Linking Energy Access, Gender and Poverty: A Review of the Literature on Productive Uses of Energy

This article reviews the empirical literature about gender and productive uses of energy, focusing on electricity, to answer three research questions: do men and women obtain different benefits from the Productive Use of Electricity (PUE)?; which gendered constraints affect women’s chances to benefit from the PUE; and which interventions work to achieve gender equity in the PUE? We find that PUE literature has so far considered gender mainly at the household level, by looking at the labour supply effects of access to electricity. However, the role of enterprises as labour absorbers and income generators, has been devoid of gender considerations. This omission is significant because women tend to operate in smaller and less energy intensive enterprises, and hence can draw less benefits from PUE interventions. The wider literature on gender and labour markets offers valuable insights about the constraints that explain performance differentials between male and female led enterprises. However, this literature is dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental approaches unable to capture the complexity in which gendered PUE interventions would operate. We draw from the insights provided by these different strands of literature, but further recommend a mixed methods approach to advance the research agenda about gender and PUE

Gender and Energy: Opportunities for All

The global drive to provide universal access to sustainable and modern energy by 2030 is creating numerous opportunities for energy users and suppliers. However, men and women do not benefit equally from these opportunities. Women’s contribution to energy planning, supply, and policymaking is limited, as the energy sector is heavily dominated by men. Therefore, universal energy access cannot be achieved without women being able to use the modern energy services they need. Despite these stark gender differences in the energy sector, there has been a lack of evidence to inform more equitable policymaking. This issue of the IDS Bulletin aims to fill some of these evidence gaps through five original papers, produced as part of ENERGIA’s Gender and Energy Research Programme. Carrying out research in 12 countries in Africa and Asia, the programme delivered nine studies on gender and energy under the following thematic areas: electrification, productive use of energy, energy sector policy dynamics, energy subsidy reform, the role of the private sector in scaling up energy access, gender mainstreaming approaches, and global trends in gender and energy. The IDS Bulletin issue starts with an article that identifies global trends that could help catalyse the closing of energy access gaps around the world and shows how these trends relate to gender inequality. Three further articles go on to discuss gender and entrepreneurship, reinforcing the argument that women’s engagement in the energy sector can improve access and distribution of energy for those most underserved. The final article highlights wider findings and policy implications from the nine research projects of ENERGIA’s Gender and Energy Research Programme

Palomas y Palomares en la vega alta del Segura (Archena, Cieza, Fortuna, Lorqui, Mula, Ricote y Villanueva del Segura)

En número dedicado a: Murci

Estudio de viabilidad de la rehabilitación energética de una vivienda unifamiliar para conseguir el estándar Passivhaus

El objetivo de este proyecto es comprobar la viabilidad de la rehabilitación de una vivienda existente situada en la localidad de Sant Andreu de la Barca, en la provincia de Barcelona. Concretamente, el estudio se centrará en el aspecto del confort térmico, de manera que el objetivo es conseguir que la vivienda cumpla con los requisitos especificados para obtener la certificación PassivHaus. El estudio se realizará mediante simulaciones de la vivienda para observar la evolución de la demanda térmica de la misma y así poder comparar los resultados. En último lugar, se llevará a cabo un estudio sobre el impacto ambiental y social del proyecto, así como la valoración de su viabilidad económicaL‘objectiu d’aquest projecte és comprovar la viabilitat de la rehabilitació d’un habitatge existent situada al municipi de Sant Andreu de la Barca, a la provincial de Barcelona. Concretament, l’estudi se centrarà a l’aspecte del confort tèrmic, de manera que l’objectiu és aconseguir que l’habitatge compleixi els requisits especificats per a obtenir la certificació PassivHaus. L’estudi es realitzarà mitjançant simulacions de l’habitatge per a observar l’evolució de la demanda tèrmica de la mateixa i així poder comparar els resultats. En darrer lloc, es durà a terme un estudi sobre l’impacte ambiental i social, així com la valoració de la seva viabilitat econòmicaThe aim of this project is to verify the viability of the rehabilitation of an existing house located in Sant Andreu de la Barca, in Barcelona. Specifically, the focus will be on the thermal comfort aspect, so that the objective is to ensure that the house meets the specified requirements to obtain the PassivHaus certification. The study will be carried out through simulations of the building to observe the evolution of its thermal demand and thus be able to compare the results. Lastly, a study will be carried out on the environmental and social impact of the project, as well as its economic viabilit

