Anne Arundel County: Transportation Mobility and Accessibility

Final project for URSP688L: Planning Technologies (Fall 2016). University of Maryland, College Park.This report examines where jobs and workforce participants are located in Anne Arundel County, and what transit options connect them. Special attention is paid to low-income workforce participants and low-income job sites. The goal is to determine if there is a spatial mismatch between where workforce participants live and where jobs are located in Anne Arundel County, and to assess whether or not transit options address that mismatch. To this end, we have produced maps that identify transit coverage, major clusters of low-income workers’ residences and job locations, and transit captivity, which is a measure of households that have no private transportation option and are reliant on public transportation. What we found was that transit within the county is connected to most residential neighborhoods and employment centers, though it doesn’t comprehensively serve each neighborhood or employment area it touches. Some residential communities, such as Cape St. Claire and job centers including a cluster around the I-97/Crain Highway intersection, completely lack transit services. The report also identifies communities that may contain transit dependent individuals. Based on our findings, we recommend further study of transit dependent populations and feasibility studies to expand transit services to underserved areas. The findings come with caveats; we did not have origin-destination data, so analysis of transit patterns cannot pinpoint actual behaviors. Also, the employment data used excluded federal employees, meaning Ft. Meade, an area of signficiant employment in the county, was not included in the dataset.Anne Arundel County & Annapoli

Reducing environmental impacts through a smart design of microgrids: Life Cycle Assessment for AC and DC

Microgrids with integrated renewable energies have revealed promising potential to be a reliable, efficient, and clean key element for smart grid concepts. Further efficiency and reliability improvements might be achieved when the microgrid is operated with a direct current instead of an alternating current distribution. For a holistic assessment, the environmental impacts of this potential technology change should be advised. This study identifies and analyzes the differences of environmental impacts between ac and dc microgrids within office buildings to assist with smarter and more sustainable grid design in buildings. The differences in power electronics and distribution systems have been investigated on a micro-level in a comparative and scalable life cycle assessment and combined on a macro-level within a generic grid model. The analysis shows that the environmental impacts of power electronics can be reduced when utilizing a dc microgrid. The main driver for the differences in impacts has been identified as the energy supplied by the public grid. It can be inferred from the results that dc microgrids with integrated high-efficiency components have an ecological superiority compared to ac microgrids

A scalable life cycle assessment of alternating and direct current microgrids in office buildings

Microgrids integrating local renewable energy sources at low-voltage level show promising potentials in realizing a reliable, efficient, and clean supply of electricity. Further improvements are expected when such a microgrid is operated on direct current (dc) instead of alternating current (ac) infrastructure for power distribution commonly in use today. Our study aims to systemically quantify the gap between environmental impacts of microgrids at building level using the case study of power distribution within office buildings. For this purpose, a scalable comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted based on a technical bottom-up analysis of differences between ac and dc microgrids. Particularly, our approach combines the assessment of required power electronic components on a micro-level with the macro-level requirements for daily operation derived from a generic grid model. The results indicate that the environmental impacts of employed power electronics are substantially reduced by operating a microgrid based on dc power distribution infrastructure. Our sensitivity analyses show that efficient dc microgrids particularly lead to savings in climate change impact emissions. In addition, our study shows that the scaling of power electronics as it is currently state of the art in LCAs leads to inaccurate results. Therefore, our developed method applies a more technical approach, which enables a detailed analysis of the environmental impacts of power electronic components at system level. Thus, it lays the foundation for an evaluation criterion for a comprehensive assessment of technological changes within the framework of energy policy objectives

Columbia Gateway Innovation District: Alternative Future Visions

Final project for URSP 705 & 706: Community Planning Studio (Summer 2016). School of Architecture Planning & Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park.The Columbia Gateway Project is a comprehensive report on future development for the Columbia Gateway site in Columbia, MD. This report charts the next steps to enhance the viability and explore the economic possibilities of the area. This report lays out key issues and goals for impending planning efforts. It is a framework that establishes options for the next 25 years and beyond. This report contains three ‘alternatives’ for development: low intensity, medium intensity and high intensity. It also explores the possibility of transforming the area into an “innovation district” which is defined as a spatial geographic model that stimulates economic growth by clustering entrepreneurs, startups, business accelerators and incubators. Key Issues: The landscape of Columbia, MD will continue to shift over the next 20 years. The population will continue to increase and become more diverse. The Columbia Gateway area is one of the last areas available for extensive development within Howard County. In order to keep up with shifting population demands, Howard County will need to develop a unique plan for redeveloping this area in order to create and expand a “work, play, and live” atmosphere. This report outlines some key initiatives, including: Economic Development: Tactics are recommended to encourage business innovation and growth, in order to make the area a leader in 21st century technologies. Particular attention is given to making the area into an innovation district on various levels that would support the area’s growth and economic conditions; Transportation: This report places great emphasis on transit, bike and pedestrian transportation while also improving existing road networks within Columbia Gateway. Each development alternative expounds on what improvements would need to be made to support proposed development within the area; Housing: Suggestions are made to create housing options that appeal to a diverse group of people. The report also provides options for how affordable housing options can be added to the area; Community Design: This report recommends a well-designed a community that includes green spaces, community areas, and more. The plans offer a way to transition the area from an office environment into a livable and recreational environment as well.Howard Count

Drug induced complications; can we do more?

Drug induced complication are becoming increasingly common in CF. In this review we discuss some of the key issues relating to drug side in an ageing population of patients with CF. Strategies to reduce drug complications are also discussed

Clinical trials in cystic fibrosis

AbstractIn patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), clinical trials are of paramount importance. Here, the current status of drug development in CF is discussed and future directions highlighted. Methods for pre-clinical testing of drugs with potential activity in CF patients including relevant animal models are described. Study design options for phase II and phase III studies involving CF patients are provided, including required patient numbers, safety issues and surrogate end point parameters for drugs, tested for different disease manifestations. Finally, regulatory issues for licensing new therapies for CF patients are discussed, including new directives of the European Union and the structure of a European clinical trial network for clinical studies involving CF patients is proposed