scholarly journals A NOVEL MODEL AND TOOL FOR ENERGY RENOVATION PLANNING IN FRENCH RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND DISTRICTS

2018 ◽  
Vol IV-4/W7 ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
K. Amokrane-Ferka ◽  
A. Ben Hamida
Keyword(s):  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Energy Consumption Reduction ◽  
Consumption Reduction ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Novel Model

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Energy renovation of existing buildings is important for energy consumption reduction. In fact, it attracted the interest of governments in several countries for its effectiveness (e.g., 38<span class="thinspace"></span>% consumption reduction by 2020 predicted in France). To achieve such rates, major incentivizing measures were taken by governments to facilitate the funding of energy-oriented renovation projects for final users (e.g., households, communities). Despite all these efforts, a lot of obstacles are yet to be overcome like the lack of interest and involvement of the population, the lack of understanding of the economic equation for renovation, unawareness of governmental aids and support. In fact, most of the population does not fully understand the long-term investment benefits of renovation and look at short term-centered benefits. By taking this into account, the aim of our study is to design, develop and implement a simulation model and decisionmaking tool to assist final users. The first objective of this tool is to shed the light on the advantages and the benefits of renovation to achieve a maximum awareness. To this end, we studied and highlighted three types of incentives: economical, ecological and comfort. The second objective is related to the technical aspects of the project, where users simulate one or several renovations with different characteristics such as insulation materials, space heater, glazing type. Based on the selected parameters, users will be provided with the cost of renovation works, and achievable yearly savings (energy, money, CO<sub>2</sub>, etc.). Consequently, the user can make the right decision that suits his needs.</p>

Protecting the Desperate: The Regulation of Payday Lending

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-176
Author(s):  
Andrew J Serpell
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Credit ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Payday Lending ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Payday Loans ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Right ◽  
Credit Contracts ◽  
The Cost

Payday loans are small-amount, short-term, unsecured, high-cost credit contracts provided by non-mainstream credit providers. Payday loans are usually taken out to help the consumer pay for essential items, such as food, rent, electricity, petrol, broken-down appliances or car registration or repairs. These consumers take out payday loans because they cannot — or believe that they cannot — obtain a loan from a mainstream credit provider such as a bank. In recent years there has been a protracted debate in Australia — and in several overseas jurisdictions — about how to regulate the industry. Recent amendments to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) — referred to in this article as the 2013 reforms — are designed to better protect payday loan consumers. While the 2013 reforms provide substantially improved protection for payday loan consumers, further changes to the law may be warranted. This article raises several law reform issues which should be considered as part of the 2015 review into small amount credit contracts, including whether the caps on the cost of credit are set at the right level, whether the required content and presentation of the consumer warnings needs to be altered, whether more needs to be done to protect consumers who are particularly disadvantaged or vulnerable and whether a general anti-avoidance provision should be included in the credit legislation.

scholarly journals Methods to Prevent Future Severe Animal Welfare Problems Caused by COVID-19 in the Pork Industry

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Temple Grandin
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Electrical Parameters ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Pork Industry ◽  
Third Party Auditing ◽  
The Cost ◽  
High Welfare

In the U.S., the most severe animal welfare problems caused by COViD-19 were in the pork industry. Thousands of pigs had to be destroyed on the farm due to reduced slaughter capacity caused by ill workers. In the future, both short-term and long-term remedies will be needed. In the short-term, a portable electrocution unit that uses scientifically validated electrical parameters for inducing instantaneous unconsciousness, would be preferable to some of the poor killing methods. A second alternative would be converting the slaughter houses to carcass production. This would require fewer people to process the same number of pigs. The pandemic revealed the fragility of large centralized supply chains. A more distributed supply chain with smaller abattoirs would be more robust and less prone to disruption, but the cost of pork would be greater. Small abattoirs can coexist with large slaughter facilities if they process pigs for specialized premium markets such as high welfare pork. The pandemic also had a detrimental effect on animal welfare inspection and third party auditing programs run by large meat buyers. Most in-person audits in the slaughter plants were cancelled and audits were done by video. Video audits should never completely replace in-person audits.

