Modeling battery behavior on sensory operations for context-aware smartphone sensing.

PubMed

Yurur, Ozgur; Liu, Chi Harold; Moreno, Wilfrido

2015-05-26

Energy consumption is a major concern in context-aware smartphone sensing. This paper first studies mobile device-based battery modeling, which adopts the kinetic battery model (KiBaM), under the scope of battery non-linearities with respect to variant loads. Second, this paper models the energy consumption behavior of accelerometers analytically and then provides extensive simulation results and a smartphone application to examine the proposed sensor model. Third, a Markov reward process is integrated to create energy consumption profiles, linking with sensory operations and their effects on battery non-linearity. Energy consumption profiles consist of different pairs of duty cycles and sampling frequencies during sensory operations. Furthermore, the total energy cost by each profile is represented by an accumulated reward in this process. Finally, three different methods are proposed on the evolution of the reward process, to present the linkage between different usage patterns on the accelerometer sensor through a smartphone application and the battery behavior. By doing this, this paper aims at achieving a fine efficiency in power consumption caused by sensory operations, while maintaining the accuracy of smartphone applications based on sensor usages. More importantly, this study intends that modeling the battery non-linearities together with investigating the effects of different usage patterns in sensory operations in terms of the power consumption and the battery discharge may lead to discovering optimal energy reduction strategies to extend the battery lifetime and help a continual improvement in context-aware mobile services.

Energy Efficiency Through Lighting Upgrades

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berst, Kara; Howeth, Maria

2013-02-26

Lighting upgrades including neon to LED, incandescent to CFL's and T-12 to T-8 and T-5's were completed through this grant. A total of 16 Chickasaw nation facilities decreased their carbon footprint because of these grant funds. Calculations used were based on comparing the energy usage from the previous year's average and the current energy usage. For facilities without a full year's set of energy bills, the month after installation was compared to the same month from the previous year. Overall, the effect the lighting change-outs had for the gaming centers and casinos far exceeded expectations. For the Madill Gaming Center;more » both an interior and exterior upgrade was performed which resulted in a 31% decrease in energy consumption. This same reduction was seen in every facility that participated in the grant. Just by simply changing out light bulbs to newer energy efficient equivalents, a decrease in energy usage can be achieved and this was validated by the return on investment seen at Chickasaw Nation facilities. Along with the technical project tasks were awareness sessions presented at Chickasaw Head Starts. The positive message of environmental stewardship was passed down to head start students and passed along to Chickasaw employees. Excitement was created in those that learned what they could do to help reduce their energy bills and many followed through and took the idea home. For a fairy low cost, the general public can also use this technique to lower their energy consumption both at home and at work. Although the idea behind the project was somewhat simple, true benefits have been gained through environmental awareness and reductions of energy costs.« less

Managing time-substitutable electricity usage using dynamic controls

DOEpatents

Ghosh, Soumyadip; Hosking, Jonathan R.; Natarajan, Ramesh; Subramaniam, Shivaram; Zhang, Xiaoxuan

2017-02-07

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Managing time-substitutable electricity usage using dynamic controls

DOEpatents

Ghosh, Soumyadip; Hosking, Jonathan R.; Natarajan, Ramesh; Subramaniam, Shivaram; Zhang, Xiaoxuan

2017-02-21

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Energy consumption and usage characteristics from field measurements of residential dishwashers, clothes washers and clothes dryers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Y.L.; Grot, R.A.

1980-10-01

The measured energy consumption and usage characteristics for household dishwashers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers for ten townhouses at Twin Rivers, N.J., are presented. Whenever the dishwashers and/or clothes washers were in use, the energy consumption, water consumption, frequency of usage, and water temperature were measured by a data acquisition system. The electrical energy of electric clothes dryers and the gas consumption of gas clothes dryers were measured, as well as their frequency and duration of use, and exhaust temperature. Typical household usage patterns of these major appliances are included.

Walking at non-constant speeds: mechanical work, pendular transduction, and energy congruity.

PubMed

Balbinot, G

2017-05-01

Although almost half of all walking bouts in urban environments consist of less than 12 consecutive steps and several day-to-day gait activities contain transient gait responses, in most studies gait analysis is performed at steady-state. This study aimed to analyze external (W ext ) and internal mechanical work (W int ), pendulum-like mechanics, and elastic energy usage during constant and non-constant speeds. The mechanical work, pendular transduction, and energy congruity (an estimate of storage and release of elastic energy) during walking were computed using two force platforms. We found that during accelerating gait (+NCS) energy recovery is maintained, besides extra W + ext , for decelerating gait (-NCS) poor energy recovery was counterbalanced by W - ext and C% predominance. We report an increase in elastic energy usage with speed (4-11%). Both W - ext and %C suggests that elastic energy usage is higher at faster speeds and related to -NCS (≈20% of elastic energy usage). This study was the first to show evidences of elastic energy usage during constant and non-constant speeds. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Energy drink and other substance use among adolescent and young adult emergency department patients.

PubMed

Cotter, Bradford V; Jackson, Deidrya A E; Merchant, Roland C; Babu, Kavita M; Baird, Janette R; Nirenberg, Ted; Linakis, James G

2013-10-01

This study aimed to understand current patterns of energy drink use and compare the extent of usage of energy drinks and other commonly used and misused substances between adolescent (13-17-years-old) and young adult (18-25-years-old) emergency department (ED) patients. During a 6-week period between June and August 2010, all patients presenting to an adult or pediatric ED were asked to complete a computer-based, anonymous questionnaire regarding use of energy drinks and other substances. Wilcoxon rank-sum, 2-sample tests of binomial proportions, Pearson χ(2) testing, and regression models were used to compare energy drink and substance use by age groups. Past 30-day energy drink use was greater for young adults (57.9%) than adolescents (34.9%) (P < 0.03). Adolescents typically consumed a mean of 1.5 and young adults a mean of 2.6 energy drinks per day when using energy drinks and drank at most a mean of 2.4 and 2.6 drinks per day, respectively. Among adolescents, energy drink usage was more common than alcohol, "street" or illicit drugs, and tobacco usage, but less common than caffeine product usage. For young adults, energy drink usage was more common than "street" or illicit drugs, but less common than caffeine use, and similar to tobacco and alcohol usage. Young adult energy drink users were more likely than young adult non-energy drink users also to use tobacco and caffeine. Energy drink use is common among ED patients. Given the high prevalence of energy drink use observed, emergency physicians should consider the involvement of energy drinks in the presentations of young people.

Segmentation of Natural Gas Customers in Industrial Sector Using Self-Organizing Map (SOM) Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masbar Rus, A. M.; Pramudita, R.; Surjandari, I.

2018-03-01

The usage of the natural gas which is non-renewable energy, needs to be more efficient. Therefore, customer segmentation becomes necessary to set up a marketing strategy to be right on target or to determine an appropriate fee. This research was conducted at PT PGN using one of data mining method, i.e. Self-Organizing Map (SOM). The clustering process is based on the characteristic of its customers as a reference to create the customer segmentation of natural gas customers. The input variables of this research are variable of area, type of customer, the industrial sector, the average usage, standard deviation of the usage, and the total deviation. As a result, 37 cluster and 9 segment from 838 customer data are formed. These 9 segments then employed to illustrate the general characteristic of the natural gas customer of PT PGN.

Thermal storage system flops at Illinois State office building

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponczak, G.

1986-02-03

A thermal storage and electric resistive heating system in the new State of Illinois building in Chicago has used about 65% more electricity in its first year of operation than building designers originally predicted, according to state government sources. The state proposes to spend about $2 million to fine tune the system this year. Total first year electricity usage for the all-electric, 1.15 million square foot building was expected to be 18.7 million kilowatt hours (kWh). But according to recent energy bills, actual usage for the first year of operation, ending in December, was 31 million kWh, a usage overrunmore » that has cost the state of Illinois an extra $500,000. Some industry sources blame the thermal storage system and the electric heat system, which were untried when proposed in 1980, for much of the overrun, while others blame the building design.« less

Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)

EIA Publications

2028-01-01

EIA administers the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) to a nationally representative sample of housing units. Traditionally, specially trained interviewers collect energy characteristics on the housing unit, usage patterns, and household demographics. Data include energy costs and usage for heating, cooling, appliances and other end uses.

Optimization of a hybrid electric power system design for large commercial buildings: An application design guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Keun

Renewable energy in different forms has been used in various applications for survival since the beginning of human existence. However, there is a new dire need to reevaluate and recalibrate the overall energy issue both nationally and globally. This includes, but is not limited to, the finite availability of fossil fuel, energy sustainability with an increasing demand, escalating energy costs, environmental impact such as global warming and green-house gases, to name a few. This dissertation is primarily focused and related to the production and usage of electricity from non-hydro renewable sources. Among non-hydro renewable energy sources, electricity generation from wind and solar energy are the fastest-growing technologies in the United States and in the world. However, due to the intermittent nature of such renewable sources, energy storage devices are required to maintain proper operation of the grid system and in order to increase reliability. A hybrid system, as the name suggests, is a combination of different forms of non-renewable and renewable energy generation, with or without storage devices. Hybrid systems, when applied properly, are able to improve reliability and enhance stability, reduce emissions and noise pollution, provide continuous power, increase operation life, reduce cost, and efficiently use all available energy. In the United States (U.S.), buildings consume approximately 40% of the total primary energy and 74% of the total electricity. Therefore, reduction of energy consumption and improved energy efficiency in U.S. buildings will play a vital role in the overall energy picture. Electrical energy usage for any such building varies widely depending on age (construction technique), electricity and natural gas usage, appearance, location and climate. In this research, a hybrid system including non-renewable and renewable energy generation with storage devices specifically for building applications, is studied in detail. This research deals with the optimization of the hybrid system design (which consists of PV panels and/or wind turbines and/or storage devices for building applications) by developing an algorithm designed to make the system cost effective and energy efficient. Input data includes electrical load demand profile of the buildings, buildings' structural and geographical characteristics, real time pricing of electricity, and the costs of hybrid systems and storage devices. When the electrical load demand profile of a building that is being studied is available, a measured demand profile is directly used as input data. However, if that information is not available, a building's electric load demand is estimated using a developed algorithm based on three large data sources from a public domain, and used as input data. Using the acquired input data, the algorithm of this research is designed and programmed in order to determine the size of renewable components and to minimize the total yearly net cost. This dissertation also addresses the parametric sensitivity analysis to determine which factors are more significant and are expected to produce useful guidelines in the decision making process. An engineered and more practical, simplified solution has been provided for the optimized design process.

Market analysis and program for use for energy conservation manuals: a marketing plan. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-02-25

The FEA, with a mission to analyze total national energy usage, formulate policy, and stimulate actions that will increase domestic energy supply and decrease energy demand, decided to develop effective energy conservation manuals for decision makers in existing buildings. The manuals developed are: Building Owner's and Manager's Guide to Energy Conservation; Building Operator's Guide to Energy Conservation; and Architect's and Engineer's Guide to Energy Conservation. The background and scope of the entire project which led to the development of the manuals is discussed in the introduction of this publication. Part II, Market Analysis, provides insight into the character of themore » designated audiences for the manuals. Part III, Program for Use, is a marketing and promotion plan for the manuals.« less

TEP Power Partners Project [Tucson Electric Power

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2014-02-06

The Arizona Governor’s Office of Energy Policy, in partnership with Tucson Electric Power (TEP), Tendril, and Next Phase Energy (NPE), formed the TEP Power Partners pilot project to demonstrate how residential customers could access their energy usage data and third party applications using data obtained from an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) network. The project applied for and was awarded a Smart Grid Data Access grant through the U.S. Department of Energy. The project participants’ goal for Phase I is to actively engage 1,700 residential customers to demonstrate sustained participation, reduction in energy usage (kWh) and cost ($), and measure relatedmore » aspects of customer satisfaction. This Demonstration report presents a summary of the findings, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction with the 15-month TEP Power Partners pilot project. The objective of the program is to provide residential customers with energy consumption data from AMR metering and empower these participants to better manage their electricity use. The pilot recruitment goals included migrating 700 existing customers from the completed Power Partners Demand Response Load Control Project (DRLC), and enrolling 1,000 new participants. Upon conclusion of the project on November 19, 2013; 1,390 Home Area Networks (HANs) were registered; 797 new participants installed a HAN; Survey respondents’ are satisfied with the program and found value with a variety of specific program components; Survey respondents report feeling greater control over their energy usage and report taking energy savings actions in their homes after participating in the program; On average, 43 % of the participants returned to the web portal monthly and 15% returned weekly; and An impact evaluation was completed by Opinion Dynamics and found average participant savings for the treatment period1 to be 2.3% of their household use during this period.2 In total, the program saved 163 MWh in the treatment period of 2013.« less

Turkey’s Iran Card: Energy Cooperation in American and Russian Vortex

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

Turkey and Iran During the Cold War,” Journal of Third World Studies, Spring 1999, Vol.16, No.1, p.23. 15 imports and 4 % of total exports to Turkey...16 Michael B.Bishku, “Turkey and Iran During the Cold War,” Journal of Third World Studies, Spring 1999, Vol.16, No.1, pp.23-24. 17 Andrew Mango ...result of Ukraine’s usage of the Russian exports to Germany. Therefore, the EU has to diversify its natural gas supply to ensure European energy

Development of a Short-Duration Drive Cycle to Represent Long-Term Measured Drive Cycle Data: Evaluation of Truck Efficiency Technologies in Class 8 Tractor Trailers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaClair, Tim; Gao, Zhiming; Fu, Joshua

Quantifying the fuel savings and emissions reductions that can be achieved from truck fuel efficiency technologies for a fleet's specific usage allows the fleet to select a combination of technologies that will yield the greatest operational efficiency and profitability. An accurate characterization of usage for the fleet is critical for such an evaluation; however, short-term measured drive cycle data do not generally reflect overall usage very effectively. This study presents a detailed analysis of vehicle usage in a commercial vehicle fleet and demonstrates the development of a short-duration synthetic drive cycle with measured drive cycle data collected over an extendedmore » period of time. The approach matched statistical measures of the vehicle speed with acceleration history and integrated measured grade data to develop a compressed drive cycle that accurately represents total usage. Drive cycle measurements obtained during a full year from six tractor trailers in normal operations in a less-than-truckload carrier were analyzed to develop a synthetic drive cycle. The vehicle mass was also estimated to account for the variation of loads that the fleet experienced. These drive cycle and mass data were analyzed with a tractive energy analysis to quantify the benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions that can be achieved on Class 8 tractor trailers by using advanced efficiency technologies, either individually or in combination. Although differences exist between Class 8 tractor trailer fleets, this study provides valuable insight into the energy and emissions reduction potential that various technologies can bring in this important trucking application. Finally, the methodology employed for generating the synthetic drive cycle serves as a rigorous approach to develop an accurate usage characterization that can be used to effectively compress large quantities of drive cycle data.« less

Development of a Short-Duration Drive Cycle to Represent Long-Term Measured Drive Cycle Data: Evaluation of Truck Efficiency Technologies in Class 8 Tractor Trailers

DOE PAGES

LaClair, Tim; Gao, Zhiming; Fu, Joshua; ...

2014-12-01

Quantifying the fuel savings and emissions reductions that can be achieved from truck fuel efficiency technologies for a fleet's specific usage allows the fleet to select a combination of technologies that will yield the greatest operational efficiency and profitability. An accurate characterization of usage for the fleet is critical for such an evaluation; however, short-term measured drive cycle data do not generally reflect overall usage very effectively. This study presents a detailed analysis of vehicle usage in a commercial vehicle fleet and demonstrates the development of a short-duration synthetic drive cycle with measured drive cycle data collected over an extendedmore » period of time. The approach matched statistical measures of the vehicle speed with acceleration history and integrated measured grade data to develop a compressed drive cycle that accurately represents total usage. Drive cycle measurements obtained during a full year from six tractor trailers in normal operations in a less-than-truckload carrier were analyzed to develop a synthetic drive cycle. The vehicle mass was also estimated to account for the variation of loads that the fleet experienced. These drive cycle and mass data were analyzed with a tractive energy analysis to quantify the benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions that can be achieved on Class 8 tractor trailers by using advanced efficiency technologies, either individually or in combination. Although differences exist between Class 8 tractor trailer fleets, this study provides valuable insight into the energy and emissions reduction potential that various technologies can bring in this important trucking application. Finally, the methodology employed for generating the synthetic drive cycle serves as a rigorous approach to develop an accurate usage characterization that can be used to effectively compress large quantities of drive cycle data.« less

Energy potential and alternative usages of biogas and sludge from UASB reactors: case study of the Laboreaux wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Rosa, A P; Conesa, J A; Fullana, A; Melo, G C B; Borges, J M; Chernicharo, C A L

2016-01-01

This work assessed the energy potential and alternative usages of biogas and sludge generated in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors at the Laboreaux sewage treatment plant (STP), Brazil. Two scenarios were considered: (i) priority use of biogas for the thermal drying of dehydrated sludge and the use of the excess biogas for electricity generation in an ICE (internal combustion engine); and (ii) priority use of biogas for electricity generation and the use of the heat of the engine exhaust gases for the thermal drying of the sludge. Scenario 1 showed that the electricity generated is able to supply 22.2% of the STP power demand, but the thermal drying process enables a greater reduction or even elimination of the final volume of sludge to be disposed. In Scenario 2, the electricity generated is able to supply 57.6% of the STP power demand; however, the heat in the exhaust gases is not enough to dry the total amount of dehydrated sludge.

Video game console usage and US national energy consumption: Results from a field-metering study

DOE PAGES

Desroches, Louis-Benoit; Greenblatt, Jeffery B.; Pratt, Stacy; ...

2014-10-23

There has been an increased in attention placed on the energy consumption of miscellaneous electronic loads in buildings by energy analysts and policymakers in recent years. The share of electricity consumed by consumer electronics in US households has increased in the last decade. Many devices, however, lack robust energy use data, making energy consumption estimates difficult and uncertain. Video game consoles are high-performance machines present in approximately half of all households and can consume a considerable amount of power. The precise usage of game consoles has significant uncertainty, however, leading to a wide range of recent national energy consumption estimates.more » We present here an analysis based on field-metered usage data, collected as part of a larger field metering study in the USA. This larger study collected data from 880 households in 2012 on a variety of devices, including 113 game consoles (the majority of which are Generation 7 consoles). From our metering, we find that although some consoles are left on nearly 24 h/day, the overall average usage is lower than many other studies have assumed, leading to a US national energy consumption estimate of 7.1 TWh in 2012. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity to reduce energy use with proper game console power management, as a substantial amount of game console usage occurs with the television turned off. The emergence of Generation 8 consoles may increase national energy consumption.« less

Video game console usage and US national energy consumption: Results from a field-metering study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Desroches, Louis-Benoit; Greenblatt, Jeffery B.; Pratt, Stacy

There has been an increased in attention placed on the energy consumption of miscellaneous electronic loads in buildings by energy analysts and policymakers in recent years. The share of electricity consumed by consumer electronics in US households has increased in the last decade. Many devices, however, lack robust energy use data, making energy consumption estimates difficult and uncertain. Video game consoles are high-performance machines present in approximately half of all households and can consume a considerable amount of power. The precise usage of game consoles has significant uncertainty, however, leading to a wide range of recent national energy consumption estimates.more » We present here an analysis based on field-metered usage data, collected as part of a larger field metering study in the USA. This larger study collected data from 880 households in 2012 on a variety of devices, including 113 game consoles (the majority of which are Generation 7 consoles). From our metering, we find that although some consoles are left on nearly 24 h/day, the overall average usage is lower than many other studies have assumed, leading to a US national energy consumption estimate of 7.1 TWh in 2012. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity to reduce energy use with proper game console power management, as a substantial amount of game console usage occurs with the television turned off. The emergence of Generation 8 consoles may increase national energy consumption.« less

Energy drink usage among university students in a Caribbean country: Patterns of use and adverse effects.

PubMed

Reid, Sandra D; Ramsarran, Jonathan; Brathwaite, Rachel; Lyman, Sarika; Baker, Ariane; Cornish, D'Andra C; Ganga, Stefan; Mohammed, Zahrid; Sookdeo, Avinash T; Thapelo, Cathrine K

2015-06-01

There has been little inquiry addressing whether or not concerns about adverse effects of energy drink usage are relevant in the Caribbean. This survey investigated energy drink usage and adverse consequences among tertiary level students in Trinidad and Tobago. A cross-sectional survey of 1994 students from eight institutions was conducted using a de novo questionnaire based on findings from a focus group of students. Chi-squared analyses and logistic regression were used to assess relationships between energy drink usage, adverse effects and other factors affecting energy drink use, and to verify predictors of energy drink use. Prevalence of use was 86%; 38% were current users. Males were more likely to use, used more frequently and at an earlier age. Energy drinks were used most commonly to increase energy (50%), combat sleepiness (45%) and enhance academic performance (40%), and occurred during sports (23%) and mixed with alcohol (22.2%). The majority (79.6%) consumed one energy drink per sitting; 62.2% experienced adverse effects, most commonly restlessness (22%), jolt and crash (17.1%) and tachycardia (16.6%). Awareness of adverse effects was associated with no use (p=0.004), but adverse effects were not a deterrent to continued use. Energy drink usage is prevalent among students. The use is not excessive, but associated with high rates of adverse effects and occurs in potentially dangerous situations like during exercise and with alcohol. There is a need to educate students about the potential adverse effects of energy drinks. Copyright © 2014 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating chemical-, mechanical-, and bio-pulping processes and their sustainability characterization using life cycle assessment

Treesearch

Tapas K. Das; Carl Houtman

2004-01-01

Pulp and paper manufacturing constitutes one of the largest industry segments in the United States in term of water and energy usage and total discharges to the environment. More than many other industries, however, this industry plays an important role in sustainable development because its chief raw material— wood fiber—is renewable. This industry provides an example...

Annual Energy Usage Reduction and Cost Savings of a School: End-Use Energy Analysis

PubMed Central

Alghoul, M. A.; Bakhtyar, B.; Asim, Nilofar; Sopian, K.

2014-01-01

Buildings are among the largest consumers of energy. Part of the energy is wasted due to the habits of users and equipment conditions. A solution to this problem is efficient energy usage. To this end, an energy audit can be conducted to assess the energy efficiency. This study aims to analyze the energy usage of a primary school and identify the potential energy reductions and cost savings. A preliminary audit was conducted, and several energy conservation measures were proposed. The energy conservation measures, with reference to the MS1525:2007 standard, were modelled to identify the potential energy reduction and cost savings. It was found that the school's usage of electricity exceeded its need, incurring an excess expenditure of RM 2947.42. From the lighting system alone, it was found that there is a potential energy reduction of 5489.06 kWh, which gives a cost saving of RM 2282.52 via the improvement of lighting system design and its operating hours. Overall, it was found that there is a potential energy reduction and cost saving of 20.7% when the energy conservation measures are earnestly implemented. The previous energy intensity of the school was found to be 50.6 kWh/m2/year, but can theoretically be reduced to 40.19 kWh/mm2/year. PMID:25485294

How Does EIA Estimate Energy Consumption and End Uses in U.S. Homes?

EIA Publications

2011-01-01

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) administers the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) to a nationally representative sample of housing units. Specially trained interviewers collect energy characteristics on the housing unit, usage patterns, and household demographics. This information is combined with data from energy suppliers to these homes to estimate energy costs and usage for heating, cooling, appliances and other end uses information critical to meeting future energy demand and improving efficiency and building design.

Space or terrestrial energy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulet, L.

Consideration is given to the possibility of generating sufficient energy at acceptable costs on earth to offset the need to build solar power satellite systems (SPS). Electricity usage, one of the basic driving forces of developed nations, grows with the population. Currently comprising 33 pct of the total world energy used, electricity is projected to grow to a 50-55 pct share in the 21st century. Future terrestrial electrical energy sources include carbon-based fuels, nuclear (fusion or fission), and the renewable solar technologies. Carbon-based fuel supplies can last until 2030 AD, about the same as fission plants with recycled fuel. Breeder reactors would stretch the nuclear fuels to the year 3000. Solar technologies offer more immediate solutions than fusion reactors and can produce 50 pct of the power available from the construction of the maximum number of nuclear power plants. The addition of SPS would further augment the total. Combinations of all the technologies are recommended, with local research for the most appropriate technology for each nation.

Microhartree precision in density functional theory calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulans, Andris; Kozhevnikov, Anton; Draxl, Claudia

2018-04-01

To address ultimate precision in density functional theory calculations we employ the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave + local-orbital (LAPW + lo) method and justify its usage as a benchmark method. LAPW + lo and two completely unrelated numerical approaches, the multiresolution analysis (MRA) and the linear combination of atomic orbitals, yield total energies of atoms with mean deviations of 0.9 and 0.2 μ Ha , respectively. Spectacular agreement with the MRA is reached also for total and atomization energies of the G2-1 set consisting of 55 molecules. With the example of α iron we demonstrate the capability of LAPW + lo to reach μ Ha /atom precision also for periodic systems, which allows also for the distinction between the numerical precision and the accuracy of a given functional.

Energy Conservation for School Custodial and Maintenance Personnel. Course Outline and Instructional Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Calvin E.

Presented are materials prepared for the inservice education of school maintenance personnel on the subject of energy conservation in school facilities operations. The course is designed to help maintenance staff understand their schools' energy usage and formulate plans to control that usage. Among the topics covered are building inventory,…

Commercial Building Tenant Energy Usage Data Aggregation and Privacy: Technical Appendix

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Livingston, Olga V.; Pulsipher, Trenton C.; Anderson, David M.

2014-11-12

This technical appendix accompanies report PNNL–23786 “Commercial Building Tenant Energy Usage Data Aggregation and Privacy”. The objective is to provide background information on the methods utilized in the statistical analysis of the aggregation thresholds.

Screening for male osteoporosis at an academic medical center: retrospective analysis of DXA usage patterns over 5 years.

PubMed

Ivory, Dedri Markita; Siva, Chokkalingam; Velázquez, Celso; Abdinoor, Abdillahi Abdi

2012-01-01

Recent findings suggest that men have higher mortality rates than women after a hip fracture. Although the risk of osteoporotic fractures in men is increasing, male osteoporosis still remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. In general, male osteoporosis is given low priority by policy makers in public health initiatives. The purpose of this study is to examine the patterns of use and gender distribution of DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan usage at a university medical center in the United States. The total number of DXA scans increased during the study period while the percentage of men studied actually declined. The results of this study may lead to heightened awareness among providers who are caring for male patients at risk for osteoporosis.

Measuring and Understanding the Energy Use Signatures of a Bank Building

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, YuLong; Liu, Bing; Athalye, Rahul A.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory measured and analyzed the energy end-use patterns in a bank building located in the north-eastern United States. This work was performed in collaboration with PNC Financial Service Group under the US DOE’s Commercial Building Partnerships Program. This paper presents the metering study and the results of the metered data analysis. It provides a benchmark for the energy use of different bank-related equipments. The paper also reveals the importance of metering in fully understanding building loads and indentifying opportunities for energy efficiency improvements that will have impacts across PNC’s portfolio of buildings and were crucial tomore » reducing receptacle loads in the design of a net-zero bank branches. PNNL worked with PNC to meter a 4,000 ft2 bank branch in the state of Pennsylvania. 71 electrical circuits were monitored and 25 stand-alone watt-hour meters were installed at the bank. These meters monitored the consumption of all interior and exterior lighting, receptacle loads, service water heating, and the HVAC rooftop unit at a 5-minute sampling interval from November 2009 to November 2010. A total of over 8 million data records were generated, which were then analyzed to produce the end-use patterns, daily usage profiles, rooftop unit usage cycles, and inputs for calibrating the energy model of the building.« less

Harvesting alternate energies from our planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rath, Bhakta B.

2009-04-01

Recent price fluctuations have focused attention on the phenomenal increase of global energy consumption in recent years. We have almost reached a peak in global oil production. Total world consumption of oil will rise by nearly 60% between 1999 and 2020. In 1999 consumption was 86 million barrels of oil per day, which has reached a peak of production extracted from most known oil reserves. These projections, if accurate, will present an unprecedented crisis to the global economy and industry. As an example, in the United States, nearly 40% of energy usage is provided by petroleum, of which nearly a third is used in transportation. An aggressive search for alternate energy sources, both renewable and nonrenewable, is vital. This article will review national and international perspectives on the exploration of alternate energies with a focus on energy derivable from the ocean.

Energy Conservation Program Cuts School Gas Use by 45%.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Walt

1981-01-01

Energy conservation measures at Longmont High School (Colorado), including reducing air entry, heating water only during school hours, and lowering lighting levels, are expected to save 45 percent in natural gas usage and 20 percent in electric usage. (Author/MLF)

The feasibility of solar energy usage on Red River Army Depot. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crowder, G.W.

This feasibility study considers the usage of solar energy to heat and cool the main office buildings on the Red River Army Depot, Texarkana Texas. Solar energy costs are compared with the present heating and cooling system costs with an economic analysis using the annual worth and present worth methods. (GRA)

What is harmful for male fertility: cell phone or the wireless Internet?

PubMed

Yildirim, Mehmet Erol; Kaynar, Mehmet; Badem, Huseyin; Cavis, Mucahıt; Karatas, Omer Faruk; Cimentepe, Ersın

2015-09-01

In this study, we aimed to assess the potential harmful effects of radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation on sperm parameters. We requested semen for analyses from the male patients coming to our infertility division and also asked them to fill out an anonymous questionnaire. We queried their mobile phone and wireless Internet usage frequencies in order to determine their radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation exposure. A total of 1082 patients filled the questionnaire but 51 of them were excluded from the study because of azoospermia. There was no significant difference between sperm counts and sperm morphology excluding sperm motility, due to mobile phone usage period, (p = 0.074, p = 0.909, and p = 0.05, respectively). The total motile sperm count and the progressive motile sperm count decreased due to the increase of internet usage (p = 0.032 and p = 0.033, respectively). In line with the total motile sperm count, progressive motile sperm count also decreased with wireless Internet usage compared with the wired Internet connection usage (p = 0.009 and p = 0.018, respectively). There was a negative correlation between wireless Internet usage duration and the total sperm count (r = -0.089, p = 0.039). We have also explored the negative effect of wireless Internet use on sperm motility according to our preliminary results. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

A hierarchical approach for the design improvements of an Organocat biorefinery.

PubMed

Abdelaziz, Omar Y; Gadalla, Mamdouh A; El-Halwagi, Mahmoud M; Ashour, Fatma H

2015-04-01

Lignocellulosic biomass has emerged as a potentially attractive renewable energy source. Processing technologies of such biomass, particularly its primary separation, still lack economic justification due to intense energy requirements. Establishing an economically viable and energy efficient biorefinery scheme is a significant challenge. In this work, a systematic approach is proposed for improving basic/existing biorefinery designs. This approach is based on enhancing the efficiency of mass and energy utilization through the use of a hierarchical design approach that involves mass and energy integration. The proposed procedure is applied to a novel biorefinery called Organocat to minimize its energy and mass consumption and total annualized cost. An improved heat exchanger network with minimum energy consumption of 4.5 MJ/kgdry biomass is designed. An optimal recycle network with zero fresh water usage and minimum waste discharge is also constructed, making the process more competitive and economically attractive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introductory Physics Students' Physics and Mathematics Epistemologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, Erin M.

The purpose of this three study dissertation is to investigate why students are enrolled in introductory physics courses experience difficulties in being successful; one possible source of their difficulties is related to their epistemology. In order to investigate students' epistemologies about mathematics and physics, students were observed solving physics problems in groups during a laboratory course (study 1) and while solving physics and mathematics problems individually during office-hour sessions (study 2). The Epistemological Resources theoretical framework was employed (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Using emergent and a priori epistemological resource operationalizations (Jones, 2015), 25 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 1. Differences in physics epistemological resource usage between students of varying academic background (as measured by their number of previously completed mathematics and science classes were identified. By employing an external (Jones, 2015) and internal (Scanlon, 2016) a priori epistemological resource coding scheme, a total of 17 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 2. The data were sampled to compare the mathematics and physics epistemological resource usage of participants with consistent and inconsistent sign usage in an energy conservation physics problem in order to provide a meaningful context for discussion. Participants of the same sign usage group employed epistemological resources similarly. Conversely, participants in different groups had significantly different physics epistemological resource usage patterns. Finally, student epistemological resource usage patterns from the first two studies were compared to course outcomes in order to determine implications for practice (study 3). Educators must be aware of and address the epistemological underpinnings of students' difficulties in introductory physics courses.

Comparative efficacy of ways of long-term usage of start-up boilers in the scheme of nuclear power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khroustalev, V. A.; Simonyan, A. A.

2017-11-01

There was carried out an analysis of technical characteristics of boiler houses in a number of Russian NPPs. We justified the possibility of their usage for autonomous generation of electrical energy and improvement of maneuvering properties of power complexes as a single object of regulation, as well as the possibility of increasing the total generation capacity of NPP power units during peak hours. Then the selection of the main equipment of house boiler for its autonomous work was done. There were composed basic thermal diagrams of the power complex on the basis of NPP start-up boiler (SUB) and the satellite turbine. The article also considers some options of reconstruction of SUB into the heat-recovery boiler. The developed power complexes are designed to be used on the basis of the two-loop NPP with pressurized power reactors (PWR). They can be applied with serial and projected domestic NPP units with the aim of getting more power, improving the plant capacity factor (PCF), as well as with the aim of NPP participation in the regulation of the load curve above the nominal value with partial replacement of new construction. The power complexes can be a relevant solution in the light of the energy strategy of the Russian Federation, which is aimed at, firstly, further improvement of efficiency and safety at the NPP, and, secondly, solving the problem of adequate maneuverability and ensuring the adjustment range limits in power systems with high share of nuclear power plants. Implementation of new hybrid thermal diagrams allows simultaneous increase in the safety of NPP, and usage of nuclear power plants emergency frequency control in power systems by fast load drop and rise by -4÷+2 % of the nominal value. Due to the usage of different fuels in power complexes, uranium loading in the core of reactor facilities and gas in SUB, there was proposed and formalized the criterion of “thermoeconomic index”. This criterion represents the ratio of the gross receipt from the sale of electricity to the total cost of fuel of all kinds, spent on ensuring power efficiency.

Energy-optimal path planning in the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramani, Deepak N.; Haley, Patrick J.; Lermusiaux, Pierre F. J.

2017-05-01

We integrate data-driven ocean modeling with the stochastic Dynamically Orthogonal (DO) level-set optimization methodology to compute and study energy-optimal paths, speeds, and headings for ocean vehicles in the Middle-Atlantic Bight (MAB) region. We hindcast the energy-optimal paths from among exact time-optimal paths for the period 28 August 2006 to 9 September 2006. To do so, we first obtain a data-assimilative multiscale reanalysis, combining ocean observations with implicit two-way nested multiresolution primitive-equation simulations of the tidal-to-mesoscale dynamics in the region. Second, we solve the reduced-order stochastic DO level-set partial differential equations (PDEs) to compute the joint probability of minimum arrival time, vehicle-speed time series, and total energy utilized. Third, for each arrival time, we select the vehicle-speed time series that minimize the total energy utilization from the marginal probability of vehicle-speed and total energy. The corresponding energy-optimal path and headings are obtained through the exact particle-backtracking equation. Theoretically, the present methodology is PDE-based and provides fundamental energy-optimal predictions without heuristics. Computationally, it is 3-4 orders of magnitude faster than direct Monte Carlo methods. For the missions considered, we analyze the effects of the regional tidal currents, strong wind events, coastal jets, shelfbreak front, and other local circulations on the energy-optimal paths. Results showcase the opportunities for vehicles that intelligently utilize the ocean environment to minimize energy usage, rigorously integrating ocean forecasting with optimal control of autonomous vehicles.

Report on Utilities Usage and Cost, 1980-81 to 1984-85.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Commission on Higher Education, Montgomery.

The consumption and cost of energy and other types of utilities by state college campuses were analyzed by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. A focus of attention has been changes in energy usage per square foot from year to year as an indicator of the institutions' energy conservation and, over time, of the changing characteristics of…

The influence of biomass energy consumption on CO2 emissions: a wavelet coherence approach.

PubMed

Bilgili, Faik; Öztürk, İlhan; Koçak, Emrah; Bulut, Ümit; Pamuk, Yalçın; Muğaloğlu, Erhan; Bağlıtaş, Hayriye H

2016-10-01

In terms of today, one may argue, throughout observations from energy literature papers, that (i) one of the main contributors of the global warming is carbon dioxide emissions, (ii) the fossil fuel energy usage greatly contributes to the carbon dioxide emissions, and (iii) the simulations from energy models attract the attention of policy makers to renewable energy as alternative energy source to mitigate the carbon dioxide emissions. Although there appears to be intensive renewable energy works in the related literature regarding renewables' efficiency/impact on environmental quality, a researcher might still need to follow further studies to review the significance of renewables in the environment since (i) the existing seminal papers employ time series models and/or panel data models or some other statistical observation to detect the role of renewables in the environment and (ii) existing papers consider mostly aggregated renewable energy source rather than examining the major component(s) of aggregated renewables. This paper attempted to examine clearly the impact of biomass on carbon dioxide emissions in detail through time series and frequency analyses. Hence, the paper follows wavelet coherence analyses. The data covers the US monthly observations ranging from 1984:1 to 2015 for the variables of total energy carbon dioxide emissions, biomass energy consumption, coal consumption, petroleum consumption, and natural gas consumption. The paper thus, throughout wavelet coherence and wavelet partial coherence analyses, observes frequency properties as well as time series properties of relevant variables to reveal the possible significant influence of biomass usage on the emissions in the USA in both the short-term and the long-term cycles. The paper also reveals, finally, that the biomass consumption mitigates CO2 emissions in the long run cycles after the year 2005 in the USA.

Systems and methods for controlling energy use in a building management system using energy budgets

DOEpatents

Wenzel, Michael J.

2012-06-17

Systems and methods for limiting power consumption by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem of a building are shown and described. A mathematical linear operator is found that transforms the unused or deferred cooling power usage of the HVAC system based on pre-determined temperature settings to a target cooling power usage. The mathematical operator is applied to the temperature settings to create a temperature setpoint trajectory expected to provide the target cooling power usage.

ACMV Energy Analysis for Academic Building: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hywel, R.; Tee, B. T.; Arifin, M. Y.; Tan, C. F.; Gan, C. K.; Chong, CT

2015-09-01

Building energy audit examines the ways actual energy consumption is currently used in the facility, in the case of a completed and occupied building and identifies some alternatives to reduce current energy usage. Implementation of energy audit are practically used to analyze energy consumption pattern, monitoring on how the energy used varies with time in the building, how the system element interrelate, and study the effect of external environment towards building. In this case study, a preliminary energy audit is focusing on Air-Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) system which reportedly consumed 40% of the total energy consumption in typical building. It is also the main system that provides comfortable and healthy environment for the occupants. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the current ACMV system performance, energy optimization and identifying the energy waste on UTeM's academic building. To attain this, the preliminary data is collected and then analyzed. Based on the data, economic analysis will be determined before cost-saving methods are being proposed.

Energy Conservation: Implementing an Effective Campus Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsee, Jeff

After reviewing the physical plant environment and temperature control equipment at Eastfield College (Texas), this paper explains how redirected efforts toward energy conservation can result in important cost/usage savings. Electricity billing rates are explained to provide a stronger usage strategy for cost effectiveness. Two methods of reducing…

Energy efficient sensor network implementations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frigo, Janette R; Raby, Eric Y; Brennan, Sean M

In this paper, we discuss a low power embedded sensor node architecture we are developing for distributed sensor network systems deployed in a natural environment. In particular, we examine the sensor node for energy efficient processing-at-the-sensor. We analyze the following modes of operation; event detection, sleep(wake-up), data acquisition, data processing modes using low power, high performance embedded technology such as specialized embedded DSP processors and a low power FPGAs at the sensing node. We use compute intensive sensor node applications: an acoustic vehicle classifier (frequency domain analysis) and a video license plate identification application (learning algorithm) as a case study.more » We report performance and total energy usage for our system implementations and discuss the system architecture design trade offs.« less

Codon usage patterns in Nematoda: analysis based on over 25 million codons in thirty-two species

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

Background Codon usage has direct utility in molecular characterization of species and is also a marker for molecular evolution. To understand codon usage within the diverse phylum Nematoda, we analyzed a total of 265,494 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from 30 nematode species. The full genomes of Caenorhabditis elegans and C. briggsae were also examined. A total of 25,871,325 codons were analyzed and a comprehensive codon usage table for all species was generated. This is the first codon usage table available for 24 of these organisms. Results Codon usage similarity in Nematoda usually persists over the breadth of a genus but then rapidly diminishes even within each clade. Globodera, Meloidogyne, Pristionchus, and Strongyloides have the most highly derived patterns of codon usage. The major factor affecting differences in codon usage between species is the coding sequence GC content, which varies in nematodes from 32% to 51%. Coding GC content (measured as GC3) also explains much of the observed variation in the effective number of codons (R = 0.70), which is a measure of codon bias, and it even accounts for differences in amino acid frequency. Codon usage is also affected by neighboring nucleotides (N1 context). Coding GC content correlates strongly with estimated noncoding genomic GC content (R = 0.92). On examining abundant clusters in five species, candidate optimal codons were identified that may be preferred in highly expressed transcripts. Conclusion Evolutionary models indicate that total genomic GC content, probably the product of directional mutation pressure, drives codon usage rather than the converse, a conclusion that is supported by examination of nematode genomes. PMID:26271136

Energy profiles of four American states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jiamei

2018-06-01

Energy production and usage are the major portion of any economy. With the constant consumption of the polluting energy and the deteriorating environment, people are paying more and more attention to clean, renewable energy. Based on autoregressive model and TOPSIS, though analyzing the past data, this paper establishes the energy profiles of four American states from 1960 to 2009, predict the energy profiles for 2025 and 2050 and obtain the ideal criteria for future clean, renewable energy usage at last. This study finds that by analyzing and predicting the energy profile, human beings can better understand and grasp the trend of energy development and take appropriate measures to deal with future energy trends.

Association of insurance status and spinal fusion usage in the United States during two decades.

PubMed

John, Jason; Mirahmadizadeh, Alireza; Seifi, Ali

2018-05-01

This study examined the distribution of spinal fusion usage among payer groups in the United States. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, total discharges, length of stay, and mean hospital charges of patients who underwent spinal fusion from 1997 to 2014 in the United States were determined and analyzed. 5,715,625 total discharges with spinal fusion were reported. Among them, 2,875,188 (50.3%) were covered by private insurance, 1,710,182 by Medicare (29.9%), 342,638 (6.0%) by Medicaid, and 91,990 (1.6%) were uninsured. A statistically significant increase in spinal fusion usage occurred within each payer group over the study period (P < 0.001). For every year of the study period, private insurance patients had the most number and uninsured patients had the least number of total discharges with spinal fusion. Furthermore, annual growth in spinal fusion usage was greatest among private insurance patients, and smallest among uninsured patients. Total discharges with spinal fusion increased significantly across all payer groups between 1997 and 2014, but not equally. Further inquiry is indicated to determine the etiology of spinal fusion usage discrepancies between payer groups. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is rapid growth in Internet usage environmentally sustainable for Australia? An empirical investigation.

PubMed

Salahuddin, Mohammad; Alam, Khorshed; Ozturk, Ilhan

2016-03-01

This study estimates the short- and long-run effects of Internet usage and economic growth on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using annual time series macro data for Australia for the period 1985-2012. Autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) bounds and Gregory-Hansen structural break cointegration tests are applied. ARDL estimates indicate no significant long-run relationship between Internet usage and CO2 emissions, which implies that the rapid growth in Internet usage is still not an environmental threat for Australia. The study further indicates that higher level of economic growth is associated with lower level of CO2 emissions; however, Internet usage and economic growth have no significant short-run relationship with CO2 emissions. Financial development has both short-run and long-run significant positive association with CO2 emissions. The findings offer support in favor of energy efficiency gains and a reduction in energy intensity in Australia. However, impulse response and variance decomposition analysis suggest that Internet usage, economic growth and financial development will continue to impact CO2 emissions in the future, and as such, this study recommends that in addition to the existing measures to combat CO2 emissions, Australia needs to exploit the potential of the Internet not only to reduce its own carbon footprint but also to utilize information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled emissions abatement potential to reduce emissions in various other sectors across the economy, such as, power, renewable energy especially in solar and wind energy, agriculture, transport and service.

Theoretical study of the design dye-sensitivity for usage in the solar cell device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrikabi, Alaa

There are many applications in the polymer chemistry, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial fields of the thiadiazole molecule and their derivatives. Allowance of the energy gap of the polymer conjugated is an object of great interesting debit for the possible removal of a doping in the preparation of highly conductivity polymers. Thiadiazoles derivatives are structural foundation of the polymer materials. In this present work, the electronic properties of graphene nanoflakes (GNFs)-phenanthrene-1,3,4-thiadiazoles oligomers are studied and discussed. Where thiadiazoles is expanded from one to 9 unit's molecules at the structure. The energy gap, HOMO, LUMO distribution, total energy, Fermi level energy, work function, maximum wavelength absorption, vertical absorption energies, and oscillator strengths are calculated for each molecule. All calculations are carry out by usage density function theory (DFT) and depended time density function theory (TD-DFT) with the B3LYP/6-31G model in the Gaussian 09W software packages. Results show that increasing the number of monomeric units lead to great enhance in the electronic properties, which caused it decreased the band gap from 3.17 eV in the system with one unit of thiadiazole just to 1.35 eV in the system with 9 units of thiadiazole. This case is raised the value of maximum absorption wavelengths to >500 nm to give the better performance in optoelectronic and solar cell, as these structures have prime absorption bands within the solar spectrum.

Investigating the Energy-Water Usage Efficiency of the Reuse of Treated Municipal Wastewater for Artificial Groundwater Recharge.

PubMed

Fournier, Eric D; Keller, Arturo A; Geyer, Roland; Frew, James

2016-02-16

This project investigates the energy-water usage efficiency of large scale civil infrastructure projects involving the artificial recharge of subsurface groundwater aquifers via the reuse of treated municipal wastewater. A modeling framework is introduced which explores the various ways in which spatially heterogeneous variables such as topography, landuse, and subsurface infiltration capacity combine to determine the physical layout of proposed reuse system components and their associated process energy-water demands. This framework is applied to the planning and evaluation of the energy-water usage efficiency of hypothetical reuse systems in five case study regions within the State of California. Findings from these case study analyses suggest that, in certain geographic contexts, the water requirements attributable to the process energy consumption of a reuse system can exceed the volume of water that it is able to recover by as much as an order of magnitude.

Low Energy Technology. A Unit of Instruction in Housing and Home Environment. Home Energy Usage and Conservation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaulieu, Barbara; And Others

This unit of instruction on home energy usage and conservation was designed for use by home economics teachers in Florida high schools and by home economics extension agents as they work with their clientele. It is one of a series of 11 instructional units (see note) written to help teachers and agents to educate their students and clients about…

Evaluation of Modeled and Measured Energy Savings in Existing All Electric Public Housing in the Pacific Northwest

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, A.; Lubliner, M.; Howard, L.

2014-04-01

This project analyzes the cost effectiveness of energy savings measures installed by a large public housing authority in Salishan, a community in Tacoma Washington. Research focuses on the modeled and measured energy usage of the first six phases of construction, and compares the energy usage of those phases to phase 7. Market-ready energy solutions were also evaluated to improve the efficiency of affordable housing for new and existing (built since 2001) affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

Evaluating Energy Savings in All-Electric Public Housing in the Pacific Northwest, Tacoma, Washington (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2014-03-01

This project analyzes the cost effectiveness of energy savings measures installed by a large public housing authority in Salishan, a community in Tacoma Washington. Research focuses on the modeled and measured energy usage of the first six phases of construction, and compares the energy usage of those phases to phase 7. Market-ready energy solutions were also evaluated to improve the efficiency of affordable housing for new and existing (built since 2001) affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

Level of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Usage among ESL Teachers in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendehjan, Niyosha Morshedi; Noordin, Nooreen

2013-01-01

The current study attempted to identify the level of (ICT) usage among ESL teachers, the difference between the level of ICT usage based on gender and age, the teachers' perception towards ICT usage and the barriers faced by teachers. This study was a quantitative study using the descriptive survey approach. The total number of participants was 90…

Guidebooks for estimating total transit usage through extrapolating incomplete counts : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-01

This report provides guidance for transit agencies to estimate transit usage for reporting to the National Transit : Database (NTD) when their counting procedure that is designed to perform full counts misses some trips. Transit usage : refers to unl...

Effect of Bio based rejuvenator on mix design, Energy consumption and GHG Emission of High RAP Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullahi Ahmad, Kabiru; Ezree Abdullah, Mohd; Hassan, Norhidayah Abdul; Usman, Nura; Hassan, Mohd Rosli Mohd; Bilema, Munder A. M.; Modibbo Saeed, Saeed; Batari, Ahmad

2018-04-01

Concerns about the cost, availability, and environmental impact of using petroleum-based materials have led to increased usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Mean-while, the demand of the road industry to decrease the energy consumptions and reduce the release of greenhouse gases as well as other harmful gases, which cause serious air pollution has increased due to the amount of energy consumed is a major component of pavement construction that significantly contributes to the total cost. This paper evaluates the effects of Biobased rejuvenator known as JCO on the required heat energy and the amount of CO2 produced to increase the temperature of RAP and virgin aggregates and one binder from 25C to the point of mixing. The results showed that incorporating Biobased rejuvenator (JCO) can potentially reduce the required heat energy and amount of greenhouse gas produced by RAP and virgin, respectively.

Effect of Ladle Usage on Cleanliness of Bearing Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, Yunguang; Deng, Zhiyin; Zhu, Miaoyong

2018-02-01

To investigate the effects of ladle usage on the inclusions and total oxygen contents of bearing steel, MgO refractory rods with different glazes were used to simulate different ladle usages. The results show that the effects of different ladle usages on the cleanliness of the steel differ from each other. The total oxygen content of steel increases with the decreasing glaze basicity. Ladle glaze having a lower basicity has a more negative impact on the cleanliness of steel in the subsequent production. Inclusions can be generated by the flush-off of ladle glaze, and the initial glaze is important in the evolution of inclusions in the subsequent heats. To avoid the negative effect of ladle usage and to improve the steel cleanliness as much as possible, specialized ladles were suggested for producing high-quality steel grades.

Upper extremities and spinal musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors in students using computers

PubMed Central

Calik, Bilge Basakci; Yagci, Nesrin; Gursoy, Suleyman; Zencir, Mehmet

2014-01-01

Objective: To examine the effects of computer usage on the musculoskeletal system discomforts (MSD) of Turkish university students, the possible risk factors and study implications (SI). Methods: The study comprised a total of 871 students. Demographic information was recorded and the Student Specific Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (SsCMDQ) was used to evaluate musculoskeletal system discomforts. Results: The neck, lower back and upper back areas were determined to be the most affected areas and percentages for SI were 21.6%, 19.3% and 16.3% respectively. Significant differences were found to be daily computer usage time for the lower back, total usage time for the neck, being female and below the age of 21 years (p<0.05) had an increased risk. Conclusions: The neck, lower back and upper back areas were found to be the most affected areas due to computer usage in university students. Risk factors for MSD were seen to be daily and total computer usage time, female gender and age below 21 years and these were deemed to cause study interference PMID:25674139

Commercial and Multifamily Building Tenant Energy Usage Aggregation and Privacy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Livingston, Olga V.; Pulsipher, Trenton C.; Wang, Na

2014-11-17

In a number of cities and states, building owners are required to disclose and/or benchmark their building energy use. This requires the building owner to possess monthly whole-building energy usage information, which can be challenging for buildings in which individual tenants have their own utility meters and accounts with the utility. Some utilities and utility regulators have turned to aggregation of customer data as a way to give building owners the whole-building energy usage data while protecting customer privacy. However, no utilities or regulators appear to have conducted a concerted statistical, cybersecurity, and privacy analysis to justify the level ofmore » aggregation selected. Therefore, the Tennant Data Aggregation Task was established to help utilities address these issues and provide recommendations as well as a theoretical justification of the aggregation threshold. This study is focused on the use case of submitting data for ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM), but it also looks at other potential use cases for monthly energy consumption data.« less

Quantitative analysis of antibiotic usage in British sheep flocks.

PubMed

Davies, Peers; Remnant, John G; Green, Martin J; Gascoigne, Emily; Gibbon, Nick; Hyde, Robert; Porteous, Jack R; Schubert, Kiera; Lovatt, Fiona; Corbishley, Alexander

2017-11-11

The aim of this study was to examine the variation in antibiotic usage between 207 commercial sheep flocks using their veterinary practice prescribing records. Mean and median prescribed mass per population corrected unit (mg/PCU) was 11.38 and 5.95, respectively and closely correlated with animal defined daily dose (ADDD) 1.47 (mean), 0.74 (median) (R 2 =0.84, P<0.001). This is low in comparison with the suggested target (an average across all the UK livestock sectors) of 50 mg/PCU. In total, 80 per cent of all antibiotic usage occurred in the 39 per cent of flocks where per animal usage was greater than 9.0 mg/PCU. Parenteral antibiotics, principally oxytetracycline, represented 82 per cent of the total prescribed mass, 65.5 per cent of antibiotics (mg/PCU) were prescribed for the treatment of lameness. Oral antibiotics were prescribed to 49 per cent of flocks, 64 per cent of predicted lamb crop/farm. Lowland flocks were prescribed significantly more antibiotics than hill flocks. Variance partitioning apportioned 79 per cent of variation in total antibiotic usage (mg/PCU) to the farm level and 21 per cent to the veterinary practice indicating that veterinary practices have a substantial impact on overall antimicrobial usage. Reducing antibiotic usage in the sheep sector should be possible with better understanding of the drivers of high usage in individual flocks and of veterinary prescribing practices. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Increased fuel standards among broad range of energy options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

During simpler times, the mention of the word 'cafe' might have primarily conjured up images of sidewalk coffee and tea bars along Paris' Champs-Elysees. However, with today's concerns about energy needs, CAFE or Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for automobile fuel efficiency is a hot topic.On August 2, the U.S. House of Representa tives passed an energy bill rejecting a proposal to substantially increase CAFE standards for increasingly popular sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The proposal, which would have required SUVs to increase their current fleet average of 20.5 miles per gallon (mpg) to 27.5 mpg by 2007, to equal the current passenger car fleet requirement, was shelved for a requirement to more modestly raise mpgs by cutting total SUV gasoline usage by 5 billion gallons over 6 years.

Impact of Extended Daylight Saving Time on National Energy Consumption Report to Congress

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belzer, D. B.; Hadley, S. W.; Chin, S-M.

2008-10-01

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-58; EPAct 2005) amended the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (Pub. L. No. 89-387) to increase the portion of the year that is subject to Daylight Saving Time. (15 U.S.C. 260a note) EPAct 2005 extended the duration of Daylight Saving Time in the spring by changing its start date from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March, and in the fall by changing its end date from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November. (15 U.S.C. 260a note) EPAct 2005 also called formore » the Department of Energy to evaluate the impact of Extended Daylight Saving Time on energy consumption in the United States and to submit a report to Congress. (15 U.S.C. 260a note) This report presents the results of impacts of Extended Daylight Saving Time on the national energy consumption in the United States. The key findings are: (1) The total electricity savings of Extended Daylight Saving Time were about 1.3 Tera Watt-hour (TWh). This corresponds to 0.5 percent per each day of Extended Daylight Saving Time, or 0.03 percent of electricity consumption over the year. In reference, the total 2007 electricity consumption in the United States was 3,900 TWh. (2) In terms of national primary energy consumption, the electricity savings translate to a reduction of 17 Trillion Btu (TBtu) over the spring and fall Extended Daylight Saving Time periods, or roughly 0.02 percent of total U.S. energy consumption during 2007 of 101,000 TBtu. (3) During Extended Daylight Saving Time, electricity savings generally occurred over a three- to five-hour period in the evening with small increases in usage during the early-morning hours. On a daily percentage basis, electricity savings were slightly greater during the March (spring) extension of Extended Daylight Saving Time than the November (fall) extension. On a regional basis, some southern portions of the United States exhibited slightly smaller impacts of Extended Daylight Saving Time on energy savings compared to the northern regions, a result possibly due to a small, offsetting increase in household air conditioning usage. (4) Changes in national traffic volume and motor gasoline consumption for passenger vehicles in 2007 were determined to be statistically insignificant and therefore, could not be attributed to Extended Daylight Saving Time.« less

Restraint system usage in the traffic population. 1987 annual report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-08-01

This study continued to monitor the use of occupant restraint systems and motorcycle/moped helmet usage in 19 U.S. cities during 1987. A total of 272,857 observations of automobile drivers indicated an overall driver safety belt usage rate of 42.3 pe...

An overview of the energy situation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, D. R.

1978-01-01

Beginning with a historical review of the domestic pattern of energy usage, the current dependence of the United States upon dwindling petroleum resources is examined. The possible limit of petroleum usage is discussed, and recent oil production trends are presented. Coupling these with projected analyses of OPEC oil productive capability in the early 1980's indicates a serious worldwide as well as American energy problem in the next decade. The need for conservation and rapid development of application of alternative energy resources is discussed including quantitative projections of significant conservation efforts as well as estimates of domestic alternative energy resource capabilities.

Joint minimization of uplink and downlink whole-body exposure dose in indoor wireless networks.

PubMed

Plets, D; Joseph, W; Vanhecke, K; Vermeeren, G; Wiart, J; Aerts, S; Varsier, N; Martens, L

2015-01-01

The total whole-body exposure dose in indoor wireless networks is minimized. For the first time, indoor wireless networks are designed and simulated for a minimal exposure dose, where both uplink and downlink are considered. The impact of the minimization is numerically assessed for four scenarios: two WiFi configurations with different throughputs, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) configuration for phone call traffic, and a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) configuration with a high data rate. Also, the influence of the uplink usage on the total absorbed dose is characterized. Downlink dose reductions of at least 75% are observed when adding more base stations with a lower transmit power. Total dose reductions decrease with increasing uplink usage for WiFi due to the lack of uplink power control but are maintained for LTE and UMTS. Uplink doses become dominant over downlink doses for usages of only a few seconds for WiFi. For UMTS and LTE, an almost continuous uplink usage is required to have a significant effect on the total dose, thanks to the power control mechanism.

Joint Minimization of Uplink and Downlink Whole-Body Exposure Dose in Indoor Wireless Networks

PubMed Central

Plets, D.; Joseph, W.; Vanhecke, K.; Vermeeren, G.; Wiart, J.; Aerts, S.; Varsier, N.; Martens, L.

