The aims and objectives of this thesis are to investigate remote electricity supply metering and load control in terms of the now availble UK Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) private and national telecommunications networks, the intelligent building, the home computer and domestic energy management concepts. This work commences with an overview of private telecommunications systems utilised within the U.K. electricity supply industry together with those network services provided by Public Telecommunications Service Operators (PTO's) for customer access (Chapters 1 and 2). The thesis continues by describing the meter reading and billing processes (Chapter 3) and introduces the concepts of remote metering, the consumer billing interface (Chapters 4 and 5), load control and spot pricing theory (Chapter 6). A review of recent load control and remote metering field trials, conducted in the UK, including feasibility studies are then detailed (Chapter 7). A mathematical analysis of two basic approaches to the principle of 'idle-line' working is also considered (Chapter 7). The 'intelligent home' concept and the customer billing interface are then considered in conjunction with the development of a 'home computer' applications strategy (Chapter 8). The development of text, communications and control simulation on the BBC microcomputer, are then detailed by reference to the 'Adaptive Microprocessor based System for Experimentation in the Transmission of Text' (AMTEXT) developed to test the feasibility of the home computer applications strategy developed in Chapter 8 (Chapter 9). The concept of 'idle-time working is then introduced coupled with the concept of 'integration' by way of the national telecommunications network services. Proposals for a Modular Integrated Data Aquisition System (MIDAS) are then considered as a means of illustrating a practical application of both integration and idle-time working (Chapter 10). The thesis continues by considering network integrity, security and reliability in terms of network architecture and the development of a strategy for quantifying network resilience as a design parameter (Chapter 11). Finally, the thesis concludes by summarisirig the work undertaken and the results obtained with respect to the initial objectives, and details potential areas for further research.

This thesis describes the results of several years work on the design, construction, testing and evaluation of a gas fuelled, engine driven heat pump and its possible role in a future U. K. market. In 1977 a joint venture was embarked upon by the Open University Energy Research Group, Lucas Aerospace and Milton Keynes Development Corporation to design, manufacture and install a gas fuelled heat pump in a rented house, and to monitor its performance in real operating conditions. It was one of a number of projects in the field of heat pump research and development supported by the Department of Energy. Due to a delay in receiving research funds however, and because of the size of the unit, it was impossible to install the system in a suitable property and so it underwent an intensive laboratory test programme simulating various load patterns and operating conditions. The heat pump, using air as its source of heat was driven by a 360 cc single cylinder marine engine converted to run on natural gas. The work was completed in 1980 and the heat pump was found to work well and justified the design assumptions made, after allowing for the poor performance of the engine used. At 6°C (ambient) an output of 14 kW was achieved with an overall efficiency or C. O. P. of 1.1 which compares favourably with a typical seasonal gas boiler efficiency of around 0.65-0.70. As well as giving a full technical description of the heat pump system, plus an analysis of the various individual components, the thesis looks at the historical development of heat pumps generally and briefly considers the applications to which heat pumps can be put in domestic, commercial and industrial markets, and the possible economies this would bring. It concludes by looking at the future work needed in order to achieve these ends.

This report describes the structure and simulation results of a dynamic physical model of the UK energy system. The model traces the hourly flows of energy from energy sources through various energy converters and stores to useful energy demands. Effects such as the temporal and climatic dependence of demands have been accounted for. Technical data has been collected so that it is possible to simulate the performance of the system as it was in 1976 or as it might be at some future date. The model has been validated against measured data and has been used to simulate the UK system with changed demands and new conservation and supply technologies.

