Simplified Prescriptive Options in the Texas Residential Building Energy Code Make Compliance Easy

Texas recently adopted the 2000 International Residential Code (“IRC”) energy chapter and the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code (“IECC”) as its residential building energy code for new construction and existing homes. The range of code compliance options in the new Texas code spans from simplified prescriptive methods on one end to more complex performance (whole building) methods on the other. This paper addresses how energy code compliance is much simpler through the use of simplified, easy-to-follow prescriptive compliance options, particularly in a state like Texas, which historically has had no uniform building codes. This paper also provides samples of simplified prescriptive energy code compliance aids that could make it easier for energy code compliance in Texas

Benefits of the International Residential Code's Maximum Solar heat Gain Coefficient Requirement for Windows

Texas adopted in its residential building energy code a maximum 0.40 solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) for fenestration (e.g., windows, glazed doors and skylights)-a critical driver of cooling energy use, comfort and peak demand. An analysis of the expected costs and benefits of low solar heat gain glazing, and specifically the SHGC requirement in the new Texas Residential Building Energy Code,1 shows that the 0.40 SHGC requirement is ideal for Texas and that the benefits far outweigh the expected costs. For consumers, the requirement will increase comfort and reduce their cost of home ownership. The anticipated public benefits are also substantial - the result of full implementation can be expected to: 1) Reduce cumulative statewide cooling energy use over ten years by 15 billion kWh; 2) Reduce cumulative statewide electric peak demand over ten years by over 1200 MW; 3) Result in cooling cost savings of more than a billion dollars; and 4) Reduce cumulative statewide key air pollutants

Preferences for shared decision making in chronic pain patients compared with patients during a premedication visit.

Contains fulltext : 49583.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that patients' outcomes improve if they are involved in shared decision making (SDM). A chronic pain clinic or premedication visit could be adequate settings for the implementation of SDM. So far, the patients' preference for involvement in decision making and their desire for information have not been tested in anesthesiological settings. METHODS: A group of chronic pain patients was compared with a group of patients in the premedication visit with respect to SDM, the desire for information and perceived involvement in care. The autonomy preference index (API, measuring preference for involvement and desire for information) and the perceived involvement in care scale (PICS, measuring patients' perception of easier involvement by doctors and information exchange) were administered. RESULTS: In total, 190 chronic pain patients and 151 patients of premedication were included in this study. Patient of the premedication visit had significantly higher SDM scores. Desire for information was high, but there were no differences between groups. Younger patients [B (estimate) =- 0.3; 95% CI (-0.4) - (-0.1)], women (B = 10.9; 95% CI 6.3-15.4) and patients with higher educational level (B = 10.1; 95% CI 5.6-14.6) had more desire for SDM. PICS scores were basically influenced by groups: chronic pain patients felt more facilitated by doctors [B =- 0.185; 95% CI (-0.4) - (-0.1)] and had more information exchange [B =- 19.5; 95% CI (-15.8) - (-2.4)] than patients in the premedication visit. CONCLUSION: In both anesthesiological settings, the desire for information was high, but patients in the premedication visit had higher SDM scores, especially young female patients with higher educational level. Real patient-physician interaction showed that premedication patients felt less involved by doctors and had less information exchange compared with the chronic pain patients. Therefore, premedication visits should be focussed more on adequate information exchange and involvement of the patient in the shared decision making process

Cognitive–behavioural therapy v. structured care for medically unexplained symptoms: randomised controlled trial

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Flux normalized charged current neutrino cross sections up to neutrino energies of 260 GeV

Preliminary measurements of flux normalized charged current neutrino cross sections are presented. From a sample of 6000 neutrino events with energies between 50 and 260 GeV the authors find that sigma /sub nu //E/sub nu /=(0.67+or-0.04)*10/sup -38/ cm/sup 2//GeV independent of neutrino energy. (0 refs)