Improving Control of a Dual-Duct Single-Fan Variable Air Volume Systems

This paper discusses improved control strategies for dual-duct single-fan variable air volume (VAV) systems. Common control strategy for supply air volume modulation is evaluated, and an improved air volume control strategy that maintains separate cold and hot air duct static pressure set points is presented. The paper also explores the interactions between the cold and hot deck temperatures and duct static pressures, and discusses the impact of non-ideal deck temperature settings on duct static pressures and overall system energy consumption. To compensate the negative impact of non-ideal cold and hot deck temperature set points, the authors propose using real-time duct static pressure readings as feedback signals to fine-tune the deck temperature set points. These new control schemes can reduce simultaneous cooling and heating while reducing fan power consumption

Accidental exposure to politics on social media as online participation equalizer in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

We assess whether and how accidental exposure to political information on social media contributes to citizens\u2019 online political participation in comparative perspective. Based on three online surveys of samples representative of German, Italian, and British Internet users in the aftermath of the 2014 European Parliament elections, we find that accidental exposure to political information on social media is positively and significantly correlated with online participation in all three countries, particularly so in Germany where overall levels of participation were lower. We also find that interest in politics moderates this relationship so that the correlation is stronger among the less interested than among the highly interested. These findings suggest that inadvertent encounters with political content on social media are likely to reduce the gap in online engagement between citizens with high and low interest in politics, potentially broadening the range of voices that make themselves heard

Rehabilitation of Secondary Heating and Cooling Systems - Case Study

Continuous Commissioning (CCSM) was performed on the Texas A&M Large Animal Hospital in October 1996 and as a result, significant savings were achieved. Subsequently, the building chilled water and hot water energy consumption increased, and the occupants complained about discomfort problems due to later building operational changes. Most of these problems were caused by control systems in individual areas that were improperly maintained so that coils or other components were operating wildly. When optimal building operations are changed or degrade over time, follow-up CC measures must adapt the systems to maintain efficiency. This degradation may be due to changes in building use, control programming changes, component/sensor failure, or system controls by-pass or override. This paper intends to present the circumstances surrounding this investigation and the subsequent measures taken to correct the problems

From seeing the writing on the wall, to getting together for a bowl: direct and compensating effects of Facebook use on offline associational membership

Research concerned with a decline of associational involvement has examined whether the use of social networking sites, such as Facebook, may reinvigorate or crowd out involvement in civil society. Yet, previous studies have not systematically investigated possible effects of Facebook use on associational membership. We posit that the effects of Facebook use are twofold: Facebook stimulates associational membership directly through its inherent networking features and indirectly by compensating for the lack of traditional mobilizing factors, such as social trust and internal efficacy. Relying on a probabilistic sample of German participants aged 18-49, our findings show that Facebook users are more likely to be members of voluntary associations and that Facebook use increases the likelihood of associational membership even for individuals with low levels of social trust and internal efficacy. Instead of crowding out offline associational involvement, Facebook use stimulates membership in voluntary associations, thus contributing to the vitality of civil society

The Ethical Implications of an Elite Press

Newspaper publishers are well into the process of bifurcating what once was a single mass-market product. Particularly for larger papers, website versions are taking over the mass-market role, while remaining print products are moving toward targeting a much smaller and more elite readership. This article explores theoretical and ethical issues raised by such a two-tiered newspaper structure and suggests directions for empirical study. Broadly, concerns center on the widening knowledge gap between print and online newspaper readers and its implications for civic discourse and democratic vitality. More narrowly, issues encompass a potential bifurcation of normative standards, including diverging markers of credibility, accuracy, and privacy

Politics, elections and online campaigning: Past, present ... and a peek into the future [Introduction to Special Issue]

Contains fulltext : 116613.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This introduction provides a brief overview of developments in research on political campaigning on the Internet. It presents state-of-the-art research in the field of political communication and the Internet, after which summaries of the studies in this special issue are provided. Finally, the article suggests a number of future research concerns