We consider the design of a contest in which the prize may motivate not only productiveeffort but also some damaging aggressive behavior by contestants. The organizer must chooseprizes and an enforcement regime defined as a limit on how much aggressiveness will betolerated and the probability of...

This paper uncovers the mechanism behind the relaxation of self-defense regulations with an empirical analysis followed by a game theoretical model. We obtained empirical evidence from examining the Stand Your Ground (SYG) law and subsequent changes in rates of planned and unplanned murder. We...

The concepts of the energy saving equivalent (ESE) and energy saving index (ESI) are presented in this paper to evaluate the performance of new materials and components in passive buildings. The ESE represents the hypothetical energy that should be input to maintain a passive room at the same...

Based on the concept of the perfect window, the energy saving performances and the corresponding theoretical limitations of the active/passive smart windows regulating the solar spectrum response properties or the long wave thermal emission window regulating thermal emission property were...

The performance of a kind of shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) was demonstrated in the Testing and Demonstration Platform for Building Energy Research. The results indicate that the use of PCM could lower the indoor temperature fluctuation and slow the indoor temperature’s decline...

One-dimensional (1D) Si/SiO2 photonic crystals (PhCs) are regarded as the most promising candidates for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) optical filters. The performance of TPV devices can be significant improved with the designed 1D ten-layer Si/SiO2 PhC of excellent stop-band characteristic. However,...

One of the key methods to improve the energy saving performance of a building is to apply advanced materials or components to the building envelope. However, the two parts of a building’s envelope, the transparent one and the non-transparent one, are usually investigated individually by...

An experimental thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system with a cylindrical-geometry radiator was established to test the output performances of modules under different conditions. The results demonstrate that the output performance of a cell module decreases when the combustion power increases because...