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This document provides a high-level summary of the results of DOE’s Better Buildings Energy Savings Performance Contracting Accelerator, which was a three-year partnership with states, local governments, and K-12 schools to expand access to performance contracting.
Propane powers nearly 60,000 vehicles in the United States. Fleets around the United States have successfully implemented propane vehicles in many types of applications, including school buses, shuttle buses, step vans, and law enforcement vehicles. Propane is also frequently used in off-road applications, such as forklifts, commercial landscape mowers and equipment, and other farm equipment. The advantages of propane include its domestic availability, performance, and emissions benefits.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), provides free technical assistance on the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. This help sheet shares how technical assistance can support stakeholders.
Intermediate polysulfides (S n , where n = 2–8) play a critical role in both mechanistic understanding and performance improvement of lithium–sulfur batteries. The rational management of polysulfides is of profound significance for high-efficiency sulfur electrochemistry. In this paper, the key roles of polysulfides are discussed, with regard to their status, behavior, and their correspondingimpact on the lithium–sulfur system. Finally, two schools of thoughts for polysulfide management are proposed, their advantages and disadvantages are compared, and future developments are discussed.
Removal of dilute bioproducts from fermenter broths is a major challenge both to avoid microbe inhibition and to recover solutes economically without water loss. We analyze a proposed new process, membrane vapor extraction (MVE), where semi-volatile dilute aqueous solutes vaporize at the upstream side of an omniphobic, microporous membrane and dissolve into a nonpolar solvent highly favorable to the solutes but not to water. A new membrane-process analysis is outlined and applied to the countercurrent recovery of 2 wt % aqueous butanol by a prototype solvent (dodecane) at 40°C. Thermodynamic phase equilibria, pioneered by the Prausnitz school, are crucial to MVE process design. Over 90% of the feed butanol is recovered with essentially no water loss giving a separation factor of over 1000. Energy requirements in MVE are low. In this study, our design calculations demonstrate that MVE is a viable separation process to remove and recover dilute aqueous biosolutes.
“The best advice I have ever been given is: ‘The faster you go, the behinder you get.’ This was a favorite phrase of my graduate school advisor, and one that I say often to myself, even years later… My biggest inspiration is my father, Wayne Thiele, who taught me how to work hard and never give up…” Here, find out more about Nikki Thiele in her Introducing… Profile.
Abstract Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare disease that is characterized by painful and recurring non‐allergic swelling episodes, is caused by the deficiency or dysfunction of C1 inhibitor (C1INH) protein. A comprehensive HAE management plan may require long‐term prophylaxis (LTP) in addition to on‐demand treatment to help “normalize” patients' lives so that they may fully engage in work, school, family, and leisure activities. Aim The main objective of this narrative review is to provide an overview of updated guideline recommendations specific to LTP of HAE and discuss clinical considerations and pharmacologic management options, with a focus on C1INH. Materials and Methods The authors reviewed relevant HAE literature for current recommendations regarding LTP and the role of C1NH. Results Acute HAE attacks are treated with on‐demand medication; however, there is a consensus that LTP should routinely be considered for risk reduction and prevention of future episodes. The 2017 World Allergy Organization/European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines recommend that all patients with HAE be evaluated for LTP routinely and the 2020 HAE Association (HAEA) guidelines emphasize that the decision to use LTP should not be based on rigid criteria, but rather should be based on individual patient needs. Both guidelines recommend C1INH as first‐line/preferred therapy for LTP in a range of patient types including adults, children/adolescents, and pregnant/lactating patients. The HAEA also recommends the kallikrein inhibitor, lanadelumab, as a first‐line option for LTP. HAE pathway‐specific agents for LTP have not been associated with notable safety concerns. Discussion Plasma‐derived C1INH has been available for 40+ years in Europe and impacts multiple targets within the HAE pathway. C1INH has been used for on‐demand treatment and LTP. A subcutaneous formulation of plasma‐derived C1INH is approved for LTP and produces functional C1INH activity levels consistently above the threshold needed for protection from HAE attacks. Other pathway‐specific options for LTP include the plasma kallikrein inhibitors, lanadelumab‐flyo and berotralstat, approved for adults and pediatric patients aged ≥12 years. C1INH is approved for adults and pediatric patients aged ≥6 years. Conclusion Assessing the need for LTP is vital in the ongoing dialogue between clinicians and patients, as both disease‐related factors and patient preferences may change over time. Among available options for LTP, plasma‐derived C1INH is the broadly recommended first‐line option for LTP in patients with HAE, including pregnant/lactating women and pediatric patients (≥6 years).
