The response of power systems to autonomous ``grid friendly'' devices

The aim of this study was to examine whether so-called ``grid friendly'' devices can have undesirable effects on the power grid, and what design of grid friendly device is best suited to providing additional protection to the grid. This report first develops a simplified model for a power grid, looks at the conditions for stable operation of grid friendly devices, examines alternative designs, and makes recommendations for the design of grid friendly devices

Phenomenology yesterday, today, and tomorrow: a proposed phenomenological response to the double challenges of contemporary recovery-oriented person-centered mental health care

This paper argues that a dialectical synthesis of phenomenology’s traditional twin roles in psychiatry (one science-centered, the other individual-centered) is needed to support the recovery-oriented practice that is at the heart of contemporary person-centered mental health care. The paper is in two main sections. Section I illustrates the different ways in which phenomenology’s two roles have played out over three significant periods of the history of phenomenology in 20th century psychiatry: with the introduction of phenomenology in Karl Jaspers’ General Psychopathology in 1913; with the development a few years later of structural phenomenological psychopathology; and in the period of post-War humanism. Section II is concerned with the role of phenomenology in contemporary mental health. There has been a turn to phenomenology in the current period, we argue, in response to what amounts to an uncoupling of academic psychiatry from front-line clinical care. Corresponding with the two roles of phenomenology, this uncoupling has both scientific aspects and clinical aspects. The latter, we suggest, is most fully expressed in a new model of “recovery,” defined, not by the values of professionals as experts-by-training, but by the values of patients and carers as experts-by-experience, specifically, by what is important to the quality of life of the individual concerned in the situation in question. We illustrate the importance of recovery, so defined, and the challenges raised by it for both the evidence-base and the values-base of clinical decision-making, with brief clinical vignettes. It is to these challenges we argue, that phenomenology through a synthesis of its twin roles is uniquely equipped to respond. Noting, however, the many barriers to such a synthesis, we argue that in the current state of development of the field, it is by way of a dialectical synthesis of phenomenology’s roles that we should proceed. From such a dialectic, a genuine synthesis of roles may ultimately emerge. We conclude with a note on the wider significance of these developments, arguing that contrary to 20th century stereotypes, they show psychiatry to be leading the way for healthcare as a whole, in developing the resources for 21st century person-centered clinical care

Investigating the adoption of sustainable green initiatives in Scottish food and drink SMEs.

Increasing concerns towards environmental issues (transportation emissions, global warming, depletion of natural resources) in today's global economy has resulted in the need for businesses to be more environmentally friendly and act in an environmentally responsible manner. Like most developed nations, the UK has placed significant importance on the need for more sustainable business operations. However the smooth adoption and implementation of these green practices by businesses is slow due to challenges such as lack of awareness, cost, resourcing, legislation, and incorporation into existing business processes. Green practices are often assumed by SMEs to involve significant expense, and in some cases even unaffordable. Particularly during the recent time of recession, focus has been on keeping SMEs afloat rather than making substantial investment in what are perceived to be 'nice to have' green initiatives. SMEs sometimes also cite lack of knowledge of how to implement green initiatives and lack of support for such activity. The focus of this research is Scottish food and drink sector, which plays a vital role contributing nearly {pound}10bn yearly to the economy. However, this positive contribution of the sector to the economy sits in tension with the fact it also generates a substantial amount of waste (estimated to generate 2 million tonnes of waste annually), and thus has costly negative impacts on the environment. This paper forms part of a larger doctoral study on green supply chain initiatives in Scottish SMEs. Specifically, the research has been set up to explore the various factors motivating and inhibiting the adoption of green initiatives by food and drink businesses. In this paper, the focus is on a review of the literature that was undertaken to establish some initial motivators and inhibitors among SMEs across a range of sectors. These were then explored further in a pilot study among six small firms in the food and drink sector Scotland. This qualitative pilot study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers. Arising from the findings of the pilot study, a scale of 'green-ness' was devised to chart the extent to which the firms have innovated by incorporating green practices into their business processes. A more extensive study is now being designed to test and refine the scale with a view to creating a model to assist small businesses in their planning and strategizing in relation to introducing green practices. The paper reports on the early stages of this research, including the pilot study and the creation of the 'green-ness' scale

A Pilot Study of the Early Experience of Consultant Psychiatrists in the Implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005: Local Policy and Training, Assessment of Capacity and Determination of Best Interests

