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This paper contributes an inclusive review of scientific studies in the field of sustainable human building ecosystems (SHBEs). Reducing energy consumption by making buildings more energy efficient has been touted as an easily attainable approach to promoting carbon-neutral energy societies. Yet, despite significant progress in research and technology development, for new buildings, as energy codes are getting more stringent, more and more technologies, e.g., LED lighting, VRF systems, smart plugs, occupancy-based controls, are used. Nevertheless, the adoption of energy efficient measures in buildings is still limited in the larger context of the developing countries and middle income/low-income population. The objective of Sustainable Human Building Ecosystem Research Coordination Network (SHBE-RCN) is to expand synergistic investigative podium in order to subdue barriers in engineering, architectural design, social and economic perspectives that hinder wider application, adoption and subsequent performance of sustainable building solutions by recognizing the essential role of human behaviors within building-scale ecosystems. Expected long-term outcomes of SHBE-RCN are collaborative ideas for transformative technologies, designs and methods of adoption for future design, construction and operation of sustainable buildings.

Tests were conducted in 2008 on 16 late-model conventional vehicles (1999-2007) to determine short-term effects of mid-level ethanol blends on performance and emissions. Vehicle odometer readings ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 miles, and all vehicles conformed to federal emissions requirements for their federal certification level. The LA92 drive cycle, also known as the Unified Cycle, was used for testing because it more accurately represents real-world acceleration rates and speeds than the Federal Test Procedure. Test fuels were splash-blends of up to 20 volume percent ethanol with federal certification gasoline. Both regulated and unregulated air-toxic emissions were measured. For the 16-vehicle fleet, increasing ethanol content resulted in reductions in average composite emissions of both nonmethane hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and increases in average emissions of ethanol and aldehydes.

Intercalation anodes of graphite or disordered carbon in rechargeable Li-ion batteries (based on aprotic organic solvents) develop a passivating film during the first intercalation of Li/sup +/. The formation of this film reduces the cycling efficiency and results in excessive consumption of Li/sup +/. The exact nature of this film is not well defined, although there are many similarities in properties to the films that form on Li anodes under similar cycling conditions. In this study, the authors report on characterization studies of films formed during galvanostatic cycling of disordered carbons derived from polymethylacrylonitrile (PMAN) in a 1M LiPF/sub 6/ solution in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate solution (1:1 by vol). Complementary tests were also conducted with glass carbon where intercalation cannot occur. Complex-impedance spectroscopy was the primary measurement technique, supplemented by cyclic voltammetry. The passivation process was associated with two irreversible reduction peaks at /spl sim/0.75 V and /spl sim/1.1 V vs. Li/Li/sup +/ in the dC/dV-V plot of the galvanostatic data. Similar peaks were displayed in cyclic voltammograms of glassy carbon, but shifted to lower potentials. The PMAN impedance spectra showed inductive behavior during the first intercalation at potentials below 0.5 V. This inductive behavior was related to formation of nonequilibrium reactive intermediates associated with solvent reduction. It was not observed after several intercalation/deintercalation cycles at these potentials. Instead, the impedance spectra exhibited two semicircles and a Warburg-type tail.

Paper examines the knowledge, beliefs, values, concerns, and actions of college students at the University of North Texas toward sustainability.

We describe new method for energy-energy covariance calculation from the thermal energy up to 20 MeV. It is based on three powerful basic components: (i) Atlas of Neutron Resonances in the resonance region; (ii) the nuclear reaction model code EMPIRE in the unresolved resonance and fast neutron regions, and (iii) the Bayesian code KALMAN for correlations and error propagation. Examples for cross section uncertainties and correlations on {sup 90}Zr and {sup 193}Ir illustrate this approach in the resonance and fast neutron regions.

We present here a new approach to tandem cell design that offers near-optimum subcell bandgaps, as well as other special advantages related to cell fabrication, operation, and cost reduction. Monolithic, ultra-thin GaInP/GaAs/GaInAs triple-bandgap tandem solar cells use this new approach, which involves inverted epitaxial growth, handle mounting, and parent substrate removal. The optimal ~1-eV bottom subcell in the tandem affords an ~300 mV increase in the tandem voltage output when compared to conventional Ge-based, triple-junction tandem cells, leading to a potential relative performance improvement of 10-12% over the current state of the art. Recent performance results and advanced design options are discussed.

The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a 234 m circumference storage ring for 3 GeV electrons with its synchrotron radiation serving currently 13 beamlines with about 27 experimental stations. It operated for long time with 100 mA peak current provided by usually three injections per day. In July 2009, the maximum beam current was raised to 200 mA. Over the period from June 2009 to March 2010, Top-Off operation started at every beamline. Top-Off, i.e., the injection of electrons into the storage ring with injection stoppers open, is necessary for SSRL to reach its design current of 500 mA. In the future, the maximal power of the injection current will also soon be raised from currently 1.5 W to 5 W. The Radiation Protection Department at SLAC worked with SSRL on the specifications for the safety systems for operation with Top-Off injection and higher beam currents.

Abstract Sorption-induced strain and permeability were measured as a function of pore pressure using subbituminous coal from the Powder River basin of Wyoming, U.S.A. and high-volatile bituminous coal from the Uinta-Piceance basin of Utah, U.S.A. We found that for these coal samples, cleat compressibility was not constant, but variable. Calculated variable cleat-compressibility constants were found to correlate well with previously published data for other coals. Sorption-induced matrix strain (shrinkage/swelling) was measured on unconstrained samples for different gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen. During permeability tests, sorption-induced matrix shrinkage was clearly demonstrated by higher permeability values at lower pore pressures while holding overburden pressure constant; this effect was more pronounced when gases with higher adsorption isotherms such as carbon dioxide were used. Measured permeability data were modeled using three different permeability models that take into account sorption-induced matrix strain. We found that when the measured strain data were applied, all three models poorly matched the measured permeability results. However, by applying an experimentally derived expression to the strain data that accounts for the constraining stress of overburden pressure, pore pressure, coal type, and gas type; two of the models were greatly improved.