Investigation of perceived behavioral control (PBC), and environmentally responsible behavior (ERB): a case study of occupants in a high performing building, An

2017 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Energy efficiency continues to be a challenge faced by the built environment. Research on determinants of energy efficiency identifies occupant behavior as the weakest link in attainment of energy efficiency goals set for high performance building designs. Environmentally Responsible Behavior (ERB) could be the answer to the improved daily functional energy efficiency of buildings. Previous studies suggest that if ERB and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) are positively correlated, indicating that the rate of ERB will be higher by building occupants in high performing buildings. This study focuses on the relation between ERB and PBC in regard to thermal conditions. The data used for this study comes from building occupants through an online survey, which includes both open-ended and close-ended questions that act as multi-item indicators to measure ERB, PBC, and building features. The lack of control experienced by the building occupants over the thermostat posed challenges to adequately studying the correlation between ERB and PBC in this case study. Analysis of the responses to the open–ended questions provides a better understanding of occupants' discomfort and their behavior intentions related to energy efficiency. The results of this study show that for high performance building to obtain the aggressive goals for energy efficiency, the building design not only needs to well-thought out and coordinated, but it must also meet building occupants' need for both comfort and productivity

Transport Layer solution for bulk data transfers over Heterogeneous Long Fat Networks in Next Generation Networks