Abstract Hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions (HER/HOR) are the most fundamental reactions in electrocatalysis. Despite the practical significance, the mechanisms of HER/HOR in aqueous solutions are still elusive. Various theories have been proposed to rationalize the pH effect, cation effect, and structure effect of HER/HOR but none of them can explain all observations. In this review, we discuss four schools of thought for the HER/HOR, focusing on the strengths and shortcomings of each hypothesis and highlighting the magnitude of electrochemical interface structure in hydrogen electrocatalysis.
Neither of us can remember people talking about stimuli-responsive polymers when we were students. Even though this was still in the last century, it was almost 70 years after Staudinger's seminal paper "uber Polymerisation"![1] By the time we entered graduate school in the early 1990 s, the first papers on polymer light emitting diodes appeared, while research on electrically conducting, nonlinear optical, and other "functional" polymers was already in full swing. Looking back, there were some stimuli-responsive materials that were around at the time, but it took the better part of the last 30 years until the field had developed into what we think is one of the most vibrant areas of polymer science. Before the potential usefulness of this class of materials was recognized, researchers were focused on developing polymeric materials that would not respond to external influences, and in fact maintain (in particular) their mechanical properties in a wide range of environments. This has led to the development of many environmentally robust polymers, which have come to impact basically every aspect of our daily life. Ironically, this long-sought stability now comes back to haunt us in the form of plastic pollution, but this is another story. The concept of materials that adapt their properties in response to changing environmental conditions might appear like a complete reversal with respect to the original goals of creating stable materials. However, eventually a) it was recognized that materials that respond to a specific stimulus in a predictable and useful manner would significantly broaden the potential usefulness of polymers, and b) the field of polymer science had developed to the point where the rational design, preparation, and characterization of such materials became possible. The expression 'stimuli-responsive polymer' had been first used in the 1980's, however its use really only gained popularity a few decades later. In the early days, terms such as environmentally-sensitive or environmentally-responsive polymers, stimuli-reversible or stimuli-sensitive polymers, or polymers with phase transitions have also been used.
Abstract The Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive is a rich source of information in the form of atomic‐level three‐dimensional (3D) structures of biomolecules experimentally determined using macromolecular crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and electron microscopy (3DEM). Originally established in 1971 as a resource for protein crystallographers to freely exchange data, today PDB data drive research and education across scientific disciplines. In 2011, the online portal PDB‐101 was launched to support teachers, students, and the general public in PDB archive exploration ( pdb101.rcsb.org ). Maintained by the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics PDB, PDB‐101 aims to help train the next generation of PDB users and to promote the overall importance of structural biology and protein science to nonexperts. Regularly published features include the highly popular Molecule of the Month series, 3D model activities, molecular animation videos, and educational curricula. Materials are organized into various categories (Health and Disease, Molecules of Life, Biotech and Nanotech, and Structures and Structure Determination) and searchable by keyword. A biennial health focus frames new resource creation and provides topics for annual video challenges for high school students. Web analytics document that PDB‐101 materials relating to fundamental topics (e.g., hemoglobin, catalase) are highly accessed year‐on‐year. In addition, PDB‐101 materials created in response to topical health matters (e.g., Zika, measles, coronavirus) are well received. PDB‐101 shows how learning about the diverse shapes and functions of PDB structures promotes understanding of all aspects of biology, from the central dogma of biology to health and disease to biological energy.
