WELL Building: Key Design Features for Office Environments

This paper describes the steps involved in designing an epoxy potting formulation for an ignition coil. There are several key coil design features that need to be initially determined. Then a general potting formulation can be devised using in-house knowledge. The encapsulant formulation can then be optimized with in-house electrical and mechanical testing before a trial potting run.

The handicap theory, in which the cost of waste guarantees honest advertising, is being used increasingly in solutions to the problems of biological signal evolution. However, it is usually applied to systems which are insufficiently understood to allow testing against alternative theories. In particular, the ability of the handicap theory to explain the design of signals has never been properly tested. We test its ability to explain signal design features in an unusually well studied area of biological signalling: warning coloration and mimicry. Since a full handicap model proves immediately unrealistic, we modify the model to incorporate realistic assumptions about predator learning. Using this model we explicitly compare the handicap theory with a purely "conventional" signalling model and with a null model. Predictions relating to three key design features (conspicuousness, pattern similarity, and Batesian mimicry) are compared, and tested against available data. Although many predictions remain to be tested adequately, we conclude that: (i) conspicuousness is most plausibly explained by the conventional signalling theory that ascribes the function of conspicuous coloration to signal efficacy rather than waste; (ii) pattern similarity, within and between species, is unlikely to be the result of the need to produce similar degrees of conspicuousness, as predicted by the handicap theory, but is plausibly explained as the result of pattern generalization amongst discriminating predators, as predicted by the conventional signalling theory; and (iii) Batesian mimicry is predicted by the conventional signalling theory, but not the handicap theory. Therefore the handicap theory fails to provide an adequate explanation of the main design features of at least one major signalling system.

In this paper, we present an analytical framework to evaluate the latency performance of connection-based spectrum handoffs in cognitive radio (CR) networks. During the transmission period of a secondary connection, multiple interruptions from the primary users result in multiple spectrum handoffs and the need of predetermining a set of target channels for spectrum handoffs. To quantify the effects of channel obsolete issue on the target channel predetermination, we should consider the three key design features: 1) general service time distribution of the primary and secondary connections; 2) different operating channels in multiple handoffs; and 3) queuing delay due to channel contention from multiple secondary connections. To this end, we propose the preemptive resume priority (PRP) M/G/1 queuing network model to characterize the spectrum usage behaviors with all the three design features. This model aims to analyze the extended data delivery time of the secondary connections with proactively designed target channel sequences under various traffic arrival rates and service time distributions. These analytical results are applied to evaluate the latency performance of the connection-based spectrum handoff based on the target channel sequences mentioned in the IEEE 802.22 wireless regional area networks standard. Then, to reduce the extended data delivery time, a traffic-adaptive spectrum handoff is proposed, which changes the target channel sequence of spectrum handoffs based on traffic conditions. Compared to the existing target channel selection methods, this traffic-adaptive target channel selection approach can reduce the extended data transmission time by 35 percent, especially for the heavy traffic loads of the primary users.

Thermal comfort in office buildings is a key factor in occupant well-being and productivity, yet it poses a challenge due to the diversity of individual thermal characteristics and preferences. This study aims to investigate the relationships among thermal discomfort of occupants in office buildings, the ventilation mode, and individual occupant characteristics under actual-use conditions. Three buildings with a hybrid ventilation mode (natural ventilation and air-conditioning) and one building with central air-conditioning were evaluated. Data on thermal discomfort and occupant characteristics were collected via electronic questionnaires. A total of 7564 records were collected, of which 945 corresponded to clearly defined thermal discomfort (488 for heat discomfort and 457 for cold discomfort). The results showed that heat discomfort was more frequent among men and cold discomfort among women, with gender emerging as the most consistent individual factor associated with discomfort. The 30–50 age group, occupants with normal body mass index, lower clothing insulation, and lower metabolic rate accounted for a higher absolute number of discomfort reports; however, proportional analyses indicated relatively similar discomfort rates across these categories, reinforcing that thermal perception results from the combined influence of building operation and individual sensitivity rather than from isolated individual characteristics. A higher incidence of thermal discomfort, mainly due to cold, was also observed in air-conditioned environments. Among women, 68.8% of cold discomfort votes were associated with air-conditioning, while among men, it was 83.2%. In summary, the results highlight the need for strategies to personalise thermal comfort, with individual control and adaptive temperature adjustments in office buildings.

The MANTIS MultimodAl system for NeTworks of In-situ wireless Sensors provides a new multithreaded cross-platform embedded operating system for wireless sensor networks. As sensor networks accommodate increasingly complex tasks such as compression/aggregation and signal processing, preemptive multithreading in the MANTIS sensor OS (MOS) enables micro sensor nodes to natively interleave complex tasks with time-sensitive tasks, thereby mitigating the bounded buffer producer-consumer problem. To achieve memory efficiency, MOS is implemented in a lightweight RAM footprint that fits in less than 500 bytes of memory, including kernel, scheduler, and network stack. To achieve energy efficiency, the MOS power-efficient scheduler sleeps the microcontroller after all active threads have called the MOS sleep() function, reducing current consumption to the μA range. A key MOS design feature is flexibility in the form of cross-platform support and testing across PCs, PDAs, and different micro sensor platforms. Another key MOS design feature is support for remote management of in-situ sensors via dynamic reprogramming and remote login.