2015-01-01

The total whole-body exposure dose in indoor wireless networks is minimized. For the first time, indoor wireless networks are designed and simulated for a minimal exposure dose, where both uplink and downlink are considered. The impact of the minimization is numerically assessed for four scenarios: two WiFi configurations with different throughputs, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) configuration for phone call traffic, and a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) configuration with a high data rate. Also, the influence of the uplink usage on the total absorbed dose is characterized. Downlink dose reductions of at least 75% are observed when adding more base stations with a lower transmit power. Total dose reductions decrease with increasing uplink usage for WiFi due to the lack of uplink power control but are maintained for LTE and UMTS. Uplink doses become dominant over downlink doses for usages of only a few seconds for WiFi. For UMTS and LTE, an almost continuous uplink usage is required to have a significant effect on the total dose, thanks to the power control mechanism. PMID:25793213

Usage of energy reserves in crustaceans during starvation: status and future directions.

PubMed

Sánchez-Paz, Arturo; García-Carreño, Fernando; Muhlia-Almazán, Adriana; Peregrino-Uriarte, Alma B; Hernández-López, Jorge; Yepiz-Plascencia, Gloria

2006-04-01

In this paper, we review the current knowledge about the usage of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins as energy source by marine crustaceans during starvation. Crustaceans are a large and diverse group including some economically important species. The efforts to culture them for human consumption has prompted the interest to understand the preferences of energy sources to be applied for feed formulation and cost reduction. Important differences have been found among species and appear to be related not only to the biochemistry and physiology of nutrition, but also to the living environment of the crustaceans. Furthermore, crustaceans undergo morphological, physiological and behavioral changes due to their natural growing process that affect their feeding habits, an aspect that should be carefully considered. We discuss the current information on marine crustaceans about energy usage and describe areas of future research, where starvation studies render important insights.

On the usage of agricultural raw materials--energy or food? An assessment from an economics perspective.

PubMed

Lenk, Fabian; Bröring, Stefanie; Herzog, Philipp; Leker, Jens

2007-12-01

Bioenergies are promoted across the globe as the answer for global warming and the chance to reduce dependency from fossil energy sources. Despite the fact that renewable energy sources offer the opportunity to reduce CO2 emission and present a chance to increase agricultural incomes, they also come along with some drawbacks that have been mostly neglected in the current discussion. This paper seeks to build a basis for discussing the impacts of the growing subsidization of bioenergy and the resulting usage competition of agricultural raw materials between foods and energy. To assess the usage competition and the subsidization of bioenergy, this article employs a welfare economics perspective associated with an emphasize on the construct of externalities. This will help to foster the discussion on the further subsidization of bioenergy, where funding for R&D on new ways of using non-food raw materials ought to play a significant role.

Effects of high- and low-energy radial shock waves therapy combined with physiotherapy in the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Su, Xiangzheng; Li, Zhongli; Liu, Zhengsheng; Shi, Teng; Xue, Chao

2017-06-09

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of high- and low-energy radial shock waves combined with physiotherapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy patients. Data from rotator cuff tendinopathy patients received high- or low-energy radial shock waves combined with physiotherapy or physiotherapy alone were collected. The Constant and Murley score and visual analog scale score were collected to assess the effectiveness of treatment in three groups at 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks. In total, 94 patients were involved for our retrospective study. All groups showed remarkable improvement in the visual analog scale and Constant and Murley score compared to baseline at 24 weeks. The high-energy radial shock waves group had more marked improvement in the Constant and Murley score compared to the physiotherapy group at 4 and 8 weeks and at 4 weeks when compared with low-energy group. Furthermore, high-energy radial shock waves group had superior results on the visual analog scale at 4, 8, and 12 weeks compared to low-energy and physiotherapy groups. This retrospective study supported the usage of high-energy radial shock waves as a supplementary therapy over physiotherapy alone for rotator cuff tendinopathy by relieving the symptoms rapidly and maintaining symptoms at a satisfactory level for 24 weeks. Implications for Rehabilitation High-energy radial shock waves can be a supplemental therapy to physiotherapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy. We recommend the usage of high-energy radial shock waves during the first 5 weeks, at an interval of 7 days, of physiotherapy treatment. High-energy radial shock waves treatment combined with physiotherapy can benefit rotator cuff tendinopathy by relieving symptoms rapidly and maintain these improvements at a satisfactory level for quite a long time.

High Capacity Cathode Materials for Next Generation Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papandrea, Benjamin John

Energy storage devices are of increasing importance for applications in mobile electronics, hybrid electric vehicles, and can also play a critical role in renewable energy harvesting, conversion and storage. Since its commercial inception in the 1990's, the lithium-ion battery represents the dominant energy storage technology for mobile power supply today. However, the total capacity of lithium-ion batteries is largely limited by the theoretical capacities of the cathode materials such as LiCoO2 (272 mAh g-1), and LiFePO4 (170 mAh g-1), and cannot satisfy the increasing consumer demand, thus new cathode materials with higher capacities must be explored. Two of the most promising cathode materials with significantly larger theoretical capacities are sulfur (1675 mAh g-1) and air, specifically the oxygen (3840 mAh g-1). However, the usage of either of these cathodic materials is plagued with numerous issues that must be overcome before their commercialization. In the first part of my dissertation, we investigated the usage of a three-dimensional graphene membrane for a high energy density lithium-air (Li-Air) battery in ambient condition. One of the issues with Li-Air batteries is the many side reaction that can occur during discharge in ambient condition, especially with water vapor. Using a hydrophobic tortuous three-dimensional graphene membrane we are able to inhibit the diffusion of water vapor and create a lithium-air battery that cycles over 2000 times with a capacity limited at 140 mAh g-1, over 100 cycles with a capacity limited at 1425 mAh g-1, and over 20 cycles at the high capacity of 5700 mAh g-1. In the second part of my dissertation, we investigate the usage of a three-dimensional graphene aerogel to maximize the loading of sulfur to create a freestanding electrode with high capacity for a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. We demonstrated that our three-dimensional graphene aerogel could sustain a loading of 95% by weight, and we achieved a capacity of 969 mAh g-1 normalized by the entire electrode with a 90% sulfur loading. In the third and final part of my dissertation, we investigate the usage of catalysts for both Li-Air, and Li-S batteries. We demonstrate how different noble metal configurations are optimal for Li-Air batteries, showcase how different metals effect the sulfur reduction reaction, and how both Pt and Mn increase the capacity of Li-S battery by interacting with the sulfur redox reactions intermediate species.

Insights from Smart Meters: Ramp-Up, Dependability, and Short-Term Persistence of Savings from Home Energy Reports

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Todd, A.; Perry, M.; Smith, B.

2015-04-01

Smart meters, smart thermostats, and other new technologies provide previously unavailable high-frequency and location-specific energy usage data. Many utilities are now able to capture real-time, customer-specific hourly interval usage data for a large proportion of their residential and small commercial customers. These vast, constantly growing streams of rich data (or big data) have the potential to provide novel insights into key policy questions about how people make energy decisions.

Intelligent demand side management of residential building energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Maruti N.

Advent of modern sensing technologies, data processing capabilities and rising cost of energy are driving the implementation of intelligent systems in buildings and houses which constitute 41% of total energy consumption. The primary motivation has been to provide a framework for demand-side management and to improve overall reliability. The entire formulation is to be implemented on NILM (Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring System), a smart meter. This is going to play a vital role in the future of demand side management. Utilities have started deploying smart meters throughout the world which will essentially help to establish communication between utility and consumers. This research is focused on investigation of a suitable thermal model of residential house, building up control system and developing diagnostic and energy usage forecast tool. The present work has considered measurement based approach to pursue. Identification of building thermal parameters is the very first step towards developing performance measurement and controls. The proposed identification technique is PEM (Prediction Error Method) based, discrete state-space model. The two different models have been devised. First model is focused toward energy usage forecast and diagnostics. Here one of the novel idea has been investigated which takes integral of thermal capacity to identify thermal model of house. The purpose of second identification is to build up a model for control strategy. The controller should be able to take into account the weather forecast information, deal with the operating point constraints and at the same time minimize the energy consumption. To design an optimal controller, MPC (Model Predictive Control) scheme has been implemented instead of present thermostatic/hysteretic control. This is a receding horizon approach. Capability of the proposed schemes has also been investigated.

Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brand, L.; Yee, S.; Baker, J.

2015-02-01

In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. In this project, the U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit examined the impact that common installation practices and age-induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces over the lifemore » of the product, as measured by steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. The team identified 12 furnaces of various ages and efficiencies that were operating in residential homes in the Des Moines, Iowa, metropolitan area and worked with a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor to retrieve furnaces and test them at the Gas Technology Institute laboratory for steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. Prior to removal, system airflow, static pressure, equipment temperature rise, and flue loss measurements were recorded for each furnace as installed in the house.« less

A survey on human behavior towards energy efficiency for office worker in malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafa, N. H.; Husain, M. N.; Abd Aziz, M. Z. A.; Othman, M. A.; Malek, F.

2014-04-01

Green environment has become an important topic around the world. This campaign can be realized if everybody understands and shares similar objectives on managing energy in an efficient way. This paper will present and analyse the survey on energy usage by office workers in Malaysia. The survey will focus on the workers in government sector. In social science surveys, it is important to support the tested data for a project. For issues related to human behaviour we must compare with real situations to verify the tested data and the results in energy monitoring system. The energy monitoring system will improve energy usage efficiency for the basic human activities in different situations and environments.

Student Media Usage Patterns and Non-Traditional Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zawacki-Richter, Olaf; Müskens, Wolfgang; Krause, Ulrike; Alturki, Uthman; Aldraiweesh, Ahmed

2015-01-01

A total of 2,338 students at German universities participated in a survey, which investigated media usage patterns of so-called traditional and non-traditional students (Schuetze & Wolter, 2003). The students provided information on the digital devices that they own or have access to, and on their usage of media and e-learning tools and…

Vacuum-assisted venous return reduces blood usage.

PubMed

Banbury, Michael K; White, Jennifer A; Blackstone, Eugene H; Cosgrove, Delos M

2003-09-01

To determine whether vacuum-assisted venous return has clinical advantages over conventional gravity drainage apart from allowing the use of smaller cannulas and shorter tubing. A total of 150 valve operations were performed at our institution between February and July 1999 using vacuum-assisted venous return with small venous cannulas connected to short tubing. These were compared with (1) 83 valve operations performed between April 1997 and January 1998 using the initial version of vacuum-assisted venous return, and (2) 124 valve operations performed between January and April of 1997 using conventional gravity drainage. Priming volume, hematocrit value, red blood cell usage, and total blood product usage were compared multivariably. These comparisons were covariate and propensity adjusted for dissimilarities between the groups and confirmed by propensity-matched pairs analysis. Priming volume was 1.4 +/- 0.4 L for small-cannula vacuum-assisted venous return, 1.7 +/- 0.4 L for initial vacuum-assisted venous return, and 2.0 +/- 0.4 L for gravity drainage (P <.0001). Smaller priming resulted in higher hematocrit values both at the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass (27% +/- 5% compared with 26% +/- 4% and 25% +/- 4%, respectively, P <.0001) and at the end (30% +/- 4% compared with 28% +/- 4% and 27% +/- 4%, respectively, P <.0001). Red cell transfusions were used in 17% of the patients having small-cannula vacuum-assisted venous return, 27% of the initial patients having vacuum-assisted venous return, and 37% of the patients having gravity drainage (P =.001); total blood product usage was 19%, 27%, and 39%, respectively (P =.002). Although ministernotomy also was associated with reduced blood product usage (P <.004), propensity matching on type of sternotomy confirmed the association of vacuum-assisted venous return with lowered blood product usage. Vacuum-assisted venous return results in (1) higher hematocrit values during cardiopulmonary bypass and (2) decreased red cell and total blood product usage.

40 CFR 63.5890 - How do I calculate an organic HAP emissions factor to demonstrate compliance for continuous...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Reinforced Plastic Composites Production Testing and Initial Compliance... per year Oc=controlled oven organic HAP emissions, lbs per year R=total usage of neat resin plus, tpy G=total usage of neat gel coat plus, tpy (b) Averaging option. Use Equation 2 of this section to...

High-Performance Computing Data Center Power Usage Effectiveness |

Science.gov Websites

Power Usage Effectiveness When the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) was conceived, NREL set an , ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), which captures fan walls, fan coils that support the data center

Dynamic Analyses of Result Quality in Energy-Aware Approximate Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RIngenburg, Michael F.

Energy efficiency is a key concern in the design of modern computer systems. One promising approach to energy-efficient computation, approximate computing, trades off output precision for energy efficiency. However, this tradeoff can have unexpected effects on computation quality. This thesis presents dynamic analysis tools to study, debug, and monitor the quality and energy efficiency of approximate computations. We propose three styles of tools: prototyping tools that allow developers to experiment with approximation in their applications, online tools that instrument code to determine the key sources of error, and online tools that monitor the quality of deployed applications in real time. Our prototyping tool is based on an extension to the functional language OCaml. We add approximation constructs to the language, an approximation simulator to the runtime, and profiling and auto-tuning tools for studying and experimenting with energy-quality tradeoffs. We also present two online debugging tools and three online monitoring tools. The first online tool identifies correlations between output quality and the total number of executions of, and errors in, individual approximate operations. The second tracks the number of approximate operations that flow into a particular value. Our online tools comprise three low-cost approaches to dynamic quality monitoring. They are designed to monitor quality in deployed applications without spending more energy than is saved by approximation. Online monitors can be used to perform real time adjustments to energy usage in order to meet specific quality goals. We present prototype implementations of all of these tools and describe their usage with several applications. Our prototyping, profiling, and autotuning tools allow us to experiment with approximation strategies and identify new strategies, our online tools succeed in providing new insights into the effects of approximation on output quality, and our monitors succeed in controlling output quality while still maintaining significant energy efficiency gains.

Determining residential energy consumption-based CO2 emissions and examining the factors affecting the variation in Ankara, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kus, Melike; Akan, Perihan; Aydinalp Koksal, Merih; Gullu, Gulen

2017-11-01

Energy demand of Turkey has been showing a remarkable increase in the last two decades due to rapid increase in population and changes in consumption trends. In parallel to the increase in energy demand, the CO2 emissions in Turkey are also increasing dramatically due to high usage of fossil fuels. CO2 emissions from the residential sector covers almost one fourth of the total sectoral emissions. In this study, CO2 emissions from the residential sector are estimated, and the factors affecting the emission levels are determined for the residential sector in Ankara, Turkey. In this study, detailed surveys are conducted to more than 400 households in Ankara. Using the information gathered from the surveys, the CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption of the households are calculated using the methodology outlined at IPCC. The statistical analyses are carried out using household income, dwelling characteristics, and household economic and demographic data to determine the factors causing the variation in emission levels among the households. The results of the study present that the main factors impacting the amount of total energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions are household income, dwelling construction year, age, education level of the household, and net footage of the dwelling.

Scope for energy improvement for hospital imaging services in the USA.

PubMed

Esmaeili, Amin; Twomey, Janet M; Overcash, Michael R; Soltani, Seyed A; McGuire, Charles; Ali, Kamran

2015-04-01

To aid radiologists by measuring the carbon footprint of CT scans by quantifying in-hospital and out-of-hospital energy use and to assess public health impacts. The study followed a standard life cycle assessment protocol to measure energy from a CT scan then expanding to all hospital electrical energy related to CT usage. In addition, all the fuel energy used to generate electricity and to manufacture the CT consumables was measured. The study was conducted at two hospitals. The entire life cycle energy for a CT scan was 24-34 kWh of natural resource energy per scan. The actual active patient scan energy that produces the images is only about 1.6% of this total life cycle energy. This large multiplier to get total CT energy is a previously undocumented environmental response to the direct radiology order for a patient CT scan. The CT in-hospital energy related to idle periods, where the machine is on but no patients are being scanned and is 14-30-fold higher than the energy used for the CT image. The in-hospital electrical energy of a CT scan makes up only about 25% of the total energy footprint. The rest is generated outside the hospital: 54-62% for generation and transmission of the electricity, while 13-22% is for all the energy to make the consumables. Different CT scanners have some influences on the results and could help guide purchase of CT equipment. The transparent, detailed life cycle approach allows the data from this study to be used by radiologists to examine details of both direct and of unseen energy impacts of CT scans. The public health (outside-the-hospital) impact (including the patients receiving a CT) needs to be measured and included. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Energy Conservation Study on Darigold Fluid Milk Plant, Issaquah, Washington.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seton, Johnson & Odell, Inc.

This report presents the findings of an energy study done at Darigold dairy products plant in Issaquah, Washington. The study includes all electrical energy using systems at the plant, but does not address specific modifications to process equipment or the gas boilers. The Issaquah Darigold plant receives milk and cream, which are stored in large, insulated silos. These raw products are then processed into butter, cottage cheese, buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, and powdered milk. This plant produces the majority of the butter used in the state of Washington. The Issaquah plant purchases electricity from Puget Sound Power and Light Company.more » The plant is on Schedule 31, primary metering. The plant provides transformers to step down the voltage to 480, 240, and 120 volts as needed. Based on utility bills for the period from July 1983 through July 1984, the Issaquah Darigold plant consumed 7,134,300 kWh at a total cost of $218,703.78 and 1,600,633 therms at a total cost of $889,687.48. Energy use for this period is shown in Figures 1.1 to 1.5. Demand charges account for approximately 23% of the total electrical bill for this period, while reactive charges account for less than 0.5%. The electrical usage for the plant was divided into process energy uses, as summarized in Figure 1.2. This breakdown is based on a 311-day processing schedule, with Sunday clean-up and holidays composing the 54 days of downtime.« less

Life cycle energy use, costs, and greenhouse gas emission of broiler farms in different production systems in Iran-a case study of Alborz province.

PubMed

Pishgar-Komleh, Seyyed Hassan; Akram, Asadollah; Keyhani, Alireza; van Zelm, Rosalie

2017-07-01

In order to achieve sustainable development in agriculture, it is necessary to quantify and compare the energy, economic, and environmental aspects of products. This paper studied the energy, economic, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission patterns in broiler chicken farms in the Alborz province of Iran. We studied the effect of the broiler farm size as different production systems on the energy, economic, and environmental indices. Energy use efficiency (EUE) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) were 0.16 and 1.11, respectively. Diesel fuel and feed contributed the most in total energy inputs, while feed and chicks were the most important inputs in economic analysis. GHG emission calculations showed that production of 1000 birds produces 19.13 t CO 2-eq and feed had the highest share in total GHG emission. Total GHG emissions based on different functional units were 8.5 t CO 2-eq per t of carcass and 6.83 kg CO 2-eq per kg live weight. Results of farm size effect on EUE revealed that large farms had better energy management. For BCR, there was no significant difference between farms. Lower total GHG emissions were reported for large farms, caused by better management of inputs and fewer bird losses. Large farms with more investment had more efficient equipment, resulting in a decrease of the input consumption. In view of our study, it is recommended to support the small-scale broiler industry by providing subsidies to promote the use of high-efficiency equipment. To decrease the amount of energy usage and GHG emissions, replacing heaters (which use diesel fuel) with natural gas heaters can be considered. In addition to the above recommendations, the use of energy saving light bulbs may reduce broiler farm electricity consumption.

The Solar Energy Consortium of New York Photovoltaic Research and Development Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, Petra M.

2012-10-15

Project Objective: To lead New York State to increase its usage of solar electric systems. The expected outcome is that appropriate technologies will be made available which in turn will help to eliminate barriers to solar energy usage in New York State. Background: The Solar Energy Consortium has been created to lead New York State research on solar systems specifically directed at doubling the efficiency, halving the cost and reducing the cost of installation as well as developing unique form factors for the New York City urban environment.

Energy Efficient Cluster Based Scheduling Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Srie Vidhya Janani, E.; Ganesh Kumar, P.

2015-01-01

The energy utilization of sensor nodes in large scale wireless sensor network points out the crucial need for scalable and energy efficient clustering protocols. Since sensor nodes usually operate on batteries, the maximum utility of network is greatly dependent on ideal usage of energy leftover in these sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose an Energy Efficient Cluster Based Scheduling Scheme for wireless sensor networks that balances the sensor network lifetime and energy efficiency. In the first phase of our proposed scheme, cluster topology is discovered and cluster head is chosen based on remaining energy level. The cluster head monitors the network energy threshold value to identify the energy drain rate of all its cluster members. In the second phase, scheduling algorithm is presented to allocate time slots to cluster member data packets. Here congestion occurrence is totally avoided. In the third phase, energy consumption model is proposed to maintain maximum residual energy level across the network. Moreover, we also propose a new packet format which is given to all cluster member nodes. The simulation results prove that the proposed scheme greatly contributes to maximum network lifetime, high energy, reduced overhead, and maximum delivery ratio. PMID:26495417

Survey of Hearth Products in U.S. Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siap, David; Willem, Henry; Price, Sarah K.

There are over 7 million gas-fired fireplaces currently installed in US households. On an annual basis, these use substantial energy. However, the details of the fireplace energy use and the factors that influence it are currently not well understood. Fireplaces are a type of hearth product, which is a product category that primarily consists of fireplaces, stoves, and gas log sets. For the purpose of this study, the fuels used in hearth products are primarily natural gas, propane, or electricity. They may be vented or unvented. This study reports the results of a web survey of 2,100 respondents in themore » United States performed in February 2016. The responses were cleaned and weighted using the raking method to form a nationally representative population. The reported data include hearth product characteristics, usage information, and repair and maintenance practices. The hearth product characteristics include the hearth product type, fuel type, ignition system type, features, venting, and installation details. The usage information includes seasonal usage of the main burner and standing pilot (if present), daily usage, and the primary utility (whether decorative or for heating). These raw data are further processed and combined with values from the literature to estimate the annual operating hours and energy use and to assess how these are impacted by the hearth product type, features, age, and the main heating appliance, if present. Based on the survey responses, the estimated average annual hours of usage was 234 for the main burner, and 4,593 for the standing pilot. The results presented provide the most comprehensive data regarding hearth products in the United States published to date. These new data allow for an improved understanding of hearth products’ energy use, which in turn may facilitate the development of more informed analyses, and ultimately more efficient hearth products and reduced energy use. These new data also provide insight into topics not previously studied, such as the effect of hearth product features on energy use.« less

Smart Grid Enabled EVSE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2015-01-12

The combined team of GE Global Research, Federal Express, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Consolidated Edison has successfully achieved the established goals contained within the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Capable Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment funding opportunity. The final program product, shown charging two vehicles in Figure 1, reduces by nearly 50% the total installed system cost of the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) as well as enabling a host of new Smart Grid enabled features. These include bi-directional communications, load control, utility message exchange and transaction management information. Using the new charging system, Utilities or energy service providers willmore » now be able to monitor transportation related electrical loads on their distribution networks, send load control commands or preferences to individual systems, and then see measured responses. Installation owners will be able to authorize usage of the stations, monitor operations, and optimally control their electricity consumption. These features and cost reductions have been developed through a total system design solution.« less

United States Data Center Energy Usage Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shehabi, Arman; Smith, Sarah; Sartor, Dale

This report estimates historical data center electricity consumption back to 2000, relying on previous studies and historical shipment data, and forecasts consumption out to 2020 based on new trends and the most recent data available. Figure ES-1 provides an estimate of total U.S. data center electricity use (servers, storage, network equipment, and infrastructure) from 2000-2020. In 2014, data centers in the U.S. consumed an estimated 70 billion kWh, representing about 1.8% of total U.S. electricity consumption. Current study results show data center electricity consumption increased by about 4% from 2010-2014, a large shift from the 24% percent increase estimated frommore » 2005-2010 and the nearly 90% increase estimated from 2000-2005. Energy use is expected to continue slightly increasing in the near future, increasing 4% from 2014-2020, the same rate as the past five years. Based on current trend estimates, U.S. data centers are projected to consume approximately 73 billion kWh in 2020.« less

Energy Tracking Software Platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryan Davis; Nathan Bird; Rebecca Birx

2011-04-04

Acceleration has created an interactive energy tracking and visualization platform that supports decreasing electric, water, and gas usage. Homeowners have access to tools that allow them to gauge their use and track progress toward a smaller energy footprint. Real estate agents have access to consumption data, allowing for sharing a comparison with potential home buyers. Home builders have the opportunity to compare their neighborhood's energy efficiency with competitors. Home energy raters have a tool for gauging the progress of their clients after efficiency changes. And, social groups are able to help encourage members to reduce their energy bills and helpmore » their environment. EnergyIT.com is the business umbrella for all energy tracking solutions and is designed to provide information about our energy tracking software and promote sales. CompareAndConserve.com (Gainesville-Green.com) helps homeowners conserve energy through education and competition. ToolsForTenants.com helps renters factor energy usage into their housing decisions.« less

US energy flow, 1981

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggs, C. K.; Borg, I. Y.

1982-10-01

Flow diagrams to describe the US energy situation are given. In 1981 the energy consumption was 73 quads (or 73 times 10 to the 15th power Btu). Use was down from 75 quads in 1980. Oil continues to dominate the picture as it comprises 45% of the total energy used. Net oil use (exclusive of oil purchased for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Exports) fell 8%; oil imports declined 14%. In contrast to oil, use of natural gas and coal remained at 1980 levels. Decreased use of residual oils, principally for electric power generating, account for much of the drop in oil use. Increased use of coal and nuclear energy for power generation almost compensated for the decrease in use of oil in that end use. Transmitted power remained at 1980 levels. The remainder of the drop in energy usage is attributed to price driven conservation, increased efficiencies in end use and the recession that prevailed during most of the year. The share of the energy drop attributable to the recession is estimated by various analysts to be on the order of 40 to 50%.

The Effectiveness of Taiwan Building Energy Regulation under the influence of Future Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Yu-Teng; Huang, Kuo-Tsang

2017-04-01

Building energy consumption comprises circa 40% of the national annual energy usage in Taiwan, and the majority proportion is attributed to the cooling apparatus usage. As cooling energy is closely related to the outdoor climate, it is expected that the future global climate change would amplify its demand. Considering the building energy regulation criteria are the minimum requirements that the building has to be complied with, this study tried to investigate whether the current building energy regulation in Taiwan, initiated in 2013, would still be capable of maintaining the energy use in the future as today's level. The research adopted EnergyPlus to simulate the annual cooling energy use of several virtual office building cases with the constructed hourly future weather data under future climate change scenarios of RCP45 and RCP85 defined by IPCC. The virtual building cases are generated by a structured orthogonal array with each case is constituted by 10 building design parameters. The results revealed that the building energy consumption based on the current regulation criteria failed to maintain at the same level in the future as oppose to nowadays. By comparing to the current cooling energy usage, it would rise by 13% and 22% in RCP45 and RCP85, respectively, at the end of this century. This research further parametrically studied the potential cooling energy mitigation strategies and proposed effective building envelope design schemes in order to neutralize the future building energy increase.

Post Occupancy energy evaluation of Ronald Tutor Hall using eQUEST; Computer based simulation of existing building and comparison of data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dulom, Duyum

Buildings account for about 40 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. It is therefore important to shift our focus on important measures that can be taken to make buildings more energy efficient. With the rise in number of buildings day by day and the dwindling resources, retrofitting buildings is the key to an energy efficiency future. Post occupancy evaluation (POE) is an important tool and is ideal for the retrofitting process. POE would help to identify the problem areas in the building and enable researchers and designers to come up with solutions addressing the inefficient energy usage as well as the overall wellbeing of the users of the building. The post occupancy energy evaluation of Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH) located at the University of Southern California is one small step in that direction. RTH was chosen to study because; (a) relatively easy access to the building data (b) it was built in compliance with Title 24 2001 and (c) it was old enough to have post occupancy data. The energy modeling tool eQuest was used to simulate the RTH building using the background information of the building such as internal thermal comfort profile, occupancy profile, building envelope profile, internal heat gain profile, etc. The simulation results from eQuest were then compared with the actual building recorded data to verify that our simulated model was behaving similar to the actual building. Once we were able to make the simulated model behave like the actual building, changes were made to the model such as installation of occupancy sensor in the classroom & laboratories, changing the thermostat set points and introducing solar shade on northwest and southwest facade. The combined savings of the proposed interventions resulted in a 6% savings in the overall usage of energy.

Development of the Optimum Operation Scheduling Model of Domestic Electric Appliances for the Supply-Demand Adjustment in a Power System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikegami, Takashi; Iwafune, Yumiko; Ogimoto, Kazuhiko

The high penetration of variable renewable generation such as Photovoltaic (PV) systems will cause the issue of supply-demand imbalance in a whole power system. The activation of the residential power usage, storage and generation by sophisticated scheduling and control using the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) will be needed to balance power supply and demand in the near future. In order to evaluate the applicability of the HEMS as a distributed controller for local and system-wide supply-demand balances, we developed an optimum operation scheduling model of domestic electric appliances using the mixed integer linear programming. Applying this model to several houses with dynamic electricity prices reflecting the power balance of the total power system, it was found that the adequate changes in electricity prices bring about the shift of residential power usages to control the amount of the reverse power flow due to excess PV generation.

The Future of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Christopher; Yeh, Sonia

2011-11-01

Petroleum fuel uses make up essentially all of transportation fuel usage today and will continue to dominate transportation fuel usage well into future without any major policy changes. This chapter focuses on low-carbon transportation fuels, specifically, biofuels, electricity and hydrogen, that are emerging options to displace petroleum based fuels. The transition to cleaner, lower carbon fuel sources will need significant technology advancement, and sustained coordination efforts among the vehicle and fuel industry and policymakers/regulators over long period of time in order to overcome market barriers, consumer acceptance, and externalities of imported oil. We discuss the unique infrastructure challenges, and compare resource, technology, economics and transitional issues for each of these fuels. While each fuel type has important technical and implementation challenges to overcome (including vehicle technologies) in order to contribute a large fraction of our total fuel demand, it is important to note that a portfolio approach will give us the best chance of meeting stringent environmental and energy security goals for a sustainable transportation future.

Investigating Sustainability Impacts of Bioenergy Usage Within the Eisenwurzen Region in Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putzhuber, F.; Hasenauer, H.

2009-04-01

Within the past few years sustainability and bioenergy usage become a key term in emphasizing the relationship between economic progress and the protection of the environment. One key difficulty is the definition of criteria and indicators for assessing sustainability issues and their change over time. This work introduces methods to create linear parametric models of the sustainable impact issues relevant in the establishment of new bio-energetic heating systems. Our application example is the Eisenwurzen region in Austria. The total area covers 5743 km km² and includes 99 municipalities. A total of 11 impact issues covering the economic, social and environmental areas are proposed for developing the linear parametric models. The indicator selection for deriving the impact issues is based on public official data from 68 indicators, as well as stakeholder interviews and the impact assessment framework. In total we obtained 415 variables from the 99 municipalities to create the 68 indicators for the Local Administration Unit 2 (LAU2) over the last (if available) 25 years. The 68 indicators are on a relative scale to address the size differences of the municipalities. The idea of the analysis is to create linear models which derive 11 defined impact issues related to the establishment of new bio-energetic heating systems. Each analysis follows a strict statistical procedure based on (i) independent indicator selection, (ii) remove indicators with higher VIF value grater then 6, (iii) remove indicators with α higher than 0,05, (iv) possible linear transformation, (v) remove the non-significant indicators (p-value >0,05), (vi) model valuation, (vii) remove the out-lines plots and (viii) test of the normality distribution of the residual with a Kolmogorov- Smirnov test. The results suggest that for the 11 sustainable impact issues 21 of the 68 indicators are significant drives. The models revealed that it is possible to create tools for assessing impact issues in a municipality level. In this case impact issues related to bio-energy usages on a rural mountain region.

Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Maternal Serum and Risk of Neural Tube Defects in Offspring

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, and have been reported to be a risk factor for human neural tube defects (NTDs). We investigated the relationship between PAH concentrations in maternal serum and NTD risk in offspring using a case-control study design, and explored the link between PAH concentrations to household energy usage characteristics and life styles. One hundred and seventeen women who had NTD-affected pregnancies (cases) and 121 women who delivered healthy infants (controls) were recruited in Northern China. Maternal blood samples were collected at pregnancy termination or at delivery. Twenty-seven PAHs were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The concentrations of 13 individual PAHs detected were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. Clear dose–response relationships between concentrations of most individual PAHs and the risk of total NTDs or subtypes were observed, even when potential covariates were adjusted for. High-molecular-weight PAHs (H-PAHs) showed higher risk than low-molecular-weight PAHs (L-PAHs). No associations between PAH concentrations and indoor life styles and energy usage characteristics were observed. It was concluded that maternal exposure to PAHs was associated with an increased risk of NTDs, and H-PAHs overall posed a higher risk for NTDs than L-PAHs. PMID:25488567

Ubiquitous Green Computing Techniques for High Demand Applications in Smart Environments

PubMed Central

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L.; Moya, Jose M.; Risco-Martín, José L.

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time. PMID:23112621

Ubiquitous green computing techniques for high demand applications in Smart environments.

PubMed

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L; Moya, Jose M; Risco-Martín, José L

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time.

Usage of NASA's Near Real-Time Solar and Meteorological Data for Monitoring Building Energy Systems Using RETScreen International's Performance Analysis Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.; Charles, Robert W.; Chandler, William S.; Hoell, James M.; Westberg, David; Zhang, Taiping; Ziegler, Urban; Leng, Gregory J.; Meloche, Nathalie; Bourque, Kevin

2012-01-01

This paper describes building energy system production and usage monitoring using examples from the new RETScreen Performance Analysis Module, called RETScreen Plus. The module uses daily meteorological (i.e., temperature, humidity, wind and solar, etc.) over a period of time to derive a building system function that is used to monitor building performance. The new module can also be used to target building systems with enhanced technologies. If daily ambient meteorological and solar information are not available, these are obtained over the internet from NASA's near-term data products that provide global meteorological and solar information within 3-6 days of real-time. The accuracy of the NASA data are shown to be excellent for this purpose enabling RETScreen Plus to easily detect changes in the system function and efficiency. This is shown by several examples, one of which is a new building at the NASA Langley Research Center that uses solar panels to provide electrical energy for building energy and excess energy for other uses. The system shows steady performance within the uncertainties of the input data. The other example involves assessing the reduction in energy usage by an apartment building in Sweden before and after an energy efficiency upgrade. In this case, savings up to 16% are shown.

Energy-efficient virtual optical network mapping approaches over converged flexible bandwidth optical networks and data centers.

PubMed

Chen, Bowen; Zhao, Yongli; Zhang, Jie

2015-09-21

In this paper, we develop a virtual link priority mapping (LPM) approach and a virtual node priority mapping (NPM) approach to improve the energy efficiency and to reduce the spectrum usage over the converged flexible bandwidth optical networks and data centers. For comparison, the lower bound of the virtual optical network mapping is used for the benchmark solutions. Simulation results show that the LPM approach achieves the better performance in terms of power consumption, energy efficiency, spectrum usage, and the number of regenerators compared to the NPM approach.

A Meta-Analysis of Single-Family Deep Energy Retrofit Performance in the U.S.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Less, Brennan; Walker, Iain

2014-08-01

The current state of Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) performance in the U.S. has been assessed in 116 homes in the United States, using actual and simulated data gathered from the available domestic literature. Substantial airtightness reductions averaging 63% (n=48) were reported (two- to three-times more than in conventional retrofits), with average post-retrofit airtightness of 4.7 Air Changes per House at 50 Pascal (ACH50) (n=94). Yet, mechanical ventilation was not installed consistently. In order to avoid indoor air quality (IAQ) issues, all future DERs should comply with ASHRAE 62.2-2013 requirements or equivalent. Projects generally achieved good energy results, with average annualmore » net-site and net-source energy savings of 47%±20% and 45%±24% (n=57 and n=35), respectively, and carbon emission reductions of 47%±22% (n=23). Net-energy reductions did not vary reliably with house age, airtightness, or reported project costs, but pre-retrofit energy usage was correlated with total reductions (MMBtu).« less

Availability, usage, and factors affecting usage of electrophysical agents by physical therapists: a regional cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Abe, Yuichi; Goh, Ah-Cheng; Miyoshi, Kei

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the availability, usage, and factors affecting usage of electrophysical agents by physical therapists in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. [Subjects and Methods] Questionnaires were sent to all 1,571 physical therapists working in 245 institutions within Nagano Prefecture. A total of 1,110 questionnaires were returned, out of which 1,099 (70%) questionnaires containing valid responses were analyzed. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for 22 modalities with regards to availability, usage, rate of usage, and confidence level in usage. Factors affecting usage and the relationship between rate of usage and confidence level (Spearman’s rho) were also determined. [Results] The top three responses for the various outcome measures were as follows: (1) hot packs (88%), low frequency stimulators (76%), and ultrasound (68%) for availability; (2) hot packs (72%), ultrasound (61%), and cold packs (59%) for usage; (3) hot packs (75%), cold spray (49%), and ultrasound (44%) for confidence in usage; and (4) equipment availability (80%), past experience (79%), and research evidence (78%) for factors affecting usage. There was a significant positive relationship between confidence and usage for all modalities, except for ultraviolet radiation, iontophoresis, and magnetic field. [Conclusion] Usage was strongly correlated with confidence, with the top three used modalities also being the ones with the highest confidence in usage. PMID:27942126

A protocol for sustained reduction of Total Parenteral Nutrition and cost savings by improvement of nutritional care in hospitals.

PubMed

van Schaik, Rian; Van den Abeele, Kurt; Melsens, Glenn; Schepens, Peter; Lanssens, Truus; Vlaemynck, Bernadette; Devisch, Maria; Niewold, Theo A

2016-10-01

Malnutrition and the use of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) contribute considerably to hospital costs. Recently, we reported on the introduction of malnutrition screening and monitoring of TPN use in our hospital, which resulted in a large (40%) reduction in TPN and improved quality of nutritional care in two years (2011/12). Here, we aimed to assure continuation of improved care by developing a detailed malnutrition screening and TPN use protocol involving instruction tools for hospital staff, while monitoring the results in the following two years (2013/14). A TPN decision tree for follow up of TPN in patients and a TP-EN instruction card for caregivers was introduced, showing TPN/EN introduction schedules based on the energy needs of patients according to EB guidelines, also addressing the risk of refeeding syndrome. TPN patients were monitored by dietitians and TPN usage and costs were presented to the (medical) staff. Screening and treatment of malnourished patients by dietitians is simultaneously ongoing. In 2014 48% of patients, hospitalized for at least 48 h, were screened on malnutrition, 17% of them were diagnosed at risk, 7.9% malnourished and treated by dietitians. TPN usage dropped by 53% and cost savings of 51% were obtained due to 50% decrease of TPN users in 2014 versus 2010. TPN over EN ratio dropped from 2.4 in 2010 to 1.2 in 2014. Sustained improvement of nutritional care and reduction of TPN usage and costs is possible by introduction of procedures embedded in the existing structures. Copyright © 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tapping The Sun's Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, David G.

1974-01-01

Describes several successful attempts to utilize solar energy for heating and providing electrical energy for homes. Indicates that more research and development are needed, especially in the area of large scale usage. (SLH)

Managing Residential Electricity Demand Through Provision of Better Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Myles

New and affordable technology for providing detailed feedback on household electricity usage presents a host of opportunities for utilities and policy-makers to manage demand. This dissertation examines ways to use these devices to reduce - and shift the timing of - energy use in the residential sector by influencing consumers' behavior. The first portion of the study analyzes the impact of programmable thermostats (PTs) on energy use, focusing on residents' knowledge of climate control settings in the dwelling. I found that of households with natural gas heating systems, young households with PTs used 17 percent less heating energy on average. In addition, residents who did not know their thermostat settings tended to use 10 percent more energy for heating. The main portion of the dissertation focuses specifically on the potential for better feedback on electricity usage to reduce household energy consumption. The existing literature suggests that feedback can reduce electricity consumption in homes by 5 to 20 percent, but that significant uncertainties remain in our knowledge of the effectiveness of feedback. These uncertainties include the variation in feedback effectiveness between demographic groups and consumers in different climate regions. This analysis uses these uncertainties to perform an exploratory analysis to determine the conditions under which the benefits of feedback outweigh the costs and to compare the cost-effectiveness of providing feedback against that of other DSM programs. I found that benefits would likely outweigh costs for enhanced monthly billing and real-time feedback and that cost-effectiveness was superior to that of other DSM programs for these types of feedback. For feedback that is disaggregated by appliance type, cost effectiveness was competitive with other DSM programs under a limited set of cases. This study also examines how energy consumption devices should display feedback on GHG emissions from electricity use under a real-time pricing program. I found that load-shifting can cause GHG emissions to increase or decrease depending on region and season and in no discernable pattern. Therefore, feedback may be more useful and comprehensible to households in the form of total GHG emissions attributable to electricity usage instead of the emission rate of the marginal power plant. Finally, this dissertation explores ways to maximize the effect of feedback by evaluating which appliances may be best suited for appliance-specific feedback. Due to the energy use and behavioral factors associated with each appliance, the most promising appliances were those that heat water for taps, showers, hot tubs, and waterbeds.

System solution to improve energy efficiency of HVAC systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chretien, L.; Becerra, R.; Salts, N. P.; Groll, E. A.

2017-08-01

According to recent surveys, heating and air conditioning systems account for over 45% of the total energy usage in US households. Three main types of HVAC systems are available to homeowners: (1) fixed-speed systems, where the compressor cycles on and off to match the cooling load; (2) multi-speed (typically, two-speed) systems, where the compressor can operate at multiple cooling capacities, leading to reduced cycling; and (3) variable-speed systems, where the compressor speed is adjusted to match the cooling load of the household, thereby providing higher efficiency and comfort levels through better temperature and humidity control. While energy consumption could reduce significantly by adopting variable-speed compressor systems, the market penetration has been limited to less than 10% of the total HVAC units and a vast majority of systems installed in new construction remains single speed. A few reasons may explain this phenomenon such as the complexity of the electronic circuitry required to vary compressor speed as well as the associated system cost. This paper outlines a system solution to boost the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of a traditional single-speed unit through using a low power electronic converter that allows the compressor to operate at multiple low capacity settings and is disabled at high compressor speeds.

Reducing Operating Costs and Energy Consumption at Water Utilities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Due to their unique combination of high energy usage and potential for significant savings, utilities are turning to energy-efficient technologies to help save money. Learn about cost and energy saving technologies from this brochure.

Conducting polymers: Synthesis and industrial applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gottesfeld, S.

1997-04-01

The Conducting Polymer project funded by the AIM Program has developed new methods for the synthesis of conducting polymers and evaluated new industrial applications for these materials which will result in significant reductions in energy usage or industrial waste. The applications specifically addressed during FY 1996 included two ongoing efforts on membranes for gas separation and on electrochemical capacitors and a third new application: electrochemical reactors (ECRs) based on polymeric electrolytes. As a gas separation membrane, conducting polymers offer high selectivity and the potential to chemically or electrically adapt the membrane for specific gas combinations. Potential energy savings in themore » US for this application are estimated at 1 to 3 quads/yr. As an active material in electrochemical capacitors, electronically conducting polymers have the potential of storing large amounts of electric energy in low cost materials. Potential energy savings estimated at 1 quad/yr would result from introduction of electrochemical capacitors as energy storage devices in power trains of electric and hybrid vehicles, once such vehicles reach 20% of the total transportation market in the US. In the chlor-alkali industry, electrochemical reactors based on polymer electrolyte membranes consume around 1 % of the total electric power in the US. A new activity, started in FY 1996, is devoted to energy efficient ECRs. In the case of the chlor-alkali industry, energy savings as high as 50% seem possible with the novel ECR technology demonstrated by the author in 1996.« less

Internet addiction is related to attention deficit but not hyperactivity in a sample of high school students.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Savaş; Hergüner, Sabri; Bilgiç, Ayhan; Işık, Ümit

2015-03-01

To assess the effects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom dimensions on Internet addiction (IA) after controlling for Internet usage features among high school students. This study consisted of 640 students (331 females and 309 males) ranging from 14 to 19 years of age. The Internet Addiction Scale, the Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-Report Scale-Short Form, and a personal information form were completed by the participants. Statistical analyses were conducted for both sexes and the total sample. According to the logistic regression analysis, attention deficit and playing online games were significant predictors of IA in both sexes. Other predictors of IA included behavioral problems for females, total weekly Internet usage time, and lifelong total Internet use for males. Hyperactivity and other Internet usage features did not predict IA. These results suggest that attention deficit and playing online games are important determinants of IA in this age group.

Activities Handbook for Energy Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVito, Alfred; Krockover, Gerald H.

The purpose of this handbook is to present information about energy and to translate this information into learning activities for children. Chapter 1, "Energy: A Delicate Dilemma," presents activities intended to provide an introduction to energy and energy usage. Chapter 2, "What are the Sources of Energy?" provides…

Today's Leaders for a Sustainable Tomorrow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Bryan

2013-02-27

Today's Leaders for a Sustainable Tomorrow is a collaboration of five residential environmental learning centers (Audubon Center of the North Woods, Deep Portage Learning Center, Laurentian Environmental Center, Long Lake Conservation Center and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center) that together increased energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy technologies through a number of different means appropriate for each unique center. For energy efficiency upgrades the centers installed envelope improvements to seal air barriers through better insulation in walls, ceilings, windows, doors as well as the installation of more energy efficient windows, doors, lighting and air ventilation systems. Through energy sub-metermore » monitoring the centers are able to accurately chart the usage of energy at each of their campuses and eliminate unnecessary energy usage. Facilities reduced their dependence on fossil fuel energy sources through the installation of renewable energy technologies including wood gasification, solar domestic hot water, solar photovoltaic, solar air heat, geothermal heating and wind power. Centers also installed energy education displays on the specific renewable energy technologies used at the center.« less

Inductive flux usage and its optimization in tokamak operation

DOE PAGES

Luce, Timothy C.; Humphreys, David A.; Jackson, Gary L.; ...

2014-07-30

The energy flow from the poloidal field coils of a tokamak to the electromagnetic and kinetic stored energy of the plasma are considered in the context of optimizing the operation of ITER. The goal is to optimize the flux usage in order to allow the longest possible burn in ITER at the desired conditions to meet the physics objectives (500 MW fusion power with energy gain of 10). A mathematical formulation of the energy flow is derived and applied to experiments in the DIII-D tokamak that simulate the ITER design shape and relevant normalized current and pressure. The rate ofmore » rise of the plasma current was varied, and the fastest stable current rise is found to be the optimum for flux usage in DIII-D. A method to project the results to ITER is formulated. The constraints of the ITER poloidal field coil set yield an optimum at ramp rates slower than the maximum stable rate for plasmas similar to the DIII-D plasmas. Finally, experiments in present-day tokamaks for further optimization of the current rise and validation of the projections are suggested.« less

Life cycle assessment of energy and CO2 emissions for residential buildings in Jakarta, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surahman, U.; Kubota, T.; Wijaya, A.

2016-04-01

In order to develop low energy and low carbon residential buildings, it is important to understand their detailed energy profiles. This study provides the results of life cycle assessment of energy and CO2 emissions for residential buildings in Jakarta, Indonesia. A survey was conducted in the city in 2012 to obtain both material inventory and household energy consumption data within the selected residential buildings (n=300), which are classified into three categories, namely simple, medium and luxurious houses. The results showed that the average embodied energy of simple, medium and luxurious houses was 58.5, 201.0, and 559.5 GJ, respectively. It was found that total embodied energy of each house can be explained by its total floor area alone with high accuracy in respective house categories. Meanwhile, it was seen that operational energy usage patterns varied largely among house categories as well as households especially in the simple and medium houses. The energy consumption for cooling was found to be the most significant factor of the increase in operational energy from simple to luxurious houses. Further, in the life cycle energy, the operational energy accounted for much larger proportions of about 86-92% than embodied energy regardless of the house categories. The life cycle CO2 emissions for medium and luxurious houses were larger than that of simple houses by 2 and 6 times on average. In the simple houses, cooking was the largest contributor to the CO2 emissions (25%), while the emissions caused by cooling increased largely with the house category and became the largest contributors in the medium (26%) and luxurious houses (41%).

A conceptual demonstration of freeze desalination-membrane distillation (FD-MD) hybrid desalination process utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Chung, Tai-Shung

2012-09-01

The severe global water scarcity and record-high fossil oil price have greatly stimulated the research interests on new desalination technologies which can be driven by renewable energy or waste energy. In this study, a hybrid desalination process comprising freeze desalination and membrane distillation (FD-MD) processes was developed and explored in an attempt to utilize the waste cold energy released from re-gasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The concept of this technology was demonstrated using indirect-contact freeze desalination (ICFD) and direct-contact membrane distillation (DCMD) configurations. By optimizing the ICFD operation parameters, namely, the usage of nucleate seeds, operation duration and feed concentration, high quality drinkable water with a low salinity ∼0.144 g/L was produced in the ICFD process. At the same time, using the optimized hollow fiber module length and packing density in the DCMD process, ultra pure water with a low salinity of 0.062 g/L was attained at a condition of high energy efficiency (EE). Overall, by combining FD and MD processes and adopting the optimized operation parameters, the hybrid FD-MD system has been successfully demonstrated. A high total water recovery of 71.5% was achieved, and the water quality obtained met the standard for drinkable water. In addition, with results from specific energy calculation, it was proven that the hybrid process is an energy-saving process and utilization of LNG cold energy could greatly reduce the total energy consumption. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dosimetric effects of energy spectrum uncertainties in radiation therapy with laser-driven particle beams.

PubMed

Schell, S; Wilkens, J J

2012-03-07

Laser-driven particle acceleration is a potentially cost-efficient and compact new technology that might replace synchrotrons or cyclotrons for future proton or heavy-ion radiation therapy. Since the energy spectrum of laser-accelerated particles is rather wide, compared to the monoenergetic beams of conventional machines, studies have proposed the usage of broader spectra for the treatment of at least certain parts of the target volume to make the process more efficient. The thereby introduced additional uncertainty in the applied energy spectrum is analysed in this note. It is shown that the uncertainty can be categorized into a change of the total number of particles, and a change in the energy distribution of the particles. The former one can be monitored by a simple fluence detector and cancels for a high number of statistically fluctuating shots. The latter one, the redistribution of a fixed number of particles to different energy bins in the window of transmitted energies of the energy selection system, only introduces smaller changes to the resulting depth dose curve. Therefore, it might not be necessary to monitor this uncertainty for all applied shots. These findings might enable an easier uncertainty management for particle therapy with broad energy spectra.

Current On-Campus Attitudes toward Energy Usage, Efficiency, and Emerging Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lennon, Liz; Sintov, Nicole; Orosz, Michael

Context & Background for Energy Survey Methods & Survey Overview Respondent Demographics Results Demand Response Current Environmental Comfort Perceptions Smart Meters Perceived Smart Meter Benefits Motivators of Energy Efficient Practices Summary & Implications

Energy efficiency evaluation of hospital building office

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriani, Indah; Sangadji, Senot; Kristiawan, S. A.

2017-01-01

One of the strategy employed in building design is reducing energy consumption while maintaining the best comfort zone in building indoor climate. The first step to improve office buildings energy performance by evaluating its existing energy usage using energy consumption intensity (Intensitas Konsumsi Energi, IKE) index. Energy evaluation of office building for hospital dr. Sayidiman at Kabupaten Magetan has been carried out in the initial investigation. The office building is operated with active cooling (air conditioning, AC) and use limited daylighting which consumes 14.61 kWh/m2/month. This IKE value is attributed into a slightly inefficient category. Further investigation was carried out by modeling and simulating thermal energy load and room lighting in every building zone using of Ecotect from Autodesk. Three scenarios of building energy and lighting retrofit have been performed simulating representing energy efficiency using cross ventilation, room openings, and passive cooling. The results of the numerical simulation indicate that the third scenario by employing additional windows, reflector media and skylight exhibit the best result and in accordance with SNI 03-6575-2001 lighting standard. Total thermal load of the existing building which includes fabric gains, indirect solar gains, direct solar gains, ventilation fans, internal gains, inter-zonal gains and cooling load were 162,145.40 kWh. Based on the three scenarios, the thermal load value (kWh) obtained was lowest achieved scenario 2 with the thermal value of 117,539.08 kWh.The final results are interpreted from the total energy emissions evaluated using the Ecotect software, the heating and cooling demand value and specific design of the windows are important factors to determine the energy efficiency of the buildings.

A diabetes scorecard does not improve HbA(1c), blood pressure, lipids, aspirin usage, exercise and diabetes knowledge over 9 months: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Irwig, M S; Sood, P; Ni, D; Amass, T; Khurana, P S; Jayanthi, V V; Wang, L; Adler, S M

2012-09-01

To test (1) whether a diabetes scorecard can improve glycaemic control, blood pressure control, LDL cholesterol, aspirin usage and exercise; (2) if the scorecard will motivate and/or educate patients to improve their scores for subsequent visits; and (3) whether the scorecard will improve rates of clinical inertia. Five physicians enrolled 103 patients ≥ 40 years old with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes [HbA(1c) ≥ 64 mmol/mol (8.0%)] to randomly receive either a diabetes scorecard or not during four clinical visits over a 9-month period. The population was predominantly urban with a disproportionately higher percentage of black people than the general population. Our scorecard assigned points to six clinical variables, with a perfect total score of 100 points corresponding to meeting all targets. The primary outcomes were total scores and HbA(1c) in the scorecard and control groups at 9 months. There were no significant differences between the control and scorecard groups at visits 1 and 4 in total score, HbA(1c) , blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, aspirin usage, exercise or knowledge about diabetic targets. By visit 4 both the control and scorecard groups had statistically significant improvements with their mean total score (9 and 7 points, respectively), HbA(1c) [-9 mmol/mol (-0.8%) and -15 mmol/mol (-1.4%), respectively] and aspirin usage (33% increase and 16% increase, respectively). Rates of clinical inertia were low throughout the study. A diabetes scorecard did not improve glycaemic control, blood pressure control, LDL cholesterol, aspirin usage, exercise or diabetic knowledge in an urban population with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes. © 2012 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2012 Diabetes UK.

Energy and National Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abelson, Philip H.

1973-01-01

Discussed in this editorial is the need for a broad and detailed government policy on energy use. Oil companies can not be given complete responsibility to demonstrate usage of different energy sources. The government should construct plants because energy is connected with national security. (PS)

[Measures to reduce lighting-related energy use and costs at hospital nursing stations].

PubMed

Su, Chiu-Ching; Chen, Chen-Hui; Chen, Shu-Hwa; Ping, Tsui-Chu

2011-06-01

Hospitals have long been expected to deliver medical services in an environment that is comfortable and bright. This expectation keeps hospital energy demand stubbornly high and energy costs spiraling due to escalating utility fees. Hospitals must identify appropriate strategies to control electricity usage in order to control operating costs effectively. This paper proposes several electricity saving measures that both support government policies aimed at reducing global warming and help reduce energy consumption at the authors' hospital. The authors held educational seminars, established a website teaching energy saving methods, maximized facility and equipment use effectiveness (e.g., adjusting lamp placements, power switch and computer saving modes), posted signs promoting electricity saving, and established a regularized energy saving review mechanism. After implementation, average nursing staff energy saving knowledge had risen from 71.8% to 100% and total nursing station electricity costs fell from NT$16,456 to NT$10,208 per month, representing an effective monthly savings of 37.9% (NT$6,248). This project demonstrated the ability of a program designed to slightly modify nursing staff behavior to achieve effective and meaningful results in reducing overall electricity use.

Saving Energy. Managing School Facilities, Guide 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department for Education and Employment, London (England). Architects and Building Branch.

This guide offers information on how schools can implement an energy saving action plan to reduce their energy costs. Various low-cost energy-saving measures are recommended covering heating levels and heating systems, electricity demand reduction and lighting, ventilation, hot water usage, and swimming pool energy management. Additional…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong Sun Lee; Yu Ryang Pyun

A food drying process in a tunnel dryer was modeled from Keey's drying model and experimental drying curve, and optimized in operating conditions consisting of inlet air temperature, air recycle ratio and air flow rate. Radish was chosen as a typical food material to be dried, because it has the typical drying characteristics of food and quality indexes of ascorbic acid destruction and browning during drying. Optimization results of cocurrent and counter current tunnel drying showed higher inlet air temperature, lower recycle ratio and higher air flow rate with shorter total drying time. Compared with cocurrent operation counter current dryingmore » used lower air temperature, lower recycle ratio and lower air flow rate, and appeared to be more efficient in energy usage. Most of consumed energy was shown to be used for sir heating and then escaped from the dryer in the form of exhaust air.« less

Energy usage while maintaining thermal comfort: A case study of a UNT dormitory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gambrell, Dusten

Campus dormitories for the University of North Texas house over 5500 students per year; each one of them requires certain comfortable living conditions while they live there. There is an inherit amount of money required in order to achieve minimal comfort levels; the cost is mostly natural gas for water and room heating and electricity for cooling, lighting and peripherals. The US Department of Energy has developed several programs to aid in performing energy simulations to help those interested design more cost effective building designs. Energy-10 is such a program that allows users to conduct whole house evaluations by reviewing and altering a few parameters such as building materials, solar heating, energy efficient windows etc. The idea of this project was to recreate a campus dormitory and try to emulate existent energy consumption then try to find ways of lowering that usage while maintaining a high level of personal comfort.

Experimental investigation and CFD simulation of multi-pipe earth-to-air heat exchangers (EAHEs) flow performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amanowicz, Łukasz; Wojtkowiak, Janusz

2017-11-01

In this paper the experimentally obtained flow characteristics of multi-pipe earth-to-air heat exchangers (EAHEs) were used to validate the EAHE flow performance numerical model prepared by means of CFD software Ansys Fluent. The cut-cell meshing and the k-ɛ realizable turbulence model with default coefficients values and enhanced wall treatment was used. The total pressure losses and airflow in each pipe of multi-pipe exchangers was investigated both experimentally and numerically. The results show that airflow in each pipe of multi-pipe EAHE structures is not equal. The validated numerical model can be used for a proper designing of multi-pipe EAHEs from the flow characteristics point of view. The influence of EAHEs geometrical parameters on the total pressure losses and airflow division between the exchanger pipes can be also analysed. Usage of CFD for designing the EAHEs can be helpful for HVAC engineers (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) for optimizing the geometrical structure of multi-pipe EAHEs in order to save the energy and decrease operational costs of low-energy buildings.

