The impact of social housing developments on nearby property prices: A Nelson Mandela Bay Case Study

Social housing projects often face substantial “Not-in-my-backyard†(NIMBY) sentiment and as a result are frequently plagued by local opposition from communities who argue that nearby property prices will be affected adversely by these developments. International hedonic pricing studies conducted have, however, produced mixed results with some concluding that social housing developments may in fact lead to an improvement in surrounding property values. There is, however, a paucity of South African evidence. This study considers the validity of the most pervasive NIMBY argument, the claim that social housing developments negatively affect nearby property values, by considering the property prices of 170 single-family homes in the Walmer neighbourhood, Nelson Mandela Bay, as a function of their proximity to an existing low-cost housing development. The results of this study indicate that in the case of one Nelson Mandela Bay low-cost housing development, a negative impact is exerted on the property values of nearby houses.

Measuring the indirect costs associated with the establishment of a wind farm: An application of the Contingent Valuation Method

Although a green energy source, the location of electrical generating windmills may cause a disamenity effect (negative externality). The establishment of a wind farm is known as a locally undesirable land use (LULU) and leads to the not-in-my-backyard syndrome (NIMBY). In an application of the contingent valuation method, a willingness-to-accept framework was used to estimate the aggregate annual compensation required to allow the construction of a wind farm near Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. This compensation amounted to R490 695. A binary choice logit analysis found that retirement status, concern about climate change, concern about view-shed impacts and the offer amount are important predictors of voting for or against the project.Contingent Valuation Method, indirect cost, wind farm

Studying young recipients of alcohol marketing : Two research paradigms and their possible consolidation

Peer reviewe

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Upper limb robot-assisted therapy in chronic and subacute stroke patients: a kinematic analysis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare motor recovery in subacute and chronic stroke patients through clinical assessment scales and a set of kinematic parameters recorded using a robotic system. DESIGN: Fifty post-stroke patients, 25 subacute and 25 chronic, and 20 healthy subjects participated in this study. The InMotion 2.0 robotic system for shoulder/elbow rehabilitation was used. Clinical outcome measures were used for assessment. Kinematic parameters related to the speed measured at the robot's end effector and to the movement's smoothness were computed. RESULTS: The results of this study show that the robot-assisted training can contribute to reduce motor impairment in both subacute and chronic stroke patients. The evaluation of the kinematic parameters and their correlation with the clinical scales highlight some differences in mechanisms of recovery in subacute and chronic stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed set of kinematic parameters and the analysis of the reaching movements' onset time, associated with a quantitative evaluation of motor improvement provided by the clinical outcome measures, are also able to quantify the changes in the quality of motion obtained after robot-assisted therapy in stroke patients. The higher gain in the subacute stroke patients suggests that the rehabilitative treatment provided at an earlier stage is able to avoid the development of pathologic patterns, resulting in a better quality of motion

Upper limb robot-assisted therapy in chronic and subacute stroke patients: a kinematic analysis

The goal of this study is to analyse different effects of upper limb robot-assisted rehabilitation treatment in subacute and chronic stroke subjects through a set of kinematic parameters. Fifty stroke patients, 25 subacute and 25 chronic, and 20 healthy subjects participated in the study. A robotic system for the upper limb rehabilitation was used. Clinical scales were used for assessment. Kinematic parameters were computed. Outcome clinical measures show a decrease in motor impairment after the treatment both in subacute and chronic patients. The kinematic parameters show an improvement between admission and discharge in both groups, though the gain in subacute patients is higher. Our results show that the robot-assisted training can lead to a significant reduction of motor impairment in subacute and chronic stroke patients: clinical outcome measures and kinematic parameters demonstrate this improvement

Thinking and managing outside the box: coalescing connectivity networks to build region-wide resilience in coral reef ecosystems

As the science of connectivity evolves, so too must the management of coral reefs. It is now clear that the spatial scale of disturbances to coral reef ecosystems is larger and the scale of larval connectivity is smaller than previously thought. This poses a challenge to the current focus of coral reef management, which often centers on the establishment of no-take reserves (NTRs) that in practice are often too small, scattered, or have low stakeholder compliance. Fished species are generally larger and more abundant in protected reserves, where their reproductive potential is often greater, yet documented demographic benefits of these reproductive gains outside reserves are modest at best. Small reproductive populations and limited dispersal of larvae play a role, as does the diminished receptivity to settling larvae of degraded habitats that can limit recruitment by more than 50%. For “demographic connectivity” to contribute to the resilience of coral reefs, it must function beyond the box of no-take reserves. Specifically, it must improve nursery habitats on or near reefs and enhance the reproductive output of ecologically important species throughout coral reef ecosystems. Special protection of ecologically important species (e.g., some herbivores in the Caribbean) and size-regulated fisheries that capitalize on the benefits of NTRs and maintain critical ecological functions are examples of measures that coalesce marine reserve effects and improve the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Important too is the necessity of local involvement in the management process so that social costs and benefits are properly assessed, compliance increased and success stories accrued

Preserving Reef Connectivity: a Handbook for Marine Protected Area Managers

The decline of the coastal ocean and why this handbook exists:\ud \ud The coastal ocean environment provides enormous value in fishery and other products, as well as ecosystem services like coastal protection, water purification, and locations for ports, harbors, urban centers, tourist destinations, and numerous recreational pursuits. Coastal environments can also cleanse the soul, stimulate the mind, and restore the body. But 40% of all people live within 50 km of a coast, and our enthusiasm for coastal living is creating ever more environmental damage.\ud \ud Unfortunately, current management practices in most coastal regions are ineffective, and to continue them will endanger the coastal economies and ecosystems that support over one half of the world’s population. The trend for coastal ocean ecosystems over recent decades has been one of progressive decline in the face of growing human population, rising demand for coastal resources, and increasing use of the coastal environment. Today, climate change is adding to the\ud pressures on the coastal environment, further stressing ecosystems there.\ud \ud The decline of coastal environments has become a particularly significant problem for many tropical countries with coral reefs. In these areas, reefs often contribute to the major component of GDP because of their importance to tourism and fisheries. They also provide an important protein food source and help support a traditional way of life for coastal peoples.\ud \ud This handbook tackles one specific concern when contemplating effective management of coastal marine environments – the issue of connectivity. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have become an important management tool, particularly in tropical regions, and connectivity is an important consideration in the effective design of MPAs and MPA networks. Connectivity issues are also\ud involved in most other aspects of coastal management for two reasons: first, water moves and transports items such as sediments, nutrients and pollutants considerable distances; and second, most marine organisms also move within the water stream, transporting themselves between\ud places. Our goal is to assist MPA managers and others in understanding and applying the concept of connectivity in their work. In this way, we hope to help managers strengthen their ability to tackle the challenging task of sustaining coastal marine environments. This would help protect fisheries and other goods and services they provide

Preserving Reef Connectivity: A Handbook for Marine Protected Area Managers. Connectivity Working Group, Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program, UNU-INWEH: Connectivity Working Group, Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program, UNU-INWEH

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