Electronic Building Passport - Final Report: Project 2 National Energy Efficient Building Project Phase 2

The National Energy Efficient Building Project (NEEBP) Phase One report, published in December 2014, investigated “process issues and systemic failures” in the administration of the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code. It found that most stakeholders believed that under-compliance with these requirements is widespread across Australia, with similar issues being reported in all states and territories. The report found that many different factors were contributing to this outcome and, as a result, many recommendations were offered that together would be expected to remedy the systemic issues reported. To follow up on this Phase 1 report, three additional projects were commissioned as part of Phase 2 of the overall NEEBP project. This Report deals with the development and piloting of an Electronic Building Passport (EBP) tool – a project undertaken jointly by pitt&sherry and a team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led by Dr Wendy Miller. The other Phase 2 projects cover audits of Class 1 buildings and issues relating to building alterations and additions. The passport concept aims to provide all stakeholders with (controlled) access to the key documentation and information that they need to verify the energy performance of buildings. This trial project deals with residential buildings but in principle could apply to any building type. Nine councils were recruited to help develop and test a pilot electronic building passport tool. The participation of these councils – across all states – enabled an assessment of the extent to which these councils are currently utilising documentation; to track the compliance of residential buildings with the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC). Overall we found that none of the participating councils are currently compiling all of the energy performance-related documentation that would demonstrate code compliance. The key reasons for this include: a major lack of clarity on precisely what documentation should be collected; cost and budget pressures; low public/stakeholder demand for the documentation; and a pragmatic judgement that non-compliance with any regulated documentation requirements represents a relatively low risk for them. Some councils reported producing documentation, such as certificates of final completion, only on demand, for example. Only three of the nine council participants reported regularly conducting compliance assessments or audits utilising this documentation and/or inspections. Overall we formed the view that documentation and information tracking processes operating within the building standards and compliance system are not working to assure compliance with the Code’s energy performance requirements. In other words the Code, and its implementation under state and territory regulatory processes, is falling short as a ‘quality assurance’ system for consumers. As a result it is likely that the new housing stock is under-performing relative to policy expectations, consuming unnecessary amounts of energy, imposing unnecessarily high energy bills on occupants, and generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, Councils noted that the demand for documentation relating to building energy performance was low. All the participant councils in the EBP pilot agreed that documentation and information processes need to work more effectively if the potential regulatory and market drivers towards energy efficient homes are to be harnessed. These findings are fully consistent with the Phase 1 NEEBP report. It was also agreed that an EBP system could potentially play an important role in improving documentation and information processes. However, only one of the participant councils indicated that they might adopt such a system on a voluntary basis. The majority felt that such a system would only be taken up if it were: - A nationally agreed system, imposed as a mandatory requirement under state or national regulation; - Capable of being used by multiple parties including councils, private certifiers, building regulators, builders and energy assessors in particular; and - Fully integrated into their existing document management systems, or at least seamlessly compatible rather than a separate, unlinked tool. Further, we note that the value of an EBP in capturing statistical information relating to the energy performance of buildings would be much greater if an EBP were adopted on a nationally consistent basis. Councils were clear that a key impediment to the take up of an EBP system is that they are facing very considerable budget and staffing challenges. They report that they are often unable to meet all community demands from the resources available to them. Therefore they are unlikely to provide resources to support the roll out of an EBP system on a voluntary basis. Overall, we conclude from this pilot that the public good would be well served if the Australian, state and territory governments continued to develop and implement an Electronic Building Passport system in a cost-efficient and effective manner. This development should occur with detailed input from building regulators, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), councils and private certifiers in the first instance. This report provides a suite of recommendations (Section 7.2) designed to advance the development and guide the implementation of a national EBP system.

Regulation of arginine decarboxylase and putrescine levels in Cucumis sativus cotyledons

Arginine decarboxylase (arginine carboxy-lyase EC 4.1.1.19) of Cucumis sativus cotyledons, has a pH optimum of 8.3 and a temperature optimum of 40°. Among the various plant hormones administered to excised cotyledons in culture, benzyladenine and its riboside were most effective in increasing the arginine decarboxylase activity and putrescine content. The enzyme activity and putrescine content were significantly increased on acid feeding of the cotyledons and decreased by KCl treatment. The KCl effect could be only partially reversed by benzyladenine. Abscisic acid inhibited cotyledon growth and also reduced arginine decarboxylase and putrescine levels. This effect was overcome by cytokinins. The half life of the enzyme using cycloheximide was 3.7 hr. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 5′-AMP also marginally stimulated the enzyme and putrescine levels. Mixing experiments indicate that there is neither a non-dialysable activator nor inhibitor of the enzyme.

The regulation of the biosynthesis of ubiquinone in the rat

The urinary excretion of p-hydroxybenzoate was not altered by ubiquinone feeding, but, although decreased considerably, was not eliminated in protein deficiency. The incorporation of p-hydroxy[U-14C]benzaldehyde into ubiquinone in vivo increased in cold-exposed and p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate (clofibrate)-fed rats, and these changes were parallel with the changes in the incorporation of [2-14C]mevalonate under these conditions. Starvation, cholesterol feeding and cholic acid feeding resulted in the decreased incorporation of p-hydroxy[U-14C]benzaldehyde into ubiquinone, confirming the decreased ubiquinone synthesis. Feeding exogenous ubiquinone increased the hepatic ubiquinone concentration, but did not cause any decrease in the incorporation of p-hydroxy[U-14C]benzaldehyde into ubiquinone, indicating the absence of a feedback control.

