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Energy Information Systems: From the Basement to the Boardroom
A significant buildings energy reduction opportunity exists in the office sector, given that this market segment typically is an early adopter of new technology. There is a rising trend towards smart and connected offices through the internet of things (IoT) that provides new opportunities for operational efficiency and environmental sustainability practices. Leading commercial real estate companies have begun to shift from individual building automation systems (BAS) to partially integrated and automated systems such as energy information systems (EIS). In both the United States and India, organizations are seeking operational excellence, enhanced tenant relationships, and topline growth. Hence it is imperative to engage the executives with decision-making power, by tapping into their interest in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and innovation. This expansion of interest can enable data-driven decisions, strong energy investments, and deeper energy benefits, and would drive innovation in this field. However, none of this would be possible without robust, consistent building energy information to provide visibility across all the levels of decision making, i.e. from the basement where the facilities staff take operational action to the boardroom where the executives make investment decisions.
Price, security, and ease of use remain barriers to the adoption and pervasive use of promising EIS technologies in commercial office buildings. We believe that these barriers can be addressed through the development of ready, simplified, consistent, commercially available, low-cost EIS-in-a-box packages, that have a pre-defined set of hardware components and software features and functionality that are pertinent to a particular building sector. These simplified, sector-specific EIS packages can help to obviate the need for customization, and enhance ease of use, thereby enabling scale-up, in order to facilitate building energy savings. The EIS-in-a-box are adaptable in both U.S. and Indian office buildings, and potentially beyond these two countries
Task time and glance measures of the use of telematics: a tabular summary of the literature
Delphi Electronics & Safetyhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92350/1/102882.pd
In package control of Rhyzopertha dominica in wheat using a continuous atmospheric jet cold plasma system
Cold plasma is recognized and explored for a plethora of applications in the food and agricultural industry. This study investigated the influence of a continuous atmospheric pressure non-thermal jet plasma system on the mortality of Rhyzopertha dominica adults in whole wheat kernels and the changes in the milling and physicochemical attributes of the treated whole wheat. Air-filled packets of whole wheat kernels were artificially infested with R. dominica adults. The packages were carried by a continuous conveyor belt and treated with plasma at voltages ranging from 44-47 kV for 4-7 min. The mortality was determined after 24 h and milling yield, particle size, proximate composition, and color of plasma-treated and untreated wheat grains were also evaluated. The maximum mortality was 88.33% at 47 kV for 7 min. The milling yield, protein, and fiber content of wheat were enhanced with plasma treatment significantly. Thus the continuous atmospheric pressure jet plasma used in this study could be one of the practically implementable emerging techniques for the commercial disinfestation of packaged food products
Design of lowâpower 4-bit Flash ADC using Multiplexer based encoder in 90nm CMOS process
This work describes a 4-bit Flash ADC with low power consumption. The performance metrics of a Flash ADC depend on the kind of comparator and encoder used. Hence open-loop comparator and mux-based encoder are used to obtain improved performance. Simulation results shows that the simulated design consumes 0.265mW of power in 90nm CMOS technology using cadence-virtuoso software. The circuit operates with an operating frequency of 100MHz and supply voltage of 1V
Design of lowâpower 4-bit Flash ADC using Multiplexer based encoder in 90nm CMOS process
This work describes a 4-bit Flash ADC with low power consumption. The performance metrics of a Flash ADC depend on the kind of comparator and encoder used. Hence open-loop comparator and mux-based encoder are used to obtain improved performance. Simulation results shows that the simulated design consumes 0.265mW of power in 90nm CMOS technology using cadence-virtuoso software. The circuit operates with an operating frequency of 100MHz and supply voltage of 1V
Effectiveness of a Short training in Teaching Methodology for entry level Medical Teachers
Background: Teacher education curricula should enable teachers to facilitate learnersâ acquiring knowledge, attitudes, behavior and skills that they will need in their profession. Though there are faculty development programmes that are being conducted in India, there are only a few published reports of the same. Aims & Objectives: To assess the âEffectiveness of a Short training in Teaching Methodology for entry level Medical Teachers.â Settings and Design: A quasi-experimental study with pre-test post-test design and an educational intervention was carried out on 30 consenting Senior Residents at a Medical College in Kochi. Material & Methods: The intervention was eight-hour training in teaching methodology using a curriculum designed by the researcher in consultation with experts. Data analysis was done using SPSS software to compare the pre and post - test scores of the residents. Results: Overall feedback was positive. The participants reported that âthey had learned a lotâ and were of the view that âthe course would help them to put forward better performancesâ when assigned teaching-learning tasks. The pre-test and post-test scores were compared and significant improvement was found with regard to knowledge, motivation to teach (reflecting attitude change) and practice. Conclusion: A short training in teaching methodology has helped entry level medical teachers to become more effective in their teaching