Aquesta tesi per compendi centra les seves contribucions en l'aprenentatge i innovació de les Xarxes de Nova Generació. És per això que es proposen diferents contribucions en diferents àmbits (Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart Campus, Smart Learning, Mitjana, eHealth, Indústria 4.0 entre d'altres) mitjançant l'aplicació i combinació de diferents disciplines (Internet of Things, Building Information Modeling, Cloud Storage, Ciberseguretat, Big Data, Internet de el Futur, Transformació Digital). Concretament, es detalla el monitoratge sostenible del confort a l'Smart Campus, la que potser es la meva aportació més representativa dins de la conceptualització de Xarxes de Nova Generació. Dins d'aquest innovador concepte de monitorització s'integren diferents disciplines, per poder oferir informació sobre el nivell de confort de les persones. Aquesta investigació demostra el llarg recorregut que hi ha en la transformació digital dels sectors tradicionals i les NGNs. Durant aquest llarg aprenentatge sobre les NGN a través de les diferents investigacions, es va poder observar una problemàtica que afectava de manera transversal als diferents camps d'aplicació de les NGNs i que aquesta podia tenir una afectació en aquests sectors. Aquesta problemàtica consisteix en el baix rendiment durant l'intercanvi de grans volums de dades sobre xarxes amb gran capacitat d'ample de banda i remotament separades geogràficament, conegudes com a xarxes elefant. Concretament, això afecta al cas d'ús d'intercanvi massiu de dades entre regions Cloud (Cloud Data Sharing use case). És per això que es va estudiar aquest cas d'ús i les diferents alternatives a nivell de protocols de transport,. S'estudien les diferents problemàtiques que pateixen els protocols i s'observa per què aquests no són capaços d'arribar a rendiments òptims. Deguda a aquesta situació, s'hipotetiza que la introducció de mecanismes que analitzen les mètriques de la xarxa i que exploten eficientment la capacitat de la mateixa milloren el rendiment dels protocols de transport sobre xarxes elefant heterogènies durant l'enviament massiu de dades. Primerament, es dissenya l’Adaptative and Aggressive Transport Protocol (AATP), un protocol de transport adaptatiu i eficient amb l'objectiu de millorar el rendiment sobre aquest tipus de xarxes elefant. El protocol AATP s'implementa i es prova en un simulador de xarxes i un testbed sota diferents situacions i condicions per la seva validació. Implementat i provat amb èxit el protocol AATP, es decideix millorar el propi protocol, Enhanced-AATP, sobre xarxes elefant heterogènies. Per això, es dissenya un mecanisme basat en el Jitter Ràtio que permet fer aquesta diferenciació. A més, per tal de millorar el comportament del protocol, s’adapta el seu sistema de fairness per al repartiment just dels recursos amb altres fluxos Enhanced-AATP. Aquesta evolució s'implementa en el simulador de xarxes i es realitzen una sèrie de proves. A l'acabar aquesta tesi, es conclou que les Xarxes de Nova Generació tenen molt recorregut i moltes coses a millorar causa de la transformació digital de la societat i de l'aparició de nova tecnologia disruptiva. A més, es confirma que la introducció de mecanismes específics en la concepció i operació dels protocols de transport millora el rendiment d'aquests sobre xarxes elefant heterogènies.Esta tesis por compendio centra sus contribuciones en el aprendizaje e innovación de las Redes de Nueva Generación. Es por ello que se proponen distintas contribuciones en diferentes ámbitos (Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart Campus, Smart Learning, Media, eHealth, Industria 4.0 entre otros) mediante la aplicación y combinación de diferentes disciplinas (Internet of Things, Building Information Modeling, Cloud Storage, Ciberseguridad, Big Data, Internet del Futuro, Transformación Digital). Concretamente, se detalla la monitorización sostenible del confort en el Smart Campus, la que se podría considerar mi aportación más representativa dentro de la conceptualización de Redes de Nueva Generación. Dentro de este innovador concepto de monitorización se integran diferentes disciplinas, para poder ofrecer información sobre el nivel de confort de las personas. Esta investigación demuestra el recorrido que existe en la transformación digital de los sectores tradicionales y las NGNs. Durante este largo aprendizaje sobre las NGN a través de las diferentes investigaciones, se pudo observar una problemática que afectaba de manera transversal a los diferentes campos de aplicación de las NGNs y que ésta podía tener una afectación en estos sectores. Esta problemática consiste en el bajo rendimiento durante el intercambio de grandes volúmenes de datos sobre redes con gran capacidad de ancho de banda y remotamente separadas geográficamente, conocidas como redes elefante, o Long Fat Networks (LFNs). Concretamente, esto afecta al caso de uso de intercambio de datos entre regiones Cloud (Cloud Data Data use case). Es por ello que se estudió este caso de uso y las diferentes alternativas a nivel de protocolos de transporte. Se estudian las diferentes problemáticas que sufren los protocolos y se observa por qué no son capaces de alcanzar rendimientos óptimos. Debida a esta situación, se hipotetiza que la introducción de mecanismos que analizan las métricas de la red y que explotan eficientemente la capacidad de la misma mejoran el rendimiento de los protocolos de transporte sobre redes elefante heterogéneas durante el envío masivo de datos. Primeramente, se diseña el Adaptative and Aggressive Transport Protocol (AATP), un protocolo de transporte adaptativo y eficiente con el objetivo maximizar el rendimiento sobre este tipo de redes elefante. El protocolo AATP se implementa y se prueba en un simulador de redes y un testbed bajo diferentes situaciones y condiciones para su validación. Implementado y probado con éxito el protocolo AATP, se decide mejorar el propio protocolo, Enhanced-AATP, sobre redes elefante heterogéneas. Además, con tal de mejorar el comportamiento del protocolo, se mejora su sistema de fairness para el reparto justo de los recursos con otros flujos Enhanced-AATP. Esta evolución se implementa en el simulador de redes y se realizan una serie de pruebas. Al finalizar esta tesis, se concluye que las Redes de Nueva Generación tienen mucho recorrido y muchas cosas a mejorar debido a la transformación digital de la sociedad y a la aparición de nueva tecnología disruptiva. Se confirma que la introducción de mecanismos específicos en la concepción y operación de los protocolos de transporte mejora el rendimiento de estos sobre redes elefante heterogéneas.This compendium thesis focuses its contributions on the learning and innovation of the New Generation Networks. That is why different contributions are proposed in different areas (Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart Campus, Smart Learning, Media, eHealth, Industry 4.0, among others) through the application and combination of different disciplines (Internet of Things, Building Information Modeling, Cloud Storage, Cybersecurity, Big Data, Future Internet, Digital Transformation). Specifically, the sustainable comfort monitoring in the Smart Campus is detailed, which can be considered my most representative contribution within the conceptualization of New Generation Networks. Within this innovative monitoring concept, different disciplines are integrated in order to offer information on people's comfort levels. . This research demonstrates the long journey that exists in the digital transformation of traditional sectors and New Generation Networks. During this long learning about the NGNs through the different investigations, it was possible to observe a problematic that affected the different application fields of the NGNs in a transversal way and that, depending on the service and its requirements, it could have a critical impact on any of these sectors. This issue consists of a low performance operation during the exchange of large volumes of data on networks with high bandwidth capacity and remotely geographically separated, also known as Elephant networks, or Long Fat Networks (LFNs). Specifically, this critically affects the Cloud Data Sharing use case. That is why this use case and the different alternatives at the transport protocol level were studied. For this reason, the performance and operation problems suffered by layer 4 protocols are studied and it is observed why these traditional protocols are not capable of achieving optimal performance. Due to this situation, it is hypothesized that the introduction of mechanisms that analyze network metrics and efficiently exploit network’s capacity meliorates the performance of Transport Layer protocols over Heterogeneous Long Fat Networks during bulk data transfers. First, the Adaptive and Aggressive Transport Protocol (AATP) is designed. An adaptive and efficient transport protocol with the aim of maximizing its performance over this type of elephant network.. The AATP protocol is implemented and tested in a network simulator and a testbed under different situations and conditions for its validation. Once the AATP protocol was designed, implemented and tested successfully, it was decided to improve the protocol itself, Enhanced-AATP, to improve its performance over heterogeneous elephant networks. In addition, in order to upgrade the behavior of the protocol, its fairness system is improved for the fair distribution of resources among other Enhanced-AATP flows. Finally, this evolution is implemented in the network simulator and a set of tests are carried out. At the end of this thesis, it is concluded that the New Generation Networks have a long way to go and many things to improve due to the digital transformation of society and the appearance of brand-new disruptive technology. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the introduction of specific mechanisms in the conception and operation of transport protocols improves their performance on Heterogeneous Long Fat Networks

Faculty Senate Chronicle February 4, 2021

Minutes for the regular meeting of The University of Akron Faculty Senate on February 4, 202

Groupware design : principles, prototypes, and systems

Computers are valuable tools for a wide range of work tasks. A substantial limitation on their value, however, is the predominant focus on enhancing the work of individuals. This fails to account for the issues of collaboration that affect almost all work. Research into computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) aims to eliminate this deficiency, but the promise of computer systems for group work has not been met. This thesis presents four design principles that promote the development of successful groupware. The principles identify the particular problems encountered by groupware, and provide guidelines and strategies to avoid, overcome, or minimise their impact. Derived from several sources, the major influence on the principles development is an investigation into the relationship between factors affecting groupware failure. They are stimulated by observations of groupware use, and by design insights arising from the development of two groupware applications and their prototypes: Mona and TELEFREEK. Mona provides conversation-based email management. Several groupware applications allow similar functionality, but the design principles result in Mona using different mechanisms to achieve its user-support. TELEFREEK provides a platform for accessing computer-supported communication and collaboration facilities. It attends to the problems of initiating interaction, and supports an adaptable and extendible set of "social awareness" assistants. TELEFREEK offers a broader range of facilities than other groupware, and avoids the use of prohibitively high-bandwidth communication networks. TELEFREEK demonstrates that much can be achieved through current and widely accessible technology. Together, Mona and TELEFREEK forcefully demonstrate the use of the design principles, and substantiate the claim of their utility

Role of the Physical Environment on Team-Based Primary Care in the Military Health System