Personality, cognitive appraisal and adjustment in chronic pain patients

Este estudio investigó la relación entre los patrones clínicos de personalidad y la evaluación cognitiva y sus repercusiones sobre la adaptación al dolor crónico en una muestra de 91 pacientes. Se predijo que los patrones de personalidad se relacionarían con los procesos de ajuste y de evaluación cognitiva, mientras que las evaluaciones cognitivas se relacionarían con la ansiedad, la depresión y los niveles de dolor percibido. Se emplearon los siguientes instrumentos: el Inventario Clínico Multiaxial de Millon, el Cuestionario de Evaluación Cognitiva, las Escalas de Ansiedad y Depresión Hospitalarias y el Cuestionario de Dolor de McGill. Se emplearon el análisis de regresión múltiple y los tests de Kruskal Wallis y de Mann Whitney para analizar los datos obtenidos. Los resultados muestran que ciertos patrones clínicos de personalidad se asociaban con baja adaptación al dolor crónico. El uso de la evaluación cognitiva del daño predijo niveles más altos de ansiedad y mayor dolor percibido en los pacientes de dolor crónico. El uso de la evaluación cognitiva de retos predijo niveles más bajo de depresión.This study investigated the relationship between clinical personality patterns and cognitive appraisal as well as their repercussions on adjustment to chronic pain in a sample of 91 patients. It was predicted that clinical personality patterns would be related to adjustment and cognitive appraisal processes, whereas cognitive appraisals would be related to anxiety, depression and levels of perceived pain. The instruments used were as follows: the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, the Cognitive Appraisal Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Mann Whitney U-test were used to analyse the data obtained. The results show that certain clinical personality patterns were associated with poor adjustment to chronic pain. The use of cognitive appraisal of harm predicted higher anxiety levels and greater perceived pain in chronic pain patients. The use of cognitive appraisals of challenge predicted lower depression levels

Cathodoluminescence of defects in sintered tin oxide

Cathodoluminescence (CL) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to investigate the luminescence mechanisms in tin oxide. Sintered material prepared from high purity powder has been found to show a strong dependence of the CL emission on the thermal treatments applied during sample preparation. SEM images show the presence of nano and microcrystalline grains. The correlation of the grain size and morphology with the optical emission is analyzed by CL microscopy and spectroscopy. The main emission bands appear centered at about 2.58, 2.25, and 1.94 eV depending on the sintering treatment. CL images reveal that the 2.25 and the 2.58 eV bands are associated at specific crystal faces. The evolution of the luminescence bands with mechanical milling shows a complex evolution of the 1.94 and 2.58 eV emissions which is explained by formation and recovery of defects during milling

Sistemas Personalizados de Dosificación

Los SPD son una herramienta útil para mejorar la adherencia terapéutica de determinados perfiles de pacientes, y es un Servicio que puede prestarse desde la Farmacia Comunitaria. Sin embargo, dado el auge de este servicio no sólo para la Farmacia Comunitaria sino también para otros niveles asistenciales, como hospitales o centros sociosanitarios, existen en el mercado multitud de dispositivos, cada uno de características diferenciadoras, así como herramientas y dispositivos que ayudan u optimizan la elaboración de SPD. Por todo ello es conveniente saber la existencia de los diferentes tipos de SPD en el mercado y sus características, ventajas/inconvenientes y así poder elegir el más adecuado en cada caso. El Objetivo de este TFG es realizar una revisión de los diferentes tipos de SPD que existen en el mercado, analizar las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada uno y evaluar su adecuación en función del uso deseado y del perfil de paciente y tipo de farmacia Resultados y conclusiones: Se han identificado tres grandes grupos de Sistemas Personalizados de Dosificación: manuales, semiautomáticos y automáticos con diferentes subtipos dentro de los mismos. La evaluación de las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada uno nos permite concluir que para una farmacia que desee incorporar el Servicio de SPD como herramienta para mejorar la adherencia de sus pacientes, se recomienda iniciarse con SPD manual no reutilizable por la facilidad de su implantación y el coste mínimo que supone. En función del nivel de elaboración y las disponibilidades de inversión, podría plantearse un SPD semiautomático. Los robots automáticos deberían reservarse para un gran volumen de pacientes puesto que suponen una inversión muy elevada difícilmente amortizable para el actual volumen medio de elaboración de la farmacia española

Cathodoluminescence and REBIC study of defects in tin oxide

Cathodoluminescence (CL) and remote electron beam induced current (REBIC) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to investigate the electron recombination mechanisms in tin oxide. Sintered material prepared from high purity powder has been found to show a strong dependence of the CL emission on the thermal treatments applied during sample preparation. SEM images show the presence of nano and microcrystalline grains. The correlation of the grain size and morphology with the optical emission is analysed by CL microscopy and spectroscopy. The evolution of the luminescence bands with mechanical milling shows a complex evolution of the 1.94 eV and 2.58 eV emissions which is explained by formation and recovery of defects during milling. REBIC measurements and imaging are used to characterize the formation of a potential barrier at the grain boundaries

DICOM metadata: a useful resource for big data analytics

Postprint (published version