Glass fiber core Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) have thermal performance per unit thickness of about 5-10 times higher than the traditionally used building insulation materials such as mineral wool, XPS, EPS, foam, etc. This advantage of VIP has made it very attractive new option for innovative building designs. Especially in Canada, where some of the areas have long and very cold winters. Confidence in the service life of a building material is necessary before putting a product to market. Extensive research has been conducted on the product development, quality improvement, and field application of VIPs around the world. However, there is lack of consistent and simple prediction method for the long-term thermal performance of VIPs. This paper discussed the process and performance of a field project using glass fiber VIPs to retrofit a commercial building in Yukon, Canada. The thermal performance of the VIPs used in this project was continuously monitored and critically analyzed since the start in 2011. The results have shown satisfactory thermal performance of VIPs for the past 8 years. The findings were also used to validate glass fiber core VIP accelerated aging tests conducted by the National Research Council Canada (Ottawa), and the aging rate of VIPs in a cold and dry climate was determined. The second part of this study investigated the monitored performance results from two sets of simplified accelerated laboratory aging tests, the results were analyzed with the aim to separate the impact of air diffusion from water vapour on the long-term thermal performance of glass fiber VIPs. In addition, this study also investigated the potential application of VIPs in balcony constructions to reduce heat transfer through thermal bridges. Computer modeling exercises, using a benchmarked (EN ISO 10211) three-dimensional transient and steady-state heat transfer simulation tool HEAT3, were carried out on the most optimal (thermal performance) balcony assemblies of wood framed buildings using VIP as insulation. This niche application of VIPs can significantly increase the energy efficiency of building envelopes/skins in extreme climates of Canada and elsewhere in the world. / Graduate / 2021-11-06

Detection of sub-optimal effort is a critical element of all psychological assessment procedures. Failure to consider the validity of the client's performance and symptom reporting may result in inaccurate conclusions about the degree of impairment. Because the American with Disabilities Act requires colleges to provide accommodations for students with documented disabilities, providing resources for students feigning impairment may ultimately drain university resources intended to help those students with disabilities. This study sought to examine the relationship between two different types of measures of effort and variables related to academic ability. De-identified archival data was gathered from the University Accessibility Center (UAC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) which provided psychological assessments for accommodation seeking students (N = 602) for a reduced fee. Measures used to detect sub-optimal effort included the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Word Memory Test (WMT), Validity Indicator Profile (VIP), California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), Reliable Digit Span (RDS), and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Advanced Edition (IVA-AE). Measures indicating academic ability included select subtests from the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement Third Edition (WJ-III). Additionally, Matrix Reasoning of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) was included as a cognitive measure of nonverbal IQ. Two point biserial correlations were conducted. Results indicated that the nonverbal portion of the VIP had a significant relationship with writing fluency. The TOMM also had a significant relationship with writing fluency. Additionally, results demonstrated that Reliable Digit Span had a significant relationship with Academic Fluency, Writing Fluency, Letter Word Identification, and Math Fluency. Data suggests that university disability service offices may wish to include the RDS, TOMM, and VIP in their considerations of effort.

En stor del av energianvändningen i Sverige används av byggbranschen som uppskattas använda 30 procent av den totala energianvändningen. Därför finns det regler idag som ställer krav för att minska denna energianvändning. I denna studie har en undersökning gjorts av om det går att använda marken för att minska en byggnads värme- och kylbehov. Studien går ut på att beräkna värme- och kylbehovet för ett hus placerat i berg och jämföra det med ett motsvarande hus placerat på mark. Ett klimat motsvarande Malmös valdes för att beräkna värme- och kylbehovet och beräkningarna gjordes med hjälp av programvaran VIP-Energy. Värmetrögheten som finns i berget påverkar värme- och kylförluster genom att värmen behöver längre väg att ta sig ut genom berget till markytan och att temperaturförändring är mycket trögare än i luften. Huset under marken med ett berg med värmekonduktiviteten 1,4 W/moC visade 20 procent lägre värme- och kylbehov jämfört med samma hus placerat på mark. För huset under mark med ett berg med värmekonduktiviteten 3,0 W/moC är värme- och kylbehovet 17 procent lägre jämfört med samma hus placerat på mark.

The parmacological effects of guinea pig vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were studied in isolated perfused guinea pig hearts. Bolus injections of VIP produced a dose-dependent tachycardia that was not affected by atenolol. A decrease in amplitude of ventricular contractions occurred in response to all doses of VIP. This response was preceded by a small increase in amplitude in 3 of 6 hearts at the highest dose. VIP produced a decrease in perfusion pressure which was prominent after coronary tone was elevated with [Arg8]-vasopressin. The present findings support speculation that VIP may have a role in the regulation of heart rate and coronary blood flow.

