the traditional Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) based to the more automatic mapping of multidimensional data. Primary objective of the proposed research is to improve effective and accurate information discovery over the internet, to study the vocabulary of the mining service, to enable the crawler to work for an uncontrolled web and improve the efficiency of the algorithm

Thermo-Hygrometric Comfort of Naturally Ventilated Classroom Building as a Function of the Openings Positioning and Orientation

The basic functional requirement of a classroom environment suggests a safe, delightful and relaxing place for the learners’ physical and psychological well-being and vigor such that there will be an aligned expression of satisfaction with the thermal environment. This study assessed the operational thermal comfort of naturally ventilated one-side-window oriented classroom building in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria using objective and subjective research approaches. The objective research technique involved the use of standardized measurement devices in the assessment of associated environmental factors which were relative humidity, airflow rate, ambient and mean radiant temperatures. The human factor aspect of thermal comfort was subjectively assessed using a questionnaire structured on ASHRAE scale. The measurements were taken at the height of 130 cm at the time intervals of 7:50 – 8:30 am (morning session) and 2:20 – 3:00 pm (Afternoon session) from the month of March 2016 through to February 2017, Mondays to Fridays, excluding days of any form of holidays. The descriptive statistics of the environmental factors data obtained showed that the indoor environment of the assessed classrooms was warm and stale with an average ambient temperature range of 29.37 - 30.08 ℃,  mean radiant temperature 29.24 - 31.28 ℃, relative humidity 67.81 - 68.99 % and wind speed 0.022 - 0.037 m/s. The multiple linear regression analysis gave an R-value of .943 with .889 chances that the average ambient temperature of the classrooms will be affected by time-invariants and microclimate variables which was an indication of good level of prediction. The human factors of the thermal comfort observed a variation between the perceived and the preferred thermal sensation with respect to the time of the day and seasons which was unsatisfactory for the teaching and learning process

Characterisation of HvALMT1 function in transgenic barley plants

HvALMT1 from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) encodes a protein capable of facilitating the transport of malate and other organic anions when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The HvALMT1 gene is primarily expressed in guard cells of stomata, in regions behind the root apex and at lateral root junctions. We investigated the function of HvALMT1 in planta by overexpressing it in barley under the control of a constitutive promoter. Transgenic plants expressing HvALMT1 at levels four to 9-fold greater than controls showed reduced growth and plants showing the highest expression failed to set seed. Although measurements of conductance indicated that stomatal function was not totally impaired in the transgenic plants the time taken for the stomata to close in response to low light was significantly longer compared with controls. Elemental and metabolomic analyses of the transgenic barley shoots revealed that the concentration of calcium and levels of ascorbate, serine, threonine and pentanoate were consistently greater (2- to 14-fold) in plants that overexpressed HvALMT1, whereas whole-shoot tissue levels of fumarate were significantly lower (60-85% reduction). Transgenic plants also showed significantly greater efflux of malate and succinate from their roots than control plants. Efflux of these organic anions occurred independently of Al3+ and conferred greater Al3+ resistance in solution culture and in acidic soil. These results are consistent with HvALMT1 contributing to anion homeostasis in the cytosol and osmotic adjustment by transporting organic anions out of the cell or by sequestering them into cytosolic vesicles

Nitrogen Use within the Growing Leaf Blade of Tall Fescue.

