Morphologic grading of emphysema is useful in the selection of candidates for unilateral or bilateral reduction pneumoplasty

Objective: Radiologic morphology of emphysema proves useful in the selection of candidates for bilateral reduction pneumoplasty. We developed a simple morphologic grading system capable of identifying subsets of patients who had maximal functional improvement after unilateral or bilateral operation. Methods: Fifty-two patients who underwent unilateral (n = 34) or bilateral (n = 18) reduction pneumoplasty were evaluated. Emphysema morphology was visually scored by digital roentgenograms and high-resolution computed tomography. In each lung, severity of emphysema (ES), heterogeneity (DHT) and hyperinflation (DHF) degrees, were assessed. Asymmetric ratio of emphysema (ARE) between the lungs was expressed as: higher ES/lower ES scores. Morphometric data were correlated with absolute preoperative-postoperative FEV1 change (Delta FEV1). Results: No difference was found between the unilateral and the bilateral group for ES and DHT. DHF was greater in the bilateral group (3.1 vs. 2.7, P = 0.02) whereas ARE was greater in the unilateral group (1.29 vs. 1.05, P = 0.0001). Stepwise logistic regression extracted as best predictors of maximal Delta FEV1, ARE (odds ratio = 238, Wald test P = 0.04) in the unilateral group, and DHT (odds ratio = 24, P = 0.03) in the bilateral group. Unilateral group Delta FEV1 was greater in patients with ARE greater than or equal to 1.3 (0.44 vs. 0.241, P = 0.02). Bilateral group Delta FEV1 was greater in patients with DEET > 1 (0.50 vs. 0.31 1, P = 0.03). No difference was found when comparing Delta FEV1 resulting from unilateral RP and ARE greater than or equal to 1.3, and bilateral RP (0.44 vs. 0.41 1, not significant). Conclusions: This morphologic grading system identified subsets of patients who had maximal functional benefit from unilateral or bilateral reduction pneumoplasty and might be useful in the preoperative screening of candidates for either approach. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V

Standby and Off-Mode Energy Losses In New Appliances Measured in Shops

Selina project website at http://selina-project.eu PDF available online at http://selina-project.eu/files/SELINA_book.pdfInternational audienceThis document provides an overview of the most important results of the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Project SELINA - Standby and Off-Mode Energy Losses In New Appliances Measured in Shops. Standby power is a general term commonly used to describe the low power modes in which many electrical and electronic products are, when not performing their main function. For more than a decade, it has been recognized that the energy consumption in low power modes for electrical and electronic products is an important issue because it represent permanent loads (sometimes up to 24 hours per day) of a huge number of products. With the 1 W standby initiative of the International Energy Agency (IEA), several low power mode measurement campaigns have been led on a regular basis in a number of countries outside and inside Europe Union (EU). Based on these results and on the Energy-using Products Study Lot 6, the EU has prepared new regulation to limit the standby and off-mode power consumption of non-networked household electronic and electrical equipment, which is being applied since January 2010. The IEE project SELINA carried out a large scale monitoring campaign in shops in order to characterise the low power modes of new appliances being sold in the EU market. In order to ensure consistency of the collected data, a common measurement methodology was developed and the same high resolution measurement equipment was used by all partners. This document analyzes the results of more than 6000 different equipments measured in the 12 EU countries involved in the project. Standby and off-mode values by product categories were analysed and compared with data from other regions of the World. The measurements were also benchmarked against the new 2010/2013 EU standby and off mode regulation thresholds and the impact of the EU regulation is discussed. It was found that 18.5% of the equipments, whose off-mode power was measured, do not respect the EU regulation threshold of 1 W. When the measurements are compared to the 2013 threshold of 0.5 W, this percentage raises up to 41.5%. Regarding standby mode input power, 31% of the measured products did not comply with EU regulation limit for the 2010 threshold. When the standby measured values are compared to the 2013 limit, the number of products over the EU regulation target increases to 66.4%. When comparing the 2009 and 2010 measurements, only a slight decrease of the share of appliances exceeding the EU regulation limits was observed. In parallel with the measurement campaign, an awareness study of the retailers was carried out. This survey helps to understand the customers' buying motivations and the influence of retailers' advice in their choices. The results of the survey show that, despite of retailer's consciousness about the energy consumption and energy labels of the products, other types of sales arguments like the appliance price or functionalities are more frequently used to sell a product. This could be due to lack of visible information in shops related to the equipment energy consumption. Furthermore, the results show that retailers try to adapt their advice to the customers' needs (price and product functionalities). The retailers admitted that publishing more information regarding the energy consumption of products and some kind of cost saving calculator/reference would make the clients to opt for more efficient equipments. Based on the survey results and on the analysis of different existing policies targeting electrical and electronic products in Europe, examples of policies to improve the low power modes situation of the EU market are reviewed. The survey on measures enhancing the market transformation towards more energy-efficient electrical appliances showed a wide range of actions and policy tools in the SELINA partner countries. In national workshops, which mainly took place in the late summer/early autumn 2010, these measures were presented and discussed with all relevant national stakeholders. In most countries, information campaigns (esp. brochures, leaflets, websites, and national labels) are the dominating measure type. In some countries, however, financial subsidies for very energy-efficient appliances, often paid by an energy utility and not by the government, play an important role, too (e.g. in the Czech Republic or Switzerland). In general, the impact of a financial programme is easier to quantify than the single impact of an information campaign, which often serves as an accompanying measure for regulations (labels, minimum efficiency standards) or fiscal and financial measures. International cooperation with key institutions outside the EU, involved in similar efforts, such as the IEA Implementing Agreement 4E (Efficient Electrical End-use Equipment) with an Annex on Standby, the Energy Star/EPA in USA, the Australia Standby Initiative and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, were used to promote synergies in the definition of common approaches to characterize the market and to define realistic and cost-effective performance targets which can be achieved in a short time frame. Special care is required when promoting low standby consumption products (without consideration of other attributes) to ensure that there are no perverse effects such as the inadvertent promotion of products with low active mode efficiency and high energy consumption. It is desirable to follow a vertical approach to standby, where low power modes are combined with active modes to give total energy consumption. This approach is particularly preferable for products where the total energy consumption is significant. The definition of usage patterns under such a vertical approach is necessarily product specific and this could vary by region or country. The new technologies offer many opportunities for energy savings potential but there are also some threats which need to be recognized and understood. There is a strong need to ensure that energy saving paradigms and strategies become a core consideration in future product designs. It is recognized that equipments connected to networks are of growing importance. It is recommended that increased efforts to compile data and measurements, of networked products, from a variety of sources in order to obtain better information on networked product characteristics, needs to be made. An online database was created so that everyone can access the input power values, in the different equipment low power modes, of the more than 6000 equipments measured. A Standby Calculator Tool was also developed and can be accessed through the project website. It can be used to calculate the consumed energy, the annual cost and the equivalent CO2 emissions. In order to compare the results in an easy way, a diagram that shows the energy consumption of the different models is presented. Furthermore, the values for the most efficient device are also showed, in order to have an additional comparison. One of the main objectives of this project was to identify effective market transformation policies initiatives targeted at all the key stakeholders involved in the manufacture, distribution, sales, purchasing and operation of appliances with standby and off-mode losses. As a result of the future policy actions that may appear after the end of the project, considering loads in networked mode, it is expected to achieve very large cost-effective savings of electricity (80 TWh projected by 2020) and carbon emissions (30 MTons of CO2 by 2020)