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was partially implemented in April 2007 and fully implemented in October 2007 in England and Wales (with the exception of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which were implemented in April 2009). The government estimated that up to 2 million adults in England and Wales may have issues concerning their decision-making capacity (henceforth ‘capacity’), and these will included 840,000 people with dementia, 145,000 people with severe learning disability, 1.2 million people with mild to moderate learning disability and 120,000 people with severe brain injury. Additionally, the prevalence of schizophrenia, mania and serious depression are 1%, 1% and 5% respectively, and some of these individuals may also lack capacity. Moreover, up to 6 million family and unpaid carers are estimated to provide care or treatment for individuals lacking capacity. Furthermore, many other people who do not lack capacity may use aspects of the MCA for future planning

International Perspectives in Values-Based Mental Health Practice

This open access book offers essential information on values-based practice (VBP): the clinical skills involved, teamwork and person-centered care, links between values and evidence, and the importance of partnerships in shared decision-making. Different cultures have different values; for example, partnership in decision-making looks very different, from the highly individualized perspective of European and North American cultures to the collective and family-oriented perspectives common in South East Asia. In turn, African cultures offer yet another perspective, one that falls between these two extremes (called batho pele). The book will benefit everyone concerned with the practical challenges of delivering mental health services. Accordingly, all contributions are developed on the basis of case vignettes, and cover a range of situations in which values underlie tensions or uncertainties regarding how to proceed in clinical practice. Examples include the patient’s autonomy and best interest, the physician’s commitment to establishing high standards of clinical governance, clinical versus community best interest, institutional versus clinical interests, patients insisting on medically unsound but legal treatments etc. Thus far, VBP publications have mainly dealt with clinical scenarios involving individual values (of clinicians and patients). Our objective with this book is to develop a model of VBP that is culturally much broader in scope. As such, it offers a vital resource for mental health stakeholders in an increasingly inter-connected world. It also offers opportunities for cross-learning in values-based practice between cultures with very different clinical care traditions

International Perspectives in Values-Based Mental Health Practice

This open access book offers essential information on values-based practice (VBP): the clinical skills involved, teamwork and person-centered care, links between values and evidence, and the importance of partnerships in shared decision-making. Different cultures have different values; for example, partnership in decision-making looks very different, from the highly individualized perspective of European and North American cultures to the collective and family-oriented perspectives common in South East Asia. In turn, African cultures offer yet another perspective, one that falls between these two extremes (called batho pele). The book will benefit everyone concerned with the practical challenges of delivering mental health services. Accordingly, all contributions are developed on the basis of case vignettes, and cover a range of situations in which values underlie tensions or uncertainties regarding how to proceed in clinical practice. Examples include the patient’s autonomy and best interest, the physician’s commitment to establishing high standards of clinical governance, clinical versus community best interest, institutional versus clinical interests, patients insisting on medically unsound but legal treatments etc. Thus far, VBP publications have mainly dealt with clinical scenarios involving individual values (of clinicians and patients). Our objective with this book is to develop a model of VBP that is culturally much broader in scope. As such, it offers a vital resource for mental health stakeholders in an increasingly inter-connected world. It also offers opportunities for cross-learning in values-based practice between cultures with very different clinical care traditions

Cultural Values and Mental Health: A Manifesto for International Values-based Practice

This article sets out a manifesto for the development of an international values-based practice fully engaged with the diversity of cultural values and implemented through the resources of the international movement in philosophy and psychiatry. Anticipated by mid-twentieth century ordinary language philosophy of the “Oxford School,” the last three decades have witnessed a remarkable flowering of cross-disciplinary work between philosophy and psychiatry. The article indicates the scope and scale of this work and then describes the emergence of contemporary values-based practice as its philosophy-into-practice cutting edge. Values-based practice although originating in philosophy and psychiatry is currently being developed mainly in areas of bodily medicine such as surgery. As such, it has been criticized for focusing, as contemporary health care has largely focused, on the individual at the expense of cultural values. Hence arises the need for extending values-based practice internationally. The resources available from international philosophy and psychiatry for so extending values-based practice are outlined and some of the challenges are indicated. The article concludes with the hope that psychiatry in supporting the development of international values-based practice will by the same token take poll position in the development of contemporary science-led clinical care