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A dimensionality reduction method to select the most representative daylight illuminance distributions
One challenge when evaluating daylight distribution is dealing with the large amount of temporal and spatial data, visualisations and variability in illuminances that are assessed in buildings. Using a dimensionality reduction method based on principal component analysis, we identified the most representative annual daylight distributions. We modelled a rectangular room containing an analysis grid of 3200 illuminance sensor points and simulated 3285 different temporal daylight conditions using an annual occupancy schedule ranging from 08:00 to 17:00 with one-hour sampling intervals in two locations: Singapore and Oakland, California. Our approach explained 98 % of the illuminance variability with three daylight distributions in Singapore, and 92 % using six in Oakland, California. Our dimensionality reduction strategy was also generalised using a complex building geometry showing the utility of the method. We think this approach can be used to provide a more efficient and reliable method to analyse daylight performance in building practice
double muscled and conventional cattle have the same net energy requirements if these are related to mature and current body protein mass and to gain composition
The hypothesis tested in this paper is that double-muscled (DBM) and conventional cattle, considerably differing in body composition, have similar NE requirements when: a) NE(m) is scaled as a function of current (P(i)) and adult (P(m)) protein mass; and b) ME for gain (ME(g)) is estimated from protein (Pr) and lipid (Lr) retention and their partial ME use efficiencies, the k(p) and k(l) values, respectively. First, 2 databases were examined: 1 was developed combining well known literature information from comparative slaughter trials conducted on British beef steers; the other was based on a trial conducted using extremely lean DBM Piemontese bulls. From the first database, NE(m) was calculated to be 1.625 × P(i) ÷ P(m) × P(m)(0.73) (MJ/kg(0.73)). From the second database, the daily ME(g) was determined as 22.8 MJ × Pr ÷ k(p) + 38.74 MJ × Lr ÷ k(l), assuming (from prior reports) that k(p) = 0.20 and k(l) = 0.75. Thereafter, ME(m) was defined as ME intake minus ME(g), and, hence, NE(m) was predicted as 1.625 × P(i) ÷ P(m) × P(m)(0.73) (where 1.625 was the value obtained from the first dataset). The resulting k(m) (NE(m)/ME(m)) averaged 0.67. This k(m) value did not differ from that (0.65; P = 0.12) predicted by Garrett's equation, which uses dietary ME content as the only predictive variable. Second, the procedure was tested for the ability to detect effects on k(m) caused by increasing BW and dietary factors not estimable from the dietary ME content only. Data were gathered from a trial involving 48 DBM Piemontese bulls divided into 4 groups fed 1 of 4 diets differing in CP content (145 or 108 g/kg DM), with or without addition of 80 g/d of rumen-protected CLA (rpCLA). Bulls were examined at 3 consecutive periods of growth, corresponding to 365, 512 and 631 kg of average BW. All energy balance items were influenced by increasing BW, except k(m) (P = 0.61), in agreement with the expectation that NE(m) requirement depends on the degree of maturity (P(i)/P(m)) and the P(m)(0.73) of an animal, whereas k(m) reflects characteristics of the feed provided. The k(m) value was also influenced by the CP × rpCLA interaction (P = 0.013). We conclude that DBM and British beef steers have similar NE requirements when these are scaled as a function of P(i) and P(m), and gain composition, considering Pr, k(p), Lr and k(l). The proposed procedure will be useful to predict the energy requirements and feed use in cattle of different types that vary in BW, provided that body and gain compositions are known or accurately predicted
UV observations of the globular cluster M10 from HST and GALEX. The BSS population
We present a combination of high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope and
wide-field ground-based and Galaxy Evolution Explorer data of the Galactic
Globular Cluster M10 (NGC6254). By using this large data-set we determined the
center of gravity of the cluster and we built its density profile from star
counts over its entire radial extension. We find that the density profile is
well reproduced by a single-mass King model with structural parameters c=1.41
and r_c=41". We also studied the Blue Straggler Star population and its radial
distribution. We count a total number of 120 BSS within the tidal radius. Their
radial distribution is bimodal: highly peaked in the cluster center, decreasing
at intermediate distances and rising again outwards. We discuss these results
in the context of the dynamical clock scheme presented by Ferraro et al. (2012)
and of recent results about the radial distribution of binary systems in this
cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ; 26 pages, 11 figures, 1 tabl
Efficacy of biofumigation with essential oils in the control of postharvest rots on nectarines
Evidence for (and Against) Progenitor Bias in the Size Growth of Compact Red Galaxies
Most massive passive galaxies are compact at high redshifts, but similarly
compact massive galaxies are rare in the local universe. The most common
interpretation of this phenomenon is that massive galaxies have grown in size
by a factor of about five since redshift z=2. An alternative explanation is
that recently quenched massive galaxies are larger (a "progenitor bias"). In
this paper we explore the importance of progenitor bias by looking for
systematic differences in the stellar populations of compact early-type
galaxies in the DEEP2 survey as a function of size. Our analysis is based on
applying the statistical technique of bootstrap resampling to constrain
differences in the median ages of our samples and to begin to characterize the
distribution of stellar populations in our co-added spectra. The light-weighted
ages of compact early-type galaxies at redshifts 0.5 < z < 1.4 are compared to
those of a control sample of larger galaxies at similar redshifts. We find that
massive compact early-type galaxies selected on the basis of red color and high
bulge-to-total ratio are younger than similarly selected larger galaxies,
suggesting that size growth in these objects is not driven mainly by progenitor
bias, and that individual galaxies grow as their stellar populations age.