Accurate Energy Transaction Allocation using Path Integration and Interpolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhide, Mandar Mohan

This thesis investigates many of the popular cost allocation methods which are based on actual usage of the transmission network. The Energy Transaction Allocation (ETA) method originally proposed by A.Fradi, S.Brigonne and B.Wollenberg which gives unique advantage of accurately allocating the transmission network usage is discussed subsequently. Modified calculation of ETA based on simple interpolation technique is then proposed. The proposed methodology not only increase the accuracy of calculation but also decreases number of calculations to less than half of the number of calculations required in original ETAs.

Accounting utility for determining individual usage of production level software systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garber, S. C.

1984-01-01

An accounting package was developed which determines the computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program and updates a file containing accumulated resource totals. The accounting package is divided into two separate programs. The first program determines the total amount of computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program. The second program uses these totals to update a file containing accumulated totals of computer resources utilized by a user for a particular program. This package is useful to those persons who have several other users continually accessing and running programs from their accounts. The package provides the ability to determine which users are accessing and running specified programs along with their total level of usage.

Equipment and Energy Usage in a Large Teaching Hospital in Norway.

PubMed

Rohde, Tarald; Martinez, Robert

2015-01-01

This article presents a study of how equipment is used in a Norwegian University hospital and suggests ways to reduce hospital energy consumption. Analysis of energy data from Norway's newest teaching hospital showed that electricity consumption was up to 50% of the whole-building energy consumption. Much of this is due to the increasing energy intensity of hospital-specific equipment. Measured power and reported usage patterns for equipment in the studied departments show daytime energy intensity of equipment at about 28.5 kBTU/ft2 per year (90 kWh/m2 per year), compared to building code standard value of only 14.9 kBTU/ft2 (47 kWh/m2 per year) for hospitals. This article intends to fill gaps in our understanding of how users and their equipment affect the energy balance in hospitals and suggests ways in which designers and equipment suppliers can help optimize energy performance while maintaining quality in the delivery of health services.

Optimal control of Formula One car energy recovery systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limebeer, D. J. N.; Perantoni, G.; Rao, A. V.

2014-10-01

The utility of orthogonal collocation methods in the solution of optimal control problems relating to Formula One racing is demonstrated. These methods can be used to optimise driver controls such as the steering, braking and throttle usage, and to optimise vehicle parameters such as the aerodynamic down force and mass distributions. Of particular interest is the optimal usage of energy recovery systems (ERSs). Contemporary kinetic energy recovery systems are studied and compared with future hybrid kinetic and thermal/heat ERSs known as ERS-K and ERS-H, respectively. It is demonstrated that these systems, when properly controlled, can produce contemporary lap time using approximately two-thirds of the fuel required by earlier generation (2013 and prior) vehicles.

Experimental investigation on AC unit integrated with sensible heat storage (SHS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, N. A.; Amin, N. A. M.; Majid, M. S. A.; Hussin, A.; Zhubir, S.

2017-10-01

The growth in population and economy has increases the energy demand and raises the concerns over the sustainable energy source. Towards the sustainable development, energy efficiency in buildings has become a prime objective. In this paper, the integration of thermal energy storage was studied. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the performance of an air conditioning unit integrated with sensible heat storage (SHS) system. The results were compared to the conventional AC systems in the terms of average electricity usage, indoor temperature and the relative humidity inside the experimented room (cabin container). Results show that the integration of water tank as an SHS reduces the electricity usage by 5%, while the integration of well-insulated water tank saves up to 8% of the electricity consumption.

Alternate Energy for National Security.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rath, Bhakta

2010-02-01

Recent price fluctuations at the gas pump have brought our attention to the phenomenal increase of global energy consumption in recent years. It is now evident that we have almost reached a peak in global oil production. Several projections indicate that total world consumption of oil will rise by nearly 60 per cent between 1999 and 2020. In 1999 consumption was equivalent to 86 million barrels of oil per day, which has reached a peak of production extracted from most known oil reserves. These projections, if accurate, will present an unprecedented crisis to the global economy and industry. As an example, in the US, nearly 40 per cent of energy usage is provided by petroleum, of which nearly a third is used in transportation. The US Department of Defense (DOD) is the single largest buyer of fuel, amounting to, on the average, 13 million gallons per day. Additionally, these fuels have to meet different requirements that prevent use of ethanol additives and biodiesel. An aggressive search for alternate energy sources, both renewable and nonrenewable, is vital. The presentation will review national and DOD perspectives on the exploration of alternate energy with a focus on energy derivable from the ocean. )

Neural network approach to quantum-chemistry data: accurate prediction of density functional theory energies.

PubMed

Balabin, Roman M; Lomakina, Ekaterina I

2009-08-21

Artificial neural network (ANN) approach has been applied to estimate the density functional theory (DFT) energy with large basis set using lower-level energy values and molecular descriptors. A total of 208 different molecules were used for the ANN training, cross validation, and testing by applying BLYP, B3LYP, and BMK density functionals. Hartree-Fock results were reported for comparison. Furthermore, constitutional molecular descriptor (CD) and quantum-chemical molecular descriptor (QD) were used for building the calibration model. The neural network structure optimization, leading to four to five hidden neurons, was also carried out. The usage of several low-level energy values was found to greatly reduce the prediction error. An expected error, mean absolute deviation, for ANN approximation to DFT energies was 0.6+/-0.2 kcal mol(-1). In addition, the comparison of the different density functionals with the basis sets and the comparison of multiple linear regression results were also provided. The CDs were found to overcome limitation of the QD. Furthermore, the effective ANN model for DFT/6-311G(3df,3pd) and DFT/6-311G(2df,2pd) energy estimation was developed, and the benchmark results were provided.

Synonymous codon usage of genes in polymerase complex of Newcastle disease virus.

PubMed

Kumar, Chandra Shekhar; Kumar, Sachin

2017-06-01

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is pathogenic to both avian and non-avian species but extensively finds poultry as its primary host and causes heavy economic losses in the poultry industry. In this study, a total of 186 polymerase complex comprising of nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), and large polymerase (L) genes of NDV was analyzed for synonymous codon usage. The relative synonymous codon usage and effective number of codons (ENC) values were used to estimate codon usage variation in each gene. Correspondence analysis (COA) was used to study the major trend in codon usage variation. Analyzing the ENC plot values against GC3s (at synonymous third codon position) we concluded that mutational pressure was the main factor determining codon usage bias than translational selection in NDV N, P, and L genes. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated, that aromaticity of N, P, and L genes also influenced the codon usage variation. The varied distribution of pathotypes for N, P, and L gene clearly suggests that change in codon usage for NDV is pathotype specific. The codon usage preference similarity in N, P, and L gene might be detrimental for polymerase complex functioning. The study represents a comprehensive analysis to date of N, P, and L genes codon usage pattern of NDV and provides a basic understanding of the mechanisms for codon usage bias. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

77 FR 23373 - Small Business Investment Companies-Energy Saving Qualified Investments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

... Debenture usage, number of Small Businesses financed, resulting breakthroughs in technology, comparative studies quantifying energy savings, and performance of Small Businesses financed. While SBA is concerned...

Kilowatt Counter: A Consumer's Guide to Energy Concepts, Quantities, and Uses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Gil; Morris, David

This booklet is a basic introduction to energy and energy usage. The first chapter discusses various forms of energy and how they are measured and converted from one to another with a unit conversion chart included. Tables and figures list annual energy requirements of household electrical appliances and energy requirements for houses with various…

Resource-Efficient, Hierarchical Auto-Tuning of a Hybrid Lattice Boltzmann Computation on the Cray XT4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Computational Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; NERSC, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Computer Science Department, University of California, Berkeley

2009-05-04

We apply auto-tuning to a hybrid MPI-pthreads lattice Boltzmann computation running on the Cray XT4 at National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). Previous work showed that multicore-specific auto-tuning can improve the performance of lattice Boltzmann magnetohydrodynamics (LBMHD) by a factor of 4x when running on dual- and quad-core Opteron dual-socket SMPs. We extend these studies to the distributed memory arena via a hybrid MPI/pthreads implementation. In addition to conventional auto-tuning at the local SMP node, we tune at the message-passing level to determine the optimal aspect ratio as well as the correct balance between MPI tasks and threads permore » MPI task. Our study presents a detailed performance analysis when moving along an isocurve of constant hardware usage: fixed total memory, total cores, and total nodes. Overall, our work points to approaches for improving intra- and inter-node efficiency on large-scale multicore systems for demanding scientific applications.« less

Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-26

1 FINAL REPORT Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone...Systems Energy and Water Projects Project Number: EW-201152 ERDC-CERL 26 October 2017 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...16 3.2.1 Energy Usage (Quantitative

Internet Usage Habits and Cyberbullying Related Opinions of Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sentürk, Sener; Bayat, Seher

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine the internet usage habits of secondary school students and their awareness of cyberbullying in terms of different variables. Of the probabilistic sampling methods, research sampling identified by stratified sampling method has been formed by 559 students from two branches (56 branches in total) selected…

Graduate Students' Usage of and Attitudes towards E-Books: Experiences from Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ming-der; Chen, Shih-chuan

2011-01-01

Purpose: University libraries are increasing their e-book collections. The purpose of this study is to investigate graduate students' usage of and attitudes towards e-books at National Taiwan University. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 20 graduate students from the fields of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and medicine…

Psychotropic Drug Patterns in a Large ICF/MR Facility: A Ten-Year Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poindexter, Ann R.

1989-01-01

Psychotropic drug-prescribing patterns for 474 adults with mental retardation residing at an intermediate-care facility were examined for a 10-year period. Results indicated a progressive, marked decrease in total psychotropic drug usage and changes in the type of drugs prescribed with overall decline in drug usage. (Author/DB)

Schools Find Answers to the Energy Crunch.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Roger

1981-01-01

Highlights two schools that have reduced their energy usage, one through such methods as weatherization and solar water collectors, and the other through switching from burning oil to burning wood pellets. (JM)

Design and operation considerations for attic inlets

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving energy efficiency and environmental control in poultry facilities is essential for profitability. Increases in energy costs have prompted evaluation of solar energy systems and passive solar systems such as attic inlets have been adopted as a means to reduce fuel usage. Successful implem...

Lean energy analysis of CNC lathe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liana, N. A.; Amsyar, N.; Hilmy, I.; Yusof, MD

2018-01-01

The industrial sector in Malaysia is one of the main sectors that have high percentage of energy demand compared to other sector and this problem may lead to the future power shortage and increasing the production cost of a company. Suitable initiatives should be implemented by the industrial sectors to solve the issues such as by improving the machining system. In the past, the majority of the energy consumption in industry focus on lighting, HVAC and office section usage. Future trend, manufacturing process is also considered to be included in the energy analysis. A study on Lean Energy Analysis in a machining process is presented. Improving the energy efficiency in a lathe machine by enhancing the cutting parameters of turning process is discussed. Energy consumption of a lathe machine was analyzed in order to identify the effect of cutting parameters towards energy consumption. It was found that the combination of parameters for third run (spindle speed: 1065 rpm, depth of cut: 1.5 mm, feed rate: 0.3 mm/rev) was the most preferred and ideal to be used during the turning machining process as it consumed less energy usage.

An extended environmental input-output lifecycle assessment model to study the urban food-energy-water nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, John; Clabeaux, Raeanne; Carbajales-Dale, Michael

2017-10-01

We developed a physically-based environmental account of US food production systems and integrated these data into the environmental-input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) model. The extended model was used to characterize the food, energy, and water (FEW) intensities of every US economic sector. The model was then applied to every Bureau of Economic Analysis metropolitan statistical area (MSA) to determine their FEW usages. The extended EIO-LCA model can determine the water resource use (kGal), energy resource use (TJ), and food resource use in units of mass (kg) or energy content (kcal) of any economic activity within the United States. We analyzed every economic sector to determine its FEW intensities per dollar of economic output. This data was applied to each of the 382 MSAs to determine their total and per dollar of GDP FEW usages by allocating MSA economic production to the corresponding FEW intensities of US economic sectors. Additionally, a longitudinal study was performed for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, metropolitan statistical area to examine trends from this singular MSA and compare it to the overall results. Results show a strong correlation between GDP and energy use, and between food and water use across MSAs. There is also a correlation between GDP and greenhouse gas emissions. The longitudinal study indicates that these correlations can shift alongside a shifting industrial composition. Comparing MSAs on a per GDP basis reveals that central and southern California tend to be more resource intensive than many other parts of the country, while much of Florida has abnormally low resource requirements. Results of this study enable a more complete understanding of food, energy, and water as key ingredients to a functioning economy. With the addition of the food data to the EIO-LCA framework, researchers will be able to better study the food-energy-water nexus and gain insight into how these three vital resources are interconnected. Applying this extended model to MSAs has demonstrated that all three resources are important to a MSA’s vitality, though the exact proportion of each resource may differ across urban areas.

Heritage plaza parking lots improvement project- Solar PV installation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooks, Todd

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI or the “Tribe”) installed a 79.95 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system to offset the energy usage costs of the Tribal Education and Family Services offices located at the Tribe's Heritage Plaza office building, 90I Tahquitz Way, Palm Springs, CA, 92262 (the "Project"). The installation of the Solar PV system was part of the larger Heritage Plaza Parking Lot Improvements Project and mounted on the two southern carport shade structures. The solar PV system will offset 99% of the approximately 115,000 kWh in electricity delivered annually by Southern California Edison (SCE) to themore » Tribal Education and Family Services offices at Heritage Plaza, reducing their annual energy costs from approximately $22,000 annually to approximately $200. The total cost of the proposed solar PV system is $240,000.« less

Energy Tracking in Classrooms - A Real Time Experiment with Grade 5 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, H. M.; Ho, F.

2015-12-01

ISF Academy, a K-G12 school in Hong Kong with over 1500 students and currently spanning 3 buildings, is retrofitting the school with an energy tracking system in three phases. The first phase during the fall of 2015 will include retrofitting eight Grade 5 classrooms. This new program will show the daily energy usage data from these classrooms. The Grade 5 students receive feedback on their energy use in real time as they compete over two months in their homeroom classes to lower their electrical use, and subsequently their carbon footprint. This competition style initiative will teach the 180 Grade 5 students about their energy usage in a fun and informative manner. ISF Academy has over 400 air-conditioners and we have already determined that the air conditioners are the largest single use of energy in the school. The energy tracking system installed and maintained by from Global Design Corporation utilizes uniquely identified current detectors attached to circuit breakers, to monitor electrical use of individual circuits. These detectors will also monitor the energy used for classroom lighting, fans and plugs, as well as the air conditioners. The system has been installed and the Grade 5 classrooms averaged between 40 kWh and 120 kWh of usage in May 2015. This data will be used as the baseline for the competition. Further analysis can also be done with the data, such as calculating the carbon emissions reduction throughout the school year, providing possible class learning activities and also aiding in future energy use and carbon footprint predictions. The data collected will help refine phase 2 and 3 of the installation, expanding the system to more buildings and also giving insight to the rollout of the system to the whole school when the systems are fully in place.

Input-output modeling for urban energy consumption in Beijing: dynamics and comparison.

PubMed

Zhang, Lixiao; Hu, Qiuhong; Zhang, Fan

2014-01-01

Input-output analysis has been proven to be a powerful instrument for estimating embodied (direct plus indirect) energy usage through economic sectors. Using 9 economic input-output tables of years 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007, this paper analyzes energy flows for the entire city of Beijing and its 30 economic sectors, respectively. Results show that the embodied energy consumption of Beijing increased from 38.85 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) to 206.2 Mtce over the past twenty years of rapid urbanization; the share of indirect energy consumption in total energy consumption increased from 48% to 76%, suggesting the transition of Beijing from a production-based and manufacturing-dominated economy to a consumption-based and service-dominated economy. Real estate development has shown to be a major driving factor of the growth in indirect energy consumption. The boom and bust of construction activities have been strongly correlated with the increase and decrease of system-side indirect energy consumption. Traditional heavy industries remain the most energy-intensive sectors in the economy. However, the transportation and service sectors have contributed most to the rapid increase in overall energy consumption. The analyses in this paper demonstrate that a system-wide approach such as that based on input-output model can be a useful tool for robust energy policy making.

Input-Output Modeling for Urban Energy Consumption in Beijing: Dynamics and Comparison

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lixiao; Hu, Qiuhong; Zhang, Fan

2014-01-01

Input-output analysis has been proven to be a powerful instrument for estimating embodied (direct plus indirect) energy usage through economic sectors. Using 9 economic input-output tables of years 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007, this paper analyzes energy flows for the entire city of Beijing and its 30 economic sectors, respectively. Results show that the embodied energy consumption of Beijing increased from 38.85 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) to 206.2 Mtce over the past twenty years of rapid urbanization; the share of indirect energy consumption in total energy consumption increased from 48% to 76%, suggesting the transition of Beijing from a production-based and manufacturing-dominated economy to a consumption-based and service-dominated economy. Real estate development has shown to be a major driving factor of the growth in indirect energy consumption. The boom and bust of construction activities have been strongly correlated with the increase and decrease of system-side indirect energy consumption. Traditional heavy industries remain the most energy-intensive sectors in the economy. However, the transportation and service sectors have contributed most to the rapid increase in overall energy consumption. The analyses in this paper demonstrate that a system-wide approach such as that based on input-output model can be a useful tool for robust energy policy making. PMID:24595199

Energy Theft in the Advanced Metering Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Stephen; Podkuiko, Dmitry; McDaniel, Patrick

Global energy generation and delivery systems are transitioning to a new computerized "smart grid". One of the principle components of the smart grid is an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). AMI replaces the analog meters with computerized systems that report usage over digital communication interfaces, e.g., phone lines. However, with this infrastructure comes new risk. In this paper, we consider adversary means of defrauding the electrical grid by manipulating AMI systems. We document the methods adversaries will use to attempt to manipulate energy usage data, and validate the viability of these attacks by performing penetration testing on commodity devices. Through these activities, we demonstrate that not only is theft still possible in AMI systems, but that current AMI devices introduce a myriad of new vectors for achieving it.

Energy for Survival: The Alternative to Extinction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Wilson

The author initially describes the basic physical principles associated with energy and the rise of energy usage in the United States. Also discussed are the ways energy limits growth and its use in various sectors of society. It is suggested that the decentralization of America's electrical system will save a great deal of energy. A variety of…

HOOPER BAY HOUSING ANALYSIS AND ENERGY FEASIBILITY REPORT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SEA LION CORPORATION; COLD CLIMATE HOUSING RESEARCH CENTER; SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTHY BREATHING

2012-12-30

Sea Lion applied for and received a grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) towards this end titled Energy Efficiency Development and Deployment in Indian Country. The initial objectives of the Hooper Bay Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study were to demonstrate a 30% reduction in residential/commercial energy usage and identify the economic benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures to the Tribe through: (1) partnering with Whitney Construction and Solutions for Healthy Breathing in the training and hire of 2 local energy assessors to conduct energy audits of 9 representative housing models and 2 commercial units in the community. These homes aremore » representative of 52 homes constructed across different eras. (2) partnering with Cold Climate Housing Research Center to document current electrical and heating energy consumption and analyze data for a final feasibility report (3) assessing the economics of electricity & heating fuel usage; (4) projecting energy savings or fossil fuel reduction by modeling of improvement scenarios and cost feasibility The following two objectives will be completed after the publication of this report: (5) the development of materials lists for energy efficiency improvements (6) identifying financing options for the follow-up energy efficiency implementation phase.« less

Production and mechanical properties of Al-SiC metal matrix composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karvanis, K.; Fasnakis, D.; Maropoulos, A.; Papanikolaou, S.

2016-11-01

The usage of Al-SiC Metal Matrix Composites is constantly increasing in the last years due to their unique properties such as light weight, high strength, high specific modulus, high fatigue strength, high hardness and low density. Al-SiC composites of various carbide compositions were produced using a centrifugal casting machine. The mechanical properties, tensile and compression strength, hardness and drop-weight impact strength were studied in order to determine the optimum carbide % in the metal matrix composites. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructure-property correlation. It was observed that the tensile and the compressive strength of the composites increased as the proportion of silicon carbide became higher in the composites. Also with increasing proportion of silicon carbide in the composite, the material became harder and appeared to have smaller values for total displacement and total energy during impact testing.

Energy Saving and GHG Emission Reduction in a Micro-CCHP System by Use of Solar Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ion, Ion V.; Ciocea, Gheorghe; Popescu, Florin

2012-12-01

In this work, the reduction of greenhouse gas emission, and the energy saving by integrating solar collectors and photovoltaic panels in a Stirling engine based microcombined cooling, heating and power (mCCHP) system are studied. The mCCHP system consists of a natural gas Stirling CHP and an adsorber chiller. When the thermal outputs of the Stirling CHP and solar collectors are not sufficient to cover the heat demand for domestic hot water (DHW), heating/cooling, an auxiliary heating boiler starts to operate. The energy saving by using solar energy varies from 13.35% in December to 59.62% in April, in the case of solar collectors usage and from 7.47% in December to 28.27% in July, in the case of photovoltaic panels usage. By using solar energy the annual GHG emission decreases by 31.98% and the fuel cost reduction varies from 12.73% in December to 49.78% in June.

Exploiting variability for energy optimization of parallel programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lavrijsen, Wim; Iancu, Costin; de Jong, Wibe

2016-04-18

Here in this paper we present optimizations that use DVFS mechanisms to reduce the total energy usage in scientific applications. Our main insight is that noise is intrinsic to large scale parallel executions and it appears whenever shared resources are contended. The presence of noise allows us to identify and manipulate any program regions amenable to DVFS. When compared to previous energy optimizations that make per core decisions using predictions of the running time, our scheme uses a qualitative approach to recognize the signature of executions amenable to DVFS. By recognizing the "shape of variability" we can optimize codes withmore » highly dynamic behavior, which pose challenges to all existing DVFS techniques. We validate our approach using offline and online analyses for one-sided and two-sided communication paradigms. We have applied our methods to NWChem, and we show best case improvements in energy use of 12% at no loss in performance when using online optimizations running on 720 Haswell cores with one-sided communication. With NWChem on MPI two-sided and offline analysis, capturing the initialization, we find energy savings of up to 20%, with less than 1% performance cost.« less

Life cycle of the corn-soybean agroecosystem for biobased production.

PubMed

Landis, Amy E; Miller, Shelie A; Theis, Thomas L

2007-02-15

Biobased product life cycle assessments (LCAs) have focused largely on energy (fossil fuel) usage and greenhouse gas emissions during the agriculture and production stages. This paper compiles a more comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI) for use in future bioproduct LCAs that rely on corn or soybean crops as feedstocks. The inventory includes energy, C, N, P, major pesticides, and U.S. EPA criteria air pollutants that result from processes such as fertilizer production, energy production, and on-farm chemical and equipment use. Agroecosystem material flows were modeled using a combination of GREET (the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model), a linear fractionation model that describes P biogeochemical cycling, and Monte Carlo Analysis. Results show that the dominant air emissions resulted from crop farming, fertilizers, and on-farm nitrogen flows (e.g., N20 and NO). Seed production and irrigation provided no more than 0.002% to any of the inventory emissions or energy flows and may be neglected in future LCAs of corn or soybeans as feedstocks from the U.S. Corn Belt. Lime contributes significantly (17% of total emissions) to air emissions and should not be neglected in bioproduct LCAs.

Describing Speech Usage in Daily Activities in Typical Adults.

PubMed

Anderson, Laine; Baylor, Carolyn R; Eadie, Tanya L; Yorkston, Kathryn M

2016-01-01

"Speech usage" refers to what people want or need to do with their speech to meet communication demands in life roles. The purpose of this study was to contribute to validation of the Levels of Speech Usage scale by providing descriptive data from a sample of adults without communication disorders, comparing this scale to a published Occupational Voice Demands scale and examining predictors of speech usage levels. This is a survey design. Adults aged ≥25 years without reported communication disorders were recruited nationally to complete an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the Levels of Speech Usage scale, questions about relevant occupational and nonoccupational activities (eg, socializing, hobbies, childcare, and so forth), and demographic information. Participants were also categorized according to Koufman and Isaacson occupational voice demands scale. A total of 276 participants completed the questionnaires. People who worked for pay tended to report higher levels of speech usage than those who do not work for pay. Regression analyses showed employment to be the major contributor to speech usage; however, considerable variance left unaccounted for suggests that determinants of speech usage and the relationship between speech usage, employment, and other life activities are not yet fully defined. The Levels of Speech Usage may be a viable instrument to systematically rate speech usage because it captures both occupational and nonoccupational speech demands. These data from a sample of typical adults may provide a reference to help in interpreting the impact of communication disorders on speech usage patterns. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accurate electronic and chemical properties of 3d transition metal oxides using a calculated linear response U and a DFT + U(V) method.

PubMed

Xu, Zhongnan; Joshi, Yogesh V; Raman, Sumathy; Kitchin, John R

2015-04-14

We validate the usage of the calculated, linear response Hubbard U for evaluating accurate electronic and chemical properties of bulk 3d transition metal oxides. We find calculated values of U lead to improved band gaps. For the evaluation of accurate reaction energies, we first identify and eliminate contributions to the reaction energies of bulk systems due only to changes in U and construct a thermodynamic cycle that references the total energies of unique U systems to a common point using a DFT + U(V) method, which we recast from a recently introduced DFT + U(R) method for molecular systems. We then introduce a semi-empirical method based on weighted DFT/DFT + U cohesive energies to calculate bulk oxidation energies of transition metal oxides using density functional theory and linear response calculated U values. We validate this method by calculating 14 reactions energies involving V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co oxides. We find up to an 85% reduction of the mean average error (MAE) compared to energies calculated with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional. When our method is compared with DFT + U with empirically derived U values and the HSE06 hybrid functional, we find up to 65% and 39% reductions in the MAE, respectively.

Regional allocation of biomass to U.S. energy demands under a portfolio of policy scenarios.

PubMed

Mullins, Kimberley A; Venkatesh, Aranya; Nagengast, Amy L; Kocoloski, Matt

2014-01-01

The potential for widespread use of domestically available energy resources, in conjunction with climate change concerns, suggest that biomass may be an essential component of U.S. energy systems in the near future. Cellulosic biomass in particular is anticipated to be used in increasing quantities because of policy efforts, such as federal renewable fuel standards and state renewable portfolio standards. Unfortunately, these independently designed biomass policies do not account for the fact that cellulosic biomass can equally be used for different, competing energy demands. An integrated assessment of multiple feedstocks, energy demands, and system costs is critical for making optimal decisions about a unified biomass energy strategy. This study develops a spatially explicit, best-use framework to optimally allocate cellulosic biomass feedstocks to energy demands in transportation, electricity, and residential heating sectors, while minimizing total system costs and tracking greenhouse gas emissions. Comparing biomass usage across three climate policy scenarios suggests that biomass used for space heating is a low cost emissions reduction option, while biomass for liquid fuel or for electricity becomes attractive only as emissions reduction targets or carbon prices increase. Regardless of the policy approach, study results make a strong case for national and regional coordination in policy design and compliance pathways.

Student Use of Energy Concepts from Physics in Chemistry Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagel, Megan L.; Lindsey, Beth A.

2015-01-01

This paper describes an interdisciplinary investigation of students' usage of ideas about energy from physics in the context of introductory chemistry. We focus on student understanding of the idea that potential energy is a function of distance between interacting objects, a concept relevant to understanding potential energy in both physical and…

Design and Implementation of a Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network to Support the Intelligent Control of Efficient Energy Usage.

PubMed

Blanco, Jesús; García, Andrés; Morenas, Javier de Las

2018-06-09

Energy saving has become a major concern for the developed society of our days. This paper presents a Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network (WSAN) designed to provide support to an automatic intelligent system, based on the Internet of Things (IoT), which enables a responsible consumption of energy. The proposed overall system performs an efficient energetic management of devices, machines and processes, optimizing their operation to achieve a reduction in their overall energy usage at any given time. For this purpose, relevant data is collected from intelligent sensors, which are in-stalled at the required locations, as well as from the energy market through the Internet. This information is analysed to provide knowledge about energy utilization, and to improve efficiency. The system takes autonomous decisions automatically, based on the available information and the specific requirements in each case. The proposed system has been implanted and tested in a food factory. Results show a great optimization of energy efficiency and a substantial improvement on energy and costs savings.

A Content Analysis Study about the Usage of History of Mathematics in Textbooks in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eren, Mehmet; Bulut, Mehmet; Bulut, Neslihan

2015-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate how history of mathematics was integrated to some mathematics textbooks in Turkey. On this account, four different textbooks with different grade levels were chosen. In total, 42 cases were detected and studied by three researchers. Results indicated that the usage of history of mathematics was materialized…

Thin Kerf Sawing: A Technology Worth Adopting

Treesearch

Stephen M. Bratkovich

The saw kerf has a significant impact on conversion efficiency (referred to as lumber recovery). A crude but effective way of calculating the amount of sawdust that develops during sawing is to determine the total wood usage per "pass" (logs being processed as a sawmill generally move or "pass" back and forth through the saw blade). Wood usage per...

A Survey of Student and Instructor Perceptions of Personal Mobile Technology Usage and Policies for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Ieda M.; Bocheco, Otávio; Habak, Claudine

2018-01-01

This study explored student and instructor perceptions of personal mobile device usage and policies for appropriate practices in the classroom at a Brazilian higher education institution. The study also explored significant differences in perceptions, and relationships between perceptions and demographic data. A total of 176 undergraduates and 13…

Investigation of Teacher Candidates' Opinions about Instructional Technologies and Material Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orhan-Karsak, Hanife Gülhan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the awareness of teacher candidates about instructional technologies and materials and the ways of giving place in instruction by integrating them with different activities, to reveal opinions about their usage. Seventeen female and eight male, in total twenty five participants are sampling. The ages of…

The Future of American Power: Energy and National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-17

8 What does it all mean ? .................................................................................................................. 11...renewable energy generation and usage within the United States. What does it all mean ? The United States must prepare for a future where the use of

Green Chemistry Challenge: 2017 Small Business Award

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Green Chemistry Challenge 2017 award winner, UniEnergy,improved a vanadium redox flow battery to double the energy density, have a broader operating temperature range, a smaller footprint, reduced chemical usage, and very little capacity degradation.

Measuring public understanding on Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) electricity bills using ordered probit model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainudin, WNRA; Ramli, NA

2017-09-01

In 2016, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) had introduced an upgrade in its Billing and Customer Relationship Management (BCRM) as part of its long-term initiative to provide its customers with greater access to billing information. This includes information on real and suggested power consumption by the customers and further details in their billing charges. This information is useful to help TNB customers to gain better understanding on their electricity usage patterns and items involved in their billing charges. Up to date, there are not many studies done to measure public understanding on current electricity bills and whether this understanding could contribute towards positive impacts. The purpose of this paper is to measure public understanding on current TNB electricity bills and whether their satisfaction towards energy-related services, electricity utility services, and their awareness on the amount of electricity consumed by various appliances and equipment in their home could improve this understanding on the electricity bills. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used to achieve these objectives. A total of 160 respondents from local universities in Malaysia participated in a survey used to collect relevant information. Using Ordered Probit model, this paper finds respondents that are highly satisfied with the electricity utility services tend to understand their electricity bills better. The electric utility services include management of electricity bills and the information obtained from utility or non-utility supplier to help consumers manage their energy usage or bills. Based on the results, this paper concludes that the probability to understand the components in the monthly electricity bill increases as respondents are more satisfied with their electric utility services and are more capable to value the energy-related services.

Energy, Society, and Education, with Emphasis on Educational Technology Policy for K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chedid, Loutfallah Georges

2005-01-01

This paper begins by examining the profound impact of energy usage on our lives, and on every major sector of the economy. Then, the anticipated US energy needs by the year 2025 are presented based on the Department of Energy's projections. The paper considers the much-touted National Energy Policy Report, and identifies a major flaw where the…

Maximizing freight movements in local food markets.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

The past several years have seen a rising interest in all things sustainable, from energy efficient homes and vehicles, to alternative : energy sources, to increasing focus on recyclable and renewable material usage. This trend has also been accompan...

Improving urban district heating systems and assessing the efficiency of the energy usage therein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, M. E.; Sharapov, V. I.

2017-11-01

The report describes issues in connection with improving urban district heating systems from combined heat power plants (CHPs), to propose the ways for improving the reliability and the efficiency of the energy usage (often referred to as “energy efficiency”) in such systems. The main direction of such urban district heating systems improvement suggests transition to combined heating systems that include structural elements of both centralized and decentralized systems. Such systems provide the basic part of thermal power via highly efficient methods for extracting thermal power plants turbines steam, while peak loads are covered by decentralized peak thermal power sources to be mounted at consumers’ locations, with the peak sources being also reserve thermal power sources. The methodology was developed for assessing energy efficiency of the combined district heating systems, implemented as a computer software product capable of comparatively calculating saving on reference fuel for the system.

Use of Internet audience measurement data to gauge market share for online health information services.

PubMed

Wood, Fred B; Benson, Dennis; LaCroix, Eve-Marie; Siegel, Elliot R; Fariss, Susan

2005-07-01

The transition to a largely Internet and Web-based environment for dissemination of health information has changed the health information landscape and the framework for evaluation of such activities. A multidimensional evaluative approach is needed. This paper discusses one important dimension of Web evaluation-usage data. In particular, we discuss the collection and analysis of external data on website usage in order to develop a better understanding of the health information (and related US government information) market space, and to estimate the market share or relative levels of usage for National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) websites compared to other health information providers. The primary method presented is Internet audience measurement based on Web usage by external panels of users and assembled by private vendors-in this case, comScore. A secondary method discussed is Web usage based on Web log software data. The principle metrics for both methods are unique visitors and total pages downloaded per month. NLM websites (primarily MedlinePlus and PubMed) account for 55% to 80% of total NIH website usage depending on the metric used. In turn, NIH.gov top-level domain usage (inclusive of NLM) ranks second only behind WebMD in the US domestic home health information market and ranks first on a global basis. NIH.gov consistently ranks among the top three or four US government top-level domains based on global Web usage. On a site-specific basis, the top health information websites in terms of global usage appear to be WebMD, MSN Health, PubMed, Yahoo! Health, AOL Health, and MedlinePlus. Based on MedlinePlus Web log data and external Internet audience measurement data, the three most heavily used cancer-centric websites appear to be www.cancer.gov (National Cancer Institute), www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society), and www.breastcancer.org (non-profit organization). Internet audience measurement has proven useful to NLM, with significant advantages compared to sole reliance on usage data from Web log software. Internet audience data has helped NLM better understand the relative usage of NLM and NIH websites in the intersection of the health information and US government information market sectors, which is the primary market intersector for NLM and NIH. However important, Web usage is only one dimension of a complete Web evaluation framework, and other primary research methods, such as online user surveys, usability tests, and focus groups, are also important for comprehensive evaluation that includes qualitative elements, such as user satisfaction and user friendliness, as well as quantitative indicators of website usage.

Use of Internet Audience Measurement Data to Gauge Market Share for Online Health Information Services

PubMed Central

Benson, Dennis; LaCroix, Eve-Marie; Siegel, Elliot R; Fariss, Susan

2005-01-01

Background The transition to a largely Internet and Web-based environment for dissemination of health information has changed the health information landscape and the framework for evaluation of such activities. A multidimensional evaluative approach is needed. Objective This paper discusses one important dimension of Web evaluation—usage data. In particular, we discuss the collection and analysis of external data on website usage in order to develop a better understanding of the health information (and related US government information) market space, and to estimate the market share or relative levels of usage for National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) websites compared to other health information providers. Methods The primary method presented is Internet audience measurement based on Web usage by external panels of users and assembled by private vendors—in this case, comScore. A secondary method discussed is Web usage based on Web log software data. The principle metrics for both methods are unique visitors and total pages downloaded per month. Results NLM websites (primarily MedlinePlus and PubMed) account for 55% to 80% of total NIH website usage depending on the metric used. In turn, NIH.gov top-level domain usage (inclusive of NLM) ranks second only behind WebMD in the US domestic home health information market and ranks first on a global basis. NIH.gov consistently ranks among the top three or four US government top-level domains based on global Web usage. On a site-specific basis, the top health information websites in terms of global usage appear to be WebMD, MSN Health, PubMed, Yahoo! Health, AOL Health, and MedlinePlus. Based on MedlinePlus Web log data and external Internet audience measurement data, the three most heavily used cancer-centric websites appear to be www.cancer.gov (National Cancer Institute), www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society), and www.breastcancer.org (non-profit organization). Conclusions Internet audience measurement has proven useful to NLM, with significant advantages compared to sole reliance on usage data from Web log software. Internet audience data has helped NLM better understand the relative usage of NLM and NIH websites in the intersection of the health information and US government information market sectors, which is the primary market intersector for NLM and NIH. However important, Web usage is only one dimension of a complete Web evaluation framework, and other primary research methods, such as online user surveys, usability tests, and focus groups, are also important for comprehensive evaluation that includes qualitative elements, such as user satisfaction and user friendliness, as well as quantitative indicators of website usage. PMID:15998622

The influence of biopreparations on the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in shallow and deep soil tillage.

PubMed

Naujokienė, Vilma; Šarauskis, Egidijus; Lekavičienė, Kristina; Adamavičienė, Aida; Buragienė, Sidona; Kriaučiūnienė, Zita

2018-06-01

The application of innovation in agriculture technologies is very important for increasing the efficiency of agricultural production, ensuring the high productivity of plants, production quality, farm profitability, the positive balance of used energy, and the requirements of environmental protection. Therefore, it is a scientific problem that solid and soil surfaces covered with plant residue have a negative impact on the work, traction resistance, energy consumption, and environmental pollution of tillage machines. The objective of this work was to determine the dependence of the reduction of energy consumption and CO 2 gas emissions on different biopreparations. Experimental research was carried out in a control (SC1) and seven different biopreparations using scenarios (SC2-SC8) using bacterial and non-bacterial biopreparations in different consistencies (with essential and mineral oils, extracts of various grasses and sea algae, phosphorus, potassium, humic and gibberellic acids, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, and calcium), estimating discing and plowing as the energy consumption parameters of shallow and deep soil tillage machines, respectively. CO 2 emissions were determined by evaluating soil characteristics (such as hardness, total porosity and density). Meteorological conditions such average daily temperatures (2015-20.3 °C; 2016-16.90 °C) and precipitations (2015-6.9 mm; 2016-114.9 mm) during the month strongly influenced different results in 2015 and 2016. Substantial differences between the averages of energy consumption identified in approximately 62% of biological preparation combinations created usage scenarios. Experimental research established that crop field treatments with biological preparations at the beginning of vegetation could reduce the energy consumption of shallow tillage machines by up to approximately 23%, whereas the energy consumption of deep tillage could be reduced by up to approximately 19.2% compared with the control treatment. The experimental research results reveal the reduction of CO 2 emissions in shallow tillage to approximately 20.14% (and that in deep tillage to approximately 19.16%) when works were performed by different biological preparation usage scenarios. This experimental research demonstrates the efficient use of the special adaptation of a new biotechnological method for the reduction of the energy consumption and CO 2 gas emissions of agricultural machinery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smartphone dependence classification using tensor factorization.

PubMed

Choi, Jingyun; Rho, Mi Jung; Kim, Yejin; Yook, In Hye; Yu, Hwanjo; Kim, Dai-Jin; Choi, In Young

2017-01-01

Excessive smartphone use causes personal and social problems. To address this issue, we sought to derive usage patterns that were directly correlated with smartphone dependence based on usage data. This study attempted to classify smartphone dependence using a data-driven prediction algorithm. We developed a mobile application to collect smartphone usage data. A total of 41,683 logs of 48 smartphone users were collected from March 8, 2015, to January 8, 2016. The participants were classified into the control group (SUC) or the addiction group (SUD) using the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Adults (S-Scale) and a face-to-face offline interview by a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist (SUC = 23 and SUD = 25). We derived usage patterns using tensor factorization and found the following six optimal usage patterns: 1) social networking services (SNS) during daytime, 2) web surfing, 3) SNS at night, 4) mobile shopping, 5) entertainment, and 6) gaming at night. The membership vectors of the six patterns obtained a significantly better prediction performance than the raw data. For all patterns, the usage times of the SUD were much longer than those of the SUC. From our findings, we concluded that usage patterns and membership vectors were effective tools to assess and predict smartphone dependence and could provide an intervention guideline to predict and treat smartphone dependence based on usage data.

Energy footprint and carbon emission reduction using off-the-grid solar-powered mixing for lagoon treatment.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuyuan; Bebee, Brian; Mendoza, Alvaro; Robinson, Alice K; Zhang, Xiaying; Rosso, Diego

2018-01-01

Mixing is the driver for the energy footprint of water resource recovery in lagoons. With the availability of solar-powered equipment, one potential measure to decrease the environmental impacts of treatment is to transition to an off-the-grid treatment. We studied the comparative scenarios of an existing grid-powered mixer and a solar-powered mixer. Testing was conducted to monitor the water quality, and to guarantee that the effluent concentrations were maintained equally between the two scenarios. Meanwhile, the energy consumption was recorded with the electrical energy monitor by the wastewater treatment utility, and the carbon emission changes were calculated using the emission intensity of the power utility. The results show that after the replacement, both energy usage and energy costs were significantly reduced, with the energy usage having decreased by 70% and its cost by 47%. Additionally, carbon-equivalent emission from electricity importation dropped by 64%, with an effect on the overall carbon emissions (i.e., including all other contributions from the process) decreasing from 3.8% to 1.5%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to "Kill a Watt" and Save Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massiha, G. H.; Houston, Shelton; Rawat, Kuldeep S.

2011-01-01

Many technology students--and especially those interested in environmental and energy issues--can benefit from learning about power ratings and the energy usage of electrical systems like the electrical equipment and appliances found in most homes. Students enrolled in electronics and construction technology courses learn to determine the power…

Cut Next Winter's Heating Bill Today.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturgeon, Julie

1999-01-01

Presents specific steps that help make schools energy efficient and cut costs. Four basic strategies are suggested that include creating a database of energy usage that can also catch the occasional billing error, investigating less obvious ways of cutting energy use, such as applying cellulose commercial spray as an insulation choice, and…

Power Play: Calculating Home Electricity Consumption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2007-01-01

With both energy usage and energy costs rising rapidly, people can benefit from paying closer attention to their consumption of energy. Students can gain greater awareness of their personal use of electricity and get some excellent experience with the practical application of mathematics by studying their families' consumption of electricity. A…

A systematic review of studies measuring and reporting hearing aid usage in older adults since 1999: a descriptive summary of measurement tools.

PubMed

Perez, Elvira; Edmonds, Barrie A

2012-01-01

A systematic review was conducted to identify and quality assess how studies published since 1999 have measured and reported the usage of hearing aids in older adults. The relationship between usage and other dimensions of hearing aid outcome, age and hearing loss are summarised. Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, The University of Nottingham Online Catalogue, Web of Science and through reference checking. (1) participants aged fifty years or over with sensori-neural hearing loss, (2) provision of an air conduction hearing aid, (3) inclusion of hearing aid usage measure(s) and (4) published between 1999 and 2011. Of the initial 1933 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 64 were found eligible for review and were quality assessed on six dimensions: study design, choice of outcome instruments, level of reporting (usage, age, and audiometry) and cross validation of usage measures. Five papers were rated as being of high quality (scoring 10-12), 35 papers were rated as being of moderate quality (scoring 7-9), 22 as low quality (scoring 4-6) and two as very low quality (scoring 0-2). Fifteen different methods were identified for assessing the usage of hearing aids. Generally, the usage data reviewed was not well specified. There was a lack of consistency and robustness in the way that usage of hearing aids was assessed and categorised. There is a need for more standardised level of reporting of hearing aid usage data to further understand the relationship between usage and hearing aid outcomes.

ENCOURAGING ELECTRICITY SAVINGS IN A UNIVERSITY RESIDENTIAL HALL THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FEEDBACK, VISUAL PROMPTS, AND INCENTIVES

PubMed Central

Bekker, Marthinus J; Cumming, Tania D; Osborne, Nikola K.P; Bruining, Angela M; McClean, Julia I; Leland, Louis S

2010-01-01

This experiment investigated the combined use of visual prompts, daily feedback, and rewards to reduce electricity consumption in a university residential hall. After a 17-day baseline period, the experimental intervention was introduced in the intervention hall, and no change was made in the control hall. Energy usage decreased in the intervention hall, but energy usage did not change appreciably in the control hall. In the intervention hall, mean daytime and nighttime savings were 16.2% and 10.7%, respectively, compared to savings of 3.8% (day) and 6.5% (night) in the control hall. PMID:21119909

Experimental investigation of thermal comfort and air quality in an automobile cabin during the cooling period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, M.; Akyol, S. M.

2012-08-01

The air quality and thermal comfort strongly influenced by the heat and mass transfer take place together in an automobile cabin. In this study, it is aimed to investigate and assess the effects of air intake settings (recirculation and fresh air) on the thermal comfort, air quality satisfaction and energy usage during the cooling period of an automobile cabin. For this purpose, measurements (temperature, air velocity, CO2) were performed at various locations inside the cabin. Furthermore, whole body and local responses of the human subjects were noted while skin temperatures were measured. A mathematical model was arranged in order to estimate CO2 concentration and energy usage inside the vehicle cabin and verified with experimental data. It is shown that CO2 level inside of the cabin can be greater than the threshold value recommended for the driving safety if two and more occupants exist in the car. It is also shown that an advanced climate control system may satisfy the requirements for the air quality and thermal comfort as well as to reduce the energy usage for the cooling of a vehicle cabin.

Essays on consequences of economic integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chintrakarn, Pandej

2007-12-01

Economic integration is a term used to describe how different aspects between economies are integrated. As economic integration increases, the barriers of trade between markets diminishes. The most integrated economy today, between independent nations, is the European Union and its euro zone. This dissertation consists of three essays which examine consequences of economic integration. The debate over the environmental consequences of free trade is not only quite heated, but also entails significant policy ramifications. Recently, cross-sectional analysis at the country level has made use of exogenous determinants of trade to identify the causal effect of trade on the environment, finding moderate evidence of a beneficial impact of expanded trade on environmental quality. Given the stakes involved, the first essay revisits this finding using subnational data on 'trade' flows across US states and several measures of pollution. Not only does the analysis shed further light on the debate at the international level, but also addresses a heretofore unexamined question: Does greater inter-regional commerce at the subnational level harm the environment? The findings are striking, providing further evidence against a negative environmental impact of trade for the majority of measures analyzed. However, several sources of heterogeneity arise that are noteworthy. The second essay investigates the effect of the euro on trade among EMU members. Using various semi-nonparametric methods based on matching, the results suggest that the euro has a statistical and economic impact on trade. The results show that two countries sharing the euro currency trade somewhere between 9% and 14% more than other country-pairs. In addition, there is no evidence of trade diversion due to the euro. In one strand of research, analysts examine trends in and the determinants of energy usage and intensity. In a second strand, researchers analyze the impact of trade flows on environmental outcomes. Recently, Cole (2006) bridges this gap, analyzing the impact of trade intensity on energy usage utilizing panel data at the country level. Here, the third essay analyzes the impact of subnational trade flows across U.S. states on state-level energy usage and intensity, controlling for the endogeneity of trade flows. The findings indicate that an expansion of subnational trade at worst has no impact on state-level energy usage, and may actually reduce energy usage (contrary to Cole's country-level findings), although the impacts are not uniform across sectors.

Worker productivity and herbicide usage for pine release with manual application methods

Treesearch

James H. Miller; G.R. Glover

1993-01-01

Abstract. Productivity, herbicide usage, and costs of manually-applied pine release treatments were examined with linear regression analysis and compared. Data came from a replicated study in a 3-year-old loblolly pine plantation in Alabama’s Piedmont. Brush sawing had the highest labor costs but lowest total treatment costs. While of the...

The Effect of Technological Devices on Cervical Lordosis.

PubMed

Öğrenci, Ahmet; Koban, Orkun; Yaman, Onur; Dalbayrak, Sedat; Yılmaz, Mesut

2018-03-15

There is a need for cervical flexion and even cervical hyperflexion for the use of technological devices, especially mobile phones. We investigated the effect of this use on the cervical lordosis angle. A group of 156 patients who applied with only neck pain between 2013-2016 and had no additional problems were included. Patients are specifically questioned about mobile phone, tablet, and other devices usage. The value obtained by multiplying the year of usage and the average usage (hour) in daily life was determined as the total usage value (an average hour per day x year: hy). Cervical lordosis angles were statistically compared with the total time of use. In the general ROC analysis, the cut-off value was found to be 20.5 hy. When the cut-off value is tested, the overall accuracy is very good with 72.4%. The true estimate of true risk and non-risk is quite high. The ROC analysis is statistically significant. The use of computing devices, especially mobile telephones, and the increase in the flexion of the cervical spine indicate that cervical vertebral problems will increase even in younger people in future. Also, to using with attention at this point, ergonomic devices must also be developed.

Implications of driving patterns on well-to-wheel performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

PubMed

Raykin, Leon; MacLean, Heather L; Roorda, Matthew J

2012-06-05

This study examines how driving patterns (distance and conditions) and the electricity generation supply interact to impact well-to-wheel (WTW) energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The WTW performance of a PHEV is compared with that of a similar (nonplug-in) gasoline hybrid electric vehicle and internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV). Driving PHEVs for short distances between recharging generally results in lower WTW total and fossil energy use and GHG emissions per kilometer compared to driving long distances, but the extent of the reductions depends on the electricity supply. For example, the shortest driving pattern in this study with hydroelectricity uses 81% less fossil energy than the longest driving pattern. However, the shortest driving pattern with coal-based electricity uses only 28% less fossil energy. Similar trends are observed in reductions relative to the nonplug-in vehicles. Irrespective of the electricity supply, PHEVs result in greater reductions in WTW energy use and GHG emissions relative to ICEVs for city than highway driving conditions. PHEVs charging from coal facilities only reduce WTW energy use and GHG emissions relative to ICEVs for certain favorable driving conditions. The study results have implications for environmentally beneficial PHEV adoption and usage patterns.

Power factor regulation for household usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daud, Nik Ghazali Nik; Hashim, Fakroul Ridzuan; Tarmizi, Muhammad Haziq Ahmad

2018-02-01

Power factor regulator technology has recently drawn attention to the consumer and to power generation company in order for consumers to use electricity efficiently. Controlling of power factor for efficient usage can reduce the production of power in fulfilment demands hence reducing the greenhouse effect. This paper presents the design method of power factor controller for household usage. There are several methods to improve the power factor. The power factor controller used by this method is by using capacitors. Total harmonic distortion also has become a major problem for the reliability of the electrical appliances and techniques to control it will be discussed.

Facebook addiction among Turkish college students: the role of psychological health, demographic, and usage characteristics.

PubMed

Koc, Mustafa; Gulyagci, Seval

2013-04-01

This study explored Facebook addiction among Turkish college students and its behavioral, demographic, and psychological health predictors. The Facebook Addiction Scale (FAS) was developed and its construct validity was assessed through factor analyses. A total of 447 students reported their personal information and Facebook usage and completed the FAS and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The results revealed that weekly time commitment, social motives, severe depression, and anxiety and insomnia positively predicted Facebook addiction. Neither demographic variables nor the interactions of gender by usage characteristics were found to be significant predictors.

DCDM1: Lessons Learned from the World's Most Energy Efficient Data Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sickinger, David E; Van Geet, Otto D; Carter, Thomas

This presentation discusses the holistic approach to design the world's most energy-efficient data center, which is located at the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This high-performance computing (HPC) data center has achieved a trailing twelve-month average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.04 and features a chiller-less design, component-level warm-water liquid cooling, and waste heat capture and reuse. We provide details of the demonstrated PUE and energy reuse effectiveness (ERE) and lessons learned during four years of production operation. Recent efforts to dramatically reduce the water footprint will also be discussed. Johnson Controls partnered with NREL andmore » Sandia National Laboratories to deploy a thermosyphon cooler (TSC) as a test bed at NREL's HPC data center that resulted in a 50% reduction in water usage during the first year of operation. The Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System (TCHS) integrates the control of a dry heat rejection device with an open cooling tower.« less

Eco Assist Techniques through Real-time Monitoring of BEV Energy Usage Efficiency

PubMed Central

Kim, Younsun; Lee, Ingeol; Kang, Sungho

2015-01-01

Energy efficiency enhancement has become an increasingly important issue for battery electric vehicles. Even if it can be improved in many ways, the driver’s driving pattern strongly influences the battery energy consumption of a vehicle. In this paper, eco assist techniques to simply implement an energy-efficient driving assistant system are introduced, including eco guide, eco control and eco monitoring methods. The eco guide is provided to control the vehicle speed and accelerator pedal stroke, and eco control is suggested to limit the output power of the battery. For eco monitoring, the eco indicator and eco report are suggested to teach eco-friendly driving habits. The vehicle test, which is done in four ways, consists of federal test procedure (FTP)-75, new european driving cycle (NEDC), city and highway cycles, and visual feedback with audible warnings is provided to attract the driver’s voluntary participation. The vehicle test result shows that the energy usage efficiency can be increased up to 19.41%. PMID:26121611

Optimal trajectory planning for a UAV glider using atmospheric thermals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagabo, Wilson B.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Glider (UAV glider) uses atmospheric energy in its different forms to remain aloft for extended flight durations. This UAV glider's aim is to extract atmospheric thermal energy and use it to supplement its battery energy usage and increase the mission period. Given an infrared camera identified atmospheric thermal of known strength and location; current wind speed and direction; current battery level; altitude and location of the UAV glider; and estimating the expected altitude gain from the thermal, is it possible to make an energy-efficient based motivation to fly to an atmospheric thermal so as to achieve UAV glider extended flight time? For this work, an infrared thermal camera aboard the UAV glider takes continuous forward-looking ground images of "hot spots". Through image processing a candidate atmospheric thermal strength and location is estimated. An Intelligent Decision Model incorporates this information with the current UAV glider status and weather conditions to provide an energy-based recommendation to modify the flight path of the UAV glider. Research, development, and simulation of the Intelligent Decision Model is the primary focus of this work. Three models are developed: (1) Battery Usage Model, (2) Intelligent Decision Model, and (3) Altitude Gain Model. The Battery Usage Model comes from the candidate flight trajectory, wind speed & direction and aircraft dynamic model. Intelligent Decision Model uses a fuzzy logic based approach. The Altitude Gain Model requires the strength and size of the thermal and is found a priori.

Potentials for Platooning in U.S. Highway Freight Transport: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muratori, Matteo; Holden, Jacob; Lammert, Michael

2017-03-15

Smart technologies enabling connection among vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure as well as vehicle automation to assist human operators are receiving significant attention as means for improving road transportation systems by reducing fuel consumption - and related emissions - while also providing additional benefits through improving overall traffic safety and efficiency. For truck applications, currently responsible for nearly three-quarters of the total U.S. freight energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, platooning has been identified as an early feature for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) that could provide significant fuel savings and improved traffic safety and efficiency without radicalmore » design or technology changes compared to existing vehicles. A statistical analysis was performed based on a large collection of real-world U.S. truck usage data to estimate the fraction of total miles that are technically suitable for platooning. In particular, our analysis focuses on estimating 'platoonable' mileage based on overall highway vehicle use and prolonged high-velocity traveling, establishing that about 65% of the total miles driven by combination trucks could be driven in platoon formation, leading to a 4% reduction in total truck fuel consumption. This technical potential for 'platoonable' miles in the U.S. provides an upper bound for scenario analysis considering fleet willingness to platoon as an estimate of overall benefits of early adoption of CAV technologies. A benefit analysis is proposed to assess the overall potential for energy savings and emissions mitigation by widespread implementation of highway platooning for trucks.« less

Annual Energy Review 1999

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seiferlein, Katherine E.

A generation ago the Ford Foundation convened a group of experts to explore and assess the Nation’s energy future, and published their conclusions in A Time To Choose: America’s Energy Future (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1974). The Energy Policy Project developed scenarios of U.S. potential energy use in 1985 and 2000. Now, with 1985 well behind us and 2000 nearly on the record books, it may be of interest to take a look back to see what actually happened and consider what it means for our future. The study group sketched three primary scenarios with differing assumptions about the growth ofmore » energy use. The Historical Growth scenario assumed that U.S. energy consumption would continue to expand by 3.4 percent per year, the average rate from 1950 to 1970. This scenario assumed no intentional efforts to change the pattern of consumption, only efforts to encourage development of our energy supply. The Technical Fix scenario anticipated a “conscious national effort to use energy more efficiently through engineering know-how." The Zero Energy Growth scenario, while not clamping down on the economy or calling for austerity, incorporated the Technical Fix efficiencies plus additional efficiencies. This third path anticipated that economic growth would depend less on energy-intensive industries and more on those that require less energy, i.e., the service sector. In 2000, total energy consumption was projected to be 187 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in the Historical Growth case, 124 quadrillion Btu in the Technical Fix case, and 100 quadrillion Btu in the Zero Energy Growth case. The Annual Energy Review 1999 reports a preliminary total consumption for 1999 of 97 quadrillion Btu (see Table 1.1), and the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (April 2000) forecasts total energy consumption of 98 quadrillion Btu in 2000. What energy consumption path did the United States actually travel to get from 1974, when the scenarios were drawn, to the end of the century? What happened to the relationship between growth and energy consumption? How did the fuel mix change over this period? What are the effects of energy usage on our environment? What level of consumption will the United States—and the world—record in the Annual Energy Review 2025? We present this edition of the Annual Energy Review to help investigate these important questions and to stimulate and inform our thinking about what the future holds.« less

MATLAB Software Versions and Licenses for the Peregrine System |

Science.gov Websites

: Feature usage info: Users of MATLAB: (Total of 6 licenses issued; Total of ... licenses in use) Users of Compiler: (Total of 1 license issued; Total of ... licenses in use) Users of Distrib_Computing_Toolbox : (Total of 4 licenses issued; Total of ... licenses in use) Users of MATLAB_Distrib_Comp_Engine: (Total of

Determinants of energy efficiency across countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Guolin

With economic development, environmental concerns become more important. Economies cannot be developed without energy consumption, which is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Higher energy efficiency is one means of reducing emissions, but what determines energy efficiency? In this research we attempt to find answers to this question by using cross-sectional country data; that is, we examine a wide range of possible determinants of energy efficiency at the country level in an attempt to find the most important causal factors. All countries are divided into three income groups: high-income countries, middle-income countries, and low-income countries. Energy intensity is used as a measurement of energy efficiency. All independent variables belong to two categories: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative variables are measures of the economic conditions, development indicators and energy usage situations. Qualitative variables mainly measure political, societal and economic strengths of a country. The three income groups have different economic and energy attributes. Each group has different sets of variables to explain energy efficiency. Energy prices and winter temperature are both important in high-income and middle-income countries. No qualitative variables appear in the model of high-income countries. Basic economic factors, such as institutions, political stability, urbanization level, population density, are important in low-income countries. Besides similar variables, such as macroeconomic stability and index of rule of law, the hydroelectricity share in total electric generation is also a driver of energy efficiency in middle-income countries. These variables have different policy implications for each group of countries.

