Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / In Brazil the insufficient investments in public politics on low income housing (LIH) and the urgency in solve the great housing deficit contribute to the low building quality of the housing, which historically presents problems regarding thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The occupants are the most affected with this practice, since, in order to improve their thermal comfort, they must use artificial conditioning, which is incompatible with their incomes. This research aims to evaluate the hygrothermal performance of single-family one-floor low income housing typologies in use located in Santa Maria, southern Brazil and the thermal comfort of occupants. For this study, houses under several solar orientations were selected in three different locations of the city. The method used for the evaluation of the performance is based in requirements and criteria obtained from the mathematic calculation of thermal parameters which consider the building performance in a global basis, such as the global heat flow coefficients, the radiant asymmetry, among others. Based on the results obtained, the houses can be classified according to the achieved performance. Furthermore, the perceived thermal sensation was evaluated through the application of a questionnaire during the winter and summer periods of 2012. The satisfaction degree was assessed according the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) proposed by Fanger and standardized by the International Organization for Standardization 7730 (ISO, 1994) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE, 2004). While questionnaires were applied, indoor and outdoor air temperatures and relative humidity were measured to compare against the opinion of the interviewees. Results show that the evaluated houses present a very unsatisfying hygrothermal performance as they do not show building envelopes compatibles with the local climate. Among all the evaluated houses, those from the Residencial Zilda Arns presented best performance due to the higher thermal resistance of the roof and the possibility of ventilation. Regarding the results of the survey, the calculated hygrothermal performance reflects the opinion of the interviewees, who consider their houses thermally uncomfortable for both winter and summer. The rooms pointed as the most uncomfortable have unfavourable solar orientation a either during the summer or during the winter. Interviewees pointed the cover as the main responsible for the thermal exchanges. Besides, the low constructive quality of the housings is noted through the high and low temperatures measured during the summer and the winter. / No Brasil, os escassos investimentos em políticas públicas de habitação de interesse social (HIS) e a urgência em sanar o grande déficit habitacional presente no país atualmente, contribui com a baixa qualidade construtiva das habitações que, historicamente, apresentam problemas de conforto térmico e eficiência energética. Os moradores são os mais afetados com esta prática, visto que, para melhorarem a sensação de conforto em suas habitações, necessitam utilizar a climatização artificial, muitas vezes incompatível com a sua faixa de renda. O trabalho proposto consiste na avaliação do desempenho higrotérmico de habitações térreas unifamiliares de interesse social da cidade de Santa Maria/RS. Tem como objetivo avaliar o desempenho higrotérmico de HIS térreas unifamiliares construídas e em uso na cidade de Santa Maria, RS e o conforto térmico de seus usuários. Para o estudo, foram selecionadas habitações com diferentes orientações solares em três conjuntos habitacionais da cidade. O método utilizado para a avaliação de desempenho baseia-se em requisitos e critérios, que são obtidos a partir do cálculo matemático de parâmetros térmicos que consideram o desempenho da edificação de maneira global, tais como o coeficiente volumétrico global de perdas e ganhos de calor, a assimetria da radiação térmica, entre outros. A partir dos resultados desta avaliação, as habitações podem ser classificadas de acordo com o desempenho alcançado. Além disso, a opinião dos usuários foi avaliada através de questionários que foram aplicados no período de verão e inverno de 2012. Levantou-se o grau de satisfação segundo o Voto Médio Estimado (PMV Predicted Mean Vote) proposto por Fanger e normalizado pela International Organization for Standardization 7730 (ISO, 1994) e American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE, 2004). Juntamente com a aplicação dos questionários, foram medidas as temperaturas internas e externas e as umidades relativas para comparar com a opinião dos entrevistados. Os resultados apontam que as habitações avaliadas apresentam desempenho higrotérmico insatisfatório, pois não apresentam fechamentos compatíveis com o clima local. Entre todas as edificações avaliadas, as habitações do Residencial Zilda Arns apresentam desempenho superior devido a maior resistência térmica da cobertura e a possibilidade de ventilação deste fechamento. Em relação aos resultados das entrevistas, pode-se perceber que o desempenho higrotérmico calculado reflete a opinião dos entrevistados que consideram suas habitações termicamente desconfortáveis para os dois períodos climáticos. Os cômodos apontados como os mais desconfortáveis são aqueles que possuem orientação solar mais desfavorável para verão e inverno. A cobertura foi apontada pelos moradores como o principal elemento responsável pelas trocas térmicas pela edificação. Além disso, percebe-se o mau desempenho térmico das habitações através das altas temperaturas mensuradas no interior das habitações durante o verão e as baixas temperaturas verificadas no inverno.

