Abstract:To analyze the effect of summer ventilation on the thermal performance and energy efficiency of buildings utilizing phase change materials (PCMs), this paper simulated the indoor temperature variation and energy saving performance of buildings constructed with PCM under different ventilation conditions from June to September. With EnergyPlus and degree-day method, 48 ventilation schemes, including eight ventilation periods (3 h per period) and six ventilation quantities (0.5 ac/h to 3 ac/h), were modeled and simulated in five cities located in different climate regions in China. According to the results, it is believed that the simultaneous use of PCM and ventilation can significantly improve the indoor thermal comfort and offer a good energy saving performance in summer. Considering the economic benefits, different optimal ventilation schemes (including ventilation periods and ventilation quantities) were suggested for different climate regions.

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The first solid-supported directed aromatic C-H activation/acetoxylation has been successfully developed by using palladium nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide (PdNPs/GO) as a catalyst. The practicability of this method is demonstrated by simple preparation of catalyst, high catalytic efficiency, wide functional group tolerance, and easy scale up of the reaction. A hot filtration test and Hg(0) poisoning test indicate the heterogeneous nature of the catalytic active species.

We hypothesize that aromatase, an enzyme that regulates estrogen production, plays a significant role in the control of intraocular pressure (IOP) and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To begin to test our hypothesis, we examined the impact of aromatase absence, which completely eliminates estrogen synthesis, in male and female mice. Studies were performed with adult, age-matched wild type (WT) and aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice. IOP was measured in a masked fashion in both eyes of conscious mice at 12 and 24 weeks of age. Retinas were obtained and processed for RGC counting with a confocal microscope. IOP levels in both 12- and 24-week old female ArKO mice were significantly higher than those of age- and sex-matched WT controls. The mean increase in IOP was 7.9% in the 12-week-, and 19.7% in the 24-week-old mice, respectively. These changes were accompanied by significant 9% and 7% decreases in RGC numbers in the ArKO female mice, relative to controls, at 12- and 24-weeks, respectively. In contrast, aromatase deficiency did not lead to an increased IOP in male mice. There was a significant reduction in RGC counts in the 12-, but not 24-, week-old male ArKO mice, as compared to their age- and sex-matched WT controls. Overall, our findings show that aromatase inhibition in females is associated with elevated IOP and reduced RGC counts.