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Our study shows how the United States government can achieve its goal of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2025, 2030, and 2050 by reducing energy consumption through a pure carbon tax. To achieve its emissions reduction goals, it is necessary for the U.S. to impose a long-term carbon tax that balances taxes on labour, capital, energy, and carbon. Therefore, in this study, through the two-layer CGE Cobb–Douglas model, the carbon tax rate is set while balancing the production and profit functions of government, businesses, and households. This study concludes that the carbon price will increase from USD 0.4391/kg CO2 in 2020 to USD 2.5671/kg CO2 in 2050, when the CO2 emissions reduction target is increased from 17% reduction in 2020 to 83% reduction in 2050 for the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire concerns are one reason for building code restrictions against tall wood buildings in US. Despite growing body of empirical data on fire performance of cross-laminated timber (CLT) generated in Europe and Canada, lack of full-scale tests performed on structural CLT "made in the USA" is often quoted as a barrier for approval of massive timber in tall buildings in the US. The goal of this project was to contribute towards removing this barrier by testing the fire resistance of three full-scale unprotected CLT floor assemblies fabricated by two US-based manufacturers. The assemblies represented two species groups (SPF and DF-L), and two adhesive systems (PUR and MF). All assemblies met ASTM E119 standard qualifying criteria for 2-h fire rating in loaded condition. While char fall-off was observed in assemblies bonded with PUR, the differences in mean char rates in the first two layers between assemblies bonded with PUR and MF were smaller than the variability of char rates within individual assemblies. Statistical significant difference was observed only for cumulative char rate for the entire time of exposure. The effect of softening of the PUR bonds was most apparent as an accelerated rate of assembly deflection in the late stage of the tests. The unprotected half-lap joints provided adequate barrier against transmission of hot gases and flames through the assemblies. • Three unprotected CLT floors assemblies made in USA qualified for 2-h fire rating per ASTM E119. • Assemblies made with spruce-pine-fir and Douglas fir-larch lumber, and polyurethane or melamine formaldehyde adhesives. • Mean char rates in layers 1 and 2 of the assemblies differed less than within the same layer of individual assembly. • In test assemblies bonded with PUR, softening in the bonds accelerated rate of the deflection in the final 40 min. • Unprotected half-lap joints provided adequate barrier against transmission of hot gases through the assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Many patients with asthma use inhalers incorrectly. Better inhaler technique is associated with better asthma control. We tested the effectiveness of a computer-based video training solution versus traditional written instructions, both which may be used in a resource-limited setting, for teaching inhaler technique. We hypothesized that computer based training will provide a higher quality of instruction which will improve technique more effectively than written training. Methods 50 asthma patients were recruited from pulmonary clinic at the Junta De Beneficencia Hospital, Ecuador (average age 48.2 years, 58% female). Inhaler technique was taught using written instructions in 20 and video in 30 patients. Inhaler technique was analyzed by video recording pre and post training inhaler use. Inhaler technique score was calculated for each video recording. Results Baseline performance was equivalent in each group, achieving an average of around 5 of 11 of the inhaler steps. Video training was significantly more effective than written instructions (change of 3.6 points vs. change of 0.4 points, p < 0.001), and improved inhaler technique by 70% (8.6 vs 5.03, p < 0.001); written training did not result in a significant increase in inhaler competency (5.9 vs. 5.5, p = 0.11). Conclusions We conclude that written instruction appears to be inadequate to achieve safe and effective administration of inhaled medicine. In contrast, video-based education can effectively create adequate inhaler technique without additional provider time. Registration Number (ClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier) NCT02660879. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there exist significant benefits from diversification into frontier markets for an Australian investor in comparison to a US investor. Design/methodology/approach -- The study uses the computationally efficient ADCC GARCH model to estimate time-varying correlations of returns. The authors also compare the results to DCC GARCH correlations in order to test whether the results are model-specific. Optimal portfolios with several restrictions were constructed and the results from Australian and US investors were compared. The study also uses a holding out period that is rebalanced at the end of each quarter using new portfolio weights. Findings -- The study finds that there are significant benefits for the Australian investor from diversifying into frontier markets. However, the benefits to the US investor are much higher than that of an Australian investor. The results from the holding out period also present significantly higher benefits to the US investor compared to the Australian investor. Originality/value -- This study examines the diversification benefits to the Australian investor from frontier markets and compares the benefits of the Australian and the US investors. The results emphasise the potential benefits from including frontier markets in the portfolio. The paper also presents a holding out period analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last half century, scientists and engineers have developed methods to better understand and mitigate the damage caused by tsunamis. According to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P646, buildings in many regions, including the U.S. Pacific Northwest, will experience substantial ground shaking from an offshore earthquake that precedes a tsunami and then experience the tsunami forces themselves. Thus, both hazards should be considered in computing the damage and collapse risk to buildings. This article summarizes a basic approach to numerically consider the successive seismic and tsunami risk to buildings in near-field tsunami regions such as the U.S. Pacific Northwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodframe structures represent the most common structure type within the residential building stock in the United States. These relatively light structures perform well with regard to life safety and collapse during earthquakes, but can be significantly damaged resulting in large financial losses. Societal demands for damage-limiting design philosophies in the wake of the Northridge earthquake have fueled researchers (and practitioners) need to understand and better predict damage to woodframe structures. This paper examines damage to the lateral load carrying assemblies within woodframe structures, namely shearwalls. This is presented within the context of damage prediction for a wood shearwall assembly, and shortcomings and needs of such an approach are subsequently addressed. The incremental dynamic analysis approach is also examined as a possible tool for damage prediction. Qualitative damage descriptions and seismic force demands matched very well while maximum transient drifts did not match experimental results well. The potential for development of a whole-structure predictive damage model and its integration into the development of a performance-based seismic design development for woodframe structures is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), Rosai-Dorfman disease, or Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD), is a rare non-Langerhans cell of unknown etiology. This report is of a case of isolated SHML, or Rosai-Dorfman disease, presenting as a right atrial mass with involvement of the tricuspid valve in a 54-year-old woman. This case shows the challenges of diagnosing this condition in the heart and the challenges of treating this rare disease with the limited information on the efficacy of the treatment modalities. CASE REPORT A 54-year-old Asian woman presented to the Emergency Department with chest and right upper quadrant pain. Transthoracic echocardiogram and computed tomography angiography showed a right atrium mass at the level of the tricuspid valve, causing moderate-severe regurgitation. Partial tumor debulking with biopsies later showed pink-yellow soft tissue, with histopathology showing histiocytes demonstrating emperipolesis. The tumor was positive for CD68 and S100 and negative for CD1a, consistent with Rosai-Dorfman disease. Subsequently the patient received targeted therapy with cobimetinib, without worsening cardiac function or disease progression. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the challenging histopathological diagnosis of SHML, or Rosai-Dorfman disease, particularly in non-lymphoid tissue, such as the heart. Obtaining tissue for diagnosis can be challenging in this organ. Treatment is challenging when the mass cannot be extracted completely, like in our case, because other forms of therapies are not well studied and warrant further investigation, such as cobimetinib, which is a MEK pathway inhibitor approved in 2022 by the US Food and Drug Administration for histiocytic neoplasms.