British Columbia Institute of Technology

About: British Columbia Institute of Technology is a education organization based out in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Smart grid & Belief revision. The organization has 458 authors who have published 785 publications receiving 16140 citations.

A Three-Way Dance: The Global Public Good and Accessibility in Information Technologies

Abstract: When we recognize the development and use of information technologies as an emerging global public good, we can move away from the stark dualisms of profit versus human rights, market share versus accessibility, and competition versus inclusion, to an understanding of how both public and private interests are at play in the development of this global public good. Governments, industry, and disability advocacy organizations are all involved in the construction of this public good in a complex three-way dance. We argue that in the context of this three-way dance it is possible to create a common ground between disability advocacy organizations and the IT industry by developing tools that address the tensions that arise from their differing motivating forces. Specifically, we argue that three sets of tools-regulation, developing ease of use products and standards, and using education to increase the market strength of people with disabilities as consumers-can change the relationships between these two communities of interest in ways that will benefit each.

Performance of a heat recovery ventilator coupled with an air-to-air heat pump for residential suites in Canadian cities

Abstract: Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) technologies are used to satisfy indoor air quality requirements while reducing building energy consumption. In a typical installation, an HRV system is expected to decrease energy demand; however, the actual benefit depends on the mechanical system, climate conditions, and building design. Here, we assess the energy savings from sensible heat recovery in residential apartment buildings across Canada by modeling the building thermal demands and the HVAC system's energy use. We compare the annual performance of a commercial air-to-air heat pump coupled to a balanced ventilation system with and without the HRV. A hypothetical residential suite is modeled under eight different building orientations for fifteen Canadian cities. Results show that HRV use always reduces the annual heating energy consumption; however, energy consumption may increase in cooling seasons.

Determination of the sensitivity and specificity of sibship calculations using AmpF lSTR Profiler Plus.

Abstract: In circumstances where a known DNA reference sample from the deceased's belongings or biological parents is not available, more complex kinship analyses are possible. The purpose of the work reported here is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the sibship analysis utilising multiple STR loci. Using all nine Profiler Plus loci, likelihood ratios for biologically-related siblings ranged from slightly less than 1 to over 45,000. When allelic dropout was mimicked, likelihood ratios ranged from less than 1 to over 1,000. Thus, the results of this study have a direct application to forensic laboratories faced with identifications involving sibling comparisons.