Simulating Geobag Revement Failure Processes

An experimental and numerical study has been carried out to help develop design guidelines for the construction of low-cost river bank protection using geobags. Building upon previous work, a 1:10 scale model was tested in a laboratory flume, comparing two different construction methods (running bond and stack bond), subjected to three different water depths. It was found that whilst the failure pattern was highly dependent on water depth, the construction method had no noticeable impact, and it was concluded that the dominating factor is the friction between individual geobags, which itself is dependent on bag overlap rather than specific construction method. A simple Discrete Element Method (DEM) model was constructed using the LIGGGHTS open source software with drag and lift models applied to a multi sphere simulation of the laboratory model geobags. It was found that despite its simplicity this DEM model could reproduce the failure pattern of revetments very well, and thus has potential for future use in developing design guidelines aimed at the developing world

Outward FDI from Canada and its policy context

Canada was a major net importer of foreign direct investment (IFDI) prior to 1996. The stimulus for the surge in Canada's outward FDI (OFDI) came from profitable investment opportunities abroad. Canada has diversified significantly its OFDI away from the United States over the past 20 years. The financial crisis significantly affected Canada's FDI outflows, but OFDI seems to have rebounded in the second half of 2009. While Canadian investment has historically gone mainly to developed countries, recent changes in Government policies seem to suggest that Canada is looking to build closer ties with developing countries as well. Canada has a longstanding commitment to multilateral cooperation and actively supports the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework as a way to promote international trade and investment. At the same time, Canada continues actively to negotiate foreign investment promotion and protection agreements (FIPAs)

Inward FDI in Canada and its policy context

Canada has actively participated in the corporate globalization process and is a major importer of foreign direct investment (FDI). Canada's high levels of inward FDI (IFDI) over the past 25 years reflect its improved business climate, reduced restrictions on foreign ownership and a prospering economy. Like other developed economies, Canada experienced declining FDI inflows in 2008 and 2009, largely due to the dramatic fall in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and the global economic recession. The outlook for 2010 and beyond however is promising because of the expected economic expansion in Canada and other countries, and improved global financial markets. Moreover, the Canadian Government has sent strong signals to foreign investors that Canada is open for business by, among other things, lifting restrictions on previously protected sectors and increasing the financial thresholds for the review of foreign investments

Profile of Corporate Social Media Consumer Segments

The trade and academic literature is replete with commentary about the need for companies to develop promotional strategies and to adopt media platforms that are more engaging and conversational with customers than the traditional top-down company directed one-way communication strategies of the past (Thomas, Peters, Howell and Robbins, 2012; Foster, West and Francescucci 2011; Deighton and Kornfeld, 2009). This viewpoint is supported by Christodoulides (2008) who reported that many customers view information about a company or brand that they obtained from blogs, social networking sites and the like as being more relevant, believable and important to them in their interactions with the company than similar company provided information. Social media savvy customers are by all counts a highly diverse lot and reaching them effectively requires the use of different messages for different groups (Heo and Cho, 2009; Stern, Rao and Gould 1990). For example, some social media users follow a wide variety of posts and enjoy the benefits of special offers while others have mixed feelings about being marketed to on social media websites. Interestingly, this new brand of customer also expects businesses to really know them, their life cycles, their personalities and the goods and services that they desire (Beauchamp 2013)

FailSpace project

This research explores how cultural policy can better recognise, acknowledge and learn from failure. It posits that failures are largely overlooked in the dominant narratives about cultural participation policies and projects and argues that this absence reduces the capacity for learning and change. By moving beyond the tendency to make the ‘case for culture’ which is prevalent both in academic and policy documents, this research provides space for alternative voices to be heard. In doing so, the study disrupts the taken-for-granted assumptions upon which existing policy processes and practices are sustained and reproduced. It presents alternative stories of failure, with the intention to encourage new routes for future policy intervention intended to support cultural participation. The data includes interviews, workshops, and surveys with policy makers, cultural practitioners and participants

Laboratory Investigation of Geobag Revetment Performance in Rivers

Geobag (sand-filled geotextile bags) revetments have recently emerged as long-term riverbank protection measures in developing countries; however, their performance is still not well understood. The hydraulic stability of geobag revetments used for riverbank protection has been studied within an extensive laboratory programme to improve our understanding of the complete failure processes of geobag revetments. A 1:10 scale distorted physical model was tested in a laboratory flume, comparing a range of different construction methods and revetment side slopes, subjected to different flow loading. The results indicate that whilst failure mechanisms are highly dependent on water depth and revetment slope, the construction method had no noticeable impact. It was thus concluded that the dominating factor is the friction between individual geobags, which itself is dependent on bag longitudinal overlap rather than a specific construction method