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Le travail présenté dans cette thèse porte sur le rôle du cortex prémoteur dorsal (PMd) au sujet de la prise de décision (sélection d’une action parmis nombreux choix) et l'orientation visuelle des mouvements du bras. L’ouvrage décrit des expériences électrophysiologiques chez le singe éveillé (Macaca mulatta) permettant d’adresser une fraction importante des prédictions proposées par l'hypothèse des affordances concurrentes (Cisek, 2006; Cisek, 2007a). Cette hypothèse suggère que le choix de toute action est l’issue d'une concurrence entre les représentations internes des exigences et des atouts de chacune des options présentées (affordances; Gibson, 1979). Un intérêt particulier est donné au traitement de l'information spatiale et la valeur des options (expected value, EV) dans la prise de décisions. La première étude (article 1) explore la façon dont PMd reflète ces deux paramètres dans la période délai ainsi que de leur intéraction. La deuxième étude (article 2) explore le mécanisme de décision de façon plus détaillée et étend les résultats au cortex prémoteur ventral (PMv). Cette étude porte également sur la représentation spatiale et l’EV dans une perspective d'apprentissage. Dans un environnement nouveau les paramètres spatiaux des actions semblent être présents en tout temps dans PMd, malgré que la représentation de l’EV apparaît uniquement lorsque les animaux commencent à prendre des décisions éclairées au sujet de la valeur des options disponibles. La troisième étude (article 3) explore la façon dont PMd est impliqué aux “changements d'esprit“ dans un procès de décision. Cette étude décrit comment la sélection d’une action est mise à jour à la suite d'une instruction de mouvement (GO signal). I II Les résultats principaux des études sont reproduits par un modèle computationnel (Cisek, 2006) suggérant que la prise de décision entre plusieurs actions alternatives peux se faire par voie d’un mécanisme de concurrence (biased competition) qui aurait lieu dans la même région qui spécifie les actions. / This thesis examines the role of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in the process of decision making (action selection) and visual guidance of arm movements. The work describes electrophysiological experiments conducted in awake monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and tests a number of important predictions suggested by the affordance competition hypothesis (Cisek, 2006; Cisek, 2007a). This hypothesis suggests that decisions can be viewed as the result of a competition between internal representations of conflicting demands and opportunities for actions or affordances (Gibson, 1979). Specific interest is given to the interaction between spatial information and expected value (EV) in a proposed affordance competition mechanism for action selection. The first study presented (article 1) explores how EV is represented during the delay period in PMd. This study also describes how this area reflects the spatial metrics of the options and examines the interaction between value and spatial information. The second study (article 2) explores the mechanism of action selection in more detail and extends the results to ventral premotor cortex (PMv). This study also addresses the nature of value and spatial representations from a learning perspective. In a novel environment the spatial metrics of the actions seem to be invariably present in PMd, meanwhile EV representations appear only once the animals make behaviorally informed decisions about the value of the available options. The third study (article 3) explores how PMd is involved in “changes of mind” in which action selection is updated following a movement instruction (GO signal). III IV The major findings in all these studies are reproduced by a computational model (Cisek, 2006) suggesting that decisions between actions can be made through a biased competition process that takes place in the same region that specifies the actions.

The topic of this diploma thesis is heating of apartment buildings, where an attention was focused on thermal comfort in heated rooms. The first theoretical part brings results of CFD simulations which compare radiators with floor heating. The second part consits of practical application o the given building. There are two options in this project - heating by radiators or floor heating. The third part describes two experiments - measurement of indoor environment in two rooms and measurement of gas consumption in apartment buildings with different heating concepts. In the last part the mean radiant temperature is simulated. There are compared different kind of heating, which have impact to distribution of mean radiant temperature in the room. The personal software was created for deeper understanding of mean radiant temperature.