Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling And Simulation Of Energy-Related Human-Building Interaction: A Systematic Review, Seddigheh Norouziasl, Amirhosein Jafari, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

Building energy use is highly sensitive to its occupants' energy-related behavior, including their presence and interaction with different building systems. The modeling and simulation of energy-related human-building interaction play an essential role in predicting the actual energy use of a building's operation. The present study provides a systematic review of the existing literature focusing on energy-related human-building interaction modeling and simulation tools and techniques to determine the significant findings, current limitations, and future research directions in this area. The main contribution of this study is to provide a state-of-art framework of the inputs and outputs used for modeling and simulation …

Exploring Thermal State In Mixed Immersive Virtual Environments, Sanaz Saeidi, Girish Rentala, Tracey Rizzuto, Tianzhen Hong, Neil Johannsen, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

Combining immersive virtual environment (IVE) with a controlled environment is a potential solution for analyzing human thermal experience during building design. Existing studies in this field have not adequately analyzed scenarios involving stabilized comfortable and uncomfortable temperature conditions using both thermal state votes and physiological responses, or the influence of the seasons. By combining IVE with a climate chamber, called mixed IVE (MIVE) in this study, experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that participants' virtual experience did not significantly alter their thermal experience compared to their in-situ experience. Response variables were the control temperature distribution, the thermal state vote …

Isolating The White Matter Circuitry Of The Dorsal Language Stream: Connectome-Symptom Mapping In Stroke Induced Aphasia, Vatche Baboyan, Alexandra Basilaskos, Grigori Yourganov, Chris Rorden, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridiksson, Gregory Hickok

Faculty Publications

The application of �� 1 -regularized machine learning models to high-dimensional connectomes offers a promising methodology to assess clinical-anatomical correlations in humans. Here, we integrate the connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping framework with sparse partial least squares regression (sPLS-R) to isolate elements of the connectome associated with speech repetition deficits. By mapping over 2,500 connections of the structural connectome in a cohort of 71 stroke-induced cases of aphasia presenting with varying left-hemisphere lesions and repetition impairment, sPLS-R was trained on 50 subjects to algorithmically identify connectomic features on the basis of their predictive value. The highest ranking features were subsequently used to …

Observation Of The Modification Of Quantum Statistics Of Plasmonic Systems, Chenglong You, Mingyuan Hong, Narayan Bhusal, Jinnan Chen, Mario A. Quiroz-Juárez, Joshua Fabre, Fatemeh Mostafavi, Junpeng Guo, Israel De Leon, Roberto De J. León-Montiel, Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza

Faculty Publications

For almost two decades, researchers have observed the preservation of the quantum statistical properties of bosons in a large variety of plasmonic systems. In addition, the possibility of preserving nonclassical correlations in light-matter interactions mediated by scattering among photons and plasmons stimulated the idea of the conservation of quantum statistics in plasmonic systems. It has also been assumed that similar dynamics underlie the conservation of the quantum fluctuations that define the nature of light sources. So far, plasmonic experiments have been performed in nanoscale systems in which complex multiparticle interactions are restrained. Here, we demonstrate that the quantum statistics of …

Scalable Multiphoton Quantum Metrology With Neither Pre- Nor Post-Selected Measurements, Chenglong You, Mingyuan Hong, Peter Bierhorst, Adriana E. Lita, Scott Glancy, Steve Kolthammer, Emanuel Knill, Sae Woo Nam, Richard P. Mirin, Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza, Thomas Gerrits

Faculty Publications

The quantum statistical fluctuations of electromagnetic fields establish a limit, known as the shot-noise limit, on the sensitivity of optical measurements performed with classical technologies. However, quantum technologies are not constrained by this shot-noise limit. In this regard, the possibility of using every photon produced by quantum sources of light to estimate small physical parameters, beyond the shot-noise limit, constitutes one of the main goals of quantum optics. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a scalable protocol for quantum-enhanced optical phase estimation across a broad range of phases, with neither pre- nor post-selected measurements. This is achieved through the efficient design of …