The thesis aims at the optimization of the regulatory systems inherent in domestic architecture through choice of orientation, building materials and the use of natural resources of energy, to achieve comfort conditions without the need for mechanical heating and cooling for the Cypriot climate. The thesis is classified in six chapters as follows: CHAPTER 1 In this chapter, analysis of the energy situation in Cyprus to investigate the potential for energy saving in houses and the possible environmental improvement is carried out. For this, existing and newly built houses are evaluated to identify deficiencies in the regulatory systems inherent in the built form that result in heating and cooling demands. CHAPTER 2 The prevailing climatic conditions in Cyprus are analyzed, in this chapter, to assess how energy demands for heating and cooling arise in domestic buildings and to evaluate the free energy systems available to contribute to these requirements. Moreover in this chapter standards of comfort for single family detached houses in Cyprus are established, through investigation of current thermostat settings and reviews of thermal comfort studies, so that they may be taken as a basis in the optimization study. CHAPTER 3 This chapter deals with the optimization of a specific house type, to be designed in an ideal environment, to the point of zero fuel consumption for heating and cooling with the aid of microcomputer programmes for thermal analysis. Initially simplified thermal calculations are carried out by using "Method 5000°, a well established method adopted by the Commission of the European Community Handbook. These are followed by detailed hourly simulations of selected variants using dynamic simulation model SERIRES. CHAPTER 4 This chapter also makes use of thermal calculations as chapter 3, and concludes to comparative assessment of results obtained under chapter 3, and design recommendations for new houses through economic analysis of the varied design measures. From those the profile of the "Zero Energy House for Cyprus" is outlined. CHAPTER 5 The study in this chapter identifies the occupants' factors that influence the efficiency of building performance and the thermal environmental conditions of the "Zero Energy House". It analyses the intervention of the occupants in the design, which is reflected in the variable of fenestration. The analysis is carried out interdependently, in various combinations of shading and ventilation profiles, in computer simulations using thermal analysis programme "AGRI". A case-study further investigates the thermal effects of the user interaction with the building and confirms the validity of the simulation results. The proposed strategies, at the end of the chapter, aim at reducing the operational counter-effects on the building design. CHAPTER 6 The conclusions are outlined in the form of criteria for the selection of different design alternatives. These are based on flexibility, operational ease, potential thermal efficiency and elimination of constraints for securing optimal performance for "Zero Energy Houses" for Cyprus.

This study examined the effects of a novel treatment package consisting of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based activities with and without contingent rewards on children's consumption of low-preferred healthy foods. Participants were 6, 3-5-year-old children who attended a local day care center. The effects of the two treatment packages on children's tasting, approach, and amount of food consumed were assessed using a multiple baseline design across food categories. During the ACT-based mindfulness condition, the experimenter led a set of four ACT activities prior to the presentation of food. This condition produced a mean increase in foods tasted of 7.4% for fruits but 0% for vegetables, and mean increases in the approach of 18.6% for fruits and 8.7% for vegetables. A second condition consisting of the same ACT activities plus rewards delivered contingent upon tasting the foods produced mean increases in foods tasted of 69.2% for vegetables, 25.3% fruits, and 43.2% for beans, and increases for foods approached of 54.7% for vegetables, 16.2% for fruits, and 44.6% for beans. Both intervention conditions resulted in low mean amounts of food consumed with 0% of vegetables and 17.4% of fruits consumed during the ACT condition, and 1.6%, 6.7%, and 2.6% consumed during the ACT plus rewards condition for vegetables, fruits, and beans respectively. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of their relevance to past and future research.

Estimating the risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aquatic systems requires evaluation of exposure, usually based on exhaustive chemical extraction of sediment and potentially exposed organisms and an assessment of toxicity. Remediation can then focus on areas where the exposure leads to the highest risk. Although effective, an approach that estimates exposure, which accounts for bioavailabilty, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer potential, and transport of materials within and out of the waterway, should serve as a more comprehensive environmental assessment. The current study examined exposure of PCBs in several different trophic levels within the Campus Lake ecosystem, Carbondale, Illinois. The source of contamination and the distribution of PCBs among ecosystem components demonstrated contamination within the aquatic portion of Campus Lake and transport out of the aquatic environment to the riparian area. Several media were collected including sediment, emergent insects, spiders, and three species of fish. Sediment extractions demonstrated that PCBs were localized to one small cove and this area served as the source for transfer of PCBs to both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Single-point 24-h Tenax extractions formed the basis for evaluating the bioavailable component of the sediment-associated PCBs with strong correlations to laboratory-based bioaccumulation assays for oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. Stable isotope data suggested that the source of carbon to the food web was relatively constant. Food web samples of emerging insects, fish, and spiders revealed that the PCBs in Campus Lake were bioavailable and the pattern of the PCB signature among food web components followed typical food web processes. The PCB congener pattern was consistent between emergent midges and spiders demonstrating the transfer of PCBs from aquatic to terrestrial species. The PCB concentrations detected in emerging insects from the contaminated area were on average 25 times greater than those detected in emerging insects from reference sites outside the area of greatest sediment contamination. High PCB concentrations found in several species of fish suggested that despite the localized sediment contamination, fish throughout the lake were exposed. These levels also exceeded the fish consumption advisory criteria. The PCB pattern comparisons suggested that the contaminated sediment was the source of exposure throughout the food web. This approach identified the scope of exposure to organisms, demonstrated bioavailability, and provided a basis for future PCB remediation and subsequent monitoring of Campus Lake. In comparison to studies focused solely on limited sampling of fish for consumption advisory purposes, this approach demonstrated the importance of more comprehensive studies to examine the range of ecosystem exposure even from very limited contamination sources.

