A Research Synthesis of Text Messaging and Driving Performance

To determine the effects of text messaging on driving performance, all available experimental studies that measured driving performance were identified through a variety of database searches and backtracking strategies, and analyzed using standard research synthesis methods. Fourteen studies with a total of 519 participants were coded and analyzed. Methodology, independent and dependent variables, and statistical analyses varied widely across studies, but conclusions were clear and convergent. Reaction time, crashes, longitudinal and lateral control, eye movements, hazard detection and subjective workload measures indicate significant decrements in driving performance while reading and typing text messages. The importance of the results for further policy development and methodological reporting is briefly introduced

Multimodal Access to Minor Places in Heritage-Rich Landscapes: GIS Mapping to Define Slow-Tourism Routes from the Stations in the Railway Networks in-between Turin and Milan

The extraordinary richness of the natural and built heritage, widespread in the landscape which surrounds infrastructures, allows searching for new ways to access the places in a more sustainable way, by exploiting multimodal accessibility between train and bike. The current research shows how the territories in-between the cities of Turin and Milan, characterized by a complex historical landscape, could be enhanced in terms of sustainable tourism by exploiting the potential of the existing railway network and the widespread network of local roads, which make many unique places in these territories easily accessible. A GIS method based on a quantitative approach has been defined, to perform the spatial analysis by mapping the most significant nodes in the railway network, in the most attractive heritage areas localized in the surrounding landscape of infrastructures, to trace slow-tourism routes which can be used both by inhabitants and tourists to move across places in a more sustainable way. The research finds the most attractive heritage areas in the surroundings of local railways, and maps slow-tourism routes that connect local railway stations to surrounding heritage, within 15 min of cycling. The GIS-based method can support decision makers in the definition of new territorial development strategies, with the aim of enhancing the livelihood of the inner and fragile areas of the country that are crossed by the railways

Closing the Loop: Exploring IKEA’s Transition to the Circular Economy

Inspired by the way nature cycles waste in an ecosystem, the circular economy was developed as an alternative to the linear take-make-dispose model and designed to decouple economic growth from resource use. After developing a framework for what it means to be a business pursuing circularity, this thesis examines six different companies to explore the tension between the strategies and business models in theory and what business are implementing in practice today. This exploration continues with an in-depth analysis of the circular success of IKEA, finding that the gains from the circular economy for a large corporation are found within their own operations. With the company’s scale, IKEA is able to act as a transfer hub of technology and best practices, ultimately allowing the company to make a global impact

Planning and communicating prototype tests for the Nano Membrane Toilet: A critical review and proposed strategy

Urban sanitation in growing cities of the Global South presents particular challenges. This led to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinvent The Toilet Challenge, which sparked the development of various non-sewered sanitation technologies like the Nano Membrane Toilet. Complex disruptive technologies like this entail an extensive product development process, including various types of prototype tests. While there is an abundance of literature discussing how to build prototypes, and the optimal number of tests, there has been little focus on how to plan and conduct tests, especially in a development endeavour of this complexity. Four approaches to testing are reviewed, and their strengths and weaknesses compared. A visualised testing strategy is proposed that encompasses the entire product development process and can be used to plan and communicate prototype tests for the Nano Membrane Toilet to ultimately achieve compliance with international standards