Carbon and energy performance of housing : a model and toolset for policy development applied to a local authority housing stock

The area of strategy formulation for energy and carbon performance of housing is coming under increasing focus. A model has been developed based on simulation results aligned with knowledge of the housing stock which can be used to calculate energy, carbon and cost results from a reduced number of input parameters. The context of the model can be varied to reflect different climates and patterns of use. The model is embedded in a user friendly java tool which can be used to give results for a dwelling or the housing stock of an organisation, region or country. It is possible to investigate the effect of housing upgrade options, future building regulations, climates, patterns of use, renewable energy systems etc. and support formulation of future policy. In this paper the tool is briefly described and an example given showing its application to a local authority rented housing stock

The effect of metacognitive strategy instruction on L2 learner beliefs and listening skills

This pilot study investigated the effect of semester-long strategy-based instruction on learner beliefs and skills in the processing of aural input by adult learners of English as a second language at metacognitive and procedural levels. The study addressed two frequently encountered learner beliefs thought to impede L2 processing of aural input: The little words aren’t important; intonation is merely decorative. Working on the premise that learner beliefs underpin learner strategies for processing aural input and are reflected in learner productive and receptive skills, pre- and post-instruction instruments measured both learners’ awareness of connected speech processes and the functions of intonation, and their ability to segment a continuous speech stream, and to process utterances for speaker intent. Findings using repeated measures analysis of variance support strategy-based metacognitive training in connected speech and stress and intonation to promote listening skills awareness, aid word segmentation, and facilitate understanding utterance content and intended meaning.Published versio

Tension and Critical Thinking in Art

This paper is a discussion about the existence, purpose, and use of tension in works of art. It does not take the form of standard papers, but is written as an interview where I am both the interviewer and interviewee. As the interviewee I am an artist and researcher of this topic. As the interviewer, I challenge myself to support my assertions with examples, and I try and catch myself in contradictions, and ask for clarifications. Similar to conversations we have in the classrooms of the Critical and Creative Thinking Graduate Program, the discussion in this paper does not cease at some final agreement or truth, but carries forward in the quiet of our minds after walking away. This is the heart of the matter, how art affects us, how it works with or against the perceptions that we hold, and how it may open us to different and critical thinking

Brain Areas Associated with Force Steadiness and Intensity During Isometric Ankle Dorsiflexion in Men and Women

Although maintenance of steady contractions is required for many daily tasks, there is little understanding of brain areas that modulate lower limb force accuracy. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine brain areas associated with steadiness and force during static (isometric) lower limb target-matching contractions at low and high intensities. Fourteen young adults (6 men and 8 women; 27.1 ± 9.1 years) performed three sets of 16-s isometric contractions with the ankle dorsiflexor muscles at 10, 30, 50, and 70 % of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Percent signal changes (PSCs, %) of the blood oxygenation level-dependent response were extracted for each contraction using region of interest analysis. Mean PSC increased with contraction intensity in the contralateral primary motor area (M1), supplementary motor area, putamen, pallidum cingulate cortex, and ipsilateral cerebellum (p \u3c 0.05). The amplitude of force fluctuations (standard deviation, SD) increased from 10 to 70 % MVC but relative to the mean force (coefficient of variation, CV %) was greatest at 10 % MVC. The CV of force was associated with PSC in the ipsilateral parietal lobule (r = −0.28), putamen (r = −0.29), insula (r = −0.33), and contralateral superior frontal gyrus (r = −0.33, p \u3c 0.05). There were minimal sex differences in brain activation across the isometric motor tasks indicating men and women were similarly motivated and able to activate cortical motor centers during static tasks. Control of steady lower limb contractions involves cortical and subcortical motor areas in both men and women and provides insight into key areas for potential cortical plasticity with impaired or enhanced leg function

Eye-opening and control of visual synapse development in the mouse superior colliculus

