Evaluation of different roof types concerning daylight in industrial buildings during the initial design phase: methodology and case study

Used properly, daylight can provide visual comfort, reduce energy consumption and improve health and safety at work. This paper investigates the influence that different roof types, (i.e., sawtooth roof, skylight and monitor), have on daylight levels, along with the construction cost in an industrial environment in Athens, Greece. Construction costs and daylight adequacy/uniformity are antagonistic phenomena, since as the distance between the roof openings increases, the construction cost is minimised, while the daylight levels and the uniformity are reduced. Therefore, an optimisation method is proposed in order to find the optimum distance between the roof openings. The selected building is a representative unit of Greek industrial facilities, while the optimisation method is based upon a multiparametric approach. This consists of three (3) different roof opening arrangement types with different geometric characteristics. The daylight metrics used are the Daylight Area, the Daylight Factor, the Mean Daylight Autonomy, the Uniform Daylight Index and the Annual Sunlight Exposure. Overall, sawtooth roofs represent the best choice for daylight provision in industrial buildings at the examined geographic location. Using the aforementioned optimisation method, the optimum solution of distances between the roof openings ranges from 10 m to 13 m

Modular Construction of Industrial Buildings and Lean Thinking—Identifying the Role of Daylight through a Case Study

This research looks at the optimisation of industrial buildings through the application of the principles of lean thinking and philosophy, with an emphasis on daylighting in the design of industrial buildings. With the use of multiparametric analysis tools, we provide a solution for the optimized design of a roof system for the provision of daylight, whilst maximising the benefits and minimising the cost during its lifetime, in different geographic and climatic regions in Greece. An optimisation algorithm has been proposed that improves the selection of the optimal roof opening type and geometry for industrial buildings in different geographical locations. The investigation of a roof system model was based on the maximum performance of daylighting, while reducing unnecessary energy use and cost. To reach our solution, we investigated the sawtooth roofing system in terms of energy cost (cooling, heating, and lighting), geography (orientation, location), and building variables (the opening dimensions and number). This has been achieved through the use of multi-parametric design, computational simulations, genetic algorithms, and the post-processing of results through statistical analysis. The use of natural lighting proved to be an effective sustainability strategy, providing energy savings of up to 20–30%, and offering economic advantages, hence presenting a comprehensive approach that benefits stakeholders and end-users by reducing the thermal loads, cooling requirements, initial HVAC costs, and overall waste. The developed algorithm has identified the optimal opening size and distance as ranging between 10 and 11 m for the conditions examined

Diagnostic utility of immunohistochemical marker 34βe12 (keratin 903) in prostate pathology

Cytokeratin clone 34βE12 (keratin 903) is a high molecular weight monoclonal antibody which is immunoreactive against a variety of epithelial tissues and is widely used as a basal cell specific marker. Our aim was to highlight the importance of 34βE12 immunohistochemical detection over the diagnostic evaluation of prostatic lesions. A total of 15 prostatectomy specimens were reviewed, 5 with Benign Hyperplasia (BH), 5 with carcinoma and 5 with high grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN). 34βE12 imunnohistochemistry was performed on representative sections. The specimens were retrieved from «G. Gennimatas» General Community Hospital Laboratory of Pathology. Normal staining pattern was observed in all 5 cases of BH. PIN showed positive staining in a limited number of basal cells whereas all cases of carcinoma were negative. Cytokeratin 34βE12 is a basal-cell specific antibody. It shows no reactivity neither for the secretory nor for the stromal cells of the prostate. The basal cell layer appears to be continuous in BH whereas it is discontinuous in PIN and totally absent in carcinoma. Thus differential diagnosis between BH, PIN and prostatic carcinoma can be based on the discrete staining pattern of basal cells with 34βE12 and is mostly appreciated in cases where basal cells are hard to distinguish in standard Hematoxylin - Eosin sections