Improving the evidence base for energy policy: The role of systematic reviews

The concept of evidence-based policy and practice (EBPP) has gained increasing prominence in the UK over the last 10 years and now plays a dominant role in a number of policy areas, including healthcare, education, social work, criminal justice and urban regeneration. But despite this substantial, influential and growing activity, the concept remains largely unknown to policymakers and researchers within the energy field. This paper defines EBPP, identifies its key features and examines the potential role of systematic reviews of evidence in a particular area of policy. It summarises the methods through which systematic reviews are achieved; discusses their advantages and limitations; identifies the particular challenges they face in the energy policy area; and assesses whether and to what extent they can usefully be applied to contemporary energy policy questions. The concept is illustrated with reference to a proposed review of evidence for a ‘rebound effect’ from improved energy efficiency. The paper concludes that systematic reviews may only be appropriate for a subset of energy policy questions and that research-funding priorities may need to change if their use is to become more widespread.     

The economics of energy service contracts

Energy service contracting can provide a cost-effective route to overcoming barriers to energy efficiency. Energy service contracts allow the client to reduce operating costs, transfer risk and concentrate attention on core activities. However, the energy services model may only be appropriate for a subset of energy services and energy using organisations. A challenge for both business strategy and public policy is to identify those situations in which energy service contracting is most likely to be appropriate and the conditions under which it is most likely to succeed.     

Effect of niobium on the structure of titanium dioxide thin films

This paper reports the effect of niobium on the structure of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films deposited on glass. The results obtained indicated that the direct current (DC) co-sputtering of Ti and Nb onto glass substrates in the presence of oxygen results in the formation of Nb-doped anatase thin films with strong preferential orientation. In the concentration range between 0 and 40 at.% Nb, niobium is incorporated into the TiO₂ lattice according to a substitution mechanism, entering Ti sites in the cation sub-lattice. No evidence exists for a solubility limit < 40 at.% of Nb under the applied deposition conditions, however, it is not believed that an equilibrium situation prevails. Lattice charge compensation was concluded to occur by the formation of cation vacancies for samples with up to 10 at.% Nb, and by Ti³⁺ or Nb⁴⁺ ions for the samples with ≥ 15 at.% Nb, the latter in conjunction with cation vacancy compensation.     

Enhancement of flux pinning in GdBa2Cu3O7−y bulks prepared by nanoparticle-powder-assisted method

Railway Engineering Science - High quality GdBa2Cu3O7−y (Gd123) textured bulks with Nd2BaCuO5 (Nd211) nanoparticle precipitations have been fabricated by a nanoparticle-powders-assisted MTG...     

Interactions of lead, calcium, vitamin D, and nutrition in lead-burdened children

This study was undertaken to evaluate relationships between blood or serum levels of lead (Pb), calcium, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), within the framework of a nutritional survey of lead-burdened children. The results demonstrate that: regardless of blood Pb concentration and season of the year, serum 25-OHD concentration reflects vitamin D intake; high blood Pb (greater than or equal to 60 microgram/dl) was associated with decreased levels of 25-OHD (18+/--1 ng/ml vs. 32+/- in controls, P less than .001); concentrations Pb and calcium were inversely correlated in control and lead-burdened children; and children in the high blood Pb group (greater than or equal to 60 microgram/dl) had lower mean daily intakes of both calcium (610 +/- 20 mg vs. 770 +/- 20 in controls, P less than .001) and vitamin D (210 +/- 17 IU vs. 325 +/- 20 in controls, P less than .001). These data indicate that, in Pb-burdened children, multiple factors modify the absorption and toxicity of Pb, and relative vitamin D deficiency, not excess, is associated with high blood Pb levels. Assessment of nutrition, calcium metabolism, and vitamin D status is recommended in evaluating children known to have undue absorption of Pb.     

Computer-administered therapy for depression

We performed a randomized controlled study to evaluate computer-based cognitive behavioral therapy in 36 patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for major or minor depression. Patients were randomly assigned to the computer, to a therapist, or to a control group placed on a waiting list. As determined by three measures of depression (the Beck inventory, the Hamilton rating scale, and the Symptom Checklist-90-R), both treated groups had improved significantly more than the control group at the end of the treatment period and 2 months later. The treated groups did not differ from each other at either time.     

Effects of sugar (sucrose) on children's behavior.

We examined the effects of sugar on the behavior of 45 preschool and elementary school children. Using a double-blind within-subject challenge design, we provided all children with a basic breakfast that included a challenge drink containing either 50 g of sucrose, a placebo (aspartame) of comparable sweetness, or only a very small amount of sucrose. The results indicated that high amounts of sugar caused a small increase in the children's activity level (as rated by their teachers) and a small decrement in the performance of the female subjects on a simple learning task and that sugar affected the cognitive performance of the preschoolers differently than that of elementary school children. All of these effects, however, were quite small in magnitude and were not considered clinically significant. The results did not support the view that sugar causes major changes in children's behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Model-based emissivity correction in pyrometer temperature controlof rapid thermal processing systems

Single-wavelength pyrometers are most often used to infer wafer temperature in rapid-thermal-processing (RTP) systems. A constant wafer emissivity is assumed with a pyrometer, but a variation in the wafer's surface emissivity can result in an error in the inferred temperature which affects the temperature control of the RTP system. A time-dependent variation is evident in rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition where the emissivity is a function of the film type and thickness. An approach which uses a physically based model of the emissivity variation as part of the feedback control loop is described. The technique employs a first-order model of the emissivity as a function of film thickness from which a projected actual wafer temperature is inferred. The film thickness is approximated using a valid growth-rate expression and temperature as a function of time. These models are then incorporated into the feedback loop of the RTP control system