Unemployment benefits

This report summarizes key aspects of unemployment benefit schemes across the world and presents information on their characteristics in a cross-country comparative context. Unemployment benefit schemes can be of insurance type (paid from employer/worker contributions to provide insurance against"the risk of becoming unemployed") or assistance type (means tested paid to the unemployed poor). Their characteristics include coverage, eligibility conditions, source of funds, and benefit levels and administration. These characteristics differ not only across economies but also over time in the same country as governments strive to tune unemployment policies to macro and labor conditions. Therefore, the reader should consider the information in this report as approximately correct at the time of publishing and should refer to the indicated sources for greater reliability.Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Insurance&Risk Mitigation,Insurance Law,Banks&Banking Reform

Family allowances

This paper summarizes key aspects of family allowances programs across the world and presents information on their characteristics in a cross-country comparative context. Family allowances can be universal (paid to all resident families with a specified number of children) or employment-based (whereby workers receive additional pay depending on the size/composition of their family). Their characteristics include eligibility conditions, source of funds, benefit levels, and administration. These characteristics differ not only across economies but also over time in the same country as governments strive to tune unemployment policies to macroeconomic and labor conditions.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Youth and Governance,Gender and Law,Street Children,Population&Development

Practice-centred approach to research in design

This paper gives an overview of practice-centred research programmes at Sheffield Hallam University and discusses the principles behind practice-centred research, its place in the Design School, its effect on the regional economy and the community and the resources and methods employed. Implications for research degrees are discussed and developments in the form of the PhD are described.</p

The change in children’s and adolescents’ physical activity levels and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related lockdowns and restrictions took away children’s primary source of structure, routine and physical activity, creating an environment that encouraged sedentary behaviour. The aim of the study was to determine the change in children’s and adolescents’ physical activity and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: 4,885 children aged 8-18 years old living in Wales answered an online questionnaire over the course of four time-points (January 2021 to March 2022). At each time-point, a sub-sample of 800 participants was randomly selected stratified by age, sex, and socio-economic status to wear an Axivity AX3 accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Linear mixed models were used to assess the influence of PA metrics, time-point, age group, sex, socioeconomic status and well-being. Results: All PA metrics significantly increased (MVPA β=20.83, 95% CI:14.18-27.47, P<0.001; LPA β=41.81 CI:26.11-57.50 P<0.001) and sedentary time (β=-73.78, 95% CI:-113.48—34.08 p<0.05) decreased after lockdown (first time-point) whilst well-being significantly increased at the second (2.05 ± 0.72; p=0.005) and third time-point (4.89 ± 1.80; p= 0.007). There was no significant sex difference in moderate-to-vigorous PA during lockdown (p=0.327) but at all other time points boys engaged in significantly more MVPA than their female counterparts (2nd time-point 24.33, p<0.001; 3rd time-point 23.25, p<0.001; 4th time-point 17.66, p<0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between well-being and MVPA across all time-points (β=0.28; 95% CI:0.01-0.49; p=0.008). Conclusion: Despite boys and primary school children having the greatest change in their MVPA during the period of COVID-19 restrictions, girls and secondary school children’s PA levels remained concerningly low. As with prior to the COVID-19 pandemic girls and secondary school children should be targeted with interventions to increase their PA levels

Knowledge and the artefact

This paper discusses ways that knowledge may be found in or through artefacts. One purpose is to suggest situations where artefacts might be central to a narrative, rather than secondary to a text. A second purpose is to suggest ways that design and production of artefacts might be instrumental in eliciting knowledge. Four general situations are proposed: (1) Simple Forms - an artefact demonstrates or describes a principle or technique. (2) Communication of Process - artefacts arising from a process make the process explicit. (3) Artefacts Within the Research - artefacts are instrumental in advancing the research by communicating ideas or information. (4) Knowledge Elicited by Artefacts - artefacts provide a stimulus or context which enables information to be uncovered. .</p

Charles E. Corker—A Friendly Tribute

Upon his retirement from the Law Faculty in 1987, Charles E. Corker completed a distinguished career as scholar, teacher, and practitioner of the law. Having been blessed to know Charley Corker for over thirty years, I welcome the chance to record why so many of us appreciate him. [Includes a selected bibliography of Professor Corker\u27s publications.

