29 research outputs found
H-schools as the centre of the neighbourhood in the post-war Netherlands
No full textThrough both the lens of sustainability and current events, particularly the pandemic, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of adaptability and intensive use of buildings. In the Netherlands, one form of adaptability and intensive use emerged in the second half of the 20th century in school buildings. One of the main ideas is that schools should have not only supported various educational functions, but also social functions within their neighbourhoods. These new ideas manifested themselves in the H-schools in Amsterdam-West. Existing literature provides theoretical contexts regarding the H-schools. Through further evidence-based study, this thesis examines in what ways the H-schools in Amsterdam achieve their role as community centres. The findings of this research can be valuable for current day designs and plannings.AR2A011Architectural History ThesisArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Science
COVID-19 mortality and exposure to airborne PM2.5: a lag time correlation
No full textCOVID-19 has escalated into one of the most serious crises in the 21st Century. Given the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its high mortality rate, here we investigate the impact and relationship of airborne PM2.5 to COVID-19 mortality. Previous studies have indicated that PM2.5 has a positive relationship with the spread of COVID-19. To gain insights into the delayed effect of PM2.5 concentration (μgm−3) on mortality, we focused on the role of PM2.5 in Wuhan City in China and COVID-19 during the period December 27, 2019 to April 7, 2020. We also considered the possible impact of various meteorological factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and precipitation on pollutant levels. The results from the Pearson's correlation coefficient analyses reveal that the population exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 pollution are susceptible to COVID-19 mortality with a lag time of >18 days. By establishing a generalized additive model, the delayed effect of PM2.5 on the death toll of COVID-19 was verified. A negative correction was identified between temperature and number of COVID-19 deaths, whereas atmospheric pressure exhibits a positive correlation with deaths, both with a significant lag effect. The results from our study suggest that these epidemiological relationships may contribute to the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide insights for public health strategies.Shao, Longyi-will be generated-orcid-0000-0001-9975-6091-600Cao, YaxinJones, TimSantosh, M.Silva Oliveira, Luis FelipeGe, Shuoyida Boit, KátiaFeng, XiaoleiZhang, MengyuanBéruBé, Kell
Tariff-Based Optimal Scheduling Strategy of Photovoltaic-Storage for Industrial and Commercial Customers
No full textPhotovoltaic (PV) power generation exhibits stochastic and uncertain characteristics. In order to improve the economy and reliability of a photovoltaic-energy storage system (PV-ESS), it is crucial to optimize both the energy storage capacity size and the charging and discharging strategies of the ESS. An optimal scheduling model for PV-ESS is proposed in this paper, comprehensively considering factors in terms of energy cost and charging/discharging constraints of the PV-ESS. Moreover, the model employs a particle swarm optimization-backpropagation (PSO-BP) neural network to predict the PV power using historical generation data from a factory in Xiamen. The proposed two PV-ESS scheduling strategies are compared under three weather conditions. In the demand management strategy, the ESS can flexibly respond to different weather conditions and load demand changes, and effectively reduce the electricity cost for users
A review of single aerosol particle studies in the atmosphere of East Asia: morphology, mixing state, source, and heterogeneous reactions
No full textEmissions of anthropogenic air pollutants in East Asia significantly influence the regional climate, cause environmental deterioration and threaten public health. Single particle analyses have been widely applied to study aerosol particles collected on the ground and at elevated altitudes at mountains and by flights. Here we review current understanding on physicochemical properties, mixing state, heterogeneous chemical reactivity of individual particles in East Asia based on electron microscopy and mass spectrometry. We summarize the techniques of single particle analysis and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Morphology and composition of the major particle types in East Asia obtained by these techniques are briefly introduced and are further used to identify particle sources. The diversity, heterogeneity, and variable size of ambient particles make it challenging to understand how the precise single particle analyses are efficient in studying particle optical properties, hygroscopic behavior, related heterogeneous reactions and potential health evaluations. We highlight the combinations of laboratory and field studies, single and bulk analytical methods, and the integration of different single particle technologies that may be very powerful to obtain a more complete picture of single particles. These research results can improve our knowledge on the fundamental physical chemistry of aerosol particles and be further extended to study their environment and climate effects as well as health risk. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Shan-dong Provincial Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, China [JQ201413]; National Basic Research Program of China [2011CB403401]; Taishan Scholars [ts20120522]; International Cooperation and Exchanges NSFC-JSPS [41311140168]; Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University [2014QY001-02]; young scholars program of Shandong UniversitySCI(E)[email protected]
The effects of caveolin1 on β cell proliferation
No full textOur study aims to access the influence of caveolin1 (CAV1) on β cell expression profiles. We knocked down the expression of CAV1 in both NIT-1 cells and islets isolated from C57BL/6J mice using an RNA interference technique, which was realized by the transfer of an shRNA vector targeting CAV1 mRNA into NIT-1 cells or islets through latent virus infection. First, we identified the change in gene expression profiles in islets, in which the CAV1 expression level was down-regulated, as ascertained by mouse gene expression microarray, and the results showed that pathways related to β cell proliferation and pancreatic secretion functions were significantly influenced. The results of MTT demonstrated that the knockdown of CAV1 expression in NIT-1 cells promoted proliferation. The protein array results showed that pro-apoptotic cytokines were down-regulated in the NIT-1 cell line with CAV1 knockdown. These findings suggest that CAV1 might be involved in apoptosis and proliferation regulation in β cells, and therefore could be a potential target for the development of novel therapies for diabetes mellitus.</jats:p