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2007."June 2007."Includes bibliographical references.The mammalian superior colliculus (SC) coordinates visual, somatosensory, and auditory stimuli to guide animal behavior. The superficial layers (sSC) receive visual information via two major afferent projections: 1) A direct retinal projection and 2) an indirect projection from Layer V visual cortex. The retinal projection reaches the rat sSC by embryonic day 16, is topographic, and refines to form a high resolution map of visual space early in development, before eye-opening in rodents (-P12-P14). The cortical projection is delayed by about eight days, just reaching the sSC around P4, and does not complete its topographic refinement until around the time of eye-opening. These afferents compete for synaptic space during a time when patterns of spontaneous and evoked activity are rapidly changing. I have used the mouse sSC as a model system to test the role of new activity patterns due to the initial onset of visual experience after eye-opening in visual synaptic development. I have described the organization of retinal and cortical afferents and the laminar organization of the mouse sSC in Chapter 3. Previous work demonstrated eye-opening (EO) induces the appearance of dendritic PSD-95 and LTP in the sSC within 2-4 hours.(cont.) I provide evidence that EO-induced PSD-95 trafficking is required for the stabilization of new synapses in vivo as a result of patterned visual experience after eye-opening. mEPSC frequency recorded in a vertical neuronal subtype of the mid-SGS increases at least three-fold after eye-opening, indicating a rapid synaptogenesis that does not occur in PSD95KO mice, or in age-matched littermates deprived of initial visual experience. A structural analysis of these neurons revealed caliber-specific patterns of spine and filopodia development that depend on EO and the projection from visual cortex. Between P11 and P13, dendrites post-synaptic to cortical axons undergo an EO-independent tripling of filopodial density and an EO-dependent maintenance of dendritic spine density. These data suggest that rapid vision-induced trafficking of PSD-95 enables long-term potentiation and stabilization of newly formed cortico-collicular synapses in response to patterned visual stimuli. Furthermore, these data suggest that cortical inputs are sensitive to pattern vision deprivation between P12 and P13, but retinal inputs are not.by Marnie A. Phillips.Ph.D

Motor Variability during Sustained Contractions Increases with Cognitive Demand in Older Adults

To expose cortical involvement in age-related changes in motor performance, we compared steadiness (force fluctuations) and fatigability of submaximal isometric contractions with the ankle dorsiflexor muscles in older and young adults and with varying levels of cognitive demand imposed. Sixteen young (20.4 ± 2.1 year: 8 men, 9 women) and 17 older adults (68.8 ± 4.4 years: 9 men, 8 women) attended three sessions and performed a 40 s isometric contraction at 5% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force followed by an isometric contraction at 30% MVC until task failure. The cognitive demand required during the submaximal contractions in each session differed as follows: (1) high-cognitive demand session where difficult mental math was imposed (counting backward by 13 from a 4-digit number); (2) low-cognitive demand session which involved simple mental math (counting backward by 1); and (3) control session with no mental math. Anxiety was elevated during the high-cognitive demand session compared with other sessions for both age groups but more so for the older adults than young adults (p \u3c 0.05). Older adults had larger force fluctuations than young adults during: (1) the 5% MVC task as cognitive demand increased (p = 0.007), and (2) the fatiguing contraction for all sessions (p = 0.002). Time to task failure did not differ between sessions or age groups (p \u3e 0.05), but the variability between sessions (standard deviation of three sessions) was greater for older adults than young (2.02 ± 1.05 vs. 1.25 ± 0.51 min, p \u3c 0.05). Thus, variability in lower limb motor performance for low- and moderate-force isometric tasks increased with age and was exacerbated when cognitive demand was imposed, and may be related to modulation of synergist and antagonist muscles and an altered neural strategy with age originating from central sources. These data have significant implications for cognitively demanding low-force motor tasks that are relevant to functional and ergonomic in an aging workforce

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING: TALE OF UNRAVELING THE SECRET TO SUCCESS OF A NEOPHYTE CRIMINOLOGIST IN TAKING LICENSURE EXAM

This phenomenological study aimed to fathom the tale of unravelling the secret to the success of neophyte criminologists in passing the licensure examination. The study utilized a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach, with 18 criminologists from Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College, General Santos City, chosen through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used as a data analysis tool. In light of this, results revealed the themes developed wherein this also discovered that the secret to the success of criminologists in taking and passing the CLE where they experienced mixed emotions, very challenging, stressful phenomena, feelings of nervousness, lack of preparation, frustrating events, remaining hopeful and positivism helps. In addition, criminologists experienced challenges like time constraints, financial problems, no face-to-face review, sleepless nights, anxiety situations and restrictions during the pandemic. On the coping mechanisms, criminologists pray harder, seek help, manage time well, rest when necessary, study hard, boost self-esteem, enrol in a review centre and practice the elimination methods. Furthermore, criminologists’ insights or realization revealed that preparation is necessary: take the review seriously, join a group study, give your best shot, surpass trials, increase faith and prioritize well-being. Taking a criminologist licensure exam requires extensive preparation and perseverance as they will encounter many challenges before they pass it. The insights learned by the neophyte criminologists make them more competent as professionals in their field of specialization.  Article visualizations

The Invasive Grass-Fire Cycle in the U.S. Great Basin

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE) is a project of the Committee on Diversity and Education of the Ecological Society of America (http://tiee.esa.org).1-2

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of oregano essential oil

The swine industry is investigating phytonutrients like oregano essential oil (OEO) because of its potent antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. These activities are attributed to OEO’s most abundant polyphenols, carvacrol and thymol. Carvacrol and thymol have been shown to permeabilize and depolarize the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in cell death. The objective of this study was to quantify the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of OEO