Esta dissertação aborda a expansão da oferta de crédito e o consequente endividamento da população ocorridos no Brasil ao longo das últimas duas décadas. Os principais objetivos constituem analisar: o processo que conduz os consumidores ao superendividamento, estabelecendo as principais causas e eventos relacionados ao fenômeno; as formas como os endividados respondem ao endividamento, em termos de mecanismos e estratégias de enfrentamento; as percepções, sentimentos e significados atribuídos à condição de superendividado; e as consequências do superendividamento. A partir de uma perspectiva metodológica qualitativa, realizamos 18 entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado com consumidores superendividados atendidos pelo Projeto Piloto de Prevenção ao Superendividamento, no Fórum Central em Porto Alegre. Os sujeitos foram selecionados tomando como critérios a conveniência e acessibilidade e os dados analisados através da técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados encontrados corroboram as hipóteses que levantamos: o endividamento não se explica unicamente em função do consumismo, fator chave elencado na literatura; o fenômeno é complexo e possui uma multiplicidade de causas, relacionadas a elementos estruturais, entre os quais destacamos a desregulamentação das finanças, a estrutura do mercado de trabalho e os níveis de rendimento; estratégias de enfrentamento diversas são adotadas com efeitos distintos que guardam relação com as percepções que os indivíduos têm de suas dívidas, a severidade dos problemas e com seus efeitos. As consequências negativas também são variadas, destacando-se algumas de caráter econômico, como a redução do nível de vida e de consumo. Além desses outros efeitos encontrados são problemas de saúde física e mental, como stress, ansiedade e depressão, que decorrem dos sentimentos negativos de culpa em relação ao endividamento. Enfim, de modo geral, nossa investigação oferece um panorama das discussões teóricas e conceituais no campo da sociologia do crédito e do endividamento. A partir desses debates realizamos uma análise empiricamente fundamentada desses fenômenos constatando que a oferta de crédito, num contexto desfavorável aos consumidores, pela cobrança de altas taxas de juros e inexistência de regulação jurídica, quando direcionada a indivíduos em situação de vulnerabilidade econômica e social, dificultam a administração do orçamento em momentos de crise ou situações não esperadas. Esses elementos em conjunto contribuem na condução ao superendividamento, especialmente de indivíduos com baixos rendimentos ou em situação instável e precária de inserção no mercado de trabalho. Como resultado, essa condição gera um ciclo de pagamento de dívidas e juros capaz de exacerbar condições de pobreza e vulnerabilidade social, contribuindo, assim, para a reprodução das desigualdades sociais. / This research deals with the expansion of consumer credit and the indebtedness in Brazil that has occurred over the last two decades. The main objectives are to analyze the processes that leads consumers to over-indebtedness, establishing the main causes and events related to these phenomena; the ways in which indebted respond to the debts in terms of mechanisms and coping strategies; perceptions, feelings and meanings attributed to over-indebtedness condition; and their consequences. From a qualitative methodological perspective, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with over-indebted consumers seeking help in the Projeto Piloto de Prevenção ao Superendividamento, in Porto Alegre. Sample selection considered as criteria convenience and accessibility to interviewed subjects. Data treatment used content analysis techniques. Our results corroborate the raised hypothesis. Firstly, indebtedness cannot be explained solely based on a consumerism perspective, a key factor in the literature. Second, the phenomena are complex and has multiple causes related to structural elements, among which we highlight the deregulation of finance, the structure of the labor market and income levels. Third, various coping strategies are adopted with different effects, related to the perceptions that people have about their debts, the severity of the problems and their effects. Fourth, negative consequences are also varied. Reductions on standards of living and consumption can be highlighted, among others, as the main economic effects. In addition, other consequences found were physical and mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression arising from negative feelings of guilt about debt. Furthermore, in general terms, our research provides an overview of the theoretical and conceptual discussions in the field of sociology credit and debt. From these debates, we conducted an empirically based analysis of these phenomena. We conclude, among other founding that credit supply, when offered to individuals in economic and social vulnerable circumstances, particularly, in an unfavorable context featured by charging high interest rates and lacks of legal regulation, hamper budget management in times of crisis or unexpected situations. These elements occurring together can drive to overindebtedness, especially those people with low incomes or in precarious labor conditions. As a result, this condition generates a cycle of debt and interest repayments capable to reproduce or make worse the conditions of poverty and social vulnerability.

