Window Inserts and the People Adopting Them: Building Sustainable Communities in Maine

Residents of Maine face a large monetary expense to heat their homes in the winter. In Maine it takes 540 gallons of heating oil each year to heat a typical home [1]. Interior window inserts may be a practical solution to improve comfort, save money, and consume less environmentally harmful fossil fuels during cold winter months. The window inserts discussed in this paper are custom measured to fit into a window and consist of a wooden frame that is wrapped in two layers of polyolefin film and weather stripped for a snug fit. Commercial inserts cost $20-$36/square foot, or approximately $300-$540 for a 36” by 60” window [2]. However, there is a growing movement in Maine to reduce costs by harnessing the power of community volunteers. WindowDressers is a non-profit organization in Rockland, Maine that helps community organizers in towns throughout the state provide inserts for one-tenth of the price ($1.65-$3.68/square foot) of commercial inserts. In addition, 25% of inserts are allocated to low-income customers for a reduced rate ($10 for 10 inserts). Customers that purchase inserts also volunteer time to work to build and assemble them with other members of the community. This is part of a growing movement of community energy that works through grassroots movements as opposed to traditional “top down” approaches to achieve energy related goals. Survey data are used in this thesis to show customers are participating to conserve energy, live comfortably, save money, benefit the environment, and because they value the sense of community with the project. Volunteers are participating to help others achieve the same goals. Ninety-six percent of participants reported being satisfied with their overall experience, and 68We also predict the cost, energy, and emissions savings: a typical home with ten 36” by 60” inserts is estimated to save 35 gallons of heating oil per year, which results in$105 per year in savings and a simple payback period of 3.9 years on their investment for full price customers. The typical Maine home is also predicted to save 357 kilograms of carbon dioxide, 14 grams of methane, and 3 grams of nitrous oxide per home, per year. Historical fuel oil consumption data are used from three WindowDressers customers to estimate the median of their annual fuel oil energy savings to be 17% as a result of window inserts. The historical heating fuel analysis shows a median of 128 gallons of heating oil being saved per household during the winter of 2016 - 2017, resulting in an estimated $326 of household savings 1,300 kilograms of carbon dioxide, 52.5 grams of methane, and 10.2 grams of nitrous oxide per household. Finally, this thesis compares historical consumption for two customers to the predicted energy savings model designed for their homes. We find that their consumption falls along the same range of predicted savings

A study of bistatic radar and the development of an independent bistatic radar receiver

Bibliography: pages 120-121.This report contains a literature review of bistatic radar and also describes an experimental L-Band bistatic radar receiver which was built at the University of Cape Town. In a bistatic radar the transmitter and receiver are separated by an amount which is comparable to the distance to the targets which are being displayed. The separation of the transmitter and receiver cause various parameters to change when comparing the bistatic radar to a monostatic radar

Functional approach clarifies residential road layout design

Most design guides provide information on the detail design of residential streets. This is generally related to the need to account for the requirements of the. motor car. The functions of residential streets are identified as: 1. Providing access to abutting pro­perties.2. Facilitating social activity.3. Providing a corridor for the move-ment of motor vehicles.4. Accommodating engineering services.The functional approach identifies two types of roads: one for access and the other for movement. Designing for these two distinct types of roads obviates the need to f ulfill conflicting functions. This simplifies the design process, permits the creation of a residential environment con­ductive to social activity, and at the same time ensures that vehicular movement is not unacceptably tortuous.&nbsp

The Wynberg centre : an evaluation of its potential future within the metropolis of Cape Town

This thesis was prompted by three major concerns. Firstly there is need for a structure of centres providing a wider range of facilities closer to home. Secondly, the Wynberg centre is slowly changing to become almost exclusively a shopping centre, and thirdly, the quality of the environment of the centre is also declining. The first aspect of the analysis was the establishment of what those qualities are that make a centre. Having examined the existing Wynberg centre structure and operation;and · the plans, mainly road schemes, presently proposed by the local authority it became apparent that with these influences the centre of Wynberg would definitely not develop into the centre which was needed. A further six alternatives were prepared to determine the possible future for Wynberg. In the first four alternatives, the involvement presently practiced by the local authority was considered to be a fix and the alternatives were mainly achieved by keeping or omitting one or both of the two road schemes to be built through Wynberg viz. the Wynberg ByPass and the Widening of the Main Road. The second set of alternatives was based on the premise that the Local Authority would become actively involved in the development of the centre, able to use economic and legal techniques to induce development in the direction of the goals. An economic and analysis was undertaken to give quantitive values to the alternatives