Glucokinase activator improves glucose tolerance and induces hepatic lipid accumulation in mice with diet-induced obesity
No full textBackground and aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus remains a substantial medical problem with increasing global prevalence. Pharmacological research is becoming increasingly focused on personalized treatment strategies. Drug development based on glucokinase (GK) activation is an important strategy for lowering blood glucose. This study aimed to investigate the effect of GK activation on glucose and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese mice. Materials and methods: Mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks to induce obesity, followed by a GK activator (GKA, AZD1656) or vehicle treatment by gavage for 4 weeks. The effect of GKA treatment on glucose metabolism was evaluated using glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Hepatic lipid accumulation was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, Oil Red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy. The underlying mechanism of GK activation in glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver was studied using transcriptomic analysis, with a mechanistic study in mouse livers in vivo and AML12 cells in vitro. Results: GK activation by GKA treatment improved glucose tolerance in HFD-fed mice while increasing hepatic lipid accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis of liver tissues indicated the lipogenesis and protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway activations in GKA-treated HFD-fed mice. Inhibition of the ACC activity, which is an important protein in lipogenesis, attenuated GKA treatment-induced lipid accumulation and PERK-UPR activation in vitro. Conclusions: GK activation improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity while inducing hepatic lipid accumulation by increasing the lipogenic gene expression, which subsequently activated the hepatic PERK-UPR signaling pathway
Caveolin-1 Is Essential for the Improvement of Insulin Sensitivity through AKT Activation during Glargine Treatment on Diabetic Mice
No full textInsulin treatment was confirmed to reduce insulin resistance, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a functional protein of the membrane lipid rafts, known as caveolae, and is widely expressed in mammalian adipose tissue. There is increasing evidence that show the involvement of Cav-1 in the AKT activation, which is responsible for insulin sensitivity. Our aim was to investigate the effect of Cav-1 depletion on insulin sensitivity and AKT activation in glargine-treated type 2 diabetic mice. Mice were exposed to a high-fat diet and subject to intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Next, glargine was administered to treat T2DM mice for 3 weeks (insulin group). The expression of Cav-1 was then silenced by injecting lentiviral-vectored short hairpin RNA (shRNA) through the tail vein of glargine-treated T2DM mice (CAV1-shRNA group), while scramble virus injection was used as a negative control (Ctrl-shRNA group). The results showed that glargine was able to upregulate the expression of PI3K and activate serine phosphorylation of AKT through the upregulation of Cav-1 expression in paraepididymal adipose tissue of the insulin group. However, glargine treatment could not activate AKT pathway in Cav-1 silenced diabetic mice. These results suggest that Cav-1 is essential for the activation of AKT and improving insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic mice during glargine treatment
Adrenal Hemorrhage in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review
No full textAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder while adrenal hemorrhage could be its rare complication. Herein, we report the case of a 32-year-old unmarried woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was hospitalized after complaints of upper abdominal pain, limb weakness, and loss of appetite for 2 weeks. Laboratory examination revealed hyponatremia, low plasma cortisol levels, increased adrenocorticotropic hormone levels, and a positive anticardiolipin antibody status. Furthermore, computed tomography (CT) revealed the presence of bilateral adrenal masses. Ultimately, based on dynamic changes in CT images, these masses were diagnosed as adrenal hemorrhage owing to APS. A computer-assisted literature search was conducted to identify cases of primary adrenal insufficiency associated with APS and/or SLE. The clinical features, laboratory examination, treatments, and outcomes of these cases were summarized. Our findings emphasize the importance of screening for adrenal insufficiency in patients with SLE or APS who present with abdominal complaints, asthenia, and hyponatremia. It is also recommended to test for APS all patients with adrenal hemorrhage
Changes in Umami-Enhancing Nucleotides in White Mullet (<i>Ophiocephalus argus</i> var. Kimnra) Meat Stored at Ice Temperature
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ice-temperature (IT) storage on the umami-enhancing nucleotide content in white mullet (Ophiocephalus argus var. Kimnra) meat. White mullet dorsal muscle was used as the raw material, and 4 °C chilled storage was used as a reference. After determining the ice temperature (−0.6 °C) of the dorsal muscle, the effect of IT storage on its umami-enhancing nucleotides was investigated. The umami nucleotide levels, physicochemical properties (pH, muscle color, water-holding capacity, and cooking loss rate), glycolytic metabolites (lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and glycogen), and enzyme activities (lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, and 5′-nucleotidase) in the dorsal muscle were examined. The results indicate that IT storage significantly (p p < 0.05) higher IMP and GMP levels than chilled storage in the late storage stage. The accumulation of the bitter taste substances hypoxanthine (Hx), lactic acid, and pyruvic acid was reduced under IT storage. These findings demonstrate that IT storage effectively inhibits the degradation of umami-enhancing nucleotides and is beneficial for preserving the meaty taste of white mullet meat
