514 research outputs found
Simulation-based performance prediction of an energy-harvesting facade system with selective daylight transmission
Shading devices are effective in controlling glare and solar heat gains in buildings. However, this occurs at the expense of daylight and outside view. This paper evaluates the thermal and daylight performance of Lumiduct, a sun-controlling dynamic façade system that permits only diffuse radiation inside the building, while producing electricity. This imparts Lumiduct a unique characteristic of acting as a shading device while providing useful daylight and view to the outside. The first part of the paper briefly illustrates the working principle of Lumiduct and its functional characteristics and then, introduces the basic principles of the modelling and simulation strategy used to predict its performance. To demonstrate this strategy we use TypeDLT, a TRNSYS type that performs integrated thermal and daylight simulations by coupling TRNSYS’ multi-zone building model with Radiance’s three-phase method. This strategy relies on the use of customized and time-controlled bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDF) to characterize the separate treatment of direct and diffuse radiation and the sun-tracking behaviour of the façade. In the second part, we demonstrate the performance of Lumiduct in comparison to a high-performance window with and without a dynamic venetian blind system as a shading device for a typical office room for the climate of Amsterdam. The results show a significantly higher daylight utilization along with a reduction in energy use of the building
Emissie-arm mest toedienen in PROPRO
Na afloop van het driejarig onderzoek kan een aantal conclusies getrokken worden
Diagnose, indicate, and treat severe mental illness (DITSMI) as appropriate care:A three-year follow-up study in long-term residential psychiatric patients on the effects of re-diagnosis on medication prescription, patient functioning, and hospital bed utilization
BACKGROUND: While polypharmacy is common in long-term residential psychiatric patients, prescription combinations may, from an evidence-based perspective, be irrational. Potentially, many psychiatric patients are treated on the basis of a poor diagnosis. We therefore evaluated the DITSMI model (i.e., Diagnose, Indicate, and Treat Severe Mental Illness), an intervention that involves diagnosis (or re-diagnosis) and appropriate treatment for severely mentally ill long-term residential psychiatric patients. Our main objective was to determine whether DITSMI affected changes over time regarding diagnoses, pharmacological treatment, psychosocial functioning, and bed utilization. METHODS: DITSMI was implemented in a consecutive patient sample of 94 long-term residential psychiatric patients during a longitudinal cohort study without a control group. The cohort was followed for three calendar years. Data were extracted from electronic medical charts. As well as diagnoses, medication use and current mental status, we assessed psychosocial functioning using the Health of the Nations Outcome Scale (HoNOS). Bed utilization was assessed according to length of stay (LOS). Change was analyzed by comparing proportions of these data and testing them with chi-square calculations. We compared the numbers of diagnoses and medication changes, the proportions of HoNOS scores below cut-off, and the proportions of LOS before and after provision of the protocol. RESULTS: Implementation of the DITSMI model was followed by different diagnoses in 49% of patients, different medication in 67%, some improvement in psychosocial functioning, and a 40% decrease in bed utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DITSMI can be recommended as an appropriate care for all long-term residential psychiatric patients
Antiprädationsverhalten von Weißwangengänsen auf Kolguyev und Svalbard
Auch in den arktischen Brutgebieten sind Wildgänse und ihre Brut durch Fressfeinde wie den Eisfuchs (Alopex lagopus) oder die Eismöwe (Larus hyperboreus) gefährdet. In diesem Bericht wird am Beispiel von Weißwangengänsen (Branta leucopsis) das Verhalten der Vermeidung von Prädation auf Svalbard mit dem der auf Kolguyev brütenden Artgenossen untersucht. Die Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten werden diskutiert.On the breeding grounds geese and their broods are threatened by predators like polar foxes (Alopex lagopus) or Glacous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus). In this review we compare antipredation behaviour of breeding and broad rearing Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) on Svalbard and Kolguev. Similarities and differences are presented and discussed
Faster differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus versus coagulase-negative Staphylococci from blood culture material: a comparison of different bacterial DNA isolation methods
Указ президента України “Про проведення Всеукраїнської молодіжної акції “Пам’ятати. Відродити. Зберегти”
Genetic dissection of disease susceptibility in Arabidopsis to powdery and downy mildew has identified multiple susceptibility (S) genes whose impairment results in disease resistance. Although several of these S-genes have been cloned and characterized in more detail it is unknown to which degree their function in disease susceptibility is conserved among different plant species. Moreover, it is unclear whether impairment of such genes has potential in disease resistance breeding due to possible fitness costs associated with impaired alleles. Here we show that the Arabidopsis PMR4 and DMR1, genes encoding a callose synthase and homoserine kinase respectively, have functional orthologs in tomato with respect to their S-gene function. Silencing of both genes using RNAi resulted in resistance to the tomato powdery mildew fungus Oidium neolycopersici. Resistance to O. neolycopersici by SlDMR1 silencing was associated with severely reduced plant growth whereas SlPMR4 silencing was not. SlPMR4 is therefore a suitable candidate gene as target for mutagenesis to obtain alleles that can be deployed in disease resistance breeding of tomato
The predictive value of preoperative frailty screening for postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing surgery for non-metastatic colorectal cancer
The predictive value of the 'VMS frail older patients' for adverse outcomes in geriatric inpatients
Background/Objective: The Dutch Safety Management system (VMS) screening for frail older patients is used as a predictor for adverse outcomes. We aimed to determine the predictive value of the VMS for adverse outcomes in geriatric inpatients. Design: Retrospective cohort study in geriatric inpatients. Outcomes were institutionalization, readmission and mortality (3- and 12-months). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of the number of positive VMS domains, a VMS score >= 1, and individual domains for adverse outcomes. Results: We included 477 patients. Median age was 85 years (54-99) and 37% were male. Eighty-seven % scored positive on delirium risk, 57% on fall risk, 39% on malnutrition and 64% on physical impairment. One-hundredthirty-five patients (28%) were institutionalized, 78 patients (16%) were readmitted and mortality rate was 127 (27%) at 3 months and 184 (39%) at one year. The VMS was not predictive for readmission (OR 1.6; 95%-CI 0.213.7) and mortality, (OR 0.6 95%-CI 0.2-2.0 and OR 1.1; 95%-CI 0.3-3.7). For institutionalization, delirium risk (OR 2.2; 95%-CI 1.1-4.4), physical impairment (OR 1.8; 95%-CI 1.1-2.9) and a positive score on all four domains were predictive (OR 12.1 95%-CI-1.4-101.7). Malnutrition was predictive for readmission (OR 1.74; 95%-CI 1.05-2.91) and three-month mortality (OR 1.69; 95%-CI 1.11-2.57), delirium risk for one -year mortality (OR 2.0; 95%-CI 1.0-4.0) . Conclusions: Almost all geriatric inpatients scored positive on at least one domain of the VMS. The number of positive VMS domains had some predictive value for institutionalization. Individual domains were able to predict adverse outcomes
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