Modelos para dispersão de abelhas africanizadas : um zoom matematico

Orientador: Wilson Castro Ferreira JrTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Computação CientificaResumo: Não informado.Abstract: Not informed.DoutoradoDoutor em Matemática Aplicad

Hospitalizações no Brasil pelas estimativas da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013 e 2019

OBJETIVO: Comparar o perfil e a prevalência das hospitalizações no Brasil com base nas estimativas da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS), 2013 e 2019. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal seriado que utilizou os dados das PNS 2013 e PNS 2019. O desfecho foi ter ficado internado por 24 horas ou mais nos últimos 12 meses. Calculamos a proporção da população nas diversas categorias de faixa etária, de presença ou ausência de doenças crônicas e de percepção do estado de saúde. Estimamos o número total de hospitalizações e a proporção correspondente a cada categoria de faixa etária, de doença crônica e de percepção do estado de saúde. Calculamos a prevalência de internação segundo fatores geográficos, socioeconômicos e condições de saúde. Comparamos as estimativas das duas edições da PNS utilizando o teste t de Student para amostras independentes. Consideramos as diferenças significativas quando o valor de p foi menor que 0,01. E finalmente comparamos as estimativas de hospitalização com os dados administrativos para avaliar a consistência dos dados. RESULTADOS: Observamos que a proporção de doentes crônicos na população passou de 15,04% para 31,48%. Este grupo foi responsável por 36,76% do total de internações em 2013 e de 57,61% em 2019. A prevalência de hospitalizações aumentou significativamente entre os dois inquéritos e os incrementos foram maiores na região Sudeste e entre pessoas que possuem plano de saúde privado. Foi encontrada uma discrepância entre os dados administrativos e as estimativas dos inquéritos. As internações obstétricas e as internações por plano de saúde foram subestimadas. CONCLUSÃO: Houve um aumento nas taxas globais de hospitalização no período compreendido entre as PNS 2013 e 2019, especialmente entre as pessoas com melhor acesso aos serviços de saúde. O perfil de hospitalização também mudou – na PNS 2013 predominaram internações de pessoas sem doenças crônicas. Isto se inverteu na PNS 2019.OBJECTIVE: To c ompare t he profile a nd prevalence of hospitalizations i n B razil b ased on estimates from the National Health Survey (PNS), 2013 and 2019. METHODS: A cross-sectional study that used data from the 2013 PNS and the 2019 PNS. The outcome was having been hospitalized for 24 hours or more in the last 12 months. We calculated the proportion of the population in different categories of age group, presence or absence of chronic diseases, and perception of health status. We estimated the total number of hospitalizations and the proportion corresponding to each category of age group, chronic disease, and perceived health status. We calculated the prevalence of hospitalization according to geographic, socioeconomic, and health conditions. We compared the estimates of two editions of the PNS using Student’s t-test for independent samples. We considered significant differences when the p-value was less than 0.01. And finally, we compared hospitalization estimates with administrative data to assess data consistency. RESULTS: We observed that the proportion of chronically ill people in the population increased from 15.04% to 31.48%. This group was responsible for 36.76% of the total number of hospitalizations in 2013 and 57.61% in 2019. The prevalence of hospitalizations increased significantly between the two surveys and the increases were higher in the Southeast region and among people who have private health insurance. A discrepancy was found between administrative data and survey estimates. Obstetric hospitalizations and health insurance hospitalizations were underestimated. CONCLUSION: There was an increase in overall hospitalization rates in the period between the PNS 2013 and PNS 2019, especially among people with better access to health services. The hospitalization profile also changed—in the 2013 PNS, hospitalizations of people without chronic diseases predominated. This was reversed in PNS 2019

Performando riscos: autoetnografia de viver com Diabetes Tipo 1 na pandemia de Covid-19

