The effect of public understanding on kerbside recycling scheme performance

Kerbside recycling performance depends on a combination of factors including scheme design, operation, householder participation and the quality of that participation. The level of public understanding of what kerbside recycling schemes expect from them can have a significant effect on the quality of participation and on overall scheme performance. This is because even when participation rates are high, scheme performance can be reduced by poor separation efficiency of targeted materials and the putting out of non-targeted materials for collection. This paper examines research conducted in two regional recycling initiatives within the UK which demonstrate the need for measurement of public understanding and awareness to be taken into account along side other aspects of scheme performance. Only when attitudinal data are fully integrated with observational measures of participation and scheme yield can scheme improvements and promotional activity be effectively planned

Gradualism and Irreversibility.

This paper considers a class of two-player dynamic games in which each player controls a one-dimensional variable which we interpret as a level of cooperation. In the base model, there is an irreversibility constraint stating that this variable can never be reduced, only increased. It otherwise satisfies the usual discounted repeated game assumptions.GAMES ; PUBLIC GOODS ; COOPERATION

Reputation and commitment in two-person repeated games

Game Theory;Repeated Games

Maximizing the Strength of Fused-Deposition ABS Plastic Parts

Fused-Deposition (FD) creates parts using robotic extrusion of set.D.i-liquid .polymer fiber, which molecularly bonds with neighboring fibers via thermal-dlffuslo.n bonding. T~e strength ofthe. part depends on the bulk polymer strength, themesostructure ~flber layout, vOid geom~try, extent of fiber bonding), and thefiber-t~-fiber ~ond strength. The ~nfluence of these factors on the mechanical strength of FD-ABS.plasttc parts IS reported.along with the.FD process variable settingsfor maximum strength. Substantial increases in transverse strength are achieved at the optirnal settings and additional increases can be achieved by post..fabrication annealing. Keywords: Stratasys, fused-deposition, ABSplastic, functional parts, strength, mesostructure, polymer diffusion.Mechanical Engineerin

Nurses' views of using computerized decision support software in NHS Direct

Background. Nurses working in NHS Direct, the 24-hour telephone advice line in England, use computerized decision support software to recommend to callers the most appropriate service to contact, or to advise on self-care. Aims. To explore nurses' views of their roles and the computerized decision support software in NHS Direct. Methods. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 24 NHS Direct nurses in 12 sites. Findings. Nurses described both the software and themselves as essential to the clinical decision-making process. The software acted as safety net, provider of consistency, and provider of script, and was relied upon more when nurses did not have clinical knowledge relevant to the call. The nurse handled problems not covered by the software, probed patients for the appropriate information to enter into the software, and interpreted software recommendations in the light of contextual information which the software was unable to use. Nurses described a dual process of decision-making, with the nurse as active decision maker looking for consensus with the software recommendation and ready to override recommendations made by the software if necessary. However, nurses' accounts of the software as a guide, prompt or support did not fully acknowledge the power of the software, which they are required to use, and the recommendation of which they are required to follow under some management policies. Over time, the influence of nurse and software merges as nurses internalize the software script as their own knowledge, and navigate the software to produce recommendations that they feel are most appropriate. Conclusions. The nurse and the software have distinct roles in NHS Direct, although the effect of each on the clinical decision-making process may be difficult to determine in practice

A diachronic semantic classification of the English religious lexis

Summary available: p.