Distinguishable Brain Activation Networks for Short- and Long-Term Motor Skill Learning

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 512-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Floyer-Lea ◽  
P. M. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skill ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Motor Skill Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Learning Stage ◽  
The Right

The acquisition of a new motor skill is characterized first by a short-term, fast learning stage in which performance improves rapidly, and subsequently by a long-term, slower learning stage in which additional performance gains are incremental. Previous functional imaging studies have suggested that distinct brain networks mediate these two stages of learning, but direct comparisons using the same task have not been performed. Here we used a task in which subjects learn to track a continuous 8-s sequence demanding variable isometric force development between the fingers and thumb of the dominant, right hand. Learning-associated changes in brain activation were characterized using functional MRI (fMRI) during short-term learning of a novel sequence, during short-term learning after prior, brief exposure to the sequence, and over long-term (3 wk) training in the task. Short-term learning was associated with decreases in activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior cingulate, posterior parietal, primary motor, and cerebellar cortex, and with increased activation in the right cerebellar dentate nucleus, the left putamen, and left thalamus. Prefrontal, parietal, and cerebellar cortical changes were not apparent with short-term learning after prior exposure to the sequence. With long-term learning, increases in activity were found in the left primary somatosensory and motor cortex and in the right putamen. Our observations extend previous work suggesting that distinguishable networks are recruited during the different phases of motor learning. While short-term motor skill learning seems associated primarily with activation in a cortical network specific for the learned movements, long-term learning involves increased activation of a bihemispheric cortical-subcortical network in a pattern suggesting “plastic” development of new representations for both motor output and somatosensory afferent information.

scholarly journals (M,β)-Stability of Positive Linear Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Octavian Pastravanu ◽  
Mihaela-Hanako Matcovschi
Keyword(s):  
Linear System ◽  
Linear Systems ◽  
Transient Behavior ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Time Dynamics ◽  
The Right ◽  
Long Term Behavior ◽  
Stability Concept

The main purpose of this work is to show that the Perron-Frobenius eigenstructure of a positive linear system is involved not only in the characterization of long-term behavior (for which well-known results are available) but also in the characterization of short-term or transient behavior. We address the analysis of the short-term behavior by the help of the “(M,β)-stability” concept introduced in literature for general classes of dynamics. Our paper exploits this concept relative to Hölder vectorp-norms,1≤p≤∞, adequately weighted by scaling operators, focusing on positive linear systems. Given an asymptotically stable positive linear system, for each1≤p≤∞, we prove the existence of a scaling operator (built from the right and left Perron-Frobenius eigenvectors, with concrete expressions depending onp) that ensures the best possible values for the parametersMandβ, corresponding to an “ideal” short-term (transient) behavior. We provide results that cover both discrete- and continuous-time dynamics. Our analysis also captures the differences between the cases where the system dynamics is defined by matrices irreducible and reducible, respectively. The theoretical developments are applied to the practical study of the short-term behavior for two positive linear systems already discussed in literature by other authors.

scholarly journals Forecasting Australian port throughput: Lessons and Pitfalls in the era of Big Data

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
soumya banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Forecasting Model ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Port Development ◽  
Forecasting Accuracy ◽  
Port Throughput ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Modelling And Forecasting

Modelling and forecasting port throughput enables stakeholders to make efficient decisions ranging from management of port development, to infrastructure investments, operational restructuring and tariffs policy. Accurate forecasting of port throughput is also critical for long-term resource allocation and short-term strategic planning. In turn, efficient decision-making enhances the competitiveness of a port. However, in the era of big data we are faced with the enviable dilemma of having too much information. We pose the question: is more information always better for forecasting? We suggest that more information comes at the cost of more parameters of the forecasting model that need to be estimated. We comparemultiple forecasting models of varying degrees of complexity and quantify the effect of the amount of data on model forecasting accuracy. Our methodology serves as a guideline for practitioners in this field. We also enjoin caution that even in the era of big data more information may not always be better. It would be advisable for analysts to weigh the costs of adding more data: the ultimate decision would depend on the problem, amount of data and the kind of models being used.

What money can’t buy: an argument against paying people to get vaccinated

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2021-107235
Author(s):  
Nancy S Jecker
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Healthy Communities ◽  
Good Citizenship ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Better Than

This paper considers the proposal to pay people to get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first section introduces arguments against the proposal, including less intrusive alternatives, unequal effects on populations and economic conditions that render payment more difficult to refuse. The second section considers arguments favouring payment, including arguments appealing to health equity, consistency, being worth the cost, respect for autonomy, good citizenship, the ends justifying the means and the threat of mutant strains. The third section spotlights long-term and short-term best practices that can build trust and reduce ‘vaccine hesitancy’ better than payment. The paper concludes that people who, for a variety of reasons, are reluctant to vaccinate should be treated like adults, not children. Despite the urgency of getting shots into arms, we should set our sights on the long-term goals of strong relationships and healthy communities.