The purpose of this study is to explore the presence of key interactive design features across Internet-based audiology rehabilitation and self-management interventions, and whether there is evidence of them mediating effects of the intervention. Adult audiology interventions relevant to this review were identified through a literature search in Google Scholar and a hand search of key journals. Four key interactive design features that have been proposed to mediate the effects of Internet-based health interventions were reported for each intervention: social context and support, contacts with the intervention, tailoring, and self-management. Five interventions were identified as representative examples of work in the field. Social context and support and contacts with the intervention were provided in most interventions, mainly through clinician guidance. Only 1 intervention utilized tailoring to personalize intervention content to individual users, but use was minimal. Self-management features were also used in all interventions but the precise nature of these features was poorly reported. Future studies should assess the optimal dose and combinations of intervention features for maximizing efficacy in audiology intervention. To be specific, the role of tailoring should be explored, which has been identified as a potential mediator of intervention outcome in the wider e-health literature.

Innovation in electrode design has produced a myriad of new and creative strategies for interfacing the nervous system with softer, less invasive, more broadly distributed sites with high spatial resolution. However, despite rapid growth in the use of implanted electrode arrays in research and clinical applications, there are no broadly accepted guiding principles for the design of biocompatible chronic recording interfaces in the central nervous system (CNS). Studies suggest that the architecture and flexibility of devices play important roles in determining effective tissue integration: device feature dimensions (varying from ‘sub’- to ‘supra’-cellular scales, <10 µm to >100 µm), Young’s modulus, and bending modulus have all been identified as key features of design. However, critical knowledge gaps remain in the field with respect to the underlying motivation for these designs: (1) a systematic study of the relationship between device design features (materials, architecture, flexibility), biointegration, and signal quality needs to be performed, including controls for interaction effects between design features, (2) benchmarks for success need to be determined (biological integration, recording performance, longevity, stability), and (3) user results, particularly those that champion a specific design or electrode modification, need to be replicated across laboratories. Finally, the ancillary effects of factors such as tethering, site impedance and insertion method need to be considered. Here, we briefly review observations to-date of device design effects on tissue integration and performance, and then highlight the need for comprehensive and systematic testing of these effects moving forward.

Canadian specialist emergency medicine (EM) residency training is undergoing the most significant transformation in its history. This article describes the rationale, process, and redesign of EM competency-based medical education. The rationale for this evolution in residency education includes 1) improved public trust by increasing transparency of the quality and rigour of residency education, 2) improved fiscal accountability to government and institutions regarding specialist EM training, 3) improved assessment systems to replace poor functioning end-of-rotation assessment reports and overemphasis on high-stakes, end-of-training examinations, and 4) and tailored learning for residents to address individualized needs. A working group with geographic and stakeholder representation convened over a 2-year period. A consensus process for decision-making was used. Four key design features of the new residency education design include 1) specialty EM-specific outcomes to be achieved in residency; 2) designation of four progressive stages of training, linked to required learning experiences and entrustable professional activities to be achieved at each stage; 3) tailored learning that provides residency programs and learner flexibility to adapt to local resources and learner needs; and 4) programmatic assessment that emphasizes systematic, longitudinal assessments from multiple sources, and sampling sentinel abilities. Required future study includes a program evaluation of this complex education intervention to ensure that intended outcomes are achieved and unintended outcomes are identified.

The severe-accident-free high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (SFHTR) is a prototype design for a next generation reactor. It is suitable for widespread deployment by virtue of its inherent safety features and very long refueling interval. Furthermore, its inherent safety features can be demonstrated by full-scale tests. Many of these features may be demonstrated in the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR).The SFHTR is designed to have the probability of a severe accident at least two orders lower than existing systems. The fuel will not exceed its failure temperature even in the event of complete loss of coolant or complete withdrawal of two control rods. A unique configuration of burnable poisons allows a fuel cycle of 16 yr and a burnup exceeding 120 GWd/t. This feature promises very high availability and good economics.We have designed two SFHTR systems. The larger one, called the MSFHTR, has a 450- to 600-MW thermal capacity and is intended for the production of hydrogen and electricity. The smaller SFHTR (SSFHTR) is intended for remote areas, off the electrical grid, for simultaneous production of electricity and desalinated water. The SSFHTR can produce 23.5 MW(electric) plus 40 t/h of water with a net efficiency of 47%.The HTTR is capable of conducting full-scale simulation testing of key SFHTR design features in order to confirm and extend the designs and as a first step in convincing the public and the licensing authorities of the validity of demonstrable inherent safety. Design features of a 50-MW SFHTR focusing on the safety concept, safety evaluation, and core design are described. In addition, an HTTR-based test-and-development program for the SFHTR is presented.

