A RANDOM HIERARCHICAL LAPLACIAN

The self-similar Hierarchical Laplacian, essentially proposed by Dyson [4] in his theory of one-dimensional ferromagnetic phase transitions, has a discrete spectrum with each eigenvalue having infinite multiplicity [14]. As a result, the integrated density of states is piecewise constant and the density of states is a sum of point- masses located on its spectrum. To correct these “defects,” we present a modification of the Hierarchical Lapla- cian obtained by allowing its deterministic coefficients to instead vary randomly, but without changing the eigenfunctions. The resulting spectrum is deterministic but the eigenvalues are now random with finite multiplicity and we obtain an absolutely continuous density of states. We will examine the eigenvalue statistics near an indi- vidual point of the spectrum and show that, locally, the spectrum is approximately a Poisson point process

The cost of cooking a meal. The case of Nyeri County, Kenya

Energy for cooking is considered essential in achieving modern energy access. Despite this, almost three billion people worldwide still use solid fuels to meet their cooking needs. To better support practitioners and policy-makers, this paper presents a new model for comparing cooking solutions and its key output metric: the 'levelized cost of cooking a meal' (LCCM). The model is applied to compare several cooking solutions in the case study area of Nyeri County in Kenya. The cooking access targets are connected to the International Workshop Agreement and Global Tracking Framework's tiers of cooking energy access. Results show how an increased energy access with improved firewood and charcoal cookstoves could reduce both household's LCCMs and the total costs compared to traditional firewood cooking over the modelling period. On the other hand, switching to cleaner cooking solutions, such as LPG- and electricity, would result in higher costs for the end-user highlighting that this transition is not straightforward. The paper also contextualizes the results into the wider socio-economic context. It finds that a tradeoff is present between minimizing costs for households and meeting household priorities, thus maximizing the potential benefits of clean cooking without dismissing the use of biomass altogether

“We Learnt that Being Together Would Give us a Voice”: Gender Perspectives on the East African Improved-Cookstove Value Chain

© 2019, © 2019 IAFFE. Improved cookstoves (ICS) have been promoted for several decades, with little success. Advocates looking to drive uptake encourage greater involvement of women in ICS enterprises, on the largely unproven premise that women’s participation in the value chain will enhance their financial bottom line while giving a boost to ICS sales. This paper tests the validity of that premise, using qualitative evidence from East Africa. The analysis shows gender-differentiated outcomes for enterprises across the value chain. Women-led enterprises are significantly underrepresented at higher levels of the chain, where sales volumes are highest. Value-chain positioning also influences access to key inputs like finance, potentially reinforcing the gender divide in enterprise performance. The findings challenge the dominant narrative in the ICS field about the inevitability of the link between market participation and economic empowerment for women and indicate a need to look beyond conventional market models to enhance financial outcomes for women

Finance and the improved cookstove sector in East Africa: barriers and opportunities for value-chain actors

Despite a long history of diverse approaches designed to increase the adoption of improved cookstoves (ICS), multiple barriers continue to exist which stunt their uptake in many developing countries. This paper focuses specifically on the financial barriers facing actors within the ICS value chain, such as manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. Examining data from interviews with twenty nine ICS enterprises in Kenya and Uganda, this paper finds that limited access to credit services is a substantial barrier to increasing the capacity of businesses within the ICS value chain. In addition, data from twenty-seven financial providers including banks, microfinance institutions and savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) viewed the ICS market as relatively underserved and believed greater integration could be mutually beneficial. This paper explores the way in which this relationship plays out in current market conditions and how connections between the two sectors can be strengthened, with the objective of overcoming these financial challenges and expanding the capacity of ICS businesses as a mechanism to facilitate ICS uptake by local populations

Does listening to the sound of yourself chewing increase your enjoyment of food?

BACKGROUND: Anecdotal evidence suggests that listening to oneself eating results in a more pleasurable eating experience. Maximising the sensory experience of eating can result in increased oral intake and is potentially valuable in improving nutritional status in at-risk patients. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigates the association between listening to the sound of oneself eating and the consequences on enjoyment of eating. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled, cross-over trial of 10 fit, adult volunteers. Participants were timed eating a standardised amount of bread, and were randomized to eat in silence or whilst listening to their own amplified chewing and swallowing. Measurements of pulse and blood pressure were recorded throughout the procedure. Subjective pleasure scores were documented and the procedure repeated in the alternate study arm. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship demonstrated between listening to oneself chewing and the enjoyment of eating. CONCLUSION: Although this small pilot study was unable to demonstrate a significant relationship between listening to oneself chewing and enjoyment of eating, other evidence suggests that distraction techniques have a beneficial effect on dietary intake. Such techniques can be applied in a clinical setting and further work in this area has valuable potential