Grocery shopping behaviour in the era of Covid-19 : panel data analysis from convenience store sector in England, Scotland and Wales

To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt to address the consistencies and inconsistencies between the grocery shopping behaviour shifts in the era of Covid-19 across three devolved nations of the mainland UK. We address the strictness of ‘lockdown style’ closure and containment policies that primarily restrict people’s behaviour (stringency index). We use a unique dataset of transactional data (778,305 observations) drawn from 1,282 convenience stores located in England, Scotland and Wales. Panel data analysis covers the pre-pandemic (Jan 2018 – Feb 2020) and pandemic period (March 2020 – Dec 2020). This research reveals that, despite the consistent decrease of single item transactions and increase of average spend per transaction across England, Scotland and Wales, the dynamics of these shifts in time varies meaningfully. All these shifts highly correlate with the stringency index. Analysis of additional explanatory variables i.e. store size, location, affiliation shows further dimensions

Assessing Vehicle Emissions from a Multi-Lane to Turbo Roundabout Conversion Using a Microsimulation Tool

The development of urban strategies for the reduction of environmental impacts and decarbonization requires ongoing monitoring from the local scale and further deployment of actions to improve transport demand (user characteristics and modal choice) and supply (infrastructure and services). The analysis of pollution sources and the evaluation of possible scenarios are preliminary to the mitigation of impacts. In particular, the study of geometrical and functional characteristics of infrastructures through micro-simulation allows understanding of which schemes can support the reduction of emissions and guarantee high levels of service (LOS), reducing the problem of vehicular congestion in urban areas. The present work focuses on the small-scale analysis of vehicular traffic emissions at a multi-lane roundabout road intersection and the comparison of geometric schemes (current and design) and use with a turbo roundabout scheme as traffic volumes changes. These volumes have plummeted due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that the geometric-functional modification of the roundabout intersection from a multi-lane to a turbo-roundabout intersection allows a reduction of up to 30% of the emissions considering the current composition of the traffic fleet in the city of Rzeszow in Poland. The proposed comparative analysis methodology can contribute to the drafting of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) proposing a set of investments for new road works and considering a number of scenarios with interventions that can be implemented in the medium and long term that can provide the incentive to reduce road congestion and vehicular emissions

Intelligence: a personal, inherent, function of command.

This thesis suggests that commanders must accept the responsibility for intelligence as a personal, inherent function of command. Commanders most dissatisfied with intelligence least understand its function, capabilities, and limitations. They lack a thorough understanding of intelligence, thus they fail to directly participate in the process, and their involvement is critical to success. Intelligence doctrine—the foundation of instruction in professional schools—fails to increase understanding and forcefully encourage the commander's participation. This thesis further suggests that doctrine reinforces past and present practices relating to intelligence, causing many commanders to fail to see intelligence as a personal, inherent, function of command.http://archive.org/details/intelligencepers00kuszMajor, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited