Making Heat Visible: Promoting Energy Conservation Behaviors Through Thermal Imaging

Householders play a role in energy conservation through the decisions they make about purchases and installations such as insulation, and through their habitual behavior. The present U.K. study investigated the effect of thermal imaging technology on energy conservation, by measuring the behavioral effect after householders viewed images of heat escaping from or cold air entering their homes. In Study 1 (n = 43), householders who received a thermal image reduced their energy use at a 1-year follow-up, whereas householders who received a carbon footprint audit and a non-intervention control demonstrated no change. In Study 2 (n = 87), householders were nearly 5 times more likely to install draught proofing measures after seeing a thermal image. The effect was especially pronounced for actions that addressed an issue visible in the images. Findings indicate that using thermal imaging to make heat loss visible can promote energy conservation

That's it we're having more insulation: Will householders change behaviours and attitudes after being shown an infrared image of their homes leaking heat?

This longitudinal study explored the impact of showing householders infrared images (of their homes leaking heat) on energy consumption and attitudes

A preliminary investigation of the potential for thermographic images to influence householders' understanding of home energy consumption

This paper explores the potential connections between the thermographic (infrared) imaging of domestic properties and the impact (on energy conservation behaviours) of showing householders infrared images of their homes. Infrared (IR) images, or thermographic imaging, as it has become known has been applied to the investigation of heat losses and other building related phenomena such as moisture penetration of roofs and failures in damp-proofing systems for a number of years. Recently it has been used by a wide range of public and private bodies to demonstrate the heat of a home in a visible format. This suggests a connection between the householder viewing an IR image and engaging in energy conservation behaviour, such as installing insulation. It is hypothesised that information presented in a manner which attracts the attention of the intended audience, being vivid, specific and personal, is more likely to achieve behaviour change (Stern, 1992). In this paper the evidence of the thermal characteristic of the dwelling (as shown within the thermographic image) will be compared with the householder’s reasoning process as prompted by viewing the images. The possible increase in energy saving behaviours and changes in related attitudes leading from this intervention will be investigated. Questions concerning the links between the householder’s reactions to the images and the possibility that this may facilitate a reduction in energy consumption will be discussed

The recovery movement and its implications for policy, commissioning and practice

While a recovery approach is widespread and relatively unquestioned in the USA, its implementation in the UK and to a lesser extent in Australia has provoked a number of questions about what this means in practice and what some of the implications are for treatment. This is particularly important as there is growing interest in recovery in Western Europe with policy recognition in Belgium and the Netherlands, and increased interest in research issues around recovery. What this article sets out to do is to discuss the implications of a recovery model for commissioning and treatment systems, with a focus on where recovery approaches sit and what they can offer in terms of added value to treatment approaches

Natural Wormholes as Gravitational Lenses

Visser has suggested traversable 3-dimensional wormholes that could plausibly form naturally during Big Bang inflation. A wormhole mouth embedded in high mass density might accrete mass, giving the other mouth a net *negative* mass of unusual gravitational properties. The lensing of such a gravitationally negative anomalous compact halo object (GNACHO) will enhance background stars with a time profile that is observable and qualitatively different from that recently observed for massive compact halo objects (MACHOs) of positive mass. We recommend that MACHO search data be analyzed for GNACHOs.Comment: 4 pages; plus 4 figures; ReV_TeX 3.0; DOE/ER/40537-001/NPL94-07-01

Viral respiratory infections at the Hajj: comparison between UK and Saudi pilgrims

ABSTRACTA high incidence of respiratory infection, including influenza, has been reported at the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Reported rates of influenza have been higher among UK than among domestic pilgrims, but this could be explained by methodological differences among studies. Accordingly, the present study compared the frequencies of respiratory viruses among UK and Saudi pilgrims using the same study design. Pilgrims with upper respiratory tract symptoms were recruited from Mecca and the neighbouring valley Mina during the Hajj 2006. Nasal swabs were used for point-of-care influenza testing and real-time RT-PCR (rtRT-PCR) tests for influenza virus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. Of 260 pilgrims investigated, 150 were from the UK and 110 were Saudi; of these, 38 (25%) UK pilgrims and 14 (13%) Saudi pilgrims had respiratory infections detectable by rtRT-PCR (p 0.01). In the UK group, there were 19 (13%) cases of rhinovirus infection, 15 (10%) cases of influenza virus infection, two (1%) cases of dual infections with influenza virus and rhinovirus, one (3%) case of parainfluenza virus infection, and one (1%) case of respiratory syncytial virus infection. Fifty-six (37%) UK pilgrims had been vaccinated against influenza virus, with the rates of influenza in the vaccinated and unvaccinated group being 7% and 14%, respectively (p 0.19). In the Saudi group, there were three (3%) cases of rhinovirus infection and 11 (10%) cases of influenza. Only four (4%) Saudi pilgrims had been vaccinated against influenza virus, and none of these was infected with influenza virus. Overall, a significantly higher proportion of the UK pilgrims had detectable respiratory infections (25% vs. 13%, p 0.01). Influenza rates were similar in both groups, but the reported rates of influenza vaccination differed

Linear Lattice and Trajectory Reconstruction and Correction at FAST Linear Accelerator

The low energy part of the FAST linear accelerator based on 1.3 GHz superconducting RF cavities was successfully commissioned. During commissioning, beam based model dependent methods were used to correct linear lattice and trajectory. Lattice correction algorithm is based on analysis of beam shape from profile monitors and trajectory responses to dipole correctors. Trajectory responses to field gradient variations in quadrupoles and phase variations in superconducting RF cavities were used to correct bunch offsets in quadrupoles and accelerating cavities relative to their magnetic axes. Details of used methods and experimental results are presented.Comment: 3 p

VivaxGEN: An open access platform for comparative analysis of short tandem repeat genotyping data in Plasmodium vivax populations.

BACKGROUND: The control and elimination of Plasmodium vivax will require a better understanding of its transmission dynamics, through the application of genotyping and population genetics analyses. This paper describes VivaxGEN (http://vivaxgen.menzies.edu.au), a web-based platform that has been developed to support P. vivax short tandem repeat data sharing and comparative analyses. RESULTS: The VivaxGEN platform provides a repository for raw data generated by capillary electrophoresis (FSA files), with fragment analysis and standardized allele calling tools. The query system of the platform enables users to filter, select and differentiate samples and alleles based on their specified criteria. Key population genetic analyses are supported including measures of population differentiation (FST), expected heterozygosity (HE), linkage disequilibrium (IAS), neighbor-joining analysis and Principal Coordinate Analysis. Datasets can also be formatted and exported for application in commonly used population genetic software including GENEPOP, Arlequin and STRUCTURE. To date, data from 10 countries, including 5 publicly available data sets have been shared with VivaxGEN. CONCLUSIONS: VivaxGEN is well placed to facilitate regional overviews of P. vivax transmission dynamics in different endemic settings and capable to be adapted for similar genetic studies of P. falciparum and other organisms

SnoopCGH: software for visualizing comparative genomic hybridization data

Summary: Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) technology is used to discover and validate genomic structural variation, including copy number variants, insertions, deletions and other structural variants (SVs). The visualization and summarization of the array CGH data outputs, potentially across many samples, is an important process in the identification and analysis of SVs. We have developed a software tool for SV analysis using data from array CGH technologies, which is also amenable to short-read sequence data