18,718 research outputs found

    Balancing the urban stomach: public health, food selling and consumption in London, c. 1558-1640

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    Until recently, public health histories have been predominantly shaped by medical and scientific perspectives, to the neglect of their wider social, economic and political contexts. These medically-minded studies have tended to present broad, sweeping narratives of health policy's explicit successes or failures, often focusing on extraordinary periods of epidemic disease viewed from a national context. This approach is problematic, particularly in studies of public health practice prior to 1800. Before the rise of modern scientific medicine, public health policies were more often influenced by shared social, cultural, economic and religious values which favoured maintaining hierarchy, stability and concern for 'the common good'. These values have frequently been overlooked by modern researchers. This has yielded pessimistic assessments of contemporary sanitation, implying that local authorities did not care about or prioritise the health of populations. Overly medicalised perspectives have further restricted historians' investigation and use of source material, their interpretation of multifaceted and sometimes contested cultural practices such as fasting, and their examination of habitual - and not just extraordinary - health actions. These perspectives have encouraged a focus on reactive - rather than preventative - measures. This thesis contributes to a growing body of research that expands our restrictive understandings of pre-modern public health. It focuses on how public health practices were regulated, monitored and expanded in later Tudor and early Stuart London, with a particular focus on consumption and food-selling. Acknowledging the fundamental public health value of maintaining urban foodways, it investigates how contemporaries sought to manage consumption, food production waste, and vending practices in the early modern City's wards and parishes. It delineates the practical and political distinctions between food and medicine, broadly investigates the activities, reputations of and correlations between London's guild and itinerant food vendors and licensed and irregular medical practitioners, traces the directions in which different kinds of public health policy filtered up or down, and explores how policies were enacted at a national and local level. Finally, it compares and contrasts habitual and extraordinary public health regulations, with a particular focus on how perceptions of and actual food shortages, paired with the omnipresent threat of disease, impacted broader aspects of civic life

    Drivers and barriers to Sustainability practices in the Zambian Construction Industry

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    Zambia, and Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) generally, is lagging behind in the area of sustainable construction due to several barriers to the implementation of sustainable construction. This study therefore explored drivers and barriers to the adoption of sustainable construction practices in Zambia. The study could inform stakeholders on measures which could improve the implementation of sustainable construction. The study used an online quantitative questionnaire survey of construction professionals and clients. A total of 112 responses were received representing various stakeholder groups in the construction industry. The data were subjected to factor analysis and ranked using the relative importance index. The data show that drivers to sustainable construction cluster into three constructs namely, environment and health-related factors, regulatory and industry-related factors and, economy and firm related factors. Barriers clustered into three groups namely, awareness and knowledge related factors, regulatory and industry-related factors and, economy and cost-related factors. Therefore, measures aimed at improving sustainable construction in Zambia should focus attention on these broad clusters

    Multi-dimensional barrier identification for wind farm repowering in Spain through an expert judgment approach

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    .Spain was one of the pioneers in the deployment of wind energy systems worldwide and thus since 2014 has a potential for repowering that reaches between 3.3 and 8.7 GW in 2021 (12%–32% of its current installed wind capacity). However, despite the technical and economic advantages, we have observed little interest from promoters in the repowering of already amortized wind farms. The aim of the proposed study is to depict the background framework of barriers for repowering wind farms, which is specially affecting to Spain, but that can also extend to other EU countries. Therefore, we conducted a systematic survey study with academics, promoters, financial experts, manufacturers, operators, maintainers and policymakers to identify and understand the existing real and practical barriers. As a result, we have identified 34 major barriers covering five categories: technical issues, economics, environmental considerations, social concerns, and regulatory and administrative hurdles. We then asked the experts to rate these barriers based on their impact or relevance. We found that the experts agree that regulatory and administrative barriers have the maximum impact, while economic, environmental and technical barriers have only a mid-high impact. Therefore, we can conclude that, in general, the Administration must develop a concise and stable regulatory framework for all RES, especially for repowering projects, and carry out a review of both the technical requirements and the incentives schemes, with a focus on energy efficiency.S

