The Meaning of Collective Terrorist Threat: Understanding the Subjective Causes of Terrorism Reduces Its Negative Psychological Impact

This article hypothesized that the possibility to construct intellectual meaning of a terrorist attack (i.e., whether participants can cognitively understand why the perpetrators did their crime) reduces the negative psychological consequences typically associated with increased terrorist threat. Concretely, the authors investigated the effect of intellectual meaning (induced by providing additional information about potential economic, cultural, and historical reasons for the terrorist attack) on perceived terrorist threat and associated emotional well-being. Study 1 revealed that pictures of terrorist attacks elicited less experienced terrorist threat when they were presented with background information about the terrorists’ motives (meaning provided) rather than without additional background information (no meaning provided). Study 2 replicated this effect with a different manipulation of terrorist threat (i.e., newspaper article) and clarified the underlying psychological process: Participants in the high terror salience condition with meaning provided experienced less terrorist threat and thus more emotional well-being in the face of crisis than participants in the high terror salience condition without meaning provided. Theoretical and practical implications in the context of psychological health and mass media effects are discussed

Creating stakeholder awareness in construction logistics by means of the MAMCA

The temporariness of construction supply chains, in combination with the multiplicity of stakeholders complicates the organization of construction logistics. The problem for cities today is not the construction materials’ transports as such, it is how to ensure accessibility and mobility for stakeholders during the construction time. In general, there is no tradition of including different stakeholder perspectives when evaluating construction logistics setups. However, in other urban freight transport applications, multi-stakeholder dialogues are more common, and one methodology suggested and used as a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method is the Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis (MAMCA). In this paper we develop a customized methodology for applying MAMCA in a construction logistics context, gradually refining the methodology along five cases in three different countries. We show how MAMCA must be adapted to fit the construction context. The main differences are: (1) predefined construction logistics alternatives, (2) predefined actors and criteria groups, and (3) the possibility of using the method in role play to create awareness of stakeholder views in homogenous groups. The methodology proved to be valuable for (1) identifying relevant stakeholders and their criteria, (2) identifying and understanding stakeholders’ preferences regarding construction logistics, and (3) creating awareness of the need to initiate construction logistics in a project. Furthermore, it showed the need to clarify whom is to take responsibility for initiating the use of construction logistics setups

Evaluation of NOx-Reduction Measures for Iron-Ore Rotary Kilns

The grate-kiln process is employed for sintering and oxidation of iron-ore pellets. In this process, a fuel (typically coal) is combusted with a large amount of excess air in a rotary kiln, and the high air-to-fuel ratio leads to significant NOx\ua0formation. The current Article is an assessment of NOx\ua0reduction measures that have been tested in pilot-scale and in full-scale by the Swedish iron-ore company Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag (LKAB). The results show that the scaling between the full-scale kiln and the pilot-scale kiln is crucial, and several primary measures that reduce NOx\ua0significantly in pilot-scale achieve negligible reduction in full-scale. In the investigated full-scale kiln, thermal NOx\ua0formation is efficiently suppressed and low compared with the NO formation from the fuel-bound nitrogen (especially char-bound nitrogen). Suppressing the NO formation from the char-bound nitrogen is difficult due to the high amounts of excess air, and all measures tested to alter mixing patterns have shown limited effect. Switching to a fuel with a lower nitrogen content is efficient and probably necessary to achieve low NOx\ua0emissions without secondary measures. Simulations show that replacing the reference coal with a biomass that contains 0.1% nitrogen can reduce NOx\ua0emissions by 90%

Ultrasensitive fluorescence-based methods for nucleic acid detection: towards amplification-free genetic analysis

Real time PCR is the mainstay of current nucleic acid assays, underpinning applications in forensic science, point-of-care diagnostics and detection of bioterrorism agents. Despite its broad utility, the search for new tests continues, inspired by second and third generation DNA sequencing technologies and fuelled by progress in single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, nanotechnology and microfabrication. These new methods promise the direct detection of nucleic acids without the need for enzymatic amplification. In this feature article, we provide a chemist's perspective on this multidisciplinary area, introducing the concepts of single molecule detection then focussing on the selection of labels and probe chemistry suitable for generating a signal detectable by ultrasensitive fluorescence spectroscopy. Finally, we discuss the further developments that are required to incorporate these detection platforms into integrated ‘sample-in-answer-out’ instruments, capable of detecting many target sequences in a matter of minute