Energy efficiency trade-offs drive nucleotide usage in transcribed regions

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Hua; Lu, Guanting; Bork, Peer; Hu, Songnian; Lercher, Martin J.

2016-01-01

Efficient nutrient usage is a trait under universal selection. A substantial part of cellular resources is spent on making nucleotides. We thus expect preferential use of cheaper nucleotides especially in transcribed sequences, which are often amplified thousand-fold compared with genomic sequences. To test this hypothesis, we derive a mutation-selection-drift equilibrium model for nucleotide skews (strand-specific usage of ‘A' versus ‘T' and ‘G' versus ‘C'), which explains nucleotide skews across 1,550 prokaryotic genomes as a consequence of selection on efficient resource usage. Transcription-related selection generally favours the cheaper nucleotides ‘U' and ‘C' at synonymous sites. However, the information encoded in mRNA is further amplified through translation. Due to unexpected trade-offs in the codon table, cheaper nucleotides encode on average energetically more expensive amino acids. These trade-offs apply to both strand-specific nucleotide usage and GC content, causing a universal bias towards the more expensive nucleotides ‘A' and ‘G' at non-synonymous coding sites. PMID:27098217

Socio-economic factors affecting the conservation of natural woodlands in Central Riyadh Area – Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Al-Subaiee, Faisal Sultan

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify some socioeconomic factors affecting local people in central Riyadh area for the utilization of wood and other energy sources in cooking and heating in order to develop some recommendations for conserving woodlands. The study results revealed that gas is the most common energy source used for cooking with a mean usage level of 2.79 (SD = 0.58). On the other hand, wood ranked first for heating with the highest mean, usage level of 1.90 (SD = 1.06). However, electricity and gas as sources of energy for heating ranked second and third with mean usage level of 1.81 and 0.80 respectively. The study revealed that local people with the university education were significantly making higher use of electricity for both cooking and heating and those with no formal education ranked the highest on wood use for both cooking and heating. In addition, those living in traditional houses significantly used more wood for cooking than those living in villas and apartments. Also, local people with high income levels significantly were using more electricity for heating than others. The study recommended conducting extension and environmental awareness raising programs to enhance local residents’ adoption of wood substitutes, promoting employment opportunities for unemployed locals, and subsidizing prices of alternative energy sources. PMID:27081355

Assessment of energy density usage during 180W lithium triborate laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Is there an optimum amount of kilo-Joules per gram of prostate?

PubMed

Valdivieso, Roger; Meyer, Christian P; Hueber, Pierre-Alain; Meskawi, Malek; Alenizi, Abdullah M; Azizi, Mounsif; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Misrai, Vincent; Rutman, Matthew; Te, Alexis E; Chughtai, Bilal; Barber, Neil J; Emara, Amr M; Munver, Ravi; Zorn, Kevin C

2016-10-01

To assess the effect of energy density (kJ/mL) applied on adenoma during photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) on functional outcomes, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reduction and complications. After exclusions, a total of 440 patients who underwent GreenLight (tm) laser XPS-180W lithium triborate PVP for the treatment of BPH were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected from seven different international centres (Canada, USA, UK and France). Patients were stratified into four energy density groups (kJ/mL) according to intra-operative energy delivered and prostate volume as determined by preoperative transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS): group 1: <3 kJ/mL; group 2: 3-5 kJ/mL; group 3: 5-7 kJ/mL; and group 4: ≥7 kJ/mL. Energy density groups were chosen arbitrarily. PSA reduction and functional outcomes (International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life, post-void residual urine volume, maximum urinary flow rate) were compared at 6, 12 and 24 months. Peri-operative complications and retreatment rates were also compared among the groups. The PSA reduction rates at 24 months after the procedure were 51, 61, 79 and 83% for the energy density groups <3, 3-5, 5-7 and ≥7 kJ/mL, respectively (P ≤ 0.01). This held true after accounting for baseline confounders. Energy density was not associated with higher complication rates, including haematuria, stricture formation, incontinence, refractory urinary retention, urinary tract infection and conversion to transurethral resection of the prostate. Functional outcomes at 2 years of follow-up were equivalent among the groups (P > 0.05 for all) and similar retreatment rates were observed (P = 0.36). Higher energy usage per cc of prostate was associated with a more significant reduction in PSA level (>50%) at 6, 12 and 24 months, suggesting increased vaporization of adenoma tissue; however, this did not translate into differences in functional outcomes at 2-year follow-up. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Supercritical methanol for polyethylene terephthalate depolymerization: Observation using simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Genta, Minoru; Iwaya, Tomoko; Sasaki, Mitsuru

2007-07-01

To apply PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol to commercial recycling, the benefits of supercritical methanol usage in PET depolymerization was investigated from the viewpoint of the reaction rate and energy demands. PET was depolymerized in a batch reactor at 573 K in supercritical methanol under 14.7 MPa and in vapor methanol under 0.98 MPa in our previous work. The main products of both reactions were the PET monomers of dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (EG). The rate of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol was faster than that of PET depolymerization in vapor methanol. This indicates supercritical fluid is beneficialmore » in reducing reaction time without the use of a catalyst. We depicted the simple process flow of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol and in vapor methanol, and by simulation evaluated the total heat demand of each process. In this simulation, bis-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET) was used as a model component of PET. The total heat demand of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol was 2.35 x 10{sup 6} kJ/kmol Produced-DMT. That of PET depolymerization in vapor methanol was 2.84 x 10{sup 6} kJ/kmol Produced-DMT. The smaller total heat demand of PET depolymerization in supercritical methanol clearly reveals the advantage of using supercritical fluid in terms of energy savings.« less

Optimization of Wastewater Lift Stations for Reduction of Energy Usage and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (WERF Report INFR3R11)

EPA Science Inventory

One of the major contributions of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from water resource recovery facilities results from the energy used by the pumping regime of the lift stations. This project demonstrated an energy-efficient control method of lift station system operation that uti...

Sustainable Energy for University Science Majors: Developing Guidelines for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langbeheim, Elon; Rez, Peter

2017-01-01

This paper describes the basic tenets of a sustainable energy course for university science majors. First, it outlines the three core components of the course: (1) The scientific evidence for the connection between climate change and energy usage; (2) An analysis of the capacity and environmental impact of various renewable and traditional energy…

Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rooney, Tim

2013-10-30

The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC or the Community) contracted the ANTARES Group, Inc. (“ANTARES”) to assess the feasibility of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. A solar energy project could provide a number of benefits to the Community in terms of potential future energy savings, increased employment, environmental benefits from renewable energy generation and usage, and increased energy self-sufficiency. The study addresses a number of facets of a solar project’s overall feasibility, including: Technical appropriateness; Solar resource characteristics and expected system performance; Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) economic assessment. The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC or the Community) contracted the ANTARESmore » Group, Inc. (“ANTARES”) to prepare a biomass resource assessment study and evaluate the feasibility of a bioenergy project on Community land. A biomass project could provide a number of benefits to the Community in terms of increased employment, environmental benefits from renewable energy generation and usage, and increased energy self-sufficiency. The study addresses a number of facets of a biomass project’s overall feasibility, including: Resource analysis and costs; Identification of potential bioenergy projects; Technical and economic (levelized cost of energy) modeling for selected project configuration.« less

Effectiveness of a night radiative cooling system in different geographical latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsoy, A. P.; Granovskiy, A. S.; Baranenko, A. V.; Tsoy, D. A.

2017-08-01

Growth of world energy consumption and depletion of energy resources make humanity to constantly work on the creation of the energy efficient technologies and increase usage of the alternative and renewable sources of energy. One of such alternative sources of energy is the night radiative cooling (NRC). NRC is an alternative and renewable source of energy, derived from the effective radiation of the Earth into the Space. If the given surface is located so that it looks to the night sky, then under the particular condition more energy can be generated under the effect of radiative cooling, than received from the atmosphere. As a result the temperature of the surface can be kept lower than the temperature of the ambient air. This effect can be used for creation of the refrigeration systems with the low energy consumption and as a result lower negative influence on the environment. During the research it has been identified that the possibility of the NRC usage is mostly predetermined by the specifics of the climate of the each region. In particular climate conditions the refrigeration systems working on night radiative cooling will be more effective that in others.

Energy Equity Lost and Found: Rebuilding America's K-12 Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoff, Lorenz V.

1999-01-01

Discusses reversing the trend of school-building deterioration and inefficient energy usage through the Rebuild America program. Explains what Rebuild America is and why schools should join the program. Also provided are overviews of successful programs involving schools. (GR)

Achieving scale strategically : understanding freight flows in regional food supply chains.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

The past several years have seen a rising interest in all things sustainable, from energy efficient homes : and vehicles, to alternative energy sources, to increasing focus on recyclable and renewable material : usage. This trend has also been accomp...

Usage Analysis of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 Tools by Librarians in Kwara State Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tella, Adeyinka; Soluoku, Taofeeqat

2016-01-01

This study analysed the usage of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools by librarians in Kwara State academic libraries. A sample of 40 librarians was surveyed through total enumeration sampling technique from four different tertiary education institutions libraries in Kwara State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used for the collection of data. The collected…

A Systematic Review of Studies Measuring and Reporting Hearing Aid Usage in Older Adults since 1999: A Descriptive Summary of Measurement Tools

PubMed Central

Perez, Elvira; Edmonds, Barrie A.

2012-01-01

Objective A systematic review was conducted to identify and quality assess how studies published since 1999 have measured and reported the usage of hearing aids in older adults. The relationship between usage and other dimensions of hearing aid outcome, age and hearing loss are summarised. Data sources Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, The University of Nottingham Online Catalogue, Web of Science and through reference checking. Study eligibility criteria: (1) participants aged fifty years or over with sensori-neural hearing loss, (2) provision of an air conduction hearing aid, (3) inclusion of hearing aid usage measure(s) and (4) published between 1999 and 2011. Results Of the initial 1933 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 64 were found eligible for review and were quality assessed on six dimensions: study design, choice of outcome instruments, level of reporting (usage, age, and audiometry) and cross validation of usage measures. Five papers were rated as being of high quality (scoring 10–12), 35 papers were rated as being of moderate quality (scoring 7–9), 22 as low quality (scoring 4–6) and two as very low quality (scoring 0–2). Fifteen different methods were identified for assessing the usage of hearing aids. Conclusions Generally, the usage data reviewed was not well specified. There was a lack of consistency and robustness in the way that usage of hearing aids was assessed and categorised. There is a need for more standardised level of reporting of hearing aid usage data to further understand the relationship between usage and hearing aid outcomes. PMID:22479312

A study on PubMed search tag usage pattern: association rule mining of a full-day PubMed query log.

PubMed

Mosa, Abu Saleh Mohammad; Yoo, Illhoi

2013-01-09

The practice of evidence-based medicine requires efficient biomedical literature search such as PubMed/MEDLINE. Retrieval performance relies highly on the efficient use of search field tags. The purpose of this study was to analyze PubMed log data in order to understand the usage pattern of search tags by the end user in PubMed/MEDLINE search. A PubMed query log file was obtained from the National Library of Medicine containing anonymous user identification, timestamp, and query text. Inconsistent records were removed from the dataset and the search tags were extracted from the query texts. A total of 2,917,159 queries were selected for this study issued by a total of 613,061 users. The analysis of frequent co-occurrences and usage patterns of the search tags was conducted using an association mining algorithm. The percentage of search tag usage was low (11.38% of the total queries) and only 2.95% of queries contained two or more tags. Three out of four users used no search tag and about two-third of them issued less than four queries. Among the queries containing at least one tagged search term, the average number of search tags was almost half of the number of total search terms. Navigational search tags are more frequently used than informational search tags. While no strong association was observed between informational and navigational tags, six (out of 19) informational tags and six (out of 29) navigational tags showed strong associations in PubMed searches. The low percentage of search tag usage implies that PubMed/MEDLINE users do not utilize the features of PubMed/MEDLINE widely or they are not aware of such features or solely depend on the high recall focused query translation by the PubMed's Automatic Term Mapping. The users need further education and interactive search application for effective use of the search tags in order to fulfill their biomedical information needs from PubMed/MEDLINE.

A Study on Pubmed Search Tag Usage Pattern: Association Rule Mining of a Full-day Pubmed Query Log

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The practice of evidence-based medicine requires efficient biomedical literature search such as PubMed/MEDLINE. Retrieval performance relies highly on the efficient use of search field tags. The purpose of this study was to analyze PubMed log data in order to understand the usage pattern of search tags by the end user in PubMed/MEDLINE search. Methods A PubMed query log file was obtained from the National Library of Medicine containing anonymous user identification, timestamp, and query text. Inconsistent records were removed from the dataset and the search tags were extracted from the query texts. A total of 2,917,159 queries were selected for this study issued by a total of 613,061 users. The analysis of frequent co-occurrences and usage patterns of the search tags was conducted using an association mining algorithm. Results The percentage of search tag usage was low (11.38% of the total queries) and only 2.95% of queries contained two or more tags. Three out of four users used no search tag and about two-third of them issued less than four queries. Among the queries containing at least one tagged search term, the average number of search tags was almost half of the number of total search terms. Navigational search tags are more frequently used than informational search tags. While no strong association was observed between informational and navigational tags, six (out of 19) informational tags and six (out of 29) navigational tags showed strong associations in PubMed searches. Conclusions The low percentage of search tag usage implies that PubMed/MEDLINE users do not utilize the features of PubMed/MEDLINE widely or they are not aware of such features or solely depend on the high recall focused query translation by the PubMed’s Automatic Term Mapping. The users need further education and interactive search application for effective use of the search tags in order to fulfill their biomedical information needs from PubMed/MEDLINE. PMID:23302604

Smartphone dependence classification using tensor factorization

PubMed Central

Kim, Yejin; Yook, In Hye; Yu, Hwanjo; Kim, Dai-Jin

2017-01-01

Excessive smartphone use causes personal and social problems. To address this issue, we sought to derive usage patterns that were directly correlated with smartphone dependence based on usage data. This study attempted to classify smartphone dependence using a data-driven prediction algorithm. We developed a mobile application to collect smartphone usage data. A total of 41,683 logs of 48 smartphone users were collected from March 8, 2015, to January 8, 2016. The participants were classified into the control group (SUC) or the addiction group (SUD) using the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for Adults (S-Scale) and a face-to-face offline interview by a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist (SUC = 23 and SUD = 25). We derived usage patterns using tensor factorization and found the following six optimal usage patterns: 1) social networking services (SNS) during daytime, 2) web surfing, 3) SNS at night, 4) mobile shopping, 5) entertainment, and 6) gaming at night. The membership vectors of the six patterns obtained a significantly better prediction performance than the raw data. For all patterns, the usage times of the SUD were much longer than those of the SUC. From our findings, we concluded that usage patterns and membership vectors were effective tools to assess and predict smartphone dependence and could provide an intervention guideline to predict and treat smartphone dependence based on usage data. PMID:28636614

48 CFR 1552.215-72 - Instructions for the Preparation of Proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... proposal instructions. (1) Submit proposal for than cost factors as a separate part of the total proposal... these items, including estimated usage hours, rates, and total costs. (ii) If equipment purchases are... the total estimated contract dollar value or $100,000, whichever is less), the offeror shall include...

Effects of feeding distillers dried grains with solubles to broilers from 0 to 28 days posthatch on broiler performance, feed manufacturing efficiency, and selected intestinal characteristics.

PubMed

Loar, R E; Moritz, J S; Donaldson, J R; Corzo, A

2010-10-01

This study evaluated the effect of 2 levels (0 vs. 8%) of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in a starter broiler diet (0 to 14 d; 45 replicates/treatment) after these same birds were subsequently fed a grower diet (14 to 28 d) with either 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, or 30% DDGS (9 replicates/treatment). Ross×Ross 308 male broilers were used in this experiment, and evaluation criteria consisted of feed mill parameters, broiler growth, relative liver weight, ileal viscosity, and cecal content count of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli analyzed by both selective media and real-time PCR. Increased inclusion of DDGS resulted in a nonlinear response for production rate (P<0.05), conditioner energy usage (P<0.01), and pellet mill energy usage (P<0.05). Increasing DDGS resulted in a linear decrease in pellet quality (P<0.001) and an increase (P<0.001) in total fines. Inclusion of DDGS decreased (P<0.001) energy usage at the pellet mill and decreased (P<0.05) bulk density of the diets. The DDGS levels fed during the starter phase (0 vs. 8%) had no effect on the broilers at 14 or at 28 d of age. Increasing DDGS inclusion levels during the grower phase resulted in a linear decrease (P<0.001) in BW gain and liver relative weight (P<0.001). A DDGS starter×grower interaction (P<0.05) was observed for feed consumption, in which birds that consumed no DDGS during the starter phase exhibited a decrease in feed consumption with the higher inclusion levels of DDGS during the grower phase, whereas birds that received 8% DDGS during the starter phase were unaffected by DDGS inclusion level in the grower phase. Feed conversion, mortality, ileal viscosity, and cecal C. perfringens and E. coli concentrations were unaffected by DDGS level in the grower diet. The feed intake response suggests a beneficial effect of exposing broiler chicks to DDGS if inclusion levels of 22.5% or higher are to be fed after 14 d of age. However, the data suggest that the young broiler can be negatively affected with inclusion levels of 15% DDGS or higher up to 28 d of age.

Game-Theoretic Models for Usage-based Maintenance Contract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husniah, H.; Wangsaputra, R.; Cakravastia, A.; Iskandar, B. P.

2018-03-01

A usage-based maintenance contracts with coordination and non coordination between two parties is studied in this paper. The contract is applied to a dump truck operated in a mining industry. The situation under study is that an agent offers service contract to the owner of the truck after warranty ends. This contract has only a time limit but no usage limit. If the total usage per period exceeds the maximum usage allowed in the contract, then the owner will be charged an additional cost. In general, the agent (Original Equipment Manufacturer/OEM) provides a full coverage of maintenance, which includes PM and CM under the lease contract. The decision problem for the owner is to select the best option offered that fits to its requirement, and the decision problem for the agent is to find the optimal maintenance efforts for a given price of the service option offered. We first find the optimal decisions using coordination scheme and then with non coordination scheme for both parties.

Convective heat transfer measurements in a vapour-liquid-liquid three-phase direct contact heat exchanger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahood, Hameed B.; Campbell, A. N.; Baqir, Ali Sh.; Sharif, A. O.; Thorpe, R. B.

2018-06-01

Energy usage is increasing around the world due to the continued development of technology, and population growth. Solar energy is a promising low-grade energy resource that can be harvested and utilised in different applications, such solar heater systems, which are used in both domestic and industrial settings. However, the implementation of an efficient energy conversion system or heat exchanger would enhance such low-grade energy processes. The direct contact heat exchanger could be the right choice due to its ability to efficiently transfer significant amounts of heat, simple design, and low cost. In this work, the heat transfer associated with the direct contact condensation of pentane vapour bubbles in a three-phase direct contact condenser is investigated experimentally. Such a condenser could be used in a cycle with a solar water heater and heat recovery systems. The experiments on the steady state operation of the three-phase direct contact condenser were carried out using a short Perspex tube of 70 cm in total height and an internal diameter of 4 cm. Only a height of 48 cm was active as the direct contact condenser. Pentane vapour, (the dispersed phase) with three different initial temperatures (40° C, 43.5° C and 47.5° C) was directly contacted with water (the continuous phase) at 19° C. The experimental results showed that the total heat transfer rate per unit volume along the direct contact condenser gradually decreased upon moving higher up the condenser. Additionally, the heat transfer rate increases with increasing mass flow rate ratio, but no significant effect on the heat transfer rate of varying the initial temperature of the dispersed phase was seen. Furthermore, both the outlet temperature of the continuous phase and the void fraction were positively correlated with the total heat transfer rate per unit volume, with no considerable effect of the initial temperature difference between the dispersed and continuous phases.

Convective heat transfer measurements in a vapour-liquid-liquid three-phase direct contact heat exchanger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahood, Hameed B.; Campbell, A. N.; Baqir, Ali Sh.; Sharif, A. O.; Thorpe, R. B.

2017-12-01

Energy usage is increasing around the world due to the continued development of technology, and population growth. Solar energy is a promising low-grade energy resource that can be harvested and utilised in different applications, such solar heater systems, which are used in both domestic and industrial settings. However, the implementation of an efficient energy conversion system or heat exchanger would enhance such low-grade energy processes. The direct contact heat exchanger could be the right choice due to its ability to efficiently transfer significant amounts of heat, simple design, and low cost. In this work, the heat transfer associated with the direct contact condensation of pentane vapour bubbles in a three-phase direct contact condenser is investigated experimentally. Such a condenser could be used in a cycle with a solar water heater and heat recovery systems. The experiments on the steady state operation of the three-phase direct contact condenser were carried out using a short Perspex tube of 70 cm in total height and an internal diameter of 4 cm. Only a height of 48 cm was active as the direct contact condenser. Pentane vapour, (the dispersed phase) with three different initial temperatures (40° C, 43.5° C and 47.5° C) was directly contacted with water (the continuous phase) at 19° C. The experimental results showed that the total heat transfer rate per unit volume along the direct contact condenser gradually decreased upon moving higher up the condenser. Additionally, the heat transfer rate increases with increasing mass flow rate ratio, but no significant effect on the heat transfer rate of varying the initial temperature of the dispersed phase was seen. Furthermore, both the outlet temperature of the continuous phase and the void fraction were positively correlated with the total heat transfer rate per unit volume, with no considerable effect of the initial temperature difference between the dispersed and continuous phases.

Distribution of personality, individual characteristics and internet usage in Swedish older adults.

PubMed

Berner, Jessica; Rennemark, Mikael; Jogréus, Claes; Berglund, Johan

2012-01-01

This article investigated factors associated with internet usage in the Swedish older adults ranging in age from 60 to 96. Personality traits and individual characteristics have been previously noted to influence internet usage, where older adults have not been the focus population. In this study, the relationships between personality, individual characteristics and internet usage were investigated. A descriptive analysis of the personality tests of a total of 1402 subjects included in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care was conducted. Three variables were controlled for: sex, age and education. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, chi-square tests and a logistic regression were used in order to detect the relationships with internet usage. Men differ significantly from women in the personality traits analysis. Those with higher education were more open and neuroticism was lower in the oldest older adults. Internet usage declined significantly with age and those with middle to higher education were using the internet the most. No other associations with internet use were found. Personality traits and individual characteristics do not seem to influence the Swedish older adult and their internet usage. What one needs to account for is the age and education of the person. The more educated and the youngest cohorts were using the internet more frequently.

Application of behavior-based ergonomics therapies to improve quality of life and reduce medication usage for Alzheimer's/dementia residents.

PubMed

Mowrey, Corinne; Parikh, Pratik J; Bharwani, Govind; Bharwani, Meena

2013-02-01

Behavior-based ergonomics therapy (BBET) has been proposed in the past as a viable individualized non-pharmacological intervention to manage challenging behaviors and promote engagement among long-term care residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's/dementia. We evaluate the effect of BBET on quality of life and behavioral medication usage in an 18-bed dementia care unit at a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community in West Central Ohio. Comparing a target cohort during the 6-month pre-implementation period with the 6-month post-implementation period, our study indicates that BBET appears to have a positive impact on the resident's quality of life and also appears to correlate with behavioral medical reduction. For instance, the number of days with behavioral episodes decreased by 53%, the total Minimum Data Set (MDS) mood counts decreased by 70%, and the total MDS behavior counts decreased by 65%. From a medication usage standpoint, the number of pro re nata (PRN) Ativan doses decreased by 57%.

A Framework for Understanding and Generating Integrated Solutions for Residential Peak Energy Demand

PubMed Central

Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Ledwich, Gerard; Bell, John; Mengersen, Kerrie; Morris, Peter; Lewis, Jim

2015-01-01

Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times. PMID:25807384

A framework for understanding and generating integrated solutions for residential peak energy demand.

PubMed

Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Ledwich, Gerard; Bell, John; Mengersen, Kerrie; Morris, Peter; Lewis, Jim

2015-01-01

Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times.

Energy Conservation in New Building Design: An Impact Assessment of ASHRAE Standard 90-75. Conservation and Environment Buildings Programs. Conservation Number 43B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Energy Administration, Washington, DC.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), has developed a document governing energy usage in all types of new construction: ASHRAE Standard 90-75: Energy Conservation in New Building Design (ASHRAE 90). To lay the foundation for an evaluation of ASHRAE 90, the Federal Energy Administration (FEA)…

Energy Awareness and Scheduling in Mobile Devices and High End Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawaskar, Sachin S.

2013-01-01

In the context of the big picture as energy demands rise due to growing economies and growing populations, there will be greater emphasis on sustainable supply, conservation, and efficient usage of this vital resource. Even at a smaller level, the need for minimizing energy consumption continues to be compelling in embedded, mobile, and server…

Challenge Students to Design an Energy-Efficient Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Jack

2008-01-01

This article presents an activity that gives students a practical understanding of how much energy the average home consumes and wastes, and shows how the construction technologies used in home design affect overall energy usage. In this activity, students will outline the cost of a home's electrical system, give a breakdown of how much power the…

Textiles & Clothing Curriculum Guide. Energy and the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Jane S.; Morris, Carol

This curriculum guide on textiles and clothing, covering one of the five content areas of the Energy and Family Curriculum Guide, has been designed to provide learning experiences and identify resources that can be used to develop units of study related to energy usage and conservation. The guide is intended for use in comprehensive courses of…

Housing & Home Furnishings Curriculum Guide. Energy and the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Jane S.; Morris, Carol

This curriculum guide on housing and home furnishings, covering one of the five content areas of the Energy and the Family Curriculum Guide, has been designed to provide learning experiences and identify resources that can be used to develop units of study related to energy usage and conservation. The guide is intended for use in comprehensive…

Evaluation of the "Lose Your Excuse" Public Service Advertising Campaign for Tweens to Save Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertrand, Jane T.; Goldman, Patty; Zhivan, Natalia; Agyeman, Yaw; Barber, Erin

2011-01-01

This study evaluates the 2008-2009 "Lose your Excuse" public service advertising (PSA) campaign on energy efficiency targeting 8- to 12-year-olds, intended to increase knowledge, foster proactive attitudes, and change energy usage behaviors. Baseline and two follow-up surveys were conducted with online samples representative of the national…

Biomass energy : the new frontier

Treesearch

John I. Zerbe

2006-01-01

We can have the greatest direct impact on petroleum and natural gas fuel usage by burning or gasifying wood for space heat, process energy and power. One alternative source that is available and underused is surplus wood. Certainly wood that is suitable for use in more valuable products should not be diverted to energy use that provides less income; however, other wood...

Determining Open Education Related Social Media Usage Trends in Turkey Using a Holistic Social Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firat, Mehmet; Altinpulluk, Hakan; Kilinç, Hakan; Büyük, Köksal

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to reveal Open Education related social media usage in Turkey through social network analyses. To this end, the most widely used social media network in Turkey, Facebook, was chosen. All the pages and groups created on Facebook related to Open Education were found. A total of 207 groups and 521 pages were accessed and…

The Effect of Technological Devices on Cervical Lordosis

PubMed Central

Öğrenci, Ahmet; Koban, Orkun; Yaman, Onur; Dalbayrak, Sedat; Yılmaz, Mesut

2018-01-01

PURPOSE: There is a need for cervical flexion and even cervical hyperflexion for the use of technological devices, especially mobile phones. We investigated the effect of this use on the cervical lordosis angle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 156 patients who applied with only neck pain between 2013–2016 and had no additional problems were included. Patients are specifically questioned about mobile phone, tablet, and other devices usage. The value obtained by multiplying the year of usage and the average usage (hour) in daily life was determined as the total usage value (an average hour per day x year: hy). Cervical lordosis angles were statistically compared with the total time of use. RESULTS: In the general ROC analysis, the cut-off value was found to be 20.5 hy. When the cut-off value is tested, the overall accuracy is very good with 72.4%. The true estimate of true risk and non-risk is quite high. The ROC analysis is statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The use of computing devices, especially mobile telephones, and the increase in the flexion of the cervical spine indicate that cervical vertebral problems will increase even in younger people in future. Also, to using with attention at this point, ergonomic devices must also be developed. PMID:29610602

Final Report: Hydrogen Production Pathways Cost Analysis (2013 – 2016)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James, Brian David; DeSantis, Daniel Allan; Saur, Genevieve

This report summarizes work conducted under a three year Department of Energy (DOE) funded project to Strategic Analysis, Inc. (SA) to analyze multiple hydrogen (H 2) production technologies and project their corresponding levelized production cost of H 2. The analysis was conducted using the H2A Hydrogen Analysis Tool developed by the DOE and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The project was led by SA but conducted in close collaboration with the NREL and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). In-depth techno-economic analysis (TEA) of five different H 2 production methods was conducted. These TEAs developed projections for capital costs, fuel/feedstock usage, energymore » usage, indirect capital costs, land usage, labor requirements, and other parameters, for each H 2 production pathway, and use the resulting cost and system parameters as inputs into the H2A discounted cash flow model to project the production cost of H 2 ($/kgH 2). Five technologies were analyzed as part of the project and are summarized in this report: Proton Exchange Membrane technology (PEM), High temperature solid oxide electrolysis cell technology (SOEC), Dark fermentation of biomass for H 2 production, H 2 production via Monolithic Piston-Type Reactors with rapid swing reforming and regeneration reactions, and Reformer-Electrolyzer-Purifier (REP) technology developed by Fuel Cell Energy, Inc. (FCE).« less

Energy optimization system

DOEpatents

Zhou, Zhi; de Bedout, Juan Manuel; Kern, John Michael; Biyik, Emrah; Chandra, Ramu Sharat

2013-01-22

A system for optimizing customer utility usage in a utility network of customer sites, each having one or more utility devices, where customer site is communicated between each of the customer sites and an optimization server having software for optimizing customer utility usage over one or more networks, including private and public networks. A customer site model for each of the customer sites is generated based upon the customer site information, and the customer utility usage is optimized based upon the customer site information and the customer site model. The optimization server can be hosted by an external source or within the customer site. In addition, the optimization processing can be partitioned between the customer site and an external source.

Security in Wireless Sensor Networks Employing MACGSP6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitipaichit, Yuttasart

2010-01-01

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have unique characteristics which constrain them; including small energy stores, limited computation, and short range communication capability. Most traditional security algorithms use cryptographic primitives such as Public-key cryptography and are not optimized for energy usage. Employing these algorithms for the…

Energy Management of the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle Using a Goal-Oriented Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braman, Julia M. B.; Wagner, David A.

2010-01-01

Safe human exploration in space missions requires careful management of limited resources such as breathable air and stored electrical energy. Daily activities for astronauts must be carefully planned with respect to such resources, and usage must be monitored as activities proceed to ensure that they can be completed while maintaining safe resource margins. Such planning and monitoring can be complex because they depend on models of resource usage, the activities being planned, and uncertainties. This paper describes a system - and the technology behind it - for energy management of the NASA-Johnson Space Center's Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicles (SEV), that provides, in an onboard advisory mode, situational awareness to astronauts and real-time guidance to mission operators. This new capability was evaluated during this year's Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) planetary exploration analog test in Arizona. This software aided ground operators and crew members in modifying the day s activities based on the real-time execution of the plan and on energy data received from the rovers.

Computer simulation of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and process economics of the fluid milk process.

PubMed

Tomasula, P M; Yee, W C F; McAloon, A J; Nutter, D W; Bonnaillie, L M

2013-05-01

Energy-savings measures have been implemented in fluid milk plants to lower energy costs and the energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Although these measures have resulted in reductions in steam, electricity, compressed air, and refrigeration use of up to 30%, a benchmarking framework is necessary to examine the implementation of process-specific measures that would lower energy use, costs, and CO2 emissions even further. In this study, using information provided by the dairy industry and equipment vendors, a customizable model of the fluid milk process was developed for use in process design software to benchmark the electrical and fuel energy consumption and CO2 emissions of current processes. It may also be used to test the feasibility of new processing concepts to lower energy and CO2 emissions with calculation of new capital and operating costs. The accuracy of the model in predicting total energy usage of the entire fluid milk process and the pasteurization step was validated using available literature and industry energy data. Computer simulation of small (40.0 million L/yr), medium (113.6 million L/yr), and large (227.1 million L/yr) processing plants predicted the carbon footprint of milk, defined as grams of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) per kilogram of packaged milk, to within 5% of the value of 96 g of CO 2e/kg of packaged milk obtained in an industry-conducted life cycle assessment and also showed, in agreement with the same study, that plant size had no effect on the carbon footprint of milk but that larger plants were more cost effective in producing milk. Analysis of the pasteurization step showed that increasing the percentage regeneration of the pasteurizer from 90 to 96% would lower its thermal energy use by almost 60% and that implementation of partial homogenization would lower electrical energy use and CO2e emissions of homogenization by 82 and 5.4%, respectively. It was also demonstrated that implementation of steps to lower non-process-related electrical energy in the plant would be more effective in lowering energy use and CO2e emissions than fuel-related energy reductions. The model also predicts process-related water usage, but this portion of the model was not validated due to a lack of data. The simulator model can serve as a benchmarking framework for current plant operations and a tool to test cost-effective process upgrades or evaluate new technologies that improve the energy efficiency and lower the carbon footprint of milk processing plants. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and evaluation of a prototype concentrating solar collector with thermocline based thermal energy storage for residential thermal usage

DOE PAGES

Kumar, Vinod; Afrin, Samia; Ortega, Jesus; ...

2013-09-01

A prototype of a concentrating solar collector (CSC) receiver was designed, built, and evaluated on-sun at the University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, TX. This prototype receiver consists of two parabolic trough-reflectors but, in principle, the design can be efficiently extended to multiple units for achieving a higher temperature throughput. Each reflector has a vacuum tube collector at the focal point of the trough. The solar collector system was combined with a single-tank thermocline thermal energy storage (TES) for off-solar thermal usage. The main goal of this study is to develop an advanced solar hot water systemmore » for most residential applications. The focus of this study is to investigate the feasibility and performance of the solar thermal system by employing the recent advancement in the TES—a thermocline based TES—system for the concentrating solar power technologies developed by the Sandia National Laboratories and National Renewable Energy Laboratories for electricity production. A CSC when combined with TES has potential to provide uninterrupted thermal energy for most residential usages. This paper presents a detailed description of prototype design and materials required. The thermal energy storage tank utilizes an insulated 170 l (45 gal) galvanized steel tank. In order to maintain thermocline in the TES tank, with hot water on top and cold water at the bottom, two plate distributors are installed in the tank. The data showed a significant enhancement in thermal energy generation. This thermocline based single tank presented a thermal energy storage potential for at least three days (with diminishing storage capacity) that test were performed. The whole prototype was made for approximately USD 355 (excludes any labor costs) and hence also has strong potential for supplying clean thermal energy in most developing countries. As a result, tests of the prototype were conducted in November 2011.« less

Analysis of transcriptome data reveals multifactor constraint on codon usage in Taenia multiceps.

PubMed

Huang, Xing; Xu, Jing; Chen, Lin; Wang, Yu; Gu, Xiaobin; Peng, Xuerong; Yang, Guangyou

2017-04-20

Codon usage bias (CUB) is an important evolutionary feature in genomes that has been widely observed in many organisms. However, the synonymous codon usage pattern in the genome of T. multiceps remains to be clarified. In this study, we analyzed the codon usage of T. multiceps based on the transcriptome data to reveal the constraint factors and to gain an improved understanding of the mechanisms that shape synonymous CUB. Analysis of a total of 8,620 annotated mRNA sequences from T. multiceps indicated only a weak codon bias, with mean GC and GC3 content values of 49.29% and 51.43%, respectively. Our analysis indicated that nucleotide composition, mutational pressure, natural selection, gene expression level, amino acids with grand average of hydropathicity (GRAVY) and aromaticity (Aromo) and the effective selection of amino-acids all contributed to the codon usage in T. multiceps. Among these factors, natural selection was implicated as the major factor affecting the codon usage variation in T. multiceps. The codon usage of ribosome genes was affected mainly by mutations, while the essential genes were affected mainly by selection. In addition, 21codons were identified as "optimal codons". Overall, the optimal codons were GC-rich (GC:AU, 41:22), and ended with G or C (except CGU). Furthermore, different degrees of variation in codon usage were found between T. multiceps and Escherichia coli, yeast, Homo sapiens. However, little difference was found between T. multiceps and Taenia pisiformis. In this study, the codon usage pattern of T. multiceps was analyzed systematically and factors affected CUB were also identified. This is the first study of codon biology in T. multiceps. Understanding the codon usage pattern in T. multiceps can be helpful for the discovery of new genes, molecular genetic engineering and evolutionary studies.

An intertemporal decision framework for electrochemical energy storage management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Guannan; Chen, Qixin; Moutis, Panayiotis; Kar, Soummya; Whitacre, Jay F.

2018-05-01

Dispatchable energy storage is necessary to enable renewable-based power systems that have zero or very low carbon emissions. The inherent degradation behaviour of electrochemical energy storage (EES) is a major concern for both EES operational decisions and EES economic assessments. Here, we propose a decision framework that addresses the intertemporal trade-offs in terms of EES degradation by deriving, implementing and optimizing two metrics: the marginal benefit of usage and the average benefit of usage. These metrics are independent of the capital cost of the EES system, and, as such, separate the value of EES use from the initial cost, which provides a different perspective on storage valuation and operation. Our framework is proved to produce the optimal solution for EES life-cycle profit maximization. We show that the proposed framework offers effective ways to assess the economic values of EES, to make investment decisions for various applications and to inform related subsidy policies.

Minimizing energy utilization for growing strawberries during long-duration space habitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massa, Gioia D.; Santini, Judith B.; Mitchell, Cary A.

2010-09-01

Strawberry is a candidate crop for space that is rich in protective antioxidants and could also have psychological benefits as a component of crew diets during long-duration space habitation. Energy for electric lighting is a major input to a controlled-environment crop-production system for space habitation. Day-neutral strawberry cultivars were evaluated at several different photoperiods to determine minimum lighting requirements without limiting yield or negatively impacting fruit quality. The cultivars 'Tribute', 'Seascape', and 'Fern' were grown at 14, 17, or 20 h of light per day, and fruit yield was evaluated over a 31-week production period. This amounted to a difference of 2418 kWh m -2 in energy usage between the longest and shortest photoperiods. All cultivars produced similar total fresh weight of fruit regardless of photoperiod. Volunteer tasters rated organoleptic characteristics including sweetness, tartness, texture, and overall appeal as measures of fruit quality. Generally, organoleptic attributes were not affected by photoperiod, but these attributes were somewhat dependent upon cultivar and harvest time. Cultivars under different photoperiods varied in their production of fruit over time. 'Seascape' was the most consistent producer, typically with the largest, most palatable fruit. 'Seascape' plants subsequently were grown at 10-, 12-, or 14-h photoperiods over a treatment period of 33 weeks. Photoperiod again had no significant effect on total fruit weight, although there were periodic flushes of productivity. Fruit under all photoperiods had acceptable approval ratings. A large-fruited, day-neutral strawberry cultivar such as 'Seascape' remains productive under shortened photoperiods, allowing reductions in energy and crew labor while maintaining flexibility for mixed-cropping scenarios in space.

Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brand, L.; Yee, S.; Baker, J.

2015-02-01

In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. Natural gas furnace performance can be measured in many ways. The annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating provides a fixed value under specified conditions, akin to the EPA miles per gallon rating for new vehicles. The AFUE rating is providedmore » by the manufacturer to the consumer and is a way to choose between models tested on the same basis. This value is commonly used in energy modeling calculations. ASHRAE 103 is a consensus furnace testing standard developed by the engineering community. The procedure provided in the standard covers heat-up, cool down, condensate heat loss, and steady-state conditions and an imposed oversize factor. The procedure can be used to evaluate furnace performance with specified conditions or with some variation chosen by the tester. In this report the ASHRAE 103 test result will be referred to as Annualized Efficiency (AE) to avoid confusion, and any non-standard test conditions will be noted. Aside from these two laboratory tests, steady state or flue loss efficiency can be measured in the field under many conditions; typically as found or tuned to the manufacturers recommended settings. In this report, AE and steady-state efficiency will be used as measures of furnace performance.« less

Words vs. deeds: Americans' energy concerns and implementation of green energy policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinker, Garrett C.

As the effects of climate change become increasingly clear, nations, international organizations, and corporations are working together to help mitigate these negative effects before they become irreversible. The United States, as the world's largest emitter per capita, has a responsibility to take quick and decisive action to decrease carbon emissions. And while an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that green energy policies are the right step forward, few have taken meaningful steps to actually implement these policies. Green and energy efficient technologies such as hybrid and electric cars, smart meters, and solar panels---technologies that would reduce our carbon footprint---are currently purchased or used by very few households. There is a clear gap between our words and deeds. Using the University of Texas at Austin Energy Poll dataset, this paper examines this gap and analyzes how income may influence what people say, versus how they act, seeking to better understand how income influences peoples' energy behaviors. Previous literature suggests that income has proven to be an inconsistent measure of concern for energy use. Through two OLS models, this paper finds that income is negatively correlated with Americans' concern for energy usage, while finding that there is a positive correlation between income and Americans' implementation of energy efficient technologies. Further, there is a nonlinear relationship between income groups and how Americans both think about their energy usage and actually implement more energy efficient measures.

Rate of humidifier and humidifier disinfectant usage in Korean children: A nationwide epidemiologic study.

PubMed

Yoon, Jisun; Cho, Hyun-Ju; Lee, Eun; Choi, Yean Jung; Kim, Young-Ho; Lee, Jung Lym; Lee, Ye Jin; Hong, Soo-Jong

2017-05-01

In South Korea, a cluster of humidifier disinfectant-induced lung injury (HDLI) cases developed between 2006 and 2011. There are no existing reports regarding the rate of humidifier disinfectant (HD) usage in the general population of Korean children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of humidifier and HD usage in the general population of Korean children. This is a general population-based birth cohort multicenter study, Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) from 2008, a humidifier and HD-related questionnaire administered to 1577 subjects (809 male, 768 female) in 2015 (n=1577). The questionnaire consisted of four categories (humidifier usage, HD usage, exposure duration, and type of HD brands). A total of 75.6% (1192/1577) had used a humidifier, and the rate of HD usage was found to be 31.1% (409/1316). Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG), used as a disinfectant, was found to have the highest usage rate (62.0%). HD was used for less than 3 months of the entire lifetime of most of the subjects. In conclusion, approximately 30% of young Korean children were exposed to HD. PHMG-containing HD was the most commonly used. These results suggest that a nationwide epidemiologic investigation is needed urgently, and children exposed to HD should be investigated regarding their status of lung injury, including a pulmonary function test. Moreover, a long-term follow-up period may be required to evaluate HD usage-associated lung injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy study of rail passenger transportation. Volume 4. Efficiency improvements and industry future. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henderson, C.; Wilhelm, J.P.

1979-08-01

Measures that offer promise of efficiency improvements or economy in energy usage in rail passenger transportation are identified and described; the future of rail passenger transportation in the US is discussed; and possible future roles of Federal agencies are discussed.

Energy Efficient Storage and Transfer of Cryogens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, James E.

2013-01-01

Cryogenics is globally linked to energy generation, storage, and usage. Thermal insulation systems research and development is an enabling part of NASA's technology goals for Space Launch and Exploration. New thermal testing methodologies and materials are being transferred to industry for a wide range of commercial applications.

Collection and dissemination of thermal energy storage system information for the pulp and paper industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edde, H.

1981-01-01

The collection and dissemination of thermal energy storage (TES) system technology for the pulp and paper industry with the intent of reducing fossil fuel usage is discussed. The study plan is described and a description presented of example TES systems.

Senior High School Students' Preference and Reasoning Modes about Nuclear Energy Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fang-Ying; Anderson, O. Roger

2003-01-01

Examines senior high school students' cognitive orientation toward scientific or social information, designated as information preference, and associated preferential reasoning modes when presented with an environmental issue concerning nuclear energy usage. Investigates the association of information preference variable with academic and personal…

The usage, occurrence and dietary intakes of white mineral oils and waxes in Europe.

PubMed

Tennant, D R

2004-03-01

Dietary exposures to mineral hydrocarbons were estimated from information about patterns of usage, concentrations in foods and quantities of foods consumed. An industry survey showed that the largest usage of food-grade white mineral oils was in plastics manufacture although the majority are used in non-food applications. The largest volumes of wax usage were in packaging. Conservative estimates indicated that daily intakes of white mineral oils ranged from 0.39 to 0.91 mg/kg bw/day for adults and from 0.75 to 1.77 mg/kg bw/day for children (mean and 97.5th percentiles). Total wax intakes ranged from 0.08 to 0.19 mg/kg bw/day for adults and 0.23 to 0.64 mg/kg bw/day for pre-school children. When usage factors were applied, estimates of chronic intakes of white oils were reduced to 0.09-0.20 mg/kg bw/day for adults and to 0.17-0.39 mg/kg bw/day for children. Total wax intakes were reduced to 0.01-0.02 mg/kg bw/day for adults and to 0.02-0.06 mg/kg bw/day for children. For white mineral oils the principal source of exposure for most consumers was imported de-dusted grain. The principal source of potential wax exposure was from glazing agents on confectionery. There was no evidence of intakes exceeding SCF ADIs for microcrystalline waxes or certain white mineral oils and levels of exposure were similar to those of naturally-occurring mineral hydrocarbons in foods.

Comparison of ultrasonic energy expenditures and corneal endothelial cell density reductions during modulated and non-modulated phacoemulsification.

PubMed

Davison, James A

2007-01-01

To compare the Legacy 20000 Advantec continuous and Infiniti hyperpulse modes (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) with respect to average power, machine-measured phacoemulsification time, total stopwatch real time spent within the phacoemulsification process, balanced salt solution (BSS) volume, and corneal endothelial cell density losses. A background study was done of consecutive patients operated on with the Legacy (n = 60) and Infiniti (n = 40) machines programmed with identical parameters and using the continuous mode only. A primary study of another set of consecutive cases was operated on using the Legacy (n = 87) and Infiniti (n = 94) with the same parameters, but using the hyperpulse mode during quadrant removal with the Infiniti. Measurements for each set included average power and phacoemulsification time with corneal endothelial cell densities, BSS volume, and time spent in the phacoemulsification process. Similarities were found in the background study for average power percent and average minutes of phacoemulsification time. In the primary study, similarities were found for total minutes in the phacoemulsification process, BSS usage, and ECD losses, and differences were found for average power percent (P< .001) and machine-measured phacoemulsification minutes (P< .001). The Legacy and Infiniti performed similarly in continuous mode. With the Infiniti hyperpulse mode, a total ultrasonic energy reduction of 66% was noted. The machines required the same amount of total stopwatch measured time to accomplish phacoemulsification and produced the same 5% corneal endothelial cell loss. Therefore, clinically, these two machines behave in a comparable manner relative to safety and effectiveness.

Potentials for Platooning in U.S. Highway Freight Transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muratori, Matteo; Holden, Jacob; Lammert, Michael

2017-03-28

Smart technologies enabling connection among vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure as well as vehicle automation to assist human operators are receiving significant attention as a means for improving road transportation systems by reducing fuel consumption - and related emissions - while also providing additional benefits through improving overall traffic safety and efficiency. For truck applications, which are currently responsible for nearly three-quarters of the total U.S. freight energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, platooning has been identified as an early feature for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) that could provide significant fuel savings and improved traffic safety andmore » efficiency without radical design or technology changes compared to existing vehicles. A statistical analysis was performed based on a large collection of real-world U.S. truck usage data to estimate the fraction of total miles that are technically suitable for platooning. In particular, our analysis focuses on estimating 'platoonable' mileage based on overall highway vehicle use and prolonged high-velocity traveling, and established that about 65% of the total miles driven by combination trucks from this data sample could be driven in platoon formation, leading to a 4% reduction in total truck fuel consumption. This technical potential for 'platoonable' miles in the United States provides an upper bound for scenario analysis considering fleet willingness and convenience to platoon as an estimate of overall benefits of early adoption of connected and automated vehicle technologies. A benefit analysis is proposed to assess the overall potential for energy savings and emissions mitigation by widespread implementation of highway platooning for trucks.« less

A review on potential use of low-temperature water in the urban environment as a thermal-energy source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laanearu, J.; Borodinecs, A.; Rimeika, M.; Palm, B.

2017-10-01

The thermal-energy potential of urban water sources is largely unused to accomplish the up-to-date requirements of the buildings energy demands in the cities of Baltic Sea Region. A reason is that the natural and excess-heat water sources have a low temperature and heat that should be upgraded before usage. The demand for space cooling should increase in near future with thermal insulation of buildings. There are a number of options to recover heat also from wastewater. It is proposed that a network of heat extraction and insertion including the thermal-energy recovery schemes has potential to be broadly implemented in the region with seasonally alternating temperature. The mapping of local conditions is essential in finding the suitable regions (hot spots) for future application of a heat recovery schemes by combining information about demands with information about available sources. The low-temperature water in the urban environment is viewed as a potential thermal-energy source. To recover thermal energy efficiently, it is also essential to ensure that it is used locally, and adverse effects on environment and industrial processes are avoided. Some characteristics reflecting the energy usage are discussed in respect of possible improvements of energy efficiency.

Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector

EIA Publications

2014-01-01

India offers a unique set of features for studying electricity use in the context of a developing country. First, it has a rapidly developing economy with high yearly growth rates in gross domestic product (GDP). Second, it has the second -largest population in the world and is likely to have the largest population in the future. Third, its electric system is maturing—with known difficulties (outages, shortages, issues with reliability and quality) that are characteristic of a developing country. This article focuses on electricity use in the residential sector of India and discusses key trends and provides an overview of available usage estimates from various sources. Indian households are an interesting environment where many of India’s unique features interact. The recent economic gains correlate with rising incomes and possible changes in living standards, which could affect electricity or other energy use within households. Additionally, the maturing electric system and large population in India both offer opportunities to study a range of interactions between electrification and electricity usage in a developing country.

Recorded Behavior as a Valuable Resource for Diagnostics in Mobile Phone Addiction: Evidence from Psychoinformatics.

PubMed

Montag, Christian; Błaszkiewicz, Konrad; Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Andone, Ionut; Trendafilov, Boris; Markowetz, Alexander

2015-10-19

Psychologists and psychiatrists commonly rely on self-reports or interviews to diagnose or treat behavioral addictions. The present study introduces a novel source of data: recordings of the actual problem behavior under investigation. A total of N = 58 participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire measuring problematic mobile phone behavior featuring several questions on weekly phone usage. After filling in the questionnaire, all participants received an application to be installed on their smartphones, which recorded their phone usage for five weeks. The analyses revealed that weekly phone usage in hours was overestimated; in contrast, numbers of call and text message related variables were underestimated. Importantly, several associations between actual usage and being addicted to mobile phones could be derived exclusively from the recorded behavior, but not from self-report variables. The study demonstrates the potential benefit to include methods of psychoinformatics in the diagnosis and treatment of problematic mobile phone use.

Costs and Their Assessment to Users of a Medical Library, Part II: Recovering Costs from Service Usage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bres, E.; And Others

Part II of the study describes a model for associating one portion of total library costs with use; the model's output is a set of charges that can be used to recover (justify) these usage-based costs. Algebraic formulations constructed and combined to form the model are a set of service charges that may vary by user type and recover out-of-pocket…

Teachers' Technology Acceptance and Usage Situations and the Evaluation of Web Pedagogic Content Knowledge in Terms of Different Variations and the Determination of the Relationship between These

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korucu, Agah Tugrul

2017-01-01

The goal of this study is to analyze the situations of teachers' technology acceptance and usage (TAU) and web pedagogy content knowledge (WPACK) in terms of different variations and to determine of the relationship between these two. The study group of this research consists of 96 teachers in total having different variations such as different…

Study of Manpower Requirements by Occupation for Alternative Technologies in the Energy-Related Industries, 1970-1990. Volumes I, IIA, and III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutmanis, Ivars; And Others

The report presents the methodology used by the National Planning Association (NPA), under contract to the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), to estimate direct labor usage coefficients in some sixty different occupational categories involved in construction, operation, and maintenance of energy facilities. Volume 1 presents direct labor usage…

Cars and Kinetic Energy--Some Simple Physics with Real-World Relevance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

2012-01-01

Understanding energy usage is crucial to understanding modern civilization, as well as many of the challenges it faces. Energy-related issues also offer real-world examples of important physical concepts, and as such have been the focus of several articles in "The Physics Teacher" in the past few decades (e.g., Refs. 1-5, noted further below).…

Energy on the Home Front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Thomas W.

2011-11-01

This article explores a variety of ways to measure, adjust, and augment home energy usage. Particular examples of using electricity and gas utility meters, power/energy meters for individual devices, whole-home energy monitoring, infrared cameras, and thermal measurements are discussed—leading to a factor-of-four reduction in home energy use in the case discussed. The net efficiency performance of a stand-alone photovoltaic system is also presented. Ideas for reducing one's energy/carbon footprint both within the home and in the larger community are quantitatively evaluated.

Head shop compound abuse amongst attendees of the Drug Treatment Centre Board.

PubMed

McNamara, S; Stokes, S; Coleman, N

2010-05-01

The use of "Head Shop" compounds has received much media attention lately. There is very little research in the current literature with regard to the extent of the usage of these substances amongst the drug using population in Ireland. We conducted a study to examine the extent of the usage of Mephedrone, Methylone and BZP amongst attendees of Methadone maintenance programs at the DTCB. Two hundred and nine samples in total were tested. The results showed significant usage of these compounds amongst this cohort of drug users, with 29 (13.9%) of samples tested being positive for Mephedrone, 7 (3.3%) positive for Methylone and 1 (0.5%) positive for BZP.

Vehicle Dynamics Control of In-wheel Electric Motor Drive Vehicles Based on Averaging of Tire Force Usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masaki, Nobuo; Iwano, Haruo; Kamada, Takayoshi; Nagai, Masao

For in-wheel electric motor drive vehicles, a new vehicle dynamics control which is based on the tire force usage rate is proposed. The new controller adopts non-linear optimal control could manage the interference between direct yaw-moment control and the tire force usage rate. The new control is considered total longitudinal and transverse tire force. Therefore the controller can prevent tire force saturation near tire force limit during cornering. Simulations and test runs by the custom made four wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicle show that higher driving stability performance compared to the performance of the same vehicle without control.

Analysis of codon usage bias of envelope glycoprotein genes in nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) and its relation to evolution.

PubMed

Zhao, Yongchao; Zheng, Hao; Xu, Anying; Yan, Donghua; Jiang, Zijian; Qi, Qi; Sun, Jingchen

2016-08-24

Analysis of codon usage bias is an extremely versatile method using in furthering understanding of the genetic and evolutionary paths of species. Codon usage bias of envelope glycoprotein genes in nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) has remained largely unexplored at present. Hence, the codon usage bias of NPV envelope glycoprotein was analyzed here to reveal the genetic and evolutionary relationships between different viral species in baculovirus genus. A total of 9236 codons from 18 different species of NPV of the baculovirus genera were used to perform this analysis. Glycoprotein of NPV exhibits weaker codon usage bias. Neutrality plot analysis and correlation analysis of effective number of codons (ENC) values indicate that natural selection is the main factor influencing codon usage bias, and that the impact of mutation pressure is relatively smaller. Another cluster analysis shows that the kinship or evolutionary relationships of these viral species can be divided into two broad categories despite all of these 18 species are from the same baculovirus genus. There are many elements that can affect codon bias, such as the composition of amino acids, mutation pressure, natural selection, gene expression level, and etc. In the meantime, cluster analysis also illustrates that codon usage bias of virus envelope glycoprotein can serve as an effective means of evolutionary classification in baculovirus genus.

Vincristine-associated Neuropathy With Antifungal Usage: A Kaiser Northern California Experience.

PubMed

Nikanjam, Mina; Sun, Aida; Albers, Mark; Mangalindin, Kristine; Song, Eyun; Vempaty, Hyma; Sam, Danny; Capparelli, Edmund V

2018-05-16

The dose-limiting toxicity for vincristine is peripheral neuropathy which can be potentiated with concurrent usage of azole antifungals. The current retrospective study assessed the incidence of concurrent vincristine and azole antifungal usage to determine if it led to increased neurotoxicity for the Kaiser Northern California pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Hodgkin lymphoma patient population. Data were obtained from the electronic medical record (2007 to 2014). In total, 130 subjects received at least one dose of vincristine for ALL or Hodgkin lymphoma (median age 9, 88% ALL, 58% male, 47% Caucasian). Thirty one percent of patients received concurrent antifungal usage (fluconazole, 78%; voriconazole, 10%; fluconazole/voriconazole, 12%); however, concurrent antifungal usage accounted for <15% of vincristine doses. Grade 2 or greater neuropathy occurred in 51% of patients; grade 3 neuropathy was present in 8% of patients. No difference in the incidence of grade 2 or greater neuropathy was observed with the concurrent use of antifungal therapy (P=0.35), sex (P=0.59), type of cancer (P=0.41), ethnicity (P=0.29), or age (P=0.39), but was higher with increasing amount of vincristine doses (P=0.004). These results suggest that concurrent azole antifungal usage with vincristine for patients with ALL and Hodgkin lymphoma was low in the Kaiser Northern California population and limited usage as needed may be reasonable and safe.

Smart Grid Adoption Likeliness Framework: Comparing Idaho and National Residential Consumers' Perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baiya, Evanson G.

New energy technologies that provide real-time visibility of the electricity grid's performance, along with the ability to address unusual events in the grid and allow consumers to manage their energy use, are being developed in the United States. Primary drivers for the new technologies include the growing energy demand, tightening environmental regulations, aging electricity infrastructure, and rising consumer demand to become more involved in managing individual energy usage. In the literature and in practice, it is unclear if, and to what extent, residential consumers will adopt smart grid technologies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between demographic characteristics, perceptions, and the likelihood of adopting smart grid technologies among residential energy consumers. The results of a 31-item survey were analyzed for differences within the Idaho consumers and compared against national consumers. Analysis of variance was used to examine possible differences between the dependent variable of likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies and the independent variables of age, gender, residential ownership, and residential location. No differences were found among Idaho consumers in their likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies. An independent sample t-test was used to examine possible differences between the two groups of Idaho consumers and national consumers in their level of interest in receiving detailed feedback information on energy usage, the added convenience of the smart grid, renewable energy, the willingness to pay for infrastructure costs, and the likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies. The level of interest in receiving detailed feedback information on energy usage was significantly different between the two groups (t = 3.11, p = .0023), while the other variables were similar. The study contributes to technology adoption research regarding specific consumer perceptions and provides a framework that estimates the likeliness of adopting smart grid technologies by residential consumers. The study findings could assist public utility managers and technology adoption researchers as they develop strategies to enable wide-scale adoption of smart grid technologies as a solution to the energy problem. Future research should be conducted among commercial and industrial energy consumers to further validate the findings and conclusions of this research.

