The phrase“health and well-being”includes various aspects such as social,psychological,and physical factors.The way we design,construct,and operate buildings greatly affects people and their experiences.Costs associ...The phrase“health and well-being”includes various aspects such as social,psychological,and physical factors.The way we design,construct,and operate buildings greatly affects people and their experiences.Costs associated with employees make up a significant part of expenses,and enhancing the well-being of those in the workplace can boost productivity.Optimizing buildings offers benefits,but it also presents challenges,particularly regarding energy consumption,material usage,and environmental impact.Eco-friendly buildings provide a solution to balance our comfort with the requirements of the environment.This article examines the impact of buildings on people and the environment,suggesting a framework for a“health performance indicator”to improve the research and practice of sustainable buildings,ultimately aiming to enhance both human and ecological well-being.展开更多
Recent experimental and theoretical studies show that energy efficiency, which measures the amount of infor- mation processed by a neuron with per unit of energy consumption, plays an important role in the evolution o...Recent experimental and theoretical studies show that energy efficiency, which measures the amount of infor- mation processed by a neuron with per unit of energy consumption, plays an important role in the evolution of neural systems. Here we calculate the information rates and energy efficieneies of the Hodgkin-Huxley （HH） neuron model at different temperatures in a noisy environment. It is found that both the information rate and energy efficiency are maximized by certain temperatures. Though the information rate and energy efficiency cannot be maximized simultaneously, the neuron holds a high information processing capacity at the tempera- ture corresponding to the maximal energy efficiency. Our results support the idea that the energy efficiency is a selective pressure that influences the evolution of nervous systems.展开更多
While the shortage of water and energy is a well-recognized worldwide natural resources issue, little attention has been given to irrigation energy efficiency. In this paper, we examine the potential energy savings th...While the shortage of water and energy is a well-recognized worldwide natural resources issue, little attention has been given to irrigation energy efficiency. In this paper, we examine the potential energy savings that can be achieved by implementing improved irrigation technologies in China. The use of improved irrigation management measures such as a flow meter, irrigation scheduling, and/or regular maintenance and upgrades, typically reduces the amount of water pumped over the course of a growing season. The total energy saved by applying these improved measures could reach 20%, as compared with traditional irrigation methods. Two methods of irrigation water conveyance by traditional earth canal and low pressure pipeline irrigation （LPPI） were also evaluated. Our study indicated that LPPI could save 6.48x 109 kWh yr1 when applied to 11 Chinese provinces. Also, the COz emission was reduced by 6.72 metric tons per year. Among these 11 surveyed provinces, the energy saving potential for two provinces, Hebei and Shandong, could reach 1.45 x 109 kWh yr^-1. Using LPPI, potential energy saved and CO2 emissions reduced in the other 20 Chinese provinces were estimated at about 2.97×109 kWh yr-1 and 2.69 metric tons per year, respectively. The energy saving potential for Heilongjiang, a major agriculture province, could reach 1.77× 109 kWh yr-1, which is the largest in all provinces. If LPPI is applied to the entire country, average annual energy saving of more than 9 billion kWh and average annual CO2 emission reduction of more than 9.0 metric tons could be realized. Rice is one of the largest users of the world＇s fresh water resources. Compared with continuous flooding irrigation, intermittent irrigation （ITI） can improve yield and water-use efficiency in paddy fields. The total increments of net output energy and yield by ITI in paddy fields across China could reach 2.5× 1016 calories and l07 tons, respectively. So far only a small part of agricultural land in China has adopted water and energy saving technologies. Therefore, potential water and energy savings in China by adapting improved irrigation technology could be significant and should be carefully studied and applied.展开更多
文摘The phrase“health and well-being”includes various aspects such as social,psychological,and physical factors.The way we design,construct,and operate buildings greatly affects people and their experiences.Costs associated with employees make up a significant part of expenses,and enhancing the well-being of those in the workplace can boost productivity.Optimizing buildings offers benefits,but it also presents challenges,particularly regarding energy consumption,material usage,and environmental impact.Eco-friendly buildings provide a solution to balance our comfort with the requirements of the environment.This article examines the impact of buildings on people and the environment,suggesting a framework for a“health performance indicator”to improve the research and practice of sustainable buildings,ultimately aiming to enhance both human and ecological well-being.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11105062,11275003,11265014 and 11275084the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant No LZUJBKY-2015-119
文摘Recent experimental and theoretical studies show that energy efficiency, which measures the amount of infor- mation processed by a neuron with per unit of energy consumption, plays an important role in the evolution of neural systems. Here we calculate the information rates and energy efficieneies of the Hodgkin-Huxley （HH） neuron model at different temperatures in a noisy environment. It is found that both the information rate and energy efficiency are maximized by certain temperatures. Though the information rate and energy efficiency cannot be maximized simultaneously, the neuron holds a high information processing capacity at the tempera- ture corresponding to the maximal energy efficiency. Our results support the idea that the energy efficiency is a selective pressure that influences the evolution of nervous systems.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31270748and91025008)the Shenzhen Science and Technologies Development Plan Program of China(JC201005280681A)
文摘While the shortage of water and energy is a well-recognized worldwide natural resources issue, little attention has been given to irrigation energy efficiency. In this paper, we examine the potential energy savings that can be achieved by implementing improved irrigation technologies in China. The use of improved irrigation management measures such as a flow meter, irrigation scheduling, and/or regular maintenance and upgrades, typically reduces the amount of water pumped over the course of a growing season. The total energy saved by applying these improved measures could reach 20%, as compared with traditional irrigation methods. Two methods of irrigation water conveyance by traditional earth canal and low pressure pipeline irrigation （LPPI） were also evaluated. Our study indicated that LPPI could save 6.48x 109 kWh yr1 when applied to 11 Chinese provinces. Also, the COz emission was reduced by 6.72 metric tons per year. Among these 11 surveyed provinces, the energy saving potential for two provinces, Hebei and Shandong, could reach 1.45 x 109 kWh yr^-1. Using LPPI, potential energy saved and CO2 emissions reduced in the other 20 Chinese provinces were estimated at about 2.97×109 kWh yr-1 and 2.69 metric tons per year, respectively. The energy saving potential for Heilongjiang, a major agriculture province, could reach 1.77× 109 kWh yr-1, which is the largest in all provinces. If LPPI is applied to the entire country, average annual energy saving of more than 9 billion kWh and average annual CO2 emission reduction of more than 9.0 metric tons could be realized. Rice is one of the largest users of the world＇s fresh water resources. Compared with continuous flooding irrigation, intermittent irrigation （ITI） can improve yield and water-use efficiency in paddy fields. The total increments of net output energy and yield by ITI in paddy fields across China could reach 2.5× 1016 calories and l07 tons, respectively. So far only a small part of agricultural land in China has adopted water and energy saving technologies. Therefore, potential water and energy savings in China by adapting improved irrigation technology could be significant and should be carefully studied and applied.