Controllable Quantum Point Junction On The Surface Of An Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator, Nicodemos Varnava, Justin H. Wilson, J. H. Pixley, David Vanderbilt

Faculty Publications

Engineering and manipulation of unidirectional channels has been achieved in quantum Hall systems, leading to the construction of electron interferometers and proposals for low-power electronics and quantum information science applications. However, to fully control the mixing and interference of edge-state wave functions, one needs stable and tunable junctions. Encouraged by recent material candidates, here we propose to achieve this using an antiferromagnetic topological insulator that supports two distinct types of gapless unidirectional channels, one from antiferromagnetic domain walls and the other from single-height steps. Their distinct geometric nature allows them to intersect robustly to form quantum point junctions, which then …

Bridgehead Effect And Multiple Introductions Shape The Global Invasion History Of A Termite, Alexander J. Blumenfeld, Pierre André Eyer, Claudia Husseneder, Jianchu Mo, Laura N.L. Johnson, Changlu Wang, J. Kenneth Grace, Thomas Chouvenc, Shichen Wang, Edward L. Vargo

Faculty Publications

Native to eastern Asia, the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is recognized as one of the 100 worst invasive pests in the world, with established populations in Japan, Hawaii and the southeastern United States. Despite its importance, the native source(s) of C. formosanus introductions and their invasive pathway out of Asia remain elusive. Using ~22,000 SNPs, we retraced the invasion history of this species through approximate Bayesian computation and assessed the consequences of the invasion on its genetic patterns and demography. We show a complex invasion history, where an initial introduction to Hawaii resulted from two distinct introduction events …

Cardiovascular Disease And Risk Of Incident Diabetes Mellitus: Findings From The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol), Celestin Missikpode, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Richard S. Cooper, Matthew James OʼBrien, Sheila F. Castaneda, Gregory A. Talavera, Linda C. Gallo, Maria M. Llabre, Marisa J. Perera, Krista M. Perreira, Ana C. Ricardo, Amber Pirzada, James P. Lash, Martha Daviglus

Faculty Publications

Background: Studies have reported an association between prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, factors that may explain the association remain unclear. We examined the association of prevalent CVD with incident DM and assessed whether weight gain and medication use may explain the association. Methods: Data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Visit 1 (2008-2011) and Visit 2 (2014-2017) were used to compare incidence of DM among individuals with and without self-reported CVD at Visit 1. A total of 1899 individuals with self-reported CVD were matched to controls free of self-reported CVD at …

Association Of Body Composition With Odds Of Breast Cancer By Molecular Subtype: Analysis Of The Mechanisms For Established And Novel Risk Factors For Breast Cancer In Nigerian Women (Mend) Study, Tomi Akinyemiju, Kelley Jones, Anjali Gupta, Taofik Oyekunle, Veeral Saraiya, April Deveaux, Omolola Salako, Allison Hall, Olusegun Alatise, Gabriel Ogun, Adewale Adeniyi, Omobolaji Ayandipo, Thomas Olajide, Olalekan Olasehinde, Olukayode Arowolo, Adewale Adisa, Oludolapo Afuwape, Aralola Olusanya, Aderemi Adegoke, Trygve O. Tollefsbol, Donna Arnett, Samuel Ajayi, Yemi Raji, Timothy Olanrewaju, Charlotte Osafo, Ifeoma Ulasi, Adanze Asinobi, Cheryl A. Winkler, David Burke, Fatiu Arogundade, Ivy Ekem, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Manmak Mamven

Faculty Publications

Background: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women. Methods: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals …

Whole Genome Comparisons Reveal Panmixia Among Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) From Diverse Locations, Katrina A. Schlum, Kurt Lamour, Caroline Placidi De Bortoli, Rahul Banerjee, Robert Meagher, Eliseu Pereira, Maria Gabriela Murua, Gregory A. Sword, Ashley E. Tessnow, Diego Viteri Dillon, Angela M. Linares Ramirez, Komivi S. Akutse, Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, Fangneng Huang, Dominic Reisig, Scott J. Emrich, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes

Faculty Publications

Background: The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) is a highly polyphagous agricultural pest with long-distance migratory behavior threatening food security worldwide. This pest has a host range of > 80 plant species, but two host strains are recognized based on their association with corn (C-strain) or rice and smaller grasses (R-strain). The population genomics of the United States (USA) fall armyworm remains poorly characterized to date despite its agricultural threat. Results: In this study, the population structure and genetic diversity in 55 S. frugiperda samples from Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Puerto Rico and USA were surveyed to further our understanding of …

Spatial Cluster Detection With Threshold Quantile Regression, Junho Lee, Ying Sun, Huixia Judy Wang

Faculty Publications

Spatial cluster detection, which is the identification of spatial units adjacent in space associated with distinctive patterns of data of interest relative to background variation, is useful for discerning spatial heterogeneity in regression coefficients. Some real studies with regression-based models on air quality data show that there exists not only spatial heterogeneity but also heteroscedasticity between air pollution and its predictors. Since the low air quality is a well-known risk factor for mortality, various cardiopulmonary diseases, and preterm birth, the analysis at the tail would be of more interest than the center of air pollution distribution. In this article, we …

Reaction-Diffusion Hydrogels From Urease Enzyme Particles For Patterned Coatings, Anthony Q. Mai, Tamás Bánsági, Annette F. Taylor, John A. Pojman

Faculty Publications

The reaction and diffusion of small molecules is used to initiate the formation of protective polymeric layers, or biofilms, that attach cells to surfaces. Here, inspired by biofilm formation, we present a general method for the growth of hydrogels from urease enzyme-particles by combining production of ammonia with a pH-regulated polymerization reaction in solution. We show through experiments and simulations how the propagating basic front and thiol-acrylate polymerization were continuously maintained by the localized urease reaction in the presence of urea, resulting in hydrogel layers around the enzyme particles at surfaces, interfaces or in motion. The hydrogels adhere the enzyme-particles …

Fostering Distance Education: Lessons From A United States-England Partnered Collaborative Online International Learning Approach, Lucy A. Ingram, Courtney M. Monroe, Haley Wright, Amy Burrell, Rebecca Jenks, Simon Cheung, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a teaching and learning approach whereby entire courses or modules are co-developed and team taught by instructors from different institutions for students of both institutions. Since 2006, the approach has been gaining in mass appeal; however, considering our present-day global coronavirus pandemic, COILs have a renewed relevance in academia. Faculty from the University of South Carolina (United States) and Coventry University (England) embarked on a COIL partnership yielding a valuable experience that can serve as a model for other institutions that are interested in developing innovative and cross-cultural distance learning opportunities. The purpose of …

Economic Significance In Corporate Finance, Todd Mitton

Faculty Publications

Reporting the economic significance of findings in corporate finance has become increasingly common, but a review of the literature reveals shortcomings in typical reporting practices. Researchers can more effectively communicate the practical importance of findings by using standard measures of economic significance that are scaled by the standard deviation of the dependent variable, by providing all statistics necessary to calculate economic significance, and by providing benchmarks by which to evaluate the magnitude of economic significance. To support these objectives, I show why measures scaled by the standard deviation are preferable, and I provide benchmarks based on hundreds of established findings …

Verification Of A Mobile Psychoacoustic Test System, Jordana C. Soares, Sangamanatha Veeranna, Vijay Parsa, Chris Allan, Winnie Ly, Minh Duong, Paula Folkeard, Sheila Moodie, Prudence Allen

Faculty Publications

Many hearing difficulties can be explained as a loss of audibility, a problem easily detected and treated using standard audiological procedures. Yet, hearing can be much poorer (or more impaired) than audibility predicts because of deficits in the suprathreshold mechanisms that encode the rapidly changing, spectral, temporal, and binaural aspects of the sound. The ability to evaluate these mechanisms requires well-defined stimuli and strict adherence to rigorous psychometric principles. This project reports on the comparison between a laboratory-based and a mobile system’s results for psychoacoustic assessment in adult listeners with normal hearing. A description of both systems employed is provided. …