    Viability of patent insurance in Spain

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    M-24609-2013Since 1975 the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE has involved itself in activities serving the general interests of society in different areas of business and culture along with activities aimed at improving the economic and social conditions of the least advantaged members and sectors of society. Within this framework, the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE’s Institute of Insurance Science promotes and undertakes educational and research activities in the fields of insurance and risk management. In the area of education, its activities include specialized, post-graduate academic training carried out in association with the Pontifical University of Salamanca and courses and seminars for professionals held in Spain and Latin America. These activities have been expanded into other geographic regions thanks to cooperation with a series of institutions in Spain and other countries and an Internet training programme. The Institute offers grants for research in risk and insurance science and operates a specialized insurance and risk management Documentation Centre as support for its activities. The Institute routinely sponsors and draws up reports and publishes books dealing with insurance and risk management to improve our understanding of these fields. Some are intended as reference materials for those starting out in the study or practice of insurance affairs, while others are intended as information sources for undertaking research into specialized issues in greater depth. One of these activities is the publication of this volume, the outcome of research carried out by Drs. Pérez Carrillo and Cuypers in 2011 and 2012, under the guidance of José Antonio Aventín Arroyo

    Exploring the Impact of Living with Fanconi Anaemia & Diamond-Blackfan Anaemia: A Systemic Consideration

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    Aims: Amidst a growing body of medical research, little is yet known about the psychological impact of living with two rare life-limiting conditions, Fanconi Anaemia (FA) and Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA). One might expect some level of impact on well-being as indicated by wider literature on other childhood illnesses. At present, understanding of this impact is limited in being generalised from other research, as therefore are the supports available. This research seeks to begin a consideration of the psychological impact, and to consider how support has been deemed. Method: Using semi-structured interviews, parents and individuals living with FA or DBA were interviewed regarding their experiences. Thematic analysis was used to achieve an overview of these experiences. Results: Themes identified for individuals included: 1. ‘Knowledge’, which outlined the impact of lack of knowledge and 2. ‘Illness Concept’ relating to one’s relationship to FA/DBA and how this is socially mediated. For parents, themes identified were: 1. ‘Knowledge’, which centered on uncertainty and 2. ‘Social Responses’ which related to areas of support and strain. These themes indicated an impact on individual well-being. Two joint themes were identified: 1. ‘Family Dynamics’ which outlined how relationships and family well-being may be impacted and 2. ‘Mental Health Care as Necessary but Inadequate’. Conclusion: There was a clear impact articulated regarding the well-being of family members, individually and collectively in concerns regarding relational dynamics. There was also clear demand for psychological support which, in its current form, was generally considered inadequate. Research must be responsive in furthering efforts to establish clear and adequate pathways and a standard of care for the well-being of all families living with FA/DBA

    Bank managers in Jordan: a study of motivation, job satisfaction and comparative organizational practices

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    This thesis is an attempt to fill a gap in research in the area of motivation and job satisfaction in the Jordanian/Arab managerial context. It is basically built on a representative sample of 266 Jordanian managers taken from 21 Jordanian/Arab and Western (Anglo-American) banks in Jordan. The thesis is an exploratory and comparative organizational behaviour and management study. It implements two instruments of investigation, a standardized questionnair and in-depth interviews. The major findings of the thesis that Jordanian bank managers' patterns of motivation and job satisfaction and their interpretation of the 'higher goals of the job' (for example, autonomy) are similar to Western managers'. The assessmentf about 20 related factors on bank managers' motivation and job satisfaction reveal that different demographic and social and other organizational factors contribute to the significant impact on bank managers' motivation and job satisfaction. However, the significant impact of job related factors is more noticeable compared with other factors. The thesis, with consideration to the recommendation and the implications of relevant research, extends the study beyond managers' attitudes and includes relevant managerial practices and systems. It also attemps to reflect on the interaction of the organization within the wider environment. The comparison of the managerial practices and systems (for example, delegation of authority) and other organizational variables (for example, specialization) relevant to bank managers' motivation and job satisfaction reveal that major and significant differences are found between Western (Anglo-American) and Jordanian/Arab banks. It also reveals that the type of managerial practices and systems in the Jordanian/Arab banks is, by and large, traditional and less bureaucratic compared with the managerial practices in Western (Anglo-American) banks. The thesis addresses the main managerial implications Jordanian/Arab banks could consider when designing their motivational and job satisfaction systems. In an attempt to interpret the traditional managerial practices in the Jordanian/Arab banks, pertinent factors are discussed. These relate to particular factors of the Jordanian/Arab banks and to specific cultural and social factors in the Jordanian/Arab societies

