The energy performance of radiant slab cooling relative to conventional air systems to be clarified for climates from cold and dry to very hot and humid. EnergyPlus simulations were used to compare the energy performance of 1) radiant slab cooling combined with a dedicated outdoor air system and 2) a variable air volume system. Simulation results show that the radiant slab system provided 10% t...

The objective of this article is to present summary findings of multiple research studies concerning evapotranspiration (ET) controllers. Each study provided unique information concerning the performance and implementation techniques necessary to ensure successful integration with irrigation systems to optimize scheduling for water conservation. Based on these studies, ET controllers have the p...

this paper discusses the results of the full-scale field measurement study to investigate the most efficient application strategy of the hybrid turbine ventilator (htv) in improving the indoor thermal comfort in hot-humid tropics. the effects of three different htv application strategies performance on improving the levels of indoor air temperature, relative humidity (rh) and air velocity were ...

background: sunlight is the main source of vitamin d; therefore, environmental factors might have an important role in the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis d in children. this study aimed to assess the vitamin d status according to the climate of the living area in a nationally representative sample of iranian adolescents. material and methods: this nationwide cross-sectional survey was perfo...

Analysis of stacked Permo-Pennsylvanian palaeosols from north-central Texas documents the influence of palaeolandscape position on pedogenesis in aggradational depositional settings. Palaeosols of the Eastern shelf of the Midland basin exhibit stratigraphic trends in the distribution of soil horizons, structure, rooting density, clay mineralogy and colour that record long-term changes in soil-f...

The development of modernity in early human populations has been linked to pulsed phases of technological and behavioural innovation within the Middle Stone Age of South Africa. However, the trigger for these intermittent pulses of technological innovation is an enigma. Here we show that, contrary to some previous studies, the occurrence of innovation was tightly linked to abrupt climate change...

655 Fresh water is under pressure in the humid tropics from population growth, land use and climate change, all of which are influenced by humans. These pressures are likely to have profound consequences. Here we present a research vision for the humid tropics as an outcome of a community workshop held in Hawaii in March 2011. This report includes various perspectives from the international sci...

Field experiments, conducted in 29 air-conditioned offices, used survey questionnaires and physical measurements to investigate workers’ subjective thermal responses and comfort perception. A total of 650 individuals participated in the field study. The thermal neutrality and thermal preference of subjects occurred at 25.6°C and 24.1°C respectively. Responses from those subjects suggest a comfo...