Towards an overheating risk tool for building design

PurposeThe work set out to design and develop an overheating risk tool using the UKCP09 climate projections that is compatible with building performance simulation software. The aim of the tool is to exploit the Weather Generator and give a reasonably accurate assessment of a building's performance in future climates, without adding significant time, cost or complexity to the design team's work.Methodology/approachBecause simulating every possible future climate is impracticable, the approach adopted was to use principal component analysis to give a statistically rigorous simplification of the climate projections. The perceptions and requirements of potential users were assessed through surveys, interviews and focus groups.FindingsIt is possible to convert a single dynamic simulation output into many hundreds of simulation results at hourly resolution for equally probable climates, giving a population of outcomes for the performance of a specific building in a future climate, thus helping the user choose adaptations that might reduce the risk of overheating. The tool outputs can be delivered as a probabilistic overheating curve and feed into a risk management matrix. Professionals recognized the need to quantify overheating risk, particularly for non‐domestic buildings, and were concerned about the ease of incorporating the UKCP09 projections into this process. The new tool has the potential to meet these concerns.Originality/valueThe paper is the first attempt to link UKCP09 climate projections and building performance simulation software in this way and the work offers the potential for design practitioners to use the tool to quickly assess the risk of overheating in their designs and adapt them accordingly.</jats:sec

Assembling activity/setting participation with disabled young people

Rehabilitation research investigating activity participation has been largely conducted in a realist tradition that under-theorises the relationship between persons, technologies, and socio-material places. In this Canadian study we used a post-critical approach to explore activity/setting participation with 19 young people aged 14 to 23 years with complex communication and/or mobility impairments. Methods included integrated photo-elicitation, interviews, and participant observations of community-based activities. We present our results using the conceptual lens of assemblages to surface how different combinations of bodies, social meanings, and technologies enabled or constrained particular activities. Assemblages were analysed in terms of how they organised what was possible and practical for participants and their families in different contexts. The results illuminate how young people negotiated activity needs and desires in particular ‘spacings’ each with its own material, temporal, and social constraints and affordances. The focus on assemblages provides a dynamic analysis of how dis/abilities are enacted in and across geotemporal spaces, and avoids a reductive focus on evaluating the accessibility of static environmental features. In doing so the study reveals possible ‘lines of flight’ for healthcare, rehabilitation, and social care practices

Species-Level Classification of Peatland Vegetation Using Ultra-High-Resolution UAV Imagery

Peatland restoration projects are being employed worldwide as a form of climate change mitigation due to their potential for long-term carbon sequestration. Monitoring these environments (e.g., cover of keystone species) is therefore essential to evaluate success. However, existing studies have rarely examined peatland vegetation at fine scales due to its strong spatial heterogeneity and seasonal canopy development. The present study collected centimetre-scale multispectral Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery with a Parrot Sequoia camera (2.8 cm resolution; Parrot Drones SAS, Paris, France) in a temperate peatland over a complete growing season. Supervised classification algorithms were used to map the vegetation at the single-species level, and the Maximum Likelihood classifier was found to perform best at the site level (69% overall accuracy). The classification accuracy increased with the spatial resolution of the input data, and a large reduction in accuracy was observed when employing imagery of &gt;11 cm resolution. Finally, the most accurate classifications were produced using imagery collected during the peak (July–August) or early growing season (start of May). These findings suggest that despite the strong heterogeneity of peatlands, these environments can be mapped at the species level using UAVs. Such an approach would benefit studies estimating peatland carbon emissions or using the cover of keystone species to evaluate restoration projects

To develop evidence-based interventions to support doctors’ wellbeing and promote resilience during COVID-19 (and beyond)

Publisher PD

An integrated methods study of the experiences of youth with severe disabilities in leisure activity settings: The importance of belonging, fun, and control and choice