Essays on Illegal Activities, Institutions and Economic Growth

In public economics, two extremist views on the functions of a government compete: one emphasizes government working for the public interest to provide value for the citizens, while another regards government mainly as a workhorse for private interests. Moreover, as the sole legitimate authority, the government has the right to define the rules and laws as well as to enforce them. With respect to regulation, two extremes arise: from too little regulation to too much of it. If the government does not function or ceases to exist, the state falls into anarchy or chaos (Somalia). If it regulates too much, it will completely suffocate private activities, which might be considered extralegal (the former Soviet Union). In this thesis I scrutinize the government s interventionist policies and evaluate the question of how to best promote economic well-being. The first two essays assume that the government s policies promote illegal activity. The first paper evaluates the interaction between the government and the mafia, and pays attention to the law enforcement of underground production. We show that the revenue-maximizing government will always monitor the shadow economy, as monitoring contributes to the government s revenue. In general, both legal and illegal firms are hurt by the entry of the mafia. It is, however, plausible that legal firms might benefit by the entry of the mafia if it competes with the government. The second paper tackles the issue of the measurement of the size of the shadow economy. To formulate policies it is essential to know what drives illegal economic activity; is it the tax burden, excess regulation, corruption or a weak legal environment? In this paper we propose an additional explanation for tax evasion and shadow production, namely cultural factors as manifested by religion as determinants of tax morality. According to our findings, Catholic and Protestant countries do not differ in their tax morale. The third paper contributes to the literature discussing the role of the government in promoting economic and productivity growth. Our main result is that, given the complex relationship between economic growth and economic freedom, marketization has not necessarily been beneficial in terms of growth. The last paper builds on traditional growth literature and revisits the debate on convergence clubs arising from demographic transition. We provide new evidence against the idea that countries within a club would converge over time. Instead, we propose that since the demographic transition is a dynamic process, one can expect countries to enter the last regime of stable, modern growth in stages.

Dynamics of Circulating Concentrations of Gonadotropins and Ovarian Hormones Throughout the Menstrual Cycle in the Bonnet Monkey: Role of Inhibin A in the Regulation of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Secretion

In higher primates, increased circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels seen during late menstrual cycle and during menstruation has been suggested to be necessary for initiation of follicular growth, recruitment of follicles and eventually culminating in ovulation of a single follicle. With a view to establish the dynamics of circulating FSH secretion with that of inhibin A (INH A) and progesterone (P-4)secretions during the menstrual cycle, blood was collected daily from bonnet monkeys beginning day 1 of the menstrual cycle up to 35 days. Serum INH A levels were low during early follicular phase, increased significantly coinciding with the mid cycle luteinizing hormone (LH) surge to reach maximal levels during the mid luteal phase before declining at the late luteal phase, essentially paralleling the pattern Of P-4 secretion seen throughout the luteal phase. Circulating FSH levels were low during early and mid luteal phases, but progressively increased during the late luteal phase and remained high for few days after the onset of menses. In another experiment, lutectomy performed during the mid luteal phase resulted in significant decrease in INH A concentration within 2 hr (58.3 +/- 2 vs. 27.3 +/- 3 pg/mL), and a 2- to 3-fold rise in circulating FSH levels by 24 hr (0.20 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.14 ng/mL) that remained high until 48 hr postlutectomy. Systemic administration of Cetrorelix (150 mu g/kg body weight), a gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonist, at mid luteal phase in monkeys led to suppression of serum INH A and P-4 concentrations 24 hr post treatment, but circulating FSH levels did not change. Administration of exogenous LH, but not FSH, significantly increased INH A concentration. The results taken together suggest a tight coupling between LH and INH A secretion and that INH A is largely responsible for maintenance of low FSH concentration seen during the luteal phase. Am. J. Primatol. 71:817-824, 2009.

Private power and new media: The case of the corporate suppression of WikiLeaks and its implications for the exercise of fundamental rights on the internet

Globalization, along with its digital and information communication technology counterparts, including the Internet and cyberspace, may signify a whole new era for human rights, characterized by new tensions, challenges, and risks for human rights, as well as new opportunities. Human Rights and Risks in the Digital Era: Globalization and the Effects of Information Technologies explores the emergence and evolution of ‘digital’ rights that challenge and transform more traditional legal, political, and historical understandings of human rights. Academic and legal scholars will explore individual, national, and international democratic dilemmas--sparked by economic and environmental crises, media culture, data collection, privatization, surveillance, and security--that alter the way individuals and societies think about, regulate, and protect rights when faced with new challenges and threats. The book not only uncovers emerging changes in discussions of human rights, it proposes legal remedies and public policies to mitigate the challenges posed by new technologies and globalization.

