Solar Energy Utilization for Water Heating

Import 03/08/2012Bakalářská práce je zaměřena na běžný návrh solární soustavy pro rodinný dům, k přípravě teplé vody. Úvodem je zaměřena kromě samotného ohřevu vody také na jiné přednosti plynoucí z možnosti využívání energie ze Slunce. Po základním seznámením využíváním tohoto obnovitelného zdroje, je již detailněji zacíleno na problematiku využití v domě. Ta hlavně tkví ve své zeměpisné poloze a klimatických podmínkách, od kterých se odvíjí energetické zisky, a charakteristických požadavků rodinného domu. Dále je zaměřena na technické požadavky spojené provozem a předběžné ekonomické a enviromentální hodnocení spojené s provozováním systému až do své životnosti.The bachelor thesis is focused on the common design of solar systems for single-family house, the preparation of hot water. First, it focuses very hot water in addition to other advantages also from the possibility of using energy from the sun. After familiarizing the basic use of this renewable resource has been targeted more detail on the issue of use in the house. It lies mainly in its geographical location and climatic conditions, which have influence on energy gains, and the characteristic requirements of the house also is focused on the technical requirements related to operation and preliminary economic and environmental assessment associated with the operation of the system until his life.361 - Katedra energetikyvýborn

Bond Price Reaction to Being Placed on Credit Review: Does Ownership Concentration Matter

Both financial academics and financial practitioners have explored the issue of how bond prices react to credit rating agency (CRA) ratings actions. While one would expect a positive price reaction if a bond is put on credit review for an upgrade and a negative price reaction if placed on review for a downgrade, the evidence has been choppy and mixed. Results were dependent on whether the bond issue was placed on review for an upgrade or downgrade and if the bond had a subsequent ratings change. The research issue to be addressed here relates to how bond ownership concentration relates to issuer monitoring intensity. Apriori, one would expect if the bond holdings of the issuer are concentrated, a rating review would have less of a price impact given the “ratings lag” (the time lag between the news that resulted in the ratings review). In other words, if, in fact concentrated holdings is indicative of monitoring intensity, a rating review would be viewed as “old news” and therefore not be as price impactful

New York State ELA Opt-Out Rates: Understanding the Impact of Race

In 2009, 48 states established the Common Core Standards in response to the growing movement by state governors and corporate leaders who believed that high school exit expectations fall short of employer and college demands. Soon thereafter standardized assessments were developed that were geared to the more rigorous standards. In New York State (NYS), resistance slowly started arising shortly after the new assessments commenced in 2013. By 2016, nearly 22% of all third-to-eighth graders in NYS opted out of taking the ELA, making NYS one of the highest opt-out states in the nation. Data from the New York State Education Department reveals a large ethnic disparity in opt-out rates. In 2016, the overall optout rate in NYS stood at 21.7%. This compares to a white opt-out rate of 51.4%, an African-American opt-out rate of 10%, a Hispanic opt-out rate of 16.0% and an Asian opt-out rate of 7.0%. What factors can explain this wide disparity? The results indicate that factors affecting the white opt-out rate include whether the county is situated within New York City, county median income and county political affiliation. Factors impacting the black opt-out rate is influenced by county “ruralness” and county median income

Creativity in liberal education before and after study commencement

[EN] In today’s society, creativity is an important quality. Creativity is defined as the ability to produce something novel and valuable as defined within a social context and it involves skills such as divergent thinking, problem solving and perspective taking. This study assesses the creative potential of students before and after commencement of an interdisciplinary, liberal undergraduate program.  In between measurements, students followed a course in connective thinking through creative reading and writing. The results showed that students’ creative potential developed over time. Implications for theory as well as practice are discussed.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Van Goch, M. (2018). Creativity in liberal education before and after study commencement. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1475-1483. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8228OCS1475148

