Analyzing a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) in the Climate Zone of Australia

Buildings and Residential sectors are amongst the major energy consumers of Australia. But the maximum portion of the energy consumed by these buildings is lost due to construction, design, or use of appliances. A significant amount of energy can be saved through this sector, which will not only reduce energy demand, it would further remove a major load from the National Grid. This study assessed a building in the residential sector of Australia and proposed how the use of Passive, Active techniques and adoption of the NZEB concept can help save energy consumption of residential houses. Different techniques and their implementation in the building were performed through both qualitative and quantitative analysis.  The results obtained from the study show the house load of the designed building, a solar system that can take up the entire load, its financial assessment, and how the use of energy-efficient appliances and the use of passive techniques can result in improvement of energy efficiency

Viral Videos: Medicine for Record Labels in the Fight Against Copyright Termination?

As major American record labels continue to tackle online piracy and declining reve-nues, another potentially devastating battle over some of their most valuable assets is lurking in the very near future. The Copyright Act provides artists with the right to terminate any transfers of copyrights to their works. In order to protect themselves from termination notices in the future, record labels should revamp their business model and commission sound recordings for music videos rather than albums. Doing so is important given current realities in the music industry, and it will allow labels to take advantage of the work-for-hire exception to the termination right, thus allowing them to retain ownership of copyrights in sound recordings for the full duration of the term

Geothermobarometry of Cordierite-Bearing Metapelites of the Hudson Highlands, Southeastern NY

Various P-T determinations have been reported on metasedimentary rock suites in the New Jersey and Hudson Highlands using different geothermobarometers, but all have yielded relatively large P-T ranges and none have used cordierite in a quantitative way. The presence of variable cordierite and its narrow stability field in metapelitic gneisses provides an excellent opportunity to better constrain the peak P-T conditions. Calcium depleted, clay-rich, arkosic sedimentary protolith was deposited during the Mesoproterozoic in a continentaloceanic arc basin during the Elzevirian orogeny (~1300-1200 Ma). The Ottawan metamorphic event (~1090-1020 Ma) transformed this protolith into the metasedimentary unit exposed in the Hudson Highlands, southeastern NY (Gates et al., 2001). Twenty samples from outcrops with inlerlayered metapelites and metapsammitic gneisses were sampled from four localities within Harriman State Park, NY in the western Hudson Highlands. The determination of the metamorphic conditions based on the prograde phases of the biotite-cordierite, biotite-cordieritegarnet, and biotite-garnet metapelitic gneisses is the focal point of interest in the current study. Whole-rock major elements analysis of the composite suite of samples defines the differentiation of the metapsammitic and metapelitic gneisses as: metapelites = weight % K2O/ CaO \u3e 1; metapsammitic gneiss = weight % K2O/ CaO \u3c1. Chemical composition and weight % oxide data was collected from five samples that displayed co-existing garnet, biotite, and locally occurring plagioclase and cordierite, to perform geothermobarometry. Garnet-cordierite and garnet-biotite thermometers and grt-sil-crd-qtz, garnet-aluminasilicate-plagioclase (GASP), and garnet-biotite-plagioclase-quartz (GBPQ) barometers were used. The P-T determinations for five samples with appropriate mineralogy are as follows: QB-7: 588 °C (±38) at 4.4 kilobars (± 2) SB-5: 593 °C (± 19) at 5.3 kilobars (± 0.4) QB-1: 654 °C (±18) at 5.1 kilobars (± 0.1) TB-3: 745 °C (± 18) at 6.0 kilobars (± 0.2) SB-7: 730 °C (± 19) at 6.1 kilobars (± 0.1) The P-T reported is indicative of a transition from middle-amphibolite to lower-granulite facies metamorphism. The appearance and disappearance of cordierite with increasing metamorphic grade is expressed as biotite-cordierite gneiss-\u3ebiotite-cordierite-garnet gneiss-\u3egarnet-biotite gneiss. The presence of cordierite in the metapelites of Hudson Highlands is not as imperative as previously thought in regards to determining peak metamorphism conditions. However, its appearance and disappearance provides a unique opportunity to determine the rates of metamorphic processes for the metasedimentary unit exposed in the Hudson Highlands

Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factorα on Expression of Heme-Oxgenase1 in Human Gingival Fibroblasts