A Molecular Design Approach Towards Elastic And Multifunctional Polymer Electronics, Yu Zheng, Zhiao Yu, Song Zhang, Xian Kong, Wesley Michaels, Weichen Wang, Gan Chen, Deyu Liu, Jian Cheng Lai, Nathaniel Prine, Weimin Zhang, Shayla Nikzad, Christopher B. Cooper, Donglai Zhong, Jaewan Mun, Zhitao Zhang, Jiheong Kang, Jeffrey B.H. Tok, Iain Mcculloch, Jian Qin, Xiaodan Gu, Zhenan Bao

Faculty Publications

Next-generation wearable electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity. Besides previously reported softness and stretchability, desired merits for practical use include elasticity, solvent resistance, facile patternability and high charge carrier mobility. Here, we show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these targeted properties in both polymeric semiconductors and dielectrics, without compromising electrical performance. This is enabled by covalently-embedded in-situ rubber matrix (iRUM) formation through good mixing of iRUM precursors with polymer electronic materials, and finely-controlled composite film morphology built on azide crosslinking chemistry which leverages different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. The high covalent crosslinking density …

Approaching Disorder-Tolerant Semiconducting Polymers, Xinwen Yan, Miao Xiong, Xin Yu Deng, Kai Kai Liu, Jia Tong Li, Xue Qing Wang, Song Zhang, Nathaniel Prine, Zhuoqiong Zhang, Wanying Huang, Yishan Wang, Jie Yu Wang, Xiaodan Gu, Shu Kong So, Jia Zhu, Ting Lei

Faculty Publications

Doping has been widely used to control the charge carrier concentration in organic semiconductors. However, in conjugated polymers, n-doping is often limited by the tradeoff between doping efficiency and charge carrier mobilities, since dopants often randomly distribute within polymers, leading to significant structural and energetic disorder. Here, we screen a large number of polymer building block combinations and explore the possibility of designing n-type conjugated polymers with good tolerance to dopant-induced disorder. We show that a carefully designed conjugated polymer with a single dominant planar backbone conformation, high torsional barrier at each dihedral angle, and zigzag backbone curvature is highly …

Ultra-Conformal Skin Electrodes With Synergistically Enhanced Conductivity For Long-Time And Low-Motion Artifact Epidermal Electrophysiology, Yan Zhao, Song Zhang, Tianhao Yu, Yan Zhang, Guo Ye, Han Cui, Chengzhi He, Wenchao Jiang, Yu Zhai, Chunming Lu, Xiaodan Gu, Nan Liu

Faculty Publications

Accurate and imperceptible monitoring of electrophysiological signals is of primary importance for wearable healthcare. Stiff and bulky pregelled electrodes are now commonly used in clinical diagnosis, causing severe discomfort to users for long-time using as well as artifact signals in motion. Here, we report a ~100 nm ultra-thin dry epidermal electrode that is able to conformably adhere to skin and accurately measure electrophysiological signals. It showed low sheet resistance (~24 Ω/sq, 4142 S/cm), high transparency, and mechano-electrical stability. The enhanced optoelectronic performance was due to the synergistic effect between graphene and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), which induced a high …

Metacognition, Social Cognition, And Mentalizing In Psychosis: Are These Distinct Constructs When It Comes To Subjective Experience Or Are We Just Splitting Hairs?, P. H. Lysaker, S. Cheli, G. Dimaggio, B. Buck, K. A. Bonfils, K. Huling, C. Wiesepape, J. T. Lysaker

Faculty Publications

Research using the integrated model of metacognition has suggested that the construct of metacognition could quantify the spectrum of activities that, if impaired, might cause many of the subjective disturbances found in psychosis. Research on social cognition and mentalizing in psychosis, however, has also pointed to underlying deficits in how persons make sense of their experience of themselves and others. To explore the question of whether metacognitive research in psychosis offers unique insight in the midst of these other two emerging fields, we have offered a review of the constructs and research from each field. Following that summary, we discuss …