Connecting office buildings to the smart grid:harvesting flexibility

Traditionally, the electricity system is oriented top- down and buildings are just energy consumers. Since electricity is expensive to store, supply and demand have to be balanced at all times. In the nearby future, the electricity system must be able to cope with an increase in intermittent decentralized energy production. Also, ongoing electrification is expected to contribute to an increase in demand. Demand side management and control is needed to ensure reliability of supply at acceptable costs. Buildings can be a part of the solution as they can offer flexibility in energy consumption and/or production. By enabling flexible control of processes on the building premises, the building can provide balancing services and respond to congestion problems in the power system, while user comfort can be guaranteed. For the engineering company BAM Techniek, it is of importance to know how the integration of such smart grid technologies in buildings can contribute to (energy) service provision. This study focusses on the enabling of flexibility in energy consumption and generation, while comfort is guaranteed. The project aims to create a framework that enables flexible control of building processes, and analyses of the potential value of flexibility in office buildings. The proposed framework consists of a technical solution, and an analysis of the economical benefits. Priority based control is introduced to enable flexible control of building processes. The concept is capable of prioritizing the energy consumption of processes, and controlling the consumption depending on the needs of the electricity market. An empty office has for instance, a low priority to consume energy. User needs are integrated in the prioritization mechanisms. This mechanism ensures that processes stay within the allowed bandwidth, while providing flexibility to the power system. Since the priority based control connects the end user needs to the market needs, a bi-directional flow of information is required. The Eneco World Office is used to perform a building case study to test the technological framework. Three sources of flexibility are investigated: decentralized climate systems, electric vehicles, and a sensible heat buffer. Results show that the amount of available flexibility depends mainly on load profiles and comfort settings. Electric vehicles and the sensible heat buffer provide significant amounts of flexibility. The flexibility in decentralized climate systems is limited since the room air temperature responds relatively fast to changes in settings and comfort boundaries are quickly met. The long term effect of storage in the building inertia should however be investigated further. Economical benefits can be created by using the variation in costs on the wholesale market caused by market volatility. When flexibility is used to contribute to the balance in a portfolio of buildings, the imbalance can be reduced, which leads to a reduction in costs. Finally, flexibility can contribute to a reduction in peak demand of buildings, leading to cost savings in the network connection. The need for smart grids is growing, while energy services are becoming more important in the built environment. Considering the potential value of smart grid services in the built environment and the market size, it is evident that the developing smart grid market presents opportunities for BAM Techniek. The provision of flexibility services can be a valuable addition to the energy services portfolio

Характерні особливості спілкування учасників педагогічного процесу у ВНЗ

У статті проаналізовано особливості комунікативних аспектів у системі вищої освіти, визначено психологічну специфіку взаємодії викладачів і студентів на міжособистісному рівні, а також окреслено особливості викладання, що підвищують ефективність навчального процесу у ВНЗ, створюють умови для самореалізації студента. (The article analyzed the features of communicative aspects in higher education, defined psychological specificity of the interaction of teachers and students at the interpersonal level. And also outlined some features of teaching that enhance the effectiveness of teaching at the university, and create conditions for self-fulfillment of the student.

Cadmium in arterial hypertension pathogenesis

W pracy przedstawiono dane epidemiologiczne, obserwacje kliniczne i wyniki badań doświadczalnych nad rolą kadmu (Cd) w wywoływaniu nadciśnienia tętniczego. Badania kliniczne i doświadczalne wskazują na możliwość rozwoju nadciśnienia tętniczego zarówno przy zawodowym, jak i środowiskowym narażeniu na Cd, natomiast wyniki badań epidemiologicznych nie są jednoznaczne. Spośród różnych mechanizmów rozwoju nadciśnienia tętniczego przy narażeniu na Cd decydujące znaczenie mają jego toksyczny wpływ na naczynia i zmiany ich reaktywności, związane prawdopodobnie ze stresem oksydacyjnym.The study presents epidemiological data, clinical observations and experimental studies on the role of cadmium (Cd) in arterial hypertension induction. Clinical and experimental examinations point to the possibility of arterial hypertension development both in occupational and environmental exposure to Cd, whereas the results of epidemiological studies are not unequivocal. Among various mechanisms of the development of hypertension during exposure to Cd, its toxic effect on vessels and the changes of their reactivity (probably connected with oxidative stress), play the decisive role