Dedication to Harry M. Cross

The decision of the Board of Editors of the Review to dedicate this issue to Professor Harry M. Cross is commendable. He richly deserves recognition and fond tribute for his contributions to the Law School, the University, and the community

Fabrication error Indexed eXamples and Solutions: FIXS

The major goal of the Regional/National Bridge Fabrication Error Expert System research project is to develop a sharable and well reasoned bridge fabrication error repair database which can be used by several state: DOTs within a geographical,. region. This report focuses on the enhancement of the knowledge base and improvement of the system performance based on the initial work of Fabrication error Indexed examples and Solutions (FIXS). FIXS is a knowledge-based system in the domain of steel bridge fabrication errors using both rule-based reasoning and casebased reasoning. To expand the knowledge base to cover errors experienced by multiple DOTs and to improve the system effectiveness, 38 new cases were solicited from the North Central States Consortium and the Repair Database Task Group of the AASHTONSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration. The new cases, along with the existing 120 rule solutions and 112 case solutions in the knowledge base, were reviewed by the Task Group members. The sketches and instructions summarized from actual cases and the comments obtained from the Task Group members were implemented in the ,, software to provide graphical and instructive information for case solutions. In addition, generic problems and corrections were also collected and implemented in the software as a tutorial tool for common fabrication errors. To improve the accuracy of similar case retrieval, the case-based reasoning shell SCBR was revised by introducing continuous feature evaluation for numeric features, replacing the simple match approach in the first version of FIXS. The explanation facility was also improved

Torsion of Exterior Girders of a Steel Girder Bridge During Concrete Deck Placement Loads: Field Test Report

This report is the second part of a two part report. The first part is written and developed as a design aid to determine the torsion acting on outside steel bridge girders during concrete deck placement. This second part reports results of measurements taken from two bridges. The first bridge is located at K-10 highway over I-70 between Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas. The second bridge is located on southbound I-635 highway over Swartz Road in Kansas City, Kansas. During bridge construction, deck overhang loads occur on steel plate or rolled beam girders and are supported by cantilever brackets. In addition to supporting the weight of the placement screed, these brackets must also support the weight of the additional construction loads. The vertical loads applied on the deck are eccentric and generate large torsional moments at the intervals between cross bracing. The result of this loading effect is torsional moments that generate a combination of longitudinal stresses and loads from the cantilever brackets. Strain gages were installed on the Swartz Road bridge to measure these overhang loads. A "Multiframe 4D" computer model was made to compare the results measured in the field, with AISC recommendations, and with TAEG ( Torsional Analysis of Exterior Girders) results. The screed loads measured from the static load runs and analytical model were based on the locations of bogey and gang vibrators. In the analytical model, the loads were moved across the beam at quarter points beginning at midspan, then tabulated and plotted alongside the field results. After all of the moments representing the various load cases were compiled, an influence diagram was constructed from the loads measured in the field and the analytical model. Loads were analyzed for two cases using the AISC method outlined in the "Design for Concrete Overhang Loads". The first load case represented the static field test while the second represented the results measured the day of concrete placement. The same wheel loading for the analytical model was used for the AISC calculations. In some instances, the strains measured on the Swartz Road bridge were small. In these situations it can be difficult to guarantee the sensitivity and output of gage readings, however, the major axis moments measured on the Swartz Road bridge during static load testing were almost identical to the moments calculated with the Multiframe analysis. This shows that the loads that were used and how they were distributed in the Multiframe analysis were close to actual field conditions. This also shows consistent. and accurate behavior of the strain gages. No significant differences were found with the moments measured from the static load runs where blocking had been removed. More blocking had been provided than what was needed on the Swartz Road bridge, however, when concrete and live loads are added, the change in load response should be greater. Surveying prisms were used to measure deflections during the load tests. The recorded and predicted maximum vertical deflections on the Swartz Road bridge were consistently ~lose for all load runs. Horizontal deflections were not observed at any location. The Multiframe model used to calculate torsional bending did match closely with the moments measured in the field at midpoint between stiffeners but varied greatly between measured and analytical results for endpoint locations. The computer model used to calculate torsional bending did not match as closely with the moments measured in the field. The difference between measured and analytical results varied for maximum values but was in relative agreement for the trends of the moments. Most of the differences can be attributed to the lateral stiffness provided by a combination of deck formwork and a portion of concrete deck in place in the Northbound lanes. Unfortunately, the loose play of the form work connections to the girder makes the lateral stiffness difficult to measure. Some of the differences in the torsional moments that were calculated using the Multiframe model and the TAEG program can be attributed to some basic model assumptions. The Multiframe analysis was based on a non-prismatic girder section that was continuous over diaphragm locations. The T AEG program assumes a three span, prismatic member. A comparison of torsional moments calculated by T AEG show a large difference in results from field measurements, the torsional model, and AISC calculations. In some cases the differences are small and in others they are significant. For the static field tests and the Multiframe torsion models, the trends show close similarity, however the maximum loads for all locations do vary. The TAEG program was always conservative in comparison to the field results and the multiframe model. Since the T AEG program is intended to be used as an in-house design aid, this conservative approach is regarded as positive