Estudo da contribuição de um sistema de ar condicionado com distribuição de ar pelo piso para a remoção de particulados e dióxido de carbono do ar de um ambiente interno

É crescente a preocupação com a qualidade do ar em ambientes internos, dado que ela impacta na saúde e produtividade dos ocupantes. Alguns estudos relatam vantagens do sistema de ar condicionado com distribuição de ar pelo piso sobre os sistemas convencionais na remoção de poluentes do ar interior. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar, experimentalmente e em condições reais de uso, a contribuição de um sistema UFAD para a remoção de particulados e CO2 do ar de uma sala de aula do Departamento de Engenharia de Construção Civil da Escola Politécnica da USP. A verificação baseou-se em medições das concentrações de partículas na zona de respiração para pessoas sentadas e na exaustão do ar simultaneamente, sob seis diferentes valores de temperatura do ar preestabelecidos para a zona ocupada. Essas concentrações permitiram o cálculo do Índice de Efetividade na Remoção de Particulado (IERP) em diversos pontos do ambiente. Análise similar foi realizada para o CO2. As baixas concentrações do Total de Partículas em Suspensão (TPS) sugerem que esse sistema não dispersa particulados no ambiente. Os IERP próximos a 1,0 para TPS e CO2 mostraram a boa contribuição desse sistema em sua remoção, sob diversas condições de operação

A review of advanced air distribution methods - theory, practice, limitations and solutions

Ventilation and air distribution methods are important for indoor thermal environments and air quality. Effective distribution of airflow for indoor built environments with the aim of simultaneously offsetting thermal and ventilation loads in an energy efficient manner has been the research focus in the past several decades. Based on airflow characteristics, ventilation methods can be categorized as fully mixed or non-uniform. Non-uniform methods can be further divided into piston, stratified and task zone ventilation. In this paper, the theory, performance, practical applications, limitations and solutions pertaining to ventilation and air distribution methods are critically reviewed. Since many ventilation methods are buoyancy driving that confines their use for heating mode, some methods suitable for heating are discussed. Furthermore, measuring and evaluating methods for ventilation and air distribution are also discussed to give a comprehensive framework of the review

Chat and Shared Drawing Board for Pocket PCs with Bluetooth

The aim of the project is to design and implement an application for a pocket PC that allows users to exchange short text messages and provides shared drawing board. On the beginning of this work, there is described bluetooth technology which is used for data-tranfer. In the next part are mentioned Pocket PC platform and possibilities of communication. The main part describes implementation in Microsoft's eMbedded Visual C++. At the end, there are listed possibilities of future development

The evolutionary origin of human hyper-cooperation

Proactive, that is, unsolicited, prosociality is a key component of our hyper-cooperation, which in turn has enabled the emergence of various uniquely human traits, including complex cognition, morality and cumulative culture and technology. However, the evolutionary foundation of the human prosocial sentiment remains poorly understood, largely because primate data from numerous, often incommensurable testing paradigms do not provide an adequate basis for formal tests of the various functional hypotheses. We therefore present the results of standardized prosociality experiments in 24 groups of 15 primate species, including humans. Extensive allomaternal care is by far the best predictor of interspecific variation in proactive prosociality. Proactive prosocial motivations therefore systematically arise whenever selection favours the evolution of cooperative breeding. Because the human data fit this general primate pattern, the adoption of cooperative breeding by our hominin ancestors also provides the most parsimonious explanation for the origin of human hyper-cooperation

REHVA nZEB technical definition and system boundaries for nearly zero energy buildings. REHVA Technical Report n. 4

This REHVA Task Force, in cooperation with CEN, prepared technical definitions and energy calculation principles for nearly zero energy buildings required in the implementation of the Energy performance of buildings directive recast. This 2013 revision replaces 2011 version. In order to prepare general technical definitions, it was needed to clarify how onsite and nearby renewable energy production is included in the assessment and how primary energy factors are to be used. For the uniform methodology, general system boundary definitions were established with the inclusion of on-site and nearby renewable energy sources. Proposed methodology refers to the use of standard energy calculation input data and energy calculation rules in order to compare objectively the energy performance of different buildings for compliance assessment purposes within the building types listed in the directive. These technical definitions and specifications were prepared in the level of detail to be suitable for the implementation in national building codes. The intention of the Task Force is to help the experts in the Member States to define the nearly zero energy buildings in a uniform way in national regulation. The directive requires nearly zero energy buildings, but since it does not give any harmonized requirements as well as details of energy performance calculation framework, it will be up to the Member States to define them. The directive formulates nearly zero energy building as a building that has a very high energy performance and requires the calculation of primary energy indicator. The nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Based on the directive’s formulation, a zero energy building was defined as a building using 0 kWh/(m² a) nonrenewable primary energy. Following the current understanding that nearly zero energy buildings are not cost efficient yet, led to the prepared definition based on technically achievable energy performance. Nearly zero energy building was defined as technically and reasonably achievable national energy use of > 0 kWh/(m² a) but no more than a national limit value of non-renewable primary energy achieved with a combination of best practice energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies which may or may not be cost optimal. This definition allows to take into account local conditions, but to use the uniform methodology in all Member States. With these definitions and energy calculation framework specifications, primary energy indicator and renewable energy ratio can be calculated as required by the directive. Calculation principles are explained with worked examples in order to assure transparent understanding of the definitions

The Copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) Complex Cu-II(atsm) Is Protective Against Cerebral Ischemia Through Modulation of the Inflammatory Milieu

Developing new therapies for stroke is urgently needed, as this disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and the existing treatment is only available for a small subset of patients. The interruption of blood flow to the brain during ischemic stroke launches multiple immune responses, characterized by infiltration of peripheral immune cells, the activation of brain microglial cells, and the accumulation of immune mediators. Copper is an essential trace element that is required for many critical processes in the brain. Copper homeostasis is disturbed in chronic neurodegenerative diseases and altered in stroke patients, and targeted copper delivery has been shown to be protective against chronic neurodegeneration. This study was undertaken to assess whether the copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complex, CuII(atsm), is beneficial in acute brain injury, in preclinical mouse models of ischemic stroke. We demonstrate that the copper complex CuII(atsm) protects neurons from excitotoxicity and N2a cells from OGD in vitro, and is protective in permanent and transient ischemia models in mice as measured by functional outcome and lesion size. Copper delivery in the ischemic brains modulates the inflammatory response, specifically affecting the myeloid cells. It reduces CD45 and Iba1 immunoreactivity, and alters the morphology of Iba1 positive cells in the ischemic brain. CuII(atsm) also protects endogenous microglia against ischemic insult and reduces the proportion of invading monocytes. These results demonstrate that the copper complex CuII(atsm) is an inflammation-modulating compound with high therapeutic potential in stroke and is a strong candidate for the development of therapies for acute brain injury

Formation of ordered arrays of oriented polyaniline nanoparticle nanorods

10.1021/jp0503260Journal of Physical Chemistry B1092612677-12684JPCB