Influence Of Building Management On Cost Optimality Definition In Residential Buildings Retrofitting

The enhancement of the existing buildings’ performance requires the choice among a wide selection of energy efficiency measures by means of a cost-optimal approach. Although the cost-optimal analysis represents a useful tool to guide the investment in building renovation, it does not explicitly include the occupant comfort. The retrofit strategy should not only enhance the energy performance of the building in a cost effective way, but also improve, or at least, not deteriorate the indoor thermal comfort during the all year, even when system is off. One of the well-known problems in highly insulated buildings is that, if not correctly managed, they can undergo overheating issues, hampering the indoor environment livability. On the other hand, under discomfort conditions, occupants tend to react, making adjustments (operating the windows and/or the shading devices) in order to improve their thermal comfort, possibly compromising the building energy performance. In this paper the influence of the occupancy behavior on the definition of the cost-optimal level has been investigated on a set of reference buildings, representative of different building typologies, construction periods and windows orientations, located in two typical Italian climates, Milano and Messina, representative of respectively heating and cooling dominated climatic regions. A wide selection of energy efficiency measures has been evaluated, combining a genetic algorithm for the multi-objective optimization and a dynamic simulation code. The search of the best combination of strategies has been conducted optimizing energy efficiency, global costs and the indoor thermal comfort at once. At a first stage, the optimization has been carried out evaluating only the performance of the envelope, without considering the building management operated by the occupants. At a second stage, the optimization has been repeated including the user-operated building management. This allows evaluating the importance of an appropriate management of the building by the occupants, through windows and shading operation, and its impact on the definition of the optimal retrofit strategies. The comparison of the results of the two optimizations also highlights the possible performance gap between asset and tailored rating of refurbished buildings

Extensive Utilization Of Dynamic Simulation For Sensitivity Analysis And Optimization Design Of Refurbishment Measures

Statistics and, in particular, sensitivity analysis represent an important tool for the building designer to find information about which parameters have the largest potential in reducing the energy consumption or which are the most crucial to focus on in the different phases of the project process. The application of dynamic simulation to a large number of configurations (i.e. the extensive simulation) to find the optimal solution either considering only the energy aspects or also the economic impacts and not only to evaluate a small set of possible alternatives, represents in that perspective a new approach to the building design, in particular for refurbishment considerations. This work aims to evaluate and generalize this kind of approach with its application to the refurbishment of residential buildings. The considered design solutions represent the most common measures of improvement of the performance of opaque and transparent envelope, such as the insulation level of walls and windows and the solar properties of the glazings. Different starting cases characterized by different envelope thermal inertia, corresponding to three massive materials (timber, clay and concrete), and different geometrical features were studied. A large number of environmental conditions, envelope characteristics and refurbishment interventions have been analyzed within a factorial simulation plan. Among those parameters, the ratios between the dispersing envelope and the volume conditioned (considering 3 different floors of a building – the top, the intermediate and the ground floor), the windows size (small or large size) and their distribution (South, East or West oriented), the level of insulation of the opaque envelope (starting cases without insulation, poor insulated and high insulated cases) and the kind of glazings (starting cases with single glasses and improved cases with double or triple glasses with high or low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, SHGC) have been examined. Three Italian climates (Milan in the North, Rome in the center region and Messina in the South) were considered as representative of the Southern Europe. The inferential statistical analysis has been used to identify the predominant factors in each refurbishment solution and the economical savings both in heating and in cooling

Enhancing the Energy and Non-Energy Performance of Existing Buildings: a Multi-Objective Approach

A wide selection of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) are technically available to improve the energy performance of existing buildings, each of which can be applied to a different extent. The definition of the best combination of retrofit strategies is generally pursued through the balance of economic and energy targets. The so-called cost-optimal approach proposed by the recent European Union legislation, takes into account those two perspectives by minimizing the net present value, a utility function that accounts for both investment and operational costs along the lifespan of the renovated building. What this approach does not consider are some different performance aspects, although related to the same EEMs, and in particular the occupant well-being. In this framework, the definition of the best retrofit strategies should consider three objectives characterized by a competing nature: the energy savings, the economic advantage and the indoor thermal comfort. The aim of this work is to evaluate a consistent number of possible EEMs in order to define the optimal combinations considering also the effect of the government subsidies. The multi-objective analysis has been implemented by means of a Genetic Algorithm coupled with a simulation code. The analysis has been conducted on a set of reference buildings obtained by introducing some variations to an uninsulated single-storey residential module of 100 m2. The windows orientation and the ratio between dispersing envelope and conditioned volume are modified in order to simulate different reference buildings and to study their relation with the optimal solutions. Moreover, two different climates have been considered as representative of the Southern Europe: Milano and Messina. The indoor air temperature is controlled during the winter season, while during summer season the air temperature is free floating. The evaluation of the long-term comfort performance is defined by means of the Discomfort Weighted Time (WDT) index as proposed by the Standard EN 15251:2007. The number of occupied hours during which the actual operative temperature lays outside the specified comfort range are weighted by a weighting factor which depends on by how many degrees the operative temperature is outside the range. The definition of the acceptable ranges depends on the presence of HVAC system: when the HVAC system works the actual operative temperature is compared with a fixed operative temperature comfort range, established according to the Standard, while when the air is not conditioned the assessment of the indoor thermal comfort is implemented considering the adaptive comfort approach. The assessment of the thermal comfort during the summer season has been used to evaluate the impact of the adopted solutions. The entity of the government subsides required to improve the economic profitability of the Pareto solutions has been evaluated and the impact of different incentives scenarios on the composition of the Pareto front have been then tested repeating the Multi-objective analysis