Leaf elongation rate (LER) of grasses depends on N supply and is expressed mostly through cell production, whereas most N in mature leaf tissues is chloroplastic. Our objective was to evaluate a possible competition for N between cell production and chloroplast development processes, utilizing the gradient of cell development along the leaf growth zone of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Under the two contrasting N regimes, total N content was highest in the cell production zone, declined sharply as cells elongated, and remained relatively constant in more distal positions, at values close to those measured in mature tissues. A similar pattern was found for N in proteins and nucleic acids that were not soluble in 80% ethanol. Content of N compounds soluble in 80% ethanol was higher in the cell production and elongation zones than in mature parts of the leaf. NO3- N content was low in the cell production zone and increased in the cell elongation zone for high-N plants. The deposition rate of total N in the growth zone was much higher with plants in high N than in those shifted to no N. For both N regimes, most N was deposited during cell production and early cell elongation. Little N was deposited during cell maturation where ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) was being actively synthesized. This suggests that synthesis of Rubisco, and probably other chloroplastic proteins, occurs largely from recycling of N that was previously incorporated into proteins during cell production. Thus, Rubisco content in mature tissues is more closely associated with N deposited during cell production than with N deposited during its biosynthesis

Binding site analysis of cellulose binding domain CBDN1 from endoglucanse C of Cellulomonas fimi by site-directed mutagenesis. Biochemistry

ABSTRACT: Endoglucanase C (CenC), a 1,4 glucanase from the soil bacterium Cellulomonas fimi, binds to amorphous cellulose via two homologous cellulose binding domains, termed CBD N1 and CBD N2 . In this work, the contributions of 10 amino acids within the binding cleft of CBD N1 were evaluated by single site-directed mutations to alanine residues. Each isolated domain containing a single mutation was analyzed for binding to an insoluble amorphous preparation of cellulose, phosphoric acid swollen Avicel (PASA), and to a soluble glucopyranoside polymer, barley -glucan. The effect of any given mutation on CBD binding was similar for both substrates, suggesting that the mechanism of binding to soluble and insoluble substrates is the same. Tyrosines 19 and 85 were essential for tight binding by CBD N1 as their replacement by alanine results in affinity decrements of approximately 100-fold on PASA, barley -glucan, and soluble cellooligosaccharides. The tertiary structures of unbound Y19A and Y85A were assessed by heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectroscopy. These studies indicated that the structures of both mutants were perturbed but that all perturbations are very near to the site of mutation. Cellulose is degraded to cellobiose units by the synergistic action of several enzymes, collectively termed as cellulases. Cellulases have evolved as modular enzymes; most contain a catalytic domain (CD) 1 responsible for the hydrolysis of cellulose and usually one or more cellulose binding domains (CBD) that mediate binding of the enzyme to cellulose but are devoid of hydrolytic activity. Both domain types are the focus of independent classification systems that organize CD (1-4) and CBD sequences (5-7) into separate families by sequence homology. The roles of CBDs in cellulose degradation are still being elucidated. One obvious function of these binding domains is to keep cellulases in close contact with their substrate. Removing a CBD severely impairs the activity of a cellulase on insoluble substrates but has little effect on the degradation of soluble substrates (8-13). This suggests that the presence of a CBD is important for the efficient degradation of natural cellulose. CBDs may also be involved in the disruption of cellulose fibers by nonhydrolytic means The structures of seven CBDs are known. These include the crystal structures of CBD CipB from Clostridium thermocellum (16) and CBD E4 from Thermomonospora fusca (17), and the NMR structures of CBD CBHI from Trichoderma reseei (18), CBD Cex (19), CBD N1 (20), and CBD N2 (59) from Cellulomonas fimi, and CBD EGZ from Erwinia chrysanthemi (21). The CBDs from CBHI, Cex, E4, CipB, and EGZ, representing CBD families I, II, III, and V, respectively, all show a planar surface that is responsible for binding to crystalline cellulose. Surface-exposed aromatic residues, flanked by additional polar amino acid side chains, are present on each of the proposed binding surfaces. Sitedirected mutagenesis has been used to confirm that tyrosines are critical for the binding of family I CBD CBHI to crystalline cellulose Endoglucanase C from Cellulomonas fimi contains two family IV CBDs, CBD N1 and CBD N2 , that are present in tandem at its N-terminus. The structures of CBD N1 and CBD N2 differ from most other CBDs as they contain a binding cleft rather than a planar binding face (28). CBD N