Theoretical comparison of innovative window daylighting devices for a sub-tropical climate using radiance

Daylighting in tropical and sub-tropical climates presents a unique challenge that is generally not well understood by designers. In a sub-tropical region such as Brisbane, Australia the majority of the year comprises of sunny clear skies with few overcast days and as a consequence windows can easily become sources of overheating and glare. The main strategy in dealing with this issue is extensive shading on windows. However, this in turn prevents daylight penetration into buildings often causing an interior to appear gloomy and dark even though there is more than sufficient daylight available. As a result electric lighting is the main source of light, even during the day. Innovative daylight devices which redirect light from windows offer a potential solution to this issue. These devices can potentially improve daylighting in buildings by increasing the illumination within the environment decreasing the high contrast between the window and work regions and deflecting potentially glare causing sunlight away from the observer. However, the performance of such innovative daylighting devices are generally quantified under overcast skies (i.e. daylight factors) or skies without sun, which are typical of European climates and are misleading when considering these devices for tropical or sub-tropical climates. This study sought to compare four innovative window daylighting devices in RADIANCE; light shelves, laser cut panels, micro-light guides and light redirecting blinds. These devices were simulated in RADIANCE under sub-tropical skies (for Brisbane) within the test case of a typical CBD office space. For each device the quantity of light redirected and its distribution within the space was used as the basis for comparison. In addition, glare analysis on each device was conducted using Weinold and Christoffersons evalglare. The analysis was conducted for selected hours for a day in each season. The majority of buildings that humans will occupy in their lifetime are already constructed, and extensive remodelling of most of these buildings is unlikely. Therefore the most effective way to improve daylighting in the near future will be through the alteration existing window spaces. Thus it will be important to understand the performance of daylighting systems with respect to the climate it is to be used in. This type of analysis is important to determine the applicability of a daylighting strategy so that designers can achieve energy efficiency as well the health benefits of natural daylight

Proof of Concept: A Relocatable Panelized Mass Timber Modular Building System Designed for Disassembly and Reassembly

