On trickling chimneys and other unemployment misery

Abstract not availablelabour economics ;

The importance of combating malnutrition in care

Malnutrition results from a deficiency of macronutrients (energy and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), that may impact on body composition, function and/or clinical outcomes (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2006). A range of factors, including impaired food intake (seen in individuals who are anorexic or have difficulties swallowing), increased nutrient requirements (seen during infection) and/or loss of nutrients which may be present in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease, have been known to cause malnutrition (Dunne, 2009)

Gender Differences in Risk Aversion and Ambiguity

This paper demonstrates gender differences in risk aversion and ambiguity aversion. It also contributes to a growing literature relating economic preference parameters to psychological measures by asking whether variations in preference parameters among persons, and in particular across genders, can be accounted for by differences in personality traits and traits of cognition. Women are more risk averse than men. Over an initial range, women require no further compensation for the introduction of ambiguity but men do. At greater levels of ambiguity, women have the same marginal distaste for increased ambiguity as men. Psychological variables account for some of the interpersonal variation in risk aversion. They explain none of the differences in ambiguity.

Reconstructing Neogene surface uplift of the Alps: Integrating stable isotope paleoaltimetry and paleoclimate modelling

Paleoaltimetry - the reconstruction of the elevation of mountain ranges in the geological past - is key to understanding the geodynamic drivers of surface uplift. Simultaneously, surface uplift of Earth’s major mountain ranges redirected atmospheric flow and impacted climate globally. At a smaller scale, mountain building affects regional climate and biodiversity. Stable isotope paleoaltimetry is a powerful tool to quantify the past elevation of mountain ranges. It is based on the inverse relationship between the stable isotopic composition of meteoric waters and elevation, which is represented by the so-called isotopic lapse rate. However, variations in climatic parameters modify isotopic lapse rates and impact moisture transport over the continents and consequently affect paleoelevation reconstructions. Here, we show the results of a combined stable isotope paleoaltimetry and paleoclimate modeling approach in the European Alps. This approach allows for an improved and more realistic estimation of isotopic lapse rates, large-scale isotope-in-precipitation patterns over Europe and hence Alpine paleoaltimetry calculations. The European Alps are an ideal target for a combined paleoaltimetry - climate modeling approach, given that they are (a) one of the most-studied mountain ranges for which many geoscientific data are available, and (b) sufficiently small and oriented near-parallel to dominant atmospheric circulation patterns. The latter implies that no major global climatic changes are expected in response to Alpine surface uplift, as opposed to e.g. the Andes or the Tibet-Himalaya mountain ranges. Results from 4D-MB SPP phase 1 and 2 show that: (1) Changing the surface elevation of even a small orogen can complicate stable isotope paleoaltimetry by mixing the elevation and climate signal in a more complex way than commonly assumed. Climate models can help separate these signals and constrain surface uplift histories. (2) The Central Alps were already high during the Early and Middle Miocene, whereas the Eastern Alps were still at significantly lower elevations, thereby confirming that surface uplift propagated from west to east, as would be expected from oblique continent-continent collision. Together, the results highlight the importance and viability of this combined, interdisciplinary approach. Based on the results from 4D-MB SPP phase 1 and 2, we propose that future efforts to reconstruct surface uplift of mountain ranges follow this state-of-the-art approach, while keeping local limitations to proxy material availability and access to facilities in mind

Prison brain? Executive dysfunction in prisoners

A better understanding of the functioning of the brain, particularly executive functions, of the prison population could aid in reducing crime rates through the reduction of recidivism rates. Indeed, reoffending appears to be related to executive dysfunction and it is known that executive functions are crucial for self-regulation. In the current paper, studies to executive functions in regular adult prisoners compared to non-offender controls were reviewed. Seven studies were found. Specific executive functions were found to be impaired in the general prison population, i.e., attention and set-shifting, as well as in separate subgroups of violent (i.e., set-shifting and working memory) and non-violent offenders (i.e., inhibition, working memory and problem solving). We conclude that the limited number of studies is remarkable, considering the high impact of this population on society and elaborate on the implications of these specific impairments that were found. Further empirical research is suggested, measuring executive functioning within subjects over time for a group of detainees as well as a control group

Circulation, retention, and mixing of waters within the Weddell-Scotia Confluence, Southern Ocean:The role of stratified Taylor columns

The waters of the Weddell-Scotia Confluence (WSC) lie above the rugged topography of the South Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean. Meridional exchanges across the WSC transfer water and tracers between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) to the north and the subpolar Weddell Gyre to the south. Here, we examine the role of topographic interactions in mediating these exchanges, and in modifying the waters transferred. A case study is presented using data from a free-drifting, intermediate-depth float, which circulated anticyclonically over Discovery Bank on the South Scotia Ridge for close to 4 years. Dimensional analysis indicates that the local conditions are conducive to the formation of Taylor columns. Contemporaneous ship-derived transient tracer data enable estimation of the rate of isopycnal mixing associated with this column, with values of O(1000 m2/s) obtained. Although necessarily coarse, this is of the same order as the rate of isopycnal mixing induced by transient mesoscale eddies within the ACC. A picture emerges of the Taylor column acting as a slow, steady blender, retaining the waters in the vicinity of the WSC for lengthy periods during which they can be subject to significant modification. A full regional float data set, bathymetric data, and a Southern Ocean state estimate are used to identify other potential sites for Taylor column formation. We find that they are likely to be sufficiently widespread to exert a significant influence on water mass modification and meridional fluxes across the southern edge of the ACC in this sector of the Southern Ocean

Bacteriological quality and intake of acidified drinking water in Wistar rats is pH-dependent

The effects of acidification of drinking water on bacteriological quality and water intake in adult, male Wistar rats. was studied in 2 consecutive experiments. HCl was used to aeidify water to pH 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5. Control groups received untreatedtap or demineralized water. Acidification of water with HCl to pH 2.5 effectively prevented growth of aerobic bacteria in the drinking water bottles after a number of days, but also caused a reproducible decline in water intake when compared to untreated water. A reduced water intake may indicate disturbed wellbeing and may interfere with experimental results. Acidification to pH 3.0 also kept bacteriological counts low and did not reduce water intake when compared to rats drinkingnon-acidified water. Acidification to pH 3.5 led to high bacteriological counts after a few days. On the basis of these 2 experiments, acidification of drinking water with 1101 to pH 3.0 is advised

When the Medium is the Message:A Meta-Analysis of Creative Media Advertising Effects

Creative media advertising is a specific type of unconventional advertising in which a regular physical object serves as a medium to carry an advertising message. To better understand the workings of this type of advertising, we conducted a meta-analysis. In this study, we explore the direct effects of creative media advertising, several moderators, and the possible underlying mechanisms. The results show that exposure to creative (versus traditional) media advertising has an overall positive effect on brand association strength and persuasion (i.e., ad attitude, brand attitude, purchase intentions, and electronic word of mouth [eWOM]). Both these effects are moderated by metaphor use, meaning that the effects are stronger when the physical object is a good metaphor for the message it carries. Furthermore, indirect (e.g., social media, printed picture) exposure to the message positively moderates the effect of creative media advertising on brand association strength but not on persuasion. Brand familiarity does not play a moderating role. Finally, a meta-analytic structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure was used to show that the main underlying mechanism of creative media advertising persuasiveness is surprise—and not perceived persuasive intent. For practitioners, this study shows that creative media ads are more effective when leveraging surprise and metaphors