Multi-stage calibration of the simulation model of a school building through short-term monitoring

The increasing attention on the improvement of new and existing buildings’ performance is emphasizing the importance of the reliability of the simulation models in predicting the complexity of the building behaviour and, consequently, in some advanced applications of building simulation, such as the optimization of the choice of different Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) or the adoption of model predictive control strategies. The reliability of the energy model does not depend only on the quality and details of the model itself, but also on the uncertainty related to many input values, such as the physical properties of materials and components, the information on the building management and occupation, and the boundary conditions considered for the simulation. Especially for the existing buildings, this kind of data is often missing or characterized by high uncertainty, and only very simplified behavioural models of occupancy are available. This could compromise the optimization process and undermine the potential of building simulation. In this context, the calibration of the simulation model by means of on-site monitoring is of crucial importance to increase the reliability of the predictions, and to take better decisions, even though this process can be time consuming. This work presents a multi-stage methodology to calibrate the building energy simulation by means of low-cost monitoring and short-term measurements. This approach is applied to a Primary School in the North-East of Italy, which has been monitored from December 2012 to April 2014. Four monitoring periods have been selected to calibrate different sets of variables at a time, while the validation has been carried out on two different periods. The results show that even if less than 8 weeks have been considered in the proposed calibration approach, the maximum error in the estimation of the temperature is less than ±0.5 in 77.3% of the timesteps in the validation period

Final nanoparticle size distribution under unusual parameter regimes

We explore the large-scale behavior of a stochastic model for nanoparticle growth in an unusual parameter regime. This model encompasses two types of reactions: nucleation, where n monomers aggregate to form a nanoparticle, and growth, where a nanoparticle increases its size by consuming a monomer. Reverse reactions are disregarded. We delve into a previously unexplored parameter regime. Specifically, we consider a scenario where the growth rate of the first newly formed particle is of the same order of magnitude as the nucleation rate, in contrast to the classical scenario where, in the initial stage, nucleation dominates over growth. In this regime, we investigate the final size distribution as the initial number of monomers tends to infinity through extensive simulation studies utilizing state-of-the-art stochastic simulation methods with an efficient implementation and supported by high-performance computing infrastructure. We observe the emergence of a deterministic limit for the particle's final size density. To scale up the initial number of monomers to approximate the magnitudes encountered in real experiments, we introduce a novel approximation process aimed at faster simulation. Remarkably, this approximating process yields a final size distribution that becomes very close to that of the original process when the available monomers approach infinity. Simulations of the approximating process further support the conjecture of the emergence of a deterministic limit

Geochemical Proxies and Mineralogical Fingerprints of Sedimentary Processes in a Closed Shallow Lake Basin Since 1850

AbstractLake systems are essential for the environment, the biosphere, and humans but are highly impacted by anthropogenic activities accentuated by climate change. Understanding how lake ecosystems change due to human impacts and natural forces is crucial to managing their current state and possible future restoration. The high sensitivity of shallow closed lakes to natural and anthropogenic forcing makes these lacustrine ecosystems highly prone to variations in precipitation and sedimentation processes. These variation processes, occurring in the water column, produce geochemical markers or proxies recorded in lake sedimentary archives. This study investigated specific proxies on high-resolution sedimentary archives (2–3 years resolution) of the Trasimeno lake (Central Italy). The Trasimeno lake underwent three different hydrological phases during the twentieth century due to several fluctuations induced mainly by human activities and climate change. The Trasimeno lake, a large and shallow basin located in the Mediterranean area, is a good case study to assess the effects of intense anthropogenic activity related to agriculture, tourism, industry, and climate changes during the Anthropocene. The aim is to identify the main characteristics of the main sedimentary events in the lake during the last 150 years, determining the concentrations of major and trace elements, the amount of organic matter, and the mineralogical composition of the sediments. This type of work demonstrates that studying sediment archives at high resolution is a viable method for reconstructing the lake's history through the evolution/trends of the geochemical proxies stored in the sediment records. This effort makes it possible to assess past anthropogenic impact and, under the objectives of the European Green Deal (zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment), to monitor, prevent, and remedy pollution related to soil and water compartments. Graphical abstrac