From Tragedy to Triumph - Rebuilding Green Homes after Disaster (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2009-04-01

Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Fact Sheets, No. 1. Series to include practical, useful info to help people change their behavior around energy usage and "greenness". Greensburg is hanging its future on sustainable development; these fact sheet sheets should help citizens understand what they can do to be a part of that focus. Fact Sheets cover: saving energy and water, using renewable energy (particular interest in small wind), driving "green", general sustainability, living green.

Smart energy management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Aniruddha; Singh, Jugdutt

2010-04-01

Peak and average energy usage in domestic and industrial environments is growing rapidly and absence of detailed energy consumption metrics is making systematic reduction of energy usage very difficult. Smart energy management system aims at providing a cost-effective solution for managing soaring energy consumption and its impact on green house gas emissions and climate change. The solution is based on seamless integration of existing wired and wireless communication technologies combined with smart context-aware software which offers a complete solution for automation of energy measurement and device control. The persuasive software presents users with easy-to-assimilate visual cues identifying problem areas and time periods and encourages a behavioural change to conserve energy. The system allows analysis of real-time/statistical consumption data with the ability to drill down into detailed analysis of power consumption, CO2 emissions and cost. The system generates intelligent projections and suggests potential methods (e.g. reducing standby, tuning heating/cooling temperature, etc.) of reducing energy consumption. The user interface is accessible using web enabled devices such as PDAs, PCs, etc. or using SMS, email, and instant messaging. Successful real-world trial of the system has demonstrated the potential to save 20 to 30% energy consumption on an average. Low cost of deployment and the ability to easily manage consumption from various web enabled devices offers gives this system a high penetration and impact capability offering a sustainable solution to act on climate change today.

An approach to the usage of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste as roadway pavement material.

PubMed

Gürü, Metin; Çubuk, M Kürşat; Arslan, Deniz; Farzanian, S Ali; Bilici, İbrahim

2014-08-30

This study investigates an application area for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottle waste which has become an environmental problem in recent decades as being a considerable part of the total plastic waste bulk. Two novel additive materials, namely Thin Liquid Polyol PET (TLPP) and Viscous Polyol PET (VPP), were chemically derived from waste PET bottles and used to modify the base asphalt separately for this aim. The effects of TLPP and VPP on the asphalt and hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture properties were detected through conventional tests (Penetration, Softening Point, Ductility, Marshall Stability, Nicholson Stripping) and Superpave methods (Rotational Viscosity, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR)). Also, chemical structures were described by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) techniques. Since TLPP and VPP were determined to improve the low temperature performance and fatigue resistance of the asphalt as well as the Marshall Stability and stripping resistance of the HMA mixtures based on the results of the applied tests, the usage of PET waste as an asphalt roadway pavement material offers an alternative and a beneficial way of disposal of this ecologically hazardous material. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large-Scale Genomic Analysis of Codon Usage in Dengue Virus and Evaluation of Its Phylogenetic Dependence

PubMed Central

Lara-Ramírez, Edgar E.; Salazar, Ma Isabel; López-López, María de Jesús; Salas-Benito, Juan Santiago; Sánchez-Varela, Alejandro

2014-01-01

The increasing number of dengue virus (DENV) genome sequences available allows identifying the contributing factors to DENV evolution. In the present study, the codon usage in serotypes 1–4 (DENV1–4) has been explored for 3047 sequenced genomes using different statistics methods. The correlation analysis of total GC content (GC) with GC content at the three nucleotide positions of codons (GC1, GC2, and GC3) as well as the effective number of codons (ENC, ENCp) versus GC3 plots revealed mutational bias and purifying selection pressures as the major forces influencing the codon usage, but with distinct pressure on specific nucleotide position in the codon. The correspondence analysis (CA) and clustering analysis on relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) within each serotype showed similar clustering patterns to the phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences for DENV1–4. These clustering patterns are strongly related to the virus geographic origin. The phylogenetic dependence analysis also suggests that stabilizing selection acts on the codon usage bias. Our analysis of a large scale reveals new feature on DENV genomic evolution. PMID:25136631

Relationship Among Dental Students' Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance.

PubMed

Azab, Ehab; Saksena, Yun; Alghanem, Tofool; Midle, Jennifer Bassett; Molgaard, Kathleen; Albright, Susan; Karimbux, Nadeem

2016-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students' attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second-year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students' grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (p<0.001) and the overall preclinical dental courses (p=0.03). Although the results did not show strong relationships among class attendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.

75 FR 13172 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-18

... internal distributors count and report each server and display device that processes TotalView-ITCH data as a professional TotalView and OpenView user. Some firms report upwards of 500 devices, while other.... Nasdaq has offered similar enterprise licenses for professional and non-professional usage of TotalView...

Medical Therapy Versus Balloon Sinus Dilation in Adults With Chronic Rhinosinusitis (MERLOT): 12-Month Follow-up.

PubMed

Stolovitzky, J Pablo; Mehendale, Neelesh; Matheny, Keith E; Brown, William J; Rieder, Anthony A; Liepert, Douglas R; Tseng, Ewen; Gould, Andrew

2018-05-21

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a devastating disease affecting nearly 30 million people in the United States. An interim analysis of data from the present study suggested that, in patients who had previously failed medical therapy, balloon sinus dilation (BSD) plus medical management (MM) provides a significant improvement in the quality of life (QOL) at 24 weeks postprocedure compared to MM alone. Objective The primary objective of this final analysis was to evaluate the durability of treatment effects through the 52-week follow-up. Methods Adults aged 19 and older with CRS who had failed MM elected either BSD plus MM or continued MM. Patients were evaluated at 2 (BSD arm only), 12, 24, and 52 weeks posttreatment. Balloon dilations were performed either as an office-based procedure under local anesthesia or in the operating room per physicians' and patients' discretion. The primary end point was change in patient-reported QOL as measured by Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) total score from baseline to the 24-week follow-up. Secondary outcomes including changes in CSS, Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI), and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT) total and subscores, sinus medication usage, missed days of work/school, number of medical care visits, and sinus infections from baseline to the 52-week follow-up are reported here within. Results BSD led to sustained greater improvements in self-reported QOL using the CSS and RSDI total scores with a trend toward improvement in the SNOT-20 total score from baseline to the 52-week follow-up compared to continued MM. There were no changes in medication usage apart from nasal steroid usage for which the MM cohort had an increase in usage. There were no device-related serious adverse events. Conclusion The current analysis highlights the safety, effectiveness, and durability of BSD in CRS patients aged 19 and older who had previously failed MM.

Reduction of costs for anemia-management drugs associated with the use of ferric citrate

PubMed Central

Thomas, Anila; Peterson, Leif E

2014-01-01

Background Ferric citrate is a novel phosphate binder which has the potential to reduce usage of erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) and intravenous (IV) iron used for anemia management during hemodialysis (HD) among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Currently, the potential health care cost savings on a national scale due to the use of ferric citrate in ESRD are undetermined. Methods Per-patient-per-year costs of ESAs (Epogen® and Aranesp® [Amgen Inc., CA, USA]) and IV iron (Venofer® [American Regent, Inc., NY, USA] and Ferrlecit® [Sanofi US, Bridgewater, NJ, USA]) were based on RED BOOK™ (Truven Health Analytics New York, NY, USA) costs combined with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) base rate and actual usage in 2011 for the four drugs. The annual number of outpatients undergoing HD in the US was based on frequencies reported by the USRDS (United States Renal Data System). Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis was performed to determine total annual costs and cost reduction based on ferric citrate usage. Results Total annual cost of ESAs and IV iron for anemia management in ESRD determined by Monte Carlo analysis assuming CMS base rate value was 5.127 (3.664–6.260) billion USD. For actual utilization in 2011, total annual cost of ESAs and IV iron was 3.981 (2.780–4.930) billion USD. If ferric citrate usage reduced ESA utilization by 20% and IV iron by 40%, then total cost would be reduced by 21.2% to 4.038 (2.868–4.914) billion USD for the CMS base rate, and by 21.8% to 3.111 (2.148–3.845) billion USD, based on 2011 actual utilization. Conclusion It is likely that US health care costs for anemia-management drugs associated with ESRD among HD patients can be reduced by using ferric citrate as a phosphate binder. PMID:24899820

Usage patterns and adverse experiences in traditional Korean medicine: results of a survey in South Korea

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Although traditional medicine (TM) in South Korea is included in the national health care system, it is considered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and not mainstream medicine. Therefore, the lack of statistical data regarding the usage and adverse experiences of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) makes difficult to understand the current status of TM. In this study, we aimed to report usage patterns and adverse experiences on TKM targeting consumers in South Korea. Methods A total of 2000 consumers participated in the survey on usage and adverse experiences in 2008. Among the 2,000 participants, 915 (45.8%) had taken herbal medicine or received traditional medicinal therapies; these individuals were further surveyed on the internet or in an interview. Results The usage rate was higher among women and among patients in their 30s. Of the total TKM usage, acupuncture accounted for 36.7%, and herbal medicine accounted for 13.4%. Regarding the frequency of use of TKM, 73.8% of patients reported using TM less than 5 times in 1 year. Of the 915 respondents, 8.2% of individuals had some type of adverse experience resulting from TKM. Adverse experiences were primarily caused by acupuncture and herbal medicines, and they primarily involved diseases of the digestive system and skin. The incidence of adverse experiences was less than 3.7% for acupuncture and 3.8% for herbal medicine. Overall, the incidence rate of adverse experiences for TKM for the entire population was 0.04 per 10,000 individuals. Conclusions The medical usage and occurrence of adverse events on TKM should be surveyed periodically, and the statistical trends should be analysed. The disparity between the survey results for traditional herbal medicines and medical practices, and those for the national pharmacovigilance system or academic reports of adverse experiences should be examined. The national pharmacovigilance system must be improved to compensate for the disparities. Policies and regulations are required to enhance the reporting of adverse experiences not only for herbal medicines but also for traditional medicinal therapies. PMID:24289266

HEP Outreach, Inreach, and Web 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, Steven

2011-12-01

I report on current usage of multimedia and social networking "Web 2.0" tools for Education and Outreach in high-energy physics, and discuss their potential for internal communication within large worldwide collaborations, such as those of the LHC. Following a brief description of the history of Web 2.0 development, I present a survey of the most popular sites and describe their usage in HEP to disseminate information to students and the general public. I then discuss the potential of certain specific tools, such as document and multimedia sharing sites, for boosting the speed and effectiveness of information exchange within the collaborations. I conclude with a brief discussion of the successes and failures of these tools, and make suggestions for improved usage in the future.

Model of continual metabolism species for estimating stability of CELSS and natural ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartsev, S. I.

Estimation of stability range of natural and man-made ecosystems is necessary for effective control of them However traditional ecological models usually underestimate stability of real ecosystems It takes place due to the usage of fixed stoichiometry model of metabolism The objective is in creating theoretical and mathematical models for adequate description of both man-made and natural ecological systems A concept of genetically fixed but metabolically flexible species is considered in the paper According to the concept the total flow of matter through ecological system is supported at almost constant level depending on energy income by flexibility of metabolic organization of genetic species It is shown introducing continual metabolism species extends the range of stability making its estimation more adequate to real ecological systems

Usage of a generic web-based self-management intervention for breast cancer survivors: substudy analysis of the BREATH trial.

PubMed

van den Berg, Sanne W; Peters, Esmee J; Kraaijeveld, J Frank; Gielissen, Marieke F M; Prins, Judith B

2013-08-19

Generic fully automated Web-based self-management interventions are upcoming, for example, for the growing number of breast cancer survivors. It is hypothesized that the use of these interventions is more individualized and that users apply a large amount of self-tailoring. However, technical usage evaluations of these types of interventions are scarce and practical guidelines are lacking. To gain insight into meaningful usage parameters to evaluate the use of generic fully automated Web-based interventions by assessing how breast cancer survivors use a generic self-management website. Final aim is to propose practical recommendations for researchers and information and communication technology (ICT) professionals who aim to design and evaluate the use of similar Web-based interventions. The BREAst cancer ehealTH (BREATH) intervention is a generic unguided fully automated website with stepwise weekly access and a fixed 4-month structure containing 104 intervention ingredients (ie, texts, tasks, tests, videos). By monitoring https-server requests, technical usage statistics were recorded for the intervention group of the randomized controlled trial. Observed usage was analyzed by measures of frequency, duration, and activity. Intervention adherence was defined as continuous usage, or the proportion of participants who started using the intervention and continued to log in during all four phases. By comparing observed to minimal intended usage (frequency and activity), different user groups were defined. Usage statistics for 4 months were collected from 70 breast cancer survivors (mean age 50.9 years). Frequency of logins/person ranged from 0 to 45, total duration/person from 0 to 2324 minutes (38.7 hours), and activity from opening none to all intervention ingredients. 31 participants continued logging in to all four phases resulting in an intervention adherence rate of 44.3% (95% CI 33.2-55.9). Nine nonusers (13%), 30 low users (43%), and 31 high users (44%) were defined. Low and high users differed significantly on frequency (P<.001), total duration (P<.001), session duration (P=.009), and activity (P<.001). High users logged in an average of 21 times, had a mean session duration of 33 minutes, and opened on average 91% of all ingredients. Signing the self-help contract (P<.001), reporting usefulness of ingredients (P=.003), overall satisfaction (P=.028), and user friendliness evaluation (P=.003) were higher in high users. User groups did not differ on age, education, and baseline distress. By reporting the usage of a self-management website for breast cancer survivors, the present study gained first insight into the design of usage evaluations of generic fully automated Web-based interventions. It is recommended to (1) incorporate usage statistics that reflect the amount of self-tailoring applied by users, (2) combine technical usage statistics with self-reported usefulness, and (3) use qualitative measures. Also, (4) a pilot usage evaluation should be a fixed step in the development process of novel Web-based interventions, and (5) it is essential for researchers to gain insight into the rationale of recorded and nonrecorded usage statistics. Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): 2935; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2935 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6IkX1ADEV).

Treatment practices and quantification of antimicrobial drug usage in conventional and organic dairy farms in Wisconsin.

PubMed

Pol, M; Ruegg, P L

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a method to quantify antimicrobial drug usage and treatment practices on conventional and organic dairy farms that had been recruited to represent a broad spectrum of potential exposure to antimicrobial drugs. Data on disease prevalence and treatment practices of organic (n = 20) and conventional (n = 20) farms were obtained during a farm visit using a survey instrument. A standardized estimate of antimicrobial drug usage was developed using a defined daily dose (DDD) of selected compounds. Density of antimicrobial drug usage was expressed as the number of DDD per adult cow per year. Differences in prevalence and management of selected diseases between conventional and organic farms were identified. The overall estimated prevalence of selected diseases was greater for conventional farms compared with organic farms. Organic farmers reported use of a variety of nonantimicrobial compounds for treatment and prevention of disease. Conventional farmers reported that penicillin was the compound most commonly used for dry cow therapy and cephapirin was most commonly used for treatment of clinical mastitis. On conventional farms, the estimated overall exposure to antimicrobial drugs was 5.43 DDD per cow per year composed of 3.58 and 1.85 DDD of intramammary and parenteral antimicrobial drugs, respectively. Of total intramammary antimicrobial drug usage, treatment of clinical mastitis contributed 2.02 DDD compared with 1.56 DDD attributed to the use of dry cow therapy. Of total parenteral treatments, the distribution of exposure was 0.52 (dry cow therapy), 1.43 (clinical mastitis treatment), 0.39 (treatment of foot disease), 0.14 (treatment of respiratory disease), and 0.32 (treatment of metritis) DDD. For treatments of foot infections (0.33 DDD), respiratory infections (0.07 DDD), and metritis (0.19 DDD), the mean density of ceftiofur usage was significantly greater compared with other compounds.

Meeting the Energy Challenges of the 1990s. Experts Define the Key Policy Issues.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

Forecast of Low Emission Fuel Usage-Liquid 79 Fuels Figure 2.10: Forecast of Low Emission Fuel Usage- 81 Gaseous Fuels Figure 2.11: Global Warming From...environmental problems caused by acid rain, smog, and global warming , he said. According to Mr. Lovins, utilities as well as their customers benefit from...made in relation to these effects. The panel- ists addressed the links between global warming and the fossil fuels that now produce nearly 90 percent

CO2 laser arthroscopy-through the arthroscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrick, James G.

1990-06-01

Orthopedists have been among the last of the specialists to utilize lasers in surgery. Even today, laser usage in orthopedics is almost exclusively limited to arthroscopy procedures. Although other types of lasers have been approved for use in orthopedics, nearly all laser-assisted arthroscopic procedures have involved the carbon dioxide laser in the knee. These techniques involve skills and problems not previously encountered. In an attempt to simplify the usage and circumvent some of the problems, we describe a means of laser energy delivery through the arthroscope.

Influences of water quality and climate on the water-energy nexus: A spatial comparison of two water systems.

PubMed

Stang, Shannon; Wang, Haiying; Gardner, Kevin H; Mo, Weiwei

2018-07-15

As drinking water supply systems plan for sustainable management practices, impacts from future water quality and climate changes are a major concern. This study aims to understand the intraannual changes of energy consumption for water treatment, investigate the relative importance of water quality and climate indicators on energy consumption for water treatment, and predict the effects of climate change on the embodied energy of treated, potable water at two municipal drinking water systems located in the northeast and southeast US. To achieve this goal, a life cycle assessment was first performed to quantify the monthly energy consumption in the two drinking water systems. Regression and relative importance analyses were then performed between climate indicators, raw water quality indicators, and chemical and energy usages in the treatment processes to determine their correlations. These relationships were then used to project changes in embodied energy associated with the plants' processes, and the results were compared between the two regions. The projections of the southeastern US water plant were for an increase in energy demand resulted from an increase of treatment chemical usages. The northeastern US plant was projected to decrease its energy demand due to a reduced demand for heating the plant's infrastructure. The findings indicate that geographic location and treatment process may determine the way climate change affects drinking water systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRUCK EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES IN CLASS 8 TRACTOR-TRAILERS BASED ON A TRACTIVE ENERGY ANALYSIS USING MEASURED DRIVE CYCLE DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaClair, Tim J; Gao, Zhiming; Fu, Joshua S.

2014-01-01

Quantifying the fuel savings that can be achieved from different truck fuel efficiency technologies for a fleet s specific usage allows the fleet to select the combination of technologies that will yield the greatest operational efficiency and profitability. This paper presents an analysis of vehicle usage in a commercial vehicle fleet and an assessment of advanced efficiency technologies using an analysis of measured drive cycle data for a class 8 regional commercial shipping fleet. Drive cycle measurements during a period of a full year from six tractor-trailers in normal operations in a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier were analyzed to develop amore » characteristic drive cycle that is highly representative of the fleet s usage. The vehicle mass was also estimated to account for the variation of loads that the fleet experienced. The drive cycle and mass data were analyzed using a tractive energy analysis to quantify the fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions benefits that can be achieved on class 8 tractor-trailers when using advanced efficiency technologies, either individually or in combination. Although differences exist among class 8 tractor-trailer fleets, this study provides valuable insight into the energy and emissions reduction potential that various technologies can bring in this important trucking application.« less

Awareness and Misconceptions of High School Students about Renewable Energy Resources and Applications: Turkey Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tortop, Hasan Said

2012-01-01

Turkey is the one of the countries in the world which has potential of renewable energy resource because of its geographical position. However, being usage of renewable energy resources and applications (RERAs) is low, it shows that awareness and consciousness of RERAs is very low too. Education must play a key role in growing out of an energy…

Study of the Potential Energy Consumption Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

A new study commissioned by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, finds that the introduction of connected and automated vehicle technologies have the potential to affect vehicle energy consumption, travel, usage, vehicle design and attributes, and personal ownership rates. Rate of technology development, consumer acceptance, and regulatory support and oversight will affect the rate of market penetration of these vehicle technologies.

Analysis of Non-Tactical Vehicle Utilization at Fort Carson Colorado

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

regenerative braking energy recovery. The mass of the vehicles monitored in this study was not known. However, some useful information may be... regenerative energy recovery potential for specific duty cycles was also quantified through a cumulative assessment of the number and severity of deceleration...extracted on usage time, distance, vehicle speed and geographic location in order to compare vehicle driving profiles. The regenerative energy recovery

Improved Planning and Programming for Energy Efficient New Army Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

setpoints to occupant comfort must be considered carefully. Cutting off the HVAC system to the bedrooms during the day produced only small savings...functions of a building and minimizing the energy usage through optimization . It includes thermostats, time switches, programmable con- trollers...microprocessor systems, computers, and sensing devices that are linked with control and power components to manage energy use. This system optimizes load

Waste to Energy at SUNY Cobleskill

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-10

Overview on Army Net Zero Concepts • Gasification Intro. • SUNY Cobleskill Center for Environmental Science and Technology. • TURNW2E™ Gasification ...5 GASIFICATION A TECHNOLOGY 2-fer • Waste Reduction • Reduced Logistics for Waste Transportation • Reduced environmental and personnel impact... GASIFICATION Ash ENERGYWaste T ~ 800oC Partial Combustion O/C ~1/3 • Energy Production • Reduced Fuel Usage for transportation • Increased Energy

Understanding the behavior of buried Bi nanostructures from first principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sims, Hunter; Pantelides, Sokrates; Song, Jiaming; Hudak, Bethany; Lupini, Andrew; Snijders, Paul

Bismuth dopants in silicon provide several advantages over other n-type options such as phosphorus for usage as quantum bits (qubits). Self-assembled Bi nanolines on Si (100) surfaces may provide a means of introducing these dopants with greater control over placement and with less damage to the host system than is possible using ion implantation. However, these structures have thus far only been observed in vacuum, limiting their usefulness for application. We examine Bi nanolines overgrown with amorphous Si using density functional theory, comparing our findings with observations from scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in order to better understand the way in which the Si surface is influenced by both the Bi ad-dimers and the capping layer. We compare the thermodynamic stability of the generally accepted haiku defect core to the modified core that we observe and offer insight from total energy calculations into how the overgrowth process affects the nanolines. Supported by Department of Energy Grant DE-FG02- 09ER46554 (VU) and by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U. S. Department of Energy (ORNL).

Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) Assessment Report for US Army Garrison, Japan - Honshu Installations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kora, Angela R.; Brown, Daryl R.; Dixon, Douglas R.

2010-03-09

This report documents an assessment was performed by a team of engineers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) under contract to the Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Pacific Region Office (PARO). The effort used the Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) model to determine how energy is consumed at five U.S. Army Garrison-Japan (USAG-J) installations in the Honshu area, identify the most cost-effective energy retrofit measures, and calculate the potential energy and cost savings.

U. S. research safety vehicle (RSV) phase I program. Volume III. RSV characteristics and performance specifications. Final report, Jan 1974--Apr 1975

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andon, J.; Dodson, E.; Khadilkar, A.

1975-06-01

Current passenger car usage patterns and factors influencing usage are analyzed and projections of usage patterns in the mid-1980's are made. Current available data on six categories of vehicle accidents are analyzed and projections made of national accident patterns in the mid-80's; the effect of potential reductions in these projections as a result of safety programs and other factors related to driving safety are estimated. Based on the usage and accident projections, the characteristics of an RSV (weighing under 3,000 lbs C.W.) for operation in the mid-1980 traffic environment are described. A recommended set of specifications for the RSV aremore » developed considering the potential safety payoff accruing to an increased level of safety performance, the need for energy conservation, availability of material resources, and changes in vehicle mix. (An executive summary of this report is presented in Volume I).« less

An intelligent switch with back-propagation neural network based hybrid power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perdana, R. H. Y.; Fibriana, F.

2018-03-01

The consumption of conventional energy such as fossil fuels plays the critical role in the global warming issues. The carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. could lead the greenhouse effects and change the climate pattern. In fact, 77% of the electrical energy is generated from fossil fuels combustion. Therefore, it is necessary to use the renewable energy sources for reducing the conventional energy consumption regarding electricity generation. This paper presents an intelligent switch to combine both energy resources, i.e., the solar panels as the renewable energy with the conventional energy from the State Electricity Enterprise (PLN). The artificial intelligence technology with the back-propagation neural network was designed to control the flow of energy that is distributed dynamically based on renewable energy generation. By the continuous monitoring on each load and source, the dynamic pattern of the intelligent switch was better than the conventional switching method. The first experimental results for 60 W solar panels showed the standard deviation of the trial at 0.7 and standard deviation of the experiment at 0.28. The second operation for a 900 W of solar panel obtained the standard deviation of the trial at 0.05 and 0.18 for the standard deviation of the experiment. Moreover, the accuracy reached 83% using this method. By the combination of the back-propagation neural network with the observation of energy usage of the load using wireless sensor network, each load can be evenly distributed and will impact on the reduction of conventional energy usage.

Increasing patient knowledge on the proper usage of a PCA machine with the use of a post-operative instructional card.

PubMed

Shovel, Louisa; Max, Bryan; Correll, Darin J

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to see if an instructional card, attached to the PCA machine following total hip arthroplasty describing proper use of the device, would positively affect subjects' understanding of device usage, pain scores, pain medication consumption and satisfaction. Eighty adults undergoing total hip replacements who had been prescribed PCA were randomized into two study groups. Forty participants received the standard post-operative instruction on PCA device usage at our institution. The other 40 participants received the standard of care in addition to being given a typed instructional card immediately post-operatively, describing proper PCA device use. This card was attached to the PCA device during their recovery period. On post-operative day one, each patient completed a questionnaire on PCA usage, pain scores and satisfaction scores. The pain scores in the Instructional Card group were significantly lower than the Control group (p = 0.024). Subjects' understanding of PCA usage was also improved in the Instructional Card group for six of the seven questions asked. The findings from this study strongly support that postoperative patient information on proper PCA use by means of an instructional card improves pain control and hence the overall recovery for patients undergoing surgery. In addition, through improved understanding it adds an important safety feature in that patients and potentially their family members and/or friends may refrain from PCA-by-proxy. This article demonstrates that the simple intervention of adding an instructional card to a PCA machine is an effective method to improve patients' knowledge as well as pain control and potentially increase the safety of the device use.

Which Users Should Be the Focus of Mobile Personal Health Records? Analysis of User Characteristics Influencing Usage of a Tethered Mobile Personal Health Record.

PubMed

Lee, Guna; Park, Joong Yeol; Shin, Soo-Yong; Hwang, Jong Su; Ryu, Hyeon Jeong; Lee, Jae Ho; Bates, David W

2016-05-01

This study was conducted to analyze the usage pattern of a hospital-tethered mobile personal health records (m-PHRs) application named My Chart in My Hand (MCMH) and to identify user characteristics that influence m-PHR usage. Access logs to MCMH and its menus were collected for a total of 18 months, from August 2011 to January 2013. Usage patterns between users without a patient identification number (ID) and users with a patient ID were compared. Users with a patient ID were divided into light and heavy user groups by the median number of monthly access. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess MCMH usage pattern by characteristics of MCMH user with a patient ID. The total number of MCMH logins was 105,603, and the median number of accesses was 15 times. Users (n = 7,096) mostly accessed the "My Chart" menu, but "OPD [outpatient department] Service Support" and "Health Management" menus were also frequently used. Patients with chronic diseases, experience of hospital visits including emergency room and OPD, and age group of 0-19 years were more frequently found among users with a patient ID (n = 2,186) (p < 0.001). A similar trend was found in the heavy user group (n = 1,123). Submenus of laboratory result, online appointment, and medication lists that were accessed mostly by users with a patient ID were associated with OPD visit and chronic diseases. This study showed that focuses on patients with chronic disease and more hospital visits and empowerment functions in a tethered m-PHR would be helpful to pursue the extensive use.

Promotion Assistance Tool for Mobile Phone Users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intraprasert, P.; Jatikul, N.; Chantrapornchai, C.

In this paper, we propose an application tool to help analyze the usage of a mobile phone for a typical user. From the past usage, the tool can analyze the promotion that is suitable for the user which may save the total expense. The application consists of both client and server side. On the server side, the information for each promotion package for a phone operator is stored as well as the usage database for each client. The client side is a user interface for both phone operators and users to enter their information. The analysis engine are based on KNN, ANN, decision tree and Naïve Bayes models. For comparison, it is shown that KNN and decision outperforms the others.

Energy Information Abstracts Annual 1988. Volume 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuster, Leigh C., Ed.; And Others

This publication is a compilation of information and resource material concerning energy for the year 1988. The first section details the coverage and usage of this volume. Section 2 contains a review of events in 1988, a compilation of statistical information, an article concerning coal flyash utilization, and a listing of conferences and events…

77 FR 33106 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-05

... due to the different masses and shapes of the potatoes. DOE observed, similar to the tests for... consumer use, (2) the repeatability of energy use measurements using different food loads, and (3) consumer... ``normal usage'' and the water temperature rise of 50 degrees Celsius ([deg]C) achieves eating temperature...

Potential for Knowledge in Action? An Analysis of Korean Green Energy Related K3-12 Curriculum and Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gress, Douglas R.; Shin, Jungyeop

2017-01-01

While understanding green energy development and what drives it are important, there is increasing consensus that sustainability transitions concerning usage need to be viewed in terms of the place specific contexts, including education, that critically mold them. In order to "support" sustainability transitions, information and…

Kansas Department of Transportation enterprise energy and carbon accounting and utility usage research phase 2B : improving energy and fuel efficiencies in KDOT operations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Reducing the environmental impact of facilities and operations has become an important function for many organizations. In many : cases, such as utility and fuel use, reducing these impacts can also be coupled to financial savings. The Kansas Departm...

Energy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

The Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of leading Australian universities, intensive in research and comprehensive in general and professional education. The Go8 member universities recognise that the issue of energy usage and transformation is one of vital importance not only to Australia but to the world as a whole. The universities aim to make…

"Simplify, Simplify."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stump, William P.

1983-01-01

An integrated electronic system combines individual monitoring and control functions into one economical unit that earns a rapid payback by automatically managing and controlling energy usage, building systems, and security and maintenance tasks. (MLF)

Quantifying a cellular automata simulation of electric vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Graeme; Bell, Margaret; Blythe, Phil

2014-12-01

Within this work the Nagel-Schreckenberg (NS) cellular automata is used to simulate a basic cyclic road network. Results from SwitchEV, a real world Electric Vehicle trial which has collected more than two years of detailed electric vehicle data, are used to quantify the results of the NS automata, demonstrating similar power consumption behavior to that observed in the experimental results. In particular the efficiency of the electric vehicles reduces as the vehicle density increases, due in part to the reduced efficiency of EVs at low speeds, but also due to the energy consumption inherent in changing speeds. Further work shows the results from introducing spatially restricted speed restriction. In general it can be seen that induced congestion from spatially transient events propagates back through the road network and alters the energy and efficiency profile of the simulated vehicles, both before and after the speed restriction. Vehicles upstream from the restriction show a reduced energy usage and an increased efficiency, and vehicles downstream show an initial large increase in energy usage as they accelerate away from the speed restriction.

Energy and environmental evaluation of combined cooling heating and power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugaj, Andrzej

2017-11-01

The paper addresses issues involving problems of implementing combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system to industrial facility with well-defined demand profiles of cooling, heating and electricity. The application of CCHP system in this particular industrial facility is being evaluated by comparison with the reference system that consists of three conventional methods of energy supply: (a) electricity from external grid, (b) heat from gas-fired boilers and (c) cooling from vapour compression chillers run by electricity from the grid. The CCHP system scenario is based on the combined heat and power (CHP) plant with gas turbine-compressor arrangement and water/lithium bromide absorption chiller of a single-effect type. Those two scenarios are analysed in terms of annual primary energy usage as well as emissions of CO2. The results of the analysis show an extent of primary energy savings of the CCHP system in comparison with the reference system. Furthermore, the environmental impact of the CCHP usage, in the form of greenhouse gases emission reductions, compares quite favourably with the reference conventional option.

California energy flow in 1989

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, I. Y.; Briggs, C. K.

1991-02-01

California's energy use showed a modest increase (2.2 percent) in 1989 over 1988 which was in keeping with the steady increase in population that the state has experienced annually during the decade. All end-use sectors (residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, etc.) contributed to the growth. The larger demand was met by increased imports of all major fuels. Only electrical imports remained close to 1988 levels, in part due to increased output from Diablo Canyon nuclear plant whose performance exceeded expectations. California's per capita energy consumption has traditionally been below the national average due to the relatively benign climate associated with its centers of population. The largest single use for energy in the state was for transportation, which overtook industrial usage in the 60's. Use of highway fuels continued to grow and reached all time highs in 1989. Highway congestion, a major problem and concern in the state, is anticipated to grow as the number of licensed drivers increases; in 1989 the increase was 3.4 percent. Output from the The Geysers Geothermal fields, the largest in the world, continued to falter as the steam output fell. Nonetheless new resources at the Coso Geothermal Resource Area and at the Wendel Geothermal field came on line during the year, and other geothermal areas were under active development. Novel sources of renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) grew; however, collectively they made only a small contribution to the overall energy supply. Cogenerated electricity sold to the utilities by small power producers inexplicably fell in 1989 although estimates of the total capacity available rose. Energy flow diagrams illustrate energy sources and energy consumption.

Mobile Phone Usage and its Health Effects Among Adults in a Semi-Urban Area of Southern India.

PubMed

Stalin, P; Abraham, Sherin Billy; Kanimozhy, K; Prasad, R Vishnu; Singh, Zile; Purty, Anil J

2016-01-01

Worldwide, mobile phone usage has been increased dramatically which could affect the health of the people. India has the second largest number of mobile phone users. However there are only few studies conducted in India to assess its effects on health. To determine the prevalence and pattern of mobile phone usage and to assess the relationship between certain selected health problems and mobile phone usage among adults. Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Kottakuppam, a town panchayat in Villupuram district of Coastal Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is a semi-urban area with a population of about 16,000. Majority of the residents are Muslim by religion and belong to different socio economic status. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 2121 study participants were interviewed by the pre-final medical students through house-to-house survey using a pretested structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included the variables such as socio demographic profile, mobile phone usage and pattern, selected health problems, perceived benefits and threats and blood pressure. Selected health problems included headache, earache, neck pain, tinnitus, painful fingers, restlessness, morning tiredness, tingling fingers, fatigue, eye symptoms, sleep disturbance and hypertension. Only 2054 were included for data analysis using SPSS 17 version. Proportions were calculated. Chi-square test was used to measure the p-value. The p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The prevalence of mobile phone usage was 70%. Calling facility (94.2%) was used more than the SMS (67.6%). Health problems like headache, earache, tinnitus, painful fingers and restlessness etc., were found to be positively associated with mobile phone usage. There was negative association between hypertension and mobile phone usage. The prevalence of mobile phone usage was high. There was significant association between selected health problems and mobile phone usage. In future, higher studies are required to confirm our findings.

The Nitrogen Footprint Tool for Institutions: What it is and how it compares to the Campus Carbon Calculator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castner, E.; Leach, A. M.; Galloway, J. N.; Andrews, J.

2015-12-01

Nitrogen footprints (NF) connect entities with the reactive nitrogen (Nr; all species of nitrogen except N2) lost to the environment as a result of their activities. While necessary to life, excess Nr can be detrimental to ecosystem and human health, causing impacts such as smog, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and climate change. The NF tool was recently developed to help institutions measure and reduce their environmental impact. This tool accounts for the NF from energy usage, food production and consumption, fertilizer usage, research animals, and agricultural activities. The tool also provides scenario analysis to help institutions reduce their NF and establish a reduction target. Currently in a testing phase, seven institutions have used the tool to calculate their NF, and six additional institutions have calculations in progress. Many institutions interested in sustainability have already calculated their carbon footprint (CF), which reports the total greenhouse gas emissions resulting from institution activities. The University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute (UNHSI) Campus Carbon Calculator, developed in 2001, is used by thousands of institutions in the United States. While important, the CF addresses just one aspect of an institution's environmental impact: global climate change. The NF broadens this perspective by connecting to additional environmental impacts that are both global and local. The data requirements for the CF and NF have a significant overlap, especially in the energy sector. Given the similarity of data requirements and the benefits of considering the two footprints together, the two tools are in the preliminary stages of being merged. We will first provide an overview of the NF tool for institutions. We will then compare available NF and CF results from multiple institutions to assess trends and correlations and to determine the impact of different scenarios on both footprints.

Influence of extensive compressed natural gas (CNG) usage on air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suthawaree, Jeeranut; Sikder, Helena Akhter; Jones, Charlotte Emily; Kato, Shungo; Kunimi, Hitoshi; Mohammed Hamidul Kabir, Abu Naser; Kajii, Yoshizumi

2012-07-01

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is an inexpensive, indigenous energy resource which currently accounts for the majority of automobile and domestic energy consumption in Bangladesh. This extensive CNG usage, particularly within the capital city, Dhaka, heavily influences the atmospheric composition (and hence air quality), yet to date measurements of trace gases in regions dominated by CNG emissions are relatively limited. Here we report continuous observations of the atmospherically important trace gases O3, CO, SO2, NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOC), in ambient air in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, during May 2011. The average mixing ratios of O3, CO, SO2, and NOx for the measurement period were 18.9, 520.9, 7.6 and 21.5 ppbv, respectively. The ratios of CO to NO reveal that emissions from gasoline and CNG-fuelled vehicles were dominant during the daytime (slope of ˜26), while in contrast, owing to restrictions imposed on diesel fuelled vehicles entering Dhaka City, emissions from these vehicles only became significant during the night (slope of ˜10). The total VOC mixing ratio in Dhaka was ˜5-10 times higher than the levels reported in more developed Asian cities such as Tokyo and Bangkok, which consequently gives rise to a higher ozone formation potential (OFP). However, the most abundant VOC in Dhaka were the relatively long-lived ethane and propane (with mean mixing ratios of ˜115 and ˜30 ppbv, respectively), and as a consequence, the ozone formation potential per ppb carbon (ppbC) was lower in Dhaka than in Tokyo and Bangkok. Thus the atmospheric composition of air influenced by extensive CNG combustion may be characterized by high VOC mixing ratios, yet mixing ratios of the photochemical pollutant ozone do not drastically exceed the levels typical of Asian cities with considerably lower VOC levels.

Energy and the English Industrial Revolution.

PubMed

Wrigley, E A

2013-03-13

Societies before the Industrial Revolution were dependent on the annual cycle of plant photosynthesis for both heat and mechanical energy. The quantity of energy available each year was therefore limited, and economic growth was necessarily constrained. In the Industrial Revolution, energy usage increased massively and output rose accordingly. The energy source continued to be plant photosynthesis, but accumulated over a geological age in the form of coal. This poses a problem for the future. Fossil fuels are a depleting stock, whereas in pre-industrial time the energy source, though limited, was renewed each year.

Total pollution effect of urban surface runoff.

PubMed

Luo, Hongbing; Luo, Lin; Huang, Gu; Liu, Ping; Li, Jingxian; Hu, Sheng; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Rui; Huang, Xiaoxue

2009-01-01

For pollution research with regard to urban surface runoff, most sampling strategies to date have focused on differences in land usage. With single land-use sampling, total surface runoff pollution effect cannot be evaluated unless every land usage spot is monitored. Through a new sampling strategy known as mixed stormwater sampling for a street community at discharge outlet adjacent to river, this study assessed the total urban surface runoff pollution effect caused by a variety of land uses and the pollutants washed off from the rain pipe system in the Futian River watershed in Shenzhen City of China. The water quality monitoring indices were COD (chemical oxygen demand), TSS (total suspend solid), TP (total phosphorus), TN (total nitrogen) and BOD (biochemical oxygen demand). The sums of total pollution loads discharged into the river for the four indices of COD, TSS, TN, and TP over all seven rainfall events were very different. The mathematical model for simulating total pollution loads was established from discharge outlet mixed stormwater sampling of total pollution loads on the basis of four parameters: rainfall intensity, total land area, impervious land area, and pervious land area. In order to treat surface runoff pollution, the values of MFF30 (mass first flush ratio) and FF30 (first 30% of runoff volume) can be considered as split-flow control criteria to obtain more effective and economical design of structural BMPs (best management practices) facilities.

The epidemiology of bearing surface usage in total hip arthroplasty in the United States.

PubMed

Bozic, Kevin J; Kurtz, Steven; Lau, Edmund; Ong, Kevin; Chiu, Vanessa; Vail, Thomas P; Rubash, Harry E; Berry, Daniel J

2009-07-01

Hard-on-hard bearings offer the potential to improve the survivorship of total hip arthroplasty implants. However, the specific indications for the use of these advanced technologies remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to characterize the epidemiology of bearing surface utilization in total hip arthroplasty in the United States with respect to patient, hospital, geographic, and payer characteristics. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to analyze bearing type and demographic characteristics associated with 112,095 primary total hip arthroplasties performed in the United States between October 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006. The prevalence of each type of total hip arthroplasty bearing was calculated for population subgroups as a function of age, sex, census region, payer class, and hospital type. The most commonly reported bearing was metal-on-polyethylene (51%) followed by metal-on-metal (35%) and ceramic-on-ceramic (14%). Metal-on-polyethylene bearings were most commonly reported in female Medicare patients who were sixty-five to seventy-four years old, while metal-on-metal and ceramic-on-ceramic bearings were most commonly reported in privately insured male patients who were less than sixty-five years old. Thirty-three percent of patients over sixty-five years old had a hard-on-hard bearing reported. There was substantial regional variation in bearing usage; the highest prevalence of metal-on-polyethylene bearings was reported in the Northeast and at nonteaching hospitals, and the highest prevalence of metal-on-metal bearings was reported in the South and at teaching hospitals. The usage of total hip arthroplasty bearings varies considerably by patient characteristics, hospital type, and geographic location throughout the United States. Despite uncertain advantages in older patients, hard-on-hard bearings are commonly used in patients over the age of sixty-five years. Further study is necessary to define the appropriate indications for these advanced technologies in total hip arthroplasty.

General specifications for the development of a PC-based simulator of the NASA RECON system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Triantafyllopoulos, Spiros

1984-01-01

The general specifications for the design and implementation of an IBM PC/XT-based simulator of the NASA RECON system, including record designs, file structure designs, command language analysis, program design issues, error recovery considerations, and usage monitoring facilities are discussed. Once implemented, such a simulator will be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of simulated information system access in addition to actual system usage as part of the total educational programs being developed within the NASA contract.

Preliminary Study of Perception and Consumer Behaviour Towards Energy Saving for Household Appliances: A Case of Makassar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syam Akil, Yusri; Mangngenre, Saiful; Mawar, Sri; Amar, Kifayah

2018-03-01

Electricity load has tendency to increase over the time. Therefore, efforts to maintain a balance between electricity supply and demand such as increasing energy saving related to the use of home electricity appliances are urgently needed. In general, one of the household appliances which consumes relatively high electricity energy is refrigerator. The purpose of this study is to analyze residential consumers perceptions and their behaviours about electricity energy saving in relation to the usage of household appliances in Makassar, Indonesia particularly for refrigerator. Moreover, typical relationship between perceptions and consumers behaviours is also analyzed by composed two regression models, namely model for usage behaviour (UREFm model) and model for habitual behaviour (HREFm model) by using general perception, specific perception, and external factors as explanation variables. To collect data, a questionnaire was designed for survey which involved 40 respondents as a preliminary study and then statistical tests including regression analysis were applied to analyze usable data. The target of respondent was an owner of a house in Makassar with installed power capacity at least 900 VA. Reliability test shown that all items in the developed questionnaire can be used for main survey as obtained Cronbach’s alpha values were above 0.6. Evaluation for consumers perceptions on energy saving in relation to demographic aspect using mean and Standard Deviation values indicated some significant differences. Other results regarding regression analysis shown that both composed models were well validated and had quite good fitness degree with adjusted R-squared values around 49.31% for UREFm model and 80.90% for HREFm model. Among considered variables, specific perception, and external factors were found have significant influence to the usage and habitual behaviours of consumers as confirmed by their p-values in each model below 0.05. Findings of this research can be used as a reference in developing programs for residential consumers such as electricity energy conservation program.

Usage and Dose Response of a Mobile Acceptance and Commitment Therapy App: Secondary Analysis of the Intervention Arm of a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Lappalainen, Raimo; Välkkynen, Pasi; Sairanen, Essi; Lappalainen, Päivi; Karhunen, Leila; Peuhkuri, Katri; Korpela, Riitta; Kolehmainen, Marjukka; Ermes, Miikka

2016-01-01

Background Mobile phone apps offer a promising medium to deliver psychological interventions. A mobile app based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was developed and studied in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Objective To study usage metrics of a mobile ACT intervention and dose-response relationship between usage and improvement in psychological flexibility. Methods An RCT was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different lifestyle interventions for overweight people with psychological stress. This paper presents a secondary analysis of the group that received an 8-week mobile ACT intervention. Most of the analyzed 74 participants were female (n=64, 86%). Their median age was 49.6 (interquartile range, IQR 45.4-55.3) years and their mean level of psychological flexibility, measured with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II, was 20.4 (95% confidence interval 18.3-22.5). Several usage metrics describing the intensity of use, usage of content, and ways of use were calculated. Linear regression analyses were performed to study the dose-response relationship between usage and the change in psychological flexibility and to identify the usage metrics with strongest association with improvement. Binary logistic regression analyses were further used to assess the role of usage metrics between those who showed improvement in psychological flexibility and those who did not. In addition, associations between usage and baseline participant characteristics were studied. Results The median number of usage sessions was 21 (IQR 11.8-35), the number of usage days was 15 (IQR 9.0-24), and the number of usage weeks was 7.0 (IQR 4.0-8.0). The participants used the mobile app for a median duration of 4.7 (IQR 3.2-7.2) hours and performed a median of 63 (IQR 46-98) exercises. There was a dose-response relationship between usage and the change in psychological flexibility. The strongest associations with psychological flexibility (results adjusted with gender, age, and baseline psychological variables) were found for lower usage of Self as context related exercises (B=0.22, P=.001) and higher intensity of use, described by the number of usage sessions (B=−0.10, P=.01), usage days (B=−0.17, P=.008), and usage weeks (B=−0.73, P=.02), the number of exercises performed (B=−0.02, P=.03), and the total duration of use (B=−0.30, P=.04). Also, higher usage of Acceptance related exercises (B=−0.18, P=.04) was associated with improvement. Active usage was associated with female gender, older age, and not owning a smart mobile phone before the study. Conclusions The results indicated that active usage of a mobile ACT intervention was associated with improved psychological flexibility. Usage metrics describing intensity of use as well as two metrics related to the usage of content were found to be most strongly associated with improvement. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01738256; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01738256 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6iTePjPLL) PMID:27468653

Investigating power capping toward energy-efficient scientific applications: Investigating Power Capping toward Energy-Efficient Scientific Applications

DOE PAGES

Haidar, Azzam; Jagode, Heike; Vaccaro, Phil; ...

2018-03-22

The emergence of power efficiency as a primary constraint in processor and system design poses new challenges concerning power and energy awareness for numerical libraries and scientific applications. Power consumption also plays a major role in the design of data centers, which may house petascale or exascale-level computing systems. At these extreme scales, understanding and improving the energy efficiency of numerical libraries and their related applications becomes a crucial part of the successful implementation and operation of the computing system. In this paper, we study and investigate the practice of controlling a compute system's power usage, and we explore howmore » different power caps affect the performance of numerical algorithms with different computational intensities. Further, we determine the impact, in terms of performance and energy usage, that these caps have on a system running scientific applications. This analysis will enable us to characterize the types of algorithms that benefit most from these power management schemes. Our experiments are performed using a set of representative kernels and several popular scientific benchmarks. Lastly, we quantify a number of power and performance measurements and draw observations and conclusions that can be viewed as a roadmap to achieving energy efficiency in the design and execution of scientific algorithms.« less

Investigating power capping toward energy-efficient scientific applications: Investigating Power Capping toward Energy-Efficient Scientific Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haidar, Azzam; Jagode, Heike; Vaccaro, Phil

The emergence of power efficiency as a primary constraint in processor and system design poses new challenges concerning power and energy awareness for numerical libraries and scientific applications. Power consumption also plays a major role in the design of data centers, which may house petascale or exascale-level computing systems. At these extreme scales, understanding and improving the energy efficiency of numerical libraries and their related applications becomes a crucial part of the successful implementation and operation of the computing system. In this paper, we study and investigate the practice of controlling a compute system's power usage, and we explore howmore » different power caps affect the performance of numerical algorithms with different computational intensities. Further, we determine the impact, in terms of performance and energy usage, that these caps have on a system running scientific applications. This analysis will enable us to characterize the types of algorithms that benefit most from these power management schemes. Our experiments are performed using a set of representative kernels and several popular scientific benchmarks. Lastly, we quantify a number of power and performance measurements and draw observations and conclusions that can be viewed as a roadmap to achieving energy efficiency in the design and execution of scientific algorithms.« less

Computer usage and national energy consumption: Results from a field-metering study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Desroches, Louis-Benoit; Fuchs, Heidi; Greenblatt, Jeffery

The electricity consumption of miscellaneous electronic loads (MELs) in the home has grown in recent years, and is expected to continue rising. Consumer electronics, in particular, are characterized by swift technological innovation, with varying impacts on energy use. Desktop and laptop computers make up a significant share of MELs electricity consumption, but their national energy use is difficult to estimate, given uncertainties around shifting user behavior. This report analyzes usage data from 64 computers (45 desktop, 11 laptop, and 8 unknown) collected in 2012 as part of a larger field monitoring effort of 880 households in the San Francisco Baymore » Area, and compares our results to recent values from the literature. We find that desktop computers are used for an average of 7.3 hours per day (median = 4.2 h/d), while laptops are used for a mean 4.8 hours per day (median = 2.1 h/d). The results for laptops are likely underestimated since they can be charged in other, unmetered outlets. Average unit annual energy consumption (AEC) for desktops is estimated to be 194 kWh/yr (median = 125 kWh/yr), and for laptops 75 kWh/yr (median = 31 kWh/yr). We estimate national annual energy consumption for desktop computers to be 20 TWh. National annual energy use for laptops is estimated to be 11 TWh, markedly higher than previous estimates, likely reflective of laptops drawing more power in On mode in addition to greater market penetration. This result for laptops, however, carries relatively higher uncertainty compared to desktops. Different study methodologies and definitions, changing usage patterns, and uncertainty about how consumers use computers must be considered when interpreting our results with respect to existing analyses. Finally, as energy consumption in On mode is predominant, we outline several energy savings opportunities: improved power management (defaulting to low-power modes after periods of inactivity as well as power scaling), matching the rated power of power supplies to computing needs, and improving the efficiency of individual components.« less

The relationship between areca nut usage and heart rate in lactating Bangladeshis.

PubMed

Vinoy, S; Mascie-Taylor, C G N; Rosetta, L

2002-01-01

The betel-nut quid, a piece of areca nut chewed alone or mixed with tobacco and slaked lime wrapped in betel vine leaf, is widely used in Asian populations as a stimulant (due to the cholinergic agent, arecoline) or as a relaxant (due to arecaidine and guvacine). This study, which formed part of a larger project assessing the effect of energy expenditure on the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea, provided the opportunity to assess the role of chronic areca nut usage on heart rate and oxygen consumption during resting periods and during graded stepping tests. The mothers (n = 47), all of whom were lactating, were aged between 19 and 39, of low nutritional status and anaemic and they all chewed betel quid daily. Moderate users of betel quid (defined as more than 3 times a day) were found, on average, to have a significantly lower heart rate at rest and during exercise than low betel quid users (less than 3 times a day) but there was no modification in oxygen consumption. Chronic betel quid use does not seem to affect the assessment of 24h energy expenditure provided that subjects are denied access to betel nut usage before and during calibration.

Urine separating sewage systems--environmental effects and resource usage.

PubMed

Jönsson, H

2002-01-01

Effects of urine separation on the environment and resource usage were estimated using the simulation package ORWARE. Measurements on the urine-separating system in the housing district Palsternackan in Stockholm and on the fertilising effect of the urine were used in the simulations. The tenants were at home 65% of the time and separated 65% of the urine. Under these conditions, urine separation decreased the waterborne emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus by 55% and 33% respectively. Compared to the conventional system, urine separation increased the flow from the wastewater system to agriculture of plant-available nitrogen by a factor of 28, phosphorus by a factor of 1.35 and potassium by a factor of 23. Urine is a well-balanced complete fertiliser with very low concentrations of heavy metals. Urine separation conserved energy as long as the urine was transported distances shorter than 221 km to the field with a truck and trailer. If all the urine had been separated and transported only 1 km, the energy saving would have been 36%. In this and in previous studies, urine separation proved to be an improvement over the conventional system as regards environmental effects and resource usage.

Experimental Investigation on Design Enhancement of Axial Fan Using Fixed Guide Vane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munisamy, K. M.; Govindasamy, R.; Thangaraju, S. K.

2015-09-01

Airflow passes through the rotating blade in an axial flow fan will experience a helical flow pattern. This swirling effect leads the system to experience swirl energy losses or pressure drop yet reducing the total efficiency of the fan system. A robust tool to encounter this air spin past the blade is by introducing guide vane to the system. Owing to its importance, a new approach in designing outlet guide vane design for a commercial usage 1250mm diameter axial fan with a 30° pitch angle impeller has been introduced in this paper. A single line metal of proper curvature guide vane design technique has been adopted for this study. By choosing fan total efficiency as a target variable to be improved, the total and static pressure on the design point were set to be constraints. Therefore, the guide vane design was done based on the improvement target on the static pressure in system. The research shows that, with the improvement in static pressure by 29.63% through guide vane installation, the total fan efficiency is increased by 5.12%, thus reduces the fan power by 5.32%. Good agreement were found, that when the fan total efficiency increases, the power consumption of the fan is reduced. Therefore, this new approach of guide vane design can be applied to improve axial fan performance.

pmx Webserver: A User Friendly Interface for Alchemistry.

PubMed

Gapsys, Vytautas; de Groot, Bert L

2017-02-27

With the increase of available computational power and improvements in simulation algorithms, alchemical molecular dynamics based free energy calculations have developed into routine usage. To further facilitate the usability of alchemical methods for amino acid mutations, we have developed a web based infrastructure for obtaining hybrid protein structures and topologies. The presented webserver allows amino acid mutation selection in five contemporary molecular mechanics force fields. In addition, a complete mutation scan with a user defined amino acid is supported. The output generated by the webserver is directly compatible with the Gromacs molecular dynamics engine and can be used with any of the alchemical free energy calculation setup. Furthermore, we present a database of input files and precalculated free energy differences for tripeptides approximating a disordered state of a protein, of particular use for protein stability studies. Finally, the usage of the webserver and its output is exemplified by performing an alanine scan and investigating thermodynamic stability of the Trp cage mini protein. The webserver is accessible at http://pmx.mpibpc.mpg.de.

Modeling of a data exchange process in the Automatic Process Control System on the base of the universal SCADA-system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topolskiy, D.; Topolskiy, N.; Solomin, E.; Topolskaya, I.

2016-04-01

In the present paper the authors discuss some ways of solving energy saving problems in mechanical engineering. In authors' opinion one of the ways of solving this problem is integrated modernization of power engineering objects of mechanical engineering companies, which should be intended for the energy supply control efficiency increase and electric energy commercial accounting improvement. The author have proposed the usage of digital current and voltage transformers for these purposes. To check the compliance of this equipment with the IEC 61850 International Standard, we have built a mathematic model of the data exchange process between measuring transformers and a universal SCADA-system. The results of modeling show that the discussed equipment corresponds to the mentioned Standard requirements and the usage of the universal SCADA-system for these purposes is preferable and economically reasonable. In modeling the authors have used the following software: MasterScada, Master OPC_DI_61850, OPNET.

Geothermal Academy: Focus Center for Data Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakagawa, Masami, Ph.D.; Fujiono, Hendro, Ph.D.; McCartney, John S., Ph.D.

2011-10-31

Geothermal Academy: A Pathway for Confirmation of Ground-Source Heat Pumps in the United States. In 2008, Oak Ridge National Laboratory issued a report on geothermal heats pumps (GHPs) focused on the market status, barriers to adoption, and actions to overcome these barriers (Hughes 2008). Of the barriers raised in this report, of the most pressing is the lack of performance and energy usage data for GHPs. Further, an associated barrier is a lack of a fair comparison of the energy usage of conventional heating and cooling systems for the same building. Because of these barriers, we are not able tomore » say how much energy is used by well-designed GHP systems on a long-term basis, nor are we able to say how better their energy usage is compared to conventional systems. The need for a fair comparison with conventional systems is particularly relevant as modern versions of conventional air conditioners, gas furnaces, and boilers have also incorporated energy saving technologies. As a first step to address this barrier, the Geothermal Academy has developed a framework for data collection. This framework has already been applied to several geothermal installations in Colorado (Nakagawa etal. 2010). The framework classifies data into different categories based on the relevance of the dat to understanding the energy consumption of a GHP system. The categories are: direct energy consumption data, heat exchange performance data, and GHP design parameter data. The main recommendation of this project is to include a minimal data collection system on each heat pump installed in the U.S., capable of measuring the electrical energy consumed, the entering/exiting fluid temperatures, and circulation rates. This is a viable and cost effective solution which will provide performance data, as data collection systems are only a fraction of the cost of a GHP unit and modern GHP units already incorporate sensors to monitor energy usage and the entering and exiting fluid temperatures. Specifically, these sensors are used to control the GHP unit to provide the heat exchange required to provide a desired temperature within a building. Accordingly, it is straightforward for this operational data to be collected to start building a database of GHP performance such that can provide statistically relevant comparison with other heating and cooling systems. In addition to collecting the data, such a system could be easily implemented with a wireless transmitter so that data could be sent to a home PC where it could be transmitted to a central database. Display of the data on a user's PC would provide feedback on the performance of their system which could perhaps refine their use of the system to reach their personal energy goals. Although a system such as that described above has yet to be incorporated directly into commercial GHP systems, it is straightforward and inexpensive to outfit a GHP with a data acquisition system and supplemental sensors. A secondary recommendation is to consider funding a pilot effort that will collect the energy and performance time series data from a representative sample of installations. A preliminary pilot effort was undertaken by the Geothermal Academy at a middle school in Ft. Collins, Colorado, which demonstrated the feasibility and ease of such an effort. A full-scale pilot effort would be most suited to evaluate the performance of GHP installations in different climate settings, preferably focusing on residential, commercial, and public buildings. If a full-scale pilot effort were to be undertaken, it is recommended to also identify large buildings which may incorporate a back-up conventional heating and cooling system in order to provide statistically relevant comparison data to assess the improvement in GHP energy usage over other heating and cooling technologies. Such a data collection system would provide several benefits to the different sectors of society (consumers, installers, policy makers, researchers, utility companies, government regulators) which are concerned with GHP technology and implementation.« less

American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergy Management Program: An Epidemiologic Tool to Quantify Ingredient Usage.