Underascertainment of radiotherapy receipt in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data
BACKGROUND: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry data have been used to suggest underuse and disparities in receipt of radiotherapy. Prior studies have cautioned that SEER may underascertain radiotherapy but lacked adequate representation to assess whether underascertainment varies by geography or patient sociodemographic characteristics. The authors sought to determine rates and correlates of underascertainment of radiotherapy in recent SEER data. METHODS: The authors evaluated data from 2290 survey respondents with nonmetastatic breast cancer, aged 20 to 79 years, diagnosed from June of 2005 to February 2007 in Detroit and Los Angeles and reported to SEER registries (73% response rate). Survey responses regarding treatment and sociodemographic factors were merged with SEER data. The authors compared radiotherapy receipt as reported by patients versus SEER records. The authors then assessed correlates of radiotherapy underascertainment in SEER. RESULTS: Of 1292 patients who reported receiving radiotherapy, 273 were coded as not receiving radiotherapy in SEER (underascertained). Underascertainment was more common in Los Angeles than in Detroit (32.0% vs 11.25%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, radiotherapy underascertainment was significantly associated in each registry (Los Angeles, Detroit) with stage ( P = .008, P = .026), income ( P < .001, P = .050), mastectomy receipt ( P < .001, P < .001), chemotherapy receipt ( P < .001, P = .045), and diagnosis at a hospital that was not accredited by the American College of Surgeons ( P < .001, P < .001). In Los Angeles, additional significant variables included younger age ( P < .001), nonprivate insurance ( P < .001), and delayed receipt of radiotherapy ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: SEER registry data as currently collected may not be an appropriate source for documentation of rates of radiotherapy receipt or investigation of geographic variation in the radiation treatment of breast cancer. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. This study found that the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program, among the largest Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, coded that radiation was not received in nearly a third of cases in which breast cancer patients themselves reported radiation receipt, whereas ascertainment of radiation receipt was much more complete in another large SEER registry, that of the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System. SEER registry data as currently collected may not be an appropriate source for documentation of rates of radiotherapy receipt or geographic disparities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90319/1/26295_ftp.pd
Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 inhibits myocardial TNF-α expression and improves cardiac function during endotoxemia
Aims: Myocardial tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression induces cardiac dysfunction in endotoxemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP1) pathway in myocardial TNF-α expression and cardiac function during endotoxemia. Methods and results: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased MKP1 expression in the myocardium in vivo and in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes in vitro. LPS-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 phosphorylation in the myocardium was prolonged in MKP1 -/- mice. Myocardial TNF-α mRNA and protein levels were enhanced in MKP1 -/- compared with wild-type (WT) mice in endotoxemia, leading to a further decrease in cardiac function. To study if Rac1/p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) signalling regulates MKP1 expression, cardiomyocytes were treated with LPS. Inhibition of Rac1 and PAK1 by a dominant negative Rac1 adenovirus (Ad-Rac1N17) and PAK1 siRNA, respectively, blocked LPS-induced MKP1 expression in cardiomyocytes. PAK1 siRNA also decreased p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, and TNF-α expression induced by LPS. Furthermore, deficiency in either Rac1 or JNK1 decreased myocardial MKP1 expression in endotoxemic mice. Conclusion: LPS activates the Rac1/PAK1 pathway, which increases myocardial MKP1 expression via JNK1. MKP1 attenuates ERK1/2 and p38 activation, inhibits myocardial TNF-α expression, and improves cardiac function in endotoxemia. Thus, MKP1 represents an important negative feedback mechanism limiting pro-inflammatory response in the heart during sepsis. © The Author 2011
An unidentified Fermi source emitting radio bursts in the Galactic bulge
We report on the detection of radio bursts from the Galactic bulge using the
real-time transient detection and localization system, realfast. The pulses
were detected commensally on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array during a
survey of unidentified Fermi -ray sources. The bursts were localized to
subarcsecond precision using realfast fast-sampled imaging. Follow-up
observations with the Green Bank Telescope detected additional bursts from the
same source. The bursts do not exhibit periodicity in a search up to periods of
480s, assuming a duty cycle of < 20%. The pulses are nearly 100% linearly
polarized, show circular polarization up to 12%, have a steep radio spectral
index of -2.7, and exhibit variable scattering on timescales of months. The
arcsecond-level realfast localization links the source confidently with the
Fermi -ray source and places it nearby (though not coincident with) an
XMM-Newton X-ray source. Based on the source's overall properties, we discuss
various options for the nature of this object and propose that it could be a
young pulsar, magnetar, or a binary pulsar system.Comment: Submitted to The Astrophysical Journa
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