Macro- and microelements content in hair of subjects with arterial hypertension

Wstęp Zaburzenia w składzie mineralnym ustroju mogą mieć istotny udział w patogenezie nadciśnienia tętniczego. Celem badań było określenie zawartości makro- i mikroelementów we włosach osób z pierwotnym nadciśnieniem tętniczym. Materiał i metody Do badań zakwalifikowano 284 osoby w wieku 33–70 lat, które podzielono na 2 grupy: I - 142 osoby z nadciśnieniem tętniczym, II - 142 osoby klinicznie zdrowe (grupa kontrolna). Wiek i płeć w obydwu grupach były zbliżone. Osoby włączone do badań nie przyjmowały żadnych leków przynajmniej na 3 miesiące przed oznaczeniem makro- i mikroelementów. Oznaczenia pierwiastków Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Sr, Ni, Mo, Al, Cd, Pb, Mn, Se, Cr, Co, Li, V, B, Ba, Hg wykonano przy użyciu spektrometru emisji atomowej ze wzbudzeniem plazmowym ICP MS Philips PU 7000. Wyniki W grupie I stwierdzono wyższe wartości Mn, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg oraz większy stosunek Pb/Se, Cd/Se, Al/Se, lecz mniejsze wartości P, Zn i niższy stosunek Ca/Pb, Ca/Cd, Ca/Al, Zn/Pb, Zn/Cd, Zn/Al, Fe/Mn, Zn/Mn niż w grupie II (kontrolnej). Wnioski 1. Metale toksyczne (Pb, Cd, Al, Hg) mogą należeć do czynników patogenetycznych nadciśnienia tętniczego. 2. Niedobór pierwiastków antyoksydacyjnych może wskazywać na konieczność suplementacji Zn i Se u chorych na nadciśnienie tętnicze.Background Disturbances in mineral content of the organism may significantly contribute to the development of arterial hypertension. The aim of the study was to determine macro- and microelements content in hair of subjects with essential arterial hypertension. Material and methods The study involved 284 subjects, aged 33–70 years, who were allotted into 2 groups: I — 142 patients with arterial hypertension, II — 142 clinically healthy subjects (controls). Age and sex ratio were similar in the examined groups. Those subjected to the study were not administered any drugs at least 3 months prior to the determination of macro- and microelements. Determinations of trace elements Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Sr, Ni, Mo, Al, Cd, Pb, Mn, Se, Cr, Co, Li, V, B, Ba, Hg were performed with atomic emission spectrometer with plasmic excitation (ICP MS Philips PU 7000). Results In group I in comparison to group II (control) higher values of Mn, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg were observed, as well as higher Pb/Se, Cd/Se, Al/Se ratio; but lower values of P, Zn and lower Ca/Pb, Ca/Cd, Ca/Al, Zn/Pb, Zn/Cd, Zn/Al, Fe/Mn, Zn/Mn ratio. Conclusions 1. Toxic metals: Pb, Cd, Al, Hg may be one of the pathogenic factors of arterial hypertension. 2. Deficit of antioxidative trace elements may point to the necessity of Zn and Se supplementation in hypertensive patients

Selected parameters of endothelial function in patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension and with risk factors of atherosclerosis