PubMed

Scheman, Andrew; Severson, David

2016-01-01

The usage prevalence of ingredients in topical products is important to dermatologists and industry. To determine the prevalence of methylisothiazolinone (MI) in various types of consumer products The Contact Allergy Management Program (CAMP) database was mapped and sorted in spreadsheet format to determine the prevalence of MI in various types of consumer products. Methylisothiazolinone was found in 13.2% of 4660 total products in CAMP. High usage of MI was seen in dishwashing products (64%), shampoos (53%), bathroom/kitchen/all-purpose cleaners (47%), hair conditioners (45%), hair dyes (43%), laundry additives/fresheners/softeners (30%), soaps/cleansers (29%), and surface cleaners/disinfectants (27%). Of the products containing MI, MI alone (without methylchloroisothiazolinone) was most common in makeup products (100%), cleaning/dish/laundry products (>99%), moisturizers (82%), shaving products (78%), sunscreens (71%), and antiaging products (67%). The American Contact Dermatitis Society's CAMP is a valuable tool to collect epidemiologic data on the incidence of specific ingredient usage in various types of topical products.

Recorded Behavior as a Valuable Resource for Diagnostics in Mobile Phone Addiction: Evidence from Psychoinformatics

PubMed Central

Montag, Christian; Błaszkiewicz, Konrad; Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Andone, Ionut; Trendafilov, Boris; Markowetz, Alexander

2015-01-01

Psychologists and psychiatrists commonly rely on self-reports or interviews to diagnose or treat behavioral addictions. The present study introduces a novel source of data: recordings of the actual problem behavior under investigation. A total of N = 58 participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire measuring problematic mobile phone behavior featuring several questions on weekly phone usage. After filling in the questionnaire, all participants received an application to be installed on their smartphones, which recorded their phone usage for five weeks. The analyses revealed that weekly phone usage in hours was overestimated; in contrast, numbers of call and text message related variables were underestimated. Importantly, several associations between actual usage and being addicted to mobile phones could be derived exclusively from the recorded behavior, but not from self-report variables. The study demonstrates the potential benefit to include methods of psychoinformatics in the diagnosis and treatment of problematic mobile phone use. PMID:26492275

Evaluation of Miscellaneous and Electronic Device Energy Use in Hospitals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, Douglas R.; Lanzisera, Steven M.; Lai, Judy

2012-09-01

Miscellaneous and electronic loads (MELs) consume about one-thirdof the primary energy used in US buildings, and their energy use is increasing faster than other end-uses. In healthcare facilities, 30percent of the annual electricity was used by MELs in 2008. This paper presents methods and challenges for estimating medical MELs energy consumption along with estimates of energy use in a hospital by combining device-level metered data with inventories and usage information. An important finding is that common, small devices consume large amounts of energy in aggregate and should not be ignored when trying to address hospital energy use.

Codon usage and expression level of human mitochondrial 13 protein coding genes across six continents.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Supriyo; Uddin, Arif; Mazumder, Tarikul Huda; Choudhury, Monisha Nath; Malakar, Arup Kumar; Paul, Prosenjit; Halder, Binata; Deka, Himangshu; Mazumder, Gulshana Akthar; Barbhuiya, Riazul Ahmed; Barbhuiya, Masuk Ahmed; Devi, Warepam Jesmi

2017-12-02

The study of codon usage coupled with phylogenetic analysis is an important tool to understand the genetic and evolutionary relationship of a gene. The 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria are involved in electron transport chain for the generation of energy currency (ATP). However, no work has yet been reported on the codon usage of the mitochondrial protein coding genes across six continents. To understand the patterns of codon usage in mitochondrial genes across six different continents, we used bioinformatic analyses to analyze the protein coding genes. The codon usage bias was low as revealed from high ENC value. Correlation between codon usage and GC3 suggested that all the codons ending with G/C were positively correlated with GC3 but vice versa for A/T ending codons with the exception of ND4L and ND5 genes. Neutrality plot revealed that for the genes ATP6, COI, COIII, CYB, ND4 and ND4L, natural selection might have played a major role while mutation pressure might have played a dominant role in the codon usage bias of ATP8, COII, ND1, ND2, ND3, ND5 and ND6 genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that evolutionary relationships in each of 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria were different across six continents and further suggested that geographical distance was an important factor for the origin and evolution of 13 protein coding genes of human mitochondria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the ERDC-CERL Net Zero Energy (NZE) Installation and Deployed Bases Workshop Held in Colorado Springs, CO. on 3-4 Feb 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

energy demand is projected to outgrow afford- able supplies even after accounting for the impact of anticipated energy efficiency and management ... management . The purpose of that change would be to facilitate development of a suite of ultra-low- energy solutions that would approach NZE usage by...enabling real-time op- timization of power supply, demand, and storage management for Army facilities, emplacements, or fixed installations of any

Books on Atomic Energy for Adults and Children, Understanding the Atom Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, TN. Div. of Technical Information.

This booklet in the "Understanding the Atom" series includes annotated bibliographies for children (grade level indicated) and adults. Over 100 basic books on atomic energy and closely related subjects are alphabetized by title and an author index. A list of publisher addresses are included. A brief introduction to library usage is given. The…

Outlook for Biomass Ethanol Production and Demand

EIA Publications

2000-01-01

This paper presents a midterm forecast for biomass ethanol production under three different technology cases for the period 2000 to 2020, based on projections developed from the Energy Information Administration's National Energy Modeling System. An overview of cellulose conversion technology and various feedstock options and a brief history of ethanol usage in the United States are also presented.

Kansas Department of Transportation enterprise energy and carbon accounting and utility usage research phase 2B : improving energy and fuel efficiencies in KDOT operations, [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Reducing the environmental impact of facilities and operations has become an important function for many organizations. In many cases, such as utility and fuel use, reducing these impacts can also be coupled to financial savings. The Kansas Departmen...

Nomophobia: A Cross-sectional Study to Assess Mobile Phone Usage Among Dental Students.

PubMed

Prasad, Monika; Patthi, Basavaraj; Singla, Ashish; Gupta, Ritu; Saha, Sabyasachi; Kumar, Jishnu Krishna; Malhi, Ravneet; Pandita, Venisha

2017-02-01

Mobile phones were originally seen as a gadget for communication but currently, the internet enabled mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily life. Their benefits are incomparable but at the same time, they have some negative effects too. To assess the pattern of usage of mobile phones and its effects on the academic performance of students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 554 students of D. J. College of Dental Sciences and Research through a self-administered questionnaire to collect the data regarding the usage and associated anxiety with mobile phone. About 39.5% students agreed that they score low marks in professional exams if they spend more time on phone. The number of students who frequently checked their cell phone during their classes or while doing clinical work were 24.7% . A total of 24.12% of the students were found to be nomophobic and at risk of being nomophobes were 40.97%. A statistically significant difference was found among preclinical, clinical, interns and postgraduates regarding the usage and effect of mobile phone on them. The pattern of usage of mobile phone among dental students showed alarming indication that students have been addicted to mobile phone which in turn affect their academic performance in a negative way. It would be useful to advise the students about the controlled as well as proper usage of mobile phone.

Energy survey study and report of hospitals in Chicago: Saint Anthony Hospital: Appendix A: Part 2, Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-08-01

This study is part of a three-phased demonstration program to reduce energy consumption in hospitals through practical life-cycle/cost-effective modifications and alterations. Funds for the demonstration program are being provided by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). A thorough study and evaluation of all building systems is made to identify the most cost effective approaches to energy conservation. The primary objective of the study is to investigate and analyze energy usage of the facility and to identify all life cycle, cost-effective changes required to effect a reduction inmore » energy consumption. On November 2, 1987, Consulting Consortium, Inc., was instructed to proceed with this analysis. Initial meetings were arranged with the hospital administrators to convey the purpose of the study and to request utility billing data, small scale floor plans of the facility, and to arrange for engineering walk-through surveys. The survey at St. Anthony was initiated on December 8, 1987. This report summarizes the findings together with data and information gathered during the course of that visit and other subsequent visits. This report describes the architectural, mechanical and electrical systems of the Saint Anthony Hospital. In addition, an analysis of the base year energy usage as derived from utility bills and statement of the current energy consumption trends for the hospital, and a list of recommendations for reducing energy consumption is included.« less

Cell phone usage and erectile function.

PubMed

Al-Ali, Badereddin Mohamad; Patzak, Johanna; Fischereder, Katja; Pummer, Karl; Shamloul, Rany

2013-01-01

The objective of this pilot study was to report our experience concerning the effects of cell phone usage on erectile function (EF) in men. We recruited 20 consecutive men complaining of erectile dysfunction (ED) for at least six months (Group A), and another group of 10 healthy men with no complaints of ED (Group B). Anamnesis, basic laboratory investigations, and clinical examinations were performed. All men completed the German version of the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) for evaluation of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), as well as another questionnaire designed by our clinicians that assessed cell phone usage habits. There was no significant difference between both groups regarding age, weight, height, and total testosterone (Table 1). The SHIM scores of Group A were significantly lower than that of Group B, 11.2 ±5 and 24.2 ±2.3, respectively. Total time spent talking on the cell phone per week was not significantly higher in Group A over B, 17.6 ±11.1 vs. 12.5 ±7 hours. Men with ED were found to carry their 'switched on' cell phones for a significantly longer time than those without ED, 4.4 ±3.6 vs. 1.8 ±1 hours per day. We found a potential correlation with cell phone usage and a negative impact on EF. Further large-scale studies confirming our initial data and exploring the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are recommended.

Drying of vanilla pods using a greenhouse effect solar dryer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abdullah, K.; Mursalim

This paper describes the basic design of the GHE solar dryer and evaluates the performance of the dryer when used to dry vanilla pods. From laboratory test results it was indicted that the average drying time for vanilla pods was between 49 to 53.5 hrs. For the case of heating augmentation using coal briquette stoves. The total amount of coal briquettes used to produce drying air temperature between 33 C to 65 C and RH of about 34% during day time was 61 kg equivalent to 6.1 kW heating rate and the average electric energy usage of 36.5 kWh, respectively.more » Quality test results indicated that the dried products were of grade IA of the export quality standard with vaniline content of 2.36%.« less

Near Real Time Surface Solar Radiation and Meteorological Parameters From the CERES FLASHFlux Project: Examples of Usage for Energy-Related Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoell, J. M.; Stockhouse, P.; Chandler, W.; Zhang, T.; Kratz, D. P.; Gupta, S. K.; Wilber, A. C.; Sawaengphokhai, P.; Edwards, A. C.; Westberg, D.; Zell, E.; Leng, G.

2010-12-01

The NASA Langley Research Center Fast Longwave And SHortwave Radiative Fluxes (FLASHFlux) project is producing global near real-time surface and top of Atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes and analyzing these quantities and their variability on regional and global scales. This is being accomplished by using a portion of the existing Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) processing system that fuses CERES with MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) to produce orbital flux products. The orbital products from both Terra and Aqua are subsequently merged to derive global gridded radiative flux products. The FLASHFlux processing system also uses meteorological surface and profile file information from NASA Global Modeling and Data Assimilation Office (GMAO) Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) operational analysis version 5.2. The production of these together considering the latency times results in the global gridded surface radiative fluxes within 6-7 days of the original satellite observations. Data from the FLASHFlux have been merged and made available through a user-friendly web-based data portal (http://power.larc.nasa.gov/). Solar data from this portal are being continuously updated to provide time series of daily solar radiation to current time minus 7-days. While the current solar data represents an average over a 1-degree cell, comparison with ground observations exhibits a high degree of correlation on a daily time scale. These data are promoted to the web along with surface meteorological data from the GMAO GEOS 5.2 to provide a complete suite of parameters useful for many applications. This paper highlights the use of these data sets in the Ventyx Corporation database Velocity Suite that is being provided to utilities for power load forecasting. Examples of the usage and impact of this data on subsequent load forecasts are presented. The data sets are also being evaluated in collaboration with the Natural Resource Canada RETScreen International Energy Monitoring, Targeting and Verification tool (MTV). This tool allows the monitoring of building energy usage in correlation with variability in the environmental conditions and provides the flexibility of studying the economic and environmental feasibility of various energy efficient and renewable energy enhancements to the building. The FLASHFlux production system or similar is planned to continue as part as CERES for the upcoming NPP (NPOES Preparatory Project) and may be considered as part of the CERES data production stream on the joint NOAA/NASA JPSS missions. Lastly, we identify currently known usage needs requiring enhancement of the current data products that would be appropriate for these future satellite systems.

Identity Confusion and Materialism Mediate the Relationship Between Excessive Social Network Site Usage and Online Compulsive Buying.

PubMed

Sharif, Saeed Pahlevan; Khanekharab, Jasmine

2017-08-01

This study investigates the mediating role of identity confusion and materialism in the relationship between social networking site (SNS) excessive usage and online compulsive buying among young adults. A total of 501 SNS users aged 17 to 23 years (M = 19.68, SD = 1.65) completed an online survey questionnaire. A serial multiple mediator model was developed and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that excessive young adult SNS users had a higher tendency toward compulsive buying online. This was partly because they experienced higher identity confusion and developed higher levels of materialism. Targeted psychological interventions seeking to gradually increase identity clarity to buffer the detrimental effects of SNS usage and identity confusion in young adults are suggested.

Reduction of metal artifacts from alloy hip prostheses in computer tomography.

PubMed

Wang, Fengdan; Xue, Huadan; Yang, Xianda; Han, Wei; Qi, Bing; Fan, Yu; Qian, Wenwei; Wu, Zhihong; Zhang, Yan; Jin, Zhengyu

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of reducing artifacts from large metal implants with gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) and metal artifact reduction software (MARS). Twenty-three in-vivo cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy total hip prostheses were prospectively scanned by fast kV-switching GSI between 80 and 140 kVp. The computed tomography images were reconstructed with monochromatic energy and with/without MARS. Both subjective and objective measurements were performed to assess the severity of metal artifacts. Increasing photon energy was associated with reduced metal artifacts in GSI images (P < 0.001). Combination of GSI with MARS further diminished the metal artifacts (P < 0.001). Artifact reduction at 3 anatomical levels (femoral head, neck, and shaft) were evaluated, with data showing that GSI and MARS could reduce metal artifacts at all 3 levels (P = 0.011, P < 0.001, and P = 0.003, respectively). Nevertheless, in certain cases, GSI without MARS produced more realistic images for the clinical situation. Proper usage of GSI with/without MARS could reduce the computed tomography artifacts of large metal parts and improve the radiological evaluation of postarthroplasty patients.

16 CFR 305.21 - Test data records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... each basic model, or the light output, energy usage, correlated color temperature, and life ratings and, for fluorescent lamps, the color rendering index, for each basic model or lamp type were derived. [52...

Distributed event-triggered consensus strategy for multi-agent systems under limited resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorbakhsh, S. Mohammad; Ghaisari, Jafar

2016-01-01

The paper proposes a distributed structure to address an event-triggered consensus problem for multi-agent systems which aims at concurrent reduction in inter-agent communication, control input actuation and energy consumption. Following the proposed approach, asymptotic convergence of all agents to consensus requires that each agent broadcasts its sampled-state to the neighbours and updates its control input only at its own triggering instants, unlike the existing related works. Obviously, it decreases the network bandwidth usage, sensor energy consumption, computation resources usage and actuator wears. As a result, it facilitates the implementation of the proposed consensus protocol in the real-world applications with limited resources. The stability of the closed-loop system under an event-based protocol is proved analytically. Some numerical results are presented which confirm the analytical discussion on the effectiveness of the proposed design.

Comparisons of Physicians' and Nurses' Attitudes towards Computers.

PubMed

Brumini, Gordana; Ković, Ivor; Zombori, Dejvid; Lulić, Ileana; Bilic-Zulle, Lidija; Petrovecki, Mladen

2005-01-01

Before starting the implementation of integrated hospital information systems, the physicians' and nurses' attitudes towards computers were measured by means of a questionnaire. The study was conducted in Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb in Croatia. Out of 194 respondents, 141 were nurses and 53 physicians, randomly selected. They surveyed by an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 8 closed questions about demographic data, computer science education and computer usage, and 30 statements on attitudes towards computers. The statements were adapted to a Likert type scale. Differences in attitudes towards computers between groups were compared using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney test for post-hoc analysis. The total score presented attitudes toward computers. Physicians' total score was 130 (97-144), while nurses' total score was 123 (88-141). It points that the average answer to all statements was between "agree" and "strongly agree", and these high total scores indicated their positive attitudes. Age, computer science education and computer usage were important factors witch enhances the total score. Younger physicians and nurses with computer science education and with previous computer experience had more positive attitudes towards computers than others. Our results are important for planning and implementation of integrated hospital information systems in Croatia.

An Influence Analysis of Dissuading Nation States from Producing and Proliferating Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ______N/A__________...18 5. Lead Up to the Fission Device Test 1974 .........................................22 6. Maintaining Nuclear Policy 1974-1998...out to produce nuclear energy for research and civilian energy consumption. Its government maintained a policy of peace nuclear energy usage unless

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Greenhill Contracting, Inc., Hickory Ridge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Greenhill Contracting built this 3,912-ft2 house in Gardiner, New York, to the high-performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. A highly efficient air-source heat pump heats and cools the home’s interior, while the roof-mounted photovoltaic system offsets electricity usage to cut energy bills to nearly zero. Many months the home owners see a credit on their utility bill.

Insight into pattern of codon biasness and nucleotide base usage in serotonin receptor gene family from different mammalian species.

PubMed

Dass, J Febin Prabhu; Sudandiradoss, C

2012-07-15

5-HT (5-Hydroxy-tryptamine) or serotonin receptors are found both in central and peripheral nervous system as well as in non-neuronal tissues. In the animal and human nervous system, serotonin produces various functional effects through a variety of membrane bound receptors. In this study, we focus on 5-HT receptor family from different mammals and examined the factors that account for codon and nucleotide usage variation. A total of 110 homologous coding sequences from 11 different mammalian species were analyzed using relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), correspondence analysis (COA) and hierarchical cluster analysis together with nucleotide base usage frequency of chemically similar amino acid codons. The mean effective number of codon (ENc) value of 37.06 for 5-HT(6) shows very high codon bias within the family and may be due to high selective translational efficiency. The COA and Spearman's rank correlation reveals that the nucleotide compositional mutation bias as the major factors influencing the codon usage in serotonin receptor genes. The hierarchical cluster analysis suggests that gene function is another dominant factor that affects the codon usage bias, while species is a minor factor. Nucleotide base usage was reported using Goldman, Engelman, Stietz (GES) scale reveals the presence of high uracil (>45%) content at functionally important hydrophobic regions. Our in silico approach will certainly help for further investigations on critical inference on evolution, structure, function and gene expression aspects of 5-HT receptors family which are potential antipsychotic drug targets. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dose Comparisons for a Site-specific Representative Person Using the Age-dependent Dose Coefficients in CAP88-PC Version 4.

PubMed

Stagich, Brooke H; Moore, Kelsey R; Newton, Joseph R; Dixon, Kenneth L; Jannik, G Timothy

2017-04-01

Most U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities with radiological airborne releases use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental dosimetry code CAP88-PC to demonstrate compliance with regulations in 40CFR61, subpart H [National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Radiological (NESHAP)]. In 2015, EPA released Version 4 of CAP88-PC, which included significant modifications that improved usability and age-dependent dose coefficients and usage factors for six age groups (infant, 1 y, 5 y, 10 y, 15 y, and adult). However, EPA has not yet provided specific guidance on how to use these age-dependent factors. For demonstrating compliance with DOE public dose regulations, the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently changed from using the maximally exposed individual (MEI) concept (adult male) to the representative person concept (age- and gender-averaged reference person). In this study, dose comparisons are provided between the MEI and a SRS-specific representative person using the age-specific dose coefficients and usage factors in CAP88-PC V.4. Dose comparisons also are provided for each of the six age groups using five radionuclides of interest at SRS (tritium oxide, Cs, Sr, Pu, and I). In general, the total effective dose increases about 11% for the representative person as compared to the current NESHAP MEI because of the inclusion of the more radiosensitive age groups.

Chapter Two – Separations Versus Sustainability: There is No ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Separation operations in chemical processes are generally “uphill” tasks—defying natural tendencies. Historically, such separations have been accomplished by applying generous portions of fossil energy and materials, leaving behind a large environmental footprint. In this chapter, progress in reducing this footprint will be discussed with examples in biofuel production, desalination, and carbon dioxide capture. Industrial separation processes have a significant energy and environmental footprint. Sizeable reductions in energy usage could be achieved by replacing energy-intensive processes like distillation with low-energy separation systems such as membranes, extraction, sorption, or synergistic hybrid systems of low- and high-energy systems.

An overview of US energy options: Supply- and demand-side history and prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirshberg, A. S.

1977-01-01

An overview was provided of nonsolar energy policy options available to the United States until solar energy conversion and utilization devices can produce power at a cost competitive with that obtained from fossil fuels. The economics of the development of new fossil fuel sources and of mandatory conservation measures in energy usage were clarified in the context of the historic annual rate of increase in U.S. energy demand. An attempt was made to compare the costs and relative efficiencies of energy obtainable from various sources by correlating the many confusing measurement units in current use.

Energy supply and demand modeling. (Latest citations from the NTIS bibliographic database). Published Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-01-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the use of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (Contains 250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Energy supply and demand modeling. (Latest citations from the NTIS data base). Published Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-10-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the use of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (Contains 250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Energy supply and demand modeling. (Latest citations from the NTIS bibliographic database). Published Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-12-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the use of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (Contains 250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Adaptive Resource Utilization Prediction System for Infrastructure as a Service Cloud.

PubMed

Zia Ullah, Qazi; Hassan, Shahzad; Khan, Gul Muhammad

2017-01-01

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud provides resources as a service from a pool of compute, network, and storage resources. Cloud providers can manage their resource usage by knowing future usage demand from the current and past usage patterns of resources. Resource usage prediction is of great importance for dynamic scaling of cloud resources to achieve efficiency in terms of cost and energy consumption while keeping quality of service. The purpose of this paper is to present a real-time resource usage prediction system. The system takes real-time utilization of resources and feeds utilization values into several buffers based on the type of resources and time span size. Buffers are read by R language based statistical system. These buffers' data are checked to determine whether their data follows Gaussian distribution or not. In case of following Gaussian distribution, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) is applied; otherwise Autoregressive Neural Network (AR-NN) is applied. In ARIMA process, a model is selected based on minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values. Similarly, in AR-NN process, a network with the lowest Network Information Criterion (NIC) value is selected. We have evaluated our system with real traces of CPU utilization of an IaaS cloud of one hundred and twenty servers.

Adaptive Resource Utilization Prediction System for Infrastructure as a Service Cloud

PubMed Central

Hassan, Shahzad; Khan, Gul Muhammad

2017-01-01

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud provides resources as a service from a pool of compute, network, and storage resources. Cloud providers can manage their resource usage by knowing future usage demand from the current and past usage patterns of resources. Resource usage prediction is of great importance for dynamic scaling of cloud resources to achieve efficiency in terms of cost and energy consumption while keeping quality of service. The purpose of this paper is to present a real-time resource usage prediction system. The system takes real-time utilization of resources and feeds utilization values into several buffers based on the type of resources and time span size. Buffers are read by R language based statistical system. These buffers' data are checked to determine whether their data follows Gaussian distribution or not. In case of following Gaussian distribution, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) is applied; otherwise Autoregressive Neural Network (AR-NN) is applied. In ARIMA process, a model is selected based on minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values. Similarly, in AR-NN process, a network with the lowest Network Information Criterion (NIC) value is selected. We have evaluated our system with real traces of CPU utilization of an IaaS cloud of one hundred and twenty servers. PMID:28811819

Magnetic navigation system and CT roadmap-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention: a comparison to the conventional approach.

PubMed

Hao, Ruina; Zhang, Qiu; Xu, Zhuowen; Tang, Lijun; Yang, Zhijian; Cao, Kejiang; Li, Chunjian

2013-04-01

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) has been successfully integrated with the magnetic navigation system (MNS) to facilitate a roadmap-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to compare this new approach of PCI versus conventional PCI regarding the difference of contrast usage, x-ray exposure, procedure success, and in-hospital expenses. Thirty-eight patients with stable coronary artery disease and coronary artery lesions of ≥70% diameter stenosis diagnosed by both pre-procedure CTCA and coronary angiography (CAG) were enrolled to receive the MNS and CT roadmap-assisted PCI. Another 38 patients were consecutively recruited to receive conventional PCI, matched with the MNS group by the vessel and lesion type base on American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association criteria. Regarding the process of the guidewire placement, wherein the technical difference of the two procedures exists, the median contrast usage for guidewire crossing was significantly lower in the MNS group than in the conventional group [0.0 mL (interquartile range [IQR], 0.0-3.0 mL) vs 5.0 mL (IQR, 3.1-6.8 mL); P<.001], with zero contrast usage in 25 of the 44 guidewire placements in the MNS group, but in none of the conventional group; the radiation dosage for guidewire crossing in the MNS group was also significantly lower than in the conventional group (235.8 μGym² [IQR, 134.9-455.1 μGym²] vs 364.4 μGym² [IQR, 223.4-547.2 μGym²]; P=.033). There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning the total contrast usage, total radiation dosage of the PCI, the procedural fees, or the overall in-hospital expenses. All of the enrolled vessels were successfully intervened in both groups. In PCI of simple lesions, the application of CT guidance and magnetic navigation had modest impacts on radiation dosage and contrast usage for wire crossing, but no impact on overall radiation dosage or contrast usage for the procedure. In addition, the use of CT roadmap and MNS was likely more expensive compared to PCI using conventional radiographic technique.

Estimating caffeine intake from energy drinks and dietary supplements in the United States

PubMed Central

Bailey, Regan L; Saldanha, Leila G; Gahche, Jaime J; Dwyer, Johanna T

2014-01-01

No consistent definition exists for energy products in the United States. These products have been marketed and sold as beverages (conventional foods), energy shots (dietary supplements), and in pill or tablet form. Recently, the number of available products has surged, and formulations have changed to include caffeine. To help characterize the use of caffeine-containing energy products in the United States, three sources of data were analyzed: sales data, data from federal sources, and reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. These data indicate that sales of caffeine-containing energy products and emergency room visits involving their consumption appear to be increasing over time. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010 indicate that 2.7% [standard error (SE) 0.2%] of the US population ≥1 year of age used a caffeine-containing energy product, providing approximately 150–200 mg/day of caffeine per day in addition to caffeine from traditional sources like coffee, tea, and colas. The highest usage of these products was among males between the ages of 19 and 30 years (7.6%, SE 1.0). Although the prevalence of caffeine-containing energy product use remains low overall in the US population, certain subgroups appear to be using these products in larger amounts. Several challenges remain in determining the level of caffeine exposure from and accurate usage patterns of caffeine-containing energy products. PMID:25293539

Correlation of classroom typologies to lighting energy performance of academic building in warm-humid climate (case study: ITS Campus Sukolilo Surabaya)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekasiwi, S. N. N.; Antaryama, I. G. N.; Krisdianto, J.; Ulum, M. S.

2018-03-01

Classrooms in educational buildings require certain lighting requirements to serve teaching and learning activities during daytime. The most typical design is double sided opening in order to get good daylight distribution in the classroom. Using artificial light is essential to contribute the worse daylight condition. A short observation indicates that during the lecture time the light turned on, even in the daytime. That might result in wasting electrical energy. The aim of the study is to examine the type of classroom, which perform comfortable lighting environment as well as saving energy. This paper reports preliminary results of the study obtained from field observation and measurements. The use of energy and usage pattern of artificial lighting during the lecture is recorded and then the data evaluated to see the suitability of existing energy use to building energy standards. The daylighting design aspects have to be the first consideration. However, the similarity in WWR of the classroom, the Daylight Factor (DF) may differ. It depends on the room depth. The similarity of the increase of WWR and Ratio of openings to floor area do not directly correspond to the increase of DF. The outdoor condition of larger daylight access and the room depth are the influencing factors. Despite the similarity of physical type, usage pattern of the classroom imply the use of electrical energy for lighting. The results indicate the factors influencing lighting energy performance in correlation to their typologies

Comparative evolutionary genomics of Corynebacterium with special reference to codon and amino acid usage diversities.

PubMed

Pal, Shilpee; Sarkar, Indrani; Roy, Ayan; Mohapatra, Pradeep K Das; Mondal, Keshab C; Sen, Arnab

2018-02-01

The present study has been aimed to the comparative analysis of high GC composition containing Corynebacterium genomes and their evolutionary study by exploring codon and amino acid usage patterns. Phylogenetic study by MLSA approach, indel analysis and BLAST matrix differentiated Corynebacterium species in pathogenic and non-pathogenic clusters. Correspondence analysis on synonymous codon usage reveals that, gene length, optimal codon frequencies and tRNA abundance affect the gene expression of Corynebacterium. Most of the optimal codons as well as translationally optimal codons are C ending i.e. RNY (R-purine, N-any nucleotide base, and Y-pyrimidine) and reveal translational selection pressure on codon bias of Corynebacterium. Amino acid usage is affected by hydrophobicity, aromaticity, protein energy cost, etc. Highly expressed genes followed the cost minimization hypothesis and are less diverged at their synonymous positions of codons. Functional analysis of core genes shows significant difference in pathogenic and non-pathogenic Corynebacterium. The study reveals close relationship between non-pathogenic and opportunistic pathogenic Corynebaterium as well as between molecular evolution and survival niches of the organism.

Oil County Traffic Safety Survey, 2012

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

Over time, road usage in western North Dakota has changed. Interstate, highway, and low-volume unpaved roads have been used with greater frequency because of increased agricultural production and a growing energy sector. This evolution is especially ...

The Design and Development of a Curriculum in Energy Conservation to Train Secondary and Post-Secondary Vocational Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orsak, Charles; Green, C. Paul

Designed for practical hands-on secondary and postsecondary vocational programs and adult/continuing education programs, this eleven-module curriculum was developed to equip both male and female students with the capabilities to identify, monitor, manage, and curb energy usage in their daily lives and vocational pursuits. It is intended for use as…

Scalable tuning of building models to hourly data

DOE PAGES

Garrett, Aaron; New, Joshua Ryan

2015-03-31

Energy models of existing buildings are unreliable unless calibrated so they correlate well with actual energy usage. Manual tuning requires a skilled professional, is prohibitively expensive for small projects, imperfect, non-repeatable, non-transferable, and not scalable to the dozens of sensor channels that smart meters, smart appliances, and cheap/ubiquitous sensors are beginning to make available today. A scalable, automated methodology is needed to quickly and intelligently calibrate building energy models to all available data, increase the usefulness of those models, and facilitate speed-and-scale penetration of simulation-based capabilities into the marketplace for actualized energy savings. The "Autotune'' project is a novel, model-agnosticmore » methodology which leverages supercomputing, large simulation ensembles, and big data mining with multiple machine learning algorithms to allow automatic calibration of simulations that match measured experimental data in a way that is deployable on commodity hardware. This paper shares several methodologies employed to reduce the combinatorial complexity to a computationally tractable search problem for hundreds of input parameters. Furthermore, accuracy metrics are provided which quantify model error to measured data for either monthly or hourly electrical usage from a highly-instrumented, emulated-occupancy research home.« less

A miniature batteryless health and usage monitoring system based on hybrid energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chenling; Chakrabartty, Shantanu

2011-04-01

The cost and size of the state-of-the-art health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are determined by capacity of on-board energy storage which limits their large scale deployment. In this paper, we present a miniature low-cost mechanical HUMS integrated circuit (IC) based on the concept of hybrid energy harvesting where continuous monitoring is achieved by self-powering, where as the programming, localization and communication with the sensor is achieved using remote RF powering. The self-powered component of the proposed HUMS is based on our previous result which used a controllable hot electron injection on floatinggate transistor as an ultra-low power signal processor. We show that the HUMS IC can seamlessly switch between different energy harvesting modes based on the availability of ambient RF power and that the configuration, programming and communication functions can be remotely performed without physically accessing the HUMS device. All the measured results presented in this paper have been obtained from prototypes fabricated in a 0.5 micron standard CMOS process and the entire system has been successfully integrated on a 1.5cm x 1.5cm package.

A generic analysis of energy use and solvent selection for CO2 separation from post-combustion flue gases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Y.; Chen, S.; Rostam-Abadi, M.

2008-01-01

A thermodynamic calculation was performed to determine the theoretical minimum energy used to separate CO2 from a coal combustion flue gas in a typical adsorption-desorption system. Under ideal conditions, the minimum energy required to separate CO2 from post-combustion flue gas and produce pure CO2 at 1 atmospheric pressure was only about 1183 kJ/kg CO2. This amount could double with the addition of the driving forces of mass and heat transfer and the adverse impacts of absorption heat release on adsorption capacity. Thermodynamic analyses were also performed for the aqueous amine-based absorption process. Two CO2 reaction mechanisms, the carbamate formation reaction with primary/secondary amines and the CO2 hydration reaction with tertiary amines, were included in the absorption reaction. The reaction heat, sensible heat, and stripping heat were all important to the total heat requirement. The heat use of an ideal tertiary amine amounted to 2786 kJ/kg, compared to 3211 kJ/kg for an ideal primary amine. The heat usage of an ideal amine was about 20% lower than that of commercially available amines. Optimizing the absorption process configuration could further reduce energy use. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2008 AIChE Spring National Meeting (New Orleans, LA 4/6-10/2008).

Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: A brief review and suggested usage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.

2009-01-01

Several recent papers have suggested replacing the terminology of fire intensity and fire severity. Part of the problem with fire intensity is that it is sometimes used incorrectly to describe fire effects, when in fact it is justifiably restricted to measures of energy output. Increasingly, the term has created confusion because some authors have restricted its usage to a single measure of energy output referred to as fireline intensity. This metric is most useful in understanding fire behavior in forests, but is too narrow to fully capture the multitude of ways fire energy affects ecosystems. Fire intensity represents the energy released during various phases of a fire, and different metrics such as reaction intensity, fireline intensity, temperature, heating duration and radiant energy are useful for different purposes. Fire severity, and the related term burn severity, have created considerable confusion because of recent changes in their usage. Some authors have justified this by contending that fire severity is defined broadly as ecosystem impacts from fire and thus is open to individual interpretation. However, empirical studies have defined fire severity operationally as the loss of or change in organic matter aboveground and belowground, although the precise metric varies with management needs. Confusion arises because fire or burn severity is sometimes defined so that it also includes ecosystem responses. Ecosystem responses include soil erosion, vegetation regeneration, restoration of community structure, faunal recolonization, and a plethora of related response variables. Although some ecosystem responses are correlated with measures of fire or burn severity, many important ecosystem processes have either not been demonstrated to be predicted by severity indices or have been shown in some vegetation types to be unrelated to severity. This is a critical issue because fire or burn severity are readily measurable parameters, both on the ground and with remote sensing, yet ecosystem responses are of most interest to resource managers.

Mobile Phone Usage and its Health Effects Among Adults in a Semi-Urban Area of Southern India

PubMed Central

Abraham, Sherin Billy; Kanimozhy, K.; Prasad, R. Vishnu; Singh, Zile; Purty, Anil J.

2016-01-01

Introduction Worldwide, mobile phone usage has been increased dramatically which could affect the health of the people. India has the second largest number of mobile phone users. However there are only few studies conducted in India to assess its effects on health. Aim To determine the prevalence and pattern of mobile phone usage and to assess the relationship between certain selected health problems and mobile phone usage among adults. Settings and Design Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Kottakuppam, a town panchayat in Villupuram district of Coastal Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is a semi-urban area with a population of about 16,000. Majority of the residents are Muslim by religion and belong to different socio economic status. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 2121 study participants were interviewed by the pre-final medical students through house-to-house survey using a pretested structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included the variables such as socio demographic profile, mobile phone usage and pattern, selected health problems, perceived benefits and threats and blood pressure. Selected health problems included headache, earache, neck pain, tinnitus, painful fingers, restlessness, morning tiredness, tingling fingers, fatigue, eye symptoms, sleep disturbance and hypertension. Statistical Analysis Used Only 2054 were included for data analysis using SPSS 17 version. Proportions were calculated. Chi-square test was used to measure the p-value. The p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results The prevalence of mobile phone usage was 70%. Calling facility (94.2%) was used more than the SMS (67.6%). Health problems like headache, earache, tinnitus, painful fingers and restlessness etc., were found to be positively associated with mobile phone usage. There was negative association between hypertension and mobile phone usage. Conclusion The prevalence of mobile phone usage was high. There was significant association between selected health problems and mobile phone usage. In future, higher studies are required to confirm our findings. PMID:26894095

Effect of self-deflection on a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with functions of site assignments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuzuki, Satori; Yanagisawa, Daichi; Nishinari, Katsuhiro

2018-04-01

This study proposes a model of a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process on a single-channel lane with functions of site assignments along the pit lane. The system model attempts to insert a new particle to the leftmost site at a certain probability by randomly selecting one of the empty sites in the pit lane, and reserving it for the particle. Thereafter, the particle is directed to stop at the site only once during its travel. Recently, the system was determined to show a self-deflection effect, in which the site usage distribution biases spontaneously toward the leftmost site, and the throughput becomes maximum when the site usage distribution is slightly biased to the rightmost site. Our exact analysis describes this deflection effect and show a good agreement with simulations.

Electrocatalytic upgrading of biomass pyrolysis oils to chemical and fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Chun Ho

The present project's aim is to liquefy biomass through fast pyrolysis and then upgrade the resulting "bio-oil" to renewable fuels and chemicals by intensifying its energy content using electricity. This choice reflects three points: (a) Liquid hydrocarbons are and will long be the most practical fuels and chemical feedstocks because of their energy density (both mass and volume basis), their stability and relative ease of handling, and the well-established infrastructure for their processing, distribution and use; (b) In the U.S., the total carbon content of annually harvestable, non-food biomass is significantly less than that in a year's petroleum usage, so retention of plant-captured carbon is a priority; and (c) Modern technologies for conversion of sunlight into usable energy forms---specifically, electrical power---are already an order of magnitude more efficient than plants are at storing solar energy in chemical form. Biomass fast pyrolysis (BFP) generates flammable gases, char, and "bio-oil", a viscous, corrosive, and highly oxygenated liquid consisting of large amounts of acetic acid and water together with hundreds of other organic compounds. With essentially the same energy density as biomass and a tendency to polymerize, this material cannot practically be stored or transported long distances. It must be upgraded by dehydration, deoxygenation, and hydrogenation to make it both chemically and energetically compatible with modern vehicles and fuels. Thus, this project seeks to develop low cost, general, scalable, robust electrocatalytic methods for reduction of bio-oil into fuels and chemicals.

Rhenium-188 Production in Hospitals, by W-188/Re-188 Generator, for Easy Use in Radionuclide Therapy

PubMed Central

Argyrou, Maria; Valassi, Alexia; Andreou, Maria; Lyra, Maria

2013-01-01

Rhenium-188 (Re-188) is a high energy β-emitting radioisotope obtained from the tungsten-188/rhenium-188 (W-188/Re-188) generator, which has shown utility for a variety of therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine, oncology, and interventional radiology/cardiology. Re-188 decay is accompanied by a 155 keV predominant energy γ-emission, which could be detected by γ-cameras, for imaging, biodistribution, or absorbed radiation dose studies. Its attractive physical properties and its potential low cost associated with a long-lived parent make it an interesting option for clinical use. The setup and daily use of W-188/Re-188 generator in hospital nuclear medicine departments are discussed in detail. The clinical efficacy, for several therapeutic applications, of a variety of Re-188-labeled agents is demonstrated. The high energy of the β-emission of Re-188 is particularly well suited for effective penetration in solid tumours. Its total radiation dose delivered to tissues is comparable to other radionuclides used in therapy. Furthermore, radiation safety and shielding requirements are an important subject of matter. In the case of bone metastases treatment, therapeutic ratios are presented in order to describe the efficacy of Re-188 usage. PMID:23653859

Rhenium-188 production in hospitals, by w-188/re-188 generator, for easy use in radionuclide therapy.

PubMed

Argyrou, Maria; Valassi, Alexia; Andreou, Maria; Lyra, Maria

2013-01-01

Rhenium-188 (Re-188) is a high energy β-emitting radioisotope obtained from the tungsten-188/rhenium-188 (W-188/Re-188) generator, which has shown utility for a variety of therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine, oncology, and interventional radiology/cardiology. Re-188 decay is accompanied by a 155 keV predominant energy γ-emission, which could be detected by γ-cameras, for imaging, biodistribution, or absorbed radiation dose studies. Its attractive physical properties and its potential low cost associated with a long-lived parent make it an interesting option for clinical use. The setup and daily use of W-188/Re-188 generator in hospital nuclear medicine departments are discussed in detail. The clinical efficacy, for several therapeutic applications, of a variety of Re-188-labeled agents is demonstrated. The high energy of the β-emission of Re-188 is particularly well suited for effective penetration in solid tumours. Its total radiation dose delivered to tissues is comparable to other radionuclides used in therapy. Furthermore, radiation safety and shielding requirements are an important subject of matter. In the case of bone metastases treatment, therapeutic ratios are presented in order to describe the efficacy of Re-188 usage.

Nomophobia: A Cross-sectional Study to Assess Mobile Phone Usage Among Dental Students

PubMed Central

Patthi, Basavaraj; Singla, Ashish; Gupta, Ritu; Saha, Sabyasachi; Kumar, Jishnu Krishna; Malhi, Ravneet; Pandita, Venisha

2017-01-01

Introduction Mobile phones were originally seen as a gadget for communication but currently, the internet enabled mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily life. Their benefits are incomparable but at the same time, they have some negative effects too. Aim To assess the pattern of usage of mobile phones and its effects on the academic performance of students. Materials and Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 554 students of D. J. College of Dental Sciences and Research through a self-administered questionnaire to collect the data regarding the usage and associated anxiety with mobile phone. Results About 39.5% students agreed that they score low marks in professional exams if they spend more time on phone. The number of students who frequently checked their cell phone during their classes or while doing clinical work were 24.7% . A total of 24.12% of the students were found to be nomophobic and at risk of being nomophobes were 40.97%. A statistically significant difference was found among preclinical, clinical, interns and postgraduates regarding the usage and effect of mobile phone on them. Conclusion The pattern of usage of mobile phone among dental students showed alarming indication that students have been addicted to mobile phone which in turn affect their academic performance in a negative way. It would be useful to advise the students about the controlled as well as proper usage of mobile phone. PMID:28384977

A spatial approach for the epidemiology of antibiotic use and resistance in community-based studies: the emergence of urban clusters of Escherichia coli quinolone resistance in Sao Paulo, Brasil

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Population antimicrobial use may influence resistance emergence. Resistance is an ecological phenomenon due to potential transmissibility. We investigated spatial and temporal patterns of ciprofloxacin (CIP) population consumption related to E. coli resistance emergence and dissemination in a major Brazilian city. A total of 4,372 urinary tract infection E. coli cases, with 723 CIP resistant, were identified in 2002 from two outpatient centres. Cases were address geocoded in a digital map. Raw CIP consumption data was transformed into usage density in DDDs by CIP selling points influence zones determination. A stochastic model coupled with a Geographical Information System was applied for relating resistance and usage density and for detecting city areas of high/low resistance risk. Results E. coli CIP resistant cluster emergence was detected and significantly related to usage density at a level of 5 to 9 CIP DDDs. There were clustered hot-spots and a significant global spatial variation in the residual resistance risk after allowing for usage density. Conclusions There were clustered hot-spots and a significant global spatial variation in the residual resistance risk after allowing for usage density. The usage density of 5-9 CIP DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants within the same influence zone was the resistance triggering level. This level led to E. coli resistance clustering, proving that individual resistance emergence and dissemination was affected by antimicrobial population consumption. PMID:21356088

Modeling the Urban Boundary and Canopy Layers

EPA Science Inventory

Today, we are confronted with increasingly more sophisticated application requirements for urban modeling. These include those that address emergency response to acute exposures from toxic releases, health exposure assessments from adverse air quality, energy usage, and character...

What to Do until the Microprocesser Arrives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barzilla, Frank

1983-01-01

Advises administrators how to develop an energy master plan and how to reduce the usage of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems by means of a time clock, thermostat, and a scheduled preventive maintenance program. (MLF)

Flexible Residential Smart Grid Simulation Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Wang

Different scheduling and coordination algorithms controlling household appliances' operations can potentially lead to energy consumption reduction and/or load balancing in conjunction with different electricity pricing methods used in smart grid programs. In order to easily implement different algorithms and evaluate their efficiency against other ideas, a flexible simulation framework is desirable in both research and business fields. However, such a platform is currently lacking or underdeveloped. In this thesis, we provide a simulation framework to focus on demand side residential energy consumption coordination in response to different pricing methods. This simulation framework, equipped with an appliance consumption library using realistic values, aims to closely represent the average usage of different types of appliances. The simulation results of traditional usage yield close matching values compared to surveyed real life consumption records. Several sample coordination algorithms, pricing schemes, and communication scenarios are also implemented to illustrate the use of the simulation framework.

Vibration control in statically indeterminate adaptive truss structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baycan, C. M.; Utku, Senol; Wada, Ben K.

1993-01-01

In this work vibration control of statically indeterminate adaptive truss structures is investigated. Here, the actuators (i.e., length adjusting devices) that are used for vibration control, work against the axial forces caused by the inertial forces. In statically determinate adaptive trusses no axial force is induced by the actuation. The control problem in statically indeterminate trusses may be dominated by the actuation-induced axial element forces. The creation of actuation-induced axial forces puts the system to a higher energy state, thus aggravates the controls. It is shown that by the usage of sufficient number of slave actuators in addition to the actual control actuators, the actuation-induced axial element forces can be nullified, and the control problem of the statically indeterminate adaptive truss problem is reduced to that of a statically determinate one. It is also shown that the usage of slave actuators saves a great amount of control energy and provides robustness for the controls.

Prediction and characterization of application power use in a high-performance computing environment

DOE PAGES

Bugbee, Bruce; Phillips, Caleb; Egan, Hilary; ...

2017-02-27

Power use in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) facilities has grown in tandem with increases in the size and number of these facilities. Substantial innovation is needed to enable meaningful reduction in energy footprints in leadership-class HPC systems. In this paper, we focus on characterizing and investigating application-level power usage. We demonstrate potential methods for predicting power usage based on a priori and in situ characteristics. Lastly, we highlight a potential use case of this method through a simulated power-aware scheduler using historical jobs from a real scientific HPC system.

Energy Efficiency I: Automobiles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Peter M.

Most of us probably are not aware of all that's going on to improve the efficiency of energy usage in vehicles, residential climate control, manufacturing, and power management. The bulk of the energy consumption in the US during 2000 was apportioned as 34% for residential and commercial uses, 36.5% for industrial uses, and 26% for transportation. Automobiles in particular are the focus of intense energy conservation efforts. Only a surprising 25% of the fuel consumed by an automobile is converted to useful shalf work. The rest goes to the exhaust gases, coolant, friction and wear.

New Manufacturing Method for Paper Filler and Fiber Material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doelle, Klaus

2013-08-25

The use of fillers in printing and writing papers has become a prerequisite for competing in a global market to reduce the cost of materials. Use of calcium carbonates (ranging from 18% to 30%) as filler is a common practice in the paper industry but the choices of fillers for each type of papers vary widely according to its use. The market for uncoated digital printing paper is one that continues to introduce exciting growth projections. and it is important to understand the effect that new manufacturing methods of calcium carbonates have on the energy efficiency and paper production. Research conducted under this award showed that the new fiber filler composite material has the potential to increase the paper filler content by up to 5% without losing mechanical properties. Benefits of the technology can be summarized as follows for a 1% filler increase per metric ton of paper produced: (i) production cost savings overmore » $$12, (ii) Energy savings of 100,900 btu, (iii) CO{sub 2} emission savings of 33 lbs, and additional savings for wood preparation, pulping, recovery of 203593 btu with a 46lbs of CO{sub 2} emission savings per 1% filler increase. In addition the technology has the potential to save: (i) additional $$3 per ton of bleached pulp produced, (ii) bleaching energy savings of 170,000 btu, (iii) bleaching CO{sub 2} emission savings of 39 lbs, and (iv) additional savings for replacing conventional bleaching chemicals with a sustainable bleaching chemical is estimated to be 900,000 btu with a 205 lbs of CO{sub 2} emission savings per ton of bleached pulp produced. All the above translates to a estimated annual savings for a 12% filler increase of 296 trillion buts or 51 million barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) or 13.7% of the industries energy demand. This can lead to a increase of renewable energy usage from 56% to close to 70% for the industry sector. CO{sub 2} emission of the industry at a 12% filler increase could be lowered by over 39 million tons annually. If the new technology could be implemented for bleaching process a total annual estimated energy savings potential of 64 trillion buts or 11 million barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) equal to 3% of the paper industries energy demand could be realized. This could lead to a increase of renewable energy usage from 56% to close to 60% for the industry. CO{sub 2} emissions could be lowered by over 7.4 million tons annually. It is estimated that an installed system could also yield a 75 to 100% return of investment (ROI) rate for the capital equipment that need to be installed for the fiber filler composite manufacturing process.« less

Electric Energy Management in the Smart Home: Perspectives on Enabling Technologies and Consumer Behavior

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zipperer, Adam; Aloise-Young, Patricia A.; Suryanarayanan, Siddharth

2013-11-01

Smart homes hold the potential for increasing energy efficiency, decreasing costs of energy use, decreasing the carbon footprint by including renewable resources, and transforming the role of the occupant. At the crux of the smart home is an efficient electric energy management system that is enabled by emerging technologies in the electric grid and consumer electronics. This article presents a discussion of the state-of-the-art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.

Electric Energy Management in the Smart Home: Perspectives on Enabling Technologies and Consumer Behavior

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zipperer, A.; Aloise-Young, P. A.; Suryanarayanan, S.

2013-08-01

Smart homes hold the potential for increasing energy efficiency, decreasing costs of energy use, decreasing the carbon footprint by including renewable resources, and trans-forming the role of the occupant. At the crux of the smart home is an efficient electric energy management system that is enabled by emerging technologies in the electricity grid and consumer electronics. This article presents a discussion of the state-of-the-art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.

Cap-proximal nucleotides via differential eIF4E binding and alternative promoter usage mediate translational response to energy stress.

PubMed

Tamarkin-Ben-Harush, Ana; Vasseur, Jean-Jacques; Debart, Françoise; Ulitsky, Igor; Dikstein, Rivka

2017-02-08

Transcription start-site (TSS) selection and alternative promoter (AP) usage contribute to gene expression complexity but little is known about their impact on translation. Here we performed TSS mapping of the translatome following energy stress. Assessing the contribution of cap-proximal TSS nucleotides, we found dramatic effect on translation only upon stress. As eIF4E levels were reduced, we determined its binding to capped-RNAs with different initiating nucleotides and found the lowest affinity to 5'cytidine in correlation with the translational stress-response. In addition, the number of differentially translated APs was elevated following stress. These include novel glucose starvation-induced downstream transcripts for the translation regulators eIF4A and Pabp, which are also translationally-induced despite general translational inhibition. The resultant eIF4A protein is N-terminally truncated and acts as eIF4A inhibitor. The induced Pabp isoform has shorter 5'UTR removing an auto-inhibitory element. Our findings uncovered several levels of coordination of transcription and translation responses to energy stress.

Study on load forecasting to data centers of high power density based on power usage effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, C. C.; Zhang, F.; Yuan, Z.; Zhou, L. M.; Wang, F. M.; Li, W.; Yang, J. H.

2016-08-01

There is usually considerable energy consumption in data centers. Load forecasting to data centers is in favor of formulating regional load density indexes and of great benefit to getting regional spatial load forecasting more accurately. The building structure and the other influential factors, i.e. equipment, geographic and climatic conditions, are considered for the data centers, and a method to forecast the load of the data centers based on power usage effectiveness is proposed. The cooling capacity of a data center and the index of the power usage effectiveness are used to forecast the power load of the data center in the method. The cooling capacity is obtained by calculating the heat load of the data center. The index is estimated using the group decision-making method of mixed language information. An example is given to prove the applicability and accuracy of this method.

20∶60∶20 - Differences in Energy Behaviour and Conservation between and within Households with Electricity Monitors

PubMed Central

Murtagh, Niamh; Gatersleben, Birgitta; Uzzell, David

2014-01-01

The introduction of electricity monitors (in-home displays; IHDs), which show accurate and up-to-the-minute energy usage, is expected to lead to reduction in consumption. Studies of feedback on domestic electricity use have generally supported this view. However, such studies also demonstrate wide variation between households. Examining the heterogeneity of responses is essential for understanding the actual and potential effectiveness of IHDs and in order to target interventions effectively. To explore differences between households' responses to IHDs, we conducted a qualitative study with 21 households who had an IHD for more than six months. Of the 21, only four households continued to refer to the IHD and the findings suggest that attempts to reduce energy consumption were situated in wider social and physical contexts. Further, the participants demonstrated energy saving behaviour before and outside of IHD usage. The patterns of energy behaviours and attempts at electricity conservation could best be understood by categorising the households into three types: the Monitor Enthusiasts (20%), the Aspiring Energy Savers (60%) and the Energy Non-Engaged (20%). The factors of importance in energy behaviour differed between the categories. Financial savings contributed to efforts to reduce energy use but only up to boundaries which varied considerably between households. Social practices and social relationships appeared to constrain what actions households were prepared to undertake, illuminating aspects of inter-household variation. Within the household, all energy users were not equal and we found that women were particularly influential on energy use through their primary responsibility for domestic labour on behalf of the household. The implications of the findings for environmental campaigning are discussed. PMID:24642946

20:60:20--differences in energy behaviour and conservation between and within households with electricity monitors.

PubMed

Murtagh, Niamh; Gatersleben, Birgitta; Uzzell, David

2014-01-01

The introduction of electricity monitors (in-home displays; IHDs), which show accurate and up-to-the-minute energy usage, is expected to lead to reduction in consumption. Studies of feedback on domestic electricity use have generally supported this view. However, such studies also demonstrate wide variation between households. Examining the heterogeneity of responses is essential for understanding the actual and potential effectiveness of IHDs and in order to target interventions effectively. To explore differences between households' responses to IHDs, we conducted a qualitative study with 21 households who had an IHD for more than six months. Of the 21, only four households continued to refer to the IHD and the findings suggest that attempts to reduce energy consumption were situated in wider social and physical contexts. Further, the participants demonstrated energy saving behaviour before and outside of IHD usage. The patterns of energy behaviours and attempts at electricity conservation could best be understood by categorising the households into three types: the Monitor Enthusiasts (20%), the Aspiring Energy Savers (60%) and the Energy Non-Engaged (20%). The factors of importance in energy behaviour differed between the categories. Financial savings contributed to efforts to reduce energy use but only up to boundaries which varied considerably between households. Social practices and social relationships appeared to constrain what actions households were prepared to undertake, illuminating aspects of inter-household variation. Within the household, all energy users were not equal and we found that women were particularly influential on energy use through their primary responsibility for domestic labour on behalf of the household. The implications of the findings for environmental campaigning are discussed.

Comparison of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s CAP88 PC versions 3.0 and 4.0

DOE PAGES

Jannik, Tim; Farfan, Eduardo B.; Dixon, Ken; ...

2015-08-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) with the assistance of Georgia Regents University, completed a comparison of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental dosimetry code CAP88 PC V3.0 with the recently developed V4.0. CAP88 is a set of computer programs and databases used for estimation of dose and risk from radionuclide emissions to air. At the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, CAP88 is used by SRNL for determining compliance with EPA's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (40 CFR 61, Subpart H) regulations. Using standardized input parameters, individual runs were conducted for each radionuclide within itsmore » corresponding database. Some radioactive decay constants, human usage parameters, and dose coefficients changed between the two versions, directly causing a proportional change in the total effective 137Cs, 3H, 129I, 239Pu, and 90Sr) is provided. In general, the total effective doses will decrease for alpha/beta emitters because of reduced inhalation and ingestion rates in V4.0. However, for gamma emitters, such as 60Co and 137Cs, the total effective doses will increase because of changes EPA made in the external ground shine calculations.« less

Environmental impacts of milk powder and butter manufactured in the Republic of Ireland.

PubMed

Finnegan, William; Goggins, Jamie; Clifford, Eoghan; Zhan, Xinmin

2017-02-01

The abolition of the milk quota system that was in place in Europe was abolished in 2015, which instigated an immediate increase in milk production in many European countries. This increase will aid in addressing the world's ever growing demand for food, but will incur increased stresses on the environmental impact and sustainability of the dairy industry. In this study, an environmental life cycle assessment was performed in order to estimate the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of milk powder and butter in the Republic of Ireland. A farm gate to processing factory gate analysis, which includes raw milk transportation, processing into each product and packaging, is assessed in this study. Operational data was obtained from 5 dairy processing factories that produce milk powder (4 of which also produce butter). Results for each environmental impact category are presented per kilogram of product. Energy consumption (raw milk transportation and on-site electrical and thermal energy usage) contributes, on average, 89% and 78% of the total global warming potential, for milk powder and butter respectively, for the life cycle stages assessed. Similarly, energy consumption contributes, on average, 86% and 96% of the total terrestrial acidification potential for milk powder and butter respectively, for these life cycle stages. Emissions associated with wastewater treatment contribute approximately 10% and 40% to the total freshwater eutrophication potential and marine eutrophication potential, respectively, for both milk powder and butter production. In addition, packaging materials also has a significant contribution to these environmental impact categories for butter production. Results were also presented for three milk powder products being manufactured by the factories surveyed: skim milk powder, whole milk powder and full fat milk powder. The analysis presented in this paper helps to identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts associated with post-farm processing of milk powder and butter. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NCI at Frederick Team Receives 2014 HHS Green Champions Award | Poster

Cancer.gov

A team of NCI and Leidos Biomedical Research employees at NCI at Frederick received the Energy and Fleet Management Award, one of the 2014 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Green Champions Awards, for comparing the costs and energy usage of two -80°C freezer technologies. This was the first scientific study to be jointly conducted by Leidos Biomedical Research’s

Attractor neural networks with resource-efficient synaptic connectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehlevan, Cengiz; Sengupta, Anirvan

Memories are thought to be stored in the attractor states of recurrent neural networks. Here we explore how resource constraints interplay with memory storage function to shape synaptic connectivity of attractor networks. We propose that given a set of memories, in the form of population activity patterns, the neural circuit choses a synaptic connectivity configuration that minimizes a resource usage cost. We argue that the total synaptic weight (l1-norm) in the network measures the resource cost because synaptic weight is correlated with synaptic volume, which is a limited resource, and is proportional to neurotransmitter release and post-synaptic current, both of which cost energy. Using numerical simulations and replica theory, we characterize optimal connectivity profiles in resource-efficient attractor networks. Our theory explains several experimental observations on cortical connectivity profiles, 1) connectivity is sparse, because synapses are costly, 2) bidirectional connections are overrepresented and 3) are stronger, because attractor states need strong recurrence.