No description available.

Com o intuito de averiguar qual a influência da revista Seleções do Readers Digest no imaginário brasileiro da década de 50, sobretudo com relação às representações da mulher, selecionamos vinte anúncios de produtos de higiene pessoal e beleza como objetos de trabalho nesta Dissertação. Para executar esta análise, utilizamos como metodologia a Análise do Discurso (Escola Francesa) e percorremos 116 revistas com seus inúmeros anúncios, a fim de selecionar aqueles mais significativos dentro da categoria de higiene pessoal e beleza. Descobrimos que a publicidade em Seleções funcionava como um veículo de propagação e sustentação da propaganda ideológica do American Way of Life. É dentro desta lógica que a publicidade da revista vende um tipo-ideal de mulher: a rainha do lar. Apesar de aparentemente haver um avanço na representação feminina conforme o ano de divulgação do anúncio, é o tradicional modelo de mãe-esposa-dona-de-casa que prevalece. Uma mulher que aparece sempre feliz e satisfeita, mas que, de fato, acaba se revelando apenas como um objeto destinado ao consumo masculino / As object of this research we selected twenty personal hygiene and beauty advertisements of the magazine: Seleções do Readers Digest. The main purpose of the study is to learn about the influence of this communication vehicle in the Fifties Brazilian imaginary, especially upon womans representations in the mentioned decade. To develop this work we used the Discourse Analysis Methodology (French School) and we went over 116 magazines with their innumerable advertisements, in order to select the most significant ones from personal hygiene and beauty categories. We reached the conclusion that advertising in Seleções worked as a dissemination and maintenance vehicle for the ideological propaganda of the American Way of Life. Following this idea, the magazines publicity intend to sell a single type of an ideal woman: queen of the house. Considering the period of history we refer to, at first glance it seems that existed some progress at the womans image, but a more careful observation revealed that it had been the traditional model of wife-mother-housewife which remained. In other words, in the maganizes advertisements women always appeared happy and satisfied, although, in fact, they were designed just to be an object for male consumption

College students' drinking patterns have been a cause for concern for a number of years. The present study evaluated the relative effectiveness of two brief interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption among heavy-drinking students. The first intervention delivered personalised feedback about students' alcohol use and other alcohol-related information. The other one delivered nonpersonalised feedback. It was hypothesised that the personalised feedback would be more successful than nonpersonalised feedback in motivating heavy-drinking students to reduce their alcohol consumption. The study began with a large-scale, screening survey of students' alcohol use. The survey first identified heavy-drinking students, who then completed a baseline assessment comprising questionnaire measures related to personality, motivation, reasons for drinking, high-risk drinking situations, and alcohol-related problems. Following the baseline assessment, the heavy-drinking students (n= 111) were randomly assigned to either one of three groups; personalised feedback, nonpersonalised feedback, or a non-intervention control group. Students (n= 110) in all three groups were followed-up 12 weeks after the interventions had been delivered. The results showed that personalised alcohol-related feedback produced the greatest increase in students' readiness to change their excessive drinking. However, there was no evidence for an effect of intervention on students' actual consumption. At baseline it was found that as students' alcohol-related problems increased there were also increases in (a) the amount of alcohol that they consumed, (b) the negative-affect situations in which they drank, and (c) their maladaptive motivational patterns. In fact, each of the latter three variables contributed uniquely to the variance in alcohol-related problems. The results were discussed from the perspective of a motivational model of alcohol use (Cox & Klinger, 1988). It was concluded that the findings of the present study have important implications for future brief interventions among students.