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by activation of gingival fibroblasts to produce matrix metalloproteinases and other inflammatory mediators that contribute to destruction of tissues surrounding the teeth. In the United States, 22% of adults have a mild form of periodontal disease and 13% suffer from a severe form of the disease. In addition to tooth loss, periodontitis is associated with increased risk of several conditions, including diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is activated by a wide variety of stressful stimuli and levels are increased in inflamed tissues. HO-1 degrades free heme, resulting in 3 products, biliverdin (which is quickly converted to bilirubin), iron and carbon monoxide (CO). These products all have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and HO-1 appears to have an important role in the resolution of inflammation. However, increased expression of HO-1 in certain tumors is associated with increased angiogenesis, metastasis and tumor progression, leading to poor prognosis. It is therefore important to understand how expression of HO-1 is controlled under various conditions. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) on levels of HO-1 mRNA and protein in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) from patients with periodontitis. Results show that HO-1 mRNA and protein levels decreased over 6 hours in the presence of TNFα. We hypothesized that TNF might decrease HO-1 by increasing levels or activity of the transcriptional repressor Bach1. However, Bach1 mRNA and protein levels did not change significantly over 6 hours after treatment with TNFα, and binding of nuclear factors to the antioxidant response element of the HO-1 promoter remains steady after treatment with TNFα. Although HO-1 expression is sometimes regulated at the level of mRNA stability, there was no change in the rate of HO-1 mRNA degradation following treatment with TNF. Thus, TNFα does decrease HO-1 mRNA and protein expression, however the mechanism of inhibition is still unknown

Owner-Intruder Contests with Information Asymmetry

Owner-Intruder Contests with Information Asymmetry Faheem Farooq, Depts. of Biology and Chemistry, Jay Bisen, Manaeil Hasan, and Akhil Patel, with Dr. Jan Rychtar, Dept. of Mathematics and Discrete Mathematics, and Dr. Dewey T. Taylor, Dept. of Mathematics and Discrete Mathematics We consider kleptoparasitic interactions between two individuals - Owner and Intruder - and model the situation as a sequential game in an extensive form. Owner is in a possession of a valuable resource when it spots Intruder. Owner has to decide whether to defend the resource; if the Owner defends, the Intruder has to decide whether to fight with the Owner. The individuals may value the resource differently and we distinguish three information cases: (a) both individuals know resource values to both of them, (b) individuals know only their own valuation, (c) individuals do not know the value at all. We solve the game in all three cases. We find that it is typically beneficial for the individuals to know as much information as possible. However, we identify several scenarios where knowing less seems better. We also show that an individual may or may not benefit from their opponent knowing less. Finally, we consider the same kind of interactions but with the reversed order of decisions. We find that typically the individual initiating the interaction has an advantage. However, when individuals know only their own valuation and not the valuations to their opponents, it is sometimes better when the opponent initiates.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1298/thumbnail.jp

Growth and Characterization of Carbon Nanomaterials

In this thesis, single and multi-layered graphene films were epitaxially grown on either Si-face or C-face of SiC single crystal substrates. The film growth conditions, such as decomposition temperatures and pressures, and their surface morphologies were optimized. These films were then characterized by using surface analysis tools including SEM, TEM, AFM evanescent wave microscopy and electron educed spectroscopy. In addition to studying graphene decomposed from SiC crystals, carbon nanotube material was fabricated using a floating catalyst technique. These carbon nanotube material was then studied for potential cathode applications in this thesis. Field emission properties of these cathodes was measured and compared between carbon nanotubes grown by the floating catalyst technique and carbon nanotube material fabricated from a super acid solution spinning process. The result found that carbon nanotube material produced from the floating catalyst method supported the highest emission currents. As a result of this research, carbon nanotube field emitters fabricated from this method are now being studied in a wide range of vacuum electronic applications

A Framework to Analyze Energy Efficiency of Multi-Band Spectrum Sensing Algorithms

Cognitive radio (CR) is a device which can detect wireless communication channels that are not in use and adapt its parameters intelligently. Networks with CRs use the available frequency bands much more efficiently and hence have higher data rates compare to traditional radios. Spectrum sensing is the class of techniques used by CRs to understand its wireless environment. Recent research on evaluating multi-band spectrum sensing algorithms is limited to only algorithm complexity and optimization; therefore, the primary goal of the study is to devise a novel framework that analyzes a multi-band spectrum sensing algorithm in terms of energy consumption and algorithm efficiency. The proposed structure leads to a comparison and evaluation of a large class of multi-band spectrum sensing algorithms. Multi-band spectrum sensing search methods such as linear, random and binary are evaluated for energy loss and detection performance using the proposed framework

Measurement invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (Phq-9) depression screener in U.S. adults across sex, race/ethnicity, and education level: Nhanes 2005-2014

