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There are no exact criteria for the architecture of openings and windows in office buildings in order to optimize energy consumption. Due to the physical limitations of this renewable energy source and the lack of conscious control over its capabilities, the amount of light entering offices and the role of daylight as a source of energy are determined by how they are constructed. In this study, the standard room dimensions, which are suitable for three to five employees, are compared to computer simulations. DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus are utilized to simulate the office's lighting and energy consumption. This study presents a new method for estimating conventional energy consumption based on gene expression programming (GEP). A gravitational search algorithm (GSA) is implemented in order to optimize the model results. Using input and output data collected from a simulation of conventional energy use, the physical law underlying the problem and the relationship between inputs and outputs are identified. This method has the advantages of being quick and accurate, with no simulation required. Based on effective input parameters and sensitivity analysis, four models are evaluated. These models are used to evaluate the performance of the trained network based on statistical indicators. Among all the GEP models tested in this study, the one with the lowest MAE (0.1812) and RMSE (0.09146) and the highest correlation coefficient (0.90825) is found to be the most accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with global geopolitical complex, information network security issues and increased natural disasters, risk management should be well considered in the construction material industry to re-integrate and establish stiff and flexible supply chains in order to cope with emergencies in the future market. Taking the construction material industry in Taiwan as the research object, representative enterprises with artificial intelligence applied sustainable supply chain management are studied. With the Delphi method and data envelopment analysis, the public data of annual statistics reports of the enterprises are used for selecting the performance indicators of inputs and outputs. Empirical data analysis is also performed to provide reference for the improvement. The research results are summarized as follows. 1. Substituting various input/output index values into CCR and BCC models, the overall production efficiency and pure technical efficiency of enterprises are calculated; by dividing the two, the returns to scale of enterprises are acquired. 2. Critical factors in artificial intelligence applied sustainable supply chain management could be found out through sensitivity analysis. Using the rate of sensitivity change as the evaluation baseline, sensitive factors contain financial aspect, scale aspect, financial performance, and profit before tax. Finally, discussions are proposed according to the results, expecting to help domestic businesses in the construction material industry establish steady and flexible supply chains and present diversified procurement sources to reinforce the emergency defensive ability of the construction material industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-noneamide), which is an active component in red chili peppers, is used as a chemopreventive agent that shows favorable cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that capsaicin preferentially inhibits a tumor-associated NADH oxidase (tNOX, ENOX2) that is ubiquitously expressed in cancer but not in non-transformed cells. This attenuates cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis. The capsaicin-mediated inhibition of tNOX was recently shown to prolong the cell cycle. However, the molecular events underlying this regulation have not yet been investigated. In the present study, we used a cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) to detect "target engagement" of capsaicin and its consequent impact on cell cycle progression. Our results indicated that capsaicin engaged with tNOX and triggered the proteasomal degradation of tNOX, which leads to the inhibition of NAD+-dependent SIRT1 deacetylase. Ultimately, the acetylation levels of c-Myc and p53 were enhanced, which suppressed the activation of G1 cyclin/Cyclin-dependent kinase complexes and triggered cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. The results obtained when tNOX was overexpressed in non-cancer cells validated its importance in cell cycle progression. These findings provide the first molecular insights into the regulatory role of tNOX and the anti-proliferative property of capsaicin in regulating the cell cycle of bladder cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer is one of the most frequent cancers among males, and its poor survival rate reflects problems with aggressiveness and chemo-resistance. Recent interest has focused on the use of chemopreventatives (nontoxic natural agents that may suppress cancer progression) to induce targeted apoptosis for cancer therapy. Capsaicin, which has anti-cancer properties, is one such agent. It is known to preferentially inhibit a tumor-associated NADH oxidase (tNOX) that is preferentially expressed in cancer/transformed cells. Here, we set out to elucidate the correlation between tNOX expression and the inhibitory effects of capsaicin in human bladder cancer cells. We showed that capsaicin downregulates tNOX expression and decreases bladder cancer cell growth by enhancing apoptosis. Moreover, capsaicin was found to reduce the expression levels of several proteins involved in cell cycle progression, in association with increases in the cell doubling time and enhanced cell cycle arrest. Capsaicin was also shown to inhibit the activation of ERK, thereby reducing the phosphorylation of paxillin and FAK, which leads to decreased cell migration. Finally, our results indicate that RNA interference-mediated tNOX depletion enhances spontaneous apoptosis, prolongs cell cycle progression, and reduces cell migration and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. We also observed a downregulation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in these tNOX-knockdown cells, a deacetylase that is important in multiple cellular functions. Taken together, our results indicate that capsaicin inhibits the growth of bladder cancer cells by inhibiting tNOX and SIRT1 and thereby reducing proliferation, attenuating migration, and prolonging cell cycle progression.