1,034 research outputs found
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The impact of contract duration on the cost of cash retention
Cash retention is a common means of protecting an employer from a contractor's insolvency as well as ensuring that contractors finish the work that they start. Similarly, contractors withhold part of payments due to their sub-contractors. Larger contracts tend to be subjected to smaller rates of retention. By calculating the cost of retention as an amount per year of a contract, it is shown that retention is far more expensive for firms whose work consists of short contracts. The extra cost is multiplied when the final payment is delayed, as it often is for those whose work takes place at the beginning of a project. This may explain why it is that main contractors are a lot less interested than sub-contractors in alternatives to cash retention, such as retention bond
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Construction subcontracts: for what we are about to receive
This paper is from a study on specialist and trade contracting in the construction industry. The research was commissioned by CIRIA and undertaken by the University of Reading in conjunction with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners Ltd. The purpose of the work was to provide guidance for effective and equitable practice in the management of projects where much of the work is executed, and possibly designed, by specialist and trade contractors (STCs). As part of this study, a preliminary investigation into the nature and origins of specialist contracting was undertaken, in conjunction with a survey of the problems confronting STCs. This paper presents that phase of the project
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Contributory negligence involving overseas European banks in property valuation negligence cases in the UK
This paper examines the phenomenon of cross-border property lending and examines a number of issues regarding lending procedures and decision making processes in the context of the relationship between lender and professional advisor. It commences by placing these procedures and processes in the context of the development of cross border European property investment and finance. The UK has been a popular destination for overseas investors and lenders over the last decade and is therefore used as a case study to examine the additional institutional risk that overseas lenders may face when operating outside of their own country and obtaining advice from home professionals. The UK market was the subject of a boom period during the late 1980s, followed by a recession in the early 1990s. The losses triggered a number of professional negligence actions by lenders against valuers. These include a number of overseas lenders mainly from Europe and these cases have been examined for any particular features which, coupled with other data gained from overseas lenders as part of an interview survey, could be used to isolate any significant problems for European lenders in overseas markets. The research identified a lack of clarity in roles and relationships between lender and advisor, difficulties in communications both internally and between overseas branches and headquarters and failures in provision and interpretation of advice. The paper concludes by identifying the issues which may need to be addressed generally by lenders and their advisors, when the lenders are operating in overseas markets
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Influences on secured lending property valuations in the UK
A significant part of bank lending in the UK is secured on commercial property and valuations play an important part in this process. They are an integral part of risk management within the banking sector. It is therefore important that valuations are independent and objective and are used properly to ensure that secured lending is soundly based from the perspective of both lender and borrower. The purpose of this research is to examine objectivity and transparency in the valuation process for bank lending and to identify any influences which may undermine the process. A detailed analysis of 31 valuation negligence cases has been followed by two focus groups of lenders and valuers and also questionnaire surveys of commercial lenders and valuers. Many stakeholders exist, for example lenders, borrowers and brokers, who are able to influence the process in various ways. The strongest evidence of overt influence in the process comes from the method of valuer selection with borrowers and brokers seen to be heavily involved. There is some also some evidence of influence during the draft valuation process. A significant minority of valuers feel that inappropriate pressure is applied by borrowers and brokers yet there is no apparent part of the process that leads to this. The panel system employed by lenders is found to be a significant part of the system and merits further examination. The pressure felt by valuers needs more investigation along with the question of if and how the process could dispel such feelings. This is seen as particularly important in the context of bank regulation
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Roles in construction projects: analysis and terminology
Standard form contracts are typically developed through a negotiated consensus, unless they are proffered by one specific interest group. Previously published plans of work and other descriptions of the processes in construction projects tend to focus on operational issues, or they tend to be prepared from the point of view of one or other of the dominant interest groups. Legal practice in the UK permits those who draft contracts to define their terms as they choose. There are no definitive rulings from the courts that give an indication as to the detailed responsibilities of project participants. The science of terminology offers useful guidance for discovering and describing terms and their meanings in their practical context, but has never been used for defining terms for responsibilities of participants in the construction project management process. Organizational analysis enables the management task to be deconstructed into its elemental parts in order that effective organizational structures can be developed. Organizational mapping offers a useful technique for reducing text-based descriptions of project management roles and responsibilities to a comparable basis. Research was carried out by means of a desk study, detailed analysis of nine plans of work and focus groups representing all aspects of the construction industry. No published plan of work offers definitive guidance. There is an enormous amount of variety in the way that terms are used for identifying responsibilities of project participants. A catalogue of concepts and terms (a âTerminologyâ) has been compiled and indexed to enable those who draft contracts to choose the most appropriate titles for project participants. The purpose of this terminology is to enable the selection and justification of appropriate terms in order to help define roles. The terminology brings an unprecedented clarity to the description of roles and responsibilities in construction projects and, as such, will be helpful for anyone seeking to assemble a team and specify roles for project participants
Studies at a Molecular Level of the Association Between Human Papillomavirus DNA and Human Genital Carcinoma