Durante a pandemia, pessoas diagnosticadas com DM1 foram categorizadas como parte do “grupo de risco” com a justificativa de estarem mais sujeitas à óbito que pessoas sem o diagnóstico, que é feito tendo como base um valor específico da concentração de glicose no sangue. Como DM1, em meu tratamento durante o primeiro ano do período manipulei diariamente esse nível de concentração no meu sangue até produzir o mesmo de uma pessoa não diagnosticada como um modo de, segundo sugerido em consulta médica, “sair do grupo de risco”. A partir de uma autoetnografia particular dessas interações entre práticas diagnósticas, políticas e contextos sociais de crise sanitária, investigo os impactos do isolamento social em população parte da categoria. Através de dois experimentos narrativos, as crônicas autoetnográficas e o diálogo com travessão descrevo as práticas terapêuticas cotidianas (a insulinoterapia e monitorização glicêmica continua alinhadas com contagem de carboidratos) que permitiram que eu me deslocasse, em termos biomédicos e numéricos, para fora do risco e analiso como o controle produziu, nesse período, mas não só, a categoria de “grupo de risco” e de uma morte “com comorbidade” – como meio de justificá-la. Observando com atenção a manipulação metabólica que realizei buscando produzir um corpo que não é o meu, ou seja, refém de um número eu lutava para me fazer não-diagnosticada, percebi que, enquanto o controle aponta para uma escolha pelo aprimoramento numérico, tendo a culpa individual como aprisionamento de uma identidade excluída via produção de uma vida morta, o cuidado amoroso, enquanto processo árduo e interativo, atentivo e aberto, usufrui da responsabilidade coletiva de coprodução de um corpo paisagem que inclui as diferenças.During the pandemic, people diagnosed with DM1 were categorized as part of the “risk group” with the justification that they are more likely to die than people without the diagnosis, which is based on a specific value of blood glucose concentration. As DM1, in my treatment during the first year of the period, I manipulated this level of concentration in my blood daily until producing the same level of an undiagnosed person as a way of, as suggested in a doctor's consultation, "getting out of the risk group". Based on a particular autoethnography of these interactions between diagnostic practices, policies and social contexts of health crisis, I investigate the impacts of social isolation in a population belonging to the category. Through two narrative experiments, the autoethnographic chronicles and the dialogue with a dash, I describe the daily therapeutic practices (insulin therapy and glycemic monitoring continue in line with carbohydrate counting) that allowed me to move, in biomedical and numerical terms, out of risk and I analyze how the control produced, in this period, but not only, the category of “risk group” and of a death “with comorbidity” – as a means of justifying it. Looking carefully at the metabolic manipulation I performed trying to produce a body that is not mine, that is, hostage to a number I struggled to make myself undiagnosed, I realized that, while the control points to a choice for numerical improvement, I have the individual guilt as imprisonment of an excluded identity via the production of a dead life, loving care, as an arduous and interactive, attentive and open process, enjoys the collective responsibility of co-production of a landscape body that includes the differences.Durante la pandemia, las personas diagnosticadas con DM1 fueron categorizadas como parte del "grupo de riesgo" con la justificación de que tienen más probabilidades de morir que las personas sin el diagnóstico, que se basa en un valor específico de concentración de glucosa en sangre. Como DM1, en mi tratamiento durante el primer año del período, manipulé este nivel de concentración en mi sangre diariamente hasta producir el mismo nivel de una persona no diagnosticada como una forma de, como sugirió en la consulta de un médico, "salir del grupo de riesgo ". A partir de una autoetnografía particular de estas interacciones entre prácticas diagnósticas, políticas y contextos sociales de crisis de salud, investigo los impactos del aislamiento social en una población perteneciente a la categoría. A través de dos experimentos narrativos, las crónicas autoetnográficas y el diálogo con un guión, describo las prácticas terapéuticas diarias (la terapia con insulina y el monitoreo glucémico continúan en línea con el conteo de carbohidratos) que me permitieron salir, en términos biomédicos y numéricos, de riesgo y Analizo cómo el control produjo, en este período, pero no solo, la categoría de “grupo de riesgo” y de muerte “con comorbilidad” - como una forma de justificarlo. Observando detenidamente la manipulación metabólica que realicé tratando de producir un cuerpo que no es mío, es decir, rehén de un número que luché por no diagnosticar, me di cuenta de que, si bien el control apunta a una opción para la mejora numérica, tengo la la culpa individual como encarcelamiento de una identidad excluida vía la producción de una vida muerta, el cuidado amoroso, como proceso arduo e interactivo, atento y abierto, goza de la responsabilidad colectiva de coproducción de un cuerpo paisajístico que incluye las diferencias

O problema da poluição em rios por mercurio metalico : modelagem e simulação numerica

Orientador: João Frederico C. A. MeyerDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Computação CientíficaResumo: Não informado.Abstract: Not informed.MestradoMestre em Matemática Aplicad