The Role of Futureproofing in the Management of Infrastructural Assets

Ensuring long-term value from infrastructure is essential for a sustainable economy. In this context, futureproofing involves addressing two broad issues: i. Ensuring the ability of infrastructure to be resilient to unexpected or uncontrollable events e.g. extreme weather events; and ii. Ensuring the ability to adapt to required changes in structure and / or operations of the infrastructure in the future e.g. expansion of capacity, change in usage mode or volumes. Increasingly, in their respective roles, infrastructure designers/builders and owners/operators are being required to develop strategies for futureproofing as part of the life cycle planning for key assets and systems that make up infrastructure. In this paper, we report on a preliminary set of studies aimed at exploring the following issues related to infrastructure / infrastructure systems: • What is intended by the futureproofing of infrastructural assets? • Why and when to futureproof critical infrastructure? • How can infrastructure assets and systems be prepared for uncertain futures? • How can futureproofing be incorporated into asset management practice? In order to seek answers to the above questions, the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) has conducted two industrial workshops bringing together leading practitioners in the UK infrastructure and construction sectors, along with government policy makers. This paper provides an initial summary of the findings from the workshops (part presentation, part working sessions), and proposes a simple framework for linking futureproofing into broader asset management considerations. To begin, an overview of futureproofing and motivate the need for futureproofing infrastructure assets is provided. Following this, an approach to futureproofing infrastructure portfolios is presented that organisations in the infrastructure sector can use. Key barriers to futureproofing are also presented before examining the ISO 55001 asset management standard to highlight the interplay between futureproofing and infrastructural asset management. Finally, different ways by which an effective futureproofing strategy can enhance the value of infrastructure are examined

Risk factors for the metabolic syndrome in contemporary China

An epidemic of metabolic disease is currently emerging in China. This review considers determinants of the metabolic syndrome in contemporary China within the context of the recent and compressed epidemiological transition. As well as considering proximal causes, such as energy imbalance resulting from increases in food availability and decreases in occupational, commuting and domestic physical activity, this review also considers life course and epigenetic influences on population health and individual risk in a transitioning population. Identifying the relative importance and mutability of epigenetic processes, influences over the life course and current environment is key to developing effective public health interventions during the current 'demographic window' before the costs of metabolic disease become overwhelming. © 2008 World Heart Federation.postprin

THE CRISIS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TEACHING

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72875/1/j.1949-8594.1947.tb06125.x.pd

Androgen activity and markers of inflammation among men in NHANES III

ObjectivesInflammation contributes to chronic diseases. Lower serum testosterone among men is associated with less inflammation, yet immune defense is thought to trade-off against reproduction with androgens adversely affecting immune function. Anti-androgens are effective at castrate levels of serum testosterone, suggesting serum testosterone may not capture all androgen activity. The association of two androgen biomarkers with key markers of inflammation was examined. Methods The adjusted association of serum testosterone and androstanediol glucuronide with Creactive protein, white blood cell, granulocyte and lymphocyte count, fibrinogen and hemoglobin, as a control outcome because testosterone administration raises hemoglobin, were examined in a nationally representative sample of 1490 US men from NHANES III phase 1 (1988-91) using multivariable linear regression. Results Serum testosterone and androstanediol glucuronide were weakly correlated (0.13). Serum testosterone was associated with lower white blood cell count (−0.26*10−9 per standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.37 to −0.14) and granulocyte count (−0.21*10−9, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.13) but not with hemoglobin (0.02 g/L, 95% CI −0.89 to 0.92), adjusted for age, education, race/ethnicity, smoking and alcohol. Similarly adjusted, androstanediol glucuronide was not associated with white blood cell count (0.10*10−9, 95% CI −0.05 to −0.25), granulocyte count (0.12*10−9, 95% CI −0.02 to 0.25) or fibrinogen (0.05g/L, 95% CI −0.004 to 0.11), but was with hemoglobin (0.70g/L, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.32). Conclusions Different androgen biomarkers had different associations with inflammatory markers, highlighting the need to consider several androgen biomarkers. The possibility remains that androgens may generate inflammatory processes with implications for chronic disease

A socio-biological explanation for social disparities in non-communicable chronic diseases: The product of history?

This study places social disparities in the major non-communicable chronic diseases within their global economic and historical contexts. Rapid economic transition outside the developed world provides a unique opportunity to re-examine the origins of, and biological mechanisms driving, social disparities. Gaps in prevailing theories focusing on material resources, civic infrastructure and social structure are identified. Using longstanding experimental evidence and epigenetic theories, it is suggested that exposure to economic development over generations (ie, improved living conditions over historical time) could by acting on different biological axes (somatotrophic and gonadotrophic) generate specific patterns of social disparities. Moreover, these same processes could initially generate a transient epidemic of diabetes as well as a permanent increase in male risk of premature ischaemic heart disease. As such, this study demonstrates the importance of context, and implies that current evidence from the developed world may be largely uninformative for preventing or mitigating social disparities in non-communicable chronic diseases elsewhere, suggesting research efforts should be focused on developing countries.published_or_final_versio

Associations of birth order with early adolescent growth, pubertal onset, blood pressure and size: Evidence from Hong Kong’s “Children of 1997” birth cohort

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