Weeks In Summer Research Articles

Spatial timing of circulating seasonal influenza A and B viruses in China from 2014 to 2018

Major outbreaks of influenza virus occurred in China in 2017–2018. To describe the pattern of influenza circulation and timing of seasonal epidemics, we analyzed data from influenza-like illness (ILI) specimens on surveillance wards of sentinel hospitals during 2014–2018. Among 1,890,084 ILI cases, 324,211 (17.2%) tested positive for influenza. Influenza A virus (particularly A/H3N2), which circulates annually, was detected in 62% of cases, compared with influenza B virus in 38% of cases. The detection rate of A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Victoria, and B/Yamagata viruses were 3.56%, 7.07%, 2.08%, and 3.45%, respectively. Influenza prevalence was generally stable over the four years analyzed, but obvious outbreaks occurred in 2015–2016 (17.28%) and 2017–2018 (22.67%), with B/Victoria and B/Yamagata contributing to these outbreaks, respectively. In the south, a characteristic peak in infections was detected in the summer (week 23–38), which was not detected in the north. Influenza B was found high frequency in school-age children (5–14 years) with 4.78% of B/Victoria and 6.76% of B/Yamagata. Therefore, the epidemiological characteristics of seasonal influenza were complex in China during 2014–2018, presenting distinctions in region, season, and susceptible population. These findings underline the importance of enhancing year-round influenza surveillance and provide a reference for the timing and variety of influenza vaccination.

Comparing economic benefits of HVAC control strategies in grid-interactive residential buildings

Energy consumption in buildings continues to rise with increased deployment of energy-consuming equipment such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) amid a growing world economy. Renewable energy is projected to comprise a majority of the future electricity supply, but the intermittent nature of renewables means that consumption must respond to dynamic supply for optimal utilization. This paper proposes a novel HVAC control strategy for residential buildings using the adaptive comfort model, considering occupancy through probability and real-time information, and optimizing the HVAC schedule to reduce cost, maintain thermal comfort, and respond to the dynamic availability of renewable energy while being generalizable to different situations. To validate this approach, the Universal CPS Environment for Federation (UCEF) co-simulation platform is used to connect advanced building controls with the building energy simulation software EnergyPlus. Simulations are performed for a residential building in Sacramento, CA during a typical summer week. Economic impacts, energy consumption, and thermal comfort are analyzed for traditional, adaptive, and occupancy-based control strategies under demand-based, tiered, and fixed electric tariff systems. Simulation results show that occupancy consideration, adaptive thermal comfort, and optimization can reduce cost by 50.1 %, electricity consumption by 52.9 %, and discomfort by 56.2 % compared to traditional fixed setpoints. The ability of the proposed HVAC control strategy to shift energy consumption away from peak times under a demand-based tariff system is qualitatively analyzed and findings suggest that maximum load-shifting on a grid-scale is attained using occupancy consideration with optimized control and demand-based pricing. For individual residential buildings, similar economic benefits can be gained using the less-complex adaptive HVAC control strategy with existing tiered or simple electric tariff systems.

Species Enriched Grass–Clover Pastures Show Distinct Carabid Assemblages and Enhance Endangered Species of Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Compared to Continuous Maize

There is an urgent global need for the ecological intensification of agricultural systems to reduce negative impacts on the environment while meeting the rising demand for agricultural products. Enriching grasslands with floral species is a tool to promote diversity and the associated services at higher trophic levels, and ultimately, to enhance the agricultural landscape matrix. Here, we studied an organic pastures-based dairy production system with plant species enhanced grass–clover pastures with respect to the effect on the activity density, functional traits, carabid assemblages, and species richness of carabid beetles. To understand the effect of land management on carabid beetles, we studied two types of grass–clover pastures with low and relatively high plant diversities in an integrated crop–livestock rotational grazing system (ICLS). As a comparison, organic permanent grasslands and conventionally managed maize were studied. We installed pitfall traps for three weeks in early summer, and for two weeks in autumn. In total, 11,347 carabid beetles of 66 species were caught. Grass–clover pastures did not differ in activity density, functional traits, habitat guilds, or species richness, but conventional maize did show a higher activity density in autumn and a higher proportion of eurytopic species and mobile species compared to grass–clover pastures. On grass–clover pastures, we found more endangered species, Carabus beetles, and a distinct carabid assemblage compared to maize. However, we attribute the lack of an effect of increased plant diversity of the grass–clover pastures on carabid species richness and functional traits to the intensive grazing regime, which resulted in the compositional and structural homogeneity of vegetation. Still, the presence of specialized and endangered species indicated the potential for organically managed grass–clover pastures to promote dispersal through an otherwise depleted and fragmented agricultural landscape. By increasing crop diversity in ICLS, more resources for foraging and nesting are created; therefore, organically managed grass–clover pastures add to the multi-functionality of agricultural landscapes.