Regulation of Growth by Drosophila FoxO Transcription Factor

Forkhead box class O (FoxO) transcription factors are members of the forkhead box transcription factor superfamily, with orthologues in various species such as human, worm and fly. FoxO proteins are key regulators of growth, metabolism, stress resistance and, consequently, life span. FoxOs integrate signals from different pathways, e.g. the growth controlling Insulin-TOR signaling pathway and the stress induced JNK and Hippo signaling pathways. FoxO proteins have evolved to guide the cellular response to varying energy and stress conditions by inducing the expression of genes involved in the regulation of growth and metabolism. This work has aimed to deepen the understanding of how FoxO executes its biological functions. A particular emphasis has been laid to its role in growth control. Specifically, evidence is presented indicating that FoxO restricts tissue growth in a situation when TOR signaling is high. This finding can have implications in a human condition called Tuberous sclerosis, manifested by multiple benign tumors. Further, it is shown that FoxO directly binds to the promoter and regulates the expression of a Drosophila Adenylate cyclase gene, ac76e, which in turn modulates the fly s development and growth systemically. These results strengthen FoxOs position among central size regulators as it is able to operate at the level of individual cells as well as in the whole organism. Finally, an attempt to reveal the regulatory network upstream of FoxO has been carried out. Several putative FoxO activity regulators were identified in an RNAi screen of Drosophila kinases and phosphatases. The results underscore that FoxO is regulated through an elaborate network, ensuring the correct execution of key cellular processes in metabolism and response to stress. Overall, the evidence provided in this study strengthens our view of FoxO as a key integrator of growth and stress signals.

trans gene regulation in adaptive evolution: A genetic algorithm model

This is a continuation of earlier studies on the evolution of infinite populations of haploid genotypes within a genetic algorithm framework. We had previously explored the evolutionary consequences of the existence of indeterminate—“plastic”—loci, where a plastic locus had a finite probability in each generation of functioning (being switched “on”) or not functioning (being switched “off”). The relative probabilities of the two outcomes were assigned on a stochastic basis. The present paper examines what happens when the transition probabilities are biased by the presence of regulatory genes. We find that under certain conditions regulatory genes can improve the adaptation of the population and speed up the rate of evolution (on occasion at the cost of lowering the degree of adaptation). Also, the existence of regulatory loci potentiates selection in favour of plasticity. There is a synergistic effect of regulatory genes on plastic alleles: the frequency of such alleles increases when regulatory loci are present. Thus, phenotypic selection alone can be a potentiating factor in a favour of better adaptation.

Positional Preferences of Polypurine/Polypyrimidine Tracts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome: Implications for cis Regulation of Gene Expression

The complete genome of the baker's yeast S. cerevisiae was analyzed for the presence of polypurine/polypyrimidine (poly[pu/py]) repeats and their occurrences were classified on the basis of their location within and outside open reading frames (ORFs). The analysis reveals that such sequence motifs are present abundantly both in coding as well as noncoding regions. Clear positional preferences are seen when these tracts occur in noncoding regions. These motifs appear to occur predominantly at a unit nucleosomal length both upstream and downstream of ORFs. Moreover, there is a biased distribution of polypurines in the coding strands when these motifs occur within open reading frames. The significance of the biased distribution is discussed with reference to the occurrence of these motifs in other known mRNA sequences and expressed sequence tags. A model for cis regulation of gene expression is proposed based on the ability of these motifs to form an intermolecular triple helix structure when present within the coding region and/or to modulate nucleosome positioning via enhanced histone affinity when present outside coding regions.

Development of salinity tolerance in rice by constitutive-overexpression of genes involved in the regulation of programmed cell death

Environmental factors contribute to over 70% of crop yield losses worldwide. Of these drought and salinity are the most significant causes of crop yield reduction. Rice is an important staple crop that feeds more than half of the world’s population. However among the agronomically important cereals rice is the most sensitive to salinity. In the present study we show that exogenous expression of anti-apoptotic genes from diverse origins, AtBAG4 (Arabidopsis), Hsp70 (Citrus tristeza virus) and p35 (Baculovirus), significantly improves salinity tolerance in rice at the whole plant level. Physiological, biochemical and agronomical analyses of transgenic rice expressing each of the anti-apoptotic genes subjected to salinity treatment demonstrated traits associated with tolerant varieties including, improved photosynthesis, membrane integrity, ion and ROS maintenance systems, growth rate, and yield components. Moreover, FTIR analysis showed that the chemical composition of salinity-treated transgenic plants is reminiscent of non-treated, unstressed controls. In contrast, wild type and vector control plants displayed hallmark features of stress, including pectin degradation upon subjection to salinity treatment. Interestingly, despite their diverse origins, transgenic plants expressing the anti-apoptotic genes assessed in this study displayed similar physiological and biochemical characteristics during salinity treatment thus providing further evidence that cell death pathways are conserved across broad evolutionary kingdoms. Our results reveal that anti-apoptotic genes facilitate maintenance of metabolic activity at the whole plant level to create favorable conditions for cellular survival. It is these conditions that are crucial and conducive to the plants ability to tolerate/adapt to extreme environments.