A qualitative evaluation of the effect of a longitudinal dementia education programme on healthcare student knowledge and attitudes

Background and objectives There is a need to ensure that the future healthcare workforce has the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver high quality compassionate care to the increasing number of people with dementia. Our programme has been set up to address this challenge. In the programme, undergraduate healthcare students (nursing, medical and paramedic) visit a family (person with dementia and their carer) in pairs over a 2-year period. This qualitative study sought to understand the student experience of the programme. Methods Participants were undergraduate healthcare students who were undertaking our programme at two universities. We sampled for variation in the student participants in order to generate a framework for understanding the student experience of the programme. Students were invited to take part in the qualitative study, and written consent was obtained. Interviews and focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Thirty-nine (nursing, medical and paramedic) student participants took part in individual in-depth qualitative interviews and 38 took part in five focus groups. Four key themes were identified from the analysis; relational learning, insight and understanding, challenging attitudes and enhanced dementia practice. Discussion Student experience of our programme was shown to be positive. The relationship between the students and family was most impactful in supporting student learning, and the subsequent improvement in knowledge, attitudes and practice. Our model of undergraduate dementia education has applicability for other long-term conditions

Hydrodynamics of high-redshift galaxy collisions: From gas-rich disks to dispersion-dominated mergers and compact spheroids

Disk galaxies at high redshift (z~2) are characterized by high fractions of cold gas, strong turbulence, and giant star-forming clumps. Major mergers of disk galaxies at high redshift should then generally involve such turbulent clumpy disks. Merger simulations, however, model the ISM as a stable, homogeneous, and thermally pressurized medium. We present the first merger simulations with high fractions of cold, turbulent, and clumpy gas. We discuss the major new features of these models compared to models where the gas is artificially stabilized and warmed. Gas turbulence, which is already strong in high-redshift disks, is further enhanced in mergers. Some phases are dispersion-dominated, with most of the gas kinetic energy in the form of velocity dispersion and very chaotic velocity fields, unlike merger models using a thermally stabilized gas. These mergers can reach very high star formation rates, and have multi-component gas spectra consistent with SubMillimeter Galaxies. Major mergers with high fractions of cold turbulent gas are also characterized by highly dissipative gas collapse to the center of mass, with the stellar component following in a global contraction. The final galaxies are early-type with relatively small radii and high Sersic indices, like high-redshift compact spheroids. The mass fraction in a disk component that survives or re-forms after a merger is severely reduced compared to models with stabilized gas, and the formation of a massive disk component would require significant accretion of external baryons afterwards. Mergers thus appear to destroy extended disks even when the gas fraction is high, and this lends further support to smooth infall as the main formation mechanism for massive disk galaxies.Comment: ApJ accepte

A comparative study of the effect of the Time for Dementia programme on medical students

Background Traditional healthcare education typically focuses on short block clinical placements based on acute care, investigations, and technical aspects of diagnosis and treatment. It may therefore fail to build the understanding, compassion, and person‐centred empathy needed to help those with long‐term conditions, like dementia. Time for Dementia was developed to address this. Method Parallel group comparison of two cohorts of UK medical students from universities, one participating in Time for Dementia (intervention group) and one not (control group). In Time for Dementia students visit a person with dementia and their family in pairs for two hours three times a year for two years, the control group received their normal curriculum. Results In an adjusted multilevel model of data (intervention group n=274, control n=112), there was strong evidence supporting improvements for Time for Dementia participants in: total Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire score (coefficient 2.19, p=0.003), and its person‐centredness subscale (1.32, p=0.006), and weaker evidence in its hopefulness subscale (0.78, p=0.070); Dementia Knowledge Questionnaire score (1.63, p<0.001); and Dementia Attitudes Scale (total score 6.55, p<0.001; social comfort subscale 4.15, p<0.001; dementia knowledge subscale 3.38, p=0.001) scores. No differences were observed on the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale, the Medical Condition Regard Scale, or the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Discussion Time for Dementia may help improve the attitudes of medical students towards dementia promoting a person‐centred approach and increasing social comfort. Such patient‐focused programmes may be a useful complement to traditional medical education