Background: The development and use of abuse-deterrent (AD) opioids is part of a multifaceted strategy to reduce misuse, abuse, and diversion, while maintaining access for patients with severe pain who may benefit from their analgesic efficacy. Morphine AD, extended-release (ER), injection-molded tablets (morphine-ADER-IMT; ARYMO ER; Egalet US Inc., Wayne, PA) is approved by the FDA as an AD opioid. As part of the characterization of AD opioids, assessments of their human abuse potential (HAP) are required. Evidence from HAP studies can guide clinicians on the use of AD opioids in clinical practice. Herein, we describe HAP study design, and how specific AD features can impact the conduct of a study and interpretation of its results.Objectives: To review the design features and results of the oral and intranasal HAP studies with morphine-ADER-IMT in order to improve the understanding of key elements of HAP studies of AD opioids.Conclusions: Results from HAP studies with morphine-ADER-IMT and other AD opioids suggest that key study design features include the release profile (immediate-release vs extended-release) of the positive control, study drug doses, and the way the products are manipulated. These elements can directly impact the outcomes of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (e.g. Maximum Drug Liking, Overall Drug Liking, and Take Drug Again) results. When evaluating HAP studies, it is important to understand study design features to assist in the interpretation of the results and understand the clinical relevance of the data to help guide clinical decision-making about the use of AD opioids.

Computer simulation of a downdraft wood gasifier for tea drying

Among all types of China’s foreign aid, education and construction aid are the most important in terms of proportion and influence. However, in spite of the significance and China’s indisputable endeavor, researches on both disciplines are still in their infancy. While China's foreign aid has attracted much attention, it has also been controversial internationally and domestically. In contrast, the education aid is universally admired and pursued due to its internationalism and humanitarian. As a far-reaching public welfare undertaking, it is much less likely to trigger anti-sentiment and antipathy in recipient countries, and easier to win respect and praise internationally even if it is cross-regional, cross-national, cross-political, cross-cultural and cross-ideological. This chapter attempts to summarize the various types of aided school buildings through an overview and general comments. The authors analyze key influential factors and design features on representative cases selected from a database of 182 projects on four major types: schools for deprived groups, schools of vocational and police training, schools of politics and diplomacy, and the Confucius Institutes.

The authors identify and define key aspects of the progression from research on the efficacy of a new intervention to its dissemination. They highlight the role of transportability questions that arise in that progression and illustrate key conceptual and design features that differentiate efficacy, effectiveness, and dissemination research. An ongoing study of the transportability of multisystemic therapy is used to illustrate independent and interdependent aspects of effectiveness, transportability, and dissemination studies. Variables relevant to the progression from treatment efficacy to dissemination include features of the intervention itself as well as variables pertaining to the practitioner, client, model of service delivery, organization, and service system. The authors provide examples of how some of these variables are relevant to the transportability of different types of interventions. They also discuss sample research questions, study designs, and challenges to be anticipated in the arena of transportability research.

The Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, the oldest extant synagogue building in the United States, has provoked a certain amount of controversy regarding its origins: while the architect is known, scholars have disputed whether the essential attributes of the structure should be traced to eighteenth-century English pattern books, descriptions of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam provided to architect Peter Harrison by congregants, or the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London. The origins of the structure are important, as most of the Portuguese synagogues in colonial American and the Caribbean bear the same basic and unusual design features as the Touro structure. This essay argues that the resolution to this controversy lies in the structural ideal behind both the pattern books and the synagogues in Amsterdam and London: the Biblical Tabernacle and Temple as described by Rabbi Jacob Judah Leon de Templo in his messianic study, the Retrato del Templo de Selomo (1642). Early modern synagogue architects mimicked both the proportions prescribed by Leon de Templo and key symbolic design features of the Temple. By echoing the divinely-inspired structures, eighteenth-century Sephardic Jews in colonial America hoped to draw their worship closer to God and to help bring about the messianic era.

Future in-car applications such as autonomous driving call for the use of multicore system-on-chips (SoCs) together with powerful hardware accelerators. Hypervisor technologies offer the opportunity to partition such platforms and efficiently orchestrate the use of the shared hardware accelerators. Moreover, this allows one to consolidate existing and brand new applications in a single platform and thereby preserve past investments. On the other hand, the use of hypervisor-technology also addresses the need for shielding mission-critical software from uncritical software applications co-located on the same platform. Integrating applications with different safety and security needs into a single platform raises manifold design questions. We, at Elektrobit, believe, that a microkernel-based Hypervisor solution can be a mean to establish spatial and temporal isolation of software stacks and therefore is vital for deploying high-performance SoCs, not only inside vehicles, but also in other domains where software systems have to be shielded from another. As part of Elektrobits contribution to the EPI project, a hypervisor demonstration stack with different virtual machines will be deployed on a performance-centric multicore platform. In this paper, we present our system layout and discuss its key design features.