Label-Free Characterization Of Organic Nanocarriers Reveals Persistent Single Molecule Cores For Hydrocarbon Sequestration, Terry Mcafee, Thomas Ferron, Isvar A. Cordova, Phillip D. Pickett, Charles L. Mccormick, Cheng Wang, Brian A. Collins

Faculty Publications

Self-assembled molecular nanostructures embody an enormous potential for new technologies, therapeutics, and understanding of molecular biofunctions. Their structure and function are dependent on local environments, necessitating in-situ/operando investigations for the biggest leaps in discovery and design. However, the most advanced of such investigations involve laborious labeling methods that can disrupt behavior or are not fast enough to capture stimuli-responsive phenomena. We utilize X-rays resonant with molecular bonds to demonstrate an in-situ nanoprobe that eliminates the need for labels and enables data collection times within seconds. Our analytical spectral model quantifies the structure, molecular composition, and dynamics of a copolymer micelle …

On The Role Of Matrix-Weights Elements In Consensus Algorithms For Multi-Agent Systems, Joshua Ogbebor, Xiangyu Meng

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the roles of the matrix weight elements in matrix-weighted consensus. The consensus algorithms dictate that all agents reach consensus when the weighted graph is connected. However, it is not always the case for matrix weighted graphs. The conditions leading to different types of consensus have been extensively analysed based on the properties of matrix-weighted Laplacians and graph theoretic methods. However, in practice, there is concern on how to pick matrix-weights to achieve some desired consensus, or how the change of elements in matrix weights affects the consensus algorithm. By selecting the elements in the matrix weights, different …

The Church Bridge Project Focus Group Results: African American Perspectives Of Weight Management Programs To Improve Nutrition And Physical Activity Behaviors, Jennifer L. Lemacks, Laurie S. Abbott, Tammy Greer, Renee Gunn, Ashley Bryant, La Shaundrea Bradford, Penny A. Ralston

Faculty Publications

Background: The prevalence of obesity is disproportionately high among African Americans in the Southern US. More information is needed about factors that influence participation in nutrition and physical activity programs to promote healthy weight.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the weight management perceptions of young to middle aged adult African Americans.

Methods: The Church Bridge Project intervention participants were recruited for two focus groups. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed and a thematic content analysis was conducted to identify major themes.

Results: Barriers included technology learning curve/burden and competing priorities. Facilitators included support, …

Comparison Of Seasonal Foes And Fbes Occurrence Rates Derived From Global Digisonde Measurements, Dawn K. Merriman, Omar A. Nava, Eugene V. Dao, Daniel J. Emmons Ii

Faculty Publications

A global climatology of sporadic-E occurrence rates (ORs) based on ionosonde measurements is presented for the peak blanketing frequency, fbEs, and the ordinary mode peak frequency of the layer, foEs. ORs are calculated for a variety of sporadic-E frequency thresholds: no lower limit, 3, 5, and 7 MHz. Seasonal rates are calculated from 64 Digisonde sites during the period 2006–2020 using ionograms either manually or automatically scaled with ARTIST-5. Both foEs and fbEs ORs peak in the Northern Hemisphere during the boreal summer, with a decrease by roughly a factor of 2–3 in fbEs rates relative to foEs rates without …

In The Beginning: Genesis 1-3 And Its Significance To The Latter-Day Saints, Dan Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

This volume begins with the same event the Bible itself does—the Creation. The Creation narrative and the Garden of Eden narrative that immediately follows have been the subject of much study throughout the years. Over the past century, particular attention has been given to the similarities between it and other ancient Near Eastern Creation narratives. For Latter-day Saints, the Creation and Garden of Eden narratives play central roles in their worship practices, the narratives themselves laying down the plan of salvation God ordained for all his children. In this first chapter, Dan Belnap describes what creation meant to those of …

Integrity, Freedom, And Trust – A Comprehensive Understanding Of Corruption And Its Effect On Human Rights, Nelu Burcea, Lucile Sabas, Carlos Biaggi

Faculty Publications

Book of Abstracts, UNEQUAL WORLD Conference Third Edition

A Novel Big Data Approach To Measure And Visualize Urban Accessibility, Yuqin Jiang, Diansheng Guo, Zhenlong Li, Michael E. Hodgson