Changes in amount and length of periods of stereotypic behavior in Jersey cows with and without access to pasture

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the access to pasture affects the stereotypic behavior of Jersey cows kept in loose housing systems. Therefore, a total of 21 randomly selected Jersey cows housed in two different investigation farms were observed once a week for four weeks in winter and summer, respectively, using the focal sampling method. On every examination day, each cow was observed for 15 min and the amount (AP) and length (LP) of periods, in which the cows showed stereotypic behavior within this observation time, were counted. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were carried out to estimate differences between pasture access and no pasture access regarding AP and LP. Welch two sample t-tests were performed to detect differences in AP and LP between both investigation farms. The results of the study show significant differences between the option of pasture access and no pasture access regarding the values of AP and LP. The values of AP (p = 0.001) as well as the values of LP (p = 0.006) were lower when the cows had access to the pasture. No differences could be found between the investigation farms. It could be concluded that the access to pasture has a significant influence on the stereotypic behavior of Jersey cows. Further studies are needed to intensively analyze the causes of stereotypic behavior in Jersey cows.

Physical and Semen Characteristics of Mexican Creole Roosters in Summer and Autumn, at 19° North Latitude with a Constant Photoperiod

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the seasons (Summer and Autumn), on live weight, body condition, mass motility, percentage of live spermatozoa, and sperm-cell concentration of Creole roosters (Gallus domesticus) from Mexico. Semen from 35-week-old Creole roosters was collected weekly during 10 weeks in Summer and Autumn, through the dorso-abdominal massage technique. Roosters were individually kept under a constant photoperiod (16 hours light:8 hours dark). The average live weight was 4.5% higher (p<0.05) in Autumn (2.78 kg) than in Summer (2.66 kg), therefore this variable increased with age (r = 0.85, p<0.05). Category 2 of body condition occurred (p<0.05) with higher probability than the others (0, 1 and 3), being practically the same (p>0.05) in Autumn (99.96%) and in Summer (99.81%). On average (and in weeks 1 and 3-10), the percentage of live spermatozoa was higher in Summer than in Autumn. Accordingly, the percentage of live spermatozoa decreased with age (r = -0.82, p<0.05). However, on average, sperm-cell concentration did not change between seasons (p>0.05). In conclusion, Mexican Creole roosters showed higher percentage of live spermatozoa in Summer than in Autumn. Therefore, it is advisable to select these animals of about 2.7 kg and reproduce them in Summer.

Paired Indoor and Outdoor Nitrogen Dioxide Associated With Childhood Asthma Outcomes in a Mixed Rural-Urban Setting: A Feasibility Study.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is known to be a trigger for asthma exacerbation. However, little is known about the role of seasonal variation in indoor and outdoor NO2 levels in childhood asthma in a mixed rural-urban setting of North America. This prospective cohort study, as a feasibility study, included 62 families with children (5-17 years) that had diagnosed persistent asthma residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations were measured using passive air samples over 2 weeks in winter and 2 weeks in summer. We assessed seasonal variation in NO2 levels in urban and rural residential areas and the association with asthma control status collected from participants' asthma diaries during the study period. Outdoor NO2 levels were lower (median: 2.4 parts per billion (ppb) in summer, 3.9 ppb in winter) than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual standard (53 ppb). In winter, a higher level of outdoor NO2 was significantly associated with urban residential living area (P = .014) and lower socioeconomic status (SES) (P = .027). For both seasons, indoor NO2 was significantly higher (P < .05) in rural versus urban areas and in homes with gas versus electric stoves (P < .05). Asthma control status was not associated with level of indoor or outdoor NO2 in this cohort. NO2 levels were low in this mixed rural-urban community and not associated with asthma control status in this small feasibility study. Further research with a larger sample size is warranted for defining a lower threshold of NO2 concentration with health effect on asthma in mixed rural-urban settings.