Wstęp Istotne znaczenie w patogenezie nadciśnienia tętniczego ma dysfunkcja śródbłonka naczyniowego. Na jej rozwój wywierają wpływ czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy. Celem badania była ocena zachowania się stężenia metabolitów tlenku azotu (azotynów i azotanów &#8212; NOx) oraz endoteliny-1 (ET-1) w osoczu i cyklicznego 3,5 guanozynomonofosforanu (cGMP) w dobowej zbiórce moczu u chorych na niepowikłane nadciśnienie tętnicze z czynnikami ryzyka miażdżycy oraz bez nich. Materiał i metody Do badań zakwalifikowano 45 osób (30 mężczyzn i 15 kobiet) w wieku 45 &plusmn; 6,6 roku, których podzielono na 3 grupy: I &#8212; kontrolna (osoby klinicznie zdrowe), II &#8212; osoby z nadciśnieniem tętniczym bez czynników ryzyka miażdżycy i III &#8212; osoby z nadciśnieniem i z czynnikami ryzyka miażdżycy. Oznaczano stężenie NOx w osoczu metodą Griessa, ET-1 w osoczu metodą ELISA oraz cGMP w moczu metodą immunoenzymatyczną. Wyniki Stężenie NOx w osoczu w grupie I - 15,86 &plusmn; 6,32 &micro;mol/l, w grupie II - 18,62 &plusmn; 5,84 &micro;mol/l, w grupie III - 9,96 &plusmn; 4,72 &micro;mol/l. Różnice istotne statystycznie stwierdzono między grupami I i III oraz II i III (p < 0,05). Stężenie cGMP w dobowej zbiórce moczu wynosiło w grupie I - 40 &plusmn; 24 pmol/l, w grupie II - 54 &plusmn; 41 pmol/l i w gr. III - 38 &plusmn; 32 pmol/l. Różnice między grupami były nieistotne statystycznie. Stężenie ET-1 w osoczu wynosiło w grupie I - 3,83 &plusmn; 0,69 pg/ml, w grupie II - 3,98 &plusmn; 0,71 pg/ml i w grupie III - 4,22 &plusmn; 0,64 pg/ml. Różnice były nieistotne statystycznie. Wnioski U chorych na niepowikłane nadciśnienie tętnicze istotny wpływ na pogorszenie funkcji śródbłonka naczyniowego wywierają czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy.Background Selected parameters of endothelial function in patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension and with risk factors of atherosclerosis. Vascular endothelium dysfunction plays an important role in arterial hypertension pathogenesis. Its development is affected by the risk factors of atherosclerosis. Evaluation of the concentration of nitric oxide metabolites (nitrites and nitrates-Nox) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in plasma as well as cyclic 3.5 guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in 24-hour urine collection in patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension and without risk factors of atherosclerosis. Material and methods The study comprised 45 subjects (30 men and 15 women) aged 45 &plusmn; 6.6 years, divided into 3 groups: I &#8212; controls (clinically healthy subjects), II &#8212; patients with arterial hypertension without risk factors of atherosclerosis and III &#8212; patients with hypertension and with risk factors of atherosclerosis. Plasma Nox concentration was determined with Griess method, plasma ET-1 with ELISA and cGMP in urine with immunoenzymatic method. Results Plasma Nox concentration in group I was 15.86 &plusmn; &plusmn; 6.32 &#956;mol/L, in group II &#8212; 18.62 &plusmn; 5.84 &#956;mol/L, and in group III &#8212; 9.96 &plusmn; 4.72 &#956;mol/L. The differences were statistically significant between groups I and III (p < 0.05). The concentration of cGMP in urine was in group I &#8212; 40 &plusmn; 24 pmol/L, in group II &#8212; 54 &plusmn; 41 pmol/L and in group III &#8212; 38 &plusmn; pmol/L. The differences between the groups were statistically insignificant. The plasma ET-1 concentration was in group I &#8212; 3.83 &plusmn; 0.69 pg/mL, in group II &#8212; 3.98 &plusmn; 0.71 pg/mL and in group III &#8212; 4.22 &plusmn; 0,64 pg/mL. The differences were statistically significant between groups I and III, p < 0.05. Conclusion In patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension risk factors of atherosclerosis deteriorate significantly the function of vascular endothelium