Faculty Publications

Accessibility is a topic of interest to multiple disciplines for a long time. In the last decade, the increasing availability of data may have exceeded the development of accessibility modeling approaches, resulting in a modeling gap. In part, this modeling gap may have resulted from the differences needed for single versus multimodal opportunities for access to services. With a focus on large volumes of transportation data, a new measurement approach, called Urban Accessibility Relative Index (UARI), was developed for the integration of multi-mode transportation big data, including taxi, bus, and subway, to quantify, visualize and understand the spatiotemporal patterns of …

Nutrient Content And Stoichiometry Of Pelagic Sargassum Reflects Increasing Nitrogen Availability In The Atlantic Basin, B. E. Lapointe, R. A. Brewton, L. W. Herren, M. Wang, C. Hu, D. J. Mcgillicuddy, S. Lindell, F. J. Hernandez, P. L. Morton

Faculty Publications

The pelagic brown macroalgae Sargassum spp. have grown for centuries in oligotrophic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean supported by natural nutrient sources, such as excretions from associated fishes and invertebrates, upwelling, and N₂ fixation. Using a unique historical baseline, we show that since the 1980s the tissue %N of Sargassum spp. has increased by 35%, while %P has decreased by 44%, resulting in a 111% increase in the N:P ratio (13:1 to 28:1) and increased P limitation. The highest %N and δ¹⁵N values occurred in coastal waters influenced by N-rich terrestrial runoff, while lower C:N and …

The Coupling And Competition Of Crystallization And Phase Separation, Correlating Thermodynamics And Kinetics In Opv Morphology And Performances, Zaiyu Wang, Ke Gao, Yuanyuan Kan, Ming Zhang, Chaoqun Qiu, Lei Zhu, Zhe Zhao, Xiaobin Peng, Wei Feng, Zhiyuan Qian, Xiaodan Gu, Alex K.Y. Jen, Ben Zhong Tang, Yong Cao, Yongming Zhang, Feng Liu

Faculty Publications

The active layer morphology transition of organic photovoltaics under non-equilibrium conditions are of vital importance in determining the device power conversion efficiency and stability; however, a general and unified picture on this issue has not been well addressed. Using combined in situ and ex situ morphology characterizations, morphological parameters relating to kinetics and thermodynamics of morphology evolution are extracted and studied in model systems under thermal annealing. The coupling and competition of crystallization and demixing are found to be critical in morphology evolution, phase purification and interfacial orientation. A unified model summarizing different phase diagrams and all possible kinetic routes …

Monitoring Fine-Scale Forest Health Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Multispectral Models, Benjamin T. Fraser, Russell G. Congalton

Faculty Publications

Forest disturbances—driven by pests, pathogens, and discrete events—have led to billions of dollars in lost ecosystem services and management costs. To understand the patterns and severity of these stressors across complex landscapes, there must be an increase in reliable data at scales compatible with management actions. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or UAV) offer a capable platform for collecting local scale (e.g., individual tree) forestry data. In this study, we evaluate the capability of UAS multispectral imagery and freely available National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for differentiating coniferous healthy, coniferous stressed, deciduous healthy, deciduous stressed, and degraded individual trees throughout …

Application Of Causal Inference To The Analysis Of Occupant Thermal State And Energy Behavioral Intentions In Immersive Virtual Environments, Girish Rentala, Yimin Zhu, Supratik Mukhopadhyay

Faculty Publications

Identification and quantitative understanding of factors that influence occupant energy behavior and thermal state during the design phase are critical in supporting effective energy-efficient design. To achieve this, immersive virtual environments (IVEs) have recently shown potential as a tool to simulate occupant energy behaviors and collect context-dependent behavior data for buildings under design. On the other hand, prior models of occupant energy behaviors and thermal states used correlation-based approaches, which failed to capture the underlying causal interactions between the influencing factors and hence were unable to uncover the true causing factors. Therefore, in this study, the authors investigate the applicability …