Purpose: The aim was to examine the leisure activity setting experiences of two groups of youth with severe disabilities-those with complex continuing care (CCC) needs and those who have little functional speech and communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Method: Twelve youth took part in a mixed methods study, in which their experiences were ascertained using qualitative methods (observations, photo elicitation and interviews) and the measure of Self-Reported Experiences of Activity Settings (SEAS). Data integration occurred using a following a thread technique and case-by-case analysis. Results: The analysis revealed several highly valued aspects of leisure activity setting experiences for youth, including engagement with others, enjoying the moment, and control and choice in selection and participation in activity settings. Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary insights into the nature of optimal activity settings for youth with severe disabilities, and the mediators of these experiences. Compared to other youth, the data illustrate both the commonalities of experiences and differences in the ways in which these experiences are attained. Implications for research concern the utility of mixed methods approaches in understanding the complex nature of participation experiences. Implications for clinical practice concern the importance of not assuming the nature of youths\u27 experiences.Implications for RehabilitationService providers can lose sight of the importance of broader concepts of belonging, fun, and control and choice when providing interventions that focus on participating in an activity to build specific skills.In addition to the skill-based outcomes for youth with disabilities that are valued by the rehabilitation system, we suggest that consideration needs to be given to other types of outcomes that matter to youth, such as participating in a leisure activity for the sake of belonging or having fun.It is important not to assume that youth with severe disabilities are not enjoying their participation or are not benefiting from their leisure experiences.It is important not to over-therapize youth with disabilities and promote a balanced approach to therapy and leisure participation, by discussing with youth and families the beneficial developmental outcomes that can accrue from leisure activities

Continence promotion for older hospital patients following surgery for fractured neck of femur: Pilot of a randomized controlled trial

Evidence suggests that bladder control problems develop or worsen as a result of fractured neck of femur (#NOF) and its subsequent management

Exploration of the individual, social and environmental factors influencing dietary behaviour in shift workers with type 2 diabetes working in UK healthcare—The Shift-Diabetes Study:A qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework

Aim: To identify factors influencing dietary behaviour in shift workers with type 2 diabetes (T2D) working in UK healthcare settings. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews based on the theoretical domains framework (TDF) were conducted with a convenience sample (n = 15) of shift workers (32–59 years) diagnosed with T2D who worked night shifts as part of a mixed shift schedule. The TDF was applied to analyse transcripts using a combined deductive framework and inductive thematic analysis approach. Identified influences were mapped to the behaviour change technique taxonomy to identify potential strategies to change dietary behaviour in this context. Results: Key barriers to healthy dietary behaviours were access and cost of food available during night work (TDF domain: Environment Context and Resources). Factors identified as both enablers and barriers included: availability of staff facilities and time to take a break, (Environment Context and Resources), the physical impact of night work (Beliefs About Consequences), eating in response to stress or tiredness (Emotion), advance planning of meals/food and taking own food to work (Behavioural Regulation). Potential techniques to address these influences and improve dietary behaviour in this context include: meal planning templates, self-monitoring and biofeedback, and increasing accessibility and availability of healthier food choices during night shifts. Conclusions: The dietary behaviour of shift workers with T2D is influenced by interacting individual, socio-cultural and environmental factors. Intervention should focus on environmental restructuring and strategies that enable monitoring and meal planning.</p

Exploration of the individual, social and environmental factors influencing dietary behaviour in shift workers with type 2 diabetes working in UK healthcare - the Shift-Diabetes Study: a qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework

AIM: To identify factors influencing dietary behaviour in shift workers with type 2 diabetes (T2D) working in UK healthcare settings. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) were conducted with a convenience sample (n=15) of shift-workers (32 - 59 years) diagnosed with T2D who worked night shifts as part of a mixed shift schedule. The TDF was applied to analyse transcripts using a combined deductive framework and inductive thematic analysis approach. Identified influences were mapped to the behaviour change technique taxonomy to identify potential strategies to change dietary behaviour in this context. RESULTS: Key barriers to healthy dietary behaviours were access and cost of food available during night work (TDF domain: Environment Context and Resources). Factors identified as both enablers and barriers included: availability of staff facilities and time to take a break, (Environment Context and Resources), the physical impact of night work (Beliefs About Consequences), eating in response to stress or tiredness (Emotion), advance planning of meals/food and taking own food to work (Behavioural Regulation). Potential techniques to address these influences and improve dietary behaviour in this context include: meal planning templates, self-monitoring, and biofeedback, and increasing accessibility and availability of healthier food choices during night shifts. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary behaviour of shift workers with T2D is influenced by interacting individual, socio-cultural and environmental factors. Intervention should focus on environmental restructuring and strategies that enable monitoring and meal planning