DelPhiForce web server: electrostatic forces and energy calculations and visualization.

PubMed

Li, Lin; Jia, Zhe; Peng, Yunhui; Chakravorty, Arghya; Sun, Lexuan; Alexov, Emil

2017-11-15

Electrostatic force is an essential component of the total force acting between atoms and macromolecules. Therefore, accurate calculations of electrostatic forces are crucial for revealing the mechanisms of many biological processes. We developed a DelPhiForce web server to calculate and visualize the electrostatic forces at molecular level. DelPhiForce web server enables modeling of electrostatic forces on individual atoms, residues, domains and molecules, and generates an output that can be visualized by VMD software. Here we demonstrate the usage of the server for various biological problems including protein-cofactor, domain-domain, protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-RNA interactions. The DelPhiForce web server is available at: http://compbio.clemson.edu/delphi-force. delphi@clemson.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Solar power for energy sustainability and environmental friendliness of Curtin University Sarawak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palanichamy, C.; Goh, Alvin

2016-03-01

The demand on electrical energy is rapidly increasing. Everything around us requires electrical energy either during its production or usage stage. Sustainability has become the main concern nowadays as the availability of fossil fuels is limited. As renewable energy is the path-way to energy sustainability and environmental friendly environment, this paper proposes a solar power system for Curtin University Sarawak to reduce its electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed 208 kW solar system saves an energy consumption of more than 380,000 kWh per year, and a CO2 offset by 285 Tons per year

Energy optimization analysis of the more electric aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yitao; Deng, Junxiang; Liu, Chao; Li, Sen

2018-02-01

The More Electric Aircraft (MEA) underlines the utilization of the electrical power to drive the non-propulsive aircraft systems. The critical features of the MEA including no-bleed engine architecture and advanced electrical system are introduced. Energy and exergy analysis is conducted for the MEA, and comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of the energy usage between conventional aircraft and the MEA is conducted. The results indicate that one of the advantages of the MEA architecture is the greater efficiency gained in terms of reduced fuel consumption.

A Survey of Bioinformatics Database and Software Usage through Mining the Literature.

PubMed

Duck, Geraint; Nenadic, Goran; Filannino, Michele; Brass, Andy; Robertson, David L; Stevens, Robert

2016-01-01

Computer-based resources are central to much, if not most, biological and medical research. However, while there is an ever expanding choice of bioinformatics resources to use, described within the biomedical literature, little work to date has provided an evaluation of the full range of availability or levels of usage of database and software resources. Here we use text mining to process the PubMed Central full-text corpus, identifying mentions of databases or software within the scientific literature. We provide an audit of the resources contained within the biomedical literature, and a comparison of their relative usage, both over time and between the sub-disciplines of bioinformatics, biology and medicine. We find that trends in resource usage differs between these domains. The bioinformatics literature emphasises novel resource development, while database and software usage within biology and medicine is more stable and conservative. Many resources are only mentioned in the bioinformatics literature, with a relatively small number making it out into general biology, and fewer still into the medical literature. In addition, many resources are seeing a steady decline in their usage (e.g., BLAST, SWISS-PROT), though some are instead seeing rapid growth (e.g., the GO, R). We find a striking imbalance in resource usage with the top 5% of resource names (133 names) accounting for 47% of total usage, and over 70% of resources extracted being only mentioned once each. While these results highlight the dynamic and creative nature of bioinformatics research they raise questions about software reuse, choice and the sharing of bioinformatics practice. Is it acceptable that so many resources are apparently never reused? Finally, our work is a step towards automated extraction of scientific method from text. We make the dataset generated by our study available under the CC0 license here: http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1281371.

Use of Order Sets in Inpatient Computerized Provider Order Entry Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Usage Patterns at Seven Sites

PubMed Central

Wright, Adam; Feblowitz, Joshua C.; Pang, Justine E.; Carpenter, James D.; Krall, Michael A.; Middleton, Blackford; Sittig, Dean F.

2012-01-01

Background Many computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems include the ability to create electronic order sets: collections of clinically-related orders grouped by purpose. Order sets promise to make CPOE systems more efficient, improve care quality and increase adherence to evidence-based guidelines. However, the development and implementation of order sets can be expensive and time-consuming and limited literature exists about their utilization. Methods Based on analysis of order set usage logs from a diverse purposive sample of seven sites with commercially- and internally-developed inpatient CPOE systems, we developed an original order set classification system. Order sets were categorized across seven non-mutually exclusive axes: admission/discharge/transfer (ADT), perioperative, condition-specific, task-specific, service-specific, convenience, and personal. In addition, 731 unique subtypes were identified within five axes: four in ADT (S=4), three in perioperative, 144 in condition-specific, 513 in task-specific, and 67 in service-specific. Results Order sets (n=1,914) were used a total of 676,142 times at the participating sites during a one-year period. ADT and perioperative order sets accounted for 27.6% and 24.2% of usage respectively. Peripartum/labor, chest pain/Acute Coronary Syndrome/Myocardial Infarction and diabetes order sets accounted for 51.6% of condition-specific usage. Insulin, angiography/angioplasty and arthroplasty order sets accounted for 19.4% of task-specific usage. Emergency/trauma, Obstetrics/Gynecology/Labor Delivery and anesthesia accounted for 32.4% of service-specific usage. Overall, the top 20% of order sets accounted for 90.1% of all usage. Additional salient patterns are identified and described. Conclusion We observed recurrent patterns in order set usage across multiple sites as well as meaningful variations between sites. Vendors and institutional developers should identify high-value order set types through concrete data analysis in order to optimize the resources devoted to development and implementation. PMID:22819199

Global warming and air transport : meeting the challenge of sustainable growth

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

Aviation impacts community noise footprints, air quality, water quality, energy usage and availability, and the global climate. Trends show environmental impacts from aircraft noise and aviation emissions will be a critical constraint on capacity gro...

Estimating caffeine intake from energy drinks and dietary supplements in the United States.

PubMed

Bailey, Regan L; Saldanha, Leila G; Gahche, Jaime J; Dwyer, Johanna T

2014-10-01

No consistent definition exists for energy products in the United States. These products have been marketed and sold as beverages (conventional foods), energy shots (dietary supplements), and in pill or tablet form. Recently, the number of available products has surged, and formulations have changed to include caffeine. To help characterize the use of caffeine-containing energy products in the United States, three sources of data were analyzed: sales data, data from federal sources, and reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. These data indicate that sales of caffeine-containing energy products and emergency room visits involving their consumption appear to be increasing over time. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 indicate that 2.7% [standard error (SE) 0.2%] of the US population ≥1 year of age used a caffeine-containing energy product, providing approximately 150-200 mg/day of caffeine per day in addition to caffeine from traditional sources like coffee, tea, and colas. The highest usage of these products was among males between the ages of 19 and 30 years (7.6%, SE 1.0). Although the prevalence of caffeine-containing energy product use remains low overall in the US population, certain subgroups appear to be using these products in larger amounts. Several challenges remain in determining the level of caffeine exposure from and accurate usage patterns of caffeine-containing energy products. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Insights from Smart Meters. Ramp-up, dependability, and short-term persistence of savings from Home Energy Reports

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Todd, Annika; Perry, Michael; Smith, Brian

Smart meters, smart thermostats, and other new technologies provide previously unavailable high-frequency and location-specific energy usage data. Many utilities are now able to capture real-time, customer specific hourly interval usage data for a large proportion of their residential and small commercial customers. These vast, constantly growing streams of rich data (or, “big data”) have the potential to provide novel insights into key policy questions about how people make energy decisions. The richness and granularity of these data enable many types of creative and cutting-edge analytics. Technically sophisticated and rigorous statistical techniques can be used to pull useful insights out ofmore » this high-frequency, human-focused data. In this series, we call this “behavior analytics.” This kind of analytics has the potential to provide tremendous value to a wide range of energy programs. For example, disaggregated and heterogeneous information about actual energy use allows energy efficiency (EE) and/or demand response (DR) program implementers to target specific programs to specific households; enables evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) of energy efficiency programs to be performed on a much shorter time horizon than was previously possible; and may provide better insights into the energy and peak hour savings associated with EE and DR programs (e.g., behavior-based (BB) programs). The goal of this series is to enable evidence-based and data-driven decision making by policy makers and industry stakeholders, including program planners, program administrators, utilities, state regulatory agencies, and evaluators. We focus on research findings that are immediately relevant.« less

Energy consumption estimation of an OMAP-based Android operating system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Gabriel; Juárez, Eduardo; Castro, Juan José; Sanz, César

2011-05-01

System-level energy optimization of battery-powered multimedia embedded systems has recently become a design goal. The poor operational time of multimedia terminals makes computationally demanding applications impractical in real scenarios. For instance, the so-called smart-phones are currently unable to remain in operation longer than several hours. The OMAP3530 processor basically consists of two processing cores, a General Purpose Processor (GPP) and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The former, an ARM Cortex-A8 processor, is aimed to run a generic Operating System (OS) while the latter, a DSP core based on the C64x+, has architecture optimized for video processing. The BeagleBoard, a commercial prototyping board based on the OMAP processor, has been used to test the Android Operating System and measure its performance. The board has 128 MB of SDRAM external memory, 256 MB of Flash external memory and several interfaces. Note that the clock frequency of the ARM and DSP OMAP cores is 600 MHz and 430 MHz, respectively. This paper describes the energy consumption estimation of the processes and multimedia applications of an Android v1.6 (Donut) OS on the OMAP3530-Based BeagleBoard. In addition, tools to communicate the two processing cores have been employed. A test-bench to profile the OS resource usage has been developed. As far as the energy estimates concern, the OMAP processor energy consumption model provided by the manufacturer has been used. The model is basically divided in two energy components. The former, the baseline core energy, describes the energy consumption that is independent of any chip activity. The latter, the module active energy, describes the energy consumed by the active modules depending on resource usage.

Residual heat of laparoscopic energy devices: how long must the surgeon wait to touch additional tissue?

PubMed

Govekar, Henry R; Robinson, Thomas N; Stiegmann, Greg V; McGreevy, Francis T

2011-11-01

Energy devices are essential laparoscopic tools. Residual heat is defined as the increased instrument temperature after energy activation is completed. This study aimed to determine the length of time a surgeon needs to wait before touching other tissue using four common laparoscopic energy sources. Thermal imaging quantified instrument and tissue temperature ex vivo using monopolar coagulation, argon beam coagulation, ultrasonic dissection, and bipolar tissue fusion devices. To simulate realistic operative usage, each instrument was activated for 5 s four consecutive times with 5 s pauses between fires. Thermal conductivity to bovine liver tissue was measured 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 s after final activation. The maximum increase in instrument tip temperature was 172 ± 63°C for the ultrasonic dissection, 81 ± 18°C for the monopolar coagulation, 46 ± 19°C for the bipolar tissue fusion, and 1 ± 1°C for the argon beam coagulation (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Touching the instrument tip to tissue at four intervals after the final activation (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 s) found that ultrasonic energy raised the tissue temperature higher (maximum change, 58°C) than the other three energy devices at all four time points (P < 0.05). Ultrasonic energy instruments have greater residual heat than monopolar electrosurgery, bipolar tissue fusion, and argon beam. The ultrasonic energy instrument tips heated tissue more than 20°C from baseline even 20 s after activation; whereas all the other energy sources raised the tissue temperature less than 20°C by 5 s. These practical findings may alter a surgeon's usage of these common energy devices.

Ethnicity and OPRM variant independently predict pain perception and patient-controlled analgesia usage for post-operative pain.

PubMed

Tan, Ene-choo; Lim, Eileen C P; Teo, Yik-ying; Lim, Yvonne; Law, Hai-yang; Sia, Alex T

2009-06-23

Morphine consumption can vary widely between individuals even for identical surgical procedures. As mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) is known to modulate pain perception and mediate the analgesic effects of opioid compounds in the central nervous system, we examined the influence of two OPRM polymorphisms on acute post-operative pain and morphine usage in women undergoing elective caesarean delivery. Data on self-reported pain scores and amount of total morphine use according to patient-controlled analgesia were collected from 994 women from the three main ethnic groups in Singapore. We found statistically significant association of the OPRM 118A>G with self-administered morphine during the first 24-hour postoperative period both in terms of total morphine (p = 1.7 x 10(-5)) and weight-adjusted morphine (p = 6.6 x 10(-5)). There was also significant association of this OPRM variant and time-averaged self-rated pain scores (p = 0.024). OPRM 118G homozygotes used more morphine and reported higher pain scores than 118A carriers. Other factors which influenced pain score and morphine usage include ethnicity, age and paying class. Our results suggest that ethnicity and OPRM 118A>G genotype are independent and significant contributors to variation in pain perception and postoperative morphine use in patients undergoing cesarean delivery.

Investigation and identification of factors affecting migrating peasant workers' usage of safety footwear in the Chinese construction industry.

PubMed

Suo, Qinghui; Zhang, Daming

2017-09-01

A sample of 300 migrating peasant workers from 15 Chinese building construction sites completed a demographic questionnaire to investigate the usage of safety footwear. The survey form was constructed based on the theory of planned behaviour, and a total of 12 questions focusing on the workers' past experience, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control were included in the survey. It was found that 92% of the participants did not wear safety footwear while working on construction sites, although more than 91% of them believed that safety footwear would protect the foot from injury; none of the participants had been provided free safety footwear by their employer. Regression analysis shows that employers' attitude is the most important factor affecting their usage of safety footwear, 'providing free safety footwear' and 'comfortability of the safety footwear' ranking second and third respectively.

Assessing usage patterns of electronic clinical documentation templates.

PubMed

Vawdrey, David K

2008-11-06

Many vendors of electronic medical records support structured and free-text entry of clinical documents using configurable templates. At a healthcare institution comprising two large academic medical centers, a documentation management data mart and a custom, Web-accessible business intelligence application were developed to track the availability and usage of electronic documentation templates. For each medical center, template availability and usage trends were measured from November 2007 through February 2008. By February 2008, approximately 65,000 electronic notes were authored per week on the two campuses. One site had 934 available templates, with 313 being used to author at least one note. The other site had 765 templates, of which 480 were used. The most commonly used template at both campuses was a free text note called "Miscellaneous Nursing Note," which accounted for 33.3% of total documents generated at one campus and 15.2% at the other.

Hormone replacement therapy in the developing countries.

PubMed

Oei, P L; Ratnam, S S

1998-05-01

The sales data of oestrogen replacement products for 8 developing countries from 1993 to 1995 were analyzed. The data from Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and South Korea showed the increasing use of oestrogen replacement products. The total usage however varied widely, from only US$11,153 (Philippines in 1993) to as much as US$6,306,717 (Taiwan in 1995). In Singapore, where oestrogen replacement is an accepted and established form of therapy for the postmenopausal woman, there has been an increase in the usage of the nonoestrogen replacement products. There are multiple reasons for the increasing sales of hormone replacement products in the developing countries and these are explored in this article. In some of the developing countries, for example China and India, hormone replacement therapy has just been introduced. However, in those developing countries in which hormone replacement therapy is already available, sales figures show increasing usage. The future augurs well for hormone replacement therapy.

Usage of Sit-Stand Workstations and Associations Between Work and Nonwork Sitting Time: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Mazzotta, Michael A; Ferrar, Katia; Fraysse, Francois; Lewis, Lucy K; McEvoy, Maureen

2018-05-01

No studies have objectively measured habitual usage of sit-stand workstations. Eighteen full-time office workers participated (47.9 ± 9.2 years, 61% female). Sitting time was objectively measured (activPAL, 24 h/7 days), and time at desk, desk position, and perceptions of desk use were self-reported. Participants sat for 39% of their daily workstation time, and changed workstation position twice daily. The most common reasons for standing included back pain (44%) and tiredness (22%). The majority of participants received no workstation occupational health (72%) or educational (61%) information. Workstation standing time had a significant moderate correlation with total daily standing time (P = 0.02). Office workers with sit-stand workstations rarely change desk position, and there is no relationship between the time spent sitting at the workstation, and total daily sitting time. Education about the workstations was limited.

Septics by the Sea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dix, Stephen, Ed.

1993-01-01

Discusses benefits of alternative sewage technologies: (1) clean effluent; (2) less energy utilization than treatment plants; (3) reduced chemical usage; and (4) lower cost. Describes how four communities in Illinois, California, Alaska, and Wisconsin opted for alternative treatment systems. Provides information about the Environmental Protection…

Connected vehicle applications for adaptive overhead lighting (on-demand lighting) : final research report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has developed an on-demand roadway lighting : system and has tested the systems effect on driver visual performance. On-demand roadway : lighting can dramatically reduce energy usage while maintain...

Fuzzy usage pattern in customizing public transport fleet and its maintenance options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husniah, H.; Herdiani, L.; Kusmaya; Supriatna, A. K.

2018-05-01

In this paper we study a two-dimensional maintenance contract for a fleet of public transport, such as buses, shuttle etc. The buses are sold with a two-dimensional warranty. The warranty and the maintenance contract are characterized by two parameters – age and usage – which define a two-dimensional region. However, we use one dimensional approach to model these age and usage of the buses. The under-laying maintenance service contracts is the one which offers policy limit cost to protect a service provider (an agent) from over claim and to pursue the owner to do maintenance under specified cost in house. This in turn gives benefit for both the owner of the buses and the agent of service contract. The decision problem for an agent is to determine the optimal price for each option offered, and for the owner is to select the best contract option. We use a Nash game theory formulation in order to obtain a win-win solution – i.e. the optimal price for the agent and the optimal option for the owner. We further assume that there will be three different usage pattern of the buses, i.e. low, medium, and high pattern of the usage rate. In many situations it is often that we face a blur boundary between the adjacent patterns. In this paper we look for the optimal price for the agent and the optimal option for the owner, which minimizes the expected total cost while considering the fuzziness of the usage rate pattern.

Using the electronic medical record to assess contraception usage among women taking category D or X medications.

PubMed

Mody, Sheila K; Farala, John Paul; Wu, Jennifer; Felix, Robert; Chambers, Christina

2015-10-01

The aim of this study is to investigate contraceptive usage among women prescribed or currently taking a category D or X medication using the electronic medical record. This is a retrospective study assessing contraceptive usage among women prescribed category D or X medications. We obtained access to the electronic medical records of women seen in an academic Family Medicine Department between April 2011 and April 2012 who were prescribed a category D or X medication. Information was abstracted regarding the specific category D or X medication, demographics, sexual activity, sexual partner gender, and contraceptive usage. There were a total of 610 women included in this study. Among the 610 women, 72 (11.8%) of women had documentation that they were not asked about their sexual activity. Sexual activity with men was documented in 407 of the 610 women (66.7%). Of these 407 women, 132 (32.4%) had no contraceptive method documented. Among the women using contraception, the most common method used was oral contraception. According to data obtained from the electronic medical record, women who are taking a category D or X medication are not always asked about sexual activity. Contraception usage among women taking category D or X medications and who were sexually active with men was similar to the general population. Contraception usage should be better in this population given the risk of an unintended pregnancy includes fetal exposure to a potential teratogen. The electronic medical record creates an opportunity for an intervention to increase contraception utilization in this population. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer usage and task-switching during resident's working day: Disruptive or not?

PubMed

Méan, Marie; Garnier, Antoine; Wenger, Nathalie; Castioni, Julien; Waeber, Gérard; Marques-Vidal, Pedro

2017-01-01

Recent implementation of electronic health records (EHR) has dramatically changed medical ward organization. While residents in general internal medicine use EHR systems half of their working time, whether computer usage impacts residents' workflow remains uncertain. We aimed to observe the frequency of task-switches occurring during resident's work and to assess whether computer usage was associated with task-switching. In a large Swiss academic university hospital, we conducted, between May 26 and July 24, 2015 a time-motion study to assess how residents in general internal medicine organize their working day. We observed 49 day and 17 evening shifts of 36 residents, amounting to 697 working hours. During day shifts, residents spent 5.4 hours using a computer (mean total working time: 11.6 hours per day). On average, residents switched 15 times per hour from a task to another. Task-switching peaked between 8:00-9:00 and 16:00-17:00. Task-switching was not associated with resident's characteristics and no association was found between task-switching and extra hours (Spearman r = 0.220, p = 0.137 for day and r = 0.483, p = 0.058 for evening shifts). Computer usage occurred more frequently at the beginning or ends of day shifts and was associated with decreased overall task-switching. Task-switching occurs very frequently during resident's working day. Despite the fact that residents used a computer half of their working time, computer usage was associated with decreased task-switching. Whether frequent task-switches and computer usage impact the quality of patient care and resident's work must be evaluated in further studies.

Using the Electronic Medical Record to Assess Contraception Usage among Women Taking Category D or X Medications

PubMed Central

Mody, Sheila K; Farala, John Paul; Wu, Jennifer; Felix, Robert; Chambers, Christina

2016-01-01

Background The aim of this study is to investigate contraceptive usage among women prescribed or currently taking a category D or X medication using the electronic medical record. Methods This is a retrospective study assessing contraceptive usage among women prescribed category D or X medications. We obtained access to the electronic medical records of women seen in an academic Family Medicine Department between April 2011 and April 2012 who were prescribed a category D or X medication. Information was abstracted regarding the specific category D or X medication, demographics, sexual activity, sexual partner gender, and contraceptive usage. Results There were a total of 610 women included in this study. Among the 610 women, 72 (11.8%) of women had documentation that they were not asked about their sexual activity. Sexual activity with men was documented in 407 of the 610 women (66.7%). Of these 407 women, 132 (32.4%) had no contraceptive method documented. Among the women using contraception, the most common method used was oral contraception. Conclusion According to data obtained from the electronic medical record, women who are taking a category D or X medication are not always asked about sexual activity. Contraception usage among women taking category D or X medications and who were sexually active with men was similar to the general population. Contraception usage should be better in this population given the risk of an unintended pregnancy includes fetal exposure to a potential teratogen. The electronic medical record creates an opportunity for an intervention to increase contraception utilization in this population. PMID:26306028

Food, energy, and water in an era of disappearing snow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mote, P.; Lettenmaier, D. P.; Li, S.; Xiao, M.

2017-12-01

Mountain snowpack stores a significant quantity of water in the western US, accumulating during the wet season and melting during the dry summers and supplying more than 65% of the water used for irrigated agriculture, energy production (both hydropower and thermal), and municipal and industrial uses. The importance of snow to western agriculture is demonstrated by the fact that most snow monitoring is performed by the US Department of Agriculture. In a paper published in 2005, we showed that roughly 70% of monitoring sites showed decreasing trends through 2002. Now, with 14 additional years of data, over 90% of snow monitoring sites with long records across the western US show declines through 2016, of which 33% are significant (vs 5% expected by chance) and 2% are significant and positive (vs 5% expected by chance). Declining trends are observed across all months, states, and climates, but are largest in spring, in the Pacific states, and in locations with mild winter climate. We corroborate and extend these observations using a gridded hydrology model, which also allows a robust estimate of total western snowpack and its decline. Averaged across the western US, the decline in total April 1 snow water equivalent since mid-century is roughly 15-30% or 25-50 km3, comparable in volume to the West's largest man-made reservoir, Lake Mead. In the absence of rapid reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases, these losses will accelerate; snow losses on this scale demonstrate the necessity of rethinking water storage, policy, and usage.

Estimates of Refrigerator Loads in Public Housing Based on Metered Consumption Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, JD; Pratt, RG

1998-09-11

The New York Power Authority (NYPA), the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Energy (DOE) have joined in a project to replace refrigerators in New York City public housing with new, highly energy-efficient models. This project laid the ground work for the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and DOE to enable housing authorities throughout the United States to bulk-purchase energy-efficient appliances. DOE helped develop and plan the program through the ENERGY STAR@ Partnerships program conducted by its Pacific Nofiwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL was subsequently asked to conduct themore » savings evahations for 1996 and 1997. PNNL designed the metering protocol and occupant survey, supplied and calibrated the metering equipment, and managed and analyzed the data. The 1996 metering study of refrigerator energy usage in New York City public housing (Pratt and Miller 1997) established the need and justification for a regression-model-based approach to an energy savings estimate. The need originated in logistical difficulties associated with sampling the population and pen?orming a stratified analysis. Commonly, refrigerators[a) with high representation in the population were missed in the sampling schedule, leaving significant holes in the sample and difficulties for the stratified anrdysis. The just{jfcation was found in the fact that strata (distinct groups of identical refrigerators) were not statistically distinct in terms of their label ratio (ratio of metered consumption to label rating). This finding suggested a general regression model could be used to represent the consumption of all refrigerators in the population. In 1996 a simple two-coefficient regression model, a function of only the refrigerator label rating, was developed and used to represent the existing population of refrigerators. A key concept used in the 1997 study grew from findings in a small number of apartments metered in 1996 with a detailed protocol. Fifteen-minute time-series data of ambient and compartment temperatures and refrigerator power were analyzed and demonstrated the potential for reducing power records into three components. This motivated the development of an analysis process to divide the metered consumption into baseline load, occupant-associated load, and defrosting load. The baseline load is the consumption that would occur if the refrigerator were on but had no occupant usage load (no door-opening events) and the defrosting mechanism was disabled. The motivation behind this component reduction process was the hope that components could be more effectively modeled than the total. We reasoned that the components would lead to abetter (more general and more significant) understanding of the relationships between consumption, the characteristics of the refrigerator, and its operating environment.« less

Energy Conservation: Heating Navy Hangars

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

temperature, IF Tf Inside air temperature 1 foot above the floor, OF T. Inside design temperature, IF To Hot water temperature setpoint , OF TON Chiller ...systems capable of optimizing energy usage base-wide. An add-on to an existing large scale EMCS is probably the first preference, followed by single...the building comfort conditions are met during hours of building occupancy. 2. Optimized Start/Stop turns on equipment at the latest possible time and

Do Heat Pump Clothes Dryers Make Sense for the U.S. Market

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyers, Steve; Franco, Victor; Lekov, Alex

Heat pump clothes dryers (HPCDs) can be as much as 50percent more energy-efficient than conventional electric resistance clothes dryers, and therefore have the potential to save substantial amounts of electricity. While not currently available in the U.S., there are manufacturers in Europe and Japan that produce units for those markets. Drawing on analysis conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) current rulemaking on amended standards for clothes dryers, this paper evaluates the cost-effectiveness of HPCDs in American homes, as well as the national impact analysis for different market share scenarios. In order to get an accurate measurement of realmore » energy savings potential, the paper offers a new energy use calculation methodology that takes into account the most current data on clothes washer cycles, clothes dryer usage frequency, remaining moisture content, and load weight per cycle, which is very different from current test procedure values. Using the above methodology along with product cost estimates developed by DOE, the paper presents the results of a life-cycle cost analysis of the adoption of HPCDs in a representative sample of American homes. The results show that HPCDs have positive economic benefits only for households with high clothes dryer usage or for households with high electricity prices and moderately high utilization.« less

Blood and Blood Product Conservation: Results of Strategies to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Open Heart Surgery Patients at a Tertiary Hospital.

PubMed

Khan, Junaid H; Green, Emily A; Chang, Jimmin; Ayala, Alexandria M; Barkin, Marilyn S; Reinys, Emily E; Stanton, Jeffrey; Stanten, Russell D

2017-12-01

Blood product usage is a quality outcome for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. To address an increase in blood product usage since the discontinuation of aprotinin, blood conservation strategies were initiated at a tertiary hospital in Oakland, CA. Improving transfusion rates for open heart surgery patients requiring Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) involved multiple departments in coordination. Specific changes to conserve blood product usage included advanced CPB technology upgrades, and precise individualized heparin dose response titration assay for heparin and protamine management. Retrospective analysis of blood product usage pre-implementation, post-CPB changes and post-Hemostasis Management System (HMS) implementation was done to determine the effectiveness of the blood conservation strategies. Statistically significant decrease in packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and platelet usage over the stepped implementation of both technologies was observed. New oxygenator and centrifugal pump technologies reduced active circuitry volume and caused less damage to blood cells. Individualizing heparin and protamine dosing to a patient using the HMS led to transfusion reductions as well. Overall trends toward reductions in hospital length of stay and intensive care unit stay, and as a result, blood product cost and total hospitalization cost are positive over the period of implementation of both CPB circuit changes and HMS implementation. Although they are multifactorial in nature, these trends provide positive enforcement to the changes implemented.

Comparison of salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviours between adults in Myanmar and Korea.

PubMed

Cho, Hyungjin; Kim, So Mi; Jeong, Seong Su; Kim, Soon Bae

2016-12-01

Excessive oral salt intake can induce hypertension. According to previous studies, the prevalence of hypertension is higher in Myanmar than in Korea. We postulated that Myanmar adults had higher salt taste thresholds and eat much saltier food. This study aimed to compare salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviour scores between adults in Myanmar and Korea. This cross-sectional study enrolled patients who visited volunteer medical service clinics at Ansung in Korea and Hlegu and Bago in Myanmar in August 2014. We measured the vital signs, heights, and weights of each patient and evaluated detection thresholds, recognition thresholds, and salt preferences. All patients underwent urinalysis and spot urine Na tests. Additionally, they each completed a salt usage behaviour questionnaire. A total of 131 patients were enrolled, including 64 Myanmarese patients and 67 Korean patients. Blood pressure was significantly higher in the Myanmarese than in the Koreans. Detection and recognition thresholds, salt preferences, and spot urine sodium and salt usage behaviour scores were also higher in the Myanmarese than in the Korean subjects. We calculated correlation coefficients between systolic blood pressure and parameters that were related to salt intake. The detection and recognition thresholds were significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure. All parameters related to salt intake, including detection and recognition thresholds, salt preference, salt usage behaviour scores and spot urine sodium concentrations, are significantly higher in Myanmarese than in Korean individuals.

Characterisation of antimicrobial usage in cats and dogs attending UK primary care companion animal veterinary practices.

PubMed

Buckland, E L; O'Neill, D; Summers, J; Mateus, A; Church, D; Redmond, L; Brodbelt, D

2016-11-12

There is scant evidence describing antimicrobial (AM) usage in companion animal primary care veterinary practices in the UK. The use of AMs in dogs and cats was quantified using data extracted from 374 veterinary practices participating in VetCompass. The frequency and quantity of systemic antibiotic usage was described.Overall, 25 per cent of 963,463 dogs and 21 per cent of 594,812 cats seen at veterinary practices received at least one AM over a two-year period (2012-2014) and 42 per cent of these animals were given repeated AMs. The main agents used were aminopenicillin types and cephalosporins. Of the AM events, 60 per cent in dogs and 81 per cent in cats were AMs classified as critically important (CIAs) to human health by the World Health Organisation. CIAs of highest importance (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, third-generation cephalosporins) accounted for just over 6 per cent and 34 per cent of AMs in dogs and cats, respectively. The total quantity of AMs used within the study population was estimated to be 1473 kg for dogs and 58 kg for cats.This study has identified a high frequency of AM usage in companion animal practice and for certain agents classified as of critical importance in human medicine. The study highlights the usefulness of veterinary practice electronic health records for studying AM usage. British Veterinary Association.

Influence of pre- and post-usage flushing frequencies on bacterial water quality of non-touch water fittings.

PubMed

Suchomel, Miranda; Diab-Elschahawi, Magda; Kundi, Michael; Assadian, Ojan

2013-08-30

Non-touch fittings have been reported to be susceptible for Pseudomonas aeruginosa accumulation. A number of factors may contribute to this, including the frequency of usage, duration of water stagnation, or presence of plastic materials. Programmable non-touch fittings are appearing which allow regular automated post-flushing with cold water to prevent water stagnation. However, the ideal duration of post-flushing is unknown as well as the effect of pre-rinsing with cold water before use. Eight non-touch fittings with brass valve blocks were mounted on a mobile test sink and connected to the same central water pipe source, differing only in presence or absence of water connection pipes, length of connection pipe, frequency of usage, and time intervals for pre- and post-usage water flush. The total bacteria colony-forming unit (cfu) counts were obtained by the spread plate technique. Low frequency of water use in combination with a long stagnating water column resulted in high bacterial cfu counts. Post-usage flushing for 2 seconds did not differ from no flushing. Flushing for 10 seconds with cold water after use or 30 seconds flush before use were both the most effective measures to prevent non-touch fittings from biofilm formation over a period of 20 weeks. Further improvements in water fitting technology could possibly solve the problem of bacterial water contamination in health care settings.

Drug usage by outpatients in Croatia during an 8-year period: Influence of changes in pricing policy.

PubMed

Vitezic, Dinko; Madjarevic, Tomislav; Gantumur, Monja; Buble, Tonci; Vitezic, Miomira; Kovacevic, Miljenko; Mrsic-Pelcic, Jasenka; Sestan, Branko

2012-07-01

The aim of our study was to investigate the changes in drug usage and financial expenditure according to legal changes in Croatia during the period 2001 - 2008, especially considering pricing policy. The data on outpatient drug usage during the studied period was obtained from the Croatian National Health Insurance (CNHI). CNHI maintains a database on drugs prescribed by primary health care physicians and dispensed by pharmacies. The data was calculated and presented in defined daily doses (DDD) per inhabitant per year for antibiotics and in DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day for other drugs. The data is also presented in Euro/DDD and the financial expenditures are presented in Euros. During the investigated period drug usage increased 81.33%, while financial expenditure increased 77.23%. While total DDD/1,000 increased ~ 10% every year, financial expenditure increased 10 - 20% annually until 2006, but since then there have been no significant changes. Pricing policy changes could influence drug financial expenditure considerably in the short-term, but it is also important to apply a combination of measures for drug expenditure control. Numerous interventions from authorities from different countries all over the world, prove that there is still no so called "gold standard" which could restrain growing usage and expenditure of drugs. Clinical pharmacologists and clinical pharmacists should be included in these processes.

Recovery of Utility Fixed Costs: Utility, Consumer, Environmental and Economist Perspectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Lisa; Hemphill, Ross; Howat, John

Utilities recover costs for providing electric service to retail customers through a combination of rate components that together comprise customers’ monthly electric bills. Rates and rate designs are set by state regulators and vary by jurisdiction, utility and customer class. In addition to the fundamental tenet of setting fair and reasonable rates, rate design balances economic efficiency, equity and fairness, customer satisfaction, utility revenue stability, and customer price and bill stability.1 At the most basic level, retail electricity bills in the United States typically include a fixed monthly customer charge — a set dollar amount regardless of energy usage —more » and a volumetric energy charge for each kilowatt-hour consumed.2 The energy charge may be flat across all hours, vary by usage level (for example, higher rates at higher levels of usage), or vary based on time of consumption.3 While some utility costs, such as fuel costs, clearly vary according to electricity usage, other costs are “fixed” over the short run — generally, those that do not vary over the course of a year. Depending on your point of view, and whether the state’s electricity industry has been restructured or remains vertically integrated, the set of costs that are “fixed” may be quite limited. Or the set may extend to all capacity costs for generation, transmission and distribution. In the long run, all costs are variable. In the context of flat or declining loads in some regions, utilities are proposing a variety of changes to retail rate designs, particularly for residential customers, to recover fixed costs. In this report, authors representing utility (Chapter 1), consumer (Chapter 2), environmentalist (Chapter 3) and economist (Chapter 4) perspectives discuss fixed costs for electric utilities and set out their principles for recovering those costs. The table on the next page summarizes each author’s relative preferences for various options for fixed cost recovery, some of which may be used in combination.4 The specific design of any ratemaking option matters crucially, so a general preference for a given option does not indicate support for any particular application.« less

Management of Energy Consumption on Cluster Based Routing Protocol for MANET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini-Seno, Seyed-Amin; Wan, Tat-Chee; Budiarto, Rahmat; Yamada, Masashi

The usage of light-weight mobile devices is increasing rapidly, leading to demand for more telecommunication services. Consequently, mobile ad hoc networks and their applications have become feasible with the proliferation of light-weight mobile devices. Many protocols have been developed to handle service discovery and routing in ad hoc networks. However, the majority of them did not consider one critical aspect of this type of network, which is the limited of available energy in each node. Cluster Based Routing Protocol (CBRP) is a robust/scalable routing protocol for Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) and superior to existing protocols such as Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) in terms of throughput and overhead. Therefore, based on this strength, methods to increase the efficiency of energy usage are incorporated into CBRP in this work. In order to increase the stability (in term of life-time) of the network and to decrease the energy consumption of inter-cluster gateway nodes, an Enhanced Gateway Cluster Based Routing Protocol (EGCBRP) is proposed. Three methods have been introduced by EGCBRP as enhancements to the CBRP: improving the election of cluster Heads (CHs) in CBRP which is based on the maximum available energy level, implementing load balancing for inter-cluster traffic using multiple gateways, and implementing sleep state for gateway nodes to further save the energy. Furthermore, we propose an Energy Efficient Cluster Based Routing Protocol (EECBRP) which extends the EGCBRP sleep state concept into all idle member nodes, excluding the active nodes in all clusters. The experiment results show that the EGCBRP decreases the overall energy consumption of the gateway nodes up to 10% and the EECBRP reduces the energy consumption of the member nodes up to 60%, both of which in turn contribute to stabilizing the network.

New Hampshire Carbon Challenge: Reducing Residential Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schloss, A. L.; Bartlett, D.; Blaha, D.; Skoglund, C.; Dundorf, J.; Froburg, E.; Pasinella, B.

2007-12-01

The New Hampshire Carbon Challenge is an initiative of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire. Our goal is to educate New Hampshire residents about climate change and also encourage them to reduce their household greenhouse gas emissions by 10,000 pounds. The Northeast region is undergoing climate changes consistent with those expected due to increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, while also contributing to climate change as the world's seventh largest source of CO2 emissions. In the USA, approximately 40 percent of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion come from residential energy consumption for space heating, electricity usage, and transportation. Homeowners typically are not aware that modest energy reductions can result in significant carbon savings. Most campaigns that raise awareness of climate change and residential energy usage disseminate information to consumers through newspaper articles, brochures, websites, or other traditional means of communication. These information-only campaigns have not been very effective in changing residential energy consumption. Bombarded with information in their daily lives, the public has become quite adept at tuning most of it out. When much of the information they receive about climate change is confusing and contradictory, residents have even less incentive to change their behavior. The Challenge is unique in that it couples accurate information about climate change with concrete actions homeowners can take to reduce their carbon emissions. Our strategy is to utilize the tools of Community Based Social Marketing, which has been shown to be effective in changing behavior, and also to leverage existing networks including the NH Department of Environmental Services, UNH Cooperative Extension, faith-based communities, municipal energy committees and Climate Project volunteers, to effectively reach residents throughout the state. The response to our program has been very positive. We gave 74 presentations to 4000 NH residents since the program was launched in October 2006. We are currently developing web-based tools tailored to New Hampshire residents that will enable them to track reductions in their energy usage and connect those reductions to reduced emissions, and will provide us feedback as to which actions households are willing to take. This type of information exchange is essential in creating and sustaining an effective and scientifically accurate public outreach campaign.

Energy consumption analysis of the Venus Deep Space Station (DSS-13)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, N. V.

1983-01-01

This report continues the energy consumption analysis and verification study of the tracking stations of the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, and presents an audit of the Venus Deep Space Station (DSS 13). Due to the non-continuous radioastronomy research and development operations at the station, estimations of energy usage were employed in the energy consumption simulation of both the 9-meter and 26-meter antenna buildings. A 17.9% decrease in station energy consumption was experienced over the 1979-1981 years under study. A comparison of the ECP computer simulations and the station's main watt-hour meter readings showed good agreement.

Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)

EIA Publications

2028-01-01

The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, including their energy-related building characteristics and energy usage data (consumption and expenditures). Commercial buildings include all buildings in which at least half of the floorspace is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural. By this definition, CBECS includes building types that might not traditionally be considered commercial, such as schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship, in addition to traditional commercial buildings such as stores, restaurants, warehouses, and office buildings.

Recent advances in fluidized bed drying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haron, N. S.; Zakaria, J. H.; Mohideen Batcha, M. F.

2017-09-01

Fluidized bed drying are very well known to yield high heat and mass transfer and hence adopted to many industrial drying processes particularly agricultural products. In this paper, recent advances in fluidized bed drying were reviewed and focus is given to the drying related to the usage of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). It can be seen that usage of modern computational tools such as CFD helps to optimize the fluidized bed dryer design and operation for lower energy consumption and thus better thermal efficiency. Among agricultural products that were reviewed in this paper were oil palm frond, wheat grains, olive pomace, coconut, pepper corn and millet.

Analysis of Laogang energy internet and construction of the cloud platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Selan; Nie, Jianwen; Zhang, Daiyue; Li, Xia; Tai, Jun; Yu, Zhaohui; Lu, Yiqi; Xie, Da

2018-02-01

Laogang solid waste recycling base deals with about 70% waste domestic garbage of Shanghai every day. By recycling the garbage, great amount of energy including electricity, heat and gas can be produced. Meanwhile, the base itself consumes much energy as well. Therefore, an energy internet has been designed for the base to analyse the output and usage of the energy so that the energy utilization rate can be enhanced. In addition, a cloud platform has been established basing on the three-layer cloud technology: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. This cloud platform mainly analysing electricity will judge whether the energy has been used suitably form all sides and furthermore, improve the operation of the whole energy internet in the base.

Antimicrobial resistance: the major contribution of poor governance and corruption to this growing problem.

PubMed

Collignon, Peter; Athukorala, Prema-Chandra; Senanayake, Sanjaya; Khan, Fahad

2015-01-01

To determine how important governmental, social, and economic factors are in driving antibiotic resistance compared to the factors usually considered the main driving factors-antibiotic usage and levels of economic development. A retrospective multivariate analysis of the variation of antibiotic resistance in Europe in terms of human antibiotic usage, private health care expenditure, tertiary education, the level of economic advancement (per capita GDP), and quality of governance (corruption). The model was estimated using a panel data set involving 7 common human bloodstream isolates and covering 28 European countries for the period 1998-2010. Only 28% of the total variation in antibiotic resistance among countries is attributable to variation in antibiotic usage. If time effects are included the explanatory power increases to 33%. However when the control of corruption indicator is included as an additional variable, 63% of the total variation in antibiotic resistance is now explained by the regression. The complete multivariate regression only accomplishes an additional 7% in terms of goodness of fit, indicating that corruption is the main socioeconomic factor that explains antibiotic resistance. The income level of a country appeared to have no effect on resistance rates in the multivariate analysis. The estimated impact of corruption was statistically significant (p< 0.01). The coefficient indicates that an improvement of one unit in the corruption indicator is associated with a reduction in antibiotic resistance by approximately 0.7 units. The estimated coefficient of private health expenditure showed that one unit reduction is associated with a 0.2 unit decrease in antibiotic resistance. These findings support the hypothesis that poor governance and corruption contributes to levels of antibiotic resistance and correlate better than antibiotic usage volumes with resistance rates. We conclude that addressing corruption and improving governance will lead to a reduction in antibiotic resistance.

[The statistical analysis for the use of the 55,787 finished resin teeth].

PubMed

Wu, Shu-hong; Yu, Hai-yang; Wang, Lu; Xu, Ling; Xiao, Zhi-li

2010-08-01

To analyze the use situation of finished resin teeth for the different location, and to provide reference for manufacturers of finished resin teeth and all the buyers. To analyze the use situation of finished resin teeth in the Dental Laboratory of the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology of Chongqing Medical University from January 2006 to December 2008 by using statistic methods. During the use of 55,787 finished resin teeth, the study found some rules. (1) The top use of finished resin teeth was D6 with the percentage of 5.31%, and the lowest use of finished resin teeth was D3 with the percentage of 1.94%. (2) Except the maxillary canines and the mandibular lateral incisors, there was no significant difference between the usage of other same name finished resin teeth (P > 0.05). (3) Among all finished resin teeth, the usage of section B exceeded section A, and the usage of maxillary finished resin teeth exceeded mandibular finished resin teeth (P < 0.05). (4) The use of the complete denture and single complete denture was about 1/3 of the total usage of finished resin teeth. (5) Except the use situation of complete denture and single complete denture, the frequency of simultaneously using mandibular left and right central incisors was the most with the percentage of 81.46%, for the frequency of simultaneously using maxillary left and right canines was 43.26% of the total, which was the lowest. There is significant difference in the use frequency of finished resin teeth for different location. For such reason, the manufacturers should produce finished resin teeth pro rata as well as the buyers for their purchase.

Inverse problem and variation method to optimize cascade heat exchange network in central heating system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yin; Wei, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Yinping; Wang, Xin

2017-12-01

Urban heating in northern China accounts for 40% of total building energy usage. In central heating systems, heat is often transferred from heat source to users by the heat network where several heat exchangers are installed at heat source, substations and terminals respectively. For given overall heating capacity and heat source temperature, increasing the terminal fluid temperature is an effective way to improve the thermal performance of such cascade heat exchange network for energy saving. In this paper, the mathematical optimization model of the cascade heat exchange network with three-stage heat exchangers in series is established. Aim at maximizing the cold fluid temperature for given hot fluid temperature and overall heating capacity, the optimal heat exchange area distribution and the medium fluids' flow rates are determined through inverse problem and variation method. The preliminary results show that the heat exchange areas should be distributed equally for each heat exchanger. It also indicates that in order to improve the thermal performance of the whole system, more heat exchange areas should be allocated to the heat exchanger where flow rate difference between two fluids is relatively small. This work is important for guiding the optimization design of practical cascade heating systems.

Environmental efficiency of energy, materials, and emissions.

PubMed

Yagi, Michiyuki; Fujii, Hidemichi; Hoang, Vincent; Managi, Shunsuke

2015-09-15

This study estimates the environmental efficiency of international listed firms in 10 worldwide sectors from 2007 to 2013 by applying an order-m method, a non-parametric approach based on free disposal hull with subsampling bootstrapping. Using a conventional output of gross profit and two conventional inputs of labor and capital, this study examines the order-m environmental efficiency accounting for the presence of each of 10 undesirable inputs/outputs and measures the shadow prices of each undesirable input and output. The results show that there is greater potential for the reduction of undesirable inputs rather than bad outputs. On average, total energy, electricity, or water usage has the potential to be reduced by 50%. The median shadow prices of undesirable inputs, however, are much higher than the surveyed representative market prices. Approximately 10% of the firms in the sample appear to be potential sellers or production reducers in terms of undesirable inputs/outputs, which implies that the price of each item at the current level has little impact on most of the firms. Moreover, this study shows that the environmental, social, and governance activities of a firm do not considerably affect environmental efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic coating of NdFeB magnets with Dy to improve the coercivity of permanent magnets

DOE PAGES

Ucar, Huseyin; Parker, David S.; Nlebedim, I. C.; ...

2015-12-25

Here, we present a method, supported by theoretical analysis, for optimizing the usage of the critical rare earth element dysprosium in Nd 2Fe 14B (NdFeB)-based permanent magnets. In this method, we use Dy selectively in locations such as magnet edges and faces, where demagnetization factors are most significant, rather than uniformly throughout the bulk sample. A 200 nm thick Dy film was sputtered onto commercial N-38, NdFeB magnets with a thickness of 3 mm and post-annealed at temperatures from 600 - 700 C. Magnets displayed enhanced coercivities after post-annealing. Furthermore, our experimental results indicate as large as a 5 percentmore » increase in the energy product of NdFeB magnets, achieved for a total Dy weight percentage of 0.06 percent, much less than that used in commercial grade Dy-NdFeB magnets. Finally, by assuming all Dy diffused into NdFeB magnets, the improvement in energy product corresponds to a saving of over 1% Dy (critical element). Magnets manufactured using this technique will therefore be higher performing and significantly less expensive than those made presently.« less

Evaluation of the large scale computing needs of the energy research program and how to meet them. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, B.

The Energy Research program may be on the verge of abdicating an important role it has traditionally played in the development and use of state-of-the-art computer systems. The lack of easy access to Class VI systems coupled to the easy availability of local, user-friendly systems is conspiring to drive many investigators away from forefront research in computational science and in the use of state-of-the-art computers for more discipline-oriented problem solving. The survey conducted under the auspices of this contract clearly demonstrates a significant suppressed demand for actual Class VI hours totaling the full capacity of one such system. The currentmore » usage is about a factor of 15 below this level. There is also a need for about 50% more capacity in the current mini/midi availability. Meeting the needs of the ER community for this level of computing power and capacity is most probably best achieved through the establishment of a central Class VI capability at some site linked through a nationwide network to the various ER laboratories and universities and interfaced with the local user-friendly systems at those remote sites.« less

From the LCA of food products to the environmental assessment of protected crops districts: a case-study in the south of Italy.

PubMed

Cellura, Maurizio; Ardente, Fulvio; Longo, Sonia

2012-01-01

In the present study, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to evaluate the energy consumption and environmental burdens associated with the production of protected crops in an agricultural district in the Mediterranean region. In this study, LCA was used as a 'support tool', to address local policies for sustainable production and consumption patterns, and to create a 'knowledge base' for environmental assessment of an extended agricultural production area. The proposed approach combines organisation-specific tools, such as Environmental Management Systems and Environmental Product Declarations, with the environmental management of the district. Questionnaires were distributed to producers to determine the life cycle of different protected crops (tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, melons and zucchinis), and obtain information on greenhouse usage (e.g. tunnel vs. pavilion). Ecoprofiles of products in the district were also estimated, to identify supply chain elements with the highest impact in terms of global energy requirements, greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, water consumption and waste production. These results of this study enable selection of the 'best practices' and ecodesign solutions, to reduce the environmental impact of these products. Finally, sensitivity analysis of key LCA issues was performed, to assess the variability associated with different parameters: vegetable production; water usage; fertiliser and pesticide usage; shared greenhouse use; substitution of plastics coverings; and waste recycling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant-Wide Assessment Report for Shaw Industries, Plant #78; Aiken, SC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael Brown PE, CEM; Matt Soderlund; Bill Meffert PE

A plant-wide energy assessment sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy was conducted at Shaw Industries Group, plant #78 in Aiken, SC. The assessment team consisted of Georgia Tech faculty from the Energy & Environmental Management Center and Shaw personnel from plant #78 and the corporate energy group. The purpose of this assessment was to uncover as many opportunities for saving energy usage and costs using techniques that have been established as best practices in the energy engineering field. In addition, these findings are to be shared with similar plants in Shaw Industries Group to multiply the lessons learned. Themore » findings from this assessment are included in this report.« less

Energy supply and demand modeling. February 1985-March 1988 (A Bibliography from the NTIS data base). Report for February 1985-March 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-06-01

This bibliography contains citations concerning the use of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (This updated bibliography contains 201 citations, none of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Energy supply and demand modeling. February 1985-March 1988 (Citations from the NTIS data base). Report for February 1985-March 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-04-01

This bibliography contains citations concerning the utilization of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long-term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (This updated bibliography contains 201 citations, 129 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Energy supply and demand modeling. April 1988-June 1990 (A Bibliography from the NTIS data base). Report for April 1988-June 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-06-01

This bibliography contains citations concerning the use of mathematical models in trend analysis and forecasting of energy supply and demand factors. Models are presented for the industrial, transportation, and residential sectors. Aspects of long term energy strategies and markets are discussed at the global, national, state, and regional levels. Energy demand and pricing, and econometrics of energy, are explored for electric utilities and natural resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Energy resources are modeled both for fuel usage and for reserves. (This updated bibliography contains 200 citations, all of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Efficient Use of Electricity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fickett, Arnold P.; And Others

1990-01-01

Discussed are advanced technologies which may offer an opportunity to meet the world's future energy needs while minimizing the environmental impact. Savings to both suppliers and consumers are described. International electricity usage is compared. Government standards for the manufacture of electrical products in the United States are…

FINE PORE DIFFUSER SYSTEM EVALUATION FOR THE GREEN BAY METROPOLITAN SEWERAGE DISTRICT

EPA Science Inventory

The Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District retrofitted two quadrants of their activated sludge aeration system with ceramic and membrane fine pore diffusers to provide savings in energy usage compared to the sparged turbine aerators originally installed. Because significant di...

Environmental Concern, Social Capital and the Social Context of Tailpipe Emissions-Related Knowledge in Northern Climates

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-30

Approximately a quarter of all greenhouse gases originate from motor vehicle tailpipe emissions (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007). Along with reducing household energy usage, changes in transportation behavior would have the most dire...

An evaluation of alternative fuels usage by public transit agencies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

The oil crisis of the 1970s forced Americans to reconsider using fossil fuels as a primary energy source. In : the public transit arena, private transit companies found themselves unable to compete in the urban : environment as rapidly rising oil pri...

A population-induced renewable energy timeline in nine world regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Kevin; Jones, Glenn

2016-04-01

Population growth and increasing energy access are incongruous with forecasts of declining non-renewable energy production and climate change concerns. The current world population of 7.3 billion is projected to reach 8.4 billion by 2030 and 11.2 billion by 2100. Currently, 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity. The World Bank's Sustainable Energy for All initiative seeks to provide universal global access to energy by the year 2030. Though universal energy access is desirable, a significant reduction in fossil fuel usage is required before mid-century if global warming is to be limited to <2°C. Today, the global energy mix is derived from 91% non-renewable (oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear) and 9% renewable (e.g., hydropower, wind, solar, biofuels) sources. Here we use a nine region model of the world to quantify the changes in the global energy mix necessary to address population and climate change under two energy-use scenarios and find that significant restructuring of the current energy mix will be necessary to support the 2014 UN population projections. We also find that renewable energy production must comprise 87-94% of global energy consumption by 2100. Our study suggests >50% renewable energy needs to occur by 2028 in a <2°C warming scenario, but not until 2054 in an unconstrained energy use scenario. Each of the nine regions faces unique energy-population challenges in the coming decades. We find that global energy demand in 2100 will be more than double that of today; of this demand, 82% will need to be derived from renewable sources. More renewable energy production will be required in 2100 than the 2014 total global energy production. Given the required rate and magnitude of this transition to renewable energy, it is unlikely that the <2°C goal can be met. Focus should be placed on expanding renewable energy as quickly as possible in order to supply the projected world energy demand and to limit warming to 2.5-3°C by 2100.

Usage of personal music players in adolescents and its association with noise-induced hearing loss: A cross-sectional analysis of Ohrkan cohort study data.

PubMed

Twardella, Dorothee; Raab, Ulla; Perez-Alvarez, Carmelo; Steffens, Thomas; Bolte, Gabriele; Fromme, Hermann

2017-01-01

To describe personal music player (PMP) usage among adolescents, sociodemographic determinants and association with audiometric notches. Audiometric evaluation to assess hearing status, and standardized questionnaires to evaluate PMP listening behaviors, leisure noise exposures and self-reported hearing loss symptoms. Sociodemographic information was collected using a parent questionnaire. Noise exposure by PMP usage equivalent for a 40 h week was estimated based on self-reported volume and duration of use. A total of 2143 students (54% females) attending 9th grade in Regensburg, Germany, during 2009 to 2011. Overall, 85% of the students reported using PMPs. Exposure level exceeded 80 dB(A) in approximately one third, and 85 dB(A) in one quarter, of those who used PMP. An audiometric notch was found in 2.3% of participants, but was not significantly associated with higher PMP exposure. PMP exposure above the occupational limits of 80 and 85 dB(A) set by the Directive 2003/10/EC may be a risk factor for developing noise-induced hearing loss. Educational measures to ameliorate high risk behaviors in PMP usage are needed, particularly for socially disadvantaged groups.

Adaptation of Diaphyseal Structure with Aging and Increased Mechanical Usage in the Adult Rat: A Histomorphometrical and Biomechanical Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jee, Webster S. S.; Li, Xiao Jian; Schaffler, Mitchell B.

1991-01-01

The experimental increase in mechanical usage or overloading of the left hindlimb was produced by immobilization of the contralateral hindlimb. The right hindlimb was placed in a flexed position against the body and was immobilized using an elastic bandage. Some control animals were sacrificed initially at time zero and increased mechanical usage and age-matched control animals were sacrificed after 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of treatment. All animals received double bone fluorochrome labeling prior to sacrifice. Cortical bone histomorphometry and cross-sectional moments of inertia were determined. Marrow cavity enlargement and total cross-sectional area expansion represented the age-related cortical bone changes. Increased mechanical usage enhanced periosteal bone modeling in the formation mode and dampened endocortical bone remodeling and bone modeling in the resorption mode (resorption drift) to create a slight positive bone balance. These observations are in general agreement with Frost's postulate for mechanical effects on bone modeling and remodeling. The maximum moment of inertia did not change significantly in either control or overloaded tibial shafts. The minimum and polar moment of inertias in overloaded bones increases over those of controls at 18 and 26 weeks of the experiment.

Adaptation of Diaphyseal Structure With Aging and Increased Mechanical Usage in the Adult Rat: A Histomorphometrical and Biomechanical Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jee, Webster S. S.; Li, Xiao Jian; Schaffler, Mitchell B.

1991-01-01

The experimental increase in mechanical usage or overloading of the left hindlimb was produced by immobilization of the contralateral hindlimb. The right hindlimb was placed in a flexed position against the body and was immobilized using an elastic bandage. Some control animals were sacrificed initially at time zero and increased mechanical usage and age-matched control animals were sacrificed after 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of treatment. All animals received double bone fluorochrome labeling prior to sacrifice. Cortical bone histomorphometry and cross-sectional moments of inertia were determined. Marrow cavity enlargement and total cross-sectional area expansion represented the age-related cortical bone changes. Increased mechanical usage enhanced periosteal bone modeling in the formation mode and dampened endocortical bone remodeling and bone modeling in the resorption mode (resorption drift) to create a slight positive bone balance. These observations are in general agreement with Frost's postulate for mechanical effects on bone modeling and remodeling. The maximum moment of inertia did not change significantly in either control or overloaded tibial shafts. The minimum and polar moment of inertias in overloaded bones increases over those of controls at 18 and 26 weeks of the experiment.

