Efficient summertime overheating analysis using decomposed weather files

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IBPSA via the link in this record.Overheating within European buildings is a big problem and the building design plays a significant role in any health-related outcomes. We show that heatwaves can be extracted from historic data based on how they affect buildings, rather than how they affect the external temperature. We propose a simple way of rating heatwaves based on the severity of their effect on the internal environment.The authors would like to thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for their support [Grant no: EP/M021890/1]

Using Kriging regression to improve the stability and diversity in NSGA-II

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IBPSANon-dominated sorting genetic algorithm version 2 (NSGA-II) is a multi-objective optimisation method. NSGA-II is often used to optimise the design of building. This paper details small improvements to this algorithm using ‘fitness approximation’ methods. Fitness approximation is used speed up the conversion of NSGA-II. Radial basis functions networks have been shown to be useful for this. Although there are many types of fitness approximation function that could be use for this purpose, Kriging methods have not yet been tested. In this paper, Kriging models are compared to standard NSGA-II. The results show that Kriging-based fitness approximation slightly improves upon standard NSGAII. More work is needed to test this method on different building types as well as more complex problems, such as those associated with HVAC design.The authors would like to thank for EPSRC for funding this research [Ref: EP/M021890/1

The implications of transporting architecture on human health

This is the author accepted manuscript.Where modern buildings are unable to maintain the internal environment to within comfort levels they often rely on mechanical systems to become habitable. This could be due to bad design or putting the building in an environment for which it is not suited. Due to climate change it is likely that all buildings will in effect and time be moved to an environment for which it is not suited. In this work the effects of changes in climate on the internal environment will be explored and an index to define how moveable a construction might be, will be developed.The authors would like to thank the EPSRC for their support [grant ref: EP/J002380/1

A comparison between Gaussian Process emulation and Genetic Algorithms for optimising energy use of buildings

Computing speed has increased greatly over recent years. Building designers can now simulate complex building models in a short time. However, even with short simulation times, building optimisation routines can still take too long for some applications. In this paper, we compare how well genetic algorithms (GAs) and Gaussian process emulation with sequential optimisation (GPESO) optimise a building to minimise the energy use. The GA approach performs a GA routine on an EnergyPlus model and the GPESO technique creates a Gaussian Process emulator (GPE) also based on the EnergyPlus model. The GPESO uses an expected improvement algorithm to sequentially improve the GPE. The results show that the GPESO technique outperforms the GA in terms of minimising the number of simulations required and the solution obtained.This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EPSRC grant number EP/J002380/1]

α-Allylation of α-amino acids via 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer

Copyright © 2009 Elsevier. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Tetrahedron Letters. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Tetrahedron Letters, 2009, Vol. 50, Issue 26, pp. 3400 – 3403 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.02.110A straightforward method for the radical-based α-allylation of proteinogenic α-amino acids is described in which the key step involves 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer from the C-4 position of an oxazolidin-5-one

The impact of local variations in a temperate maritime climate on building energy use

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis (Routledge) via the DOI in this record.We investigate the impact of local climatic variations on the energy performance of buildings by conducting simulations using weather files generated from high-resolution weather measurements covering 33 stations within a 77km2 area in southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Weather files were created by resampling and cleaning the data and applying appropriate models to obtain unmeasured values. The difference in microclimate has been analysed statistically and graphically; average annual temperature varies by around 1°C, and at certain times there is a 6°C variation across the (very small) region. Building energy simulations of a small naturally-ventilated office building and a larger air-conditioned building were performed using EnergyPlus for all weather files. Significant variation is found spatially and temporally which would have substantial implications for building design and energy use. The variation in annual heating energy use is +/- 5% of the mean, equivalent to 18kWh/m2 /a, with even greater relative variation in cooling energy use.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - The creation of localized current and future weather for the built environment (EP/M022099/1

Protein kinase C is essential for viability of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

This is the final version of the article. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Protein kinase C constitutes a family of serine-threonine kinases found in all eukaryotes and implicated in a wide range of cellular functions, including regulation of cell growth, cellular differentiation and immunity. Here, we present three independent lines of evidence which indicate that protein kinase C is essential for viability of Magnaporthe oryzae. First, all attempts to generate a target deletion of PKC1, the single copy protein kinase C-encoding gene, proved unsuccessful. Secondly, conditional gene silencing of PKC1 by RNA interference led to severely reduced growth of the fungus, which was reversed by targeted deletion of the Dicer2-encoding gene, MDL2. Finally, selective kinase inhibition of protein kinase C by targeted allelic replacement with an analogue-sensitive PKC1(AS) allele led to specific loss of fungal viability in the presence of the PP1 inhibitor. Global transcriptional profiling following selective PKC inhibition identified significant changes in gene expression associated with cell wall re-modelling, autophagy, signal transduction and secondary metabolism. When considered together, these results suggest protein kinase C is essential for growth and development of M. oryzae with extensive downstream targets in addition to the cell integrity pathway. Targeting protein kinase C signalling may therefore prove an effective means of controlling rice blast disease.This work was funded by a BBSRC CASE PhD studentship to TJP with support from Syngenta and a European Research Council, Advanced Investigator Award to NJT under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no. 294702 GENBLAST