Energy saving potential in open museum spaces: A comparative hygrothermal microclimates analysis

Open-spaces Museum consumes a significant amount of energy to provide stable indoor climate for valuable exhibited items. This paper evaluates the energy saving potential of using a local air-conditioning system in open-space museum using simulation-based hygrothermal microclimates analysis. The new Viking Age Museum in Norway is taken as a case study. IDA-ICE building simulation tool was used to evaluate the thermal performance and energy consumption. ANSYS-FLUENT software was employed to assess the indoor (thermo-hygrometric parameters) Tair and relative humidity (RH) distribution, in compliance with ASHRAE requirements for exhibition objects. The simulations were conducted by dividing the large-scale museum into two separate zones and investigating different HVAC systems. Case-1 was the base case, where the open exhibition room including the exhibition object (i.e., Viking ship), is conditioned by a single constant-air-volume air handling unit (CAV-AHU). Two separate CAV-AHUs served the ship as a microclimatic zone and the exhibition room in case-2. Cases-3 and 4 had CAV-AHU for the microclimate zone. Besides, a variable-air-volume air handling unit (VAV-AHU) and a radiant floor system are used to exhibition room in case-3 and 4, respectively. Each simulation was performed during two separate weeks in winter and summer. The results showed that case-4 achieves 48.2% and 55.9% total energy saving from the base system for the winter and summer seasons, respectively. CFD modelling showed that case-4 provides a good uniformity of the Tair and RH around the ship with Tair and RH variation of 1.4 °C and 3.7%RH in winter and 3 °C and 6.5%RH in summer.

Tethered balloon-borne profile measurements of atmospheric properties in the cloudy atmospheric boundary layer over the Arctic sea ice during MOSAiC: Overview and first results

The tethered balloon-borne measurement system BELUGA (Balloon-bornE moduLar Utility for profilinG the lower Atmosphere) was deployed over the Arctic sea ice for 4 weeks in summer 2020 as part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate expedition. Using BELUGA, vertical profiles of dynamic, thermodynamic, aerosol particle, cloud, radiation, and turbulence properties were measured from the ground up to a height of 1,500 m. BELUGA was operated during an anomalously warm period with frequent liquid water clouds and variable sea ice conditions. Three case studies of liquid water phase, single-layer clouds observed on 3 days (July 13, 23, and 24, 2020) are discussed to show the potential of the collected data set to comprehensively investigate cloud properties determining cloud evolution in the inner Arctic over sea ice. Simulated back-trajectories show that the observed clouds have evolved within 3 different air masses (“aged Arctic,” “advected over sea ice,” and “advected over open ocean”), which left distinct fingerprints in the cloud properties. Strong cloud top radiative cooling rates agree with simulated results of previous studies. The weak warming at cloud base is mostly driven by the vertical temperature profile between the surface and cloud base. In-cloud turbulence induced by the cloud top cooling was similar in strength compared to former studies. From the extent of the mixing layer, it is speculated that the overall cloud cooling is stronger and thus faster in the warm oceanic air mass. Larger aerosol particle number concentrations and larger sizes were observed in the air mass advected over the sea ice and in the air mass advected over the open ocean.

