Integrated building control based on occupant behavior pattern detection and local weather forecasting

ABSTRACT Standard office building control systems operate the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning on a fixed schedule, based upon anticipated occupancy and use of the building. This study introduces and illustrates a method for integrated building heating, cooling and ventilation control to reduce energy consumption and maintain indoor temperature set points, based on the prediction of occupant behaviour patterns and local weather conditions. The experiment test-bed is setup in the Solar Decathlon Hous

Assembly of Inflammation-Related Genes for Pathway-Focused Genetic Analysis

Recent identifications of associations between novel variants in inflammation-related genes and several common diseases emphasize the need for systematic evaluations of these genes in disease susceptibility. Considering that many genes are involved in the complex inflammation responses and many genetic variants in these genes have the potential to alter the functions and expression of these genes, we assembled a list of key inflammation-related genes to facilitate the identification of genetic associations of diseases with an inflammation-related etiology. We first reviewed various phases of inflammation responses, including the development of immune cells, sensing of danger, influx of cells to sites of insult, activation and functional responses of immune and non-immune cells, and resolution of the immune response. Assisted by the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we then identified 17 functional sub-pathways that are involved in one or multiple phases. This organization would greatly increase the chance of detecting gene-gene interactions by hierarchical clustering of genes with their functional closeness in a pathway. Finally, as an example application, we have developed tagging single nucleotide polymorphism (tSNP) arrays for populations of European and African descent to capture all the common variants of these key inflammation-related genes. Assays of these tSNPs have been designed and assembled into two Affymetrix ParAllele customized chips, one each for European (12,011 SNPs) and African (21,542 SNPs) populations. These tSNPs have greater coverage for these inflammation-related genes compared to the existing genome-wide arrays, particularly in the African population. These tSNP arrays can facilitate systematic evaluation of inflammation pathways in disease susceptibility. For additional applications, other genotyping platforms could also be employed. For existing genome-wide association data, this list of key inflammation-related genes and associated subpathways can facilitate comprehensive inflammation pathway- focused association analyses

Control of Bone Mass and Remodeling by PTH Receptor Signaling in Osteocytes

Osteocytes, former osteoblasts buried within bone, are thought to orchestrate skeletal adaptation to mechanical stimuli. However, it remains unknown whether hormones control skeletal homeostasis through actions on osteocytes. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates bone remodeling and may cause bone loss or bone gain depending on the balance between bone resorption and formation. Herein, we demonstrate that transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active PTH receptor exclusively in osteocytes exhibit increased bone mass and bone remodeling, as well as reduced expression of the osteocyte-derived Wnt antagonist sclerostin, increased Wnt signaling, increased osteoclast and osteoblast number, and decreased osteoblast apoptosis. Deletion of the Wnt co-receptor LDL related receptor 5 (LRP5) attenuates the high bone mass phenotype but not the increase in bone remodeling induced by the transgene. These findings demonstrate that PTH receptor signaling in osteocytes increases bone mass and the rate of bone remodeling through LRP5-dependent and -independent mechanisms, respectively

The association between alcohol use, alcohol use disorders and tuberculosis (TB). A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2004, tuberculosis (TB) was responsible for 2.5% of global mortality (among men 3.1%; among women 1.8%) and 2.2% of global burden of disease (men 2.7%; women 1.7%). The present work portrays accumulated evidence on the association between alcohol consumption and TB with the aim to clarify the nature of the relationship.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic review of existing scientific data on the association between alcohol consumption and TB, and on studies relevant for clarification of causality was undertaken.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There is a strong association between heavy alcohol use/alcohol use disorders (AUD) and TB. A meta-analysis on the risk of TB for these factors yielded a pooled relative risk of 2.94 (95% CI: 1.89-4.59). Numerous studies show pathogenic impact of alcohol on the immune system causing susceptibility to TB among heavy drinkers. In addition, there are potential social pathways linking AUD and TB. Heavy alcohol use strongly influences both the incidence and the outcome of the disease and was found to be linked to altered pharmacokinetics of medicines used in treatment of TB, social marginalization and drift, higher rate of re-infection, higher rate of treatment defaults and development of drug-resistant forms of TB. Based on the available data, about 10% of the TB cases globally were estimated to be attributable to alcohol.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The epidemiological and other evidence presented indicates that heavy alcohol use/AUD constitute a risk factor for incidence and re-infection of TB. Consequences for prevention and clinical interventions are discussed.</p

Statistical modeling of a fluorescent tube coating process

Robotics Institut