Distribution of the invasive bryozoan Schizoporella japonica in Great Britain and Ireland and a review of its European distribution

The bryozoan Schizoporella japonica Ortmann (1890) was first recorded in European waters in 2010 and has since been reported from further locations in Great Britain (GB) and Norway. This paper provides a new earliest European record for the species from 2009, a first record from Ireland and presence and absence records from a total of 231 marinas and harbours across GB, Ireland, the Isle of Man, France and Portugal. This species is typically associated with human activity, including commercial and recreational vessels, aquaculture equipment, and both wave and tidal energy devices. It has also been observed in the natural environment, fouling rocks and boulders. The species has an extensive but widely discontinuous distribution in GB and Ireland. Although found frequently in marinas and harbours in Scotland, it inhabits only a few sites in England, Wales and Ireland, interspersed with wide gaps that are well documented as genuine absences. This appears to be a rare example of a southward-spreading invasion in GB and Ireland. The species has been reported from the Isle of Man and Norway but has not been found in France or Portugal. In the future we expect S. japonica to spread into suitable sections of the English, Welsh and Irish coasts, and further within Europe. The species’ capability for long-distance saltatory spread and potential for negative impact on native ecosystems and economic activity suggests that S. japonica should now be considered invasive in GB and Ireland. As such, it is recommended that biosecurity procedures alongside effective surveillance and monitoring should be prioritised for regions outside the species’ current distribution

Leptin-induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation of peripheral arteries in lean and obese rats: role of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide.

Published onlineJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tAdipose tissue hormone leptin induces endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation mediated by nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHF). Previously it has been demonstrated that in short-term obesity the NO-dependent and the EDHF-dependent components of vascular effect of leptin are impaired and up-regulated, respectively. Herein we examined the mechanism of the EDHF-dependent vasodilatory effect of leptin and tested the hypothesis that alterations of acute vascular effects of leptin in obesity are accounted for by chronic hyperleptinemia. The study was performed in 5 groups of rats: (1) control, (2) treated with exogenous leptin for 1 week to induce hyperleptinemia, (3) obese, fed highly-palatable diet for 4 weeks, (4) obese treated with pegylated superactive rat leptin receptor antagonist (PEG-SRLA) for 1 week, (5) fed standard chow and treated with PEG-SRLA. Acute effect of leptin on isometric tension of mesenteric artery segments was measured ex vivo. Leptin relaxed phenylephrine-preconstricted vascular segments in NO- and EDHF-dependent manner. The NO-dependent component was impaired and the EDHF-dependent component was increased in the leptin-treated and obese groups and in the latter group both these effects were abolished by PEG-SRLA. The EDHF-dependent vasodilatory effect of leptin was blocked by either the inhibitor of cystathionine γ-lyase, propargylglycine, or a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) scavenger, bismuth (III) subsalicylate. The results indicate that NO deficiency is compensated by the up-regulation of EDHF in obese rats and both effects are accounted for by chronic hyperleptinemia. The EDHF-dependent component of leptin-induced vasorelaxation is mediated, at least partially, by H2S.The study was supported by the EU Project “The equipment of innovative laboratories doing research on new medicines used in the therapy of civilization and neoplastic diseases” within the Operational Program Development of Eastern Poland 2007 - 2013, Priority Axis I Modern Economy, Operations I.3 Innovation Promotion. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Synthetic use of the primary kinetic isotope effect in hydrogen atom transfer: generation of α-aminoalkyl radicals.

addresses: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, UKEX4 4QD. [email protected]: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tCopyright © 2010 Royal Society of ChemistryThe extent to which deuterium can act as a protecting group to prevent unwanted 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer to aryl and vinyl radical intermediates was examined in the context of the generation of α-aminoalkyl radicals in a pyrrolidine ring. Intra- and intermolecular radical trapping following hydrogen atom transfer provides an illustration of the use of the primary kinetic isotope effect in directing the outcome of synthetic C-C bond-forming processes