A novel geometric parameter to evaluate the effects of block form on solar radiation towards sustainable urban design

The utilization of solar energy plays an important role in coping with global climate change and low-carbon development. Solar radiation in the urban environment is affected by urban block geometry. The relationship between solar radiation and urban block geometry in Nanjing, which has a temperate climate, was studied in this paper. Two hundred generic models in eight typologies that represent a diverse range of urban block density and forms were examined. Seven geometric parameters and three periods of solar radiation on urban blocks, including a year, one typical week in summer, and one typical week in winter, were calculated. Four aspects of solar radiation were investigated at the block scale: (1) the relationship between urban density and solar radiation, (2) the solar radiation on different layout types of urban blocks, (3) the seasonal effect of solar radiation on buildings and open spaces, and (4) the potential of solar photovoltaic technology utilization in block surface. In addition to the obvious negative effect of density, this study indicated that the solar radiation on buildings and surrounding open spaces was significantly influenced by block form. Block surface ratios are the most influential geometric parameters for the solar radiation on buildings, while open spaces are more affected by sky view factor. The seasonal effect on solar radiation presents a much greater impact on open spaces than on buildings. This study highlights the important role that urban geometry plays in the on-site solar energy harvesting.

Combining photovoltaic double-glazing curtain wall cooling and supply air reheating of an air-conditioning system: Energy-saving potential investigation

To address the problems of PV facade overheating and air-conditioning cold-heat offset, this study proposed a novel PV double-glazing ventilated curtain wall system (PV-DVF) that combined PV cooling and dew-point air reheating. A case study was conducted based on an office building with a south-facing PV-DVF in Hefei, compared to one with a conventional PV double-glazing insulated curtain wall system (PV-DIF). This study mainly includes mathematical modeling and validation, performance prediction, and parametric analysis. During a typical summer week, the results reveal that the PV-DVF system achieved (1) a 4.64 °C drop in PV temperature and a 3.4 W (1.07 %) increase in power output, with 7.10 % electrical efficiency; (2) a 2083.22 W reduction in cooling energy consumption; (3) a 4431.81 W reduction in reheat energy; and (4) total electricity savings of 27.92 kWh/day. In the summer, the total electricity savings reached 1566.33 kWh, with an energy-saving ratio of 27.51 %. Furthermore, parametric study results show that properly increasing channel thickness and PV coverage ratio achieves better energy-efficient performance.

Variation in the diversity of bacterial communities and potential sources of fecal contamination of beaches in the Huron to Erie corridor

Understanding the diversity of bacteria and E.coli levels at beaches is important for managing health risks. This study compared temporal changes of the bacterial communities of Belle Isle Beach (Detroit, MI) and Sand Point Beach (Windsor, ONT), both located near the Lake St. Clair origin of the Detroit River. Water samples collected 4 days/week for 12 weeks in summer, were subjected to 16S rRNA analysis of amplicon sequencing and E. coli enumeration. Bacterial communities changed over time, as determined by cluster dendrogram analysis, exhibiting different communities in July and August than in June and different communities at the two beaches. After June, alpha diversity decreased and relative abundance of Enterobacter (Gammaproteobacteria) increased at Sand Point; whereas, Belle Isle maintained its alpha diversity and dominance by Betaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Contamination at both beaches is dominated by birds (23% to 50% of samples), while only ∼10% had evidence of human-associated bacteria. High E. coli at both beaches was often associated with precipitation. Nearshore sampling counts were higher than waist-deep sampling counts. Despite the dynamic changes in bacterial communities between the two beaches, this analysis based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing is able to provide information about bacterial types associated with high E. coli levels and to use bacterial sequences to more precisely determine sources and health relevance of contaminants.

Shelter use by horses during summer in relation to weather conditions and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence

National legislation requires shelter access for horses kept outside during winter, whereas there are no requirements for shelter access to provide shade and a refuge from biting insects during summer. This study investigated use of artificial shelters by 10 horse groups continuously for eight summer weeks (2019: 5 groups, 2020: 5 groups, n = 42, 3 – 5 horses per group). Shelter use was recorded every 30 min, using wildlife cameras mounted inside the shelters, i.e., 48 recordings per day for 56 days (a total of 2688 recordings per group where each horse inside the shelter was identified and its behaviour noted). Daily weather conditions were recorded, and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence was quantified one day per week using H-traps (i.e. eight trap catches per group). The groups represented a variety of compositions (horse breed, age, gender) and shelter types (design, size). Across all groups and shelter types, shelter use increased on warmer days and the daily rhythm of shelter-seeking behaviour changed; on warmer days, shelter-seeking increased significantly during the day, whereas night-time use was unaffected. Further, significantly more horses were inside on days with the highest trap catch of horseflies compared to days with the lowest catch. We conclude that regardless of group composition and shelter type, horses make increased use of artificial shelters on warm summer days. Since all horses had access to natural shade in their pastures and shelter temperatures were generally higher than outdoor temperatures, we suggest that the increased shelter use on warm summer days was related to nuisance from biting insects. This is supported by the higher shelter use on days with a high horsefly catch. We recommend provision of shelter access to horses kept on summer pastures with limited opportunities to seek natural refuge from biting insects.