PACAP and VIP have prominent effects on cardiac function in several species, but little is known about their influence on the murine heart. Accordingly, we evaluated the expression of PACAP/VIP receptors in mouse heart and the response of isolated atria to peptide agonists. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that PAC1, VPAC1, and VPAC2 receptor mRNAs are present throughout the mouse heart. Expression of all three receptor transcripts was low, PAC1 being the lowest. No regional differences in expression were detected for individual receptor mRNAs after normalization to L32. Pharmacological effects of PACAP-27, VIP, and the selective PAC1 agonist maxadilan were evaluated in isolated, spontaneously beating atria from C57BL/6 mice of either sex. Incremental additions of PACAP-27 at 1 min intervals caused a concentration-dependent tachycardia with a log EC50=-9.08±0.15 M (n=7) and a maximum of 96.3±5.9% above baseline heart rate. VIP and maxadilan also caused tachycardia but their potencies were about two orders of magnitude less. Increasing the dosing interval to 5 min caused a leftward shift of the concentration-response curve to maxadilan but no changes in the curves for PACAP-27 or VIP. Under this condition, neither the potency nor the efficacy of maxadilan differed from those of PACAP-27. Neither PACAP-27 nor maxadilan caused tachyphylaxis, and maximal responses to maxadilan were maintained for at least 2 h. We conclude that all three VIP/PACAP family receptors are expressed by mouse cardiac tissue, but only PAC1 receptors mediate positive chronotropic responses to PACAP-27 and VIP.

PACAP and VIP have prominent effects on cardiac function in several species, but little is known about their influence on the murine heart. Accordingly, we evaluated the expression of PACAP/VIP receptors in mouse heart and the response of isolated atria to peptide agonists. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that PAC1, VPAC1, and VPAC2 receptor mRNAs are present throughout the mouse heart. Expression of all three receptor transcripts was low, PAC1 being the lowest. No regional differences in expression were detected for individual receptor mRNAs after normalization to L32. Pharmacological effects of PACAP-27, VIP, and the selective PAC1 agonist maxadilan were evaluated in isolated, spontaneously beating atria from C57BL/6 mice of either sex. Incremental additions of PACAP-27 at 1 min intervals caused a concentration-dependent tachycardia with a log EC50=-9.08±0.15 M (n=7) and a maximum of 96.3±5.9% above baseline heart rate. VIP and maxadilan also caused tachycardia but their potencies were about two orders of magnitude less. Increasing the dosing interval to 5 min caused a leftward shift of the concentration-response curve to maxadilan but no changes in the curves for PACAP-27 or VIP. Under this condition, neither the potency nor the efficacy of maxadilan differed from those of PACAP-27. Neither PACAP-27 nor maxadilan caused tachyphylaxis, and maximal responses to maxadilan were maintained for at least 2 h. We conclude that all three VIP/PACAP family receptors are expressed by mouse cardiac tissue, but only PAC1 receptors mediate positive chronotropic responses to PACAP-27 and VIP.

År 2017 stod sektorn bostäder och service för 39 % av Sveriges totala slutliga energianvändning. Det behövs en minskad energianvändning och en energitillförsel med låg miljöpåverkan för att klara miljökvalitetsmålen på längre sikt. Energi för uppvärmning av lokaler och byggnader står för 74% av den totala energianvändningen i bygg- och fastighetssektorn. Passivhus är en byggnad som är mer isolerad och tätare än en vanlig byggnad. Kraven är höga på material, konstruktion och genomförande för att uppnå så låg energianvändning som möjligt. Syftet med detta projekt är att studera förändringar i BBR28:s nya nybyggnadskrav och kraven för certifiering av passivhus FEBY18 samt att undersöka hur BBR:s och FEBY:s nya krav påverkar passivhus i fråga om kostnaden vid ett respektive två plan och olika typer av vanliga värmekällor. Målet är att beräkna och jämföra bygg- och uppvärmningskostnader för referensvillor som uppnår BBR:s nybyggnadskrav respektive villor som uppnår FEBY:s nya passivhuskrav. Villorna kommer också jämföras mellan fjärrvärme respektive luft/vattenvärmepump som uppvärmningskälla samt skillnaderna mellan en- respektive tvåplansvilla. För att beräkna lönsamheten på passivhus kommer det att utföras tre olika fall mellan konventionella hus och passivhus. Fallen är en enplansvilla, en tvåplansvilla som båda uppvärms med fjärrvärme och en enplansvilla med luft/vattenvärmepump. De tre fallen anpassas till att klara både BBR:s krav och FEBY:s krav för att få fram hur mycket kostnaden skiljer mellan konventionella hus och passivhus. VIP-Energy kommer användas för att beräkna energiförbrukningskostnaderna på de olika fallen. Sedan används Bidcon för att beräkna material- och arbetskostnaderna. Det kommer utföras en LCC-kalkyl för att få fram hur lönsamt det är att bygga passivhus jämfört med konventionella hus. När det gäller lönsamheten på passivhus så har BBR:s och FEBY:s nya krav inte påverkat mycket förutom FEBY:s nya krav för ej eluppvärmda byggnader där lönsamheten minskar. Då FEBY-kraven inte förändrats mycket för eluppvärmda byggnader kan man säga att certifieringen inte heller har det men för ej eluppvärmda så har certifieringen blivit lättare. Enligt studien var det lättare att nå kraven med en byggnad som var elvärmd för både BBR och FEBY. FEBY-villan och BBR-villan kom långt under kraven när de hade värmepump som uppvärmningssätt. Studien visade också att en enplansvilla och tvåplansvilla inte skilde mycket gällande energivärden och gör det därför inte lättare att bygga verken passivhus eller konventionella hus. Dock blir det lite billigare att bygga passivhus med två plan.