However, compact early-type galaxies selected on the basis of image smoothness
and high bulge-to-total ratio are older than a control sample of larger
galaxies. Progenitor bias will play a significant role in defining the apparent
size changes of early-type galaxies if they are selected on the basis of the
smoothness of their light distributions.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figures. Astrophysical Journal (in press
Measuring Ages and Elemental Abundances from Unresolved Stellar Populations: Fe, Mg, C, N, and Ca
We present a method for determining mean light-weighted ages and abundances
of Fe, Mg, C, N, and Ca, from medium resolution spectroscopy of unresolved
stellar populations. The method, pioneered by Schiavon (2007), is implemented
in a publicly available code called EZ_Ages. The method and error estimation
are described, and the results tested for accuracy and consistency, by
application to integrated spectra of well-known Galactic globular and open
clusters. Ages and abundances from integrated light analysis agree with studies
of resolved stars to within +/-0.1 dex for most clusters, and to within +/-0.2
dex for nearly all cases. The results are robust to the choice of Lick indices
used in the fitting to within +/-0.1 dex, except for a few systematic
deviations which are clearly categorized. The realism of our error estimates is
checked through comparison with detailed Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we
apply EZ_Ages to the sample of galaxies presented in Thomas et al. (2005) and
compare our derived values of age, [Fe/H], and [alpha/Fe] to their analysis. We
find that [alpha/Fe] is very consistent between the two analyses, that ages are
consistent for old (Age > 10 Gyr) populations, but show modest systematic
differences at younger ages, and that [Fe/H] is fairly consistent, with small
systematic differences related to the age systematics. Overall, EZ_Ages
provides accurate estimates of fundamental parameters from medium resolution
spectra of unresolved stellar populations in the old and intermediate-age
regime, for the first time allowing quantitative estimates of the abundances of
C, N, and Ca in these unresolved systems. The EZ_Ages code can be downloaded at
http://www.ucolick.org/~graves/EZ_Ages.htmlComment: Accepted to ApJ
Satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in BREEAM and non-BREEAM certified office buildings
This paper presents preliminary analysis of occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and non-BREEAM certified offices in the UK. Results from cross-sectional questionnaires (N = 121) showed that BREEAM certification per se did not seem to substantively influence building and workspace satisfaction. Conversely, occupants of BREEAM offices tended to be less satisfied with air quality and visual privacy than users of non-BREEAM buildings. Lower satisfaction was also detected in BREEAM offices for occupants having spent over 24 months in their building, and for users working in open-plan spaces. To interpret these findings, a methodology for data analysis was adopted whereas responses to point-in-time surveys (N = 82) were paired with environmental measurements. Broadening the perspective for appraising occupants’ perceptions, these combined techniques led to conclude that certification schemes should balance criteria addressing energy performance with design solutions considerate of issues of privacy, proxemics and perceived control over the qualities of the indoor environment
An optimal estimator for the CMB-LSS angular power spectrum and its application to WMAP and NVSS data
We use a Quadratic Maximum Likelihood (QML) method to estimate the angular
power spectrum of the cross-correlation between cosmic microwave background and
large scale structure maps as well as their individual auto-spectra. We
describe our implementation of this method and demonstrate its accuracy on
simulated maps. We apply this optimal estimator to WMAP 7-year and NRAO VLA Sky
Survey (NVSS) data and explore the robustness of the angular power spectrum
estimates obtained by the QML method. With the correction of the declination
systematics in NVSS, we can safely use most of the information contained in
this survey. We then make use of the angular power spectrum estimates obtained
by the QML method to derive constraints on the dark energy critical density in
a flat CDM model by different likelihood prescriptions. When using
just the cross-correlation between WMAP 7 year and NVSS maps with 1.8
resolution, the best-fit model has a cosmological constant of approximatively
70% of the total energy density, disfavouring an Einstein-de Sitter Universe at
more than 2 CL (confidence level).Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure
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