Thermal performance and environmental impact of residential buildings’ heating in Morocco

The seasonal energy requirements and fuel consumption for heating purposes in residential buildings are influenced by the architectural design, construction materials characteristics, meteorological temperature measurements, internal gains and air exchange rate of the building. The goal of this study is to assess the thermal performance and environmental impact of residential buildings’ in Morocco taking into account all these factors and considering two sources of energy: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity. The study concludes that the heating energy requirements for the prototype building vary between 2 and 253 kWh/m².year depending on localities, glazing type, glazing area percentage, the internal gains and the air exchange rates. The electricity consumption is 2.6 times greater than that of LPG in terms of kg oil equivalent, and by using LPG instead of electricity the emissions of greenhouse gases can be 3.4 times reduced.     

Effect of capsulorhexis diameter on glare disability

PURPOSE: To determine whether the diameter of the anterior capsulorhexis has an effect on postoperative glare. SETTING: Sapir Medical Center, Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel. METHODS: Forty patients had extracapsular cataract extraction (manual or phacoemulsification) through an intact continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) of various sizes. The CCC diameter was measured and the opacity of the anterior and posterior capsules was evaluated before and after dilation of the pupils. Glare test (Miller-Nadler glare tester) was performed with the eyelid in a normal position and after lid elevation. RESULTS: The diameter of the CCC ranged from 3.50 to 7.00 mm (mean 4.87 mm). The anterior capsule was always opaque in the area of contact with the IOL material. None was graded clear; 60% were graded as +3. Mean glare disability prior to pupil dilation was 12.1 +/- 8.8 (SD) and after dilation, 17.3 +/- 9.7. There was no correlation between glare disability and the diameter of the capsulorhexis, the width of the exposed opacified capsular ring, or the grading of capsule opacification (anterior and posterior). Dilation of the pupil significantly increased glare disability (P = .016), unrelated to CCC diameter. CONCLUSION: A CCC larger than 3.5 mm does not induce significant glare.     

Increased maternal corticosterone levels in rats: Effects on brain 5-HT1A receptors and behavioral coping with stress in adult offspring.

This study examined the consequences of elevated corticosterone levels in lactating rats on their offspring's serotonergic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A receptor system and behavioral coping with stress. The mothers received normal drinking water or water with corticosterone, which, via the milk, enters the circulation and brains of the pups, In adulthood, the corticosterone-nursed offspring showed a consistently more passive way of coping with environmental challenges. However, they did not seem to be more anxious. Autoradiographic analysis of the 5-HT1A receptor system revealed a decrease in the adult 5-HT1A receptor binding in the hippocampal CAI region. The results support the hypothesis that differences in behavioral coping with stress by adult rats are associated with differences in the serotonergic system. At the same time, it suggests that adult coping and its neuronal substrates are not solely determined by genes but depend on subtle developmental factors as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New capacitance–voltage model for linearly graded junction

In this work, we present a new model to derive charge and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics for linearly graded p–n junction under reverse polarization using pseudo-equilibrium approach. Furthermore, we propose a compact C–V model under any polarization for this junction type.     

New improved capacitance–voltage model for symmetrical step junction: a way to a unified model for realistic junctions

Based on the mass-action law, a new capacitance–voltage (C–V) model for symmetrical step junction is presented. Furthermore, we propose a unified C–V model for realistic junction and for any applied-voltage.     

Listing all maximal cliques in large graphs on vertex-centric model

The Journal of Supercomputing - Maximal Clique Enumeration (MCE), which consists to enumerate all maximal complete subgraphs in a given graph, is a fundamental problem in graph theory, and it is...     

Requirements analysis gamification in legacy system replacement projects

Requirements Engineering - The replacement of legacy systems in the public sector is fraught with project delays, budgetary overruns, technological and business process complexities. Moreover, the...     

Raman Mapping of the Indentation-Induced Densification of a Soda-Lime-Silicate Glass

Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to map the Vickers indentation-induced densification on a window glass (soda-lime silicate glass), from the correlation between Raman spectrum and density. Both top surface and cross-section of the residual imprints were investigated. It is shown that the sample preparation needed for the investigation of the in-depth densification does not alter the results. The maximum densification ratio measured is about 3.8%, which is 60% of the maximum densification measured after a high-pressure hydrostatic loading. Within the experimental errors, densification maps are self-similar for the two indentation loads used 10 N and 20 N. A comparison with finite element results based on a constitutive model developed for silica is discussed.