Performance prediction of a novel double-glazing PV curtain wall system combined with an air handling unit using exhaust cooling and heat recovery technology

In solar buildings, the problems associated with indoor comfort and energy demand have garnered considerable attention, including overheating of BIPV systems, excessive cooling load, and cold-heat offset of HVAC systems. To address these problems, this study proposes a novel exhaust ventilation double-glazing PV curtain wall system (EVPV) combined with an air handling unit (AHU) based on waste heat recovery (HR). This hybrid system cools the PV curtain wall by utilizing exhaust air as a coolant. Additionally, the exhaust air is recycled to preheat the dew-point supply air and then precool the fresh air. Thus, solar energy is captured and converted into electricity and heat, while thermal energy is efficiently recovered. The system realizes superior electricity output, reduced cooling energy consumption, and remarkable reheat savings. For comprehensive performance prediction, a case study is conducted based on a restaurant building with a south-facing EVPV in Hefei, compared to one with a non-ventilation BIPV facade system without HR (NVPV). Based on the validated model, the results of a typical summer week operation indicate that the EVPV system can achieve (1) 7.87 kWh/day power generation and 7.14% PV efficiency, with 0.35% enhancement; (2) 7.68 kWh/day heat recovery from the PV double-glazing façade; (3) 8.41 kWh/day (62.31%) mitigation in reheat demand, 2.97 kWh/day (26.60%) reduction in room cooling load, and 39.94 kWh/day fresh air cooling capacity; (4) additional fan power of 16.29 kWh/day. In total, integrating the PV curtain wall with AHU using HR reduces overall energy consumption by 63.12 kWh/day (19.26%). Furthermore, the effects of air cavity depth and PV coverage ratio on the electrical and thermal behavior of EVPV are investigated. The results suggest that 0.08 m air cavity depth and a higher PV coverage ratio provide the building with a more promising energy-saving potential.

Framework to Enhance STEM Education for Community College Students

Community colleges (CCs) play a critical role in advancing the education of all learners. Approximately 40% of first-time college freshman begin in Community Colleges. The proposed framework seeks to support and excite CC students to persist in their STEM education to increase the pipeline for the STEM workforce. Its vision is to provide CC students engineering skills and to excite them about engineering research. The framework enables students to spend 10 summer weeks at Northeastern University to increase skills, confidence, and learn firsthand about research. Each student will join a research lab, working with faculty and graduate student mentors. Also, students will be mentored after summer to further support their successful graduation and/or transfer to a 4-year institution and beyond. The site is guided by two of the grand challenges of the National Academy of Engineering: personalized learning and scientific discovery. Unique aspects of the proposed framework include: a hands-on short course in engineering topics and software tools; formal mentor training including modules for mentoring CC students; daily student meetings with mentors; extensive professional development seminars; formal research training including daily reflection journals, poster presentations and technical writing with a faculty member; and recruitment from a unique pool of highly talented URM students.