Primary care in the United States has shifted from a physician-centered care approach to a multidisciplinary, team-based care approach. This shift has resulted in many day-to-day changes in the care delivery process including how clinical staff collaborate; interact with patients; and use space, equipment, and various technologies. Team-based approaches, such as the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, are demonstrating improvements in patient health outcomes. The U.S. Military Health System, one of the largest healthcare organizations in the world, has adopted the PCMH model for primary care clinics. To support this new care model, a team-based clinical module is emerging as a spatial concept that colocates the resources staff need for delivering care. Several different design configurations of team-based clinical modules exist in MHS clinics despite the organization’s emphasis on clinic standardization. The purpose of this dissertation is to understand staff perceptions concerning the environmental factors that best support team-based care in the MHS. Using a qualitative approach and a case study research strategy along with ethnographic data collection techniques, this study investigates how six team-based clinical module configurations in three different clinics influence the delivery of team-based care. Data collection included 58 semi-structured interviews with primary care providers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and specialty care providers. Additionally, 11 hours of observations in team rooms provided insight on how the staff use space. Findings were translated into a set of design recommendations for planning team-based clinical modules aimed at improving staff workflow, functionality, and workspaces to facilitate both team collaboration and focused work. This study provides initial evidence that can directly support the MHS in updating design guidance criteria to support team-based primary care

Sistema para gestão remota de redes experimentais

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaA Internet e as redes no seu geral estão cada vez mais presentes no nosso quotidiano. No entanto, o seu crescente uso destaca também algumas das suas limitações, levando os investigadores de redes a criarem novas soluções, numa tentativa de preverem e resolverem problemas que daí possam advir. O desenvolvimento destas soluções implica que sejam realizados testes exaustivos antes que estas se tornem aptas para o uso das massas. Podem ser adoptadas diversas abordagens para a realização destes testes. Simulações são importantes como uma primeira aproximação, contudo, não conseguem captar a dinâmica e a imprevisibilidade de um ambiente real. A emulação surge como alternativa, tentando colmatar essa falha, no entanto, não é eficaz na reprodução de cenários mais complexos. A solução poderá passar pela criação de infra-estruturas dedicadas ao teste destas soluções, denominadas de redes experimentais, permitindo realizar uma avaliação mais profunda e fiável das mesmas. Contudo a sua construção envolve grandes custos e as infra-estruturas caem em desuso assim que é alcançado o produto final. É necessário desenvolver maneiras de instrumentalizar estas infra-estruturas, de forma a optimizar estes recursos para futuros testes. Esta dissertação centra-se nos problema evidenciados na criação destas redes de teste, estudando as existentes formas de gestão destas redes experimentais, bem como o seu uso optimizado com vista à criação de experiencias. Pretende-se assim desenvolver no âmbito desta tese, uma ferramenta que permita aos utilizadores criarem e usarem facilmente e de forma eficiente uma rede experimental.The Internet, as with networks in general, is increasingly present in our everyday lives. However, its use also highlights some of their limitations, leading researchers to create new network solutions in an attempt to anticipate and solve problems that may arise. These solutions require exhaustive tests before they become eligible for production. Several approaches can be taken to conduct such tests. Simulations are important as first approximations; however, they fail to capture the dynamics and unpredictability of a real environment. Emulations present an alternative, but fail to reproduce more complex scenarios. Experimentation facilities must therefore be deployed, to achieve a higher level of realism. These facilities, also referred as testbeds, involve high-complexity deployment and operation, falling into disuse once they arrive at a final product. Methods of managing these infrastructures must be developed in order to avoid this waste of resources for future tests. This dissertation focuses on the problems inherent to the management of these facilities, with a focus on their users. Different approaches in network testing must be studied and the different methodologies on experimentation must be collected. An application is developed to address this problem, enabling users to create their experiments and collect results in both an organized and effective manner

The e-revolution and post-compulsory education: using e-business models to deliver quality education

The best practices of e-business are revolutionising not just technology itself but the whole process through which services are provided; and from which important lessons can be learnt by post-compulsory educational institutions. This book aims to move debates about ICT and higher education beyond a simple focus on e-learning by considering the provision of post-compulsory education as a whole. It considers what we mean by e-business, why e-business approaches are relevant to universities and colleges and the key issues this raises for post-secondary education