Landscape predictors of pathogen prevalence and range contractions in US bumblebees.

PubMed

McArt, Scott H; Urbanowicz, Christine; McCoshum, Shaun; Irwin, Rebecca E; Adler, Lynn S

2017-11-29

Several species of bumblebees have recently experienced range contractions and possible extinctions. While threats to bees are numerous, few analyses have attempted to understand the relative importance of multiple stressors. Such analyses are critical for prioritizing conservation strategies. Here, we describe a landscape analysis of factors predicted to cause bumblebee declines in the USA. We quantified 24 habitat, land-use and pesticide usage variables across 284 sampling locations, assessing which variables predicted pathogen prevalence and range contractions via machine learning model selection techniques. We found that greater usage of the fungicide chlorothalonil was the best predictor of pathogen ( Nosema bombi ) prevalence in four declining species of bumblebees. Nosema bombi has previously been found in greater prevalence in some declining US bumblebee species compared to stable species. Greater usage of total fungicides was the strongest predictor of range contractions in declining species, with bumblebees in the northern USA experiencing greater likelihood of loss from previously occupied areas. These results extend several recent laboratory and semi-field studies that have found surprising links between fungicide exposure and bee health. Specifically, our data suggest landscape-scale connections between fungicide usage, pathogen prevalence and declines of threatened and endangered bumblebees. © 2017 The Author(s).

Assessment of On-Site Power Opportunities in the Industrial Sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bryson, T.

2001-10-08

The purpose of this report is to identify the potential for on-site power generation in the U.S. industrial sector with emphasis on nine industrial groups called the ''Industries of the Future'' (IOFs) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through its Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), the DOE has teamed with the IOFs to develop collaborative strategies for improving productivity, global competitiveness, energy usage and environmental performance. Total purchases for electricity and steam for the IOFs are in excess of $27 billion annually. Energy-related costs are very significant for these industries. The nine industrial groups are (1) Agriculture (SIC 1);more » (2) Forest products; (3) Lumber and wood products (SIC 24); (4) Paper and allied products (SIC 26); (5) Mining (SIC 11, 12, 14); (6) Glass (SIC 32); (7) Petroleum (SIC 29); (8) Chemicals (SIC 28); and (9) Metals (SIC 33): Steel, Aluminum, and Metal casting. Although not currently part of the IOF program, the food industry is included in this report because of its close relationship to the agricultural industry and its success with on-site power generation. On-site generation provides an alternative means to reduce energy costs, comply with environmental regulations, and ensure a reliable power supply. On-site generation can ease congestion in the local utility's electric grid. Electric market restructuring is exacerbating the price premium for peak electricity use and for reliability, creating considerable market interest in on-site generation.« less

Durability of a fin-tube latent heat storage using high density polyethylene as PCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zauner, Christoph; Hengstberger, Florian; Etzel, Mark; Lager, Daniel; Hofmann, Rene; Walter, Heimo

2017-10-01

Polymers have rarely been used as storage materials in latent heat storages up to now. Thus, we systematically screened all polymers available on a large-scale, selected promising ones based on their theoretical properties and experimentally tested more than 50 candidates. We found that polyethylene, polyoxymethylene and polyamides are promising even as recycled material. Especially high density polyethylene (HDPE) turned out to be suitable as was shown by detailed thermophysical characterization including more than 1000 heating and cooling cycles for INEOS Rigidex HD6070EA. We built a storage with 170 kg HDPE and a total mass of 600 kg based on a fin-tube heat exchanger and characterized its energy capacity, power characteristics and temperature profiles using a thermal oil test rig. In total we performed 30 melting and crystallization cycles where the whole storage was above 100 °C for more than 140 hours. After usage we examined the interior of the storage by cutting it into various pieces. A thin layer of degradation was observed on the surfaces of the PCM which is most likely related to thermo-oxidative degeneration of HDPE. However, the bulk of the PCM is still intact as well as the heat exchanger itself.

Monitoring Building Energy Systems at NASA Centers Using NASA Earth Science data, CMIP5 climate data products and RETScreen Expert Clean Energy Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stackhouse, P. W., Jr.; Ganoe, R. E.; Westberg, D. J.; Leng, G. J.; Teets, E.; Hughes, J. M.; De Young, R.; Carroll, M.; Liou, L. C.; Iraci, L. T.; Podolske, J. R.; Stefanov, W. L.; Chandler, W.

2016-12-01

The NASA Climate Adaptation Science Investigator team is devoted to building linkages between NASA Earth Science and those within NASA responsible for infrastructure assessment, upgrades and planning. One of the focus areas is assessing NASA center infrastructure for energy efficiency, planning to meet new energy portfolio standards, and assessing future energy needs. These topics intersect at the provision of current and predicted future weather and climate data. This presentation provides an overview of the multi-center effort to access current building energy usage using Earth science observations, including those from in situ measurements, satellite measurement analysis, and global model data products as inputs to the RETScreen Expert, a clean energy decision support tool. RETScreen® Expert, sponsored by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is a tool dedicated to developing and providing clean energy project analysis software for the feasibility design and assessment of a wide range of building projects that incorporate renewable energy technologies. RETScreen Expert requires daily average meteorological and solar parameters that are available within less than a month of real-time. A special temporal collection of meteorological parameters was compiled from near-by surface in situ measurements. These together with NASA data from the NASA CERES (Clouds and Earth's Radiance Energy System)/FLASHFlux (Fast Longwave and SHortwave radiative Fluxes) provides solar fluxes and the NASA GMAO (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) GEOS (Goddard Earth Observing System) operational meteorological analysis are directly used for meteorological input parameters. Examples of energy analysis for a few select buildings at various NASA centers are presented in terms of the energy usage relationship that these buildings have with changes in their meteorological environment. The energy requirements of potential future climates are then surveyed for a range of changes using the most recent CMIP5 global climate model data output.

NECAP: NASA's Energy-Cost Analysis Program. Part 1: User's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henninger, R. H. (Editor)

1975-01-01

The NECAP is a sophisticated building design and energy analysis tool which has embodied within it all of the latest ASHRAE state-of-the-art techniques for performing thermal load calculation and energy usage predictions. It is a set of six individual computer programs which include: response factor program, data verification program, thermal load analysis program, variable temperature program, system and equipment simulation program, and owning and operating cost program. Each segment of NECAP is described, and instructions are set forth for preparing the required input data and for interpreting the resulting reports.

Energy-efficient electric motors study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-03-01

A survey conducted of purchasers of integral horsepower polyphase motors measured current knowledge of and awareness of energy efficient motors, decision making criteria, information sources, purchase and usage patterns, and related factors. The data obtained were used for the electric motor market penetration analysis. Additionally, a telephone survey was made. The study also provides analyses of distribution channels, commercialization constraints, and the impacts of government programs and rising energy prices. Study findings, conclusions, and recommendations are presented. Sample questionnaires and copies of letters to respondents are presented in appendices as well as descriptions of the methods used.

Effectiveness of In-Home Feedback Devices in Conjunction with Energy Use Information on Residential Energy Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rungta, Shaily

Residential energy consumption accounts for 22% of the total energy use in the United States. The consumer's perception of energy usage and conservation are very inaccurate which is leading to growing number of individuals who try to seek out ways to use energy more wisely. Hence behavioral change in consumers with respect to energy use, by providing energy use feedback may be important in reducing home energy consumption. Real-time energy information feedback delivered via technology along with feedback interventions has been reported to produce up to 20 percent declines in residential energy consumption through past research and pilot studies. There are, however, large differences in the estimates of the effect of these different types of feedback on energy use. As part of the Energize Phoenix Program, (a U.S. Department of Energy funded program), a Dashboard Study was conducted by the Arizona State University to estimate the impact of real-time, home-energy displays in conjunction with other feedback interventions on the residential rate of energy consumption in Phoenix, while also creating awareness and encouragement to households to reduce energy consumption. The research evaluates the effectiveness of these feedback initiatives. In the following six months of field experiment, a selected number of low-income multi-family apartments in Phoenix, were divided in three groups of feedback interventions, where one group received residential energy use related education and information, the second group received the same education as well as was equipped with the in-home feedback device and the third was given the same education, the feedback device and added budgeting information. Results of the experiment at the end of the six months did not lend a consistent support to the results from literature and past pilot studies. The data revealed a statistically insignificant reduction in energy consumption for the experiment group overall and inconsistent results for individual households when compared to a randomly selected control sample. However, as per the participant survey results, the study proved effective to foster awareness among participating residents of their own patterns of residential electricity consumption and understanding of residential energy use related savings.

Restraint use (seat belt and child passenger seat) survey

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

In Arizona, lack of restraint usage (seat belts and child passenger seats) was a contributing factor to an average of 687 fatalities per year which is nearly 60% of total fatalities. These tragic statistics could be dramatically decreased if effectiv...

Increased energy efficiency of a steel foundry plant by using a cleaner production quick-E-scan methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasmeni, Zelda; Pan, Xiaowei

2017-07-01

The Quick-E-Scan methodology is a simple and quick method that is used to achieve operational energy efficiency as opposed to detailed energy audits, which therefore offers a no cost or less cost solutions for energy management programs with a limited budget. The quick-E-scan methodology was used to assesses a steel foundry plant based in Benoni through dividing the foundry into production sections which entailed a review of the current processes and usage patterns of energy within the plant and a detailed analysis of options available for improvement and profitable areas in which energy saving measures may be implemented for an increase energy efficiency which can be presented to management of the company.

Carbon Abatement and Emissions Associated with the Gasification of Walnut Shells for Bioenergy and Biochar Production.

PubMed

Pujol Pereira, Engil Isadora; Suddick, Emma C; Six, Johan

2016-01-01

By converting biomass residue to biochar, we could generate power cleanly and sequester carbon resulting in overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings when compared to typical fossil fuel usage and waste disposal. We estimated the carbon dioxide (CO2) abatements and emissions associated to the concurrent production of bioenergy and biochar through biomass gasification in an organic walnut farm and processing facility in California, USA. We accounted for (i) avoided-CO2 emissions from displaced grid electricity by bioenergy; (ii) CO2 emissions from farm machinery used for soil amendment of biochar; (iii) CO2 sequestered in the soil through stable biochar-C; and (iv) direct CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil. The objective of these assessments was to pinpoint where the largest C offsets can be expected in the bioenergy-biochar chain. We found that energy production from gasification resulted in 91.8% of total C offsets, followed by stable biochar-C (8.2% of total C sinks), offsetting a total of 107.7 kg CO2-C eq Mg-1 feedstock. At the field scale, we monitored gas fluxes from soils for 29 months (180 individual observations) following field management and precipitation events in addition to weekly measurements within three growing seasons and two tree dormancy periods. We compared four treatments: control, biochar, compost, and biochar combined with compost. Biochar alone or in combination with compost did not alter total N2O and CO2 emissions from soils, indicating that under the conditions of this study, biochar-prompted C offsets may not be expected from the mitigation of direct soil GHG emissions. However, this study revealed a case where a large environmental benefit was given by the waste-to-bioenergy treatment, addressing farm level challenges such as waste management, renewable energy generation, and C sequestration.

Carbon Abatement and Emissions Associated with the Gasification of Walnut Shells for Bioenergy and Biochar Production

PubMed Central

Pujol Pereira, Engil Isadora; Suddick, Emma C.; Six, Johan

2016-01-01

By converting biomass residue to biochar, we could generate power cleanly and sequester carbon resulting in overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings when compared to typical fossil fuel usage and waste disposal. We estimated the carbon dioxide (CO2) abatements and emissions associated to the concurrent production of bioenergy and biochar through biomass gasification in an organic walnut farm and processing facility in California, USA. We accounted for (i) avoided-CO2 emissions from displaced grid electricity by bioenergy; (ii) CO2 emissions from farm machinery used for soil amendment of biochar; (iii) CO2 sequestered in the soil through stable biochar-C; and (iv) direct CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil. The objective of these assessments was to pinpoint where the largest C offsets can be expected in the bioenergy-biochar chain. We found that energy production from gasification resulted in 91.8% of total C offsets, followed by stable biochar-C (8.2% of total C sinks), offsetting a total of 107.7 kg CO2-C eq Mg-1 feedstock. At the field scale, we monitored gas fluxes from soils for 29 months (180 individual observations) following field management and precipitation events in addition to weekly measurements within three growing seasons and two tree dormancy periods. We compared four treatments: control, biochar, compost, and biochar combined with compost. Biochar alone or in combination with compost did not alter total N2O and CO2 emissions from soils, indicating that under the conditions of this study, biochar-prompted C offsets may not be expected from the mitigation of direct soil GHG emissions. However, this study revealed a case where a large environmental benefit was given by the waste-to-bioenergy treatment, addressing farm level challenges such as waste management, renewable energy generation, and C sequestration. PMID:26963623

Investigating energy-saving potentials in the cloud.

PubMed

Lee, Da-Sheng

2014-02-20

Collecting webpage messages can serve as a sensor for investigating the energy-saving potential of buildings. Focusing on stores, a cloud sensor system is developed to collect data and determine their energy-saving potential. The owner of a store under investigation must register online, report the store address, area, and the customer ID number on the electric meter. The cloud sensor system automatically surveys the energy usage records by connecting to the power company website and calculating the energy use index (EUI) of the store. Other data includes the chain store check, company capital, location price, and the influence of weather conditions on the store; even the exposure frequency of store under investigation may impact the energy usage collected online. After collecting data from numerous stores, a multi-dimensional data array is constructed to determine energy-saving potential by identifying stores with similarity conditions. Similarity conditions refer to analyzed results that indicate that two stores have similar capital, business scale, weather conditions, and exposure frequency on web. Calculating the EUI difference or pure technical efficiency of stores, the energy-saving potential is determined. In this study, a real case study is performed. An 8-dimensional (8D) data array is constructed by surveying web data related to 67 stores. Then, this study investigated the savings potential of the 33 stores, using a site visit, and employed the cloud sensor system to determine the saving potential. The case study results show good agreement between the data obtained by the site visit and the cloud investigation, with errors within 4.17%. Among 33 the samples, eight stores have low saving potentials of less than 5%. The developed sensor on the cloud successfully identifies them as having low saving potential and avoids wasting money on the site visit.

Achieving Actionable Results from Available Inputs: Metamodels Take Building Energy Simulations One Step Further

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horsey, Henry; Fleming, Katherine; Ball, Brian

Modeling commercial building energy usage can be a difficult and time-consuming task. The increasing prevalence of optimization algorithms provides one path for reducing the time and difficulty. Many use cases remain, however, where information regarding whole-building energy usage is valuable, but the time and expertise required to run and post-process a large number of building energy simulations is intractable. A relatively underutilized option to accurately estimate building energy consumption in real time is to pre-compute large datasets of potential building energy models, and use the set of results to quickly and efficiently provide highly accurate data. This process is calledmore » metamodeling. In this paper, two case studies are presented demonstrating the successful applications of metamodeling using the open-source OpenStudio Analysis Framework. The first case study involves the U.S. Department of Energy's Asset Score Tool, specifically the Preview Asset Score Tool, which is designed to give nontechnical users a near-instantaneous estimated range of expected results based on building system-level inputs. The second case study involves estimating the potential demand response capabilities of retail buildings in Colorado. The metamodel developed in this second application not only allows for estimation of a single building's expected performance, but also can be combined with public data to estimate the aggregate DR potential across various geographic (county and state) scales. In both case studies, the unique advantages of pre-computation allow building energy models to take the place of topdown actuarial evaluations. This paper ends by exploring the benefits of using metamodels and then examines the cost-effectiveness of this approach.« less

Investigating Energy-Saving Potentials in the Cloud

PubMed Central

Lee, Da-Sheng

2014-01-01

Collecting webpage messages can serve as a sensor for investigating the energy-saving potential of buildings. Focusing on stores, a cloud sensor system is developed to collect data and determine their energy-saving potential. The owner of a store under investigation must register online, report the store address, area, and the customer ID number on the electric meter. The cloud sensor system automatically surveys the energy usage records by connecting to the power company website and calculating the energy use index (EUI) of the store. Other data includes the chain store check, company capital, location price, and the influence of weather conditions on the store; even the exposure frequency of store under investigation may impact the energy usage collected online. After collecting data from numerous stores, a multi-dimensional data array is constructed to determine energy-saving potential by identifying stores with similarity conditions. Similarity conditions refer to analyzed results that indicate that two stores have similar capital, business scale, weather conditions, and exposure frequency on web. Calculating the EUI difference or pure technical efficiency of stores, the energy-saving potential is determined. In this study, a real case study is performed. An 8-dimensional (8D) data array is constructed by surveying web data related to 67 stores. Then, this study investigated the savings potential of the 33 stores, using a site visit, and employed the cloud sensor system to determine the saving potential. The case study results show good agreement between the data obtained by the site visit and the cloud investigation, with errors within 4.17%. Among 33 the samples, eight stores have low saving potentials of less than 5%. The developed sensor on the cloud successfully identifies them as having low saving potential and avoids wasting money on the site visit. PMID:24561405

Switching neuronal state: optimal stimuli revealed using a stochastically-seeded gradient algorithm.

PubMed

Chang, Joshua; Paydarfar, David

2014-12-01

Inducing a switch in neuronal state using energy optimal stimuli is relevant to a variety of problems in neuroscience. Analytical techniques from optimal control theory can identify such stimuli; however, solutions to the optimization problem using indirect variational approaches can be elusive in models that describe neuronal behavior. Here we develop and apply a direct gradient-based optimization algorithm to find stimulus waveforms that elicit a change in neuronal state while minimizing energy usage. We analyze standard models of neuronal behavior, the Hodgkin-Huxley and FitzHugh-Nagumo models, to show that the gradient-based algorithm: (1) enables automated exploration of a wide solution space, using stochastically generated initial waveforms that converge to multiple locally optimal solutions; and (2) finds optimal stimulus waveforms that achieve a physiological outcome condition, without a priori knowledge of the optimal terminal condition of all state variables. Analysis of biological systems using stochastically-seeded gradient methods can reveal salient dynamical mechanisms underlying the optimal control of system behavior. The gradient algorithm may also have practical applications in future work, for example, finding energy optimal waveforms for therapeutic neural stimulation that minimizes power usage and diminishes off-target effects and damage to neighboring tissue.

Demonstration of the SeptiStrand benthic microbial fuel cell powering a magnetometer for ship detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias-Thode, Y. Meriah; Hsu, Lewis; Anderson, Greg; Babauta, Jerome; Fransham, Roy; Obraztsova, Anna; Tukeman, Gabriel; Chadwick, D. Bart

2017-07-01

The Navy has a need for monitoring conditions and gathering information in marine environments. Sensors can monitor and report environmental parameters and potential activities such as animal movements, ships, or personnel. However, there has to be a means to power these sensors. One promising enabling technology that has been shown to provide long-term power production in underwater environments is the benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFC). BMFCs are devices that generate energy by coupling bioanodes and biocathodes through an external energy harvester. Recent studies have demonstrated success for usage of BMFCs in powering small instruments and other devices on the seafloor over limited periods of time. In this effort, a seven-stranded BMFC linear array of 30 m was designed to power a seafloor magnetometer to detect passing ship movements through Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The BMFC system was connected to a flyback energy harvesting circuit that charged the battery powering the magnetometer. The deployment was demonstrated the BMFC supplied power to the battery for approximately 38 days. This is the first large-scale demonstration system for usage of the SeptiStrand BMFC technology to power a relevant sensor.

Dynamic I/O Power Management for Hard Real-Time Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

recently emerged as an attractive alternative to inflexible hardware solutions. DPM for hard real - time systems has received relatively little attention...In particular, energy-driven I/O device scheduling for real - time systems has not been considered before. We present the first online DPM algorithm...which we call Low Energy Device Scheduler (LEDES), for hard real - time systems . LEDES takes as inputs a predetermined task schedule and a device-usage

Effect of different scenarios for selective dry-cow therapy on udder health, antimicrobial usage, and economics.

PubMed

Scherpenzeel, C G M; den Uijl, I E M; van Schaik, G; Riekerink, R G M Olde; Hogeveen, H; Lam, T J G M

2016-05-01

The goal of dry-cow therapy (DCT) is to reduce the prevalence of intramammary infections (IMI) by eliminating existing IMI at drying off and preventing new IMI from occurring during the dry period. Due to public health concerns, however, preventive use of antimicrobials has become questionable. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 8 scenarios for selecting animals for DCT, taking into account variation in parity and cow-level somatic cell count (SCC) at drying off. The aim of this study was to evaluate udder health, antimicrobial usage, and economics at the herd level when using different scenarios for selecting cows for DCT. To enable calculation and comparison of the effects of different scenarios to select cows for DCT in an "average" herd, we created an example herd, with a virtual herd size of 100 dairy cows to be calving during a year. Udder health, antimicrobial usage, and economics were evaluated during the dry period and the first 100 d in lactation, the period during which the greatest effect of DCT is expected. This leads to an estimated 13,551 cow-days at risk during a year in a 100-cow dairy herd. In addition to a blanket DCT (BDCT) scenario, we developed 7 scenarios to select cows for DCT based on SCC. The scenarios covered a range of possible approaches to select low-SCC cows for DCT, all based on cow-level SCC thresholds on the last milk recording before drying off. The incidence rate of clinical mastitis in the example herd varied from 11.6 to 14.5 cases of clinical mastitis per 10,000 cow-days at risk in the different scenarios, and the prevalence of subclinical mastitis varied from 38.8% in scenario 1 (BDCT) to 48.3% in scenario 8. Total antimicrobial usage for DCT and clinical mastitis treatment varied over the scenarios from 1.27 (scenario 8) to 3.15 animal daily dosages (BDCT), leading to a maximum reduction in antimicrobial usage of 60% for scenario 8 compared with BDCT. The total costs for each of the scenarios showed little variation, varying from €4,893 for scenario 5 to €5,383 for scenario 8. The effect of selective DCT compared with BDCT on udder health, antimicrobial usage, and economics is influenced by the SCC criteria used to select cows for DCT. Scenario 2 resulted in the lowest increases in clinical and subclinical mastitis compared with BDCT. The greatest reduction in antimicrobial usage was achieved under scenario 8. From an economic perspective, lowest costs were achieved with scenario 5. Drying off dairy cows with antimicrobials has an effect on udder health, antimicrobial usage, and economics. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 86.1721-99 - Application for certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... (6) For electric and hybrid electric vehicles, identification of the energy usage in kilowatt-hours... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) General Provisions for the Voluntary National Low Emission Vehicle Program for Light-Duty Vehicles and...

Displaying Geographically-Based Domestic Statistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quann, J.; Dalton, J.; Banks, M.; Helfer, D.; Szczur, M.; Winkert, G.; Billingsley, J.; Borgstede, R.; Chen, J.; Chen, L.;

Solar Schools: Rock LaFleche Development Center; Troy Elementary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Business Affairs, 1979

1979-01-01

A solar heating and hot water system are part of the basic design at a center for severely handicapped children in California. A computer will be recording temperature and energy usage at the largest solar installation in a Michigan school. (Author/MLF)

Cardiac asystole following cannabis (marijuana) usage--additional mechanism for sudden death?

PubMed

Menahem, Samuel

2013-12-10

A 21 year old university student previously operated during infancy for an unobstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage with an excellent result, was noted on a routine follow up 24 h Holter monitor to have multiple pauses related to cardiac asystole, the longest lasting 5.8 s and temporally related to marijuana inhalation. A repeat Holter was normal following a two week cessation of marijuana usage and again when carried out 3 months later. The documented periods of asystole may be a precursor of sudden death seen in addicts even without evidence of ischaemic heart disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate Science Performance, Data and Productivity on Titan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayer, Benjamin W; Worley, Patrick H; Gaddis, Abigail L

2015-01-01

Climate Science models are flagship codes for the largest of high performance computing (HPC) resources, both in visibility, with the newly launched Department of Energy (DOE) Accelerated Climate Model for Energy (ACME) effort, and in terms of significant fractions of system usage. The performance of the DOE ACME model is captured with application level timers and examined through a sizeable run archive. Performance and variability of compute, queue time and ancillary services are examined. As Climate Science advances in the use of HPC resources there has been an increase in the required human and data systems to achieve programs goals.more » A description of current workflow processes (hardware, software, human) and planned automation of the workflow, along with historical and projected data in motion and at rest data usage, are detailed. The combination of these two topics motivates a description of future systems requirements for DOE Climate Modeling efforts, focusing on the growth of data storage and network and disk bandwidth required to handle data at an acceptable rate.« less

Potential for large-scale solar collector system to offset carbon-based heating in the Ontario greenhouse sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semple, Lucas M.; Carriveau, Rupp; Ting, David S.-K.

2018-04-01

In the Ontario greenhouse sector the misalignment of available solar radiation during the summer months and large heating demand during the winter months makes solar thermal collector systems an unviable option without some form of seasonal energy storage. Information obtained from Ontario greenhouse operators has shown that over 20% of annual natural gas usage occurs during the summer months for greenhouse pre-heating prior to sunrise. A transient model of the greenhouse microclimate and indoor conditioning systems is carried out using TRNSYS software and validated with actual natural gas usage data. A large-scale solar thermal collector system is then incorporated and found to reduce the annual heating energy demand by approximately 35%. The inclusion of the collector system correlates to a reduction of about 120 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per acre of greenhouse per year. System payback period is discussed considering the benefits of a future Ontario carbon tax.

Recurrent pneumonia among Japanese adults: disease burden and risk factors.

PubMed

Ishifuji, Tomoko; Sando, Eiichiro; Kaneko, Norihiro; Suzuki, Motoi; Kilgore, Paul E; Ariyoshi, Koya; Morimoto, Konosuke; Hosokawa, Naoto; Yaegashi, Makito; Aoshima, Masahiro

2017-01-11

In Japan and other societies with rapidly aging populations, recurrent pneumonia (RP) is a major clinical problem yet only limited information exists regarding the burden of this disease. A prospective study of adult pneumonia was conducted to investigate the incidence of RP and potential risk factors. From February 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013, patients aged ≥ 15 years who were diagnosed with pneumonia were prospectively enrolled in a representative community hospital located in central Japan. Patients were followed for one-year to evaluate the recurrence of pneumonia and characteristics associated with RP. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and ascertain risk factors significantly associated with RP. In total, 841 patients with a median age of 73 years (range 15-101 years) were enrolled totaling 1,048 person-years of observation with a median follow-up time of 475 days. A total of 137 patients had at least one recurrent episode with an incidence rate of 13.1 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval: 11.1-15.5). In multivariate analysis, a past history of pneumonia (aHR 1.95, 95% CI: 1.35-2.8), chronic pulmonary disease (aHR 1.86, 1.24-2.78) and inhaled corticosteroid usage (aHR 1.78, 1.12-2.84) and hypnotic/sedative medication usage (aHR 2.06, 1.28-3.31) were identified as independent risk factors for recurrent pneumonia, whereas angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors usage was associated with a reduction of the risk of RP (aHR 0.22, 0.05-0.91). The detection of P. aeruginosa was significantly associated with RP even after adjusting for chronic pulmonary diseases (aHR = 2.37). Recurrent pneumonia constitutes a considerable proportion of the pneumonia burden in Japan. A past history of pneumonia, chronic pulmonary disease, inhaled corticosteroid and hypnotic/sedative medication usage and detection of P. aeruginosa were identified as independent risk factors for recurrent pneumonia and special attention regarding the use of medications in this vulnerable population is needed to reduce the impact of this disease in aging populations.

Informing Regional Water-Energy-Food Nexus with System Analysis and Interactive Visualizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y. C. E.; Wi, S.

2016-12-01

Communicating scientific results to non-technical practitioners is challenging due to their differing interests, concerns and agendas. It is further complicated by the growing number of relevant factors that need to be considered, such as climate change and demographic dynamic. Visualization is an effective method for the scientific community to disseminate results, and it represents an opportunity for the future of water resources systems analysis (WRSA). This study demonstrates an intuitive way to communicate WRSA results to practitioners using interactive web-based visualization tools developed by the JavaScript library: Data-Driven Documents (D3) with a case study in Great Ruaha River of Tanzania. The decreasing trend of streamflow during the last decades in the region highlights the need of assessing the water usage competition between agricultural production, energy generation, and ecosystem service. Our team conduct the advance water resources systems analysis to inform policy that will affect the water-energy-food nexus. Modeling results are presented in the web-based visualization tools and allow non-technical practitioners to brush the graph directly (e. g. Figure 1). The WRSA suggests that no single measure can completely resolve the water competition. A combination of measures, each of which is acceptable from a social and economic perspective, and accepting that zero flows cannot be totally eliminated during dry years in the wetland, are likely to be the best way forward.

Wireless Sensor for Measuring Pump Efficiency: Small Business Voucher Project with KCF Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fugate, David L.; Liu, Xiaobing; Gehl, Anthony C.

This document is to fulfill the final report requirements for the Small Business Voucher (SBV) CRADA project with ORNL and KCF Technologies (CRADA/NFE-16-06133). Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s electrical energy demand and range from 25-50% of the energy usage in many industrial and building power plants. The energy cost is the largest element in the total cost of owning a pump (~40%). In response to a recent DOE mandate for improved pump efficiency pump manufacturers are preparing for the changes that the impending regulations will bring, including design improvements. This mandate also establishes a need formore » new low cost pump efficiency measurement systems. The standard industry definition of pump efficiency is the mechanical water horsepower delivered divided by the electrical horsepower input to the motor. KCF Technologies has developed a new sensor measurement technique to estimate fluid pump efficiency using a thermodynamic approach. KCF Technologies applied for a SBV grant with ORNL as the research partner. KCF needed a research partner with the proper facilities to demonstrate the efficacy of its wireless sensor unit for measuring pump efficiency. The ORNL Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC) test resources were used to test and demonstrate the successful measurement of pump efficiency with the KCF sensor technology. KCF is now working on next steps to commercialize this sensing technology.« less

High-resolution depositional records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the central continental shelf mud of the East China Sea.

PubMed

Guo, Zhigang; Lin, Tian; Zhang, Gan; Yang, Zuosheng; Fang, Ming

2006-09-01

A well-placed 210Pb-dated sediment core extracted from the distal mud in the central continental shelf of the East China Sea is used to reconstruct the high-resolution atmospheric depositional record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), believed to be transported mainly from China in the past 200 years due to the East Asian Monsoon. Total PAHs (TPAHs), based on the 16 USEPA priority PAHs, range from 27 in 1788 to 132 ng g(-1) in 2001. TPAH variation in the core reflects energy usage changes and follows closely the historical economic development in China. PAHs in the core are dominantly pyrogenic in source, i.e., they are mainly from the incomplete combustion of coal and biomass burning. Several individual PAHs suggest that contribution from incomplete petroleum combustion has increased during recent years. Analysis of the 2 + 3 ring and the 5 + 6 ring PAHs and principle component analysis provide more evidence in the change in the energy structure, especially after 1978 when China embarked on the "Reform and Open" Policy, indicating the transformation from an agricultural to an industrial economy of China. The historical profile of PAH distribution in the study area is obviously different from the United States and Europe due to their difference in energy structure and economic development stages.

Electricity forecasting on the individual household level enhanced based on activity patterns

PubMed Central

Gajowniczek, Krzysztof; Ząbkowski, Tomasz

2017-01-01

Leveraging smart metering solutions to support energy efficiency on the individual household level poses novel research challenges in monitoring usage and providing accurate load forecasting. Forecasting electricity usage is an especially important component that can provide intelligence to smart meters. In this paper, we propose an enhanced approach for load forecasting at the household level. The impacts of residents’ daily activities and appliance usages on the power consumption of the entire household are incorporated to improve the accuracy of the forecasting model. The contributions of this paper are threefold: (1) we addressed short-term electricity load forecasting for 24 hours ahead, not on the aggregate but on the individual household level, which fits into the Residential Power Load Forecasting (RPLF) methods; (2) for the forecasting, we utilized a household specific dataset of behaviors that influence power consumption, which was derived using segmentation and sequence mining algorithms; and (3) an extensive load forecasting study using different forecasting algorithms enhanced by the household activity patterns was undertaken. PMID:28423039

Electricity forecasting on the individual household level enhanced based on activity patterns.

PubMed

Gajowniczek, Krzysztof; Ząbkowski, Tomasz

2017-01-01

Leveraging smart metering solutions to support energy efficiency on the individual household level poses novel research challenges in monitoring usage and providing accurate load forecasting. Forecasting electricity usage is an especially important component that can provide intelligence to smart meters. In this paper, we propose an enhanced approach for load forecasting at the household level. The impacts of residents' daily activities and appliance usages on the power consumption of the entire household are incorporated to improve the accuracy of the forecasting model. The contributions of this paper are threefold: (1) we addressed short-term electricity load forecasting for 24 hours ahead, not on the aggregate but on the individual household level, which fits into the Residential Power Load Forecasting (RPLF) methods; (2) for the forecasting, we utilized a household specific dataset of behaviors that influence power consumption, which was derived using segmentation and sequence mining algorithms; and (3) an extensive load forecasting study using different forecasting algorithms enhanced by the household activity patterns was undertaken.

SWOT analysis of the renewable energy sources in Romania - case study: solar energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupu, A. G.; Dumencu, A.; Atanasiu, M. V.; Panaite, C. E.; Dumitrașcu, Gh; Popescu, A.

2016-08-01

The evolution of energy sector worldwide triggered intense preoccupation on both finding alternative renewable energy sources and environmental issues. Romania is considered to have technological potential and geographical location suitable to renewable energy usage for electricity generation. But this high potential is not fully exploited in the context of policies and regulations adopted globally, and more specific, European Union (EU) environmental and energy strategies and legislation related to renewable energy sources. This SWOT analysis of solar energy source presents the state of the art, potential and future prospects for development of renewable energy in Romania. The analysis concluded that the development of solar energy sector in Romania depends largely on: viability of legislative framework on renewable energy sources, increased subsidies for solar R&D, simplified methodology of green certificates, and educating the public, investors, developers and decision-makers.

What Clinical Information Is Valuable to Doctors Using Mobile Electronic Medical Records and When?

PubMed

Kim, Junetae; Lee, Yura; Lim, Sanghee; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Lee, Byungtae; Lee, Jae-Ho

2017-10-18

There has been a lack of understanding on what types of specific clinical information are most valuable for doctors to access through mobile-based electronic medical records (m-EMRs) and when they access such information. Furthermore, it has not been clearly discussed why the value of such information is high. The goal of this study was to investigate the types of clinical information that are most valuable to doctors to access through an m-EMR and when such information is accessed. Since 2010, an m-EMR has been used in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The usage logs of the m-EMR by doctors were gathered from March to December 2015. Descriptive analyses were conducted to explore the overall usage patterns of the m-EMR. To assess the value of the clinical information provided, the usage patterns of both the m-EMR and a hospital information system (HIS) were compared on an hourly basis. The peak usage times of the m-EMR were defined as continuous intervals having normalized usage values that are greater than 0.5. The usage logs were processed as an indicator representing specific clinical information using factor analysis. Random intercept logistic regression was used to explore the type of clinical information that is frequently accessed during the peak usage times. A total of 524,929 usage logs from 653 doctors (229 professors, 161 fellows, and 263 residents; mean age: 37.55 years; males: 415 [63.6%]) were analyzed. The highest average number of m-EMR usage logs (897) was by medical residents, whereas the lowest (292) was by surgical residents. The usage amount for three menus, namely inpatient list (47,096), lab results (38,508), and investigation list (25,336), accounted for 60.1% of the peak time usage. The HIS was used most frequently during regular hours (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). The peak usage time of the m-EMR was early in the morning (6:00 AM to 10:00 AM), and the use of the m-EMR from early evening (5:00 PM) to midnight was higher than during regular business hours. Four factors representing the types of clinical information were extracted through factor analysis. Factors related to patient investigation status and patient conditions were associated with the peak usage times of the m-EMR (P<.01). Access to information regarding patient investigation status and patient conditions is crucial for decision making during morning activities, including ward rounds. The m-EMRs allow doctors to maintain the continuity of their clinical information regardless of the time and location constraints. Thus, m-EMRs will best evolve in a manner that enhances the accessibility of clinical information helpful to the decision-making process under such constraints. ©Junetae Kim, Yura Lee, Sanghee Lim, Jeong Hoon Kim, Byungtae Lee, Jae-Ho Lee. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 18.10.2017.

What Clinical Information Is Valuable to Doctors Using Mobile Electronic Medical Records and When?

PubMed Central

Lim, Sanghee; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Lee, Byungtae

2017-01-01

Background There has been a lack of understanding on what types of specific clinical information are most valuable for doctors to access through mobile-based electronic medical records (m-EMRs) and when they access such information. Furthermore, it has not been clearly discussed why the value of such information is high. Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the types of clinical information that are most valuable to doctors to access through an m-EMR and when such information is accessed. Methods Since 2010, an m-EMR has been used in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The usage logs of the m-EMR by doctors were gathered from March to December 2015. Descriptive analyses were conducted to explore the overall usage patterns of the m-EMR. To assess the value of the clinical information provided, the usage patterns of both the m-EMR and a hospital information system (HIS) were compared on an hourly basis. The peak usage times of the m-EMR were defined as continuous intervals having normalized usage values that are greater than 0.5. The usage logs were processed as an indicator representing specific clinical information using factor analysis. Random intercept logistic regression was used to explore the type of clinical information that is frequently accessed during the peak usage times. Results A total of 524,929 usage logs from 653 doctors (229 professors, 161 fellows, and 263 residents; mean age: 37.55 years; males: 415 [63.6%]) were analyzed. The highest average number of m-EMR usage logs (897) was by medical residents, whereas the lowest (292) was by surgical residents. The usage amount for three menus, namely inpatient list (47,096), lab results (38,508), and investigation list (25,336), accounted for 60.1% of the peak time usage. The HIS was used most frequently during regular hours (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). The peak usage time of the m-EMR was early in the morning (6:00 AM to 10:00 AM), and the use of the m-EMR from early evening (5:00 PM) to midnight was higher than during regular business hours. Four factors representing the types of clinical information were extracted through factor analysis. Factors related to patient investigation status and patient conditions were associated with the peak usage times of the m-EMR (P<.01). Conclusions Access to information regarding patient investigation status and patient conditions is crucial for decision making during morning activities, including ward rounds. The m-EMRs allow doctors to maintain the continuity of their clinical information regardless of the time and location constraints. Thus, m-EMRs will best evolve in a manner that enhances the accessibility of clinical information helpful to the decision-making process under such constraints. PMID:29046269

Energy efficiency in U.K. shopping centres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangiarotti, Michela

Energy efficiency in shopping centres means providing comfortable internal environment and services to the occupants with minimum energy use in a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive manner. This research considers the interaction of three factors affecting the energy efficiency of shopping centres: i) performance of the building fabric and services ii) management of the building in terms of operation, control, maintenance and replacement of the building fabric and services, and company's energy policy iii) occupants' expectation for comfort and awareness of energy efficiency. The aim of the investigation is to determine the role of the above factors in the energy consumption and carbon emissions of shopping centres and the scope for reducing this energy usage by changing one or all the three factors. The study also attempts to prioritize the changes in the above factors that are more cost-effective at reducing that energy consumption and identify the benefits and main economic and legal drivers for energy efficiency in shopping centres. To achieve these targets, three case studies have been analysed. Using energy data from bills, the performance of the selected case studies has been assessed to establish trends and current energy consumption and carbon emissions of shopping centres and their related causes. A regression analysis has attempted to break down the energy consumption of the landlords' area by end-use to identify the main sources of energy usage and consequently introduce cost-effective measures for saving energy. A monitoring and occupants' survey in both landlords' and tenants' areas have been carried out at the same time to compare the objective data of the environmental conditions with the subjective impressions of shoppers and shopkeepers. In particular, the monitoring aimed at assessing the internal environment to identify possible causes of discomfort and opportunities for introducing energy saving measures. The survey looked at determining the occupants' expectation for comfort and awareness of energy efficiency in shopping centres. The results show the complexity of prioritizing the three factors affecting energy efficiency in shopping centres, highlighting the relationships between those factors, and the role of different actors, involved in the life of shopping centres, in the energy and environmental performance of these buildings.

IUTA: a tool for effectively detecting differential isoform usage from RNA-Seq data.

PubMed

Niu, Liang; Huang, Weichun; Umbach, David M; Li, Leping

2014-10-06

Most genes in mammals generate several transcript isoforms that differ in stability and translational efficiency through alternative splicing. Such alternative splicing can be tissue- and developmental stage-specific, and such specificity is sometimes associated with disease. Thus, detecting differential isoform usage for a gene between tissues or cell lines/types (differences in the fraction of total expression of a gene represented by the expression of each of its isoforms) is potentially important for cell and developmental biology. We present a new method IUTA that is designed to test each gene in the genome for differential isoform usage between two groups of samples. IUTA also estimates isoform usage for each gene in each sample as well as averaged across samples within each group. IUTA is the first method to formulate the testing problem as testing for equal means of two probability distributions under the Aitchison geometry, which is widely recognized as the most appropriate geometry for compositional data (vectors that contain the relative amount of each component comprising the whole). Evaluation using simulated data showed that IUTA was able to provide test results for many more genes than was Cuffdiff2 (version 2.2.0, released in Mar. 2014), and IUTA performed better than Cuffdiff2 for the limited number of genes that Cuffdiff2 did analyze. When applied to actual mouse RNA-Seq datasets from six tissues, IUTA identified 2,073 significant genes with clear patterns of differential isoform usage between a pair of tissues. IUTA is implemented as an R package and is available at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/software/biostatistics/iuta/index.cfm. Both simulation and real-data results suggest that IUTA accurately detects differential isoform usage. We believe that our analysis of RNA-seq data from six mouse tissues represents the first comprehensive characterization of isoform usage in these tissues. IUTA will be a valuable resource for those who study the roles of alternative transcripts in cell development and disease.

Genetic and codon usage bias analyses of polymerase genes of equine influenza virus and its relation to evolution.

PubMed

Bera, Bidhan Ch; Virmani, Nitin; Kumar, Naveen; Anand, Taruna; Pavulraj, S; Rash, Adam; Elton, Debra; Rash, Nicola; Bhatia, Sandeep; Sood, Richa; Singh, Raj Kumar; Tripathi, Bhupendra Nath

2017-08-23

Equine influenza is a major health problem of equines worldwide. The polymerase genes of influenza virus have key roles in virus replication, transcription, transmission between hosts and pathogenesis. Hence, the comprehensive genetic and codon usage bias of polymerase genes of equine influenza virus (EIV) were analyzed to elucidate the genetic and evolutionary relationships in a novel perspective. The group - specific consensus amino acid substitutions were identified in all polymerase genes of EIVs that led to divergence of EIVs into various clades. The consistent amino acid changes were also detected in the Florida clade 2 EIVs circulating in Europe and Asia since 2007. To study the codon usage patterns, a total of 281,324 codons of polymerase genes of EIV H3N8 isolates from 1963 to 2015 were systemically analyzed. The polymerase genes of EIVs exhibit a weak codon usage bias. The ENc-GC3s and Neutrality plots indicated that natural selection is the major influencing factor of codon usage bias, and that the impact of mutation pressure is comparatively minor. The methods for estimating host imposed translation pressure suggested that the polymerase acidic (PA) gene seems to be under less translational pressure compared to polymerase basic 1 (PB1) and polymerase basic 2 (PB2) genes. The multivariate statistical analysis of polymerase genes divided EIVs into four evolutionary diverged clusters - Pre-divergent, Eurasian, Florida sub-lineage 1 and 2. Various lineage specific amino acid substitutions observed in all polymerase genes of EIVs and especially, clade 2 EIVs underwent major variations which led to the emergence of a phylogenetically distinct group of EIVs originating from Richmond/1/07. The codon usage bias was low in all the polymerase genes of EIVs that was influenced by the multiple factors such as the nucleotide compositions, mutation pressure, aromaticity and hydropathicity. However, natural selection was the major influencing factor in defining the codon usage patterns and evolution of polymerase genes of EIVs.

Mechanical efficiency and force–time curve variation during repetitive jumping in trained and untrained jumpers.

PubMed

McBride, Jeffrey M; Snyder, James G

2012-10-01

Mechanical efficiency (ME), the ratio between work performed and energy expenditure, is a useful criterion in determining the roles of stored elastic energy and chemically deduced energy contributing to concentric performance in stretch-shortening cycle movements. Increased force production during the eccentric phase has been shown to relate to optimal muscle-tendon unit (MTU) length change and thus optimization of usage of stored elastic energy. This phenomenon, as previously reported, is reflected by higher jump heights and ME. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if ME may be different between trained and untrained jumpers and thus be accounted for by variation in force production in the eccentric phase as a reflection of usage of stored elastic energy during various jump types. This investigation involved 9 trained (age 20.7 ± 3.2 years, height 178.6 ± 5.3 cm, body mass 79.0 ± 5.5 kg) and 7 untrained (age 21.43 ± 2.37 years, height 176.17 ± 10.89 cm, body mass 78.8 ± 12.5 kg) male jumpers. Trained subjects were Division I track and field athletes who compete in the horizontal or vertical jumping or running events. Force-time and displacement-time curves were obtained during jumping to determine jump height and to calculate work performed and to observe possible differences in force production in the eccentric phase. Respiratory gases with a metabolic cart were obtained during jumping to calculate energy expenditure. ME was calculated as the ratio between work performed and energy expenditure. The subjects completed four sessions involving 20 repetitions of countermovement jumps (CMJ) and drop jumps from 40 cm (DJ40), 60 cm (DJ60) and 80 cm (DJ80). The trained jumpers jumped significantly higher in the CMJ, DJ40, DJ60 and DJ80 conditions than their untrained counterparts (p ≤ 0.05). ME was significantly higher in the trained in comparison to the untrained jumpers during DJ40. The amount of negative work during all jump types was significantly greater in the trained jumpers. There was a significant correlation between negative work and ME in the trained jumpers (r = 0.82) but not in the untrained jumpers (r = 0.54). The present study indicates that trained jumpers jump higher and have greater ME, possibly as a result of increased for production in the eccentric phase as a reflection of optimal MTU length change and thus increased usage of storage of elastic energy.

Problematic internet usage in US college students: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Internet addiction among US college students remains a concern, but robust estimates of its prevalence are lacking. Methods We conducted a pilot survey of 307 college students at two US universities. Participants completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire. Both are validated measures of problematic Internet usage and depression, respectively. We assessed the association between problematic Internet usage and moderate to severe depression using a modified Poisson regression approach. In addition, we examined the associations between individual items in the IAT and depression. Results A total of 224 eligible respondents completed the survey (73% response rate). Overall, 4% of students scored in the occasionally problematic or addicted range on the IAT, and 12% had moderate to severe depression. Endorsement of individual problematic usage items ranged from 1% to 70%. In the regression analysis, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with several individual items. Relative risk could not be estimated for three of the twenty items because of small cell sizes. Of the remaining 17 items, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with 13 of them, and three others had P values less than 0.10. There was also a significant association between problematic Internet usage overall and moderate to severe depression (relative risk 24.07, 95% confidence interval 3.95 to 146.69; P = 0.001). Conclusion The prevalence of problematic Internet usage among US college students is a cause for concern, and potentially requires intervention and treatment amongst the most vulnerable groups. The prevalence reported in this study is lower than that which has been reported in other studies, however the at-risk population is very high and preventative measures are also recommended. PMID:21696582

Impact of social media usage on daytime sleepiness: A study in a sample of tertiary students in Singapore.

PubMed

Nasirudeen, A M A; Lee Chin Adeline, Lau; Wat Neo Josephine, Koh; Lay Seng, Lim; Wenjie, Li

2017-01-01

Many tertiary students access social networking sites on a daily basis. With the increased usage of smartphones, accessing social networking sites while commuting, in schools, waiting for friends, television commercial breaks has become prevalent among tertiary students. What started as a lifestyle choice has now become a daily necessity. Such behavior among tertiary students raises an important question for educators: how does social media usage affect tertiary students' sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness, their attention difficulties, especially in school? Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the relationships between tertiary students' self-reports of social media usage and daytime sleepiness. The design was a cross-sectional, quantitative research study. We used a survey that contained questions concerning demographic data, daytime sleepiness, total sleep time and social media usage and a version of the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire, modified for use in tertiary students, were used for data collection ( n  = 969). The most preferred tool for accessing social networking sites was smartphones and WhatsApp was the most accessed site. Results indicated that nocturnal technology use has a weak, negative impact on tertiary students' quantity of sleep that may lead to daytime sleepiness. Local Singapore students spent significantly more time on social networking sites at night compared to foreign students. As a result, local students experienced more daytime sleepiness compared to foreign students. Prolonged social media usage, especially in bed, has a negative impact on tertiary students' daytime sleepiness. Since the technology is such an integral part of most tertiary students' lives, it is important to understand the impact it has on their sleep and daytime sleepiness.

Effects of the per diem prospective payment system with DRG-like grouping system (DPC/PDPS) on resource usage and healthcare quality in Japan.

PubMed

Hamada, Hironori; Sekimoto, Miho; Imanaka, Yuichi

2012-10-01

In 2003, Japan introduced the prospective payment system (PPS) with diagnosis-related groups (DRG) rearranged grouping system called the diagnostic procedure combination/per-diem payment system (DPC/PDPS). Even after eight years, little is known about the effects of DPC/PDPS. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of DPC/PDPS on resource usage and healthcare quality. Using 2001-2009 (fiscal year) administrative data of acute myocardial infarction patients, four indices, including inpatient total accumulated medical charges, length of stay (LOS), mortality rate, and readmission rate, were compared between patients reimbursed by DPC/PDPS or by fee-for-service. DPC/PDPS significantly reduced total accumulated medical charges by $1061 (95% confidence interval [CI], -2007, -116) and LOS by 2.29 days (95% CI, -3.71, -0.88) after risk adjustment. However, mortality rate (Odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.73, 1.21) was unchanged. Furthermore, DPC/PDPS increased the readmission rate (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.03, 1.82). This study showed that DPC/PDPS was associated with reduced resource usage, but not improved healthcare quality, as with DRG/PPSs in other countries. To achieve successful healthcare reform, further discussion on additional motives will be required. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crucial Issues in Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Til, William

1976-01-01

Nine crucial issues in secondary education are identified: (1) self-actualization skills, (2) humane values, (3) social survival skills, (4) transfer of social heritage, (5) utilization of total environment, (6) program content, (7) organizational renewal, (8) optimum resource usage, (9) societal participation in educational improvement. (MB)

Comparison of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's CAP88 PC Versions 3.0 and 4.0.

PubMed

Jannik, Tim; Farfan, Eduardo B; Dixon, Ken; Newton, Joseph; Sailors, Christopher; Johnson, Levi; Moore, Kelsey; Stahman, Richard

2015-08-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) with the assistance of Georgia Regents University, completed a comparison of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) environmental dosimetry code CAP88 PC V3.0 with the recently developed V4.0. CAP88 is a set of computer programs and databases used for estimation of dose and risk from radionuclide emissions to air. At the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, CAP88 is used by SRNL for determining compliance with U.S. EPA's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (40 CFR 61, Subpart H) regulations. Using standardized input parameters, individual runs were conducted for each radionuclide within its corresponding database. Some radioactive decay constants, human usage parameters, and dose coefficients changed between the two versions, directly causing a proportional change in the total effective dose. A detailed summary for select radionuclides of concern at the Savannah River Site (60Co, 137Cs, 3H, 129I, 239Pu, and 90Sr) is provided. In general, the total effective doses will decrease for alpha/beta emitters because of reduced inhalation and ingestion rates in V4.0. However, for gamma emitters, such as 60Co and 137Cs, the total effective doses will increase because of changes U.S. EPA made in the external ground shine calculations.

Energy Storage Sizing Taking Into Account Forecast Uncertainties and Receding Horizon Operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, Kyri; Hug, Gabriela; Li, Xin

Energy storage systems (ESS) have the potential to be very beneficial for applications such as reducing the ramping of generators, peak shaving, and balancing not only the variability introduced by renewable energy sources, but also the uncertainty introduced by errors in their forecasts. Optimal usage of storage may result in reduced generation costs and an increased use of renewable energy. However, optimally sizing these devices is a challenging problem. This paper aims to provide the tools to optimally size an ESS under the assumption that it will be operated under a model predictive control scheme and that the forecast ofmore » the renewable energy resources include prediction errors. A two-stage stochastic model predictive control is formulated and solved, where the optimal usage of the storage is simultaneously determined along with the optimal generation outputs and size of the storage. Wind forecast errors are taken into account in the optimization problem via probabilistic constraints for which an analytical form is derived. This allows for the stochastic optimization problem to be solved directly, without using sampling-based approaches, and sizing the storage to account not only for a wide range of potential scenarios, but also for a wide range of potential forecast errors. In the proposed formulation, we account for the fact that errors in the forecast affect how the device is operated later in the horizon and that a receding horizon scheme is used in operation to optimally use the available storage.« less

Lactation performance by dairy cows fed wet brewers grains or whole cottonseed to replace forage.

PubMed

Firkins, J L; Harvatine, D I; Sylvester, J T; Eastridge, M L

2002-10-01

Holstein cows starting at wk 8 of lactation were used to evaluate lactation performance when wet brewers grains, whole linted cottonseed, or starch-coated whole linted cottonseed (Easiflo) were substituted for forage. The wet brewers grains were added to diets to decrease forage neutral detergent fiber from 21% incrementally down to 15% while simultaneously decreasing nonfiber carbohydrate concentration from 40.3% down to about 33.8%. The cottonseed treatments all had similar concentrations of forage neutral detergent fiber (15%) and nonfiber carbohydrates (33.1 and 36.0%). Dry matter intake and milk production were similar across treatments. Milk fat percentage was decreased for Easiflo versus whole linted cottonseeds, but no other responses were detected. The current National Research Council (NRC) energy model was evaluated using individual cow data that were averaged over the entire 16-wk treatment period. For treatment means, the output of energy averaged 99% of the net energy of lactation intake, indicating very good corroboration of the model to account for energy usage for a group of cows. However, the ability to predict energy usage for individual cows was less accurate based on the comparison of residuals of observed and predicted body weight change regressed against predicted body weight change, apparently because of compounding of random errors in this prediction, which was alleviated over a larger number of observations. These results also corroborate current NRC guidelines for minimum forage neutral detergent fiber concentrations for lactating cows past the calving transition period.

Thermal energy storage for smart grid applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Hallaj, Said; Khateeb, Siddique; Aljehani, Ahmed; Pintar, Mike

2018-01-01

Energy consumption for commercial building cooling accounts for 15% of all commercial building's electricity usage [1]. Electric utility companies charge their customers time of use consumption charges (/kWh) and additionally demand usage charges (/kW) to limit peak energy consumption and offset their high operating costs. Thus, there is an economic incentive to reduce both the electricity consumption charges and demand charges by developing new energy efficient technologies. Thermal energy storage (TES) systems using a phase change material (PCM) is one such technology that can reduce demand charges and shift the demand from on-peak to off-peak rates. Ice and chilled water have been used in thermal storage systems for many decades, but they have certain limitations, which include a phase change temperature of 0 degrees Celsius and relatively low thermal conductivity in comparison to other materials, which limit their applications as a storage medium. To overcome these limitations, a novel phase change composite (PCC) TES material was developed that has much higher thermal conductivity that significantly improves the charge / discharge rate and a customizable phase change temperature to allow for better integration with HVAC systems. Compared to ice storage, the PCC TES system is capable of very high heat transfer rate and has lower system and operational costs. Economic analysis was performed to compare the PCC TES system with ice system and favorable economics was proven. A 4.5 kWh PCC TES prototype system was also designed for testing and validation purpose.

Moderate to high use of opioid analgesics are associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection.

PubMed

Mora, Andrea L; Salazar, Miguel; Pablo-Caeiro, Juan; Frost, Craig P; Yadav, Yashoo; DuPont, Herbert L; Garey, Kevin W

2012-04-01

Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) include use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, advanced age and lack of an appropriate immune response. Whether antiperistaltics such as opioid analgesics also increase the risk of CDI is uncertain. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine whether opioid analgesics increase the risk of developing CDI in hospitalized patients receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics. Hospitalized patients were assessed for incidence of CDI in relation to usage of opioid analgesics controlling for other known risk factors for CDI. During the study period, a total of 32,775 patients were identified of whom 192 had CDI. In univariate analysis, incidence of CDI increased significantly with moderate or high usage of opioids (P < 0.0001). One hundred of 21,396 (0.47%) patients who did not receive opioids developed CDI. Twenty-two of 6955 patients (0.32%) with mild usage of opioids developed CDI [odds ratio (OR): 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-1.1; P = 0.10]. Thirty of 33,203 (0.93%) with moderate usage developed CDI (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3-3.0; P = 0.0009). Forty of 1029 (3.7%) patients with high usage of opioids developed CDI (OR: 8.3; 95% CI: 5.7-12.1; P < 0.0001). Similar results were observed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Moderate to high use of opioid analgesics were associated with an increased risk of CDI.

Military Parents' Personal Technology Usage and Interest in e-Health Information for Obesity Prevention.

PubMed

Jai, Tun-Min; McCool, Barent N; Reed, Debra B

2016-03-01

U.S. military families are experiencing high obesity rates similar to the civilian population. The Department of Defense's Military Health System (MHS) is one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, serving approximately 9.2 million active duty service members, retirees, spouses, and children. The annual cost to the MHS for morbidities associated with being overweight exceeds $1 billion. The preschool age has been suggested as an opportune time to intervene for the prevention of obesity. Thus, this study investigated the current level of technology usage by military service member families and assessed their needs and interests in health/nutrition information. This needs assessment is crucial for researchers/educators to design further studies and intervention programs for obesity prevention in military families with young children. In total, 288 military parents (233 Army and 55 Air Force) at two military bases whose children were enrolled in military childcare centers in the southwestern United States participated in a Technology Usage in Military Family (TUMF) survey in 2013. Overall, both bases presented similar technology usage patterns in terms of computer and mobile device usage on the Internet. Air Force base parents had a slightly higher knowledge level of nutrition/health information than Army base parents. The TUMF survey suggested practical ways such as mobile applications/Web sites, social networks, games, etc., that health educators can use to disseminate nutrition/health information for obesity prevention among military families with young children.

Analysis of the Future Effects of the Fuel Shortage and Increased Small Car Usage Upon Traffic Deaths and Injuries

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

The Automotive Energy Efficiency Project is concerned with the examination of technological options for improving the fuel efficiency of highway vehicles. This examination includes an analysis of the effects of existing and proposed mandated standard...