ECONOMIC LINKAGES WITHIN THE RURAL ECONOMY: THE CASE OF PRODUCER SERVICES

Merged with duplicate record: 10026.1/1615 on 01.02.2017 by CS (TIS)This research seeks to contribute towards the understanding of economic linkage within the rural context by exploring the relationship between rurally located small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their purchase of producer (business) services. In addition, the work considers other inter-rural and intra-rural differences, in both firm (SME) behaviour and firm characteristics. Whilst the subject of linkages has been explored by other researchers, the market town and SME focus of this thesis provides a more spatially contained framework than is often encountered within this type of research. By using four towns of similar size and structure contained within two noticeably different counties, the work is able to explore difference within the rural setting. Given its emphasis on market towns, rural areas, SMEs, the service sector and indigenous growth potential, the work contributes to current debates in both academia and in national and European government policy. The underlying hypothesis is that integration, in terms of local spending on producer services, is a function of a firm's characteristics. In order to test this hypothesis, data was collected from four rural towns, and a logistic regression model was constructed using variables that described both firms' characteristics and proportion of spend on services in their resident town. The model was then tested using data collected firom a further two towns. This thesis shows that there is a relationship between a firm's characteristics and the location of the firm's producer service spending, enhancing our understanding of firms operating within the rural context. Key characteristic variables that are shown to have a relationship with producer service spend location are: firm Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), size (in terms of total sales, total number of hours worked by all staff), total spend on producer services by firm and distance that the current location is from the firm's previous location. Given the changing role and nature of rural firms, this research provides timely information concerning the relationship between firms and service providers

The Application of Boundary Layer Climatology and Urban Wind Power Potential in Smarter Electricity Networks

Smart electricity networks that address energy demand, efficiency and sustainability concerns are predicated on the ability to capture renewable energy in a controllable manner. Such networks will have a particular role in cities, where increasing demand is inevitable but this requires that primary (renewable) energy resources, including that of wind, is better understood. In this paper, the role of wind energy systems, as integral components of a smarter urban electricity network, is considered using a model of the urban wind resourcein Dublin, Ireland that is based on boundary layer theory and meteorological observations. This model is used in conjunction with an electricity network model to investigate the implications of wind energy contributions for the delivery of electricity. The available wind resource in a city is estimated from wind observations at a conventional meteorological station located at Dublin Airport, outside the city. These observations are used to estimate the parameters of the logarithmic wind profile and establish a wind value at a height well above the roughness effects of the urban surface. This value is then employed to estimate wind speed within the inertial sub-layer of the urban boundary layer (UBL). The model is tested at two sites in Dublin: a suburban site with relatively low buildings and mature vegetation and a city centre site with taller buildings and little vegetation. At each site wind-speed and direction is recorded at a level that is approximately 1.5 times the average height of surrounding buildings using a three-dimensional sonic anemometer. The results indicate that in urban environments, there is a viable wind resource at heights 1.5-2 times the average building height and that estimates based on an understanding of the urban surface roughness can produce good estimates. This suggests that mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the city can provide insight into the potential wind resource across the urban area and the positioning of wind turbines to create a distributed generation (DG) system. Integrating a DG system into an electricity distribution network is not straightforward as it must account for bidirection power flow and variability in voltage. Bidirectional power flow and in particular reverse power flow from the DG has the effect of causing the network voltage to rise. To investigate the implications of such a system for consumers connected to a DG system, a typical mean year of the urban wind resource is used to model power flow for a section Dublin suburban electricity network. The results suggest significant amounts of electricity derived from wind energy can be accommodated. From a smart network perspective, this type of holistic analysis is required if wind energy is to contribute significantly to meeting energy demand

Predictors of tonsillectomy after previous adenoidectomy for upper airway obstruction [abstract]

One of the main indications for adenotonsillectomy in children is upper airway obstruction, including obstructive sleep apnea. Previous research has suggested an increased risk for requiring subsequent tonsillectomy when adenoidectomy alone is performed for upper airway obstruction. The purpose of this study is to further characterize potential risk factors for subsequent tonsillectomy in pediatric patients undergoing adenoidectomy for upper airway obstruction

Estimating the Wind Resource in an Urban Area: a Case Study of Micro Wind Generation Potential in Dublin, Ireland

The micro-turbine wind market in cities faces significant challenges due to the complexities associated with the urban terrain but, if a renewable solution to increasing energy demand is to be achieved, energy conversion systems where populations are concentrated, that is cities, must be considered. This research evaluates the urban wind resource by employing a physically-based empirical model to link wind observations at a conventional meteorological site to those acquired at urban sites. The approach is based on urban climate research that has examined the effects of varying surface roughness on the wind-field between and above buildings. Here, this is applied to link observations at Dublin Airport, outside the urban area, to those made at an urban and sub-urban site in Dublin where instruments were placed near roof-level and well above roof height. The log model to describe the vertical wind profile is tested against observations made over the course of a year. It is shown to have sufficient accuracy to assess the potential for micro–turbine energy generation in cities and illustrates that the urban wind resource can be evaluated from measurements made at a nearby site, adjusted for the urban site location