Smart Construction logistics

The growth in urban population and economic upturn is leading to higher demand for construction, repair and renovation works in cities. Houses, public utilities, retail spaces, offices and infrastructure need to adapt to cope with the increasing number of residents and visitors, urban functions and changing standards. Construction projects contribute to more attractive, sustainable and economically viable urban areas once they are finished. However, transport activities related to construction works have negative impacts on the surrounding community if not handled appropriately. It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of heavy goods vehicles in cities are related to construction, and 30 to 40 percent of light commercial vans [1]. In the cities studied in the CIVIC project, construction-related transport was found to be one of the biggest challenges to improving sustainability. Smarter, cleaner and safer construction logistics solutions in urban areas are needed for environmental, societal and economic reasons. However, in many European cities and metropolitan areas the sense of urgency is not evident or a lack of knowledge is creating passivity. The goal of the CIVIC project is to facilitate and support efficient, sustainable and broadly endorsed transport to, from and around urban construction sites that minimises disruption in the surrounding community, improves construction productivity and optimises energy efficiency. The CIVIC project found that the impact of construction works on mobility and livability of a city was only a very limited part of the urban planning in the cities studied: Amsterdam, Vienna, Brussels, Stockholm and Gothenburg. The studied cities focused on large-scale infrastructure projects such as building motorways, railway stations and underground train systems or development projects, for example, whole new city areas. It is not only these large projects that need to be considered focusing on the impact of construction related transports. Additionally, there are many small-scale development projects in cities with a combination of different official and private actors. Contractors and developers/clients are displaying increasing interest in construction logistics since research shows that improved construction logistics can improve the productivity of a construction project by about 30 percent. Construction companies using innovative logistics concepts see less congestion around the sites and improved productivity and road safety. Thus, there is a need to align public planning coordinating construction projects with traffic planning in order to manage city infrastructure bottlenecks. The ultimate goal is coordinated planning between the public partner of construction projects and the private construction contractors and developers on the necessary measures for mobility, livability and road safety in the city. This handbook has been developed for local governments, clients, developers, contractors, or any other actor that can influence logistics planning and the setup of construction projects. It can help local governments collaborating with private partners to realise more sustainable, and safer, construction works with less inconvenience and cleaner air. In addition, it can help clients, developers and contractors to ensure smooth and efficient construction operations. Hence, sustainable construction logistics could be a future deal-breaker. The handbook first provides a description of the challenges of urban construction logistics and the governance of construction logistics. Secondly, it presents the Smart Governance Concept developed under the CIVIC project, combining different tools to improve construction logistics and its governance. This concept can be applied on two levels: the city level and the project level. On a city level, a sense of shared ownership and urgency should be created to optimise construction logistics on the project level. This is the first step of the concept. Steps 2 to 6 outline different tools and methods for the development of a solution: in step 2, a conceptual solution is required to create a common understanding of the prerequisites for the specific project and possible methods for organising logistics. Step 3 entails the different instruments, policies and guidelines that are needed for creating the formal conditions for the solution. In step 4, the specific stakeholders are involved to identify important criteria that influence the selection of the final solution. Step 5 then aims to select the final solution by providing cost calculations and traffic optimisation models. Step 6 entails the collection of data and follow-ups of KPIs. The final step 7 regards the evaluation of the different projects that feed back into the continuous development process of the optimisation of construction logistics at a city level. This final step is presented together with step 1 since these both concern the city level. The Smart Governance Concept should be part of development/construction projects from the very beginning, meaning from the planning phase

Onset of psoriatic arthritis in patients treated with efalizumab for moderate to severe psoriasis.

International audienceOBJECTIVE: To investigate the nature of polyarthritis in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing treatment with efalizumab, a humanized anti-CD11a monoclonal antibody. METHODS: In a multicenter study, we retrospectively analyzed patients who developed arthritis during treatment with efalizumab. The relationship between joint manifestations and psoriatic disease was addressed by using different classification criteria for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The course of arthritis and its response to treatment were also investigated. RESULTS: Sixteen patients developed de novo inflammatory rheumatic disease, with a mean delay of 15 weeks following the start of treatment, and with exclusive asymmetric peripheral monarthritis or oligoarthritis (8 patients), inflammatory spinal disease (1 patient), or both (7 patients), associated in some cases with enthesitis and dactylitis. All patients fulfilled at least 2 different sets of classification criteria for PsA. In most of them, an improvement in skin lesions was observed at the onset of PsA, as measured using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (mean score 24.88 before efalizumab versus 18.78 at the time of arthritis). Efalizumab treatment was stopped in 11 patients and was followed by the elimination of rheumatologic symptoms in 1 patient, while 8 patients required treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs with or without methotrexate, with 2 later being switched to tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors. Reintroduction of efalizumab (2 patients) was followed by a relapse of PsA. CONCLUSION: This study questions the role of efalizumab in the induction of PsA. It also emphasizes the discrepancy between the courses of psoriatic skin and joint manifestations under treatment. Prospective case-control studies are needed to accurately investigate the impact of efalizumab on PsA