The energy consumption of buildings in urban areas is one of the greatest source of energy wasting and, consequently, ofincreasing of CO2 emission. Research is currently focused on the reduction of this consumption th...The energy consumption of buildings in urban areas is one of the greatest source of energy wasting and, consequently, ofincreasing of CO2 emission. Research is currently focused on the reduction of this consumption through the use of passive air-conditioning systems, that can be integrated with conventional systems and give rise to the so-called hybrid systems. Historically, these passive systems were developed in the Mediterranean and Middle East area. The research approach on this topic involves the application of design strategies and the development of computational tools and control systems. The development of the hybrid systems is the result of the synergy between current scientific knowledge, advanced manufacturing and information technology. In this study, a modular housing system has been investigated under different conditions. Simulations have been repeated, in order to identify the configuration that provides the highest indoor comfort. The analysis of the different conditions has been carried out using a CFD (computational fluid dynamic) software. The paper shows the results developed by the Dipartimento di Architettura of the Universit^t di Palermo in the analysis of the natural ventilation effect on the indoor comfort.展开更多
Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPMs) are widely used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. To estimate the overall effectiveness of TCPMs for CHB, we performed a systematic review of clinical re...Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPMs) are widely used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. To estimate the overall effectiveness of TCPMs for CHB, we performed a systematic review of clinical reports designed as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). One hundred and thirty-eight available RCTs and quasi-RCTs on 62 TCPMs, involving 16,393 patients, were included. The methodological quality of these trials was generally "poor". Few trials (6.52%) reported the methods of randomization correctly. Another common problem was the lack of allocation concealment, proper blinding, and the reporting of lost cases and dropouts. Forty-two trials (30.43%) on 27 TCPMs reported some anti-viral effect of TCPMs. Others reported beneficial aspects, including improvements of liver function (79.71% of the studies), liver fibrosis (29.99%), and CHB symptoms (92.75%). Forty-one articles (29.71%) reported mild adverse events with TCPMs but these occurred infrequently. In summary, the outcome of the report on currently registered TCPMs may be biased due to poor methodology. The data from these trials, therefore, is too weak to use in forming a recommendation for treatment of CHB. Nevertheless, five drugs (Dan Shen agents, Da Huang Zhe Chong pill/capsule, Shuang Hu Qing Gan granule, Fu Zheng Hua Yu granule and Cao Xian Yi Gan capsule) appear to be more effective than the other TCPMs.展开更多
文摘The energy consumption of buildings in urban areas is one of the greatest source of energy wasting and, consequently, ofincreasing of CO2 emission. Research is currently focused on the reduction of this consumption through the use of passive air-conditioning systems, that can be integrated with conventional systems and give rise to the so-called hybrid systems. Historically, these passive systems were developed in the Mediterranean and Middle East area. The research approach on this topic involves the application of design strategies and the development of computational tools and control systems. The development of the hybrid systems is the result of the synergy between current scientific knowledge, advanced manufacturing and information technology. In this study, a modular housing system has been investigated under different conditions. Simulations have been repeated, in order to identify the configuration that provides the highest indoor comfort. The analysis of the different conditions has been carried out using a CFD (computational fluid dynamic) software. The paper shows the results developed by the Dipartimento di Architettura of the Universit^t di Palermo in the analysis of the natural ventilation effect on the indoor comfort.
基金supported by Hunan Natural Science Foundation (09JJ3065)
文摘Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPMs) are widely used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. To estimate the overall effectiveness of TCPMs for CHB, we performed a systematic review of clinical reports designed as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). One hundred and thirty-eight available RCTs and quasi-RCTs on 62 TCPMs, involving 16,393 patients, were included. The methodological quality of these trials was generally "poor". Few trials (6.52%) reported the methods of randomization correctly. Another common problem was the lack of allocation concealment, proper blinding, and the reporting of lost cases and dropouts. Forty-two trials (30.43%) on 27 TCPMs reported some anti-viral effect of TCPMs. Others reported beneficial aspects, including improvements of liver function (79.71% of the studies), liver fibrosis (29.99%), and CHB symptoms (92.75%). Forty-one articles (29.71%) reported mild adverse events with TCPMs but these occurred infrequently. In summary, the outcome of the report on currently registered TCPMs may be biased due to poor methodology. The data from these trials, therefore, is too weak to use in forming a recommendation for treatment of CHB. Nevertheless, five drugs (Dan Shen agents, Da Huang Zhe Chong pill/capsule, Shuang Hu Qing Gan granule, Fu Zheng Hua Yu granule and Cao Xian Yi Gan capsule) appear to be more effective than the other TCPMs.