Measuring wider economic benefits of transport: A case study in good practice for indicator

This deliverable reports on the application of this methodology to new indicators that might be applied to capture the impacts of transport on productivity and competitiveness which, in recent years, have moved further up the policy agenda with the production of the Eddington Report (2006) and the notion that transport interventions have a major role in shaping the evolution of our cities and their productivity and competitiveness. The evaluation shows the value of understanding the relationships between the intermediate transport outcomes that can be measured (e.g. generalised cost) and the end outcomes that these are expected to influence (e.g. productivity). In this instance the evidence base for the relationship between transport and productivity is still comparatively new and what is available suggests that most local transport initiatives will have very limited impact on productivity. Further understanding will need to be developed, probably through major scheme development examples, before the added value of monitoring any related indicators could be assured. Productivity and competitiveness are just two examples of areas in which new indicators might be developed. We see wider possibilities for the application of the methods described in this report and we would encourage their application in generating a cost-effective and credible monitoring programme. Whilst there appears little value in a local authority leading in productivity measurement, more generally there will always be risks and costs involved in the adoption of new indicators. There appears to be a strong case for central government pilots of indicators which appear to have promise so that the circumstances for their effective adoption can be identified

The Changing Effects on Domestic Energy Expenditure from Housing Characteristics and the Recent Rapid Energy Price Movements

The report looks at how dwelling types and lifestyle can affect energy expenditure reveals that those renting in the private sector pay on average £31 more every year than homeowners and £90 more than tenants living in social housing. Those who own their own property are more likely to effectively insulate and modernise heating facilities than private landlords, and consequentially see a direct impact on their energy use and spend. However, a lack of incentives for private landlords to insulate their rental properties and update heating equipment is thought to result in higher bills for their tenants

Expectation adjustment in the housing market: insights from the Scottish auction system

This paper examines price expectation adjustment of house buyers and sellers to rapid changes in the housing market using data from Scotland where houses are sold through 'first-price sealed-bid' auctions. These auctions provide more information on market signals, incentives and the behaviour of market participants than private treaty sales. This paper therefore provides a theoretical framework for analysing revealed preference data generated from these auctions. We specifically focus on the analysis of the selling to asking price difference, the 'bid-premium'. The bid-premium is shown to be affected by expectations of future price movements, market duration and high bidding frequency. The bid-premium reflects consumers' expectations, adapting to market conditions more promptly than asking price setting behaviour and final sale prices. The volatile conditions of the recent housing market bubble are fully reflected in the bid-premium, whereas the asking and sale prices are much less prone to rapid movements

Performance Analysis of Coherent and Noncoherent Modulation under I/Q Imbalance

In-phase/quadrature-phase Imbalance (IQI) is considered a major performance-limiting impairment in direct-conversion transceivers. Its effects become even more pronounced at higher carrier frequencies such as the millimeter-wave frequency bands being considered for 5G systems. In this paper, we quantify the effects of IQI on the performance of different modulation schemes under multipath fading channels. This is realized by developing a general framework for the symbol error rate (SER) analysis of coherent phase shift keying, noncoherent differential phase shift keying and noncoherent frequency shift keying under IQI effects. In this context, the moment generating function of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio is first derived for both single-carrier and multi-carrier systems suffering from transmitter (TX) IQI only, receiver (RX) IQI only and joint TX/RX IQI. Capitalizing on this, we derive analytic expressions for the SER of the different modulation schemes. These expressions are corroborated by comparisons with corresponding results from computer simulations and they provide insights into the dependence of IQI on the system parameters. We demonstrate that the effects of IQI differ considerably depending on the considered system as some cases of single-carrier transmission appear robust to IQI, whereas multi-carrier systems experiencing IQI at the RX require compensation in order to achieve a reliable communication link

Meta-analysis: A practical decision making tool for surgeons

AbstractBackgroundThe exponential rise in published medical research on a yearly basis demands a method to summarise best evidence towards its application to patient care in clinical practice. A robust meta-analysis is a valid tool. It is often considered to be a simple process of pooling results from different studies. This is not true. It appears that surgeons lack a reference guide to help them conduct and appraise a meta-analysis.MethodsThis paper provides a structural framework to perform a meta-analysis. It guides the surgeon on a journey from identification of the correct clinical question to data analysis and through to producing a structured report. Statistical methods are discussed briefly as most commercial software calculates most results in the background. An example of a recent meta-analysis is given. However, important caveats are mentioned as there are limitations of the meta-analytical technique.ConclusionWhereas meta-analyses of homogeneous studies are the highest form of evidence, poorly conducted meta-analyses create confusion and serve to harm the patient. Surgeons practising their art in an era of evidence-based surgery need to understand the principles of meta-analyses

Разработка информа-ционно-измерительного комплекса для учета расхода воды в многоквартирном доме

Объектом исследования является информационно-измерительный комплекс для учета расхода воды в многоквартирном доме. Цель работы – разработать автоматизированную систему учета расхода воды в многоквартирном доме, с передачей данных на центральный сервер. В процессе исследования проводился сбор данных, систематизация и анализ информации по теме данного дипломного проекта, проектирование автоматизированной системы. В результате исследования был разработан информационно-измерительный комплекс для учета расхода воды в многоквартирном доме. Разработана структурная и принципиальная схемы этажного регистратора, а так же печатная плата. Область применения: учет расхода холодной и горячей воды бытовых потребителей.The object of research is information-measuring system for flow metering in apartment buildings. Purpose - to develop an automated water metering system in an apartment building, with the transfer of data to a central server. The study was conducted to collect data, organize and analyze information on the subject of the degree project, the design of the automated system. The study was designed information-measuring system for flow metering in apartment buildings. The structural and principal schemes storey registrar, as well as a printed circuit board. Scope: Accounting consumption of cold and hot water residential customers

World Class Sustainable Supply Chain Management: critical review and further research directions

Purpose Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has attracted considerable interest among academics and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of the literature, to identify missing links, to argue for the use of world class SSCM (WCSSCM) through a framework, and suggest further research directions. Design/methodology/approach In the paper the authors have undertaken an extensive review of literature and classified articles using a novel classification scheme. Findings Through the extensive review and identification of research gaps, the paper identifies significant differences between definitions and methodologies in the SSCM literature; and argues for “WCSSCM.” This term is elaborated on via a theoretical framework in which 18 dimensions are classified under six constructs of SSCM. Furthermore, a list of potential research directions for WCSSCM is discussed. Research limitations/implications The research is an attempt to critically review literature, argue for WCSSCM, and develop a theoretical framework. Originality/value The paper offers a new approach to SSCM literature, arguing for WCSSCM through a framework, and providing further research directions

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and sepsis: a systematic review

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is characterized by a systolic dysfunction localized in the apical and medial aspect of the left ventricle. It is usually related to physical or emotional stress. Recent evidence highlighting the role of infection led us to analyze the links between TTC and sepsis. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to assess any trends in clinical findings, diagnosis, and outcomes in such patients. We identified 23 selected papers reporting a total of 26 patients, having sepsis, in whom TTC occurred. For each case, we collected data identifying population characteristics, source of sepsis, clinical disease description, and the results of cardiovascular investigations. The majority of patients were females (n = 16), mean age was 62.8 (14.0 standard deviation) years, and clinical outcome was favorable in 92.3% of the cases once the management of sepsis was initiated. A better understanding of the mechanisms of sepsis-associated TTC may generate novel strategies to treat the complications of this cardiomyopathy and may even help predict and prevent its occurrence