Values-Based Interventions Increase Reenrollment and Equity among Community College Pre-Allied Health Students

Addressing labor shortages within nursing and allied health professions, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, requires increasing persistence and equity among community college students pursuing these fields. In this study, we adapted and combined three values-based interventions (values affirmation, goal congruence, and utility values) into one treatment, delivered via interactive text messages, with the goal to support reenrollment­ among pre-allied health students during the pandemic. Using institutional data from a statewide community college system, we randomized pre-allied health students who were enrolled in Fall 2019 and/or Spring 2020, and who had a valid mobile number on file, into treatment (n = 1,649) or control (n = 1,650) groups. Fully treated students received an average of 17 text messages over 8 weeks of Summer 2020; control students received business as usual support from the college. After adjusting for baseline differences in prior enrollment, the treatment significantly increased reenrollment by 3 percentage points (74% vs. 71%). Examination of individual differences revealed that effects were concentrated among men (+11 percentage points), Black/African American students (+7 percentage points), and students who were not enrolled in Spring 2020 (+13 percentage points). Values-based interventions, therefore, can be an important tool for addressing shortages and inequities in healthcare education and the labor force, an important step toward improving public health. Moreover, community colleges seeking to engage students who withdrew before or during the COVID-19 pandemic should leverage evidence-based practices to boost reenrollment.

Parametric optimization of multifunctional integrated climate-responsive opaque and ventilated façades using CFD simulations

The design and application of dynamic façades have gained attention in recent years as new high-performance building façade alternatives. In this study, the optimization of a novel opaque dynamic façade, the MICRO-V (Multifunctional Integrated Climate-responsive Opaque and Ventilated) façade, is investigated. This façade is comprised of different components to regulate the flow of heat, air, and moisture into buildings dynamically with daily and seasonal responses using an integrated ventilation module, phase change materials (PCM), and an adjustable insulation system. This façade acts as a decentralized ventilation system, in which the fresh air is pre-conditioned using the thermal energy storage provided by the PCMs, and the heat recovery inside the ventilation module. The aim of this paper is to optimize the conceptual façade design using parametric simulations by quantifying the performance of the MICRO-V facade. Multiple parameters, among which the geometry, the material properties, and the airspeed were tested. CFD simulations were performed in both the heating and the cooling seasons in a continental climate (Toronto, Canada). The pre-conditioning efficiency of fresh air in the façade was 73% in the summer week and 65% in the winter week. Including the PCMs to condition the air resulted in an average increase of air temperature in the winter by 3 °C, through solar gain storage, and helped to reduce the extreme temperature by 5 °C on extremely hot summer periods. The study showed the thermal resistance in the façade could be increased and decreased as a function of airflow in the façade, which is a potential way to control the overall heat gain and heat loss through the façade annually. The façade-scale simulations showed the necessity of this type of analysis prior to whole-building simulations to accurately represent the façade’s performance.

Gooaall!!!: Why we Built a Neuromorphic Robot to Play Foosball

For the past 25 Years or so, those of us who seek to mimic the brain's workings in silicon have held an annual workshop in the mountain town of Telluride, Colo. During those summer weeks, you can often find the participants unwinding at the bar of the New Sheridan Hotel on the town's main street. As far back as most can remember, there has been a foosball table in the bar's back room. During the weeks of the workshop, you'll usually find it surrounded by a cluster of neuromorphic engineers engaged in a friendly rivalry that has spanned many years. It was therefore almost a foregone conclusion that someone was going to build a neuromorphic-robot foosball table.

Assessing exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in two populations of Great Lakes Basin fish consumers in Western New York State.