    A Narrative Study of the Emotional Processing of a Female Victim of Stalking by an Ex-Intimate Partner

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    Background: There is a body of literature which already suggests that being stalked is associated with an increased risk of mental health difficulties, such as elevated anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, the current research lacks a detailed picture of the emotional toll that being stalked can take on its victims. Aim: This research aimed to investigate the emotional impact of stalking behaviours on five females by their ex-intimate partners, using a qualitative approach to shed light on emotional experiences embedded in their stories and experiences. Methodology, Methods and Analysis: An in-depth investigation was conducted, using semi-structured interviews with five female students and staff members from the University of Kent. Each was identified as victims of stalking by their ex-intimate partners using a stalking checklist. A narrative inquiry was chosen as the ideal qualitative approach in order to gain insight into how a person experiences a particular phenomenon. The interviews were analysed and interpreted, taking into account the themes and plots that constructed the participants’ stories. The researcher used narrative inquiry based on a thematic approach to study events as described in the words of the participants. The interviews were transcribed and coded, and subsequently organised into themes chosen to best describe the information given. Findings: The findings from this research illustrated that being stalked has an impact on the victim’s ability to process and regulate their emotions in a functional and appropriate manner. Three themes identified were: Stalker Behaviour, Impact of Stalking on the Victim, and Victim Response. Additionally, the use and impact of coercive control by ex-intimate partners during the period of stalking, were important components affecting the emotional responses of victims, as illustrated through the stories they told. The findings support previous theories that being stalked can have a significant detrimental impact on a person’s mental health. The findings offer further insight into the manner in which that emotional impact can occur, and may pave the way for future research into victim response, coercive control and possible deficits in emotional processing and difficulties with emotional regulation, during and after a stalking experience. Limitations and Recommendations: Narrative research is suited to a small sample size, and this study was limited due to the small amount of participants involved. It was also restricted geographically to one location and to a female gender. Further research will be valuable to move beyond these limitations and provide additional insight into an area where there remains much to be discovered about the emotional impact of stalking

    Field synergy analysis of pollutant dispersion in street canyons and its optimization by adding wind catchers

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    The microenvironment, which involves pollutant dispersion of the urban street canyon, is critical to the health of pedestrians and residents. The objectives of this work are twofold: (i) to effectively assess the pollutant dispersion process based on a theory and (ii) to adopt an appropriate stratigy, i.e., wind catcher, to alleviate the pollution in the street canyons. Pollutant dispersion in street canyons is essentially a convective mass transfer process. Because the convective heat transfer process and the mass transfer process are physically similar and the applicability of field synergy theory to turbulence has been verified in the literature, we apply the field synergy theory to the study of pollutant dispersion in street canyons. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is conducted to investigate the effects of wind catcher, wind speed and the geometry of the street canyons on pollutant dispersion. According to the field synergy theory, Sherwood number and field synergy number are used to quantitatively evaluate the wind catcher and wind speed on the diffusion of pollutants in asymmetric street canyons. The results show that adding wind catchers can significantly improve the air quality of the step-down street canyon and reduce the average pollutant concentrations in the street canyon by 75%. Higher wind speed enhances diffusion of pollutants differently in different geometric street canyons

    A stochastic differential equation approach to the analysis of the UK 2017 and 2019 general election polls

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    Human dynamics and sociophysics build on statistical models that can shed light on and add to our understanding of social phenomena. We propose a generative model based on a stochastic differential equation that enables us to model the opinion polls leading up to the UK 2017 and 2019 general elections, and to make predictions relating to the actual result of the elections. After a brief analysis of the time series of the poll results, we provide empirical evidence that the gamma distribution, which is often used in financial modelling, fits the marginal distribution of this time series. We demonstrate that the proposed poll-based forecasting model may improve upon predictions based solely on polls. The method uses the Euler-Maruyama method to simulate the time series, measuring the prediction error with the mean absolute error and the root mean square error, and as such could be used as part of a toolkit for forecasting elections
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