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Importance: Despite its widespread use in clinical settings and in behavioral medicine research, little is known about the psychometric performance of the PHQ-9 across major U.S. sociodemographic groups. Thus, utilizing a large sample representative of the U.S. population and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we determine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 across groups based on sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. Objective: Our objective was to address key knowledge gaps by definitively determining the factor structure and measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 across major U.S. sociodemographic groups based on sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. Design: The continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross-sectional, epidemiologic study designed to assess the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. We examined data from the 2005-2014 survey years. Setting: NHANES is uses a stratified multistage probability sampling approach to enroll civilian, non-institutionalized adults and children in the U.S. Participants: For our final sample, we selected the 26,202 adult respondents with no missing PHQ-9 data. The factors of interest were sex (49.3% men, 50.7% women), race/ethnicity (48.9% non-Hispanic White, 23.7% non-Hispanic Black, 17.8% Mexican American, 9.7% other Hispanic), and education level (9.9% less than 9th grade, 16.6% 9th-12th grade but no diploma, vii 23.7% high school graduate/GED or equivalent, 28.9% some college or Associate’s degree, 20/8% college graduate or above). Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): The Patient Health Quessionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Results: Results revealed that the best solution for the PHQ-9 consists of a cognitive/affective factor (items 1. anhedonia, 2. depressed mood, 6. feelings of worthlessness, 7. concentration difficulties, 8. psychomotor disturbances, and 9. thoughts of death) and a somatic factor (items 3. sleep disturbance, 4. fatigue, and 5. appetite changes; RMSEA = 0.034, RMSEA 90% CI = 0.032–0.036, TLI = 0.984, CFI = 0.988). To evaluate measurement invariance, we then conducted single-group and multiple-group CFAs to carry out the 5 steps of measurement invariance testing. Dimensional, configural, weak factorial, strong factorial, and strict factorial invariance was established for the PHQ-9 across the sex, race/ethnicity, and education level groups, as all models demonstrated close fit and the ΔCFI was < 0.010 for all steps. Conclusions and Relevance: Using a U.S. representative sample, we determined that a two-factor solution for the PHQ-9 with a cognitive/affective factor and a somatic factor is invariant across sex, race/ethnicity, and education level groups. Therefore, clinically, the PHQ-9 is an acceptable measure to utilize in major U.S. sociodemographic groups, extending the use of this depression screener from the primary care clinic to the community. Additionally, we show that PHQ-9 cognitive/affective and somatic subscale scores have the same meaning and can be compared across major U.S. sociodemographic groups and provide a consistent, evidence-based approach to computing PHQ-9 subscale scores to be used in future studies

The Md/mba Effect: A Study Of How Residency Directors Perceive Applicants With An Mba, A Ten-Year Comparison Study From 2006 To 2016

Background: Over the past decade, the landscape of healthcare has changed dramatically, demanding the close integration of business and management with the delivery of clinical care. In response, there has been a continuation of the trend towards additional training for physicians through an MBA program that has been seen over the last thirty years. However, some medical students have encountered some negative perceptions voiced by senior physicians about MD/MBA training. As most MD/MBA joint-degree candidates consider clinical careers, it is vital to understand the views of residency program directors who hold the gates to graduate medical education. Purpose: Therefore in this paper, we will investigate the following hypotheses: Completing an MBA as a medical student will be perceived positively by residency directors, and the global opinion of MD/MBA candidates has changed over the last decade. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to residency directors in most major specialties across the United States to ascertain their opinions of MD/MBA residency candidates. A Likert score was tabulated corresponding to the level of MBA-favorability of each program. Statistical correlations were performed based on medical specialty, demographics, geographical region, the experience of the program director with an MBA curriculum, faculty with an MBA, or residents with an MBA. Data were compared with a similar survey by Lyssy et al performed in 2006. Results: 578 residency program directors responded to our survey, a response rate of 22.2%. No statistically significant difference was found in the calculated Likert score of MBA candidate favorability across the medical specialties. A statistically significant difference in the proportion of program directors with interactions with faculty and residents with an MBA was found among the medical specialties; however, no statistically significant difference in the proportion of program directors who personally hold an MBA was found. Program directors who had direct experience working with residents with an MBA reported higher Likert positivity scores compared to those who did not. Additionally, departments with a higher number of faculty with an MBA were positively correlated with a greater number of residents with an MBA in that program. Residency program director age was negatively correlated with the Likert MBA candidate favorability score. Compared to the 2006 dataset, there were minimal changes in the Likert-type question scores in 2016. Conclusions: Residency directors across multiple specialties positivity regard MD/MBA candidates and the candidates’ training for their residency programs. Moreover, this regard has remained generally stable over the past decade