The myo-inositol signaling pathway in plants allows them to sense external environmental stimuli and respond to them. This signaling pathway depends on the dynamic levels of the second messenger, inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate, which in turn is regulated by inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases (5PTases). Previous studies have shown that 5PTase 13 binds an important energy sensor, Sucrose non-fermenting (Snf) 1-related kinase (SnRK1.1) and also a novel protein P80. Studies from the lab have also shown that P80 is a part of a deubiquitinating enzyme complex along with WDR20 and Ubiquitin-specific protease called UBP3. Our p80 mutants have a root deficient phenotype under low energy conditions which is normalized by addition of sucrose. p80 mutants show reduced growth and early senescence under specific environmental conditions. This is opposite in nature to SnRK1.1 overexpressors. In this study, I have examined the possible interaction of P80 with SnRK1. I have studied the effects of expression of the exogenous SnRK1.1:GFP transgene under the control of the 35S CaMV promoter in the p80 mutant. This will facilitate the delineation of mechanisms that plants use for the control of energy sensing. I also examined the effects of the overexpression of SnRK1.2:GFP in the p80 mutant. Further, I have explored the presence of a new class of molecules, inositol phosphate molecules (InsPs) containing pyrophosphate bonds (PPx) in p80 mutants. Recent evidence has shown that this class of molecules has roles in sensing and signaling. I have demonstrated that InsP7 is present in developing seeds and vegetative tissue of higher plants. I have also demonstrated that p80 mutants have an alteration in the levels of PPx-InsPs. In addition, I have established spatial expression patterns of two enzymes involved in the synthesis of PPx-InsPx, known as VIP kinases. These studies will help resolve how PPx-InsPs are regulated in plants and thus help in their functional characterization. / Master of Science

Although inhibitory cortical interneurons play a critical role in regulating brain excitability and function, the effects of stroke on these neurons is poorly understood. In particular, interneurons expressing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) specialize in inhibiting other classes of inhibitory neurons, and thus serve to modulate cortical sensory processing. To understand how stroke affects this circuit, we imaged VIP neuron responses (using GCaMP6s) to low and high intensity forepaw stimulation, both before and after focal stroke in somatosensory cortex. Our data show that the fraction of forelimb responsive VIP interneurons and their response fidelity (defined as a cell’s number of responsive trials out of eight trials at a certain imaging week) was significantly reduced in the first week after stroke, especially when lower intensity forepaw stimulation was employed. The loss of responsiveness was most evident in highly active VIP neurons (defined by their level of responsiveness before stroke), whereas less active neurons were minimally affected. Of note, a small fraction of VIP neurons that were minimally active before stroke, became responsive afterwards suggesting that stroke may unmask sensory responses in some neurons. Although VIP responses to forepaw stimulation generally improved from 2-5 weeks recovery, the variance in response fidelity after stroke was comparatively high and therefore less predictable than that observed before stroke. Lastly, stroke related changes in response properties were restricted to within 400μm of the infarct border. These findings reveal the dynamic and resilient nature of VIP neurons and suggest that a sub-population of these cells are more apt to lose sensory responsiveness during the initial phase of stroke, whereas some minimally responsive cells are progressively recruited into the forelimb sensory circuit. Furthermore, stroke appears to disrupt the predictability of sensory-evoked responses in these cortical interneurons which could have important consequences for sensory perception. / Graduate / 2021-01-13

Sandviksvägen 38 är ett av många flerbostadshus byggt under åren 1961 – 1975, de så kallade rekordårens bostäder. Byggnaden står inför en omfattande renovering, och då finns det samtidigt goda möjligheter att minska byggnadens energiförbrukning. I studien undersöks och beskrivs ett antal av de åtgärder som kan genomföras. Målet är att föreslå åtgärdspaket för att minska byggnadens specifika energiförbrukning med 20 respektive 50 procent jämfört med dagens användning. Energiberäkningar av åtgärderna har genomförts med programmet VIP-Energy och en enklare form av LCC-analys har genomförts för att undersöka investeringarnas totala energibesparingspotential. Resultatet kan användas som underlag vid en eventuell investeringsberäkning. / Sandviksvägen 38 is one of many apartment buildings built during the years 1961 - 1975. The building faces a major renovation, which provides good opportunities to reduce building energy consumption. The study examines and describes energy saving actions that can be implemented. The goal is to propose actions that reduce the building's specific energy consumption by 20 or 50 percent compared to current use. Energy calculations of the actions have been examined with the program VIP-Energy and a simpler form of LCC-analysis have been performed to examine the actions total energy saving potential. The result can be used as a basis for future investment calculations.