Abstract In the policy context of college and career readiness, career and technical education (CTE) is growing in popularity, especially for students who are underserved in academic high school programs. While CTE has shown promise for some students, very little research exists on its potential for emergent bilingual students (EBs). Thus, building on research of deficit perceptions of EBs and language ideologies (LIs), this study examines how LIs and deficit perspectives are reproduced in CTE contexts across Pennsylvania. Using a sequential mixed‐methods design, we found that, while CTE educators held generally positive attitudes toward EBs, they were influenced by monoglossic language ideology and standard language ideology. These LIs, along with other institutional factors, led educators to implement restrictive language policies within their classrooms. These implications serve to inform how, with a lack of clear language policy within CTE programs, teachers relied on their personal beliefs and reproduced deficit ideologies in the creation of classroom‐level policies.
This book aims to provide perspectives on important questions that undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics ask themselves. Each chapter gives readers a taste of a different mathematician’s work, presented with enough background material that an advanced undergraduate or early graduate student can understand the key ideas of the research. Each mathematical contribution is prefaced by a short biography of the mathematician who wrote the chapter, to give the reader a connection to the author and provide examples of paths from undergraduate education, through graduate school and beyond.
Social media can provide a resource for characterizing communities and targeted populations through activities and content shared online. For instance, studying the armed forces’ use of social media may provide insights into their health and wellbeing. In this paper, we address three broad research questions: (1) How do military populations use social media? (2) What topics do military users discuss in social media? (3) Do military users talk about health and well-being differently than civilians? Military Twitter users were identified through keywords in the profile description of users who posted geotagged tweets at military installations. These military tweets were compared with the tweets from remaining population. Our analysis indicate that military users talk more about military related responsibilities and events, whereas non-military users talk more about school, work, and leisure activities. A significant difference in online content generated by both populations was identified, involving sentiment, health, language, and social media features.
Introduction: The role of interventional radiology (IR) in health care is rapidly expanding in the United Kingdom (UK). However, the presence of IR in the current undergraduate curriculum is lacking. Purpose: This study investigates the awareness, knowledge and perceptions of IR in undergraduates through the clinical years of medical school to suggest future interventions. Methods: A total of 360 questionnaires, designed to test undergraduates’ knowledge of, and exposure to, IR were distributed over a 14-day period in a UK medical institution. Results: Of the 312 respondents (86.7%), the majority had never formally shadowed a radiologist (65.4%) or encountered teaching from an interventional radiologist (54.5%). Most students (88.5%) felt their knowledge of IR was lower than other specialties. Students’ knowledge of IR procedures did not statistically increase through the clinical years. Students were most cognisant of vascular procedures and least aware of IR’s role in oncology. Only 10.9% would consider a career in IR, with 39.7% citing the lack of knowledge and 18.6% citing patient contact as the top reasons for this. Conclusion: Current students have poor exposure to IR through the undergraduate curriculum. Consequently, there is no increase in knowledge of IR clinical practice through the clinical years. Multi-level interventions, incorporating universities and radiological societies are required to increase undergraduate awareness and promote IR as a career. Level of Evidence: Level 3, Local non-random sample.
In the original publication of the article, the authors forgot to acknowledge the financial support from The Graduate School Kasetsart University.
We present a brief survey of investigations carried out in recent years by the Lviv scientific school of the mechanics of coupled fields on the problems of construction and generalization of mathematical models and methods aimed at the description, determination, and optimization of the thermomechanical behavior of bodies under the combined action of force, thermal, and electromagnetic loads.
We present a brief analysis of the investigations carried out in the mechanics of coupled fields with regard for the thermomechanical behavior of thermally sensitive bodies carried out by the researchers of the Lviv scientific school in recent years.
The global nuclear skills shortage demands urgent educational investment, particularly for students aged 11–18. To help address this, we have introduced RAD Ratings, an interactive card game designed to improve the teaching of nuclear concepts to students, which includes subjects such as half-lives, types of radiation, and radionuclide applications. RAD Ratings has already been successfully piloted in the United Kingdom and in this paper, we present a comparison in selected American schools for the first time. Snapshot survey results show RAD Ratings improve interest in nuclear science and careers, offering insights into gamification’s potential to improve engagement across different geographic locations.