30 research outputs found
Exploring Artificial Intelligence Methods for Energy Prediction in Healthcare Facilities: An In-Depth Extended Systematic Review
Hospitals, due to their complexity and unique requirements, play a pivotal
role in global energy consumption patterns. This study conducted a
comprehensive literature review, utilizing the PRISMA framework, of articles
that employed machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for
predicting energy consumption in hospital buildings. Of the 1884 publications
identified, 17 were found to address this specific domain and have been
thoroughly reviewed to establish the state-of-the-art and identify gaps where
future research is needed. This review revealed a diverse range of data inputs
influencing energy prediction, with occupancy and meteorological data emerging
as significant predictors. However, many studies failed to delve deep into the
implications of their data choices, and gaps were evident regarding the
understanding of time dynamics, operational status, and preprocessing methods.
Machine learning, especially deep learning models like ANNs, have shown
potential in this domain, yet they come with challenges, including
interpretability and computational demands. The findings underscore the immense
potential of AI in optimizing hospital energy consumption but also highlight
the need for more comprehensive and granular research. Key areas for future
research include the optimization of ANN approaches, new optimization and data
integration techniques, the integration of real-time data into Intelligent
Energy Management Systems, and increasing focus on long-term energy
forecasting.Comment: 38 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables, systematic literature revie
The Ecological Impacts of Contaminated Sediment from Abandoned Metal Mines
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The OGL requires that users acknowledge the information provider and/or source of the information with an attribution statement.Pollution from abandoned non-coal (i.e. metal) mines is a serious impediment to rivers meeting the water quality targets set out in River Basin Management Plans. Recent work has identified the mines most likely to be causing a significant environmental impact and hence where efforts to prevent pollution need to be focussed. Yet, it is not clear to what extent rivers, and the animal and plant life they support, are impacted by the legacy of past pollution still bound up in river sediments. Work will be undertaken to reduce toxic metals in mine waters before they enter the river. However, if riverbed sediments are already contaminated and affecting life in rivers, the planned clean-up of mine water sources may not result in recovery of ecological condition. A controlled laboratory experiment was undertaken where river invertebrates (mayfly larvae) from an uncontaminated site were incubated with contaminated riverbed sediment collected downstream of an abandoned metal mine. Concentrations of metals in the tissues of the mayflies increased over the duration of the incubation, particularly those metals that were in high concentrations in the sediment, i.e. cadmium, copper and zinc. As the sediment was the only substantial source of metals in the experiment, it is apparent that the contaminated riverbed sediment was acting as a source of bioavailable metals. It is likely that contaminated sediments, including riverbed sediment, will act as a source of bioavailable metals, at least to benthic organisms, even where mine drainage water is treated to reduce metal concentrations. Metal toxicity occurs when the rate of metal uptake into an organism exceeds the combined rates of excretion and physiological detoxification. Current tests of metal toxicity on biota typically do not match in scale (temporal, spatial and taxonomic range) with assessments of ecological quality undertaken for management, which raises questions regarding the adequacy of environmental limits based on laboratory testing. Existing data were compiled describing geochemistry of riverbed sediment and the Biological Quality Elements invertebrates, diatoms, macrophytes and fish, collected by the regulatory authorities to assess the condition of rivers. As toxic effects of trace metals were not expected at low concentrations, the biological response to sediment metal concentration was determined using a threshold model. Thresholds were found for biotic metrics based on species richness, but other metrics (diatom EQR, macrophyte EQR and invertebrate ASPT) displayed implausible positive relationships with sediment metal concentrations and should not be relied upon for classification of ecological status in waterbodies affected by mining. New data were collected from 20 spatially-independent river catchments in areas affected by metal mine facilities, including samples of the macroinvertebrate community, bioavailability of metals (assessed as metal concentrations in the body tissue of tolerant taxa), and sediment metal concentrations. There were strong correlations between sediment metal concentrations and measured bioavailability, particularly for copper and lead. Measurements of bioavailable metals were related to changes in taxon richness in the invertebrate samples. The data were used to develop a new biotic index (MetTol), which can be used to assess the extent of ecological damage from metal contamination using standard invertebrate monitoring data, and to construct dose response curves based on species sensitivities. A number of approaches were used to establish tolerable limits for sediment metal concentrations based on ecological data, and the results compared with existing Canadian sediment quality guidelines. The limits for copper derived from ecological data were most consistent with existing sediment guidelines. The limits for other metals (silver, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead and zinc) derived from ecological data were up to an order of magnitude above the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. These existing guidelines, based on toxicological data, may be too precautionary, and we suggest that guideline sediment concentrations based on ecological data may provide a more appropriate level of protection for the environment
Glastir Monitoring & Evaluation Programme. Final report
Final Report to Welsh Government, prepared by CEH on behalf of the Glastir Monitoring & Evaluation Programme Team. The Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (GMEP) provides a comprehensive programme to establish a baseline against which future assessments of Glastir can be made. GMEP also contributes national trend data which supports a range of national and international biodiversity and environmental targets. GMEP fulfils a commitment by the Welsh Government to establish a monitoring programme concurrently with the launch of the Glastir scheme. The use of models and farmer surveys provides early indicators of the likely direction, magnitude and timing of future outcomes. The programme ensures compliance with the rigorous requirements of the European Commission’s Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) through the Rural Development Plan (RDP) for Wales. This report represents the final results of the GMEP programme which ran from 2012 to 2016
IS THERE A SAFE LEVEL OF LEAD EXPOSURE
Volume: 61Start Page: 103End Page: 10
View of Sandhurst [picture] /
Exhibited: Prints and Australia, Australian National Gallery, 1989.; S2606; U2304 NK2096/48 hand col
Post Office, Beechworth [picture]
Rex Nan Kivell Collection NK2096/47, NK1335.; U2303, ms. inscriptions; U2302
Bruce's quartz crushing machine, Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo [picture] /
Folded sheet of blue letter-head paper.; Rex Nan Kivell Collection NK6338.; S2591; S2599; U2435