Echoes of the French Revolution in the Rhineland, 1830–1849

1989 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Sperber
Keyword(s):  
French Revolution ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Left Bank ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
The French Revolution

Of all the regions of Central Europe, the Rhineland was the one most affected by the French Revolution. The area on the left bank of the Rhine belonged for almost two full decades to the First French Republic and the Napoleonic Empire; parts of the right bank were, for a shorter period, under the rule of the Napoleonic satellite state, the Grand Duchy of Berg. In studying these unusual circumstances, historians have sometimes focused on short-term political implications, asking how the Rhenish population of the 1790s responded to the Jacobin regime. They have also studied the long-term social and economic effects of the revolutionary legislation and the secularization of church lands.

US corporate tax reform would risk highway fund

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
House Of Representatives ◽  
Tax Reform ◽  
Fuel Efficiency ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Corporate Tax Reform ◽  
The Cost

Significance On July 15, the House of Representatives passed a short-term funding measure, against the wishes of many in the Senate. US infrastructure is facing a fiscal crunch. Taxes on gasoline have traditionally supported highway appropriations. However, eroding purchasing power and greater fuel efficiency means that about 30% of highway funding must be found from other sources, difficult in the current Congress. The present round of appropriations expires on July 31. Impacts A corporate tax might provide a long-term resolution, but the pursuit of it would come at the cost of seeking more modest solutions. These would provide stability for a year or two, necessary for projects of long duration. If corporate tax reform is not completed before the end of 2015, it will probably not get done in a presidential election year. If Congress were to rely on the prospect of these taxes for the HTF, it might find itself in a similar position in a few months.

Up, Up and Away! The Economics of Vertical Farming

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chirantan Banerjee ◽  
Lucie Adenaeuer
Keyword(s):  
Concurrent Engineering ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Vertical Farming ◽  
Footprint Area ◽  
The Cost

With rising population and purchasing power, demand for food and changing consumer preferences are building pressure on our resources. Vertical Farming, which means growing food in skyscrapers, might help to solve many of these problems. The purpose of this study was to construct a Vertical Farm and thereof investigate the economic feasibility of it. In a concurrent Engineering Study initiated by DLR Bremen, a farm, 37 floors high, was designed and simulated in Berlin to estimate the cost of production and market potential of this technology. It yields about 3,500 tons of fruits and vegetables and ca. 140 tons of tilapia fillets, 516 times more than expected from a footprint area of 0.25 ha due to stacking and multiple harvests. The investment costs add up to € 200 million, and it requires 80 million litres of water and 3.5 GWh of power per year. The produced food costs between € 3.50 and € 4.00 per kilogram. In view of its feasibility, we estimate a market for about 50 farms in the short term and almost 3000 farms in the long term. To tap the economic, environmental and social benefits of this technology, extensive research is required to optimise the production process.

scholarly journals OPTIMAL CLIMATE POLICY IN 3D: MITIGATION, CARBON REMOVAL, AND SOLAR GEOENGINEERING

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150008
Author(s):  
MARIIA BELAIA ◽  
JUAN B. MORENO-CRUZ ◽  
DAVID W. KEITH
Keyword(s):  
Climate Model ◽  
Integrated Assessment Model ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Solar Geoengineering ◽  
Optimal Climate Policy ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Far Future

We introduce solar geoengineering (SG) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) into an integrated assessment model to analyze the trade-offs between mitigation, SG, and CDR. We propose a novel empirical parameterization of SG that disentangles its efficacy, calibrated with climate model results, from its direct impacts. We use a simple parameterization of CDR that decouples it from the scale of baseline emissions. We find that (a) SG optimally delays mitigation and lowers the use of CDR, which is distinct from moral hazard; (b) SG is deployed prior to CDR while CDR drives the phasing out of SG in the far future; (c) SG deployment in the short term is relatively independent of discounting and of the long-term trade-off between SG and CDR over time; (d) small amounts of SG sharply reduce the cost of meeting a [Formula: see text]C target and the costs of climate change, even with a conservative calibration for the efficacy of SG.

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