Canada has been experiencing a housing crisis for several years now with specifically Ontario having the lowest housing supply in the country. To combat this crisis, several rapid housing initiatives and projects have been created; as a result, bringing modular construction back into the mainstream. Modular construction has been the method of choice for a significant portion of rapid housing developments due to its shortened on-site construction timeline and potential for repeatability. Developments in several locations are all designed and prefabricated off-site by a manufacturer and distributed to these locations streamlining the construction process. These projects thus far have focused on the need for rapid affordable and supportive housing in city centres; however it should be noted that with the progression of climate change and its inevitable effects (e.g., fires, flooding, etc.), particularly in more remote regions with limited access to resources, the focus on providing rapid housing should be expanded to include remote regions in addition to meeting the needs of those in cities. Further, the existing rapid housing and modular construction market has gravitated towards the use of traditional light-frame construction methods, steel frame, and in some cases (mostly in literature thus far) cross-laminated timber (CLT) as well as other mass timber products (e.g., glulam). Thus, a relocatable modular building, made using sustainable methods and materials, and designed to meet the conditions in urban, rural, and remote regions in Ontario could provide a solution for rapid housing that can be assembled, disassembled, and relocated to meet the varying housing demands across the province. To focus on the environmental sustainability aspect of the concept, a prototype was designed by implementing CLT wall and floor assemblies and compared to an equivalent light-frame wood solution to assess the feasibility of using mass timber of in this relatively small-scale application. The aim of this study is to design a panelized modular building prototype that can be disassembled, relocated, and reassembled to meet the housing demand (or demand for any other small-scale buildings) all over Ontario. A complete prototype design is conceptualized including a full panel set with associated assembly information to create three different configurations of the building. The structure consists of CLT panels and structural insulated panels (SIPs) and is designed to withstand the worst-case structural loading conditions in Ontario. A preliminary prefabricated building enclosure that would be pre-installed onto the structural panels is designed. Finally, novel connections that ensure the prototype can be disassembled and reassembled with ease are conceptually designed. An experimental testing program was developed to evaluate the durability of the CLT assembly and compare it to a light-frame equivalent system by loading wall-to-floor assemblies using the designed connection for the CLT system and a typical hold-down for the light-frame system. The testing included two phases, the first phase consisted of a monotonic test to failure to establish the actual capacity of the system, and the second phase consisting of a round of cyclic testing to the design load to simulate a service life, a series of drop tests to induce any damage that might occur during disassembly or transportation, and finally a monotonic test to establish the new capacity of the panel when compared to the capacity found in the phase 1 testing. Ultimately, the light-frame panel lived up to its reputation as the residential structural material of choice in Ontario and was able to be reassembled for the final monotonic test through which a reduction in lateral strength of approximately 12% was observed. The CLT system, when initially monotonically tested achieved a higher maximum load than the light-frame despite being designed for the same design load. Upon conducting phase 2 testing on the CLT system it was observed that no visible damage was caused by the cyclic testing and despite incurring some damage during the drop testing, the system was still easily reassembled for the final monotonic test. Overall, the CLT system saw a reduction in lateral strength of about 20% with a different mode of failure observed between phases 1 and 2. Finally, a preliminary life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on the CLT and equivalent light-frame building systems to investigate specifically the embodied carbon impacts of both systems. The LCA took into account the floor and wall panels of the structure itself, the fasteners between these components, and the insulation required for each system type (as this varies notably between a light-frame and CLT system). The roof panels were omitted from the investigation as the CLT prototype considered a SIP roof which is primarily made up of the same assembly as a light-frame roof and would yield similar LCA results. Further, the foundation system is omitted but would be consistent between the two systems thus also yielding similar LCA results. The initial LCA of the building considering each structure type indicated that the light-frame equivalent had less than half the associated embodied carbon emissions as the CLT prototype. Upon applying reuse parameters in a model to assess if the CLT becomes feasible in a scenario in which it is more durable (can withstand more reuses than the light-frame), it was concluded that the embodied carbon emissions of each system do not significant vary and are therefore comparable. It is ultimately concluded that the CLT system is a reasonable solution for a durable relocatable small building. The durability of the CLT; however, is only moderately improved over the light-frame equivalent based on the experimental testing conducted. The LCA has shown that while the system is comparable, several factors are to be considered and the outcome would ultimately depend on the duration of each use, the number of uses expected, and the carefulness with which the building is disassembled, relocated, and reassembled. Thus, while CLT provides a feasible solution to small scale relocatable buildings in certain conditions, it does not necessarily provide a clearcut improvement upon traditional light-frame construction

Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône). Parvis de l’église de la Visitation

Située dans le secteur sauvegardé en rive est de la rue Mignet, l’église de la Visitation fait l’objet d’un programme de restauration. La première tranche de travaux a consisté en la reprise des fondations de l’escalier du parvis dont les niveaux sous-jacents ont donné lieu à une fouille nécessitée par l’urgence absolue. Le sol géologique est apparu assez haut, entre les cotes 197,00 m NGF, à l’ouest et 198,27 m NGF à l’est. Ce substrat a été entaillé par une canalisation orientée E-O à laque..