There is now considerable evidence for a close association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and genital neoplasia. These data are based upon epidemiological, colposcopic, cytological, histological, immunohistochemical and DNA hybridization studies. This thesis aims to study six aspects of this association. The first approach was to establish the prevalence of HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 DNA sequences in human female genital premalignancy and malignancy in the West of Scotland. Three tissue sources were used; namely biopsies from abnormal tissue (vulval and cervical premalignant and malignant tissue), internal control tissues from histologically normal adjacent tissue and external control tissue from the cervices of cytologically normal women. HPV 6/11 DNA sequences were detected in only one premalignant lesion on the cervix (1.5%) and two external control tissues (6.7%). HPV 16 & 18 DNA was detected in 69% of cervical premalignant lesions, 80% of vulval premalignant lesions, 58% of cervical carcinomas and 60% of vulval carcinomas. HPV 16 was also detected in 2 external control tissues (6.7%). The prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 DNA is comparable with other studies but the prevalence of HPV 6/11 DNA is low suggesting a geographic variation in the prevalence of HPV DNA subtypes. This study confirms that HPV 16 is the subtype most frequently detected in these lesions (51% overall). HPV 16 DNA is however frequently detected in histologically normal tissue adjacent to neoplastic lesions (38.5% overall). Alternatively, HPV 18 DNA is less often detected than HPV 16 DNA (19% overall) but is more specific to histologically abnormal tissue [only one internal control biopsy hybridized to HPV 18 DNA, (1.5%)]. The second aspect of the association between HPV infection and genital neoplasia studied was the relationship between the different diagnostic methods used to determine the presence of HPV DNA on the cervix i.e. colposcopy, cytology, histology and immunohistochemistry. The sensitivity and specificity of Southern blot hybridisation allows this to be used as a "gold standard" for comparison with these other methods. The study showed that colposcopy was an insensitive method of identifying tissues which harboured HPV DNA as was immunohistochemistry. Cytology and histology suffered from a lack of specificity. These findings have implications for the assessment of patients and the structure of prospective study of the natural history of HPV infection which are discussed fully later. An association between HPV infection and advancing age has been suggested. In this thesis, no association between the age of patients and the detection of HPV DNA sequences was established. The high prevalence of HPV DNA subtypes in cervical neoplasia and the increasing data from cell line and cancer cell studies which suggest a mechanism for cell transformation by HPV DNA sequences has led to calls for the introduction of a screening test for HPV DNA. One such test utilizes dot blot hybridization. This study has compared Southern blot hybridization and slot (dot) blot hybridization. Slot blot hybridization has been shown to offer poor specificity, especially at low viral DNA copy numbers. Furthermore, this thesis shows that one third of patients who undergo laser ablation of the cervical transformation zone demonstrate persistence of the HPV genome following treatment. These two data, along with the facts that up to one third of the female population may harbour HPV DNA on their cervices, the prevalence of HPV DNA on the male penis is unknown, and a causal relationship between HPV DNA has not been established, suggest that screening for HPV DNA is not indicated at present in this country. The fifth aspect of the association between HPV DNA infection and cervical neoplasia to be studied was the influence of local irranunosurveillance as assessed by the presence of Langerhans' cells on cervical premalignancy. An association between HPV 18 DNA and HPV 16 DNA at high copy numbers and local immunosuppression was identified. It seems likely that smoking is associated with depression of Langerhans' cell activity and this study has demonstrated a possible relationship between these two epidemiologically important cofactors. Finally, a possible mechanism of cell transformation by HPV DNA comprises the amplification or upregulation of cellular oncogenes. In this thesis hybridization to the proto-oncogene c-myc was studied but no evidence of amplification of that oncogene was detected in association with hybridization to HPV DNA sequences. In two cases, however, there was some evidence to tentatively suggest a rearrangement of the c-myc oncogene in association with HPV 16 DNA detection. This aspect requires further study. The significance and implications of the results are discussed in the context of the work itself and its relation to the data reported by other workers. The implications for patient management are outlined and ideas for future work based on a tentative hypothesis are presented
Daily Dominion (Windsor)
Title Variation
Dominion
Publication Dates
1867 - 1875
Frequency
Weekly Edition: 1867 - 1875
Daily Edition: 1874 - 1875
Online Holdings
Daily Edition:
1875: Jan. 19 (Vol. 1: no. 24) 4 p.https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/essexcountyontarionewspapers/1007/thumbnail.jp
The "unknown territory" of goal-setting: Negotiating a novel interactional activity within primary care doctor-patient consultations for patients with multiple chronic conditions.
Goal-setting is widely recommended for supporting patients with multiple long-term conditions. It involves a proactive approach to a clinical consultation, requiring doctors and patients to work together to identify patientâs priorities, values and desired outcomes as a basis for setting goals for the patient to work towards. Importantly it comprises a set of activities that, for many doctors and patients, represents a distinct departure from a conventional consultation, including goal elicitation, goal-setting and action planning. This indicates that goal-setting is an uncertain interactional space subject to inequalities in understanding and expectations about what type of conversation is taking place, the roles of patient and doctor, and how patient priorities may be configured as goals. Analysing such spaces therefore has the potential for revealing how the principles of goal-setting are realised in practice. In this paper, we draw on Goffmanâs concept of âframesâ to present an examination of how doctorsâ and patientsâ sense making of goal-setting was consequential for the interactions that followed. Informed by Interactional Sociolinguistics, we used conversation analysis methods to analyse 22 video-recorded goal-setting consultations with patients with multiple long-term conditions. Data were collected between 2016 and 2018 in three UK general practices as part of a feasibility study. We analysed verbal and non-verbal actions for evidence of GP and patient framings of consultation activities and how this was consequential for setting goals. We identified three interactional patterns: GPs checking and reframing patientsâ understanding of the goal-setting consultation, GPs actively aligning with patientsâ framing of their goal, and patients passively and actively resisting GP framing of the patient goals. These reframing practices provided âtelling casesâ of goal-setting interactions, where doctors and patients need to negotiate each otherâs perspectives but also conflicting discourses of patient-centredness, population-based evidence for treating different chronic illnesses and conventional doctor-patient relations
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