Fish and other seafood are an important dietary source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure in many areas of the world, and PFAS were found to be pervasive in fish from the Great Lakes area. Few studies, however, have examined the associations between Great Lakes Basin fish consumption and PFAS exposure. Many licensed anglers and Burmese refugees and immigrants residing in western New York State consume fish caught from the Great Lakes and surrounding waters, raising their risk of exposure to environmental contaminants including PFAS. The aims of this study were to: 1) present the PFAS exposure profile of the licensed anglers and Burmese refugees and 2) examine the associations between serum PFAS levels and local fish consumption. Licensed anglers (n=397) and Burmese participants (n=199) provided blood samples and completed a detailed questionnaire in 2013. We measured 12 PFAS in serum. Multiple linear regression was used to assess associations between serum PFAS concentrations and self-reported consumption of fish from Great Lakes waters. Licensed anglers and Burmese participants reported consuming a median of 16 (IQR: 6-36) and 88 (IQR: 44-132) meals of locally caught fish in the year before sample collection, respectively (data for Burmese group restricted to 10 months of the year). Five PFAS were detected in almost all study participants (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFDA; 97.5-100%). PFOS had the highest median serum concentration in licensed anglers (11.6ng/mL) and the Burmese (35.6ng/mL), approximately two and six times that of the U.S. general population, respectively. Serum levels of other PFAS in both groups were generally low and comparable to those in the general U.S. Among licensed anglers, Great Lakes Basin fish meals over the past year were positively associated with serum PFOS (P<0.0001), PFDA (P<0.0001), PFHxS (P=0.01), and PFNA (P=0.02) and the number of years consuming locally caught fish was positively associated with serum PFOS (P=0.01) and PFDA (P=0.01) levels. In the Burmese group, consuming Great Lakes Basin fish more than three times a week in the past summer was positively associated with serum PFOS (P=0.004) and PFDA (P=0.02) among the Burmese of non-Karen ethnicity, but not among those of Karen ethnicity, suggesting potential ethnic differences in PFAS exposure. Great Lakes Basin fish consumption was associated with an increase in blood concentrations of some PFAS, and especially of PFOS, among licensed anglers and Burmese refugees and immigrants in western New York State. In the Burmese population, there may be other important PFAS exposure routes related to residential history and ethnicity. Continued outreach efforts to increase fish advisory awareness and reduce exposure to contaminants are needed among these populations.

A field experiment characterizing variable detection rates during plant surveys.

Surveys aimed at finding threatened and invasive species can be challenging due to individual rarity and low and variable individual detection rates. Detection rate in plant surveys typically varies due to differences among observers, among the individual plants being surveyed (targets), and across background environments. Interactions among these 3 components may occur but are rarely estimated due to limited replication and control during data collection. We conducted an experiment to investigate sources of variation in detection of 2 Pilosella species that are invasive and sparsely distributed in the Alpine National Park, Australia. These species are superficially similar in appearance to other yellow‐flowered plants occurring in this landscape. We controlled the presence and color of flowers on target Pilosella plants and controlled their placement in plots, which were selected for their variation in cover of non‐target yellow flowers and dominant vegetation type. Observers mimicked Pilosella surveys in the plots and reported 1 categorical and 4 quantitative indicators of their survey experience level. We applied survival analysis to detection data to model the influence of both controlled and uncontrolled variables on detection rate. Orange‐ and yellow‐flowering Pilosella in grass‐ and heath‐dominated vegetation were detected at a higher rate than nonflowering Pilosella. However, this detection gain diminished as the cover of other co‐occurring yellow‐flowering species increased. Recent experience with Pilosella surveys improved detection rate. Detection experiments are a direct and accessible means of understanding detection processes and interpreting survey data for threatened and invasive species. Our detection findings have been used for survey planning and can inform progress toward eradication. Interaction of target and background characteristics determined detection rate, which enhanced predictions in the Pilosella eradication program and demonstrated the difficulty of transferring detection findings into untested environments.

Comparison between Energy Simulation and Monitoring Data in an Office Building

One of the most important steps in the retrofitting process of a building is to understand its pre-retrofitting stage energy performance. The best choice for carrying this out is by means of a calibrated building energy simulation (BES) model. Then, the testing of different retrofitting solutions in the validated model allows for quantifying the improvements that may be obtained, in order to choose the most suitable solution. In this work, based on the available detailed building drawings, constructive details, building operational data and the data sets obtained on a minute basis (for a whole year) from a dedicated energy monitoring system, the calibration of an in-use office building energy model has been carried out. It has been possible to construct a detailed white box model based on Design Builder software. Then, comparing the model output for indoor air temperature, lighting consumption and heating consumption against the monitored data, some of the building envelope parameters and inner building inertia of the model were fine tuned to obtain fits fulfilling the ASHRAE criteria. Problems found during this fitting process and how they are solved are explained in detail. The model calibration is firstly performed on an hourly basis for a typical winter and summer week; then, the whole year results of the simulation are compared against the monitored data. The results show a good agreement for indoor temperature, lighting and heating consumption compared with the ASHRAE criteria for the mean bias error (MBE).