Innate immunity in myasthenia gravis thymus: Pathogenic effects of Toll-like receptor 4 signaling on autoimmunity

n/

Circulating tumor cells correlate with patterns of recurrence in patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and patterns of recurrence in patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. The study involved patients with histologically confirmed, advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma, who were tested for CTCs (Veridex\uae) when they developed recurrence after radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation between 2008 and 2014. Forty-two prostate cancer patients were evaluated. CTCs were detected in 14 out of 42 (33.3%) patients (Group A), while the remaining 28 (66.7%) showed undetectable levels of CTCs (Group B). The mean prostate-specific antigen value was higher in Group A in comparison to Group B (6.2 vs 3.3 ng/dL) (P=0.48). Presence of bone metastases alone or along with nodal metastases was more common in Group A (57.1%) in comparison to Group B (25%) (P=0.04). In a univariate analysis, the presence of CTCs at diagnosis correlated with the development of bone recurrence (OR: 4; 95% CI: 1.0\u201315.9; P=0.05). Even if the study enrolled only a small number of patients, the detection of CTCs in the blood appears to correlate with the pattern of progression in patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, suggesting a possible role in anticipating recurrence at the bone in men with higher tumor load. Further prospective studies are warranted in this setting

medical prescription vs defensive medicine results of a questionnaire answered by members of the latina board of physicians surgeons and dentists

"Defensive Medicine" is intended as health practitioners' behaviour aimed at limiting any medical - legal disputes and in addition to limiting a doctor's responsibilities; specifically, DM is implemented by prescribing diagnostically useless tests, or by avoiding procedures that are potentially beneficial for the patient, but burdened by risk. The final effect of this medical conduct is to nullify the efficiency of health care, as well as increase times and costs. Our Group asked doctors registered with the Professional Board of Latina to answer a questionnaire aimed at investigating the perception of this issue and their behaviour in this regard, both in terms of prescriptions and insurance coverage. The results show a general attitude of distrust towards a disputed doctor and a series of behaviours aimed at avoiding such situations; the doctors interviewed asked for increased protection and less pressure in order to better carry out their work. ---------- Per "Medicina Difensiva" si intende una condotta, posta in essere dal personale sanitario, volta a limitare eventuali contenziosi medico – legali e finalizzata a limitare le responsabilità del medico; nello specifico, la MD si realizza attraverso prescrizione di esami inutili dal punto di vista diagnostico, ovvero tramite evitamento di procedure potenzialmente benefiche per il paziente, ma gravate da rischio. L'effetto finale di questa condotta medica è quello di vanificare l'efficienza dell'operato sanitario, aumentandone anche tempistiche e costi. Il Nostro Gruppo ha somministrato ai medici iscritti presso l'Ordine Professionale di Latina un questionario, volto ad indagare la percezione del problema esposto e il comportamento adottato a riguardo, sia in termini di prescrizioni che di copertura assicurativa. I risultati mostrano un atteggiamento generale di diffidenza nei confronti del contenzioso medico ed una serie di comportamenti volti ad evitare tali situazioni; i medici intervistati richiedevano una maggior tutela e una minore pressione, al fine di svolgere al meglio il proprio operato. ---------- "Medicina Defensiva" significa un comportamiento llevado a cabo por el personal de salud, dirigido a limitar cualquier disputa médicolegal y dirigido a limitar las responsabilidades del médico; específicamente, la MD se lleva a cabo prescribiendo pruebas innecesarias desde el punto de vista del diagnóstico, o evitando procedimientos que son potencialmente beneficiosos para el paciente, pero cargados por el riesgo. El efecto final de esta conducta médica es anular la eficacia de la atención médica, lo que también aumenta el tiempo y los costos. Nuestro Grupo ha entregado a los doctores inscritos en la Orden Profesional de Latina un cuestionario, dirigido a investigar la percepción del problema expuesto y el comportamiento adoptado al respecto, tanto en términos de prescripciones como de cobertura de seguro. Los resultados muestran una actitud general de desconfianza hacia el conflicto médico y una serie de comportamientos dirigidos a evitar tales situaciones; los médicos entrevistados requieren una mayor protección y menos presión, para realizar mejor su trabajo